Read an essay on the topic of the death of the human soul in the story Portrait, Gogol for free. Topic: “The destruction of the human soul

In the first nine chapters of this book we have attempted to set out some of the basic aspects of the Orthodox Christian view of life after death, contrasting them with the widely held modern view, as well as with views emerging in the West which in some respects departed from ancient Christian teaching. In the West, the true Christian teaching about Angels, the airy kingdom of fallen spirits, about the nature of communication between people and spirits, about heaven and hell has been lost or distorted, as a result of which the “post-mortem” experiences that currently take place are completely misinterpreted. The only satisfactory answer to this false interpretation is Orthodox Christian teaching.

This book is too limited in scope to present the full Orthodox teaching about the other world and afterlife; our task was much more narrow - to present this teaching to the extent that would be sufficient to answer the questions raised by modern “posthumous” experiences, and to point the reader to those Orthodox texts where this teaching is contained. In conclusion, we here specifically give summary Orthodox teaching about the fate of the soul after death. This presentation consists of an article written by one of the last outstanding theologians of our time, Archbishop John (Maximovich) a year before his death. His words are printed in a narrower column, and explanations of his text, comments and comparisons are printed as usual.

Archbishop John (Maksimovich)

"Life after death"

I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century.

(Nicene Creed)

Our grief for our dying loved ones would have been boundless and unsuccessful if the Lord had not given us eternal life. Our life would be pointless if it ended in death. What benefit would then be from virtue and good deeds? Then those who say: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die” would be right. But man was created for immortality, and Christ, by His resurrection, opened the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven, eternal bliss for those who believed in Him and lived righteously. Our earthly life- This is preparation for the future life, and this preparation ends with death. It is appointed for men to die once, and after this the judgment (Heb. ix. 27). Then a person leaves all his earthly cares; his body disintegrates to rise again at the General Resurrection.

But his soul continues to live, without ceasing its existence for a single moment. Through many manifestations of the dead we have been given partial knowledge of what happens to the soul when it leaves the body. When vision with the physical eyes ceases, spiritual vision begins.

Addressing his dying sister in a letter, Bishop Theophan the Recluse writes: “After all, you will not die. your body will die, and you will go to another world, alive, remembering yourself and all the world around us recognizing" (" Soulful reading", August 1894).

After death, the soul is alive, and its feelings are heightened, not weakened. St. Ambrose of Milan teaches: “Since the soul continues to live after death, good remains, which is not lost with death, but increases. The soul is not held back by any obstacles posed by death, but is more active because it acts in its own sphere without any connection with a body that is rather a burden to her than a benefit” (St. Ambrose “Death as a Good”).

Rev. Abba Dorotheos summarizes the teaching of the early fathers on this issue: “For souls remember everything that was here, as the fathers say, words, deeds, and thoughts, and they cannot forget any of this then. And it is said in the psalm: On that day all his thoughts will perish (Ps. 145:4); this is said about the thoughts of this age, that is, about the structure, property, parents, children, and all this about how the soul leaves the body perishes. .. And what she did regarding virtue or passion, she remembers everything and none of it perishes for her... And, as I said, the soul does not forget anything that it did in this world, but remembers everything after leaving body, and, moreover, better and clearer, as if freed from this earthly body" (Abba Dorotheos. Teaching 12).

The great ascetic of the 5th century, Ven. John Cassian clearly formulates the active state of the soul after death in response to heretics who believed that the soul after death is unconscious: “Souls after separation from the body are not idle, they do not remain without any feeling; this is proven by the Gospel parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke. XVI, 19-31)... The souls of the dead not only do not lose their feelings, but do not lose their dispositions, that is, hope and fear, joy and sorrow, and something of what they expect for themselves at the universal judgment, they they are already beginning to anticipate... they become even more alive and zealously cleave to the glorification of God. And indeed, if, having considered the evidence of the Holy Scriptures about the nature of the soul itself, according to our understanding, we think a little, then wouldn’t it be, I don’t say, extreme stupidity, but. madness - to even slightly suspect that the most precious part of man (i.e., the soul), in which, according to the blessed Apostle, lies the image of God and the likeness (1 Cor. XI, 7; Col. III, 10), after the deposition of this bodily fatness , in which it is located in real life, as if becoming insensible - she who contains within herself all the power of reason, with her communion makes even the dumb and insensible substance of the flesh sensitive? It follows from this, and the property of the mind itself, requires that the spirit, after the addition of this fleshly plumpness, which is now weakening, brings its rational powers to a better state, restores them purer and more subtle, and does not lose them.”

Modern "post-mortem" experiences have made people incredibly aware of the consciousness of the soul after death, of the greater sharpness and speed of its mental abilities. But this awareness in itself is not enough to protect someone in such a state from manifestations of the out-of-body sphere; one must be familiar with ALL Christian teaching on this subject.

The Beginning of Spiritual Vision

Often this spiritual vision begins in dying people even before death, and while still seeing others and even talking with them, they see what others do not see.

This experience of dying people has been observed for centuries, and today such cases of dying people are not new. However, what was said above should be repeated here - in Chap. 1, part 2: only in the grace-filled visits of the righteous, when saints and angels appear, can we be sure that these are truly beings from another world. In ordinary cases, when a dying person begins to see deceased friends and relatives, this can only be a natural acquaintance with the invisible world into which he must enter; the true nature of the images of the deceased appearing at this moment is known, perhaps, only to God - and we do not need to delve into this.

It is clear that God gives this experience as the most obvious way to communicate to the dying person that the other world is not a completely unfamiliar place, that life there is also characterized by the love that a person has for his loved ones. His Eminence Theophan touchingly expresses this thought in words addressed to his dying sister: “Father and mother, brothers and sisters will meet you there. Bow to them and convey our greetings - and ask them to take care of us. Your children surround you with their joyful greetings. There You'll be better off than here."

Meeting with the Spirits

But upon leaving the body, the soul finds itself among other spirits, good and evil. Usually she is drawn to those who are closer to her in spirit, and if, while in the body, she was influenced by some of them, then she will remain dependent on them after leaving the body, no matter how disgusting they turned out to be upon meeting.

Here we are again seriously reminded that the other world, although it will not be completely alien to us, will not be simply nice meeting with loved ones “at the resort” of happiness, but will be a spiritual clash that experiences the disposition of our soul during life - whether it leaned more toward the Angels and saints through a virtuous life and obedience to the commandments of God, or, through negligence and unbelief, made itself more suitable for society of fallen spirits. The Most Reverend Theophan the Recluse said well (see the end of Chapter VI above) that even a test in aerial ordeals can turn out to be more of a test of temptations than an accusation.

Although the very fact of judgment in the afterlife is beyond any doubt - both the Private Judgment immediately after death and the Last Judgment at the end of the world - the external judgment of God will only be a response to the internal disposition that the soul has created in itself in relation to God and spiritual beings .

The first two days after death

During the first two days the soul enjoys relative freedom and can visit those places on earth that are dear to it, but on the third day it moves to other spheres.

Here Archbishop John is simply repeating the teaching known to the Church since the 4th century. Tradition says that the Angel who accompanied St. Macarius of Alexandria, said, explaining the church commemoration of the dead on the third day after death: “When on the third day there is an offering in the church, the soul of the deceased receives from the Angel guarding it relief in the grief that it feels from separation from the body, it receives because the doxology and the offering in the church of God was made for her, which is why good hope is born in her. For for two days the soul, together with the Angels who are with it, is allowed to walk on the earth where it wants. body loving, sometimes wanders near the house in which she was separated from the body, sometimes near the coffin in which the body was laid; and thus spends two days like a bird, looking for nests for itself. And a virtuous soul walks through those places in which it used to do the truth. On the third day, the One who rose from the dead commands, in imitation of His resurrection, every Christian soul to ascend to heaven to worship the God of all" ("Words of St. Macarius of Alexandria on the exodus of the souls of the righteous and sinners", "Christian reading", August 1831).

IN Orthodox rite burial of the departed saints John of Damascus vividly describes the state of the soul, parted from the body, but still on earth, powerless to communicate with loved ones whom it can see: “Alas for me, such a feat has a soul separated from the body! Alas, then there is a lot of tears, and there is no mercy yu! lifting up your eyes to the Angels, praying idlely: stretching out your hands to men, there is no one who can help you. short life“We ask for repose from Christ for the departed, and for our souls great mercy” (Sequence of the burial of worldly people, stichera of the self-accord, tone 2).

In a letter to the husband of her dying sister mentioned above, St. Feofan writes: “After all, the sister herself will not die; the body dies, but the face of the dying person remains. It only passes into other orders of life. She is not in the body that lies under the saints and is then taken out, and they do not hide her in the grave. She is in another in the same place as she is now. In the first hours and days she will be near you. But she won’t speak, but you can’t see her, but here... Keep this in mind. We, those who remain, cry for those who have departed. and it is immediately easier for them: that state is gratifying. Those who died and were then brought into the body found it a very uncomfortable place to live. She will feel the same there, but we are killed, as if something bad had happened to her. and, truly, marvels at this (“Soulful Reading,” August 1894).

It should be borne in mind that this description of the first two days after death provides a general rule that by no means covers all situations. Indeed, most of the passages from Orthodox literature quoted in this book do not fit this rule - and for a very obvious reason: the saints who were not at all attached to worldly things, lived in constant anticipation of the transition to another world, are not even attracted to places where they did good deeds, but immediately begin their ascent to heaven. Others, like K. Iskul, begin their ascent earlier than two days by the special permission of God's Providence. On the other hand, all modern “posthumous” experiences, no matter how fragmentary they are, do not fit this rule: the out-of-body state is only the beginning of the first period of the disembodied journey of the soul to the places of its earthly attachments, but none of these people spent time in a state of death long enough to even meet the two Angels who were to accompany them.

Some critics of Orthodox teaching about the afterlife find that such deviations from the general rule of “posthumous” experience are evidence of contradictions in Orthodox teaching, but such critics take everything too literally. The description of the first two days (and also the subsequent ones) is by no means some kind of dogma; it's just a model that only formulates the most general order"posthumous" experience of the soul. Many cases as in Orthodox literature, and in stories of modern experiences where the dead instantly appeared alive on the first day or two after death (sometimes in a dream), serve as examples of the truth of the fact that the soul does remain near the earth for some time. short time. (Genuine apparitions of the dead after this short period freedoms of the soul are much rarer and always happen by God's Will for some special purpose, and not by someone's own will. But by the third day, and often earlier, this period comes to an end.)

ordeals

At this time (on the third day) the soul passes through legions of evil spirits who block its path and accuse it of various sins into which they themselves have drawn it. According to various revelations, there are twenty such obstacles, the so-called “ordeals,” at each of which one or another sin is tortured; Having gone through one ordeal, the soul comes to the next. And only after successfully passing all of them can the soul continue its path without immediately being thrown into Gehenna. How terrible these demons and ordeals are can be seen from the fact that the Mother of God Herself, when Archangel Gabriel informed Her of the approach of death, prayed to His Son to deliver Her soul from these demons, and in response to Her prayers the Lord Jesus Christ Himself appeared from Heaven accept the soul of His Most Pure Mother and take Her to Heaven. (This is visibly depicted on the traditional Orthodox icon Dormition.) The third day is truly terrible for the soul of the deceased, and for this reason it especially needs prayers.

The sixth chapter contains a number of patristic and hagiographical texts about ordeals, and there is no need to add anything else here. However, here too we can note that the descriptions of the ordeals correspond to the model of torture to which the soul is subjected after death, and individual experience may differ significantly. Minor details such as the number of ordeals are, of course, secondary in comparison with the main fact that soon after death the soul is indeed subjected to judgment (Private Court), where the result of the “invisible war” that it waged (or did not wage) on earth against fallen spirits is summed up .

Continuing the letter to the husband of his dying sister, Bishop Theophan the Recluse writes: “Those who have departed soon begin the feat of moving through the ordeal. She needs help there! - Stand then in this thought, and you will hear her cry to you: “Help!” - That’s what you need you should direct all your attention and all your love to her. I think the most truly evidence of love will be if, from the moment of the soul’s departure, you, leaving the worries about the body to others, step away yourself and, secluded where possible, immerse yourself in prayer for her in her new life. condition, about her unexpected needs. Having started this way, be in a constant cry to God for help, for six weeks - and beyond. In Theodora's story - the bag from which the Angels took to get rid of the tax collectors - these were prayers. her elder. Your prayers will be the same... Don’t forget to do this... Behold love!"

Critics of Orthodox teaching often misunderstand the “bag of gold” from which at the ordeals the Angels “paid for the debts” of Blessed Theodora; it is sometimes mistakenly compared to the Latin concept of the "extraordinary merit" of saints. Here too, such critics read Orthodox texts too literally. What is meant here is nothing more than the prayers for the departed of the Church, in particular, the prayers of the holy and spiritual father. The form in which this is described - there is hardly even a need to talk about it - is metaphorical.

The Orthodox Church considers the doctrine of ordeals so important that it mentions them in many services (see some quotes in the chapter on ordeals). In particular, the Church especially expounds this teaching to all its dying children. In the “Canon for the Exodus of the Soul,” read by a priest at the bedside of a dying member of the Church, there are the following troparia:

“The aerial prince of the rapist, the tormentor, the upholder of terrible paths and the vain tester of these words, grant me permission to pass without restraint, leaving the earth” (canto 4).

“Holy Angels commend me to sacred and honorable hands, O Lady, for having covered myself with those wings, I do not see the dishonorable and stinking and gloomy image of demons” (canto 6).

“Having given birth to the Lord Almighty, I have cast away the bitter ordeals of the ruler of the world far from me; I want to die forever, but I glorify You forever, Holy Mother of God” (canto 8).

So dying Orthodox Christian is being prepared in the words of the Church for the upcoming trials.

Forty days

Then, having successfully gone through the ordeal and worshiped God, the soul visits the heavenly abodes and hellish abysses for another 37 days, not yet knowing where it will remain, and only on the fortieth day is it assigned a place until the resurrection of the dead.

Of course, there is nothing strange in the fact that, having gone through the ordeal and done away with earthly things forever, the soul must become acquainted with the present. other world, in one part of which she will remain forever. According to the revelation of the Angel, St. Macarius of Alexandria, the special church commemoration of the departed on the ninth day after death (in addition to the general symbolism of the nine ranks of angels) is due to the fact that until now the soul was shown the beauties of paradise and only after that, during the rest of the forty-day period, it is shown the torment and horrors of hell, before on the fortieth day she is assigned a place where she will await the resurrection of the dead and the Last Judgment. And here, too, these numbers give a general rule or model of post-mortem reality and, undoubtedly, not all the dead complete their journey in accordance with this rule. We know that Theodora actually completed her visit to hell precisely on the fortieth day - by earthly time standards.

State of mind before the Last Judgment

Some souls, after forty days, find themselves in a state of anticipation of eternal joy and bliss, while others are in fear of eternal torment, which will fully begin after the Last Judgment. Before this, changes in the state of souls are still possible, especially thanks to the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice for them (commemoration at the Liturgy) and other prayers.

The teaching of the Church about the state of souls in Heaven and hell before the Last Judgment is set out in more detail in the words of St. Mark of Ephesus.

The benefits of prayer, both public and private, for souls in hell are described in the lives of holy ascetics and in the patristic writings.

In the life of the martyr Perpetua (3rd century), for example, the fate of her brother was revealed to her in the image of a reservoir filled with water, which was located so high that she could not reach it from the dirty, unbearably hot place where he was imprisoned. Thanks to her fervent prayer throughout the whole day and night, he was able to reach the reservoir, and she saw him in a bright place. From this she understood that he was freed from punishment ("Lives of the Saints", February 1).

There are many similar cases in the lives of Orthodox saints and ascetics. If one is prone to excessive literalism regarding these visions, then one should probably say that, of course, the forms that these visions take (usually in a dream) are not necessarily “photographs” of the position in which the soul is in another world, but rather images that convey the spiritual truth about the improvement of the state of the soul through the prayers of those remaining on earth.

Prayer for the departed

How important commemoration is at the Liturgy can be seen from the following cases. Even before the glorification of Saint Theodosius of Chernigov (1896), the hieromonk (the famous elder Alexy from the Goloseevsky monastery of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, who died in 1916), who was dressing the relics, got tired, sitting at the relics, dozed off and saw the Saint in front of him, who said to him: “Thank you for your work for me. I also ask you, when you serve the Liturgy, to mention my parents”; and he gave their names (priest Nikita and Maria). Before the vision, these names were unknown. A few years after canonization in the monastery where St. Theodosius was the abbot; his own memorial was found, which confirmed these names and confirmed the truth of the vision. “How can you, saint, ask for my prayers, when you yourself stand before the Heavenly Throne and give to people God's grace“- asked the hieromonk. “Yes, that’s true,” answered St. Theodosius, “but the offering at the Liturgy is stronger than my prayers.”

Therefore, memorial services and home prayer for the deceased are useful, as are good deeds done in their memory, alms or donations to the Church. But commemoration at the Divine Liturgy is especially useful for them. There were many apparitions of the dead and other events that confirmed how useful commemoration of the dead is. Many who died in repentance, but were unable to demonstrate it during their lifetime, were freed from torment and received peace. In the Church, prayers are constantly offered for the repose of the departed, and in the kneeling prayer at Vespers on the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit there is a special petition “for those held in hell.”

St. Gregory the Great, answering the question in his Discourses, “Is there anything that could be useful to souls after death,” teaches: “The holy sacrifice of Christ, our saving Sacrifice, brings great benefit to souls even after death, provided , that their sins can be forgiven in a future life. Therefore, the souls of the deceased sometimes ask that the Liturgy be served for them... Naturally, it is safer to do for ourselves during our lifetime what we hope others will do for us after death. to make an exodus free, than to seek freedom in chains. Therefore, we must despise this world with all our hearts, as if its glory had already passed, and daily offer to God the sacrifice of our tears, when we sacrifice His sacred Flesh and Blood alone. this sacrifice has the power to save the soul from eternal death, for it mysteriously represents to us the death of the Only Begotten Son" (IV; 57, 60).

St. Gregory gives several examples of the appearance of the dead alive with a request to serve the Liturgy for their repose or giving thanks for this; once also, a prisoner, whom his wife considered dead and for whom she ordered the Liturgy on certain days, returned from captivity and told her how on some days he was freed from chains - precisely on those days when the Liturgy was performed for him (IV; 57, 59).

Protestants usually believe that church prayers for the dead are incompatible with the need to find salvation first in this life: “If you can be saved by the Church after death, then why bother struggling or seeking faith in this life? Let us eat, drink and be merry.” ... Of course, no one who holds such views has ever achieved salvation through church prayers, and it is obvious that such an argument is very superficial and even hypocritical. The prayer of the Church cannot save someone who does not want to be saved or who has never made any effort for this during his lifetime. In a certain sense, we can say that the prayer of the Church or individual Christians for the deceased is another result of the life of this person: they would not have prayed for him if he had not done anything during his life that could inspire such prayer after his death.

St. Mark of Ephesus also discusses the issue of church prayer for the dead and the relief it provides them, citing as an example the prayer of St. Gregory Dvoeslov about the Roman Emperor Trajan - a prayer inspired by the good deed of this pagan emperor.

What can we do for the dead?

Anyone who wants to show their love for the dead and give them real help, Maybe in the best possible way make this a prayer for them and especially a remembrance at the Liturgy, when the particles taken for the living and the dead are immersed in the Blood of the Lord with the words: “Wash, Lord, the sins of those who were remembered here with His honest Blood, with the prayers of Your saints.”

We cannot do anything better or more for the departed than to pray for them, remembering them at the Liturgy. They always need this, especially in those forty days when the soul of the deceased follows the path to eternal settlements. The body then feels nothing: it does not see the gathered loved ones, does not smell the smell of flowers, does not hear funeral speeches. But the soul feels the prayers offered for it, is grateful to those who offer them, and is spiritually close to them.

Oh, relatives and friends of the deceased! Do for them what is necessary and what is in your power, use your money not for external decoration of the coffin and grave, but to help those in need, in memory of your deceased loved ones, at the Church where prayers are offered for them. Be merciful to the deceased, take care of their souls. The same path lies before you, and how we will then want to be remembered in prayer! Let us ourselves be merciful to the departed.

As soon as someone has died, immediately call a priest or inform him so that he can read the “Prayers for the Exodus of the Soul,” which are supposed to be read over all Orthodox Christians after their death. Try, as far as possible, to have the funeral service in church and to have the Psalter read over the deceased before the funeral service. The funeral service should not be elaborately arranged, but it is absolutely necessary that it be complete, without shortening; then think not about your own convenience, but about the deceased, with whom you are parting forever. If there are several dead people in the church at the same time, do not refuse if they offer you the funeral service to be common to everyone. It is better for the funeral service to be served simultaneously for two or more deceased, when the prayer of the gathered loved ones will be more fervent, than for several funeral services to be served sequentially and the services, due to lack of time and energy, be shortened, because every word of the prayer for the deceased is similar a drop of water for the thirsty. Immediately take care of the sorokoust, that is, daily commemoration at the Liturgy for forty days. Usually in churches where services are performed daily, the deceased who were buried in this way are remembered for forty days or more. But if the funeral service was in a church where there are no daily services, the relatives themselves should take care and order the magpie there where there is a daily service. It is also good to send a donation in memory of the deceased to monasteries, as well as to Jerusalem, where unceasing prayer is offered in holy places. But the forty-day commemoration should begin immediately after death, when the soul especially needs prayer help, and therefore the commemoration should begin in the nearest place where there is a daily service.

Let us take care of those who have gone to another world before us, so as to do for them everything we can, remembering that the blessings of mercy are such that there will be mercy (Matthew V, 7).

Resurrection of the Body

One day this entire corruptible world will come to an end and the eternal Kingdom of Heaven will come, where the souls of the redeemed, reunited with their resurrected bodies, immortal and incorruptible, will abide forever with Christ. Then the partial joy and glory which even souls in Heaven now know will be succeeded by the fullness of the joy of the new creation for which man was created; but those who did not accept the salvation brought to earth by Christ will suffer forever - along with their resurrected bodies - in hell. In the final chapter of "An Exact Exposition" Orthodox faith"St. John of Damascus describes well this final state of the soul after death:

“We also believe in the resurrection of the dead. For it will truly be, there will be a resurrection of the dead. But, speaking of the resurrection, we imagine the resurrection of bodies. For the resurrection is the secondary raising of the fallen; souls, being immortal, how will they be resurrected? For if death defined as the separation of the soul from the body, then resurrection is, of course, a secondary union of soul and body, and a secondary exaltation of a resolved and dead living being. So, the body itself, decaying and resolving, will itself rise incorruptible, for He who in the beginning produced it. from the dust of the earth, can resurrect it again, after it has again, according to the saying of the Creator, been resolved and returned back to the earth from which it was taken...

Of course, if only one soul has practiced deeds of virtue, then it alone will be crowned. And if she alone was constantly in pleasure, then in fairness she alone would be punished. But since the soul did not strive for either virtue or vice separately from the body, then in fairness both will receive reward together...

So, we will be resurrected, since the souls will again be united with bodies that become immortal and strip away corruption, and we will appear at the terrible judgment seat of Christ; and the devil, and his demons, and his man, that is, the Antichrist, and wicked people and sinners will be consigned to eternal fire, not material, like the fire that is with us, but such as God can know about. And having done good, like the sun, they will shine together with the Angels in eternal life, together with our Lord Jesus Christ, always looking at Him and being visible by Him, and enjoying the continuous joy flowing from Him, glorifying Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit to the endless ages of ages. . Amen" (pp. 267-272).

Lesson objectives:

Identify the main idea of the story;

Learn to see creative method the artist, understand and feel his worldview;

To instill interest in Gogol the writer, Gogol the personality in the history of Russian culture.

Methodological goal: demonstration of the method of text analysis as a means of developing and improving the ability to perceive, interpret and evaluate a work.

Equipment: portrait, multimedia, work.

Lesson progress:

Teacher: "Portrait" - fantastic story. We have already read “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (O. Wilde) and “Shagreen Skin” (O. De Balzac). These works are similar in many ways. But our task today is to comprehend the influence of art on humans. The writer believed that art is called upon to serve man, turning his heart to God. But art must simultaneously fight against Evil, against forces hostile to God. The question that tormented Gogol sounds something like this: “Is an artist capable of doing everything for the victory of Good over Evil in the human soul?”

“Portrait” is not just one of the “Petersburg Stories”, which talks about the purpose of the writer and his creation, - it is a work where Gogol’s view of the meaning and tasks of art and the Artist himself is most fully expressed. What seems fantastic, supernatural to Gogol himself?

Teacher: In "Portrait" the power of money is embodied in the image of the moneylender Petromichali, his money, his terrible portrait. The fantastic becomes ordinary.

When we read the second part of the story, we see Chartkov and his way of life more clearly; he seems to rise above the space where the events take place.

(Students easily navigate Chartkov’s environment, identifying more and more new sides of his personality.)

Student Assistant: The young artist Chartkov finds a mysterious portrait in which part of the life of the devil himself is retained, and the image of this devil-usurer appears against the backdrop of real St. Petersburg.

Teacher: The devil and "diabolism" in Gogol's works. This topic is already familiar to us. It happened in “Evenings...”, in “May Night...”, in “Vie”. We are now concerned about something else: the devil - devil - devilry - Chartkov's character traits (Chartkov - Chertkov - facial features - devil - devilish trait). Please comment on this thread. What associations do you have as you comprehend it?

Student Assistant: We see Chartkov, who found a bundle of money and began to change before our eyes. Let's look at the text:

“Now he had in his power everything that he had previously looked at with envious eyes, which he had admired from afar, swallowing his saliva. Oh, how zealous began to beat within him when he just thought about it! Dress in a fashionable tailcoat, break the fast after a long fast, hire get yourself a nice apartment, go straight away to the theatre, to the pastry shop, to... and so on..."

After all, “he went out into the street alive, lively, in Russian expression: line not brother. He walked around with a gogol, pointing his lorgnette at everyone."

Then he's the same damn slipped past his professor, “to which the stunned professor stood motionless on the bridge for a long time, depicting a question mark on his face.”

Teacher: Why did Chartkov “sneak” past the teacher?

Student Assistant: Chartkov remembered the professor’s instructions: “Look, brother, you have talent; it would be a sin if you ruin it... Be careful that you don’t become a fashionable painter...”

Teacher: How else does he use the money? (He succumbs to their evil charm, betrays his art, begins to please rich customers, and loses his moral purity.)

Teacher : How do you understand the expression “moral purity”? (Chartkov becomes a “practical” person.)

Teacher: Is "practical man" a bad thing? (Yes, for Chartkov this is death, because the artist must be free, he must be a dreamer, a visionary, perhaps, in the opinion of those uninitiated in art, somewhat frivolous. He begins to worship mammon (the Syriac word is “wealth.” Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24).)

Teacher:

- How was the portrait of the moneylender painted?

How does the fall of an artist who painted a portrait of a moneylender happen? (He is overcome by envy of his student.)

Why is there no holiness in his paintings? (All figures have devilish eyes.)

How does he relate to his family?

Why didn't he burn the portrait?

(Students retell in detail how the artist experienced the death of his wife,daughter, young son. Particularly interesting is the episode of the artist’s “resurrection” after many years of suffering. The images of the baby and the Blessed Mother, created by the artist, lead students to understand the ideaGogol: “Whoever has talent within himself must have a purer soul than anyone else. Much will be forgiven to another, but it will not be forgiven to him.")

Conclusions:

A true artist, talent is from God.

The power of money that corrupts the soul, the doom of art where the cult of profit triumphs - this is the main theme of the story.

The moneylender is a product of the banker century, the 19th century; he knows no other subject than money. He lends money on interest, he sells money, receiving money for money.

People go to him in the hope that gold will bring happiness (“you cannot believe in God and mammon”).

I realized the terrible cost of losses old master: "Who has talent within himself.he must have the purest soul of all."

Teacher: What does Gogol teach? (A spiritually pure person can create beautiful and good art, kind person. Gogol seems to be reading a sermon about purification, about devotion to the great.)

Yes, that's right. Nikolai Vasilyevich always spoke about the role of asceticism. An ascetic is a person who has taken on hard work, often thankless, and hardships in the name of a great goal, or in the name of loyalty to his dream, a noble idea.

The artist - the author of the portrait of a moneylender - dreamed of a portrait as a model of the “spirit of darkness”, in which he reflected “all the most difficult things that oppress a person”... Did he have the right to depict similar phenomena in the world around us? We know what came of it.

Student Assistant: Every true artist should have freedom of choice. Gogol, apparently, himself believes that the artist has the right to depict everything as he sees, understands, feels. But at the same time the writer says: "Who has concluded within himselftalent, he must have the purest soul of all."

Teacher: What about Chartkov? (He is pitiful. Gogol says about him: “all his feelings and impulses turned to evil.” The “merchant” age, the banker age generously pays Chartkov for his services, rewards him with gold and a uniform. He is rich, famous, they write about him the newspapers are corrupt scribblers, he is in office... But particle by particle, Chartkov is losing his talent and soul in return.)

Quote:

“Glory cannot give pleasure to those who stole it and did not deserve it; it produces constant awe only in those worthy of it. And therefore his [Chartkov’s] feelings and impulses turned to gold. Gold became his passion, ideal, fear, pleasure, goal ... He began to become boring, inaccessible to everything except gold, a causeless miser, a dissolute collector..."

Teacher: But something had to wake him up if there was anything human left in him? (Yes, there was one event. He came to the Academy of Arts to give his opinion on a painting by a Russian artist sent from Italy.)

Teacher: Let's look at the text.

Quote:

"Pure, immaculate, beautiful like a bride stood before hima work of art by the artist... Involuntary tears were ready to roll down the faces of the visitors surrounding the painting... Chartkov stood motionless with his mouth open in front of the painting... The whole composition, his whole life was awakened in an instant, as if youth had returned to him, like as if extinguished sparks of talent flared up again. The bandage suddenly came off his eyes. God! And destroy so mercilessly best years of my youth..."

Teacher: So, what feelings does Chartkov experience? (Gogol first speaks of emotional excitement, of the terrible torment that the hero experiences. But he is already spoiled by money, “freedom” and, as the writer notes, “he was overcome by terrible envy, envy to the point of rage, bile appeared on his face... ")

Teacher: But why does Chartkov need a “fallen angel”? (Probably Chartkov compares himself to a humiliated angel cast down from heaven, without admitting to himself that there is more demonic in him than angelic. Perhaps Chartkov is given last try to remain human in this world... “The fallen angel” is a symbol of the fall of not only the hero, but also the death of his soul.)

Teacher: What associations do you have with the image of an angel? (Of course, with the demon portrayed by A. Pushkin, and Gogol himself speaks about this.)

The assistant student reads A. Pushkin’s poem “The Demon”:

In those days when I was new

And the glances of the maidens, and the noise of the oak trees,

And at night the nightingale sings, -

When elevated feelings

Freedom, glory and love

And inspired arts

The blood was so excited, -

Hours of hope and pleasure

With melancholy suddenly autumn,

Then some evil genius

He began to visit me secretly.

Our meetings were sad:

His smile, wonderful look,

His sarcastic speeches

Cold poison was poured into the soul.Inexhaustible slander

He tempted Providence;

He called with a beautiful dream;

He despised inspiration;

He did not believe in love, freedom;

Looked at life mockingly-

And nothing in all of nature

He didn't want to bless. (l823)

Teacher: The word can not only destroy, but also protect. Gogol's entire philosophy is in his Words. And they are next to us, we just have to listen by opening the book. Gogol is an artist, Gogol is a personality, and life has confirmed this. Learning patience and work from Gogol is learning to live. So what, according to Gogol, is great power art and the purpose of the Artist?

(An evil soul cannot bring beauty into the world, because Good and Evil are incompatible. After his death, the moneylender received a material shell in the form of a portrait and continued his dark deeds among people - this was terrible crime the artist who created this image. Gogol believes that the Artist does not dare to betray his calling for the sake of money, wealth, if he wants his art to serve man. "But someone who has talent within himself is purer than allmust be a soul. Much will be forgiven to another, but it will not be forgiven to him.")

Teacher: The question of the purpose of the Artist greatly tormented Gogol. All his life this writer was looking for an opportunity to serve the Fatherland and more than once doubted the choice of his destiny. There were several reasons for this: the writer’s responsibility for his work, faith in the powerful forces of art’s influence on people and, of course, Gogol’s deep religiosity. However, we will talk about this in more detail in high school. Now let's turn our attention to homework.

Homework. The teacher suggests several topics for essays on choice:

- “Gogol’s word in the story “Portrait”;

- "Chartkov - hero or anti-hero?";

- “The image of a moneylender in the story “Portrait”;

- "Antithesis as a literary device in creating the image of Chartkov."

MBOU Erakhtur Secondary School

Methodological development of an open lesson on literature"Death human soul in the story “Ionych” by A.P. Chekhov"

using technology

"Developing critical thinking through reading and writing"

Buryakov Oleg Nikolaevich,

Russian language teacher

and literature

The death of the human soul in the story “Ionych” by A.P. Chekhov

Methodological development of an open lesson on literature “The Death of the Human Soul in the story “Ionych” by A.P. Chekhov” using the technology “Development of critical thinking through reading and writing”

Discipline: Literature

Number of hours: 2 hours

Lesson topic: The death of the human soul in the story “Ionych” by A.P. Chekhov.

Type of lesson: combined lesson using the technology “Development of critical thinking through reading and writing.”

Techniques used: “Writing in a circle”, “Mosaic”, “I know - I want to know - I found out”, “Double diary”, “Composing a syncwine”.

Goals: didactic (educational) - introduce the stages of the writer’s life and work, reveal artistic originality the story “Ionych”, the tragedy of everyday life - everyday existence and the spiritual impoverishment of the individual in the story;

developing – continue to develop analytical skills and abilities work of art, development of a culture of oral and written speech, development of characterization skills literary hero;

educational - moral education.

Method: commented reading in combination with the heuristic method, messages to schoolchildren, elements of linguistic analysis.

General competencies:

· ability to work with information flow;

· ability to ask questions;

· ability to solve a problem;

· ability to develop own opinion;

· ability to express one’s thoughts;

· ability to argue your point of view;

· Ability to collaborate and work in a group

Interdisciplinary connections: literature, Russian language, history.

Providing classes: visual aids, portrait of the writer A.P. Chekhov, text of the story “Ionych”, lesson presentation, interactive whiteboard, photographs documents

Handouts: supporting logical diagram for the story “Ionych”, dictionary of literary terms, illustrations for the story, felt-tip pens, pencils, notebooks, pens, drawings.

Literature: text of the story “Ionych”; textbooks: E.S. Rogover “Russian Literature of the 19th Century”, V.Yu. Lebedev “Russian Literature of the 19th Century”, dictionaries, “Russian Writers in Tomsk”, according to A. Bychkov “The Course of Melikhovo Life”, etc.

Regulatory and technical documentation: KTP, lesson plan.

Stages of the lesson:

Name of the lesson stage

Name of technology elements

Student activities

Teacher activities

Time

Organizational moment

Preparation of the workplace

Checking the guys' readiness to work

2´

Motivation

Recording lesson topics and statements in notebooks

Opening remarks teacher

3´

"Challenge" stage

Technique “I know - I want to know - I found out”

Work in groups

Activity correction

14´

Stage "Implementation"

Vocabulary work

Recording dictionary words

Dictation from the teacher

1´

Reception "Mosaic"

Answers to the questions asked

Teacher asks questions

10´

"Writing in a Circle"

Group work

Help for students

3´

Problem situation

Situation analysis

4´

Conversation

Analysis of Chapter I

Analysis of Chapter II

Question and answer

10´

5´

Technique “Thin and thick questions”

Analysis of Chapter IV

The teacher edits the work

10´

Reception "Cluster"

Scheme

Help with work

5´

Stage "Reflection"

Technique "Essay - Sinkwine"

Review of used literature

10´

Creative work (drawings)

5´

Summing up

Lesson Analysis

3´

Homework

The essay is a miniature.

Teacher's explanation

3´

Lesson scenario

Org moment.

Introductory speech by the teacher.

1.Message of the topic, purpose of the lesson.

2. A few words about the author: A.P. Chekhov’s artistic talent was formed in the 80s, during the era of revaluation of spiritual values. All of Chekhov's work is a call for spiritual liberation and emancipation of man. The writer does not preach; the author's voice in his works is open. He knew how to grab big picture life down to its smallest details. His aphorism: “Brevity is the sister of talent.” His stories contain the theme of the spiritual impoverishment of man, especially in the story “Ionych.” We will try to make sure of this today. But first, let's talk about the author A.P. Chekhov and his work.

"Challenge" stage

Technique “I know - I want to know - I found out.” Take a piece of paper and write what you know, what you want to know (work in groups, fill out table 1, 2 columns). So, you know what? (students from each group say what they know about Chekhov). What do you want to know? (read out their notes from the 2nd column). And now I suggest you read the text, which contains biographical materials, as well as some information about the work of A.P. Chekhov (students get acquainted with the text, write down new information in column No. 3). At this time, the teacher corrects this stage of work.

What new things have you learned from Chekhov’s biography, name his works that you have not heard of before, listen to the message “Chekhov in Tomsk”

Passing through Tomsk. A.P. Chekhov.

Chekhov visited Tomsk during his trip to Sakhalin in 1890. The difficult and dangerous journey was undertaken in order to attract public attention to the “convict island”. But there was another goal. Chekhov felt the need for a qualitative renewal of his life experience, an enrichment of his understanding of the world. Tomsk initially appeared in Chekhov's road plans. Tomsk residents also had an idea about him. The newspapers reported about the premiere of the play “Ivanov”. The newspapers reported: “On the morning of May 16, the famous Russian writer A.P. Chekhov, author of the drama “Ivanov,” arrived in Tomsk from Omsk. The meeting with Tomsk was not particularly joyful. The cold was terrible, it was freezing and snowing, so I had to take off my sheepskin coat and felt boots only at the Rossiya Hotel. Here the writer was much annoyed by visits from representatives of the local intelligentsia. As a result, a very unflattering opinion has developed about Tomsk residents: “Tomsk is a boring city. Judging by the smart people who came to my room to worship, then the people here are the most boring,” “There’s a lot of dirt in Tomsk.” Chekhov's main occupation during his stay in Tomsk was processing road records. In Tomsk, 7 of the 9 essays that made up the cycle from “Siberia” were written. In general, Tomsk made a bleak impression on him: “Tomsk is a boring city, not sober, beautiful women Not at all, Asian lawlessness. It is remarkable because governors die in it.” “Tomsk is not worth a penny. In a letter to his family, Chekhov writes: “My God, how rich Russia is. good people! If it weren’t for the cold that robs Siberia of summer, then Siberia would be the richest and happiest land.”

Have you become interested in the life and work of A.P. Chekhov? Worthy of attention?

Stage "Implementation"

So let's move on to creativity, i.e. to the topic of our lesson and we will try to reveal, using the example of the analysis of the story “Ionych” moral issues works of an amazing writer.

Vocabulary work:

Moral - internal spiritual qualities that guide a person, ethical standards, rules of behavior determined by these qualities.

Degradation – gradual deterioration, decline of a person.

Reception "Mosaic" - knowledge of the text is tested.

Linguistic analysis text of the story “Ionych” (each group works on the issues that are indicated in the presentation on the next slide).

Questions. (Based on the text read in advance).

· What is central theme story? (Protest against vulgarity, philistinism, spiritual philistinism, self-degeneration of man).

· What is main idea(idea) of the work? (It consists of the call “Take care of the person within you!”)

3. “Writing in a circle” technique. (Each group member has a piece of paper and a pen, everyone writes down at least one sentence on given topic, then passes the sheet to his neighbor, who must continue his thoughts).

Teacher's word.

It is necessary to analyze the first sentences with which the story begins, because... they carry the most weight in a given paragraph. The talented and intelligent Turkin family is the adornment of the city of S. It would seem that this is so. But is this true? Let's re-read the beginning of the text again. Parsing first sentence.

(When in provincial town S. visitors complained about boredom and monotony of life), [then local residents, as if making excuses, said], (that, on the contrary, S. is very good), (that S. has a library, theater, club, there are balls) , (that, finally, there are smart, interesting, pleasant families), (with whom you can make acquaintances). And they pointed to the Turkin family as the most educated and talented.

First the subordinate clauses, then the main clause. This construction is not accidental. It draws attention to the fact that life in the city of S. is boring and monotonous. Local residents also think so, “as if making excuses.” (IN literary work ideologically – moral value represent even such seemingly insignificant artistic elements, like the positions of main and subordinate clauses, word order, use of introductory clauses),

We are presented with the situation in which the young doctor Startsev found himself (Chekhov’s surnames, as a rule, are “telling”).

Problem situation: What does the name of this hero make you think about?

What are the views and character of this person?

To solve this problem, turn to text analysis.

Analysis of Chapter I.

So, what is known about Startsev is that he was recently appointed as a zemstvo doctor.

Vocabulary work:

Zemsky - this means a local form of medical care for the population in pre-revolutionary Russia.

In the city of S. he was considered an intelligent and hardworking person. Pay attention to the artistic detail (reading the last sentence of paragraph 3 of the story). “He walked slowly (his

he didn’t have horses yet), and he hummed all the time.” What do you think our hero is like? (The hero is healthy, walking gives him pleasure and causes good mood. He is full of strength and cheerful). Does the introductory sentence alarm you, i.e. artistic detail: “He didn’t have his own horses”? This note is especially for you, the readers, and what will happen next.

Startsev, at the invitation of Ivan Petrovich Turkin, meets his family.

What novels does Vera Iosifovna Turkina write? (“When Vera Iosifovna closed her notebook, they were silent for about five minutes and listened to “Luchinushka,” which the choir sang, and this song conveyed what was not in the novel and what happens in life.”) How is Ekaterina Ivanovna’s playing the piano presented in the story? What special did you notice? (“Ekaterina Ivanovna sat down and hit the keys with both hands; and then immediately struck again with all her might, and again, and again”).

Give examples of Russian words that Ivan Petrovich distorts in his speech. What is he famous for? (“Bolshinsky, not bad, thank you.”)

He tells jokes, jokes, and offers his guests, including Startsev, funny tasks. What's the conclusion? (We see through artistic details, that in the city of S. there is a boring, monotonous life. In the most “pleasant” family, the people are mediocre, untalented, and no different from the rest of the residents. Vera Iosifovna writes novels about what does not happen in life. Ekaterina Ivanovna does not invest a single drop into her game true feeling, Ivan Petrovich uses a long-memorized set of words).What about Startsev? (and he was pleased with the evening spent at the Turkins’, everything was “not bad”).

Analysis of chapter 2.

More than a year has passed.What has changed this year? (Startsev was in labor and loneliness. And here he is again with the Turkins, where he fell in love with Ekaterina Ivanovna).

Depict graphically: What kind of love it was.

Reckless Fake Frivolous

Feigned This is not love Ridiculous

Conclusion: “thanks to” such love, the heroes part. Kotik leaves for Moscow, and Startsev already “has a couple of horses and his coachman Panteleimon in a velvet vest.”

Analysis of chapter 4.

"Thick and thin questions" technique.

Each group in a chain asks questions. Thin questions - a one-word answer, thick questions require reflection. Sample questions:

How many years have passed? (4 years)

What changes have occurred in the Turkin family?

Has Dmitry Ionych’s attitude towards them changed?

Continue the thought: “If the most talented people there are mediocre people in the whole city... then what should the city be like!”

Draw a conclusion from Chapter 4. (Cut off last path to love. Nothing delays the degradation (dictionary word), the loss of human personality, moral (dictionary word) values.

Analysis of chapter 5.

Reception "Double Diary"

The hero at the beginning of the story

The hero at the end of the story

Startsev loved to talk about the hospital, there was a noble goal - to help the sufferers, served the people ideally, sublimely, humanity moves forward, abolishes the death penalty, you need to work, treated for free, kind to the sick, attentive, Doctor Startsev.

Just like everyone else, just Ionych, not a trace of love, the death of a person during his lifetime, spiritually and morally devastated, moral decline, put on weight, grew fat, receives patients hastily, suffered from shortness of breath, a troika with bells, counts yellow and green rubles in the evenings. puts 70 into the account, plump, red, has an estate, two houses, greed has overcome, throat is swollen with fat, irritable character, unpleasant voice, lonely, not interested in anything.

Creative work: draw Doctor Startsev and Ionych. Protection based on drawings.

Reception "Cluster"

To understand how the death of the human soul occurs, place the main milestones in Startsev’s life path

Draw graphically the logical connection between the main stages of life.

Life career the evolution of tastes, the development and finale of his romance with Ekaterina Ivanovna, the life path of those people who surround Startsev, the path from Startsev to Ionych.

Conclusion: Is Startsev's image typical? Is this topic topical – the degradation of a person’s personality? What happened to the hero? (the moral fall of a person. It all started with minor shortcomings of the hero: the desire for profit, insufficient sensitivity to people, laziness and unwillingness to fight vulgarity)

The soulless life to which Startsev doomed himself excluded him from the number of living people, depriving him of the ability to think and feel. If a person is not capable of resistance, the death of the human soul occurs - the most terrible retribution. Protection from active life turns into a disaster for Startsev; he is equal to the Turkins, immoral and soulless people.

A person’s personal responsibility for his life, we must fight the mud environment, resist vulgarity, laziness, philistinism, selfishness.

Stage "Reflection".

Lesson summary. ("Reflection"). Technique “Composition of Cinquain” (Cinquain is a blank verse consisting of 5 lines in which students express their attitude).

I line

One keyword, sentence.

II line

Adjectives characterizing line I.

III line

Verbs, actions.

IV line

Students express their attitude to the information received in the lesson.

V line

Expressing your feelings and thoughts.

Review of literature used in the lesson.

Homework:

Write a miniature essay “Take care of the person in you.”

Literature

E.S. Rogover. Russian literature of the 19th century. Moscow, 2008

Yu.V. Lebedev. Russian literature of the 19th century. Moscow 2009

Russian literature of the 19th century. Ed. G.N. Ionina. Moscow 2003

M.P. Gromov. Chekhov. Moscow, 1993 (ZhZL Series)

G.A. Bialy. Chekhov and Russian realism. Leningrad, 1999

Death of the human soul

N.V. Gogol’s story “Portrait” tells us about the life and fate of two talented artists. The main character can be considered Andrei Petrovich Chartkov, since the only one the author gave him a name. His creative path is described in the first part of the work, and the fate of the second artist, described in the second part, sheds light on the circumstances associated with the portrait of one Moneylender, both during his life and after bringing only troubles to people.

In this small work the author used his favorite elements of mysticism, and also revealed the theme of difficult life choice, which gets in everyone's way. Chartkov A.P. was a talented but poor artist who had difficulty making ends meet. Sometimes he didn’t have enough money for an extra candle so as not to sit in the dark in the evening, and his working conditions left much to be desired. In addition, Chartkov had to pay rent to the owner, which further complicated his situation.

It so happened that one day, with his last two kopecks, he purchased an unusual portrait of an old man of Asian appearance who looked

from canvas as if alive. The portrait was unfinished, but unusually well painted. Framed main character I found a bag of money with the inscription “1000 chervonets” on it. This circumstance made him happy, as he was able to pay off his debts to the owner and move into luxurious apartments. Chartkov first bought brushes, paints, canvases and decent clothes to look appropriate.

Soon he began to be recognized in secular circles. The artist earned good money with a minimum of effort. His former talent was fading away before his eyes; he no longer needed it. And, as you know, for a creative person, the loss of skill is equivalent to the death of the soul. Therefore, Chartkov’s character became nasty and envious. We will learn about the reasons for such drastic changes and the unexpected profits that fell on the main character from the second part.

This happens after Chartkov’s death. During one of the St. Petersburg auctions it is announced unknown Artist, wanting to buy a portrait of the same moneylender. At the same time, he claims that he was personally acquainted with the master who painted the portrait and with the moneylender, from whom those around him had nothing but troubles. As it turned out, all the people to whom the moneylender lent money during his lifetime lost their human qualities and became envious, callous, jealous, and angry. Many, unable to bear this fate, committed suicide.

When the moneylender asked the artist's Father to paint his portrait, he wanted to live in it forever and continue to harm others. Having learned about this, the master left the portrait unfinished and went to the monastery to atone for his sin. Unfortunately, the portrait of the moneylender was never found and destroyed. According to the plot, it continued to change hands, bringing people first material well-being, and then the death of the soul.

(No ratings yet)

Is there life after death

Two topics that will always be discussed are life and death. Since the creation of the world, philosophers literary figures, doctors, prophets argued about what happens to the soul when it leaves the human body. What happens after death and is there life at all after the spirit leaves the physical shell? It just so happens that a person will always think about these burning topics in order to know the truth - turn to the Christian religion or other teachings.

What happens to a person when he dies

Having completed his life's journey, a person dies. From the physiological side, this is the process of stopping all systems and processes of the body: brain activity, breathing, digestion. Proteins and other substrates of life decompose. Approaching death also affects emotional state person. There is a change in the emotional background: loss of interest in everything, isolation, isolation from contacts with the outside world, conversations about imminent death, hallucinations (past and present are mixed).

What happens to the soul after death

The question of where the soul goes after death is always interpreted differently. However, the clergy are unanimous in one thing: after a complete cardiac arrest, a person continues to live in a new status. Christians believe that the spirit of the departed, who lived a righteous life, is transferred by angels to Paradise, while the sinner is destined to go to Hell. The deceased needs prayers that will save him from eternal torment, help the spirit pass tests and get to Paradise. The prayers of loved ones, not tears, can work miracles.

Christian doctrine says that man will live forever. Where does the soul go after a person dies? His spirit goes to the kingdom of heaven to meet the Father. This path is very difficult and depends on how a person lived his worldly life. Many clergy perceive their departure not as a tragedy, but as a long-awaited meeting with God.

Third day after death

For the first two days, the spirits of the dead fly around the earth. This is the period when they are close to their body, to their home, wander through places dear to them, say goodbye to their relatives, and end their earthly existence. Not only angels, but also demons are nearby at this time. They are trying to win her over to their side. On the third day, the ordeal of the soul begins after death. This is the time to worship the Lord. Relatives and friends should pray. Prayers are performed in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On day 9

Where does a person go after death on the 9th day? After the 3rd day, the Angel accompanies the spirit to the gates of Paradise so that he can see all the beauty of the heavenly abode. Immortal souls stay there for six days. They temporarily forget the sadness of leaving their body. While enjoying the sight of beauty, the soul, if it has sins, must repent. If this does not happen, then she will be in hell. On the 9th day, the Angels again present the soul to the Lord.

At this time, the church and relatives perform a prayer service for the deceased with a request for mercy. Commemorations are held in honor of 9 angelic ranks, who are protectors during the Last Judgment and servants of the Almighty. For the deceased, the “burden” is no longer so heavy, but very important, because the Lord determines by it further path spirit. Relatives remember only good things about the deceased and behave very calmly and quietly.

There are certain traditions that help the spirit of the departed. They symbolize eternal life. At this time, relatives:

They perform a prayer service in the church for the repose of the spirit.
At home they cook kutya from wheat seeds. It is mixed with sweets: honey or sugar. Seeds are reincarnation. Honey or sugar is a sweet life in another world, helping to avoid a difficult afterlife.

On day 40

The number “40” can be found very often in the pages of the Holy Scriptures. Jesus Christ ascended to the Father on the fortieth day. For Orthodox Church this became the basis for organizing commemorations of the deceased on the fortieth day after death. Catholic Church does this on the thirtieth day. However, the meaning of all events is the same: the soul of the deceased ascended to the holy Mount Sinai and achieved bliss.

After the spirit is reintroduced before the Lord on the 9th day by the Angels, it goes to Hell, where it sees the souls of sinners. The spirit remains in the Underworld until the 40th day, and appears before God for the third time. This is the period when a person’s fate is determined by his earthly affairs. In posthumous fate, it is important that the soul repents of everything it has done and prepares for the future. right life. Remembrances atone for the sins of the deceased. For the subsequent resurrection of the dead, it is important how the spirit passes through purgatory.

Six months

Where does the soul go after death six months later? The Almighty has decided future fate the spirit of a deceased person, it is no longer possible to change anything. You can't sob and cry. This will only harm the soul and cause severe torment. However, relatives can help and ease the fate with prayers and remembrances. It is necessary to pray, calming the soul, showing it the right way. Six months later, the spirit comes to her family for the penultimate time.

Anniversary

It is important to remember the anniversary of death. Prayers performed before this time helped determine where the soul would go after death. A year after death, relatives and friends perform a prayer service in the temple. You can simply remember the deceased from a heartfelt heart if it is not possible to attend church. On this day, souls come to their families for the last time to say goodbye, then a new body awaits them. For a believer, a righteous person, the anniversary gives a start to a new one, eternal life. The annual circle is the liturgical cycle after which all holidays are permitted.

Where does the soul go after death?

There are several versions of where people live after death. Astrologers believe that the immortal soul ends up in space, where it settles on other planets. According to another version, she floats in upper layers atmosphere. The emotions that a spirit experiences influence whether it ends up on highest level(Heaven) or lower (Hell). In the Buddhist religion it is said that having found eternal peace, a person’s spirit moves into another body.

Mediums and psychics claim that the soul is connected with the other world. It often happens that after death she remains close to loved ones. Spirits who have not completed their work appear in the form of ghosts, astral bodies, and phantoms. Some protect their relatives, others want to punish their offenders. They contact the living through knocks, sounds, the movement of things, and the short-term appearance of themselves in visible form.

The Vedas, the sacred scriptures of the Earth, say that after leaving the body, souls pass through tunnels. Many people who have been in a state clinical death, describe them as channels on one's own body. There are 9 of them in total: ears, eyes, mouth, nostrils (separately left and right), anus, genitals, crown, navel. It was believed that if the spirit came out of the left nostril, it went to the moon, from the right - to the sun, through the navel - to other planets, through the mouth - to the earth, through the genitals - to the lower layers of existence.

Souls of dead people

As soon as the souls of deceased people leave their physical shells, they do not immediately understand that they are in a subtle body. At first, the spirit of the deceased floats in the air, and only when he sees his body does he realize that he has separated from it. The qualities of a deceased person during life determine his emotions after death. Thoughts and feelings, character traits do not change, but become open to the Almighty.

Soul of a child

It is believed that a child who dies before the age of 14 immediately goes to the First Heaven. The child has not yet reached the age of desires and is not responsible for actions. The child remembers his past incarnations. The First Heaven is the place where the soul awaits rebirth. A deceased child is awaited by a deceased relative or a person who loved children very much during his lifetime. He meets the child immediately after the hour of death and escorts him to the waiting place.

In the First Heaven, a child has everything he wants, his life resembles a beautiful game, he learns goodness, receives visual lessons on how evil deeds affect a person. All emotions and knowledge remain in the baby’s memory even after rebirth. People who live nobly in ordinary life are believed to owe these lessons learned and experiences in First Heaven.

Soul of a Suicidal Man

Any teaching and belief states that a person does not have the right to take his own life. The actions of any suicide are dictated by Satan. After death, the soul of a suicided person strives for Paradise, the gates of which are closed to it. The spirit is forced to return, but it cannot find its body. The ordeal lasts until the time of natural death. Then the Lord makes a decision according to his soul. Previously people Those who committed suicide were not buried in the cemetery; suicide items were destroyed.

Animal souls

The Bible says that everything has a soul, but “they are taken from dust and will return to dust.” Confessors sometimes agree that some pets are capable of transformation, but it is impossible to say exactly where the animal’s soul ends up after death. It is given and taken away by the Lord himself; the soul of an animal is not eternal. However, Jews believe that it is equal to human meat, so there are various prohibitions on eating meat.