Piskanovsky' life

Kobrin → Outstanding persons

Nikolay Ioakimovich Piskanovsky (1886–1935) was born in a family of the Belarusian priest, finished a theological seminary to Brest-Litovske, was imposed in deacons and served in church at hospital in Brest. From the beginning of World War I the hospital was evacuated to Odessa, there and the family in which, besides parents, there were three-year-old Ksenia and one-year-old Kolya by then moves. In 1918 the father Nikolay is imposed in priests in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow as the bishop Grodno and Vilensky was evacuated to Moscow. After the father Nikolay returned to Ukraine, served in the temple of the village of Alexandria Kherson. When persecutions of the Soviet power began, the family moves at first to Poltava, then to Voronezh. The father Nikolay firmly opposes also withdrawal of church values, and zhivotserkovnik. The first arrest belongs to 1923, and further the father Nikolay has only two social statuses — either the prisoner, or the exiled. In 1927. the father Nikolay is sent to the Solovki. At this time orthodox clergy again as at the time of emergence of "live church", it is split in two — on iosiflyan and sergianets, by name the heads — the metropolitan Sergiya, the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne which issued the Declaration on recognition of the Soviet power by church and the metropolitan Josef who was not recognizing the Declaration. On the Solovki most of the prisoner of clergy to the iosiflena, at the head of their lord Victor Vyatsky (Ostrovidov).

Priest N. I. Piskanovsky. Middle of the 1920th years

The father Nikolay, of course, among them. About it exhausted by the previous arrests and exiles, but strong in spirit, Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachev writes in "Memoirs". "It was another (in comparison with the lord Victor. — B.B.) . It was impossible to call it cheerful, but always in the most difficult circumstances it radiated internal tranquility. I do not remember it laughing or smiling, but always the meeting with it was some consolatory. And not only for me. I remember how he told my friend, year suffering lack of letters from the family that it suffered a little and that the letter will be, soon soon. I was not present at the same time and therefore I cannot provide exact words of the father Nikolay, but the letter came next day. I asked the father Nikolay — as he could know about the letter? And the father Nikolay answered me that he also did not know, and was so somehow uttered. But such "was uttered" there was much … The cemeterial Onufriyevsky church … was sergiansky (therefore, the father Nikolay could not go to pray there. — B.B.) … The father Nikolay had an antimension, and he in a whisper made a liturgy in the 6th, "priestly", a company. The father Nikolay knew that his wife was also arrested, and very much worried about children: what if is taken in children's home and brought up atheists! And once, when it was taken out from camp, in Kemperpunkta (Kemsky transit point) he stood in a man's queue for boiled water. Since other end besides to the crane the female turn approached. When the father Nikolay approached the crane, he saw the wife at the crane. They were covered by prisoners (it was strictly forbidden to talk to men to women), and the father Nikolay learned a message, joyful for it — children were taken by the believing acquaintances …"

Really, after arrest of the mother in the late twenties Ksenia and Kolya were sheltered by relatives in Korostena of the Zhytomyr region. However Ksenia does not want to refuse correspondence with the arrested parents and trips with transfers to mother, and for relatives communication with arrested seemed too dangerous, and she should go to Odessa where it comes to FZU. But to graduate from school it did not turn out — in 1931 the father Nikolay from the Solovki is sent to exile to Arkhangelsk, it is very sick, behind it leaving is required, and the daughter directs to the father. The father Nikolay again does not go to the only operating church in the city (to a cemetery) — it sergiansky, and to the iosiflena cannot consist in prayful communication with sergianets. Ksenia artlessly told how it was difficult for her when it was sent on some household questions to the father's acquaintance bishop Voyno-Yasenetsky who was since May, 1931 in exile in Arkhangelsk and operated in out-patient clinic of hospital on 40 people for reception. The bishop of Onions "could not without temple", sometimes went to services to the sergiansky temple therefore Ksenia, communicating with the lord, it was necessary to avoid to approach under his blessing.

K. N. Piskanovskaya. City Scherbakov (Rybinsk). 1955

The Soviet power continued to pursue the father Nikolay mercilessly. Based on quiet, without any tragic element Ksenia's story, I will tell of future of a family. Exiled tolerable work in Arkhangelsk were not given, the father Nikolay worked as the watchman at brick-works, and Ksenia "on protection" was arranged the unskilled worker there, then it worked at building. In the spring of 1934 from the Solovki to Arkhangelsk sent "mother", there comes also the sixteen-year-old brother Kolya — at last the family reunited, at least and in exile. But soon, at the beginning of 1935, the father Nikolay is again arrested — he served at home, and, obviously, it also was the main charge against it. This time the undermined organism did not sustain — the father Nikolay dies on April 10, 1935 in prison during the investigation. Dmitry Sergeyevich's opinion: "Life of the father Nikolay was continuous torture, and maybe a martyrdom". With a funeral the spiritual children of the father Nikolay who had access to prison hospital helped — most likely, it was the exiled professor Nikitin, the yasnopolyansky doctor of Lev Nikolaevich, the large physician among whose patients there were high ranks of regional People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs. The body is given to a family for burial, and on a city cemetery there is a modest grave with an inscription on a cross "N. N. Piskanovsky" and the previous letter "about" which is not especially attracting attention small.

And in August Ksenia, again "on acquaintance", take the nurse in city hospital. In the fall of 1936 there is Ksenia's acquaintance to Sofya Vsevolodovna Volkova. Ksenia comes to eye office where mother works as elder sister, and mother quietly asks Ksenia whether not too carelessly that openly carries on a finger a thin ringlet with the reprehensible inscription "Rescue and Keep". They quickly met — the general destinies, at one the husband is just arrested, at another in prison the father died. Visit to each other, by the same time their joint campaigns early in the morning — before work, in Solombala, belong to the exiled to the celibate priest who secretly serves in the private house for congenial, not recognizing a remembrance of the metropolitan Sergiya. At the beginning of 1937 the investigation of case of our father is completed, and it is sent from the Arkhangelsk prison to transit prison to Kotlas. Our mother cannot go because of work and the juvenile son there, and Ksenia undertakes to transfer to the father the necessary things (on Sofia Vsevolodovna's money as she emphasizes in the letter — a pier, bought me tickets, I also went that special!). But Ksenia did not find the father on the Kotlas transfer so their acquaintance will take place much later, in ten years in Maloyaroslavets. And the father, obviously, forgot or sacrificed the entertaining statement accuracy when he writes in "Immersion" (Page 222, 250) about acquaintance and receiving transfer from Ksenia.

And on September 30 1937 Mr. of Ksenia, her mother and the brother Kolya were going to come on a visit to S. V. Volkova to a name-day, but it did not happen to meet, arrest the mother together with Ksenia at night, and again, of course, on "church business". On a share of the mother the most difficult camp years, the first military when most of the population also at liberty starved get, and practically did not feed prisoners at all. But it, probably, due to the faith in the Lord, "held on" to summer of 1943 — here it was saktirovat, discharged from camp as hopelessly the patient — tuberculosis and dystrophy. It goes to the son — Kolya as tubercular did not take in army, he works at defensive plant in Molotov, former and present Perm. But mothers do not allow to live in the city with the son — secrets there — and Kolya suits mother at some distant acquaintances at railway station kilometers in 25 from the city, goes there regularly, feeds up, cares. But the organism hands over — and in March, 1944 the woman who hardly stepped a fifty-year boundary dies of tuberculosis.

And Kolya works, graduates from in absentia technical institute on the round five, and to it suggest to come to postgraduate study in Moscow, I do not know in what higher education institution. It sometimes came to Maloyaroslavets to us on a visit. His mild and infinitely benevolent smile — same, as at his elder sister is remembered. But tuberculosis does not give a special scope for occupations by science and there is no money — and here the sister with the little daughter returned from prison. And Kolya takes vacation in postgraduate study, there goes to Orsk Chkalovskoy (Orenburg now) areas, works as the engineer at the biofactory making veterinary inoculations. The exacerbation of tuberculosis forces it to give up work and to return to Moscow, friends and postgraduate study try to help it, put in tubercular clinic, but in May, 1949 he dies. It is buried on the Vagankovo Cemetery.

Ksenia in 1937 was given, probably, not the longest term. But in 1940 it is caused to the camp administration and demand "cooperation". Ksenia refuses flatly — camp business is created, and to her term is added, on whole "ten". It will be released from northern camps only in 1947, and that the retaliatory system still generous knocked off term as to "mother" in connection with the birth the same year of the girl Natasha. The girl's father is released in 1947 too, goes to arrange divorce with a former family, but there is reconciliation, and he reports that he will not return. Ksenia through Kolya learns Sofya Vsevolodovna's address and comes to us to Maloyaroslavets. She chose the place of dispatch on the only sign — there was Sofya Vsevolodovna, it was possible to count on her help.

In 1948 Ksenia goes to Ukraine, to relatives. Here her letter of October 20 of this year. "Dear Sofya Vsevolodovna! Every day I am going to write you, and all with different not devices hands are not raised. Now approximately settled — already sent Natasha to a day nursery, yesterday she was the first day there — came very cheerful from there, probably she liked society of children, and that she naskuchatsya all one in the room. But there is no round-the-clock day nursery now here therefore I cannot get some more suitable job — for example, in hospital, and now could settle the nurse, but it is necessary to be on duty on changes, and I cannot do it because of Natasha. Then in a bath it would be possible to settle, a bath smart with bathtubs and numbers here, here in numbers the person is necessary, but too the bath works from 12 h day to 8 h evening. It is necessary to work at construction. The day before yesterday submitted the application to construction office as the worker, zavkadram read it, then asked about education and speaks "write the autobiography, maybe, better we will find work". Yesterday I wrote the autobiography, of course, then any more work, except as the worker, for me was not. Probably, order everywhere one. I will go today still somewhere if nothing leaves, it is necessary to come to work on construction, and earnings small. Somehow I will work winter, and then it is all the same necessary to leave from here … Perhaps in Maloyaroslavets, God will give, something will begin to be built. The main thing, Natasha will be more and more and more strong, and it will be easier for me. Or perhaps Kolya will move somewhere. It I console all myself. We kiss you. Ksenia".

Ksenia comes to Maloyaroslavets again, and soon, having left Natasha on care of the compassionate hostess, goes to Moscow to Kolya — he was in tubercular hospital and died on her hands. Ksenia returned to Maloyaroslavets for Natasha and went to Uglich, to distant church acquaintances.

No, the arestny line in tragic destiny of a family of Piskanovsky is not finished yet, this passional long. In the fall of 1949 Kseniyu in Uglich arrest again, it goes to church and to some meetings of believers again — and give six years of camps. Two-year-old Natasha is hidden by "grannies", old women at church who do not want to send the orthodox child to godless orphanage. Also Ksenia from Rybinsk camps only under amnesty will be released, "having stayed" almost all the term.

Ksenia returned to Uglich, met the daughter, but not at once it was succeeded to overcome the alienation which is inevitably arising in six continuous years of separation. Ksenia "zaverbovyvatsya" for work to Karaganda, leaves with the daughter, but that continuously cries on the left "grannies", and, having hardly waited for the baggage sent to Karaganda by rail by small speed, they start on a way back. The second time attempt to escape from Uglich where Ksenia cannot find any work, she undertakes in 1955 — Sofya Vsevolodovna "in a related way" agrees with the director of the museum, the artist's son Dmitry Vasilyevich Polenov, he agrees to take it the cleaner. Ksenia in an aura of her infinite sufferings for orthodox belief was taken in Polenov with a big piety. Everything is good — but Natasha is still inconsolable, goes with the swelled-up eyes. And Ksenia gives up again, they come back to Uglich to grannies again. They lived in Uglich still difficult, but when Ksenia occasionally appeared in Moscow, we saw her invariable soft smile again and heard constant answers that "All thank God". Then Natasha comes to aviation technical school in Rybinsk, finishes, goes to work on aircraft factory to Ufa, then move to Tutaev (the former Romanov Borisoglebsk of the Yaroslavl province) where the same plant. Mother with the daughter live in perfect harmony long ago, but Ksenia even more often is ill, and on health (and on limitation of means) she already does not go to Moscow. But her letters to our mother, and then the sister Masha and me still bear a charge of special optimism of the believing person — all at God's will, everything has to accept with gratitude, everything will be good! Ksenia died in 1997. lived till 82 years, overcame not only terrible camp 16 years and improbable deprivations of the "free" years, but also tuberculosis which was fatal to her parents and the brother. Strength of mind at this modest person was big!

V. O. Volkov, Magazine "Our Heritage" No. 87 2008

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