Wonderful kindness

June 11/24 – memory of the Yeletsk recluse Melania (Pakhomova)

The girl Melania Pakhomova was born in 1759 into a poor but pious family. Before their death, the parents commanded their eldest son to take care of the house and their young daughters, Melania and Catherine.

Melania, even before her adulthood, felt an attraction to monastic life. Hardworking, like a bee, young and beautiful, she often went to Stone Mountain and, returning home, persuaded her brother to let her go to the monastery. But a good deed is not accomplished without testing, and Melania’s brother wanted to marry the girl off. However, on the day appointed for the engagement, the ascetic, who loved not the earthly, but the heavenly Bridegroom of the Lord, disappeared from home for three days. After this incident, her brother let her go to the monastery, but refused financial assistance. But an unshakable faith in the Providence of God was established in the heart of young Melania, and she, having prayed, took with her only what served as her daily attire. This was in the fall of 1778, when Melania was not yet 20 years old.

Having settled on Kamennaya Mountain, which was then not surrounded by any fence except a dense forest, among which, with the prayers and blessing of St. Tikhon, the nunnery was being revived, blessed Melania labored zealously day and night in fasting and prayer and with ardent faith and humility humbly accepted the good suggestions of the honest old women She worked and rejoiced, undergoing various obediences and secretly observing constant prayer and silence of the lips. Her spirit burned with the desire for exploits. Soon she was honored to receive the blessing of St. Tikhon, whom she visited many times.

A few years later, her younger sister Catherine was accepted into the monastery and placed with Melania. Truly, their residence was wonderful and praiseworthy! There was nothing in the cell except a jug of water and a small supply of crackers. Their shabby clothes were often replenished with patches, but at the same time they were kept neat and clean. The sisters had an abundant source of tears and cried daily about their sins. During the Holy Pentecost, Melania and Catherine ate only crackers and water, and then only on Saturday and Sunday, and on other days, silence, crying and prayer to God fed and cheered the souls of good ascetics. They received communion of the Holy Divine Mysteries on a par with the elders during all fasts, and sometimes twice during fasting. The rest of the year they fasted moderately, that is, they ate soft bread, but rarely added anything other than salt and water to it. One day the nun Evagria brought them fresh cucumbers. Catherine cut the cucumber, salted it and wanted to eat. Melania quietly touched her hand and said: “What are you doing? This is carnivorous!” “Sorry, mother sister! “I forgot,” Catherine answered and put the vegetable aside.

Catherine lived on Kamennaya Mountain for twenty-two years. After her death, Melania felt sad and for a long time could not find peace of mind. To avoid annoying visits and questions, she took upon herself the feat of foolishness. But, by God’s permission, the enemy of the human race, angry at the ascetic, prepared various nets for her in the hope of destroying her with conceit. One night Melania, tired from fighting sleep, sat down at the door of her cell and forgot. Suddenly it seemed to her that a fiery chariot with winged horses descended to the ground and a young man in white clothes approached her and said: “Come, O beloved of God, and accept the reward of your labors. God sent me, His Angel, to lift you up to the villages of paradise, where your sister Catherine is waiting for you.” Melania, having heard about her sister, was so happy that she forgot to protect herself with the sign of the cross. She imagined that she got into a chariot and winged horses carried her through the air to a magnificent house, near which the Belorian dropped her off and wanted to take her inside. Then Melania made the sign of the cross on herself, and everything suddenly disappeared. A frantic laugh was heard in the distance, and the ascetic was seized with inexpressible fear. She saw herself on the edge of the bridge, in the very dangerous place.

With the help of God, from then on she was very circumspect in her thoughts, armed herself more diligently with humility and prayer, and was wary of the machinations of the enemy at every hour. The Lord sent her spiritual help and consolation in the person of Elder Hilarion Troekurovsky and two of his associates. They all began to admonish Melania, promised to pray for her and strictly ordered her to abandon her foolishness, sit in her cell in silence and prepare herself for a reclusive life. Melania heeded the instructions and decided to test herself in a new great feat of voluntary imprisonment.

On the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord in 1819, the blessed one received the Holy Divine Mysteries and, having prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos, covered her eyes with a handkerchief and asked one of the novices to take her to her cell, explaining to her that her eyes hurt and she could not walk without outside help. From then on, she remained in her darkened reclusive home until her death.

But the ascetic was faced with a trial of many different sorrows. Of all the temptations that befell blessed Melania, one, at first glance, insignificant, turned out to be the most severe for her due to human weakness and almost upset the completion of the feat. Not far from the recluse lived a sister of the monastery, Elpidiphora, who, out of demonic envy, often reviled her and seduced visitors to the monastery with her slander. She reached such a point of bitterness that day and night she tried in every way to break the silence and annoy Melania. For a long time, the blessed one endured everything with meekness and, according to the commandment of the Lord, prayed for her sister. But now spring has come. Elpidiphora had a relative who was seriously ill, and she made a bed for the woman who was groaning in pain right under the recluse’s window and left her there for the whole summer. When the cold forced the sick woman to be moved to her cell, Elpidifora tied a goat in her place and blocked her exit. The poor animal bothered Melania so much with its bleating that she wanted to give way to anger and leave the seclusion. She hesitated for a long time, but in the end she left the cell and broke off the fence from her window. Unfortunately, the neighbor, incited by demons, saw this and rushed at the recluse with a wild cry. Others joined her and, like madmen, beat the poor old woman, forcibly pushed her into the cell and locked the door. Soon, having come to their senses and being frightened by what they had done, they spread a rumor among the people that the recluse had gone mad. This rumor quickly spread throughout the monastery and the city, and some began to advise the abbess to take Blessed Melania to Oryol, to the insane asylum.

It was then that Melania knew her weakness and defeat from the enemy. With deep feeling she repented of her cowardice and impatience, humbled from the bottom of her heart. After this incident, the enemy began to strongly attack the ascetic with night ghosts and rushed at her in brutal likenesses. But Melania, relying on the Lord, patiently endured everything and with contrition of spirit, day and night, she begged God not to betray her soul to the demons that were chilling her. And over the course of several years she became so successful in love and humility that she joyfully thanked God for everything.

Melania’s highly spiritual ascetic life brought down the grace of God upon her, and the righteous Lord generously enriched his faithful servant with extraordinary gifts. She could see the future, provided those who were perplexed about their circumstances with wise advice, and gave help to those in need.

So, in the Yeletsk prison castle, she last hours the prisoner was comforted in his life. The name of this old man is now forgotten, they only remember that he suffered innocently and subsequently turned out to be completely right, but the judicial acquittal no longer found him alive. On that day when he was ill and, feeling the approach of his death, asked for a priest, the recluse Melania early in the morning sent a messenger to the merchant Lavrova, ordering her to put aside tea and sugar and that sweet pie that she had prepared for herself that day, and now send all this to a sick prisoner in prison. Lavrova was amazed at these words: how could the recluse even know what was in her oven? The sick prisoner was also surprised and thanked God with tears when the recluse Melania gave him exactly what he wanted, but did not dare to reveal his thoughts about it to anyone. A few hours later he died. Then another envoy appeared from the merchant Perekalin: he brought new clothes, a coffin and some money. Handing this over to the caretaker for the burial of the newly deceased prisoner, the messenger said: “All this was sent from our master by order of the recluse mother.” The witnesses to this were amazed and thanked God.

This is how the life of a simple, uneducated girl passed, who was able to acquire spiritual wisdom. The time of the blessed death of the recluse approached. The fast of the holy apostles Peter and Paul began, and she began to prepare to receive the Holy Mysteries. On the day of communion, the priest walked to her from the church with the Holy Gifts, and the cleric carried a lighted candle ahead. Suddenly a strong wind blew and the candle went out. The priest wanted to return to light a candle in the church, but the priest, hastening him, said: “We’ll light it there.” When they walked through the entire monastery and the cleric stepped onto the threshold of the hermit’s cell, the candle lit up by itself.

Having reached the age of 77, the great ascetic recluse Melania departed to the Lord, Whom she diligently served all the days of her life, on the night of June 10-11, 1836. Those who entered her cell found the ascetic gracefully lying on the floor, with her hands raised, prayerfully and joyfully looking at the icon of the Savior. Her face was bright and calm. Wonderful signs accompanied her death: travelers returning from Zadonsk saw at midnight a pillar of fire standing over Stone Mountain.

After the ascetic’s dormition, the nun Elpidifora, who had caused her grief, said the following: “After the death of blessed Melania, I, as her closest neighbor, was entrusted with keeping her cell and, for obedience, leading those who came into it. Out of enemy envy, someone informed the abbess that I had taken advantage of the money that the zealous people had donated. I was fined with monastic punishment: I was not allowed to receive alms and read the indefatigable Psalter. Through this I had to lose my monastic allowance and, given my constant poverty, endure even greater need. I cried, asked for forgiveness, made excuses, but in vain. One night I see the recluse Melania in a dream, and she tells me: “Don’t cry. I know your sorrow. Go, weed the grass near my cell, and the Lord will comfort you.” I got up and, having prayed to God, immediately went to weed the grass near her cell. Towards the end of my work, in the corner of her small backyard, I found a bundle and in it several silver coins. I cried with joy. I was not so happy about the money as about the fact that the saint of God consoled me with her alms. And, to my surprise, I bought everything I needed with this money. But here’s what struck me even more: in my life I insulted her a lot. And I already accepted the grief that befell me as a well-deserved punishment from God, and it apparently consoled me. However, even during her lifetime she forgave me everything: she invited me to her place, treated me to tea, gave me gifts and herself asked me for forgiveness. And now this is how she helped me in my sorrow!”

Such is the kindness of the true servants of Christ that even those who hated them become preachers of their virtue. And the word of the Lord is fulfilled: So let your light shine before men, so that they see and understand in their hearts your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Prepared by Ksenia MIRONOVA

Based on the book: “Biography of the Maiden Melania,
hermits Yeletsky Znamensky on
Stone Mountain of the Maiden's Monastery.
Zadonsky Christmas-Bogoroditsky
Monastery, 2006.

About spirituality, prudence, the power of the cross and... miracles

Melania, the recluse of Yeletskaya

From the life of Elder Melania, recluse of the Yeletsky Znamensky Monastery.

On April 12, 1769, a fire broke out in the city of Yelets; Almost the entire city burned down, and the monastery and temple on Kamennaya Mountain also burned down.

Elders Ksenia and Agafia remained in the ashes of the monastery, setting up a cell for themselves in a stone cellar.

One summer night, Elder Ksenia left her cell and went to the site of the former temple of God to pray.

For a long time she prayed and cried at the site of the burnt holy throne, where so recently a bloodless sacrifice had been made for the salvation of all those living on earth and for the forgiveness of the sins of those who had piously died. Suddenly she felt an extraordinary breath of grace in her heart. Embraced by awe and joy, she began to loudly call her colleague Agathia. She left the cell, and they both saw a wonderful phenomenon: illuminated by divine glory, a horseman stretched out his hand to the place where the burnt monastery was, overshadowed it with a blessing and said: “Blessed be the name of the Lord in this place from now on and forever!”

Having added to the fact that he is the martyr of Christ John the Warrior, he became invisible. The old women bowed to the Lord God and glorified His holy and great name, believing that everything pleasing to Him would be fulfilled, according to His love for mankind and omnipotence. They also gave honor and gratitude to the holy martyr John the Warrior for the mercies of God promised to them and, rejoicing at the glorious vision, they awaited help from above for the restoration of the holy monastery.

One night Melania, tired from the struggle with sleep, which untimely and very heavily burdened her, sat down at the door of her cell and forgot. Suddenly it seemed to her that a fiery chariot with winged horses descended to the ground, and a young man in white clothes approached her and said: “Come, O beloved of God, and receive the reward of your labors.” God sent me, his angel, to lift you to the heavenly villages, where your sister Catherine is waiting for you.

Melania, hearing about her deceased sister, rejoiced and, out of joy, forgot to protect herself with the sign of the cross. She imagined that she sat in a chariot, and winged horses carried her through the air to a magnificent house; The Belarusian dropped her off and wanted to bring her into the house. Here Melania fenced herself with the sign of the cross; and suddenly everything disappeared. In the distance she heard some kind of frantic laughter, and inexpressible fear seized Melania. She saw herself near the mill, on the edge of the bridge, in the most dangerous place. She screamed in horror and fell onto the bridge. The workers from the mill ran out hastily to hear the scream and were extremely surprised. They recognized Melania, but did not know how she came here at night and what happened to her. They picked her up half dead. But she soon came to her senses and asked them to take her to the monastery on Kamennaya Gora.
***
The fast of the holy apostles Peter and Paul has begun. Melania began to prepare to receive the Holy Mysteries; on the very day of communion, the priest walked towards her from the church with the holy gifts, and the cleric carried a lighted candle ahead. Suddenly a strong wind blew and the candle went out. The priest wanted to return to light a candle in the church, but the priest, hastening him, said: “We’ll light it there.”

When they walked through the entire monastery and the priest stepped onto the threshold of the recluse’s cell, the candle in his hands lit up by itself. He placed it on the table with trepidation. After the sacrament was completed, he brought a burning candle to the church. This wonderful lighting of the candle was noticed by everyone.

Reverend Melania the recluse of Yeletskaya. Znamensky Convent, Lipetsk region.

She was born in 1759 in the Lamskaya settlement, Yelets district, Oryol province, into a poor, pious family. Hardworking, young and beautiful girl Melania with youth loved the Lord. She avoided worldly pleasures and often spent time in the temple. When, after the death of her parents, she had to get married, she secretly left home and in 1778 settled as a novice in the Znamenskaya monastery on Kamennaya Gora. Having learned about Melania's whereabouts, her relatives persistently asked her to return home and get married, otherwise they threatened to deprive her of their inheritance. But she remained adamant.

In the Znamensky Monastery, Melania labored for 58 years in unceasing fasting and prayer. The only food she took was bread and water. She always wore shabby clothes with frequent patches.
She died on July 11, 1836. Wonderful signs accompanied her death

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September 22 a pilgrimage trip took place for parishioners of the Kazan Church, students of the Sunday school and youth group of the parish and pupils of the Voronezh boarding school No. 1 in Yeletsky Znamensky Convent. The trip was originally planned to Divnogorsk Monastery, but inclement cold weather made adjustments to the route. About 150 people took part in the pilgrimage trip. The pilgrims were accompanied by the rector of the Kazan Church. New Usman priest Alexy Voronin, cleric Priest Ilya Vostrikov, Sunday School teachers Domanina T.V. And Golyandina V.I. On the way back, the pilgrims stopped at the Zadonsk Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery, where they venerated the relics of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, and also visited the Ascension Cathedral in Yelets.

Eletsky Znamensky Monastery was founded on the site of a monastery Troitsky monastery , built in 1629 on Kamennaya Mountain.

Through labors Saint Mitrofan, Bishop of Voronezh, the monastery was converted into a convent in 1683.

In 1764, the Znamensky Monastery was abolished by decree of Catherine II, but the nuns did not leave it.

In 1769, during a big fire in Yelets, the monastery burned down. Only two old women remained in the ashes; they lived in the surviving cellar and prayed tirelessly.

The number of sisters gradually increased. In 1778, the future locally revered blessed recluse Melania, a great ascetic who lived in the monastery 58 years old and died from the shutter in 1836 year. Saint Tikhon, while in Yelets, visited the hermit. In 1779, he visited Yelets for the last time, blessed the nuns and chose a site for the future stone church. In the period from 1804 to 1813, construction of a cathedral was carried out in honor of icons Holy Mother of God"Sign".

The monastery remained illegal, but the efforts of the residents of Yeltsin to restore the monastery did not stop. The second official opening of the monastery took place in 1822 by decree of Emperor Alexander I. Strict rules of monastic life were restored, construction of a bell tower, a warm refectory, and a new brick fence around the monastery with four towers and three gates began. In 1841, on the south side, a descent to the holy spring was made in the form of a wide staircase. By 1861, the construction of the three-tier bell tower was completed. By the middle of the 19th century, the territory of the monastery and the lands that belonged to it continued to expand, and the monastery was beautified.

By the beginning of the 20th century, there lived within the walls of the monastery 400 people, there were 150 buildings on its territory.

The main shrines of the monastery were the miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Sign” and the image of Christ the Savior, which were safely preserved after the fire of 1769. The monastery housed revered icons: "Three-handed" written on Athos, and donated Saint Theophan the Recluse Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

Kept in the Znamensky Monastery lifetime portrait Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk.

After the revolution of 1917, the monastery was closed, but services continued for some time, and the nuns, led by Abbess Antonia, did not leave the holy monastery. The island of church splendor did not last long.

In 1929, the monastery property was divided, nuns began to be expelled from their cells, many of them were sent to prison and taken to camps. The abbess of the monastery, who refused to leave the monastery, was brutally tortured.

The territory of the monastery began to be officially called the Workers' Town.

During the years of the atheistic regime, the monastery's buildings fell into disrepair. The Znamensky Cathedral was destroyed in 1937.

By 2004, only a few cells, monastery walls and the descent to the holy well remained in a severely damaged state. Not a single temple building survived. By decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church The Znamensky Convent was reopened in 2004.

Built in 2005 chapel over the holy spring, in the same year the restoration of the Znamensky Cathedral began. In January 2005, the Znamenskaya monastery was transferred to perform services Spasovsky-Christ Nativity Church, located on the other side of Yelchik and clearly visible from the territory of the monastery. In 2006, a wooden temple was built in the name of Saint and Wonderworker Nicholas and consecrated by Vladyka Nikon on December 31 of the same year.

The restoration of the bell tower was completed, the monastery fence was partially restored, new refectory and cell buildings were built, several former cells were purchased and put in order. There is a revival of the monastery with its glorious history and spiritual exploits.

Znamensky Cathedral. The first stone church of the monastery was built in 1813. In the mid-1930s it was closed and work began on dismantling it for bricks. Restoration work began in 2005, and by 2009 main temple The monastery was completely restored to its original form.

Nativity of Christ (Spassovsky) Church(Located not on the territory of the monastery)

Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The first wooden St. Nicholas Church on Kamennaya Gora was built in 1657. During the great fire of 1769, all the monastery buildings, including St. Nicholas Church, burned down. The revival of the church occurred only in 2006, when, according to the design of Yelets architect A.V. Novoseltsev laid the foundation for a wooden church. In the same 2006, St. Nicholas Church was built and consecrated.

Chapel of the Icon of the Mother of God Life-Giving Spring. The chapel at the holy well was built at the end of the 18th century. It was destroyed before 1930. Its reconstruction in its previous shapes and sizes began in 2004. In 2005 it was finally built and consecrated.

O. Elijah with the youth group of the Kazan Church

Sunday School students with teacher T.V. Domanina

Students of boarding school No. 1 with their father, rector

Gates of the Znamensky Monastery

Monument to the blessed recluse Melania against the background of the temple in honor of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, Wonderworker

Grave of the recluse Melania

Nuns' pets are pheasants

Pilgrims in the refectory of the monastery

Autumn in the Znamensky Monastery. Panorama

O. Ilia Vostrikov and V.I. Golyandina with a group of pilgrims

against the backdrop of Voskresensky Cathedral Yelets

Panorama Zadonsk Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery

« She was destined, having endured a lot, to become a true decoration of the spiritual flower garden that flourished here in the 19th century.»

June 24, 2016 will mark 180 years since the death of the great ascetic and prayer book of the monastery of the recluse Melania.

The story of Melania the Recluse deserves special attention. Her sacrifice, asceticism, spiritual exploits, struggle with temptations, and high morality can serve as an instructive example.

Melanya Pakhomova was born in 1759 into a poor family in the Lamskaya settlement of Yelets. Her parents died early, leaving Melania's brother as the eldest in the family. From childhood she was drawn to the monastic life. She visited the monastery, listened to the nuns and persuaded her brother to let her go to them forever. But my brother didn’t want to think about it. In addition, Melania took care of her younger sister, Catherine, who was sickly and weak by nature. For three years after the death of her parents, Melania worked in the house, helping her brother with everything. In her free time, she ran to the site of the burnt convent, where the old women still lived in their cells. Here she listened to stories from the Gospel and Psalms, which made a great impression on her. On one of these days, Melania felt a passionate desire to go here, to Kamennaya Mountain, to the oxbow lakes and live in a cell, praying to God. Simple family life suddenly seemed completely disgusting to her.

And in the fall of 1778 she came to the community on Stone Mountain. Melania occupied the most dilapidated cell in which no one lived, and the first winter here seemed to her a terrible ordeal. From the first days of her monastic life, Melania zealously observed all the rules of monastic life, and even moreover, her asceticism surpassed the spiritual exploits of the local elders. She ate only water and bread, and spent her days in prayer. She was illiterate, but knew the Psalter and many passages of the Gospel by heart, memorizing them by ear.

Her only joy were the days when her sister Catherine came to visit. They were glad to see each other and always talked for a long time. Melania never regretted leaving home; on the contrary, she was confident in the correctness of her chosen path.

Three years of life on Kamennaya Mountain were filled with difficulties and hardships. However, Melania became stronger in faith, difficulties only strengthened her. Soon she met Tikhon Zadonsky, who was amazed by her asceticism.

Melania's sister came to her more and more often, since her life in her brother's house was quite difficult. Having come to her sister one day, Catherine decided to stay with her forever. This was especially good news for Melania, since her sister was her only true friend, selflessly devoted and obedient in everything. Monastic tradition reports that the elders nicknamed Catherine Isidora, comparing her with the holy ascetic who lived in ancient times and became famous for her unquestioning obedience.

Silent, meek Catherine became Melania’s support in her life, now together they bore the heavy cross of a pious life. They said that the sisters’ lives were filled with continuous prayers and streams of tears. The elders marveled at such piety of young Melania and Catherine. Meanwhile, the sisters least of all thought about earthly life. Their old cell was falling into disrepair. People who came to the oxbows were amazed at how it was possible to live in such a house. When the sisters were given alms, they gave everything away, leaving nothing for themselves. They even considered the fur coats given to them to be sinful clothing and rarely used them. When Melania and Catherine visited St. Tikhon in Zadonsk, they asked for his blessing to study literacy in order to read the holy books. Tikhon forbade this. “What do you need to learn from books? — said the saint, “the grace of God from above will teach you.”

Melania was very strict with herself and demanded the same from her sister. They tell how one day a nun from a neighboring cell treated them to cucumbers. Delighted with the gifts, Catherine, having broken and salted the cucumber, was about to eat it, when suddenly Melania reproachfully told her: “ What are you doing?! This is carnivory!" Immediately, Catherine threw the cucumber to the ground. Unable to bear the hard life, Catherine died in 1804.

The sisters lived in the same cell for 22 years, and Melania missed her sister greatly. Finally, Melania decided to take on the act of foolishness, which she performed so diligently that many Yeltsians took her for madness. During these years, as life tells us, Melania was subjected to all sorts of temptations, but she, however, did not succumb to seduction. Melania's temptations were carnal and approached her unnoticed. This includes the sudden habit of drinking tea, pride, the appearance of demons disguised as angels, and so on. Fasting and prayer helped Melania in the fight against temptations. The cell in which Melania lived was so dilapidated that even the moss that covered the walls fell off, and the chimney never closed, and therefore she lived in constant cold.

Soon Melania abandoned her foolishness and took another even more difficult path - a vow of voluntary seclusion. On August 6, 1819, she locked herself forever in her dilapidated, dark and cold cell. The feat of seclusion is one of the most difficult in Orthodox Christianity; few holy ascetics dared to undertake this method.

The rumor about the recluse on Kamennaya Mountain began to spread everywhere, and the respect for Melania of the Yelts increased even more. People from Yelets and the surrounding area came to her, believing that she had the gift of healing from illnesses. They brought her large alms, but she kept nothing for herself, throwing everything away from the cell out the window. Soon Melania's hands were covered with ulcers that bled relentlessly.

However, the temptations sent to her in the form of demons and carnal desires were not as strong as the envy of some old women towards her. Melania was especially annoyed by the nun Elpidifora for a long time, who tried to do everything so that the recluse would leave her cell. She passionately wanted to prove that Melania was not a saint, but a very ordinary, proud and arrogant woman. At first, she placed a sick relative under her window, who moaned endlessly day and night, assuring her that here, in the sun and fresh air, she would feel better. Many nuns expected Melania to leave her cell, unable to bear such proximity, but the recluse never appeared. Autumn was coming, and Elpidiphora’s sick relative could not stay outside. Then the envious people decided to tie a goat under the window of the dilapidated cell. The hungry animal bleated endlessly and disturbed Melania's prayer and concentration.

The biography describes this incident as follows: “The poor animal, accustomed to freedom, bitterly expressed its bondage with its bleating, and so tired of the solitary recluse that she had to give room to anger and leave her seclusion...”. Unable to bear it, Melania left the cell and broke off the fence from the window, freeing the goat. Here she saw a clear sunny day in all its beauty. For a moment she thought about her hermithood. But this was all that was needed by her envious neighbors, who had been lying in wait for her for a long time. Elpidiphora, and behind her others, “screaming like crazy,” attacked Melania, throwing her to the ground and beating her. Then the nuns pushed her back into her cell. Ashamed of their action, the elders decided to send Melania to Orel to a mental home, declaring her insane, but the abbess did not allow this to happen.

Thus, blessed Melania walked through life along the path of humility and humiliation. Her last temptations were associated with visions of demons that came to her every night. However, the reclusive life turned out to be spiritual gifts for Melania. The residents of Yelts believed that she had the gift of foresight and healing of the sick, and they often turned to her for advice in solving their everyday affairs.

The high ascetic life of the humble hermit brought down the grace of God upon her, and the righteous God generously enriched His chosen one and faithful servant. She could see the future. In constant deeds, in close seclusion, healing spiritual wounds, she, through the power of prayer, guided many on the right, saving path.

On June 24, 2016, at the end of the Divine Liturgy, a memorial service for the great saint of God will be served. Melania. Everyone is invited to pray together and honor her memory. Through the prayers of the recluse Melania, God save us!

Hieromonk Afanasy Medvedev-Tauride.
The blessed face of the Don region (part II) - Lipetsk, 2000.

Reverend Melania the recluse
Yeletskaya, oxbow (+ 1836)

Loving silence and contemplation, you hurried to the temple from your youth. You, Reverend Melania, suffered from sinful wounds. Greeting the morning with prayer, I sought the essence of salvation. And you have chosen the path that is immaculate and chaste in maidens.

Catherine, your doubly beloved sister, lived with you; it was a bright time for you in the God-protected monastery. Leaving foolishness in Christ, she went into lifelong seclusion - often your spiritual gaze penetrated into the angelic flocks.

She humbled herself with a hair shirt, long prayer and fasting, and her soul soared over Yelets like a light-winged dove. She endured slander and slander: the enemy did not sleep.

The evening was drawing to an end, the Eternal Bridegroom was waiting for you...

And by the Lord’s command, you were overcome by the last sleep... You bring consolation to the faithful, and healing from ailments, and you console the bitter groan. And the people over Yelets marveled at the pillar of fire that midnight. Ask God for mercy for us, pray for us before the Creator!

I can hardly sing of you, your mark is still indelible and the light is unquenchable to this day, hardworking Melania - send praise to your deeds!.. You loved the difficult feat, you set out to seek the beauty of the soul, you became Christ’s bride. She is the omnipotent Power of God!

Hard work Solitude. You are like a bee on a honeycomb. Life is serious, not fun; having care for the soul, she collected spiritual nectar, - loving and bright. And, warmed by strong faith, she knew the prayer, God's temple. And in that rare hermitage, my spiritual wounds were freed.

You have found the Lord's mercy: in Yeletskaya Kamennaya Mountain Melania moved forever in that nunnery. Like a guard on a clock - sobriety. You wanted to become taller, to receive insight from the Savior, to experience grief in prayer, to acquire Christ’s grace.

Patience is a single feat. And cleansing of the soul. Ekaterina lived with you - you are as good as two candles! And the monastery of the Sign blossomed: God-loving Melania, to know that this is what Christ wanted. A spring of prayer and bright tears flowed on that Stone mountain...

Obedient to the wise elders, you are the Shutter from dawn to dawn. Will he stay in the cell? - a jug of water. And crackers. The clothes are shabby and in patches. And only on holidays - kalach. What a narrow chamber! What is it like, inconsolable crying!

And in that praiseworthy life, twenty whole years passed. Death of Katerina. It's a sad year. “Go alone on the path of victory! A tough feat. Fast. Deprivation. The shutter is cruel, but joyful. You were a target for the enemy. He is all-evil. And temptations. Conversation with the great elder...

Your soul continued to rise. Spiritual was delighted. The nights remained in prayer, but the east turned red again. And with that cheerful prayer you received a gift from Christ. And the enemy doesn’t care about catching, your blow is hot and glorious. The work before the Lord is considerable, the intercessor of all Yelets, God-loving Melania, ask us for attention, the blessing of the Creator. Pray for us with the same diligence. And the Savior will not turn away His Face, he will not leave us without a crown!

On July 28, on the day of remembrance of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, the Divine Liturgy took place in the Archangel Michael Church in the village of Demshinka, Dobrinsky church district.
31.07.2019 Lipetsk Diocese On July 28, at the Sunday school of the Kazan Church in the city of Gryazi, a meeting of parishioners with a guest from the city of Rostov-on-Don, Valentina Feoktistova, took place.
31.07.2019 Lipetsk Diocese For the 6th year in a row, the Orthodox summer camp session “Transfiguration” is taking place in the Argamach children’s archaeological camp, in the village of Argamach-Palna, Yelets district.
07/30/2019 Allelets.Ru

Day of the Epiphany of Rus' Acquaintance of children with their native land: with historical, cultural, spiritual, national, geographical, natural features forms in preschoolers such character traits as
29.07.2019 Education Department On July 26, the head of the Diocesan Department for Relations between Church and Society, Priest Viktor Arkhipkin, performed the rite of consecration of the clinic of Regional Hospital No. 2 in Lipetsk.
28.07.2019 Lipetsk Diocese On July 21, on the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, activists of the Lipetsk Orthodox society “Sobriety”, operating at the temple St. Sergius Radonezh city Lipetsk, made a trip to Chaplygin.
26.07.2019 Lipetsk Diocese