Saint Nina of Georgia is known throughout the world for her faith and the miracles she performs. A fragile, weak girl performed labors that adult husbands were not always able to do. St. Nina, while still very young, was not afraid to fulfill the command of the Most Pure One - to go to the distant and unknown country of Iberia. What could be waiting for her there, only God knew.
Nina's childhood
Saint Nina Equal to the Apostles is known as the enlightener of Georgia. This country is called “the lot of the Most Pure One.” According to legend, when all the apostles cast lots to decide which country each would go to preach, the Mother of God also wanted to take part in this. Her lot fell to go to Iveria (now this country is called Georgia). But as soon as the Most Holy Theotokos was about to set off, an Angel appeared to Her and stopped her, saying that someone else would later perform this work instead of Her, and the Virgin Mary should remain in Jerusalem.
The angel promised the Mother of God that Iveria would become Her inheritance later. As the further course of events showed, Saint Nina fulfilled this prediction. At the behest of the Mother of God, she went to enlighten the Georgian country.
Origin and birth
Nina was born in 280 AD in Cappadocia into a family of wealthy parents. The country in which the girl was born was located on the territory of modern Turkey. It was a fairly famous state, producing many celebrities.
The following holy men lived in Cappadocia at different times:
- John the Russian;
- St. George the Victorious;
- Julian the Apostate;
- Arseny of Cappadocia;
- Paisiy Svyatogorets;
- Basil the Great and others.
This is a country with a rich history and amazingly beautiful nature. It is called the “eighth wonder of the world.”
Cappadocia is rich in unusual landscapes:
- underground cities;
- volcanoes;
- cave cities;
- Canyons.
The unusual beauty of those places inspired artists to create numerous works of art.
In the Middle Ages the country was inhabited by:
- Greeks;
- Turks;
- Armenians.
The famous Lake Tuz looks especially beautiful, its water is pink in color due to algae. You can also see pink flamingos there. The stunning beauty of those places left an imprint on the soul of young Nina, who was born and raised in Cappadocia.
Family
Nina's parents were pious Christians. Father - Roman governor Zebulon, a distant relative of St. George the Victorious. The mother's name was Susanna. The parents raised their daughter in the faith from a very early age.
When the girl turned twelve, she and her parents went to the Holy Land, where, with the blessing of the patriarch and agreement with his wife, Zabulon became a monk and retired to the desert.
Susanna was made a deaconess in the temple by the Patriarch of Jerusalem (her brother), and it was decided to give Nina to the care of Nianfora, a pious old woman.
early years
Nina was born around 280 AD. in Cappadocia, a country where early Christians prayed in rock churches, in the city of Kolastra. Christian legends call her the father of Zebulun. This Christian with a Jewish name served the Roman Emperor Maximian, allegedly baptized the defeated Franks, and then came to Jerusalem to distribute what he received from the grateful Franks to the poor. There he met Nina’s mother, Sosanna, the sister of the church minister Juvenal. After the wedding, he took his wife to his homeland, Cappadocia. Nina was born there. Sosanna raised her daughter to be merciful, teaching at any time of the day and in any way possible to help the disadvantaged. When Nina reached the age of 12, her parents moved again to the Holy City to finally devote their lives to the church. Zebulun, having distributed his property to the poor, went into the wilderness. Sosanna entrusted the further Christian education of her daughter to Elder Sarah Miaphora (some researchers believe that “Miaphora” is not a personal name, but the name of one of the church positions of that time).
It was from Sarah that Nina heard about the tunic of the Lord, bought from the Roman soldiers by the Jew Elioz and taken to Mtskheta in Iberia. The girl was deeply worried about the fate of the shrine - she began to dream of seeing the place of her burial and worshiping it.
Legend says that young Nina saw the Virgin Mary in a dream, who gave her the blessing to go to Her inheritance - and this was Iberia - and preach the teachings of Her Son there. In a dream, the Mother of God handed the girl a cross made of grapevine. Nina woke up and saw this cross in reality - and wrapped her hair around it.
This unusual cross with lowered transverse ends is depicted on every icon of St. Nino in Georgia. It still preserves the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Teenage years and early life
Nina had a sharp mind and many abilities. Living in Jerusalem, she memorized the Holy Scriptures in two years. The girl devoted all her free time to studying and prayer. Nina grew up in chastity, away from the outside world with its passions, vanity, and debauchery. She had a pure soul and an intact mind, did not communicate with anyone except her teacher, who could tell her a lot about ways to save her soul.
The Path to Find Heaton
Reading the Holy Gospel, the girl became interested in where the very robe of the Lord, for which the soldiers cast lots during the crucifixion of Christ, is now located. The old woman replied that the robe of Jesus Christ was taken with him by a warrior, who received it by lot, and he lived in Iberia.
Nina was eager to visit this distant country in order to venerate the shrine. But Nianfora warned her that Iveria is a country unenlightened by the light of Christianity, it is inhabited by pagans. But the girl still did not give up the desire to visit her in order to find the robe of the Lord.
Finding a Gift
Day and night, Nina constantly prayed that the Virgin Mary would help her visit Iberia. Finally, her request was heard. One night the Most Pure One appeared to her and ordered her to go to Iveria to convert the inhabitants of this country to Christianity. In the dream, Nina answered that she was just a weak girl and that she was unlikely to have the courage and strength to carry out the command.
But the Mother of God gave her the cross and said:
“Take it, it will protect you from enemies visible and invisible. With its help, you will be able to plant in that country the saving banner of faith in My Beloved Son and Lord, Who desires salvation for all sinners!”
Waking up, the young woman saw in her hand the same cross that the Most Pure One had given her in a dream. Kissing him happily, Nina wrapped her hair around him. Nina never parted with this gift for a minute until the end of her life. The girl realized that this vision had been given to her from Above, and she must, without fear of anything, go to a distant country to fulfill the command of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Vision
Nina told her vision to the patriarch, her uncle, and he, after praying, blessed her on her long journey. Fifty-three other maidens went with her, among them Princess Hripsimia and her mentor. They fled from the persecutor of Christians, Diocletian, who wished to marry the princess, and she took a vow of virginity to God.
The path lay through Armenia. The virgins settled near the capital, earning their bread with their labor. Soon Diocletian learned about the whereabouts of Hripsimia and wrote a letter to the King of Armenia Tiridates asking him to send her to Rome or marry her himself because she was very beautiful.
Tiridates' warriors grabbed the maiden and brought her to the king. Seeing her, he was inflamed with unclean passion and expressed his desire to marry her. But Hripsimia replied that she could not marry him, because she devoted herself to God. Angry at the refusal, the king ordered her to be tortured. The girl's eyes were gouged out, her tongue was cut out, and then her body was cut into pieces. All her friends suffered the same fate.
Nina alone escaped from the servants by hiding in the bushes of a wild, unblown rose. From there she watched what was happening. Nina prayed to God, saying: “Why are you leaving me alone!” - and when she raised her eyes to the sky, a wonderful vision was presented to her gaze.
An angel stood in heaven in a deacon's vestment, holding a censer in his hands. The souls of tortured virgins went to him. Nina also wanted to go to heaven, but the angel answered her:
“You will be taken into the Kingdom of Heaven, but not now, but in due time, when this wild rose blooms.”
The angel told her to go north, to where the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few.
Martyr Nina Kuznetsova
This martyr Nina is a native of what is now the Vyatka region, the city of Lalsk. From her youth she was especially religious. The only daughter of pious parents, Nina did not always meet with their understanding. But the girl devoted herself to prayer for hours, knew many psalms by heart, and loved spiritual books.
Gradually, the parents reconciled and made a cell out of the barn for their daughter. Perhaps the path of a nun would await the young ascetic. But after the revolution, brutal persecution began, which changed all plans.
First, in 1932, Nina’s parents, already elderly, were arrested. Unable to withstand the hardships of prison, they soon died. After all these events, the girl herself remained paralyzed and had difficulty moving for the rest of her life.
Left alone in her large parental home, Nina led a pious life, full of prayer and helping people. Whole families of those arrested for their faith found shelter with her. After the closure of the Koryazhemsk monastery, some of its monks also began to live with Nina. Among them was the abbot of the monastery, abbot Pavel, an ascetic, and a man of prayer.
From then on, the saint, not being a nun, began to live according to monastic rules - she devoted most of her time to prayer, sleeping no more than 4 hours. Contemporaries note the saint’s complete fearlessness: at the height of the authorities’ attack on Orthodoxy, she was not afraid to write strong letters protesting the closure of the cathedral church of Lalsk.
In 1937, the saint was arrested along with many believers. But the only accusation was her active church activities. For this, the saint was sent to a camp, where she died on May 14, 1938.
Mature age
Nina continued her journey alone, but in fact, she was never alone. The Lord invisibly guided her and protected her from dangers. It was necessary to leave Armenia and reach Georgia. Although the path was long and difficult, the girl calmly endured all the difficulties.
It is impossible to fully imagine what the lonely traveler had to experience. The weak woman, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, was tempted by fears and fatigue. Tired, she prayed to the One who blessed her for this calling and, of course, to the Most Pure One.
Escape from Armenia
Having reached the river, which was called Kura, Nina saw shepherds. They fed her, then the wanderer asked them in Armenian: how far is the city of Mtskheta from here? Her teacher Nianfora taught her to speak Armenian. The shepherds answered her that the city was located downstream of the Kura.
Having thanked the kind shepherds, the girl moved on. It was not easy for her to walk. One day, exhaustedly sitting down on a stone, she thought about what would happen to her next and where the Lord would lead her. Having dozed off, she saw a bright husband with a scroll in his hands, on which was written:
“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in her memory” (wife) (Matthew 26:13).
“There is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).
“Jesus says to them (the women): Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers” (Matthew 28:10).
“Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me” (Matthew 10:40).
“I will give you a mouth and wisdom that all who oppose you will not be able to contradict or resist” (Luke 21:15).
“When they bring you into the synagogues, before the rulers and powers, do not worry about how or what to answer or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that hour what you should say” (Luke 12:11–12).
“And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen"
After this, the husband became invisible, and Nina woke up. The wondrous vision strengthened her, and she continued her journey in the firm faith that the Lord was with her.
Rescue from death
Nina reached the ancient city of Urbnisi, where she stopped for a while, learning a new language. Noticing that the men were going on a journey to worship the pagan gods, she went with them.
Arriving at the place of sacrifice, the preacher saw many idols. When the pagan action began, Nina began to fervently pray for the enlightenment and admonition of this people. Before she had time to finish her prayer, thunderclouds appeared in the sky. A terrible storm began, a thunderstorm thundered and rain poured down.
Everyone ran away in fear, and Nina hid in a mountain gorge. She saw with her own eyes how the storm, by the will of God, destroyed all the idols, their fragments floated down the river. When the disaster was over, everyone saw that there was no trace left of the idols. This event took place on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
The residents, seeing such a miracle, began to be surprised and think that there is a God who is stronger than their idols. “Isn’t this the same God who punished the Armenian king?!”
After Tiridates ordered the brutal killing of the maidens, he was struck by a terrible illness. The Enlightener of Armenia, Saint George, healed the king. After this, Tiridates converted to Christianity and declared this faith the state religion in his country.
Enlightenment and preaching
In Mtskheta, Nina was sheltered by the family of the royal gardener. His wife Anastasia treated her kindly. For this, being barren, through the prayers of the enlightener, she became a mother of many children.
Nina lived in Bodie Gardens in a small blackberry hut. Her bed was a bed woven from twigs. On the site of the hut there is now a temple named in her honor. In total, the preacher spent 35 years in Georgia.
One woman walked around the city and cried because her child was dying. Nina took him, laid him on her bed, prayed, put him to her cross, and the child completely recovered. From that moment on, the virgin began to openly preach Christ, calling the pagans to repentance and turn to the True God.
Her righteous life was known to many. Nina was told the legend about the Lord's robe. According to rumors, the sister of the warrior who brought home this tunic pressed him to her, began to kiss him and fell dead. No force could take it out of the girl’s hands. She was buried with him in the royal garden. A cedar tree grew in this place.
Nina often went to pray at the burial site, but she doubted whether the shrine was really buried here. However, the visions assured her of the veracity of the legend she had heard.
Students helped Nina preach: Sidonia and her father Avifar. Soon the wife of the Iveron king Miriana became seriously ill. Hearing about the miracles performed by Nina, Queen Nana ordered to bring her to her. But the preacher told her to tell her to come to her herself. Nana humbled herself and ordered the servants to carry her to Nina.
Nina laid the queen on her bed, prayed and overshadowed her with her cross, given to her by the Most Pure One. After this, Nana stood up completely healthy. She immediately converted to Christianity.
Nina also healed a relative of the Persian king, who was visiting Mirian, from demonic possession. He returned home a Christian. Mirian was afraid of the wrath of the leader of the Persians, who was a pagan, and vowed to put Nina to death.
Having gone hunting, the king of Iberia almost died; in the most terrible moment he cried out to God, whom Nina preached, and promised to become a Christian if he survived. The Lord saved the king from death, and he returned home, loudly preaching his faith in Christ. Mirian himself came to Nina’s hut and, falling on his knees in front of her, asked to be baptized into the Christian faith.
The girl cried with joy, and all the people cried. The king's desire was unshakable. He summoned a bishop and priests from Greece in order to baptize the entire people.
The king decided to build a temple before the arrival of the priests. For this I chose a place - under a cedar tree in the garden, the same place where, according to legend, the Robe of the Savior was kept. When the cedar was cut down, seven pillars were made from it for the temple. Six were placed at the base of the structure, but no one could move the seventh. Pondering what this meant, the people began to go home.
Only Nina remained in this place and prayed all night. At dawn, a bright husband appeared to her and spoke some words into her ear. After that, Nina bowed to him. Then the angel took the seventh pillar and raised it high.
People did not see the angel, but they noticed a bright glow emanating from the pillar that was floating in the air. Then he began to lower himself and rise again. Everyone was surprised by this vision. Then the pillar froze in place, fragrant myrrh began to flow from under its base, and miraculous healings began to occur.
A man who had been blind since birth, as soon as he touched the pillar, immediately regained his sight. Those people who anointed themselves with the world were instantly healed from serious illnesses. So many people flocked that the king was forced to place guards and fences at this place.
Soon a wooden temple was built. The clergy arrived in Iveria. The inhabitants of the country and the king and his wife received Holy Baptism in the Kura River. Only the mountaineers and Jews, who, according to legend, were descendants of the robber Barabbas, rejected the Sacrament.
last years of life
In Iveria, Christian churches began to be built in different settlements. In Mtskheta, construction began on a stone structure near the blackberry hut of the enlightener. Unfortunately, she never saw it completed.
Nina soon felt the end of her earthly journey was near and went to the mountains. Having settled in a cave, she spent time in fervent prayer to the Lord, thanking Him for converting idolaters to Christianity. At her request, a source of clean water began to flow from the stone, nicknamed “tearful”. It still exists today. Some call it “milky” because mothers come here to pray for more breast milk.
A miraculous phenomenon appeared above the built temple in Mtskheta: a large cross dotted with stars appeared in the sky. Its base was located above a tall tree. Nina ordered to cut it down and make four crosses. She asked to erect one of them instead of a cut down tree, another in the place where the king went blind and then regained his sight, the third - in the city of Urjam (where the royal daughter-in-law was from), and the fourth enlightener took with her and intended to give to the Kakhetian Queen Sophia.
But she had not yet believed in Christ, and to enlighten her, Nina went to Bodby, preaching in mountain villages along the way. Residents joyfully accepted the Christian faith after conversations, destroyed their idols and were baptized. The enlightener settled in Bodby and continued her preaching. People came to listen to Nina and accepted the faith.
Soon Queen Sophia herself came to look at her more out of curiosity. After listening to the sermons, the ruler believed in Christ and received baptism from the bishop. The mission of the educator was over. She was preparing for the transition to eternal life. Christ revealed to her the time of departure to another world. Nina sent to Mirian to tell her about her imminent death. The king and queen came to say goodbye to her and found her still alive.
Many people gathered near the dwelling of the righteous woman. Dying, the preacher asked to tell her descendants about her wonderful life, given to serving God. A woman named Salome wrote down the Equal-to-the-Apostles' story about her life.
Nina bequeathed to bury her body next to the hut. She received communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and peacefully gave up her soul to the Lord. This happened, according to one version, on January 14, 335, and according to another, in 347. Everyone around was crying, some sick people touched her bed and instantly received healing.
Nina's arrival in Mtskheta
Entering the city, the saint saw all the inhabitants worshiping idols. She prayed to God, and all the false gods fell noisily into the river. Nina herself hid in the gorge. The king and the residents could not understand why the idols were defeated.
Nina settled in Mtskheta with the royal gardener. She began healing the sick there with prayer. One woman brought her child, who was dying, and when the saint laid him on her bed, he recovered. The fame of the saint spread throughout the city. Many residents came to listen to her words and accepted the Christian faith.
Nina found out from local residents where the Lord’s robe was located. One young man from Mtskheta was called to serve and participated in the crucifixion of Christ. His pious mother, having learned about this, died immediately. When this warrior returned to his hometown with the tunic that had been given to him by lot, his sister took it, pressing it to her chest and died of grief.
No one could snatch the shrine from the hands of the dead girl. So she was buried with a tunic in her hands. A large cedar tree grew in this place. Nina began to go to this place and pray. But she was not sure that this was the very place where the tunic was kept. Then the Lord assured her that it was here that the shrine was buried, and that a temple would be built on this site.
History of the relics
Mirian gave the order, contrary to Nina’s wishes, to transfer her body to the Mtskheta church. However, no one could even move the coffin from its place. Then everyone understood God’s will in this and buried the preacher near the hut where she lived. Later, the king ordered a temple to be built over the grave in the name of St. George.
The church building was destroyed many times and then restored, but continues to stand to this day. Now it belongs to the Bodbe Metropolitanate.
Finding
The body of the enlightener was found incorrupt. Many miracles of healing occurred from him. This prompted the Georgian Church to immediately glorify Nina as a saint. Soon temples in her honor began to be built in Iveria. Ancient stone church of St. Nina, built by King V. Gurg-Aslan on the site where the idols were defeated, has survived to this day.
The Equal-to-the-Apostles Cross was in the Mtskheta Cathedral for a long time. Then, during the time of persecution of Christians, a certain monk took it to Armenia, where it was kept in the Cathedral of St. Lazarus. When persecution began in this country, the cross was hidden in the fortress. Only in the 13th century was it returned to the Mtskheta Cathedral. Then it was again hidden in fortresses, and in the 18th century the Georgian metropolitan brought it secretly to Russia and presented it to the Georgian prince Bakar. For some time, the shrine was located in the Nizhny Novgorod region (the village of Lyskovo) on the estate of the Georgian princes.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Emperor Alexander, who was presented with the cross, ordered its return to Georgia. The shrine is still kept in the Tiflis Cathedral. The cross was bound in silver and placed near the Royal Doors.
As for Christ’s robe, no one was able to obtain it until a certain time. After the Angel whispered mysterious words to Nina, and myrrh began to flow from the stump, no one could get closer to the place where, according to legend, the girl with the tunic was buried. There were attempts to excavate the grave, but those who intended to do so died.
During the invasion of Tamerlane, one God-fearing man, fearing the looting of the temple and the desecration of the great shrine, prayed and was able to dig up the grave and get the tunic. He gave the shrine to the bishop, but the temple in Mtskheta was completely destroyed. After the restoration of the structure, the chiton was returned.
After the conquest of Georgia, the Persian Shah Abbas decided to present it to the Russian Patriarch Filaret, the father of Tsar Mikhail Romanov, in order to win the trust of Russia. The Sovereign and Patriarch, making sure that this was indeed part of the robe that belonged to Christ, after a number of miracles associated with it, with prayer and fasting, placed the shrine in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, where it is still kept, decorated with jewelry, in a special room at the western wall. In honor of this, the Feast of the Placing of the Lord's Robe was established in July.
Current location
At first, the temple of St. George, her relative, was erected over Nina’s grave, and then a monastery was built. It became the cultural center of the diocese. The Bodbe Monastery in Georgia has always been popular among the population. The kings chose it as a place for coronation. At first it was a men's monastery, but later it was made a women's monastery. The Soviet government closed the monastery, but in 1991 the Bodbe Monastery in Georgia was revived again.
The original temple, built on the relics of the enlightener, was destroyed, then a new cathedral was built in its place, where today the relics of the Georgian enlightener rest.
Orthodox Life
On January 27, Saint Nina, Equal to the Apostles, the enlightener of Georgia, reposed in the Lord.
It seems to me that a symbolic fact in the history of the Georgian people, which very well reveals their attitude towards Orthodoxy, deeply rooted in the hearts of Georgians, is the conquest of Tbilisi by the Persians in the 17th century. By order of the Mohammedan Shah, the greatest spiritual relic of the Georgian people, the cross of St. Nina, was removed from the cathedral. It was placed on a bridge over the Kura River. About one hundred thousand Tbilisi residents were gathered on the shore. Whoever of them wanted to live had to walk across the bridge and step over the cross; whoever did not do this was executed on the spot. Not a single person out of a hundred thousand dared to commit sacrilege. And Kura that day became red with blood...
Many peoples tried to conquer Iberia: Roman pagans, fire-worshipping Persians, Medes, Parthians, Khazars, Muslim Turks, but Georgia, burned and drowning in blood, was resurrected every time. Revived in Orthodoxy. To this day, despite religious bloody genocides and the temptations of numerous pagan beliefs and pseudo-Christian heresies, Georgia has remained a guardian country of the purity of canonical Orthodoxy since ancient times.
This became possible largely thanks to a fragile young girl who undertook a deadly journey through the Caucasus mountains in order to bring the light of Christ's faith to Iberia and become an apostle for the Georgians. Her name was Nina.
She came from a holy, righteous and very noble Cappadocian family from the city of Colastra (now eastern Turkey). There were quite a few Georgian settlements there. Perhaps the family of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina had some kind of relationship or close acquaintance with them, which influenced the future life of the saint. The future enlightener of Georgia was born around 280. Her father's name was Zebulun. He held a high position of military commander under the Roman emperor. Being a Christian, Zebulon led many captive Gauls to faith. They were baptized, and he became their godfather. Thanks to him, the captives confessed and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Zebulun stood up for them before the emperor. The latter pardoned the Gauls for his military merits. And their liberator, along with converts and priests, arrived in the Gallic country, where many people were also baptized. A relative of Zabulon was the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. Nina’s mother Susanna was raised for a long time at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Her brother was His Holiness the Patriarch of Jerusalem (some sources call him Juvenal).
When the girl was twelve years old, Zebulun and Susanna brought her to Jerusalem. Nina's parents longed for the monastic life. Therefore, by mutual agreement and with the blessing of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, they parted in order to carry out exploits in the name of Christ. Zebulun retired to the Jordanian desert, and Susanna became a deaconess (1) at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Nina's upbringing was entrusted to Elder Nianfora. Soon, thanks to her prayerful attitude, diligence, obedience and love for the Lord, the young woman firmly grasped the truths of the faith of Christ. So, for example, she read the Holy Gospel with great zeal.
Nianfora told Nina a lot about the Savior’s Death on the Cross. The girl was interested in the story connected with the Robe of the Lord.
Let us remember the verses of the Gospel: “When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier, and a tunic; The tunic was not sewn, but entirely woven on top. So they said to each other: Let us not tear it apart, but let us cast lots for it, whose it will be, so that what is said in the Scripture may be fulfilled: They divided My garments among themselves, and cast lots for My clothing. This is what the soldiers did” (John 19:23–24).
According to Church Tradition, the tunic of the Son was woven by the Most Holy Theotokos. And in Iberia (as Georgia was called in ancient times) there lived a lot of Jews who ended up there during the Babylonian dispersion (6th century BC), which is why it was called the country of the Jews, or Iberia. There in the city of Mtskheta lived one pious rabbi Eleazar. He was practically the same age as our Lord Jesus Christ. On Easter of the Passion of the Savior, he decided to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but his mother Eloise strictly ordered him not to take part in the execution of Christ. According to Church Tradition, the pious Eloise even felt in her heart the blows of the hammer with which the Most Pure Hands of the Savior were nailed to the Tree. Having announced the death of the Lord to her daughter Sidonia, she died. Before this, Sidonia begged Brother Eleazar to bring her some of the things of Christ.
Eleazar arrived in Jerusalem when the Savior had already been crucified on the Cross. He bought the Robe of the Lord from a Roman legionnaire who had won it by throwing dice. The rabbi took the shrine to the Caucasus. Righteous Sidonia, kissing the Robe of the Lord, pressed it to her chest and immediately gave up the holy soul to God. No one could unclench the palms of the righteous woman and remove the shrine. Eleazar buried his sister in the garden of Mtskheta. Later this incident was almost forgotten. A huge cedar tree grew on the grave of the holy righteous Sidonia. People felt that this was a holy place, as the branches and leaves of the tree healed those suffering from illnesses. Many Caucasians went to the cedar and considered it a great shrine.
At the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, almost three hundred years later, at the beginning of the 4th century, decided to find the Robe of the Lord. Her decision was blessed by God. One day, when the saint fell asleep after long prayers, the Most Pure Virgin appeared to her in a dream and handed her a cross woven from a vine with the words: “Take this cross, it will be your shield and fence against all visible and invisible enemies. Go to the country of Iveron, preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ there and you will find grace from Him. I will be your Patroness.”
When Nina woke up, she saw two grape sticks in her hands. She cut a lock of hair from her head and, wrapping it around sticks, tied a cross. She went with him to Georgia. The Patriarch of Jerusalem blessed Her for apostolic service in Iberia.
Cross of St. Nina
At the beginning of the journey, the maiden was not alone. Princess Hripsimia, her mentor Gaiania and 35 other virgins traveled with her, but they were all killed by the Armenian king Tiridates. Saint Nina miraculously escaped death. She came to Georgia around 319 along a difficult path full of danger, which not every man can overcome even today. She settled in the vicinity of Mtskheta near a spreading blackberry bush. When the saint appeared, a miraculous sign occurred. The idols of the pagan deities Armaz, Gatsi and Gaim, worshiped by the ancient Georgian tribes, fell, broken into small pieces by an invisible force. This happened during a pagan sacrifice and was accompanied by a severe storm.
Saint Nina, Equal to the Apostles, healed all those who suffered with her grape cross. Thus, a gardener’s wife was healed of infertility with her. Later, the saint cured the Georgian princess Nana from a serious illness, who was baptized, became a zealous Christian and is revered as a saint in Georgia.
Despite this, King Mirian, at the instigation of the priests, decided to betray Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina to severe torture. But by God's will he became blind. Moreover, the sun disappeared and darkness fell over the city. Only after praying to our Lord Jesus Christ did the darkness dissipate and the king recovered. Soon, in 324, Georgia finally adopted Christianity.
At the request of King Mirian, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine the Great sent a bishop, two priests and three deacons to Iveria. Christianity took hold in the country.
Thanks to Saint Nina, another miracle happened in Georgia. The pious Mirian decided to build an Orthodox church on the site where Righteous Sidonia was buried along with the Robe of the Lord. For this purpose, the healing cedar above the burial site was cut down. They decided to use the tree trunk as a column-pillar in the temple, but no one was able to move it from its place.
All night Saint Nina prayed for Divine help, and she was shown visions in which the historical destinies of Georgia were revealed.
At dawn, the Angel of the Lord approached the pillar and lifted it into the air. The pillar, illuminated by a wonderful light, rose and fell in the air until it stopped above its base. Fragrant myrrh flowed from a cedar stump. So the Angel of the Lord pointed out the place where the Robe of the Lord was hidden in the ground. This event, which was witnessed by many residents of Mtskheta, is depicted on the icon “Glorification of the Georgian Church”. Subsequently, on the site of the wooden temple, the majestic stone Cathedral of Sveti Tskhoveli was erected. The Life-Giving Pillar, at which many healings were performed, now has a stone quadrangular covering and is crowned with a light canopy that does not touch the cathedral vault.
The pillar is located in the Sveti Tskhoveli Cathedral next to the model of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
In honor of the Chiton of the Lord and the Life-Giving Pillar, the Georgian Church established a festival on October 1 (Old Art.) - October 14 (N. Art.) - the day of the Intercession of the Mother of God.
Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina herself peacefully departed to the Lord, having received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, on January 27 (New Art) at the 67th year of her life. She bequeathed her holy relics to be buried in the place of her last ascetic feat in the city of Bodbe. King Mirian and his servants initially wanted to move them to the Mtskheta Cathedral, but were unable to move the ascetic’s coffin from its place. Then, according to the will, the holy relics were buried in Bodbe, and a temple was erected over the tomb in the name of St. Nina’s relative, the Great Martyr George the Victorious. Later, a convent was formed here in honor of St. Nina, Equal to the Apostles, the enlightener of Georgia.
Mtskheta
Her grape cross is kept in the Tiflis Zion Cathedral near the northern gate of the altar in an icon case bound in silver. On the top cover of the icon case there are chased miniatures from the life of St. Nina.
So the young girl, who, perhaps, was barely 16 years old at the time of her trip to Georgia, defeated the pagan idols with God’s help, pacified the king and became an apostle for Iveria, bringing into it the light of Christ’s faith. And we, dear brothers and sisters, should not doubt that the Lord is always with us. For His power is made perfect in our weakness. Therefore, let us not be discouraged. It’s better, with God’s help, let’s take our body and our soul and, like St. Nina, tie our hair with our love for God into a cross and follow Christ. And He, as a merciful Father, will do the rest with us Himself...
Priest Andrey Chizhenko
Note:
1. Deaconesses - clergymen of the ancient Church. They were ordained through special ordination and numbered among the clergy. Their responsibilities included preparing women for baptism, assisting bishops and priests in administering the Sacrament of Baptism over women, carrying out instructions from bishops regarding the sick and poor, placing women in the church during services, and maintaining order. By the 11th century, the institution of deaconesses was practically abolished. Their place is taken by female monastics.
Veneration of Saint Nina
In Georgia the saint is called “Nino”. She is still respected and loved, this veneration is passed down from generation to generation. Nina is a national saint, the patroness of the Georgian land. All those who come to this country strive first to venerate her relics, and also to see the cross given by the Most Pure Virgin Herself. The temple in Mtskheta is another place where pilgrims definitely go.
Although it was initially believed that Christianity appeared in the country thanks to St. Gregory, the Armenian enlightener, it later turned out that Nina was the planter of the Christian faith in Iberia. She is known all over the world as an educator of Georgia. For her labors she received the title of Equal-to-the-Apostles.
There is also information that it was Nina who helped lift the siege of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War. Metropolitan Zinovy of Georgia imposed a strict fast on himself and prayed for the liberation of this city. One day he had a vision in which Saint Nina stood before the Throne of God and fervently prayed for the long-suffering city. Her tears were the size of grapes.
Then the saint realized that it was Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina who had obedience from the Most Pure One to be the protector of this city. The blockade of Leningrad was lifted on the day of memory of St. Nina - January 27.
In Russia, numerous churches were erected in honor of the saint in the following towns and cities:
- Kaliningrad;
- Saint Petersburg;
- Moscow, Cheryomushki;
- village of Plastunka, Khostinsky district, Krasnodar region;
- Sochi;
- Kandalaksha;
- Rostov-on-Don;
- Kerch;
- chapel in the village Big Gogoli.
In Little Russia there are also churches dedicated to the saint: in Kyiv, Donetsk, Nikolaev. The memory of St. also lives abroad. Nina. A temple was built in Paris in honor of her, belonging to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In America there is a holy monastery (Maryland, Union Bridge), which belongs to the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Venerable Martyr Nina (Shuvalova)
XX century was marked by persecution of faith, which many, not without reason, compare with the persecution of Christians during the Roman Empire, when Equal Apostle lived. Nina. It is symbolic that among the many new martyrs of recent times there are also saints bearing the name of the enlightener of Georgia.
Nun Nina
The Venerable Martyr Nina (Shuvalova) was killed by atheists solely for her monastic life. She was not a politician and was not interested in revolutionary events.
Born in the Lower Volga, in a village, she apparently decided early on to devote herself to God. According to documents, Neonila (the secular name of the saint) retired from the world and became the nun Nina before 1917. The documents did not preserve the name of this monastery. But after the Soviet government closed the monastery, the nun left for Kazakhstan, the city of Chimkent, where she led the same monastic life, but in the middle of the world.
Here, apparently, she met Archimandrite. Gabriel (Vladimirov), tonsure of St. Mount Athos, an ascetic who was arrested more than once by the Soviet authorities. The last arrest of Fr. Gabriel took place in Chimkent. Many believers were involved in one “case of a counter-revolutionary organization.” Among them was St. Nina.
19
November
1937
Nun Nina (Shuvalova) was shot, her burial place is unknown.
Memorable places in Georgia
The most revered preacher of the Christian faith is in Georgia. The places where Saint Nina visited are marked by the construction of temples and monasteries. Everywhere where she lived and prayed, there are churches and chapels. This all suggests that Equal to the Apostles Nina is the most revered saint in Georgia. People still remember and love her for bringing the Light of Truth to the country.
Dedicated to Saint Nina Equal to the Apostles:
- churches in the village of Alibeyli, in Mtskheta, in Vladikavkaz;
- monastery in Bodbe;
- church in Batumi;
- monastery in Mathozha;
- three temple complexes in Tbilisi;
- church and monastery in Samtavro.
People in large numbers rush to these places to touch the shrines, pray to Equal-to-the-Apostles, and ask her for help in their needs.
Svetitskhoveli or Life-Giving Pillar
The most famous of all memorable places is the temple in Mtskheta. It is called “Svetitskhoveli”, which translated from Georgian means “Life-Giving Pillar”. This is the same temple that King Mirian began to build. It was founded on the place where the tunic of Christ was hidden and where St. spent days and nights in prayer. Nina.
It was on the site of this temple that a light-shaped pillar stood above a stump. The angel lifted him and lowered him. At the same time, the pillar streamed myrrh and at the same time exuded a fragrance. Many people received healing from him, hence the name of the temple. Later, when the tunic was dug up and moved, the myrrh-streaming stopped.
This is the most outstanding and visited temple in Georgia, the greatest architectural monument, due to its unusual style and large size. You won’t find another such huge structure in the country.
The first version of the church built by Mirian was wooden and has not survived. In the 5th century, King Vakhtang the First erected a basilica in its place; in some places it has survived to this day. In the 11th century, the temple of Melchizedek, the Catholicos of Georgia, was built on this site. This version of the construction has been preserved to this day.
The temple is four-pillar, cross-domed - this type of architecture was formed in Byzantium and was adopted in many Christian countries of the Orthodox confession as the main form. The main altar is consecrated in honor of the twelve apostles. The ancient frescoes, painted over in the 19th century due to the arrival of the emperor, were restored by Russian icon painters. The interior of the temple is shaped like a cross.
On the site of the log house of the Life-Giving Pillar there now stands a stone canopy with frescoes from the 17th century. The temple has always been the place of coronation and burial of Georgian kings. Now it is operational, belongs to the Mtskheta-Tbilisi diocese, and is a favorite place of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians from all over the world.
Samtavro Monastery
Five hundred meters from the Svetitskhoveli Temple there is an architectural structure associated with the memory of the saint, this is Samtavro. The complex is located in Mtseta (the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers), on the edge of the central square. The monastery belongs to the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The complex includes:
- a convent opened in 1820;
- Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord;
- Church of St. Nina;
- bell tower of the 13th–14th centuries, the era of the Mongol invasion;
- tower-fortress of the 18th century.
After his baptism, King Mirian III decided that, due to his great sinfulness, he was not supposed to enter the Svetitskhoveli Temple. Therefore, he founded another, simpler one, in the form of a basilica, the structure was called the Upper Church. There was another temple on the site of the blackberry bush.
Later, the Samtavro building was restored and completed many times. It contains the relics of the king and his wife Nana, who were canonized. The king's stone sarcophagus is located in the corner to the left of the entrance. Inside there is a mosaic depicting Mirian and Nana. Their portraits are on the doors.
The iconostasis is the work of masters of the 15th century, the frescoes were painted in the 17th century. Considered a standard Golden Age temple. The only thing that is interesting is the story of the well-known Saint Gabriel of Samtavria, the abbot of the monastery. His grave is located on the north side of the Cathedral of the Transfiguration in a stone vestibule. To this day, many people come to see her.
Small Church of St. Nina's is located on the right after entering the monastery; it was built in the 4th century on the site where she lived. Since then, the building has not been rebuilt, only slightly restored in the 19th century.
The following shrines are located in Samtavro:
- relics of Shio Mgvinsky;
- part of the Life-Giving Pillar;
- piece of the tombstone of St. Nina from Bodbe;
- relics of St. Gabriel of Samtavria;
- graves of kings Mirian and Nana;
- relics of St. Abibos of Nekressky.
The monastery houses the miraculous icons of the Iveron Mother of God and St. Nina.
Monastery in Bodbe
Here the saint lived the last years of her earthly life and was buried. The Iberian king ordered the construction of a temple to St. over the grave. George. Later, a monastery was founded on this site, which flourished in the 15th century, when sovereigns used the local temple for coronation.
Later, a theological seminary was opened on the territory of the monastery. At first it was a monastery, but gradually it fell into disrepair. In the 19th century, by decree of the emperor, a nunnery was opened here, where schools of painting and handicrafts operated.
During the Soviet years the monastery was closed, only in 1991 it was revived. The original church of St. George, built by King Mirian, has not survived. In its place, a new one was built, which is now operational. Within its walls rest the relics of St. Nina. Nearby there is a three-story bell tower.
There is an observation deck nearby, from which the road leads to the healing spring Ninos Tskaro. Nearby is another temple of Zebulun and Susanna (the parents of the saint).
The monastery houses the miraculous icon of the Iveron Mother of God, which gives help and comfort to believers.
Temple of Sioni in Tbilisi
The cathedral was named in honor of Mount Zion, the main chapel was consecrated in honor of the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. In ancient times, there was a good tradition in Georgia of naming newly built temples in honor of the holy places of the city of Jerusalem. Before the construction of the Tsminda Sameba Cathedral in 2004, Sioni was the cathedral and the main temple of Tbilisi and all of Georgia.
The founding date is considered to be the 6th century. Presumably the temple was built by the king of Iberia Vakhtang I Gorgasali. However, there is another version, according to which the cathedral was erected by order of Guram I, a Byzantine nobleman. Several centuries later, the structure was completely destroyed by the Arabs who captured the country.
An Islamic state was formed in the East of Georgia, the capital of which was located in Tiflis. In 1122, this territory was liberated by the Georgian ruler David IV the Builder. The first thing he did was restore the local temple, or rather, construction, since the building was completely destroyed.
Then the sad period for the cathedral continued; it was destroyed several times:
- 1226 - Jalal ad-Din Menguberdi;
- 1236 - Khorezmians;
- 1522 - Shah Ishmael;
- 1668 - earthquake, as a result the building was severely damaged;
- 1795 - during the invasion of Agha Mohammed Khan, the iconostasis and ancient frescoes suffered at the hands of the Persians.
In the 18th century, they wanted to convert the temple into a mosque, but it was saved by Prince Givi Amilakhvari. Finally, the cathedral was revived in 1817.
In 1980-1983, after restoration, the temple was returned to its original medieval appearance. The facades are made in a simple style and decorated with bas-reliefs depicting a cross and saints. Inside, above the entrance, new frescoes were painted by the Russian artist Gagarin to replace the lost ones. There are two bell towers on the territory: a three-tier one from the 15th century and one in the style of Russian classicism from the early 19th century.
Here is the tomb of the Georgian kings. An important landmark of the temple is the cross of St. Nina, the same one that the Virgin Mary gave her. It is covered with silver and rests in a prominent place near the northern gate of the altar in the icon case, on the lid of which there are chased paintings with events from the life of St. Nino. On the stone frame you can read the inscription: “Honorable Cross, have mercy on us.”
The temple belongs to the Tbilisi and Mtskheta diocese. Its domes rise high above the capital.
At one time, the wedding of Alexander Griboedov and Nino Chavchavadze took place here. During the ceremony, the groom dropped his wedding ring, which was considered a bad omen. Almost immediately after the wedding, Griboyedov went to Persia to serve and died a few months later. From the shock, Nino lost her child and mourned for her husband all her life.
Are there other saints in the church calendar with this name
In addition to the enlightener of Georgia, the church also honors other Ninas. One of them is the blessed martyr Nina Kuznetsova.
Martyr Nina Kuznetsova
Mts. Nina Kuznetsova
She was born on December 28, 1887 in the Arkhangelsk region. In the small village where the girl’s family lived, there was not even a temple. Nina, from an early age, felt a craving for spiritual life. Then her father gave her a barn as a personal cell, put it in order and bought theological literature. Nina spent days and nights reading and praying. Soon wanderers found shelter in her barn: the poor and the dispossessed. And then a terrible time began: a coup d'etat, the execution of the royal family, civil war...
In 1932, Nina's parents were arrested and sent to prison, where they soon died. Their daughter suffered a stroke: she was half paralyzed. Until her death, Nina could not move freely and use her right hand: she was baptized with difficulty, helping herself with her left. The large, five-walled house she inherited from her parents turned into a family hostel: between 20 and 25 people always lived in it. Among them: women whose husbands were arrested, priests, monks...
In 1937, Nina was taken to the NKVD. She was charged with anti-Soviet propaganda and sent to one of the camps in the Arkhangelsk region for a period of eight years. However, seven months later Nina passed away...
Her memorial day is celebrated on May 14.
Venerable Martyr Nina (Shuvalova)
Another Nina, in the world Neonilla Andreevna Shuvalova, was born on February 8, 1866 in the Lower Volga region. She was given the name Nina during monastic tonsure. She lived in the monastery until 1917, but after its looting she moved to the city of Chikment in Kazakhstan.
In 1937, she was arrested on charges of counter-revolutionary activities and sentenced to death. On the night of November 20, the nun was shot. She is revered by the Church as a venerable martyr.
Memorial Day November 19th.
Interesting fact
Saints Nina Kuznetsova and Nina (Shuvalova) were canonized as new martyrs and confessors of Russia at the Council of Bishops in 2000. This must be taken into account when searching for your heavenly intercessor. Everyone baptized before 2000 should consider Saint Nina Equal to the Apostles as their patroness. If after, then it is permissible to choose the saint whose memorial date is closer to the Christian’s birthday.
“Let your life be according to your name.” These words of St. Ambrose of Optina perfectly characterize the attitude of a believer towards his saint as it should be. Is there much use if you remember a saint only once a year, as if out of a sense of duty? The Church Fathers teach us that throughout our lives we should strive to imitate the namesake saint. Not literally, but spiritually. Then the saint will relentlessly accompany us on all our paths, and in his person we will find the most immediate helper and intercessor for our souls.
Author: Galina Bocharova
How the saint helps
Nina, like many other saints, hears everyone praying to her and asking for help. To do this, you don’t have to go anywhere, you can just turn to her in your heart, and she will definitely respond.
Rules for performing prayer
First of all, you must have a mind free from vanity, as well as undoubted faith. You cannot rush, you must read the prayer slowly and thoughtfully. You can address the saint in your own words. It is not good when someone prays in anger, without forgiving the offense to their neighbor. We must first make peace with everyone, and then begin to pray.
What to ask for
In prayer, you can ask a saint for help, intercession, if your soul hurts from insult or injustice. You can tell her everything, as if alive, and she will respond immediately. You just have to believe that Nina hears everything and will definitely respond.
Believers note that prayer in front of the icon of the enlightener of Georgia has special power: even if the successful resolution of the problem is still very far away, pilgrims and parishioners immediately feel relief in their hearts.
Most people pray about personal things:
- getting rid of physical and mental illnesses;
- birth of a child;
- assistance in missionary activities;
- affirmation in faith;
- rescuing people caught in sectarian networks:
- assistance during travel.
Icon of Equal to the Apostles Nina
The image of the saint was painted immediately after her canonization, therefore it resembles her actual appearance during her lifetime. All images are similar in many ways, with only a few differences.
Image depicted
Usually the image of a saint has two types. On one she is depicted with a cross in her right hand, entwined with her hair. Nina often holds the Gospel in her left hand. On another icon you can see she has a scroll. Everywhere she is depicted with her head covered and always holding her cross. The color of the robe may vary.
What does it protect against?
The image of the saint helps and preserves believers who pray to her.
The Saint protects from:
- enemy attacks;
- slander from bad people;
- diseases;
- various troubles;
- lack of faith.
Some believe that the icon saves from fires.
How it helps
The saint sends help as soon as a person turns to her in prayer.
She can help with various needs:
- illness;
- difficult childbirth;
- infertility;
- lack of breast milk;
- family troubles;
- quarrels, strife.
The saint also supports people with lack of faith, powerlessness, and unbelief. Prayer before the image protects those who are baptized in its holy name, and also seeks help in the matter of spiritual enlightenment, and in any other matter. Protects against attacks by evil forces and accidents that can lead to mental and physical illnesses. As an educator of Georgia, Nina patronizes teachers and educators.
How to pray in front of an icon
You need to pray at home with faith, you can light a candle or lamp. But it’s best to go to church and read a prayer in front of the icon of St. Nina. You can order a prayer service for her health. In front of the icon you need to make a bow or bow to the ground. But first you must make peace with your neighbors and forgive everyone’s offenses.
The meaning of the face
In the iconographic image of St. Nina and the cross, which she holds, raising high with her right hand, contains hagiographic ambiguity. The cross was presented to her by the Most Pure Virgin Mary, woven from a grapevine, which has always been associated with Georgia and is considered its symbol. On top of the shrine is entwined a strand of Nina’s hair, this is a sign that she, of her own free will, became a servant of God.
St. Nina looks at people and seems to ask how ready they are to voluntarily, selflessly and unconditionally twist their own cross in their hearts with a strand of their hair and follow Christ.
An icon is the greatest shrine and the root cause, the first step towards deeper spiritual enlightenment, and its beginning depends on the will of God. The Lord has provided a special providence for each person, and calls him to his service in due time.
Buy an icon of Nina the Georgian
In the Radonezh icon painting workshop you can buy or order a handwritten icon of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, the enlightener of Georgia. Call us and we will help you choose a plot, a compositional solution for the icon, its optimal size and design, or we will write an icon according to your sample.
Free delivery throughout Russia. If desired, the icon can be consecrated in the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra.
The image of Nina Gruzinskaya made by the icon painters of the Radonezh workshop, like any handmade icon, carries within itself the living warmth of human hands and a loving heart. Each icon painted with love is unique and inimitable.
Peace and goodness to you, dear brothers and sisters, and may the holy servant of God, Nina Gruzinskaya, accompany you throughout your entire life’s journey.
Similar icons:
Matrona of Moscow 13000 ₽
Alexy Zosimovsky 13000 ₽
Gabriel Urgebadze 24000 ₽
St. George the Victorious 13000 ₽
Prayers and troparion
The troparion is written in the fourth tone, the kontakion in the second. In the text, Nina is called “most praiseworthy,” equal to Saint Andrew and the other apostles. The troparion and kontakion are read or sung for the purpose of glorification on the days of remembrance, which the Orthodox Church celebrates on January 14 and October 1.
There are two prayers written to Saint Nina Equal to the Apostles, they can be read at any time, they ask a Christian to protect him from troubles and misfortunes, to save the Orthodox Church from schisms and heresies, and also to ask God for the Kingdom of Heaven for the believer after death.
Name days in Orthodoxy
Equal to the Apostles Nina, enlightener of Georgia
Every Christian, in addition to a worldly birthday, also has a spiritual name day. This is the day of remembrance of the saint whose name a person is named in baptism. The Orthodox calendar commemorates three Saints Nina, but a person can only have one Angel Day... According to church traditions, this day is called the namesake day.
The most widely known is Saint Nina, Equal to the Apostles, with whose personality the spread of Christianity in Georgia is associated. We know about the deeds of the saint and her pious life thanks to the records of Salome of Ujarma, Nina’s closest associate in the cause of enlightenment. On the basis of these essays, all other lives of the saint were compiled.
Canon and Akathist
Read on the day of celebrating the memory of the saint. The Irmos of the canon are sung in the first tone. After the third canto, as always, comes the sedalene, after the sixth - kontakion and irmos. After the ninth the luminary is read.
The akathist to the saint was written by Archpriest Evstafiy Eliev. The text was approved by the Synod in November 1894. The Akathist is read independently, privately, standing in front of the image, in cases where there is a desire to establish oneself in the Orthodox faith or it is necessary to pray for the salvation of people who have fallen into a sect. It is better to spend the morning hours for this.
