The icon of Saints Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky is distinguished by its miraculous power. They pray for the help of saints in difficult life circumstances, when troubles strike one after another, not allowing them to come to their senses.

The Orthodox icon of the Russian righteous Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky is revered by believers. Many Christians from all over the world turn to her. The miraculous face of the martyrs plays an important role in the lives of believers. Every Orthodox Christian has at least once read prayers before the miraculous face of the saints in the hope of their protection and patronage. And the help of the saints became a guiding star, showing the way out of difficult situations.

The history of the icon of Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky

About the holy martyrs of Solovetsky we mainly know from their biographies. God's saints from the north, Zosim and Savvaty, are the founders of the Solovetsky monastery. According to legend, Russian righteous people were distinguished by their sinlessness. They praised the Lord, loved Jesus Christ with all their hearts, observed fasts, studied the Holy Scriptures and helped the weak and sick.

Zosima and Svattiy were endowed with healing abilities and, during their lifetime, helped believers get rid of various physical and mental illnesses. The pious elders earned the deep respect of Christians, and after death they became one of the holy Orthodox martyrs for all their righteous deeds, bright lives and services to the Lord and believers.

Where is the miraculous image located?

The shrine with the face of the righteous can be found in numerous churches of our Motherland. The image, which is held in the greatest reverence among Christians, is located in the Nizhny Novgorod Cathedral and in the Intercession Cathedral in Moscow. The earliest of the images that has survived to this day adorns the iconostasis of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra.

Description of the icon of Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky

There are many variations in the writing of icons with great martyrs. The most common image contains the image of saints, painted in full length. Usually Savvaty is depicted on the right side, and Zosima on the left. Both righteous men are dressed in the robes of monks. Between them is a white temple, which the monks hold with both hands. It is a symbol of the founding of the Solovetsky Monastery by the great Orthodox saints. Sometimes an image of the Blessed Virgin may be written on top, sitting on a cloud, blessing Russian monks.

How does a miraculous image help?

People who profess Orthodoxy offer prayers in front of the icon of Russian saints for protection from misfortunes, especially from those of a violent nature. Saints Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky are able to provide support and deliver from envious people, quarrels, discord in the family, from attacks of evil spirits and tragic death. Also, prayers in front of the holy image of martyrs protect them from fire, flood and deadly whirlwinds. It happens that Christians pray in front of the miraculous icon of monks for a cure for serious illnesses, for harmony and peace in the soul. After all, during their lifetime the saints possessed the gift of healing.

Days of celebration

Christians offer veneration to the holy elders every year October 10. On the day of the holiday, believers say words of prayer in front of the miraculous icon of blessed Zosima and Savvaty with even greater zeal in the hope of their support.

Prayer before the icon

“Oh, great intercessors! Holy martyrs Zosima and Savvaty! Hear our prayers and come to our aid in our troubles and misfortunes. Get rid of grief and misfortune. Protect our homes, our families from strife, abuse and evil enemies. Become our defenders, do not leave us alone in difficult moments. Let grief and death pass us by. We will honor your illustrious names with dignity and respect. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

The saints of God became famous during their lifetime. They were distinguished by strong faith in the Lord, love for all people and wisdom not to boast about this. The elders helped many believers to become stronger in spirit, not to break down in difficult moments and not to stray from the righteous path. They will help you get rid of all difficulties, become stronger and better. The most important thing is to remain faithful to the Lord and the promises made to him. We wish you peace in your soul. be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

17.11.2017 05:47

Sophia is one of the most revered saints in the Orthodox Church. Her life was full of suffering...

The other day, the Relics of the Holy Venerable Zosima of Ennat and Ufa were brought to our Temple. During her lifetime, the Saint was honored with the gift of clairvoyance, in particular, she predicted the monastic tonsure of Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim (Tomin), and healed him of a serious illness of his legs, during her life many people flocked to her, and Mother helped them, healed them from physical and mental ailments, in everyday troubles and difficulties, helped them find stolen goods, etc... Father Vladimir collected a reliquary, asked for a piece, but the Archimandrite accompanying the relics refused, and sent them to Vladyka with all questions...

Life of the Holy Venerable Zosima of Ennat, Ufa (Evdokia Yakovlevna Sukhanova) 1820-1935

By the grace of God, even in the most terrible, sorrowful years, holiness did not leave the Russian land. Under the violence of the power of the atheists, it seemed that a general rejection of the faith of our fathers and grandfathers, of the saving and gracious faith of Christ, was about to begin. But despite the rejoicing of demons, despite the revelry of base passions, darkness fell from human souls. The Orthodox faith did not fade among the people, revealing ascetics of piety, confessors, passion-bearers, spirit-bearing elders and elders. And among these prayer books for the salvation of the Russian people stands the holy elder Zosima, the messenger of the Lord.

The blessed Zosima (in the world Evdokia Yakovlevna Sukhanova) was born into a peasant family in the village of Sentsovka, Orenburg province, on March 1, 1820. She was raised by pious parents in deep faith. Meek and silent, prayerfully inclined, she differed from her peers in her infantile gentleness, detachment from worldly vanity, and hard work.

Years passed, marriage was predicted for her, but the girl resolutely refused. Then the father whipped her, and the obedient daughter marries a not-rich and God-fearing guy. Little is known about her family life. The husband, they say, was killed in the Russian-Turkish war, and the only sondied absurdly while hunting. Her son's wife, who became a widow, later became the old lady's cell attendant and did not leave her until her righteous death.We also know that, by God’s will, Avdotya (that’s what she was called in the village) came to the monastery already in adulthood, having been tonsured into the mantle with the name Eunikia, which translated from Greek means “fortunate.”It is also known that she repeatedly walked through Turkey to Jerusalem. The last time she was there was in 1912. Seeing the descent of the blessed fire there, she completely rushed after Christ our Savior.

Praying unceasingly, having fallen in love with silence and solitude, about two kilometers from the monastery she dug out a source from which the sick began to receive healing. Near the source, a monastery was later built with a chapel in honor of the Most Holy Trinity and a beekeeper.When the time of general persecution of Orthodoxy came, around 1919, Mother Eunice took the great schema with the name Zosima, which translated from Greek means “life.” The tonsure was performed by Bishop Andrei Ufa (Prince Andrei Ukhtomsky). With the adoption of the schema, she slept until the end of her days in a bale-rice coffin, which she had once brought from Jerusalem.In 1920, the Intercession-Ennatsky monastery was transformed into a labor commune, and in 1923 it was completely closed, the nuns were dispersed, and mother settled in the village of Novo-Arkhangelovka (in common parlance - Dema) in a small cell built in two -re from one pious family. There was always a crowd of people there who came to see Mother Zosima from all over Russia.Her actual “home” becomes not a cell, but the very cypress coffin in which she slept and in which local authorities, dissatisfied with her “strange” behavior of the old woman and the gathering of a large number of sufferers to her, secretly transported Mother Zosima from the village to the village.

At night she prayed, and during the day, strings of people not only from Orenburg, but also from the neighboring Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Samara and Saratov regions flowed to her, as to a “living temple”, as to a holy spring. The authorities tried to counteract the spiritual influence of the ascetic and secretly forbade her to visit. Visitors were observed, after which persecution could follow. People were afraid, but still walked many kilometers to the oxbow, not always knowing the exact address, since it was constantly being transported. They brought their sorrows, illnesses, worries to the no longer young old woman, and she did not let anyone go without words of edification and consolation, she healed the most serious illnesses when medicine turned out to be helpless

Let us turn to the testimony of the holy mountaineer Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim (Tomin): “When I was three years old,” my parents said, “Ilike a rickets patient, my legs remained twisted. In those years, in the regional center of Sharlyk, Professor Alexander Afanasyevich Barynin, convicted for his faith and expelled from Moscow, lived. Previously, he was the personal physician of many state leaders. Having examined my legs, he said that this illness was “not physical,” and, taking pity on me, advised me to contact Mother Zosima. Relying on the mercy of the Lord, my family decided to take me to the old woman. They harnessed the stallion and, having agreed not to eat anything on the road until they received a blessing, set off early in the morning. And all it took was nineteen kilometers to travel. But my relatives could not stand it and ate enough on the way, breaking their vow.

We arrived in Dema and easily found where Mother Zosima lives. At the moment when we arrived, the old woman herself came out of her cell to meet us and said reproachfully:

- Shameless... They took a vow not to eat... Go away, I won’t accept you.My relatives, crying, fell to their knees, asking for forgiveness.And mother 3 turned to my mother about this:

- Young lady, come to me with the baby.

Already in the old woman’s cell, my mother hastily began to explain:

“My breasts hurt, I couldn’t feed.”

- When you milked the cow and she kicked, did you curse her with a black word?! - Mother either asked or answered. “That’s why he couldn’t suckle.” And that’s why his legs don’t “unbend”.

The mother said that the child does not eat bird meat and spits it out.

- And the boy will become a monk and will hang out on Mount Athos. He won’t eat meat at all, just like your last son,— answered the old woman. - Smoke him.

Mother raised me, and Mother Zosima scooped up some water from a cypress tub that she brought from the Jordan from the Holy Land, and sprinkled my crooked legs with this water. She shook me. And what a miracle! They immediately straightened up.

—B will have to stand! “He will stand!” she said. She gave me some holy water and added:

-You will breastfeed all your children. (Mom had fourteen of them).

Then she called her grandmother and Aunt Fyokla and strongly scolded her grandmother:

“Shameless, the birds have not yet flown from the nest, and you fed them, old one.”Still, I forgave everyone and blessed them on their way.And what a joy it was, what a joy it was when I rode the entire way back, standing on my healed legs.That's what mother was like.

Everything she predicted then came true. I am a monk. And I have never eaten meat in my life. And my younger brother, the thirteenth child in the family, also never put meat in his mouth. And everyone else will at least eat a sheep.

And I also remember well (I was eleven years old) how my mother saved my father from prison. A village soviet stallion was stolen from my father. The “bar” threatened. What to do? Grandma Daria (my father’s mother) and I went to Mother Zosima in Sentsovka for help. All the way, going to my mother, we cried and prayed; my father was the only breadwinner. Everyone who was robbed turned to Mother Zosima for help. She indicated the location of the stolen things, but did not name the names of the thieves. So it was this time. When we approached the yard where mother lived, I saw many carts drawn by horses, bulls and cows. People were waiting for Mother to come out. Mother, who was already more than a hundred years old, was taken out by two elderly novices. She turned to the waiting people

-Daria, come to me My grandmother Daria, who sawmother Zosima for the first time, did not understand that it was her name. Mother repeated:

—Daria with Mishunka from Barakov.

The people parted, and my grandmother and I approached. My mother began to scold my father for his carelessness in losing the state stallion. My grandmother and I fell to our knees crying, but she consoled us by saying that the baby had not been eaten yet. She named the yard where the stallion was, taught her how best to bring him back, and that’s all... The father returned the stallion and escaped punishment. This is how our family was saved from starvation.

Through the exploits of her life, the old woman acquired the Holy Spirit, which clearly rested on her and manifested itself in special signs and wonders.

She healed diseases of the legs, those possessed by demons, who were brought to her in chains. She healed not only people, but also all animals in general. Both the present and the past were revealed to her. Moreover, they knew the events, actions, thoughts of the people with whom they went to her. She foresaw the future and helped everyone who turned to her

Venerable Zosima(in the world - Verkhovsky Zakharia Vasilievich (Bogdanovich); March 24, 1768, p. Bulovitsa, Smolensk province - October 24, 1833, Zosimova Hermitage) - schemamonk, spiritual writer, founder of two convents (Turin Nikolaev Monastery and Trinity-Odigitrievskaya Hermitage).

In the Russian Orthodox Church he was canonized as a general church saint at the Council of Bishops on October 8, 2004. He is venerated in the ranks of the saints, commemorated (according to the Julian calendar): October 24, September 20 at the Cathedral of Bryansk Saints, the Sunday before August 26 at the Cathedral of Moscow Saints and on the last Sunday of August (Cathedral of Kemerovo Saints).

Biography

Born into a noble family. Father - Bogdan Verkhovsky rose to the rank of colonel in the regiment of the Smolensk gentry. Mother - Anna Ivanovna, from the noble family of Manevsky. Received home education. Like all his brothers, he entered military service - on January 1, 1784 he was appointed captain in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Zechariah's father died on April 3, 1784. Zechariah inherited 2 villages. Two years later his mother died. At this time, he met the hermits of the Roslavl forests, who lived under the leadership of the elder of the Ploshchansky Monastery Adrian (Blinsky). In 1788, Zechariah retired with the rank of lieutenant, sold his estate to his son-in-law and decided to devote himself to monastic life.

At first he came to the Roslavl forests to the community of Elder Adrian, but he had already left it and moved to the Konevetsky Monastery. Zacharias, on the advice of the monk Basilisk, went to the Konevetsky monastery to see Adrian. The elder accepted him and appointed him a novice (Zacharia baked prosphora and sexted him). After the test, Adrian tonsured Zacharias into monasticism with the name Zosima in honor of the Venerable Zosima of Solovetsky. In 1792/93, at the invitation of Adrian, the Monk Basilisk came to Konevets, who became a friend of Zacharias. For his students, Adrian built two cells three miles from the monastery. Zosima and Basilisk spent 5 days in them, and on Saturday they came to the monastery for the all-night vigil, and on Sunday after the liturgy they returned to their cells.

In 1799, Elder Adrian decided to take monastic vows into the Great Schema and left for the Moscow Simonov Monastery. Saying goodbye to his disciples, he blessed Zosima and Basilisk to live in the wilderness in Siberia, but they were more attracted to Athos. Three times they tried to go to the Holy Mountain, but each time they failed in this endeavor. The friends went to Kyiv where, with the permission of the Metropolitan, they lived for two months in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, and then went to Crimea and later to Mozdok. Due to the raids of the highlanders, they were taken from there under escort to Taganrog from which they moved to Astrakhan where they decided to fulfill the blessings of Elder Adrian and, having bought a horse, went to Siberia. In the autumn of 1800 they reached Tobolsk where Archbishop Varlaam (Petrov) gave them permission to settle on the territory of his diocese. After a year of wandering around the Siberian districts in 1802, they settled in the forests of the Kuznetsk district. In the taiga, forty miles from the nearest village, they dug a dugout. One of the peasants from the nearest village brought food to the hermits. The next year in the spring they decided to leave the taiga, but got lost and spent about two weeks in the forest.

Having left the taiga, Zosima and Basilisk settled in Kuznetsk district. Near the Srednyaya Ters River, fifty versts from Kuznetsk, peasants built two cells for them. The monks planted a vegetable garden and did handicrafts. Once a year they were visited by a priest with the Holy Gifts. A small community of ascetics formed around the hermits, among them was the disciple of Saint Basilisk, righteous Peter of Tomsk, whose biography was compiled by the Monk Zosima.

In 1822, through the efforts of Zosima and Basilisk, the Turin St. Nicholas Convent was established in the Tobolsk province (with the blessing of the Tobolsk Bishop Zosima went to St. Petersburg to see Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov) to obtain the appropriate permission). For the community, Zosima wrote a special charter based on the communal rules of Basil the Great (at the beginning of 1823, the elder again traveled to St. Petersburg to present his Charter for approval by the Synod). After misunderstandings that arose there (some of the nuns accused Zosima of schism, embezzlement and oppression of the sisters), Father Zosima was dismissed by decree of the Synod of January 24, 1825 “ from the title of trustee and from any influence on the monastery"and moved to Moscow. With the blessing of Metropolitan Philaret, Zosima became a monk of the Chudov Monastery.

In 1826, near Moscow, in Vereisky district, on the estate of court councilor M. S. Bakhmeteva, with the blessing of Metropolitan Philaret Zosima, he organized a women's community in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria”. Its first nuns were the nuns of the Turin St. Nicholas Monastery, who during the conflict remained faithful to their confessor and followed him to Moscow. Zosima lived in this desert until his death. He took care of the monastery and looked for benefactors to support it. At the same time, having a craving for solitude, Zosima built himself a small cell in the forest three miles from the desert. In it, as in the Konevetsky Monastery under the leadership of his teacher Elder Adrian, he lived 5 days a week, on Saturday he came to the desert for Matins, and after the Sunday liturgy he returned to his forest cell. In it, from two elders from the Oryol province, he received tonsure into the great schema.

He died on October 24, 1833 on the feast of the icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” He was buried near the monastery chapel.

Veneration and canonization

The veneration of Elder Zosima began soon after his death. With the blessing of Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov), the Trinity Church was erected over his grave. In the early 1880s, the discovery of the relics of St. Zosima took place. Ambrose Optinsky wrote about this in 1886: “ Recently, in the Zosimova Hermitage, it was noticed that the coffin of the founder of the monastery was in the water, because the place was damp. They carved a coffin out of a whole stone and made a new wooden coffin, and during the transfer they saw that the old man’s entire body was intact, and his feet had fallen into decay." In the 1930s the temple was closed. After his return to the church on December 25, 1999, an examination of Zosima's tomb was carried out, but no relics were found in the white stone sarcophagus that was found. Their whereabouts remain unknown.

With the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, on October 11, 1999, he was glorified as a locally revered saint of the Moscow diocese. With the blessing of Metropolitan Juvenaly (Poyarkov) of Krutitsky and Kolomna, the celebrations for the glorification of St. Zosima were postponed and took place on July 23, 2000. 2 icons of the saint were painted for them and his life was published. At the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 8, 2004, the Monk Zosima was numbered among the general church saints.

A troparion and kontakion were written for the local canonization of Saint Zosima. On March 24, 2005, the Diocesan Liturgical Commission approved the polyeleos service to St. Zosima, compiled by Schema-nun Ignatius.

Essays

The works of St. Zosima are few. All of them, except for the “Treasured Letters,” have been preserved in various copies of the 19th century. A peculiarity of all Zosima’s works is that they are written exclusively in Church Slavonic.

• “Treasured Letters” (an essay of a moralizing nature, the only surviving autograph of the monk. The manuscript was kept in the Zosimova Monastery, currently divided between the Russian State Historical Archive and the Central State Historical Archive);
• Life of Saint Basilisk;
• Life of the Righteous Peter of Tomsk;
• “Teaching on Obedience”;
• Exposition of 75 “actions” of the Jesus Prayer for Elder Basilisk.

Notes

Literature

• Zosima (Verkhovsky) // Orthodox Encyclopedia. - M.: 2009. - T. 20. - P. 347-353. - ISBN 9785895720263.
• St. Zosima (Verkhovsky): Life. Memories. Words and instructions. - M., 2005.

Schema-Archimandrite Zosima, in the world Ivan Sokur, is a highly spiritual and perspicacious elder. The kind, heartfelt, simple and instructive words that Father Zosima spoke during his lifetime reveal to us the world of genuine Christian spiritual life, embodied in repentance, prayer, mercy, heartfelt crying and love for others.


The elder menacingly denounced the passions and vices of the modern world, turning his righteous anger towards the schismatic autocephalists who were tearing apart Christ’s robe. His pastoral word sounded like thunder from the pulpit, calling on the Orthodox to stand firm in the faith.

The elder departed to the Lord on August 29, 2002. Not wanting to overshadow the great feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, he begged for one more day of life, prolonging the painful suffering with which the Lord visited him at the end of his days, and reposed peacefully on the day of the All-Merciful Savior, shortly before his birthday.


Paradise apple trees were planted in the monastery, which bloomed on the anniversary of the death of the elder
The elder liked to say that after his death the large altar clock, a unique landmark of the monastery, would stop. And so it happened. When the sad news about the death of the old man came from the hospital, the clock showed the time 23-45 (according to the data updated after publication, the time indicated in the title is not entirely correct). The clock stopped: time stood still, forever fixing the mournful hour of the elder’s departure into blissful Eternity. Currently, this clock is in the altar of St. Basil's Church.


It is also noteworthy that Father Zosima spoke to his children about his impending death in this way: “When you see the icon of St. St. John of Kronstadt with sprinkler, which means it’s time for me to leave.” “Father, this cannot be, there is no such icon,” his children were embarrassed. However, soon some benefactors from Russia brought him a gift of an icon of St. Ave. John of Kronstadt in half-length, on which he is depicted holding an asper in his hands. An icon of pre-revolutionary writing, written on two tongue-and-groove boards. Everyone realized that the hour had struck...
Let us turn to the elder’s biography, the glorious milestones of which are very instructive.
Ivan Alekseevich Sokur (that was the name of Zosima’s father in the world) was born in the village. Kosolmanka, Verkhotursky district, Sverdlovsk region, September 3, 1944. His father died at the front that same year. Mother, Maria Ivanovna, future schema-nun Mariamna, was a peasant woman. She was a lover of Christ and maintained friendly relations with nuns, for which she was imprisoned. There, in the hospital, her son was born. Initially, they wanted to name him Fadley in honor of the apostle, but the mother’s acquaintances, who visited the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, received a blessing from schema-abbot Kuksha to name the baby John - in honor of the Baptist of the Lord John.


Since 1951, the future elder lived in the city of Avdeevka, Donetsk region, where he graduated from school in 1961 with excellent marks. My mother’s sister, who was a nun, lived there and her name was Antonina. Once she was the spiritual daughter of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt. He did not immediately enter the priestly path. First, from 1961 to 1964, he studied at an agricultural college and even managed to work as a veterinarian. Then, with the blessing of his spiritual mentor, he became a novice of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. There, by the will of God, he ended up in a cell where Schema-Abbot Kuksha (Velichko), glorified among the saints as St., once lived until his death. Kuksha Odessa. Ivan's confessor, schema-abbot Valentin, predicted many events in his life that happened later and, one might say, changed his whole life.
Initially, the future elder tried to enter the Moscow Theological Seminary, but the authorities actively prevented this. Persecuted by state security agencies, Ivan Sokur moved to Novosibirsk and served for a year as a subdeacon with Archbishop Pavel (Golyshev).


In 1965, he entered the Leningrad Theological Seminary, immediately into his second year, and in 1974 he graduated from the Theological Academy in Leningrad and, having defended his dissertation on the topic: “The Valaam Monastery and its church-historical significance,” received the degree of Candidate of Theological Sciences. In 1975, Metropolitan Nikodim of Leningrad and Novgorod tonsured fourth-year academy student Ivan Sokur into monasticism in honor of Savvaty Solovetsky. After some time, he was ordained a deacon, and later a hieromonk.

The Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God is celebrated in the monastery almost as solemnly as Easter

Immediately after his studies, the future elder was sent to the Odessa Holy Dormition Monastery. But the serious illness of his mother forced Hieromonk Savvaty to submit a petition for transfer to the Voroshilovgrad-Donetsk diocese, into the clergy of which he was accepted on December 25, 1975, receiving the place of a village priest in the church of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky in the village. Aleksandrovka, Maryinsky district. The temple was extremely poor, but through the diligence of Father Savvaty, many parishioners appeared in it, and soon the necessary repairs were carried out and all the purchases necessary for the life of the church were made. An iconostasis was erected, crosses, new icons, and various utensils were purchased. Subsequently, Metropolitan Hilarion (Shukalo) of Donetsk and Mariupol recalled: “I was always amazed by his temple construction. Wherever he came to serve, he immediately started major repairs and construction. I remember how in 1980, when I was still serving as a psalm-reader at the Holy Dormition Church in Donetsk, on the feast of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God we went to Father Savvaty in Aleksandrovka to consecrate the new altar. He managed to make this throne at the very period when churches in the USSR were just being closed and destroyed. At that time it was almost a sensation.”

Apparently, Father Savvaty performed a miracle worthy of the Lord: the feat of restoring the temple. All this time he lived at the temple, and his mother, who lived in Staromikhailovka, often came to him for services. She loved to pray, standing on the right side of the altar, and when the dates appointed by the Lord were fulfilled, Father Savvaty tonsured her into the great schema. There were legends about the peacefulness and meekness of Mother Mariamne. According to the former altar boy of the Alexander Church, currently abbot Zinon, she was a person of high spiritual life, a real Angel. Schema-nun Innocentia, who worked at the Alexander Church for many years, recalled: “Very good, courteous, hospitable. Father often raised his voice when they didn’t listen to him or did something wrong. Mother Mariamne to him: “Why are you shouting, you can’t be rude to people like that. We need to talk to people normally.” But the priest will shout, scold, and feel sorry for everyone. He was both strict and kind at the same time.”


In the Assumption Nikolo-Vasilievsky monastery, founded by Father Zosima.

Schema-nun Mariamne went to the Lord in 1981 at the end of Peter's Lent, on the eve of the feast of the holy supreme Apostles Peter and Paul during the reading of the Psalter and was buried in Aleksandrovka not far from the church.
The hierarchy appreciated the selfless work of the zealous hieromonk. In 1977, the future elder was awarded a pectoral cross, in 1980 he was elevated to the rank of abbot, and in 1983 he was awarded the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, III degree, and in 1984 - a club. The Soviet authorities did not like such active and courageous activities of the village priest, so he was humbled more than once, subjected to all kinds of humiliation. However, persecution only strengthened him in the feat of bearing the cross. Then they began to transfer Father Savvaty from one parish to another in order to deprive the flock and break the spirit of the priest who was inconvenient for them. Sorrows undermined his health, but did not break his spirit.


Temple interior

In 1985, he was appointed rector of the Nativity of the Theotokos Church in the village. Andreevka, Velikonovoselkovsky district. Having barely settled in a new place, after Easter 1986, he was transferred again, this time to the Holy Trinity Church in Makeevka, soon receiving an appointment as rector of the Holy Intercession Church in the village. Andreevka, Snezhnoye.
On November 22, 1986, the priest was appointed rector of St. Basil's Church in the village of Nikolskoye, Volnovakha district. Father Savvaty arrived in Nikolskoye at the very end of November 1986, and served for the first time in the Vasilyevsky Church on the feast of the Entry of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here, finally, he found refuge until the end of his days.

Great prayerful and creative work lay ahead.
It was already freezing, and in the dilapidated church, as well as in the abbot’s house with gaping broken windows that had to be covered with a mattress, it was cold, a piercing icy wind was blowing. An abomination of desolation reigned all around. In the best traditions of godless times, a latrine and a huge garbage dump were located directly at the entrance heap. The beautiful majolica iconostasis, which was a decoration of the Vasilyevsky Church before the revolution, was barbarically broken and thrown away, and an ordinary plywood board took its place.
For a long time, fragments of this unique iconostasis were found in the ground, which the priest collected and kept as a shrine in the altar. It seemed that in order to restore the desecrated temple, it would be necessary to spend a lot of time and invest huge amounts of money. But what is beyond the power of man is possible with the Lord. Already in 1988, a baptismal sanctuary was erected here, the abbot's chambers and a refectory were built for pilgrims, of whom there were more and more. They flocked to the loving abbot for kind words and wise advice, and no one left unconsoled.
Meanwhile, in 1989, the church was given the St. Nicholas Church, which found itself in an even more terrible state. The scope of work has significantly increased, but this only increased the efforts of Abbot Savvaty tenfold. And these efforts were appreciated.
In 1990, the ascetic, growing from strength to strength according to his spiritual age, was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. This didn't make him proud. On the contrary, perceiving this as a kind of advance towards future affairs, he intensified his prayerful zeal and in 1992 he was tonsured into the schema by Bishop Alypius of Donetsk and Slavs. Schema-Archimandrite Zosima appeared to the Orthodox world: with this name he forever entered the history of eldership.
Years of creation continued. The beginning of the future monastery was laid by the almshouse equipped by Father Zosima in 1997, where infirm people, left to the mercy of fate, found refuge. To provide them with decent shelter in their old age, a temporary residence house located not far from the temple was rented from the village council.


The monks and nuns living there delight with good spirits and obvious well-groomed appearance. They remember with gratitude Elder Zosima, whom many were honored to know during his lifetime.


In 1998, on Holy Cross Sunday, Schema-Archimandrite Zosima was admitted to intensive care with acute renal failure: his kidneys failed. The old man was dying.
In this serious condition, he experienced what is commonly called clinical death. As Father himself recalled, he had already seen the heavenly abodes, heard angelic singing indescribable in its beauty (only the Great Doxology of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra melody vaguely resembles this wonderful singing, he said).
Beyond the threshold of this life, he met with his companion and companion of prayer - Schema-Archimandrite Theophilos, who brought him back to earth:
- It’s still too early for you, the whole earth is crying for you.
It is not known whether Father Zosima had a revelation, or simply after returning from the other world he looked at things differently - but he set about building the monastery. One thing can be said with certainty is that he did nothing without the direction of the Lord, without the will of God, which was revealed to him in prayer.
The Lord wanted this exhausted Elder to accomplish the almost impossible. What he could not decide to do even in relative health was to erect a heavenly monastery on earth, a paradise for earthly angels, as monks are called.
“Tell from mouth to mouth about his prayers, teachings, deeds - from generation to generation, for a truly great man lived among us: confessor, monk, mentor, friend, brother and father...” Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol.

In 1998, Schema-Archimandrite Zosima was officially appointed confessor of the Donetsk diocese and a member of the Diocesan Council. In commemoration of his high services to the Lord, on March 26, 1999 he was awarded the Order of Nestor the Chronicler, on April 20, 2000 - the right to wear a second cross with decoration, and on the 2000th anniversary of the Nativity of Christ - the Order of the Nativity of Christ - 2000, 1st degree.
In the same year, the St. Nicholas women's monastery was officially registered, and in 2001, the St. Basil's Monastery, under the blessed protection of which they gathered. The first governor of which was the ever-remembered Schema-Archimandrite Zosima. The Holy Dormition Nikolo-Vasilievskaya monastery with its fraternal and sister buildings was consecrated.

In the last years of his life, the elder was seriously ill and on August 29, 2002, he passed away to the Lord. The Lord revealed to him the time of his death, which he repeatedly told his saddened children about, preparing them for this sad event. He was buried on the territory of the monastery monastery he built in a small chapel.

His brainchild, the monastery, was put in order only in 2008. Patriarch Kirill himself came to consecrate him, who personally knew Father Zosima and spoke of him with great warmth.

The Ukrainian TV channel KRT created amazing films about the life of this outstanding, visionary old man: “The Life-Long Road”, “Funeral Prayer”. In 2005, the Sretensky Monastery Publishing House published the book “Schiarchimandrite Zosima (Sokur). A Word about Holy Rus'". In 2013, the second part of the same publishing house’s book about the elder, entitled “What the Soul Grieves Over,” was published.


Today, many years have passed since the day of his death, and only now many of his prophetic words have become painfully clear to the heart, since his most fatal predictions have come true. Father Zosima (Sokur) predicted that the Romanov royal family would be glorified as saints in 2000. In his sermons we hear him talk about how the end is approaching. The times of the Antichrist have already prepared their terrible disastrous scenarios, which are about to begin.

Today, the day of memory of Father Zosima, the monastery was visited by the ruling bishop, Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol. He led the funeral Liturgy dedicated to the memory of the elder

Predictions of Schema-Archimandrite Zosima

War, like the wrath of God, will fall on our people. Blessed will be those who have not given birth, for this means that the children who are born today will die a martyr's death. Father Zosima (Sokur) predicted blood, hard life and grief with tears. Today bombs are falling on Serbia, tomorrow they will bomb Kyiv and reach Moscow.

Soon there will be more criminals than just normal people. There are guns everywhere, a man with glassy eyes can shoot another man for fun. The decline of morals in society. Betrayal of the Church, Motherland and all that is holy is being prepared.

But monasticism will stand as an army against the servants of Antichrist until the very end of the age. There will be many more venerable martyrs and companions of monks; it is they who will courageously stand up at the moment when everyone bows to the Antichrist.
Father Zosima (Sokur) inspired all his children with the words that the forces of the Antichrist will not overcome the Orthodox Church. The lamps of the true faith will always burn on our holy land. The main thing is to be in the bosom of the Russian Patriarchal Church and its unshakable canons.

Many in Russia knew him, and in Ukraine everyone knew him and revered him, just as in Russia Fr. Nikolai Guryanov, we went to him in the same way as to Fr. Nicholas with all his sorrows, receiving healing and learning about his future. Zosima died 3 days after Fr. Nicholas. The Lord revealed the date of his death to him in advance.


The will he left is an important document of the entire Russian Church:
“Follow strictly the Russian Orthodox Church and His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.
In the event of Ukraine's departure from Moscow, whatever the autocephaly, lawless or “legal,” the connection with the Metropolitan of Kyiv is automatically severed.
From the existing monasteries, then form a House of Mercy, which will fulfill the holy laws of mercy - serving people until their burial, and this commandment must be fulfilled by the monastery forever. Do not accept any threats or curses, because they are not canonical and lawless.

Stand firmly for the canons of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the event of a fall from the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church - the ruling bishop does not exist, the monasteries pass into stauropegial management under the omophorion of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. I pray to God and hope that His Holiness the Patriarch will not refuse and will accept him under his omophorion.
If this is impossible, then the monasteries will come under independent abbot management in the likeness of the Valaam monastery at the beginning of our century, under the guise of bright future times of unity of Ukraine and Russia, which, I deeply believe, will inevitably come, with which I go into eternity.


Funeral service for the deceased elder

Create an effective Sunday school in monasteries for growing children, our future. There should never be televisions or other satanic video equipment in the monastery.


The main languages ​​in the monastery should be Church Slavonic and Russian, the rest - as necessary.
As I depart into eternal life, I say my last word to you, dear brothers, sisters and all those praying in our monastery: stick to the Russian Orthodox Church - salvation is in it...”



But these conversations were recorded in the Holy Dormition Nikolo-Vasilievsky Monastery 14 years ago, but it seems that Schema-Archimandrite Zosima is speaking to us from today. He talks about nationalism, Bandera, schismatics, love, hatred, Victory Day, the West and the Sun of Truth - our Lord Jesus Christ.


“Forgive us, Lord! You brought us love and peace, but we sowed evil and hatred. You brought humility to us on earth, but we perish in our pride. You brought love - and we hate and despise each other.


Forgive us, Lord, for our devastated Fatherland. That we, the Russian people, are being made artificial enemies, - and yet we were all baptized in the same font of Kievan Rus, and not Ukraine. The holy Dnieper is a sacred river for us. The Holy Dnieper unites three current nations. The holy Dnieper is our Russian Jordan. Forgive us, Lord, that we sow enmity - Muscovites, crests and other peoples - when we are all one holy Rus',” said Elder Zosima 12 years ago, during Great Lent 2002.


After the meal, all pilgrims and parishioners had their calendars blessed.
Come to Nikolskoye! Father's birthday is coming soon (September 3). Travel from Kyiv by Mariupol train to Volnovakha, then 20 minutes by minibus, and you are in an amazing monastery. At checkpoints, only young men are searched, but everyone is allowed through.
Come, you won’t regret it!



Photos for publication were provided by Sergiy Fritch

In 1436, St. Zosima buried his parents, distributed the inheritance to the poor, and together with the Rev. Herman Solovetsky went to Solovetsky Island. Their journey was successful, and they landed on an island near a freshwater lake. Here, having built a tent for themselves from tree branches, the hermits performed an all-night vigil, praying to the Lord to bless their intention.

Venerable Zosima of Solovetsky - founder of the Solovetsky monastery and its first beautifier

The Lord consoled them with a prophetic vision: in the morning the Monk Zosima, coming out of the booth, saw an extraordinary light illuminating the entire surrounding area, and in the east, in the air, a beautiful and great church. Surprised by this vision, the hermit hurried into the bush. O. Herman, noticing a change in the face of his roommate, asked him if he had seen anything unusual? Etc. Zosima told him everything he saw. At the same time, Saint Herman, remembering the miraculous expulsion of the laity from the island under Savvatia and the prophecy that monks would live here, said to St. Zosima: “Do not be horrified and be attentive; it seems to me that through you the Lord will gather many monks.” Story about. Herman was consoled by St. Zosima about the events under Savvatia, and they decided to build a monastery. Having prayed to God, the hermits began to cut down the forest for buildings, erected a fence and cells. They earned their own food with their own hands by cultivating and sowing the land. But these physical labors in no way weakened their prayerful deeds.

How it all began

However, the hermits had to endure many trials before they saw their monastery inhabited by monks. At the end of winter, Herman sailed with the fisherman Mark, who wished to share solitude with the saints, and also brought a sufficient amount of food and seawater for fishing. Soon Mark took monastic vows and was the first student of the Reverends. His example was followed by many coastal residents, who, sailing to the island, built themselves cells near the cells of St. Zosima and Herman, and earned food by the labor of their hands. The Monk Zosima, seeing the multiplication of disciples, built a small wooden church in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, on the spot where he had a prophesied vision of a temple in the air; He added a small refectory to the church and opened a hostel. Thus the Solovetsky monastery was founded, which has been preserved to this day by the grace of God, despite all the trials it has experienced.

Strengthening the monastery

Having established a monastery, St. Zosima sent one monk to Novgorod, to Archbishop Jonah, with a request to appoint an abbot and for a blessing for the consecration of the temple. Saint Jonah appointed Hieromonk Paul as the Solovetsky abbot, who, upon arriving in Solovki, consecrated the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. But this abbot, unable to bear the difficulties of desert life, soon returned to Novgorod. The same happened to his successor, Abbot Theodosius. Then the brethren of the Solovetsky Monastery decided on a general council not to take abbots from other monasteries, but to choose from among themselves. Carrying out their decision, they sent messengers to the Novgorod archbishop, asking him to call their father, Zosima, and ordain him to the priesthood and abbess, although not without resistance from the humble elder. Saint Jonah of Novgorod did just that: calling the Venerable One to him with a letter, he convinced him to accept the priesthood and abbess. Having received rich sacrifices from citizens for his monastery, consisting of money, clothes, vessels, and food supplies, the Reverend was honorably released by the bishop to Solovki. With joy the brethren welcomed the return of their respected and beloved abbot. The sign of God's grace further strengthened the general reverence for the teacher. Abbot. When he celebrated the first liturgy in his monastery, his face shone like the face of an angel, and the church was filled with a special incense. The monk, at the end of the service, blessed some merchants who were in the monastery at that time with prosphora, and they, leaving the church, carelessly dropped it. Passing by, the monk Macarius noticed a dog that was trying to grab something and could not, due to the rising flame. Approaching, Macarius saw that it was a prosphora lost by the merchants. Picking it up, the monk brought it to the venerable abbot and, to the considerable surprise of everyone, told his vision.

With the multiplication of brethren, the former wooden church became cramped. Etc. Zosima built a new one, large in size, in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and also erected many cells and expanded the monastery. In addition, to bless his expanding monastery, he decided to transfer the relics of the Monk Savvaty, who died on the Vyga River and was buried at the chapel there. The Reverend was finally confirmed in this intention by the message of the monks of the Kirillo-Beloezersk Monastery. “We heard,” the monks wrote, “from strangers from your country about Solovetsky Island, that from ancient times it was uninhabited due to the inconvenience of the sea route, and now on this island, by the will of God and the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, through your efforts, the Monastery of the Honest Transfiguration was built Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, many brethren have gathered and everything has settled down perfectly. Only you are deprived of one good thing - it is the Venerable Savvaty who was forgotten by you, who lived in this place before you, who died in fasting and labor, like the ancient reverend fathers, perfect in virtue He loved Christ with all his soul, withdrew from the world and received a blessed death. Some monks of our monastery, being in Novgorod, heard the story of the God-loving John, how on the Vyga River he was honored to see the Monk Savvaty and receive spiritual instruction from him, and, after his death, buried him with Abbot Nathanael. John told our brethren how God, through the prayers of the Monk Savvaty, miraculously saved him and his brother Theodore from drowning at sea. We heard that other signs and wonders were performed at his tomb. He is a saint of God, and we are witnesses of his virtuous life, because this blessed father lived with us for a long time in the Kirillov Monastery. Therefore, we give you spiritual advice - do not be deprived of such a gift, hasten to bring the Venerable and Blessed Savvaty to you, so that his relics will be located where he worked for many years.”

Such a message could not have been more consistent with the wishes of the teacher himself. Zosima and the Solovetsky brethren. Having prepared the ship, they set off with a fair wind to the Pomeranian coast. Having reached the Vyga River and dug up the coffin of the teacher. Savvaty, they found the relics incorrupt, unharmed, and the clothes themselves - an extraordinary fragrance filled the air. Singing sacred songs, the Solovetsky monks carried St. raku onto the ship and with a fair wind they safely reached their abode. Initially, the holy relics were placed in the ground, behind the altar of the Assumption Cathedral, and a chapel was built over them. Many sick people, coming here with faith, received healing through the prayers of the Reverend.

Father Zosima prayed fervently every night in this chapel, and often the morning dawn found him praying. The merchant John, who was at the burial of Savvaty, and with his brother Theodore, having a special love for him, painted an image of the Reverend and, with generous alms, presented it to Abbot Zosima. With reverence, having accepted and kissed the image of the original Solovetsky, Fr. Zosima placed it in the tomb chapel and addressed the Rev. with the following words: “Although you have ended your temporary life in body, do not depart from us in spirit, guide us to Christ our God, instructing us to keep the commandments of the Lord, to wear our cross and follow our Master. Having boldness towards Christ and the Most Pure Mother of God, be a prayer book and intercessor for us unworthy, living in this monastery, which you are in charge of; be a helper and intercessor before God to our brotherhood, so that we, through your prayers, remain unharmed from evil spirits and people, glorifying St. "Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Death of Saint Zosima

Before his death, the elder (schemamonk Zosima Solovetsky) fell ill and for a long time, however, did not dare to accept the schema. He thought that if he recovered, then he, as a schema-monk, who, as the most respectable elders, was naturally respected, would no longer be allowed to work alongside the brethren, but he wanted to work until his last breath. For the benefit of the native monastery. What an instructive feature of the ascetic character, especially for those who strive for higher dignity and ranks, in the hope of pleasant peace! ( Olonets Eparch. Vedom., 1910, No. 14)

The Monk Zosima, having reached venerable old age and sensing the approach of his death, began to prepare for the transition to eternity. He made a coffin for himself and often looked at it with tears, remembering his death. When his illness befell him, he called the brethren and told them: “Here I am departing from this temporary life, and I commend you to the all-merciful God and the Most Pure Mother of God; tell me whom you want to have as abbot instead of me!” On this occasion, the students' shared love for their teacher was expressed. Everyone said with tears to their dying abbot: “We would like, our father, to be buried with you, but this is not in our power; let the One who announced your departure from this life, Christ our God, let Him give us through you a mentor who would guide us to salvation; may your blessing and prayers rest upon us - having taken care of us in this life, do not leave us orphans after your departure to God." The monk answered: “I told you, children, that I am betraying you into the hands of the Lord and the Most Pure Mother of God, and since you have placed your trust in God, the Most Pure Mother of God and my humility regarding the abbot, then let Arseny be your hegumen - he is capable of managing the monastery and the brethren," - with these words the teacher. Zosima handed over the abbess to the pious monk Arseny. “Here I appoint you, brother, as the builder and steward of this holy monastery, and of all the brethren, gathered together in love for God. Beware that any of the monastic laws are not lost, such as: regarding the conciliar church service, eating and drinking at meals , and other monastic customs established by me; let all this be whole and inviolable. May the Lord direct your steps to do His commandments, through the prayers of the Most Pure Lady, Our Lady, the Virgin Theotokos and all the saints, as well as His saint, Saint Savvaty. Our Lord Jesus May Christ protect you from all enemy slander and confirm you in divine love. Although I am separated from you in body, giving my debt to nature, I will remain with you in spirit relentlessly. You will know that I have found grace before God when, after my departure, the monastery will spread, many brethren will gather, this place will prosper spiritually, and there will be no shortage of bodily needs.”

Having said all this to the brethren, he kissed them for the last time, blessed them all, and with the raising of his hands prayed for the monastery, his spiritual flock and himself; Finally, he crossed himself and said: “Peace be with you!” After this, raising his fading eyes upward, he said: “Lord, O Lover of Mankind, grant me worthy to stand at Your right hand when You come in glory to judge the living and the dead and to reward each according to his deeds.” Then, the Monk Zosima lay down on his bed and gave up his soul to the Lord, for whom he worked all his life. This was on April 17, 1478. Having performed the funeral service, the monks buried their abbot in a coffin, which he himself had prepared, behind the altar of the Transfiguration Cathedral, and subsequently built a chapel over his grave, in which they placed St. icons. All believers, flowing here with prayer, received, through the prayers of the Reverend, relief from sorrow and healing of illnesses. The Moscow Council, which was under Metropolitan Macarius in 1547, decided, along with other Russian saints, to commemorate the Monk Zosima on the day of his death, April 17. August 8, 1566 St. his relics, together with the relics of St. Savvaty, were transferred to the chapel built in honor of these Wonderworkers. Currently, the relics of St. Zosima are located, in a richly decorated shrine, in the Zosima-Savvatievskaya Church.

Where was Saint Zosima actually born?
and what were his parents' names?

Soon Zosimushka met a monk, Elder Herman, who lived for several years with the Monk Savvaty on Solovetsky Island. It was Herman who told about the Solovetsky places, so much so that Zosima rejoiced and began to beg the elder to accompany him there, to the White Sea.

Meanwhile, Zosimushka’s parents died. He betrayed them to the ground, and then distributed the estate to people, and together with Herman went to the desired Solovki. Why he was so drawn to unknown lands is unknown to anyone, but the old people are probably right when they say... The Lord called.

Later, on the site of the Zosimovsky house, a chapel was erected in the name of the saint, when everyone had already heard about his feat on Solovki." ( Lyudmila Ivashova, nee Balekhova, originally from the village of Zagubye, Medvezhyegorsk district. "Our village - Zagubye - is located in Zaonezhye. Northern Courier, Petrozavodsk. 12/23/2000).

"...Reverend Zosima was born in the village of Tolvue, Novgorod province near Lake Onega. His parents Gabriel and Maria, wealthy landowners, were pious people..." - this is the opinion of Anna Gippius, who published a wonderful essay about the Solovetsky Islands in Paris.

Portraits of Saints Zosima and Sabbatius. Read the article briefly about the history of the Solovetsky Monastery, sources of income, and occupations of the inhabitants. Emelyanov A., Zhukov V. From the depths of centuries. Living Arctic. 1998. No. 2. P.6-7: ill. Bibliography.

The names of the saints of the Solovetsky Monastery, descriptions of whose lives and exploits have practically not been preserved

Auxentius monk, Solovetsky, Kashkarensky | | Adrian the hermit, Solovetsky | Aksiy monk, Solovetsky, Kashkarensky | Alexy Kaluga resident, Solovetsky hermit | Andrew, the hermit of Solovetsky | Anthony Solovetsky | Vasily cell attendant, Solovetsky | Gerasim the Hermit, Solovetsky | Gury, wonderful monk, Solovetsky | Dositheus the recluse, Solovetsky | | Ephraim Black, hermit of Solovetsky | Jacob Solovetsky, Kostroma | Iannuariy Solovetsky | John the Candlebearer, Solovetsky | Joseph I, the hermit of Solovetsky | Joseph II the Young, hermit of Solovetsky | Kirik (Kiriak), hospital elder, hermit of Solovetsky | Macarius the fisherman, Solovetsky | Misail hieromonk, hermit of Solovetsky | Nestor, the hermit of Solovetsky | Nikifor the Novgorodian, the hermit of Solovetsky | Onuphrius, hermit of Solovetsky | Savva, the hermit of Solovetsky | Sebastian, hermit of Solovetsky | Stefan the worker, Solovetsky | Tarasiy monk, Solovetsky, Kashkarensky | Timothy of Alexin (in schema Theodore), hermit of Solovetsky | Tikhon the Muscovite, the hermit of Solovetsky | Tryphon, the hermit of Solovetsky | Theodul of Ryazan, hermit of Solovetsky | Philip the Hermit, Solovetsky

Solovki and the rest of the World

Solovetsky Saints

The path to becoming a monk

In 1436, a boat with hermits safely landed on the Solovetsky Islands.

Alone on the island

After several years of living on the island, Fr. Herman went to the Pomeranian coast. When he wanted to return, the autumn weather did not allow him to do so: the north wind raised strong waves in the sea and caught up with ice. All communication with Solovetsky Island was stopped. Father Herman was forced to spend the winter on the shore, and Ave. Zosima was left alone on the island. God alone knows the labors and exploits suffered by the Monk Zosima this winter. He was strengthened by an unshakable hope in God, to whom he was committed. He also received many temptations from the hater of all good, the evil spirit, who tried to frighten him with various ghosts. The courageous warrior of Christ defended himself with the cross and prayer as an invincible weapon, and the efforts of the enemy remained in vain.

Miraculous Rescue

Finding himself on the island completely alone, St. Zosima, in addition to spiritual torment, experienced pangs of hunger. Caring for food in a place remote from human habitation became the most important daily task - the winter that year was long and harsh. The supplies stored in the summer were depleted. The monk did not know how to feed himself until the summer. From time to time he was disturbed by the thought of dying by starvation. O. Zosima did not give up and trusted in the Providence of God, which had benefited him many times. The Lord helped His ascetic. Two strangers came to Zosima and left him a supply of bread, flour and butter. “Take it, father, and use it, and we, if the Lord commands, will come to you,” they said. The monk, in amazement, did not ask who they were or where they were from, but the strangers left and never returned. It was clear that this was a visit from God, and that God’s Providence protected his chosen one.

Prophecy

The foundation and spread of the Solovetsky monastery aroused the envy of unfriendly people. Many of the Korel residents, as well as settlers, boyars and servants, nobles, sailed to the island, fished in the lakes, but did not allow the monastery to fish, calling themselves the masters and owners of the Solovetsky Islands. In the heat of the argument, they offended Pr. Zosima and all the monks used annoying words and made all sorts of troubles for them: they even threatened to ruin the monastery and drive the monks out of there. The venerable abbot decided to go to the Archbishop of Novgorod and ask him for help and protection. In Novgorod Ave. Zosima was favorably received by the archbishop, who advised him to present his needs to the main boyars who ruled the city. Etc. Zosima went around their houses and asked not to let his monastery fall into ruin: all the noble people promised him their help. At that time, the noblewoman Marfa Semyonovna Boretskaya or Marfa-Posadnitsa was distinguished by her special wealth and influence. Its settlers especially often offended the Solovetsky Monastery. Having heard about the Solovetsky abbot and being prejudiced against him by slander, she ordered him to be driven away from her home with dishonor. With patience and meekness he accepted Pr. Zosima said this dishonor and prophetically: “The time will come when the inhabitants of this house will not walk in their yard; the doors of the house will be closed and will not open again; this yard will be empty.”

Seeing the good disposition of the boyars towards the Solovetsky monastery, Saint Theophilus of Pechersk again called them to himself, again explained to them the grievances of the monastery from strangers and convinced them to help the monastery. The abbot received from willing donors many donations for the needs of the monastery with church vessels, St. clothes, gold, silver, bread. Soon (1479?) Martha Posadnitsa herself repented that she had offended the Reverend and, wanting to make amends for the offense caused to him, invited him to her place for dinner. O. Zosima, out of spite, accepted this invitation and, when he entered the noblewoman’s house, he was greeted with honor by the hostess herself and her entire family and seated in a place of honor. Everyone ate and drank with signs of lively pleasure, but the Reverend sat in silence and, as usual, tasted little of the food offered. Looking at the guests, he lowered his eyes in amazement; looking a second and third time, he saw the same thing, namely: the six most important boyars sitting without heads. Realizing what this vision meant, the Reverend sighed and shed tears, and could no longer eat any of the food, no matter how much his interlocutors asked. After lunch, Martha, having asked St. Zosima for forgiveness for the previous insult, gave the monastery the land, approving this donation with a charter. When the monk left her house, his disciple, Daniel, asked him about the reason for the sorrow and tears during dinner; O. Zosima explained his vision to him, noting that these six boyars would be beheaded over time, and asked him not to tell anyone about this. A little later after the Venerable One returned to the monastery, both his prophecy about the desolation of Boretskaya’s house and the vision during lunch were fulfilled. Having subdued Novgorod by force of arms, Grand Duke John III ordered the execution of those boyars whom the Monk Zosima saw beheaded, and Martha Boretskaya sent into exile. Her estate was plundered, her house and yard were deserted.

Zosima the beekeeper

Zosima is the protector of beekeepers. An exhibition of bees is dedicated to this day, as well as to the day of St. Pud:
“For Zosima the beekeeper, place the hives in the beeyard.”
“A little loss in bees means a buckwheat harvest, and vice versa, a lot of loss means no buckwheat will be born.”