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Prayer of Saint Apollinaria. Apollinaria

"strong", "destructive", "luminous"

Origin of the name Apollinaria

the feminine form of the ancient Greek name Appolinaris, derived from the name of the god Apollo. Apollo - son of Zeus in Greek mythology, god of the Sun, healer and patron of the muses

Characteristics of the name Apollinaria

Apollinaria has a lot of advantages - she is very responsive, will always come to the rescue, and has been my mother’s assistant since childhood. But she needs her efforts to be appreciated. She is very touchy and takes criticism painfully. At the same time, he knows how to stand up for himself very well. It is not easy for her to forgive an insult. Willful and self-willed. But with affection you can achieve anything from her. Responsible and obligatory, disciplined. Perhaps she is overly punctual and demanding, which is why many consider her a bore. Her family especially gets it from her pedantry. But she is so good-natured and sympathetic that everyone forgives her. Appolinaria is a faithful friend to her husband, a caring and loving mother. But Appolinaria does not know how to forgive.

Famous personalities: this name was borne by the fatal love of the writer Dostoevsky - Apollinaria Prokofyevna Suslova.

Saints

Apollinaria was the daughter of the ruler of Greece. She had many admirers, but the girl firmly decided to become the bride of Christ. Dressed in men's clothing, she went to worship the Holy Sepulcher, hid from the servants and settled in the desert. The Monk Apollinaria endured cold, hunger, suffered from insects, and was afraid of wild animals. She ended her life in the monastery of St. Macarius in Egypt. Saint Apollinaria became famous for her ascetic life and many miracles.

Detailed description from several sources: “prayer to the martyr Apollinaria” - in our non-profit weekly religious magazine.

Saint Apollinaria, whose icon should be in every home of those baptized with this name, is famous for her modest ascetic life. She dedicated it to serving God.

Apollinaria is a saint who is turned to in case of illness. It also helps strengthen fortitude, faith, and develop humility. Before the icon, you must repeat the words of the prayer: “Pray to God for me, holy saint, reverend Apollinaria of God, as I diligently resort to you, an ambulance and prayer book for my soul.”

Saint Apollinaria, whose life is described in this article, was the eldest daughter of the wise king Anthemius. From an early age she loved to spend time in prayer and often attended churches. Having become an adult, she refused to get married and began to ask her parents to send her to a monastery instead. The parents refused; they dreamed that their daughter would have a good family. But Apollinaria, a saint who, from a young age, loved God so much that she wanted to remain chaste for the rest of her life, refused all gifts from suitors for her hand and heart. She began to ask her parents to bring a nun to her, who would teach her to read the holy scriptures. Finally, the parents gave in.

First trip

They were touched by the girl’s unshakable persistence, and they brought the nun to her, as her daughter asked. Having learned to read the sacred books, Apollinaria began to ask her parents to let her travel to holy places. She wanted to go to Jerusalem. The parents reluctantly released their pet. Apollinaria is a saint who was very rich in her youth. Therefore, the girl went on her first trip, accompanied by a large number of slaves and slaves. Her father also gave her a lot of gold and silver. Apollinaria set sail on the ship, saying a warm farewell to her parents.

Generous hand

During the journey, she was forced to make a stop in Ascalon. When the sea calmed down, Apollinaria continued on her way. Already in Ascalon, she began to visit churches and monasteries, generously giving alms. Arriving in Jerusalem, she prayed earnestly for her parents. At the same time, visiting nunneries, Apollinaria continued to make donations. Gradually, she released her male and female slaves, rewarding them for their faithful service. After some time, she and some of them prepared to go to Alexandria.

Modest requests

The proconsul of Alexandria learned of the arrival of the royal daughter. He prepared a rich reception for her and sent people to meet her. Apollinaria (saint) was famous for her modesty; she did not want unnecessary attention. Therefore, she herself went to the proconsul's house at night. This frightened his family, but Apollinaria reassured all his household, at the same time asking not to give her unnecessary honors that could delay her on the way to Saint Menas. But nevertheless, she received generous gifts from the proconsul, which she later distributed to the poor. In Alexandria, the Monk Apollinaria for the first time bought clothes that could be worn by male monks. She hid them with her and sailed to Limna along with two slaves.

Difficult life

From Limne, Apollinaria went in a chariot to the burial place of Saint Menas. On the road, she decided to carry out a long-conceived plan, which was to dress in the clothes of a monk and live a hermit’s life, devoting herself to serving God. When her servants fell asleep, she changed clothes and, leaving her royal clothes in the chariot, hid in the swamp. She lived there for several years, eating dates. Under the influence of a difficult life and fasting, her appearance changed, and she became unlike a woman. One of the tests she endured in the swamp was the bites of hordes of mosquitoes, which she did not drive away, allowing them to feed on her own blood.

New challenges

A few years later, she went to the monastery of the Holy Fathers to find shelter there and continue serving God. On the way she met Saint Macarius of Egypt. He mistook Apollinaria for an eunuch and brought her to his monastery, where he settled her in a separate cell. None of the elders who lived there guessed that she was a woman. Apollinaria took up hard work - making mats. Naturally, she took a masculine name for herself - Dorofey. The saint lived strictly; she devoted all her time to prayer. Soon she discovered the gift of healing. According to the life of the saint, Apollinaria’s righteous life gave no rest to the evil spirit that possessed her younger sister. He tried to do everything to reveal her secret and expel her from the monastery. By cunning, he forced the parents to take their youngest daughter to a desert monastery.

The mystery is not solved

There, Macarius of Egypt instructed Dorotheus to expel the evil spirit from the woman’s body. Apollinaria was not ready for this, but the holy elder calmed her down, and she got down to business. Having locked herself with her younger sister in her cell, the saint began to pray. The sister recognized Apollinaria and was very happy. Soon the evil spirit left her body. The parents were very glad that their daughter had recovered, but the secret of Apollinaria was not revealed. However, the demon did not calm down. He made everyone think that her younger sister was pregnant. And then through her lips he blamed the monk with whom she spent a lot of time in the cell for this fall. The king became very angry and ordered the monastery to be demolished. However, Dorotheus himself came out to the people and pleaded guilty so that he could be taken to the king. There, alone with her father, Apollinaria admitted that it was she. The parents were very upset by the kind of life their daughter had to lead. But at the same time they were proud of her. Therefore, they sent her back to the monastery and wanted to give a lot of gold to the elders. But the Monk Apollinaria refused, saying that they did not need anything, because they were worried about heavenly life, and not about earthly life.

The secret becomes clear

The fact that a woman in disguise lives in the monastery with the men remained a mystery. Apollinaria continued her righteous life for a long time. However, after some time, she prepared to appear before the Lord. She began to ask Elder Macarius not to wash her body, because she did not want them to know who she really was. But he didn't agree with this. Therefore, after her death, the elders came to wash the monk Dorotheus and saw that she was actually a woman. They were very surprised and amazed by God's mystery. Father Macarius was perplexed that this secret was not revealed to him before everyone else. In response, the Lord sent him a dream in which he explained that there was nothing wrong with this, and Macarius would also become a saint. The relics of Saint Apollinaria have a healing effect.

Virtual Museum

New Martyrs and Confessors

and Kholmogorsky Daniil

Zoya Zenkova

Holy Martyr Apollinaria Tupicina

Martyr Apollinaria (Apollinaria Petrovna Tupitsyna) was born on December 24, 1878 in the village of Shelyubinskaya, Velsky district, Vologda province, into a peasant family. She received her education at a gymnasium in the city of Velsk. She had a brother, Grigory Petrovich. Before the revolution, she worked as a nurse, and after the revolution she began to travel, washing clothes in Moscow and earning a living as a nanny. She gave all her free time to the church. She led a strict monastic life. She was known as a healer of bodily ailments. Canonized on May 7, 2003 by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church and rehabilitated on July 31, 1989. The false witness, based on whose denunciation the martyr Apollinaria was arrested, testified that he knew her “as a counter-revolutionary person.” He said: “I have known Tupitsyna since 1936, when she gathered a counter-revolutionary group around herself in the Znamenie Church near Krestovskaya Zastava and carried out active anti-Soviet activities. In cases where Tupitsina was approached for healing, she always began anti-Soviet propaganda. I know of cases when Apollinaria, beginning her healings, said that she would not pray until the citizen who turned to her renounced the power of Satan. She told the collective farmers who came to her that they were sick because on the collective farm they were dealing with Satan. When the wife of a policeman came to her about her husband’s leg disease, she said: “I will only pray if God will help you when your husband leaves the police.”

Apollinaria Petrovna was arrested on September 17, 1937 and imprisoned in Butyrka prison in Moscow. The investigator was satisfied with the testimony of false witnesses and did not seek confessions from the arrested woman. On October 8, the NKVD troika sentenced her to death. Apollinaria Petrovna Tupitsyna was shot on October 13, 1937 at the Butovo training ground near Moscow and buried in an unknown common grave. . At the execution range in Butovo from 1937 to 1938. The NKVD killed and buried 20,765 people in mass graves. Including Orthodox bishops, priests, monastics and laity. With their blood they sanctified the local land. In the spring of 1994, the Worship Cross was erected here. On May 19, 2007, the temple was consecrated in the name of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. Every year on the fourth Saturday after Easter, the memory of the Council of New Martyrs is celebrated in Butovo - those who passed through the Russian Golgotha, those through whose prayers Russia is resurrected. People rebuilding the temple in Pizhma believe that the martyr Apollinaria Tupitsyna helps them strengthen in the Orthodox faith. Born in the neighboring village of Shelyubinskaya to Pezhma, she, of course, visited the Pezhma Epiphany Church for services and in her subsequent life and feat of confession of Christ.

Stone Church of the Epiphany in the village. Pezhma was built in 1806. By 1913 it was overhauled and reconstructed, and in 1993 it was closed by the Soviet authorities. On July 3, 2009, after clearing and installing a temporary altar barrier in the St. Nicholas chapel of the Pezhemsky Epiphany Church, the first Divine Liturgy in 76 years was served. The service was led by the dean of the Velsk deanery of the Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory diocese, Abbot Anthony (Yavorsky), with concelebrating clergy from the district. The memory of the holy martyr Apollinaria was celebrated in Pezhma for the first time. Since 2009, services to the Holy Martyr Appolinaria are held every year in the Pezhemsky Epiphany Church. Also, services were held on October 13, 2010 in the Church of St. New martyrs and confessors in Butovo (at the Butovo training ground near Moscow). The service was conducted by Archpriest Kirill Kaleda and on October 17, 2011, the service was served by Fr. Dimitry Fesechko. On October 13, 2012, a liturgy was served. Dmitry Fesechko served. Galina Tikhonovna Anufrieva, the great-niece of Appolinaria Petrovna, was present at the services. From year to year the number of worshipers at services increases.

As we learned, relatives of Appolinaria Petrovna are alive - Galina Tikhonovna Anufrieva and her son Georgy Anufriev. Galina Tikhonovna said: “The heart and soul are filled with feelings of sorrow and joy... Sorrow for thousands of innocent people killed on this small piece of land, and joy that, finally, we can touch the place where the remains of our native Apollinaria rest, family legends whose kindness and responsiveness we have heard since childhood. It’s very exciting for us, I can’t even believe that by the grace of God she has been glorified as a holy martyr.”

We asked George if his family turns to the saint with requests? George replied: “Yes, I make requests to Apollinaria and so does my family. We always feel her help, we remember her, she is always with us. I even have an icon of the holy martyr Appolinaria Tupitsina.

In June 2009, the Icon of the Martyr Apollinaria was painted in Moscow with the blessing of the rector of the Church of St. New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Butovo Archpriest Kirill Kaleda in memory of the martyrdom of Apollinaria Tupitsyna. The icon was donated to the rector of the Pezhemsky Epiphany Church, Abbot Anthony (Yavorsky), during the first liturgy in the renovated church - 07/19/2009. The martyr Apollinaria is depicted against the background of two churches: the Pezhemsky Epiphany Church - of which she was a parishioner in her youth (left) and the Church of the Resurrection of Christ and Sts. New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Butovo, which was erected in 2006-07 on the site of executions of numerous victims of political repression, including New Martyrs for the Orthodox Faith. The memory of the martyr Apollinaria unites these two holy places.

The work of Zoya Zenkova, a student at the Novodvinsk Sunday School, was carried out as part of the “Children's Lomonosov Readings”. Head – Kuznetsova Yu.N.

The site was created using funds from a grant competition

Holy Venerable Apollinaria

Illustration from the book “Lives of the Saints” by Demetrius of Rostov

Icon: Venerable Apollinaria

Glorified in the guise of: Saints, Blesseds

When he lived: approx. 400 – 500 g.g.

Where he lived: Roman Empire

Other sections

Life: “Venerable Apollinaria”

After the death of the Greek king Arkady (1), his son Theodosius (2) remained a small, eight-year-old boy and could not rule the kingdom; Therefore, Arcadius’s brother, the Roman emperor Honorius (3), entrusted guardianship over the young king and the administration of the entire Greek kingdom to one of the most important dignitaries, an anfipat (4) named Anthemius (5), a wise and very pious man. This anfipat, until Theodosius grew up, was revered by everyone at that time as a king, which is why Saint Simeon Metaphrast, beginning to write this life, says: “during the reign of the pious king Anthemius,” and in this whole story he calls him king. This Anthemius had two daughters, one of whom, the youngest, had an unclean spirit in her from childhood, and the eldest spent time in holy churches and prayers from her youth. The name of this last one was Apollinaria. When she reached adulthood, her parents began to think about how to marry her off, but she refused this and told them:

“I want to go to a monastery, listen to Divine Scripture there and see the order of monastic life.

Her parents told her:

- We want to marry you.

She answered them:

“I don’t want to get married, but I hope that God will keep me pure in fear of Him, just as He keeps His holy virgins in chastity!”

It seemed very surprising to her parents that she spoke like that when she was still so young, and that to such an extent she was enveloped in love for the Divine. But Apollinaria again began to beg her parents to bring some nun to her who would teach her the psalter and reading the holy scriptures. Anthemius grieved not a little about her intention, because he wanted to marry her off. When the girl did not change her desire and refused all the gifts that were offered to her by the noble young men who were looking for her hand, her parents told her:

- What do you want, daughter?

She answered them:

- I ask you to give me to God - and you will receive a reward for my virginity!

Seeing that her intention was unshakable, strong and pious, they said:

- May the will of the Lord be done!

And they brought an experienced nun to her, who taught her to read divine books. After this she said to her parents:

“I ask you to let me go on a journey so that I can see the holy places in Jerusalem.” There I will pray and worship the honorable Cross and the Holy Resurrection of Christ!

They did not want to let her go, because she was the only joy for them in the house, and they loved her very much, since her other sister was possessed by a demon. Apollinaria, for a long time, begged her parents with her requests, and so they, against their wishes, finally agreed to let her go. They gave her many male and female slaves, a lot of gold and silver and said:

- Take this, daughter, and go, fulfill your vow, for God wants you to be his slave!

Having put her on the ship, they said goodbye to her and said:

- Remember us too, daughter, in your prayers in holy places!

She told them:

“As you fulfill the desire of my heart, so may God fulfill your petitions and deliver you on the day of trouble!”

So, separated from her parents, she set sail. Having reached Ascalon (6), she stayed here for several days due to rough seas and went around all the churches and monasteries there, praying and giving alms to those in need. Here she found companions for her journey to Jerusalem and, having arrived in the holy city, she bowed to the Resurrection of the Lord and the Precious Cross, performing fervent prayer for her parents. During these days of her pilgrimage, Apollinaria also visited convents, donating large sums for their needs. At the same time, she began to release surplus slaves and slaves, and generously gave them a reward for their service and entrusted herself to their prayers. A few days later, after finishing her prayers at the holy places, Apollinaria, visiting the Jordan, said to those who remained with her:

- My brothers, I want to free you too, but first we will go to Alexandria and worship Saint Menas (7).

- Let it be as you command, madam!

As they approached Alexandria, the proconsul (8) learned of her arrival and sent honorable people to meet her and greet her as a royal daughter. She, not wanting the honors prepared for her, entered the city at night and, herself, appearing at the house of the proconsul, greeted him and his wife. The proconsul and his wife fell at her feet, saying:

- Why did you do this, madam? We sent to greet you, and you, our lady, came to us with a bow.

Blessed Apollinaria told them:

- Do you want to please me?

They answered:

“Then the saint said to them:

“Release me immediately, do not bother me with honors, for I want to go and pray to the holy martyr Mina.”

And they, having honored her with precious gifts, released her. The blessed one distributed those gifts to the poor. After that, she remained in Alexandria for several days, visiting churches and monasteries. At the same time, she found in the house where she was staying one old woman, to whom Apollinaria gave generous alms and begged her to secretly buy her a mantle, a paramande (9), a cowl and a leather belt, and all the men's clothes of the monastic rank. The old woman, agreeing, bought it all and, bringing it to the blessed one, said:

- May God help you, my mother!

Having received the monastic robes, Apollinaria hid them with herself so that her companions would not find out about it. Then she released the slaves and slaves who remained with her, except for two - one old slave and another eunuch, and, boarding a ship, sailed to Limna. From there she hired four animals and went to the tomb of the holy martyr Mina. Having venerated the relics of the saint and completed her prayers, Apollinaria in a closed chariot went to the monastery to venerate the holy fathers who lived there. It was evening when she set out, and she ordered the eunuch to be behind the chariot, and the slave who was in front drove the animals. The blessed one, sitting in a closed chariot and having monastic robes with her, performed a secret prayer, asking the Lord for help in the task she had undertaken. Darkness had fallen and midnight was approaching; The chariot also approached a swamp located near a spring, which later became known as the spring of Apollinaria. Throwing back the cover of the chariot, blessed Apollinaria saw that both of her servants, the eunuch and the driver, had dozed off. Then she took off her worldly clothes and put on a monastic man’s robe, turning to God with these words:

- You, Lord, gave me the firstfruits of this image, grant me the ability to carry it to the end, according to Your Holy will!

Then, making the sign of the cross, she quietly got off the chariot, while her servants were sleeping, and, entering the swamp, hid here until the chariot drove on. The saint settled in that desert by the swamp and lived alone in the face of the One God, Whom she loved. God, seeing her heartfelt attraction to Him, covered her with His right hand, helping her in the fight against invisible enemies, and giving her bodily food in the form of fruits from the date tree.

When the chariot, with which the saint secretly descended, moved on, the servants, the eunuch and the elder woke up in the light of the approaching day, noticing that the chariot was empty, and were very frightened; they saw only the clothes of their mistress, but did not find her herself. They were surprised, not knowing when she came down, where she went and for what purpose, having taken off all her clothes. They searched for her for a long time, called her in a loud voice, but not finding her, they decided to return back, not knowing what else to do. So, having returned to Alexandria, they announced everything to the proconsul of Alexandria, and he, extremely surprised by the report made to him, immediately wrote about everything in detail to Anfipat Anthemius, the father of Apollinaria, and sent him with the eunuch and the elder the clothes remaining in the chariot. Anthemius, having read the proconsul’s letter, together with his wife, Apollinaria’s mother, wept together for a long time and inconsolably, looking at the clothes of his beloved daughter, and all the nobles wept with them. Then Anthemius prayerfully exclaimed:

- God! You chose her, You and establish her in Your fear!

When after this everyone began to cry again, some of the nobles began to console the king with these words:

- Here is the true daughter of a virtuous father, here is the true branch of a pious king! In this, sir, your virtue received evidence before everyone, for which God blessed you with such a daughter!

Saying this and much more, they somewhat calmed the king’s bitter grief. And everyone prayed to God for Apollinaria, so that He would strengthen her in such a life, for they understood that she had gone to a difficult desert life, as it actually happened.

The holy virgin lived for several years in the place where she got off the chariot, staying in the desert near a swamp, from which whole clouds of stinging mosquitoes rose. There she fought with the devil and with her body, which was previously tender; like the body of a girl who grew up in royal luxury, and then became like the armor of a tortoise, for she dried it up with labor, fasting and vigil and gave it to be eaten by mosquitoes, and in addition, she was scorched by the heat of the sun. When the Lord wanted her to find shelter among the holy desert fathers, and for people to see her for their own benefit, he brought her out of that swamp. An angel appeared to her in a dream and ordered her to go to the monastery and be called Dorotheus. And she left her place, having such an appearance that no one could probably tell whether the person in front of him was a man or a woman. When she was walking through the desert early one morning, the holy hermit Macarius met her and said to her:

She asked him for his blessing, and then, having blessed each other, they went together to the monastery. To the saint's question:

Then she told him:

- Be kind, father, let me stay with your brothers!

The elder brought her to the monastery and gave her a cell, not knowing that she was a woman and considering her an eunuch. God did not reveal this secret to him, so that later everyone would receive great benefit from it and for the glory of His holy name. To the question of Macarius: what is her name? she answered:

- My name is Dorofey. Hearing about the holy fathers staying here, I came here to live with them, if only I turned out to be worthy of it.

The elder asked her then:

-What can you do, brother?

And Dorotheus replied that he agreed to do what he was commanded. Then the elder told her to make mats from reeds. And the holy virgin began to live like a husband, in a special cell, among husbands, as desert fathers live: God did not allow anyone to penetrate her secret. She spent her days and nights in constant prayer and handicrafts. Over time, she began to stand out among her fathers for the severity of her life; Moreover, she was given from God the grace of healing ailments and the name of Dorotheus was on everyone’s lips, for everyone loved this imaginary Dorotheus and revered him as a great father.

Quite some time passed, and the evil spirit that possessed the king’s youngest daughter, Anthemia, Apollinaria’s sister, began to torment her more and shouted:

“If you don’t take me to the desert, I won’t leave it.”

The devil resorted to this trick in order to discover that Apollinaria was living among men and to drive her out of the monastery. And since God did not allow the devil to say anything about Apollinaria, he tortured her sister so that she would be sent to the desert. The nobles advised the king to send her to the holy fathers in the monastery so that they would pray for her. The king did so, sending his demoniac with many servants to the desert fathers.

When everyone arrived at the monastery, Saint Macarius came out to meet them and asked them:

- Why, children, did you come here?

“Our pious sovereign Anthemius sent his daughter so that you, having prayed to God, would heal her from her illness.

The elder, having accepted her from the hands of the royal dignitary, took her to Abba Dorotheus, or otherwise to Apollinaria, and said:

“This is the royal daughter who needs the prayers of the fathers living here and your prayer.” Pray for her and heal her, since you have been given this healing ability by the Lord.

Apollinaria, hearing this, began to cry and said:

– Who am I, a sinner, that you attribute to me the power to cast out demons?

And, bending to her knees, she begged the elder with these words:

- Leave me, father, to cry about my many sins; I am weak and unable to do anything in such a matter.

But Macarius told her:

– Don’t other fathers perform signs by the power of God? And this task is also given to you.

Then Apollinaria said:

- May the will of the Lord be done!

And, having compassion on the demoniac, she took her into her cell. Recognizing her sister in her, the saint hugged her with tears of joy and said:

– It’s good that you came here, sister!

God forbade the demon to announce Apollinaria, who continued to hide her gender under the guise and name of a man, and the saint fought the devil with prayer. Once, when the devil began to torment the girl especially severely, blessed Apollinaria, raising her hands to God, prayed with tears for her sister. Then the devil, not being able to resist the power of prayer, shouted loudly:

- I'm in trouble! I'm being driven out of here, and I'm leaving!

And, throwing the girl to the ground, he came out of her. Saint Apollinaria, taking with her her recovered sister, brought her to church, and, falling at the feet of the holy fathers, said:

- Forgive me, a sinner! I sin a lot living among you.

They, having called the messengers from the king, gave them the healed royal daughter and sent her with prayers and blessings to the king. The parents were very happy when they saw their daughter healthy, and all the nobles rejoiced at the happiness of their king and glorified God for his great mercy, for they saw that the girl became healthy, beautiful in face and quiet. Saint Apollinaria humbled herself even more among the fathers, taking upon herself more and more new exploits.

Then the devil again resorted to cunning to upset the king and dishonor his house, as well as to dishonor and harm the imaginary Dorotheus. He again entered the king's daughter, but did not torment her as before, but gave her the appearance of a woman who had conceived. Seeing her in this position, her parents were extremely embarrassed and began to interrogate her with whom she had sinned. The Maiden, being pure in body and soul, answered that she herself did not know how this happened to her. When her parents began beating her to tell her who she fell with, the devil said through her lips:

“That monk in the cell with whom I lived in the monastery is responsible for my fall.

The king became very irritated and ordered that the monastery be destroyed. The royal commanders came with soldiers to the monastery and angrily demanded that the monk, who had so cruelly insulted the royal daughter, be handed over to them, and if they resisted, they threatened to exterminate all the hermitages. Hearing this, all the fathers came into extreme confusion, but blessed Dorotheos, going out to the royal servants, said:

- I am the one you are looking for; take me alone as guilty, and leave the other fathers alone as innocent.

The fathers, hearing this, were upset and said to Dorotheus: “And we will go with you!” - because they did not consider him guilty of that sin! But blessed Dorotheos told them:

- My gentlemen! you just pray for me, but I trust in God and your prayers, and I think that I will soon return safely to you.

Then they took him with the whole cathedral to the church and, having made a prayer for him and entrusting him to God, gave him to those sent by Anthemius; Abba Macarius and other fathers were, however, confident that Dorotheus was innocent of anything. When Dorotheus was brought to Anthemius, he fell at his feet and said:

“I beg you, pious sir, to listen patiently and in silence to what I say about your daughter; but I will tell you everything only in private. The girl is pure and did not suffer any violence.

When the saint intended to go to her abode, her parents began to beg her to stay with them. But they could not beg her, and, moreover, they did not want to break the king’s word given to her that they would release her to her place of residence before revealing her secret. So, against their own wishes, they let their beloved daughter go, crying and sobbing, but at the same time rejoicing in the soul of such a virtuous daughter who devoted herself to the service of God. Blessed Apollinaria asked her parents to pray for her, and they told her:

– May God, to whom you have disgraced yourself, complete you in fear and love for Him and may He cover you with His mercy; and you, beloved daughter, remember us in your holy prayers.

They wanted to give her a lot of gold so that she could take it to the monastery for the needs of the holy fathers, but she did not want to take it.

“My fathers,” she said, “have no need for the riches of this world; We only care about not losing the blessings of heaven.

So, having said a prayer and cried for a long time, hugging and kissing their beloved daughter, the king and queen released her to her place of residence. The blessed one rejoiced and rejoiced in the Lord.

When she came to the monastery, the fathers and brothers rejoiced that their brother Dorotheus returned to them safe and sound, and they held a celebration that day in thanksgiving to the Lord. No one ever found out what happened to her at the Tsar’s, and the fact that Dorofey was a woman also remained unknown. And Saint Apollinaria, this imaginary Dorotheus, lived among the brethren, as before, staying in her cell. After some time, foreseeing her departure to God, she said to Abba Macarius:

- Do me a favor, father: when the time comes for me to depart to another life, then let the brothers not wash or cleanse my body.

The elder said:

- How is this possible?

When she reposed before the Lord (10), the brethren came to wash her and, seeing that there was a woman before them, they loudly exclaimed:

– Glory to Thee, Christ God, who has many hidden saints with Himself!

Saint Macarius was surprised that this secret was not revealed to him. But in a dream vision he saw one man who told him:

- Do not grieve that this secret was hidden from you and it is fitting for you to be crowned with the holy fathers who lived in ancient times.

The one who appeared spoke about the origins and life of blessed Apollinaria and named her name. Rising from sleep, the elder called the brethren and told them about what he had seen, and everyone marveled and glorified God, marvelous in His saints. Having decorated the body of the saint, the brethren buried him with honor on the eastern side of the temple, in the tomb of St. Macarius. From these holy relics many healings were performed, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be glory forever, amen.

1 Arcadius, following the division of the Roman Empire by his father Theodosius I the Great, reigned in the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantium, from 395 - 408.

2 Theodosius II is the son of Arkady, called the Younger, in contrast to his grandfather Theodosius I the Great; reigned in Byzantium from 408-450.

3 Honorius, another son of Theodosius the Great, received the West during the division of the empire and reigned from 395-423.

4 Anfipat or proconsul (Greek dignitary in the Byzantine Empire, who held the public position of ruler of a separate region or province.

5 Anthemius - the father of Apollinaria - was a proconsul or anfipat from 405. And he enjoyed influence at court, so that after the death of Emperor Arcadius in 408, his brother Honorius, the emperor of the Western Empire, appointed this Anthemius guardian to Arcadius' 8-year-old son Theodosius and entrusted him with temporary rule of the entire Eastern Empire. Therefore, Anthemius is called a king in his life. Blessed Theodoret mentions him, and a letter to him from St. John Chrysostom.

6 Ascalon is one of the five main Philistine cities in Palestine on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, between Gaza and Azoth. Assigned as an inheritance to the tribe of Judah and conquered by it, it, however, was later independent and, like other Philistine cities, was at enmity with Israel.

7 Here, of course, St. Great Martyr Mina, whose memory is celebrated on November 11th. The martyrdom of Saint Menas followed in 304 and his remains were transferred by believers to Alexandria, where a Temple was erected at the site of their burial; Numerous fans flocked here, since many miracles were performed here through the prayers of the saint.

8 Proconsul is the ruler of a region.

9 Paramanda, otherwise called analav, is an accessory to the monastic robe. In ancient times, the paramanda consisted of two belts, worn over a tunic or shirt in a cross shape on the shoulders, as a sign of the raising of the yoke of Christ on the cross. Otherwise, the paramanda was made of double woolen belts that descended from the neck and hugged the shoulders crosswise under the arms and then girded the lower clothing. Subsequently, to these belts and baldrics they began to attach a small linen cloth on the chest with the image of the suffering of Christ, girding the ends of the belts or baldrics crosswise, in the likeness of a deacon’s orarion. Some of the monks wore a paramand over their monastic clothes, others not only over a tunic or shirt, as they wear now. Currently, only schema-monks wear an elongated paramand or analav over their clothes.

Saints of Russia: Saints of God of Russia, lives, icons, prayers, akathists, days of remembrance, miracles, places of veneration.

Children's Orthodox Reader

During the minority of the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius the Younger, guardianship over him and temporary control of the entire Eastern Empire was entrusted to one of the most important dignitaries of the empire, proconsul Anthemius, a wise and pious man. Anthemius, who was revered by everyone as a king, had two daughters. The youngest, from childhood, suffered from demonic possession, and the eldest, Venerable Apollinaria, spent a lot of time in holy churches and prayers. Having reached adulthood, Apollinaria refused to get married and asked her parents for permission to venerate the holy places of the East.
Already in the Holy Land, having visited places dear to every Christian, where the Lord Jesus Christ lived and suffered, the royal daughter began to release the slaves who accompanied her. Arriving from Jerusalem to the capital of Egypt, Alexandria, she secretly changed from the servants into the clothes of a monk and hid in a swampy place, where she labored for several years in strict fasting and prayer.
By revelation from above, she came to the skete to Macarius of Egypt, calling herself the monk Dorotheus.
Macarius, who spent sixty years in the dead desert, accepted Apollinaria among his brethren. God did not reveal her secrets to the miracle worker so that later everyone would receive great benefit from him. At the skete she soon became famous for her ascetic life. It so happened that Apollinaria’s parents sent their raging daughter for healing to the Monk Macarius, who brought the sick woman to the monk Dorotheus (Saint Apollinaria). And through the prayer of the unknown great ascetic, the girl received healing. But when she returned home a few months later, everyone saw her big belly, as if a girl was expecting a child. It was the devil's trick. Anthemius and his wife, angry, sent soldiers to the monastery demanding that the culprit of the insult to their daughter be handed over. When Saint Apollinaria was taken to her parents’ house, she revealed herself to them and healed her sister. The joy of meeting her missing daughter gave way to sadness: Apollinaria returned to the monastery, where she soon died peacefully in 470. Only then did it become clear that the monk Dorotheos was a woman who labored on an equal basis with men.

Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow

Memorial Days January 22 and July 16
Saint Philip came from a family of boyars, the Kolychevs. At the head of the administration of the Moscow state in those days was the Boyar Duma - a council of noble and well-born people close to the tsar by merit and kinship.
The Kolychev boyars did not have the last word in the Duma. The Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III, the father of Ivan the Terrible, brought young Theodore closer to the court. But even the sincere affection of the young Tsarevich John for him, which foreshadowed a brilliant future, did not keep Fyodor in the world. From an early age he fell in love with divine books, was meek, did not like court life, and did not look for a wife until he was 30 years old. One day, entering the church, he heard the words of Christ the Savior that no one can serve two masters. In what was said, the young man recognized his calling to monasticism. Secretly from everyone, Fyodor, wearing simple clothes, left Moscow and went to the distant Solovetsky monastery on the White Sea.

There he performed the most difficult obediences: he chopped wood, dug the ground, and worked at the mill. After a year and a half of testing, the abbot tonsured Fyodor, giving him the monastic name Philip. Under the guidance of experienced elders, Monk Philip grew spiritually and a few years later, according to the common desire of the brethren, he became the abbot of Solovetsky.
In this rank, Saint Philip worked hard to improve the spiritual and material life of the northern monastery. On Solovki, he connected the lakes with canals and drained swampy areas for haymaking, built roads, erected two majestic cathedrals - the Assumption and the Transfiguration, built a hospital and monasteries for those who wanted silence, and from time to time he himself retired to one secluded place. He taught the brethren to a hard-working life without idleness. But in Moscow, the reigning Ivan the Terrible remembered the Solovetsky hermit, who hoped to find a faithful companion, confessor and adviser in the friend of his youth. With tears, Abbot Philip refused to accept the metropolitan rank, but the king was adamant. Then the saint agreed to become metropolitan, wanting to reduce the horrors of the oprichnina introduced by Ivan the Terrible. But executions, torture and other atrocities that harmed both people and the Russian state continued. Metropolitan Philip several times in private conversations with the tsar tried to reason with him. Convictions did not help, and in the spring of 1568, at a service in the Assumption Cathedral, Saint Philip refused to bless Ivan the Terrible and began to openly condemn lawlessness. Slanders were found with false accusations against the saint.
And just six months later, by decision of the cowardly Boyar Duma, the saint was arrested. During the service, guardsmen in black robes burst into the Assumption Cathedral, tore off the metropolitan's church vestments and pushed him out of the church with their brooms, put him on simple logs and took him to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery. At the same time, the king executed many of Philip's relatives. The head of the Metropolitan’s especially beloved nephew was sent to him by Grozny in his cell. Then, by order of the king, a hungry bear was allowed to approach him, but the beast did not touch the saint. People crowded around the monastery from morning to evening and told miracles about him. Then the tsar ordered the disgraced metropolitan to be transferred to the Tver Otroch Monastery, where a year later he died at the hands of Malyuta Skuratov - the chief guardsman strangled him with a pillow.
Twenty years later, the monks of the Solovetsky monastery asked permission to transfer the incorruptible relics of their former abbot to their monastery. Subsequently, the relics of St. Philip were transferred to Moscow and placed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin on the spot where the guardsmen seized the metropolitan martyr.

Saint Tatiana was born into a noble Roman family. Her father, a secret Christian, was elected consul three times and raised his daughter in devotion to God. As an adult, Tatiana abandoned married life. She was made a deaconess in one of the Roman churches, and from now on she devoted her entire life to prayer and charity: she cared for the sick, visited prisons, and helped the poor.
Under Emperor Alexander Severus, persecution of Christians began again, and the blood of new martyrs flowed like a river. Deaconess Tatiana was also captured. When they brought her to the temple of Apollo to force her to make a sacrifice to the idol, the saint prayed - and the earth shook, the idol was blown to pieces, part of the temple collapsed and crushed the priests and many pagans. Then they began to beat the holy virgin and gouged out her eyes, but she endured everything courageously, praying for her tormentors. And it was revealed to them that four angels surrounded the saint and diverted blows from her. The eight tormentors believed in Christ and fell at the feet of Saint Tatiana, begging to forgive them. They were executed for professing to be Christians.
When they began to cut the saint’s body with razors, milk flowed out of the wounds instead of blood and a fragrance filled the air. The torturers were exhausted and declared that someone invisible was beating them with iron sticks, nine of them died immediately. The saint was thrown into prison, all night she sang praises to the Lord, and the angels who appeared healed her wounds. She appeared at the new trial healthy and even more radiant and beautiful than before. Then they brought Saint Tatiana to the circus and released a hungry lion on her, but the beast began to meekly lick her feet. The pagans cut her hair, thinking that it contained her magical powers, and locked her in the temple of Zeus. But when the priests came three days later, preparing to make sacrifices, they saw the broken idol and the holy martyr Tatiana, joyfully calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. All the tortures were exhausted, and the courageous sufferer was (in 226) beheaded with a sword in the place of her father, who revealed to her the truths of the Christian faith.

Holy Equal to the Apostles Nina, enlightener of Georgia

Saint Nina was born in Cappodacia and was the only daughter of noble and pious parents. At the age of twelve, Nina and her parents came to the city of Jerusalem to venerate the shrines. The shock of meeting the Holy Land was so strong that her ardently religious father decided to become a monk, and her mother remained to serve at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Nina was given to be raised by the pious old woman Nianfora.
The heart of the holy young woman burned with love for Christ, who endured suffering on the cross and death to save people. Reading the Gospel story about how the soldiers who crucified Christ shared His clothes and one of them received a tunic that the Most Holy Theotokos Herself had woven, Nina thought: such a shrine cannot be lost on earth. From her mentor she learned that the tunic of the Lord was taken to the Iberian country (now Georgia) to the city of Mtskheta. Nina began to fervently pray to the Most Holy Theotokos to see that country and find the robe of the Lord. And so the Mother of God appeared to Nina in a dream and commanded her to go to the pagan country of Iberia with the preaching of Christ’s teachings and handed Nina a cross woven from a grapevine. Having overcome all the difficulties of an unknown path, in Iveria Saint Nina found refuge in the family of the royal gardener. The couple had no children, and Nina begged them for a child. Soon she became so famous for her miracles that many began to turn to her for help. Calling on the name of Christ, Saint Nina healed the pagans and told them about God, who created heaven and earth, and about Christ the Savior. She converted King Marian himself to Christ.
Through her prayers, it was revealed to Saint Nina where the Lord’s robe was hidden, and the first Christian church in Georgia was erected there.
Through her labors, the faith of Christ was established and spread not only in Georgia itself, but also in the adjacent mountainous regions. After 35 years of apostolic labors, Saint Nina peacefully departed to the Lord in 335.

Saint Apollinaria: life, icon, prayers

Saint Apollinaria, whose icon should be in every home of those baptized with this name, is famous for her modest ascetic life. She dedicated it to serving God.