The icon of St. Luke (Bishop of Crimea) is especially revered in the Orthodox world. Many faithful Christians say warm and sincere prayers before the image of the saint. St. Luke always hears requests addressed to him: through the prayers of believers great miracles are performed daily - many people find deliverance from various mental and physical ailments.
The relics of Luke of Crimean today are various healings testifying to the great spiritual power of the saint. To worship the shrine, many Christians come to Simferopol from different cities of the world.
The icon of St. Luke is designed to remind people of the life of a great man, fearlessly following in the footsteps of the Savior, who embodied the example of the Christian feat of carrying the cross of life.
On the icons, St. Luke Voyno-Yasenetsky is depicted in the archbishop's vestments with his blessing right hand raised. You can also see the image of the saint sitting at the table above the opened book, in the works of scientific activity, which reminds believing Christians fragments of the biography of the saint. There are icons depicting a saint with a cross in his right hand and a gospel in his left. Some icon painters represent St. Luke with medical instruments, recalling his life work.
The icon of St. Luke has great reverence among the people - its significance for believing Christians is very great! Like St. Nicholas, Bishop Luke became a Russian miracle worker who came to the rescue in all life's difficulties.
Today, the icon of St. Luke is in almost every house. This is primarily due to the great faith of the people in the miraculous help of a saint who is able to heal any disease by faith. Many Christians turn to the great saint in prayer for deliverance from various ailments.
Young years of Archbishop Luke Voyno-Yasenetsky
Saint Luke, Bishop of Crimea (in the world - Valentin Feliksovich Voino-Yasenetsky), was born in Kerch on April 27, 1877. From childhood, he was interested in painting, attending a drawing school, where he showed considerable success. At the end of the gymnasium course, the future saint entered the university at the Faculty of Law, but a year later he stopped classes, leaving the school. Then he tried to study at the Munich school of painting, however, in this area, the young man did not find his calling.
Striving with all his heart to benefit his neighbors, Valentin decided to enter the University of Kiev at the Faculty of Medicine. From the first years of his studies, he became interested in anatomy. After graduating from an educational institution with honors and having received the specialty of a surgeon, the future saint immediately began practical medical activity, mainly in eye surgery.
Chita
In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War began. V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky went to the Far East as a volunteer. In Chita, he worked in the hospital of the Red Cross, where he conducted practical medical activities. Heading the surgical department, he successfully operated on wounded soldiers. Soon the young doctor met his future wife, Anna Vasilievna, who worked in the hospital as a sister of mercy. In marriage, they had four children.
From 1905 to 1910, the future saint worked in various district hospitals, where he had to conduct a wide variety of medical activities. At this time, the widespread use of general anesthesia began, but the necessary equipment and specialist anesthetists were not enough to perform operations under general anesthesia. Interested in alternative methods of pain relief, the young doctor discovered a new method for sciatic nerve anesthesia. Subsequently, he presented his research in the form of a dissertation, which he successfully defended.
Pereslavl-Zalessky
In 1910, the young family moved to the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky, where the future St. Luke worked in extremely difficult conditions, performing several operations daily. Soon, he decided to study purulent surgery and began to actively write a dissertation.
In 1917, terrible upheavals in the fatherland began - political instability, widespread betrayal, the beginning of a bloody revolution. In addition, the wife of a young surgeon falls ill with tuberculosis. The family moves to the city of Tashkent. Here, Valentin Feliksovich holds the position of head of the surgical department of a local hospital. Tashkent State University was opened in 1918, in which the doctor teaches topographic anatomy and surgery.
Tashkent
During the civil war, the surgeon lived in Tashkent, where he devoted all his strength to healing, daily performing several operations. During work, the future saint always ardently prayed to God for help in completing the work of saving human lives. There was always an icon in the operating room, and an icon lamp hung in front of it. The doctor had a pious custom: before the operation, he always applied to the icons, then lit a lamp, made a prayer, and only then got down to business. The doctor was distinguished by deep faith and religiosity, which led him to the decision to take the priesthood.
Health A.V. War-Yasenetskaya began to deteriorate - she died in 1918, leaving four young children in the care of her husband. After the death of his wife, the future saint became even more active in church life, visiting temples in Tashkent. In 1921, Valentin Feliksovich was ordained a deacon, and then a priest. Father Valentine became the rector of the temple, in which he always very lively and zealously preached the Word of God. Many colleagues treated his religious beliefs with undisguised irony, believing that the scientific activity of a successful surgeon with the adoption of the dignity was completed.
In 1923, Father Valentin accepted monastic tonsure with the new name Luke, and soon put on the episcopal rank, which provoked a stormy negative reaction from the Tashkent authorities. After some time, the saint was arrested and imprisoned. A long period of links has begun.
Ten years in captivity
Two months after the arrest, the future Saint Luke of Crimea was in a Tashkent prison. Then he was transported to Moscow, where the prelate had a significant meeting with Patriarch Tikhon, who was imprisoned in the Donskoy Monastery. In the conversation, the Patriarch convinces Bishop Luke not to leave his medical activities.
Soon the saint was summoned to the building of the KGB Cheka on the Lubyanka, where he was subjected to cruel interrogation methods. After the sentencing, Saint Luke was sent to Butyrka prison, where he was in inhuman conditions for two months. Then he was transferred to the Tagansk prison (until December 1923). This was followed by a series of repressions: in the midst of a harsh winter, the saint was sent to exile in Siberia to the far Yeniseisk. Here he was settled in the house of a local wealthy resident. The bishop was allocated a separate room in which he continued to conduct medical activities.
After some time, St. Luke received permission to operate in the Yenisei hospital. In 1924, he performed a very complicated and unprecedented operation to transplant a kidney from an animal to a human. As a "reward" for the work, the local authorities sent a talented surgeon to the small village of Haya, where St. Luke continued his medical work, sterilizing the instruments in a samovar. The saint did not lose heart - as a reminder of the carrying of the life cross, an icon was always with him.
Saint Luke of Crimea the following summer was again transferred to Yeniseisk. After a short imprisonment, he was again allowed to practice medicine and to church service in a local monastery.
The Soviet authorities strove with all their might to prevent the growing popularity of the bishop-surgeon among the common people. It was decided that he would be exiled to Turukhansk, where there were very difficult natural and weather conditions. In a local hospital, the saint received patients and continued surgical activity, operating with a penknife, and used the hair of patients as a surgical suture material .
During this period, he served in a small monastery on the banks of the Yenisei, in the church, where the relics of St. Basil of Mangazeysky were located. Crowds of people came to him, finding in him a true healer of soul and body. In March 1924, the saint was again summoned to Turukhansk to resume medical activity. At the end of his sentence, the bishop returned to Tashkent, where he again assumed the duties of bishop. The future Saint Luke Krymsky conducted medical activities at home, attracting not only the sick, but also many medical students.
In 1930, St. Luke was again arrested. After the conviction, the saint spent a whole year in a Tashkent prison, subjected to all kinds of torture and interrogations. Severe trials at that time suffered St. Luke of Crimea. Prayer daily offered to the Lord gave him spiritual and physical strength to endure all adversities.
Then it was decided to transfer the bishop to exile in the north of Russia. All the way to Kotlas the escort soldiers escorted the saint, spat on his face, mocked and mocked.
At first, Bishop Luke worked in the Makarikha transit camp, where people who were victims of political repression served time. The conditions of the settlers were inhumane, many of them desperate to commit suicide, people suffered from mass epidemics of various diseases, and they did not receive any medical assistance. Saint Luke was soon transferred to work at the Kotlas hospital, having received permission to operate. Then the archbishop was sent to Arkhangelsk, where he was until 1933.
"Essays on purulent surgery"
In 1933, Luka again returned to his native Tashkent, where matured children were waiting for him. Until 1937, the saint was engaged in scientific activities in the field of purulent surgery. In 1934 he published the famous work entitled "Essays on Purulent Surgery", which is still a textbook for surgeons. The saint did not manage to publish many of his achievements, another Stalinist repression became an obstacle to this.
New persecution
In 1937, the bishop was again arrested on charges of killing people, underground counter-revolutionary activities and conspiracy to destroy Stalin. Some of his colleagues, arrested with him, gave false testimonies against the bishop under pressure. For thirteen days the saint was subjected to interrogations and torture. After Bishop Luke did not sign the confession, he was again subjected to conveyor interrogation.
For the next two years, he was in Tashkent prison, periodically undergoing aggressive interrogations. In 1939 he was sentenced to exile in Siberia. In the village of Bolshaya Murta, Krasnoyarsk Territory, the bishop worked in a local hospital, operating numerous patients in incredibly difficult conditions. Hard months and years, full of deprivations and tribulations, were worthily endured by the future saint - Bishop Luke of Crimea. The prayers offered to them for their spiritual flock helped many believers in those difficult times.
Soon the saint sent a telegram addressed to the Chairman of the Supreme Council asking for permission to operate on wounded soldiers. Further, the bishop was transferred to Krasnoyarsk and appointed head physician of a military hospital, as well as a consultant to all district military hospitals.
While working in the hospital, he was constantly monitored by KGB officers, and his colleagues were suspicious and distrustful of him, which was due to his religion. He was not allowed in the hospital cafeteria, and therefore often underwent hunger. Some nurses, pitying the saint, secretly brought him food.
Exemption
Every day, the future archbishop of Krymsky Luka independently came to the railway station, selecting the most seriously ill patients for operations. This continued until 1943, when many church political prisoners fell under the Stalinist amnesty. The future Saint Luke was appointed bishop of Krasnoyarsk, and on February 28 he was able to independently serve the first liturgy.
In 1944, the saint was transferred to Tambov, where he conducted medical and religious activities, rebuilding the destroyed churches, attracting many to the Church. He began to be invited to various scientific conferences, but he was always asked to come in high society clothes, which Luka never agreed to. In 1946, the saint received recognition. He was awarded the Stalin Prize.
Crimean period
Soon the saint's health seriously deteriorated, Bishop Luke began to see poorly. The church authorities appointed him bishop of Simferopol and Crimean. In Crimea, the bishop continues a life full of labor. Work is underway to rebuild the temples, and Luke conducts free admission of patients every day. In 1956, the saint was completely blind. Despite such a serious illness, he selflessly worked for the good of the Church of Christ. On June 11, 1961, St. Luke, Bishop of Crimea, peacefully departed to the Lord on the Day of All Saints' Day.
On March 20th, 1996, the holy relics of Luke of Crimea were solemnly transferred to the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Simferopol. Nowadays, they are especially revered by the inhabitants of the Crimea, as well as by all Orthodox Christians asking for help from the great saint.
Icon "St. Luke of Crimea"
During his lifetime, many believing Christians, personally acquainted with this great man, felt his holiness, which was expressed in genuine kindness and sincerity. Luke lived a hard life, full of labor, deprivation and adversity.
Even after the death of the saint, many people continued to feel on him his invisible support. After the archbishop was counted among the Orthodox saints in 1995, the icon of St. Luke constantly shows various miracles of healing from mental and bodily diseases.
Many Orthodox Christians rush to Simferopol to venerate the great Christian value - the relics of St. Luke of Crimea. The icon of St. Luke helps many patients. The value of her spiritual strength is difficult to overestimate. To some believers, help from the saint came instantly, which confirms his great intercession before God for people.
Miracles of Luke Crimean
Nowadays, with the sincere prayers of believers, the Lord sends healings from many diseases thanks to the intercession of St. Luke. Real cases of incredible deliverance from various diseases that occurred through prayer to the saint are known and recorded. The relics of the Crimean Luke exude great miracles.
In addition to getting rid of bodily ailments, the saint also helps in the spiritual struggle against various sinful inclinations. Some faithful surgeons, deeply venerating their great colleague, following the example of the saint, always make a prayer before surgery, which helps to successfully operate even complex patients. According to their deep conviction, this helps St. Luke of Crimea. Prayer, addressed to him from the heart, helps to solve even the most complex problems.
St. Luca miraculously helped some students to enter a medical university, thus fulfilling their cherished dream - to devote their lives to treating people. In addition to numerous healings from illnesses, St. Luke helps to find faith for stray unbelieving people, being a spiritual mentor and praying for human souls.
Many miracles are still performed by the great holy bishop Luke of Crimea! Healings are received by all who turn to him for help. There are cases when the saint helped pregnant women safely endure and give birth to healthy babies who are at risk according to the results of multilateral studies. Truly a great saint - Luke of Crimea. Prayers brought by believers in front of his relics or icons will always be heard.
Relics
At the opening of the grave of Luke it was noted incorruption of his remains. In 2002, Greek clergy presented the Trinity Monastery with a silver crab for the relics of the archbishop, in which they are still buried. Thanks to the prayers of believers, the holy relics of Luke of Crimea exude many miracles and healings. In order to follow them, people come to the temple constantly.
After the glorification of Bishop Luke as a saint, his remains were transferred to the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Simferopol. Pilgrims often call this temple like this: "Church of St. Luke." However, this wonderful one is called Holy Trinity. The cathedral is located at the city of Simferopol, st. Odessa, 12.