On June 27, there are several religious holidays at once. On this day, the Russian Orthodox Church remembers the miracle worker Elisey Sumskiy, and also reveres the Tabyn icon of the Mother of God.
Wonderworker Elisey Sumsky
The Monk Elisha is called Sumy by the name of the village of Suma, where he was from.
On June 27, the Russian Orthodox Church commemorates the miracle worker Elisey Sumskiy. Little is known about the life of this saint. The Monk Elisey of Sumy lived in the 15th century and was tonsured at the Solovetsky Monastery.
Information about Elisha of Sumy is contained in the Life of Saints Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsk, which tells about "the miracle of a certain young woman Elisha."
Elisha became famous thanks to one event that speaks of the great piety of the elder. Once the Monk Elisha, together with other brothers, was fishing on the Vyg River, 60 miles from the monastery, when they predicted a quick death for him. The elder accepted this news with humility, only he was very grieved that he could not receive the schema. Then the brothers decided to take Elisha to Suma, where the monastery courtyard was located.
Despite the many dangers lurking along the way, they safely reached the place. But to the great dismay of the brothers, the monk elder passed away. After fervent prayer addressed to Saint Zosima, the dead came to life and was tonsured into the schema. After that, he received the Holy Communion and died again.
After 100 years, the tomb of the Monk Elisha appeared on the surface of the earth, and testimonies of miraculous healings followed. In the 18th century, Elisey Sumsky was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Tabyn icon of the Mother of God
June 27 is also the feast of the Tabynsk Icon of the Mother of God, which is called the most mysterious icon in Russia. Ancient legends are associated with it. This is an old icon with a dark face of the Mother of God, but according to legend, sometimes the Mother of God is revealed to the elect. This icon was especially revered by the Cossacks.
According to a Chinese legend, many centuries ago, one old monk, traveling through the Seven Rivers, settled in a haystack for the night, and in a dream an icon of the Mother of God appeared to him. It was not far from the village of Tabynskaya, hence the name of the icon. The monk told a friend about his visions, an icon painter, and he painted an icon, which was placed in the church of the village of Tabynskaya.
The first appearance of the Tabynsk icon was at the very end of the 16th century to Hierodeacon Ambrose, who was walking from haymaking. Near the salt spring, he heard the words: "Take my icon." Looking around, Ambrose saw an icon of the Mother of God on a large stone. With great honors she was transferred to the monastery, but in the morning the icon disappeared. They found her at the monastery gates. Then the icon of the Mother of God was again transferred to the church, but the next day it was again on the gate. After that, it was decided to build a chapel over the icon.
The first foreign church in honor of the Tabyn Icon of the Mother of God was built in Harbin. From China, the icon came to Australia, from there it was transported to San Francisco, where the trail of the Russian relic was lost.
The legends say that the Tabynsk icon of the Mother of God was much worn on a procession across Russia, but nowhere it found refuge for itself. And in 1765, the second appearance of this icon took place at the same place near the salt springs. Three Bashkir shepherds saw her and began to chop the face of the Mother of God with an ax. Splitting the icon into 2 parts, they immediately went blind. But indulging in prayers and requests for healing, they began to wash themselves with salt water from the spring, and were healed. After this miracle, the youngest of the shepherds was baptized.
During the Civil War, the Cossack Ataman Dutov took the Tabynsk Icon of the Mother of God abroad. She was in China for a long time. The whereabouts of this icon are currently unknown.
