The incorrupt body of Alexander Svirsky. The imperishable relics of St. Alexander Svirsky

“In 1641 from the Nativity of Christ, according to the command of the pious Tsar, they dismantled the dilapidated church in the name of our Reverend Father Alexander, where there was a tomb placed over his body... When they began to dig a ditch for the front wall, on the eastern side of the temple... found a coffin. The ground above him stood in the form of a cave, not supported by anything... The abbot was immediately shown the found coffin. He, going with the holy monks into the ditch, removed the top board from the coffin, and a strong fragrance from the relics of the monk spread everywhere, so that the whole place was filled with incense. There was no chopping at that time, and they saw the entire lying body of the venerable father Alexander, whole and unharmed, in a mantle and schema, wrapped in order, and the anallav on it was completely intact, part of the beard was visible from under the schema; both legs lay like those of someone who had recently died, the right foot up, and the left foot turned to the side, both shod in sandals. The fragrant myrrh spread throughout his body, like some growing flowers, and poured out like water. Seeing all this, those who were there were filled with horror and joy and glorified Almighty God, Who Glorifies His Saints...” (The Legend of the Finding of the Relics of Our Reverend Father Alexander, Abbot of Svir, Wonderworker).

I once read these lines and was amazed at the chronicler’s story, but I never thought that I myself would see the incorruptible body of Saint Alexander and be filled with horror and joy at the sight of the fragrant world. After all, the relics of the Svir miracle worker were considered lost; even their existence was questioned.

The fact is that once upon a time, it was from the shrine of St. Alexander that an all-Russian campaign to open the relics began, which was supposed to “expose the counter-revolutionary essence of the Orthodox Church and reveal the centuries-old deception of the people by the clergy.” A message then appeared in the Soviet press that on October 22, 1918, during the “registration” of the property of the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, “in a cast shrine weighing more than 20 pounds of silver, instead of the incorruptible relics of Alexander Svirsky, a wax doll was discovered.” (True, Archimandrite Eugene, who was present at the opening of the relics, testified against this conclusion, claiming that the authentic remains of the saint were found in the shrine, and not a doll at all, as the proprietors said, but a few days later he was shot, and therefore there was no one to refute the official version ).

Be that as it may, the Bolsheviks removed what was found in the shrine from the monastery. (Soon an “island” of the Gulag began operating there.)

80 years have passed. The abbot of the reviving Alexander-Svirsky monastery, Lukian (Kutsenko), blessed the nun Leonida (Safonova) to work in the archives to search for information about the relics of St. Alexander of Svirsky. In the world, nun Leonida, a nun of the Intercession-Tervenichsky Monastery, achieved the degree of candidate of biological sciences, worked as a senior researcher at the St. Petersburg Research Institute named after. Pasteur. First, she visited all the historical and ethnographic museums of the city, but the search did not yield any results. Unexpectedly, a document from the Central Historical Archive helped her. The document testified that the relics of the reverend underwent a medical examination in a subdivision of the People's Commissariat of Health in February 1919. Then it was decided to begin a survey of the city’s medical museums. Quite soon, the search led to the Military Medical Academy, where an anatomical museum has existed for more than 150 years. Back in the 40s, “an example of natural mummification” was demonstrated at lectures there.

Of course, this did not happen by chance: Saint Alexander was known as the “prayer book for kings.” Once upon a time, Ivan the Terrible prayed to the monk just before the capture of Kazan, and after the victory he declared him a “great and wondrous miracle worker” throughout Russia. Since then, every autocrat either came to venerate the relics or sent generous gifts to the monastery. All the Romanovs were admirers of the Monk Alexander. The first king of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, especially revered the saint. One of the first chapels erected by Peter I in the new capital of Russia was the chapel of Alexander Svirsky. The Emperor repeatedly visited the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery.

On December 30, 1997, nun Leonida saw the relics of St. Alexander for the first time at the Military Medical Academy of St. Petersburg. The examinations began. They took place first at the Military Medical Academy itself, then at the forensic medical service of St. Petersburg. During the first prayer invocation to the saint, myrrh was poured out on the relics. This happened in the X-ray room of the Forensic Medical Expert Service of St. Petersburg, in front of the SMES workers and nuns of the Intercession-Tervenichsky Monastery.

“The saint especially consoled us,” recalled nun Leonida. “After the first prayer call to him, after a prayer service was served before the relics in the forensic service, they began to flow myrrh. Myrrh was flowing especially strongly from my feet. Every wrinkle of the body was covered with peace. The saint seemed to answer us: “It’s me! I hear you.

The examinations lasted several months. The main difficulty, the nun recalled, was overcoming the atheistic attitude of some members of the expert commission. They had to constantly overcome themselves internally in order to understand that what was happening was the acquisition of a shrine, and not “mummified remains.” But in the end, experts decided that the remains found in the Military Medical Academy really belonged to Alexander Svirsky... The holy relics were transferred to the Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. Soon the myrrh-streaming became permanent. Thousands of St. Petersburg residents and pilgrims from other cities witnessed this miracle.

I have been to this temple twice. I can’t tell you almost anything about my first visit. I remember a strange small church, without a dome, surrounded by typical multi-story buildings, the singing of “Our Reverend Father Alexandra, pray to God for us,” and the line for the shrine. What I don't remember is Alexander himself. When the nun, who was wiping the glass of the tomb with a towel, made a sign to me with her hand: “Pray,” my heart began to pound, everything floated as if in a fog. A wave of inexplicable trembling threw me to my knees in front of the coffin. I kissed the cancer and walked away. That's all.

The second time I came to church two months later. It was time between prayer services, the mothers were washing the floor. There was almost no one in the temple, and I was able to stay at the shrine for quite a long time. What struck me most was the appearance of the reverend’s hand—it looked as if it had been carved from ivory. In front of me under the glass were not remains, not a skeleton, not bones - it was exactly incorruptible body. The body, which spent more than a century in damp earth (during which time the coffin almost completely rotted), three centuries in the tomb and 80 years in the museum of the Military Medical Academy. It immediately occurred to me that the Bolsheviks, who opened the tomb in 1918, could really imagine that Alexander’s body was sculpted from wax. The hand of a saint is the hand of a strong man: strong, knobby fingers, a wide wrist. Such a hand should have known well what an ax, hoe, shovel is.

The saint's right foot rests on the arch of his left (this is what the chronicle draws attention to). Droplets of oily liquid were clearly visible on Alexander’s legs. Leaning towards the shrine, I felt an indescribable aroma. It was that same “fragrant myrrh.” Here I was again overtaken by that state of inner trembling that I experienced on my first visit to the temple. Just think, myrrh! I, who have difficulty distinguishing odors (the result of several years of smoking), clearly sensed an unearthly aroma, despite the fact that the temple smelled strongly of detergent and the lid of the shrine was tightly closed!

This fragrance was felt by everyone who entered the temple. And at times it became so strong that bees flocked to its smell! I learned from the candle maker that the nature of the myrrh flow changes during prayer services - sometimes it literally begins to flow down the saint’s feet. A friend of mine, a deskmate in my school past, treated my newborn daughter for cancer. When, a couple of hours later, he got home with her, his family were amazed - a persistent fragrance emanated from the child.

An absolutely amazing fact was also recorded. Some pilgrims who came in the summer and autumn of 1998 to venerate the relics of St. Alexander, approaching the shrine, asked to attach to it an icon of the saint, purchased right there in the temple. Soon these icons began to stream myrrh at home, during home prayers. Some noted a strong fragrance for several days.

Miracles at the relics of Alexander Svirsky:
1533-1998

The Monk Alexander was buried in 1533 in the waste hermitage, near the wooden Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, on the right side of the altar. After 14 years, the Svir miracle worker was canonized (in our Church this is a rare case). A small wooden church was built over the saint's body. During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, it completely fell into disrepair, and the abbot of the monastery, Abbot Abraham, came up with the idea of ​​building a stone church over Alexander’s body. The king donated money for the construction of the church.

In the spring of 1641, the wooden church was dismantled, and soon the monks of the monastery began to witness unusual light phenomena. “On Thursday of Palm Week there was extraordinary thunder and lightning. Lightning fell to the ground and did not suddenly disappear, as usually happens, but fell to the ground and shone for a long time,” the chronicler wrote.

Workers were digging a ditch for the front wall of the future temple. Suddenly, in the altar area of ​​the old church (that is, in the middle of the altar), they came across a coffin. The ground above this coffin stood in the form of a cave, unsupported by anything. As soon as the abbot removed the top board of the coffin, all those present felt a strong fragrance from the relics. Looking inside, the monks saw the incorruptible body of the Monk Alexander. Thus, to the surprise of everyone, the coffin was found in a different place - east of the tomb of the saint.

Healings at the tomb of St. Alexander took place before, starting in 1533, the year of the saint’s death. Here are some of them.

One blind woman, named Anna, who begged for alms in the surrounding villages, came to the monastery on the day of the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Falling down to the coffin, she asked for healing for her eyes, and her vision immediately returned to her.

In the vicinity of the monastery on the Oyat River lived the peasant Ivan Iudin. This peasant, as the monastery chronicle relates, “had a son named Sozont, who was weak in his legs from birth and completely unable to walk or stand on his feet.” Ivan had no other sons. Having heard about the miracles that happened through prayers to Saint Alexander (among those healed was his daughter-in-law Matrona, who got rid of a terrible tumor on her head), Ivan took his son to the monastery, where he met with the abbot and asked to serve a prayer service. At the end of the prayer service, Sozont was placed on the saint’s shrine and sprinkled with holy water, after which “the youth stood firmly and straight on his feet, and walked back and forth.”

Not far from the monastery on the Segezha River lived the young man Afanasy, the servant of the boyar Andrei. He had a weakened right hand with which he could not do anything. Having prayed at Alexander’s tomb and made three bows, this young man, as the chronicler writes, suddenly exclaimed: “Having the seven prayers of Father Alexander!” - and raised his right hand up. The monastery knew Athanasius and his illness well; At the sight of such an obvious healing, “the clergy and the entire multitude of people were filled with horror and joy.”

Near the monastery in the village of Chagunitsa lived Tatiana, Tikhon’s wife, who suffered from relaxation of all her limbs. “For two years she suffered very seriously from that illness, dying many times, so that she had no hope of staying alive.” Through prayers to Alexander, she received complete healing and served a thanksgiving prayer service at the shrine.

Nowadays, healings from relaxation (paralysis) also most often occur at the tomb of St. Alexander of Svirsky.

After the relics were found under the altar of the old church and transferred first to the Church of St. Nicholas, and then to the stone Transfiguration Cathedral, amazing healings continued to occur at the tomb, including from such a terrible illness as demon possession.

Here are several modern miracles recorded by the clergy of the Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia and published in the newspaper “Orthodox Petersburg” (No. 10, 1998).

Elena lived to be 50 years old with congenital paralysis of her right arm. Medical procedures did not help. After several prayers at the shrine, I was able to fold my fingers for the sign of the cross without outside help. The fingers are still hard to control, but now the woman can hold light objects in her hand.

Raisa suffered from stomach disease for five years. Having anointed the skin over the sore spot with myrrh from the relics, she received relief from the pain.

Alla spoke about getting rid of headaches after praying to the monk, applying to his relics and anointing with oil.

Nina suffered from pain in her spine and joints. She stood for six hours at prayer services, which continued continuously at the saint’s shrine. After returning home, I received relief from the pain.

Olga was bedridden with rapidly developing cancer. Friends were miraculously able to put her in a car and take her to the temple to venerate the relics, after which the patient not only got back on her feet, but also got a job.

The relics of Saint Alexander performed the following miracles: they shone with extraordinary light; came out of hiding; spread fragrance; streamed myrrh; healed the paralytic, the blind, the demon-possessed, and the sick; for five centuries they resisted decay. Who was this man so richly glorified by God?

Hegumen Alexander

In the life of Alexander Svirsky we will find many ascetic deeds, miracles, and manifestations of grace-filled power. But this saint is famous not only for his asceticism and miracles.

Alexander Svirsky was born in 1448, when many disciples of Sergius of Radonezh, the great saint, through whose works and prayers the veneration of the Holy Trinity was established in Rus', were still alive. And so in the Novgorod land a man was born who was awarded see Trinity. This has not happened to any mortal since the time of Abraham.

Under Sergius of Radonezh, who blessed Dmitry Donskoy for the Battle of Kulikovo, the liberation of Rus' from the Tatars began.

Under Alexander Svirsky, who prayed for Ivan III, after standing on the Ugra River, the Tatar yoke was finally overthrown.

Sergius restored the monastic community in Rus' and founded the Trinity Monastery near Moscow, which later became the famous Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

Alexander, with his monastic exploits, strengthened monasticism in the north of Rus' and founded the Trinity Monastery, which later became the famous Trinity Alexander-Svirsky Monastery - a place of pilgrimage for the royal Romanov dynasty.

He was born north of Novgorod, in the Olonets land, in a village called Mandera on the Oyat River. The north of Rus' found it more difficult to accept Christianity, and this region remained pagan for a long time. (However, there were also such centers of holiness and piety in it as the ancient Valaam Monastery.) The time of Alexander is the era of Vasily the Dark, Ivan III and Vasily III; Rus', which won the Kulikovo Field, united around Moscow.

The Novgorod region suffered little from the Tatar raids. Alexander's parents (after the holy baptism of Amos), Stefan and Vassa, did not live richly, but they did not go hungry. Even in the times of Kyiv, Novgorod was famous for its universal literacy; Amos’s parents also knew how to read Scripture. But he was not given literacy, despite a strong desire to master book wisdom and the efforts of the teacher. The life tells how one day, having arrived at the monastery, the youth fell on his knees before the image of the Mother of God. He prayed that the Blessed Virgin would give him reason to understand the Divine Scripture. Amos's prayer was heard, and he soon began to read and surpassed his peers in learning.

Childhood passes quietly and calmly; teaching, working with parents in the field. Amos grows up withdrawn and silent; he hardly plays with his peers. More and more often, his parents find him with a book, he tries to imitate the great ascetics: he fasts strictly, sleeps little, and in winter he goes without a hat and wears thin clothes. All this worries Stefan and Vassa. They try to dissuade him, but Amos answers them with the words of Scripture: “Brain will not place us before God.” Parents, seeing such firmness, humble themselves. However, they hope that, having matured, Amos will change: he will abandon these “extremes” and be like everyone else. And they begin to look for a bride for him. Meanwhile, their son meets two monks from Valaam. They stand on the river bank and sing psalms. Amos bows to the ground and comes up for a blessing. The surprised elders enter into conversation with the young man. Amos asks about monastic life, about the monastic order. “What should I do, holy fathers? - he exclaims. - How can one become worthy of this angelic life? My parents want to marry me; I would run away, but I know my father will find me and bring me home. And it will only be trouble for him and sadness for me.” The wise elders, having listened to the young man, answer him like this: “Child, natural love is the love of a father and mother. We can't take you with us; We do not have an order from the abbot to take children away from their parents. But we see that the love of God has already deeply penetrated your soul. And therefore, hasten so that the evil spirits do not touch your heart.” The elders bless him to leave his parents' house and tell him how to get to Valaam.

That same day, the young man tells his parents that he is going to a neighboring village for some reason. They, suspecting nothing, let him go. Having stolen his parents' blessing, Amos comes to Valaam and takes monastic vows with the name Alexander. His parents know nothing about him and have been looking for him for three years.

Finally, Stefan learns from one of the wanderers that his son is in the Spasov Monastery. The father immediately goes to Valaam.

Twice the abbot comes to Alexander’s cell, persuading him to go to his father, and twice the young monk refuses. Meanwhile, Stefan threatens the abbot to commit suicide right at the gates of the monastery, “if they don’t show their son right away.” Finally, the tonsured man leaves the cell. His father rushes to him, hugs him, cries, whispers his dear name: “Amos. Amos. my son, let's go home."

Alexander gently removes him: “My Father, may you listen to my advice. Come home alone; distribute your property and go to a monastery.” And he adds: “If you do not do this, you will no longer see my face.”

Stefan storms off in anger. Alexander gets up to pray. What was going on at night in the souls of father and son? The next morning, Stefan comes to Alexander with a changed face: “I will do everything as you ordered,” he tells the young man. - You are right. You are not my son, but your father and teacher.”

Soon Stefan took monastic vows at the Ostrovsky Mother of God Monastery with the name Sergius. Alexander's mother Vassa also took on the monastic rank, taking the name Varvara.

The writer of the life - a student of the monk Herodion - says that on Valaam Alexander was sent to a bakery, where “he remained humbly, surpassing everyone with work; carried water and carried firewood from the forest on himself, tiring his body.” At night he left his cell and, “baring his body to the waist, stood there until the morning singing; so that his whole body was covered with many mosquitoes and midges.” He was the first to come to the monastery church, always standing in one place, concentrating on prayer, not even allowing himself to move his feet. Both during fasting and not during fasting, he consumed only bread and water, and then in small quantities. He wore such clothes that, in the words of the life writer, “barely covered his nakedness.”

Those in the monastery could not help but see these feats; There was already a rumor about Alexander as a great ascetic. But it was sad for the young monk to see that human glory was beginning to surround him—it was not what he was striving for. One day, while standing at prayer at night, the monk saw in the window of his cell an extraordinary light shining in the east. Having received the blessing of the abbot for the feat of living in the desert, Alexander left the monastery. He went east, to the then uninhabited places on the banks of the Svir River. There, in a beautiful forest replete with lakes, he saw a glow above one of the hills. This is where he settled. He was then 36 years old.

He sang psalms and worked. Grass served as his food. Alexander did not immediately get used to this food: at first he experienced such pain that he lay on the ground all day long, not having the strength to get up. For many years he had not seen a single human face. But “a city standing on the top of a mountain cannot hide, and having lit a candle, they do not put it under a bushel” (Matthew 5:14-15). One day a hunter, a certain nobleman Andrei Zavalishin, came out to Alexander’s hut. Gradually, rumors about the great ascetic spread throughout the Novgorod land. Word reached John, another son of Stephen. He had been looking for his brother for many years, and now he came to Alexander. The hermit joyfully accepted him. Gradually the brethren gathered around the monk and a monastery was rebuilt.

But even after becoming abbot of the monastery, the monk took on more work than anyone else in the monastery. He cut down forests and built cells for the brethren, kneaded dough and baked bread, prepared firewood, and carried water. At night, when others were sleeping, he walked around the monastery. It often happened that in the room where wheat was usually ground, the abbot found the monks sleeping. Then he “took the part of the wheat prepared by everyone for grinding and, having ground it, put it in its original place, and he himself went to his cell.”

His fame thundered far beyond the borders of the Olonets region; people came to Alexander from all over Rus'. People who were possessed were brought to him, the sick were brought to him. They asked him for advice when they didn’t know what to do, they came for teaching and blessing. The small monastery grew.

One day, the monks decided to dig a ditch from one lake located on a hill to another, so that a channel would form and a mill could be built. Suddenly, water rushed into the channel with enormous force, threatening to flood the monastery itself. The abbot, as the chronicle testifies, said a prayer and, calling on the Name of Jesus Christ, “with his right hand he depicted a cross against the rushing water.” And immediately its flow stopped. On that channel the monks built a mill.

They said about Alexander that with his prayer he works wondrous miracles, foresees the secret and speaks of the future as if it were the present. Grand Duke Vasily Ioannovich asked for Alexander’s blessing and his prayers in order to receive “peace, health, salvation and prosperity and childbearing.” Meanwhile, Alexander still wore his old, patched cassock - all year round, even “when the ground was cracking from the severe frost.”

In 1507, the humble abbot received an amazing vision. One night, when the Monk Alexander, according to his custom, stood at prayer in the waste hermitage, a light that suddenly appeared and strongly illuminated the cell where he was praying. At that same moment he saw three men come in to him, dressed in white clothes. In appearance they were “beautiful and beautiful, shining brighter than the sun with an inexpressibly glorious bright light, and each of them had a staff in his hand.” Alexander was told that in this place he should found a church in the name of the Consubstantial Trinity.

The church was built - first wooden, and then stone. On August 30, 1533, Alexander Svirsky gave his last instructions to the brethren of the monastery. Then he said: “I am leaving you now, and I am commending you to Almighty God and His Most Pure Mother.” Everyone who was in the cell cried. One of the monks asked: “Father, where should we bury you?” Alexander responded like this: “Brothers, tie a rope around my sinful body and drag me into the depths of the swamp; there, having dug up the moss, trample it with your feet.” “Father, we cannot do this,” answered the monks. Then the monk said: “If you don’t do this, then bury me at the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord.” After this, having said a prayer and giving the brothers a final kiss, Alexander departed to the Lord, having only time to say: “In Your hands I commend my spirit.”

After death, as a student of the abbot wrote, “the face of the monk did not resemble the face of a deceased person, but shone, as in life.”

The sagacity of a saint

One day Alexander met a traveler in the forest. He, not suspecting that the abbot himself was in front of him, asked him if the abbot was healthy and if it was possible to see him. It was one of the local fishermen. The week before he had caught a large sturgeon; Fearing that the master would take the fish and not pay, he sold the catch to the merchants. But he found out about the caught sturgeon, and now the fisherman was in trouble.

“Our abbot is a very sinful man, deceitful and a drunkard, and you will not benefit from him,” said Alexander.

“I don’t know what you’re saying, father,” the fisherman was surprised. “I heard that he helps a lot of people.”

Then the monk, seeing his faith, said this:

“Man, go back to your house, because now you will not find the abbot in the monastery: he has left on some business. When he returns, I will tell him about you. And now, child, go and put your fences in the river. When you catch a lot of fish, including sturgeon, then take it to the landowner: he will stop being angry.”

In great bewilderment, the fisherman walked away. He failed to find the abbot; whether it will be possible to find him the next day is unknown, and then this strange beggar monk, as if in mockery, advises him to “catch a new sturgeon.” But over the past three years, only one sturgeon has looked into his net!

But there is nothing to do. The fisherman returned home and put lines in the river and soon, along with many other fish, he pulled a huge sturgeon ashore! Then he realized that the monk he met in the forest was Abbot Alexander. He went to his master, honestly told about everything and handed over the caught fish. And indeed, he, extremely surprised, quickly changed his anger to mercy and paid him well.

The monk was not meek and kind with everyone.

On the day of the consecration of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Alexander, lifting the edge of his vestment, collected donations for the construction of the monastery. Everyone considered it a blessing to put something in the phelonion. In the crowd was a certain Gregory, a resident of the village of Pidmozero on the Svir River. Many, due to the large crowd of people, approached the abbot from behind. When Gregory, in turn, extended his hand from behind the monk’s back, he suddenly rolled up the phelonion. Frustrated, Grigory tried to deposit the money again, but Alexander silently retracted his hand. He didn’t accept the money a third time, and didn’t even look up at the giver.

Gregory was forced to step aside. In the evening, he begged a monk he knew to take him to the monk’s cell.

“Father, you do not know me or my family,” he said. “Why did you accept an offering from everyone, but rejected my gift?”

Alexander looked up at him: “Your hands are defiled. We were commanded to honor our fathers and mothers, but you insulted your mother, beat her... and never repented of it.”

Gregory fell to his knees in front of the elder.

“Go, child, and beg the one who gave birth to you,” said the abbot. “Ask her forgiveness and repent.”

One day, a wealthy Novgorod merchant, Bogdan Semenovich Koryukov, came to the monastery. The merchant grieved that he did not have an heir to whom he could pass on his property.

Here is Alexander’s answer: “Refuse resoimism (at these words the merchant trembled all over); forgive debtors their debts; give to the poor; help widows and orphans; donate to those in prison. With these good deeds you will appease God, and he will grant you sons and daughters and many years of life. Finally, you will be awarded the monastic rank, and upon your repose you will be buried by your children.”

The merchant fell to his knees: “I see, holy father, the grace has been given to you to see our secret deeds.”

Having made a generous donation to the monastery, the merchant returned to Novgorod and began to lead a godly life. Soon, as the monk predicted, several sons and daughters were born to him. Before his death, Bogdan Koryukov accepted the monastic rank and was honestly buried by his children.

Apparitions of Saint Alexander

Quite a lot is known about the appearances of St. Alexander. I'll talk about two. Some time after his death, the saint appeared to the monk Herodion, his successor as abbot, the author of his life. “Hegumen Herodion was a disciple of the Monk Alexander,” says the legend about the appearance. “He had great faith, love and obedience towards his teacher, for which the monk loved him greatly and revealed to him all the secrets while still alive, and after death he appeared to him, in fulfillment of his will.”

And here is what the abbot himself wrote:

“One night I, humble Herodion, stood in my cell, doing my usual rule, and in my poor prayer I dozed off, lay down on the bed to rest and soon fell asleep. Immediately, suddenly, a shining great light appeared in the window of the cell. I got up and leaned towards the window to see: what does this mean? And I saw the Reverend Father Alexander walking around the Church of the Holy Trinity and in his hands carrying the Life-giving Cross of the Lord...”

In this apparition, Saint Alexander indicated the place on the gates of the monastery where the monks were to build a church in the name of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. “I spent that whole night until Matins without sleep, praying to God, and glorifying God and the great Saint Alexander in miracles,” wrote Herodion.

A record of another phenomenon appeared in the chronicles of the monastery in August 1673. Then the royal warrior Mokiy Lvov, a resident of Gorodets (which is near Bezhetsk), came to the Holy Trinity Alexander-Svirsky Monastery to venerate the relics of the saint. From his words, the monastery chronicler recorded the following story:

“I was in military service in the regiment of boyar Vasily Sheremetev. During the campaign against the godless Tatars, we had to be near the city of Konotop, where the godless Tatars unexpectedly attacked us, took many of us and took us to their land. We, thirteen people, were given to one Murza, with whom we stayed for about thirteen years. During the day we did all kinds of hard work, and spent the night in prison, shackled in iron chains. One night we cried a lot, praying to God and calling on all the saints for help. And then great fear and bewilderment fell upon us: we saw a great light in the prison that shone around us. When we came to our senses, we saw a handsome man with gray hair and heard his voice:

“Call the Monk Alexander of Svirsky for help, he will save you from trouble.” Having said this, the one who appeared became invisible.

Two days later, Greek merchants came and bought us from that Murza, and then brought us to Constantinople, from where we safely arrived in the God-protected reigning city of Moscow, and everyone dispersed to their places of residence, through the prayers of the great miracle worker, Reverend Father Alexander.”

For 500 years, the saint’s relics were completely untouched by decay; they were completely preserved in the same volume and form as the miracle worker’s body was during his lifetime.

Even the abbot of the monastery, Father Lucian, experienced a shock at one time: “Many monasteries and churches in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Mount Athos expressed a desire to have a piece of the relics of the saint. With the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, I removed particles from the saint’s body. I expected to see dense compressed tissue, but instead, on the cut made by a copy (a special “scalpel” for removing relics. - Ed.), I saw that under a layer of wax-colored skin there was snow-white, soft and porous tissue.”

Without "label"

The first discovery of the relics took place in April 1641. When the monks lifted the lid of the coffin, a strong fragrance spread from the relics and everyone saw the body of the saint - whole and unharmed, although 107 years had passed since the burial. The news reached Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. The king granted a silver shrine decorated with precious stones for the relics. It was delivered from Moscow on 11 horses. An endless line of pilgrims flocked to the relics. Thanks to many miraculous healings, Alexander Svirsky began to be called the Wonderworker of All Rus'. For more than two centuries the relics did not leave the monastery. Until the Bolsheviks came for them.

Reverend Alexander Svirsky became the first on whom the new government tested the “anti-power campaign” scenario. A detachment of Red Army soldiers tried to “requisition” the saint twice. Nun Leonida, a candidate of biological sciences in the world, in the late 90s, searching for the relics of the saint, examined many archival documents: “The Bolsheviks launched a campaign in the press, assuring that in the monastery, instead of relics, there was a wax doll. When a detachment of Red Army soldiers came to the monastery, they were very surprised to see not a doll, but an incorruptible body. Confused. The monks persuaded them not to touch the relics. The Red Army soldiers took the silver shrine and other valuables of the monastery. Meanwhile, newspapers continued to write about the wax doll. And the local history museum turned to the provincial Cheka with a request to give them the doll so that they could conduct visual agitation against the Church. But the Bolsheviks already knew that there was no doll in the monastery at all, and that exhibiting incorruptible relics was, on the contrary, agitation for the Church. A plan for falsification has matured. Somewhere they found a moldy skull and some teeth. These exhibits were exhibited as the relics of St. Alexander of Svirsky. The real relics were taken from the monastery to an unknown direction.”

The monastery was closed. It was returned to the church in 1997. At the same time, Abbot Lucian blessed nun Leonida to search for the relics. “I spent several months in the Moscow and St. Petersburg archives. Sometimes I came to a dead end, but at each of these moments a hint was sent to me. Analysis of the collected information led to the museum at the Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg. According to the testimony of employees of the Department of Normal Anatomy, during the years of the revolution they acquired an unregistered exhibit. For a museum where literally “every bone” is taken into account, this is nonsense. For example, there are more than 10 thousand skulls, and each has several labels. And suddenly - a whole body, not cataloged. Then I will understand that this was not only the evil will of the Bolsheviks, but also the good will of the late head of the department
V. Tonkov, a believer who, in his hard years, kept the shrine that he inherited, risking his freedom.

“The unlabeled mummy of an unknown man” - under this name the incorruptible relics of the Russian miracle worker were hidden in the museum of the Military Medical Academy of St. Petersburg. For 80 years they were considered lost, but were in an old closet. Among thousands of anatomical specimens, he was the only one with such unique preservation. This is how the remains of one of the most revered Russian saints in Russia were found.

From the academy, the relics were transferred to the City Forensic Medical Service for examination. When, after the first meeting with the experts, we went down to the X-ray room where the relics were located, we were amazed: the saint’s body was covered with large oily drops of myrrh. I smelled an amazing aroma. Thus the saint discovered the truth about himself.”

Cross in the sky

However, the examinations continued. An anthropological study of the relics of the monk, which took up 45 pages of text, was carried out by a leading employee of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. Peter the Great RAS Yu. Benevolenskaya. It was revealed that the subject under study is a Vepsian by ethnicity (Vepsians are a Finno-Ugric people still living in the Leningrad, Vologda regions and Karelia). And as you know, the Monk Alexander of Svirsky was a Vepsian, born on the land of the Vepsians and founded his monastery there. An iconographic examination was also carried out. This became possible thanks to the unique preservation of the face. The anthropologist noted the similarity of the face with the early icons of the saint, which were painted 14 years after his departure to the Lord. In addition, forensic experts found traces of a copy on the upper phalanges of the fingers of the reverend’s right hand. This coincided with archival documents from 1749, which stated that the Synodal sacristy of St. Petersburg kept a piece of relics from the fingers of St. Alexander of Svirsky.

However, there were opponents who argued that the discovered body was artificially mummified, which means it could not be a relic. Nun Leonida had to go to Moscow for a consultation at the scientific institute that serves Lenin’s body in the Mausoleum. But they rejected any possibility that the saint’s body was artificially embalmed.

When the relics were finally transferred to the Church, before being sent to the monastery, they were placed for veneration in the St. Petersburg church in the name of the holy martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. “In the temple, the relics began to exude myrrh so abundantly that the aroma spread hundreds of meters from the church. Bees flocked from all over the area to this divine smell. Two weeks before the return of the relics to the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery in the Leningrad region, 152 icons of the Mother of God were blessed with myrrh almost simultaneously in various churches. From the life of the saint it is known that shortly before the saint’s departure to God, the Mother of God appeared to him and promised that Her protection would always protect the monastery. When the saint’s relics were solemnly returned to the monastery in 1998, a sparkling cross appeared in the sky in broad daylight. As the late Patriarch Alexy II said: “The cross always testifies to the truth.” The Patriarch venerated the relics of the saint back in St. Petersburg.”

The relics of the famous Russian saint have not smoldered for almost 500 years

In the history of Christianity, only one person was awarded the appearance of the Holy Trinity. More than 500 years ago, in the deep Karelian forests, the monk Alexander saw God in three faces.

Before the revolution, up to forty thousand pilgrims flocked to the monastery for the holiday of the Holy Trinity. Those who wished were not stopped by the long journey. Today they are going again.

Miracles of healing

...Saturday, 7 am. Every week at this time the brethren read an akathist to the monk. Afterwards, the glass top of the shrine is lifted and you can venerate the relics of the saint. A long line of pilgrims forms. Each one came to the wonderworker of all Russia (as Alexander Svirsky was called before the revolution) with his own misfortune. Later I will read entries in the monastery journal describing cases of help. This one was especially striking: in September 2000, two pilgrims came from Rostov - the wife and sister of a sick man. By that time, the man with the last stage of cancer was discharged from the hospital home. Die. He no longer got out of bed. On the day when the pilgrims prayed at the shrine of Alexander Svirsky, their relative felt an amazing surge of strength, and the next day, when the women returned to Rostov, the sick man went out into the courtyard. Soon the “former dying man” himself came to the monastery to thank the saint.

This case does not seem so incredible when you see the relics of the saint, which for almost 500 years (the saint died in 1533) were completely untouched by decay. Even the skin color is natural, slightly yellowish - from the world that has repeatedly exuded the saint’s body. Science, and more than one scientist was interested in the relics, is at a dead end. The Orthodox have their own answer: this is how the Lord strengthens faith. I believe in a future resurrection, when the souls of dead people will again unite with their bodies and the dead will come to life.

As you venerate the relics, you think with trepidation that the saint’s hand was touched by God himself. The appearance of the Trinity so struck Alexander of Svirsky that he fell on his face with fear and trembling - and then the Lord took him by the hand to help him rise from his knees. The icon with this plot is located above the shrine of the miracle worker.

A detailed “Life of St. Alexander of Svirsky” has reached us, written by his disciple Herodion 12 years after the repose of the saint. By that time, the saint’s confessor, Hieromonk Isaiah, was also alive, who, after the death of Alexander of Svirsky, was freed from the secret of confession and could reveal much.

The safety of the relics baffles scientists

Forest hermit

The Wonderworker was born on June 15, 1448 into a peasant family in the village of Mandera, not far from the Svir River. Having reached adulthood, he secretly left home (his parents wanted to marry him) and went to Valaam, where he took monastic vows and lived for many years. In 1484, with the blessing of the abbot, Rev. Alexander took upon himself the feat of hermithood. He returned to his native place and built a hut on the shore of Lake Roshchinskoye. For seven years I did not see a human face, until his home was discovered by a boyar who got lost while hunting. He told the world about the holy ascetic, and other monks flocked to the monk. The monk was awarded the appearance of the Life-Giving Trinity in 1507, in the 23rd year of his life in the forest: “A strong light shone, and the saint saw Three Men in white robes coming to him, each of them had a staff in his hand...” God commanded to build here church in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity and establish a monastery.

Alexander Svirsky spent the last 25 years of his earthly life on the arrangement of the monastery. The brethren elected him abbot, but he still wore a patched cassock in winter and summer, ate water and a small amount of bread, and did hard work. The pilgrims, meeting the monk on their way, thought that he was a beggar struggling for Christ in the monastery. And pilgrims to these once remote lands reached out in an endless line, because the monastery changed the life of the region. Around the monastery, only in the 16th century, another 22 (!) monasteries arose. Villages were established nearby. The Trinity Fair near the walls of the Svirsky Monastery has become one of the most famous in the country.

The Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, the construction of which was begun by the monk himself, has survived to this day. The walls of the temple are two meters thick. Through the fervent prayer of the miracle worker, God revealed to him deposits of clay, and the monk and his brethren learned to burn bricks. The current stone cathedral in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity (built on the site of a temple burned during the Polish-Lithuanian invasion) dates back to the end of the 18th century. The frescoes that decorate the dome and walls of the temple have been renewed on their own for the last ten years. The colors amaze with their brightness and richness - this is how the “heavenly restorer” worked.

Almost every believer knows one or two stories about miracles that happened after prayer at the icon of the saint. The elders who served God during their lifetime and through His mercy helped people, and after their death work miracles. The clergy say that when serious life problems arise or in cases when trouble comes to the family, it is best to immediately come to church and make a sincere request to God. And in order to have intercessors before His face, it is worth finding an icon of a saint who can help you overcome difficult life situations. If it seems to you that the whole world has taken up arms against you, every new day brings new troubles and illnesses, and you have long lost faith in the best, then be sure to pray in front of the icon of Alexander Svirsky. This saint is considered one of the most unique people, because for his good deeds and righteous life the Almighty appeared to him in the form of the Trinity. In the entire history of Christianity, this happened only with the Old Testament Abraham. This alone puts Svirsky and the icon painted from his face after his death in a special place. Therefore, it is to this old man that people turn to in the most difficult moments of life. Today we will tell you not only about the icon of Alexander Svirsky, but also about the life of the saint and the fate of his relics, which over the past centuries have been lost several times and returned to the Orthodox.

Life of a Saint

Historians believe that Alexander was born around the middle of the fifteenth century into a family of simple peasants. In the world he was called Amos in honor of one of the biblical prophets. The saint’s parents prayed to God for offspring for many years; they waited in vain for the birth of a son or daughter and were already despairing of waiting for the birth of a child. Already in old age, the God-fearing peasants conceived a baby, and Amos was born.

His parents pinned all their dreams and hopes on him. According to their ideas, the young man was supposed to undergo training, marry a good girl and give them many grandchildren. However, from early childhood Amos showed a penchant for prayer and studying the Scriptures, so he was very reluctant to study at school.

Very little is known about this period of the elder’s life. Later, the monks, putting together the story of the saint’s life, mentioned that it was only thanks to his fear of God that the young man completed his studies. But having reached the age of nineteen, he firmly declared that he did not see his future life without God and intended to take monastic vows.

Path to God

Many Orthodox Christians who received miracles from the icon of Alexander of Svirsky claim that just from the first glance at the image of the elder one can get an idea of ​​what a righteous person he was. This is not surprising, because his path was completely predetermined by God.

The elderly mother and father were categorically against letting their only and long-awaited son go anywhere, but Amos secretly went to Valaam. He hoped that over time they would understand the young man and forgive him.

The young man did not know where exactly to go, but angels appeared to him and conveyed a blessing from the Almighty. They gave Amos a companion on the difficult journey, with whom they went straight to the monastery. While they walked, the saint talked with the angels more than once, and they showed him the place where sometime in the future, with the help of the Lord, he would build a new beautiful temple.

In Valaam, Amos became a novice and honestly performed his hard work for seven years. His brothers loved him for his meek disposition, fear of God, humility and wisdom. He confidently walked his path and was ready to fulfill any will of God.

Taking monastic vows and life in a monastery

There are many unusual stories about the icon of St. Alexander of Svirsky, but the saint himself performed many amazing deeds during his life. At twenty-six years old, he accepted what he had dreamed of since childhood. He received the name Alexander and spent about thirteen years in the monastery.

Since the saint was obedient to God’s will, he headed away from the monastery to Lake Roshchinskoye. There he settled on a small island, where he built a simple dwelling for himself and began to dig a cave with his hands. He spent seven years on this island in labor, fasting and prayer. Alexander obtained food in the forest; most often his food was berries, mushrooms and roots.

Later, the island where the elder lived began to be called “Saint”. And on the site of his dwelling and cave, the monks built a monastery. Pilgrims who come here are shown the very cave where Alexander Svirsky lived for seven long years.

Appearance of the Trinity

One day the face of the Trinity appeared to the saint. He talked with the Lord about the future, the construction of the temple and how to gather brothers who would work for the glory of God. After these conversations and prayers, the Almighty showed Alexander the place where he should build the temple.

Immediately after this, he went to the abbot. Having asked for his blessing, he took up the construction of a new monastery. He worked hard and was appointed abbot of the new monastery, but this did not force Alexander to abandon his work. He and his assistants continued to build new structures, making the monastery more and more beautiful. This is how the Trinity Monastery appeared, which gradually became famous throughout Rus'.

Alexander spent the rest of his life in this monastery. But the saint did not rest on his laurels; already in his old age he built a monastery out of stone in honor of the Virgin Mary, which still exists today. Alexander Svirsky died (we will tell you about the icon painted from him in one of the following sections of the article) in the early thirties of the sixteenth century. At that time he was eighty-five years old. Eyewitnesses of those events said that at the moment of death his face was shining. Later they tried to convey this light when painting the icon of the Holy Venerable Alexander of Svir. His brothers buried him in Otkhodnaya Pustynka, located near the Church of the Transfiguration.

Finding the relics of a saint

Fourteen years after his death, the church canonized Alexander Svirsky. The icon with his face had not yet been painted, but many more miracles awaited the Orthodox clergy when the saint’s coffin was opened. His body remained incorrupt, and his relics almost immediately began to exude myrrh. Moreover, there was so much of it that bees flocked to the church building where the elder’s remains were sent more than once.

Interestingly, the allocation of the world depended on the number of believers and the fact whether worship was going on at the moment. Orthodox Christians vied with each other to talk about how one touch of aromatic oil could remove sorrows from the soul and cure illness.

Many said that during his lifetime the saint also helped believers. Ordinary people often turned to him for advice in difficult life situations, and with his prayer he more than once removed the most serious illnesses from those suffering.

Loss and return of relics

Before the revolution, the relics of the elder were in one of the cathedrals of St. Petersburg, from where they were removed by representatives of the People's Commissariat. In the eighteenth year of the last century, the government fought against the religious worldview of the people, destroying churches and icons. What Alexander Svirsky helps with was known far beyond the cathedral, so his relics and images were of great interest to the revolutionaries. They removed the relics from the shrine and dismantled it. The newspapers announced that believers had been deceived for a long time and that there was a wax doll in the church. In fact, the relics were sent for examination and scientists, to their surprise, recognized them as authentic. They were assigned to storage in a warehouse. Moreover, even his employees did not know what kind of exhibit was delivered to them. It seemed that the trace of the relics was lost forever, just like the precious icons of Alexander Svirsky, photos of which were carefully hidden at that time.

In the nineties, initiative groups spent a lot of time searching for the relics of the saint, and only about twenty years ago they were found and solemnly returned to the Orthodox Church. This event took place in Alexander Svirsky at that time there were several monasteries and churches in Russia. And the return of his relics strengthened the miraculous power that the images of this amazing old man possess.

Description of the icon

We will tell you how the icon of Alexander Svirsky helps in one of the following sections, but now we’ll talk about how his first image appeared and describe it. Today, an icon depicting an elder can be found in many churches. But few Orthodox Christians know that it appeared only at the end of the nineteenth century. It is surprising that the icon of Alexander Svirsky (in Moscow it is highly respected among Orthodox Christians) was painted from the relics. They are so well preserved that the saint’s facial features are not only distinguishable, but also clearly legible.

From the first image, copies appeared and were distributed to monasteries and churches in Russia. Usually the icon depicts an old man with a wise and soulful gaze addressed to believers. After prayer, it seems to many that he looks straight into their soul and reads all the most secret things in it.

There is a halo above the elder’s uncovered head, and his right hand is raised to bless all those who come to the icon to worship. In his left hand the elder holds a staff, which helped him stand firmly on his feet. Sometimes icon painters place into the elder’s hand texts of Scripture that he devoted so much time to studying during his lifetime.

Icon of Alexander Svirsky: meaning, what it helps with

The image of a saint is very important for Orthodox Christians. It is known that the icon helps with many problems, and even monks and novices often turn to it, who pray to the elder to strengthen them in the faith and lead them to the path destined for them. Ordinary people can also turn to Alexander Svirsky in moments of mental turmoil and disbelief. If you begin to doubt the Almighty and His love for you, then be sure to come to church and look for the image of a saint. He will help you recover from doubts and trust the Creator.

Many infertile couples pray to the icon for the gift of offspring. Some parents with several daughters come to the saint asking for an heir. They say that sincere prayer brings results in the form of a treasured package tied with a blue ribbon.

The clergy send the parents of novices who are about to take monastic vows to the icon of Svirsky. Often parents have a very hard time when their children go to a monastery; it is difficult for them to come to terms with and make this decision. Remembering that young Alexander also faced a similar problem and over time managed to convince his loved ones of the correctness and righteousness of his path, believers turn to him for support.

They also pray to the saint for healing in the most difficult and hopeless cases. The sincere prayer of the patient and his family contributed to numerous miraculous recoveries.

Keep in mind that Alexander Svirsky also helps people who cannot decide on the choice of their life path, setting priorities and ask for protection from sinful thoughts.

Icon and prayer to St. Alexander of Svirsky

If you want to venerate the relics of the saint and pray at his image, then you can do this at the Holy Trinity Monastery in St. Petersburg. In Moscow, believers can touch the images in two places:

• Church of the Life-Giving Trinity;
• Church of St. Alexander of Svirsky.

The text of the prayer that must be addressed to the saint is given below.

We should not forget that any appeal to the Almighty and the Saints must come from a pure heart.

Miracles and Testimonies

Many people saw miracles from the icon of Alexander Svirsky; the monks carefully recorded all the testimonies of believers, some of which date back more than a hundred years. We cannot list them all in this article, but we simply could not ignore some cases.

Healing from illnesses after numerous prayers at the image of the saint has long been known. He helped people recover from cancer, gain sight when blind, and gain sensitivity when completely paralyzed. It was recorded that disabled people, who for many years dreamed of getting up again, suddenly gained strength in their muscles and then came to thank the saint with their feet.

It is noteworthy that sometimes Alexander Svirsky did not allow young people to take monastic vows. He came to them in a dream and spoke about another path prepared for them by the Lord. Thus, they got the opportunity to avoid the most important mistake in their lives.

There are cases when even icons located in the city began to stream myrrh. These miracles defy logical explanation, like many other things that happened at the image of the saint.

The priests say that if despondency has penetrated your soul and you cannot find yourself in this world of storms and injustices, then do not hesitate to come to church. Look into the wise and kind eyes of Saint Alexander of Svirsky and tell him about everything that lies like a burden on your heart. Do not doubt that after sincere prayer near the icon, your life will sparkle with new colors.

The Christian Church claims that the Monk Alexander became the only person of the New Testament who saw the Most High in His three faces. The saint lived for a long time in dense forests and zealously served in the name of the whole.

The icon of Alexander Svirsky is of great importance for Orthodox people; they resort to it in the most difficult moments of life. Miraculous achievements are also attributed to his relics (remains), which have been preserved in good condition to this day.

History of the holy image

The very first image was painted after the remains were found. Here the monk is depicted in a horizontal position. On the icon, created in the middle of the 16th century, the holy elder is shown half-length, in the robes of a monk. The right hand of Alexander Svirsky blesses, and in his left there is a Christian scroll. Around the icon there are marks on which you can see scenes from the life of the saint.

About the saint:

Iconography has tended to develop, and today believers observe a sufficient number of variants of this image.

• On one of the icons, Alexander Svirsky is shown at the moment of the miraculous coming of the Holy Trinity. Winged angels in white robes piously look directly at the humble old man. He extends his right hand to the heavenly messengers, and presses his left hand to his own chest. The elder is wrapped in dark clothes, which symbolizes the perishability of the human body.
• In another version, Alexander Svirsky is depicted in the robes of a schema-monk. The old man's somewhat curly hair is completely gray, and his beard is rounded. In his left hand there is a rolled up scroll with prayer words, and his right hand is extended towards the believers.
• Another variation: the saint is depicted standing and leaning on a staff, in his hand is an icon of the Holy Trinity, painted by Andrei Rublev. The elder’s head is covered with a hood, his deep gaze is directed directly, as if he is contemplating something inaccessible to an ordinary layman.

Icon of St. Alexander of Svirsky

The meaning and divine power of the face

The icon of Alexander Svirsky is extremely important for the Orthodox tradition. In St. Petersburg, the image is located in the Holy Trinity Monastery. In Moscow, the icon is located in the temple of the same name.

Read about Moscow churches:

The laity must remember that help comes through sincere prayer.

• The Holy Face is designed to relieve many problems.
• People turn to the icon in times of emotional turmoil and doubt.
• Prayers before the holy face destroy suspicions that the Lord has fallen out of love with humanity.
• Laymen and clergy pray to the elder to strengthen their faith, as well as to indicate the true path of life.
• Infertile couples come to the Orthodox Church and ask St. Alexander for future offspring.
• Prayers before the image relieve serious illnesses. History knows a large number of cases of divine healing after sincere petition.
• The Monk Alexander provides support to people who find it difficult to make a choice, and also protects them from the invasion of sinful thoughts.

Advice! When a novice is about to take monastic vows and give up family life, it is difficult for parents to come to terms with this act. They must pray to the image of the holy elder. This will help calm raging emotions, since Alexander himself left his family at a young age and began to selflessly surrender to the power of the Lord.

Evidence of Divine Power

Miracles occurring from the icon of Alexander Svirsky were observed by many people, and the monks scrupulously recorded the testimony of believers.

• The holy image saved parishioners from cancerous tumors, some people regained their sight after blindness and gained mobility of their limbs after paralysis. The weak, humbly asking the divine face, received strength and a healthy nervous system, and after a while they came to the temple on their own and thanked for the miraculous deliverance.
• Often the monk appeared in a dream to people wishing to take monastic vows, and directed them along a completely different path.
• The images of the saint, located in the iconostases of some people, began to stream myrrh.
• Miracles occurred during the elder’s lifetime. At the beginning of the 16th century, his cell was illuminated with bright light, and three angels in snow-white robes appeared before Alexander’s eyes. After some time, the Church of the Holy Trinity was erected here.
• One day the Mother of God appeared to him, and in honor of this event it was decided to build a monastery, which is now completely destroyed. The Virgin Mary promised to help in the creation of the temple and everyone living in it.
• Despite the large number of encounters with divine creatures, the Monk Alexander remained a humble servant of God and sought to help everyone who asked for protection.
• The day before his death, the holy elder gathered his devoted brethren around him, blessed those who came and announced that he was leaving this mortal world for eternal life in the abode of the Almighty.

Appearance of the Trinity to Alexander Svirsky

Biography of Alexander Svirsky

He was born into a family of working peasants. He received the unusual name Amos in honor of the biblical prophet. His parents were unable to have a child for a long time and conceived only in their old age. Mother and father had great hopes for their son: they wished him quality education, marriage and fatherhood. However, from a young age, Amos strived for repentance and study of the Holy Scriptures, so ordinary school was not interesting to him.

The monk completed his studies only out of respect for his parents and the Lord, and at the age of 19 he announced his intention to take monastic vows. The elderly parents protested against their son's decision, but could not keep the young man from traveling to Valaam (an island on Lake Ladoga). This righteous man hoped that his mother and father would forgive him and calm down.

Amos did not know the right path until the angels sent by the Supreme Ruler appeared before his eyes.

Heavenly beings gave the young man a companion who led him to the monastery. Arriving in Valaam, Amos accepted the rank of novice and fulfilled his difficult duties for seven years. Here he gained great love from his brothers for his humble character, intelligence, indestructible determination and fear of God.

On a note! During the journey, the angels communicated with the young man and showed him the place where a beautiful temple would soon be built in the name of the Lord.

Relics of Alexander Svirsky

Monastic life

At the age of 26, Amos took monastic vows and received his second name - Alexander. He worked purposefully and hard to save his soul and many others. Soon a dissatisfied father arrived to him, but the reverend monk managed to calm him down and persuaded his parents to take monastic vows. The latter agreed to the proposal, and today their relics are venerated in the Vvedeno-Oyatsky Monastery.

Alexander Svirsky continued to work miracles on Valaam and set an example of strict asceticism and devotion to the Creator.

After 30 years, at the insistence of the Lord, he went to Lake Roshchinskoye. On a small island the monk built a simple dwelling and dug a cave by hand. Here he spent seven long years, constantly working, praying and fasting. The old man ate berries and roots. The holy monk decided to reveal his place of residence to a noble boyar, which attracted a large number of people here.

In the elder’s monastery, healings from terrible illnesses and all kinds of prophecies took place. The fame of Alexander Svirsky reached colossal heights during his lifetime. After the death of Alexander, this island was christened a saint, and a monastery was built on the site of his dwelling.

In 1533, the monk left this sinful land at the age of 86. Chronicles claim that extraordinary incidents began to occur at the burial site.

On a note! After death, the saint’s body illuminated and blessed those around him with light and an unimaginable aura. In the 17th century, it became clear that his body was indestructible. Witnesses saw how the earth above the tomb rose in the form of a vault, and they decided to transport the relics to the Transfiguration Cathedral.

After 14 years, the holy elder was canonized. In 1633, it was decided to open the grave: the monk inside did not succumb to decay, there was a feeling that he was sleeping. The remains were sent to the monastery, where pilgrims flocked in large numbers with requests and prayers.

Interesting! While living on the island, the venerable elder built a grave intended for his own body. It was here that he heard a voice that ordered him to leave this place and return to his native land.

The Monk Alexander of Svirsky was an extraordinary person, distinguished by a meek disposition and a desire to serve the Lord and all living beings. From a young age, he wanted to follow the path of strict asceticism and hard work. Relics and icons depicting this holy elder relieve many difficulties and are capable of healing serious illnesses. In Christianity, this name has been canonized forever, and great honors are given to it.

Watch a video about Saint Alexander of Svirsky

Twice in the entire history of mankind the Trinity was revealed to the bodily human gaze - the first time to Saint Abraham at the Oak of Mamre, signifying the great mercy of God towards the human race; the second time - on Russian soil to the holy venerable monk. What this appearance meant to the New Testament saint - we will not dare to answer. Let us only strive to honor this land, that monastery that was erected in the north of the Russian land at the behest of God the Trinity and the “New Testament Abraham” himself - our venerable father and wonderworker Alexander.

The Monk Alexander is one of the few Russian saints who was canonized shortly after his righteous death - namely, 14 years later. His disciples and many of his admirers were still alive, so the Life of St. Alexander was written, as they say, “hot on the heels” and is particularly authentic; it contains no “pious schemes,” it reflects the unique face of the holiness of “all Russia, the wonderworker Alexander.”

Brief life of the Monk Alexander of Svir, the wonderworker.

Compiled by monk Athanasius. 1905 July 12 days. Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, Olonets province.