Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker manifested his heavenly patronage to the Ural village of Kylasovo in the Kungur district. This village is located on the old Siberian tract along the Babka River and is first mentioned in 1623. An icon of Saint Nicholas was found in this area. It appeared in a desolate marshy place, discovered in the bushes and taken to the church. However, soon the icon was back in its original location. The villagers realized that a church should be built here and began constructing a brick building at the site of the apparition. The construction lasted 12 years, during which Tatar-Bashkir tribes conducted raids and destruction. They attacked the village, burning it down, but the icon remained unharmed among the ashes. To preserve it, the icon was taken to the Spassky Monastery, now the village of Kurashim. The Tatars, thinking they were taking valuables, chased after them, and one of the arrows struck the face of the icon, causing blood to flow from the wound. The horsemen stopped, blinded, covering their faces with their hands.
For many years, a bloodstain remained on the icon. Every year it was carried in a procession through the surrounding villages: Kungur, Ashap, Kurashim, Bym, Uinskoye, Yugo-Osokino. People came to pray and received healing; epidemics ceased, family quarrels quieted, and lost items were found. People traveled from Perm, Samara, Moscow, and Simferopol to the icon. Those healed and saved adorned it; the silver vestment with precious stones weighed 18 pounds. In 1935, when the church was to be closed, a local woman hid the icon. During the destruction of the church, an incident occurred: no one from the locals wanted to destroy the cross, and a man from a neighboring village volunteered. He lit a cigarette in the church and extinguished the butt on the icon. When he climbed onto the dome to remove the cross, he fell and died.
During the war, the icon reminded people of itself again: several individuals had prophetic dreams, and the bishop blessed its transfer to Kurashim. In 1993, the miraculous image of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was returned to the site of the apparition. The church is gradually being restored.
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