Many pilgrims, after visiting Optina Pustyn, stop by the village. Klykovo, located near Kozelsk. Here is the monastery of the Savior Not Made by Hands of the Hermitage, where Mother Zipporah labored. Numerous pilgrims flock to the old woman’s grave to honor the memory of the righteous woman and ask her for help in various everyday and spiritual needs.
Origin and birth
Daria Nikolaevna Shnyakina (the future Mother Zipporah) came into this world on April 1, 1896, and reposed on May 13, 1997. The Lord gave her more than a hundred years of life in order to pass on the Orthodox traditions of past times to the modern generation, to draw a connection between two eras that are far apart in time and in spirit. Believers pass on the life and prophecies of the amazing elder schema-nun Sepphora from mouth to mouth.
Family
Daria was born into a peasant family. Parents, Nikolai and Matrona, were simple and illiterate, but believing people. Both had monks in their family, so there were always icons in the house, and the spirit of prayer was present. Among their fellow villagers they were distinguished by their hard work, piety and other Christian virtues.
Life at that time was not easy. Of the 13 children born into the family, only Daria and her younger brothers, Pavel and Vasily, survived. The couple raised their remaining children in a Christian spirit, instilling in them a love of prayer and work from an early age. I had to work hard from early childhood - in the garden, on the arable land, in the barnyard. On Sundays, the whole family was required to attend church. Life flowed among the pristine Russian nature, with its beauty teaching to love and glorify God.
Training in women's crafts
In the neighboring village of Glukhov, nuns lived at the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God. Daria became friends with them and spent a lot of time in the church, helping the sisters in their obediences. The nuns fell in love with a girl who, instead of playing and having fun, devoted her time to work and prayer, and often secluded herself from everyone to read akathists and the lives of saints.
Daria learned to sew and weave. But not only this skill was mastered by the young novice. The nuns taught the girl to constantly repeat the Jesus Prayer while working. And Daria’s grandfather, returning from another pilgrimage trip, gave his seven-year-old granddaughter a rosary brought from holy places. Thus arose in Daria an ardent desire to devote herself to God and leave this world, hiding from it behind the walls of the monastery.
Just ask for patience
Mother's temperature is thirty-eight. Breathes with difficulty. And her legs and arms already hurt. Paralysis has bent them, and they do not straighten. At the monastery, I looked after my grandmother, whose legs also hurt. But I gave her painkilling injections as prescribed by the doctor, and she often took analgesics. And here - no painkillers, just a gentle smile. And only by the involuntary groan and eyes clouded with pain can you guess how bad mother is. I give her an antibiotic injection prescribed by the doctor for severe bronchitis with suspected pneumonia. He endures it in silence, although the injection is painful.
And I feel so sorry for my mother that, overcome by an impulse, I press her healthy hand to my chest and begin to pray in a whisper:
- Father, holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon! Mother Zipporah! Help! Heal! Well, why don't you help?! After all, mother feels so bad!
And she raises her good hand and wipes the tears from my cheek:
- What are you doing, baby, don’t pray like that! Just ask for patience for me! Disease - what is it? It doesn’t characterize a person! And then - they help me! Here they are sending you. Do you see? Do not Cry! And I used to be, you know, a nun of Panteleimon. Mother Sipporah called me affectionately: “Pantyusha.” Get some oil, right there on the shelf, from Father Panteleimon, now you and I will anoint ourselves with it. This will give us the best medicine. Understood? Read the Psalter further.
Teenage years and early life
Years have passed. Daria has grown up, and it would seem that her secret dream of becoming a nun is about to come true. But suddenly the father of a large family dies. The mother is in despair, left with three children in her arms, and not knowing how to feed them, decides to marry Daria off.
Personal life
To help her family, the girl agrees with her mother’s decision and, against her wishes, embarks on the path of family life. Daria's husband was her fellow villager, a believer, Dmitry Shnyakin. He was from a large, wealthy family, which, in addition to his parents and daughter, included four more sons with wives and children.
The father, the head of the family and the elder of the temple, did not want to let anyone go. Everyone lived in the same house, very friendly, and Daria, as the eldest daughter-in-law, became the housekeeper. She managed the household, kept order, and distributed responsibilities around the house. So that other daughters-in-law would not harbor resentment against her, Daria worked equally with everyone else.
The young couple had four daughters. Daria often went on pilgrimage to Diveevo. The husband's parents, seeing her obedience and Christian disposition of her soul, let the young woman go on pilgrimage.
The path to Diveevo was not close at that time. It took a week to get to the monastery, and the same amount of time was spent on the way back. Several days had to be devoted to preparing for communion and confession in the monastery itself.
The Lord rewarded the family with material well-being for such a pious life. They all worked hard, lived together, and helped each other. In the village, the family belonged to the middle peasants and was prosperous. However, the calm, measured life of the peasants in the Tambov region did not last long. The Soviet government began to introduce collective farms, suppressed riots, and carried out dispossession.
Family difficulties
Just on the eve of this difficult time, in 1933, Daria’s father-in-law built the couple a new hut, provided livestock and equipment. Dmitry, in order to protect his family from reprisals, went to work at a mine in the village of Bolokhovo, near Tula. He wanted to eventually move his family there, but he didn’t have time.
As soon as he left, his father’s family and Daria and their children were subjected to dispossession. They were simply kicked out into the street from the new hut, having dismantled the new log house into logs. A terrible and difficult fate befell the relatives. The father-in-law was beaten and sent to Solovki. His wife, Dmitry's mother, followed him, but died on the way. Daria's brother Pavel was beaten to death by the Bolsheviks for refusing to join the collective farm. They simply stoned him, as the Jews did to the first martyr Stephen.
Daria and her children were left homeless; their fellow villagers were afraid to shelter them. The family was considered an enemy of the people. And anyone who dared to openly lend a helping hand could be subjected to the same fate. The wanderers were given shelter by the lonely, unsociable widow Agafya, who lived on the edge of the village. Once upon a time, in better times, Daria secretly brought bread, milk and other food to the poor woman. Now the time had come when she could thank her benefactor.
There was nothing to eat; the Bolsheviks did not provide firewood. Daria worked part-time by sewing, and sometimes they asked for alms. They often collected and boiled the grass that grew near the house, and heated the stove with sunflowers and manure. Despite all the difficulties, the daughters studied well and helped their mother in all household chores. And a few years later they moved to the Tula region to live with Dimitri.
It was right on my mind
Later I would come across the fact that Anastasia guesses Mother amazingly often. So often that you can no longer call it guessing.
Before reading the Psalter he asks me:
— How do you read the Psalter?
— I put a bookmark and read kathisma after kathisma in order.
I would like to add that in addition to this, I also read the seventeenth kathisma with blessing, which turns out to be two kathismas a day, but I bite my tongue. What if he says: “Read out loud”? And her rule is so long, my tongue gets tired. Here are miracles - I never got tired of chatting in vain, but now I get tired of praying!
- Well, open the bookmark and read.
I'm reading. I finish and think: “And then I’ll read the seventeenth, to myself. If I don’t read it, I’ll rest. I’m tired - like a squirrel in a wheel all day.” But it was not there. Mother Anastasia sternly asks:
- Well, what next?
- What's next? All! Have you read Kathisma?
- No! What else has your spiritual father blessed you to read? Well, what are you thinking about? What other kathisma has he blessed to read every day? Seventeenth? So read it! Come on, come on! Everything about her, she’s golden!
- Mother! Nothing can be hidden from you!
Smiles quietly:
“The previous cell attendant always told me: “Mother Anastasia, you were right on my mind!”
- Mother, you are our old lady!
- What are you talking about, my baby, what an old lady I am! Here is mother Zipporah - she was an old woman, yes... And I’m just like that, an old nun...
- Mother, how did you become the old lady’s cell attendant?
Mature age
In Bolokhov, the family was finally reunited. Life became easier, calmer. Despite all the difficulties, the intense spiritual life that Daria led did not stop for a minute. But no one knew about this.
War years
The war began, my husband went to the front. Daria and her children had a hard time again. From the Tula region, the family evacuated to the Tambov region. I had to endure cold and hunger; there was no permanent shelter. But Daria’s prayer did not stop for a minute all this time. Thanks to her, her husband returned from the front, and the family withstood the difficult trials of the war years.
Monastic tonsure
In 1955, husband Dmitry died without surviving a complex operation. Daria and the girls moved to another village, now the city of Kireevsk. Not far from this place there was a functioning temple. Daria began to visit him often, moving more and more away from earthly problems and concerns. The daughters grew up, and now they took care of their mother.
Daria's eldest daughter soon moved to Sergiev Posad, where a job as a postman was found for her. Over time, we managed to buy a small house near the very walls of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Now Mother Daria, as her fellow villagers began to call her, had the opportunity to come often on pilgrimages.
One day, while standing in prayer, Daria saw angels performing the rite of monastic tonsure on her. After visiting the monastery, mother told in confession about an unusual vision. After this, she soon received a blessing to become a monk. The rite of tonsure took place in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra on October 20, 1967. Dosithea, as the newly minted nun began to be called, kept what happened to her secret for a long time, even from her daughters, without saying a word to anyone.
After tonsure, many people began to come to Mother Dosithea in need of spiritual nourishment. Among them were monastics and laymen. Mother received a blessing for elderhood.
Spiritual gifts abounded in her:
- Ardent love for God, people and the church.
- Powerful prayer.
- Serendipity.
- Wisdom and Reasoning.
All this attracted many pilgrims, and the Optina brethren often visited the experienced old woman. In 1989, when mother turned 93 years old, Tula Bishop Serapion tonsured her into the schema with the name Sepphora.
Moving to Klykovo
The elderly schema-nun often thought that she would very much like to live or die in a monastery for a little while. One day, while praying, the Mother of God herself appeared to the old woman. She foretold that the righteous woman’s wish would come true, and she would end her days in a men’s monastic monastery in Klykovo. That's how it all happened.
In the village of Klykovo, Kaluga region, they began to restore the church and build a bishop's courtyard. At first things went very hard. Then they remembered that in Kireevsk there was a wise adviser and an experienced old woman, Sipporah. The monks went to her, and she was delighted, realizing that the prediction of the Most Holy Theotokos was coming true. Things began to improve for the monks. Benefactors appeared at the monastery, and help came from Moscow. And all thanks to mother’s holy prayers.
last years of life
At Christmas time, the monks moved the old woman to a new wooden house. By that time she was already 99 years old. She went to all the liturgies, and, despite such an advanced age, stood on her feet throughout the service. The cell attendant helped her get to the temple.
She tapped the people who came to her with a staff, sprinkled them with Jordan water, and rubbed them with holy oil. And God’s grace, through the prayer of mother, healed the suffering, comforted the mourners, and cleansed them from sins and illnesses. The old woman foresaw her imminent death and gave gifts to everyone: to whom she would give her rosary, to whom she gave away an icon, staves, and even a schema.
At the age of 101, Mother Zipporah of Klykovo left the earth. She died quietly, blissfully and calmly, as all the righteous depart to another world. The entire Optina brethren gathered to perform the funeral service for the deceased. Spiritual children came from different parts of the country. Mother was buried, as she had ordered, at the altar walls of the Nikolsky chapel.
Cases of healing
Many people talk about how, after coming to the old woman, they completely recovered. For example, there is one letter from a woman who talks about her disappointing diagnosis - purulent mastopathy. They sent me for surgery. Before this, she prayed to her mother for a long time, asking for her intercession. The day of the operation was set, but before that I had to go for an ultrasound. Thanks to the prayers of the old woman, nothing was discovered. Instead of surgery, the woman went to the grave of Mother Zipporah.
Another woman, whose name is Elena, spoke about another inexplicable miracle. One day her husband, who works as a driver, went on a business trip. The wife felt trouble and asked mother to pray for her husband. Returning from a business trip, he showed a deep scratch, which was the only thing left from the accident. Thus, the prayers of the old woman helped to save her.
Again, Elena also talked about helping her son when he was burning in the fire of childhood illness. Sincere prayer and crying for help did their job - the next morning my son recovered from his high fever.
Another woman from Kireevsk talked about her friendship with her mother. They went to church together, which was located in Panino. Mother was already endowed with the gift of insight, but most often she was silent. But then she said a few words about the future life of her children. She said that her daughters would become wives of priests, and her son would become a priest. She also predicted that he would give her communion. And so it happened.
Miracles from Mother Zipporah
Soon after the death of the old woman, a photograph of her, located in the former cell, cast myrrh. The event that took place once again testified to the holiness of the deceased schema-nun Sepphora. Subsequently there were a lot of such miracles.
Gift of Healing
If you visit Klykovo, you can hear many incredible stories about miraculous healings that occurred through the prayers of Zipporah. People came to her sad, sick, unhappy, and returned home inspired, cured of diseases of soul and body, joyful. But the most important thing is that communication with the old woman instilled in people ardent faith in God, directed them to the true path of salvation, and forced them to pray more.
The Power of Prayer
Although schema-nun Zipporah has not yet been glorified as a saint, people turn to her and receive what they ask for. Help comes in a variety of ways - from solving everyday problems to healing from various serious diseases, even such as oncology.
Thanks to the intercession of my mother:
- the long-awaited pregnancy begins;
- the blind see;
- bedridden patients begin to walk.
Monks know well that prayer to Schema-nun Sepphora works miracles. The brothers of the Spasskaya Hermitage rightfully consider the old woman to be the guardian angel of their monastery. They know for sure that their mother will not leave them in difficult times and will always come to the rescue in any need. They compiled an akathist to Schema nun Sepphora and other prayers.
Elder's prophecies
Schema-nun Sipporah had the gift of prophecy. There is numerous eyewitness evidence of this. Her predictions concerned both individual people and the destinies of entire peoples, countries, and cities. For example, mother said that humanity can be saved from the apocalypse, but only by unshakable faith in God. The village of Klykovo, according to the prophecy of the old woman, will grow into a large city - Spassk. Many predictions concerned the future of Russia.
Congregational Prayer
I continue to read the Psalter and am surprised to realize that it has become easier to read. And why? Yes, because mother prays with me, and my weak, feeble prayer is supported by the firm prayer of the schema-nun. I stumble, and she tells me the words. Later I learned that Mother Anastasia knows the Psalter by heart.
I read the famous fiftieth psalm, piercing in its sense of repentance, and when I say the last words: “Then you will be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering, then they will lay the bull on Your altar,” Mother quietly says:
- Mother Zipporah died with these words. And the Optina abbot Anthony said: “This is the death of the righteous woman.”
I'm silent. Yes, Elder Zipporah and her life were a “sacrifice of truth,” and her pure soul and fiery prayer were the best offering to the Lord. Every day we read an akathist to Mother Zipporah.
The morning hours of prayer with Mother Anastasia are especially good. In the twilight, lamps burn and illuminate icons and photographs of Mother Zipporah. And slowly, out of this twilight, dawn and a new day are born. Mother Anastasia almost never lets go of the rosary; she prays constantly. And he teaches me.
Temptation
A guest is coming to us. She is a parishioner of the local church and came to visit her mother. But mother doesn’t really talk to her. He asks to treat the guest and see her off. The guest is drinking tea in the kitchen and, noticing my laptop, on which, with my blessing, I work for the Optina Book Publishing House, she authoritatively explains to me that I can’t touch the computer - it has a demon. And there's a demon on TV. And on my cell phone. And there are only demons around.
She worked at the hospital as a nurse, but she left because there was a Taxpayer Identification Number, and he was demonic.
“There’s nothing good about the INN,” I agree with restraint. - But you don’t have to accept it. They don't get kicked out of work for this. Do all believers really have to leave work?! Who will treat our relatives, teach our children, grow bread - only atheists, or what?
- And in our time you can’t even get treatment! Vaccinations are demonic. And also all medications. The elders warned that in our time it would be possible to be treated only with herbs and no medicines. And antibiotics are also demonic; there is no point in giving injections to the schema nun.
I try to object, but they don’t listen to me.
After the departure of this strange guest, an argument with her obsessively continues in my head, and I find arguments that prove that I am right. I just can’t calm down. But I read that one of the signs of demonic thoughts coming from outside is their obsession. I'm going to my mother:
- I have such abuse against this sister! She judges everyone!
“She doesn’t judge anyone!” And we will not condemn her! - Mother interrupts me and makes it clear that the conversation is over. I understand that we will not condemn.
- Come on, come here, baby! - Mother gently strokes my head. - Dont listen her. Forget everything she said. Well, have you calmed down?
And I feel the scolding fade away. And I no longer remember this strange guest. And in the evening, Mother Anastasia says thoughtfully:
“Mother Zipporah immediately sensed people, knew who was breathing what. They hadn’t even entered the door yet, and she already knew who was coming. One day a woman came. While she was undressing in the hallway, Zipporah’s mother shakes her head and quietly says: “Oh, it smells like rotten eggs. What a horror." And I answer: “It doesn’t smell like anything, mother, where did you get that idea?”
And this woman opened her mouth and began to scold everyone. It turned out to be so evil! Very angry! She left, and then I couldn’t sleep all night. I don’t know why, I just don’t feel good somehow. And my mother says to me: “Well, how did you feel just now? This woman left such a mark on herself.” And I think that even in ordinary people the soul feels evil, but for an old woman it is probably felt much more strongly. So mother slandered, anger felt like the disgusting smell of rotten eggs.
Prayer of the schema-nice
But the prayer of the schema-nice is not an easy prayer. I had a severe headache this morning. Usually, if it hurts like that, it will last the whole day. If you don't take painkillers, nothing will help.
- Olya, why are you wincing?
- Yes, mother, nothing. (I’ll be sick and complain to her about my pain! She’s already feeling bad, her temperature has risen again!)
- Come on, come here. Headache, right?
Mother gently strokes my head several times.
- Go ahead, lie down, lie down for a while.
I obediently go and lie down, although I know for sure that now I will walk with a headache all day. But not even five minutes pass before my pain disappears. It was my mother who helped me! She feels so bad herself, but she thinks about other people!
But it was not Father Ambrose
The days are flying by. They are filled with small chores. But this troublesomeness is sanctified by prayer. Lent has begun, and my mother and I are reading, in addition to the usual rule, the Canon of Andrew of Crete. And before the Canon, she gives me a thick notebook to read, where the interpretations and teachings of the holy fathers are written in neat and beautiful handwriting. These notes were made by mother herself. And now she asks me to read as much as possible.
The thick book with Compline and Matins seems so long to me, and my sick mother with a fever listens to the words of the Canon as if she were drinking living water. And I feel my own weakness so acutely, because for me prayer is work that I need to force myself to do. And for her - joy and happiness.
- Mother, I’m tired, that’s it, I can’t read anymore.
- Olechka, well, give it a little more.
- How difficult it is to constantly pray!
- What kind of prayer do I have! Here is mother Zipporah - she lived and breathed prayer. For her, the spiritual world was like an open book. Take a break, and I’ll tell you what I remember.
One day my mother Sipporah and I were in Optina. She was already revered as an old woman. When at the end of the service they venerated the relics of St. Ambrose, found in 1988, the brethren always let Mother go ahead. The relics were then in a wooden coffin.
And then one day mother leaned over the relics and stood there. It costs two minutes, three. I really think maybe she felt bad. I quietly take her by the elbow. And she pushed me away a little, made a sign that I should not interfere, and continued to stand there. And the brethren are waiting.
Finally, my mother got up, we went out into the street, and she looked so unusual. Well, I think the old lady saw something. And she says to me: “Well, why did you bother me! It was the first time I saw my father. His face. But it wasn’t Father Ambrose!” She didn't say anything else.
-Who was it?
“It was Elder Joseph, the faithful disciple and cell attendant of Father Ambrose.
- Mother, are you sure you remembered this correctly?
- Certainly!
- Wait for me a little, I want to look at the documents.
It turns out that Mother Zipporah knew about the mistake? I don’t remember something like this, but I read about the discovery of the relics of the Optina elders. I go to my place, turn on my laptop, access the Internet via a modem and quite quickly find an article by monk Mark Khomich on the website “Orthodoxy.gi” and the required passage.
I read carefully: “As a result of discussing the situation during the 1998 excavations, it soon became clear that an error had occurred in the rows of burials back in 1988. And thus, on October 16, 1988, the relics of Elder Joseph, and not St. Ambrose (as previously thought), were discovered and exhibited for veneration.”
I continue reading the article and seem to be transported to Optina, rejoicing along with my brothers that now all the relics have been found and identified correctly. And the mistake was not accidental, but symbolic. “The brothers remembered moments from the life of Elder Joseph, which say: “Looking near the Optina Hermitage there lived an ancient old man-seer, Father Pachomius, the blessed one. He loved Father Joseph very much; and when he was still a simple monk, Father Pachomius, every time he met him, would certainly ask him for a blessing. “Father Pachomius, I’m not a hieromonk,” Father Joseph will smile at him. “I’m surprised,” Pachomius will answer. “Father Joseph is the same as Father Abrosim.”
One servant of God, a holy fool, visited Elder Ambrose and, seeing Father Joseph, said to him: “Look, one old man had two cell attendants; one of them remained in his place.” His father died, and yet he did not die: leave someone like yourself alone. (Sir. 30.4).”
And then I sit and think that the cell attendant and worthy disciple of the elder is becoming like his mentor. And the student - to the old lady.
The Lord is stronger
- What, you weren’t scared at all?
“It was scary without Mother Sipporah... We once went to the funeral of Mother’s eldest daughter Alexandra in Zagorsk. Me and John's mother. We were still nuns then. Mother Ioanna went up into the house, and I was left alone on the street. I’m standing there and I feel like someone put their hands on my shoulders from behind. And such a terrible weight! And I felt horror. I turned my head back a little, I looked over my shoulder - demon! He put his paws on my shoulders and looked straight into my eyes. I have never seen anything more terrifying than this look in my life. And my head is immediately empty. I can’t remember a single prayer. Only chilling horror... With difficulty I remembered and whispered: “May God rise again and let His enemies be scattered…” - and the demon immediately disappeared.
I return home, mother Zipporah opens the door for me and - from the threshold:
- Well, have you seen what kind of demons there are?
Mother Anastasia is silent, remembering, apparently experiencing everything all over again. Then he continues:
“Once some drunk men, bandits, or something, a whole gang started breaking into our house. Mother began to pray - and then everyone disappeared. Silence. I ask: “So these are not people?” And she: “No, Pantyusha, these are not people.” She taught me not to be afraid. You can't be afraid. The Lord is stronger. You need to be courageous.
In the Church of All Saints in Tula we were standing with my mother. And a demoniac comes up to us. And he begins to press our backs against the wall. They, possessed, can be very strong. She pressed us so hard that I can no longer breathe. But mother waits, doesn’t pray, wants to teach me. He says: “Pray, Pantyusha! I will pray to the Mother of God, and you pray to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker!” I barely freed my hand and made the sign of the cross, when this demoniac was thrown away from us and carried like a top into the street. So she never appeared near us again.
