Troparion, voice 4*
Audio:
0:27
The Cross of Christ, like a certain weapon, we zealously took up, / and you came to the fight of enemies, / and you suffered for Christ, / after the fire, you gave your sacred soul to the Lord: / you drowned and freely You were deemed worthy to receive healing/ from Him,/ Great Martyr Nikito./ Pray to Christ God // to save our souls.
Translation: The Cross of Christ, as if you had boldly taken up a weapon, you hastened to battle against your enemies and suffered for Christ, after which you gave your sacred soul to the Lord, and therefore you were honored to receive the gift of healing from Him, Great Martyr Nikitas. Pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.
Santa Marina
First prayer O great passion-bearer of Christ and wonder-working Great Martyr Nikito! Falling before your holy and miraculous image, while your deeds and miracles and your many compassion for people are glorifying, we pray to you diligently: show us the humble and sinners your holy and powerful intercession, for it is a sin for our sake, not the imams of the freedom of the children of God, for our needs We boldly ask our Lord and our Master, but we offer you a favorable prayer book for him and we cry for your intercession, ask us from the Lord for beneficial gifts for our souls and bodies, right faith, undoubted hope of salvation, unfeigned love for everyone, courage in temptation, their patience in suffering, constancy in prayer, health of soul and body, fruitfulness of the earth, prosperity of the air, contentment of everyday needs, peaceful and pious life on earth, Christian death and a good answer at the terrible judgment of Christ. Also, O passion-bearer of Christ, from the Heavenly King ask our country for peace, health and salvation, and for our enemies victory and victory, prosperity, peace and prosperity. Be a companion and helper against the enemies of the Christ-loving army, and show your holy intercession to all Orthodox people: heal the sick, comfort the sorrowing, help the needy. Hey, servant of God and long-suffering martyr! Do not forget your holy monastery and all the nuns and worldly people living in it and striving, but hasten to bear the yoke of Christ in humility and patience and graciously deliver them from all troubles and temptations. Bring us all into a quiet haven of salvation and make us worthy to be heirs of the blessed Kingdom of Christ through your holy prayers, so that we glorify and sing the great generosity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the Trinity we glorify and worship God, and your holy intercession forever and ever. Amen. Second prayer O great passion-bearer of Christ Nikito! Hear the prayer of us sinners, and deliver us (names) from all sorrow and adversity, from sudden death and from all evil: at the hour of separation of the soul from the body, passion-bearing, every evil thought and evil demons, so that our souls may be received in peace to the place of light, Christ the Lord our God, for from Him is the cleansing of sins, and He is the salvation of our souls, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Personal petition O great passion-bearer of Christ and wonder-worker, Great Martyr Nikita! Hear us praying to you with tears (names), and beg Christ God to have mercy on us and grant us (the content of the petition), and let us glorify and sing the great generosity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your holy intercession, forever and ever. Amen.
Kontakion, voice 2*
I have cut through the power of grace with your standing, / and received the crown of victory in your suffering, / with the Angels you rejoice more gloriously, / Nikita’s namesake, / with them, praying to Christ God incessantly for all of us.
Translation: You destroyed the reign of error by your opposition and received the crown of victory in your martyrdom, with the angels, glorified, you rejoice, Nikitas of the victory of the same name (Nikitas from the Greek νίκη - victory), with them praying to Christ God incessantly for all of us.
Orthodox prayer - Orthodox book
The Great Martyr Nikita was a Gothic warrior who lived in the 4th century. on the banks of the Danube. Nikita believed in Christ and received Holy Baptism from Bishop Theophilus, a participant in the First Ecumenical Council. Saint Nikita zealously spread the Christian faith among the pagans and converted many of them to Christ. The pagans captured Nikita, subjected him to many tortures, and then threw him into the fire, where he died (in 372). The Christian Marian found the body of the great martyr at night, undamaged by fire and illuminated by a miraculous light, and buried him in Cilicia. Subsequently, the relics of the saint, glorified by many miracles, were transferred to Constantinople. They specifically pray to the Great Martyr Nikita for consolation in sorrows, for intercession in troubles and sorrows, protection from evil people, persecutors and offenders, as well as from attacks by invisible enemies. In addition, the saint is asked to intercede with the Lord for those who pray for deliverance from all evil, evil thoughts, sudden death without repentance and eternal joy in the Kingdom of Heaven.
First prayer to the Great Martyr Nikita
O great passion-bearer of Christ Nikito! Hear the prayer of us sinners, and deliver us from all sorrow and adversity, from sudden death and from all evil; at the hour of separation of the soul from the body, passion-bearingly, cast away every evil thought and crafty demons, for may Christ our Lord our God receive our souls in peace into a place of light, for from Him is the cleansing of sins, and He is the salvation of our souls, to Him belongs all glory , honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Second prayer to the Great Martyr Nikita
About the Great Martyr of Christ Nikito! You were brave in battle, and a chaser of the enemy, and a defender of the offended, and a representative of all Orthodox Christians. Have mercy on me, a sinner and unworthy, and intercede in troubles, and in sorrows, and in sorrows, and in every evil adversity, and protect me from every evil and offending person: for you have been given such grace from God to pray for us, sinners, suffering in troubles and misfortunes. Deliver us from those who offend and hate us, and always be a strong champion for us against all our visible and invisible enemies. O our great champion Nikito! Do not forget us, who always pray to you and ask you for help and endless mercy, and grant us, sinners and unworthy, the ineffable goodness from God to receive, which is prepared for those who love Him. For to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
© Mikhail Tikhomirov Quoted in abbreviation from the book: PRAYERS TO THE SAINTS OF GOD WITH BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT LIVES AND HELP FOR DIFFERENT NEEDS. – M.: Publishing house. Tikhomirova M.Yu., 2022.
Orthodox book by mail pravmolitva.ru
Prayer 1
Oh, great passion-bearer of Christ and wonder-working Great Martyr Nikito! Falling before your holy and miraculous image, your exploits and miracles and your great compassion for people are glorifying, we pray to you diligently: show us the humble and sinners your holy and powerful intercession This is because it is a sin for our sake, not the imams of freedom of the children of God, even about the needs We boldly ask our Lord and our Master, but we offer you a favorable prayer book to Him and we cry for your intercession, ask us from the Lord for beneficial gifts for our souls and bodies, right hand, undoubted hope of salvation, unfeigned love for everyone, courage in temptation, patience in suffering, constancy in prayers, health of soul and body, fruitfulness of the earth, prosperity of the air, contentment of everyday needs, peaceful and pious life on earth, end of Christian life Well, a good answer at the terrible judgment of Christ. Also, O passion-bearer of Christ, ask our Russian country from the Heavenly King for peace, health and salvation, and against enemies, victory and conquest, prosperity, silence and prosperity. Be a companion and helper to the Christ-loving army against their enemies, and show your holy intercession to all Orthodox people: heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, help the needy. Hey, saint of God and long-suffering martyr! Do not forget your holy monastery and all the nuns and worldly people living in it and striving, but hasten to bear the yoke of Christ in humility and patience and mercifully deliver them from all troubles and temptations. Bring us all to the quiet haven of salvation and become heirs of the blessed Kingdom of Christ through your holy prayers, may we glorify and sing of the great bounty of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the Trinity glorified and worshiped God, and your holy intercession forever and ever. Amen.
The story of Saint Nikita
According to legend, one of the first Christians, the Great Martyr Nikita, was born into the family of the pagan king Maximian, who was particularly cruel in his reprisals against the first Christian communities. Nikita more than once turned to his father with a request to convert to Christianity, but he, in a rage, tried to kill his son, and when he failed, he imprisoned him. However, in prison, the devil in angelic attire appeared to the future great martyr and began to persuade the young man to renounce his chosen faith. Nikita began to pray to the Lord, and soon the Archangel Michael appeared to him, ordering him to test the devil. The young man grabbed the false master and, stepping on his neck, struck him with his own chains.
The future great martyr spent three years in prison, and when the king called his son to repentance, the young man brought with him a defeated demon, showing his father that his heart was ruled by the forces of evil. The king was inexorable and ordered the execution of his son, but God did not allow this. To prove the righteousness of the Christian faith and convert his father to Christianity, Nikita resurrected two people and soon after, according to legend, baptized more than 18,000 people.
Prayer 2
Oh, great passion-bearer Nikito of Christ! Hear the prayer of us sinners and deliver us (names) from all sorrow and adversity, from sudden death and from all evil: at the hour of separation of the soul from the body, put away, passion-bearingly, every evil thought and bow O ye demons, that he may receive our souls with the world in the place of light Christ our Lord God, for from Him is the cleansing of sins, and He is the salvation of our souls, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and hereafter forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Great Martyr Nikita of Goth
“O great passion-bearer of Christ and wonder-working Great Martyr Nikito! Falling before your holy and miraculous image, while your deeds and miracles and your many compassion for people glorify, we diligently pray to you: show us, the humble and sinners, your holy and powerful intercession: behold, sin for our sakes, not the imams of the freedom of the children of God , if we boldly ask our Lord and Master for our needs, we offer you a favorable prayer book to Him and we cry out for your intercession: ask us from the Lord for beneficial gifts for our souls and bodies: right faith, undoubted hope of salvation, unfeigned love for everyone, in courage in temptations, patience in suffering, constancy in prayers, health of soul and body, fruitfulness of the earth, prosperity of the air, contentment of everyday needs, peaceful and pious life on earth, Christian death and a good answer at the terrible judgment of Christ. Also, O passion-bearer of Christ, from the Heavenly King ask all Orthodox Christians for peace, health and salvation, for victory and victory against enemies, and for prosperity, peace and prosperity for our entire God-protected country. Be a companion and helper to the Christ-loving army against their enemies, and show your holy intercession to all Orthodox people: heal the sick, comfort the sorrowing, help the needy. Hey, servant of God and long-suffering martyr! Bring us all into a quiet haven of salvation and make us worthy to be heirs of the blessed Kingdom of Christ through your holy prayers, so that we glorify and sing the great generosity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the Trinity we glorify and worship God, and your holy intercession forever and ever. Amen."
Brief Life
Memorial Day September 15/28
The Great Martyr Nikita accepted martyrdom for Christ in the 4th century. during the internecine war between Christian Goths and pagans. His body was thrown into the fire, but did not burn. A friend of Nikitas found the remains of the martyr at night, and they stayed with him for a long time, and then were transferred to Cilicia and, due to many miracles and healings, became known to all the church people. They especially pray to the Great Martyr. Nikita about the expulsion of evil spirits.
Menea. September 15th.
- Voice in the Dictionary.
- Akathist to the Holy Great Martyr Nikita.
Holy Martyr Nikita Besogon
Among the finds collected in the city of Tver on the eroded banks of the river. Volga, Tvertsa, Tmaki, a significant group consists of crosses with the image of St. torment of Nikita the Besogon.
Similar finds are known in Staritsa and its surroundings, as well as in Rzhev, Torzhok and Bely Gorodok.
In Orthodox church history there are several saints who had the name Nikita: Nikita the Besogon and Nikita the Martyr (Nikita the Gothic) - the first Christians who were subjected to torture and death for Christ in Constantinople, as well as Nikita the Stylite (who lived in the 18th century in Russia in top of the pillar).
Before the split of the church in 1666, the most famous and revered of them was Nikita the Besogon. Antique crosses and various works of small plastic art bearing the image of St. Nikita are found in large quantities. How to recognize Nikita the Besogon? He is depicted with a stick or shackles clutched in his hand, “beating a demon.”
This plot illustrates one of the episodes of the Byzantine apocryphal life of Saint Nikita, the son of a certain king Maximian (Istrin V.M., 1899). Having become a Christian, Nikita aroused the extreme displeasure of his pagan father and, after a series of torments, was thrown into prison, where a demon appeared to him, taking on the appearance of an angel. The demon began to persuade Nikita to worship pagan idols and thereby avoid new torment. Nikita doubted the angelic essence of the guest and prayed to the Lord! , after which the Archangel Michael came down to him from heaven and ordered the false angel to be tested. Nikita grabbed the demon, stepped on him and beat him with his iron shackles, forcing him to confess his devilish nature.
When the king again summoned him for questioning, the saint brought the demon with him by the hand and showed his father who was ruling over him. And so that his father would believe in Christ, Nikita resurrected two long-dead spouses.
But nothing had any effect on Maximian. And then the whole city and the queen rebelled against him. On this day, Nikita baptized eighteen thousand four hundred people and soon rested in God.
In his life it is said that he helps in teaching, heals, casts out demons, frees from slavery, helps to repent of sins and free oneself from the temptations of the devil.
Two incantatory prayers are associated with the name of Saint Nikita , in which the attitude of ancient Russian people towards him as the main protector from demons . One of them is read before going to bed, the other is attributed to Nikita himself before his death.
It is precisely because of its protective nature that the iconographic composition “Nikita beating the demon” was extremely popular in Rus'. Its earliest incarnations are the relief on the western facade of the Dmitrov Cathedral in Vladimir (1197) (where, according to prophecies, Seraphim of Sarov himself would lead the future Russian Orthodox Tsar for anointing)
and a double-sided stone icon from the 13th century. with images of Nicholas the Wonderworker and Nikita with a demon , presumably of Novgorod origin (Nikolaeva T.V., 1983, pl. 14, 2, cat. No. 68).
As is currently believed, this plot was most widespread in the 14th-16th centuries, when the composition with Nikita and the demon began to be reproduced in large numbers on stone and copper-cast icons, encolpion crosses, pectoral and body crosses and serpentine amulets. A brief overview of material sources and their interpretation can be found in a number of special works published since the 1890s. (Chetyrkin I.D., 1898; 1900; Dobrykin N.G., 1900) and until now (Tkachenko V.A., Khukharev V.V., 1999, pp. 68-79; Khukharev V.V., 1994 , pp. 210-215).
In metal-plastic works, Saint Nikita Besogon is almost always represented with his hand raised to strike. He beats the demon with shackles, with a stick or club, or with a rope. Nikita is depicted either in a short, belted tunic-shaped garment and a cloak, or in long clothing resembling a cassock, or in military armor. Nikita's appearance also turns out to be different: he can be depicted as a beardless youth or as a mature bearded husband. The appearance of the demon is also different: most often it has anthropomorphic features, occasionally zoomorphic or even ornithomorphic. Sometimes the composition includes architectural elements symbolizing the dungeon in which Saint Nikita is imprisoned.
Until the 90s of the 14th century. on icons and crosses, the Monk Nikita beat the demon in his guise (with horns, tail, etc.). But surprisingly, according to the latest archaeological excavations carried out in the Ryazan region, body armor was found, where instead of a whipping demon, a triangle was depicted - a pyramid!
The conclusion suggests itself that the Orthodox at the end of the 14th, beginning of the 15th centuries. They clearly understood where the evil for the Russian people came from and through cult plastic surgery (pectoral crosses and icons) they tried to protect themselves from this evil.
In Zatverechye (the old craft district of Tver, located on the Tvertsa River) one of the oldest temples in honor of Nikita has been preserved. The well-known Afanasy Nikitin set off on a journey three seas from the Nikitsky Church.
According to legend, a pectoral cross with two images of St. Nikita belonged to Sergius of Radonezh (later kept in the Pavlo-Obnorsky monastery of the Vologda province). The memory of Nikita Besogon was celebrated on September 15/28 , on the same day as the memory of the great martyr Nikita of Goth, a Christian military leader who suffered for his faith from the king of the Goths Athanaric (c. 372), therefore, even in the Middle Ages, the events described in the lives both martyrs, began to be perceived as referring to the same person. After the introduction of state control of the Russian Orthodox Church (through the Synod) under Peter I in 1720, all saints were censored. The apocryphal life of Nikita (Besogon), the son of Tsar Maximian, was included in the list of Christian literature prohibited for reading, and the name of Nikita Besogon disappeared from the church calendar. It's time to clear his name. His veneration was transferred to the Great Martyr Nikita of Gotha, and the iconographic plot of the beating of the demon became the property of the Old Believers and was occasionally reproduced by them according to old models until the 19th century. (Tkachenko V.A., Khukharev V.V., 1999, pp. 72-73, fig. 15-19).
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Note
“The Torment of Nikitas” refers to the apocryphal translated lives, or rather, martyrias (“martyrium” - “martyrdom”) of the first Christian martyrs who died for the faith. His memory is celebrated by the church on September 15 (28). The apocryphal “Life of Nikita” was included in the Prologues (collections of short stories about saints) and the Chetya-Menaion, but less frequently than the canonical Life of Nikita of Gotha. Mention of the “Torment of Nikita” is found in the index of renounced books starting from the 14th century. (Pogodinsky Nomocanon, GPB, collected by Pogodin, No. 31), it was included in the “Rule 69 of the Council of Laodicea” along with the “Apostolic Circumstances”, “The Torment of St. George”. Slavic-Russian index lists comment on this work: “Nikita’s torment, calling him like the Tsar’s son, it never would have been like that” (Pogodinsky Nomocanon), “Nikita’s torment, that the son of the Tsars Maximian tormented a demon” (GIM, Synod. collection, no. 491, end of the 16th century). In the titles of some lists of the “Torment” itself, the words: “who tormented the demon” turned into “who tormented him.” Slavic-Russian copies of “The Torment of Nikita” have been known since the end of the 15th century. (Central National Library of the Ukrainian SSR, collection of Muz., IV, No. 208, Menaion 1489, list of the Athos Hilandar monastery, No. 75). The translation of “The Life of Nikita” was carried out according to the publication by A. N. Pypin in “Monuments of Ancient Russian Literature”. Vol. 3. St. Petersburg, 1862, according to a list from the beginning of the 16th century. from the Rumyantsev Triumphant No. 436, RSL, with the use of Greek and Slavic lists published by V. M. Istrin (see V. M. Istrin, The Apocryphal Torment of Nikita. Odessa, 1898).
Pyramid of Freemasons-Illuminati-Satanists in the end
Prayers to Nikita Besogon - Memorial Day September 15/28
First prayer
O great passion-bearer of Christ and wonder-working Great Martyr Nikito! Falling before your holy and miraculous image, while your deeds and miracles and your many compassion for people are glorifying, we pray to you diligently: show us the humble and sinners your holy and powerful intercession, for it is a sin for our sake, not the imams of the freedom of the children of God, for our needs We boldly ask our Lord and our Master, but we offer you a favorable prayer book for him and we cry for your intercession, ask us from the Lord for beneficial gifts for our souls and bodies, right faith, undoubted hope of salvation, unfeigned love for everyone, courage in temptation, their patience in suffering, constancy in prayer, health of soul and body, fruitfulness of the earth, prosperity of the air, contentment of everyday needs, peaceful and pious life on earth, Christian death and a good answer at the terrible judgment of Christ. Also, O passion-bearer of Christ, from the Heavenly King ask our Russian country for peace, health and salvation, and against our enemies victory and victory, prosperity, silence and prosperity. Be a companion and helper against the enemies of the Christ-loving army, and show your holy intercession to all Orthodox people: heal the sick, comfort the sorrowing, help the needy. Hey, servant of God and long-suffering martyr! Do not forget your holy monastery and all the nuns and worldly people living in it and striving, but hasten to bear the yoke of Christ in humility and patience and graciously deliver them from all troubles and temptations. Bring us all into a quiet haven of salvation and make us worthy to be heirs of the blessed Kingdom of Christ through your holy prayers, so that we glorify and sing the great generosity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the Trinity we glorify and worship God, and your holy intercession forever and ever. Amen.
Second prayer
O great passion-bearer of Christ Nikito! Hear the prayer of us sinners, and deliver us (names) from all sorrow and adversity, from sudden death and from all evil: at the hour of separation of the soul from the body, passion-bearing, every evil thought and evil demons, so that our souls may be received in peace to the place of light, Christ the Lord our God, for from Him is the cleansing of sins, and He is the salvation of our souls, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Personal petition
O great passion-bearer of Christ and miracle worker, Great Martyr Nikita! Hear us praying to you with tears (names), and beg Christ God to have mercy on us and grant us (the content of the petition), and let us glorify and sing the great generosity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your holy intercession, forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the Great Martyr Nikita for repentance
O all-honorable head, reverend and blessed father, venerable martyr Nikita!
Do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in your holy and auspicious prayers to God and do not forget to visit your children. Pray for us, good father and chosen one of Christ, as if you have boldness towards the Heavenly King, and do not remain silent for us to the Lord, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love.
Remember us, unworthy, at the Throne of the Almighty and do not stop praying for us to Christ God: for you have been given the grace to pray for us. We do not think that you are dead, even though you have passed away from us in body, but even after death you remain alive. Do not depart from us in spirit, preserving and keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all sorts of demonic delights, our good intercessor and prayer book.
Even though your relics are always visible before our eyes, your holy soul with the angelic hosts, with the disembodied faces, with the heavenly powers at the Throne of the Almighty God rejoices with dignity. Knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we bow down to you, and we pray to you, and we pray for us, to pray for us to Almighty God for the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance and the unrestrained passage from earth to Heaven and bitter ordeals, and princes of the air, and we will be freed from eternal torment, and we will be heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven with all the righteous from the ages who have pleased Him, our Lord Jesus Christ.
To Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, together with His Beginning Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
