Forty Martyrs of Sevastia - Christian warriors who died martyrs. The Church of the Saints of the Forty Sebastian Martyrs: Description, History and Interesting Facts

Forty Martyrs of Sevastia are Christian warriors who laid down their lives in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the city of Sebastia (Small Armenia, the territory of modern Turkey). This happened in 320, under the rule of Licinius. In the Orthodox Church this day is celebrated on March 9 (22).

In honor of this event, a temple of the Forty Martyrs of Sevastia was built in Moscow, which also had to endure many difficult tests. This will be described in detail below.

It should also be noted that the feast of the Forty Sebaste Martyrs in the most ancient monthlies refers to the most venerable holidays. On the day of their memory, a fast fasting is facilitated, it is allowed to taste wine and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is performed.

Forty Martyrs of Sevastia: Life

After the other emperors perished in civil strife, the pagan Licinius and Christian Constantine I the Great remained the lords of the Roman world. The last in 313 issued a decree that Christians are allowed complete freedom of religion, and from that moment their rights are equal with the Gentiles.

However, Licinius was a hardened pagan. Christians he considered his sworn enemies. Moreover, he was preparing his troops for the war against Constantine, because he decided to finally cleanse his land of followers of this faith.

Agricola

At the same time in Sebastia, the commander Agricola, a zealous supporter of paganism, under the command of which a squad of forty brave soldiers of the Cappadocian Christians, who repeatedly defeated the victors, decided to force them to renounce their faith and demanded sacrifice to the pagan gods. But brave men refused, then they were immediately arrested and put in prison. There they began to pray earnestly to God and at night heard His voice: "He who endures to the end, shall be saved!".

Then Agricola went on the trick and flattery, he began to praise the young men as courageous warriors, who should gain favor with the emperor himself, and therefore must renounce Christ.

Lysias

Exactly a week later, a dignitary, Lysias, arrived to arrange a trial of them. But the forty martyrs of Sevastia firmly stood for faith in Christ and were ready to give their lives. Then Lysias ordered to beat the martyrs with stones. However, the stone thrown by himself fell directly into Agricola's face. The torturers were greatly frightened, feeling that invisible force that protected the forty martyrs of Sevastia.

And the Christian soldiers were again taken to prison, where they continued to zealously pray to Christ and again heard His voice: "Whoever believes in me, if he dies, he will come to life. Do not be afraid, for the crowns are imperishable. "

The next morning there was an interrogation. It was decided in the cold to take the soldiers to the lake and leave them on ice for the whole night in custody. And next to the shore for temptation flooded the bath. One of the soldiers could not stand it and ran to the bathhouse, but, not having time to run, fell down dead.

Aglaya

At three o'clock in the morning the Lord sent them light and warmth, the ice under them melted, and they found themselves in warm water. At this time, all the guards were asleep, only Aglaya was on duty. Suddenly he saw a bright crown appear over each warrior's head. Having missed one crown, he realized that the runner had lost him, and then Aglaya, having awakened the guards, threw off his clothes, shouted that he was also a Christian, and joined the other martyrs. Once next to them, he began to pray to God, in whom these holy warriors believed. And he asked that Christ attach him to them, so that he might be honored to suffer with his servants.

In the morning everyone saw that they were still alive, and with them Aglaya, glorifying Christ. Then they were led out of the water to kill their legs.

Melithon

The last day of the forty martyrs of Sevastia began with terrible torments. During this terrible execution, the mother of the youngest warrior Meliton was beside him and urged her son not to be afraid of the trials and to endure everything to the end. After the torture, the mutilated bodies of the martyrs were put on a train to be taken to be burned. But the young Meliton was left on the ground, for he was still breathing. His mother, who was nearby, raised her son on her shoulders and dragged her after the train. On the way, he emitted a spirit. Mother, having dragged her son to the chariot, laid him beside his holy ascetics. Soon their bodies were burned at the stake, and the burnt remains of the bones were thrown into the water so that they would not be taken away by the Christians.

Three days later in a dream, Bishop Sebastian blessed Peter saw forty martyrs of Sebaste, who told him to collect their remains and offer burial. At night, the bishop, together with several clerics, gathered the remains of the glorious holy martyrs and betrayed them with honor.

The Church of the Forty Sebaste Martyrs in Moscow

In memory of these martyrs, temples were built all over the world. One of them is to the left of the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is remarkable for being the burial vault of the Jerusalem Patriarchs, although the first bishop of Jerusalem was the named brother of Jesus, Jacob, who was among the 70 apostles. For all the time the bishops were 43. Later, in 451, in Chalcedon at the Fourth Ecumenical Council , it was decided to raise the bishop of Jerusalem to the rank of patriarch.

The only temple of the Forty Martyrs of Sevastia was built in Moscow, its history attracts and admires many Orthodox. It is located directly opposite the Novospassky Monastery, along Dinamovskaya Street, 28. This temple was originally called Sorocosvyat and owes its creation to this ancient monastery.

It all started with the fact that in 1640 Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich settled here the palace masons who were engaged in the construction of new stone walls of the monastery and its main shrine - the Savior's Transfiguration Cathedral. After the completion of all business, the craftsmen stayed at this place, which then still bore the name of Taganskaya Sloboda.

Great turmoil

In 1645, in front of the monastery, they built the Forty-five Church. Throughout history, it has been repeatedly overtaken by disasters. In 1764 she was robbed and carried out all the church utensils, jewelry, holy cross and icons. After the plague in 1771, the number of parishioners decreased significantly. In 1773, a fire broke out, and all the parish houses were burned, the church was threatened with closure, but thanks to the testimony of deacon Peter Svyatoslavsky (Veliyaminov) that the parish people would rebuild their homes, the cathedral was left alone. The deacon himself was ordained priest, to continue serving with this church.

In 1801 the building was fenced with a stone fence, a new bell tower was built. Among the parishioners of the temple was the famous artist F. S. Rokotov, who was later buried in the cemetery of the Novospassky Monastery.

The feat of Father Peter

In 1812 the temple of the Forty Martyrs was completely plundered by Napoleon's troops. The rector of the church of Father Peter (Veliaminov) they were martyred. He refused to give them the place where the main valuable shrines were kept. He was cut with sabers and bayonets. All night he was lying in a pool of blood, but he was still alive. On the morning of September 3, a Frenchman took pity on him and shot him in the head.

His body was buried without a coffin and burial service, and three times it was dug up by the enemy. Only on December 5, when his body was once again unearthed, Peter's father was able to sing on the order of the church. Eyewitnesses said that for three months the body of the priest, despite everything, remained imperishable, and even the wounds bleed.

Update and another desecration

Further gradually the temple with the help of kind people again began to be decorated, updated and brought into due form. In memory of the feat of his faithful servant, a gilded commemorative plaque was nailed to the wall.

After the revolution, the scenario for all the churches was the same, the new government all ruined and robbed, priests and believers were killed, sent to exile. During the Great Patriotic War in the temple there was a workshop for making ingots for shells. In 1965, the Research Institute was established here, then the department of the Ministry of Mechanical Engineering. The church was transferred to the church only in 1990 at the petition of Patriarch Alexy II.

Conclusion

At the very end, it should be noted that the new style of the feast of the forty Sevastian martyrs falls on March 22. In Russia, according to the peasant custom on this day, believers bake buns in the form of lark birds, as they became a symbol of the glory of the Lord, ascended by the deeds of the great martyrs who showed true humility and aspiration to the Kingdom of Heaven, to Christ - the Sun of Truth.