On November 15, in the House of Clergy at Rogozhskoye, an evening was held in memory of the holy venerable martyr and confessor Theodora, in the world of the noblewoman Theodosia Prokopievna Morozova, and her fellow prisoners and confessors, martyr Princess Evdokiya Urusova, venerable martyr Iustina and martyr Maria Danilova. The evening was organized by the team of the Internet portal Staroobryadci.ru under the leadership of Alexander Presnyakov, Old Believer film director Anatoliy Bochkariov, and the Moscow Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church. The event was honoured by the presence of His Eminence, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Korniliy.
Quite a lot of guests gathered for this evening: the clergy and parishioners of the Intercession Cathedral and other Moscow churches, teachers, and students of the Moscow Old Believer Theological School. Among the guests was the rector of the Correligionist Church of Holy Hierarch Nikola on Bersenevka in Moscow, hegumen Kirill (Sakharov), and a guest from the USA, a representative of the “chasovennye” denomination, novice Ivan Zenyukhin. Non-Old Believers who were not indifferent to the name of the boyarynia Morozova also came. For those who arrived early and were waiting for the start, tables were set with tea and refreshments.
The evening began with a performance by the women’s choir under the direction of Matushka Anna Savelyeva. It sang the stichera and magnification of the holy martyr and confessor Theodora (Morozova) and a spiritual verse dedicated to her.
Then the new historical film “Boyarynia”, directed by Anatoliy Bochkariov and produced by the famous philanthropist Sergey Kondrashov, was shown. Sergey Sergeevich also took part in the memorial evening. The film was shown to a broad audience for the first time. After the film screening, the director told the guests about the idea of the film and shared his impressions from working on it. Anatoliy Bochkariov noted that among the martyrs who suffered for ancient piety, the Borovsk passion-bearers became the symbol of steadfastness in the faith of Christ. The historical figure of the boyarynia Morozova, a respected wealthy woman who preferred truth to wealth, stands in people’s memory in the same row as the personalities of Archpriest Avvakum and others who sufferered for the faith in Pustozersk.
Metropolitan Korniliy shared his thoughts on the famous painting “Boyarynia Morozova”. Presented at the travelling art exhibition of 1887 and immediately purchased by the Tretyakov Gallery for 25 thousand rubles (an unheard of amount for that time!), that painting immediately became one of the central exhibits of the gallery, attracting many visitors, already twenty years before Nicholas II’s Decree “On Strengthening the Principles of Religious Tolerance.” “Boyarynia Morozova” by Vasiliy Surikov became the symbol of the Old Faith and subsequently led many, many people to the true faith of Christ.
The author of the monument to Archpriest Avvakum in Borovsk, Honoured Artist of Russia and Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, Oleg Molchanov, drew the attention of the audience to the artistic features of Vasily Surikov’s painting. On the one hand, the crowd laughs and rejoices, and this is already the kingdom of evil powers. On the other hand, most people pray, weep, and feel compassion for boyarynia Morozova. She rides on the sledge, her right hand with two fingers firmly raised to the sky, towards torment and death, and in the spiritual sense, on the contrary, towards the feat and eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Oleg Ivanovich Molchanov told the guests that he had already created the project for the monument to Boyarina Morozova and her fellow prisoners. The sculptor reminded the audience that the Russian word for monument, ‘pamiatnik’, is derived from the word ‘pamiat’ – “memory”. It is planned to erect the monument in Borovsk, in the city center, next to the chapel, on the site of which the noblewoman Morozova gave up her soul to the Lord in an earthen pit.
The evening in commemoration of the holy martyr and confessor, Theodora, and her fellow prisoners was very warm and sincere, pervaded by atmosphere of brotherly love. It is very important to honour the memory of these martyrs, who, together with the pre-schism Christian saints, are the real pillars of Orthodoxy.
