Since ancient times, the holy springs of Russia have been considered signs of God's mercy and blessing. “Oh, light bright and red-decorated Russian land! You amaze with many beauties: with many lakes, you amaze with rivers and locally revered springs, steep mountains, high hills ... ”- this is how one of the monuments of ancient Russian writing, dated to the 13th century, begins.
Springs are named among the main beauties of Russia. Often they appeared and now appear at the place where the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos and saints of God were found. It happens that the holy springs of Russia that heal people flow from under the church altars and at the same time are revered as a consecrated shrine of the temple. Crosses or chapels are often placed over springs spouting from the ground, where an icon of the saint is placed, and these springs are dedicated to him. God's help flows generously through the holy springs of those who are not lazy, comes to them, falls down and glorifies the Creator of everything and everyone.
Many holy springs in Russia. There are more than three thousand holy springs in the Nizhny Novgorod region! And nowhere - neither in crowded places, nor in the remote taiga - does the spring go unnoticed, a path is always laid to it.
Source of Seraphim of Sarov in Diveevo
Since ancient times, many springs with the purest spring water made their way in the Sarov forests. There were especially many of them along the Sarovka River. The monks planted poplars here, and the pilgrims walked in their shade to the wells, up to the largest, located in the Near Hermitage. This source has been revered for a long time, even before the arrival of Elder Seraphim. They called it Theological, because next to it on the cross was an icon of the Apostle John the Theologian.
On November 25, 1825, near this place, Father Seraphim saw the Mother of God, Who, striking the earth with a rod so that a fountain of bright water boiled from the earth, promised to give Her blessing to the spring that had formed, than the waters of Bethesda of Jerusalem had once had.
The Monk Seraphim began to work on the construction of a spring miraculously exterminated from the earth. On the banks of the Sarovka River, he collected stones and surrounded the source with them from all sides. Sarov hieromonk Anastasy said that one day Father Seraphim told him in a conversation: “I prayed that this water in the well would be healing from diseases.”
Indeed, even during the life of the great Elder, she healed many from diseases. “This prayer of the Reverend, who already then had great boldness towards God,” wrote Leonid Denisov in 1904, “two circumstances are explained:
1) the fact that the water from the Seraphim spring never spoils, no matter how long it stays even in an open vessel;
2) the fact that those who visit the Sarov desert and bathe in the pavilions at the source at any time of the year, healthy and sick, do not receive harm to health, but, on the contrary, improve it and heal from diseases, although the water in the source even in summer has from b to 10 degrees. The writer of these lines has tested both of them in his own experience.
From the spring of Seraphim of Sarov in Diveevo, the Diveevo sister Praskovya Ivanovna Shablygina was the first to receive healing. On December 9, 1825, Father Seraphim ordered her to drink cold spring water, and her cough immediately disappeared. And here are a few more examples of the miraculous power of the spring.
General Mavra Lvovna Sipyagina suffered from an evil spirit. She felt terrible anguish, could not keep the fasts and other prescriptions of the Church. Father Seraphim sent her to the spring to drink water. Immediately, a lot of bile came out of her larynx. Since then, she has been healthy.
Tatyana Vasilievna Barinova complained to Father Seraphim about her illness: she had impenetrable lichen on her arm. The elder told her to wash her hand with water from the spring. Barinova thought: “Ah! How can I do this, if even the slightest touch of dampness makes my illness worse? However, when she washed her hand, she did not feel any pain. On the contrary, her hand was immediately cleansed, the disease passed without a trace.
And here is a wonderful case of healing from cholera, which also testifies to the foresight of St. Seraphim. In August 1831, Olga Petrovna Lubkova visited him. The elder had already said goodbye to her, but after about three minutes he went out onto the road and again called her to him: “Take this bottle of holy water. Maybe someone who falls ill, so give it, it is useful to the sick. Olga Petrovna got home to Nizhny Novgorod safely, all her household members were healthy. But already at dinner, Lubkova's daughter Olimpiada felt dizzy and nauseous, her condition worsened.
She was offered to drink the water of St. Seraphim. “I drank three sips,” Olympiada later recalled, “and suddenly, instead of nausea, I felt a strong perspiration and an inclination to sleep. They left me alone. Opening my eyes, I first of all felt a special freshness in my whole body and a return of strength, and seeing a glass of healing water in front of me, I immediately drank a few sips and got up healthy. It is impossible to describe all the joy and surprise of my mother about what happened. She wept in gratitude to the wondrous Elder, marveling at his clairvoyance and my miraculous healing.”
In 1889, hegumen Raphael of Sarov, following the order of the Synod, began to improve the places associated with Father Seraphim. A chapel was erected over the well in the Middle Hermitage, the water of the spring was diverted to a special bath.
Later, in 1904, when the flow of pilgrims increased, the bath was expanded. Four compartments were made with five taps in each. This is how a pilgrim who visited Sarov in June 1904 described this spring: “The spring of St. Seraphim is a spring of pure and cold water flowing from the banks of Sarovka.
But at the present time it is no longer visible, so everything has been reorganized for the needs of the people. A beautiful octagonal wooden chapel is built over the source itself; in the middle of it is a large round well, surrounded by a grate on which buckets stand ... Two baths (for men and for women) adjoin this chapel above the source, down to the river, and each of them consists of two and bottom. There are simple gutters in the wall, from which a rather thick stream of water continuously flows, running from above from the well in the chapel - the source.
Thousands of pilgrims flocked to the Sarov Hermitage, and everyone would definitely go to the Near Hermitage of Elder Seraphim to wash their body here with a stream of healing Sarov water. Water was carried away with them in bottles made in the monastery workshop. This water was stored for many months. It is also remarkable that the water from the source, being cold, did not cool. After dousing, it threw me into a fever, it became warm.
A list of miracles and healings performed by Father Seraphim began to be compiled in the 1890s.
At the celebration of the opening of his holy relics in the summer of 1903, mass healings took place in the Middle Hermitage. Eyewitnesses described a pile of crutches and prostheses abandoned as useless next to the source. The newspapers wrote: “The facts of healings, telegraphed from Sarov, are numerous and are confirmed by duty officers and witnesses from the people. The source is deposited. Let ten people in. The pressure is terrible. The sick and crippled wait their turn with understandable impatience: they know that there is no squalor that would not be healed today.
To record the miracles, after careful verification, a special notebook was kept under the supervision of Hieroschemamonk Father Simeon. Here is some of them.
The peasant boy Vasily Iovlev, 12 years old, who came to Sarov from the village of Ilissky, Yenisei province, along with his grandmother, was mute from birth, for which he had a certificate from the local parish priest. At the source of the Monk Father Seraphim, he bathed and began to speak.
A public school teacher in Nizhny Novgorod, Mr. Andreevsky, was healed of malaria at a spring.
A peasant woman of the Simbirsk province of the village of Tazneeva Agrippina Elizarovna Tabaeva, 18 years old, blind from birth, bathed three times in the spring of St. Seraphim and after the second bath she began to see sunlight, trees and other objects.
Anastasia, a 52-year-old novice of the Kutuzov Monastery in the Nizhny Novgorod diocese, was healed of a severe form of fever that she had suffered for several months.
A peasant woman in the Nizhny Novgorod province of the village of Vertyanova, Nastasya Mikhailovna Kostyukova, suffered from stone disease for two years; no means helped; She was also treated in the hospital, but there was no benefit. On the advice of her acquaintances, she came to Sarov and bathed in the spring of St. Seraphim, after which the illness immediately disappeared.
It is believed that it was thanks to bathing in the spring near the Near Hermitage that Empress Alexandra Feodorovna gave birth to the long-awaited heir to the throne. The king and queen were at the spring twice. The first time they visited him, accompanied by a retinue, the second - alone, to swim.
The well-known spiritual writer Sergei Nilus described his healing in the spring of St. Seraphim: “I went to the spring of Fr. Seraphim, this Russian Bethesda, whose healing power was given from above through the prayers of Fr. Seraphim and from which I expected miraculous healing myself. Three or four versts from the monastery to the spring. I, who had been barely able to carry my legs at home lately, walked this distance without the slightest sign of fatigue. It was a miracle.
I entered the pool arranged at the very source - the dress that was on me, at least squeeze it out. Without giving myself time to cool down, all as heated as I was by fast walking and the scorching heat, I undressed, went down under the tap, from which the icy water of the spring flowed in a silvery stream, crossed myself: “I believe, Lord!” - and three times gave this water to pour all over himself and sick members. The first moment I was completely suffocated: the icy water burned me - it took my breath away. But what a wonderful feeling came upon leaving the bath! It was as if a new stream of new life was poured into all my veins - the distant youth seemed to have returned again.
And here is the testimony of another famous writer, Yevgeny Poselyanin, who was present at the opening of the relics of the saint in 1903: “I had just entered the monastery gates, when between the bell tower and the cathedrals I met a crowd of people surrounding an old woman with a boy who was healed in the morning at the source. For the first time I saw the newly healed up close. A boy of 8-9 years old, with intelligent eyes, jumped merrily. Extreme joy and liveliness shine on his face. This boy's name is Pyotr Ilyich Zobnin; he comes from the Morshansky district, from the village of Bodina. He didn't walk for two years, and his neck was twisted.
Recently, in a dream, the Queen of Heaven said to his mother: "Take him to the elder Seraphim, and he will be healed." He was brought to Sarov. At night the boy cried a lot and finally fell asleep. In the morning, after early mass, they bathed him, and he immediately shouted: “I want to run,” and his neck straightens. An old woman born in 2014, his grandmother is crying, telling about this event, and the boy, holding her hand, joyfully looks at people and at the whole world of God.
In Soviet times, the chapel and the bath were destroyed, and the spring was concreted. But for a long time the water found its way out and appeared under the mountain. Later, a dam was built just below the bath along the course of the Sarovka River, the water level rose, and the springs were under water. In 1947, the former Sarov Monastery became a closed area, its visits were strictly prohibited.
But the Lord did not leave the believers without consolation. On the edges of the vast Sarov forest, fragrant with the deeds of St. Seraphim, new springs have opened - near the village of Tsyganovka (the spring of Seraphim of Sarov near Tsyganovka) and in the village of Satis. The power and glory of private keys passed to them. In addition to these newly appeared sources, the people also visited others located in Diveevo and its environs.
This book is the fourth in a series about the shrines of Russia. From the first chapter, you will learn about the history of the veneration of holy springs and the unprecedented persecution of them during the Soviet era. The second and third chapters tell about the most famous sources of Russia - those associated with the apparitions of the Mother of God or with the names of great saints. The holy wells will be discussed in the fourth chapter, in the fifth - about the holy springs. The sixth chapter is devoted to the holy water of the lakes.
Chapter 1
Holy springs: a history of veneration and persecution
Consecrated water has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it.St. Dimitry Khersonsky
Water... Without it, a person is doomed to death. It is no coincidence that many peoples already in ancient times developed special cults associated with wells, streams, and rivers. The pagans worshiped the "spirits of the springs." The Egyptians revered the Nile sacred, the Hindus the Ganges, the Germans the Rhine. The deity of water was one of the main in pagan religions. He had to be appeased by sacrifices, and then the deity provided moisture to the crops and did not destroy the livestock, and when people had to trust their fate to water, they safely let them go to land.
So it was everywhere - among the Assyrians and Persians, among the Chinese and American Indians. Only one people will not find such an attitude towards water, only one people did not pray to the spirits of the springs, and, oddly enough, it was among them that there were people who were given power over the capricious elements.
And the children of Israel, all the congregation, came to the wilderness of Sin in the first month, and the people stopped in Kadesh ... And there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered against Moses and Aaron, and the people murmured against Moses and said: Oh, if they had died then and we, when our brothers died before the Lord! why did you bring the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, so that we and our livestock might die here? and why did you bring us out of Egypt, to bring us to this unprofitable place, where there is no sowing, no fig trees, no grapes, no pomegranates, not even water to drink?<…>And Moses took the rod from the presence of the Lord, as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the people to the rock, and he said to them: Listen, you rebellious ones, shall we bring water from this rock for you? And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod, and much water flowed out, and the congregation and his cattle drank.Yes, in Greek myths you can find a story about Poseidon, who, having hit the ground with a trident, brought out a source from under it. But Poseidon was revered by the Greeks as a god, but Moses was not. Never before have people attributed power over the water element to a mortal! The Old Testament tells how the rod of the prophet, which hit the river, made it undrinkable, and the hand of Moses, stretched out over the sea, made the waves part...(Numbers 20:1-11).
And yet, a curious detail catches the eye: in the days of the Old Testament, there were almost no springs whose water would give healing. The Bible mentions only one such source - the Sheep Font. However, over the centuries after the birth of Christ, hundreds and even thousands of holy springs became famous! A huge number of miracles happened from their waters, many people received healing ... But there is no riddle here. These miracles became possible after the coming of Christ. God came to earth, God became man. God was baptized in the waters of an earthly river.
In those days, John the Baptist comes and preaches in the wilderness of Judea... And they were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins... Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to John - to be baptized by him. John held Him back and said: I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to him, Leave it now; for thus it behooves us to fulfill all righteousness... And having been baptized, Jesus immediately went up out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and descending on himThe baptism of Christ sanctified the very nature of water. On the day when Jesus of Nazareth stepped into the waters of the Jordan River, a great miracle happened. And this miracle has been going on for almost two thousand years. It manifests itself, for example, in the fact that the water that is consecrated in the church does not deteriorate, it stays for years and even decades. This water has amazing properties, helps in various ailments and diseases. Even those who are far from faith in God know this, it is no accident that on the feast of Epiphany (January 19) churches are overflowing with people, people stand in long queues for holy water. Not a man, not a priest sanctifies the water on this day - it is sanctified by the Lord Himself. That is why at midnight on Epiphany you can draw water from a river, from a lake, from a well, from any source - and it will have the properties of holy water.(Matthew 3:1-16).
God gave the Jews water through the prayer of Moses. As we have already seen, after the advent of Christ into the world, many received the gift of opening springs and controlling the streams of water. Here are two more examples from our Orthodox history.
XVI century. Saint Alexander of Svir (+ 1533), at the request of the brethren, decides to build a mill. To do this, you need to dig a channel from the upper lake to the lower one. (The latter was from the monastery at a distance of "two flights of arrows".) During the work, suddenly the water rushes down with a huge noise, right on the monastery. Monks in horror await the flooding and destruction of the monastery. But Saint Alexander, kneeling down and calling to God, depicts a cross against the aspiration of water. Immediately its flow stops.
XIX century. Reverend Herman of Alaska († 1837) stops the flood at the request of the Aleutian Indians. He places the icon on the shore, having determined the limit through which the water should not pass, and rises to pray. And the water does not reach the sacred boundary.
The English writer Clive Staples Lewis wrote: “There is one religion in the world, at least the only one I know of, with which one thing cannot be done. For example, miracles attributed to Gautama Buddha can be removed from Buddhism and nothing is lost. By the way, these miracles are described in later Buddhist texts, but before they were not mentioned, which did not interfere with the practice of Buddhism. In the same way, in Islam, in essence, nothing will change if you remove miracles from it. On the contrary, the image of a prophet who convinces people with just one word would only benefit from this. But all this cannot be done with Christianity, because Christian history is the history of a great miracle.”
It's hard to say better. Yes, our history is “the history of a great miracle.” There are many languages in the world and many religions and beliefs. And yet, no country and no people can present as many wondrous miracles as there are to this day among Christians. Where else have people been healed near the remains of the dead? Where simple images on a canvas or a board did not burn in fire, appeared in the air, exuded myrrh? And where did a person stop the flood and bring springs of healing water out of the ground? And where else was there a spring that gave people as many miraculous healings as the Life-Giving Spring near Constantinople?
Sheep Font and Life-Giving Spring
These two sources are probably the most famous in the history of mankind. One of them refers to the times of the Old Testament, the other to the period of the New.
The Apostle John the Theologian tells about the miraculous source in the Gospel.
There is a pool in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate, called in Hebrew Bethesda (House of Mercy), in which there were five covered passages: in them lay a great multitude of sick, blind, lame, withered, waiting for the movement of water; for the angel of the Lord went down from time to time into the pool and disturbed the water, and whoever first entered it after the disturbance of the water, he recovered, no matter what disease he was possessed. There was a man here who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus, seeing him lying down and learning that he had been lying for a long time, said to him: Do you want to be well? The patient answered him: so, Lord; but I have no man to lower me into the pool when the waters are troubled; but when I arrive, another is already descending before me. Jesus tells him to get up, take up your bed and walk. And he immediately recovered, and took up his bed, and wentFor thirty-eight years this man lay in the dirty passages of the pool at the Sheep Gate and could not wait for his turn to be healed, and Jesus made him well, saying only "get up and walk." How the human race suffered before Christ, what meager gifts grace was manifested in the Old Testament times (“The angel of the Lord went down to the pool at times”), and how easily people received its gifts after His coming!(John 5:2-9).
Let's move on to another source - the New Testament. We will see a spacious temple with four porticoes, with a dome "beautiful as the sky and shining like fire." The vault of the temple is decorated with gold, the walls are lined with mosaics. The light entering the temple through the vaulted windows is reflected by the vaults and walls and illuminates it entirely. Inside the dome, the miracles of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary are depicted, and in the very middle of it, the Life-Giving Spring and the Mother of God with the Eternal Child in her arms are depicted. The face of the Mother of God, facing the water, is reflected in the source itself, as in a mirror. This source is in the middle of the temple. Twenty-five steps lead to it; a beautiful marble lattice prevents those who go down from falling. At the top of the spring, a depression is made in the marble, into which water flows. Through the wells, it rushes into a magnificent marble pool. At the altar there is a stone bowl, from where people scoop life-giving moisture with a ladle ... This is the Church of the Life-Giving Spring in Balaklia, in the vicinity of Constantinople. Its miraculous spring has truly been an inexhaustible source of miracles of the grace of God for many centuries. And everyone who went to it daily - first, second or even last - received healing according to their faith.
The history of the temple goes back to the first centuries. Once in those parts there was a place dedicated to the Mother of God, surrounded by cypresses and plane trees. In the middle of it was a spring, from the water of which many miracles were performed. But there was no temple in this place for a long time; Gradually, the source became clogged, and the place died out from bushes and accumulated mud, which prevented the flow of water.
Tradition says that in 450 a Roman soldier named Leo passed through here. He saw a blind man wandering in impassable places. A feeling of compassion forced him to give the unfortunate hand and lead him onto the path, but the blind man was exhausted from fatigue, heat and unbearable thirst and could not stand on his feet. The warrior put him under a tree, and he went in search of water for the blind man. For a long time he was looking for at least some source, but did not find it, and suddenly he heard a voice: “Do not bother, Leo, look for water far away: it is near you.” Frightened by the wonderful voice, he began to look around the place to find the indicated water. She wasn't there. And again a voice was heard: “Lion King, enter this dense grove, take water and quench the thirst of the afflicted, and anoint his eyes with mud from the source. You have to build a temple on this site, and I will heed the prayers of those who come here and submit all petitions. In the grove, Lion really found a spring and, taking water and mud from it, hastily found a blind man. Born blind, having anointed his eyes with slime, he received his sight and went to the city without a guide, glorifying the Mother of God.
After Markian, Leo Makellus was elevated to the Byzantine throne and became Emperor Leo I. He ordered to clean the miraculous spring and erected on it a temple in the name of the Mother of God, calling it the temple of the Life-Giving Spring. According to the surviving testimonies, healings from inflammations, fractures, dumbness and deafness, cancer, leprosy, paralysis took place in the source. There were cases when dead people, washed with the holy water of the spring, were resurrected...
A hundred years after the founding of the Temple of the Life-Giving Spring, Emperor Justinian received healing. He suffered severely from a stone disease, but the Mother of God, appearing to him in a night vision, sent him to Her source. Healed, he decorated the temple even more and founded a monastic monastery here.
Several centuries later, Emperor Leo the Wise revived the ancient temple in all its splendor and established a celebration Updates of the Temple of the Life-Giving Spring. The miracles that took place here were so numerous that the Orthodox Church, even in ancient times, established on Friday of Bright Week to celebrate in honor of the Mother of God - in remembrance of the healings performed at Her Life-Giving Spring.
But about a thousand years have passed since the appearance of the Mother of God at the source. In 1453, Byzantium fell under the blows of the Turks. The Temple, which had witnessed many great miracles, was razed to the ground. His treasures went to the decoration of the Sultan's mosque. Under the ground and debris, the very foundation of the temple disappeared. The blooming neighborhood of the Life-Giving Spring turned into the valley of death - into the cemetery of Muslims. The source itself almost died out under a pile of stones, Turkish sentries did not let Christians through to it.
Gradually, the severity of this prohibition disappeared, and the Greeks were allowed to build a small church here. The pilgrimage resumed, miraculous healings began to happen again, even among the Gentiles. But in 1821 the church was destroyed, and the source was covered up. And once again the Christians raked the ruins and cleared the source. Later, a board was found here, half-decayed from dampness and time, with a record of ten miraculous healings that occurred from 1824 to 1829.
But other times have come. Under the patronage of the Russian Empire, the Greeks began to free themselves from Turkish slavery. During the reign of Sultan Mahmud, the Orthodox got the opportunity to perform services. For the third time they erected the Temple of the Life-Giving Spring, and again water flowed over the marble slabs. In 1835, the Ecumenical Patriarch consecrated the church, which stands to this day, with a confluence of a huge number of people. A hospital and an almshouse were built nearby. It is impossible to list all the miracles. They are performed to this day, and healing is received not only by the Orthodox, but also by Catholics, Gregorians, and Turks. Muslims in these places especially revere the Mother of God - "great among women, Holy Mary" and the temple itself, the water from which they call "the water of St. Mary."
Veneration of sources in Russia
“Oh, bright and beautifully decorated Russian land! You are glorified by many beauties: many lakes, rivers and local sources! .. "- this is how the famous “Word about the destruction of the Russian land” begins. The springs here are in the first row of the beauties of Russia, they are spoken of in their abundance and reverence. Of course, in pagan times, the Slavs, like other peoples, worshiped the sources. But then faith in idols was replaced by Christianity, Russia from pagan gradually became St. Already in the first centuries after the Baptism of Russia, holy images of the Mother of God began to be acquired - often in difficult places, forests, swamps, often - above the sources. Thus, the veneration of the Mother of God, Her icons, was inextricably part of the life of the people, along with the veneration of Her holy springs.
Zhirovitskaya icon
... In the first half of the XII century, the sovereign prince Simeon lived in the city of Mstislavl. Suddenly, the prince was struck by blindness. Simeon prayed a lot for healing from an illness and one night he saw in a dream a certain source. The prince recognized the places shown to him in a dream vision, and in the morning he ordered to be taken there. He was brought to the source; the prince washed his eyes with water from it and received his sight. Raising his head, he noticed an icon in the foliage of a shady linden tree growing over a spring. Thus, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Pustynskaya was found, which for many centuries was the main shrine of the Pustynsky Assumption Monastery.
... In 1191, an icon appeared in the town of Zhirovitsy, not far from the city of Slonim. She was found standing on a pear tree by the shepherds of the Lithuanian nobleman Alexander Soltan. The tree grew above the source. Soltan built a temple on the site of the apparition, and later the Assumption Monastery arose here. For many centuries, pilgrims who came to the monastery to bow to the miraculous Zhirovitskaya icon stocked water from a miraculous source for many centuries in a row.
... In 1295, a resident of the city of Rylsk was hunting along the banks of the Tuskara River and suddenly saw an icon in the forest at the root of a tree. He picked it up, and at the same moment a spring gushed out of the ground. A chapel was erected at the place where the miraculous image was found, then a monastery was built in its place, and under the mountain, near the river, the Church of the Life-Giving Spring was erected.
Healing springs were found in Russia in later times.
... At the beginning of the 19th century, the icon of the Mother of God "Appeared" was discovered in the Tambov diocese. The peasant found her in a dense forest, in a tract called Lepyagi, on a tree, from under the roots of which a spring flowed. Subsequently, Dimitrievsky Troekurovsky Monastery was placed here. A special well was built at the site of the apparition, from which the pilgrims drew healing water.
In addition to the Mother of God, other sources were also venerated in Russia: the icons of saints that arose or already existed at the site of the appearance of the icons of saints (for example, Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, St. Nicholas); brought out of the ground by the saints; received grace-filled power through the prayers of the clergy of the Church. Worship of the springs was included in the annual circle of the church calendar. Processions to the springs and prayers for the blessing of water were very fond of the people. The days when the blessing of water is performed were January 5/18 (Epiphany Eve), January 6/19 (Holy Theophany), Friday of Bright Week (the celebration of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-giving Spring"), mid-Pentecost (Wednesday of the fourth week after Easter), 1 /August 14 (Origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord). In addition, in many parishes, the custom arose to perform water blessing on the days of temple holidays or on the days of memory of especially revered saints, for example, the prophet Elijah (July 20 / August 2), Panteleimon the Healer (July 27 / August 9), Nicholas the Wonderworker (May 9 / 22 , December 6/19), Paraskeva Fridays (October 28 / November 10), Basil the Great (January 1/14), Seraphim of Sarov (January 2/15, July 19 / August 1).
Chapels and temples were placed over especially revered springs. Inexplicable, instantaneous healings of people in the springs convinced them that the grace of these shrines is by no means imaginary. The latter was also confirmed by the fact that the possessed near the holy springs began to rage in exactly the same way as in churches, near holy relics and icons. It often happened that during bathing, the demon, unable to withstand the holiness of the waters of the ancient spring, left the body of the possessed, and the person was healed ...
Icons and temples of the Life-Giving Spring
The miraculous events in Balaklia inspired icon painters to create a special image. This is how the icon “Life-Giving Spring” appeared.
Of the Russian icons of this type, the image of Simon Ushakov is the most famous. The famous icon painter created his "Life-Giving Spring with Miracles" in 1688. In sixteen hallmarks, he depicted the miracles that took place from the source. Before the revolution, the miraculous and locally venerated icons of the "Life-Giving Spring" were in the Sarov Hermitage of the Tambov diocese, in the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, in the Akatov Alekseevsky Monastery in Voronezh.
Of the temples, the cathedral of the Sarov Desert was the most famous. At the beginning of the 18th century, Elder Isaac came here. He brought with him the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring". On April 28, 1706, Isaac founded the church, and fifty days later it was ready for consecration. Subsequently, a stone cathedral was erected on the site of the wooden one. The Winter Church of the Life-Giving Spring of the Most Holy Theotokos occupied a central place in the monastery and was the main beauty of Sarov. S. V. Bulgakov wrote in 1913: “Among the temples of the monastery, first of all, the wonderful five-domed temple of the Life-Giving Spring attracts attention. It is very beautiful both outside and inside. The altar is separated from the temple by a carved gilded iconostasis with columns. Behind the kliros are the same carved and gilded icon cases in which icons are placed: behind the right kliros is the icon of the Life-Giving Source of the Mother of God, which, according to legend, was brought by the first founders of the hermitage, in front of which Father Seraphim often prayed and from which many received healing, praying before her on the advice of the Monk Seraphim; behind the left - the Assumption of the Mother of God. The huge dome, in which the Holy Trinity and the Cathedral of All Saints are written, rests on 4 pillars, 2 of which are in the temple, and the other 2 are in the altar, behind the iconostasis.
Another famous Church of the Life-Giving Spring was erected in the Tikhonov Hermitage near Kaluga. The beautiful temple of the Life-Giving Spring (wooden, in the Byzantine style) was built in 1887 over the well of St. Tikhon. The Church of the Life-Giving Spring adorned the Root Nativity of the Mother of God hermitage near Kursk. Even on Solovki there was a temple of the Life-Giving Spring. He stood in the Philippovskaya monastery, two versts from the Solovetsky Transfiguration Monastery.
Muslim Turks were among the first to persecute Orthodox shrines. They destroyed the temple of the Life-Giving Spring near Constantinople and tried to destroy the spring itself. Something similar, only on an incomparably larger scale, Russia experienced already in the 20th century. The sources then shared the fate of temples, holy relics and icons, they became the object of persecution and abuse.
The first wave of persecution of holy springs
Already the first years of Soviet power were marked by persecution of the Church. The relics of saints and icons were confiscated or destroyed. The holy springs were a little more fortunate - it was impossible to requisition them and place them in a museum, and their destruction required effort and expense. Sometimes the Bolsheviks were content with destroying churches and chapels with baths; the springs continued to make their way to people and give them their living water. However, it happened differently.
Before the revolution, pilgrims heading to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra often stopped at Intercession Monastery in Khotkovo- bow to the relics of Saints Cyril and Mary, parents of Sergius of Radonezh, and quench your thirst from the deep wells of the monastery. In the early 1930s, the monastery was closed, marble from the cathedrals was used to decorate the Komsomolskaya station of the Moscow Metro. The Bolsheviks collected church utensils and threw them into wells, and the wells themselves were covered up and laid with cement slabs.
AT Alexander Svirsky Monastery For many centuries, near Lodeynoye Pole, a well was famous, dug up once by the Monk Alexander himself. The water in it was healing, a stone chapel stood above the well. And so the blasphemers set up a gas station in it, for many years they filled everything around with gasoline and diesel fuel. The very ground within a radius of several meters from the chapel was poisoned.
Near Novgorod there was once a famous Nativity Monastery(Peredki village). Once the monks discovered a spring with very clear water under the cathedral, and the icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" floated in it. There were many miracles both from the icon and from the source. In 1935, the communists closed the stone church (the icon has disappeared since then), and the holy spring was covered up.
The most famous spring in Russia at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries was source of St. Seraphim(Tambov province). Here, in the nearby hermitage of St. Seraphim, a huge number of miraculous healings took place. Many famous people bathed in the spring. The sovereign Nikolai Alexandrovich himself with his wife Alexandra Feodorovna took a bath in the waters of the holy spring. It is not surprising that the Bolsheviks demolished all the buildings on the hermitage of the reverend, and the springs were thoroughly filled with concrete. After that, the water, finding no way out, went deeper, the Sarovka and Satis rivers became very shallow.
Second wave of persecution
The most terrible acts of vandalism against Orthodox shrines were undertaken in the 1930s. During the Great Patriotic War and after it, there was no longer enough time and energy to destroy temples: it was necessary to defend the country, and then restore it from ruins. And in the late 50s, the Soviet government began to reap the fruits of the great war, during which there was a mass return of Russian people to God. “Strengthening scientific-atheistic work” did not bring the desired effect, and the screws had to be tightened again. But very soon they realized that the biggest problem of the God-fighting authorities was not a few hundred operating churches, but millions of Orthodox throughout the country. Special commissioners sent reports from the most remote places of the Union, and the result of these reports was disappointing - people lived according to the customs of the Orthodox Church: they celebrated holidays, made religious processions, and prayed near the walls of destroyed churches. There were also unpleasant surprises for the communists. It turned out, for example, that in the Novgorod region there are many holy springs, highly revered and visited by the people.
Epiphany is one of the most beloved church winter holidays. Since ancient times, people have attached special importance to it, also because on this day you can get rid of physical and spiritual ailments. Especially, people revere Epiphany water, because on this great holiday all the water becomes healing. Not in vain, on Epiphany, many people plunge into the hole in order to improve their health and feel a surge of vigor. However, you can go to the temple for holy water, which gives strength to the spirit and body, at any time, not only in winter. So the springs can be reached at any time of the year.
One of these places is source of Sergius of Radonezh, near Sergiev Posad. It is believed that the source helps to heal people with cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
Also, the Moscow region can be proud of another healing source of St. Sergius. There is a source in Borisovo, next to Pavlov Posad. Water from these places helps relieve fatigue and heals wounds.
In the Ivanovo region, not far from Pestyakov, there is a well-known " spring ring". It represents dozens of sources with a wide variety of healing and beneficial properties. Each of them has its own specific and peculiar taste, helps with various ailments of the body and soul. However, you can come to the "Spring Ring" not only for recovery, but simply to have a good rest and admire the beauty of nature. Especially good in these places in the summer.
The next amazing healing spring is located in the Moscow region in the village of Talezh. Therapeutic spring of saint david and a font in which you can bathe, have made this region a place of pilgrimage for people with various diseases, especially with problems of the stomach and intestines. In Talezh, next to the source, there is a whole complex in which visitors who come to recover in a holy place live. Many travel hundreds of thousands of kilometers just to take home healing water, because it has special features and can not deteriorate for more than a month.
The unique place is the holy source of Panteleimon the healer in the village of Removka, Donetsk region. The fame of the source grows from year to year, attracting more and more pilgrims to its healing waters. The spring water is rich in minerals and silver. Scientists took samples and came to the conclusion that this water is incredibly useful. The taste of the source of the healer Panteleimon is inimitable, Peter I himself could once appreciate it.
The sources of the Leningrad region have unusual healing properties. One of these places is the village of Tervenichi. In it, at the convent, there is a spring that can heal people suffering from asthma and allergies.
Another holy place in the Leningrad region is the monastery of Alexander Svirsky. People come here mainly with diseases of the joints and problems of the musculoskeletal system.
In the Perm region in the Verkhne-Chusovskie towns there is a source that heals from mental pain, anxiety and sadness. Holy water will help heal spiritual wounds from unrequited love, the loss of a loved one, and many other spiritual torments.
There are places in Russia that literally breathe holy power and a healing spirit. In such areas, a person feels freer, lighter, and even those who consider themselves unbelievers recognize the pacifying properties of such places. Despite the fact that the virgin lands and territories are attacked by technological progress, and the wild nature is giving way to fields and gardens, the spirit of such places does not age and even after years they will retain their healing properties.
Rational view of the question
Orthodox holy places seem to many to be archaic, a relic of the past and are not recognized as healing places among the general public, including young people. It is worth noting that, first of all, such protected areas are good for their own microclimate, which has developed over several centuries of careful attitude to nature. In addition, a tour of the holy places of Russia is interesting in itself, as it allows you to learn much more about the history of your own country.
So, for example, it includes several largest monasteries, which are an example of the lost skill of artists and sculptors of the past. Treatment with beauty and peace has the same positive effect on the human body and consciousness as therapy, so you should not neglect the opportunity to combine a historical tour with a visit to protected places and springs, at least immediately and categorically.
Monastery of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra
This monastery belongs to the category of not just old, but centuries-old. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra remembers the formation of Peter the Great, the monks of this monastery blessed Dmitry Donskoy for the coming battle, the holy brothers stood at the embrasures along with the soldiers, protecting the temple from the invasion of the Poles. In these places, all the buildings breathe history, and the tour allows you to visit all the buildings of the temple complex, including the cells and the refectory.
The monastery is located in the suburbs, on the Konchura River in the very center of the city of Sergiev Posad. The city belongs to the category of small, but rich in history, it is pleasant to wander along its streets, thinking about the sublime. The monastery itself is considered the oldest in the Russian Federation and heals human souls.
Relics of the Matrona of Moscow
Holy Great Martyr Matrona are in Intercession Stauropegial Convent, which, along with the Lavra, has earned worldwide recognition. Russians from Moscow and the Moscow region know that Matrona will not refuse help, help to cope with the disease and bless for new achievements. The petitioners stand for healing from diseases, help in ensuring a successful pregnancy and admonishing negligent youths.
As for the rest, the Orthodox believe that the patron saint is able to cure such ailments:
Among the truly holy places where a person feels better and is able to know unity with the holy spirit, the relics of Matrona occupy one of the leading and leading places in the entire CIS. A tour of the monastery is also interesting because of the ancient architecture and the life of the nuns, which has been preserved for centuries without changes.
Source of Seraphim of Sarov in Diveevo
It is considered one of the most healing places in all of Russia. Those who have lost faith in themselves, have no housing and suffer from illnesses make pilgrimages here. The monastery also accepts women who hope to become pregnant and hope for God's help. As the holy brothers say, the saint does not refuse to help all those who are faithful to the commandments of God and keep His word.
Gives intercession to all believers, the waters of its source are able to save from such misfortunes:
The source is clean, the water from it is incredibly tasty, it has healing properties outside the monastery. The waters of the Sarov spring strengthen health, help to cope with diseases of the joints and muscle tissues. The holy brothers are ready to help those who participate in the pilgrimage by staying at a monastery or a hotel nearby. A tour of these places offers the most beautiful views, as the nature around the monastery is truly virgin and magnificent.
Spring of St. Sergius of Radonezh
The source of Sergius of Radonezh is located in the village of Vzglyadnevo, Sergiev Posad district of the Moscow region. The monk is the intercessor of Russia, the shield of believers from misfortunes in the form of evil tongues and enemies. The waters of the spring, named after the saint, are healing both for the body and for the soul. Pilgrimage is made here in search of intercession from slander and intrigues, including curses and the evil eye.
Known for his intercession over the sick, the waters of his source give deliverance to all who suffer, especially for such diseases:
A tour of the "Raspberries", as the source is called by local Orthodox, involves not only visiting the holy place itself, but also the nearby forests, which have retained their former beauty and healing spirit. This Orthodox holy place is unique in its nature, as it allows you to touch the holy spirit and feel its response outside the walls of the monastery or temple.
Spring ring in the Ivanovo region
The spring was named in honor of St. Alexander Nevsky. There are confirmed precedents when the source saved people from all sorts of ailments and misfortunes, helped to heal the soul and body. Near the spring ring there is a temple, which contains the relics of the saint himself. The tour, which includes a visit to the source and the monastery, takes place in the Ivanovo region, here, to the attention of pilgrims, there is wonderful nature and an example of ancient architecture, since the temple was built in ancient times.
Those who make pilgrimages to these holy places count on the help of the saint in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. You can swim in the waters of the spring, admission is free. Many of the Orthodox who entered the waters of the spring take with them T-shirts and shirts in which they bathed.
City of Kirillov
It is difficult to find this holy place, as the city is located among the lakes of the Vologda region and is hidden from the eyes of the curious by dense forests and impassable paths. Kirillov is, according to many Orthodox, the spiritual center in the north of Russia. Located in the city Kirillo-Belozersky monastery, which has earned the status of the largest monastery in Europe.
The monastery is rich in antiquity and examples of architectural craftsmanship of the past. The monastery is rich not only in history, here you can touch many eminent icons, see how the holy brothers live. There is no tour as such in the dungeons of the monastery, but you can come here on your own. Those who keep the word of God are always welcome in the monastery.
The Sverdlovsk region of Russia is rich in springs and holy places with a long history. One such place is , which is considered one of the best near the Urals. Every person in that area has heard about the many precedents for the healing of parishioners and Orthodox from all sorts of ailments and misfortunes.
The spring waters are famous for helping to get rid of problems with the musculoskeletal system and contribute to the speedy healing of wounds. Many residents of the Sverdlovsk region, Yekaterinburg and tourists from the Urals come here alone or with their children. People make pilgrimages here in search of spiritual knowledge and healing of the soul. As for the monastery, which is located next to the source, it is just a small church, which many Orthodox believe is more of a plus than a minus, since it makes it possible to enjoy virgin nature and achieve unity with thoughts.
True believers and Orthodox people of Russia have heard a lot about Solovki, this almost mythological holy place is known for its own internal culture, beautiful nature and clean, healing air. The holy monastery is located on the Solovetsky archipelago, which is located in the middle of the White Sea. These places literally breathe history, since the archipelago has been considered one of the most sacred places on the map of Russia since ancient times.
In ancient times, there were many temples here, pagan rites were held. Later, a temple and a complex around it grew on the archipelago. Later, a small settlement appeared and the monastery began to grow. The waters of the White Sea are healing in themselves, as they are rich in iodine. Those who make a pilgrimage to the complex expect a speedy recovery from diseases of the musculoskeletal system and muscle tissues. Now such a pilgrimage is considered one of the most serious, since the complex is quite far from civilization and the path to it runs through the wild.
Verkhoturye and patron of the Urals
Verkhoturye remains one of the few poorly popular places in modern Russia because it is not famous. Meanwhile, it was here that miracle worker Simeon of Verkhoturye, whose relics come to bow from all over the Urals. He is considered the protector of this region and helps the local Orthodox spiritual and healing touch.
In 1913 appeared on Verkhoturye the third largest cathedral in Russia, called the Exaltation of the Cross. The relics of the wonderworker are kept in the temple complex, there is a belief that the spiritual father protects Verkhoturye even after his death, and grants healing from diseases to all the righteous.
Church of St. Nicholas on the Three Mountains
St Nicholas belongs to the category of the most beloved saints among the Orthodox people of Russia. This intercessor is approached for a variety of requests, from a little help in everyday life, to curing diseases and even helping the disabled. The temple belongs to the category of relatively young, but is interesting as an example of architecture. Pilgrimage to the saint takes place daily.
As for the nature surrounding the temple, a tour to this place can be called picturesque. The location of the monastery allows you to look around the open spaces around the hill. A good view is also complemented by healthy air.
Holy Vedenskaya Optina Hermitage
The origin of this temple complex remains unknown. The monastery is located near the town of Kozelsk and belongs to the category of one of the oldest in Russia. Historians admit that the monastery was built by parishioners, illuminated by the holiness of the spirit. Now the complex is a small town that lives on its own.
A tour to this holy place provides an opportunity to get to know the unique life of the monks, and those who make a pilgrimage to the temple believe that grace, peace and tranquility will descend on them here. The monastery remains one of the most remote from civilization, so the trip here should take place with appropriate preparation.
Valaam archipelago
A tour of the holy places of Russia should end in the most remote regions of the state. The archipelago is located in South Karelia, its population does not exceed several hundred monks, fishermen and foresters, who, however, do not enter the temple and practically do not have contact with the clergy. The pilgrimage to Valaam is made primarily for the sake of themselves and their appeasement. This temple complex is large and covers several islands at once. It is beautiful on its own, but together with the beautiful and wild nature of South Karelia, it is simply magnificent.
The monks of Valaam live in isolation, but will readily accept pilgrims traveling in the name of God. The complex is interesting as an example of architecture, in particular, attention should be paid to the prayer cathedral. You can stop in local villages where fishermen and hunters live. The archipelago is also rich in game, here you can come across wild animals, which for many pilgrims is both happiness and a reason for fear, because the beast remains unafraid. For such a journey, you should also prepare as carefully as possible.
The holy places of Russia, healing people, are scattered throughout the country. Seeing them all is a feat in itself, for few are prepared for the long journey of hardship and self-denial. But even if you come to one or two such places, you can fully feel the power of the holy spirit and come to grace, a healthy body and strong faith.
Vaalam archipelago
The world is full of secrets and mysteries, one of them is the miraculous deliverance from diseases and ailments through prayer in holy places. Therefore, strings of suffering people or simply curious tourists are drawn to unusual places, monasteries, closer to holy springs, in order to strengthen or gain faith in a miracle, cleanse the soul, and improve health.
The territory of the Russian Federation is not an exception, but a confirmation of this rule. There are hundreds of natural springs and thousands of man-made shrines with miraculous power.
The expanses of the country with centuries-old traditions of ancient beliefs closely intertwined with Christianity are filled with strong energy emanating from mother earth in the form of pure springs, stone ledges, mountains.
Connecting with the light of heaven and human prayer, it acquires life-giving power.
Holy places exuding positive power are:
- Sources (Rattler, St. David);
- Deserts (Root Nativity-Bogorodichnaya deserts, Optina deserts, Xenofontova, Mikhailo-Afonskaya Zakubanskaya);
- Men's and women's monasteries (Cosmo-Damianovsky in the Crimea, Valaamsky, Alexander-Svirsky, Antoniev-Siysky, Achairsky and others);
- Graves (Hieromonk Mardarius, Holy Father Nikolai Guryanov);
- Hermitages, caves (St. George);
- Lakes, mountains (Irgen, Pyukhtitsa)
- Churches, temples, laurels.
Most of the temples and monasteries built at different times appeared where the faces of saints appeared or unusual appearances of icons, crosses occurred, holy springs began to gush. So, the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Malinniki was built on the site of the miraculous appearance of an icon with the image of a holy elder. The image was found in a haystack.
The Chapel of the Assumption of the Mother of God was erected at the foot of the Crane Mountain. According to legend, four centuries ago, the appearance of the Virgin Mary took place here, which showed people a healing source.
The overwhelming majority are Orthodox holy places. Their origin stories are associated with the names of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the apostles or martyrs, church ministers, holy ascetics. In the lists of guidebooks, prayerful cloisters of monks are often noted, places of spiritual exploits, which are strengthened by many hours of prayer vigils.
Visiting holy springs and monasteries occurs for several reasons, the main ones are:
- spiritual enrichment, familiarization with the origins of faith;
- hope for physical and mental healing;
- acquaintance with Russian shrines.
Organizational services are provided by 88 pilgrimage services that operate at dioceses, monasteries, 29 public organizations, more than 80 hotels and houses that receive pilgrims. There is also a myriad of travel agencies that can create comfortable conditions and provide a rich program of excursions to holy places.
Travelers before the trip should study the complexity and range of routes in order to calculate their strength. One must be prepared for long journeys, foot crossings, Spartan living conditions, many hours of services and sermons. You will need to follow some rules of conduct and at least minimal theoretical training.
The most popular pilgrimage destinations were and still are: Solovki, Valaam, Optina Pustyn, Lavra of Sergius of Radonezh, churches of Rostov the Great, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Suzdal, Uglich.
Over the centuries of existence, new shrines arose around the ancient places of worship, gradually growing into complexes.
For example, the Trinity Cathedral of the beginning of the 15th century is considered the center of the Lavra, a century later (1585), at the behest of Ivan the Terrible, the Assumption Cathedral was erected, later supplemented by the tomb of the family of Boris Godunov.
The surroundings are famous for the Bogolyubsky, Paraklitovsky, Chernigov-Gefsemane sketes and the Bethana monastery of the 18th - 19th centuries.
Pilgrims honor the island of Valaam with its Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, the origins of which date back to the 10th century. There are also little-known areas that have an individual purpose.
It's important to know! It is better to plan a pilgrimage tour through the territory of Russia in advance, taking into account the peculiarities of the climate, the possibility of transporting sick people, their accommodation and food.
Moscow and Moscow region
This region has the largest number of man-made shrines and healing springs. The capital and the suburban area is located at the junction of a large earth fault, so there are many so-called geopathic zones with powerful energy charges.
Religious buildings were built on the territories of outlets of positive earthly energies.
Significant and eventful will be the pilgrimage to the city of Dmitrov with its large and small churches.
Worthy of attention is the temple complex in Sergiev Posad. Zaraysk, Zvenigorod, Volokolamsk, Kolomna, Klin stand out with Christian domes.
The Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery arouses interest among believers, which is famous for its healing power, thanks to ascetic monks and a wonderful source that gives peace of mind and drives away diseases of the body and spirit. This is the favorite abode of the royal family of John IV.
Each monastery must have holy springs with baths and specially equipped places for collecting holy healing water. There are more than 30 holy springs in Moscow and its environs.
The well-known and revered source "Cold" is located in Teply Stan. It is convenient to get to it from the Konkovo metro station. Drink water on an empty stomach at sunrise. It cures diseases of the kidneys and liver, headache, strengthens the immune system.
Gremyachiy spring - the source of Sergius of Radonezh, according to legend, made its way from the bowels of the place where the venerable elder prayed for the unification of the Russian people. The water temperature is always +4 °, the stream falls from a height of 35 meters into 3 jets, named after the saints Faith, Hope and Love.
Many believe that the first of the jets helps the heart, the second - to the female organs (gives the joy of motherhood), and the third drives away ailments from the head. In fact, all the water from the spring is the same. Experts examined the composition of the liquid in the laboratory and classified the water as conditionally drinking, since the radon contained in it exceeds the established norms, and an overdose of this substance is not desirable for the body.
Informative! What is a report from and how to get it
There are places in Russia for healing ailments and holy springs in many remote areas, in the Ural Mountains, Siberia, the Volga region and even in Kamchatka.
Ural and Sverdlovsk region
The city of Alapaevsk has become significant for the believing Christians of the Sverdlovsk region, where several revered objects are located:
- convent of Princess Elizabeth Romanova with a miraculous mine;
- Monastery of the New Martyrs of Russia;
- Holy Trinity Cathedral and Church of the Holy Martyr. Euphrosyne.
It is worth visiting Verkhoturovye with its St. Nicholas Monastery, where the relics of Simeon Verkhoturovsky, an elder, are kept, to whom prayers are addressed for physical and spiritual health, peace of mind. There is also a newly opened Intercession Convent, where the icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" is kept and the relics of the holy fool Christ for the sake of Cosmas are buried.
The city of Yekaterinburg with its cathedrals and the Church on the Blood, built in honor of the murdered members of the family of Emperor Nicholas, can worthily head the list of Ural shrines.
In the Urals, the temple in Verkhoturye and another one on the very bank of the Tura River stand out for their beauty, magnificent decoration and extraordinary energy. The village of Merkushino is famous for its miracles, the birthplace and place of residence of Simeon of Verkhoturye, a holy righteous man who helps people. His relics, buried near the church, 50 years after the burial began to rise from the ground, exuding fragrance and healing people.
Interesting! To whom and to find a good and profitable job
Within the walls of the Middle Ural convent, one can not only take a break from the hustle and bustle, but also forget about ailments forever, being healed with the water of sacred springs and the prayer word of the abbot. No wonder a children's rehabilitation center was built on this land.
The sources of the Taraskovo village will relieve diseases, heal wounds, and stop bleeding. For the first time, their abilities were noticed by the inhabitants after the treatment of animals that drank this water. Another miracle of the Ural Mountains is the source of Platonides, enriched with natural radon. His fame has long crossed the borders of the country, and the origin is overgrown with legends.
Ignatius Cave is the oldest temple-sanctuary with rock paintings dating back 14,000 years. In the 19th century, the holy righteous Ignatius settled here, healing people. The cave is located on the right bank of the Sim River, near the village of Serpievka.
Other holy springs
The holy springs of Russia, the life-giving power of water, its invaluable grace surprise people everywhere, and especially in places where life-giving moisture is combined with a bright thought and word of prayer - in monasteries.
In addition to the springs described above, it is necessary to single out another source in the Tatar ravine (Moscow region) near the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, which heals mental disorders. There are 20 keys in Kolomenskoye.
Water from a spring called Kadochka near the Church of the Ascension saved the wife of Ivan the Terrible from infertility.
The Muranovsky spring of the Pushkinsky district near the village of Gribanovo became famous for its crystal clear water. Its water is able to regenerate integumentary and epithelial tissues, which means it can heal any wounds, rejuvenate the body, giving rise to new cells. Beneficial effect on all living things. Holy water from the monastery in David's Hermitage will help the eyes, stomach, and intestines.
Holy places and monasteries that heal people are being actively developed, equipped with baths and pools. Paths are laid to distant holy springs. The only threat to underground and surface waters is the increasing impact on their condition of industrial and human waste, pollution, and depletion.
Important to remember! When traveling through the holy places of Russia, it is necessary to use the gifts of nature consciously, carefully, without causing damage to the surrounding world.
Useful video: Holy springs of Russia
Conclusion
You can preview the holy places with photos and descriptions in online guides, where you can also find information about the location, methods of travel, modes of transport, routes. There are many holy springs in Russia, they are ready to give the joy of healing to everyone in need, but it all depends on the desire of people to recover and the degree of their faith.
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