According to the Orthodox church calendar, the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworkermarked twice: May 9/May 22 (transfer of relics) and December 6/December 19 (burial day). People call these days Nikola Spring and Nikola Winter. They refer to permanent holidays, that is, with a fixed date. In Rus', which since ancient times has revered this saint as one of the most beloved among the people, he had several names: Nicholas the Wonderworker, Nicholas the Pleasant, St. Nicholas, Nicholas of Myra. Thus, people in their nicknames wanted to reflect his services to the Savior and the wonderful, varied help that he provided to believers during his life and after death. In addition to these two holidays, the church honors his memory every Thursday, every week.
Celebration of the Dormition of St. Nicholas. Nikola winter
It is difficult for a modern, unchurched person to understand the combination of the words holiday and burial. Death, if it is the end of everything, is a deafening grief, a catastrophe. But the Feast of the Assumption, the day of remembrance of any believer, is a day of celebration in the Orthodox Church.After all, according to Christian teaching, only after death does the most important meeting await us - the meeting with the Creator. The righteous rejoice at this event and prepare for it throughout their earthly life. And the church rejoices for them.
Feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in December- this is the day of the Assumption of St. Nicholas, this is his birth into eternal life.
Celebration of the transfer of relics. Nikola spring
This spring holiday for believers appeared after the death of Nicholas the Ugodnik. It is connected with the preservation of the incorruptible relics of the Saint, which were kept in the Greek city of Mir. There are several versions of this event. Here is one of them.
In XI century, the Turks launched raids on Greek lands, plundered and devastated Asia Minor, where the city of Myra Lycian lay. Muslims killed “infidels,” insulted churches and wanted to destroy the relics of St. Nicholas. By mistake, they opened a nearby tomb, and immediately a storm arose of such force that it destroyed all the enemy ships. The desecration of the shrine worried all Christians of the world. Residents of the city of Bari decided to save the holy relics and take them to a safe place in Italy. Experts argue about whether the shrine was taken kindly or whether it was stolen from the church on the sly, but the point is that the relics were almost completely transported to the city of Bari, where they are still worshiped by all believers. The part of the shrine that remained in Greece was later transported to Venice and stored there.
The entire Christian world accepted the rescue of the relics from destruction as a holiday. Only the Greek Church does not consider him as such. For them, this is rather a sad event. The Russian Orthodox Church has established the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in May since 1087
: 9th according to the old style, 22nd according to the new style. On this day, the Barians with a valuable burden safely set foot on their native shore.About Nicholas of Myra
Many centuries have passed since the time when Saint Nicholas lived on earth and did his good deeds. Love for him gives rise to a desire in people to learn more about him, and not only as a miracle worker, but also as a simple person. After his death, people received more information than during his lifetime. He lived in his own inner world and did not like to talk about the good deeds he had done.
Scientists, using modern scientific achievements, examining relics and documents, archaeological finds and anthropological data, report new facts, which is very important for all Christians.
It is known that Nicholas was born in the middle of III
century. He died on December 6 in 345-351, it has not yet been established exactly. But it is December 6th according to the old style that is celebrated.Anthropologists confirm that icon painters accurately convey the appearance of St. Nicholas the Pleasant. He was a short man, 167-168 centimeters tall, with a strong build. His skin was dark, his forehead high, his eyes brown. Studies of the relics showed that he was a strict faster, eating only plant foods. His illnesses were characteristic of a man who had been in prison for a long time. Injuries and fractures indicate torture on the rack.
Ancient manuscripts about St. Nicholas, still carefully studied by specialists, describe events from his life that are confirmed by historical sources. But it was found that some information about Nikolai Ugodnik (IVcentury) were borrowed from the life of St. Nicholas of Pinar, who also lived in Lycia two centuries later. It is assumed that the census takers erroneously concluded that these were the same person. Perhaps some changes will be made to the biography of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, but beloved by Orthodox believersFeasts of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Mayand December will remain revered forever.
Biography. "The Sun Rising Over the Ends of the Earth"
Nikolai's parents were wealthy people, which allowed them to give their son a good education. The religious Christian family did not object to the boy’s passion for studying the Holy Scriptures. He prayed and read a lot, often staying in the temple overnight. His uncle, the bishop of the city of Patara, supported Nicholas on this path and after some time elevated him to the rank of priest.
After the death of his parents, Nicholas distributed his inheritance to people, and he himself, continuing his modest life, served the church. He ruled the diocese of the city of Patara in place of his uncle when he left for Palestine. His flock fell in love with him for his kindness, generous help and selflessness. And most importantly, he tried to do good secretly, hiding it from people, not expecting, not wanting enthusiasm and noise about it.
Biography. “To live not for oneself, but for others”
At this time, local bishops gathered in the city to elect a new bishop to replace the deceased. The oldest of them had a vision that he should be the first person to enter the church in the morning named Nikolai. And so it happened. Having taken over the administration of the Myra diocese, Nicholas realized that the Lord wanted him to live not for himself, but for others. He did just that, because people on the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworkerthank him in their prayers.
During the years of persecution, when Emperor Diocletian destroyed churches, burned church books, and threw priests into prison, St. Nicholas supported his flock in the faith, glorifying the name of God. Thrown into prison, he strengthened the faith of people there too. When the emperor changed, Nicholas again headed the secular diocese.
People loved their Archbishop Nicholas very much. Meek, fair and kind, he became an irreconcilable fighter against heresy, paganism and blasphemy. Having lived to a ripe old age, Saint Nicholas the Pleasant, the Wonderworker, died on December 6, 345-351. On a holiday whenpeople remember his name, everyone feels warmer.
Acts and miracles of St. Nicholas
The saint helped people all his life. Sometimes his good deeds could only be explained by a miracle. And after his death, he continued to care for believers, working miracles.
In the biography of the saint there is a story about how he saved three young dowry girls from dishonor and sin.Nobody married them. Then the father wanted them to earn money for themselves by taking the path of fornication. Nikolai decided that he would not allow this, but he would not give himself away either. He threw a bag of gold coins into their house. After making sure that the father had married off his eldest daughter, he threw bags of money for the other two daughters. His father waylaid him and began to thank him, but Nikolai told him not to tell this story to anyone.
The saint is distinguished by his readiness to help all those in need, especially weak people and children. That is why all Orthodox believers honor the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.. Innocently convicted and slandered people are also under his special protection; he willingly responds to their prayers for help. In addition, he is a recognized peacemaker.
It is known that the most ancient texts about him are kept in the libraries of Vienna and Oxford. A manuscript written in IVcentury, shortly after the death of the Saint. It is called “The Act of the Stratilates.” The imperial soldiers, whom Constantine sent to pacify one of the rebellions, were delayed in the city of Mir due to a storm at sea. Their quarrel with the residents flared up. Nicholas of Myra reconciled everyone and invited the leaders of the warriors to visit him. At this time, people came running to him with the news that three residents of the city had been arrested, who were not involved in anything bad, but they were ordered to be executed. Nikolai Ugodnik, with the help of the stratilates, managed to stop the execution, saved people, and predicted victory over the rebels for the soldiers. At parting, he told them to turn to God for help in case of trouble.
The story continued. When the victors-stratilates returned to Constantinople, they were slandered, imprisoned and about to be beheaded. Remembering Nicholas’s order, the soldiers prayed to the Lord for help.
Nicholas miraculously appeared to the emperor and demanded the release of the innocent stratilates. Constantine, having sorted it out, released them, promoted them and punished the slanderers. The warriors became the spiritual children of the saint.
The legend about why there are two holidays of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker a year
One day Saints Nicholas the Pleasant and Kasyan were walking along the road. They look, the cart is stuck in the mud, and the man is exhausted, pulling it out. He saw them and asked Kasyan for help. He refused: the clothes would get dirty. And Nikolai immediately reached into the mud and helped push the cart onto the road.
The saints came to God. He asked why one was so dirty, and the second was clean and elegant. And when I heard Kasyan’s story, I got angry. Since then, the holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworkertwice a year, and for Kasyan once every four years - February 29.
Veneration in Rus' of St. Nicholas of Myra
All people in Rus' know the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. His patronage extended, as mentioned above, to those sailing and traveling, to the insulted and slandered. And also for “all the orphaned and wretched,” for cattle breeding and agriculture, he was also considered the “guardian of the earth’s waters.”
It was the Russian people who, after the death of the Saint, added two nicknames to his name - Nikolai the Wonderworker and Nikolai the Ugodnik. But more miracles began to happen after his death than during his life. It is not for nothing that every believer knew well, by honoring St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, what numbers holiday saint Many works are devoted to the description of the life and exploits of the Saint, with XV centuries, they are also in Russian. And he became more understandable to people, and therefore loved even more.
Miracles of St. Nicholas for Russian people
In XI century in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, Nicholas the Pleasant, as one of the most revered saints, was represented by a mosaic canvas of extraordinary beauty.
Miraculous icons of St. Nicholas the Ugodnik were found on Russian lands. At the beginning of XI
century, on the Lipno island of Lake Ilmen, an icon was found that cured the Novgorod prince Mstislav. And in XIII century, a priest from Korsun, on the instructions of Nicholas, transported the icon of the Saint from the church where Prince Vladimir was baptized to the city of Zaraysk, near Ryazan. Called "Nikola Zaraisky", she became famous for many miracles.In XIII - XIV centuries, the Mongol-Tatars besieged the city of Mozhaisk. The residents prayed to Nicholas the Wonderworker for help, and he appeared before the enemy army, frightening and driving them away. The main city cathedral of the city is named St. Nicholas. From somewhere a wooden sculpture of St. Nicholas appeared and began to perform miracles. Many icons were painted in honor of this miracle, where the Saint has a sword in his right hand and a temple in his left. The icon began to be called “Nicholas of Mozhaisk”.
The list of miracles can be continued for a long time, but the most important thing is that the people believe in the power and help of the saint, love him and simply call him Nikola or Mikola. And, of course, everyone is revered by the Orthodox
holidays of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.Good grandfather Nikolai
Nicholas the Wonderworker, loving all people, especially took care of children, taking them under his protection. From an early age, the children turned to him in their prayers for help, and they received this help. Therefore, there was nothing strange in the fact that parents on December 6/December 19, the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworkergave gifts to their children in his name. Knowing that he did good in secret, they placed gifts for the children while they were sleeping. They also remembered the story of how Nikolai threw bags of gold into the house of the girls he was saving from shame. One of the bags landed in a stocking drying by the fireplace, and parents began to put children's gifts in stockings or socks.
This is how the kind grandfather Santa Claus appeared among people (Santa is a saint, Klaus is Nikolai). The kids believed in him, loved him, and their parents knew what to do on the holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker,
so that the child is happy. But during the Reformation XVI - XVII For centuries, the veneration of saints was frowned upon in European countries. Children were now given gifts in the name of Jesus Christ. And not on the 6th, but on the 24th of December, during the Christmas holidays.Later, Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, again became the donor, but the number was no longer transferred. So people began to invent fairy tales for children about their most beloved and kind saint.Nicholas the Wonderworker. Holiday, signs and customs
They looked at the weather for Nikola in winter; it determined the future for the whole year. If there was frost, it means that there will be no thaw in the winter. If tree branches are covered in snow or frost, it means there will be a good wheat harvest. It was believed that real winter began on this day.
Everyone definitely went to the temple. On this day, prayers to the saint have great power. You can ask Nicholas the Pleasant for healing, creating or strengthening a family, love and remission of sins.
Beer was brewed for this day. Then the peasants treated each other and had fun. They made sure to give some of the food to the poor. On this day, matchmaking was a good omen.
Feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Spring is also rich in signs about the weather. If frogs croak on this day, there will be a good harvest. Rain will bring happiness this year. By washing your face with dew on Nikola, you will be healthy all year long. Alder blossoms on this day promised good luck in commercial affairs.On this holiday people prayed for healing, for a happy marriage, for the forgiveness of sins. They drove the cattle out to pasture for the first time, and the whole village came out to watch it. And in the evening there were festivities.
Nicholas the Wonderworker is probably the most revered of the saints after the Virgin Mary. He performed and still performs miracles during his earthly life, helps people, responds to various prayers and requests for help.
God's Pleasant Nikolai helps travelers (once the saint, with the help of prayers, managed to escape the sea that almost sank a ship).
The saint is asked for a successful marriage of his daughters (he secretly donated money to their father for a dowry, thereby providing him with great help - saving the family from shame).
The saint was a deliverer from vain death, reconciled enemies, defended innocently convicted people ().
Saint Nicholas, God's Pleasant, helps in healing from illnesses; people pray to him for the well-being and preservation of peace in the family, for the intercession of children. He provides assistance in getting rid of poverty and in many difficult life situations.
It must be remembered that icons or saints do not “specialize” in any specific areas. It will be right when a person turns with faith in the power of God, and not in the power of this icon, this saint or prayer.
And .
NICHOLAS THE WONDERWORKER— A STUDY ABOUT LIFE
In 1953-1957 Radiological studies of the remains of Nicholas's relics were carried out. It turned out that the iconographic image of the saint corresponds to his portrait image, which was reconstructed from the skull from the Bar tomb. It also became possible to determine Nikolai’s height – 167 cm.
There is a lot of information on the Internet about St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. But, unfortunately, after research it became clear that the life of the holy archbishop is mistakenly intertwined with the life of another saint, whose name was Nicholas of Pinar (VI century). Both saints lived in Lycia, but at different times. For example, the two-hour standing in the baptismal font attributed to the Pleasant of God was carried out by St. Nicholas of Pinar, and it was his uncle, the bishop, and not the Wonderworker.
You can learn more about the life of the most famous saint from the book “St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra, the Great Wonderworker,” which presents the most accurate facts after the research of A.V. Bugaevsky and Archimandrite Vladimir Zorin. Publishing house TABERNACLE, Moscow 2001.
THE LIFE OF THE HOLY DESIGNER
There is no exact time when Nikolai was born. Researchers believe that the saint was born in 260 in Lycia in the city of Patara (now the provinces of Antalya and Mugla in modern Turkey).
Immediately after birth, unusual things for babies began to happen to the saint - on Wednesdays and Fridays he took mother’s milk only once a day. And then, throughout his life, the saint spent Wednesday and Friday, according to Christian customs, in strict fasting.
When Nikolai grew up and began to study, he showed an aptitude for science, but he showed a special love for knowledge of the Divine Scripture. Presumably, we can conclude that Nicholas the Wonderworker studied the Laws of God privately, with one of the priests. At that time the empire was still pagan, and it is unlikely that Christian schools could exist then. They began to open during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great (306-337), when St. Nicholas was already about 40 years old.
Saint Nicholas always listened to his God-fearing parents; all the habits inherent in young people of his age were alien to Nicholas the Wonderworker. He avoided idle conversations with his peers and did not take part in various fun and entertainment that were incompatible with virtue. Nikolai excluded theatrical performances from his life forever. After all, at that time many theatrical performances were of an obscene nature, and actresses, according to Roman law, were equated with harlots.
The bishop of the city of Patara knew and respected the pious young man Nicholas and contributed to his ordination to the priesthood. After being ordained, he began to treat his life even more strictly.
After the saint's parents died, he inherited a large fortune from them. But wealth did not bring him the same joy as communication with God, so the Wonderworker asked Him to show him how best to manage his money.
It is known that with the help of Archbishop Nicholas, his neighbor saved himself and his three daughters from shame. Until recently, this family was wealthy, but circumstances led to the fact that this neighbor became a beggar and he even began to think about his children starting to engage in fornication and earn a living. By chance, the saint managed to find out about this, and he decided to help this family.
But he decided to do his good deed secretly, as it is written in the Gospel:
“Be careful not to do your alms in front of people so that they can see you” (Matthew 6:1).
At night Nicholas the Wonderworker secretly placed a bag of money in a neighbor's window, and when the poor man found the gold, he immediately thought about God's help. This money went towards the dowry of the eldest daughter, who soon got married.
Soon Saint Nicholas decided to help his neighbor’s middle daughter and again threw him a bundle of money. When the unfortunate father again found money, he began to pray to the Lord to reveal a savior to him. When the poor man celebrated his second wedding, he realized that the Lord would give him help for the marriage of his third daughter. And then one day the saint of God decided to help his neighbor for the third time and again gave him money. But this time the owner caught up with the night guest, learned that it was Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, and fell at his feet, thanking the saint for a long time, who asked not to tell anyone that it was his help, so that no one would know about it good deed. 
This act gave rise to a tradition in the Christian world in which children on Christmas morning find gifts secretly brought at night by Nicholas, who in the West is called Santa Claus.
Time passed, the parishioners fell in love with Nicholas. The ruling bishop, in public, ordained him a presbyter, saying the following words:
“Brothers! I see a new sun rising over the earth. Blessed is the flock that is worthy of having him as their shepherd, for he will shepherd the souls of the lost, satisfy them in the pastures of piety, and appear as a merciful helper in troubles and sorrows.”
After St. Nicholas became a presbyter, many sources describe the Wonderworker’s trip to the Holy Sepulcher. But according to, we can conclude that there is a mistake; in fact, this story is about Nikolai Pinarsky.
Soon the head of the Church in Lycia died. The deceased bishop led a righteous life, was very loved by his flock, he was revered as a saint, so in his place they were looking for someone like him, who was not inferior to him in piety. One of the bishops at the Council suggested asking God for help and said that through their prayers the Lord would help them find a new primate.
After this decision, one of the participants in the Council had a night vision, in which the Lord suggested that the person who would be the first in the church in the morning should be appointed archbishop. This person will have a name - Nikolai. The first thing in the morning in the vestibule of the temple was a man who, when asked by the bishop about his name, answered:
“My name is Nikolai, I am a slave of your holiness, lord.”
The bishop was very pleased with such humility and meekness, and he happily introduced the future archbishop to the clergy and people.
At first, Saint Nicholas tried to refuse such an honor, but having learned about the revelation from above, he saw God’s will in this and agreed. At the same time, he, realizing the responsibility he had taken on before people and the Lord, told himself that now he needed to live to save others, and not just himself.
Nicholas the Wonderworker was elected archbishop of the city of Myra around 300. Despite his high position, he still remained for his flock a model of humility, meekness and love for people.
The saint's clothing was simple and modest, Saint Nicholas did not have any jewelry, he took Lenten food once a day, often interrupting or canceling his simple meal in order to help someone who needed his advice or help.
During the beginning of the ministry of Nicholas the Wonderworker as a bishop, in 302, the Roman Empire organized the extermination of Christians. By orders of the rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Christians were supposed to renounce their faith and become idolaters. Of course, Saint Nicholas did not do this and therefore, after living on earth for about 50 years, he ended up in prison, where he was subjected to torture on the rack and other tortures. 
Cruelty towards Christians did not lead to the desired results and little by little, starting in 308, persecution began to weaken. In 311, shortly before the death of Emperor Maximian, a decree was promulgated banning the persecution of Christians.
As a result of radiological studies of the relics of St. Nicholas, bone abnormalities were discovered, characteristic of people who were under the influence of dampness and cold for a long time. This confirms that Saint Nicholas was kept in custody for a long time, most likely more than one year. But the Lord kept His chosen one because he was destined to become a luminary and a great pillar of the Church for his deeds and miracles.
When Nicholas the Wonderworker was released from prison (about 311), the saint again returned to his service to the Lord in the city of Myra, where, as a martyr, he again continued to heal human passions and illnesses.
But more than once in Lycia, persecution of Christians was renewed, which continued until 324, when the Great Equal-to-the-Apostles King Constantine finally defeated the ruler of Licinius and united the previously divided state into a powerful empire.
In Myra, as well as throughout the Roman Empire, there remained many pagan sanctuaries, which, out of habit, were worshiped by some of the townspeople. Saint Nicholas, taking advantage of the favor of Tsar Constantine towards the Church of Christ, began to wage an irreconcilable struggle against paganism. In those days, this required considerable strength and courage, because at that time there were still many fans of paganism, which even Emperor Constantine could not ban due to the risk of a state rebellion.
In addition, the enemy of the human race tried to test the Christian Church with another scourge - the Arian heresy. Presbyter Arius created his theory, according to which Christ was a lesser God than God the Father and had a different essence, and the Holy Spirit was subordinate to Him. In addition, several more sects and movements arose that were fraught with danger for Christians, and therefore Emperor Constantine decided to convene the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, at which the main provisions of the Orthodox faith were adopted and the Creed was born. The Arian heresy was also condemned.
Nikolai Ugodnik - .
In St. Petersburg, not far from the place where the waters of the Kryukov and Catherine Canals meet, a slender four-tiered bell tower shines with a gilded spire.
Five chapters of the majestic shine behind it. It is not called marine by chance. In the 18th century, here, on the southwestern outskirts of St. Petersburg, the barracks of the so-called Life Guards of the naval crew were built. The sailors who made up the best part of the Russian fleet lived in them. The cathedral, whose construction was completed in 1762, became the main “sea” temple in Russia. Services were held there during the laying of new ships, when sea expeditions were sent, and when ships returned from a long voyage.
It was in this cathedral that sailors were commemorated, for whom the waters of the sea became their grave. This is one of the few Russian Orthodox churches that has never been closed. Its traditions are still alive. In 1989, the sailors of the sunken submarine “Komsomolets” were commemorated in the St. Nicholas Cathedral, and in 2000 memorial plaques with the names of the sailors who died on the submarine “Kursk” were installed there. The main shrine of the cathedral is considered to be one of the icons, painted in the 17th century. On it is a handsome old man with the high forehead of a sage and clear eyes. A miter covers his head, and the Holy Scriptures are in his left hand. This Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. His name has long been firmly associated with the sea.
Life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Nicholas was born around 260 in the south of Asia Minor, in Lycia. At that time it was a distant Roman province. Today, ancient Lycia is part of Turkey. Nikolai's parents lived in the city of Patara and were quite wealthy people. From early childhood, the future saint was fascinated by Christian ideas. He studied spiritual wisdom in the largest city of Lycia - Xanth. After the death of his parents, he distributed all his inherited property to the needy and soon became the archbishop of the city (now it is the Turkish city of Demre). Despite his high rank, Nikolai wore simple clothes and showed concern for people every day.
They said that just from his bright face the soul became joyful and calm. During the time of Nicholas, Christianity was banned in the Roman Empire. Often persecution began against Christians. Nikolai did not escape them either. He spent twenty long years in prison.
The ascetic performed many good deeds. The stories about some of the events of his life seem like real miracles - such is the fate of many legendary personalities. He helped the residents of his city more than once. They say that once during a famine he appeared in a dream to an Italian merchant, asked him to bring bread and gave him three gold coins. When the merchant woke up, he found real gold in his hand. Bread was delivered to the city.
Another time, Nicholas went to Constantinople to ask the emperor to reduce the exorbitant tax that was imposed on the city. To make his request seem more convincing, he threw his robe over the sunbeam, and it hung on him as if on a rope. The emperor was surprised by the miracle and heeded the requests of the righteous man. In an effort to quickly convey the good news to the townspeople, Nicholas put the decree in a piece of reed stalk and threw it into the sea. Miraculously, this message quickly sailed to Lycia, and the journey to it was six days.
The righteous man had a special relationship with the sea element. One day he calmed a strong storm with prayer. Another time he revived a sailor who had fallen onto the deck from the mast and died. For the third time, by the will of Nicholas, the right wind blew into the sails of the ship all the time, which delivered it to the shores of Lycia, contrary to the evil will of the captain. They say that Nicholas more than once appeared to people in distress at sea, pacified the waves and sometimes steered the ship himself.
Nicholas, nicknamed the Wonderworker for many of his deeds (and in the city where he was archbishop, Myra), lived a long life. He died in 343 and was buried in Myra. His fame as the patron saint of sailors spread far beyond the borders of Lycia.
Relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
The saint died around 345 in the rank of Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. He was originally buried there. Many centuries passed, and Muslims began to rule in Nicholas’s homeland.
Nowadays this abduction (providential, it must be said, because thereby the shrine was saved from possible desecration of it by the Turks) is recorded in the church calendar as the holiday of the Transfer of the venerable relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari. For the relics of the saint, the Basilica of San Nicola was built in Bari, in the crypt of which the relics remain to this day. They say that the relics of the Wonderworker constantly exude miraculous oil - myrrh, which does not dry out over time.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a Russian courtyard with a temple and a hotel for pilgrims appeared in Bari. The need for it had been brewing for a long time: pilgrims from Russia faced both everyday and religious difficulties in Italy (there was no Orthodox priest in Bari), and many of our compatriots wanted to venerate the relics of the revered saint. The farmstead was built according to the design of A.V. Shchusev with contributions from both ordinary and eminent donors. In particular, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna gave 3,000 rubles for a charitable cause, and Nicholas II - 10,000.
The Barians were not the only sailors who wanted to make St. Nicholas their personal patron. Soon after them, the Venetians sailed to the city of Myra. They also raided the church where the relics of Nicholas were once kept, and took with them everything that was left after the visit of the Barians. The inhabitants of the Venetian Republic placed their part of the relics in a church specially built on the narrow sandy island of Lido. Today, hundreds of tourists sail past it every day on their way to Venice.
Saint Nicholas in Rus'
Saint Nicholas is the most revered Saint in the thousand-year tradition of Russian folk life, for which our ordinary people for centuries nicknamed him “Nicholas - the Russian God.”
The veneration of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Rus' is approaching the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos and even our Lord Jesus Christ himself, which is reflected in the iconography. Expressing the idea of intercession for the Christian race, mediation between man and the Lord, Saint Nicholas was depicted in the Deisis instead of Saint John the Baptist along with the Most Holy Theotokos. In Rus' in the 16th-17th centuries, the name Nikolai was avoided during holy baptism, just as it is impossible to baptize in honor of Jesus Christ.
They say that Nicholas was known to the Russians even before the baptism of Rus', under Princess Olga. Saint Nicholas in Rus' was called differently: Intercessor, Savior and even Wet.
The last nickname appeared during the times of Kievan Rus. People told how one day respectable parents were sailing home with their little son in a boat along the Dnieper from Vyshgorod. The boy's mother had a dream and dropped the child into the water. Her grief was immeasurable, and in her prayers she turned to Saint Nicholas for consolation. The next day, the sexton of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv found a crying baby in the choir in the morning. He was all wet, as if taken out of water. The parents who came running to the temple recognized him as their miraculously saved child. In subsequent centuries, many churches were built in Rus' in honor of St. Nicholas the Mokroy...
One of the Ryazan monasteries was named after St. Nicholas Lapotny. A local legend told how an old peasant made a vow to build a temple and collected money for it by weaving and selling bast shoes. Having learned about the ascetic, Peter I ordered the entire supply of woven bast shoes to be bought from him at once. A church was built with the money raised, and later a small monastery arose around it.
Nicholas of Myra has become such a beloved saint in Rus' that he is even venerated twice a year: once on December 19, on the day of the death of the righteous man, and the other on May 22, on the day when his relics were delivered to the city of Bari. The first day is called “Winter St. Nicholas”, and the second – “Spring St. Nicholas”.
In Muscovite Rus', the number of churches and painted icons dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was slightly inferior to the churches of the Most Holy Mother of God. In the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral (mid-11th century) there is a mosaic image of St. Nicholas. About forty different works of ancient Russian literature are associated with St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The saint was prayed for help by “those sailing on the sea,” which is why Nicholas is one of the patrons of the Russian Navy.
In the Novgorod epic, of all the saints, only Saint Nicholas came to the aid of Sadko’s dying soul, for the Novgorod merchant Sadko was in distress at sea, and Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was an ambulance to seafarers.
Nikola-Ugodnik is a “protector from the invasion of the “adversary,” which is why Russian soldiers prayed to him for help in feats of arms; it was customary to wear icons with his image on the chest.
Pagans also turn to Saint Nicholas in prayer, for he certainly helps everyone who prays to him, encouraging him to repent and correct their path in life.
Miracles with Icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker:
Many miraculous stories happened with icons depicting the face of the saint, and many of them were associated with waters. One of them happened in the 12th century with the Novgorod prince Mstislav Svyatoslavich. As the chronicles said, he once fell “into a severe illness.”
The sick prince prayed for recovery to the Savior himself, the Most Holy Theotokos, and many saints known to him, but all in vain. The disease did not recede. One night, Mstislav, restless in the heat, saw the image of St. Nicholas. He appeared to him “as if written on the icon” and ordered to send messengers to Kyiv to get an icon with his image. The next morning the prince sent messengers to Kyiv, but their boat was stopped by a storm on Lake Ilmen. For three days and three nights they were buried from the bad weather on a small island, “waiting for time” for the wind to subside. On the fourth day, one of the messengers saw a round board floating in the lake. Having taken it out of the water, he recognized it as the icon of St. Nicholas! When she was brought to Novgorod to Mstislav Svyatoslavich, he took her to the church and sprinkled her with water from the washed icon. The disease immediately subsided. To commemorate the miracle, the prince “erected a beautiful stone church... and placed a wonderful icon in it.”
That church - the five-domed St. Nicholas Cathedral - still stands in Veliky Novgorod and remains the oldest stone structure on the Torgovaya side of the city. The miraculous icon stood there until the beginning of the 16th century. In 1502, two years before his death, Ivan III took her to Moscow. In the capital of the young Moscow state, the icon was placed in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the Kremlin fire that happened in 1626, she died. A copy was made for Novgorod, which has survived to this day.
Legends about the icons of Nicholas the Ugodnik
A great many icons depicting St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were painted in Rus'. Some of them are considered miraculous; amazing stories have happened to them. Here are just two of them.
They say that in the 17th century, an icon of St. Nicholas was found on a stump in one of the forests of the Chernigov province. Three times she was carried to the nearest church, but each time she miraculously found herself in the same place. Then a wooden church was erected right above the stump, which, of course, was called Nikolskaya.
In 1794, a stone building was erected in its place. It was not for nothing that the magical icon in it was reputed to be miraculous. Many people prayed in front of her. Among them was Maria Ivanovna Gogol. Her two newborn children died in infancy, and she asked the saint to intercede for the life of her child, who was about to be born. When Maria Ivanovna was safely delivered of her pregnancy, she named her son Nikolai.
He became a famous Russian writer. In his first book, “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka,” Nikolai Vasilyevich narrates the story on behalf of the sexton of the St. Nicholas Church - the very one in which his mother once prayed.
Nikolai Ugodnik, patron saint of travelers
Nikolai Ugodnik Nikolai Ugodnik was considered the patron saint of not only sailors, but also travelers. It is no coincidence that in many ancient Russian cities one of the passing fortress towers was called Nikolskaya and its arch was decorated with an icon. There was such an icon above the Nikolsky Gates of the Kremlin. When Napoleon's troops left Moscow in 1812, the emperor ordered the gates to be blown up. Powder charges were placed in the old masonry. There was an explosion. Its strength was such that glass broke in the houses surrounding Red Square. All that remained intact was the glass that covered the face of the Pleasant. The icon was not damaged and even the candle in front of it miraculously survived.
Saint Nicholas in Dutch is Santa Claus.
This is the western brother of our Santa Claus. One of the legends about St. Nicholas tells how he helped a merchant who fell into poverty. He was completely ruined and was about to send his three daughters out of the house to earn a piece of bread with their beauty. To save the beauties from dishonor, Nikolai crept up to their house at night and threw three gold coins into the chimney. By amazing chance, they fell right into the girl’s shoes, which were drying by the fireplace. The happy father bought a dowry for his daughters with this money and successfully married them off. This amazing story gave rise to the custom in Europe of putting gifts in children's socks and shoes at Christmas. Our gifts under the tree are distant greetings from St. Nicholas.
Stories from the editorial mail of the Pravoslavie.Ru portal
At that time I myself was not a churchgoer and not even baptized. And he confused Nicholas the Wonderworker with Stephen of Great Perm. But even so, I and many of my friends, far from the Church, noted that this saint saved people.
TV report from local TV "Rifey":
r.B. Christina
“I, an ordinary girl, dreamed of simple female happiness”
I am an ordinary girl, I dreamed of simple female happiness, but my personal life did not work out. I waited, asked in prayers, but, as they say, everything has its time. Years passed, but there was still no happiness. I would like to note that I am a pretty girl, I had a lot of fans, but I couldn’t imagine a relationship without love. I met a lot of good guys, but “not my thing,” and that’s all.
I started building a career, traveling, seeing the world. And this geographical “gourmetism” became for me a kind of substitute for personal life.
One day I came to the temple and began to ask: help, Saint Nicholas... A few weeks later I met a man with whom I had never even thought of becoming acquainted, he was too “mine” in terms of worldview and type. We really liked each other, started dating... And then the difficulties began. I won’t describe the details, but the relationship was stuck at one stage, the candy-bouquet period was over, and it was necessary to decide where to go next. Even though I am a believer, I was tired of loneliness and made concessions: we began to live together. I can’t describe the feeling, I was brought up in strict traditions, plus the Lord did not leave me without admonition: health problems began. And then I again turned to Saint Nicholas with a fervent prayer: I asked for a blessing, if this is my man, to unite us in marriage, and if not mine, then let him leave my life. I prayed almost every day while my beloved was away. And, believe it or not, my beloved comes and proposes to me! That same evening we go shopping for rings. Nikola helped us so much that we bypassed the queues at the registry office, we got the day of registration on the great Orthodox holiday of Faith, Hope and Love, everything went like clockwork (those who got married know what a troublesome business this is - a wedding).
Many miracles were connected in my life with St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. For example, when I lost my job, I always turned to St. with prayers. Nikolai. And soon I found a new job, which always not only corresponded to my specialty, brought good earnings, but also helped me gain interesting experience.
I could talk for a long time about the help that I received at different times through prayers to. But I want to say the main thing - we must remember that we must help our loved ones and those in need in difficult moments of life. This is precisely what my experience of prayerful communication with the great saint of God, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and this is exactly what the Lord expects from us...
Eduard Kichigin
“I asked St. Nicholas for help in finding a job”
Six months ago I was going through an extremely difficult period in my life, and one day I was standing at an evening service in St. Nicholas Cathedral, praying, my soul was painful and heavy, but by the end of the service I felt some kind of consolation and even joy. I won’t say anything about what I prayed for, but in addition to the main thing, I asked St. Nicholas for help in finding a job. After the service I walked home in the rain, and there was such joy in my soul, flying - “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice!” I sang to myself and aloud a little.
I came home and an old friend immediately called me with an offer of a very good job, extremely interesting, useful and promising for me. In order to discuss everything and get my consent, he, despite being extremely busy and worried, came to me that same evening. I got the job, it was difficult, but extremely interesting and useful. I promised Saint Nicholas that from my first salary I would light candles for all the icons in St. Nicholas Cathedral.
But in the end, everything got so twisted, both with this work and in general, that he fulfilled his promise only halfway and not on time - he only placed candles in one of the churches of the cathedral, and there were two of them, on both floors. Now I don’t understand what was stopping me. And frankly speaking, I didn’t live in the most correct way at that time. Things went badly, in general, in the end, I made the second part of my promise to St. Nicholas from my last salary six months later, after my dismissal. Here's the story.
Suzanna Farizova
"I was waiting for you with this finger"
I went to Bari, working at the Kommersant newspaper, in the then presidential pool. She left in a hurry, having spent Maslenitsa visiting on a grand scale the day before.
I was constantly in the way of my bag, the keys in my hands, the door.
It was with this front door that I ended up hitting my finger when I couldn’t handle my keys and bag. Hit hard.
I had no time. I flew away. In Bari, the finger became swollen, blackened and began to hurt. At first - barely. Then stronger and stronger. But I had to work, and I tried not to think that it hurt.
The program included a visit to the Basilica. The same one where the relics of St. Nicholas lie. They rest behind bars - heavy ones - which are opened on major holidays. I kissed the bars and asked for some global things for myself and my family. And at the end she asked for the finger to go through.
Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, wonderworker became famous as a great saint of God. He was born in the city of Pahar, Lycian region (on the southern coast of the Asia Minor Peninsula), and was the only son of pious parents Theophanes and Nonna, who vowed to dedicate him to God. The fruit of long prayers to the Lord of childless parents, the baby Nicholas from the day of his birth showed people the light of his future glory as a great wonderworker. His mother, Nonna, was immediately healed of her illness after giving birth. The newborn baby, still in the baptismal font, stood on his feet for three hours, unsupported by anyone, thus giving honor to the Most Holy Trinity.
Saint Nicholas in infancy began a life of fasting, taking his mother's milk on Wednesdays and Fridays, only once, after the evening prayers of his parents. From childhood, Nikolai excelled in the study of Divine Scripture; During the day he did not leave the temple, and at night he prayed and read books, creating within himself a worthy dwelling of the Holy Spirit.
His uncle, Bishop Nicholas of Tatar, rejoicing at the spiritual success and high piety of his nephew, made him a reader, and then elevated Nicholas to the rank of priest, making him his assistant and instructing him to speak teachings to the flock. While serving the Lord, the young man was burning in spirit, and in his experience in matters of faith he was like an old man, which aroused the surprise and deep respect of the believers. Constantly working and vigilant, being in unceasing prayer, Presbyter Nicholas showed great mercy to his flock, coming to the aid of the suffering, and distributed all his property to the poor.
Having learned about the bitter need and poverty of one previously rich resident of his city, Saint Nicholas saved him from great sin. Having three adult daughters, the desperate father planned to give them over to fornication to save them from hunger. The saint, grieving for the dying sinner, secretly threw three bags of gold out his window at night and thereby saved the family from fall and spiritual death. When giving alms, Saint Nicholas always tried to do it secretly and hide his good deeds.
Going to worship the holy places in Jerusalem, the Bishop of Patara entrusted the management of the flock to Saint Nicholas, who carried out obedience with care and love. When the bishop returned, he, in turn, asked for a blessing to travel to the Holy Land. On the way, the saint predicted an approaching storm that threatened to sink the ship, for he saw the devil himself entering the ship. At the request of desperate travelers, he touched the sea waves with his prayer. Through his prayer, one ship's sailor, who fell from the mast and fell to his death, was restored to health.
Having reached the ancient city of Jerusalem, Saint Nicholas, ascending Golgotha, thanked the Savior of the human race and walked around all the holy places, worshiping and praying. At night on Mount Zion, the locked doors of the church opened by themselves in front of the great pilgrim who came. Having visited the shrines associated with the earthly ministry of the Son of God, Saint Nicholas decided to retire into the desert, but was stopped by a Divine voice, exhorting him to return to his homeland. Returning to Lycia, the saint, striving for a silent life, entered the brotherhood of the monastery called Holy Zion. However, the Lord again announced a different path awaiting him: “Nicholas, this is not the field in which you should bear the fruit I expect; but turn and go into the world, and may My Name be glorified in you.” In a vision, the Lord gave him the Gospel in an expensive setting, and the Most Holy Mother of God - an omophorion.
And indeed, after the death of Archbishop John, he was elected Bishop of Myra in Lycia after one of the bishops of the Council, which was deciding the issue of electing a new archbishop, was shown in a vision the chosen one of God - Saint Nicholas. Called to shepherd the Church of God in the rank of bishop, Saint Nicholas remained the same great ascetic, showing to his flock the image of meekness, gentleness and love for people. This was especially dear to the Lycian Church during the persecution of Christians under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). Bishop Nicholas, imprisoned along with other Christians, supported them and exhorted them to firmly endure the bonds, torture and torment. The Lord preserved him unharmed. Upon the accession of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine, Saint Nicholas was returned to his flock, who joyfully met their mentor and intercessor. Despite his great meekness of spirit and purity of heart, Saint Nicholas was a zealous and daring warrior of the Church of Christ. Fighting against the spirits of evil, the saint went around pagan temples and temples in the city of Myra itself and its environs, crushing idols and turning the temples to dust. In 325, Saint Nicholas was a participant in the First Ecumenical Council, which adopted the Nicene Creed, and took up arms with, and others from the 318 holy fathers of the Council against the heretic Arius. In the heat of denunciation, Saint Nicholas, burning with zeal for the Lord, even strangled the false teacher, for which he was deprived of his holy omophorion and put into custody. However, it was revealed to several holy fathers in a vision that the Lord Himself and the Mother of God ordained the saint as a bishop, giving him the Gospel and an omophorion. The Fathers of the Council, realizing that the boldness of the saint was pleasing to God, glorified the Lord, and restored His holy saint to the rank of hierarch. Returning to his diocese, the saint brought her peace and blessing, sowing the word of Truth, cutting off at the very root wrong-thinking and vain wisdom, denouncing inveterate heretics and healing those who had fallen and deviated through ignorance. He was truly the light of the world and the salt of the earth, for his life was light and his word was dissolved in the salt of wisdom.
During his lifetime the saint performed many miracles. Of these, the greatest glory was brought to the saint by his deliverance from the death of three men, unjustly condemned by the self-interested mayor. The saint boldly approached the executioner and held his sword, which was already raised above the heads of the condemned. The mayor, convicted by Saint Nicholas of untruth, repented and asked him for forgiveness. Three military leaders sent by Emperor Constantine to Phrygia were present. They did not yet suspect that they would soon also have to seek the intercession of St. Nicholas, since they had been undeservedly slandered before the emperor and doomed to death. Appearing in a dream to Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine, Saint Nicholas called on him to release the military leaders unjustly condemned to death, who, while in prison, prayerfully called on the saint for help. He performed many other miracles, laboring in his ministry for many years. Through the prayers of the saint, the city of Myra was saved from severe famine. Appearing in a dream to an Italian merchant and leaving him three gold coins as a pledge, which he found in his hand, waking up the next morning, he asked him to sail to Myra and sell the grain there. More than once the saint saved those drowning in the sea, and brought them out of captivity and imprisonment in dungeons.
Having reached a very old age, Saint Nicholas peacefully departed to the Lord († 345-351). His venerable relics were kept incorrupt in the local cathedral church and exuded healing myrrh from which many received healings. In 1087, his relics were transferred to the Italian city of Bar, where they rest to this day (for the transfer of relics, see).
The name of the great saint of God, Saint and Wonderworker Nicholas, a quick helper and man of prayer for all who flock to him, has become glorified in all corners of the earth, in many countries and peoples. In Rus', many cathedrals, monasteries and churches are dedicated to his holy name. There is, perhaps, not a single city without St. Nicholas Church. In the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Kiev prince Askold, the first Russian Christian prince († 882), was baptized by the holy Patriarch Photius in 866. Over the grave of Askold (July 11), she erected the first church of St. Nicholas in the Russian Church in Kyiv.
The main cathedrals were dedicated to St. Nicholas in Izborsk, Ostrov, Mozhaisk, Zaraysk. In Novgorod the Great, one of the main churches of the city is the St. Nicholas Church (XII), which later became a cathedral. There are famous and revered St. Nicholas churches and monasteries in Kyiv, Smolensk, Pskov, Toropets, Galich, Arkhangelsk, Veliky Ustyug, and Tobolsk. Moscow was famous for several dozen churches dedicated to the saint; three Nikolsky monasteries were located in the Moscow diocese: Nikolo-Grechesky (Old) - in Kitai-Gorod, Nikolo-Perervinsky and Nikolo-Ugreshsky.
One of the main towers of the Moscow Kremlin is called Nikolskaya. Most often, churches to the saint were erected in trading areas by Russian merchants, sailors and explorers, who revered the wonderworker Nicholas as the patron saint of all travelers on land and sea. Sometimes they were popularly called “Nikola the Wet”. Many rural churches in Rus' are dedicated to the wonderworker Nicholas, the merciful representative before the Lord of all people in their labors, sacredly revered by the peasants. And Saint Nicholas does not abandon the Russian land with his intercession. Ancient Kyiv preserves the memory of the miracle of the saint’s rescue of a drowned baby. The great wonderworker, having heard the mournful prayers of the parents who had lost their only heir, took the baby out of the water at night, revived him and placed him in the choir of the Church of St. Sophia in front of his miraculous image. Here the rescued baby was found in the morning by happy parents, who glorified St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with the multitude of people.
Many miraculous icons of St. Nicholas appeared in Russia and came from other countries. This is an ancient Byzantine half-length image of the saint (XII), brought to Moscow from Novgorod, and a huge icon painted in the 13th century by a Novgorod master. Two images of the miracle worker are especially common in the Russian Church: St. Nicholas of Zaraisk - full-length, with a blessing right hand and the Gospel (this image was brought to Ryazan in 1225 by the Byzantine princess Eupraxia, who became the wife of the Ryazan prince Theodore and died in 1237 with her husband and baby - son during the invasion of Batu), and Saint Nicholas of Mozhaisk - also full-length, with a sword in his right hand and a city in his left - in memory of the miraculous salvation, through the prayers of the saint, of the city of Mozhaisk from an enemy attack. It is impossible to list all the blessed icons of St. Nicholas. Every Russian city and every temple is blessed with such an icon through the prayers of the saint.
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Byzantium. XIII.St. Nikolai with his life. Icon. Byzantium. XIII century Monastery of St. Catherine. Sinai. |
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Rus. XII.St. Nikolai. Icon. Rus. End of the 12th century Russian Museum. St. Petersburg |
Nerezi. XII.St. Nikolai. Fresco of the Church of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon. Nerezi. Macedonia. Serbian Orthodox Church. XII century |
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