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† The Suffering of St. Nikon Sukhoi The Monk Nikon was born in Kyiv from parents of noble birth and wealth and was tonsured at the Kiev Pechersk Monastery. In 1096, during the attack of Khan Bonyak with the Polovtsians on Kyiv, among others, the Monk Nikon was captured by the Polovtsians 167. The good citizen of Kiev, having ransomed many captives, did not ransom Nikon, but told his rich relatives about him. They came to the Polovtsy with a ransom for him. “Don’t waste your money on me,” Nikon said; if the Lord had wished for me to be free, He would not have given me into the hands of the wicked; Having accepted pleasant things from the hand of the Lord, why should I not endure bitter things?” - Without receiving the ransom. The Polovtsians began to torment Nikon. For three years they tortured him, either burning him or cutting him with knives. Shackled hand and foot, he was scorched by the sun and melted from hunger and thirst; in winter they pushed him out into the cold. For two or three days, and sometimes more, they left him without food. And for all this Nikon thanked God and prayed. The Polovtsian used all measures of cruelty to force a ransom for Nikon. Nikon said: “Christ will deliver me from your hands without money: I received news of this. My brother, whom you sold to the Jews to be crucified, appeared to me and said to me: on the third day you will be in the Pechersk Monastery, through the prayers of St. Anthony and Theodosius and other monks." Thinking that Nikon wanted to flee, Polovets cut his veins and began to vigilantly guard him. Feeling very sick, the cruel Polovtsian gave the order: “crucify the prisoner over my grave”; and Nikon prayed for him, and the Polovtsian stood up healthy. On the third day, when they were sitting near Nikon, at midday, he suddenly disappeared, and while the brethren were singing communion, he appeared in the Pechersk Church. Nikon himself did not talk about what happened to him. But the heavy iron that was on him, the unhealed wounds, the body that was festering from them, still drenched in blood, forced him to tell the truth. He did not want to part with his shackles; but the abbot convinced him to take them off. “If it had been the will of the Lord,” the abbot said, for you to wear shackles, He would not have freed you from captivity.” Nikon's shackles were removed and they were reforged into things needed for the church. Quite a while later, the Polovets, who had Nikon in captivity, came to Kyiv. Seeing the monk alive, he told everything that had happened to Nikon, and did not return to live in the Polovtsian land, but was baptized with all his family; He and his relatives became a monk and ended his life in the Pechersk monastery, serving his former captive. “This Nikon is called dry in the monument (Pechersk) because he bled and rotted from his wounds.” So says the blessed one. Simon 168. According to this news, Rev. Nikon was a prisoner for three years, when he was captured in 1096; then he lived in the monastery for some time. Therefore, it must be assumed that he died no earlier than 1101. Now his relics rest in the Anthony Cave, and his memory is celebrated on December 11, 169. Blessed Simon, at the conclusion of his news about the sufferer Nikon, says to Polycarp: “How now have we betrayed our promise! What a difference in our lives! From such a height they fell into the depths of life. Our leaders are equal to the ethereal; they are prayer books and intercessors to the Creator, like Angels and adorned with martyr’s crowns” 170. The first student of Simeon the Stylite was Rev. Daniel the Stylite, Syrian, from the vicinity of Samosata, son of pious parents. His mother, being barren, in grief of heart left her house one day at midnight and, raising her hands to the sky, with many tears prayed to God for the resolution of her barrenness. Upon returning home, in a dream she saw two bright and great lamps, signifying the future glory of the son who was about to be born, through the prayers of his mother. Until he was five years old after birth, he did not have a name, for his parents, having received it by the special grace of God, wanted him to receive a name from God. Five years have passed for the baby; His parents brought him to a neighboring monastery and asked the abbot to give their son their name. The abbot said that it was appropriate to name the baby, which God Himself would reveal. Looking at the baby, the abbot ordered to give a book from the throne and, unbending it, found some words of the prophet Daniel, and named the baby Daniel. Following the desire of his heart, Daniel secretly left the world for 12 years from his parents and took monastic orders in one monastery in his homeland. Daniel endured the labors of obedience with diligence and patience. The abbot, having the need to leave for Antioch for church needs, took Daniel with him. On the way they visited Rev. Simeon the Stylite, who, seeing Daniel and seeing his future holy deeds, said to him: “Take courage, child, and may your heart be strengthened; you will lift up many unbearable works for the sake of Christ, Who will be your helper in everything.” Having received from St. Simeon the Stylite's blessing, Daniel received new vigor and strength for spiritual improvement. Having moved to the borders of Byzantium, to Anapla, during the reign of Leo 1 (457–473), Daniel first glorified himself with deeds of piety in one cave. After a nine-year stay in seclusion, Rev. Daniel saw in a vision a pillar in front of him, higher than the clouds, and at the top of the pillar was St. Simeon and with him two holy youths, and heard a voice from the height of the pillar: “Come up here, Daniel.” “How can I rise to such a height,” answered Daniel. Rev. Simeon commanded the young men to raise up Daniel. The young men put him in front of Simeon, who hugged Daniel and said: “Take courage, Daniel, and stand up straight.” This vision foreshadowed that Daniel would imitate Simeon in his exploits. At the same time, Sergius came from Antioch, a student of St. Simeon the Stylite, and gave his doll to Daniel, and thereby encouraged him to imitate Simeon. In a vision, God showed Daniel the place for the pillar on which he would labor. So the monk created a pillar for himself, on which he remained for 33 years and underwent all the air changes, with that high selflessness that Christian faith alone can inspire in a person. The glory of Daniel's exploits and miracles attracted people from everywhere, near and far, Greeks and Romans and barbarians, commoners and kings - Leo and Zeno (477-491); everyone came to him as to an Angel of God and, moving away from him, called on him in prayer for help. Emperor Leo loved and respected the great saint, who adorned his reign, so much that he repeatedly resorted to him, asking for his prayers, blessings and consolation. Patriarch Gennady himself climbed onto his pillar and ordained him a presbyter. Having reached a very old age in his great exploits, Rev. Daniel, having commanded his disciples to humility, obedience, hospitality, fasting, vigil, poverty and most of all love, died 80 years from birth, in 489, the death of a righteous man. His miraculous relics were placed at the pillar on which he labored and at which later, through the zeal of the king, a church was built in the name of Simeon the Stylite. Collection l. 1. 98. 99. 289. 11. 281. RKP. Saints: “Reverend Martyr Nikon the Dry; his memory m. dec. at 11 a.m." Life of Nikon Ave. in the RCP. prologue on December 11 at Rumyantsev No. 325.