Holy noble Prince Alexander Nevsky and after his death, as during his lifetime, he remained a tireless defender of the Russian state; in the most difficult times of trial, which, by the will of Providence, our homeland was subjected to, the great warrior of the Russian land graciously took it under his heavenly cover at all times, invisibly helping the Orthodox Russian army in the fight against wicked enemies.
One hundred and seventeen years later, after the death of the faithful prince Alexander, in the reign of his great-grandson, Grand Duke Demetrius, Russia was threatened with the same ruin from the godless Tatars, which befell her, by the permission of God, during the time of the cursed Batu. The new powerful ruler of the Golden Horde - Mamai, angry with the Grand Duke Demetrius, gathered huge hordes of Tatars and moved with them to the long-suffering Russia, intending, like Batu, to sweep like a hurricane throughout the Russian land and roughly punish the rebellious Demetrius. But the Lord heeded the repentance of His people and the intercession of St. Alexander Nevsky and put to shame the pride of the wicked Mamai. Grand Duke Demetrius, together with other Russian princes, went out to meet the enemy and on Saturday, September 8, 1380, the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Russian Orthodox army won a complete victory over the myriad hordes of impious Tatars. The battle took place on the banks of the Don, and therefore the Grand Duke Demetrius, like St. Alexander Nevsky, received the nickname - Donskoy.
This victory was preceded by the following miracle. The sexton, who reverently served at the monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God, was honored with a wonderful vision: at night, on the eve of the battle with Mamai, he stood in prayer in the church narthex, and with tears prayed to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother for deliverance from the aliens, calling for help from the knight of Nevsky representative and protector of his people. Suddenly, he sees: at the tomb of St. Alexander lit candles by themselves, two godly elders left the altar and, approaching the tomb of St. warrior, they said: “Prince Alexandra! rise up and help your great-grandson Dimitri, who is being overcome by aliens. " And lo and behold! St. Alexander rose as if alive from the grave and all three disappeared from the astonished gaze of the embarrassed minister of the church. In the morning, with the help of St. Alexandra, the victory over the enemies was complete. Meanwhile, the sexton, who was honored with a miraculous vision, notified the brethren of the monastery and the metropolitan of what he had seen and heard on the night before the glorious victory won by Dimitri Donskoy over the hordes of Mamai. The Metropolitan came from Moscow to Vladimir and ordered to excavate the place where the body of the noble prince was buried; when they dug up and opened the tomb, they saw that the body of the saint of God remained incorrupt after one hundred and seventeen years in the earth. The incorruptible relics of St. Alexander was opened in a shrine, in the temple of the Mother of God, and at the same time many different miracles and healings began to flow from them. Many blind people received their sight, the lame were healed, the weakened and tormented by demons were strengthened, freed from their tormentors, after fervent prayer for them to God, before St. relics of the blessed prince. The first to be healed were two blind women; with a contrite heart, they prayed to the Grand Duke to ask forgiveness for them from the Lord God, who never rejects the prayers of the righteous, and through prayer they received their sight. Then the lame man, who had had a dry leg for many years and had sought in vain for human help, as soon as he turned with a warm prayer to the blessed prince, immediately, in front of everyone present, got up on both feet and began to walk, glorifying God and His saint, St. Alexander Nevsky. Another, relaxed with his hands and feet, after the priest's prayer for him and sprinkling with holy water from the relics of the blessed prince, felt the same strength in all his members. Two monks of the monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God also received prompt healing from the ailments that tormented them, as soon as they cried out with faith to the prince-monk. One of them suffered from the relaxation of the whole body for many years, and the other, by the name of David, was possessed with such a severe illness that he was already on his deathbed. The sons of the boyars - Istoma Golovnin and Simeon Zabelin, being brought to the saint's shrine, also received healing; the first was already with faint signs of life, and the second was completely motionless from the strong relaxation of the limbs. Those who flowed to the shrine of the holy saint of God were healed not from only bodily ailments with faith and prayer. One of those who lived in the monastery, by the name of Terenty, and two peasants from the surrounding villages were possessed by an unclean spirit and, raging, screamed so terribly that they terrified those around them; but as soon as those possessed by an evil ailment approached the holy relics, they immediately got rid of the fierce demon that was tormenting them and, in full mind, returned to their homes, glorifying the saint of God.
In 1491, on Monday May 23rd, Vladimir suffered a terrible fire for the sins of the people who lived there. At dawn of this day, many saw a sign from the blessed prince, proclaiming the wrath of God and calling people to repentance. Above the church head of the monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God, where the holy prince rested, a light cloud appeared, white as frost, and inside it was the likeness of the knight of Nevsky, ascending to the sky. This vision horrified the whole city and bells began to ring in all the churches. At noon, a terrible fire broke out, destroying the entire city with all its villages; the monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God has not survived either. Citizens of the city, clergy and laity, seized with horror, flocked in multitudes to the monastery church, taking there their property, which anyone had managed to seize; however, by the permission of God, the terrible flame of the fire penetrated into the church, and it burned down with all the people who were in it. But the Lord, who preserves, according to the words of the psalm, all the bones of the righteous (Psalm 33, 21), and here showed His miraculous sign. The miraculous relics of the blessed prince remained intact and even the shroud that was inside the shrine remained intact.
In 1552, the pious Tsar John Vasilyevich went to conquer the Kazan kingdom; on the way he stopped in Vladimir to ask God, from the relics of his blessed ancestor, a blessing for a new feat against the Tatars; and the Nevsky Knight showed him a sign of his favor. He healed one of the companions accompanying the Moscow tsar, named Arkady, who later wrote the life of the holy prince Alexander Nevsky. Arkady had an ulcer on his finger. During congregational prayer at the shrine of St. Prince Arkady noticed a small hole in the church platform and put his sore finger into it; lowering the finger into the well, the patient felt as if he was wetting him in some kind of fragrant ointment like myrrh, after which the finger stopped hurting; Taking his finger out of the well, Arkady did not find an ulcer or even a scab on the healed place. The moved tsar saw in the miraculous healing of his servant an omen of victory over the enemies, and after the conquest of the Kazan kingdom, he commanded to publicly honor and glorify the holy champion of the Russian land, for which he ordered, on the advice of the Metropolitan of All Russia Makaniy, to write him a service and describe in detail the life and miracles of the saint of God Alexander in edification and consolation of all the Russian land that he once saved.
In 1571, during the invasion of Moscow by the Crimean hin Devlet Gireya, the holy prince rendered his gracious help to the same Ioann Vasilievich, similar to that which was rendered to them to his relative Demetrius Donskoy against the impious Mamai. One pious monk named Anthony, who spent many years of fasting life in the monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God, once was honored with a wonderful vision. At night he stayed awake in his cell and prayed to the Climbed Voevoda of the Forces of Heaven and the glorious knight of Nevsky that They would come to the aid of the sovereign tsar and grant him victory over impious enemies. Suddenly, enraptured by the spirit, a humble monk sees himself at the gates of the monastery, where two radiant horsemen were rapidly approaching, sitting on horses. Having looked closely at the wonderful horsemen, Anthony, being well acquainted with the icon of the martyrs, recognizes in them the faithful princes Boris and Gleb by the similarity of the faces of the horsemen with the images on the icon. Leaving their horses at the gates of the monastery, they went to the church where Saint Alexander rested. Following them, the pious monk rushed to the church. And he sees: the doors of the temple opened by themselves and at the shrine of St. Alexander's candles were lit. The radiant youths, turning to the shrine of the blessed prince, said: “Rise, brother Alexandra! Let's hurry to the aid of our kinsman Tsar John, who is now facing war with foreigners, ”and immediately the miracle worker arose from his grave. Then all three left the temple. At the gate of the monastery stood, although no one was holding them, three horses. White as snow and armed as if to fight. The monk watched with bated breath what would happen next. Sitting on their war horses, the holy knights said: "Let's go to the Most Holy Theotokos, to her cathedral church, to our relatives, our great princes Andrei, Vsevolod, George and Yaroslav, so that they will move with us to help." Having said this, they rushed to the cathedral church of the Ever-Virgin Mary. The monk hurriedly, as best he could, followed them. First of all, Vsevolod the Great rose from the grave, and then the other three Grand Dukes left their graves. Now there were already seven holy knights, and for all of them there were ready-made horses at the church gates. Sitting on their horses, they all rushed high over the city wall in the direction where the city of Rostov stood. The last words uttered by the holy knights and reaching the ears of the humble monk Anthony were: "Let's go to Rostov, to our supporter Tsarevich of Horde Peter, and he will help us with us on the godless Hagarians to our kinsman Tsar John." With these words, they all disappeared from the astonished gaze of the monk. On that day, innumerable hosts of godless Tatars left Moscow and, pursued by the holy relatives of the sovereign tsar, disappeared without a trace.
In 1572, one of the citizens of the city of Vladimir named Theodulus, who had suffered for a long time from the torment of an unclean spirit that had taken possession of the unfortunate man, was brought to the gates of the monastery, where St. Alexander, and immediately received healing from an evil affliction. A blind woman, brought from the suburban village of Krasnoye, regained her sight at the saint's shrine. A relaxed woman was brought from the Vladimirsky posad and laid on the steps of the holy prince's shrine. The patient from the depths of her heart cried out to the saint of God, asking him for healing. The sufferer saw with the spiritual eyes of the holy prince, who appeared to her and, taking her hand, ordered her to get up and walk. Relaxed, she got up and returned to her house completely healthy, glorifying the saint of God, who is giving an ambulance to everyone who flows to him with faith and warm prayer.
One Sunday, during the morning service, a blind man who lived in Vladimir, named David, stood at the relics of the holy prince and prayed fervently. Suddenly, while reading the Gospel, the blind man saw an extraordinary light, and by sprinkling it with holy water he fully received his sight.
The last miracle that flowed from the relics of the holy prince, as a testimony to the fact that the grace of God does not deplete in the body of the saint, is listed in his life as occurred on March 10, 1700. A peasant of the Vladimir district. from the monastery village of Ugryumova, by the name of Afanasy Nikitin, suddenly lost his mind, so that he did not recognize any of his relatives and friends, and for several days he did not eat or drink anything. And then one day I saw a sick prince who told him to go to his grave on Sunday, where he would grant him healing. He believed the sick saint of God and, having come to himself for a minute, began to ask his relatives to take him to the monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God. No sooner had the sick man approached the saint's cancer, than he had already received perfect healing: in full reason, with a tender heart, he fell to the holy relics and, with tears of joy in his eyes, praised the great miracle worker.
But now the time has come for an even greater glorification of the hero of Nevsky. Emperor Peter the Great, after twenty years of war with the Swedes, which took place in those places where his blessed ancestor, Alexander Nevsky, once fought with glory against them, laid a new capital on the banks of the Neva, calling it after his angel St. the apostle Peter. Having concluded a glorious and long-desired peace with the Swedes, the emperor had a zealous desire to commemorate this world with a celebration in memory and glorification of the ancient conqueror of the Swedes on the banks of the Neva. He expressed a desire to consecrate the new capital he was building and in it the monastic lavra dedicated to the name of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky by transferring the miraculous relics of St. prince from Vladimir to Petersburg. In consultation with the Holy Synod, the emperor ordered to arrange a magnificent shrine and prepare everything needed for the solemn transfer of the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky. In 1724 a solemn procession moved north from the ancient monastery of Vladimir; to Novgorod the Great - the ancient homeland of St. prince - church clergymen carried his relics in their arms. Here, the imperishable prince was placed in a richly decorated boat and, down the Volkhov, continued the procession, as in those days when he fought within the borders of that country. On the river Neva, the emperor himself met the knight of the Neva and transferred St. his relics on a magnificent galley. The procession continued further, the emperor himself ruled the wheel, and his dignitaries sat by the oars; the choir of singers throughout the entire journey did not stop singing sacred hymns in honor of the saint of God. Archbishop Theodosius of Novgorod, members of the Holy Synod and the entire consecrated cathedral greeted the relics of St. prince and with their own hands brought the shrine with the imperishable remains of the saint into the church dedicated to the name of St. Alexandra. The solemn transfer of the relics of St. Alexander happened on the 30th day of August, and since then this day has been chosen for the annual celebration of this event and the administration of the service of God, in the presence of the August persons of the Reigning House. In 1753, the pious daughter of Peter the Great, Empress Elizabeth, arranged for the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky, a magnificent shrine made of the first silver mined during her reign. And in 1790, at the request of Empress Catherine the Great, the relics of St. the faithful prince were solemnly transferred to the new majestic cathedral, built by the empress in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where they remain to this day.
Finishing our story about the arduous, light, immaculate life of the holy blessed prince Alexander Nevsky, about the glorious miracles from his holy relics that have expired and about the gracious help that he constantly renders to the Russian state, sweating with clean lips, from an immaculate heart to give praise to the blessed prince and exclaim in the words of the Orthodox Church: “The precious branch of the sacred root, blessed Alexander, Christ showed you to the Russian land, as a kind of divine treasure, as a new miracle worker, glorious and God-favorable. You invisibly visit the people of Christ and generously give healings to all who earnestly come to you and cry with one accord: Rejoice, pillar of light, enlightening us with the lordship of miracles! Rejoice, who conquered with the help of God, the proud king! Rejoice, who liberated the city of Pskov from the infidels! Rejoice, expeller of dark passions! Rejoice, defender of the Russian land! Pray to the Lord, who has given you grace, to make the power of your relatives God-pleasing and to grant salvation to the sons of Russia ”(Ikos and Troparion from the service on November 23, based on the old-printed Menaion of 1652).
One of the student groups of St. Petersburg State University was to take an exam on the history of Ancient Russia to its curator. Professor Nikolai Petrovich Orlov suggested visiting the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra instead of one of the consultations.
The white night of June seemed to go around the unspeakable beauty of Northern Palmyra and the pearls of the suburbs. Like the final chord of this silent symphony, a lightning thunder burst into the Olympic calmness of architecture. Ample drops of urgent rain washed away the dusty legacy of the bygone day with delightful ease. The clouds have lightened. Intricate clouds modestly parted. The persistent luminary saw the light in a blink of an eye and with a broad gesture threw the first gentle rays on the wondrous city of Peter the Great. The line of Nevsky Prospekt from the Admiralty Trident of the main streets to the Lavra charmed the fresh day.
The charming blonde gave the audience a fascinating excursion, which was imperceptibly captured by players in sound recording mode, as well as much more bulky dictaphones. As if alive, the heroic life of our glorious ancestors appeared in the faces. It was hard to believe that these were "things of bygone days." And, of course, the legendary Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky was in the focus of the artistic narration. Six months ago, he won the mass vote "Name of Russia" and may well be called its symbol.
Dmitry Alexandrov immediately handed over his switched on player to Pyotr Ivanov, a bandmate, and he never left the holy relics. The tense muscles of the concentrated face expressed extraordinary effort. He quickly wrote down something in a notebook in Old Church Slavonic. I did not pay any attention to the curious glances of numerous strangers.
The excursion ended long ago. The students dispersed. Peter returned the recording device to his friend, and Dmitry even forgot to turn it off. The puzzled questions of the obviously offended Peter remained rhetorical. He left silently, in English. The notes in the notebook ended in the afternoon. Only now their author turned on the playback and listened to the beginning. He sat down on a chair, wondering whether to move along the proposed route of the excursion himself. But soon the already familiar blonde came along with the audience, who immediately surrounded her. An unknown force made the student forget about hunger and join them. But the story seemed to bounce off the ears. I had to turn on the recording again. The conscientious player has taken on the auditory burden. But the eyes tirelessly absorbed the sea of passing impressions ...
Only in the evening at home was it possible to combine lunch with dinner. Dmitry found an old film "Alexander Nevsky" on the Internet. I listened to and watched all the recordings. I felt that I was completely immersed in a distant unforgettable era. It is not surprising that it was she who immediately dreamed in the faces ...
And in the morning, a rare luck smiled. At the exam, I had a chance to pull out the only coveted ticket, the main thing in which, in one way or another, related to the era and affairs of Alexander Nevsky, as well as their historical significance. Preparing for an answer seemed unnecessary. And the professor highly appreciated such efficiency and happily invited Dmitry. Aleksandrov briefly named the well-known events of the surprisingly eventful fateful years of Ancient Russia. And the discussion turned out a little later, when it came to criticism of the well-known shadow sides, which, of course, also met at the Holy Prince. He suppressed quite numerous uprisings of his subjects, favorably received papal ambassadors, and traveled (once, perhaps with a complaint against his brother Andrei) to the Big Horde and Karakorum. The professor, as usual, decided to sharpen the dialogue:
- Doesn't the suppression of uprisings testify to the cruelty of Alexander Nevsky?
- Constantly wartime. Tatar-Mongol invasion. The beginning of the yoke. Almost continuous raids from the German knights, Swedes, Finns, Norwegians. It was required at all costs to unite the scattered appanage principalities and gather all forces into a fist with a single will. The question was about the life or death of the people. In the name of preserving the whole, a part had to be sacrificed (by those who actually prevented Russia from being saved). There was simply no other way. And if the situation allowed, then the prince showed gentleness to his subjects. For example, in the fall of 1262, he did not interfere in the course of popular uprisings against the Tatar Baskaks, who were sent by Khan Khubilai. This was the case in Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Kostroma and Veliky Ustyug.
- And the favorable reception of the papal ambassadors - isn't it a betrayal of the Orthodox faith?
- Of course not. Diplomacy. Interfaith communication is normal. It is essential to add: the prince initially believed that the Pope would curb the Western aggressors, and only later did he learn that he had blessed their invasions. In addition, there was hope for help against the Mongol-Tatars. But then three important circumstances emerged:
1. The Mongol-Tatars were then so strong that the path of war, even with the real possible help of potential allies, did not promise success.
2. The Mongol-Tatars were content with the tribute and vassal position of Russia, without capturing it, and without interfering with its people to preserve their national and religious identity.
3. The crusaders were invaders, moreover, they sought to convert the population to the Catholic faith.
- Did not the prince of Russia betray his brother Andrei with his trips to the Big Horde and Karakorum with his complaint there against him?
- Alexander saw the then power of the Mongol-Tatars and consistently pacified them. He won precious time, saved the people and gave them the opportunity to unite and gather strength for a decisive battle. He understood that he himself would not live to see him, and counted on descendants. On the last trip, he literally begged Rus from the Mongol-Tatar recruitment of recruits. The chronicles are silent about the complaint against brother Andrei, only Tatishchev expressed a lonely hypothesis. Rather, there was a planned campaign of the Mongol-Tatars against the rebellious principality, which they knew about the insubordination long before the corresponding trip of Alexander.
- But maybe the affairs of such "bygone days" have become the property of the past and have no practical significance?
“It is precisely these lessons of history that are extremely instructive, surprisingly modern, and, possibly, extend into the future as well. Western gentiles have repeatedly tried to seize the Russian land. If we restrict ourselves to the last centuries, then these are the invasions of the Swedes in the 18th, Napoleon in the 19th, Kaiser and Hitlerite Germany in the 20th. The latter is exactly 700 years later, if we take into account the multiplicity of old raids and its duration. There are also geographical coincidences such as the long-term occupation of Pskov. As for the attacks from the east, we can also recall Khasan and Khalkhin-Gol after 700 years. The future is, of course, vague. However, it is more than naive to seriously hope that the history of the seizures is over. It is necessary to preserve the unity of the people as the apple of an eye, build up strength and, relying on it, pursue a skillful domestic and foreign policy. In this and in battles, the immortal experience of Alexander Nevsky is priceless. It is no coincidence that the order named after him is, as far as I know, the only one that coincides in essence with the name in the Russian Empire, the USSR and the Russian Federation.
- Fine! And such answers are impromptu, without preparation for them! True, it seems to me, Dima, that in your knowledge you go beyond the chronicles, publications known to me and my lectures, but you are clearly not saying something ...
- You are right, Nikolai Petrovich. However, I do not dare. I am afraid that you will not believe me, just laugh and make me "the talk of the town."
- Well, what are you, Dima! Why would I treat my best student like that? In addition, as I dare to hope, a special, sincere, trusting relationship has developed between us.
- I believe you, Nikolai Petrovich! Only, if possible, promise that you yourself will not tell anyone else about it without my knowledge!
- Of course, Dima, I agree! You intrigued me so ...
- All the same, for some reason, the language does not turn. However, it is not in vain that you have undertaken the obligation to keep the secret! I see a way out. Try to look at the contents of this notebook.
The professor was so deep in notes that he forgot about the exam. I quickly scanned them with my eyes and confidently declared:
- These are the words of Alexander Nevsky himself! And thoughts, and vocabulary, and language. To be sure, I want to send it for examination to the Institute of Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Pushkin House). Whose handwriting?
- My.
- Then, as we promised, we will not betray you. Here's my laptop. Sit down at the last table by the window, type in all this Old Slavonic text and save it in the Chronicle folder under the name Alexander Nevsky. As an examiner, I have the right to give you an additional task!
The professor put aside the open grade book of Dmitry Alexandrov and decided to refrain from the obvious assessment for now, so as not to arouse suspicion on the part of the rest of the students. He interviewed them all one by one, put marks, went out into the corridor, congratulated them on their successful delivery, wished them further success in the session, and also a happy journey home. The question about Dima was on the lips of each of them, but no one dared. Of course, everyone noticed that he was with them for a short time in the Lavra. And Peter never betrayed his friend ...
In the meantime, Dmitry completed the work. I returned the laptop with the saved file to the professor. Received a legal grade of "excellent". Both in high spirits went home. The student rejoiced both at her and at the fact that he managed to keep the secret of the origin of the notes in the notebook and at the same time make them the property of the scientific community. And Nikolai Petrovich was anticipating how leisurely he would read the priceless text, enjoying the genuine speech of the legendary prince. Both with a rare feeling of anxious hope awaited exactly how they would react to such news at the Institute of Russian Literature.
The professor spent a sleepless night for a fascinating lesson. I was finally convinced that such a thing cannot be invented. In the morning I called the director of the institute and told about the wonderful find. He asked to immediately send it by e-mail. After a couple of weeks, the examination fully confirmed the opinion of Nikolai Petrovich. He immediately happily informed the rector of the university and Dmitry about this. All four of them met in the director's office, and the student himself decided to reveal a terrible secret. The prince's speech was formalized as an oral tradition, which was recorded by Aleksandrov. We agreed on his reports at meetings of the academic councils of both institutions. They noted that the miracles of Alexander Nevsky and the transmission of the thoughts of Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov through his last wife Elena Sergeevna are known. We decided to establish a scholarship named after the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky for Dmitry.
After graduating from the university with honors, Aleksandrov received a referral to the position of a junior research fellow at the Institute of Russian Literature. Concurrently appointed Assistant to the Department of Old Russian Literature at St. Petersburg State University. After successfully passing the entrance exams, he was enrolled as a graduate student of this department. Three years later, under the guidance of Nikolai Petrovich, he defended his candidate's dissertation, and five years later - his doctoral dissertation. Soon he became a professor of the department and chief research fellow of the institute.
However, it remained unclear why it was Dmitry who heard the speech of Alexander Nevsky. As a result of many years of searching, it was possible to find out that Aleksandrov is a direct descendant of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke. He learned from his great ancestor a lot of hitherto unknown and subsequently created and headed the Alexander Nevsky Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Near the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra ...
The life and exploits of the faithful prince Alexander Nevsky may seem to have been set out quite fully. Many works of both ecclesiastical and secular nature have already been written about the holy prince, but, nevertheless, his personality will always attract attention. Alexander Nevsky at all times has been an example for many generations of citizens of our country. His earthly life makes one think not only about the role of morality in politics, which is relevant for today, but also about how a person can serve God in the title in which he is called. As for his policy, we can say that it created the most optimal model for its time in relations between Russia and the East and West.
Recently, however, a different trend has emerged in historical science: in the 80s and 90s of the last century, both in Western European and Russian science, historical works appeared, the purpose of which was to rethink the significance of the politics and activities of the righteous prince for the history of Russia. The result of this was the idea that his feat was not just a typical deed for a warrior-prince, but rather a fatal mistake that predetermined the “wrong” path of development of medieval Russia, and then Russia.
Moral evaluations are inevitable in historical science: evaluating the past, each generation determines its further path. However, such a "judgment of history" is not always fair. And, contrary to the accusations put forward by such authors, there are indisputable facts that are evidence of the truth of the merits and works of the faithful prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky. One of these facts - the veneration of Prince Alexander in the face of a saint - is the subject of this article.
But before moving on to the question of the history of glorification, it is necessary to make at least a brief historiographic review of works devoted to the study and assessment of the activities of Saint Prince Alexander.
Major Russian historians N.M. Karamzin, N.I. Kostomarov, S.M. Soloviev paid considerable attention to the personality of the prince and at the same time paid tribute to his activities. N.M. Karamzin calls Alexander "the hero of Nevsky"; N.I. Kostomarov notes his wise policy with the Horde and the Orthodox spirit of his reign; CM. Soloviev writes: "The observance of the Russian land from trouble in the east, the famous feats for the faith and land in the west brought Alexander a glorious memory in Russia and made him the most prominent historical person in ancient history from Monomakh to the Donskoy."
In general, historians of the late 18th - early 19th centuries, on the basis of a thorough study of sources about Alexander Nevsky, basically established the data about him that modern science has. At the same time, in Russian pre-revolutionary historiography, in contrast to later times, there were no too sharp disagreements and polemics in assessing the activities of Alexander Nevsky.
Through the works of Soviet historians, the traditional interpretation was consolidated and supported, according to which Alexander Nevsky played an exceptional role in the dramatic period of Russian history, when Russia was attacked from three sides: the Catholic West, Mongol-Tatars and Lithuania. Alexander Nevsky, who had not lost a single battle in his entire life, showed the talent of a commander and diplomat, repelling the attack of the Germans and, submitting to the inevitable dominion of the Horde, prevented the ruinous campaigns of the Mongol-Tatars against Russia.
Skeptical modern historians conclude that the traditional image of Alexander Nevsky - a genius commander and patriot - is exaggerated. They believe that objectively he played a negative role in the history of Rus and Russia. At the same time, they focus on the testimonies in which Alexander Nevsky acts as a power-hungry and cruel person. They also express doubts about the scale of the Livonian threat to Russia and the real military significance of the clashes on the Neva and Lake Peipsi.
Notes concerning the actual history of the veneration of Prince Alexander as a saint are found in the works of many researchers. However, so far there is not a single monograph directly devoted to the study of the history of veneration of the faithful Prince Alexander. Nevertheless, the following works can be distinguished: Reginskaya N.V., Tsvetkov S.V. “Blessed Prince of Orthodox Russia - Holy Warrior Alexander Nevsky”; Surmina I.O. "Alexander Nevsky in Russian pre-revolutionary historiography", as well as the article by Frtjon Benjamin Schenk "Russian hero or myth?" ...
Among the primary sources, one should, first of all, point to the historical-hagiographic "The Tale of the Life and Courage of the Blessed and Grand Duke Alexander." The Tale has come down to us in several editions of the 13th – 18th centuries. The first edition was written within the walls of the Vladimir Rozhdestvensky Monastery by the younger contemporary of Alexander Nevsky no later than the 1280s. The original life was a panegyric in honor of Alexander. The writer selected facts in order to show the deep impression that the prince's personality made on his contemporaries. The life consisted of a monastic preface and a dozen separate episodes from the life of the prince, which bore the character of testimonies from the "samovids"; at the end, a lament for the deceased was attributed, including a posthumous miracle with a spiritual letter. At the same time, the last episode was evidence of the unconditional holiness of the prince, and the entire text of the life spoke of the moral purity and height of Alexander's spiritual feat.
In the XV-XVI centuries, the life was repeatedly revised. At the same time, they either tried to bring the text to hagiographic canons, or expanded its historical content by inserting from the chronicles. Various versions of the life have come down as part of the annals and collections of the lives of the saints.
The veneration of the Grand Duke originated after his death at the burial site, in the Nativity Monastery in Vladimir, in the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. It is known about the miracle that happened during the burial of the prince: when, during the funeral service, Metropolitan Kirill approached the coffin to put a permit letter in Alexander's hand, the hand of the deceased itself stretched out, as if alive, and accepted the letter. After the Metropolitan told the people about what he had seen, “from that day on, some began to call on Saint Alexander in their prayers,” writes Metropolitan Makarii (Bulgakov) of Moscow and Kolomna. The Tale of the Life of Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky, written in the hagiographic genre by a monk of the Nativity Monastery between 1260 and 1280, confirms the assumption that Alexander was revered in the region as a holy prince soon after his death. In the XIV-XV centuries "The Life of Alexander Nevsky" was known in many Russian cities, including Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov. There is evidence that since the XIV century Alexander was addressed on the eve of battles with the enemy as the patron saint of the Russian army. The miracle of the appearance of St. Alexander Nevsky to the sexton of the Vladimir Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the night of September 8, 1380, that is, on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo, when in a vision the right-believing Prince Alexander Yaroslavich rose from his grave and came out “to help his great-grandson, Grand Duke Dmitry, who conquered I exist from foreigners. " After the Battle of Kulikovo, in 1381, the first discovery and examination of the relics of the holy prince took place. “After 117 years in the earth,” the holy relics were found incorruptible. Since then, Metropolitan Cyprian of Moscow has ordered to call Alexander Nevsky "blessed." A monastery church celebration was held on the saint, the canon and the first icons were written.
The growth of his veneration was observed in the first half of the 15th century in Novgorod. In the first half of the 16th century, the famous church writer Pachomius the Serb compiled a canon for Alexander Nevsky, and at the Council of 1547, the Russian Orthodox Church ranked the prince, on the basis of searches for miracles performed by him, already to the face of the all-Russian saints as a new miracle worker. For this event, by order of Metropolitan Macarius, the first canonical life of the holy prince Alexander Nevsky was written for the Chetikh, compiled by the Great Mena, on the basis of his princely biography, well known from the end of the 13th century.
In 1552, a miracle happened in the presence of Ivan the Terrible, who was marching on the Kazan kingdom and stopped in Vladimir. During a prayer service at the shrine of St. Alexander Nevsky for the granting of victory, the tsar's close associate, Arkady, received healing of his hands; later he wrote another life of the saint. Over time, churches and monasteries began to be built throughout Russia in the name of the holy noble Prince Alexander. In the works of court history (the Book of Degrees, the Nikon Chronicle), the prince is glorified as the founder of the Danilovich family.
The rise in the veneration of the prince took place in the 18th century under Peter I. In 1710, the tsar ordered to erect a monastery in the name of Alexander Nevsky on the site of the victory of the Novgorod squad over a detachment of Swedes in 1240 and to transfer the relics of the prince to the new capital. With this symbolic act, Peter wanted to firmly link the memory of his own victory over the Swedes with the memory of Alexander's triumph in the Battle of the Neva. In 1724, the first Russian emperor ordered that henceforth the saint should no longer be portrayed as a schema-monk and monk, but only "in the vestments of the Grand Duke." Moreover, Peter ordered to postpone the celebration of the memory of Prince Alexander from November 23 (the day of his burial in Vladimir in 1263) to August 30 (the date of the signing of the peace treaty with the Swedes in Nystadt in 1721). It was on this day in 1724 that the solemn transfer of the relics of Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to St. Petersburg took place. Peter personally brought the relics of the holy prince, who had arrived by water from Vladimir, into the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos built on the territory of the Alexander Nevsky monastery. From that moment, the prince was recognized as the heavenly patron of the empire and its new capital, as well as the great predecessor of Peter. After the transfer of the relics, Peter I ordered "for a new service, instead of the service previously held to this saint on November 23rd, from now on to celebrate on August 30th."
Thus, in the 18th century, the noble prince Alexander appears before us not as a reverend saint of God, but as a glorified prince and a great ancestor of the royal family. Having linked the name of St. Alexander Nevsky with the most important date in the history of Russia - the signing of a peace treaty with the Swedes, Peter I gave his veneration a state and political character. Already after the death of the emperor, in 1725, fulfilling the will of her late husband, Catherine I established an order in honor of St. Alexander Nevsky, which became one of the highest and most honorable Russian awards. And by August 30, 1750, at the behest of the daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, a silver tomb was made for the relics of the saint. 90 poods of pure silver - the first production of the Kolyvan ore-mining centers - were spent on its manufacture. In the 19th century, the three Russian emperors were of the same name to the noble prince Alexander, and thus the role of the noble warrior prince as the patron saint of the reigning house was emphasized. The latter circumstance largely predetermined why hundreds of churches and temples were consecrated in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky.
At the end of the 18th century, and finally in the 19th century, under the influence of the works of secular historians, the personality of Alexander acquired the features of a national hero. In a characteristic lofty tone, N.M. wrote about Alexander. Karamzin, the prince appeared very worthily in S.M. Solovyov, and even the skeptic N.I. Kostomarov, whose assessments are often very caustic, made an exception for Alexander and wrote about him in an almost Karamzin spirit.
The image of Alexander Nevsky in the 19th century stands out, first, for its secular character: in the texts of Russian historians, the saint appears as the ruler of the Russian land; secondly, Alexander turned into a historical figure who not only defended the Russian state from invaders, but also defended the Russian people, the Russian way of life and the Orthodox faith.
In the summer of 1917, in view of the threat of a German offensive on Petrograd, a commission of the Holy Synod opened the tomb and examined the relics of the good prince in case of their urgent evacuation. But the evacuation was not carried out.
After the October Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks in the first two decades of their rule did not take into account the activities of Alexander Nevsky. There were several reasons for this: first, he was a saint and a symbol of the Orthodox Church; secondly, a representative of the monarchical regime and the ruling class; third, the Russians glorified him as a national hero. M.N. Pokrovsky and his student branded the prince as "a henchman of the Novgorod merchant bourgeoisie." In 1918-1920, the Bolsheviks launched a fierce anti-religious campaign, during which about 70 holy relics were uncovered and plundered. At that time, the dictator of "red Petrograd" G.Ye. Zinoviev and his Commissariat of Justice tried to get permission from the Petrograd Soviet for the autopsy and seizure of the relics of the faithful Prince Alexander, but the Soviet refused due to active protests from Metropolitan Benjamin of Petrograd and Gdov and all the believers in the city. However, in May 1922 G.E. Zinoviev succeeded in promoting in the Petrosovet a decree on the autopsy of the saint's shrine.
On May 12, 1922, at 12 noon, the communist authorities of the city, despite the resistance of the clergy and believers, opened the cancer. The autopsies were conducted publicly. For this, workers of the district party committees, communists, representatives of military units, and the public were invited. The silver tomb was dismantled and taken from the Holy Trinity Cathedral by trucks to the Winter Palace. The relics of the saint were put on public display, confiscated and later placed in the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. The Bolsheviks filmed the autopsy of the relics on film, and in 1923 the "newsreel" "The Autopsy of the Relics of Alexander Nevsky" was shown in cinemas.
Alexander Nevsky was not consigned to oblivion only thanks to the radical ideological turn of the mid-1930s, which declared Soviet patriotism a new propaganda doctrine. Along with other historical figures of pre-revolutionary Russian history, Alexander was completely "rehabilitated" in 1937. Previously persecuted, he has now become an outstanding figure in the history of the USSR. One of the most important moments of this "rehabilitation" was the film by S. Eisenstein "Alexander Nevsky" (1938). It turned out to be so relevant on the eve of the war that it was not allowed to be shown. And only after the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he appeared on the screens of the country.
The appeal to Russian patriotic, including Orthodox Church, traditions played an extremely important role during the Great Patriotic War. In the Soviet Armed Forces, orders were established in honor of the famous Russian commanders. In April 1942, a nationwide celebration of the 700th anniversary of the Battle on the Ice took place in the USSR. Famous canvases by P.D. Korin and V.A. Serov. The Soviet press published a significant amount of materials on the events of 1242, the purpose of which was to raise and maintain a patriotic mood in the ranks of the Red Army and the civilian population.
Postcards were issued and posters depicting Prince Alexander Nevsky were pasted up. And on July 29, a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was published on the establishment (in fact, the restoration) of the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
In besieged Leningrad in the fall of 1942, the artists A.A. Leporskaya and A.A. Ranchevskaya made the decorative design of the vestibule in the Trinity Cathedral, where until 1922 there was a shrine with the relics of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky. And in the spring of 1943, access was opened to the burial places of the great Russian commanders - Alexander Nevsky, A.V. Suvorov, M.I. Kutuzov, Peter I. In 1944, an exhibition dedicated to the holy prince Alexander Nevsky was organized in the Trinity Cathedral, which was attended by a large number of servicemen of the Leningrad Front and residents of the city. This wave of civic popularity of the blessed prince was also supported by the Russian Orthodox Church. During the war years, she collected donations for the construction of an aviation squadron named after Alexander Nevsky. The name of the prince was perceived as a symbol of the struggle against German aggression on the Russian lands. At the same time, it was taken into account that the Novgorod prince, who defeated the knights of the Teutonic Order on the ice of Lake Peipsi in 1242, was like no other for Soviet propaganda against Nazi Germany: “Hitler, who dared to attack the USSR, would be defeated by the Red Army in the same way, how Alexander Nevsky defeated the knights of the Teutonic Order in 1242 ”.
The relics of the blessed prince were again returned from the Kazan Cathedral, which housed the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in 1989. In 1990, at the initiative of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, the land taken at the site of the battle in Ust-Izhora was consecrated and, in a special casket, accompanied by a military escort, was delivered to the monastery, where it was placed in the Holy Trinity Cathedral next to the relics of the prince. Consecrating the Ust-Izhora land, the patriarch called for prayer for all who died defending the Motherland. The 750th anniversary of the Battle of the Neva was solemnly celebrated in Leningrad in 1990. On the site of the battle, the Alexander Nevsky Church was restored. The domestic media also recalled the activities of the holy prince. And the celebration of the days of memory of the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of Chudskoye is now held annually and with the involvement of military-historical reconstruction clubs.
In 2007, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, the relics of the saint were transported for a month through the cities of Russia and Latvia.
Interest in the personality of the holy blessed prince Alexander Nevsky continues to this day. Information about his life and work, recorded by written monuments, is scanty, but for the most part it was compiled by witnesses and eyewitnesses of the events, so they are read with interest again and again by both specialists and the general reader. Unfortunately, not all the details of the life and work of Prince Alexander Nevsky are known to us.
So, in the chronology of the veneration of the saint in historical time, several stages can be distinguished:
- XIII-XIV centuries - the Novgorod-Vladimir stage,
- XIV-XVII centuries - Moscow stage,
- XVIII century - 1920s - the St. Petersburg-European stage,
- 1920s - 1990s - Soviet stage,
- 1990s - 2010s - Orthodox and iconological stage.
Note that each of the stages in the veneration of the right-believing Prince Alexander is associated with key periods of Russian history.
From the locally revered saint of Vladimir, Prince Alexander Nevsky in historical time became the heavenly patron of the Russian Empire. And in this, without a doubt, we see the special Providence of God. As G.V. Vernadsky, “the two exploits of Alexander Nevsky - the exploit of battle in the West and the exploit of humility in the East - had one goal: the preservation of Orthodoxy as a moral and political force of the Russian people. This goal was achieved: the growth of the Russian Orthodox kingdom took place on the soil prepared by Alexander. "
Instead of a conclusion
As noted above, at present there are works, the main purpose of which is to revise the activities and personality of Alexander Yaroslavich from a critical perspective. We will not take into account the personal mystical experience of prayer, but the answer to all the arguments put forward by these authors for us is the fact that the faithful Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky is a saint! He was glorified virtually immediately after his death. And this cannot but be evidence of his godly life. And even if his canonization was directly related to the fact that, according to I.N. Danilevsky, “in the eyes of his contemporaries, he turned out to be the last defender of Orthodoxy on the eve of the expected end of the world,” one must clearly understand that one does not just become saints. Saints are people glorified by God Himself. And if the Lord was pleased to glorify in the centuries His saint, the faithful prince Alexander Yaroslavich, then this has a deep meaning. For, imitating the saints, we draw closer to God. “From the life of the holy Prince Alexander, we can conclude that not only those who strive in life, strive in piety, not only those who refuse the affairs of the world can please God, become saints - you can please the Lord by serving the people in the most varied forms of service. In every rank, in every social position, if everything that we create, that we set as the goal of our life, we will create in the name of the Lord. So live, imitating the holy prince Alexander, glorifying God in your souls! "
The fact remains that Prince Alexander has always occupied and will continue to occupy an important place in the historical memory of the people. "Alexander Nevsky - a Russian hero or a myth?" - this is the question that critics are trying to answer. And the answer to this question lies in the very understanding of the word "myth", in which two meanings can be distinguished. One thing boils down to contrasting myth and real history. According to the second, the myth has a culture-forming meaning, according to which the basic values of society and the state are verified. But can we give the correct answer to the question: “What is“ real history ”? Is it possible to objectively perceive it, to perceive it outside of someone's interpretations, which ultimately appeal to certain myths? When a person doubts the expediency of his existence, in the absence of a counterbalance, this leads to suicide. When a nation doubts the justification of its existence, this leads to its degeneration. For, as St. Nicholas of Serbia wrote: “Anyone who wants to put God to shame is himself put to shame, and God is given an opportunity to be glorified even more. And everyone who tries to humiliate the righteous, in the end humbles himself, and exalts the righteous even more. " "Don't you know that the saints will judge the world?" (1 Cor. 6: 2) - the apostle Paul tells us. Critics should seriously ponder over these words, for “what God has cleansed, do not consider it unclean” (Acts 10:15).
Of much greater interest to us is the history of the spread of the veneration of the saint. In different epochs of the existence of the Russian state, the attitude to the activities and personality of the Grand Duke Alexander acquired one or another color. Until the 18th century, we see Alexander in the rank of saints. And although we know that the all-Russian veneration of the saint began long before Peter, it was under Peter I that Alexander Nevsky became one of the most revered national saints in Russia. Peter, who laid the foundation for the new capital of the country, saw a certain symbolic meaning in the fact that the city was founded near the place where in 1240 the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich defeated the Swedes. Peter found in Prince Alexander the necessary historical and religious example, which, among other things, was revered by the people and the Church, and the tsar needed their support when carrying out reforms and building a new capital. As noted by A.V. Kartashev, Peter needed Alexander to unite together the heavenly (old church worship) and the earthly (attracted by Peter to contemporary realities). Thus, the deep veneration by the Church and the people of Alexander Yaroslavich received strong support from the state. Under Peter, a kind of Orthodox-state cult of the veneration of the saint took shape. And Alexander's lifetime military successes allowed him to take an important place among historical figures in Soviet times.
The answer to the question of modern researchers: how to explain the phenomenon that the image of Alexander Nevsky has occupied a firm place in Russian cultural memory for over seven centuries, despite the fact that the interpretations of this image during this time have repeatedly and fundamentally changed? - lies in the fact that the foundation of his house was originally laid on stone (see: Matthew 7: 24-27). This stone is Christ! “Therefore, thus says the Lord God: behold, I lay in the foundation in Zion a stone, a tried, cornerstone, precious stone, firmly established: he who believes in it will not be ashamed” (Isa. 28: 16). And again: "So, for you, believers, He is a jewel, and for unbelievers, a stone that the builders rejected, but which has become the head of the corner, a stumbling stone and a stone of temptation, which they stumble about, not obeying the word, for which they are left" (1 Pet. 2: 7-8).
"Wondrous is God in His saints, the God of Israel!" (Psalm 67: 36).
Holy noble Prince Alexandra, pray to God for us!
Frtyon Benjamin Schenk... Russian hero or myth? S. 90–93.
MIRACLES of Alexander Nevsky Temple on the site of the battle AND FOURTEEN years before that, the emperor founded a monastery on the banks of the Neva in honor of the Trinity and St. Alexander Nevsky. Peter suggested that it was here in 1240 that Alexander defeated the Swedish knights - as you know, for this feat the prince began to be called Nevsky. (In fact, the battle took place at the confluence of the Izhora River into the Neva; over time, the temple of Alexander Nevsky also appeared there). Peter decided to transfer the relics to the new capital, because he considered the victory of Russia in the Northern War and the conclusion of peace with Sweden on September 12, 1721 one of the miracles of the holy prince, the defender of the Russian land. Miracles from the relics of the saint have been known since ancient times; they began to be performed immediately after the death of the prince. ALEXANDER Nevsky rose from his coffin and died on his way back from the Golden Horde in November 1263 at the Feodorovsky Monastery on the Volga. The remains were transferred to Vladimir, the journey lasted 9 days, all this time the body remained incorrupt. During the burial in the Rozhdestvensky monastery, a miracle happened: when they wanted to unclench the fingers of the deceased in order to put a spiritual letter in them, the prince himself stretched out his hand and took it. ... Almost one hundred and twenty years have passed, the year 1380 has come - the battle on the Kulikovo field. The Russian troops were led by Dmitry Donskoy, the great-grandson of Alexander Nevsky. On the eve of the battle, the sexton of the Rozhdestvensky monastery saw in a dream: in the church the candles were lit by themselves, two elders came out of the altar, approached the coffin and began to pray to the prince "to rise up to help his great-grandson." The battle took place on the same day, and, as you know, the Russians won. Well, when they opened the tomb, they found that the relics, which had lain for 117 years, were incorruptible. Another miracle was witnessed by Ivan the Terrible. The tsar went on a campaign against Kazan and stopped in Vladimir. During a prayer at the relics of Alexander, one of the close associates of Tsar Arkady completely healed his hands, covered with ulcers. Grozny took this as a good omen, and indeed Kazan was taken. Well, for many centuries people have turned to the relics with requests for healing and receive it. When in 1571 Khan Davlet-girey approached Moscow, monk Anthony in Vladimir had a vision: two young men entered the church - they were Saints Boris and Gleb. They called on the faithful prince to help Russia, and he rose from the grave. Relics in the basement BELIEVERS in besieged Leningrad also turned to the saint for help, although in 1922 the relics were taken from the Lavra and were kept in the storerooms of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, into which the Kazan Cathedral was turned. The fact that the enemy did not enter Leningrad is considered by many to be another miracle of the city's patron saint. In 1989, when Alexy, the current Patriarch, was Metropolitan of Leningrad, the "second acquisition of relics" took place. They were found in the basements of the museum: an autopsy took place, and then the relics were returned to the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Soon the tradition of the procession of the cross on September 12 to the Lavra was revived. And it arose during the time of Peter's daughter Elizabeth. This year, a traditional religious procession will take place from the Kazan Cathedral to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Well, on the 20th, the journey of the relics across Russia will begin, which will last a month. First, the relics will be transferred to Moscow, then to Kaliningrad, Riga, Pskov, Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg. Most of these regions are associated with the life of the prince. This is not the first trip of the relics across the country. It is always a spiritual holiday for people, huge queues line up in churches to fall to the relics, offer prayer, ask for the secret. Perhaps we, Petersburgers, are too accustomed to the fact that the greatest shrine is kept in the city, and rarely turn to the intercession of our heavenly patron. But he always responds to requests.
Temple at the site of the battle
And FOURTEEN years before that, the emperor founded a monastery on the banks of the Neva in honor of the Trinity and St. Alexander Nevsky. Peter suggested that it was here in 1240 that Alexander defeated the Swedish knights - as you know, for this feat the prince began to be called Nevsky. (In fact, the battle took place at the confluence of the Izhora River into the Neva; over time, the temple of Alexander Nevsky also appeared there).
Peter decided to transfer the relics to the new capital, because he considered the victory of Russia in the Northern War and the conclusion of peace with Sweden on September 12, 1721 one of the miracles of the holy prince, the defender of the Russian land. Miracles from the relics of the saint have been known since ancient times; they began to be performed immediately after the death of the prince.
Rose from the coffin
ALEXANDER Nevsky died while returning from the Golden Horde in November 1263 at the Feodorovsky Monastery on the Volga. The remains were transferred to Vladimir, the journey lasted 9 days, all this time the body remained incorrupt. During the burial in the Rozhdestvensky monastery, a miracle happened: when they wanted to unclench the fingers of the deceased in order to put a spiritual letter in them, the prince himself stretched out his hand and took it.
Almost one hundred and twenty years have passed, the year 1380 has come - the battle on the Kulikovo field. The Russian troops were led by Dmitry Donskoy, the great-grandson of Alexander Nevsky. On the eve of the battle, the sexton of the Rozhdestvensky monastery saw in a dream: in the church the candles were lit by themselves, two elders came out of the altar, approached the coffin and began to pray to the prince "to rise up to help his great-grandson." The battle took place on the same day, and, as you know, the Russians won. Well, when they opened the tomb, they found that the relics, which had lain for 117 years, were incorruptible.
Another miracle was witnessed by Ivan the Terrible. The tsar went on a campaign against Kazan and stopped in Vladimir. During a prayer at the relics of Alexander, one of the close associates of Tsar Arkady completely healed his hands, covered with ulcers. Grozny took this as a good omen, and indeed Kazan was taken. Well, for many centuries people have turned to the relics with requests for healing and receive it.
When in 1571 Khan Davlet-girey approached Moscow, monk Anthony in Vladimir had a vision: two young men entered the church - they were Saints Boris and Gleb. They called on the faithful prince to help Russia, and he rose from the grave.
The relics in the basement
BELIEVERS in besieged Leningrad also turned to the saint for help, although in 1922 the relics were removed from the Lavra and were kept in the storerooms of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, into which the Kazan Cathedral was turned. The fact that the enemy did not enter Leningrad is considered by many to be another miracle of the city's patron saint.
In 1989, when Alexy, the current Patriarch, was Metropolitan of Leningrad, "the second acquisition of relics" took place. They were found in the basements of the museum: an autopsy took place, and then the relics were returned to the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Soon the tradition of the procession of the cross on September 12 to the Lavra was revived. And it arose during the time of Peter's daughter Elizabeth.
This year, a traditional religious procession will take place from the Kazan Cathedral to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Well, on the 20th, the journey of the relics across Russia will begin, which will last a month. First, the relics will be transferred to Moscow, then to Kaliningrad, Riga, Pskov, Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg. Most of these regions are associated with the life of the prince.
This is not the first trip of the relics across the country. It is always a spiritual holiday for people, huge queues line up in churches to fall to the relics, offer prayer, ask for the secret. Perhaps we, Petersburgers, are too accustomed to the fact that the greatest shrine is kept in the city, and rarely turn to the intercession of our heavenly patron.
But he always responds to requests.
