Almost every believer knows one or two stories about miracles that happened after prayer at the icon of the saint. The elders who served God during their lifetime and through His mercy helped people, and after their death work miracles. The clergy say that when serious life problems arise or in cases when trouble comes to the family, it is best to immediately come to church and make a sincere request to God. And in order to have intercessors before His face, it is worth finding an icon of a saint who can help you overcome difficult life situations. If it seems to you that the whole world has taken up arms against you, every new day brings new troubles and illnesses, and you have long lost faith in the best, then be sure to pray in front of the icon of Alexander Svirsky. This saint is considered one of the most unique people, because for his good deeds and righteous life the Almighty appeared to him in the form of the Trinity. In the entire history of Christianity, this happened only with the Old Testament Abraham. This alone puts Saint Alexander of Svirsky and the icon painted from his face after his death in a special place. Therefore, it is to this old man that people turn to in the most difficult moments of life. Today we will tell you not only about the icon of Alexander Svirsky, but also about the life of the saint and the fate of his relics, which over the past centuries have been lost several times and returned to the Orthodox.
Life of a Saint
Historians believe that Alexander was born around the middle of the fifteenth century into a family of simple peasants. In the world he was called Amos in honor of one of the biblical prophets. The saint’s parents prayed to God for offspring for many years; they waited in vain for the birth of a son or daughter and were already despairing of waiting for the birth of a child. Already in old age, the God-fearing peasants conceived a baby, and Amos was born.
His parents pinned all their dreams and hopes on him. According to their ideas, the young man was supposed to undergo training, marry a good girl and give them many grandchildren. However, from early childhood Amos showed a penchant for prayer and studying the Scriptures, so he was very reluctant to study at school.
Very little is known about this period of the elder’s life. Later, the monks, putting together the story of the saint’s life, mentioned that it was only thanks to his fear of God that the young man completed his studies. But having reached the age of nineteen, he firmly declared that he did not see his future life without God and intended to take monastic vows.
Prayers
Troparion, tone 4
[4]
From your youth, O God-Wise One, you settled in the desert with a spiritual desire,/ you desired the one Christ, diligently following in your footsteps,/ and also the angels, seeing you, were surprised,/ how, with You have labored in the flesh against the invisible wiles, O wise one,/ you have conquered the armies of passions abstinence / and you appeared as an equal angel on earth, / Reverend Alexandra, / pray to Christ God, / / may he save our souls
.
Kontakion, tone 8
Like a many-bright star, you have shone today in the Russian countries, father, / having settled in the desert, you have zealously desired to follow Christ’s footsteps / and, the holy yoke upon your frame is honourable. the cross, / you have put to death your labors, your bodily leaps, / and we cry out to you :/ save your flock, which you have gathered, O wise man, let us call you // Rejoice, like Alexandra, our father
.
Path to God
Many Orthodox Christians who received miracles from the icon of Alexander of Svirsky claim that just from the first glance at the image of the elder one can get an idea of what a righteous person he was. This is not surprising, because his path was completely predetermined by God.
The elderly mother and father were categorically against letting their only and long-awaited son go anywhere, but Amos secretly went to Valaam. He hoped that over time they would understand the young man and forgive him.
The young man did not know where exactly to go, but angels appeared to him and conveyed a blessing from the Almighty. They gave Amos a companion on the difficult journey, with whom they went straight to the monastery. While they walked, the saint talked with the angels more than once, and they showed him the place where sometime in the future, with the help of the Lord, he would build a new beautiful temple.
In Valaam, Amos became a novice and honestly performed his hard work for seven years. His brothers loved him for his meek disposition, fear of God, humility and wisdom. He confidently walked his path and was ready to fulfill any will of God.
Taking monastic vows and life in a monastery
There are many unusual stories about the icon of St. Alexander of Svirsky, but the saint himself performed many amazing deeds during his life. At twenty-six he took monastic vows, something he had dreamed of since childhood. He received the name Alexander and spent about thirteen years in the monastery.
Since the saint was obedient to God’s will, he headed away from the monastery to Lake Roshchinskoye. There he settled on a small island, where he built a simple dwelling for himself and began to dig a cave with his hands. He spent seven years on this island in labor, fasting and prayer. Alexander obtained food in the forest; most often his food was berries, mushrooms and roots.
Later, the island where the elder lived began to be called “Saint”. And on the site of his dwelling and cave, the monks built a monastery. Pilgrims who come here are shown the very cave where Alexander Svirsky lived for seven long years.
Death
In the last years of St.
Father decided to build the Church of the Intercession of the Most Pure Mother of God. She appeared one evening at the altar, sitting on a throne like a holy throne, with the newborn Christ in her arms, surrounded by an angelic retinue. The Virgin Mary called him God's beloved chosen one and promised her protection and prosperity for the temple. Alexander Svirsky. Protector and Patron
On the eve of the death of St. After his death, Alexander ordered the members of the monastery brethren to tie him up, drag him to the swamp, cover him with moss and trample him. But they replied that they could not do such a thing. Then he asked not to interred him in the monastery, but to bury him near the church. The elder's will was fulfilled. He died in the summer of 1533.
Appearance of the Trinity
One day the face of the Trinity appeared to the saint. He talked with the Lord about the future, the construction of the temple and how to gather brothers who would work for the glory of God. After these conversations and prayers, the Almighty showed Alexander the place where he should build the temple.
Immediately after this, he went to the abbot of the Valaam Monastery. Having asked for his blessing, he set about building a new monastery. He worked hard and was appointed abbot of the new monastery, but this did not force Alexander to abandon his work. He and his assistants continued to build new structures, making the monastery more and more beautiful. This is how the Trinity Monastery appeared, which gradually became famous throughout Rus'.
Alexander spent the rest of his life in this monastery. But the saint did not rest on his laurels; already in his old age he built a monastery out of stone in honor of the Virgin Mary, which still exists today. Alexander Svirsky died (we will tell you about the icon painted from him in one of the following sections of the article) in the early thirties of the sixteenth century. At that time he was eighty-five years old. Eyewitnesses of those events said that at the moment of death his face was shining. Later they tried to convey this light when painting the icon of the Holy Venerable Alexander of Svir. His brothers buried him in Otkhodnaya Pustynka, located near the Church of the Transfiguration.
Information for pilgrims
How to get there
The Holy Trinity Church of the Wonderworker Alexander is located near the town of Lodeynoye Pole.
From St. Petersburg you need to drive 253 km along the Murmansk highway, and the trip will take about 4-5 hours.
By public transport you can get from St. Petersburg from bus station No. 1 to Lodeynoye Pole or by minibus No. 863 to the village of Svirskoye.
Excursions organized for pilgrims:
- every weekend (Saturdays);
- cost 1400 rub.;
- duration of the excursion is 14 hours (from 7.30 to 22.00);
- meeting place: Tekhnologichesky Institut metro station, st. Bronnitskaya 1; 200 m from the metro to the right.
Official website of the monastery.
You can get there from Moscow by ordering a pilgrimage tour, or on your own using your own vehicle. The distance from the capital to Lodeynoye Pole is 830 km. The continuous travel time is 12 hours, so it is necessary to plan stops, lunch and rest.
Finding the relics of a saint
Fourteen years after his death, the church canonized Alexander Svirsky. The icon with his face had not yet been painted, but many more miracles awaited the Orthodox clergy when the saint’s coffin was opened. His body remained incorrupt, and his relics almost immediately began to exude myrrh. Moreover, there was so much of it that bees flocked to the church building where the elder’s remains were sent more than once.
Interestingly, the allocation of the world depended on the number of believers and the fact whether worship was going on at the moment. Orthodox Christians vied with each other to talk about how one touch of aromatic oil could remove sorrows from the soul and cure illness.
Many said that during his lifetime the saint also helped believers. Ordinary people often turned to him for advice in difficult life situations, and with his prayer he more than once removed the most serious illnesses from those suffering.
Loss and return of relics
Before the revolution, the relics of the elder were in one of the cathedrals of St. Petersburg, from where they were removed by representatives of the People's Commissariat. In the eighteenth year of the last century, the government fought against the religious worldview of the people, destroying churches and icons. What Alexander Svirsky helps with was known far beyond the cathedral, so his relics and images were of great interest to the revolutionaries. They removed the relics from the shrine and dismantled it. The newspapers announced that believers had been deceived for a long time and that there was a wax doll in the church. In fact, the relics were sent for examination and scientists, to their surprise, recognized them as authentic. They were sent to the anatomical museum for storage. Moreover, even his employees did not know which exhibit was delivered to them. It seemed that the trace of the relics was lost forever, just like the precious icons of Alexander Svirsky, photos of which were carefully hidden at that time.
In the nineties, initiative groups spent a lot of time searching for the relics of the saint, and only about twenty years ago they were found and solemnly returned to the Orthodox Church. This event took place in St. Petersburg, the icons of Alexander Svirsky at that time were in several monasteries and churches in Russia. And the return of his relics strengthened the miraculous power that the images of this amazing old man possess.
The fate of the holy remains after the revolution
In the fall of 1918, the incorrupt body of the saint was disturbed by a detachment of security officers led by August Wagner.
The holy ashes were to be burned, and the monks were sentenced to death. But by God’s will, the relic was saved and hidden in a chapel at the hospital in the city of Lodeynoye Pole. In 1919, the incorrupt remains were taken to Petrograd and placed in the Museum of Anatomy at the Military Medical Academy. When the incorruptible relics were in revolutionary St. Petersburg for examination, a miracle happened - after remaining for a long time in direct sunlight, they took on a tan - they tanned like the normal body of a living person! During the period of Soviet power, the body of the reverend elder was kept as a “museum exhibit” and only 80 years later appeared to the world as a newfound relic of Orthodox believers.
Description of the icon
We will tell you how the icon of Alexander Svirsky helps in one of the following sections, but now we’ll talk about how his first image appeared and describe it. Today, an icon depicting an elder can be found in many churches. But few Orthodox Christians know that it appeared only at the end of the nineteenth century. It is surprising that the icon of Alexander Svirsky (in Moscow it is highly respected among Orthodox Christians) was painted from the relics. They are so well preserved that the saint’s facial features are not only distinguishable, but also clearly legible.
From the first image, copies appeared and were distributed to monasteries and churches in Russia. Usually the icon depicts an old man with a wise and soulful gaze addressed to believers. After prayer, it seems to many that he looks straight into their soul and reads all the most secret things in it.
There is a halo above the elder’s uncovered head, and his right hand is raised to bless all those who come to the icon to worship. In his left hand the elder holds a staff, which helped him stand firmly on his feet. Sometimes icon painters place into the elder’s hand texts of Scripture that he devoted so much time to studying during his lifetime.
Other shrines of the monastery
The holy relics returned to their native penates, and rest there to this day, and along with them, a sample of the Shroud of Turin, particles of the ashes of saints are kept in the walls of the temples, and a healing radon spring flows from the ground.
Since the end of the twentieth century, when the life of the monks returned to normal, ancient frescoes began to be restored in the monastery. The blue color stood out with an intense glow; this mysterious phenomenon interests many researchers even today. The unusual glow is visible even in the photo.
In addition to the relics of Alexander Svirsky, the temple houses many other relics. Of them:
- Part of the Holy Sepulcher;
- Icon of the Mother of God;
- Icon of the Apostle A. the First-Called;
- Icon of St. S. Radonezh with particles of dust;
- Parts of the relics of the preachers Misail, Theodoret, Gabriel, Meletius;
- Relics of Ryazan bishops.
Icon of Alexander Svirsky: meaning, what it helps with
The image of a saint is very important for Orthodox Christians. It is known that the icon helps with many problems, and even monks and novices often turn to it, who pray to the elder to strengthen them in the faith and lead them to the path destined for them. Ordinary people can also turn to Alexander Svirsky in moments of mental turmoil and disbelief. If you begin to doubt the Almighty and His love for you, then be sure to come to church and look for the image of a saint. He will help you recover from doubts and trust the Creator.
Many infertile couples pray to the icon for the gift of offspring. Some parents with several daughters come to the saint asking for an heir. They say that sincere prayer brings results in the form of a treasured package tied with a blue ribbon.
The clergy send the parents of novices who are about to take monastic vows to the icon of Svirsky. Often parents have a very hard time with their children leaving for a monastery; it is difficult for them to come to terms with and make this decision. Remembering that young Alexander also faced a similar problem and over time managed to convince his loved ones of the correctness and righteousness of his path, believers turn to him for support.
They also pray to the saint for healing in the most difficult and hopeless cases. The sincere prayer of the patient and his family contributed to numerous miraculous recoveries.
Keep in mind that Alexander Svirsky also helps people who cannot decide on the choice of their life path, setting priorities and ask for protection from sinful thoughts.
Icon and prayer to St. Alexander of Svirsky
If you want to venerate the relics of the saint and pray at his image, then you can do this at the Holy Trinity Monastery in St. Petersburg. In Moscow, believers can touch the images in two places:
- Church of the Life-Giving Trinity;
- Church of St. Alexander of Svirsky.
The text of the prayer that must be addressed to the saint is given below.
We should not forget that any appeal to the Almighty and the Saints must come from a pure heart.
Where to stay
The nearest comfortable hotel “Svir” is located in the town of Lodeynoye Pole. The distance from the railway station is only 1.2 km, making it easy to travel by train to St. Petersburg or other central cities.
The hotel has 7 rooms with a high level of comfort, prices are reasonable. The apartments are equipped with everything you need, have their own kitchen and bathroom, comfortable furniture and air conditioning.
In the city of Lodeynoye Pole, developed infrastructure and public transport will take pilgrims both to the holy monasteries and to any part of the city.
Miracles and Testimonies
Many people saw miracles from the icon of Alexander Svirsky; the monks carefully recorded all the testimonies of believers, some of which date back more than a hundred years. We cannot list them all in this article, but we simply could not ignore some cases.
Healing from illnesses after numerous prayers at the image of the saint has long been known. He helped people recover from cancer, gain sight when blind, and gain sensitivity when completely paralyzed. It was recorded that disabled people, who for many years dreamed of getting up again, suddenly gained strength in their muscles and then came to thank the saint with their feet.
It is noteworthy that sometimes Alexander Svirsky did not allow young people to take monastic vows. He came to them in a dream and spoke about another path prepared for them by the Lord. Thus, they got the opportunity to avoid the most important mistake in their lives.
There are known cases when even icons located in the home iconostasis began to stream myrrh. These miracles defy logical explanation, like many other things that happened at the image of the saint.
The priests say that if despondency has penetrated your soul and you cannot find yourself in this world of storms and injustices, then do not hesitate to come to church. Look into the wise and kind eyes of Saint Alexander of Svirsky and tell him about everything that lies like a burden on your heart. Do not doubt that after sincere prayer near the icon, your life will sparkle with new colors.
