On the last week of January, the Church celebrates the memory of three great saints, with whom monasticism and hermitage began — the hermit fathers Paul of Thebes, Anthony and Macarius the Great. And the Spas TV channel has made a documentary about each of these saints, which will premiere on their memorial days.
Famous TV journalist Yulia Varentsova in the project "Angel's Day" talks about saints as living people — through documents, reliable facts, places and testimonies of life, ministry, way of life and heroic deeds about those who are revered throughout the Orthodox world.
St. Paul of Thebes is considered to be the very first Christian monk in history. Having escaped from the persecution of the authorities and the feat of martyrdom, Paul undertook another feat — hermitage and daily suffering for Christ.
Although he himself did not found a single monastery, did not leave any disciples or teachings, the fame of the ascetic spread rapidly soon after his death. Paul gained many followers who went into the wilderness. The monastery of St. Paul of Thebes, on the site of the saint's exploits in Egypt, in the Arabian Desert, was founded around the 5th century. The oldest temple of the monastery is located right on the site of the cave, where, according to legend, Paul of Thebes asceticized. For this and other facts about the life of the saint, see "Angel's Day" on January 27 at 20.25 (repeat on January 28 at 11.00).
St. Anthony the Great is the founder of hermit monasticism. He lived in the heart of the Arabian Desert, 30 kilometers from the Red Sea. Disciples came and settled nearby to the ascetic, whose fame spread during his lifetime. Gradually, a tradition appeared: once a week, on Sundays, monks gathered in the church for the Liturgy, and then went back to their caves. In Egypt, in the monastery of Anthony the Great, the very temple has been preserved, in which, most likely, the monk and his companions offered their prayers.
When too many people gathered around St. Anthony, he found a new refuge for solitary prayer — a small cave in a rock at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level. And today you can visit it by climbing a thousand steps. It is known that Anthony the Great ordered not to reveal the place of his burial. It is believed that the relics of St. Anthony were nevertheless found and transferred to Alexandria, from there to Constantinople, and then to the city of Arles, in modern France. But in the movie "Angel's Day" (to be shown on January 29 at 20.25; repeat on January 30 at 11:00) the guests of the Egyptian monastery of St. Anthony are sure that the relics of the ascetic have remained hidden in the monastery church named after him.
St. Macarius the Great was born in 300 AD in the village of Djijber, in the Nile Delta. When the camel driver turned 30, Makarii felt the call of God and went into seclusion in his native village, then moved to a neighboring one. And then he went to the Nitrian desert, to the part of it called the Hermitage. According to legend, the place where he was to settle was indicated to St. Macarius by a cherub. While laboring in the desert for many years, Macarius the Great received the gift of prophecy, healing, and miracle-working. Soon the fame of the extraordinary ascetic spread throughout Egypt. And people began to come to him for prayer, guidance, and discipleship.
By the end of Macarius' life, at the age of 90, a huge monastic community had gathered around him. And nearby, in the Hermitage desert, three more communities were formed, and every Sunday about four thousand monks gathered in four churches for service. Watch about the amazing place Skete, the famous center of Orthodox monasticism, on January 31 at 21.25 (repeat on February 1 at 14.20).

The Spas TV channel has made documentaries about St. Paul of Thebes, Anthony and Macarius the Great.
25.01.2025, 13:00