ivanovna 2

Praskovya Ivanovna, in the world Irina... [†1915]

was born in 1795 in the village of Nikolsky, Spassky district, Tambov province. 

Her parents, Ivan and Daria, were serfs [lijfeigenen].

When the girl was seventeen years old, the landlords gave her in marriage to the peasant Fyodor. Irina became an exemplary wife and mistress, and her husband's family fell in love with her because of her gentle nature, of her zeal, of the fact that she prayed earnestly at home and in church, avoiding guests and company, and not going out to village games.

Thus she lived with her husband for fifteen years... 

but the Lord did not bless them with children. 

-

Eight years later, Irina's husband died. 

And soon another misfortune struck: the loss of two canvases was discovered in the master's house.

A servant slandered Irina, showing that it was she who had stolen the paintings. At the order of the bailiff, Irina was severely beaten, her head pierced and her ears torn. 

Irina fled... 

to Kiev.

-

Here, the Kiev shrines and meetings with the elders... 

completely changed her inner state.

She now knew why and how to continue her life.

Wishing that only God dwelt in her heart—the only merciful Christ...

Who loves all, the Distributor of all Blessings.

Unjustly punished, Irina felt herself with special depth... 

the indescribable depth of Christ's suffering... 

ánd His Mercy.

-

A year and a half later... 

the police found her in Kiev, and sent her back to her masters in Nikolsky.

The path was painful and long, she had to experience both hunger and cold... 

and the cruel treatment of the escort soldiers and rudeness of male prisoners.

Irina served her masters for more than a year, but then fled again.

And a year later, the police found her again in Kiev... 

and escorted her to the podium. 

The landlords now drove Irina out into the street... 

stripped her and left her without a piece of bread.

For five years... 

she roamed like a madwoman through the village... 

and was a laughing stock to everyone.

She developed the habit of living outdoors, all year round...

and tolerated hunger, cold and heat. 

And then she went to the Sarov forests... 

and lived there for more than two decades... 

in a cave that she had dug herself.

-

Previously, Irina had had a surprisingly pleasant appearance.

During her life in the Sarov forest, due to long asceticism and fasting... 

she became like Mary of Egypt: thin, black with the sun.

Seeing her ascetic life, people began to turn to her for advice...

and ask her to pray.

-

But the enemy of the human race...

taught evil people to attack and rob her. 

She was severely beaten, and since then a headache and swelling in her stomach...

tormented her constantly.

Six years before the death of Blessed Pelagia Ivanovna... 

Irina came to the Diveyevo Monastery with a doll. 

And then with many dolls. 

She cared for them, took care of them, called them children.

Now she lived in the monastery, first a few weeks and then months. 

And after the death of Blessed Pelagia, Irina completely moved to the monastery.

-

After drinking tea after Mass...

the blessed one always went to work, knitting stockings or spinning yarn. 

activity was accompanied by the incessant prayer of Jesus, which is why its yarn was especially appreciated in the monastery, belts and rosaries were made from it. In an allegorical sense she called knitting stockings the exercise in the ceaseless prayer of Jesus. 

So when a visitor approached her with the thought of getting closer to Diveyevo, she said in response to his thoughts: “Well, come to us in Sarov, we will collect milk mushrooms and knit stockings together.”

That is, bow to the floor... 

and learn the Jesus prayer!

-

She prayed with her prayerbook, but some prayers she knew by heart. 

She called the Mother of God 'Mother behind the glass'.

Sometimes, as if rooted she would stop in front of the icon... 

and would pray or kneel everywhere—in the field, in the upstairs room...

in the middle of the street... 

praying fervently with tears.

-

During the days of the glorification of the monk Seraphim... 

Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra visited Feodorovna. 

They visited the blessed Paraskeva Ivanovna... 

who predicted the birth of an heir... 

ánd the fall of the autocracy.

The king said she was a great servant of God.

-

Praskovya Ivanovna died on September 22nd, 1915... 

at the age of about 120 years. 

She was buried on the altar of Diveyevo's Trinity Cathedral.

[bron]