Cette série retrace l'histoire captivante d'un homme devenu un chef spirituel et un symbole d'espoir en des temps difficiles. Elle suit son parcours depuis ses premières années, en passant par le développement de sa foi et de sa mission, jusqu'à sa vie ultérieure où il a inspiré d'innombrables personnes. C'est un portrait profondément humain et spirituel qui explore la puissance de la foi, du courage et de la dévotion face à l'adversité. Le récit offre un aperçu de la vie en Russie au cours du XXe siècle tumultueux.
Father Arseny became prisoner no. 18376 in the brutal special sector of the Soviet prison camp system. This narrative, compiled from the accounts of his spiritual children and others whom he brought to God, gives glimpses of his life in prison camp and after his release.
The second volume, A Cloud of Witnesses, contains 16 additional first-person contributions, material that became available following publication of the first collection. These are statements and recordings by priests, poets, a psychiatrist, a secret service agent, and "ordinary" people who experienced Father Arseny’s transformational and inspirational influence on their lives. Well-known academic psychiatrist Dmitri Melikov was deeply moved by Father Arseny’s insightful compassion, perspicacity, and feel for humanity. Melikov regularly returned to him for consultation. These accounts of Father Arseny’s life, career, and death complement and substantiate the stories in the first volume.