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Russia · Religion & Belief · Hard

Which 18th-century spiritual elder and hermitage, located in the Kaluga region, became a major centre of Orthodox spiritual revival and inspired Dostoevsky's Father Zosima in 'The Brothers Karamazov'?

The Optina Pustyn monastery was renowned for its startsy (spiritual elders) in the 19th century; figures like Ambrose of Optina attracted pilgrims including Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy.

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