Holy places of Europe. Orthodox shrines in Germany and Europe

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The main shrine of Europe - the Crown of Thorns of the Lord in the Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris(Notre-Dame de Paris). To bow to this shrine was the main goal of the pilgrimage of a group of parishioners of the Intercession Church.

The shrine is taken out for worship on the first Friday of each month, at 15:00. Therefore, the route was calculated in such a way as to be in Paris that day. It was the fourth day of our trip. In the morning we saw the sights of the city, and then, closer to the appointed time, we got to the cathedral. After standing in line, we entered it. The cathedral was full of people. We stopped in the aisle, looking around for where we could stumble. And suddenly a procession moves from the vault to the altar. Priests in white vestments, with a censer, with candles, and behind them they carry the Crown of Thorns. They passed by us and laid Him on a lectern for worship.

We didn't even realize what had happened. In such a state of shock, they dispersed around the cathedral, taking up empty seats. At that time there was a service. They read and sang something, we do not understand. An instrument of torture lay on the lectern, and a repentant feeling grew in my soul. After all, we still crucify Christ with our sins. Then this feeling was replaced by calmness and silence, from the presence of God. And a prayer flowed for relatives and friends, for the sick and suffering, for everyone who was not with us. Men in white capes and white gloves began to raise the rows of people in turn. And the human river moved to bow and venerate the shrine. We sat far away and waited for the Lord to call us too. No one climbed out of line, no pushing. It was the same as at the Shroud of the Lord in Turin.

And now about the crown itself. Initially, the Crown of Thorns was located in Constantinople, in the Pharos Church. When the crusaders captured Constantinople in 1204, many shrines were plundered and ended up in the West. It is known for sure that the Crown of Thorns was bought by the holy king of France Louis IX from the Venetians. Forty kilometers before Paris, he took off his regalia and shoes, together with his brother brought the shrine on his shoulders to the city, to the specially built Holy Chapel. Later, the shrine was transferred to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The Lord's crown of thorns is a wreath of thorn twigs intertwined with the twigs of the aromatic jujube plant. With almost no preserved spines. The wreath is placed in a crystal ring with a gold frame. The diameter of the wreath is 21 cm. It is stored in the ark.

Other shrines of the cathedral. The Palatine Cross is an ark for storing particles of the Cross and the Nail of the Lord.

And now back to the beginning of the pilgrimage. We visit the highest Gothic cathedral in Europe in Cologne, which was built for 630 years, as an ark for the relics of the three Magi, wise men from the East, kept here. We also worship the wise men and sing the Christmas kontakion.

Then the city of Trier. City of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena. The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Helena lived here with her son Constantine, after Constantius Chlorus divorced her and married Theodora. Only after the death of Constantius, when the troops proclaimed Constantine emperor, did she begin to live at the court, in Rome.

“Thou shalt divide My garments for thyself, and for My garments a lot shall be cast” (Ps. 21.19) He is not sewn, but woven with a continuous thread. It was found to have large blood spots on the posterior dorsal side. This suggests that after the scourging, the Lord was dressed in it to carry the cross to Golgotha. The Chiton is stored in a casket rolled up due to dilapidation. It was transferred to a fabric treated antiseptics to protect against any kind of damage. It is extremely rarely taken from the ark. Last time such an event took place in 1984. There, in the treasury, there are particles of the relics of the holy chief apostles Peter and Paul, part of the chain with which the apostle Peter was chained, the cup of Empress Elena.

On the same day we visited the monastery of the Apostle Matthew, from 70. They kissed his relics, under a bushel. The martyrs of the Thebes Legion and St. Eucharius and Valery.

In the morning of the next day we move to Esho, where in the church of St. Tryphon kept the ark, which contained the relics of the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia.

At one time, the relics of the saints Faith, Hope and Love were burned, and pious Christians collected the ashes and kept them until the temple was opened. Now this ashes, and perhaps even the remaining parts of the relics, are stored in the ark. Separately, a piece of the relics of St. Sophia, as well as a piece of the Cross of the Lord, are kept.

Fourth day. In the morning we leave for Paris, to the relics of Empress Helena Equal to the Apostles, which are in the crypt of the church of Saint-Les-Saint-Gilles, transferred here by the monk Don Grossard, who, saving them from defilement during the French Revolution, kept them for 28 years. Russians are also allowed to serve here.

The majestic Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Cathedral keeps a particle of the relics of Equal Ap. Mary Magdalene. The holy myrrh-bearing woman was buried in Ephesus, where she helped the Apostle John the Theologian. Then her relics were transported to Constantinople, and from there part of the relics - to Paris, and Her head to Provence, to the city of Saint-Maximin, not far from Marseilles, but we did not get there.

On the same day we worship the Savior's Crown of Thorns, the next day we leave for Chartres. In the 9th century, a precious shrine appeared here - Riza Holy Mother of God.

“What truly grace does this Divine and All-Holy Robe contain, which, as we believe, not only the Mother of God the Word put on Herself, but in it she carried and nourished the Divine Infant Christ with her milk ...” (Byzantine Times, 1895) “The Word of the Church on the Position of the Robe of the Mother of God in Blachernae” by Theodore Sincella tells that, according to the will of the Most Pure, the Robe was transferred to the widow present at the burial of the Mother of God. And for four centuries it was kept by the elected representatives of her family, until the two brothers Galvius and Candide discovered her in a small village near Nazareth and brought her to Blachernae. A temple was built for her there. Princes Askold and Dir saw this miracle from Her during a campaign against Constantinople, when Patriarch Photius lowered the Robe into a calm sea, which suddenly boiled up and sank many Russian ships. Many who survived, including Askold and Dir, accepted holy baptism. Subsequently, the Riza was divided into parts. One of them is in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, part in Rome, but the most significant part in the Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral, built in 1260 in Honor of the Robe of the Blessed Virgin. There we were allowed to serve a prayer service.

On the same day, we managed to visit the cemetery of Russian emigrants Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois. A memorial service was served here. The inscription on the grave: "Russian people, wherever you are, love Russia, present, past and future, and always be her faithful sons and daughters."

Today is the sixth day of our pilgrimage, Sunday. We leave for service in the Orthodox Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Paris. In the morning we manage to stop by the small temple of the Moscow Patriarchate "Three Hierarchs", converted into a temple from a garage. The church of St. Alexander Nevsky is large, beautiful not only from the outside, but also inside. This is where we partake.

The patron saint of Paris is St. Dionysius the Areopagite. He was beheaded on the hill of Montmartre (mountain of martyrs) along with the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherios. We visited there too. At the top of the hill is a majestic cathedral. From there you can see all of Paris.

The Eiffel Tower was also viewed from observation deck, where they met with cadets of naval schools from the Kruzenshtern barque.

Amazing and perhaps the most beautiful city which we visited This is the city of Bruges. It is called little Venice because of the many canals along which guests of the city are taken on boats. But we are more interested in the Basilica of St. Basil, but here it is more called the Basilica of the Holy Blood, in honor of the shrine kept there. In a transparent container rock crystal there is the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, collected at the place of the crucifixion on Golgotha ​​with a piece of sheep's wool. This shrine was also taken out by the crusaders, among whom were the inhabitants of Bruges. The Brotherhood of the Holy Blood is founded there. We also managed to venerate this shrine.

From Prüm we moved to the shrines of the city of Aachen: the shroud of the Divine Infant Christ, the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Platter from the beheading of the head of John the Baptist. The city of Aachen was transformed from the word Aqua (water), as there are hydrogen sulfide sources here. Peter I used to be treated there.

We could not get to all the shrines in one trip. We fly home in the evening. We thank God for everything. Thank God for everything!

Galina Aleksandrova
June 2013

Often, Russians, including those who are churched, when they hear about pilgrimages in Western Europe, ask the question: “Where are the Orthodox shrines in Western Europe? Before what can one pray there? Everyone knows the Holy Land, Greece, but what does the Western world have to do with it?

The leaders of the Pilgrimage and Cultural and Educational Center of St. Thomas the Apostle in Europe, Timothy and Elvira Katnis, answer.

People forget that both we and Western Christians have a joint thousand-year history before the schism of the Church in 1054, and, accordingly, common shrines and saints. You just need to carefully watch our church Orthodox calendar, it's all there. Many shrines belong to that period, and many were removed from the Orthodox East during the Crusades. For example, in the infamous IV Crusade of 1204, the crusaders captured Constantinople, and there were a huge number of shrines, which then ended up in the West.

That's how it is in the territory Western Europe appeared: the Crown of Thorns of the Savior, the Head (or rather, the front part) of the Holy Prophet and Baptist John, the Shroud of Turin. Some shrines ended up in Western Europe as pious gifts from Constantinople and Rome - to the barbarian kingdoms, to strengthen them in the faith of Christ. Many shrines came to Europe under Charlemagne, when the king asserted the Frankish empire in the faith of Christ. It must be said that Charles not only created an empire, but also carried out a Christian mission among the Saxons and other barbarian peoples.

It is in the first millennium of the history of the still undivided Church that the most ancient pilgrimage routes are established. One of the most famous today is way of the holy apostle James, to his relics in Santiago de Campostella in Spain. The first pilgrimage guides of the 12th-15th centuries can be called the real instructions for pilgrims. In addition, they tell how, for example, boatmen are scourged, who shamelessly rob people who want to cross the river. Therefore, the history and traditions of pilgrimage have been developing for a long time. And the very understanding of pilgrimage, as an image of spiritual achievement, refers to the first centuries of Christianity.

The first pilgrims were people who went, for example, to Rome, where there were persecutions of the Church, and the first martyrs have already appeared among Christians. People from afar went to their graves to pray, to ask them for intercession before the Lord, to rejoice that Christ had new martyrs. This is the first form of pilgrimage. Often the authorities set up ambushes in those places where the tombs of the martyrs were, thus identifying Christians. In a word, shrines appeared in Western Europe already in the first centuries of the history of the Church, and they can indeed be called universal shrines.

For example, the relics of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, which were brought to a small town more than 1200 years ago Esho (Russian translation - "Ash Island"), near Strasbourg, or Head of St. Queen Helena- in a German city Trier.

In Russia, many temples are dedicated to them, their names are so close to the Russian person that it is even forgotten that the events of their earthly life took place on the territory modern Europe. After all, the holy martyrs received the martyr's crown in Rome, and St. Empress Helen began her Equal-to-the-Apostles sermon in Trier, where the palace of her son St. Constantine, where she transferred from Jerusalem part of the Chiton of the Lord Jesus Christ. When people find out about this, they begin to make trips to Europe, pray to these saints, turn to their heavenly intercession.

When Peter I moved the capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg, he decided that the city should also become the spiritual capital of the empire. For this, the tsar transfers to the city the shrines of that time, especially associated with the idea of ​​statehood: a list from the original of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the relics of the right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky. Soon the city also had its own shrines - Xenia of Petersburg, John of Kronstadt shone here, as well as the last confessor of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra before its closing, St. Seraphim Vyritsky. It will take at least four days to worship all these shrines

Greek island Corfu allows you to combine summer vacation on the sea with a pilgrimage and a Mediterranean tan - with a sightseeing tour of varying degrees of antiquity. In addition to the temple of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky and his relics, there are many shrines on the island

Summer is the time for holidays, many of our fellow citizens prefer to spend their summer holidays in Turkey, whose resorts are very popular with Russian tourists. Asia Minor, that is, the territory of modern Turkey, is the cradle of Eastern Christianity, a land rich in unique Christian monuments. One of the unique historical places of modern Turkey is the city of Iznik, or Nicaea, the birthplace of two ecumenical councils and the Orthodox Creed, which we read at every liturgy.

Orthodox family: dad (37 years old), mom (40 years old), Misha (10 years old) and Masha (9 years old) for 21 days in August 2007 drove 12 thousand kilometers in an old car across the territory of six states, swam in five seas and bowed little-known Orthodox shrines of the Middle East. It turned out that all that is needed for this is determination, a little money for gasoline and a couple of visas, which in Moscow can be obtained in an hour!

Before the trip to Transcarpathia, we were asked several times: “Aren't you afraid? This is Western Ukraine! There is nationalism! But for some reason we were not afraid.

Until recently, the Vatopedi Monastery brought to Russia the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos. And today, the correspondent of "NS" himself went to Vatopedi to see how the youngest and most numerous of the monastic brethren of Mount Athos lives.

The theme of the new, June issue of the Neskuchny Sad magazine is about travel. Now it is fashionable to travel around Europe. Do you know what shrines are in Europe that are not in Russia? So - the main shrines of Europe in the magazine Neskuchny Sad in June

When the first pilgrimages to the shrines of Western Europe began to be organized twenty years ago, the very fact aroused surprise among many Orthodox: what kind of “shrines” can there be in the West? They remembered history, the undivided Church, they recognized that there are saints in Europe. But questions remained: what if “our saint” (of the undivided Church) lies in their Catholic church? Or "our icon" - in the same place? How to behave in this temple? It turns out that at one time these questions worried even emigrant hierarchs

The very first guide for pilgrims is dedicated to the oldest pilgrimage route in Europe - the way of the Apostle James in Spain. Its author is considered to be Pope Callist II (XII century). The path was dangerous, Moors-Muslims and local vagrants attacked all the time. The knights of the Order of St. James provided protection, but only the heroes of the spirit decided to go (and judging by historical sources, there were a lot of them). Today the Way of the Apostle James is protected by UNESCO. And the pilgrims who passed it are given a “pilgrim's passport”

In Paris, on the island of Cité, in the main temple of France - the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris), built, by the way, on donations from citizens: kings, bishops and townspeople, one of the greatest shrines is kept Christendom- Savior's Crown of Thorns

Even before the middle of the 20th century, almost no one in Belgium heard about Orthodoxy, and if they did, they considered it a sect. Today, the country's only male Orthodox monastery in the name of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" (Moscow Patriarchate) is one of the main pilgrimage centers for all Belgian Christians

18 years ago, the relics of St. John of Shanghai were found in America. At the end of September the Church celebrates this event. An eyewitness, Archpriest Peter Perekrestov, tells the correspondent of the Neskuchny Sad magazine about how the relics of the saint were found:

For those who could not or did not have time to buy a paper version of our magazine, we are posting its PDF version for free access. So, before you is the June issue of Neskuchny Sad. Theme of the issue - The main shrines of Europe

As is known Christian church not always divided into Catholic and Orthodox. It so happened that in 1054 after the birth of Christ there was a tragic schism between the Eastern and Western Churches. The common saints who became famous for their lives before the division of the Churches remained as a legacy from the former integrity. Many of them got tied up here in Europe. And when we enter Catholic churches, we do not suspect that the relics of saints revered by the Orthodox Church are stored there.

Also in the XII and XIII centuries, as a result of the Crusades, Europe got a large number of Christian shrines. Not a few of them are stored on German soil.

1. Aachen shrines

Every 7 years, Aachen invites you to a celebration centered on the veneration of four of the many relics that are from the time of Charlemagne in the Palace Chapel. These are fabric products revered as a tunic (dress) of the Virgin Mary (according to legend, she was on the Mother of God on Holy Night); the swaddling clothes with which Mary swaddled the baby Jesus; towel on which the head of St. John the Baptist after her beheading, as well as a bandage from the loins of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Relics are the main shrines of the Palace Chapel, built by Charlemagne according to his plan. According to legend, Charlemagne received relics related to the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and other saints of the New Testament from the Pope, to whom they were handed over by envoys from Constantinople and Jerusalem.

2. CATHEDRAL OF ST. CORNELIUS KORNELIMUNSTER.

Shrines of the Cathedral of St. Cornelius are associated exclusively with Jesus Christ and are called biblical or evangelical:

1. Lention or towel of the Lord, with which He girded (John 13:4) before washing the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper;
2. Sindon or burial veil (Luke 23:53), which, according to tradition, was used by Joseph of Arimathea at the burial of Jesus;
3. Sir, according to tradition, this is a cloth (John 20:7) with which, in accordance with Jewish customs, they covered the head of the deceased Jesus.

Scientific studies of these woven relics confirm their ancient and Middle Eastern origins. These three woven relics were first in Aachen, along with other shrines that Charlemagne donated to his Palace Chapel. Ludwig the Pious, his son and heir, took them from the reliquary and gave them to the church of St. Cornelius in the town of Kornelimunster, located in the valley of the river Inde (10 km south of Aachen). In contrast to the precious shrine in which the shrines in Aachen are preserved, the relics in the Cathedral of St. Cornelius lies in a simple wooden ark.

3. TRIR

Historically, the city of Trier was the cradle of Christianity in the German lands. The oldest city in Germany - the city during the time of Emperor Diocletian, which had the status of one of the four capitals of the Roman Empire, rightfully calling itself "Northern Rome", was consecrated by the prayer of the great Christian saints: the Apostle Matthias (whose relics rest in the monastery bearing him holy name), Athanasius the Great, Ambrose of Milan and Martin of Tours in different time who labored in these parts in Christian living and prayer.

Crypt of the Church of St. Peacock, in which the relics of the Trier martyrs openly rest and St. Peacock.

This city was consecrated with the blood of the martyrs of the famous Thebes Legion, the witnesses of Christ, whose life and glorious death to this day glorify the truth of the Faith in Christ. Their relics openly rest in the Church of St. Peacock. It was in Trier at the beginning of the 4th century that Saint Constantine Equal to the Apostles prepared the "Edict of Milan" for the children of the Church of Christ. The throne room of the emperor has been preserved in the city, whose activities are equated by the Church with the deeds of the apostles.

A significant part of the life of his holy mother, Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena, passed here. In the city's cathedral, in the name of the Apostle Peter, its Head is piously preserved, as well as the Chiton of the Savior, which, according to legend, the Queen brought from the Holy City of Jerusalem. In addition, in the treasury of the cathedral, the Holy Nail and Sandal of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, brought by her, are kept. Particles of the relics of St. Righteous Joachim and Anna.

Trier deserves the title of not only the most ancient, but also one of the most beautiful cities in Germany.

4. COLOGNE

Cologne is one of the most ancient cities in Germany (about 5000 years old), constantly contesting its seniority with Trier.

In 1164, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa made a trip to Italy, to Milan, where he captured the relics of the three Magi, which were kept in one of the Milan monasteries. Then he donated the shrine to Cologne.

According to legend, the relics of the three wise men were found by St. Queen Equal to the Apostles Helena and transferred to Constantinople, and in the 5th century - to Mediolan (modern Milan). “When,” it says in the book of John of Hildesheim, “the relics of three kings were transferred from Constantinople to Milan, then with the help of the interpretation of the gifts presented to the Lord by the kings, all heresies and delusions were exposed and refuted. For these three gifts signify in the one person of Christ Divine majesty, royal power and human mortal nature: frankincense means the offering of a sacrifice, gold means tribute to Caesar, myrrh means the anointing of the dead. And honest Christians all over the world believe in Christ as true God, true King, true Man.”

In addition to the relics of the three Magi, Archbishop Rainald of Dassen brought from Milan to Cologne a carved image of the Mother of God, deeply revered by believers. This sculpture was apparently destroyed by fire in the cathedral in 1248. Subsequently, around 1290, the image of Our Lady, which has come down to us, was created, on which the name "Milan Madonna" was transferred. "Milan Madonna" is considered one of the most beautiful sculptural creations of the mature Gothic period. Its creators are the same sculptors who created the stone sculptures of the apostles on the pilasters of the internal choirs.

Priceless treasures are stored in the cathedral, which are innumerable. The most valuable relics of the cathedral are the links of the chain with which St. Apostle Peter in prison, and his staff. In Rome, in the church of St. Peter's in Vincoli there is a chain with which, according to legend, St. Peter. Three links from this chain were brought as a gift to the Archbishop of Cologne Bruno (953-965). When conducting church processions, the archbishop always carried them in front of the procession.

The Cologne Cathedral is not only a venue for church services, but also the largest museum, where the richest collections paintings, sculptures and jewelry.

5. Mönchengladbach

The first information about these relics comes from the story of the founding of the Gladbach Monastery, which emerged from the walls of the monastery's scriptorium in the 11th century. This ornate story mentions a certain noble husband named Balderich, who ordered the construction of a church on Gladbach Hill. The first relics were donated to this church by Emperor Charlemagne himself (742–814). The church was destroyed by the Ugrians in 954, and the shrines are particles of the relics of Sts. Vitus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Barbara and Chrysanthos - the defenders of the temple hid when the enemy approached, putting them in a hollow stone and burying them. Archaeological excavations held on the mountain under the direction of Professor Hugo Borger confirmed the existence of a settlement on the mountain in the late Carolingian era.

Further, the legend tells about the new acquisition of the lost shrines. It is said that in 974 Archbishop Gero of Cologne and Sandrad, a monk from Trier, who accompanied him, were looking for a place for a future monastery. When they reached the ruins on Gladbach Hill, they suddenly heard bell ringing coming from somewhere in the bowels of the mountain. A miraculous bell led the bishop and the monk to the place where the relics were hidden in a hollow stone. Thus, the place for the founding of a new monastery was determined by the will of God. And the monk Sandrad became the first abbot of the monastery.

The monastery enjoyed the special patronage of its founder, Archbishop Gero. It is assumed that it was he who, having returned from a Byzantine trip with many relics, presented the Gladbach Monastery with its main shrines - the gospel ones, as in Aachen and Kornelimünster. However, for the first time these relics are documented only around 1275. We are talking about a piece of cloth, revered as part of the tablecloth on which the Last Supper, and about another piece, which, according to legend, is part of the purple robe of Christ. Fragments of dishes that were supposed to be used during the Last Supper, and parts of the clothes of the Virgin Mary and the Evangelist John are also stored here.

Another shrine of the Gladbach Monastery is a part of the head of St. Lawrence.

Relics are opened every seven years, following the model of the Aachen pilgrimage, in the same years. On the first day, the rector of the cathedral, the mayor, in the presence and with the participation of the Bishop of Aachen, open the ark of the Last Supper, and the shrines taken from it are shown to the people.

6. THE RELIGION OF SAINT ANASTASIA THE DESIGNER IN BAVARIA

An hour's drive from Munich towards the city of Bad Teltz, almost at the very foot of the Alps, one of the oldest Bavarian monasteries, Benediktbourn, founded in 739, is picturesquely located. From the side of the cemetery, in the northern part of the main monastery church of St. Benedict is the famous Anastasia Chapel in Bavaria.

In the altar part of the chapel there is a sacred relic of the monastery - the relics (a small fragment of the frontal part) of Anastasia the Solver, revered by many believers. According to legend, these relics were brought from Italy in 1035 by a monk who secretly stole them from the church of St. Mary in Organo, near Verona. The relics, carefully guarded today, are placed in a small reliquary in the form of an original female bust skillfully made of silver and gold and decorated with precious stones. The ark itself symbolizes St. Anastasia the Patterner, whose head is decorated with gold Crown with pearls.

7. Relics of the Holy Unmercenaries of Cosmas and Damian of Arabia (Cilicia) IN MUNICH.

Almost in the very center of the Bavarian capital (Neuhauser Str. 52) rises the monumental building of the Jesuit Church of St. Michael (St.-Michaelskirche). It was built by the Bavarian Duke Wilhelm V (1548-1626).

Under the altar, in the underground chapel, are the tombs of many famous people Bavaria and Munich: representatives of the William V dynasty, Elector Maximilian I, etc. Here you can see the tomb of the Bavarian king Ludwig II, the famous builder of fairytale castles in Bavaria.

Among the great church relics are a particle of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, a thorn from the crown of thorns of Jesus Christ, a particle of the relics of St. apostle Peter. On the right, in one of the side chapels, behind a high elegant lattice under a glass case, there is another shrine famous throughout Germany - a reliquary (ark) with the relics of Saints Cosmas and Damian of Arabia (Cilicia). Inside the ark, two dark gray reliquaries are placed on special cushions in the form of hats wonderfully embroidered with pearls and rubies. they are the skulls and bones (there are 31 in total) belonging to Cosmas and Damian and their siblings - Leontius, Anfimus and Eutropius. Archival documents testify that the ark with the relics for 2000 thalers was purchased in 1648 in Bremen by Elector Maximilian I (1573-1651).

In Russian Orthodox Church three dyadic St. Martyrs Cosmas and Damian:

1. Roman, unmercenary doctors (born, lived and suffered in 284 in Rome from stoning under Tsar Karin, commemorated July 1/14);
2. Asians, unmercenaries and miracle workers, (born in the 3rd century in Asia Minor from the pious Christian Theodotia, died peacefully and were buried in Feremane; commemorated November 1/14);
3. Arabian (according to the place of origin), or Filician (according to the place of suffering, together with Martyrs Leontius, Anfim and Eutropius - 287 or 303), memory - October 17/30.

Hagiographic information about the unmercenaries of Cosmas and Damian of Arabia (Cilicia), who were contemporaries of the Roman ones, is very scarce. Any historical facts and there are no documents about the life and death of these martyrs. In hagiographic works, there is no clear separation of information about all three dyads of Cosmas and Damian. In this regard, difficulties arise with the identification of their relics, icon-paintings and temples dedicated to them.

8. ESSEN.

According to information on the website of the Essen diocese Catholic Church, in this city there are particles of the relics of Cosmas and Damian of Asia. There are still quite a few relics in the city cathedral.

The first shrines came here through the efforts of the builder - St. Altfrid. This is about the relics of Sts. Cosmas and Damian. But not only. In the altar of the crypt (the oldest part of the cathedral that has survived to this day), particles of the relics of St. Cyprian of Carthage and St. Cornelius, Pope of Rome. Since the middle of the 11th century, an unusual shrine has been kept in the treasury - a reliquary in the shape of a hand with the relics of St. Basil the Great.

Among the items in the treasury there are not only shrines, but also historical relics.

The names of St. Ludger, Altfried of Münster and Altfried of Hildesheim, who built the Essen monastery and became famous here as saints, entered the Cathedral of the Saints of the German Land, approved at the diocesan meeting of the Berlin diocese in 2006.

A BRIEF EXCURSION TO OTHER HOLY SITES OF EUROPE.

Shrines of Bulgaria:

Rila Monastery - the relics of St. John of Rila, the icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria". Bachkovsky Assumption cave monastery - the miraculous icon of the Virgin. Ivanovsky Lom - a complex of rock monasteries with frescoes.

Shrines of Greece:

Athens - Areopagus, the place where the Apostle Paul preached to the Athenian philosophers.

Athos - the bay of St. Clement, the place of arrival of the Virgin on the holy mountain, the Iberian Monastery - a temple in honor of the Iberian miraculous icon of the Mother of God, the Monastery of St. Paul: a cathedral church, in the altar of which one of the greatest shrines of Athos - "Gifts of the Magi" is kept.

Corinth - Byzantine Basilica on the site of the preaching of the Apostle Paul. Patras - Cathedral of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the relics of the Saint and parts of the cross on which he was crucified are kept here.

Thessaloniki (modern Thessaloniki) - the church of St. Paul the Apostle, the church in the name of the holy great martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, the church of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, the Cathedral, which houses the relics of St. Gregory Palamas.

Shrines of Spain:

Escorial - a palace and monastery ensemble with the cathedral church of St. Martyr Lawrence and the "Chapel of Relics" - a unique collection of the relics of seven thousand Christian saints.

Santiago de Campostello - Relics of Saint James

Shrines of Italy:

Rome - particles of the relics of John the Baptist, Andrew the First-Called, the Apostles Paul, Matthew, Simon, Philip, Judas, James, Thomas, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, George the Victorious, Anastasia the Solver, righteous Anna, Queen Helena and many others.

Ortona - the relics of the Apostle Thomas

Venice - St. Mark's Cathedral - the relics of the Apostle Mark;

the Cathedral of St. George - the right hand of St. Basil the Great; Lido Benedictine monastery on the island - the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker; a particle of the relics of George the Victorious - the monastery of St. George

Loretto - the House of the Virgin (the room of the original house in which the Blessed Virgin lived in Nazareth and where She received the good news from the Archangel Gabriel about the birth of the Savior of the World from Her). Statue of the Mother of God, which served as a prototype for the icon "Addition of the Mind";

Naples (Island of Capri) - the place of the sermon of St. Mary Magdalene before the emperor Tiberius.

Bari - the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Alberobello - the relics of the unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian

Verona - to Saint Zenon of Veronia, the holy martyrs Blasius and Juliana, the relics of the holy apostles Simon and Jude.

Details about the Orthodox shrines of Italy can be found on the website www.italy.orthodoxy.ru

Shrines of Cyprus:

Larnaca - a temple in the name of St. Lazarus of the Four Days, resurrected by the Lord.

Paphos - a temple on the revenge of the preaching of the apostles Paul and Barnabas, the catacombs of ancient Christians.

Shrines of Malta:

The Apostle Paul's Bay is a temple at the place where the Apostle and his companions left the shore after the shipwreck.

Rabat - a cave in which the Apostle Paul and the Evangelist Luke lived, the catacombs of St. Catald.

Shrines of France:

Esho - the relics of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.

Paris - Notre Dame Cathedral - the crown of thorns of the Savior. The relics of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, the relics of the Holy Empress Helena in the crypt of the church of Saint-Le-Saint-Gilles.

Alsace - Mount Saint Odile

Lyon - relics of the martyrs of Lyon

Chartres - Placard of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Amiens - Honest Head of the Prophet Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John

Tours - relics of St. Martin the Merciful (of Tours)

Shrines of Montenegro:

Cetinje Monastery - the relics (hand) of John the Baptist, a particle of the Cross of the Lord.

Ostrog - the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog.

Holy places of Europe. Pilgrimage tours, churches, monuments and religious sites of Europe.

Thanks to invaluable help Yuri Minulin, CEO Pilgrimage Service "Radonezh", we continue to publish articles on the completely special kind travel - pilgrimage tours. Our current topic is the holy places of Europe. Let it not surprise you that the first part of the article is devoted to a historical digression: it is very important in order to understand the exact purposes for which believers go to Europe. Besides, it's also just very interesting.

One of characteristic features Orthodoxy - the veneration of saints and shrines. To bow to the shrines, many Christians go on a pilgrimage - a journey to holy places. Initially, the pilgrims went to the places of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, to the Holy Land, from where they brought palm branches (hence the word "pilgrimage" appeared). Over time, any journey to the holy places of the Orthodox world began to be called a pilgrimage. Pilgrimage differs from tourism, first of all, in the mood of travelers, although the “technical” details largely coincide. There are options for making a pilgrimage in a group or on your own, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Often they go on the first pilgrimage trip with a group, and then visit the holy places on their own.

A bit of history

The places visited by pilgrims are holy places that became famous thanks to the miracles performed by God, the Mother of God, saints, or are associated with events in the history of the Orthodox people and the lives of saints. In this article we will focus on the story of the most significant for Orthodox culture shrines European countries. I must say that the Christian tradition of Europe and its Orthodox component is one of the most difficult topics in pilgrimage tours. Therefore, now we will briefly describe how its Christian tradition developed in Europe.

Imagine the Roman Empire - fragmented states through which the barbarians passed and plundered all the treasures that had been collected here for centuries. The East, untouched by heavy raids in the 3rd century, breaks off and constitutes the Eastern Empire, which includes Greece, Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa. Subsequently, Bulgaria, Romania and part of Italy will become elements of this empire. The West is splitting up at this time, and it is from this moment that the period begins, which in history will be called early medieval. The Great Roman Empire of Charlemagne, the Kingdom of the Franks, etc., appear, states are gradually taking shape in Eastern Europe. And, as you know, in the Middle Ages, the basis of any state was its shrines. There are monks and itinerant priests all over Europe. The first sprouts of Christianity, which were transmitted by the apostles, begin to emerge. After all, the apostles, according to church tradition, preached throughout the Mediterranean. As a rule, it is this topic that is touched upon when developing pilgrimage programs to countries such as Greece, Malta, Turkey and Italy.

Another event that influenced the formation Christian tradition Europe - Crusades to the Middle East, which began in the 11th century. From these campaigns, the crusaders began to bring all kinds of shrines.

Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica

And how did the first Christian shrine appear? History says the following: in the 3rd century, Queen Helena - the mother of Emperor Constantine - decided to go to the Middle East to make sure that Christ really existed as historical figure. Building on stories local residents, she finds the places where Jesus was, and begins excavations there. And finds Old city, the remains of the city wall, a temple and several crosses. Before Elena the question arises - what is it? According to a church legend, at that moment a patient was being carried past, she asked to attach him to all the crosses, and if he recovers or feels relieved, then this is the very cross on which the Savior was crucified. And the patient recovered, and Elena realized that this was the Cross of the Lord. It was at this moment that the first Christian shrine appeared. If until that time the apostles walked and preached only by word, now Christians have a material, tangible value. The word "shrine" materializes, and people begin to treat the new religion for them no longer just as something unknown.

Most of the Life-Giving Cross is now in Rome in the temple of the Jerusalem Cross of the Lord. If you list the Roman shrines, you should definitely mention the “Holy Manger of Jesus” - they are located in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, as well as the “Holy Staircase” (now located in the church of San Lorenzo), along which the Savior went to Pilate. It was brought to Europe by the Crusaders. In the small town of Loretto, which is very important for the entire Christian culture, there is the House of the Most Holy Theotokos transferred by the same crusaders from Nazareth.

Other significant relics transported from other countries: The Crown of Thorns of the Savior - located in Paris, in Notre Dame Cathedral. In Strasbourg - the relics of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, in Prague - the relics of Vyacheslav of Prague and Lyudmila. In Venice - the relics of St. Mark (St. Mark's Cathedral), in Rome - the relics of St. Apostle Peter (St. Peter's Cathedral) and the relics of St. Paul the Apostle (Basilica of San Paolo Fuori Le Mura). In Bari - the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Basilica of San Nicola), in Turin - the Holy Shroud, taken out by the Crusaders from Constantinople.

Another of the turning points in Orthodox history is the Seventh Ecumenical Council (8th century), at which it was approved that iconography is special form revelations of Divine reality: from that moment on, the icon becomes a relic. miraculous icons appear in many countries and attract pilgrims from all over the world.

Shrines of Cyprus: Larnaca - a temple in the name of St. Lazarus of the Four Days, resurrected by the Lord. Paphos - a temple on the revenge of the preaching of the apostles Paul and Barnabas, the catacombs of ancient Christians.

Shrines of Malta: Apostle Paul's Bay - a temple on the spot where the Apostle and his companions left the shore after a shipwreck. Rabat - a cave in which the Apostle Paul and the Evangelist Luke lived, the catacombs of St. Catald.

Shrines of France: Marseille - the abbey of Saint-Victor, the temple of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde (Our Lady of the Defender). Reims - Cathedral in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Shrines of Montenegro: Cetinje Monastery - the relics (hand) of John the Baptist, a particle of the Cross of the Lord, Ostrog - the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog.

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Practice

Now let's move on to the practical side of the organization. pilgrimage tours on the shrines of Europe. If pilgrim tourists do not plan to visit any one particular shrine, then it is better to choose or take as a basis the average bus "economy tour" in Europe. This can be like a return bus tour (back and forth by bus) or another option when a tourist travels there by plane - for example, to Berlin or Hannover, and then transfers to a bus and makes a pilgrimage to the Holy places included in the program.

When choosing accommodation facilities, it is best to opt for inexpensive roadside hotels or mid-range hotels with all amenities. Meals, as a rule, are breakfasts, and lunches and dinners are on the road.

Depending on which Holy places the pilgrim wants to visit, the duration of the tour should also be selected. big Adventure in Europe usually lasts over 15 days. Countries visited are Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy and France. More popular are routes lasting no more than 12 days, but they, of course, cover a smaller number of countries.

Routes should be built for both small and medium-sized cities. If this Big City- It is possible to stop for several days. At the same time, when drawing up a route and forming a tour program, one should always take into account that people have time for worship. Therefore, it is always highly desirable that the location is not very far from the temple. Meals should be consistent with fasting and fast days. It is better to arrive at the place of accommodation in the morning, and not in the evening, so that the pilgrims can prepare for the liturgy.