The faith of the people in the Almighty is so great that it gives strength to overcome the most incredible obstacles and heals from any ailments. After all, there is nothing in this world that would be inaccessible to our God. Of course, not all Orthodox Christians have such a faith that would support them and give strength in different life circumstances. Therefore, the shrines were given to us, having attached themselves to which with prayer and sincere request, we can see with our own eyes a real miracle. One of such wonderful things is the Belt of the Virgin.
This shrine visited Moscow only once, but made a lot of noise. According to some reports, during the month of their stay in Russia, attach to the Belt about three million believers. Even more Orthodox were unable to get to the churches where the shrine was located. Today, our article is dedicated to the stay of the Belt of the Virgin in Moscow, as well as the story of the shrine itself and its particles, which are located in various metropolitan churches.
Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary: what is it
Much less is known about this relic than about other Christian shrines. It is known that the Belt belonged to the Virgin when she was carrying her son - Jesus Christ. Therefore, it has great healing power and helps to cope with various women's problems.
It is noteworthy that until the ninth century, Christians in no sources mentioned the Belt of the Virgin, which was considered lost. Only later did information about his miraculous power appear, and he turned into a shrine revered in Constantinople.
In the calendar of Orthodox holidays, there is even a special day dedicated to this relic. The holiday is celebrated on August 31.
Finding the Belt of the Virgin
The first written sources mentioning this shrine appeared in Constantinople. They were written by different authors at about the same time.
One of them said that the Belt was stored in a small temple built in the city of Zila. Here the relic lay forgotten by everyone until it was transported to Constantinople. A separate chapel was built for her, and a little later a canon of the holiday dedicated to the shrine arose.
According to another version, the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary was stored in Jerusalem, from where it was transported to Constantinople around the fifth century. He was put in the ark and almost forgot about the relic for four hundred years. During this period, the emperor Leo sat on the throne, his beloved wife suffered from mental illness. Many doctors considered her possessed and shrugged when the emperor asked about the possibility of her healing. But once the patient herself saw in a dream how a relic hidden in the ark completely heals her from the disease. The emperor immediately ordered to get the Belt of the Virgin and unfolded it over the head of his wife. Immediately the demons left the woman, and the shrine took its rightful place in the church of Constantinople. Since that time, clergymen marked a special day on the calendar when a holiday was solemnly celebrated in honor of an amazing and miraculous relic.
The fall of Constantinople
After the city was plundered and partially destroyed, the trace of the Belt of the Virgin was lost for some time. From time to time, information came about his whereabouts in various temple complexes.
To date, there are eleven temples where particles of the Belt of the Virgin are stored. In Moscow, such a place also exists, although many believers do not even suspect it.
Temple of the Prophet Elijah
If you, like many other pilgrims, could not bow to the Belt of the Virgin in Moscow in 2011, then do not despair. Of course, this shrine, first brought from Athos, is of great importance in the eyes of believers. But in fact, its particles have long been stored in the church of the Prophet Elijah in Moscow. The belt of the Virgin did not get there by accident, but let's talk about everything in order.
One of the most revered temples in the capital was built at the end of the sixteenth century. Surprisingly, it was erected in just one day. Therefore, they called it "Ordinary", the same name received the lanes closest to the construction.
Initially, the temple was wooden and only at the beginning of the eighteenth century did it acquire the outlines familiar to our contemporaries. It is noteworthy that even during the years of Soviet power, services were held here, and in the most daring times a procession to the church took place.
At the moment, about seventy-three shrines are stored in this church, among them there is a particle of the Belt of the Virgin. She came to Moscow under the tsarist regime and is kept in a reliquary near the side chapel of Peter and Paul. Some believers, in order to have a memory of this shrine at home, acquire a small icon of the Virgin Mary and, when visiting the temple, apply it to the relics. It is not known whether such an icon can work miracles, but many Orthodox people talk about healing and help in matters after the house prayer of the Blessed Virgin.
What helps the Belt of the Virgin?
Among the pilgrims to this shrine there are always a lot of women and there is a simple explanation for this - the Belt especially helps to get pregnant, endure and give birth to a healthy baby. Therefore, every woman who dreams of replenishment in the family can come and bow to the relics. Numerous evidence is known that the Belt of the Virgin helps even recover from infertility in all its stages. The shrine also contributes to the successful resolution of the burden during complex pregnancy or, for example, entwining the umbilical cord and improper presentation of the fetus.
Despite the fact that a part of the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been in Moscow for more than a hundred years, many Orthodox people dream of bowing to the relic that is stored on Mount Athos. However, such an opportunity, unfortunately, is extremely rare. If you are interested in when the Belt of the Virgin was brought to Moscow, then we are in a hurry to disappoint you - this was the only time in modern history, in 2011. About the grand event is worth telling separately.
Way from Athos to Russia
The relic left Greece for the first time; monks from Athos accompanied it on a journey. It is noteworthy that not a single woman can set foot on Mount Athos - this is strictly prohibited. Therefore, it was difficult to even imagine that the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary would ever be in Moscow.
In what temple was the relic kept all these years on Mount Athos? She was in a monastery known as Vatoped. It is considered the second most important among the Athos monasteries, and is also the richest and oldest.
Where did the shrine go?
The Belt of the Virgin traveled around Russia for thirty-nine days on a special plane. Everywhere he was accompanied by monks from Athos, they managed to visit fourteen cities and one monastery.
The route was composed in a special way. He formed an Orthodox cross, and the Russian capital was the last point.
Belt of the Virgin in Moscow: in which temple he was
In 2011, an event took place, which is still remembered by all Orthodox Russia. For the first time in the history of the shrine on Mount Athos, the Belt of the Virgin Mary came to our country. In Moscow, in what temple was he placed? This question is not relevant for Christians in the capital. They all know that for several days the shrine was in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where many kilometers of lines were built.
Within a few days, the relics were visited by many people, but even more believers were not even able to get closer to the walls of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Until now, people remember that getting inside was possible only in one case - having stood the queue for fifteen to twenty hours in the cold. After all, the shrine came to the capital in late November.
As many people as possible could touch the Belt of the Virgin, the clergy changed the approach to the relics. It was necessary to touch her not with her lips, but with her hand. This allowed the line to move as quickly as possible. At the same time, the pilgrims handed over notes to the minister of the temple, where the names of relatives were indicated. Later, these names were listed during church service.
Will the Virgin’s Belt ever be brought to Russia from Athos? Nobody knows that. But miracles do happen, so don't stop praying for them.