Icon Sophia of Suzdal: what does it help with?

Saint Sophia (Solomonia) of Suzdal

Sophia of Suzdal
(c. 1490-1542), Grand Duchess, Venerable Commemorated on August 1 on the day of the discovery of the relics, on December 16 and in the Cathedral of Vladimir Saints

In the world, Sverchkova-Saburova Solomonia Yuryevna, daughter of the boyar Yuri Konstantinovich Sverchkov-Saburov, is from an old, but “seedy” Moscow boyar family [1]. She lost her mother early and was raised by her aunt, Evdokia Ivanovna (father’s sister). She was distinguished by her kindness and piety.

Marriage

In 1505, she was chosen as the heir to the throne, the future Grand Duke Vasily III Ioannovich. She was chosen from 1,500 maidens presented to the court for this purpose from all over the country, following the model of the bride parade for the Byzantine emperors. The wedding took place on September 4 of the same year, after the betrothal of the newlyweds by Metropolitan Simon in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

They lived, according to the chronicles, in complete harmony. But the twenty-year marriage was not happy, since Solomonia turned out to be barren. In order to have an heir, the Grand Duke decided to divorce her. Metropolitan Varlaam, Prince-monk Vassian (Patrikeev), and Rev. Maxim the Greek stood up against, and were exiled, and the Metropolitan was defrocked for the first time in Russian history. The next metropolitan, Daniel, approved the divorce, and the boyars joined him. But there were also those who opposed it, like Prince S. Kurbsky. All the eastern patriarchs condemned the act of the Grand Duke, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem, according to legend, predicted the birth from a second marriage of a baby who would amaze the world with his cruelty - Tsar Ivan the Terrible [2].

tonsure

In November 1525, the divorce was announced and on November 25, Vasily ordered Solomonia to be tonsured into monasticism. She was tonsured under the name of Sophia at the Nativity Convent. Some chronicles say that the divorce and tonsure took place at the request of Solomonia herself, but the German ambassador S. Herberstein, on the contrary, writes that Solomonia tore off her monastic doll and trampled it under her feet, for which the boyar Shigonya-Podzhogin hit her with a whip. Many boyars and churchmen sympathized with Solomonia, and boyar Bersen-Beklemishev even tried to come to her defense, but Vasily furiously exclaimed: “Go away, you scum, I don’t need you!” Prince Andrei Kurbsky subsequently wrote about forced tonsure. Another version says that the tonsure was performed by the abbot of the St. Nicholas Monastery, David. As Solomonia resisted with all her might, the boyar who was present struck her, crying out: “Do you dare resist the will of the sovereign?” [3]

Less than two months later, Vasily Ioannovich married Elena Glinskaya. In the meantime, nun Sophia was taken to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery, which she had patronized since 1518. Subsequently, the monastery became a place of imprisonment for involuntary royal tonsures.

Rumors about a son

According to some information, including Herberstein's story, a few months later there were rumors that the accusation of infertility was unfair, that Solomonia gave birth to a son in the monastery - Tsarevich George. The spreaders of rumors were punished, clerks were hastily sent to Suzdal to clarify the matter, but Solomonia refused to show them the child, declaring that they “are not worthy for their eyes to see the prince, and when he puts on his greatness, he will take revenge for the mother’s insult.” Then boyars and clergy were sent, but no documents were preserved about the results of this investigation. It is only known that Solomonia announced the death of her son, and the grand ducal ambassadors were shown the tomb.

Archaeologist and historian Count S.D. Sheremetyev believed that Solomonia hid her son with reliable people. This version is confirmed by the discovery of a small nameless tomb in the basement of the Intercession Cathedral of the Suzdal Intercession Monastery by Suzdal researcher A.D. Varganov in 1934, located between the tombs of a certain “Elder Alexandra” (+ 1525) and the venerable “Elder Sophia”. In the tomb, only a rag doll was found, dressed in baby vests embroidered with pearls. Restored, this shirt is in the historical exhibition of the Suzdal museum, next to it is the lid from that tomb. The name of George was popularly associated with the legendary robber Kudeyar, who, according to one legend, was a bandit in the forests between Suzdal and Shuya. Tsar Ivan the Terrible was also very interested in the story of George [4].

Monastic feat

Venerable Sophia of Suzdal. 17th century icon. Pokrovsky Monastery

Living in the Suzdal monastery, the Grand Duchess did not immediately reconcile herself with her new position and grieved for a long time. But submitting to the will of God, Sophia found consolation and peace in fervent prayer. With her deeds, she expelled worldly thoughts from her heart and completely devoted herself to God. After the death of Vasily III in 1533, power passed to his widow, Elena Glinskaya, for whom Sofia could become a most dangerous rival. Therefore, the saint was exiled to Kargopol, where she was kept in prison until Glinskaya’s death in 1538. Then she returned to Suzdal, where she reposed in God on December 18, 1542. The degree book says about this: “Having lived gratefully and pleasingly to God, he departed.” St. Sophia was buried according to her will, in the basement of the Intercession Cathedral of the Suzdal Intercession Monastery.

Sofia Suzdalskaya and Solomonia Saburova

Few today correlate these two names. Meanwhile, in worldly life, Saint Sophia of Suzdal (1490 - 1542) was one of the most noble women of her time. She remained in history as Solomonia Saburova, the wife of Vasily the Third, the last Grand Duke of Moscow.

Having chosen fifteen-year-old Solomonia at a bride's show organized by his mother, Sophia Palaeologus, according to Byzantine custom, Prince Vasily aroused the displeasure of those close to him. For the first time, a Moscow ruler married a “rough woman” from a boyar, not a princely family. Nevertheless, the kind and pious Solomonia gained love and respect at court.

Princely share

Alas, her further fate was tragic. Throughout the twenty years of marriage, the princess remained childless. Neither fervent prayers, nor trips to holy places, nor long services in churches helped. The Grand Duke's displeasure grew, the situation around the unfortunate Solomonia became increasingly tense. Passionately wanting to have an heir, Vasily the Third forbade his brothers to marry, fearing that the grand-ducal throne would go to his nephews. All this saddened the smart and kind princess, but she could not do anything.

Holy Venerable Sophia of Suzdal

Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III Ivanovich, son of Ivan III Vasilyevich and Sophia Paleologus, was born at the end of the 15th century. And in 1505 he ascended the throne. Well, what is a king without a queen?

Having chosen fifteen-year-old Solomonia (and young Vasily had as many as one and a half thousand candidates to choose from) at a bride's show organized by his mother, Sophia Paleologus, according to Byzantine custom, Prince Vasily aroused the displeasure of those close to him. For the first time, a Moscow ruler married a “rough woman” from a boyar, not a princely family.

Solomonia was the daughter of boyar Yuri Konstantinovich Sverchkov-Saburov, from an old but “seedy” Moscow boyar family. The girl lost her mother early and was raised in Orthodoxy by her paternal aunt. Nevertheless, the kind and pious Solomonia gained love and respect at court.

The Grand Duke's displeasure grew, the situation around the unfortunate Solomonia became increasingly tense. Passionately wanting to have an heir, Vasily III forbade his brothers to marry, fearing that the grand-ducal throne would go to his nephews. All this saddened the smart and kind princess, but she could not do anything.

The decision was made by the king: divorce! Neither the passionate protests of Metropolitan Varlaam, for which he was eventually defrocked, nor the pleas of St. Maximus the Greek changed the tsar’s decision. He needed an heir!

There was also an opinion that the “charms” of Elena Glinskaya contributed to the fact that Vasily III quickly divorced and married her without waiting even the required year. Metropolitan Varlaam was defrocked, and a new Metropolitan Daniel was appointed in his place, who approved the king’s decisions. The boyars supported him.

At the end of 1525, the divorce was announced, and Vasily ordered Solomonia to be tonsured a monk. She was tonsured under the name of Sophia at the Nativity Convent.

Some argue that it was solely the will of the king, others talk about Solomonia’s own choice. The chronicles have not preserved the truth for us. But one way or another, yesterday’s queen became a nun.

Was she grieving? Naturally. But she found peace in work and prayer. Growing up in a poor family and accustomed to work, she personally dug a well for the monastery when it lacked water. And when the holy venerable Euphrosyne departed to the Lord, Solomonia (already the nun Sophia) sewed a covering on her grave.

“The long-awaited and desired children did not become a joy and joy to their father”

Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya had two sons: Ivan (the future Ivan the Terrible, a cruel, insane ruler) and Yuri, who suffered from degenerative dementia. So such long-awaited and desired children did not become a joy and joy to their father.

But the marriage was short-lived. After 8 years, Vasily III died. True, before this he took monastic vows under the name of Varlaam. Coincidence? After all, it was the metropolitan with that name who was defrocked. God only knows the truth...

But time moves on. And after the death of Vasily III, power passed to his widow, Elena Glinskaya, for whom Sofia could become a most dangerous rival. Therefore, the saint was exiled to Kargopol, where she was kept in prison until Glinskaya’s death.

Five years later, Elena Glinskaya departed to the Lord, and the nun returned to Suzdal, to her monastery, where she lived out the last years of her earthly life.

The saint was buried within the walls of the Intercession Monastery. And soon miracles of healing from the ailments of blindness, deafness and paralysis began to occur at her grave.

The Church recognized the veneration of nun Sophia as a saint only in 1650 - a hundred years after her repose, and the issue of official canonization was taken up two centuries later. However, soon after her death, people began to honor her as a saint, and worshipers flocked to her grave.

With the blessing of the Holy Synod, her name was included in the Orthodox Church Calendar of 1916. Since 1984, by a special decree of Patriarch Pimen, the Russian Orthodox Church began to venerate St. Sophia among the host of locally revered saints of the Vladimir-Suzdal land.

It is noteworthy that even in the old, pre-printed calendar, she is called the holy righteous nun, but at the same time Princess Sophia.

The saint's grave was very revered, but her relics were not disturbed until the 1990s, when on August 14, 1995, the saint's relics were solemnly discovered. They were dug up and transferred from the monastery tomb to the Intercession Cathedral. The relics in the opened tomb turned out to be incorruptible, but after the opening they immediately decayed and crumbled. Now they are stored in a closed container.

The saint even today helps those who pray to her in healing ailments, and through her intercession, infertile couples find children.

Pray to God for us, Holy Venerable Sophia of Suzdal!

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Grand Duke's divorce

Contrary to popular belief, it was not Henry the Eighth who began the tradition of royal divorces.

In 1525, after twenty years of childless marriage, Vasily the Third decided to divorce his wife. Evil tongues claimed that it could not have happened without the “charms” of the young princess Elena Glinskaya, with whom Vasily married without waiting even a year.

The divorce of Vasily the Third was the first and unprecedented in the history of Rus'. The prince’s decision was supported by the boyars, but was harshly condemned by the clergy, many of whom paid with their freedom for protecting the princess.

Nevertheless, the decision was made. The prince acted “of his own free will” and after the divorce, Princess Solomonia had to take monastic vows and retire to a monastery.

Nun against her will

How did Sofia of Suzdal take the news of her tonsure? The life of the saint contains two options for her acceptance of monasticism. In the first, she was forcibly tonsured at the behest of her husband, in the second, not wanting strife and civil strife and seeing her infertility, she asked permission to voluntarily enter a monastery.

Modern history claims that the Venerable Sophia, then still a Grand Duchess, passionately resisted tonsure as best she could, trampling on her monastic robe with her last strength. However, having learned that tonsure was the prince’s desire, Solomonia submitted. However, nun Sofia could not come to terms with her new status for a very long time.

According to the chronicles of that time, having accepted her new position, she found peace in prayer and monastic labors. One of the legends says that the nun, who was not afraid of any work, personally dug a well for the monastery when the monastery did not have enough water. The covering she sewed for the grave of St. Euphrosia has survived to this day. Sofia of Suzdal was revered by her contemporaries as a true ascetic, whose kindness and exemplary service earned the love and respect of the nun sisters and everyone who knew her.

The ascetic spent almost her entire subsequent life as a monk within the walls of the Intercession Monastery in the city of Suzdal, where she was buried in 1542.

Miracles of Sofia of Suzdal

Soon after the death of nun Sophia, miracles of healing began to occur at her grave. Thus, in 1598, the first recorded deliverance from blindness of Princess Anna Nechteva occurred. Four years later, in the same amazing way, another woman received her sight at the saint’s grave. In subsequent years, other miraculous transformations are described. The prayer of Sofia of Suzdal helped against eye diseases, deafness, paralysis and mental disorders.

Saint Sophia was not only a healer, but also a protector. Appearing in monastic vestments and with a lit candle in her hands to the leader of the Polish army who approached the monastery, Sophia of Suzdal saved her native monastery.

As the 18th century chronicler and clergyman Anania Fedorov describes this event in the “Historical Collection on the God-Save City of Suzdal”: strong fear gripped the commander Lisovsky from the vision of the saint and his right hand was taken away, while other Poles fell to the ground along with their horses, struck by illness. The enemy army retreated, and the miraculous event itself was depicted on the tombstone of the ascetic.

In verse

Happy birthday to Sofyushka!
Happiness, peace, peace, luck!
Lots of light, love and warmth,
So that you shout to life - hurray!
Necessary and pleasant gifts for you,
So that you live beautifully and brightly,
She believed in miracles and magic,
To a fairy tale and good witchcraft!

Happy birthday to Sofia!
May this day bring you warmth
And surprises, and gifts, revelations,
And also love, fun and kindness!
So that your life glows with joy,
So that misfortunes do not occur in it,
So that your lips smell sweet,
And may you meet with happiness!

Dear Sofia, on her birthday,
I write my poems with great excitement!
I wish you joy, my dear,
So that your soul feels a little languid and sweet,
So that you bloom like heavenly flowers.
And I will put my soul into these lines -
I pray to the Lord for you,
Know that I love you very much!

I write poems for Sophia,
May God forgive you all your sins!
An angel protects you on your birthday
And life itself gives you joy!
So that your life is simple, not difficult,
Let your home be warm and crowded,
Let him gather good friends
Happiness! And festive, joyful days!

Congratulations Sofia
Happy birthday!
Let there be elementality in your heart,
There will be inspiration!
To love with all my soul,
To be loved
And so that next to you,
Angels soared in the skies!
Drive away your fatigue
Open the doors for goodness
Take some rest on the road.
And go ahead, it's time!

I wish gentle Sophia
Joy, flowers and May,
Fresh wind, dawn,
Greetings from my beloved!
Warm summer, spring,
So that your dreams are calm,
So that they are colored,
So that friends don't forget,
They came to congratulate Sonya,
After all, she shouldn’t be bored!
Be healthy and cool
Let it be clear in your soul!

For Sofia on her birthday
I wish you inspiration!
Inspire people to create
They are waiting for a date with you.
Be as gentle as a fairy.
Let your magic warm.
Never be sad.
I wish to be happy!

Sophia, my dear,
Congratulations!
Happy Birthday dear!
I wish you bright days!
So that you smile at the sun,
To meet with fantasy,
You've never been sad
May you always be lucky!

Your dear Sofyushka,
Happy birthday!
Lots of hot kisses
I wish you this day!
Lots of friendly hugs
Lots of joy and dreams
And also, I wish, by the way -
May life be without tears!
So that your dreams come true.
Make my relatives happy
So that you have time everywhere
And you sent bullshit!

Sofia, you are the queen today!
Your birthday has arrived!
I wish I didn't go to the left
And may everything be fine.
I wish you to be cheerful
A little strange and funny.
Create a feast today,
Celebrate your birthday!
I wish you great joy,
Let it not fit in your hands,
Be completely immodest sometimes
And let others say: “Ah”!

Memory after death

The official church proclaimed the veneration of nun Sophia as a saint only in 1650 - a hundred years after her repose, and the issue of canonization was taken up two centuries later. Nevertheless, soon after her death, people began to honor her as a saint, and worshipers flocked to her grave. It is noteworthy that even in the old, pre-printed calendar, she is called the holy righteous nun, but at the same time Princess Sophia.

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the long-awaited heir of Prince Vasily from his second wife, Solomonia-Sophia was remembered as a venerable nun and the veneration was rather of a local nature. It is noteworthy that already at that time, Prince Andrei Kurbsky, in a letter to the Tsar, called Sophia-Solomonia a venerable martyr, innocent and saint. According to legend, Tsar Ivan the Fourth himself came to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery and, according to legends, he personally covered the nun’s tomb with a blanket made in the workshop of his beloved wife Anastasia Romanovna specially as a gift for the saint’s grave.

Under the next Tsar Fyodor Ioanovich, veneration of St. Sophia of Suzdal increased even more. Crowded pilgrimages were made to the grave of the venerable nun; members of the royal family more than once graced the monastery with their visits. The embroidered cover on her tombstone with the image of the Savior, presented to the monastery by Tsarina Irina Godunova, has survived to this day. The dedicatory inscription confirms the year and purpose of the offering.

Reverence

The rumor about the nun's holiness quickly spread throughout Rus' and the saint was already recognized as a saint by her contemporaries. Prince Andrei Kurbsky, in a letter to Ivan the Terrible, calls the blessed princess “venerable martyr.” Ivan the Terrible himself allegedly placed a shroud woven by his wife Anastasia on her tomb [5]. Both his sons and their wives, and Mikhail Fedorovich, the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty, and many others came to the relics of St. Sophia. Tsarina Irina Feodorovna sent to Suzdal “a velvet cover with the image of the Savior and saints to the Grand Duchess Solomonida, and to the monastery Sofia.”

In his description of the city of Suzdal, the sacristan Anania reported miraculous healings at the tomb of St. Sophia. So, in 1598, at her tomb, Princess Anna Nechteva, who had suffered from blindness for six years, regained her sight. In 1609, during the invasion of the Poles, the Monk Sophia saved Suzdal from ruin, appearing in a menacing form to the leader of the military detachment of the Poles, Lisovsky. His arm was paralyzed from fear, and he swore an oath to leave the city and the monastery alone. Many other miracles happened through the prayers of St. Sophia.

Patriarch Joseph wrote to Archbishop Serapion of Suzdal about singing dirges and prayers over Sophia, and in 1650 he allowed her to be venerated as a saint.
In handwritten calendars she is referred to as “The Holy Righteous Princess Sophia, a nun, who was a virgin in the Intercession Monastery, a wonderworker.” On the icons the venerable woman began to write: “Aki Evdokia”: schema-green, mantle-hook, in both hands a scroll, underside-sankir, and sometimes she writes: the mantle is quilted at the gate, tied in a knot at the hem, the hand is visible under the mantle, the right prayer service, and in the left scroll.
The icon of the saint, painted back in the 17th century, has survived to this day and is miraculous.

In the middle of the 18th century, the question of her canonization arose. Later, in the 19th century, Archbishop Serapion of Suzdal and Tarusa [6] compiled a service for the saint. Finally, with the blessing of the Holy Synod, her name was included in the Orthodox Church Calendar of 1916. Since 1984, by a special decree of Patriarch Pimen, the Russian Orthodox Church began to venerate St. Sophia among the host of locally revered saints of the Vladimir-Suzdal land.

The saint’s grave was very revered, but her relics were not disturbed until the 1990s, when, on August 14, 1995, the saint’s relics were solemnly discovered. They were dug up and transferred from the monastery tomb to the Intercession Cathedral. The relics in the opened tomb turned out to be incorruptible, but after the opening they immediately decayed, i.e. crumbled. Now they are stored in a closed container and are not displayed.

What Princess Solomonia looked like

Not a single lifetime portrait of Princess Solomonia Saburova has survived to this day. We do not know whether such images existed at all, since portraiture, like secular art, came to Russia only in the Peter the Great era, almost two centuries after the events described. Several miniatures from chronicles depicting scenes of the wedding of Vasily the Third and Solomonia, the tonsure of the princess and several other significant historical episodes from the life of the princely couple have been preserved. Contemporaries described Solomonia Saburova as a woman of extraordinary beauty.

A 19th-century engraving depicts a young dark-haired woman with regular features wearing a tiara and expensive clothes. It is difficult to say whether the real Solomonia was similar to the portrait image created by the artist of the Romantic era. Her image in monasticism is known, but, most likely, it was also written after the death of St. Solomonia-Sophia.

Basic character traits

Sofa girls are sociable and active people

They love it when they receive increased attention, especially from guys. They are spiritually rich, but they are reluctant to seek knowledge; sometimes they are not very interested in studying

Life goals are easily achieved. Difficulties along the way are extremely rare. If something unpleasant happens, a woman is never lost and always copes with the trials that befall her.

Sonya is a faithful, reliable friend, however, excessive gullibility often turns against her. She is in no hurry to get married, takes a long time to choose just one, and is serious about starting a family. Being a mother, she is patient, economical, and reasonable. Professional activity is usually associated with its main feature - communication skills.

In Orthodoxy, the name Sophia occupies an important place. According to the church calendar, name days are celebrated several times

It should be noted that a person has the right to celebrate Angel Day only if he is baptized.

Iconography of Saint Sophia

Many icons painted in the 19th and 20th centuries represent Saint Sophia of Suzdal in accordance with the Byzantine iconographic canon: in a monastic hood and paramana of a bluish-green, almost earthy color, a brown cassock and a crimson or dark cherry mantle. The face and hands are painted in ocher, large round eyes, a thin straight nose, small lips.

The oldest image of St. Sophia dates back to the second half of the 17th century. Of course, before us is an exaggerated canonical image of a saint, and it is foolish to look in it for portrait resemblance to descriptions and known images of the real Solomonia. The name of the master who transferred the image to the board remains unknown. Presumably, the oldest icon of St. Sophia was created by icon painters in her native monastery. It is interesting that in traditional iconography, which originates from this image, there is a mandatory attribute - a scroll held by Sophia of Suzdal. This icon is considered miraculous and may have been intended for the tomb of the saint.

Recognition of a saint

In the Orthodox Church calendar, the name of Sophia of Suzdal appears a year before the revolution. In 1984, she was “officially” included in the host of saints, but so far only locally revered Suzdal ones, and since 2007, St. Sophia has been venerated at the pan-church level.

The Monk Sophia bequeathed to bury herself in the ground. A strange desire for that time, since traditionally it was customary for people of her position to be buried in stone tombs-crypts. For more than four centuries, from 1542 to 1990, her ashes remained undisturbed.

In 1995, her grave in the monastery was opened and the relics of Sophia of Suzdal were solemnly removed from the ground. Now they are exhibited in a closed shrine in the Intercession Cathedral. This is the main shrine of the monastery, to which numerous pilgrims flock. It is striking that, after lying in the ground for more than four hundred years, the relics turned out to be incorruptible. However, after opening the tomb, they decayed in a matter of minutes.

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Source Drevo.ru Commemorated August 1/14 on the day of the discovery of the relics, December 16/29 and in the Cathedral of Vladimir Saints

Saint Sophia (Solomonia) of Suzdal In the world Sverchkova-Saburova Solomonia Yuryevna, daughter of the boyar Yuri Konstantinovich Sverchkov-Saburov, from an old but “seedy” Moscow boyar family.
She lost her mother early and was raised by her aunt, Evdokia Ivanovna (father’s sister). She was distinguished by her kindness and piety. Marriage
In 1505, she was chosen as the heir to the throne, the future Grand Duke Vasily III Ioannovich.
She was chosen from 1,500 maidens presented to the court for this purpose from all over the country, following the model of the bride parade for the Byzantine emperors. The wedding took place on September 4 of the same year, after the betrothal of the newlyweds by Metropolitan Simon in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. They lived, according to the chronicles, in complete harmony. But the twenty-year marriage was not happy, since Solomonia turned out to be barren. In order to have an heir, the Grand Duke decided to divorce her. Metropolitan Varlaam, Prince-monk Vassian (Patrikeev), and Rev. Maxim the Greek stood up against, and were exiled, and the Metropolitan was defrocked for the first time in Russian history. The next metropolitan, Daniel, approved the divorce, and the boyars joined him. But there were also those who opposed it, like Prince S. Kurbsky. All Eastern patriarchs condemned the act of the Grand Duke, and Patriarch Mark of Jerusalem, according to legend, predicted the birth of a baby from his second marriage who would amaze the world with his cruelty - Tsar Ivan the Terrible [1]. tonsure
In November 1525, the divorce was announced and on November 25, Vasily ordered Solomonia to be tonsured into monasticism.
She was tonsured under the name of Sophia at the Nativity Convent. Some chronicles say that the divorce and tonsure took place at the request of Solomonia herself, but the German ambassador S. Herberstein, on the contrary, writes that Solomonia tore off her monastic doll and trampled it under her feet, for which the boyar Shigonya-Podzhogin hit her with a whip. Many boyars and churchmen sympathized with Solomonia, and boyar Bersen-Beklemishev even tried to come to her defense, but Vasily furiously exclaimed: “Go away, you scum, I don’t need you!” Prince Andrei Kurbsky subsequently wrote about forced tonsure. Another version says that the tonsure was performed by the abbot of the St. Nicholas Monastery, David. As Solomonia resisted with all her might, the boyar who was present struck her, crying out: “Do you dare resist the will of the sovereign?” [2] Less than two months later, Vasily Ioannovich married Elena Glinskaya. In the meantime, nun Sophia was taken to the Suzdal Intercession Monastery, which she had patronized since 1518. Subsequently, the monastery became a place of imprisonment for involuntary royal tonsures. Rumors about a son
According to some information, including Herberstein's story, a few months later there were rumors that the accusation of infertility was unfair, that Solomonia gave birth to a son in the monastery - Prince George.
The spreaders of rumors were punished, clerks were hastily sent to Suzdal to clarify the matter, but Solomonia refused to show them the child, declaring that they “are not worthy for their eyes to see the prince, and when he puts on his greatness, he will take revenge for the mother’s insult.” Then boyars and clergy were sent, but no documents were preserved about the results of this investigation. It is only known that Solomonia announced the death of her son, and the grand ducal ambassadors were shown the tomb. Archaeologist and historian Count S.D. Sheremetyev believed that Solomonia hid her son with reliable people. This version is confirmed by the discovery of a small nameless tomb in the basement of the Intercession Cathedral of the Suzdal Intercession Monastery by Suzdal researcher A.D. Varganov in 1934, located between the tombs of a certain “Elder Alexandra” (+ 1525) and the venerable “Elder Sophia”. In the tomb, only a rag doll was found, dressed in baby vests embroidered with pearls. Restored, this shirt is in the historical exhibition of the Suzdal museum, next to it is the lid from that tomb. The name of George was popularly associated with the legendary robber Kudeyar, who, according to one legend, was a bandit in the forests between Suzdal and Shuya. Tsar Ivan the Terrible was also very interested in the story of George [3]. Monastic feat
Living in the Suzdal monastery, the Grand Duchess did not immediately reconcile herself with her new position and grieved for a long time.
But submitting to the will of God, Sophia found consolation and peace in fervent prayer. With her deeds, she expelled worldly thoughts from her heart and completely devoted herself to God. After the death of Vasily III in 1533, power passed to his widow, Elena Glinskaya, for whom Sofia could become a most dangerous rival. Therefore, the saint was exiled to Kargopol, where she was kept in prison until Glinskaya’s death in 1538. Then she returned to Suzdal, where she reposed in God on December 18, 1542. The degree book says about this: “Having lived gratefully and pleasingly to God, he departed.” St. Sophia was buried according to her will, in the basement of the Intercession Cathedral of the Suzdal Intercession Monastery. Venerable Sophia of Suzdal. 17th century icon. Pokrovsky Monastery Veneration
The rumor about the nun's holiness quickly spread throughout Russia and the saint was already recognized as a saint by her contemporaries. Prince Andrei Kurbsky, in a letter to Ivan the Terrible, calls the blessed princess “venerable martyr.” Ivan the Terrible himself allegedly placed a shroud woven by his wife Anastasia on her tomb [4]. Both his sons and their wives, and Mikhail Fedorovich, the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty, and many others came to the relics of St. Sophia. Tsarina Irina Feodorovna sent to Suzdal “a velvet cover with the image of the Savior and saints to the Grand Duchess Solomonida, and to the monastery Sofia.” In his description of the city of Suzdal, the sacristan Anania reported miraculous healings at the tomb of St. Sophia. So, in 1598, at her tomb, Princess Anna Nechteva, who had suffered from blindness for six years, regained her sight. In 1609, during the invasion of the Poles, the Monk Sophia saved Suzdal from ruin, appearing in a menacing form to the leader of the military detachment of the Poles, Lisovsky. His arm was paralyzed from fear, and he swore an oath to leave the city and the monastery alone. Many other miracles happened through the prayers of St. Sophia. Patriarch Joseph wrote to Archbishop Serapion of Suzdal about singing dirges and prayers over Sophia, and in 1650 he allowed her to be venerated as a saint. In handwritten calendars she is referred to as “The Holy Righteous Princess Sophia, a nun, who was a virgin in the Intercession Monastery, a wonderworker.” The saint began to write on the icons:

“Aki Evdokia”: schema-green, mantle-gaff, in both hands there is a scroll, underside is a sankir, and in some cases the mantle at the collar is quilted, tied at the hem with a knot, under the mantle he can see the hand, the right prayer, and in the left there is a scroll.

The icon of the saint, painted back in the 17th century, has survived to this day and is miraculous. In the middle of the 18th century, the question of her canonization arose. Later, in the 19th century, Archbishop Serapion of Suzdal and Tarusa [5] compiled a service for the saint. Finally, with the blessing of the Holy Synod, her name was included in the Orthodox Church Calendar of 1916. Since 1984, by a special decree of Patriarch Pimen, the Russian Orthodox Church began to venerate St. Sophia among the host of locally revered saints of the Vladimir-Suzdal land. The saint’s grave was very revered, but her relics were not disturbed until the 1990s, when, on August 14, 1995, the saint’s relics were solemnly discovered. They were dug up and transferred from the monastery tomb to the Intercession Cathedral. The relics in the opened tomb turned out to be incorruptible, but after the opening they immediately decayed, i.e. crumbled. Now they are stored in a closed container and are not displayed. *** Troparion, tone 4 , clearly adorned with the beauty of the Most High, / for the Venerable Sophia labored through fasting labors, / and became the heir to the Heavenly Kingdom, / and went into the Heavenly Palace to enjoy the beauty of Christ, / pray to Him to save the city of Judgment / from filthy discoveries and internecine war / and grant our souls great mercy. See also: Venerable Sophia

What do they bring to the saint?

They turn to St. Sophia with various requests and pleas. Already in our time, the list of miracles revealed by her is replenished with new evidence. People mainly turn to her with requests for relief from all kinds of diseases. First of all, Sofia of Suzdal is revered among the people as a healer. What else does the saint help with? As we remember, during her lifetime Princess Solomonia was barren. However, an amazing fact is that prayer to Saint Sophia helps infertile couples find a long-awaited child.

There is evidence that she showed the way to the lost, protected children from harm, and helped soften the grumpy nature of the elderly.

Sophia's name day

Sofia is a very sophisticated person. She is well versed in music, fashion, perfumes and everything that requires good taste. At the same time, she knows how to stand up for herself and has a good sense of humor.

He never gets offended even by bad jokes, because he knows that only an equal can offend. She is a very sympathetic person and even at school helps her peers “pull up” certain subjects.

She herself studies very well, she is always in good standing with her teachers.

Sofia can complete tasks of any kind, even the most painstaking ones. She has the lion's share of patience and perseverance. Sofia is a very smart girl, she has a good memory. Sofia is also a contented, principled person.

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She is always in the center of everyone's attention, sociable, and knows how to find a way out of any situation. He loves his family very much and needs their love. When Sofia gets married, she gives her love to her husband and children. This is not to say that she is overly proud.

On the contrary, she gives all the attention and care to loved ones, and sometimes there is no time left for herself. Fate: Sophia enjoys communicating with other people, has a rich inner world

It shows confidence and firmness. She can be upset for a long time because of her mistakes. Sophia always solves other people's problems with ease. At the same time, he tries not to enter into conflicts

Fate

: Sophia enjoys communicating with other people and has a rich inner world. It shows confidence and firmness. She can be upset for a long time because of her mistakes. Sophia always solves other people's problems with ease. At the same time, he tries not to enter into conflicts.

The Saints

: Sofia the doctor (name day June 4), Sofia Rimskaya (name day September 30).

Angel Sophia Day

From the ancient Greek language - wise. In Judaic and Christian religious and mythological concepts - the personified wisdom of God (cf. “philosophy” - wisdom, “sophists” - followers of the Greek philosophical school). The capital of Bulgaria is called Sofia after the main temple in honor of St. Sofia.

Sophia has an innate sense of herself as naturally superior to those around her - not by her personal merits, but by her very birth.

This self-awareness of Sophia as power is so alive and bright in her that any non-recognition of her power by those around her causes an internal protest, but not because of hurt pride or unsatisfied vanity, but as some kind of untruth, as a distortion of the proper order. Hence the impression of pride that Sophia often makes on those who are not thoughtful enough.

Sophia Name Day according to the Church Calendar

February 28 – Sofia (Selivestrova), prmts., novice /new martyr/
April 1 – Sofia Slutskaya, princess
May 6 – Sofia
June 4 – Sofia, mc., doctor
June 17 – Sofia, St.
August 14 – Sofia of Suzdal, St. (finding relics).
September 30 – Sofia Rimskaya, mts.
October 1 – Sophia of Egypt, mts.
December 29 – Sofia Suzdal, Ven..
December 31 – Sophia the Wonderworker