Discovery of the relics of St. Hermogenes

The most merciful telegram from the Sovereign Emperor addressed to Moscow Metropolitan Macarius: Moscow. May 13. Metropolitan Macarius. The Empress and I rejoice at the joy of Our Moscow people and were prayerfully present with our souls at the solemn transfer of the holy relics of St. Hermogenes into a new shrine. This telegram followed the next telegram from Metropolitan Macarius: Livadia. To His Imperial Majesty the Sovereign Emperor. Today, by the grace of God, the relics of the saint and wonderworker Hermogenes were transferred into a magnificent shrine, built by the support of Your Imperial Majesty and Your August wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. With the participation of a numerous host of bishops and other clergy, the holy relics were carried into the middle of the Assumption Cathedral for general veneration, during the liturgy they were lifted up to the altar in the patriarchal place and at the end of it, after a majestic procession of the cross, they were placed in a new shrine, in the place of their permanent resting place. Touched by this bright church celebration in honor of the holy martyr, ancient Moscow bows with reverence before the pious zeal of Your Imperial Majesties to the memory of the saint and unanimously prays to him, the great Russian intercessor, that he may pour out his Heavenly blessing on Your Imperial Majesties, the Sovereign Heir and Your Entire August Family and establish the power of our kings forever and ever. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow. Preparations for the transposition and opening of the relics of St. Hermogenes began on May 10. At 6 o'clock in the morning, Protopresbyter N.A. Lyubimov, co-served by the abbot of the Chudov Monastery, Archimandrite Arseny, and the cathedral clergy, celebrated the early liturgy. At the end of the liturgy, His Eminence Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, arrived at the cathedral, in the co-service of His Eminence Tryphon, Bishop of Dmitrov, Anastasius, Bishop of Serpukhov, and those serving the liturgy, and performed a prayer service. The chairman of the highest commission for the restoration of the cathedral, Prince A. A. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov, arrived at the prayer service. Then the hierarchs and clergy, after removing the tombstone, took the holy relics out of the cypress coffin and began to dress them in the clothes donated by Their Majesties. A white patriarchal doll was placed on the head of the saint, on which the Empress personally embroidered and strung with pearls an image of the six-winged Seraphim. On the wings, in six quadrangular frames lined with pearls (three on each side), there are images of the patron saints of the Royal Family. Then the epitrachelion was put on, made in the Ascension Monastery with images of the Moscow Saints Peter, Alexy, Jonah and Philip embroidered on it. On the mantle, on the upper tablets, there are images embroidered with silk and gold and decorated with pearls: on the right is the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, on the left are the namesake martyrs of the saint: Saints Hermolai and Hermogenes. The Metropolitan sprinkled holy water on every part of the patriarch's vestments. His panagia is placed on the saint's chest. All the vestments were sewn with highly artistic work by the nuns of the Alekseevsky and Ivanovo monasteries. After the vesting was completed, the relics were placed in a new cypress coffin. Then the collection of raki began. It is made of silver, weighing several tens of pounds. Its ornamentation is a reproduction of the decoration of the Hermogenes panagia. There are a lot of Siberian jewelry on the cancer. Its shape is somewhat reminiscent of the tomb of Yaroslav the Wise. On the day of the discovery of the relics of St. Hermogenes, Protopresbyter N. A. Lyubimov published a brochure about the miracles performed at the tomb of the saint. On May 11 and 12 in Moscow, the incorruptible relics of the saint and patriarch Hermogenes were solemnly opened and transferred into a new reliquary built at the expense of Their Imperial Majesties. On May 11, at three o'clock in the afternoon, in the Great Dormition Cathedral, His Eminence Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, in the concelebration of His Eminence Tryphon, Bishop of Dmitrov, Anastasius, Bishop of Serpukhov, Modest, Bishop of Verei, Hermogenes, Bishop of Aksai, Vicar of the Don Diocese, and other clergy, performed a “paracpisis” Mother of God with the singing of the cathedral clergy and the choir of synodal singers in white caftans, under the direction of N. M. Danilin. From 3 o'clock in the afternoon, huge crowds of people headed to the Kremlin and by 5 o'clock in the afternoon they filled Senate Square, the square near the monument to the Tsar-Liberator and the cathedral platform. One after another, while singing the troparion of St. Processions of the cross approached Ermogen in the Kremlin. Entrance to the Assumption Cathedral was allowed only with tickets. At 6 o'clock in the evening, the powerful sound of the Tsar Bell on Ivan the Great rang out, and after it, the solemn announcement of the all-night vigil began in all the churches of the capital. Particularly solemn was the divine service in the Great Assumption Cathedral, where the all-night vigil was celebrated by His Eminence Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, co-served by the member of the Holy Synod, His Eminence Archbishop Alexy, and His Eminence Bishops Tryphon, Anastasy, Theodore, Modest - vicars of Moscow metropolis, Bishop Hermogenes - vicar of the Don diocese, Bishops Misail, Vladimir, Euthymius and Ioannikis, vicar of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra Archimandrite Tovia, synodal sacristan Archimandrite Dimitri, rector of the Bethany Theological Seminary Archimandrite Herman, Archimandrite Macarius (Gnevushev), Hilarion, Herman, Aristarchus, Theodosius, Athanasius, Nicodemus, Valentin, Gregory, protopresbyter of the Assumption Cathedral N. Lyubimov, sacellarii of the cathedral Pshenichnikov and V.T. Subbotin, fathers of members of the spiritual consistory and other clergy. At the beginning of the service, the august abbess of the Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy, Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna, and His Highness Prince John Konstantinovich, who arrived in Moscow, deigned to arrive at the Assumption Cathedral. Before the beginning of the all-night vigil, the archimandrites in vestments made of silver glazet with gold crosses and galloon, having received the blessing of the Metropolitan, carried the coffin with the relics of the saint to the middle of the cathedral, where it was placed on a specially prepared dais, upholstered in red cloth, four candles were placed in the corners of the latter, and three large candles with state emblems from Him were also lit. Imperial Majesty the Sovereign Emperor, and two deacons with ripids and two deacons with trikiri and dikiri stood on the sides, after which the all-night vigil immediately began. The service was held in general, holy, with litia and polyeleos. At the beginning of the polyeleos, all the clergy went out through the royal doors to the middle of the cathedral, stood in front of the relics of the saint and lit candles; At the same time, candles were lit by all the pilgrims present in the cathedral. The stichera and troparion to St. Hermogenes were performed in a new musical arrangement by A. D. Kastalsky. While singing “Praise the Name of the Lord,” His Eminence Metropolitan Macarius surrounded the coffin with the holy relics three times, and then, taking the silver scissors presented to him by the protopresbyter of the cathedral on a platter, he cut with them the cord of the seal that held the coffin together; then, with his blessing, the archimandrites opened the lid of the coffin, which the deacons carried aside. The clergy and pilgrims present in the cathedral harmoniously sang praises to the saint. During the censing, the deacons turned first to the patriarch and then to the metropolitan for a blessing. After the exaltation, the coffin with the holy relics was lifted by Prince John Konstantinovich and the archimandrites and carried outside by the western doors of the cathedral, where it was placed on a specially prepared stretcher. Then a religious procession was held around the Assumption Cathedral with holy relics presenting the patriarchal cross and staff and crystal Korsun crosses, the altarpiece and the Kazan Mother of God. Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna took part in the procession. During the religious procession, the cathedral was beautifully illuminated with multi-colored lanterns, and on the cornice of the Ivanovo bell tower stood a huge shield, illuminated by electric bulbs, with the inscription: “Rejoice, holy martyr Hermogenes, great intercessor of the Russian land”; standing around the cathedral and further in the squares, thousands of pilgrims with lighted candles in their hands sang praises to the saint; the sounds of a powerful folk choir merged with the solemn chime of the Kremlin cathedrals and all other churches of the capital. Upon the return of the procession, the holy relics were placed in their original place - in the middle of the cathedral, and then the Holy Gospel was read and the holy relics were venerated by the clergy and pilgrims. During the all-night vigil on the cathedral platform in front of the image of the holy martyr. Hermogenes, executed according to a drawing by the artist Zh. V. M. Vasnetsov, and prayers were performed continuously in the Kremlin squares throughout the night. The veneration of the relics of the saint also took place throughout the night, and access of pilgrims to the cathedral was stopped at 7 a.m. on May 12. On May 12, at 5 o'clock in the morning, early liturgies were celebrated in the Demetrievsky chapel of the Assumption Cathedral, in the Gostunsky Cathedral1 and the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles. At 9 o'clock in the Assumption Cathedral, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, in the concelebration of 8 bishops, 29 archimandrites and archpriests who had participated in the service the day before. The synodal choir sang. The cathedral was crowded with worshipers. During the small entrance, the archimandrite fathers brought the venerable relics of St. Hermogenes from the middle of the cathedral through the royal doors into the altar and here they placed them on the patriarchal high place - a dais upholstered in red cloth. At the moments specified by the charter, the serving hierarchs stood on both sides of the coffin, as if having the most holy patriarch himself as the leader in their midst. After the singing of the sacramental verse, Protopresbyter N.A. Lyubimov of the cathedral delivered a sermon in which Father Protopresbyter described the glorified Saint Hermogenes as a strong adamant and staunch defender of the Orthodox faith and the Holy Church of Christ and explained his great significance for the Church and the state at the present time. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, a prayer service to St. Hermogenes began in the altar. During the singing of the troparion, the coffin with the holy relics was received by the archimandrites and carried through the royal doors to the middle of the cathedral, from here to the western doors, where it was placed on a stretcher. Then a religious procession took place around all the Kremlin cathedrals. A cross was carried in front, followed by numerous banners of the Kremlin cathedrals, monasteries and a long ribbon of the clergy of the four forties: Chinese, Nikitsky, Sretensky and Prechistensky, in pairs, in white glazed vestments with gold braid and crosses; behind the clergy were carried a small lantern, two Korsun crystal crosses, an altarpiece icon of the Mother of God, four icons of the Moscow saints - Peter, Alexy, Jonah and Philip, and the Kazan icon of the Mother of God; in the middle of the procession of the listed shrines there was a choir of synodal singers, performing either Easter chants or prayers to the saint; behind the shrines, Prince John Konstantinovich and 30 archimandrites and archpriests carried the honorable relics of St. Hermogenes on stretchers; On the sides were four deacons with tall candles and two deacons with ripids. To carry the holy relics, the archimandrites and archpriests were divided into two shifts, with the first shift consisting of: Archimandrites Tovia, Macarius, Sergius, Dimitri, Herman, Hilarion, Aristarchus, Theodosius, Nikodim, Arseny, Gregory, Protopresbyter N. A Lyubimov and Dean V. A Markov. In the second shift were: Archimandrites Vitaly, Mitrofan, Hippolytus, Nikanor, Averky, Joachim, Archpriests V. E. Belikov, N. F. Voznesensky, K. M. Markov, I. I. Solovyov, Fathers Serebryansky, A. I. Razumikhin, V. L. Uspensky, E. I. Troitsky, I. I. Fudel, A. V. Nikolsky and X. K Maksimov. The holy relics were followed by His Eminence Metropolitan Macarius and the hierarchs who took part in the sacred service. Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna deigned to follow in the procession. Along one side of the entire path of the religious procession stood trellises of troops of the Moscow garrison with musical orchestras performing “Kol Slaven”; when the religious procession approached, the troops took “guard”; on the other side stood numerous crowds of people. During the religious procession, the clergy and monastics of the Ascension and Chudov monasteries and court cathedrals - Spassky on Bor, Annunciation and Arkhangelsk - came out to meet. The procession of the cross from the Assumption Cathedral through the gate between the Ivanovo Bell Tower and the Archangel Cathedral headed towards the Chudov Monastery, opposite which, on a special elevation, His Eminence Metropolitan Macarius read the Gospel and overshadowed the people with the holy cross; the second autumn was performed on Senate Square, the third - on Palace Square, opposite the Spassky Cathedral on Bor, and the fourth - opposite the Annunciation Cathedral, where the huge Kadashevsky folk choir, kneeling, sang the troparion to the saint; after which the procession returned through the same gates to the Assumption Cathedral. This procession of the high priest was majestic. The reverence of the people for him was boundless. In front of the entrance to the Assumption Cathedral, students of the Noble Institute were kneeling. Upon being brought into the cathedral, the holy relics were brought to the new precious royal shrine and placed under the shadow of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. His Eminence Metropolitan Macarius read a prayer to the saint, after which the dismissal was performed on the pulpit, before which Protodeacon K.V. Rozov proclaimed many years to the Sovereign Emperor, Sovereign Empress, Heir Tsarevich and the entire reigning house. During the Divine Liturgy, prayer services were served for pilgrims on the square in front of the Assumption Cathedral. Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna and His Highness Prince John Konstantinovich deigned to attend the services on May 11 and 12 in the cathedral. Also present were: members of Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna, General of the Cavalry M. P. Stepanov and Chamberlain of the Highest Court A. P. Kornilov, Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod V. K. Sabler, Commander of the Moscow Military District, General of the Cavalry P. A. Plehve, Chairman of the Highest the established commission for the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral, Prince A. A. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov, head of the Moscow Palace Administration, Adjutant General Prince Odoevsky-Maslov, commander of the 17th Army Corps, Infantry General I. P. Yakovlev, commander of the Grenadier Corps, Artillery General I. I. Mrozovsky, head of the Tsarskoye Selo Palace, Prince M. S. Putyatin, according to whose drawing the new shrine was built, trustee of the Moscow educational district, privy councilor A. A. Tikhomirov, Moscow mayor of His Majesty’s retinue, Major General A. A. Adrianov, Moscow governor-Jägermeister of the Supreme Court, Count N. L. Muravyov, Moscow commandant, Major General T. G. Gorkovenko, the Moscow district leader of the nobility Prince V.V. Golitsyn, assistants to the Moscow mayor, actual state councilors K.K Zakkit and Colonel V.F. Modl, representatives of departments, government, class and public institutions, many ladies of the highest capital society and a huge number of worshipers. At the end of the celebration, a meal was held in the metropolitan chambers of the Chudov Monastery, which was attended by: Bishop Metropolitan, hierarchs located in Moscow, high clergy, commander of the troops, cavalry general M. P. Stepanov, princes N. N. Odoevsky-Maslov, A. A. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov and M. S. Putyatin, Moscow mayor A. A. Adrianov and other high-ranking officials. From the Chudov Monastery, the Metropolitan sent His Imperial Majesty a telegram about the triumph and the loyal gratitude of the Church for the highest donations in memory of the great high priest. In addition to the Assumption Cathedral, services were performed in all the churches of the capital, and they were particularly solemn in the church built by the saint in the name of the Hieromartyr Ermolai on Bolshaya Sadovaya Street. On the occasion of the celebration, an all-day solemn ringing took place in all churches of the capital on May 12. The celebration of the discovery and transposition of the relics of St. Hermogenes attracted a huge number of pilgrims to Moscow, among whom were many sick people from the most remote corners of Russia. Their number is determined in tens and hundreds of thousands. Throughout the celebration, a strong upsurge of religious feeling was felt among the pilgrims. The church celebration made an indelibly deep impression. A warm May night, rare for its silence, envelops a little-touched corner of old Moscow with its shrines. Since the morning, the pilgrims who have gathered in the Kremlin partly disperse to cathedrals and churches, and for the most part remain in the open air due to the overcrowding of the churches. Ivan the Great shines from the garlands of lanterns and lights. Among the pilgrims there are many who came from afar. Knapsacks and teapots speak about this. Holy Rus' brought many prayerful sighs into her heart - to Moscow - on the days of the discovery of the relics of St. Hermogenes. Somewhere the voices of the blind are heard. Prayer singing can be heard there. Here a choir of women sings sacred chants. The people are waiting for their turn - whenever it comes - in order to venerate the holy relics. The pilgrims did not leave the Kremlin even at night. On May 12, the spring sun shone its first rays on the crosses of the Kremlin churches. The pilgrims, as faithful guardians of their faith, are again in the Kremlin. There are masses of people everywhere. Here and there above the crowd one can see high-raised icons of St. Hermogenes, brought by zealous pilgrims to participate in the procession. A prayer service is being sung at the Chudov Monastery... A rare upsurge of spirit runs through the crowd when Ivan the Great trembles, shocked by the powerful “red ringing” that announced the start of the religious procession. You can hear the voices and cries of sobbing women, the sighs of the sick, with tears from afar meeting and following with their eyes the dear shrine carried in the shrine by the clergy. Ancient Jerusalem crosses and banners burn and sparkle in the sun... The clergy walk in orderly rows. A rare triumph in terms of the mass of people and the high rise of religious feeling! But the writer of these lines cannot help but regret that at the celebration there were somehow unnoticed students and students of theological schools, who should have been closer to this rare celebration. They would have more clearly understood, in direct contemplation of the great celebration, how sacred the mood with which the holy relics of the holy servant of the Church was greeted and seen off. We know that even at the disposal of the academy, only about 10 tickets were sent to the corporation and students to enter the south side of the cathedral. It is clear that with such a number of tickets it was impossible to satisfy even a very small part of the many who wanted to attend this celebration.