Childhood of a youth
In 1532, a son was born into the peasant family of Kosma and Apollinaria, living in the village of Verkola, Arkhangelsk province. Unlike other children, the boy was quiet from birth. Parents and neighbors noted his unusual obedience and modesty. Noisy fun games did not attract the baby; he enjoyed spending time in the temple and prayers.
Saint Artemy Verkolsky
Humility and patience, the main benefactors for which believers have been praying for years, were given to the boy with his mother’s milk. The chosen one of God stood out among his noisy peers:
- kindness;
- meekness;
- the ability to forgive;
- patience.
It’s hard for modern parents to imagine, but this child prayed a lot, he consciously protected his soul not only from bad deeds, but also from sinful thoughts, never upsetting his father and mother. The bright-hearted young man knew how to enjoy the gentle sun, slender birch trees, picking berries in the forest during the short summer, helping his parents.
He was fascinated by the smell of mown hay when men worked in the fields, and fluffy earth after plowing. The parents, seeing their son’s obedience and zeal for his work, hoped that in old age they would have a reliable assistant, but God decreed otherwise.
Great Martyr Artemios of Antioch
Memorial Day: November 2
Artemy of Antioch was a noble Roman and belonged to the class of senators. A brave warrior, he took part in 312 in one of the battles of Emperor Constantine. During the battle, a cross suddenly appeared in the sky with the inscription: “Hereby win!” Impressed by this divine sign, Artemy converted to the Christian faith.
Having won glory in battles and becoming a military leader, Artemy was appointed governor of Egypt with special powers. It was he who was entrusted by Emperor Constantius, the son of Constantine, to deliver the relics of the holy apostles Andrew the First-Called and Luke from Patras, where they were located, to Constantinople.
When Emperor Julian, nicknamed the Apostate, began to rule, he tried to restore paganism, brutally persecuting adherents of the true faith. In Antioch, by order of Julian, two Christian bishops were tortured for refusing to renounce the Lord. Having learned about this, Artemy came to their defense. He was immediately arrested and, after painful torture, thrown into prison. There he prayed continuously, and Jesus himself appeared to him, who supported his strength and promised that a crown of glory was already prepared for him.
The next day he was again tortured before Julian, demanding his renunciation, but Artemy not only did not renounce, but also predicted quick divine punishment for Julian the Apostate for his persecution of Christians. This prophecy came true a year later, in 363, when Julian was mortally wounded and, as legend says, died with the words: “You have won, Galilean!”
Artemy was executed in 362 with a terrible execution: first, his body was crushed with a heavy stone, after which his head was cut off. Arista, a deaconess from Antioch, brought his body to Constantinople, where the great martyr was buried in the Church of John the Baptist. Later this temple received a second name after the holy great martyr Artemy.
Sudden demise
On this July day there were no signs of trouble. It was a fine summer day, father and son were plowing in the field. Artemy walked ahead, leading the horse, his father drove the harrows.
The young man quietly read prayers, enjoying the sunny day. In an instant, an amazing silence covered the earth, the sky turned black from the quickly running dark purple clouds. Suddenly, after a bright column of fire, lightning, strong thunder shook the entire area, blinding and deafening for a moment the people working in the field.
Kosma only heard his son’s words: “Lord, have mercy,” when he fell dead on the freshly plowed ground. In deep despair, the father brought the young man home; the tragic news quickly spread throughout the area. Residents understood the unusual nature of what was happening; some superstitious believers argued that the youth who died without repentance was a secret sinner, and he had no place in the public cemetery.
Death of the Righteous Artemy Verkolsky
It is difficult to imagine the despair of parents who have just lost their beloved son, and who were told by the priest that he refused to perform the funeral service for the person killed by lightning in the church.
Kosma buried his son in a very unusual way. The father carried the body of the boy, wrapped in birch bark, into the forest in his arms. He collected pine needles, building the last bed for his son under a huge pine tree, after reading the prayer he laid the body down, but did not bury it in the ground, but covered it tightly with pine branches.
You should know! According to the laws of the church of that time, he could not put up a cross or leave a memorial inscription. The pine mound and fence became a monument to the righteous Artemy.
Miracle of the appearance of relics
32 years have passed. The deacon of the local church of St. Nicholas the Pleasant in the village of Verkola was enthusiastically picking mushrooms in the forest, when suddenly Father Agafonik’s gaze stopped on a bright pillar of light emanating from the ground.
Crossing himself and praying, the deacon went to the luminous place and froze in surprise - in front of him on a bed of birch bark lay a young man in a white robe. Amazed by what he saw, Father Agathonik fell to his knees in awe. In the incorruptible body the clergyman recognized Artemy, with whom he often spent his free time as a child.
Memorable events associated with the death and burial of the youth instantly surfaced in the deacon’s memory. During the prayer, the clergyman was enveloped in pleasant smells.
Artemy Verkolsky, whose life was short but righteous, after 32 years again reminded his fellow villagers of himself. The peasants simply moved the found body to the church porch, covered it with birch bark and forgot, plunging into the whirlpool of summer worries.
Hagiographic icon of Artemy Verkolsky
It was not by chance that the merciful God revealed the miracle of the incorruptibility of the body of the righteous Artemy. In those years, the Arkhangelsk province was covered by a wave of severe fever. From the high temperature, people, especially children, “burned” before our eyes, and Kallinikos, the peasant who participated in the transfer of the boy’s body, was not spared.
Unable to see his son dying away in a fever, Kallinikos knelt down with fervent prayer to God. Suddenly his mind was illuminated by a vision of the image of Artemy. The peasant grabbed his son and ran with him to the church, where a coffin stood in the far porch. After the prayer, Kallinik tied a piece of birch bark on which the body of the righteous man lay to his son’s pectoral cross, and the fever instantly subsided.
The miraculous healing of the baby became known in the village and throughout the area, the priests served a memorial service near the righteous Artemy, after which the epidemic rapidly subsided, and posthumous miracles occurred more and more often.
In 1619, Metropolitan Macarius witnessed the relics of St. Artemy Verkolsky
In 1619, Metropolitan Macarius of Novgorod witnessed the relics of St. Artemy Verkolsky. Also on December 6, he blessed them to be transferred to the temple on the day of remembrance of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Metropolitan Macarius of Novgorod witnessed the relics of St. Artemy Verkolsky and blessed them to be transferred to the temple
After some time, a resident of the city of Kholmogor, Illarion Artemiev, came and said that he had been sick with his eyes for a very long time, could not see anything, and suffered greatly.
Once, in complete despair, he tried to hang himself, but his neighbors came to his rescue.
Soon he heard about the miracles of Saint Artemy and turned to him with prayer for his healing. At that same hour he regained his sight and saw Saint Artemy in white robes, holding a small staff in his left hand and a cross in his right hand.
He overshadowed Hilarion with the cross and said that Christ heals people through him. He also told him that Hilarion should come to venerate his relics and then tell all this to the priest and peasants.
Artemy made the sign of the cross over Hilarion and said that Christ heals people through him.
Afterwards, Artemy took Hilarion by the hand and forced him to do this, and then became invisible. Then Hilarion woke up completely healthy. And after what happened, he came to venerate the relics of St. Artemy.
The miracles didn't end there. Once upon a time, a peasant from the village of Kivokurya, Ustyug district, had a hernia since childhood, from which he suffered greatly.
Having learned about the miracles of the saint, he prayed by faith and made a vow that he would definitely venerate the relics. After which he received healing from his illness. But after a while he forgot about his vow.
A few years later, he again began to suffer from attacks of pain from a hernia. Only she began to torment him even more than before. The peasant then remembered his forgotten vow and turned to righteous Artemy with prayer.
His prayer was heard, but even then the peasant did not fulfill his vow, forgetting about it.
Then a terrible melancholy fell upon him, and darkness covered his eyes. The unfortunate man again remembered what he promised, and again did not fulfill it. He again promised the saint that he would urgently fulfill what he had promised.
And as soon as the peasant received healing, he immediately hurried to the tomb of Saint Artemy. He ordered a prayer service to him and kissed the multi-healing coffin with tears. Afterwards he told everyone about all this.
Evidence of miraculous healings in earlier times
An unknown disease struck the peasant of the village of Verkola Pavel and led to a curvature of his neck and complete closure of his eyes. After turning to the Lord and righteous Artemy, the sufferer was completely restored to his body. He told his fellow villagers about the miraculous liberation. The people of Verkol, overwhelmed with awe, transferred the relics to a new coffin, which was henceforth kept in a special vestibule.
In 1584, instant healing was granted to a baby carried in the arms of his mother, after which miracles began to happen in every case of fervent prayer at the tomb of the righteous Artemy Verkolsky, a miracle worker, which was talked about in churches throughout the country.
Soon the vision of the peasants Andrei and Irina was restored and the stomach of Maria, who had previously lost consciousness from constant pain, was completely restored.
After transferring the holy relics to a new shrine, John and Thomas decided to paint icons on the old boards. What remained from their work were shavings and sawdust, which were collected and distributed to those in need of help.
One of the icons was brought by Pankratiy from Pinega to Veliky Ustyug in 1601, granting miracles there too. After examining the incorruptibility of the relics by Metropolitan Macarius of Novgorod in 1619, a decision was made to transfer them to the church.
Icon of the Righteous Youth Artemy
A visit to the relics of the righteous man restored the desire to live to the once blind Hilarion Artemyev. Living in Kholmogory, the blind man decided to commit suicide by hanging, he was so tired of living in eternal darkness. From the stories of the villagers, the sufferer heard about the miraculous healings of the wonderworker Artemy, began to pray to him, and one day in a dream he met the saint.
A young man in luminous clothes stood in front of Hilarion, saying that his prayer had been heard, and the Creator, through Artemy, was granting healing. The next morning Artemyev woke up sighted, went to Verkola, venerated the coffin of the righteous man, and publicly testified to his liberation from the power of darkness.
In 1636, Pashkov, who was appointed governor of the Kevrovsky district, passed through Verkola on his way to his place of service and refused the priest’s offer to visit the local church. Upon arrival home, the governor found his son Jeremiah dying, and deeply repented of not serving a memorial service at the tomb of the righteous man, and promised to go to the Verkolsky temple on a pilgrimage.
As soon as the thought of pilgrimage settled in his head, the son opened his eyes, sat down and asked which road leads to the righteous Artemy. In fulfillment of the vow, the governor and his son arrived in Verkola, served a prayer service, took a piece of birch bark, and tied it to the boy’s pectoral cross. Soon there was no trace of the disease left.
As a token of gratitude to the saint, at the expense of governor Afanasy Pashkov, the temple of the righteous Artemy was built at the site of the discovery of the incorruptible body of the miracle worker. To the great chagrin of the believers, the church burned down, and some of the relics were damaged by fire.
Important! Priest Lawrence, with the support of the parishioners, decided to build a separate chapel, where the holy relics were transferred, which continued to give people miracles of healing.
One day a sexton found the body of a youth, after which it was taken to the Church of St. Nicholas
One summer, the deacon of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was walking through that forest, picking mushrooms. Suddenly the sexton saw a light over the place where the blessed youth rested. He approached this place and found Artemy's body.
He immediately told all the Verkol peasants about this. But the peasants took Artemy’s body and, without any honor, brought it to the church and laid it on the porch, covering the coffin with birch bark, which covered the boy’s body in the forest.
After Artemy’s body was transferred to the temple, it began to exude healing to the sick.
But the Lord arranged everything in such a way that healings for the sick began to flow from Artemy’s relics. At that time, malignant fever began to spread in the Dvina region. Many people simply died due to such a serious illness, especially women and children.
The son of the Verkolsky villager Kalinnik also fell ill with a fever. In his intense grief, he prayed that his son would recover, and then went to the temple and venerated the tomb of the righteous Artemy Verkolsky.
He took some birch bark that covered Artemy's body and hung it on the cross on the chest of his dying son.
Surprisingly, the patient recovered. At that same hour, the overjoyed Kalinnik rushed to tell everyone about this miracle.
Everyone gathered at the Church of St. Nicholas, and began to sing prayers and create a memory for Artemy Verkolsky. Soon the fever in that village stopped.
From that moment on, miracles only began to multiply.
Soon, one man named Pavel, due to illness, had his neck crooked, so that his head was turned face down and his eyes were constantly closing.
In such trouble, he turned with prayer to God and the righteous Artemy. After which the patient’s head straightened and his eyes opened. Healed after an illness, he immediately told all his fellow villagers about it.
In 1584, a special chapel was built at the Church of St. Nicholas, where the relics of St. Artemy Verkolsky were transferred from the porch, placing him in a new coffin.
Veneration and iconography
The fame of the miracles reached Metropolitan Cyprian of Novgorod; at his command, the priests examined the incorruptible body and compiled a list of miracles of healing performed. After this, the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Verkola received a written service to Artemy Verkolsky.
In 1648, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered the transfer of the holy remains to the shrine sent to him, founding a monastery at the site where they were found. In 1793, the Holy Artemiy-Verkolsky Monastery grew here with a temple consecrated in honor of the righteous Artemy, in which the relics of the saint were kept.
St. Artemiev Verkolsky Monastery (Arkhangelsk region)
In 1918, a special detachment of security officers was sent to destroy the saint’s tomb, but the monks were ahead of the Bolsheviks, reliably hiding the holy relics, which have not been found to this day.
Three times a year, on the patronal feast day, parishioners gather at the monastery courtyard to honor the memory of Saint Artemy. On July 6, during the service, the death of the righteous is remembered, August 5 is the day of the discovery of his incorrupt body in the forest on birch bark, and November 30 is honored as the date of the transfer of the relics and the founding of the monastery.
After the construction of the monastery, the first icons of the saint appeared; on them the youth was dressed in a short snow-white tunic, over which was thrown a cape - a himation. Icons from the 17th century depict Saint Artemy Verkolsky in full height, with his right hand blessing people who come to him with prayers.
Nowadays, 17 churches have been built in Russia in honor of the righteous youth.
Righteous Artemy helped to be healed from serious illnesses
The holy righteous Artemy Verkolsky helped many to be healed from many illnesses. One day a woman came to his new place in the temple with a relaxed baby.
She asked to serve a prayer service, and then went to the saint’s tomb and placed her child on it.
The baby's sick hand was immediately healed. Around the same time, a peasant and a peasant woman suffered from eye diseases. Afterwards they received health and healing from touching the relics of the saint.
People still come to the relics of Saint Artemy to this day, receiving healing from their illnesses.
One woman suffered from stomach disease for a very long time, almost forty years. The illness was so severe that she often died for an hour or two.
One day she heard about a boy who healed all diseases. She turned to him in prayer and later received healing.
Two priests, John and Thomas, also received healings. Afterwards they asked to paint several icons of Saint Artemy on the boards of the old tomb.
All that was left of the boards were shavings. John collected them and put them in storage at the church.
Many believers who took these shavings received healing from their ailments.
One day, in 1601, a man named Pancratius was passing through those places.
He brought one of these icons of Artemy to Veliky Ustyug, from which many people received healings.
What does Saint Artemy help with?
Despite the fact that the holy relics were never found, prayer addressed to the righteous youth often gives results. People come to the icons of the righteous with requests for healing:
- from incurable diseases;
- blindness and poor vision;
- restoration of the musculoskeletal system.
Parents ask for children, children pray for health for their father and mother. And the righteous man answers sincere prayers.
Oh, holy miracle worker! You are a resident of God's Heaven, a righteous man and a saint of the Lord! Hear our prayers! Pray before our Father for our sinful deeds! For we repent and ask for forgiveness and remission of our sins! Become our intercessor! Protect from evil and various diseases! Do not let your spirit fall in difficult times and give you strength to move along the righteous path! We will never forget Your holy name! And we will praise You all our lives, O Most Holy Artemy! May God's will be done for everything! In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Texts of strong prayers in Russian
Four prayers were written in honor of the saint, as well as an akathist. The first is detailed and contains a call for patronage and preservation of the health of the worshiper. It is read when pimples and acne appear. The second talks about helping the weak body of a sinner who has come to venerate the relics of a righteous man. It is recommended to read it for healing skin diseases. The third prayer is universal and suitable for any ailment. A short address can be pronounced when the need arises, when there is no time for longer texts.
For acne
Oh, great servant of God, oh, great miracle worker, holy and righteous Artemy, earthly cherub, heavenly man, interlocutor of angels, heavenly inhabitant! Look down from the heights of heaven with your bright eye, and send down upon us the rays of God's grace. Lamp, kindled by God, with your holy prayers, kindle the darkness of our sins, ask the Father of lights for the light of grace for our souls, a quick helper and intercessor for all the faithful. Everyone, with faith, come prayerfully under the roof of your protection and ask the Lord for your intercession, if we can help you, he gains God’s mercy and is not deprived of the desires of his heart, but asks for grace and receives the Gift for the benefit of the petition. You are, righteous Artemy, a city planted by God, in which there is a healthy flower of prosperity, and many will be healed from the green shaking ailment. Oh, if with your miraculous help many blind people were able to see, the deaf were able to hear, the lame person jumped up and walked, the infirmities were able to use the hands, the madness was awakened, the weakness in the veins was strengthened, the congestion was corrected, and those who had injuries were healed! You also drove away the defilement of demons with your prayer, and resolved other unhealed illnesses. Thus, holy and righteous Artemy, you are always merciful to everyone. For we also pray for God’s inscrutable goodness, may the Lord forgive us our debts, and may He preserve the Russian state in peace and prosperity, in strength and abundance, and may He strengthen the Orthodox faith, may He satisfy church schisms, and may He save all Orthodox Christians. We will honestly celebrate your holy memory from generation to generation, glorifying Christ the Lord, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with the Beginning Father and with the Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and to the endless ages of ages. Amen.
For skin diseases
Oh, great servant of God, holy righteous Artemy, patron of the holy monastery, admiring your name and all Orthodox Christians, I strongly intercede for us to the Lord, great benefactor of the monks of your monastery living here and of all your miraculous relics flowing with faith and love to the race! Look mercifully at the wretched prayer of us, sinful and obscene slaves, and with your omnipotent intercession ask the Lord for forgiveness of sins, advancement in faith and piety, and protection from the machinations of the adversary who seeks to destroy us. Grant to the brotherhood of your monastery, from the eldest to the last, humility and meekness, all-hearted love and obedience, reverent, holy service and life, and in everything faithful and complacent fulfillment of monastic community, yes, working for the Lord unashamedly and burning in spirit in unceasing prayer for our living benefactors and the departed, let us appear as faithful servants of the Lord, doing good with the talents entrusted to us! Pray to the Lord, that the Orthodox Church of All Russia, like a well-planted garden, may bloom and bear fruit richly with the fruits of faith and piety! Pray to the Lord, that through the intercession and intercession of our Most Blessed Lady Theotokos, we may all live here a peaceful and God-pleasing life, and after a more peaceful death than Christians, we may be honored in the Most Glorious Kingdom with the mercy of the King of heaven and earth, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, glorifying Him now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
About healing diseases
Holy servant of God, Artemy the Righteous, close protector of the Holy Orthodox Faith and the entire northern region of the Russian country! Look mercifully at the fervent prayer of us sinners, and through your compassionate intercession ask the Lord for forgiveness of our sins, advancement in faith and piety, and protection from the wiles of the devil. Pray to the Lord, may He keep Orthodox Christians in health, may He grant peace, silence and unhypocritical obedience to all people, our country, and may He grant us all the benefit of the death of Christians. The Kingdom of Heaven, where all the righteous are with you, always glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Brief
Holy servant of God, righteous Artemy, close guardian of the holy Orthodox faith and close protector of the entire northern region of the Russian country! Look mercifully at the fervent prayer of us sinners, and through your compassionate intercession ask the Lord for us.
