Letters of St. Athanasius (Sakharov) from the Archive of Hieromartyr Seraphim (Samoilovich)

Abstract

The publication is devoted to the unknown letters of Holy Confessor Athanasius (Sakharov), the Bishop of Kovrov, to the Holy Martyr Metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov) and St. monk-martyr archimandrite Neophyte (Osipov), who were called by friends as «Abba». In the letter to Metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov) St. Athanasius has literally outlined the content of his unknown letter to the Deputy of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky). In this letter the Bishop says about the reasons for his departure relating to the abuse of power that was permitted by Locum Tenens Peter (Polyansky) to Metropolitan Sergius. The relationship between Bishop Athanasius and the closest in spirit to him Church leaders was shown in the letters: Metropolitan Kirill (Smirnov) and Archimandrite Neophytos (Osipov). The letters covers also the circumstances of his exiles, wanderings and the conflict situation because of the Athanasius’s renouncement to serve in the Vladimir diocese.

Keywords

• New martyrs and Confessors of Russia
• the persecution against the Russian Orthodox Church
• the opposition to the Moscow Patriarchate
• epistolary heritage
• Church archives
• the St. Confessor Athanasius (Sakharov)
• St. Cyril (Smirnov)
• St. Martyr Neophytus