Voskresensky Dmitry Grigorievich, was born on October 23, 1873 in the village of Brusovoye, Fatezhsky district, Kursk province, into the family of a priest. A relative of Archpriest Mikhail Salokhin.
He graduated from the Kursk Theological School and in 1894 from the Kursk Theological Seminary.
In 1894-1895 he served as a psalm-reader for the church in the village of Nikolaevka, Putivl district, Kursk province.
In 1895-1897 he worked as an overseer and teacher of calligraphy and drawing at the Stary Oskol Theological School.
On January 6, 1897, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Juvenaly (Polovtsev) of Kursk and Belgorod and assigned to the clergy of the Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Putivl.
In 1901, after the death of his wife, he entered the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, from which he graduated in 1905 with a candidate of theology degree. At the same time he graduated from the St. Petersburg Archaeological Institute.
On November 27, 1904, he was tonsured a monk with the name Damian by Archbishop Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Finland.
In 1904-1905 he was dean of the academic clergy and at the same time served as priest of the Church of the Holy Blessed Alexander Nevsky (Suvorov) at the Academy of the General Staff (instead of priest Georgy Shavelsky, who served in the Russo-Japanese War).
In 1905-1907 - teacher of homiletics at the Smolensk Theological Seminary, in 1907-1908 - caretaker of the Stary Oskol Theological School. From 1908 to 1911 - in the same position at the Oboyan Theological School.
On July 28, 1911, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and appointed rector of the Smolensk Theological Seminary.
On May 12, 1918, he was consecrated Bishop of Pereslavl, vicar of the Vladimir diocese. He stayed in the Pereslavl-Zalessky Danilov Trinity Monastery, performing the duties of abbot there.
On September 24, 1920, the Vladimir Provincial Revolutionary Tribunal “for possessing manuscripts of a counter-revolutionary nature” was sentenced to imprisonment “for the entire duration of the civil war.” On July 4, 1921, by order of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the indefinite imprisonment was replaced by 3 years of imprisonment.
On January 13, 1922, he was released early under an amnesty. Danilov returned to the Pereslavl-Zalessky Monastery, where he protested in connection with the seizure of church valuables from the monastery.
In June of the same year, Bishop. Damian, following Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) of Vladimir, formally recognized the renovationist High Church Administration (VCU). According to Bishop Damian, he “followed Sergius in order of hierarchical subordination and personal trust in him”, agreeing with the restrictions set by Metropolitan Sergius as a condition of his recognition of the VCU. Bishop Damian ignored the orders of the VCU on church administrative issues addressed to him and did not hide his opinion that the Orthodox consciousness could not put up with the “Living Church” program. In the churches of Pereslavl-Zalessky and Alexandrov, commemoration of the name of Patriarch Tikhon continued during services, which caused denunciations from local renovationist priests.
On December 5, 1922, Bishop Damian was arrested by the Vladimir department of the GPU. The indictment named "an ardent reactionary element" And "a supporter of Tikhon". He pleaded not guilty.
On February 23, 1923, the NKVD Commission on Administrative Expulsions sentenced him to 2 years of exile, which he served in the village of Tedzhen (now a city in Turkmenistan). After serving his sentence, he returned to Pereslavl-Zalessky.
On April 12, 1925, he signed an act on the transfer of supreme church power to Metropolitan Peter (Polyansky) of Krutitsky.
In November 1925, he was appointed temporary administrator of the Vladimir diocese.
On December 22, 1925, he participated in a meeting of bishops in the Moscow Donskoy Monastery, headed by Sverdlovsk Archbishop Gregory (Yatskovsky) and, not knowing about the acceptance of Nizhny Novgorod Metropolitan. Sergius (Stragorodsky) temporarily fulfilling the duties of the patriarchal locum tenens, became a member of the Temporary Supreme Church Council (VTsS), thereby unwittingly becoming one of the initiators of the Gregorian schism. On January 23, 1926, he visited Metropolitan Sergius in Nizhny Novgorod, who acquainted him with the testamentary order of the locum tenens of Krutitsa, Metropolitan Peter (Polyansky), on the transfer of his powers in the event of arrest to Metropolitan Sergius. In this regard, Bishop Damian called on the members of the All-Russian Orthodox Church to recognize Metropolitan Sergius as a canonically legitimate interim locum tenens in order to prevent a split among the hierarchs of the Church. However, the leaders of the All-Russian All-Russian Central Council did not give up their claims to the highest church authority, and therefore on January 29, Metropolitan Sergius banned the bishops who were part of the All-Russian All-Russian Central Council, including Bishop Damian, from serving. Convinced of the schismatic actions of Archbishop Gregory, Bishop Damian left the All-Russian Orthodox Church on February 2, calling on others to follow his example. Having repented, he was again accepted into the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church. Subsequently, Damian directly called the “Gregorians,” like the Renovationists, a schismatic movement supported by the authorities to destroy the unity of the Church.
In 1926-1927 he temporarily ruled the Vladimir diocese.
In 1927 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
Since May 1927 - Archbishop of Poltava and Pereyaslavl and temporary administrator of the Dnepropetrovsk diocese.
On April 25, 1928, he was moved to the Kursk department. According to Archbishop Damian, the reason for this move was his disagreements with other Ukrainian bishops at a meeting of bishops held in Kyiv on the issue of commemorating the name of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Peter and the questions that arose in connection with this about the autonomy of the Ukrainian Church.
In 1929 he was called to the summer session of the Holy Synod.
Since 1930, in connection with collectivization in the diocese, repressions against the clergy intensified. In rural deaneries, the OGPU authorities systematically arrested all deans appointed by Archbishop Damian. In this regard, he refused new appointments and invited the rural clergy to contact the bishop directly. Every day, the bishop received an average of about 10 clergy and laity and examined their complaints about oppression by the authorities. Provided financial assistance to the exiled clergy.
On February 9, 1930, he was briefly arrested in connection with the case of the Pletnev counter-revolutionary monarchist organization of churchmen.
Arrested again on July 26, 1932 in connection with a wave of anti-collective farm protests in the Central Black Earth Region of the RSFSR. He was in a regional prison in Voronezh. Together with Oryol Bishop Nikolai (Mogilevsky), a large group of clergy, monks and laity, he was involved in the case of the so-called Counter-revolutionary church-monarchist organization “Zelfs of the Church”, and was declared its “leader”. During the investigation, he did not hide his convictions, reasonably pointing out that “the persecution of the clergy is an organic part of the activities of the Soviet Power.” On December 26, 1932, the Collegium of the OGPU of the USSR sentenced him to death, commuted to 10 years in prison. In the same year he was sent to the Solovetsky special purpose camp. In the fall of 1937, the NKVD adopted a directive to exterminate the prisoners remaining on the Solovetsky Islands. Archbishop Damian was taken to the village of Medvezhya Gora along with a large group of prisoners (1st Solovetsky stage). Sentenced to death by the Special Troika under the NKVD in the Leningrad Region. Shot on November 3, 1937 in the forest tract Sandormokh, now the city of Medvezhyegorsk, Karelia. Canonized as the holy new martyrs and confessors of Russia at the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in August 2000 for church-wide veneration.
Commemorated on October 21, in the Cathedral of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, in the Cathedral of New Martyrs and Confessors of Solovetsky and in the Cathedrals of Kursk and Poltava Saints.
Prayers:
Troparion, tone 4:
From the youth of Christ I loved the axis, Saint Damian, to you, as a quick prayer-book and helper, we graciously fall down and fervently pray: protect the Russian land and save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 3:
You have been clothed with saintly grace, you have valiantly strengthened the Holy Church, like the Bride of Christ. Pray for us, Christ God, Saint Damian. We magnify you, Holy Hierarch Father Damian, and honor your holy sufferings, which you endured for Christ.
Prayer:
Holy New Martyr, Saint Damian of Christ! Wonderful shepherd and valiant warrior of Christ! From your youth you have loved the commandments of God with all your soul. By the same token, the Lord revealed a successor to you as His Apostle. And during the days of the fierce persecution of the Orthodox faith, like a true shepherd, you appeared, you walked the way of the cross with your flock, and you received the crown of martyrdom; you, having found grace, pray for us. And now, O our intercessor before the throne of the King of Glory, ask Him to confirm the fatherly faith, to protect the Holy Church from heresies and schisms, to strengthen the faithful, to convert the lost, to heal the sick, to pacify our long-suffering Fatherland and to preserve it from enemies without harm. And through your prayers we will get rid of all troubles and misfortunes, and thus having lived piously on earth, we will be honored with eternal life in Heaven, where, together with all the Saints, we will glorify in the Trinity the glorified God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Prayers
Troparion to Hieromartyr Damian, Archbishop of Kursk and Oboyan
From the youth of Christ I loved the axis, Saint Damian, to you, as a quick prayer and helper, we graciously fall down and earnestly pray: protect the Russian land and save our souls.
Kontakion to Hieromartyr Damian, Archbishop of Kursk and Oboyan
You have been clothed with saintly grace, you have valiantly strengthened the Holy Church, like the Bride of Christ. Pray for us, Christ God, Saint Damian. We magnify you, Holy Hierarch Father Damian, and honor your holy sufferings, which you endured for Christ.
Life
Archbishop of Kursk Damian, in the world Dmitry Grigorievich Voskresensky, born in the village. Brusovoe, Fatezhsky district, Kursk province, on October 23, 1873, in the family of a priest. He graduated from the Kursk Theological School, then the Theological Seminary in 1894, after which he served as a psalm-reader in the city of Putivl, and then as rector of a church in the village. Nikolaevka, Putivl district. Here his two sons were born one after another: Mikhail and Andrian. But soon he lost his wife. Fr. returned his prayers. Dmitry had strength, and he entered the St. Petersburg Theological Academy to study, and at the same time studied at the Archaeological Institute.
On November 27, 1904, on the day of the celebration of the Kursk Root Sign icon, he was tonsured a monk with the name Damian. In 1905, he completed his studies at the Academy and soon returned to the Kursk province, becoming the caretaker of the Starooskol and then Oboyan religious schools. Since 1911, rector of the Smolensk Theological Seminary, elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
In July 1918, Archimandrite Damian was consecrated Bishop of Pereyaslavl. This was the first hierarchal consecration with the blessing of Patriarch Tikhon. Bishop Damian could not be indifferent to the persecution of the Church that began from the first days of Soviet power, the reprisals against clergy, the closure of churches, the desecration of St. relics. He openly spoke out in support of Patriarch Tikhon and the Mother Church. This did not go unnoticed by the authorities. In September, the Vladimir Revolutionary Tribunal sentenced him to imprisonment for the entire duration of the civil war for possession of counter-revolutionary literature and manuscripts....
He was soon arrested for resisting the seizure of church property, and on February 23, 1923, he was exiled to Turkestan for 2 years.
Returning from exile, he successively occupied the Vladimir, Poltava and Kursk episcopal departments. As the Eminence of Kursk, Bishop Damian was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
In the Central Black Earth Region, Bishop Damian organized an extensive network of the socio-religious organization Zealots of the Church, which fought against the violence of the Soviet regime against the Church. Many priests took part in the activities of this organization, which numbered more than 250 people.
On December 26, 1932, Archbishop Damian was tried along with a group of his followers and sentenced to death, commuted to 10 years in Solovki. He never returned from there, and on November 3, 1937 he was shot.
In 1998, a conference was held, which later became the Damianov Readings. In 2000, at the Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Orthodox Church, Archbishop Damian of Kursk was canonized.
Ar-hi-bishop-skop of Kursk Da-mi-an, in the world Dmitry Grigor-e-vich Vos-kre-sen-sky, born in the village. Bru-so-voe Fa-tezh-o-yezh-da Kur-gu-ber-niya on October 23, 1873 in the family of a saint. He graduated from the Kursk spiritual school, then from the spiritual school in 1894, after which he served as a psalm -shchi-kom in the city of Pu-tiv-le, and then at the hundred-I-te-lem church in the village. No-la-ev-ke Pu-tivl district. Here, one after another, two sons were born to him: Mi-kha-il and An-dri-an. But soon he lost his spouse, Pray for your faith. Dmitry had strength, and he went to study at the St. Petersburg Spiritual Academy, one day he studied and in Ar-heo-lo-gi-che-sky in-sti-tu-te.
On November 27, 1904, on the day of the celebration of the icon of the Kursk Ko-ren "Zna-me-nie", he was tonsured in the mo-na -thing with the name Da-mi-an. In 1905, he completed his studies in Akademiya and soon returned to the Kursk province, becoming a supervisor of the Star-ro-os -kol-skogo, and then Obo-yan-spiritual schools. Since 1911 - rector of the Smo-lensk spiritual se-mi-na-rii, elevated to the rank of ar-hi-mand-ri-ta.
In July 1918, ar-hi-mand-rit Da-mi-an was hi-ro-to-ni-san in the episcopal Pe-re-ya-s-lav-sko-go. This was the first ar-hi-erei-skaya hi-ro-to-niya according to the blessing of Pat-ri-ar-ha Ti-ho-na. Vlady-ka Da-mi-an could not be equal-hearted to the government that began from the first days of the Soviet power on Cer -cow, right-to-you over the sacred-serve-you, the closure of temples, the desecration of St. relics He openly came out in support of Pat-ri-ar-ha Ti-ho-na and Ma-te-ri-Church-vi. This did not go unnoticed by the authorities. In September, the Vladimir rev-tri-bu-nal sentenced him to deprivation of his freedom for the entire duration of the civil war -we for keeping “counter-re-vo-lu-tsi-on-noy li-te-ra-tu-ry and ru-ko-pi-sey...”.
Soon he was arrested for co-opting the seizure of church property, and on February 23, 1923 he was you were sent to Tur-ke-stan for 2 years.
Returning from exile, after-to-va-tel-but for-no-mal Vla-di-mir-skaya, Pol-tava-skaya and Kursk-hi-ereisky ka-fed-ry. Being the Priest of Kursk, Lord Da-mi-an was elevated to the rank of arch-hi-episco-pa.
In the Central-no-Cher-no-Zem-no-region the authorities of Da-mi-an or-ga-ni-zo-val have a well-developed network of public national-but-re-li-gi-oz-noy or-ga-ni-za-tion of the “Rev-ni-te-li-Church-vi”, which-paradise waged a fight against na-si -Is the Soviet government against the Church. Many saints took part in the activities of this or-ga-ni-za-tion, in which you count -more than 250 people.
On December 26, 1932, ar-hi-bishop Da-mi-an was tried together with a group of his faithful wives and pri-go-vo- Ren to execution, replaced by exile for 10 years in Solovki. He never returned from there, and on November 3, 1937, he was shot.
In 1998, a conference was held, which subsequently moved on to the Da-mi-a-nov readings. In 2000, on the Jubilee of the Arch-hi-Jerical So-bo-re of the Right-Glorious Church, the Arch-hi-Bishop of Kursk Da-mi-an was at -number of saints.
Jubilee Arch-Jerical Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, which took place in mid-August 2000 years in Moscow, counted among the saints 1154 no-vo-mu-che-ni-kovs and is-scientists of the Russians, moving no faith and goodness. All of them were known by name, although they are not revealed to the world, but we are known to God. Among the pro-famous So-bo-rum but-in-mu-che-ni-kovs there are also servants of the Kursk diocese - ar-hi-bishop Yes -mi-an (Vos-kre-sen-sky), bishop of Ryl-sky John (Pa-shin), ar-hi-bishop Onuf-riy (Ga-ha-luk), ar-hi-epi -skop Kur-sky (later Ryazan-sky) Iuve-na-liy (Mas-lov-sky), arch-bishop Pea-lin (Kro-shech-kin), They are under -were-believed-a-hundred-of-the-chi-shim-no-yam from a hundred without-God-power, but from Christ, from the faith of the right-to-glory -noy did not deny. In 1937-1938 they were shot.
Prayers
Troparion to Hieromartyr Damian, Archbishop of Kursk and Oboyan
From your youth you loved Christ, Saint Damian, to you, as a quick prayer and helper, we mercifully fall and earnestly pray: protect the Russian land and save our souls.
Translation: Since your youth, you have loved Christ, Saint Damian; we humbly turn to you as a quick helper and man of prayer and earnestly pray: protect the Russian land and save our souls.
Kontakion to Hieromartyr Damian, Archbishop of Kursk and Oboyan
You were clothed with holy grace, You valiantly strengthened the Holy Church, like the Bride of Christ, through suffering. Pray for us to Christ God, Saint Damian. We magnify you, holy Father Damian, and honor your holy sufferings, which you endured for Christ.
Translation: You were clothed with saintly grace, you valiantly strengthened the Holy Church, as the Bride of Christ, in martyrdom. Pray for us, Christ God, Saint Damian. We glorify you, Saint Father Damian, and honor your holy sufferings that you endured for Christ.
Holy New Martyr, Saint Damian of Christ! Marvelous to the shepherd and valiant to the warrior of Christ! Since your youth, you have loved the commandments of God with all your soul. At the same time, the Lord revealed a successor to you as His Apostle. And in the days of the fierce persecution of the Orthodox faith, like a true shepherd, you appeared, walked the way of the cross with your flock, and thus received the crown of martyrdom, having found grace, Care for us. And now, oh, our intercessor before the throne of the King of Glory, ask Him to strengthen the fatherly faith, to protect the Holy Church from heresies and schisms, to strengthen the faithful, to convert the erring, Heal the sick, pacify our long-suffering Fatherland and save it from enemies. And through your prayers we will get rid of all misfortune and adversity, and having lived piously on earth, we will be honored with eternal life in Heaven, where together with all the Saints we will glorify God in the Trinity God of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Canons and Akathists
Akathist to Hieromartyr Damian, Archbishop of Kursk
Kontakion 1
To the bearer of the Holy Spirit, chosen, confessor of the Orthodox Church, most steadfast adamante, laudable cry to you, holy Hieromartyr Damian with the host of new martyrs - Zealots of the Church, who sanctified all of Russia with their blood, we offer our praise. And, looking at your good suffering, we call to you: Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Ikos 1
Angels and God-loving people bring thanksgiving to Christ, from the priestly family who chose you for pastoral service, to Saint Damian the God-Wise. During the days of fierce persecution, like a faithful guardian and a good shepherd, he did not abandon the Kursk flock, but laid down his life for their salvation. For this we laudably cry out to you:
Rejoice, birth of the priestly generation of God-pleasing prayer; Rejoice, fragrant blossom of the land of Incense. Rejoice, chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit. Rejoice, embodiment of kindness and godly wisdom; Rejoice, God's destiny for Holy Rus'. Rejoice, unbreakable foundation of faith. Rejoice, fiery zealot of the apostolic traditions. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 2
Having foreseen the generously loving Lord, how the faithful children of the Orthodox Church are overwhelmed by many temptations to be, the Angel - the Herald of the Gospel truth, the undaunted herald in our land, raised up the Lord, the shepherd of goodness, as he lays down his life for the sheep. We, thanking God, who has given us a faithful shepherd and a diligent guard, call Him: Hallelujah.
Ikos 2
From your youth, God-Wise Damiana, you became like an eagle, fly to the heights of heaven, so that you comprehend theological wisdom in the light of true piety that enlightens you. We, instructed by you, will worship God, glorified in the Holy Trinity, crying out this praise: Rejoice, you who loved the flock of Christ more than the blessings of this world; Rejoice, chosen worker of Christ's grapes. Rejoice, through your prayers the wrath of God is quenched. Rejoice, you who have established the lands of Vladimir as a saint. Rejoice, you who do not disgrace our hope; Rejoice, guardian of the mind of the Apostolic Church. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 3
The power of the Most High has clearly shown you, holy preacher Damian, in the labors of bearing the cross, when with the full armor of God’s grace you destroyed the machinations of the multitude of the enemy of the Orthodox faith, singing to God: Hallelujah.
Ikos 3
Having undoubted faith and pure thoughts, you despised all the red of this world, God-blessed Damian. And you served in the rank of holiness of the Lord. Decorated with the same goodness, like a guiding star, shine upon all who cry out to you: Rejoice, loving the One Christ with all your heart; Rejoice, multiplying the gifted talent. Rejoice, for you have pleased God with all kinds of service; Rejoice, thou who always seekest righteousness and truth; Rejoice, you who boldly speak the truth. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 4
Having a storm of passions within us, overwhelmed by vain thoughts, we cannot, Damian of all wisdom, preach the greatness of your martyrdom, but by your prayers to the Lord we are strengthened in orthodoxy and piety, we sing to Him: Hallelujah.
Ikos 4
Having heard and seen the Orthodox people, your equal standing with the angels, guarding the apostolic purity of faith and the unity of the Church of Christ, blessed Damiana, immaculately kept the faith and glorified the Name of Christ. We, seeing the greatness of your feat, diligently call to you: Rejoice, lover of Christ, crucified with him for the world; Rejoice, you who warm our souls with the warmth of Divine love; Rejoice, faithful shepherd of Christ's flock; Rejoice, tireless prayer book for our people. Rejoice, you who are overwhelmed by a quiet refuge; Rejoice, blessed mentor of the lost. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 5
The Lord reveal the God-bearing star, our most wonderful Father Damian; You have already shone kindly on your flock with the light of the Gospel truth, pointing out the right paths to the Kingdom of Christ and teaching them to always cry out to God: Hallelujah.
Ikos 5
Seeing the virtuous persecutors, how firmly your trust is in the Lord and your love for Him, the evil-breathing people concocted suffering; by exile of exhaustion, trample your faith and show you to the devil as a mockery. You have trampled all the machinations of demons. For this we offer you the following praise: Rejoice, you who stood firmly at the helm of the rule of the diocese; Rejoice, light of Christ shining upon the faithful. Rejoice, for through you we are filled with zeal for God. Rejoice, the needs of those spiritually robbed preceded them; Rejoice, praise to the Orthodox people. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 6
You appeared as a preacher of piety, a shameless worker who rightly rules the word of Truth, Hieromartyr Damian, as a good warrior of Christ, protecting his flock in times of temptation and enticement and striving to cry out to the true God: Hallelujah.
Ikos 6
You have shone in the city of Poltava like a radiant star, illuminating the souls of the faithful with your brilliance and dispelling the darkness of wickedness, now having filled everyone with the fruits of sowing, but we call with love to you: Rejoice, you who have ascended to the throne of the hierarchs by God’s providence; Rejoice, you have passed the way of the cross with your flock; Rejoice, for you have not abandoned the lost sheep and those doomed to the slaughter. Rejoice, even having found a single lost sheep. Rejoice, for the Russian people you have preserved a precious treasure - the Church; Rejoice, you who have suffered much from church strife. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 7
Desiring, without restraint, to be a good shepherd, God-bearing Father Damian, for the benefit of his children, so that everyone may seek the true God. We, trusting in your glorious intercession, sing with boldness; Hallelujah.
Ikos 7
The first and wondrous saint, with the patriarchal blessing of the Russian Church, we know you, Saint Damian, in your confession you were not afraid of human temptations and you kept the patristic covenants. For this reason, the Head of the Church, Christ, gave spiritual strength and strength; We, who are unworthy, bring this calico; Rejoice, having shown your self-sacrifice completely; Rejoice, you who have sought the salvation of many. Rejoice, herald of God's providence for people; Rejoice, marvelous purification of morals. Rejoice, obedience to the Patriarchal Locum Tenens has been revealed; Rejoice, zealous guardian of the treasures of the Orthodox faith. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 8
It is a strange and glorious miracle for those of little faith and cowardice to see, Saint Damian, how you came to the Kursk See during the days of persecution, how you established the Orthodox faith, and with the wisdom of your words you taught your flock to chant in a godly manner: Hallelujah.
Ikos 8
Full of the love of Christ, you did not abandon your flock, sending prayers to the Almighty for us; We, in honor of your blessed memory, offer you a song of thanksgiving: Rejoice, you who have astonished the world with the abundance of your love; Rejoice, thou who has gained the glory of the good and most good shepherd; Rejoice, zealot of the apostolic traditions; Rejoice, having gathered the faithful around you; Rejoice, thou who has maintained fidelity to the Tsar Saint Nicholas; Rejoice, uniting the bishops of neighboring dioceses; Rejoice, for you were the ruler of the Divine priesthood; Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 9
All the people of the Kursk flock, seeing you, their archpastor, denounced the devastators of the temples of God, like the prophet Elijah of the false prophets of Jezebel, but you were filled with love for people, offering tearful prayers to God, crying out to Him: Hallelujah.
Ikos 9
The prophets of many things will not be able, according to their heritage, to utter the most wonderful glorification of your memory, Hieromartyr Damian; We, moved by you to repentance, wanting to imitate your charity, please us with songs of praise: Rejoice, kind mentor and wise ruler; Rejoice, steadfast protector of those who waver in faith. Rejoice, for by you Holy Orthodoxy is jealously guarded; Rejoice, in the darkness of wickedness you affirmed the right faith; Rejoice, having courageously gained glory to the Heavenly King; Rejoice, God's wrath has been turned to mercy towards us sinners, Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 10
Although you saved the Russian Church, our most glorious Father Damian, you united the zealots of the fatherly faith, you resisted the atheistic machinations. We, honoring your all-honorable suffering, cry out to God who glorified you; Hallelujah.
Ikos 10
Mother of God, the invincible Wall, Heaven and Earth, the Most Pure Lady, guarding the city of Kursk, builder of the mysteries of God and faithful guardian of the Church of her Son and our God, having chosen you, Father Damian; now you are at the throne of the King of Glory in Heaven with all the saints and Heavenly Angels, praying for us. We, filled with joy, cry out to you: Rejoice, covered by the Protection of the Most Pure Mother of God. Rejoice, partaker of Heavenly Eden. Rejoice, companion to the angels, partner to the saints. Rejoice, in the non-evening days you enjoy the bliss of Paradise. Rejoice, strengthener of those exhausted by the sorrows of life. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 11
We offer you a song of tenderness, O holy martyr of Christ, who now shines in heaven, as the faithful Saint clothed himself with righteousness and tasted the sweets of heaven; Pray diligently for those who sing songs of Christ to You, who cry out to Him: Hallelujah.
Ikos 11
Filled with a luminous lamp, the oil of pure prayer, and brightly shining with the flame of faith, the Lord has raised you up, Hieromartyr Damian, the God-protected land of Kursk. We, seeing you in the Trinity Light abiding and asking for peace and prosperity to our Fatherland, with the hope of faith, call you: Rejoice, born in the land of St. Theodosius, Rejoice, glorious successor of St. Joasaph, Rejoice, worthy successor of John the Recluse, Rejoice, St. Seraphim having chosen as your image, Rejoice, having held up the Monk Isaac as an example, Rejoice, having prepared the way for Saint Onuphrius. Rejoice, glorious decoration of the Cathedral of Kursk Saints. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 12
Ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit for the Orthodox peoples, most kind shepherd of the flock of Christ, Damian, the most wonderful. You, all-zealous prayer book, please the Most Pure Mother and all the Saints, so that we can be saved. With the power of grace you will also strengthen us, the weak, so that through your prayers we will defeat all intrigues, crying out to our All-Good God: Hallelujah.
Ikos 12
I sing of your many sufferings, O saint of Christ Damian, and we bless your martyrdom, for by you our God, glorified in the Trinity, was gloriously glorified. For this reason, we offer you the following praise: Rejoice, you who have undertaken the work of bearing the cross pleasingly to God; Rejoice, thou vessel filled with the Holy Spirit; Rejoice, eternal blessing received from God; Rejoice, having accepted imprisonment and death for faith and piety; Rejoice, great glory of God to the zealot; Rejoice, everlasting joy to your flock. Rejoice, Saint Damian of Christ, sacred adornment of the Kursk region.
Kontakion 13
Oh, glorious confessor of Christ Damian! Accept from us, your loving children, our small prayer brought to you and with your warm intercession to the Lord, protect the Orthodox Church and our God-loving people from fraternal civil strife, schisms and heretical unrest, so that in contrite repentance we will be delivered from the righteous wrath of God, troubles and future eternal torment and let us be worthy, like a child with our father, to sing to God forever; Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)
Prayer to Hieromartyr Damian, Archbishop of Kursk and Oboyan
Holy New Martyr, Saint Damian of Christ! Wonderful shepherd and valiant warrior of Christ! From your youth you have loved the commandments of God with all your soul. By the same token, the Lord revealed a successor to you as His Apostle. And during the days of the fierce persecution of the Orthodox faith, like a true shepherd, you appeared, having walked the way of the cross with your flock and received the crown of martyrdom, having found grace, pray for us. And now, O our intercessor before the throne of the King of Glory, ask Him to confirm the fatherly faith, to protect the Holy Church from heresies and schisms, to strengthen the faithful, to convert the lost, to heal the sick, to pacify our long-suffering Fatherland and to preserve it from enemies without harm. And through your prayers we will get rid of all troubles and misfortunes, and having lived piously on earth, we will be honored with eternal life in Heaven, where, together with all the Saints, we will glorify God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.
Damian (Voskresensky Dmitry Grigorievich) - archbishop
Hieromartyr Damian (Voskresensky), Archbishop of Kursk
On October 23, 1873, at the rector of St. Michael’s Church. Brusovoe, Fatezhsky district, Kursk province, priest Grigory Voskresensky gave birth to a son, named Dimitri at baptism.
Father Gregory's entire life took place within the church fence. Seeing the pastoral care of his parent, Dimitri was inflamed with the desire to also devote himself to serving God and people and, having received his father’s blessing, entered a theological school. After graduating from the Kursk Theological Seminary in 1894, he served for some time as a psalm-reader at the Transfiguration Cathedral in Putivl, and then as an overseer and teacher of calligraphy and drawing at the Stary Oskol Theological School.
On January 6, 1897, Bishop Juvenaly (Polovtsev) Dimitry was ordained a priest and appointed clergyman of the church in the village of Nikolaevka, Putivl district. 4 years after the death of his wife, Dimitry Voskresensky entered the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and at the same time the Archaeological Institute.
On the day of the celebration of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” - November 27, 1904, by the rector of the academy, Bishop Sergius (Stragorodsky), Dimitri was tonsured a monk with the name Damian in the presence of the Right Reverend Anthony (Volynsky), who presented him with the “Psalter followed” with his deed of gift inscription.
During the Russo-Japanese War, Father Damian was the dean of the academic clergy and at the same time served as priest of the Suvorov Church of the Academy of the General Staff.
After graduating from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy in 1905, Voskresensky was appointed teacher at the Smolensk Theological Seminary. 2 years later he became the caretaker of the Stary Oskol Theological School, and a year later - the Oboyan Theological School.
On July 28, 1911, Father Damian was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and appointed rector of the Smolensk Theological Seminary, where he was caught by the October revolution.
In July 1918, he was consecrated Bishop of Pereyaslavl, vicar of the Vladimir diocese. His Eminence Damian took part in the unveiling of the relics of Saints Joseph, Hermogenes and Pitirim.
Bishop Damian could not remain indifferent to the persecution of the Church of Christ that began from the first days of Soviet power, to the reprisals against clergy, the closure of churches, and the desecration of holy relics. His active and open speech in support of Patriarch Tikhon and defense of the Russian Orthodox Church did not go unnoticed by the Bolshevik authorities. Already in September 1920, the Vladimir Revolutionary Tribunal sentenced Bishop Damian to imprisonment for the entire duration of the civil war for possessing manuscripts of a “counter-revolutionary” nature. Although the bishop was released from prison by a special order from the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the label “counter-revolutionary” was firmly stuck to him, and the OGPU only needed a reason for a new arrest.
He didn't keep himself waiting. Hunger became a disaster for millions of people. Patriarch Tikhon appealed to all Orthodox Christians to help the dying population and blessed parish councils and communities to “donate precious jewelry and objects that have no liturgical use for the needs of the hungry.” But in February 1922, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee legalized the confiscation of all church valuables, including sacred vessels. The clergy viewed such a decision as nothing other than blasphemy and prevented it in every possible way. Bishop Damian, being the rector of the St. Daniel Monastery, opposed the seizure of property as allegedly “belonging to the state,” for which he was arrested by the Vladimir provincial department of the GPU. On February 23, 1923, Bishop Damian was exiled to Turkestan for two years.
After exile, the bishop returned to Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. In 1927, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop of Poltava, and a year later he headed the Kursk diocese. In 1929, a directive came from the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) stating that religious organizations remained the only legally operating counter-revolutionary force that had influence on the masses. A new round of persecution against the ministers of the Church began.
In June-July 1932, a wave of mass anti-collective farm protests swept through the western regions of the Central Black Earth Region under the slogans: “Give up the land and freedom and peasant power,” “The Soviet government robbed us, we need power without collective farms,” “Down with collective farms, down with Soviet power is the power of bandits, let’s have a king.” According to the OGPU, up to 63 thousand people took part in them. The investigation concluded that the “counter-revolutionary mass demonstrations” were the result of “preparatory activities of the counter-revolutionary church-monarchist organization “Zealots of the Church,” headed by Archbishop Damian.” Together with the bishop, 3 bishops, 127 priests and deacons, 106 monks and nuns were arrested.
On December 26, 1932, the OGPU board sentenced Archbishop Damian (Voskresensky) to death, replacing the sentence with imprisonment in the Solovetsky concentration camp for a period of 10 years. Judging by archival documents, even in Solovki the disgraced archbishop did not resign himself to the authorities’ attempts to subjugate the Russian Orthodox Church. His words that “now in Russia we have complete lawlessness, which has never existed anywhere, but in the end the truth of God must triumph,” expressed among brothers in misfortune, turned out to be prophetic.
The Jubilee Council of Bishops in 2000 included Archbishop Damian (Voskresensky) of Kursk among the host of new martyrs and confessors of Russia.
Sources used to compile the life:
1. A. I. Razdorsky. Damian (Voskresensky). Orthodox Encyclopedia, vol. 13, p. 707-708
2. DB PSTGU "New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church of the 20th Century"
Archbishop of Kursk Damian, in the world Dmitry Grigorievich Voskresensky, was born in the village. Brusovoe, Fatezhsky district, Kursk province, on October 23, 1873, in the family of a priest. He graduated from the Kursk Theological School, then the Theological Seminary in 1894, after which he served as a psalm-reader in the city of Putivl, and then as rector of a church in the village. Nikolaevka, Putivl district. Here his two sons were born one after another: Mikhail and Andrian. But soon he lost his wife. Fr. returned his prayers. Dmitry had strength, and he entered the St. Petersburg Theological Academy to study, and at the same time studied at the Archaeological Institute.
On November 27, 1904, on the day of the celebration of the Kursk Root Icon “The Sign,” he was tonsured a monk with the name Damian. In 1905, he completed his studies at the Academy and soon returned to the Kursk province, becoming the caretaker of the Starooskol and then Oboyan religious schools. Since 1911 - rector of the Smolensk Theological Seminary, elevated to the rank of archimandrite.
In July 1918, Archimandrite Damian was consecrated Bishop of Pereyaslavl. This was the first hierarchal consecration with the blessing of Patriarch Tikhon. Bishop Damian could not be indifferent to the persecution of the Church that began from the first days of Soviet power, the reprisals against clergy, the closure of churches, the desecration of St. relics. He openly spoke out in support of Patriarch Tikhon and the Mother Church. This did not go unnoticed by the authorities. In September, the Vladimir Revolutionary Tribunal sentenced him to imprisonment for the entire duration of the civil war for possessing “counter-revolutionary literature and manuscripts...”.
He was soon arrested for resisting the seizure of church property, and on February 23, 1923, he was exiled to Turkestan for 2 years.
In the Central Black Earth Region, Bishop Damian organized an extensive network of the socio-religious organization “Zelfs of the Church,” which fought against the violence of the Soviet regime against the Church. Many priests took part in the activities of this organization, which numbered more than 250 people.
On December 26, 1932, Archbishop Damian was tried along with a group of his followers and sentenced to death, commuted to 10 years in Solovki. He never returned from there, and on November 3, 1937 he was shot.
In 1998, a conference was held, which later became the Damianov Readings.
In 2000, at the Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Orthodox Church, Archbishop Damian of Kursk was canonized.
The Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, held in mid-August 2000 in Moscow, canonized 1,154 new martyrs and confessors of Russia, ascetics of faith and piety. All of them were known by name, although not revealed to the world, but known to God. Among the new martyrs glorified by the Council are also ministers of the Kursk diocese - Archbishop Damian (Voskresensky), Bishop John (Pashin) of Rila, Archbishop Onuphry (Gagalyuk), Archbishop of Kursk (later Ryazan) Juvenal (Maslovsky), Archbishop Pavlin (Kroshechkin). They were subjected to the most severe persecution from the godless authorities, but they did not renounce Christ or the Orthodox faith. In 1937–1938 they were shot.
