In the village of Godenovo, near Yaroslavl, there is the main Orthodox shrine - the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, which shows miracles of healing.
For several years now, Orthodox pilgrims from all over Russia have been coming to this small but very picturesque village to pray and venerate the Crucifixion and ancient images that came down from heaven.
Especially many pilgrims come on September 27, the Feast of the Exaltation. In addition to pilgrims, the village of Godenovo also attracts many tourists who want to see with their own eyes whether the cross is really miraculous.
How the phenomenon happened
The appearance of the miraculous Crucifixion is truly unusual. The sign was witnessed by peasants grazing cattle outside the village.
In the distance they saw a bright light pillar descending from the heavens.
The shepherds decided to get to the place where the bright light came from. Having sent the herd into the field, they went to the Sahota swamp, where the heavens opened up. Having overcome the impassable swamps, they saw that in a bright radiance, a miraculous Cross was descending from heaven.
This is interesting : according to the ancient chronicle, a miraculous sign occurred on May 29 (old style, June 11 new) 1423, thirty years later the Turks conquered the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, which led to the inglorious fall of the great empire - the citadel of the Orthodox faith.
And next to him towered the face of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Amazed by what they saw, the shepherds heard a voice from heaven, announcing that the “house of God” would stand in this place and everyone who came to it would be healed.
We are sure that you will be interested in an article describing the history and sights of the Valaam Monastery.
History of the Goden Cross
The history of the Goden cross amazes with its miraculous manifestations. The phenomenon occurred back in 1423. This period of time was one of the most difficult for Russia. The Byzantine Empire was advancing rapidly. And plundered Rus' could hardly withstand the onslaught of such a powerful and merciless enemy.
The Russian army was significantly weakened, but was ready to fight to the last drop of blood. One hope remained in the mercy of God, which always protects those on whose side the truth is.
It so happened that shepherds from a small village wandered for a long time through the swampy area in search of their lost herd. They themselves could not understand how they had made such a mistake and lost an entire herd. Nothing like this had ever happened to them before. And now they were faced with such a thrashing that they could say goodbye to life altogether. The master will not spare the unfortunate ones and will definitely punish them with the most severe punishment, as he is used to doing with the guilty serfs.
It even seemed to the shepherds that some unknown force had brought them into these dense swamps in order to reveal something special that they would have to pass on to other people. They expected everything, but this… . As soon as they entered the very depths of the forest, a bright, blinding glow appeared in front of them, right in the air.
When the shepherds took a closer look, they saw that it was the wondrously beautiful Cross of the Lord. But such a wonderful frame, such excellent workmanship, that the peasants were amazed. After all, they had never seen anything like this before. Unable to utter even a word, the peasants simply admired the amazing phenomenon and did not understand why they had such happiness.
But soon they heard a voice coming from the Crucifixion itself. He said that it was in this place, in the swampiest swamp, that the House of God should be built. And miracles of amazing power, healing and help will happen here for everyone who comes to worship the Life-Giving Cross. Soon the phenomenon disappeared, and a wooden Cross remained in the clearing, which the peasants immediately picked up.
The shepherds were so stunned, delighted and inspired by the incredible touch of holiness that they immediately went home to tell the world what they had seen.
And along the way there was a herd that was peacefully wandering not far from the clearing where the miraculous phenomenon took place. Not believing their eyes, but believing what they heard, the shepherds told everything exactly to other people. And construction began. Yes, something the world has never seen before.
And there was not a single person in the area who would stand aside and would not want to participate in the construction of such an amazing Temple. During this period, people seemed to become related, to become brothers, proudly carrying out one common great task.
Of course, some were somewhat surprised that construction was chosen in the swampiest area. However, at the time of laying the foundation, it was noticed that the swamps were disappearing in the most incredible way. The temple turned out to be strong and stable, as if it was originally built on dry and well-prepared soil, and not at all in a forest clearing completely covered with impenetrable swamps.
Soon the work was finished. People were amazed, admiring the beauty that they had created. And in the most honorable place was installed the same Cross of the Lord, which eventually began to show the world more numerous miraculous phenomena.
But it was not easy to preserve the great shrine to this day. How many wars and how many troubles did Holy Mother Rus' experience during this time? And the earth burned, and the districts burned from foreign raids. And where faith was strong, the Lord’s help necessarily saved people from destruction. But the most terrible times for believers were the not so distant years of revolutionary achievements. Something terrible began to happen from the beginning of 1917.
The Bolsheviks burst into this world like a demonic horde to destroy Temples, mercilessly shoot believers and trample on Christ, without even thinking about the retribution that awaited them in the future. The dashing power did not spare the village of Godenovo, where the Bolsheviks, like black crows, tore off the basilicas from the Temples and destroyed everyone who tried to intercede for the great Shrine. Mother Rus' has never shed so many tears. Not a single horde of conquerors brought the country as much grief as the new government of that time.
And then one day, a drunken and insolent Red Guard burst into the Church of the Holy Cross in the village of Godenovo only to destroy, disfigure and incinerate the Shrine in front of all the parishioners who had gathered for the next service in their favorite church. The scoundrel took an ax and tried to cut the Cross with all the frenzy that was in his pathetic little soul.
But the cross did not give in. It seemed that it was not made of wood at all, but of some especially strong steel, for which the ax did not pose any danger. And yet, the criminal managed to break off a small fragment from Christ’s little finger.
And what was it surprising that exactly a year later, in the same place, the fool developed gangrene, which did not respond to any treatment. As a result, he left this world, tossing about with horror and approaching retribution for all his atrocities.
Construction of the St. Nicholas Church and St. Nicholas Church
Having received permission from the senior priests to build the temple, the craftsmen immediately began its construction. They decided to erect a church in honor of St. Nicholas the Pleasant with the chapel of the Life-Giving Cross.
The foundation of the structure was moved several miles from the indicated location: the swampy area was unsuitable for development.
But another miracle happened: under the cover of night, the crown of the log house was miraculously transported to the place designated by St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
In the morning, a rapid river flow formed at the site, washing away the mud and exposing a small area of land. An oak wooden church was built here. Later, the fiery flames of the fire wiped out the wooden structure from the face of the earth, and the Life-Giving Symbol, to the surprise of the parishioners, remained undamaged.
The chronicle contains evidence that at a thanksgiving service in honor of the newly found shrine, those praying were granted healing from illnesses.
In place of the old one, a new one was built, also made of wood. Miraculous healings began to occur from the moment the first building was erected.
Interesting fact : the priests wrote down each story of getting rid of ailments in a special book. But all the records burned in the fire. The new clergyman, due to his negligence, did not support this tradition, until one day the pious nobleman Pyotr Lukich arrived from Moscow. He began to ask about the miraculous apparitions of the Holy Crucifixion, but no one could really tell him anything. Then he reproached the believers for having forgotten and neglected “the great grace of God.” The parishioners were ashamed of this and bit by bit they restored the chronicles of miraculous recoveries.
In 1776, in place of the wooden structure, a white stone one with three thrones was erected. A throne was installed in the center in honor of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, on the sides in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Intercession of the Virgin Mary.
Pilgrims from all over Rus' came to this temple, knelt before the Crucifixion, shed tears at the feet of Christ, crying out for help in healing, consolation in sorrows. A village also arose on the site of the swamp and became known as Nikolsky Pogost (currently Antushkovo).
Shrines
Like any ancient temple of the Yaroslavl Metropolitanate, the Church of St. John Chrysostom is rich in Orthodox relics. Numerous tourists and Orthodox pilgrims visit these places not only because of the well-preserved and restored temple. Most of all, they strive to see one of the main miraculous shrines.
The Life-Giving Cross attracts several thousand pilgrims here every year. They come to Godenovo to kneel before the main shrine of the Church of St. John Chrysostom, which is the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. For tourists, the relic is interesting as the oldest historical value of the 15th century.
Many wonderful legends are associated with the Cross. The very appearance of the Shrine is described as a miracle. According to legend, the Crucifixion appeared to local shepherds who were tending their flock near the Nikolsky churchyard in the summer of 1423. They saw a glow over the impassable Sakhota swamp.
When the shepherds with difficulty and fear walked to that place, they saw the Cross floating in the sky, and on it the crucified Christ, St. Nicholas stood nearby and held the open Gospel in his hands. And the Lord commanded the shepherds to build a temple on this place.
Having received the blessing of the Rostov rector, the people decided to build the church a little further from the swamp and had already laid the first crowns of the church, but it is not clear how, on the same night the construction was moved back to the place where the Crucifixion appeared. And in place of the marshy swamp, a small hill appeared.
A wooden church was built on that hill and consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The Cross was kept in it for a long time. There was also a book in which all the miracles that occurred thanks to his life-giving power were recorded. In 1776, the wooden church burned down. The fire burned everything to the ground, including the manuscript. But when the residents came to the ashes, they saw the Shrine completely untouched by the fire.
A stone church was built on the site of a burnt wooden church. The Crucifixion was placed on the right hand of the iconostasis, and the icon of St. Nicholas on the left. In 1933 the temple was destroyed. The icon disappeared, and the Cross was secretly hidden by local residents. Later the Shrine was moved to the Church of St. John Chrysostom.
In 2002, the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, newly restored by specialists from the Russian Museum, was placed in a fireproof icon case. A copy of the Crucifixion is kept in the St. Nicholas Monastery of Pereslavl-Zalessky. In addition, there are several more artifacts in the Goden Temple:
| Name | Description |
| Icon of John Chrysostom | The icon in honor of the Saint, after whom the cathedral is named, is located in the chapel, as well as in the form of a list in the iconostasis. Saint John Chrysostom is especially revered as a saint who brings peace and prosperity to families. The saint helps those whose profession is connected with the word: teachers, lawyers, media workers. The saint is the patron saint of students. |
| Icon of the Bogolyubskaya Mother of God | Many who come to the cathedral strive to fall before the Life-Giving Cross, but in the chapel is kept the icon of the Bogolyubskaya Mother of God, no less revered in Rus'. This image was copied a long time ago from the one kept in the Holy Dormition Monastery in the city of Vladimir. The icon painters restored it and the brightened face of the Mother of God began to look like it did in the times when it was painted. |
| The miraculous icon of St. Nicholas | In the chapel, to the left of the icon case, there is an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This icon is strikingly different from most known images of the Saint: Nicholas the Wonderworker is depicted in full growth with a sword in his right hand. The historical name of this format of the image of the Saint is “Nicholas in height”. The same icon was given by Ivan the Terrible to the Feodorovsky Monastery in Pereslavl-Zalessky. It is now in the city local history museum. According to historians, the Goden list was made from it. |
In the church shop they sell miraculous icons of the already familiar Image of the Saint. These icons can bleed myrrh.
Fate in the Soviet years
The treasure survived during Soviet times, during the period of persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church.
At this time, ancient church buildings, ancient icons were mercilessly and mercilessly destroyed, and priests were shot. According to eyewitnesses, local activists also tried to remove the shrine from the temple. But no attempts to move the light wooden crucifix were successful. He became too heavy to lift, as if filled with lead.
Then the saw was used, but it had no effect on him either. The desecrators, beside themselves with anger, doused the shrine with hydrochloric acid. Only dark spots remained on the Savior’s face and body.
This is interesting: eyewitnesses of those events said that the most ardent activist began to chop the Crucifixion with an ax and broke off a small fragment from the little finger of Christ. This fragment wounded the vandal's toe. His fate was unenviable: soon the wound rotted and turned into gangrene. According to the villagers, a few years later this man died from blood poisoning that began from this wound.
The holy relic was saved from destruction by local residents who hid it in a church in Godenovo.
Second miraculous phenomenon
During the Soviet era, the memory of miracles was practically destroyed among the people.
The “House of God” in Godenovo was in a dilapidated state and required restoration.
In the late nineties, the temple came under the patronage of the sisters of the St. Nicholas Monastery.
Important to know: in the early 2000s. Its restoration begins, but the relic is not removed from the temple. Restoration work was carried out by specialists of the highest category from the State Russian Museum of St. Petersburg, and the shrine was completely restored.
The inconspicuous path to the shrine has turned into a wide road along which, as many years ago, crowds of suffering pilgrims walk in an inexhaustible stream. After many years of oblivion, the Symbol of Orthodoxy is revered by parishioners on a par with the Venerable Matrona of Moscow and Seraphim of Sarov. The Russian people found their shrine for the second time, and now people’s prayers for it do not stop.
Miracles of Healing
People come from everywhere to pray to the miraculous Cross in Godenovo; everyone wants to venerate the shrine, ask for help in solving their problems, curing them from illness and suffering.
They ask to be cured of infertility, alcoholism, oncology, severe mental illness, etc. This list can be continued indefinitely. Here are a few stories of miraculous healing recorded by the nuns of the St. Nicholas Monastery:
- A local doctor brought to the temple a disabled man named Alexander, who had been suffering from a severe mental disorder for many years. The patient could not wear a pectoral cross, as it seemed too heavy to him. After being attached to Godin's Crucifixion, Alexander put on a cross. He began to recover, delusional visions stopped bothering him;
- A young guy who went through the meat grinder of the Afghan war survived, but was seriously injured. Once, he saw St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in a dream, who showed him the way to the Life-Giving Cross. Relatives helped the guy get to the Church of St. John Chrysostom. There, a young man kissed the venerable, performed the rite of communion and ordered a prayer service. Many parishioners witnessed a real miracle: the young man was able to get out of his wheelchair for the first time;
- Muscovite Rita had dangerously damaged skull bones after an accident. Became disabled. Her husband and relatives stopped communicating with her. Somehow the woman made it to the temple, where she had a vision of St. Nicholas the Pleasant. According to eyewitnesses, the miracle of healing happened right in front of other parishioners - the woman began to walk better, move her arm, and talk.
There are many stories of healing. At the same time, people are helped by faith in God and hope for recovery.
Monasteries in Godenovo: schedule of services
Finding Godenovo on the map is not so easy - this tiny dot, indicating a village several yards away, is not striking. But for the Christian world, this place is a huge spiritual treasure that preserves the Grace of God, to which pilgrims from all over the world come to receive communion. People come here for the special bright atmosphere of love, simplicity and trust, which is noted by everyone who visits this corner, removed from the bustle of the world. They go for miracles of healing, which the Life-giving Cross is generous with.
The center of attention of pilgrims from all over the world in the village is the temple in the name of St. John Chrysostom. Since the thirties of the last century, it has been the repository of the shrine of the Life-Giving Cross. The temple is part of the St. Nicholas Women's Pereslavl-Zalessky Monastery in Godenovo.
The monastery in Godenovo is open daily from 7-30 to 20-00.
Schedule of services: Liturgy begins on weekdays at 9-00, on Sundays and holidays at 10-00.
The Feasts of the Cross, as well as the patronal feasts of the Temple, are especially celebrated in the temple. On these days, solemn services are held, to which pilgrims flock both from surrounding cities and from remote corners of Russia and other countries. But you can see the shrine and venerate the open feet of the Life-giving Cross any day.
Information for pilgrims
The following information will tell you the address of the shrine, various ways to get there, when services are held, etc.
How to get there
You need to get to the village of Godenovo, to the church of St. John Chrysostom, near the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky. On the map this corner of Russia can be easily found in the Yaroslavl region. You can get to the church either by private car or by public transport. Let's take a closer look at both methods:
- By car
From Moscow you need to get to the city of Petrovsk. The distance along the highway is approximately 180 km. From Petrovsk turn right to the village. Demyanskoye, then at the intersection turn left and go to the village. Lakeside. Behind Priozerny comes Godenovo. There are signs everywhere along the road, so it’s impossible to get lost;
- By public transport
There is an intercity bus from Moscow to Yaroslavl. Stop: Petrovsk station. Then transfer to the village bus and get to the village. Priozerny with a stop in the village. Godenovo.
Service Schedule
Every day, except Mondays and Tuesdays, the liturgy is celebrated at nine o'clock in the morning, and the evening service begins at five o'clock in the evening. During the days of Great Lent, the evening service is performed from eight o'clock in the morning (Wednesday, Friday).
Festive services in honor of the Life-Giving Cross
Festive services are held during the Week of the Cross, on the days of the descent from heaven of the miraculous Crucifixion: 11/06, 14/08, 27/09.
Work schedule
Open to parishioners every day from eight in the morning to eight in the evening.
Official information can be found on the website. Each of us has our own path to God. The road to the temple also leads us to it. One has only to look at the faces of people filled with special reverence and awe before the holy face of Christ.
This is an image restored from the ashes, revived and brought to our time for the sake of salvation, healing and redemption of our body and soul.
Watch an interesting video about the Life-Giving Cross below:
How to get to the village of Godenovo
Those wishing to visit the shrine can contact the pilgrimage service, which operates seven days a week and receives a huge number of visitors every day.
But the path from Moscow to the village of Godenovo will not be short. After all, there is no direct railway connection here. And you can get to this area only by buses that depart both from Pereslavl Zalessky itself and from Rostov the Great.
After all, the village itself is located between these two cities. And each pilgrim chooses a more convenient direction for himself.
But at the same time, you first need to get to Petrovsk. And only from there there are direct routes to the village of Godenovo.
Photo gallery
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