Commemoration: May 12/25 (second transfer of relics), September 12/25 (transfer of relics), December 18/31 (glorification)
Righteous Simeon, the son of noble parents, was born outside Siberia in early XVII century. A nobleman by birth, he disdained all worldly honors, retired from Russia beyond the Urals to Siberia and arrived in the Verkhoturye region. But the saint did not settle in the city of Verkhoturye itself, for he avoided the bustle of the world, and the city of Verkhoturye was known then as a trading place where it was difficult to conduct business. quiet life, as Saint Simeon wished. Therefore, he stopped in the village of Merkushino, which was fifty versts from Verkhoturye. The very nature of that place disposed the holy man to the thought of God and hermitic labors. Majestic cedars, huge spruce trees, dense forests, beautiful valleys in places, and towering rocky cliffs attracted the ascetic.
Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye
He did not live permanently in the village of Merkushino, but often left it, wandered around the surrounding villages and villages as a wanderer, or retired somewhere on the banks of the Tura River, indulging in various exploits and talking with the Creator in prayer. With his firm faith in God, he set an example for everyone godly life. He did not want his hands to remain idle, but he earned food for himself. Forgetting about his noble origin on earth, he wanted to become a partaker of the Kingdom of Christ and a citizen of the Heavenly Jerusalem. The hard work of righteous Simeon remained an indelible memory in posterity. He sewed fur coats with stripes and thus obtained food for himself and helped others. From time to time, righteous Simeon retired to a secluded place on the banks of the Tura River, ten miles from Merkushin, and here he fished. And to this day they indicate this place on the right bank. Simeon sat here under a spreading fir tree on a stone that still exists to this day. So the activities of the saint were: in winter time- sewing fur coats, in the summer - fishing.
Rich in humility, righteous Simeon was distinguished by complete non-covetousness. Sewing fur coats, he walked around the surrounding villages and worked in the houses of various peasants. Often during this time the blessed one had to experience various inconveniences and hardships, but he endured everything, glorifying and thanking the Lord. Often, even when work in the house of a villager was completely finished, Simeon secretly left the house. For this he was condemned, but the saint, according to his custom, patiently endured all criticism. Then they realized that the holy man was doing this in order to evade payment for his work.
Saint Simeon steadily visited the temple in the name of the Archangel of God Michael, which was in the village of Merkushino. He treated everyone kindly, tried to serve everyone, help everyone. Saint Simeon was extremely abstinent, loved solitude, was distinguished by purity not only of his body, but also of his soul, and had unfeigned love for everyone.
So righteous Simeon labored and, not yet reaching old age, with faith went to the Lord, Whom, as a true and faithful servant, he served all the days of his life. His blessed death followed around 1642. His venerable body was buried in Merkushino not far from the church in the name of St. Michael, the Archangel of the Heavenly Powers.
Not much news about the ascetic life of this righteous man has reached us, but clearer than any news they speak about the pious life of Saint Simeon of healing, which has flowed in an abundant stream from the relics of this great saint of God for more than three centuries. Humble during his life, Simeon did not like human glorification and avoided the glory of this vain world. Therefore, the memory of him was already beginning to disappear, but God did not want the one who forgot everything earthly for His sake to be forgotten on earth.
In 1692, they noticed that the coffin of the righteous Simeon began to rise from the ground. Everyone was amazed at this phenomenon, but the amazement increased even more when they saw the incorrupt remains through the cracked boards of the coffin lid.
Meanwhile, there was no longer a person who could remember the name of the righteous man, whose tomb began to appear so miraculously. All the inhabitants were surprised at such an extraordinary phenomenon and thanked the Lord, who revealed His faithful servants. Soon, the reverent veneration of the newly revealed relics intensified even more when miracles began to be performed from them.
At that very time, one governor - Antony Savelov - was supposed to go to Nerechinsk. The servant of this governor, Gregory, had fallen into a serious illness a year before: his whole body had weakened, so that he could neither walk nor do anything with his hands. Not wanting to leave his servant, the governor took him with him to his place of new service. But on the way, Gregory became even worse. Their path lay through Verkhoturye. Arriving there, Gregory learned from local residents about the relics of the newly-minted righteous man and that healings were being given at his grave. Hearing these stories, Gregory began to think: “Perhaps the Lord will give me healing through the prayers of His newly-minted saint.” Therefore, he asked his master to allow him to go to Merkushino. Savelov allowed him to do this. And so, having arrived in Merkushino, Gregory, over the grave of the righteous one, asked first to serve a prayer service to the holy Archangel Michael, and then to sing a requiem mass at the tomb of the newly-minted saint. Gregory fervently prayed that the Lord would grant him healing through the prayers of His saint. After this, he took earth from the coffin, wiped the members of his body with it, and immediately felt completely healthy. In joy, he began to glorify the Lord and told others about wonderful help over.
Among those who heard about Gregory’s healing was the servant of the Siberian governor Andrei Naryshkin, Ilya Golovachev. He suffered greatly from his eyes: a malignant tumor had formed on them, and Elijah could not even look from the great pain. Fearing that he would completely lose his sight, he turned to the Lord with fervent prayer for healing. In this position he was found by Gregory, who himself had recently received healing from his illness through the prayers of Saint Simeon. Gregory began to console Elijah: “Do not indulge in sadness and despair; remember how merciful the Lord is. His benefits to the human race are marvelous. And on me, a sinner, He recently showed His mercy, healed me from a serious illness through the prayers of the righteous man of God, the newly-minted Siberian wonderworker . Turn in prayer to this saint of God and you can receive relief and healing."
At the request of Elijah, Gregory gave him lands from the tomb of the Merkushin miracle worker. Elijah, with faith that the righteous would help him, put this earth to his eyes.
The next night, while sleeping, the patient felt that some kind of liquid was coming out of his eyes. When he woke up, he noticed that blood was running down his face from his eyes. When the bandage was removed, the tumor itself fell away along with it. With great joy, Elijah hurried to come to his master in the morning and told him about everything that had happened; At the same time, he asked Naryshkin for permission to go to Merkushino to venerate the relics of the newly-minted wonderworker and received consent.
The daughter of the same Naryshkin also suffered from an eye disease. Hearing about the miracles in Merkushino, the governor went with her to that village. Here, after a memorial service over the tomb of the righteous man, the sick woman received healing as soon as she applied the earth taken from the saint’s tomb to her eyes.
The rumor about the appearance of the relics soon reached Tobolsk. At that time, the Verkhoturye country belonged to the Siberian diocese. The Tobolsk hierarchs observed the cleanliness with particular zeal. Orthodox faith. Meanwhile, they were sent to this country various people who have deviated from true Orthodoxy. Therefore, the Tobolsk saints often made tours of their diocese themselves or entrusted this to one of their assistants. In 1693, a cleric of the Siberian bishop named Matthew arrived in Verkhoturye for this purpose.
From Verkhoturye he headed to Merkushino. Here he was shown a coffin with incorruptible remains emerging from the ground. Convinced of the reality of this amazing phenomenon, Matthew reported this to his ruler, Metropolitan Ignatius of Tobolsk, who had recently arrived in his diocese. In addition, the mentioned Matthew ordered the priest of that church, John Andreevich, and the church warden with the parishioners to place a small frame, or “darling,” over the emerging coffin. This was immediately arranged. Soon after this, in 1694, the following miraculous healing took place at the tomb of the righteous man. At that time there lived in Verkhoturye a gunner named Ioann Grigoriev. A serious illness befell him: he was completely relaxed, so, not hoping to recover, he began to prepare for death. The disease was getting worse. And then one day, being in such a difficult situation, he heard a voice in a dream: “John, go to the village of Merkushino; order the priest of that church to sing a prayer service to the Holy Archangel of God Michael, and to perform a requiem mass at the emerging tomb, and you will be healthy.”
Waking up from sleep, John immediately sent his son Stefan to the priest in the village of Merkushino. There, at the request of Stephen, a prayer service was performed to the holy Archangel Michael and a funeral service was held over the tomb of the righteous man.
At this very time, in Verkhoturye, the relaxed John felt much better, so that he was even able to get to his commander John Tsikler without outside help, told him about his healing and how he heard a voice in a dream. After listening to his story, the governor said to him: “Don’t forget such mercy of God.”
A week later, John went with his entire household to Merkushino. Having performed a requiem service over the coffin of the righteous, he took earth from the coffin and began to wipe his body with it and immediately felt completely healthy, as if he had never been sick.
Not only John himself experienced help from above through the prayers of the saint, but even his daughter, a 15-year-old girl, was honored to receive deliverance from her illness through the prayers of a new healer. Her face began to become covered with an incurable scab. Then her father, who had recently experienced a miraculous healing of himself at the tomb of the righteous, turned with firm faith to this saint. Taking his family, he went to Merkushino and there asked the priest to perform a memorial service over the tomb of the righteous man. Since the name of this saint of God was not yet known at that time, he was remembered “by the name the Lord knows.” After this, the sick woman wiped her face with earth from the saint’s tomb and, through his prayers, received complete healing.
In the same year, 1694, a new miracle occurred. Verkhoturye governor John Tsikler himself told about this to His Grace Metropolitan Ignatius of Tobolsk, who arrived in Verkhoturye to consecrate the newly built church in the name of the Holy Trinity.
One of his servants named Peter, rode around the horse. Suddenly the horse went berserk, threw Peter off of him, and crushed a bone in one of his legs. Peter could not even rise from the ground himself; his leg was very swollen. Suffering, he made a vow to go to the village of Merkushino, serve a prayer service to St. Michael the Archangel and sing a memorial service over the tomb of the new miracle worker. But due to severe pain he could not go there on foot. “Therefore, he turned to me with a request that I allow him to go to Merkushino and give him horses, which I ordered to be carried out immediately,” Tsikler told the Metropolitan.
In Merkushino, at the request of Peter, first a prayer service was served for Archangel Michael, then a requiem service over the tomb of the righteous man. Peter took earth from the saint’s tomb and began to rub the bruised area with it. At this time, a miracle happened by the ineffable mercy of God. Immediately Peter’s illness stopped, the tumor went down, and he began to walk as if he had never been sick. All who saw this miracle glorified the Lord, His great Archangel Michael and the newly radiant righteous man.
Soon the first examination of the holy relics of the righteous took place. The aforementioned Metropolitan of Tobolsk Ignatius, touring the diocese, was heading from Pelyi to the city of Verkhoturye, where he intended to consecrate the cathedral church. Arriving in the village of Karaulnoye, seven miles from Merkushin, he stopped here for a while. Here the abbot of the Dalmatovo monastery, Isaac, approached him and said: “Not far from here stands the village of Merkushino with a temple in the name of the Holy Archangel Michael; near this church there is a coffin emerging from the ground. Would you, sir, deign to inspect this coffin yourself? There have already been many miracles and signs happened to him."
But the Metropolitan himself did not want to bear witness to the coffin, but sent Isaac, abbot of Dalmatovsky, and with him the keymaster of the Tobolsk Cathedral, Priest John, another priest Joasaph, Deacon Peter and Hierodeacon of the Dalmatovsky Monastery, Basilid, to Merkushino. Those sent quickly reached the village of Merkushina and began examining the tomb with the remains of the righteous man. Their eyes saw the whole body of the righteous man: the head, chest, ribs, waist and legs - everything remained intact, the skin seemed to have grown to the bones, only a little turned to dust. This first examination followed on December 18, 1694.
Reliquary with the relics of the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye in the St. Nicholas Church of St. Nicholas monastery. Verkhoturye – Photo Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky (1909)
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan, having listened to the morning doxology in Karaulny, went with the rest of his companions to the village of Merkushino, for the path to the city of Verkhoturye lay through this village. Arriving in Merkushino, the Metropolitan visited the church in the name of Archangel Michael. Then he asked Abbot Isaac: did they open the tomb and what did they find in it? The Metropolitan himself was indecisive and bewildered when he heard the abbot’s answer. But the merciful Lord soon put an end to his hesitation. On the same day, the Metropolitan felt pain in his left eye. The Eminence at first thought that his illness was caused by the winter cold and wind. But suddenly, like lightning, the thought flashed through his mind that illness had befallen him because he did not want to witness the relics of the righteous himself. Then he began to pray and cried out: “Have mercy on me, Lord, and heal my eye. And you, holy righteous man, do not be angry with me. I promise that after the Divine Liturgy, if you wish, I myself will come to your holy relics and I’ll look at them myself.” Immediately the pain subsided, and he again began to see clearly with his own eyes. In accordance with his promise, after the liturgy, the Right Reverend, together with the abbots, priests and deacons, went to the revealed tomb. Having opened the coffin with appropriate reverence, he found the same thing that Abbot Isaac had told him: he saw that the whole body of the righteous man was completely intact, only the fingers on his hands were missing. The bones were densely covered with flesh, so that the word of Scripture was fulfilled: My bone clung to my flesh (Ps. 101:6), but the burial shrouds turned to dust. Then the metropolitan, filled with reverence, proclaimed: “I also testify that truly these are the relics of a righteous and virtuous person; in everything they are similar to the relics of the ancient saints. This righteous man is like Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, or Sergius of Radonezh, for he was honored by God with incorruptibility, like this lamps of the Orthodox faith!"
After this, the Metropolitan ordered the coffin to be closed again. And it was surprising that the coffin itself was new, although, according to the stories of local residents, it had been in the ground for more than fifty years. Having performed the funeral service, they again covered him with a quarter of the earth, saying the words: The earth is the Lord's, and its fulfillment (Ps. 23:1). After this, the bishop left the chapel to the assembled people and asked: “Is there anyone among you who remembers who is buried in this place?”
The 70-year-old elder Athanasius spoke from among the people and said: “No one remembers the name of the righteous man buried here, only a tradition has been preserved among us that some pious and virtuous man was buried first at this church.” Then he told what he knew about the origin and ascetic life of this pious man. Having heard all this, the Metropolitan said to those gathered: “Children, pray to the Lord God, that He will reveal to us the name of the righteous, and I, a sinner, myself will pray to the Lord for the same thing.”
Having said goodbye to the people and giving them his archpastoral blessing, the bishop went to the city of Verkhoturye. On the way, he reflected on everything that had happened, thinking that if the Lord deigned to reveal the relics of His saint, then He would also reveal the name given to this righteous man at holy baptism. The Right Reverend had already driven ten miles from the village of Merkushina. In the midst of his thoughts, he fell into a doze, and suddenly, in a sleepy vision, a multitude of people appeared to him, asking about the name of the righteous man.
On September 25, 1992, the relics of the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye were transferred to the Verokhotursky Nikolaevsky Monastery, to the newly consecrated Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross
At the same time, the bishop heard a voice: “His name is Simeon.” After this, it was as if someone repeated: “His name is Simeon.” For the third time, someone called the righteous man a diminutive pet name, as parents call their children.
The Right Reverend was then filled with great joy: he immediately woke up and realized that the vision had come to him from above. Overwhelmed by surprise, the bishop arrived in Verkhoturye, where he stayed at the St. Nicholas Monastery. He told about the vision that happened to him on the way to Archimandrites Sergius and Alexander and Abbot Isaac of Dalmatovo. Hearing the story of the Right Reverend, they were surprised and said that the first name of the righteous man shows how the righteous man should be venerated after his death, the second exclamation indicates what his name was during his life, and the name of the righteous man pet name shows that that was his parents' name. The Eminence said that he thought so too. After this they gave thanks to the Lord God, marvelous in His saints. From that time on, Metropolitan of Tobolsk ordered that the newly-minted saint of God be called Simeon.
Around the same time, there was also a vision for Hierodeacon Basilides, a novice of the above-mentioned Isaac of Dalmatov. After the evening rule, Hierodeacon Basilides dozed off while sitting, and suddenly in a vision a multitude of people appeared to him, fearing the name of the newly-minted wonderworker. And a voice was heard: “Why are you asking so many questions? You already know that his name is Simeon.” Waking up, the hierodeacon marked himself with the sign of the cross; he realized that he had been rewarded with a vision from above, and told about his wonderful dream to His Eminence Ignatius.
Having visited the city of Verkhoturye and consecrated the cathedral church here on December 27, 1694, the Metropolitan went back to Tobolsk. On the way, he again stopped at Merkushino. Together with him, the Verkhoturye voivode Tsikler, priests, deacons and big number Verkhoturye residents. At this time, the priest of the church located there in the name of the Archangel Michael, John, told the Metropolitan that the day before the arrival of the Right Reverend in Merkushino, after the evening rule, he quickly fell asleep and in a dream saw the following: the coffin with the relics of the righteous man was transferred to the church, and he, John, should perform litia at this tomb. Not knowing by what name the deceased should be remembered, he was at a loss, and suddenly he heard a voice: “Why are you perplexed? Remember him as Simeon.” When the priest spoke about this, it turned out that he received a vision of this on the same evening when Hierodeacon Basilides also learned through a vision in a dream about the name of the righteous man.
The next day, the Metropolitan once again bore witness to the holy relics and kissed them with reverence. Once again he solemnly announced to all those present about the holy relics of the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye, and everyone, having given thanks to the Lord, bowed to the relics of the newly-minted saint and began to kiss them in heartfelt tenderness. At the same time, the Verkhoturye governor testified that the relics of Saint Simeon are truly similar to the incorruptible relics of the Kiev-Pechersk ascetics.
The Right Reverend Ignatius himself laid a silk shroud on the coffin of the righteous one and ordered that all information about the life and miracles of Saint Simeon be given to him. Subsequently, based on what he himself saw and heard, he composed a story about the appearance of the holy relics, about the first miracles of the saint, and an akathist to him.
From that time on, healings began to be given more and more often to the sick through the prayers of the righteous Simeon. One such healing was witnessed by the same Metropolitan Ignatius. After visiting Merkushin, the Right Reverend, together with his companions, headed to the city of Irbit, where a fair was opening at that time. In this city there was a certain hierodeacon named Savvaty. He then suffered greatly from toothache and was exhausted from terrible aches in his legs, so that he could barely walk, and then only with the greatest difficulty. The day before, January 12, before the holiday in honor of the Great Martyr Tatiana, in the evening, shortly before the all-night vigil, Savvaty fell asleep and suddenly saw in a dream that he, having taken a blessing from the Metropolitan, went to Merkushino, and here he was standing in the chapel over the tomb of the righteous. Hegumen Isaac revealed the relics to him, throwing himself prostrate in front of the tomb, he cried out: “Righteous One of God, Saint Simeon, have mercy on me and heal my ailments with your prayers!” And suddenly he sees: Saint Simeon, having risen, sat down on the coffin, on it is the same shroud that Metropolitan Ignatius laid. And the righteous one said to Savvaty: “Older!” Then, laying his hand on Savvaty’s head, the saint said to him a second time: “Go, go, Savvaty.” And, overjoyed, he seemed to go to the church of the Archangel Michael and began to tell the priest of the Tobolsk Cathedral Joseph and Hierodeacon Peter about how he was honored to see the righteous man. Then Savvaty woke up and felt that his ailments had passed. Then he fervently began to thank God and glorify the righteous Simeon of Siberia. This healing took place in Irbit at a time when many people had gathered there. Everyone was surprised and thanked the Lord, who sent people a new intercessor and prayer book.
Soon a new miracle became known. The keymaster of the cathedral Siberian church, Priest John, as mentioned above, was sent to examine the relics of the righteous together with Abbot Isaac. Having completed this assignment, they entered the house of the priest of the village of Merkushin, John. The housekeeper John, tired from the journey, soon fell asleep and saw a vision. He dreamed that he was in the church of St. Archangel Michael in Merkushin and in the middle of the church there was a coffin with the relics of the righteous; a great fragrance fills the temple, just as it does during incense throughout the church; The Reverend Ignatius stands right there, and a fragrance also floats around his head. And in amazement, the sacristan heard a voice addressed to him: “Why are you so amazed at this, why don’t you believe this? Thus the Lord God glorifies this righteous man, like Vasily”1).
Saint Simeon, even after his death, did not allow errors contrary to the true Christian faith to spread in his country. The next year after the discovery of the relics of this righteous man, in 1696, on January 14, Metropolitan Ignatius, caring for the spiritual salvation of his flock, sent hieromonk Israel and the cathedral hierodeacon Nicephorus (Amvrosiev) to view the diocese. They had to observe where and how they professed the true faith of Christ, admonish those who deviate and encourage those who waver. Arriving in Verkhoturye, they saw that in the city itself, and in its environs, the people firmly adhered to Orthodoxy and lived piously. They were informed that people who had deviated from Orthodoxy settled here, but they did not live long in these places: some of them soon abandoned their errors, others completely left the area. Those sent could not help but see in this wonderful help from above; So they reported to Metropolitan Ignatius, and the Right Reverend also recognized in this phenomenon the special favor of Saint Simeon towards those places.
Soon a new miracle happened. Those sent by the Metropolitan returned to Tobolsk. Their path lay through the village of Merkushino. Approaching Merkushin, one of the messengers, Hierodeacon Nikifor (Amvrosiev), sitting in a sleigh, began to pray that the Lord would grant him the dignity to venerate the relics of His glorious saint. At this time, he fell into a light doze and suddenly saw in front of him a husband in white clothes, middle-aged, about 25 years old, his hair was light brown. He looked at Nikifor with a kind glance; the latter asked him: “Servant of God, tell me, what is your name?” Then the one who appeared answered in an unusually pleasant voice: “I am Simeon Merkushinsky,” and with these words he became invisible. The hierodeacon immediately woke up, a trembling seized him at the thought of the vision. Meanwhile, they arrived in Merkushino. Hierodeacon Nicephorus, with heartfelt reverence and great fear, bowed to the incorruptible relics of this glorious saint of God, glorified the Lord and immediately told everyone about the phenomenon that had happened to him in a dream.
One man, Pyotr Kalinin, from the Mias River told the following in Merkushino. In February 1700, he and his comrades went to fishing. Suddenly the Tatars attacked them, grabbed them and took them with them somewhere for two whole days. By the evening of the third day, the Tatars bandaged their captives and soon fell into a deep sleep. Then Peter, placing all his hope in God’s mercy, began to cry out to the righteous Simeon: “Righteous Simeon of God, have mercy on me and deliver me from these foreigners!” At the same time, he promised to go to Merkushino and perform a memorial service over the tomb of the righteous. As soon as he made a promise, the strong bonds laid by his enemies immediately fell from his arms and legs. Having warmly thanked the Lord for his help, he took two horses and returned to his place.
The more the rumor about the holy relics of Simeon grew, the more the inhabitants of Verkhoturye grew stronger in the idea of honoring the righteous man in a worthy image. Therefore, they set out to transfer the relics of Saint Simeon from the village of Merkushina to the city of Verkhoturye. In 1702, the new Metropolitan Philotheus, distinguished for his learning and zealous preaching of the true faith of Christ, ascended the archpastoral throne. It was to him that the Verkhoturye residents turned to him with a request to transfer the relics of St. Simeon. Voivode Alexei Kaletin and customs head Pyotr Khudyakov especially asked the Metropolitan on behalf of all Verkhoturye residents. Metropolitan Philotheus, who himself had a feeling of deep reverence for the saint, willingly gave his archpastoral blessing and allowed the relics to be transferred to the St. Nicholas Verkhoturye Monastery.
When this permission was received from His Eminence Philotheus, Archimandrite Israel of the Nikolaev Monastery went to Merkushino. This happened around the 1st of September 1704, and the transfer was scheduled for September 8. The archimandrite had to first transfer the holy relics into a new shrine. But at that time the weather began to be inclement, so that the thought occurred to some whether this transfer of the relics from Merkushino would be pleasing to the saint. Even the aforementioned Khudyakov, who was the petitioner for their transfer, thought so. But Saint Simeon himself resolved this bewilderment. During his sleep, Khudyakov imagined that he was standing in the Merkushino church and in front of him was a coffin with holy relics, in front of the coffin was Archimandrite Israel with many people. Suddenly, a certain fragrance rose from the coffin in the form of a pillar and headed towards the city of Verkhoturye. From this everyone understood that the righteous person was not opposed to the transfer of his even relics to Verkhoturye. Then on September 8 or 9 the relics were transferred to a new shrine. And it’s wonderful that from this day on the rain stopped and it was quiet, good weather. On September 12, 1704, the transfer of the venerable relics of this glorious saint of God, who from then on became known as Verkhoturye, was carried out solemnly and with appropriate reverence. And to this day, on September 12/25, a solemn celebration is held in honor of Saint Simeon.
After the relics were transferred to the city of Verkhoturye from the shrine of the righteous new strength miracles began to flow, of which the following is especially remarkable. One widow, Paraskeva Bykova, lived in Verkhoturye; She suffered greatly from eye disease, had completely lost her sight, could not even see the light, and besides, she constantly felt unbearable pain in her eyes, so that she could neither sleep, nor eat, nor drink. No means brought her relief. Then she began to think that it was in vain to seek help from people if there was no help from above. Seeing such sorrow of this widow, the righteous one had mercy on her, and on September 12, 1705, when she fell into a slumber, she imagined that she was standing at the liturgy in the church of St. Nicholas, where the relics of the righteous Simeon rested, and in front of the tomb of the saint he earnestly prays for his healing. Suddenly she hears a voice from the shrine of the wondrous miracle worker: “Promise to serve a prayer service to the Lord God and the righteous Simeon in the St. Nicholas Church and make an offering within your power to this temple.” The widow promised and added that she would not spare anything for this offering. As soon as she said this, she already felt some relief, but due to her weakness, she postponed her intention to pray to the saint. And soon she saw for the second time that she was praying in that very church and heard the righteous one say to her: “Why are you forgetting your promise about the prayer service?” She immediately exclaimed: “I am guilty, a sinner, before God and you, O righteous one. I will fulfill my promise, just have mercy on me and heal my illness.”
When she woke up, she felt even better, her bodily strength returned, but she still could not look well. But even after this, for some reason she began to put off her promise. Then again she had a vision that she was standing in the St. Nicholas Church; suddenly the righteous one sat down in his shrine and said to her: “Do not forget your promise to serve a prayer service and do not put it off until for a long time". Having woken up, she saw clearly. Rejoicing at her healing and praising the Lord, she hurried to the St. Nicholas Monastery. At her request, a prayer service was performed at the shrine of the wonderful saint Simeon of Verkhoturye. Then she made a donation to this monastery.
There was a lot of unrest in the Siberian country at that time. Often nomads attacked Russian villages and took away captives. In the summer of 1709, the Bashkirs attacked the Bagaryatinskaya settlement, ravaged it and captured the local priest Peter along with his son Jeremiah. The nomads, having tied up the prisoners, took them to their uluses for three days. Arriving at Lake Chebarkulevo, they stopped for the night. Exhausted by fear and the painful journey, the priest quickly fell into sleep, and suddenly the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him and commanded that, in order to be freed from captivity, he promised to venerate the relics of the righteous Simeon in Verkhoturye and go to the village of Nirob to venerate the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The priest woke up, amazed by such a phenomenon, and with great gratitude began to pray to the Lord God and His Most Pure Mother, and also offered his prayers to the glorious miracle worker Simeon and vowed to fulfill everything that the Most Holy Theotokos commanded him. Meanwhile, when night fell, the enemies tightened the ropes with which the captives were tied even more tightly. But suddenly the belt bonds on the captives weaken and fall off of them by themselves. Freed in such a marvelous way, the priest and his son first hide in the reeds that grew along the shores of the lake, then they step into the very water up to their necks so that the enemies cannot notice them, and so they are freed from captivity. After this, they went to worship the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, thanked God and the Most Holy Theotokos with all their hearts and glorified the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye.
In 1711, in the month of April, one monastery elder named Jacob listened attentively Divine Liturgy and tried to detach his thoughts from everything earthly. He stood quietly in prayerful tenderness. Suddenly, at the cry: “Come with the fear of God and faith,” he fell on his face and lay unconscious for a long time; when he came to his senses, he said the following.
When looking at the image of the Most Holy Theotokos, called “Hodegetria,” he was suddenly overcome with fear. He doesn’t remember what happened to him next, he only remembers one thing: how righteous Simeon appeared before him and, touching him, said: “Get up, go and tell everyone to refrain from foul language and abusive words, otherwise the Lord will send and famine and pestilence on their livestock. Let everyone fervently pray to the Lord, His Most Pure Mother and all the saints, let all the people sing a prayer service for the aversion of the wrath of God." In addition, righteous Simeon ordered Jacob to tell the archimandrite and the governor about this, so that people would repent of their sins and pray for deliverance from the righteous wrath of God, which was done by everyone with the greatest zeal.
Righteous Simeon was a free healer even of people who did not know or hear about his glorification. Thus, in 1749, one peasant Vasily Maslennikov was miraculously delivered by the righteous from a serious and long-term illness. He lived in the Novyansky plant and from early childhood was taught by some people who had deviated from the Church to depict the sign of the cross with two fingers. One day he immediately fell into serious illness; his members relaxed so much that he could not control right hand, could not speak. He remained in this painful state for three whole years. And while he was sleeping, a middle-aged man in white clothes with light brown hair and an extraordinary appearance appeared before him. The one who appeared asked Vasily: “Do you want to be healthy?” The sick man came into great amazement and answered: “Yes, sir, I wish that. But who are you and why do you care so much about me?” “I am Simeon of Verkhoturye,” the husband answered him in a light robe, “go immediately to the Verkhoturye St. Nicholas Monastery, pray with faith to the Lord God, ask to perform a prayer service before the relics located there - and you will be healthy. Draw the sign of the cross on yourself in the image of the Holy Trinity not with two, but with three fingers." The patient made a promise. When he woke up the next day, he felt completely healthy. He immediately told everyone about his miraculous healing and soon went to Verkhoturye, two hundred miles from the factory where he lived, and here he fulfilled everything that this glorious miracle worker and defender of Orthodoxy in the Siberian country commanded.
At the request of some admirers of Saint Simeon, in 1763 a new examination of his holy relics was carried out. Those who carried out the inspection with considerable diligence and great diligence collected all the information both about the life of the righteous man and about the posthumous miracles that took place in different time from the incorruptible relics of this saint of God.
Meanwhile, miraculous healings continued to flow from the tomb of the righteous Simeon, as if some water flow, never running dry. Of the many miracles that happened at that time, one is especially remarkable - the healing of the Cossack Feodor Kaidalov, who lived in the city of Surgut, Tobolsk diocese. The one who was healed told the following about this.
“It happened to me,” he said, “in 1790, on the day of the Nativity of Christ, to be in the house of my cousin, priest John Ioannovich Kaidalov. Then I found out that his brother had gunpowder and asked him to bring some of it. Brother agreed and brought twenty pounds of gunpowder in a bag. This bag of gunpowder was placed in the middle of the room on the floor. I decided to try the gun that was with me. Having loaded it with that gunpowder, I barely pulled the trigger to shoot, when a spark from the flint in the trigger accidentally fell into That bag. This resulted in a terrible explosion, which threw off the ceiling from the entire house, stunned and scorched the owner, and for me, since I stood even closer to the bag, my whole dress and body were burned so that bones were revealed in places. Over time my body was covered with wounds and began to rot, and worms appeared in the wounds and gnawed at my body more and more. In such a painful state, on the night of January 1st, I had a comforting vision. A certain old man of a handsome appearance advised me to go venerate the holy relics of the righteous Simeon , promising that this saint of God will give me healing. From that time on, I constantly had the righteous Simeon in my thoughts and made an indispensable intention with a sincere vow - to go to Verkhoturye to pray to the righteous one with cancer and his holy relics. Fulfilling the vow had a saving effect for me, and after a month and a half I was completely healed."
Reverent respect for the righteous one, illuminating the Siberian country with his miracles, grew and increased. In 1798, the Turchaninovs built a new copper shrine for the relics of the holy saint of God, and in 1808, in the village of Merkushino, a stone tomb was erected by a Verkhoturye resident instead of the previous wooden one. It was built over the very grave of the righteous, from which flows a source of water that is not damaged in the vessels, even if it had to stand for a long time. And to this day, those who worship the relics of the righteous Simeon visit this place, taking water from the source with them. Through fervent prayer and invocation of the name of Saint Simeon, various healings of mental and physical ailments are often given to believers from this water.
One miracle of the righteous Simeon is especially remarkable, who quickly punishes people who are ill with unbelief, but quickly helps them if they have repented and turned with all their hearts in prayer to his intercession. One woman, Ksenia Feodorova, - it was in early XIX century in Verkhoturye, - she went up to the St. Nicholas Church, where the relics of the righteous rested, but she did this not out of a sincere disposition of her heart, but rather out of curiosity. At that time, there was one noble woman in the temple, at whose request the holy relics of the righteous Simeon were completely revealed. The enemy of the human race always tries to catch the weak and wavering in his insidious nets; This ancient envier of people put doubt in Ksenia’s heart. At the sight of the naked relics, she not only did not pay worthy veneration to them, but even became disgusted with them and carelessly left the temple. Before she had time to walk even one mile from the city (she wanted to return to her place of residence), a terrible whirlwind suddenly arose. The wind raised a huge column of dust and fine sand, and all this dust fell on Ksenia and completely clogged her eyes. She could not see the light because of the sand, she began to rub her eyes - but it was all in vain. She screamed to her companions, but they did not hear her because of the whistle of the wind. Then she realized that the Lord had punished her for doubting. She began to call on the name of the righteous Simeon, and he immediately helped her: one companion approached her. Ksenia asked her to take her to the relics of the saint of God Simeon. On the way, she prayed all the time and asked the Lord to forgive her sin. Arriving at the temple with the firm hope of relief, Ksenia was not deceived in her expectations. As soon as she venerated the holy relics, she immediately received her sight. Righteous Simeon delivered her from her illness and at the same time from her disastrous doubt. “The prayer of a righteous man makes haste” means so much (James 5:16).
After the examination of the relics of the righteous Simeon once again in 1825, more new miracles followed, of which one is noteworthy, which happened in 1828. In the fall of this year in October, one of those who worked at the Kynovsky plant, Agapius Rachev, needed to go to the house located behind the factory pond . At this time on occasion heavy rains The floodgates on the dam were opened, and several boards were thrown for pedestrians. Rachev crossed safely. But he stayed in the house until evening, so he had to return at dusk. Having reached the dam, he began to choose a place to cross. Misled by the strong noise and deafening roar of the water falling down, he moved away from the place where the crossing was, and, thinking to quickly pass the dam, quickened his pace and suddenly fell into one of the most dangerous places in front of the dam, where there was more than three fathoms of depth. It is known that when the sluices are open, water presses against the passages with terrible force. Near one such passage, Rachev fell into the water. The danger was great; it seemed that nothing could save the fallen man. The uncontrollable pressure of the water carried him into the passage - he faced certain death. Finding himself in such a desperate situation, Agapius began to call upon St. for help. Nicholas and righteous Simeon, and his prayer was heard. Suddenly, without knowing how, he felt that one of the beams that supported the bridge was in his hands. Encouraged, he loudly began to call for help, but no one came. He screamed for a long time, and finally began to lose his strength. The beam he was holding onto was thick, and it was slimy. His hands began to go numb from the cold water. A few more minutes - and he had to release the beam and plunge into the water. Then he again began to pray internally and made a promise to go to Verkhoturye to venerate the holy relics of the righteous Simeon. The saint of God, the intercessor of those in troubles and sorrows, the helper of all who call on him, immediately provided Agapius with his wonderful help. Suddenly people came running and they pulled out the drowning man. Everyone was greatly surprised when Agapius told how he was saved from certain death by the patronage of the righteous Simeon.
Six years later, precisely in 1834, this glorious saint of God miraculously healed the son of the same Agapius, Matthew Rachev, from a serious illness. Appearing to the sick man during a period of oblivion, righteous Simeon reminded Matthew that he had an unfulfilled promise - to go to worship at the Verkhoturye Monastery, after which the sick man soon recovered and fulfilled his promise.
Not only residents Western Siberia received various help through the prayers of the saint. And outside Western Siberia, Saint Simeon marvelously demonstrated the power bestowed upon him by the All-Good and Almighty Lord. Thus, in 1844, a woman, Avdotya Parfenyeva, was healed in St. Petersburg.
Many other miracles were performed through the prayers of this holy saint of God. Intercession is given to all who call upon him with faith, salvation from fire, healing to the sick, hearing to the deaf, permission of the mouth to the dumb, liberation to the captives. And to this day various miracles continue to flow from the relics of this glorious saint of God through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be glory, praise and thanksgiving forever. Amen.
***
Prayer to the righteous Simeon, the Verkhoturye miracle worker:
- Prayer to the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye. Simeon of Verkhoturye (Merkushinsky) acquired his holiness in the world through prayers, hermitage, wandering, labors and helping people. Now, through the prayers of Saint Simeon of Verkhoturye, the Lord reveals gracious help, consolation, strengthening, admonition, healing of souls and bodies and deliverance from evil and unclean spirits. Through the prayers of the saint, distressed travelers receive deliverance from death. People especially often turn to the Verkhoturye Wonderworker with prayers for eye diseases and all kinds of paralysis (this is one of the first miracles from his relics)
Akathist to the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye:
Hagiographic and scientific-historical literature about the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye:
- Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye- Pravoslavie.Ru
- Righteous Simeon, Verkhoturye Wonderworker- Vladimir Blinov
- And the sky is getting closer... Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye- Orthodoxy and peace
- The Life and Miracles of the Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye- Russian saints
There are many icons in Christianity, but each of them has its own special meaning. The icon of Simeon of Verkhoturye is no exception. This is an image that is very important for our culture and for the memory of this saint.
This image helps people change their lives for the better, because the icon is full of positivity and true love The Lord, because Saint Simeon had a difficult life, which he decided to connect with God.
History and description of the icon
Naturally, the icon is connected with the one depicted on it. Simeon Verkhotursky received this name because he lived in Verkhotursky district - in Siberia. It was a rather unfavorable place to live, but not because most of the people remained devoted to the pagan gods. The problem was the climate and the callousness of the people. They were tough times, although political passions almost did not reach those edges.
No one knows about the origin of Saint Simeon, however, as Orthodox sources say, this man was very kind and was engaged in tailoring. It was good job in those days, and even in such parts, however, the man tried by any means to avoid receiving money. He was only happy with hospitality and food. The best payment for him was quite ordinary - the kindness and light of the soul of good people.
The time came when the temple of God was built in those parts. He prayed there day and night, spending all his time in solitude and peace. He died young, but no one knows why. He was buried and his righteous deeds were forgotten. In the place where Simeon of Verkhoturye was buried, half a century later his coffin miraculously rose from the ground. People coming to this place were healed of illnesses, received blessings, and felt the special energy emanating from the relics. No one remembered the name of the buried man, until one day the Metropolitan of the temple heard a voice during dreams, telling him about those relics that grant people salvation from illnesses. This is how people learned about Saint Simeon.
In those parts they also began to paint icons on which Simeon of Verkhoturye was depicted in full height or waist-deep, holding a holy scripture in his hand, or sitting by the water and fishing. According to sources, he really liked to fish in solitude and silence.
How does the icon of Simeon of Verkhoturye help?
This image helps people find comfort, peace, and heal the soul from wounds. Very often this icon is taken on trips, because Simeon did not have a home. He traveled and helped people. This is an excellent Orthodox amulet against any trouble on the road.
Celebration day icon
December 31 is the day of remembrance and veneration of the Siberian saint. On this day you need to be kind to everyone who asks you for help. Try to open your soul on such holidays. This saint taught us that in order to live a bright and bright life, we do not need to chase material wealth. It's enough just to help people.
Prayer before the icon
“Saint Simeon, drive out of us obscenity, anger and duplicity. Open our hearts so that we can let God into it and faith in the Holy Trinity. Help us to find love and loyalty to our Jesus Christ. Pray to God for us sinners, so that He will not turn away from us and remain with us forever and ever and let us into His Kingdom.”
Read this prayer whenever you lack love and light in your heart. You can feel the lack of goodness in your soul whenever sorrow fills it. This is the clearest evidence that you need to give up something that is displeasing to God.
This icon should be at home, because it can be taken with you as protection from troubles in long journey, in a trip . The icon will also be an excellent gift for your friends and family. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and
30.12.2017 05:14
Matrona of Moscow is one of the saints beloved and revered by Orthodox believers. Since birth she...
Most people love to travel, visit interesting places, see something unusual, meet new people. For the sake of fresh impressions, some travel great distances and climb to corners of the planet where humans rarely set foot.
But no matter how much a person chases impressions, sooner or later everything becomes boring, joy becomes less and less each time and, in the end, the moment comes when this amazing and diverse world seems boring, gray and uninteresting.
However, those who, having fallen in love with the road, have chosen the purpose of their trips to places where they can rest their souls - holy places, have a completely different view of the surrounding reality. These wise travelers never become satiated, because it is impossible to be satiated with grace.
I decided to follow their reasonable example and give my soul the only food it needed, to drink from the pure source of my father’s faith: to go to a wondrous, holy place. After praying, I went to visit the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye.
“His name was Senka”
This was a very long time ago - in the 16th century. Settled in the Siberian village of Merkushino in Verkhoturye district a strange man. His manners betrayed his noble origin, but he lived like a peasant: he ate simple food, slept, like all villagers, on the floor, and earned his own food by his labor. He didn’t have his own corner, but he knew the craft - he sewed fur coats. According to the tradition of that time, whoever he sheathed lived in his hut and ate what they gave him. For the Siberian side, tailoring is a profitable business, but this eccentric often, without finishing the work for some owners, moved on to stay with others.
Then it was wild, semi-pagan, people’s morals were simple. Oh, and Simeon got a lot of trouble from his angry owners! And they beat him and scolded him, and didn’t give him any money for his work. After all, most people thought that he was motivated by greed: in another house they promised more - so he left. Who could have imagined that the tailor does this precisely in order to avoid earthly reward for his work and to become even more humble? Simeon silently endured insults and beatings, without grumbling, without offense.
He didn’t look at the local girls: even though he was young for years, he didn’t start a family. However, he often talked with children, told them about Christ, instructed them in the true faith, and pure souls with childish simplicity absorbed the words of the righteous man.
When the wooden Archangel Michael Church was built in the village, Simeon began to spend many hours there, in the house of God. Simeon was often seen on the banks of the Tura River, where he sat for a long time with a fishing rod. And no one could even imagine, looking at the lonely figure of Simeon, that his heart was constantly talking with his beloved Lord...
He died young, having lived just over thirty years. Locals They buried him and forgot that he was like that. And fifty years later, the earth itself suddenly brought a coffin from its depths to the surface. Through the cracks of the plank lid, the villagers saw the incorruptible relics of the righteous man...
They rushed to remember who he was, what his name was - no one knows. This man led too secret a life. The whole world began to pray that the Lord, who had revealed the new saint to His people, would also reveal his name. After some time, Metropolitan Ignatius of Tobolsk, who was examining the newly revealed relics, heard a voice in a dream: “His name was Senka.” Glorified in Heaven, Simeon was finally glorified on earth.
Countless miracles and healings from the relics of the holy righteous Simeon occurred, both in those distant times and in our days. The remote Siberian village was flooded with pilgrims, and from that time to the present day, pilgrimage to these places has not stopped: believers go and go to the saint - some for help in everyday needs, some for healing, some for consolation in sorrows, and some, like me, wanting to touch the shrine with my soul and find peace.
Blessed Merkushino
The road along the Tura River is majestically beautiful: green meadows, hills, vast valleys and the dark greenery of impenetrable forests... But then, after the next bend of the blue ribbon, a sight appears that will take your breath away: gilded crosses burn brighter than the sun against the azure autumn sky domes of Merkushin churches. On the spot where the incorruptible relics were found, the St. Simeon Church rises, and next to it, connected to it by a bright gallery, is the temple in honor of the Archangel Michael. In the middle of the last century, this historical temple complex was destroyed, but in the 90s it was restored in all its former grandeur.
The largest temple - in honor of the Archangel Michael - is so spacious, and its vaults are so high that it seems as if it is woven from light. The dome goes far up, so that when you look up, you even feel dizzy. But the most amazing impression is made by the Divine services that take place within these walls: the extraordinary acoustics of the church gives the voices of the singers special sound. It is difficult to understand where the sound is born, because it fills the entire space, reaches the very dome and pours from somewhere in the sky.
In the ground floor of the Church of the Archangel Michael there is a temple-baptistery - of extraordinary beauty! Daylight does not penetrate there, so there is always twilight. The gilded iconostasis flickers mysteriously in the glow of the lamps. Impressive size The baptismal font is lined with mosaic patterns in the Byzantine style.
The throne of this temple is consecrated in honor of the holy martyr Constantine, who was shot in Merkushino during the times of the atheistic regime. It is surprising that the relics of this new martyr lay in the same marshy Siberian soil even longer than the relics of the righteous Simeon - eighty years - but when they were found, they also turned out to be incorruptible. Even the clothes of the murdered priest were untouched by time; his body did not become numb and bent. Truly blessed is the land of Merkushino, which at all times shows the world the holy saints of God!
No matter how many times I’ve been here, I can never stop admiring these places; my eyes desire, but can never hold, the grandeur of the temple complex in its pristine beauty; my heart aches when I look at the touchingly beautiful nature of these places.
First of all, I go to bow to the tomb of the holy righteous Simeon, drink water from healing spring, beating in the place where his coffin appeared on the surface of the earth. The Simeon Temple was built directly above the source. There are places from which you don’t want to leave, one of them is the tomb of the holy righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye: under the gentle gaze of the saint looking at you from the icon, you feel good and cozy, like at home. Now the tomb of the righteous Simeon is a small room lined with marble slabs with a spring in the middle, it is located directly under the altar of the Simeon Temple. Time moves here completely imperceptibly, and sometimes it seems as if it stops altogether, freezes and turns into eternity.
The relics themselves are not in the tomb. They are in the St. Nicholas Monastery, where they were solemnly transferred almost immediately after their discovery - in 1704. Having admired the places dear to my heart, I said goodbye to Merkushino and set off on a further journey to venerate the relics of the righteous. After all, if you didn’t see the owner, then how can you consider that you were visiting.
I had to make several stops along the way. The first is in the place of solitary prayers of the righteous Simeon, it is very close, ten kilometers from Merkushino. A stone has been preserved here, sitting on which the saint prayed and fished. In the 19th century, on this deserted shore there was a chapel in honor of the saint, which Soviet years dismantled, now in its place is a worship cross, and next to it is a wooden church in honor of All Siberian Saints, in which Divine services are regularly held. When I visit this place, for some reason it always seems as if the saint is still here invisibly. I want, like him, to sit on a stone near the river and sit motionless for a long, long time, thinking about and thanking the Creator for His incomprehensible mercy towards us, people. It arises in the soul living faith that through the prayers of His saint, God hears you and forgives you everything.
My next stop is connected with the name of another saint - Blessed Cosmas of Verkhoturye.
The Path of Blessed Cosmas
Soon after the relics of the holy righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye were discovered, they decided to move them to Verkhoturye, to a monastery, in order to facilitate access to them for numerous pilgrims. In a carved coffin lined with swan's down, the relics of the righteous man were carried from Merkushino to the St. Nicholas Verkhoturye Monastery with solemn chants and prayers.
Following the procession of the Cross, the holy fool Kosma crawled on his knees; he was crippled and could not move otherwise. When Kosma was exhausted, he turned to Saint Simeon as if he were alive, with simple words: “Brother, Simeon, let’s rest!” After this, no one could move the coffin with the relics, the procession stopped, and blessed Cosmas (also now glorified among the saints) rested, glorifying God and thanking his brother in Christ - Simeon. Later, at the sites of these stops, believers erected temples and chapels.
The road winds left and right, leaving forests and hills behind. But then, around the next turn, two suns shone in the sky again - it sparkles so brightly, reflecting sunlight, Cross of Christ on the onion head of a white stone church. This showed Svyato-Kosminskaya in all its glory men's deserts. In the 19th century, in memory of the next stop procession, who carried the relics of the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye, a church was built here.
Now there is a whole monastery on this place. The brethren live there according to the strict Athos charter, according to which passage into the desert territory is prohibited for worldly persons. Sometimes the brothers take into the archondarik (guest room) a reliquary with a particle of the relics of the blessed Cosmas himself. As soon as you cross the threshold of the archondarik, you feel an extraordinary spiritual joy, which intensifies when you come into contact with the shrine itself - the relics of Saint Cosmas. Who knows, maybe the blessed one consoles in this way those who follow his path and blesses them on their further journey? I would like to believe that this is so. Moreover, this joy does not leave the inspired soul for a long time.
Unfortunately, other shrines on the path of blessed Cosmas have not survived: they were destroyed in the last century, their restoration is slow.
Guardian of the Ural land
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do will he do also, and greater works than these will he do” (John 14:12).
These gospel words are the first to come to mind when you think about the numerous miracles and healings that occurred and continue to occur at the shrine containing the relics of the holy righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye. How many blind, lame, and crippled people the Lord helped during His earthly life! Miracles continue to this day. Now they are created in the name of Jesus Christ and His holy saints.
Simeon's days. Photo: Sisters.ru
Believers come to Verkhoturye from everywhere: some to ask for healing, some with gratitude for the help received. There are many known cases where healing occurred at a distance: a person with faith anointed the sore spot with oil from the relics of St. Simeon and received a complete recovery. Some then go to Verkhoturye to thank the Siberian miracle worker for his mercy.
But there are also many who go to their beloved saint simply to see him again, to pray, to stand in reverent silence under the huge arches of the majestic Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross, in which the relics rest. Usually believers stand for a long time - no one wants to leave...
Holy righteous Simeon reposed in the Lord more than three hundred years ago, but he did not leave Ural land, she was entrusted to him for safekeeping, as a faithful servant of Christ, until the Lord of the house comes.
Instead of a conclusion
People can wander around the world for a long time, do various important things, strive for something, look for something... But once they get into Holy place, as the soul is visited by the feeling that everything around is “vanity of vanities.” The soul freezes and, clinging to the shrine, meekly but firmly proclaims: “I found what I was looking for, I don’t need anything else.” And she will not let you go from here for a long time and then she will always ask you to go back to the place where she touched her. My soul fell in love with Verkhoturye and all those places that are associated with the name of the great saint of the Siberian land - the righteous Simeon. Come here too, and who knows, maybe this is where Heaven will become closer to you...
Righteous Simeon was born at the beginning of the 17th century in the European part of Russia into a family of pious nobles. He left honors and earthly wealth and retired beyond the Urals. Avoiding the bustle of the world, he settled in the village of Merkushino, fifty miles from Verkhoturye, and lived like a simple wanderer, hiding his origin.
The saint devoted himself to the thought of God and hermitic labors. He walked around the surrounding villages and hamlets or retired to the banks of the Tura River, setting everyone an example of pious life and firm faith. He sewed sheepskin coats and other items for free outerwear for the poor. At the same time, he deliberately left something unfinished, for which he suffered reproaches from customers. Saint Simeon loved the Ural nature, joyfully contemplating its majestic beauty, and raised his mental gaze to the Creator of the world. The saint loved to fish in solitude; this reminded him of the disciples of Christ, whose work he continued. With the help of God's grace, he awakened in the hearts of the Voguls, the indigenous inhabitants of this region, the desire for a virtuous life.
Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye reposed in 1642, when he was 35 years old. He was buried in the Merkushinsky graveyard at the Church of the Archangel Michael. 50 years after his death, they noticed that the coffin of the righteous man began to rise from the ground, and incorruptible remains were visible through the lid of the coffin.
Soon, numerous healings began to take place from the relics that appeared. Metropolitan Ignatius of Siberia sent people to examine the facts. One of them, Hierodeacon Nikifor Amvrosiev, prayed to God on the way and imperceptibly fell into a light slumber. Suddenly he saw in front of him a man in white clothes, middle-aged, his hair was light brown. He looked with a kind glance at Nikifor and at the latter’s question: “Who are you?” - the one who appeared answered: “I am Simeon Merkushinsky,” and became invisible. Metropolitan Ignatius, having become convinced of the incorruption of the relics of Saint Simeon, exclaimed: “I also testify that truly these are the relics of a righteous and virtuous person: in everything they are similar to the relics of the ancient saints. This righteous man is like Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, or Sergius of Radonezh, for he was honored by God with incorruptibility, like these lamps of the Orthodox faith.”
In 1694, a miraculous healing took place at the tomb of the righteous man. In Verkhoturye there lived a gunner named Ioann Grigoriev. A serious illness befell him: he was completely weakened and began to prepare for death. One day in a dream he heard a voice: “John, go to the village of Merkushino; order the priest of that church to sing a prayer service to the holy Archangel of God Michael, and at the emerging tomb to perform a requiem mass, and you will be healthy.” Waking up from sleep, John sent his son Stefan to the priest in the village of Merkushino. There, at the request of Stephen, a prayer service was performed to the holy Archangel Michael and a funeral service was held over the tomb of the righteous man. At this very time, in Verkhoturye, the relaxed John felt much better and was able to move independently.
On September 12, 1704, with the blessing of Metropolitan Philotheus of Tobolsk, the holy relics of the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye were transferred from the church in honor of the Archangel Michael to the Verkhoturye Monastery in the name of St. Nicholas. During the years of Soviet power, the relics were kept in anti-religious museums. On September 25, 1992, the bulk of the relics were transferred to the Verkhoturye St. Nicholas Monastery to the restored and newly consecrated Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross.
Simeon of Verkhoturye is revered as the heavenly patron of the Ural land. Through the prayers of Saint Simeon of Verkhoturye, the Lord reveals gracious help, comfort, strengthening, admonition, healing of souls and bodies and deliverance from evil and unclean spirits. People often turn to the miracle worker with prayers for eye diseases and paralysis.
Troparion to the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye
Fleeing worldly rebellion, you turned all your desire to God, / so that in visions of the sunrise you found grief, / by no means deviating into the wickedness of the heart, / but having purified your soul and body, you received the grace to sharpen the healing of the faithful and the unfaithful, flowing to you, righteous Simeon. / Moreover, according to the gift given to you, ask Christ God for healing for us who are sick with spiritual passions, / and pray to save our souls.
Kontakion to the Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye
Thou hast rejected the vanity of the world, so that thou mayest inherit the blessings of eternal life,/ having loved kindness and purity of soul and body./ Thou hast gained what thou hast loved, for the tomb and incorruption of thy relics, and especially the grace of miracle-working, testify to this./ Sharpen the healing of all who come to thee. and the unenlightened, blessed Simeon, wonder-working wonder.
Prayer to the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye
O holy and righteous Simeon, with your pure soul you may dwell in the heavenly abodes in the face of the saints, while remaining everlastingly with us on earth! According to this grace from the Lord, pray for us, mercifully look upon us, many sinners, even if we are unworthy, but flowing to you with faith and hope, and ask us from God for forgiveness of our sins, we fall into misfortune in multitudes all the days of our life. And just as before, to those who suffered from green illnesses, they were able to heal their eyes, to those who were near death, healing from severe ailments, and to others, you bestowed many other glorious benefits: deliver us from mental and physical ailments and from all sorrow and sorrow , and all that is good for our present life and for eternal salvation Ask for what is beneficial to us from the Lord, so that through your intercession and prayers we have acquired everything useful to us, even if we are unworthy, praising you with gratitude, let us glorify God, wondrous in His saints, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy and righteous Father Simeon, pray to God for us!
Simeon Verkhotursky (his worldly name is not known) was born around 1607 into a noble boyar family. After the death of his parents, he, disdaining all worldly honors and earthly wealth, left Russia beyond the Urals and arrived in the Verkhoturye region. But, avoiding the bustle of the world, he did not settle in the city of Verkhoturye itself, then known as a shopping center, but chose to live in the small village of Merkushino (about 53 km from Verkhoturye). There Simeon lived as a simple wanderer, hiding his noble origins.
http://radioblago.ru/arc/GrajdaneNeba/jitiya/sep/25sep/25-sent.prp.Simeon-Verhoturskii-1-arpgg2bh64o.mp3The very nature of those places disposed Simeon to the thought of God and hermitic labors. Majestic cedars, huge spruce trees, dense forests, beautiful valleys, and towering rocky cliffs attracted the ascetic. He did not live in the village permanently, but often wandered through the surrounding villages and hamlets or retired to the banks of the Tura River, ten miles from Merkushin, and engaged in fishing and prayerful conversations with God.
In winter, Simeon sewed fur coats, however, in his humility, he was distinguished by complete non-covetousness. Sewing fur coats, he lived in peasant houses. Often, he had to experience various inconveniences and hardships, but he endured everything, glorifying and thanking the Lord. Often, when his work was nearing completion, he would suddenly disappear in order to evade payment for his work.
Saint Simeon constantly visited the Merkushinsky wooden church in the name of the Archangel Michael of God.
Saint Simeon prayed a lot for the newly enlightened inhabitants of Siberia to be strengthened in their faith. The ascetic combined his prayer with the feat of kneeling on a stone in the dense taiga.
The blessed death of the holy man followed amid great feats of fasting and prayer. He died in 1642, when he was only 35 years old, and was buried in the Merkushinsky churchyard, near the temple of the Archangel Michael. Such an early death resulted from his excessive abstinence and fasting.
Little information has reached us about the life of Simeon of Verkhoturye, but most clearly they speak of the pious life of holy healing, which has flowed in an abundant stream from his relics for more than 300 years.
Humble during his life, Simeon did not like human glorification and avoided the glory of this vain world. Therefore, the memory of him had already begun to disappear, but God did not want the one who left everything earthly for His sake to be forgotten on earth.
The Lord glorified His saint 50 years after the death of the saint. In 1692, residents of the village of Merkushino miraculously found the revealed incorruptible body of a righteous man, whose name they had forgotten (the coffin of Simeon of Verkhoturye rose from the grave, so that his remains became visible in it). Soon, numerous healings began to take place from the relics that appeared. A paralyzed man was healed, and other healings followed. The incorruption of the relics of the righteous Simeon and the abundance of miracles that resulted from them convinced the Merkush residents, as well as the surrounding residents, of the righteousness and holiness of the man buried in the tomb that miraculously emerged from the ground.
Metropolitan Ignatius of Siberia (Rimsky-Korsakov, 1692-1700) sent people to examine the facts. One of them, Hierodeacon Nikifor Amvrosiev, prayed to God on the way and imperceptibly fell into a light slumber. Suddenly he saw in front of him a man in white clothes, middle-aged, his hair was light brown. He looked with a kind glance at Nikifor and at the latter’s question: “ Who are you?" - the one who appeared answered: " I'm Simeon Merkushinsky" - and became invisible.
IN " The Iconographic Original” under April 16 reads: “Holy and righteous Simeon of Merkushinsky and Verkhoturye, who is the new miracle worker in Siberia; the likeness of Rus, brad and hair on the head like Kozma the Unmercenary; the vestments on him are simple, Russian».
Metropolitan Ignatius, having become convinced of the incorruption of the relics of Saint Simeon, exclaimed: “ I also testify that these are truly the relics of a righteous and virtuous person: in everything they are similar to the relics of the ancient saints. This righteous man is like Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, or Sergius of Radonezh, for he was honored by God with incorruptibility, like these lamps of the Orthodox faith».
And now, through the prayers of Saint Simeon of Verkhoturye, the Lord shows gracious help, consolation, strengthening, admonition, healing of souls and bodies and deliverance from evil and unclean spirits. Through the prayers of the saint, distressed travelers receive deliverance from death. Siberians especially often turn to the Verkhoturye miracle worker with prayers for eye diseases and all kinds of paralysis.
September 12, 1704 solemnly and with appropriate reverence the transfer of the holy relics of the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye from the temple in honor of the Archangel Michael to the Verkhoturye monastery in the name of St. Nicholas was carried out. The memory of this event is still celebrated today. Initially, the relics rested in a wooden, and then in a copper, silver-plated, carved reliquary. After the relics were transferred to Verkhoturye, miracles began to flow from the righteous shrine with renewed vigor. Righteous Simeon was a free healer even of people who had never heard of his glorification.
In 1846, a new silver shrine was built for the relics of the saint.
Reliquary with the relics of the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye in the St. Nicholas Church of the St. Nicholas Monastery. Verkhoturye (1909)
Thanks to the numerous miraculous healings flowing from the relics of the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye, the rumor about this saint of God spread more and more. His name became known far beyond Verkhoturye. Many pilgrims flocked to the St. Nicholas Monastery to venerate the holy remains of the righteous man and to make their contribution to the benefit of the monastery. Thus, the number of pilgrims who were attracted to the monastery by the relics of the saint reached 60,000 people a year at the beginning of the 20th century. In connection with this, in 1913, a Holy Cross Cathedral, designed for 8-10 thousand people, into which in 1914 the holy relics of the righteous Simeon were solemnly transferred from the St. Nicholas Church.
Procession with the relics of the righteous Simeon on May 27, 1914
A new canopy over the silver shrine, in which the honorable relics of the holy righteous Simeon rested, was built by the support of Emperor Nicholas II and his August family and donated to the Verkhoturye Nicholas Monastery in 1914. It was all gilded to resemble old gold, had chased decorations and many icons.
In 1926, the St. Nicholas Monastery was closed (its premises were used as a colony for minors), all church valuables, including a silver shrine and canopy, were confiscated by the authorities, and the holy relics were blasphemously opened and transferred to the Nizhny Tagil Museum of Local History. The Orthodox people have not forgotten the righteous Simeon. He went to him to worship at the museum, paying for tickets of any cost, whatever was required. Thus, the “new owners” began to receive income from the relics of the righteous. When direct pilgrimage to the museum began, they were removed from the exhibition and in 1935 taken to Sverdlovsk. So the remains of a righteous man, more than 200 years old former subject reverent admiration and bringing mental and physical healing to people, began to be demonstrated in the Sverdlovsk Museum of Atheism, which was located in Yekaterinburg in the Ipatiev House (the place of execution Royal Family). The relics of righteous Simeon were kept in the Ipatiev House until 1946. Then the relics were hidden in the vaults of the Regional historical museum in Green Grove, which was located in the building of the former Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (now reopened), where they miraculously survived to this day. During the years of Soviet power, the issue of destroying the relics or burying them was considered several times, but despite this, the shrine was preserved.
Now the holy relics of righteous Simeon have been returned to the Orthodox Church. On September 22, 1992, they were solemnly transferred to the restored Holy Cross Cathedral reborn Verkhotursky St. Nicholas Monastery, where those reverently revered by Orthodox Christians now rest.
The Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross is the third largest church in Russia, second only to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow and St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg
Relics of the holy righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye
From the relics of the righteous, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, various miracles and healings still continue to flow.
Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye is considered the spiritual patron of the Urals and Siberia. His memory is accomplished: December 18/31(day of glorification), September 12/25(first transfer of relics), May 12/25(second transfer of relics), January 29/February 11(Cathedral of Ekaterinburg Saints) and June 10/23(Cathedral of Siberian Saints).
Troparion to the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye, tone 4
Fleeing worldly rebellion, you turned all your desire to God, / so that in visions of the sunrise you found grief, / by no means deviating into the wickedness of the heart, / but having purified your soul and body, you received the grace to sharpen the healing of the faithful and the unfaithful, flowing to you, righteous Simeon. / Moreover, according to the gift given to you, ask Christ God for healing for us who are sick with spiritual passions, / and pray to save our souls.
Kontakion to the Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye, tone 2
Thou hast rejected the vanity of the world, so that thou mayest inherit the blessings of eternal life,/ having loved kindness and purity of soul and body./ Thou hast gained what thou hast loved, for the tomb and incorruption of thy relics, and especially the grace of miracle-working, testify to this./ Sharpen the healing of all who come to thee. and the unenlightened, blessed Simeon, wonder-working wonder.
Prayer to the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye
O holy and righteous Simeon, with your pure soul you may dwell in the heavenly abodes in the face of the saints, while remaining everlastingly with us on earth! According to this grace from the Lord, pray for us, mercifully look upon us, many sinners, even if unworthy, but flowing to you with faith and hope, and ask us from God for forgiveness of our sins, in which we fall in multitudes all the days of our life. And just as before, to those who suffered from green illnesses, they were able to heal their eyes, to those who were near death, healing from severe ailments, and to others, you bestowed many other glorious benefits: deliver us from mental and physical ailments and from all sorrow and sorrow , and all that is good for our present life and for eternal salvation that is beneficial to us from the Lord, ask, so that by your intercession and prayers we have acquired all that is useful to us, even if we are unworthy, gratefully praising you, let us glorify God, wondrous in His saints, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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