Transfer of relics. Transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from the Lycian world to the bar. Prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

May 22 (May 9, old style) The Orthodox Church remembers the Transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra in Lycia to Bar (modern name Bari). This happened in 1087, when, saving the shrine from possible desecration, the merchants of the Italian city transported the relics from Myra Lycia to their city.

According to ancient sources, in the 11th century the Greek Empire was going through difficult times. The Turks devastated her possessions in Asia Minor, ravaged cities and villages, killing their inhabitants, and accompanied their cruelties by insulting holy temples, relics, icons and books.

The city of Myra and the entire Lycian country were also destroyed. The ruins of the temple with the tomb of the saint were in disrepair and were guarded only by a few pious monks. Muslims attempted to destroy the relics of St. Nicholas, deeply revered by the entire Christian world.

In 792, Caliph Aaron Al Rashid sent the commander of the fleet, Humaid, to plunder the island of Rhodes. Having devastated this island, Humaid went to Myra Lycia with the intention of breaking into the tomb of St. Nicholas, but instead he broke into another one, standing next to the tomb of the Saint. The sacrilege had barely managed to do this when a terrible storm arose at sea and almost all the ships were broken.

The desecration of shrines outraged not only Eastern, but also Western Christians. Christians in Italy, among whom there were many Greeks, were especially afraid for the relics of St. Nicholas.

In 1087, the saint appeared to one priest of the city of Bar, located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, and ordered his relics to be transferred from Myra in Lycia to this city.

The townspeople immediately equipped three ships and sent them for the relics. To hide the purpose of their journey, the ships were loaded with wheat, and along the way they received news that Venetian merchants also intended to go to Myra to transfer the relics of the saint to Venice.

Having reached the shores of Lycia, they entered the church and smashed the church platform, under which stood a tomb with relics. In this matter, the young man Matthew was particularly zealous, wanting to discover the relics of the Saint as quickly as possible. In impatience, he broke the lid, and the Barians saw that the sarcophagus was filled with fragrant holy myrrh.

Presbyters Lupp and Drogo performed a litany, after which the same Matthew began to extract the relics of the Saint from the sarcophagus overflowing with myrrh. This happened on April 20, 1087.

Due to the absence of the ark, Presbyter Drogo wrapped the relics in outer clothing and, accompanied by the Barians, carried them to the ship.

At first, a fair wind helped the Barians sail home, but the next day the wind changed and turned the ship towards the city of Patara, the homeland of St. Nicholas.

The frightened Barians began to fear whether these were indeed the relics of Archbishop Nicholas, whether they had angered him with their bold act. And only when five of them admitted that they had taken a piece of the saint’s relics for themselves, the sea calmed down and a favorable wind blew.

On May 8, the ships sailed to Bar, and soon the good news spread throughout the city. A solemn meeting was arranged for the great shrine with the participation of numerous clergy and the entire population.

The next day, May 9, the relics of St. Nicholas were solemnly transferred to the Church of St. Stephen, located not far from the sea. The celebration of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant to the Church of St. Stephen in Bari was accompanied by numerous healings of the sick. Two years later, the lower part (crypts) of the new temple in the name of St. Nicholas was completed and consecrated, built specifically to store his relics, where they were solemnly transferred by Pope Urban II on October 1, 1089. The upper part of the temple (basilica) was built much later - June 22, 1197

The relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are still kept in Bari in the snow-white Basilica of San Sabino, a 12th-century Romanesque church.

In 1882, the tsarist government turned to the Italian authorities with a request to purchase a plot of city land to create a shelter for Russian pilgrims. The first stone for the foundation of the Church of St. Nicholas on this site was laid on May 22, 1913. Divine services in the temple continued until 1937, when the church became the property of the municipality of Bari. In 2007, the Orthodox metochion in Bari was again completely transferred to the Moscow Patriarchate.

The event associated with the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas aroused special veneration of the Wonderworker and was marked by the establishment of a special holiday on May 9 (May 22 in the new style).

At the beginning, the feast of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas was celebrated only by residents of the Italian city of Bar. In other countries of the Christian East and West it was not accepted, despite the fact that the transfer of relics was widely known.
This circumstance is explained by the custom of honoring mainly local shrines, characteristic of the Middle Ages. The Greek and Armenian Churches did not recognize the holiday, because they believed that the transfer of the relics from Myra to Bar took place by force. The Greek Church did not establish a celebration of this memory, because the loss of the relics of the Saint was a sad event for it.

The Russian Orthodox Church established the commemoration of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bar shortly after 1087 on the basis of the deep, already established veneration by the Russian people of the great saint of God, who crossed over from Greece simultaneously with the adoption of Christianity.

According to Russian folk tradition, this holiday is called “Nikola Veshny”. The service to the saint, performed on the day of the transfer of his relics from Myra in Lycia to Bar, was compiled in 1097 by the Russian Orthodox monk of the Pechersk monastery Gregory and the Russian metropolitan Ephraim.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, Wonderworker(transfer of relics from Myra Lycia to Bar). Information about his life is included.

In the 11th century, the Greek Empire was going through difficult times. The Turks devastated her possessions in Asia Minor, ravaged cities and villages, killing their inhabitants, and accompanied their cruelties by insulting holy temples, relics, icons and books. Muslims attempted to destroy the relics of St. Nicholas, deeply revered by the entire Christian world.

In 792, Caliph Aaron Al-Rashid sent the commander of the fleet, Humaid, to plunder the island of Rhodes. Having devastated this island, Humaid went to Myra Lycia with the intention of breaking into the tomb of St. Nicholas. But instead of it, he broke into another one, which stood next to the tomb of the Saint. The sacrilege had barely managed to do this when a terrible storm arose at sea and almost all the ships were broken.

The desecration of shrines outraged not only Eastern but also Western Christians. Christians in Italy, among whom there were many Greeks, were especially afraid for the relics of St. Nicholas. Residents of the city of Bar, located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, decided to save the relics of St. Nicholas.

In 1087, noble and Venetian merchants went to Antioch to trade. Both of them planned to take the relics of St. Nicholas on the way back and transport them to Italy. In this intention, the inhabitants of Bar were ahead of the Venetians and were the first to land in Myra. Two people were sent ahead, who, upon returning, reported that everything was quiet in the city, and in the church where the greatest shrine rested, they met only four monks. Immediately 47 people, armed, went to the temple of St. Nicholas, the guard monks, not suspecting anything, showed them the platform, under which the tomb of the saint was hidden, where, according to custom, strangers were anointed with myrrh from the relics of the saint. The monk told one elder about the appearance of St. Nicholas the day before. In this vision, the Saint ordered that his relics be preserved more carefully. This story inspired the nobles; They saw for themselves in this phenomenon the permission and, as it were, an indication of the Holy One. To facilitate their actions, they revealed their intentions to the monks and offered them a ransom of 300 gold coins. The watchmen refused the money and wanted to notify the residents of the misfortune that threatened them. But the aliens tied them up and placed their guards at the doors. They smashed the church platform, under which stood a tomb with relics. In this matter, the young man Matthew was particularly zealous, wanting to discover the relics of the Saint as quickly as possible. In impatience, he broke the lid and the nobles saw that the sarcophagus was filled with fragrant holy myrrh. The barians' compatriots, presbyters Luppus and Drogo, performed a litany, after which the same Matthew began to extract the relics of the Saint from the sarcophagus overflowing with the world. This happened on April 20, 1087.

Due to the absence of the ark, Presbyter Drogo wrapped the relics in outer clothing and, accompanied by the nobles, carried them to the ship. The liberated monks told the city the sad news about the theft of the relics of the Wonderworker by foreigners. Crowds of people gathered on the shore, but it was too late...

On May 8, the ships arrived in Bar, and soon the good news spread throughout the city. The next day, May 9, the relics of St. Nicholas were solemnly transferred to the Church of St. Stephen, located not far from the sea. The celebration of the transfer of the shrine was accompanied by numerous miraculous healings of the sick, which aroused even greater reverence for the great saint of God. A year later, a church was built in the name of St. Nicholas and consecrated by Pope Urban II.

The event associated with the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas aroused special veneration of the Wonderworker and was marked by the establishment of a special holiday on May 9. At first, the feast of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas was celebrated only by residents of the Italian city of Bar. In other countries of the Christian East and West it was not accepted, despite the fact that the transfer of relics was widely known. This circumstance is explained by the custom of honoring mainly local shrines, characteristic of the Middle Ages. In addition, the Greek Church did not establish a celebration of this memory, because the loss of the relics of the Saint was a sad event for it.

The Russian Orthodox Church established the commemoration of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bar on May 9, shortly after 1087, on the basis of the deep, already established veneration by the Russian people of the great saint of God, who crossed over from Greece simultaneously with the adoption of Christianity. The glory of the miracles performed by the Saint on land and at sea was widely known to the Russian people. Their inexhaustible power and abundance testify to the special gracious help of the great saint to suffering humanity. The image of the Saint, the all-powerful Wonderworker and benefactor, became especially dear to the heart of the Russian people, because he instilled deep faith in him and hope for his help. Countless miracles marked the faith of the Russian people in the inexhaustible help of the Pleasant of God. In Russian writing, significant literature about him was compiled very early. Tales of the miracles of the Saint performed on Russian soil began to be written down in ancient times. Soon after the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bargrad, a Russian edition of the life and the story of the transfer of his holy relics, written by a contemporary of this event, appeared. Even earlier, a word of praise to the Wonderworker was written. Every week, every Thursday, the Russian Orthodox Church especially honors his memory.

Numerous churches and monasteries were erected in honor of St. Nicholas, and Russian people named their children after him at Baptism. Numerous miraculous icons of the great Saint have been preserved in Russia. The most famous among them are the images of Mozhaisk, Zaraisk, Volokolamsk, Ugreshsky, Ratny. There is not a single house and not a single temple in the Russian Church in which there would not be an image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The meaning of the gracious intercession of the great saint of God is expressed by the ancient compiler of the life, according to whom St. Nicholas “worked many great and glorious miracles on earth and on the sea, helping those in trouble and saving them from drowning, and from the depths of the sea to wear dry, delighting them from corruption and bringing into the house, delivering from bonds and prisons, interceding from the sword and freeing from death, giving much healing to many: sight to the blind, walking to the lame, hearing to the deaf, speaking to the dumb, enriching many who suffered in poverty and poverty, giving food to the hungry and to everyone. in every need, a ready helper, a warm intercessor and a quick intercessor and defender, and he helps those who call upon him and delivers them from troubles. The message (knows) of this great Wonderworker, the East and the West and all the ends of the earth know his miracles.”

Origin and childhood

Saint Witburga (Witburg) was the youngest daughter of the pious King Anne of East Anglia (reigned from 635 to 653/654), who, according to legend, had six holy daughters and suffered martyrdom at the hands of the pagan king Penda of Mercia. Among the sisters of Saint Witburga was the Venerable Etheldreda, whose incorruptible right hand rests in the church of the city of Ely to this day. Sources about the life of Witburga include the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, ancient traditions, as well as the Latin manuscript Liber Eliensis (Book of Or), a chronicle compiled at the monastery of Eli in Cambridgeshire at the beginning of the 12th century and containing, among other things, short biographies of several saints East Anglia wives.

When Saint Witburga's father died, she was still a little girl. According to legend, she was raised by a wet nurse on her father's estate at Holkham, today a village on the north Norfolk coast. A 12th-century life tells how little Witburga loved to play with other children on the North Sea coast. One day, while playing, Witburga collected pebbles mixed with sand into a mound, which suddenly began to grow. The saint made the sign of the cross - and since then no one has been able to destroy it. The venerable nurse predicted that a holy temple would appear in this place, and her prediction came true. In the 8th century, a temple was actually erected in Holkham in honor of St. Withburga on a hill.

Communication with the Mother of God and two deer

Saint Witburga lived for some time the harsh ascetic life of a hermit at Holkham, and in memory of her spiritual exploits the place was renamed Witburgstowe (“Holy Place of Witburga”) for several centuries. She later moved to the village of Durham (formerly East Durham) in central Norfolk, where she remained until the end of her days. The saint led a holy life in this place and founded a small nunnery, gathering a community of nuns devoted to God. They wrote that at the time of the death of Saint Witburga, the construction of the monastery had not yet been completed. Apparently, the monastery cared about the education, support and nourishment of the residents of the area. It is noteworthy that during the hermit’s life of Saint Witburga, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to her several times. Thus, Saint Witburga is one of several examples of early English saints who were privileged to communicate and converse with the Queen of Heaven (another example is Saint Egwin of Worcester, founder of Evesham Monastery in the west of the country).

According to legend, once during construction work Saint Witburga had nothing to feed the workers and sisters, except for the remains of stale bread. The saint began to pray intensely, and the Mother of God appeared to her in a vision and ordered her to send several sisters to a nearby spring.

The sisters went to the spring indicated by the Mother of God and saw two roe deer who allowed themselves to be milked

The next morning, the nuns came to the spring and saw two deer nearby (according to another version: female roe deer). They allowed the nuns to milk them and miraculously gave a lot of milk. The deer came to the source every morning and were milked. They provided the monastery, its workers and guests with milk for many years. The community's supplies of butter and cheese never ran out. So Durham became one of the holy places in England associated with the miraculous visit of the Mother of God. (It is located less than 15 miles from the village of Walsingham, where, according to legend, in 1061 Our Lady appeared to the Norman aristocrat Richeldis de Favercher. Thus one of the greatest shrines appeared in England: an exact copy of the Nazareth Upper Room, where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary with the blessing the news that She would become the Mother of the Savior of the World. In Walsingham there also existed a monastery, a miraculous statue of the Mother of God and a holy spring).

The enemy of the human race, seeing Witburga’s strict ascetic labors, decided to take revenge on her, acting through an earthly person. So the landowner, on whose lands the Derham monastery was located, succumbed to temptation, became jealous of Witburga and planned to harm her. He and his hounds chased the deer and blocked their path to the spring. But the man defeated by the devil did not stop there: he decided to kill the animals. But on the very day when he was about to carry out his evil plan, heavenly punishment overtook him: the horse suddenly threw him, he fell, broke his neck and died. This story is depicted on a plaque in Durham town center to this day. Hearing about these and other miracles, more and more people began to come to Saint Witburg for advice.

Posthumous veneration and transfer of relics

The Venerable Hermit of Witburga reposed in the Lord on March 17/30, 743, at a ripe old age, and was buried in the cemetery of the church she founded in Durham. 55 years later, in 798, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the relics of Saint Witburga were raised from the grave and transferred to the church. The saint's remains turned out to be completely incorrupt. The veneration of the saint grew, and hundreds of people from all over the world flocked to the relics of the saint for healing and consolation.

In the 10th century, a period of revival of monasticism and piety began in England after the period of devastation in the 9th century due to Viking raids. In the same century, after its decline, the great monastery at Ely was reopened, where the relics of the saints Etheldreda (its founder in 673), her elder sister Sexburga and her niece Ermenilda (Ermenhild) were solemnly placed. In 974, the abbot of the Ili monastery, Brithnot, considered it necessary to transfer the relics of Etheldreda’s younger sister, Witburga, to his monastery and place them nearby. According to legend, this was done secretly at night, and even against the will of the residents of Durham.

The relics of Saint Witburga were taken away, but on the same day a healing spring began to flow from the saint’s grave

The townspeople began to mourn the loss, but on the same day a source of pure healing water began to flow from the former grave of St. Witburga next to the church. The miracle was perceived as follows: the saint consoled the believers in grief when they had to part with her earthly remains, and did not leave them without her help. The spring was consecrated in honor of Saint Witburga, and for many centuries its water brought healing from various diseases, attracting crowds of pilgrims. The water of this amazing source has always remained pure, and it has never dried up, even in the hottest weather, for 1000 years! And this source has survived to this day.

The veneration of Saint Witburga after the transfer of her relics to Ely continued in this city, although Saint Etheldreda always remained its main patron. The Ily Chronicle records that the relics of Saint Witburga were discovered in 1102 and transferred to another place in the same church, and four years later they were placed in a new huge church in Ily (today it is the Ily Cathedral of the Anglican Church) along with relics of Etheldreda and other local saints. Then it was discovered that the bodies of Saints Sexburga and Ermenilda had by that time decayed to the bones, the body of Saint Etheldreda remained whole and unharmed, and the body of Saint Witburga not only had not changed at all, but remained fresh and even with flexible limbs! She looked like she was alive! Monk Robert of Ely testified to this after the transfer of the relics of the mentioned saints. We think that by this the Lord showed His special favor to Saint Witburga (without in any way detracting from the holiness of other saints), who for many decades led an extremely ascetic life as a hermit, departing to the Lord at the age of more than 90 years and abundantly acquiring the grace of God.

Unfortunately, the reliquaries containing the relics of saints kept in Ely Cathedral were barbarously desecrated and destroyed by the “reformers” during the reign of Henry VIII in 1541. Nothing remained of the relics, but by some miracle the pedestal and part of one shrine were preserved: until recently it was believed that this was part of the shrine of St. Etheldreda, but architectural historian John Maddison suggests that it is part of the design of the shrine of St. Withburga.

Holy places associated with St. Witburga

Let us now tell you about the places where today the memory of the holy princess and abbess of Witburga is especially honored. The pretty market town of Durham (the name probably means "deer-enclosed place") stands in the heart of the equally beautiful English county of Norfolk in the very east of the country. The nunnery founded by Saint Witburga operated here until the end of the 9th century, when it was plundered by Danish pirates. In the 960s, Ely Monastery helped rebuild the church at Durham, and although the relics of St. Withburga were transferred to Ely, pilgrims from all over the country flocked to the holy spring at Durham for centuries until the Reformation.

During the Reformation, even the veneration of sources was prohibited! The spring of St. Witburga was almost forgotten, but in the second half of the 18th century a bathhouse was built over it in the hope that the city would become a famous resort. However, the bathhouse never found popularity, and in 1880 the local priest ordered it to be demolished. After this, the source was surrounded by iron fences to ensure its safety. Since the 1950s, the spring has been continuously maintained in good condition, although access to it is limited and is only allowed on certain days of the year. Flowers always grow around him. It is located near the western wall of the large city church in the name of St. Nicholas, in which St. Witburga is revered to this day. Every year on the first Sunday of July (before the saint's feast day on July 8/21), at the end of the service in St. Nicholas Church, the priest dips a sprig of rosemary into the Witburgi spring and sprinkles the believers with this water. The temple building dates back to the 12th century, although the first church on this site was Saxon.

The town of Durham was hit by air raids, but the church remained unharmed.

The town of Durham was damaged by air raids during the First World War, but the church remained undamaged. Although there are still no modern icons of St. Witburga, this saint is immortalized in three monuments at St. Nicholas Church: this is a magnificent modern sculpture of St. Witburga, created by a nun who was a parishioner of the temple for many years; an image of Saint Witburga on the 15th-century partition in the chapel of Our Lady, as well as an image of the saint on a panel behind the high altar.

This church also contains many other attractions: a 15th-century font, on the sides of which are carved images of the seven Sacraments of the Church; one of the few surviving medieval lecterns in the form of an eagle in the country; a tablet on which the rectors of the church over the centuries are immortalized, etc. The altar, the chapel of the Virgin and the transepts of the temple with many magnificent images on the ceiling, side chapels, Victorian stained glass windows, a 500-year-old porch (porch) with a large number of religious scenes and figures, and two towers (one free-standing late medieval massive bell tower and a modern tower- a lantern that lets abundant light into the temple) make St. Nicholas Church a real pearl.

The tiny village of Holkham (the name means "holy village"; another version: "downland farm") today consists of a few farmer's cottages. The nearest city is Wales-next-Sea. The village is set within the grounds of a picturesque, extensive 18th-century Palladian estate called Holkham Hall (owned by the Earl of Leicester), which is surrounded by the Holkham National Nature Reserve, a deer park (with up to 3,000 grazing animals), a lake and a nearby beach. The huge church of St. Witburga, built from local stone (flint), stands on the site of the original pre-Norman church at some distance from the village, on a circular hill, surrounded on all sides by a park. This is the only church in the world consecrated in honor of St. Witburga! It is officially located within the grounds of Holkham Hall Estate Park and during winter services are held in the estate's private chapel.

Under the floor of the western part of this temple, the remains of a pre-Norman church, burned by the Danes, were discovered. The Norman church was rebuilt in the 13th century in the early English Gothic style, and the bell tower from the same period was once used as a house and telegraph office. In the 14th century, the church was expanded in a decorated Gothic style, but by 1700 the temple had fallen into extreme disrepair. In the 18th century, Lady Margaret, widow of the Earl of Leicester, and 100 years later Lady Juliana, Countess of Leicester, made considerable efforts and dedicatedly restored, partially rebuilt and decorated this church - this saved the temple from destruction. Both benefactors are immortalized in this temple. The only visible reminder of Saint Witburg, other than the dedication of the church itself, is the carving at the ends of the choir seats, on which the saint is carved with a model of the temple in her hand and a doe at her feet. The church also features ancient alabaster (plaster) and marble monuments, as well as stained glass windows from the 13th–15th centuries. Everyone who visits the temple notes the atmosphere of warmth, prayer, as well as space and light. Both Durham Temple and Holkham Temple belong to the Church of England.

In art, Saint Witburga is usually depicted as an abbess with a crown, often with two roe deer at her feet, sometimes with a temple in her hand. Her images can be found on many stained glass windows and on at least six partition walls in East Anglian churches. For example, in the Church of St Peter and St Paul in the village of Barnham Broome she is depicted holding a model of her temple; on the magnificent screen of the cross of the church of St. Andrew of the village of North Burlingham - holding the church and with a stag at his feet; on the World War I screen of St. Andrew's Church in the village of Great Ryeburgh, where beautiful paneling and stained glass of many other early English saints can be found; on one of the many stained glass windows dedicated to English saints at St Edmund's Church in Fritton (all of them in Norfolk); in the Church of Our Lady at Woolpit, Suffolk, where her image can be found on the 15th-century screen of the cross, along with Saints Edmund, Etheldreda and Felix.

Thus, the memory of this Orthodox holy virgin, ascetic, hermit, princess and abbess is preserved in her native region, and we hope that her veneration among Orthodox Christians will increase.

Reverend Mother of Witburg, pray to God for us!

In the eighteenth year from the time when our venerable father, Theodosius, was transferred with his soul from earth to heaven,1 the Lord deigned that his body should also be transferred from the cave to the holy and heaven-like Pechersk church. The latter was done in this way.
All the brethren of the holy, great and miraculous Pechersk Lavra, having gathered together with their leader, Abbot John, unanimously came, after a meeting, to the decision to transfer from the cave to the great stone church the honorable relics of the blessed and God-bearing Theodosius, a reverend and lofty man in life, wonderful in virtues and glorious with miracles, the brethren said to each other:
- That we are needlessly depriving ourselves of our father and our teacher? It is not fitting for us to be deprived of a shepherd, nor is it fitting for a shepherd to abandon the sheep entrusted to him by God, lest a wild beast plunder the verbal flock of Christ. But, brothers, we should constantly have before our eyes the honest shrine of our father, always offering him worthy worship. It is inconvenient for him to remain outside the monastery and his church, for he laid its foundation and united the monastics.
Then everyone said with one mouth:
“Let us take the honorable relics of our beloved father and transfer them from the cave here: “When you light a candle,” says the Lord, “they do not put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:15).
After this decision, the brethren immediately arranged a place for the holy relics and erected a stone shrine. The feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is approaching. Three days before the holiday, the abbot ordered to go to the cave and excavate the place where the honest relics of our venerable father Theodosius were laid. The first performer of this work and the first witness of the honest relics was Blessed Nestor, who wrote the present narrative. He testifies about himself this way:
“I will tell you truthfully and truthfully,” for I did not hear from others, but I myself was the first participant. The abbot, coming to me, said: “Let’s go, my son, to our reverend father Theodosius.” And we came to the cave completely unnoticed by anyone. After looking around, we designated a place to be excavated and left. Then the abbot told me: “Take whoever you want from the brethren to help you, and don’t tell anyone except these chosen ones - let none of the brethren know until we take the honest relics to the place in front of the cave.”
On the same day I prepared the tools for digging. It was Tuesday; late in the evening I took with me two brothers, men of a wonderful life, but no one else knew. When they arrived at the cave, they said a prayer and worship, and immediately began to get down to business, singing psalm songs. I started digging; After much labor, I handed the spade to another brother. So they dug until midnight and could not find the relics of the saint. Then we began to grieve and cry: at first we thought that the saint did not deign to reveal himself to us; this thought was replaced by another - are we digging in the other direction? And so I took the tool again and began to dig even more diligently. One of the brothers who was with me and was in front of the cave, hearing the sound of the church beater calling for Matins, told me that the church beater had already been struck. At that time I dug up the ground over the honest relics and answered my brother: I have already dug up the ground, brother. When I did this, great fear seized me and I began to exclaim:
- For the sake of St. Theodosius, have mercy on me, Lord!
Then I sent to tell the abbot:
“Come, father, let us carry out the venerable relics of the saint.”
The abbot came with two brothers; I dug even more. And bending down we saw the relics lying magnificently: all the compositions were intact, and they were not touched by decay; the face is bright, the eyes are closed, the lips are connected, and the hair has dried to the head. Having placed the honest relics on the bed, we carried them out to the cave.
This is what Saint Nestor says about his participation (in the acquisition of honest relics); he also testifies to the wondrous deeds of God that happened at the same time.
That night, in the Pechersk monastery, two brothers were awake, watchmen, when the abbot secretly with a brother unknown to them would transfer the honorable relics of the monk; and they looked diligently towards the cave; when they struck the church bell for matins, they noticed that three pillars, in the form of luminous arcs, having stood over the cave of the Monk Theodosius, moved to the top of the great church, where the monk was to be transferred. This was also seen by other of the monks going to church for Matins; Many of the pious citizens saw it in the city itself.
The venerable Stefan, who was, after the Monk Theodosius, the Pechersk abbot, and then built a monastery on Klov and after that, by the will of God, became the bishop of the city of Vladimir, was then on Klov in his monastery; and that night he saw across the field a great dawn over the cave. Thinking that the honorable relics of St. Theodosius were being transferred (he was informed about the event the day before), he was very sorry that the transfer was taking place without him. He immediately mounted his horse and, accompanied by Clement, who he had appointed in his place as abbot on Klov, quickly headed towards the cave. On the way, from afar they saw a great dawn, and when they began to approach, they noticed many candles above the cave. But when they arrived at the cave, they saw nothing. Then they realized that the divine lordship they saw came from the honest relics of St. Theodosius. Approaching the doors of the cave, Stefan and Clement saw Saint Nestor and his brethren surrounding the holy relics.
The next day, after the discovery of the honorable relics of the saint, by the will of God, the God-loving bishops gathered: Ephraim of Pereyaslav, Stefan of Vladimir, John of Chernigov, Marin of Yuryev, Anthony of Poroz, and the abbots of all the monasteries (Kyiv) gathered with many monks; Many faithful people came from the city with candles and incense. And they took the honorable relics of Saint Theodosius and transferred them to the God-created Most Honest Church. And the most venerable church rejoiced, having received its lamp, so that the daylight was covered with candlelight. Then the saints touching, the priests falling down, the monks and the people flowing in with love, kissed the relics of the saint, sending up spiritual hymns to God, and offering grateful praise to the saint. So they placed the honorable relics in the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, founded by the Monk Theodosius, on the right side - they placed them on the fourteenth day of the month of August, on Thursday, at the first hour of the day: and they celebrated this day solemnly. We should not here pass over in silence the fact that on the third day after the transfer of the relics of our venerable father Theodosius, his next prophecy came true.
During the days of his abbess, the only concern of the Monk Theodosius was how best to manage the flock entrusted to him; at the same time, he cared not only about the monks, but also about the salvation of worldly people, especially about his spiritual children; he consoled and instructed those who came to him; sometimes he visited their houses and gave blessings. Among the nobles was the spiritual son of Saint Theodosius, named John; his wife Maria and he himself were pious people who led a chaste life. The blessed father, having come one day to their house (he loved them, since they lived according to the commandments of the Lord and in love with each other), began to teach the spouses about alms to the poor, about the kingdom of heaven, prepared for the righteous, and about the torment of sinners, and much more he spoke to them from Divine Scripture, until the word reached the position of the body in the grave. Taking advantage of this word of the monk, the pious wife of John said to him:
- Honest Father! who knows where my body will be laid?
The divinely inspired Theodosius, filled with the prophetic gift, answered her:
“I tell you the truth: where my body is laid, there you too, after several years, will rest.”
Which came true in the eighteenth year after the saint’s repose, when his venerable relics were transferred; At this time, John's wife Maria reposed. The relics of St. Theodosius were transferred on the 14th day of August, and on the sixteenth day of the same month and year she was placed in the same Pechersk church opposite the tomb of St. Theodosius, on the left side. Then, in the fifteenth year after the transfer of the relics of St. Theodosius, Mary’s husband, the great boyar John, already a venerable ninety-year-old old man, the son of the brave governor Vyshata, the grandson of the governor Ostromir, and himself a former governor for quite a long time, also reposed. John was a righteous man and no worse than his ancestors, as a good, meek, humble man who shunned evil. He was placed at the head of his wife opposite the tomb of the same Venerable Theodosius, so that the prophecy of the blessed father about the position in the same place where his body lay was fulfilled.
It is appropriate here to recall the following. The Lord, who glorifies those who glorify Him and was pleased to transfer the relics of St. Theodosius from a dark cave to the holy Pechersk church in the eighteenth year from His repose, wishing to further glorify His saint, was pleased to transfer in his name and veneration from dark ignorance to all Orthodox churches, also in the eighteenth year from the transfer from the cave - let this lamp shine on the whole world.
The heart-reader laid it on the heart of Blessed Theoktistus, the Pechersk abbot, to see to it that the name of St. Theodosius was inscribed in the synodikon or church council, and that he was numbered among the ancient reverend fathers and all the saints, whom the Orthodox Church celebrates everywhere. Blessed Theoktist began to remind the blessed Grand Duke Mikhail-Svyatopolk Izyaslavich4 of this: he asked him to command His Eminence Metropolitan Nikifor5 to gather a consecrated council of bishops, abbots and the entire church clergy and inform them of the reason for the meeting, and then let everything happen as God pleases. The Metropolitan listened with pleasure to the prince’s speech, gathered bishops, abbots and the entire church clergy and informed them about the proposed honoring of St. Theodosius. The great prince told all the fathers of the cathedral about the life of the saint. Then everyone unanimously and unanimously decided to issue a decree so that the Monk Theodosius would be venerated in the Orthodox (Russian) Church as equal to all the saints already revered everywhere. The Right Reverend Metropolitan commanded the bishops that each of them, in all the churches of his diocese, inscribe the name of St. Theodosius in the collection of saints. The bishops joyfully fulfilled this: they inscribed the name of the Monk Theodosius and began to remember him in all churches, praying to him and annually celebrating with praise the day of his triumph to the glory of the all-giving God and His saint, the gifted Theodosius.
Blessed Theoktistus, who zealously tried to serve his father, the Monk Theodosius, to have his name entered into the cathedral, was rewarded by the Lord for his labors: after a little time, he was elected bishop of the God-saved city of Chernigov and consecrated by the same Right Reverend Metropolitan Nicephorus. When he ascended the throne, then the Christ-loving Prince David, the princess, the boyars and all the people accepted him with inscrutable joy, as having created the inscrutable joy of the church by inscribing the name of St. Theodosius in the cathedral. For the sake of his prayers, we, along with blessed Theoktistos, expect to hear the joyful call: “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20)
Let us also place here the legend of the blessed Bishop Simon6 about the miraculous decoration of the holy shrine of our venerable father Theodosius with gold and silver, who, with his honest transferred relics, as if with gold and incorruptible silver, decorated the holy Pechersk church, and decorated other Orthodox churches with veneration of his honorable name. It was like that. After quite a long time after the transfer of the relics of St. Theodosius, the son of Simon and grandson of Africanus, Varangian princes, the thousand-leader George, who ruled the region in the land of Suzdal from Prince Georgy Vladimirovich Monomakhovich, wanted to decorate the honorable shrine of St. Theodosius as a sign of his great love for him. He sent from Suzdal to Kyiv, to the Pechersky Monastery, one of his boyars, named Vasily, and gave him, for the shrine of the saint, five hundred hryvnias of silver and fifty hryvnias of gold. Taking the silver and gold, Vasily reluctantly set out on the road, cursing his life and the day of his birth:
“What is it,” he said, “that our master is planning to destroy such wealth?” and what reward will he have for lining the tomb of the dead? As you can see, he collected without difficulty - and wastes it in vain. But woe to me, who did not dare to disobey my master - why did I leave my home and for whom am I walking this bitter path? Will I receive honor from anyone? - after all, I was not sent to the prince, nor to any nobleman. What will I say to that handful of stones? And who will answer me? Who won't laugh at my crazy arrival? So and much more Vasily said to those accompanying him. Saint Theodosius appeared to him in a dream, saying with meekness:
- Oh, child! I wanted to reward you for your work; but if you do not repent, you will suffer a lot of trouble.
However, Vasily did not stop grumbling, and the Lord brought great misfortune on him for his sins: all the horses died, and the property, except for the sent treasure, was stolen by thieves. Then Vasily took a fifth of the treasure, consisting of gold and silver, sent to bind the saint’s shrine; he spent it on the needs of himself and his horses, without realizing, at the same time, the punishment that befell him for blasphemy. When he was in Chernigov, he fell from his horse and was broken so badly that he could not even move his hand. Those accompanying Vasily put him on a chariot and brought him near Kyiv in the evening. And that night Saint Theodosius appeared to Basil, saying:
- Basil! Haven’t you heard the words of the Lord: “Make for yourself friends with unrighteous wealth, so that when you become poor, they will receive you into eternal abodes” (Luke 16:9); and: “whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of a righteous person” (Matt. 10:41). My son George planned a good deed; with him you too, for your work, were destined to be crowned, and not everyone will receive such glory as you had to be an accomplice with George. Now you have lost everything; but still do not despair of your life, although you cannot be healed in any other way except by repenting of your sins. Order to be carried into the Pechersk monastery, into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, and let them lay you on my shrine and you will be healthy; the gold and silver you spent will be found intact.
The Monk Theodosius said this to Vasily, appearing openly and not in a dream. In the morning, Prince Georgy Vladimirovich came to Vasily with all the boyars; Seeing him in severe illness, he left sadly. Vasily, believing in the vision of the saint, ordered to be taken to the Pechersk monastery. When they were near the shore, someone unfamiliar came to the abbot of Pechersk and said:
- Go quickly to the shore, bring Vasily and lay him on the tomb of the Monk Theodosius; when he hands you the treasure, denounce him in front of everyone that he took a fifth of it; and if he repents, forgive him. With these words, the speaker became invisible. Hegumen Timofey began to inquire about the person who came to him; but no one saw him coming in or going out. The abbot went to the Dnieper, brought Vasily and laid him on the shrine of St. Theodosius; and Vasily rose safe and sound. He began to give the abbot the treasure entrusted to him, saying:
- Here, you will find here four hundred hryvnias of silver and forty gold.
The abbot told him:
- Child! and where else is a hundred hryvnia of silver, and ten of gold?
Vasily began to repent and confessed:
- I took it and spent it; Be patient, father, and I will return everything to you; I thought to hide this from the all-seeing God.
Then they poured gold and silver out of the vessel where it was under the seal, counted it in front of everyone and found it intact - five hundred hryvnias of silver and fifty gold; and everyone glorified God and Saint Theodosius. Then Vasily began to tell in order about the appearances of the saint to him and about his deeds about him. In the morning, the prince, taking doctors with him, came to the place where he saw the sick Vasily, wanting to treat him, and did not find him. Having learned that Vasily had been taken to the Pechersk monastery and thinking that he had already died, the prince hastily went to the monastery and found Vasily here , - it’s as if he wasn’t sick. Hearing from him about wondrous miracles, the prince was both horrified and filled with spiritual joy; he went and bowed to the miraculous tomb of our venerable father Theodosius and left. Hearing about this, Georgy Simonovich, the commander of a thousand, became even more inflamed with love for the Most Holy Theotokos and Saint Theodosius; to his great gift he added another hryvnia8, which he himself wore and which contained one hundred hryvnias of gold; at the same time he wrote the following:
“Here I am, George, son of Simon, servant of the Most Holy Theotokos and Saint Theodosius, blessed by his holy hand, I once had eye pain for three years and did not see a ray of sunlight, but at the word of the monk I was healed, for I heard from his lips: “see!” and received his sight. For this reason, I am writing this epistole (i.e. letter) to my last generation, so that no one excommunicates himself from the monastery of the Most Holy Lady Theotokos and the venerable fathers, Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk; their prayer also brings intercession in the villages of the monastery: when the Polovtsy9 and I came to Izyaslav Mstislavich, we saw a high city from afar, and immediately moved away from it. But no one knew what kind of city it was; Of the Polovtsians who were near him, there were many wounded, and we fled from that city. Later we learned that it was a village of the Pechersk monastery; the city had never been there; and those who lived in that village themselves did not know about what had happened; Coming out in the morning, they saw that there was bloodshed and were greatly surprised. That is why I am writing to you that you are all included in the prayer of Saint Theodosius: he promised my father Simon to pray for us, as he prays for his monks; and he wrote a prayer, which my father commanded, when he was laid in the coffin, to be placed in his hand, in anticipation of the fulfillment of that promise, about which, having appeared to one of the God-bearing fathers, he said this:
“Tell my son George that I received good things through the saint’s prayers, and you, my son, follow me with good deeds.”
“Whoever does not desire the blessing and prayer of Saint Theodosius and deviates from it will love the oath, and may it come to him.”
Here is the end of the epistole of the above-mentioned George the lover of Christ; and we, who are finishing this tale, must learn from him - let us not shy away from the blessing and much-hurried prayer of our venerable father Theodosius, but let us draw closer to him with good deeds, and he will come closer to us. And thus, without fear of an oath, we will receive blessings as heirs of the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor and worship now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

1 The Monk Theodosius of Pechersk reposed in 1074.
2 About the discovery of the relics of St. Feodosia.
3 A wooden or metal board, by hitting it with a stick or hammer, believers were called to worship in the church before the bells were introduced.
4 Grand Duke of Kyiv 1093-1114.
5 Nikifor - the first metropolitan of this name 1103-1121.
6 Simon is a monk of the Pechersk monastery. From here he was taken by Grand Duke Vsevolod Yuryevich to be abbot of the Nativity Monastery he founded in Vladimir; then Simon was installed as the first bishop of the Vladimir diocese, separated from Rostov in 1214. Simon died in 1226 after a twelve-year reign. FROM the epistles of Bishop Simon of Vladimir to Polycarp, also tonsured and subsequently abbot of the Pechersk monastery, and from the epistle of Polycarp to Akindinus, the Pechersk archimandrite, the content of which is a number of legends about the Pechersk miracle workers and the miracles that took place in the monastery itself during the construction of its great church, and the famous Pechersk Paterik.
7 Hryvnia is an ancient coin of a certain weight (72-96 spools), often in the form of a gold or silver ingot.
8 That is a chain worn around the neck as a decoration.
9 Polovtsy or Cumans are a Turkic nomadic tribe that lived in the X-XIII centuries in the south of Russia and from here made raids on the border towns and villages of the Russian land.

On this same day the memory of the Monk Arkady, disciple of Ephraim of Novotorzh.
On the same day is the memory of the holy martyr Marcellus, Bishop of Apami, who was burned around 389 by idolaters for the destruction of a pagan temple.

Holiness overcomes distances between people and eras. Different language environment,different cultural backgrounds do not prevent people centuries later from unmistakably recognizing holiness and worshiping it.

Archpriest Andrey Tkachev

About 930 years have passed since the transfer of the relics of Saint and Wonderworker Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to the Italian city of Bar. This event, associated with the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas, was called the holiday St. Nicholas of the Summer, which is celebrated by the Holy Church on May 22 according to the new style.

At the beginning, the feast of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas was celebrated only by residents of the Italian city of Bari. In other countries of the Christian world it was not accepted, due to the fact that in the Middle Ages mainly local shrines were honored. In addition, the Greek Church did not establish a celebration of this date, because the loss of the relics of the Saint was, in general, a sad event for it...

And so, in the summer of 1087, under the Greek king Alexius Komnenos 2 and under Patriarch Nicholas of Constantinople Grammar 3 , during the reign of Vsevolod Yaroslavich in Rus' 4 in Kyiv and his son Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh in Chernigov 5 , the Ishmaelites invaded the Greek region 6 , both from that and from the other side of the sea. They went through all the cities and villages, from Korsun 7 to Antioch and to Jerusalem; at the same time, they cut off men, took women and children captive and burned houses and property.

Churches and monasteries were deserted, and cities fell into the hands of infidels. Then the Lycian Myra, in which the body of St. Nicholas rested, was devastated, a precious and honorable body that performed wondrous and glorious miracles.

This venerable man could have protected his city and the Church from devastation, but, at the command of God, he did not resist, saying: “Lord, I will do what is right in your sight.” But our Lord Jesus Christ could not allow the relics of the saint to rest in a desolate place and not be glorified by anyone, according to what is said in Scripture: let the saints triumph in glory (Ps. 149:5); and again: glory will be to all His saints (Ps. 149:9).

In the city of Bari, which then belonged to the Normans 8 , there lived a certain presbyter, Christ-loving and righteous. Saint Nicholas appeared to him in a dream and said: “Go and tell the citizens and the entire church council to go to the city of Myra, take me from there and put me here, for I cannot stay there in a desolate place. This is the will of the Lord."

Having said this, the saint became invisible. Waking up in the morning, the presbyter told everyone his former vision. They rejoiced and said: “Now the Lord has magnified His mercy on His people and on our city, for He has vouchsafed us to receive His saint, Saint Nicholas.”

They immediately chose reverent and God-fearing men from among them and sent them in three ships to retrieve the relics of the saint. Posing as if they were going to trade, those men loaded their ships with wheat and set off.

Sailing to Antioch, they sold wheat and bought everything they needed. Then they learned that the Venetians who were there wanted to warn them and take the relics of St. Nicholas. Immediately the nobles set off in haste, arrived at Myra in Lycia and landed at the city pier. Having conceived a matter to save themselves and their city, they armed themselves and entered the church of St. Nicholas. Here they saw four monks and asked them where the relics of St. Nicholas rested. They showed them the place of the shrine.

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

The nobles dug up the church platform and found a shrine full of peace. They poured myrrh into a vessel, and took the relics of the saint and carried them to the ship, then sailed away. Two monks remained in Myra, and two accompanied the relics of St. Nicholas 9 .

They departed from the city of Mir in the month of April on the 11th day, and arrived in the city of Bari in the month of May on the 9th day, on Sunday evening. Seeing that they had arrived from the city of Mir with the relics of St. Nicholas, all the inhabitants of the city of Bari, men and wives, from young to old, came out to meet the saint with candles and incense, received the relics with joy and great honor and placed them in the Church of St. John the Baptist at seas.

The relics of the saint performed many miracles here. They arrived in Bari on Sunday evening and already on Monday morning they healed 47 sick people, husbands and wives, obsessed with various ailments: one had a headache, another had a headache, another had an eye ache, another had arms and legs, the heart, and even the whole body suffered from spirits unclean.

On Tuesday, 22 sick people were healed, and on Wednesday - 29. Early on Thursday morning, Saint Nicholas healed a deaf-mute man who had been ill for 5 years. Then the saint appeared to a certain pious monk and said: “So, by the will of God, I came to you in this country, on Sunday, at the ninth hour, and behold, 111 people were healed by me.”

And Saint Nicholas performed other miracles throughout his days, like a source flowing endlessly. And they brought many gifts to the saint, gold and silver and valuable clothes. Seeing his glorious miracles, the citizens were filled with great joy and created a great and beautiful church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker 10 , and they forged a silver gilded shrine for his relics.

In the third summer after the transfer of the relics from Myra Lycia, they sent to Pope Urban, asking him to come to Bari with his bishops and the entire church clergy to transfer the relics of St. Nicholas.

The pope arrived accompanied by bishops and clergy; they placed the relics of the saint in a silver shrine, then the bishops and nobles transferred it to the new, great church and placed it in the altar, month of May on day 9(old style). They also moved the saint’s dilapidated coffin, in which he had been brought from Mir, placed the coffin in the church and placed in it part of the hand from the saint’s relics. Many people came and worshiped the saint, kissing his relics and the shrine. Pope Urban, the bishops and all the citizens created a great holiday and glorification of the saint on that day, which they continue to this day. 11 . In those days they consoled themselves with food and drink and, having given generous alms to the poor, returned to their homes in peace, glorifying and praising God and His holy saint Nicholas.

The name of the great saint of God, Saint and Wonderworker Nicholas, a quick helper and man of prayer for all who flock to him, has become glorified in all corners of the earth, in many countries and peoples. In the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Kiev prince Askold, the first Russian Christian prince († 882), was baptized by the holy Patriarch Photius in 866.

Over the grave of Askold, Saint Olga Equal to the Apostles (July 11) erected The first church of St. Nicholas in the Russian Church in Kyiv. And now in Rus' many cathedrals, monasteries and churches are dedicated to his holy name. There is, perhaps, not a single city without St. Nicholas Church.

Russian Orthodox Church commemoration of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra of Lycia to Bari was established shortly after 1087 on the basis of the deep, established veneration of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker by the Russian people.

Nikolay Zimniy In the Orthodox tradition, it is customary to call the day of the repose of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Lord (Cold). Just like St. Nicholas of Summer, this day is one of the impermanent days and is celebrated December 19th according to the new style. In Rus' it was believed that on this day Nikolai Ugodnik » descended from heaven to the snow-covered earth and traveled across Russian soil, driving out dark spirits.

He was truly the Light of the World and the Salt of the Earth, for his life was light and his word was dissolved in the salt of wisdom.

Troparion, tone 4:

The day of bright celebration has arrived, /
the city of Barsky rejoices, and with it the whole universe rejoices
stumps and spiritual stumps: /
today is a sacred celebration, /
for the presentation of the holy and multi-healing relics of the saint
and the wonderworker Nicholas, / like the sun that never sets, /
luminous rays, /
and dispelling the darkness of temptations and troubles from those that cry out rightly: /
Save us, as our great representative, Nicholas.

Kontakion, tone 3:

Rise like a star from east to west /
your relics to Saint Nicholas, /
the sea was sanctified by your procession,/
and the city of Barsky received grace from you: /
Thou art the graceful wonderworker who cared for us, /
generous and merciful.

* * * * * * * * * * *

2 Alexios I Komnenos ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1081 to 1118.

3 Nicholas III the Grammar was patriarch from 1084 to 1111.

4 Vsevolod Yaroslavich, son of Yaroslav the Wise and grandson of Vladimir the Saint, reigned from 1075 to 1076 (6 months); then again from 1078 to 1093.
5 Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh ruled from 1073 to 1125.

6 The Ishmaelites here mean the same-tribal eastern peoples: Turks, Pechenegs and Polovtsians.

7 An ancient city in Crimea, near Sevastopol, also called Tauride Chersonese.

8 The city of Bari is located in the south of the Italian peninsula, on its eastern shore near the Adriatic Sea, in an area called Apulia. The population of southern Italy has long been Greek. By the end of the 9th century. The power of the Greek emperor was established here. In 1070, the city of Bari was taken from the Greeks by the Normans, a northern tribe of the Germanic people, but even after this, the Orthodox faith and worship were preserved in some Apulian monasteries, and they were subordinated to the Patriarch of Constantinople.

9 In the service for the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas, it is sung: “Thy procession was by sea to the saint, from Myra in Lycia to Bargrad: for your ark was taken from the tomb, and to the west you came from the east, the monk who piously followed at your tomb, who did honor to you, with a wave Lord of all, the most glorious Nicholas."

10 The celebration of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas to Rus' was established under Metropolitan John II of Kiev in 1089.

11 This church still exists today.

• Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. Word from Archpriest Andrey Tkachev »

Prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

O all-praised, great wonderworker, saint of Christ, Father Nicholas! We pray to you, awaken the hope of all Christians, protector of the faithful, feeder of the hungry, joy of the weeping, doctor of the sick, steward of those floating on the sea, feeder of the poor and orphans, and quick helper and patron of all, may we live a peaceful life here and may we be worthy to see the glory of God’s elect in heaven , and with them unceasingly sing the praises of the one worshiped God in the Trinity forever and ever. Amen.