Venerable Nil Stolobensky, Seligersky

The Monk Nil Stolobensky was born in the second half of the 15th century in one of the villages of Derevskaya Pyatina in the Zhabensky churchyard in the Novgorod land (in some texts of the Life of the Saint, the very village of Zhabna, the center of the churchyard or volost, is called his homeland). Pious parents raised him in the fear of God, in the love of prayer and reading soul-helping books. After their death around 1505, the monk took monastic vows with the name in honor of the Venerable Nile of Sinai (V; commemorated November 12) at the monastery Saint Sava Krypetsky (U 1495; commemorated August 28). After accepting monasticism, Saint Nil courageously armed himself against the inner passions of the devil. Diligently fulfilling all the obediences assigned to him, he unquestioningly obeyed the abbot. In all his actions, the Monk Neil showed humility, meekness and kindness. Having tamed his passions, humbled his flesh with fasting and vigil, and washed his soul with tears, he became the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit.

To avoid worldly glory, the Monk Neil in 1515 asked for the blessing of the abbot and left the Krypetsky monastery to live in the desert. Relying on God's instructions, the monk passed through many uninhabited places and finally, arriving in the Rzhev land, chose a deserted wooded place near the Seremkha (or Cheremkha) River. Having set up a small cell, the saint devoted himself to the feats of unceasing prayer and abstinence. The food was acorns and other forest fruits. Demons, in order to frighten the saint and drive him away from the desert, appeared to him in the form of ferocious beasts and reptiles. They rushed at him with a piercing whistle and hiss, but the holy ascetic drove them away with prayer and sign of the cross. Unable to drive the saint out of the desert, the demons taught evil people harm him. One day, robbers came to the holy hermit, thinking to find some treasures with him. Having learned about their arrival, the Monk Neil said a prayer and went out to meet them with the icon Mother of God in hand. It seemed to the robbers that many armed people were walking with the monk. They got scared and began to ask the saint for forgiveness. Saint Nile lovingly accepted their repentance and sent them away in peace.

Thirteen years later, by the arrangement of God’s Providence, the name of St. Neil became known in many surrounding villages. Many began to come to him for blessings, instructions and advice. The ascetic life of the holy hermit aroused worldly praise, and this extremely upset the humble monk. In his nightly prayers, he tearfully asked the Most Holy Theotokos to guide him on the path of solitary exploits.

One day, in a subtle dream, the monk heard a command to go to Stolobny Island, located on Lake Seliger. The relocation of the Monk Neil to this deserted island took place in 1528. The saint lived the first winter in a cave he dug in the mountain, and then built a small wooden cell and chapel. The enemy of the human race tried to expel the saint from this place, appearing to him and threatening him with troubles. He also taught the surrounding villagers to harm the ascetic. The previously unnecessary island suddenly became necessary for the residents of the villages neighboring it, and they decided to cut down the forest on it and plow up

I'm arable. They set fire to the felled forest, hoping that the saint’s cell would burn along with it. But when the fire raged across the island and approached the dwelling of the Monk Nile, through the prayer of the saint, the flame went out. As in the Serem desert, the Monk Nile was attacked by robbers, demanding treasures. The saint told them that his treasure was in the corner of the cell - there stood an icon of the Mother of God. Having rushed there, the robbers became blind. Having repented of their evil plans, they received their sight through the prayer of the saint.

After a long and intense struggle with passions and the devil, the Monk Neil was awarded by the Lord the gift of spiritual insight and reasoning. Thanks to the saint’s instructions, many people corrected their lives; through his prayers they received help from God and consolation. Through the prayers of the saint, the waves on Seliger were tamed and fishermen caught in a storm were saved from death. The Monk Nil lived on Stolobnoye for 27 years, enduring all sorts of misfortunes, sorrows and hardships with great patience. A special feat of Saint Nile was that he did not lie down to sleep, but slept sitting up, leaning on two large wooden hooks driven into the wall of his cell. Several years before his death, the Monk Neil dug a grave in the chapel and placed a coffin in it, to which he came every day and mourned his sins.

The time of his death was revealed to the Monk Nile - December 7, 1554. Shortly before that, the saint was visited by his confessor, hegumen of the Rakovsky Nikolaev Monastery Sergius, and gave Holy Communion to the Venerable Nile of Saints Christ's Mysteries. The monk predicted the emergence of a monastic monastery on the site of his exploits. Before his blessed death, he doused his cell, and then rested peacefully sitting, leaning on wooden hooks. When the brethren of the Rozhkov monastery arrived, they felt a fragrance in the saint’s cell, and the face of the deceased shone with an extraordinary light. He was buried in a coffin he had prepared.

After the death of St. Neil, monks from various monasteries came to Stolobny Island, wandered to holy places, and lived in his cell for some time. Abbot Anthony and monk Herman built a tomb over the grave of the monk, at which healings of the sick were performed even before the foundation of the monastery. Around 1590, the monk Herman settled on the island where the wanderer Boris Kholmogorets lived at that time. With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Novgorod (1576-1591), they built a wooden church in honor of the Epiphany with a chapel in the name of Blessed Basil, Christ for the Holy Fool, Moscow Wonderworker (U 1557; commemorated August 2).

Soon a monastery with a communal charter arose, which was called the Nile Hermitage. Its first rector was Hieromonk Herman.

In 1595, the icon painter monks of the Tver Orshin Monastery of the Ascension, Job and Nifont, painted an image of the Monk Nile, which was placed on the tomb of the saint. In 1598-1600, Filofei Pirogov, a monk of the Gethsemane monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, compiled stichera and a canon for the saint and wrote his life.

In 1665 there was a fire in the monastery, everything was burned wooden buildings, including the temple. A temporary wooden church was built for worship, and on May 27, 1667, a new stone church was founded over the tomb of St. Neil. While digging ditches for the temple, the earth crumbled, exposing the coffin; In this way, the incorrupt and fragrant relics of the Monk Nile were discovered. With the blessing of Metropolitan Pitirim of Novgorod (at the Novgorod See from 1664 to 1672, then Patriarch of All Russia; U 1673), on this day the annual celebration of the discovery of the holy relics of St. Neil was established. Miraculous relics it was transferred to a new tomb and placed in the wooden Church of the Intercession. On October 30, 1669, in the new stone church, chapels were consecrated in the name of the holy Apostle John the Theologian and Blessed Basil, Christ for the Fool's sake. The holy relics of St. Neil were placed in the first aisle, and on April 9, 1671 they were transferred to the main Epiphany Church (after its consecration). From May 17, 1756, the solemn encircling of holy relics around the monastery began to take place annually, later - procession from the city of Ostashkov. A description has been preserved of numerous healings that took place at the tomb of St. Nile through his holy prayers. Nowadays the holy relics of St. Neil rest in the Znamensky Church in the city of Ostashkov, Tver diocese.

In iconography, the image of St. Neil of Stolobensky received the greatest development in the form of wooden carved sculpture or bas-reliefs. In the sculptural images, “Nil Stolobensky is depicted sitting with his head bowed on his chest and leaning on wooden crutches. In such an unusual position, the exhausted old man died during prayer.” There are two traditions of such images: in the form of a sculpture with a height of 10 to 40 cm or a small carved relief of 20 by 25 cm. Such figurines were made in large quantities for pilgrims visiting the Nilo-Stolobensk hermitage. Large human-sized sculptures are also known, which were created on orders from private individuals or for chapels and churches. The sculptures were decorated with votive offerings (crosses, icons, rings and earrings, beads, scraps of fabric) as a sign of gratitude for healings through prayers to the saint.

The wooden sculpture of the Monk Nile did not develop a clear iconography (except for his pose) - “Some masters depicted him as a frail old man, others as an epic hero.” It is noted that the schema of the monk on sculptures is traditionally painted black, however, individual sculptures are known, painted bright colors and gilded, while the crosses and inscriptions on the schema are in relief.

Strict asceticism, pillarism

Neil Stolobensky(end of the 15th century, Derevskaya Pyatina - December 7, 1555, Stolobny Island on Lake Seliger) - saint of the Russian Orthodox Church, founder of the Nilo-Stolobenskaya Hermitage. Canonized as a saint, commemoration takes place on December 7 (20), May 27 (June 9) (discovery of relics), as well as in the Cathedral of Tver Saints and the Cathedral of Novgorod Saints.

Biography

The life of the Venerable Nile is known from his life, written at the end of the 16th century by the monk of the Vologda Holy Trinity Gerasim Hermitage, Filofey Pirogov, based on records of the life and miracles of the monk compiled by Herman, the first abbot of the Nilo-Stolobenskaya Hermitage. He also compiled a canon for the venerable one.

For his burial, Neil dug a grave for himself in the chapel in advance and placed a hewn coffin in it, to which he came to lament his sins. The Monk Neil died on December 7, 1555. Before his death, he was visited by his confessor, the abbot of the St. Nicholas Rozhkov Monastery, Abbot Sergius, who confessed and gave him communion. Arriving on the island the next day, Sergius and other monks found Nile dead and buried him.

Five years after Neil's death, a tomb was built over his grave in the chapel, which was covered with a shroud. In 1595, the first icon of the saint was painted and after this, according to E. E. Golubinsky, his local veneration began (the beginning of church-wide veneration remains unknown).

Hymnography

The image of St. Nil Stolobensky is depicted on the coat of arms of the Firovsky district of the Tver region.

see also

Write a review of the article "Neil Stolobensky"

Notes

1. Monastery of Nilo-Stolobenskaya Pustyn//Moscow Patriarchate. Tver diocese, 2011. - P. 14
2. // Church and Scientific Center “Orthodox Encyclopedia”
3. Macarius (Bulgakov)
4. Dimitry Rostovsky.
5. Golubinsky E. E. History of the canonization of saints in the Russian Church // Theological Bulletin. - 1894. - T. 3. - No. 8. - P. 229
7. Gribkov-Maisky V.M. // Russian Line, 09.25.2007
8. Kalmykova L. E. Folk art of the Tver land. Tver, 1995. Table. 162, 163
9. Burkin A.I., Ph.D. in History of Arts . I stand before the Throne of God // Orthodox Russia. – 2004. – No. 5/6. – pp. 24-74

Links

• in project
• Online
• Burkin A.I.// Ancient Rus'. Questions of medieval studies. 2002. No. 1(7). pp. 43-46.

Excerpt characterizing Nil Stolobensky

“It may be him, or it may be so,” said the hussar, “it’s a night thing.” Well! shawls! - he shouted at his horse, moving under him.
Rostov's horse was also in a hurry, kicking the frozen ground, listening to the sounds and looking closely at the lights. The screams of voices grew stronger and stronger and merged into a general roar that could only be produced by an army of several thousand. The fires spread more and more, probably along the line of the French camp. Rostov no longer wanted to sleep. The cheerful, triumphant cries from the enemy army had an exciting effect on him: Vive l"empereur, l"empereur! [Long live the Emperor, Emperor!] was now clearly heard by Rostov.
- It’s not far, it must be beyond the stream? - he said to the hussar standing next to him.
The hussar only sighed, without answering, and cleared his throat angrily. Along the line of hussars the tramp of a horse riding at a trot was heard, and from the night fog the figure of a hussar non-commissioned officer suddenly appeared, appearing like a huge elephant.
- Your honor, generals! - said the non-commissioned officer, approaching Rostov.
Rostov, continuing to look back at the lights and shouts, rode with the non-commissioned officer towards several horsemen riding along the line. One was on a white horse. Prince Bagration with Prince Dolgorukov and his adjutants went to see the strange phenomenon of lights and screams in the enemy army. Rostov, having approached Bagration, reported to him and joined the adjutants, listening to what the generals were saying.
“Believe me,” said Prince Dolgorukov, turning to Bagration, “that this is nothing more than a trick: he retreated and ordered the rearguard to light fires and make noise in order to deceive us.”
“Hardly,” said Bagration, “I saw them on that hill in the evening; If they left, they left there. Mr. Officer,” Prince Bagration turned to Rostov, “are his flankers still standing there?”
“We’ve been standing there since the evening, but now I don’t know, your Excellency.” Order, I will go with the hussars,” said Rostov.
Bagration stopped and, without answering, tried to make out Rostov’s face in the fog.
“Well, look,” he said, after a short silence.
- I’m listening s.
Rostov gave spurs to his horse, called out to non-commissioned officer Fedchenka and two more hussars, ordered them to follow him and trotted down the hill towards the continued screams. It was both scary and fun for Rostov to travel alone with three hussars there, into this mysterious and dangerous foggy distance, where no one had been before. Bagration shouted to him from the mountain so that he should not go further than the stream, but Rostov pretended as if he had not heard his words, and, without stopping, rode further and further, constantly being deceived, mistaking bushes for trees and potholes for people and constantly explaining his deceptions. Trotting down the mountain, he no longer saw either ours or the enemy’s fires, but heard the cries of the French louder and more clearly. In the hollow he saw in front of him something like a river, but when he reached it, he recognized the road he had passed. Having ridden onto the road, he reined in his horse, undecided: to ride along it, or to cross it and ride uphill through a black field. It was safer to drive along the road that became lighter in the fog, because it was easier to see people. “Follow me,” he said, crossed the road and began to gallop up the mountain, to the place where the French picket had been stationed since the evening.
- Your Honor, here he is! - one of the hussars said from behind.
And before Rostov had time to see something suddenly blackened in the fog, a light flashed, a shot clicked, and the bullet, as if complaining about something, buzzed high in the fog and flew out of earshot. The other gun did not fire, but a light flashed on the shelf. Rostov turned his horse and galloped back. Four more shots rang out at different intervals, and bullets sang in different tones somewhere in the fog. Rostov reined in his horse, which was as cheerful as he was from the shots, and rode at a walk. “Well then, well again!” some cheerful voice spoke in his soul. But there were no more shots.
Just approaching Bagration, Rostov again put his horse into a gallop and, holding his hand at the visor, rode up to him.
Dolgorukov still insisted on his opinion that the French had retreated and only set up the fires to deceive us.
– What does this prove? - he said as Rostov drove up to them. “They could have retreated and left the pickets.
“Apparently, not everyone has left yet, prince,” said Bagration. – Until tomorrow morning, tomorrow we’ll find out everything.
“There’s a picket on the mountain, your Excellency, still in the same place where it was in the evening,” Rostov reported, bending forward, holding his hand to the visor and unable to contain the smile of amusement caused in him by his trip and, most importantly, by the sounds of bullets.
“Okay, okay,” said Bagration, “thank you, Mr. Officer.”
“Your Excellency,” said Rostov, “allow me to ask you.”
- What's happened?
“Tomorrow our squadron is assigned to reserves; Let me ask you to second me to the 1st squadron.
- What's your last name?
- Count Rostov.
- Oh good. Remain with me as an orderly.
– Ilya Andreich’s son? - said Dolgorukov.
But Rostov did not answer him.
- So I will hope, Your Excellency.
- I will order.
“Tomorrow, perhaps, they will send some kind of order to the sovereign,” he thought. - God bless".

The screams and fires in the enemy army occurred because while Napoleon's order was being read among the troops, the emperor himself was riding around his bivouacs on horseback. The soldiers, seeing the emperor, lit bunches of straw and, shouting: vive l "empereur! ran after him. Napoleon's order was as follows:
“Soldiers! The Russian army comes out against you to avenge the Austrian, Ulm army. These are the same battalions that you defeated at Gollabrunn and which you have since constantly pursued to this place. The positions we occupy are powerful, and while they move to flank me on the right, they will expose my flank! Soldiers! I myself will lead your battalions. I will stay far from the fire if you, with your usual courage, bring disorder and confusion into the enemy’s ranks; but if victory is doubtful for even one minute, you will see your emperor exposed to the first blows of the enemy, because there can be no doubt about victory, especially on the day on which we're talking about about the honor of the French infantry, which is so necessary for the honor of their nation.
Under the pretext of removing the wounded, do not upset the ranks! Let everyone be fully imbued with the thought that it is necessary to defeat these mercenaries of England, inspired by such hatred against our nation. This victory will end our campaign, and we can return to winter quarters, where the new French troops that are being formed in France will find us; and then the peace that I will make will be worthy of my people, you and me.
Napoleon."

At 5 o'clock in the morning it was still completely dark. The troops of the center, reserves and Bagration’s right flank still stood motionless; but on the left flank the columns of infantry, cavalry and artillery, which were supposed to be the first to descend from the heights in order to attack the French right flank and throw it back, according to disposition, into the Bohemian Mountains, had already begun to stir and began to rise from their overnight positions. The smoke from the fires into which they threw everything unnecessary ate my eyes. It was cold and dark. The officers hurriedly drank tea and had breakfast, the soldiers chewed crackers, beat a shot with their feet, warming up, and flocked against the fires, throwing into the firewood the remains of booths, chairs, tables, wheels, tubs, everything unnecessary that could not be taken with them. Austrian column leaders scurried between the Russian troops and served as harbingers of the attack. As soon as an Austrian officer appeared near the regimental commander’s camp, the regiment began to move: the soldiers ran from the fires, hid tubes in their boots, bags in the carts, dismantled their guns and lined up. The officers buttoned up, put on their swords and knapsacks and walked around the ranks, shouting; The wagon trains and orderlies harnessed, packed and tied up the carts. Adjutants, battalion and regimental commanders sat on horseback, crossed themselves, gave the last orders, instructions and instructions to the remaining convoys, and the monotonous tramp of a thousand feet sounded. The columns moved, not knowing where and not seeing from the people around them, from the smoke and from the increasing fog, either the area from which they were leaving or the one into which they were entering.

The Monk Nil Stolobensky was born in the 15th century in the Novgorod land. The birthplace of the Saint is the village of Derevskaya Pyatina in the Zhabensky churchyard, and according to a number of sources, the village of Zhabna. Neil Stolobenskaya lived in a pious family; from childhood he was accustomed to reading soul-saving books and prayers. In the second half of the 15th century, he took monastic vows and was named in honor of St. Nile of Sinai. Those describing the life of the saint mention his obedience, meekness and gentleness.

Nil Stolobensky avoided worldly fame and in 1515 left the Krypetsky Monastery to live in the desert. The monk lived in the Rzhev land near the Seremkha (or Cheremkha) river. In a small cell he was served acorns and forest fruits, and received gifts from fishermen. The monk prayed tirelessly. His life was distinguished by asceticism. The saint did not ask for what they pray for simple people- asked for monastic feat. He was tempted by demons, appearing in the form of animals and reptiles, but the holy ascetic continued to pray and was saved by making the sign of the cross. The demons also tried to drive out the saint through people, sending robbers into the cell. The Monk Nile, having prayed, came out to them with an icon of the Mother of God in his hands. The robbers saw that an army was coming with the saint and repented. Nil Stolobensky released them in peace.

People began to come to the saint for blessings and advice, having learned how his instructions helped. The Monk Nile did not seek worldly glory and asked the Most Holy Theotokos to allow him to perform a monastic feat. One day in a dream he heard a command to go to Stolbny Island on Lake Seliger. There Nil Stolobensky lived in a mountain cave. The demons did not leave him and taught the local residents to cut down the forest on the island and plow up the arable land. The felled forest was set on fire, but the fire did not touch the cell through the prayer of the monk. Then the robbers attacked the cave again, but rushing to the icon in the corner, they became blind. The robbers repented, and through the saint’s prayer their sight was restored. Neil Stolobensky was sleeping, leaning on two wooden hooks driven into the wall.

The day of his death was revealed to the monk - December 7, 1554. Several years before he departed to the Lord, Nil Stolobensky dug a grave, made a coffin and came to him to mourn his sins. The monk predicted that a monastery would appear on the site of his exploits. Before the death of the saint, his confessor, the abbot of the St. Nicholas Rozhkov Monastery, Abbot Sergius, visited him, who confessed and gave him communion. The brethren of the Rozhkov monastery discovered that Nil Stolobensky was resting, leaning on wooden hooks, his face shining with an extraordinary light. The monks performed the burial of the saint.

Monastery

Soon the monastery really emerged. The first rector of the Nile Hermitage was Hieromonk Herman. A tomb was erected over the grave of the monk, at which healings of the sick were performed.

Icon of St. Neil of Stolobensky

The icon painter monks of the Tver Orshin Ascension Monastery Job and Nifont painted an icon of the Venerable Nile, which was later placed on his tomb. After a fire in the monastery, during the construction of a new temporary church, it was discovered that the saint’s relics were incorruptible. Following the painting of the icon, local veneration of the saint arose. The beginning of church-wide veneration remains unknown.

What do they pray for and how do prayers help?at the relics of St. Neil Stolobensky?

Many healings were witnessed through prayers at the holy relics of the saint. In gratitude for healing through prayers, many sculptures were created, where the venerable elder was depicted sitting, as if during sleep. In the iconography of the saint, the predominance of wooden carved sculpture is noted.

IN Orthodox Christianity There are many ways to keep your own soul pure. This is a departure from worldly life, fasting, feat of prayer, asceticism, hermitage. At one time, enough followers of Christ lived on Russian soil who adopted almost all of the listed methods, or at least the lion’s share of them. Moreover, they acted not so much for reasons of personal gain in the form of purification of the spirit, but rather at the call of their hearts, obeying strong desire serve God, dedicate your existence to him. This category of righteous people included, among others, whose memory the Church honors on December 20.

Entering the path of the ascetic

Saint Nile was born at the end of the 15th century, in Novgorod region. The specific place where he was born was the Zhabensky churchyard of Derevskaya Pyatina. The righteous man received the name Neil later, when he joined the ranks of the servants of the Lord. It is unknown what his father and mother named him at birth. Historians do not have information that could shed light on the childhood and upbringing of the future ascetic. True, evidence has been preserved indicating the peasant origin of Nil Stolobensky and that the latter’s parents were pious Christians.

The monk was left an orphan early on. After the death of his mother and father, he went to the Krypetsky monastery, located in the Pskov province. It was there that the boy received the name that appears today in Orthodox calendars holiday dates. Saint Nil was named in honor of the Monk Nil the Faster.

After spending some time within the walls of the mentioned monastery, the righteous man decided to change the monastic lifestyle to a hermit. Having asked for the blessing of the abbot of the Krypetsky monastery, the young man retired to the forest that stretched along the banks of the Seremkha River, in Rzhevsky district. Nil Stolobensky spent 13 long years in this desert. During this period of time, the saint fought with the devil and demons, who continually attacked him and tried to confuse the spirit of the ascetic. Devilry attacked the Monk Nile, taking on the terrible appearance of wild animals and disgusting reptiles. But the servant of the Lord successfully repelled this onslaught of fallen angels, using prayer and the sign of the cross as weapons.

God's Message

While the Monk Neil was fighting with Satan, people's rumors about him spread throughout the area. Soon local residents began to come to the saint with requests to pray for their sinful souls, to guide them on the right path, and to help with wise advice. Nil Stolobensky did not let any of the guests who arrived with repentance leave without a blessing; each one left the ascetic comforted and encouraged. And, of course, this good relations His approach to people made the saint even more famous: from all sides he heard praise and admiring reviews addressed to him.

This state of affairs gradually began to weigh heavily on the ardent follower of Christ. In the current situation, Nil Stolobensky saw a danger to his soul, because it didn’t take long for him to become proud. The hermit’s heart was inflamed with the desire to take a vow of silence to God. The saint began to pray to the Creator and the Virgin Mary with even greater zeal. Each of his prayers contained a sincere request for guidance, for indication of the right way out and path. And help was not slow to arrive.

One day the Monk Neil was resting after a long, exhausting communication with the Lord. Suddenly the righteous man heard a voice telling him to go to Stolobensky Island, which was located on Lake Seliger. The voice of an invisible interlocutor claimed that it was in this place that the saint would be able to escape. The ascetic was very interested in the information he received, so he began asking his parishioners about the island, hoping to get at least some information from them. The saint's expectations did not deceive him: the righteous man soon learned that the place mentioned by the divine voice was located at a distance of seven miles from the city of Ostashkov, that there was not a soul there and for this reason it was excellently suited for the hermit to live. In 1528, Nile left the Seremkh desert he had inhabited, heading to Stolobensky Island.

Living in Silence

When the monk reached the goal of his journey, he became convinced of the veracity of what was said by the invisible adviser. The island really seemed to be created for privacy. It occupied a small area and was, in fact, completely deserted. At the same time, living here, it was impossible to die of hunger, since many berries grew in the forest spread out on Stolobensky Island. Neil really liked it here, and the righteous man, having settled in, began to lead a silent life in a new place. The ascetic spent the winter in a cave dug with his own hands in the mountain. In the spring, the servant of the Lord built himself a small cell, and placed a chapel nearby.

The existence of Nil Stolobensky in these parts was extremely harsh. The saint constantly performed the feat of prayer, and always rested while standing. He ate bread he cultivated himself and vegetables he sown with his own hands. They also helped out berries, which were already mentioned earlier. And everything would be fine, but the devil did not leave the righteous man alone. He sent nightmarish visions to Neil, trying to break the spirit of the saint. Once, an unclean man, having appeared to the monk with his demonic retinue, almost drowned his cell in Seliger, but the righteous man had enough strength in prayer to protect his home and drive away the devils.

The endless patience, kindness and fortitude of Nil Stolobensky were rewarded by the Creator. The ascetic discovered the gift of insight into the secrets and thoughts of other people. The people who inhabited the surrounding area deeply revered the saint and even helped him with food, often sending him fresh fish. Neil Stolobensky spent 27 years on the island.

Demise

Long before his death, the righteous dug in his chapel grave pit, having prepared his final resting place. He placed the coffin there. Every day the ascetic visited this place, where he lamented his own sins, shedding tears.

Feeling that he did not have long left, Saint Neil realized: he desperately wanted to receive communion. The saint began to pray to God for this. The Lord heard the fiery requests of his devoted servant: soon, by the providence of the Creator, Father Sergius, abbot of the St. Nicholas Monastery, visited the island. It was he who communed the Holy Mysteries of Christ with the Monk Nile.

At the end of the ceremony, the monk walked around his cell with the censer. Immediately after this he went to the Lord. It is noteworthy that the ascetic died in a standing position, leaning on wooden hooks protruding from the wall of the structure. This happened in 1554.

In honor of the spiritual deeds accomplished by Nil Stolobensky on the island, where he labored for nearly three decades, Hieromonk Herman erected a monastery called the Epiphany of Nil-Stolobensky. Otherwise, this monastery is called the Nile Desert. She appeared on Stolobensky Island 40 years after the death of the saint, in 1594. And on May 27, 1667, the relics of the ascetic were found. It was then that the Church established the annual celebration of the day of memory of St. Nile of Stolobensky.

From the book “Lives of the Saints”, Moscow, Synodal Printing House, 1908

The Reverend Nil Stolobensky was born at the end of the 15th century in one of the villages of Derevskaya Pyatina of the Zhabensky churchyard in the Novgorod land (in some texts of the Life of the Reverend, the very village of Zhabna, the center of the churchyard or volost, is called his homeland). Who the saint's parents were and what name they bore in the world is unknown. It is only known that his father and mother led a pious life and raised their son in the fear of God. From an early age, the youth was inflamed with love for God, and, leaving his parents’ home after their death, he retired to the Pskov region, to the monastery of the Monk Savva of Krypetsky (†1495, Comm. August 28). Here he took monastic vows and was named Nil, in the name of Nil the Faster, the ascetic of Mount Sinai (November 12). Having assumed the angelic image, the Monk Neil began to lead a high ascetic life, oppressing his flesh with strict abstinence. It is unknown how many years the monk labored in the monastery. Leaving the Krypetsky monastery, the monk, around 1515, went into the forest desert and stopped in the Rzhevsky bridle, in a dense forest, near the Seremkha River. The ascetic ate ​​here forest herbs and acorns. Exhausting his flesh, he strengthened his soul with unceasing contemplation of God, fasting, vigil and prayer.

Seeing high life the hermit, the primordial enemy of our salvation, the devil, rose up against him with all his malice. Initially, he tried to frighten the saint and drive him out of the desert with various ghosts. Taking on the appearance of terrible animals, serpents and reptiles, the demons rushed at the monk with a wild whistle and scream. The saint, like a sword, repelled the demonic attacks with the sign of the cross and fervent prayers. Disgraced by the hermit’s firmness, the devil inspired the robbers with the idea of ​​killing Saint Nile. But the monk, having brought a prayer to God for help, fearlessly came out to meet them with his cell icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the power of the Heavenly Intercessor turned the villains into fearful and meek people. It seemed to the robbers that the saint was accompanied by a whole regiment of armed soldiers; in horror, they fell to the ground at the feet of the Monk Nile, and, revealing to him their evil intention, they asked for forgiveness for their sin. The meek and gentle ascetic said to them:
“This is not your business, children, but your common enemy, the devil, the hater of everything good in the human race.”
And having taught them to give up their crimes, the monk released the robbers in peace. As before, he applied labor to labor and exploits to exploits, sending both day and night thanksgiving prayers to God.

Several years have passed since the settlement of the Monk Nile in the Seremkh desert. Rumors spread throughout the surrounding villages about his godly life, and many of the pious inhabitants of these villages began to come to the saint for prayer and instructions. And they received everything from him; as from an unfailing source of wisdom and piety, great consolation; - and the Monk Nile was extolled with praise for his wondrous deeds and mercy. It was hard for the humble ascetic from people’s praises. Fearing that he would lose his reward from God for his labors, he said to himself:
- What should I do? For my sins I bear the feat of the desert. My Lord Christ Himself gave us an image of humility, and did not command us to do good deeds for show to people, but to do them in secret, so that the Heavenly Father, seeing in secret, would reward it openly. It is better for me to move away from this place, for by accepting honor from people, I can make my labors in vain and, having exhausted my flesh, I am afraid of losing my reward.

And from that time the Monk Neil began day and night to pray to God and His Most Pure Mother, calling on Her:
- Holy Lady, Mother of Christ our God! You know that I place all my hope in God in You. You Yourself, as You know, guide me on the path that I must follow in order to be saved.
The Mother of God fulfilled his request: one day the monk dozed off a little during prayer and suddenly heard a voice saying to him:

Nile! Leave here and go to Stolobny Island; on it you can be saved.
The monk was filled with joy, hearing the heavenly voice, thanking the Most Pure Mother of God for not despising his prayer. Since then, the ascetic began to ask his visitors about this island. He was told that Stolobnoye Island was located on Lake Seliger, 7 miles from the city of Ostashkov, that the place was deserted and no one lived on it. Having received the necessary information about the island, the monk left the Seremkh hermitage, in which he labored for 13 years (from 1515 to 1528), and joyfully set out on the road, placing his hope in God, the savior of men.

Having arrived on the island of Stolobnoye, the Monk Neil walked around it, saw that it was very convenient for a solitary, silent life, and settled there. This island is very small; a centuries-old forest grew on it, and in the forest many different berries ripened. The monk loved it a nice place, surrounded on all sides by the waters of Seliger. On Stolobny Island there is a mountain, then covered with a pine forest. Climbing the mountain reverend prayer He thanked God for not despising his prayer, but for bringing him to this place.
“This, Lord, is my rest,” said the monk, “this is my dwelling forever and ever.”

After tearful prayers, the ascetic began to arrange a home for himself. He dug a small cave in the mountain, in which he found short-term peace from his labors. He lived in it for one winter; with the onset of spring, from the forest growing on the island, he built himself a small cell and chapel on the same mountain. In strict solitude, the monk began his labors and exploits, rejoicing in spirit, raising his mind to the heavenly, always thinking about the hour of death and about righteous reward in the future life. He exercised his body and soul in all-night standing and prayer, constantly studying the law of the Lord in psalms and spiritual songs, singing and chanting the Lord in his heart. For in Him,” said the saint, “my soul trusted, and He was my Helper.”

The monk acquired food through his labors: he tilled the land with a hoe, sowed bread and planted vegetables, and thus ate bread, according to the word of Scripture, by the sweat of his brow.

The hater of good, the devil, raised up a battle against the saint here, on the island of Stolobny, as before in the Seremkh desert.

One day he appeared to the ascetic in visible form and addressed him with the following words:
-Get out of here, monk! Why did you come to this place? You can see for yourself that this place is empty and useless for anything, and the surrounding residents are angry. Why do you want to work here without benefit?

The monk, having protected himself with the sign of the cross, uttered the psalm: “May God rise again and His enemies be scattered,” then the Devil disappeared like smoke and became invisible.

Another time, when Neil was finishing an all-night vigil in his cell, the devil came to him in a vision with a whole horde of demons; They brought ropes with them and, surrounding the saint’s cell, seemed to have surrounded it with ropes and frantically shouted:
- Let's drag the cell and throw it into the lake!
But the blessed one was not afraid; he offered a fiery prayer to God for deliverance from the misfortune and said:
- Inspire, O God, my prayer, and do not despise my prayer. Lord, my Protector! The demons have beaten me like bees and burned like fire among thorns, and in the name of the Lord I have resisted them.

Hearing the words of the prayer, Satan and all his army cried out:
- I don’t know what to do now? Now you have completely defeated me and all my army. But know that I will not leave you until I overcome and humble you!
The monk, with firm trust in God, boldly answered the devil:
- Damn you, unclean, and all your deeds. Glory and honor and worship to our One True God, who tramples and casts you under the feet of those who love Him. Know now, accursed and shameless one, that I and all who trust in the name of the Lord will not fear you and all your ghosts.

So, with all its tricks, the spirit of malice could not distract the saint from the love of Christ, remove him from the deserted island and, defeated by strong boldness towards God, left the saint.

The hatred of people also remained powerless against the ascetic, alone and unarmed, but strong in hope in the Lord.
So, at one time, the villagers who lived opposite Stolobny Island, envying the saint that he - a distant and alien stranger - alone owned and used the island, and they, the neighboring residents, did not derive any benefits from it, came to the island to cut down the forest, so that later burn it here and plow the land for sowing. The monk begged them:
- Leave me the forest on at least one mountain.
His cell was on this mountain. But they did not listen to the ascetic. Excited by demonic inspiration and envy, the peasants wanted to completely drive the saint away from the secluded island or put him to death. They cut down the entire forest, leaving only one pine tree near the saint’s dwelling. Then they lit the felled trees, hoping that the fire would reach the saint’s cell and it would burn. Indeed, the fire spread across the island, burning the felled trees with noise and crackling, threatening the pine tree that stood near the monk’s cell, the cell itself, and its occupant. Then Saint Nile tearfully prayed to God for deliverance from the misfortune, singing the psalm of David:
- God, come to my help: Lord, seek my help. Let those who seek my soul be ashamed and put to shame; let those who wish me evil turn back and be ashamed.
And the merciful Lord did not abandon His servant who trusted in Him, but soon heard his prayer and delivered him from the misfortune. When the fiery flame, which was furiously consuming the trees, reached the mountain where the saint’s cell stood, it suddenly, by the wave of God, died out, as if flooded with water. Seeing God's swift mercy, the saint rejoiced in spirit and thanked the Lord, while his ill-wishers returned home with shame and fear.

But the more the devil suffered defeats from the saint, the more furiously he attacked him. He stirred up robbers against the saint. One day, robbers called “Kochenenki” came to the island to the monk. They thought that the monk had many treasures and wanted to take advantage of them. The monk at that time worked outside his cell. They shouted threateningly to the hermit:
- Old man, tell me where is your treasure?
The saint, having nothing with him except old rags and one cell icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which had already saved him from robbers, said to them:
- Chad! All my treasure is in the corner of the cell.
They rushed to the saint's cell; but as soon as they looked at the front corner where the icon stood, they suddenly became blind, amazed by its wonderful radiance. Overcome with fear, they fell prostrate on the cell platform and cried. The monk entered the cell and, seeing the robbers in this position, said to them:
- Collect what you came for, children.
The robbers asked the saint for forgiveness for their sins and revealed to him all the evil thoughts they had against him. The monk exhorted them to avoid evil deeds; With bitter tears they begged the saint:
- Forgive us, Father, for God’s sake, forgive us for what we have sinned before God and before you, and pray for us.
Seeing that the robbers repented of their sins with heartfelt contrition, the monk took pity on them, stood up in prayer and prayed to God for them for a long time with tears. And the Lord, who mercifully worships the prayers of His servants, soon granted forgiveness to the repentant robbers. After that, they fell at the feet of the saint and gave him thanks. He let them go in peace, but commanded them not to tell anyone about what had happened. The robbers were silent during his lifetime, but after his death they spoke about it in detail.

Having cleansed himself from passions through desert exploits and patience, the Monk Nile was awarded special gifts of the Holy Spirit, which manifested themselves in wondrous signs and wonders. The monk was granted the gift of insight. The most God-fearing of the Seliger fishermen visited the hermit when they caught fish on the lake and brought him part of their catch. The monk accepted the fish from them with thanksgiving, as if sent by God, and ate it for the glory of God. Once, having finished their fishing on the lake, the fishermen landed on Stolobny Island and sent one comrade with fish to the Monk Nile. Seeing him from afar, the saint closed the window of his cell and did not respond to the knocking and call of the visitor. The fisherman returned to his comrades and told about what had happened. His comrades asked him:
“Didn’t you commit any sin, brother, that the saint turned away from you?”
He also confessed to carnal sin. Then the fishermen sent another comrade with fish to the monk. Holy willingly
accepted the gift of zeal and, blessing the one who brought it, sent him away in peace. Having come to his people, he told how the hermit willingly accepted the gift from him, how he blessed him. And the fishermen marveled at the gift of insight that the Monk Neil possessed.

The monk labored for many years on the island indicated to him by God. In place of the forest that had been cut down and burned by the Seligerians, a new one arose - and then again a daring man was found who came to the island at night and began to cut down the newly grown forest for firewood. The name of this villager was Stefan, nicknamed Sham. He either forgot what happened before when the forest was cut down on the island, or he did not believe the stories about the signs of God’s grace that protected the monk, and did not consider him a saint. And when Stefan chopped a whole cartload of firewood and was about to leave, suddenly, like terrible thunder, a voice was heard saying:
- Man, stop making trouble for the servant of God!

The peasant fell to the ground and lay as if dead for a long time. When he woke up, as if from good sleep, then again tried to ride home with the chopped wood, but his horse could not move. Stefan worked for a long time, but without success, and from here he realized that the power of God did not allow him to leave the island with a cart of firewood, for the sake of the prayers of the Monk Nile. Therefore, having piled the chopped firewood from the cart and promising never to cut down forests on Stolobny Island in the future, he went home, but told about the miracle only after the saint’s repose.

The Monk Neil also possessed the gift of advice and spiritual intelligence. The villager Fyodor Kharitonov, who lived carelessly, came to him, defiled by carnal sin. The monk, although he allowed him to come to him, convicted him of sin and gave him instructions and exhortation to lead a pure life. Listening attentively to the saint’s instructions, Theodore came into the fear of God, began to often visit the saint for soul-helping instructions, spent the rest of his life in chastity and purity, and died a good Christian. For the common people, stuck in the darkness of ignorance, the Monk Nile was truly an all-bright lamp. On the secluded Stolobny Island, as before in the Seremkh desert, many people came to the ascetic, eager to receive instruction, advice, consolation, or prayerful help from him. The saint was especially revered and Ostashkovsky residents often visited the island. Seeing what miracles God could perform through the prayers of His saint, St. Neil, the pious Ostashkovites with faith began to call upon the saint of God for help and resort to his prayers. Noticing swimmers overwhelmed by the waves on the lake, Saint Nile tamed the winds with his prayers and saved the swimmers from the danger of drowning; and in all sorrows and misfortunes, he was a quick helper and comforter for all those who called upon his name to strengthen their prayers.
Spending days and nights in prayer and thinking about God, the Monk Neil did not allow himself to short time lie down on the bed When he reached extreme exhaustion, then on his knees, to rest, he rested his hands on two large wooden hooks driven into the wall of his cell. The Monk Nile always vividly kept death in his memory. But in order to further strengthen the mortal memory, the ascetic, many years before his death, dug a grave in the chapel and, placing a coffin hewn with his own hands in it, came to him every day to cry about his sins.

Among the unremitting feats of fasting, vigil and prayer, the monk approached the end of this temporary life, and the Lord gave him notice of this. Now the ascetic earnestly prayed to God to grant him permission to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and his prayer was heard.
Soon after, by God’s dispensation, the rector of the St. Nicholas Rozhkov Monastery, Abbot Sergius, arrived on Stolobnoe Island to visit the monk. spiritual father ascetic, and brought with him the Holy Gifts. Seeing his spiritual father, the monk was filled with great joy. At his request, Abbot Sergius confessed him and communed him with the Holy Mysteries. After this, talking with Sergius, the Monk Nil was filled with prophetic inspiration and said to his spiritual father:
-Holy Father! After my departure to God, on this island God will erect a temple to glorify His Name and place
this will be the dwelling of the monks.
When the abbot parted with the ascetic, the monk said to him:
- Holy Father! Come again, visit me, a sinner, come for the Lord’s sake, come.

The abbot promised to visit the monk again and went to his monastery. Left alone, the Monk Neil spent the entire night in his cell in prayer. At the end of it, feeling extreme exhaustion, he leaned his armpits on the hooks and, in this position, standing before God in prayer, fell asleep in eternal sleep. The death of the Monk Neil followed on December 7, 1554. The next day, Abbot Sergius and the brethren came to visit the ascetic and found him already deceased. The saint's face was as bright as a living one; the whole cell was filled with fragrance. Having hidden the honorable body of the saint and performed the funeral singing, Abbot Sergius and the brethren placed him in a coffin, which the saint himself had prepared for himself in the chapel. In total, the monk lived in the desert for 40 years: at the Seremkha River for 13 years and on Stolobny Island for 27 years, all this time he remained in the desert: he did not go out into the city or into the villages, he incessantly prayed to God, whom he loved from his mother’s womb and from Who received for it the good things prepared for those who love Him.

A few years after the repose of the Monk Neil, Hieromonk German came to Stolobensky Island, from the brethren near the Nikolaevsky Rozhkovsky Monastery. Hearing a lot about the life and exploits of the Monk Nile, he had great reverence and love for him in his soul and wanted, having added to the information about the saint, to write his life. Therefore, he visited Stolobensky Island several times, both for mental communication with the monk, and in order to believe what he heard about him and supplement it on the spot with testimonies of people who knew the monk. At that time, lovers of solitude began to visit the deserted island, and some lived in the cell of the Monk Neil for quite a long time.
The first to settle here was the abbot of one of the Novgorod monasteries, Anthony, with whom German lived on the island for three years; the hermits restored the chapel over the grave of the Monk Nile, and built a tomb on top of the grave and covered it with a shroud. After living for three years, Anthony and Herman left the island. At this time, miracles and signs began to occur over the relics of the saint from time to time.
Those who came to the tomb of the saint of God with warm faith, the sick and infirm received healing from their ailments. But those who did not honor the deceased saint, did not take care of the place of his exploits, received a terrible admonition. Ivan Kurov once passed by the lake to Ostashkov. He turned to Stolobny Island, then went to the chapel to see the tomb of St. Neil. Here Kurov was seduced by the cover that lay on the saint’s tomb, and thought to appropriate it for himself. When he began to lift the cover, he saw that the tomb was rising with him. John was so frightened that he lost his mind, was ill for six months and was healed only when he repented before the tomb of the wonderworker.

One resident of Ostashkov wanted to cut down a large pine tree near the cell of the Monk Nile, but by an unknown force he was thrown far from it, came to his senses and asked for forgiveness at the saint’s tomb. Another, cutting down this tree, broke three axes and also returned home with repentance. And for a long time, after the death of the Monk Nile, this pine tree stood on the mountain of the deserted island, visible from all sides from afar, reminding those passing by of the place of the hermit’s exploits.
Around 1590, Herman again came to the monk’s desert, which was already famous for miracles. At that time, the wanderer Boris Kholmogorets lived here. With the help of many God-loving local residents, German and Boris built the first wooden church on Stolobny Island in the name of the Epiphany of the Lord with a chapel in the name of Blessed Vasily, Christ for the Fool's sake, the Moscow Wonderworker.
Soon after the construction of the temple, the face of St. Neil was painted by two monks of the Ascension Orshin Monastery. The face of the saint was painted according to the stories of those who knew him during his lifetime and remembered him well.

Following this, forty years after the death of the Monk Nile, with the assistance of God, monks gathered on the island, built cells, surrounded all the buildings with a fence and began to live here. Thus, a cenobitic monastery was established on Stolobny Island, in honor and memory of the Monk Neil. This monastery took the name of the Monk Nile and has been called from that time to this day the Nile Desert. The first abbot (builder) of the monastery was Hieromonk Herman. After the establishment of the monastery on Stolobensky Island, miracles at the tomb of St. Neil did not cease to occur. Let's mention two of them.

On the feast of Saint Basil (August 2), when lay pilgrims with women and children were gathering in the desert, two boys entered the chapel where the saint’s tomb was, and foolishly began to play, throwing rowan trees at one another. Suddenly a terrible thunder roared, the children froze and fell to the ground. When the people saw the boys lying motionless, they began to serve the saint a prayer service and call on him for help. The children came to their senses and said that when they were throwing rowan trees, they saw an old man who told them to stop; They did not listen to him and fell to the ground due to terrible thunder. Through the fervent prayer of the parents, the children returned home healthy.

Isaiah Travkov, the servant of the boyar Belsky, once driving along Lake Seliger past Stolobny Island, spoke blasphemously to his companions:
- Although you, Neil, are holy, I will still pass by.
When Isaiah returned home, he suddenly fell ill with stone disease. Another time, while driving along the lake, Isaiah felt especially bad, could barely breathe and told those traveling with him that he was dying. Then he remembered his blasphemy, realized that he had been punished by the monk and asked to be brought to Stolobnoye Island. As soon as they brought Isaiah to the island, he felt better; He himself reached the chapel, before the tomb of the saint of God he repented of his madness and received healing. After this, the Monk Neil appeared to Isaiah in a dream and said:
- Why don’t you go to Neil and say that he doesn’t work miracles? Aren't these miracles?

And then from the book he began to read the tale of his miracles. After this, the admonished Isaiah revered the Monk Nilus as a great wonderworker.
However, despite numerous miracles, the holy relics of St. Nile lay in the ground for more than a hundred years. They were acquired under such circumstances.

In August 1665, a fire occurred in the Nilova Hermitage: the church and all other wooden buildings of the monastery burned down. Archbishop Nektarios, who then ruled the Nilov Monastery, came up with the idea of ​​​​building a stone church in the monastery.

He asked Tsar Alexy Mikhailovich for permission to do this; but did not live to see the start of construction (died on January 15, 1668). The construction of the stone church had to be started by his successor in managing the monastery, Abbot Herman II. According to a letter from the patriarchal locum tenens, Metropolitan Pitirim of Novgorod, work began in May 1667. The wooden chapel, temporarily built after the fire over the tomb of St. Neil, was dismantled, and on May 24 they began to dig ditches for the foundation of the new temple according to a drawing drawn up in advance; the next day the ditch was brought to the place where, according to the drawing, its line passed one and a half arshins from the tomb of the saint.

The brethren of the monastery dug in this place, under the supervision of the abbot, so as not to disturb the holy relics; but on May 27, the earth that covered them suddenly crumbled of its own accord, and the relics of the saint were revealed: the coffin and body had decayed, but all the bones were intact.
The discovery of the relics of Saint Nile was predicted to the monastery by some miraculous signs and appearances of the saint himself. From May 17 to 18, at three o'clock in the morning, Hieromonk Leonty of the Nilova Hermitage and monastery workers were fishing on the lake, 6 miles from the monastery, and saw a pillar of fire above it, which stood from earth to heaven and then descended to earth. Two days before the discovery of the relics, at sunrise, when the brethren began to dig a ditch near the tomb of the saint, the monastery workers, who were fishing 2 versts from the monastery, saw a large burning candle over the tomb and thought that they were performing a prayer service in front of the tomb of the miracle worker. On the very day of the discovery of the relics, the Monk Nile appeared to the desert hieromonk Alexander, during his day's rest, commanding him to awaken from sleep. On the same day, the monk appeared, lying on his bed, to Abbot Herman himself, as if alive and commanding him to rise from his bed.

Hegumen German and the brothers of the monastery, having given thanks to God, with deep reverence took the holy relics out of the ground, put them in a new wooden coffin and, covering them, placed them on top of the ground. Then they sent a report about this to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Metropolitan Pitirim. In the month of June, a letter was sent from the metropolitan to Nilova Hermitage, which instructed the abbot himself and his brethren to perform the discovery of the holy relics. At the same time, it was prescribed that, having transferred the holy relics into a new shrine, they should be placed before the end of the stone cathedral church - in the temporarily built wooden Church of the Intercession, and the discovery of the holy relics should be celebrated annually on May 27. When the construction of the stone church was completed, on October 30, 1669, chapels were consecrated in the name of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian and Blessed Basil, Christ for the Fool's sake. The holy relics of St. Neil were solemnly transferred first to the chapel (in 1669) of St. John the Theologian, and then, in 1671, they were placed here on right side, above the right choir. Since May 17, 1756, the solemn encircling of holy relics around the monastery began to take place annually, and later a religious procession from Ostashkov. From the time of the discovery of the relics, as before, numerous miracles were performed at the tomb of St. Neil. A description has been preserved of numerous healings that took place at the tomb of St. Nile through his holy prayers. They pour out inexhaustibly for all true believers to this day.
During Soviet times, the monastery was closed. Sacrilege was committed over the relics of St. Neil: in 1919 they were opened and transferred to the Ostashkov Museum of Local Lore, located in the Ascension (Znamensky) Cathedral of the Znamensky Monastery in the city of Ostashkov. In 1947, worship was resumed in this cathedral, and the holy relics were located here until 1995. In 1991, the monastery of St. Neil on Stolobnoye Island was revived. On July 9, 1995, a festive religious procession was held, led by Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy ΙΙ. The saint's holy relics were solemnly transferred from Ostashkov to the Epiphany Cathedral of the Nile Hermitage. From this time on, Russian Orthodox Church annually celebrates a new holiday on July 9 - the transfer of the holy relics of St. Neil, the Stolobensky wonderworker.