Saint Philip (Kolychev), Metropolitan of Moscow, Abbot of Solovetsky. Philip II (Kolychev), Moscow and All Rus' Metropolitan Philip briefly

Metropolitan Philip

Living in the world

The future metropolitan, then named Fedor, was born in Moscow 11 February 1507 of the year. Fedor's parents were noble boyars named Kolychevs. The boy’s mother, Varvara, raised him in the best traditions of Christianity and even taught him to read the Holy Scriptures. The father prepared his son for public service and tried to instill in him military skills. Fedor preferred to devote his free time to reading and prayer. When he turned 30, Fedor’s family fell into disgrace, and he left Moscow secretly from everyone. He moved north, reached Lake Onega, where he had no strength left to go further. Fyodor was sheltered by a local peasant and given him a small job.

Solovetsky Monastery

Fyodor did not live long in the village with a kind peasant. Nevertheless, the craving for church life pulled him to the islands to the Solovetsky Monastery. The young novice was diligent in carrying out all assigned work, and after a year and a half he was tonsured a monk. Fedor was given a new name - Philip. Through 8 years old, the old abbot of the Solovetsky monastery, Alexy, nominated Philip to his place. The Council supported Alexy's decision, in turn, the new abbot was able to achieve the flourishing of the Solovetsky Monastery. Under him, many church and economic buildings were built, the economy was established, and salt mines were donated to the monastery by the Tsar. Hegumen Philip participated in the Council of the Hundred Heads 1551 of the year.

Metropolitan of All Rus'

Moscow was left without a metropolitan, because the candidate for this rank did not agree with the tsar’s policy. Then Ivan the Terrible called the Solovetsky abbot to his capital. Council of Bishops in July 1566 year put forward a proposal to the abbot to become a metropolitan. Fyodor had a firm position in life; he set the conditions under which the tsar had to abandon the oprichnina. The Tsar could not agree with such a proposal; an argument ensued between them; Ivan the Terrible quickly got tired of arguing with the stubborn abbot. As a result, the church hierarchs were able to persuade the abbot to abandon his conditions. 25 July the issue was resolved, on this day Philip became Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'.

Confrontation and expulsion

IN 1568 year, Ivan the Terrible intercepted letters from the Polish king to his boyars, where the Poles asked the Russians to move to Lithuania. This event infuriated the king. Mass executions and disgraces began. Philip could not bear the oprichnina's violence, and made attempts to reason with the king through peaceful conversation. As a result, Ivan the Terrible began to ignore the Metropolitan. 22 Martha That same year, the Tsar came to services together with the guardsmen, everyone was dressed in monastic robes, over military uniforms and weapons. At the end of the service, the king asked for a blessing, but Philip did not pay attention to the request. Then the boyars demanded that the blessing be fulfilled, but instead the metropolitan made an accusatory speech, which said that in Russia, through the fault of the tsar, the blood of innocents is shed and the state does not protect its citizens. Ivan the Terrible was very angry at such words, and the next day a wave of new executions began. In the summer, another clash occurred between the metropolitan and the tsar: Philip made a remark to the oprichnik, who was dressed inappropriately for reading the Gospel. At this moment, Ivan the Terrible did not hesitate to express himself towards the Metropolitan. The Tsar immediately sent a commission to the Solovetsky Monastery to collect incriminating information about Philip. Moreover, the commission acted using threats and bribery. In November, a trial took place over Philip; the metropolitan, without waiting for the verdict, renounced his rank. 4 November The bishops deprived Philip of his dignity, but the king asked him to hold a service in the Assumption Monastery. At this service, the guardsmen tore off the metropolitan’s church robes, dressed him in monastic rags and arrested him. Having mocked him in every possible way, the saint was exiled to a distant monastery in Tver. Getting ready for one of the campaigns, the king wanted to receive the blessing of the saint, and sent Malyuta Skuratov to him for this. 23 December 1569 Skuratov killed Philip in his cell by strangulation.

Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow, in the world Theodore, came from a noble boyar family of the Kolychevs, who occupied a prominent place in the Boyar Duma at the court of the Moscow sovereigns. He was born in 1507. His father, Stepan Ivanovich, “an enlightened man and full of military spirit,” carefully prepared his son for public service. Pious Varvara, Theodore's mother, who ended her days as a monk with the name Barsanuphius, sowed in his soul the seeds of sincere faith and deep piety. Young Theodore Kolychev was devoted to the Holy Scriptures and patristic books, on which the ancient Russian enlightenment, carried out in the Church and in the spirit of the Church, was based. The Grand Duke of Moscow, Vasily III Ioannovich, the father of Ivan the Terrible, brought young Theodore closer to the court, who, however, was not attracted by court life. Realizing its vanity and sinfulness, Theodore plunged deeper and deeper into reading books and visiting the temples of God. Life in Moscow depressed the young ascetic; his soul thirsted for monastic deeds and prayerful solitude. The sincere affection for him of the young prince John, which foreshadowed a great future in the field of public service, could not keep the seeker of the Heavenly City in the earthly city.

On Sunday, June 5, 1537, in the church, during the Divine Liturgy, the words of the Savior especially sank into Theodore’s soul: “No one can work for two masters” (), which decided his future fate. Having fervently prayed to the Moscow miracle workers, he, without saying goodbye to his family, secretly, in the clothes of a commoner, left Moscow and for some time hid from the world in the village of Khizhi, near Lake Onega, earning food through shepherd labor. The thirst for exploits led him to the famous Solovetsky Monastery on the White Sea. There he performed the most difficult obediences: he chopped wood, dug the earth, and worked at the mill. After a year and a half of trial, Abbot Alexy, at the request of Theodore, tonsured him, giving him the monastic name Philip and entrusting him in obedience to Elder Jonah Shamin, his interlocutor († 1533; commemorated August 30). Under the guidance of experienced elders, Monk Philip grows spiritually, strengthens his fasting and prayer. Hegumen Alexy sends him for obedience to the monastery forge, where Saint Philip combines the work of a heavy hammer with unceasing prayer. At the beginning of the service in the temple, he was always the first and the last to leave. He also worked in the bakery, where the humble ascetic was consoled by a heavenly sign. In the monastery they then showed the image of the Mother of God "Bread", through which the Heavenly Intercessor showed Her favor to the humble Philip the bread-grower. With the blessing of the abbot, Saint Philip spends some time in desert solitude, listening to himself and God.

In 1546, in Novgorod the Great, Archbishop Theodosius ordained Philip as abbot of the Solovetsky monastery. The newly installed abbot tried with all his might to raise the spiritual significance of the monastery and its founders - and (September 27, April 17). He found the image of the Mother of God Hodegetria, brought to the island by the leader of Solovetsky, the Monk Savvaty, and found a stone cross that had once stood in front of the saint’s cell. The Psalter, which belonged to the Monk Zosima († 1478), the first abbot of Solovetsky, and his vestments, which have since been worn by abbots during services on the days of memory of the wonderworker, were found. The monastery was spiritually reborn. To streamline life in the monastery, a new charter was adopted. Saint Philip built two majestic churches on Solovki - the refectory church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, consecrated in 1557, and the Transfiguration of the Lord. The abbot himself worked as a simple builder, helping to lay the walls of the Transfiguration Cathedral. Under its northern porch, he dug a grave for himself, next to the grave of his mentor, Elder Jonah. Spiritual life in these years flourishes in the monastery: they were disciples of the holy abbot Philip and labored with him among the brethren (July 3, October 16), (June 5 and 12).

For secret feats of prayer, Saint Philip often retreated into silence into a remote deserted place, two miles from the monastery, which later received the name Philip’s Hermitage. But the Lord was preparing the holy saint for a different service and a different feat. In Moscow, the Solovetsky hermit was remembered by Ivan the Terrible, who once loved him in his adolescence. The Tsar hoped that he would find in Saint Philip a faithful companion, confessor and adviser, who in terms of the height of monastic life would have nothing in common with the rebellious boyars. The holiness of the metropolitan, in the opinion of Ivan the Terrible, was supposed to tame the wickedness and malice nesting in the Boyar Duma with one gentle spiritual inspiration. The choice of the High Hierarch of the Russian Church seemed to him the best.

The saint for a long time refused to take upon himself the great burden of being the primate of the Russian Church. He did not feel spiritual closeness with John. He tried to convince the tsar to destroy the oprichnina, while Grozny tried to prove to him its state necessity. Finally, the Terrible Tsar and the holy Metropolitan came to an agreement so that Saint Philip would not interfere in the affairs of the oprichnina and government, not to leave the metropolis in cases where the Tsar could not fulfill his wishes, to be a support and adviser to the Tsar, as the previous Moscow sovereigns were the support metropolitans. On July 25, 1566, Saint Philip was consecrated to the see of the Moscow Saints, to whose host he was soon to join.

Ivan the Terrible, one of the greatest and most controversial historical figures in Russia, lived an intensely active life, was a talented writer and bibliophile, he himself interfered in the compilation of chronicles (and he himself suddenly broke the thread of the Moscow chronicle), delved into the intricacies of the monastery charter, and more than once thought about renunciation from the throne and monasticism. Every step of public service, all the drastic measures he took to radically restructure the entire Russian state and social life, Ivan the Terrible sought to comprehend as a manifestation of God's Providence, as an action of God in history. His favorite spiritual models were (September 20) and (September 19), warriors and figures of a complex, contradictory fate, who courageously walked towards a holy goal, through any obstacles that confronted them in the performance of their duty to the Motherland and to the Holy Church. The more the darkness thickened around Ivan the Terrible, the more decisively his soul demanded spiritual cleansing and redemption. Arriving on a pilgrimage to the Kirillov Belozersky Monastery, he announced to the abbot and the cathedral elders of his desire to become a monk. The proud autocrat fell at the feet of the abbot, and he blessed his intention. Since then, all my life, Grozny wrote, “it seems to me, the accursed one, that I am already half a black man.” The oprichnina itself was conceived by Ivan the Terrible in the image of the monastic brotherhood: having served God with weapons and military exploits, the oprichniki had to put on monastic clothes and go to the church service, long and regular, lasting from 4 to 10 o’clock in the morning. The tsar-abbot imposed penance on the “brothers” who did not appear for the prayer service at four o’clock in the morning. John himself and his sons tried to pray fervently and sang in the church choir. From the church they went to the refectory, and while the guardsmen ate, the tsar stood next to them. The guardsmen collected the remaining food from the table and distributed it to the poor as they left the refectory. With tears of repentance, the Terrible, wanting to be an admirer of holy ascetics, teachers of repentance, wanted to wash away and burn out the sins of himself and his comrades-in-arms, nourishing the confidence that he would commit terrible cruel acts for the good of Russia and the triumph of Orthodoxy. The most vividly spiritual activity and monastic sobriety of the Terrible is revealed in his “Synodik”: shortly before his death, at his order, complete lists of people killed by him and his guardsmen were compiled, which were then sent to all Russian monasteries. John took upon himself all the sin before the people and begged the holy monks to pray to God for the forgiveness of his suffering soul.

The self-proclaimed monasticism of Ivan the Terrible, which weighed like a dark yoke over Russia, outraged Saint Philip, who believed that it was impossible to confuse the earthly and the heavenly, the ministry of the cross and the ministry of the sword. Moreover, Saint Philip saw how much unrepentant malice and hatred was hidden under the black whips of the guardsmen. There were among them simple murderers, hardened by unpunished bloodshed, and bribe-takers and robbers, entrenched in sin and crime. By God's permission, history is often made by the hands of the wicked, and no matter how much Ivan the Terrible wanted to whiten his black brotherhood before God, the blood shed in his name by rapists and fanatics cried out to heaven. Saint Philip decided to confront Grozny. This was due to a new wave of executions in 1567-1568. In the fall of 1567, as soon as the tsar set out on a campaign against Livonia, he became aware of the boyar conspiracy. The traitors intended to capture the king and hand him over to the Polish king, who had already moved troops to the Russian border. Ivan the Terrible dealt harshly with the conspirators and again shed a lot of blood. Saint Philip was sad, but the consciousness of his hierarchical duty forced him to boldly speak out in defense of those executed. The final break came in the spring of 1568. On the Week of the Worship of the Cross, March 2, 1568, when the Tsar and the guardsmen came to the Assumption Cathedral, as usual, in monastic vestments, Saint Philip refused to bless him, but began to openly condemn the lawlessness committed by the guardsmen: “Metropolitan Philip taught with the sovereign in Moscow to be at enmity about oprichnina." The Bishop’s denunciation interrupted the splendor of the church service. Ivan the Terrible said in anger: “Are you resisting us? We will see your firmness!” “I was too soft with you,” the king added, according to eyewitnesses.

The king began to show even greater cruelty in persecuting everyone who opposed him. The executions followed one after another. The fate of the saint-confessor was decided. But Grozny wanted to maintain the canonical order. The Boyar Duma obediently made a decision on the trial of the Head of the Russian Church. A cathedral trial was held over Metropolitan Philip in the presence of the thinned Boyar Duma. False witnesses were found: to the deep sorrow of the saint, these were monks from his beloved Solovetsky monastery, his former students and tonsures. Saint Philip was accused of many alleged crimes, including witchcraft. “I am a stranger on earth, like all my fathers,” the saint humbly answered, “I am ready to suffer for the truth.” Having rejected all the accusations, the holy sufferer tried to stop the trial by announcing his voluntary resignation from the metropolitan rank. But his renunciation was not accepted. A new reproach awaited the martyr. Already after the sentence of life imprisonment in prison was pronounced, Saint Philip was forced to serve the Liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral. It was November 8, 1568. In the middle of the service, guardsmen burst into the church, publicly read out the conciliar condemnation that defamed the saint, tore off his bishop's vestments, dressed him in rags, pushed him out of the church and took him on simple logs to the Epiphany Monastery. The martyr was languished for a long time in the basements of Moscow monasteries, the elder’s legs were driven into stocks, he was kept in chains, and a heavy chain was thrown around his neck. Finally, they were taken to captivity in the Tverskaya Otroch Monastery. There a year later, on December 23, 1569, the saint suffered martyrdom at the hands of Malyuta Skuratov. Three days before, the holy elder foresaw the end of his earthly struggle and received Holy Communion. His relics were initially interred there, in the monastery, behind the altar of the temple. Later they were transferred to the Solovetsky monastery (August 11, 1591) and from there to Moscow (July 3, 1652). The memory of Saint Philip has been celebrated by the Russian Church since 1591 on the day of his martyrdom - December 23. Since 1660, the celebration was moved to January 9.

January 5, 2019 Celebrated by the Church 450 years since the death of St. Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'. Saint Philip is one of the most significant and tragic figures in Russian history. For the sake of saving people, he was not afraid to go against Tsar Ivan the Terrible. For the sake of establishing the truth, he spoke out against universal lies, against the serving royal shepherds, boyars and other unkind royal entourage. Metropolitan Philip was defrocked, sent to prison and brutally killed. But in his struggle for truth, he emerged victorious.

Origin of the future saint

Saint of Moscow and All Rus' Philip(Kolychev) came from a noble and ancient boyar family of the Kolychevs, known already in the 13th century. Philip's father, boyar Stefan Ioannovich, was a dignitary at the court of Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich (1505-1533) and enjoyed his favor and love. However, despite his rank, he was distinguished by rare spiritual qualities: righteousness, courage and mercy. And his wife Varvara, who later took monastic orders with the name Barsanuphia, was a pious woman. On February 11, 1507, their first child was born, whom they named Theodore, this was the future Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' Philip. Theodore's parents made every effort to give their son the best education.

Pious Varvara placed the seeds of goodness and piety into the child’s pure soul. When Theodore grew up, he was immediately sent to learn to read and write. Book teaching in schools of that time was predominantly church. Theodore took up his studies diligently and soon fell in love with it. Theodore was not attracted by any noisy children's games or the fun of his comrades. Indifferent to worldly entertainment, the God-fearing youth had his own attachments. From the very first steps of his teaching, he fell in love with reading the liturgical books of the Holy Scriptures, the works of the Holy Fathers, and especially the biographies of “former and venerable men who lived before,” from where he learned lessons about righteous living. However, while living in his parents’ house, Theodore did not shy away from worldly activities: he delved into everyday economic affairs and soon acquired very great experience in house-building. This can be seen from the fact that he subsequently proved himself to be an exemplary owner on Solovki.

Theodore, as the son of a noble boyar, was destined for high official activity. He needed to serve in military and court positions. But such activities were not to Theodore’s liking; his heart and mind strove for the thought of God, and all his efforts were aimed at fulfilling the commandments of the Lord.

Chaste, modest and courteous to everyone, Theodore could not therefore get along with his peers. He ran like wildfire from flighty and noble young men with their daring and cheerful pastime, preferring to them older and experienced people, from conversations with whom he tried to gain spiritual benefit. Such sedateness beyond his years, extreme prudence in actions and other good qualities of Theodore aroused everyone's surprise and delighted his pious parents.

Close to the king

When Theodore was twenty-six years old, rumors about the good behavior of a young man belonging to one of the noble families reached the royal court. The name of Theodore Kolychev became known to the Grand Duke Vasily himself (March 25, 1479 - December 3, 1533). But soon the prince died. And only after the accession of his son - John IV(August 25, 1530 - March 18, 1584) Theodore was called to serve at the royal court along with other boyar children.

Because of his excellent qualities, he was soon brought closer to the sovereign, who soon fell in love with Theodore. And this attachment constantly intensified. What a brilliant career awaited this young courtier later! But Theodore could not be seduced by his successes in court life. Having learned humility, obedience and chastity from early childhood, Theodore was not far from deciding to devote himself entirely to serving God. That is why he did not enter into married life at the age at which, according to the custom of the time, others entered into. And soon the hour came when God himself called him to a better life. The reign of Elena Glinskaya (c. 1508 - April 4, 1538), mother of John IV, was full of unrest and discord among the boyars. The autocracy of her favorite, temporary prince Telepnev-Obolensky (d. 1539), aroused the indignation of the sovereign's uncle, Prince Andrei Ivanovich Staritsky (August 5, 1490 - December 11, 1537).

Some of the Kolychev boyars spoke out in his support along with others. Not only was Prince Andrei’s case unsuccessful, but he was also imprisoned, where he died. His followers were also brutally executed. These unfortunate events could not help but have an effect on Theodore's impressionable soul. He began to regret that he had not earlier secluded himself from worldly life. He immediately decided to retire from the bustle of the world. Even in early childhood he heard about Solovetsky Island. It was there that Theodore decided to go. And he was already thirty years old.

The beginning of the monastic path. Solovetsky Monastery

Since then, Theodore has continually turned to God in prayer, asking for help and spiritual guidance. Having exchanged the attire of a courtier for the clothes of a commoner, Theodore secretly leaves Moscow, taking with him only bread. Meanwhile, his parents, not knowing where their beloved son had disappeared, searched for him throughout Moscow and surrounding towns and villages. And after a vain search they gave themselves up to inconsolable sadness, considering him dead. But Theodore was already far away then. He sailed across the sea to the holy monastery of Solovetsky.

Once in place, he received a blessing from Abbot Alexy and accepted the obediences entrusted to him. Soon Theodore was tonsured and named Philip as a monk.

Philip's harsh ascetic life could not hide from general attention; everyone began to talk about him as an exemplary monk, and very soon with his humility and piety he acquired universal love and respect. And his mentor, Elder Jonah, rejoicing for his student, prophetically predicted about him: “This one will be the abbot of our monastery.” With the blessing of the abbot, Philip withdrew from the monastery into the depths of the island, into a deserted and impenetrable forest, and began to live there, invisible to people.

Nine years of Philip's monastic life passed. Alexy, due to his old age and illnesses, wanted to transfer the position of abbot to Philip, his decision was supported by the brethren. Soon Philip was ordained a presbyter. A year and a half later, the abbot of the monastery, Abbot Alexy, passed away. Having buried the elder, the brethren of the monastery, by general advice, as before, began to beg Philip to accept eldership over them. And he, recognizing himself as the legitimate abbot of the monastery, with the blessing of Archbishop Theodosius again accepted the abbess. The newly appointed abbot tried with all his might to raise the spiritual significance of the monastery. He found the image of the Mother of God Hodegetria, brought to the island by the Monk Savatius, and found a stone cross that once stood in front of the saint’s cell. The Psalter that belonged to the Monk Zosima and his vestments were found, in which abbots have since been clothed during services on the days of memory of the wonderworker.

The monastery began to revive spiritually. To streamline life in the monastery, a new charter was adopted. Hegumen Philip built two churches on Solovki: the refectory church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, consecrated in 1557, and the church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The abbot himself helped lay the walls of the Transfiguration Church. Under its northern porch, he dug a grave for himself, next to the grave of his mentor, Elder Jonah. Spiritual life flourished in the monastery during these years: they were Philip’s disciples and labored with him among the brethren Saints John and Longinus, Yarenga wonderworkers, Vassian and Jonah of Pertomin. For secret prayerful deeds, Philip often retired to a deserted place, two miles from the monastery, which later received the name Philip’s Hermitage.

During the period of his abbess, he drew up the “Charter on Monastic Dress” (“as long as any of the brethren should have clothes and shoes in their cells”). Philip's literary and oratorical talent is evidenced by the accusatory speeches against Ivan the Terrible given in his life. According to researchers, they are based on the authentic speeches of Philip, in which, to give them vivid images, he used quotes from the popular “Teachings of Agapit” in Rus' (a Byzantine monument, known in Russian translation from the 14th century).

Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus'

In Moscow, Tsar John Vasilyevich, who loved him in his adolescence, remembered the Solovetsky Hermit. He hoped that he would find in Philip a faithful companion, confessor and adviser. The choice of the High Hierarch of the Russian Church seemed to him the best. Philip for a long time refused to take upon himself the great burden of the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, but nevertheless the tsar managed to persuade the Solovetsky abbot to assume the rank of metropolitan. On July 25, 1566, in the Assumption Cathedral, in the presence of the Tsar and the royal family, the entire court and people, Philip was solemnly ordained as Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia.

However, Metropolitan Philip did not feel any spiritual closeness with John IV. Philip tried to convince the tsar to stop the repressions and abolish the oprichnina. The tsar, on the contrary, tried to prove to him its state necessity. Finally, Ivan the Terrible and the Metropolitan came to an agreement so that Metropolitan Philip would not interfere in the affairs of the oprichnina and government, not leave the metropolis in cases where the tsar could not fulfill his wishes, and be a support and adviser to the tsar, as the former metropolitans were the support of the Moscow sovereigns .

But a wave of brutal executions that occurred in 1567-1568 led to Philip’s decision to confront Ivan the Terrible. In July 1567, letters from the Polish king Sigismund and the Lithuanian hetman Khotkevich to our most important boyars with an invitation to leave for Lithuania were intercepted. The most terrible executions began. Not only the boyars accused of treason died in terrible agony, but even many citizens suffered. Taking advantage of the unlimited trust of the tsar, armed guardsmen went on a rampage in Moscow under the guise of eradicating sedition. They killed all the people they hated and took away their property.

Metropolitan Philip, seeing the incessant atrocities of the guardsmen, finally decided to appeal to the tsar with an exhortation to stop the bloodshed. But before doing this, he tried to attract the shepherds of the Church to this high task, who silently submitted to all the orders of the formidable king. Calling them to self-sacrifice, he told them:

Is this why you, fathers and brothers, have gathered to remain silent, afraid to speak the truth? But your silence leads the princess’s soul into sin and brings the worst destruction to your own soul, and causes grief and confusion to the Orthodox faith. Are you afraid of losing the glory of corruption, but no dignity of this world will save you from eternal torment if we transgress the commandment of Christ and forget our duty to care for the piety of the blessed king, for the peace and prosperity of all Orthodox Christianity. Are you looking at the fact that the royal council is silent? But the boyars are bound by the cares of this life, but the Lord freed us from them. We have been given the right to rule the great truth, even if we lay down our souls for the entrusted flock. You yourself know that you will be tortured for the truth on the day of judgment.

Only Kazan Archbishop German responded to the metropolitan’s ardent call; he took Philip’s side, supporting and sympathizing with him. Other shepherds were not only frightened, but even tried to interfere and harm the Primate of the Church. It is no coincidence, apparently, that 80 years later the majority of the boyars and archpastors also shut their mouths during the insane church reform of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon. And in our years we see how many called to state and spiritual power look indifferently at the lawlessness and suffering of the people.

Exposing the Tsar's lies

In the fall of 1567, the tsar set out on a campaign against Livonia, and it was then that he became aware of the boyar conspiracy. The traitors intended to capture the king and hand him over to the Polish king, who had already moved troops to the Russian border. Ivan the Terrible dealt harshly with the conspirators, and again a lot of blood was shed. On the Week of the Worship of the Cross, March 2, 1568, when the Tsar and his guardsmen came to the Assumption Cathedral, as usual, in monastic vestments, Metropolitan Philip refused to bless him and began to openly condemn the lawlessness that the guardsmen committed: “ Metropolitan Philip taught with the sovereign in Moscow to quarrel about the oprichnina" The Bishop’s denunciation interrupted the splendor of the church service. Tsar Ivan the Terrible said in anger: “ Are you opposing us? Let's see your strength! - I was too soft with you».

Church trial of Metropolitan Philip

The king began to show even greater cruelty in persecuting everyone who opposed him. The executions followed one after another. The fate of the Metropolitan Confessor was decided. But Ivan the Terrible wanted to maintain the canonical order. The Boyar Duma obediently made a decision on the trial of the Head of the Russian Church. A cathedral trial was held over Metropolitan Philip in the presence of the thinned Boyar Duma. It was November 4th.

At the appointed hour, the sovereign himself and the innocently accused high priest arrived; dressed in holy robes, he appeared for trial. The reading of denunciations began, but there were no accusers, for the king was afraid to confront the saint with the slanderers. After reading the denunciations, they stopped to listen to the accused. Philip, considering it unnecessary to justify himself, for he knew that his fate had already been decided in advance, turned to the king with the following words:

Sovereign and Grand Duke! Do you think I'm afraid of you or death? No! It is better to die an innocent martyr than to silently endure all these horrors of lawlessness in the rank of metropolitan. Do what you please. Here is the pastoral staff, here is the hood and mantle with which you wanted to exalt me. And you, servants of the altar,” the saint continued, turning to the bishops, “faithfully shepherd the flock of Christ: prepare to give an answer to God and fear the Heavenly King more than the earthly one.

Having said these words, Saint Philip took off the signs of his dignity and wanted to leave, but the king stopped him, saying that he should still await a council decision, and not be his own judge. He forced him to take back the saint’s clothes and still serve mass on November 8th. It was the feast of Archangel Michael. Metropolitan Philip, in full holy vestments, was serving the Liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral, when suddenly the church doors opened with a noise and the Tsar’s favorite Alexei Basmanov entered the cathedral with a crowd of soldiers and guardsmen. Basmanov ordered the royal decree and the council’s verdict on the deposition of the metropolitan to be read aloud in front of all the people, and all the slander against him was read out. At the end of the reading, those who came furiously rushed at the saint and began to tear off his sacred clothes. Metropolitan Philip was not disturbed in spirit and tried to calm his clergy. Throwing the tattered and dirty cassock of a simple monk over Philip's shoulders, the guardsmen dragged him out of the temple, beat him on the head with brooms, put him on a log and, showering him with abuse and beatings, took him to the Epiphany Monastery. Before the gates of the monastery, Saint Philip addressed the flock around him for the last time with comforting words:

I accepted all this for your good, so that your confusion may be pacified. If it were not for my love for you, I would not have wanted to stay here for a single day, but the word of God held me back: The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

At the same time, the metropolitan’s prophetic words about the fate of the Russian Church were heard:

O children, this separation is sorrowful, but I rejoice that I acquired this for the sake of the Church; the time has come for her widowhood, for the shepherds, like mercenaries, will be despised. They will not hold their pulpit here and will not be buried in their cathedral church of the Mother of God.

This prophecy was finally fulfilled several decades later. During the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, when most of the archpastors behaved like “mercenaries”, fell away from the right faith and a period of widowhood began in the Church. Having accepted the last blessing from the saint, the people went home in confusion, and Philip was imprisoned in the monastery. " The martyr was languished for a long time in the basements of Moscow monasteries, the elder’s legs were driven into stocks, he was kept in chains, and a heavy chain was thrown around his neck." Finally, they were taken to captivity in the Tverskaya Otroch Monastery.

Murder of the disgraced Metropolitan

About a year passed since Saint Philip was in captivity. In December 1569, Tsar Ivan the Terrible moved with an army to Novgorod to punish him for imaginary treason. When he approached Tver, he remembered Metropolitan Philip, imprisoned here, and sent the worst of his guardsmen to him, Malyuta Skuratova, supposedly for a blessing.

Philip, anticipating his death, said to those around him: “ The time has come to accomplish my feat; my departure is near" And, having received the Holy Mysteries, he calmly awaited his end. Malyuta entered the cell and, humbly bowing, said to the saint: “ Vladyka, give your blessing to the Tsar to go to Veliky Novgorod».

Knowing why the royal messenger came, Saint Philip answered him: “ Do what you came to me for, and do not tempt me by flattery asking for the gift of God." Immediately the disgraced metropolitan turned to God in prayer.

Malyuta took a pillow and strangled Saint Philip with it. Then he hastily left the cell and, having informed the abbot and the brethren of his death, began to reproach them for neglecting the prisoner, who allegedly died from excessive intoxication in the cell. Malyuta ordered to dig a deep hole behind the altar of the cathedral church and bury the long-suffering body of Saint Christ there. At the same time, there was neither the ringing of bells, nor the fragrance of incense, nor, perhaps, the very singing of the church, for the evil guardsman was in a hurry to hide the traces of his crime. And as soon as the grave was razed to the ground, he immediately left the monastery.

But soon the wrath of God befell the persecutors of the martyred metropolitan. Malyuta Skuratov was soon killed. The king's wrath befell all the shepherds who slandered Philip, tormented him, and turned away from him in the days of grave trials.

Glorification and veneration of Metropolitan Philip

Twenty years later, the monks of the Solovetsky monastery began to ask Tsar Theodore Ioannovich (May 11, 1557 - January 7, 1598) for the body of Metropolitan Philip. Tsar Theodore fulfilled the request of the Solovetsky monks. Tverskaya Bishop Zacharias(d. 1602) could not disobey the royal command and ordered the abbot of the Otroch Monastery to show the place where the saint was buried.

When they dug up the grave and opened the coffin, the air was filled with a fragrance that spread from the relics, as if from a valuable world; The saint's body was found completely incorrupt, and even his vestments were preserved intact. Citizens began to flock from all sides to venerate the passion-bearer of Christ. Having then handed the shrine with the relics to the Solovetsky abbot Jacob, the bishop with all the clergy, with crosses and banners, in front of a great crowd of people, escorted the shrine to the bank of the Volga River, from where the Solovetsky elders joyfully took it to their distant monastery.

The incorrupt body of Saint Philip was buried under the porch of the Transfiguration Cathedral, at the church of the Monks Zosima and Savvaty, Solovetsky wonderworkers. Not only monks, but also laymen and surrounding residents came running to Saint Philip with prayer and received healing from their ailments.

The church service to the saint was first published in the Menaion in 1636 under Patriarch Joseph I (1634-1640). However, according to researchers, it was compiled earlier. The Solovetsky Monastery is considered to be the place where the service was composed, and the possible author is Abbot Jacob(1581-1597), student of Metropolitan Philip.

Troparion, tone 8.

First successor, pillar of Orthodoxy, champion of the truth, new confessor, Saint Philip, laying down his soul for the Gospel of Christ. In the same way, since we have boldness towards Him, pray for our country, for the city and the people who worthily honor your holy memory.

Kontakion, tone 3.

A mentor to Orthodoxy, and a follower of truth. Let us praise the zealot of Chrysostom, the Russian lamp, Philip the Wise. In the food of your words you nourish your children wisely. With the tongue we sing praise, and with the mouth we speak hymns, like the secret place of God’s grace.

Library of Russian Faith
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In 1646, on April 29, letters were sent from Moscow to the Solovetsky abbot Elijah from Tsar Alexy Mikhailovich and Joseph, Patriarch of Moscow, in which it was commanded that the relics of St. Philip be placed in a new shrine, clothed in a new robe and transferred from under the porch to Transfiguration Cathedral.

On July 9, 1652, the relics of St. Philip were solemnly brought to Moscow (by order of the then Orthodox Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich). They were met with a procession of the Cross with the participation of the Tsar and church hierarchs; at the meeting place, the Church of St. Philip was subsequently erected in Meshchanskaya Sloboda. The relics were placed in a silver shrine in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin near the iconostasis, where they now rest.

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1. 

   When will they stop spreading lies from calendar to calendar?! Any person who studies the history of the Church and the Russian State not according to Karamzin knows that the death of Metropolitan. Philip is on the conscience of the Archbishop of Novgorod Pimen. It was he who sent the bailiff Kobylin to kill Philip. Neither Gosular Ivan Vasilyevich nor Grigory Lukyanovich Skuratov-Belsky are involved in this.
   The ROCMP has already made a documentary film “His name is John,” everything is called there on a documentary basis.

   
2. 

   The article spreads Jewish lies about the oprichnina, the locally revered holy and blessed Tsar John and the holy martyr Metropolitan Philip, who was killed by the Judaizers.

   • 

     All scientists and historians say that there are practically no archival documents from the reign of Ivan the Terrible in Russia; in a strange way, they were all destroyed. Only letters from Ivan the Terrible remain in foreign archives. This article quotes the words of the Metropolitan and provides a lot of historical material, but there is not a single reference to archival or other documents. The article has the status of a work of fiction, definitely a denigration of Tsar Ivan the Terrible and is based on fictitious and false facts. The author did not even bother to go to the Archangel Cathedral, where the Rurikovichs are buried, including Ivan Vasilyevich, his mother, all his wives and children. So the guides tell and show documents of the opening of these tombs during the time of Khrushchev by forensic experts. The conclusion of forensic experts suggests that all the wives, mother and son, and John himself were poisoned. Tsar John did not kill any of his sons; his son was poisoned, just like John himself. And in our time they continue to denigrate the first anointed of God and the creator of the Russian kingdom. Many questions arise as to why it was necessary to disturb the relics of the holy Metropolitan Philip and transfer them to Moscow to the two main schismatics of the Russian Church and the Russian people, Tsar Alexei Romanov and Cancer Patriarch Nikon. This is where you need to understand, and not engage in slander and unproven insinuations.

   Indeed, recently the idea that Tsar Ivan the Terrible was a saint has been gaining momentum and, in particular, to the death of Metropolitan. Philippa has no relation. But this is an alternative story, and 99.9% of sources still adhere to the opinion expressed in the article.

   The life of Metropolitan Philip, which was very often used as the main historical source of information about him, has come down to us in a significant number of copies (there are about 170 of them). All its editions can be traced back to three main ones: Tulupovskaya, Kolychevskaya and Brief. On the website of the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academy of Sciences http://lib.pushkinskijdom.ru there is an electronic publication of the list of Lives.
   In all lists, one thing is invariable: Philip morally opposes Tsar Ivan, and he opposes without malice and hatred, fighting with Ivan himself for the good in his soul. Philip, who condemns the oprichnina, is depicted as a constant opponent of blood, hatred, and lawlessness. The conflict between the tsar-tormentor and the saint, traditional for hagiographic literature, in “The Life of Metropolitan Philip” is transferred to the moral and political sphere: it is the absence of a moral principle in politics that makes Ivan the Terrible, in the depiction of the author of the Life, a tsar-torturer. The historical “background” is of particular importance: construction at the Solovetsky Monastery helps to reveal the creative power of Philip; the theme of Novgorod sounds tragic (pleas to Philip for intercession on his way to Moscow - betrayal of Philip by the Novgorod archbishop - the death of Philip, who refused to bless the campaign against Novgorod of Ivan IV, which ended in the death of Novgorod itself as the center of Northern Russian culture); the theme of torment and death of people of the “divided kingdom”, etc.

   • 

     With this approach, soon Peter 1, whom everyone calls “the Great,” will soon be made a saint or has already been made, although unlike Ivan the Terrible, Peter 1 actually tortured his son on the rack, but there is nothing about this anywhere, because “Peter 1 created an army , navy,” but as if before Peter there was neither an army nor a navy. Semyon Dezhnev, on a Russian ship, sailed the strait between Asia and America in 1648, and Bereng, on ships created by Peter the Great, was able to repeat his feat only a hundred years later. But the strait was named not in honor of its discoverer, but in honor of Bereng.
     Maybe Ivan the Terrible is guilty of the death of the Metropolitan, or maybe not, there is no direct evidence. And where was this metropolitan when the entire family of Tsar John was poisoned, because at the beginning his mother Elena Glinskaya, son and wives were poisoned. Why didn’t the Metropolitan look into these deaths? We have many masters who criticize.
     In these chronicles of Tulupovskaya, Kolychevskaya and Brief, there is nothing that you write about. “The conflict, traditional for hagiographic literature, between the king-torturer and the saint in the Life of Metropolitan Philip is transferred to the moral-political area: it is the absence of a moral principle in politics that makes Ivan the Terrible in the depiction author of the Life of the Tsar-Tormentor." Not a single chronicle says what exactly a “tormentor king” is.
     "The “short” edition pays quite a lot of attention to Philip’s behavior during the “Hundred-Glavy” Council. It is this plot of the story that reveals to us the fact that the secular power of the time of Ivan the Terrible did not have open opposition in the face of the church power. However, there were those dissatisfied with the decisions of the tsar who did not decided to express their opinion out loud. Thus, Philip’s asceticism was manifested in the fact that he was not afraid to oppose the Grand Duke’s decision to divide the state. As a result, the royal anger fell on one metropolitan. But even for this, the author does not dare to directly blame the king. , the tsar is in deep thought, and “the Soviets, who are accomplices of malice, never cease to raise every kind of attack against the saint...”.” The authors of these chronicles, written after the death of John, “did not dare” to accuse the king. And Voloskova, referring to the chronicles, or rather not even citing because she has no references in the article, and the fact that “Russian Faith” defends her, then you take this personal opinion of “Russian Faith” and, on the basis of your own conjectures, accuse the Tsar. For many years, many enemies of Russia have been pouring dirt on Ivan the Terrible, hushing up his real great achievements, thanks to which Russia still holds on.
     Indicate which “99.9% of sources”, in your opinion, confirm the slander and fictitious insinuations of the Russian Tsar John IV. With such articles we will soon denigrate the Stoglavy Cathedral.

   • 

     It is bad, under the name of the Russian Faith, to try to support the lies of the Judaizers about the Great Sovereign, while basing this on the lives written after the Schism. The martyr could not condemn the oprichnina, which brought out the heresy of the Judaizers in Rus'. Moreover, the condition for the appointment of the metropolitan was his non-interference in the affairs of the oprichnina and the royal court, with which he agreed, otherwise he would not have been installed at the head of the Church (the document was preserved and published). However, by slandering John against Philip and vice versa, the enemies of the Orthodox faith managed to introduce some chill into their relationship and the king entrusted his fate to the church court. In particular, the enemies of Orthodoxy whispered to the tsar that the patriarch condemned the oprichnina...
     And when the tsar moved to Novgorod, he sent M. Skuratov to free the metropolitan from church imprisonment and take him with him, because he knew a lot about the Novgorod separatists. However, an armed barrier (!) appeared on the way of the guardsmen and a battle ensued, in which M. Skuratov was wounded in the stomach. When they finally broke through to the monastery, the villains managed to kill the martyr. And, as is usual with the Jews, the killers started a rumor that he was killed by someone who was coming to save him. A striking example of the same is the death of the son of Tsar Demetrius, who “stabbed himself to death” according to the words of a converted maid.
     Anticipating the Priest’s judgment about the infant victims of the “Novgorod pogrom,” I will inform you that all the separatists and apostates of the Faith executed by the court have been named and counted. But “the quietest” in the Code of 1649. introduced the death penalty for children (I have the original Code in my leather). But modern researchers, being captive of lies, do not in any way connect the remains found during excavations with the sea that soon followed in Novgorod, when entire families were buried right there, near their households.
     The administrator should have listened to I. Kalashnikov, and not tried to rehabilitate the article containing the slander of the Judaizers against the locally revered saint of the Russian pre-schism Church, standing shoulder to shoulder with the patriarch. Kirill, who ordered the cleaning of the fresco of John in the Assumption Monastery.
     Forgive for Christ's sake...

   • 

     I wonder which of the Old Believer historians writes that “the oprichnina fought against the heresy of the Judaizers”? What is the source of information? But here, for example, is what the holy martyr writes. Habakkuk: “If someone deigns to serve God, it is not proper for him to worry about himself. Not only for the possession of holy books, but also for worldly truth, it is appropriate for him to lay down his soul, like Chrysostom for the widow and for the Theognostov garden, and in Moscow for the oprishlina Philip "(Fourth conversation, about icon writing).

     Regarding halos, this is not evidence of holiness, but a Byzantine tradition (Basily 3 was also depicted with a halo). In Byzantium, almost all emperors were depicted this way, incl. and iconoclasts.

     Ivan the Terrible is called “the first Russian Tsar,” but this is not entirely accurate. The first legitimate sovereign crowned according to the Byzantine rite (February 4, 1498) was the grandson of Ivan 3, Dimtiry Ivanovich, who, however, through the machinations of Sophia Paleologus (mother of Vasily 3), soon fell into disgrace and died in prison.

     Ivan the Terrible's mother was from Lithuania, his paternal foremother was a Byzantine princess. The remarriage of Vasily 3, from whom Ivan was born, was not recognized by the majority of local churches. But M. Daniel said that he “takes this sin upon himself” (Basily’s divorce from Salome), condemned St. Petersburg for denouncing him. Maxim the Greek, and then this marriage took place. But here it should also be noted that the Russian folk legend about Ataman Kudeyar (the legitimate son of Salome, born to her after being imprisoned in a monastery), has a real historical basis.

     Some monarchists have long revered Ivan the Terrible as a holy great martyr; a special service has been compiled for him. But I can’t even imagine how real historical facts and the Christian concept of holiness can be combined to glorify Ivan the Terrible. For example, the story of Ivan the Terrible’s “fierce sorcerer” Elisha Bomelius (there is a version that it was he who poisoned those wives of the king who stopped enjoying his love - there were 8 wives in total). “The more Ivan, already nicknamed the Terrible, favored Bomelius, the more the boyars and ordinary people hated him. The Pskov chronicler wrote: “The Germans sent to John Nemchin, the fierce Magus, called Elisha, and be loved by him in approaching and put insurance on the Tsar ... and took the Tsar away from the faith; he placed the Tsar in ferocity on the Russian people, and on the Germans with love...” http://storyfiles.blogspot.com/2017/10/blog-post_13.html After all, it is impossible to deny the existence of Bomelius as a real historical figures (later, however, he was executed by the king). But how can such “friendship” be combined with holiness?

Fyodor Stepanovich Kolychev belonged to the noble family of boyars, the Kolychevs. At the age of 26, he began to serve at the court of Grand Duke Vasily III. But court life weighed on him. In the summer of 1537, he secretly left Moscow, went to the Solovetsky Monastery and became a monk. Ten years later he becomes the abbot of the monastery.
In 1566, Philip became Metropolitan of Moscow. He fearlessly denounced Tsar Ivan the Terrible for his cruelty to his subjects, and for this two years later he was deprived of the metropolitan rank, chained and exiled to the Otroch Monastery in Tver. And a year later the saint was strangled in his cell by Malyuta Skuratov, the tsar’s senior guardsman.

When Philip accepted the abbot's staff in Solovki, the monastery had shortly before burned down. Philip energetically set to work. The monastery was not only restored, but also began to flourish.

So that the monastery would have its own funds, Philip organized the development of iron ore and table salt on the island. He connected 52 small lakes into one large Holy Lake; paved roads; dug canals and installed water mills on them; surrounded the monastery with granite walls... He also built a brick factory, a pier, a hospital, a hotel for pilgrims, and erected stone temples of amazing beauty. He started a barnyard with cows and chickens. He bred deer, established the tanning of hides, and in the sewing workshops the monks made their own clothes and shoes.

Possessing the talent of an inventor, Philip created many ingenious technical devices: for example, he invented a self-propelled cart that moved without a horse. The elderly, wanderers, and beggars were supported at the monastery's expense. The monastery's library grew rapidly. Philip bound the old books himself. And with all this, the abbot remained a strict ascetic monk. So everything came together in one person of the abbot - energy, will, care for the brethren, talent as an inventor, monastic asceticism.

In 1565, Tsar Ivan the Terrible tore Abbot Philip away from his beloved brainchild: he offered to become Metropolitan of Moscow. The wise Philip understood that he could not avoid trouble in such a place. However, the king and the clergy insisted, and Philip gave in, reserving for himself the ancient right to “grief” - to intercede with the king on behalf of the condemned. But the king did not keep his promise for long...
The executions followed one after another. Saint Philip wrote messages to the king - letters, admonishing him. The tsar disparagingly called the metropolitan’s messages “filkin’s letters,” which have since become proverbial.

St. Philip Metropolitan of Moscow in his life, 16th century, Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve.

During Lent in 1568, the Metropolitan publicly denounced the actions of Ivan the Terrible. Then, threatening the Tsar with the Last Judgment, the saint, as a sign of protest against all the atrocities of the oprichnina, moved to the Moscow St. Nicholas Monastery. In November of the same year, a shameful trial took place against the metropolitan, who accused him of “stingy deeds.” At the trial the saint said:
- Sovereign! Do you think I'm afraid of you or afraid of death? No! It is better to die an innocent martyr than to silently experience the horrors of lawlessness!.. The saint was sentenced to life imprisonment in a monastery dungeon and was shackled in chains. But a miracle happened - the chains fell off of him by themselves.
One day a hungry bear was allowed into his prison. In the morning the king himself came to see what had happened to Philip. But I didn’t see anything “interesting”: the saint was standing in prayer, and the bear... was dozing in the corner.

Icon of Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow in his life
Location of marks:

1. Birth of Theodore (worldly name of Philip)
2. Baptism of Theodore.
3. Teaching literacy.
4. Theodore leaves his parents' home.
5. Arrival at the Solovetsky monastery.
6. Tonsure into the monastic rite.
7. Ordination to the deaconate.
8. Ordination to the presbyterate.
9. Ordination to metropolitan office.
10. Saint Philip denounces Tsar Ivan the Terrible.
11. Imprisonment.
12. Saint Philip before the abbot of the Tver Youth Monastery, Protasius.
13. Murder of Saint Philip.
14. Burial of St. Philip.
The icon “St. Philip the Metropolitan of Moscow in the Life” was previously located in the Church of St. Nicholas “Big Cross” in Moscow.

Saint Philip (in the world Theodore) came from a noble family of boyars, the Kolychevs. Theodore was the first-born son of a boyar and his God-fearing wife Varvara. From an early age, Theodore, as the life writer puts it, clung to inspired books with heartfelt love, was distinguished by meekness and sedateness, and shunned amusements. Due to his high origin, he often visited the royal palace. His meekness and piety left a strong impression on the soul of his peer, King John.

Following the example of his father, Theodore began military service, and a brilliant future awaited him, but his heart was not set on the blessings of the world. Against the custom of the time, he delayed getting married until he was 30 years old. Once in church, on Sunday, the words of the Savior had a strong effect on him: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be zealous for the one and despise the other” (Matthew 4:24). ). Having heard in them his calling to monasticism, he secretly from everyone, in the clothes of a commoner, left Moscow and went to the Solovetsky monastery. Here, for nine years, he resignedly bore the hard labors of a novice, working like a simple peasant, either in the garden, or in the forge and bakery. Finally, according to the common desire of the brethren, he was appointed presbyter and abbot.

In this rank, he zealously cared for the welfare of the monastery in material, and more so in moral terms. He connected the lakes with canals and drained swampy places for haymaking, built roads in places that were previously impassable, started a cattle yard, improved salt pans, erected two majestic cathedrals - the Assumption and Transfiguration and other churches, built a hospital, established monasteries and deserts for those who wanted silence, and himself from time to time he retired to one secluded place, known in pre-revolutionary times as the Philippi Hermitage. He wrote a new charter for the brethren, in which he outlined a way of hardworking life that prohibited idleness.

Hegumen Philip was summoned to Moscow for spiritual council, where, at his first meeting with the tsar, he learned that the metropolitan chair had been assigned to him. With tears, he begged John: “Do not separate me from my desert; do not entrust a small boat with a great burden.” John was adamant and instructed the bishops and boyars to convince Philip to accept the metropolis. Philip agreed, but demanded the destruction of the oprichnina. The bishops and boyars persuaded Philip not to insist strenuously on this demand out of respect for the tsar’s autocracy and to humbly accept the rank. Philip yielded to the will of the king, seeing in it God's election.

During the first time of Philip's priesthood (1567-1568), the horrors of the oprichnina subsided, but this did not last long. Robberies and murders of civilians began again. Philip several times in private conversations with the king tried to reason with him, but seeing that his convictions did not help, he decided to act openly.

On March 21 (1568), during the week of veneration of the cross, before the start of the liturgy, the metropolitan stood on a raised platform in the middle of the church. Suddenly John enters the church with a crowd of guardsmen. All of them and the tsar himself were in high black robes, in black robes, from under which knives and daggers glittered. John approached the saint from the side and bowed his head three times for blessing. The Metropolitan stood motionless, fixing his gaze on the icon of the Savior. Finally the boyars said: “Holy Lord! The king requires your blessing." The saint turned to John, as if not recognizing him, and said: “In this strange clothing, I do not recognize the Orthodox Tsar, nor do I recognize him in the affairs of the kingdom. Pious one, whom were you jealous of, thus distorting your splendor? Since the sun has been shining in the sky, it has not been heard of pious kings disturbing their own power... The Tatars and pagans have law and truth, but we do not have them. We, sir, offer a bloodless sacrifice to God, and behind the altar the innocent blood of Christians is shed. I do not grieve for those who, by shedding their innocent blood, are honored with the share of holy martyrs; I suffer for your poor soul. Although you are honored in the image of God, you are nevertheless a mortal man, and the Lord will exact everything from your hand.”

John seethed with anger, whispered threats, and knocked his staff on the slabs of the platform. Finally he exclaimed: “Philip! Or do you dare to resist our power? Let’s see, we’ll see how great your fortress is.” “Good King,” answered the saint, “it is in vain that you frighten me. I am a stranger on earth, striving for the truth, and no amount of suffering will silence me.” Terribly irritated, John left the church, but harbored his anger for the time being.

On July 28, on the feast of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, called Hodegetria, Saint Philip served in the Novodevichy Monastery and performed a religious procession around the walls of the monastery. The Tsar was there, surrounded by guardsmen. While reading the Gospel, the saint noticed a guardsman standing behind the Tsar in a Tatar hat, and pointed him out to John. But the culprit hastened to take off and hide his hat. Then the guardsmen accused the Metropolitan of telling a lie in order to humiliate the Tsar in front of the people. Then John ordered Philip to be tried. Slanders were found with false accusations against the saint, who was not given the opportunity to expose them, and he was condemned to deprivation of his see.

On November 8, the feast of the Archangel Michael, the saint served for the last time in the Assumption Cathedral; and he, just as on the day of the denunciation of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, stood at the pulpit. Suddenly the church doors opened, boyar Basmanov entered, accompanied by a crowd of guardsmen, and ordered to read the paper in which it was announced to the astonished people that the metropolitan was being defrocked. Immediately the guardsmen tore off the saint’s vestments and, dressing him in a tattered monastic robe, took him out of the church, put him on a log and took him with curses to one of the Moscow monasteries. They said that the tsar wanted to burn the confessor of Christ at the stake and only at the request of the clergy they sentenced him to lifelong imprisonment. At the same time, he executed many of Philip's relatives. The head of one of them, Philip’s especially beloved nephew, Ivan Borisovich Kolychev, was sent by the Terrible to the saint. Saint Philip received it with reverence, laid it down and, bowing to the ground, kissed it and said: “Blessed hast thou chosen and accepted him, Lord,” and returned it to the one who sent it. From morning to evening, people crowded around the monastery, wanting to see at least a shadow of the glorious saint, and told miracles about him. Then John ordered to transfer him to the Tver Otroch Monastery.

A year later, the tsar with his entire retinue moved against Novgorod and Pskov and sent the guardsman Malyuta Skuratov ahead of him to the Otroch Monastery. Saint Philip predicted his impending death three days in advance and prepared for it by receiving the Holy Mysteries. Malyuta with hypocritical humility approached the saint and asked for the king’s blessing. “Do not blaspheme,” Saint Philip told him, “but do what you came for.” Malyuta rushed at the saint and strangled him. They immediately dug a grave and lowered the holy martyr into it in front of Malyuta’s eyes (December 23, 1569). The relics of Saint Philip rested in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, which witnessed his greatest feat.