“Miracle” near the relics of Saint Theodosius. 1796 рік.

As is known, the patron saint of Chernihiv is St. Feodosiy Ughlytskyi, whose incorruptible relics are kept in the Cathedral of St. The Trinity of the Trinity-Illina Monastery. До 1917 Dr.. All, that was associated with the name of this dignitary was carefully collected and studied. These were mostly archival materials – листи, merchants, ratification. As a rule, their facsimiles were printed on columns “Chernigov Provincial Gazette” with an explanation of the history of the find. The relics themselves were kept in the then museum institutions of Chernigov (Museums V. Tarnovsky, Chernihiv Archive Commission, Chernihiv diocesan wood storage). The stormy events of the first half of the 20th century caused some damage to the collection of things, associated with the name of F. Uglytskyi.

Today, most of them are preserved in the collection of the Chernihiv Regional Historical Museum named after. VV. Tarnovsky. This is his letter to I. Whitened from 18.03.1691 р., Gramota to Archpriest O. Zarudzskyi “on the square” in Novgorod-Siversky from 29.08.1694 р., “sheet” to the foundation in. Letkovichi Kowalski, cooper's, Rymarsky guilds and uniting them into a brotherhood at the church of St. Nicholas from 10.02.1687 р., факсиміле “sheet” for the construction and lease of a mill in the monastery grounds on the river. Smolyanka near the village. Nadinivka to Parkhoy Ivanovych from 10.03.1695 р., as well as the case whose name is given at the beginning of our investigation (inv. № Ал 504/87). It should be noted, that although the Synod canonized the saint only in 1896 р., the healing power of his relics – appeared literally immediately after the burial of F. Uglytskyi. The first to recover was his successor as Archbishop of Chernihiv I. Максимович. After that, the process of documenting all the facts began, connected with the miraculous power of the relics of St. Feodosia, who, by the way, himself recovered from the miraculous icon of the Trinity-Illian Mother of God (this fact was recorded by St. Dimitry Rostovskyi in his book “Irrigated fleece”).

The case consists of 4 documents:

1. Decree of the Chernihiv Spiritual Dicastery dated 13.03.1796 Dr.. the housekeeper of the bishop's house of Amvrosius about keeping there the case of the burgher of. Pelageya Arestova's daughter.
2. Testimony of 60-year-old Pelageya Ivanovna Arestova from 14.06.1795 Dr.. Chernihiv Spiritual Dicastery, from which it was found out, that in a dream a white old man appeared to her with a cross and forbade her to work on Fridays, but she ignored this prohibition on Good Friday as well, a week after the dream, “practiced shoe sewing”. On the same day, the old man appeared again and confirmed his spell: “be mute!”, after which the townswoman lost consciousness, and after waking up “I felt unable to speak at all”. After this case of Arestova, together with other Porichen burghers, traveled to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, hoping to lift the spell. On the way, they went to Chernihiv to bow to St. Feodosia. Touching the coffin and the clothes of the saint with her teeth, Pelagia felt great strength “prompted her to speak the first word: “Oh my god!”.
3. “Interrogation” від 3.01.1796 parish priest with members of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Porechye of Smolensk vicarage and neighbors of Arestova, in which they confirmed the fact of numbness on the last of Good Friday 1795 Dr.. and the impeccability of her life.
4. The oath of the above-mentioned persons to tell only the truth in the case of Arestova.

It is difficult to say how this case ended up in the CHOIM, but relying on the mark of the 1st sheet. “Ch.D.M. № 23078”, can be assumed, that it happened after 1925 Dr.. and it came from the Trinity-Illina Monastery. Probably, that it was in this monastery that the most complete bank of data on the miraculous power of the relics of St. Feodosia, starting from the 18th century. and up to the first decade of the 20th century. We hope, that this investigation will become another brick in the history of the Chernihiv Trinity-Illian Monastery and its sacred relic – relics of St.. Feodosiy Uglytsky and prompts researchers, local historians to intensify the search and publication of little-known monuments of Chernihiv church antiquity.

Senior Research Fellow,

Ph.D. Igor Sity