How many places in Russia, the history of which is associated with unusual events! And with the place, which is now called Nikolskaya mountain, a great many of them are connected.
In 1552, during the campaign to Kazan, built near a small mountain called White fortified settlement. Tiny at all, not for protection, but for observation. Kazan was conquered, but the guard post was left. There was a place for soldiers to stay, supplies to replenish, news
find out. And if the enemy is going to attack, it will be seen from afar from the fort.
Only now, when the enemy really approached the White Mountain, it became clear that the guard post could not resist: ours is barely a dozen, and the Nogai steppes are thousands. What was the surprise of the servicemen when the steppes stood on the bank of the river, and then turned around and left.
Later it was said that the ground around their camp was covered with darkness, and the top of the mountain was illuminated with light. It showed the figure of an elder who held the image of a temple in one hand and a sword in the other. After the departure of the Nogais, the servicemen climbed the mountain and saw the icon of Nicholas there.
Pleasant. Just as in the vision, the saint held the image of the temple in one hand and the sword in the other.
They did not dare to take the icon from the top, they built a chapel for it. They say there was a desert under the mountain for a while. Some people say it is female and some say it is male. Like a wooden church, there were no traces.
The mountain was called not White, but Nikolskaya. And the locals are offended when they say that the mountain Nikolina.
But the chapel on top stood for a long time. First wooden, and since 1862 — stone. St. Nicholas in Russia has always been venerated especially, so on the holiday of summer Nicholas (May 22) at the top gathered a huge number of Orthodox pilgrims. There is evidence that pilgrims came to venerate the wonderful icon even from Kiev, on foot overcoming the
Huge distances.
Pilgrims were attracted not only by the icon, but also by the holy spring at the foot of the mountain. After the prayer, people gathered water in the vessels, or even bathed in it.
After the revolution, the chapel was destroyed, traces of the icon were lost. But Nikolai the Pleasant did not forget about the place. In 1960, it was decided to level the top of the hill and arrange a sports ground there. The excavator was run by an atheist, but his mother was a believer. She prayed for her son.
St. Nicholas. During operation, the excavator fell off the top and collapsed down. A huge, multi-ton machine caught on a rather thin tree, not reaching the ground. The driver survived. Local residents are sure that thanks to the intercession of Nicholas the Pleasant.
After that, the work was stopped, and the flat top of the mountain remained in memory.
The chapel has been restored these days. Now there is a new icon of St. Nicholas and thousands of pilgrims come to worship her, and from the holy spring of water to drink.
Charitable Foundation Holy Land
Russian Temples and Monasteries
