Miracles of St. Dimitry of Rostov

I accidentally came across one that belonged to S.B. Bolshakov has a manuscript in sheet form, clearly written from the last century, under the title: “Description of miracles like those of our father Saint Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov Wonderworker, which took place in 1759, 1760, 1761, 1762 and 1763.” The manuscript contains 150 healings performed on 66 men and 84 women. Of those healed, 24 belonged to the clergy class, 51 to the noble class, 7 to the clerk class, 12 to the merchant class, 6 to the bourgeois class. There were 43 peasants from the courtyard people, 7 lower military ranks with wives and children. Those healed at the tomb of St. Demetrius suffered from: seizures and various nervous diseases 31 (of which some considered themselves possessed by evil spirits or corrupted) 1 1, fever and fever 22, paralysis and relaxation of the limbs 16, blindness and eye diseases 16, insanity and temporary mental disorder 14, wounds 11, aches and rheumatism 10, dropsy, external and abdominal diseases 5 each, chest diseases 6, female diseases 4, deafness 3 and bleeding 2. The pilgrims who received healings were in most cases from the nearest districts of the Yaroslavl, Kostroma and Vladimir provinces - 83; but some came and came from distant lands - 67; among them were residents of Novgorod, Olonets, Kazan, Penza, Voronezh, Astrakhan, Arkhangelsk and Tobolsk provinces, from the land of the Don Army and from Livonia. One sick person in Prussia was healed (miracle 139). Almost all miracles are described very briefly and are limited to the name, rank and place of residence of the patient and the name of the disease. But some healings are described in more detail and yet contain remarkable features. We will try to present them here. Olonetsky district, Tolguysky churchyard, the wife of a state peasant Anna Gavrilova fell ill in January 1758 with an “extraordinary illness”: she had a fever, a swollen tongue filled the entire larynx and came out of her mouth an inch long, making it impossible to eat. Brought to the relics of St. Demetrius admitted in confession that she was punished by God for not believing in the holiness of “this new saint of God.” Through repentance, she received healing and the opportunity to receive Holy Communion. Christ's mysteries. And on January 18, having returned home and coming to the church of the Tolgui churchyard, she declared herself completely healed, which was announced to the Rostov consistory in the promemory of its Veliky Novgorod consistory on March 18, 1759 (miracle). Colonel Georgy Yurievich Leslie of the Smolensk Garrison Regiment was ill in November 1757: “there was a great aching throughout his entire body, and there was fever and swelling in his head. Then he suffered from fire disease.” At this time, his wife Fekla Danilovna, having taken the full height measurements of her sick husband, prayed before the image of St. Demetrius, whom she had previously brought from Rostov, called a painter and ordered him to paint an image of the same miracle worker on canvas to the specified size. Having made the order, she returned to the sick man and, to her surprise, found him “coming to memory.” Soon he completely recovered, and on March 1, 1759, arriving in Rostov with his wife, he announced his healing (miracle 13). Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment, the soldier's wife Tatyana Ivanova had many wounds on her right leg; she was treated with "various medications and patches", but without success. Brought by promise to the tomb of St. Demetrius on March 10, 1760, was completely healed, which was certified by the signature of the captain-lieutenant of the same regiment, Pyotr Ragozin (miracle 47). Petersburg garrison, Koporsky regiment, second-major's wife Elizaveta Mikhailovna Pushchina in 1759 suffered for a long time in childbirth and begged her husband to promise to take it to the tomb of St. Dimitri. Immediately she gave birth safely and was completely healthy. But after four weeks, Puzin began to gather not for Rostov, but for the village. Then his wife “suffered a fire disease with spots,” and he, repenting, renewed his former vow. Then the image of the Mother of God of All Who Sorrow, Joy of All Who Sorrow, was brought to his house from the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, which is on the Liteinaya Strand, and a prayer service was sent to the Mother of God and St. Demetrius During the prayer service, the sick woman “came to her senses” and soon completely recovered, as Pushchin testified with his signature when he arrived in Rostov on March 15, 1760 (miracle 48). Living in the Dmitrov district, in the village of Troitsky, the clerk's daughter, the girl Akilina Petrova, was ill with “a strange disease: from a tumor in the larynx, the tongue was pulled out of the mouth by two inches; the patient could neither eat, nor drink, nor speak.” At this time, Count Saltykov’s servant Vasily Ivanov came to her. On his advice, the patient made a mental promise to go on a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Demetrius, and three days later she was completely healed. Having arrived at the Yakovlevsky Monastery on June 4, 1760, she left a handwritten signature about her healing (miracle 50). Rostov district, the estate of the widow Marfa Ivanovna Isakova, the village of Isaeva, the peasant Gabriel Ilyin in the Yakovoevsky monastery on June 9, 1760 announced: after a fever, both his legs crumpled, so that for 28 years he crawled on his knees with stocks and ate alms. On June 8, he crawled to the Yakovlevsky Monastery, where he had often visited before, and venerated the relics of St. Demetrius, then crawled through the gate, “what to the lake.” There he lay down on the grass, fell asleep and dreamed that someone pulled his legs, and “something cracked under the knees.” Having woken up, he stood firmly on his feet and “with joy he threw his stocks into the lake.” From that time on, he began to walk “without crawling.” “And the whole city of Rostov is completely aware of his former illness” (miracle 53). Bezhetsk district, village of Spasa-Kholma, Transfiguration Church, Deacon Isaiah Dmitriev was obsessed with blindness for ten years. According to the promise, I was in Rostov in 1758 and prayed at the relics of St. Dimitri. “It didn’t take long before I received my epiphany.” Having visited the Yakovlevsky Monastery for the second time on June 12, 1760, he left a signature with the identification of his priest Vasily Varlaamov (miracle 54). Pereyaslavsky district, village of Aigustova, the sexton’s wife Ekaterina Fedorova announced in the Yakovlevsky monastery on June 7, 1759: “she had a fit from fright; she began to beat, break and scream in a wild voice.” On the 20th, she fell asleep and saw in a dream, “allegedly someone in a white hood and a mantle came to her, holding a staff in his hand, and said to her: go to Rostov to the tomb of Metropolitan Demetrius. Through his prayers God will give you relief. And change your image of that saint.” She seemed to answer: “due to the poverty of my image, there is nothing to exchange for. And the one who appeared said: ask from Christ-loving givers.” When she woke up, she felt completely healthy (miracle 55). Retired lieutenant Afanasy Mikhailov Bryukhov in September 1757 suffered from a laryngeal disease, from which he could hardly eat or drink, and on May 21, 1760, in a dream he heard the following voice: “I would give you health, but you are proud.” Waking up in great fear, he promised to go on a pilgrimage to Saint Demetrius and from that day began to “come to health.” He left a note about his complete healing in the Yakovlevsky Monastery on March 7, 1761 (miracle 67). Tver district, village of Emelyanova, peasant Larion Osipov Zimin did not use his legs for a year and a half and crawled on his belly. Brought to the Yakovlevsky Monastery, he took with him oil from the lamp and “smeared his feet with it in his house.” Soon he began to walk completely, and left a note in the monastery on March 7, 1761 (miracle 70). Ryazan province, Shatsk district, village of Pososenok, Kazan church, Priest Anthony in 1760 suffered from “daily fever for five months, unable to use his arms or legs and lying deaf in his ears.” He made a promise, if he recovered, to go on a pilgrimage to St. Demetrius and Rev. Sergius. He received complete healing, but put off fulfilling the vow “for vain domesticity” until another time. The illness returned again, and in March 1761 he had a sleepy vision: “as if two angry elders were chasing him and told him: this is for you because you do not fulfill your promise and do not go to the miracle workers.” Soon he recovered somewhat, went on a pilgrimage, and while still on the way his illness left him. In the Yakovlevsky Monastery he left a handwritten note (miracle 77). Kostroma district, Sandyreva village, peasant woman Alexandra Petrova in 1759, soon after her marriage, “began to be tormented by a fierce unclean spirit and was unconscious for more than a year.” During Lent in 1761, her father Peter Fedorov brought her to the relics of St. Dimitri. She came to her senses and went home. On the way, both her legs became paralyzed and the patient began to crawl on her hands with pads. Brought to Rostov for the second time on November 22, 1761, at the tomb of St. Dimitria received complete healing, about which she left a note (miracle 99). Arzamas district, Vysokogorsk desert, Hieromonk Melchizedek in 1760 lay in a fever for six weeks and was already dying, “asked for help from St. Demetrius." After the Blessing of Oil was performed on him, I saw in a dream that St. Demetrius blesses him and says: “If you leave your monastery, you will not receive salvation,” and the sick man had in mind to move to another monastery. Waking up, he felt relief and soon completely recovered, and on January 21, 1762, he left a handwritten note in the Yakovlevsky Monastery (miracle 101). Vladimir district, village of Ilyinsky, sexton Alexei Ivanov’s wife Daria Makarova was sick for three years with relaxation of the whole body and paralysis of both legs. She was advised to turn in prayer to the newly-minted miracle worker - St. Dimitri; but out of disbelief she said, “that in the present century it is impossible to be a saint.” Her arms and legs began to ache and wounds opened. Then she began to ask St. for help. Dimitri; she felt better. Brought to Rostov to his tomb, she received complete healing, about which she left a note on February 27, 1762 (miracle 110). Kostroma diocese, Nerekhotsky camp, Marinsky village, priest Mikhail Ivanov’s wife Praskovya Vasilyeva in 1754 had eye pain and came to the tomb of St. three times. Demetrius and each time received relief, and upon returning home she was again subjected to the same disease. She had a vision in a dream: as if the one standing at the shrine said to her: “Why didn’t you announce it to anyone in Rostov when you received healing?” Waking up, she felt completely healthy, which she announced on February 27, 1762 at the Yakovlevsky Monastery, where she arrived with her husband, who presented a handwritten note about her healing (miracle 111). The Moscow first guild of merchant Ivan Naumov Korotkov’s wife Marfa Ivanova in January 1762 “was possessed by an animal disease and relaxation of the whole body.” She made a vow to go to Rostov to the tomb of St. Dimitri. An image of the saint was brought to her house from the parish church, after which she felt better, so that she could stand and carry the icon a little. But as she put off fulfilling her vow and began to be treated by doctors, the illness intensified again. Upon arrival in Rostov on July 31, 1762, she received complete healing. She left a handwritten receipt from her husband (miracle 131). Captain Alexey Silvestrov Bezobrazov, while on the Prussian campaign, felt very weak and, not daring to ask for leave or dismissal from service, prayed to St. Demetrius, in order to obtain freedom through his intercession. A few days later, I was unexpectedly fired without any request. Having appeared for pilgrimage at the Yakovlev Monastery on February 8, 1763, he presented a note about himself (miracle 139). It often happens that those suffering from epilepsy and nervous attacks, especially women prone to hysteria, mistakenly consider themselves possessed.