On October 8, the Orthodox Church remembers one of the most revered saints in Rus' - St. Sergius of Radonezh. A monument to this saint was even unveiled in Barnaul in September 2017. We tell you who he is and why he is so loved in Russia.

Who is Sergius of Radonezh?

Sergius of Radonezh is one of the favorite saints in Rus'. Known as a hermit and miracle worker, the founder of a number of monasteries, including the Trinity-Sergius Lavra near Moscow. He is also called the spiritual collector of the Russian people and Russian culture. Considered the patron saint of students.

When was Sergius of Radonezh born and lived?

The exact date and year of his birth are unknown. Researchers say this could have happened in 1314 or 1319.

The parents of the future saint were called Cyril and Maria. The boy was given the name Bartholomew at birth. Besides him, there were two more children in the family. The eldest is Stefan and the youngest is Peter. The family lived in the village of Varnitsy near Rostov. When Bartholomew was a teenager, his family, fleeing hunger, moved to Radonezh.

How did he become a monk?

As it is said in the life of the saint, while still a child Bartholomew “began to fast strictly and abstained from everything, on Wednesday and Friday he ate nothing, and on other days he ate bread and water; at night he often stayed awake and prayed.” His parents did not like this behavior of their son, and they made him promise that he would become a monk only after their death. And so it happened. At the age of 23, Sergius invited his brother Stefan to live in the desert. But he did not stay with his brother for long: life in the desert turned out to be too difficult, and Stefan left. Bartholomew called a certain abbot Mitrofan and took tonsure from him, calling himself Sergius, since on that day (October 7) the memory of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus was celebrated.

Soon students began to join him. Sergius forbade them to beg and introduced the rule that they all live by their own labor. During his life, Sergius founded five monasteries. The most famous is the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, as well as the Annunciation Monastery on Kirzhach, Staro-Golutvin near Kolomna, the Vysotsky Monastery, and the St. George Monastery on Klyazma.

Why is Sergius of Radonezh considered the patron saint of students?

Many miracles are associated with the name of this saint. One of the first is amazing literacy learning. Bartholomew was sent to study at the age of seven. His brothers quickly mastered reading, but Bartholomew still could not learn. The parents argued, the teacher punished, but the boy could not learn and “prayed to God with tears.”

One day, in a field, Bartholomew saw a Monk monk “an old man... handsome, like an angel” praying, told him about his misfortune and asked him to pray to God for him. After the prayer, the elder gave the boy a piece of holy prosphora and ordered him to eat it, predicting that now he would know literacy better than all his peers. And so it happened. Sergius was very educated person. He spoke several languages, read a lot and knew a lot. He passed on his knowledge to his students. And today he is considered the patron saint of students.

Is it true that the saint reconciled the Russian princes and helped win the Battle of Kulikovo?

It is believed that Sergius actually reconciled the warring princes. The life says that the saint could act on the hardest and most hardened hearts with “quiet and meek words.” It was thanks to him that by the time of the Battle of Kulikovo, almost all Russian princes had stopped fighting.

Sergius of Radonezh had the gift of foresight. He blessed Prince Dmitry for the battle with the Tatar Khan Mamai on the Kulikovo Field. When Dmitry came to him for advice, Sergius predicted victory for the Russian army. To help the prince, he released two monks - Peresvet and Oslyabya, although in those days monks were forbidden to take part in battles. Eventually Russian army won.

What miracles did Sergius of Radonezh perform?

He performed a lot of miracles. Let's list just a few:

Source. In one of the monasteries, the monks were forced to bring themselves water from afar, a murmur arose, and then the monk, “having found some rain water in one ditch, made a fervent prayer over it,” after which a source of water opened.

Resurrection of a child. One local brought Sergius his sick son. But the child died. The grief-stricken father went to pick up the coffin. “But while he was walking, the monk prayed over the dead man, and the child came to life.”

Punishment for greed. The rich neighbor took the poor hog from him and “didn’t want to pay money for it.” When Sergius appealed, the rich man promised to “pay for the pig he took from his poor neighbor, and also to correct his whole life.” He did not fulfill his promise, and the pork carcass, despite the fact that it was frozen, was eaten by worms.

Venerable Sergius born in the village of Varnitsa, near Rostov, on May 3, 1314 in the family of pious and noble boyars Kirill and Maria. The Lord chose him from his mother's womb. The Life of St. Sergius tells about what Divine Liturgy Even before the birth of her son, Righteous Mary and the worshipers heard the baby cry three times: before the reading of the Holy Gospel, during the Cherubic Song, and when the priest said: “Holy to saints.” God gave him a son, who was named Bartholomew. From the first days of his life, the baby surprised everyone by fasting; on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not accept mother’s milk; on other days, if Maria ate meat, the baby also refused mother’s milk. Noticing this, Maria completely refused to eat meat. At the age of seven, Bartholomew was sent to study with his two brothers - the elder Stefan and the younger Peter. His brothers studied successfully, but Bartholomew lagged behind in his studies, although the teacher worked with him a lot. The parents scolded the child, the teacher punished him, and his comrades mocked him for his stupidity. Then Bartholomew with tears prayed to the Lord to grant him book understanding. One day his father sent Bartholomew to fetch horses from the field. On the way, he met an Angel sent by God in a monastic form: an old man stood under an oak tree in the middle of a field and prayed. Bartholomew approached him and, bowing, began to wait for the end of the elder’s prayer. He blessed the boy, kissed him and asked what he wanted. Bartholomew replied: “With all my soul I wish to learn to read and write, Holy Father, pray to God for me, so that He will help me learn to read and write.” The monk fulfilled Bartholomew's request, raised his prayer to God and, blessing the youth, said to him: “From now on, God gives you, my child, to understand literacy, you will surpass your brothers and peers.” At the same time, the elder took out a vessel and gave Bartholomew a piece of prosphora: “Take, child, and eat,” he said. “This is given to you as a sign of God’s grace and for the understanding of Holy Scripture.” The elder wanted to leave, but Bartholomew asked him to visit his parents’ house. The parents greeted the guest with honor and offered refreshments. The elder replied that first one should taste spiritual food, and ordered their son to read the Psalter. Bartholomew began to read harmoniously, and the parents were surprised at the change that had taken place in their son. Saying goodbye, the elder prophetically predicted about St. Sergius: “Your son will be great before God and people. He will become the chosen abode of the Holy Spirit.” From then on, the holy youth easily read and understood the contents of books. With special zeal, he began to delve deeper into prayer, not missing a single service. Already in childhood he imposed on himself strict fast, did not eat anything on Wednesdays and Fridays, and on other days he ate only bread and water. Around 1328, the parents of St. Sergius moved from Rostov to Radonezh. When their eldest sons got married, Cyril and Maria, shortly before their death, took the schema at the Khotkovsky Monastery of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, not far from Radonezh. Subsequently, the widowed elder brother Stefan also accepted monasticism in this monastery. Having buried his parents, Bartholomew, together with his brother Stefan, retired to live as a desert in the forest (12 versts from Radonezh). First they erected a cell, and then a small church, and, with the blessing of Metropolitan Theognost, it was consecrated in the Name Holy Trinity. But soon, unable to withstand the difficulties of life in a deserted place, Stefan left his brother and moved to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery (where he became close to a monk, commemorated February 12).

Bartholomew, on October 7, 1337, took monastic vows from Abbot Mitrofan with the name (October 7) and laid the foundation for a new residence in glory Life-Giving Trinity. Enduring temptations and demonic fears, the Reverend rose from strength to strength. Gradually he became known to other monks who sought his guidance. The Monk Sergius received everyone with love, and soon a brotherhood of twelve monks was formed in the small monastery. Their experienced spiritual guide was distinguished by rare diligence. With his own hands he built several cells, carried water, chopped wood, baked bread, sewed clothes, prepared food for the brethren and humbly performed other work. St. Sergius combined hard work with prayer, vigil and fasting. The brethren were surprised that with such a severe feat, the health of their mentor not only did not deteriorate, but became even stronger. Not without difficulty, the monks begged St. Sergius to accept the abbess of the monastery. In 1354, Bishop Athanasius of Volyn ordained the Rev. a hieromonk and elevated him to the rank of abbot. Monastic obediences were still strictly observed in the monastery. As the monastery grew, so did its needs. Often the monks ate meager food, but through the prayers of St. Sergius unknown people They brought everything they needed.

The glory of the exploits of St. Sergius became known in Constantinople, and Patriarch Philotheus sent the Rev. a cross, a paraman and a schema as a blessing for new exploits, a Blessed Letter, and advised the chosen one of God to establish a cenobitic monastery. With the patriarchal message, the Reverend went to Saint Alexy and received from him advice to introduce a strict community system. The monks began to grumble about the severity of the rules, and the Reverend was forced to leave the monastery. On the Kirzhach River he founded a monastery in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Order in the former monastery began to quickly decline, and the remaining monks turned to Saint Alexis so that he would return the saint.

The Monk Sergius unquestioningly obeyed the saint, leaving his disciple, the Monk Roman, as abbot of the Kirzhach Monastery.

During his lifetime, St. Sergius was awarded the grace-filled gift of miracles. He resurrected the boy when the despairing father thought only son forever lost. The fame of the miracles performed by St. Sergius began to quickly spread, and sick people began to be brought to him both from surrounding villages and from distant places. And no one left the Reverend without receiving healing of ailments and edifying advice. Everyone glorified St. Sergius and reverently revered him on a par with the ancient holy fathers. But human glory did not seduce the great ascetic, and he still remained a model of monastic humility.

One day (April 26), who deeply revered the Reverend, was heading from his diocese to Moscow. The road ran eight miles from the Sergius Monastery. Intending to visit the monastery on the way back, the saint stopped and, having read a prayer, bowed to St. Sergius with the words: “Peace be with you, spiritual brother.” At this time, the Monk Sergius was sitting with the brethren at meal. In response to the blessing of the saint, the Monk Sergius stood up, read a prayer and sent a return blessing to the saint. Some of the disciples, surprised by the extraordinary act of the Rev., hastened to the indicated place and, having caught up with the saint, were convinced of the truth of the vision.

Gradually, the monks began to witness other similar phenomena. Once, during the liturgy, an Angel of the Lord concelebrated with the Saint, but in his humility, Saint Sergius forbade anyone to tell about this until the end of his life on earth.

Close ties of spiritual friendship and brotherly love connected St. Sergius with St. Alexis. The saint, in his declining years, called the Venerable One to him and asked to accept the Russian Metropolis, but Blessed Sergius, out of humility, refused the primacy.

The Russian land at that time suffered from the Tatar yoke. Grand Duke Dimitri Ioannovich Donskoy, having gathered an army, came to the monastery Venerable Sergei ask for blessings for the upcoming battle. To help the Grand Duke, the Reverend blessed two monks of his monastery: schema-monk Andrei (Oslyabya) and schema-monk Alexander (Peresvet), and predicted victory for Prince Demetrius. The prophecy of St. Sergius was fulfilled: on September 8, 1380, on the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Russian soldiers won a complete victory over the Tatar hordes on the Kulikovo field, marking the beginning of the liberation of the Russian land from the Tatar yoke. During the battle, St. Sergius stood with his brethren in prayer and asked God to grant victory to the Russian army.

For his angelic life, St. Sergius was awarded heavenly vision from God. One night, Abba Sergius read the rule in front of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Having finished reading the canon of the Mother of God, he sat down to rest, but suddenly told his disciple (May 6) that a miraculous visit awaited them. A moment later she appeared Mother of God accompanied by and. From unusually bright light The Monk Sergius fell on his face, but Holy Mother of God She touched him with her hands and, blessing him, promised to always patronize his holy monastery.

Having reached a very old age, the Reverend, having foreseen his death six months later, called the brethren to him and blessed a student experienced in spiritual life and obedience to become abbess (November 17). In silent solitude, the Monk reposed before God on September 25, 1392. The day before, the great saint of God last time called on the brethren and addressed the words of his testament: “Take heed to yourselves, brethren. First have the fear of God, spiritual purity and unfeigned love...”

Iconographic original
	Moscow. XVI. St. Sergius with his life. Workshop Feodosius. Icon. Moscow. 1st third of the 16th century. 136 x 97.5. From the Assumption Cathedral in Dmitrov. From 1965 to Central Museum ancient Russian culture and art named after Andrei Rublev. Moscow.
	Moscow. 1420s. St. Sergius. Sewn cover. Moscow. 1420s 196 x 84. "Sacristy of the Trinity - Sergius Lavra" SPGIKHMZ.

Sergius of Radonezh (c. 1314-1392) is revered by the Russian Orthodox Church in the ranks of saints as a reverend and is considered the greatest ascetic of the Russian land. He founded the Trinity-Sergius Lavra near Moscow, which was formerly called the Trinity Monastery. Sergius of Radonezh preached the ideas of hesychasm. He understood these ideas in his own way. In particular, he rejected the idea that only monks would enter the kingdom of God. “All good ones will be saved,” Sergius taught. He became, perhaps, the first Russian spiritual thinker who not only imitated Byzantine thought, but also creatively developed it. The memory of Sergius of Radonezh is especially revered in Russia. It was this ascetic monk who blessed Dmitry of Moscow and his cousin Vladimir Serpukhovsky to fight the Tatars. Through his lips, the Russian Church for the first time called for a fight against the Horde.

We know about the life of St. Sergius from Epiphanius the Wise, a master of “weaving words.” “The Life of Sergius of Radonezh” was written by him in his declining years in 1417-1418. in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. According to his testimony, in 1322, a son, Bartholomew, was born to the Rostov boyar Kirill and his wife Maria. This family was once rich, but then became poor and, fleeing persecution from the servants of Ivan Kalita, around 1328 they were forced to move to Radonezh, a city that belonged to youngest son Grand Duke Andrei Ivanovich. At the age of seven, Bartholomew began to be taught to read and write in a church school; learning was difficult for him. He grew up as a quiet and thoughtful boy, who gradually decided to leave the world and devote his life to God. His parents themselves took monastic vows at the Khotkovsky Monastery. It was there that his elder brother Stefan took the vow of monasticism. Bartholomew, having bequeathed property to his younger brother Peter, went to Khotkovo and began to become a monk under the name of Sergius.

The brothers decided to leave the monastery and set up a cell in the forest, ten miles from it. Together they cut down the church and consecrated it in honor of the Holy Trinity. Around 1335, Stefan could not stand the hardships and went to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery, leaving Sergius alone. For Sergius, a period began severe tests. His solitude lasted about two years, and then monks began to flock to him. They built twelve cells and surrounded them with a fence. Thus, in 1337, the Trinity-Sergius Monastery was born, and Sergius became its abbot.

He led the monastery, but this leadership had nothing to do with power in the usual, secular sense of the word. As they say in the Life, Sergius was “like a bought slave” for everyone. He cut down cells, carried logs, performed difficult work, fulfilling to the end his vow of monastic poverty and service to his neighbor. One day he ran out of food, and after starving for three days, he went to the monk of his monastery, a certain Daniel. He was going to add a porch to his cell and was waiting for carpenters from the village. And so the abbot invited Daniel to do this work. Daniel was afraid that Sergius would ask a lot from him, but he agreed to work for rotten bread, which was no longer possible to eat. Sergius worked all day, and in the evening Daniel “brought him a sieve of rotten bread.”

Also, according to the Life, he “took every opportunity to establish a monastery where he found it necessary.” According to one contemporary, Sergius “with quiet and meek words” could act on the most hardened and hardened hearts; very often reconciled princes warring among themselves. In 1365 he sent him to Nizhny Novgorod reconcile quarreling princes. Along the way, in passing, Sergius found time to create a wasteland in the wilderness of the Gorokhovets district in a swamp near the Klyazma River and erect a temple of the Holy Trinity. He settled there “elders of the desert hermits, and they ate bast trees and mowed hay in the swamp.” In addition to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Sergius founded the Annunciation Monastery on Kirzhach, Staro-Golutvin near Kolomna, the Vysotsky Monastery, and the St. George Monastery on Klyazma. He appointed his disciples as abbots in all these monasteries. More than 40 monasteries were founded by his students, for example, Savva (Savvino-Storozhevsky near Zvenigorod), Ferapont (Ferapontov), ​​Kirill (Kirillo-Belozersky), Sylvester (Voskresensky Obnorsky). According to his life, Sergius of Radonezh performed many miracles. People came to him from different cities for healing, and sometimes even just to see him. According to the life, he once resurrected a boy who died in his father’s arms when he was carrying the child to the saint for healing.

Having reached a very old age, Sergius, having foreseen his death within six months, called the brethren to him and blessed a disciple experienced in spiritual life and obedience, the Monk Nikon, to become abbess. Sergius died on September 25, 1392 and was soon canonized. This happened during the lifetime of people who knew him. An incident that was never repeated.

30 years later, on July 5, 1422, his relics were found incorrupt, as evidenced by Pachomius Logofet. Therefore, this day is one of the days of remembrance of the saint. On April 11, 1919, during the campaign to open the relics, the relics of Sergius of Radonezh were opened in the presence of a special commission with the participation of church representatives. The remains of Sergius were found in the form of bones, hair and fragments of the rough monastic robe in which he was buried. Pavel Florensky became aware of the upcoming opening of the relics, and with his participation (in order to protect the relics from the possibility of complete destruction), the head of St. Sergius was secretly separated from the body and replaced with the head of Prince Trubetskoy, buried in the Lavra. Until the relics of the Church were returned, the head of St. Sergius was kept separately. In 1920-1946. the relics were in a museum located in the monastery building. On April 20, 1946, the relics of Sergius were returned to the Church. Currently, the relics of St. Sergius are in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

Sergius of Radonezh embodied the idea of ​​a communal monastery in Rus'. Previously, monks, when they entered the monastery, continued to own property. There were poor and rich monks. Naturally, the poor soon became servants of their wealthier brothers. This, according to Sergius, contradicted the very idea of ​​monastic brotherhood, equality, and striving for God. Therefore, in his Trinity Monastery, founded near Moscow near Radonezh, Sergius of Radonezh forbade the monks to have private property. They had to give their wealth to the monastery, which became, as it were, a collective owner. The monasteries needed property, in particular land, only so that the monks who devoted themselves to prayer had something to eat. As we see, Sergius of Radonezh was guided by the highest thoughts and struggled with monastic wealth. Sergius' disciples became the founders of many monasteries of this type. However, later the communal monasteries became the largest land owners, who, by the way, also possessed great movable wealth - money, precious things received as deposits for the funeral of the soul. The Trinity-Sergius Monastery under Vasily II the Dark received an unprecedented privilege: its peasants did not have the right to move on St. George’s Day - thus, on the scale of one monastic estate, serfdom first appeared in Rus'.

Biography and episodes of life Sergius of Radonezh. When born and died Sergius of Radonezh, memorable places and dates important events his life. Quotes about the saint, images and videos.

Years of life of Sergius of Radonezh:

born 3 May 1314, died 25 September 1392

Epitaph

“He was a lamp, burning and shining; but you wanted to rejoice in its light for a little while.”

Gospel of John, 5:35

Biography

Few saints are as highly revered on Russian soil as St. Sergius of Radonezh (baptized Bartholomew): wonderworker, monk, ascetic and founder of the Trinity Monastery. And this is in no way diminished by the fact that due to the statute of limitations and in the absence reliable sources historians cannot even come to a consensus regarding the year of birth of the saint. Sergius of Radonezh became a symbol of service not only to God, but also to his neighbors, to his Fatherland.

In all likelihood, Sergius of Radonezh was born into the family of a boyar, near Rostov, in the present village of Varnitsa. Famous legend concerns the future saint’s inability to read and write: the life says that a boy sent to look for horses saw a holy elder praying to God. The boy asked to pray for him to learn to read and write, and the elder fulfilled his request, and then predicted that from now on the boy would know reading and writing better than all other children - and this prophecy came true. Since then, Sergius of Radonezh has also been considered the patron saint of those who are in learning.

According to the biographer of Radonezh, Epiphanius the Wise, even before the age of 12 the boy began to fast and devote a lot of time to prayer. Then his family became poor and moved to Radonezh. Bartholomew strove for a monastic life, but heeded the requests of his parents to wait for their death. After this sad event, he went to the Khotkovo-Pokrovsky Monastery, to his brother Stefan, with whom he later founded a hermitage in the middle of the Radonezh Forest. There, on Makovets Hill, the brothers built the Church of the Holy Trinity, which later became the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Here Bartholomew took monastic vows at the age of 23.

Trinity Lavra of Sergius, Sergiev Posad

Sergius of Radonezh founded other monasteries - Annunciation, Vysotsky, Georgievsky. The abbots of each of them were his disciples, who themselves founded monasteries later. In those days, Russia was torn apart by princely civil strife, but the Monk Sergius, with humility and meekness, often persuaded his enemies to agree to peace. Thanks to him, almost all the princes agreed to submit to Moscow, Dmitry Donskoy, and only because of this the united Russian army won the Battle of Kulikovo.

According to Epiphanius the Wise, Sergius of Radonezh, who lived to a ripe old age, foresaw his death six months in advance and transferred the abbess to his disciple Nikon. The remains of the saint were found in the monastery he founded. 30 years after the death of the saint, his relics and even his robe were found incorruptible, which was considered the highest manifestation of God's mercy.

“Saint Sergius of Radonezh”, painting by V. Nesterov, 1891-1899.

Life line

May 3 (May 16, old style) 1314 Date of birth of Sergius of Radonezh.
1330 Relocation to Radonezh.
1335 Construction of the Church of the Holy Trinity.
1342 Foundation on the site of the monastery church, the future Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
1382 Temporary resettlement to Tver due to the invasion of Tokhtamysh's troops.
September 25 (October 8, old style) 1392 Date of death of Sergius of Radonezh.
July 5 (July 18, old style) 1422 Finding relics.

Memorable places

1. Trinity-Sergius Varnitsa Monastery, founded in 1427 on the site where the house of the parents of Sergius of Radonezh stood.
2. The village of Radonezh (Moscow region), where the youth Bartholomew lived until the death of his parents and departure from the world.
3. Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius, founded by the saint, where his relics are kept.
4. The temple-monument of St. Sergius of Radonezh on the Red Hill of the Kulikovo Field, built in 1913-1918, is now a monument of federal significance.

Episodes of life

The personality of Sergius of Radonezh in popular consciousness has always been associated with miraculous events. It is believed that the saint himself performed many miracles with the help of prayer, and, in addition, many visions were revealed to him. The first life of the saint, written by Epiphanius the Wise, a monk of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, is replete with retellings of similar events. Subsequently, stories about posthumous miracles were added to it, of which there were much more.

The official canonization of Sergius of Radonezh was never carried out. Reverend Elder was so revered by the people that his holiness was accepted as a matter of course. Metropolitan Jonah calls Sergius a venerable in a charter of 1450, and this is the earliest documentary evidence of his recognition as a saint.

In 1919, for propaganda purposes, the Soviet government uncovered the relics of the saint. Pavel Florensky learned about the upcoming autopsy, and with his help the head of Sergius of Radonezh was separated from the body, and the head of Prince Trubetskoy was placed in its place. During the Second World War, the relics were taken far to the rear, and only after their return in 1946 was the head of the saint placed in its place.

Reliquary with the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra

Covenant

“Take heed to yourself in everything, my brethren, I pray to you all, have the fear of God, spiritual purity, unfeigned love, and for these things a love of strangers...”

Documentary film “Sergius of Radonezh. Earthly and heavenly."

Condolences

“So our good and blessed elder left us, went to the Lord, left us orphans... He went to where he was waiting for him great reward and reward for all his labors and exploits, he went in peace to the Lord, whom he loved!..”
Author of the life of the saint, Abbot Nikon (Rozhdestvensky)

“Reverend Sergius, with his life, the very possibility of such a life, made the grieving people feel that not everything good in them had yet extinguished and froze; by his appearance among his compatriots, who were sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, he opened their eyes to themselves, helped them look into their own inner darkness and see there the still smoldering sparks of the same fire that burned the light that illuminated them.”
Historian Vladimir Klyuchevsky

“Earlier than all and more than all the saints who appeared in the Moscow land, St. Sergius, the founder of the famous Trinity-Sergius Lavra, gained the popular respect of all Rus', who in the eyes of the Great Russian people received the significance of the patron, intercessor and guardian of the state and the church.”
Historian Nikolai Kostomarov

“He was just outstanding public figure. He understood the turning point in the history of the Russian Land and turned its course in the proper direction, taking upon himself great responsibility for the outcome of the battle on the Kulikovo Field. He blessed Prince Dmitry and his army for her. One had to feel and understand this decisive turning point and put one's spiritual authority on the scales of history. And He did it."
Russian religious philosopher Helena Roerich

“Looking into Russian history, into the very fabric of Russian culture, we will not find a single thread that would not lead to this first knot: moral idea, statehood, painting, architecture, literature, Russian school, Russian science - all these lines of Russian culture converge on the Reverend.”
Pavel Florensky

Icon of Sergius of Radonezh

Icon of Sergius of Radonezh. Prayer to Sergius of Radonezh.

One of the main revered shrines in Orthodoxy is the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh. During his life, St. Sergius was a true Christian, led a humble lifestyle, was merciful, faithful, and hardworking, thanks to which he earned the love of the people and the respect of the church.

As a young man, he built a monastery in the forest, in which he retired and constantly prayed to God for the good of the state and the Russian people. He despised administrative and political work and therefore constantly refused offers to join the Russian metropolitanate.

The icon of Sergius of Radonezh helps in some ways.

The flow of pilgrims to the relics and divine image of the saint never stops. Miracles often happen before the image. Pride is considered one of the most serious sins, and before the image it is pacified. Those in need receive help, guidance, advice, the sick are healed. Very often they pray before the face of the saint for the spiritual health of children and success in education. Students and pupils take the icon of Sergius of Radonezh with them to take tests and exams. It is very good if students always carry an icon in their bag or briefcase when they go to school. This is precisely why the icon of Sergius of Radonezh is not only in Orthodox churches, but also in the homes of believers. In Russia alone there are more than five hundred churches that are named in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh, and divine images with him are found in almost every church and temple. If you say a prayer in front of the icon, you will see that it will work a miracle. The main thing is that you turn to her with a pure heart. A lot of people who turned to the image were healed both in soul and body. Prayer in front of the icon will help you gain faith, renounce a bad lifestyle, get rid of anxiety, and find healing. They turn to the icon both for themselves and for loved ones, relatives, and friends. Many parents whose children do not succeed in school turn to the holy face with prayer.

Sergius of Radonezh himself could not master reading and writing for a long time and mastered it after lengthy prayers to God. And now he helps those who cannot master various sciences on their own. Before an exam, students often turn to St. Sergius of Radonezh about successfully passing the exam. To do this, it is worth reading the following prayer:

People turn to the Saint before important court cases, he intercedes for honest people and the righteous, helps everyone who has pure thoughts and is sincere in court.

Believers also turn to the icon to achieve success in their work. You must always remember that even if you pray to the icon of a saint, direct your thought to God, since the petition to God will come from the Saint, and the fulfillment will come from the Lord God himself.

Sergius of Radonezh founded several monasteries, including the Holy Trinity Monastery near Moscow, which is now called the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The Saint has been revered as a saint in Rus' since the fifteenth century.

Veneration of the icon of Sergius of Radonezh occurs four times a year: October 8 is the day of death, July 18 is the day of the discovery of the relics of the Saint, June 5 is the day in honor of the Rostov-Yaroslavl Cathedral, July 19 is the day in honor of the Radonezh Cathedral.