Nicholas the miracle worker years of life. The Amazing Story of Nicholas the Wonderworker
NIKOLAY UGODNIK
NICHOLAS THE WONDERWORKER
Nicholas the Pleasant was born in Lycia in the city of Patara (Turkey) on September 26, 258 in the morning at 4 hours 30 minutes.
His parents, father Feovan and mother Nonna, were a rich family. They were distinguished by their kindness and always helped those in need. The family had two daughters, but Feovan really dreamed of an heir. The caravan route passed through their city. Travelers and wanderers often stopped at the house of Feovan and Nonna. Never denying anyone accommodation and food, the hospitable hosts did not take money from travelers, but only asked them to pray for them to their gods - let them send them a boy-heir.
The parents of Nicholas themselves worshiped the God of the Sun - Mithra, like most of their fellow Lycians, who came from Tibet in ancient times to populate these lands. Christianity spread in those days very slowly, constantly being subjected to severe persecution. Until then, when the Christian faith is recognized as the state religion, it was still very far away.
Saint Nicholas (icon from the monastery of St. Catherine, XIII century)
When Feovan turned 50, and Nonna was 48 years old, they had a son, whose name was given Nicholas. Subsequently, they began to call him Nikolai. The boy grew up as a very affectionate and kind child. That atmosphere of kindness, love, compassion for people that reigned in the house of his parents left an imprint on the formation of the character of the child from childhood. Nicholas could listen for hours to stories about different countries, extraordinary people, all kinds of exploits and good deeds. His father began to take care of the boy early. At the age of two, Nicholas knew all the letters, and at the age of three he already knew how to read in syllables. The child chose his own teacher. One Sunday, he and his father were walking around the city, and their path ran past the square where the slave trade was going on. Four-year-old Nick went up to the platform where the slaves stood, took one of them by the hand and led him to his father. The dumbfounded crowd stood with their mouths open, and no one could move. In those days, if you approached a slave at a distance of one meter, it was believed that by doing this you had already greatly defiled yourself. Therefore, the owner gave instructions to his workers, only standing on the porch of the house at a distance of at least three meters from them. Slaves did hard work outside the home. Only poor civilians worked inside the house.
When Nicholas brought a slave to his father with the words: “He will be my teacher,” Feovan was at first a little confused. But in the eyes of his son there was so much prayer, his face shone with such a blissful smile that a loving father could not refuse his son. As it turned out, the chosen slave was the son of a rich man from Syria, was literate and knew three languages. He left home at 17 and traveled extensively. He joined the first Christians, was baptized, receiving a new name - John. When the community was persecuted and defeated, he was sold into slavery.
It was from this teacher that Nicholas first heard about Jesus, about the Guardian Angels who protect us. The story made an indelible impression on the boy. And then Nicholas told his teacher in a big secret that when he was three years old, he ran away from his mother and hid from her in the bushes near the pond, and when he began to get out of there, he slipped and fell into the water. He began to sink, when suddenly two people in all white and with wings grabbed him by the arms and carried him out of the water. He woke up already on the bank of the pond, when his mother and father ran up to him.
When Nicholas was 12 years old, a wanderer with a large white beard stopped at his parents' house. This man talked about something for a long time with the teacher in the evening. The next morning, the teacher gave Nicholas the manuscript to read, but asked him not to tell anyone about it. Nicholas, left alone, began to read these sheets, on which was written the Gospel of Matthew. After reading it, he did not leave his room for almost two days, causing all his loved ones to worry. On the morning of the third day, Nicholas left the room and approached the teacher. His first words were: “I want to serve Jesus Christ!”
He asked the teacher to find and point out to him those who had already accepted the faith of Christ. Since the faith was persecuted, Christians tried not to gather in groups without special need. Only occasionally did they hold their meetings in complete secrecy and secrecy. Nicholas had to wait two months until he was able to get to a secret gathering of Christians and be baptized. May 28, 270 Nicholas was baptized. The rite of baptism in those days was not the same as it is now. They baptized one person at a time, and had to wait in the wings, standing knee-deep in water. Nicholas waited five hours for his turn. At the moment of baptism, he heard singing from heaven, as if the sun at that moment shone even brighter for him. On the same day, Feovan and Nonna were also baptized. Nicholas devoted his entire future life to studying, helping people and serving God and His Son Jesus.
He prayed a lot. He liked to do it alone, especially in the forest, under an old mighty tree. Nicholas traveled often, and also all alone. And although in those days the Christian faith did not require celibacy from priests, Nicholas was the first who decided to devote his life only to the service of God, without having a family. Since family ties would not allow him to fully engage in what he loves most in the world - to help people.
Nicholas noticed one girl as a child, when they were only 10 years old. Elivia was wonderful! Huge half-face green eyes, long black eyelashes and wavy hair that reached almost to the knees. And despite the natural shyness and shyness of Nicholas, from the whole crowd of fans, she chose him. They did not promise anything to each other, did not admit anything, just each of them was sure that when the time came, they would definitely unite and be together forever. Elivia was the daughter of a small, bankrupt artisan who had nothing to feed his family. Desperate, Elivia's father took out a loan from a moneylender, for which he later could not pay. And then the moneylender offered a lucrative deal - if they give him 16-year-old Elivia as his wife, he will forgive the debt and give his father money for a new business. Elivia's father was a widower and therefore personally decided the fate of his daughter. Personally, he himself did not see any obstacles to the wedding, and even the fact that the groom is 30 years older than his daughter.
Elivia persuaded her father as best she could, but he was adamant and stood his ground. Desperate, the girl threw herself off the cliff into the lake. Almost the whole city came to see off this lovely young creature on his last journey. When the cemetery was empty, Nikolai Ugodnik knelt down and stood motionless until morning, saying goodbye to his beloved, to his unfulfilled dream. Nicholas took an oath on the grave of his beloved that he would never create a family again.
The next morning, he announced to his parents that he was going to travel the world in order to better know this cruel and unfair world. Thus began his first journey. His path lay to the east, to the homeland of Jesus. It was his voice that he heard over the grave of his beloved, when the thought came to him to leave after her: “Be of good cheer!!! This is not an exit, you must go to the east, there I will come to you and show you the way. This is what I tell you - Jesus!
On a long journey, he went along with a caravan of merchants heading to Persia. But after 3 weeks, Nicholas decided to continue the journey on his own. Slowly continuing his journey, the young man stopped for a short time in many villages, observing the life of the locals. And only four months later Nicholas reached his ultimate goal - the city of Jesus Christ. Having learned from the locals where Mount Tabor is located, he, without rest, went to it. Nicholas spent three days on the mountain that Jesus loved so much, where he spent many days and nights, praying and preaching. On the third night in the morning Nicholas was awakened by a bright light. The glow began at the ground and went far into the sky. At first he did not even understand what it was, and when he finally woke up, his heart beat so hard that it seemed a little more, and it would jump out of his chest. Right in front of him stood Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the disciples of Jesus.
Nicholas had not yet had time to finish the thought: “I am sleeping and having a wonderful dream,” when Jesus spoke to him. The conversation was unusual, he did not hear the voice of Jesus, but his thoughts seemed to permeate Nicholas's entire body and penetrate into his heart and soul. The vision lasted 15 minutes, but it seemed like an eternity had passed. And during this time, Nicholas saw the whole life of Jesus, understood all his thoughts and feelings, found out exactly what he was striving for and what he called people to. After the conversation, Nicholas collapsed exhausted and woke up only for dinner. But the young man did not have a feeling of hunger, and in his soul there was only a powerful desire to go forward.
Nicholas spent three days on the road, stopping only briefly to rest and drink water. By the end of the third day he stopped and looked around, the road led him to the outskirts of the holy city. Nicholas climbed to a low hill. A few minutes later, he suddenly felt an insurmountable pain in his right hand, then his left hand ached, after a while the pain pierced his right leg, then his left leg, and when a terrible blow from an invisible spear poked him in the ribs on the left side, Nicholas lost consciousness. The young man woke up only in the evening of the next day. Memories flooded over him, everything that had happened to him in recent years flashed through his head. And Nicholas realized that in this way Jesus showed him exactly what kind of torment he endured in this very place. He spent about two months on this hill in prayers. The place where he felt the torment of Jesus, Nicholas marked with a large boulder, in order to return here later.
The local Christian community became aware of the vision of the stranger, and at first with some doubt, but then with increasing faith, people began to come to this place to honor the memory of Jesus Christ, praying and asking for his help.
During a vision on Mount Tabor, Jesus not only spoke to him, but also endowed the young man with incredible healing power and the gift of insight. Nicholas could hear calls for help hundreds and thousands of miles away. He could provide this help, being from the supplicant on the other side of the globe.
Dowry for three maidens (Gentile da Fabriano, c. 1425).
At the age of 20, Nicholas lost his father, a year later his mother. The saint accepted the death of his parents calmly, knowing that sooner or later their souls would meet in the next world. Having received a rich inheritance, Nicholas begins to engage in charity work. In the city of Patara there lived a rich man who had three beautiful daughters. This rich man went bankrupt and decided to force his daughters to commit fornication in order to get money for food. At this time, Nicholas passed by the rich man's house and read his thoughts, since there was so much bitterness and hopelessness in his father's soul that it was simply impossible not to feel it. Remembering why his beloved died, Nikolai, in order to save the girls from dishonor, crept up to their house at night and quietly threw a bundle of gold through the window. The girls' father, waking up in the morning, was incredibly happy with such happiness and married his daughters with the money received. Thanks to this story, the custom arose to make gifts for the New Year and Christmas. Saint Nicholas (translated into Dutch as Santa Claus) must quietly enter the house and leave a bundle with a gift under the tree until no one sees him. And since that time, Nikolai Ugodnik began to be revered as the patron saint of children.
At the age of 26, Nicholas received the rank of priest, and at 30 - the archbishop. After 2 years, he decides to visit Gaul (France) and goes there by ship. A week after departure, he had a vision, and Nicholas warned the captain of the impending storm, and he was able to change the route to bypass the storm. So the entire crew was saved from imminent death. On this journey, one sailor fell from the mast and was badly injured. He broke his arms and legs and did not come to his senses for a week. Nicholas took up his treatment, and after two weeks the sailor was able to walk, and a month later he honestly carried out his service on the ship in full force.
Rescue of the Sailors (Gentile da Fabriano, c. 1425)
Nicholas was engaged in the treatment of people, restored mobility to the paralyzed, restored sight to the blind and gave strength to the infirm wherever he went. Hundreds of thousands of those healed by this man prayed for him, asking God for his health and long life.
Nicholas saved the Worlds from starvation (he appeared in a dream to a merchant who was carrying bread by sea for sale, and persuaded him to send the ship to the Worlds). Waking up, the merchant found three gold coins in his hands. He brought his ship to the Worlds, and the inhabitants of the city were able to stock up on bread and avoid starvation.
The Byzantine emperor wanted to execute three slandered governors. The governors began to pray to Nikolai Ugodnik, and he appeared to the emperor in a dream and demanded the release of the innocent, otherwise threatening to raise an uprising that threatened the death of the emperor. Waking up, the frightened emperor released the governor.
Under Emperor Diocletian, Nicholas ended up in prison, where he spent two years, steadfastly enduring all the hardships that fell to his lot. In 311 he was released from prison. Nicholas the Pleasant was not bypassed by the persecution that all other Christians, ministers of the church and God were subjected to.
In 325 Nicholas was invited to the Council of Nicaea. He zealously defended the teachings of Jesus Christ from heretics. And when the chief of them, by the name of Arius, proposed to remove much from the New Testament, supposedly for a better understanding and interpretation of the teachings, Nicholas, unable to restrain himself, hit him on the cheek, for which he was imprisoned by other bishops in a tower and deprived of his dignity. Nikolai Ugodnik spent only one night in the tower. On the same night, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to seven bishops at once. The next morning, after consulting, the bishops decided to release Nicholas and return him to the rank of archbishop.
Upon learning of this incident, the mother of Emperor Constantine, Saint Helena, decided to get to know this man better. They sat talking for about six hours, not noticing how quickly the time flew by. A conversation with Nicholas dispelled Elena's last doubts, and she finally decided to go to the homeland of Jesus.
In 330 Nicholas the Pleasant visited Jerusalem for the second time. There he visited the Church of the Resurrection and kissed the saving tree of the Cross.
Nikolai Ugodnik lived to a ripe old age and died a gray-haired old man at the age of 94. He was buried in a church in Mira (Turkey) on December 6 (19), 352.
The current state of the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre. 
Interior view of the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre. 
Sarcophagus in which Saint Nicholas was buried.
After his death, Nikolai Ugodnik was canonized as a saint. His cult spread widely throughout the Christian world, and the relics became one of the most revered Christian shrines.
Transfer of relics from Mir to the city of Bari
The festivities of the Venetians on the day of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas. Guido Reni (1575-1642), Louvre
BASILICA OF ST. NICHOLAS
Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Bari 
Altar and ciborium 
Episcopal throne
Basilica of Saint Nicholas (Italian: Basilica di San Nicola) is a basilica in the city of Bari (Italy). Built to store the relics of St. Nicholas of Myra, transferred in 1087 from the city of Myra.
When on May 22, 1087 the relics of St. Nicholas were brought to the city, his Duke Roger I Borsa and Archbishop Urson were in Rome for the coronation of Pope Victor III. The relics were given for safekeeping to the abbot of the Benedictine monastery Ilya. Upon his return, the archbishop tried to take possession of the relic, and popular unrest began. Ilya was able to convince Urson to abandon his intentions, and the abbot was instructed to build a temple to store the relics.
The place for the construction of the temple was chosen in the city center on the territory of the "Katapenal citadel" (a place for official events and ceremonies). The land was donated to the church by Duke Roger. In 1089 the basilica was consecrated, the relics of St. Nicholas were placed in its crypt. Soon after the construction, the church became the site of major historical events: in 1095, Peter of Amiens preached the First Crusade in it; in 1098, a church council was held in the basilica under the chairmanship of Pope Urban II on the issue of uniting the Western and Eastern churches, which was unsuccessful.
Construction work continued until 1105. In 1156, during the capture of the city by William I the Evil, the basilica was damaged and was restored in 1160.
The basilica was the court chapel of Emperor Frederick II, during the Angevin dynasty it had the status of a palace temple.
Major restoration work was carried out in 1928 - 1956. During them, a sarcophagus-reliquary with the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (1951) was found under the altar of the basilica. It is made in the form of a small stone ossuary with a hole for collecting the world.
Since 1969, taking into account the ecumenical policy of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, as a sign of friendship, respect and deep union with the Orthodox, the Orthodox have been granted the right to serve together in the crypt of the basilica.
The basilica has three naves with a length of 39 meters, a vaulted transept with a length of 31.5 meters, the naves end with apses. The width of the central nave is 12.5 meters, the side ones - 6.5. Outside, the apses are closed with straight walls with false arcades, which gives the temple a rectangular shape. The facade is divided into three parts by pilasters, on the sides it has two towers between which rises the central section. The entrance portal is decorated with carvings on the theme of the Eucharist (beginning of the 12th century). The portico of the portal is supported by columns leaning on the figures of bulls, in the lunette there is a relief with a sun chariot and a triumphant, symbolizing Jesus Christ. The pediment is crowned with a winged sphinx.
The basilica is decorated with sculptural decoration, part of which (reliefs, capitals, cornices) were borrowed from more ancient Byzantine buildings. OK. 1130 the throne and ciborium were created (decorated with capitals and angels), in the middle. 12th century an episcopal throne appeared, carved from a single piece of marble.
Tomb of St. Nicholas Many people are healed near these relics. From time to time they exude a fragrant myrrh that has healing powers.
Many miracles happened and are happening after his death.
In the beginning, the feast of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas was celebrated only by the inhabitants of the Italian city of Bari. In other countries of the Christian East and West, it was not accepted, despite the fact that the transfer of relics was widely known. The Greek Church also did not establish the celebration of this date, perhaps because the loss of the relics of the Saint was a sad event for her.
in Rus' in the 11th century. The veneration of the saint spread quite quickly and everywhere. By the Russian Orthodox Church, the celebration of the memory of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from the World of Lycia to Bari on May 9 was established shortly after 1087 on the basis of the deep, already strengthened veneration by the Russian people of the great saint of God. Archbishop Philaret of Chernigov believed that in the Russian Church the feast in honor of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas was established in 1091. Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow and Kolomna believed that the feast was established by Metropolitan John II of Kyiv (1077-1089). Archpriest Nikolai Pogrebnyak believes that the Feast in honor of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas was established by the Church, apparently by St. Ephraim (c. 1098). According to Khrustalev D.G., in Rus' this holiday appears in 1092.
The holiday is widely celebrated in the Russian and Bulgarian churches. In Serbia, the church holiday of the Glory of the Cross is celebrated, and the Glory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is the most common.
Catholics outside the Italian city of Bari rarely honor this holiday.
On March 1, 2009, the Church in honor of St. Nicholas (built in 1913 - 1917), together with the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church in Bari, was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. The symbolic keys to the courtyard were received by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
The statue of the saint next to the temple was sculpted by Zurab Tsereteli
In 2009, a group from the University of Manchester (University of Manchester, Unit of Art in Medicine), led by Caroline Wilkinson, made a facial reconstruction of Nikolai from X-rays and craniological measurements of Professor Martineau.
An anthropological study of the relics testifies that the great saint did not eat meat, but ate only plant foods. The growth of Nicholas the Wonderworker was also determined - 167 centimeters.
Nikolai Ugodnik is the Guardian Angel of male babies born in mid-December and named after Nikolai.
He helps sailors, travelers, children and those who are imprisoned. He helps everyone who turns to him for help.
Velikoretsk Icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker
Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from Velikoretsk.
According to legend, the icon was found in 1383 by the peasant Semyon Agalakov on the banks of the Velikaya River in the Vyatka Region, near the village of Krutitsy. Radiance emanated from the icon. After one of the villagers, who could not walk, was healed by the icon, a pilgrimage to the icon begins. At the place of acquisition - on the banks of the Velikaya River, a wooden chapel is being built.
Velikoretskoe.
With the growing popularity of the icon, it is transferred to the capital of the Vyatka Territory - the city of Khlynov and placed in the main Temple of the city, built in the name of St. Procopius of Ustyug. The transfer of the icon from the village of Krutitsy to the city of Khlynov is called the First Great River Procession. Since then, the Velikoretsky procession has been held annually - upon the return of the icon to the place of its glorious appearance. Soon, in honor of the icon, St. Nicholas Cathedral was built in Khlynov, which became the main temple of the city.
In 1554, a great fire destroyed many buildings in Khlynov, and the Nikolsky Cathedral, where the Velikoretskaya shrine was located, also burned down. But the icon miraculously remained unharmed.
In 1555, the icon was first delivered by procession to Moscow, to the Assumption Cathedral "by order of Ivan the Terrible" through Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Kolomna. At the same time, the icon sanctifies the beginning of the construction of St. Basil's Cathedral. The Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' Macarius himself renovated the Vyatka shrine. The return of the icon was through Vologda, where it would later be hidden during the invasion of the Tatars. After the expulsion of the Tatars from Vologda, in the place where the icon was hidden, by decree of the tsar, the Alexander Nevsky Church was built, in which a list from the icon is placed, and the icon itself is returned to Vyatka.
View from across the Vologda River to the Bishop's Court. Left Alexander Nevsky Church
The icon has several lists, many temples and monasteries have been built in honor of the icon.
In a difficult time for Russia, in 1614-1615. the icon again visits the capital, now at the request of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich. The first Vyatka bishop, Bishop Alexander, who arrived at the new Vyatka cathedra in 1668, issued a decree on the celebration of the appearance of the Velikoretskaya icon on May 24 (according to the old style). Since then, every year on May 24 (June 6), thousands of pilgrims gathered on the banks of the Velikaya River. They sailed there along the Vyatka and Velikaya rivers on rafts and special plows, since the procession was first made by water. His Grace Lawrence, Bishop of Vyatka, saw in 1778 that the procession could be overland, then more pilgrims would be able to take part in it. Velikoretsky procession was and remains the longest procession in the Orthodox world and one of the most crowded in Russia.
In 1917 -1918. The political situation in Russia has changed. Processions of the cross were forbidden, but pilgrims, following the ancient tradition, continued to go to the site of the appearance of the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas. The guardian of the ancient shrine was the Trinity Cathedral in Vyatka, but in 1935 it was blown up, and the icon disappeared without a trace. The icon mysteriously appeared and mysteriously disappeared.
Pilgrimage to the Velikaya River was severely persecuted, a special decree was adopted to prohibit it. In the year of the celebration of the Millennium of the Baptism of Rus', relations between the Church and the state changed dramatically, and already in 1989, the chants of the Divine Liturgy sounded again on the banks of the Velikaya River. And a year later, in 1990, the procession was completely revived.
See Spaso-Preobrazhensky Nikolsky Velikoretsky Monastery.
PRAYER
O all-good Father Nicholas, shepherd and teacher of all who by faith flow to your intercession and call you with warm prayer! Soon rush and deliver the flock of Christ from the destroying wolves, and protect every Christian country and save with your holy prayers from worldly rebellion, coward, invasion of foreigners and internecine strife, from famine, flood, fire, sword and vain death. And as if you had mercy on three men sitting in prison, and delivered them the king’s wrath and the cutting of the sword, so have mercy on me, mind, word and deed in the darkness of sins, and deliver me the wrath of God and eternal punishment, as if by your intercession and With help, by His own mercy and grace, Christ God will give us a quiet and sinless life to live in this world and save me from standing, and vouchsafe the right hand with all the saints.
Amen.
Please God please
Holy great Nicholas!
I drown in the sea of life
Give me a helping hand.
I fall to your icon
Save me my Pleasant.
I ask you, the Pleasant of God,
Bring a prayer to God.
Enemies are all around
All my paths are blocked.
They want my death
And so as not to enter bliss.
But you are my great intercessor
For all the desired and dear
Please God please
Have mercy on me.
You are with your generosity
Rescuing ships at sea
I ask you, God's servant
Please help me in my grief.
You hid for everyone until the end
And put a knot of gold
The parent - the elder prayed
You turned them away from false thoughts.
Sea of inexhaustible wonders
The saint of God has done
And, only where grief appeared
You came to everyone's aid.
And before the Lord the Great
I pray you, my saint
Ask the Lord for forgiveness
For my sinful soul...
WORSHIP
Nikola the Wonderworker is one of the most revered Christian saints among the Slavs. In the East Slavic tradition, the cult of St. Nicholas in significance approaches the veneration of God (Christ) himself.
According to popular beliefs, Nicholas is the "eldest" among the saints, is included in the Holy Trinity and can even replace God on the throne. A legend from the Belarusian Polesie says that “the saints of Mykola are not only older than the ўcix of the saints, but they are elders over them<...>Holy Mykola God's heir, like the God of the Pamre, then St. Mikalai (sic) miracle worker budze bagavats, but not anyone else. The special veneration of the saint is evidenced by the plots of folk legends about how St. Nikolay became the "master": he prayed so earnestly in the church that the golden crown itself fell on his head (Ukrainian Carpathians).
Among the Eastern and Western Slavs, the image of Nicholas, according to some of its functions (“head” of paradise - holds the keys to heaven; transports souls to the “other world”; patronizes warriors) can be contaminated with the image of St. Michael. Among the southern Slavs, the image of the saint as a slayer of snakes and a “wolf shepherd” approaches the image of St. George.
The main functions of St. Nicholas (the patron of cattle and wild animals, agriculture, beekeeping, connection with the afterlife, correlation with the relics of the bear cult), the opposition of the “merciful” Nikola to the “terrible” Elijah the prophet in folklore legends testifies, according to B. A. Uspensky, to the preservation in popular veneration of St. Nicholas traces of the cult of the pagan deity Veles.
Chronicle of St. Nestor, the first Russian writer of everyday life, testifies that in 882 in Kyiv, on the grave of the first Russian Christian prince Askold (in holy baptism Nicholas), a church was built in the name of his angel - St. Nicholas.
Church of St. Nicholas in the courtyard of the Danilov Stauropegial Monastery in Moscow. 
Moscow. Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, in Pyzhy.
HERE AND THE WALLS WILL HELP YOU PRAY...
L. Kryukova.
And the eagles on the Altar Gates.
Here the soul begins to be ashamed
For your wandering in the dark.
And for a dream in anticipation of Golgotha,
For the shameful death of the country,
For your inept stanzas,
That are full of impotent sadness.
Here is the soul in front of the Royal Icon
Gets to the bottom of himself.
In repentant tears and bows
She lives from sins.
And the former glory of the Fatherland
Remembering rises from the ashes.
Before Our Sovereign Lady
In the heart quietly gives vows.
And then heavenly grace
From a baby in her arms
covered by God's grace
Church of St. Nicholas
On Bolshaya Ordynka in Pyzhy.
Church of St. Nicholas in the Czech Republic 
Crimean temple-lighthouse of St. Nicholas of Myra 
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki 
Church of St. Nicholas in Tsimlyansk 
Temple of Nikola Naberezhny in Murom
PRAYER
Natalia Piskunova
I love to watch the candles cry
In the temple of God before the images,
Filling with hot tears
Skinny waxy shoulders.
I will stand before the icon of the Wonderworker
And I will exclaim silently: “Father Nicholas!
I burn from sorrows and sorrows,
Instead of a heart, I feel the sun.
Whisper your soul into the sacred air
What words, how to pour into them the blue of flight?
I only know heaven on the wings of stars
Hidden there behind the severity of the icon case.
I slowly raise my eyes
Rays of wet eyelashes.
I repeat: "Father Nicholas"
And I don't know how else to pray.
On the dark and ancient icon
The sky paints with holy colors,
The wax hymns subside
And sadness goes with them. 
Monument to Nikolai Ugodnik in Yeysk 
Memorial in Tolyatti
In 1998, a monument to Nicholas the Wonderworker by Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Klykov was erected on the square of the city of Mozhaisk.
On June 12, 2008, on the Cathedral Square of Perm, near the former building of the Perm Regional Museum, a monument to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was unveiled.
On December 19, 2008, the St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Foundation presented the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky with a monument to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
December 23, 2009 in Kaliningrad, in front of the monument to the fishermen, a monument to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was erected, thus both monuments now form a single ensemble. The grand opening of the reconstructed memorial complex took place on July 8, 2010.
His parents, Feofan and Nonna, were pious, noble and rich people. This blessed couple, for their charitable life, many alms and great virtues, was honored to grow a holy branch and " a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season"(Ps. 1:3).
When this blessed boy was born, he was given the name Nicholas, What means conqueror of nations. And he, with the blessing of God, truly appeared as the conqueror of malice, for the good of the whole world. After his birth, his mother Nonna was immediately freed from her illness and from that time until her death remained barren. By this, nature itself, as it were, testified that this wife could not have another son like St. Nicholas: he alone had to be the first and last. Sanctified even in the womb by divinely inspired grace, he showed himself to be a reverent worshiper of God before he saw the light, began to work miracles before he began to feed on his mother's milk, and was a faster before he got used to eating food.
After his birth, while still in the baptismal font, he stood on his feet for three hours, supported by no one, thus giving honor to the Most Holy Trinity, Whose great minister and representative he was to appear later on. It was possible to recognize the future miracle worker in him even by the way he clung to his mother's nipples; for he fed on the milk of one right breast, thus signifying his future standing at the right hand of the Lord along with the righteous. He showed his fair fasting in the fact that on Wednesdays and Fridays he ate mother's milk only once, and then in the evening, after the parents had performed the usual prayers. His father and mother were very surprised at this and foresaw what a strict faster their son would be in his life. Accustomed to such abstinence from infancy, Saint Nicholas spent his whole life until his death on Wednesday and Friday in strict fasting. Growing over the years, the lad also grew in mind, perfecting himself in virtues, which he was taught from pious parents. And he was like a fruitful field, accepting and growing the good seed of teaching and bringing new fruits of good manners every day. When the time came to learn from the Divine Scripture, Saint Nicholas, by the strength and sharpness of his mind and the help of the Holy Spirit, in a short time comprehended much wisdom and succeeded in book teaching as befits a good helmsman of Christ's ship and a skilful shepherd of verbal sheep. Having reached perfection in word and doctrine, he showed himself perfect in life itself. He avoided vain friends and idle conversations in every possible way, avoided conversations with women and did not even look at them. Saint Nicholas kept true chastity, always contemplating the Lord with a pure mind and diligently visiting the temple of God, following the Psalmist, who says: Psalm. 83:11 - " I wish it were better to be at the threshold in the house of God".
In the temple of God, he spent whole days and nights in God-thought prayer and reading divine books, learning the spiritual mind, enriching himself with the divine grace of the Holy Spirit, and building in himself a habitation worthy of Him, according to Scripture: 1 Cor. 3:16 - " you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
The Spirit of God truly dwelt in this virtuous and pure youth, and as he served the Lord, his spirit burned. No habits characteristic of youth were noticed in him: in his disposition he was like an old man, which is why everyone respected him and marveled at him. An old man, if he shows youthful passion, is a laughingstock to everyone; on the contrary, if a young man has the disposition of an old man, then he is revered by everyone with surprise. Youth is out of place in old age, but old age is worthy of respect and beautiful in youth.
Saint Nicholas had an uncle, the bishop of the city of Patara, named after his nephew, who was named Nicholas in his honor. This bishop, seeing that his nephew was succeeding in a virtuous life and in every possible way withdrawn from the world, began to advise his parents that they should give their son to the service of God. They obeyed the advice and dedicated their child to the Lord, which they themselves received from Him as a gift. For in ancient books it is told about them that they were barren and no longer hoped to have children, but by many prayers, tears and alms they asked God for a son, and now they did not regret bringing him as a gift to the One who gave him. The bishop, having received this young elder who has " gray hair of wisdom and the age of old age, life is unclean"(cf. Prem. Solom. 4: 9), elevated him to the priesthood.
When he ordained Saint Nicholas to the priesthood, then, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, turning to the people who were in the church, he prophetically said:
I see, brethren, a new sun rising over the earth and presenting a merciful consolation to those who mourn. Blessed is the flock that is worthy to have him as a shepherd, for this one will kindly save the souls of the erring, nourish them in the pasture of piety and be a merciful helper in troubles and sorrows.
This prophecy was actually fulfilled afterwards, as will be seen from what follows.
Having taken the rank of presbyter, Saint Nicholas applied labors to labors; awake and abiding in unceasing prayer and fasting, he, being mortal, tried to imitate the incorporeal. Leading such an equal-angelic life and day by day more and more flourishing in the beauty of his soul, he was fully worthy to rule the Church.
At this time, Bishop Nicholas, wishing to go to Palestine to worship the holy places, handed over the management of the Church to his nephew. This priest of God, Saint Nicholas, having taken the place of his uncle, took care of the affairs of the Church in the same way as the bishop himself. At this time, his parents passed into eternal life. Having inherited their estate, Saint Nicholas distributed it to those in need. For he did not pay attention to fleeting wealth and did not care about its increase, but, having renounced all worldly desires, with all zeal he tried to surrender himself to the One God, crying out: Psalm. 24:1-" To Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul". 142:10 - "Teach me to do Your will, because You are my God"; 21:11 - "On Thee I am left from the womb; from my mother's womb You are my God".
And his hand was stretched out to the needy, on whom she poured out rich alms, like a deep river, abounding in streams. Here is one of the many works of his mercy.
There lived a certain man, noble and rich, in the city of Patara. Coming into extreme poverty, he lost his former significance, for the life of this age is impermanent. This man had three daughters who were very beautiful in appearance. When he had already lost everything necessary, so that there was nothing to eat and nothing to wear, he, for the sake of his great poverty, planned to give his daughters to fornication and turn his dwelling into a house of fornication, in order to thus earn his livelihood and acquire clothing and food for himself and his daughters. 0 woe, what unworthy thoughts leads to extreme poverty! Having this impure thought, this man already wanted to fulfill his evil intention. But the All-Good Lord, who does not want to see a person in perdition and philanthropicly helps in our troubles, put a good thought into the soul of His saint, the holy Priest Nicholas, and by secret inspiration sent him to a husband perishing in soul, for comfort in poverty and a warning from sin. Saint Nicholas, having heard about the extreme poverty of that husband and having learned by God's revelation about his evil intention, felt deep compassion for him and decided with his beneficent hand to draw him, together with his daughters, as if out of fire, out of poverty and sin. However, he did not want to show his beneficence to that husband openly, but decided to give him a generous alms in secret. So St. Nicholas acted for two reasons. On the one hand, he himself wanted to avoid the vain human glory, following the words of the Gospel: Mt. 6:1 - " See, do not do your alms before people".
On the other hand, he did not want to offend her husband, who was once a rich man, and now fell into extreme poverty. For he knew how hard and offensive almsgiving is for one who has gone from wealth and glory to squalor, because it reminds him of his former prosperity. Therefore, Saint Nicholas considered it best to act according to the teachings of Christ: Matt. 6:3 - " But with you, when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.".
He avoided human glory so much that he tried to hide himself even from the one to whom he was beneficent. He took a large sack of gold, came at midnight to the house of that husband, and throwing this sack out the window, he hurried back home. In the morning the man got up and, finding the sack, untied it. At the sight of gold, he was horrified and could not believe his eyes, because he could not expect such a blessing from anywhere. However, turning over the coins with his fingers, he was convinced that before him, in fact, gold. Rejoicing in spirit and wondering at this, he wept for joy, thought for a long time about who could have done him such a good deed, and could think of nothing. Attributing this to the action of Divine Providence, he incessantly thanked his benefactor in his soul, giving praise to the Lord Who cares for all. After this, he married his eldest daughter, giving her as a dowry the gold miraculously given to him, Saint Nicholas, having learned that this husband acted according to his desire, loved him and decided to do the same mercy on his second daughter, intending to protect and legally marry her from sin. Having prepared another bag of gold, the same as the first one, at night, secretly from everyone, through the same window he threw it into her husband's house. Getting up in the morning, the poor man again found gold. Again he was astonished, and falling to the ground, shedding tears, he said:
Merciful God, Builder of our salvation, who redeemed me with Your very blood and now redeems my house and my children from the nets of the enemy with gold, show me Yourself a servant of Your mercy and Your philanthropic goodness. Show me that earthly Angel who saves us from sinful death, so that I can find out who uproots us from poverty that oppresses us and delivers us from evil thoughts and intentions. Lord, by Your mercy, secretly done to me by the generous hand of Your saint, unknown to me, I can give my second daughter in marriage according to the law and thereby avoid the snares of the devil, who wanted to multiply my already great death with a nasty profit.
Having thus prayed to the Lord and thanked His grace, that husband celebrated the marriage of his second daughter. Trusting in God, the father had an undoubted hope that He would give the third daughter a lawful spouse, again granting with a secretly beneficent hand the gold needed for this. In order to find out who and from where brings him gold, the father did not sleep at night, lying in wait for his benefactor and wanting to see him. It wasn't long before the expected benefactor appeared. The saint of Christ, Nikolai, quietly came for the third time, and, stopping at his usual place, threw the same bag of gold through the same window, and immediately hurried to his house. Hearing the sound of gold thrown through the window, that husband ran as fast as he could after the saint of God. Catching up with him and recognizing him, because it was impossible not to know the saint by his virtue and noble birth, this man fell at his feet, kissing them and calling the saint the deliverer, helper and savior of souls who had come to extreme death.
If, - he said, - the Great Lord in mercy had not restored me with your bounty, then I, an unfortunate father, would have perished long ago together with my daughters in the fire of Sodom. Now we have been saved by you and delivered from a terrible sin."
And many more similar words he said to the saint with tears. As soon as he lifted him from the ground, the saint took an oath from him that he would not tell anyone about what happened to him for the rest of his life. Having said much more to his benefit, the saint let him go to his house.
Of the many deeds of the mercy of the saint of God, we told only about one, so that it would be known how merciful he was to the poor. For we would not have enough time to tell in detail how generous he was to the needy, how many hungry he fed, how many he clothed the naked and how many he redeemed from moneylenders.
After this, the Monk Father Nicholas wished to go to Palestine in order to see and bow to those holy places where the Lord our God, Jesus Christ, walked with His most pure feet. When the ship sailed near Egypt and the travelers did not know what awaited them, Saint Nicholas, who was among them, foresaw that a storm would soon rise, and announced this to his companions, telling them that he saw the devil himself entering the ship so that everyone drown them in the depths of the sea. And at that very hour, unexpectedly, the sky was covered with clouds, and a violent storm raised a terrible commotion on the sea. The travelers were horrified and, despairing of their salvation and expecting death, they prayed to the Holy Father Nicholas to help them, who were perishing in the depths of the sea.
If you, the saint of God, - they said, - do not help us with your prayers to the Lord, then we will immediately perish.
Commanding them to be of good courage, to place their hope in God, and without any doubt to expect a speedy deliverance, the saint began earnestly to pray to the Lord. Immediately the sea calmed down, there was a great silence, and general sorrow turned into joy.
The delighted travelers gave thanks to God and His saint, the holy father Nicholas, and were doubly surprised - and his prediction of a storm and the end of sorrow. After that, one of the sailors had to climb to the top of the mast. Descending from there, he broke off and fell from the very height into the middle of the ship, killed himself to death and lay lifeless. Saint Nicholas, ready to help before it was called for, immediately resurrected him with his prayer, and he got up as if waking up from a dream. After this, having raised all the sails, the travelers continued their voyage safely, with a fair wind, and calmly landed on the coast of Alexandria. Having healed many sick and demon-possessed people here and comforted the mourners, the saint of God, Saint Nicholas, again set off along the intended path to Palestine.
Having reached the holy city of Jerusalem, Saint Nicholas came to Golgotha, where Christ our God, stretching out His most pure hands on the cross, brought salvation to the human race. Here the saint of God poured out warm prayers from a heart burning with love, sending thanks to our Savior. He went around all the holy places, everywhere doing fervent worship. And when at night he wanted to enter the holy church for prayer, the closed church doors opened by themselves, opening an unobstructed entrance to the one for whom the heavenly gates were also opened. Having stayed in Jerusalem for quite a long time, Saint Nicholas intended to retire to the desert, but was stopped from above by a Divine voice, admonishing him to return to his homeland. The Lord God, who arranges everything for our benefit, did not deign that the lamp, which, by the will of God, was to shine for the Lycian metropolis, remained hidden under a bushel, in the desert. Arriving on the ship, the saint of God agreed with the shipbuilders to take him to his native country. But they planned to deceive him and sent their ship not to Lycian, but to another country. When they sailed from the pier, Saint Nicholas, noticing that the ship was sailing along a different path, fell at the feet of the shipbuilders, begging them to send the ship to Lycia. But they did not pay any attention to his prayers and continued to sail along the intended path: they did not know that God would not leave His saint. And suddenly a storm came up, turned the ship in the other direction and quickly carried it towards Lycia, threatening the evil shipbuilders with complete destruction. Thus, carried by Divine power across the sea, Saint Nicholas finally arrived in his fatherland. In his gentleness, he did no harm to his evil enemies. He not only did not get angry and did not reproach them with a single word, but with a blessing he let them go to his country. He himself came to the monastery, founded by his uncle, Bishop of Patara, and called Holy Sion, and here for all the brethren he turned out to be a welcome guest. Having received him with great love, as an angel of God, they enjoyed his divinely inspired speech, and, imitating the good morals with which God adorned His faithful servant, they were edified by his life equal to the angels. Having found in this monastery a silent life and a quiet haven for contemplation of God, Saint Nicholas hoped to spend the rest of his life here indefinitely. But God showed him a different path, for he did not want such a rich treasure of virtues, with which the world should be enriched, to remain enclosed in a monastery, like a treasure buried in the ground, but that it be open to everyone and a spiritual purchase be made by it, acquiring many souls. . And then one day the saint, standing in prayer, heard a voice from above:
Nicholas, if you wish to receive a crown from Me, go and strive for the good of the world.
Hearing this, Saint Nicholas was horrified and began to think about what this voice wants and requires from him. And again I heard:
Nicholas, this is not the field on which you must bear the fruit that I expect; but turn and go into the world, and may my name be glorified in you.
Then Saint Nicholas understood that the Lord required him to leave the feat of silence and go to the service of people for their salvation.
He began to think about where he should go, whether to his fatherland, the city of Patara, or to another place. Avoiding the vain glory among his fellow citizens and fearing it, he planned to retire to another city, where no one would know him. In the same Lycian country there was the glorious city of Myra, which was the metropolis of all Lycia. Saint Nicholas came to this city, led by God's Providence. Here he was not known to anyone; and he dwelt in that city like a beggar, having nowhere to lay his head. Only in the house of the Lord did he find shelter for himself, having in God the only refuge. At that time, the bishop of that city, John, the archbishop and primate of the entire Lycian country, died. Therefore, all the bishops of Lycia gathered in Myra to elect a worthy one to the vacant throne. Many men, revered and prudent, were intended to be John's successors. There was great dissent among the electors, and some of them, moved by divine zeal, said:
The election of a bishop to this throne is not subject to the decision of people, but is the work of God's building. It is fitting for us to make a prayer so that the Lord Himself will reveal who is worthy to take such a dignity and be the shepherd of the entire Lycian country.
This good advice met with universal approval, and everyone indulged in fervent prayer and fasting. The Lord, fulfilling the desire of those who fear Him, listening to the prayers of the bishops, thus revealed to the oldest of them His good will. When this bishop stood at prayer, a light-shaped man appeared before him and ordered him to go to the church doors at night and see who would enter the church first.
- This, - he said, - and there is My chosen one; accept him with honor and make him archbishop; This husband's name is Nicholas.
The bishop announced such a divine vision to the other bishops, and they, hearing this, intensified their prayers. The bishop, having received the revelation, stood at the place where it was indicated to him in the vision, and awaited the arrival of the desired husband. When the time came for the morning service, St. Nicholas, prompted by the spirit, came to the church first of all, for he had the custom of getting up at midnight for prayer and arriving earlier than others for the morning service. As soon as he entered the narthex, the bishop, who had received a revelation, stopped him and asked him to tell his name. Saint Nicholas was silent. The bishop again asked him the same question. The saint meekly and quietly answered him:
My name is Nicholas, I am a slave of your shrine, lord.
The pious bishop, hearing such a brief and humble speech, understood both by the very name - Nicholas - predicted to him in a vision, and by the humble and meek answer that before him was the same man whom God was pleased to be the first altar of the Worldly Church. For he knew from Holy Scripture that the Lord looked upon the meek, silent, and trembling at the word of God. He rejoiced with great joy, as if he had received some secret treasure. Immediately taking Saint Nicholas by the hand, he said to him:
Follow me, child.
When he honorably brought the saint to the bishops, they were filled with divine sweetness and, comforted by the spirit that they had found a husband indicated by God Himself, they took him to church. The rumor about this spread everywhere and faster than birds, countless people flocked to the church. The bishop, who had received the vision, turned to the people and exclaimed:
Receive, brethren, your shepherd, whom the Holy Spirit Himself anointed, and to whom He entrusted the care of your souls. He was not appointed by a human assembly, but by God Himself. Now we have the one we wanted, and we found and accepted the one we were looking for. Under his rule and guidance, we will not lose hope that we will stand before God on the day of His appearing and revelation.
All the people gave thanks to God and rejoiced with unspeakable joy. Unable to bear human praises, Saint Nicholas for a long time refused to accept holy orders; but yielding to the zealous pleas of the council of bishops and the whole people, he entered the episcopal throne against his will. He was prompted to this by a divine vision that had been before the death of Archbishop John. This vision is narrated by Saint Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople. Once, he says, Saint Nicholas saw at night that the Savior was standing before him in all His glory and was giving him the Gospel adorned with gold and pearls. On the other side of himself, St. Nicholas saw the Most Holy Theotokos placing the hierarch's omophorion on his shoulder. After this vision, a few days passed, and the Archbishop of Mir John died.
Remembering this vision and seeing in it the obvious favor of God, and not wanting to refuse the zealous entreaties of the council, Saint Nicholas accepted the flock. The Synod of Bishops with all the church clergy consecrated him and celebrated lightly, rejoicing over the God-given pastor, St. Nicholas of Christ. Thus, the Church of God received a bright lamp, which did not remain under a bushel, but was placed in its proper episcopal and pastoral place. Honored with this great dignity, Saint Nicholas rightly ruled the word of truth and wisely instructed his flock in the teaching of the faith.
At the very beginning of his ministry, the saint of God said to himself:
Nicholas! The rank you have taken requires you to adopt different customs, so that you live not for yourself, but for others.
Desiring to teach his verbal sheep virtues, he did not hide, as before, his virtuous life. For before he spent his life secretly serving God, Who alone knew only his deeds. Now, upon his acceptance of the bishopric, his life became open to all, not out of vanity before people, but for their benefit and the increase of the glory of God, so that the word of the Gospel would be fulfilled: Mt. 5:16 - " So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.".
Saint Nicholas, in his good deeds, was, as it were, a mirror for his flock, and, according to the words of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 4:12 - " be an example to the faithful in word, in life, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity".
He was mild-tempered and mild-tempered, humble in spirit and shunned all vanity. His clothes were simple, his food was fasting, which he always ate only once a day, and then in the evening. He spent the whole day in labors worthy of his rank, listening to the requests and needs of those who came to him. The doors of his house were open to everyone. He was kind and accessible to everyone, he was a father to orphans, a gracious giver to the poor, a comforter to those who cry, a helper to the offended, and a great benefactor to everyone. To assist him in the administration of the church, he chose two virtuous and prudent counselors, invested with the rank of presbyter. These were famous men throughout Greece - Paul of Rhodes and Theodore of Ascalon.
So St. Nicholas grazed the flock of verbal Christ's sheep entrusted to him. But the envious crafty serpent, never ceasing to raise up a battle against the servants of God and not enduring prosperity among people of piety, raised persecution against the Church of Christ through the impious kings Diocletian and Maximian. At the same time, a command went out from these kings throughout the empire that Christians should reject Christ and worship idols. Those who disobeyed the command of the atom were ordered to be compelled to do so by imprisonment and severe torment, and, finally, to be put to death. This storm breathing with malice, due to the zeal of the zealots of darkness and wickedness, soon reached the city of Mir. Blessed Nicholas, who was the leader of all Christians in that city, freely and boldly preached Christ's piety and was ready to suffer for Christ. Therefore, he was seized by wicked torturers and imprisoned along with many Christians. Here he stayed for a long time, enduring severe suffering, enduring hunger and thirst, and the tightness of the dungeon. He fed his fellow prisoners with the word of God and gave to drink the sweet waters of piety; affirming in them faith in Christ God, strengthening them on an indestructible foundation, he urged them to be firm in the confession of Christ and to suffer diligently for the truth. In the meantime, freedom was again granted to the Christians, and piety shone like the sun after dark clouds, and there came, as it were, a kind of quiet coolness after a storm. For the Lover of mankind, Christ, having looked upon His own property, exterminated the wicked, having cast down Diocletian and Maximian from the royal throne and destroyed the power of the zealots of Hellenic wickedness. By the appearance of His Cross to Tsar Constantine the Great, to whom He was pleased to hand over the Roman power, " and erected"The Lord God to His people" horn of salvation"(Luke 1:69). Tsar Constantine, knowing the One God and placing all hope on Him, by the power of the Holy Cross defeated all his enemies and commanded to destroy idol temples and restore Christian churches, dispelled the vain hopes of his predecessors. He freed all the prisoners for Christ in prison, and honoring them as courageous soldiers with great praises, he returned these confessors of Christ, each to his own fatherland. grace, he, as before, healed the passions and ailments of people, and not only faithful, but also unbelievers. For the sake of the great grace of God that dwelt in him, many glorified him and marveled at him, and everyone loved him. For he shone with purity of heart and was endowed with with all the gifts of God, serving his Lord in reverence and truth.At that time, there were still many Greek temples, to which ungodly people were The worldly inhabitants were in perdition. The bishop of the Most High God, animated by the zeal of God, went through all these places, destroying and turning to dust the temples of idols and purifying his flock from the filth of the devil. So wrestling with the spirits of malice, Saint Nicholas came to the temple of Artemis, which was very large and richly decorated, representing a dwelling that was pleasant for demons. Saint Nicholas destroyed this temple of filth, razed its high building to the ground and scattered the very foundation of the temple, which was in the ground, through the air, taking up arms more against demons than against the temple itself. The crafty spirits, unable to endure the coming of the saint of God, let out mournful cries, but, defeated by the prayer weapon of the invincible warrior of Christ, St. Nicholas, they had to flee from their dwelling.
The faithful Tsar Constantine, wishing to establish the faith of Christ, ordered to convene an ecumenical council in the city of Nicaea. The holy fathers of the council expounded the right teaching, cursed the Arian heresy and, together with it, Arius himself, and, confessing the Son of God equal in honor and co-eternal with God the Father, restored peace in the holy Divine Apostolic Church. Among the 318 fathers of the cathedral was St. Nicholas. He courageously stood against the impious teachings of Arius and, together with the holy fathers of the council, confirmed and betrayed to everyone the dogmas of the Orthodox faith. The monk of the Studian monastery, John, tells of St. Nicholas that, inspired, like the prophet Elijah, by zeal for God, he shamed this heretic Arius at the cathedral not only in word, but also in deed, hitting his cheek. The fathers of the cathedral were indignant at the saint and for his impudent deed they decided to deprive him of the rank of bishop. But our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and His Blessed Mother, looking from above at the deed of St. Nicholas, approved of his bold deed and praised his divine zeal. For some of the holy fathers of the cathedral had the same vision, which the saint himself received even before his appointment to the bishopric. They saw that on one side of the saint stands Christ the Lord himself with the Gospel, and on the other, the Most Pure Virgin Theotokos with an omophorion, and they give the saint the signs of his dignity, which he was deprived of. Realizing from this that the boldness of the saint was pleasing to God, the fathers of the cathedral stopped reproaching the saint and gave him honor as a great saint of God. Returning from the cathedral to his flock, Saint Nicholas brought him peace and blessings. With his mellifluous lips, he taught the whole people a sound doctrine, stopped wrong thoughts and reasoning at the very root, and, having denounced the heretics who were hardened, insensible and inveterate in malice, drove them away from Christ's herd. Just as a wise farmer cleanses everything that is on the threshing floor and in the winepress, selects the best grains, and shakes off the tares, so the prudent laborer on the threshing floor of Christ, St. Nicholas, filled the spiritual granary with good fruits, while he fluttered the tares of heretical delusion and swept far away from the wheat of the Lord. Therefore, the Holy Church calls it a shovel, which blows the tartar teachings of Arius. And he was truly the light of the world and the salt of the earth, for his life was light and his word was diluted with the salt of wisdom. This good shepherd had great care for his flock, in all its needs, not only feeding it on spiritual pasture, but taking care of its bodily food.
Once there was a great famine in the Lycian country, and in the city of Myra there was an extreme shortage of food. Feeling sorry for the unfortunate people dying of hunger, the bishop of God appeared at night in a dream to a certain merchant who was in Italy, who loaded his whole ship with live and intended to sail to another country. Giving him three gold coins as a pledge, the saint ordered him to sail to Myra and sell live there. Waking up and finding gold in his hand, the merchant was horrified, surprised at such a dream, which was accompanied by the miraculous appearance of coins. The merchant did not dare to disobey the orders of the saint, went to the city of Myra and sold his bread to its inhabitants. At the same time, he did not hide from them about the appearance of St. Nicholas that he had in a dream. Having obtained such consolation in the famine and listening to the merchant's story, the citizens gave glory and thanksgiving to God and glorified their miraculous feeder, Great Bishop Nicholas.
At that time a rebellion arose in great Phrygia. Having learned about this, Tsar Constantine sent three commanders with their troops to pacify the rebellious country. These were the governors Nepotian, Urs and Erpilion. With great haste, they sailed from Constantinople and stopped at a certain pier in the Lycian diocese, which was called the Adriatic coast. There was a city here. Since strong sea waves prevented further navigation, they began to expect calm weather at this pier. During the stay, some soldiers, going ashore to buy what they needed, took a lot by force. Since this happened often, the inhabitants of that city became embittered, as a result of which, at the place called Plakomata, disputes, strife and abuse took place between them and the soldiers. Having learned about this, Saint Nicholas decided to go to that city himself in order to stop the internecine strife. Hearing of his coming, all the citizens, together with the governors, came out to meet him and bowed. The saint asked the voivode where and where they were heading. They told him that they were sent by the king to Phrygia to put down a rebellion that had arisen there. The saint admonished them to keep their soldiers in subjection and not allow them to oppress people. After this, he invited the governor to the city and cordially treated them. The governors, having punished the guilty soldiers, calmed the excitement and received a blessing from St. Nicholas. When this was happening, several citizens came from Mir, lamenting and weeping. Falling at the feet of the saint, they asked to protect the offended, telling him with tears that in his absence the ruler Eustathius, bribed by envious and evil people, condemned to death three men from their city, who were not guilty of anything.
Our entire city, they said, is lamenting and crying and awaiting your return, lord. For if you were with us, then the ruler would not dare to create such an unrighteous judgment.
Hearing about this, the bishop of God grieved spiritually and, accompanied by the governor, immediately set off on his journey. Having reached the place called "The Lion", the saint met some travelers and asked them if they knew anything about the men condemned to death. They answered:
We left them in the field of Castor and Pollux, being dragged to execution.
Saint Nicholas went faster, trying to prevent the innocent death of those men. When he reached the place of execution, he saw that many people had gathered there. The condemned men, with their hands tied crosswise and with their faces covered, already bowed to the ground, stretched out their bare necks and awaited the blow of the sword. The saint saw that the executioner, stern and furious, had already drawn his sword. Such a sight left everyone in horror and sorrow. Combining rage with meekness, the saint of Christ freely passed among the people, without any fear snatched the sword from the hands of the executioner, threw it on the ground, and then freed the condemned men from their bonds. He did all this with great boldness, and no one dared to stop him, because his word was powerful and Divine power appeared in his actions: he was great before God and all people. The men saved from the death penalty, seeing themselves unexpectedly returned from near death to life, shed hot tears and let out cries of joy, and all the people who had gathered there gave thanks to their saint. The ruler Eustathius also arrived here and wanted to approach the saint. But the saint of God turned away from him with contempt, and when he fell at his feet, he pushed him away. Invoking God's vengeance on him, Saint Nicholas threatened him with torment for his unrighteous rule and promised to tell the tsar about his actions. Convicted by his own conscience and frightened by the threats of the saint, the ruler asked for mercy with tears. Repenting of his untruth and desiring reconciliation with the great father Nicholas, he laid the blame on the city elders, Simonides and Eudoxia. But the lie could not help but be revealed, for the saint knew well that the ruler condemned the innocent to death, having been bribed with gold. For a long time the ruler begged to forgive him, and only then, when he realized his sin with great humility and with tears, did the saint of Christ grant him forgiveness.
At the sight of all that had happened, the governors who arrived together with the saint were amazed at the zeal and goodness of the great bishop of God. Having been honored with his holy prayers and having received from him a blessing on their way, they went to Phrygia to fulfill the royal command given to them. Arriving at the place of the rebellion, they quickly suppressed it and, having fulfilled the royal commission, returned with joy to Byzantium. The king and all the nobles gave them great praise and honors, and they were honored to participate in the royal council. But evil people, envious of such glory as governors, took enmity towards them. Thinking evil against them, they came to the governor of the city, Eulavius, and slandered those men, saying:
Governors do not advise good, for, as we have heard, they innovate and plot evil against the king.
To win over the ruler to their side, they gave him a lot of gold. The governor reported to the king. Hearing about this, the king, without any investigation, ordered those commanders to be imprisoned, fearing that they would not flee secretly and fulfill their evil intentions. Languishing in prison and conscious of their innocence, the governors wondered why they were thrown into prison. After some time, the slanderers began to fear that their slander and malice would come to light and that they themselves might suffer. Therefore, they came to the ruler and earnestly asked him not to let those men live so long and hasten to condemn them to death. Entangled in the nets of gold-loving, the ruler had to bring the promise to the end. He immediately went to the king and, like a messenger of evil, appeared before him with a sad face and a mournful look. At the same time, he wanted to show that he was very concerned about the life of the king and faithfully devoted to him. Trying to arouse the royal wrath against the innocent, he began to make a flattering and cunning speech, saying:
O king, not one of those imprisoned wants to repent. They all persist in their evil intent, never ceasing to plot against you. Therefore, they were ordered to immediately betray them to torment, so that they would not warn us and would not complete their evil deed, which they planned against the governor and you.
Alarmed by such speeches, the king immediately condemned the governor to death. But since it was evening, their execution was postponed until morning. The prison guard found out about this. Shedding many tears in private over such a calamity threatening the innocent, he came to the governors and said to them:
It would be better for me if I did not know you and did not enjoy a pleasant conversation and meal with you. Then I would have easily endured separation from you and would not have grieved in my soul for the misfortune that has come upon you. Morning will come, and the last and terrible parting will befall us. I will no longer see your faces dear to me and will not hear your voice, for the king ordered you to be executed. Bequeath to me what to do with your estate, while there is time and death has not yet prevented you from expressing your will.
He interrupted his speech with sobs. Having learned about their terrible fate, the governors tore their clothes and tore their hair, saying:
What enemy has envied our life for the sake of which we, like villains, are condemned to death? what have we done for which we should be put to death?
And they called by the names of their relatives and friends, making God Himself a witness that they had done no evil, and wept bitterly. One of them, by the name of Nepotian, remembered Saint Nicholas, how he, having appeared in the Worlds as a glorious helper and good intercessor, delivered three husbands from death. And the governors began to pray:
God of Nicholas, who delivered three men from unrighteous death, now look at us, for we cannot be helped by people. A great misfortune has come upon us, and there is no one who would deliver us from the misfortune. Our voice was interrupted before the departure from the body of our souls, and our tongue dries up, burned by the fire of heartfelt sorrow, so that we cannot offer prayer to You. Psalm. 78:8-" Soon let Thy mercies precede us, for we are very exhausted"Tomorrow they want to kill us, hurry to help us and save us innocent from death.
Heeding the prayers of those who fear him, and like a father pouring out bounty on his children, the Lord God sent to the condemned to help his holy saint, the great bishop Nicholas. That night, while sleeping, the saint of Christ appeared before the king and said:
Get up quickly and free the warlords languishing in the dungeon. They have been slandered to you, and they suffer innocently.
The saint explained the whole matter to the king in detail and added:
If you do not listen to me and do not let them go, then I will raise a rebellion against you, similar to the one in Phrygia, and you will die an evil death.
Surprised at such boldness, the king began to reflect on how this man dared to enter the inner chambers at night, and said to him:
Who are you that you dare to threaten us and our country?
He replied:
My name is Nikolay, I am a bishop of the Metropolis of Mir.
The king was perplexed and, getting up, began to think about what this vision meant. Meanwhile, on the same night, the saint appeared to the ruler Eulavius and announced to him about the condemned the same as to the king. Rising from sleep, Evlavy was afraid. While he was thinking about this vision, a messenger from the king came to him and told him about what the king had seen in a dream. Hastening to the king, the ruler told him his vision, and both of them were surprised that they saw the same thing. Immediately the king ordered to bring the governor from the dungeon and said to them:
By what sorcery have you brought such dreams upon us? The husband who appeared to us was very angry and threatened us, boasting of soon bringing abuse upon us.
The governors turned to each other in bewilderment, and, knowing nothing, looked at each other with tender eyes. Seeing this, the king relented and said:
Do not be afraid of any evil, tell the truth.
They answered with tears and sobs:
King, we do not know any sorcery and did not plot any evil against your state, may the All-Seeing Lord Himself be a witness in that. If we deceive you, and you learn something bad about us, then let there be no mercy and mercy neither for us nor for our kind. From our fathers we learned to honor the king and, above all, to be faithful to him. So now we faithfully guard your life and, as is typical of our rank, we have steadily carried out your instructions to us. Serving you diligently, we subdued the rebellion in Phrygia, put an end to internecine strife, and sufficiently proved our courage by the very deeds, as those who know this well testify. Your power used to shower us with honors, but now you armed yourself with fury and ruthlessly condemned us to a painful death. So, king, we think that we suffer only for one zeal towards you, for which we are condemned, and instead of the glory and honors that we hoped to receive, the fear of death overtook us.
From such speeches the tsar came to emotion and repented of his rash act. For he trembled before the judgment of God and was ashamed of his royal purple, seeing that he, being a legislator for others, was ready to create lawless judgment. He gazed graciously at the condemned and conversed meekly with them. Listening with emotion to his speeches, the governors suddenly saw that Saint Nicholas was sitting next to the tsar and promising them forgiveness with signs. The king interrupted their speech and asked:
Who is this Nicholas, and what husbands did he save? - Tell me about it.
Nepotian told him everything in order. Then the king, having learned that Saint Nicholas was a great saint of God, was surprised at his boldness and his great zeal in protecting the offended, freed those governors and said to them:
It is not I who will give you life, but the great servant of the Lord Nicholas, whom you called for help. Go to him and give him thanks. Tell him and from me that I have fulfilled your command, so that the saint of Christ will not be angry with me.
With these words, he handed them a golden gospel, a golden censer adorned with stones, and two lamps, and commanded them to give all this to the Church of the World. Having received miraculous salvation, the governors immediately set off. Arriving in Myra, they rejoiced and rejoiced at the fact that they were again worthy to see the saint. They brought great thanks to St. Nicholas for his miraculous help and sang: Psalm 34:10 -" God! who is like you, delivering the weak from the strong, the poor and needy from his robber?"
They distributed generous alms to the poor and needy and returned home safely.
Such are the works of God, by which the Lord magnified His saint. The fame of them, as if on wings, swept everywhere, penetrated across the sea and spread throughout the universe, so that there was no such place where they would not know about the great and wondrous miracles of the great bishop Nicholas, which he did by the grace bestowed on him from the Almighty Lord .
Once travelers, sailing on a ship from Egypt to the Lycian country, were subjected to strong sea waves and storms. The sails were already torn by the whirlwind, the ship was shuddering from the blows of the waves, and everyone despaired of their salvation. At this time, they remembered the great bishop Nicholas, whom they had never seen and only heard about him, that he was a quick help to everyone who called him in trouble. They turned to him with a prayer and began to call for his help. The saint immediately appeared before them, entered the ship and said:
You called me and I came to your aid; do not be afraid!"
Everyone saw that he took the helm and began to steer the ship. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ once forbade the wind and the sea (Matt. 8:26), the saint immediately ordered the storm to stop, remembering the words of the Lord: John. 14:12 - " whoever believes in me, the works that I do he will do also".
So, the faithful servant of the Lord commanded both the sea and the wind, and they were obedient to him. After this, the travelers, with a favorable wind, landed at the city of Miram. Coming ashore, they went to the city, wanting to see the one who delivered them from trouble. They met the saint on the way to the church and, recognizing him as their benefactor, fell at his feet, offering him thanks. Marvelous Nikolai not only delivered them from misfortune and death, but also showed concern for their spiritual salvation. In his perspicacity, he saw in them with his spiritual eyes the sin of fornication, which removes a person from God and deviates from the observance of the commandments of God, and said to them:
Children, I implore you, think within yourselves and correct yourself in your hearts and thoughts to please the Lord. For even though we hid ourselves from many people and considered ourselves righteous, nothing can be hidden from God. Therefore, strive with all diligence to preserve the holiness of the soul and the purity of the body. For as the Divine Apostle Paul says: Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will punish him"(1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
Having instructed those men with soulful speeches, the saint let them go in peace. For the saint was in his disposition like a father who loves children, and his gaze shone with divine grace, like that of an angel of God. From his face emanated, as from the face of Moses, a bright ray, and those who only looked at him were of great benefit. For those who were aggravated by some kind of passion or spiritual sorrow, it was enough to turn their gaze to the saint in order to receive consolation in their sorrow; and he who conversed with him was already prospering in good. And not only Christians, but also infidels, if any of them happened to hear the sweet and honeyed speeches of the saint, came to tenderness and, brushing aside the unbelief that had taken root in them from infancy, and perceiving the right word of truth in their hearts, embarked on the path of salvation.
The great saint of God lived for many years in the city of Mira, shining with Divine kindness, according to the word of Scripture: Sirach. 50:6-8 - “Like the morning star among the clouds, like the full moon in days, like the sun shining over the temple of the Most High, and like a rainbow shining in majestic clouds, like the color of roses in spring days, like lilies by the fountains of water, like a branch of lebanon in summer days."
Having reached a ripe old age, the saint paid his debt to human nature and, after a short bodily illness, ended his temporary life well. With joy and psalmody, he passed into eternal blessed life, accompanied by holy angels and met by the faces of saints. Bishops of the Lycian country with all the clergy and monks and countless people from all cities gathered for his burial. The holy body of the saint was laid with honor in the cathedral church of the Metropolis of Mir on the sixth day of the month of December. Many miracles were performed from the holy relics of the saint of God. For his relics exuded a fragrant and healing myrrh, with which the sick were anointed and received healing. For this reason, people from all over the earth flowed to his tomb, seeking healing for their illnesses and receiving it. For by that holy world, not only bodily ailments were healed, but also spiritual ones, and evil spirits were driven away. For the saint, not only during his life, but also after his repose, armed himself with demons and conquered them, as he conquers even now.
Some God-fearing men who lived at the mouth of the Tanais River, hearing about the myrrh-streaming and healing relics of St. Nicholas of Christ, resting in the Lycian Worlds, decided to sail there by sea to worship the relics. But the crafty demon, once expelled by Saint Nicholas from the temple of Artemis, seeing that the ship was preparing to sail to this great father, and being angry with the saint for the destruction of the temple and for his exile, planned to prevent these men from completing the intended path and thereby deprive them of the shrine. He turned into a woman carrying a vessel filled with oil and said to them:
I would like to bring this vessel to the tomb of the saint, but I am very afraid of sea travel, for it is dangerous for a woman who is weak and suffering from a stomach disease to sail on the sea. Therefore, I beg you, take this vessel, bring it to the tomb of the saint and pour the oil into the lamp.
With these words, the demon handed the vessel to the lovers of God. It is not known with what demonic charms that oil was mixed, but it was intended for the harm and death of travelers. Not knowing the disastrous effect of this oil, they fulfilled the request and, taking a vessel, set sail from the shore and sailed safely all day. But in the morning the north wind arose, and their navigation became difficult.
Distressed for many days in a troubled voyage, they lost patience with prolonged sea excitement and decided to return back. They had already sent the ship in their direction, when Saint Nicholas appeared before them in a small boat and said:
Where are you sailing, men, and why, having left the old path, are you returning back. You can calm the storm and make the way comfortable for sailing. The devil's machinations prevent you from sailing, because the vessel with oil was given to you not by a woman, but by a demon. Throw the vessel into the sea, and immediately your voyage will be safe."
Hearing this, the men threw the demonic vessel into the depths of the sea. Immediately, black smoke and flames came out of it, the air was filled with a great stench, the sea opened up, the water boiled and gurgled to the very bottom, and the water splashes were like fiery sparks. The people on the ship were terrified and screamed out of fear, but an assistant who appeared to them, commanding them to be of good courage and not to be afraid, tamed the raging storm and, having delivered the travelers from fear, made their way to Lycia safe. For immediately a cool and fragrant breeze blew on them, and with joy they sailed safely to the desired city. Bowing to the myrrh-streaming relics of their quick helper and intercessor, they offered thanks to the almighty God and performed prayer singing to the great Father Nicholas. After this, they returned to their country, everywhere and to everyone telling about what happened to them on the way. This great saint did many great and glorious miracles on earth and on the sea. He helped those in trouble, saved them from drowning and carried them out to dry land from the depths of the sea, freed them from captivity and brought the liberated home, delivered them from bonds and dungeons, protected them from being cut with a sword, freed them from death and gave many many healings, the blind - enlightenment, the lame - walking, deaf - hearing, dumb gift of speech. He enriched many who were in squalor and extreme poverty, served food to the hungry, and was a ready helper in every need, a warm intercessor and an early intercessor and protector. And now he also helps those who call on him and saves them from troubles. It is impossible to enumerate his miracles, just as it is impossible to describe all of them in detail. East and West know this great miracle worker, and his miracle works are known in all ends of the earth. May the Triune God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be glorified in him, and may his holy name be praised by the lips of all forever. Amen.
Miracles of St. Nicholas, which were after his death
Saint Nicholas performed many miracles, not only during his lifetime, but also after his death. Who will not be surprised to hear of his wondrous miracles! For not one country and not one region, but the whole under heaven was filled with the miracles of St. Nicholas. Go to the Greeks, and there they marvel at them; go to the Latins - and there they are amazed, and in Syria they are praised. All over the earth marvel at St. Nicholas. Come to Rus', and you will see that there is neither a city nor a village, where the miracles of St. Nicholas would not be in abundance.
Under the Greek king Leo and under Patriarch Athanasius, the following glorious miracle of St. Nicholas took place. The great Nicholas, Archbishop of Mir, at midnight appeared in a vision to a certain pious old man, poor-loving and hospitable, named Feofan, and said:
Wake up, Feofan, get up and go to the icon painter Haggai and tell him to paint three icons: Our Savior Jesus Christ the Lord, who created heaven and earth and created man, the Most Pure Lady of the Theotokos, and a prayer book for the Christian race, Nicholas, Archbishop of Mir, for it is fitting for me to appear in Constantinople. Having painted these three icons, present them to the patriarch and the whole cathedral. Go ahead and don't listen.
Having said this, the saint became invisible. Awakening from his sleep, that God-loving husband Theophanes was terrified of the vision, immediately went to the icon painter Haggai and begged him to paint three great icons: the Savior of Christ, the Most Pure Mother of God and St. Nicholas. By the will of the merciful Savior, His Most Pure Mother and Saint Nicholas, Haggai painted three icons and brought them to Feofan. He took the icons, placed them in the chamber and said to his wife:
Let us have a meal in our house and pray to God for our sins.
She happily agreed. Theophanes went to the market, bought food and drink for thirty gold pieces, and bringing it home, arranged a splendid meal for the patriarch. Then he went to the patriarch and asked him and the whole cathedral to bless his house and taste the brashn and drink. The patriarch agreed, came with the cathedral to Theophan’s house and, entering the upper room, saw that there were three icons: one depicts our Lord Jesus Christ, the other is the Most Pure Mother of God, and the third is St. Nicholas. Approaching the first icon, the patriarch said:
Glory to Thee, Christ God, Who created all creation. It was worthy to write this image.
Then, approaching the second icon, he said:
It is good that this image of the Most Holy Theotokos and prayer book for the whole world was also written.
Approaching the third icon, the patriarch said:
This is the image of Nicholas, Archbishop of Mir. It would not be right to depict him on such a great icon. After all, he was the son of ordinary people, Feofan and Nonna, who came from the villagers.
Calling the master of the house, the patriarch said to him:
Theophanes, they did not order Haggai to write the image of Nicholas in such a large size.
And he ordered to bring out the image of the saint, saying:
It is inconvenient for him to stand next to Christ and the Most Pure One.
The pious husband Theophanes, having carried the icon of St. Nicholas out of the room with great sorrow, placed it in a cell in a place of honor, and, choosing from the cathedral a cleric, a wondrous and reasonable man, named Callistus, begged him to stand before the icon and magnify St. Nicholas. He himself was very saddened by the words of the patriarch, who ordered the icon of St. Nicholas to be taken out of the room. But Scripture says: 1 Samuel 2:30 - "I will glorify those who glorify me". Thus said the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom, as we shall see, the saint himself will be glorified.
Having glorified God and the Most Pure, the patriarch sat down at the table with all his cathedral, and there was a meal. After her, the patriarch stood up, glorified God and the Most Pure One, and, having drunk wine, rejoiced along with the whole cathedral. Callistus at this time praised and magnified the great Saint Nicholas. But there was not enough wine, and the patriarch and those who accompanied him wanted to drink more and be merry. And one of the assembled said:
Feofan, bring more wine to the patriarch and make the feast pleasant.
He replied:
There is no more wine, my lord, and the market is no longer sold, and there is nowhere to buy it.
Saddened, he remembered St. Nicholas, how he appeared to him in a vision and ordered him to paint three icons: the Savior, the Most Pure Mother of God, and his own. Secretly entering the cell, he fell before the icon of the saint and said with tears:
Oh Saint Nicholas! your birth is wonderful and your life is holy, you healed many sick people. I beg you, now bring a miracle to my evil, add more wine to me.
Having said this and having blessed, he went to where the vessels of wine stood; and through the prayer of the holy wonderworker Nicholas those vessels were full of wine. Taking the wine with joy, Theophanes brought it to the patriarch. He drank and praised, saying:
I didn't drink that kind of wine.
And those who drank said that Theophanes kept the best wine at the end of the feast. And he hid the amazing miracle of St. Nicholas.
In joy, the patriarch and the cathedral retired to the house near St. Sophia. In the morning a certain nobleman came to the patriarch, named Theodore, from the village called Sierdal, from Mirsky Island, and begged the patriarch to go to him, for his only daughter was possessed by a demonic illness, and read the holy Gospel over her head. The patriarch agreed, took the four gospels, entered the ship with the whole cathedral and set sail. When they were on the open sea, a storm raised a strong commotion, the ship capsized, and everyone fell into the water and swam, crying and praying to God, the Most Pure Mother of God and St. Nicholas. And the Most Pure Theotokos begged her Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, for a council so that the priestly rank would not perish. Then the ship straightened up, and, by the grace of God, the whole cathedral again entered it. Drowning, Patriarch Athanasius remembered his sin against Saint Nicholas and, crying out, prayed and said:
"O great saint of Christ, Archbishop of Mir, miracle worker Nicholas, I have sinned against you, forgive and have mercy on me, a sinner and a cursed one, save me from the abyss of the sea, from this bitter hour and from vain death."
Oh glorious miracle - the high-minded humbled himself, and the humble miraculously exalted and honestly became famous.
Suddenly, Saint Nicholas appeared, walking on the sea as if on dry land, approached the patriarch and took him by the hand with the words:
Athanasius, or did you need help in the abyss of the sea from me, who comes from ordinary people?
He, barely able to open his mouth, exhausted, said, weeping bitterly:
O Saint Nicholas, great saint, quick to help, do not remember my evil arrogance, deliver me from this vain death in the abyss of the sea, and I will praise you all the days of my life.
And the saint said to him:
Fear not, brother, behold, Christ delivers you by my hand. Do not sin anymore, so that the worst does not happen to you. Enter your ship.
Having said this, Saint Nicholas took the patriarch out of the water and put him on the ship, saying:
You are saved, go again to your ministry in Constantinople.
And the saint became invisible. Seeing the patriarch, everyone cried out:
"Glory to Thee, Christ the Savior, and to Thee, the Blessed Queen, Madam Theotokos, who saved our master from drowning."
As if awakening from a dream, the patriarch asked them:
Where am I, brethren?
On our ship, sir, they answered, and we are all unharmed.
Weeping, the patriarch said:
Brothers, I have sinned against Saint Nicholas, he is truly great: he walks on the sea as on dry land, he took me by the hand and put me on a ship; verily, he is quick to help all who call upon him in faith.
The ship quickly sailed back to Constantinople. Leaving the ship with the entire cathedral, the patriarch went to the church of St. Sophia with tears and sent for Feofan, ordering him to immediately bring that wonderful icon of St. Nicholas. When Theophan brought the icon, the patriarch fell before her with tears and said:
I have sinned, O Saint Nicholas, forgive me a sinner.
Having said this, he took the icon in his hands, kissed it with honor together with the cathedral, and took it to the church of St. Sophia. The next day he founded a stone church in Constantinople in the name of St. Nicholas. When the church was built, the patriarch himself consecrated it on the feast day of St. Nicholas. And the saint healed that day 40 sick husbands and wives. Then the patriarch gave 30 liters of gold and many villages and gardens to decorate the church. And he built an honest monastery with her. And many came there: the blind, the lame, and the lepers. Touching that icon of St. Nicholas, they all left healthy, glorifying God and His miracle worker.
In Constantinople lived a certain man, named Nicholas, who lived on needlework. Being pious, he made a covenant never to spend the days dedicated to the memory of St. Nicholas without remembrance of the saint of God. This he unremittingly observed, according to the word of Scripture: Proverbs. 3:9 - " Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your gains.", and always firmly remembered this. So he reached a ripe old age and, not having the strength to work, fell into poverty. The day of remembrance of St. Nicholas was approaching, and now, thinking about what he should do, the elder said to his wife:
The day of the great Bishop of Christ Nicholas, honored by us, is coming; how can we, the poor, in our poverty, celebrate this day?
The pious wife answered her husband:
You know, my lord, that the end of our life has come, for old age has overtaken both you and me; even if now we had to end our lives, do not change your intention and do not forget about your love for the saint.
She showed her husband her carpet and said:
Take a carpet, go and sell it and buy everything you need for a worthy celebration of the memory of St. Nicholas. We have nothing else, and we do not need this carpet, because we do not have children to whom it could be left.
Hearing this, the pious elder praised his wife and, taking the carpet, went. When he walked along the square where the pillar of the holy Tsar Constantine the Great stands, and passed the church of St. Plato, he was met by St. Nicholas, always ready to help, in the form of an honest old man, and said to the one who was carrying the carpet:
Dear friend, where are you going?
I need to go to the market, - he answered.
Coming closer, Saint Nicholas said:
Good deed. But tell me how much you want to sell this carpet for, for I would like to buy your carpet.
The elder said to the saint:
This carpet was once bought for 8 gold coins, but now I will take for it how much you give me.
The saint said to the old man:
Do you agree to take 6 gold coins for him?
If you give me so much,” said the elder, “I will take With joy.
Saint Nicholas put his hand into the pocket of his clothes, took out gold from there and, giving 6 great gold coins into the hands of the old man, said to him:
Take this, friend, and give me a rug.
The elder gladly took the gold, for the carpet was cheaper than this. Taking the carpet from the hands of the elder, Saint Nicholas withdrew. When they dispersed, those present in the square said to the elder:
Do you see a ghost, old man, that you are talking alone?
For they saw only the old man and heard his voice, but the saint was invisible and inaudible to them. At this time, Saint Nicholas came with a carpet to the elder's wife and said to her:
Your husband is my old friend; meeting me, he turned to me with the following request: loving me, take this carpet to my wife, for I need to take one thing, but you keep it as your own.
Having said this, the saint became invisible. Seeing an honest husband shining with light and taking a carpet from him, the woman, out of fear, did not dare to ask who he was. Thinking that her husband had forgotten the words she had spoken and his love for the saint, the woman became angry with her husband and said:
Woe to me poor, my husband is a criminal and full of lies!
Saying these words and others like them, she did not even want to look at the carpet, burning with love for the saint.
Unaware of what had happened, her husband bought everything necessary for the celebration of St. Nicholas Day and went to his hut, rejoicing at the sale of the carpet and the fact that he would not have to deviate from his pious custom. When he came home, his angry wife greeted him with angry words:
From now on, get away from me, for you lied to Saint Nicholas. Truly said Christ, the Son of God: Luk. 9:62 - " no one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God".
Having said these words and others like them, she brought the carpet to her husband and said:
Here, take it, you won't see me again; you lied to Saint Nicholas and therefore you will lose everything that you have achieved by celebrating his memory. For it is written: Whoever keeps the whole law and sins in one point, he becomes guilty of everything"(James 2:10).
Hearing this from his wife and seeing his carpet, the elder was surprised and could not find words to answer his wife. He stood for a long time and finally realized that St. Nicholas had performed a miracle. Sighing from the depths of his heart and filled with joy, he raised his hands to heaven and said:
Glory to Thee, Christ God, who works miracles through Saint Nicholas!
And the old man said to his wife:
For the fear of God, tell me who brought you this carpet, a man or a woman, an old man or a young man?
His wife answered him:
The elder is bright, honest, dressed in bright clothes. brought this carpet to us and said to me: your husband is my friend, therefore, when he met me, he begged me to bring this carpet to you, take it. Taking the carpet, I did not dare to ask the visitor who he was, seeing him shining with light.
Hearing this from his wife, the elder was amazed and showed her the part of the gold he had left and everything he bought for the celebration of the day of memory of St. Nicholas: food. wine, prosphora and candles.
The Lord lives! he exclaimed. - The husband who bought a carpet from me and again brought poor and humble slaves to our house is truly Saint Nicholas, for those who saw me in conversation with him said: do you see a ghost? They saw me alone, but he was invisible.
Then both, the elder and his wife, exclaimed, offering thanks to the Almighty God and praise to the great bishop of Christ Nicholas, a quick helper to all who call him with faith. Filled with joy, they immediately went to the church of St. Nicholas, carrying gold and a carpet, and in the church told about what had happened to all the clergy and everyone who was there. And all the people, having heard their story, glorified God and Saint Nicholas, who works mercy with his servants. Then they sent to Patriarch Michael and told him everything. The Patriarch ordered to give the elder an allowance from the estate of the church of St. Sophia. And they created a feast of honor, with praise and hymns.
There lived in Constantinople a pious man named Epiphanius. He was very rich and honored with great honor from Tsar Constantine and had many slaves. Once he wanted to buy a boy as his servant, and on the third day of December, taking a liter of gold in 72 gold pieces, he mounted his horse and rode to the market, where merchants, visitors from Rus', sell slaves. It was not possible to buy a slave, and he returned home. Dismounting from his horse, he entered the ward, took out of his pocket the gold that he took to the market, and putting it somewhere in the ward, forgot about the place where he put it. This happened to him from a primordial evil enemy. the devil, who is constantly at war with the Christian race in order to increase honor on earth. Not enduring the piety of that husband, he planned to plunge him into the abyss of sin. In the morning the nobleman called the boy who served him and said:
- Bring me the gold I gave you yesterday, I have to go to the market.
Hearing this, the lad was frightened, for the master did not give him gold, and said:
- You didn't give me gold, lord .
The lord said:
- O evil and deceitful head, tell me, where did you put the gold that I gave you?
He, having nothing, swore that he did not understand what his master was talking about. The nobleman became angry and ordered the servants to tie the boy, beat him without mercy and shackle him.
He himself said:
I will decide his fate when the feast of St. Nicholas is over, for this feast was to be on the next day.
Imprisoned alone in the temple, the youth cried out with tears to the almighty God, delivering those in trouble:
Lord my God, Jesus Christ, the Almighty, the Son of the Living God, who lives in unapproachable light! I cry to You, for You know the human heart, You are the Helper of the orphans, The deliverance of those in trouble, The consolation of those who mourn: deliver me from this misfortune unknown to me. Create a merciful deliverance, so that my master, having got rid of the sin and iniquity caused to me, glorifies You with gladness of heart, and so that I, Your poor servant, having got rid of this misfortune that unjustly befell me, offer You thanks for Your humanity.
Saying this and the like with tears, adding prayer to prayer and tears to tears, the lad cried out to Saint Nicholas:
Oh, honest father, Saint Nicholas, save me from trouble! You know that I am innocent of what the master says to me. Tomorrow your holiday will come, and I am in great trouble.
Night fell, and the weary boy fell asleep. And Saint Nicholas appeared to him, always quick to help everyone who calls him with faith, and said:
Do not grieve: Christ will deliver you by me, His servant.
Immediately the shackles fell from his feet, and he stood up and offered up praise to God and Saint Nicholas. At the same hour, the saint appeared to his master and reproached him:
Why did you create a lie for your servant, Epiphanius? you yourself are to blame, for you forgot where you put the gold, but you tortured the lad without guilt, but he is faithful to you. But since you did not plan this yourself, but you were taught by the primordial evil enemy the devil, then I appeared so that your love for God would not dry out. Get up and free the lad: if you disobey me, then great misfortune will befall you yourself.
Then, pointing with his finger to the place where the gold lay, Saint Nicholas said:
Get up, take your gold and free the boy.
Having said this, he became invisible.
The nobleman Epiphanius woke up in awe, went to the place indicated to him in the chamber by the saint, and found the gold laid by himself. Then, possessed by fear and filled with joy, he said:
Glory to Thee, Christ God, Hope of the whole Christian race; glory to Thee, Hope of the hopeless, desperate, quick Consolation; glory to Thee, who showed the light to the whole world and the imminent uprising of the fallen in sin, St. Nicholas, who heals not only bodily ailments, but also spiritual temptations.
All in tears, he fell before the honest image of St. Nicholas and said:
I thank you, honest father, for you saved me, unworthy and sinful, and came to me, thin, cleansed me from sins. What will I repay you for having looked upon me by coming to me.
Having said this and similar things, the nobleman came to the youth, and seeing that the chains had fallen from him, he fell into even greater horror and reproached himself greatly. Immediately he ordered the lad to be released and reassured him in every possible way; he himself was awake all night, thanking God and Saint Nicholas, who delivered from such a sin. When they rang for matins, he got up, took the gold and went with the lad to the church of St. Nicholas. Here he happily told everyone what mercy God and St. Nicholas had bestowed upon him. And everyone glorified God, who works such miracles with His saints. When Matins was finished, the master said to the youth in the church:
Child, I am not a sinner, but your God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and His holy saint, Nicholas, may they free you from slavery, so that I too may someday be forgiven the untruth that I, out of ignorance, created for you.
Having said this, he divided the gold into three parts; He gave the first part to the church of St. Nicholas, distributed the second to the poor, and gave the third to the youth, saying:
Take this, child, and you will not be indebted to anyone except the one and only Saint Nicholas. I will take care of you like a loving father.
Having thanked God and Saint Nicholas, Epiphanius retired to his house with joy.
Once in Kyiv, "on the day of remembrance of the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, many people flocked from all cities and sat down on the feast of the holy martyrs. A certain Kyivian, who had great faith in St. Nicholas and in the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, got into a boat and sailed to Vyshgorod, bow to the tomb of the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, taking with him candles, incense and prosphora - everything necessary for a worthy celebration. Bowing to the relics of the saints and rejoicing in spirit, he went home. When he sailed along the Dnieper River, his wife, holding a child in her arms , fell asleep and dropped the child into the water, and he drowned. The father began to tear the hair on his head, exclaiming:
Woe to me, Saint Nicholas, why did I have great faith in you, so that you would not save my child from drowning! Who will be the heir to my estate; whom will I teach to create in memory of you, my intercessor, a bright triumph? how can I tell your great mercy, which you poured out on the whole world and on me poor, when my child drowned? I wanted to educate him, enlightening him with your miracles, so that after death they would praise me for the fact that my fruit creates the memory of St. Nicholas. But you, hierarch, not only gave me sadness, but also yourself, for soon the very remembrance of you in my house should cease, for I am old and awaiting death. If you wanted to save a child, you could save him, but you yourself allowed him to drown, and did not save my only-begotten child from the depths of the sea. Or do you think that I do not know your miracles? they have no number, and human language cannot convey them, and I, holy father, believe that everything is possible for you, whatever you want to do, but my iniquities have overcome. Now I understood, tormented by sadness, that if I had kept the commandments of God without blemish, the whole creation would have submitted to me, as to Adam in Paradise, before the fall. Now, all creation rises up against me: the water will drown, the beast will tear to pieces, the serpent will swallow, the lightning will burn, the birds will devour, the cattle will become furious and trample everything, people will kill, the bread given to us for food will not satisfy us and, by the will of God, will be for us. into death. But we, endowed with soul and mind and created in the image of God, do not, however, fulfill the will of our Creator as we should. But do not be angry with me, holy father Nicholas, that I speak so boldly, for I do not despair of my salvation, having you as an assistant.
His wife tore at her hair and beat herself on the cheeks. Finally, they reached the city and the mournful entered their house. Night fell, and here, Bishop Nicholas of Christ, quick to help all those who called him, performed a wondrous miracle, which was not the case in the old days. At night, he took a drowned child from the river and laid it on the choir stalls of the church of St. Sophia, alive and unharmed. When it was time for the morning prayer, the sexton entered the church and heard children crying in the choir stalls. And for a long time he stood in thought:
Who let a woman into the choir?
He went to the choirmaster and began to reprimand him; he said that he knew nothing, but the sexton reproached him:
You are convicted in deed, for the children scream in the choirs.
The man in charge of the choir was frightened and, going up to the castle, saw it untouched and heard a child's voice. Entering the choirs, he saw in front of the image of St. Nicholas a child, all soaked in water. Not knowing what to think, he told the metropolitan about this. After serving Matins, the metropolitan sent to gather people to the square and ask them whose child is lying in the choir stalls in the church of St. Sophia. All the citizens went to the church, wondering where this child came from in the choir, wet with water. The child's father also came to marvel at the miracle, and when he saw him, he recognized him. But, not believing himself, he went to his wife and told her everything in a row. She immediately began to reproach her husband, saying:
How can you not understand that this is a miracle created by St. Nicholas?
Hastily she went to the church, recognized her child, and, without touching him, fell before the image of St. Nicholas and prayed, with tenderness and tears. Her husband, standing far away, shed tears. Hearing about this, all the people flocked to see the miracle, and the whole city gathered, glorifying God and St. Nicholas. The Metropolitan, on the other hand, created an honest feast, such as is celebrated on the feast day of St. Nicholas, glorifying the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Troparion, tone 4:
The rule of faith and the image of meekness, the abstinence of the teacher reveal thee to your flock, Even the truth of things: for this sake you acquired high humility, rich in poverty, Father Hierarch Nicholas, pray to Christ God, save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 3:
In Mirech, the holy clergyman appeared to you: having fulfilled Christ’s reverend gospel, you laid down your soul about your people, and you saved the innocent from death. For this sake, you were sanctified, like a great secret place of God's grace.
Notes:
Patara was a seaside trading city in the Asia Minor province of Lycia (now Anatolia). Founded by the Phoenicians; now in ruins.
It was a small church on Mount Zion, the only one at that time in the whole city of Jerusalem, inhabited by pagans and bearing the name of Aelia Capitolina. This church, according to legend, was built in the house where the Lord Jesus Christ established the sacrament of communion and where later the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles took place.
Myra (now Miri, Dembre among the Turks) was the main city of ancient Lycia, located near the sea, on the Andrak River, at the mouth of which Andriake was a harbor.
The emperors Diocletian and Maximian (from 284 to 305) were co-rulers, the first - he reigned in the East, the second - in the West. The persecution initiated by Diocletian was distinguished by particular cruelty. It began in the city of Nicomedia, where on the very day of Easter, up to 20,000 Christians were burned in the temple.
Artemis - otherwise Diana - is a famous Greek goddess who personified the moon and was considered the patroness of forests and hunting.
Arius rejected the divinity of Jesus Christ and did not recognize Him as consubstantial with God the Father. Convened by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine, the first ecumenical council took place in 325 under the chairmanship of the emperor himself and introduced the Creed into church use, subsequently supplemented and completed at the second ecumenical council, which was in Constantinople in 381.
According to A. N. Muravyov, in Nicaea the tradition about this is still preserved, even among the Turks. In one of the loopholes of this city they show the dungeon of St. Nicholas. Here, according to legend, he was imprisoned for having struck Arius at the cathedral, and kept in chains until he was justified from above by a heavenly judgment, which was marked by the appearance of the Gospel and the omophorion, as it is written on the icons of the saint (Letters from the East, St. Petersburg. 1851, part 1, 106-107).
The exact year of the death of Saint Nicholas is unknown: according to some, the Pleasant of God died in the year 341, and according to others, the year of his death is supposed to be between 346-352.
It was in the middle of the 8th century, under King Leo the Isaurian.
Michael Cerularius from 1043 to 1058.
Of course, Constantine Monomakh, who reigned from 1042 to 1060.
The relics of Saints Boris and Gleb were then still in Vyshgorod Kiev. The miracle in question was between 1087 and 1091.
Life in the presentation of St. Demetrius of RostovNikolay Ugodnik - .
In St. Petersburg, not far from the place where the waters of the Kryukov and Ekaterininsky canals meet, a slender four-tiered bell tower shines with a gilded spire.
Behind her shine the five heads of the majestic. It is called marine not by chance. In the 18th century, here, on the southwestern outskirts of St. Petersburg, the barracks of the so-called life guards of the naval crew were built. The sailors who made up the best part of the Russian fleet lived in them. The cathedral, whose construction was completed in 1762, became the main "sea" temple of Russia. Divine services were held in it both when laying new ships, and when sending sea expeditions, and when ships returned from a long voyage.
It was in this cathedral that sailors were commemorated, for whom the waters of the sea became their grave. This is one of the few Russian Orthodox churches that has never been closed. Its traditions are still alive today. In 1989, the sailors of the sunken submarine "Komsomolets" were commemorated in St. Nicholas Cathedral, and in 2000, commemorative plaques with the names of the sailors who died on the submarine "Kursk" were installed in it. One of the icons painted in the 17th century is considered to be the main shrine of the cathedral. On it is a handsome old man with a high forehead of a sage and clear eyes. His head is covered with a miter, in his left hand is the Holy Scripture. it Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. His name has long been firmly associated with the sea.
The life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Nicholas was born around 260 in the south of Asia Minor, in Lycia. At that time it was a distant Roman province. Today, ancient Lycia is part of Turkey. Nikolai's parents lived in the city of Patara and were quite wealthy people. From early childhood, the future saint was fascinated by Christian ideas. He studied spiritual wisdom in the largest city of Lycia - Xanth. After the death of his parents, he distributed all his inheritance to the needy and soon became the archbishop of the city (now it is the Turkish city of Demre). Despite his high rank, Nikolai wore simple clothes and showed concern for people every day.
It was said that from his bright face alone, the soul became happier and calmer. During the time of Nicholas, Christianity was banned in the Roman Empire. Often, Christians were persecuted. Nikolai did not escape them either. He spent twenty long years in prison.
The ascetic did many good deeds. The stories about some of the events of his life seem like real miracles - such is the fate of many legendary personalities. He helped the people of his city more than once. They say that once during a famine he appeared in a dream to an Italian merchant, asked to bring bread and gave him three gold coins. When the merchant woke up, he had real gold in his hand. Bread was delivered to the city.
On another occasion, Nicholas went to Constantinople to ask the emperor to reduce the exorbitant tax that was imposed on the city. To make his request more convincing, he threw his mantle over the sunbeam, and it hung on him like a rope. The emperor was surprised at the miracle and heeded the requests of the righteous man. In an effort to quickly convey the good news to the townspeople, Nicholas placed the decree in a piece of reed stem and threw it into the sea. Miraculously, this message quickly sailed to Lycia, and yet the journey to it was six days.
The righteous man had a special relationship with the sea element. One day, by prayer, he calmed a strong storm. Another time, he revived a sailor who fell to the deck from the mast and crashed to death. For the third time, at the behest of Nicholas, the right wind blew all the time in the sails of the ship, which delivered him to the shores of Lycia against the evil will of the captain. They say that Nikolai appeared more than once to people in distress at sea, pacified the waves and sometimes ruled the ship himself.
Nicholas, nicknamed the Wonderworker for many of his deeds (and in the city where he was archbishop - Mirlikiysky), lived a long life. He died in 343 and was buried in Myra. The fame of him as the patron saint of sailors spread far beyond the borders of Lycia.
Relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker
The saint died about the year 345 in the rank of Archbishop of Myra of Lycia. It was there that he was originally buried. Many centuries passed, and Muslims began to rule in the homeland of Nicholas.
Now this abduction (providential, it must be said, for in this way the shrine was saved from possible abuse of it by the Turks) is recorded in the church calendar as the feast of the Transfer of the honest relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from the World of Lycia to Bari. For the relics of the saint in Bari, they built the Basilica of San Nicola, in the crypt of which the relics remain to this day. They say that the relics of the Wonderworker constantly exude miraculous oil - myrrh, which does not dry out with time.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a Russian courtyard appeared in Bari with a temple and a hotel for pilgrims. The need for it has been brewing for a long time: pilgrims from Russia faced both domestic and religious difficulties in Italy (there was no Orthodox priest in Bari), and many of our compatriots wanted to bow to the relics of the revered saint. The courtyard was built according to the project of A. V. Shchusev with contributions from both ordinary and eminent donors. In particular, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna gave 3,000 rubles for a charitable cause, and Nicholas II - 10,000.
The Barians were not the only sailors who wanted to make St. Nicholas their personal patron. Soon after them, the Venetians sailed to the city of Mira. They also raided the church where the relics of Nicholas were once kept, and took with them everything that was left after the visit of the Barians. The inhabitants of the Venetian Republic placed their part of the relics in a church specially built on the narrow sandy island of Lido. Today, hundreds of tourists heading to Venice pass by it every day.
Saint Nicholas in Rus'
St. Nicholas is the most revered Saint in the thousand-year tradition of Russian people's sense of life, for which our ordinary people have nicknamed him "Nikola - the Russian God" for centuries.
The veneration of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Rus' is approaching the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos and even our Lord Jesus Christ himself, which is reflected in the iconography. Expressing the idea of intercession for the Christian race, mediation between a person and the Lord, St. Nicholas was depicted in the Deisis instead of St. John the Baptist, along with the Most Holy Theotokos. In Rus' in the 16th-17th centuries, the name Nicholas was avoided at holy baptism, just as it is impossible to baptize in honor of Jesus Christ.
They say that Nikolai was known to the Russians even before the baptism of Rus', under Princess Olga. St. Nicholas in Rus' was called differently: Intercessor, Savior and even Wet.
The last nickname appeared in the days of Kievan Rus. People told how once respectable parents were sailing home with their little son in a boat along the Dnieper from Vyshgorod. The boy's mother overcame a dream, and she dropped the child into the water. Her grief was immeasurable, and in her prayers she turned to St. Nicholas for consolation. The next day, the sexton of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv in the morning found a crying baby in the choir. He was all wet, as if taken out of water. The parents who came running to the temple recognized in it their miraculously saved child. In the following centuries, many churches were built in Rus' in honor of St. Nicholas the Wet...
One of the Ryazan monasteries was called St. Nicholas Lapotny. A local legend told how an old peasant made a vow to build a temple and collected money for it by weaving and selling bast shoes. Having learned about the ascetic, Peter I ordered to buy from him at once the entire supply of woven bast shoes. With the proceeds, a church was built, and later a small monastery arose around it.
Nicholas of Myra has become such a beloved saint in Rus' that he is even venerated twice a year: once on December 19, on the day of the death of the righteous man, and the other on May 22, on the day when his relics were delivered to the city of Bari. The first day is called "Winter St. Nicholas", and the second - "Spring St. Nicholas".
In Muscovite Rus', the number of churches and painted icons dedicated to Nicholas the Wonderworker was not much inferior to the churches of the Most Holy Mother of God. In the Kiev Sophia Cathedral (middle of the 11th century) there is a mosaic image of St. Nicholas. About forty different works of ancient Russian literature are associated with Nicholas the Wonderworker. The saint was prayed for help "by the sea floating", because Nikolai is one of the patrons of the Russian Navy.
In the Novgorod bylina, of all the saints, only St. Nicholas came to the aid of the perishing soul of Sadko, for the Novgorod merchant Sadko was in distress at sea, and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was an ambulance to the sailors.
Nikola the Pleasant is “the protector from the invasion of the “adversary”, which is why the Russian soldiers prayed for him for help in military exploits, it was customary to wear scapulars with his image on his chest.
Pagans also turn to St. Nicholas in prayer, for he certainly helps everyone who prays to him, prompting them to repent and correct their life path.
Miracles with Icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker:
Many miraculous stories happened with the icons depicting the face of the saint, and many of them were connected with the waters. One of them happened in the XII century with the Novgorod prince Mstislav Svyatoslavich. As the chronicles said, he once fell into a "severe disease."
The ailing prince prayed for the recovery of both the Savior himself, and the Most Holy Theotokos, and many saints known to him, but all in vain. The disease did not recede. One night, restless in the heat, Mstislav dreamed of the image of St. Nicholas. He appeared to him “as if written on an icon” and ordered to send messengers to Kyiv in order to get an icon with his image. The next morning, the prince sent messengers to Kyiv, but their boat was stopped by a storm on Lake Ilmen. For three days and three nights they were buried from bad weather on a small island “waiting for the time when the wind subsides. On the fourth day, one of the messengers saw a round board floating in the lake. Taking it out of the water, he recognized in it the icon of St. Nicholas! When it was brought to Novgorod to Mstislav Svyatoslavich, he carried it to the church and sprinkled it with water from the washed icon. The disease immediately receded. In commemoration of the miracle, the prince "erected a beautiful stone church ... and put a wonderful icon in it."
That church - the five-domed Nikolsky Cathedral - still stands in Veliky Novgorod and remains the oldest stone building on the Trade side of the city. The miraculous icon stood there until the beginning of the 16th century. In 1502, two years before his death, Ivan III took her to Moscow. In the capital of the young Moscow state, the icon was placed in the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. During the fire of the Kremlin, which happened in 1626, she died. For Novgorod, a copy was made, which has survived to this day.
Legends about the icons of St. Nicholas
A great many icons were painted with the image of Nicholas the Wonderworker in Rus'. Some of them are considered miraculous, amazing stories happened to them. Here are just two of them.
They say that in the 17th century, the icon of St. Nicholas was found on a stump in one of the forests of the Chernihiv province. Three times she was taken to the nearest church, but each time she miraculously ended up in the same place. Then, right above the stump, a wooden church was erected, which, of course, was called Nikolskaya.
In 1794, a stone building was erected in its place. The magical icon in it was not in vain reputed to be miraculous. Many people were praying before her. Among them was Maria Ivanovna Gogol. Her two newborn children died in infancy, and she asked the saint to intercede for the life of her child, who was about to be born. When Maria Ivanovna successfully recovered from the burden, she named her son Nikolai.
He became a famous Russian writer. In his first book, Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka, Nikolai Vasilievich tells the story on behalf of the deacon of St. Nicholas Church - the very one in which his mother once prayed.
Nikolay Ugodnik patron of travelers
Nikolay Ugodnik Nikolai Ugodnik was considered the patron of not only sailors, but also travelers. It is no coincidence that in many ancient Russian cities one of the passable fortress towers was called Nikolskaya and its arch was decorated with an icon. There was such an icon over the Nikolsky Gates of the Kremlin. When Napoleon's troops left Moscow in 1812, the emperor ordered the gates to be blown up. Powder charges were placed in the old masonry. There was an explosion. Its strength was such that glass broke in the houses surrounding Red Square. Only the glass that covered the face of the Pleasant remained intact. The icon was not damaged, and even the candle in front of it miraculously survived.
Saint Nicholas in Dutch is Santa Claus.
This is the western brother of our Santa Claus. One of the legends about St. Nicholas tells how he helped a merchant who fell into poverty. He was ruined to the skin and was about to send his three daughters out of the house to earn a piece of bread with his beauty. To save the beauties from dishonor, Nikolai crept up to their house at night and threw three gold coins into the chimney. By an amazing chance, they hit exactly the girls' shoes, which were drying by the fireplace. The happy father bought a dowry for his daughters with this money and successfully married them off. This amazing story gave rise to the custom in Europe at Christmas to put gifts in socks and shoes for children. Our gifts under the Christmas tree are a distant greeting from St. Nicholas.
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Days of Remembrance: May 9 ( Transfer of relics), July 29, December 6
BUT kafists and prayers to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, see at the end of the page.
Many great and glorious miracles were performed on land and at sea by the great Saint Nicholas the Pleasant. He helped those in trouble, saved them from drowning and carried them out to dry land from the depths of the sea, freed them from captivity and brought the liberated home, delivered them from bonds and prison, protected them from being cut with a sword, freed them from death and gave various healings to many, enlightenment to the blind, walking to the lame , deaf hearing, dumb gift of speech.
He enriched many who were in squalor and extreme poverty, served food to the hungry, and was a ready helper in every need, a warm intercessor and an early intercessor and protector.
And now he also helps those who call on him and saves them from troubles. It is impossible to enumerate his miracles, just as it is impossible to describe all of them in detail. East and West know this great miracle worker, and his miracle works are known in all ends of the earth.
May the Triune God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be glorified in him, and may his holy name be praised by the lips forever. Amen.
THE MOTHERLAND OF ST. NICHOLAS THE WONDERWORKER
For many tens of centuries on two peninsulas - Anatolian and Thracian - where Europe connects with Asia, peoples succeeded each other, Greeks, Thracians, Arabs, Byzantines, Lycians, Seljuk Turks came and disappeared. And, finally, the Republic of Turkey was finally established on the site of the former Ottoman Empire. Eighty thousand mosques in this country. Thousands of them were erected on the site of once Christian Byzantine churches. But neither millennia, nor wars and destruction, nor earthquakes touched the Church of St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker, which stands in the modern city of Demre - the ancient World.
The ancient city of Myra, founded before our era, was a member of the Lycian Union of Cities, minted its own coin and was of great strategic importance. In 61 AD, one of Jesus' apostles, St. Paul, met here for the last time with the rest of the apostles before going to Rome.
But the eye no longer notices the ancient beauties, and the heart is torn to where a small Byzantine church is visible behind the trees, in which Archbishop Nicholas of Lycia served all his life and where he was buried after his death.
The lines of his biography, already familiar from the holy scriptures, acquire here, in his homeland, at the entrance to his temple, a completely different sound - not abstract and distant, but close and alive - here he walked on this earth, along these steps, touched these walls , served behind this ancient altar...
Saint Nicholas was born in 234 AD in the city of Patara, which is 60 kilometers west of Demre. He grew up in a wealthy family, received a good education and devoted his life to people. As a young man, he set off on a journey to bow to the holy places of distant Jerusalem. The sea voyage almost ended in tragedy - a storm threatened to break the ship against the rocks. And then the Saint began to pray. People were saved, and since then he has become the patron and saint of sailors and all travelers.
Returning from Jerusalem to Demre, St. Nicholas - this educated man, a connoisseur of history, foreign languages and theology, a preacher - became the Bishop of Mira, where he preached until his death, giving all his knowledge and strength for the benefit of people.
Miracles, with the help of which he helped people during his lifetime, were passed down in stories from person to person, passed from century to century and have come down to our days. Just as miraculously preserved to this day the temple of the Saint. The church was discovered in the current Demre shopping center during excavations in 1956.
THE LIFE OF ST. NICHOLAS ARCHBISHOP WORLD LYCIA WONDER WORKER
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was born in 234 AD in the city of Patara in Lycia.
From birth, he surprised his pious parents: at baptism, not yet able to walk and stand on his own legs, he stood in the font for three hours, thereby paying honor to the Most Holy Trinity.
His parents, Theophan and Nonna, were pious, noble and rich people, but for a long time they had no children and no longer hoped to have children, but with many prayers, tears and alms they asked God for a son.
This blessed couple, for their charitable life, many alms and great virtues, was honored to grow a holy branch, "like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its own time" (Ps. 1:3). When this blessed boy was born, he was given the name Nicholas, which means conqueror of nations. And he, with the blessing of God, truly appeared as the conqueror of malice, for the good of the whole world.
After his birth, his mother Nonna was immediately freed from her illness and from that time until her death remained barren. By this, nature itself, as it were, testified that this wife could not have another son like St. Nicholas: he alone had to be the first and last. Sanctified even in the womb by divinely inspired grace, he showed himself to be a reverent worshiper of God before he saw the light, began to work miracles before he began to feed on his mother's milk, and to be a faster before he got used to eating food.
It was possible to recognize the future miracle worker in him even by the fact that he ate the milk of one right breast, thus signifying his future standing at the right hand of the Lord along with the righteous. He showed his fair fasting in the fact that on Wednesdays and Fridays he ate mother's milk only once, and then in the evening, after the parents had performed the usual prayers. His father and mother were very surprised at this and foresaw what a strict faster their son would be in his life. Accustomed to such abstinence from infant swaddling clothes, Saint Nicholas spent his whole life until his death on Wednesday and Friday in strict fasting.
That is, from infancy, Nicholas the Wonderworker was distinguished by Christian virtues, avoided secular life and idle talk, eschewed women and all sorts of temptations. Saint Nicholas had an uncle, the bishop of the city of Patara, after whom his nephew was named Nicholas. This bishop, seeing that his nephew was succeeding in a virtuous life and in every possible way withdrawn from the world, began to advise his parents that they should give their son to the service of God. They obeyed the advice and dedicated their child to the Lord, which they themselves received from Him as a gift.
Saint Nicholas was a very educated man, possessing extensive knowledge, to complete his education he undertook a journey to Jerusalem - to bow to the Holy Things, and upon his return he finally decided to devote his life to serving God.
The bishop, having received this young elder, about which it is said: Wisdom is gray hair for people, and a blameless life is the age of old age (Wisdom 4: 9), elevated him to the priesthood. When he ordained Saint Nicholas to the priesthood, then, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, turning to the people who were in the church, he prophetically said: I see, brethren, a new sun rising over the earth and being a merciful consolation for those who mourn. Blessed is the flock that is worthy to have him as a shepherd, for he will save the souls of the lost, nourish them in the pasture of piety, and will be a merciful helper in troubles and sorrows.
This prophecy was subsequently fulfilled.
Having taken the priesthood, Saint Nicholas the Pleasant applied labors to labors; awake and abiding in unceasing prayer and fasting, he, being mortal, tried to imitate the incorporeal. Leading such an equal-angelic life and day by day more and more flourishing in the beauty of his soul, he was fully worthy to rule the Church.
At this time, Bishop Nicholas, wishing to go to Palestine to worship the holy places, handed over the management of the Church to his nephew. This priest of God Saint Nicholas, having taken the place of his uncle, took care of the affairs of the Church in the same way as the bishop himself.
At this time, his parents moved into eternal life. Having inherited their estate, Saint Nicholas distributed it to those in need. For he did not pay attention to fleeting wealth and did not care about its multiplication, but, having renounced all worldly desires, with all zeal he tried to surrender himself to the One God, crying out: “To Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Teach me to do Thy will, for you are my God, I was left in you from the womb, from my mother's womb you are my God" (Ps 24:1; Ps 142:10; Ps 21:11)
And his hand was always extended to the needy, on whom she poured out rich alms. There are countless testimonies of how generous he was to those in need, how many hungry he fed, how many he clothed the naked and how many he redeemed from lenders.
Subsequently, the Reverend Father Nicholas the Pleasant went to Palestine to bow to those holy places where the Lord our God, Jesus Christ, walked with His most pure feet. When the ship was sailing near Egypt, they got into a strong storm, and the saint began to earnestly pray to the Lord. Immediately the sea calmed down, there was a great silence, and general sorrow turned into joy. The overjoyed travelers gave thanks to God and His saint, the holy father Nicholas, and were doubly surprised at his prediction of a storm and the end of sorrow. After that, one of the sailors had to climb to the top of the mast. Descending from there, he broke off and fell from the very height into the middle of the ship, killed himself to death and lay lifeless. Saint Nicholas, ready to help before they demand it, immediately resurrected him with his prayer, and he got up as if waking up from a dream.
Upon returning home, Saint Nicholas the Pleasant visited the monastery founded by his uncle, Bishop of Patara, and called Saint Zion, and here, being a welcome guest for all the brethren, Saint Nicholas hoped to spend the rest of his life here forever. But God showed him another way.
Nicholas the Wonderworker was never a monk. But one day the saint, standing in prayer, heard a voice from above: Nicholas, if you wish to receive a crown from Me, go and strive for the good of the world.».
Hearing this, Saint Nicholas was horrified and began to think about what this voice wants and requires from him. And again I heard: Nicholas, this is not the field on which you must bear the fruit that I expect; but turn and go into the world, and may my name be glorified in you».
Then Saint Nicholas understood that the Lord required him to leave the feat of silence and go to the service of people for their salvation.
Avoiding the vain glory among his fellow citizens and fearing it, he thought to retire to another city, where no one knew him, and continue his ministry there. So he went to the glorious city of Myra, the former metropolis of all Lycia, where he remained in poverty, having nowhere to lay his head, except in the house of the Lord, and he found shelter for himself, having in God the only refuge.
At that time, the bishop of that city, John, the archbishop and primate of the entire Lycian country, died, in connection with which all the bishops of Lycia gathered there to elect a worthy one to the vacant throne, and because of general disagreement, they decided to rely on the Providence of God. God's messenger appeared to the eldest of the assembled bishops, commanding him to go to the church doors at night and see who would enter the church first. “This, He said, is My chosen one; receive him with honor and make him an archbishop: this man’s name is Nicholas.
The bishop announced his divine vision to the other bishops, they raised their prayers to God even more fervently, and when the time came for the morning service, St. Nicholas, prompted by the spirit, came to the church before everyone else, for he had a habit of getting up at midnight for prayer and came earlier than others. for the morning service. As soon as he entered the narthex, the bishop, who had received a revelation, stopped him and asked him to tell his name. Saint Nicholas was silent. The bishop again asked him the same question. The saint meekly and quietly answered him: “My name is Nicholas, I am a slave of your shrine, Vladyka.”
The high dignitaries of the Church present, as well as all the people of Mirliki, rejoiced at the new shepherd, indicated by God's providence, but St. Nicholas himself for a long time refused to accept the holy order; but yielding to the zealous pleas of the council of bishops and the whole people, he entered the episcopal throne against his will.
He was prompted to this by a divine vision that had been before the death of Archbishop John. This vision is narrated by Saint Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople. One day, he says, Saint Nicholas saw at night that the Savior was standing before him in all His glory and was giving him the Gospel, adorned with gold and pearls. On the other side of himself, St. Nicholas saw the Most Holy Theotokos placing the hierarch's omophorion on his shoulder. After this vision, a few days passed, and the Archbishop of Mir John died.
Remembering this vision and seeing in it the obvious favor of God, and not wanting to refuse the zealous entreaties of the council, Saint Nicholas accepted the flock. The Synod of Bishops with all the church clergy consecrated him and celebrated lightly, rejoicing over the God-given pastor, St. Nicholas of Christ.
He was mild-tempered and mild-tempered, humble in spirit and shunned all vanity. His clothes were simple, fasting food, which he always ate only once a day, and then in the evening. He spent the whole day in labors worthy of his rank, listening to the requests and needs of those who came to him. The doors of his house were open to everyone. He was kind and accessible to everyone, he was a father to orphans, a gracious giver to the poor, a weeping comforter, an offended helper, a great benefactor to everyone. To assist him in the administration of the church, he chose two virtuous and prudent counselors, invested with the rank of presbyter. These were famous men throughout Greece: Paul of Rhodes and Theodore of Ascalon.
However, it was precisely at this time that the persecution of Christians began by the emperors Diocletian and Maximian. Lycia was a Roman province.
Blessed Nicholas, who was the leader of all Christians in that city, freely and boldly preached Christ's piety and was ready to suffer for Christ. Soon he was captured and imprisoned along with many Christians, but he continued to preach there and be the spiritual stronghold of the suffering.
Nicholas the Wonderworker spent considerable time in prison, until the emperor Constantine, who came to power, loyal to the Christian doctrine, freed all those imprisoned for Christ in dungeons and, honoring them, as courageous soldiers, with great praise, returned these confessors of Christ each to his fatherland. At that time, the city of Mira again received its pastor, the great bishop Nicholas, who was awarded the crown of martyrdom.
Carrying Divine grace in himself, he, as before, healed the passions and ailments of people, and not only the faithful, but also the unfaithful. For the sake of the great grace of God that dwelt in him, many glorified him and marveled at him, and everyone loved him. For he shone with purity of heart and was endowed with all the gifts of God, serving his Lord in reverence and truth.
The faithful Tsar Constantine, wishing to establish the faith of Christ, ordered to convene an ecumenical council in the city of Nicaea. The holy fathers of the council expounded the right teaching, cursed the Arian heresy and, together with it, Arius himself, and, confessing the Son of God equal in honor and co-eternal with God the Father, restored peace in the holy Divine Apostolic Church. Among the 318 fathers of the cathedral was St. Nicholas. He courageously stood against the impious teachings of Arius and, together with the holy fathers of the council, approved and taught to everyone the dogmas of the Orthodox faith.
The monk of the Studian monastery John tells about St. Nicholas that, inspired, like the prophet Elijah, by zeal for God, he shamed this heretic Arius at the cathedral not only in word, but also in deed, hitting his cheek. The fathers of the cathedral were indignant at the saint and for his impudent deed they decided to deprive him of the hierarchal rank, but then canceled their decision.
After the end of the Council, Saint Nicholas returned to Lycia, where he continued his service to the Lord and the work of a shepherd.
With his name, the inhabitants of the World of Lycian associated their miraculous deliverance from the famine that visited their country, since it was a miracle that a certain merchant arrived with a ship loaded with bread and said that he was led to them by a vision of Archbishop Nicholas, who in a dream ordered him to follow to save the starving cities.
Also, St. Nicholas stopped the enmity and bloodshed between the inhabitants of one of the coastal cities and the imperial waxes, aimed at suppressing the rebellion in Phrygia, but who on their way committed outrages and violence against peaceful citizens. The intervention of the Saint stopped the strife, and the three commanders who led the army punished the soldiers who allowed violence.
Nicholas the Wonderworker also saved from an unjust trial and execution three men who were innocently convicted by the wrong ruler Mir Eustathius - he, being in another city, received information that three inhabitants of Mir were unjustly condemned to execution, and the Archbishop went to his city - in time for the field of execution, - he went through the crowd gathered for the execution, snatched the sword from the executioner, already brought to the victims, and no one dared to argue with him, feeling the Power of God, supporting the actions and the Glory of the Saint. After saving the innocent, Saint Nicholas the Pleasant denounced the ruler’s iniquities, called on him God’s punishment and the wrath of the emperor. The frightened Eustathius repented of his deed and asked for forgiveness and mercy from the shepherd.
At the sight of everything that had happened, those three commanders who arrived with the saint were amazed at the zeal and goodness of God's great bishop. Having been honored with his holy prayers and having received from him a blessing on their way, they went to Phrygia to fulfill the command given to them - to pacify the rebellion.
However, Eustathius, fearing that these commanders, who saw the fruits of his unjust rule and ill-conceived mercenary decisions, would report everything to the emperor, and also prompted by the opponents of those commanders and bribed by their gold, denounced them - about their supposedly malicious intent on the emperor. The commanders were imprisoned, and then - on the repeated denunciation of Eustathius - they were condemned without guilt to execution. Not understanding why they were being punished, not knowing their guilt, they began to pray, remembering how Nicholas the Wonderworker also helped three men who were innocently convicted in the city of Mira, they themselves were witnesses of his help and intercession for the innocent.
There is a legend that St. Nicholas appeared in a dream to the emperor, who told how everything really happened, after which he demanded that the innocent victims be released from execution, threatening that otherwise a rebellion even worse than the Phrygian one would begin in the country.
Surprised by such boldness, the emperor asked who had come to him, to which he was answered: “My name is Nikolai, I am a bishop of the Metropolis of Mir.”
The next morning, the emperor learned that his adviser had the same vision that same night, which made the king think, interrogate the arrested military leaders again, find out more about the circumstances of the case, and the result was their release and pardon.
And he also questioned the military commanders and, surprised at the zealous servant of God - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, passed through the miraculously saved military leaders an offering - a golden gospel, a golden censer adorned with stones and two lamps and ordered all this to be given to the Worldly Church. Having received a miraculous salvation, the military leaders fulfilled the will of the emperor, distributed generous alms to the poor and wretched, and returned safely home.
Such are the works of God by which the Lord magnified His saint. The fame of them, as if on wings, swept everywhere, penetrated across the sea and spread throughout the universe, so that there was no such place where they would not know about the great and wondrous miracles of the great bishop Nicholas, which he did by the grace bestowed on him from the Almighty Lord .
Many miracles aimed at saving innocent people from imminent disaster were performed by St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
The Great Saint of God, Nicholas the Pleasant, lived for many years in the city of Myra, shining, according to the word of Scripture, with Divine kindness, “like a morning star among the clouds, like a full moon in days, like the sun shining over the temple of the Most High, and like a rainbow shining in majestic clouds, like the color of roses in spring days, like lilies by springs of water, like a branch of liban in summer days" (Sir 50:68).
Having reached a ripe old age, the saint peacefully ended his temporary life after a short bodily illness. With joy and psalmody, he passed into eternal blessed life, accompanied by holy angels and met by the faces of saints.
Bishops of the Lycian country with all the clergy and monks and countless people from all cities gathered for his burial. The holy body of the saint was laid with honor in the cathedral church of the Metropolis of Mir on the sixth day of the month of December.
Many miracles were performed from the holy relics of the saint of God. For his relics exuded a fragrant and healing myrrh, with which the sick were anointed and received healing. For this reason, people from all over the earth flowed to his tomb, seeking healing for their illnesses and receiving it. For by that holy world, not only bodily ailments were healed, but also spiritual ones, and evil spirits were driven away. For the saint, not only during his lifetime, but also after his repose, armed himself with demons and defeated them, as he still conquers today.
TOMB OF ST. NICHOLAS ARCHBISHOP WORLD LYCIA WONDER WORKER
The tomb of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is located in one of the southern abscesses of the temple. Epochs changed, entire nations, the church was repeatedly destroyed, but it was always reborn to life. In 1034, during the Arab raids, the temple was destroyed, but the relics of the Saint were saved. In the 11th century, it was restored again, and in 1860, by order of the Russian Empress, a new one was built in the Gothic style on the site of the destroyed dome during the restoration. A manuscript in Russian was found here, which dates back to the same time.
Here, the sounds of the outside world are muffled by a strict and gloomy silence. There is nothing in the temple yet, the painting on the walls has not been preserved and restored, only the mosaic on the floor has come down to us from ancient times. Restoration work has recently begun, meter by meter the temple is rising from the ground, as if fashioned, emerging from the depths of centuries, as if giving us, mortals, hope for enlightenment, for gaining, for eternity. 
There are many sarcophagi, it is aside, the main one, it contained the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker before the Italians took them to the city of Bari. And now we are standing next to the tomb - his tomb for many centuries - a dying warrior is depicted on a heavy lid.
The tomb of St. Nicholas the Pleasant has remained in this form since the 9th century. In 1087, the Italians managed to take possession of the relics of the Saint and transport them to Bari. The front wall of the sarcophagus is broken, as if only yesterday there was a fierce battle here and in a hurry the Italians carried the Holy relics to their ships. But not all were taken away. Some of them have survived, and they are stored in the archaeological museum of the city of Antalya. A feeling of sadness suddenly mingles with the feeling of communion with the saint. The tomb of the Saint stands ruined.
The last bow to the monument of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. He stands surrounded by children. And in a country where, according to Muslim laws, the image of people is prohibited, only two great people are honored by the Turks as saints - in almost every city there are monuments to the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and here - to St. Nicholas, Archbishop of the World of Lycia.
Today, December 19, thousands of pilgrims have gathered here, on Turkish soil, in the Church of the Holy Pleasant - Christians from all over the world come here on the day of the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The festive service is always led by the Patriarch of Byzantium.
In the homeland of St. Nicholas the Pleasant
Already in our days, the Turks (!) have laid out a park near the church, in the middle of which stands a monument to St. Nicholas. Fragrant roses bloom all around - everything shows respect for the saint and veneration for him. The park itself is located just above the temple, so dense greenery hides it from those walking along the road.
The first basilica on this site was built in the 5th-6th centuries. It suffered in the 8th century. from an earthquake or an Arab invasion. Theophanes mentions that one of the commanders of Harun al-Rashid tried to destroy the sarcophagus of St. Nicholas, but archaeological research does not confirm this.
In the VIII-IX centuries. a domed church was built, some extensions date back to the 11th century. The largest work was carried out in 1042, under Constantine Monomakh. In the same century, the relics of St. Nicholas were transported to Bari, but some particles are still in the Antalya Museum. In 1097, the Byzantines recaptured Nicaea, and the population fled to Myra.
In the XIII century. the church and other buildings remained intact. they soon fell into disrepair and were covered with sand. After the revival of the temple in the Middle Ages, a small church was built over the third chapel. It was restored in the 18th century. And only in 1920, after the expulsion of the Greeks from Turkey, it was finally abandoned.
In 1862–1863 our compatriots carried out a restoration, which many consider incorrect, since it allegedly changed the original appearance of the temple. Before the Crimean War, Russia tried to establish a settlement in Mirs. For this purpose, the church and adjacent lands were bought in the name of Countess Anna Golitsyna, but the Turkish Empire, suspecting that Russia was pursuing not only religious, but also political goals, banned this undertaking.
At the beginning of our century, Demre was a small Greek village. The church was served by one priest, and it was gradually covered with silt from the river flowing nearby.
In 1962–1963 on the initiative of the Turkish government, the church was cleared. A new stage of excavation and restoration began in 1989. At the same time, a temporary canopy was erected over the church.
The whole complex today consists of a domed church with an apse and two aisles, two corner rooms and an exoesonarthex. Now we enter the church by the stairs from the south side. Entering the courtyard, we turn to the western wall of the building. Opposite the western entrance, two columns of the portico can still be seen today. On the inside of the wall, a staircase leads to the upper terrace, which was closed during our visit. Behind the terrace, on the south side of the courtyard, there is a burial dating from 1118.
The grandeur of the ancient walls fascinates when you pass through the dilapidated galleries, in which unknown tombs stand on both sides. Among them is the tomb of St. Nicholas.
There is a mosaic on the floor. These areas are fenced off so that it is not overwritten.
On the walls under the ceiling, in places, ancient paintings have been preserved, only from below they are poorly visible.
The throne and the high place, as well as several columns, have been preserved in the altar.
ABOUT THE FATE OF THE RELICES OF ST. NICHOLAS
Sixteen and a half centuries separate us from the day of his blessed death. Saint Nicholas, who was born around the year 280 in the Asia Minor city of Patara, in Lycia - the “Wolf Country”, then a province of the Roman Empire, died in December 545 and, as archbishop of the city of Mir in the Lycian region, found his rest in this city. Emperor Theodosius the Younger in the 5th century erected a large cathedral church here, where the relics of the Saint were laid. The bishop, who did not leave his flock even after the death, stayed here until the second half of the 11th century, when the area was captured and devastated by the Turks.
In 1087, according to church sources, Saint Nicholas appeared in a dream to a priest in the city of Bari and commanded that his relics be transferred from Mir to Bari. The dreamer conveyed the desire of the Saint to his fellow citizens, who transported the relics of the Saint from the captured city to Italy, saving them from destruction.
At present, there is a dispute between Turkey and Italy about the return of the relics of St. Nicholas, which in the 19th century were taken out of Antalya, devastated by the Turks and to this day are in the Italian city of Baria, back to Demre (former Lycian Myra), since the Turks proclaimed that holy relics are the property of the state. This is the article below.
Many in the world do not know where the real homeland of St. Nicholas is. This should not surprise us, because the city where he was born (Patara) completely disappeared from the face of the earth, and the ancient great empire of the World of Lycians was reduced to the size of a village with a population of several thousand (Demre, Kale). All this happened on the land of Turkey, which in the name of Allah destroyed ancient Christian churches or, as in the case of Hagia Sophia, covered up ancient frescoes, and used the temples as Muslim mosques.
It should, however, be said that the history of Lycia at the end of the 11th century is very poorly studied. It is known that from 1036 the Turks began an intensive seizure of that part of the Byzantine Empire, but the following decades the Lycian population still remained Greek in language and culture and, naturally, was connected by religious ties with the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
St. Nicholas spoke Greek and belonged to Greek culture, but was not a Greek, but was a Lycian (Asia Minor, eight hundred years later - Turkey). He took part in the Council of Nicaea in 325, according to Theodore Lector, who died by 334. The basilica, which still admires Kale today - in the past Demre, in the ancient Worlds belongs to the VIII-IX centuries.
In 1087, St. Nicholas was not stolen from the Byzantines, since Lycia was no longer under the military control of the Byzantines in the second half of the 11th century. It was not stolen from the Turks either, because they moved freely in this zone, but had not yet annexed this territory to their empire. When the holy relics arrived in Bari in 1087, armed clashes took place there, with sacrifices in order to prevent the order of the archbishop to transfer the holy relics to the Cathedral. Indeed, the old palace of the Byzantine ruler was adapted for the basilica of the Saint, which, as the church of the Bari people, was opposed to the Cathedral, the episcopal church.
It is the Barian chronicles about the transfer of the relics of the saint that are the most important documents for the study of Lycia of that period. And the reason for this is very clear: these chronicles undoubtedly belong to that time. Indeed, after the holy relics arrived, Archbishop Urson (who died in February 1089) sent his armed guards to pick them up and bring them to the Cathedral. Thus, he provoked bloodshed, as the people wanted to dedicate a separate church to St. Nicholas. A few months later, the noble Curcorio (?) commissioned the cleric Nikephoros to write a description of this event. Upon learning of this, the archbishop wanted his version of events to be presented as well, so he gave a similar instruction to Archdeacon John.
In the early days of 1088, referring to the return from Antioch, Nicephorus wrote that the Barians were inspired to take away the body of blessed Nicholas from the city of Mir of the Lycians. Entering the port without noise, they moored the ships. Then they sent two pilgrims from Jerusalem, who boarded a ship with them at Antioch (one was a Greek, and the other a Frenchman), to survey the territory, because the Turks devastated it in an ungodly way. They reached the resting place of the holy body and made sure that it was not there.
In addition, during negotiations with the monks, one of them said that the inhabitants of the city of Mir, because of the fear of the Turks, retired to the mountains at a distance of about twelve stades, and if they did not return to live and protect this city, the Saint would move to another place. .
Archdeacon John cites an interesting episode that happened on the way to the city of Mir. He says that the Bari sent a pilgrim ahead, who they always carried with them. Returning, he reported that there were many Turks near the Basilica of the Saint. In fact, the ruler of the city died, it was for this reason that everyone gathered - for the funeral. Upon learning of this, the Barians raised their sails and immediately sent their ships to Antioch.
This episode is also narrated in the Jerusalem legend, written a little later in French. As for the Russian legend (it also dates back to the 11th century), it says this: “The Ishmaelites destroyed churches and monasteries, and the cities remained under their rule. They also raided Lycia, where the body of St. Nicholas was buried (...) But our Lord did not allow his devoted servant to rest with his mortal remains in a devastated place where he could not be glorified by anyone.
Here is the picture that emerges from two chronicles of 1088 and two chronicles written five or six years later. There was a Turkish ruler in the city. And based on the fact that we are talking about the story of eyewitnesses, the events described are not in doubt. The worlds were then already under Turkish rule and, therefore, one thing is for sure: St. Nicholas was not stolen from the Byzantines (Greeks), who were removed from the government of the city. At that time, there were few Lycians left, native speakers of the Greek language and culture, since most of them took refuge in the mountains nearby. That the Barians had no intention of stealing is shown by the fact that, despite their armament, they began negotiations with the monks and expressed their willingness to pay. That is, there was some serious religious and political motive that pushed them to this.
Scientists have restored the appearance of the great saint by his relics.
Chairman of the Board of the Orthodox Society "Tabernacle" Alexander Bugaevsky and Archimandrite Vladimir Zorin, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, compiled the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - the latest biography of the most revered saint by Christians.
They set themselves the goal of not missing a single fact, a single detail from the ancient texts. And most importantly, they compared them with the results of a survey by scientists of his relics. The results were sensational.
On the basis of archaeological and anatomical and anthropological studies, Russian researchers described the real appearance of the saint: his height, complexion and even facial features, and also identified the diseases that the Miracle Worker suffered from.
Double
For the first time, all facts from the life of another Lycian saint, Nicholas of Pinar, were removed from the text of his life, which were mistakenly brought there more than a thousand years ago.
- Nicholas of Mirliki was the archbishop of the city of Mira in the 4th century, - Alexander Bugaevsky explains, - and Nikolai Pinarsky lived in the 6th century, became the archbishop of Pinar and died on December 10, 564. The confusion arose because of the very similar details of the biographies of the saints: both come from Lycia, archbishops, revered saints and miracle workers. These coincidences led to a delusion that existed for many years: that in the history of the church there was only one Saint Nicholas, who became famous as the Wonderworker.
relics
Archbishop Nicholas of Myra was described by contemporaries as meek and humble: "He dressed very simply, without any ornaments, had a face full of holiness and grace. An amazing radiance emanated from him, like from the prophet of God Moses."
To conduct an anatomical and anthropological study of the holy relics, a tomb in Bari was opened, - says Alexander Bugaevsky. - The examination was conducted by Professor Luigi Martino.
The appearance of the saint was reconstructed from the skull.
He made a conclusion about the saint's illnesses. Damaged joints, spine and chest bones testify to the torment that St. Nicholas endured in prison - he was tortured on the rack. Radiological examination of the skull showed extensive internal bony compaction of the cranium.
This is how the relics of St. Nicholas of Myra looked like when they opened the sarcophagus in the basilica of the city of Bari.
Professor Martino believes that these changes are caused by the long-term influence of the prison cold and dampness (the saint spent about twenty years in prison).
Mantle
A hitherto unknown miracle is inscribed in the life of Nicholas the Pleasant, which was not previously included in the biography of the saint. Alexander Bugaevsky discovered the Act of Tax in four Greek manuscripts.
Nicholas the Wonderworker saved his native Lycia from an unbearable tax, which plunged the people into terrible poverty. Saint Nicholas went to Constantinople to ask for mercy from the emperor. Before meeting with the ruler, the archbishop and bishops served a liturgy. And when, during the sacrament, the saint said: "Holy to the saints!" - everyone in the altar saw a fiery flame come out of his mouth.
Entering the throne room, the saint saw that the sun was blinding the eyes of Emperor Constantine. He took off his mantle from his shoulders - and threw it on a sunbeam to cover the eyes of the king. And the mantle did not fall, but hung in the air!
The amazed emperor complied with the request and reduced the ruinous tax.
Decree
The saint understood that the emperor might change his mind and that this document should be read out in Lycia as soon as possible, but the journey there took six days. Nicholas found a reed pipe in the temple, put the royal decree in it, and with a prayer threw the document into the sea. And by a miracle, he immediately ended up in the homeland of the saint - hundreds of miles away.
On the same night, the saint appeared in a dream to a priest from Myra, ordered them to go down to the harbor, find a letter on the shore and read it to the people.
Three days later, under pressure from the courtiers, Constantine changed his mind and asked for the letter back. He could not believe that the decree had already been announced, and sent messengers to Lycia to find out how the document had arrived there.
After faithful people reported the miracle to the emperor, he saw the will of God in this and left his decision in force.
appearance
Professor Luigi Martino, as a result of studying the remains, established that the face depicted on the icons fully corresponds to the appearance of the person buried in the tomb: “In terms of the structure of the skull and skeleton, the saint belonged to the white Caucasoid Mediterranean race, which is characterized by medium height and dark skin. forehead, with a nose tending to an aquiline, a skeleton of medium strength.
An anthropological study of the relics testifies that the great saint did not eat meat, but ate only plant foods. The growth of Nicholas the Wonderworker was also determined - 167 centimeters.
The degree of reverence for this saint in the Orthodox Church in general can be judged by the fact that he is given a special service on Thursdays every week along with the apostles. This mainly explains the fact that since ancient times, Russian people have honored St. Nicholas, and more often than other saints, they turned to him with prayer, although he was a Lycian by origin, brought up on the foundations of the Greek-Byzantine culture.
And yet - few people know that it was Nicholas the Wonderworker, who performed numerous miracles, generously worked alms, a quick helper in troubles and misfortunes to those who prayed for him for help, who is considered a truly popular Saint - and is the prototype of Santa Claus and Father Frost.
Akathist to St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker
Kondak 1
Chosen Miracle Worker, and a fair servant of Christ, exude to the whole world the precious mercy of the world, and the inexhaustible sea of \u200b\u200bmiracles, I praise you with love, Saint Nicholas: you, as if you had boldness to the Lord, free me from all troubles, but I call you: Rejoice, Nicholas, the great
Miracle Worker.
Ikos 1
An angel in the form of an earthly being by nature, show you all creatures, the Creator: having seen the fruitful kindness of your soul, blessed Nicholas, teach everyone to cry out to you:
Rejoice, purified from the womb:
Rejoice, sanctified even to the end.
Rejoice, you surprised by the birth of your parents:
Rejoice, revealing the strength of the soul abie at Christmas.
Rejoice, garden of the land of promise:
Rejoice, flower of the Divine planting.
Rejoice, virtuous vine of Christ's grapes:
Rejoice, miraculous tree of the paradise of Jesus.
Rejoice, krine of heavenly vegetation:
Rejoice, peace of Christ's fragrance.
Rejoice, for you will drive away sobbing:
Rejoice, for you bring joy.
Kondak 2
Seeing your world an outpouring, God-wise, we are enlightened with souls and bodies, the wonderful myrrh-bearer is life-giving, Nicholas, understanding: miracles are more, like waters pouring out by the grace of God, solder those who faithfully cry out to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Unreasonable mind, admonishing about the Holy Trinity, you were in Nicaea with the holy fathers the champion of the confession of the Orthodox faith: you were equal to the Father of the Son, you confessed, coexistent and co-throne, Aria denounced the insane. For the sake of faith, I learned to sing to you:
Rejoice, great pillar of piety:
Rejoice, city of the faithful refuge.
Rejoice, firm strengthening of Orthodoxy:
Rejoice, honorable Holy Trinity also bore praise.
Rejoice, thou who preachest the Son is equal to the Father:
Rejoice, thou who drove away the enraged Aria from the cathedral of saints.
Rejoice, father, glorious beauty of the fathers:
Rejoice, wise kindness of all God-wise.
Rejoice, emitting fiery words:
Rejoice, instruct your flock well.
Rejoice, for your faith is affirmed:
Rejoice, for heresy is overthrown by you.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 3
By the power given to you from above, you took away every tear from the face of the suffering, Godonos, Father Nicholas: the hungry appeared to be the feeder, in the abyss of wrinkle existing a fair ruler, ailing healing, and every helper seemed to cry out to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Having truly, Father Nicholas, a song is sung to you from heaven, and not from the earth: how can anyone from a person be able to preach your holy greatness? But we, overcome by your love, cry out to you:
Rejoice, in the form of lambs and shepherds:
Rejoice, holy purifier of morals.
Rejoice, receptacle of great virtues:
Rejoice, holy and pure dwelling place.
Rejoice, all-bright and all-loving lamp:
Rejoice, golden and immaculate light.
Rejoice, worthy interlocutor of Angels:
Rejoice, good teacher of men.
Rejoice, rule of pious faith:
Rejoice, the image of spiritual meekness.
Rejoice, for by you we are getting rid of bodily passions:
Rejoice, for we are filled with spiritual sweetness by you.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 4
A storm of bewilderment confuses my mind, how worthy is it to sing Your miracles, blessed Nicholas? No one else can I vanish, even if I had many languages, and I wanted to speak: but we marvelously glorify God in you, we dare to sing: Alleluia.
Ikos 4
Hearing, God-wise Nicholas, your near and distant greatness by your miracles, as if through the air with light grace-filled wings you got used to forestall those who are in trouble, soon delivering all those crying out to you like this:
Rejoice, deliverance from sorrow:
Rejoice, almsgiving of grace.
Rejoice, banisher of unforeseen evils:
Rejoice, desired planter of good things.
Rejoice, speedy comforter of those in distress:
Rejoice, terrible punisher of offenders.
Rejoice, God poured out wonders of the abyss:
Rejoice, tablet of the law of Christ, written by God.
Rejoice, strong falling erection:
Rejoice, right standing affirmation.
Rejoice, for by you all flattery is exposed:
Rejoice, for by you all truth comes true.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 5
The godly star appeared to you, instructing the sea floating by the lute, whose death is coming soon sometimes, if you didn’t appear calling you for help, Miracle-worker Saint Nicholas: it’s already shameful for the flying demon, and forbidding those who want to sink the ships, drove them away, the faithful ones taught
cry out to the God who saves you: Alleluia.
Ikos 5
Seeing the otkrovitsy, for the sake of the marriage of nasty poverty for the sake of prepared, your great mercy to the poor, most blessed Father Nicholas, always gave the elder to their parent, at night the knots of three gold hiding, gave you yourself with your daughters from the fall of sinful. For this reason, hear from all sitse:
Rejoice, treasure of great mercy:
Rejoice, friend of providence for people.
Rejoice, food and joy to those who come running to you:
Rejoice, uneaten bread of the hungry.
Rejoice, wealth given to the poor living on earth by God:
Rejoice, quick rise of the poor.
Rejoice, swift hearing of the poor:
Rejoice, pleasant care for those who mourn.
Rejoice, three undefiled virgins to the bride:
Rejoice, zealous guardian of purity.
Rejoice, unreliable hope:
Rejoice, delight of the whole world.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 6
The whole world preaches to you, Blessed Nicholas, a quick intercessor in troubles: as if many times in a single hour, traveling on the earth, and floating on the sea, anticipating, helping, saving everyone from the evil, crying out to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 6
Thou hast shone the light of the animal, bringing deliverance to the governors, accepting unjust death to those who have, you are a good shepherd Nicholas, calling, when soon the king appeared in a dream, frightened him, and commanded those unharmed to be released. For this sake, we are together with them and we gratefully cry out to you:
Rejoice, help those who call on you diligently:
Rejoice, delivering from unrighteous murder.
Rejoice, save slander from flattering:
Rejoice, unrighteous destroy advice.
Rejoice, tear the lie like a spider:
Rejoice, gloriously exalt the truth.
Rejoice, resolution of the innocent from the bonds:
Rejoice, and revival of the dead.
Rejoice, revealer of the truth:
Rejoice, destroyer of unrighteousness.
Rejoice, for by your disobedience deliver from the sword:
Rejoice, for you have enjoyed the light.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 7
Although the blasphemous heretical drive away the stench, the truly fragrant mysterious myrrh appeared to you, Nicholas: the people of Mireya are shepherd, the whole world filled you with your grace-filled world. And from us, the godless sinful malice of otzheniye, yes, favorably to God, we cry out: Alleluia.
Ikos 7
We understand the new Noah, the mentor of the ark of salvation, Father Saint Nicholas, dispersing the storm of all the fierce ones with his direction, but bringing divine silence to those crying out like this:
Rejoice, quiet haven of the overwhelmed:
Rejoice, well-known vault of the drowning.
Rejoice, good helmsman floating in the midst of the abyss:
Rejoice, disturbing sea tiring.
Rejoice, leading those who exist in whirlwinds:
Rejoice, warming those who are in scum.
Rejoice, radiance dispersing mournful darkness:
Rejoice, enlightening the whole ends of the earth.
Rejoice, delivering sinful people from the abyss:
Rejoice, cast Satan into the abyss of hell.
Rejoice, for by you boldly we invoke the abyss of God's mercy:
Rejoice, as if you were delivered from the flood of anger, we find peace with God.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 8
A strange miracle is flowing to you, blessed Nicholas, your sacred church: in it you bring even a small prayer, healing is acceptable for great ailments, if only according to Bose we put our hope in you, truly crying: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
You are truly a helper to everyone, Bogonos Nicholas, and you gathered together all those who resort to you, like a liberator, a feeder, and a quick doctor to all the earthly, to the praise of all, urging you to cry out to you:
Rejoice, source of all healings:
Rejoice, fierce helper to the suffering.
Rejoice, dawn shining in the night of sinful fornication:
Rejoice, dew that is not flowing in the heat of labors.
Rejoice, give well-being to those in need:
Rejoice, satisfy those who ask for abundance.
Rejoice, foreseeing petition many times:
Rejoice, renew the strength of old gray hairs.
Rejoice, accuser of many who have strayed from the path of the true:
Rejoice, faithful servant of the mysteries of God.
Rejoice, for by you we trample envy:
Rejoice, for by you we are correcting a good life.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 9
All quench the disease, our great intercessor Nicholas,
dissolving the grace of healing, delighting our souls,
rejoicing hearts, all diligently to your help
flowing in, crying out to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 9
Vetia the wisest of the ungodly, we see you put to shame, the God-wise Father Nicholas: Aria is a blasphemer, dividing the Divine, and Savellia, mixing the Holy Trinity, rebuked, but strengthened us in Orthodoxy. For this sake we cry out to you,
Rejoice, shield defending piety:
Rejoice, sword, sow wickedness.
Rejoice, teacher of divine decrees:
Rejoice, destroyer of ungodly teachings.
Rejoice, ladder approved by God, by which we ascend to heaven:
Rejoice, God-given cover, by which many are covered.
Rejoice, unwise wiser with your words:
Rejoice, thou who instigated the lazy with thy manners.
Rejoice, inextinguishable lightness of God's commandments:
Rejoice, most bright ray of the Lord's justifications.
Rejoice, for heretical chapters are broken by your teaching:
Rejoice, for through you the faithful are worthy of glory.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 10
Thou hast truly conquered your soul, your flesh and spirit, our Father Nicholas: be silent before and fight with thoughts, you applied God-thinking to deeds, you acquired perfect mind with God-thinking, you boldly spoke with God and the Angels, always crying out: Alleluia.
Ikos 10
Thou wall to those who praise, most blessed, your miracles, and to all who resort to your intercession: the same for us in the virtues of the poor, from poverty, adversity, ailments and needs of various liberations, crying out to you with such love:
Rejoice, remove from eternal squalor:
Rejoice, giver of imperishable wealth.
Rejoice, indestructible to those who hunger for truth:
Rejoice, inexhaustible drink for those who thirst for life.
Rejoice, observe from rebellion and strife:
Rejoice, freeing from bonds and captivity.
Rejoice, glorious intercessor in troubles:
Rejoice, great protector in adversity.
Rejoice, thou who didst steal many from death:
Rejoice, thou who didst preserve the numberless without harm.
Rejoice, for by you the sinners avoid the cruel death:
Rejoice, for through you the penitents receive Eternal Life.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 11
You brought the singing of the Most Holy Trinity more than others, most blessed Nicholas, in mind, word and deed: with many trials, the orthodox commandment was clarified by you, by faith, hope and love instructing us, in the Trinity to the One God to sing: Alleluia.
Ikos 11
A luminous ray in the darkness of life that is unquenchable, we see you, chosen by God, Father Nicholas: with the immaterial more Angelic lights, you talk about the uncreated Trinity Light, but you enlighten the faithful souls, crying out like this:
Rejoice, illumination of the Trisun Light:
Rejoice, morning day of the never-setting Sun.
Rejoice, you who were kindled by the divine flame:
Rejoice, for thou hast quenched the demonic flame of wickedness.
Rejoice, bright orthodoxy preaching:
Rejoice, translucent light of the Gospel radiance.
Rejoice, lightning of heresy that burns:
Rejoice, fearful thunder of seducers.
Rejoice, true teacher of the mind:
Rejoice, mysterious revealer of the mind.
Rejoice, for you trample on the worship of the creature:
Rejoice, for through you we will learn to worship the Creator in the Trinity.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 12
The grace given to you from God, knowing, rejoicing, we celebrate your memory in due course, glorious Father Nicholas, and we whole-heartedly flow to your wonderful intercession: your glorious deeds, like the sand of the sea and the multitude of stars, cannot be exhausted, bewildered to embrace the former, we cry to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 12
Singing your miracles, we praise you, all-praise Nicholas: in you, God is glorified in the Trinity, wondrously glorified, but even more and more and more psalms and songs composed from the heart, we bring you, Holy Miracle Worker, we do nothing equal to the gift of your miracles, even astonishing cry to you such :
Rejoice, servant of the King of kings and the Lord of lords:
Rejoice, servants of His heavenly companion.
Rejoice, help to faithful people:
Rejoice, kind of Christian exaltation.
Rejoice, namesake of victory:
Rejoice, crowned arrogant one.
Rejoice, mirror of all virtues:
Rejoice, for all those who come to you have a strong visor.
Rejoice, according to Bose and the Mother of God, all our hope:
Rejoice, health of our bodies and salvation of our souls.
Rejoice, for by you we are freed from eternal death:
Rejoice, for through you we are worthy of endless life.
Rejoice, Nicholas, the great Wonderworker.
Kondak 13
Oh, most holy and wonderful Father Nicholas, the consolation of all who mourn, accept our present offering, and get rid of hell for us, pray to the Lord with your God-pleasing intercession, and with you we sing: Alleluia.
(This Kontakion is spoken three times. And according to this, Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1 are read).
PrayerSaint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Nicholas the Pleasant)
Oh, all-holy Nicholas, pleasing to the Lord, our warm intercessor, and everywhere in sorrow a quick helper, help me a sinner and a dull one, in this life, implore the Lord God, grant me the remission of all my sins, who have sinned from my youth, in all my life my deed, word, thought and all my feelings: and at the end of my soul, help me the accursed one, implore the Lord God of all creatures, the Creator, deliver me air ordeals and eternal torment: yes, I always glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and yours merciful intercession, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer twoNicholas the Wonderworker (Nikolai Ugodnik)
Oh, the all-good Father Nicholas, the shepherd and teacher of all those who flow in faith to your intercession, and who call on you with warm prayer, soon rush, and deliver Christ's flock from the wolves that destroy it: and protect every Christian country and save with your holy prayers, from worldly rebellion, a coward , invasions of foreigners and internecine strife, from famine, flood, fire, sword and sudden death. And as if you had mercy on three men sitting in prison, and delivered them from the king’s wrath and the cutting of the sword, so have mercy on me, mind, word and deed in the darkness of sins, and deliver me the wrath of God and eternal punishment. As if by your intercession and help, by His own mercy and grace, Christ God, a quiet and sinless life will give us to live in this world, and save me from standing, and vouchsafe the right hand with all the saints forever and ever, Amen.
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Saint Nicholas is one of the most revered saints in Rus'. The miracles associated with his name have no boundaries. He helped people during his lifetime, and helps after death. A huge number of believers found their salvation and healing thanks to their fervent prayers offered in his honor.
Life of Saint Nicholas
Nicholas the Wonderworker was born in 234 AD in the city of Patara, which was located on the territory of the former Lycia (modern Turkey). From an early age, he never ceased to amaze his parents. So, during the baptism, still unable to walk, St. Nicholas stood for about three hours in the font on his small legs.
Theophan and Nonna's parents were rich, pious people and could not have children for a long time. Prayers did their job, and God sent them a son, whom they named Nicholas. All his life he gravitated towards religion, fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, avoiding idleness, secular life, temptations and women. His uncle, the bishop of the city of Patara, seeing such piety, advised his parents to give Nicholas to worship, which they did.
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker possessed fabulous knowledge and had a good education. At the end of his studies, he went to Jerusalem to worship the holy things, after which he made a firm decision to devote his life to the Lord.
Having received the priesthood, Nicholas the Wonderworker remained in constant prayer and fasting, lived without excesses. Soon his uncle, Bishop Nicholas, entrusted him with the management of the church. After the death of his parents, he sent all the inheritance he received to help those in need. After some time, St. Nicholas decides to leave such a life and go to an unfamiliar place where he could serve people. For this, he moves to the city of Peace. Nobody knows him there, and he lives here in poverty, prayers. The hero of our story finds shelter in the house of the Lord. At this time, the bishop of this city, John, dies. To elect a worthy candidate to this throne, the clergy relied on God's will, which fell on Nicholas the Pleasant.
These times were famous for the persecution of Christians, and Blessed Nicholas was their leader, ready to suffer for the faith. For this, he was captured and imprisoned along with other believing brothers. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker spent a long time in prison, until he ascended the throne and freed all Christians. The city of Myra gladly welcomed its former shepherd.
The great saint of God lived for many years. Throughout his life, he helped people in word, deed and thought. The saint gave blessings, healed, protected and performed a great many pious deeds.
Feast of Saint Nicholas
On December 19, the Russian Orthodox Church accepts congratulations on the fact that he is one of the most revered saints. It has long been considered an intercessor and comforter, an assistant in mournful deeds. Saint Nicholas patronizes travelers and sailors. After all, he was making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the sea raged and the sailors asked him to pray for their salvation. Saint Nicholas, thanks to his soulful prayer, calmed the raging sea.
Other people receive help from him, to whom he gives hope and helps in trouble. The saint did not refuse either a Christian or a pagan, confessed everyone, helped to embark on the true path.
Nikolay Ugodnik did many pious deeds. And he was always helped by uncontrollable, strong and zealous prayer to God. The saint died at the end of the 4th century after a short illness, already at a very advanced age. And his relics have been kept in the Italian city of Bari since 1087.
The Orthodox Church annually sends congratulations on St. Nicholas Day to thousands of believers on December 19, and also honors the memory of the saint of God with special chants on Thursdays.
About Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker
The prayer to St. Nicholas is the most read in Orthodoxy. After all, the Miracle Worker has been helping believers for a thousand years. Prayers to God's saint do not go unheeded. He is asked about children, travelers, marriage of daughters. They call on him when the house is hungry, to protect the innocently convicted.
There is no special list of appeals by which you can turn to the saint for help. He helps everyone in any difficult everyday situations.
You need to pray when your soul and heart want it. It is correct to pray twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. The most blessed and heartfelt prayer sounds at dawn, when everyone is still sleeping. Before going to bed, holy words soothe the soul and set you up for a good restful sleep. Do not limit yourself to prayers at home. You should at least sometimes visit the church and put a candle there to your beloved saint. There are 7 main prayers to St. Nicholas.
Akathist to Nikolay Ugodnik
Undoubtedly, and effective, but miracles and changes in life really happen when you read an akathist to St. Nicholas. The words contained in it favorably reflect not only on the life situation, but also help to improve the financial situation, get a good position without blasphemy and money, open your own prosperous business, get married, conceive and give birth to a long-awaited child, overcome a serious illness.
They read the akathist for 40 days in a row and always standing. For this, the image of Nicholas the Wonderworker is placed in front of him, a candle is lit and a prayer begins. You should try not to miss a single day, otherwise you will have to start all over again.
But this is not a mandatory ritual, you can and should always turn to St. Nicholas:
- when visiting a church;
- at home in front of the icon;
- directly confronted with a difficult situation.
There is one case that passes from mouth to mouth. One very negligent student, having not learned the theory properly, went to take the exam and suffered a complete fiasco. Of the three tickets that were offered to him, he did not know any, as a result he was given a deuce. Frustrated, he left the office and began to pray to Nikolai Ugodnik. The saint helped him. After some time, the teacher came out and said that he mistakenly put a high mark on the statement, and he should learn the subject and come back to it. The student not only went to church and lit a candle to the saint, but also brilliantly re-passed the exam.
Holy places bearing the name of St. Nicholas
The love of the people and deeds that are impossible to forget led to the fact that a number of holy places were named in honor of Nicholas the Pleasant. These include the Church of St. Nicholas, located in Demre, in Turkey. This is a significant building of Byzantine architecture in the East. It was erected at the beginning of the VI century. At this place before the construction of the church was the temple of the goddess Artemis. The venerable age of the building, ancient wall paintings and icons, paintings, stone mosaics - all this makes the temple unique and the place amazing. Saint Nicholas was originally buried here, but fearing the robbery of the Seljuk Turks, Italian merchants stole his relics and transported them to Italy, to the city of Bali, where they are still located.
Another church named after St. Nicholas is located in Athens. The exact date of its appearance is unknown, but the temple was restored in 1938. Here, in some places, an old fresco has been preserved. All artwork was carried out by renowned artist Fotis Kondoglu. A piece of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker is kept in the temple.
In Russia, the church of St. Nicholas is located in Klenniki in Moscow. It has been around for several centuries. A temple was erected on the site of an old wooden church in the 15th century. It remained closed for sixty years (from 1932 to 1990). At this time, the temple was ruined and used as a warehouse for household needs. But, thanks to the efforts of believers, the church gained its second birth and shone with domes. Currently, a piece of the relics of God's saint Nicholas is kept here.
Monastery of St. Nicholas
There is also Saint Nicholas. It is located on the island of Cyprus. There is a legend that tells of a terrible drought in the 4th century. At this time, the territory of the island was attacked by snakes. There were so many of them that the holy empress Helena, who was the mother of Constantine the Great, went in search of the Cross of the Lord and having found it, visited the island upon her return home. Returning to her hometown, she immediately ordered thousands of cats to be sent to Cyprus to fight poisonous reptiles, and the nuns were supposed to look after them. A small monastery was built especially for them and named after St. Nicholas, the patron saint of fishermen and sailors.
The convent is still active, six nuns live there and many cats they look after. Therefore, the monastery is very often called simply cat.
Icon of St. Nicholas
Nicholas the Wonderworker is one of the most revered saints, and an icon with his face is present in every home of believers. It has long been considered a unique thing, because the icon painter through painting tried to convey the inner world of the saint, his essence, so that a person could establish a connection with God through it.
The appearance of St. Nicholas not only helps to pray, but also protects the house, makes sure that the people living in it do not feel need, hunger, and it also brings prosperity.
The saint is depicted in:
- waist image, where the right hand blesses, and the left holds the Gospel;
- full height, right hand raised for blessing, left holds closed Gospel. In this pose, he is depicted together with other saints, depicted in full growth;
- the guise of Nikola Mozhaisky, where he holds a sword in his right hand, and a fortress in his left, as if showing that he is the protector of believers;
- life icons. Here the image of the saint is supplemented with 12, 14, 20 and 24 hallmarks, which denote events in the life of St. Nicholas;
- iconographic images. This is the Mother of God with specially chosen saints, the Nativity of St. Nicholas, the Transfer of Relics.
For each person, the appearance of St. Nicholas makes a different impression. Some see him as a savior, others as an assistant, others as a mentor. The meaning of the icon is precisely to convey a certain image of holiness, which affects people no worse than a talisman. The effectiveness will be several times stronger if you say a prayer.
Placement of icons in the house
The icon of St. Nicholas should not only be in the house, it is important and correctly positioned. The iconostasis, as a rule, is located in the east, but if the eastern corner is occupied, then the icons can be placed in any free place.
When placing the iconostasis, the following principles should be taken into account:
- In the very center should be located (Savior Not Made by Hands, Savior Almighty and other images), it should also be the largest icon.
- To the left of Jesus Christ should be the image of the Mother of God with the Child.
- No icons should hang above the images of the Savior and the Virgin Mary, with the exception of the crucifix.
- All other icons are selected based on the personal preferences of the Christian.
- Each iconostasis should contain icons of St. Nicholas, Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, the healer Panteleimon, the Guardian Angel, as well as baptismal icons with the names of saints that a person wears.
- It is recommended to hang icons in the kitchen or in the living room, but if it is not possible, you can place them in the bedroom as well.
- You can not hang icons next to paintings or images of ordinary people.
- The iconostasis should be located in the most secluded place, away from the TV, computer and other entertainment equipment.
It doesn’t matter where the icons are and how many of them are in the house, the most important thing is to pray to revered saints regularly. After all, an icon is a connection with God, through which special grace is transmitted.
The relics of St. Nicholas
The life of Saint Nicholas is full of noble deeds, therefore, most likely, God gave him many years of life, because he died at the age of 94. At the moment, his relics, or rather, the main part of them, are kept by the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, located in the Italian city of Bari. Many temples are named in honor of the Pleasant, and some of them store the rest of his relics. They have a beneficial and healing effect on people who venerate them, heal the body and soothe the soul.
In 2005, English scientists tried to recreate his image using the saint's skull. They drew attention to the fact that he had a dense build and a height of about 1 m 68 cm. He had a high forehead, his cheekbones and chin stood out sharply on his face. He had brown eyes and dark skin.
Modern wonders
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker worked miracles before, and he continues to perform them to this day. So, one day a group of schoolchildren went on a hike. They began to go down the water in kayaks. The boat capsized, everyone was saved, but not immediately. The youngest member of the group had an image of St. Nicholas. According to him, it was it that helped him to escape.
Another man was out of work for a long time. He shared his problem with the priest at confession, who, in turn, offered to pray to Nikolai Ugodnik at the icon. The next day, an acquaintance offered the man a position in a firm. It would seem nonsense, but there are thousands of similar stories. For some people, after a prayer, a previously unyielding lock miraculously opens, for others, during rain, wind and bad weather, the sun sharply peeps through, and still others receive healing and continue on their way.
So pray and you will be heard, ask and you will be rewarded.