5-го числа
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In the West, the memory of St. Agathia. There is an extensive history of her relics in Rome, Constantinople, Italy, Belgium, Germany and about her many miracles. In Russia, especially in the North-Western part of it, St. The martyr Agathia is revered by the people as a protector from fiery harm.
St. Agathia, the daughter of noble and wealthy parents, lived in Sicily in the 2nd quarter of the 3rd century. From a young age, love and devotion to God prevailed in her. When the persecution of Decius came (251), she began to prepare for martyrdom. Indeed, the Christian confession of the wealthy citizen did not hesitate to serve as a reason for her persecution by the ruler of the region, Quintian.
At first, struck by her beauty, he wished, without resorting to threats and torture, to use all means to distract her from the Christian faith. Thinking that a life of luxury, consisting only of pleasures, would captivate her and dispel her attachment to the Christian religion in her heart, he placed her in the house of a rich pagan woman, who led a cheerful life with her five daughters. This pagan, Aphrodisia, fulfilled the ruler’s instructions and entertained Agathia by all means, giving her all kinds of pleasure. But, surrounded by joy, Agathia was burdened by it; she was not at all consoled by what the majority so greedily seek, ready to forget in the child of merriment serious and essential questions and concerns of the soul. The pagan Christian was completely unsuccessful in convincing and persuading the pagan about making sacrifices to the gods.
“It is easier to soften a stone than to distract Agathia from her God,” Aphrodisia finally conveyed her conclusion about Agathia to Quintianus, “in vain I tried to seduce her with luxurious clothes, pearls, precious stones: she despises all this.”
Then Quintian himself tried to convince Agathia.
“Why,” he asked her, “do you, a girl of wealth and noble birth, always wear poor clothes?”
Because I am Christ’s servant,” answered Agathia.
- Why do you consider yourself a slave?
Because our freedom and nobility consist only in being slaves of Christ.
“However, we are also free, although we do not serve your Christ.”
No, you are also slaves, slaves of sin and worshipers of unfeeling idols.
If you begin to blaspheme our gods, then I will order you to be tortured. But tell me, why do you reject the gods?
Because they are not gods,” answered Agathia and began to prove all the falsity and absurdity of paganism.
Quintian ordered her to be tortured; She was taken to prison for the night; the next day, seeing her inflexibility, they began to torture her again.
“I rejoice in these torments,” said Agathia; just as wheat cannot enter the granary unless it is cleansed from the tares, so it is impossible for my soul to enter heaven until I am cleansed by suffering.
When after that they began to torment the martyr’s breasts with iron pincers and cut off her nipples, she exclaimed:
- Inhuman torturer! you are not ashamed to cut off the breasts with which you yourself fed from your mother...
But could there be a limit to cruelty in the heart of a blinded, inveterate pagan...
After suffering throughout the day, Agathia was again taken to prison for the night. Here the Lord visited her with wonderful consolation: St. the Apostle Peter appeared to her and healed her. An incomprehensible light filled the dungeon, the guards fled in horror. Agathia could have escaped from prison at this time, but she did not want to shy away from the martyrdom, she wanted to “endure to the end,” and also did not want to bring responsibility to the guards.
On the fifth day after that, her torture resumed. They came up with a new method of torment for her: they poured hot coals and red-hot tiles onto the ground, and the wounded saint was laid on them... At this time, an earthquake occurred... The citizens of the city of Catania, where Agathia’s torment took place, seeing in this a heavenly punishment, approached the ruler in horror, demanding that he release the martyr... Fearing popular unrest, Quintian ordered Agathia to be taken back to prison. There her soul ascended to God with a fiery prayer: “I thank You, Lord, that You have made me worthy to suffer for Your name and have given me strength and patience!” Hear me at this hour and call me to You! - And with these words, she died, having undergone “the cutting off of her breasts, and scorching by fire, and planing of her body”... (Verse.). The citizens of Catania buried her body. The fame of Agathia's martyrdom spread throughout the country; Soon a church was built on her tomb, and her poor clothes, which she usually wore, were placed on her coffin in memory of her humility.
The Lord glorified His faithful servant in various ways.
Soon the wrath of God befell Quintian, who, wanting to take advantage of the property of the deceased Agathia, went to Palermo, her homeland, but during one crossing he was thrown into the river by mad horses and drowned. After this, no one dared to disturb the relatives of St. Agathia.
On the anniversary of the death of St. Martyr, when the eruption of the fire-breathing Mount Etna, near the city of Catania, followed, the frightened inhabitants of the city, believers and pagans, took the clothes of St. Agathia from her tomb and held her against the fiery stream... and the disaster passed over the city. This event served as the basis in Russia for tens of centuries to spread the belief that God, through the prayers of His righteous woman, delivers people from the scourge of fire...
Life of St. Agathia is one of those where suffering is overcome by the power of faith and prayer. What depth of suffering! and what the power of prayer, which gave patience to endure everything!
The suffering in the world remains the same, although not in the form of violent physical torture, but - complicated, sophisticated, grave - moral, not to mention the always inevitable diseases. But is this the power of faith and prayer to combat suffering? And where is she?
In any case, it is not the same force that inspired the primitive Christians. And therefore, victory is now not where it was before, not on the side of prayer, but on the side of suffering. Suffering now wins and bends spiritual strength before itself... Suicides, in which the fact of a person’s retreat before suffering is most clearly expressed, have become almost commonplace... There is no prayer, there is no strength to remain face to face with suffering. with which a person’s life is voluntarily or involuntarily filled... And so, he seeks an outcome in arbitrary death... and at least an outcome in the wrong course of action in order to avoid poverty, for example, various deprivations and other hardships of life...
And there is death, and there is death, but what kind of death! The martyr dies victorious, the suicide dies defeated, depressed, unable to bear suffering... An impenetrable abyss separates the suffering believer who prays from the sufferer who is not armed with the shield of faith and prayer, who overcomes everything...
Lord! Give the world only the power of prayer! - and then all the power of temptation will fall, all the death of unreason, all the danger of weakness in the fight against the evil that surrounds us everywhere, against external and internal enemies... Prayer with faith conquers all.
The Holy Martyr Theodulia, who suffered during the reign of Diocletian and Maximian and who converted many witnesses of her suffering to the faith of Christ, among others: Macarius and Evagrius, who died with her in the fire” - and her tormentor Helladius himself, who died by the sword.
St. Polyeuctus, Patriarch of Constantinople
The Rev. Nestor the chronicler says that our blessed Grand Duchess Olga (Equal to the Apostles) “was baptized by Patriarch Polyeuctus himself, famous for the holiness of his life and for his education.” In the 60th year of her life, Grand Duchess Olga went to him with a large retinue for a more complete teaching of the truths of the faith that she had already partially known - from a good mentor, nicknamed for his eloquence - the second Chrysostom.
Having heard instruction in faith from him, she also accepted St. baptism, and Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus was its recipient from the font, in 957.
Blessing the rejoiced Russian princess with the cross before her departure, St. Polyeuctus prophetically told her: “Blessed are you among the Russian women, for you have loved the light and rejected the darkness! The sons of Russia will bless you until your last generation!” He also gave her instructions about church rules, about prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and about maintaining spiritual and physical purity.
Having ascended the patriarchal throne from monasticism in 946, St. Polyeuctus died peacefully in 970.
St. new Anthony of Athens
Anthony was the son of pious Athenian parents; They were very poor, but managed to enrich their son with the best blessings, instilling in him Christian feelings in childhood. This was the reason for his temporary martyrdom and happiness in eternity...
Due to his poverty, Anthony, without even learning any craft, was forced to enter the service of the Turks and, although he received a small salary from them, he shared this with his parents. – At this time there was a war between Turkey and Russia; the Russian fleet appeared off the coast of the Morea; Anthony's masters went to destroy and take captive the Morean Christians; Anthony had to follow them, and they sold him there as a prisoner to some Muslim emirs. The new masters forced Anthony to convert to Islamism; they failed; then they sold him to others, and thus Anthony was sold from one hand to another several times, and each time the new rulers tried to force him to convert to Islam, but always without success. - Finally, it was bought for 400 piastres by a Christian coppersmith, who took it with him to Constantinople. Here he immediately began what he had been deprived of for a long time: confession and Holy Communion. Tain, and diligently began to serve the new master - a Christian.
At this time, he once saw in a dream a majestic woman of wonderful beauty, who said to him: take courage!...
It was like a warning to God’s chosen one, which soon came true...
One day, when Anthony was in the workshop, one of his former owners saw him and shouted at him: “How dare you leave me! and how did you become a Christian from a Turk?”
Now there were false witnesses who confirmed the testimony of the former Mr. Anthony. – And despite the rare case that the judge this time turned out to be fair and believed the defendant’s objections that he had always been a Christian, Anthony was presented to the vizier for trial, since the judge was unable to either appease the false witnesses or persuade Anthony to accept Islamism. But, secretly warned by the judge that the verdict was forced, the vizier wanted to suppress this matter and, just to calm the people, imprisoned Anthony, as if awaiting an investigation into the case.
Anthony accepted his imprisonment with joy, taught the Christians who were with him there to patiently endure trials and misfortunes and not be afraid to die for the sake of faith in Jesus Christ...
He distributed the money that was with him; sent a letter to his master, thanking him for the ransom from the barbarians and expressing regret that he did not have time to serve him; asked for forgiveness from all Christians; ordered that his parents be notified of his fate and that the usual commemoration be performed after his death - and thus with all his thoughts he prepared for martyrdom.
The feat did not slow down... The people demanded the execution of the imaginary apostate. The vizier had to present the case to the Sultan. He decided the verdict: convert to Islamism or be executed.
As on a holiday, a faithful Christian hurried to execution and, bowing his head with the words: “Lord! I commend my spirit into Your hands!” - died under the third blow of the sword... (February 5, 1774).
Christians bought his remains and, with great triumph, buried them in the cemetery of the Life-Giving Spring.
The Repose of Our Father Theodosius, Archbishop. Chernigov., new miracle worker
Lifetime of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky is separated from us by only a 200-year period of time. 200 years is a relatively short period of time, and we, apparently, should have abundant material for a biography of the great newly glorified saint. But that's not really the case. It is with great regret that we have to admit that, despite such recent times, we have very little information about the newly-minted Pleasant of God. His home life, his cell exploits, his pastoral activities and his relationship with the environment still remain little known. Any efforts to discover any special monuments that could lift the mysterious veil that hides from us the circumstances of the life of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, and shed bright light on a dark area, while remaining futile. This is partly understandable. On the one hand, the extraordinary modesty and Christian humility of the Saint could be the reason why so few monuments concerning his life and work have reached our time.
True humility does not like to talk about itself; The life and deeds of the Saint were more internal, which are very valuable in the eyes of God, although they leave few visible traces in the history of mankind. On the other hand, it is known that the Kiev Vydubitsky and Chernigov Eletsky monasteries, the places of the longest service of Theodosius of Uglitsky, experienced quite a few adversities in their history, during which much of what was stored in their archives could have been lost. All this serves as the reason that not only in other regions and localities of Russia about the life of St. Almost nothing is known about Theodosius, but even in the Kyiv and Chernigov provinces, the places of his primary service and activity, more or less detailed information about her has still not been found.
About the origin of Saint Theodosius, about his initial life, only something can be said based on assumptions and indirect considerations. Neither the year of his birth, nor the name given to him at holy baptism, nor the place of his homeland can be indicated definitely. With reasonable probability, the time of his birth can be attributed to the early thirties of the 19th century. There are several different assumptions regarding the location of his homeland. Some, based on his surname, thought that the Saint came from the city of Uglich. Others, taking into account the fact that relatives of St. lived in Chernigov. Feodosia and he had his own house there, his homeland was attributed to the city of Chernigov. Still others, misled by one document, place his homeland in the village of Semeshkova (Starodub district, Chernigov province). The fourth opinion, which places the birthplace of St. Theodosius in Kyiv, is expressed by some on the grounds that he spent most of his ministry here and his relatives lived here.
The fifth opinion, based on the existing folk tradition, which was witnessed even by the highest hierarchical persons, refers the place of the Saint’s homeland to the borough of Ulanov (Litinsky district, Kamenets-Podolsk province). Finally, some think that he was born in Ukraine, on the right side of the Dnieper - precisely in that part of Little Russia, which in the 17th century was under the rule of Poland. The last instruction belongs to the Most Reverend Philaret (Gumilevsky), Archbishop of Chernigov. It was also repeated by another biographer of the Saint, A.N. Khanenko, in his essay about St. Feodosia. Although the last definition of the place of the homeland is of a general nature, it deserves the greatest credibility, in view of the thoroughness of the examination of all documents related to the matter, which was characteristic of Eminence Philaret. An indication of Polish Ukraine as the homeland of St. Feodosia is of great importance for us, and precisely because in this area, starting from the time of the introduction of the union by Poland.
(1596), Orthodoxy was severely persecuted by the Polish government and the Catholic clergy.
By origin, St. Theodosius belonged to the noble family of the Ugletskys, or rather, the Uglitskys; This is evidenced by his family deed of nobility, which states that Theodosius Uglitsky arrived from across the Dnieper to the Chernigov province with his own nephew (sister’s son) - Vasily Polonitsky. The surname Uglitsky should not mislead us and attribute the origin of St. Feodosia to the city of Uglich; According to legend, however, a very obscure one, this surname was assigned to the Saint’s ancestor for the distinction he showed in repelling the enemy from the city of Uglich. The parents of Saint Theodosius are recognized by all as Priest Nikita and his wife Maria. These two names begin the synodik of the Kyiv Vydubitsky Monastery, as well as other memorial records of the Saint’s family, located in the Chernigov Yeletsky Monastery and the Lyubech Skete. And since in the records of the genera of bishops the names of the parents were usually always written first, it is possible to think with reasonable certainty that Priest Nikita and Maria were precisely the parents of St. Feodosia.
From the same memorial records in the synodics it is clear that in the family of the Saint there were very many persons of clergy rank and even monastic rank. Thus, by his origin, he belonged to one of those pious ancient noble families who preferred modest spiritual service to any worldly service.
Priesthood of Father St. Theodosia tells us a lot. In the 17th century in Little Russia, the white clergy, despite the height of their rank, suffered a lot of hardships, since they were highly dependent on parishioners and, mainly, on rich and influential landowners. The rural clergy lived exclusively by collecting fees from parishioners, and these fees placed the priests almost on par with the poor. In Little Russia in the past, many of the noble class became clergy, and there was even a custom that in a large family one of the sons would enter the clergy. But this order, from the time of the establishment of the union and especially during the period of bloody persecution initiated by Poland against Orthodoxy under the kings Sigismund, Wladyslaw and Casimir, was already violated, and cases of nobles transferring to the clergy became rare.
If it sometimes happened that a nobleman enjoying privileges chose difficult pastoral and priestly ministerial activities, then only the call to the deeds of piety and the consciousness of the holiness of the chosen work prompted him to enter the clergy. Consequently, the entry into the clergy of Nikita Uglitsky gives us reason to consider him a person filled with deep piety and eager to join the fight for the preservation of the Orthodox faith. Parents of St. Theodosius, according to surviving legend, were distinguished by sincere piety, they were people of “God-fearing life” and tried to raise their children in the spirit of the Orthodox Church. Among their relatives, people of clergy also predominated. Thus, the environment in which Theodosius was to be raised was the best and most favorable. The vigilant supervision of pious parents and the general highly moral influence of all those around him had a very favorable effect on the young, receptive soul of Theodosius and yielded corresponding results.
The child, by nature meek and obedient, from an early age was kindled with a fiery love for God and the church of God. We can assume that even in the home environment and in early childhood, St. Theodosius received the makings of that high piety with which his entire subsequent life was adorned.
The upbringing he received in the house of his parents served as the most favorable soil for the germination and further growth of those seeds that were sown in the soul and mind of the future Saint of the Russian Church.
About the adolescence and youth of St. Feodosius, his education, also no certain information has been preserved. Undoubtedly, he received his primary education while still in his parents’ family, learning to read and write. But, apparently, priest Nikita Uglitsky did not want to limit himself to just the elementary education of his son. When his son reached the appropriate age, he assigned him to the then famous Kiev-Brotherly College, located at the Kiev Epiphany Monastery. This was, presumably, at the end of the forties of the 17th century.
The deep moral influence of the Kiev Brotherhood College and the monastery, which penetrated this young soul. Theodosius, did not remain fruitless. It informed the special character and direction of his entire life and activity. Little by little, that true Christian direction developed in him, which later became the adornment of his entire life - and he, perhaps even at school, felt a sincere attraction to the strict monastic life. Even at the Epiphany School, with his good behavior, piety, humble piety, diligence and abilities, St. Theodosius attracted the attention of his mentor and rector Lazar Baranovich, which is why later Archbishop Lazar in one of his letters called Theodosius, in his usual peculiar expression, “a sheep of Christ’s flock, who learned obedience from a submissive ram.” The experienced wisdom and spiritual insight of Lazar Baranovich even then foresaw in this young pupil a true follower of the Gospel teaching and “the beauty of the Orthodox Church.” St.
Theodosius could not resist his sincere attraction to monastic life for long. If not during his studies at the Kiev Brotherhood College, then - in any case - soon after leaving it, he, “counting all the futility of being for the surpassing understanding of Christ Jesus the Lord and having emptied himself for the sake of all” (Phil. 3:8), left the “red” of this world and took monastic vows. This is how all the surviving historical evidence presents the matter, in which St. Theodosius is called either “having lived well in the monastic rites from his youth,” or “decorated in virtues from his youth with monastic life.” So, in his youngest years, this ascetic of Christ leaves the vain, rebellious world and takes monasticism in the Kyiv Lavra with the name Theodosius (his worldly name is unknown), in honor of the great ascetic and founder of monastic life in Russia Theodosius of Pechersk. From this time began the strictly ascetic life of Saint Theodosius, which soon gained him fame not only in the monastic world, but also among the laity.
With the adoption of monasticism, in the late fifties of the 17th century. the service activity of St. begins. Theodosius of Uglitsky. His ministry and activities coincide with the troubled state in which Little Russia was from the time of its annexation to the Moscow state and in which it continued to remain almost until the end of the 17th century.
His service to St. Theodosius started from the lowest hierarchical level. The humility and exemplary life of the young ascetic attracted the attention of the then Metropolitan of Kyiv Dionysius Balaban, and the latter appointed him archdeacon of the Kiev-Sophia Cathedral. One written monument has been preserved, which actually says that “Theodosius of Uglitsky in his youth was an honorable archdeacon at the Kiev Metropolitan Throne.”
Dedication to St. Theodosius as archdeacon could not have been later than 1658, although, in all likelihood, it took place earlier, since in this year Metropolitan Dionysius Balaban retired from Kyiv to Chigirin. The very type of initial service activity of the educated monk and the place occupied by him indicate his deep, sincere humility, which prompted him to hide from worldly honors. Further service of St. Theodosius completely confirms this conclusion. Probably, the noisy life in Kyiv did not satisfy the humble monk’s inner desire for solitude and the desire to be in constant prayerful communion with God. Therefore, St. Theodosius, drawn by his love for deeds of piety and solitude, leaves Kyiv and settles in the remote and small Krupitsky monastery, near the town of Baturin (now in the Chernigov province). The monastery has long been famous for the severity of monastic life, but in the half of the 17th century. suffered considerable devastation from the Poles and the Jesuits and Dominicans who flooded Little Russia. This is where the work of St. began.
Theodosius on the improvement of monasteries, which later brought him great fame. In the Krupitsky Monastery we see him already in the rank of hieromonk.
No matter how much the educated and active monk hid from the world, he still could not go unnoticed by the highest spiritual authorities. Soon, precisely in the early sixties of the 17th century. (probably around 1661), Hieromonk Theodosius was appointed abbot of the Korsun monastery of the Kyiv diocese (in the Kiev district). The new appointment of Saint Theodosius should have fully satisfied his inner desire. Korsun Monastery, located on the island of the river. Rosi, far from worldly dwellings, and distinguished by the picturesqueness of its location, could not have been more consistent with the desire of his abbot for solitude and deeds of piety away from the bustle of the world. One might think that all the activities of the educated abbot Theodosius were aimed at the internal improvement of the Korsun monastery, which is why history has not preserved external manifestations for us, from which the deeds of internal piety and ascetic life for the most part remain hidden.
We see that with the removal of the Kyiv Metropolitan Dionysius and with the appointment of Bishop Lazar Baranovich of Chernigov as temporary guardian of the Kyiv Metropolitan See, in a relatively very short period of time (only 5 years, 1658–1664), St. Theodosius goes through a number of positions: he is the archdeacon of the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, in the same rank he is elected vicar of the metropolitan house, transferred to the Krupitsky monastery with the rank of hieromonk, soon appointed abbot of the Korsun monastery, and then very soon, as we will see, transferred with the rank of abbot to the Kiev Vydubitsky monastery. Such a fast movement of St. Theodosius in the field of church activity, in addition to his pious and truly ascetic life, which served as an example to the monastic brethren, in addition to his spiritual experience and ability to lead others in monastic deeds, was also based on his unanimity with Bishop Lazar Baranovich, his former mentor and rector, on questions about the nationality and state structure of Little Russia.
According to his political convictions, St. Theodosius belonged to that small party which, despite any unrest and unrest, always remained faithful to the Orthodox Russian Tsar and only under his supreme hand hoped to see Little Russia happy. St. Theodosius, as we see, does not follow Dionysius Balaban to the enemies of the Orthodox faith and nation, but adheres to the convictions of his former teacher Lazar Baranovich, who was devoted to the Moscow government and persuaded others to do the same. “It would be better,” says Lazar Baranovich in one letter, “if Russia were not divided, but under a single Orthodox monarch.” “I turned my Chernigov sheep,” he says in another letter, “with their furnace shelves to the Sovereign.” Undoubtedly, St. was one of these obedient sheep. Feodosius. One can point to one dating back to the time of the abbess of St. Theodosius in the Korsun Onufrievsky Monastery, a fact in which the political convictions of the Saint were in some way revealed.
On May 10, 1663, Metropolitan Dionysius Balaban, who retired from the Kyiv See, died and spent his last days in the Korsun Monastery. The clergy of Polish Ukraine, having gathered in the Korsun monastery, then ruled by Theodosius, elected the Belarusian bishop Joseph Nelyubovich-Tukalsky to the Kyiv metropolis. How did St. feel about this election? Theodosius? Although the newly elected metropolitan “was a glorious zealot of Orthodoxy” (in the words of Pechersk Archimandrite Innocent Gisel), his political convictions did not agree with the convictions of Lazar Baranovich, and the Moscow government did not agree to recognize him in the rank of metropolitan. St. Theodosius foresaw this and, knowing that his election would give rise to new unrest, did not express his consent by signing the electoral act. Theodosius's political convictions were revealed even more clearly and definitely in his subsequent activities.
In 1664, the Korsun abbot Theodosius was appointed rector of the Kiev-Vydubitsky monastery, one of the oldest and most important monasteries of the Kyiv diocese, in place of the deceased abbot Kliment Starushich. What was now needed here was an experienced, active and managerial abbot. This famous monastery had recently been in the hands of the Uniates, or rather, even in the hands of Catholic Poles, and was taken away from them in a completely ruined state. Most of the monks scattered: no one wanted to go to live in an unsettled monastery; the monastic buildings were in disrepair, and some monastic lands were unjustly seized by private individuals. The new rector, St., had to work hard. Feodosia to gather monks and bring the Vydubitsky St. Michael's Monastery to proper external and internal improvement. But St. Theodosius did not lose heart and, with the help of God, during his 24-year abbess, he brought the famous ancient monastery to its former splendor and improvement.
First of all, with the assistance of the Little Russian Hetman Doroshenko, he tried to secure his former possessions for the monastery in order to protect them in the future from claims from neighboring owners, and even sought new lands for his monastery. In 1670, he asked Hetman Doroshenko for a universal (decree), in which the hetman behind the Vydubitsky monastery strengthened the lands - Kalinovshchizna, Kalny meadow, Gnileschizna and Lake Glushets with all the lands that were with him, and donated the village of Lesniki, allowing him to receive all income from it; At the same time, he promises “severe punishment” for anyone who dares to cause any loss to the property of the Vydubitsky Monastery. Then, at the request of Abbot Theodosius, the Moscow sovereigns John and Peter Alekseevich issued a grant to the Kiev-Vydubitsky Monastery on February 11, 1685, which allowed the monastery to send its monks to Moscow every five years to collect alms and ask for royal favor; in the same year the monastery was given especially generous royal alms.
Taking care of the external well-being of his monastery, the active abbot made no small efforts to improve its internal well-being. Known, first of all, is his concern for the decorum and splendor of worship in the monastery. Well familiar with singing, Abbot Theodosius formed such a wonderful choir in his monastery that it was famous not only in Kyiv and throughout Little Russia, but became famous even in Moscow. In 1685, the Kiev-Vydubitsky abbot Theodosius, at the request of Moscow, sent his singers there, apparently as organizers of singing there. On the other hand, with even greater zeal, St. Theodosius took care of maintaining the ascetic spirit in his monastery. Here the saint himself tried to be an example of monastic life for his monastic brethren. The bright personality of the ascetic abbot attracted many other monks to him who sincerely wanted to lead an ascetic life. Over time, a whole circle of ascetic monks formed around Saint Theodosius.
And since the Kiev-Vydubitsky Monastery turned out to be overcrowded with brethren and therefore did not provide complete convenience for the strict fulfillment of monastic vows, St. Feodosius in 1680 on the island of Mikhailovshchina, which belonged to the Kiev-Vydubitsky monastery (in Mozyr district, Minsk province), a small hermitage was founded and established. It was intended exclusively for persons looking for a place for a solitary, strictly hermit life. The organizer of the monastery, as appointed by Abbot Theodosius himself, was one of the strict ascetics of the Vydubitsky Monastery, Hieromonk Job Opalinsky. He was also appointed governor of the newly built hermitage. Thus, thanks to its active abbot, the famous Kiev-Vydubitsky monastery, in its spirit of asceticism, in the strict fulfillment of the monastic charter, in the splendor of worship and external improvement, returned to its former flourishing state.
The zealous activity of St. Theodosius for the improvement of monasteries, and most of all his strict ascetic life, piety, and responsiveness to the needs of his neighbors earned him sincere love and reverence not only among the monastic brethren, but also among all the people of Kiev. But the saint had to experience a lot of suffering from slander and human malice.
“You will be in a world of sorrow” (John 16:33), said our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples, and through them to all future zealous followers of His teaching. The truth of these words, justified by numerous historical examples, was also justified in the life of St. Theodosius, this faithful worker of Christ's grapes, during his abbotship in the Vydubitsky monastery.
It seems that there is no more sensitive and powerful blow for a truly Christian soul than the trampling of its cherished ideals and honest name - like the insult by slander of its cherished thoughts and actions that it takes for the benefit of its neighbors. And such and such a deep insult had to be endured by St. Theodosius of Uglitsky on the part of Methodius, Bishop of Mstislav and Orsha, even in the early days of his activities in the Vydubitsky monastery. Let us turn directly to history to better clarify this unfortunate fact. After the death of the Kyiv Metropolitan Dionysius Balaban (May 10, 1663), who lived in Polish Ukraine, the Kiev Metropolis from 1663 until 1685 remained without a metropolitan and was ruled by locums. Since the metropolitan see was vacant at that time, several applicants immediately appeared for it. Among them were two bishops - Joseph Nelyubovich-Tukalsky and Methodius, Bishop of Mstislavsky and Orsha.
Both candidates sought the free metropolitan throne by various means: the first - through elections and then through the approval of the Patriarch of Constantinople, the second - through the Moscow government.
Joseph Tukalsky, elected in Korsun by the Russian clergy as the successor to Dionysius Balaban, was not recognized either by the hetman of the right side, or by the Russian or Polish governments. At first, all his attempts to obtain approval from the Patriarch of Constantinople as Metropolitan of Kyiv were unsuccessful. Soon he was captured by the Poles and was held captive by them for more than two years. Not wanting to cede the metropolitan see to anyone else, Tukalsky, upon release from custody, became friends with Hetman Doroshenko, who agreed to intercede for him with the Patriarch of Constantinople. The Breslav archpriest Rakusha was sent to Constantinople with a request to confirm Joseph to the metropolis of Kyiv. In 1668, Rakusha managed to obtain the blessing of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the approval of Joseph to the rank of metropolitan. The Patriarch in March 1668 issued a letter in which it was said that no one else, except Archbishop Joseph of Tukalsky, should be called the Kyiv Metropolitan and Bishop under oath.
Having thus established himself as a metropolitan on the right (Polish) side of Ukraine, under the patronage of Hetman Doroshenko, Tukalsky sought to gain power over the left side and become the ruler of Kyiv. But despite the letter of Patriarch Methodius of Constantinople, neither Moscow, nor Kyiv, nor in general supporters of the annexation of Little Russia to the Moscow State recognized Joseph of Tukalsky as a metropolitan. Bishop Methodius of Mstislav and Orsha, appointed by the Moscow government as guardian of the Kiev Metropolis, decided to take advantage of this uncertain state of affairs in the Kyiv Metropolis. In 1666, he was summoned to Moscow, among other things, to participate in the trial of Patriarch Nikon. Undoubtedly, he hoped to return from there with the rank of Metropolitan of Kyiv. But in Moscow, Methodius was received coldly, since they already knew about his break with the hetman of the left side, Bryukhovetsky, and still did not make him Metropolitan of Kyiv. Then the angry Methodius, returning to Little Russia in 1667, adopted a different tactic.
He became close to Hetman Bryukhovetsky, married his daughter to his nephew and began to incite Bryukhovetsky against Moscow. And in order to gain time and prevent any denunciations to Moscow, Methodius accused all the archimandrites and abbots of the Kyiv monasteries of treason before the Moscow government. At this time, Theodosius, in the rank of abbot, was the abbot of the Vydubitsky monastery in Kyiv - therefore, the accusation was directly directed against St. Theodosius in order to undermine his authority and expose him to the Moscow government as a traitor to Russia and Orthodoxy. Methodius accused the Saint precisely of being in correspondence with the traitor to Russia, Hetman Doroshenko, and recognizing Joseph of Tukalsky as the true Metropolitan of Kyiv. Things took a serious turn; an investigation was opened. All the archimandrites and abbots of the Kyiv monasteries had to give their answers to this matter, and Methodius himself was subjected to interrogation, in which all his plans and intrigues were discovered.
Although the investigation carried out by Moscow found out that all Methodius’s accusations were a blatant lie. and that if anyone betrayed Russia, it was Methodius himself, but Saint Theodosius, a well-known supporter of the idea and promoter of the annexation of Little Russia to Russia, had to give an answer to the accusation of treason against the Russian sovereign and Orthodoxy. St. Theodosius on September 20, 1668 gave the following explanation: when Bishop Methodius, having arrived in Kyiv on the 4th day of September, said in his interrogation, and wrote in his letter, that I wrote to Doroshenko and Metropolitan Tukalsky and asked for blessings from him, the metropolitan, apparently to the boyar and governor of Kyiv Sheremetyev, as Doroshenko and Metropolitan Tukalsky wrote before me for the sacristy and for the animal, who were with me at that time; and I, giving away that sacristy and livestock, wrote to Doroshenka and the Metropolitan once; I wrote to Tukalsky as if to a bishop, and not to a metropolitan, I did not call him my shepherd and I did not ask for his blessing on any matter. It is impossible not to pay attention to how cunningly the slander was woven!...
The culprit is looking for the kind of accusation in which Moscow suspects the Little Russian clergy, and this slander could have very sad consequences. If St. Theodosius, returning the “sacristy and livestock” 34 to the Korsun monastery, but presented it to the governor II. Sheremetyev of his letters addressed to Hetman Doroshenko and Tukalsky, it is still unknown how the accusation could end. From the answer of St. Theodosius, we can conclude that the presentation of these letters to Sheremetyev served as a fairly compelling justification for him. It was hard, of course, St. Theodosius was under suspicion, but at the end of the investigation the Kyiv abbots of the monasteries, and among them St. Theodosius, received a gracious letter from Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, which boasted of their loyalty to Russia and Orthodoxy. Already on November 17 of the same 1668, all the abbots of the Kyiv monasteries (and St. Theodosius) wrote a letter of gratitude to the Tsar in the following expressions: “we rejoiced and rejoiced greatly at the great and ineffable mercy of Your Most Blessed Royal Majesty, as ....
visit us with your State's letter, praising our fidelity, and with your merciful word, depicted in the same letter, you deigned to make us happy.” Among the signatures in the letter is the signature of Vydubitsky abbot Theodosius Uglitsky. Thus ended this unsightly affair. The personality of Saint Theodosius, who enjoyed such well-deserved deep respect and trust in Little Russia, now aroused complete trust in himself and the Moscow government, which recognized the complete innocence of St. Theodosius in the crime charged against him. And the base slander of the unworthy bishop led to his own destruction. After the investigation, Bishop. Methodius was hastily sent to Moscow and from here, at the end of the investigation, he was exiled to the Novospassky Monastery, where he soon died.
Several years after his acquittal from the slander of Methodius, St. Theodosius had to endure a new test, and again because St. Theodosius was a zealous and caring abbot of his Vydubitsky monastery.
The Saint's concern for the monasteries was especially clearly expressed during the clash between the Kiev-Vydubitsky Monastery and the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra - a clash that arose due to the uncertainty of the boundaries of the monastic and Lavra land properties.
Kiev-Vydubitsky Monastery
Regarding this case, we are certainly dealing with one-sided and apparently not impartial sources of information, and if we do not deviate from our intention to touch upon the matter, it is only because, despite all the unsatisfactoriness of these sources, they make it possible to discern some features of the spiritual appearance of St. Feodosia. The sources are letters from Lazar Baranovich to the Vydubitsky abbot, St. Theodosius and to Pechersk Archimandrite Innocent Gisel in the case of monastic lands that turned out to be disputed between the Vydubitsky and Pechersky monasteries. Reply letters to St. Feodosiya is not available. Lazar Baranovich's letters expose the author's unequal attitude towards opposing sides in the dispute. Baranovich stands up for Gisel with all his might and resolutely opposes the wishes of St. Feodosia to hold the disputed land behind the Vydubitsky monastery. But whose side was right? Having read all the letters that have reached us on this matter, the answer to the question posed cannot be given otherwise than by saying: apparently, the right remained on the side of the Vydubitsky abbot.
If it were otherwise, Baranovich would not have needed to introduce into the legal matter broadcast, in the spirit of preaching, persuasion and reproaches addressed to Abbot Vydubitsky, which are distinguished by these letters; Wouldn't it be more reasonable and expedient to declare St. Feodosius the documentary data on which Gisel’s claim is based, and demand from the Vydubitsky abbot simply recognition and respect for the rule of law. Meanwhile, Baranovich does not touch this with a single stroke, with all his passionate desire and stubbornness in pursuing the goal of breaking the firmness of the saint. Theodosius, stubbornness, which brought Lazarus to the use of church punishment in relation to the Vydubidky abbot. In the hands of Archbishop Lazar there was no right, but there was power and determination, in his own words, to “climb the wall” of firm justice, behind which St. Theodosius in the safety of the interests of the monastery entrusted to his abbot.
From another letter from Baranovich it is clear that the documented claim of the Vydubitsky monastery and the legal defender of this claim, the abbot, was put to St. Theodosius on the basis of trial before the law, turned out to be for Innocent Gisel “the coffin of his good glory,” so that Baranovich himself found that Gisel was “lying down” in this case and that he should not be “beaten” just for the sake of the fact that the one who was subject to beating himself lay down “before the power of the noble lion,” that is, the law and truth.
It is obvious that St. Theodosius acted in the name of his duty “to be a wall” protecting the rights of the monastery entrusted to him, as an abbot not in word, but in deed. Wanting, at all costs, to achieve the fulfillment of the wishes of the Pechersk abbot, Archbishop Lazar, undoubtedly partial to Innocent, decided to “climb” the impregnable wall of Feodosiev’s right by imposing a “ban on priestly service” by the archbishop’s authority on the Vydubitsky abbot, in order to thus, by temporarily depriving him of power, achieve satisfaction of Gisel’s demand. “The wall in the Church of God,” we will say in the words of Baranovich’s letters about St. Theodosius, who stood unshakably for the rights of the interests entrusted to her, alien, like justice itself, to any partiality, agreed better to be removed from her place by the power of the archbishop's prohibition than to allow herself to prefer personal interest to a public cause. St.
Theodosius, with the same straightforwardness of behavior with which he had hitherto stood for a just cause, now resigned himself to the hierarchical right of Baranovich and, according to the latter’s own testimony, submitted to the prohibition, so that at all times he “did not touch the sign of the priesthood, the epitrachelion,” and thus morally fulfilled the covenant of the Chief Shepherd: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life,” “in You have been faithful in a few things, I will put you over many.” Indeed, the matter of some piece of monastery land is not an important, small matter; but the great qualities of a high soul remain equal to themselves in both large and small matters. These are the only qualities that have eternal value in the eyes of God, and not the material dimensions of man’s earthly deeds. The very behavior of St. Theodosius, before and after the “ban,” clearly denounces Baranovich’s hints as untrue, as if St. Theodosius acted in a spirit of pride, stubbornness and a heart inclined to arrogant thoughts.
It would have been more correct for Lazar Baranovich to say to himself: “heal yourselves to the doctor,” be more truthful, more impartial, distinguish personality from office, and, standing up for one for the sake of his glory, do not innocently upset another, as you upset the Vydubitsky abbot, becoming addicted to Innocent Gisel and subservient to his desire.
It is not clear from Lazarus’ letters how the litigation ended; but it seems that the Pechersk abbot achieved his goal using the indicated method. It is clear, however, that, intentionally or unintentionally, he did not understand the motives of St. Theodosius, Baranovich did not turn away from Theodosius after this case, but, perhaps, from the case he understood more clearly the high qualities of the soul of the Vydubitsky abbot: selfless firmness in standing for the truth, unhypocritical behavior, uncomplaining obedience to legitimate authority for the sake of its legality, even if its representative was obstinate. We say that this is evident because later the same Archbishop Lazar brought St. Theodosius, even before his death, named him his coadjutor.
When Chernigov Archbishop Lazar was appointed for the third time (1679) as locum tenens of the Kyiv metropolis, he himself remained in Chernigov, and chose the Kiev-Vydubitsky abbot Theodosius as his governor (assistant) in managing the metropolis. In this rank, St. Theodosius served from October 18, 1678 until March 1, 1680. Thus, by the end of the service of St. Theodosius, with the rank of abbot of the Kiev-Vydubitsky monastery, his activities should have expanded significantly. The new ministry gave him the opportunity to influence the affairs of the metropolitan see. At the same time, it was a high distinction for St. Theodosius, distinguishing him from all other persons of the South Russian clergy. His appointment as vicar of the locum tenens of the Kyiv Metropolis spoke, on the one hand, of the deep respect that St. Theodosius in Kyiv among other abbots of the monasteries, and on the other hand, about the sincere affection of the Chernigov archpastor, who then occupied the first place among the Little Russian clergy, towards him.
The title of governor, no doubt, subsequently brought great benefit to the Kiev-Vydubitsky abbot himself, giving him the opportunity to become more closely acquainted with the state of the South Russian church. It is not without reason to think that Abbot Theodosius, as the deputy of the locum tenens of the Kyiv Metropolis, took an active part in the management of this latter and in general in the affairs of the South Russian Church. At least, it is reliably known that he took an active part in some church events of that time. So in 1685 he participated as a leading figure in the election of the Kyiv Metropolitan. By general agreement, the Orthodox Bishop Gideon, in the world the former Prince of Chetvertinsky, was elected Metropolitan of Kyiv; St. Theodosius, as one of the most honorable clergy, was the representative of the embassy, which the council sent to the newly elected one with notification of the election and with an invitation to accept the throne of the Kyiv Metropolis.
In the same 1685, the “most honorable and honored in the Little Russian Church” Abbot Theodosius, together with the Pereyaslavl Abbot Jerome Dubina, was sent to Tsars John and Peter Alekseevich and Patriarch Joachim with a request to approve the metropolitan elected by Little Russia. At that time, selected people were sent to Moscow from Little Russia not only so that they would deliver this or that petition there and appear on occasion as intercessors for these petitions, but also for the purpose of presenting them before the Tsar and the Patriarch as persons capable and destined for higher positions. This is how they looked at it in Moscow, and there both representatives of the embassy, abbots Vydubitsky and Pereyaslavsky, were received as “people honored by the Little Russian Church.” The result of this embassy, as is known, was the great work of joining the South Russian Church to the Moscow Patriarchate, an event that had the most gratifying consequences for the South Russian Church 35.
Saint Theodosius himself was very sympathetic to this union of the Little Russian Church with the Moscow Patriarchate, quite correctly assessing with his insightful mind the great consequences of this event.
Service of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky in the rank of abbot of the Kiev-Vydubitsky monastery lasted until 1688. In this last year, he was appointed archimandrite of the Chernigov Eletsky monastery in place of the deceased Ioannikiy Golyatovsky, and now all the activities of the Saint are transferred from Kyiv to Chernigov. New appointment of St. Theodosius took place mainly at the request of the Chernigov Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, who recognized and fully appreciated the high dignity of the personality of the Kiev-Vydubitsky abbot during his administration of the Kiev Metropolis. Archbishop Lazarus obviously wanted to take advantage of the cooperation of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky and in Chernigov, how he used his help while managing the affairs of the Kyiv Metropolis. To a significant extent brought Archbishop Lazarus and St. together. Theodosius of Uglitsky, they have the same inclination towards an ascetic life. As can be seen from the correspondence preserved between them, Lazar Baranovich deeply respected St. Theodosius’s virtuous life and, among other things, his strict fasting.
That the rapprochement between Archbishop Lazarus and St. Theodosius happened not only on the basis of their identical education, but also, mainly, on the basis of their identical disposition towards a strictly monastic life, this is confirmed by the fact that at that time a whole circle of educated ascetic monks gathered around Archbishop Lazarus, among whom St. Theodosius occupied a prominent place. Having received control of the Chernigov Yelets monastery, St. Theodosius, as a person already experienced in managing monasteries, paid all his attention to the improvement of his monastery. All his activities in managing the monastery entrusted to him consisted mainly in concerns about its external and internal improvement.
The Eletsky monastery, which had not yet had time to recover from its devastation by the Jesuits and Dominicans, was at that time very poor. The monastery did not have any special land properties; there were also very few monastery peasants, and even those were not accurately registered and paid duties to the monastery incorrectly. It was these disorders that the energetic Archimandrite Theodosius first of all turned his attention to and tried to inform the number of peasants who belonged to the Yelets monastery. At the end of 1688, he addressed a written statement to the then Kyiv colonel Konstantin Solonin and complained to him that many of the monastic subjects had transferred to Cossack citizenship. A Kyiv colonel who had long respected St. Feodosius, decided to help him and for this, through his centurion, he carried out an audit of all the Cossacks, townspeople and other residents located in the villages: Seredinka, Nadinovka, Kopachevo and Senozhatsky. And then, along with the presentation of a detailed list of subjects, on November 22, 1688, he wrote to St.
Theodosius the following: “Your Excellency wrote that you don’t have even a dozen subjects, but it turned out not to be so: in Seredinka there were forty subjects minus one, in Nadinovka more than a dozen, in Kopachev seven people, in Senozhatsky fifteen who obey the monastery; These, as your Excellency writes, I did not attract into my allegiance; let it not seem that they showed me any obedience or performed any work; also now I don’t force them to do anything; I present to your Excellency a register of them, how many remain in which village.” Soon St. Theodosius again complained to Colonel Solonin that some atamans, Seredinsky and Nadinovsky, still wanted to attract monastic subjects to themselves, and that the latter sometimes suffered insults from the Cossacks. Corned beef, as another letter from him to St. shows. Feodosia on December 15, 1688, eliminated the claims of the atamans on the subjects of the Yeletsky monastery and protected the latter from the insults of the Cossacks.
Letters from Colonel Solonina generally point out to us the insufficient protection of the rights of ownership of monasteries in Little Russia, the willfulness of the Cossacks, and most importantly, the disorder and poverty of the Yelets monastery, which, thanks only to the revision and intercession of the colonel, receives only about a hundred people as its subjects. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Yelets monastery, bearing certain duties, came under the management of St. Feodosia sometimes needed both bread and firewood.
The activity and diligence of the new abbot in ensuring the well-being of the monastery entrusted to him does not diminish throughout the entire time he manages it. The assistance of Colonel Solonina can be explained by his special respect for the personality of St. Theodosius, for the deceased Ioannikiy Golyatovsky was also a caring abbot.
Taking advantage of the stay of Hetman Ivan Mazepa in Chernigov, St. Theodosius turned to him with a petition in which he explained “the poverty of his monastery, both in grain reserves and in firewood, without which it is difficult for him and his brethren to live, and there is nothing to help, since there are very few subjects in the possession of the archimandry,” and asked the hetman to give the monastery the village of Moshchenka, located near the borough of Sednev (Chernigov diocese). Hetman Mazepa, who was not at all distinguished by his generosity towards clergy and monasteries, only as a sign of special personal respect for St. Feodosia, on February 10, 1689, gave the village of Moshchenka into the possession of the Yeletsky Monastery. How close to the heart of St. Theodosius accepted the interests of his monastery, which can also be evidenced by a letter from the Archimandrite of the Eletsky Monastery, Theodosius of Uglitsky, to Nezhinsky Archpriest Puchkovsky, which has survived to this day, which speaks of his zealous concerns for the improvement of the monastic economy of the monastery entrusted to him.
From other documents, copies of which are in the handwritten books of the Chernigov monasteries, it is clear that under St. Theodosius, over the course of two or three years, the Yelets monastery achieved prosperity that completely ensured its existence. The bright personality of Theodosius had a charming effect on pious Orthodox Christians, and respect for him prompted those with wealth to do good to the Yeletsky monastery. Thus, one of the latter, seeing the poor place of the Most Holy Theotokos of Yelets of Chernigov, gave the monastery his own mill for eternal possession - “for the sake of remission of sins, so that there, in a holy place, his body would be buried and so that the names of him, his wife and children would be inscribed in the subbotnik.” Another, sending all the generals to the Saint for the right to own the mill, asks him “to use (temporarily) with all the inhabitants of the monastery the income from the mill, so that only he (the owner of the mill) and his wife are remembered during the bloodless sacrifice.” Hetman Ivan Mazepa is also imbued with the desire to show his beneficence to the Yeletsky Monastery; why does it issue in 1690?
On April 17th, a new universal, who allowed Archimandrite Theodosius Uglitsky to build his own mill on the Smolyanka River, sternly ordering “that none of the elders and people should dare to cause him, Father Archimandrite, and his novices in this matter any slightest obstacles or losses.” Thus, under St. Theodosius Yelets monastery became quite wealthy in material terms. Without a doubt, St. Theodosius did not lose sight of the internal well-being of his monastery, taking care of establishing and maintaining a truly monastic life in it. His personal exploits served as the most instructive example of monastic life for the Yelets brethren.
Being the archimandrite of the Eletsky Chernigov monastery, Saint Theodosius provided important assistance to his patron, Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, taking an active part in all his important enterprises and in all outstanding church enterprises; events of that time. Thus, in the late eighties of the 17th century, Archimandrite Theodosius assisted Archbishop Lazar of Chernigov and Metropolitan Gideon of Kiev in drafting a response to Moscow Patriarch Joachim, who wanted to know their opinion about the Council of Florence.
In order to fully explain the meaning of the request of the Moscow Patriarch, we must touch upon the relations of the Moscow Church to the South Russian Church, which existed in the 19th century from the day of the annexation of Little Russia to Russia.
By this time, relations between representatives of the Russian Moscow and South Russian Kyiv churches were somewhat strained. In Moscow, senior clergy look suspiciously at Kyiv and all of southern Rus' and are even ready to accuse her of betraying Orthodoxy and adherence to Catholicism. Since the beginning of the 17th century, and especially since the annexation of Little Russia to the Moscow state, many immigrants began to penetrate into Moscow from Kyiv and generally from western and southern Russia to occupy both secular and spiritual positions; Some of these people even serve as educational leaders and receive positions as youth teachers. The highest Moscow clergy looked at such immigrants with suspicion and hostility. Back in the first quarter of the 17th century, the famous historical figure, Abraham Palitsyn, wrote: “newcomers from the Seversky and Polish cities learned from many heretics living in Ukraine their evil character and custom, and in their heretical faith many transgressed out of ignorance, and in everything they kept the law with them.”
Palitsyn's view was characteristic of many in the Moscow state. They looked at Little Russia as a country in which Orthodoxy was largely shaken and distorted by the influence of Catholic propaganda. This view had some basis in addition to the actual seduction of other Orthodox Christians not only into the union, but also into Catholicism. The entire religious life of the Little Russians, such as worship and moral and practical activities, especially in the 17th century, represented significant differences from the religious life of the Great Russians. While the Moscow state was walled off by a wall of mistrust and suspicion from all its neighbors, and the people themselves lived in the same forms of religious, moral and civil life, Little Russia was open to all kinds of Western influences, and the Little Russian people lived almost freely in religious and civil relations.
Moreover, the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries was a time of powerful folk creativity, which significantly affected church singing, church rituals, and even the interpretation of some issues of faith. Quite a lot of elements entered into the religious and moral life of the people, some of them came to Ukraine from Catholic Poland and even from Lutheran Germany, some of them were independently developed from old household materials. It is not surprising now that in Little Russia there existed in the 17th century. There are many rituals and customs that are completely unknown to Moscow. The South Russian bishops allowed the ordination of several people to priests and deacons at one liturgy, which Patriarch Adrian himself denounced in his letter issued to Theodosius of Uglitsky.
Priests sometimes confessed adults not separately, but in groups of four or more; during the reading of the Gospel at the liturgy, they covered their heads with an epitrachelion (this custom still exists); at baptism they poured over the baby and the same water was used for many babies; participated in some unique, unrecognized by the Church, wedding ceremonies, etc. In many places, people treated their favorite springs or wells with special respect, placing crosses, chapels or chapels over them (which is still common today), where priests performed prayer services, akathists and blessings of water. There were also features in the form of churches, in church singing, in worship and in icon painting. The character of Little Russian icon painting of this time reveals the influence of Western European, in particular Italian, religious painting. Although Little Russian icon painting stood at that time quite highly artistically and even, as some (Paul of Aleppo) noted, it was more elegant than Great Russian icon painting, there were quite a few peculiar oddities in it.
There was, for example, a widespread icon depicting the baby Savior sleeping on the cross, with symbols of future suffering depicted around the cross - the icon of the coronation of the Mother of God, etc. These features in the religious life of the Little Russians did not yet represent anything harsh and rude, nothing that would characterize the Little Russian as prone to heterodoxy in religious and moral terms. After all, the Greeks also had their own church characteristics, and there was no strict unity in church rituals. The Great Russians also had church rituals and peculiarities of religious and moral life that were unique to them, such as for example. spread in the 17th century two-fingered, establishing the custom of having everyone in the church their own icon and almost exclusively praying to it during services. Even in the XVIII century. The Great Russians came across icons of strange content, like the icon of the Holy Trinity presented to Empress Catherine in 1767 by a Kazan merchant, which depicted a man with one head with three faces and four eyes.
In Great Russia there were sacred wells and, in addition, sacred trees.
Some features of Catholicism penetrated into Little Russian church ritual and even dogma. The strong Polish coloring of Little Russian life confused the zealots of Moscow antiquity; They were also embarrassed by the fact that the Orthodox South Russian archpastors received their education in Western Jesuit schools. This circumstance, by the way, turned some Greek and Great Russian clergy against the Little Russian Church. The Patriarch of Jerusalem Dosifei, in a charter with which in 1686 he approved the union of the Little Russian Church with the Great Russian Church, noted: “in that country, the so-called Cossack land, they are netios, just as in Rome and Poland the teachings and byahus of the Latins are archimandrites, abbots, and read inappropriate wisdom in monasteries and wear Jesuit necklaces. Let it be commanded that after the death of the foretold archimandrites, abbots and priests, no longer from these, who go to study in the places of Papa, will appoint archimandrites, abbots and bishops.”
How strong suspicion was in Moscow towards the Orthodoxy of Little Russia is proven by the fact that there was even a conciliar decision to rebaptize those who defile themselves by intercourse with Catholics, participate in their meals and pray for the pope, etc. True, such suspicions diminish under Patriarch Nikon, and even under him many of the educated people of southern Russia became his closest assistants in the great reform he conceived. But among the supporters of the old order, these zealots of the statutes of “Stoglava” and “Domostroy” and the imaginary guardians of patristic tradition and the Orthodox faith, suspicion and hostility towards immigrants from southern Russia not only does not weaken, but is even transferred to Patriarch Nikon himself, who is accused by schismatics of Latinism.
Indeed, in the very doctrine of the Little Russian Church there were some religious concepts not in a strictly Orthodox spirit. One of the major features of the Little Russian Church in its doctrine was the doctrine of the time of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. In ancient times, the Western and Eastern churches together believed that the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts takes place during the priest’s utterance of the prayer: “send down Thy Holy Spirit.” But the Western Church, having separated from the Eastern, did not maintain this faith in its entirety. Over time, she began to teach that bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of the Savior during the utterance of the words of Goslod: “Take, eat..., drink from it, all of you”... Prayer of a clergyman at the consecration of the Gifts in the 14th century. was excluded from the Latin liturgy. In the 15th century, at the Council of Florence, this teaching was presented by Catholics as the teaching of the entire Universal Church.
The South Russian Church, due to its close proximity and close contact with the Catholic Polish Church, borrowed from the latter an interpretation about the time of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. The Latin interpretation was reflected in the works of all famous writers and was strengthened by the authority of such persons as Pyotr Mogila, Sylvester Kossov, Lazar Baranovich, Ioannikiy Golyatovsky, Innocent Gisel, Simeon of Polotsk and others. In Moscow for a long time they either did not know about this southern Russian peculiarity of doctrine, until there was insufficient relations with southern Russia, or did not find it possible to raise a speech and insist on eliminating this doctrines, because the Kyiv Metropolis was subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople. Since the annexation of Little Russia to the Moscow state, relations between Moscow and southern and western Russia have intensified. Scientists from the south were summoned to Moscow, and now they paid serious attention to the peculiarities of southern Russian religious life.
Of course, all the features of the South Russian church did not at all speak of the non-Orthodoxy of Little Russia, which defended its Orthodoxy with the blood of its martyrs, but nevertheless they should have been revealed after the political annexation of Little Russia to Russia. The subordination of Little Russia to Moscow in spiritual terms, after the establishment of Gideon Chetvertinsky in the Kyiv metropolis, gave the Moscow Patriarch the opportunity to directly and decisively intervene in Little Russian spiritual affairs, and the dispute that arose in Moscow about the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts, in which the Latin views of Little Russian scholars were expressed, further encouraged the patriarch to do this.
In 1688, shortly after the appointment of St. Theodosius as the archimandrite of the Yelets Monastery, Patriarch Joachim sent the Kyiv Metropolitan Gideon Chetvertinsky, the Chernigov Archbishop Lazar Baranovich and the Archimandrite of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery Varlaam Yasinsky - letters in which he demanded from them detailed reviews of the Florence Cathedral. The whole purpose of these letters was “to be notified if (the Orthodox of southern Rus') agree on everything about the essence of the saints of the Eastern Church.” Patriarch Joachim, proposing the question of the Council of Florence to representatives of the Little Russian clergy, wanted to know whether they shared the decisions of this council, which accepted the Latin doctrine of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. Archbishop Lazar received the letter from Patriarch Joachim on March 29, 1688. In it, the Patriarch asked Lazar Baranovich: “for what reason did the Florence Cathedral come into being, and what custom did it begin, and from whom and what were the proposals in it, and on what basis did it take place, and whether the Holy One agreed with it.”
Is it acceptable to the Eastern Apostolic Church and the entire Seventh Ecumenical Council, and all four patriarchs”? Archbishop Lazar responded quickly. On May 26, 1688, he sent Patriarch Joachim a letter in which he briefly outlined the history of the Florence Council and assured the patriarch that he “dismisses this Florence Council, and in unanimity, according to the tradition of the saints and God-bearers, the father professes the canons compiled by seven synods.” It is not without reason to think that St. Theodosius, as a theologian of his time and as a person who was in the closest relations with Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, assisted him in drawing up a response to Moscow Patriarch Joachim. Varlaam Yasinsky sent a response to the patriarch on July 26, 1688; but since he himself was ill, the answer was written in his own hand by Dimitri Tuptalo (Metropolitan of Rostov). Metropolitan Gideon, before sending his response to Moscow, convened a council in Kyiv of the Kyiv archimandrites, abbots and hieromonks, and they decided to enter into an agreement on this issue with the Chernigov Archbishop Lazar.
One of the participants in the council, the abbot of the Kirillov Monastery, was instructed to correspond with “the all-honorable Archimandrite of Chernigov, Theodosius of Uglitsky, by whose advice the Most Reverend Archbishop of Chernigov would agree with them, what his answer would be to his Holiness about the foretold thing.” The abbot of Kirillov wrote to Archimandrite Theodosius of Uglitsky twice, and the latter answered him that the Right Reverend Lazar would inform Kyiv about his answer. But Archbishop Lazar suddenly sent his response to Moscow at the end of May 1688, without entering into an agreement with Metropolitan Gideon. Theodosius of Uglitsky, who knew the opinion of Archbishop Lazar and even helped him in answering, now involuntarily had to become the leader in drawing up the answer to Patriarch Joachim from Metropolitan Gideon. By order and request of the participants of the Cathedral of St. Theodosius even draws up a letter in response to the patriarch, “conclusively showing (that) the Council (of Florence) does not have to be a legal, canonical council.”
The strictly Orthodox view of Archbishop Lazar and his collaborator Theodosius of Uglitsky, expressed in response letters to Patriarch Joachim, was supposed to justify the South Russian church from accusations of deviating from Orthodoxy and dispel the false idea of Little Russia as a country filled with heresies. For us, the fact of the participation of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky in drawing up a letter of response to Patriarch Joachim on the issue of the Florence Council has the important significance that here Theodosius of Uglitsky appears as a prominent theologian of his time, leading the opinion of even an entire council of representatives of the Kyiv clergy.
But in Moscow they are not satisfied with the answers received, because they almost did not touch upon the question that worried Moscow about the time of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. The Patriarch again addressed letters to Gideon, Lazarus and Varlaam and invited them to express their views on the doctrine of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts and on the book “Report on the Holy Church and the Service” by Theodosius Safonovich, where the Latin teaching on this subject was set out. They did not send an answer from Kyiv for a long time, and Patriarch Joachim even reproached Metropolitan for this. Gideon. When the answers were received in Moscow, the Patriarch did not find in them complete agreement with the teaching accepted in Moscow about the time of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts. The Patriarch then urgently demands that they send their agreement with the Orthodox teaching about the time of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts and threatens that otherwise he will complain to the four patriarchs; At the same time, he proposed to Metropolitan Gideon to send to Moscow for negotiations “a man of humble wisdom, a sincere son of the Eastern Church, who knows the writings of St.
father, and not with syllogisms and arguments only of the one practicing.” Dimitri Tuptalo, who was the abbot of Baturin at that time, was sent to Moscow, not so much for negotiations as for listening to the patriarchal moral teaching and instruction. Together with him, as a representative from Chernigov Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, at the beginning of 1689 Chernigov Archimandrite Theodosius Uglitsky personally traveled to Patriarch Joachim. He was instructed by Lazar Baranovich to deliver a response letter to the Patriarch on the question of the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts and about the book “Report on the Church.” The entrustment of this commission to St. Theodosius speaks very eloquently about the high respect he enjoyed in the South Russian Church, since in this case he was, before the All-Russian Patriarch, the representative of Orthodoxy of the entire South Russian Church and the spokesman for its opinions on important subjects of faith. St. Theodosius had to clarify the misunderstandings that existed between Moscow and Little Russia on the controversial issue of the transubstantiation of St.
Darov, by the way, and on some other issues. At the same time, the assignment entrusted to the Saint was supposed to indicate him as a person deserving special attention of the Patriarch and the Moscow government. Archbishop Lazar deliberately nominates his worthy colleague as the most worthy candidate for the highest spiritual position.
The ascetic life of the Yelets archimandrite, together with his intelligent and tactful activities, brought him wide fame and deep respect not only in the Chernigov diocese, but throughout the entire South Russian church; the highest clergy and flock now valued him even more than in previous times. During the years of his leadership of the Chernigov Eletsky Monastery, Saint Theodosius was several times presented as a candidate for the highest positions. In 1690, after the death of the Kyiv Metropolitan Gideon, St. Theodosius was nominated as the third candidate for the see of the Kyiv Metropolis, following Archbishop Lazar Baranovich and Kiev-Pechersk Archimandrite Varlaam Yasinsky. When the rod of rule of the metropolis was handed over to Varlaam, St. Theodosius was intended to take the place of Pechersk archimandrite. The Chernigov archimandrite did not receive either title, only due to exceptional circumstances. Obviously, God's Providence led the Saint along a different path.
Being an assistant and deputy to Archbishop Lazar Baranovich in especially important events, Saint Theodosius, when he was Archimandrite of Yelets, was at the same time a constant collaborator of the elderly hierarch in the management of the vast Chernigov diocese. Archbishop Lazar, seeing in Archimandrite Theodosius a pious and zealous worker, a wise shepherd and a very experienced manager of the monastic household, entrusted him with managing the economic, and partly the diocesan, affairs of the bishop's house. Quite a bit of documentary evidence of this activity of Archimandrite Theodosius has been preserved.
By this time, Archbishop. Lazar was already about 90 years old - years of extreme old age, especially for a man of such a working life and varied activities as befell the Reverend. Lazarus. Moreover, he began to be overcome by illnesses inseparable from old age. Feeling that managing such a vast diocese was beyond his strength, he decided, with the knowledge of the highest spiritual authorities, to openly make Yelets Archimandrite Theodosius his permanent assistant in managing the diocese. At the end of 1691, with the consent of the Hetman of Little Russia Ivan Mazepa, Archbishop Lazar sent St. Theodosius to Moscow to Tsars Peter and John Alekseevich and to the newly appointed All-Russian Patriarch Adrian with a request that they appoint Archimandrite Theodosius as his assistant. The hetman, for his part, wrote about the same thing to the kings and the patriarch, testifying to the honest life and excellent qualities of Archimandrite Theodosius and asking “to show him your merciful and benevolent charity.” Patriarch Adrian willingly agreed to fulfill the wish of the Rev.
Lazarus, especially since in Moscow they have already heard enough about the spiritual wisdom and ascetic life of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, and they even knew that “this Archimandrite Theodosius, with the blessing of the deceased great master Cyrus Joachim, blessed in memory, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia and all northern countries, for the sake of the elder exhaustion of Archbishop Lazar, was determined to be able to rule the diocese of Chernigov.” At the end of the same 1691, Patriarch Adrian confirmed Archimandrite Theodosius in the rank of assistant to the Chernyagov Archbishop and issued him a letter, which, among other things, said the following about Theodosius himself: “our measure is in knowing his Archimandrite Imams, and hearing his good behavior in the Chernigov diocese to the Right Reverend Archbishop Lazar (as her husband I have already fulfilled my days) in government, capable and obedient, in pleasing and well-skilled in business.
In the same way, our beloved son, the royal blessed majesty of the Zaporozhian army, both countries of the Dnieper hetman, John Stefanovich Mazepa, on his arrival now to us in the reigning city of Moscow, wrote an auxiliary letter about the fulfillment of his needs, informing him of his honesty and nobility in that country of good life. Moreover, our moderation, seeing in him such goodness, including service and hastening to the Right Reverend Archbishop Lazarus of the administration of the diocese and the bishop’s house, we bless his archimandrite, and we command him to take care in this, so that all the affairs commanded to him from the archbishop in the name of the Lord will be piously and carefully arranged, and to him the archbishop, as let the elder, who is perfect in good deeds, please the obedience of Christ. If he has done good in the patience of all kinds of local sorrows, he will be complacent and in the performance of this office will remain blameless, for he will have, God willing, a greater dignity and according to him, Archbishop Lazar, the degree of inheritance of the bishopric; for the Lord God gives a fair amount to man in the honor of being glorious.”
In addition, in a special letter addressed to Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, the Patriarch spoke of Saint Theodosius in the following way: “Him and our measure, seeing a man who is honest and known from us in goodwill, we bless him for his new service: may he manage the affairs ordered by you, may he preserve all kinds of things in the house, listen to you as before.”
The expression of Patriarch Adrian in the letter issued to Theodosius of Uglitsky: “if he does good in the patience of all kinds of suffering here, he will be complacent.”.. had a kind of prophetic meaning. Very little time has passed since the approval of St. Theodosius in the rank of assistant to Archbishop Lazar for the management of the Chernigov diocese, how he again had to endure the whole burden of slander brought against him by human malice and injustice. Even before the trip, St. Feodosius to Moscow, a dispute arose between the Kyiv Metropolitan Varlaam Yasinsky and the Chernigov Archbishop Lazar over the definition of the adjacent boundaries of their dioceses, actually because of three protopopias - Glukhov, Konotop and Borzen. It is difficult to decide which of them was right, but there is no doubt that Lazar Baranovich had the right to claim these protopopias. They were given to Lazarus for management in 1658 by Metropolitan Dionysius Balaban; in 1688, Metropolitan Gideon tried to take them away, but they were again approved by a charter from the kings to Archbishop Lazar.
Varlaam Yasinsky did not want to give up these protopopias to Lazar Baranovich and set out to take them away from him. Then Archbishop Lazar, sending Archimandrite Theodosius of Uglitsky to Moscow to confirm the rank of his assistant, sent with him a letter to Patriarch Adrian. In it, he complained about the Metropolitan of Kyiv that he was taking away his three protopopias from the diocese, and asked the patriarch to strengthen them for the Chernigov diocese, because these protopopias “for the sake of the diocese were given to him, Baranovich, from their royal majesty and were graciously approved by letter for him and his heirs.” “For this sake,” Archbishop wrote further, “Lazarus, falling senilely and slavishly, I pray: have mercy, most holy archpastor, and give me and my heirs your blessing on these archetypes, so that I do not die in sorrow.” But, offering such a request to the patriarch, Baranovich in the same letter very causticly makes it clear that he knows about the patriarch’s unfavorability towards him and favor towards others, in particular towards the Kyiv Metropolitan.
Apologizing to Adrian for being the last to bring him congratulations on his accession to the patriarchate, Archbishop. Lazarus writes: “I do not judge myself to be greater than others, for I am able to be called more than others; It’s appropriate for them to grow, but for me to grow small.” Then, comparing the patriarch with the sun, which illuminates everything, he says: “your seat and shrine on the highest throne of your shepherd is the common luminary for us, for this reason it is fitting that the rays of your blessing be the entire Russian country, not just the high metropolitan mountains, but also the lowest all-humility of my archpastorship to enlighten the world.” Obviously, the request of the archbishop. Lazarus, preceded by such hints, could not find sympathy from the patriarch. “As for the three protopopias,” the patriarch wrote to Lazar Baranovich, “about which you wrote that they were previously in your diocese, and asked to return them from Metropolitan Varlaam of Kyiv, we do not have any reliable news about what those protopopias are called, to which cities they belong and to whose dioceses - how.
to whom, when and for what were given; and yet we know that the Kiev Metropolis previously had a definite delimitation of its possessions with the Chernigov diocese. Therefore, it is necessary to have clear documents to define the boundaries of these dioceses.” Meanwhile, Adrian wrote to Varlaam Yasinsky not to worry about the three protopopias: “Although there was a request from the archbishop about that. Lazar Baranovich to the great sovereigns and to our measure, but since those prototopias were previously assigned to the Kyiv Metropolis and you were given letters for this, and now it has been finally decided that your Eminence should keep these prototopias in your jurisdiction.” Thus, in this matter, even the personal participation of Archimandrite Theodosius, who presented explanations in favor of the archbishop. Lazarus, was not successful, because at that time in Moscow, due to special considerations, they believed and favored the Kyiv Metropolitan much more than the Chernigov Archbishop and his humble collaborator.
Likewise, the attempt of Archimandrite Theodosius, sent to Moscow by Baranovich, to prove that Varlaam Yasinsky was illegally appropriating the estates of the Vydubitsky Monastery did not have any particular results. St. Theodosius, who had recently been the abbot of the Vydubitsky monastery, was too painful and insulting to see that the very property that he had acquired with such great difficulty and trouble for the poor Vydubitsky monastery was now coming under the jurisdiction of the metropolis. Out of a sense of justice alone, he could not bear this, and submitted a “petition” about this to the kings and the patriarch. To the words of St. At first they believed Theodosius and it was determined by a special royal letter that the estates of the Vydubitsky monastery should not be dependent on the Metropolitan of Kyiv.
But Varlaam Yasinsky, having learned about this, sent a letter to the patriarch, in which he asked not to believe the petition of Theodosius of Uglitsky, accused him of indignation of the brethren of the Vydubitsky monastery, also of the insult and dishonor inflicted on him, the metropolitan, and, in his conscience, considered himself innocent of the fact that the aforementioned Chernigov archimandrite struck with his brow against him. Varlaam Yasinsky was strong at that time and he gained great favor from the patriarch. Naturally, Patriarch Adrian leaned towards Varlaam Yasinsky in everything and soon (in May 1692) answered him that “they did not believe the petition of the Archimandrite of the Chernigov Monastery ... and a letter with punishment is being sent to him, the Archimandrite, now.” And St. Patriarch Adrian, who had recently praised him, sent Theodosius of Uglitsky a letter of reprimand. Thus, there was a misunderstanding between the archbishop. Lazar Baranovich and Kyiv Metropolitan Varlaam Yasinsky, which arose due to the expulsion of three archdiocese from the Chernigov archdiocese to the Kyiv Metropolis, caused great, completely undeserved trouble for St. Feodosia.
Setting aside in this case the question of the correctness or legality of the claims of this or that archpastor, we see that, in any case, St. Theodosius is a completely irresponsible person in all this. In the case of the archbishop. Lazarus is a simple presenter of a letter from his archbishop, and many, if the interpreter of his views on this issue, in his own petition - a defender of the welfare of the monastery, created by his own zealous labors. Undoubtedly, it was difficult for Saint Theodosius to endure the undeserved humiliation of his good name and the reprimand of the patriarch, but imbued with the spirit of meekness, humility and patience, he with true Christian humility endured this slander and undeserved reprimand, forgave the slanderers and consigned everything to oblivion, finding consolation in new works on the name of the Lord and in caring for the Chernigov flock.
In the letter of confirmation of Archimandrite Theodosius of Uglitsky in the rank of assistant to the Chernigov archbishop, Patriarch Adrian hinted that he knew Lazar Baranovich’s secret desire to have as his successor the one whom he asked for his assistant. This is how it happened in reality, with the only peculiarity that Archbishop Lazar wished to transfer the Chernigov archdiocese to his successor during his lifetime. What considerations guided the elderly archpastor in this case is unknown to us. What is certain is that the main motivation for this was the poor health of Archbishop Lazar, who was no longer able to manage the affairs of the diocese, and the love and deep respect that he had for his collaborator, Archimandrite Theodosius. But be that as it may, only at the suggestion of Archbishop Lazar Baranovich and with the consent of the Little Russian Hetman Ivan Mazepa, a meeting was appointed in 1692 to elect the Chernigov Archbishop.
At the appointed time (probably in July), the hetman, representatives of the clergy, dignitaries of Little Russia and representatives of the people gathered to discuss the proposal of the respected elder-archpastor. There were no special debates or lengthy discussions taking place. Everyone unanimously accepted the proposal of their archbishop and unanimously “elected to such a church of God the service of a pious man and in spiritual life is known and existing for their benefit, the Chernigov Most Holy Theotokos Elets Monastery Archimandrite Theodosius Uglitsky, who helped the government of the Chernigov diocese to the Right Reverend Lazar Baranovich, Archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod, for the sake of his old age and infirmity.”
Unanimously elected by everyone to the rank of Chernigov archbishop, Archimandrite Theodosius was then personally sent to Moscow to the kings and to the patriarch, to whom the Chernigov archdiocese was subordinated. The newly elected man carried with him several letters addressed to the kings and the patriarch. He was presented with letters from Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, from the hetman, from representatives of the clergy and even from representatives of the Little Russian people. All - the archbishop, “and the hetman with the entire army of Zaporozhye, and the spiritual rank of abbot, the protopresbyters and priests with the clerics of churches, and Little Russian cities, all the inhabitants of their royal majesty and the most holy patriarch, with a request that that archimandrite of their Chernigov church be appointed shepherd and ruler of the bishops.” Archbishop Lazar wrote to the patriarch that he was already too old and completely weakened in body, for which he asked to ordain Archimandrite Theodosius as a bishop. “Night is coming upon me,” Archbishop Lazar wrote to the Patriarch, and the fear of death attacks me, my strength leaves me.
Because in my weakness and in my labors, I have the assistance of my husband, who is skillful in everything and is satisfied with this matter, the all-honorable Archimandrite of our Chernigov Theodosius of Uglitsky, partly known to your Holiness; May your Holiness be pleased with him and may your right hand bless him to be my co-servant now, and afterward an heir, for this I pray.” The Little Russian hetman Ivan Mazepa especially sent his letters through Theodosius of Uglitsky to both the kings and the patriarch; he outlined the need of the Chernigov diocese for a ruler and asked the kings to deign and approve, and he begged the patriarch to ordain the universally elected Archimandrite Theodosius of Uglitsky as archbishop.
“Before the present time,” the hetman wrote in his letter to Patriarch Adrian, the Chernigov archdiocese, the diocese earnestly demands corrective correction in church needs, for the sake of our most illustrious monarchs, their royal majesty, as well as your archpastor, the most brutal helmsman of the Church of God and the mentor of Christ-loving people, I strike with my forehead, diligently praying for this, and your archpastorship, not despising that wretched diocese, but arranging a useful one for it, deign to consecrate an archbishop in that diocese and pay taxes to this shepherd, this virtuous one, known to your archpastorship, and chosen by us, the husband, the most honorable Archimandrite of Yelets of Chernigov, Theodosius Uglitsky, a husband truly worthy of that honor and power, is content to rule the flock entrusted to himself; she is wise in words, useful in life, having lived well from her youth in the monastic rank, skillful and able in divine books to guide the verbal sheep of Christ to spiritual pasture; to this, your archpastorship, show your highest paternal archpastoral mercy, ordain your blessing on this, install this shepherd of Chernigov.”
Representatives of the clergy also sent their small note to Moscow, which said the following: “We, the clergy of the Archdiocese of Chernigov, the abbots and archpriests and all of that diocese, wish to have Archbishop Lazar Baranovich for ourselves instead of the heir of Archimandrite Yelets of Chernigov Theodosius”; and then a whole series of signatures followed on the note. With all these letters, on July 24, 1692, Theodosius of Uglitsky came to Moscow and immediately appeared with them to the kings and the patriarch. The general desire expressed in these letters - to see Archimandrite Theodosius in the rank of bishop of the Chernigov diocese at first put Patriarch Adrian in great difficulty. Actually, I am against honoring St. Theodosius, the All-Russian Patriarch could not have the episcopal rank and, indeed, had nothing.
But the whole reason for the difficulty was that Archimandrite Theodosius was asked to be installed as Archbishop of Chernigov at a time when the former archbishop was still alive, who, at the same time, petitioned for the appointment of a successor for himself, but did not completely refuse to manage the affairs of the diocese. Thus, the Chernigov archdiocese was to simultaneously have two archbishops with equal rights and power. It is not surprising, therefore, if in Moscow there was “doubt and ranting” about the extraordinary petition of the Chernigov archbishop and the Little Russian hetman. This phenomenon was out of the ordinary order of things and even directly contradicted canonical decrees. From the preserved and printed “progress of the case regarding the installation in Moscow of Theodosius of Uglitsky as Archbishop of Chernigov,” it is clear that first of all, information was made about when and to which dioceses bishops should be appointed.
It turned out that it is possible to supply only in the following cases: “first, to the dowager thrones, where the bishop dies; second, and again where it will be possible for the bishop’s throne to exist, for the benefit and spiritual rule of the people of God; third, if the bishop has abdicated his throne because of some weakness, or because of a long-term illness, he has renounced his throne... or for what guilt the bishop will be left behind by the council and the court of the last bishop. Without these wines, even if there is a bishop on his throne, another bishop will never be installed on the same throne.”...
“And in Chernigov,” the same document further says, “Archbishop Lazar Baranovich is now alive and about the denial of that throne, any for the sake of guilt or exhaustion, his writings are not to be brought to the royal majesty and to the most holy patriarch, - only to the most holy patriarch in a letter he, the archbishop, wrote, so that the most holy patriarch would deign to dedicate him, Theodosius the Archimandrite, he - the archbishop now to be a co-servant, but after his death so that the heir to that throne will be; but what his co-servant would be called: bishop, or archbishop, and on which throne to place him now, it has not been announced... And in the hetman and people’s spiritual letters in whose place this archimandrite should be placed as archbishop and when, where and how he should live, it is not written... In a single church of the episcopal throne it is absurd for two suitors to be, and the rules It is strictly forbidden, and it is obscene for both to call themselves “Archbishop of Chernigov”; without naming a city, bishops are not appointed... Why do they want what they don’t know?...
And whose name should he (Theodosius) be called, and what should he be called in every possible way? And how can I give him the certificate?” These are the discussions that took place in Moscow about the installation of the sent Archimandrite Theodosius of Uglitsky as archbishop. At first, Moscow did not recognize the possibility of ordaining St. Theodosius as archbishop and decided that if it was pleasing for Archimandrite Theodosius to be in the rank of archbishop, then he should deliberately make a message to Archbishop Lazar of Chernigov and, having told him everything, take from him a written renunciation of the administration of the diocese; it was decided to announce such a resolution to the Little Russian hetman. On this matter, one must think, there was quite a bit of correspondence between Moscow and Chernigov. For two whole months, until September, the question of consecrating Theodosius of Uglitsky as archbishop was in an uncertain position.
Finally, “after a lot of advice” and after a careful consideration of all the circumstances of the case, it was decided to fulfill the request of the sick and old Archbishop Lazar Baranovich and Honored Hetman Ivan Mazepa and to consecrate Archimandrite Theodosius to the archbishopric rank. “7201 years (i.e. in 1692), the month of September on the 9th day, the most pious great sovereigns, kings and great princes John Alexievich, Peter Alexievich, all great and small and white Russian autocrats, at the request and election of spiritual people and Hetman John with all the inhabitants of Little Russia of that country, he - Archimandrite Theodosius to be a bishop deigned, and sent him to the spiritual supervision of this bishop's rank to be worthy of a conciliar judgment to the great lord, the most holy patriarch.
The great lord, the most holy Cyrus Adrian, Archbishop of Moscow, and of all Russia and all northern countries, Patriarch, in Holy Spirit with his sons, with the eminence metropolitans: with Ignatius of Siberia, with Joasaph of Rostov, with Euthymius of Sarsk, with Archbishop Jonah of Vyatka, who has the will and consent with the rest of the Russian kingdom bishops, with metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, the council decided on this and, by order of the Tsar's Great Majesty, by the election of the inhabitants of the Little Russian country and by the letter of Archbishop Lazar, Archimandrite Theodosius of Uglitsky will be made a bishop; and His Holiness the Patriarch now blesses him: may the chosen Theodosius Archimandrite be the Archbishop of the God-saved cities of Chernigov and Novgorod.” We have cited a large excerpt from the “progress of the case regarding the installation in Moscow of Theodosius of Uglitsky as archbishop of Chernigov” in order to refute the incorrect indications that appeared in the press about the time of the naming and consecration of St. Theodosius as archbishop. We see that the naming of St.
Theodosius as bishop took place on September 9, 1692 (not September 11). On this day, the great sovereigns themselves wished for Archimandrite “Theodosius to be among the bishops”; On September 9, he was confirmed in the rank of archbishop by a whole council headed by Patriarch Adrian himself, and the latter blessed Saint Theodosius and named him Archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod-Seversk. “And he, Theodosius, was appointed archbishop,” says the above document, “during the reign of the sovereigns, on the 11th day.” Thus, on the third day after the naming, i.e. September 11th, St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, having presented an oath, signed with his own hand, to “Mr. Most Holy Cyrus Adrian, Archbishop of Moscow, and Patriarch of All Russia and all Northern Countries,” was consecrated bishop in the Assumption Cathedral in the presence of the sovereigns themselves, and at the same time he was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
At the ordination of St. Theodosius, Patriarch Adrian did not find it possible to issue him the assigned letter, because Archbishop Lazar Baranovich was still alive at the Chernigov see. Saint Theodosius did not want to go without an affirmative letter and turned to the kings with the same request to give him an altar letter in confirmation of his hierarchal rights. Such a charter was issued to St. on September 28, 1692. Theodosius on behalf of the sovereigns, signed by the Duma clerk Emelian Ukraintsev and with the royal wax seal in a silver gilded case. It said that, at the request of Hetman Mazena and the entire Zaporozhye army and at their choice, Archimandrite Theodosius of Uglitsky was consecrated archbishop, as “a virtuous man, skillful in spiritual rule and caring for the great sovereign,” and the dedication was made by Patriarch Adrian along with many archbishops in the Assumption Cathedral, in the presence of the great sovereigns themselves.
Having further confirmed in the same charter the former rights of the Chernigov archdiocese, as well as its right of primacy among the Great Russian archdioceses, the kings regarding the three protopopias - Glukhov, Konotonoka and Borzen - commanded that “to the Chernigov diocese now and. henceforth there will be no such protopopias,” but they indicated, according to the petition of Metropolitan Varlaam Yasinsky, “to remain as before, as in ancient times, under the Metropolitan of Kyiv.” “And to him, our pilgrim, the Right Reverend Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod (i.e., Novgorod-Seversky), - said the same letter, - and according to him, the future archbishops of Chernigov, with all the spiritual clergy of the Chernigov Archdiocese, according to our previous royal majesty’s decree, be under the blessing" and obedience, in Saint Douce, our father and pilgrim, the most holy Cyrus Adrian... forever and ever, according to his promise, as he did, with the signature of his hand, upon his elevation to the throne of Chernigov as archbishop... "St.
Theodosius thus, according to the oath promise given at the naming, was made dependent not on the Kyiv Metropolitan and not on the Eastern Patriarchs, but on the Moscow Patriarch. At the same time, as the first among the Great Russian archbishops, the new Chernigov saint acquired the right to perform divine services in the sakkos, like the Right Reverend Lazar Baranovich. This advantage in those days was allowed only in relation to a very few bishops. Before the abolition of the patriarchate in Rus', only the patriarch and metropolitans served in the sakkos, and archbishops and bishops usually served in the phelonion, and only as a special exception was this distinction granted to the Chernigov archbishops. As for the fact that St. Theodosius of Uglitsky was immediately elevated to the rank of archbishop, this is explained by the fact that back in 1667, an archdiocese was established in Chernigov by the great Moscow Council, and the Chernigov See was then placed first among other archdioceses.
The newly installed archbishop stayed in Moscow until December, about four months in total. Patriarch Adrian respected and loved St. Theodosius and, taking advantage of the opportunity that presented itself, deliberately kept him in Moscow for joint worship and for conversations about issues of the South Russian Church. At the beginning of December 1692, Archbishop Theodosius left Moscow. He carried with him a letter of dedication issued to him by the kings, as well as several letters from the kings and the patriarch to Hetman Mazepa and Archbishop Lazar Baranovich. Great sovereigns wrote to Hetman Mazepa about the dedication of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky as archbishop. “We, the great sovereigns, our royal majesty,” the kings responded to Hetman Mazepa in response to his request to deign to appoint Theodosius of Uglitsky as archbishop, “you, our subject...., for your service to us, the great sovereign, and diligent and diligent in that matter (i.e.
in the election of a bishop to help Lazar Baranovich) care, we commend and graciously praise - and that Archimandrite Theodosius of Uglitsky, on his arrival in our reigning city of Moscow, received our sovereign mercy, with the help of God, in the cathedral Apostolic Church, our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and the Ever-Virgin Mary, her honorable and glorious Dormition, under our great sovereigns, under our royal majesty.... from the most holy and blessed Cyrus Adrian, Archbishop of Moscow, and all Russia and all northern countries, the Patriarch, the dedication and ordination to the throne of Chernigov received.... and a letter of grant was given to him, Archbishop Theodosius, and he received our state mercy and salary, and was released from our reigning city to the city of Chernigov.” Almost the same thing was said in the patriarchal letter to the hetman. “Our measure,” Patriarch Adrian wrote to him, “with the advice and will of our most pious great sovereigns...
Likewise with the other bishops present here, at your request and election, Archimandrite Theodosius of Uglitsky was consecrated to the Chernigov diocese as archbishop of the current summer 7201, the month of Septemvrius on the 11th day. Moreover, in this dignity, the Right Reverend Archbishop Theodosius of Chernigov and Novgorod was now quickly released from our measure to that diocese for the work of his service and for the beauty and rule of the holy Church.” Returning from Moscow to Chernigov, St. Theodosius stopped by Baturia on December 9 of the same year, 1692, and submitted both letters to Hetman Mazepa. The saint did not stay long with the hetman and hurried to the place of his ministry, to Archbishop Lazar Baranovich.
The aged saint met with great joy his beloved assistant, who returned with the rank of archbishop. St. Theodosius gave Archbishop Lazar a letter from the patriarch, in which he wrote about the fulfillment of his sincere desire - about the consecration of Theodosius of Uglitsky as archbishop of the Chernigov diocese. The elder archpastor knew that now he could freely shift most of the burden of government, which was becoming completely beyond his strength, to his diligent and active collaborator. Upon his arrival in Chernigov, Saint Theodosius took up residence in the former abbot's quarters of the Yelets monastery, retaining the title of archimandrite of this monastery, since the bishop's house and the department of the Chernigov archdiocese were still occupied by the Right Reverend Lazar. Fulfilling all the duties of the archimandrite of the Yelets monastery, Saint Theodosius managed almost all the affairs of the diocese. The new archbishopric title of St. Theodosius did not influence the change in relations between him and Elder Lazar Baranovich. And in the rank of archbishop of St.
Theodosius continued to show His Grace Lazar full obedience, as a respected elder, in everything he expressed truly filial respect and love and did nothing without his will and prior consent. All letters to the priests of St. Theodosius issued on behalf of Archbishop Lazarus, even under his seal, although he also signed his own name under the letter. Such, for example, is the charter issued by St. Feodosius on August 25, 1693 to Mikhail Strahovsky, for whom a free parish in the borough of Berezny was approved after the death of his father (Andrei Strahovsky); since this candidate for the priesthood was still young, St. Theodosius, in respect of the request of “all pious citizens of the city of Bereznago,” allowed Strakhovsky “to complete the priesthood” to have a replacement “vicar” for a certain remuneration from the parish. At the top of the letter is the following title: “Lazar Baranovich, by the grace of God, Orthodox Archbishop of Chernigov, Novgorod and the whole north.” The same literal words were preserved on the cathedral seal of the charter. And below is the signature of St.
Theodosius: “Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop and Archimandrite of Chernigov.” The original document, like the handwritten autograph of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, and is now kept in the Chernigov Cathedral. More often, the saint signed the letters in this way: “Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop and Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Chernigov and Novgorod-Seversk, Archimandrite Yeletsky.” However, sometimes St. Theodosius also issued letters on his own behalf, but this happened mainly in those cases where the matter concerned the Yeletsky monastery under his jurisdiction.
Filial obedience rendered to St. Theodosius in relation to Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, even in the sense of complete submission to the will of the latter, did not in the least detract from the zealous activity of the saint for the benefit of the Chernigov flock and the “beauty of the Church,” but elevated him even more, both in the eyes of the elder archpastor and in the eyes of the patriarch himself. The elderly Lazarus loved St. Theodosius was very happy to see the energetic activity of his employee, and he expressed this joy in his letter to Patriarch Adrian, sincerely thanking him for appointing such a hardworking assistant and for consecrating him as an archbishop.
“The cane of my life,” wrote Archbishop Lazarus in his heartfelt letter to Patriarch Adrian, “is shaken by the wind of old age, bows towards death, and my life ends, although I am moved by the charity of your fatherly fathers, when in my ever-present infirmities your holiness will give me the desired help and, like Peter, in the sea of my gray hair I am drowning, - so that the depths of death do not devour me in the sea, you gave me a helping hand, ordaining a bishop and an heir to me with God’s and his pastoral blessing.” It was pleasant for the patriarch to hear such a review of Theodosius of Uglitsky, especially since he himself had high hopes for the saint.
The Patriarch, through the same ambassadors sent from Chernigov, responded to Lazar Baranovich with a letter in which he praised his “honorable and holy old age of many years, wise and loving in God,” wished him “bliss in heaven” and in conclusion sent his joyful blessing both to Archbishop Lazar himself and to his collaborator, Theodosius of Uglitsky, “Like a successful, virtuous man who has carried a good yoke from his youth, a wise man.”
Seeing that the life of Archbishop Lazar was already declining, St. Theodosius of Uglitsky began to take care of establishing his rights to the estates of the Chernigov archdiocese. For this purpose, St. In April 1693, Theodosius sent an embassy to Moscow headed by Archdeacon Theophilus. The ambassadors came to the great sovereigns and presented a letter from Archbishop Theodosius. The latter, in his letter, thanked Tsars John and Peter Alekseevich for their favors to him and interceded “about the church affairs of the Chernigov diocese,” that is, he asked to personally issue him a charter for all the estates of the Chernigov archdiocese in confirmation of the granted patrimonial charters of the preceding great sovereigns. Thanks to the attention of the kings to St. Theodosius, his request was successful. Archdeacon Theophilus and other members of the embassy were received very graciously by the kings and were even “granted the salary of their majesties.” He was awarded on May 17, 1693.
a letter from the kings to Archbishop Theodosius, and in it the kings responded to the request of the saint as follows: “We, the great sovereigns of your sent, granted, our royal majesty’s eyes saw him, and your petition, which he conveyed to us, deigned to listen graciously; and... according to your petition, our royal majesty ordered a decree to be issued.” At the same time, Archdeacon Theophilus was also presented with a letter of grant dated May 17, 1693, issued by the tsars in the name of Archbishop Theodosius of Uglitsky, approving for the Chernigov see all the estates that had been granted to it by previous royal letters and hetman universals. At the same time, Archdeacon Theophilus submitted letters from Hetman Ivan Mazepa and from St. Theodosius to Patriarch Adrian. The hetman petitioned for Theodosius for the issuance of a pan-restal charter. Archbishop Theodosius also asked the patriarch to issue him a charter confirming him at the see of the Chernigov archdiocese. But this time the Patriarch found it impossible to issue such a letter, because Archbishop Lazar was still alive.
“Now, by the grace of God,” answered Adrian to Theodosius of Uglitsky, “the Most Reverend Lazar the Bishop is still alive and well, it is impossible to give you a letter more correctly. And he, as we hear, is pleased with you, and now in his letter he is grateful to us for helping him in his position, even in his name you promised to be more obedient to him and in his old age to provide for him, like a father.” In the same sense, the patriarch responded to the Little Russian hetman Mazepa.
The harmonious and peaceful reign of the two archbishops was very pleasant and joyful for the entire Chernigov flock. Ordination of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky during the life of Archbishop Lazar Baranovich is perhaps the only event in the history of the Russian hierarchy of the 8th century, at least it is the only one in the history of the Chernigov hierarchy. Repeatedly, after the death of one hierarch, the Chernigov flock remained without shepherds for a long time: now, at the same time, they saw two archbishops. And the Chernigov flock only rejoiced now, seeing two hierarchs ruling the diocese in complete harmony and love among themselves, serving together at the throne of the Lord and unanimously praying for the peace of the whole world. Who among those present in the church at that time did not come to a special heartfelt emotion, looking at how two archbishops, adorned with Christian virtues and deeply revered by all, raise their hands to the mountain and send up fiery prayers to the one who lives in the unapproachable light - the King of kings and the Lord of lords!..
And this was not in any capital or in a populous city, but in wretched and sparsely populated Chernigov, devastated by ferocious enemies who, more than once, drawn by the thirst for booty, passed from end to end the entire Chernigov diocese with fire and sword, destroying and devastating everything that came their way... It was truly majestic and touching for Chernigov flock picture of two serving archbishops. The Chernigov governors even reported to Moscow about this feeling of tenderness that gripped the Orthodox Chernigov residents on the occasion of the joint service of the two archbishops on January 28, 1693, the birthday of Princess Anna Ioannovna.
But the Lord did not judge for long the two saints - Lazarus and Theodosius - to stand together guarding the flock of Chernigov. The great lamp of the Russian Church, the venerable Archpastor Lazar, weakened by extreme old age and illness, gradually faded away. Finally, on September 3, 1693, the Chernigov flock had to lose one of its beloved archpastors: the elderly Archbishop Lazar, this “great pillar of the church,” in the words of St. Demetrius of Rostov, after 36 years of ruling the diocese, died quietly and peacefully. The entire Chernigov flock, led by the remaining Saint Theodosius, bitterly mourned the deceased archpastor. St. Theodosius, deeply saddened by the loss of his brother and patron, together with numerous clergy who arrived from Chernigov and from other places, performed a touching rite of burial over him in the Chernigov Boriso-Gleb Cathedral. The tombstone with the inscription “Lazar Baranovich”, located behind the left choir, now indicates the place of blessed rest of the famous hierarch.
Hetman Mazepa was not present at the burial of the late Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, since he was held back by the attempts of Sultan Nuradin with the Crimean hordes and Sultan Onit with the Belogorod and Nogai Tatars to invade Little Russia. After burying the archbishop. Lazarus, St. Theodosius considered it necessary to personally visit the hetman of Little Russia and share with him the grief of the great loss. For this purpose, he went to Baturin, where the hetman was then. Both at the same time, at the beginning of December 1693, sent Hieromonk Pachomius, the clerk Alexander and some other persons from Baturin to Moscow with a report to the kings and the patriarch about the death and burial of the Right Reverend Lazar. In his report to the kings, Archbishop Theodosius of Uglitsky, among other things, asked that they not deprive him of royal favor. Hetman Mazepa, for his part, wrote to the great sovereigns that he “had about the repose of the Right Reverend Lazar Baranovich, Archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod...
with the foreman and with the colonels there is lamentation and sadness, but now he has consolation and joy that after his death in an urgent time, that episcopal throne was taken over by the pilgrim, the Right Reverend Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod, who with his kindness can decorate the Church and arrange the administration of affairs with good consideration.” Similar sheets from Archbishop Theodosius and Hetman Mazepa were transferred through the same ambassadors to Patriarch Adrian. St. Theodosius informed him that “the God-loving Right Reverend Lazar Baranovich, Archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod, passed away in his old age, died in the Lord in the month of September 3rd day,” and asked to send him the commissioned letter “for approval and notification of the consecration and election” to the archbishop of Chernigov diocese. Hetman Mazepa, who was very favorable towards Saint Theodosius, probably asked for the same thing in his letter to the patriarch. The ambassadors from Little Russia in Moscow were received very graciously, and all requests were fulfilled. St.
At the beginning of 1694, Theodosius was pleased with the following pleasant response from the great sovereigns, brought from Moscow by the returning ambassadors: “We, the great sovereigns, our royal majesty, according to your petition above, we deign you, our pilgrim, the Most Reverend Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod, to have in our mercy sovereign - in the same way as your deceased ancestor, the Right Reverend Lazar Baranovich, was.” The tsars responded in the same sense to the Little Russian hetman Ivan Mazepa. At the same time as the kings, Patriarch Adrian also sent his answers to Little Russia. In a letter to St. Adrian confirmed Theodosius with the rank of independent Chernigov archbishop and gave instructions on how to “completely rule the people of God.” Now “you are already characteristic of you,” wrote Adrian to St. Theodosius, - Thou art appointed bishop and chosen shepherd of that diocese, henceforth all the people of God are completely governed, and oversee, and arrange for salvation, and guide for the good pleasure of the All-Creator God; and maintain the archbishop's throne in good faith.
For doing good in the office of this rank and dignity from Christ the Lord here, you will receive temporary and eternal bliss in heaven; for we will forever be zealous for your love for God. We send our letter to your Eminence, confirming and notifying your consecration and election, with Hieromonk Pachomius sent from you.” Such a letter was indeed received along with a letter from Patriarch Adrian. This altar letter, very lengthy and rich in content, set out in detail the entire history of the election, naming and dedication of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky as Archbishop of the Chernigov Diocese, and the personality of the saint was characterized by the following remarkable words: “he is a good man, and from his youth he was adorned with virtues by monastic life, and is known for the success of the authorities of the most honorable monasteries, full of the fear of God and spiritual buckets, a lover of wisdom, the most zealous in the splendor of the Church wisher and government of the house and diocese of Chernigov, blessing of the acquisition.”
Further in the letter there follows a whole series of paternal instructions concerning church administration, teaching and priesthood, in general - all archbishop's activities in the broadest sense. The Patriarch did not even lose sight of the archbishop's printing house, located in the Ilinsky Monastery: “in it,” he wrote in the letter, “let church books be printed according to the order, tradition and wisdom of the Eastern Churches, with his archbishop’s blessing and inspection.” Knowing that in Little Russia there were some deviations in the performance of divine services, which were tolerated even by Rev. Lazarus (for example, the dedication of several people at one liturgy), the patriarch commanded in a letter that “sacramental services and sacraments should be performed according to the rite of the saints of the Eastern Church and as prescribed by the hierarchal service of the Official; many presbyters and deacons should not be ordained at a single liturgy, but only one rite for one person at a time.” In the charter, by the way, the Chernigov archdiocese is called the first among all Russian archdioceses and St.
Theodosius, following the example of the late Lazar Baranovich, is allowed “to put on the sakkos in sacred service.” Further exposing to the curse all those who will resist and not submit to the Archbishop Theodosius of Uglitsky, whom he has confirmed, Patriarch Adrian concludes his letter with an injunction that from now on all future Chernigov archpastors will be consecrated “in the reigning great and eminent city of Moscow, in the house of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, her honorable Assumption." This was the charter issued by Patriarch Adrian St. Feodosius Uglitsky. The Patriarch sent a special letter to Hetman Mazepa, in which he said that “the All-Good God himself has prepared the Chernigov diocese, in his lifetime I exist to Archbishop Lazar, the Most Reverend Archbishop Theodosius of Uglitsky, the former archimandrite of the Chernigov Most Holy Mother of God of the Yelets Monastery”; Thus. ordination of St. During the life of Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, he attributed Theodosius to the special providence of God that benefited the Chernigov flock.
At the end of the letter, the Patriarch asked the Hetman, as a son of the Church, to His Eminence Archbishop. Theodosius “to help and welcome in everything.” So St. Theodosius of Uglitsky was confirmed by both the kings and Patriarch Adrian as an independent archbishop of the Chernigov diocese.
Independent government of St. Theodosius Chernigov diocese was relatively short-lived, and little documentary information about this administration has reached us. Modest always and in everything, St. Theodosius remained true to himself this time too. The entire description of his activities as an independent head of the diocese - on the basis of surviving monuments - can be presented in the following form.
Saint Theodosius paid special attention to awakening and maintaining the spirit of true Christian piety among his flock. To this end, he took care of the restoration of the old and the establishment of new monasteries and churches. From the written monuments that have reached us, we learn that at the very beginning of his sole management of the diocese, the saint gave the widow of the Starodub colonel Maria Suzhilova his charter, with which he blessed her to build a nunnery on the land she and her late husband had bought; the farmstead where they decided to found the monastery and founded it was called Pecheniki, which is why the monastery itself received the name Pecheniki. The saint's blessed letter for the establishment of this monastery eloquently testifies to the great zeal of the saint for the multiplication of monastic monasteries and for the inculcation of true Christian piety among the flock through these monasteries.
Soon after receiving the saint's blessing, Maria Sulimova built a church for the new monastery in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was then consecrated to St. Theodosius. The following year, 1694, with his blessing, the Lyubets monastery was founded 2 versts from Lyubech. In 1694 St. Theodosius consecrated a newly built church in the Domnitsky Monastery in honor of the Nativity of St. Mother of God and established the celebration of the miraculous and Domnitskaya icon on the 10th Friday.
At the same time, Saint Theodosius zealously cared about the creation of churches of God. In the summer of 1695, the saint consecrated a majestic church in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, built on the top of Boldinskaya Mountain, near the ancient Ilyinsky Monastery, which is why the monastery itself began to be called Trinity-Ilyinsky. The construction of this church began thanks to the zeal and personal funds of the archbishop. Lazarus, but was completely finished under St. Feodosia. One can imagine how great the joy of the saint was when he consecrated this church, which was the subject of special care and trusteeship of his teacher, patron and brother in rank - Lazar Baranovich. In general, it should be noted that the time of St. Theodosius’ administration of the Chernigov diocese is marked by a special rise and strengthening of monasticism and asceticism in this diocese. Apparently, the saint himself was a strict ascetic and cared about inculcating asceticism in his diocese.
However, in his concerns for the moral well-being of his diocese, St. Theodosius did not limit himself to just one planting of asceticism. He generally cared about the purification and elevation of the moral life of all his flock. Since the moral state of the flock significantly depends on the image of the moral life of the clergy themselves and on the degree of their influence on their parishioners, the saint turned his main attention to the clergy. He was strictly selective when choosing candidates for priestly positions and assigning them to parishes. In this case, he attached the most importance and paid the greatest attention to the moral life of those elected. At the same time, St. Theodosius tried to promote the education of the Chernigov clergy, considering education one of the most important means to strengthen the good pastoral influence of the clergy on parishioners.
It is known, at least, that he especially patronized the Chernigov theological schools, transferred under Archbishop Lazar Baranovich to Chernigov and located here at the Boris and Gleb Monastery. By the way, he invited learned monks from Kyiv to Chernigov as teachers, among whom was especially remarkable John Maksimovich, who later became the assistant and successor of St. Theodosius in the department and the real organizer of the Chernigov theological schools (after Theodosius of Uglitsky, under Archbishop John Maksimovich, these schools were united and little by little the Chernigov Theological Seminary was formed from them).
Regardless of these measures taken by St. Theodosius, in order to strengthen the pastoral and educational activities of the parish clergy, he constantly inspired the latter to be completely fair in relation to his flock and most of all to value his good name and his honor in the eyes of parishioners. Strict justice of St. Theodosius, and along with this, deep respect for the rank of priest, worthy of bearing it, and the spiritual tact of the saint, if one can put it that way, stand out clearly in his letter to the noble military comrade Ivan Zabela. Zabela, the owner of the village of Obotovo, apparently did not like the Obotovsky priest for no good reason, and he wanted to kill him. St. Theodosius stood up for the priest and on this occasion wrote to Zabela: “Honest Father Gregory, priest of Obotovsky, tearfully asked me to turn to your mercy so that he would not be removed from the church of Obotovsky.
I ask your mercy for him that you treat him favorably, and especially if he bears his rank with dignity, but if unfortunately he does not act as he should, then he must be removed from the parish according to the law, that is, he must be called before a spiritual court, his guilt can be fully proven, and then, if he is expelled from the parish, it will be correct and sinless.”... This letter, written to such a person as a noble military comrade, is only which is in due measure, so to speak, kind, but mostly strict, for the saint, without ranting, makes Zabela understand the dignity of the “honest priest,” whom he does not agree to remove at the whim of even a strong person. In addition, the dignity of Saint Theodosius increases to a significant extent because the complete dependence of the village priest on the local owner was an established custom at that time. In general, strict justice in relation to the clergy and flock, deep compassion and the greatest condescension were the hallmarks of the diocesan activity of St.
Feodosia, judging by the surviving information about her. Here are some outstanding examples drawn from extant documents. A certain Agathia (Roslavets), the wife of the Starodub priest, the daughter of the Starodub colonel Peter Roslavets, turned to St. Theodosius with a prayer to her brother Simeon (in the monastic life of Szmuel), accusing him of using all of her father’s estate during her childhood and not allocating her any part of either movable or immovable property. But you need to know that Simeon Roslavets founded the Pochei monastery and gave his parents’ estate to the monastery. Saint Theodosius, although he valued the well-being of the monasteries, however, moved solely by a sense of truth and mercy, took the side of the bypassed woman in this matter. Since the movable property had already been squandered by Simeon Roslavets, the saint, with his own handwritten resolution, ordered that most of her father’s real estate be given to the offended woman, leaving only a small part of the land for the monastery for the sake of the eternal remembrance of her and her father.
“Guided by social law,” says St. Theodosius in his decision in the case of Agathia, - and the human custom that every descendant can be the heir of his father's estate, we awarded to the aforementioned Agathia from the immovable estates (since there were no movable estates left) a yard with land (in which their father lived) in the borough of Pochep, bordering on one side with the courtyard of Kurilov, on the other - with the courtyard of Kashansky, the back side facing the street, and gate - to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For the same purpose, they awarded her two pieces of land behind the mentioned place, one - behind the priest's fence - with a bright room, and the other - with a bakery and a large vegetable garden. And we left part of the land, with the fish tank and the distillery, at the Pochepovok Monastery for the sake of the arrival of novices from the monastery, and most of all for the sake of constant prayers for their parents. Both Agathia and her descendants have the right to dispose of the above-mentioned courtyards and lands at their own will, and can give and sell to whomever they wish.
In order for this decree of ours to remain in memory longer, and to have greater force for the aforementioned Agathia, we ordered that this sheet of ours be issued with a signature of our own and with the embossing of the cathedral seal - the year and day of the above-mentioned (i.e., January 4, 1695), in Chernigov, in our archbishop’s see.” The signature under this decision is as follows: “Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov and Novgorod, Archimandrite Yeletsky.”
Another time, one resident of the village of Lopazni (Mglinsky district), named Thomas Grechushenko, complained to Saint Theodosius about Fr. Dionysius, the Mglinsky governor, because the latter sought to appropriate his father's estate and for this purpose caused him a lot of trouble, even intending to imprison his son. This complaint resonated painfully in the saint’s heart, and he immediately tried to protect the offended one. St. Theodosius sent a letter to the Pochepovo archpriest John Belyavsky, in which (the letter) he was commanded to reason with and warn the offender. “Call, your honor,” wrote St. Theodosius to John Belyavsky, - that father of the governor (Dionysius) to yourself and on our pastoral behalf admonish him so that he stops and no longer causes offense to those wretched people. For such insults cry out to God for vengeance. If that father governor does not stop in this, then, your honor, see to it that he immediately appears before our pulpit when these people demand him.
Having once again ordered this to your honor, we send our bishop’s blessing.” In all likelihood, the pastoral order of Saint Theodosius had its effect and forced the Mglinsky governor to humble himself.
We have given two examples that clearly prove the saint’s compassion for the helpless and orphans, his concern for those oppressed and offended by human tyranny, and now we will point out one case that characteristically outlines the ability of the saint. Theodosius gives prudent decisions even in difficult and controversial matters and his Christian view of worldly relations. One day in 1695 St. Theodosius Uglitsky was visiting, as he himself puts it in his letter, in the city of Novgorodseversk. Here, quite unexpectedly, he had to resolve a dispute regarding hayfields located near the Ivota River (in Novgorod-Seversky district). To St. Cathedral subjects, residents of the village of Pogrebkov, appeared to Theodosius and complained to him about the Cossacks of the village of Ivot for taking away the Ivot hayfields that belonged to them, asking the saint to take these hayfields from the Cossacks. At the same time, the Cossacks came to Feodosius Uglitsky and defended their rights to the Ivot hayfields. It was not easy to resolve the dispute, especially since both sides had their own grounds for claims.
Cathedral subjects from the village of Pogrebkov claimed their rights to hayfields because they were given them by the Right Reverend Archbishop Lazar Baranovich. And the Ivotsky Cossacks in this case referred to a letter from the former cathedral governor” and to a “military patrol” sheet. Then the saint, in order not to offend both of them, made the following characteristic decision: “for the sake of greater convenience and for the sake of peace between our subjects and the military people (Cossacks), we divide the hayfields in two: we separate half for the Cossacks, and we command our Pogrebsky subjects to be content with the other half.” Saint Theodosius, with his prudent solution to the dispute, satisfied both his cathedral subjects and the Ivotsky Cossacks.
In the diocesan activities of St. Theodosius also deserves attention for his defense of Orthodoxy against the influence of Catholicism and Uniatism and his defense of the Russian people against the Poles. Activities of St. Theodosius, as the guardian and defender of Orthodoxy from the machinations of papism and union, cannot be doubted. It is true that since the annexation of Little Russia to Russia, Orthodoxy in the latter began to acquire more and more triumphant significance, and in relation to the Chernigov diocese it had previously been more consolidated than in any of the other Little Russian dioceses, but still in Little Russia there were still many people who were drawn towards Poland, and, naturally, the struggle in defense of Orthodoxy continued and required very energetic and reasonable activity - especially with the archbishop's side. Unfortunately, from the documentary side, we currently do not have sufficient data to determine the activities of St. Feodosius, but we know that even the inhabitants of the Polish Dnieper Ruthenia 36 often sought from St.
the ascetic Theodosius and consolation and support for himself. So, in January 1694, one of the Smolensk governors, Dominik Polubinsky (Catholic), turned to St. Theodosius with the following letter: “The grandfatherly faith of my ancestors, extinguished in them in the struggle between Lithuania and Poland, the Russian faith of the holy Eastern Church serves as an incentive for me to be under the citizenship of the kings of Moscow, as its honorers and protectors... Therefore, finding now a convenient time to enter into the citizenship of the kings of Moscow, I turn to your love with a request for that...” St. Theodosius He answered that the master should not abandon his wonderful intention, and interceded for him with the hetman; the latter reassured Polubinsky with his favor. Soon Polubinsky arrived in Chernigov, converted to Orthodoxy and received the position of city chieftain in the city. Starodube.
In addition, Saint Theodosius brought no little benefit to the Russian state in that, thanks to his moral influence and Christian peacefulness, he was always able to calm the outbursts of hot-headed and headstrong Ukrainians and thereby protect the state from harmful and dangerous unrest.
In general, the greatest influence on the flock of St. Theodosius proved not so much by his external activities as by the very character and manner of his holy life. He was like a lamp that illuminated the entire Chernigov diocese with its quiet light and warmed everyone with the warmth of his loving heart. No matter how scant the information about the life of the saint, who loved modesty and constantly sought solitude and removal from the bustle of the world, may be, nevertheless, based on this information that has reached us, we can form a more or less clear idea of the saint’s lifestyle. First of all, he was a true ascetic. This is how people who were closest to him knew and considered him; for example, Archbishop Lazar Baranovich respected the saint for his ascetic life and fasting. This is how we saw him presented by the same Lazar Baranovich and the Little Russian Hetman Mazepa to the Tsars and the Patriarch when they asked to appoint Archimandrite Theodosius first as an assistant to the Chernigov Archbishop, and then as a second Archbishop.
The Patriarch himself recognized him as such in his charters and letters, having become thoroughly acquainted with him and having tested him well. Being a strict ascetic and faster, St. Theodosius was distinguished by the deepest humility, examples of the manifestation of which we have had to depict more than once in this biography. His humility was elevated mainly by the fact that it did not flow from any external motives, but from the inner depths of the saint’s reverent feeling.
The truly ascetic life of Saint Theodosius aroused in all those who knew him deep respect for him even during his lifetime. He was known not only in Little Russia, but also in Moscow and even in Palestine. This is evident from the fact that the Patriarch of Jerusalem Dositheos in the middle of 1694, “as a sign of love and blessing from the holy and life-giving Holy Sepulcher,” sent with Archimandrite Chrysanthus a gift to St. Theodosius, a book entitled “Collection of Greek and Roman civil decrees,” op. Leunclavia. At the same time, it is remarkable that the saint was respected and revered for his piety not only by Orthodox, but even by heterodox Christians, as shown by the given example of the adoption of Orthodoxy by the Catholic Dominic of Polubinsky under the influence of the beneficial effect on him of the pious ascetic life of Saint Theodosius.
To the great grief of the entire flock of Chernigov and the entire Russian Church, Saint Theodosius did not shine for long at the Chernigov see. Approaching his death, he summoned the abbot of the Bryansk Svensky Monastery, Hieromonk John Maksimovich, to Chernigov, and in the middle of 1695 appointed him archimandrite of the Eletsky Monastery, which until that time he had ruled himself; St. Theodosius, as a new archimandrite, prepared in advance for himself a worthy successor to the department. Soon after that, the great lamp of the Russian Church went out. On February 5, 1696, the great and unforgettable saint for the Chernigov flock passed away: he, in the words of Patriarch Adrian, “has accepted the limit of his life, he has found peace in the Lord forever; The existing Church there (in Chernigov) remained widowed, without a proper shepherd.” The people of Chernigov wept bitterly over the tomb of their beloved archpastor. Saint Theodosius was buried in the Chernigov Cathedral of St. Boris and Gleb, behind the right choir, in a specially made crypt.
Glorification of Saint Theodosius
Saint Theodosius of Christ, who was the true luminary of his flock during his lifetime, did not leave it even after his blessed death. Resting his incorrupt body in the Boris and Gleb Cathedral, St. Theodosius remained a loving shepherd of Christ's flock from the day of his blessed repose until the present day and did not abandon anyone who came running to him with faith and love, but even more actively brought down the grace of God on them with his prayers.
Just as during his life he sanctified the name of God through faith and deeds of virtue, so he continued and now continues to sanctify and glorify the name of God in his incorruption and through miraculous healings performed by the grace of God at his multi-healing relics.
Just as during his life he attracted everyone with his inner spiritual beauty and holiness of life, so after his departure to the heavenly abodes he attracts a great multitude of people, for in his incorruptible body, as in a certain vessel of the Divine, dwells the grace-filled power of Christ, with which he is permeated throughout his entire composition and through the same power of Christ works miracles when it pleases the Lord 37 .
The reliquary of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, in which his saints rested. relics from 1825 to 1896
Just as during his lifetime Saint Theodosius taught, admonished, did good and helped his flock in their needs and misadventures, so to this day he is a heavenly patron, intercessor and helper not only for the people of Chernigov, but also for everyone who comes to him with faith and fervent prayer.
Just as during the life of the saint they constantly turned to him with a request to pray at the throne of God for healing from mental and physical ailments, so from the day of the blessed dormition of the saint until the days of the discovery of the relics, many ailing people, those possessed by illnesses and those suffering in soul, flock to him with hope for the prayers of the saint. Theodosius to receive forgiveness of sins from the Lord and be freed from the illness that tormented them.
“Serve tomorrow and you will be healthy,” says the saint, appearing to his successor at the Chernigov see in the midst of the latter’s illness. And the words of the saint were justified in practice to the reverent joy of the ill Chernigov Archbishop John Maksimovich and the eyewitnesses of this miracle.
“Bring your family to me,” he says to the former keymaster of the Chernigov Cathedral, Archpriest Dimitry Stefanovsky, at the beginning of his daughter’s long and laborious illness. The father, struck by grief, does not find it necessary to immediately fulfill the preliminary word of the saint, and only after three and a half years, when all human efforts to heal the sick woman had already been exhausted, he brings his sick daughter to venerate the saint. relics of the saint. And as soon as they brought her to the saint’s tomb, she instantly received a miraculous healing and left the cave herself without outside help.
“Go to the cathedral and send a prayer service, and you will be healthy,” says the saint in a dream vision to the one possessed by muteness for a year and five months. The mute, getting up from sleep, began to speak to his amazement, and then, seeing a portrait of the saint in the cathedral, recognized in him the saint of God who had appeared to him in a dream, and with awe of gratitude fell at his tomb, praying, and rejoicing, and crying.
Having received a miraculous healing from an illness, but keeping silent about such a benefit, the saint meekly admonishes through another person: “tell Dolinsky why he doesn’t want to glorify me for healing his son from an illness.”
To a sick person suffering from demonic possession, who felt disgust for everything sacred and who uttered blasphemy against God Himself, the saint gives a whole instruction: “go to church, pray and you will receive healing; ask the priests to read incantatory prayers over you and take out particles for your health every mass, throughout the whole week. Despite your suffering during the attacks, do not despair, but firmly believe, ask for help, serve a prayer service with an akathist to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, and after all, confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries.” The saint himself reminds the patient of his sins and orders, after healing, to go to worship the Kyiv shrine. Everything that was said to the sufferer in the vision was fulfilled by him, and he completely recovered during the service of a requiem mass at the relics of the saint.
“I bless and forgive,” the saint says to the priest, who confessed his sins to him in a dream and prayed for the healing of his sick son, while promising the healing of the baby, who recovered the next day.
To a woman who, in grave suffering, called on the saint for help and prayed to him with tears in St. Pentecostal, he says, meekly reproaching and admonishing her: “You didn’t fast, that’s not good. You will not be worthy to taste Easter. Try to take communion on Holy Saturday.”
To another woman, who was praying to God with tears and calling on the saint to pray for the recovery of her husband, the miracle worker affectionately says, comforting her and encouraging her: “Don’t cry, I will pray to God, and your husband will be healthy.” And soon after this her husband, who had suffered from a painful illness for about a year, completely recovered.
He appears to the patient, who called him on her sick bed, and says only one word to her: “calm down,” and her moral suffering finally ends.
“Shame on you, you don’t know how to approach a blessing,” the saint reproaches a woman of a heterodox religion, but who has already experienced his help, and immediately teaches her how to place her right hand on her left.
This communication of Saint Theodosius, who resides in a village where there is no weeping or sighing, with those who remain in earthly life and are exhausted in everyday struggle, a deeply edifying and joyful phenomenon in itself, received at the same time enormous significance in the consciousness of pious Orthodox Christians, as the appearance of a new intercessor for them at the throne of the Most High, and the incorruption of the body of the saint of God and the workings of miracles, exuded by his warm intercession, confirmed the believer in the immutable truth of Orthodoxy; and the glory of Saint Theodosius, as a saint and wonderworker, spread throughout the entire face of the Russian land.
After 200 years from the day of the blessed death of St. Theodosius, the Orthodox Russian Church, prompted by the popular voice, replaced the prayers for the repose of the soul of St. Theodosius with the prayer of the holy saint of God, St. Theodosius, to intercede for us sinners before the Lord God.
The increase in the glory of Saint Theodosius or his glorification as a saint proceeded in the following order and began from the day of the blessed repose of Saint Theodosius.
In the old days, according to local custom, after the funeral service, the coffin of each saint was placed in a common crypt under the church, without closing it for 40 days, in order to be able to perform commemoration at the coffin during this time. This was done with the coffin of St. Feodosia. According to legend, a sign of grace, a miracle and healing from illness of his successor in the Chernigov see, John Maksimovich, and other miracles immediately demonstrated the gift of miracle-working of the relics of St. Theodosius.
The deacon, who was reading the Gospel over the body of the saint, fell asleep in the corner of the church, on the carpet. Before the start of matins, he was awakened by the voice of the saint, who said: get up, they are already going to matins 38 .
Soon after the blessed death of St. Theodosius, the Right Reverend John fell ill with a fever. The illness quickly intensified: delirium set in. Suddenly the Eminence calls his cell attendant and gives orders to immediately conduct vespers in his chambers and read the service rule for him, and in the morning to prepare everything for his service in the church. Those around him thought that the Reverend was doing this in delirium, however, yielding to his persistent demands, they fulfilled his wish. The next day, the Right Reverend felt completely healthy and served the Divine Liturgy, after which he explained to those around him that the day before St. Theodosius appeared to him and said: “serve tomorrow and you will be healthy.” The miracle described occurred during the forty-day celebration and was undoubtedly the reason why the saint’s tomb was not closed, as well as the reason that the body of Saint Theodosius did not undergo decomposition. Reverend
John built an elevated brick vault over the tomb, like a stone tent, and a passage along a spiral staircase from the church to the saint’s tomb, where worshipers began to go for blessings and spiritual gifts to their loving archpastor, who did not forget his flock after his death and left them, as a pledge of his constant intercession for them at the throne of the Most High, his body incorruptible 39 .
Above the entrance to the stone tent was placed a full-length picturesque image of Theodosius, wearing a sakkos and an omophorion; At the bottom of the portrait there is an inscription - praise, composed by John Maksimovich, according to the custom of that time, in verses of syllabic size and the following content:
Theodosius the gift of God, nicknamed Uglitsky,
Given to the bishopric by God in Chernigov,
Live in a little evil, many summers have passed,
He was soon honored with a heavenly palace.
He appeared to everyone on earth in the flesh like an Angel,
And he was caught up into heaven, like the second Paul, -
The imperishable relics testify,
Those who don’t believe will see themselves in the grave; they will inform them by deeds.
In one thousand ninety-six hundred and six
Goda passed away according to his holy life.
Put me behind your belly in Yeletskoye
Archimandrite; leave that light in the pulpit
The same as John on the bishopric.
He himself now remains in the seraphim flock.
To the Bishop of God, Saint Theodosius!
He sighs at your throne, everyone says: who is this?
A monk is truly unworthy to be baptized,
Be clothed in this with your prayers.
The news of the miracle of healing from illness through the intercession of St. Theodosius, Archbishop. John Maksimovich, rumor about the incorruption of St. saint and new manifestations of grace at his tomb began to attract many pilgrims to the tomb of the saint. 76 years after the death of the saint, on February 14, 1772, the incorrupt body, with the blessing of the local bishop Theophilus (Ignatovich), was transferred to a new wooden shrine, and, according to legend, the first coffin of the saint, as well as his mantle, were distributed in parts to the pilgrims.
In 1781, the same Chernigov Bishop Theophilus informed the Holy Synod that in the cathedral Boris and Gleb Monastery, in a large church, there are hidden in a wooden reliquary the incorruptible relics of the Right Reverend Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov, to which relics there is progress, and also that through the gracious intercession of Blessed Theodosius those possessed by demonic possession are healed and bodily ailments, many people of different ages, sexes and classes.
Meanwhile, the glory of the miracles performed at the tomb of St. Feodosia, spread more and more and by the beginning of this century had moved far beyond the borders of the Chernigov province. So the commander of our troops in the Patriotic War, Mich. Ilar. Kutuzov in 1808, having been appointed commander-in-chief of the Danube Army, upon leaving Kyiv, not having the opportunity to personally visit Chernigov, asked the Chernigov Cathedral Clergy, as before, to serve two requiem services at St. Theodosius 40.
In 1824, at the tomb of the saint, a miraculous healing of the Chernigov merchant schismatic Gorbunov took place. Gorbunov converted to Orthodoxy and, in memory of his miraculous healing, at his own expense, built a new silver-plated and, in some places, gilded copper shrine for the saint’s incorruptible body. The second coffin of the saint was handed over to the cathedral sacristy, where it is still kept.
Graceful healings received from St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, through the prayers of believers who turned to him for help, seals were not passed on and were not announced to anyone, which is why in the past no records were kept about them. Archpriest of the Chernigov Cathedral P. Shishov, who served at the Boris and Gleb Cathedral from 1812 to 1852, writes that the gracious healing experiences of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky were not recorded because there was no order about this from the authorities. But then the same Archpriest Shishov, in his note dated 1834, writes: everyone, especially the priesthood of the cathedral, knows how frequent and varied healings and miracles flowed from the incorruptible relics in God of the late Most Reverend Theodosius of Uglitsky, who was buried in the cathedral, about which for some time the Chernigov archpastors themselves ordered to collect information and kept in the cathedral sacristy, of which quite a few have already been collected from those who were healed or their relatives.
The formal record of the grace-filled healing experiences received from St. Theodosius of Uglitsky begins in 1835, with a statement by priest Stefan Andreev. Short sketches of the life and stories about the miracles of this saint will soon appear in print. The first compiler of a short life of St. Theodosius (in 1856) is Hieromonk Nikodim, a former teacher of theological sciences at the Chernigov Seminary.
A large gathering of pilgrims to the tomb of St. Theodosius, due to the cramped and inconvenient entrance to the cave, was forced in 1856 to attach a semicircular chapel with a convenient staircase to the cave to the front part of the vestibule of the southern side of the Boris and Gleb Cathedral, and to lengthen, widen and make the cave itself bright 41 . For symmetry, the same aisle was built on the left side of the vestibule, intended for a pantry. Coffin with St. the relics of the saint, dressed in a miter, sakkos and omophorion, were left in the same place where he was placed after his death; at the coffin at the feet of the saint they placed his holy silver staff, with the inscription in black: “Theodosius of Uglitsky.” Over the saint’s tomb, the number of lamps donated by various individuals began to multiply; Of these lamps, two are unquenchable.
At the beginning of 1850, the Holy Synod made the first order to investigate the news of healings circulating everywhere through the prayerful intercession of St. Feodosia. On behalf of the then Archbishop of Chernigov Pavel (Podlinsky), the investigation was carried out by the rector of the local seminary, Archimander. Simeon. Sending to the Holy Synod a description of cases of miraculous healings confirmed by investigation, with the gracious help of St. Theodosius, the sick, the dumb, the deaf, the blind, possessed by demons, etc., Rev. Paul reported that as a result of these miracles, not only the Orthodox turn to the saint, but even Catholics, Lutherans and schismatics reverently honor the incorruptible saints. power.
In October 1857, while passing through Chernigov, they paid reverent veneration to the tomb of St. Feodosia Their Imperial Majesties Sovereign Alexander Nikolaevich and Empress Maria Alexandrovna.
Since 1869, under the Chernigov Bishop Serapion, they began to celebrate the day of the repose of St. Theodosius with special solemnity. Every year on February 5, on this ever-memorable day for Chernigov, the bishop celebrated a funeral liturgy in the Borisoglebsk Church, with the prayerful participation of the cathedral clergy, and then a requiem service, with the concelebration of the entire city clergy. At the end of the requiem service, the bishop went into the cave to the relics of the saint, performed a litany before them and worshiped with the howling of the clergy.
In recent years, the name of Saint Theodosius, as a great saint of God, a protector from troubles and misfortunes, a deliverer from every evil situation, was positively known throughout Russia, and although at the tomb of St. Only requiem services were performed for Theodosius, but the people paid veneration to him, as if he were an already glorified saint. This is what the cathedral archpriest wrote about this in 1891. Chernigov Cathedral Fr. John Platonov, a constant witness to the fervent veneration of St. by pilgrims. Theodosius: “The Orthodox people, in all classes, deeply believe in the validity of the intercession of Saint Theodosius before the Lord God; thousands of pilgrims, from even the most remote places of our fatherland, flock with special zeal to Chernigov every year to venerate the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, pour out their prayers before him, like children before their father, and with the tenderness of faith kiss his blessing right hand.
Residents of Chernigov, Christians, consider it their indispensable duty in all cases of family and social life, in all enterprises and undertakings to ask for the blessing of Theodosius, and therefore, in joy and sorrow, each and every one of them rushes to the shrine of the honorable relics of this heavenly patron of Chernigov. In their houses they light lamps before the image of the saint; the name of the saint is pronounced with reverence and hope over the bed of a sick family member; the feelings of gratitude of those benefited by his holy intercession aspire to him.”
The veneration of Saint Theodosius by the people as a saint, numerous cases of miraculous healing from his incorruptible relics attracted the attention of the civil authorities, which was expressed in the most submissive report of the Chernigov governor for 1889, and this report, in turn, attracted the attention of the late Sovereign Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich. In view of this, the Holy Synod instructed the Most Reverend of Chernigov to collect and deliver to the Synod information about the life and exploits of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky and, taking into account that the news about the miracles of St. Theodosius remains not fully known, and meanwhile the general confidence in the holiness of this saint is being established more and more, he found it timely to begin to certify the incorruption of the body of the deceased saint and the miraculous the phenomena taking place at his tomb. The next examination of this matter is St.
The Synod entrusted His Grace Ioannikiy, Metropolitan of Kyiv, and local Bishop Anthony, who together with the vicar of the Chernigov diocese, Bishop Pitirim, rector of Chernigov. Seminary Archpriest Preobrazhensky and two archpriests of the local cathedral clergy arrived at the cave of the Borisoglebsky Church on June 5, 1895 and, after the funeral service for St. Theodosius was celebrated here, they carried out a detailed examination of the coffin, clothes and the body of Saint Theodosius, and the body of the saint, despite having spent almost 200 years in the Borisoglebsky cave The church, which was not particularly dry, turned out to be imperishable.
Regardless of this, Reverend. Ioannikis and Anthony, together with the above-mentioned clergy, invited persons who had experienced miraculous healings on themselves and their relatives, thanks to the prayerful invocation of the intercession of St. Theodosius, and collected from them, under oath and assault, testimonies about the reality of the miracles performed on them. They examined 49 such events, of which 12 were recorded in the books of the cathedral.
The Holy Synod, having examined in all details and with all possible care all the above circumstances, came to full conviction in the truth of the incorruptibility of the body of St. Theodosius and in the authenticity of the miracles performed through him, and determined on June 26, 1896: 1) in the blessed memory of the deceased Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov, to be canonized by the grace of God glorified, and recognize his incorruptible body as holy relics; announce this to the public and 3) set the solemn opening of the relics (canonization) of Theodosius of Uglitsky on September 9, 1896 (See the definition of the Holy Synod of June 26, 1896. Appendix).
Let's move on to the story of miracles.
Miracles of Saint Theodosius.
The number of miraculous manifestations of God's grace that took place through the prayerful intercession of St. Theodosius, is too significant, and therefore we will not talk about every case, but will present only a few, mainly from those presented to the Holy Synod and examined by order of the same Synod.
1) Around 1808, a peasant woman in the Smolensk province became mute from fright. Walking with her fellow countrymen to Kyiv, she went to venerate Saint Theodosius. While she was venerating the relics of the saint, the gift of speech immediately returned to her 42 .
2) In 1813, the wife of the provincial leader, state councilor, Anna Vas. Lizogub, having come to the relics of the saint with his weakened son, in the presence of Archpriest Shishov, with tears and solemnly pronounced her grateful prayers to the saint for the healing of her son from a putrid fever, for which local doctors refused to treat him. To commemorate this healing, Mrs. Lizogub renewed the portrait of the saint, which stood in the cathedral and had fallen into disrepair.
3) A resident of the Konotop district of the village of Mitchenok, Mrs. Kozlovskaya, deliberately came to Chernigov in 1820 to declare that she was sick and did not have control of her right hand for a long time. Having been in Chernigov and venerating the relics of St. Theodosius, on whose hand she just rubbed her hand, she felt a change in her hand - her hand became healthy.
4) A year after Kozlovskaya’s statement, i.e. in 1821, during the weekly sequence of ministry of Archpriest. Shishov, a nobleman from the Konotop district came to the cathedral, asked to sing a requiem mass at the relics of the saint and placed three candles that he had brought with him in front of the shrine, asking that they not be accepted until they burned out. He brought these candles as a promise for the saint’s healing of his son from long-term weakness in his legs, from which his son could neither walk nor stand.
5) Around 1825, on the tenth Friday after Easter, during a large public meeting, a woman, a resident of the Raduli settlement, Gorodnitsky district, approached the relics in the presence of Shishov, and, emitting a strong cry in front of the entrance to the cave in which the relics of St. Theodosius rest, fell into complete unconsciousness (or rather, a fit of demonic possession happened to her, which clearly follows from the further narration Archpriest Shishov). Supported by the arms of two of her friends, she, screaming and grimacing, with the help of others, was dragged into the cave and brought to the tomb of the saint. Here she suddenly stopped screaming, trembled for a while, then began to cross herself, venerated the honorable relics of Theodosius and walked away in perfect meaning and memory, with the triumph and tears of her friends. At the same time, Archpriest Shishov himself involuntarily shed tears of emotion. Rumors spread about this miracle throughout Chernigov.
6) 1836, October 18, the priest of the Transfiguration Church of the town of Voronezh, Glukhov district, Chernigov province, Stefan Nikiforov Andreev, on his arrival in Chernigov, submitted a written statement to the clergyman of the cathedral that he suffered from severe rheumatism with relaxation and swelling in his arms and legs, which led him to extreme exhaustion, and had already lost hope of recovery. On January 30, 1835, on the day of celebration in honor of the three saints, during the proskomedia, he, among the saints, involuntarily pronounced the name of Theodosius of Uglitsky. The next night he saw in a dream that he was at the relics of Saint Theodosius, shining with a radiant light, and when, at the order of some clergyman, he made three prostrations before the shrine and kissed himself, he saw that the face of the saint was open, and the saint was looking at him. Then, it seemed to him, the saint took his right hand, bare to the shoulder, and anointed it with his hand with the oil that stood in the vessel near his tomb; In spiritual joy, the patient kissed the saint’s hand several times and immediately woke up.
Since then he has felt completely healthy, without taking medications or taking any precautions.
7) 1838, on February 6, the wife of the director of schools in the Chernigov province, Anna Grigorievna Fisher, stated in writing that, having moved to Chernigov with her husband, who was appointed director of the local gymnasium, and being of the Lutheran faith, she did not know about the existence of the winter Boris and Gleb Cathedral Church in Chernigov and had not heard about the relics of St. Theodosius being in it. But in August of the same year, when her young son was very ill and she herself was suffering greatly with her eyes, she saw in a dream two churches, one large and the other small; a woman who was feeding her child at that time came out of the latter in tears, and to the question: where was she? answered: in the church. Mrs. Fisher entered the church and went down into the crypt, in which she saw a silver coffin with the saint resting in it and on the wall in front of him an image of the Most Holy Theotokos; A woman unknown to her was praying at the coffin. Having never heard anything about what she saw, she asked the woman: what does this mean? – And I received the following answer: this is Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky; pray to him! – you and your child will be healthy!
– Mrs. Fisher began to pray earnestly and finally woke up. Soon after this vision, Mrs. Fisher and her child completely recovered. Having learned from inquiries from her friends about the actual existence of what she had seen in a dream, she hastened with heartfelt gratitude to the saint, asked to serve a memorial service at his tomb, and was extremely amazed that all the details of the cave she had seen in the dream were completely similar to what she saw in reality.
In the month of May 1838, Mrs. Fisher again received a vision. In her dream, it seemed to her that the saint was sitting in a simple hut, on a bench, in bishop’s vestments, with a staff in his hand. When she came up to ask for a blessing, the saint, smiling, told her: “Shame on you, you don’t know how to approach a blessing,” and taught her how to do this, she should put one hand on top of the other. Having received the blessing with reverent awe, she woke up. Arriving at the Boris and Gleb Cathedral Church, she recognized the saint by the portrait there, which she had not noticed before.
In the month of June of the same year, Mrs. Fisher and her husband, both at the same time, were desperately ill. She was so weak that she was unable to pray, but concern about her husband’s illness and the fear of losing him aroused vigor in her. With tears, she turned to Saint Theodosius, asking for his help, and her husband immediately received relief, and soon both of them recovered. - Mrs. Fisher, in heartfelt emotion, ends her note with the following words: “The omniscient and all-seeing Lord is the witness that my testimony is true!”
Former director of the Chernigov gymnasium Boris Iv. Fischer, a Lutheran, therefore, according to the principle of his religion, who does not recognize the holiness of the saints of God and rejects their worship in icons, in his letter to Rev. Shishovu from Minsk writes: “The image of St. Theodosius, being in the room where my whole family was sleeping, saved us all from the consequences of the epidemic that was terribly raging in our country 43 . Under the holy intercession of the saint, I visited the stricken and had the good fortune to help many, and my whole family was safe.” Sending money with the letter, he asks Rev. Shishov to pray for him and his family at the tomb of St. Theodosius. At the end of the letter he asks to send him to Minsk the prayer read at the memorial service for the saint’s cancer. “We,” Fischer concludes, are Lutherans, but we will read the litany morning and evening for your blessing.”
8) 1839, June 18, the landowner of the Krolevets district, Chernigov province, captain Lev Ilyich Dolinsky, explained in his note that his five-year-old son was sick for several days with a severe fever, at the very time when he needed to go to Chernigov on his business. His mother, the sick man’s grandmother, persuaded him to stay at home, promising to go herself and arrange his affairs in Chernigov. During their conversation about this, the sick boy was sleeping and, waking up 2 hours later, began to ask his father to take him with him to Chernigov, saying that he wanted to go to Feodosius Uglitsky. To his father’s remark about his illness, he replied: “I’m healthy”; then the boy got up as if he had never been sick, and the next day he went with his father to Chernigov, where they venerated the relics of the saint and returned home safely. G. Dolinsky adds at the same time that his son had not heard anything about the proposed trip to Chernigov, and, due to his youth, he hardly knew anything about Saint Theodosius.
A few years later, Mr. Dolinsky himself fell ill with a severe fever and, remembering the miraculous recovery of his son, ordered that he be taken to Chernigov to the saint, even if he died on the road. The next day he was taken and, during the two-day journey, he completely recovered from the illness that had tormented him.
Mr. Dolinsky did not announce such miraculous healings to anyone except his close relatives, some of whom were themselves witnesses to this. Meanwhile, a few years later, living 20 miles from him, in the village. In Raigorodka, nobleman Semyon Ivanovich Kamenetsky, who had never heard anything about the miraculous healings described above, saw St. Theodosius in a dream, who instructed him to tell Dolinsky: “Why doesn’t Dolinsky want to glorify him for healing himself and his son from illness?” As a result of this, Mr. Dolinsky came to Chernigov to pray at the saint’s shrine and announced all of the above.
9) 1844, February 21, retired non-commissioned officer Kazimirov announced in writing that he had suffered from epilepsy for a long time, and only owed the restoration of his health to the intercession of St. Theodosius.
10) 1845, April 3, in a note submitted, the wife of the collegiate assessor Elisaveta Nikolaevna Molchanovskaya explained that she had suffered from deafness for many years, and only with the use of strong medications did her hearing return from time to time, and then for a short time - the smallest cold again plunged her into her previous state. Recently, for two weeks, she suffered greatly from stabbing and noise in her head and did not hear anything. Seeing no help from doctors, she finally resorted to the help of St. Theodosius. When, at her request, they served a requiem mass before his shrine and she reverently placed the aureole located on his relics on her head, she began to hear, and at the end of the requiem service she already heard, and leaving the church she felt that her head was freed from noise and her left ear was freed from deafness, while her right ear, with which she was somewhat I didn’t hear it almost constantly for years and remained in the same situation.
A few days later, with a feeling of heartfelt gratitude, she went again to the saint: she prayed before his relics, laid a crown on her head and then listened to mass. Returning home, she noticed with inexpressible joy that she could hear completely freely in her right ear, and from that time (since September 2, 1841), despite the fact that she had caught colds several times, deafness did not recur.
11) 1846, February 2, Mr. Matrosov, as can be seen from his note, was very ill and when, after the requiem service at the relics of the saint of God and upon returning home, he was smoked with the particles of the coffin and mantle of the saint given to him, he suffered a severe paroxysm, in which he, reading the troparion and kontakion to the saint, fell asleep and then woke up completely healthy. In the same way, his mother, brother and sister were subsequently healed from the same disease.
12) 1847, July 10, Kazan province, Yadrinsky district, Shemerdyansk volost, the daughter of retired soldier Andrei Stepanov, 23-year-old girl Natalia, at the relics of St. Theodosius received complete healing from demonic possession.
13) 1848, September 14, the healing of the monk Serapion took place. As stated in the note submitted by this monk, he is a native of the Novgorod province, Demyanovsky district, the village of Cherny Rucheya; was released from the peasantry by N.M. Obrezkov, due to an epileptic illness, to the Yuryev Monastery, where in 1836 he was tonsured a monk by Archimandrite Photius, after whose death he was transferred to the Otensky Monastery, where he received healing from an epileptic illness in front of the image of the Tikhvin Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and was completely healthy for a year and a half. He further says in his note (we quote his own words): “in 1842, a different kind of illness befell me, accompanied by severe shaking, complete insensibility and beating of myself, which painful state began to intensify over time, so that it was repeated several times a day.
At the same time, I began to feel fear and disgust for everything sacred, so that with great effort I could go to the church of God, and when I attended the liturgy, I was never free from a painful attack during the singing of the Cherubim, and sometimes during the reading of the Gospel. The further I went, the more intensified my illness and aversion to everything sacred: blasphemy against God and the inclination in my thoughts to everything that was not only contrary to the monastic vow, but also to Christian duty, haunted me everywhere. That’s why I was allowed to live in the village of Cherny Ruchey, in the care of my relatives. When I was brought, as promised, to the Iversky Monastery, during the prayers offered for me in front of the miraculous image of the Mother of God, a cry was added to my fits, and I, as the brethren of the monastery who were present during my fit stated, uttered words from which it could be concluded that there were evil spirits within me. After which I did not have the previous attacks for about two months, feeling only fear during my presence in the church of God.
Two months later, when I drank the oil that I had from the lamp of the miraculous Iberian image of the Most Holy Theotokos, my fits of screaming began to repeat again, in which I said that two spirits would possess me.”
Finally, the monk Serapion decided to go to worship the Kyiv shrine, accompanied by the Toropets tradesman Ivan Kharinsky, who took upon himself this feat of philanthropy. During the journey, his seizures were repeated several times a day, with the same state of mind. Passing through Smolensk, Serapion stopped for some time in this city; here His Eminence Timothy, Archbishop of Smolensk, saw his seizures in the church and in his house, blessed him and strengthened him with advice in the good intention he had undertaken. Before arriving in Chernigov, on the road, on September 1, he had a seizure 9 times, after which he lost the use of his tongue and remained in this position until September 4. When he and a friend came to the cave where the relics of Saint Theodosius rest, and when, at his request, he was given the opportunity to drink oil from the lamp before the relics of the saint, he fainted and then, as usual, had a seizure, after which he again began to speak freely as before.
After visiting the saint’s cave for two days, he finally decided on the third day to go to mass with his friend and then go to Kyiv. Having talked about this, he fell asleep and in a dream saw himself in a cave, in front of the open relics of the saint, and when he, having made several prostrations to the ground, wanted to venerate the holy relics, the saint stood up and blessed him and began to tell him to promise... but his comrade woke him up at that time. - Having fallen asleep again, he again saw the same thing, but, awakened by a comrade calling him to mass, again he could not listen to the end of the saint’s words. Upon returning from church, the wanderers, having had lunch, lay down to rest as usual. Serapion again saw the saint in a dream, who told him: “Promise to live here, go to church, pray - and you will receive healing. Ask the priests to read incantatory prayers over you and every mass to take out a particle for your health and serve a requiem, continue this until the 12th, and on the 12th ask to take out a particle for your health - and you will receive healing.
Despite your suffering during attacks, do not despair, but ask for help, and may your faith be the same as at the time when the gift of speech was returned to you.” At the same time, the saint ordered to ask to serve a prayer service with an akathist to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, to report this to the Right Reverend and after all to confess and partake of the holy mysteries. On September 9, he was again honored to see the saint in a dream, who, seeing the sufferer’s disposition to repentance, aroused by his appearance, reminded Serapion of all his sins, demanded that he believe in his healing and, having received it, would fulfill his vow and go to worship the Kyiv shrine. Everything said in the vision was fulfilled by the cathedral clergy, and on September 13, at the relics of St. Theodosius, the unfortunate patient, after severe seizures, completely recovered during the service of the requiem. Venerating the relics, he listened to the thanksgiving prayer and approached the cross and the gospel with reverence. On September 14, in a completely calm state of mind, the healed Serapion was awarded communion of the Holy Mysteries.
The testimony of the monk Serapion was approved by his and his comrade’s signatures, and also witnessed by Archpriest Peter Shishov and two cathedral priests.
14) 1848, August 9, private of the disabled team Mikhail Novikov with his sister Marya Plutasheva, having come to the Boris and Gleb Cathedral Church, announced to the priest that, being mute for a year and five months, on the night of August 8-9 he saw an unknown saint in this, in full bishop’s vestments, who gave him something to drink and said: “go to cathedral and send a prayer service to Saint Theodosius, and you will be healthy.” Waking up, he felt under the influence of joy and fear and was surprised himself when he asked his friend Anisim Reva for a drink. Thus, having received the gift of speech and having learned that Saint Theodosius was resting hidden in the cathedral, he came to thank him for the miraculous healing, and when, at his request, a portrait of Saint Theodosius was shown to him, he immediately recognized him as the saint of God who had appeared to him in a dream and asked to serve a requiem mass before his shrine and a thanksgiving prayer service.
From the note he submitted, a written certificate sent to the consistory from the commander of the Chernigov internal garrison battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Dombrovsky, and a certificate issued from the office of the Chernigov charitable institution, it is clear that Private Novikov, having changed guard in July 1847, suddenly became mute and was sent to the hospital of the Chernigov charitable institution, where he was with July 18, 1847 to January 25, 1848 and where the muteness was joined by a feeling of terrible melancholy, which brought him to the point of insanity and a completely unconscious state. The patient did not know how long he had been in the hospital, and was completely insensitive to physical suffering: they put abscess plasters on him, even burned him with an iron, but, according to his own testimony, he did not feel anything.
After leaving the hospital, Novikov was transferred from the battalion to the Nizhyn invalid team and the same year was transported back to the battalion, among others unable to serve, for examination and submission for retirement, and when he was already examined and expected to retire, he unexpectedly received recovery from his illness.
15) The miracle of healing from a long and difficult illness of the daughter of the key of the cathedral, Archpriest Dimitry Stefanovsky, the maiden Anna, is amazing. We will tell the story about it from the words of the healed sister, Maria Dimitrievna Senyuk, completely similar to the official report, but more detailed, and also imbued with deep tenderness - like an eyewitness to a miracle that took place. Here is her story.
Although my father had his own house, which he rented out for a small price, we lived poorly, occupying two rooms in the outbuilding in the courtyard. On one side of this room of ours there was the consistory archive, and on the other, the gymnasium teacher Tokarsky lived with his wife. Our family at that time consisted of a father, mother and us - two daughters. My little ten-year-old sister Anna, who was generally healthy, ran out onto the porch one morning and, frightened by an official suddenly appearing from the door of the archive, she stumbled, fell, and with her cheek slightly scratched from the fall, all trembling, ran into the room. Since then she felt unwell.
The teacher Tokarsky, who lived with us, out of compassion for our shy situation, gave us lessons without any remuneration, was the first to notice my sister’s upset situation and advised my father to resort to a doctor, who gave her a remedy against worms, which did not bring any benefit. Noticing that my sister was getting worse and worse, Mr. Tokarsky asked another doctor, a friend of his, to look at her: the doctor, after a thorough examination, found that she had a spinal column problem and began to treat her. Since then (since March 1845) my sister has taken to bed; her illness was getting worse.
Finally, four doctors began to visit her, giving her medicines according to general advice and caring for her with sincere zeal, mostly free of charge, fully sympathizing with our grief and the suffering of the patient, which had reached an incredible degree: she lay only on one back, feeling pain in the chest, sides and back; several times a day, and sometimes an hour, she was subjected to convulsions, spasms in the chest and throat; at times she also had feverish fits; the patient could neither stand up, nor sit, nor turn on her side, nor stretch her legs, nor lower them to the floor; she was carried on a sheet from the bed to the couch; from constantly lying in one place, the hair on the back of her head fell out; they gave her all kinds of medicines, gave her blood, and she was covered all over with plasters 44 .
When there were convulsions in the chest, we tried to hold her chest with our hands, and this seemed to us to be a relief for her. After a throat spasm, she sometimes wrote with her finger on the wall: water, which she swallowed a few drops at a time. Twice during the course of her illness they tried, in good summer weather, to take her out on a couch into the yard, but after that she made a face. Over the course of the year, the Chernigov doctors exhausted all the resources in their power, and the patient remained in the care of one district doctor, Volosevich, to whom our entire family owes eternal gratitude for his compassionate participation towards us.
Heartbroken, our father resorted to the advice of Kyiv professors Kozlov and Tsytsurin, sending them a detailed description of the disease, and also referred to his fellow seminarian, the famous professor and physician Buyalsky. Buyalsky begged Doctor Vakulovsky, who was traveling from St. Petersburg to Little Russia, to deliberately visit Chernigov and oversee the treatment of our sufferer, which Vakulovsky did with rare zeal and sympathy, to our grief. General Doctor Malakhov, passing through Chernigov, also visited the patient, approved the treatment, but doubted the recovery. Three times during the course of her illness, my sister was in such a desperate situation that we expected her death. Finally, not seeing any success from the treatment, they gradually stopped using the medications, and the patient did not take anything for a whole year; but the painful illness continued with equal force. Doctor Volosevich, who nevertheless continued to visit his patient, spoke of cauterization of the back with iron or phosphorus as a last resort.
Our poor sufferer was ready for anything and asked herself to try this last resort on her. The day for the operation had already been appointed, but due to the appearance of erysipelas, it was postponed until another time.
Even at the beginning of my sister’s illness, our father, at the very time when he was falling asleep, imagined that Saint Theodosius, lying in the tomb, turned to him and quietly said: “bring your family to me.” That same day, with my mother and me, he went to the cathedral and served a requiem mass at the saint’s shrine; but I thought it impossible to take my sick sister with me due to her painful seizures.
Now, having tried all the medical benefits available to us, we, as soon as the patient’s condition allowed, again decided to resort to cauterization. Almost on the eve of the day appointed for cauterization, the father and mother decided to take the sick woman to the cathedral, to the tomb of St. Theodosius.
On September 21, 1848, my father asked for a stroller from our relative D.T. Malakhov, who served as an official on special assignments for the governor; We put pillows in the carriage and carefully laid our patient down. As soon as they got her to the gate, she began to have convulsions; we rushed to hold her, as we usually did in such a case; When she calmed down, they took her step by step to the cathedral. They carefully carried the sick woman into the church and from there into the cave, where they laid her on pillows on the step near the tomb of St. Theodosius. My father began to serve a memorial service, before the end of which the patient again had convulsions, and we again rushed to her to hold her chest. A little later after the paroxysm, And suddenly, to the amazement of us and everyone in the cave, the sick woman put her hand on the iron bars of the saint’s tomb, then sat down and in this position listened to the end of the requiem. At the end of the service, when they wanted to raise her, she said: “I will step myself,” and, supported by her arms, she stood up and venerated the holy relics.
After that, arm in arm with her father, the overjoyed sister walked up the steep stairs 45 out of the cave and, having reached the carriage, asked her father and mother not to take her home. We all got into the carriage and went to the Trinity Monastery, where, in the bishop's cross church, we listened to a prayer service and akathist before the miraculous Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary; During the service, the sister sat on a chair in front of the holy icon.
Upon leaving the church, the sister again asked not to take her home, which is why we wanted to call on a relative who gave us a carriage, but noticing from the horses standing at his entrance that he had visitors, we went to our kind former guests, the Tokarskys, who, having recently seen our sick sister, were amazed at the miracle that had taken place. We drank tea there and finally returned home, where we hurried to clean up the sick woman’s bed. They sent for our old relative and the doctor to share our joy: this day was a great holiday for all of us. My sister, who lay in terrible suffering for 3 years, 6 months and 30 days, unable to turn around, in an instant, by the miraculous power of God’s grace, became completely healthy. We did not consider ourselves worthy of a miracle, did not expect it, and could only cry with joy, in awe of God’s mercy.
To our questions: how did the healing itself take place? - the sister answered that she suddenly felt some strength, her pain left her and she became healthy. The doctor who arrived the next day could only say: “This is a real miracle!”
“Wonderful is God in His saints, the God of Israel!” the delighted father, Archpriest Dimitry Stefanovsky, exclaims at the beginning and at the end of his written testimony, reporting the circumstances of the illness and miraculous healing of his daughter Anna, completely similar to the story of his eldest daughter Maria.
In the testimony of the Chernigov city doctor Volosevich, who treated Anna Stefanovskaya, who treated Anna Stefanovskaya, on December 14, 1848, No. 203, delivered to the consistory by the medical board, it appears that Anna Stefanovskaya was very ill with seizures that revealed suffering in the spinal cord, that the doctor prescribed her medications only with the goal of alleviating suffering, and left the cure for the disease itself to later time and healing forces of nature that he had no hope for a speedy recovery of the daughter of Archpriest Stefanovsky, because lately the attacks of the disease not only had not decreased, but on the contrary had intensified. Some witnesses also spoke about the latter circumstance, testifying that on the eve of the healing itself they saw the patient in the most bleak situation and in great suffering.
A highly enlightened true Christian, a zealous admirer of St. Theodosius and the first describer of the life of this saint of God, Alexander Iv. Khanenko, having described this amazing miracle in his book 46, in conclusion says the following about himself.
Soon after this miracle happened, on the way to Kyiv I happened to stop in Chernigov, where in the house of the local old-timer, the sincerely beloved leader of the nobility Ya.I. Dunin-Borkowski, who always had a large crowd, I heard from him the details of the miracle described, about which rumor reached me on the way to Chernigov. His story breathed with the evidence of a witness; all the guests who were with him at that time knew the situation of the sick woman and were amazed at the miraculous healing that had taken place.
The next day, venerating the relics of St. Theodosius, I felt some special solemnity and warmth of faith; The other fans who were in the cave at that time, too, as one could notice, were filled with the same feeling; It was as if we were all still breathing the fertile air of a recently accomplished miracle. From the cathedral I went to see the Reverend. With what a joyful look the then Bishop Pavel 47 blessed me and spoke with special heartfelt emotion about the blessing that visited Chernigov. This miracle was amazing for the residents of Chernigov in its obviousness: everyone had heard about the unfortunate patient, and many knew her personally; the doctors themselves, for 3 years, spoke about the incurability of her illness. On the eve of the healing itself, they saw the sick woman in terrible suffering, on the way to the cathedral and even at the very tomb of the saint, before the miracle itself, the suffering did not leave her; unable to turn on her bed, carried into the cave with difficulty, she comes out of there herself and goes out of town, to the Trinity Monastery!
The healed woman subsequently married and is still alive, surrounded by her family.
16) 1848, December 29, Gorodnyansky district, town of Lyubecha, the widow of a peasant Anna Bagleyeva, having come to the cathedral with her mother and twelve-year-old son, filed a statement that her son was dangerously ill, for 12 days he was without any consciousness and without the use of language, and no one at home thought that he would be alive; but from the time she began to diligently resort to the intercession of Saint Theodosius and made a vow to pray at his tomb, her son’s health apparently began to improve.
17) Holy Cross Church of the mountains. Nezhina, the wife of deacon Ekaterina, suffered from severe headaches for about 5 years and could not use her legs. From April 3, 1848, she began to walk a little with the help of crutches. When she was brought to Chernigov and on July 10, 1849, on the day of memory of St. Anthony of Pechersk, she was honored to venerate the relics of the saint of God Theodosius, she now began to step on her sore leg and returned to her apartment with one crutch, where she began to walk without the help of one.
18) Wife of a mountain Cossack. Nezhina Maria Ivanova Kutseva was obsessed with the disease for about three years. At the beginning of the illness she felt only weak, but in the last year (1849) she was in a desperate state. Severe swelling of almost the entire body and severe chest pain completely deprived her of strength. She was lying in bed and could not walk through the hut without outside help. Her husband, according to the conviction of priests Matvey Bordonos and Artemon Kolomiytsev, who performed the blessing of oil on Kutseva, turned to the doctor of the charitable institution, Razgonov. But he only managed to maintain Maria’s strength somewhat to endure the approaching birth, after which Kutseva’s illness intensified to the point that the doctor, recognizing it as incurable, refused to use it. Every day they expected her death, and Mary herself asked the Lord for a speedy death. But God was pleased to show His mercy on her. In the sixth week of Lent (1849), on Friday, at her request, her husband and household lifted her out of bed and sat her at the table on which her husband and his workers were working.
She sat near the table for a short time, as if half asleep. Suddenly she saw (according to her story) three people nearby entering the hut and approaching her. The one walking on the right side was in sacred clothes, on the left was a child, who at first seemed to her to be her son, who had died not long before; but the extraordinary light that surrounded them did not allow her to look at their faces. Among them was a terrible-looking creature, which she, Mary, mistook for the devil. This terrible creature, gnashing its teeth, rushed straight towards her and terrified her. But on the one hand it was held by the child, and on the other hand, the hand of the bright man stretched out before them moved it away, and it screamed with rage: “You are torturing me, Theodosius! If only he didn’t take this sacrifice away from me until May.” Then the thought was born to her that perhaps this was the same Saint Theodosius, about whom she had already heard several times during her illness, and whose help she called upon in severe suffering. Mary rejoiced and began to pray out loud for her salvation.
That holy man, coming closer to her, said: “Are you suffering a lot?” She answered him that she was suffering greatly, and again, crying, she began to pray to him. “You didn’t fast,” he told her again. This is not good. You will not be worthy to taste Easter." She apologized for not having the strength. “Try,” he continued, to take communion on Holy Saturday and buy the gift. Let them put it under the shroud, then drink and smoke.” Then all three left. All the household heard her prayers and conversation and were surprised, but did not interfere. Later, when they began to ask her who she was talking to, she, surprised that none of the family had seen her ex, told everything she had seen. Her husband, amazed at the story of her vision and hoping for God’s mercy, but not understanding what gift he should buy to put under the shroud, went to the priest, told about what had happened and asked him for advice. The priest advised to replenish what the saint had commanded and buy myrrh as a gift - which was bought, brought and placed under the shroud.
On Great Saturday, Maria Kutseva was brought to church with the greatest difficulty, listened to the liturgy there and was honored to receive Holy Communion. secret After receiving myrrh and grinding it into powder, she began to use it little by little with blessed water, according to the instructions of the priest, and fumigate herself. At the same time, she felt a strong grumbling in her gut. After some time, a strong flow of water began to flow through her, which lasted up to three weeks, and she felt better. The tumor began to subside and her strength was gradually restored, so in June she went on foot to the village of Topcheevka to venerate the miraculous image of St. Nicholas, with the firm intention of going from there to Chernigov to venerate the relics of St. Theodosius. The infant child who was with her fell ill, and therefore she went home from Topcheevka. On the road she became worse, and upon returning to the house, the illness intensified to its previous extent.
With bitter repentance, she reproached herself for her lack of faith, prayed to God for forgiveness and made a vow, with the slightest relief, to fulfill her previous intention - to worship Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky. At the beginning of August, she and her husband went to Chernigov - to the relics of the saint. On the way, she felt a strong perspiration in her legs, and the swelling subsided again. Having venerated the relics of St. Theodosius in Chernigov and received communion in the Cathedral of St. secretly, Maria Kutseva returned home completely healthy and then enjoyed good health.
19) Kozeletsky district, village of Khreshchaty, Cossack Ignatius I Nikiforov Kislyi, from 1845, for four years, was subjected to severe epilepsy. The attacks recurred at every new moon, lasting several hours and sometimes even days. Sometimes the patient happened to resort to the advice of doctors, they answered him: “God alone can help you.” On the advice of his parish priest, he went to Chernigov to ask for God's help from the relics of St. Theodosius. On November 5, 1849, after praying before the relics of the saint and celebrating a memorial service, he received a complete recovery from his illness. Dean Levkovtsev, who conducted the inquiry, in his report dated March 5, 1851, No. 18, writes: this poor sufferer (Ignatius Kisly) suffered all the rigors of a terrible epilepsy; Her paroxysms were so terrible that he completely lost all sensation in his body. A large scar on his left side vouches for the fidelity of this. In a fit of illness, he was placed on a hot stove, where he, being unconscious for two days, burned his entire body to the very bone.
While he was working in the Tauride province in 1845, he was in the service of a local resident in the hayfields in the steppe; While working, he suffered a severe seizure. Left to his fate, the next day he is found looking like a dead man. They somehow carried him to the village. The owner for whom he worked, fearing that an unexpected dead man would cause him trouble, sent him, sick, to a city a hundred miles away. They carried him for three days, during which he did not show the slightest signs of life. So they took him to the city, where doctors barely revived him. His fellow villagers, the Cossacks Alexander Kolodezny and Emelian Kozyuba, who were working with him at the time, witnessed what was written down. Further, continues Fr. Dean, fully aware of the importance of the matter entrusted to me, I took all possible measures to reveal it, in good conscience, trying to delve even into the home life of the healed person. By the way, I accidentally learned that a month ago he began to learn to read and write from the parish priest.
Rejoicing at this discovery, I asked: what made him study? God is my witness, how touched I was when he answered: “I am a poor man,” he said, “I do not have the opportunity to feed the beggar and the orphan. How can I adequately thank my Creator and saint of God, Theodosius? It seems to me nothing more than the correct reading of the Lord’s prayers.” I asked him: did he know how to pray until now? “I could,” he answered, and read the Lord’s Prayer. Following this, it was gratifying to hear the correct reading of the troparion and kontakion to St. Theodosius from the lips of a simple villager, who deeply felt the most lively gratitude to the one responsible for his recovery from a serious illness. It was touching to hear how a simple woman, the wife of a healed man, thanked and blessed the Lord, wondrous in His saints.
20) During the investigation in the city. In Nizhyn, Archimandrite Simeon about the grace-filled healings of Evdokia Shatrova and Maria Kutseva, in June 1850, he received a statement from the Nizhyn tradesman Ignatius Kozl with the following content: in 1850, before the oil week, he, Ignatius Kozel, had severe pain in his legs for two weeks, so that he could not walk with them, and bending and unbending them required great effort. The illness in his legs was accompanied by severe chest pain, which threatened him with death. Called archpriest of the church of the Nizhyn Vvedensky Convent, Anthony Prokopovich, after his confession and communion of St. Mystery, suggested that he, the Goat, ask the abbess of the Pankratia monastery for oil from the lamp of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky. The Goat's mother-in-law, Maria Lapchikha, went to the abbess and brought ten drops of the said oil from her. Prayerfully calling on Saint Theodosius for help, he anointed his chest and legs with oil for the night. The next day he felt relief from his illness and, with the help of a stick, began to walk around the house.
On the third day, he, also with a stick, was already walking around the yard. On the fourth day, he began to walk without a stick and to this day he feels completely healthy. In gratitude for the healing, he promised to go to Chernigov to venerate the relics of St. Theodosius.
21) 1850, January 17th, living in the Nezhinsky Vvedensky Convent in obedience, to learn and test her ability for monastic life, a bourgeois from the city of Zemlyansk, Voronezh province, Evdokia Shatrova, who was 18 years old, at dawn, out of obedience, went from her cells to the attic to open the chimney in order to heat the stove. Going up the stairs, she saw an unknown man with a large knife in his hand and screamed in fear. At this time, he hit Shatrova hard in the face, causing her to fall down. An unknown man, jumping off the stairs, stepped hard on her chest near her throat and ran away through the door in the hallway. From falling from the stairs to the floor and a strong kick in the chest near the throat, Shatrova fainted, in which she remained for three hours. After being brought to her senses by others, she could not say anything, despite the medical assistance provided to her by the specially summoned city doctor Åkerblom. Shatrova could not even open her mouth, felt severe pain in her head and ate only a small amount of water.
On January 26, the abbess of the Nizhyn monastery Pankratia with the nun Smaragda, having arrived in Chernigov as needed, was in the cathedral church of Boris and Gleb, celebrated a requiem mass at the tomb of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky and, taking oil from the lamp burning at his tomb, returned on January 29 to the monastery, where she found Evdokia in the most extreme illness: Shatrova had not taken even water into her mouth for two days; the mouth did not open at all, the tongue turned black and was retracted into the throat. There was no hope for her recovery. When the treasurer Smaragda poured a small spoonful of oil from the saint’s lamp into her mouth, Shatrova fell asleep and in her sleep admired something, smiled and extended her hand to someone. Then she opened her eyes, sat down and began, to the surprise of those who were with her, to speak freely and clearly. At the same time, she said that she saw, as if in a fog, some handsome old man who asked her about her illness. When Evdokia explained to him that she had a lot of pain in her mouth, the elder touched her tongue, and she instantly became healthy.
22) 1851, March 16, the wife of a nobleman Anna Salogub wrote to the Chernigov Cathedral that her husband Platon Salogub, living in the village. Kholaviie, was ill with a painful illness unknown to her for about a year. In her desperate situation, she placed all her hope in the mercy of the Almighty. Finally, she was honored to see Saint Theodosius in a dream, who told her: “Don’t cry, I will pray to God, and your husband will be healthy.” As a result of this, she went to Chernigov to venerate the saint and upon her return found that her husband had unexpectedly begun to recover and was soon completely recovered.
23) In the village of Velikiy Bor lived the landowner Natalya Dmitrieva Popova. Her daughter Sophia received miraculous healing from the saint twice. The landowner Popova brought her sick daughter to Chernigov in early September 1851. The sick woman could not enter the saint’s cave, but was placed near the cave outside. When air from the relics of the saint was placed on the sick woman, she fell asleep immediately and, brought to the apartment, slept soundly for 10 hours straight, and woke up completely healthy, as if she had not been sick.
24) On January 11, 1852, the dean of the Novgorod-Seversky district, the priest of the village of Ivota, Konstantin Rozhanovsky, presented to the Chernigov Cathedral about the healing of his young son by Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky: “my son John, two and a half years old, at the end of 1849 and at the beginning of 1850, was overcome by a serious illness, which dried him up to the point of impossibility and almost killed him. They had already been keeping an eye on his life for several nights. Having once sat with my wife Juliania until deep midnight over my sick son John, whose intermittent breathing and hoarseness in his chest and throat, as usually happens before death, foreshadowed the approach of death, I ran to Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky with unworthy petitions for the healing of my son. Finally he fell asleep from exhaustion. At this time, in a dream vision, I imagined the church in which St. Theodosius rests. Bringing my prayers before the icon of the Mother of God located near the cave 48, in the icon case, I saw my wife come out of the cave, unusually pale.
She, in response to some of my words to her, only pointed to the cave. When I began to approach the cave, a strong fear took possession of me, like a sinner. I had a strong spiritual desire to offer prayers to the saint in private. Having entered the cave, I fell before the relics of Saint Theodosius and, after a while, rising, I saw him sitting in his tomb. I again fell to the ground, confessing my sins before the saint, asking him to resolve my infirmities and to be an intercessor with the merciful Lord for the healing of my son John from the illness. At the end of the confession, Saint Theodosius of Christ honored me with his blessing, saying: I bless and forgive. At the same time, he made a promise about the healing of his son. Waking up from sleep, I found my son quietly sleeping, and my exhausted wife half asleep. The next morning, my son John asked for food. This surprise of the imminent intercession of Saint Theodosius prompted me to call the church clergy, thank the Mother of God with prayer singing, and Saint Theodosius with a requiem service.
From that time on, my son John soon recovered and is still alive.
25) Nizhyn district chief (state property) Semyon Svyatoslavsky’s 10-year-old daughter Maria, being weakly built, had been sick with a fever for a long time and complained of a headache. All efforts to cure her were in vain. For the past two months, she was exhausted and could barely walk. I didn’t even get out of bed for several days. There was no longer any hope for her recovery. Hearing about the miraculous healings received from the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, the Svyatoslavskys vowed to go with their big daughter to Chernigov to venerate the saint of God. On January 20, 1852, on Sunday, the father and his sick daughter prayed fervently before the shrine of St. Theodosius. After a requiem service for the saint and a prayer for the health of the sick woman, performed by Archpriest Peter Shishov, Maria of Svyatoslavskaya received healing and returned to her home completely healthy.
26) Samara invalid team non-commissioned officer Avtonom Ivanov, in a handwritten letter dated June 22, 1854, declared to Eminence Paul about his miraculous healing from a long-term and serious illness, which took place through the intercession of Saint Theodosius, while he was traveling through Chernigov.
In his report, Ivanov writes that he felt an internal illness since 1845. At the same time, various seizures, such as heart beating, compression of the lungs, shortness of breath, dizziness, frequent fainting and, subsequently, the release of entrails, increased more and more. Medical benefits were of no help. Out of pity for him, the authorities decided to transfer him from the mountains. Novogrudok, Minsk province to his homeland in the mountains. Samara. While traveling to his destination with his family through Chernigov, he became very ill and, despite the tears of his family, he decided to go to the hospital, but postponed it until another day. Meanwhile, he learned that the relics of St. Theodosius rest in the Chernigov Cathedral, through whose prayers many suffering people who resort to him receive healing. The next day (September 24, 1852), early in the morning, with great difficulty he reached the cathedral, entered the church, but, due to unbearable internal pain and aching, he could not go down the stairs to the cave where the relics of the saint rest in order to be honored to venerate them.
To his extreme chagrin, he had to leave the church and lie down under a tree near the fence opposite the window made into the saint’s bedchamber. Fixing his gaze out the window, he cried and prayed until the increased beating of his heart and aching forced him to get up. “When I left the church fence,” continues Ivanov, I forgot myself. I don't remember how I walked back. I only know that on the way I went to another church and, having prayed there, in the same state of mind, not knowing what was happening to me, I came to the apartment and sat down freely, which I could not do for 15 days. At that time I remembered my illness, but I no longer felt it in all my members. I felt completely healthy and did not believe myself. Having examined myself in a secret place, to my surprise, I did not find any outward signs of illness. And they bothered me so much. From then until now I have felt completely healthy. Then I made it a rule to call upon the name of His Saint Theodosius every day in my prayers to God.
The next day I was honored to kiss his incorruptible relics with tenderness, to serve a requiem service for him and a prayer service to the Mother of God. Three days later I went to my destination completely healthy. On the way and upon arrival at the place, I glorified the mercy of God and now I convey to everyone, with a feeling of reverent gratitude, about my miraculous and instant healing from a serious illness through the prayers to God of St. Theodosius.”
27) On January 2, 1856, Borzensky district treasurer Evlampy Golovnya brought the following to the attention of the Chernigov Cathedral: “my son Kelsiy, 10 years old, in 1855 fell ill first with fever, then fever, and finally his tongue was lost and his eyes closed. The right leg was twisted. In this state, he lay for more than 10 weeks on one back, emitting only groans, without any food or drink. There was no hope for recovery: the doctor refused to treat him, predicting his inevitable and very quick death. In such sad circumstances, my wife and I turned with prayer to Saint Theodosius, promising to take our son to him for worship if he recovered. The next day, our patient opened his eyes and was able to swallow a few spoons of tea, then, strengthened by a beneficial sleep, which he did not know during his illness, he gradually, without any medical aid, completely recovered. An abscess has formed on the big leg; when the matter came out of it, the leg straightened and the disease disappeared.
Consequently, only one miracle of the saint of God could save my son from death and heal him from illness.”
At the same time, he sent a silver pendant depicting a leg to the shrine of St. Theodosius, in memory of such a miracle.
28) 1856, August 19, a noblewoman of the Krolevets district, the wife of the provincial secretary Tatyana Trofimovich, brought to the attention of the Chernigov Cathedral that her eight-year-old son Nikolai had convulsions from fear, periodically repeating every four months, on the full moon (at the end), and each time lasting five days in a row. To calm the patient down, you had to hold him and pour cold water into his mouth, only then would he fall asleep. These seizures began for him on December 11, 1854. “I asked, she writes, to serve a memorial service at the relics of the saint of God Theodosius, begging him to help my son, and from then on his painful seizures stopped, never recurred, and he became completely healthy.” Why, thanking God, does she ask that the healing of her son be counted among other miracles performed by the prayers of the saint of God Theodosius.
29) 1857, January 19, non-commissioned officer of the 7th Infantry Division Pyotr Ovseenkov wrote from Smolensk to the archpriest of the cathedral, Father Alexander Ogievsky, that his wife Rodolphine 49 suffered for about 7 months from pain in her left arm to such an extent that her arm was noticeably dry, unable to straighten at the elbow, and the patient could not control it. Lodging then in Chernigov and hearing a lot about the miraculous help of St. Theodosius, he and his wife went to the cathedral and asked to serve a requiem mass at the holy relics of the saint of God, praying for the healing of his sore hand. That same night, his wife dreamed that she entered the cave where the saint’s relics rested, and, cutting off his left hand, brought it home and hid it. After that, she no longer took any medicine, and her hand came to life more and more every day and soon completely recovered. Why do he and his wife ask to serve a prayer of thanksgiving to the Savior and a memorial service at the relics of His saint Theodosius, for the decoration of whose tomb they send 5 rubles. ser.
30) On July 15, 1857, the landowner of the Surazh district, the village of Velikogo-Bora, the widow of the collegiate assessor Natalia Dimitrieva Popova, stated in writing that her daughter, the maiden Sophia, suffered greatly from pain in her left hand for a year and a half, but was honored to see St. Theodosius in a dream, who at the end of the vision blessed her and put his hand on her sick. After that she woke up completely healthy.
31) On October 30, 1857, Pyotr Dionisyev Uspensky, manager of the estate of Mrs. Lashkevicheva, in Mglinsky district, announced that in the spring of 1854 he became deaf and felt a constant strong noise in his head, which state of his health continued until December of the same year without any relief, despite the medical means to which he resorted on the advice of doctors. When he arrived in Chernigov and prayed at the relics of St. Theodosius, placing one of the silver aureoles located in the shrine of the saint on his sore head, then, returning to his apartment, he suddenly felt within himself the strength of health and inexplicable joy from the complete return of his hearing. Going to church, he could not hear either the clock striking or ordinary conversation.
32) Petr Vasilyev Gorodnik, a tradesman of the city of Nezhin, due to a severe cold, fell ill with inflammation of the blood, which caused his bones to break, and his right leg was paralyzed. The leg was tightened by more than a quarter, and abscesses appeared on it. The pain was so severe that he could not sleep or get out of bed. When the doctors could not provide him with any help, then, after much suffering, he remembered Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky and prayed to the Lord to have mercy on him for the sake of the prayers of His saint. On October 2, 1857, they carried him into a cart and, barely alive, according to his wishes, took him to Chernigov. On October 5, they carried him in their arms into the cave where the relics of the saint rest, and after celebrating a requiem service (for the saint of God Theodosius) and venerating the incorruptible relics, he came out of there himself, only supported by his arms. For some time during this illness he walked with a stick, but now he is completely without a stick, only limps a little.
33) 1858, May 11, a resident of the village of Sobycheva, Glukhovsky district, collegiate assessor Lappa-Danilevsky, formally notified the archpriest of the cathedral, Father Alexander Ogievsky, that on the right side of his nose, for more than 12 years, there was a wound similar to cancer, and finally a lump of a simpler nut formed there. This state of his illness, which was not inferior to any medical benefits, was known to many residents of the city of Chernigov. But when he resorted to prayer to God at the relics of St. Theodosius, asked to serve a requiem and often began to visit the cave in which the saint rests, then from that time his wound began to gradually decrease and finally completely healed, leaving only a small mark.
34) Kamensky monastery, located in Novozybkovsky district, Chernigov province, nun Raphaila, in the world Aiastasia Rubanova, performing the duties of a sexton, swept dust from the high iconostasis and carelessly fell from a high staircase onto the cast-iron floor of the church; They picked her up barely alive, without any consciousness, and carried her to her cell. She suffered for six months or more, and finally became so weak that they expected her death every minute. Next to her cell lived a senior nun with several novices, who looked after the sick woman.
On a stuffy summer night, the novices all went out to sleep in the corridor. Meanwhile, the patient became thirsty; she was tormented by thirst, but she could not get up on her own, and there was no one to give her water. Being in such a painful position, she saw a nun approaching her with a silver dish in her hands filled with water. When the sick woman greedily rushed to press her dry lips to the dish, the nun who appeared told her: “first read what is written on the edges of the dish, and then drink.” Rafaila answered: “Mother, I’m sick and forgot to read.” But when the woman insisted, the patient with an effort read around the dish: “this dish belongs to Archbishop Theodosius.” Then she drank water; the water seemed inexpressibly sweet to her; the big one felt that some kind of life-giving warmth spread throughout her entire body; She felt the strengthening of her strength and began to ask the unknown nun to give her elder sister, who was behind the wall, a drink, but the nun smiled and became invisible.
The sick Raphaila, who until then could not move, instantly recovered, got up, got dressed and sat down at the table, thanking the Almighty for her recovery.
Her eldest neighbor, returning to her cell after Matins and not hearing groans behind the partition, believed that the sick woman had already died; she woke up the novices, reproaching them for leaving the unfortunate sufferer to die unattended. Imagine her surprise when, entering Raphaila’s cell, she found her sitting at the table and heard from her a story about her sudden recovery? The healed Raphaila, now schema-nun Seraphim, is alive to this day; she is now about 77 years old.
35) Someone Pavel Zenchenko conveys the fact of the miraculous healing of St. Theodosius, the young son of a Cossack. Makishin, Gorodnyansky district, Nikita Lutsky. In the summer of 1862, when the boy was three years old, he became seriously ill with measles; field work and other household chores did not allow the mother to pay due attention to the sick child, who by the end of summer, from an unknown reason, had lost his legs, so that he was not able not only to act in any way, but also to move them. The relatives, of course, first of all turned to the healers, who announced that the child should die untimely. Among the visitors to the dying baby, a certain pious old woman advised the sufferer’s mother to visit the cave, which contains the most precious pledge of God’s mercy, the relics of the saint of God, St. Theodosius of Uglitsky. The mother accepted this advice and, in front of everyone, made a promise to go with the sick person to Chernigov. However, she somehow failed to quickly fulfill her vow; and meanwhile the patient, who was, so to speak, on the edge of the coffin, apparently began to recover and even control his legs, i.e.
turn them without assistance. The mother, seeing her child showing hope for life, did not consider it necessary to fulfill this vow. Unhappy! The poor child's previous illness returned again, and this time the child lost not only his legs, but also his arms. The mother fully felt the force of her offense; Having waited until the summer of 1864, she went with her sick four-year-old son to Chernigov, carrying him in her arms. With a simple, but warm, faith-filled prayer, the unfortunate mother fell to the shrine of St. Theodosius, and - oh, a miracle! the child, who had previously been in his arms, suddenly stood on legs that had not served him until he was two years old, and had the opportunity to leave the cave, supported by his mother. Now this boy is completely healthy, so there is no trace of his previous illness 50.
36) In 1867, the priest’s wife Lyubov Stefanova Sokolova fell ill with typhus in July, which was complicated by nervous fever and inflammation. She lay unconscious for 16 days. All possible measures were taken. At the last consultation, which consisted of all the doctors in the mountains. Chernigov, the complete hopelessness of the patient was expressed. The patient’s husband, priest of the St. Nicholas Church Pavel Sokolov, went to the cave every day from the day the patient fell into unconsciousness and prayed to the saint for help. After the last meeting of doctors, when there was no longer any hope for human help, the nurse who was with the patient - in a dream or in reality, she cannot say for sure - saw the saint entering the sick woman, who blessed her and left. The next day after the saint’s visit, the patient began to speak, began to recover quickly and completely recovered.
37) Collegiate registrar Mikhail Andreevich M., who was on duty in the Zlynka settlement, stated to the Chernigov Cathedral, on March 2, 1872, that in May 1871 his daughter Lydia, two and a half years old, fell ill. All care and use of the patient seemed to be in vain and did not give hope for her recovery. Parents and outsiders, who saw the patient for several days in extreme heat and a rash that appeared and then disappeared, considered her recovery impossible. M., who read in the diocesan news about the miracles of St. Theodosius and was convinced that no medical benefits would help his sick daughter, turned with a tearful prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ, His Most Pure Mother and St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, asking for the prayers and intercession of the saint before God for the healing of his daughter. After this, the disease subsided, and the patient became healthy after a few days. He attributes her recovery to the prayers of St. Theodosius before God.
38) The landowner of Novozybkovsky district, Anna Ivanovna Ryzhova, dated September 10, 1877, stated that in 1870, upon her arrival from St. Petersburg, her right hand was very sore. She suffered severely from this pain. When she, with prayer to God, venerated the relics of Saint Theodosius, then on the same day the pain completely stopped, and her hand became completely healthy.
In 1877, she, Anna Ryzhova, was very ill. Her entire nervous system was upset, there was severe twitching all over her body, which resulted in excruciating pain and sleep deprivation. In such a terrible and painful state, in bitter tears, she turned with prayer to Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky. After the prayer, she venerated his relics and felt better. Soon she completely recovered.
39) Landowner P.O., resident of the village of Petrovka, Gorodnyansky district, in 1876, during a review of the diocese and a visit to the St. Nicholas Church. Petrovka conveyed to the Reverends the following: about thirty years before this time, one former peasant servant of hers had been in her constant service. At that time, she, O., used to drink a cup of coffee every day after lunch. The aforementioned peasant woman prepared, poured and always served her coffee. Before, she did not notice the harmful effects of coffee on her, but then, for some time, after drinking it, she began to feel pain in the stomach, dizziness and some cramps in the body. Not knowing what to attribute to the appearance of such painful symptoms in herself, she turned with prayer to St. Theodosius of Uglitsky for the discovery of the cause of the disease. Soon after this, a peasant woman, as usual, after dinner, is brought a cup of coffee to her on a tray and on the road drops something wrapped in a small piece of paper. The mistress, noticing this fallen piece of paper, points it out to the servant and demands that she pick it up and give it to her.
The servants, seeing the ominous piece of paper, were confused, blushed and did not know what to do; but, at the insistent request of the lady, she handed her this piece of paper. It contained arsenic, which the maid, as she admitted, gradually added to the coffee for her mistress. Thus, the true cause of painful seizures was discovered through prayer to St. Theodosius of Uglitsky. After this, the servants were removed from the courtyard, and the lady lived for a long time. Having told the Eminence the circumstances under which the cause of her illness was revealed, O. added that she attributes this discovery to the miraculous intercession shown by St. Theodosius of Uglitsky. “After this discovery of the cause of the disease,” she added, I was in Chernigov, listened to the requiem mass before the saint’s tomb, with grateful feelings I acquired his image and keep it in my bedroom, where I constantly pray before him.”
40) In 1876, the wife of a nobleman, Marfa Svetlova, received a miraculous healing from St. Theodosius. From a severe cold she fell ill with typhus, which resulted in pneumonia and an abscess on the liver. The invited doctors did not bring any relief. From lying for a long time, she developed bedsores on both sides. Finally, a swelling appeared around the throat - the most dangerous sign of the sad outcome of typhus. The doctor has already appointed the hour of death. The sick mother went to the cathedral, asked to serve a requiem for the saint of God Theodosius and with tears begged him to save her only daughter; then she took cotton wool from the saint’s coffin and oil from his lamp and, having arrived at the apartment, anointed the swelling of the throat and bedsores on the sides with oil from the lamp, and put a few drops of oil into the patient’s mouth. After that, the patient fell asleep and slept for 6 hours. During sleep, the swelling near my throat fell off, and the wounds on my sides closed like tissue paper. Having woken up, the patient did not feel any pain and asked to sit her down and let her eat. After that, she quickly began to recover.
The doctor, who had already sentenced her to death, was amazed to learn about such a dramatic change in the disease for the better.
41) In 1877, a resident of the city of Berezny, a retired clerk, Ivan Grigoriev Kubarev, received a miraculous healing from the relics of St. Theodosius. He suffered greatly from aches in his left leg, and then his arm, for more than two years. No medical treatment brought him relief. On the advice of good people, he went to Chernigov and turned with prayer to Saint Theodosius. Venerating the relics of Saint Theodosius, he took his hand with his sore hand. Upon leaving the cave, the aches went away instantly, and the pain was gone.
42) 1878, March 25, retired lieutenant Stefan Vasiliev M., 66 years old, stated that:
a) On September 14, 1867, his eldest son Vasily, then fourteen years old, fell ill with fever. Erysipelas spread all over his body. According to the doctor who used it, there was no hope of recovery. In this grave grief, he, Stefan M., turned with prayer to Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky, took olives from the lamp burning near the relics of the saint, and anointed the sick man’s entire body with it. The next day, his sick son began to recover and soon completely recovered. He is currently in military service.
b) His other son Nikolai, 11 years old, scraped a large scraper under his thumbnail. The finger and the entire hand instantly became swollen and blackened. The doctor who was called wanted to cut off the finger. The father did not agree to this. They anointed the sore hand with oil from the lamp of St. Theodosius; the tumor was soon destroyed, and the clamp was removed. He is currently alive.
c) On February 5, 1878, he himself, Stefan M., became terribly ill, so that he could neither walk nor lie due to pain in his lower back. In this position, he turned with prayer to Saint Theodosius, anointed the sore spot with oil from the saint’s lamp - and felt relief.
43) In 1882 she received healing from St. Feodosia Uglitsky, daughter of Gorodnyanskaya bourgeois Josephine Zaborovskaya Lyudmila, 7 years old. She was afflicted with epilepsy (according to doctors - chorea), and did not use her right arm and leg for about 4 months. Her mother Josephine turned with a tearful prayer to God and His saint, Saint Theodosius. On January 5, 1882, she dreamed that she and her sick daughter were in the cave of St. Theodosius, and when they began to venerate his relics, she told her daughter to touch the veil of the saint of God with her hand. A priest in the cave noticed this and asked: “Why did the sick woman touch the saint’s blanket?” and when the mother told the reason, he approved and advised to serve a prayer service with an akathist to the Mother of God before her Yeletsk icon. Waking up, she did what she was ordered in a dream, and her daughter recovered.
44) “While moving from the Kharkov province to serve in the city of Chernigov in November 1884, I caught a cold and developed a severe headache, accompanied by severe irritation, lightheadedness and darkening of vision. My suffering was unbearable and made it impossible for me to fulfill my duties in a timely manner. Not being able to endure suffering, I invited the doctor, collegiate adviser Navrotsky, to my place and asked him to cure my illness. He determined that I had developed a very severe migraine, for which there are no immediate cures. Then my wife and I began to diligently visit the incorruptible relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov, and beg him with your prayers before the Lord to save me from my headache. This went on for several months, the headache did not subside. Finally, on October 16, 1885, wanting to venerate the relics of Blessed Theodosius before the services began in the churches, I went with my wife to the cathedral earlier than usual.
Having arrived there, we found the cathedral unlocked and the cave locked, and therefore, waiting for the cave to open, we entered the cathedral. In the cathedral we found no more than 6 women and children unknown to us, and subsequently there was also a church reader on the right choir. My wife stood on the left side near the miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos mounted on a lectern, and I stood behind the first square column on the right side, opposite the icon case, into which the same image of the Most Holy Theotokos is sometimes inserted. Next to me, under the same column, stood two girls: one about 7 years old, and the other about 9 years old. Having stood there for no more than a quarter of an hour, suddenly, quite clearly, everyone in the church heard under the floor the singing of a single and triple: “Lord, have mercy,” sung several times in an senile, flabby voice, similar to the voice of the priest who was with the relics at that time.
Mechanically we turned our faces to the entrance doors, wanting to find out if the clergy was coming with the image; even the reader, sitting quietly on the right choir, looked out of desire to find out who was singing; but seeing the door locked and none of those newly entering the church, we all came to surprise and bewilderment as to where such singing could come from. The girls standing near me and I said that we heard singing below; Therefore, everyone came to the conviction that the cave was unlocked and that a service was being performed there on someone’s order, and with such confidence we moved into the cave to venerate the relics of St. saint of God Theodosius. Having reached the cave doors, to our extreme surprise, we saw that the doors were locked from the outside with a padlock; in bewilderment we returned back to the church. At the same time they began to preach the gospel for Vespers. One of the clergymen entered the church with us; I turned to him with a question: is there a separate room at the church for the practice of singers, and having heard the answer that there is no, I and everyone else came to the conviction that by the grace of God something extraordinary had happened.
Before the end of the all-night vigil, having learned that the cave was unlocked, my wife and I went there, bowed to the holy saint Theodosius and venerated his holy relics. The priest, who was in the cave and knew my suffering, took from the tomb of St. Theodosius a brocade cap, lightly quilted with cotton wool, and, explaining that, according to legend, the saint himself wore that cap during his lifetime, he put it on my head. After holding it on my head for some time and noticing the relief of my suffering, I told the priest about this and asked to take the cap to my home. Having received permission, I left the cave with my cap and reached home safely, with a dull pain in my head. Upon arriving home, my suffering resumed; I prayed against the image of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky in my house, put his cap on my head again and went to bed; The pain subsided and gave me the opportunity to sleep peacefully. I wore the cap for three days, and the pain in my head completely disappeared and did not return. Having thanked the Lord and His saint St.
Theodosius for healing me from an illness, I came to the full conviction that the singing of “Lord, have mercy” that reached our ears was the prayer of St. Theodosius to the merciful God about the suffering, and I consider it my duty to bring this to general attention.
Supervisor of the Chernigov grocery store Mikhail Petrov.”
45) In 1886, the Chernigov tradeswoman Plisochkina fell ill with her leg, which was swollen to the point that it was impossible to step on it without a crutch. When, on the advice of a friend, she took a measurement from her sore leg and ordered a candle of that size to be placed at the relics of St. Theodosius and to pray for her recovery, soon the pain stopped and she recovered.
46) In 1886, a native of the Vologda province, Dmitry Ivanov Yuditsky, received a miraculous healing from the relics of St. Theodosius. He was ill, as he himself says, with purulent blood poisoning and lay motionless for 1½ years. All doctors declared the disease incurable. In illness, he often turned mentally to Saint Theodosius, asking for his help, and his wife went to the relics of the saint. One day she brought oil from the holy lamp. Feodosia; the sick man anointed his wounds with it, and the wounds, which the doctors found incurable, healed from the saint. oils Since then he began to recover and can now walk even without the help of a stick.
47) The wife of priest V. Sambursky, who served until 1887 at the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, suffered from unbearable internal illness; The doctors determined the day of her death and completely left her to treat. The sick husband prepared everything needed for the funeral, including flour and yeast. Exhausted, he went to sleep in another room of his apartment. About two hours later he heard the voice of his wife, who had not spoken for several days until then, asking the nurse who was in the room? Entering the sick woman’s room and seeing his wife sitting in an excited state, the husband began to calm her down; but she stubbornly insisted that there was someone else in her room. After this, the sick woman fixed her gaze on the image of Saint Theodosius and then only spoke joyfully: “The saint was here in a cassock, he ordered me to drink a glass of yeast; give it quickly, otherwise I’ll die.” The yeast was brought, the patient drank it and by the evening she felt so much better that she could get out of bed.
48) In 1887, the son of Chernigov tradesman Egor Alexandrov, Vasily, 11 years old, received healing from the saint Theodosius Uglitsky. He got very sick with his eyes. Doctors treated him for about 4 months without any relief. Finally, at the consultation, it was decided that there was hope for recovery of the right eye, but it was necessary to undergo surgery, and the left eye was considered hopeless. After this, the patient saw a beggar in a dream, who advised him to go to the holy cave. Feodosia and pray. When they woke up, they told the dream to their parents. His mother soon took him to the cave and asked him to serve a requiem service for the repose of St. Theodosius and a prayer service for the health of the ill Vasily. Upon returning home, the patient felt his eyes better, began to distinguish colors, refused the operation, and soon his eyes completely recovered.
49) In 1888, nobleman Vasily Petrov Obolonsky received healing from his illness. For more than 10 years he suffered from nervous attacks with terrible convulsions of the whole body. On February 21, after a severe seizure, a bone in his left leg from the knee to the foot was damaged, causing a swelling that prevented him from walking straight on his leg. He went to the cave to sanctify. Theodosius, and when he knelt with earnest prayer before the reliquary of his relics, he felt relief from the suffering both in his leg and in his whole body.
50) The wife of the former leader of the nobility of the Tula province, Elizaveta Aleksandrovna Yanova, stated that her servant Anna received healing, through the prayers of St. Theodosius, from severe pain in her hands, which pain completely deprived her of the opportunity to work in cold weather.
51) The general’s wife Nadezhda Pavlovna Svechina declared the miraculous help of St. Theodosius, revealed in the fate of her unfortunate son.
52) In 1888, noblewoman Sofia Pavlovna Khramtsova stated that 30 years ago she had sick legs, so she could not stretch out and walk with them. Brought to the cave of St. Theodosia, when she venerated the relics, immediately felt relief and left the cave without outside help.
53) In the winter of 1888, at Maria Em. Redkina, a resident of Chernigov, developed a blistering erysipelas on both legs; the illness lasted about two weeks. All medical remedies against the disease were in vain. On the advice of Mrs. Zhigacheva, the patient’s feet were anointed with olive (wooden oil) from the lamp at the relics of St. Feodosia; the pain stopped at that very moment, and on the third day the patient could walk freely.
54) In 1889, she received a miraculous healing from St. Feodosia Neonila Aleksandrova Maksimovskaya, living in Kyiv. As a result of moral suffering, as she herself reports, her body reached complete exhaustion of physical strength, and she lay in bed, having lost hope of recovery. On January 7 or 8 the saint appeared to her. Theodosius, whom she heard about from her sister, and with the word: “Calm down!” completely stopped her moral suffering. After that, she completely calmed down and began to get better. She came to Chernigov to venerate Saint Theodosius for healing.
55) Nadvorn. council Alexander Semenov of Svyatoslavsky from Tomsk writes: when he was still in his youth, he does not remember the year, the Lord showed His wondrous help at the shrine of St. Theodosius over his sister Mary. His father was then the Nizhyn district commander. His sister Maria became very ill, and, despite the fact that doctors were immediately invited, the illness became so acute that all medical help was powerless, and the doctors sentenced her to death. His parents, as religious people, resorted to the help of the Almighty and decided to take the sick woman to Chernigov in order to pray for her at the reliquary of the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky. The patient was unconscious on the way. Upon arrival in Chernigov (which he vaguely remembers, since he was still very small at that time), they went down into some crypt, brightly lit by lamps, where at the foot of the saint’s shrine they laid a large one, almost dying of fatigue due to the long journey, and prayed with tears.
At the end of the prayer service, when, it seems, the priest placed a crown from the saint on the sick woman, the sick woman stood up without outside help and returned to the house where we were staying, completely healthy. Whether his parents announced this then, he does not know. The Lord God has now shown His wonderful mercy over him too, for the sake of the prayers of His saint, Saint Theodosius. In the late seventies he was involved in one very dirty case; although he was innocent, the circumstances, the law, the witnesses - everything was against him, and he was threatened with: loss of honor, service, even prison and deprivation of rights. All this together, with the addition in the future of the poverty of his family, which consisted of a wife and three children, tormented him greatly. In one of these difficult moments of his life, he mentally called upon the saint for help. Theodosius made a vow, if the opportunity presented itself, in person, but if not, then at least ask through the mail to serve a prayer of thanksgiving to the saint and acquire his image. So what?
The circumstances completely changed, the case was dismissed by the court, and he retained both his honor and service, and after that he received several of the highest awards. He attributes all this to the mercy of God through the prayers of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky.
56) A certain Ilya Sizarev writes to the cathedral: “I have the honor to inform you that, during my stay in Chernigov on May 15, 1889, previously I had suffered for three years from very seriously poor vision in my right eye - but, having prayed before the holy relics of the saint of God, St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, I felt better, and after a short time the Lord God heard His saint, St. Christ Theodosius, and sent me healing, so that I see well now. I also suffered from severe body itching and toothache; I received healing from a disease on my body during my stay in Chernigov, when the relics were transferred from cave 51 to the cold church, and from a dental disease I received healing at home, after the request of the saint of God in prayer. I send my thanks to the Lord God that He healed me through His saint, Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky, from three diseases.”
57) The wife of the priest of the village of Shatilova, Livensky district, Oryol province, Anna Alekseevna Beketova, stated in a letter to the brethren of the Chernigov Cathedral that she, Beketova, had suffered from headaches since the age of 14; attacks of illness sometimes continued for whole days, were accompanied by an unbearable ache all over the head and deprived the patient of the opportunity to speak with anyone. In 1888, the patient came to Chernigov to meet with her son, who was serving at a theological seminary. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the patient prayed with special zeal at the reliquary of the celibate relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky about the healing of her illness; and when, after prayer, she kissed the right hand of the saint and placed the consecrated metal hoop on her head, which is always found with the honest relics of the saint of God, her illness stopped and to this day (February 9, 1890) has not recurred.
58) “My daughter studied at the Chernigov Theological Women’s School; From the age of 15 she suffered from anemia and loss of strength, so that she gradually seemed to melt away. On the third day of St. on Easter 1889 she accidentally fell into a well; As a result of the fright, the illness intensified and reached the point that the doctors who treated her (including Mr. Sikorsky) decisively declared her hopeless. Then I turned to simple remedies, and for this I needed to collect herbs. I went to the forest of the Trinity Monastery at about 4 in the afternoon. Crying and praying, I searched for the right herb; suddenly I heard steps behind me and, looking back, I saw an old monk dressed in a light cassock and cap; to his question: “what am I doing,” she answered that I was looking for herbs for my hopelessly ill daughter, that the best doctors had treated her, and now I wanted to try folk remedies. The monk replied: “You forgot the main doctor!” go to St. Ask Theodosius of Uglitsky to serve a prayer service and ask her to put on something from the saint’s vestments.” Then I just remembered that I had never addressed the saint.
I sincerely thanked the monk and just wanted to ask his name when he quickly disappeared into the ravine that runs near the St. Elias Church. The next day I took the big one to the cave, did everything according to the monk’s word, and from that very day my daughter quickly, without any medical help, began to recover and always enjoyed good health after that. The wife of the college secretary Ekaterina Kotlyarevskaya. The wife of the senior surveyor's assistant is Olga Aleksandrovna Martishevskaya. The wife of the collegiate assessor, Nadezhda Mikhailovna Tovstoles.”
59) Alexandra Fesyukova, being a girl, was very ill, and she was sentenced to death, but her father definitely wanted to transport her to his village while still alive, for which horses were sent. On the eve of her departure, the sick woman prayed to the saint at home and during the night she already felt so much better that in the morning they could take her, not lying down, but sitting up, to the cave, where she prayed for a long time and came out of the cave without outside help, and when she reached the village, she not only recovered, but had such an appearance that her father did not even believe that she was sick, and was angry that he was allegedly deceived in order to force him to send out the horses.
60) “My young son Ivan, from six weeks to three years of age, suffered from various serious illnesses; All the measures and medical benefits I took were unsuccessful. As a result of such a long illness, the boy’s teeth, which grew, then deteriorated and rotted, and a growth in the form of a hump, the size of a glass, formed on his back. Such severe and prolonged suffering for the child, which required constant care, tired and exhausted our entire family. In May last year, on the advice of my neighbors, I brought a sick boy to the cave to the relics of St. Theodosius, prayed for a long time to the holy saint of God, and asked the priest standing at the tomb of the saint. pray for the sick. The priest served a prayer service for the sick Ivan at the saint’s shrine; since then, the sick boy apparently began to recover and is now completely freed from the disease; his teeth have grown new, his hump has disappeared, and the boy walks completely healthy.”
61) The priest of the village of Kuznetsov, Surazh district, Chernigov province, Georgy Rossinsky, in a letter dated August 28, 1892, reported to the rector of the Chernigov Cathedral, Archpriest John Platonov, the following touching story about the manifestation of grace-filled healing over him through prayers to St. Feodosius Uglitsky.
“Wonderful is God in His saints”!
In 1887, on the evening of November 14, my teeth hurt after I drank cold water and ate hot food. Over time, the disease became very severe. I tried various remedies from it for several days, but did not feel any relief. “One evening my wife invited me to dinner, and I sat down at the table, but I could not eat because of severe toothache. Sitting at the table, I was mentally transported to the incorruptible relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, whom I consider my prayer book before God from my youth, and I begged the saint of God to heal me from a dental disease, promising to publish about a miraculous healing if such a thing followed quickly. - So what? Oh, miracle! With such prayerful reflection, I felt a fever, and the toothache instantly went away. Without getting up from my seat, I mentally thanked God and Saint Theodosius for the miraculous healing and told my wife about what had happened, which she listened to with tenderness.
Freed from toothache, I was already freely refreshed with food and was in a cheerful mood. But that same evening I fell into temptation: thoughts began to appear in me one after another against fulfilling my valuable vow, which I then expressed to my wife. “How will my friends look at this? I said; perhaps they will not believe it or will interpret the miraculous healing differently, in their own way,” etc. Under the influence of such thoughts, I already refused what could serve for the greater glory of St. Theodosius. For this I was punished that same evening by the return of the toothache. But once encouraged, I again ran with prayer to Saint Theodosius, only without repeating my previous vow, so that, due to human weakness, I would again not fall into temptation. And the toothache, by the grace of God and the prayers of St. Theodosius, passed after some time and did not recur.
Time passed. I still remembered Saint Theodosius in my sinful everyday prayers and did not express my gratitude to him in any way. Over time, the thought of my guilt before the saint for not fulfilling my promise began to be forgotten. But he wanted to remind me of this on the next occasion.
1889, September 8th, after the liturgy, I felt a headache. Not paying attention to this, I then went to the village of Selets, located 2 miles from the village, to bury the deceased old woman Marina Marchenkova. “After the farewell, which was accompanied by unfavorable weather, my headache became so intense that I spent the rest of that day and the night following very restlessly. On the morning of September 9, feeling weak and headache, I did not think of getting out of bed; but it happened that a weak child was brought to me for baptism, and I was forced to get up with difficulty to fulfill my duty. After the sacrament of St. baptism, I felt even worse and went to bed again to calm down, but I could not sleep.
At 12 noon on the same September 9th, the local dean, Fr. John Bakurevich. To accept it, I stood up again with great effort. Seeing that I was sick, the dean forced me to go and rest in bed; I didn’t do this, I thought I would overcome the illness with courage. But this did not happen. By 4 o'clock in the afternoon the dean left, and I went back to bed, feeling even more chilly with weakness and headache. On September 10th I was no better; I spent almost the entire day in bed. I was no better on the 11th. During my illness, I resorted to prayer to Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky. – On the night of September 12, while suffering greatly from a headache, I intensified my prayer and, mentally transporting myself to the relics of St. Theodosius, I called on him for help. At the same time, I also called upon St. Nicholas to be an intercessor for my unworthiness before St. Theodosius.
After such a prayer, I soon fell asleep - and it seemed to me that I was in some building in which twilight reigned; someone turned to me, pointing to the corner of Kutny, and said: “here is the bishop!” I looked and saw in the indicated place two tall chairs standing next to each other. One of them, the kutny one, was free, and on the other sat, as it seemed to me, Saint Theodosius, although I could not see his face, since it seemed to be hidden behind a light curtain. I walked towards him, bowing and pretending to beg. As I approached, the saint stood up and reproached me with the words: “You stole my cross!” And then, as if condescending to my weakness, he immediately touched my head and blessed me. This is where I woke up. There was a strong heat in my head and I felt pain, and therefore I hastened to find near me a bandage soaked in vinegar, which had moved from my head during sleep, and, having found it, I tied it around my head again. As soon as I did this, I immediately felt that the headache and fever stopped and my strength became stronger.
Having thanked God, marvelous in His saints, and Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky for the miraculous healing, I gave myself over to thinking about the dream, waiting for the day, and could no longer sleep. Soon the clock struck 6 (am).
The unoccupied chair I saw, standing closer to the corner of the corner, I attributed to St. Nicholas and recognized it as evidence that my sinful prayer to him was fulfilled by him. The reproach of Saint Theodosius brings me to the full consciousness that I truly stole his cross, that is, his glory, without fulfilling my previous vow, without describing the miraculous healing of me by the saint from a dental disease, since “there is a cross,” according to the canon of St. cross, “glory to the hierarchs” (canto 1). “Glory to the cross and eternal light to souls” (canto 6). “Let me not boast,” says (St. Apostle Paul), only in the one cross of the Lord, having suffered on it, kill the passions; Therefore, we also know that we hold up the cross of the Lord, all praise” (ikos).
When, with the onset of day, my wife got up, I immediately shared my joy with her, telling her in detail about the wonderful dream and healing. Seeing me healthy, she listened to my story with emotion.
In gratitude to Saint Theodosius for the miraculous healing, I made it a rule to read the troparion and kontakion compiled in his honor every day. In addition, I had the idea of sending my contribution to the decoration of the saint’s tomb and prayers, and if he wanted, then with his help to describe his miracles, without which I did not dare to take on such an important task. But since the event described, that is, since September 12, 1889, exactly half a year has passed. On the night of March 12th of this year, 1890, in a sleepy vision, the bishop appeared to me, blessed me, but at the same time expressed his dissatisfaction with me with a gesture, as if for the fact that, when I visited him, I did not give him due honor. The circumstances of the time and the treatment of me by the bishop who appeared in a dream give me reason to see Saint Theodosius in him.
On the night of May 20th of this year, 1890, in a sleepy vision, St. Theodosius appeared to me with his incorruptible relics, which rested in the tomb located in the church. His face was open; it seemed full, fresh, as if sleeping; his hands seemed white, fresh, with visible blue veins, as if he were sleeping. When I, standing in front of him, looked at him, I heard a voice from him: “how cold.” After which his face turned away from me.
After this, I firmly decided by September 12 of this year, 1890, to present to the cathedral a description of the miracles of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, which I am now performing for the glory of God, to the glorification of the Chernigov saint and wonderworker Theodosius of Uglitsky, who is deeply revered by me.
1890, August 28th day. He wrote according to his priestly conscience, avoiding lies, and signed: the village of Kuznetsov is priest Georgy Rossinsky.
62) Naum Ivanov Ratnikov, a peasant owner of the Kaluga province, the village of Bryumova, who was engaged in contracts in Chernigov, stated in writing that in 1884 his daughter Anna. Being six months old, in March she fell ill with a dangerous and serious illness, from which three of his children died a little earlier. No treatment helped, the sick girl became increasingly weaker and was apparently approaching death. Parents, moved by firm faith in the Providence of God and hope in the intercession of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, turned with fervent prayer to the saint of God for the recovery of his sick little daughter, and begged for a while from the honest relics of St. Theodosius cover (air) and placed it on the sick woman. To the greatest joy, the next day after this the patient began to recover and soon completely recovered.
63) A resident of the city of Chernigov, Feodosya Demyanovna Reshetnikova, stated that in August 1889 she rubbed her leg near the heel, and then caught a cold in the same leg. Over time, a black spot formed on the erased area, the leg became swollen, and the pain was unbearable. On August 28, the patient was brought to the Kyiv Red Cross Hospital; The doctor, having examined the spot, found it necessary to cut it out. When the patient did not agree to the operation, the doctor applied a lotion to the sore spot and bandaged it. On the advice of the doctor, the patient continued to do the same lotion and bandage her leg for six days, but the pain intensified. Upon a secondary examination, the doctor found damage to the bone and said again that the spot must be cut out, the bone must be sawed out, otherwise the leg will soon have to be sawed off, since gangrene begins in the leg. The patient refused surgery for the second time. But, in view of the danger of imminent death and experiencing severe pain, she began to earnestly pray to the Lord for recovery through the intercession of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky.
With constant prayer to the saint of God, she applied a towel soaked in cold water to the sore spot; the pain began to decrease, the swelling went away, and the patient was able to return to Chernigov. In Chernigov, the sick woman prayed at the shrine of St. Theodosius and rubbed the sore spot with oil taken from the unquenchable lamp; Soon the pain completely stopped.
64) Priest of the Mogilev province, Chernigov district, village of Soboley, Fr. Alexander Migay, in his statement addressed to the rector of the Chernigov Cathedral, Fr. Archpriest John Platonov, dated March 2, 1891, writes the following: “I consider it my duty to inform about my miraculous healing when calling for the help of the saint of God, Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov, whose incorruptible relics are in the mountains. Chernigov. On December 20, 1890, I had to perform a funeral liturgy on the day of the six-month commemoration of the deceased widow of the landowner Natalia Vilhelmovna Stosh. Getting up early, I went to church for the mentioned need; At the end of Matins I left the church. While waiting for mass for the son of the deceased, landowner Evgeniy Stosh, I took up writing; but since it was cold, I felt a sharp pain in the scapula of my right shoulder on my back, but I didn’t pay attention and went to church to perform the liturgy.
It was with difficulty that I performed the divine service, since the pain did not subside, but on the contrary increased, and it was very difficult to raise my hands up before the throne of God. After the liturgy, the son of the landowner arrived and asked for an opinion to perform a small lithium at the grave of the deceased near the church. It was difficult to cense the grave three times with a censer in my hand, but, overcoming the pain, I fulfilled the request of the petitioner. The Christmas holidays were approaching, and a lot of work had to be endured, but the shoulder pain did not subside at all. To relieve the pain, I resorted to medical help, rubbing the sore spot with purified turpentine, as a proven remedy for such pain, but no help came; I also applied mustard plasters, but there was no benefit. With bated breath I began to look forward to the upcoming holidays. And so, on the first day of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, forgetting and overcoming the pain, I performed a great and difficult divine service for me at that time.
After mass, feeling as if relieved, he wanted to visit his friends and went to a neighboring landowner, 6 miles away. The weather was very windy and cold, and I was again blown strongly by the same sore right shoulder. Upon returning home, I began to feel such severe pain that I could barely turn my head and could not raise my right hand at all to make the sign of the cross. This continued until December 28th. I spent the night of December 28 very anxiously; I could neither turn over nor sleep,” and it was even difficult to speak. Getting up with difficulty early in the morning of December 28, with outside help and not having anything to help myself, I remembered St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, mentally transported myself to his incorruptible relics and asked him for help and intercession for me before the Lord God. Not having the opportunity - the pain was so strong - to raise my hands to make the sign of the cross, I began to read the troparion composed in honor of this saint - and what!... I suddenly raised my right hand for the cross and felt that the pain was almost imperceptible in my shoulder.
At first I thought it was incredible. I raise my hand a second time for the cross and - oh, miracle! – I don’t feel any pain at all. Having mentally thanked God and Saint Theodosius, I turned to my wife and told her that Saint Theodosius was pleased to show his intercession for me and show his mercy on me by sending me a quick healing. After this, the headache went away. In gratitude to God and Saint Theodosius, I decided that all members of my family, morning and evening, among the prayers, read the troparion and kontakion to Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky, the Chernigov miracle worker, who performed a miracle on me, a sinner.”
65) The same priest delivered information about the relief of the disease - suffocation, through prayers to St. Theodosius, a peasant of the village. Gorki, Cherikov district, Mogilev province, Ivan Feodorov.
66) The above-mentioned priest of the village of Kuznetsov, Surazh district, Fr. Georgy Rossinsky stated the following: “On February 15, 1891, due to a cold, my four-year-old daughter Vera fell ill; On February 16, when the patient was examined by a paramedic, her fever was 38°C; pulse – 160 beats per minute. All possible means were taken to cure the patient, but no improvement was noticed. Until February 19, the patient consumed almost nothing except water. It was noticeable that the disease had become more complicated lately. By 4 o'clock in the afternoon on February 19, the patient was so weak that she stopped even speaking and no longer responded to her mother's calls. Apparently, the hour of the soul’s departure from the weak and skinny body has arrived. My wife intensified her prayer for her dear child and, with tears in her eyes, made some vows in case the sick woman recovered. For my part, being under a strong impression and realizing the importance of the moment, I hastened to run with my sinful prayer to Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky, who had already shown me his help, and asked him for the healing of my daughter.
At the same time, he read the troparion and kontakion to him several times before his holy icon, placed at the head of the sick woman; and also mentally, and then verbally, in the presence of his wife and her sister, made a promise to recognize the miraculous healing of the sick St. Theodosius Uglitsky, if she feels better at the same hour, and if at the same hour she asks for something to drink or eat, and from that time she begins to get better and recovers. He also promised to write about the miraculous healing of the patient, if any, to the Chernigov Cathedral. This promise was made by me at ½ 5 o'clock in the afternoon, according to my pocket watch. It stands to reason that the fatal conventional time should have ended at ½ 6 o'clock in the afternoon, according to the same clock. But I admit, I turned out to be inconsistent with regard to the conditional time and allowed a deviation; namely, I wanted to compare the pocket watch with the wall one, and noticing that the pocket watch was ahead, I moved its hands from ½ 5 o'clock to 4 o'clock.
Having allowed such arbitrariness in changing the time, after the conditional hour had already been determined by vow, I was not then fully aware of my inconsistency and believed that the conditional period would have to end at 5 o’clock. But He, on Whom all hope was placed, judged differently... It was 5 o’clock. The patient was no better; it even seemed that she was on the verge of death. I was already beginning to condemn myself for my insolence before the Lord and His Holy One. the saint who dared, unworthy, to ask for a miraculous healing of the sick; and my wife was already beginning to despair of her daughter’s recovery. But He said: “Ask, and it will be given to you,” hastened to “those who are tempted to help” and showed His divine power through the prayers of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky. When I approached the patient a few minutes after five o’clock, I asked: does her head hurt? She answered: “No, it doesn’t hurt,” and soon afterwards she herself asked her mother for “seagull.” Mother hastened to satisfy her request, and I, meanwhile, looked at the clock and was surprised that, although it was running well, it stopped, and the hands showed only 20 minutes of the 6th hour in the afternoon.
Only then did I fully understand my inconsistency, which was expressed in my arbitrary rearrangement of the clock hands. It was clear that Saint Theodosius showed his miraculous help in a timely manner... And the sick woman, who until that time could not turn around on her own, was strengthened by St. a saint of God, she then began to sit up herself, asked for food, spoke freely and cheerfully, and even laughed. Our joy was great, as we saw that the sick woman, almost condemned to death, immediately came to life. I, my wife and her sister immediately recognized such a change in the patient’s situation for the miraculous healing by Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky and offered thanks to the Lord God and His holy saint and wonderworker.”
67) Through prayers to Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky, in 1891 they received healing from illnesses: the priest of the village. Khreshchaty, Kozeletsky district, Chernigov province, about. Stefan Khodorovsky (from typhus fever), state-owned peasant of the village of Novy Bobovich, Novozybkovsky district, Philip the Great, resident of the area. Semenovka Arkhipp Ivanov Blistavsky and state councilor Feodor Kirillovich Kostyrko, who is serving in Omsk.
68) The head of the Novoropsky (Chernigov province) two-year school, teacher Pronkov, in his statement dated June 7, 1891 addressed to the rector of the Chernigov Cathedral, said the following: “Two years ago, my ten-year-old daughter fell ill with dropsy; I took all measures to cure the patient, but there was no decisive benefit: the disease noticeably intensified, and the patient became more and more exhausted. Under the influence of grave sadness, I went to Chernigov and while performing a prayer service for the shrine of the celibate relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, I earnestly prayed for the recovery of the sick woman. After the prayer service I purchased an icon of St. Theodosius in order to place it on the sick woman. The Lord was pleased to turn my sorrow into joy. After laying on the sacred image of the saint of God, St. Feodosius Uglitsky treated the sick woman, she felt noticeably better, and then she completely recovered. I sincerely thank the Lord God and His saint, St. Theodosius for the mercy shown to my daughter and my family.”
Similar statements were also received from gendarme non-commissioned officer Pyotr Yarosh and from retired soldier Ivan Dimitriev Ostapechenko.
69) Priest of the village of Maxim, Chernigov diocese, Fr. Stefan Bazilevich, in 1891 sent Fr. to the rector of the Chernigov Cathedral the following statement: “The rumor about the miraculous manifestations of God’s mercy at the tomb of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, the new Russian miracle worker, is spreading more and more every day. In all true Christians it evokes feelings of the liveliest joy and gratitude to God, so wondrous in His saints. An even more lively joy, a more reverent sense of reverence and gratitude to God embraces those who have experienced the power of the life-giving prayer of the saint of God, St. Theodosius. With what a feeling of tenderness and joy those healed talk about the mercy of God shown to them through the prayers of the saint! These feelings are so sincere and holy, so sincere and touching that it is impossible to remain silent about them, but there is a need to share them with others...
I also had to experience such feelings when I told about the miraculous healing at the relics of St. Theodosius from a serious illness of the noblewoman Alexandra Navrotskaya, who asked me to describe this miracle for the greater glory of the saint, in gratitude for the healing. “In 1857,” said Navrotskaya, “I fainted, after which attacks of tetanus began to affect me. At first these seizures were rare and mild, but the further they went, the more and more they began to become more frequent and intensified. During the attack, I could not move for more than half an hour, my arms and legs became numb and stiff, I could not control them at all, and if my hand was extended or raised up, I could not lower it. My head was spinning, although in this state I felt everything. Towards the end of 1857, my illness intensified: during a seizure, I began to feel shaking throughout my whole body, I had convulsions, and I was beating so hard that several people could not hold me...
The doctors to whom my relatives turned for advice were completely unable to determine the type of my illness, and their efforts to in any way weaken my illness increased it. In 1858 my illness worsened even more, and all hopes for my recovery were lost. My relatives, seeing my final weakness, decided to consecrate water in the house in the hope that, after sprinkling me with St. water, it will make me feel better. When the priest came and brought the items needed for the blessing of water: St. gospel and the cross, I felt intense fear and began to convulse. When, after the blessing of water, the priest brought me St. the gospel and the cross for kissing, I started fighting and screaming again; At the same time, I tried to hide my face. After that, I became even more weakened, seizures repeated with me every day, and every day I became more and more weakened. Finally, at the beginning of 1859, my relatives decided to take me to Chernigov to venerate the relics of St. Theodosius and the miraculous icon of the Elias Mother of God.
On the road I had frequent seizures; but, thanking God, we arrived in Chernigov safely. The next day, January 16, I was led to the cave where the relics of the saint rest. At the entrance to the cave, I had a seizure, but not as strong as before. After praying to the saint, my family took me to the Trinity Monastery to venerate the miraculous image of the Mother of God. Upon arrival at the monastery, I was led into the church and asked to read an akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos. While reading the akathist, I had a full-blown seizure, and I became so weak that they brought me to my apartment, barely alive. On the evening of the same January 16, it was decided that tomorrow we would go to the cave to St. Theodosius and ask to serve a requiem. On January 17 I was brought to the cathedral; At the entrance to the cave, I felt strong fear, began to tremble, and the attack repeated itself. Then they carried me into the cave and laid me on the steps near the saint’s tomb, and the priest Kolesnikov, who was at that time, began to serve the requiem.
When, before the funeral service, the priest, at the request of my relatives, came up to me to cover me with the balloon that was lying on the saint, I began to scream and tried to hide my face; At the end of the funeral service, when the priest wanted to anoint my face with oil from the lamp, I again began to fight and scream and used all my efforts to prevent my face from being anointed. Then the priest began to read the incantatory prayers of St. Basil the Great. While reading these prayers, I prayed to God to grant me healing; At the same time, I vowed never to get married, but to remain a virgin. And thanks be to God and Saint Theodosius! – my prayer was not in vain. As soon as the priest, after reading the prayers, anointed my face with a cross, I immediately felt better, but I was so weak that I could not get up and, with the permission of the priest, lay on the steps until we were told that it was time to leave, since we needed to lock the cave. In the evening of the same day I became completely stronger, so the next day, January 18, I was taken home completely healthy.
After such a miraculous recovery, for five years there was no sign of the previous attack, so my relatives began to persuade me to get married; then the seizure recurred to me again, as if as a reminder of my vow. Then I told my family about my vow, and they left me alone and - thanks be to God and Saint Theodosius! - Since then, my illness has not recurred. “Navrotskaya concluded, I attribute my recovery to the power of life-giving prayer and the intercession of St. Theodosius, and I wish that it be recorded for the glory of the saint.” The healed Alexandra Navrotskaya is still alive; strictly observing her vow, she, in gratitude for her healing, devoted herself to serving her neighbor and mainly to caring for the sick. Wherever help is needed, she tries to provide it at all times. At the same time, she also tries to raise morality among rural people, convincing them to go to church and respect priests; in a word, he tries to follow the path that the holy myrrh-bearers followed Christ.”
70) Priest of the village of Brovnich, Novozybkovsky district, Fr. Dimitry Grigorovsky, in a letter dated March 10, 1892 addressed to the rector of the Chernigov Cathedral, Fr. John Platonov, reported the next manifestation of God’s mercy in his family through prayer to St. Theodosius of Uglitsky.
“In June last 1891, writes Fr. Dim. Grigorovsky, my daughter Anna, a three-year-old baby, fell ill with measles. During her illness, with her weak voice, she often asked us, that is, those at home, to pray for her to the saint, that is, Theodosius of Uglitsky, whose image we have had for a long time, and we are accustomed to pour out our sinful prayers before this saint. We fulfilled the child’s request, and the patient soon recovered. Some time passed after this, and the woman who had recovered fell ill again, probably from a cold. There was a terrible congestion around her neck, breathing became difficult; I turned to the paramedic and the doctor for help, but it was in vain; no medicine helped the patient, she grew worse and worse, and finally one evening the child was close to death. Being in inexpressible grief, my family and I, kneeling and with tears, began to pray before the image of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, asking the saint of God to deliver the suffering woman from her illness; Moreover, I made a promise, if the patient recovered, to send a feasible sacrifice to the cave to the saint’s shrine.
After the prayer, I blessed the sick woman with the image of the saint and placed it on her head. By morning the patient felt better, to our common joy, and soon she completely recovered. The child, thank God, is healthy and now through the intercession of St. Feodosia. May he be our intercessor and patron, now and ever and forever and ever!”
71) Priest of the village of Razrytogo, Fr. John Bulgakov, in a letter dated April 9, 1892, announced his recovery from pneumonia, through prayers to St. Theodosius of Uglitsky. The illness befell priest Bulgakov on December 3, 1891; suffering, the patient mentally cried out for help to Saint Theodosius; On December 20, the patient felt better, and on the day of the Epiphany he celebrated the liturgy.
The wife of the collegiate adviser, Olga Vashetko, lives in the city. Staroduba, stated the following in writing: “1892, January 10th, my son Nikolai, 12 years old, fell ill with erysipelas on his head and face; the doctors treated the patient, but there was no relief; then I sent my friend in Chernigov money and a letter asking her to pray to St. Feodosius Uglitsky about the health of the sick Nikolai. On that day and hour when prayer was performed for my son at the tomb of the saint, my son felt better; he began to noticeably improve and was completely recovered. I consider such a healing a miracle and ask that it be published for the glorification of God and His saint.” At the beginning of June 1892, Mrs. Vashetko with her healed son was in Chernigov, performing a prayer of thanks at the shrine of the relics of St. Theodosia told those in the cave about the above-described sign of God’s mercy to her son.
73) Deacon s. Mezina, Krolevets district, o. Simeon Kostyuchenko, in a letter addressed to Fr. The cathedral archpriest states: “On March 18, 1892, my three-year-old daughter Olga suddenly became so ill that she was unconscious for three days; I and my family were positively in despair; we prayed to God, called upon St. for help. Theodosius of Uglitsky, whose image was placed deliberately near the patient. One day, the sick woman, opening her eyes, said to her mother: “Mom, let me kiss Bozya.” The mother quickly and tenderly brought the image to the sick woman, and when the sick woman kissed the image, at the same moment her face became clearer and cheerful; It became noticeable to everyone that a change for the better had occurred in the patient. Indeed, after this incident, the patient soon recovered and at the present time, thanks to the Lord God and the great prayer book and intercessor of St. Feodosia Uglitsky, quite healthy.”
74) A peasant of the village of Andreevka, Chernigov district, Ivan Yakimov Pilipenko, in writing, dated May 28, 1892, declared the instant healing of his sore hand on the eve of Vai week of this year, through his fervent prayers to St. Theodosius of Uglitsky.
75) “In the middle of September 1890, writes the senior doctor of the Bolkhov regiment Matveev, in the city of Chernigov, my son Victor, 6 years old, fell ill with scarlet fever, complicated by diphtheria of the pharynx. Diphtheria was not limited to this place, but spread to the entire nasal cavity, pierced the eardrums and penetrated into the eyes, which closed due to swelling. Diphtheritic films with copious discharge of pus appeared everywhere. The body temperature remained between 40 and 41 degrees throughout the month. The patient's face took on the appearance of a shapeless mass. The exhaustion of the body reached its highest degree, despite good nutrition; my heart beat weakly. All the various medical remedies did not bring any benefit. Then I, after consulting with my friend Doctor Rybalsky, who was treating the patient together with me, came to the conclusion that there was no hope for recovery, which I announced to my wife. In despair, the mother went to the cathedral, where she was given a shroud from the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky. Upon her return home, we placed a veil on the baby’s head, which he kissed.
About 10 minutes later the patient asked to sit him in bed to play. From that day on, a slow improvement in my son’s health began, ending with a complete recovery. I firmly believe and am convinced, Mr. Matveev concludes his testimony, that the recovery of my son Victor occurred only through the working of miracles from the relics and through the prayers of His Grace Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov.”
76) The priest of the village of Kuznetsov, Shuisky district, Vladimir province, sent the following message to His Eminence Anthony, Bishop of Chernigov and Nizhyn, about the grace-filled help of a woman in labor through prayers to St. Theodosius of Uglitsky:
“On September 2, 1896, at 12 o’clock in the afternoon, a peasant from the village of Vikhareva, Ampliy Grigoriev Krasnov, rode up to me on horseback with a request to pray for his wife, who had been suffering from childbirth for a very long time. I fulfilled Krasnov's request. On September 3, early in the morning, at 2 o’clock after midnight, the same peasant came to me with a request to confess and give communion to his wife, since she was on her last legs, due to the failure to deliver the burden: “We’ll hardly find her alive,” he added. We went. Krasnov was in despair. “I don’t know what will happen to me,” he said, “if my wife dies. I had just recovered a little, built a shed and a barn (the buildings on the threshing floor were burned by evil people), I had just calmed down - and again a new grief befell me.” “Don’t worry,” I tell Krasnov, “the Lord God has many mercies. Call this minute more earnestly and with faith to the newly-minted saint of God, Theodosius, for speedy relief from your wife’s burden! he, a saint of God, helps everyone who calls on him with faith for help.” - “And what, father, should we call him?” asked Krasnov.
“The Saint,” I answered. At this time we arrived at the village of Makhalovka. Krasnov, throwing off his hat and constantly crossing himself, with tears in his eyes, in his prayer to Saint Theodosius asked for his help in the misfortune that had befallen him. In such a prayerful mood, he rode through the entire village, and when he put on his hat, I told him: “Behold, Amplius, in these very moments in which you resorted to the intercession of the saint and wonderworker Theodosius before God, perhaps your wife was delivered of her child.” “God grant!” he answered with joy. Arriving at Krasnov’s house, I found his wife still unabsorbed, but exhausted and saying to me in the weakest voice: “Father! quickly confess and give me communion. I’m dying this minute, my life is in the balance...” The midwife told me that they no longer knew what to do; They themselves are exhausted with it, and yet nothing is visible that could give hope for a speedy resolution of the burden. “God is merciful,” I said and, standing before St. icons, lit a candle and invited everyone present in the house to pray to the Lord God.
Taking the stole in my hands, and not yet putting it on, I mentally cried out to God: “Lord! through the prayers of Your saint Saint Theodosius, release this dying servant Natalya from her burden!” And - oh, the miracle of God's mercy! – at the same moment a child’s cry was heard; the midwife quickly ran up to the woman who had been relieved of her burden and took the born baby into her arms. At the same moment I hear the woman’s expression of resolution: “Father, aren’t you God!.. Father, aren’t you God!... (she repeated this several times). How can I thank you! I would bow down at your feet, but I can’t get up!” – “Pray and thank Saint Theodosius, the newly-minted saint of God; he helped you through your difficult birth,” I said.
Surprised by such a miracle and delighted by the mercy of God, everyone in the house realized that such a quick and beyond all hope miraculous resolution of Krasnova’s burden really happened through the miraculous intercession of Saint Theodosius before God, and in the unforgettable memory of the said event they named the newborn Theodosius.”
Priest Michael ends his testimony like this:
Giving glory to the One God, through the prayer of St. Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov, who granted miraculous relief from the burden of the mentioned peasant woman Natalia Krasnova, I reported everything here as it was, without resorting to any fiction, and I testify before God to the truth of what I told.
Priest of the Vladimir province, Shuisky district, village of Kuznetsova, Mikhail Martirov" 52.
Decree of the Holy Synod on the glorification and opening of the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov (June 26, 1896)
By decree of His Imperial Majesty, the Most Holy Governing Synod had a judgment on the procedure for announcing publicly the discovery of the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov. They ordered: for the nationwide announcement of the upcoming, on September 9 of this year, in the city of Chernigov, the solemn opening of the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov, to print the following decree in No. 30 of the Church Gazette, ordering the Moscow and Georgian-Imeretian synodal offices, synodal members, and others the diocesan bishops, the head of the court clergy, the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy, the commanders of the laurel and stauropegial monasteries, read it in all churches after the liturgy on the first Sunday or holiday after receiving No. 30 of the Church Gazette.
The memory of His Grace Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov, from the day of his repose, which followed on February 5, 1696, was reverently honored among the Russian Orthodox people, who flocked in large numbers from different localities of the Russian Empire to the Chernigov Boris and Gleb Cathedral to the grave of the hierarch to offer prayers for the repose of the soul him, with hope in his prayerful intercession before God. Believers were drawn to veneration of the saint by memories of his high ascetic life and the miraculous healings from various ailments that took place at his grave. A number of miraculous manifestations of God's grace from the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky were revealed by the healing of his successor in the Chernigov see, Archbishop John Maksimovich, later Metropolitan of Tobolsk, from a serious illness. Grateful for his healing, Archbishop John composed a “praise” in honor of St. Theodosius, in which he calls him “an earthly Angel and a saint residing in the seraphim flock.”
By order of Archbishop John, a stone cave was built in the foundation of the Boris and Gleb Cathedral Church, above the tomb of St. Theodosius, into which for about 200 years zealous admirers of St. Theodosius have been flocking for blessings and spiritual gifts. The Lord God, wondrous and glorious in His saints, endlessly worked and now works miracles and reveals His benefits through the intercession of Saint Theodosius, who flow with faith to his tomb in serious and incurable illnesses, in difficult circumstances of life, in spiritual sorrows and everyday needs. Confidence in the holiness of this saint, through the miraculous healings that took place at his tomb, grew and became more and more established among the Orthodox people. Among other things, the Chernigov governor testified to such confidence of the people in his most submissive report on the state of the Chernigov province for 1889, to which evidence the late Sovereign Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich was pleased to turn his attention in Bose.
In view of this, the Holy Synod instructed His Eminence of Chernigov to collect and deliver to the Synod information about the life and exploits of Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky. Having received the said information from the Right Reverend, the Holy Synod, taking into account that the news about the miracles of St. Theodosius remains not fully established, and meanwhile the general confidence in the holiness of this saint is becoming more and more established, found it timely to proceed with the necessary orders to verify the incorruption of the body of St. Theodosius and the miraculous actions performed at his tomb on the believers.
The Holy Synod entrusted the closest examination of this matter to His Eminence Ioannikiy, Metropolitan of Kyiv, and the local Bishop Anthony, who, having joined them with the vicar of the Chernigov diocese, Bishop Pitirim, the rector of the Chernigov Seminary, a member of the Kyiv Spiritual Consistory, Archpriest Preobrazhensky and two archpriests from the local cathedral clergy, On July 5, 1895, we arrived at the cave at the Boris and Gleb Church of the Chernigov Cathedral and, after the requiem service for St. Theodosius was celebrated here, they carried out a detailed examination of the coffin, clothes and the body of St. Theodosius itself, and it turned out that the body of St. Theodosius, by the grace of God, was preserved incorruptible, despite staying for 200 years in the cave of the Boris and Gleb Church, which is not particularly dry.
Regardless of this, the Most Reverend Ioannikios and Bishop Anthony, together with other designated clergy, having invited persons who had experienced miraculous healings on themselves or on their relatives through the intercession of Saint Theodosius through a prayerful invocation of his gracious help, collected from them, under oath and assault, testimony about the reality of the miracles performed on them. They examined forty-nine such events, of which twelve were at one time entered into the books of the Chernigov Cathedral to record legends about the miracles of the saint.
The Synod, having examined in all detail and with all possible care all the above circumstances, came to complete conviction in the truth of the incorruptibility of the body of St. Theodosius and in the authenticity of the miracles performed through it and, having given praise to the wondrous Lord God in His saints, who has ever blessed the Russian state, strong in forefathers' Orthodoxy, and now, in the days of the blessed reign of the most pious Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, as of old, who deigned to show by the glorification of the hierarch of the Russian Church a new and great sign of His benefits to her, presented His Imperial Majesty with an all-submissive report, in which he expressed the following opinion: 1) in the blessed memory of the late Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov, canonize him as a saint, by the grace of God glorified, and recognize his incorruptible body as holy relics; to compile a special service for St. Theodosius, and until the time of compiling one, to send him a service common to saints, to celebrate the memory of the saint both on the day of his repose, February 5, and on the day that His Imperial Majesty will be pleased to appoint for the opening of the relics of the saint, and 3) to announce this publicly by decrees of the Synod.
During this report, the authentic act of examining the relics of St. Theodosius, a brief description of cases of miraculous help for those who resorted to his intercession in illness and misfortune, and brief information about the life and work of St. Theodosius were presented at the Royal discretion. On the most submissive note of the Chief Prosecutor, in which the above-mentioned most submissive report of the Synod was brought to the attention of the Highest Sovereign Emperor, the Sovereign Emperor, on the 13th day of April of this year, deigned to inscribe in his own hand: “I agree. I read it with emotion." At the same time, the Synodal Chief Prosecutor most submissively reported that the celebration of the opening of the relics of St. Theodosius would, in the opinion of the Synod, be opportune to take place in the first half of September of this year.
In fulfillment of the expressed Highest will, the Holy Synod, by definition on June 19–24, 1896, decided to entrust the Most Reverend Ioannikiy, Metropolitan of Kiev, together with the Most Reverend Anthony of Chernigov, to perform the solemn opening of the relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov, and for this celebration to set the 9th day of September of the current year.
The solemnity of the opening of the relics of St. Theodosius
Soon there will be joyful news for Orthodox Christians about the discovery of St. The relics of St. Theodosius traveled throughout the Russian land and everywhere evoked in the hearts of Orthodox Christians thanksgiving to the Lord God, marvelous in His saints, who again revealed the source of His grace-filled healings and gave new evidence of the truth of the Orthodox Church. This news awakened in the hearts of the Orthodox the desire to go to worship the newly-minted saint of God, kiss his holy relics, ask him for prayers for themselves before God and receive healing from mental and physical ailments. And from the most remote places in Russia, news began to appear that pilgrims were gathering for a celebration in Chernigov; I began to receive letters asking me to send an image of the newly-minted saint and his life, or to place a candle in front of the shrine on the day of the opening and glorification of his relics. Chernigov began to prepare for the great holiday in advance. Both spiritual and secular authorities took an active part in these preparations.
His Eminence Anthony, Bishop of Chernigov and Nizhyn, formed a commission, chaired by the Reverend. Pitirim, Bishop of Novgorod-Seversk, who was entrusted with the organization of the festival. She examined the city churches and buildings belonging to the religious department to determine the repairs needed in them; chose a place for the saint’s shrine; made the necessary arrangements for the religious procession, sent out invitations to the celebration to both clergy and secular persons; called representatives from the clergy from each district of the Chernigov diocese, as well as abbots and abbess of the monasteries of the diocese, to attend the celebration; took care of arranging a room for them, arranging a dinner on the day of the celebration, and developed a ceremony according to which it was celebrated. The secular authorities also took an active part in the preparations for the festival.
Many public buildings have been renovated; the streets have been repaved; to accommodate pilgrims coming to the celebration, barracks with electric lighting were built in two places - near the Desna River and on Alexander Square; They have a cheap canteen and teahouses. Two rooms were built at the barracks: one for storing the belongings of pilgrims, the other for providing initial aid to the sick; The latter was constantly attended by a doctor and two paramedics. There was a fire brigade at the barracks in case of fire. Buildings erected for pilgrims near the river. Desna, received the name “the town of St. Theodosius”. In addition, the Trusteeship of the community of sisters of mercy of St. Theodosius, the miracle worker of Chernigov, set up four tents on the “new boulevard”, near the cathedral, in case of sudden illness of those praying, and three sisters of mercy were appointed to distribute water to those who felt ill in the cathedral itself.
The erected buildings were consecrated on August 30, after the liturgy served in the cathedral by His Eminence Pitirim, Bishop of Novgorod-Seversk, in the presence of the governor of the province and other administrative officials. The management of the Moscow-Voronezh Railway has increased the number of trains to deliver pilgrims to Chernigov.
September 9, 1896 in Chernigov
To maintain order during the huge crowd of people expected during the days of the celebration, the 166th Lutsk Infantry Regiment, two hundred Cossacks of the Ural Cossack Army, were sent to Chernigov, and the Ostrozhsky Infantry Regiment, which was stationed in Chernigov, was returned from the camp gathering to Chernigov ahead of schedule. Already from the first days of September, a special revival was noticeable on the streets of the city. The pilgrims were arriving. The common people stayed in barracks, while the wealthier people stayed in hotels and private houses. The priests - representatives of the district clergy, as well as abbots and abbess of monasteries, settled in the premises allocated for them, the former - in the buildings of the theological seminary and school, the latter - in the diocesan women's school, where they had a ready-made table.
Shortly before the holiday itself, representatives of the society of banner bearers of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Kremlin Cathedrals arrived from Moscow, in their original caftans, with tokens on their chests depicting the banner. They brought two valuable banners as a gift to the Chernigov Transfiguration Cathedral; one of them depicts: on the one hand, St. Theodosius, the wonderworker of Chernigov, on the other - the saints, whose memory is celebrated on September 9th. On the other banner, on one side there is an image of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, on the other - four Moscow saints: Peter, Alexy, Jonah and Philip. At the bottom of the banner, which depicts St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, there is an inscription stating that they were presented as a gift to the Chernigov Transfiguration Cathedral by Moscow banner bearers in memory of the discovery of the relics of St. Feodosia. At the station, the banner bearers were met by the cathedral archpriest and church warden. When they approached the city limits, a religious procession came out from the Transfiguration Cathedral to meet them.
Having joined him, the banner bearers headed to the cathedral, where the cathedral archpriest served a thanksgiving prayer service on the occasion of their safe arrival in Chernigov and said a word in which he pointed out the close connection of Chernigov with the heart of Russia - Moscow, secured by the Chernigov shrines especially revered in Moscow 53 and thanked the banner bearers for the gift they brought. When the banner bearers met on the city limits, the governor of the province was present, who, having heard their gratitude for the welcome, said: “Your coming here with dear shrines is especially close to me, as a son of the Orthodox Church and as a pet of the White Stone Church. You can see for yourself how Chernigov rejoices at the participation with which, in your person, Moscow reacted to its triumph, which is the triumph of the entire Orthodox Church.” In addition to the banners, the banner bearers of the Church of the Savior and the Kremlin Cathedrals also brought as a gift to the Chernigov Cathedral a gospel in an expensive frame, a cross, sacred vessels, a beautiful lamp for the shrine of St. Theodosius and 135 rubles. money for butter for her.
Soon, representatives of the banner-bearing society from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra arrived, bringing four beautiful banners as a gift to the cathedral - two metal and two cypress. They were also met with a procession of the cross from the Transfiguration Cathedral by the clergy and the masses of people.
In addition to the above-mentioned persons, who arrived for the holiday: a representative of the Kyiv Academy, in which Saint Theodosius was educated, an associate professor at the academy and the rector of St. Andrew's Cathedral, priest Titov; abbot of the Kyiv Vydubitsky Monastery, where he was once abbot of St. Theodosius, Archimandrite Eulogius; district leaders of the nobility, provincial leaders of the nobility - Chernigov and Nizhny Novgorod, head of the Kyiv Military District, comrade chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod, chairman of the Committee of Ministers and some other senior administrative officials. Of the archpastors who arrived at the celebration: His Eminence Ioannikiy, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia.
His Eminence Modest, Archbishop of Volyn and Zhitomir, His Eminence Justin, Archbishop of Kherson ιι of Odessa, and bishops: His Eminence Gury, Bishop of Samara, and His Eminence Nazarius, Bishop of Gdov, as the representative of His Eminence Palladius, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; a mass of people also arrived, which must be numbered in tens of thousands.
There were pilgrims here who came on foot from Arkhangelsk, Orenburg, Perm and other remote provinces; there were envoys from schismatics who arrived from the Kuban region, the provinces of Nizhny Novgorod and Vladimir, sent here by their fellow believers to see with their own eyes everything that would come later through printed news and stories from those who were at the celebration; there were holy fools who came from different places and involuntarily attracted attention with their original appearance; Many cliques and demoniacs gathered, as well as a mass of sick people of all kinds, hoping to receive healing at the relics of the saint, who had made the pilgrimage with difficulty or were brought here by relatives, who took the opportunity to bow and pray before the saint. the relics of the newly revealed saint of God and wonderworker.
On Wednesday, September 4th, in the cave of the Boris and Gleb Cathedral, after a prayer service, His Eminence Anthony, Bishop. Chernigovskip and Nezhinsky, with Peter, bishop. Novgorodseversky, cathedral archpriest o. I. Platonov, keymaster of the cathedral, Fr. Stefanovsky and the hieromonk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Alexy performed the re-vetting of the honest relics of St. Theodosius, the wonderworker of Chernigov.
Amazingly touching - in the words of the Reverend. Pitirim - this disguise made an impression on them. It seemed as if the saint had rested only yesterday. When, after the established prayer service, the vestments were removed from the relics of the saint, they also found a completely incorruptible neck cross and a paramant (a silk scarf with the image of the instruments of the Savior’s suffering, worn on the back of all monastics from the day of tonsure). The paramante didn't even turn yellow.
The relics of the saint were dressed in luxurious bishop's attire in white brocade with flowers embroidered in gold. The panagia and miter were put on by the same ones that were worn at the burial of the saint in 1696.
On September 5, at 12 noon, a solemn requiem service was held in the cathedral and in all the parish and monastery churches of the city of Chernigov, at which all persons who had one way or another relationship with Saint Theodosius were commemorated. These included: Patriarch Adrian, who consecrated St. Theodosius as bishop, Emperor Peter I, during whose reign the saint. Theodosius was consecrated bishop, as were the other emperors and empresses up to and including Alexander III, under whom the question raised about the discovery of the relics of the saint found complete sympathy in the late emperor. The parents of Saint Theodosius, priest Nikita and Maria, as well as all the deceased archpastors of Chernigov were also commemorated.
On September 6, the bell rang out in the cathedral and in all the parish and monastery churches of the city of Chernigov for the funeral all-night vigil, which was celebrated according to the parastas, and at the funeral litanies the Right Reverend Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov, was remembered. The crowd of pilgrims was so great that not only the cathedral itself, but also the cathedral fence could not accommodate everyone who wanted to be present at the service.
On September 7, at 9 o'clock in the morning, the gospel followed in the cathedral and in all the parish and monastery churches of Chernigov for the late and last funeral liturgy, which was celebrated in the cathedral by His Eminence Pitirim, Bishop of Novgorod-Seversk, vicar of Chernigov, with archimandrites and priests. At the beginning of the service, His Eminence Ioannikiy, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia, who had arrived that day from Kyiv to Chernigov, arrived at the cathedral directly from the railway station. All the clergy were in white vestments. The majestic choir, which filled the church with wonderful singing, consisted of 150 people; Bishops' choristers sang in the choirs and cathedral choirs in the choirs. There were even more people praying for the funeral liturgy than in previous days; Around the fence stood a crowd of people, numbering in the tens of thousands.
At the funeral litany, Saint Theodosius, the wonderworker of Chernigov, was remembered.
In ordinary times, Eminence Pitirim said the following words:
“And on the real pre-festive day of the celebration of St. of our faith, we prayerfully remember the saint of God, St. Theodosius, may the Lord rest his soul with the saints. With this last funeral prayer for him, we bring him, as it were, the last gift of our love for him. With our last prayer to God for his repose, we encourage him to pray even more fervently for us and especially on the days of his glorification.
Should we talk about how ardently he wants, like all the saints, to assist our requests, to help our needs with his intercession and his prayer for us before the Throne of the Most High?
In the days of his life, he joyfully devoted all his worries and labors, spiritual experience and God's favor to himself to the benefit of the salvation of his flock; his heart was so filled with heavenly love for the flock entrusted to him that it could not contain everyone too closely. Now, when all his desires turned to heaven, all the aspirations of his heart are fulfilled, all that remains for him is to sing a song of praise and thanksgiving to God in every possible way, not so much for himself to kneel before the Lord, but for us who are still wandering on earth.
What will we bring to You, or what will we reward to You, O All-merciful Provider of our Lord, Who, both in our times poor in faith and from among ourselves, the earth-born, raises up favorable prayer books for us close to us and surprises Your mercies towards us, preserving incorruption the holy remains of Your saints, as one teacher of the Church of Christ says about this: “The Lord Christ has given us the relics of the saints as saving springs that exude many different benefits, like quiet havens or saving beacons in the midst of a stormy sea, provide safe refuge from storms and drowning.” And in fact, what doesn’t happen to us in this life? Pleasures, in the words of the ecumenical teacher of the Church Gregory the Theologian, take away firmness, luxury changes courage, despondency weakens strength, slander insults us, flattery plots against us, fear leads to despair. Not only are the sorrows of life unbearable, but even what is apparently pleasant saddens us with its vicissitudes. Such is human life.
And although the storm is terrible and swimming is dangerous, we swimmers often sleep carelessly. Sorrows roar like waves; malicious intentions are hidden like pitfalls; enemies bark, kidnappers surround; old age comes like winter; death is real, like a shipwreck. You see the storm, says St. Gregory the Theologian, rule more skillfully; Be careful how you sail, do not flood your boat, loading it either with wealth acquired through untruth, or with the burden of passions.
“How can we therefore repay the Lord Christ for giving us a saving refuge through the saints? And what is the countless number of miracles that the Lord performed through the very relics and other remains of the saints for all who flowed to them with faith? The ancient saints testified to this with complete conviction. fathers and teachers of the Church before their contemporaries, often calling them themselves as witnesses of the truth. For us, the sons of blessed Russia, it is especially gratifying that throughout its vast expanse the scattered incorruptible remains of saints have served and continue to serve as visible sources of help for believers. Therefore we rejoice, as St. Gregory the Theologian, at their very graves. Rejoice, too, Church of Chernigov, and take advantage of the precious treasure that God solemnly reveals to you in the incorruption of the relics of your saint, for your temporary and eternal well-being, for your help in troubles and misadventures and for your confirmation in the Holy Spirit. faith and piety. From now on, turn to him for help with greater boldness.
“Do we, sons of the Orthodox Church, need to prove the beneficialness of turning to the prayerful help of the saint and reverently touching his relics? We know a whole series of testimonies of the truth of this from individuals who, with an oath invoking the name of God, confirmed what they experienced on themselves and saw on others. If anyone is not convinced by this, then let him remember the explanatory words of one of the ever-memorable saints of our Russian Church: “Just as a vessel in which a fragrant ointment is stored for a long time borrows from it the power of fragrance, so the very body of a Christian, in which the grace-filled power of Christ constantly dwells, is permeated by it in its entire composition and even smells fragrant with it for others.
And since the power of Christ is incorruptible, it is natural that, having taken possession of people who are Christ’s, it imparts incorruption to their bodies; since the power of Christ is omnipotent, it is natural that through them it works miracles when it pleases the Lord, just as this power of Christ once worked miracles through the handkerchiefs and towels that were on the body of the holy Apostle Paul and received his sweat, or through one shadow of the shadow of the holy Apostle Peter.”
However, whoever is not convinced and touched by the very incorruption and life and miracles of the saints of God, can the word of man have an effect on him?
Serving as a source of many different benefits for us, the incorruptibility of the bodies of St. God, with which our Church flaunts, serves at the same time as proof of the divinity of our faith, that, accepted by our ancestors in all its purity, this faith is the one that saves us. But true faith, just as it does not save those who profess it wrongly, so it cannot be completely beneficial for those who do not care about maintaining its purity and do not try to implement it in their lives.
Holy faith, which saved many of God’s saints and glorified them through the incorruption of their bodies, can serve to our condemnation if we, having saving means in our hands, began to neglect them. In the latter case, Saint Theodosius of Christ, henceforth the glorified saint of God, will not stand against us at the world court and expose our negligence and our carelessness?
So, everyone, come and surrender yourself completely to the Lord! Learn, in the words of St. Gregory the Theologian, the evangelical way of life, abstinence of the tongue, enslavement of the body, a humble opinion of oneself, purity of thought, extermination of anger in oneself! They force it from you, apply it from yourself; they drive you, be patient; blaspheme, pray; Mortify yourself to sin, crucify yourself with Christ, turn all your love to the Lord. But is it difficult?... What good comes easily? Who, when he rests, erects a victorious monument to himself? Who, indulging in luxury and enjoying the sounds of the pipe, adorned himself with the crown of patience? No one takes a reward without running the race.
Works give birth to glory. This was taught by his life, and now by his glorification, the saint of Christ, whose body was not hidden by the earth, but whose soul, having entered heaven, rests in the bosom of Abraham, sees the faces of Angels, the glory and splendor of the blessed, - in the words of Gregory the Theologian, rejoices, laughing at all the local wealth, insignificant advantages, deceptive honors, the delusion of feelings, the vicissitudes of this life. But, Saint of Christ, now standing before the Great King, mercifully look down on us from on high, rule our words and lives, shepherd, as before, your sacred flock, guide it to the better, drive away from it all unbelief and false faith, illuminate us with the light of the Holy Trinity, which you stand before, which we worship and serve, which we glorify and To whom belongs all glory, honor and dominion forever and ever.”
At the end of the liturgy, the Most Reverend Ioannikios came out of the altar into the middle of the church, accompanied by the Most Reverend Modest, Archbishop of Volyn, His Eminence Gury, Bishop of Samara, and His Eminence Pitirim, Bishop of Novgorod-Seversk, seven archimandrites and 42 archpriests and priests, and the last solemn requiem for the archbishop began Chernigov Feodosia. While singing “Rest with the Saints” and “Eternal Memory”, all those present reverently knelt. The praying Orthodox people, touched and reverent, felt with their minds and hearts all the greatness of the moment they were experiencing, and brought the last gift of their love to Saint Theodosius in prayer for the repose of his soul, for, with today’s final proclamation by the archdeacon and the cry of the face to Archbishop Theodosius of “eternal memory”, from now on for eternal times the memory of the saint will resound with exclamations and chants: “St. Father Theodosius, pray to God for us.”
At the end of the requiem service, His Eminence Ioannikios entered the cave where the relics of the saint rested to venerate them.
On the same day in the evening, on the eve of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, bishop's services were performed in many cathedrals. Metropolitan Ioannikiy served in the Trinity Monastery.
On September 8, a liturgy was celebrated early in the morning in both churches of the cathedral, at which they were honored to receive Holy Communion. Mysteries of the pilgrims who were preparing for this. The late liturgy was celebrated in both churches of the cathedral by the same archpastors who celebrated the all-night vigil there the day before.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Small Vespers was celebrated in the cathedral.
At 6 o'clock in the evening the bell rang out in the cathedral and in all the parish and monastery churches of Chernigov for the all-night vigil. Thousands of people were already filling the cathedral square and nearby streets. The troops, mounted gendarmes and Cossacks had great difficulty restraining the masses of the people - only a relatively few lucky ones had to get into the cathedral or church fence. The trees and roofs of neighboring houses were covered with people. Upon the arrival of the Most Reverend Ioannikios at the cathedral, the all-night vigil in honor of St. Theodosius began with a general menia, which was performed by the Most Reverend Ioannikios, co-served by Modest, Archbishop of Volyn and Zhitomir, Justin, Archbishop of Kherson and Odessa, and bishops: Guria - Samaroki and Buzuluk, Anthony - Chernigov and Nizhyn, Nazarius - Gdov and Pitirim - Novgorod-Seversky, with the participation of 9 archimandrites, 9 abbots and all abbots of Chernigov churches and monasteries.
At the end of the reading of the parimia and litanies, the people who were in the church and in the fence became agitated. The pilgrims lit candles; The royal gates opened, and the exit to the litiya began. With the ringing of bells and the singing of lithium stichera, there followed an exit from the Transfiguration Cathedral with a procession to the Boris and Gleb Cathedral, where the relics of St. Theodosius rested. Up to one hundred clergy took part in the religious procession. The path along which the procession followed was strewn with flowers.
The order of the procession was as follows: in front were psalm-readers in surplices and carrying lanterns, two in a row, behind them were psalm-readers with altar crosses and between them a cross with the image of Golgotha, decorated entirely with flowers - a gift to the saint’s tomb from the women of the city of Chernigov; the psalm-readers were followed by students of the theological school; behind them are banner bearers with banners, of the latter, those brought from Moscow and decorated with flowers especially attracted attention; behind them are six students of the theological seminary, two in a row; then the deacons, two in a row, and behind them the hieromonks, priests, archpriests and archimandrites, also two in a row; then followed a choir of singers, two deacons with censers, two archpriests with a cross and the gospel, followed by two hieromonks with the Yelets miraculous icon, two hieromonks with the Trinity miraculous icon, four subdeacons with a dikiri, trikiri and ripidas, preceding His Eminence Bishop Ioannikios, dressed in a blue robe, in a white hood and with a staff in his hand; The metropolitan was followed by bishops in colored robes and also with staffs in their hands, then archimandrites in black vestments, abbots and hieromonks in stoles and priests in silver vestments.
Along the path of the religious procession, on one side there were trellises of students of theological schools and seminaries, on the other - a chain of soldiers without guns. Approaching the cave where the relics of St. Theodosius rested, the procession stopped. The Metropolitan, His Eminence bishops and clergy appointed to bear the tomb with the honorable relics entered the cave. The other clergy and singers remained in the fence, without interrupting the singing of lithium stichera. The Metropolitan sprinkled holy water on the new tomb, which previously stood in the cathedral near the shrine, lentions and covers, and the bishops transferred the holy relics of St. Theodosius into this new cypress coffin, upholstered in silk with gold flowers and braiding. Archimandrite Philaret from the Pochaev Lavra, German from the Novgorod-Seversky Monastery, Evlogy from the Vydubitsky Monastery and the oldest archpriests, lifting the coffin, carried it out of the cave and the church. Once placed on a stretcher, the archimandrites, lifting the coffin with the relics onto their shoulders with the assistance of pilgrims, carried it along the monastery fence. The coffin was preceded by a religious procession.
A wonderful picture was the solemn transfer of the relics of St. Feodosia. A beautiful, quiet, completely summer night. The moon gently bathes the city and its surroundings with its silvery glow. Electric lanterns illuminate the square, the cathedral and its fence. The air is filled with the ringing of bells and the singing of a majestic choir. The procession of transferring the relics of Saint Theodosius solemnly and reverently moved back. With a sinking heart, in mute silence, the crowd, which had hitherto directed all its eyes and thoughts to the cave, suddenly burst into loud screams and sobs. Some read prayers aloud, others loudly raised their petitions to Saint Theodosius, and others also loudly repented of their sins. It was an amazing minute, full of solemnity just from the prayerful rapture that gripped the countless crowd of pilgrims - a minute that defies description.
With the procession of the cross, the venerable relics were surrounded, while lithium stichera were chanted, around the Transfiguration Cathedral, with stops opposite the western and southern doors of the church, the altar, the northern doors and again against the southern doors. At the first stop, the protodeacon, saying the prayer: “Save, O God, Thy people,” for the first time mentioned Saint Theodosius among our prayer books before God. At the last stop opposite the western doors, the metropolitan read the lithium prayer: Master is merciful... at the end of which the procession entered the cathedral. A cypress coffin with relics, locked according to the position of the relics in it back in the cave with a lock, was placed in the middle of the church on a special platform prepared for this, upholstered in red cloth. The all-night vigil continued as usual. After the first kathisma, His Grace Anthony, Bishop of Chernigov, said the following word:
“Be an image by faithful speech, conduct, love, spirit, faith, purity (1 Timothy 4:12).
Between other instructions, which he commanded to his disciple, Bishop Timothy of Ephesus, St. Ap. Paul also contains the following instruction: “be an example to the faithful in word, in life, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). The apostolic bishops, as heads of churches, tried to implement this covenant in their lives. And our great saint, Archbishop of Chernigov Theodosius of Uglitsky, embodied in himself the example of a true shepherd. His word was wise, dissolved in grace. He edified his flock with his speeches during his lifetime; edifies us all even now. In his visions, he often instructed believers on the path of saving life: he taught them to go to the churches of God, to fast, to fulfill the statutes of St. Churches, listen to prayer services and akathist chants in churches, pray before miraculous icons, honor church holidays, confess your sins and commune with St. Body and Blood of the Lord. Saint Theodosius was truthful and spoke only words of truth.
When necessary, he defended his subordinates and demanded justice, evidence of which is the recently published one of his letters to the owner of the village. Obtova Iv. Peter. Zabela, written by him in March 1691. “Honest Father Gregory, priest Obtovsky tearfully asked me (writes Saint Theodosius Zabele) to turn to your mercy, so that he would not be removed from the Obtovsky church, for which he was dedicated. I ask your mercy for him, that you treat him favorably and especially if he bears his title with dignity; but if, unfortunately, he does not act as he should, then he must be removed from the parish according to the law, that is, he must be called before a spiritual court, his guilt can be fully proven, and then, if he is expelled from the parish, it will be correct and sinless.”
Transfer of the relics of St. Theodosius
Saint Theodosius set an example “in faith and in life.” The saint’s faith in the living Lord God and in His holy Providence was strong and unshakable. With all his soul and heart Saint Theodosius was devoted to the Lord God and His commandments. He lived as the Christian law dictates. From his youth, the saint was distinguished by humility, patience, abstinence and hard work. From an early age he began an ascetic, holy life - he was a monk in the true sense of the word. Loving monasticism himself, the saint of God tried to lead a monastic life among others: as hegumen first of the Korsun monastery, then of the Vydubitsky monastery, and after moving to Chernigov - the Yelets monastery, Saint Theodosius cared a lot about organizing life in them on strict monastic principles. Moreover, he not only established the former monasteries, but also took care of the establishment of new monasteries; So, in 1680 he built a monastery on the monastic land of the Vydubitsky monastery in Mozyr district; and during the administration of the Chernigov diocese, he laid the foundation for two monasteries: Pechenitsky and near Lyubech.
The holy ascetic life of Theodosius of Uglitsky brought him great respect, first from the people of Kiev, and then from the inhabitants of the Chernigov region. He was given important assignments, for example, he was sent to Moscow to Tsars John and Peter Alekseevich with a petition for the approval of Bishop Gideon of Lutsk as Metropolitan of Kyiv. Chernigov Archbishop Lazar Baranovich, guardian of the Kyiv Metropolis, in his letter in 1674 prophetically conveyed to Theodosius his desire that “his name be written in heaven.” When the same Archbishop Lazar Baranovich became close to Theodosius and recognized his high moral qualities, he wished to have him as his permanent assistant. Archbishop gave the kindest review of Archimandrite Theodosius to Patriarch Adrian. Lazar, when, together with the hetman of Little Russia, he asked the patriarch to appoint Theodosius as an assistant to him, Lazar, in the management of the Chernigov diocese.
Together with the hetman, His Eminence Lazar Baranovich testified that “the venerable Archimandrite Theodosius is a good man, adorned with the virtues of monastic life, which he has led from a young age, experienced in the management of monasteries, filled with the fear of God and spiritual experience, enlightened, very zealous for church splendor, capable of managing the house of the cathedral and the diocese of Chernigov.” For his high moral qualities, Theodosius was elevated in Moscow by Patriarch Adrian on September 13, 1692 to the rank of archbishop and until the death of His Grace Lazar (September 3, 1693) he was his zealous assistant, and after the death of Lazar Baranovich “with joy and consolation” for the flock (as stated in one report from the Hetman of Little Russia from Baturin) “the bishop of Chernigov was taken over by the Right Reverend Theodosius of Uglitsky, who with his kindness can decorate the Church and arrange the affairs of the government with good consideration.”
To what high degree of moral perfection Saint Theodosius reached in his priesthood is evident from the fact that the Lord God was pleased to preserve his relics incorruptible after the burial of his body in the Boris and Gleb Cathedral. This incorruption of his relics, as well as his holy, ascetic life in general, is indicated in special verses composed in praise of him by his successor in the See of Chernigov and the first to receive healing from his illness from him - Archbishop of Chernigov John Maksimovich: “Theodosius is a gift of God, nicknamed Uglitsky, given to the bishopric by God in Chernigov. Having lived here for a long time, I was soon honored with a heavenly palace. On earth he appeared to everyone in the flesh like an Angel, and was caught up into heaven like the second Paul. They testify to the incorruption of the relics; those who do not believe, look in the tomb, they tell the story. In the year one thousand ninety-six hundred and six he passed away according to his holy life; From your life in Yeletsk, make me an archimandrite; For this light in the cathedral, leave the same John as bishop. He himself now remains in the seraphim flock.
To the Bishop of God, Saint Theodosius! There is a sigh at your throne - everyone says: who is this? Truly unworthy is a monk to be named, clothed in this with your prayers.” The testimony of John Maksimovich about the holy life of Theodosius of Uglitsky and the incorruption of his relics was repeatedly confirmed in the last century, and especially in the present, by many different manifestations of God’s mercy and goodness: miraculous healings of many people from various mental and physical illnesses, extraordinary visions and signs, consolations and admonitions. This is truly what must be said about Saint Theodosius: he fulfilled the covenant of St. to perfection. Ap. Paul, was “a model for the faithful in faith and in life,” and to this day remains the same “model” for the faithful children of the Orthodox Church.
Based on the words given in the text by St. Ap. Paul (from his 1st letter to Timothy) the image of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky needs to be supplemented with some more high moral traits. Bishops, according to the Apostle, in addition to serving as “examples in word, in faith and in life” for the faithful, must also set within themselves “an example in love, in spirit and in purity.” Saint Theodosius burned with love for the living Lord and for his neighbors. Love for God filled his entire being from his earliest years: his mind ascended to the Creator when he stayed in the churches of God and, according to monastic vows, listened to God’s services in them. The spirit, or his mood, from frequent turning to the Creator became more and more detached from worldly vanities and worries. Thoughts became purer and purer; feelings approached heavenly; the will was directed towards objects of an unearthly nature. Thus gradually his whole being was transformed; carnal thoughts were destroyed, and spiritual thoughts prevailed over them; purity akin to angelic purity was established in the heart; an unearthly world settled in his soul.
Thus he became a man who was in constant communion with Christ the Savior. The grace of the Holy Spirit acted in him and through him, and transformed his entire being. According to the Apostle, he became a “spiritual” man who has in himself the highest Christian qualities: “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22 and 23). The grace of the Holy Spirit transformed his very physical composition. His body, according to the Apostle, became “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19); it was preparing for, as St. The Psalmist, “not one of his bones was broken” (Ps. 33). The Holy Spirit revived the body of Theodosius of Uglitsky, and it remained incorrupt. Now 200 years have passed since the death of the saint of God Theodosius of Uglitsky, and his bodily composition remains incorruptible to this day, exuding various healings for those who flow with faith to his tomb.
As once under the Apostle Peter, “they carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and beds, so that the shadow of Peter passing might overshadow some of them” (Acts 5:15); or, as the book of the Acts of the Apostles testifies, during a two-year stay in Ephesus of another Apostle - St. Paul “God worked many miracles with the hands” of him, Paul, “so that handkerchiefs and aprons were placed on the sick from his body, and their illnesses ceased, and evil spirits came out of them” (Acts 19:11 and 12); just as once great miracles and signs were performed from the bodily compositions of the Apostles Peter and Paul: so it pleased the Lord God that in our times, many different healings and signs would also be performed from the incorruptible bodily composition of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky. The Lord God deigned me, a sinner, to be present during the interrogations, and then to conduct the interrogation myself of persons who experienced the signs of God’s mercy through the saint Theodosius of Uglitsky. How diverse are these manifestations of God’s mercy through Saint Theodosius!
You hear an amazing story from the one who was healed (Anna Stefanovskaya) and from those closest to her: how she suffered for more than 3½ years from an incurable disease, how many doctors treated her fruitlessly, how she, the unfortunate one, was transported with difficulty to the cathedral in a carriage on pillows, how they were carried on pillows into the church and then into the cave, how, after a memorial service was performed at the relics of the saint of God, she was suddenly sick She herself took hold of the iron bars at the saint’s tomb, then she stood up and venerated the holy relics, then she walked up the steep stairs from the cave, went to the Trinity Monastery and listened, sitting in chairs, to a prayer service and akathist before the miraculous Chernigov Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and became completely healthy.
Then you hear an equally amazing story from a venerable old woman - a nun of the Kamensky monastery, how the Lord God healed her, through the prayers of St. Theodosius, who had already been sentenced to death - by sending to her at night an unknown nun with a dish of St. Theodosius, from which she drank inexpressibly pleasant water, and she, lying in complete relaxation of her body, immediately received the full opportunity to get up from her deathbed, fall on kneel before the icons with fervent prayer and then speak, walk and act freely. The nun who was caring for this nun fainted when she saw her healthy in her cell for the first time after the extraordinary miracle of healing had happened.
It was necessary to investigate cases of expulsion of demons from those possessed, healing from muteness, from deafness, from blindness, from various incurable external diseases, when doctors turned out to be completely powerless; I had to listen to the stories of ordinary people who testified with full faith to the signs of God’s mercy shown through the saint of God Theodosius either on themselves or on the faces of those close to them. Those who still retained faith in the living Lord God from educated persons who were witnesses of one or another miracle also testified before us, who were part of the commission for the study of miracles from St. Theodosius, about the miraculous actions that took place through the prayers of St. Theodosius.
As an example, I will point to Dr. Matveev, whose son was miraculously healed through the prayers of St. Theodosius in 1889 and whose wife herself personally with her healed son appeared at the commission, took the oath, gave the necessary testimony before us and certified that her husband, the doctor, also recognized a miracle of God in the healing of his son, which he actually testified later by sending a special paper from the mountains to the commission. Ryazan - the current place of his service.
“We could talk for a long time about various wonderful manifestations of love for neighbors from St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, who rests his relics before us, Orthodox listeners. But there is no time for this. I believe that the Lord God, marvelous in His saints, will send a man who, on the basis of the materials already collected and still to come to us, will set out before us in detail and in detail all the features of the life of the saint of God, will present before us as complete an image of him as possible, and in the miraculous signs and mercies that have been and are being accomplished from him, will show us the power of God, which is manifested in so many ways in the infirmities of human nature, when the Almighty Lord pleases this according to the destinies of His Providence.
“In our times of unbelief and various doubts, when so many people are moving away from St. In the Orthodox Church, the glorification of Saint Theodosius by God still has special significance. The more honest and conscientious of non-believers and doubters, looking with their bodily eyes at the incorruptible relics of the saint of God Theodosius of Uglitsky and hearing and reading about the various manifestations of God’s mercy through the same saint, moreover, about such manifestations as are told by living people, the most reliable witnesses - eyewitnesses - I say, such people, although not in large numbers, will they themselves come to their senses, not Will they understand that hitherto they were deeply mistaken and walked along the wrong path? Oh, if the Lord God would touch the hearts of these people with His grace these days! The soul is more valuable than the whole world; and she will undoubtedly perish if she continues to the end along a path not indicated by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Some sectarians and schismatics, having moved away from St. Churches are “in a distant country,” but being present in body these days at our glorious celebration, will they not be illuminated by the light of the true faith of Christ?
Will not the grace of the Holy Spirit soften their stony hearts? Will they not also understand that the path of salvation can only be found in St. The Orthodox Church, where are the true shepherds of the flock of Christ, like St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, who lived holy, and were rewarded by the Lord with the incorruptibility of their bodily components, and flow from their relics currents of miracles and various mercies? God would grant that at least a few of the schismatics and sectarians would turn to the truth in the bright days of our triumph! All children of the Orthodox Church are also given a lesson at this celebration: to firmly and unshakably adhere to the holy Orthodox faith; to strengthen the wavering brethren in it; to admonish the lost; to instruct the foolish; imitate in life the saint of God, Saint Theodosius of Uglitsky.
Servant of God, Saint Theodosius! intercede with your prayers before the Lord God for all of us - your children! You are our shepherd, and we are the sheep of your verbal flock! preserve us with your prayers before God in the pure Orthodox faith and confirm us in Christian life! Amen".
While singing the polyeleos, all the clergy went to the middle of the church, where the Metropolitan distributed candles to them. After this, one of the serving archpriests, the rector of the theological seminary, brought the key to the saint’s tomb, which lay on the throne, and presented it to the metropolitan. The Bishop, leaving the pulpit, approached the tomb, unlocked the lock and opened the lid of the coffin. The clergy began singing hymns to St. Theodosius, during which the people stood with lighted candles, and Vladyka Metropolitan censed St. relics and the entire church according to custom. Throughout the censing, the choir sang the magnification, and at the end of the censing, the clergy sang it again. After reading the gospel, they applied it to St. relics of the metropolitan, bishops, clergy and people. Two bishops, standing on an elevated place on two sides of the tomb, anointed St. We offer oil to suitable pilgrims. The all-night vigil continued as usual.
At the end of the all-night vigil, the church remained open all night so that everyone could come and venerate the saint. relics; appointed clergy anointed them with St. oil, but not everyone was able to achieve this.
The people spent the whole night in the square, which was a rare sight that night. Some, tired from walking and standing for a long time, immediately slept; others, having lost hope of getting into the cathedral, gathered in circles and sang psalms and prayers; others eagerly listened to the wanderer's stories about St. places that the Lord led him to visit; others, kneeling, facing the cathedral, prayed fervently.
Many were immediately healed. In particular, the new miraculous healing of the 82-year-old peasant Ivanin, who had not been able to move for the last 15 years, stood out sharply. Having received St. the previous morning. Gifts, after the all-night vigil he was brought into the Transfiguration Cathedral to the relics. Having venerated them, after being anointed with consecrated oil, he himself rose from his bed to offer his fervent prayer to the Creator for a miraculous healing, and from that moment he freely controls his limbs. The following incident also made a very strong impression on those present: the peasants brought into the cave a blind boy of about six years old, who groped for a wax candle and knelt before the tomb of the saint. The child prayed fervently, and tears fell from his eyes. The child’s prayer was heard by God, and he received his sight. It is impossible to describe the joy of a child who has seen the light of God. It was impossible to look at the joy of him and his parents without tears of emotion. All witnesses to this miracle cried bitterly.
On September 9th at 5 o'clock in the morning, to give all 54 fasting people the opportunity to receive Holy Communion. Mystery, a liturgy was served in the winter cathedral church.
The gospel for the late liturgy began at nine o'clock in the morning. It was performed by His Eminence Ioannikis, in the concelebration of six bishops and 2 archimandrites, 14 archpriests and abbots. Everyone was in silver vestments, the Metropolitan in gold. Vladyka Metropolitan was greeted with glory and entered the church presenting the cross. At the end of the hours, they opened the royal doors and went out to the bishop's pulpit, where the Metropolitan, two archbishops and four bishops were located, and took a place near the metropolitan according to seniority, after which the royal doors were again closed until the start of the liturgy. At the tomb of the saint stood four deacons with ripids, dikiri and trikiri, and two standard bearers with the banners of the regiment.
At the small entrance with the Gospel, after singing: “Come, let us worship,” the clergy lifted the coffin from St. with the relics on a stretcher, they carried him through the royal doors into the altar and placed him before the throne on a stretcher so that the face of the saint was turned to the east, like a servant. The relics were followed by the metropolitan, archbishops and bishops. During the Trisagion, during the usual transition of the clergy to the high place, the clergy transferred the relics of the saint there (to the high place) and placed them on the high place facing the throne; The head of Saint Theodosius was elevated, and the saint resting in the tomb was visible to the people standing in the church. The Metropolitan and the bishops stood at his sides, like concelebrants. During the entire liturgy, four subdeacons held ripidas, dikirii and trikirii with lighted candles over the saint on both sides. After singing: “Be the name of the Lord,” Bishop Metropolitan of Kiev said the following word:
A bright and joyful celebration is now taking place in all Orthodox churches in Russia on the occasion of the discovery of the honest relics of the saint and wonderworker Theodosius; Mostly, this event is joyful for you, residents of this God-saved city and the entire Chernigov region. From now on, you have a new, akin to you representative and prayer book for you before the throne of the Most High. Run to him with faith and love in all your needs and circumstances - the prayer of a righteous man can do much - mentally looking at the end of his life and imitating his faith.
It is natural for the flock to learn from their archpastor. Not much has come down to us from the life of the saint of God, but his most imperishable remains teach one and all an incessant teaching, deeply edifying and joyfully comforting. To attach your mind and heart to this teaching, to understand it as much as possible and to use it for your salvation and bliss is the duty of every true Christian.
The silent tomb, containing the incorruptible remains of the saint of God, inspires us, first of all, with that fundamental and fundamental truth of the Christian faith, that “this is eternal life, that they may know the One True God, and whom He sent, Jesus Christ” (John 17:3). Has there ever been such a miraculous phenomenon of incorruption among people who do not profess the Christian faith! It has never happened anywhere, after the truth of God spoke to the criminal man: “you are earth and you will go back to earth” (Gen. 8:19), after “by one man sin came into the world, and death came by sin, and so death came to all men” (Rom. 5:12).
What does this mean? Why does such a phenomenon occur in Christianity alone? Because it alone introduces divine life into humanity alienated from it. - “The sting of death,” and with it corruption, “sin” (1 Cor. 15:56). The pernicious poison of sin, initially infecting the soul, faster or slower, but always deadly, poisons the body, so that as long as there is sin in a person’s being, then a person is inevitably subject to decay and death. In order for a person to return to incorruption again, it is necessary that he not only stop poisoning himself with sin, but also receive life-giving power from outside, which would correct in him the damage caused by previous methods of sinful poison. The requirements are necessary, but completely impossible for the person himself: for “who can be clean from filth? No one else, even if he lived one day on earth” (Job 14:4).
On the other hand, how can we obtain life-giving power that counteracts the corrupting effect of sin - the power that is in God, the Source of life - when sin, having poisoned our being, became the mediastinum between us and God and blocked the currents of God's grace? That is why outside of Christianity we do not see a single example of a miraculous exemption from the now universal law of decay for our mortal body. To return us to incorruption again requires a power higher than human, a power greater than natural, the omnipotence of God. “God, who created man into incorruption,” and after his fall did not depart from His determination to make him a partaker of incorruption and eternal life. To deliver man from the work of corruption, He sent His Only Begotten Son to earth, Who, having taken upon Himself the guilt of death - the sin of the whole world, and having tasted death for it, by resurrection from death, revealed in Himself the source of life for everyone who approaches Him with faith and love. The life-giving effect of grace, beginning in the soul, extends to the entire human being.
That is why in Christianity we only see examples of the miraculous removal of bodies from the universal law of corruption.
The incorrupt remains of the saint of Christ therefore serve as an everlasting, silent, but in silence itself the most eloquent preacher of the truth and life-giving nature of the Holy One. faith of Christ. His silent tomb says to one and all: “Come and see whether the faith I confessed is true, when it is so miraculously justified by God Himself on myself; come and see whether the faith I have professed is life-giving, when by its divine power my body, itself mortal, lives as if in death itself by incorruptibility.”
It is not the hearer of the word who is forgotten, but the doer of the deed, who has entered into the law of perfect freedom, and having abided, he will be blessed in his work (James 1:25): - this is what else the incorruptible remains of the saint of Christ inspire us with. Only under the condition of complete and complete assimilation of everything that St. teaches and commands. faith, it is possible to achieve such glorification. The life-giving effect of grace begins in the soul, and then spreads to the entire human being. It is therefore necessary that the grace-filled power of Christ be first received and fully assimilated by the soul, so that it can then have a life-giving effect on the body. This is how the word of God represents the real life of God’s chosen people. They live and act not by their natural life, but by Jesus Christ, who mysteriously indwells and dwells in them. “I live not for this purpose, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20), says St. Apostle. With Him they live, in Him they die for the present corrupt world, with Him they are resurrected in spirit, they begin to live according to God, in truth and in the honor of truth, a heavenly, angelic life, while still here on earth.
This grace-filled power of Christ, embracing the entire soul, through the close and inextricable connection of the soul with the body, extends to it, embraces and penetrates it with its life-giving power, and sometimes imparts to it on earth, with the general corruption of earthly creatures, the power of incorruption. In this way, and not in any other way, blessed Saint Theodosius pleased the Lord; In this way he achieved glorification even after his death; the same path to the eternal life shows us all, offering and encouraging us to follow this path. “Look,” he seems to say, “look at what a wondrous reward from the Lord for piety, when through it not only our spirit is rewarded with eternal bliss in God and with God, but also the body itself, having labored somewhat in the deeds of piety, becomes so involved in the grace-filled power of Christ that in death itself it lives incorruptible. And it’s still here – on earth! what will happen there - in heaven?
Not for everyone, of course, this wondrous glorification is still here on earth, before the universal glorification of the righteous in the blessed Kingdom of Christ. We see that many of God’s saints are not worthy of incorruption... But for all it is possible, all are destined, all are obligated to strive for the honor of the highest calling in Christ Jesus, in order to be worthy to receive an incorruptible crown in the Kingdom of the Heavenly Father. And the path to this is no other than the path of faith, promoted by love, demonstrated by a pious life and evidenced by good deeds.
“These are the main instructions taught to us by the incorruptible relics of the newly discovered saint of God, the saint and wonderworker Theodosius. “Watch,” he inspires us, “like the apple of your eye, St. the faith of Christ, holding steadfastly to St. The Orthodox Church, as the saving ark of God, be zealous, following my example, to translate into your own life and activity what you believe in. By doing this to the extent of the strength given to each by God, you will not be far from the Kingdom of Christ.”
“God grant that none of us be an idle and forgetful listener to these instructions, but, to the best of our ability, understand them and translate them into flesh and blood, or better, into spirit and life. Amen".
By 11 o'clock in the afternoon, religious processions from all Chernigov churches arrived at the cathedral with bells ringing in all churches. At the end of the liturgy, the venerable relics of St. Theodosius were again removed from the altar in the same order and placed in the same place in the middle of the church.
After the dismissal of the liturgy, the metropolitan, bishops and clergy with icons came out of the altar to sing a prayer service with a canon before the relics of St. Theodosius and for the religious procession with them around the cathedral. The prayer singing began as usual; while singing the troparion of St. The clergy appointed to Theodosius lifted the coffin from St. relics, placed him on a stretcher, carried him out of the church, and the religious procession began in the usual manner inside the cathedral fence around the Transfiguration Cathedral Church, with stops on the southern, eastern and northern sides of the church, with the solemn ringing, the majestic singing of the united choir and the sounds of military music performing “Kol Glorious” on the cathedral square.
When at the beginning of the religious procession the coffin with the relics of St. appeared from the Transfiguration Cathedral. Feodosia, a crowd of thousands of people knelt down and began to offer their fervent prayers to the Almighty; sobs were heard.
Upon the return of the procession to the cathedral, the coffin with the relics of St. Theodosius was inserted into a silver reliquary 55 installed on a platform located on the right side of the cathedral between the columns.
Then, when the metropolitan and bishops surrounded the shrine, the protodeacon exclaimed: Pack and pack, on bended knee, let us pray to the saint and wonderworker Theodosius. Everyone knelt down, and the Metropolitan read a prayer to the saint. After this, first clergy and then secular persons began to venerate the relics.
The ringing of bells in all churches continued throughout this and the next two days.
On the same September 9, 1896, His Eminence Ioannikiy, Metropolitan of Kiev, Bishop Anthony of Chernigov, Comrade Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod and the Governor of Chernigov sent a joint telegram to the Sovereign Emperor in Balmoral (Scotland) with the following content: “Those who gathered in Chernigov for the discovery of the venerable relics of St. Theodosius offered up ardent prayers to the Lord God for the health and prosperity of Your Imperial Majesty and Your August Consort. The celebration took place quite successfully. Thousands of people blessed the name of Your Majesty and thanked the Lord that your prosperous reign was marked by such a joyful event for Orthodox Russia.
To this telegram, the Sovereign Emperor deigned to respond to the name of His Eminence Ioannikis as follows:
“I sincerely thank everyone who gathered for the unveiling of the relics of St. Theodosius for their prayers: may the grace of the Lord God abide over our dear Russia.”
Cancer and coffin with St. relics of St. Theodosius
Telegrams were also received expressing spiritual joy: from Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna, archbishops, bishops, rectors of theological academies, city clergy, archpriests of cathedrals, corporations of theological schools, leaders of the nobility and other persons. In the following days, His Grace Anthony, Archbishop. Chernigovsky, received many letters of the same content as telegrams from persons of the ecclesiastical and secular class, holding prominent official positions or enjoying a special social position.
The celebration lasted three days, and all three days the cathedral square was full of people, who, in order to get into the cathedral and venerate the holy relics, did not leave it even at night. A resident of Chernigov and the one who arrived for these days of the celebration of the opening of St. relics of the wonderworker Theodosius, will never forget the sacred delight in which the pilgrims drove up and approached Chernigov: at the sight of this city, they fixed their gaze on it, crossed themselves, others cried, threw themselves on their knees and prayed; He will not forget the reverent faces that venerated the relics of the saint, their hot tears, deep sighs and sobs, which expressed either hopeless grief, or ardent love for the saint of God, or faith in his help; he will not forget the cathedral square, day and night covered with people in a reverent mood; He will not forget the masses of people suffering from various diseases, brought here from different places in Russia, to whom the kind heart of the Russian people is always so responsive with compassion: many of the pilgrims helped them venerate St.
relics, others, seeing their suffering, made the sign of the cross over them or, kneeling down, prayed for them; He will not forget the kneeling crowd in the cathedral fence, in which, although there were no longer the relics of the saint, it was gratifying for religious feelings to pour out their feelings “here” before the saint of God; he will not forget the oldest cathedral church in Russia, flooded with the light of burning candles, of which 160 pounds were sold during the days of the celebration; He will not forget how Chernigov, overwhelmed with reverent delight, forgot his usual interests, was imbued with a completely religious feeling and was in those days with his whole being near the cathedral with its shrine.
This is how the sacred act of opening the relics of St. was celebrated. Feodosia is a day of great joy not only for the many millions of Orthodox Russian people, but also a day of joy for the entire universal Orthodoxy, as the faithful custodian of the ancient universal tradition in its purest and most immutable form. All Orthodox Russia was in Chernigov with its soul and in its local churches prayerfully bowed before the newly-minted saint - the saint and wonderworker Theodosius, and in the following days eagerly drew from the press reports about the triumph of the discovery of St. relics of the saint of God. 150 thousand Orthodox pilgrims from all over and vast Russia flocked to this celebration of spiritual life in order to fill their souls with reverent joy and in prayers ask for the intercession of this warm intercessor for us before the Lord, and for the sick - as a quick ιι faithful healer of their illnesses of soul and body.
And the grace-filled power of miraculous healing, bestowed by the Lord on His saint, did not fail to abundantly exude its gift of healing our sinful and painful flesh and soul.
In the report to the Holy Synod of His Eminence Ioannikis, Metropolitan of Kyiv, about the opening ceremony in the mountains that took place on September 9, 1896. In Chernigov, the honorable relics of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov, say, among other things, the following: “The merciful Lord was pleased to reveal many wondrous signs during the opening of the relics of St. Theodosius, testifying to the great boldness of this saint before the Throne of God. People talked about dozens of cases of miraculous healing of patients from serious and chronic illnesses. Some of these cases were reported by the healed to the cathedral clergy, and the latter made records of the assault of the healed themselves and the witnesses of these healings. Among these signs, what stood out especially sharply was the miraculous healing of one weakened peasant, who, after 15 years of continuous lying on his bed, brought in his arms to the healing relics of the saint of God, rose to his feet here and publicly gave praise to God, marvelous in His saints, and to His newly glorified saint, Saint Theodosius.
No less amazing are the following cases of healing: one deaf-mute boy, 12 years old, spoke and began to hear, another, 6 years old, deprived of sight, received his sight. It is impossible to describe the joys of those healed. Witnesses to these wondrous signs cried.
“The schismatic reciters who arrived for the celebration from the Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod provinces, one belonging to the Beglopopovsky, the other to the Bespopovsky and the third to the Pomeranian persuasion, through the mediation of Orthodox missionary priests who came with them from the same areas, turned to me with a request to reveal to them the holy relics of the saint of God, declaring that when they are convinced of the incorruption of these relics, then both themselves and the two thousand schismatics standing behind them will accept Orthodoxy. So that these compatriots of ours, who are now separated from the Orthodox Church, would believe in her holiness and become her faithful sons, I considered it possible to satisfy their request. On September 10, in the presence of His Grace Pitirim, Bishop of Novgorod-Seversk, and several missionaries, the hands of St. Theodosius were naked before the readers.
The readers shed tears and said: “We truly believe that the relics of the holy saint rest incorruptibly in the tomb and that the newly glorified saint of God is truly a holy wonderworker, since we ourselves were eyewitnesses of many miracles from his incorruptible relics during the days of the celebrations!” and then reverently venerated the holy relics, which was recorded on a special sheet, sealed with their own signatures. In addition to the above-mentioned scribes, there were also scribes of the Austrian consent from the Kuban region and scribes of the non-priestly persuasion from the region of the Don Army.”
Of the cases of miraculous healing of the sick on the opening days and subsequent days, which were declared to the cathedral clergy and entered into the cathedral records by the hands of the healed themselves and witnesses of their previous painful state and healings, we report the following:
1) Ivan Pavlov Fedorov, a native of the city of Bryansk, Oryol province, 20 years old, was paralyzed and could not walk. On September 5th he was carried in his arms into a cave to the relics of St. Theodosius. When, after listening to the prayer service, he venerated the relics of the saint, he felt relief, but nevertheless could not walk and therefore was carried out of the cave in his arms. On the second day, the patient, accompanied by his sister, himself came to the entrance to the cave, into which he was again carried in his arms. There he himself stood, prayed and sang with tears in his eyes. Coming out of the cave, with outside help, he climbed three steps of the ladder, and then was carried out in his arms. The next day, he himself went out into the cave, venerated the relics of the saint, and came out of it himself without outside help. Then he began to walk completely freely.
2) The widow Tatyana Karpova, a native of Tambov, was subjected to demonic possession for 20 years. On September 6th, with great effort, she was brought to the saint’s shrine. After venerating the relics, she calmed down, prayed with tears in her eyes, and left the cave completely healthy. On the second day, she herself came to the saint’s cave and thanked him in warm prayers for the healing.
3) On the same date and under exactly the same circumstances, the merchant's wife Alexandra Rybushkina, who had suffered from demonic possession for 15 years, received healing.
4) On September 7, Evdokia Petrova, a tradeswoman from the city of Tula, received healing from a demonic possession that lasted 42 years.
5) Peasant woman of Oryol province, Malo-Arkhangelsk district, village of Voshni, village. Tokmakova, Elena Gostaeva came to Chernigov for the opening of the honest relics of St. Feodosia with a sick child Simeon, 5 ½ years old, who from birth could not only walk, but also stand on his feet. When the tradesman (Sarat. province, Tsarits. u.) Pyotr Lotyshev picked up the child and placed him on the relics, the child, to the amazement of him, Lotyshev, and his mother, stood up on his own and climbed the stairs leading from the cave.
6) Peasant woman s. Krugloy, Kachalnitskaya volost, Rostov district, Don Army Region, Paraskeva Petrova Ostepenko, 17 years old, was possessed by demonic possession. She rushed at people. The hair on Paraskeva Ostepenko’s head was torn out, and since she constantly tore her clothes, she was of necessity kept naked and shackled. In this form it was brought to Chernigov. Here, having thrown some clothes on her, on September 7 they brought her into the cave and led her to the honest relics, which was only possible after great effort. When she, tied up, was applied to the relics of St. Theodosius, she was pacified and left the church healed of her illness. She left her chains, in memory of the miracle, at the cathedral. Among others, the assistant churchwarden at the cathedral, P.I., was also a witness. Pridatkin.
7) On September 8, a blind boy of about six was brought into the cave where the relics of the saint rested. He groped for a wax candle, knelt before the tomb of St. Theodosius and prayed fervently; tears dripped from his eyes. His prayer was heard - he received his sight. It is impossible to describe the joy of the boy who saw God's light to the joy of his parents; those present cried with emotion.
8) Dionysius Ivanin, a native of Oryol province, Sevsky district, village. The princesses, 32 years old, were relaxed for 15 years; For the last ten years, I couldn’t move, couldn’t move my legs or move my body: my arms worked, but very weakly. On September 8, 1896, in the morning he received Holy Communion. Tain, and in the evening, after the all-night vigil, he was brought to the relics of St. Theodosius. Having venerated them and accepted the anointing of St. oil, Ivanin rose from his bed and thanked the Lord for the miraculous healing. We will leave the story about the details of this event to the witnesses who certified their messages with handwritten signatures: “On September 8th we saw the peasant Ivanin sick, lying motionless opposite the cathedral on a hay field in felt boots. He was covered with a sheepskin coat: his head was tied with a large scarf. On September 9th we saw him already healthy. His face breathed with joy, and we involuntarily turned to him for an explanation of this change; At the same time, he said the following: “I didn’t use my legs for ten years and couldn’t move at all.
When I ate bread, the crumbs fell behind my back, dried there, stuck into my body and formed wounds. I saw a dream: an old man appeared to me and told me to go venerate the relics of St. Feodosia. I went. I traveled for six days, lying in the cart all the time. Here they carried me into the cave and took me out. I lay there a little longer and then asked to be lifted, as I felt that I could stand. After standing for a while, I began to move, weakly at first, then better.” We saw him already walking quite freely” 56.
9) Peasant woman of the Oryol province, Malo-Arkhangelsk district, Horsetail vol., village. Uderevki, Feodosia Stefanova Akulova was possessed by demonic possession for 12 years. When they took her to the church on September 10, she was unconscious, scratching, beating, and swearing. When they brought her to the relics of St. Theodosius, she stopped screaming and generally began to behave more quietly. After venerating the honorable relics, she joyfully felt healthy, although her eyes were still cloudy for some time, and she later complained that she did not fully notice the situation at St. relics Now she does not feel her illness at all and thanks God. “Black. Eparch. Izvestia" 1896, No. 20, reporting about this miraculous recovery of Akulova and naming the witnesses of this miracle, also indicate witnesses from the passengers who were at the station. d. The Kruty saw Akulova’s suffering and point to her severe mental disorder.
10) Penza province, city of Insara, peasant woman Maria Kosmina Mikeshina, 30 years old, raged for 10 years. When it was published about the upcoming discovery of the venerable relics of Saint Theodosius, her husband’s brother, Philip Mikeshin, announced that he would take the sick woman to Chernigov to pray at the relics of the newly-minted saint. The patient was attacked by some inexplicable fear; She became convinced that she would certainly die on the way and Saint Theodosius would not help her in any way. However, her husband, in the hope of God's mercy, forced her to go. Upon arrival in Chernigov, she was presented to the cathedral on September 19; here she began to scream, rush about, resist, and finally fell near the church doors, not wanting to enter the church. Her brother-in-law, with the help of other people, carried the sick woman in his arms to the relics of St. Theodosius, despite her piercing cry and desperate resistance. They also forcibly applied it to the relics of the saint. At the same moment, the patient calmed down and with full consciousness declared that she felt healthy.
11) On September 22 at 7 pm, in the presence of a mass of worshipers, a demon-possessed woman was brought in. She was afraid of the church and never dared to enter it. When she was forcibly brought into the cathedral and forcibly brought to the honorable relics, she immediately calmed down and for the second time was already able to venerate the relics herself. After confession, she identified herself as a peasant from the village. Nikolsk, Volokolamsk district, Moscow province, Khionia Ivanova Levushkina, 60 years old; I have been sick for more than 30 years.
12) Oryol province, Yelets district, Stanovlyansky volost, village. Podolnoy, state peasant Maria Nikolaeva Roshchupkina, 70 years old widow, received healing from muteness. She lost her speech more than a year ago, after a stroke befell her. Through prayers at the shrine of St. Theodosius, her speech returned, and she now speaks freely.
13) Retired senior non-commissioned officer Ivan Feodorov Plesnivy, 35 years old, living in the village. Maslakovo, Repitsa volost, Gorodnyansky district, Chernigov province, had severe eye pain for more than two weeks. He arrived in Chernigov and, while praying at the holy relics of St. Theodosius, received healing from his illness. (Personal statement from U.-O. Plesnivy to the clergyman of the cathedral).
14) After the late liturgy in the cathedral, a peasant woman from Tula province, Oryol district, Somovskaya vol., p. Yakhontova, Agafia Ivanova Murashkina, 36 years old. She has been ill since August 6th of this year. According to her, her entire insides burned, and terrible pain was felt in her head and heart. She did not want to go to the church where the relics of the saint rest; It was as if some force did not allow her. They brought her in and applied it to the relics by force. This was done three times, and only after the third time did she regain consciousness and feel completely healthy.
15) In s. Lyudkov, adjacent to the city of Novozybkov, noblewoman Ekaterina Ivanova Zenchenko, a 31-year-old girl, suffered from breast cancer. She underwent surgery in St. Petersburg, but soon after returning home she began to experience terrible suffering. She did not get out of bed for three months; they spoon-fed her soup and tea; when she was turned, the pain became unbearable. She and her mother, a witness to her suffering, asked God for her death. But the disease, as can be seen, was “not for death, but for the glory of God.” Her neck was swollen, the veins on it were tense, her eyes were painfully droopy, and her head was in unbearable pain. Having learned that one of her friends was going to Chernigov for the opening of St. relics, Ekaterina Zenchenko wished to light a labor candle “with firm faith that her sacrifice will be accepted by the saint of God.” And so, lying on her bed, with great effort and suffering, she fulfilled the order and received 20 kopecks, for which she instructed to place a candle in front of the saint’s shrine on September 9.
On September 9, her sister, returning from mass, announced that the icon of St. Theodosius of Uglitsky was being carried around the village in a religious procession. With the help of her sister and mother, the patient somehow dressed and with difficulty, supported by them, went out to the gate, in front of which the procession stopped. The priest read the Gospel over her head, she venerated St. icon and, feeling relieved, followed the procession and carried the saint herself. icon to the church. Returning home, “although she went to bed right away, she still felt that she was much better.” The next day in the morning, getting out of bed, she walked around the yard a lot, and then she herself walked to the hospital, which was about three miles from the house. “I firmly believe,” she writes, that a miracle happened to me, and everyone says so.” Two doctors who attended to her reassured her that she had nervous rheumatism, but her mother discovered that it was cancer and that her days were numbered.
On September 21, she already set off on foot to Chernigov (152 versts) to thank St. saint Theodosius for her wondrous healing.
Let us cite a case of the miraculous healing of a mute boy named Nikolai, which was reported in a letter addressed to the headman of the Chernigov Cathedral A.A. Khanenko banner bearer of Troitsko-Sergiev Posad Sergei Kirsanovich Kirsanov:
“On the morning of September 13, we, the banner bearers of the Troitsko-Sergievsky Posad, were traveling with the headman D.M. Semenov at the head, in 3rd class carriage No. 242 or 246; At about 8 o'clock in the morning a boy enters our carriage and asks for alms. I, a sinner, condemned the boy and gave him nothing. So he probably walked through the entire train, then he came back to our carriage; here they caressed him and gave him a piece of paper with the image of St. Theodosius. He kept crossing himself and kissing the image of the saint, and hummed as he did so. A little before reaching the station. “Vorozhby”, I was about to go out to the station to send a telegram to Moscow. One of the banner bearers says to me (his name is Alexander Pavlovich Bychkov): “Ask Dmitry Matveyevich for St. water and oil; we need to anoint the boy with it, maybe the saint will send his grace.” “I had a strong desire to help the poor fellow.” I took the boy by the hand, led him to the place where I was sitting, and sat him down opposite me.
First of all, I gave him part of the prosphora, and when he ate it, I read the kontakion and troparion to the saint - I repeated it several times; then he gave the boy holy water; he hardly swallowed it in three doses; then I took out the St. butter and part of St. the saint's vestments, dipped it in oil and anointed the boy's tongue several times; after each time his tongue seemed to become longer; then I put wood oil in both his ears and I see that he seemed to feel sick; I also gave him St. water - wash down the oil; after that he made a sign to me that he wanted to go out onto the platform; I let him go and went to the station myself. When I returned to the carriage, I saw that everyone had tears in their eyes: a miracle had happened in my absence, the mute boy spoke. Having found out what was the matter, I could not refrain from tears out of joy and tenderness; the boy cried with joy and became timid. My question is: how did this happen? - I was told the following: a boy enters the carriage, and something extraordinary happens to him. One of the passengers, Alexander Pavlovich, asks him: “What’s wrong with you, boy?” He spoke: “I-I-I.”
- “What’s your name, boy?” - “Ko-ko-kolka.” Then we gave thanks to the Lord God and Saint Theodosius: we placed the image of the saint, which you presented to the Society, lit a candle in front of it and sang the troparion and kontakion to the saint. There were two priests traveling with us on the train, who were also convinced of the healing: one of them was the priest of the Holy Spiritual Church in the city of Vyazma (Smolensk province), Father John Chausov. I can confirm all of the above with an oath. Temporary Moscow merchant Sergei Kirsanov."
Let us turn to the schismatics:
Unless I see... and I put my hand in... I have no faith (John 20:25).
If I don’t see... and I’ll put my hand in... I don’t have faith, they said, as St. An. Thomas, who came to the opening ceremony of St. The relics of Theodosius are people who are not from this court, who came from us, but were not mad from us. We are not talking about schismatic fanatics, but about the so-called zealots of ancient piety or ancient tradition - people who think honestly and came to seek the truth.
Come and see, was the call to them from St. Feodosia. And from their lips we heard the same voice: I believe, Lord, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24).
For the opening day of St. From the relics of St. Theodosius, 16 schismatic groups (readers) arrived in Chernigov: six from Moscow, two from Nizhny Novgorod, from the banks of the Volga, three from the Novgorod forests and St. Petersburg, two from the Vladimir province, the rest from one of the different localities of the Kuban region, the lands of the Don Army, etc.
Throughout the continuation of the Chernigov celebrations, the schismatics, like spies, kept themselves aloof, vigilantly observing everything that was happening and inquisitively checking the rumors circulating about new healings at the relics of the saint. Many of them were overcome by a feeling of spiritual anguish, which is understandable, because for them the question of the errors of the schism was being resolved.
At the end of the celebrations, the schismatics asked permission from the Metropolitan to reveal to them the relics of the saint of God and the miracle worker. For this purpose September 10 was appointed. On this day, after the liturgy and prayer singing of cancer with St. the relics were surrounded only by schismatics and their missionaries; the crowd of pilgrims was temporarily removed. In full vestments he approached the shrine of St. relics of the Reverend Pitirim and began to remove the veil and expose the hands of St. saint of God. Dead silence reigned; Fear and trembling gripped those present, including the schismatics. Imaginary zealots of Orthodoxy began to approach St. one by one. relics and carefully peered at the naked body of Saint Theodosius, which appeared intact down to the nails, like that of someone who had just died. Unbelieving schismatics touched the hands and feet of the saint. The schismatics were amazed. Neither of them could restrain themselves from excitement and tears; everyone reverently venerated the saint. relics and bowed to the ground, which they had not done before.
“We truly believe,” they exclaimed, “that the relics of St. the saint rests incorruptibly in the tomb, and that the newly glorified saint of God is truly a holy wonderworker, since these days we ourselves witnessed many miracles from his incorruptible relics!
What they saw made a particularly strong impression on the schismatics of the Kuban region: they immediately turned to St. Theodosius with prayerful exclamations for forgiveness of their unbelief, and upon leaving the church they immediately sent a telegram to those who had sent them, with which they notified them of what they had seen and summoned their priest to Chernigov 57 .
One of the envoys of the Nizhny Novgorod schismatics, although he venerated St. relics, but expressed doubt about the miracles of healing performed, since he was not an eyewitness to them 58.
Troparion, kontakion, magnification and prayer to St. Theodosius
Preferred to be a bishop, Saint Theodosius, you were the luminary of your flock, and you also reposed in the eternal abodes: pray at the throne of the King of glory to deliver us from the evils that befall us and to save our souls, holy one, through your prayers.
You worked as a shepherd for the Chief of Christ, Saint Theodosius, in the spiritual pasture feeding your verbal sheep, and you received from Christ the Savior the healing gift of healing from bodily and mental infirmities everyone who comes to your healing power: pray, holy one, for those who call on your name from the slander of the enemy to save our souls.
We magnify you, Holy Hierarch Father Theodosius, and honor your holy memory, for you pray for us to Christ our God.
Oh, sacred head, our strong prayer book and intercessor, Saint Theodosius! Hear us calling upon you with faith and diligently falling down before the joy of your honest and multi-healing relics. Remember us at the throne of the Almighty and do not stop praying for us to Christ God: for you have been given the grace to pray for us. Through your intercession, ask our all-merciful God for the peace of His Church, for the shepherd’s strength in zealously striving for the salvation of people, for our Most Pious Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich’s favor in establishing the prosperity of his kingdom.
Beg the Heavenly Father and give us all the gift that everyone needs, true faith, firm hope and unfailing love, good growth in faith for the young and infants, comfort and reinforcement for the old and weak, healing for the sick, mercy and intercession for the orphans and widows, correction for the erring, timely help for the needy, and guide everyone in peace and repentance shamelessly end your life and be the heir of the Kingdom of Heaven, where you now live with the Angels and all the saints, glorifying God, glorified in the Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen 60.
Feast in honor of the Yelets-Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God
This holy icon was found in Chernigov, near Boldina Mountain, on a spruce tree, and Prince Svyatoslav Yaroslavich built the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with a monastery at the site of the apparition, which was named Yeletsky. This was shortly before the arrival of St. Anthony of Pechersk in Chernigov in 1068 (see the life of St. Anthony). In 1611, during the invasion of the Poles, who destroyed the monastery, the original icon was lost, and instead of the original there is now a copy brought from Vladimir Volynsky by the Kozell brothers in 1676. The icon depicts the Mother of God sitting and holding the seated Baby on Her knees: with her left hand She supports the muscles, with her right she holds the legs of the Baby Jesus. The baby holds a charter in his left hand. Miracles from this icon were numerous, as attested by contemporaries of its bringing - St. Demetrius of Rostov and Archimandrite Ioannikiy Golyatovsky.
Feast in honor of the Sicilian Icon of the Mother of God
Appeared in 1092 and is located in Moscow; a list from it is in the Divnogorsk Assumption Monastery, Voronezh province, glorified since 1831, when the cholera that appeared in those places stopped with the grace of the Blessed Virgin. For detailed information about the glorification of the icon, see No. 18 “The Raven. Eparch. Ved." for 1882
Bishop Gideon, who was elected metropolitan of Lutsk, was consecrated in Moscow with the rights to the ancient privileges of the metropolitan of Kyiv. Two years later (1687), the consent of the eastern patriarchs to the dependence of the southern metropolis on the Patriarch of Moscow was obtained.
In 1667, the Trans-Dnieper (right) side of Little Russia officially joined the Poles.
A word about the incorruption of the relics of Metropolitan Philaret (Moscow).
Both this and the subsequent miracle that took place at the tomb of St. Theodosius, were preserved only in legend and then written down (Cherniig. Eparch. Izvest. 1878, No. 17, p. 224. Chernig. Eparch. Izv. 1894, No. 11, p. 415).
A legend has been preserved according to which, even during the life of the saint, one holy fool predicted incorruption to him with these words: “from the viburnum, your body will be incorruptible”; according to another legend: “Izh Corinya, your life will never last.” (Chernigov. Diocesan. Izvest. 1877 “St. Theodosius”. biographical essay. Khanenko).
On behalf of the Commander-in-Chief, Archpriest of the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, Fr. Levanda, probably addressed the cathedral archpriest of the Chernigov Cathedral with the following letter: “Jllustrissime! I'll send you 20 rubles. from the same donor, the military governor of Kyiv, Mikhail Larionovt Kutuzov, for the same two memorial services at St. Theodosius as before. In my opinion, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to add a prayer for the journey of this deliberate traveler. He is now on his way to our army to the Danube, according to the Highest will. Prot. Levanda. 16 Apr 1808 Kyiv."
This entire alteration of the vault, arranged by John Maksimovich, was accomplished thanks to the diligence and funds of the cathedral elder Alexander Sidor. Sorokina. At the entrance, under the vault, a metal plaque is embedded in the wall, indicating the burial place of Chernig. archbishop Ambrose Dubnevich.
About miraculous healings through the prayerful intercessions of St. Theodosius under Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 is narrated by Priest Shipikov in his note, found after his death between his papers.
It was cholera, which was rampant in 1848.
The father of the unfortunate patient, Archpriest Stefanovsky, describing the same seizures, says that some doctors called his daughter’s illness a dance of nerves (saltus nervorum), others - morbus medullae dorsi spinalis, also detinets, or birthmark.
The present wide and comfortable staircase to the cave, where the relics of the saint rest, was made later; and the previous one was narrow, screw-shaped and led from inside the church itself.
Chernig. Eparch. Izv. 1863 “Reverend Theodosius (Uglitsky), Archbishop. Chernigovsky", A.I. Khanenko; ed. 1888 “Blessed. holy Theodosius Uglidky" by Archpriest Platonov.
His Eminence Pavel, whose last name was Podlinsky, was Archpastor of Chernigov from September 26. 1836 to April 18, 1859, died November 27, 1861 in Pereyasl. Daniel. mon., where he was buried.
Where the relics of St. Theodosius rest. At this time, the entrance to the cave was from the church.
In his letter, military officer Ovseenkov explains that his wife is of Catholic faith.
Transfer of St. the relics were permitted by the Holy Synod during the renovation of the cave where the honest relics of St. Theodosius rest.
Chernig. Eparch. Izvestia, 1896, No. 19.
Relics of the Holy Blessed Prince Michael of Chernig. and boyar Theodore, killed in the Horde because they did not want to bow to the idol.
Due to the gathering of a large number of fasting people, some could not receive communion the day before.
A new silver shrine was built with funds from the village. With. N.A. Tereshchenki and his wife. The cancer in appearance resembles an ancient sarcophagus, mounted on a bronze stand, more than a fathom in length, and more than an arshin in width and height; The length of the crayfish itself is 3 arsh. 16 vershk., gairina – 1 arsh. 26 inches, height – 1 1/15 in arch. The entire reliquary is gilded, with the exception of ornaments. On all four sides there is a silver, chased ornament in the form of oblong convex shields. At the bottom on the sides of the stand the following inscription is inscribed: “This honorable shrine to the holy multi-healing relics of the Venerable Theodosius of Uglitsky, Archbishop of Chernigov, was built during the prosperous reign of the Sovereign Emperor, Autocrat Nikolai Alexandrovich of All Russia, under Bishop Anthony of Chernigov and Nizhyn, d. With. Nikolai Artemyevich Tereshchenko and his wife Pelagia Georgievna in 1896 on the day of the opening of the holy relics.” On the side of the shrine, in a stamp in Slavic letters, it is written that the relics of St. rest here. Theodosius, the year of his consecration to the rank of bishop is indicated - 1692 and the day of his death - February 5. 1696
The massive silver lid of the reliquary is decorated on top with a large silver eight-pointed cross, and on the inside there is an engraved view of Chernigov. The stand of the reliquary is bronze, gilded, more than a sazhen in length, and more than an arshin in width and height. There is a carved lattice around the stand. A cast-iron staircase leads to the shrine on the south side. The total cost of raki is 35,000 rubles. It was worked at the Ovchinnikov factory based on the drawings of Prof. Prahova.
The signature of the witnesses follows: a gendarme colonel and 3 officers 168 res. Ostrog Regiment. There are other witnesses (officers of the Lutsk and Nizhny Novgorod regiments) of the healing of Ivanin, who on September 9 was already on his feet and telling those around him about his miraculous healing.
Holy. Theodosius of Uglitsky, archbishop. Chern., ed. "General distribution religious and morals enlightenment", page 75.
Archpriest Lebedev. "Chernig. Eparch. Izv." 1896, No. 18, p. 611.
According to legend, the troparion and kontakion were compiled by the archbishop. John Maksimovich.
Until the time when the Holy Synod compiles a special service for the saint, the general service for saints is sent to him.