The face of the saint in hagiographic literature. Alexander Nevskiy

The Russian army has long been famous for its great commanders, the majority, without a doubt, first of all come to mind the names of Suvorov, Kutuzov, Bagration, Zhukov, but especially the holy noble Prince Alexander Nevsky, who, with his feats of arms, forever glorified the Russian army throughout the world, should be mentioned. reports "Krasnoyarskoe Vremya"

The historical value and significance of Alexander Nevsky's two-fold reflection of the crusader detachments on the Neva River and Lake Peipsi cannot be underestimated. These were the first truly major victories of Russia over foreign European invaders, which for a long time cooled the ardor of Catholic Europe in its claims to the territory of Russia.

Throughout his life, Alexander Nevsky repeatedly, with his personal courage, courage and wisdom, saved Russia from the devastating raids of the Tatar-Mongols, simultaneously instilling in the hearts of the Russian people hope for the future strengthening of the Russian army and the expulsion of the enemy from their native lands. For incredible merits, for sacrificial service to Russia, for being accepted in the most cruel river battle fatal disease"For my friends" Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, who before his death took monastic vows into the schema with the name Alexy, was canonized among the saints of the Russian Orthodox Church.

But the lifetime exploits of the faithful prince were not forgotten even after his death. On May 21 (June 1, new style), 1725, according to the will of Peter I, by the highest decree of Empress Catherine I, one of the highest awards of the Russian Empire was established - the Order in the name of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. According to the plan of Peter the Great, the order was to become an exclusively military award, however, among the first persons it was awarded were civilians, as a result of which the order was awarded to high-ranking officials who distinguished themselves in the state military and secular service. In 1917, along with other imperial awards, the Order of Alexander Nevsky was abolished, but restored by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 29, 1942, simultaneously with the Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov to award the commanding staff of the Red Army for outstanding services in organizing and leading combat operations and for the achievements as a result of these operations, successes in the battles for the Motherland. In the USSR, more than 40 thousand people were awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky, this award was given exclusively to the officers and was highly revered among the military - no one ever forgot the feats of arms of the faithful prince and treated him with great respect.

At present, the rethinking of the role of spirituality in the life of a person and society has received a new impetus for development, including in the field of military affairs. Deprived of the statute in the hard times of perestroika delirium in 1992, the Order of Alexander Nevsky was returned to the list state awards in 2010 year. This fact testifies to the revival of the veneration of the saints of Russian soldiers in Russia. As a result of the search for new spiritual guidelines, many turn to Russian history and find examples of the invaluable benefits of religious and moral education in the mainstream of the Orthodox Church. The problems of the modern Russian army necessitate the search for such approaches to the education of the defender of the Motherland, which should form a new type of serviceman, distinguished not only by high professionalism, but also high level spiritual and moral qualities of a person, an example for which can be the image of the holy noble Prince Alexander Nevsky. It is important to note that it is impossible to resolve the issue of religious and moral education in the Russian army solely by the forces of the Russian Orthodox Church; it is also necessary to carry out a deep reform in the field of education and upbringing of future defenders of the fatherland.

The modern Russian army faces a very serious and important task - the upbringing of a true fighting spirit, combining not only the worthy physical development of a soldier, but above all spiritual moral education... At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the experience of such Russian commanders as the holy noble Prince Alexander Nevsky - one of the most worthy role models, in which we find reasonable evidence of the need for the Orthodox faith for the defender of the fatherland, as a spiritual support and support for a worthy passage of all the hardships of military service.

It is necessary to point out that the education of a true patriot, capable of defending his country with arms in hand, should begin at school. This direction in reforming the educational system of the Russian Federation should become one of the most important, since it is in the school that the moral foundations of education are laid. Unfortunately, the educational qualification has been falling lately, to some extent due to the intense influx of migrants to schools. People who immigrated to our country not only do not abandon their ethno-cultural traditions and characteristics, but also continue to feel like citizens of their native states and do not seek assimilation with the indigenous population of Russia - Russians, but keep apart and are not patriots of our country, oh what is said, in particular, in the studies of the military historian and sociologist Shirokorad A. B. The head of the Federal Migration Service Konstantin Romodanovsky recently spoke about the problems with migrants at a meeting with the Association of European Businesses in Moscow:

“Migrants from the CIS, primarily from the countries of Central Asia, who go to work in Russia, must behave according to the rules of our country, and there must be an end to violations. I have a great attitude to representatives of all states, but they also have to respect us. We must create a civilized migration so that people live according to our rules, ”said the head of the Federal Migration Service. Romodanovsky also noted that Russians should have priority when hiring.

Migrants for the most part treat Russia as a place of great earnings, respectively, and their children studying in our schools can show disrespect to both teachers and educational process, in connection with which the pace of learning is forced to decrease and teachers do not have time to outline the entire training program in detail. At the same time, the number of cases of hooliganism, drunkenness, drug addiction is growing, the source of which is often migrants.

Huge gaps in upbringing and discipline, both in secondary and higher educational institutions lead to a depletion of morality, the source of which is often anti-Orthodox views, widespread among all segments of the population. In turn, the combination of these factors leads to a decline in spirituality, which does not contribute to the upbringing of future defenders of the Motherland. Unfortunately, today, both in the army and in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the officers are very superficial about their duties: there are hundreds of cases of corruption, abuse of office. Separately, it is worth noting a sharp increase in the use of firearms and traumatic weapons by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs under the influence of alcohol against civilians. An officer of the police, army or other structures must honor his rank and be an officer and defender of the interests of his homeland and its citizens, both in the workplace and outside it.

But the problems of morality and a sense of morality are not only among the officers - the soldiers serving in the RF Armed Forces are also subject to moral decay, as evidenced by the huge number of cases of hazing and violation of chain of command in the ranks of the military. Various sources report a rather significant percentage of prisoners who have served in the ranks of the Russian army, but, unfortunately, to date, there is still no objective research on this topic, so the problem is only outlined.

The problems of the Russian army are significant and could not fail to attract attention. In particular, the President of the Russian Federation V.V.Putin, even in his election campaign, paid much attention to the issues of reforming the entire army structure. In one of the program articles, he states that in the shortest possible time it is necessary to equip the Russian army with fundamentally new equipment, "which sees further, shoots more accurately and reacts faster" than similar systems from any potential enemy. According to experts, the energetic rearmament of the army raises its prestige in the eyes of young people. Another area of ​​work V.V.Putin called the receipt of benefits for those who have served in the army for admission to universities and government service.

The attention of the President to the glorious military history our homeland. The head of state recalled, recalled that the birth of Russia did not begin in 1917 or even since 1991, and the country has an indissoluble thousand-year history. But, for example, the First World War was erased from memory for a number of political reasons that "it is wrong, and this must be done away with." The country needs monuments to the heroes of the First World War. “Our ancestors called it a great war, but it was undeservedly forgotten,” he said.

The Russian leader came up with an unexpected initiative and proposed to revive the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, which had been the elite of the Russian army for several centuries. “The fighting spirit of the armed forces rests on traditions, on a living connection with history, on examples of heroes' courage and self-sacrifice,” said Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Vladimirovich regularly reminds the relevant departments of social problems among the conscripts. According to Putin, the current conscription system contains a large element of social inequality, since the army mainly includes young people from low-income families, while every true citizen and patriot should stand up to defend their country. Additional measures to raise the prestige military service both among conscripts and officers, and among the rest of the population, there should be a large-scale rearmament and improved financing of the armed forces.

“We will implement programs related to the development of rocketry, aviation, navy, communications and intelligence. We have a separate program for each component. There is no reason to doubt that it will be implemented, ”the president said at the meeting. It is worth emphasizing that the policy of building up military power enjoys clear public support. According to a poll conducted by the Levada Center, 46% of respondents support an increase in military spending, even if it slows economic growth. 41% of respondents were against. The previous such survey was conducted in 1998. Then 35% supported the increase in expenses, and 53% did not. The Institute for Russian Sociological Research received slightly different data. The growth of defense spending is approved by 68% of the respondents, 12% of the respondents found it difficult to answer, and only 20% spoke out against an increase in the increase in military spending.

V. Putin recalled that a comprehensive program of rearmament of the army and navy provides for funding in the amount of 20 trillion rubles. until 2020 and another 3 trillion rubles. - to modernize the production of enterprises of the military-industrial complex (MIC).

Today society is actively looking for religious ideals, moral support, moral support that it can and does find in the Orthodox Church. The possibility of introducing not only civil society but also the army into the moral ideals should not be underestimated. The important role of religion in the education of a warrior is evidenced by the fate of outstanding commanders: Vladimir Monomakh, Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Alexander Suvorov, Fedor Ushakov, Dmitry Skobelev, Mikhail Dragomirov - their image was an example for soldiers, they supported their army.

Over the centuries, the image of the Russian army has combined two fundamental principles - love for the Motherland and love for God. Patriotism and faith were inherent in both the ordinary soldier and the commander-in-chief. The Russian army was a very powerful structure and was worthy of the great state that it defended. The most important foundations services were a personal example of the commander, mutual assistance and respect, the general idea of ​​God's blessing to the soldiers who perform their service with honor and dignity, and each soldier knew that there is no greater honor than "to die for his friends."

The Christ-loving army relied not only on their own skill, but also on God's help, and thus won victories. Twice superior to the Russian army in many respects german army tried to conquer our land, but each time received a worthy rebuff. The wonderful German army degenerated, such concepts as honor, nobility, the idea of ​​serving the motherland and neighbors was replaced by a fascist nationalist ideology and led, instead of a brilliant victory, to complete collapse.

Repeated attempts of famous generals, such as Napoleon, known to us from history, to conquer the Russian land ended in the unconditional victory of Russian weapons. At the same time, the Russian army showed a human, kind attitude towards the captives and ordinary citizens of the captured countries, philanthropy and compassion, which the soldiers of other countries could not boast of. From what we have considered, we know that God helps the righteous in wars, and an obvious evidence of this help can be seen in the example of the Russian Christ-loving army.

Examples of victorious armies of the great commanders of our country, testimonies from the Holy Scriptures about the valor and honor of a soldier, the opinions of famous military historians can become one of the topics for carrying out missionary activities among military personnel and from relatives. The importance of this church mission cannot be overestimated, just as it is important to combine the carrying of the word of God to the Russian soldiers with the state initiative - only in this way it will be possible to educate and strengthen the fighting spirit in the Russian army, returning it to the glory of a very powerful and victorious army in the world.

"The face of the Saint in the hagiographic literature" Epigraph: The name of the Saint, given to him,
more expressive than the Great.
N.M. Karamzin
Purpose: Compare the image of Alexander
Nevsky as a historical figure and as
hero of hagiographic literature.
MHK grade 8

Old Russian literature

700 years
Concentration of Russian spirituality and patriotism
Why is it necessary to know ancient Russian literature?
Her images and ideas in
works by others
writers
The basis of all Russian
literature
Forms love for
Fatherland

Old Russian literature

In the 10th century
The beauty of a syllable
The majesty of thought
Simplicity
content
sources
Causes
folklore
Adoption of the culture of Byzantium and
Christianity in Bulgaria

Genres

Chronicle
Eloquence
Lives
legends
admonitions
legends

Features of Old Russian Literature

Historicism of content
Form etiquette, canons
Anonymity
Handwriting

Life literature as a special genre

Life
Target
vita
glorification
biography
Bishops
Patriarchs
Monks
saints

Life traits

Slowness
narratives
Three-part:
introduction,
life itself,
conclusion
Division by
positive and
negative
heroes
Selection from life
Holy only
positive
facts
Few dates
narration
unfolds on
background of eternity
No individual
heck

Dictionary

"Agios" - from the Greek "saint",
"Grafos" - "I write" - the biography of the saints.
"Canon" - from the Greek "norm, sample".
Icon - from the Greek "eikon" - "image,
object of worship "- picturesque
the image of God, saint or saints.
Saint - a person who has dedicated his life
To God. Doing good and hating evil,
deserving of God for his love and faith
special gifts, for example, the gift of working miracles.

Icon of Alexander Nevsky

Above is a purple robe with
sable collar.
(noble, princely family)
There is chain mail under the mantle.
(warrior, commander)
Sword in hand - an indication of the spiritual
abuse, intercession.
... (defender of the land, Russian faith)
Above the head is a golden halo and
luminous glare.
(signs of the Divine
presence, holiness)
The face is calm and sad,
detached from all vain and
earthly.

10. Historical background

11. The history of the creation of the life

Alexander Nevsky as wise
statesman and
dedicated to the great commander
life. This work was
written in Rozhdestvensky
monastery in Vladimir, where he was
the prince is buried.
The author of the life knew the prince, was
witness to his public affairs
and feats of arms. Scientists
believe that the life is written
Metropolitan Kirill. Feeling
the narrator's keen sympathy for
Alexander, admiration for him
military and state
activities have given rise to a particular
sincerity and lyricism
narration.

12. Guess which fragments of Alexander's life are illustrated by these miniatures

13. Reread the scene of the first battle of Alexander Nevsky with the Germans.

What kind of commander portrays the author of the life
Grand Duke?
Fill in the table with quotes from the text.
Number
troops
Soulful
condition
commander
Speech
characteristics
a
The outcome of the battle

14. Test yourself

Number
troops
Soulful
condition
commander
Speech
characteristics
a
The outcome of the battle
“I went to the enemies
with small
squad "
“I hoped for
Holy Trinity ”,
“Flared up
heart ”,
"started
pray with
tears ”,
"started
encourage
squad ".
“God is not in power,
but in truth. "
“Judge, Lord,
offending me and
protect from
struggling with
by me, take
weapons and shield and
stand on
help me ”.
“Interrupted them
prince
countless
set, and on
face of
left the king
trail of sharp
his stakes ”.
“The prince
Alexander
returned from
victory, praising
and praising the name
his Creator ”.

15.

- Under what circumstances
Alexander Nevsky says
aphorism: “God is not in power, but in
the truth? " Which is stronger: strength or
is it true?
- How the ideal of the wise is created
ruler and brave
commander?
(Characteristics of the prince in the life
very versatile. With one
hand, it is executed
church virtues - quiet,
meek, humble, on the other, -
courageous and invincible
warrior, swift in battle,
selfless and merciless to
to the enemy. This is how
ideal of a wise prince, ruler
and a brave commander).
- For what purpose does the author introduce
biblical heroes?
Describe them.
- Why Samson
is the power of A. Nevsky being likened?
- Who is Solomon? What common
between Solomon and Nevsky?
- What the author wanted to emphasize
lives, endowing Alexander
Nevsky Prospect with the best qualities
several legendary
biblical images?
(His greatness, divine
predestination).

16. Spiritual portrait of A. Nevsky

Alexander Nevskiy
righteous
merciful
wise
served
defended
made for
selflessly land
Orthodox
the people
dear
faith
defender
invincible
united
principalities
russians
An example of moral and spiritual values

17.

- Is it possible on the basis
hagiographic portrait
carry Alexander
Nevsky to the saints?
- What is it
holiness? Prove by
text.
- Than Alexander Nevsky
deserved the title
"Saint"?
- What life can be
interesting to modern
man?

18. Korin, "Alexander Nevsky"

Icon
Korin, "Alexander Nevsky"

19. Homework

Learn theoretical material
Fonvizin "Minor" (read)
Prepare for the test on
folklore and ancient Russian literature
(genres of folklore and Old Russian
literature, content studied
works)

Graduate of class 9A MBOU "Secondary School No. 40" of the city of Nizhnevartovsk

O. Nezhdanova in her essay tells about the outstanding personalities of the past of Russia, who made the greatest contribution to the spiritual, cultural, intellectual development of Russia, about St. Alexander Nevsky

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To the organizers of the international

Literary competition "Face of Russia"

Composition

Students of grade 9A (15 years old)

MSOSH # 40

G. Nizhnevartovsk

KhMAO-Ugra

Olga Nezhdanova,

Living at:

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug

Ugra,

Nizhnevartovsk, Severnaya st., 80, apt. 39

D / t 45-03-01

Composition.

Saint Alexander Nevsky is the face of Russia.

The history of Russia is made up of the threads of the life of our millions of ancestors who cultivated and protected the land, gave birth and raised children ... Russian Orthodox people put the highest, that is, spiritual values ​​in the title of their lives, had moral values ​​and life purposefulness. They were guided by the Orthodox Christian principles of love, harmony and beauty in the order of the world, national Orthodox traditions. This gave the Russian people the possibility of a full and voluminous perception of the world, of their place in it. Religion was an important part of the inner spiritual experience, the basis of the worldview.

"Holy Russia" shone "to the world with a great, disinterested and pure idea ... not with a sword, but with conviction, example, love, selflessness, light ..." (F.M. Dostoevsky). The Orthodox people of Russia dreamed of creating a "kingdom of the righteous", building the best society on Earth.

Svyatopolk, Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir Monomakh, Andrei Bogolyubsky, Alexander Nevsky are outstanding personalities of the past of Russia, persons of Russia who have made the greatest contribution to the spiritual, cultural, intellectual development of Russia, to the creation of the ideals of goodness, love, and peaceful coexistence.

Saint Alexander Nevsky - the son of Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, grandson of Andrei Bogolyubsky and great-grandson of the most famous among Russian princes Vladimir Monomakh - was distinguished by reason, courage, strength of bodily strength, majestic beauty, love of truth, compassion and truly Christian piety.

For what merits was Alexander Nevsky canonized? Why is he an outstanding person, the face of Russia? Let's remember the deeds of St. Alexander.

From the gracious elder-hierarch, Alexander received the first blessing for military service in the name of God, for the defense of the Russian Church and the Russian land. The Providence of God erected Saint Prince Alexander, the great warrior-prayer book, ascetic and builder of the Russian land, for the salvation of the Russian land. "Without God's command there would be no reign of him."

Before the battle, Saint Alexander always prayed in the church of Saint Sophia, recalled the psalm of David and said, turning to the Lord: “Judge, Lord, who offend me and revolt those who fight me, take your weapon and shield, stand to help me”. Then he turned to the squad with words filled with faith: “God is not in power, but in righteousness. Some - with weapons, others - on horses, and we will call on the name of our Lord! They hesitated and fell, but we rebelled and were firm. " With a small retinue, trusting in the Holy Trinity, the prince went into battle with the enemies of the Russian land ...

Once, before the battle, Saint Alexander was told about a miraculous sign: as if the boat was sailing on the sea, and in it the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb in crimson robes. And Boris said: "Brother Gleb, lead us to row, so let us help our relative Alexander." Saint Alexander, encouraged, bravely led an army against the Swedes with prayer. "And there was a great slaughter with the Latins, and killed countless numbers of them ..." The Angel of God helped the Orthodox army. For this victory, the people named Saint Alexander Nevsky ...

The German knights were a dangerous enemy for Russia. The enemies boasted of "subjugating the entire Slavic people." Saint Alexander, having set out on a winter campaign, liberated Pskov, this ancient House of the Holy Trinity, and in the spring of 1242 he gave a decisive battle to the Teutonic Order. On ice Lake Peipsi On April 5, 1242, both armies met. Raising his hands to heaven, Saint Alexander prayed: “Judge me, O God, and judge my quarrel with the great people and help me, O God, how ancient Moses on Amalek and my great-grandfather, Yaroslav the Wise, on the accursed Svyatopolk. "By his prayer, with God's help and feat of arms, the crusaders were completely defeated. and there was no ice, for it was covered with blood. The enemies turned to flight were chased and whipped by the soldiers of Alexandrov, “as if they were rushing through the air, and there was nowhere for the enemy to run."

The name of Saint Alexander became famous throughout Holy Russia, "in all countries, to the Egyptian Sea and to the Ararat Mountains, on both sides of the Varangian Sea and to the great Rome."

The western borders of the Russian land were reliably fenced off, it was time to protect Russia from the East: it was necessary to turn the Tatars from enemies and robbers into respectful allies, "the meekness of a dove and the wisdom of a snake" was needed ... The alliance bequeathed by the father with the Golden Horde was then necessary to prevent a new defeat Russia - St. Alexander Nevsky continued to strengthen. The son of Batu, who converted to Christianity, Sartak, who was in charge of Russian affairs in the Horde, becomes his friend and brother. Promising his support, Saint Alexander made it possible for Batu to march against Mongolia, to become the main force in the entire Great Steppe, and to elevate the leader of the Christian Tatars, Khan Mongke, to the throne in Mongolia ...

Saint Alexander became the autocratic Grand Duke of all Rus: Vladimir, Kiev and Novgorod. A great responsibility before God and history fell on his shoulders. In 1253, he repelled a new German raid on Pskov, in 1254 concluded an agreement on peaceful borders with Norway, in 1256 he went on a campaign to the Finnish land. The chronicler called it "a dark campaign", the Russian army marched through the polar night, "going through impassable places, as if not to see either day or night." Saint Alexander carried the light of the Gospel sermon and Orthodox culture into the darkness of paganism. All Pomorie was enlightened and mastered by the Russians ...

The era of the great Christianization of the pagan East has come, in this was the historical vocation of Russia, prophetically guessed by Saint Alexander Nevsky. The holy prince used every opportunity to elevate his native land and facilitate its lot of the cross. In 1262, at his direction, Tatar tribute collectors and warrior recruiters, the Baskaks, were killed in many cities. They were waiting for Tatar revenge. But the great defender of the people again went to the Horde and wisely directed events in a completely different direction: referring to the uprising of the Russians, Khan Berke stopped sending tribute to Mongolia and proclaimed the Golden Horde an independent state, thereby making it a barrier to Russia from the East. In this great union of Russian and Tatar lands and peoples, the future multinational Russian state matured and grew stronger, which subsequently included almost the entire legacy of Genghis Khan to the shores of the Pacific Ocean within the boundaries of the Russian Church.

This diplomatic trip of St. Alexander Nevsky to Sarai was the fourth and last. The future of Russia was saved, its duty to God was fulfilled. But everyone devoted their strength, life was devoted to serving the Russian Church. On way back from the Horde, Saint Alexander was mortally ill. Before reaching Vladimir, in Gorodets, in a monastery, the ascetic prince gave up his spirit to the Lord on November 14, 1263, completing the arduous life path the adoption of the holy monastic schema with the name Alexy.

Metropolitan Kirill, spiritual father and companion in the ministry of the Holy Prince, said in his funeral oration: "Know, my children, that the sun of the land of Suzdal has already set. There will be no more such a prince in the Russian land." His holy body was carried to Vladimir, the journey lasted nine days, and the body remained incorrupt. On November 23, when he was buried in the Nativity Monastery in Vladimir, God manifested "a miracle and worthy of memory." When the body of Saint Alexander was laid in the shrine, the steward Sevastian and Metropolitan Kirill wanted to unclench his hand in order to put in a parting spiritual letter. The holy prince, as though alive, stretched out his hand himself and took the letter from the hands of the metropolitan. "And terror seized them, and they barely retreated from his tomb. Who would not be surprised if he was dead and the body was brought from afar in winter." This is how God glorified his saint - the Holy Warrior-Prince Alexander Nevsky.

Yes, the life and deeds of St. Alexander will forever be in the memory of the people ... We are grateful to those who found the courage and strength to do great things. Human memory keeps the names of heroes and their accomplishments ... We live in a large hostel, and we must be able to remember the heroes of the past, be able to love people, give the wealth of mind and heart for the good of Russia, increase goodness in the world around us ...

Nowadays it is necessary to think about kindness, mercy, love, patience, humility. We all know that there is special grace in Russia, we live in the Holy Land. Catholics tried to subdue and destroy the spirit of Orthodoxy, but to no avail, because the Saints prayed and pray for Russia. The Orthodox glorify the Holy Princess Olga, the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, who, with their holy prayers, still support and strengthen the Russian people. We walk the path of Orthodoxy, looking at the residence of the Saints ...

Today we turn to our spiritual origins, traditions, customs, classical spiritual heritage, we again realize the importance of the Orthodox faith in our life, for many it has also become obvious that Orthodox history contains a rich experience of spiritual and moral education. Moral - Orthodox principles laid down in our history, literature, based on love for neighbor, on humanely towards a person, on obedience to parents and respect for elders, on the awareness of the unique gift of life, they have invaluable educational and upbringing opportunities ...

“In the current hectic age, the most important thing ... for every Christian is to preserve a firm, deep faith ... On the core of faith and spiritual life, qualities that are very important today are being strengthened: love and sensitivity, ... utmost honesty, responsibility, a combination of“ humility with a creative, active approach to life ... (His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II).

Morality is the same in all ages and for all people. By reading about obsolete in detail, we can find a lot for ourselves.

D.S. Likhachev

Spirituality and morality are the most important, basic characteristics of a person. Spirituality in the most general sense is a set of manifestations of the spirit in the world and in man. The process of cognition of spirituality is associated with a systemic comprehension of significant truths in all spheres of culture: in science, and in philosophy, and in education, and in religions, and in art. Moreover, the principles of openness, honesty, freedom, equality, collectivism, are the basis, environment for the creation and preservation of spirituality. Spirituality is the unity of truth, goodness and beauty. Spirituality is what contributes to the development of man and mankind.

Morality is a set of general principles of human behavior in relation to each other and society. In this regard, the modern humanistic ideal actualizes such personality traits as patriotism, citizenship, service to the Fatherland, family traditions. The concepts of "spirituality" and "morality" are universal values.

They say that Russia is the soul of the world, and the literature of Rus reflects the inner potential that the Russian people have. Without knowing the history of Old Russian literature, we will not understand the full depth of A.S. Pushkin's work, the spiritual essence of N.V. Gogol's work, L.N. Tolstoy's moral quests, the philosophical depth of F.M.Dostoevsky.

Old Russian literature carries a very great moral force. Good and evil, love for the Motherland, the ability to sacrifice everything in the name of a good cause, family values ​​are the main ideas of ancient Russian literature. Old Russian literature is the focus of Russian spirituality and morality. In addition, one of the main leitmotifs of these works is faith in God, which supports the heroes in all trials.

The works of Old Russian literature reveal complex worldview concepts about a person's place in life, about his goals and aspirations, make it possible to gain experience in a moral assessment of events and phenomena in the world around us. This is especially true in our time, when Russia is undergoing profound transformations, accompanied by serious spiritual losses. Revival of spirituality and education of spirituality is what we need today.

Many Soviet and Russian scholars considered the works of Old Russian literature in the context of the education of spiritual and moral values. It is not easy for a modern person to understand the works of ancient Russian literature, therefore, in school curriculum included for the study of works of Old Russian literature: The Tale of Bygone Years (fragments), The Word about Igor's regiment, the word about the ruin of Ryazan by Batu (fragments), The Life of Boris and Gleb, The Teaching of Vladimir Monomakh, The Legend of Peter and Fevronia of Murom, St. Sergius of Radonezh, The Life of the Protopope Avvakum.

Spiritual and moral values ​​in the works of Old Russian literature are the leitmotif and basis of the plot, and therefore today it is necessary to refer to these works in the process of education and upbringing both in the family and at school due to their enduring significance.

The emergence of Old Russian literature is associated with the emergence of the state, writing and is based on the Christian book culture and developed forms of oral poetry. Literature often perceived plots, artistic images, pictorial means folk art. The adoption of Christianity also played a positive role in the development of ancient Russian literature. The fact that the new religion came from Byzantium, the center of Christian culture, had a great positive significance for culture. Ancient Rus.

Speaking about the features of Old Russian literature, it is worth highlighting several of its main characteristics: 1) it is religious literature, the main value for a person in Ancient Russia was his faith; 2) handwritten character its existence and distribution; at the same time, this or that work did not exist in the form of a separate, independent manuscript, but was part of various collections that pursued certain practical goals, it means that all her works were a kind of instruction on HOW to live righteously; 3) anonymity, impersonality of her works(in the best case, we know the names of individual authors, "writers" of books, who modestly put their name either at the end of the manuscript, or in its margins, or in the title of the work); 4) connection with church and business writing, one side, and oral poetic folk art- with another; 5) historicism: her heroes are mainly historical figures, she almost does not admit fiction and strictly follows the fact.

The main themes of Old Russian literature are inextricably linked with the history of the development of the Russian state, the Russian nationality, and therefore are imbued with heroic and patriotic pathos. It contains a harsh voice of condemnation of the policies of the princes who sowed bloody feudal strife and weakened the political and military might of the state. Literature glorifies the moral beauty of the Russian person, who is capable of sacrificing the most precious thing - life for the common good. It expresses a deep faith in the strength and ultimate triumph of good, in the ability of a person to raise his spirit and overcome evil. I would like to finish the conversation about the originality of Old Russian literature with the words of DS Likhachev: "Literature rose over Russia with a huge protective dome - it became a shield of its unity, a moral shield."

Genre is called a historically formed type of literary work, an abstract sample, on the basis of which texts of specific literary works... Old Russian genres are closely related to the way of life, everyday life, everyday life and differ in what they are intended for. The main thing for the genres of Old Russian literature was the "practical goal" for which this or that work was intended.

Therefore, it featured the following genres: 1) Life: the genre of the life was borrowed from Byzantium. This is the most widespread and favorite genre of Old Russian literature. Life was always created after the death of a person. It performed huge educational function because the life of the saint was perceived as an example of a righteous life that must be imitated; 2) Old Russian eloquence: this genre was borrowed by ancient Russian literature from Byzantium, where eloquence was a form of oratory; 3) Lesson: this is a kind of genre of Old Russian eloquence. Lecture is a genre in which the ancient Russian chroniclers tried to present behavior model for any Old Russian human: both for the prince and for the commoner; 4) Word: is a kind of genre of Old Russian eloquence. There are a lot of traditional elements in the word. oral folk art, symbols, there is a clear influence of a fairy tale, an epic; 5) The story: this is the text epic character, telling about princes, about military exploits, about princely crimes; 6) Chronicle: a narrative about historical events ... This is the oldest genre of Old Russian literature. In Ancient Russia, the chronicle played a very important role, it not only reported on historical events of the past, but was also a political and legal document, testified about how to act in certain situations.

Thus, considering the specifics of various genres, it should be noted that, despite the originality of each genre of Old Russian literature, they all have spiritual and moral sources at their core - righteousness, morality, patriotism.

Do not see my outer, see my inner.

From the prayer of Daniel the Imprisoned

Likhachev Dmitry Sergeevich emphasized the important mission of ancient Russian literature and noted the moral basis of these works, reflecting the cultural, historical and spiritual and moral path of many generations of our ancestors. The paths of "Good" have eternal landmarks, the same for all times, and, one might say, tested not only by time, but by eternity itself.

Let's analyze three works of Old Russian literature from the point of view of the ways of "Good".

1. "The Teaching" of Vladimir Monomakh "

Justice is above all, but mercy is above justice.

Olga Brileva

The Instruction unites three different works of Monomakh, among which, in addition to the Instruction itself, there is also the autobiography of the prince himself and his letter to his enemy Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich for the great sorrow he brought to the Russian land with his fratricidal wars. It is addressed to the princes - the children and grandchildren of Monomakh and, in general, to all Russian princes. An important feature of the "Teachings" is its humanistic orientation, an appeal to the Man, his spiritual world, which is closely related to the humanistic nature of the author's worldview. By its content, it is highly patriotic and partial to the fate of the Russian land as a whole and of each person individually, be it a prince, a clergyman or any layman.

Citing excerpts from Christian sacred books, Vladimir Monomakh invites all Russian princes to improve their position and achieve peaceful success, first of all, to learn justice, compassion, and even “compliance”: “Eat and drink without the noise of the great, ... listen to the wise, to obey the elders, ... not to be ferocious with a word, ... keep your eyes downward, and your soul upward ... put universal honor in nothing. "

In it you can also find advice on how a Christian should live in the world. In Christian literature, much is written about monastic life, but it is rare to find teachings on how to be saved outside monasteries. Monomakh writes: "As a father, loving his child, beats him and again draws him to himself, so our Lord showed us victory over enemies, how to get rid of them with three good deeds and overcome them: by repentance, tears and alms."

Moreover, relying on these three good deeds - repentance, tears and charity, the author develops the doctrine of little good deeds... He says that the Lord does not require great deeds from us, because many people, seeing the severity of such labors, do nothing at all. The Lord only needs our heart. Monomakh directly advises the princes (hereditary warriors and rulers!) To be meek, not strive to seize other people's estates, be content with little and seek success and prosperity not with the help of force and violence against others, but thanks to a righteous life: “What is better and more beautiful than living brothers together…. The devil is quarreling with us, because he does not want good for the human race. "

“The autobiography of Monomakh,” notes Likhachev, “is subordinated to the same idea of ​​peacefulness. In the annals of his campaigns, Vladimir Monomakh gives an expressive example of princely peacefulness. " Also indicative is his voluntary acquiescence to his sworn enemy - Prince Oleg of Ryazansky. But Monomakh's own "Letter" to the same Oleg Ryazansky, the murderer of Vladimir Monomakh's son, who at that time was defeated and fled from Russia, embodies the ideal of the "Teachings" even more strongly. This letter shocked the researcher with its moral strength. Monomakh forgives the murderer of his son (!). Moreover, he consoles him. He invites him to return to the Russian land and receive the principality that he inherits, asks him to forget the grievances. ...

When the princes came to Monomakh, but with all his heart he stood against the new internecine warfare: “Do not forget the poor, but, as far as possible, feed the orphan with your strength, and do not let the strong destroy a person. Do not kill either the right or the guilty, and do not command him to be killed; even if he is guilty of death, do not destroy any Christian soul. "

And starting to write his "Instruction" to children and "others who will hear it", Vladimir Monomakh constantly quotes the Psalter as the basis of spiritual and moral laws. So, for example, the answer to the proposals of the warlike princes: "Do not compete with the wicked, do not envy those who do lawlessness, for the wicked will be destroyed, obedient to the Lord, will own the land." During their campaigns, it is necessary to water and feed the beggars who will meet on the way, to honor the guest, no matter where he comes from: he is a commoner, a nobleman or an ambassador. In this case, it is also taken into account that similar actions a person's good name is acquired.

The author especially rebelles against laziness, which destroys all good undertakings, and calls for diligence: Laziness is a mother to everything: “what he knows, he will forget, and what he doesn’t know how, he will not learn, while doing good, do not be lazy about anything good, first of all to the church: let the sun not find you in bed. "

So, the origins of the "Teaching" are the following values ​​on the path of "Good": Faith in God, patriotism, love for one's neighbor, humanism, peacefulness, righteousness, good deeds, spiritual and moral education of descendants. That is why the personal and the universal are intertwined in the "Precept" so closely that makes it a brilliant human document, capable of stirring the soul today.

2. "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom"

Only the heart is sharp-sighted. You can't see the most important thing with your eyes

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom" was a favorite reading of Russian people from tsars to commoners, and now this work is called "the pearl of ancient Russian literature." Let's try to figure out why this story was so popular in Russia.

Peter and Fevronia of Murom are Orthodox patrons of family and marriage, whose marital union is considered a model of Christian marriage. The spouses turn to Prince Peter of Murom and his wife Fevronia with prayers for family happiness. Prince Peter was the second son of Prince Yuri Vladimirovich of Murom. He ascended the Murom throne in 1203. Several years earlier, Peter fell ill with leprosy. In a dreamy vision, the prince was revealed that he could be healed by the daughter of a "tree-bearer" beekeeper who extracted wild honey, Fevronia, a peasant woman from the village of Laskovoy in the Ryazan land.

Virgo Fevronia was wise, wild animals obeyed her, she knew the properties of herbs and knew how to treat ailments, she was a beautiful, pious and kind girl. D.S. was undoubtedly right. Likhachev, calling the main feature of Fevronia's character "psychological tranquility" and drawing a parallel of her image with the faces of the saints A. Rublyov, who carried the "quiet" light of contemplation, the highest moral principle, the ideal of self-sacrifice. Convincing parallels between the art of Rublev and “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom” are drawn by Dmitry Sergeevich in the fifth chapter of his book “Man in the Literature of Ancient Rus.

One of the highest cultural achievements of Ancient Rus was the ideal of man, created in the paintings of Andrei Rublev and artists of his circle, and Academician Likhachev compares Fevronia with the quiet angels of Rublev. But she is ready for a feat.

The first appearance in the story of the girl Fevronia is captured in a visually distinct image. She is found in a simple peasant hut by the messenger of the Murom prince Peter, who has fallen ill from the poisonous blood of the snake he killed. In a poor peasant dress, Fevronia sat at a loom and was engaged in a "quiet" business - weaving linen, and a hare was jumping in front of her, as if symbolizing her merging with nature. Her questions and answers, her quiet and wise conversation clearly show that "Rublev's thoughtfulness" is not thoughtless. She amazes the messenger with her prophetic answers and promises to help the prince. The prince promised to marry her after healing. Fevronia healed the prince, but he did not keep his word. The disease resumed, Fevronia again cured him and married him.

When he inherited the reign after his brother, the boyars did not want to have a princess of a simple rank, telling him: "Either release your wife, who insults noble ladies by her origin, or leave Murom." The prince took Fevronia, got into the boat with her and sailed along the Oka. They began to live as ordinary people, rejoicing that they were together, and God helped them. “Peter did not want to break God's commandments…. After all, it is said that if someone drives out his wife, who is not accused of adultery, and marries another, he himself commits adultery. "

In Murom, turmoil began, many began to harass the vacated throne, murders began. Then the boyars came to their senses, gathered a council and decided to call Prince Peter back. The prince and princess returned, and Fevronia managed to earn the love of the townspeople. “They had equal love for everyone, ... they did not love perishable wealth, but they grew rich in God's wealth. ... And they ruled the city with justice and meekness, and not with fury. They accepted the wanderers, fed the hungry, dressed the naked, rescued the poor from misfortunes. "

In their old age, having taken monastic vows in different monasteries, they prayed to God that they would die in one day. They died on the same day and hour (June 25 (according to the new style - July 8), 1228).

Thus, the spiritual and moral source of this story is the sample Christian family values ​​and commandments as milestones on the path of "Good": faith in God, kindness, self-denial in the name of love, mercy, devotion, spiritual - moral education.

3. "The Life of Alexander Nevsky"

Patriotism does not mean only love for one's homeland. There is much more to it. This is the consciousness of one's inalienability from the homeland and the inalienable experience of her happy and unhappy days with her.

Tolstoy A.N.

Alexander Nevsky is the second son of the Pereyaslavl prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. In 1240, on June 15, in a battle with Swedish knights with a small retinue, Prince Alexander won a brilliant victory. Hence the nickname of Alexander - Nevsky. Until now, the name of Alexander Nevsky is a symbol of unity, part of a common national idea.

It is believed that the work was written no later than the 80s of the XIII century in the monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin in Vladimir, where Prince Alexander Nevsky was buried. The author of the story was probably, according to the researchers, a scribe from the entourage of the Vladimir Metropolitan Kirill, who came from Galicia-Volyn Rus in 1246.

"Life" highlights the main moments of Alexander's biography, linking them with victorious battles, and biblical memories are combined here with Russian historical tradition, literary traditions - with real observations of the battle. According to I.P. Eremina, Alexander appears before us in the image of either a tsar-military leader of biblical antiquity, or a brave knight in a book epic, or an icon-painting "righteous man." This is another enthusiastic tribute to the blessed memory of the late prince.

Alexander's bravery was admired not only by his comrades-in-arms, but also by his enemies. Once Batu ordered the prince to come to him if he wanted to save Russia from submission. The Tsar was sure that Alexander would be frightened, but he came. And Batu said to his nobles: "They told me the truth, there is no prince like him in his fatherland." And he dismissed him with great honor. "

Having chosen to describe the two victorious battles of the Russian army under the command of Alexander - a picture of the battles of the Russians with the Swedes on the Neva River and with the German knights on the ice of Lake Peipsi, the author tried to present the descendants of the Grand Duke and his army as endowed with heroism, dedication and steadfastness in the name of the interests of the Russian people of mythical warriors - heroes. The exaltation of the Russian people, the development of a sense of patriotism and hatred of enemies, the maintenance of the authority of military leaders will echo through the history of Russia right up to the present day.

He is full of ecclesiastical virtues - quiet, meek, humble, at the same time - a courageous and invincible warrior, swift in battle, selfless and merciless to the enemy. This is how the ideal of a wise prince, ruler and brave commander is created. “There was then great violence from the filthy pagans: they drove Christians, ordering them to go on campaigns with them. Great Duke Alexander went to the king to pray the people out of trouble. "

One of the episodes of the struggle with enemies is described as follows: the prince had a small squad before the battle with the Swedes, and there was nowhere to expect help. But there was a strong faith in the help of God. The main book of Alexander's childhood was the Bible. He knew her well, and much later recounted and quoted her. Alexander went to the church of St. Sophia, “fell on his knee in front of the altar and began to pray to God with tears ... He remembered the psalm song and said:“ Judge, Lord, and judge my quarrel with the one offending me, overcome those who are struggling with me ”. After finishing the prayer and receiving the blessing of Archbishop Spiridon, the prince, strengthened in spirit, went out to his squad. Encouraging her, instilling courage in her and infecting her with his own example, Alexander told the Russians: "God is not in power, but in truth." With a small retinue, Prince Alexander met the enemy, fought fearlessly, knowing that he was fighting for a just cause, defending his native land.

So, the spiritual and moral sources of the "Life" are the following values : faith in God, patriotism, a sense of duty to the Motherland, heroism, dedication, perseverance, mercy.

Imagine comparative table reflecting the general and special in three works:

Work	main characters
"The Tale" about Peter and Fevronia of Muromsky	Peter and Fevronia Murom	Faith in God, family as a Christian value, affirmation of love as a great all-conquering feeling; family traditions, spiritually - moral education, devotion, dedication and trust in marriage, kindness, self-denial in the name of love, mercy, devotion, spiritually - moral education
"Life" of Alexander Nevsky	Alexander	Faith in God, patriotism, a sense of duty to the Motherland, heroism, dedication, perseverance, kindness, virtue, mercy
"Instruction" by Vladimir Monomakh	Vladimir	Faith in God, patriotism, love for one's neighbor, humanism, peacefulness, righteousness, good deeds, spiritual and moral education of descendants: "do not be lazy", "give a drink and feed the one who asks", "do not kill either the right or the guilty", "have no pride in the heart and in the mind "," honor the old like a father "," visit the sick "(and so on)

It was interesting to trace the differences between the two works - "Instructions" by Vladimir Monomakh and "Life" by Alexander Nevsky. Both of them were generals, both defended their native land, both were merciful. Although, reading the Life, it may seem (sometimes) that Alexander supposedly just wanted to conquer foreign lands and win, but this is not so. "Life" tells about Alexander as a commander and warrior, ruler and diplomat. It opens with the "glory" of the hero, which is likened to the glory of all the world famous heroes of antiquity. Prince Alexander, on the one hand, was a glorious commander, on the other, a righteous (living in truth, fulfilling Christian commandments) ruler. Despite his youth, as it is written in the "Life", Prince Alexander "won everywhere, was invincible" This speaks of him as a skillful, brave commander. And one more interesting detail - Alexander, while fighting the enemies, was still a merciful man: “... again the same people came from western country and built a city in the land of Alexandrova. The Grand Duke Alexander immediately went to them, the city tore down to the ground, beat some, brought others with him, and pardoned and released others, for he was merciful without measure. "

Thus, one can summarize the result: these works, despite the originality of various genres and literary features, are interconnected by themes that reveal the spiritual beauty and moral strength of the hero, that is, commonality of their content consists in the following: belief in God, patriotism and a sense of duty to the Motherland; fortitude and mercy, selflessness and love, kindness and good deeds.

Peculiarity: 1) family and family values ​​- the main source in the "Tale of Peter and Fevronye of Murom", but I think that this is common in the sense that the Motherland is like a big family, and love for the Motherland in the other two works is also is a shared value; 2) in Monomakh's Instruction, much attention is paid to enlightening and instructing young people. But this can also be attributed to the general in the content of three different works, since the acts of both Monomakh and Alexander are a role model, and there is no need to give the readers verbal instructions, that is, education by personal example, and this is the basis of spiritual moral education.

In these works of Old Russian literature, common values ​​are distinguished for all three works: 1) faith in God; 2) patriotism and a sense of duty to the Motherland; 3) fortitude and mercy; 3) family values; 4) kindness and good deeds; 5) selflessness and love.

In conclusion, I would like to note that Old Russian literature gives a chance to comprehend life values in the modern world and comparing them with the priorities of people of the times of Ancient Russia. This allows us to conclude that the works of Old Russian literature are the source of spiritual and moral development for any person and, moreover, for humanity as a whole, since they are based on: high moral ideals, on faith in a person in the possibilities of his unlimited moral improvement, on faith in the power of the word and its ability to transform the inner world of a person. Therefore, their ideals remain relevant today.

I would like to finish the work with the words "Instructions": "What you can do well, do not forget that you do not know how, learn that." Read Old Russian literature, find the sources of our soul in it!

Bibliography:

1 ... Eremin I.P. Life of Alexander Nevsky / I.P. Eremin. Lectures and articles on the history of ancient Russian literature. - Leningrad: Leningrad University Publishing House, 1987. - S. 141-143. ...

2. Ermolai-Erasmus. The tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom (translation by L. Dmitriev) / Old Russian literature / Comp., Foreword. and comments. M.P. Odessa. - M .: SLOVO / Slovo, 2004. - S. 508-518.

3. Life of Alexander Nevsky (translation by I.P. Eremin) / Old Russian literature. - M .: Olympus; LLC "Publishing house AST-LTD", 1997. - P.140-147.

4 Kuskov V.V. History of Old Russian literature: http://sbiblio.com/biblio/archive/kuskov_istorija/00.asp (date of access 01/11/2014).

5 ... Likhachev D.S. Great legacy. Classic works of literature. M., 1975.

6. Likhachev D.S. Chapter 5. Psychological peace. XV century / Likhachev D.S. Man in the literature of Ancient Russia. : http://www.lihachev.ru/nauka/istoriya/biblio/1859/ (date of access 12.12.2013).

7 ... Likhachev D.S. Russian culture. M .: "Art", 2000.

8 ... The teaching of Vladimir Monomakh (translation by D. Likhachev) / Old Russian literature / Comp., Foreword. and comments. M.P. Odessa. - M .: SLOVO / Slovo, 2004 .-- S. 213-223.

We have forgotten how to live according to the laws of our ancestors, in the Christian spirit

The events of recent years have shown that we have lost a lot. We have forgotten how to live according to the laws of our ancestors, in the Christian spirit - as God commands and teaches the Holy Church. We have lost the previous foundations and continuity of the traditional way of life, and we have to restore it if we do not want spiritual and moral degradation and degeneration. Among the many challenges facing today Russian society, the most important is the restoration historical memory people, the Orthodox faith, associated values, ideals, moral guidelines, national folk traditions in social, family life and in raising children.

The problem of educating the younger generation is today the main one for Russia

The problem of educating the younger generation is today the main one for Russia. Its priority is recognized by teachers, parents, the Church, public and statesmen, but there are very, very few wholesome and effective steps - due to the lack of unanimity among adults who are called upon to provide a decent upbringing.

To educate a spiritual and moral personality means to find in her person a support for a future family, church community, professional team, state and society. And here one cannot do without the continuity of national ideals - devotees of faith and piety, examples of holiness, patriotism, valor and honor. One of the striking examples of this for many centuries for our compatriots is the descendant and heir of the legendary princely family of the Monomakhovichs. The kind that gave Russia 15 out of 18 great princes and 20 saints. A clan that has not just adopted Orthodoxy, but has accommodated the entire depth of the Christian way of life and understanding that power means serving God, its people and has nothing from itself. It was the Monomakhovichs who began to effectively form the idea of ​​a single Orthodox state in Russia.

In Alexander Nevsky, service to God, Orthodoxy and the people is most fully combined

For many centuries, the holy noble Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky has served as an image of holiness for our compatriots. From that tragic era, it is difficult for us to find such examples of such a consistent feat of life, since in the noble prince Alexander, service to God, Orthodoxy and his people is most fully combined.

What was immortal feat and good example of Alexander Nevsky? Why did he become a national hero of Russia, an outstanding Grand Duke, a wise politician-diplomat, a brave military leader and a glorified saint of the Orthodox Church? What paths did his earthly life take, which, in the words of historians, passed as “between a rock and a hard place”? It is possible to answer these questions only by carefully studying the evidence of ancient chronicles, lives and other sources.

Fate gave Prince Alexander Yaroslavich only 43 years (1220–1263) of earthly life. At first he was the ruler of the Novgorod land, the defender of Novgorod and Pskov, and from 1249 he became the Grand Duke of Vladimir, the head of all Russia. Alexander ruled the country of the Russians in the most difficult time of the Tatar-Mongol yoke and the German, Livonian and Swedish Catholic orders of knighthood, who took up arms from the west and north. He became famous as a wise politician and a talented commander, who aroused admiration even among his enemies.
In 1263, at the end of November, returning from the Horde, he died in Gorodets on the Volga, taking monastic tonsure - schema with the name Alexy. Having learned about the death of the prince from the messenger during the service, Metropolitan Kirill said from the pulpit of the temple: “My children, know that the sun of the Russian land has set.” And then miracles took place, signifying that an extraordinary man had completed his life's journey. And the Russian chronicler wrote down the words: "... God glorify your saint, who labored a lot for our land and for Novgorod and Pskov and for the whole Russian land, believing your belly, for Orthodox Christianity."

The modern world, not excluding Christians, is simply sick with the paralysis of irresponsibility

From the feat of life of Alexander Nevsky, we see what moral height and strength Christian duty and civic responsibility reached in him. The modern world, not excluding Christians, is simply sick with the paralysis of irresponsibility. Irresponsibility is shameful and disgusting in all areas of human life. But today all layers of social and family life are permeated with it.

Russian philosopher I.A. Ilyin once wrote that due to the depletion of spirituality, the inability to experience religious experience, “the sense of duty and responsibility has been shaken in mankind. Spirit is creative energy; it is natural for him impute what you are doing and reply for the accomplished. This feeling is the surest sign of spirituality. "

Any person can become an ascetic, become a saint, attain the measure of great saints, if only he wishes it with his whole being. Many have read the answer to the question: "Why are there now those miracles that the ancient Christians performed?" And the monk answered: "Because people, as before, do not have that determination and zeal for pleasing God and serving." In this context, the concepts of "determination" and "responsibility" are extremely close.

His entire life can be likened to an icon, an image, in reference to which the rulers of Russia and its defenders should build their activities. The icon of St. Alexander Nevsky in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, near the reliquary with the relics, reflects the four main hypostases of the prince: as an ideal leader - he is dressed in a grand-ducal mantle, as a defender of faith - he points the way to Christ, as a warrior - he is dressed in military armor, as folk hero- stands on the Russian land, like the "Sun of the Russian land." This marvelous icon fully embodies Alexander Nevsky as a symbol of Russia.

What is the ruler of the people, so are those who serve under him(Sir 10.2). Personality education, especially at a young age, is based on imitation positive examples... For all Christians, Christ is the Highest Ideal. also indicates the way of approaching the Ideal: Therefore I implore you: imitate me as I am Christ(Cor. 4.16).

The Holy Fathers of the Church recommend perfection by ascending “from strength to strength”: “It is not easy to immediately imitate Christ. Imitate your good neighbors first. Let this be the first step. Imitate the good people of your people. Let this be the second step. Then imitate the great saints of the Church. This will be the third step. Finally, imitate Christ. This is a summit that cannot be reached with one jerk ”(St. Nicholas of Serbia).

By his example, Alexander Nevsky gives us an image of upbringing an integral, spiritual and moral person - as a Christian, a family man and a citizen. These three most important components constitute the general line of pedagogical activity carried out in the cooperation of the family, school and Church, parents, teachers and pastors. Without their like-mindedness and without selfless labor in caring for "these little ones," the upbringing of an integral personality is unattainable.

• Nurturing the spirit Is the upbringing of a Christian , which is feasible only with the participation of the Church, the pastoral care of parents, children and teachers in order to gain them unanimity, harmony and Christian love.
• Education of a well-behaved and noble soul Is the upbringing of a family man the gracious structure of family life in the Christian way and church tradition.
• Nurturing the body Is the upbringing of a citizen - a patriot, loving Fatherland and capable of protecting him, to which young men are most of all called - through the efforts of the State, the Church and the state school.

If parents, teachers and pastors achieve this in the upbringing of children in unanimity - making them children of God, the Church, the Fatherland and parents - then everything else: education, development of talents, health and the necessary means of living - will be applied, as the Lord said about it. in the Sermon on the Mount: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you(Matthew 6, З3).