The Temple of John the Warrior on Yakimanka and the temple in Novokuznetsk

One of the saints venerated in Orthodoxy is John the Warrior. In honor of it, many churches have been built since ancient times. About two such temples consecrated in honor of this saint, the story will go. They are separated by a large distance. One is in Moscow - this is the famous warrior John on Yakimanka, the other in Novokuznetsk.

The Protector of Persecuted Christians

Who was this saint in his earthly life and how did he deserve immortality? Opening the Paterik - a book about the life of the Holy Fathers - you can learn that he lived in the Roman Empire in the fourth century, when the Emperor Julian the Apostate tried to uproot Christianity and cruelly persecuted all believers in Christ.

Formally, St. John served in the army of Julian and was obliged to take part in the repression, but secretly professing Christianity, he provided persistent assistance. To those who were arrested and imprisoned, the saint returned freedom. Those who were about to be arrested, he warned of the danger.

The arrest and release of the saint

Very many followers of Christ were saved lives. But not only the faithful helped St. John. Any person who was in trouble, received help from him. When the emperor was informed of the secret activities of John, he ordered him himself to be thrown into prison. Undoubtedly, all would end with execution, but soon Julian the Apostate died in battle with the Persians. The Lord saved the life of the saint, and he, having gone to freedom, lived to his old age in purity, prayer and service to his neighbors.

Temple of John the Warrior on Yakimanka

The Moscow Church of St. John the Warrior is located on Yakimanka Street, in one of the most picturesque districts of the capital. The first church building was wooden and was on the bank of the Moskva River, near the Crimean bridge. Early references to it date back to 1625. By the will of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, streltsy settled in that area, and since this saint was their patron, the need for such a church was quite obvious.

Soon the wooden church was replaced by a stone church, but a sad fate awaited her. When, as a result of the failed rebellion, the Archers were defeated, their temple came to desolation, and during one of the floods it was flooded. The new stone church of John the Warrior on Yakimanka, the one that exists until now, was built by the order of Tsar Peter the Great and consecrated in 1717.

During the Napoleonic invasion, he was defiled. The French, in search of jewelry, hacked the walls and floor. Fortunately, during the famous Moscow fire, the fire did not reach him, and the temple survived. After the expulsion of Napoleon, he had to be consecrated anew. During the atheism period, the John of Warrior's temple on Yakimanka operated, but suffered many hardships and privations, in 1922, church utensils and other valuables were confiscated. Today it is one of the favorite temples of Muscovites.

Temple of John the Warrior in Novokuznetsk

There is in our country another temple of John the Warrior. Novokuznetsk, a city in the south of Western Siberia, has become a place where people from all over Russia come in need of the expulsion of evil spirits. Here, in the temple bearing the name of John the Warrior, a ritual of reading the book is practiced. This is a special prayer that helps people, possessed by demons, to get rid of their misfortune and return to normal life.

According to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, people who are not able to resist worldly sin, give the evil forces to take power over themselves. Outwardly it is expressed in various diseases, both mental and physical. Usually in such cases, medicine is powerless. The ceremony is held twice a week. The temple of St. John the Warrior these days is full of people. Many parishioners who received healing left thank-you notes in a special book. From these records you can find out how many people had to go through before they found the only correct way. How difficult it was to find the strength to resort to this rite from a distant past.