Church Workers Are My Heroes

Why are these people heroes, I think? Because church has played and is still playing an important role in Russian history. In the 10^th century it united many Russian cities into one state, it secured good relations with a powerful at those times state-Byzantine. In my opinion, Russia couldn’t become Russia without the help of such wise people as Church Workers.

For example: after the death of Ivan II (in 1359) the head of church took to himself the problems of guardianship of the heir-little prince Dmitrij  (Donskoj in the future). That guardianship played a decisive role in the development of Dmitrij’s personality. Metropolitan Aleksij gave a gold label  back to Moscow (a gold label was the symbol of authority in Russia at the time of the Golden Horde and was given only by its khans). Aleksij  supported the national liberation movement against the Golden Horde, fights with Lithuania; according to his orders, new churches were built, he was  also the founder of several cloisters. His biography tells us about the wonder, which was accomplished by him in the Golden Horde. In 1357 the wife  of the Horde’s khan Taidula fell ill and was losing her eyesight. Nobody could help her, even the best doctors of the Horde.  But Metropolitan Aleksij  was able to cure her. And then the Horde’s khan Berdibek gave the Russian church a gold label confirming the independence of the prince’s  contribution.

Sergij Radonezhskij (look at the pictures) was born in 1332 in a well-off family. The boy couldn’t go to school though he wanted to very much. And his biography says that one day he met an old man and the men asked him what the boy wanted. And he answered that most of all he wanted to study grammar because at that time he had been learning it but knew nothing. And the man started praying for him. And after that the boy became able to study. After the death of his parents he gave his part of inheritance to his little brother and became a monk Sergij. Together with his elder brother he built a church which was given the name of Holy Trinity. That was the beginning of the great, most famous Russian cloister, Troitse-Sergievskaya Lavra (monastery of the first rank). Sergij helped people to find their way in life, both princes and peasants asked for his advice. During his long life he used to reject every offer connected with power and powerful people, because he understood his role as to help people, not to rule them. He blessed Dmitrij Donskoj for Kulikovskaja battle. Two monks from Troitse-Sergievski cloister, brothers Peresvet and Osliabja took part in that battle. The legend says that before the main fight there was a fight between two warriors: one-from the Russian army and one- from the Mongolian army. Peresvet was wounded but didn’t fall down and won in that fight. Then the Russian army won the battle.

 And it was the beginning of Russia’s independence.

For me these church workers are real heroes and a wonderful example of honest service to their country and people.

Anna Polyakova

Form 10M, Lyceum #130

Novosibirsk, Russia