Martyr Mikhail Alexandrovich Novoselov (in secret monastic tonsure and secret consecration – Bishop Mark) was born in 1864 in the village of Babye, Domoslavskaya Volost, Vyshnevolotsky District, Tver Governorate.
His father, Alexander Grigorievich, and his mother, Kapitolina Mikhailovna, were both from priestly families.Early in his life, Mikhail lived with his parents in Tula.
His father was a renowned teacher, director of the Tula Gymnasium, where Misha also studied. Under his father’s guidance, Mikhail received a good education.
Mikhail Alexandrovich graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology at Moscow University. By the time he graduated, he was passionately fascinated by the ideas of Leo Tolstoy, whom he had known since childhood. Novoselov, the writer's favorite student, frequently appears in Tolstoy's diaries and letters. Idealistically inclined, sincere, and enthusiastic, Mikhail devoted himself to his work, putting Tolstoy's ideas into practice: establishing soup kitchens for the starving and organizing Tolstoy colonies. Mikhail decided to put Tolstoy's way of life advocated by living on the land through the labor of his own hands into practice. He bought land with his own money and created one of the first Tolstoyan agricultural communities in Russia. It lasted only two years, demonstrating the futility of Tolstoy's ideas. On December 27, 1887, he was arrested.
He was accused of organizing an illegal circle and publishing illegal literature. The young people who frequently gathered at Novoselov's home and the hectographic reproduction of Tolstoy's pamphlet "Nikolai Palkin," found during a search, threatened him with exile to Siberia. This was avoided thanks to the intervention of L.N. Tolstoy himself.
In early February 1888, he was released under public police surveillance without the right to reside in the capitals.
By the age of thirty, Novoselov had overcome the temptation of Tolstoyanism and returned to the Orthodox Church.
From 1902, Mikhail Alexandrovich worked in publishing in the town of Vyshny Volochok in the Tver province.
After separating from Tolstoy, he severed all communication with him. The last letter of his life from Optina Monastery was written by L.N. Tolstoy to M.A. Novoselov. Mikhail Alexandrovich did not have time to respond to it, but much later he said that he probably would not have responded even if Tolstoy had lived: he did not accept Tolstoy's denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ. The grandson of priests could not agree with this and live in the empty and cold world of moral duty.
During his further spiritual development, Mikhail Alexandrovich became close to Father John of Kronstadt and the elders of Optina and Zosima Hermitage. Hegumen Herman of Zosima Hermitage became his spiritual mentor.
Having discovered the Truth within the Orthodox Church, he dedicated his entire vigorous activity to serving Her. He published the brochure "The Forgotten Path of Experiential Knowledge of God." It marked the beginning of Novoselov's religious and philosophical library. Its main goal was to draw attention to the great spiritual treasures acquired by the Holy Fathers and ascetics, turning to the origins of Christianity and leading the reader to the expanses of spiritual knowledge through the Grace of God.
"He was deeply religious, boundlessly devoted to his ideals, very active... compassionate towards people, always ready to help, especially spiritually. He wanted to convert everyone. He gave the impression of a monk in secret tonsure," was how a contemporary described Novoselov.
In 1907, he founded a circle called the "Circle of Seekers of Christian Enlightenment in the Spirit of the Orthodox Church of Christ." It included his closest friends.
The path to pure, traditional Orthodoxy for the future martyr was not easy. Among his friends, "seekers," as they called themselves, were talented and faithful people who, in the spirit of the times, were entangled in the snares of liberalism—priests Pavel Florensky and Iosif Fudel, V.V. Rozanov, D.S. Merezhkovsky, S.N. Bulgakov, and others.
The circle usually met in the apartment of Mikhail Alexandrovich, who lived with his mother across from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The doors of his apartment were open to all; here one could meet all of Russia—from the wandering peasant and the student seeking God to the famous writer or professor of Moscow University—clergy, philosophers, theologians, scientists, and writers. Various issues of Christian doctrine were heatedly discussed, and a direct dialogue between the Church and the intelligentsia took place. The goal was not to develop a "new religious consciousness," nor to agitate or disseminate one's views. Novoselov himself, from the very first meetings, consistently advocated strictly ecclesiastical positions. He became one of the most staunch Orthodox thinkers, combating the poison of modernism, and denounced Father Pavel Florensky, Bulgakov, Berdyaev, Rozanov, Merezhkovsky, and others like them.
Mikhail Alexandrovich enjoyed the patronage of Bishop Feodor (Pozdeevsky), rector of the Moscow Theological Academy.
The circle's fundamental idea was that external measures—reforms, new statutes, and the like—would achieve nothing; life could be changed for the better only through a joint reflection on the tenets of the Orthodox faith, based on an inner transformation that could be achieved through the joint study of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. People strove for close spiritual communication, strove to realize Khomyakov’s idea of conciliar knowledge of God.
Mikhail Alexandrovich was revered for his clear and kind character, his purity of soul and intentions. He earned not only universal respect but also love. For his ascetic life, led in a secular setting, and his radiant character, he was known in Moscow as the "white elder."
Prayer was the center of Novoselov's spiritual life. In a letter to F.D. Samarin dated August 3, 1909, he wrote: "My heartfelt thanks for your prayers for me. We tend to attach little importance to this sphere of communication and mutual service, yet what is more important than that it be performed not formally, but from the heart's desire? Since the founding of our 'Circle,' I have remembered its members, or rather, my brothers, in daily prayer. Moreover, from time to time I pray for each of them individually, asking the Lord for the mercy that, in my judgment, they most need... Let us continue to pray for each other."
In 1912, for his services to spiritual education and Christian apologetics, M.A. Novoselov was elected an honorary member of the Moscow Theological Academy.
After 1916, he held the professorship of classical philology at the Imperial Moscow University.
For a time, M.A. Novoselov served as a novice in a Moscow monastery. He soon realized this was not his path and humbly returned to the life he had abandoned.
Upon returning from the monastery, he began compiling and publishing a religious and philosophical library for the people. The topics of his publications were not limited to ecclesiastical matters alone. His publishing activity continued until 1917,
with a total of 39 issues of the "Religious and Philosophical Library" published. In addition to this series, approximately 20 unnumbered books were published, exploring more specialized topics. Novoselov also published the "Leaflets of the Religious-Philosophical Library," which came out in two series: the first ("Seeds of the Kingdom of God") consisted of the writings of the Holy Fathers; the second ("Russian Religious Thought") contained reflections on faith and religious life by Russian writers and scholars (more than 80 leaflets were published in total).
The rise to power of the Freemasons, and then the Bolsheviks, marked the beginning of a new era in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church—an era of oppression, persecution, and harassment. Mikhail Alexandrovich was among those who stood up to defend the Church during this difficult time.
In early February 1918, the Council of United Parishes of the City of Moscow, of which M.A. Novoselov was a member, issued a leaflet. It called on believers to defend their churches from the God-defying authorities. It recommended, in the event of government encroachment on church property, "to summon parishioners to defend the church by sounding the alarm. The Council considers it absolutely unacceptable for parishioners to resort to force of arms in such a case. If there are other churches nearby, it is advisable to reach an agreement with them beforehand so that the alarm can be sounded in them as well, prompting the population of surrounding parishes to come to their aid and, with their numbers, repel the attack on the church."
Novoselov continued his work in the field of spiritual education, offering his apartment for the Theological Courses, which opened in the spring of 1918 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon. "The courses aimed to bring Orthodox laypeople closer to the treasures of the Church's gracious life, introducing them to the manifestations of the Church's spirit from primary sources (the Word of God, the lives of the saints, the works of the Holy Fathers, liturgical books, etc.), and to prepare them for active service to the Church." Novoselov himself taught at these courses. Much of what Mikhail Alexandrovich prepared for the courses was later used in his life's work, "Letters to Friends."
In 1918, Novoselov participated in the work of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on the department of theological educational institutions.
From the memoirs of Mikhail Alexandrovich, dating back to the early 1920s: “His fresh face was lit up with thought and joy in his blue eyes. Humor never failed the ‘uncle’ (as all of Moscow called him) in the most difficult moments of his life. If I were given the task of finding a person who vividly expresses the Russian character, I would without hesitation point to Mikhail Alexandrovich. He was broadly built, but thanks to his abstinent life, he was light and agile. By nature, he was gifted with great physical strength and in his youth was famous in Tula as a fist fighter, which he loved to talk about with enthusiasm. In his being, there was a harmony of physical and moral giftedness, without a shadow of illness or anguish. He had a love for flowers, for nature, for beautiful things that he did not acquire, did not keep, but knew how to admire them... Around Mikhail Alexandrovich, everything became more alive, younger, breathed goodwill and cheerfulness, as if in In his homeless, impoverished, and dependent life, he was nevertheless its lord and master... Mikhail Alexandrovich's large apartment resembled more of a book warehouse. Above his bed hung a large portrait of his mother, who had died shortly before. He said to me: "I ask you, I ask everyone: sometimes remember the servant of God Kapitolina!"
In 1920, Mikhail Alexandrovich secretly took monastic vows with the name Mark.
In 1922, he joined the Brotherhood of Zealots of Orthodoxy.
He fought against Renovationism. He sent accessible messages to the laity and clergy, directed against it. These messages were copied and distributed by volunteers across the country.
After a sharp appeal against the Renovationists, entitled "A Brotherly Warning to the Children of the True Church of Christ," was distributed in Moscow church circles in the spring of 1922. It was printed as leaflets and signed "A Brotherhood of Zealots of Orthodoxy. Published by Friends of Truth," it was easy for the Cheka to deduce Novoselov's involvement in its composition. They raided his home on the night of July 12, but the suspected prisoner was not at home.
Father Mark was at Optina Monastery at the time.
The search failed to yield the desired results.
On March 19, 1923, the case was closed and archived.
Following this attempted arrest, Father Mark went underground and moved to Vyshny Volochyok.
In 1923, at Moscow's St. Daniel Monastery, he was secretly consecrated Bishop of Sergiyevsk by Archbishop Feodor (Pozdeevsky) and Bishops Arseny (Zhadanovsky) and Seraphim (Zvezdinsky).
From 1922 to 1927, when the Church was outlawed and the country, numb with fear, plunged into a profound silence, he wrote the book "Letters to Friends." At that time, a passionate word about the Christian faith could be paid for not only with freedom but also with life. "Letters to Friends" was distributed in samizdat.
Sharing with friends, at their request, his thoughts on current church events and Christian doctrine, Mikhail Alexandrovich wrote to them, discussing faith and the Church. While responding to the "urgency of the day," he nevertheless gradually shifted in his letters to a systematic examination of the general teaching on the Church, its essence, and its role in the Divine Economy. "Letters to Friends" is a church-historical monument, saved from destruction and preserved through the years of turbulence thanks to the ascetic efforts and courage of many Orthodox believers.
On March 3, 1924, Bishop Mark wrote in his notebook: “Just as the fall of the Autocracy gradually crept up and quickly took place and the face of Russian statehood changed, so too is the reformation-revolutionary process taking place and can quickly take place in our Church. The Renovationists may suddenly emerge as the ruling “church party” in Russia, and it may have very few opponents if the open Renovationists and hidden traitors get along with each other and jointly put on the guise of canonicity. The difficulty of the present time for an Orthodox person consists, among other things (if not mainly), in the fact that the current life of the Church requires from him a highly spiritual attitude towards himself. One cannot rely on official pastors (bishops and priests), one cannot formally apply canons to the solution of questions raised by church life, in general one cannot limit oneself to a legal approach to the matter, but it is necessary to have a spiritual feeling that would show the way of Christ among the many paths trodden by wild animals in the sheepfold. "clothing. On a "legal" basis, one can also accept the Antichrist..."
On November 4, 1927, he wrote: "The message of Metropolitan Sergius [Stragorodsky] and his Synod, which has provoked diverse and well-deserved negative criticism, has not the church organization he heads thrown into the disgusting, adulterous embrace of an atheistic, blasphemous, and Christ-fighting (anti-Christ) government (I use the various epithets I apply to the Soviet government not in a derogatory sense, but in an essential, strictly defined sense) and has not brought terrible wickedness into the depths of our Church? Note: this message came from a legitimate, canonical, apparently Orthodox hierarchy; The main points of the message are based on the texts (albeit sometimes not without distortion: see the false interpretation of 1 Tim. 2:1-2) of Holy Scripture and on the experience of the ancient Church, seemingly homogeneous with the present. Under the acting Patriarchal Locum Tenens, Metropolitan Sergius, there is a Synod of legitimate hierarchs (albeit mostly "tainted," that is, greatly compromised in ecclesiastical terms by their long-standing and steadfast orientation toward the godless GPU—and not only by this); the name of Metropolitan Sergius is pronounced by all as the name of the true helmsman of the Russian Church, but—alas! – this name is a false coin, since the de facto master of the fate of the Russian Church and its bishops, both persecuted and favored, that is, pardoned and appointed to the cathedra (the latter is especially sad!), is the current "chief prosecutor" of the Russian Orthodox Church, Yevgeny Alexandrovich Tuchkov. [Tuchkov was the head of the 6th department of the GPU, whose purview included the fight against religious organizations in the USSR.] Metropolitan Sergius, who was the unfortunate initiator, or rather, the instrument of a monstrous plan – to unite Christ with Belial – will not dare to deny all this.
"It is clear to anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear that, contrary to the decree on the separation of Church and state, the Orthodox Church has entered into a close, living alliance with the state. And with what state?! Led not by an Orthodox Tsar, but by a power whose primary goal is the destruction of all religion on earth, and above all, Orthodox Christianity, for it sees it—and rightly so—as the fundamental global foundation of religious faith and a first-class fortress in its battle with materialism, atheism, theomachy, and Satanism."
Before his arrest in 1928, Bishop Mark lived in and around Moscow illegally with various friends, his beard still intact, although it gave him away.
In the summer of 1925, he lived near Moscow at Peski station on the high bank of the Moskva River, in the abandoned house of his friends.
In the summer of 1927, he was visiting friends at Lobnya station near Moscow. There, he suffered heart attacks.
Sometimes he traveled to other cities where he found like-minded people. He said: "Now is a time when a person's righteousness before God is determined not so much by his personal behavior, sins, or virtues, but by his firmness in faith—his fidelity to the Church's consciousness, his determination to stand in this fidelity until death and martyrdom."
In 1927, Vladyka was briefly arrested.
In one of his letters, he characterized the course of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) after the publication of his "Declaration" in 1927: "...in the past year, we have been faced with a trial that is significantly, one might even say, incomparably graver: the entire ship of the Church has tilted and is hanging over the abyss. An unprecedented temptation has crept up on the children of God's Church." "The prince of this world has spread new nets—and has already ensnared many human souls."
From 1928, Bishop Mark was one of the main leaders and ideologists of the Josephite movement, taking an extremely hardline stance. He traveled extensively throughout the country, spending long periods in the northern capital. He explained the current church situation to parishes. He drafted an appeal to Deputy Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius proposing a change in church policy.
Bishop Mark did not accept Metropolitan Sergius' Declaration, but he also did not desire a schism in the Church.
It was 1929. From the memoirs of V.D. Prishvina: "Arrests of priests and laymen who did not recognize Metropolitan Sergius were raging all around. Mikhail Alexandrovich would come to us tired and sad. The people who had given him shelter were beginning to fear him... All the best were disappearing... I asked Mikhail Alexandrovich: "What should we do if there are no more priests of the old ordination?" "We must not create a new schism," Mikhail Alexandrovich replied. "We have a united Church, within which a struggle is being waged." If no one remains, go with them, just do not forget the blood of the martyrs and carry the testimony to the future Church Council, which will judge us, unless history ends and the Lord Himself judges." On March 23, 1929, he was arrested on a Moscow street.
He was held in the Suzdal political isolator in the Vladimir region.
On May 17, 1929, he was convicted by a Special Conference of the OGPU Collegium.
The sentence: 3 years in a concentration camp.
In 1929-30, as an especially dangerous "element", he was not in a camp, but in a prison (political isolator), in solitary confinement - in the city of Yaroslavl. On September 3, 1931, the Collegium of the OGPU of the USSR accused him in the group "case of the All-Union Center of True Orthodoxy, 1931" as "an active participant in the church-political center of the All-Union counter-revolutionary organization "True Orthodox Church" under Article 58-11 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR.
Sentence: 8 years' imprisonment in places under the jurisdiction of the OGPU, counting the term from March 23, 1929.
He received a new sentence while in the Yaroslavl political isolator.
This sentence stated that "with respect to M.A. Novoselov, the resolution of the Special Conference of May 17, 1929, is to be considered absorbed by this resolution."
From the indictment: "For a number of years, he was a member of the "Church-Political Center" of the all-Union counter-revolutionary organization "True Orthodox Church", was in an illegal position. On behalf of this center, together with reactionary churchmen in Leningrad, he created the "All-Union Church-Administrative Center" of this organization and directed the latter on assignments from the center in the direction of the counter-revolutionary movement, demanding that the organization carry out active counter-revolutionary activities. Traveling systematically throughout the periphery, he created several branches of this organization—in Tver, Serpukhov, and a number of other localities—and directed their counterrevolutionary activities. He drafted counterrevolutionary documents and supervised their distribution.
He was held in a political prison in Yaroslavl until June 26, 1937.
In 1937, while in prison, he received another sentence.
On February 7, 1937, he was accused of "counterrevolutionary activity."
The sentence: three years' imprisonment.
In the interrogation records of M.A. Novoselov, the investigator's handwriting added "Bishop Mark" above his secular name.
From June 26, 1937 to 1938, he was held in prison in the city of Vologda.
A new criminal case was opened against him for "systematically disseminating slanderous information among fellow inmates about the leaders of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) and the Soviet Government with the aim of causing discontent and organized actions against established prison rules and the struggle within prison conditions."
On January 17, 1938, Bishop Mark (Novoselov) was sentenced to death by firing squad in the Vologda prison.
There is no further documentary evidence of his fate.
A prisoner, Ahmet Ihsan, who miraculously escaped, provided information about the Bishop's time in prison. This prisoner was a Turk who was converted to Orthodoxy by Vladyka and became his spiritual child. Among his fellow prisoners, Bishop Mark was highly respected as a man of firm faith. He was respectfully called Abba and Theologian. He himself consistently objected to the latter designation. In prison, he continued to celebrate all Orthodox holidays and the memory of saints. Many people were drawn to him, thirsting for his spiritual guidance, asking for his prayers. Turok spoke of Vladyka as a saint.
His book, "Letters to Friends," concludes with the following sublime words: "Blessed is he who does not abandon Christ amid the grave temptations that befall the Church, inspired by participation in her universal triumph, destined to be revealed at the end of the world." Among these blessed ones, Vladyka himself should undoubtedly be counted.