Hieroschemamonk Leonid (Nagolkin) of Optina, also Leo (or Lev) of Optina, was a venerable elder of

Optina Monastery The Optina Pustyn (russian: Óптина пýстынь, literally ''Opta's hermitage'') is an Eastern Orthodox monastery for men near Kozelsk in Russia. In the 19th century, the Optina was the most important spiritual centre of the Russian Ortho ...

and a founder of Optina's eldership.elders of Optina on optina.ru
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Life

The future St. Leonid was born Lev Danilovich Nagolkin in Karachev in the Orlov Province in 1768 of a family of ordinary parents. He worked for a merchant during his early years, making frequent trips as part of his employer's business, thus he gained experience dealing with different people. As a mature young man, Leo decided to enter a

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...

life. In 1797, Leo entered Optina Monastery as it was being reborn. After two years he left to enter White Bluff

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

in the Orlov

eparchy Eparchy ( gr, ἐπαρχία, la, eparchía / ''overlordship'') is an ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity, that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. Eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on th ...

, where Hieromonk Basil (Kiskin) was

igumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen ( el, ἡγούμενος, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called a hegumenia ...

. Under Fr. Basil, Leo underwent training in monastic virtues of obedience, patience, and various external endeavors. In 1801, Fr. Basil

tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...

d Leo a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

giving him the name Leonid. Later in the year Fr. Leonid was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

on December 22 and then a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

on December 24. Earnestly fulfilling his obediences, Fr. Leonid set an example to the other monastics. This attracted the notice of his superiors. Fr. Leonid also spent some time at Cholnsk monastery where he met Schemamonk Theodore, a disciple of St. Paisius Velichkovsky. Fr. Theodore, who was about ten years older than Fr. Leonid, was also from Karachev. Under his direction, Fr. Leonid learned a great deal about spiritual struggles and how to acquire the grace of the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

. In 1804, after only five years at White Bluff, he was appointed by

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Dorotheus of Orlov and Svensk to succeed Fr. Basil as igumen. The following year Fr. Theodore also came to White Bluff Monastery and Fr. Leonid once again shared conversations that inspired him to even greater progress in the spiritual life. Fr. Theodore, longing for solitude, received permission to establish his cell, with his disciple Cleopas, about a mile from the monastery. There, Fr. Leonid joined Fr. Theodore in 1808 after resigning as igumen and became a schema-monk with the name of Leo. The fame of the three ascetics, however, brought many visitors and distractions from their spiritual struggles, causing them to look elsewhere. In 1809, Fr. Theodore moved, first, to New Lake Monastery, then, on to the Palei Island Hermitage, where he remained for three years before again moving, in 1812, to the All Saints Skete of Valaam Monastery. There, he was reunited with Frs. Leonid and Cleopas who had also moved there in 1812. In 1816, Hieroschemamonk Cleopas died, and Fr. Leonid and Fr. Theodore moved to the St. Alexander of Svir monastery. Fr. Theodore reposed on Bright Friday, April 7, 1822. With Fr. Theodore's death, Fr. Leonid looked to a more secluded place. In his search Fr. Leonid and his disciples came to Ploschansky Hermitage where he met Fr. Macarius. A few years later, Fr. Leonid accepted the invitation of Fr.

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

to come to Optina Monastery. He arrived at Optina in April 1829 with six of his disciples. They were given cells in the Skete, Fr. Leonid near the apiary and his disciples elsewhere in the Skete. The arrival of Fr. Leonid marked a new chapter in the history of Optina, as it was Fr. Leonid who introduced eldership at the monastery. Guidance by an Elder had been recognized as a sure and reliable path to salvation. It spread from the deserts of Egypt and Palestine to

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...

, and later to Russia. Fr. Leonid received this teaching from Fr. Theodore, the disciple of St. Paisius Velichkovsky. Through Fr. Leonid and his disciple St. Macarius, who had followed him to Optina in 1834, eldership was established at Optina Monastery. Fr. Leonid's wisdom and spiritual counsels made him known outside of Optina. People of all social classes flocked to Optina seeking his help. He treated their spiritual afflictions with the knowledge and experience he had gained after thirty years of living in

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

. During the times from 1835 to 1836 some monks who did not understand the concept of eldership complained to the bishop about Fr. Leonid. They were unhappy of the many visitors who came to him and that his actions disrupted the peaceful routine of the monastery. In 1841, he also came entangled in jealousies among the nuns over his spiritual counsel that resulted in the expulsion of Mother Anthia and one of the other sisters from the convent based on erroneous opinions. It was with the intervention of Metropolitan Philaret (Amphiteatrov) of Kiev that the expelled sisters were received back into the convent on October 4, 1841. In September 1841, Fr. Leonid's health began to decline. He received Holy Unction on September 15, and from that time he began to prepare for death. He received

Holy Communion The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...

on September 28 and, taking no food and little water, he was strengthened only by the life-giving Mysteries of Christ. During the evening of October 11, 1841, he closed his eyes and surrendered his soul to God. On October 13, Fr. Moses served the funeral with all the hieromonks and the hierodeacons who were present. Fr. Leonid was buried near the main church of the Entrance of the Theotokos, opposite the chapel of St. Nicholas.

Glorification

Elder Leonid of Optina was glorified with all the Elders of Optina by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in 1990. The

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

for St. Leonid of Optina is October 11. The local veneration of the Elders of Optina was authorized by the

Patriarchate of Moscow , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...

on June 13, 1996.

Glorification Glorification may have several meanings in Christianity. From the Catholic canonization to the similar sainthood of the Eastern Orthodox Church to salvation in Christianity in Protestant beliefs, the glorification of the human condition can be a ...

of the Elders of Optina for universal

veneration Veneration ( la, veneratio; el, τιμάω ), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Etymo ...

occurred on August 7, 2000.

Sources

*Fr. Clement Sederholm,''Elder Leonid of Optina'', Platina, California, St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood Press, 1990
OCA: Venerable Leonid of Optina

References

External links

Venerable Leonid of Optina
Orthodox

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

and

synaxarion Synaxarion or Synexarion (plurals Synaxaria, Synexaria; el, Συναξάριον, from συνάγειν, ''synagein'', "to bring together"; cf. etymology of ''synaxis'' and ''synagogue''; Latin: ''Synaxarium'', ''Synexarium''; cop, ⲥⲩⲛⲁ ...

Optina martyrs: the three monks murdered in 1993

Optina elders
{{Authority control Russian saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church Russian Orthodox monks 19th-century Eastern Orthodox priests Eastern Orthodox priests from the Russian Empire Starets Hesychasts 19th-century Christian saints 1768 births 1841 deaths People from Bryansk Oblast Monks from the Russian Empire 19th-century Christian monks 18th-century Christian monks Optina Elders

Life

Glorification

Sources

See also

References

External links