Temple at the site of the battle

AND FOURTEEN years before that, the emperor founded a monastery on the banks of the Neva in honor of the Trinity and St. Alexander Nevsky. Peter suggested that it was here in 1240 that Alexander defeated the Swedish knights - as you know, for this feat the prince began to be called Nevsky. (In fact, the battle took place at the confluence of the Izhora River with the Neva, and over time, the Alexander Nevsky Temple also appeared there).

Peter decided to transfer the relics to new capital, because he considered Russia’s victory in Northern War and the conclusion of peace with Sweden on September 12, 1721, one of the miracles of the holy prince, defender of the Russian land. Miracles from the relics of the saint have been known since ancient times; they began to occur immediately after the death of the prince.

Risen from the grave

ALEXANDER Nevsky died while returning from the Golden Horde in November 1263 in the Feodorovsky Monastery on the Volga. The remains were transferred to Vladimir, the journey lasted 9 days, all this time the body remained incorrupt. During the burial in the Nativity Monastery, a miracle happened: when they wanted to unclench the fingers of the deceased in order to put a spiritual letter into them, the prince himself stretched out his hand and took it.

Almost one hundred and twenty years passed, the year 1380 came - the Battle of Kulikovo Field. The Russian troops were led by Dmitry Donskoy, the great-grandson of Alexander Nevsky. On the eve of the battle, the sexton of the Nativity Monastery saw in a dream: candles in the church lit themselves, two elders came out of the altar, approached the coffin and began to beg the prince to “rise up to help his great-grandson.” The battle took place on the same day, and, as is known, the Russians won. Well, when they opened the tomb, they discovered that the relics, which had lain for 117 years, were incorruptible.

Ivan the Terrible witnessed another miracle. The Tsar marched to Kazan and stopped in Vladimir. While praying at the relics of Alexander, one of Tsar Arkady’s close associates completely healed his hands covered with ulcers. Grozny took this as a good omen, and indeed, Kazan was taken. Well, for many centuries people have been turning to the relics with requests for healing and receiving it.

When Khan Davlet Giray was approaching Moscow in 1571, monk Anthony in Vladimir had a vision: two young men entered the church - these were Saints Boris and Gleb. They called on the noble prince to help Rus', and he rose from the grave.

Relics in the basement

BELIEVERS in besieged Leningrad also turned to the saint for help, although in 1922 the relics were taken out of the Lavra and were kept in the storerooms of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, into which the Kazan Cathedral was turned. The fact that the enemy did not enter Leningrad is considered by many to be another miracle of the city's patron saint.

In 1989, when Alexy, the current Patriarch, was Metropolitan of Leningrad, the “second discovery of the relics” took place. They were found in the basements of the museum: an autopsy took place, and then the relics were returned to the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Soon the tradition of the religious procession on September 12 to the Lavra was revived. And it arose during the time of Peter’s daughter Elizabeth.

This year there will be a traditional religious procession from the Kazan Cathedral to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Well, on the 20th the journey of the relics across Russia will begin, which will last a month. First, the relics will be transferred to Moscow, then to Kaliningrad, Riga, Pskov, Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg. Most of these regions are associated with the life of the prince.

This is not the first time the relics have traveled around the country. This is always a spiritual holiday for people; huge queues line up in churches to venerate the relics, offer prayers, and ask for secrets. Perhaps we, St. Petersburg residents, are too accustomed to the fact that the greatest shrine is kept in the city, and we rarely turn to the intercession of our heavenly patron.

But he always responds to requests.

http://spb.aif.ru/issues/734/19_01

Far left:

In 2004, this icon cast myrrh at the exhibition “Orthodox Rus'”.

Left: Alexander Nevsky Lavra with its heavenly patrons - the holy noble princes Alexander and Theodore.

common spiritual values ​​that the Orthodox Church has preserved for thousands of years. Having preserved these values ​​in his heart until his death, Saint Alexander Nevsky provides everyone with an example of how a person, through constant fulfillment of the commandments of Christ, can find grace from the Lord and be worthy of eternal glory in the Kingdom of God.”

A few years earlier, the miracle of myrrh flowing from the icon of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky was revealed. Here is how it is said about this in a strict summary of the press service of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra: “From January 20 to 25, 2004, the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra took part in the second All-Russian church exhibition “Orthodox Russia” in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first All-Russian exhibition monastic works and church utensils, which took place at the Gostiny Dvor Exhibition Center, st. Ilyinka, 4, Moscow. Exposition Leningrad region, which we were a part of, enjoyed great success, and the Alexander Nevsky Lavra received a diploma from the hands of His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill. During the exhibition, the main display image of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, standing before the Holy Trinity against the backdrop of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra,

Nevsky. Later, a reliquary was specially made in the jewelry workshop of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and the holy relics of the blessed prince were arranged into an image on the opening day of the exhibition. Upon arrival, the icon was solemnly installed for worship and reverent veneration of the clergy and parishioners of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the St. Nicholas chapel near miraculous icon Mother of God"Quick to Hear."

Through this icon Holy Mother of God Many miracles were also revealed already in the 20th century. IN last years during her presence in the St. Nicholas Church (before its destruction), the daughter of the rector of the temple, Archpriest Vladimir (Shamonin), made brief notes about these miracles in her diary: “An abandoned sick woman in her apartment - common cancer with metastases (dirt, stench), no one could stand the prayer until the end. After the prayer service she was healed. .. A possessed girl, whose head turned 180 degrees away from the icon during a seizure and remained in this unnatural position, was healed soon after the prayer service... The twisted man, almost motionless, having been healed, began to participate in walking pilgrimages to the shrines... The paralyzed dressmaker After her healing from the icon, she switched to sewing only church vestments.”

revealed the flow of myrrh, which occurred daily in the afternoon. This phenomenon is not accidental, since the icon was wiped every day at the end of the day... The flow of myrrh continued for 4 days, which attracted many believers to the icon, and thousands witnessed it

Ark with a particle of the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky, who made a long pilgrimage to Russian and foreign cities.

exhibition visitors. This icon was painted with the diligence of our icon-painting workshop in 1999 and was consecrated by Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Vladimir on December 6, 1999 on the day of memory of Alexander

Last days Alexandra

Alexander obviously managed to achieve his goals. However, Khan Berke detained him for almost a year. Only in the fall of 1263, already ill, Alexander returned to Rus'. Having reached Nizhny Novgorod, the prince became completely ill. In Gorodets on the Volga, already feeling the approach of death, Alexander took monastic vows (according to later sources, with the name Alexei) and died on November 14. His body was transported to Vladimir and on November 23 buried in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Vladimir Nativity Monastery in front of a huge crowd of people. The words with which Metropolitan Kirill announced to the people about the death of the Grand Duke are well known: “My children, know that the sun of the land of Suzdal has already set!” The Novgorod chronicler put it differently - and perhaps more accurately: Prince Alexander “worked for Novgorod and for the entire Russian land.”

Church veneration

Church veneration of the holy prince began, apparently, immediately after his death. The life tells of a miracle that happened during the burial itself: when the prince’s body was laid in the tomb and Metropolitan Kirill, according to custom, wanted to place a spiritual letter in his hand, people saw how the prince, “as if alive, stretched out his hand and accepted the letter from his hand.” Metropolitan... Thus God glorified his saint.”

Several decades after the death of the prince, his Life was compiled, which was subsequently repeatedly subjected to various alterations, revisions and additions (in total there are up to twenty editions of the Life, dating from the 13th-19th centuries). The official canonization of the prince by the Russian Church took place in 1547, on church cathedral, convened by Metropolitan Macarius and Tsar Ivan the Terrible, when many new Russian wonderworkers, previously revered only locally, were canonized. The Church equally glorifies the prince’s military prowess, “never defeated in battle, but always victorious,” and his feat of meekness, patience “more than courage” and “invincible humility” (in the seemingly paradoxical expression of the Akathist).

If we turn to the subsequent centuries of Russian history, then we will see a kind of second, posthumous biography of the prince, whose invisible presence is clearly felt in many events - and above all in the turning points, the most dramatic moments in the life of the country. The first discovery of his relics took place in the year of the great Kulikovo victory, won by the great-grandson of Alexander Nevsky, the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy in 1380. In miraculous visions, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich appears as a direct participant in both the Battle of Kulikovo itself and the Battle of Molodi in 1572, when the troops of Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky defeated the Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey just 45 kilometers from Moscow. The image of Alexander Nevsky is seen above Vladimir in 1491, a year after the final overthrow of the Horde yoke. In 1552, during the campaign against Kazan, which led to the conquest of the Kazan Khanate, Tsar Ivan the Terrible performed a prayer service at the tomb of Alexander Nevsky, and during this prayer service a miracle occurred, regarded by everyone as a sign of the coming victory. The relics of the holy prince, which remained in the Vladimir Nativity Monastery until 1723, exuded numerous miracles, information about which was carefully recorded by the monastic authorities.

A new page in the veneration of the holy and blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky began in the 18th century, under the emperor Peter the Great. The conqueror of the Swedes and the founder of St. Petersburg, which became for Russia a “window to Europe,” Peter saw in Prince Alexander his immediate predecessor in the fight against Swedish domination on the Baltic Sea and hastened to transfer the city he founded on the banks of the Neva under his heavenly protection. Back in 1710, Peter ordered that the name of St. Alexander Nevsky be included in the dismissals during divine services as a prayer representative for the “Neva Country.” In the same year, he personally chose the place to build a monastery in the name of the Holy Trinity and St. Alexander Nevsky - the future Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Peter wanted to transfer the relics of the holy prince here from Vladimir. Wars with the Swedes and Turks slowed down the fulfillment of this desire, and only in 1723 did they begin to fulfill it. On August 11, with all due solemnity, the holy relics were taken out of the Nativity Monastery; the procession headed towards Moscow and then towards St. Petersburg; Everywhere she was accompanied by prayer services and crowds of believers. According to Peter's plan, the holy relics were supposed to be brought into the new capital of Russia on August 30 - the day of the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystadt with the Swedes (1721). However, the distance of the journey did not allow this plan to be implemented, and the relics arrived in Shlisselburg only on October 1. By order of the emperor, they were left in the Shlisselburg Church of the Annunciation, and their transfer to St. Petersburg was postponed until next year.

The meeting of the shrine in St. Petersburg on August 30, 1724 was distinguished by special solemnity. According to legend, on the last leg of the journey (from the mouth of Izhora to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery), Peter personally ruled the galley with a precious cargo, and at the oars were his closest associates, the first dignitaries of the state. At the same time, an annual celebration of the memory of the holy prince was established on the day of the transfer of the relics on August 30.

Nowadays the Church celebrates the memory of the holy and blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky twice a year: November 23 (December 6, new style) and August 30 (September 12).

Days of celebration of St. Alexander Nevsky:

May 23 (June 5, new art.) - Cathedral of Rostov-Yaroslavl Saints
August 30 (September 12 according to the new art.) - the day of transfer of the relics to St. Petersburg (1724) - the main one
November 14 (November 27 according to the new art.) - day of death in Gorodets (1263) - canceled
November 23 (December 6, New Art.) - day of burial in Vladimir, in the schema of Alexy (1263)

Myths about Alexander Nevsky

1. The battles for which Prince Alexander became famous were so insignificant that they are not even mentioned in Western chronicles.

Not true! This idea was born out of pure ignorance. The Battle of Lake Peipsi is reflected in German sources, in particular in the “Elder Livonian Rhymed Chronicle”. Based on it, some historians talk about the insignificant scale of the battle, because the Chronicle reports the death of only twenty knights. But it is important to understand here that we're talking about specifically about the “brother knights” who performed the role of senior commanders. Nothing is said about the death of their warriors and representatives of the Baltic tribes recruited into the army, who formed the backbone of the army.
As for the Battle of the Neva, it was not reflected in any way in the Swedish chronicles. But, according to the largest Russian specialist on the history of the Baltic region in the Middle Ages, Igor Shaskolsky, “... this should not be surprising. In medieval Sweden, until the beginning of the 14th century, no major narrative works on the history of the country, such as Russian chronicles and large Western European chronicles, were created.” In other words, the Swedes have nowhere to look for traces of the Battle of the Neva.

2. The West did not pose a threat to Russia at that time, unlike the Horde, which Prince Alexander used exclusively to strengthen his personal power.

Not like that again! It is hardly possible to talk about a “united West” in the 13th century. Perhaps it would be more correct to talk about the world of Catholicism, but it, as a whole, was very colorful, heterogeneous and fragmented. Rus' was really threatened not by the “West”, but by the Teutonic and Livonian Orders, as well as the Swedish conquerors. And for some reason they were defeated on Russian territory, and not at home in Germany or Sweden, and, therefore, the threat posed by them was quite real.
As for the Horde, there is a source (Ustyug Chronicle) that makes it possible to assume the organizing role of Prince Alexander Yaroslavich in the anti-Horde uprising.

3. Prince Alexander did not defend Rus' and Orthodox faith, he was simply fighting for power and using the Horde to physically eliminate his own brother.

This is just speculation. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich first of all defended what he inherited from his father and grandfather. In other words, with great skill he performed the task of a guardian, a guardian. As for the death of his brother, it is necessary, before such verdicts, to study the question of how he, in his recklessness and youth, put down the Russian army without benefit and in what way he acquired power in general. This will show: it was not so much Prince Alexander Yaroslavich who was his destroyer, but rather he himself laid claim to the role of the quick destroyer of Rus'...

4. By turning to the east, and not to the west, Prince Alexander laid the foundations for the future rampant despotism in the country. His contacts with the Mongols made Rus' an Asian power.

This is completely groundless journalism. All Russian princes were in contact with the Horde at that time. After 1240, they had a choice: to die themselves and subject Rus' to new devastation, or to survive and prepare the country for new battles and ultimately for liberation. Someone rushed headlong into battle, but 90 percent of our princes of the second half of the 13th century chose a different path. And here Alexander Nevsky is no different from our other sovereigns of that period.
As for the “Asian power”, there are indeed different points of view here today. But as a historian, I believe that Rus' never became one. It was not and is not part of Europe or Asia or some kind of mixture where the European and Asian take on different proportions depending on the circumstances. Rus' represents a cultural and political essence that is sharply different from both Europe and Asia. Just as Orthodoxy is neither Catholicism, nor Islam, nor Buddhism, nor any other confession.

Metropolitan Kirill about Alexander Nevsky - the name of Russia

On October 5, 2008, in a television program dedicated to Alexander Nevsky, Metropolitan Kirill gave a fiery 10-minute speech in which he tried to reveal this image so that it would become accessible to a wide audience. The Metropolitan began with questions: Why can a noble prince from the distant past, from the 13th century, become the name of Russia? What do we know about him? Answering these questions, the Metropolitan compares Alexander Nevsky with the other twelve applicants: “You need to know history very well and you need to feel history in order to understand the modernity of this person... I looked carefully at the names of everyone. Each of the candidates is a representative of his workshop: politician, scientist, writer, poet, economist... Alexander Nevsky was not a representative of the workshop, because he was at the same time the greatest strategist... a person who sensed not political, but civilizational dangers for Russia. He did not fight against specific enemies, not against the East or the West. He fought for national identity, for national self-understanding. Without him there would be no Russia, no Russians, no our civilizational code."

According to Metropolitan Kirill, Alexander Nevsky was a politician who defended Russia with “very subtle and courageous diplomacy.” He understood that it was impossible at that moment to defeat the Horde, which “ironed Russia twice,” captured Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, reached the Adriatic Sea, and invaded China. “Why doesn’t he start a fight against the Horde? – asks the Metropolitan. – Yes, the Horde captured Rus'. But the Tatar-Mongols did not need our soul and did not need our brains. The Tatar-Mongols needed our pockets, and they turned these pockets out, but did not encroach on our national identity. They were not able to overcome our civilizational code. But when danger arose from the West, when the armored Teutonic knights went to Rus', there was no compromise. When the Pope writes a letter to Alexander, trying to get him on his side... Alexander responds “no.” He sees a civilizational danger, he meets these armored knights on Lake Peipsi and defeats them, just as he, by a miracle of God, defeated the Swedish warriors who entered the Neva with a small squad.”

Alexander Nevsky, according to the Metropolitan, is giving away “superstructural values” by allowing the Mongols to collect tribute from Russia: “He understands that this is not scary. Mighty Russia will return all this money. We must preserve the soul, national identity, national will, and we must give the opportunity to what our wonderful historiosopher Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov called “ethnogenesis.” Everything is destroyed, we need to accumulate strength. And if they had not accumulated forces, if they had not pacified the Horde, if they had not stopped the Livonian invasion, where would Russia be? She wouldn't exist."

As Metropolitan Kirill asserts, following Gumilyov, Alexander Nevsky was the creator of that multinational and multi-confessional “Russian world” that exists to this day. It was he who “teared the Golden Horde away from the Great Steppe”*. With his cunning political move, he “persuaded Batu not to pay tribute to the Mongols. AND Great Steppe, this center of aggression against the whole world, was isolated from Rus' by the Golden Horde, which began to be drawn into the area of ​​Russian civilization. These are the first vaccinations of our union with the Tatar people, with the Mongol tribes. These are the first inoculations of our multinationality and multireligion. This is where it all started. He laid the foundation for the world existence of our people, which determined further development Rus' as Russia, as a great state."

Alexander Nevsky, according to Metropolitan Kirill, is collective image: this is a ruler, thinker, philosopher, strategist, warrior, hero. Personal courage is combined in him with deep religiosity: “At a critical moment, when the power and strength of the commander should be shown, he enters into single combat and hits Birger in the face with a spear... And where did it all start? He prayed at Hagia Sophia in Novgorod. A nightmare, hordes many times larger. What resistance? He comes out and addresses his people. With what words? God is not in power, but in truth... Can you imagine what words? What power!

Metropolitan Kirill calls Alexander Nevsky an “epic hero”: “He was 20 years old when he defeated the Swedes, 22 years old when he drowned the Livonians on Lake Peipsi... Young, handsome guy!.. Brave... strong." Even him appearance is the “face of Russia”. But the most important thing is that, being a politician, strategist, commander, Alexander Nevsky became a saint. “Oh my God! – Metropolitan Kirill exclaims. – If Russia had had holy rulers after Alexander Nevsky, what would our history be like! This is a collective image as much as a collective image can be... This is our hope, because today we still need what Alexander Nevsky did... Let us give our not only our voices, but also our hearts to the holy noble Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky - the savior and organizer of Russia !

(From the book of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) “Patriarch Kirill: life and worldview”)

Vladyka Metropolitan Kirill’s answers to questions from viewers of the “Name of Russia” project about Alexander Nevsky

Wikipedia calls Alexander Nevsky “the favorite prince of the clergy.” Do you share this assessment and, if so, what is the reason for it? Semyon Borzenko

Dear Semyon, it’s difficult for me to say what exactly guided the authors of the free encyclopedia “Wikipedia” when they named St. Alexander Nevsky. Perhaps because the prince was canonized and is revered in the Orthodox Church, solemn services are held in his honor. However, the Church also reveres other holy princes, for example, Dimitri Donskoy and Daniil of Moscow, and it would be wrong to single out a “beloved” from among them. I believe that such a name could also have been adopted by the prince because during his lifetime he favored the Church and patronized it.

Unfortunately, the pace of my life and the amount of work I do allow me to use the Internet exclusively for business purposes. I regularly visit, say, informational sites, but I have absolutely no time left to view those sites that would be personally interesting to me. Therefore, I was not able to take part in the voting on the “Name of Russia” website, but I supported Alexander Nevsky by voting by telephone.

Descendants of Rurik were defeated (1241), fighting for power in civil wars participated, betrayed his own brother to the pagans (1252), scratched out the eyes of the Novgorodians with his own hands (1257). Is the Russian Orthodox Church really ready to canonize Satan to maintain a split in churches? Ivan Nezabudko

Speaking about certain acts of Alexander Nevsky, it is necessary to take into account many various factors. This is also the historical era in which St. lived. Alexander - then many actions that seem strange to us today were completely commonplace. This is the political situation in the state - remember that at that time the country was experiencing a serious threat from the Tatar-Mongols, and St. Alexander did everything possible to reduce this threat to a minimum. As for the facts you cite from the life of St. Alexander Nevsky, then historians still cannot confirm or refute many of them, much less give them an unambiguous assessment.

For example, there are many ambiguities in the relationship between Alexander Nevsky and his brother Prince Andrei. There is a point of view according to which Alexander complained to the khan about his brother and asked to send an armed detachment to deal with him. However this fact not mentioned in any ancient source. The first time this was reported was only by V.N. Tatishchev in his “Russian History”, and there is every reason to believe that the author here got carried away with historical reconstruction - he “thought out” something that actually did not happen. N.M. Karamzin, in particular, thought so: “According to Tatishchev’s invention, Alexander informed Khan that his younger brother Andrei, having appropriated the Great Reign, was deceiving the Mughals, giving them only part of the tribute, etc.” (Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian State. M., 1992. T.4. P. 201. Note 88).

Many historians today tend to adhere to a different point of view than Tatishchev. Andrei, as is known, pursued a policy independent of Batu, while relying on the khan’s rivals. As soon as Batu took power into his own hands, he immediately dealt with his opponents, sending detachments not only against Andrei Yaroslavich, but also against Daniil Romanovich.

I am not aware of a single fact that could at least indirectly indicate that the veneration of St. Alexander Nevsky is a reason for a church schism. In 1547, the noble prince was canonized, and his memory is sacredly revered not only in the Russian, but also in many other Local Orthodox Churches.

Finally, let us not forget that when deciding on the canonization of a person, the Church takes into account such factors as the prayerful veneration of the people and the miracles performed through these prayers. Both of these took place and are happening in large numbers in connection with Alexander Nevsky. As for the mistakes such a person makes in life, or even his sins, we must remember that “there is no man who will live and not sin.” Sins are expiated by repentance and sorrow. Both of these, and especially the other, were present in the life of the noble prince, as they were in the lives of such sinners who became saints as Mary of Egypt, Moses Murin and many others.

I am sure that if you carefully and thoughtfully read the life of St. Alexander Nevsky, you will understand why he was canonized.

How does the Russian Orthodox Church feel about the fact that Prince Alexander Nevsky handed over his brother Andrei to the Tatars and threatened his son Vasily with war? Or is this as canonical as the blessing of warheads? Alexey Karakovsky

Alexey, in the first part, your question echoes the question of Ivan Nezabudko. As for the “blessing of warheads,” I am not aware of a single similar case. The Church has always blessed its children for the defense of the Fatherland, guided by the commandment of the Savior. It is for these reasons that the rite of blessing weapons has existed since ancient times. At every Liturgy we pray for the army of our country, realizing how heavy a responsibility lies on the people who stand guard with arms in their hands to guard the security of the Fatherland.

Is it not so, Vladyka, that when choosing Nevsky Alexander Yaroslavich we are choosing a myth, a film image, a legend?

I'm sure not. Alexander Nevsky is a very specific historical figure, a man who did a lot for our Fatherland and laid the foundations for the very existence of Russia for a long time. Historical sources allow us to learn quite definitely about his life and activities. Of course, in the time that has passed since the death of the saint, human rumor has introduced a certain element of legend into his image, which once again testifies to the deep veneration that the Russian people have always given to the prince, but I am convinced that this shade of legend cannot serve as an obstacle to that so that today we perceive Saint Alexander as a real historical character.

Dear Lord. What qualities, in your opinion, of the Russian hero, Saint Alexander Nevsky, could the current Russian government pay attention to, and, if possible, adopt? What principles of government are still relevant today? Victor Zorin

Victor, Saint Alexander Nevsky belongs not only to his time. His image is relevant for Russia today, in the 21st century. The most important quality, which, it seems to me, should be inherent in power at all times, is boundless love for the Fatherland and one’s people. All political activity Alexandra Nevsky was defined by precisely this strong and sublime feeling.

Dear Vladyka, answer, is Alexander Nevsky close to the souls of the people of today’s modern Russia, and not only Ancient Rus'. Especially nations professing Islam and not Orthodoxy? Sergey Krainov

Sergey, I am sure that the image of St. Alexander Nevsky is close to Russia at all times. Despite the fact that the prince lived several centuries ago, his life and his activities are still relevant for us today. Do such qualities as love for the Motherland, for God, for one’s neighbor, or the willingness to lay down one’s life for the sake of the peace and well-being of the Fatherland, have a statute of limitations? Can they be inherent only to the Orthodox and be alien to Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, who have long lived peacefully, side by side, in multinational and multi-confessional Russia - a country that has never known wars on religious grounds?

As for Muslims themselves, I will give you just one example that speaks for itself - in the program “The Name of Russia,” shown on November 9, there was an interview with a Muslim leader who came out in support of Alexander Nevsky because it was the holy prince who laid the foundations for dialogue East and West, Christianity and Islam. The name of Alexander Nevsky is equally dear to all people living in our country, regardless of their nationality or religious affiliation.

Why did you decide to take part in the “Name of Russia” project and act as Alexander Nevsky’s “lawyer”? In your opinion, why do most people today choose not a politician, scientist or cultural figure, but a saint, to name Russia? Vika Ostroverkhova

Vika, several circumstances prompted me to participate in the project as a “defender” of Alexander Nevsky.

Firstly, I am convinced that it is Saint Alexander Nevsky who should become the name of Russia. In my speeches, I repeatedly argued my position. Who, if not a saint, can and should be named “in the name of Russia”? Holiness is a concept that has no temporal boundaries, extending into eternity. If our people choose a saint as their national hero, this indicates a spiritual revival taking place in the minds of people. This is especially important today.

Secondly, this saint is very close to me. My childhood and youth were spent in St. Petersburg, where the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky rest. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to often resort to this shrine, to pray to the holy prince at his resting place. While studying at the Leningrad theological schools, which are located in close proximity to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, all of us, then students, clearly felt the gracious help that Alexander Nevsky provided to those who called on him with faith and hope in their prayers. At the relics of the holy prince I received ordination to all degrees of the priesthood. Therefore, I have deeply personal experiences associated with the name of Alexander Nevsky.

Dear Master! The project is called “Name of Russia”. For the first time the word Russia was heard almost 300 years after the prince’s dormition! Under Ivan the Terrible. And Alexander Yaroslavich just reigned in one of the fragments Kievan Rus– an upgraded version of Great Scythia. So what does St. Alexander Nevsky have to do with Russia?

The most direct thing. In your question you touch on a fundamentally important topic. Who do we consider ourselves to be today? Heirs of what culture? Bearers of what civilization? From what point in history should we count our existence? Is it really only since the reign of Ivan the Terrible? A lot depends on the answer to these questions. We have no right to be Ivans who do not remember our kinship. The history of Russia begins long before Ivan the Terrible, and it is enough to open a school history textbook to be convinced of this.

Please tell us about the posthumous miracles of Alexander Nevsky from the moment of his death to the present day. Anisina Natalya

Natalya, there are a great many such miracles. You can read about them in detail in the life of the saint, as well as in many books dedicated to Alexander Nevsky. Moreover, I am sure that every person who sincerely, with deep faith called upon the holy prince in his prayers, had his own small miracle in his life.

Dear Lord! Is the Russian Orthodox Church considering the issue of canonizing other Princes, such as Ivan IV the Terrible and I.V. Stalin? After all, they were autocrats who increased the power of the state. Alexey Pechkin

Alexey, many princes besides Alexander Nevsky have been canonized. When deciding on the canonization of a person, the Church takes into account many factors, and achievements in the political field do not play a decisive role here. The Russian Orthodox Church does not consider the issue of canonization of Ivan the Terrible or Stalin, who, although they did a lot for the state, did not show qualities in their lives that could indicate their holiness.

Prayer to the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky

(to schemamonastic Alexy)

Quick helper to all those who diligently come running to you, and our warm representative before the Lord, holy and blessed Grand Duke Alexandra! look mercifully upon us, unworthy, who have created for ourselves by many iniquities, who now flow to the race of your relics and cry out from the depths of your soul: in your life you were a zealot and defender of the Orthodox faith, and you have unshakably established us in it with your warm prayers to God. You carefully carried out the great service entrusted to you, and with your help, instruct us to abide in what we were called to do. You, having defeated the regiments of adversaries, drove away from the borders of Russia, and brought down all visible and invisible enemies against us. You, having left the corruptible crown of the earthly kingdom, you chose a silent life, and now, righteously crowned with an incorruptible crown, reigning in heaven, you intercede for us too, we humbly pray to you, a quiet and serene life, and arrange for us a steady march towards the eternal Kingdom of God. Standing before the throne of God with all the saints, pray for all Orthodox Christians, may the Lord God preserve them with His grace in peace, health, long life and all prosperity in the coming years, may we ever glorify and bless God, in the Trinity of the Holy Saints, the Father and the Son and The Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Troparion, Tone 4:
Know your brethren, Russian Joseph, not in Egypt, but reigning in heaven, faithful Prince Alexander, and accept their prayers, multiplying the lives of people with the fruitfulness of your land, protecting the cities of your dominion with prayer, and helping Orthodox people to resist.

Troparion, Voice of the same:
As you were at the root of a pious and most honorable branch, blessed Alexandra, for Christ manifests you as a kind of Divine treasure of the Russian land, a new miracle worker, glorious and God-pleasing. And today, having come together in your memory with faith and love, in psalms and singing we joyfully glorify the Lord, who gave you the grace of healing. Pray to him to save this city, and for our country to be pleasing to God, and for our sons of Russia to be saved.

Kontakion, Tone 8:
As we honor your bright star, which shone from the east and came to the west, enriching this entire country with miracles and kindness, and enlightening with faith those who honor your memory, blessed Alexandra. For this reason, today we celebrate your Dormition , your existing people, pray to save your Fatherland, and all your relics flowing to the race, and truly crying out to you: Rejoice, strengthening of our city.

In Kontakion, Tone 4:
Just like your relatives, Boris and Gleb, appeared from Heaven to help you, struggling against Weilger Sveisk and his warriors: so you too now, blessed Alexandra, come to the aid of your relatives, and overcome those who fight us.

Icons of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky

Alexander Nevsky [Life and deeds of the holy and blessed Grand Duke] Begunov Yuri Konstantinovich

BURIAL AND MIRACLE WITH SPIRITUAL LITERATURE

Metropolitan Kirill of Kiev and Vladimir was serving mass in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir, when a transient man who entered the church reported the death of Alexander Nevsky in Gorodets. The Metropolitan came out to the people and, raising his hands to the sky, exclaimed: “My children! Realize that the sun of the Suzhdal land has already set! Never again will such a prince appear in the lands of Judgment!” And the entire cathedral: boyars, priests, deacons, monks, laymen, poor and rich, warriors and merchants, and all the people - responded with sobs, screams and laments. The words were heard: “We are already dying!”

stood severe frost. There was a heavy snow crust on the roads. The body of the holy prince was taken from Gorodets through Starodub to Vladimir. People stood everywhere along the path and greeted the body of their beloved prince with screams, crying and lamentations. The Metropolitan with all the church clergy, with burning candles and censers, went out to meet the body of the holy prince at Bogolyubov, where there was no time Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky built a wonderful palace, churches and two monasteries - Bogolyubov Nativity of the Theotokos and Spassky Zlatovratsky - and filled them with miraculous icons.

When the grand ducal banner with the image of the Holy Savior appeared, which was carried in front of the coffin by the warriors, great excitement arose among the people. There were such screams and screams that it seemed as if the earth had opened up and an earthquake had begun.

“Oh woe to you, poor people! - one of its participants subsequently conveyed his feelings from the prince’s burial. - How is it possible to understand the death of our master! How can the apples of your eyes not fall out of your eyes along with your tears! How can your heart not burst in your chest from despair! After all, a person can leave his father, but a good gentleman can never be forgotten: if I could, I would climb into his coffin and lie down next to him!

Shouts of “We’re already dying!” were heard in the streets and squares of the capital city. People crowded each other, wanting to touch the coffin. Finally the coffin was carried into the temple.

The burial took place on November 23 in Vladimir, in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - “Archimandrite the Great”. Rozhdestvensky Bogoroditsky monastery was located in the south-eastern part of the Kremlin, on an elevated place above Klyazma. It was founded by Grand Duke Vsevolod Yurievich the Big Nest in 1191–1192 and was considered the first in the church hierarchy. Metropolitan Kirill, who ruled the metropolis and the Vladimir diocese, lived in it from 1250 to 1274.

At the memorial service, the Metropolitan first read the prayer of departure, and then the spiritual letter.

Then psalms sounded and the sobs of the people drowned out the funeral singing. The singers themselves in the choirs could hardly sing: their singing was interrupted by sobs. The Metropolitan had difficulty performing the funeral rites. Finally it's time for the main action.

The author of the Life of St. Alexander Nevsky narrates from the words of eyewitnesses that when the Metropolitan and Metropolitan Economist Sebastian approached the tomb located in the center of the temple to place a spiritual letter in the hand of the deceased, the hand of the holy prince bent, then stretched out and took the letter, after which again shrank.

Those present in the temple were seized with horror. Everyone became numb and could barely move away from the shrine of the passion-bearer.

In the miracle with the spiritual letter they saw a clear manifestation of the holiness of the Nevsky hero. Later, Metropolitan Kirill and housekeeper Sevastian ordered a certain monastery scribe to write the Life of St. Alexander Nevsky for local veneration of the prince, for his holiness, subsequently repeatedly confirmed by the incorruption of the body and miracles from the relics, is a testimony to Christ glorifying God the Creator with the Holy Spirit in life and death , in bodies and souls in the name of salvation.