MACARIUS (IVANOV).** - Russian monk of the Optina pustyn near Kozelsk, b. in 1788, d. on September 19 (the 7th according to the old style), 1860; one of the most famous starcy in 19th-century Russia. People of every rank and every class thronged around him for a long time to receive advice and comfort.

His influence was immense. He knew how to increase it further by means of a printing press established in the monastery from 1830. Thus he was able to spread throughout Russia many writings of his spiritual tendency, which was entirely based on the writings of the Fathers of the Church and of the monks of Mount Athos, in the spirit of the first great Russian starec [*staretz] Paisij Veličkovskij. His disciple, even better known than he, was Ambrose Grenkov, the most famous of all the Russian startsi*.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: Sobranie pisem... Ieroshimonacha Maharija, 2nd ed., Moscow 1880; A. M. Ammann, Storia della Chiesa russa e dei paesi limitrofi, Turin 1948, see index.

Alberto M. Ammann

@incollection{ec7_macario_ivanov, author = {Ammann, Alberto Maria}, title = {Macario (Ivanov)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VII}, pages = {1739}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/macario-ivanov} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Macarius (Ivanov)

About this entry