Elder Theodosius of Iveron reposed in 1948, after the Second World War. Speaking about Germany, he said:
“Do you really think that this was the only war? The real war has not yet come. It will begin from the East, and then, from all sides, like insects, enemies will swarm upon Russia.”
During one such discussion, Archimandrite Seraphim recorded the following event. A woman from a small town in Siberia was present. The Elder said to her:
“You will receive the crown of martyrdom from the hands of the Chinese, in the stadium of your city, where the Christians who live there and who do not agree with their domination will be led.”
This was his answer to her doubts, when the Elder said that almost the whole of Siberia would be occupied in the future by the Chinese.
The Elder spoke of what had been revealed to him regarding the future of Russia. He did not mention dates, but emphasized that the timing of these events was in the hands of God and depended largely on how the spiritual life of the Russian Church would develop, and on the strength of faith in God among the Russian people, as expressed through repentance and prayer.
The Elder said that the collapse of Russia, despite its apparent strength and the brutality of its authorities, would occur very soon. At first, the Slavic peoples would break away. Then the republics of the Union would separate: the Baltic states, Central Asia, the Caucasus republics, and Moldova. After this, the central authority in Russia would weaken even further, so that autonomous republics and regions would begin to secede.
Then the great collapse would take place. The power of the center would no longer be recognized de facto by the autonomous regions, which would attempt to live independently and would no longer heed orders from Moscow.
The greatest tragedy would be the occupation of Siberia by China. This would not take place through direct military means. As a result of the relaxation of authority and open borders, masses of Chinese would move into Siberia. Through bribery, intimidation, and agreements with local authorities, they would seize property, businesses, and apartments. Gradually, they would take control of the economic life of the cities.
Everything would happen in such a way that one morning the Russians living in Siberia would wake up in a Chinese province. The fate of those who remained there would be tragic, though not hopeless. The Chinese would treat the population with violence, suppressing every attempt at resistance.
The West would assist this creeping conquest of Russian land and would support China’s economic and military power in every way, out of sheer hatred for Russia. But then they themselves would realize the danger, when the Chinese would attempt to conquer the Urals—this time by military force—and to advance even further westward. At that point, they would do everything possible to stop them and would then help Russia to recover so that it could repel the invasion from the East.
Russia would have to endure much suffering. After prolonged hardship and widespread hunger, she would find the strength to rise again. The coming generation would begin reclaiming the lands seized by the enemies. Among the Russians who had remained in the former republics of the Union, there would be a deep realization of what had been lost. They would recognize themselves once again as citizens of the Motherland, which was still alive and desired to rise from the ashes.
Many Russians living abroad would begin to rebuild their lives in Russia. Many of those who could escape the persecutions would return to Russian lands to repopulate abandoned villages, to make use once again of mineral springs and neglected fields that had been left behind.
The Lord would send His help. And despite the fact that the country would have lost its main body of raw-material production, oil and gas would be found again—without which no economy can function.
The Elder said that the Lord would allow Russia to lose vast territories that had been given to her, because we were not worthy to use them with care and instead destroyed and defiled them. However, the Lord would leave in Russia’s possession the regions that became the source of the Russian people and the foundation of the great Russian Empire—namely, the lands of Great Muscovy of the 16th century, with access to the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Northern Sea.
Russia would not be rich, but she would still be able to feed her children and compel others to recognize and respect her.
When asked what would happen to Ukraine and Belarus, the Elder replied that everything lies in the hands of God. Those among these peoples who oppose unity with Russia, while considering themselves believers, would in fact become servants of the devil. The Slavic peoples have only one destiny. The monks and fathers of the Kiev Caves Lavra would not change their weighty word. Together with the choir of the New Martyrs of Russia, they would win through their prayers a new union of the three brotherly peoples.
He was also asked about the possibility of the restoration of monarchy in Russia. The Elder replied that such a restoration would have to be earned. There is a possibility, but it is not predetermined. If we become worthy, the Russians will choose a Tsar. This could occur before the enthronement of the Antichrist—or even after it, for a short period of time.