Miracles and help of Nil Stolobensky: what do legends and tradition say about it

Veneration of St. Nil Stolobensky is connected not only with his ascetic feat on Seliger, but also with numerous stories of miracles after prayers to the saint. The legend contains stories about healing, protection from troubles and the "admonition" of those who came with doubts, and the church tradition has fixed the dates of the ascetic's memory. What believers usually ask Nil Stolobensky about is in the Izvestia article.

Who is Neil Stolobensky?

Nil Stolobensky is one of the most famous ascetics of the Tver land, whose name is associated with the Nilo-Stolobenskaya deserts on Lake Seliger. According to church information, the monk departed to the Lord on December 7, 1554 (in the calendar, the memorial day is usually indicated on December 20).

According to the hagiographic narrative, after becoming a monk and a period of solitude, Nile went by revelation to Stolobny Island, where he built a cell and lived in strict fasting and prayer for many years.

The tradition emphasizes his unusual feat: according to the descriptions, he did not go to bed, but rested, leaning on hooks arranged in the cell.

What miracles do the legends describe?

In the hagiographic stories about Nile Stolobensky, the miracle is usually presented both as an answer to prayer and as a moral lesson. In one of the most famous episodes of the hagiographic tradition, it is said that robbers entered his cell and suddenly became blind, after which, according to legend, they were granted epiphany by the saint's prayer, and he himself guided them on the path of correction.

Another motive of the legends is the healing of those who came to the place of his exploits with inner torment and remorse. The text about the Nilo-Stolobenskaya desert describes a case where a man named Isaiah felt relief after arriving on the island, and then received healing and a reproach in a dream for not believing in miracles.

Memorial Day of Nil Stolobensky: traditions, prohibitions and the national calendar

How they ask for help today

Orthodox Christians celebrate the memory of the monk on December 20, and also separately highlight the date associated with the finding of his relics in 1667, June 9.​

The church tradition emphasizes that the relics are venerated in the Nilo-Stolobenskaya desert, and the celebration itself in honor of the glorification of the relics was established after their discovery.

In practice, people turn to the saint in different ways - both on pilgrimage and in home prayer, but in the logic of the church tradition this is not a "rite for good luck", but a request for intercession and strengthening in faith.

In folk religious practice, the saint is most often approached with petitions for healing and relief of illness, for support in difficult life circumstances, as well as for inner peace and the right decision in times of doubt, which is reflected in hagiographic stories about spiritual enlightenment.

For home prayer, a simple and consistent order is usually recommended: briefly and clearly formulate a request without internal "bargaining", address the saint with the prescribed prayer or in your own words, and then say a prayer of thanksgiving.

If possible, they also advise you to do a good deed on the same day, considering it not as a payment for help, but as an expression of an internal decision.

Where does legend end and tradition begin

Church texts honestly admit that the lives were repeatedly rewritten and supplemented, which means that individual details could become overgrown with literary details.

The first life was compiled by Filofey Pirogov based on materials collected by Herman Stolobensky, and later the text was repeatedly reworked in the XVII–XIX centuries. At the same time, for a believer, the meaning of tradition is not in "sensation", but in the fact that a miracle is understood as a sign of God's presence and a call for a change in life.

That is why in the stories about the help of Neil Stolobensky, next to healing, there is almost always the theme of repentance, humility and renunciation of evil, as in the episode with the robbers or in the stories about the "admonition" of doubters.