The icon of Elizabeth the Wonderworker was painted at the end of the 19th century. Now she is under guardianship in the cathedral of the John the Baptist Monastery. This shrine was transported here on January 6, 2002 from the Church of the Holy Apostles Paul and Peter, which is located near the Yauza River. Other shrines were also transported from there to the monastery: the ancient image of the Holy Prophet, Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord John along with the hoop, as well as the image of the abbess of Constantinople, located on the icon.
Where is the icon stored
Many believers are interested in the question: “Where is the icon of St. Elizabeth stored?” The temple of the Holy Apostles Paul and Peter, famous for most believers, was not persecuted after the revolution in the first half of the 20th century and worked throughout the existence of the Soviet Union. Thanks to the efforts of the ministers of the church, many valuable shrines were preserved in their original form to the present day, including the icon of the martyr Elizabeth. In the 90s of the last century, the Ivanovo monastery was opened and consecrated, several Christian shrines from the church of the Holy Apostles Paul and Peter were transported there. The famous icon of Elizabeth was sent there.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Temple of the Rev. Martyr Elizabeth Fedorovna was one of the first to be restored and opened to parishioners. This joyful event happened in 1995. An icon of the same name was transported there. Not so long ago, the icon of the martyr Elizabeth was restored and placed in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which is located on the territory of the John the Baptist Monastery.
In the convent of Jonanne the Baptist, a temple was built in honor of St. Elizabeth the Wonderworker. Funds for the construction of the building were allocated according to the will of the late philanthropist Elizabeth Zubacheva-Makarova. The woman was named after the martyr of the same name. Blessed the opening of the church of St. Philaret of Moscow.
Icon Description
Now about what the icon of St. Elizabeth looks like. This shrine was made on zinc, as well as many similar icons created at that time by artists. The image of the abbess is made in soft pink, greenish and blue shades. The saint is depicted in full growth. She stands on the shore of a pond, behind which one can see low mounds. A red scarf is worn on the woman’s head. The earth under her feet is painted in the same color. The body of St. Elizabeth (in the photo of the icon in the article shows this) is covered with a green mantle. Above Elizabeth's head, blue skies are depicted.
There are no symbols of the abbot power in the image, however, the prayer-focused face of the great martyr and the restrained soft appearance reveal to our eyes the constant prayer appeal and the approach to the Lord and to his spiritual authority. Pictured on the icon, Elizabeth asks for protection from the Almighty for those who pray for her help.
The martyr's right hand is bent and pressed to the chest in the heart. This symbolizes that all her love is turned to God and people. In the left hand of the saint is a scroll with a prayer for all who ask for blessings in front of her. The Grand Duchess Elizabeth depicted on the icon asks the Almighty for forgiveness of human sins and peace after the souls of the dead go to the final judgment.
The picturesque shrine has the following sizes:
- height - 71.12 cm;
- width - 13.34 cm.
Icon salvation during the revolution
Icon of St. Elizabeth was written for the new cathedral. The monastery near the cathedral did not work long, after which it was closed in 1918, when the revolution began in Russia. A concentration camp was organized on the territory adjacent to the sacred Christian building, but the fearless ministers of the church, even under pain of death, continued to serve. Thanks to their efforts, parishioners visited the cathedral to appeal to God until 1927.
To save the holy icon of Elizabeth from desecration, in 1923 she was transferred to the church of St. John the Baptist. A relic was placed in the main altar under a glass framed by a chased gold border.
The persecution of the church in the Soviet period
As a result of the actions of the new government of Russia, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was closed in 1927. The monks left the building, taking church utensils and the icon of the Monk Martyr Elizabeth, and went to Serebryanniki to continue their service to God.
Clergymen and pilgrims understood by the authorities found their refuge in the church of the Holy Trinity. After this sacred place was closed, the icon of Elizabeth (you can see it in the photo in the article) was given to priests who held prayers in the church of Saints Peter and Paul.
The surviving documents about the life of the saint
Miracles and special gifts are called by believers to discover the full history of the life of St. Elizabeth. Only one document has survived - the Florentine manuscript, from where you can find out about all the life sufferings of the great martyr. A valuable relic was discovered in the middle of the 20th century, and several decades later the first edition about the life of the saint was released. It was written and sent to the printing house by a Catholic scientist and hagiographer, a member of the congregation of Bollandists, François Alken.
Who are the bollandists
The Bollandist Society is a monk with degrees. They dedicated their lives to researching ancient documents to find out the details of the lives of saints who once lived in Europe. The creator of this ancient society is John Bolland, who organized it in 1643.
The Great Gift of Elizabeth
Many people who believe in God are interested in what is the significance of the icon of St. Elizabeth and what was her help to people. Almost 20 years ago, the historian A. Vinogradov translated the life of St. Elizabeth from Greek into Russian. After that, the John the Baptist Monastery published a printed edition of this text in 2002. According to the published book, Elizabeth the Wonderworker is the patroness of female monasticism. During her life, she was able to heal people from many diseases and ailments. The woman was a vessel of the Holy Spirit, from which grace came forth, helping to give goodness and healing from torment. Even now, according to the clergy, kissing the icon of St. Elizabeth helps people get rid of many diseases.
It is written in the Life that the daughter, gifted to parents by God himself, knew how to help believers burdened with sorrow and torment from the disease. Even before conception, parents came up with the future holy name Elizabeth. At a young age, the girl received the status of abbess in the monastery of St. George, which was built in Constantinople. Before her, the place of abbess was occupied by her aunt on her father. The superior martyr became thanks to Saint Gennady, who at that time was the patriarch of Constantinople.
It becomes interesting to many believers: in what does the icon of Elizabeth help people? Thanks to the humility of the woman, her sincere faith and monastic life according to the strict commandments of God, she had a gift of healing from an early age. The girl coped with the most terrible diseases that tormented the people around her, she also knew how to cast out demons, saw revelations and predicted the future. Having worshiped the holy icon in the church now, the sufferer will be freed from torment and find peace of mind.
Predictions of Elizabeth
What else does the icon of St. Elizabeth help? The nun possessed the gift of foresight. So, during her life, she predicted a terrible fire in Constantinople, which was quickly extinguished due to the power of prayers addressed to the Lord. Also, a woman was able to save one of the houses of the city from a large snake, which killed many human lives.
The saint provided special assistance to the ladies who suffered from heavy and ongoing female bleeding. Also, a woman could heal people from blindness. In anticipation of the death of the angels notified the nun about the imminent death. After this providence, she began to actively prepare for her last day of life, giving instructions to others. Many women come to the icon to pray during health problems associated with conceiving a child.
Miracles after the death of a saint
Many people want to know the answer to the question of what is the significance of the icon of Elizabeth in the church. After death, the holy martyr continued to work miracles, helping to heal people and cast out demons. Saint Elizabeth the Wonderworker, who is the patroness of the John the Baptist monastery, prays for the souls of believers to this day.
The woman, who was counted among the saints by the church, even before her conception in the womb was connected by spiritual kinship with the holy Prophet John. Their unity occurred after death, after the revival of the two churches of St. Elizabeth and St. John the Baptist.
The official biography of the Great Martyr
The Holy Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna was born in the family of Ludwig IV. Her mother, Princess Alice, was the daughter of Queen Victoria of England. In total, the family had 7 children. One of the daughters, whose name was Alexandra, coming of age, became the Russian Empress.
The daughters of Duke Ludwig IV were brought up in a family according to ancient English traditions. The mother was engaged in the upbringing, who established a strict schedule of pastimes for girls. Despite the high title of head of the family, the family tried to live modestly, their food was the most ordinary, as among ordinary citizens of the country. Ludwig did not have servants, and his daughters did all the housework. They cleaned the house, stoked a fireplace, washed laundry, prepared food. Saint Elizabeth later said that at home she was taught everything that an independent woman needs to be able to do.
The girls' mother tried to educate her children on the basis of Christian commandments, putting love for their neighbors in their hearts, and taught them to help people in need. Parents of Elizabeth Fedorovna handed out most of their property to charity. In addition, the mother often took her daughters to hospitals, shelters for homeless people, as well as to homes for the elderly and disabled. There, women brought huge bouquets of flowers and handed them out to others.
Hobbies of Elizabeth
The future great martyr from childhood adored nature. She had a gift for painting, which is why she spent all her free time behind the canvas and with a brush in her hands. Most often, a girl painted flowers. She also loved to listen to classical music. All relatives and friends who knew the future great martyr emphasized her religiosity and love for her neighbors. The girl tried in every way to resemble St. Elisabeth of Thuringia, in whose honor she bore her name.
Grief in the family
In 1873, a misfortune happened in the family of Ludwig IV - falling from a horse, the three-year-old son Friedrich crashed to death right in front of his mother. 3 years after the tragedy, heartbroken parents faced a new disaster - a terrible epidemic of diphtheria began in their hometown. Then all the brothers and sisters of St. Elizabeth fell ill. At that difficult time, mother had to spend several sleepless nights in a row over the beds of her children in order to somehow alleviate their suffering. Despite all the efforts of the parents, their four-year-old daughter Maria died soon after her, the Duchess Alice, who was barely 35 years old, died.
At that difficult time, Elizabeth’s childhood ended, she turned to God with prayers. The girl decided to devote her life to faith completely. As a child, she did her best to console her beloved parents, and replaced her younger brothers and sisters as best she could with her mother, who found it difficult to cope with all household chores alone.
Killing husband
On February 5, 1905, the husband of Elizaveta Fedorovna, Prince Sergei Alexandrovich, was killed by a terrorist bomb, Ivan Kalyaev. After three days of mourning, the widow went to prison to meet with the criminal. There she stated that she did not hold evil for the grief inflicted upon her, and presented the man with a Bible. Then the princess went to Emperor Nicholas II with a request for pardon of the terrorist, but she was immediately rejected.
Participation in the construction of temples
On February 10, 1909, the princess, who had not been mourning for 4 years and spent almost all her time in prayers, gathered 17 sisters to organize the construction of the church. She took off her mourning outfit and put on a monastic robe.
The first church was built and consecrated on September 9, 1909 at the expense of Elizabeth Feodorovna. The official opening of the building was dedicated to the celebration of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Soon the second temple was built, which was designed by architect A. Shchusev. Wall and ceiling paintings in the new building were made by the artist M. Nesterov.
Another Orthodox church, thanks to the efforts of the princess, was built in the city of Bari (Italy). The relics of St. Nicholas Mir Lycian are now stored in its walls.
Charity Saint
At the end of 1909, Elizabeth received patients at the Martha-Mariinsky hospital at the monastery, tried to help them get rid of suffering. Her work ended late at night. After that, she prayed earnestly, and devoted only 3 hours to sleep. If a seriously ill person rushed about on the bed or groaned, she did not leave him, spending several days with him. Patients who were cured by leaving the walls of the medical facility could not hide their tears, parting with the kind and affectionate mother Elizabeth, the abbess of the monastery.
The murder of Elizabeth Fedorovna
In early 1918, the princess and her associates were forcibly transported by rail to the city of Perm, where they were detained. After several months in prison, the woman was transferred to the outskirts of Alapaevsk, where she sat in captivity for about six months. The abbess of the monastery spent all her time in prayers. Feeling a near death, she was preparing for death, saying goodbye to her fellow inmates and asking the Almighty for forgiveness for the people.
On the night of July 5, 1918, the nun, along with other members of the imperial family, was thrown into a deep mine shaft. The Great Martyr did not fall to the bottom of the pit, as the torturers expected, but to a ledge with a depth of about 15 meters. Near her later found during excavations the body of John Konstantinovich. The woman after falling from a height received multiple fractures and severe bruises. Despite her injuries, she tried to relieve her neighbor’s suffering here. Her body was found with fingers folded for the sign of the Cross.
Burial of the nun's remains
The body of the abbess of the Martha-Mariinsky monastery in 1921 was taken from the RSFSR to the holy land in Jerusalem, where he was placed in the tomb of the church of St. Mary Magdalene.
In 1981, the Russian Orthodox Church decided to canonize all new martyrs who were abroad, for this they had to hide their graves. To carry out such an operation, a special commission was created in Jerusalem, which was led by Archimandrite Anthony (he was named Grabbe before baptism). At that time he was the head of the Russian Spiritual Mission.
All the tombs of the martyrs put before the Royal Gates. At this moment, a miracle happened: when Archimandrite Anthony, by God's providence, was left alone near the dead, suddenly a noise was heard. One of the many coffins shook, and the sealed lid began to open. The deceased Elizabeth crawled out of a stone tomb like a living one. She went to the dumbfounded priest and asked for blessings. After Father Anthony blessed the saint, she returned to her place, without leaving a single trace. The coffin lid slammed behind her.
When the time came to unpack the stone tombs of the saints, the priests witnessed another inexplicable miracle. During the opening of the stone coffin with the body of the princess, the church building was filled with a pleasant smell. Later, the clergy will tell that from the tomb jasmine and honey blew heavily. When examining the body of the martyr, it turned out that it almost did not decompose.