22nd of May Orthodox Church established a celebration in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, or rather, in honor of the transfer of his pious relics from Myra in Lycia to Bar. It is worth noting that the holiday was not celebrated everywhere right away.
Annual celebration of the occasion
For the first few decades, the celebration of the event did not extend beyond the boundaries of an Italian town called Bar, but a little later, the holiday was spread throughout Italy. After the establishment of the celebration of the transfer of the relics of Nicholas in Italy, several decades later an annual celebration of the event was established in other countries. Today, believers are recommended to visit the temple to take part in the service and pray in front of the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The icon promotes healing from physical and mental illnesses, and also makes it possible to atone for one’s own sins and take the right path.
Historical past of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Based on the nickname of St. Nicholas, a large number of miracles actually happened during his life. That's why, life path his was truly special, since the man helped heal many believers suffering from all kinds of illnesses. At the end of his earthly life, the saint’s relics were carefully preserved by parishioners. But, as history goes, in the middle of the ninth century a time of troubles reigned - constant military raids, desecration of shrines by Turkish robbers, as well as the destruction of churches and temples. At the beginning of 792, the ruler of powerful Turkey, Aaron Al-Rashid, decided to desecrate the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, but at that moment the greatest miracle happened, which is associated with this relic. The enemy ships that sailed to the island of Rhodes were completely destroyed. The fact is that the once calm surface of the sea became stormy, the sky became cloudy, and a strong storm began, which sank all the enemy ships.
The power of the relics of St. Nicholas
People did not immediately believe that the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker had miraculous powers. But, after the sinking of the ships of the Turkish army, Christians realized that the shrine was more powerful than it seemed at first glance. After the relics were transferred from Myra Lycia to the Italian city of Bar, people began to pray in front of the shrine and were surprised by its incredible power. If the prayer was sincere, filled with love for the Lord God, then the person most often received grace-filled deliverance from ailments, both physical and mental. Also, the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is prayed to by those believers who want to receive forgiveness from their family and friends, or to protect them from the evil plans of the enemy. But we must remember that miraculous power will manifest itself only if the prayer was said with the good intention of really helping one’s neighbor.
In the 11th century, the Greek Empire was going through difficult times. The Turks devastated her possessions in Asia Minor, ravaged cities and villages, killing their inhabitants, and accompanied their cruelties by insulting holy temples, relics, icons and books. Muslims attempted to destroy the relics of St. Nicholas, deeply revered by the entire Christian world.
In 792, Caliph Aaron Al-Rashid sent the commander of the fleet, Humaid, to plunder the island of Rhodes. Having devastated this island, Humaid went to Myra Lycia with the intention of breaking into the tomb of St. Nicholas. But instead of it, he broke into another one, which stood next to the tomb of the saint. The sacrilege had barely managed to do this when a terrible storm arose at sea and almost all the ships were broken.
The desecration of shrines outraged not only Eastern, but also Western Christians. Christians in Italy, among whom there were many Greeks, were especially afraid for the relics of St. Nicholas. Residents of the city of Bar, located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, decided to save the relics of St. Nicholas.
In 1087, noble and Venetian merchants went to Antioch to trade. Both of them planned to take the relics of St. Nicholas on the way back and transport them to Italy. In this intention, the inhabitants of Bar were ahead of the Venetians and were the first to land in Myra. Two people were sent ahead, who, upon returning, reported that everything was quiet in the city, and in the church where the greatest shrine rested, they met only four monks. Immediately 47 people, armed, went to the Church of St. Nicholas. The guard monks, suspecting nothing, showed them the platform, under which the saint’s tomb was hidden, where, according to custom, strangers were anointed with the oil from the saint’s relics. At the same time, the monk told one elder about the appearance of St. Nicholas the day before. In this vision, the saint ordered that his relics be preserved more carefully. This story inspired the nobles; They saw for themselves in this phenomenon the permission and, as it were, an indication of the saint. To facilitate their actions, they revealed their intentions to the monks and offered them a ransom of 300 gold coins. The watchmen refused the money and wanted to notify the residents of the misfortune that threatened them. But the aliens tied them up and placed their guards at the doors. They smashed the church platform, under which stood a tomb with relics. In this matter, the young man Matthew was particularly zealous, wanting to discover the relics of the saint as quickly as possible. In impatience, he broke the lid and the nobles saw that the sarcophagus was filled with fragrant holy myrrh. The barians' compatriots, presbyters Luppus and Drogo, performed a litany, after which the same Matthew began to extract the relics of the saint from the sarcophagus overflowing with the world. This happened on April 20, 1087.
Due to the absence of the ark, Presbyter Drogo wrapped the relics in outer clothing and, accompanied by the nobles, carried them to the ship. The liberated monks told the city the sad news about the theft of the relics of the Wonderworker by foreigners. Crowds of people gathered on the shore, but it was too late...
On May 8, the ships arrived in Bar, and soon the good news spread throughout the city. The next day, May 9, the relics of St. Nicholas were solemnly transferred to the Church of St. Stephen, located not far from the sea. The celebration of the transfer of the shrine was accompanied by numerous miraculous healings of the sick, which aroused even greater reverence for the great saint of God. A year later, a church was built in the name of St. Nicholas and consecrated by Pope Urban II.
The event associated with the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas aroused special veneration of the Wonderworker and was marked by the establishment of a special holiday on May 9 (22). At first, the feast of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas was celebrated only by residents of the Italian city of Bar. In other countries Christian East and it was not accepted by the West, despite the fact that the transfer of the relics was widely known. This circumstance is explained by the custom of honoring mainly local shrines, characteristic of the Middle Ages. In addition, the Greek Church did not establish a celebration of this memory, because the loss of the relics of the saint was a sad event for it.
The Russian Orthodox Church established the commemoration of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bar on May 9, shortly after 1087, on the basis of the deep, already established veneration by the Russian people of the great saint of God, who crossed over from Greece simultaneously with the adoption of Christianity. The glory of the miracles performed by the saint on land and sea was widely known to the Russian people. Their inexhaustible power and abundance testify to the special gracious help of the great saint to suffering humanity. The image of the saint, the all-powerful Wonderworker and benefactor, became especially dear to the heart of the Russian people, because he instilled deep faith in him and hope for his help. Countless miracles marked the faith of the Russian people in the inexhaustible help of the saint of God.
In Russian writing, significant literature about him was compiled very early. Tales of the saint’s miracles performed on Russian soil began to be written down in ancient times. Soon after the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bargrad, a Russian edition of the life and the story of the transfer of his holy relics, written by a contemporary of this event, appeared. Even earlier, a word of praise to the Wonderworker was written. Every week, every Thursday, the Russian Orthodox Church especially honors his memory.
Numerous churches and monasteries were erected in honor of St. Nicholas, and Russian people named their children after him at Baptism. Numerous miraculous icons great saint. The most famous images among them are Mozhaisky, Zaraisky, Volokolamsky, Ugreshsky, Ratny. There is not a single house and not a single temple in the Russian Church in which there would not be an image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The meaning of the gracious intercession of the great saint of God is expressed by the ancient compiler of his life, according to whom St. Nicholas “worked many great and glorious miracles on earth and on the sea, helping those in trouble and saving them from drowning, and carrying them dry from the depths of the sea, delighting them from corruption and bringing them into the house, delivering them from bonds and prisons, interceding from the beating of swords and from freeing death, giving much healing to many: sight for the blind, walking for the lame, hearing for the deaf, speech for the dumb. He enriched many in the squalor and poverty of the last suffering, gave food to the hungry and was a ready helper for everyone in every need, a warm intercessor and a quick intercessor and defender, and he helped others who called upon him and delivered them from troubles. The message of this great Wonderworker is that the East and the West and all the ends of the earth know his miracles.”.
In May 2012, the Christians of the whole world celebrated the 925th anniversary of the transfer of the relics of St. Ni -ko-laya from Mir Li-ki-skih to Ba-ri. Because of this event, many people in Turkey and Italy, wanting to see places connected with Ni-ko-la -I am a Chu-do-creator. Due to the research of the facts, some theories have appeared these and le-gen-dy from-no-si-tel-but per-re-not-se-niya of the relics of St. Nikolay Mir-li-kiy-sko-go. This gives us a water-cri-ti-che-skih assessment of the is-to-ry of the re-location of relics in the light of ar-heo-lo-gi-che-che-s research and li-te-ra-tour-ing sources within the framework of max-si-mal-but-possibly-cri-ti-che- skogo from-lo-zhe-niya ma-te-ri-a-la and me-to-di-ki from-del-nyh research.
In this article, a chro-no-lo-gi-che-che-s-ness of events associated with the body of Ni-ko is presented -laya Chu-do-crea-tsa from the moment of death to the present day in the is-rich-che-kon-text, on the basis of do- texts that have come before us and their historical analysis, scientific research, as well as discoveries in the last few years. The purpose of this work is to analyze the is-exact-ni-kov with the use of a system under-ho -yes to the illumination of events and information about the fate of the relics in the chro-no-lo-gi-che-ski built -new news.
Transfer of the relics of Saint Nikolai Chu-do-creator from the Myra of Lycia to Italy, appearing , perhaps the most noticeable description of the chro-ni-sta-mi in the middle-of-the-century period od. On the basis of this, which has become le-gen-dar-nym, is-the-ri-che-s-of-the-fact lies across the -ry and pat-ri-o-ti-che-skih, po-li-ti-che-skih and eco-no-mi-che-skih am-bi-tions. After more than nine-hundred years since the re-location of the power of the need-ho-di-mo cri-ti-che-ski from-not-to-le-gen-de, which I pre-under-but-syat tu-ri-stam and pa-lom-ni-kam in modern Turkey, co-believers -shen-but not taking into account the is-t-ri-che-ski-mi facts-ta-mi, and at times insulting the memory of the holy Ni-ko-barking Chu -before-creation. We look at the chronologies known to us from the point of view of the traditions of Bar-ri, Ve-netia and Lycia, according to -I-try-to-understand the goals and reasons that follow the lives of the three regions of the Middle-di- earth-sea in the light of possession of priceless treasure.
Studying the Ak-ro-pol of the Li-kiy mit-ro-po-li, we can conclude that the body is holy in the -pic-ny for the Roman pe-ri-o-da sar-ko-phag. But we cannot agree with the fact that the powers were in the sar-ko-fa-ge, which is now de-mon-stri- they are building in the “No-la-ev-sky temple” of the Tur-ko-go-go-ro-da De-m-re. During the life of Niko-lay Chu-do-creator, the uni-that-lived the temple of Ar-te-mi-dy and waged a fierce struggle against paganism. And judging by the image of the bra-zhe-ni-yam on the sar-ko-fa-ge, the coffin is clearly under-the-le-zha-la tongue-ni-ku. Everyone is trying to explain that this sar-co-phage is used a second time to enshrine the holy body. Well, in a certain sense they are insulting the memory of the saint - he could not have been buried in the ancient pagan coffin. In 336, Stra-ti-la-you arrived in Myra, and, having learned that Saint Niko-lai had died, “they looked for the place where the his honest body stung... [and] honored Niko-bark, co-creating the port of the church. Since for the 4th century. ha-rak-ter-but construction in memory of the holy mar-ti-ri-evs - special buildings, then we pre-la-ga-e, that the first monument was built - a chapel over the grave of the Great Arch-hi-episco- na World of Li-ki-skih Ni-ko-laya. The temple in which Niko-lay Chu-do-the-creator served, and the port-tik, built by the str-ti-la-ta-mi, once upon a time -ru-she-ny lands-le-shaking-se-ni-em 529, and in their place, “with the funds you-de-len-in-the-name of Yus- ti-ni-a-nom”, a new temple and a chapel are being erected above the holy place.
In the 7th century an active Arab ex-pan-sia began on the territory of the Eastern Roman Empire. In 655, the Arabs almost completely destroyed the Byzantine fleet in a naval battle off the coast of Lycia. In September 792, the Bag-dad ha-lif Kha-run-ar-Ra-shid sent Hu-maid-ibn-Ma-yu-fa to the head of the fleet “for the plunder of the island of Ro-do.” Having plundered the island, Khu-maid went to the Li-kian Myra with the “break-up of the sacred coffin” -no-tsu of the holy Chu-do-creator Ni-ko-barking, [but] instead of it, he broke another one, standing nearby.” The saints barely managed to do this when a terrible storm arose on the sea and destroyed a large number of su-dov, “and God himself somehow escaped.” The chief desecrated, robbed the church and broke open the coffin, but he did not destroy the temple.
In the 9th century. im-pe-ra-tor Va-si-liy I Ma-ke-do-nya-nin (867-886), wishing to emphasize the re-birth of chi-ta-niya icons and relics, so-bi-ral-sya transported the re-relics of St. Nicholas to Kon-stan-ti-no-pol, but was left new flax in the door in some miraculous way. Then, “getting very angry,” he ordered his relics to be sealed in a white stone sar-ko-fa-ge and in a to put under the floor of the cha-soul - at the church of Si-o-na, so that “no one else could take the remains” of the great saint -la.
By the 11th century. with an increase of pa-lom-ni-kovs at the “No-kol-s-th temple in the Worlds a mo-na-she-skaya oblast is formed -schi-na, the first mention of something that is met in connection with the transfer of the power of bar-ri-tsa-mi in the 11th century." . In 1034, the Sa-ra-tsins “once again seize the city, but the church remains undamaged.”
In the 11th century the ob-sta-nov-ka in the Byzantine Empire was-la nebla-go-pri-yat-na for Christianity. The Byzantine throne after the death of Va-si-lia II (1025) for being weak, often replacing shi-e-sya im-per-ra-to-ry; Just at this time, serious dangers began to threaten in the Eastern Empire. In Per-ed-ny Asia, villages-d-zhu-ki completed their op-sto-shi-tel-noe movement to the West, and by 1081 vi-zan- tii-tsy covered all of Asia Minor.
After the rise of Vizantia in the battle of Man-tsik-er-te (August 19, 1071), only one remained in Asia Minor -na do-mi-ni-ru-yu-shchaya si-la - sel-d-zhu-ki. Captivated by him-per-ra-tor Ro-man Dio-gen so-gla-sil-you cry to them for “Eternal Peace” and “Friend” "a large sum of money" every year. But the kon-stan-ti-no-Polish nobility overthrew the unsuccessful pra-vi-te-la, and his successor - Mi-kha-il VII Du-ka Pa- ra-pi-nak - he didn’t want to fulfill his obligations to the country. So mu-sul-mane is a perfect justification for na-cha-la on-the-run.
It’s you who need to be a Christian, who lives in the World, to move to a more safe, safe place. -e-sya is three kilo-meters from the old World. In the temple itself, only a few monks remain to serve. In 1086, Saint Ni-ko-lai “appeared in a vision to three people, telling them to announce to the inhabitants -ro-yes of the Worlds, who, fearing the bad fate, left from here to the mountain, so that they would return to live and guard the city, or did you know that he would move to another place? One day, the life did not heed the pre-waiting of its Great Saint.
In Europe, by the end of the 11th century. The calls for you to fight the infidels have intensified. The stories about the returning pi-li-gri-movs are called for in the re-li-gi-oz-but-built masses for- fallen Christians have a strong dislike of the villagers and regret about the fate of the city of Mira. On Za-pa-de-no-ma-li, that the Christian saints in Byzantium are about-re-che-ny on-ru-ga-nie and unity -what-then. That's why the Europeans, especially after the race of 1054, during their move to the East, considered It’s okay to have a saint and take her to your place of birth. The desire to seize as many re-lics as possible was not only a re-li-gi-oz zeal neither, but also according to race. In Sredne-ve-ko-vye it was considered prestige to have in the native city the relics of many saints, some of whom all at once there were cities all over the place. They were both citizens and were the pride of the state. No one paid attention to how the powers were acquired, the main thing was to own them, and the sacred the one who will bless the one to whom they belong.
In political and military terms, Vi-zan-tiya is weak from year to year. Since 1016, the southern part of Italy, located above the Eastern Roman Empire, began to fall under the Norse-Mann Empire na-be-gam: “In 1027, with co-gla-sia im-pe-ra-to-ra Ko-nra-da II there was the os-no-va-but first Nor-mann po-se-le-nie". And in 1071, Duke Robert Gu-is-kar completed the seizure of the southern-and-ta-lyan-regions, “for-e-vav by -the next Byzantine fortress - Ba-ri", which led to the influence of the city in the region as a hundred -faces of the Byzantine province in Southern Italy. In connection with the change of administration, the bishop of Ba-ri Andrey moves from Kon-stan-ti-no-pol -th pat-ri-ar-ha under the jurisdiction of the Roman pope.
At that time, many cities, having become surrounded by the relics of saints, turned into places of pa-lom-ni- honour, which is related to the eco-no-mi-che-pro-bloom of the city. We can assume that the city nobility decided to revive the eco-no-mi-che-blah-po-lu -chiya Ba-ri received the power of some holy one, and her choice fell on the known one and the one -e-mo-go Ni-ko-laya Chu-do-creator from the World of Li-kiy. Perhaps this preference was due to the relative convenience of becoming a saint. The relics of the saint were on the sea route to Syria, where the Ba-ri merchants sailed for trade. -nom and tka-nya-mi.
Until the present time, chron-ni-ki Ni-ki-fo-ra, ar-hi-di-a-ko-na Ioan-na and Si-geb-er- that about the re-re-non-se-re-relics of St. Nicholas, which are important to-ku-men-ta-mi, under-lin -ness of which does not raise any doubts, for the study of the history of that per-ri-o-da. However, for the compilation of a complete picture of co-being, as well as their is-to-ri-che-ana-li-for, we used -pol-zo-va-li and other li-te-ra-tour-nye-precise-ni-ki and ar-heo-lo-gi-che-che-studies.
In 1087, in the city of Bar, Saint Ni-ko-lai appeared in a dream to the honorable and blessed priest ku and ordered: “Go and tell the people and all the churches so that they go and take me from the World and around -live in this city, because I cannot remain empty there. God pleases it that way.” Having said this, “the saint became invisible.” In the morning, in the church, the priest informed the clergy and the people about his vision. All who were in the church, having heard about the sight of their shepherd, joyfully shouted: “The Lord has now sent His -loyalty to the people and our city, for he deigned us to receive the relics of His holy Pleasant Niko.” To fulfill the will of the Chu-do-creator “...Ita-Lyan-tsy hastily and secretly under-the-vi-the whole naval ex -pe-di-tsyu" .
The Ba-ryans set off for the most valuable forces on three ships. The names of the participants of the ex-pe-di-tion for-pi-sa-ny on the per-ga-men-those, which are stored in the so-treasury-ni- tse Nikol-skoy ba-zi-li-ki Ba-ri. Fearing that someone else would be able to get ahead of them, the Barians were careful to hide their goal th pu-te-she-stations under the guise of trading in grain and for this, they loaded their co-slaves with wheat. The first de-lom ka-ra-van of the three ships headed to Myra in Lycia. The Ba-ri-tsy went to investigate the mat-ro-sa under the guise of a pa-lom-ni-ka, who reported that “in the cre-po -sti, where is the ba-zi-li-ka holy, a lot of rock; the chief of the gar-ni-zo-na died, and they got together to honor him.” The Ba-riys immediately sent their co-slaves to the port of St. Simeon in Antio-chia, where they learned that they qi-an-tsy are heading to the World with the goal of taking the body of the St. No-barking. In an attempt to get ahead of them, the Bar-ryans decided to immediately complete their mission.
On April 11, 1087, forty-seven ba-ryans, having lived well in arms, went to the temple of St. Si-o-n, where were the relics of St. No-barking. Having reached the church and hidden their weapons, they “with the media” entered the temple, where four -ro without protective guards. One of the Bari-tsev came with a request to the mo-na-boors to give them parts of the world (man-na) from the relics Saint Ni-ko-barking, others began to pray, imagining the pa-lom-niks. In the end, the pu-te-she-stven-ni-ki revealed his plan - to transfer the powers of the miracle-creator to Apu -liyu. Perhaps, at first, mo-na-hi did not re-receive the message from the Slan-niks from Bar-ri, after all. They said that the Saint had never allowed his remains to be transferred to another place; yes, they-per-ra-to-ru Va-si-liy Ma-ke-do-nya-ni-well had to say “from the na-me-re-niya per-re” -don’t-sti in Kon-stan-ti-no-pol.” “The holy confessor of God will not allow you to take it,” said the mo-na-hi. The Ba-ri pre-swee-ter named Lup held in his hands a glass co-court, which mo-na-hi the temple on-half-low. whether the world is from the relics. He decided to take part in the negotiations with the hundred-women and placed the bottle on the top of a low column near al-ta-rya. During the argument, Father Lup carelessly touched the court, and with a “great crack” he fell on the marble floor, but more than once fought. The aliens saw in this sign a good sign of the will of God and the holy Pleasure. as if the saint had told them: “Here is the grave in which I am lying, take my body and go to someone.” “I’m going to Bary, where I’m going to shelter and protect.”
The Ba-riy-tsy decided to change the way of thinking, deciding that “good deception does not harm anyone.” They lied mo-na-boor, declaring: “You should know that when papa from Ri-ma came to us in the city of Bari, in -about the leaders of many arch-bishops, with a retinue of priests and laymen, he himself sent us to these earths do not transfer the sacred body. He did all this because the saint of God appeared to him in a dream and asked him to transport him to our lands. When the Apu-lians pulled out their weapons from under their cloaks, the mo-na-khi especially knew all the seriousness of the matter -stay. One of the monks began to slowly move towards the door, wanting to notify the inhabitants of the World about what was happening, but ba -riy-tsy for-early for-blo-ki-ro-va-whether you left the church.
The hundred were contacted, and someone named Mat-fey (possibly a leader) put a knife to my throat, threatening awaiting death if he does not indicate the place where the relics are found. The monk answered him: “We’ll soon die if we don’t take it.” holy". Another hundred-year-old, wishing to save his brother from death and not realizing that his co-contrast is useless, ska -hall: “My son, why did you unjustly attack our brother? now, but I couldn’t. By all appearances, the time has come for the fulfillment of the promise that the saint made a year ago.” Having heard this, the Italians promptly told them about the vision of St. Nicholas, who happened in 1086 to three live the world. The Ba-ri-tsy consider this as another basis for the re-re-no-sa of the remains of the Great Saint -be on ro-di-nu. The servant of the temple pointed out to Mat-fey from the opening in the floor, from which mo-na-hi from-in-the-way “ki-stoch-koy” holy moisture." The Ba-ri-tsy know that this is the place where the relics of St. Niko-bark are found. Matthew hid his weapon and, taking an iron crowbar, began to hit the marble floor.
Analysis of whether-te-ra-tour-is-s-s-s-s-s and ar-heo-lo-gi-che-s-studies of churches of saints Ni-ko-barking in the Worlds (De-m-re) allows us to determine the place where Ni-ko-laying Chu-do was settled creator. As a result of the inspection of the brickwork of the walls of the St. Nicholas Church, ar-heo-lo-ga-mi From Fel-dom and Ur-som Pesh-low it has been determined that the main part of the buildings of the complex dates back to the 8th century, only service premises on the north-ve-ro-za-pas-de-complex and two south-eastern clocks date from the 5th-6th centuries. Studying the plan of the church allows us to assume that the walls of the two south-eastern chapels, from by the 5th-6th centuries, were the keys “extracted from construction works” preserved by ancient art? hi-tech-to-rum and built into the new temple complex near the central al-ta-rya. This za-bo-ta could have been obligated to preserve the ancient cha-chapel over the za-ho-ro-no-holy -Togo.
It’s worth paying attention to the fact that all the chronicles describe the same actions of the Barians. The Italians broke the floor, but none of the scribes mentioned sar-ko-fa-ge. Kli-rik Ni-ki-for in “Pro-log-ge” writes that in An-tio-khia the ve-ne-tsi-an-tsy boasted of their on-me-re- no one in the church of St. Nicholas “to break the bridge and carry away the sacred body.” Ar-hi-mand-rit An-to-nin Ka-pu-stin drew attention to this fact in the 19th century, pointing out that “the Ba-ri mat- Ro-sy didn’t see any coffins in the church.” Naturally, the destruction of the place could not pass without leaving a trace on the church building. Study of the Polish mo-za-i-ki of the St. Nicholas Church in Myra and comparison of it with the mo-za-s that came before us and other co-ordination poses and decorates the temple in De-m-re of the 11th century. , i.e. during the re-construction of the temple in 1042 under “im-pe-ra-to-re Kon-stan-tin Mo-no-ma-ha and his wife Zoe.” Research of the race of ri-sun-kov mo-za-i-ki se-re-di-ny of the 11th century on the first this same storage they indicate that the largest, divinely decorated, covering almost the entire area The patterns are located again in two south-eastern chapels, while the floors of the main part of the central storage The ma-complex reached the present time almost without any damage. On the basis of re-zul-ta-tov ana-li-za ri-sun-kov mo-za-ich-nykh-fishing, we conditionally-but you-de-li-whe-you re basic types of or-na-men-tov:
a) rectangular frame;
b) circles fit into a square;
c) a complex pattern consisting of an eight-pointed star and a “color”, enclosed in a rectangle;
d) square frame with a complex or-na-men-tom, from the morning gray.
If the first type of mo-za-i-ki is used in the central nave of the complex seven times, types “b” and “c” are encountered there are three times in the decoration of the temple, then type “d” is uni-ka-len - it has the largest roof area tia, and this ri-su-nok is no longer repeated anywhere. Types “a”, “b”, “c” came to us in perfect preservation and without loss, and mo-za-i-ka the next type has me-ha-no-dam-ages, which were later clumsily za-la-ta-ny in XII-XIII centuries a fragment of marble, previously used in the decoration of unknown for-ho-ro- not and does not correspond to the pattern of the damaged mo-za-i-ki. As a result of the study of texts from sources of the 12th century, which tell us about the relocation of the relics of saints -ti-te-la of Ni-ko-bark, and consideration of the ar-hi-tech-tour-special-ben-no-stays of the complex of Ni-ko-la-ev-skaya church in De-m-re, we can conclude that for-the-ho-not-nie of Niko-barking Chu-do-crea-tsa was previously on-ho-di -an elk under the mo-za-i-coy in the center of the second south-eastern cha-s-of the Nikol-sko-go temple in Myra. The fact that the floor of the crypt of the temple of St. Nicholas serves as an indirect confirmation of the given statement in Ba-ri the or-na-men-tom is decorated, which we attributed to the type “d” complex of the church in Myra.
Having broken the mo-za-i-ku on the floor, the Bari-tsy settled on the ancient brick-laying and began to delve into the earth, until the roof-ku be-lo-go sar-ko-fa-ga. Fathers Lup and Gri-mo-ald began to pray. The Ba-ri-tsy came to the prison and were afraid to open the coffin of St. Niko-bark. Having fallen to the bottom of the lid of the sar-ko-fa-ga, no one dared to open it, “so as not to turn into a ka -men." Mat-fey smashed the marble slab with his hammer. When the fragments were removed, the sar-ko-phage, the “full holy power” gi”, and the smell of a wonderful aroma. The Italians decided that the Pleasant of God agrees with the re-re-union of relics.
Mat-fey, having lowered his “right hand” into the liquid, began to take out the relics from the coffin and transfer them in parts, te-ram. Knowing that time was running out, the young man jumped into the barn and, as it became clear later, once ha-mi part of the bones that-for-sa-t-lya. Having found a skull in the coffin, Mat-fey carefully gave it to the priests and climbed out of the coffin. At this time, “some of the hundred sailors who appeared around, secretly took small particles from the holy relics, hidden whether them." The Apu-liys were not able to completely take the power. Believe it or not, the Ba-ri-tsy to-ro-pi-saw and feared that the Li-kiy-tsy would resist the theft of my -shchi. The participants of the ex-pe-di-tion did not take with them the cove-che-ha for the remains of Niko-bark Chu-do-creator. One can assume that they expect to take the power along with the cancer and don’t expect to find a big one. yellow sar-ko-phage. For this reason, the pre-swi-te-rys verified the power of the Holy One into their regions and carefully carried them to them. slave This version is confirmed by the study of bones taken out in 1953 from a tomb in Ba- ri. Professor Lu-i-ji Mar-ti-no, who studied the remains of the saint, writes in his report about the research nii relics, that on the bones “we are re-re-lo-we in those places where they should be during rough ex-gu-ma-tion, due to the fact that the seas were in a hurry." The professor also noted that most likely, during the trans-portation of the remains, “a large area appeared on the bones - damage caused by mutual friction in all likelihood due to the fact that the bones were together you believe in the protective ma-te-ri-al.”
Also, the Italians took several large fragments of the sar-ko-fa-ga of the saint, which are like a great saint , later they were in the mon-ti-ro-va-ny “in the pre-stools of many temples in Italy.” Inspection of these fragments allows us to say with confidence that the false tomb you have placed in De-m-re, does not correspond to the color, size, and ma-te-ri-a-lu on the hundred-I-sar-ko-fa -ha. This is why we can confidently assert that to this day the coffin of Saint Nikolai has not been preserved. nil-xia.
It was decided that the priceless cargo would be taken on board by the co-mand, in which Mat-fei was standing. The ka-pi-tan of the chosen ship and his team swore that they would ensure the complete safety of the relics of the Holy They will not and will not take any actions “without a general decision of all participants” ex-pe -di-tion. As stated in the Trinity list of life, two monks from the temple remained in Mira, and two climbed aboard “and hundred with the might of Saint Niko-ly and po-i-do-sha in Bar grad.”
As soon as the Italians “placed powerful cabbage soup with great blessings in a very small de-re-van- "nom box" and as they got away from the shore, they saw the inhabitants running towards the shore of the sea The world, which was thrown into the sea, grabbed the weight and shouted: “Give it to your father.” she-go and gos-di-na na-she-go! . The Barians tried to “calm down” the local residents by leaving them with a coffin full of holy moisture from the relics of the saint -the-la, and the miraculously-creative icon of St. Nicholas. “Now it’s his will to leave from here, so that he can enlighten other parts of the world.” The people of Mir returned to the robbed temple and realized that some part of them remained laden in mi -ro. Fearing the new arrivals and robberies, they decided to again hide the holy remains under the floor, as you weren't half-but. Perhaps, in order to prevent the subsequent attempts to steal relics and confuse future saints -that-tat-tsev, the local residents decided to place a damaged sar-ko-phage taken from the Tsar at the temple -go necro-po-la, race-po-lo-zhen-no-go along the road-ro-gi to the port of An-dri-a-ke." They took him behind the coffin of St. Niko-bark, robbed the flaxen bari-tsa-mi, inside someone's-sta-vi-li co-judgment with the world from the relics of Saint Nikolai. This deception has continued in our time. This sar-ko-fag is still de-mon-stri-ru-yut in the temple-me-mu-zee of the modern city De-m-re, you-yes- wailing for the present coffin of Niko-barking Chu-do-creator. Ar-heo-lo-gi-che-studies on-ka-za-li that the saint could not have been for-ho-ro-nen or re-re-za -ho-ro-nen in the given ga-le-rei and in sar-ko-fa-ge, previously with-above-le-zhav-shy tongue-ni-ku.
Firstly, the building where the false tomb of Niko-barking Chu-do-creator is located, from the 8th century . This does not agree with you that in the V-VI centuries. over the za-ho-ro-no-holy there was a cha-so-owl, preserved during the re-construction of the com- pleksa in the 8th century.
Secondly, analysis of the plan of the church of the 8th century. in Mi-ry and the method of stone-laying they say that what-you-re ni-shi of the southern ha-le-rei of Ni-ko-la-ev -the temple was previously served by the ok-on-the-passage of the ga-le-rei or at-the-creation of the church. In the opposite case, the light would not penetrate into these places, but a beneficial relation to the relics Saint No. Wouldn't it be possible to place a shrine with relics in the window opening at the temple .
Thirdly, a divinely decorated coffin would hardly have been preserved -na in the period of iko-no-br-che-stva.
The return of the op-po-nen-tov, the side-ron-ni-kov of the is-tin-no-sti stored in the temple in De-m-re-sar- ko-fa-ga, without-basis-tel-ny. So, the traces inside the coffin supposedly came from the holy relics of the world and could not have been left by manna. In the chronicles it is said that the coffin of Niko-laya the Chu-do-creator was “filled with holy moisture”, and traces on the walls kah ex-po-ni-ru-e-my in the Nikolsky Temple the coffins don’t reach even a quarter of the volume. Transparent liquid, you are still the remains of Saint Nikolai, has a con-sistance, “I walk on the water of the mountain and leave no traces on the stone sar-ko-fa-ge in Ba -ri, made from imported stones from the World of Lykiy.
Also, to this day in Turkey, pa-lom-ni-kam and tu-ri-stam tell the local legend that “those in a hurry Italian merchants had a few bones”, and later “these parts were cared for in collaboration... live-the-la-mi World”, words in the la-rets, “which you-sta-la-et-sya in the museum of An-ta-lia”. This statement appears to you. In fact, the power was carried carefully, and the bones, you stood like ex-po-nat in the halls of the museum of art-heo- lo-gies, were the museum re-created by “a certain Italian in 1925?” In 2004, professor of su-deb-noy pa-to-logia France-che-sko In-tro-na studied the bones, ex-po-no-ru-e-my in Museum of An-ta-lia, and came to the conclusion that these bones do not correspond to the remains located in the tombs of Ba-ri and Ve-ne-tsiya, and, moreover, in the presence of a young man. In 2011 only how the remains of No-el Ba-ba were recognized as del-us. In connection with this, they were removed from the museum’s exposition.
The co-workers walked about another four-twenty miles to the island of Me-gi-sti. Yes, after walking about five miles, they would need you because of the strong wind to come close to the -right of Pa-tar, the city where Saint Ni-ko-lay was born. Once upon a storm and still close to the Mi-rams, it was necessary for the Bari-tsev to unmoor and anchor -that's in the bay near Per-dik-kei, three miles away. Because of the tormented bad seas, they decided that the saint does not give the blessing for the journey . Some of the seas proposed to leave the relics in Pa-ta-ry or return them to the Worlds. One of the team members suggested that part of the relics could have been stolen during the raising of the relics in the temple in Myra. Co-man-di-ry co-workers agreed with this and decided to gather all the participants of the company, obliging to swear on the Gospel, that you didn’t hide some particles from the holy relics of Niko-barking the Creator of the Miracle. Five of the sailors confessed to having stolen some part of the saint's remains when they were recovered from sar-ko-fa-ga in Mi-rah. So, “Gri-mo-ald admitted that he had taken two teeth” from the saint. “Here everything has been returned and all the members have been restored, each one has taken what he took.” In the morning the storm subsided, and the wind changed to a favorable one for swimming. The Ba-ri people understand that their sacred duty is to bring the relics of the saint intact to Bari.
When a co-slave, having traveled 75 miles, on April 18, 1087, reached Tra-hei-sko-go-go-li-va, one of the sea-coves along named Di-se-giy said that he saw a saint in a dream, who told him: “Don’t be afraid of any un-those.” lei. after twenty days we will all be in the city of Bari.” After a long journey in the evening, they reached the island of Milos, where they were given a good sign in -de-brave birds. Decided to build a durable temporary ark, “to place the sacred remains in it,” which was done la-no. Ra-ka presented herself with a small box, lined with precious fabric, at-re-ten in Antio-chia.
On Sunday morning, May 9, there were several boats on the shore from the right with the purpose of informing the spirit the inhabitants of the city talk about the arrival of the relics of the Great Saint. In the second half of the day, the news about the shrine “threw the whole city into confusion and delight. A population of all species and both of their fishes flocked to the port” to become a witness through -tiya. At this time, the head of the city, Duke Rodger, and the arch-bishop of Ur-sus, and the sea, were absent from the city. ki from-ka-za-lis-to-believe the remains of the saint-the little vel-mozham. The spirit-ho-ven-stvo decided to live in co-bo-re, but, according to the sailors, they promised at the same time , that he erected a venerable holy church on the territory of Ka-ta-pa-nii. The majority approved the promise of the brave cha-kov, others, perhaps, under the influence of the local spirit stvom, pre-la-ga-li to place the relics of St. Nikolay in the city so-bo-re. Wishing to peacefully eliminate the dis-glance, I-am-the-city-of-the-monastery-of-the-holy-Ben-ne- Dik-ta Elijah convinced Ka-pi-ta-nov to place the body of the saint in the church of his mo-na-sta-rya under the blue-de-ni-em in -armed security, until there is a window-decision on the place-of-the-sto-yan- but the remains of Saint Nikolai. To the ringing of the bells of all the city's temples, the relics of St. No. were transferred to the church John-on-the-be-not-dik-tin-sko-go-na-sta-rya, “where-we-were in those three days.” Immediately after the arrival of the relics of the holy site, “many healings flowed from them.” On May 12, 1087, Archbishop Ur-sul quickly arrived in the city and ordered the relics to be transferred to the city cathedral . But the excitement of the people and the armed skirmish between the na-se-le-ni-em and the army of the arch-hi-episco-pa, in -Where two people died, you-well-di-li Ur-su-la from this idea. Meanwhile, the seas, in co-leadership of the na-ro-yes, did you carry the relics of the Pleasure of God and put them in church of the holy mu-che-ni-ka Ev-sta-khiya on the territory of Ka-ta-pa-ni, courtyard “which is already here -lay down Duke Rod-zhe-ru, favored the right-of-va-mi of the pa-tro-na-tva,.. and became a member of the civil government -sti". Bla-go-da-rya this time has subsided. The arch-bishop gave permission to build a new temple. The construction was done according to ab-ba-tu Ilya. On July 8, 1087, the large-scale construction of a new church in honor of St. Nicholas began, for which it was necessary demolish several buildings, including several churches.
Glory about miracles and is-tse-le-ni-yahs that came from the relics of Saint Nikolai, quickly - rushed all over Europe. Many temples, monasteries and ancestors tried to take possession of parts of the relics of the Holy One. Carrying out divine sacrifices, many are counting on the transfer of parts of the powers.
So, in 1092, during the next meeting of Apu-lia, Baron William Pan-tulf received a gift from the bar-riy tsev “tooth of the great man” and two fragments from the sar-ko-fa-ga of Saint Niko-laya from Myra-Lykiy, someone -rye is taking them to their home in England. One day, the Barians, remembering the incident with the theft of fragments of the Saint’s body when he was lifted from the tomb in Mi -rah of the Li-kiy and further obstacles in the voyage until the full return to the hi-schen-go, as before vi-lo, from-ka-zy-va-li in the re-da-che of the particles of relics. This is a repeated attempt to steal parts of the relics already from Bari.
Several criminal crimes related to holiness have come down to us. One knight
by the name of Christophor, who took part in the organization of the re-re-no-sa relics of St. Ni-ko -laying, “tai-but hid in the ru-ka-ve part of the holy rib.” After this, he falls ill and retires to the monastery, where he sacrifices a puppy part.
In 1090, a certain Stefan, who had recently (1020) sung the mo-on of the city of An-zhe, in ancient times le-niu pra-vi-te-la go-ro-da and ab-ba-ta mo-na-sty-rya, “having taken off my mo-na-she-clothes, in-se- poured into Ba-ri and got a job as a scribe." Having entered into trust with the local servants of the church of St. Nicholas, he committed the theft of parts of the des- Nice, placed in a god-decorated silver reliquary. About-to-ru-alive from-the-absence-of-the-holy, the Ba-ri-tsy sent messengers throughout Italy and Sicily to prevent-rotation relocation of the saint to France. The borders crossed, and Stefan had to hide. He extracted the relics from the reliquary and sold the silver. But soon he was detained near the city of Ve-no-za, and the relics were transferred to the monastery of the Holy Trinity.
After this, it was decided to hide the remains of the saint and stop access to them. Local tradition reports that Saint Ni-ko-lai appeared in a dream to one monk and said: “Bla- Thanks to all the might of God, I came to you in the city of Bar; now I want my relics to be under the throne.” The will of the holy God-pleaser was used - his relics were placed under the altar table, where -during the present time.
Finally -tion was at the level of po-chi-ta-niya of the apo-sto-la Mark, the power of something on January 31, 829 were with-ve-ze -we are from Aleksandria. At that time, Ve-ne-tion pre-ten-do-va-la for sole-personal control in the Adri-a-ti-che-sea. The local nobility have long thought we-wa-la have re-established the body of the sea routes, so as to emphasize -know your po-li-ti-che-sky and military status, and also in-zi-tsi-o-ni-ro-va-nie yourself as a re-li-gi -oz-no-th center. By all appearances, the Ve-ne-tsi-an-tsy did not come to terms with the fact that the Bari-tsy were op-re-di-di-ing them in the Worlds. In Ve-netia they stated that the powers of the episcopal world in Lycia in Bari are not the whole -scrap of this pro-famous saint.” In 1099, Ve-ne-tion decided to take part in the Battle of the Cross, which pa-pa gave in 1095 in Claire-mont." The participants gathered together for prayer in the church of St. Nicholas on the island of Lido. In a solemn prayer to St. Niko-bark, Bishop En-ri-ko Kon-ta-ri-ni asks for the holy blessing -to say this “go and provide assistance in the creation of his holy body.” This is evidence that from the beginning we were on our way to fetch the relics of the saints -th Ni-ko-barking.
En-ri-ko Kon-ta-ri-ni sent one of the boxes from the al-ta-rya of St. John with a hundred gold coins to the temple, for the “arrangement -no damage to the temple.” At the end of the cross-hundred of thousands of miles, we arrived in Ve- nez-tion on December 6, 1101. After the solemn meeting of the es-kad-ry, the power of the holy Ni-ko-bark was lo-zhen-ny in good-ro-sho security-my tower “small church, that on the b-re-gu”. Fearing for the safety of the relics, you have strengthened security. Later, in 1628, the relics were placed above the altar in the church of St. Nicholas in Be-ne-dik-tin- skom mo-na-sty-re on the island of Li-do.
The Ba-ri-tsy always declared that the holy body was with them. Over the course of almost eight centuries since the creation of the relics of St. Ni- barking into the stone sar-ko-fag under the altar table of the lower church in Bari, no one could see the relics of the Chu-do-creator, unless only through a small round hole under the throne, and then only a fragment of bones. Because of this, the pe-ri-o-di-che-ski has no doubt about whether there are any powers inside the coffin. , or at least part of the episcopal world of Mir-li-kiy?” We-ne-tsi-an-tsy, on the contrary, wanting to assure the whole world that the mighty ones are on the island of Li-do, not -shortly opened the ra-ku with the powers:
On January 13, 1449, there was an opening of the cancer, in the course of something for the evi-de-tel-stvo -but the drainage of liquid from the relics;
On May 25, 1634, the bodies of St. Nikolay Ve-li-ko were confirmed, and the gr- would be in the marble sar-ko-fag over the al-ta-rem and for the evidence that the power of Niko-barking miracle-creator is before -make frag-men out of yourself, bones of a white color.
September 17, 1992 pro-iz-ve-de-na ex-per-ti-for-relics with the participation of pro-fes-so-ra Lu-i-ji Mar-ti- but, but this will be discussed below.
Unlike the saint's cancer in We-ne-tion, his sar-co-phage in Ba-ri was first discovered in 1953. From May 6, 1953 to May 6 1957 Ka-pi-tal work was carried out to strengthen the walls of the ba-zi-li-ki and crypt. “By the blessing of Pope Pius XII, ... the sar-ko-fag of St. Nicholas was opened; his remains, which had not been discovered since the day they were placed in the sar-ko-fag of pa-pa Ur-ban II, were carefully tel-but osvi-de-tel-stvo-va-ny. At the bottom of the sar-ko-fa-ga there was up to 2 cm of transparent liquid, similar to mountain water, exactly like that.” Professor Lu-i-ji Mar-ti-no was invited as an ex-per-tah to head the commission pro-div-shyu an-tro-po-met-ri-che-skie and an-tro-po-lo-gi-che-skie research of remains for “better-for-ni- ma-niya about-ra-for the saint of Niko-laya.”
In the process of ex-per-ti-zy, were you trying to restore the appearance of Saint Nikolai . Based on the results of the research, the following findings were made:
Saint Niko-lai consumed predominantly solid plant food and had a height of about 167 centimeters;
- “come-over-le-sent to the white Euro-peo-id-environment of the earth-sea race, for which the har-rak-ter-ny average height, dark skin, high forehead”, which corresponds to the traditional iconographic image nope.
The blessing of studying the remains of the saint, but the conclusion about the illnesses of the saint and their treatment -chi-nah. So, would the data about the imprisonment and torture of the saint be confirmed?
In Ve-ne-tion, in the temple of San Nik-ko-lo del Li-do from September to November 1992, another osvi-de the body of the relics of three saints brought from the World in the 12th century, including the Great One barking Chu-do-crea-tsa. The main reason for this ex-per-ti-zy is to study the remains in Ba-ri, which confirmed their affiliation with Niko-bark. In connection with this, the study of the remains stored on the island of Lido has become particularly important. Professor Lu-i-ji Mar-ti-no, who headed the expert team, took part in the study of the relics group in Ba-ri in 1953
During the work there were three wooden coffins, in one of which there were people the relics of Saint Nikolai Mir-li-kiy-sko-go. Among the relics in the coffin were:
A fragment of something, the affiliation of something to a given skeleton is not confirmed. In addition, he could not be part of the head of Niko-barking the miracle-worker, since “after mastering the It was known from cabbage soup in Bari that a whole holy skull lives there”; dark, flat, rounded stone with a Greek over-pi-sue: “The world’s powers are smi-ren-no-go- ko-bark";
Co-judgment with the world;
Antique coins from different years and other items.
As a result of the opening of the coffin, the following conclusions were made:
The bones have many over-the-lo-ms, which arose as a result of the haste of the Ba-riy seamen, and so -the same rude actions of Matthew when removing the remains from the tomb in Myra, and pretend to be a “big thing” -are there (more than five-hundred) pieces of grey-white color”;
The color of the mighty ones is due to the fact that, most likely, they “were for a long time under the influence of direct rays of the sun or stored in the environment,” which made the bones more fragile and vulnerable -mi;
On the left humerus and on the left tibia there are traces of bone material removal ri-la, perhaps these are traces of the removal of some fragment of bone for installation in the re-liquary and power -vi-ke, which indicates the ownership of the remains of a “great person”;
- “white bones, located in Li-do in Ve-ne-tion, correspond to the missing parts ske-le-ta in Ba-ri”, which agrees with the historical fact of the transfer of relics from Mir Li- Kiyskikh in Ba-ri at the end of the 11th century. and in Venice in the 12th century, and also confirms the authenticity of the remains of Saint Nicholas.
Ve-ne-tsia and Ba-ri, smallpox-possession of the power of Saint Nikolai at Myra-Ly-Kiy-skikh, pre-following -whether not only re-li-gi-oz-nye, but also completely secular goals - the establishment of dominion and prestige on Adri-a-ti -che-sea. In the Middle Ages, it appeared as a maritime gateway to central and northern Europe, through which they passed wars, weapons and riches. Having in the city the power of naval ships, they live about not only mo-lith- ve-no-ka before God, but also a powerful symbol of power, which for real-li-gi-oz-but-for-li-ti-che-views is At the time it was a matter of honor.
The study of domestic and foreign scientific research based on the fact that, despite the knowledge chi-tel-ny in-te-res is-to-ri-kov and god-words to ras-smat-ri-va-e-my na-mi-te-me, in-te-re- The sphere that exists for us as a whole has remained outside the attention of scientists. In this work we are talking about the analysis and the unity of different texts in the description of the use to-rii of the relics of Niko-laya Chu-do-creator; before-trying to si-ste-ma-ti-zi-ro-vate and look at it in a chro-no-lo-gi-che-che-sko-series-ke-fak- you're talking about the re-re-re-relics of St. Nicholas, described in the Middle Ages chronicles; with-by-sta-vi-li-for-ma-tion from written sources -no-I-mi and the-li-ti-che-skoy-sta-new-coy in Ve-ne-tion, Bar-ri and Lycia from the-next-of-my-centuries. All the above-mentioned things are of great importance for the development of thesis about without-al-ter-na-tive the truth of events in the examined texts.
On the basis of ar-heo-lo-gi-che-research and analysis of chronicles, according to the news about pe- re-ne-se-nii remains in Ba-ri and Ve-ne-tsiyu, in this work it was determined-de-le-but the place is first-in-first -but for the-ho-ro-ne-niya of the Chu-do-creator, where later the Bari-tsy and the Ve-ne-tsi-an-tsy about-re Are the holy relics of Niko-laya Mir-li-kiy-skogo. It also refuted the popular opinion about the tomb, in which the saint allegedly was buried -ti-tel.
As a result, we were able to briefly, but maximally but accurately, live the history of the relics of the holy Ni-ko -laya, as well as to create information about historical personalities and geo-graphic na-name-ni-yah, mention-me-well-tyh in connection with the subject of the time-bi-ra-e-my na-mi those-we. Analysis of the exact-ni-kovs and ana-to-mi-che-studies of the pro-de-mon-stri-ro-val for us unity and non-pro-ti -re-chi-vost from the chro-no-logia of the co-being.
Deacon Dionisy Kuprichenkov
Notes
“Choice of Saint Ni-ko-laya ar-hi-episco-pom of the city of Mira from-no-sit-sya near-zi-tel- but by 300.” (Bu-ga-ev-sky A.V., Vla-di-mir Zo-rin, ar-chem. Saint Niko-lay, ar-hi-bishop of the World of Li-kiy , The Great Chu-do-creator: his life, his movements and miracles, explained according to the ancient Greeks, la- teen and Slavic ru-ko-pi-syam (hereinafter - Saint Niko-lai, arch-bishop of the World Ly-kian, Veli- cue Chu-do-tvorets...). M. 2001. P. 18). The saint was captured, tortured and thrown into prison, where he spent quite a long time - from the beginning of the go-ne-niy of Dio-kle-ti-a-na (302) until his liberation in 311 or 313 (see ibid. P. 22 ). In such a way, saint no-sit ti-tul Ar-hi-epi-sko-pa Mir of Lykiy for 35 years, 11 of whom- he spent a long time in prison. In fact, he was at the department from 300 to 302, and from 311 to 335.
Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, miracle worker (transfer of relics from Myra of Lycia to Bari). Information about the life was posted on December 6.
In the 11th century, the Greek Empire was going through difficult times. The Turks devastated her possessions in Asia Minor, ravaged cities and villages, killing their inhabitants, and accompanied their cruelties by insulting holy temples, relics, icons and books. Muslims attempted to destroy the relics of St. Nicholas, deeply revered by the entire Christian world.
In 792, Caliph Aaron Al-Rashid sent the commander of the fleet, Humaid, to plunder the island of Rhodes. Having devastated this island, Humaid went to Myra Lycia with the intention of breaking into the tomb of St. Nicholas. But instead of it, he broke into another one, which stood next to the tomb of the Saint. The sacrilege had barely managed to do this when a terrible storm arose at sea and almost all the ships were broken.
The desecration of shrines outraged not only Eastern, but also Western Christians. Christians in Italy, among whom there were many Greeks, were especially afraid for the relics of St. Nicholas. Residents of the city of Bari, located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, decided to save the relics of St. Nicholas.
In 1087, noble and Venetian merchants went to Antioch to trade. Both of them planned to take the relics of St. Nicholas on the way back and transport them to Italy. In this intention, the inhabitants of Bari were ahead of the Venetians and were the first to land at Myra. Two people were sent ahead, who, upon returning, reported that everything was quiet in the city, and in the church where the greatest shrine rested, they met only four monks. Immediately 47 people, armed, went to the temple of St. Nicholas, the guard monks, not suspecting anything, showed them the platform, under which the tomb of the saint was hidden, where, according to custom, strangers were anointed with myrrh from the relics of the saint. At the same time, the monk told one elder about the appearance of St. Nicholas the day before. In this vision, the Saint ordered that his relics be preserved more carefully. This story inspired the nobles; They saw for themselves in this phenomenon the permission and, as it were, an indication of the Holy One. To facilitate their actions, they revealed their intentions to the monks and offered them a ransom of 300 gold coins. The watchmen refused the money and wanted to notify the residents of the misfortune that threatened them. But the aliens tied them up and placed their guards at the doors. They smashed the church platform, under which stood a tomb with relics. In this matter, the young man Matthew was particularly zealous, wanting to discover the relics of the Saint as quickly as possible. In impatience, he broke the lid and the nobles saw that the sarcophagus was filled with fragrant holy myrrh. The barians' compatriots, presbyters Luppus and Drogo, performed a litany, after which the same Matthew began to extract the relics of the Saint from the sarcophagus overflowing with the world. This happened on April 20, 1087.
Due to the absence of the ark, Presbyter Drogo wrapped the relics in outer clothing and, accompanied by the nobles, carried them to the ship. The liberated monks told the city the sad news about the theft of the relics of the Wonderworker by foreigners. Crowds of people gathered on the shore, but it was too late...
On May 8, the ships arrived in Bari, and soon the good news spread throughout the city. The next day, May 9, the relics of St. Nicholas were solemnly transferred to the Church of St. Stephen, located not far from the sea. The celebration of the transfer of the shrine was accompanied by numerous miraculous healings of the sick, which aroused even greater reverence for the great saint of God. A year later, a church was built in the name of St. Nicholas and consecrated by Pope Urban II.
The event associated with the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas aroused special veneration of the Wonderworker and was marked by the establishment of a special holiday on May 9. At first, the feast of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas was celebrated only by residents of the Italian city of Bari. In other countries of the Christian East and West it was not accepted, despite the fact that the transfer of relics was widely known. This circumstance is explained by the custom of honoring mainly local shrines, characteristic of the Middle Ages. In addition, the Greek Church did not establish a celebration of this memory, because the loss of the relics of the Saint was a sad event for it.
The Russian Orthodox Church established the commemoration of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari on May 9 shortly after 1087 on the basis of the deep, already established veneration by the Russian people of the great saint of God, who crossed over from Greece simultaneously with the adoption of Christianity. The glory of the miracles performed by the Saint on land and at sea was widely known to the Russian people. Their inexhaustible power and abundance testify to the special gracious help of the great saint to suffering humanity. The image of the Saint, the all-powerful Wonderworker and benefactor, became especially dear to the heart of the Russian people, because he instilled deep faith in him and hope for his help. Countless miracles marked the faith of the Russian people in the inexhaustible help of the Pleasant of God. In Russian writing, significant literature about him was compiled very early. Tales of the miracles of the Saint performed on Russian soil began to be written down in ancient times. Soon after the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari Grad, a Russian edition of the life and the story of the transfer of his holy relics, written by a contemporary of this event, appeared. Even earlier, a word of praise to the Wonderworker was written. Every week, every Thursday, the Russian Orthodox Church especially honors his memory.
Numerous churches and monasteries were erected in honor of St. Nicholas, and Russian people named their children after him at Baptism. Numerous miraculous icons of the great Saint have been preserved in Russia. The most famous among them are the images of Mozhaisk, Zaraisk, Volokolamsk, Ugreshsky, Ratny. There is not a single house and not a single temple in the Russian Church in which there would not be an image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The meaning of the gracious intercession of the great saint of God is expressed by the ancient compiler of the life, according to whom St. Nicholas “worked many great and glorious miracles on earth and on the sea, helping those in trouble and saving them from drowning, and from the depths of the sea to wear dry, delighting them from corruption and bringing into the house, delivering from bonds and prisons, interceding from the sword beating and freeing from death, giving much healing to many: sight to the blind, walking to the lame, hearing to the deaf, speaking to the dumb. He enriched many in the squalor and poverty of the last suffering, gave food to the hungry and was a ready helper for everyone in every need, a warm intercessor and a quick intercessor and defender, and he helped others who called upon him and delivered them from troubles. The East and West know the news of this great Wonderworker, and all the ends of the earth know his miracles.”
This holiday is a table holiday for the Konstantin-Eleninsky convent, one of the churches of which is dedicated to St. Nicholas.
The abbess of the monastery, Abbess Hilarion (Feoktistova) and her sisters went to Bari to honor the memory of the great saint and for a prayer service at the resting place of his holy relics.
Troparion of St. Nicholas, tone 4:The day of a bright celebration has arrived, / the city of Barsky rejoices, / and with it the entire universe rejoices / with songs and spiritual songs: / today is a sacred celebration / in the presentation of the honorable and multi-healing relics / of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, / like the unsetting sun, rising with radiant rays, / dispelling the darkness of temptations and troubles / from those who cry out truly // save us, as our representative, the great Nicholas.
In Konstantino-Eleninsky convent one of the churches is dedicated to St. Nicholas, a piece of his holy relics and a wonderful icon with his image are also kept there, and the walls are decorated with paintings that tell about the deeds of St. Nicholas. A small, cozy and, as they say, prayerful temple.
The Legend of the Transfer of the Relics of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra
(Expounded on the Lives of Saints by St. Demetrius of Rostov)
In the summer of 1087, under the Greek king Alexy Komnenos and under the Patriarch of Constantinople Nicholas Grammar, during the reign of Vsevolod Yaroslavich in Russia in Kyiv and his son Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh in Chernigov, the Ishmaelites invaded the Greek region, both from both sides of the sea . They went through all the cities and villages, ... cut off men, took women and children captive and burned houses and property. Churches and monasteries were deserted. Then the Myra of Lycia were devastated, in which the body of St. Nicholas rested, a precious and all-honorable body that worked wondrous and glorious miracles... But our Lord Jesus Christ could not allow the relics of the saint to rest in a desolate place and not be glorified by anyone , according to what is said in Scripture: “let the saints triumph in glory” (Ps. 149:5); and again: “Glory will be to all His saints” (Ps. 149:9).
In the city of Bari, which then belonged to the Normans, there lived a certain presbyter, Christ-loving and righteous. Saint Nicholas appeared to him in a dream and said: “Go and tell the citizens and the entire church council to go to the city of Myra, take me from there and put me here, for I cannot stay there in a desolate place. This is the will of the Lord."
Having said this, the saint became invisible. Waking up in the morning, the presbyter told everyone his former vision. They rejoiced and said: “Now the Lord has magnified His mercy on His people and on our city, for He has vouchsafed us to receive His saint, Saint Nicholas.”
They immediately chose reverent and God-fearing men from among them and sent them in three ships to retrieve the relics of the saint.
Having sailed to Antioch, ...they learned that the Venetians who were there wanted to warn them and take the relics of St. Nicholas. Immediately the nobles set off in haste, arrived at Myra in Lycia and landed at the city pier.
Having conceived a matter to save themselves and their city, they armed themselves and entered the church of St. Nicholas. Here they saw four monks and asked them where the relics of St. Nicholas rested. They showed them the place of the shrine. The barians dug up the church platform and found a shrine, full of peace. They poured myrrh into a vessel, and took the relics of the saint and carried them to the ship, then sailed away. Two monks remained in Myra, and two accompanied the relics of St. Nicholas. They departed from the city of Mir in the month of April on the 11th day, and arrived in the city of Bari in the month of May on the 9th day, on Sunday evening.
Seeing that they had arrived from the city of Mir with the relics of St. Nicholas, all the inhabitants of the city of Bari, men and wives, from young to old, came out to meet the saint with candles and incense, received the relics with joy and great honor and placed them in the Church of St. John the Baptist at seas.
The relics of the saint performed many miracles here. And they brought many gifts to the saint. Seeing his glorious miracles, the citizens were filled with great joy, created a great and beautiful church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and forged a gilded silver shrine for his relics. In the third summer after the transfer of the relics from Myra Lycia, at the request of the inhabitants of Bari, Pope Urban arrived in the city with his bishops and the entire church clergy to transfer the relics of St. Nicholas. They placed the relics of the saint in a silver shrine, then the bishops and nobles transferred it to the new church and placed it in the altar, on the 9th day of May. They also moved the saint’s dilapidated coffin, in which he had been brought from Mir, placed the coffin in the church and placed in it part of the hand from the saint’s relics. Many people came and worshiped the saint, kissing his relics and the shrine. Pope Urban, the bishops and all the citizens created a great holiday and glorification of the saint on that day, which they continue to this day.
