Velikorets Icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

Miraculously, the Velikorets Icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was found in the land of Vyatka in the XVI century. According to legend, a certain believer, who had left home on business, saw many burning candles near the Great River. Bewildered, he stopped, but then drove on. On his return journey, he saw the burning candles again in the same place. When the man approached the spot, he saw an Icon of Saint Nicholas. Reverently taking the Icon, he brought it to his home, but did not tell anyone about the Icon's miraculous discovery.

A twenty-year-old local resident named John had been paralyzed for several years. The Hierarch Nicholas appeared to him in a dream, commanding him to touch his Icon, which had been found by the Great River, and promised to heal him. John doubted the truth of the vision. On the following night, Saint Nicholas again commanded the paralytic to go to his Icon. Then John told his family about the Hierarch's apparitions. When the paralytic was brought to the house where the wonderworking Icon was, he saw a light emanating from the holy image, as if from a multitude of candles. After venerating the holy Icon, John became completely well.

Learning about the discovery of the holy Icon and of the miracle which had taken place, the inhabitants of that area built a chapel and transferred the Icon of Saint Nicholas there. Soon news of the holy Icon of Saint Nicholas spread throughout the land of Vyatka, and many began coming to venerate the wonderworking Icon. Through the Hierarch's prayers various ailments were healed before his Icon. The Orthodox residents decided to build a temple in honor of Saint Nicholas. They chose a spot for this and began to prepare the materials. However, the harvested logs miraculously ended up in another place — on a hill in a swamp. Three times the cornerstone of the church was laid and three times the building materials were carried to the swamp by an invisible force. Then they built a church on a hill in the middle of the swamp, and by God's will the swamp soon dried up. The holy Icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was placed in the new Saint Nicholas church, where numerous miracles still occurred before it.

At that time, the Vyatka lands were often attacked by the Cheremis. Repeatedly they tried to burn down the church, but when they approached it, it became invisible, or it was visible high above the ground, so that the Cheremis could not damage the church. The parishioners told the residents of the nearby city of Khlynov about this miracle, and they wanted to transfer the miraculous Velikorets Icon to their city. However, the Khlynovites could not fulfill their desire, since no one was able to move the Icon from its place. Then they began to fast and made a vow to Saint Nicholas, that after the Feast of the Transfer of the Saint's Honorable Relics from Myra in Lycia to Bari (May 9), to transfer the wonderworking Velikorets Icon to the place of its miraculous appearance on the Velikaya River. After this, in 1521, the holy Icon was easily lifted up and transferred to the church dedicated to Blessed Prokopios of Ústiug (July 8, 1303) at Khlynov.

In the second half of the XVI century, during a fire in the church of Blessed Prokopios, the wonderworking Icon was damaged slightly by fire. Tsar Ivan the Terrible commanded that the wonderworking Icon be brought to Moscow, where it was restored and adorned with a new precious oklad. In Moscow, the Velikorets Icon of Saint Nicholas was renowned for its numerous miracles. A copy was made, which was placed in the Kremlin's Dormition Cathedral. Another copy of the Velikorets Icon became the temple icon in a side chapel of Saint Nicholas of the Protection church of Saint Basil the Blessed (August 2) in Moscow. According to the chronicles, Muscovites flocked to the wonderworking Velikorets Icon in great numbers and especially revered it, so that the Protection Cathedral was also called the church of Saint Nicholas of Velikorets. The side chapel was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, and was consecrated by Metropolitan Makarios of Moscow (1542-1563) on July 29, 1555.

On the same day, the commemoration of the Transfer of the wonderworking Icon of Saint Nicholas from Vyatka to Moscow that date was chosen, apparently, because on July 29 the Saint's Nativity is celebrated.

In the charter of Moscow's Dormition Cathedral (circa 1634) under July 29 it is said: "On the Feast of Saint Nicholas, the Wonderworker of Velikorets, there is a Cross Procession." The Velikorets Icon was returned to Khlynov about a year later, and was placed in a new church in honor of Saint Nicholas.