Schemanun Gabriela (Alexandrova) Schemanun Gabriela (secular name: Lydia Alexandrovna Alexandrova) was born on March 26 (April 8), 1876 into a wealthy noble family in Moscow. Lydia’s mother died in childbirth, and all her life Lydia felt guilty for being the unwitting cause of her premature death. Sometimes she said: “I don’t feel free to experience the joys of this world, because my mother didn’t have time to experience them fully.” Lydia and her older brother were raised by their pious grandmother, who not only gave them an excellent education, but also instilled in them the love of God and introduced them to church life. As a teenager, Lydia could not imagine her life outside the Church and longed for monastic life. Her decision was strengthened after a pilgrimage to the Sarov Forest, where she got lost and wandered for a long time, praying to St. Seraphim who answered her prayer. Suddenly a footpath appeared in front of her, which led her all the way to the monastery. The future schemanun believed that this way, her path of life was shown to her—St. Seraphim pointed her the way to the monastery. By Divine Providence, she was destined to become a nun in the world.
When one day her grandmother started talking about her possible marriage, Lydia secretly ran away to a convent with her friend Sashenka,1 but her grandmother found them and took her back home. Lydia enjoyed visiting various churches in Moscow. One day, on the advice of her friends, she came to the church on Maroseika Street to see the clairvoyant elder, Fr. Alexei Mechev (1859–1923), to whom all the Orthodox in Moscow, and later the whole of Russia, flocked. The Optina Elders would tell Muscovites who visited them: “Why are you coming to us when you have Father Alexei?”
When Lydia came to St. Nicholas Church, she was surprised that such a famous priest served in such a small church. She was standing by the candle box and was impatient to see batiushka. And soon he appeared. As Lydia Alexandrovna recalled her first meeting with him:
“A short priest came out and censed... with his phelonion askew and cuffs untied... he was walking slowly and censing even more slowly… I asked the church warden, ‘Where is Father Alexei Mechev?’ And she replied, ‘Here he is!’”
But after the Vigil, when a solemn prayer service began with the reading of the akathist in front of the wonderworking Feodorovskaya Icon of the Theotokos, it seemed to her that Fr. Alexei was conversing with the Queen of Heaven rather than reading. She felt such warmth in her heart that she forgot about everything in the world. Lydia came to love the cramped little church and its priest with all her heart.
Lydia Alexandrovna became a spiritual daughter of Fr. Alexei Mechev, the future St. Alexei of Moscow, and a member of the community of St. Nicholas Church in Klenniki on Maroseika Street. From about 1917 on, Lydia Alexandrovna lived at St. Nicholas Church in Klenniki. Fr. Alexei provided her with a room in the basement of the house for the clergy. That house was built by the famous publisher Ivan Sytin (1851–1934) in the courtyard of the church on Maroseika Street. She remained here even after the church had been closed in 1932. The authorities did not touch her, leaving her in a tiny cell, and the rest of the basement space was given to another family. In order not to disturb her neighbors, visitors would enter the schemanun’s room through a window, to which boxes were attached to climb up. Lydia Alexandrovna lived in her cell until her repose.
Archpriest Alexei Mechev With the blessing of Fr. Alexei, she tidied the church, worked at the candle box, baked and sold prosphora, washed the church windows, wiped its icons, cleaned the candlestands, mopped the floor, and shook the carpets. She did all this on her own, and only two years later, when the community was formed, did she have young assistants… She also helped the head of an orphanage attached to the church.
Fr. Alexei told his spiritual children:
“Be a sun and a light to those around you; try to warm your family with yourself first, make efforts, and then you will be so carried away by these labors that the family circle will be too narrow for you, and over time these warm rays will capture more and more new people, and the circle illuminated by you will gradually increase; so try to keep your lamp burning brightly.”
Schemanun Gabriela fulfilled his precept all her life. Fr. Alexei instructed Lydia Alexandrovna: “Remember, Lydia, that there is no one worse than you and me in the whole world,” teaching her humility. There were many cases of the elder’s clairvoyance; here is a testimony to one of them, recorded by Schemanun Gabriela:
“One day I came to batiushka and told him that a rich beer contractor and a lady who had been widowed for twenty-five years were waiting for him in church to marry them.
‘What kind of wedding is this? What are you telling me?’ batiushka answered reluctantly.
“Perplexed by his answer, I went on begging him to marry them, as the man who had come was asking for it. When I wondered which vestments I should prepare, the elder said reluctantly again: ‘What vestments are you talking about?... Be sure not to prepare them in the main altar—instead prepare in the small side chapel.’ I was very surprised to hear that, since the contractor threw his money around. When everything was ready for the wedding, the elder was very slow in coming. Having married them, he quickly retired to his house. Less than two weeks later the woman batiushka had married showed up, sharing the story of her failed marriage. She barely made it through one of the two weeks of marriage, as her husband turned out to be a very bad man.”
Even during the most terrible period of persecutions, Lydia Alexandrovna went to church and saw Elder Alexei bear the heavy cross of his pastoral ministry. She saw his boundless love and kindness to people, heard his counsels and instructions and wrote them down. Lydia Alexandrovna wrote:
“Here is an episode that really struck me: After the early Liturgy, a drunken, ragged man approached the elder and, falling at his feet, shaking all over and barely pronouncing the words, turned to him, ‘I’ve completely ruined myself by drinking. My soul is dead… Save me, help me! I don’t remember being sober... I’ve lost the human image in myself.’ Not disdaining his disgusting appearance, Fr. Alexei came very close to him, looking lovingly into his eyes, put his hand on his shoulder and said, ‘My dearest, it’s time for you to stop drinking wine!’
“‘Help, dear Father! Pray for me.’ Taking him by the hand, Fr. Alexei took him to the ambo and, leaving him there, went into the altar. He proceeded to open the curtain of the royal doors of the Chapel of the Kazan Icon, solemnly opened the royal doors, and begin the prayer service, proclaiming triumphantly, ‘Blessed be our God!’ Taking the dirty ragamuffin by the hand again, he stood him next to himself at the royal doors, knelt down with him and with tears began offering up his fervent prayers to the Lord… At the end of the prayer service, the rector made the sign of the cross in front of the poor man three times, and giving him prosphora, kissed him three times. Exactly one week later, a well-dressed man came up to the candle box, bought a candle, and asked, ‘May I see Father Alexei?’ On learning that the priest was in church, he joyfully declared that he wanted to order a thanksgiving service. The elder who came out onto the ambo exclaimed, ‘Vasily, is that you!’ The ex-tramp threw himself at his feet with a sob, and Fr. Alexei, too, shed a few tears while beginning the thanksgiving service. And Vasily let us know that he had gotten a good job and things had come around right.”
Schemanun Gabriela (Alexandrova). The 1950s Mother Gabriela was imbued with the light of love for God and people that emanated from Fr. Alexei over the years of close contact with him and generously shared it with others. Schemanun Gabriela, the elder’s spiritual daughter, grew spiritually over the years, eventually becoming a spiritual lamp through the prayers of the Righteous Alexei Mechev. She was noted for her special love for people and the ability to bring them to God by her example of Christian life. She never forced people to observe the rules strictly, but simply loved everyone and helped all who turned to her for help. It was a labor of true Christian love, of a humble, inconspicuous toiler who in fact was a real pillar of Orthodoxy.
An ascetic of piety, Fr. Alexei fell asleep in the Lord in 1923. His repose caused great bereavement for his spiritual daughter. Now the elder’s spiritual children were pastored by his son, the future Hieromartyr Sergei Mechev (1892–1942). Apparently, during his time as the rector Lydia Alexandrovna was tonsured into the schema. A brief biography of the choir director of the right kliros, Maria Ivanovna Timofeyeva (1901–1989), contains interesting information:
“In her time, she (Maria Timofeyeva) traveled to Kiev with Lydia Alexandrovna and Eudoxia Khudyakova. They turned to an elder there, and he tonsured them into the schema (except for Maria, who did not dare take this step without Fr. Sergei’s blessing).”2
Apparently, Lydia was tonsured between 1923 and 1929, since in 1929 Fr. Sergei Mechev was arrested and exiled to the North. In some sense, Schemanun Gabriela became the successor of Fr. Alexei and Fr. Sergei. Outwardly, she lived an ordinary life in the world, but in reality it was the life of an ascetic.
The fact that she was a schemanun was revealed to those close to her only after her death. When preparing for her funeral, a note with her monastic name and the schemanun’s vestments were found in a bundle prepared for burial.
In 1932, the church of St. Nicholas was closed. Schemanun Gabriela continued to pray at the Theophany Cathedral in Yelokhovo in Moscow, in front of the Icon of the Mother of God, the “Seeker of the Lost”. Despite tough times and persecutions, she preserved and passed on to the following generations the true spirit of the Orthodox Church. Many flocked to Schemanun Gabriela’s cell for support, consolation and spiritual advice. The ascetic tried to help everybody, prayed for them, and brought people to God. During the Great Patriotic War, the schemanun would give her bread card to large families, and she received a loaf of white and rye bread once a week.
After Fr. Alexei’s death, she lived for about thirty years in the same basement room of the house for the clergy at the church on Maroseika Street.
The ascetic asked to be buried at the Alexeyevsky Cemetery by the Moscow Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, which is near VDNKh.3 She also presented the church with the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which had been in her cell-room on Maroseika Street for many years. After her death, the icon was moved to the Church of the Tikhvin Icon, where it is still kept.
The schemanun reposed in the Lord on November 4, 1952—on the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. The coffin with the eldress’ body was carried out through the very window through which visitors used to enter her basement room on Maroseika Street. Even after her death she continued to give people prayerful support. In her lifetime, she often told her spiritual children:
“When you are in church, come to my grave after the service. Pray, and I will pray for you too. And then don’t forget to thank the Lord.”
She left a vivid mark in the lives of the people God had brought to her on her difficult life path. She set an example of humility and genuine Christian love, becoming a pillar of Orthodoxy of her time.
Schemanun Gabriela’s grave at the Moscow Alexeyevsky Cemetery by the Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God near VDNKh From Nadezhda Georgievna Chertulina’s reminiscences:
“My acquaintance with this schemanun, who possessed a rare power of faith and spirit and later became my spiritual mentor on the path of salvation, took place in 1936. I was only fourteen… She lived in the basement where my mother and I often visited her... I remember my mother often asking for her wise advice on what she should do in a particular life situation. How much my mother, and then I, found cordiality and sincere compassion for us sinners! What a great happiness it was for people in the world to find solace from such a mentor, especially during that difficult period! Mother Gabriela spoke for a long time with her spiritual children, called them to prayer and prayed with them, and before parting she always read the Hymn to the Theotokos three times in front of the Vladimir Icon of the Queen of Heaven… How many heartfelt prayers were performed here for salvation of the soul, how many tears were shed before the icon of the Most Holy Virgin! Within these holy walls every sufferer received comfort and God’s blessing; no one left unconsoled, but everyone found hope and protection… Undoubtedly, the righteous woman possessed the gift of clairvoyance… Let me give you an example… One day, Granny Lyda (Schemanun Gabriela), while watching the children play, said, looking at my cousin Pavel Shishkov, ‘The time will come when they go to confess their sins to him.’ So she foresaw the earthly path and spiritual feat of my cousin, now Father Raphael, Schema-Igumen at the Moscow St. Daniel’s Monastery.”
From the memories of Schema-Igumen Raphael (Shishkov; 1931–2018) about Schemanun Gabriela:
“Lydia Alexandrovna served in the altar at St. Nicholas Church in Klenniki from about 1917 and lived in the church house, in the courtyard, until her death… Schemanun Gabriela had a great influence on all our numerous relatives, on the younger generation. Not only did she solve our problems, but she brought us closer to God, to the Church, to The Jesus Prayer, and prayed for us. There are examples of her clairvoyance...”
She predicted his future priesthood.
Literature
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On Earth, As in Heaven: On Schemanun Gabriela (Alexandrova), a Spiritual Daughter of the Holy Righteous Alexei Mechev. Moscow: The Danilovsky Blagovestnik. 2006
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The Good Shepherd. Moscow, Palomnik publishing house. 2007
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Nun Juliana (Sokolova). “Biography of the Moscow Elder father Alexei Mechev”, On Earth, As in Heaven. Moscow, St. Daniel’s Monastery. 2017
