Letters about spiritual life compiler: Degerev V.G. John (Alekseev), Schiyigumen

Schigumen John (Alekseev; 1873-1958), a well-known ascetic of faith and piety, spent almost his whole life in the monastery. Since 1921, the rector of the Trifo-Pechensky monastery, from which he was released by his own request in 1931 and returned to Valaam. In 1932-1937 - Rector of the John-Attracian Signature, in which in the spring of 1933 he accepted the Great Schima. The last twenty years of life is the confessor of the Valaam Monastery in Finland. Father John was not a highly educated person. However, in the letters of the old man, addressed to different people, both who do not believe and have not yet come to God, and to believers, churching, living spiritual life - the undoubted literary talent, tact, sense of humor, and most importantly, are visible. Gospel simplicity. The book contains the biography of the science of John and the collection of all the elder’s letters preserved in the Valaam monastery in Finland and the spiritual children. This publication is supplemented by new photographs, bibliographic data of contemporaries and not published by the elder’s letters. Schiyigumen John (Alekseev) was glorified in the face of the Holy Finland Orthodox Church in November 2018. The publishing house thanks the abbot of the Valaam Monastery in Finland Archimandrite Sergius (Rayapolvi) and the Bratskie for the possibility of publishing letters stored in the monastery.