In the south-west of Russia there is a glorious place about which legends have long circulated. This land is Diveevo, a monastery full of miracles and healing effects on those who go for help. These places have been known since pre-war times. Russian Orthodox believers go to Diveevo, the springs give that very life-giving force, and the fame of them spreads farther and farther. Even abroad they know about Diveevo and the miraculous springs located here. Tourists from Germany, Latvia, France, Israel, Orthodox believers from all over the world come here.
The miraculous properties of holy water
To calm the soul, to heal ailments, to cleanse from filth, the afflicted resort to holy water. The physical, chemical and biological properties of the most simple and inexplicable compound of hydrogen and oxygen on earth have not yet been fully studied. Meanwhile, the experience of generations speaks confidently in favor of holy water, which will help in an incredible way in any life circumstances.
Adulta person entrusts his problems to water if he believes in its power. Even unbelievers unconsciously resort to the help of ordinary water, washing away the hardships of the day under the shower. Water is relaxing and refreshing, and it is often the first remedy for fatigue and drowsiness. Scientists have proven that holy water has a special structure of molecules, their action is aimed at well-being and he alth promotion, normalization of the emotional and spiritual background of a person, harmonization of the space around him. Perhaps even before such discoveries, people knew the effect of holy water, but they did not require explanations.
Many people add holy water to the baby bath so that the children sleep more soundly and calmly, and the most “strong” water also helps small children from the evil eye. Holy water is known as a remedy for healing spiritual and bodily diseases, believers often drink a few sips from silver vats in which water is stored in temples. The rite of Baptism includes immersion in holy water, or at least washing with it, not only symbolizing cleansing from sins, but also performing the sacrament of improving energy.
And people have long noticed the strongest healing effect at the water from the sources of saints. Orthodox believers turn to them when they feel a decline in their vital and physical strength, when doubts gnaw at the soul and spiritual strength is running out. But the glory of the sources that help overcome bodily infirmities speaks for itself.
And the needy flock to them withhopes and faith, entrusting their bodies and thoughts to the water.
Holy springs in Diveevo
Orthodox people rush here at any time of the year. On the map of Russia, this village is marked as Diveevo. The springs located near it were known in these places long before the war. And today pilgrims from all over the world come here for help. Those who come to the Novgorod region know that each of the springs, of which there are more than twenty in all, has miraculous powers. Some sources are very old, some are relatively young, but the whole area, which is intended for pilgrimage, is literally strewn with springs, as if these placers flew like seeds into the soil, from someone's good hand.
Divine power descends on everyone without exception: adults and newborns, men and women. To fully immerse yourself in the healing energy of the sources, you need to come to any of them. After drinking pure consecrated water, or maybe plunging into it, you will feel a surge of vitality, bodily illnesses will go away, mental pain will subside. Holy springs in Diveevo are famous for their appearances to people of saints, signs and miracles of healing.
How to be healed with holy water from a spring
They say that, having drawn holy water from the source, people take it home, store it for years, and it remains as fresh and tasty as if it had just been drawn from a gushing spring. And when preparing preservation for the winter, pickles, fermentations, such water will ensure long-term storage of products, preventing mold or decay. Somebodytried to explain these properties by the mineral composition of water, but even minerals are prone to mustiness if they are not properly sealed, and Diveevo holy water from springs remains unchanged for years.
Taking water with you into some container, metal or glass (the main thing is that it is not plastic), you can take the liquid with you and drink it as needed. You can add this water in small quantities to the bath, drinks and soups during cooking.
Based on this miraculous remedy, you can make any drink and give as needed to all households, you can give it to infants. A capricious child can be washed with holy water to calm him down.
If you came to Diveevo
The Nizhny Novgorod region is located almost in the center of the south-west of Russia. They say that healing with the help of springs will be the fastest, if not just plunge into the water of the font, but also stay in Diveevo for the night. There is a widespread belief among the laity that God's Grace descends on those who spend the night here.
Local residents know a large number of stories from the life of those who visited the holy springs of Diveevo: what helps visiting fonts, how to properly prepare for dipping, where to put candles for saints, how to pray. Not far from the springs is the Holy Diveevsky (Serafimo-Diveevsky) monastery, you can also visit the chapels. Collected on occasion stories published in books: sourcesDiveevo, the opinions of the laity about them will be useful to parishioners, because they have been gathering for decades. It's hard to even call it reviews - it's experience, hopes, miracles of healing and gratitude to the saints. This mission was started by one of the saints canonized today - Mother Alexandra.
Healing springs
The visitors want to visit the most popular springs in Diveevo, the rumors about which led them to the Nizhny Novgorod region.
These places honor:
- Source of the Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan and the source of Seraphim of Sarov in Tsyganovka,
- source of the holy healer Panteleimon,
- source of Mother Alexandra, founder of churches in Diveevo,
- A manifest source in Kremenki,
- Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena in Khripunovo,
- source of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Avtodeevo and Satis,
- Source of the Holy Trinity in Kanerga,
- Source of Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khokhlovo.
There are other small springs that start to break out of the ground all of a sudden in other places. The whole area seems to be riddled with springs gushing out of the ground, and the more suffering people turn here, the richer the land is in water, the endless stream of which is open to everyone.
Tales of miracles
The Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery describes in detail the lives and miracles of its founders - St. Seraphim and Agafya Melgunova (schema-nun Alexandra).
Agafya Melgunova was a nun when she received a sign from above fromThe Mother of God, who appeared to her with instructions to go to the Nizhny Novgorod region - her Fourth and last Lot on Earth. According to the lot cast by the apostles, the Most Pure Mother of God was going to the land of Iver (the first Lot), during a sea voyage to the resurrected Saint Lazarus by Jesus, the ship landed on Mount Athos (the second Lot of the Mother of God), the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is considered the third Lot. And finally, Agafia Semyonovna Melgunova appeared in these lands, guided by the hand of the Virgin.
The temple erected here was erected by the forces of St. Seraphim at the end of his life. The son of a merchant family, having been healed of illness in his youth thanks to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, dedicated himself to God and himself received miraculous power to help heal those in need.
Tales about how the local saints helped people during their lifetime were recorded by their followers and abbots of the monastery. Today springs in Diveyevo continue the good work of those who are now elevated to the rank of saints.
The founder of the temple - Mother Alexandra
In the world her name was Agafya Semyonovna Melgunova. A native of a we althy landowner family, the widow of Colonel Melgunov was already a monastic when the Mother of God appeared to her and sent her to Diveevo. At her own expense, she restored dilapidated chapels and the church from 1767. Having taken the name of Alexander in the schema in 1789, she considered the restoration and construction of new chapels for people in Diveevo to be her life's work: the springs attracted more and more suffering, and it became possible to accept everyone. A huge number of shrines in this wonderfulplace for centuries helps people live, heal, hope, rethink their actions.
After resting in peace, Mother Alexandra rests near the altar of the Kazan Monastery. They say that those who pay tribute to her at her grave hear a wonderful smell, the fragrance cannot be overlooked. Sometimes candles light up by themselves, a bell ringing or murmur is heard, so there is a rumor among the people that its source originates here.
Seraphim of Sarov became her support and follower. The source of Matushka Alexandra is famous for the numerous stories of parishioners, whose miraculous healing also inspired St. Seraphim. A chapel was built nearby and a bathhouse was equipped. Believers often come here, because the source is one of the closest to the monastery. He helps those who come to recuperate, tired and desperate. Those women who want to conceive also turn to Mother Alexandra: there are many cases when a couple could not conceive for many years, and after a visit, even triplets were born in the family, they are heard among the laity.
Spring of St. Seraphim
Even during his lifetime, Saint Seraphim helped people if doctors and medicines were powerless. Among the frequent stories about who was helped by the source are cases of people suffering from nervous diseases, memory disorders and epileptic seizures.
There is a legend or a true story about how in this place, located in the forbidden territories in the sixties, while the border guards were bypassing the fenced area of Sarov, they had a vision. ATpre-war years, the source existed, but it was repeatedly tried to be cemented or buried. In 1947, a military facility assigned the status of a closed area to this area, and the wasteland was deserted. Therefore, the military were surprised to notice the figure of an old man in a white robe with a staff, and, calling to him, they saw how the old man hit the ground with his staff three times and disappeared. At this point, a key began to beat from three points. In the sixties, the source gained fame, water was taken from it to all parts of Russia. They also came here to bathe in it. In the early nineties, the military decided to fill up the source. However, during the preparatory work, the Reverend Seraphim appeared to the excavator driver, asking him not to do this, and finally said that this would not happen anyway. And indeed, the soil did not succumb to the excavator bucket, and the source was preserved.
Subsequently, the order was canceled, then the Diveevsky Monastery was restored, and today the source of Seraphim of Sarov is under its jurisdiction, and a log chapel was built near it.
It is said that even during the restoration work to strengthen the stream bank line for the safety of the suffering, there was one worker who injured his back. The appearance of Seraphim of Sarov healed him. Today, people flock here for the healing of physical ailments. Bathing in the spring, or at least bathing, must certainly be accompanied by a certain attitude, a prayer from a pure heart.
Kazan source
Diveevo is famous for several healing springs, the names of whichmany things will be said to an Orthodox person. One of them today is named after the icon, which was found frozen in ice in 1939. The icon was very old, most likely, it fell into the water due to the destruction of the well, which stood in the form of a log house above the source. Local residents consider the icon of Our Lady of Kazan to be very strong, even newborn children were brought here, to whom doctors did not give a chance to survive, and the miraculous power helped. The chapel was rebuilt and destroyed again, but the icon survived. One schema nun kept it and witnessed its incredible renewal, as well as many miracles that were created by the power coming from the icon.
The Kazan Church today is located on the outskirts of the village of Diveevo, nearby is the source itself, the oldest of all. Water from it has a beneficial effect on he alth. It is to him that believers come in procession to bless the water, baptize children, and heal the sick.
Panteleimon the healer and his miracles at the spring in Diveevo
Saint Panteleimon has been known as a healer since the 4th century. Free medical assistance to the poor, mercy to all, without exception, made him an outstanding personality of his time and one of the most revered saints today. Pilgrimages to the source today occur at any time of the year. The source of Panteleimon in Diveevo is located near Kazansky. Previously, people could not swim here, but in 2004 the spring was equipped with a bath. In addition, water from it flows into two different log cabins, in which baths are equipped for women andmen separately. The source of Panteleimon the healer is one of the most beautiful, its entire territory is very well maintained, and parishioners say that the water in the baths of this place is warmer than in others.
Panteleimon the healer is approached with the following prayer: “Give us all, with your holy prayers, he alth and well-being of soul and body, the advancement of faith and piety, and all that is necessary for temporary life and salvation…”
How to find Diveevo
The Nizhny Novgorod region is rather confusing for visitors from neighboring countries, so if the region is not familiar to you, then the landmarks are as follows: Diveevo is located 180 km from Nizhny Novgorod, 65 km from Arzamas and 345 km from Cheboksary. If you are planning a trip in your own car, it would be nice to use the navigator.
There will be several regional centers along the M-7 highway, where you can clarify which side of Diveevo, how to get to the village. But be prepared for the fact that not the smoothest roads will allow you to move at a speed of no more than 120-140 km / h. The monastery has well-equipped parking, free of charge for visitors. There are many hotels in the area, so it is easy to stay in Diveevo and count on an overnight stay.
