Monk Abel is the most mysterious Russian predictor who lived at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Even during his lifetime, his name was surrounded by a trail of legends and rumors, and every prophecy of the monk Abel came true. He predicted the death of Catherine II and Paul I, the arrival of Napoleon in Moscow, the death Russian Empire and other events
Abel (in the world Vasily Vasiliev) is an Orthodox monk who predicted many key events in the Russian Empire.
They say that there are no prophets in their own country. It is not true. Throughout the history of the Russian land, there were people to whom more was revealed than to mere mortals. Saints, holy fools, hermit monks, people of God - they were called differently, but they all had sincere faith in the Lord in their hearts and lived according to his commandments. This gave them unshakable faith in their beliefs and they were not afraid to speak dangerous truths even to the powers that be, although in Russia this has always been a very risky endeavor.
Some of them were given a lot, they knew not only how to gain spiritual purity, but the future was open to their eyes. Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, Ksenia of Petersburg, Matrona of Moscow - they were all deeply religious people, but at the same time they had the gift of seeing the future.
Monk Abel occupies a special place among Russian prophets; the monk’s prophecies and predictions almost always came true and caused serious trouble for their author.
Questions from visitors and answers from experts:
Biography of the famous monk
Monk Abel is an absolutely real historical figure, a man who lived at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. He was able to predict all the significant events of the 19th and 20th centuries, but some of the prophecies of the monk Abel about the future of Russia date back to our time. His predictions were very disliked by the powers that be, for every accurate prophecy the authorities sent the daring monk to the government house, so Abel’s biography is better read than any other historical novel.
The future monk was born on March 18, 1757 in the Tula province into an ordinary peasant family. This man did not stand out in any way from the rest of the serfs; he was married and had children. Then something happens: he drops everything and goes to the Valaam Monastery - one of the most ancient centers of Orthodoxy. In 1785 he took monastic vows and became monk Abel. But soon he leaves the monastery and wanders around the world for several years. Abel finds a new refuge in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery. It was in this monastery that he began to write down his prophecies in a special notebook, which later brought him so much trouble and trouble.
Predictions that came true
About Catherine II
In 1796, he showed his notes to the rector, which, among other things, indicated that the Russian Empress Catherine would die in a few months. The scandal turned out to be huge, the church considered this prophecy to be blasphemy, he was stripped of his hair and handed over to the civil authorities. They, without thinking twice, put him in prison. The news of the seditious monk-fortuneteller reached Catherine herself, she canceled his death penalty and sent him to the dungeon. And on November 17, 1796, the empress suddenly died, and everyone realized that Abel was right.
About Paul I
Abel predicted the death of Catherine II and her son Paul I. For his predictions, he was stripped of his hair and sent to prison.
After Catherine's death, her son Paul I, who strongly disliked his mother, ascended the throne. The new prosecutor general, sorting through the papers of the Synod, accidentally finds Abel's manuscripts and orders him to be taken to the capital. Moreover, Abel receives an audience with the new emperor, who forgives him and allows him to take monastic rank again.
He again goes to the Valaam monastery, where he immediately begins writing new prophecies, this time about the next emperor, in which he named the date of Paul's death.
Everything happened again: the monk showed the predictions to the abbot, he informed the secular authorities, and Abel was arrested a second time. But Paul did not stay long Russian throne: he died as a result palace coup March 12, 1801. After this, the monk was released from the fortress and sent to the Solovetsky Islands into exile.
About the capture of Moscow by the French
For predicting the surrender of Moscow to the French, the monk was again placed in prison for a long 10 years.
However, this link does not discourage Abel from telling people what awaits them. And the fate of Russia in the 19th century, as we know, was not easy. In 1801 he describes the events Patriotic War 1812, predicts battle of Borodino and Napoleon's capture of Moscow.
The restless prophet was noticed by the next Russian emperor, Alexander I, who ordered him to be sent to the inner prison of the monastery (many important prisoners were kept there).
Abel spent ten years in this prison, just before the start of the war with the French. After this, the emperor had to release him. Moreover, the Russian emperor ordered a passport to be made for Abel, to provide him with money, clothing and everything necessary. From this moment on, Abel’s “finest hour” begins; he ends up in St. Petersburg, where he becomes popular with the highest nobility of the empire. The monk travels freely around the country, making pilgrimages to Mount Athos and Jerusalem.
About Nicholas I
After long wanderings, Abel settles in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. This could have been a happy ending to the monk's troubled life, but, alas, everything was different. In 1826, he predicted the future for Nicholas I, who did not like it. Abel again goes to prison, where he remains until his death in 1841. This is part of the soothsayer’s biography, which we know more or less reliably. But there is another part of it, much more mysterious, but much less studied.
About Nicholas II
The widow of Paul I sealed Abel's notes with the inscription to open in 100 years. Nicholas II got acquainted with them.
It would seem, what connects the monk Abel and the last emperor from the house of Romanov? There is a legend that the manuscript containing the prophecies and predictions of the monk Abel about the future of Russia was sealed by the widow of Paul I, with instructions for descendants to read it a hundred years later.
This manuscript was kept in the palace in Gatchina. In 1901, Nicholas II and the Empress came to the palace to reveal the centuries-old secret of the dynasty. They rode cheerful and lively, as if on a holiday, but, apparently, Abel did not know how to make good predictions for representatives of the Romanov family. According to eyewitnesses, Nikolai returned to the capital very thoughtful and sad.
It was after reading the manuscript that Nicholas II began to call 1918 a fatal year for himself. And so it happened. In 1903, Nicholas was delivered the prophecies of another famous Russian predictor, Seraphim of Sarov; they say that after reading them, the emperor cried for a long time.
No one has seen this manuscript; information about it is only in retellings, which differ greatly from each other. Believe it or not is your own business.
It is possible that it was the prophecies read that forced the last Russian emperor to behave so passively during the critical days of the Russian turmoil. They say that it was in conversations with Paul I that the full power of the gift that the monk Abel possessed was revealed. Prophecies and predictions about Russia in the 20th century could not fail to impress Emperor Paul, so he decided to warn his distant descendant.
But, unfortunately, it was not possible to change the course of history. Russia had to go through two world wars, turmoil, famine and rivers of blood. And the imperial family became only one of the first victims of this hard time. In his notes, Abel says: innumerable disasters will fall on the Russian people because they betrayed their king.
In his predictions, Abel said that of all royal family Only one of the daughters, whom he called “resurrected” (translated from Greek Anastasia - “resurrected”), will be saved. For many decades, legends circulated that it was Anastasia who was able to survive that terrible night when the Bolsheviks shot her entire family. Whether this is true or not, the debate continues to this day.
About the modern history of Russia
There are legends that there is a whole collection containing the prophecies of the monk Abel about the future of Russia. It was carefully preserved first by the tsarist gendarmes, and then by the Soviet secret services. It was this that was shown to Emperor Nicholas.
A lot of texts attributed to the monk Abel began to appear immediately after the collapse of the USSR. All of them dealt with the history of the twentieth century, and described the period from approximately 1920 to 1990. There are references to a “bald man with an axe” who will be buried on Red Square (Lenin) and to seventy years of desolation and disaster, after which demons will flee the country.
The texts also talk about Boris, who will come after this (he is called the “second Boris”). His rule will lead the country to the brink of collapse, and on his shoulders will “sit a little man, half bald, half hairy,” and he will be the next ruler. Then there will be a long war in the “Promethean Mountains” (Caucasus), another Tauride War. The “little man” will be replaced by a young man, who will soon be recognized as an impostor.
Many say that these are the prophecies of the monk Abel about Putin. Yes, indeed, many details coincide: Boris Yeltsin was tall, it was he who brought Putin to power, who can truly be called “half hairy.” However, the texts say that this man comes from a southern city, and Putin, as is known, was born in St. Petersburg. And the text itself is of rather dubious origin. So, believe it or not is your business.
There are also positive aspects in this manuscript: Abel believes that the end of the world will come in 2896, and bright prospects await Russia in the foreseeable future.
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Comments from site visitors
The name itself is Abel, it seems to say that the prophet can be trusted. It’s a pity that there are no reliable documents available to the general public): I had never heard of him until now, thanks for the material.
I wonder who the next impostor ruler will be, I wonder) A man with an ax in the square is also a strong metaphor. In general, it would be quite interesting to read all his predictions in the original.
Several years ago I read prophecies that there would be a woman president in Russia, but look how it turns out... Putin and Medvedev and no one else for the coming years, so prophecies do not always come true, apparently
I read the article after the program about Nicholas 2 on TV. Which talked about the letter of Paul the First, a hundred years later. I didn’t like the Western Ukrainian approach of “Independence” and the pushing or rather pulling of Yulia Tymoshenko to her ancient Slavic roots, and this despite the fact that the origin of her grandfather, supposedly a native Latvian, is becoming increasingly obvious “Her grandfather is Abram Kelmanovich Kapitelman.” In the early 90s they en masse moved to Israel and the USA. Now many, already with dual citizenship, are returning to the Russian Federation. So that…
“The Antichrist himself will be afraid of the Russian Tsar.” (St. Venerable Lawrence of Chernigov) - this is one of the real prophecies. Think about it, that is, they will be at the same time: the Russian Orthodox kingdom will nevertheless be created and will definitely survive.
And at the beginning of the article I wanted to criticize this Abel and his prophecies, but at the very end it is written that he promised Russia brilliant prospects) I won’t swear, everything is super)) apparently we choose for ourselves, and which prophecies we believe in and which ones we don’t, more precisely , which ones we like, and those we believe))
It was the prophecies that were read that forced the last Russian emperor to behave so passively during the critical days of the Russian turmoil.
Well, well, I found an excuse, I read the prophecy and quieted down just in case, very masculine))
The monk could predict not only the deaths of emperors, but alternate them with other more reliable events. Life doesn’t teach you anything, I went to prison four times for the same act). And who is he to just get into trouble? But apparently the truth is more expensive, where can we tell...
On the contrary, I believe that the man died for the truth, because if he had been listened to and not received with hostility, then it would have been possible to prepare for the events and they would not have been so sad. But, unfortunately, people at all times do not like and do not want to accept the truth if they do not like it...
For some reason, I didn’t see a hint of independence, Tymoshenko or other Ukrainian attributes in the text of the article. Someone is pulling facts by the ears, it seems to me. So that…
For me, every person has at least once heard the name Nastradamus, well, or Rasputinoni are wildly popular, although these people were not such accurate predictors. And the person who accurately predicted the fate of Russia and was able to foresee the future with amazing reliability was Abel himself. most don't know).
By the way, I skimmed through the entire article. one more time, and I never saw the real name of Monk Abel, although other sources indicated that this person was Vasily Vasiliev. I am quite surprised by his predictions, because he predicted the death of many Russian emperors, which actually came true, so over his predictions about the future, personally I was really thinking......!
There is no need to remake Abel's predictions in Putin's way. This is the first thing. Second, Nemchin is not Abel. The handwriting doesn't match.
All these predictions are, of course, not bad, but very often people invent or completely worship the prediction. As a result, they ruin their fate. And if they say something bad, then it’s even worse, people simply cannot think about anything else except the prediction and everything ends badly. I’m not just saying this, I saw from the experience of my friends how this all happens.
I read and am surprised how many talented predictors there are who have the gift of clairvoyance. And how difficult life was for such people. It’s simply amazing, it seems like there is a gift, so use it, live happily. But in life it turns out that these are extremely unhappy people who have suffered many losses and troubles.
God gives prophecy to warn, for a good prophecy you need to pray and ask God for fulfillment, if something bad happens and ask for mercy from the Lord. As an example: God said that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days and sent his prophet Jonah to announce this, the inhabitants of the city listened to his words and everyone repented, including the king, and the prophecy was not fulfilled.
And soothsayers, fortune tellers, psychics, etc. it is written “an abomination in the eyes of the Lord” and it is better not to look in their direction at all
Everything is somehow blurry. Can be interpreted in different ways. Moreover, I read different versions of this prophecy. Everywhere different chronological order. For example, about a man with a black face - Chernomyrdin comes up. Moreover, they were with him Chechen wars. And Chernomyrdin has two higher educations and two professions. But Putin cannot be brought into this in any way. Doesn't fit. if he fits, then so does anyone else. And the young man is most likely Kiriyenko. We remember that period well. Like a kaleidoscope, prime ministers changed one after another. I’ve lost count of how many of them we had during the Yeltsin period. They also brought in some kind of potter. Well, let's wait. However, to believe these prophecies - they are somehow like an order. What do we need here on the Internet and about last president The USA also predicted about the last Pope. Nothing came true. All this is fiction and all these prophecies are projects of the special services. Now, if the photos of the original source were posted in the original language, then it would be even more or less possible to consider them.
Abel is one of my favorite Russian prophets. Predicts very accurately. It's worth listening to him. Unfortunately, at the moment it is difficult to discern which prophecies were actually written by him and which were attributed. In that the main problem. And so he is a good prophet.
And the impostor is probably Medvedev? How much trouble has he brought to Russia (((It’s time for us brothers to choose a Tsar, the Master of the Russian land...Nicholas the Second was 1.5% Russian, and the rest of the blood is not too much! God loves Russia, that’s why he tests...
People with mystical abilities have always been outcasts in society, especially when you speak the truth, and not what the rulers want to hear from you. Monk Aveli could help in making some important decisions with the help of your gift, who knows, maybe our history would have become different
If in fact there is a collection of prophecies of the monk Abel, who is holding it now? Why can’t it be disclosed and put on public display? If Russia really has a bright future, then let me see, read, and why hide such good news?
As I understand these emperors and empresses) Who would want to know the date of their death and if it is still close. Monk Abel apparently was not afraid of human suffering, because he never hid the truth. This makes him mysterious, a man of God
Interesting article. The fate of predictors is always shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, and how much torment he had to endure. I’m glad that Russia will have power and success, even though my children and grandchildren will be able to see this world better than it is now
The predictions are somewhat vague and take many years to decipher. Let’s take, for example, the “bald man with an axe,” we now know who we’re talking about. And half bald and hairy is generally a puzzle, not to mention who the impostor is, according to his prophecy
The history of Russia has always been characterized by complexity and mystery. I like to read history books and think about what would have happened now if this and that had not happened. The course of history is not subject to our control, there are Higher powers, our job is to live our lives and enjoy every day
We know the predictions that came true. It is unclear how many there were in general. I am inclined to believe only official data and papers, although there are cases when rulers rewrote history anew and the information that could have been invented has reached us
Monk Abel is one of the sons of a serf peasant, born at the beginning of 1757 (in some sources the month of birth is indicated as March, in some as April). Abel was born in the village of Akulovka, which at that time was part of the Tula province. His father and mother were peasants of the rich landowner Naryshkin. No one had heard of this family or of Abel until, at the age of 39, he had to meet personally with General Samoilov himself. And it happened like this.
Fateful meeting with the general
Having been a monk for 20 years, Abel wrote prophetic letters, books, etc. For such content of his writings, Abel was very often thrown into prison. It follows that he spent most of his life there rather than in his cell.
When meeting with the general, he asked what the fortuneteller prophesied. In response, from Abel, chained and shackled, he heard the chilling news: “The Mother Empress will die on November 6.” The general could not believe his ears and, in response to the monk’s words, ordered him to be exiled to Petropavlovka. Abel would have sat forever in the castle if his prophecy had not come true. On November 5, Empress Catherine the Great was found in serious condition, and on November 6 she died. Paul ascended the throne after Catherine. He ordered everyone to be released from prison. Abel was freed along with the rest of the prisoners.
Rumors about the prophet spread very quickly, and the newly crowned sovereign wished to meet the monk in person. The emperor, in joy, even kissed the fortuneteller as a sign of such a “joyful” prophecy of Catherine’s death.
Unable to resist curiosity, Paul asked Abel to tell him about his future fate. However, this time the prophet avoided answering, leaving the question open.
The emperor was merciful to Abel and sent him to live and serve in the Nevsky Monastery, where the conditions were quite decent, and the abbot turned out to be kind.
After 12 months, a request was received to transfer Abel to another monastery. The reason given was the following - predictions to brothers in the monastery of the dates of their death and other fables.
Monk Abel predicted the death of Emperor Paul
The emperor ordered Abel to be transferred to the Valamsky monastery. There were very strict rules for the ministry, and Paul hoped that the fortuneteller would no longer engage in “nonsense.” But the emperor's hopes were not justified. In 1800, a draft called “A Terrible Book” arrived from Valam, which was written by the monk Abel. This manuscript was read: first by the Metropolitan, then by the secret chamber, and after that Abel was sent to Petropavlovka.
Prediction for Paul
Pavel ventured to visit the monk personally. That day Lopukhina’s favorite was with him. They went into Abel’s cell cheerful, but came out already scared. The favorite left with tear-stained eyes, and Pavel frowned irritably and knitted his eyebrows.
That night the sovereign could not sleep - he wandered around the rooms in deep thought, sat down to write a message, threw down his pen, sighed heavily, wandered around again, and wrote again. Early in the morning, he personally dropped the epistole into a special secret chest in the hall of the Gatchina Palace, writing on top (literally): “To be revealed to the heir to the throne no earlier than on the hundredth day from the minute of my death.”
From that day on, the courtiers began to notice oddities in the behavior of their master, Pavel often arrived in a state of deep thought, moments of blues came over him, and he began to be afraid of everything, even his own shadow. According to the favorite Lopukhina, it was the prediction of the recluse Abel that made such a strong impression on the emperor because it concerned the death of Paul. And an unnatural death. But this did not save the sovereign from a terrible fate. The conspiracy with the participation of the heir Paul, the eldest son of Alexander, was aimed at murder, which took place on the night of March 12 (old style) 1801.
Abel predicted a war with Napoleon
New predictions for the new ruler
And again the subsequent ruler Alexander I ordered the release of Abel. But the recluse once again could not restrain himself and again composed a prophetic scripture, where he reported about the upcoming war with the Gauls, about the siege and mass fires in Moscow.
Abel predicted that on June 12 (old style) 1812 the king (Napoleon) would come. He will be strong and powerful and will enter the gates of Moscow. He will loot all the churches and burst into flames terrible fire, from which the whole city will burn.
The newly elected sovereign did not believe Abel, but just in case, he ordered him to be imprisoned in the Solovetsky prison, they say, let him sit there until the forecasts come true.
The terrible prophecy came true again, and at the beginning of 1813, the old prophet Abel was released. Based on his bitter experience, the monk decides to leave Russia. First the monk went to Jerusalem, and the flood to the Athos monastery. In the last years of his life, old man Abel, exhausted by life and undermined by illness, came to his homeland. But before his death, he again predicted that the next to sit on the throne would be the youngest of all the brothers of the heirs, Nikolai Pavlovich (Nicholas the First). And again everything came true, and again everything happened again.
The last imprisonment and death of Abel
The monk also prophesied his death
When Nicholas I became ruler, the predictor Abel was sent to prison. Thus, Abel not only spent half of his adult life in captivity, but also met his death. Some sources say that he was killed by a prison guard as punishment for another prediction displeasing the ruler. Other facts claim that Abel was killed by lung disease, dampness, beatings and poor treatment of prisoners. The world did not immediately learn about the death of the predictor.
This happened in 1831. But historical data suggests that Abel died two years before the date indicated in the books. There is no confirmation of this statement, but history has not preserved accurate data, facts about death, and the cause of death. Only a small entry was found in the casemate books stating that prisoner number so-and-so died. There is no exact information about death and the cause of death.
The monk also prophesied his death. He predicted both his imprisonment and his violent death.
Predicting the future by time periods
No one knows for sure how many books with predictions he wrote. Medievalists name at least three, although not a single one of them has survived. Only fragments of references to them remain.
For example, if we recall the predictions for the heir of Paul I, then it was read, but perceived as a joke or practical joke. However, in January 1903, when a fireworks shell hit the gazebo. Where Nicholas II was at that time did not cause him the slightest harm. After this event, the emperor uttered one phrase (literally): “Until the beginning of the 18th year, I am free in my decisions, and I have nothing to fear! If I can now trust Abel...”
And so it happened. The last ruler of Russia, Emperor Nicholas II, was shot along with his family in own home in 1918. The reign of the Romanov dynasty has come to an end.
Prophecies of Elder Abel about the future of Russia until 2017 (XXI century)
The prophet prophesied the following:
Boris Yeltsin will be in power in Russia, then he will resign, and after that Vladimir Putin will rule. He also wrote about the appearance of a second Boris, called the giant titan. Under his rule, the country will be on the verge of collapse; many disasters will await it. But soon Boris will leave, and in his place a “short man” will appear. Abel also prophesied the appearance of a sovereign ruler who would assume office three times. According to the monk, a century of prosperity and well-being awaits Russia.
Abel wrote about the appearance of the second Boris
Although the monk’s predictions about the time after Putin’s removal are viewed very ambiguously. Abel prophesied that there would be 10 kings, described the image of a faceless sword-bearer who would shed blood and even subject the country to disintegration. There are also references to a man with unclean skin (as history has shown, it is said here about Zyuganov) and “marked” (in whom one can guess Gorbachev).
The monk prophesied difficulties for Russia that would overtake it in the 21st century. He described this period of difficult trials. One of the main figures in the political arena in Russia will be a certain Khromoy, who will hold on to the government chair with all his might. Mentioned in his predictions were the Golden-Haired Lady with three chariots and the “Great Potter,” whose merit would be the unification of the country and the reckoning with all the villains. Experts believe that the monk prophesied, without realizing it, a crisis for Russia, which began in 2017, i.e. all the monk’s prophecies were about the 21st century. There are opinions of some researchers that it is at this time that the military conflict in eastern Ukraine will end.
Abel's predictions about the end of the world
The last predictions of the monk Abel date back to 2892. According to interpreters, this time can be considered the end of the world. Most likely, in his last book, the monk mentioned the coming of the Antichrist. Lines from Scripture tell of the darkness into which the world will fall for a whole thousand years, that all of humanity will turn into a flock, which will be ruled by a certain shepherd. After a thousand and 50 years, all the dead will be resurrected, and living people will change, become renewed, different. All humanity will be divided according to their deeds, according to their sins. Accordingly, some will live forever, and the rest will perish.
Interpretation of Abel's predictions by specialists of the 21st century
A lot of information about the coming times in the world community and Russia as a great state was stored in the security service. Among this information were the prophecies of the monk Abel about Russia and the world for the 21st century.
Some facts became public only during the collapse of the Russian state. Here are some of them:
Many of the prophecies of the monk Abel came true, some were confirmed in passages. If you continue to believe the prophet, then Russia, starting from the 21st century, will experience difficult times. Abel also foresaw a special year in the history of the state - 2024 (XXI century). This year is indicated on the icon of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which is kept in one of the Russian monasteries. It was written according to the monk's predictions. Abel prophesied the ascension of a blessed king to the throne, from the moment of whose reign the greatness of the state would begin. We'll see, time will tell.
Much information about the life of the monk Abel has been preserved, his predictions have been recorded, but who he really was: a skillful swindler or a real soothsayer - we are left to guess. History does not know the exact answer.
Many people who want to lift the veil of the future are interested in Abel’s predictions and prophecies for 2017. In ancient times, every princely, royal or imperial court could not do without an astrologer. It was his responsibility to study the movements of the stars, draw up horoscopes, and predict a good time for marriage or military conquests. IN Russian state There were also many such people. Monk Abel is considered one of the most mysterious and famous personalities. In their manuscripts they wrote down the truths that had been revealed during their lives. The main work was called “A Terrible Book.” What was destined was not always positive. Due to the anger of the rulers, the seer had to sit in prison for more than 20 years.
From archival documents you can find out that numerous of his statements came true down to the detail:
- fighting 1917;
- Napoleon's military aggression;
- care Russian emperors from life;
- fall of the Romanov family;
- World War II.
It is believed that many of his works turned out to be successor to the works of V. Blessed. It is worth understanding what the monk predicted for the Russian Federation and other states in the coming years.
Biographical Facts about Abel
People who express a desire to study the predictions of the monk Abel for 2017 also simultaneously examine all the known data about his life in order to understand what kind of person he was. The thorny path of the prophet began in 1757. He was born into an ordinary Tula family in the village of Akulovo. The boy was named Vasil. His first 28 years life path was quite ordinary. He was a field worker, fell in love, had a wife and children. Then events unfolded in ways that were unpredictable to those around them. The man went to live within the walls of the Valaam Monastery and took monastic vows. A year later, he realized that he must remain in solitude on the island wasteland. This step meant a final renunciation from worldly vanities. It was then that his gift as a seer was revealed.
The revelations he received were like a voice calling from heaven. The monk followed him, and an invisible guide led him to a manuscript that contained a description of the secrets of the Universe. Abel got acquainted with the chapters concerning the fate of Russia, and heard the command of a voice to pass on the acquired knowledge to other people. After this, the seer began to travel around cities and subsequently settled in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery, where his first book was written.
Many people feel a desire to know Abel's predictions about the future in 2017 after reading his fulfilled prophecies. The monk claimed that Catherine would reign for 40 years (it was precisely the 40th year of the ruler’s reign). Paul was to become the heir to the throne. The ruler found out about the content of Abel’s work and ordered him to be thrown into prison. He had to languish there until what was predicted came true. When, after the death of Catherine, Paul came to power, having a considerable interest in everything mystical and mysterious, the monk was ordered to be released. The emperor found his works interesting, and he wanted to study them.
Abel set off on a journey and again ended up on Fr. Balaam. There he wrote a second book, full of not the most rosy prophecies. The text of the work said that Paul would not be able to rule for long and that he would be destroyed by attackers. The emperor's sympathy quickly faded, and he followed the example of his predecessor by imprisoning the monk again. When the destined thing happened at a time clearly determined by the seer, he was brought into the walls Solovetsky Monastery. They were afraid to give the monk absolute freedom, since his words could confuse and intimidate the people. Reading in historical chronicles about all these events, the accuracy of the seer’s words, people today still feel the desire to familiarize themselves with Abel’s predictions for 2017.
While in captivity, another work was written, which described in detail the upcoming battle with Napoleon. Alexander the First found out about this and ordered the monk to be placed within prison walls until the destined thing came true. As a result, French troops attacked Russia. The emperor demanded that Abel be brought to him. However, their conversation never took place. The ruler's close associate, Prince Golitsyn, himself wanted to know what kind of threat hung over ruling house and the state.
The conversation ended with the monk being sent on a pilgrimage to the shrines. It was forbidden to talk about the visions seen. Only a few years later, the world learned that the state would be ruled by a new emperor, Nicholas the First, as well as how and when he would die. Again Abel was destined to end up in prison, where his life ended. The monk knew about the date of his death four decades before its immediate onset. His works long years hidden from the eyes of ordinary people.
The fate of Abel's works
The authorities did not want ordinary people to touch the secrets of the future. During his lifetime, the seer was carefully hidden from contact with the masses. Today, wanting to know the predictions of Elder Abel for 2017, people are persistently looking for documentary evidence of his existence. Before the collapse of the USSR, few people even knew about this name. The books written by the prophet could not be preserved. It is believed that the kings burned them mercilessly. However, researchers were able to find fragmentary records retold in the text of chronicles or letters. Citizens of the Russian Federation still have to wonder whether the letters are hidden in one of the Lubyanka archives.
Abel's predictions for the 21st century and 2017
It is believed that the monk predicted the governance of the country and the resignation of B. Yeltsin. In addition, he knew about the presidency of Putin, who personified the second such bright figure of a giant titan as Boris. It was assumed that during their reign the state would be in a state of deep economic decline and would suffer from disasters. Boris will leave his post unexpectedly, and “a man of short stature” will take over as ruler. The soothsayer also spoke about a person who would lead the state three times. Abel argued that the Russian Federation was to become a great power and the center of Orthodox life.
Researchers are still thinking about many of the prophet’s words. For example, the public was quite puzzled by the predictions of the monk Abel about Putin for 2017 and previous years, because he actually served as president three times. In the future, there will be ten kings on the throne. A faceless swordsman will also arise, which will shed blood and risk provoking the collapse of the country. Mention was made of a person with unclean skin (it is assumed that this is Zyuganov), “marked”, in whose figure Gorbachev is seen.
The prophet also describes a number of other figures in the political arena. For example, a certain Lame Man, who will make all possible efforts so as not to lose power, a Golden Lady with three chariots, a “Great Potter” who is capable of gathering the forces of the country together and punishing the sowers of trouble.
Although the speech of the times when the monk lived did not contain the term “crisis,” he describes it as difficult times threatening the Russian Federation in next year. In addition, military clashes in the Donbass region should end in 2017.
Abel's words about the end of the world
In the materials that have reached us, you can find information about the period until 2892. Then the world will come to an end. Researchers believe that in the last of his works, Abel described how the Antichrist would appear on earth. For a millennium, the world will have to remain in darkness, and the human race will turn into one flock, led by a shepherd. 1050 years later, the dead will rise from their graves, and renewal will overtake the living. People will be divided according to their past deeds, good and evil. Some will live forever, while others will perish and turn into decay.
In Orthodox publications of the 19th–21st centuries you can find biographies of the monk Abel (in the world of the peasant Vasily Vasilyev), who lived at the end of the 18th - early XIX century. In many of them, the monk Abel appears before us as a true Christian ascetic, who possessed the gift of prophecy and suffered from the authorities for his predictions. A number of sources refer him to the ascetics of piety and even to the reverend fathers. Some authors believe that his predictions had and continue to have important for the historical destinies of Russia.
What do we know for sure about this man? Before trying to answer this question, without considering the works of those authors who wrote about Abel, based on various kinds of information about him, let us consider the published primary sources of information about the life of the monk Abel.
Monk Abel
1. Published primary sources of information
1) Memoirs of Abel’s contemporaries
These are brief memoirs of A.P. Ermolov, recorded from his words by a certain relative of his, the famous poet and hero of the war of 1812 D. Davydov, the memoirs of the famous historian M.V. Tolstoy, “Notes” of I.P. Sakharov, as well as the memoirs of L. N. Engelhardt. Separately, it is necessary to point out the brief mention of the predictions of Abel by Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov).
2) Documents and their fragments
A) An article entitled “The Soothsayer Abel. New authentic information about his fate”, published in the magazine “Russian Archive” in 1878, represents, according to the anonymous author, “an extract from the” archival “Case of the peasant Vasily Vasilyev, who is in the Kostroma province in the Babaevsky monastery under the name of Hieromonk Adam , and then called Abel, and about the book he composed. Started on March 17, 1796, 67 sheets.”
The article provides: 1) Extracts from a secret letter from Governor General Zaborovsky to Prosecutor General Count A. N. Samoilov in connection with the arrest of the monk Abel dated February 19, 1796. 2) Protocol of the interrogation of Abel dated March 5, 1796 in the Secret Expedition. Investigator A. Makarov. 3) Judgment about the imprisonment of Abel in the Shlisselburg fortress. 4) Rescript from Emperor Paul to Prosecutor General Prince A.B. Kurakin on the release of Abel from the Shlisselburg fortress dated December 14, 1796. 5) Excerpts from Abel’s letters to Emperor Paul, Prince A.B. Kurakin, Metropolitan Ambrose. 6) Excerpts from letters from Metropolitan Ambrose of St. Petersburg to Prosecutor General Obolyaninov dated March 19 and May 29, 1800 and from other letters and documents.
It should be noted that this author, outlining the life path of the monk Abel, provides some information about him without references to documents. The reliability of this information is problematic due to the fact that it is not always infallible. Thus, the author incorrectly indicates the year of death of the monk Abel - 1841 (p. 365).
B) In another anonymous article “Foreteller Monk Abel” in the magazine “Russian Antiquity” for 1875, the following works of the monk Abel were published: 1) “The Life and Suffering of the Father and Monk Abel” (with notes containing “some mystical fabrications” (p. 415 –416)), written, according to the author of the article, apparently by himself. Let us note that the authorship of the “Life” belonged to Abel among a number of historians who wrote about Abel, there was no doubt. 2) A fragment from the treatise “The Life and Vitae of our Father Dadamius,” which is a version of the presentation of the “Life” of the monk Abel. Dadamius was the name with which Abel sometimes signed his letters. This new name (“Dadamei”), according to Abel, was given to him by “the spirit.” According to the author of the article, in this case he has no doubt that this work belongs to Abel. 3) An excerpt from Abel’s treatise “The Book of Genesis” - an interpretation of the first book of the Bible. 4) The author points to a notebook in his possession that belonged to Abel, where “on 28 pages there are various symbolic circles, figures with letters Slavic alphabet and accounts, with them there is a brief interpretation.” Two of this kind of symbolic tables from another similar notebook of 64 pages are published on pp. 428–429, and Abel’s interpretation of them is on pp. 427 in a footnote.
The author also points to Abel’s treatises at his disposal: 1) “The Legend of the Being that is the Being of God and Divinity,” 2) “Genesis Book One,” 3) “The Church Needs of the Monk Abel,” as well as 12 letters from Abel to the Countess P. A. Potemkina for the years 1815–1816 and Abel’s letter to V. F. Kovalev, manager of Countess P. A. Potemkina’s factory in Glushkovo. Excerpts from letters to Countess P. A. Potemkina are given.
IN) Another issue of the magazine “Russian Antiquity” publishes documents collected by N.P. Rozanov: 1) Presentation of the contents of the Consistory certificate to St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow about the monk Abel dated 1823. 2) Order of St. Philaret on the assignment of monk Abel to the Vysotsky Monastery in Serpukhov dated October 6. 1823 3) Copies of Abel’s letters to a certain Anna Tikhonovna and spiritual father Dorimedont, 1826. 4) Presentation of the report on Abel’s escape from the Vysotsky Monastery and presentation of the contents of other documents.
3) Publications of historians based on the analysis of documents
A) M. N. Gernet’s book “History of the Tsar’s Prison” (Vol. 1), which sets out some information about Abel, extracted from the “Case of the peasant Vasily Vasilyev, who was in the Kostroma province in the Babaevsky monastery” (Archive of the era of feudalism and serfdom. VII . No. 2881) (P. 109) and documentary data from the archives of the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery in Suzdal (P. 174).
B) Important information about the date of Abel’s death is given in the work of A. S. Prugavin, who first published secret documents about prisoners of the Savior-Euphemius Monastery in Suzdal.
As for unpublished documents, we will point out, in addition to the “Case of the peasant Vasily Vasilyev, who was in the Kostroma province in the Babayevsky Monastery,” and excerpts from Abel’s “Book of Genesis” (Central State Archive of the October Revolution. F. 48. Item 13).
2. Arrests and predictions. Documentary data
Little is known about the life of monk Abel from published documents. According to the research of M. N. Gernet, based on the analysis of documents, “he (Monk Abel) came from peasants and was a serf of Naryshkin. Having received his freedom, he became a monk and made a pilgrimage to Constantinople. He was not only literate, but also a writer of mystical religious manuscripts. During interrogation, he testified that he had a vision: he saw two books in heaven and wrote down their contents<…>In the manuscript, “copied from the heavenly book,” they found both a deviation from Orthodoxy and a crime against “Majesty.” Catherine's sentence and decree indicate that the author of the manuscript is subject to the death penalty, but, by the mercy of the Empress, he is sent to eternal imprisonment in the Shlisselburg fortress. From here Paul freed him. He spent the time from May 1800 to March 1801 in the Peter and Paul Fortress, from where he was exiled to the Solovetsky Monastery, but in the same year (October 17, 1801) he was transferred from prisoner to monk.” Finally, Nicholas I “imprisoned Abel in the Spaso-Efimevsky Monastery.” Thus, according to the data cited by Gernet, Abel was imprisoned at least three times, and his imprisonment was carried out at least twice by the highest command.
The most detailed documents have been published related to the circumstances of Abel's first imprisonment in 1796. Some materials of the 1796 case that are important for us will be specifically discussed below. It is important to note that, according to historians, at this time there is not a single case of falsification of investigative materials by security agencies, similar to the known falsifications of the NKVD-KGB in the twentieth century.
As for subsequent conclusions, the published documentary materials concerning the causes and circumstances of these events, as well as the life of Abel in general, are very scarce. We present what we know from published documents in connection with the circumstances of these arrests.
Abel’s secondary imprisonment in May 1800 followed the discovery of a certain “book” and “sheet” written by himself under scandalous circumstances during his presence in the Valaam Monastery (report of Metropolitan Ambrose of St. Petersburg to Prosecutor General Obolyaninov). After familiarizing themselves with the contents of this leaflet, the Obolyaninovs received the highest order (from Paul I) to imprison Abel in the Peter and Paul Fortress. As the anonymous author of the article in the “Russian Archive” writes, “Abel’s prediction about the death of Paul the First probably dates back to this time.” There is no evidence of this prediction and information about the true reasons for bringing Abel from the Valaam Monastery to St. Petersburg and his imprisonment this time in published documents.
In March 1801 (after the death of Paul I and the accession of Alexander I), Abel was transferred by order of Metropolitan Ambrose to the Solovetsky Monastery for imprisonment, where no later than October 17 of the same year, by decree of the Holy Synod, he was released and became one of the monastics of this monastery. Based on published documents, it is impossible to determine either when Abel left the Solovetsky Monastery or the circumstances of his departure. According to the same anonymous author, “released, Abel wrote a third book foreshadowing the capture of Moscow by the enemy, for which he was again imprisoned for many years in the Solovetsky Monastery.” Unfortunately, this information is not supported by the anonymous author with any documentary references.
He further writes that in 1812 Abel was removed from the Solovetsky imprisonment by the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod, Prince Golitsyn. Abel’s release followed the order of Emperor Alexander I of November 17, 1812, after which, as this anonymous writer writes, he began to lead a wandering life, “lived in the Kursk province with the famous rich man Nikanor Ivanovich Pereverzev, and settled in Moscow, in the Sheremetyevo hospital, then at the Trinity of Sergius.”
Placed by order of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, in the Serpukhov Vysotsky Monastery on October 24, 1823, Abel escaped from it in 1826 and lived again in the world, which was the reason for his forced imprisonment in the prison of the Spaso-Efimievo Monastery “for humility” by order of Nicholas I in the same year; here the monk Abel died in 1831 (for the problem associated with the date of his death, see below).
If we summarize the available published documents as a whole, then among them there is no reliable data about Abel’s predictions that came true. This kind of information, however, could be withdrawn during publication in the 19th century for censorship reasons.
3. Predictions and arrests. Memoirs of contemporaries
The memoirs of contemporaries give us the following picture of the life and predictions of the monk Abel.
1) Prediction about the death of Empress Catherine II and the details of her death. First arrest
In the stories of A.P. Ermolov we read: “Once at the table of Governor Lump, Abel predicted the day and hour of the death of Empress Catherine with extraordinary faithfulness.” D. Davydov’s memoirs also talk about accurate prediction(day and hour!) of the death of Catherine II. Davydov's text repeats word for word the text of Ermolov's stories. In the memoirs of M.V. Tolstoy we read: “After that he (Abel) left the island of Valaam and moved to the Nikolsky Babayevsky Monastery, here he compiled and wrote his first prophetic legend: in it he predicted the death of Empress Catherine II, for which he was immediately demanded to St. Petersburg and imprisoned in the casemate of the Peter and Paul Fortress. The prediction soon came true.” We find similar information about Abel’s prediction of the death of Catherine II and his subsequent placement in the Peter and Paul Fortress in the memoirs of L. N. Engelhardt, with the only difference that, according to Engelhardt, the arrest took place after a personal meeting with the Empress. However, we do not find any direct evidence of this prediction in the memoirs of contemporaries. As we will find out later, Abel, in connection with his prediction about the date of death of Catherine II, was imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress, and not in the Peter and Paul fortress. This prediction itself, as will become clear later, was false in its content and did not come true, or we are dealing with several of his predictions about the time of the empress’s death, mutually exclusive in content.
2) Prediction of the death of Paul I. Second arrest
In Ermolov’s stories we read: “Having returned to Kostroma, Abel also predicted the day and hour of death of Emperor Paul. Conscientious and noble police officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ustin Semenovich Yarlykov<…>hastened to inform Ermolov about this. Everything that Abel predicted literally came true.” We read the same thing literally in the memoirs of D. Davydov. In Engelhardt’s memoirs we read: “After the death of the empress (Catherine), the emperor ordered, freeing him, to present him to him; Then he predicted to him how long his reign would last; the sovereign at that very moment ordered him to be imprisoned again in the fortress.” The circumstances of Abel’s second imprisonment were completely different, as we saw above when analyzing the documentary materials. In the memoirs of M.V. Tolstoy - “At dinner with the Kostroma governor Lumpa, Abel predicted the time and details of the death of Emperor Paul. The soothsayer imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress was soon released with the same rights.” As it turned out above from the documents, Abel was placed in the Peter and Paul Fortress under Paul I and from there he went not to freedom with the same rights, but in conclusion to the Solovetsky Monastery, where he remained for some time, perhaps about six months in prison.
There are no direct eyewitness accounts of Abel’s predictions in the memoirs about the circumstances of the second arrest. The contradictions in the content of the memories with each other and with documentary facts are obvious.
3) Prediction about the war with Napoleon. Third arrest
“A few years later, Abel again made a prophecy about the entry of Napoleonic hordes into Russia and the burning of Moscow. For this prediction, he was imprisoned in the Solovetsky Monastery, but from there he managed to be released, using the patronage of Prince A. N. Golitsyn, the constant patron of Quakers, Illuminati, Masons and other mystical persons,” wrote M. V. Tolstoy. L.N. Engelhardt: “A year before the French attack, Abel appeared before the emperor and predicted that the French would enter Russia, take Moscow and burn it. The Emperor again ordered him to be imprisoned in the fortress. After expelling the enemies, he was released.” As follows from the documents, Abel was released in 1812 not from the fortress, but from the Solovetsky Monastery. “Monk Abel, who predicted the capture of Moscow by the French, said that the time would come when the monks would be driven into several monasteries, and other monasteries would be destroyed,” wrote Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Finally, we repeat once again that, according to the anonymous author of the article, Abel predicted the capture of Moscow by the French long before the invasion, for which he was sent to Solovki for many years of imprisonment (see above). Again, in the memoirs of contemporaries we do not find a single direct evidence of the prediction and we find contradictions in the information provided and inconsistency of the information provided with the facts.
4) Prediction about the death of Alexander I, the uprising Senate Square December 14, 1825 and the accession of Nicholas I
“He (Abel) submitted a petition for admission to the Serpukhov Vysotsky Monastery, where he entered on October 24, 1823. Soon Abel's new prediction spread throughout Moscow - about the imminent death of Alexander I, about the accession to the throne of Nikolai Pavlovich and about the riot of December 14. This time the soothsayer was left without persecution. His last prophecy came true, just like the previous ones,” wrote M.V. Tolstoy. According to Engelhardt, “since 1820, no one has seen him (Abel), and it is not known where he went.” There is no mention of this prediction in the memoirs of Davydov and Ermolov. Once again we see contradictions in information and a lack of direct evidence.
5) Prediction about the reign of Nicholas I
“Abel was in Moscow during the accession of Nicholas to the throne; he then announced about him: “The serpent will live thirty years,” wrote D. Davydov. Other memoir writers do not mention this fact.
6) Prediction about one circumstance of the coronation of Nicholas I
“In the spring of 1826, he (Abel) was in Moscow. The coronation of Nicholas I was already being prepared. Countess A.P. Kamenskaya asked him; will there be a coronation and will it be soon?<…>Abel answered her: “You won’t have to rejoice at the coronation.” These words spread throughout Moscow, and many explained them in the sense that there would be no coronation at all. But their meaning was completely different: Countess Kamenskaya was subjected to the wrath of the Tsar because on one of her estates the peasants disobeyed, outraged by the cruelty of the manager, and the Countess was forbidden to come to the coronation,” wrote M. V. Tolstoy.
Finally, in the “Notes” of I.P. Sakharov, it is only indicated that Abel wrote down his “visions on small notebooks, of which there are many floating around the world.”
Thus, among the memoirs of contemporaries we do not find a single direct evidence of Abel’s predictions. The inconsistency of information given by Abel’s contemporaries, and, on the contrary, their repetition of each other word for word and the discrepancy between the information and real facts indicate a low level of reliability of these sources.
Of all the predictions known from memoirs, only one, the last, had nothing to do with the fate of the powers that be. All of them, except the last two, were published during crisis situations in the history of Russia: 1796 - the end of the reign of Catherine II; 1800 - end of the reign of Paul I; the eve of Napoleon's invasion (possibly a year before the invasion, according to Engelhardt); 1823–1825 - the eve of the uprising on Senate Square. The question is: what were such prophecies that sounded on the eve of dramatic events supposed to contribute to - pacification in the state or sowing chaos?
As we have seen from the memoirs of contemporaries and from published documents, little is known reliably about the predictions of the monk Abel and, in general, about his personality. And yet, based on the most thoroughly published materials from the case of the Secret Expedition of 1796, his writings and some other materials, it is possible to form a fairly accurate idea of the personality of this man.
4. True face
I'm not a thief or a spy, I'm actually a spirit.
V. Vysotsky
I am the Chairman of the Pound. I always sat. I sat under Alexander the Second “Liberator”, under Alexander the Third “Peacemaker”, under Nicholas the Second “Bloody”... I charge inexpensively: one hundred and twenty rubles a month in freedom and two hundred in prison. One hundred percent increase for harmfulness.
I. Ilf and E. Petrov
The materials of the memoirs testify mainly to the fact that Abel was endowed with the gift of prediction and, perhaps, was a saint of God. However, his own writings and some documents tell a different picture.
1 . Demon's charm. Abel, according to his statements, received his revelations “from above,” hearing voices or seeing visions. What character were they? During his first arrest during interrogation in the Secret Expedition of May 5, 1796, Abel expressed doubts about the Divinity of their nature and at the end of the interrogation he even admitted that the voice that told him about the reign of Catherine II and Paul I was demonic. Thus, it can be argued that even according to his words, his acceptance of the mentioned “revelation” on faith and the prophetic predictions that he made and disseminated on its basis were at least a manifestation of frivolity on his part. However, during the interrogation he stood up for the authenticity and Divinity of at least one of his “revelations” (see below).
However, in “The Life of Monk Abel”, written by Abel himself, apparently much later, the attitude towards the revelations for which he first came under investigation is again reversed - it is stated that he wrote a book “wise and wise” , which was the reason for his first arrest and imprisonment. Note that the “revelations” received from the voice and recorded in this book were indeed the reason for the arrest.
Metropolitan Ambrose of St. Petersburg, who spoke with him on May 29, 1800, also spoke about the delightful nature of the “revelations” to Abel: “...From the conversation (with him) I did not find anything worthy of attention, except for the insanity in his mind that was revealed in him, hypocrisy and stories about their secret visions, from which the hermits even come into fear. However, God knows.”
As is known from Orthodox ascetic literature, uncontrolled, uncritical acceptance of demonic visions and voices and even simple contact with them often ends in mental damage for the ascetic. The memorandum of Metropolitan Ambrose, quoted above, also speaks of Abel’s mental damage. Abel’s abnormal behavior in the Peter and Paul Prison is indicated by a report from collegiate adviser Alexander Makarov to Prosecutor General Obolyaninov dated May 26, 1800.
Numerous published fragments of his works eloquently testify to the peculiarities of Abel’s thinking - his mental damage. Let's give just a few.
1 ) A fragment from the “Life of Dadamius” is nothing more than a statement of his biography, since the new name Dadamei, according to Abel, was given to him by the “spirit”, who also called him “the second Adam”. The presence of fantastic delusions of grandeur intertwined with heretical distortions of faith is obvious. “He (Dadamius) is in all the firmaments and in all the heavens, in all the stars and in all the heights, in the very essence of them rejoicing and reigning, dominating and ruling in them.”<…>after this he “will reign for a thousand years,” and then “throughout the whole earth there will be one flock and one shepherd in them, then the dead will rise.”
2 ) We see a sad picture of the mixture of gross heresy and delusional constructions of a person who has lost sensitivity to logical contradictions in the text of Abel’s interpretations of the book of Genesis (“Book of Genesis”):
“In the beginning were created firmaments and firmaments, worlds and worlds, powers and powers, kingdoms and states, and then everything else: both creating and reflecting nine real years and two-ten and one spiritual. In real years, think about everything and arrange everything, but in spiritual years, create everything and establish everything.<…>Then create man and above man and above man in every world; and the number of all created people is the same as the number of all worlds: create the God-man in your own image and likeness. Create them husband and wife, give them a name: Gog and Magog, Adam and Eve; Gog and Adam are the husband: and Magog and Eve are his wife; Gog and Magog were first created: and then Adam and Eve were created. Gog and Magog and their seed lived on the earth three thousand and six hundred years before Adam; Gog's land and all his family, all old America and all new America. Adam's land and all his family, all Asia and all Europe and all Africa - this is the land<…>Gog and Magog himself lived on earth for all the years of his life, four hundred and two years and four months, then he died and was buried. They all had a hundred and twenty and two children, male and female; and they lived on the earth their entire life, as stated above, for twelve thousand years: their life was simple, in the likeness of cattle and beasts. They were given a natural law, they do everything according to their conscience: but only this generation will be enlightened at the end of the age with faith and piety. Then the entire race of Gogs and the entire race of Adams will die. And other centuries and other generations will arise, and they will live like this forever and unceasingly, and there will be no end to it, so it is. Amen". Note that, according to modern psychopathology, texts of this kind indicate the presence of a severe, so-called paraphrenic delusional disorder of thinking.
However, judging by Abel’s correspondence with Countess Potemkina and other letters, we do not find anything like that in his letters. It is possible that we are dealing with letters written in a state of remission of processes called in psychiatry fur-like, or recurrent schizophrenia. For these forms of disorders, alternation of light intervals and periods of rather gross exacerbation of symptoms is typical. In the recurrent form, during light intervals, a person suffering from this form of mental disorder can behave like an absolutely healthy person.
It seems that a less probable, although not excluded, explanation for the above-described features of the thinking of the monk Abel, reflected in his writings, may be an attempt by him to purposefully create an image of himself as a seer-fool. The presence of genuine foolishness is excluded by the presence of gross heretical distortions of the teachings of the Church both in the above fragments and in his other writings.
2 . False prophecies. We have reliable evidence that Abel was a false prophet, that is, he gave prophecies in the name of God that did not come true. Let's give examples.
1 ) In both versions of the autobiography - in “The Life and Sufferings of the Father and Monk Abel” and in the text of “The Life and Life of our Father Dadamius”, written by him, there is a precise indication that Abel-Dadamius should live 83 years and 4 months. In the studies of historians M. N. Gernet and A. S. Prugavin, who analyzed archival data about prisoners of the Spaso-Euphemius Suzdal Monastery, the exact date of Abel’s death indicated in the documents of the monastery is given - 1831. Abel’s date of birth is 1757. Thus, he lived 74 years, and not 83, as he said in his prophecies.
2 ) Prosecutor General Prince Kurakin, in a letter addressed to Emperor Paul I, wrote that Metropolitan Gabriel of St. Petersburg reproached Abel for his predictions about his future bishopric.
3 ) According to the interrogation protocol of the Secret Expedition dated March 5, 1796, Abel testified that the following details of the reign of Emperor Paul I were revealed to him “with a voice like Moses the seer of God,” which he was ordered to bring to the attention of the Empress and which he, it seems, introduced and in his prophetic book, the contents of which he distributed: “When her (Catherine II) son Pavel Petrovich reigns, then the whole Turkish land will be subdued under his feet, and the Sultan himself, and all the Greeks, and they will be his tributaries; and 2nd, tell her, when this is conquered and their false faith is destroyed, then there will be one faith and one shepherd throughout the whole earth, as it is written in the Holy Scriptures<…>Now go and tell Pavel Petrovich and his two youths, Alexander and Konstantin, that the whole earth will be conquered under them.” The purpose of writing the book was to convey the contents of this “prophecy” to the empress and heir. Contradictions in its content historical events that took place later are self-evident.
4 ) During interrogation in the Secret Expedition on March 5, 1796, it was found out that Abel predicted in writing that “a son (Paul I) would rise up against her (Catherine II). The defendant’s attempts to prove that he wrote one thing and meant something else led nowhere, the “prophet” ended up in the Shlisselburg fortress, and the “prophecy” was not fulfilled.
5 ) The protocols of the same interrogation in 1796 indicate Abel’s prophecy, the content of which was received by him “from above”; He especially insisted on the Divinity of this “revelation” even in the face of the formidable investigator of the Secret Expedition. We quote Abel: “His mother (Paul I), Ekaterina Alekseevna, our most merciful Empress, reigned for 40 years: for this is what God revealed to me.” Meanwhile, the years of her reign are well known: 1762–1796 - that is, a total of 34 years of reign.
Thus, we see signs of the situation that was punishable in Old Testament times death penalty. The prophet who dares to say in My name what I did not command him to say, and who speaks in the name of other gods, such a prophet must be put to death. And if you say in your heart: “How can we know a word that the Lord has not spoken?” If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, but the word does not come true and is not fulfilled, then it was not the Lord who spoke this word, but the prophet who spoke this out of his boldness - do not be afraid of him(Deut 18:20–22).
3 . Heresy. According to the report about Abel from Lieutenant General Zaborovsky to Count A.N. Samoilov dated February 19, 1796, “an interrogation was made on him, but without great success, except for the dark testimony about a certain Jew Theodore Krikov, whom Abel recognized as the Messiah and whom he saw in Orle." During the interrogation carried out somewhat earlier by the Right Reverend Paul, Bishop of Kostroma and Galich, Abel called himself “the forerunner of Gog.” Bishop Pavel also testified to Abel's faith in the already accomplished coming of the Messiah expected by the Jews in the person of a certain Jew Theodore Krikov and about his journey to meet with Krikov in the city of Orel. Bishop Paul qualified Abel's views as heresy.
Thus, in general, Abel’s attitude towards Christianity appears before us as vague, and some connection between his views and Judaism becomes almost obvious. The conductors and disseminators of quasi-Jewish ideas at that time, as is known, were the Freemasons. Note that among the works composed by Abel there was a table of “Planets of Human Life” - judging by the name, one can assume that astrology was not alien to him. Some similarity between Abel’s views and the views of the Freemasons is also indicated in the article about him in the “Russian Biographical Dictionary”.
His above comments on the Old Testament history of the origin of mankind are obviously heretical in nature. There is clearly a gross violation of the dogma of original sin. Abel's eschatological prophecies also diverge from Orthodox tradition- there are chiliastic ideas in different versions. The views of the monk Abel on the origin of the human race and the future destinies of mankind are reminiscent of some Talmudic legends.
4 . Anti-government orientation of predictions. The predictions of the monk Abel, which were widely publicized, according to the memoirs of contemporaries (see above), sounded quite rarely, and related almost exclusively to future events in political life states. At the same time, the temporary the connection between the appearance of these prophecies and crisis situations in the history of Russia. The anti-government nature of his predictions, which could serve as a weapon in the psychological anti-government struggle, cannot but be striking. In 1796 or a little earlier, he published in samizdat in the form of a prophecy a direct political provocation against Catherine II (“a son (Paul I) will rise against her (Catherine II)”) and a prediction about the future prosperity and triumph of Orthodoxy under Paul I (see . higher). During the interrogation in the Secret Expedition on March 5, 1796, the seditious version about the fall of Peter III as a result of a conspiracy on the part of Catherine II (“fall of III Emperor from his wife”), set out in the “book” of Abel, which he distributed.
If you believe the memoirs of D. Davydov, in 1826 he called Nicholas I the word “snake”. All this suggests that Abel could be used by interested parties to create certain moods in society - whether he “prophesied” himself or whether rumors about his “prophecies” were purposefully spread before the events or after the fact.
It was precisely this politically oriented nature of his predictions that greatly worried government officials. For example, during the interrogation on March 5, 1796, and even after the sentencing, everything related to the above-mentioned provocative prediction of Abel was again discussed in detail and the question of Abel’s connections with other persons was repeatedly raised. Active activities on the part of the Freemasons at that time to influence Paul I and their reliance on him in political plans are well known (the Novikov case). Historians testify to the active participation of Freemasons in all political crises, during which and in connection with which Abel’s predictions were spread.
Abel, the famous monk, nicknamed “The Prophetic”, who predicted the fall of the Romanov dynasty, still remains a very mysterious person. How did he make his predictions and, most importantly, what remained unknown to us, our descendants? Does Russia have a happy future, or...
Abel, known as Vasily Vasiliev, was born in 1757 in the village of Akulovo, Tula province, into the family of a horse-farmer. At the age of 19, he left home, wandered throughout Great Rus' for 9 years, and in the fall of 1785 he humbly asked the abbot of the Valaam Monastery to allow him to live in the monastery. After living for a year in the monastery, Abel asked the good abbot, Abbot Nazarius, to go “to the desert,” settling as a hermit in a monastery.
Various temptations overcame Abel in the monastery, and at the age of 30, after a mysterious vision, he received the gift of prophecy and set out on a new journey “to tell and preach the mysteries of God.” For another 9 years he wandered around the world and finally stopped at the St. Nicholas Monastery in the Kostroma province. In the monastery, he wrote “a wise and wise book, in which it is written about the royal family.” The abbot of the monastery was seriously frightened and immediately sent Abel, along with his book, to Kostroma, to the spiritual consistory.
Archbishop Paul was even more frightened than the rector - after all, the book said that “Empress Catherine the Second will soon lose this life and her death will happen suddenly.” The fortuneteller, shackled, away from sin, was sent to St. Petersburg under strict escort.
During interrogations in St. Petersburg, Abel humbly answered Chief Prosecutor Samoilov: “I was taught to write this book by the One who created heaven and earth, and everything in them...” Samoilov was especially interested in two questions: “Question 1. What did you dare to say in the book his own, as if he were a fallen emperor Peter III from your wife? Question 2. Why did you include in your book such words that especially relate to Her Majesty, namely, “Akiba’s son will rise up against her” and so on, and how did you understand them?” To which the seer humbly responded: “For this is what God revealed to me.” They reported to the empress. But she, who did not tolerate mysticism, did not want to meet the prophet and ordered him to be imprisoned forever in the Shlisselburg fortress.
The prisoner spent 10 months and 10 days in a secret cell - until the death of the empress. In the casemate, he learned the news that shocked Russia, which he had known about for a long time: on November 6, 1796, at 9 o’clock in the morning, Empress Catherine II suddenly died. Exactly to the day, as the prophetic monk predicted.
Emperor Paul, having ascended the throne, immediately summoned Abel. Having removed those close to him, Paul “with fear and joy” asked to bless his reign, and also asked Abel “what will happen to him?” The Life is silent about Abel’s answer. Perhaps, taught by bitter experience and not wanting to go back to the dungeon, Abel kept silent about something, since Paul ordered Abel to be settled in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and to be provided with everything he needed.
After living for a year in the Lavra, Abel did not calm down, he went again to Valaam, where he wrote new book, “like the first one is also more important.” Once again, the frightened abbot reported to St. Petersburg. The book was delivered to Paul I. It contained a prophecy about the imminent violent death of Pavel Petrovich, about which during a personal meeting the monk either prudently remained silent, or there was no revelation to him yet. It is even indicated exact date death of the emperor. On May 12, 1800, the angry Pavel ordered the ill-fated Abel to be imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, in the Alekseevsky Ravelin, where he again spent 10 months and 10 days - until Pavel suddenly died “from a blow.” Emperor Alexander, having ascended the throne, immediately sent the ill-fated soothsayer to Solovki.
But even here the restless monk could not calm down. In 1802 On Solovki, Abel writes the third book, “in it it is written how Moscow will be taken and in what year.” At the same time, the year 1812 is indicated and the burning of Moscow is predicted. Emperor Alexander, not believing Abel, ordered to put the crazy monk in a monastery prison, promising that he would sit there until his prophecy came true.
Abel spent 10 years and 9 months in a terrible monastery prison. The prisoners there were treated mercilessly, two of them died from cold, hunger and carbon smoke, and good Abel, who decided to intercede for them, the regime was tightened to the point that he “was under death ten times, a hundred times he came to despair.”
When Napoleon captured Moscow, Alexander remembered Abel. The Solovetsky abbot received an order: if the prisoner is still alive, immediately send him to St. Petersburg. Despite the obvious resistance of the abbot, Abel was nevertheless taken to the capital, where the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod, A.N. Golitsyn, talked with the obstinate monk. The conversation was long, its exact content is unknown to anyone, since the conversation took place face to face. According to the monk himself, he told the prince “everything from beginning to end.” Having heard in the “secret answers” the prophetic monk’s predictions, according to rumors, of the fate of all sovereigns until the end of centuries, until the coming of the Antichrist, the prince was horrified and was afraid to present the monk to the sovereign. After a conversation with Prince Golitsyn, Abel was left alone, and the soothsayer himself lost his desire to make predictions. “Now I decided it was better not to know anything, although to know and remain silent,” the monk answered his patron Countess Potemkina.
All subsequent years, Abel wandered, avoiding sedentary monastic life. He visited the Greek Athos, Constantinople-Constantinople, and Jerusalem. He was met either in Moscow or in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, some considered him a prophet, some a charlatan. “Many of my friends saw him and talked to him; he is a simple man, without the slightest information and gloomy; many ladies, considering him a saint, went to see him and asked about their daughters’ suitors; He answered them that he was not a seer and that he only predicted when inspiration told him to speak. Since 1820, no one has seen him again, and it is not known where he went,” wrote L.N. Engelhardt in his “Notes.”
N.P. Rozanov traced the further fate of Abel using documents. In 1823, he was placed in the Vysotsky Monastery, but a few months after the death of Emperor Alexander, Abel quietly disappeared from the monastery, since “the father archimandrite wanted to send him to St. Petersburg by a false decree to the new sovereign” - perhaps Abel again wrote a new prophecy, which scared him abbot. One way or another, the new Emperor Nicholas, having familiarized himself with Abel’s case, ordered to imprison him in the prison department in the Suzdal Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery, the main church prison. There, in a secluded cell, the “life and suffering” of the monk Abel ended in 1841.
In 1875, the magazine “Russian Antiquity” (No. 2) published “The Life and Sufferings of Father and Monk Abel,” written by him at the beginning of the 19th century, 20 years before his death. At the very beginning of the “Life” the most important prediction of the monk was stated that in 1842. God's grace will descend on the earth and “all his elect and all his saints will reign. And they will reign with him for a thousand and fifty years, and at that time there will be one flock throughout the whole earth and one shepherd among them... then the dead will rise and the living will be renewed, and there will be judgment for all and division for all: who will be resurrected to eternal life and to immortal life and those who will be given over to death and corruption and eternal destruction.” This will happen in 2892.
Alas, this prediction has not yet come true, and God’s grace has not arrived on earth! The seditious books he compiled have not reached us, except for two: “The Book of Genesis” and “The Life and Sufferings of the Father and Monk Abel.” There are no prophecies in either book, except those that had already come true by that time. But, according to the descriptions of contemporaries, other books set out the history of the fall of the Romanov dynasty and even something related to our time. Still, we are left with the testimony of contemporaries.