Nine Holy Martyrs of Cyzicus: Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artema, Magnus, Theodotus, Faumasius and Philemon

Biography of the Holy Martyrs

The history of glorifying the saints of God begins in the 3rd century, in the city of Cyzicus (Asia Minor). Despite the fact that this area by that time was already familiar with the Christian faith, temples were opened, the majority of the population remained faithful to pagan cults and rituals. The Apostle Paul himself preached in this city, but still Christianity did not become dominant. This was largely due to the severe persecution of Christians in those years. Many supporters of the true faith fled from those places, while the rest kept their faith secret and hid.

Icon of the nine martyrs of Kizi. Palekh, end of the 19th century.

However, there were also real confessors of the faith of Christ who saw the purpose of their lives as the spread of Christianity and its preaching. These include the nine martyrs of Cyzicus:

• Philemon;
• Theognis;
• Faumasius;
• Ruf;
• Theodotus;
• Antipater;
• Magn;
• Artema;
• Theostich.

Initially, they had little in common - they were all of different ages and origins, living in different places. Some were young (Antipater), some were old (Rufus), some were in military service, some were ordinary citizens. But a single faith in our Lord Jesus Christ united such different people in one goal - to serve God and spread His faith.

Having gathered together in the city of Cyzicus, they began to openly preach Christianity, without fear of any persecution or threats. Boldly denouncing pagan cults, the future saints tried to convey to everyone the light of the True Faith. And many believed, seeing such selfless service and sincere faith. For such actions they were captured and put on trial before the city ruler. He promised them complete freedom in exchange for a public renunciation of Christianity and recognition of the pagan faith with sacrifice to a pagan idol.

But the saints did not agree, being ready to die for their faith and their God. For them there was and could not be anything worse than losing the True God, so they flatly refused to bow to pagan idols, which are essentially demons. Then they were imprisoned, where they were subjected to cruel trials and torture for several days. Not one of the saints wavered in their faith or betrayed God. Then all nine brothers in Christ were executed by the sword, and their bodies were buried in the local city cemetery. Their souls ascended to a better world and joined the ranks of confessors of the Christian faith.

Church of the Nine Martyrs of Kizichesk, Moscow

Why do they pray to saints for help in their work?

It is customary for the Nine Martyrs to pray for decent work, but in their lives there is nothing related to any activity. We know that some of the martyrs were peasants, some were military men, some were clerics, that is, they did different things. And this gives us reason to think: what are we asking for and what is actually worth asking for?

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

But, nevertheless, a tradition has developed to ask the saints specifically for help in work, and numerous stories of believers testify that the Kizi martyrs fulfill what they ask. They helped many people find work - and thereby find their place in life, save families, raise children, support parents, help others - the needy and the sick, the elderly and disabled.

Interesting fact

The Moscow Church in the name of the Nine Martyrs was founded in the 17th century by Patriarch Adrian as a vow, after the saints stopped the epidemic through his prayer.

On February 14, 2004, the icon of the Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus, which had been confiscated during the times of atheism, returned to the church.

The church has its own website, where you will find many stories left by those whom the saints really helped - to be saved from trouble, to be cured of an illness, to find a good job without harming the soul. There are many such stories - reading them, you understand: all these parishioners had to work hard, make an effort: read akathists and prayers, stand at prayer services, maybe travel from afar to this temple - after all, only a few churches have an image of the nine martyrs. And in every such story there is gratitude - to the nine martyrs and to the Lord.

It is important not to forget: having received help through the prayers of the martyrs, having received what we ask for, we must look at how we lived before and do everything so that the help of the prayer books for us is not in vain.

Prayers

Troparion, tone 8

Holy nine-year-old martyr, / from various cities in one face, united by the mania of the Divine, / suffered courageously for Christ, / defeated the invisible enemy, / the evil princes and tormentors were put to shame in with our patience,/ the fire of God’s love is liquefied,/ the fire that torments you in the cold will materially transform you ,/ Moreover, grace has been given to you from Christ God/ to heal the sickness of shaking,/ from unnecessary and manifold passions,/ mercifully save us too// through your intercession, we pray.

Kontakion, tone 2

The firm and all-bright face of the martyr of the nine,/ the confessor of the Trisolar Deity,/ at the judgment I first cried out to him:/ we offer our blood and souls from our bodies, like an immaculate sacrifice, to you. , Master,/ be considered in the faces of Thy Heavenly Ones,// as the Merciful God.

Persistent prayer by agreement

link “Hello. I want to share my wonderful story. I learned about the 9 Martyrs of Kizichesk from the Internet while I was looking for a job. I read reviews about help and decided to go. I found your church, ordered a prayer service, bought an akathist and an icon, bowed to the martyrs and left. After some time, I became seriously concerned about finding a job. I sent out my resume to several sites, but for several months there were no responses. I sometimes turned my gaze to the icon of the martyrs and hastily asked them to help without prayer. After some time, I liked the vacancy, and I sent a response to it (my resume), I was invited to an interview and was told that they would call me back in a week. When they say this, it is almost always a 100% refusal. But I liked this place so much that I immediately decided to go to the 9 Martyrs of Kizi and ask for their help. Standing at the icon, I saw many flowers and understood that these were flowers of gratitude. I asked the martyrs for help in my case and said: “I hope that next time I will also come to you with flowers to thank you...” And today I was with you with flowers, because today I was invited for a second interview in the place where I liked it and was approved with a trial period. Now I will pray to my assistants to pass it. I am writing to support those who are currently looking for work. Believe, pray, the saints hear us and help us.

9 Martyrs of Kizicus, pray to God for us! Elena, Moscow. March 2017″

“I looked for a job for four months.

My daughter suggested that there is an icon of the Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus, and that by praying before it, miracles are performed.

I prayed and found a job.

Thank you very much.

Alexander.

February 2021"

"Good afternoon!

I can't help but share my story. I am a designer and also do artistic work. I don't work for a company, because... I have 3 children and I can’t be away from home much time.

Last year (2016) I had no orders for a long time, and at the beginning I was not very upset about this, because... Over the past few years, the husband has been fully providing for the family. But by spring, his income began to decrease significantly, mostly due to the bankruptcy of the companies that provided him with work. And by the summer the situation became critical, debts grew, and there was not enough even for ordinary household needs. My husband began to criticize me that I didn’t earn enough, our relationship deteriorated greatly, but while the children were visiting their grandparents in the summer, it was still tolerable.

But the school year and its associated expenses were approaching. In general, it was hot, so hot! Usually the two of us go by car to pick up the children in August, but I had to stay at home to earn at least something. A good friend brought me an icon of the 9 Martyrs of Kizi in the summer and suggested asking for their help. When my husband left, I had 250 rubles left for 3 weeks of living and not a single order. In principle, I myself didn’t want to go with him, so as not to listen to reproaches and swear once again.

Therefore, there was no other way out - I began to pray. 3 days later they called me on my ad and offered me a job. Thus, I not only earned my living, but after the arrival of my husband and children I was able to feed my family for some time) Glory to God and His Saints!

Sincerely, Nadezhda Tsvetkova.

January 2021.”

"Thank God for everything ! Since February 2021, the Holy Martyrs of Kizi have helped me get a job. I prayed at the icon in your church, and a week after my prayer, a job was found near my house. And I’m already over 60 years old, I work as a nanny with primary schoolchildren. Now I have received another job offer after I ordered a prayer service to the Saints and defended only one akathist in the Temple. O wonderful miracle, we ask, unworthy, and receive what we ask by the mercy of God and His Saints. And I want to cast off all my sins and become better, in order to please the Lord and praise Him constantly. The mercy of the Lord and the Holy Martyrs is endless!

Servant of God Olga.

June, 2021"

"Good afternoon! I would like to thank the Nine Kizian Martyrs for helping me find a job and hope that everything will be fine. I looked for a job for a long time, for various reasons I had to change jobs in order to find a decent and to my liking place where I could demonstrate all my abilities and skills. Three years ago I learned about the great help of the Kizi martyrs and believed in a miracle. The main thing is faith and inner strength. A year ago, the road of life led me to the Church of the Holy Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus. The bright and kind temple turned out to be very close to the Belgrade hotel, where we stayed during our stay in Moscow. We didn't even know about this when we booked the hotel room. There were a lot of people in the church, a service was going on, and I came with a big request - help in finding a job. My professional activity is related to journalism; it was difficult to find work in this field in St. Petersburg during the crisis. A miracle happened. The present. After my birthday, three weeks after visiting the Temple, they called me and invited me to work. Today I write articles, of course, there is something to strive for, but I am happy with what I have gained and believe in a better tomorrow with an excellent continuation of this miracle. The icon of the Kiziki martyrs always stands on my work desk. I advise everyone I know who is looking for work to turn to the Kiziki martyrs for help - with faith in their souls and hope. It is most important. The main thing is to believe. Good luck to everyone and have a great and bright life filled with love.

Best regards, Natalya

June, 2021"

"Hello! On the day of remembrance of the holy 9 martyrs of Kizi, I want to share my story.

On May 12, 2015, I quit of my own free will, or rather, out of pride and vanity. On the same day I went to go to the labor exchange, and on the way a friend from my previous place of work called me (I trained there for 2 months), saying that they were waiting for me with the entire accounting department, the mentors were Orthodox, they went to services (I became one of them for these 2 months in the team, but left for another place because of money). And naturally, I refused, coming up with 1000 reasons, pride won, although deep down I dreamed of working in this team with my mentor, and I had no experience. Time passed, the search became completely passive, in April I took an upgrade course from the employment center, took my resume everywhere and began to wait. I was invited to an interview, saying that they would call me back “if anything happens” (when I was just bringing my resume to this place, I asked the Lord for blessings, the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, the saints and the Guardian Angel). On May 11, I wanted to pray to Heaven, I typed in the search engine “who to pray to”, at the end of the page I saw your site, opened it, read about miracles, prayed to the Lord, the Mother of God, the 9 martyrs, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Seraphim, Matronushka, Ksenyushka, Spiridon, Tryphon , Angel, so that the Lord will give me work according to my talents for His Glory and for the benefit of people, if that is His Holy Will, knowing that He will not leave me, even if I fail with this option. Then I read the life of the holy 9 martyrs of Kizi, I realized that May 12 is the day of their memory, the remnants of experiences disappeared, peace and joy reigned in my soul. Half an hour later they called me: You have been approved for the position, probationary period is 2 months. Glory to Thee, our God, Glory to Thee! God is marvelous in His saints! Thank you Lord, the Most Holy Mother of God and all the saints, my Angel, for not leaving me, a sinner! Troparion, tone 8 Holy nine-numbered martyrs, / from various cities united into one by the divine mania, / courageously suffered for Christ, conquering the invisible enemy, / the evil-believing princes and tormentors were put to shame by your patience, / liquefied by the fire of God’s love, / materially the fire tormenting you in the cold, / in the same way, the grace of Christ God has been given to you to heal the tremors of the disease, / from the diseased and manifold passions, / mercifully save us through your intercession, we pray. Kontakion, tone 2 The firm and all-bright face of the martyr of the nine, / of the Trisolar Deity of the confessor, / at the judgment I initially cried out to Him: / our blood and souls from our bodies, / as an immaculate sacrifice, we offer to You, Master, / in the presence of Your heavenly ones, / as God is merciful. r.B. Tatiana God bless you all!

May 2021"

"Christ is Risen!

Dear Father Anthony, a miracle happened in our family through prayers to the miraculous icon of the Nine Martyrs of Kizi. My husband was unemployed for 3 years. And we have three children and we live in Germany, in Cologne. And my husband wandered around looking for work in Moscow - to no avail. The family almost broke up. On the advice of my friend, when I arrived in Moscow, I went to church every day for a week and read the akathist, and on Saturday I came to a prayer service with the blessing of water. And that same week, my husband received two wonderful offers for us, one of which he accepted. It is also surprising that the company is located in Germany, but for work he must spend a lot of time in Moscow, where his mother lives - alone and in old age. Our family's most pressing problems were resolved overnight.

Save me, God!

Elena Sviridenko

May 2021"

“Good afternoon everyone. I am writing this letter with great gratitude and for the Glory of our Lord and his saints, the Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus. I learned about the Saints by chance, from the Internet. My husband and I were looking for a job. Together we went to your temple to pray. We ordered a prayer service and read the akathist. What grace, love, and warmth! Feeling - they heard, they will help, they will intercede. We came to the temple several times. We prayed. The Lord gave me what I asked for in a month. To say that this is work is an understatement. This is a miracle of God! Interesting, creative, highly paid, close to home! Glory to the Lord and His Saints! My husband found a job after 3 months. Very worthy! I am writing to support all brothers and sisters who are faced with such a problem. Believe, pray. The Lord is with us. The Lord is merciful. The main thing is faith and repentance. Marina Maksimova, Moscow. February 2016."

“Hello, I want to tell my story of the help of the holy nine martyrs of Kizi.

My relative had surgery at the MNTK in our city. It was done unsuccessfully and the young woman suffered a cosmetic defect. We contacted the prosecutor's office and then began collecting documents for the court. The head physician of the MNTK of our city is a friend of my boss. And starting in June 2015, they started throwing me out of work. I work as an optometrist in optics, and in our small town it is almost impossible to find a job in this specialty. I prayed for a long time, they forced me out of work, it was hard mentally, especially since I was raising my son alone. I love my job very much, so I didn’t want to change my specialty. My revenue is good and people are coming, there was no reason to fire me. But the conflict developed and I was laid off in December of the same year.

I was despondent, unfortunately, in despondency I pray little, I sit more at the computer. I love Orthodox websites, but I didn’t know about the nine martyrs of Kizi, or maybe I heard about them, but didn’t remember them. And so, in despair, I simply screamed in my heart - well, who will help me? I started typing in the search bar, not for the first time, by the way, “the help of saints in finding a job.” And thus, I met our good helpers - the Nine Martyrs of Kizi. My classmate and I began to pray by agreement with the Lord and the martyrs. I live a two-hour drive from Moscow, there are a lot of “optometrist” vacancies in Moscow, but I asked the martyrs for a job in our city, although my son is 15 years old, I didn’t want to go far from him, because the working day is 10-12 hours , and also the road.

And here's a miracle!!!! An optician opened three minutes from my house and they took me there right away - the first! I went to Moscow to the Church of the Nine Martyrs of Kizi, to thank the Lord and the Martyrs of Kizi for their help, care and kindness. The temple is amazing, with an amazing history. Very beautiful and splendid, it’s so nice there! I attended an evening service, the choir there sang antiphonally, they sang very beautifully, four priests went to confession (it was Saturday) and almost all the parishioners went to confession. I was amazed by the number of gifts on the icon of the martyrs. I want to go to this temple again!

Thank you to the Lord and the nine martyrs of Kizi for their help, for not abandoning us, despite our imperfections!

r.B. Elena.

January 2021.”

"Good afternoon. The Holy Kizian Martyrs helped my husband, the servant of God Michael, my mother, the servant of God Tatiana, and me, the servant of God Natalia, to avoid layoffs and remain in my position with the search for work. I came to the temple, read the akathist in front of the icon of the Holy Martyrs of Cyzes, ordered a prayer service, and two weeks later my husband got a job, which he had long dreamed of, my mother found a job close to home, and she really likes the schedule. I went to the temple again and ordered a thanksgiving prayer. I thank the Lord God Jesus Christ and the Holy Kizian Martyrs for the ambulance!

Servant of God Natalia. December 2015"

“Hello, my name is Yuri, I’m 32 years old. I want to tell my story about how faith and prayers help people.

I worked in a medical institution, but on New Year’s Eve (December 22) I was called to the deputy. director and asked to write a letter of resignation due to the upcoming layoff. On New Year's Eve, under the holiday tree, I sadly had a copy of the order about my dismissal. January came, I went looking for a job. My friend (later wife) Natalya advised me to seek help from the Temple of the Nine Martyrs of Kizi on Presnya. There, she said, there is an icon that helps to find a job. I came, bought an Akathist, lit candles and read the Akathist before the icon, then began to read it at home. Two weeks later I was invited to work. I started working as a translator for a small tech company. It was a miracle! I went to the Temple and thanked the Saints for their help. And the most amazing thing is that it turned out that for 5 long years I lived not far from the Temple, just two streets away, next to the famous Stalinist “High-Rise”!

Time has passed. Life was getting better, I married Natalya, my son Vladimir was born. These are difficult times for our family. There was constantly a shortage of money, even often for essentials. Family, child - all this requires money. My salary was modest. Colleagues who received much more laughed, since at that time I was the lowest paid employee in the company. Debts and loans began. They had to be extinguished; there was even less money. I gave everything to my child and my wife. I began to starve in the literal sense of the word. I decided to find another job then. One interview, another, a third - everywhere in different organizations they “promised to call me back.” I began distributing advertising leaflets and earning extra money driving a car, giving people rides from a new nightclub located not far from my house. Our old car finally broke down completely, sitting “idled” like a dead weight in the yard. Nothing worked for me, and continuous troubles began. In vast Moscow, a city of opportunity and business, a young man with two higher educations and solid experience could not find a job anywhere. But I didn't give up. I went to the Temple of the Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus. I prayed and asked for help. Almost a year and a half passed like this. In February 2015, I decided to just quit my job, I gave up. It was the height of the crisis: people were being laid off, prices were rising, wages were being cut. But suddenly the boss called me and said that I was being transferred to another branch in Moscow, in the center, not far from my house, on Oktyabrskaya. And the salary is increased by 2 times! It was such a miracle! Incredible, I couldn't believe what I heard. Thanks to the help of the Holy Kizian Martyrs and the “Unexpected Joy” icon. I paid off my debts, we began to regularly buy food for home (this may seem funny to many, but six months ago, even before the crisis, for our family, buying food for the house was an event, and I could not eat anything at all for several days! Have a snack for a whole day in a tent near the metro was a luxury for me...). This summer we took the child to the sea and relaxed, swam, and did some minor repairs. A month ago I was appointed head of the department.

Here's the story. The main thing is to pray, believe, hope, live. Ask for help from the Saints, they hear, see and will definitely help in difficult times.

“Nine-numbered martyrs of Christ, pray to God for us.”

Yuri Kirillov, resident of Presnaya district, 32 years old.

November, 2015"

"Good afternoon! I thank the nine martyrs for their prayerful intercession. Since August 2015, my husband, the breadwinner of our large family, has been looking for work. I heard from my sister that they were praying for a job, incl. To the Kizi martyrs. In September 2015, I came to the Church of the Holy Nine Martyrs of Kizi, ordered a prayer service for the near future (I could not come to the prayer service itself due to living in the Moscow region), bought an icon, an akathist and went to the church to read the akathist to the miraculous icon. Every day I read a prayer to the Kizi martyrs, trusted in God, and when I could, I read the akathist. Since October, my husband has found a job again, which he is happy with. Praise be to God and His martyrs! Amelina Yu.P. October, 2015"

“Hello, my name is Olga, I want to tell you how I received truly miraculous help through the prayers of the nine Kizi martyrs. Before Lent, I was once again left without work. There is a crisis outside, there is complete calm on the labor market. And Great Lent. For the first time in my life I decided to fast... I understood that everything that happened to me was given to me from above for my sins and, most importantly, for pride. She fasted, took communion several times, went to confession, went to churches, monasteries, attended services, and in general reviewed her life, this way and that. But there was still no work where I wanted, they didn’t take me, where they took me, I didn’t go myself. I was without work for five months. During this time, I managed to attend advanced training courses (I am an accountant). At times, despair was terrible, but the most important thing that I firmly grasped and held on to was that God would not abandon me and would send help at the right time. She cried and repeated - Thank God for everything! Through force, I repeated it, and it became easier. And I hoped and asked God to forgive me and help me. I went to many temples, to many shrines, and all with the same request, for work. About a loved one, an interesting one, who would give the opportunity to develop and receive a decent salary. I read about the nine Kizi martyrs at the very beginning of my difficult “path,” but there was no desire to go. And now, five months later, for some reason I suddenly wanted to know more about them. I read it and decided to go right now! And off she went. Your temple is wonderful! The people who work there are wonderful! Thanks to them for their help. She asked the martyrs on her knees, with all her heart, repeating - You are my last hope!! At that moment I was absolutely sure of this. I was in the church for a long time, read the akathist, and prayed. Exactly a week later, the job found me. That’s right, they found me, they called me, I didn’t even understand how they knew about me. And most importantly, EVERYTHING I asked for, both in terms of conditions and salary, absolutely exactly coincided with what was offered to me. God is marvelous in His saints! I want to say the most important thing: never, under any circumstances, despair. We must believe in the mercy of the Lord towards us sinners and the merciful intercession of our holy intercessors. I pray to them now, every day. And I feel support and help. Thank God for everything!

R.S Forgive me for such a long message, I’ve been meaning to write for a long time and didn’t dare for a long time, what if I write something wrong. But this is not important, it is important to be grateful and not forget about the help given to you, and to tell people about the miracles that God performs through the prayers of the saints.

r.B.Olga, October 2015"

"Hello! I want to share my testimony about the miraculous help of the Kizi martyrs in finding a job. In 2013, due to family circumstances, it became necessary to move to the other side of Moscow. Since my job at that time was close to home, and I worked for a number of reasons, literally overcoming myself, the question of changing jobs became very acute. Due to age (over forty), health status, qualifications and specific professional knowledge, finding a suitable job seemed quite problematic. I learned about the help of the Kizi martyrs in finding a job from a friend, and she, in turn, was told about it by a friend. I came to the temple twice, prayed in front of the icon of the Martyrs, submitted notes for the prayer service, and read the akathist at home. I remember that when I was going to the Martyrs for the first time, they called me with an invitation for an interview. That job didn’t suit me, and I didn’t suit her, but I realized that my request was heard, they were helping me. The second, decisive job offer came from a completely unexpected direction, from where I could not even imagine. Moreover, all this happened very quickly. It was impossible to imagine a more suitable job for me: close to home, with a good team, with a higher salary than at my previous job. Next to work is the temple to which I “nailed” after moving, where the Lord brought me to the choir and gave me friendship with wonderful people. My friend, thanks to the help of the Kizi martyrs, in the same 2013, got (and very quickly) a good job, suitable in all respects, where she works to this day. Thank God for everything!

R.B.Alla, September 2015"

"Good afternoon! I also want to share my story. I spent six months looking for a job, many interviews, and all in vain. Somehow I came across the prayer to the Kizi Martyrs while I was looking for a solution to the problem. And now it’s been almost a year that I have a job I love, it’s interesting, it’s a nice team, and the favor of my bosses is good. A job that you want to get up to in the morning and that you’re not in a hurry to leave in the evening. I am very grateful to the Holy Nine Martyrs for their help! Sincerely, Irina. July 2015"

"Good afternoon. I, the servant of God Lyudmila, came to your church for the first time for the All-Night Vigil in memory of the Holy Nine Martyrs of Kizi on May 11, 2015. I wanted to pray after reading the lives of the Holy Martyrs, to worship their feat, to ask for help to strengthen my faith. And of course, there was another very important and specific request for a job for my son, whose wife is due to give birth to a child in May 2015. My son was fired overnight; before that he had been looking for a job for a long time; in general, he really needed a job... I relied on the prayers of the Holy Nine Martyrs of Cyzes. I must say that during my son’s previous unemployed period, which lasted 9 months, I prayed to everyone and everywhere I went, but I didn’t know about the Nine Martyrs of Kizi.

In the general festive atmosphere and crowds, I was unable to concentrately pray about the main thing - work for my son, highlighting this petition. I simply thanked and prayed that the Lord would manage everything Himself as He pleases. I ordered a prayer service to the Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus, bought an icon, and lit a candle. And she left after the service, hoping for little, with little faith.

On May 15, my son called and said that he had been invited to work on June 1, 2015.

Glory to Thee, Lord, I thank the Holy Nine Martyrs of Kizi for their prayerful intercession for me, a sinner.

With gratitude, Molchanova L.N.

May 2015"

"Hello! I want to write about the miraculous help of the Holy Martyrs in finding a job. After leaving my previous job, I suffered for a long time and could not find a job that was to my heart - although God did not abandon me, and I managed to find various types of part-time work, I felt that I wanted to have a permanent job. And so, a few months later I received two offers, but I could not decide which choice to make. It was necessary to answer urgently, and I asked one kind parishioner to order a prayer service to the Holy Martyrs of Kizi, since I myself am in another city. And it so happened that in one of the companies I was chosen for a decisive interview, it went well, and my first working day was scheduled for May 12! Memorial Day of the Holy Martyrs! Glory to our Lord Jesus Christ, who will never abandon those who trust in Him. Be sure to believe in any situation! Christ is Risen!

r.B. Julia, May 2015"

“I was going to write a few years ago, but only now got around to it. I regret that I didn’t do this earlier, because how many people my letter could have helped, and the liveliness of events has dulled a little over time. Forgive me for being lazy. After all, through reading the letters of other people, I myself received the miraculous help of the nine Kizi martyrs more than once.

So. I had a job far from home and only came to my family on weekends, because in our city at that time it was difficult to find a job, and it was almost impossible to pay decently. The child (boy) grew up without me with women (wife and daughter). There was a lack of male education and this was noticeable when communicating with the child. This situation, dads on weekends, was very depressing and it was necessary to look for a way out. But there was still no way out.

And then one day I learned about the miraculous help of these gracious saints. As I remember now, I was very surprised by the speedy help they received. After praying to the martyrs, in less than two weeks, those who applied received work. I admit, at that time it seemed unlikely to me and with little hope I went to order a prayer service at the Temple, on Bolshoi Devyatinsky Lane, 15.

But all my doubts disappeared. Indeed, less than two weeks had passed since I had a job in my hometown. There was no limit to the joy. Naturally, he thanked the holy martyrs themselves and thanked the Lord for giving the world such quick helpers. Eight months passed, and the owner of the company still did not raise the salary, although we had previously agreed to revise the salary upward in six months. After a hint of this fact, a ridiculous bonus followed, like giving a dog a bone (even that wouldn’t have been enough). In general, after waiting for the expiration of the annual contract, I began to look for work again.

Again I prayerfully turned to the ambulance workers and again, in a very short period of time, I was already working in a German company with really decent wages. After a certain period of time (unfortunately, I don’t really remember, but most likely 2 or 3 years passed) I was already promoted to boss, and accordingly my salary increased significantly. My wife and I don’t need much, and this salary was enough for bread and butter. But the time has come and one fine day our branch is moved to Moscow (where I left earlier). I really didn’t want to be a visiting husband and father. I went nowhere, hoping for the mercy of God and the intercession of the Holy Saints for me.

Once again he addressed the Nine Kizian Martyrs with a prayer. We served a prayer service, fortunately now in our city there is an icon of the saints, and at the moment I have my own web studio, a free schedule and a favorite job. Marvelous is the Lord in His Saints!

r.b. Georgiy April 2015.”

“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! I want to share the story of the miraculous help of the Holy Nine Martyrs of Kizi to my family.

When I was on maternity leave for a child under 3 years old, my husband and I first came to the icon of the Saints in the church in B. Devyatinsky Lane. We came to ask for help from the Saints, because I wanted to return to work, where I was not expected, and due to the crisis, there was a high probability that as soon as I left, they would lay me off. If it were not for the help of God and the prayers of the Holy Martyrs, then this would have happened.

Arriving at work at the end of my vacation, I find out that I am being laid off. She insisted that the layoff would not be made on one day (by agreement of the parties), but by staff reduction - that is, I would be at work for another two months and they could still offer me something during this time. Having received notification of the imminent layoff, I was very surprised that my last working day fell on May 12 - the Feast of the Nine Holy Martyrs, on May 13 I was supposed to be laid off, and on May 14 - the feast in honor of the beloved icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Unexpected Joy”. And hope came for the intercession of the Mother of God and the Holy Nine Martyrs, and faith that they would leave me at work. And so it happened. Unexpectedly, a superior boss from another country arrived, my friends at work told me about my problem (and the situation was really difficult - my husband was also laid off at work, we have two small children). And they left me at work. Such a miracle happened through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy Nine Martyrs of Cyzes! Thank God for everything! With all my heart I thank the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy Martyrs of Cyzicus!

r.B. Anna, April 2015, Moscow.”

"Good afternoon!

I would like to thank the 9 martyrs of Kizichesk for their wonderful job search. Since July 2013, I have been actively looking for work, I even worked for 2 months for a friend, but the conditions were unpleasant. And so in May I found out about the Temple of the 9 Martyrs of Cyzicus, went to the Temple, ordered a simple prayer service for every request, read the Akathist and exactly a week later I found the job of my dreams! With excellent working conditions, with a young friendly team, with a good salary and a beautiful office. All my wishes about work came true! I sincerely thank the Saints! I continue to visit the Temple regularly, order prayer services and always order blessings afterwards link

The city of Cyzicus was located in Asia Minor on the shores of the Sea of ​​Marmara. Christianity began to spread in it since the time of the sermon of the Holy Apostle Paul (June 29). But the persecution of the pagans led to the fact that some of the Christians fled from the city, while others kept the faith of Christ in secret. Therefore, at the end of the 3rd century, Cyzicus was largely pagan, although there was a Christian church there. This situation in the city upset true Christians who sought to establish the faith of Christ. The Nine Holy Martyrs also belonged to them - Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artema, Magnus, Theodotus, Faumasius and Philemon. They came from different areas, were of different ages: both young, like Saint Antipater, and elderly, like Saint Rufus; occupied different positions in society: among them were warriors, villagers, townspeople, and clergy. But all of them were united by faith in Christ and an ardent desire to spread and strengthen the true faith.

The saints boldly confessed Christ and fearlessly denounced pagan wickedness. They were captured and brought before the ruler of the city. For several days they were tortured, imprisoned and taken out again, promising freedom for renouncing Christ. But the valiant soldiers of Christ continued to glorify the name of Christ. All nine martyrs were beheaded by the sword (April 29, 284-292), and their bodies were buried near the city.

When in 324 the eastern half of the empire began to be ruled by Saint Constantine the Great (306-337, commemorated on May 21) and the persecution of Christians ceased, the Kizian Christians removed the incorrupt bodies of nine martyrs from the ground and laid them in a temple built in their honor.

Numerous miracles occurred from the holy relics: demons were cast out, the paralytic were healed, those with fever were cured, and the insane came to their senses. The Faith of Christ was affirmed in the city through the intercession of the holy martyrs, many of the pagans converted to Christianity.

When Julian the Apostate (361-363) reigned, the pagans of Cyzicus turned to him with a complaint against Christians for the destruction of pagan temples. Julian ordered the restoration of pagan temples, but did not allow the oppression of the Christians living in the city. There were many of them, and he was afraid of popular outrage. However, he ordered Bishop Eleusius to be imprisoned. After the death of Julian, Bishop Eleusius received his freedom, and again the light of the Christian faith shone in Cyzicus under the auspices of the holy martyrs.

Cyzicus - pages of history

The word Kizik sounds unusual to the Russian ear. Located on the peninsula of the same name in Asia Minor, on the southwestern coast of the Sea of ​​Marmara, the city of Cyzicus was, according to legend, the first Greek colony of this region. The famous writer, historian and greatest geographer of antiquity Strabo (67 BC -23 AD) dates its foundation to 679 BC. e. The city was located on a busy trade route connecting the Black and Aegean seas. Originally a fishing center, it soon developed into a major trading hub. Its significance is evidenced by the fact that the coins that were minted here, the so-called golden cytic staters, were the most common banknotes of the Greek East in the 6th-4th centuries BC.

In 133 BC. e. Cyzicus is part of the Roman Empire. VI in n. e. St. Paul the Apostle may have visited him during one of his missionary journeys. There is information that the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called preached the Gospel here. The first centuries of Byzantine history were for Cyzicus the period of his heyday. However, in 543, a strong earthquake destroyed the city. In 675 it was plundered by the Arabs, and in 902 by pirates from Tripoli. In 1063, a new powerful earthquake destroyed the remaining buildings.

In 1078, the area was captured by the Seljuk Turks, and they held it for some time until it passed into the hands of the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Komnenos (1081-1118) in 1092. In 1204, the Crusaders established their power here for several years, and in 1224, Cyzicus was annexed by the Nicaean king John III Vatatzes (1222-1254) to his possessions. At the end of the 14th century, the Kizi Peninsula became part of the Ottoman Empire. As Cyzicus was destroyed, residents abandoned it, moving to the surrounding areas, and gradually the place became deserted.

After the disappearance of the city from the face of the earth, its name continued to be preserved in the Church as the name of the metropolis, which covered the entire Kizichesky peninsula and adjacent areas. In 1855, it occupied fourth place in the list of the oldest metropolises of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Kizi Metropolis united 70 thousand parishioners, had 71 churches and 98 priests. Directly on the peninsula, according to the official census of 1922, 23,488 people lived, of which 19,765 were Greeks, 2,723 Armenians and 1,000 Turks.

The ruins of the city of Kizikos are located near the Turkish village of Belkis or, otherwise, Balkiz (perhaps this name is derived from the Greek words “Palea Kizikos”, “Ancient Kizikos”). Only a few ruins remain of the city buildings, which mainly date back to the period of Roman rule. At the same time, almost nothing related to the more ancient era, as well as to the subsequent Byzantine period of history, has survived. Of the surviving ruins, a significant part is hidden by thickets of bushes and wild grasses. Best visible are the foundations of the pagan temple of Hadrian, in which this Roman emperor was worshiped as the thirteenth Olympian god. At the time when the nine holy martyrs passed through the course of their earthly life, the said temple was revered as one of the seven “wonders of the world.”

Some finds discovered during the excavations are exhibited today in the Archaeological Museum of Constantinople, as well as in the Erdek Open Air Museum, located directly on the site of the old city.

Help from the saints

Many people turn to this image in various situations. Basically they ask:

• healing from various diseases,
• exorcism of demons,
• deliverance from madness,
• intercede
• about getting a job.

The remains of the saints were buried near the place of their execution. The relics were then transferred to various temples. It is a pity that this miraculous image cannot be found everywhere.

Most often, what the icon of the Kizi Martyrs helps with is finding a new job, as well as moving up the career ladder. Those who have already tried its effect on themselves note that this is really true. Some people say that for a long time they did not receive satisfaction from the work they were doing and did not move up the career ladder. But after turning to the saints, we immediately noticed positive changes.

Also read: The miraculous icon of Paraskeva Friday with particles of relics