Orthodox elder Anthony (Florensov) and decadents

The question of relationships between the former Vologda bishop Anthony (Florensov) and a group of young intellectuals of the beginning of the XXth century, connected with symbolism, is interesting from both church-historical and historical-literary points of view. Since February 1898, Anthony lived “on rest” in Moscow Donskoy Monastery. Andrey Bely repeatedly visited the bishop and also brought to the monastery his close people - his mother, Aleksandra Dmitriyevna Bugayeva, A. A. Blok, N. S. Petrovskaya, L. D. Semenov, Z. N. Gippius, D. S. Merezhkovsky and others. The remained materials assisted in determination of approximate questions discussed at these meetings: the destiny of Christianity in the modern world, the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in national history, Christian aspects of the family and marriage, updating of extra Christian and anti-Christian mysticism among modern intellectuals. All these problems are quite close to that perspective, which was discussed at the same time at the well-known religious and philosophical meetings in Saint-Petersburg. It is necessary to consider discussions held in Donskoy Monastery in this historical context. In the article, special attention is paid to the forms and methods of “orthodox pedagogics” employed by bishop Anthony and to his impact on the minds of young symbolists. It is suggested that the image of the lord Anthony was reflected in a figure of the ascetic from “A Cup of Blizzards” by Andrey Bely.