CHAPTER IV 

 SAINT TRIPHON^S MONASTERY 



THE following chapter contains a translation of a small book 

 given to me by the Archimandrite Jonathan, on the history of 

 St. Triphon, and the monastery St. Triphon erected by the 

 Pechenga river, prepared for distribution among the numerous pilgrims 

 who now visit the monastery every year, specially during the winter 

 months. I have omitted the accounts of numerous miracles performed 

 since St. Triphon's death. 



When first visiting the Pechenga gulf, it was rather irritating to 

 be constantly met by the statement that everything belonged to the 

 monks, for most Englishmen have an ingrained objection to the 

 monopoly of the good things of this life by the religious orders ; but 

 even during my short visit I saw cause to view the matter in a different 

 light. In many respects these people correspond more nearly with 

 the English of the twelfth century than with those of the present day ; 

 and the monks are now doing the same good work of education and 

 civilisation that our English monks did in the early days of their 

 establishment among us. With the very imperfect means of inter- 

 pretation available I could obtain little reliable information about the 

 people beyond what I saw ; but certain facts were obvious in the 

 Pechenga valley. No one begged, none looked hungry, all had suffi- 

 cient clothes to keep them warm, and many boys could read Russian. 

 There was also a general air of comfort about the villages in the valley 

 and their inhabitants, equal to that of our agricultural villages in all 

 respects, except as regards the roads and the surroundings of the 

 houses. The interiors of all the houses we saw were clean " homes," 



not " cattle sheds " like Ivan's fishing huts. 



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