Miraculous Mending

Sviatohirsky Holy Assumption Monastery, Ukraine

The icon came to the monastery from the river. It appeared to be very old and was broken into two parts. Legend tells that when taken from the water and put together, the two parts fused, leaving the mark of the longitudinal crack over St. Nicholas' face. However, the crack only shows on the right side of the icon; the back is completely solid.

His Eminence Arseny, Metropolitan of Svyatogorsky, witnessed this. He believed that the mark was left as a sign of the marvelous way the damaged icon was fused together.

While the icon was at the Upper Kharkov St. Nicholas convent it was kept in a precious golden cover, studded with diamonds and sapphires. This was taken away during the atheistic Soviet times. The monastery sisters embroidered this beautiful new cover with gold thread. The two golden reliquaries contain St. Nicholas relics and a relic of the omophorion he is said to have received at the First Ecumenical Council.

The icon is kept in the sacristy of the Holy Domition Cathedral of the Sviatohirsky Holy Assumption Monastery (Holy Mountains Lavra).

The second icon is also an ancient venerated image. This miraculous icon was originally in the St. Nicholas Chapel at the station in Kharkov. When the chapel was ruined, the sisters took it to their courtyard, later transferring it to the Svyatogorsky monastery. It is located in the right part of the Holy Dormition Cathedral.

SOURCE
Holy Assumption Monastery. Photos used by permission.

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