Anna Kashinskaya what they pray for. Holy Blessed Grand Duchess Anna of Kashin (†1368)

Saint Anna Kashinskaya is a living symbol of the Kashin land, its heavenly protector and intercessor. She suffered a most difficult fate, but she endured all the troubles and sorrows with truly Christian humility, in no way yielding to the doubts and temptations of “this world.”

To see how loved and revered Saint Anna Kashinskaya is, it is worth visiting Kashin on June 25 (new style) - the day of the transfer, when a procession of thousands of people takes place through the city. However, no matter what time you find yourself in Kashin, you can always feel the special sympathetic presence of the city’s heavenly patroness. Many explain by her prayerful intercession that during the Great Patriotic War The German troops that captured Tver never captured Kashin. And to this day, in the speech of the Kashino residents, one can hear every now and then: “Well, as Mother manages,” “Let’s pray to Mother,” “Everything will work out with Mother’s prayers.”

The earthly life of Saint Anna Kashinskaya (her memory is celebrated on June 25 and October 15 according to the new style) fully explains the definition given to the ascetic by the chronicler - “much-sorrowful.” Holy missus Grand Duchess born around 1278 in the family of the Rostov prince Dmitry Borisovich. She was the great-great-granddaughter of the holy Prince Mikhail of Chernigov and the great-granddaughter of the holy Prince Vasilko of Rostov, while her grandfather, Prince Boris Vasilkovich, who firmly defended the interests of his native people and his native land during his repeated trips to the Horde, is known as the “sorrower of the Russian land.”

Troparion

Troparion to the Holy Blessed Princess-Nun Anna Kashinskaya, tone 3

Today we praise you, reverend mother, great princess monk Anno: for the vine is fruitful among thorns, you flourished in the city of Kashin with your virtues, you surprised everyone with your wonderful life, and you also pleased Christ God, and now, rejoicing and having fun, being with the faces of the reverend women, enjoying the heavenly beauty and joy. We pray to you, pray for us to the Lover of Mankind, Christ our God, to grant us peace and great mercy.

No exact information has been preserved about the saint’s childhood and youth. In 1294, Anna's father died, and at the same time she was married to Prince Mikhail Yaroslavich Tverskoy. The wedding took place in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in Tver (during the years of Soviet power, this temple was destroyed, but now they are going to restore it). Chronicles report the birth of children from the spouses: in 1298, the son Dmitry was born, in 1299 - the daughter Theodora (died in infancy), and then three more sons: in 1300 - Alexander, in 1306 - Konstantin, in 1309 - Basil. After the death of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Andrei in 1305, Mikhail Tverskoy became his heir by seniority.

It was during the reign of Mikhail Yaroslavich that a dispute began between Tver and Moscow for the grand-ducal throne. Moscow Prince Yuri Danilovich slandered Mikhail Tverskoy in front of the khan, and he was summoned to the Horde. Princess Anna accompanied her husband to the mouth of the Nerl River and, having said goodbye to him, returned to Tver with great sorrow. On November 22, 1318, the holy noble Prince Michael was killed in the Horde, but in Tver they learned about this only two years later, when Prince Yuri returned to Moscow, bringing his holy remains.

Having received the terrible news, Princess Anna cried bitterly and inconsolably for many days. On September 6, 1320, the body of the martyr prince was taken to Tver. Anna rode out to meet him with her children and boyars. The coffin was carried with singing to the Transfiguration Cathedral. Despite the fact that the body was transported in the heat, and before that it had remained unburied for two years, decay did not affect it at all.

Princess Anna had to endure a lot of hard things after the death of her husband. In 1325, her eldest son, Prince Dmitry, met Prince Yuri Danilovich in the Horde and, in the presence of the khan, killed him, for which he was immediately executed. Two years later, a major uprising against the Tatars broke out in Tver, which was unsuccessful - the city was taken by the Tatars and terribly devastated. Then Princess Anna had to go into hiding. Her son, Prince Alexander of Tver, fled first to Pskov, and later “to Lithuania and the Germans.” But then, so that his children would not lose their right to the throne, according to the law of that time, he returned to his homeland and was forced to go to the Horde to confess. His mother, Princess Anna, and her family and the whole city saw off. In the Horde, Prince Alexander and his eldest son, Theodore, were killed by order of the khan. Their bodies were brought to Tver and buried in the cathedral. Princess Anna and her children mourned their son and grandson for a long time.

Having endured all these sorrows, Princess Anna took monastic vows - according to legend, in the Tver Sophia Monastery - with the name Sophia. But even in her monastery they found sad news about more and more new misfortunes. The princess-nun had to endure civil strife between her youngest son Vasily and her grandchildren Vsevolod and Mikhail, as well as the death of eight members of the princely family during the plague of 1365. At the end of her life, she moved to Kashin, which was ruled by Prince Vasily, and with the name, according to some sources, Anna, and according to others, Euphrosyne, she accepted the schema in the Kashin Dormition Monastery. The Grand Duchess-nun appeared before the Lord in 1368.

A unique case: Anna Kashinskaya was canonized twice (and between these canonizations she was decanonized). She was glorified for the first time in 1650; At the same time, her honest relics, discovered back in 1611 (as told in the “Miracle of the Sexton named Gerasim”), were transferred, with the participation of the young Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, from the Assumption Church to the Resurrection Cathedral. But almost thirty years later, after a new study of cases of healing from the relics of the saint, her name was excluded from the calendar. And only in 1908, the Holy Synod, with the consent of Emperor Nicholas II, restored church-wide veneration of the blessed princess.

Saint Princess Anna has been worshiped by Orthodox Christians for many centuries not only in Russia, but also abroad. Prayer in front of this icon can protect your home and family from grief and loss.

History of the icon

The blessed princess Anna Kashinskaya lived in Rus' in the 13th century. Anna was the daughter of the Rostov prince and princess. From childhood, Anna showed zeal in prayer and grew up meek and pious. During her life, the princess endured many hardships and troubles. After early death Anna's father married Great love, but soon her husband was killed by the Tatar khan for refusing to worship pagan gods.

The death of her brothers, grown sons avenging the death of their father, and many new losses led the saint to the idea of ​​a monastery and tonsure. The priest blessed Anna for this obedience, and she took monastic vows, settling in the Sophia Monastery. The princess constantly prayed for her innocently murdered relatives, and finally, her soul found peace.

Anna went to the Lord with prayer on her lips in 1368. Immediately after the princess’s death, miracles of healing hopelessly sick people began to occur at her grave. In 1649 the saint was canonized, and her image was painted by the icon painters of St. Sophia Cathedral.

Where is the icon

There are many copies and lists of the princess’s icon, but original image, as well as the incorruptible relics of the saint, is located in Ascension cathedral in the city of Kashin.

Description of the icon

The icon depicts Grand Duchess Anna standing on the banks of the Nerl River. The saint humbly accepts God's blessing, setting out on difficult obedience. The princess is depicted in the robes of monks - schema, with a rosary in one hand. The saint presses her other hand to her heart.

This image shows everyone Orthodox person that in the face of any sorrow he must be humble and rely on the will of the Lord. Only this path is possible for comprehending the grace of God, and only by following it can one enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

How does the icon of Princess Anna Kashinskaya help?

Saint Anna experienced many hardships and losses during her life. However, her spirit was not broken, and she remained a true believer and devoted to our Lord and His Will to the end. Orthodox Christians all over the world pray to the holy princess, asking for consolation, the granting of spiritual strength, the healing of illnesses and the banishment of melancholy.

Prayers before the icon of St. Anne

“Oh, most holy and blessed Princess Anna, with her meekness and mercy healing wounds of body and soul! I humbly pray to you: pacify my sinful melancholy and give me consolation in all grief and sorrow. Preserve my soul and my life, so that I can glorify our Lord and know the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen".

This prayer for anguish is read for consolation in any grief.

“Offering to the princess, who illuminated the world with the imperishable light of her soul, intercessor and humble prayer book for our destinies! We humbly pray to you: protect, princess, the humble and unworthy servants of God from troubles and misfortunes, do not leave us in fiery hell to be mocked by the devil, beg our Lord to show the right path and illuminate our souls with your gentle light. Amen".

Prayers for the forgiveness of sins will help you cleanse your soul and get closer to the grace of God. We wish you peace in your soul and happy life. Take care of yourself and don't forget to press the buttons and

25.06.2017 04:04

Kazan icon Mother of God widely known among Orthodox Christians. The intercessor and protector of all people is...

On June 25, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy blessed princess-nun Anna Kashinskaya

She shone with Christian feat in the distant and formidable fourteenth century. There were different times and different life circumstances then. Nevertheless, even today Orthodox Christians prayerfully turn to the holy princess-nun in a variety of needs, and her life path, full of sorrows and terrible losses, makes you forget about your own everyday hardships. Why do the Russian people love and honor this saint so much? To answer this question, we went to the St. Alexievsky Convent of Saratov, where in the church in the name of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, there is a chapel of the holy blessed princess-nun Anna Kashinskaya. We asked the resident of this monastery, nun Angelina (Tatarintseva), to tell us about the veneration of the saint.

“When pilgrims come to our monastery, we tell them about the patron saints of our monastery,” begins nun Angelina. “The life of Princess Nun Anna Kashinskaya, in whose name the small chapel of St. Alexis Church was consecrated, always makes a special impression on people. Her life path is an example of Christian patience, an example of courage in incredible life trials. “Rejoice, blessed mother, who in her feminine nature had the strength of a man...” - this is how the saint is glorified in the akathist.

...The future saint was born in the second half of the thirteenth century in the city of Kashin into a princely family. WITH early years she showed special love for the poor and disadvantaged, often walking the streets herself, looking for those in need and helping them in every possible way.

In 1294, Anna married Prince Mikhail of Tver, who a few years later inherited the right of Grand Duke of Vladimir Rus'. However, Moscow Prince Yuri comes forward with claims to the great reign, and a protracted bloody struggle for the grand princely throne begins between Moscow and Tver, which will last one and a half hundred years. All these years, Rus' will groan from endless Tatar raids and internecine carnage.

Having gathered a large army, Prince Yuri of Moscow invaded the Tver land and for several months robbed, burned and killed. Prince Mikhail set out with his army and, forty miles from Tver, completely defeated the enemy. Yuri, abandoning his army, fled from the battlefield. Mikhail captured the boyars, as well as Yuri’s wife Konchaka, the sister of the Horde khan Uzbek, who, unfortunately, died suddenly in Tver. Yuri hurries to the Horde with slander that Konchaka was poisoned.

The Tver principality was threatened with terrible ruin: the deadly Tatar cavalry would appear on the Tver land - and the Horde would torment Rus' with its claws, tear it with fangs, and burn it with fire. On their short, incredibly hardy horses, capable of feeding in the steppe even in winter, tearing out frozen grass from under the snow with their hooves, the Tatar army will sweep through Rus', slaughtering, according to the behest of Genghis Khan, even children who have grown to the axle of a cart wheel. It will rush by and rush back, leaving behind corpses and ashes... Prince Mikhail could gather an army and, having met the enemy near Tver, at the head of a selected regiment clad in armor, rush into the very thick of the Tatar army and die with a sword in his hand - like the prince and warrior. But Mikhail decides to go to the Horde to suffer torment and a shameful death in order to avert the pogrom from the Tver principality with his own head. Princess Anna did not dissuade her husband. The chronicles have preserved the words spoken by the princess upon parting:

“Do not be afraid of torment, remain faithful to the Lord until death... I pray you, my lord, when you appear before the wicked king as a good warrior of Christ, and when they hand you over to evil torments, do not be afraid of the evils coming upon you, let no fire frighten you , no wheels, no sword, no slash, but be patient..."

In the Horde, Prince Mikhail was put on a wooden block around his neck and, after much torture, was stabbed to death. At this price, Tver was saved from ruin. Only after concluding a humiliating agreement with Prince Yuri of Moscow did Princess Anna receive the dead body of her husband, which turned out to be incorrupt. The martyr prince was canonized in 1549...

“People turn to Saint Anna Kashinskaya in a variety of everyday needs,” says nun Angelina. “Married couples who do not have children or harmony in the family come to pray. It is believed that Saint Anna Kashinskaya, who during her lifetime suffered a series of terrible family losses, has special boldness before God in prayers for the resolution of family troubles.

...One by one, the children of Princess Anna are dying. In 1325, her eldest son, Dmitry, having met Prince Yuri of Moscow in the Horde - the culprit of his father's death - killed him, for which he was executed by the khan. In 1339, her second son Alexander and grandson Theodore died in the Horde: their heads were cut off and their bodies were torn apart at the joints. It seemed that there would be no end to the terrible losses. Soon after the martyrdom of her son and grandson, Anna became a monk at the Tver Sophia Monastery, and then, at the request of her youngest son Vasily, she moved to her homeland in Kashin, to a monastery specially built for her. Here she reposed in 1368 in the schema; her body was buried in the monastery church in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“Over time, the name of the princess-nun began to be forgotten,” continues nun Angelina. “However, in 1611, when Kashin was besieged by the Poles and Lithuanians, Saint Anna appeared in schematic vestments to the seriously ill sexton of the Assumption Cathedral, Gerasim, and ordered that her coffin be venerated so that lithiums were served at her grave, for she prays to the Lord and Holy Mother of God about the deliverance of Kashin from enemies. After this, Gerasim was healed, and the city was saved from destruction.

...Numerous miracles and healings began at the tomb of Anna Kashinskaya. News of this reached Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Patriarch Nikon, and at the Moscow Zemsky Council in 1649, Anna Kashinskaya was canonized. On June 12, 1650, the solemn transfer of the relics from the wooden Assumption Church to the Resurrection Cathedral took place.

However, soon the holy missus Anna Kashinskaya unexpectedly becomes a symbol of schismatics who saw that the fingers right hand her honest relics are supposedly folded into an Old Believer double-finger. Then, in order to limit the spread of the schism, the church authorities took unprecedented measures - more than thirty years after the glorification, in 1677, the veneration of the holy relics of Anna Kashinskaya and the performance of prayers as a saint were prohibited. This extraordinary event, which was called “decanonization,” is exceptional in the history of Russian Orthodox Church.

But, despite the decanonization, the veneration of the princess-nun in the Tver diocese did not stop; people prayerfully turned to Saint Anna Kashinskaya and received help. Saint icons were painted; Until a certain year, a record of healings was kept. In 1908, Emperor Nicholas II agreed to re-canonization. On April 11, 1909, the Holy Synod declared the day of remembrance of St. Anna Kashinskaya on June 12 (June 25, new style) - the anniversary of the transfer of her relics. In the St. Alexievsky Monastery of Saratov, in the church in the name of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, there is an image of St. Anna Kashinskaya with a particle of her relics...

“In 2001,” says nun Angelina, “Archpriest Nikolai Arkhangelsky and several sisters of our monastery went to Kashin to celebrate the memory of the saint. In Kashin, with the blessing of the Ruling Bishop, Archbishop of Tver and Kashin Victor, an icon of Anna Kashinskaya with a particle of her relics was donated to our monastery, which is now in the St. Alexis Church. The parishioners love and honor this saint very much. When we perform a service in the church in honor of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria, after the service people ask to open the St. Alexis Church in order to venerate the icon of Anna Kashinskaya.

People turn to this saint with a variety of requests. Both parishioners and sisters of the monastery are waiting for her help, because Saint Anna Kashinskaya bore her cross both in the world and in the monastery, therefore she is considered both the patroness of the family and the helper of those who have chosen the monastic path.

Holy Blessed Anna Kashinskaya (c. 1280 - October 2, 1368) - princess of Tver, daughter of the Rostov prince Dimitry Borisovich, great-granddaughter of the holy noble prince Vasily of Rostov.

In 1294, the noble princess Anna married Prince Mikhail Tverskoy, the son of Grand Duke Yaroslav Yaroslavich. The couple had five children, but their daughter Theodora died in infancy. Four sons: Dmitry, Alexander, Konstantin and Vasily grew up and were raised by their parents, in imitation best examples kind of family (in the clans of both Mikhail and Anna there were princes who gave their lives for the faith and native land, canonized: these are the holy noble princes Mikhail of Chernigov, Vasily of Rostov, Alexander Nevsky).

According to the ladder of succession in 1305, Mikhail became the Grand Duke of Vladimir. Having received the Vladimir throne, he tried to unite the disparate Russian lands together. During the period of his great reign, he fought against the Moscow prince Yuri Danilovich, who occupied a pronounced pro-Horde position and against Novgorod. Prince Yuri Danilovich of Moscow, having “bought” the right to a great reign in the Horde, in 1317 came with a detachment of Tatars to the Tver land and began to ruin it. Mikhail opposed them and completely defeated the united troops. Yuri managed to escape. Then Yuri slandered Mikhail in front of the khan, and he was summoned to trial.

The death of Mikhail Tverskoy in the Golden Horde

Mikhail, despite the entreaties of the children and boyars, went. Anna accompanied her husband to the Nerl. In the Horde, after an unjust trial, Mikhail Yaroslavich was brutally killed. Only a year later Anna and the Tverites learned about what had happened.

Many sorrows befell Saint Anna. Her father died in 1294. In 1296, the grand ducal tower with all its property burned to the ground. Soon after this, the young prince became very ill. In 1317, a tragic struggle with Prince Yuri of Moscow began. In 1318, the noble princess said goodbye forever to her husband, who was leaving for the Horde, where he was brutally tortured. In 1325, her eldest son, Dimitry the Terrible Eyes, having met Prince Yuri of Moscow in the Horde, the culprit of his father’s death, killed him, for which he was executed by the khan. A year later, the residents of Tver killed all the Tatars, led by the cousin of Uzbek Khan. After this spontaneous uprising, the entire Tver land was devastated by fire and sword, the inhabitants were exterminated or driven into captivity. The Tver Principality had never experienced such a pogrom. In 1339, her second son Alexander and grandson Theodore died in the Horde: their heads were cut off and their bodies were separated at the joints.

After the death of her husband, trials followed one after another and it seemed impossible to survive them without succumbing to despair, but Anna endured everything. Soon after the martyrdom of her son and grandson, Anna became a monk at the Tver Sophia Monastery with the name Euphrosyne. Younger son Vasily built the Assumption Monastery for her in the city of Kashin, where she moved, at the request of Vasily. There she spent the rest of her days in constant prayer. Three years before her death, the entire princely family was wiped out by a terrible pestilence. The princess had no relatives left except Vasily. Inseparable in life, they died in the same year - 1368. Before her death, she took the schema with the name Anna and died October 2, 1368 . Her body was buried in the Assumption Monastery Church.

The name of the blessed princess Anna was forgotten over time to the point that her tomb was treated with disrespect. Miracles at the tomb of St. Anne began in 1611, during the siege of Kashin by Lithuanian troops. The holy princess appeared to the sexton of the Assumption Cathedral, Gerasim, and said that she was praying to the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos to deliver the city from foreigners. Rumors of miracles from the relics of the blessed Princess Anna reached the pious Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and His Holiness Patriarch Nikon, and at the Moscow Council of 1649 it was decided to open the relics of Princess Anna. The transfer of the relics of the blessed Anna Kashinskaya took place on June 12, 1650. In the entire history of the Russian Church to this day, not a single saint has received such a brilliant and magnificent celebration.

The story of the transfer of the relics of St. Anna Kashinskaya tells about the miracle that happened then. When the tomb was already brought into the porch of the Resurrection Cathedral, those carrying it suddenly stopped, because they could not move a single step further. Then Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich turned to Anna Kashinskaya with a tender prayer, in which he asked her to stay here until a stone temple was erected in her name at the site where her relics were found. After this, the coffin with the relics was carried into the Resurrection Cathedral without difficulty and, with prayer singing, placed on the right side near the altar.

Reliquary with the relics of Anna Kashinskaya

At the expense of Alexei Mikhailovich in 1666, a stone Assumption Cathedral with a chapel in the name of St. Anna Kashinskaya was built. By his order, a silver gilded shrine was made for her relics. The hands of his princess sisters embroidered the covers on the reliquary of the relics of St. Anna Kashinskaya. In the Assumption Cathedral until the beginning of the 20th century. the altar cross was kept - a gift from the king.

However, soon the holy blessed Anna Kashinskaya unexpectedly becomes a symbol of the schismatics (due to the fact that the fingers of the right hand of her incorruptible body were folded for the two-fingered sign of the cross, and it was ordered to be baptized with three fingers), and Patriarch Joachim in 1677 destroys the canonization of the saint and prohibits worship to the holy relics of Anna Kashinskaya. This extraordinary event is unique in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Despite the decanonization (which lasted 230 years), the veneration of Anna in the Tver diocese was preserved, and the Tver bishops did not interfere with this; icons were painted, processions of the cross were organized to the place of Anna’s farewell to Mikhail Yaroslavich, healings were recorded, etc. Already in 1818, the Holy Synod allowed Anna’s name to be included in the month books, and in 1899-1901 secret preparations began for the restoration of church veneration, in in particular, the recording of healings and other miracles resumed.

In 1908, the veneration of the blessed princess Anna was restored. Nicholas II gave his consent to re-canonization.

Parade on the day of celebration of St. Anna of Kashin. Photo by V. Kolotilshchikov. Beginning XX century

Now the holy relics restre-opened after restoration Ascension Cathedral , which became a cathedral, i.e. main cathedral city ​​of Kashin . Since 1994, on June 25, on City Day and the Day of Veneration of the Holy Blessed Princess Anna Kashinskaya, after the liturgy, a procession with her relics is held along the route: Ascension Cathedral, Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Resurrection Cathedral, Proletarskaya Square, Ascension Cathedral.

Kashin. Reliquary with the relics of Anna Kashinskaya

In October 2011, the reliquary with the relics of Saint Princess Anna Kashinskaya was placed in a new silver shrine. The rak, weighing 54 kilograms, was made with donations from residents of Moscow, Tver, St. Petersburg and other cities. Thanks to common efforts, more than 3.5 million rubles were collected and a real work of art was created. The raku was made by an experienced craftsman from Sergiev Posad.

Greatness
We bless you, reverend mother, Grand Duchess Anno, and honor your holy memory, teacher of nuns and interlocutor of the Angel.

Prayer to the Reverend Princess Anna Kashinskaya
Oh, reverend and blessed mother Anno! Humbly falling before the race of your honorable relics, we pray diligently with tears: do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in your holy and auspicious prayers to God. O blessed Grand Duchess Anno! Do not forget to visit your children: even though you passed away from us in body, you remain alive even after death, and do not depart from us in spirit, preserving us from the arrows of the enemy, all the charms of demons and the snares of the devil. Our zealous prayer book! Do not stop praying for us to Christ our God: even though the relics of your cancer are visible before our eyes, your holy soul, standing with the angelic hosts at the Throne of the Almighty, worthily rejoices. We fall down to you, we pray to you, we are dear to you: pray, most blessed Anno, to our All-Merciful God for the salvation of our souls, to ask us time for repentance and to pass from earth to Heaven without restraint, to be freed from bitter ordeals and eternal torment and to be the heir to the Kingdom of Heaven to be with all the saints, who from time immemorial have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be glory, with His Beginningless Father, and with His Most Holy, and Good, and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Troparion
Today we praise you, Reverend Mother, Grand Duchess Nun Anno:
as if the vine is fruitful among thorns, you have flourished in the city of Kashin with your virtues, you have surprised everyone with your wonderful life,
In the same way, you pleased Christ God, and now, rejoicing and having fun,
abide with the faces of the venerable women, enjoying the heavenly beauty and joy. We pray to you, pray for us to the Lover of Mankind, Christ our God,
grant us peace and great mercy.

The loss of historical memory is one of the main problems in the life of our society. People not only forget their ancestry, roots, traditions - events and names of historical significance are erased from memory. Unfortunately, sometimes the loss of historical memory and respect for paternal shrines becomes a consequence of deliberate politics. In the era of spiritual secularization that came after church schism and lasted from the end of the 17th century to the first half of the 19th century centuries, there was a disastrous for the national and folk spirit the phenomenon of neglect of ancient Russian holiness. The case of the venerable and blessed nun princess Anna Kashinskaya was the most striking example of this kind.

The Tver land has always been famous for its talented, smart, bright people, which left a significant mark on the entire Russian history. Among them are the blessed princesses of the Russian land, such as Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, Venerable Fevronia of Murom, Holy Blessed Princess Vasilisa, Holy Blessed Princess Anna Kashinskaya and many others.

October 15 according to the new style (October 2, old style) - day of repose of the holy blessed princess-nun Anna Kashinskaya. Anna Kashinskaya occupies a special place in the history of the Church. She lived during a difficult period medieval Rus': during the Horde yoke over the Russian land, during the period of struggle for rivalry between Moscow and Tver, she was twice canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Anna Kashinskaya was mentioned in her works in the 18th century. MM. Shcherbatov, A. Shchekatov, the first Tver historian D.I. Karmanov. Kalyazin tradesman S.P. Sokovnin dedicated an entire article to her. In the 19th century Historians V.O. wrote about her. Klyuchevsky, N.M. Karamzin, P.M. Stroev, E.E. Golubinsky. Bishop Dimitri (Sambikin) included articles about Anna Kashinskaya in the “Months of the Saints” and “Tver Patericon”. In the 20th century Priests S. Arkhangelov, I. Zavyalov, I. Vostorgov, and Old Believer researcher A. Pavlov wrote about the blessed princess. Research into hagiographic works about Anna Kashinskaya was carried out by S.A. Seed. However, special mention should be made of the work of T.I. Manukhina “The Holy Blessed Princess Anna Kashinskaya”, published in Paris in 1954.

The future princess saw her husband for the first time only at the wedding

Princess Anna was the daughter Dmitry Borisovich Rostovsky. Chroniclers do not report the exact date of birth of the princess. However, T.I. Manukhina resorts to an approximate calculation: since girls got married at the age of 15-17, and the princess’s marriage to Mikhail Tverskoy took place, in her opinion, in 1294, therefore, Anna could have been born in 1278 or 1279. Anna’s great-grandfather is the prince Vasilko of Rostov, captured by the Tatars in 1238 on the river. City, angrily rejected the offer to come over to their side and was killed; Grandfather Boris and his brother Gleb ruled peacefully for 40 years. Maternal grandfather - Prince Mikhail of Chernigov - died heroically in the Horde for the Christian faith, refusing to bow to Mongol idols; Michael's daughter, Princess Maria of Rostov, according to D.S. Likhacheva, was the first female chronicler.

Anna grew up in the traditions of strong Orthodox faith, love for the Church, in veneration of the clergy and the “monastic rank”, the traditions of Rostov. Bishop Ignatius, as the head of the Rostov diocese and Anna's confessor, was close to the princely house. Anna was taught firm faith by the living example of Bishop Ignatius.

It is safe to say that Princess Ksenia found a bride for her son Mikhail, as custom required. Grand Duchess Ksenia, Mikhail's mother, having heard about Anna's virtues, sent matchmakers to Rostov, who agreed on everything.

On November 8, 1294, on the day of the Archangel Michael, on the day of the angel of the groom, a wedding took place in the Transfiguration Cathedral, where the bride and groom saw each other for the first time. Bishop Andrei married Michael and Anna. In her book, the author characterizes Anna’s husband as a mentally gifted, strong, noble and courageous man. In 1298, Princess Anna gave birth to her first-born son Dmitry, in 1299 - daughter Theodora (nothing is known about her and Manukhina suggests that she died in infancy), in 1300 - Alexander, in 1306 - Konstantin, and then another son - Vasily, whose date of birth is unknown.

The tragedy of wife and mother

In 1305, Prince Mikhail Tverskoy received a label for the Great Reign and thereby made an enemy in the person of Prince Yuri of Moscow. Besides, family life The illness of the prince and children and natural disasters (pestilence, drought) overshadowed the situation. Prince Yuri of Moscow opposed the legitimate heir to the throne. And in 1317, having won over the khan, he married his sister Konchak and was elevated to the dignity of Grand Duke of Vladimir. Prince Yuri of Moscow decided to subjugate Tver. However, Yuri understood that he received the label illegally Ancient Rus'. In 1317, a battle took place near the village of Bortenevo, but Yuri was defeated and fled to Novgorod, and Mikhail captured Yuri’s wife, Konchaka, who was probably poisoned by the Mongols and died in Tver. Grand Duke Mikhail Tverskoy was slandered before the khan. In August 1318, Mikhail was summoned to the Horde, where the Tver prince was soon executed.

After tragic death wife Princess Anna in 1319-1320. marries his three sons one after another. In 1322, the eldest son Dmitry received a label for the Great Reign. However, having met his father’s killer in the Horde, Dmitry, in a fit of anger, stabbed Prince Yuri of Moscow to death. The Khan, angry with Dmitry for his arbitrariness, ordered his execution on September 15, 1326, but handed over the label for the Great Reign to Prince Alexander of Tver.

In 1327, an uprising occurred in Tver and the Tatar punitive campaign immediately began against the Tver Principality. Anna with her sons Konstantin and Vasily, with the boyars, took refuge in Ladoga, and Alexander Mikhailovich with his wife and children - in Pskov. Alexander and Anastasia had eight children. Alexander lived with his family in Pskov for ten years. In 1337, Alexander arrived in Tver on his way to the Horde, where Anna, after a ten-year separation, saw her son. In the Horde, the khan forgave Alexander and returned the Tver principality to him.

In 1339, Alexander and his son went to the Horde, where they were executed without any trial. Anna, the brothers, Princess Anastasia and the children and the whole city cried for them bitterly and for a long time. Thus, Anna survived the death of her husband, daughter, two sons and grandson. After the tragedy of 1339, the intrigues of relatives again contributed to the summoning of Anna's third son, Konstantin Mikhailovich, who was ruling at that time, to the Horde, but the matter did not come to litigation: Konstantin Mikhailovich died in the Horde.

Instead of the princely mansion there is a monastic cell

During the reign of her son Vasily, Anna did not take part in the Tver events. Historians write that her native Rostov raised the princess in faith and piety, taught her to submit to the will of God, i.e. accept your earthly share as given from above. Princess Anna is heading to the Afanasyevsky Maiden Monastery, popularly called “Sofia.”

The life of Anna follows the pattern of all monastic lives, listing the exploits of Anna the nun: prayer, all-night vigil. Resorting to calculations, we can say that it is impossible to establish for certain the number of years Anna spent in the St. Sophia Monastery. However, in 1358 she was already a nun. At the request of her son Vasily, she decides to leave Tver for Kashin. Blessed Anna reposed on October 2 (15), 1368. In the year of Anna’s repose, her son Vasily died. The blessed princess was buried under the cathedral church of the Assumption of the Mother of God. Researcher Manukhina notes that everything that is known about the blessed princess Anna preserves the features of the ancient Russian “blessed princess”: chastity of marriage, maternal love, inconsolability of widowhood, monastic exploits, an immeasurably patient Christian soul submissive to its lot.

Appearance of the mysterious wife

The memory of Princess Anna faded along with the family of the Kashin appanage princes, along with her descendants - the princes of Tver, who fell under the rule of Moscow (in 1485). The names of the Tver princes were preserved in chronicles, but most of them disappeared from people's memory without a trace. In historical reality, the reason for resurrecting the forgotten memory of Princess Anna was an event, or better yet, a supernatural phenomenon that happened in 1611.

A certain wife appeared in a dream to the sick sexton of the Assumption Cathedral, Gerasim, in a “great monastic image of a robe” (i.e., in a schema), called herself “Anna”, promised him healing, but at the same time said reproachfully:

I am neglectful and offended by you. Is there really no reasonable person among you, that none of you still understands this? And how long will you trample me underfoot?.. Don’t you know that I pray to the All-Merciful God and the Mother of God, so that your city is not given over to the hands of your enemies, and that I am saving you from many evils and misfortunes?...

The mysterious wife ordered Gerasim to tell the cathedral priest and the entire clergy to light a candle over the coffin in front of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands and not to place hats on the coffin.

The mysterious dream and miraculous healing of the sexton Gerasim shook the whole city. People remembered recent events: in the years 1606-1611, when the Poles and Lithuanians robbed and burned Russian cities, enemies approached Kashin three times, but left each time without causing much harm to the city itself. At the same time, a strong fire broke out in Kashin, but quickly stopped and the city did not burn.

The rector of the cathedral, Vasily Mikhailov, and the church clergy began to put the tomb in order. People poured into the cathedral. Pious jealousy awoke, they began to inquire: who is this schema-nun Anna buried in the cathedral?

Having unexpectedly learned from the cathedral priest Vasily about the appearance of the Grand Duchess Anna of Tver and the veneration of her tomb, a relative of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, Vasily Ivanovich Streshnev, considered the news so significant that he ordered the priest to immediately submit a petition to the Sovereign and notify him of what had happened. But Mikhail Fedorovich died, and in the first years of Alexei Mikhailovich’s reign there was no time for them: the coronation of the young sovereign, his marriage, and then the alarming events - a threat Crimean Tatars, crop failure, famine, severe fire in Moscow, riots. In many cities, general discontent was growing. To pacify the country, the king hastily convened Zemsky Sobor in 1649. The residents of Kashin took advantage of the relative calm and filed a new petition.

During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, the relics of her husband, Mikhail Yaroslavich, which disappeared during the fire of Tver during the Lithuanian invasion in 1606, were found. They turned out to be hidden by someone's protective hand in the ground near the cathedral wall and were solemnly installed in 1643 in the newly built cathedral, in the chapel named after him.

The petition was followed by orders from the patriarch - to immediately send a commission to Kashin to examine the relics. Archbishop Jonah of Tver and Kashin, Archimandrite Sylvester of the Androniyev Monastery, and Abbot John of the Danilov Monastery arrived in Kashin. The inspection turned out to be favorable for the fate of the relics. A Service was hastily drawn up for their acquisition. Kashin zealots of the memory of Princess Anna, the priest of the Trinity Church Ioann Naumov and the townsman Semyon Sukhorukov, composed a troparion, kontakion and canon. The inspection report with a description of the miracles, with a troparion, kontakion and canon was presented by the commission to the patriarch, who, upon notification of the Sovereign, convened a council of bishops; Upon consideration of the material, it was placed: the relics of the blessed princess Anna, as a new saint of the Russian Church, should be opened for general worship.

The church glorification of the blessed princess Anna took place on June 12, 1650. On that day, the holy relics of the blessed princess Anna were transferred from the wooden Assumption Cathedral to the ancient stone Resurrection Cathedral. The bedspread for the relics with the image of the princess was embroidered by the sovereign's wife, Queen Maria, with her own hands. On the same day, a miracle happened before everyone’s eyes: the healing of the daughter-in-law of the Kashin governor Skobeev. The tsar brought with him a service for the transfer of the relics, which was written by the famous Kiev scientist Epiphanius Slavenetsky at his request. Soon the council of bishops formalized the canonization and established the celebration of the blessed princess Anna twice a year: 2 October, on the day of her repose, and 12 June, on the day of the transfer of her relics.

Eruption of Saints

On February 24 (1677) the incredible happened! Unexpectedly, the patriarchal commission of inquiry arrived in Kashin with extraordinary powers - to open the coffin of Princess Anna, sealed with royal seals in 1650, and carry out a new inspection of the relics and a new interview with the church clergy and witnesses of miracles. The canonical justifications for honoring the blessed Princess Anna, which had not caused any objections or doubts for 30 years, were subject to revision.

Obviously, the commission was ordered to find reasons at all costs to destroy the canonization of the blessed Princess Anna. During an inspection in 1649, numerous discrepancies were discovered between the recently compiled lives, chronicles and the Book of Degrees. Thus, the new texts stated that Anna was not a princess by birth, but a noblewoman, and she was born not in Kashin, as was written in the life, but in Rostov, and the date of her death was changed to 30 years, etc.

The Small Church Council, convened by Patriarch Joachim, decided:

• Life and the Tale of Miracles are considered unreliable;
• the coffin of the blessed princess Anna with her relics in the Resurrection Cathedral should be sealed with bishop's seals;
• take the cover with the image of Princess Anna and the icon to Moscow and henceforth, until the discussion and genuine consideration of the Great Council, do not paint the images;
• There will be no celebrations for Princess Anna, no prayers to be sung, and the church, built in her name in the Assumption Cathedral and “consecrated without a known test,” will be locked and sealed until the Great Cathedral.

However, those who continued to have icons or the life of the holy princess were declared subject to anathema. However real reasons The eruptions were not mistakes at all in the life of the saint. Well-known historian and specialist in the field of hagiography Professor Golubinsky directly writes:

It has long been suggested that the reason for the revision and destruction of the canonization of St. Anna of Kashin should be seen in her “blessing” hand.

That is, in a hand folded with two fingers to make the sign of the cross. Continuing his thought, Golubinsky points out:

The legend said that the New Believers priests who arrived in Kashin on the orders of Patriarch Joachim began to fold the fingers of the deceased princess into three fingers. But no matter how many times they did this, the next day the princess’s hand again depicted two fingers. Those who came to the relics of the princess saw this miracle and said that the princess testified to the truth and holiness of the two-fingered sign of the cross. Particular authority was given to this by the testimony of the author of the first life of the blessed princess-nun Anna - sexton Nikifor, as well as the priest of the Kashin Assumption Cathedral Vasily and the monk Varlaam, who were directly related to the discovery of the relics of the princess in 1648.

All the resolutions of the Small Council were approved with some additions: the temple in the name of the blessed princess Anna, built to be renamed in the name of “All Saints”, let her relics stand like an ordinary princely tomb; Princess Anna will be remembered along with all Orthodox Grand Dukes and Princesses. Silver and gold jewelry donated by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to the relics of St. Anna were taken away and sent as a gift to the monastery of St. vmchts. Catherine in Egypt, where they are still located today.

The same council punished the witnesses and participants in the glorification of Saint Anna: sexton Nicephorus, priest Vasily and monk Varlaam. The latter was sentenced to seclusion in a monastery “until death.”

Old Believers and Saint Anna

Despite all the prohibitions, anathemas and curses, the veneration of the blessed princess Anna was preserved among the Old Believers and residents of Kashin. Miracles and signs at the tomb of St. Anna continued. Residents of the city of Kashin rewrote the life of the saint, painted icons and revered them as miraculous. The veneration of the saint intensified even more in the 19th century: her intercession before the Lord explained the salvation of the city from the plague epidemic in the 18th century, and in 1831 and 1844 from cholera.

In 1853, the citizens of Kashin petitioned the Synod to restore the veneration of the city’s heavenly patroness. Similar requests followed in 1860 and 1901, but all of them remained unheeded. There was only one reason for the refusals: the fear that the official recognition of her holiness would contribute to the recognition of the mistakes of the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, the secular acts of the times of the patriarchs. Joachim, Emperor Peter I and subsequent ones.

In fact, the dominant Synodal Church in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, contrary to what is now being spread historical myths, felt extremely insecure, had no real support and support among the Russian people, who consciously or unconsciously sympathized with the pre-Nikon church antiquity.

At the beginning of the 20th century, especially after the decree of Emperor Nicholas II “On strengthening the principles of religious tolerance,” publications appeared in the Old Believer community, magazines and newspapers about the need for special, deliberate veneration of Old Russian saints and glorification of new ones. They began to talk about the fact that the Old Believers should receive the relics of the Holy Princess Anna, since the latter’s holiness is not recognized by the state Church.

Newspapers wrote that the strengthening Old Believer Church could lay claim not only to its own church-social niche, but also to all spiritual heritage ancient Rus'.

The hour is not certain,” a New Believer priest warned in one of these publications, “the Old Believers will achieve the relics of Princess Anna, whose veneration is prohibited in our country.”

In the monograph T. Manukhina it is said that the “second canonization” of Blg. Anna Kashinskaya “was psychologically predetermined by the law on the Old Believers, which granted them religious freedom and civil rights.”

The researcher clarifies:

The ostracism (persecution - approx.) of the Monk Anna came to an end. Could the ruling Church not return to it the taken away ecclesiastical dignity if supporters of the reform are ready to recognize the Old Believers as brothers?

The very reason for initiating the process of “second canonization” were some publications in Old Believer newspapers and magazines, in particular, an article in the magazine “Church” No. 6 for 1908 “On the blood of the martyr. On the issue of canonization of saints." They indicated that the dominant church refuses to honor the holy princess nun Anna and some other saints, since they “serve as indisputable proof of the holiness of the Old Believer Church.”

In response to such publications, on April 11, 1909, the New Believer Synod hastened to respond with a message to all the children of its church “On the restoration of veneration of the Holy Blessed Princess Anna.” Unfortunately, this message said nothing about true reasons posthumous persecution of Saint Anna, nor about the reasons for her second glorification by the dominant confession. On the contrary, the actions of Patriarch Joachim were justified. Bishop Mikhail Semenov wrote about this in his article “The Great Old Believer Feast”:

So, the old lie is defended and instead of the penitential gift of St. The princess is given an obviously dishonest justification... And the synod in the days of this great triumph hid the truth - did not bring repentance.

Despite this, the Old Believer Church still found it possible to send a delegation to the city of Kashin during the celebrations dedicated to the second canonization of the princess in the bosom of the dominant confession. The group of Christians of the Ancient Orthodox Church of Christ was led by the chairman of the brotherhood of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, rector Mikhail Brilliantov. By blessing Bishop of Ryazan and Yegorievsk Alexander (Bogatenkov) main goal This deputation initiated a petition for the separation of part of the venerable relics of the Holy Blessed Princess Anna for the churches of the Moscow Old Believer Rogozhskoye Cemetery. Unfortunately, this request of the Old Believer delegation was rejected. Later, a particle of the relics was transferred to the Edinoverie (now New Believer) St. Nicholas Church on Rogozhsky. At the festivities in Kashin, the distribution of Old Believer literature was also prohibited. The only thing that the members of the delegation were able to achieve was the removal of the false patch from the ancient cover on the tomb of St. blessed princess.

When the patch depicting three fingers was removed, everyone present at the celebrations saw the two fingers embroidered by Queen Mary. These celebrations did not go unnoticed among the entire Old Belief.

Festive services were held in some Old Believer churches. Thus, in the city of Borovsk, in the All Saints and Pokrovskaya communities, all-night vigils were served on the evening of July 11, 1909, and on the morning of July 12 - Divine Liturgies. Old Believer writer and publicist F.E. Melnikov on the pages of the magazine "Church" proposed establishing an annual celebration on this occasion with procession and a special prayer to the Lord God, “who admonishes those who are contrary and enlightens those who sit in darkness and bitterness.” It is interesting that among the neighbors of the city of Kashin, the Bespopovtsy of the city of Kimry, a rumor spread that from now on in all the churches of the empire, worship would be performed according to the old rite.

The culmination of the Old Believer festivities dedicated to the holy noble princess-nun Anna Kashinskaya was the consecration of a temple in her honor in the village of Bogorodsky district, Moscow province.

The rite of consecration of this first church in Rus' in the name of St. Anna Kashinskaya was celebrated on December 16, 1909 by the Bishop of Ryazan and Yegoryevsk (Bogatenkov). At the end of the solemn service, addressing those gathered, Bishop Alexander said:

Let us thank the Lord, brothers, that he hastened the creators to build this blessed temple, this repository of sacraments and grace, a House of prayer, a school of theology and piety, a source of sanctification, a refuge for the distressed, a refuge for the poor, a consolation for the mourning. Let us pray to Him and the blessed Princess Anna, and may this temple be preserved unharmed from fire and storm throughout the long days...

During the years of persecution of religion, this temple was taken away from believers. For a long time it housed a knitwear workshop. Not long ago this temple was returned to the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church. However, much remains to be done to restore the church building. Saint Anna Kashinskaya is still revered in the Old Believer Church. It is expected that in the name of the blessed princess the ancient Orthodox church in the city of Tver will be consecrated.