Saints and miracle workers. Sergius and Herman of Valaam

"In the summer of 1163. About Archbishop John. He installed Archbishop John the First to the Great Novugrad, and there were bishops before. That same summer the relics of our venerable fathers Sergius and Herman of Valamsk, Novgorod miracle workers under Archbishop John of Novgorod, were found and transferred..."

I. Historical information about the saints.

The founders of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery, Reverends Sergius and German, according to church tradition, were Greek monks who came to the possessions of Veliky Novgorod in the 10th century along with the first Orthodox missionaries. Historical information There is scant information about the founders of the Valaam Monastery. More than once during enemy invasions (XII, XVII centuries) the monastery experienced devastation, and monastic service was interrupted here for many decades. During the invasions, church monuments and monastic shrines were destroyed, and the richest monastery libraries and manuscript repositories were burned and looted more than once. The life of Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam has also been lost. In the 16th century, many historical documents were already lost, as evidenced by the ancient synodikon of the Valaam Monastery, which after the destruction of the monastery in 1611 was kept in the Staraya Ladoga Vasilievsky Monastery. This synodikon is the only historical document written on Valaam, which reflects genuine knowledge about the founders of the monastery. In the synodikon, in the list of abbots, the venerable Sergius and Herman are mentioned 1.

Church tradition and ancient chronicle monuments became evidence of the monastic feat of the Saints. The meaning of the monastic life of Saints Sergius and German was to enlighten the pagan Karelian tribes with the light of Christ's faith, to establish Orthodoxy in the North of Rus', to found a monastic monastery, which became a stronghold of Orthodoxy in early centuries Christian enlightenment. Ancient Novgorod chronicles report the discovery of the relics of Saints Sergius and Herman and their transfer to Novgorod during the Swedish invasion in 1163-1164 1 . "In the summer of 1163. About Archbishop John. He installed Archbishop John the First to the Great Novugrad, and there were bishops before. That same summer, the relics of our venerable fathers Sergius and Herman of Valamsk, Novgorod miracle workers under Archbishop John of Novgorod were found and transferred..." 2. It was then that the local glorification of the founders of the Valaam monastery took place and the beginning of the church veneration of Saints Sergius and Herman was laid within the Novgorod diocese.

Evidence of them church veneration is their presence in the Cathedral of the Novgorod Saints, mentions in the service “To All Russian Saints”, compiled in the 18th century, as well as the drawings and iconographic original of the 18th century. The text of the original reads: “Sergius is gray-haired in the likeness of Alexander Svirsky, the monk’s robe, the schema on his shoulders” 3. Herman is gray-haired, his brada is shorter than that of Blaasis, the monk's vestments, the schema is on the shoulders." 4. "Sergius is gray-haired, the brada is like Alexandra Svirsky's, the monk's vestments, the schema is on the shoulders. Herman is gray-haired, like Kirill Beloezersky’s brada, a venerable robe, on the shoulders of a schema” 5.

At the beginning of the 18th century, icons of St. Sergius and Herman 6 were known. A reminder of the lost lives of the Saints is found in numerous copies of the “Valaam Conversation,” a monument of church journalism of the 16th-17th centuries. The beginning of the "Conversations" is undoubtedly an excerpt from the September Menaion, which tells about the transfer of the relics of St. Sergius and Herman (Karelian wonderworkers) from Novgorod to the Monastery of the All-Merciful Savior after the military danger had subsided, apparently in 1182, which is confirmed by the Novgorod chronicle sources 7. The original place of the exploits of Saints Sergius and Herman is indicated on the Holy Island. This is what the legend says, known under Abbot Ephraim in the second half of the 18th century 8 . This fact is also confirmed by the Swedish atlas, in which on the map of the island of Valaam the Holy Island is called Vanho Valamo - Old Valaam, and a cross is indicated on this island.

In the letter of the Novgorod Metropolitan Varlaam, dated May 27, 1592, some rules of the Valaam hostel are set out: “To live according to the monastic order, decorously, peacefully, serenely, according to the tradition of the fathers and according to the law of the Venerable Valaam founders Sergius and German - a hostel. The law and the beginning laid down from ancient times in the Valaam monastery, not to destroy, but to preserve with all reverence. To live in harmony with all the brethren and the servants together, with one mind and among themselves in obedience. To carry out monastic duties according to the advice, from the gathering of all the brethren; without a fraternal council, neither the elder nor the servant should act . Observe the community as before: give clothes and shoes in the old way, from the monastery treasury to both brethren and servants. The treasurer in all matters: income and expenses, count in truth according to the lists" 9.

The extremely wide distribution of the “Valaam Conversation”, known in many lists of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, testifies to the high spiritual authority of the founders of the Valaam monastery, since it was through their spiritual mouth that the position of the non-covetous in the well-known church polemics of the 16th century was stated.

In 1611, the monastery was destroyed by the Swedes, and Swedish colonists lived on the island. In 1685, during the reign of the Grand Dukes John Alekseevich and Peter Alekseevich, the Swedes wanted to dig up the relics of the saints and abuse them, but the Lord, through the prayers of the saints, soon sent them a great illness and weakened limbs, so they were afraid and built a chapel over their relics.

In the same year, Archimandrite Macarius of the Tikhvin Monastery submitted the following petition to the Russian autocrats: “Gracious Sovereigns and Grand Dukes John Alekseevich, Peter Alekseevich, Autocrats of all Great and Little and White Russia, grant us your pilgrims; do not, great sovereigns, give those saints Herman and Sergius of Valaam, and especially the Russian ancients, the glorious wonderworkers, their relics will be desecrated by the damned Luthors: command, sirs, those holy relics from that Valaam island from their Lutheran desecration be brought into their royal monastery of worship, so that they, the damned Luthors, they did not exalt themselves and did not reproach our saints, and for this there would be no reproach or reproach from the surrounding states, which are now in piety and maintain the Greek law; moreover, the all-wise Lord God, for this, the Luthors gave permission to our saints, to us did not send his righteous anger. Truly great Sovereigns, these Saints Herman and Sergius, the glorious miracle workers of Valaam, while you were still alive, and then the present and future prophetess, as for this, great Sovereigns, do diligent zeal so that those saints Herman and Sergius of Valaam , more than Russian Orthodox miracle workers, many of their miraculous relics were not desecrated by the damned Luthors. For this, your sovereign good zeal and for the diligent prayers of those saints Herman and Sergius the wonderworkers for you, the Lord God will give you His mercy and will subdue to you all the enemies who rise up against our Orthodox Christian faith under your feet, for this we pray to you, the merciful and merciful great ones sovereigns. We are your pilgrims, and we ask for mercy, great Sovereigns and Kings, have mercy."

In 1764, captain Yakov Yakovlevich Mordvinov visited the Valaam Monastery. In his notes, he describes the Holy Island, the place of the initial exploits of the Monks Sergius and Herman: “They landed on the Holy Island from the western side, but in other places it is impossible to land, because all the stone mountains are on the cliff, and where they landed on the shore there is a wooden cross and - sunrise on the mountain is very steep. In half the mountain there is a wooden chapel and there are images in it. The chapel was erected and the images were painted under Abbot Ephraim. Behind that chapel there is a cave in the stone mountain where the Saints were saved. The passage into it is narrow, and they walked on their knees. Entering the cave, you can two people should stand. In it there is a small wooden cross and two small stones lie, and above the entrance to this cave there are stones broken off from the mountain, and some lie at the entrance, and it is clear that they fell from the top and hurt themselves. Upon leaving the cave, they climbed up the "The very height of the mountain and the passage are very steep, and there are stones and trees hanging over the passage. We climbed the mountain, the area of which was all overgrown with forest, and after walking on that mountain we went down to our ship. The Holy Island is separated from Valaam Island by a strait one mile wide" 10 .

In 1755, Abbot Ephraim built a new wooden cathedral church, in which there was a chapel of St. Sergius and Herman. The same traveler Mordvinov describes the monastery itself as follows: “The monastery was built on a stone mountain, the churches, the bell tower and the fence are wooden. And a plan was taken for the entire monastery, and on the plan it is indicated: Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, in it are chapels: on the south side - the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, from the north - the holy Apostle John the Theologian, above from the south the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, from the north the righteous saints Zechariah and Elizabeth, below from the south - the venerable father Sergius and Herman, Valaam miracle workers, where the relics of St. under a bushel, and on top there are crayfish, and their picturesque images are placed on the crayfish" 11 .

By June 28, 1789, a new cathedral church of the Venerable Sergius and Herman of Valaam wonderworkers was built, treasurer Innocent and the brethren, where their relics rest in secret. In 1817, Archimandrite Hilarion of the Konevsky Monastery compiled a service to St. Sergius and Herman, the Valaam wonderworkers, and published it in the Synodal Printing House with an instructive word attached in their memory.

In 1819, on October 20, the Holy Synod prescribed all-Russian veneration of the saints of Valaam and determined the days of church celebration of their memory as June 28 (July 11, new style) and September 11 (September 24, new style).

The relics of Saints Sergius and Herman still rest hidden in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Valaam Monastery. Evidence of the blessed prayer help of the Saints is the numerous miracles revealed through the faith of those asking and praying.

The founders of the monastery, the Venerable Sergius and Herman, the Valaam wonderworkers, did not leave us their life, which undoubtedly existed; only brief mentions have been preserved in chronicles and ancient manuscripts. But Saints Sergius and Herman never left their brotherhood. They continue to testify for a thousand years to their invisible presence, protecting the Valaam monastery with their prayerful intercession. Evidence of their godly life was the many miracles and healings given by faith to those asking for the prayerful intercession of the Monks Sergius and Herman, which continue to this day.

The collection “The Miracles of St. Sergius and Herman” has been preserved in the monastery archive, now located in Finland, in the New Valaam Monastery. It was compiled with the blessing of Abbot Damascus; excerpts from it are given below.

The great saints of God, the Venerables Sergius and Herman, even after their dormition, continue to give healings and perform many miracles, which are abundantly poured out from their healing relics to all who come to them with faith.

II. The legend about the holy relics.

There is a legend in the Valaam monastery from the elders contemporary with Abbot Nazarius, that when this pious Abbot built the Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Valaam, then when digging under the base of its ditches, the tombs of the Venerable Sergius and Herman were visible, standing in a covered crypt stone slab. The God-wise abbot, despite the general desire to open this Shrine, immediately ordered the hole through which it was visible to be blocked with a stone and forbade even talking about it; and meanwhile, he orally reported this discovery to His Eminence Gabriel, Metropolitan of Novgorod and St. Petersburg, and the Saint approved his order.

The following circumstance explains why Elder Nazarius did this and how deep his spiritual experience was. Hegumen Ionofan, managing the Valaam monastery, told some of his associates that having known from eyewitnesses the above-mentioned incident as an undoubted truth, he, having become hegumen, had the daring idea of extracting from the bowels of the earth the God-protected bodies of the Valaam wonderworkers. To fulfill this, he invited some of the brethren and secretly in the dead of midnight, they came to the resting place of the Holy relics, had already dismantled the stone vault over the grave of the Pleasants of God and were ready to lift the slab covering the tombs; but they barely touched her; a fiery flame filled the grave and stopped the enterprise that was displeasing to the Lord.

The abbot and his co-workers fell on their faces in reverent horror and with sincere repentance begged the Monks Sergius and Herman for mercy, heavenly fire spared the insolent ones, they, having laid the stones of the dismantled vault on the slab, came out of the grave unharmed and for a long time kept what happened in silence.

The upper part of the grave remained in this form until Abbot Damascus, who, while adjusting the outer shrine, noticed the disorderly position of the stones, ordered them to be removed and sprinkled with white sand instead. One of those who worked in this matter said that there was a stone stone over the grave. flat slab about four arshins long and up to three arshins wide, and which is located under the very place where the silver shrine stands in the cathedral.

III. Appearances of Saints to Doubting Monks.

3.1. Under Abbot Paphnutius, monk K., standing at the shrine of the Venerables Sergius and Herman, often mentally doubted and was confused by the thought that here, under cover, were the relics of the founders of our holy monastery and the wonderworkers Sergius and Herman found, or somewhere else? “Pleasers of Christ!,” he often said, “at least for me, a sinner, to see you in a dream. After all, I am constantly at your holy shrine, and doubt does not leave me, of little faith!”

And so, our God-bearing Fathers deigned to console him and calm his doubts. “One day,” he said, “I remember it was in December,” I came, according to my custom, earlier to put everything in order for Vespers. Having opened the church, he went up to the shrine and, as usual, completely calmly, without thinking about anything in particular, began to do something and clean up. I see that the lamp above the shrine is burning clearly. Then a thought came into my head and I had a desire to venerate the Reverends. I did not go around the shrine, as it should be, but where I stood, on the left side, I began to venerate: first to the Monk Herman, and as soon as I stepped on the steps, I saw clearly: at the feet of the shrine, on the right side, at the lectern , there is a schemanik in full schema. Something incomprehensible and never experienced happened to me. With complete peace of heart and tranquility, I felt as if I had become without a body: I had become somehow special, light. Having venerated St. Herman, I went to the right side of the shrine, and when I began to venerate St. Sergius, I also saw, on the left side, at the feet of the shrine, another schema-monk standing. Then I, having venerated St. Sergius, stood in front of the shrine, and now I clearly see two radiant elders-schema-monks standing silently on the sides of the shrine: and St. Sergius seemed to be moving, or adjusting his schema and mantle. The small illumination from the lamp did not allow me to see then the subtle features of their faces, but still, in general, their beards, the outline of their faces, noses and schematic attire were visible. At this time, being in some kind of indescribable reverent spiritual feeling, I thought: “Can I really see you, our Reverend Fathers Sergius and Herman! Lord, have mercy! What is this?! Elders of God! Earthly Angels and men of God! "- I exclaimed and in a joyful feeling, from an excess of spiritual joy and visible vision, I fell to my knees and, in a fit of feelings, reverently bowed to the ground to the saints of God. When I rose to my feet, the Reverends disappeared from my eyes and became invisible. It took me a long time to come to my senses, it shocked and amazed me so much. But when I understood and became convinced that I, unworthy, was worthy to see my Reverend Fathers Sergius and Herman, then my heart was touched and tears flowed from my eyes in a stream. And I cried for several days. Of course, I tried to hide my tears from the brethren, and at that time I did not utter a word to anyone about my vision, and from then on I heartily believed that the saints of God were immediately found, and became even more deeply attached to them with love.

3.2. Monk Kh. told us that when he was still in the novice, he often heard such words among the young brethren that, they say, our reverend fathers Sergius and German are not here, where their shrine stands, but somewhere else, and here, in the cathedral, their reliquary is located only for the memory of them, and they themselves are still unknown where they are placed.

After this vision, all my thoughts and doubts about the whereabouts of our saints completely disappeared and I firmly believed that it was here, and not in another place, that saints Sergius and German were located. Here they rest with their incorruptible and multi-healing relics, being in spirit beyond everything visible and earthly. I believed that they pray for the brethren and help everyone with faith and love who comes to their honest cancer, alleviating their sorrows and needs and healing infirmities and incurable diseases.

3.3. It happened to me, said monk Calistus, to hear the story of schemamonk Porfiry, how the Lord vouchsafed him to see the Monks Sergius and Herman of Valaam, wonderworkers. On the eve of the commemoration of the transfer of the venerable relics of the saints of God, the reverent elder Porfiry, during the all-night vigil in the church of the Saints, where their incorruptible relics rest, stood in the passage behind the altar near the window, opposite the Throne itself, an arshin no more than a distance from it. Suddenly, during the magnification, on both sides of the throne of God, he sees two light-like elders in schemata. A radiant radiance spread from them and illuminated the clergy and worshipers! With each exclamation of the clergy: “We bless you, our Reverend Fathers Sergius and German!”, the elders blessed everyone. After reading the Holy Gospel, both walked out of the altar through the royal doors and, having once again blessed those present, became invisible.

IV. Appearance of the saints to Schemamonk John.

Schemamonk Father John told us about himself the following true event that brought him to the monastery. “When I was still living in the world, I had absolutely no idea or thought about monasticism and monasteries, since I led a secular, absent-minded life, was indifferent to religious issues, cold, and generally not interested in anything spiritual. But the All-Good Lord, who does not want the death of a sinner, touched with His grace my cold and cruel heart, and I, having completely changed my life, began to sincerely pray to God, go to church, give alms as much as I could, observe fasts, read the Holy Gospel, and in general became a believer. - the devil attacked me with the strongest spiritual warfare, through blasphemous and all kinds of sinful thoughts, leading me into terrible confusion, sometimes reaching the point of slight despair. Having absolutely no idea how in this invisible warfare one must fight the enemy and repel him, I suffered, suffered; sometimes it became so difficult for me that I even ran out of the house into the street in horror and fear. I fervently prayed to God to deliver me from this terrible sinful war, begging Him to deliver me from this suffering. And so, the All-Merciful Lord, heeded my, albeit weak, but fervent prayer, and with His Divine grace miraculously freed me from this demonic warfare through His saints, the Venerable Sergius and Herman, in whose monastery I was later honored to accept the holy schema and live to the end of your earthly life.

One day, I don’t remember what holiday, I, according to my custom, went to the early liturgy and returned home at the end of it, drinking tea, and intended to go to the late liturgy, but since it was still early, I short time Without undressing, I lay down to rest and, immediately dozing off, I saw such a dream - clear. Two radiant elders in schematic attire approached me: the first held a Cup and a spoon in his hands, and the second held some kind of velvet cover, I could not clearly see what kind of cover it was. The first, approaching me, silently gave me Holy Communion three times with a spoon from the Chalice, and the second covered my head with a veil, held in his hands. After this, I immediately woke up and felt great joy in my soul and deep world soulful. There was no trace of sinful warfare left in my soul, and I heartily thanked the All-Bountiful Lord for His great mercy shown to me, a sinner. “And who are these holy elders?” I thought, repeatedly asking myself the question. And so, after several years, when, by the providence of God, I came to Valaam, then, approaching the shrine of the relics of our Reverend Fathers Sergius and Herman, the Valaam Wonderworkers, I immediately learned that it was they who had come to me. When I lived in Baku, in the Caucasus, it was they who, by the mercy of God, delivered me from a sinful spiritual storm and mysteriously called me to their holy place. the monastery where, according to the wondrous providence of God, I live out my life, and I myself have already become a schema-monk and inhabitant of the holy Valaam Monastery."

V. Cases of rescue from drowning.

5.1. The sacristan of the Valaam Monastery, Hieromonk Agafangel, with a feeling of gratitude to the saints of God Sergius and Herman for their patronage and salvation from drowning, told the following about himself: “In 1865, while still a layman, I walked from Kronstadt to Oranienbaum. It was autumn, and the ice was so thin, that it could barely hold a person. There were seven more people with me. When we had walked about four miles, the ice began to collapse, before my eyes, my comrades disappeared under the water and drowned. I remember how one, asking for help, promised to give, leaving nothing for himself kopecks, all my money - 200 rubles. No one paid attention to his words, and he, like the others, sank to the bottom with soul-tearing screams. Only I remained, crawling along the breaking ice.

Anticipating inevitable death, I began to appeal to the saints of God Sergius and Herman, the Valaam miracle workers, asking for their help, and promised, if they saved me, to light two fifty-kopeck candles for them, and to dedicate myself to serving the Lord in their holy monastery.

In such feelings and prayers to the saints of God, I don’t remember how, I found myself on the shore in the city of Oranienbaum. Arriving in St. Petersburg, he immediately went to the Valaam chapel and fulfilled his promise - he lit two candles for the monks Sergius and Herman, and soon, the next year, he dedicated himself to serving the Lord in their holy Valaam monastery.

5. 2. In the Vyborg province, the peasant Matvey Petrov, in the fall of 1850, on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, was caught with his comrades fishing in Lake Ladoga, not far from the island of Megorki, by a terrible storm. It was night time, and the weather was getting worse hour by hour. Death, it seemed, was already inevitable. Matvey prayerfully called upon Saints Sergius and Herman for help, promising that if he got rid of death, he would work in their holy monastery for free for six months, and his prayer was heard. Through the intercession of the Valaam miracle workers, the Lord saved the drowning people; they were carried by the wind to the Serdobol shore without harm to themselves.

5.3. In the fall of 1849, the ship of the merchant Pikeev was caught in a storm on Lake Ladoga and broken. A resident of the Vyborg province, Evdokim Filippov, who was on it, managed to grab hold of one of the fragments, and was carried around the lake for three days. Seeing no help from anywhere, Evdokim prayed for the salvation of the Monks Sergius and Herman. The saints of God heeded the prayer of the drowning man: Evdokim was thrown ashore near the Obzhensky churchyard in Olonets district. He was completely healthy, only the next day a tumor was discovered on his entire body, but even that disappeared two weeks later. On March 25, 1852, Evdokim came to the monastery to give thanks to the Valaam miracle workers for their help and told the brethren about his salvation.

VI. Notes

1 GIM. Uvarov Chronicle. 5681; XVII century, sheet 185. National Library of Russia. Pogodinskaya Chronicle. 1403. XVII century. Right there. 1953. XVII century.

2 Russian chronicle according to the list of Sophies. Sp., 1795.

3 BAN, Dvinsk Assembly, No. 51, l. 272, in a separate list without indicating the day of memory.

4 Ibid. L.263, in a separate list without indicating the day of memory.

6 RGIA, f.796, op.24, storage unit 217. A consumable book about issuance at the suggestion of the Holy Synod to be sent from the Office of the construction and confiscation of holy images and books to various places on May 26, 1743. A register of confiscated images, lamps and books sent from different places, which the Holy Governing Synod gave to the house office of His Grace Nicodemus, Bishop of St. Petersburg and Lutherburg. L.29 "No. 199" An image in the prayer of the Venerable Sergius and Herman of Valaam, miracle workers, silver crowns and frame, chased work, gilded ruble. Rating 1 rub."

7 LOII, Likhachev Collection No. 328, op. 1, No. 243. About the holy Velikinovgorod bishops and archbishops and reverends. and miracle workers. This legend is compiled on the basis of a manuscript called “The Cathedral Chronicler,” XIV-XV centuries. Currently, unfortunately, lost.

8 Notes of Captain Yakov Yakovl. Mordvinov, journal about campaigns to Solovki and the Valaam Islands in 1744, 1752, 1764, 1784.

9 Historical Acts", published by the Archaeographic Commission, Vol. 1, No. 142, pp. 235-236.

10 Notes of Captain Yakov Yakovlevich Mordvinov, a journal about campaigns to Solovki and the Valaam Islands in 1744, 1752, 1764, 1784.

11 Ibid.

Photo albums

, Novgorod and St. Petersburg saints

Historical information about Saints Sergius and Herman is very scarce. Their lives were lost as a result of devastating raids on the Valaam Monastery, and who they were is not known for certain. They are revered as the founders of the Valaam Monastery, but nothing is known about the time of the founding of the monastery.

Who were Saints Sergius and Herman?

Local legend, based on the words of Nestor about the arrival of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called to the Slavs of Novgorod, continue his journey to Lake Ladoga, where he allegedly blessed the deserted island of Valaam with a stone cross. The same dark legends call Sergius one of the apostolic disciples who visited this island and baptized the pagans there, among whom was a certain Mung, who is believed to have been named Herman. This story was extracted from an ancient manuscript and is not confirmed by anything.

Some attribute the life of Saints Sergius and Herman to the time of St. book Olga (10th century) and are considered to be immigrants from Greece who sought to enlighten the north. But this is as doubtful as the opinion of Plato, Metropolitan of Moscow, who, in church history his own, dates the beginning of the Valaam Monastery to the time of Vladimir the Great (X-XI centuries). The Sophia Chronicle says: "In the summer of 6671 () the relics of our venerable fathers Sergius and Herman of Valaam, Novgorod miracle workers, were found and transferred under Archbishop John of Novgorod." But then the country where the island of Valaam lies did not belong to Russia, and John was not yet a bishop, since he was consecrated in 1165. The writer of the History of the Russian Hierarchy considers the testimony of the Sophia Chronicle either completely unfair, or concludes that the scribe was deceived in the name of John , inserting it in the wrong place and century, but it would be necessary to enter Archbishop John, who lived at the end of the 14th and beginning of the 15th centuries, which is consistent with the time of Karelia’s annexation to Russian possession.

In the Novgorod Sofia Library, on the board of an ancient handwritten book containing the rules of St. Father and the Seven Councils, there is a note with the following words: "In the summer of 6837 () Elder Sergius began to live on the island of Valaam, Lake Ladoga". According to other notes, it appears that St. Petersburg came to live with the founder of the Valaam monastery. Herman in the city. Therefore, it can be assumed that the monastery was founded in the 14th century.

Veneration and glorification of the saints

From ancient times, the beginning of local church veneration of the Venerable Sergius and Herman was laid within the Novgorod diocese.

Evidence of their church veneration is their presence in the Cathedral of Novgorod Saints, mentions in the service “To All Russian Saints”, compiled in the 18th century, as well as drawings and icon painting from the 18th century. The original text reads: "Sergius is gray, Alexandra Svirsky's brada, venerable chasuble, on the shoulders of a schema. Herman is gray, Alexandra Svirsky's brada, venerable chasuble, on the shoulders of a schema.".

At the beginning of the 18th century, icons of Saints Sergius and Herman were known. A reminder of the lost life of the saints is found in numerous copies of the “Valaam Conversation,” a monument of church journalism of the 16th-17th centuries. The beginning of the "Conversations" is undoubtedly an excerpt from the September Menaion, which tells about the transfer of the relics of the Monks Sergius and Herman, Karelian wonderworkers, from Novgorod to the Monastery of the All-Merciful Savior after the military danger had subsided. The original place of the exploits of Saints Sergius and Herman is indicated on the Holy Island. This is what the legend says, known under Abbot Ephraim in the second half of the 18th century. This fact is also confirmed by the Swedish atlas, in which on the map of the island of Valaam the Holy Island is called Vanho Valamo - Old Valaam, and a cross is indicated on this island.

The relics of Saints Sergius and Herman rest in secret in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Valaam Monastery. Evidence of the gracious prayerful help of the saints is the numerous miracles revealed through the faith of those asking and praying. In the monastery archive, now located in Finland, in the New Valaam Monastery, a collection of “The Miracles of St. Sergius and Herman,” compiled with the blessing of Abbot Damascus, has been preserved.

Troparion, tone 4

The true novices of the Gospel of Christ / appeared, O venerable one, / the world and everything that is in it, as if not existing, / having overcome love for the sake of Christ, / and settled into the sea island, / and laboriously fought there against the machinations of invisible enemies, / with fasting and vigil and by standing all-night/ their flesh and spirit wisely obeyed nature./ For this reason, from the Almighty right hand the worthy ones received crowns of nature,/ and now Holy Trinity upcoming, pray/ to the all-blessed Fathers Sergius and Herman/ to preserve our Fatherland in peace // and to save our souls.

Troparion, tone 1

Fleeing from worldly rumors, silence and piety, zealots, / came to the quiet refuge of Valaam from the east, / and in it, following the Evangelical virtues of Christ, to the height of the perfection of nature: / and now in the triumph of the supreme worldly enjoyment of the vision of God, / the all-blessed fathers Sergius and German, Pray to God, a lover of mankind, to save all of us who honor you piously.

Kontakion, tone 4

Having left this worldly life,/ by rejecting the world you followed Christ,/ and reached the great Neva Lake,/ and settled in it on the island of Valaam,/ you lived a life like the angels,/ from there, joyfully, you went to the heavenly palaces./ And now from the Angels to the Master of the Throne upcoming, / remember us, your children, / as we were gathered by nature, in the wisdom of God, / let us joyfully cry out from our hearts: // Rejoice, Sergius and Herman, blessed fathers.

Used materials

Patericon:: Founders of the monastery, Venerable Sergius and Herman // Official website of the Valaam Monastery
Sergius of Valaam, venerable, wonderworker // Russian Orthodoxy website

Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam, according to church tradition, were Greek monks who came to the possessions of Veliky Novgorod in the 10th century along with the first Orthodox missionaries. They preached Christianity in Karelia and settled on Valaam Island.

There they founded the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior, which became the center of Orthodoxy in the Northern region of Rus'.

Historical information about the founders of the Valaam Monastery is scarce, because... their detailed lives have been lost. Only brief mentions have survived in chronicles and ancient manuscripts.

More than once during enemy invasions (XII, XVII centuries) the monastery experienced devastation, and monastic service was interrupted here for many decades. During the invasions, church monuments and monastic shrines were destroyed, and the richest monastery libraries and manuscript repositories were burned and looted more than once. The life of Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam was also lost. In the 16th century, many historical documents were already lost, as evidenced by the ancient synodikon of the Valaam Monastery, which after the destruction of the monastery in 1611 was kept in the Staraya Ladoga Vasilievsky Monastery. This synodikon is the only historical document written on Valaam, which reflects genuine knowledge about the founders of the monastery. In the synodikon, the list of abbots mentions St. Sergius and Herman.

The most detailed information about Sergius and German is contained in "Valaam conversation"- a journalistic work of the mid-16th century, where the Venerables Sergius and Herman are called “the leaders of the Valaam monastery” and tells about the discovery and transfer of their relics from Veliky Novgorod to the island of Valaam, about the painting of their holy image.

Ancient Novgorod chronicles report the discovery of the relics of Saints Sergius and Herman and their transfer to Novgorod during the Swedish invasion in 1163-1164. It was then that the local glorification of the founders of the Valaam monastery took place, and the beginning of the church veneration of Saints Sergius and Herman was laid within the Novgorod diocese.

Evidence of their church veneration is their presence in the Cathedral of the Novgorod Saints, mentions in the service “To All Russian Saints”, compiled in the 18th century, as well as drawings and icon painting from the 18th century.

The charter of Novgorod Metropolitan Varlaam, dated May 27, 1592, sets out some of the rules of the Valaam community: “To live according to the order of the monastery, decorously, peacefully, serenely, according to the tradition of the fathers and according to the law of the venerable Valaam leaders Sergius and German - community life. The law and principles laid down in the Valaam monastery from ancient times should not be destroyed, but preserved with all reverence. Live in the harmony of all the brethren and the servants together, unanimously and among themselves in obedience. The monastery should be carried out according to the advice, from the gathering of all the brethren; without a fraternal council, neither the elder nor the servant should act. The community should be observed as before: clothes and shoes should be given in the old way, from the monastic treasury as brethren and servants alike. The treasurer in all matters: income and expenses, count in truth according to the lists."

The Sovereigns and Members of the House of Romanov sacredly honored the memory of the saints, visited the monastery they founded and made generous contributions. In 1819, the monastery was unexpectedly visited “as a simple pilgrim” by Emperor Alexander I. He sailed on a small boat with almost no retinue from Serdobol (Sortavala). Entering the cathedral, the Tsar venerated the icons, took a blessing from all the hieromonks and, having learned the order of the service, appeared before everyone else for Matins - at 2 am.

In 1819, on October 20, the Holy Synod prescribed all-Russian veneration of the Valaam saints and determined the days of church celebration of their memory July 11 (June 28) And September 24 (11).

The relics of Saints Sergius and Herman still rest hidden in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Valaam Monastery. Evidence of the gracious prayerful help of the Saints is the numerous miracles revealed through the faith of those asking and praying.

From the moment the holy relics of the Valaam miracle workers were placed in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, they did not stop performing miracles: they helped drowning and freezing people on Ladoga, healed them from physical and mental illnesses, and defended the monastery monks from slander. The holy relics of the saints are still kept in the Valaam monastery; above the holy relics there is an icon of the saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam, wonderworkers of all Russia.

Prayer

O reverence and God-bearing fathers Sergius and Herman! With faith and love we fall to holy icon yours, we tenderly pray to you: do not forget us, unworthy and sinners (names), but through your intercession protect us from the evil machinations of the enemy, quench the rebellion of passions, strengthen our weakness in the spiritual battles and struggles that lie before us, remove all despondency and sinful sadness from our hearts, and send heavenly consolation to us in our labors and sorrows. In the terrible hour of death, appear to all of us, as the blasphemous intercessors and the dark visions of demons driving away: so that in peace and repentance, having finished our earthly career, we will achieve the eternal blessings of pleasure, and together with you we will sing and glorify the all-holy name of the Father, and the Son and The Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

From the history of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery

Valaam Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery located in Karelia, near the city of Sortavala, on the island of Valaam in the northwestern part Lake Ladoga. Widely known for many generations of Russian wanderers and pilgrims, for people striving for holiness, for the harsh monastic life.

Name translated from Finnish as "high land". Some believe that the name comes from the name of the pagan god Baal (sometimes identified with the Slavic Veles) or the biblical soothsayer Balaam. According to the Valaam legend, in ancient times, when the Finno-Ugrians and Slavs living in the Ladoga region were just preparing to accept the Christian faith, the islands were a giant pagan altar. The first of Christ's disciples, St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, enlightening the Scythian and Slavic lands, went from Novgorod to Valaam, where he destroyed pagan temples and erected a stone cross. The Holy Apostle predicted a great future for Valaam, which came with the founding and flourishing of the monastic monastery.

Date of foundation of the Valaam Monastery in different sources ranges from the 9th to the 14th centuries. Referring to the life of the Monk Abraham of Rostov, they provide information that the monastery was founded by the Monk Sergius and his successor the Monk Herman in 960.

View of the Cathedral

The monastery flourished in the 15th century. The Valaam Monastery was called the “honest and great Lavra.” He owned 12 hermitages along the northern coast of Ladoga, 1919 courtyards, salt pans, apiaries, fishing grounds and other lands. The monastery became famous for many ascetics. In 1474, Rev. came to Valaam. Alexander Svirsky. By the beginning of the 16th century, about 60 monks lived here. Valaam was one of the largest centers of book printing in Rus'. Our days are no exception. By the middle of the 19th century, the monastery resembled small state with its autocrat abbot, spiritual police (elders-confessors), as well as subsistence farming, trade, finance and a rich monastic library. At the beginning of the 20th century, about 1000 people already lived on the island.

In 1578, the Swedes attacked the monastery and killed 18 elders and 16 novices. Three years later, 84 people were killed by the plague. Soon, during another devastation, the monastery burned down. Thanks to the care of Tsars Fyodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov, the monastery was restored, but not for long.

In 1611, the monastery was again devastated by the Swedes. Having destroyed Korela (Kexgolm, now the city of Priozersk), they landed on Valaam and put everything to fire and sword. The island was deserted, and according to the Treaty of Stolbovo in 1617, together with other lands, it went to Sweden.

In 1685, during the reign of the Grand Dukes John Alekseevich and Peter Alekseevich, the Swedes wanted to dig up the relics of the saints and abuse them, but the Lord, through the prayers of the saints, soon sent them a great illness and weakened limbs, so they were afraid and built a chapel over their relics. By the beginning of the Northern War between Russia and Sweden, there were 4 peasant households on Valaam and a chapel over St. relics, built by the admonished Swedes.

In 1721, according to the Treaty of Nystadt, Valaam went to Russia, and a little earlier, in 1718, the relics of the saints rested in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the monastery.

In 1907-1918, the Valaam monastery became the largest monastery in Russia. The number of brethren reached 1200 people, the number of pilgrims on holidays - 4000. Valaam became one of the most important spiritual centers in Russia

After the 1917 revolution and separation from Russian Empire In 1918, the Grand Duchy of Finland transferred the island of Valaam together with the monastery to Finland. In Lutheran Finland, Balaam continued to be a lamp of the Orthodox faith. Here annual congresses of clergy from 35 parishes in Finland were held. The magazine "Morning Dawn" and books were published.

During the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940, the monastery was bombed by the USSR WWF. Valaam was bombed by more than 70 planes. It would seem that the monastery should be wiped off the face of the earth, but the destruction was not so significant. The Finnish military also spoke about this with surprise, suggesting that either the pilots regretted destroying such beauty, or Sergius and Herman defended their monastery. The northern wing of the square burned down, but a unique library with 29,000 volumes survived.

In 1940, Valaam was returned to the USSR. The monks were forced to leave the monastery and, together with the shrines, went to Finland, where they founded the New Valaam Monastery. For example, the archives of this monastery contain the collection “The Miracles of St. Sergius and Herman.” Monastery of St. Sergius and Herman was devastated and desecrated by the atheists. Many icons were burned, a soldiers' club was set up in the lower church, devoid of an iconostasis, painted red, the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher in the Resurrection Skete was desecrated, the St. Andrew's Bell was smashed by explosions, and monastery factories and workshops were destroyed.

In the post-war period, the Valaam Monastery continued to be barbarically destroyed. Since 1940, there was a school for boys, since 1949 - a state farm, from 1952 to 1984 - a boarding house for war invalids and the elderly. A tourist base has settled in the Resurrection Skete. In a few decades, what had been created over centuries was destroyed. It was planned to build a tourist attraction with a cable car and an airfield, and to build a new village for 1000 inhabitants, which would completely destroy Valaam. Fortunately, these plans were not destined to come true.

In 1989, the first 6 monks arrived on the island, and the revival of the great monastery began.

Nowadays the Valaam Monastery has again gained the spiritual glory of Northern Athos.

A home for the disabled was founded on Valaam, and then tourists began to come to the island. The monastery was revived on December 13, 1989, on the day of memory of St. Andrew the First-Called, when Orthodox monks entered the shores of Valaam Island. There were only six of them. Three years later, the Valaam Monastery was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. A small monastic community took up the task of reviving the monastery. Now it has about 200 people.

The monastery, as in former times, lives according to the Valaam charter, strictly statutory services have been established here, and the ancient Valaam chant has been revived.

On weekdays, at about five o'clock in the morning, the rhythmic knocking of a wooden beat calls for the Midnight Office, which begins at 5.00 am in the church of St. Sergius and Herman (in summer in the upper Transfiguration Cathedral). Then Matins, Hours and Liturgy are served. After common prayer, the brethren disperse for obedience and gather again in the church at 17.00, when Vespers and Compline are celebrated with three canons and an akathist. At the end of the service, dinner follows in the fraternal refectory, and the brethren disperse to their cells for reading, cell prayer rules and rest. On the eve of the all-night vigil (on Sundays and holidays) all work in the monastery ends by lunchtime (at 13.00), and after a short rest and cell silence, the inhabitants and guests go to the vigil service at 19:00. At 9.00 the 3rd and 6th hours are read, followed by the Divine Liturgy, and at its end - a festive meal.

The monastery maintains a fairly extensive farm: its own fleet, garage, farm, stables, forge, workshops, as well as its own orchards, where about 60 varieties of apple trees grow. There is a bakery and a mini-factory for processing dairy raw materials. All possible assistance is provided to the local population. A Sunday school for children and adults has been created at the monastery, and an Orthodox parish community has been organized for local residents.

Since 1990, the monastery has the status of a stauropegic one; its holy abbot is the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. His Holiness the Patriarch, according to established tradition, annually celebrates the day of remembrance of the Venerable Sergius and Herman of Valaam wonderworkers with a solemn service in the Transfiguration Cathedral.

The pilgrimage service of the monastery receives pilgrims, workers and volunteers mainly during the navigation period from May to October. The monastery receives about 2,000 pilgrims per year. Many of them, having been here once, return to see the monastery again.

by XII, or even by XIV century or even by the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th century. Has not survived Life of Saints Sergius and Herman(most likely, it never existed), and some fragmentary mentions of the original founders of the Valaam monastery , found exclusively in later sources (at the earliest 16th century). .

Some clarity regarding the lifetime of famous Russian saints appeared quite recently - namely after discovery in manuscripts 16th century special Tales of the Valaam Monastery. This legend has the following very lengthy title: “A short legend about the creation of the most honorable Monastery of the Divine Transfiguration of the Lord God our Savior Jesus Christ on Valaam. And partly the story about the venerable saints, the father of the same monastery began b nickname of Sergius and Herman, and about the bringing of their holy relics.” Legend confirms the latest of the previously proposed datings for the foundation of the monastery.

According to the Legend, at the end of the 14th century from Veliky Novgorod to Lake Nevo(Ladoga) two “certain holy monks” came: one of them was called Ephraim, the other was Sergius; there were several other people with them. (Later sources call Sergius of Valaam a Greek, but this news is unlikely to be reliable.) “Striving for a feat,” writes the author Tales, elders sailed to the island of Valaam, probably intending to begin a monastic life here; however, this island was already occupied by the “Korela”, that is, the Karelians. “This great island of Valaam,” the 16th-century hagiograph enthusiastically describes it, “was created by the Creator to be unusually beautiful and lofty: itself made of stone, densely forested and abundant in water; there are countless creeks and bays. Around it are 70 small islands, as if chickens are sitting around a hen - this is how these small islands were created near the large island, very beautiful and wonderful, consisting of one stone; some of them are wooded, while others are bare; some are very small, while others are large.” One of these small islands with east side from Valaam, which later received the name Holy Island, or the islands of Alexander Svirsky, the monks chose for their settlement. This island is “beautiful and very tall, as if a haystack had been created, equal in width from bottom to top, more than 50 fathoms high, skillfully and wonderfully created by the Creator of everything, and the stone cave here is very wonderful.” (Later monastic tradition connected this cave with the name of St. Alexander of Svirsky, an ascetic of the 16th century.) Brethren erected a cross on the island, erected a church in the name of Transfiguration of the Lord and began to live in works and prayers. For their needs, they planted vegetable gardens on other small islands. “The miracle living on the big island was very angry at those holy elders, sending witchcraft in concert with the demons and doing many dirty tricks.”

Soon Elder Ephraim left the island and moved to Lake Ilmen, where he founded the Perekom Monastery. (The Novgorod Chronicle reports the founding of the Perekom Monastery in 1407. The Monk Ephraim of Perekom was canonized by the Church. His name has been preserved Life, however, it dates the foundation of the Perekom monastery to the mid-15th century; here's another one inexplicable the mystery of our ancient sources.) By the time of his departure, the number of monks of the Valaam monastery had increased noticeably; Holy Island It turned out to be too small for them, and the Monk Sergius went to Novgorod, to Archbishop John II, who occupied the Novgorod archbishop's see from 1388 to 1415. He had to, first, receive a blessing archbishop to open a new monastery in the Novgorod diocese, and secondly, to enlist the support of civil authorities for the resettlement of the brethren to the large island and the expulsion of the pagan Karelians from there. Both tasks were successfully completed. “The rulers of the city, diligently obeying the words of the archbishop, quickly dispatched envoys with written decrees. Also, the archbishop sent his written decree with a messenger so that he Valaam island given to the venerable Sergius, and the people living there were expelled. The archbishop gave a lot of gold and everything necessary to St. Sergius to build a monastery; Also, the rulers of the city and Christ-loving eminent people gave numerous offerings to the monk. And thus archbishop released the monk Sergius with the above-mentioned envoys."

To evict the “Korela” from the island, the use of military force was required. The pagans did not want to give in, and real battles broke out on the island with casualties on both sides. “The envoys carried out what was ordered to them by the archbishop and the mayors: they began to expel the people living here from that island. Then they, armed with demons, took up arms and started a war against the messengers. And many of those pagan magicians were cast down - by the hand of the omnipotent Christ God They were overpowered and many were beaten, and so those sent soon expelled them from the island. At the same time, some of the reverent monks died from mortal wounds.”

St. Sergius chose a place to build a monastery- “very beautiful and high, on a stone mountain, visible from everywhere, like a city, and having an excellent large quiet pier underneath it.” With the blessing of Archbishop John, a church was built in the name of Transfiguration of the Savior- “large and very beautiful and tall”, with side chapels in the name of John the Theologian and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and then another church, in the name of the Nativity of the Lord, with a refectory, “very wonderful and glorious.” The monastery was surrounded by walls, so that the Church of the Transfiguration was in the very center of the monastery, “at an equal distance on all sides, rising like an ancient tabernacle between the shelves of Israel, visible from everywhere, emitting, like the sun, rays of beauty.”

The exact year of foundation of the monastery is not indicated in the Legend. It is only noted that this happened during the archbishopric of John II, that is, no earlier than 1388 and no later than 1415. (Probably the creator Tales had at his disposal a letter from the Novgorod ruler, which had no date, but was signed by John himself.) Based on some indirect considerations, researchers propose the two most likely dates for the beginning of the monastery - 1389 or 1399. (In later sources there are two more dates: 1329 as the year of the beginning of Elder Sergius’s residence on Valaam Island, and 1399 as the memory of “our venerable and God-bearing fathers Sergius and Herman on Valamsky Island».) Known also that St. Sergius had a close friendship with another great Russian ascetic - St. Arseny Konevsky, the founder of the Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on the island of Konevets on Lake Ladoga. (The foundation of the Konevsky Monastery is dated by the chronicle in 1398.)

The legend about the beginning of the Valaam Monastery sets out the main provisions of the charter introduced into the monastery by St. Sergius.

This is a communal charter, providing for complete equality of monks in everything and condemning all kinds of “acquisitiveness.” Sergius ordered the monks to “have only the most necessary things for the needs of human nature in the monastic storehouses and only take care of them, and not look for excesses, like the covetous; eating the simplest food - what God will serve, but complex, ingenious dishes prepared with tricks - such are completely forbidden, even when the Lord makes that place prosperous. And he commanded never to drink honey or other intoxicating drinks, but only the most necessary kvass - both for his own people and for those coming. The work is common for everyone, and there is also equality in meals, and cloth equal to everyone - from the last to the first in rank.” The venerable abbot also “completely forbade asking those being tonsured to make large contributions, but he commanded that anyone who with faith wishes to acquire an angelic holy life be tonsured freely - even from ordinary people was". Thus the foundations for the prosperity of the most famous of the northern Russian monasteries were laid.

The further fate of St. Sergius, however, was dramatic. A conflict arose in the monastery between the abbot and the brethren. “The creator of sin, the crafty devil,” says the author of the Legend, “finds some of the monks who are not strong in mind, and incites them to enmity with the holy and great abbot Sergius.” Reverend, without entering into disputes with the brethren and placing his trust in God, renounces the rank of abbot and leaves the monastery. Initially, he settled in a certain deserted place on the same island, where he began to lead a solitary life of prayer. But, apparently, this did not suit the brethren; As a result of the “second war” that began on the island (in the words of the author of the Legend) by “coercion and dishonor,” the monk was forced to leave Valaam and retire to Novgorod. Here Sergius settled in the monastery of St. John the Theologian (what kind of monastery this is is not known exactly), where he was engaged in copying books. “And his hardworking writing was very good from the depth of divine philosophy stored in it,” noted a 16th-century scribe. “And to this day the books he wrote are kept in that monastery, and they are called the Sergius Translation.” Venerable Theological Monastery Sergius lived for several years and, having reached a venerable old age, went to the Lord. His body was buried in the same monastery, near the church walls. It was said that later an image was skillfully painted on the church wall St. Sergius, and a huge poplar tree grew at the feet of the coffin.

Hieromonk Herman became Sergius' successor, second Abbot of Valaam Monastery. The author of the Legend writes about him that “in all his first labors he was with the venerable Sergius. However, any details about his life were completely erased from the memory of descendants, and therefore the hagiographer is limited to only the most general phrases: “That great Hermann diligently tended the flock of spiritual sheep entrusted to him by Christ and lived an immaculate life, as far as bodily imperfection allowed. And he departed from this life to God with many years of gray hair, with his flock in what they had created monastery; He was buried right there. About a hundred years after its founding monastery, that is, at the end of the 15th century, something happened in the monastery terrible fire, who did not spare either churches, or other monastery buildings, or the property of the monastery; tomb of the monk Herman, however, survived. After this, she was transferred to the church, where she remained in one place for more than forty years, until the solemn transfer of the relics of St. Sergius, the founder of the monastery, and Novgorod to Balaam.

This transfer of relics was a significant event in stories Valaam Monastery and especially in the history of the veneration of its holy founders. Valaam Abbot Pimen requested a transfer relics of St. Sergius from Veliky Novgorod to Valaam to the Archbishop of Novgorod Theodosius (1542-1550). He, in turn, sent the abbot to Moscow, to Saint Macarius. “The same great man, wonderful in his virtues, understood with his spirit: it was not on his own that the abbot dared to do such a thing, but encouraged by the saint Venerable Sergius. On the advice of the Most Serene Tsar John of Christ, that Right Reverend Metropolitan writes a conciliar scripture to the Archbishop to release the relics Reverend- with the honor they deserve - to the monastery he created.” From Novgorod, the relics proceeded in a “nasada” (ship) along the Volkhov and further to Lake Ladoga; along the way, Abbot Pimen visited the Konevetsky Monastery with the shrine, founded by the Monk Arseny, a friend and interlocutor St. Sergius. On Valaam the holy relics were placed in the Church of the Transfiguration, behind the altar; along with them were placed the relics Reverend Herman. This happened on September 11, but the exact year the relics were transferred is unknown.

By that time, the Valaam monastery had become one of the most significant in northern Russia.. Incredible difficult conditions, on rocky land completely unsuitable for cultivation, the monks develop an exemplary monastic economy, grow bread and other agricultural products, and engage in fishing. The charter bequeathed to the monastery is strictly observed. Venerable Sergius. The monks of the Valaam Monastery became the founders of many famous North Russian monasteries. Thus, it was from Valaam that the Monk Zosima of Solovetsky came out. The Monk Alexander Svirsky, the founder of the famous Trinity Monastery on the Svir River, and Savva, the founder of the lesser-known Trinity Sennaya Monastery (on one of the islands of Lake Ladoga), were also tonsured from Valaam.

The subsequent fate of the Valaam Monastery turned out to be dramatic, in many ways even tragic. Twice the monastery was completely destroyed and abandoned for a long time - for the first time after the Swedish devastation of 1611, during the Time of Troubles, according to the Stolbovsky Peace concluded in 1617, the territory of the Karelian district passed to Sweden; the monastery was completely destroyed, and the brethren moved to the Vasilyevsky Monastery near Ladoga. Revival of the monastery began only in 1718, after the Northern War, which was victorious for Russia, and for the second time in 1940, after the territory of Lake Ladoga, formerly part of Finland, passed Soviet Union, the monastery was again completely destroyed, and the monks moved deep into Finland, where the New Valaam Monastery, which still exists to this day, arose. In 1989, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery was revived again.

The venerable founders of the Valaam monastery became famous as great miracle workers. “God showed many wonderful miracles through His saints Sergius and Herman,” wrote the author of the Legend about the beginning of the Valaam monastery in the 16th century. In his work, he cited only a small fraction of these miracles (about the appearance of the monks to the Valaam monks and local residents, about the healing of a certain fisherman, about the protection of the monks from slander by the monks), for “everyone hears about the great miracles they performed earlier, but also now They show their miracles to everyone who calls them with faith, and they work their glorious miracles over them.”

Local veneration of Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam(apparently, only within the Karelian district) was established after the transfer of their relics in the middle of the 16th century. As for the general church glorification, it happened much later; only in 1819 the memory of the saints was included in the all-Russian month books.

The Church celebrates the memory of Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam on June 28 (July 11) and September 11 (24).

The Saints Reverend Sergius and Herman of Valaam were missionaries, preached Christianity in Karelia and, according to the most reliable legend, settled on Valaam Island in 1329. Their detailed lives have been lost. Founded by Sergius and Herman, the Spaso-Preobrazhenskaya hostel monastery became a torch of Holy Orthodoxy and became famous for its charitable works. After the blessed death of the elders Sergius and Herman, miracles and healings began to occur at their tomb. Saving the shrine from the evil of the Swedish invaders, the monks more than once transferred the relics to Veliky Novgorod, but then returned them to the monastery. In 1721, according to the Treaty of Nystadt, Valaam went to Russia, and a little earlier, in 1718, the relics of the saints rested in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the monastery. The Sovereigns and Members of the House of Romanov sacredly honored the memory of the saints, visited the monastery they founded and made generous contributions. The names of Sergius and Herman were included in the Monthly Book by order of Emperor Alexander I the Blessed, who visited Valaam in August 1819. In the 19th century, on the initiative of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), the construction of a new Transfiguration Cathedral began in the Valaam monastery. The consecration of the foundation stone took place on June 30, Art. Art. 1887 after the Divine Liturgy at the relics of Saints Sergius and Herman in the Assumption Church, in the presence of the great-grandfather and great-grandmother of the now living Head of the Russian Imperial H.I.H. Sovereigns Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna - Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. As the monastery chronicle narrates: “(...) From the church the procession headed to the foundation site of the temple, which they began after the prayer service. The abbot placed the holy relics in the place prepared in the stone, and Their Highnesses poured out the consecrated oil and put in the coins of that year; The hierodeacon read the inscription on the metal board about the time of the laying, which took place in the presence of Their Highnesses. The first brick was laid by the Grand Duke...” The construction of the cathedral was completed by Abbot Gabriel (Gavrilov). During 1891-1893 the interior decoration of the lower church was completed. June 26 Art. Art. 1892 by the Right Reverend Anthony (Vadkovsky), Bishop of Vyborg, first vicar of the St. Petersburg diocese, in the presence of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna and their sons Grand Dukes Boris and Andrei Vladimirovich, the main altar of the lower church of the cathedral was consecrated in honor of the Venerable Sergius and Herman, Valaam miracle workers. The upper church of the cathedral was consecrated in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord on June 19, Art. Art. 1896 by Archbishop Anthony (Vadkovsky) of Vyborg in the presence of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, their son - the future first Emperor in exile Kirill I Vladimirovich and the mother of his future wife Empress Victoria Feodorovna - Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna Duchess of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg -Gothic.

After the revolution of 1917 and the separation of the Grand Duchy of Finland from the Russian Empire, the Valaam Monastery remained on Finnish territory. During the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940, the monastery was bombed by the USSR WWF. When the Karelian Isthmus became part of the USSR, the brethren of the monastery left it and founded the New Valaam Monastery. Monastery of St. Sergius and Herman was devastated and desecrated by the atheists.

Spiritual ties between the brethren and the Imperial House of Romanov continued after the revolution. The last elder of the Valaam Monastery, Hieroschemamonk Michael the Younger (in the world Pitkevich) (1877-1962) in the pre-war period was among the monks who, under the leadership of Hieroschemamonk Michael the Elder, opposed modernist reforms carried out under pressure from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Since 1945 under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. After the transfer of the New Valaam Monastery to the jurisdiction of the Finnish Autonomous Church in 1957, he returned to the USSR. Father Mikhail was mentioned by Archpriest Stefan Lyashevsky, close to the Imperial Family in exile, in his letter to Sovereign Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich dated July 8/21, 1957 as one of the prayer books for the Imperial House.

In the post-war period, the Valaam Monastery continued to be barbarically destroyed. In 1989, the first 6 monks arrived on the island, and the revival of the great monastery began. Nowadays the Valaam Monastery has again gained the spiritual glory of Northern Athos.

Memorial Days: September 11/24 (transfer of the relics in 1718) and June 28/July 11 (repose of the holy elders Sergius and Herman in 1353).

Prayers to Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam.

About the greatness of our fathers, Christ's servants and warm representatives to the Savior for our souls, Sergius and Herman! You have appeared as healers to those who are ill, as helmsmen on the sea, as safe deliverance to those who are drowning, and as guardians from every deadly invasion, and especially from unclean spirits, freedom and all kinds of slander contained against us, cleansing and help. For blessedness, fathers and wonderworkers of glory, Sergius and Herman, pray to the Lord Christ for us sinners, that through your prayers we will be worthy on the Day of Judgment to stand and enjoy in the Kingdom of God forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to St. Sergius and Herman, Valaam Wonderworker

O venerable, God-bearing, blessed fathers Sergius and Herman, spectators of the glory of God in the Heavenly Kingdom! Do not despise us sinners in our needs and sorrows, but hasten those who come running to you to help: accept sighs and tears, and heed our humble prayer. Standing before the Heavenly King, for blessedness, pray to His goodness, to be generous with the place of your settlement and to send down an abundance of earthly blessings to every city and country: To our Most Pious Great Empress, GRAND DUCHESS MARIA VLADIMIROVNA, to grant victory and victory to her enemies and to preserve HER House in peace and silence: Confirm us all in faith and virtue, and always deliver us from sinful lusts and from the attacks of visible and invisible enemies: to protect the offended, to heal the sick, to free us from the torment of evil spirits, to preserve those floating at sea, to help those who travel, and to assist every faithful person in their needs: For of Him we are all creation, and of Him is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Another prayer to St. Sergius and Herman, Valaam Wonderworker

About the venerable and God-bearing fathers Sergius and Herman, earthly Angels and heavenly people, warm prayer books and intercessors for unceasing peace, protection and praise to Balaam and always ready refuge and intercession for all the faithful! With faith and love, falling to the race of your honest relics, we tenderly pray to you: do not forget your children, who were gathered from the rumors of everyday life in this desert: do not retreat from us, but by your vigilant intercession protect us from the evil machinations of the enemy: quench the rebellion of passions : Strengthen our weakness in the spiritual battles and struggles that are set before us: take away all despondency and sinful sorrow from our hearts, and send down Heavenly consolation to us in our labors and sorrows. Preserve, O Reverend, your holy monastery from all poverty, from fire and sword, from deadly plagues and from all circumstances. Pray, blessed ones, we earnestly pray to you, for our Blessed Grand Duchess, for the entire Royal House, for the Christ-loving army and for the entire Russian State: may the Lord keep them in peace, health, in all good prosperity: may He grant them victory over their enemies and in May it strengthen every virtue. Remember in your prayers, saints of God, this surrounding country of Karelian, which has enlightened nature with the light of Christ: may the Orthodox Faith be established in it, and may all those who rebel against this small flock and strive to tear away from the Holy Church be in vain. Hear, our merciful fathers, and every person who comes to you with faith and demands your gracious help: be an intercessor for the orphaned and offended, a consolation for the grieving, a healer for the sick, a strengthener for those who are exhausted, guardians for those on the way, stewards for those floating in the sea, and a calm refuge. In the terrible hour of death, appear to all of us, as the blazing intercessors and dark eyes of demons boldly drive away: so that in peace and repentance, having finished our earthly career, we will achieve eternal blessings of pleasure, and together with you we will sing and glorify the All-Holy Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Troparion to Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam.

Troparion of the Venerables, tone 4

The true novices of the Gospel of Christ / appeared, O venerable one, / the world and everything that is in it, as if not existing, / having overcome love for the sake of Christ, / and settled into the sea island, / and laboriously fought there against the machinations of invisible enemies, / with fasting and vigil and by standing all-night/ they subjugated their flesh wisely to nature./ For this reason, from the Almighty right hand, worthy crowns were received by nature,/ and now the Most Holy Trinity coming, pray,/ the all-blessed Fathers Sergius and Herman,/ to preserve our Fatherland in peace// and to save souls ours.

Troparion of Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam, tone 1

Kontakion of the Saints, tone 4