True event
A MIRACLE OF SAINT NICHOLAS THAT HAPPENED IN 1956, AND IS STILL TALKED ABOUT
ZOIA’S VIGIL
In 1956, during the time of the Soviet dictator Khrushchev, a miracle known as “Zoia’s Standing” occurred in the city of Samara, which shook the entire Orthodox world.
At a time when the dictatorial regime wanted to separate the people from God, God allowed this miracle to happen, which restored faith and godliness to many.
At that time, atheism was widespread among young people, and it was shameful to have icons at home. So Zoia, who decided to celebrate the New Year with her friends at her home, argued with her mother, who was a believer and was against celebrations during the Christmas fast. At first she wanted to remove the icons from the home iconostasis, but her mother objected, so only some icons were removed, while others remained. Zoya did not listen to her mother and called her friends. Everyone came, but Zoya’s fiancé, Nikolai, was late. Music was playing, the young people were dancing, and only Zoya had no dancing partner. Angry with her fiancé, she untied the icon of Saint Nicholas from the home iconostasis, saying: “As soon as my Nikolai is gone, I will dance with Saint Nicholas.”
One of her friends tried to dissuade her from her intention, and she brazenly replied: “If there is a God, let him punish me!”
With these words, she danced in a circle with the icon in her hands, and on the third circle, a loud noise was suddenly heard in the room, a whirlwind arose, a blinding light shone, and everyone fled in fear. Only Zoya stood still, with the icon of the saint pressed to her chest, frozen, and became as cold as marble.
They could not move her from her place, because her feet seemed to be fused to the floor.
And although she showed no outward signs of life, Zoya was alive and her heart was beating.
From that moment on, she could neither drink nor eat. The doctors made every effort, but they could not bring her to consciousness, nor move her.
The news of the miracle quickly spread throughout the city, and many came to see “Zoya’s standing”. But after a while the city authorities forbade access, and a detachment of policemen was deployed around the house. And to the curious citizens who came, they replied that there was no miracle and nothing had happened.
The police officers on duty heard Zoya cry out at night: – “Mom, pray! We are dying in sins! Pray!”
Medical research confirmed that the girl’s heartbeat did not stop despite the petrified tissues. They could not even give her an injection, because the needles were breaking. Priests were called, they read prayers, they could not even take the icon from her hands.
On Christmas (January 6), Father Seraphim Tyapochkin came, performed the blessing of water and sanctified the entire room. After which he took the icon from Zoya’s hands and said: “Now we must wait for a sign of Easter.”
Before the feast of the Annunciation, a certain venerable old man begged the security guards to let him go, but he was refused. He came the next day, but they sent him back again, and only on the third day, on the day of the Annunciation itself, did the guards let him go. The on-duty staff heard the elder talking to Zoya: – “Well, how are you, are you tired of standing?” Some time passed, but the elder did not come out. When they looked into the room, he was gone. All witnesses of the event are convinced that Saint Nicholas himself appeared.
Zoya stayed for 4 months (128 days), until Easter itself, which that year was on April 23.
On the night of Christ’s Resurrection, Zoya called out loudly: – “Pray! It’s terrible, the earth is burning! The whole world is perishing in sins! Pray!”
From then on, she began to come to life, softness and vitality appeared in her muscles. They put her on the bed, but she continued to call and beg everyone to pray for the world that is perishing in sins, and for the earth that is burning in lawlessness.
“How did you live, who fed you?” they asked her.
“Doves, pigeons feed me,” Zoya replied.
With his prayers, Saint Nicholas had mercy on her and accepted her repentance, forgave her sins.
All this so deeply affected the inhabitants of Kuibyshev (as the city was then called) and its surroundings that many people turned to faith. They rushed to the church with repentance, the unbaptized were baptized, those who did not wear a cross began to wear one, and even crosses began to disappear.
When, after a few years, Archpriest Anatoly Litvinenko asked Archimandrite Seraphim if he had taken the icon from Zoya’s hands, he only humbly bowed his head. But after the silence, it became clear that he wanted to hide this fact, because of his great humility. And the authorities could again begin persecution against him, because of the large influx of believers who would want to They touched the icon of St. Nicholas, which was always in the temple, where Father Seraphim served.
After some time, however, the authorities ordered the icon to be collected and hidden from the people, and it was transferred to the altar.
“Those days I walked around Zoya’s house twice,” says pensioner Anna Fedotov. I walked from afar, because the house was surrounded by police. Then I decided to ask someone about everything
Then I decided to ask one of the policemen, the guards, about everything. Soon one of them, quite young, came out of the kiosk. I followed him and stopped him:
– Tell me, is it true that Zoya is standing? And he answered: “You are asking me, just like my wife. But I will not tell you anything, it is better for you to see for yourself … ”
He took off his hat and his completely gray hair was revealed: – “Do you see?! That says more than words. Because we have signed and are forbidden to tell. But if you could only know how terrible it was to see that petrified girl! ”
Recently, a person was found to tell something new about the Samara miracle. It was the revered in Samara rector of the church of St. Sofia, father Vitaly Kalashnikov: “Anna Pavlova Kalashnikov is my mother’s aunt. In 1956 she was a doctor in Kuibyshev, in the “ambulance”. On that day, she came home in the morning and said: -“ You are sleeping here, and the city has long been on its feet! “And she told about the petrified girl (although she signed that she would not disclose what she had seen), and admitted that she had just been to that home, after a call. She saw Zoya standing there with the icon of St. Nicholas in her hands. They tried to give her an injection, but they failed, the needles were breaking. We were all shocked by what she told.
Anna Pavlova Kalashnikov worked in the “ambulance” for many years after that. She died in 1996. Many people are still alive to whom she told what happened, on that same, first day of the new year.
A spiritual daughter of Father Seraphim Tyapochkin asked him: – “Father, did you take the icon from Zoya’s hands and perform the miracle?” And the elder replied: – “Daughter, God performs miracles, and we, the unworthy, receive them through prayers.”
From the memoirs of Alexandra Ivanova:
My relatives lived in Kuibyshev, on the same street as Zoya. When it happened, I was 14 years old. In order not to have people gather around the house, they turned off the lights at night. But Zoya’s calls terrified everyone. A young policeman, standing guard, turned his hair gray from it. My relatives, eyewitnesses to the incident, became believers. The miracle of “Zoya’s standing” was deeply imprinted in my mind.
“On the fifth Sunday of Great Lent 1982, I arrived in Rakitno and dared to ask: “Father, where is the icon of St. Nicholas, which you took from Zoya’s hands?” He looked at me sternly. There was silence. …
Why did I ask him about the icon? Did he fall silent?
After Father Seraphim’s stern look, I said to myself: “Wow, why did I ask him”! But suddenly the father said: – “The icon was in the temple of the analoyo, and now it is in the altar. Such were the times, and they ordered me to collect it.” And he added: – “You are the first to whom I tell.” – “And two weeks later Father Seraphim died.”
The miracle with Zoya was a lesson for many. Because we must treat holy things with respect. It is a lesson for unbelievers. You may not believe, but do not underestimate the holy thing, because punishment will follow!
Yes, in those times there was a great need for miracles, for people. But miracles occur when necessary, and when the Lord decides.
After taking the icon from Zoya’s hands, they slandered the elder and filed a lawsuit against him, and Bishop Jerome was removed from the Kuibyshev diocese.
Here is what Abbot German of Optina Hermitage (in the 1950s he served in the cathedral church in Kuibyshev) said in 1989: “What I have not seen, I will not speak about, and what I know, I will say. They surrounded the street, took signatures for non-disclosure. The rector of the council, summoned as an authorized religious authority, was asked to announce from the pulpit on the first Sunday that there was no miracle. The father rector replied: “Let me see first, and I will tell what I have seen.”
The authorized officer thought for about a minute and promised to call back soon. He rang after an hour and said that he should not announce anything from the pulpit…
*Based on materials from the book “Belgorod Elder Archimandrite Seraphim (Tyapochkin)”, (St.-Troitskaya Sergius Lavra, 1998)
(The film was shot after this event “Miracle”
https://youtu.be/H-ID0MTYnCs )
P.S.
Plasma?Anyone…everybody…or noONE?