In Orthodoxy, no saint is considered greater than another — all are radiant in holiness. Yet, there’s no denying that St Nicholas holds a unique place in the hearts of the faithful of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
The venerable Seraphim of Sarov and Sergius of Radonezh both cherished a deep devotion to St Nicholas, honouring and glorifying his name. A beloved folk tale tells of a time when these two saints sought to ask St Nicholas why he held the Russian land so dear.
The saint’s answer was as poetic as it was profound:
“Because Holy Russia is a child; her soul is pure and innocent, unspoiled by the chase for wealth or the worship of evil. She is like an unfading flower, offering her fragrance before the Lord. A child may often act unreasonably, causing his father sorrow, but no punishment can diminish the father’s love. So it is with Russia — beloved by the Lord, she is His hidden thought in the face of eternity.”
The reach of St Nicholas’s holiness knows no borders. There is hardly a corner of the earth untouched by his name. He is revered not only by Christians but also by Muslims and Buddhists. Archbishop Nicholas of Japan once shared that it was St Nicholas who guided him in bringing the Gospel to the Japanese people. Even the widely popular figure of Santa Claus, far from being a mere whimsical invention, is rooted in the historical St Nicholas.
“St Nicholas,” Nicholas Roerich, 1916
Take, for example, the folk tale of the thief who sought the saint’s help. Pursued and desperate, the man prayed, “Save me, St Nicholas!” The saint pointed to the rotting hide of a dead horse. The thief wrapped himself in it and eluded his pursuers. But the saint’s intervention didn’t stop at deliverance. Appearing to the man, St Nicholas said:
“Do you smell the stench of that carcass where you hid? That’s how your prayer smells before the Lord while sin clings to you. Wash yourself — inside and out — and never steal again.” The thief repented, turning his life around from that moment on.
The roots of such holiness often lie in the soil of faithful families. St Nicholas was born to God-fearing parents who, though prosperous, used their wealth not for indulgence but to aid the poor and needy. For many years, they prayed fervently for a child, and at last, the Lord blessed them with a son. From the prayers of the righteous, the miracle-worker was born.
The time of St Nicholas’s earthly ministry unfolded during one of the most tumultuous eras for Christianity — the third century A. D. Paganism, though waning under the transfiguring light of Christ, still held sway, especially among those in power. Roman emperors like Diocletian and Valerian issued harsh decrees against Christians, targeting the clergy with particular ferocity.
Under Emperor Diocletian (285–304), St Nicholas was imprisoned. News from the outside painted a grim picture — churches destroyed, liturgical books burned, priests tortured and executed. Yet even behind bars, St Nicholas boldly confessed Christ’s name, strengthening his fellow prisoners in faith. Under successive emperors Galerius, Maximin, and Licinius, he faced continued persecution, sometimes released but always returning to his steadfast role as a servant of God and a fearless soldier of Christ. Relief came only with the ascent of Emperor Constantine in 323.
“Saint Nicholas,” Dionisius, 1502, dome painting in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, Ferapontov Monastery, Vologda Region
With Constantine’s embrace of Christianity, St Nicholas’s ministry flourished. In the Lycia region, remnants of pagan worship persisted, particularly the depraved veneration of Aphrodite. This cult, sustained by licentious priestesses, corrupted the souls of those who came to worship. Through the tireless efforts of Archbishop Nicholas, the temple to the pagan goddess was demolished, and Christ’s light shone more brightly in Lycia.
In 325, the First Ecumenical Council convened in Nicaea, where 318 bishops affirmed the Nicene Creed and condemned the heretical teachings of Arius. St Nicholas was present at this historic gathering. Though St Athanasius of Alexandria denounced Arius’s blasphemies with theological clarity, Arius remained obstinate. Unable to bear the heretic’s persistence, St Nicholas famously struck him on the cheek. Such an act was unprecedented, as the Church Fathers traditionally triumphed through word and reason. However, in this extraordinary case, the blow seemed to echo the righteous zeal of Christ cleansing the Temple.
For his action, St Nicholas was stripped of his episcopal dignity and imprisoned. Yet that very night, a miraculous vision appeared to many bishops: Christ presented the Gospel to Nicholas, while the Most Pure Mother of God restored his bishop’s omophorion. By morning, St Nicholas was released, his honour reinstated, and his faith vindicated.
The saint’s life continued to overflow with labours and miracles. In one instance, he appeared to a merchant, instructing him to divert his ship laden with bread to a famine-stricken city. As proof of his divine intervention, a gold coin mysteriously appeared in the merchant’s hand. Another tale recounts how St Nicholas saved innocently condemned men from execution, snatching the sword from the executioner’s hand. These events, along with countless other miracles, are immortalised on the margins of hagiographic icons, bearing witness to his compassion and boldness in the face of injustice.
“St Nicholas of Myra Frees Three Innocent Convicts,” Ilya Repin, 1888
For over seven centuries, St Nicholas’s incorrupt relics rested in Myra of Lycia. However, during the Saracen raids on the Roman Empire’s eastern borders, the city was abandoned, leaving the saint’s church as the sole survivor. “Could the great bishop not have beseeched the Lord to save the city?” asks the chronicler. “Of course he could. But this calamity was allowed for our sins, serving as a call to repentance.”
In the late 11th century, the saint’s relics were transported by sea to the Italian city of Bari. As they departed, the remaining inhabitants of Myra wept bitterly, their lamentations echoing across the land. Yet, as consolation, they were left with the fragrant myrrh that continued to flow from his tomb and the miracle-working icon of St Nicholas, a testament to his enduring presence and intercession.
Now let us journey to Mother Russia, where the veneration of St Nicholas the Wonderworker has a unique depth and breadth. No other land honours the saint as fervently, as universally, as Russia. His name is etched into its very soul.
I once visited the chapel of St Nicholas in the Tunka Valley of Buryatia. It was built by Cossacks, yet its reverence extends far beyond Orthodoxy. Lamaists and shamanists alike honour “Father Mihole,” or, in Mongolian, Sagan Ubukgun — “the White Old Man.” Indeed, if you stood before a map of Russia and glanced randomly, it’s almost certain your gaze would land upon a church, monastery, or chapel dedicated to St Nicholas.
Tell an old Russian woman that St Nicholas is not Russian but Greek, and you might offend her deeply. “‘Nicholas the Wonderworker not Russian? How could that be?’” she might exclaim. Nicholas’s “Russianness,” his deep-rooted place in the culture, is reflected in beloved depictions of him: wearing a half-coat, felt boots, and a frost-covered beard, his kind and affectionate eyes glimmering with a stern love.
Icon of St Nicholas, St Elisabeth Monastery, Minsk
And how many proverbs and sayings about St Nicholas fill our traditions! Here are just a few:
In the Velikoretsky procession, old women sang as we walked — a heartfelt hymn that seemed to carry us forward:
“Oh, our holy St Nicholas the Wonderworker,
Give a helping hand to sinful, unworthy servants.”
And it felt as if the saint himself answered,
“Go on, do not grieve; here is my right hand.
Pure, holy faith will guide you straight there.”
“There,” of course, was the place where the miracle-working icon of St Nicholas was found. Even Moscow’s famed Pokrovsky Cathedral (St Basil’s Cathedral) was long called “Nikolsky,” named after the wonderworking Velikoretskaya icon brought to the city under Ivan the Terrible.
In every place, at every time, we thank the Lord from the depths of our hearts for giving us such a mighty intercessor and unfailing protector. Glory to Thee, O Lord! Glory to You, Father Nicholas!
From the book “Nicholas the Merciful: Miracles of St Nicholas in Our Days”
By Vladimir Krupin
