Advent Miracle in St. Petersburg

Machine English

Russian original text:
 http://internetsobor.org/iz-raznykh-istochnikov/stati/iz-raznykh-istochnikov/predrozhdestvenskoe-chudo-v-sankt-peterburge

Advent miracle in St. Petersburg

Author: Rev. Eugene Korjagin incl. December 26, 2014.

 

Numerous people in St. Petersburg, hurrying or walking through the streets of Truth, in the last few days, were surprised to see on the house, number 13 on level 3 and 4 floors, huge image of Christ the Savior ...   

Is not it a Christmas miracle ?! On the eve of the Nativity in the center of St. Petersburg was the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, and doing what?... - blessing the children!

Who would have thought six months ago, when the planned restoration of the building began on  Pravda Street, at number 13, which is now the University of Cinema (SPbGUKiT), that as a result of the restoration would be revealed  this mosaic icon of the Savior in the size of nearly ten meters high, as this  turned out to be a reality on  this house?

The fact is that before the revolution here was located the "School Board of the Synod of the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky and all parochial schools." To put it simply, there was the main parish-school center of the Russian Empire for the main supervision of all parochial schools in Russia.

The idea of ​​parochial schools was formulated by Constantine Pobedonostsev and actively supported by the Emperor Alexander III. This initiative - a favorite child Procurator of the Synod - quickly spread throughout Russia. To manage a vast network of parochial schools in 1885 was created school boards, located right in the original building of the Synod on the Senate Square. But it soon became clear that he did not have enough space allocated. It was then - in 1895 - the Synod decided to build a special building for school boards to the temple in the name sv.blagovernogo Prince Alexander Nevsky in memory of Emperor Alexander III. When the temple was established exemplary parochial school for boys and girls, which should be the benchmark for all schools in Russia. The school was established by the late Emperor behalf capital allowances for students. Construction of the temple in the Russian style of XVII century by the A.N.Pomerantseva began in 1898; The building includes own advice, stationery, educational museum, library, study manuals, publishing, book warehouse for the storage of 3 million textbooks.

In the Sunday, June 14, 1898, Archbishop of Novgorod Gury, Chairman of the Board, performed the rite bookmarks complex, and May 17, 1901 the church was consecrated by Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky). In the same year on September 1 in the building was opened and exemplary parochial school. On the facade at the level of the third and fourth floors, where the church was placed mosaic icon "Christ blesses the children", performed by the original painting academician AN Novoskoltseva artist Mosaic V.A.Frolovym. Icon wore symbolic meaning, being the patron of children All Russia. The grand composition was decorated with the imperial monogram of Alexander III, images of saints - protectors of the royal family: Alexander Nevsky, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, sv.mts.Aleksandry.

After the revolution, this marvelous image of waiting for the dramatic fate. Immediately after the coup, the icon was ruthlessly plastered, and the room of the church was converted into a club. The building was rebuilt vandalized, destroyed five domes of the temple, dismantled belfry. Old residents of the area tells the story of how many times the authorities painted over the image on the facade of the building, but he stood out again and again, until it is patched with iron sheets. During the Soviet period the tenants of the building changed many times, most recently became FACES now SpbGUKiT. In the end, it seemed that the memory of this image finally disappeared. Mosaic long been considered irretrievably lost. And in 2009, the plan was discussed even re-create anew.

Discovered it by accident, which otherwise can not be called as wonderful. In the building is undergoing planned repairs. When workers separated perennial layer of old plaster, their eyes opened unexpected find - a mosaic of epic proportions. For several months, continued hard work. As a result, on the eve of Christmas 2014 before Petersburgers brought Saviour Blessing Russian children. By the way, is located close to the Dostoevsky Museum. Perhaps the great writer would have seen in this mosaic icons embodiment of the idea of ​​their Christmas story "The Boy at Christ's Christmas tree." This finding of the image of the Savior - a good sign on the eve of the New Year. So the Lord will not leave our children and blesses them visibly manifested through its image.

Now I know where I will go necessarily in the New Year's Eve and where to pray for the coming new year.

Source: http://otets-gennadiy.livejournal.com/