On October 23, churches commemorate St. Ambrose of Optina. He was the inspiration for Elder Zosima in Dostoevsky's works. In popular belief, this day is already considered wintry, and should be spent preparing for the cold season. The future saint was born in 1812 into a large family in the village of Bolshaya Lipovitsa, Tambov province, and was named Alexander at birth. He entered the Tambov Theological Seminary, where he became seriously ill. At that time, he vowed that if he recovered, he would become a monk. He did recover but hesitated for a long time to take monastic vows. He sought advice from Elder Hilarion, who instructed him to go to the Optina Monastery. There, Alexander finally took monastic vows under the name Ambrose. But shortly after, he again fell seriously ill. Ambrose became physically weakened and could no longer perform liturgies, but he grew stronger spiritually and devoted his life to spiritual guidance. He was visited by peasants, senators, and professors seeking advice. Among those who visited him were Solovyov, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Leontiev. Later, Ambrose of Optina became the model for Elder Zosima in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov. Towards the end of his life, Ambrose was involved in establishing a women's monastery in Shamordino, located 12 versts from Optina Monastery. He was buried on the monastery grounds. What can you do on October 23, 2024? It's time to prepare for winter – firewood, kindling, and, in modern times, insulation materials. It's a great day for drying medicinal herbs. It's a good day to get rid of old, unnecessary things. What should you not do on October 23, 2024? Do not buy clothes. Do not clean, especially do not sweep the floor. Do not wear rings or earrings on this day. Do not lend anything, especially matches. Do not hold weddings.