Saint John of Kronstadt

A Word on Professor N. I. Ivanovsky’s Conferences with the Petersburg Schismatics

19th c. · Asceticism & Spirituality · English translation, 2026

1,457 words · 7 min read· Moderate

Source edition: Слово по поводу собеседований профессора Н.И. Ивановского с петербургскими раскольниками (azbyka.ru; from the pre-revolutionary Russian edition)

Cover art: Boyarynya Morozova (1887) — Vasily Surikov (Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

A brief, sharp response to a heckler at one of Professor Ivanovsky's public conferences with the Petersburg Old Believers. Saint John of Kronstadt marshals a barrage of Scripture (Christ to the Pharisees, Paul to the unpersuaded, Isaiah's word to a hardened people, Hebrews on the fate of those who spurn what they once knew), pressing one conclusion: to stand obstinately against plain truth is not a neutral choice.