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Abstract:

The article is devoted to the theme of spiritual enlightenment in Russia at the end of 18^th to the first half of the 19^th centuries. A significant part in preserving spiritual traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church was played by the Moldavian Elder, St. Paisy Velichkovsky (1722–1794). For many years he was collecting manuscripts of the Holy Fathers’ works, comparing them to the Greek originals and translating them into the Slavonic language. One of Elder Paisy’s main works is the translation of the book “Philokalia” or “Love of the Good, the Beautiful,” which was first published in Moscow in 1793. St. Paisy Velichkovsky also left behind his own expounding of prayers and the Holy Scripture. I.V. Kireyevsky (1806–1856) began studying the heritage of the Holy Fathers of Church and Elder Paisy’s works thanks to his wife N.P. Kireyevskaya and her spiritual mentor Elder Philaret (Puliashkin) (1758–1842), who was a monk in Moscow Novospassky Monastery. In 1840–1850s under the guidance of St. Macarius of Optina Kireyevsky took part in Optina book publishing. Following Paisian spiritual tradition Kireyevsky was able to fulfill his exceptional talents and to work on a field of Russian spiritual enlightenment.