To expound the theme one should first of all try to define spirituality from the point of view of a religious person. To put it very briefly one can describe it in this way: spirituality is human awareness of God. The more acute is our awareness of God, the closer we are to God, and the richer and fuller our spiritual life. But how can one got closer to God?

Ascetics of the Eastern Church have left us a whole discipline of achieving inner purity, which enables us to assume the Holy Spirit, thus attaining communion with God. Their works reached us in the collection entitled 'Loving Kindness (Philokalia) to become a favourite reading and guidance in the spiritual life of Russian believers. On the other hand, Orthodoxy also teaches us to love people and to get closer to God through this love. How can one combine the two ways? How can one understand them?

The key to understanding is provided by the diagram, great as it is in its simplicity and profundity, drafted by St Dorotheus of the 6th century. It is found in 'Loving Kindness'. This is what the ascetic suggests:

These are the two ways in which spiritual life in Russia developed and in which Christianity, adopted in the 10th century from Byzantium, was reflected in the Russian soul, the Russian element and even the Russian time-honoured paganism. The best way to consider these two ways is to turn to Russian sainthood since the spiritual life of its people finds its utmost expression in their saints and. their feats. On the other hand, the innermost depth of a people's spirituality is manifested in the kind of persons they choose to venerate and in the way they are venerated.

Significantly, the first saints to be canonized in Russia were not at all austere ascetics committed wholly to God, but lay persons- Princes Boris and Gleb of the 11th century. They fell victims to the struggle of their brother Svyatopolk for power. Though they were far from claiming the throne of Kievan Principality after the death of their father, Prince Vladimir, the Baptizer of Russia, Svyatopolk still feared rivalry and sent assassins for the secret purpose of killing the innocent brothers. Their feat in believers' understanding was that they did not resist the assassins, making no attempt to defend themselves. They did not reciprocate evil with evil, thus obeying Christ's commandment to forgive one's enemies. The brothers displayed utmost humbleness. Indeed, The Life of Boris says that before his death he recalled the words of the Gospel: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Boris and Gleb see in themselves a sacrifice in imitation of Christ.

The lives of the saints in East and West bear no analogy as the martyrdom of early Christians was always performed to defend their faith, not to show humbleness only. C.Fedorov, a well-known student of Russian sainthood, emphasized that 'the feat of non-resistance is a national Russian feat, a true revelation of newly-baptized Russia. Through the lives of holy passion - bearers like through the Gospel the image of the humble and saving Saviour has entered for ever the hearts of Russian people as their most cherished possession.

It may seem paradoxical that Boris and Gleb should also be seen in the church as protectors of their homeland from external enemies as they are placed at the head of the heavenly host defending the Russian land. There is a deep meaning that the suffering like that of Christ is believed to turn ultimately into victory.

In the I3th century Russia was invaded by the Tartar hordes. That time took a heavy toll of martyrdom. But it was a different kind of martyrdom. People died fighting for their homeland and faith.What comes to the fore now Is the gospel's commandment to give one's life for one's friends. The Church sanctified the feat of the soldier. The protection of Russian shrines became as a church service entwined in the fabric of spiritual life. Dozens of martyr princes were canonized. Why the princes? Because they were above all military leaders and mouthpieces of their people's interests.

It is significant that wives and children would share the lot of their husbands and fathers. For example, the family of Prince Yuri were brutally killed when the Tartars captured the city of Vladimir. Princess Eupraxia of Razyan threw herself out of the window holding her infant son in order to escape dishonour.They were not all canonized but their names are cherished by the people's memory and the places of their death are honoured in local church celebrations to this day.

Great honour is ascribed to such victorious princes as Alexandre Nevsky who defeated the German knights and the Swedes in the 13th century and Prince Dmitry Donsky of Moscow who won a decisive victory over the Tartars in 1380 in Kulikovo field. Whereas Alexandre Nevsky was glorified long ago, with many churches dedicated to him including the Alexandre Nevsky Lavra in Leningrad and three Russian tsars bearing his name, Dmitry Donsky was honoured by canonization only in 1989, which testifies to the unfailing patriotic feeling of Russian believers. Indeed, during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 the tank division built with believers' means was named after Dmitry Donsky, while the air squadron after Alexandre Nevsky.

The patriotic service as fulfilment of the commandment to love the neighbour was so important in Russia throughout her history that the spiritual experience caused by it came to focus on the Image of the Mother of God, the Ardent Intercessor as she is praised in the church. Many icons of the Most Holy Mother of God are associated with the defence of this or that city, as the Vladimir Icon with Moscow and the Sign Icon with Novgorod. During the 1812 Patriotic War the Russian troops carried the Smolensk Icon and many others. The Most Holy Mother of God is believed to protect Russia by her icons. During the annual celebrations devoted to these icons the churches recall Russian victories on the battlefield and the assistance of the Mother of God.

The father of Russian monasticism was Theodosius, a monk and one of the founders of the Kiev Lavra of the Caves. Russia found in Theodosius an ideal saint and has remained faithful to him to this day. He was a severe ascetic who ate very little, wore himself out by hard labour, slept in a sitting posture and wore a hairshirt. Why such odd, inexplicable behaviour?

According to Orthodox teaching, a person seeking communion with God is hindered by the demands of the flesh and its demands of delicious food, beautiful clothes, comfort and the indulgence of various passions. How can there be time to think about God?

The mind and soul of the ascetic should be free for communion with God in prayer. On the other hand, the ascetic realizes that even through personal efforts, without the help of God, it cannot be attained. But how can one ask God for help when one is so sinful. It means that turning to God should begin with repentance with confession of one's sins. Sincere repentance, in its turn generates humbleness, repentance and love generate pure prayer. In such a state the ascetic can receive the help of God which is grace. According to the Orthodox teaching, grace is offered to every one, but not every one is ready to receive 'it. The ascetic is not only ready to receive grace, but also receives additional gifts such as clarity of vision, the ability to heal and even to work miracles. Being close to God, the ascetic was also granted the highest gift, ie the ability to see the heavenly powers, Often granted the visitation of the Most Holy Mother of God, and sometimes that of Christ. One needs to understand that this vision is different from what ordinary people see. It is a special inner vision which humanity would have after the end of this world when the new heaven and new earth will emerge and our bodies will be transfigurated. Some ascetics can attain already now on the earth certain sights of the age to come.

Russia embraced Christianity with great inspiration, setting herself the task of following Christ in everything. Of course. the life of an ordinary person had little opportunity of ascetic achievement but seeking the utmost in spiritual life was inherent in all. One could gratify one's seeking by visiting monasteries, praying in monasteries and in repentance. One could draw a great spiritual joy from talking to ascetics and following their advice and instruction. This did not at all mean that life in Russia was based only on Christian laws and was immaculate. Not at all. But the availability of an ideal, ie an example of highly spiritual life, as well as the opportunity to draw from this source was constantly purifying the spiritual atmosphere in Russia. The Russian proved to be able to fully realize personal sinfulness and to repent. The monastery was the conscience of every believer.

Strict ascetics and intercessors were granted a special gift of the clarity of vision, the vision of the future. Once they realized their gift they believed themselves to be called by God to go out to the people and help them partake of spiritual life and to heal the needy. This prophetic gift, which has always been in Russia, was especially characteristic of those ascetics who lived in the I9th century in the Optina Monastery where the old achievement of the starets was revised. The clarity of vision possessed by ascetic starets enabled them to see people in their fullness and complexity and thus make their guidance more accurate. Believers translated their instructions into moral actions, yielded to their impact in realizing their own sinfulness, and used prayer and repentance to seek God.

The starets were regarded as immediate agents of God's grace. Communion with God always entailed the feeling of spiritual freedom, joy and peace of mind. The example of starets convinces us that Dorotheus' diagram was right: closeness to God generates love of people. However,the social service of monks was not limited to spiritual guidance. Since the old times Russian monastics had engaged in almsgiving and providing the disabled and the poor with shelter, clothes and food. Believers were taught to do the same. The Lord's beatitude 'Blessed are the merciful' has always been one of the most important in Russia.

There was also another kind of service offered by the spiritually gifted in Russia, ie. the folly in Christ. It is a very difficult achievement as it involves ascetic life in the world, not monastery, denying any comfort or even commonly accepted social rules. The fools in Christ were also believed to be prophets. And some fools in Christ were canonized.

It is necessary to emphasize that fools in Christ were mainly ordinary lay people who became aware of their special calling. Remarkably, there many women amongst them. But only a few remember their names today, though they played an important part in the service of people as they could heal both spiritual and bodily wounds and reform inveterate sinners. Especially honoured among women whose Christian life bore elements of the folly in Christ was Xenia of St Petersburg.

Xenia lived at the turn of the 19th century in St Petersburg. After the death of her husband she became demented. She put on the clothes of her departed husband and ordered people to call her Andrew Fedorovich. She gave away her property and began to wander about town being fed by generous almsgivers and taking shelter where she could. The voluntary suffering she assumed purified her soul of all earthly vanity and she was granted clarity of vision. People began to seek her advice and help in everyday matters as employment, finance and their children's education. She helped others, though denied herself the world. Her help did not cease after death as people asked her intercession and were granted healing and success in everyday affairs. Though Russia has gone through a revolution and lost many of her spiritual traditions, the veneration of Xenia has not only continued but spread to her canonization in 1988.

One must say that there are few women well known among Russian saints. They are only a dozen, with half their number being of royalty who either took ultimately monastic vows or lived in the world but were glorified after their death through miracles that happened at their graves. At the same time, Russian Orthodoxy has formed the image of ideal Russian women as pious, kind, humble and patient. Features regarded not as characteristics given by nature, but a result of the profound acceptance of the faith of Christ which transforms a person. The Orthodox woman serves her family and the world through her love and faith.

C Fedorov denied Russian women "religious initiative or heroic self-sacrifice". The ability to bring herself to perform the great feat of asceticism. He believes that early female monasteries were rather alms-houses for widows and women who failed to marry. As for antiquity, documents from that time so far have' not refuted this view. However, the 18th and 19th century archives have proved that the scholar was wrong. Many books have preserved for us descriptions of spiritual feats performed by nuns, abbesses, strict fasters who wore chains, went without sleeping and attained incredible heights of the spiritual.

Suffice to recall Abbess Arcenia of the Don, who left a vast correspondence representing an original teaching on salvation; as well as Dosithea the Recluse who was committed to asceticism and withdrew from the world so resolutely that in order to stay unrecognized she wore only men's clothing for the rest of her life. It was only after her death that her sister recognized her as a woman. Dosithea went so far in her knowledge of God that she felt strong enough to treat people by talking to worshippers and giving them spiritual instruction.

Among those worshippers was Seraphim of Sarov, then Prochorus, who was to become a great Russian saint. It was Dosithea, or Dositheus, who showed him the way to monasticism as she discerned his great spiritual gifts. But how many others were there, who, though forgotten today, brought the word of God into the world, who filled life with spirituality? We as Orthodox women must search for books and testimonies about the achievements of our God-bearing Russian women, to make them known and to reveal their spiritual beauty. Of course, nothing can be done without the help of God, and if the time has not yet come, then our sisters will remain unknown, - but I dare think it has come indeed.

In today's world many traditions of Russian spirituality remain rather muffled, but do not disappear altogether. For today's society it is increasingly evident that spiritual life leads to moral action; and morality is the anchor which alone is capable of protecting the world from destruction in a nuclear and ecological disaster. To bring the spiritual riches of the Russian Church to people of other faiths and to non-believers means to make a step towards the salvation of humanity