On August 1, the Orthodox Church celebrated the memorial day of Prokhor Moshnin, known as St. Seraphim of Sarov. July 30 marked the 270th anniversary of his birth. Plans have been announced in Kursk to create a museum of Seraphim of Sarov, one of the most revered saints in Russia.
From an early age, Prokhor Moshnin decided to devote his life to Orthodoxy and enter a monastery. The lives of St. Seraphim tell about two events from his childhood in Kursk. At the age of 7, he fell from the bell tower of the Sergiev-Kazan Cathedral under construction, but remained unharmed. At the age of about 10, the boy became seriously ill. He began to recover after the icon "The Sign" was carried past their merchant's house during the procession, and Prokhor's mother took it out to venerate the image.
In 1776, he made a pilgrimage to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where he received a blessing for tonsure. He was sent as a novice to the Sarovskaya Pustyn Monastery in Tambov province. In 1786, he became a monk with the name Seraphim. The founder and patron of the Diveevo convent.
Over the many years of service to God, St. Seraphim of Sarov has become an example of spiritual fortitude for believers. He led an ascetic lifestyle. Nevertheless, he received many visitors, having the gift of foresight and healing from diseases. It was visited by many famous people of that time, in particular, the Russian Emperor Alexander I. Father Seraphim addressed everyone with the words "My joy!".
Sarovsky is considered a great ascetic of the Russian Church and one of the most revered monks in its history. On August 1, 1903, at the initiative of Emperor Nicholas II, he was glorified in the face of saints.
The Seraphim of Sarov Museum in the historical center of Kursk should be located on the territory of the Znamensky Monastery, in the fraternal building, where one of the workshops of the Kursk Electrical Plant used to be located. This room was transferred to the diocese.
In preparation for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Kursk, it is planned to place a Sunday school, a library of spiritual literature, cells for monks of the Znamensky Monastery, educational spaces in this building.
"The creation of a museum in memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov and the shrines of the Kursk land will make this place unique, which has no analogues in the country," the regional government noted. The proposal was supported by Metropolitan Herman of Kursk and Rila.