St. George the Victorious is one of the most revered great martyrs of the Christian Church. He was named so for his courage in the fight against his tormentors and for maintaining, in spite of everything, his faith and devotion to Christianity. The saint also became famous for his miraculous help to people. The life of St. George the Victorious is distinguished by many interesting facts, and the story of his first posthumous appearance to people is completely reminiscent of a fairy tale. It is not for nothing that events from the life of the holy saint are so interesting not only to adults, but also to children.
The miraculous appearance of St. George the Victorious
A long time ago, a huge snake appeared in the lake. There was no way for anyone to escape from it: the monster devoured everyone who wandered into the surrounding area. Local sages, after consulting, decided to appease the serpent by sacrificing their own children to him. Gradually it was the turn of the royal daughter herself, who was distinguished by her dazzling beauty.
On the appointed day, the girl was brought to the lake and left at the appointed place. People were left to watch the execution of the poor thing from afar. And this is what they saw, preparing to mourn the princess: out of nowhere, a stately horseman appeared in the clothes of a warrior and with a spear in his hands. He was not afraid of the snake, but crossed himself, rushed at the monster and killed it with a spear with one blow.
After this, the brave young man said to the princess: “Do not be afraid. Tie the snake with a belt and lead it to the city.” On their way, the people fled in horror when they saw the monster. But the warrior reassured them with the words: “Believe in our Lord, Jesus Christ. After all, it was he who sent me to deliver you from the serpent.” This is exactly how the miraculous appearance of St. George the Victorious happened to people, after the end of his life’s journey.
Early years and service with the emperor
Already at the age of twenty, George had a whole cohort of invictiors (which means “invincible”) subordinate to him. With the title of commander of a thousand, the young man received the patronage of the emperor himself. However, he revered the Roman gods and was an ardent opponent of the Christian faith. Therefore, when, by decree of the emperor, they began to burn holy books and destroy churches, George distributed all his property to poor people and appeared in the Senate. There he publicly declared that Emperor Diocletian was a cruel and unjust ruler whom the people did not deserve. They tried to dissuade the handsome and brave young man, they begged him not to ruin his own glory and youth, but he was adamant. It is precisely this kind of unshakable faith that the life of St. George the Victorious, even in a brief summary, usually places at the head of all the virtues of the great martyr.
Trials and death
The young man was subjected to severe torture and then beheaded. Since he endured all the torture with courage and did not renounce Jesus Christ, St. George the Victorious was later canonized. This is the short life of St. George the Victorious.
The day of his execution took place on April 23, which corresponds to May 6 according to the new calendar. It is on this day that the Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. George the Victorious. His relics are kept in the Israeli city of Lod, and a temple named after him was built there. And the severed head of the saint and his sword are in Rome to this day.
Georgy Dzhikia in Spartak
Dzhikia made his debut for the red and white on April 9, 2021 in a match against Ufa. In the championship season, the defender took part in 8 matches, immediately becoming a player in the main squad.
On September 17, 2021, Dzhikia scored his first goal for Spartak, hitting the Tosno goal. On September 16, 2018, in a game against Akhmat, Georgy took to the field for the first time as team captain.
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At the end of the 2018/2019 season, Spartak fans recognized Dzhikiya as the best player of the team, awarding him the Golden Boar.
In total, Dzhikia played 106 matches in the Russian championships for Spartak and scored four goals. Together with the team, he became the champion of Russia, as well as the winner of the Super Cup.
Miracles of St. George the Victorious
The main miracle that describes the life of St. George the Victorious is his victory over the serpent. It is this plot that is often depicted on Christian icons: the saint is depicted here on a white horse, and his spear strikes the monster’s mouth.
There is another, no less famous miracle that occurred after the death of the Great Martyr George and his canonization. This story happened after the Arab people attacked Palestine. One of the invaders entered an Orthodox church and found the priest there praying in front of the image of St. George the Victorious. Wanting to show disdain for the icon, the Arab took out his bow and shot an arrow at it. But it so happened that the fired arrow pierced the warrior’s hand without causing any damage to the icon.
Exhausted from pain, the Arab called the priest. He told him the story of St. George, and also advised him to hang his icon over his bed. The life of St. George the Victorious made such a strong impression on him that the Arab accepted Christianity, and then even began to preach it among his compatriots, for which he subsequently accepted the martyrdom of the righteous man.
Real miracles happened to George during torture. The cruel torture lasted 8 days, but by the will of the Lord the young man’s body was healed and strengthened, remaining unharmed. Then the emperor decided that he was using magic and wanted to destroy him with poisonous potions. When this did not bring harm to George, they decided to publicly shame him and force him to renounce his faith. The young man was offered to try to resurrect a dead person. Imagine the shock of the gathered people when, after the saint’s prayer, the dead man actually rose from the tomb, and the earth shook according to the will of God.
The healing spring that flowed on the spot where the Church of St. George the Victorious was built can be called nothing less than a miracle. It is located exactly where, according to legend, the saint dealt with the serpent.
Biography of George Dzhikia
Georgy Dzhikia was born on November 21, 1993 in Moscow. George's parents were forced to move from Abkhazia when the mother of the future football player was already pregnant, due to the hostilities that began there. Georgy was not the only child in the family - two brothers grew up with him. When Dzhikia was still small, his parents moved with him to Balashikha, near Moscow. At the age of 6, Dzhikiya began training in the local football section “Victoria”: his first coach was Sergei Mikheev.
4 years after the start of classes, Georgy moved to the Lokomotiv school from Perovo. At this time, Dzhikia did not play in the usual position of a central defender - in his youth he played closer to the attack, and only his position on the field shifted first to the center of the field, and then to defense.
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In 2011, Jikia entered into his first professional contract - with the Lokomotiv-2 team. There he spent three seasons and played 64 matches, receiving a salary of 15 thousand rubles a month. Georgiy had a chance to play in the main Loko team: he was called to the training camp along with the main team, but coach Leonid Kuchuk, who replaced Slaven Bilic, did not give the young player enough chances. As a result, Jikia spent the last six months of his contract with Loko-2 at Spartak Nalchik, where he made his FNL debut on March 9, 2014.
In the summer of the same year, having not received an offer of a new contract in Moscow, the defender moved to Khimik Dzerzhinsk. Dzhikia played a little over 30 matches for this team and went to Amkar Perm, which plays in the RPL. This was a key moment in the young footballer's career.
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On August 1, 2015, Jikia will make his debut in the RPL in a match against Krylya Sovetov. Georgiy very quickly became a core player for the team that plays in the Premier League: already in his debut season he played in 22 matches. On April 15, 2021, in a meeting against Mordovia, he scored his first goal for the club and his first in the RPL.
Already in the next season, Georgy appeared on the field less often, but the 22-year-old football player was still noticed by the giants of Russian football. As a result, in December 2016, the football player returned to Moscow - he was bought by Spartak for 150 million rubles.
As part of the red-white team, Dzhikia quickly became a key defensive player and team leader. In 2017, he became the champion of Russia, and two years after that, he became the captain of Spartak. The very next year after his transfer, Georgy received his debut call to the Russian national team and played at the Confederations Cup.
What can you tell children about St. George?
St. George the Victorious became famous for many things during his life. The life will be interesting for children too. For example, you can tell them that this saint is revered not only in our country, but also abroad. And his life became the best example of how true faith in God helps us overcome any trials.
Young listeners will also be interested in the miracles that the Lord showed to the people through this great martyr. Thanks to them, many lost people regained their faith and came to Christ. George the Victorious lived in the 3rd century, but his exploits and miracles strengthen people’s faith today, giving them strength to cope with troubles and gratefully accept everything that life has in store for us.
Children often ask questions about why on icons the spear in the hand of St. George is thin and thin? It’s not like a snake, you can’t even kill a fly. In fact, this is not a spear, but a real, sincere prayer, which was the main weapon of the great martyr. After all, only with prayer, as well as great faith in the Lord, does a person gain enormous strength, courage and happiness.
Personal life of George Dzhikia
At the moment, the main defender of the Russian national team and Spartak is not married. Dzhikia is reluctant to talk about her personal life:
“I have only one social network - Instagram, where there is only football, and my personal life is private so that less people know about it. The main thing is that I know that everything is fine with my family and friends.”
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Facts related to St. George the Victorious
- The saint is known by several names. In addition to the title of Saint George, he is called George of Lydda and Cappadocia, and in Greek the name of the great martyr is written like this: Άγιος Γεώργιος.
- On May 6, St. George's Day, the memory of Queen Alexandra, wife of Emperor Diocletian, is also honored. She took George’s torment so deeply to her heart and believed in his own faith so much that she recognized herself as a Christian. After which the emperor immediately sentenced her to death.
- St. George the Victorious, whose life became a true example of courage and bravery, is especially revered in Georgia. The first church named after St. George was built there in 335. Several centuries later, more and more temples and chapels began to be built. In total, they were erected in different parts of this country as many as there are days in the year - 365. Today it is impossible to find a single Georgian church that does not have the image of St. George the Victorious.
- The name Georgiy is also very popular in Georgia. It is given to everyone - from ordinary people to rulers from the greatest dynasties. It was believed that a person named after St. George would never fail in anything and would emerge victorious from any situation.
Sometimes it is difficult to believe that the life of St. George the Victorious really describes the events that actually happened. After all, there is so much inhuman torment, valor and indestructible faith in him that it is simply impossible for us, mere mortals, to imagine. However, the story of this saint is the best example of how, with the help of true faith, you can overcome any adversity.
Georgy Dzhikia in the Russian national team
Having received a debut call from Stanislav Cherchesov in 2021, Dzhikia played all three matches for the national team in the group stage of the Confederations Cup. He played for the national team for the first time on June 5, 2017 in a match against the Hungarian national team.
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Dzhikia missed the home World Cup in 2021 due to a cruciate ligament injury received in a friendly game for Spartak. On November 16, 2021, as part of the qualification for Euro 2020, Jikia hit the goal of the Belgian team, scoring his debut goal as part of the national team. On November 12, 2020, in a game with Moldova, he led the team to the match with the captain's armband.
Before Euro 2020, Jikia remains the main defender of the Russian national team and one of its key players.
