The Archive of Archpriest Alexius Ostapov: Publiсation of Selected Documents

Abstract

The publication of doc uments from the personal archive of Archpriest Alexius Ostapov consists of selected letters of Patriarch Alexius I (Simansky) to the Ostapov family, the records made by him in Ostapov’s home book in different years, his testament (spiritual and notarial), and his private prayer list of the deceased people. The letters are dated 1941–1945. The majority of his letters are addressed to Daniil Ostapov, the father of Archpriest Alexius Ostapov. Daniil Ostapov (1894–1975) was the personal secretary and the cell-attendant of Patriarch Alexius I, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Economic Department. D. A. Ostapov’s son Alexei (Lyonya), having got married, took ordination to the priesthood (as Alexius) and taught in Moscow Theological Schools, becoming one of the founders of the Church-Archaeological Cabinet of the of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary. The Patriarch not only treated Lyonya Ostapov with love, he was actively involved in his life since childhood, not taking away his attention and care even when Lyonya became an adult.

During the last years of Patriarch Alexius, the Ostapovs continued to be always close to the Patriarch, remaining the closest people to him. Not surprisingly, it was Daniil Andreievich Ostapov and Father Alexius became the executors of the Patriarch after his death, what was reflected in his will. It was to them that Patriarch Alexius left all his possessions to. In the Patriarch’s prayer list of the deceased we see the names of all sorts of people: Grand Dukes and the wallpainter of St Nicholas Cathedral, Patriarchs and “the blind man”, superiors of major monasteries and the woman «who stood by the icon of the Mother of our God called “She Who is Quick to Hear”».