Holy Bishop Nikita on the see from 1096 to 1107 (1108). † 1108
Saint Nikita presided in Novgorod during the happy reign here of Mstislav Vladimirovich the Brave, the son of Monomakhov. He is better known among the host of Novgorod hierarchs as a strict ascetic; in the words of the compiler of the service, he was “a worker of Christ’s grapes, a divine mind, a spiritual organ, a lamp of light and an inexhaustible stream of love.” Biography writers are exclusively concerned with describing his exploits. From this side, the life of the saint is very instructive, because the Lord, like the Apostle Peter once, allowed him to fall, but, listening to his repentance, raised him up so that he himself, having been tempted, could provide help to those who were tempted. Saint Nikita was a native of Kiev and one of the first tonsures of the Pechersk monastery, in whose memory the spiritual exploits of the first founders of the Lavra were still vividly preserved. Wanting to become along with many of the Pechersk ascetics who then shone with the holiness of life, Nikita wished for seclusion. The experienced abbot spent a long time persuading him to stay in the monastery to serve the brethren, pointed out his youth, inexperience and the danger of this feat, pointed to the instructive example of Isaac, who was still alive at that time, but the young ascetic did not want anything other than seclusion. and hear. Finally, his ardent desire was fulfilled. Nikita, guided by the blessings and prayers of the elders, retired to a secluded cell and blocked the entrance to it. But his peaceful exploits did not last long in the secluded cave. The temptation that once befell Isaac now also befell the young man Nikita. One day, when he was standing in prayer, suddenly he heard the voice of someone invisibly praying with him, and at the same time the cave was filled with an extraordinary fragrance. The inexperienced Nikita mistook this charm of spirit for a visit from an angel of God and began to beg the invisible guest to appear to him in a sensual image. But the mysterious voice answered: “I will not appear to you for the sake of your youth, lest you become exalted,” confirming even more with these cunning words the recluse in his charms. When he began to beg with tears and made a promise to do his will in everything, then the tempter appeared to him sensually, and the seduced one bowed to him. “Now you have nothing to pray for,” the enemy of God and people told him, “for I will begin to send prayers for you, but you only read books and give useful advice to those who come to you.” The inexperienced recluse also obeyed this charm of the spirit of malice, for the tempter showed that he was constantly praying for him. Nikita, reassured by the fact that an angel was praying for him, himself abandoned the feat of prayer and began to read books and talk with those who came about the benefits of the soul. Sometimes he even predicted the future, for the same tempter, in order to strengthen the deceived one, foreshadowed certain events. One day he sent to Grand Duke Izyaslav to say: “Today your nephew Gleb Svyatoslavich was killed in Zavolochye, hasten to send your son Svyatopolk to reign in Novgorod.” Soon the news received justified the words of the seer, and from that time people began to gather to him in large numbers for spiritual benefit. But this is what exposed the prophet: Nikita knew all the books of the Old Testament by heart, but could not say anything from the New Testament and did not even want to hear about it. The Pechersk brethren were embarrassed when they learned about the danger in which the inexperienced recluse was. At that time, the venerable Nikon the abbot and his successor - John, Pimen the faster, Isaiah - Bishop of Rostov, Matthew and Onesiphorus the perspicacious, Agapit the doctor, Nikola, Bishop of Tmutorakan, Theoktist, Bishop of Chernigov, Gregory the Wonderworker and Gregory, the creator of the canons, Nestor the Chronicler were still alive. and Isaac the recluse - the same one who, shortly before that time, also underwent a grave temptation from the spirit of malice and was barely saved by the prayers of the holy fathers of Pechersk. This living host of righteous people, who were still asceticizing in the caves at that time, appeared to the seduced man and, by the power of their prayer, drove away the tempter from him. And what? When they brought him out of seclusion and began to ask him about the Old Testament, then Nikita sincerely admitted that he had never read those books that he had previously known by heart, and he confirmed this with an oath. “To this,” adds the writer of his life, “he knew not a single word, as if he had barely taught him to read and write.” Having thus been freed by the prayers of the holy fathers from the wiles of the tempter, the recluse Nikita confessed his sin before everyone and long and bitterly mourned his deep fall. To this he added great abstinence and obedience and led such a humble and pure life, “so that he would surpass everyone in virtue.” Saved by brotherly prayer, Nikita himself was soon chosen as an instrument for the salvation of others. In 1096, Bishop German died in Novgorod, and in his place Saint Nikita was chosen as a saint for his high virtues, ordained by Metropolitan Ephraim of Kyiv, and in the same year he arrived on his throne. From that time on, the labors and concerns of Saint Nikita increased, but the exploits with which he adorned himself in the Pechersk monastery did not decrease even now. The iron chains taken from the relics of the saint, weighing 14 pounds, are a faithful witness to the fact that the saint zealously labored against the flesh until his death. For this reason, the Lord soon glorified him with the gift of miracles, which was so beneficial for his flock. The next year of his priesthood there was a terrible fire in Novgorod. The saint prayed, his tearful prayer extinguished the terrible flame. Another time, in Novgorod and its environs there was a terrible drought, which threatened everyone with terrible death. The saint prayed again, and the Lord sent abundant rain on the pastures. With the power of his prayer, he protected his flock even outside of Novgorod. The chronicler, having spoken about the campaign of Mstislav, the Prince of Novgorod, against Oleg and about the two victories of the former over the latter, concludes his story with the fact that Mstislav returned to Novgorod “to his city through the prayers of the Monk Nikita, Bishop of Novgorod.” By the example of his holy life, Saint Nikita contributed greatly to the spread and maintenance of piety in his flock. Under him, Novgorod was decorated with holy churches. Of the churches of that time, the Annunciation Church on the Settlement, built by Mstislav, the son of Monomakh, in 1103, which still exists today, is remarkable. It was under him that the beginning of monastic life was laid in Novgorod by the Monk Anthony the Roman, who miraculously sailed here on a stone a little over a year before the death of the saint. The first friendly meeting of these two saints of God is worthy of note. Here the holy soul of the archpastor was fully revealed. “As soon as rumors reached Bishop Nikita about the wonderful stranger,” it is said in the life of the saint, “the saint immediately wished to see him. Moved by joy and fear, the monk went to him with deep humility. The saint led him into his cell. Entering, the monk said the usual prayer and, when the saint said “Amen,” with fear and love he accepted the blessing from him, as from the hand of God. Having already foreseen, according to the teaching of God, everything miraculous in the life of the saint, the saint, despite this, began to question him about his fatherland, where and how he arrived in Veliky Novgorod. The monk did not want to reveal to the saint a mysteriously miraculous event in his life, glory for the sake of humankind. “Won’t you tell me, brother,” said the saint then, “your secret?” Or don’t you know that God will reveal to our humility everything about you, and then you will deserve the condemnation of a disobedient will of God?” And then urgently, also with a spell, he asked him for an answer. After this, the monk fell prostrate before the saint and wept bitterly, begging him not to reveal his secret to anyone while he was alive, and then frankly told him about the place of his birth and upbringing and how he arrived in Novgorod. Listening to this wonderful story, the saint thought that he saw before him not a man, but an angel of God, stood up from his place, put his pastoral staff aside and, out of tenderness and joy, prayed for a long time to the Lord, wondrous and glorious in his true and faithful servants. After the prayer, to which the monk said “Amen,” the humble saint of God fell to the ground before him and began to ask for his prayers, and the monk did the same, begging the saint to bless him and pray for him, calling himself a sinner and unworthy. “You have been awarded extraordinary gifts from the Lord,” said Saint Nikita to the monk, “you have become like the ancient miracle workers - Elijah the Thesbite or the apostles, who from various places by Divine power were brought to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Through you, his saint, the Lord has overshadowed and blessed our city, people newly enlightened by the holy faith.” “You are a bishop of the Most High God,” the monk told him, “you are God’s anointed, you should pray for us.” And for a long time they remained kneeling on the ground, shedding copious tears and asking one another for prayers and blessings, as if competing with each other in humility, which is so natural to a soul with a properly developed consciousness and Christian conscience. Finally, the saint, getting up, raised up the monk, blessed him, kissed him brotherly and talked with him for a long time with love. After this, he began to persuade the monk to stay with him until death, but Anthony answered: “For the Lord’s sake, holy of God, don’t bother me. I must strive with patience in the very place where the Lord commanded me.” No longer insisting on his desire, the saint once again blessed him and sent him away in peace to the place God had indicated to him. This was the first meeting of the saint with the Monk Anthony.” The holy and closest friendship bound both holy men even after - until the very death of the saint. Immediately after the miraculous arrival of the Monk Anthony in Novgorod, the foundation of his future monastery was laid. Sincerely loving the Roman, Saint Nikita ordered to build a small wooden church near his stone, which he himself consecrated, and “then set up one cell” as a refuge for the monks. The following year, a place was prepared for the foundation of the stone Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which still exists today. Shortly before his death, the saint, together with the monk, measured the site for the temple and himself began to dig a ditch for the foundation, but the church was built under his successor, Bishop John. Wanting to leave a memory of himself in the Church of Hagia Sophia, Nikita wanted to decorate it with wall writing, but death prevented his zealous desire from being fulfilled. Therefore, the cathedral was painted after his death with the acquisition, as noted in the chronicle, of St. Nikita the Bishop, according to his will. To this day, the stone building built by Saint Nikita for the Novgorod ruler is still intact; it is known both in monuments and in folk tradition under the name of Nikitsky, as built by Saint Nikita. The chronicles say nothing about whether Saint Nikita took any part in the affairs of Novgorod's foreign policy. Probably, given the then turmoil in all parts of Russia, he cared a lot about maintaining a peace-loving spirit in his flock. This partly explains why the Novgorodians took little part in the then internecine war of the princes, and if they raised arms against Oleg Svyatoslavich of Chernigov, it was only for their personal safety. Saint Nikita ruled over his flock for eleven years. He reposed on the 31st day of January 1107 or 1108 and was buried in the chapel of Godfather Joachim and Anna. His relics were hidden in the ground for 450 years and were discovered during the most difficult time for Novgorod, when all the horrors of the wrath of John IV gathered over it. The deceased saint appeared again, as if alive, in the midst of his mournful flock. Seven years before the discovery of his relics, precisely in 1551, one pious courtier, who was entrusted with the organization of church affairs in Novgorod, listening to the reading of the acts of the apostles in the St. Sophia Church on Easter night, grieved in spirit over the neglect in which the tomb of the ancient great saint was located Nikita. Moved then by an incomprehensible secret feeling, he had a fiery desire to find out whether the relics of the saint were kept inside the coffin. Having drilled a hole in the top board of the stone shrine and lowered a candle into it, he was amazed. He saw that the saint’s body was not subject to decay in any of the members. Then he took pains to make a rich cover for the shrine, and it remained in this position under Archbishops Theodosius and Serapion. Meanwhile, the Orthodox, driven by faith, came daily to look through the hole at the incorruptible remains of their ancient shepherd, and everyone ardently desired their discovery. Finally, in 1558, Archbishop Pimen reported the miraculous appearance of the relics of St. Nikita to Tsar John and Metropolitan Macarius. Having received the blessing of the high priest and the consent of the king to open the relics, Archbishop Pimen saw in a dream a husband with a barely noticeable beard and heard the words: “Peace be with you, beloved brother! Do not be afraid, I am your predecessor, the sixth bishop of Novgorod, Nikita. The time has come, and the Lord commands that my relics be revealed to the people.” Waking up, Pimen heard the bell for matins and hurried to the cathedral. On the way, he met a pious Novgorodian named Isaac, who that night also saw Saint Nikita in a dream, who ordered him to tell the bishop not to delay in opening the relics and to pray for the king’s victory over his enemies and for the abundance of earthly fruits. Having heard from Isaac about the vision he had, the archbishop immediately began to open the holy relics of St. Nikita. First, Pimen prepared a new full vestment for the incorruptible body of the saint and, lifting the lid, in the presence of the entire spiritual council, he found the deceased completely whole. Even the imprint of that spiritual achievement and heavenly peace with which he fell asleep on earth was preserved in the imperishable features of his face. The right hand lay on the chest, and its fingers were folded for blessing, and the left was extended. The very clothes on the saint, consisting of a simple priestly phelonion, cinnamon damask with green edges, and on top of it was an omophorion, not only did not decay, being 450 years underground, but could also serve for the sacred rites of the successors of the deceased. The modern narrator of the discovery and glorification of the relics of the saint rightly noted that this glorification of the saint put to shame the “godless heresy of Bashkin,” who rejected everything supernatural, and the grace of God, and all the miracles of Christianity. The saint prayerfully was clothed in new vestments, and his incorruptible body was placed in the middle of the temple. The people, delighted by the appearance of their ancient archpastor, who had been witnessed by miracles during his lifetime, now flocked to him in large numbers with prayer for their needs, and then, according to an eyewitness to the grand opening, many blind, dry, paralytic and other sick men and women received healing from touching incorruptible remains. And not only in Novgorod, but also far from it: in the ranks of the Russian soldiers besieging the Livonian city of Narva, Saint Nikita showed his miraculous power and help on the day of the discovery of his relics. Many Livonians then saw, among the Russian regiments, a beardless man riding along the banks of the Narova River, in the robes of a saint, with a staff and a cross. It was none other than Saint Nikita of Christ. At the same time, in Narva, a German brewer threw two icons stolen from Ivangorod into the fire under a cauldron. One of them depicted the Mother of God with the Eternal Child, and the other depicted the saints of God: Nicholas the Wonderworker, Blasius, Kozma and Damian. Suddenly a strong wind arose, and flames, spreading from under the cauldron, engulfed the entire city. Not only the houses, but also the walls and gates burned down, and the Russian troops, together with the residents of Ivangorod, taking advantage of the confusion of the Germans, quickly crossed the river and captured Narva (Rugodiv) without an attack or battering guns. To complete the wonderful event, both icons, thrown into the fire by the evil followers of Luther, were found unharmed at the brewing site. Such miraculous signs for the help and glory of the faithful and for the disgrace of unbelief were performed at the discovery of the relics of St. Nikita and outside Novgorod, in a foreign country. The archbishop first placed them on the right side of the Sophia altar, and then moved them to the place where they had rested before. Nowadays the relics of the saint rest openly in a rich silver shrine, into which they were transferred with great triumph on April 30, 1846. “I saw a lot of lofty things,” says an eyewitness who described this celebration, “at the sacred celebrations of the Orthodox Motherland, but I saw nothing like it.” The reliquary is placed in the arch of the wall separating the chapel of the Nativity of the Mother of God from the chapel of the Godfather Joachim and Anna, where the saint was buried. His memory is celebrated on January 31 - the day of his repose, and on April 30 - in memory of the discovery of his relics.
From the compiler:
“After 1917, when open persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church began, the relics of St. Nikita, like many saints of the Russian Church, were desecrated. Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum, and the relics of the saint, packed in a paper bag, lay in the museum's storage room. And only in 1957, with the blessing of Archbishop Sergius (Golubtsov), on a dark evening, on a truck, the relics of St. Nikita were reverently transported to the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Yaroslav's Dvorishche. But they did not stay there long. During the years of Khrushchev’s persecution of the Orthodox Church, this cathedral was closed, like many other churches, and the relics of the saint were transferred to the Church of the Holy Apostle Philip, where they remained until 1993. On May 13, 1993, with the blessing of His Eminence Leo, Bishop of Novgorod and Staraya Rus ( now an archbishop), the relics of the saint were solemnly transferred from the Church of the Apostle Philip to the St. Sophia Cathedral in a procession of the cross in the presence of thousands of citizens and were honorably placed in the very place where they had rested centuries before. Nowadays the relics of Saint Nikita rest openly in the same place where they were found, under the arch between the boundaries of the Holy Father Joachim and Anna and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the St. Sophia Cathedral. And now, at the shrine with the relics of St. Nikita, everyone who flows in with faith and love receives grace-filled help and healing.”
Brief life of Saint Nikita, recluse of Pechersk
Saint Nikita was born in the 11th century. He began monastic life in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Being very young and burning with zeal, but not yet possessing the gift of spiritual reasoning, he shut himself up in a cave against the will of the abbot, the Monk Nikon. The elders, who had experience in spiritual warfare, soon realized that the novice was mistaken, and fervently prayed for him. Soon the hermit’s cave was filled with an extraordinary fragrance. He heard a voice and, thinking that he had received Divine revelation, exclaimed: “Lord, appear to me tangibly so that I can see You!” The mysterious voice answered him: “I am sending an angel to you, and you do everything he tells you.” Then a demon appeared under the guise of an angel of God. The foolish novice, without hesitation, fell to the ground and bowed to him. The demon ordered him to stop praying, saying that from now on he himself would pray to the Lord for him, and ordered him to devote all his time only to reading the Old Testament. The unfortunate man mindlessly obeyed. He abandoned prayer and, consoled by the constant presence of the angel, began to memorize the Old Testament.
After some time, the demon began to reveal to Nikita the events taking place in the world, so that it seemed as if the recluse had received the gift of prophecy. An increasing number of lay people began to come to him to hear predictions. However, the elders noticed that Nikita never told his visitors anything about the New Testament. Realizing that he was in demonic delusion, they decided to intervene to lead him out of his delusion. The monks broke down the door of his cave, drove out the false angel with their prayers and forced the recluse to go outside.
Nikita was saved from obsession, but it seemed that he had fallen into childhood. He suddenly not only forgot the entire Old Testament, but even forgot how to read, so he again had to study like a schoolboy. So, gradually coming to his senses, he realized what his mistake was, sincerely repented, shedding copious tears, and began to live in complete obedience and humility. He grew in holy virtues, so that he was subsequently awarded the rank of Bishop of Novgorod the Great. And after his blessed death in 1108, Saint Nikita continued to perform numerous miracles, especially healing the blind.
Worship, miracles
His very first life is found in the letter of Polycarp to Akindinos of the 13th century. In the year his glorification followed for church-wide veneration throughout the Russian Church. On the night of April 30 of the year, a husband with a barely noticeable beard appeared in a dream to the Novgorod Saint Pimen and said: “ Peace be with you, beloved brother!” Do not be afraid, I am your predecessor, the sixth bishop of Novgorod, Nikita. The time has come, and the Lord commands that my relics be revealed to the people
."
Waking up, Archbishop Pimen heard the bell for matins and hurried to the cathedral.
On the way, he met the pious Novgorodian Isaac, who that same night also saw Saint Nikita in a dream, who ordered him to tell the bishop not to delay in opening the relics. Having heard from Isaac about the vision he had, the archbishop immediately began to open the holy relics. When the lid of the tomb was lifted, they saw the sacred treasures of grace: not only the body of the saint of God, but also his vestments were preserved incorruptible. At the same time, a posthumous portrait was drawn from the face of the saint, the details of the appearance and vestments of the saint were clarified, and the information was sent to Metropolitan Macarius in Moscow to clarify the icon-painting tradition. The relics subsequently rested in the Church of St. Philip the Apostle. This tradition is still honored by the Novgorod priesthood. The relics of St. Nikita now rest in the St. Sophia Cathedral, and the priests of the cathedral always venerate them before the start of the service.
Holy face
Turning to the icon of St. Nikita of Novgorod also helps in finding a decent job, as well as obtaining an excellent education. Placing it in the house will help protect it from thieves, fire, and natural disasters. And for residents it will protect against deception and misconception. There is an opinion that reading a prayer from this image will have greater power. Here is her text.
Oh, the bishop of God, Saint Nikito! Hear us sinners, who today flock to this sacred temple, and worship your honorable image, and fall to your sacred race, and cry out with emotion: as if sitting on the throne of the sanctity in this Great Novegrad, and the only lack of rain, you brought down the rain with prayer, and again I will engulf this city with a fiery flame, you have given me a prayer to deliver, so now we pray to you, O Saint Nikito of Christ: pray to the Lord to deliver the reigning city, this Great Novgrad and all Christian cities and countries from cowardice, flood, famine, fire, hail , sword and from all enemies visible to invisible, for we are saved by so many for the sake of your prayers, we glorify the Most Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your merciful intercession, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
If this also happens on Memorial Day, the effectiveness will increase several times. In Christianity, the feast day of the holy recluse falls on February 13, May 13 and May 27.
Brothers and sisters in Christ. We run our own community on VKontakte https://vk.com/molitvuikonu called Prayers for Every Day, where we try to post Orthodox prayers and news. If you have your own VK page, subscribe to us.
Worship, miracles
His very first life is found in the letter of Polycarp to Akindinos of the 13th century. In the year his glorification followed for church-wide veneration throughout the Russian Church. On the night of April 30 of the year, a husband with a barely noticeable beard appeared in a dream to the Novgorod Saint Pimen and said: “ Peace be with you, beloved brother!” Do not be afraid, I am your predecessor, the sixth bishop of Novgorod, Nikita. The time has come, and the Lord commands that my relics be revealed to the people
."
Waking up, Archbishop Pimen heard the bell for matins and hurried to the cathedral.
On the way, he met the pious Novgorodian Isaac, who that same night also saw Saint Nikita in a dream, who ordered him to tell the bishop not to delay in opening the relics. Having heard from Isaac about the vision he had, the archbishop immediately began to open the holy relics. When the lid of the tomb was lifted, they saw the sacred treasures of grace: not only the body of the saint of God, but also his vestments were preserved incorruptible. At the same time, a posthumous portrait was drawn from the face of the saint, the details of the appearance and vestments of the saint were clarified, and the information was sent to Metropolitan Macarius in Moscow to clarify the icon-painting tradition. The relics subsequently rested in the Church of St. Philip the Apostle. This tradition is still honored by the Novgorod priesthood. The relics of St. Nikita now rest in the St. Sophia Cathedral, and the priests of the cathedral always venerate them before the start of the service.
Prayers
Troparion, tone 4
Having enjoyed, God-wise, abstinence / and having curbed the desire of your flesh, / you sat on the throne of the holiness / and, like a many-bright star, / enlightening the hearts of the faithful / with the dawn of your miracles, / Father pray to Saint Nikito,/ and now pray to Christ God,// yes will save our souls.
Troparion, voice 2
Desiring heavenly space, / from your youth you shut yourself up in a cramped place, / in it you were deceived by the enemy, / again with humility and obedience / you defeated the charming strongman, Nikito, / and now no, stand before Christ, // pray for us all to be saved.
At the time when Prince Izyaslav Yaroslavovich (1058-1078) ruled in Kyiv, there lived a young man named Nikita, who at an early age was one of the first to take monastic vows in the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. No information has been preserved about his past, who he is, what family he is from. It is only known that he was originally from Kyiv. And so, at the dawn of his ascetic life, Nikita fell into a great temptation, which Saint Polycarp tells about in the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon...
Reclusion
Like other Pechersk monks, Nikita wished for a special feat and decided to seclude himself in a secluded cell. Hegumen Nikon objected to his decision. Usually the retreat must be preceded by a period of novitiate lasting at least 3 years. In his opinion, the young monk was not ready to spend days and nights in solitude and prayer. "Your desire is greater than your strength"
- the abbot told him. However, Nikita did not listen; he could not overcome his strong jealousy for the reclusive life. The young man locked himself in a cave, tightly blocked the entrance and remained in prayer alone, without leaving anywhere.
Left alone, Saint Nikita was confident that the Lord would reward him with the gift of miracles. Few days passed until the monk escaped the snares of the devil. While he was singing, he heard a certain voice, as if someone was praying with him. At the same time, Nikita smelled an indescribable fragrance. The young man immediately thought that he felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. He began to ask frantically that the Lord would appear before him. Then a demon appeared before him in the form of an Angel. Saint Nikita did not even doubt the Divine nature of his vision. It was madness on his part to mistake the devil's temptation for the mercy of God. And the inexperienced ascetic, seduced, bowed to him as an Angel. Then the demon said to him: “From now on, don’t pray anymore, but read books and you will talk with God and give useful words to those who come to you. I will always pray to the Creator for your salvation.”
Nikita, believing what was said and being even more deceived, stopped praying, but began to read books more diligently, seeing the demon constantly praying for him. Nikita rejoiced, thinking that the Angel himself was praying for him.
Nikita studied the books of the Old Testament so much and memorized them that no one could compare with him in knowledge of these books. When his brilliant knowledge of the Old Testament Scripture became known to many, princes and boyars began to come to him for listening and instruction. One day the monk Nikita sent to tell Prince Izyaslav that he should quickly send his son Svyatopolk to the Novgorod throne, since Prince Gleb Svyatoslavovich was killed in Zavolochye. And indeed, a few days later the news came that Prince Gleb had been killed. This happened on May 30, 1078. And from that time on, great fame began to spread about the recluse Nikita. The princes and boyars believed that the recluse was a prophet, and in many ways they obeyed him. But the demon did not know the future, and what he himself did or taught evil people - whether to kill or steal - he proclaimed. When they came to the recluse to hear a word of consolation from him, the demon, an imaginary angel, told what happened through himself, and Nikita prophesied. And his prophecy always came true.
Place of retreat of St. Nikitas
But here’s what attracted the special attention of the Pechersk ascetics: the monk Nikita knew all the books of the Old Testament by heart and did not want to see, hear, or read the Gospels and other books of the New Testament. It became clear to everyone that the monk Nikita was seduced by the enemy of the human race. The venerable fathers of Pechersk could not tolerate this. Together with their abbot, the Monk Nikon, they came to the seduced recluse and, with the power of their prayers, drove the demon away from him. Having brought Nikita out of seclusion, they asked him about the Old Testament, but he swore that he had never read those books that he previously knew by heart. He couldn’t even read a single word in them, and the brothers barely taught Nikita to read and write.
When the young man realized what was happening to him in seclusion, he sincerely repented of his sin. After this, Nikita left his arbitrary retreat. Continuing to strictly fast, he began to diligently pray to God, and after a short time he surpassed other monks with his obedience and humility.
Prayers
Troparion, tone 4
Having enjoyed, God-wise, abstinence / and having curbed the desire of your flesh, / you sat on the throne of the holiness / and, like a many-bright star, / enlightening the hearts of the faithful / with the dawn of your miracles, / Father pray to Saint Nikito,/ and now pray to Christ God,// yes will save our souls.
Troparion, voice 2
Desiring heavenly space, / from your youth you shut yourself up in a cramped place, / in it you were deceived by the enemy, / again with humility and obedience / you defeated the charming strongman, Nikito, / and now no, stand before Christ, // pray for us all to be saved.
