Spring of St. Nicholas

Spring of St. Nicholas

"According to legend, the Spring of St. Nicholas was formed after the baptism of Kievan Rus in 988. People who were baptized in Kiev (now Kyiv) returned home and sat on a hill to rest. When they came the spring to drink water, they saw a reflection of St. Nicholas image. Since then, the Spring has been named after St. Nicholas. Even Severyn (Semeriy) Nalyvaiko's insurgents tasted this water. The Cossacks of Bohdan Khmelnytsky's army, who were returning from Berestechko, quenched their thirst and washed their wounds with this water.

These famous springs are located next to a small church. The local priests and laity take care of the "Holy Cave" and the springs.

The water in the spring flows from the grotto, to which one can go down a few steps. On the openwork metal lattice that separates the recesses in the mountain, visitors place lighted candles "for the health of the sick and travelers", those who are far from home. Then the water flows down the gutter into a small pool in the shape of a human eye with a ladder. The reservoir, or water in it, is knee-deep.

This water is low in iron, sufficient fluoride, magnesium and manganese; it has high silver and low iron content. It remains fresh for several weeks, does not precipitate.

The Spring of St. Nicholas helps with all diseases. It is especially useful for those who have problems with the eyes, stomach or have just undergone surgery. Water heals wounds well, heals joints, skin diseases, removes sand from kidneys and bladder, cleanses the pancreas. It even helps with baldness if a person drinks water and washes his/her head with it. According to local priests, most people were healed here of eye diseases.

- That is why a pool where pilgrims dive into the holy water has been made in the shape of a human eye, - says Father Valerii. - The island in the middle is like a pupil of an eye, rivnepost.rv.ua writes.

Following the recommendation of doctors, this water is given to patients who have undergone gastric surgery. According to the Zdolbuniv Raion (district) Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, the noted spring water has the best performance among all reservoirs in the Rivne Oblast (region).

The Spring of St. Nicholas is consecrated four times a year: on Epiphany, May 22, July 7, and December 19.

On the eve of the feast when the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker were transferred from Myra to Bar, the community of the Hilcha village tidied up the area around the spring."