Famous Saints' Prophecies About the Future of Russia - Part 2

This is the 2nd article in our series: Famous saints' prophecies about the future of Russia. (Part 1 / Part 3)

The holy people quoted here, most of them saints, foresaw the catastrophe of the Russian Revolution of 1917, and the long, bloody period of warring atheism. But many of them also saw beyond the destruction...into a vivid rebirth of Russia and Orthodoxy.

(These prophecies were published in the May-June 1973 issue of The Orthodox Word — St. Herman Brotherhood, Platina, California.)

Hiero-Schemamonk Aristocleus, elder of Mt. Athos 

On the 6th of March, 1917, just after the outbreak of the Revolution, Father Aristocleus said that now there had begun the judgment of God upon the living, and there would not remain one land on the earth nor a single person whom this would not touch.

The beginning would be in Russia, but it would continue from there.

He said nothing whatsoever consoling, and yet the whole time he said:

“But do not fear anything, do not fear. The Lord will reveal His miraculous mercy.”

Later, before his death on August 26, 1918, he said, when he was told that the White Army had been formed and there was hope:

“No, there is no hope, because the spirit is not right.”

He said that everyone had to suffer very much and deeply repent, and only repentance through suffering would save Russia. When he was told that the war was not over yet, he said: “

And there will be another one. Only do not rejoice over this yet. Many Russians will think that the Germans will deliver Russia from the Bolshevik power, but this is not so.

The Germans, it is true, will enter Russia and will do much, but they will depart, since the time of deliverance will not yet be. That will be later, later.”

Now we are undergoing the times before Antichrist, but Russia will yet be delivered.

There will be much suffering, much· torture.

The whole of Russia will become a prison, he said, and one must greatly entreat the Lord for forgiveness.

One must repent of one’s sins and fear to do even the least sin, but strive to do good, even the smallest. For even the wing of a fly has weight, and God’s scales are exact.

And when even the smallest of good in the cup over­ weighs, then will God reveal His mercy upon Russia.

Ten days before his re­ pose he said that the end would come through China. There would be an extra­ ordinary outburst and a miracle of God would be manifested.

And there will be an entirely different life, but all this will not be for long.

Orthodox Russia, 1969 , No . 21, p. 3

Hiero-Schemamonk Alexius Of Zosima Hermitage

After the outbreak of the Revolution the Elder Alexius of Zosima Hermitage was in the Chudov Monastery.

This Elder was always at Vespers in the church of the Chudov Monastery, and afterwards he would bless the people. And the people were confused, all were weeping and afraid.

Father Alexius was standing once on the ambo before the altar dedicated to the Annunciation, and the people were all around him and were speaking, asking, being simply overwhelmed with grief.

Someone cried out loudly: “Then our Russia is lost, Holy Russia is lost!”

And Batiushka was standing there, tall and magnificent and radiant.

Suddenly with a loud voice he asked:

“Who is it that is saying that Russia is lost, that she has perished?... No, No, she is not lost, she has not perished and will not perish—but the Russian people must be purified of sin through great trials. One must pray and fervently repent. But Russia is not lost and she has not perished.”

Hieromonk Barnabas of the Gethsemane Skete

The clairvoyant Elder Barnabas spoke of the disasters coming upon Russia and the cruel persecutions against the Orthodox Faith.

When in the women’s monastery which he founded there was being built a great and magnificent church, one of the nuns was telling Father Barnabas about this with enthusiasm, but the Elder replied:

“You will live until the tune when not only will this church not be here, but even the very place on which it stands will be paved over.”

This nun told us this after the Revolution. The words of the elder were fulfilled. Not only was this marvelous church destroyed, but the very place where it had been was paved over.

Elder Barnabas said:

“Persecutions against the faith will constantly in­ crease. There will be an unheard-of grief and darkness, and almost all the churches will be closed.

But when it will seem for people that it is impossible to endure any longer, then deliverance will come. There will be a flowering.

Churches will even begin to be built. But this will be a flowering before the end.”

Some of the New Martyrs of Russia have likewise spoken similar things, using the words of the Holy Fathers that there would come such grief as the world has not yet seen, but then there would come a short flowering—before the end of the world.

Truly, has there ever been a grief more bitter than the persecutions of the satanic regime which destroys and defiles everything holy—churches, icons, holy relics—with a purely diabolical rage, torturing old priests and monks, putting out their eyes, cutting off their noses and tongues, crucifying them, shooting them in the mouth while saying, “We are giving you communion”?

But the persecutions evoked an unheard of flowering of faith.

People have gone to tortures and death joyfully, with singing; there have even been children confessors and martyrs. And the general opinion in Russia has been that such a flowering could only be before the end of everything.

Concerning this spiritual flowering Bishop Peter the New Martyr also spoke.

He did notspeak of an outward flowering. Those who live only by the world’s standards cannot understand this; for this there is must be a revelation to the heart.

From a private letter (N . Kieter)

Famous saints' prophecies about the future of Russia. (Part 1 / Part 3)