Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki helps with what diseases. Miracles of the great martyr dmitry solunsky - saints - history - articles catalog - unconditional love

Demetrius was a zealous teacher of the Christian faith in Thessalonica. With arrival in the city of rome. imp. Maximian (meaning Galerius Gaius Valery Maximian), the persecution of Christians began. Before the start of the gladiatorial battles, Maximian ordered the arrest of the Great Martyr. Demetrius, who preached near the stadium. The saint was imprisoned in nearby thermal baths (public baths). The favorite of Maximian, the gladiator Leah, who possessed supernatural strength, was defeated by a young commoner named Nestor. The enraged emperor returned to the palace, and when he was told that the great martyr. Demetrius admonished Nestor to a duel, he gave orders to pierce the saint with spears. At night, pious Christians took the body of the Great Martyr. Demetrius and buried him among the ruins next to the baths, where he was killed. Later, miracles began to happen here and the Eparch of Illyria Leontius built a chapel-martyrium in the name of the Great Martyr on this place. Demetrius.

Below we see an icon of the saint painted in Byzantium in the 15th century.

Already in the 4th century, on the site where the body of St. Demetrius was buried, a temple was erected in the present city of Thessaloniki, the temple that we can see today, it was built in the 7th century.

There were many "hunters" behind the relics of St. Demetrius. The Ecumenical Patriarchs wished to transfer the relics to Constantinople, but the saint did not allow his relics to be disturbed. It was God's will that Saint Demetrius remained in the north of Greece in Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki). Here is the crypt, this is the preserved place where the body of St. Demetrius was buried.

When the relics were found and placed in the tomb, myrrh (fragrant oil) began to pour out abundantly from them. A large sink was made to collect the oil, as in the photo we can see below. At the same time, the first myrrh from the relics was recorded in 1040 and this myrrh was revered not only by Christians for holiness, but Muslims also revered myrrh as a medicine of miraculous power from all diseases.

In 1185 the Normans desecrated the temple. This wild people, having captured the temple of myrrh from the relics of the saint, was used as oil in which they fried fish and cleaned their shoes with peace.

In 1493, the myrrh-streaming relics ceased, and the reason for this was the capture of the city of Soloniki by the Turks. For more than 400 years this temple was a Muslim mosque. However, before the capture of the city, the Italians stole the relics of St. Demetrius and took them to Italy, to the city of San Lorenz. An empty tomb remained in the temple, located in a special marble chapel inside the temple, where Muslims freely allowed Orthodox Christians to pray. This place has survived to this day and can be seen below in the photo.

The Christian world learned about the fact that the relics of the saint were in Italy in 1520.
It must be said that the Turks gave the temple to the Greeks in 1907, and in 1912, on the feast day of St. Demetrius, the Turks left Thessaloniki to Greece and since then the divine services have continued in the temple to this day.

In 1978, the Catholic Church donated the head of St. Demetrius to the Greek Orthodox Church in Thessaloniki, and in 1980 donated the main part of the relics. At the same time, today in Italy, the Catholic Church has six particles of the relics of the saint, and in Venice, to the Basilica of St. Mark, ancient icons and frescoes of St. Demetrius taken from Thessaloniki.

Today is a great celebration in Thessaloniki. Every year on November 8, a procession with the tomb of St. Demetrius takes place and his relics are carried around the streets of the city. In the photo below, we see this tomb.

This tomb (shrine) contains the remains of Saint Demetrius who died in the 4th century. In Thessaloniki, the celebration takes place for several days, and once a week throughout the year, a night service is served in the cathedral near the tomb.

in Greece alone, there are 547 temples illuminated in memory of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki, which speaks of his great veneration by Orthodox Greeks.
In Istanbul, in one city, 9 churches are illuminated in honor of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki.

In Russia, this saint has also been revered since ancient times.

A special veneration of the saint has always been in the ancient Russian city of Suzdal. The local Russian prince Vsevolod the Big Nest was baptized under the name Dimitri, and in the city of Vladimir he built a cathedral for his heavenly patron, illuminated in honor of Dimitri of Thessaloniki. And his father, Prince George Dolgoruky, named the city of Dmitrov near Moscow in honor of Saint Demetrius, since it was there that his son, Prince Vsevolod (in holy baptism, Demetrius) was born.

In honor of this event, a tombstone of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica was transferred from Thessalonia to the city of Vladimir, which was pacified in Vladimir! In 1380, this myrrh-streaming plaque was transferred to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, where it remains in the iconostasis today, and the icon painter painted the icon of St. Demetrius on it.

The Polotsk princess, Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk, had a cross in which there were particles of the blood of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki, which also speaks of the veneration of Saint Demetrius by Russian princes.

In 1369, St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, established a week-long fast before the feast of St. Demetrius. Fasting did not take root in the practice of the Russian Church, however, on the eve of this holiday on Saturday, the Orthodox Church remembers all the dead and this Saturday is called Parental Demetrius Saturday.

The relics of St. Demetrius today in Thessaloniki do not stream myrrh as before. But once a year, on November 8, the tomb is opened and pieces of cotton soaked in fragrant dew are removed from it. Many healings are known from the anointing of sore spots with this cotton wool.

Almighty and Most High God, who allowed Saint Demetrius to give his life in the struggle for justice, make it so that with his help we could survive all sorrows and always take care of you, because you are our life. Amen.

The Catholic Church of St. Demetrius celebrates October 28.
Orthodox Church on November 8.
These days, many people bearing the name Demetrius and who were baptized with this name in memory of Demetrius of Thessaloniki are birthday people.

The Orthodox basilica bears the name of the patron saint of the city, Demetrius of Thessaloniki, and was built on the site of his death. The building of the basilica was badly damaged by a fire in 1917, and the reconstruction, which began in 1926, lasted more than 20 years. The main relics of the basilica are the relics of St. Dmitry himself, as well as St. Anisia of Thessalonica.

The temple is located in the city of Soluni. Open Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm, Monday from 1 pm to 7 pm and Friday - Saturday from 8 am to 8 pm. The entrance to the temple is free for everyone, the approach to the tomb with the relics of St. Demetrius is free.

The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second largest temple in the city of Thessaloniki.

- one of the most revered saints in the Orthodox world, the heavenly patron of Thessaloniki.

Life

He was born into a wealthy and noble family of a Roman proconsul in the city of Thessaloniki in Greece (Thessaloniki, now - Thessaloniki) during the reign of the wicked God-fighting kings Diocletian and Maximian. His parents, secret Christians, did not have children for a long time. They fervently prayed to the Lord for the grant of an heir to them. The all-merciful Lord heeded their prayers and gave them a son, whom they named Demetrius. When the boy grew up, they called a priest, secretly baptized him in their secret home church and constantly instructed him in the faith.

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When his father died, and Demetrius had already reached adulthood, the emperor Galerius Maximian, who ascended the throne in 305, summoned him to him. Demetrius was a handsome, chaste, intelligent and courageous young man, and the emperor, convinced of his education and military-administrative abilities, appointed him to the place of his father as proconsul of the Thessaloniki region, whose main duty was to defend cities from barbarians and exterminate Christians. In relation to Christians, the will of the emperor was expressed unambiguously: “ Put to death everyone who calls on the name of the Crucified ".

Instead of executing Christians, Dmitry began to convert the inhabitants of Thessaloniki to the new faith. He began to openly teach them the Christian faith and eradicate pagan customs and idolatry. He was nicknamed the second Apostle Paul, since the Apostle himself founded the first community of believers here.

The rumor of this soon reached Maximian himself - the emperor's anger knew no bounds. Returning from a campaign against the Sarmatians (the tribes inhabiting the Black Sea steppes), Maximian stopped in Solun, full of a desire to deal with the Salun Christians.

Having learned about this, Saint Demetrius ordered his faithful servant Luppa in advance to distribute the property to the poor with the words: "Divide the earthly wealth between them - let us seek for ourselves the heavenly wealth." And he himself indulged in fasting and prayer, preparing himself to receive the martyr's crown.

The emperor entered the city and summoned his proconsul to him. Demetrius boldly confessed himself a Christian and began to condemn pagan polytheism. The emperor imprisoned him.

As in a bright palace, Saint Demetrius sat in prison, praising and glorifying God. The devil, wanting to frighten the saint, turned into a scorpion and wanted to bite him in the leg. Conceiving himself with the sign of the cross, the saint fearlessly trampled on the attacker. He was also honored to visit the Angel of God, who brought him peace and encouraged him before suffering.

Meanwhile, the emperor arranged gladiatorial games and began to amuse himself with spectacles. He had one favorite strongman, an outstanding wrestler named Li, a vandal by birth. Having ordered to build a high stage for him, Maximian watched with great pleasure as Leah fought with his opponents and betrayed them to painful death, casting them down on spears. Among the dead were many Christians who were forcibly forced into battle.

A brave young man, by the name of Nestor, from the Solunsky Christians, came to the dungeon to his mentor Dimitri and asked him to bless him for a single combat with the barbarian. Having made Nestor the sign of the cross, Saint Demetrius predicted: “ You will triumph over Leah and suffer torment for Christ! Then, having entered into battle with Lie, he overpowered the king's fighter and threw him down from the platform onto sharp spears. The death of Leah greatly saddened the tsar: he immediately ordered to put the blessed Nestor to death. But this execution did not console Maximian, all day and all night he regretted the death of Leah. Learning that the holy martyr Nestor entered into single combat with Leah on the advice and blessing of Saint Demetrius, the emperor gave orders to pierce Saint Demetrius with spears.

In the early morning of October 26, 306, the soldiers entered the dungeon. They found the saint standing in prayer and immediately pierced him with spears. The body of the great martyr Demetrius was thrown out to be devoured by beasts, but the Solunians secretly buried it in the earth.

The faithful servant Saint Lupp collected the blood of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius on a towel, removed the imperial ring, a sign of his high dignity, from his finger, and also dipped it in blood. With the ring and other shrines consecrated with the blood of Saint Demetrius, Saint Lupp began to heal the sick. The emperor ordered to seize and kill him.

History with relics

According to his life, after the execution of Demetrius, his body was thrown to be devoured by the beasts, but they did not touch him and the remains were buried by the Salun Christians.

Under Saint Constantine (306-337), a church was erected over the grave of Saint Demetrius, in which many miracles and healings were performed.

Basilica of Saint Demetrius

And after 100 years, one Illyrian nobleman by the name Leonty having received healing from a serious, incurable illness in that church, he wanted to build a new majestic temple as a token of gratitude.

The former small temple was dismantled, and when they began to dig a trench for the foundation, the relics of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius were found completely intact and incorruptible. Fragrant myrrh flowed out of them, so that the whole city was filled with a fragrance, in connection with which the Great Martyr Demetrius received the church name Myrrh-streaming.

Sink for collecting peace in the crypt of the basilica

With great reverence, the holy relics were taken from the earth, and many sick people received healing through the anointing of the flowing peace. Leonty rejoiced not so much about his healing as about the discovery of the holy relics. Soon he finished the work he had begun and built on that place a beautiful temple in the name of St. Demetrius. Here, in the ark, bound with gold and silver, adorned with precious stones, the honest relics of the great martyr were laid.

Civorium for a reliquary with the relics of St. Demetrius (located in the left nave of the basilica)

When the time came for Leonty to return to his homeland, he planned to take some of the relics of the saint in order to build a church in his city in the name of the great martyr Demetrius. But the saint, having appeared, forbade him to separate any part of the relics. Then he took only the shroud, stained with the blood of the saint, with the help of which he miraculously crossed the agitated and abounding river that he met on his way. Returning to Illyria, Leonty also built a temple there in the name of the holy great martyr Demetrius, and miracles were also performed there: the ruler of Illyria received healing from the scabs and pus that covered his body, many who were demoniac and sick were healed forever.

Myrrh streaming

The relics of Saint Demetrius have been venerated as myrrh-streaming since antiquity. Believers who came to the basilica to worship the saint took myrrh in glass ampoules. The warriors rubbed the body with the sacred world before the battle. Miro was revered not only by Christians. John Anagnost, who described the capture of the city by the Turks, reports that the Muslims also recruited myrrh, who considered it a medicine for any disease. In ancient times, the outflow of peace was very abundant - the Byzantine historian and writer Nikita Choniates describes how the Normans, who conquered Thessaloniki in 1185, blasphemously collected myrrh in pots, fried fish on it and smeared their shoes on them. Although the myrrh-streaming of relics has now ceased, the saint's reliquary is opened at Vespers on the eve of the saint's day, and cotton wool soaked in a fragrant liquid is handed out to believers.

Tales of miracles

Basilica of Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki

There are several collections of stories about the miracles of Demetrius Thessaloniki, created at the beginning and at the end of the 7th century. in Thessalonica, They are considered the most ancient and formed the basis of all subsequent ones. There were especially many miracles in Thessaloniki, where the relics of the great martyr Demetrius rested.

The miracle of the silver throne. Once a fire broke out in the church dedicated to the saint. The strong fire melted the silver canopy over the relics of the saint. The archbishop of Thessalonia at that time was Eusebius, who wanted to restore the silver canopy. But he had too little silver. In this temple there was a silver throne, which remained completely intact during the fire. The archbishop decided to transfer the throne to the canopy for the saint's tomb, but he has not yet informed anyone of his intention. At the same time, there was a pious presbyter named Demetrius at the temple. The Holy Great Martyr appeared to him three times with the words: "Go and tell the bishop of the city: do not overfill the throne that is in my church ... I myself will take care of my church and city, leave it to me to take care of them." And only the third time did the bishop believe the presbyter and ordered not to transfuse the throne. Soon a citizen of Solun, named Mina, came and brought 75 pounds of silver with him. He wished that this silver should be spent for the canopy over the saint's sepulcher. Then other citizens of Solunia appeared, who also brought silver. From the donations, a beautiful canopy was made for the tomb of the great martyr Demetrius.

The miracle of the siege of the city. During the reign of the Emperor Mauritius, the Avars who lived on the Don laid siege to the city of Solun. Saint Demetrius appeared on the city wall and, having struck with a spear, threw from the wall the first of the enemies, who climbed the wall. Falling, he carried away the other attackers, and the 100-thousandth army of the besiegers fled in terror. But after a while the enemy came to his senses and again laid siege to the city. At this time, a certain pious resident of Solun by the name of Illustrius fervently prayed in the church of the holy great martyr Demetrius for the deliverance of the city from enemies. And suddenly he saw two angels entering the temple and going to the tomb of the saint. At their call, the saint "came out in his likeness, his face shone stronger than a sunbeam." The angels kissed him and gave the command of the Lord to leave the city, for the city will be taken by the filthy. Dmitry wept, distressed, and asked to convey to Vladyka: he cannot leave his city in such trouble and look at its death from the outside. “If you destroy the city, I will perish with it; if you save, and I will be saved with him. " The angels were dissatisfied with the decision of the saint and left, warning that God's wrath threatened him for disobedience. The saint lay down in the coffin. In the morning, Illustriy told his fellow citizens about the vision, which greatly encouraged and delighted them. On the seventh day of the siege, the enemies fled for no apparent reason, abandoning their tents and throwing weapons.

A miracle about the help of the great martyr in hunger. After the siege of the city was lifted, all grain reserves were destroyed and famine began in the city. The saint appeared several times on ships sailing on the sea, bypassed the marinas and islands, commanding the ships with wheat to sail everywhere to Thessaloniki. So the city was saved from hunger.

Miracle about the claim of the relics of the martyr. When the pious Tsar Justinian built a magnificent temple in Constantinople in the name of Sophia - the Wisdom of God, he sent honest men to Thessalonia to bring from there some of the relics of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius for decoration and consecration of the newly erected temple. Arriving in Thessalonica, the messengers approached the sacred ark, where the relics of the great martyr rested, in order to fulfill the royal command; suddenly a pillar of flame burst out of the ark, showering everyone with a sheaf of sparks, and a voice was heard from the fire: "Stop and dare not touch me." All those present fell to the ground, seized with fear; then the sent ones, taking only a little land from the place where the relics were, returned to the king and told him about everything that had happened to them. Everyone who listened to their story was amazed. The messengers handed over half of the land taken to the king, and the rest were placed in the church vessel-guard.

The miracle of the sexton Onesiphorus. Saint Demetrius did not allow him to plunder the donations made to his church. Once a young man named Onesiphorus, who was performing obediences in the Salun temple, according to the teachings of the devil, came up with the idea of ​​stealing candles lit near the shrine with relics and selling them again, appropriating the proceeds for himself. Saint Demetrius appeared in a dream to Onesiphorus and with the greatest condescension denounced him. This made an impression on the young man, but not for long. He soon returned to his former occupation. And so, when he once again stretched out his hand to the candles, a loud voice came from the coffin: "Are you doing this again ?!" The young man fell to the ground and lay until they lifted him up, after which he told those present about his sinful passion and about the reproofs of Saint Demetrius and repented.

The miracle of the release of prisoners. The life of Saint Demetrius also tells us that he freed the captives from the yoke of the infidels and helped them reach Solunya. So two beautiful girls, being captured and receiving a command from a foreign prince to embroider the image of Saint Demetrius (the pagan prince heard a lot about the miracles of the saint and wanted to bow to his image like an idol). When the weary girls fell asleep at work, they were miraculously transported, along with the image they embroidered, to the Solunsky temple, where a vigil was held in honor of the feast of St. Demetrius. The awakened girls glorified God, and the image was placed over the altar.

Intercession from the raids of the pagan Slavs. Repeatedly approaching the city, the pagan Slavs were driven away from the walls of Solunya by the form of a formidable bright youth who bypassed the walls and inspired terror in the soldiers. Perhaps that is why the name of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica is especially revered in the Slavic peoples after their enlightenment with the light of the Gospel truth. On the other hand, the Greeks considered Saint Demetrius as a Slavic saint par excellence.

Since ancient times Serbs and Bulgarians have venerated the great martyr Demetrius as the patron saint of the Slavs, they call the Slavic peoples a “fatherland lover”, linking this with the Slavic origin of the saint. It is no coincidence that the first work in the Slavic language by Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius and Cyril after their creation of the Slavic alphabet was "The Canon to Demetrius of Thessaloniki." This canon is considered the starting point for the birth of the great Slavic literature.

Veneration of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki in Russia

The holy Great Martyr Demetrius also performed many miracles in our Fatherland. His name in the most ancient Russian chronicles is mentioned before other names of the saints: the Monk Nestor the chronicler says that the Greeks, defeated by the Grand Duke Oleg at Constantinople in 907, attributed their defeat not to the courage of the Slavs, but to the intercession for them of their patron Saint Demetrius.

In Russia, the holy great martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki was revered as the patron saint of patriotism and all those fighting for the Fatherland. Russian soldiers have always believed that they are under the special protection of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius. Moreover, in ancient Russian epics, the great martyr Demetrius is portrayed as Russian in origin - this is how this image merged with the soul of the Russian people.

Church veneration of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius in the Russian Church began immediately after the Baptism of Rus.

In the XI century was founded Dmitrievsky monastery in Kiev, later known as the Mikhailov-Golden-Domed Monastery. The mosaic icon of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica from the Cathedral of the Demetrius Monastery has survived to this day and is in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir

In the XII century erected Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir, which to this day is the decoration of this ancient city.

In the 13th century, the holy noble prince Daniel of Moscow erected a church in the name of the holy great martyr Demetrius, which became the first stone church in the Moscow Kremlin. Later, under Prince John Kalita, it was dismantled, and in its place was erected Assumption Cathedral with the side-altar of Demetrius of Thessaloniki.

In 1197, the icon of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, written on the tombstone of the saint, was transferred from Solun to Vladimir by the Grand Duke Vsevolod Yuryevich, and this event was entered as a holiday in the ancient calendar. This miraculous icon was first in Kiev, then in Vladimir, and on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380 it was solemnly transferred to Moscow as a great shrine by the holy noble Prince Dimitri Donskoy and placed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (now located in the Tretyakov Gallery). One of the most valuable depictions of St. Demetrius is also the fresco on the pillar of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, painted by the Monk Andrei Rublev.

The special veneration of Saint Demetrius in Russia is also evidenced by the tradition of Russian princes to call their firstborn by his name. So it was with Yaroslav I, Yuri Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky, John II, Ivan the Terrible, Alexei Mikhailovich. In ancient Russia, the day of the great martyr Demetrius was considered one of the great holidays, the service was usually performed by the patriarch himself, in the presence of the tsar. The holy noble Grand Duke Demetrius of Donskoy was a zealous admirer of St. Demetrius.

By the intercession of the holy great martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki and the prayerful intercession of the Reverend Wonderworker Sergius of Radonezh, Russian soldiers won the most important victory in the history of our Fatherland over the heterodox Tatar-Mongol horde, and the gathering of the Russian Land began. After the victory in the Battle of Kulikovo in memory of the Russian soldiers who died in the battle with Mamai, it was installed for a church-wide commemoration Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday... For the first time, this requiem was performed on October 20, 1380 at the Trinity Monastery by the Monk Sergius of Radonezh in the presence of the holy blessed Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy. This church tradition is still alive today.

Iconography

The memory of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica has been associated since ancient times in Russia with military exploits, patriotism and defense of the Fatherland. The saint is depicted on icons in the form of a warrior in feathered armor, with a spear and sword in his hands. The iconography of the saint is close to the images of another Christian warrior-martyr - St. George the Victorious. Like St. George, Dimitri Solunsky did not participate in any military actions and did not win a single victory on the battlefield. Their feat consisted in courage and fortitude, with which they defended their faith before the pagan tormentors and, most importantly, in the uncomplaining acceptance of death.

There are also hagiographic icons. Among them - "The Miracle of Dmitry Thessaloniki" - represents a holy warrior (sometimes in the form of a horseman with a spear) trampling on the devil in the form of a scorpion, or the pagan king Koloyan, whose name is associated with one of the many miracles of St. Demetrius. The Bulgarian king Kaloyan (1197-1207), having destroyed many cities in Thrace and Macedonia, was going to capture Thessalonica, where the myrrh-streaming relics of St. Demetrius. He approached the city and settled down to rest. At night, the Great Martyr Demetrius appeared to him on a white horse and stabbed him in the heart with a spear. Kaloyan woke up with a deep wound and told about the vision to the commander Monastyr. Kaloyan died, and his army, seized with terror, fled, taking the body of the king.

The relics of the Great Martyr. Demetrius of Thessaloniki

The relics of the Great Martyr Demetrius are located in Thessaloniki in the Basilica of Saint Demetrius, which in 1988 was included in the list of World Heritage Sites as part of the early Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. In the Middle Ages, the relics were taken to Italy and returned back to Thessaloniki only in the 20th century: in 1978 - the honest chapter, and in 1980 - the main part of the relics (six large particles remained in Italy).

Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki

Troparion, voice 3:
Great is found in troubles / the universe is a champion, passionate, / tongues are conquering. / As if you have cast down pride for Lieu, / and made Nestor boldly for a feat, / tako, holy Demetrius, / pray to Christ God / grant us great mercy.

Kontakion, voice 3:
With your blood streams Dimitrie, God stain the church, giving you an invincible fortress, and observing your city unharmed: this is the statement.

The Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica was born into a wealthy family at a time of open persecution of Christians. His father was a Roman proconsul in Thessaloniki (now Thessaloniki) and he, by the nature of his service, is simply obliged to take part in the persecution of those who believed in Christ. But he and his wife secretly professed Christianity. Their son, Saint Demetrius, was baptized in a little-known home church and was brought up in Christianity from childhood.

After the death of his father, he was summoned to the emperor Galerius Maximian (beginning of reign in 305), who talked to him, realized that the young man was smart and capable, and could replace his father as a proconsul.
Having received a high office, Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki began to openly confess the Lord Jesus Christ. This was a courageous act of the saint, because the main task that the emperor assigned to him was precisely the extermination of Christians and the protection of the city from the barbarians, the bulk of whom were our ancestors - the Slavs. Contrary to the will of Maximian, Dmitry began to eradicate paganism and preached the teachings of Christ, taught the parishioners the basics of faith.
Once upon a time, it was in this place that the Apostle Paul created the first Christian community, and Saint Demetrius became its ardent follower and successor.

After some time, the emperor was reported on Dmitry, he was enraged. Then his army was returning home from a military campaign, and he decided to change the return route and walk through Thessaloniki with fire, destroying the Salun Christians.
Having received the news of his intention to the emperor, Saint Demetrius prepared himself for certain death for his faith. He ordered his assistant to distribute to the poor the money received from the sale of the estate, and he himself began to pray to the Lord God. When the ruler was in the city, Dmitry fearlessly appeared before him and openly, in the eyes of Maximian, declared himself a Christian. Once in prison, a heavenly Angel descended to Dmitry, who gave strength in resisting fear.
And Maximian at this time enjoyed the then fashionable gladiatorial fights. He carried everywhere with him his beloved invincible gladiator Leah, a native of Germany, who this time amused the emperor, destroying one by one captured Christians in the arena.

Before the battle, one Christian named Nestor was able to visit his holy spiritual mentor, who blessed him for victory in the upcoming battle. With the help of God and with the blessing of St. Dmitry Thessaloniki, the cruel German was defeated by the youth. The emperor was angry at the death of his favorite toy, the gladiator. Saint Nestor was executed, he received the crown of martyrdom.
The emperor learned that Demetrius blessed Nestor for a duel and also gave the order to destroy the saint.
On October 26 (old style), 306, his order was carried out, the saint was killed with spears. His faithful assistant, Lupp, dipped a towel with the blood of Saint Dmitry and began to heal with it, and with other things sanctified by the holy blood of the martyr, sick people. By order of Maximian, Lupp was arrested and also martyred for his faith.

The Thessalonians discovered the body of St. Dmitry of Thessalonica, which the executioners threw out to be devoured by predators and buried it.

HONORING DMITRY SOLUNSKY

Soon after Saint Constantine (306-337) came to power, a church was built over the place where Dmitry Solunsky was buried. A hundred years later, when they decided to build a new church instead of the old church, the incorruptible relics of the great martyr Dmitry Thessaloniki were found.
In the seventh century, a new miracle happened - the outflow of the wonderful world began, and therefore they began to call Saint Dmitry the Myrrh-streaming one.

Several times they wanted to transfer his incorruptible relics to the capital, Constantinople, but Saint Dmitry showed each time that he would like to stay in his hometown.
The pagan Slavs attacked Thessaloniki more than once, but each time they saw a formidable young man bypass the city walls. This vision greatly frightened the attackers. These legends came down to our direct ancestors, who, after adopting Christianity, greatly venerated Saint Dmitry of Thessaloniki.

Therefore, immediately after the Baptism of Rus, in Kiev, the son of Yaroslav the Wise, the Dmitrievsky monastery was founded (later it was the Mikhailov-Golden-Domed Monastery). The mosaic icon of Dmitry Solunsky from this monastery is now in the State Tretyakov Gallery. Prince Vsevolod III the Big Nest, who ruled in Vladimir, built the Dimitrievsky Cathedral in 1194-1197, which is still an adornment of this city, and the miraculous icon of St.Dimitrius from this temple is now also in the Moscow Tretyakov Gallery.

The eldest son of St. Alexander Nevsky was named in honor of the great martyr, and his youngest son, St. Daniel of Moscow, in Moscow in 1280 built the first stone church in Moscow in honor of St. Dmitry of Thessaloniki. True, fifty years later, under Ivan Kalita, it was dismantled, and on this place the Assumption Cathedral was built.

The saint was not of Russian origin, but the Russian soldiers always considered him “their own,” the defender of the Motherland, an assistant in military affairs.

The Grand Duke of Moscow Dimitri Donskoy considered Dmitry Thessaloniki to be his heavenly patron and, with the help of the saint's prayers, won a whole series of victories in defending the Christian faith from the Lithuanians and Mongol Tatars.
The Battle of Kulikovo, in which Russian soldiers for the first time in several centuries crushed the previously invincible Horde army, also took place under the patronage of Saint Demetrius.
Before this battle, Prince Dmitry Donskoy solemnly transferred from the city of Vladimir to Moscow the icon of the Great Martyr Dimitri of Thessaloniki, which was written on the board of the saint's sepulcher.
On October 20, 1380, at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery by the Monk Sergius of Radonezh, in memory of all the fallen warriors-heroes of the Kulikovo battle, a memorial service was performed, which has since begun to be held annually. And after a while, a new church memorial day arose - Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday, which falls on the first Saturday before the commemoration day of St. Dmitry Thessaloniki.

The Holy Great Martyr Dmitry was born in Greece in the city of Thessalonia into the family of a Roman proconsul. His father and mother were secret Christians. In infancy, the boy was christened in the home church and from childhood he was brought up in love for God.

The emperor Galerius Maximian, who ascended the throne in 305, appointed young Dmitry to replace his deceased father as ruler and governor of the Thessaloniki region. Maximian demanded that his subjects defend the land not only from external enemies, but also from Christians. Dmitry, after returning to his hometown after being appointed, began to openly preach Christianity and fight pagan customs. The emperor was informed that the new proconsul was a Christian. Maximian was furious and decided to deal with the rebellious Dmitry. Returning from another military campaign, the emperor stopped at Soluni. Knowing about the inevitable reprisal, Dmitry instructed his servant Lupp to distribute all his property to the poor, and he himself, in fasting and prayer, prepared himself for trial. For his bold confession of faith, the emperor put Dmitry in prison.

In the city of Maximian, he organized gladiatorial battles. His beloved fighter Leah easily dealt with Christians, throwing them onto the spears of soldiers. Seeing these unequal battles, the young Christian Nestor asked Dmitry's blessing for the battle and killed Leah. Instead of a reward, the emperor ordered the execution of both the winner and the one who blessed him. On the morning of October 26 (Old Style) 306, the prison guards in an underground dungeon pierced Saint Dmitry with spears. The faithful servant Lupp collected the blood of the great martyr on a towel, removed the imperial ring from his finger and dipped it in the holy blood. From these things, miraculous healings were subsequently performed. The pagans threw out the body of Dmitry to be devoured by the beasts, but the Christians of Solun found it and secretly buried it.

In the IV century, a church was built over the grave of the great martyr. A century later, during the construction of a new church, the imperishable relics of the saint were found, which began to ooze myrrh.

Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy was a great admirer of Dmitry Solunsky. In 1380, on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo, the prince solemnly transferred from Vladimir to Moscow the icon of the great martyr, written on the board of the saint's sepulcher. In the Assumption Cathedral, a chapel was built in the name of the Solunsky saint. In memory of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Kulikovo, Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday was established for general church commemoration. The first time this funeral service was performed at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery on October 20, 1380 by the Monk Sergius of Radonezh in the presence of Dmitry Donskoy.

The Great Martyr Dmitry Thessaloniki is revered as the patron saint of warriors.

Troparion to the great martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki

Great is the universe found in the troubles of a champion, more passionate, conquering tongues. As if you have put down pride for Lieva, and having boldly created Nestor for a daring feat, so, holy Demetrius, you pray to Christ God to grant us great mercy.

To a pilgrim's notebook:

On November 8, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the great martyr Dmitry, named Thessalonians. In Russia he was considered "their" saint, but where and when was he born? Why is it called Myrrh-streaming? Why did Russia fall in love with the saint so much? Why was the Dmitrievskaya memorial Saturday established before the day of his memory? You will learn about this from our article.

Childhood and youth of the great martyr

The Great Martyr Dmitry Thessaloniki was born in the 3rd century in the Greek city of Thessaloniki (modern Thessaloniki). In Russia this settlement was called "Solun". Hence the name of the saint "Thessaloniki" and many versions that the great martyr was Russian. But they are not true.

At the time when Dmitry lived, Thessaloniki belonged to the Roman Empire, and the saint's father was a Roman proconsul. Since Christianity was not yet an official religion, the parents secretly baptized their son in their home church and raised the boy in a Christian spirit.

The emperors of that time - Diocletian and Maximian Galerius - supported paganism and persecuted Christians. If they knew that the proconsul in Thessaloniki was a follower of Christ, then the father of the future great martyr would hardly have remained in his office and died a natural death.

From service to the emperor to execution - one step

What was required of the young proconsul? Protecting the borders of the empire from an external enemy, organizing the activities of military commanders. But the emperor entrusted his subject with a new task: to fight the Christians.

Dmitry Solunsky did the opposite: he began to enlighten the pagans with the faith of Christ. It was an open challenge to the emperor. Maximian did not tolerate such insolence and imprisoned the proconsul.

Dmitry knew perfectly well what awaited him for openly confessing Christianity, and even before prison he distributed all his property. It is not known how much he would have spent in prison if he had not agreed to the second insolence. And its meaning was as follows.

The emperor Maximian arranged gladiatorial battles, exposing the proud adversary Leah against the Christians. No one could defeat him on their own. But the Christian youth Nestor, hoping for God's help, came to the imprisoned proconsul and asked for a blessing. Dmitry Solunsky blessed Nestor and asked the Lord for help. So the young man defeated the haughty Leah, throwing him onto the military spears.

Maximian avenged the death of his favorite by the execution of Nestor. And when he found out from whom the young man received a blessing, he ordered to kill his adviser too.

November 8, 306, from the very morning, the servants of Maximian arrived in the dungeon. They caught Dmitry at morning prayer and stabbed him to death with spears.

How did Dmitry Solunsky become Dmitry Mirotochivy?

The body of the saint, according to the emperor's plan, was to be eaten by wild animals. But the Lord did not allow this. The holy relics were buried by Christians.
The servant of the great martyr Lupp left himself a robe in blood and a ring in memory of the righteous. By prayer and the touch of these things, he healed the sick, for which he was also killed by the pagan emperor.

Only with the arrival of Constantine the Great, when the persecution for the faith ceased, a church was built over the grave of the great martyr. A lot of people came to this place, and Dmitry Solunsky helped many. One of them was the nobleman Leonty, who in the first half of the 5th century erected a large church on this site.

During the construction, holy relics were also found. They were not only incorruptible, but also exuded a fragrant ointment. According to the testimony of the Byzantine official and historian John Skylitsa, the first myrrh was observed in 1040.

As eyewitnesses write, myrrh flowed out so abundantly that many believers who stayed in Thessalonica brought ampoules with it. But it was not only Christians who collected the fragrant liquid. When the city was captured by the Muslim Turks, they took away with them myrrh from the relics of the saint, considering it a cure for all ailments. For miracles from the relics, Dmitry Solunsky received a second name - Myrrh-streaming.

There were also cases of a super-sacrilegious attitude towards the shrine. As the Byzantine historian Nikita Choniates writes, the Scandinavians also gained myrrh during the siege of the city in 1185. There was so much liquid that the Normans scooped it up in pots, cooked fish on it, and greased their shoes.

In the XIV century, another miracle took place: from the well in the crypt, in which the relics resided, myrrh-water flowed. When the built temple turned into a mosque, the myrrh flowing from the well stopped.

In our time, the righteous remains of Dmitry Thessaloniki do not exude a fragrant liquid.

The Great Martyr is venerated by both the Orthodox and the Catholic Church. For a long period (from the beginning of the 13th century to 1978) the relics stayed in Italy, and only in the second half of the 20th century they returned to their hometown of Thessaloniki.

Veneration of the saint in Russia and Dmitrievskaya memorial Saturday

In many ancient Russian churches there was necessarily an icon of Dmitry the Myrrh-streaming with a piece of relics. Where does this veneration come from? Ever since the times of Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius. The enlighteners of Russia, after the creation of the alphabet, first of all translated into the Slavic "Canon to Demetrius of Thessaloniki".

Very often churches in Russia were named in honor of the saint. Perhaps the most interesting example is the Dmitrievsky Monastery of the 11th century in Kiev. It was built by the son of Yaroslav the Wise Izyaslav (baptized as Dmitry). For a long time, historians could not understand what happened to him, until they came to a version: over time, it was renamed Mikhailovsky Golden Domed.

The first stone church of the Moscow Kremlin, built at the end of the 13th century at the expense of Prince Daniel of Moscow, was also consecrated in the name of the great martyr Dmitry.

At every opportunity, the Russians tried to bring particles of the relics of the righteous or ampoules with peace to their churches. Judging by the number of icons with reliquaries, they succeeded.

Dmitry Solunsky was also captured by Andrei Rublev on the fresco of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir.

Many Russian princes called their eldest sons by the name of this saint (remember Yuri Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky or Ivan the Terrible).

The patron saint of warriors?

Since the saint was engaged in military affairs during his lifetime, in Russia he was considered the patron saint of soldiers. He especially honored his heavenly patron Dmitry Donskoy, with whom the Dmitrievskaya memorial Saturday is associated.

In the fall of 1380, the army of Prince Dmitry won the battle with the army of the Golden Horde. In memory of the fallen soldiers, the Dmitrievskaya memorial Saturday was established. For the first time it was served by Sergiy of Radonezh on Saturday before the memorial day of the heavenly patron Dmitry Donskoy. The prince himself was present at the commemoration.

The tradition of commemorating the dead before the feast of the saint of Solun has survived to this day. This day is called: Dmitrievskaya memorial Saturday.

The following video tells about the saint's life:

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