Heavenly patrons of Urals

Exactly two hundred years ago the residents of Ekaterinburg obtained great heavenly patrons, intercessors, and men of prayer, ready to help in any need. They came to the Ural land with as an entire heavenly host – twenty five martyrs, saints, righteous ones... It was namely that number of relics of the saints of God that the first abbess Taisia brought into our monastery.
This took place in 1811, on the eve of the feast of the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God. In addition to the ark with the 25 particles of the relics brought from St. Sophia's cathedral in Novgorod, abbess Taisia brought to Ekaterinburg yet another great holy relic – the copy from the miracle-working Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God. These holy relics were particularly venerated by the people of Ekaterinburg; cross processions would be performed with them many times over the villages of the region, and the peasants deemed fortunate the day when they were able to venerate Holy Lady Theotokos and the great saints with love.

In the revolutionary years the darkness of godlessness overcame the Russian land. Many churches had been defiled, holy relics confiscated and destroyed... Nor had our monastery been passed over by these horrendous persecutions. The churches of the monastery were closed, the ark with the relics confiscated, and the venerated Tikhvin icon disappeared without a trace. The ark had been preserved by one of the museums and returned to the monastery soon after it was opened. Even now, just as two hundred years ago, it is possible to venerate the great saints of God in our monastery.
Among them, for example, is holy John Chrysostom, the bright candle of the Church, the patron of those who perseveres in intellectual endeavors, engages in sciences or teaches them. This saint is also prayed to for the granting of patience under difficult circumstances. The saint himself had to endure great afflictions, but he bore them with manliness and true Christian patience, bringing sincere gratitude to the Lord and saying over and over: "Glory to God for everything!"

In the ark there is also a particle of the relics of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon whom the entire Orthodox world venerates. He lived in the third century in Asia Minor and was a skillful doctor. When he became a Christian, his medical talent acquired a special miraculous power. After his death as a martyr, the holy doctor continues to help the afflicted who turn to him with prayer. In the home country of the great martyr Panteleimon, in Nikomedia, a book is kept where two thousand cases of healings granted through the prayer to the saint is preserved.
Those who admire the beauty of the worship service texts, can gratefully venerate the greatest church hymnographer – St. John of Damascus whose relics are also in the ark. It is namely that saint who composed the Octoechos (a collection of church service hymns for every day of the week) which the Church uses up to this day. His hand has also written the moving texts of panikhida and the festively joyous Paschal canon.

Many people are familiar with the gospel story about Herod the Great's killing of 14 thousand babes in Bethlehem. Not everybody knows, though, that the relics of those first and youngest martyrs for Christ have been preserved. A particle of their relics is also in the ark that was brought by abbess Taisia. As tradition has it, the martyrs of Bethlehem are prayed to by the mothers who murdered their infants in the womb and those who took part in committing the crime of infanticide. The ark also contains the relics of great martyr Marina who courageously suffered incredible tortures for Christ's sake; the relics of St. Macarios of Egypt – one of the greatest ancient desert anchorites; of the martyrs Sergius and Bachus, of great martyr Jacob the Persian... Yet, to read the dry list of the names of the saints of God is one thing. It is something completely different – to venerate them yourself, to kiss the relics and to feel that these saints are always with us, that they always hear our prayers and heed to our help.