The peasants Nikon Shilov and Petr Slota made their contribution to the salvation of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and, accordingly, the whole country, at the cost of their own lives destroyed the tunnel under the Pyatnitskaya tower
The monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh, which played an important role in the 14th century during the invasion of Russia by Temnik Mamai, was to re-enter the military arena now during the Time of Troubles and the Polish-Lithuanian occupation.
At a time when many Russian people, having lost their spiritual flair and political orientations, fell into the fetters of an impostor and recognized his power, the monks of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery retained their wisdom. The monastic authorities saw through and through the true goals of the impostors, and therefore stood up to defend the national interests of Russia and Orthodoxy. For the interventionists, the capture of the monastery, which remained a powerful political and religious center, was no less important than the capture of Moscow and the Kremlin, where the government of Vasily Shuisky was located.
At the beginning of October 1608, the invaders took the monastery, which at the same time was a powerful fortress, under siege and made several attempts to capture it. Secretly, they were digging under the Pyatnitskaya tower, its explosion would provide a passage to the monastery.
At the same time, there were regular clashes between the defenders of the monastery, who made sorties behind the monastery walls, and the besiegers. In one of the sorties, the Russians captured several opponents, who reported about the impending undermining, which would be ready on Mikhailov Day - November 8.
To thwart the enemy's plan, several attacks were launched, which the Poles repulsed. Then the defenders took an extremely risky step, two detachments of Russian soldiers were supposed to distract and bind the main forces of the enemy, and the third, under the command of the head of Ivan Vnukov, at that time, undermined the tunnel.
The charge was successfully laid, but there was no time left to detonate it safely for life, the Poles noticed the actions of the demolitions and quickly headed in their direction. At a critical moment, when the operation was about to fail, two peasants Nikon Shilov and Petr Slota (Solota) sacrificed themselves and undermined.
The feat of the peasants was immortalized by the Russian Military Historical Society. At the entrance to the main - the Holy Gates of the Lavra, on the right side there is a plate with the inscription: “On November 9, 1608, during the memorable siege of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra by Polish and Lithuanian detachments, the enemy digging under the Pyatnitskaya tower was heroically destroyed by the Clementyev peasants by Nikon Shilov and Slotoi, right there in the tunnel and burnt out … *
The destruction of the tunnel prevented the explosion of the Pyatnitskaya tower and the seizure of the monastery, but this victory was bought at a high price, during the operation 174 defenders of the fortress were killed and 66 wounded.
The defenders of the "heart of Russia" will have to hold out for another 15 months of the siege, faith will help to withstand it, but it, together with courage and heroism, will help to expel the invaders from the borders of the Fatherland.
