My first Easter on Sakhalin was fast approaching. I’ve already mentioned it was decided this holiday was to be accompanied by the opening of the new church. Rykovsk’s inhabitants were notably kindly disposed towards decorating their spacious, bright cathedral. Whoever could not contribute his own labor to this affair contributed to the collecting of church accouterments. Led by Krzhizhevskaia, administrators’ wives stitched together the priestly robes and vestments for the throne and altar. The district commander himself took up a subscription for ornate regal doors made of various types of woods. In a word, each wanted to leave some sort of legacy. In addition to sketching out the interior decorations and the iconostasis’s components, I also tried to draw a huge transparent image of the Resurrection of Christ on the bell-tower window.

I was happy to get carried away doing anything, if only to forget for a time my state of exclusion from a humane life. This was the essential good fortune of being around during those days. Those people were always cheerful, content, and kind towards each other. I shall not qualify this: in my deepest memories, I do not recall feeling grief for my previous life, and clearly see I was not focusing on the pathetic circumstances of reality. This relief from my emotional state only strengthened my work, and I dove into it.

When it was proposed I be the church headman during the new cathedral’s inaugural service, I initially balked; but then, having imagined what an honor these newly presented duties were, I consented, and buried myself completely in church finances, the forming of a fine church choir, making wax tapers, etc. Of course, I didn’t abandon my meteorological observations. On the contrary, imperceptibly to Krzhizhevskaia, little-by-little, I took over from her all those meteorological activities she had proved to be important during her time as director. If these occupations are conjoined to the English language lessons I was giving to two or three officials and, later, to the hieromonk Iraklii, and to my mathematics lessons to Jewish children and the church singing and musical notation, then it may be understood I could not get bored, just as I was also not especially sorting through my emotions.

Springtime’s inauguration inspired me with new energy