Souvenir Obedience

In the shop of the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevski

Just what sorts of souvenirs have not been done by the sisters of our pre-revolutionary monastery! Lace, waxen flowers, jewelry cases decorated by fine carving on wood: here is the description of articles presented by the sisters at the All-Russian exhibition of monastery works that took place at the Tavrichesky palace in St. Petersburg in 1904. "Here are icons wrought with pearls, Ural stones; icons drawn on porcelain, engraved, and painted. One is delighted with church kerchiefs made of white velvet, silk, gold and linen, towels and napkins, pillows and little rugs with applique work. On the shelves there lie frames for photos and albums made of imprinted leather with graceful vignettes. The flowers on porcelain saucers ornamented by nuns from Ekaterinbrug,, it seems, are exhaling fragrance. There are yet more flowers made of paper and silk: a rose, a peony, chamomiles. Entire bouquets as if straight from a greenhouse."

Gifts of St. Simeon: water from the spring, oil from the icon-lamp; an icon

Today the monastery is being restored: also reborn is the souvenir obedience. Of course, there are significantly fewer workshops in the abode than there were before the revolution, so sisters collaborate with the Ural masters - carvers on stone and wood, and they order china at the porcelain factory. Sisters work hard in order that anyone at the monastery store would be able to find a gift for him- or herself or for the relatives: they offer icons, articles from the sewing workshop, ceramic souvenirs with the blessing of the abode, and stone articles. They collect small assortments with various relics which the Ekaterinbrug diocese is so rich with. Usually they comprise an icon, oil from inextinguishable icon-lamps, and a prayer. Prayer ropes, belts with the texts of prayers, waxen candles, incense, and lamp oil are sanctified at the sites of the ancient and newly revealed sacred places of Ural.

The stone sanctified at the tomb of St. Simeon of Verkhoturye

More and more people learn about our souvenir obedience. They come for the Orthodox gifts from other churches, sometimes even from other dioceses. Several times a year the monastery participates in Orthodox fairs that take place in Moscow and St. Petersburg. There are many concerns: it is necessary to gather and pack up the gifts, to arrange for the delivery, but everything is done with a prayer, and thus - for salvation. In the morning sisters justly pray to St. Siluan of Athos and to the great martyr John of Sochav. St. Siluan achieved holiness while performing a very difficult obedience: he was the house-keeper of the Russian St.-Panteleimon monastery, one of the biggest abodes on Mt. Athos. But the numerous life's cares did not obstruct for him the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven, just like the great martyr John was able to preserve his heart in purity despite the fact that was a merchant all his life and engaged in trade. These saints are a living example for us so that we would remember: our main trade is spiritual, and our greatest treasures are faith, obedience, patience, magnanimity, and love.