St. Filaret of Moscow (in the world Vasily Mikhailovich Drozdov) was born on December 26, 1782 in Kolomna in a family of hereditary clergy. In 1791, he was enrolled in the Kolomna Seminary, and was distinguished by his rare abilities and diligence. After transferring the seminary to Tula, at the behest of his father, he continued his studies at the Lavra School at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where he moved with great spiritual joy.
At the beginning of 1802, Vasily was appointed senior over the seminary hospital, where, caring for the sick, he learned compassionate love and constant remembrance of death. In the same year, he was commissioned to preach in the Refectory Church of St. Sergius. Metropolitan Platon (Levshin) of Moscow drew the attention of the talented student, who later appointed him a Lavra preacher and highly appreciated his gift of the word.
After graduating from the course in 1806, Vasily became a poetry teacher, while continuing to preach. On November 16, 1808, he took monastic vows with the name Filaret in honor of St. Philaret the Merciful and was soon ordained a hierodeacon. Soon, the Commission of Theological Schools summoned him to St. Petersburg, where a reformed theological academy was being opened. Father Filaret was appointed an inspector and a teacher, then a Bachelor of Theological Sciences and Church History. At the St. Petersburg Academy, he was the first to give theological lectures in Russian, and his sermons became widely known.
In 1812, Archimandrite Filaret was appointed rector of the St. Petersburg Academy and rector of the St. George Monastery. During the Patriotic War, he donated funds for military needs, and later composed a prayer of thanksgiving for the salvation of the Fatherland, which became an annual prayer.
A special place in his ministry was occupied by the translation of the Bible into Russian. On behalf of the Synod, he headed the work of the Commission of Theological Schools for the translation of Holy Scripture, he chose translators and took over the translation of the Gospel of John. Under his supervision, a translation of the Fourth Gospel (1819) was prepared, and later he insisted on the thoroughness and theological goodness of all translations.
On August 5, 1817, Archimandrite Filaret was consecrated bishop of Reval, vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese; in 1819 he was transferred to the Tver see with elevation to the rank of archbishop, and in 1820 to Yaroslavl. In 1821, he was called to the chair of the Moscow Primates. In 1823, his "Christian Catechism of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Greek-Russian Church" was published, which quickly spread and was translated into other languages. In 1826, the archpastor was elevated to the rank of Metropolitan of Moscow.
Metropolitan Filaret was distinguished by his firmness in matters of principle and humility in personal matters. He was able to defend the rights of the Church before the secular authorities, while remaining a law-abiding subject. He played a special role in the preparation of the Manifesto of February 19, 1861 on the liberation of the peasants: on behalf of the emperor, he was the one who drafted the text of the appeal to the people.
The saint tirelessly took care of the theological education and the mission of the Church. He supported the translation of the Bible and the works of the Holy Fathers into Russian, participated in the affairs of the Synod, dealt with issues of Uniate reunification and healing the Old Believer schism, while remaining a strict guardian of the Orthodox faith and at the same time filled with true Christian tolerance and love.
Metropolitan Filaret was a great prayer book and preacher. He regularly celebrated liturgies, preached, received many people seeking spiritual advice, and lived a very simple life. At the same time, he avoided human praise and always emphasized his unworthiness.
In the last years of his life, the saint especially loved the Gethsemane monastery near the Lavra. In the autumn of 1867, anticipating the end, he spoke of his impending demise and sought to receive communion more often. On Sunday, November 19, 1867, after celebrating the liturgy and ordinary activities, he peacefully reposed to the Lord, being found on his knees in prayer.
The memory of St. Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, pillar of the Russian Church and wise spiritual mentor of his time, is celebrated on November 19, the day of his blessed repose. In 1994, he was canonized.