Venerable (Monastic) 20th century

Barsanuphius of Optina

1845 – 1913

Also known as Barsanuphius the Elder of Optina · Paul Plikhankov

Born Paul Plikhankov, a military officer who left a worldly career to enter Optina Monastery, becoming one of its last great elders and a gifted spiritual guide and confessor.

Feast Day

April 1

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Barsanuphius, Elder of Optina

Life

Barsanuphius of Optina (born Pavel Ivanovich Plikhankov, also rendered Paul Plikhanov; 1845–1913) was a Russian monk of the Optina Hermitage, numbered among the last of its great elders. Before entering monastic life he pursued a full military career, rising to the rank of colonel, and only in middle age withdrew to Optina, where he became a noted spiritual guide and confessor.

Born July 5, 1845, in Samara, he descended from the Orenburg Cossacks. According to his life he attended the Polotsk Cadet Corps, graduated from the Orenburg Military School, completed the Petersburg Cossack Staff Officers' School, and served at the headquarters of the Kazan military district, attaining the rank of colonel. A serious illness with pneumonia is reported to have occasioned a conversion experience, after which he was directed toward Optina; Saint Ambrose of Optina blessed his entry into the monastery.

Timeline 8 moments Read Hide

1845 Birth in Samara Born July 5, 1845, in Samara, named Paul (Pavel) Plikhankov; descended from the Orenburg Cossacks.
1892 Entry into Optina Accepted as a novice on February 10, 1892, in the brotherhood of the St. John the Baptist Skete after a military career that reached the rank of colonel.
1893 Tonsured rassophore Tonsured a rassophore monk on March 26, 1893, beginning his advance through the stages of monastic life.
1902–1903 Ordination Ordained deacon in 1902 and priest in 1903; sources give the dates as hierodeacon December 29, 1902 and hieromonk January 1, 1903.
1903 Assistant elder On September 1, 1903, appointed to assist Elder Joseph in the spiritual direction of the skete brethren and the sisters of the Shamordino convent; he later became Superior of the skete.
1904–1905 Military chaplain Sent to the Far East as a military chaplain during the Russo-Japanese War, ministering to wounded soldiers, and returning on November 1, 1905.
1912 Transfer to Golutvin Transferred from Optina to serve as igumen (abbot) of the Old-Golutvin Monastery near Kolomna.
1913 Repose Fell asleep in the Lord on April 1, 1913; his body was returned to Optina for burial.

Contributions & Legacy

2 contributions Read Hide

Eldership and ministry

After his ordination Barsanuphius was appointed in 1903 to assist the elder Joseph, sharing in the spiritual direction of the skete and of the sisters of the nearby Shamordino convent. As Elder Joseph grew frail, Barsanuphius was appointed Superior of the skete in his place. Accounts of his administration credit him with restoring discipline, settling debts, and repairing the skete's buildings.

Like the other Optina elders, he was venerated as a confessor and director of souls; his life attributes to him the gifts of clairvoyance and of healing those afflicted with physical and spiritual ailments. In 1912 he was transferred to Old-Golutvin Monastery near Kolomna as its abbot, a move sources connect to opposition within Optina to its traditional ascetical practice and eldership. He died there on April 1, 1913, and was buried at Optina.

Glorification

Barsanuphius was glorified together with the other Elders of Optina by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in 1990, and the Optina Elders were recognized for universal veneration by the Moscow Patriarchate on August 7, 2000. His feast is kept on April 1.

Notes

One of the Optina Elders; reposed 1913. Glorified by the Russian Church (Synaxis of the Optina Elders).

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints