Confessor of faith, ascetic who bore the heavy cross of foolishness for Christ's sake, and spiritual writer Bishop. Barnabas (Belyaev), who in the 20s of our century created a fundamental work on Orthodox asceticism, “Fundamentals of the Art of Holiness,” in his work constantly sought to give the reader the amount of necessary, as succinctly presented ascetic knowledge and information. Reality, he noted, “requires a brief... presentation of the basic truths of asceticism, which would allow those who wish to enter the path of salvation to easily keep in mind the basics... and would not burden the mind with unnecessary details.” Such a textbook on smart work (“small asceticism”) became the biography of one of the founders of female monasticism, Ven. Synclitia of Alexandria, created by Bishop. Barnabas in 1928–1931. The spiritual experience of the ancient saint brings the author closer to modern man.