The village of Krysovo is located on the southwestern side of Minsk. The local population does not exceed 100 people. However, many guests come here. The thing is that on the territory of the local cemetery there is the grave of Valentina Minskaya, the first Belarusian saint who was canonized as a blessed one.
Pilgrimage to the Krysovskoye Cemetery
People arrive here by rail to the Stankovo station or by personal vehicle, both from Belarus itself and from neighboring countries - Russia, Ukraine - and even from the United States. From the entrance to the churchyard, a line of people stretches to the very burial place of Saint Blessed Valentina of Minsk, known in the world as Valentina Feodorovna Sulkowska. The cemetery plot has been landscaped: since 2012, the grave has been crowned with a metal canopy - a domed roof on high openwork supports.
Lifetime miracles and prophecies
The gift of foresight and healing was revealed to Valentina Feodorovna precisely during her illness. There is a legend according to which, before this, Saint Xenia of Petersburg appeared to her in a dream and gave her a blessing to do good deeds.
Despite the unkind attitude of the Soviet authorities towards the oxbow, a large number of pilgrims and petitioners came to the village of Koski. Especially often, women came to the old woman who wanted to know about the fate of their husbands, brothers or sons who were at the front. Many addressed Valentina only as “mother,” although she herself always reminded others that in the past she was the wife of a worldly man.
Sincerely wanting to help her visitors, Valentina talked with them for a long time and read them ancient spiritual literature. Carrying her cross, the Blessed One fervently prayed for those who had strayed from the path of serving the Lord.
The prayer book became famous for many miracles:
- Possessing the gift of foresight, she reported with extraordinary accuracy about the fates of people who fought at the front;
- all the men for whom the old woman asked God during the fighting managed to remain alive and uninjured, and then return home safely;
- thanks to Valentina’s prayers, during the war with the Nazis, the village of Koski was never damaged by bombing, which occurred quite often;
- with the blessing of mother, many visitors and their relatives were cured of illnesses that had tormented them for years;
- The old woman especially loved children; after her appeal to heaven, the children recovered from various congenital diseases.
The saint never asked her visitors why they came, and gave answers to questions that had not yet been asked. She saw well the past and future of each person, but spoke about them only when the need arose. Most often, the Blessed One clothed her words in an allegorical form, sometimes speaking in parables, but everyone who came to her understood exactly the teachings given to them.
As mother herself said, only a sincere believer can be helped. If an atheist came to her, she refused to help such a visitor until he took the path of true faith.
Saint Valentine foresaw many historical events, including the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. She told her fellow villagers: “you’ll have to see iron birds in the sky...”. After the Great Victory, she predicted the death of Stalin and Kalinin. The Blessed One’s rare gift allowed her to look into the more distant future: she was able to see the sinking of a Russian submarine that occurred in the Barents Sea in 2000. At the same time, the Blessed One said: “Kursk will go under water. The sailors will ask for help, but they will not be saved...” At that time, people thought that the oxbow was warning about the tragedy of the city, and only many years later were they able to understand what this prediction actually was about.
Valentina's worldly life
Shortly before the First World War, Valentina married Feodor Vasilyevich Sulkowski and accompanied him in military service. In the year of the NEP, they ran their own farm, then joined a collective farm. In 1931, the husband was arrested based on false libel. After receiving permission to leave for a free settlement in 1933, he was arrested again and deported to the Far East, where he died.
Having buried her father and survived her husband’s arrest, she looked after her sick mother. Her husband's nephew and sister helped her financially. When Valentina became paralyzed, her neighbors began to look after her and did so for the rest of her life.
How to get to mother's grave
Getting to the place where Blessed Valentine rests is not difficult. If a pilgrim is in the capital of Belarus, he will need:
- reach the sign “Stankovo”, moving along the M-1 highway;
- turn right after 1.5 km, reaching a sign that says “Cemetery”;
- go to your mother’s grave, following the prompts of numerous signs.
It is also convenient to get to the last earthly resting place of Valentina Minskaya, traveling along the Brest-Moscow highway. Having reached the village of Zabolotye, you can immediately see a sign indicating the location of the shrine.
Those who plan to arrive at this place by train need to get to Pyatigorye station. Having left at the indicated point, you will need to pass by the holiday village and the village of Krysovo. Next you will see the local cemetery. It is easy to distinguish the local shrine from other burials by its unusual appearance, the presence of woven towels decorated with national ornaments, numerous bouquets of cornflowers and daisies, which people constantly bring here as a sign of veneration and gratitude.
Spiritual life of Valentina
Valentina was given the gift of healing and divination. She predicted the Second World War in advance - and said so: “you will have to see the iron birds...” During the war, women from the surrounding villages brought handkerchiefs and personal belongings of the fighters to her. Mother Valentina prayed for them and they served as amulets against bullets and shells.
Valentina saw her mission in opposition to the atheistic state. Through prayers, she affirmed the faith of those around her and provided spiritual assistance to those suffering. Those in need of advice came to her. Without questioning, she knew on an invisible level what the man had come to her for. The answers were given allegorically, in the form of parables, so that only the one to whom the message was addressed would understand them. And every visitor found in her consolation, healing, spiritual and physical.
She did not accept gifts or offerings. If they offered a treat, she refused: “You eat, and it’s easier for us who are sick to lie down.” On the contrary, she herself gave gifts of hand-made braided ropes on which to wear a cross on the body. She created paper flowers and handed them over with prayerful instructions. She was unpretentious in everyday life and tried not to burden her with worries about herself. She was allowed to change clothes and bed sheets no more than once a month.
Every day a lot of people gather at the grave of St. Valentine - asking for help
Now you can find huge crowds rushing to mother’s grave.
If they ask local villagers how to get to the cemetery, everyone already knows that they are going to Mother Valentina.
There are quite a lot of people at the grave every day. People come to ask Saint Valentine for help
The current priest, Father Alexander, calls the road through the village to the cemetery a procession of the cross.
People come to mother’s grave with their prayers and requests. There are many stories of miraculous healing.
Anna Vasilievna Skryabina talks about one of the miraculous healings:
“My leg hurt for a long time.
At night I always put a compress on it and bandaged it with an elastic bandage and only then could I walk.
And so we came to mother, kissed each other, and prayed.
I came home, washed my leg in the evening, but forgot to tie it again.
I only remembered this in the morning, I get up and think, what am I doing now, now my leg will swell and I won’t be able to walk.
But! Imagine, until today I never thought about her again!”
Miracles of Valentina Minskaya
At the age of five, Valentina dug out a small Christmas tree from the forest and planted it near the estate. A tree in the shape of a cross grew.
In her youth, Valentina and her father sailed on a ship to Kronstadt to receive a blessing from Father John of Kronstadt. It so happened that while sailing towards them, a ship was heading straight towards their ship. Then Panteleimon the Healer appeared to the young woman and ordered her to pray frantically, which she did. The ships miraculously missed each other.
In her mature years, she went to the stream that flowed not far from the house to wash her feet and saw a beautiful maiden. She said to her: “Go and lie down!” Since then, Valentina lay down on the bed and never got up again.
Holy Blessed Valentine, pray to God for us!
For decades, pilgrims from different parts of the world have been coming to the resting place of St. Blessed Valentina of Minsk - the rural cemetery of the village of Krysovo, Dzerzhinsky district, Minsk region.
People come to the grave with their troubles, pray, ask for help and healing from physical and mental illnesses. Today the saint hears them just as she did during her lifetime, and consoles everyone who comes to her with repentance and a pure heart. Holy Blessed Valentina of Minsk, chosen by God to preserve the Orthodox faith during the years of persecution on our land, who rose as the spiritual sun of White Rus', is the worldwide lamp of Orthodoxy, the chosen one of God.
Mother Valentina loved God with all her soul and with all her heart. She carried this love throughout her life, sharing it generously. For this, the Lord rewarded her with the gifts of insight and healing.
The Lord prepared His chosen one for holiness through generations. Valentina's father, Fyodor Chernyavsky, was a priest and came from a priestly family. Mother Sofia is from the princely family of the Svirskys, her father, Peter Svirsky, was also a priest and served in the Ozersk church. Valentina and her three sisters - Anna, Ksenia and Olga grew up in a God-loving environment. Just like her father, Valentina graduated from a theological school and sometimes, replacing him, taught the Law of God to children in a public school.
In her youth, mother communicated with Righteous John of Kronstadt and received a blessing from him. On the way to the elder, an amazing incident occurred. When the girl and her father were sailing on a ship to Kronstadt, their ship was in danger of colliding with oncoming traffic. Then the healer Panteleimon appeared to Valentina and said: “Pray without ceasing!” The girl did just that, and the ships miraculously missed each other.
Mother’s life and ministry fell during a period when terrible events took place in the country and the Church. Uncomplainingly bearing her cross, Valentina endured the death of her parents and husband, the First and Second World Wars, brutal repressions of the last clergy of the Minsk diocese, and persecution for the faith. But these events did not plunge her into despair, but, on the contrary, strengthened her in faith. In difficult times, Mother Valentina was a spark of hope for all those who suffered. People stood outside her house for hours to address their questions and ask for holy prayers.
For more than 30 years, the holy old woman was bedridden, and during this time she never had bedsores, as usually happens in such cases. Mother lovingly accepted all those seeking God's help. She knew in advance who was coming to her and with what problem - God revealed everything to her. Mother answered mental questions in such a way that what was said was understandable only to those who were directly concerned. Saint Valentine called everyone to repentance and salvation of the soul, consoled the grieving, and through her prayers God healed the sick. Even during her lifetime, Mother Valentina said: “Come to my grave as if you were alive, I will help you.”
In the life of the saint there is an amazing incident told by Abbot Anthony. When he was still a boy, his mother blessed him to spend the night in her house on the stove. One day he witnessed a miracle: an angel picked up mother with his wings and laid her back on the bed... As an adult, the abbot constantly repeated: “If you have sorrow in your soul or don’t know what to do, go to mother’s grave! She will help!
People's love for Blessed Valentina does not fade to this day. Both day and night, at any time of the year, thousands of people go to the grave, ask for and receive help.
Today, thousands of written testimonies of the help of St. Blessed Valentina of Minsk have been collected. Of course, the main miracle is that through the saint’s prayers people have an encounter with God. Having visited the grave and received help, a person discovers the way to church, begins to repent, begins the sacraments of Confession, Communion...
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Healings from serious illnesses
Marina: My sister and I came to Mother Valentina three years ago. At that time, I had been suffering from hepatitis C for 17 years, so I asked the saint for healing. She came with faith and repentance. Three months later, I took the tests again - the diagnosis of hepatitis C was negative. The doctors were as surprised as I was.
We also ask for mother's prayers for our relatives. Dad had a complex fracture of his leg, with displacement and fragments. Doctors said that he could not do without surgery, but he may not survive surgery. After visiting the resting place of Saint Blessed Valentina of Minsk, a repeat photograph was taken, which showed that the bone had returned to its place. And through mother’s prayers, the parents received communion for the first time.
Lyudmila: Several years ago I became very ill: my legs gave out, a tumor formed on my spine. I found a good doctor. The examination showed that the tumor was not malignant. But I still had to undergo several spinal surgeries. Through my mother’s prayers, I recovered very quickly.
One of the pilgrims shared a case of healing from cancer : I had some kind of illness. I just didn’t feel well, but decided to get examined. After undergoing tests, I was diagnosed with stage 4 oncology. For three days I could neither eat nor sleep. I went to church and there, in the shop, I took the first book I came across. This was the life of Saint Valentine of Minsk. When I started reading, I felt life returning to me. At home, I put the book on my chest and was able to fall asleep for the first time in three days. I started going to my mother’s grave, and after some time the diagnosis was completely removed.
a girl came to the saint’s grave with a large bouquet of flowers. During the conversation, it turned out that her mother helped her heal from a disease associated with women’s health: After an ultrasound, it turned out that I had fibroids. Doctors said that surgery was necessary. I was very afraid. One of my friends advised me to go to Mother Valentina and ask for help. I prayed in my own words, as best I could. A month later, when I finally decided to have surgery, I had a repeat ultrasound. Doctors said there was no need for surgery.
Help with childbirth
Andrey : I got married at 32, my wife already had a child from her first marriage. Of course, we wanted to have something in common, but it didn’t work out. We even received a blessing for IVF, but then abandoned this idea, deciding to rely on the will of God. We traveled to holy places in Russia and Belarus. I was especially impressed by the trip to the Ioanno-Kormyansky Monastery in 2011. On that trip, we were advised to go to the grave of St. Valentine of Minsk.
After some time we got to mother. The wife became pregnant. But the pregnancy spontaneously terminated early.
In 2014, a friend called us and asked for help in decorating the grave of St. Valentine of Minsk. My wife did not go because it was severely frosty. Two weeks later - February 7 (the day of memory of Blessed Valentina of Minsk on February 6) - the wife called and said that she was pregnant. The pregnancy was difficult: age took its toll. But everything ended successfully on the night of September 9 - the day of the transfer of the relics of St. John of Cormyansk.
Vladimir : In 2016, during pregnancy (at 20 weeks), my wife was admitted to the hospital for preservation. She was offered to terminate the pregnancy, but we refused. The wife was transferred to the Republican Scientific and Practical Center “Mother and Child”. After looking at the epicrisis, the doctors said that nothing could be done and without their intervention, problems with women’s health could arise in the future. It was Friday, so we were given until Monday to think about it.
On Saturday I went to Mother Valentina’s grave asking for help. I also asked for prayers from my brother workers. On Sunday, the brothers arrived at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center with the Akhtyrskaya icon of the Mother of God, with which every Sunday there is a religious procession to the resting place of St. Blessed Valentina of Minsk.
The next day, after the examination and consultation, no threats were identified. The child was born to the same day, according to the doctors' forecast - a strong, healthy boy.
Tatyana : The pregnancy was going well, but before giving birth I suddenly felt unwell. The doctors immediately took me to the intensive care unit. At that moment, I felt the presence of a woman next to me, who touched me and said: “I will help you!” Then I didn’t understand who she was. The birth went well. When we came to baptize the child, my mother told me: “There is an icon by the column. Come and kiss me.” When I approached there, a lump came to my throat, tears flowed from my eyes: it was the icon of St. Blessed Valentina of Minsk. I realized that it was she who helped me.
Tatyana herself did not go to her mother; her mother prayed for her. This incident once again shows how much a mother’s prayer can do.
Help in getting rid of addictions
Alexander: I smoked for 15 years, I couldn’t quit, nothing helped. Then I came to the saint’s grave and asked with all my heart: “Mother, help me, a fool, quit smoking! I can’t do anything with myself!” I haven’t smoked for three years now—since I cut it off.
There is another case of recovery from addiction. One woman’s son died from drunkenness. His mother went to the grave and with tears asked his mother for help. When she returned home, her son asked her: “Mom, where have you been? Even beer makes me sick.” Now this guy is already married, he has a child, he lives a completely different life.
For the canonization of a saint, two main factors are necessary - miracles and healings that occur through his prayers, as well as his popular veneration. People testify to healings. And popular veneration is manifested in the endless flow of people to the resting place of Blessed Valentina of Minsk. For many church holidays, the cross at the saint’s resting place, the surrounding area and the path leading to the Brest-Moscow highway are decorated with picturesque wreaths, bouquets of flowers, icons, and multi-colored garlands. At Mother’s grave there are always flowers that pilgrims bring as a token of gratitude.
“Rejoice, blessed Valentina, who soon consoles all who come to you!”
05.02.2021
