What is life? This question is quite easy, but at the
same time, it is difficult to answer it. The sunlight coming through the window
in the morning, our relatives and friends, week-days and week-ends, challenges
and enjoyments – all of these make up our life. In other words, it’s everything
we encounter in our everyday lives. However, that’s not all. It’s important
what’s in our hearts. Do they tend to good and purity? Do they reach for other
people?
Only those of us, whose heart is open for light and
love, truly live. Days pass like the cars of a leaving train. Childhood, youth,
family life, children… Problems and further joy. These things seem natural to
us. How could it be otherwise indeed?
There are people who live close to us but whose paths are
completely different. Their society is limited to the territory of the
Psycho-neurological hospital №3. Some of them have found themselves here in a
twist of fate, but the others have been there for whole their lives. They
cannot enjoy the simplest life’s pleasures. What is trivial and casual for us,
is unknown for them. When we look at them from where we sit, we may think they
are totally deprived people. That is not true. Sure, they cannot live at our
usual pace, but that doesn’t mean their souls are poor. The brothers and
sisters who visit the hospital say these people are extremely sincere and
sensitive. They will never betray or lie, because they just do not know how to.
Another their feature, which surprises the outsiders,
is their ability to feel God. They attend divine service in the home church and
take the sacrament with pleasure. Despite the fact they cannot get some things
with their mind, their hearts understand everything.
The inhabitants of the hospital are free to deal with
some terrestrial arts too. Some of them sing, and the others like dancing. There
are even local “stars” – a creative team “The Joyful Hearts”. It was created by
the late Novice Tamara, the inhabitant of our Convent. She poured her heart and
soul into the artists. They’ve managed to become a big creative family for many
years. Nun Sofia (Demyanova) leads the team at present time.
– None of them has musical education, but they can
sing with their souls. – tells Mother Sofia. – They can not only sing, but
dance and play the spoons as well. And they are really good with words!
The members of the team got here for various reasons
and in different life periods. But their reluctance to depress and desire to
find themselves is what unites them.
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Andrew Natalchuk, the soloist of the choir, is blind
and can’t see this world, but he can perceive it with his heart. So he tries to
express all his feelings in songs.
– Each song is favorite for me, – he says. – How could
a song be less favorite? Each has its soul and each is beautiful in its way. I
like the songs by Yuri Antonov and songs from films. They’re quite spiritual.
Elena Zaharevskaya is another soloist. She has never
got musical education, but her nice and pure voice will inevitably touch your
heart. She’s a very artistic person, who enjoys life no matter what.
– I tried to sing when I was a kid. But I have been
singing with the choir for more than a month. At the rehearsals we try to
support each other, when, for example, someone forgot the words, and this
unites us. We rehearse three times a week, we choose and learn new songs. I
like to be on the stage, and people like our concerts and applaud us. I’d like
to go to France very much! To see the Eiffel Tower, to go it up and to observe
the city from height! And it would be interesting for me to talk to the people
living there. Each trip gifts us new memories, new acquaintances, and new
moments!
“The Joyful Hearts” give concerts not only in the
hospital. They have performed several times in Russia and Europe in terms of
charity projects. Their plans for the near future include a tour to France. All
these can be possible due to the donation of those, who is not indifferent to
their fate. So we all hope, that with God’s help the collection box of their
performances will be enriched with one more successful concert.
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