On January 27, 1879, Nikolay Alexandrovich Motovilov passed away peacefully in his Simbirsk estate. His remains were transported for burial to Diveyevo and he was buried beside the south side of the altar of the Kazan Church. Following today’s liturgy, the sisters of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery came to his grave and the litya remembrance service was held there.

Nikolay Alexandrovich Motovilov, a landowner from Simbirsk and Arzamas, has been a companion to Venerable Seraphim of Sarov and benefactor of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery of many years.

Still a young man, he got grievously ill and received healing through the prayers of the Venerable Seraphim. Since then, Nikolay Alexandrovich loved and trusted batiushka so much that he was inspired to travel and see him every month from his far-away estate. They knew each other for a short period of two years only.

Before his death, the venerable father entrusted Motovilov to serve the Diveyevo monastery, and Nikolay Alexandrovich became one of its main providers and benefactors. He always fervently and fearlessly stood for the life there to be arranged in adherence to the commands of the Queen of Heaven and the Venerable Seraphim.

“I will forever remain the slave of God and His Holy Mother, as well as Seraphim’s servant till the end of my life,” Nikolay Aleksandrovich would speak of himself adding: “God is my hope, the Queen of Heaven is my consolation, and I am Тheirs in this life and in the life to come.”