There are a lot of places in Russia that are truly holy . They are especially revered by Orthodox Christians . One of these places is the Church of Seraphim Vyritsky in the Leningrad region. She not only survived the Great Patriotic War, but also continues to attract more and more people turning to the saint for help, as during his lifetime. St. Seraphim amazed many with his willpower and love of life .
He set an example for his compatriots and guided those who asked him to follow the true path.
general information
The Kazan Church of the Icon of the Mother of God was erected in Vyritsa in 1913-1914.
Talented architects Vladimir Petrovich Apyshkov and Mikhail Vitoldovich Krasovsky worked on the project for its construction. The church was built of wood in the style of Olonets and Vologda tent churches. There can be up to 700 worshipers within its walls at the same time.
The main shrines of the temple:
- The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which is the ancestral image of the Muravyov family (it was from this family that the Monk Seraphim Vyritsky came),
- a particle of the relics of Seraphim of Sarov,
- Epitrachelion of St. S. Vyritsky,
- a piece of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker,
- a piece of the relics of St. George the Victorious,
- a particle of the relics of the Great Martyr Catherine.
On the territory there is a chapel of Seraphim Vyritsky, a refectory for pilgrims (open daily from 12:00), church shops, a small cemetery and a spring. All this is available to pilgrims throughout the year.
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Helpful information:
- Address: Leningrad region, Gatchina district, Vyritsa village, Kirova street, 49.
- Opening hours: daily from 09:00 to 18:00.
- E-mail for notes and questions to clergy
- Divine Liturgy: daily from 10:00.
- Reading of the Akathist to St. S. Vyritsky: every Sunday at 17:00.
Life story
Childhood
Seraphim Vyritsky was born in 1866. His parents were truly believing peasants. They baptized their son with the name Vasily; his first books, read independently, were the Gospel and the Psalter.
The father died when the boy was only 10 years old, and the mother, already sickly, began to feel even worse. In order to feed his family, he was forced to leave his native village of Vakhromeevo and, on the recommendation of a good neighbor, go to St. Petersburg and have the opportunity to earn a living.
Career
He worked as a delivery boy, in Gostiny Dvor the owner of one small shop agreed to take the boy, and later the latter found a spiritual mentor of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, who later married his spiritual son to his wife Olga.
The boy sent almost all the money he earned to his sick mother, and left only a small amount for himself for emergency needs. After 6 years, Vasily became a clerk, and after another 10 years he began to develop his own business based on the sale of fur, and received the status of a merchant of the 2nd guild. The office for processing and selling furs, founded by Vasily, was successful in neighboring countries, thanks to the strong connections and experience of the owner. Vasily had two children: a son, Nikolai, and a daughter, Olga, who died as an infant. After this terrible event, the couple could no longer live as a married couple, so they maintained a relationship like that of a brother and sister. The family constantly made donations to maintain almshouses where the poor and infirm lived.
On duty, Vasily Nikolaevich Muravyov, the future Reverend Seraphim Vyritsky, traveled to many countries where Russian furs were in demand. He was known everywhere, and after his earthly death he is still revered to this day. Commerce was not the only business of the future saint. Since 1905, the Yaroslavl Charitable Society accepted him into its ranks, and a year later he was able to purchase a house in Terlyaevo. Due to the large income, the safety of life in the capital for Vasily and his wife Olga was at risk, so their home near Tsarskoe Selo became their refuge.
In 1917, when the difficult times of the war began. Many wealthy people transferred their funds abroad, but Vasily Nikolaevich, named after Varnava, shared the fate with those who remained in their homeland and were not able to leave. His wife, a deeply religious woman, agreed with his decision, so there were no disputes in the family on this issue. The Muravyov couple had a family icon of the Kazan Mother of God; it still hangs in the Vyritsa church.
Spiritual life
September 1920 was marked by an important event in the life of a businessman: he was accepted as a novice into the Spiritual Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra .
His wife Olga went to the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent. The new novice took on a new name for herself: Christina. The family donated all their property to the needs of the inhabitants of the monastery. In the same year, Vasily was tonsured a monk and took the name Barnabas. He was ordained a hierodeacon, after which he was put in charge of the cemetery. This was the hardest work possible, because the civil strife left a noticeable bloody trail behind it. We had to hold funeral services and memorial services one after another without interruption.
The hieromonk took the name Seraphim in 1926, when he became confessor of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. After about 4 years, Father Seraphim, with numerous age-related diseases, settled in Polovka at the dacha of the abbot Leonid Bogoyavlensky. A cell house was allocated for Father Seraphim at the end of the site. He lived there for almost 2 years.
In 1933, Vyritsa became the last refuge of Father Seraphim. Despite the physical pain from his illnesses, he persevered courageously and helped others cope with their problems. Pilgrims from all nearby cities, including St. Petersburg, flocked to him for advice. He prayed, fasted and could go for a long time without sleep, and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays even without food. Sometimes Father Seraphim did not eat any food for several days in a row.
In the first days of the Great Patriotic War in Vyritsa, the doors of the Vyritsa church were opened for the first time to parishioners, one of whom was Hieroschemamonk Seraphim. For several days in a row, he prayed for the salvation of Russia from its enemies, and people still continued to come to him for advice and consolation. An icon of Seraphim of Sarov was attached to the apple tree, in front of which Father Seraphim prayed. Every day he was brought to this place or carried in his arms due to progressive diseases, which primarily affected the old man’s legs.
The Lord sends his chosen ones to help people endure all the hardships and hardships, when it seems that there is nowhere to wait for help. St. Petersburg was such a chosen one. Seraphim. Through his prayers, Vyritsa was saved; not a single house was damaged during the war. The commanders decided to destroy the temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God so that its head would not attract the attention of enemy air forces. The officer who was entrusted with carrying out the order shot himself upon entering the temple. The rest of the military fled in panic. So they forgot about the explosion, the Church of the Kazan Icon was preserved.
Earthly demise
Just before his death, Holy Theotokos .
As the elder’s contemporaries said, she pointed to the sky. He did not die immediately; he had time to read the akathist to the Mother of God and take communion. On April 3, 1949, Seraphim Vyritsky reposed. By that time, Lent was already in its 4th week, and it was the day of remembrance of John Climacus. For several days people still went to say goodbye to the peace-loving confessor, and the blind girl, who kissed the elder’s hand, miraculously regained her sight .
The relics of the late Venerable Seraphim Vyritsky were buried there. In 2000, his name was glorified, and a liturgy and prayer service were served in the church according to the saint. It was October 1 of the same year in the Vyritsky Kazan Church. Within a month, the construction of the chapel over the grave of St. Seraphim and his ex-wife Seraphim was completed.
Relics and chapel
Next to the Kazan Church of the Icon of the Mother of God there is a wooden chapel where the relics of Seraphim Vyritsky are kept.
It was erected in 2001. The architect S.A. worked on its creation. Pavlov. The chapel was built in the cage style with its characteristic rectangular façade and gable roof.
Next to the saint’s grave is the grave of his wife, schema-nun Seraphima (Muravyeva).
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Anyone can come to venerate the relics of the saint at any time. During his life, the great elder told people: “Come to my grave as if you were alive, talk as if you were alive, and I will always help you.”
And for several decades now, a continuous line of people has been coming to the saint’s grave with their prayers, requests and gratitude. Believers are confident that in this holy place the Lord will definitely hear them and answer their prayer.
People revere the monk as a miracle worker. He is contacted when required:
- healing from illness;
- peace of mind and tranquility;
- searching for the true path;
- searching for a soul mate, strengthening relationships between spouses, the birth of a long-awaited child;
- assistance with work and financial well-being;
- solving various life and everyday problems;
- relief of grief.
Note! If it is not possible to come and venerate the relics of the saint, you can buy an icon of St. Seraphim of Vyritsky and read a prayer in front of it every day.
How to get there?
Many pilgrims are interested in how to get from St. Petersburg to the Kazan Church of the Icon of the Mother of God.
The easiest way to get to Vyritsa is by one of the suburban trains that depart from Vitebsky Station (located in close proximity to the Pushkinskaya metro station).
Electric trains in the direction of Vyritsa run quite often.
How to get from Pulkovo Airport (St. Petersburg)? From the airport terminal, you should first take a city bus to the Moskovskaya metro station, and then change to the metro to the Kupchino station. Electric trains depart regularly from the Kupchino platform to Vyritsa.
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Vyritsa railway station is located 3 km from the temple. If you wish and there is good weather, you can get to the church on foot (how to get there, you can ask local residents or use a navigator).
You can also get to the church by taxi or city bus (stop “Ul. Rakeevskaya”). The bus stop is located in close proximity to the platform.
During a walk to the temple, you can visit two interesting places that are connected with the life of Seraphim Vyritsky:
- The house at 9 Pilny Prospect, where during the Great Patriotic War the saint prayed on a stone for 1000 days for the salvation of his Motherland.
- The house at 39 Maysky Avenue, which was the last earthly refuge of the saint.
Note! A walk to the church and a visit to memorable places is a kind of pilgrimage that cleanses not only the spirit, but also the body. You can walk this entire path with prayer in your heart.
The village of Vyritsa is famous not only for the fact that on its territory there is a chapel with the relics of St. Seraphim Vyritsky. A healer lives here who helps remove damage, get rid of a serious illness, resolve a difficult life situation, and remove the crown of celibacy.
It is best to come to the healer on weekdays, since she does not accept people on Sunday, and on Friday and Saturday she has long queues. More detailed information can be obtained from local residents.
Staritsa Natalya Vyritskaya
At the temple there is a small cemetery where clergy and monks are buried.
In 2011, the great ascetic Natalya Vyritskaya, who died in 1976, whom people reverence as blessed, was reburied here.
Seraphim predicted that when his life came to an end, a woman would come to live in Vyritsa, devoting her life to God, awarded the gifts of prophecy and healing.
In 1955, Natalya appeared in this area; it was clear from her manners that she belonged to the upper class, she spoke fluent foreign languages and played the piano. There were persistent rumors that she belonged to the royal family, that she was the escaped Princess Olga. This is indirectly indicated by the fact that at the same time, when mother Natalya lived at the Kazan Church of Seraphim in Vyritsa, priest Alexei Kibardin, who was the confessor of the royal family, also stayed in the village.
Grace from prayers extended to numerous animals that lived with mother. Her dogs did not allow strangers into the area, and when someone came to her by train, they went to the railway themselves, found these people and brought them to Natalya.
The grace emanating from her was such that unbelievers, communicating with her, left her as true Christians, were healed from the most serious illnesses, her prayer helped get rid of alcoholism and drug addiction, cancer and tuberculosis.
She strangely had the ability to change her appearance, pass through closed doors, and was often seen in several places at the same time. She lived until she was 86 years old. At the hour of her death, Nicholas the Wonderworker visited her; there were many witnesses who saw a bright cloud of light descending on the house. During reburial in the cemetery in the church in Vyritsa, her body was discovered completely incorrupt and emitting a wonderful fragrance. Now evidence of her good life, help, miracles is being collected, giving grounds for canonization.
Holy place of the village of Reshetnikovo
In the village of Reshetnikovo in the Klin district of the Moscow region there is a new Orthodox church built in the name of St. Seraphim Vyritsky.
It was built on the site of an old coal boiler house, which was donated by the district administration to the local community of believers.
This is not only the first temple dedicated to the saint, but also the first Orthodox church on the territory of Reshetnikovo during the entire existence of the village.
The rector of the Kazan Church in Vyritsa donated a piece of S. Vyritsky’s stole to the Seraphim Church, which is now kept in the reliquary of the temple icon of the saint. Thanks to this, residents of the Moscow region have the opportunity to venerate the saint and ask for his help in charitable deeds without visiting St. Petersburg.
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The parish of St. Seraphim Vyritsky in Reshetnikovo is open daily. You can view the schedule of services on its official website: https://prep-serafim.cerkov.ru/.
The church is located at Oktyabrskaya Street, 19. To get to it by car from Moscow, you must follow the following sequence:
- Take the Leningradskoye Highway and drive to the village of Spas-Zaulok.
- Before the village, at the traffic light, turn left to the village of Reshetnikovo.
- Follow the road signs for St. Seraphim Church.
You can also get to the temple by minibus or metro. Minibuses No. 35 and 39 run towards the Seraphim Church in Reshetnikovo. If you plan to travel by metro, you should go to the Reshetnikovo station. From the metro station to the church it is only a 10-minute walk.
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The fate of the temple during the years of occupation and Soviet rule
Services were carried out in the warm season until 1938, then the building was transferred to OSOAVIAKHIM. Despite the closure, most of the church utensils and icons that decorated the temple in Vyritsa were preserved.
When the Germans entered the village during the war, they opened a temple. Services began there again, as a regiment of Orthodox Romanians was stationed here. Every cloud has a silver lining; thanks to such difficult circumstances, it became a place where one could go to receive communion, confess, baptize children, and partake of other Sacraments of the church. Even after liberation from occupation, the church in Vyritsa was not closed, and the community achieved the appointment of a permanent priest to the parish.
After the 1917 revolution, this area became a temporary refuge for many priests, monks and nuns from closing monasteries. Many clergy were arrested in 1932 and exiled to camps. The rector of the Peter and Paul Church in Vyritsa was shot.
Many of the priests led an outwardly ordinary lifestyle, worked in institutions, secretly holding services, reading the Gospel, sanctifying Vyritsa with continuous prayer.
Church in Kupchino
Today, in the Kupchino district (St. Petersburg), a magnificent temple of Seraphim Vyritsky is being built with donations from believers.
He is active. You can visit it daily from 09:00 to 19:00. You can get to the temple from the Kupchino metro station by trams No. 45 and 62.
There is a Sunday school for adults and children on the church premises. Here they read the Old Testament, introduce believers to the acts of the apostles, and even draw and make various crafts.
Every second Sunday of the month, everyone is invited to a prayer service in front of the icon of Peter and Fevronia. In front of the icon, you can pray for the birth of a child, ask for help in finding a soul mate, creating an Orthodox family and strengthening marital ties.
The Seraphim Pilgrimage Center operates at the temple, located at Zagreb Boulevard, 26. Pilgrimage trips to holy places in Russia and around the world are regularly organized here.
Note! The Church of Seraphim Vyritsky in Kupchino needs financial resources, since the construction process is not yet completed. If you wish, you can do a charitable deed and donate any amount of money for the improvement of the temple.
