Icons of Russia: Nicholas the Wonderworker (Zaraisky). The miraculous icon of St. Nicholas of Zaraisk St. Nicholas of Zaraisk with life

Icon of St. Nicholas of Zaraisky

According to legend, the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas was brought to the city of Krasny (now Zaraysk) in 1225. The history of the appearance of the holy image in our region is full of miracles and signs of God’s ineffable mercy; it is transmitted in the ancient chronicle - “ Stories about Nikola Zarazsky».

For a long time, the icon was in Chersonesus (Tavrichesky Korsun), and the image was called Nikolai of Korsun. The icon stood in the Church of the Apostle James, in which Grand Duke Vladimir once received Holy Baptism. Saint Nicholas appeared to the priest of this temple, Presbyter Eustathius, three times in a dream with an insistent request: “Take my miraculous image of Korsun, your wife Theodosius and your son Eustathius, and come to the land of Ryazan. I want to be there and work miracles, and glorify that place.” But the priest hesitated, not daring to leave his native place and venture into an unknown land. For his disobedience, Eustathius was punished with sudden blindness. And when he realized his sin, he prayed to the Wonderworker Nicholas and received forgiveness. Having recovered from his illness, he and his family set off on a long journey.
The travelers had to endure many difficulties and sorrows during their journey, but they also witnessed glorious miracles from the miraculous image. Only a year later they reached the borders of the Ryazan land.

At this time, Saint Nicholas appeared in a dream to the appanage prince Theodore Yuryevich, who reigned in Krasnoye, and announced the arrival of his miraculous icon: “ Prince, come to meet the miraculous image of my Korsunsky. For I want to be here and work miracles, and glorify this place. And I beg the Humane-loving Lord Christ, the Son of God, to grant you, your wife and your son the crowns of the Kingdom of Heaven " And although the prince was perplexed, since he did not yet have a family, he obeyed the will of the Saint and left the city with the entire sacred cathedral to meet the miraculous image. From afar, he saw a shrine from which a radiance emanated. With great reverence and joy, Theodore accepted the icon from Eustathius. This happened on July 29 (August 11, according to the present day) 1225.

Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna and Acting Governor of the Moscow Region A.Yu. Vorobiev in front of the Zaraisk shrine Believers at the icon of St. Nicholas of Zaraisk on August 11, 2013. For the brought icon, a wooden St. Nicholas Church was built in the city of Krasnoye. After some time, Prince Theodore was legally married to Eupraxia, and they had a son, John - with this fulfillment of one of the predictions of St. Nicholas, the first part of the ancient chronicles about St. Nicholas of Zaraz ends.

The second part of the ancient Tales describes the fate of the noble princes of Zaraisk during the invasion of hordes of Tatar-Mongols in Rus' in 1237. Khan Batu demanded a tenth of everything from the Russians: “ in princes, in all sorts of people and in the rest " The appanage prince Theodore went to Batu’s headquarters with great gifts to “ persuade the khan not to go to war on Ryazan land " The Khan accepted the gifts and falsely promised “not to fight the Ryazan land” and began “to ask the princes of Ryazan for daughters and sisters to come to his bed.” Having heard from one and a traitor, a Ryazan nobleman, that the prince had a young and beautiful wife, Batu turned to him with the words: “ Let me, prince, enjoy the beauty of your wife " Theodore answered the arrogant conqueror with a contemptuous laugh: “ It is not right for us Christians to bring our wives to you, the wicked and godless king, for fornication. When you defeat us, then you will own us and our wives. ».

Batu became furious at this answer from the noble prince and immediately ordered him to be killed and his body thrown to the animals and birds to be torn to pieces. One of the guides of Prince Aponitsa secretly hid the body of his master and hurried to Krasny to tell the princess about the death of her husband. The blessed princess stood at that time " in a high mansion and held her beloved child - Prince Ivan Fedorovich " And " when she heard the deadly words, filled with grief, she threw herself on the ground and became infected (killed) to death " The body of the murdered prince was brought to his native land and buried next to the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, in the same grave with his wife and son, and three stone crosses were placed over them.

From this event, the icon of St. Nicholas of Korsun began to be called Zarazskaya, because the blessed princess Eupraxia with her son Prince John “infected” herself. Over time, the place where the tragedy occurred began to be called Zaraz, Zarazsk, and then Zaraysk - this is one of the versions of the origin of the name of our city.

The fame of the miracles from the icon quickly crossed the borders of the Ryazan principality and spread throughout Orthodox Rus'. For many centuries, the day of bringing the icon to Zaraysk was revered as a citywide holiday. The day before, on July 28 (Old Style), a prayer service was served to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, then a litany for the deceased princes at the tombstone monument with three crosses; At the all-night vigil, “The Tale of Nikola Zarazsky” was read. On the very day of the holiday, July 29, in the St. Nicholas Church, the entire Zaraisk clergy celebrated the Divine Liturgy, after which the residents of the city and its guests in a procession of the cross, together with the miraculous icon, headed to the White Well. This is the name of the spring that, according to legend, appeared at the meeting place of the icon by Prince Theodore. Here a water-blessing prayer was served and the water of the spring was blessed, then the procession returned to the Kremlin.

Here is the description the writer Vasily Selivanov wrote about the Zaraisk shrine in 1892: “ In the Zaraisk St. Nicholas Cathedral there is a miraculous image of St. Nicholas, brought to Zaraisk in 1225 from the Greek city of Korsun by Presbyter Eustathius. In the middle of this image, a full image of the Saint is written in paint, wearing priestly cross vestments. The right hand is stretched out for blessing, and the left hand holds the Gospel on the shroud. On the right side, on the clouds, the Savior is depicted, with his right hand blessing the Saint, and with his left hand giving him the Gospel; on the left side is the Mother of God holding an outstretched omophorion in her hands. This image with seventeen images of the life and miracles of the Saint is twenty-five and a half inches long and twenty and a quarter inches wide. The painting on the image is ancient, Byzantine, of high style, which is especially evident from the expression of spirituality imparted to the features of the saint’s face. The robe on the image is made of pure gold with semi-precious stones and pearls, designed by Tsar Vasily Shuisky in 1608... More than seven pounds of gold alone, about six pounds of silver, one hundred and thirty-three semi-precious stones, three or more Burmitz grains were used for the robe and decoration of the image of St. Nicholas one thousand six hundred large and medium-sized pearls... The image of the Saint is placed in an ancient icon case... The icon case is upholstered on three sides with sheets of chased and gilded silver and decorated with stones, pearls and iconographic images of the Mother of God at the top and holy saints on the sides, and inside is upholstered with crimson velvet ».

During Soviet times, the Kremlin's churches were closed and looted. The miraculous image of Nikola Zaraisky first ended up in the local history museum, and later, in 1966, was taken for restoration to Moscow, to the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after. Andrey Rublev.

With the resumption of church life in the Kremlin cathedrals, the efforts of believers to return the shrine began. However, for a long time, the management of the Museum refused the petitions and written appeals of the Zaraisk residents, citing the lack of necessary conditions in the churches of the Zaraisk Kremlin for the preservation of the ancient image. For a decade and a half, through the efforts of parishioners, work was carried out to repair and restore the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. In 1997, a copy (an exact copy) of the icon of St. Nicholas of Zaraisk was written, which was placed in a carved canopy and installed to the left of the central altar. Nowadays, believers venerate another copy from the miraculous icon - the image of St. Nicholas of Korsun-Zaraisky. With this icon, Zaraisk priests made pilgrimages to the holy places of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus; the new image was also consecrated on the great shrines of Greece, Holy Mount Athos, on the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari. Recently, it is with the icon of St. Nicholas of Korsun-Zaraisk that annual processions of the cross take place through the city of Zaraysk (May 22) and to the holy spring of the White Well (August 11).

Several years ago, work on the restoration of the St. John the Baptist Cathedral of the Zaraisk Kremlin was completed. And after the visit of the Acting Governor of the Moscow Region A.Yu. Vorobyov to Zaraisk on June 5, 2013, when he promised to do everything to return the Zaraisk shrine, active work began to solve all the problems of transferring the icon from the Museum. Andrey Rublev. In an extremely short time (and this is another miracle of St. Nicholas!) all legal, technical, financial issues regarding the transfer and further residence of the icon in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in the Zaraisk Kremlin were resolved.

On August 11, 2013, a great celebration took place in Zaraisk: the ancient miraculous icon of St. Nicholas of Zaraisk returned to its historical place. The festive service was led by the Administrator of the Moscow Diocese, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsky and Kolomna. Acting Governor of the Moscow Region Andrei Yuryevich Vorobyov prayed at the Divine Liturgy.

The holy image is installed to the right of the central altar, in a special icon case. Prayer chants are performed in front of him every day.
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Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Zaraisk

The Zaraisk land has been preserved for almost nine centuries by the miraculous image of Nicholas, Saint of Myra in Lycia, and it is glorified by many glorious deeds and victories. And it is famous for its main shrine - the Zaraisk Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, or, as people said, St. Nicholas of Zaraisk. And on August 11, a celebration is now held in honor of the Zaraisk Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Zaraysk is one of the oldest Russian cities. Currently, it is the regional center of the Moscow region; from 1778 to 1929, Zaraysk was a district town of the Ryazan province, and even earlier, in the 12th century, there was a Zaraisk appanage principality.
The birth of the city of Zaraysk is considered to be the year of mention in the chronicle of the city, which then bore the name Sturgeon: in 1146, the Grand Duke of Novgorod and Chernigov Svyatoslav Olegovich, returning from Ryazan, turned from the Oka to the Sturgeon River and visited the city of Sturgeon, which was apparently located , on the northwestern outskirts of modern Zaraysk, that is, on the site of the Osetrovskoye settlement, near the White Well.
Located on the Sturgeon River, this city was a border town of the Ryazan principality and had various names known from chronicles: Sturgeon, Red (beautiful), St. Nicholas of Korsun (Korsun - Chersonese), Zarazsk, Novgorodok-on-Osetra, Zarazesk, Zaraesk, Nikola Zarazskaya-on-Osetra, Nikola-on-Osetra, City of Nikola Zarazsky Posad, Nikola Zarazsky, Zoraysk, Zarask, and from the 17th century. - Zaraysk.
There are several versions explaining the origin of the modern name of the city. The word “infections” was used in relation to a sheer cliff, a cliff (the steep slope along the right bank of the Osetra is called Infections), the impenetrable forest and even the burial place of those who died from diseases are also called. There is an opinion that the word has the meaning “at once perfect,” that is, in one step, once.
But local residents explain the origin of the name of the city, referring to the event described in the outstanding monument of ancient Russian literature “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu”: Princess Eupraxia, having learned about the death of her husband Prince Feodor Yuryevich at Batu’s headquarters, jumped out of the window of a high tower with her young son John and fell to death - they died immediately, at once (together, simultaneously and immediately, without delay). The beginning of local spiritual life, the exploits that glorified the city, the most ancient Zaraisk legends, chronicles, and the most important historical events of the city are associated with these names. Under Prince Theodore, the icon of St. Nicholas arrived from Korsun, Prince Theodore met her at the White Well, Prince Theodore, the young princess and their young son suffered martyrdom, showing the strength of the Christian spirit.
Prince Theodore was the son of the Ryazan prince Yuri Ingvarevich, presumably born in 1205. His wife, according to legend, was born into the family of a Greek king. Around 1223, Prince Theodore Yuryevich received the Zaraisk principality as an inheritance.
In 1224, the missionary activity of the high priest of Korsun Eustathius began. This was the time of the beginning of the Mongol-Tatar invasion. In 1223, the Battle of Kalka had already taken place, when Russian regiments responded to the call of the Polovtsian Khan and came out in his defense, but the battle was lost.
As it is narrated in the “Tale of the Bringing of the Icon of St. Nicholas from Korsun,” the great wonderworker Nicholas, whose image was in the temple, appeared in a dream to the old presbyter of the ancient Korsun Church of the Holy Apostle James. The saint said: “Eustathie! Take the miraculous image and take with you your wife Theodosius and your son Eustathius and go to the land of Ryazan. Because there I want to create miracles in the image of my being and glorify the place...” The presbyter did not hasten to fulfill the will of St. Nicholas, so he had to repeat the instructions to the great wonderworker twice more in a dream and even strike Eustathius with an eye disease.
Presbyter Korsunsky set off with his family on the road. The missionaries had to move in a roundabout way, through Europe, and not the traditional road along Polovtsian soil, since after the unsuccessful battle on Kalka it was extremely risky. But the European path chosen by the travelers was also full of obstacles and dangers. And every time the miraculous image of St. Nicholas saved the missionaries from imminent death.
On July 29 (old style), the appanage prince of Krasny (Zaraisk) Feodor Yuryevich received the shrine delivered from Korsun at the White Well.
“In the summer of July 6733 (1225) on the 29th day, in memory of the Holy Martyr Callinicus, under the Grand Duke George Vsevolodovich of Vladimir and under the Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of Novgorod and his son Alexander Nevsky and under the Grand Duke Yuri Ingvarevich of Ryazan, the miraculous Nikolin image was brought from the famous city of Korsun to the borders of Ryazan, to the region of the Blessed Prince Theodore Yuryevich of Ryazan.”
The meeting was miraculously prepared, and, as the chronicle tells, feat and glory to the princely family of martyrs was promised to Prince Theodore. “The great wonderworker Nikola appeared to the blessed Prince Fyodor Yuryevich of Ryazan, and announced to him the arrival of his miraculous image of Korsun, and said: “Prince, go meet my miraculous image of Korsun. Because I want to stay here and create miracles. And I will pray for you to the All-Merciful and Humane-loving Lord Christ, the Son of God, to grant you the crown of the kingdom of heaven, and to your wife and to your son.” The noble Prince Fyodor Yuryevich arose from sleep, and was frightened by such a vision, and began to think in the secret temple of his heart, being overwhelmed with fear. And he did not tell anyone the terrible vision, and began to think: “Oh, great miracle worker Nikola! How can you pray to the Merciful God for me, to grant me the crown of the kingdom of heaven and my wife and my son: after all, I am not married, and I do not have the fruit of the womb.”
And he immediately went to meet the miraculous image, as the miracle worker commanded him. And he came to the place they were talking about, and from afar he saw, as it were, an indescribable light, shining from the miraculous image. And he fell lovingly to the miraculous image of Nikola with a contrite heart, emitting tears from his eyes like a stream. And he took the miraculous image and brought it to his region. And he immediately sent a message to his father, Grand Duke Yuri Ingvarevich of Ryazan, ordering him to tell him about the arrival of the miraculous image of St. Nicholas from Korsun-grad. Grand Duke Georgy Ingvarevich heard about the arrival of the miraculous image of Nikola and thanked God and the saint of his miracle worker Nikola for the fact that God visited his people and did not forget the creation of his hands.
Soon Bishop Euphrosynus Svyatogorets and Grand Duke of Ryazan Yuri Ingvarevich arrived to venerate the icon. “The Great Prince took Bishop Efrosiny Svyatogorets with him and immediately went to the region to see his son, Prince Fyodor Yuryevich. And he saw great and glorious miracles from the miraculous image, and was filled with joy about his glorious miracles. And he created a temple in the name of the great holy wonderworker Nikolas of Korsun. And Bishop Euphrosynus consecrated it, and celebrated brightly, and returned to his city.”
Missionaries from Korsun settled in the Chernaya Sloboda of the city of Krasny, on a mountain that was named Korsatskaya.
Together with the icon of St. Nicholas, Eustathius delivered a small library of Slavic and Greek books. In August 1225 In Ostrog, the city of Krasny, a wooden church was founded in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to house the shrine brought from Korsun. Over time, a scriptorium was created here, where old books were copied and new ones were produced.
From Presbyter Eustathius began the line of ministers of the St. Nicholas Church in Zaraysk. The tradition of preserving the shrine and reverently serving it in glorifying the name of the Lord was passed on from father to son and was not interrupted for 335 years:

"1. The priest, who served with St. Nicholas the wonderworker Ostafey, came from Korsun with the miraculous image of St. Nicholas.
2. His son Ostafey served after his father.
3. His son Prokofey served as priest for Ostafa.
4. Prokofiev’s son Nikita served.
5. Nikitin’s son Basilisk served.
6. The son of the Basilisks, Zachary Pokid, served.
7. Zakhariev’s son Feod Osei served.
8. The son of Feod Osev Matvey served.
9. Matveev’s son Ivan Visloukh served.
10. Ivanov’s son Peter served.”

Presumably, in 1231, the marriage of Prince Theodore Yuryevich with the Greek (?) Princess Eupraxia took place, and in 1231 a son, John, was born into the princely family. “A few years later, Prince Fyodor Yuryevich got married, taking a wife from the royal family named Eupraxia. And soon she gave birth to a son named Ivan Postnik.
In the twelfth year after the transfer of the Miraculous Icon from Korsun, in 1237, Batu’s hordes invaded the southern lands of the Ryazan principality and settled on the Voronezh River. Ryazan Prince Yuri Ingvarevich sent an embassy of Ryazan princes, led by his son Feodor Yuryevich, to Batu’s headquarters “with gifts and great prayers so that the khan would not go to war on Ryazan land.” Batu accepted the gifts and began to demand the prince’s daughters and sisters to come to his bed. Prince Theodore was destined to become a victim of the envy and betrayal of one of the Ryazan nobles, who informed the khan that Prince Theodore had a wife of extraordinary beauty, Eupraxia. The khan demanded from the prince: “Let me, prince, taste the beauty of your wife.” The offended prince resolutely replied: “It is not right for us Christians to bring our wives to you, the wicked king, for fornication. When you defeat us, then you will own our wives.”
The godless Tsar Batu became enraged and immediately ordered that the faithful Prince Fyodor Yuryevich be killed, and his body thrown to be torn to pieces by animals and birds. Other princes and the best warriors were killed.
And one of the close associates of Prince Fyodor Yuryevich, named Aponitsa, took refuge and wept bitterly over the body of his honest master. And seeing that no one was guarding him, he took the body of the glorious prince and buried it secretly. And he hurried to the faithful princess Eupraxia and told her how the dishonest Tsar Batu killed Prince Fyodor Yuryevich.

“Per year 6745 (1237). The noble prince Fyodor Yuryevich of Ryazan was killed by the godless Tsar Batu on the Voronezh River. And the noble princess Eupraxia the princess heard about the murder of her master, blessed Prince Fyodor Yuryevich, and immediately rushed from her high palace and with her son Prince Ivan Fedorovich, and killed herself to death. And they brought the body of the blessed Prince Fyodor Yuryevich to his region to the great miracle worker Nikola Korsunsky, and laid him, and his faithful princess Eupraxia the princess, and their son Ivan Fyodorovich in one place, and placed stone crosses over them. And since then the great wonderworker has been called Nikolai Zarazsky for the reason that the blessed princess Eupraxia and her son Prince Ivan “infected” themselves -<расшиблась до смерти>».

Having learned “about the murder by the godless king of his beloved son, Prince Fedor, and many princes, the best people,” Grand Duke Yuri Ingvarevich began to gather his army and arrange his regiments. “And the great prince Yuri Ingvarevich saw his brethren, and his boyars, and the governor galloping bravely and fearlessly, raised his hands to the sky and said with tears: “Deliver us, O God, from our enemies, and free us from those who rise against us, and hide us from the congregation of the wicked and from the multitude of those who do iniquity. May their path be dark and slippery.” And he said to his brethren: “O my lords and brethren! If we have accepted good from the hands of the Lord, will we not also tolerate evil? It is better for us to gain eternal glory by death than to be in the power of the filthy. Let me, your brother, drink the cup of death before you for the saints of God’s church, and for the Christian faith, and for the fatherland of our father, Grand Duke Ingvar Svyatoslavich.”

And he went to the Church of the Assumption of the Most Holy Lady Theotokos, and cried a lot before the image of the Most Pure One, and prayed to the great wonderworker Nikola and his relatives Boris and Gleb. And he gave his last kiss to Grand Duchess Agrippina Rostislavovna and accepted the blessing from the bishop and all the clergy. And he went against the dishonest Tsar Batu, and they met him near the borders of Ryazan, and attacked him, and began to fight him firmly and courageously, and the slaughter was evil and terrible. Many strong Batyevsky regiments fell. And Tsar Batu saw that the Ryazan force was fighting hard and courageously, and he was afraid. But who can stand against the wrath of God! Batu’s forces were great and insurmountable; one Ryazan man fought with a thousand, and two – with ten thousand.”

When Prince Batu saw Oleg Ingvarevich, handsome and brave, exhausted from serious wounds, he wanted to heal him from his wounds and win him over to his faith. But Prince Oleg Ingvarevich began to reproach Tsar Batu, calling him godless and an enemy of Christianity. Batu immediately ordered Prince Oleg to be cut into pieces with knives. And the prince accepted the crown of suffering from the all-merciful God and drank the cup of death together with all his brothers.

And Tsar Batu began to fight the Ryazan land and went to the city of Ryazan. He besieged the city, and there was a battle for five days. “And many townspeople were killed, and others were wounded, and others were exhausted from great labors and wounds. And on the sixth day, early in the morning, the filthy ones went to the city - some with lights, others with battering guns, and others with countless ladders - and took the city of Ryazan in the month of December on 21 days. And they came to the cathedral church of the Most Holy Theotokos, and Grand Duchess Agrippina, the mother of the Grand Duke, with her daughters-in-law and other princesses, they flogged them with swords, and they betrayed the bishop and priests to fire - they burned them in the holy church, and many others fell from weapons.

And in the city they flogged many people, wives, and children with swords, and drowned others in the river, and flogged the priests and monks without a trace, and burned the whole city, and all the famous beauty, and the wealth of Ryazan, and the relatives of the Ryazan princes - the princes of Kyiv and Chernigov - captured. But they destroyed the temples of God and shed a lot of blood in the holy altars. And not a single living person remained in the city: they all died and drank the cup of death. There was no one moaning or crying here - no father, no mother about their children, no children about their father and mother, no brother about their brother, no relatives about their relatives, but they all lay dead together. And all this was for our sins.

And the godless Tsar Batu saw the terrible shedding of Christian blood, and became even more enraged and embittered, and went to Suzdal and Vladimir, intending to captivate the Russian land, and to eradicate the Christian faith, and to destroy the churches of God to the ground.

Prince Ingvar Ingvarevich was at that time in Chernigov with his brother, Prince Mikhail Vsevolodovich of Chernigov, saved by God from that evil apostate and Christian enemy. And he came from Chernigov to the land of Ryazan, to his homeland, and saw it empty, and heard that all his brothers were killed by the wicked, lawless Tsar Batu, and he came to the city of Ryazan, and saw the city destroyed, and his mother and daughter-in-law, and their relatives, and many many people lying dead, and churches were burned, and all the ornaments were taken from the treasury of Chernigov and Ryazan. Prince Ingvar Ingvarevich saw the great final destruction for our sins and cried out pitifully, like a trumpet calling to the army, like a sounding organ. And from that great scream and terrible cry he fell to the ground as if dead. And they barely cast it and left in the wind. And with difficulty his soul revived within him.

Who would not weep over such a destruction? Who does not weep for so many people of the Orthodox people? Who wouldn’t feel sorry for so many murdered sovereigns? Who wouldn't groan from such captivity?

And Prince Ingvar Ingvarevich sorted out the corpses, and found the body of his mother, Grand Duchess Agrippina Rostislavovna, and recognized his daughters-in-law, and called priests from the villages whom God had preserved, and buried his mother and daughters-in-law with great lamentation instead of psalms and church hymns.<…>

And Prince Ingvar Ingvarevich began to dismantle the bodies of the dead, and took the bodies of his brothers - Grand Duke Yuri Ingvarevich, and Prince Davyd Ingvarevich of Murom, and Prince Gleb Ingvarevich Kolomensky, and other local princes - his relatives, and many boyars, and governors, and neighbors, known to him, and brought them to the city of Ryazan, and buried them with honor, and immediately collected the bodies of others on empty land and performed a funeral service. And, having buried in this way, Prince Ingvar Ingvarevich went to the city of Pronsk, and collected the dissected parts of the body of his brother, the faithful and Christ-loving prince Oleg Ingvarevich, and ordered them to be carried to the city of Ryazan. And the great prince Ingvar Ingvarevich himself carried his honorable head to the city, kissed it kindly, and laid it with the great prince Yuri Ingvarevich in the same coffin.

And he laid his brothers, Prince Davyd Ingvarevich and Prince Gleb Ingvarevich, in one coffin near their grave. Then Prince Ingvar Ingvarevich went to the river in Voronezh, where Prince Fyodor Yuryevich Ryazansky was killed, and took his honorable body, and cried over it for a long time. And he brought it to the region to the icon of the great Wonderworker St. Nicholas of Korsun. And he buried him together with the blessed princess Eupraxia and their son Prince Ivan Fedorovich Postnik in one place. And he placed stone crosses over them. And for the reason that the icon of Zarazskaya is called the great miracle worker St. Nicholas, that the blessed princess Eupraxia with her son Prince Ivan “infected” (broke) themselves in that place.

The blessed Prince Ingvar Ingvarevich, named Kozma in holy baptism, sat on the table of his father, Grand Duke Ingvar Svyatoslavich. And he renovated the land of Ryazan, and erected churches, and built monasteries, and comforted the strangers, and gathered people. And there was joy for the Christians, whom God delivered with His strong hand from the godless and evil Tsar Batu. And he put Mr. Mikhail Vsevolodovich Pronsky in charge of his father.”

Batu's hordes, on the way from Ryazan to Kolomna and Moscow, plundered and burned the city of Krasny.

On December 28, 1237, the legendary Russian hero Evpatiy Kolovrat, having returned from Chernigov and having visited the plundered Ryazan, according to legend, arrived in Krasny (Zaraisk) and formed a squad of 1,700 warriors on the Great Field. The Russian squad overtook Batu's regiments on Suzdal land and attacked their camps.

The decisive battle of Russian soldiers led by Evpatiy Kolovrat and the Mongol-Tatar army took place on March 4 on the City River.

“And they began to flog without mercy, and all the Tatar regiments were mixed up. And the Tatars looked like they were drunk or crazy. And Evpatiy beat them so mercilessly that their swords became dull, and he took Tatar swords and cut them with them. It seemed to the Tatars that the dead had risen. Evpatiy, driving right through the strong Tatar regiments, beat them mercilessly. And he rode among the Tatar regiments so bravely and courageously that the tsar himself was afraid.<…>And he sent his Shuri-cha Khostovrul to Evpatiy, and with him strong Tatar regiments. Khostovrul boasted to the king and promised to bring Evpatiy alive to the king. And strong Tatar regiments surrounded Evpatiy, trying to take him alive. And Khostovrul moved in with Evpatiy. Evpatiy was a giant of force and cut Khostovrul halfway down to the saddle. And he began to flog the Tatar force, and beat many of the famous heroes of the Batyevs, cut some in half, and chopped others to the saddle.

And the Tatars became afraid, seeing what a strong giant Evpatiy was. And they pointed at him many weapons for throwing stones, and began to hit him with countless stone throwers, and barely killed him. And they brought his body to King Batu. Tsar Batu sent for the Murzas, and the princes, and the Sanchakbeys, and everyone began to marvel at the courage, and the strength, and the courage of the Ryazan army. And those close to the king said: “We have been with many kings, in many lands, in many battles, but we have never seen such daredevils and spirited men, and our fathers did not tell us. These are winged people, they do not know death, and they fight so hard and courageously on horses - one with a thousand, and two with ten thousand. Not one of them will leave the massacre alive.” And Batu said, looking at Evpatievo’s body: “Oh Kolovrat Evpatie! You treated me well with your small retinue, and you beat many heroes of my strong horde, and defeated many regiments. If such a one served with me, I would keep him close to my very heart.” And he gave Evpatiy’s body to the remaining people from the squad who were captured at the massacre. And King Batu ordered to let them go and not harm them in any way.”

Thus, the miraculous image of St. Nicholas came to the land of Ryazan and Zaraisk during terrible trials, the Mongol-Tatar invasion. The main themes of Russian chronicles are the theme of crying and repentance, necessary with a deep awareness of the dependence of the general and personal good on the actions of everyone, on love, the desire for unity, and the living conscience of the Christian people. Christian self-deepening, recognition of one’s sins is rooted in the self-awareness of the people; in Zaraysk, the development of Christian thinking and religious experience takes place under the strict gaze and direct prayerful participation of St. Nicholas, his image abiding here. It is important not only to survive, to find the strength to restore the economy, churches, to continue worship, but the main thing is not to be afraid, not to betray, to remain human, a Christian, to remain faithful to Orthodoxy. For many in those days, only saints remained as examples, and images of holiness, love, compassion - only from Christ Himself, and from His holy army, adamant lovers of truth and confessors, from reliable shepherds, such as St. Nicholas.

A major victory, often called a rehearsal for the Battle of Kulikovo, took place on August 11, 1378 on the Vozha River. Temnik Mamai then equipped a 50,000-strong army under the command of Begich. The Moscow prince Dimitri Ivanovich, having learned about the approach of the Mongol-Tatar army, set out to meet the enemy. The Great Field of the Zaraisk Principality was a rallying point for the Russian army before reaching the Vozha River. Here, near Zaraysk, Prince Dmitry was joined by the horse squads of Daniil Pronsky and Oleg Ryazansky.

In 1386, the great ascetic of the Russian land, St. Sergius of Radonezh, on his way to Ryazan and returning from there, visited Zaraisk twice, stopping for prayers at St. Nicholas of Zaraisk.

In 1401, in the scriptorium (probably at the St. Nicholas Church), the Gospel known as “Zaraisk” was created. This handwritten book with magnificent initial letters, ornaments and miniatures is kept in the Russian State Library (RSL).

A number of victorious battles between Russian soldiers and Crimean invaders took place on the Zaraisk land. In June 1511, the Crimean Khan Akhmat-Girey made several attempts to break into the Ryazan lands, but each time in the vicinity of Zaraysk he met a decisive rebuff from Russian squads led by Prince Alexander Vladimirovich of Rostov.

In June 1512, the Crimean prince Mahmut invaded the Ryazan principality, but, having learned that the Grand Duke’s commanders were standing on Sturgeon, he returned. In 1513, the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas was moved to Kolomna, and in 1516 returned to the St. Nicholas Church in Zaraysk.

In September 1527, near Zaraysk, a battle between the Russian army and the hordes of the Crimean Khan Islam-Girey took place, which ended in the complete defeat of the Crimean army. The Crimean Tatars were again beaten “at Nikola Zarazsky” in 1528. In the same year, a stone Kremlin was founded in Zaraysk and in it - a new stone church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

March 10, 1530 The Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III left Moscow for Zaraysk to pray at the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas.

In the first half of the 16th century, troops of the Crimean Tatars periodically invaded the Ryazan principality, burned out settlements, robbed the local population and took them captive. People's memory and chronicles have preserved the glorious name of Mitya Kalinin, the leader of the guard service of the Vozhskaya zaseki (near Zaraysk).

In 1550, 1551, 1560 and 1571. Tsar Ivan the Terrible visited Zaraysk and prayed to the miraculous icon. At the behest of Ivan the Terrible, the Church of St. John the Baptist was erected in Zaraysk, and in 1556 the tsar ordered one ship to be dismantled and the Church of the Savior to be erected on the steep bank of the Sturgeon, which was immediately consecrated.

On February 8, 1610, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky was appointed governor of Zaraysk. In July of the same year, the governor had to suppress a rebellion organized by adherents of False Dmitry II. Many southern cities, including Kolomna and Kashira, then supported the power of the impostor and sent a letter to Zaraysk demanding that they swear allegiance to False Dmitry II. The inhabitants called the governor to the square in front of the Kremlin and demanded that he recognize the “legitimate Tsar Dmitry.”

Prince Pozharsky did not flinch, declared his allegiance to Moscow and shamed those who doubted. “Stand for the truth, and only for the truth! Beware of treason and foreign bondage. If you try to force me to betray you by force, you will face shame and defeat,” the prince warned. The rebels wanted to deal with the governor, but Prince Pozharsky was ready not only to stand up for the truth in words. Thanks to the priest Dimitri Leontyevich Protopopov, the prince received support from patriotic townspeople and took refuge in the Kremlin with his loyal warriors. The rebels, faced with the will and firmness of the faithful and fearless commander, repented and swore to him to faithfully serve Moscow.

After this, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky managed to withstand the siege of the Kremlin undertaken by the Circassians, Cossacks and “thieves’ people” who arrived led by Isaac Sumbulov from Mikhailov, and expelled them from Zaraysk. During his voivodeship, Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky repelled enemies from Zaraysk 16 times.

At the call of voivode P.P. Lyapunov, in January 1611, Prince Pozharsky, voivode of Zaraisky, joined the First (Ryazan) militia, which included warriors from more than 50 cities and counties of Russia, these were nobles, townspeople, archers, black-mown peasants, Cossacks .

On October 1, 1611, at the suggestion of the Novgorod elder Kuzma Minin, Dmitry Pozharsky was elected governor of the Second People's Militia and began its formation in Nizhny Novgorod.

On August 20, D. Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin entered Moscow at the head of the Second People's Militia. On October 26, the Polish interventionists, holed up in the Moscow Kremlin, capitulated, and Moscow was liberated from foreign invaders.

Many glorious victories were won in the vicinity of Zaraysk, the most important of which were victories over doubts, cowardice, cowardice, in a word, over sins, during periods of trials and temptations. What does the presence of the great Myra miracle worker in his Zaraisk image give? Of course, his help is palpable in achievements, important, responsible matters, but most importantly - in spiritual strengthening, in showing the right path, in giving the strength to act morally, not as profitable, but as noble, in a Christian way.

Many wonderful names were associated with the history of Zaraisk. These were not only priests and warriors. The Zaraisk land has nurtured wonderful writers, artists, and sculptors. One of the names cannot be left out in particular. This is the great philosopher and writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, the singer of the eternal struggle between good and evil in the human heart. The upbringing of Dostoevsky’s genius, the revelation of his prophetic gift and artistic mastery, may have been facilitated by the atmosphere in which the future writer lived during his childhood. Perhaps the children’s prayers said here, of course, to St. Nicholas, predetermined the writer’s loyalty to the truth and Orthodoxy, led him through all the trials, vicissitudes of fate and did not allow mischief, protected him from philistinism, falsehood, from everything superficial, kept the writer’s eye pure, the indispensable the condition of true creativity, strengthened the spirit, increased love and the ability to sympathize with one’s people and give oneself, one’s life, one’s talents to the last drop, without a trace to a world that is perishing, but is so in need of salvation.
In the summer of 1831, the doctor of the Mariinsky Hospital for the Poor, Mikhail Andreevich Dostoevsky, bought the village of Darovoye from the landowner Khotyaintsev, and two years later acquired the neighboring village of Cheremoshnya from him. The family estate of the Dostoevskys, Darovoe, still attracts the attention of admirers of the talent of F. M. Dostoevsky. Here from 1832 to 1838. The future great writer and thinker Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was spending his summer holidays. He visited here shortly before his death, in 1877.

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Saint Nicholas of Zaraisk with the Deesis and selected saints.
Around 1500
Rossmya. Veliky Ustyug. Historical-architectural and art museum-reserve
Order of marks:
1 2 3 4 5
6 7
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20

1-5. Deesis.
6. Ilya;
7. Afanasey;
8. Dimitrey;
9. Metropolitan Jonah;
10. Stefan;
11. Vlasey;
12. (?);
13. George;
14. Kozma;
15. Damian;
16. Paraskeva;
17. Ekaterina;
18. Varvara;
19. Flor;
20. Laurel;
The icon was discovered in the Vologda specialized scientific and restoration production workshop by A. A. Rybakov in 1975, after which it became famous in literature. But at the same time, the work, like others belonging to the same era, did not attract closer attention from researchers, although here in the margins was one of the earliest images of Procopius of Ustyug. Judging by the inscription on the soil in the middle, the icon was restored in March 1822 “on Ustyug the Great.” The inclusion of Procopius of Ustyug among the saints depicted is very noteworthy, but at the same time it can not only serve as an indication of the execution of the icon in Veliky Ustyug, but also indicate the spread of veneration within the region. However, the historical connection of the work with Veliky Ustyug is beyond doubt.
The material characteristics of this icon are quite consistent with its probable execution around 1500: the pine board with the ark initially had one key on the back side in the middle, and only later two more counter-keys were cut in, at the top and bottom. The paint layer appears to be worn, with extensive loss of part of the cinnabar background of the centerpiece and sections of the gesso along the lower edge, which have insets, one of which is part of the half-figure of St. Catherine. The mullion is highlighted with a black border with large white “pearls”. On the sides of the centerpiece on a light background are written a Deesis of five figures with the Savior Not Made by Hands and fifteen half-figures of selected saints, including Procopius of Ustyug.
Somewhat expanding the given expressive summary characteristics of the icon, we should pay attention to some of its details, and above all to the image of the centerpiece. In the Russian iconographic tradition, it is known as the image of Nikola Zarazsky (or Zaraisky), whose veneration in Rus', according to a literary source, can be traced back to 1225. In works of icon painting, this full-length image of St. Nicholas with his arms spread to the sides (blessing - with his right and holding a closed Gospel - with his left) has been presented since the first half of the 14th century, in particular in Novgorod. Ryazan icons with this subject belong to a later time and are distinguished by more developed iconography. The question of the place where the veneration of St. Nicholas of Zarazsky began is now being resolved in favor of connection with the interest in Korsun shrines in the last quarter of the 15th century that manifested itself in Novgorod. However, the iconography used was more ancient, by that time it had become widespread in the Russian lands and, accordingly, had various variants that indicated local traditions. Taking into account the above, it is important to emphasize the similarity of the general character of the figure of St. Nicholas represented on the described icon with the images of the Ferapontov frescoes of Dionysius, executed in 1502.
At the top are the half-figures of those standing in prayer to the Savior Not Made by Hands: the Mother of God and John the Baptist, the archangels Michael and Gabriel; on the sides in pairs: the prophet Elijah and Athanasius of Alexandria, Dmitry of Thessalonica and John the Merciful, Archdeacon Stefan and Blasius, Procopius of Ustyug and George; below: Kozma and Damian, Paraskeva, Ekaterina, Varvara, Flor and Laurus. It is possible that the images on the sides of the middle are grouped rather vertically, although in this case it would be more logical to place the image of George on the left, next to Demetrius. But we must pay tribute to the icon painter for the fact that he skillfully subordinated the indicated distribution of half-length images of saints to a compositional and color rhythm, testifying to a subtle aesthetic taste. An explanation of the internal logic in the order of arrangement of the figures should ideally be correlated with the iconographic scheme of the Deesis composition, which presupposes the sequence of archangels, apostles, saints, prophets, martyrs, saints, and holy women.
In the center of the upper field of 13th-century Novgorod icons is the Etymasia (Prepared Throne). Icons from the 14th-15th centuries localized by Novgorod usually do not have such a frame. It appears again, in a different version, only at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries, in provincial Novgorod icon painting, perhaps under the influence of Paleologian samples.

Construction of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Zaraysk

Unobtrusive, it is considered the oldest church building on the Zaraisk land. In 1225, the miraculous image of St. Nicholas of Myra was brought to the city from Tauride Chersonese. Ryazan Prince Yuri Igorevich, having learned about the miracles of the icon, ordered the creation of a temple in the name of St. Nicholas. The wooden temple stood for three centuries.

At the end of the 1520s, the era of stone construction began in Zaraysk. Then they began to build stone walls around the city, and they decided to also rebuild the St. Nicholas Church in stone.

Having stood for only a century and a half, St. Nicholas Church has become fairly dilapidated. And then, according to the will of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, the five-domed St. Nicholas Cathedral was erected in its place, the same one that has survived to this day. This happened in 1681. The walls and vaults of the St. Nicholas Church were covered with paintings depicting saints. The forged doors were also decorated with biblical scenes.

Icon of St. Nicholas of Zaraisk

The main shrine of the cathedral is the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas of Zaraisk. By order of Tsar Vasily Shuisky, in 1608, a frame was made for the icon from pure gold, which took almost two and a half kilograms, the image was decorated with 133 precious stones and many pearls (more than one and a half thousand!).

Ivan the Terrible came to Zaraysk on a pilgrimage before the icon. This image of St. Nicholas the Pleasant was especially revered and the “abbot of the Russian land” himself prayed before it.

In the 19th century, St. Nicholas Church lived absolutely comfortably - the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas located in it attracted a huge number of pilgrims from all over the country to the city.

After the revolution

In the 1920s, it was abolished as a temple. The temple itself, fortunately, survived, although it housed many things - a museum, an NKVD archive, and a warehouse...

Only in the early 1960s did the authorities begin to restore St. Nicholas Cathedral. At least they restored the outside of the church building and gave it the status of an architectural monument of republican significance.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 17.11.2017 07:17

In the photo: The miraculous image of St. Nicholas of Zaraisk in the St. John the Baptist Cathedral of the Zaraisk Kremlin.

Nikolai Ugodnik is certainly one of the most revered saints in Rus'. And Nikola Zaraisky, along, perhaps, with Nikola Mozhaisky, is one of the most revered images of this saint, at least in the Moscow region. The story of the miraculous discovery of the famous icon, its loss and return is instructive and sad, but it is a story with a happy ending.

The main shrine of St. Nicholas Cathedral has always been the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas of Myra. It was brought to the Ryazan land by a Korsun priest, to whom the saint appeared in a dream. It is curious that a little later the Zaraisk prince Fyodor Yuryevich also dreamed of the arrival of the miraculous image: “Prince, come to meet the miraculous image of my Korsun... And I beg the Humane-loving Lord Christ, the Son of God, to grant you, your wife and son Yours are the crowns of the Kingdom of Heaven." The prince was surprised, because at that time he had neither a wife nor children, but he went to meet the icon. And the saint’s prophecy came true. The prince came out of the city and saw the shrine from afar - an incredible radiance emanated from it. This happened on July 29 (August 11, new style) 1225.

In Soviet times, the miraculous icon was first moved to the local history museum, and then taken to Moscow, to the Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after. When the Zaraisk St. Nicholas Church was handed over to the Church, believers began to advocate for the return of their shrine. The process took almost a quarter of a century; only on August 11, 2013, the icon of St. Nicholas returned to Zaraysk, but not to St. Nicholas Cathedral. Now she is in a special icon case.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 17.11.2017 07:41

"White Well" of St. Nicholas Cathedral

Relatively recently - a little over ten years ago - parishioners improved the holy spring, which had been revered in these places since ancient times. It is called the “White Well” - this is the very place where Prince Fyodor Yuryevich met the Korsun priest with the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas of Myra. According to legend, as soon as the prince took the miraculous image in his hands, a spring gushed out from under the ground. Now the St. Nicholas Chapel with a bathhouse was built above the source, because it has long been noted that the water of the “White Well” is healing - it heals not only from physical, but also mental illnesses.

The travelers had to endure many difficulties and sorrows during their journey, but they also witnessed glorious miracles from the miraculous image. Only a year later they reached the borders of the Ryazan land.

At this time, Saint Nicholas appeared in a dream to the appanage prince Theodore Yuryevich, who reigned in Krasnoye, and announced the arrival of his miraculous icon: “Prince, come to meet the miraculous image of my Korsun. For I want to be here and work miracles, and glorify this place. And I beg the Humane-loving Lord Christ, the Son of God, to grant you, your wife and your son the crowns of the Kingdom of Heaven.” And although the prince was perplexed, since he did not yet have a family, he obeyed the will of the Saint and left the city with the entire sacred cathedral to meet the miraculous image. From afar, he saw a shrine from which a radiance emanated. With great reverence and joy, Theodore accepted the icon from Eustathius. This happened on July 29 (August 11, according to the present day) 1225.

For the brought icon, a wooden St. Nicholas Church was built in the city of Krasny. After some time, Prince Theodore was legally married to Eupraxia, and they had a son, John - with this fulfillment of one of the predictions of St. Nicholas, the first part of the ancient chronicles about St. Nicholas of Zaraz ends.

The second part of the ancient Tales describes the fate of the noble princes of Zaraisk during the invasion of hordes of Tatar-Mongols in Rus' in 1237. Khan Batu demanded from the Russians a tenth share in everything: “in princes, in all sorts of people and in the rest.” The appanage prince Theodore went to Batu's headquarters with great gifts to “persuade the khan not to go to war on the Ryazan land.” The Khan accepted the gifts and falsely promised “not to fight the Ryazan land” and began “to ask the princes of Ryazan for daughters and sisters to come to his bed.” Having heard from one and a traitor, a Ryazan nobleman, that the prince had a young and beautiful wife, Batu turned to him with the words: “Let me, prince, enjoy the beauty of your wife.” Theodore answered the arrogant conqueror with a contemptuous laugh: “It is not right for us Christians to bring our wives to you, the wicked and godless king, for fornication. When you defeat us, then you will own us and our wives.”

Batu became furious at this answer from the noble prince and immediately ordered him to be killed and his body thrown to the animals and birds to be torn to pieces. One of the guides of Prince Aponitsa secretly hid the body of his master and hurried to Krasny to tell the princess about the death of her husband. The blessed princess was standing at that time “in the high mansion and holding her beloved child, Prince Ivan Fedorovich,” and “when she heard the deadly words, filled with grief, she threw herself to the ground and became infected (killed) to death.” The body of the murdered prince was brought to his native land and buried next to the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, in the same grave with his wife and son, and three stone crosses were placed over them.

Here is the description written by the writer Vasily Selivanov in 1892 about the Zaraisk shrine: “In the Zaraisk St. Nicholas Cathedral there is a miraculous image of St. Nicholas, brought to Zaraisk in 1225 from the Greek city of Korsun by Presbyter Eustathius. In the middle of this image, a full image of the Saint is written in paint, wearing priestly cross vestments. The right hand is stretched out for blessing, and the left hand holds the Gospel on the shroud. On the right side, on the clouds, the Savior is depicted, with his right hand blessing the Saint, and with his left hand giving him the Gospel; on the left side is the Mother of God holding an outstretched omophorion in her hands. This image with seventeen images of the life and miracles of the Saint is twenty-five and a half inches long and twenty and a quarter inches wide. The painting on the image is ancient, Byzantine, of high style, which is especially evident from the expression of spirituality imparted to the features of the saint’s face. The robe on the image is made of pure gold with semi-precious stones and pearls, designed by Tsar Vasily Shuisky in 1608... More than seven pounds of gold alone, about six pounds of silver, one hundred and thirty-three semi-precious stones, three or more Burmitz grains were used for the robe and decoration of the image of St. Nicholas one thousand six hundred large and medium-sized pearls... The image of the Saint is placed in an ancient icon case... The icon case is upholstered on three sides with sheets of chased and gilded silver and decorated with stones, pearls and iconographic images of the Mother of God at the top and holy saints on the sides, and inside is upholstered with crimson velvet.”

At this time, Saint Nicholas appeared in a dream to the appanage prince Theodore Yuryevich, who reigned in Krasnoye, and announced the arrival of his miraculous icon: “Prince, come to meet the miraculous image of my Korsun. For I want to be here and work miracles, and glorify this place. And I beg the Humane-loving Lord Christ, the Son of God, to grant you, your wife and your son the crowns of the Kingdom of Heaven.” And although the prince was perplexed, since he did not yet have a family, he obeyed the will of the Saint and left the city with the entire sacred cathedral to meet the miraculous image. From afar, he saw a shrine from which a radiance emanated. With great reverence and joy, Theodore accepted the icon from Eustathius. This happened on July 29 (August 11, according to the present day) 1225.

Batu became furious at this answer from the noble prince and immediately ordered him to be killed and his body thrown to the animals and birds to be torn to pieces. One of the guides of Prince Aponitsa secretly hid the body of his master and hurried to Krasny to tell the princess about the death of her husband. The blessed princess was standing at that time “in the high mansion and holding her beloved child, Prince Ivan Fedorovich,” and “when she heard the deadly words, filled with grief, she threw herself to the ground and became infected (killed) to death.” The body of the murdered prince was brought to his native land and buried next to the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, in the same grave with his wife and son, and three stone crosses were placed over them.