"St. Niel Stolbensky"

Russia. North. Around 1800 years.
Size: Height of the figure - 27 cm.
Technique & Material: Wood, carving, tempera.

Description: Wooden sculpture has been known since ancient times in Russia. Especially in pagan times, before the adoption of Christianity. After the baptism of Rus carved figures of saints have practically disappeared. One of the few remaining canonical carved figures was St Neil Stolbensky. In the history of the Russian Orthodox Church the Saint Nil Stolobensky image, retaining the traditional canonical form of icon painting, also gets the culture incarnation.

The great ascetic saint and miracle worker, Reverend Neil Stolobensky was born in the late XV century, close to Novgorod the Great. What was his name in the world nobody knows, as who were his parents also is unknown fact. We only know that after their death he went to St. John the Baptist Krypetsky monastery, which was located near Pskov. There he took monastic vows under the name of the Nile, in honor of the Reverend Neil Postnik. In 1515 the Reverend Neil left the Krypetsky monastery and felled in the forest a small cell in the Rzhevsky country near the Seremhi river.

He lived alone, ate grass and oak acorns, all time spent in prayers . The legend says, that one day robbers came to St Nile, who decided to kill him. But he prayed and came to the robbers with the icon of the Mother of God.

Rogues came vision that the Reverend is surrounded by many armed men. In horror, they fell at his feet, repented and began to ask forgiveness . Gradually fame spread throughout the villages. People started coming to him, asking for prayers and teachings. Such rumor has to become to burden the monk, and 13 years after the settlement by the river Seremhi, in 1528, he moved to a new place - an island on Lake Seliger - Stolobny, the 7-miles from Ostashkov.

The first year he lived in a dug, and then built himself a hut and a chapel for prayers. According to legend, the devil repeatedly sends a variety of misfortunes to the hermit - fires, attacks of robbers, devil tried to reset the cell into the lake. However, the Rev. Neil remained adamant, overcoming all attacks by prayer and faith.

Total Rev. Neil lived on the island 27 years and before his death he bequeathed to build a monastery on the site, which was later done. The Reverend Neil vowed not to lay, in connection with what has never been in a horizontal state. And he even slept, hanging on his shoulders with ropes or on the hooks driven into the wall .Niel passed away in 1555 and was buried on the Stolobnoy island. And in 1594 with the permission of the Patriarch Iova was opened monastic cloister.

Rare, huge figure of the Saint Nile. The perfect state of preservation.

If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

High Resolution Images: fragments.
Price: upon request.

Нил Столбенский.
Россия. Север. Около 1800 года.
Размер: Высота фигуры 27,0 см.

Дерево , резьба , темпера.
High Resolution Images: fragments.
Цена: по запросу.