Saint John the Russian

The icon is made on a particle board with the use of the most advanced imprinting and production techniques. The background is decorated in a way that gives the impression of glossy gilding.

Saint John the Russian fought on the side of Tsar Peter the Great's army in the Russo-Turkish War in the early 18th century; this puts the date of his birth around 1690. As his parents raised John in the spirit of Christianity, he was overwhelmed by the absurdity and horrors of war.

The saint was captured in the battle for the capture of Azov and taken to Constantinople. From there he was transported to Cappadocia and sold into slavery to the chief of the Turkish cavalry named Aga.

Out of love for Christ, John refused to renounce Christianity and embrace Islam. He suffered many tortures and humiliations, but remained unshaken in his faith. In spite of everything, he continued to pray and fast. Over time, the Turks began to respect John's steadfastness and stopped taunting him.

One day the saint miraculously sent a hot pilaf on a bronze plate to his Turkish master who was on a pilgrimage to Mecca. The news of the miracle spread among the Turks, who afterwards began to call John "vedi," that is, a saint. He took communion secretly every Saturday, thus drawing strength and grace to endure the hard life of slavery.

On May 27, 1730, John received communion for the last time. He was gravely ill and called a priest, who was afraid to give him communion openly and hid the Holy Gifts in an apple. After this, the righteous man passed away.

With the permission of the Turks, the Christians took away his body for burial. Christians and Turks mourned him together. After three years, the saint appeared to the priest who gave him communion and revealed that his body was incorruptible in the tomb and that the relics should be taken out and kept as a blessing. Indeed, his body was found incorruptible and fragrant.

In 1832, the khedive of Egypt, Ibrahim Pasha, seized and plundered the village where St. John lived. He decided to burn the relics of the saint, but to the infinite amazement of the Turks, they remained intact, only blackened by the smoke.

In 1924, after the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the exiled Greeks gathered their few belongings and holy relics and went to Greece. They settled in a village called Prokopion. In 1930 the church of St. John the Russian was founded there, where his imperishable relics are kept to this day. The saint is commemorated on May 27.