I am not a theologian and I cannot tell you much about the
doctrine of Nameworshippers. My uncle's formula is:
THE NAME OF GOD IS GOD HIMSELF. (Imya Bozhieye Yest Bog.)
And their practice is a PERMANENT PRAYER. So that the name
of our Lord Jesus remains in the subconscious all the time,
whatever you do or think.
NEUSTANNAYA I IISUS'VA MOLITVA. [Continuous and Jesus Prayer]
I know little about the fate of Father Antony after the Revolution. During the war he was chaplain in the Army. In spring 1917 he came to join us in Petrgrad (maybe earlier because of his poor sight.) I remember his dark room where he was typing manuscripts of his books or articles defending his religious point of view.
I remember also how he was leaving Petersbourg by train -- he was going to be the parish priest in Lutsikovka. That is the last time I have seen him. We left for the Caucaasus and we had no more letters from him or his mother who lived in the city of Soumy.
In 1921 we left for Yugoslavia before the arrival of the Communists. My father, my mother, and me.
Much later we learned about the tragic death of Father Antony klled by burglars in his little cabin. (The house was arsoned in 1905.)
Still more tragic the death of his mother who apparently died from hunger in her small room in Soumy. Her body was discovered two weeks after her death.
I can hardly recall much more on the life of my uncle (he ws the brother of my mother, Princess Marie Obeliani, who died here in Nelson at the age of 103.
I will be glad to give you more informations if you wish.
I recently received from Leningrad a new book about Father Antony. I am sending you some fotocopies of this book.
Yours truly.
Prince Andre Orbeliani
[The enclosure consisted of four pages xeroxed from "Tretye Puteshestviye po Efiopii" (Third Journey in Ethiopia) by Alexander Bulatovich, published in Moscow in 1987 at Izdatel'stvo "Nauka" ("Science" Publishing House). From another source, I have a xerox of that entire book. I got permission from the publisher to translate it. I hope to get to that project soon.]