St. Nikita Holy Stone - Russian Old Believers sacred site near Egorievsk, Moscow region

The church of St. Martyr Nikita had been built near the village of Chyolokhovo Egorievsk district Moscow region no later than AD14C. The legend says that once the first Orthodox missionaries had brought the St. Nikita icon to baptize the locals and they have been considering St. Nikita as a saint patron of the area since. In 1698, the old church was replaced with a new one by the peasant S. Ivanov. In 1792 this new church was removed to Egorievsk and burnt in the Soviet time.

 As Cholokhovo always has been a heart of "Gouslitsy", a famous old believing area, the local Russian Orthodox Old Believes cleaned up a spring on a site of former church, which shortly after became a pilgrimage place for many people from the other areas of Russia. A huge red stone near the spring was being believed to be a cornerstone of a former church. The people believed to its healing power and the church bells ringing from beneath the stone on holidays. The biggest worships were being organized on 28 September, the St. Nikita day. A special chapel was built nearby (destroyed later).

In 1970-s the spring has been virtually swept away by heavy machines mining phosphates west from the site. Miraculously the stone stayed safe very close to the deep mining pit.
Now the pilgrimage goes to the stone again. The icon of St. Nikita also stays again nearby and on 28th of September anybody can take a part in real worship of Russian Old Believers and eyewitness a part of Old Holy Russia

Egorievsk District Administration. Department of Culture.

9 Ryazanskaya st, Egorievsk, Moscow Region, Russia 140300
Phone: +7 09640 32306, Fax: +7 09640 43114