Свято-Троицкий Серафимо-Дивеевский монастырь

Dense woods near Sarov were known to be almost impenetrable and one had to struggle through their thicket. These days, woods near today's renowned Venerable Seraphim's spring are unlikely to be called a thicket. Regardless, the same pines and fir trees are still towering high while their stillness calms everyone who enters under their canopy. It is as though this forest invites us to silent prayer and keeps out the modern hustle and bustle.

Local residents tell the story about the origins of the spring near Tsyganovka. Father Seraphim himself appeared at the bank of the River Satis near the fence of a military restricted area located on the grounds of Sarov monastery. Father was wearing a white robe and held a staff in his hand. He struck the soil three times and three springs sprang out. At this, Father prophesied that people would flock here to be healed.

Proximity to the restricted access area made such trips dangerous but the flow of the faithful to the springs never dried up. At the beginning of the 80s, the authorities ruled to fill up the springs. A powerful tractor was brought in but it suddenly broke down. As the crew waited for a spare part, an old man walked out of the woods, called the tractor driver by his name and told him: "Do not fill my spring." In awe, the worker struggled to repair his tractor. By the end of the day, the machinery was simply relocated to another assignment.

Nowadays, the spring is well equipped: a new road was paved, the River Satis' bed was re-channeled and an artificial lake was constructed at the spring's location. A pedestrian bridge was set up for crossing the river. Water well with a few comfortable bathhouses was built near the spring. A wooden chapel in honor of the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov was erected on the right bank.

The numerous cases of healing at the spring of Seraphim of Sarov increase people's faith and attract the faithful as they flock here to receive God's grace by taking a dip. Here is what a modern-day pilgrim shared: "I determinedly went down the stairs to the lake. As soon as my feet touched the water though, I instantly backed out, it was so cold! I-c-y cold! This spring's temperature stays constant at 5-6 degrees Celsius (40F) throughout the year. But there was a line behind me of other eager faithful. I read somewhere that before taking immersing, one had to, firstly, make up their mind, secondly, lay a cross, and after saying "In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen" go underneath the water once and then two more times. I made a sign of the cross, said "In the name of the Father…" to plunk and pop back once, then "… and the Son," plunking and popping back twice, and with "the Holy Spirit!" I plunked down and popped back up for the last time. I have no memory how I reemerged, but I clearly remember the sensation after dipping: I felt hot and excited."

There are so many healings taking place at the spring that it is hard to choose which story to share. Here is what happened to nun A.: "Before I became a nun, I used to come to Diveyevo as a pilgrim. I had a kidney problem and was diagnosed with an initial case of pyelonephrosis that lasted for 10 years. In 1998, I happened to come to the Venerable Seraphim's spring for the first time. I prayerfully entered its waters. When I immersed myself, I felt as if someone hit me hard in the kidneys. I shrieked in pain and leaped out crying: "Why, is this what Father Seraphim has met me with?!" It was so painful. I spent a week in the monastery and time just flew by. I returned home and only a month later I realized there was no pain. I could eat and drink all I wanted. Batiushka healed me."

Neonilla from Ukrainian city of Lutsk shared how on September 23, 1991, she came to the spring and began reading the Akathist to the Venerable Seraphim. She had severe shortsightedness and had difficulty reading. Neonilla made her mind up to skip dipping due to chilly weather but then she thought: "How would I come to confession and Communion later when my sins prevented me even from taking a dip?" So she entered the spring. "Immerse completely," she heard someone say. "When I stepped out of the water," she recollected, "I saw everything in grey as if my eyes were filled with water. Then, the scales peeled off and I saw everything around clearly and brightly, like I never saw before; it was amazing and wonderful!" "I see, do you hear me, I see!" Neonilla screamed in delight. She was instantly healed and could even read a finely printed Akathist to Venerable Seraphim. "I rejoiced loudly so the entire Sarov woods could hear me," she said.

An amazing story about a healing at the Venerable Seraphim's spring happened to Oleg K, a young man from Cheboksary. He suffered from migraines. MRI tests showed a brain tumor, so the doctors suggested surgery. But his older brother Igor took him to Diveyevo's spring of Venerable Seraphim. After bathing in its waters, his headache was gone, and within a week, the tumor was gone.

Kazan Spring is the oldest among the springs of Diveyevo. Its history is based on oral tradition and dates back to the 16^th century, when the Tartar prince Divey owned lands in the area. Behind the Doves' ravine at the village's northern end, a spring welled up after the Angels carrying a Kazan icon of the Mother of God appeared to the locals. The vision appeared three times.

A chapel was known to exist above the spring as it was marked on the area's historic plan. The chapel was rebuilt a few times and every time it would look more and more imposing. A wooden curb framed the spring inside. Water flowed out along the chute to an outside area that was used for bathing sick children and bucket drenching of adults.

The last chapel before the revolution had a marble iconostasis and large hand-painted icons. The remaining icons of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and Venerable Sergiy of Radonezh, currently located at the monastery's Trinity Cathedral, give an idea of how lovingly the chapel had been decorated before.

In 1991, a modest chapel and bathing house was erected above the spring. In 2003, the area was renovated, paths were paved and new bathing houses and chapel were added.

Two more springs, known to exist since olden times at the basin of the River Lubinka near the Kazan spring, have been cleared and modernized. In 2006, one of them was dedicated to the Great Martyr Panteleimon. Five years later, another nearby spring was dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness."

St. Panteleimon's has one of the best-equipped bathing pools among the Diveyevo's springs. It opened recently and quickly became famous among pilgrims who flock here. Its water is sweet and not as cold as in other springs in Diveyevo. Its water is considered as the most effective for healing protracted ailments and childhood diseases.

Kazan spring and other nearby springs receive throngs of pilgrims every year. Sending up their prayers to the Queen of Heaven and Great Martyr Panteleimon, the faithful collect water and take a dip in its bathhouses. After a dip, it is a joy to rest in the area nearby and take in the beautiful views of the monastery.

Before the 1960s, the spring of Mother Alexandra was located at the riverbank, a few meters away from its present location. According to tradition, it sprang from the grave of Diveyevo's founder buried by the Kazan church altar. Other unusual sightings have been recorded at her grave, such as self-igniting candles, unusual ringing sounds, sweetly fragrant air and sounds of purling water.

Modern-day specialists who have studied the foundation and the soil below the Kazan church have noted that rain and melting water drain from the surface throughout the monastery's territory into dolomitic rocks. Therefore, waters are purified passing via these natural filters. After leaving the holy grounds below the monastery, water then reemerges at the site of the miracle-making spring of Mother Alexandra.

The previous spring was flooded after the River Vichkinza's ponding, so its waters and name transitioned to the existing spring that gushed forth stronger than ever before. This spring is the closest to the monastery. Processions with the cross and water blessing services are held here on the feasts of Lord's Epiphany, Procession of the Venerable Cross or "Savior of the Honey" and the memory day of the Great Martyr George the Victory-Bearer.

Before the 100^th anniversary of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov's canonization, the spring's area was restored and repaired while new bathhouses and the chapel was built. In 2003, the latter was consecrated in honor of the Venerable Alexandra of Diveyevo.

The Iveron spring is located behind the old cemetery, to the south from the Mother Alexandra's spring on the River Vichkinza's bank. A few small springs were known to exist in the area and, as people used them to take a drink or have a wash, these activities gradually deepened and cleared the spring source. According to the old-timers' stories, people came here to pray for rain during dry streaks.

The spring has a chapel dedicated to the Iveron icon of the Mother of God. Its waters have miraculous healing power and are known to heal the possessed.

As a rule, water-blessing services are held here every Midpentecost. Afterwards, the procession with the cross circles the whole historic part of the Diveyevo monastery with the singing of festal troparion and sprinkling of the Iveron spring water over people and buildings.