In the vastness of Russia there are a large number of Christian values. Especially many holy places in Moscow. In order to touch them at least once, people come from all over Russia and abroad. In this article we will talk about the most famous and revered of them.
Kia cross
The holy places of Moscow include the Kia Cross. This is the so-called Reliquary, which was commissioned by Patriarch Nikon in the XVII century. It was specially made for the Onega, or Kia, cross monastery. Today the shrine is located in the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Krapivniki, at Krapivensky Lane, house 4. Divine services are held here regularly on all church holidays, the rest of the time the church is open from 8:30 to 17:00.
Nikon ordered this cross in Palestine for the monasteries that he created at that time. Such a cross was made for the Onega Monastery, where the patriarch escaped from the storm in 1639.
The Orthodox relic was made of cypress, and the width and height almost completely repeated the Cross of Christ. Its dimensions are 3.1 m by 1.92 m. The cross was solemnly consecrated in 1656, on the day when the Orthodox celebrated the Origin of the honest trees of the Life-giving Cross. And now, in memory of this, the relic contains a corresponding inscription.
After the cross was consecrated, it was transported to the island of Kiy under careful protection. Throughout the journey, exactly the same wooden copies of the cross were made at the stopover places, which were consecrated for blessing. For example, one of these crosses is today in the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus at the cemetery of Onega.
The cross is a unique shrine, as it contains 108 particles of the relics of the saints, as well as 16 stones from places of important biblical events. At its very center is a silver ark with a piece of the Robe of Christ and a particle of the Life-giving Cross. Also, it is decorated with six small wooden crosses, which depict twelve holy days. These small crosses were brought from Athos in the 17th century.
In the Onega Monastery, the Kia Cross was located until the monastery was closed in 1923. Prior to this, he only once left the walls of the monastery, when in 1854 there was an invasion of the British. During this displacement, some relics were lost.
In 1930, the cross was transferred to the anti-religious museum that existed on the territory of the Solovetsky camp, after which it ended up in the storerooms of the capital's History Museum. Only in 1991 he was transferred to the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Wrens. There he is now, the relic is available for worship.
It is believed that it is necessary to go to the Kyi cross with any troubles that occur in life. Touching it, a person gains spiritual and physical strength.
The relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker
Going on a tour of the holy places of Moscow, you should definitely visit the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. They are stored in the Holy Trinity Danilov Monastery, which is located at 22 Danilovsky Val, next to the Tulskaya metro station. At 6 o’clock in the morning, the Fraternal Prayer is held here daily, at 7 in the morning - the Divine Liturgy, and at 17:00 - Vespers.
Particles of one of the most revered saints in Orthodoxy are kept in an ark made entirely of silver. These relics are associated with many amazing stories, miracles that occurred after someone touched them. It is considered truly surprising that for many centuries they have not been affected by decay, even modern scientists recognize this phenomenon.
It is generally accepted that Nicholas the Wonderworker protects all traveling, swimming and prisoners and helps them. They turn to him when they find themselves in need or trouble, asking for intercession for orphans and widows, and for peace in the family. Tours to the holy places of Moscow necessarily include a visit to these relics.
Nail of the Lord
The nail of the Lord is officially considered one of the main shrines in Christianity.
It is believed that this is one of those nails with which Christ was nailed to the cross during the crucifixion. It is stored today in a silver ark on the territory of the Assumption Cathedral. The temple is located on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. It is easiest to get here by public transport by metro to the Aleksandrovsky Sad or Borovitskaya stations. Or you can see this relic by going on a tour of the holy places of Moscow and the Moscow region.
It is believed that every Orthodox believer should at least once in his life touch this shrine. This will help him to strengthen his faith, feel additional strength in himself. The cities in which this shrine is stored, Moscow among them, are protected from any wars and epidemics, Christians believe.
The relics of St. Panteleimon
The holy place of Moscow is considered to be the Church of the Resurrection of Christ and the Church of the Great Martyr Nikita, in which the relics of St. Panteleimon are located. The temple is located in the vicinity of the Sokolniki metro station at 6 Sokolnicheskaya Square, and the church is located between the Chistye Prudy and Taganskaya stations, 6 Goncharnaya Street.
The relics of this saint after his death began to be so appreciated that they spread throughout the world. In Moscow there are as many as two churches in which they are stored. Panteleimon was born on the territory of modern Turkey in 275. His father was a pagan, and his mother a Christian. She sought to raise her son in her faith, but she died early, so his father sent him to a pagan school.
According to his life, he believed in Christ after he saw a child who died after being bitten by a snake. After the prayer addressed to Jesus, presbyter Yermolai resurrected him.
Panteleimon was baptized, meanwhile, he learned to be a doctor, but did not take money for his work, which left many colleagues without earnings. Emperor Maximian complained of him, saying that he treats Christians in prison.
The saint invited the emperor to bring an incurable patient and arrange a test to find out who could put him on his feet: pagan priests or he. After Panteleimon's prayer, the patient recovered, and the Gentiles were powerless. Having received such confirmation of the truth of Christianity, many Romans converted to this faith. The enraged Maximian ordered the torture of Panteleimon, and then drowned in the sea. But after much torment, he remained unharmed. They burned him with candles, hung them on a tree, wheeled them, tore them with iron claws, threw them into hissing tin, tried to drown and feed the wild beasts, but they began to lick the saint's feet.
Seeing that nothing helps, they decided to chop off his head, but even Panteleimon was saved by a prayer - the sword could not do him any harm. While he was praying, a voice from heaven called him into the kingdom of heaven. Then he asked the soldiers to execute the sentence. According to legend, when his head was chopped off, not blood but milk flowed from the wound. His body was thrown into the fire, but did not burn out, becoming one of the main shrines of Christianity.
Today the head is kept in a monastery on Athos, named after him, and the relics have spread all over the world, reaching Moscow. Panteleimon, who was considered a skillful healer during his lifetime, is addressed today when health problems arise. That is why almost all excursions to the holy places of Moscow take place with the obligatory visit to the temples, where you can touch the remains of the saint.
Healing springs
Many pilgrims are also attracted by holy sources. There are a lot of them in Moscow. Perhaps the most famous of them is called Kholodny, it is located in the vicinity of the Konkovo metro station in Teply Stan.
Orthodox believe that drinking water from this source twice a day helps to cope with liver and kidney problems, and this water also helps to quickly get rid of headaches.
Another well-known source, which can be attributed to the holy places of Moscow, can be found in the Tatar ravine. Next to it is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. Water from this source helps to cope with almost all ailments, even mental disorders.
About two dozen keys in Kolomenskoye. Near the Ascension Church, famous among the pilgrims, there is a key called Kadochka. There is a legend that it was the water from this stream that helped Ivan the Terrible to get rid of infertility. In this holy place of Moscow, many women find healing.
Also, holy sources in the Russian capital are in Filevsky Park, Serebryany Bor, Neskuchny Sad, Holy Danilov Monastery, Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo forest park and in many other places.
Existing monasteries
The holy places of Moscow, helping to gain faith in oneself, are active monasteries with a long history. Every stone penetrates grace there, and local abbots and elders are ready to support a person who is in the most hopeless situation, give the right advice, set the right path.
One of the holiest places in Moscow is considered to be the Theotokos-Nativity Monastery, founded in the XIV century. This is one of the oldest convents in Russia, located at Rozhdestvenka Street, 20/8, Building 14. On weekdays, the morning service is held here at 7:00, on Sundays, the liturgy begins at 9:00. Evening service is held daily at 17:00. The same schedule of services in most Russian Orthodox churches and monasteries.
This monastery was founded in 1386 by the wife of Prince Andrei Serpukhov - Princess Mary. At first it was located on the territory of the Kremlin.
In Soviet times, the monastery was closed in 1922. After that, educational and office establishments were located there. And in the cells divided into communal apartments, ordinary people lived.
The cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1992, the next year the monastery was revived. Now there is a Sunday school for children from 4 to 17 years old.
Monastery Shrines
Each ancient monastery contains artifacts that are the goal of many pilgrims. The Mother of God-Nativity Monastery was no exception. Here is the Kazan icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It is believed that prayers in front of this icon can help in many matters. They also turn to her to get rid of sorrows, despondency and calamities, when a person already gives up and he is no longer able to deal with misfortunes. The Orthodox believe that with the help of prayers addressed to the Kazan Mother of God, it is possible to recover from diseases, especially from eye diseases and even blindness. Interestingly, in this case we are talking not only about physical, but also about spiritual blindness. Often the Virgin helps a person find the right solution in many matters.
From ancient times, this icon was left near the crib, believing that the Virgin would be able to look after the child, and if necessary, protect him. Even in ancient Russia, it was this icon that the newlyweds came to be blessed with a happy and long life. A special success was considered if the day of the wedding and wedding was on the Day of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God. It is celebrated twice a year - July 21 and November 4.
On trips to the holy places of Moscow and the Moscow region, pilgrims always seek to bow to this icon.
Miraculous icon
Another famous metropolitan shrine is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir. According to legend, the apostle Luke himself wrote it. The icon is famous for the fact that it has repeatedly saved Russia from the invasion of foreign invaders, in particular from Tokhtamysh and Batu. A very amazing story is connected with it: during the fire in the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, when the temple burned down almost to ashes, the icon itself remained on the ashes completely and unharmed.
This icon is a real symbol of Russia, therefore, it is not only addressed with personal requests, but also pray for the well-being of the entire state.
The icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir is located in the church of St. Nicholas. It is located in the metro area "Tretyakovskaya" at Maly Tolmachevsky Pereulok, 9. By the way, in the same church you can find the famous icon of the Trinity, which was written by Andrei Rublev.
New jerusalem
When traveling to holy places from Moscow, pilgrims often visit the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery and the New Jerusalem Museum and Exhibition Complex located next to it.
The museum itself was founded in 1920, shortly after the closure of the monastery on this site. His collection included objects and artifacts from the monastery sacristy and churches, exhibits transported from the museum in memory of Patriarch Nikon, who founded Archimandrite Leonid in 1874, finds discovered during archaeological excavations in the north-west of the Moscow region.
For pilgrims who go to the holy places of Moscow and the Moscow region, the New Jerusalem Monastery is no less valuable. It was founded by Nikon in 1656. According to the patriarch, the monastery was to recreate a whole complex of holy places in Palestine.
On its territory is the Resurrection Cathedral, the construction of which was completed in 1658. This is a unique monument of Russian architecture of that time, which became the largest construction project that Patriarch Nikon managed to implement.
Davidova desert
Going to the holy places of Moscow and Moscow region, many people dream of healing. They come to the Ascension Monastery of the David Deserts. It was founded by David Serpukhov in 1515.
Now it is located near the village of New Life of the Chekhov region. Of interest is the desert compound, which is located nearby in the village of Talezh. Nearby is a spring that hits from under the ground. It was consecrated by David himself. There is a spring complex nearby. Believers are convinced that the water from this source helps to heal from diseases of the liver and eyes.