The book is based on archival and other official documents collected by the author, library materials and testimonies of the descendants of the outstanding St. Petersburg shepherd - Archpriest Philosopher Nikolayevich Ornatsky, who was shot along with his sons in 1918. Based on this historically reliable and accurate information, the Jubilee Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000 made a decision to glorify Archpriest Philosopher as holy martyrs for church-wide veneration, and those like him as the murdered children of Nicholas and Boris as martyrs. The confessional path of Father Philosopher is shown against the backdrop of the most important historical events in the life of Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century. For the first time since 1917, the book publishes selected words and teachings of Father Philosopher, through which the reader enters into live communication with this amazing ascetic of faith and piety. Those seeking salvation in the stormy sea of life will find in them many practical tips on organizing their spiritual life in accordance with the teachings of the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church.