Where to go to venerate the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Where are the remains of Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra?

Archbishop of Myra of Lycia Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, better known in Russia as Nicholas the Ugodnik and Nicholas of Myra, is one of the most famous Christian saints. His memory is revered by Orthodox, Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and parishioners of ancient Eastern churches. During his righteous life, Saint Nicholas received from the Lord the gift of miracles. Through the prayers of believers, he always helps with problems. As a sign of special merits before God, the body of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker began to exude myrrh. Since then, it has become one of the most revered relics in Christianity.

Relics in Antioch

Originally stored in the city of Myra Lycian, where he spent almost his entire life. In 792, the head of the fleet of the Abbasid Caliphate, Humaid, went to these places with the aim of breaking into and looting the tomb. The army helped him in this matter. However, Humaid mixed up the tombs and, instead of the one he needed, began to break the one standing nearby. But as soon as he set to work, a powerful storm formed at sea, destroying all the naval commander’s ships.

After this attack, Christians in Europe realized that the shrine was in serious danger. In Italy, where many immigrants from Greece lived at that time, this story was felt especially acutely.

Soon all christian world underwent a new test - the Seljuk Turks began to attack Byzantium. The empire practically could not resist this force, especially since the Turks from the north were helped by related Guzes, as well as the Pechenegs. Separately from them, the Normans attacked Byzantium from the west. The Seljuks were distinguished by their bestial hatred of Christians. material assets. So, in the city of Caesarea they plundered the most valuable shrine of those places - the church in the name of Basil the Great, in which the relics of this saint rested. The Turks also destroyed a huge number of those Christians who opposed the desecration of shrines.

Theft of relics and removal to Bari

The barbarity of the Seljuks led to the fact that Byzantium began to be suspicious of all Muslims without exception. Residents of the Italian port city of Bari decided to take advantage of this and steal the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, because they wanted to return to their small homeland the lost status of a religious center. In their opinion, the charge of stealing the shrine will fall on representatives islamic religion, and the Catholic Italians themselves will remain unpunished.

In 1087, the Barian merchants headed to Antioch, and on April 20 of the same year, on the way home, they stopped at Myra. First, two people from the Italian crew went on reconnaissance around the city. Having returned, they informed their companions that everything was calm in the city, and in the church where the relics they needed were kept, there were only four monks. After this, all the Barians, consisting of 47 people, went to the temple.

In the church, the Italians asked the brethren to lead them to the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant so that they could venerate them. The monks did not suspect anything wrong and calmly took the guests to the platform, under which stood the tomb of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. At the same time, the monk-guide said that the day before one elder had a vision, where the saint himself asked to increase vigilance and strengthen control over his relics.

The Barians were very happy to hear this, since they perceived this story as an order from Nicholas the Wonderworker himself. Therefore, they abandoned the initial forceful option of their actions and told the monks about the real purpose of their visit, offering them three hundred gold coins as a ransom for the shrine. The monks flatly refused such a deal and even tried to break out of the temple to warn the townspeople about the danger. The merchants did not let them leave, tied them up and placed their guards at the gates of the church.

The Italians broke the platform over the tomb and saw that it was filled with holy myrrh, exuding relics. The Barian priests Drogo and Lupp, who were also present, served a litany, after which a young man named Matthew pulled out the relics from the tomb. There was no ark with him to carry them, and then Drogo simply wrapped them in his outer clothing and carried them to the ship, after which the Barians set off. Meanwhile, the monks managed to free themselves and told the townspeople about the misfortune that had happened. They rushed to the shore, but those who took the shrine had already swam far away and could not be caught up with them. There was nothing that could be done to help the people's grief.

Together with the Barians, their compatriots, traders from Venice, also tried to get to Antioch for the same purpose, but they arrived later than their fellow countrymen.

On May 9, 1087, the Italians returned to the city of Bari, where they were given a magnificent ceremonial welcome. The rulers of the city were not there that day, and the abbot of the monastery, the Benedictine monk Elijah, disposed of the brought relic. He ordered it to be placed in the coastal church of St. Stephen. During the transfer of the relics, a number of miraculous healings of sick people occurred. This added to the Barians’ veneration of the holy saint of God, who always helps people.

IN next year A church was built in the name of Nicholas the Wonderworker, consecrated personally by Pope Urban II. In this temple, which today is known as Basilica of St. Nicholas, and now most of his relics are kept under the throne of the altar. A small hole is cut out at the bottom of this throne, from which transparent myrrh is collected annually on May 9th.

In 2005, anthropologists from Great Britain were able to reconstruct the skull exemplary external image Nicholas the Wonderworker. According to scientists, he was a man of heavy build and short(no more than 170 cm). He had the following facial features:

brown eyes;
dark skin color;
high forehead;
protruding chin and cheekbones.

Piece of relics in Venice

The inhabitants of Mir hid the remains of the relic in another place (the Barians, in the bustle and haste, collected only the largest particles of the relics, and left small fragments, which made up about 20% of the entire shrine). However, in 1099-1101. they lost them too. The Venetians who took part in the first Crusade captured the guards, and under terrible torture they told them where the relics were buried. In addition, the guests from Venice also took away other shrines - the relics of the Hieromartyr Theodore and St. Nicholas of Pinar.

These remains were taken to Venetian island Lido, where the Church of St. Nicholas was also rebuilt. Subsequently, anthropological examination twice (in 1957 and 1987) confirmed the identity of the relics in Bari and Venice.

Delivery of relics to Russia

During a sensational meeting in the Cuban capital Havana of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill and Pope Francis in February 2016, an agreement was reached that next year a particle of the relics of Nicholas of Myra will be in Russia. This was the first such case of its kind, since from the moment the relics were delivered to Bari, they did not leave the city.

Through the hole in which myrrh is collected, the left rib of Nicholas of Myra was removed, and late in the evening of May 21, 2017, the relic was delivered to Moscow by plane. I personally met a particle of the relics in the capital's Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It was there that a fragment of the shrine was located from May 22 to July 12, 2017. The next day, the rib was delivered to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra of St. Petersburg, where it remained until July 28, 2017 and was subsequently taken back to Bari.

This became a significant event in my life Orthodox Russia. Believers came to bow to the shrine not only from Russia, but also from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, the Baltic countries and other nearby states. In the capital, over 1.8 million people bowed to a particle of the relics, and in St. Petersburg - almost 500 thousand people. Thus, total quantity those who venerated the Christian relic exceeded 2.3 million people.

Temples where you can venerate the relics

In addition to the relics in Italy, particles of this shrine are kept in many temples around the world. There are many such places in Russia. In Moscow alone you can venerate the relics of the saint in the following churches:

To venerate the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, it is not necessary to go to Moscow. As a rule, a piece of this shrine is found in the churches of most cities that are the centers of a particular diocese.

Feast of the Transfer of Relics

The Barians in Italy were the first to establish the celebration of the transfer of the relics of Nicholas of Myra. This day did not take root in the rest of the Roman Catholic Church and in most Orthodox churches, especially in the Greek one, which considered the loss of relics an irreparable tragedy. However, in Rus', where Nicholas the Pleasant has always been very widely revered, they immediately began to celebrate the holiday on May 22. Exact date, when in Russian Orthodox Church The veneration of the day of transfer of the relics began, it is not possible to find out. Most experts believe that this happened in 1088-1098.

Relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Russia!

May 22 is the holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Great holiday for all Orthodox Christians. It is also called St. Nicholas Day and the holiday of St. Nicholas the Pleasant.

On the evening of May 21, a piece of relics was delivered from Italy to Russia for the first time one of the most revered saints - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. In Christianity, he is the patron of travelers, prisoners and orphans; in the West, he is the patron of almost all levels of society, but mainly of children. In Rus', many churches and monasteries are named after him, and his icons stand in houses. The relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker were kept for 930 years in the Italian city of Bari in the Basilica of St. Nicholas, a Romanesque temple of the 12th century. As Patriarch Kirill noted, this is a unique event, since during the entire stay of the relics of St. Nicholas in Bari, they never left the city. The transfer of part of the relics became possible after Cyril’s meeting with Pope Francis on February 12, 2016.

May 22 at 14.00 in the main Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow(Volkhonka St., 15, Kropotkinskaya metro station) access to the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was opened. Already on Monday morning, the line of people wishing to venerate the shrine reached more than one and a half kilometers in length. Moscow is ready to receive any number of pilgrims, and the queue, if necessary, can increase to 5 kilometers. Over two thousand employees will be responsible for the safety of parishioners law enforcement agencies. In addition, near the temple, for convenience, there are 11 food and rest points for those who came.

On May 22, access to the relics will be from 14.00 to 21.00, and on subsequent days from 8.00 to 21.00. The queue for visiting is formed from Crimean bridge. Volunteers in light green vests stand all the way from the Park Kultury metro station to the embankment.

Some of the relics are stored in an ark made of noble metals, which is covered with protected glass. It is believed that the ark contains the rib of the saint. From May 22 to July 12 particles of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker will be available for veneration in Moscow, then - from 13 to 28 July they will stay in St. Petersburg. The Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra is being considered for their placement. After which the relics will return to Italy.

* * *
In the Italian city of Bari, the precious casket was kept for 930 years in the basement of the Basilica of St. Nicholas under a marble slab. Every year, St. Nicholas Day is celebrated here in a magnificent manner with a popular procession, during which a statue from the basilica is carried through the streets. Look at the photo report from the ceremony of handing over the shrine in Moscow. The post also used photos from social networks.

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker: history, traditions and who he helps

Orthodox Christians greatly reverence the Pleasant of God, and commemorate Him twice a year - on December 19 and May 22. "There is a lot in life historical figures that the world remembers. But, probably, there is not a single person in the world who does not know about the feat of St. Nicholas,” noted Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl.

Saint Nicholas was born in the city of Patara, in the second half of the 3rd century, into the family of pious people Theophanes and Nonna. The mother was very ill, but with the birth of her son, who himself stood in the baptismal font for some time unsupported by anyone, she received healing.

His life is amazing from the day he was born. From childhood he led an ascetic life. He was not interested in entertainment, empty conversations or games with peers. He studied spiritual literature and spent time in fasting and prayer. Seeing such virtues, his uncle, who was the bishop of Patara, took him as a reader, and then a little later elevated him to the rank of priest.

Nicholas with youth was characterized by great mercy, he always tried to help everyone who turned to him for help, and did it with great love. This earned him the love and gratitude of all residents of the city.

There is a known case when Nicholas set off on a journey to Palestine on a ship and, seeing a storm approaching, stopped it with his prayer. He resurrected a sailor who had fallen from the mast and crashed. And upon his arrival in Palestine, settling not far from Jerusalem, he wanted to pray in the temple at night. When he arrived, he saw a lock on the doors, but suddenly the doors opened on their own, letting him into the temple.

After visiting Jerusalem, he wanted to stay in the desert, in the Zion Monastery, but he heard a voice that another place of service awaited him, where he should be useful. And he went to Myra, where he lived very modestly, attending all church services.
And when it was necessary to elect a new bishop of the Lycian country, the assembled bishops, who did not come to a consensus on the candidacy, earnestly prayed to God to reveal this person to them.

And the oldest one was told in the vision: whoever enters the temple first morning worship, this is this husband, whose name is Nikolai. Saint Nicholas, who got up very early, came to the temple first, and the elder turned to him with a request to tell him his name. After the elder learned the name, there was no doubt. So he was elected to the chair of Mira. To this day, this city exists, although all the cities were destroyed by the Turks, and that temple, although in a dilapidated state, testifies to the mercy of God.

Nicholas the Wonderworker: miracles

A lot can be said about his miraculous help. When there was a famine in Lycia, one merchant, having loaded a ship with bread and food to sail somewhere to the west, saw Saint Nicholas in a dream, who told him to bring food to Lycia, and he would buy the cargo from him, and gave him a deposit three coins. Imagine the merchant’s surprise when he woke up and saw three coins in his hand. By taking food to Lycia, he thus saved the inhabitants from starvation.

Even during the life of the Saint, there were cases when he reconciled warring parties, acted as a defender of the innocently convicted, and delivered them from death.

It is known that sailors more than once turned and turn to the Saint during a storm, asking for intercession. The pagans also turn to him.

“And he hears everyone and helps everyone! When the Lord called Saint Nicholas to eternity, he rewarded him with other gifts that exist to this day. People know about this, widows and orphans pray to him, and he helps. The country is praying from hunger, cold... He is an ambulance, he secretly showed God’s mercy to everyone, with his deep faith, and therefore the Lord gave him such grace and strength,” explained the Bishop.

In 1097, Saint Nicholas appeared in a dream to a priest from the city of Bari, commanding that his relics be transferred from Mira to Bari.
This is what happened on May 22, 1097: the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker were transferred from Myra in Lycia to Bari (Bargrad).

“It was probably not by chance that the transfer of the relics of the Saint took place, but by God’s providence. The Greeks and Byzantines failed to preserve this treasure; it is taken away from us for our unpleasing life, and the Lord makes people understand this. If Saint Nicholas had not wanted to, his relics would have been in Myra until this time, but he could not bear such a cold-blooded attitude and, probably, in order for the relics to be preserved, they were transported to Bari, where to this day hundreds of thousands, millions of people come to worship.

Maybe not so much for worship, but for help. One abbess, when she needs something, simply turns to St. Nicholas. I have already noticed that if she reads the Akathist to Saint Nicholas, it means she needs something. And he, hearing her requests, helps, by God’s mercy. Therefore, I would like to ask everyone who is in heresies, in schisms - look at this great teacher of piety, a Christian, and follow his good example if you want to be saved. Because the Arian heresy has filled the world to this day, and today that seven Ecumenical Councils recognized as heresy, it is spreading among us, unfortunately, by our people and taking root through sects and schisms,” the Metropolitan stated with regret.

Prayer to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

O all-holy Nicholas, exceedingly saintly servant of the Lord, our warm intercessor, and everywhere in sorrow a quick helper! Help me, a sinner and a sad person, in this present life, beg the Lord God to grant me forgiveness of all my sins, which I have sinned greatly from my youth, in all my life, in deed, word, thought and all my feelings; and at the end of my soul, help me, the accursed one, beg the Lord God, the Creator of all creation, to deliver me from airy ordeals and eternal torment, so that I may always glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and your merciful intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Nicholas the Wonderworker is treated with the most different requests:

* about healing
* about patronage family hearth
* for children
* about help in poverty and need
* about assistance in various trips
* about help in all difficult circumstances
* about the most cherished hopes.

If it rains today, then this is good luck. There is such a sign in folk calendar, associated with St. Nicholas Day. It often comes true. It is believed that Nikolin's day May 22 - although it is also a calendar spring, it is a symbol of the onset of summer, which means the summer will be warm.

On St. Nicholas Day, May 22, it is customary to prepare special food: bake pancakes and cook duck soup. Be sure to leave a piece of pancake and throw it outside the window to the birds. The birds should peck the crumbs, then good luck will definitely come to you.

Turkish archaeologists have made a sensational statement: they believe that the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker - the most famous Christian saint - never left his burial place in the city of Mira (now Demre), although it is generally accepted that in 1087 they were transferred to the Italian city of Bari . The news came a few months after historical event- bringing the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker from Italy to Russia, where from May 22 to July 28 more than two million people venerated them.

However, the statement of archaeologists was received ambiguously even by colleagues, not to mention believers. RIA Novosti looked into how this discovery will turn out and what scientists may be mistaken about.

The gaffe of the millennium

“As part of the restoration work that began in the Church of St. Nicholas, scanning was carried out using ground penetrating radar and tomography, which is still ongoing. In the part that we call the apse, in an area parallel to the northern and eastern parts, an untouched room was discovered, presumably dating back to the 4th century. The walls of this structure seem very strong. We continue to work. I believe that if we can get inside this room, we will be able to obtain more information about St. Nicholas,” the head of the Department of Monument Protection said in an interview with Sputnik-Turkey. Administration of Antalya Province Cemil Karabayram.

The likelihood that the found tomb belongs specifically to St. Nicholas, he emphasizes, is very high. The saint was buried in the church, which was then rebuilt in the 6th century under Emperor Justinian.

“It is very likely that the lower parts of the building were preserved during this construction. If this is so, then during the earthquake of 529 the lower part could have suffered almost no damage. If it had been damaged, then we would not have seen such intact walls in the photographs,” the archaeologist admits .

But the authenticity of the tomb, he said, can be established “only if the found room contains a slab with inscriptions and any artifacts dating back to that period.”

According to the version accepted in Christianity, about 85% of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are kept in Bari and about 10% in Venice. In the 20th century, two studies were carried out, during which it was confirmed that the relics in Venice and Bari belong to the same person.

In 2017, before sending part of the relics from Bari to Russia, scientists conducted another study of the shrine, confirming that the bone belonged to an Asia Minor Greek who lived in the 4th century AD.

“The bone is mineralized. Despite the fact that it is quite fragile and, unlike the bones of a living person, not so elastic, its strength is generally preserved,” says Professor Franco Introne, who led the study.

However, Turkish scientists doubt the correctness of their colleagues. “They (Italian scientists. - Ed.) conducted a DNA test, but did not make its results public. More precise drilling and more precise work were required. in this case What is important is the fact that a room dating back to the 4th century was discovered. If no intervention was made there, this indicates that the identity of the remains found in the 11th century has not been proven,” retorts Cemil Karabayram.

At the same time, Turkish archaeologists have no doubt that the remains stored in Italy date back to the 4th century. But don’t they belong to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker? According to Turkish scholars, Bari merchants in the 11th century stole the wrong bones - a truly great oversight. Perhaps the inhabitants of Mira simply misled them.

This version is supported by the story itself about the Venetians who arrived for the relics. Having entered the temple, they searched the saint’s tomb, but found nothing there. Then they began to torture the temple guards and found out that there were relics of two more people there - Uncle Nicholas the Wonderworker and the martyr Fyodor. It was their remains that the Venetians first took, but then, according to the chronicle, they returned and found the relics of St. Nicholas under the temple altar.

"One of a dozen Nikolaev"

It was precisely because of the presence of two more tombs in the temple that the arguments of Turkish scientists were immediately criticized: perhaps they discovered just the grave of the saint’s uncle or the martyr Theodore.

But the historian Alexander Bugaevsky even claims that the saint did not have any uncle. The fact is that Nicholas the Wonderworker has a namesake who lived in the same region around the same era. It's about about Saint Nicholas of Pinar, who was also called the Wonderworker.

“In the description of his life, 17 different Nikolaevs are generally mentioned in one place, at one time (under Emperor Justinian). That is, it was a very common name - like ours Ivan, for example. Of course, there in different times there were different saints. Nikolai could have been among them. It’s all endless confusion,” he notes.

The problem, the historian explains, is that until the 8th century the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker existed in small fragments. It was not until around 810 that the Greek Archimandrite Michael collected the fragments into a single text. However, even representatives of the Church drew attention to the fact that it is replete with inconsistencies, including chronological ones. Researchers explain this by the fact that pieces from the life of Nicholas Pinarsky were added to the biography of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

“That’s why this vinaigrette came about,” explains Bugaevsky.

At the same time, the historian doubts the correctness of Turkish scientists. Firstly, the relics of the saint were not initially buried in the temple, since it was built on the burial site two hundred years after the death of the saint. Secondly, the history of veneration of the tomb of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, as the scientist believes, does not stop until the 12th century.

“The presence of the relics in exactly that place in the temple (which is now worshiped by believers. - Ed.) is undoubtedly. The chronicles describe what a tragedy it was for the laity when the relics were taken away,” says Bugaevsky.

“Or maybe this is one of a dozen other Nikolaevs,” he adds about the tomb now found under the temple.

Lure for pilgrims

Historian Alexander Bugaevsky noted that after the theft of the relics by the Italians, the Greek Church was so offended by them that it still does not have the holiday of transferring the relics of the saint, which is celebrated on May 22 (Nikola Veshny in Russian Orthodox tradition. — Approx. ed.). In addition, the sensational statement by the Antalya authorities may simply be an attempt to attract tourists.

By the way, they have already poured into the city, which was confirmed by the Antalya administration. And if it turns out that Turkish archaeologists are right, then it could become one of the world's centers of pilgrimage.

“Fortunately, we have all the resources necessary for this. Previously, the number of tourists coming to Demre reached 700 thousand. Now we can again achieve similar figures. The city’s infrastructure will allow us to accommodate all tourists,” notes the mayor of Demre, Suleiman Topcu.

Perhaps this will be a significant blow to the economy of Italian Bari: more than 70 thousand pilgrims a year come to this city from Russia alone.

However, the Russian Orthodox Church is confident that the authenticity of the relics in Bari is confirmed by numerous cases of healing.

“Very often, people who have received help from the saint testify to this. I have been regularly performing divine services here for six years, and even during this relatively short period, many people have approached me who have testified to facts of healing from such ailments as, for example, oncology on late stages“, assures the rector of the Patriarchal Metochion of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the city of Bari, Archpriest Andrei Boytsov.

Did they stand in Russia in vain?

Already on the first day of my stay in Russia, May 22, there was a line of one and a half kilometers long to see the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. And then many, including church people, began to ask questions about the advisability of waiting in line for many hours. It would seem, why is this necessary, if only in Moscow and the Moscow region there are particles of the saint’s relics in 26 churches.

What if it turns out that the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker never left Turkey? It turns out that they stood in vain?

The Church assures that it is not in vain. The main thing is, representatives emphasize Orthodox clergy that people did something good for the soul - a small pilgrimage. “There may be something good here: people who would never come to the temple or would not do so soon, in this case crossed its threshold. Even if we later discuss how much sincere faith there was there, and so on. But they came, and , I think this is important in itself. And as for the veneration of saints, you can pray to them in any place, including near the relics,” says Archpriest Pavel Khondzinsky.

Of course, for Christianity, he explains, “the historical dimension is important.” But in the case of shrines, the Church does not rely on archaeological data, but “on the manifestation of God’s grace” in the form of numerous miracles. In Orthodoxy, relics are not just a historical artifact, but a “living contact” between a believer and an equally living saint.

“Where his relics are located is probably not the most important thing. The main thing is that they exist and we can pray near them,” the theologian concludes.

For more than 50 days, pilgrims from all over Russia and nearby countries have been traveling to Moscow to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to venerate the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, delivered from the Italian city of Bari. You have to queue early in the morning and wait for almost 13 hours. Doesn't stop the believers cold weather with downpours, armed with umbrellas and raincoats, they go to the temple. You can venerate the relics until July 12. This will be the last day of the shrine's stay in Moscow, after which it will be transported to St. Petersburg.

We will not extend the time of visiting the temple, because the relics will be transported to St. Petersburg on the night of July 12-13 - in the morning they will be met in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra,” she said “ Komsomolskaya Pravda» Maria Korovina, head of the press center of the Organizing Committee for the bringing of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. - On the last day, pilgrims will be able to venerate the relics of St. Nicholas in the same way as on previous days. The queue will close at 16.30 or 18.00 - this will depend on the number of people coming.

I admit that I also wanted to go to the temple, but I never decided to stand in a long line.

Why bother? Go to the Danilovsky Monastery. There are also relics of St. Nicholas there. And most importantly, no queues,” my friend Mira advised me.

My happiness knew no bounds when I went to the Danilovsky Monastery and discovered there an ark with a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas. There is also a queue for them, but there is a maximum of 10-15 people. It’s possible to withstand something like this.

But this is not the only place in Moscow and the region - there are 25 churches where the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are permanently located in Moscow.

LIST OF 25 TEMPLES:

1. Sretensky stauropegial monastery. Address: st. Bolshaya Lubyanka, 19. Visiting hours: daily from 6.30 to 18.00.

2. Ioanno-Predtechensky convent. Address: Maly Ivanovsky Lane, 2A, building 1. Visiting hours: daily from 8.00 to 20.00.

3. Novodevichy Convent. Address: Novodevichy proezd, 1, building 2. Visiting hours: daily from 9.00 to 17.00.

4. Church of St. Nicholas in Stary Vagankovo. Address: Starovagankovsky lane, 14. Visiting hours: daily from 9.00 to 19.00.

5. Epiphany cathedral in Elokhov. Address: Spartakovskaya street, 15. Visiting hours: daily from 7.30 to 19.00.

6. Church-Museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi at the Tretyakov Gallery. Address: Maly Tolmachevsky Lane, 9. Visiting hours: daily, except Mondays from 12.00 to 16.00. And also during services (see the schedule on the temple website).

7. Church of All Saints on Kulishki. Address: Slavyanskaya Square, 2. Visiting hours: on Thursdays from 11.00 until the end of the evening service.

8. Church of St. Nicholas on Three Mountains. Address: Novovagankovsky Lane, 9. Visiting hours: on Sundays at liturgy.

9. Church of St. Nicholas in Kotelniki. Address: 1st Kotelnichesky Lane, 8, building 1. Visiting hours: daily from 11.00 to 19.00.

10. Church of St. George the Victorious in Starye Luchniki. Address: Lubyansky proezd, 9, building 2. Visiting hours: daily from 8.00 to 19.50.

11. Church of St. Nicholas of Myra in Golutvin. Address: 1st Golutvinsky Lane, 14. Visiting hours: daily from 8.00 to 17.00.

12. Church of St. Nicholas in Pokrovskoye. Address: st. Bakuninskaya, 100. Visiting hours: daily, except Wednesdays, after the akafest, which begins to be read at 12.00.

13. Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki. Address: Lev Tolstoy Street, 2. Opening hours: daily during services.

14. Church of the Ascension of the Lord on the Pea Field. Address: Radio Street, 2. Visiting hours: daily from 8.00 to 19.00.

15. Church of the Resurrection of the Word on the Assumption Enemy. Address: Bryusov lane, 15/2. Visiting hours: daily from 7.15 to 20.00.

16. Danilov Holy Trinity Monastery. Address: Danilovsky Val, 22. Visiting hours: daily from 7.30 to 20.00.

17. Temple of the Savior Miraculous Image on Setun at Kuntsevo Cemetery. Address: Ryabinovaya street, 18. Visiting hours: daily from 8.00 to 19.00.

18. Temple of the Archangel Michael in Troparevo. Address: Vernadsky Avenue, 90. Visiting hours: daily from 8.00 to 18.00.

19. Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki. Address: Sokolnicheskaya Square, 6. Visiting hours: daily from 8.00 to 18.00 and during services.

20. Temple of the Assumption Holy Mother of God in Kosino. Address: Bolshaya Kosinskaya street, 29, building 3. Visiting hours: daily from 7.40 to 17.00.

21. Temple of Zosima and Savvatiy the Solovetsky wonderworkers in Golyanovo. Address: Baikalskaya street, 37A. Visiting hours: daily from 7.00 to 18.00.

22. Nikolo-Perervinsky Monastery. Address: st. Shosseynaya, 82. Visiting hours: daily from 7.30 to 17.00.

23. Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Lefortovo. Address: Soldatskaya street, 4. Visiting hours: daily from 8.00 to 17.00.

24. Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Yasenevo. Address: Novoyasenevsky Prospekt, 42. Visiting hours: from 8.00 to 18.00.

25. Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery. Address: Moscow region, Dzerzhinsky city, St. Nicholas Square, 1. Visiting hours: daily from 6.45 to 17.00.

REPORTAGE

How Mizulina and I stood behind the power for 11 hours to the relics

The senator had to fight to get into line at the ark with the rib of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

A special flight from the Italian city of Bari delivered the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to Moscow. At Vnukovo airport, the shrine was greeted by dozens of believers from Moscow parishes. Also on the airfield was a company of honor guard and clergy. Upon arrival, Metropolitan Arseny of Istra served a prayer service to the saint at the plane’s ramp. The remains of St. Nicholas were in Bari, Italy, for more than 900 years. The agreement to bring the relics to our country was reached a year ago. Until July 12, the relics will be in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, and from July 13 to July 28 - in St. Petersburg. More details - Vesti FM correspondent Boris Beilin.

Bishop Nicholas died in the middle of the 4th century and was buried in Myra - a city in Asia Minor, on the coast Mediterranean Sea(now the Turkish Demre is located there). The relics were kept in Myra in the local church for more than 700 years. In 1087 they were kidnapped by merchants from the Italian city of Bari. By that time, Asia Minor had actually passed from Byzantium to the Turks and there was a real danger of the remains being captured. By the way, Bari himself for a long time was under the control of the Byzantine emperors. Among other things, the merchants from Bari hoped that their city, having become the owner of the relics of St. Nicholas, would become a center of pilgrimage, which, in turn, would lead to its prosperity. But in any case, it was a kidnapping, notes the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion:

"This whole story was nothing more than the theft of relics. However, in the Russian Orthodox Church this event is celebrated as the transfer of relics and a great church holiday. This is connected with the veneration of St. Nicholas, because in Rus' he has been revered since ancient times."

In the 11th century, merchants from Bari were in a hurry. They dismantled the floor of the temple in Myra, opened the sarcophagus and took most of the remains. Approximately 2/3, including the head of the saint. A few years later, during the First Crusade, the Venetians visited Myra and took small parts of the relics remaining from the previous theft. By the way, the bone remains, which are now on display in a museum in Antalya, Turkey, do not belong to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Most likely, the sarcophagus from Roman times has nothing to do with the saint. It is now being passed off in Demre as the authentic coffin of Nicholas of Myra.

Thus, now the relics of the saint are in two Italian cities. Most- in Bari, the smaller one - in Venice, on the island of Lido. The Venetian shrine with relics was opened several times, and small particles were transferred to other churches. Nowadays there are such particles in many churches. Including in Moscow. But tracing their history and thereby establishing authenticity is difficult.

The tomb in Bari, which is located in the crypt of St. Nicholas Cathedral under the altar, was opened only once - during the restoration of the basilica in 1953. An examination was carried out at the same time. She confirmed that the remains in Bari and Venice belong to the same person. The crypt is located below sea level, and the relics themselves rest under three stone blocks with small holes with a diameter of 6 centimeters. It was through such holes in the blocks that a particle of the relics was extracted and sent to Russia. Laparoscopic equipment, which is used in medicine, was used for the operation. It was necessary to descend almost a meter. First, a micro-video camera was placed there to examine the remains. Then, using special tools, the left rib was selected. It went through the hole without damage. This was the largest relic that could be removed without opening the tomb. Before being sent to Russia, the relics were placed in an ark made in Sofrino.

It is reported that during the operation a gold five-ruble coin was found at the bottom of the crypt late XIX century. Interestingly, it was not there in 1953. That is, she got there later through the hole. Perhaps it was dropped, accidentally or intentionally, by some Russian pilgrim.

The relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker will remain in Russia for more than two months. From May 22 to July 12, they will be displayed for worship in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Access will be open daily from 8 am to 9 pm. From July 13 to July 28, the shrine will be in St. Petersburg. The Russian Orthodox Church promises that there will be no VIP passes for skipping the queue to enter the temple. The only exception will be made for disabled people with injuries musculoskeletal system and for parents with infants. All other pilgrims are planned to be allowed to visit the relics on a first-come, first-served basis.

To venerate the shrine, it is recommended to come not to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior itself, but first get to the Park Kultury metro station and walk to Prechistenskaya Embankment, where you can stand in line and from there go to the temple. Moscow authorities are ready to organize paid meals for pilgrims affordable prices, since it is possible that you will have to stand for several hours. More than 10,000 volunteers are involved in organizing the delivery of the relics. Replacing each other, they will help in the temples. At the end of July, the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker will return to Bari.

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