One of the most important helpers for believers is Nicholas the Savior, who during his lifetime answered the requests of those in need. After his death, people pray in front of his image, and the main place of pilgrimage is the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. You can ask the saint for solutions to various problems.
How were the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker obtained?
After his death, the saint was buried in a city called Mira. At that time, there were wars in these lands and people tried to leave the cities, moving to more secluded areas in the city. The Barians decided to take advantage of this, wanting to obtain the relics of the saint, since in their city he was considered the main patron. In the history concerning how the relics of Nicholas were obtained, it is stated that in 1097 a detachment attacked the temple and stole most of the relics of the saint. According to the new style, the relic was delivered to the city of Bari on May 9.
Where are the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker?
After the theft of the remains in the city of Mira, some of the relics remained, but they also did not remain in their homeland and were stolen. As a result, they ended up on the Lido Island in Venice. The main part of the saint's remains are in Bari. After transportation, the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were located in the local Cathedral, and after a while a temple was built, which received its name in honor of the saint. In 1989, the shrine was placed in an underground chapel in the Basilica. Every year, clergy collect myrrh from the relics, dilute it with holy water and distribute it to pilgrims.
How do the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker help?
The saint helps people in different situations, so near his relics you can ask for many things:
- He is the patron saint of wanderers and sailors, so if loved ones are on the road, then you can ask the Wonderworker for their well-being and successful return home.
- Worship of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker can be done in order to protect children from problems, strengthen their health and direct them on the righteous path.
- The saint is an assistant in reconciling warring people.
- Lonely girls and boys turn to the Miracle Worker to help them find their soulmate and find love.
- There is much evidence that the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were cured of various diseases.
- The saint helps people who want to improve and take the righteous path. Relatives pray for innocently convicted people, asking for their release.
How to venerate the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker correctly?
Sometimes the relics are transported to other churches so that believers in other cities can venerate the shrine. There are certain rules that apply to visiting the temple in which the relic is located. Use following tips how to venerate the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker:
- After a person enters the temple, he must be filled with deep faith. You must approach the relic without haste. It is important to remember that this is a holy place, so there is no need to jostle.
- Before venerating the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, approaching the ark, mentally read the prayer addressed to the saint.
- In front of the shrine, bow to the waist twice, crossing yourself. After this, you can venerate the relics, and then step aside and cross yourself a third time and bow.
- The pilgrimage to the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker does not stop for a long time and people from different parts of the world come to the relic, although worship does not take a few seconds.
What do they ask from the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker?
If a person managed to touch the relic, then he can ask for the most cherished things, for example, healing, the birth of a child, searching for a job, marriage, and so on. It is important that veneration of the relics is accompanied by sincere prayers, and every word must be spoken from a pure heart. The clergy claim that the saint helps everyone who deserves it, but first of all, you need to pray that he will help you enter the eternal kingdom of the Lord.
How to pray to the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker?
When visiting the temple where the relic is located, you must read a special prayer addressed to the saint. There are several prayer texts and all of them are allowed for use. Visiting the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is an important event in the lives of believers, so it is recommended to memorize the text. Eat short prayers and one of them is presented above. After visiting the temple, it is recommended to pray in front of the image of the holy house.
Relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - miracles
There are many stories that prove God's strength and power of the relic, so a huge number of believers seek to venerate the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in order to experience all the benefits.
- When the second part of the relics was taken from the city of Myra, the bishop placed a palm branch next to them, which was brought from Jerusalem. After some time, people noticed that she was running away.
- Pilgrims come to the shrine with terrible diagnoses, for example, many women dreamed of having a child, but doctors spoke of infertility, and a year after the veneration of the relics, women came to the temple again to baptize their babies. There is evidence of healing of cancer and other serious diseases.
Having reached a very old age, Saint Nicholas peacefully departed to the Lord on December 19 (NS) around the year 345. The body of the Pleasant of God was laid with honor in the cathedral church of the Mir Metropolis.
They were kept incorruptible and exuded healing myrrh, from which many received healings. For this reason, people flocked to his coffin from all over the world. For with that holy world they were healed not only bodily ailments, but also spiritual. According to the relics, they were in Myra (Myra) in Lycia for several hundred years until they were transferred to Italy.
Transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to Bari
More than seven hundred years have passed since the death of the Pleasant of God. The city of Myra and the entire Lycian country were destroyed by the Saracens. The ruins of the temple with the tomb of the saint were in disrepair and were guarded only by a few pious monks.
In 1087, Saint Nicholas appeared in a dream to an Apulian priest of the city of Bari (in southern Italy) and ordered his relics to be transferred to this city.
The presbyters and noble townspeople equipped three ships for this purpose and, under the guise of traders, set off. This precaution was necessary in order to lull the vigilance of the Venetians, who, having learned about the preparations of the inhabitants of Bari, had the intention of getting ahead of them and bringing the relics of the saint to their city.
The nobles, taking a roundabout route through Egypt and Palestine, visiting ports and conducting trade as simple merchants, finally arrived in the Lycian land. The scouts sent reported that there were no guards at the tomb and it was guarded only by four old monks. The barians came to Myra, where, not knowing the exact location of the tomb, they tried to bribe the monks by offering them three hundred gold coins, but due to their refusal, they used force: they tied up the monks and, under the threat of torture, forced one faint-hearted person to show them the location of the tomb.
Broken tomb of St. Nicholas in Myra Lycia
A wonderfully preserved white marble tomb has been opened. It turned out to be filled to the brim with fragrant myrrh, in which the relics of the saint were immersed. Unable to take the large and heavy tomb, the nobles transferred the relics into the prepared ark and set off on their way back.
The journey lasted twenty days, and on May 9 (May 22, new style) they arrived in Bari. A solemn meeting was arranged for the great shrine with the participation of numerous clergy and the entire population. Initially, the relics of the saint were placed in the church of St. Eustathius.
The celebration of the transfer of the shrine was accompanied by numerous miraculous healings of the sick, which aroused even greater reverence for the great saint of God. Two years later, the lower part (crypts) of the new temple was completed and consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas, built deliberately to store his relics, where they were solemnly transferred by Pope Urban II on October 1, 1089.
May 22 is the day of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
The transfer of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra Lycia to Bari aroused special veneration of the saint and was marked by the establishment special holiday 22nd of May. At first, the feast of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas was celebrated only by residents of the Italian city of Bari. The Greek Church, for example, did not establish a celebration of this memory, because the loss of the relics of the saint was a sad event for it.
The Russian Orthodox Church established the celebration of the transfer of the relics of Nicholas shortly after 1087 on the basis of deep veneration of the great saint of God. The glory of the miracles performed by the saint on land and sea was widely known. His image of the omnipotent Wonderworker-philanthropist became especially dear to the heart Orthodox man, because he instilled deep faith in him and hope for his help.
Where are the relics of St. Nicholas now?
Relics of St. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Basilica of Bari, Italy
Currently, the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are located in the city of Bari in Italy. It must be said that the Pleasant of God became one of the most revered saints in Orthodox Rus'. Before the revolution, believers from Russian Empire made up the bulk of the pilgrims who came to Bari. Therefore, here also in 1913-1917 it was built in honor of St. Nicholas by the Russian Orthodox Church. Moreover, money for construction was collected throughout Russia.
To this day, the honest relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker exude blessed myrrh, giving physical and spiritual healing to thousands of Christians from all over the world. Once a year, on the day of the transfer of the relics to Bari, the priests collect the myrrh exuded by the relics. Diluted with holy water, it is then carried by pilgrims around different countries so that Orthodox believers in different parts of the world can receive spiritual and physical healing from the consecrated oil.
Relics of St. Nicholas in Venice
Relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on the island. Lido, Venice
The small part of the remains of Nicholas the Wonderworker that remained in Myra was stolen around 1097 and transported to Venice. It was decided to keep them in the church on Lido Island, which was consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas.
For several years, the inhabitants of the island of Lido and Bari waged fierce disputes over the relics of St. Nicholas. Some claimed that the real relics were kept in the Lido, others - that in Bari. They were judged by their examination, which proved that in both cases there is truth. Most of the relics are kept in Bari, and only one fifth in the Lido.
Every year, temples are visited by a huge number of pilgrims from all over the world, striving to venerate the highly revered shrine and exalt
Despite the fact that Saint Nicholas died 17 centuries ago, the question of where the relics of the Wonderworker are now is of concern to Orthodox believers. Researchers continue to write books about this amazing Saint of God.
But in the life and miracles that are attributed to the great Bishop of Myra, there are many discrepancies.
This is not surprising, because many churches and monasteries where shrines and icons were kept do not exist today.
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Biography
The birth of the future Wonderworker around 270. The family into which he was born was wealthy and lived in Lycia, in the city of Patara. Orthodox parents believed in the teachings of the Savior Christ. They saw their purpose in helping those in need.
Nicholas spent a lot of time in the church with his uncle, rector Nicholas of Patarsky. When he grew up, he was a reader, then a priest.
When his parents died, he gave his fortune to the poor and decided to continue his church service. Soon he became the bishop of Myra in Lycia (today Demre, Antalya in Turkey).
The parishioners liked the new bishop due to his responsiveness and fairness. But he fought against paganism and was irreconcilable towards heretics.
Many legends have been preserved, and all the miracles that the Saint performed cannot be counted. For example:
- A terrible famine began in the city of Mir. The saint began to pray fervently, the city was saved.
- The saint always helped those at sea. Many sailors whose ships were wrecked were rescued.
- If there were people in prison who did not deserve punishment, he helped them with prayers. Somehow they found themselves free.
Nobody can name the exact date of death. It is only known that he was a very old man. Date of death between 345 and 351. By watching the film “The Miracle Worker” by Arkady Mamontov, which tells about the Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, you can learn a lot of useful and interesting things.
Relics
He was revered in many places around the world, and they wanted to get a piece of his remains into their temples.
After his death, the Saint was buried in the city of Myra. Lycia was attacked by the Seljuks in the 11th century. The Lycians decided to go to the mountains and take with them the remains of St. Nicholas. When the Italians from Bari, who revered the Saint, found out about this, they decided to steal the remains.
note: the history and fate of the remains of the great Pleasant of God, like his whole life, turned out to be difficult.
This happened in 87 of the 11th century. The Italians attacked the temple under cover of darkness. The robbers did not commit sacrilege; they did not kill the monks, but only tied them up. Thus, most of the remains were stolen. The relic was taken to Bari and a big celebration was held on May 9 (new style).
Current location of the remains
At first, it was planned to choose the local Cathedral as the place for storing the stolen relics. But then a temple was specially built. Two years later, in 89 of the 11th century, the shrine was placed in an underground chapel in the Basilica.
Every year on the same day, the clergy enter the Basilica to collect myrrh. The remains exude it. Myrrh is diluted with holy water. Pilgrims from different parts of the world take it with them. Blessed oil helps in healing people.
In the city of Mira, after the abduction by the Italians, some of the relics still remained. But they were not destined to stay in their homeland. Soon she was kidnapped and taken to. Now the shrine is located in two tombs. That they are genuine has been proven by anthropologist Luigi Martino.
Today the remains of the Saint rest in two different churches with the same name:
- in Bari the main part;
- on the Lido Island in Venice.
Pilgrims try to get to these churches every year to pray to the saint.
How to pray
Orthodox people pray in front of the icon of the Holy Saint or at his relics. Believers have been coming from different parts of the world for several millennia. Whatever request Christians make, they always receive help.
Most often they call on the righteous to:
- Helped children, people who were far from home and in trouble.
- Prosperity came to the house.
- The daughters married successfully.
- St. Pleasant is considered the patron saint of children; people pray to him for wisdom in upbringing and help in their studies.
- The innocently convicted were freed.
- Patronizes sailors and travelers.
People who turn to prayer need to have pure and good thoughts. Then the Miracle Worker helps you survive difficult situations that happened in life.
You should draw a cross on sore spots with holy oil and pray. As a rule, it must be said, discarding unnecessary thoughts, while standing in front of the icon at home or in the Temple.
You should get up as early as possible and in silence give praise to God’s Pleasant. A prayer words They calm you down at night and you sleep easily and peacefully. If you wish, you can pray as much as your heart desires.
It is important to know: in Russia, a piece of the relics of the great Saint are located in the Danilov Holy Trinity Monastery in Moscow. In St. Petersburg, in the St. Nicholas Cathedral, there is an ancient 17th-century icon of the Wonderworker with a particle of relics.
Prayer then helps when a believer with a pure soul attends church, prays fervently, and lives a Christian life. Many parishioners know by heart the seven types of prayers dedicated to the Saint.
But you don’t need to limit yourself to prayers only. Many more miracles happen after reading the akathist. It contains special words that help you cope with any difficulties.
Many women were able to give birth to long-awaited children by turning to the Saint in prayer. There are people for whom reading the akathist and fervent prayers to the Wonderworker helped them overcome serious illnesses and terrible diseases.
How to get to the relics
The relics of the Holy Saint of God are located at the address: Italy, Bari, Basilica of St. Nicholas. It was built in the 11th century. People from all over the world find every opportunity to touch the shrine. There are also believers from Russia here.
As for pilgrimage, it became active in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas was built in Bari. The Old Town of Bari is three kilometers away. The new church has a wide courtyard that can accommodate big number believers from all over the world.
You can join a pilgrimage group by arriving in Bari in an organized manner. If you decide to get to Bari on your own, then transport links here are well developed:
- There are no direct flights to Italy, so first you will have to fly to some Italian city or Germany, and only then to Bari. It’s easier for Europeans because there are seasonal flights.
- Another way is rail transport.
- You can also travel from Italian cities by bus.
- Ferries run from Croatia and Albania.
Take note: V Orthodox calendar three important dates. The Nativity of the Holy Saint is celebrated on August 11th. Remembrance Day is considered December 19 - this is the date of death, and May 22 - the day of the transfer of holy relics. These days, all men bearing the name Nikolai celebrate their name day.
Despite the fact that Nicholas the Wonderworker lived and performed miracles many centuries ago, people continue to believe in him. Faith brings positive results. Many experienced the miracles that the holy saint gave them.
Watch how the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker myrrh stream in the following video:
Where in Moscow to venerate the relics of the Saint
On May 21, the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker arrived in Moscow from the Italian city of Bari. They will stay in Moscow until July 12, and then go to St. Petersburg. As usual, there is a huge queue to see the relics. And a kind of “state within a state” is formed: with its own unspoken rules, infrastructure and order. People are ready to stand for days just to venerate the shrine.
A huge queue stretches from the Crimean Bridge, along the embankment to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Along the road they stand field kitchens, ambulances in case someone became ill, tents with water and food. People bring folding stools with them. The entire queue is divided into sectors. Each of them has all the “infrastructure” plus a large bus. You can hide in it from the heat and sun or just relax. We installed two more field kitchens on the embankment. Here you can eat and drink tea for free. There is an empty road between the sectors. Volunteers, police, doctors and social services are on duty here.
However, any queue is fraught with troubles. As eyewitnesses say, in the mornings, mountains of garbage accumulate as the queue moves. However, utility workers in certain time they still take him out because during the day the park near the temple and the roadsides are clean.
In the middle of the line, a young woman becomes ill. Doctors and police immediately appear near her. They take him into the shade, give him water and cover him with a special cloth. Overheating must not be allowed. Volunteers are constantly scurrying around with trays filled with cups of water. I observe that people put cups in special garbage bags. Or they are picked up by volunteers.
The queue starts approximately from the Park of Culture. People say that in the morning the line goes a little faster, some say that you can get to the relics in two or three hours. During the day, of course, there are significantly more people. However, volunteers only smile when asked how they cope with such an influx. “We can’t deal with them, they go on their own,” they say.
Disabled people, parents with children and women latest dates Pregnancies are missed by social services. They have special order passage. Everyone else goes to the general queue. In a word, the mechanism of “standing to the relics” is debugged.
Let us recall that the decision to transfer part of the relics from Italian Bari to Russia was made at a historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. The main thing that Christian leaders pay attention to is the fact that the relics did not leave the crypts of the Barian basilica for more than 900 years, so the event is unprecedented. However, there is a nuance: approximately 65 percent of the incorruptible relics transported there from the saint’s homeland, from Myra Lycia (present-day territory of Turkey), are stored in Bari. Another 20 percent of the relics are in Venice on the Lido Island - those parts that the Italians did not manage to take from the tomb the first time were transported there: Nicholas is in his place in Venice as the patron saint of sailors. The remaining fragments of the relics are scattered around the world - Moscow was no exception.
According to some reports, there are 25 churches in Moscow in which particles of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are kept. This list mentions such well-known religious buildings as the Elokhovsky, Novodevichy and St. John the Baptist convents, as well as several temples named in honor of the Wonderworker: the Church-Museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, the Church of St. Nicholas in Stary Vagankovo, the Church of St. Nicholas in Golutvin. We are talking about icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with particles of relics. However, according to the executive editor of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, Sergei Chapnin, the problem lies in verifying the authenticity of the relic - it is not always possible to find information about how exactly a particle of relics got to this or that place and from where. Consequently, it cannot be established whether we are really talking about a part of the incorruptible body of the saint.
It is known for certain that in 1991 a fragment of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was transferred to the Danilovsky Holy Trinity Monastery. The shrine is kept in a reliquary in the chapel of Prince Daniel of the Church of the Holy Fathers of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. Therefore, those who wish to worship can go there.
In 2010, a piece of the relics was also brought from Bari to the Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki. In addition, in 2014, a particle was donated to the Sretensky Monastery, and in the same year another fragment was brought to the Nikolo-Perervinsky Monastery from Jerusalem.
If in the Western tradition the image of St. Nicholas merged with the image of Santa Claus over time, then in Rus' the veneration of St. Nicholas is associated with his mercy, patronage of souls in the afterlife and with fertility. Therefore, churches named after St. Nicholas are in second place in popularity in Russia after the Virgin Mary. "MK" chose the most interesting places in Zlatoglavaya, associated with this saint.
Nikolskaya street was named after the St. Nicholas-Greek Monastery; there was even a Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Great Heads, which was demolished in the 1930s.
Nikolskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, from which the street of the same name begins, received its name thanks to the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker placed on the facade. It is noteworthy that this tower with the icon survived the attacks of the French in 1812 without damage.
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Golutvin. Built at the end of the 17th century. Restored from old drawings and photographs. When archaeologists discovered traces of former decorations, they were able to deduce what the temple looked like. And then they were able to redesign it, preserving the ensemble. Now the chapters are decorated with multi-colored tiles: yellow, green, brown. Nowadays the Chinese Patriarchal Compound is located there.
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki. The first mention dates back to the beginning of the 17th century, but its current appearance belongs to the end of the 19th century: in particular, it was possible to restore the bright wall paintings. In 1992, a bell weighing 108 pounds was raised to the bell tower.
Church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi, located on Bolshaya Ordynka, was built at the end of the 16th century, simultaneously with the establishment of Streletskaya Sloboda. In the Nikolsky chapel of the temple you can see paintings from the late 19th century.
Reliquary with a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Church of St. Nicholas on Three Mountains in Moscow
Photo: Church of St. Nicholas on the Three Mountains
On May 21, a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas was delivered to Moscow. It is reported that part of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was delivered from the basilica of the Italian city of Bari to Russia for the first time in 930 years. This does not mean, however, that until now there have not been particles of the relics of St. Nicholas in Russia and Moscow.
In Moscow there are several churches and monasteries in which particles of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker are kept.
From May 22 to July 12, the relics of St. Nicholas will be available for veneration by believers in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. From July 13 to July 28, the relics will be in St. Petersburg.
Particles of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in churches in Moscow and the Moscow region
A particle of the saint’s relics is kept in the Moscow Danilov Monastery in a silver reliquary. The Ark is located in the northern, Danilovsky chapel of the Church of the Holy Fathers of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. The particle was donated to the monastery in 1991. The address of the monastery is Danilovsky Val, 22.
Sretensky Monastery (Bolshaya Lubyanka Street, 19). The particle was transferred to the monastery on May 21, 2014.
John the Baptist Convent (Maly Ivanovsky lane, 2A, building 1).
Novodevichy Convent (Novodevichy Proezd, 1, p. 2). Icon of St. Nicholas with a particle of his relics is in the Assumption Cathedral of the monastery.
Nikolo-Perervinsky Monastery (Shosseynaya St., 82). A piece of the relics of St. Nicholas, brought from Jerusalem, was donated to the monastery on February 17, 2014 by the monastery’s benefactors.
Epiphany Cathedral in Elokhov (Spartakovskaya St., 15). At the northern wall of the temple, under the 19th century Crucifix, there is a metal shrine with a particle of the Tree Life-giving Cross of the Lord, by the right hand of St. Andrew the First-Called, head of St. John Chrysostom, particles of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow.
Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki (Sokolnicheskaya Square, 6). The icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with particles of the relics of the saint himself, as well as several dozen other saints - John of Rylsky, Mary of Egypt, Pimen the Great, VMC. Catherine, the apostles Matthew, Mark and Luke, St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky and others and particles of the shroud from the Holy Sepulcher.
The Church of All Saints on Kulishki is a courtyard of the Alexandrian Patriarchate in Moscow (Slavyanskaya Square, 2). Reliquary with a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas, as well as a large reliquary with particles of other saints, was brought to the capital by the rector of the temple, the representative of the Patriarch of Alexandria to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Metropolitan Athanasius (Kikkotis) of Kirin. Every Sunday, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, these arks with holy relics are brought out for public worship before the start of the water-blessing prayer.
The Church of St. Nicholas in Kotelniki is a representation of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia (1st Kotelnichesky Lane, 8, building 1). A particle of the relics of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, was donated to the temple by Archbishop George of Michalovsko-Kosice.
A particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Church of St. Nicholas in Kotelniki Photo: Church of St. Nicholas in Kotelniki X
The Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Yasenevo is a courtyard of Optina Pustyn (Novoyasenevsky Prospekt, 42).
Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi - a house church-museum at the State Tretyakov Gallery (Maly Tolmachevsky Lane, 9).
Church of St. Nicholas in Stary Vagankovo (Starovagankovsky Lane, 14). The revered image of St. Nicholas and a particle of his relics are kept here.
Church of the Great Martyr St. George the Victorious in Starye Luchniki (Lubyansky Proezd, 9, p. 2). A piece of the relics appeared in the temple in March 2011. It was placed in a specially made reliquary and inserted into a large life-size icon of St. Nicholas.
Church of St. Nicholas of Myra in Golutvin (1st Golutvinsky lane, 14). The church houses an icon of St. Nicholas with a piece of his relics.
Church of St. Nicholas in Pokrovsky (Bakuninskaya St., 100). The church contains an ark with particles of the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, as well as the Robe of the Lord, the Life-Giving Cross, the stone of the Holy Sepulcher and particles of the relics of many saints: the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, the Apostles Andrew the First-Called and Barnabas, St. John Chrysostom, the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, Great Martyr. St. George the Victorious, military center. Barbarians and others.
Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki (Lva Tolstoy St., 2). A particle of the relics of St. Nicholas, brought from the city of Bari, was handed over to this capital church for storage by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in December 2010.
Church of St. Nicholas on the Three Mountains (Novovagankovsky lane, 9). A reliquary with a particle of the saint’s relics is kept here, which is taken out of the altar on Sundays and holidays, as well as the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with a particle of his relics, located in the St. Nicholas chapel.
Church of St. App. Peter and Paul in Lefortovo (Soldatskaya St., 4). The ark with the relics is located in the main chapel to the right of the pulpit. It contains a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas, as well as a particle of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, the relics of St. Isaac, St. Alypius, icon painter, Pechersky, ap. Thomas, martyr. John the Warrior, martyr. George, martyr. Nikita, St. Sergius of Radonezh, martyr. Mercury, mar. Arefi, sschmch. Basil of Amasia, St. Nila, blgv. Prince Mikhail Tverskoy.
Church of the Ascension of the Lord on Gorokhovoy Pole (Radio St., 2). Here is a reliquary cross with particles of the relics of St. Nicholas, St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Andrew of Crete, a piece of the Holy Sepulcher, the tomb Mother of God and the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.
Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands on Setun at the Kuntsevo Cemetery (Ryabinovaya St., 18). The temple houses an icon of St. Nicholas with a piece of his relics.
Church of the Archangel Michael in Troparevo with the baptismal church of the All-Merciful Savior (Vernadsky Avenue, 90).
Temple of the Assumption Holy Mother of God in Kosino (Bolshaya Kosinskaya street, 29, building 3). The revered icon of St. is kept here. Nicholas with a piece of his relics.
Temple of St. Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky miracle workers in Golyanov (Baikalskaya street, 37A). The particle is kept in a reliquary, which contains the relics of about a hundred saints. The Ark is located on the left side of the sole.
The home church of the Russian Cultural and Educational Foundation of St. Basil the Great and the company “Your Financial Trustee” (B. Vagankovskaya St., 3). In 2010, a large particle was separated from the relics and was located in the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari, and in 2012 it was transferred to a charitable foundation. This temple is dedicated to the Nativity of St. Nicholas, the World of Lycian wonderworker.
Monastery of David's Hermitage (Chekhov district, Moscow region, village of Novy Byt).
Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery (Moscow region, city of Dzerzhinsky, St. Nicholas Square, 1). The monastery houses an icon and a fold with particles of the relics of St. Nicholas, which were donated to the monastery by the state joint museum-reserve Kolomenskoye-Lublino-Lefortovo.
Particles of the relics of St. Nicholas in the dioceses of the Russian Church
Arks and icons with particles of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is kept in many churches and monasteries in Russia. Similar shrines are located, for example, in Ioannovsky convent in St. Petersburg, in the Novo-Tikhvin Convent in Yekaterinburg, in a number of parish churches.
IN last years Particles of the relics of St. Nicholas were repeatedly brought to Russia - both those originating from Orthodox churches of fraternal Local Churches, and those belonging to Catholic monasteries and parishes, as well as private individuals.
So, on May 19, 2012, an ancient Tuscan reliquary with a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Pleasant was brought to the church in the name of the Apostle John the Theologian near Elm (the home church of the Russian Orthodox University). The action was timed to coincide with the celebration of the 925th anniversary of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari.
Basilica of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari Photo: Francesco9062 (CC by-sa 3.0)
The reliquary with the shrine is permanently kept in a private collection and was provided to the temple for temporary use for worship. A fragment of relics was taken from the left tibia from the relics of St. Nicholas, stored in Venice. Before the shrine was brought to Moscow, the authenticity of the reliquary was confirmed at the Voronezh examination center.
A little earlier, in March 2012, the ark with a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra, was brought to the Tula diocese.
In May 2013, an ark containing a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was brought from Moscow to the Intercession Cathedral in Krasnoyarsk. This piece of relics was transferred to the St. Charitable Foundation. Nicholas the Wonderworker by Franciscan monks serving at the Basilica of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari. The Foundation organized the transportation of the relics to the eastern dioceses of the Russian Church. The relics were transported along the Ob and Yenisei, they visited many cities in Siberia, from Omsk to Salekhard, and walked throughout Kamchatka from the Commander Islands to the southern coast of Kamchatka.
The relics passed through the Amur, Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk Territories, the Jewish Autonomous Republic, the Barnaul Diocese, as well as throughout the Arctic Ocean from Murmansk to Sakhalin. During the several years that the shrine was in Russia, more than a million believers worshiped it.
On December 1, 2014, a particle of the relics of St. Nikolai was brought to Thailand. The ark with the shrine was delivered to Bangkok Suwannaphum Airport on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow. On the same day, the ark with the shrine was transported to the Church of All Saints in Pattaya. From December 1 to December 25, the shrine was transported throughout Orthodox churches Thailand, and then before her the laying ceremony of a new temple in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker took place in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok.
In November 2016, another ark with the relics of St. Nicholas visited Belgorod.
In February 2017, a reliquary with a particle of the saint’s relics was in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Veshnyaki.
Relics of St. Nicholas. Short story
The relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker were transferred from Myra Lycia to Bari in 1087. At the moment, the main part of the saint’s relics is located in this Italian city. The tomb was not opened until the fifties of the 20th century. The burial in Bari was opened only once, in 1953-1957. Small fragments of the relics were dispersed to many major cities Europe, such as Berlin, Paris, Rome, Venice.
In Venice, in the Church of St. Nicholas on Lido Island contains about a fifth of the saint’s relics. The relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker have been kept in Venice since 1099. The “Venetian part” of the saint’s relics is the part that the Barians did not have time to take in a hurry when they took the main part of the relics from Myra in 1087.
The Orthodox Church celebrates the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra in Lycia to Bari on May 22 (May 9, Old Style).