Venerable (Monastic) 19th century

Venerable Moses of Optina

1782–1862

Also known as Moses Putilov · Timothy Putilov

The abbot who gathered and built up Optina in its years of flowering, sheltering the great elders and making the monastery a haven of eldership and charity.

Feast Day

June 16

Draft

Draft — pending review. Not yet verified for publication.

Hymn / Apolytikion Icon gallery Video / Media

Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Moses of Optina

Life

Moses of Optina (1782–1862), baptized Timothy Putilov, was the abbot who gathered and built up Optina Monastery during the period of its spiritual flowering, sheltering the great elders and making the house a center of eldership (starchestvo) and charity. Born January 15, 1782, in Borisogleb in the Yaroslavl province of Russia, he was one of five children of John Putilov; his younger brother Alexander would become the Optina elder Anthony.

As a young man he received the blessing of St. Seraphim of Sarov to enter the monastic life, and in 1811 he joined ascetics living in the Roslavl forest under Elder Athanasius, a disciple of Paisius Velichkovsky. There he was tonsured a monk and spent some fourteen years in spiritual formation within the lineage of hesychast renewal that Paisius had brought to Russia. From 1821 he was drawn into the work of Optina near Kozelsk, founding its skete and later governing the monastery itself, where under his direction Optina became renowned as the great spiritual center of nineteenth-century Russia.

He reposed on June 16, 1862, and is commemorated on that day. He was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in 1990, with local veneration authorized by the Moscow Patriarchate in 1996 and universal glorification by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000. He is numbered among the Optina Elders.

Timeline 11 moments Read Hide

January 15, 1782 Birth Born in Borisogleb in the Yaroslavl province of Russia and baptized Timothy, one of five children of John Putilov.
1811 Enters the Roslavl forest After receiving the blessing of St. Seraphim of Sarov for the monastic life, he joined ascetics in the Roslavl forest under Elder Athanasius, a disciple of Paisius Velichkovsky, and was tonsured a monk.
January 15, 1816 Joined by his brother His younger brother Alexander, the future Elder Anthony of Optina, joined him in the Roslavl forest.
1821 First visit to Optina He first came to Optina Monastery near Kozelsk, beginning his association with the house.
July 6, 1822 Founding of the skete He began building the Optina skete together with his brother Anthony and two other monks.
December 1822 Ordination Ordained deacon on December 22 and priest on December 25, 1822, also serving as Father Confessor.
1823 Igumen of the skete After the skete church was completed, he was elected Igumen of the skete.
1826 Superior of Optina Elected Superior (Igumen) of Optina Monastery itself, beginning the building program that transformed the house.
1829 Invites Elder Leonid He invited Elder Leonid to Optina — the first of the great Optina startsy — and himself submitted to Leonid's guidance in obedience and meekness.
June 16, 1862 Repose He reposed and was buried in the side altar of the monastery cathedral.
1990–2000 Glorification Glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia in 1990; local veneration authorized by the Moscow Patriarchate on June 13, 1996; universal glorification by the Russian Orthodox Church on August 7, 2000.

Contributions & Legacy

4 contributions Read Hide

Monastic formation

Moses entered monastic life in 1811 in the Roslavl forest, a settlement of forest-dwelling ascetics under Elder Athanasius, who was himself a disciple of Paisius Velichkovsky. There Moses was tonsured a monk and spent roughly fourteen years in spiritual formation. His younger brother Alexander — later Elder Anthony of Optina — joined him in the forest on January 15, 1816.

This grounding placed Moses directly within the lineage of hesychast renewal that Paisius Velichkovsky (1722–1794) had brought into Russia through his translations and disciples. Paisius exerted immense influence on the startsy of Optina both through his translated texts and through the personal disciples who carried his teaching northward and founded monasteries dedicated to the hesychast tradition; Moses, formed under one of those disciples, brought this current to Optina.

Founding and building of Optina

Moses first visited Optina Monastery near Kozelsk in 1821. On July 6, 1822, he began the skete-building project together with his brother Anthony and two other monks, the hermitage being established a short distance from the main monastery as a place for the elders. After the skete church was completed in 1823 he was elected Igumen of the skete, and in 1826 he was elected Superior of Optina Monastery itself.

Under his direction as abbot the monastery was significantly expanded. He oversaw construction of the St. Mary of Egypt refectory church, additional monk cells, a library, stables, a kiln, an apiary, and the planting of fruit orchards and vegetable gardens. Most of the monastery's buildings date from this period of renovation, when Optina was being established as a center of Russian staretsdom.

Eldership and legacy

In 1829 Moses invited Elder Leonid to Optina, the first of the great Optina startsy, and himself submitted to Leonid's guidance, doing nothing without his blessing — a striking example of an abbot's obedience and meekness toward an elder under his own authority. This act opened the way for the line of Optina elders, among them Leonid, Macarius, and those who followed.

Optina became the foremost spiritual center of nineteenth-century Russia, drawing seekers from across society; among the notable visitors attracted by its elders were the writers Dostoevsky, Gogol, and Turgenev. Moses is numbered among the Optina Elders, listed in the tradition as Schema-Archimandrite Moses alongside Schema-Hegumen Anthony, Hieroschemamonk Leonid, and Hieroschemamonk Macarius.

Relics & Shrines

Moses reposed on June 16, 1862, and was buried in the side altar of the monastery cathedral at Optina.

Notes

Among the Optina Elders.

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