This image, written in X-XI centuriesekah, is kept on Mount Athos in the Greek Dohiar monastery. According to monastic tradition, the cellarer of the Nile monastery was struck blind in 1664 due to careless handling of this icon, but after repentance he was completely healed.

Matryona Dmitrievna Nikonova was born into a simple peasant family in 1881 in a village in the Tula province. She was blind from birth. Already at the age of 8, Matrona had a divine gift – she could heal people and predict the future. At the age of 17, Matrona lost her legs. She knew this would happen in advance. Until the end of her days, the saint was “sedentary.” In 1925, Matrona moved to Moscow. Illiterate, blind, immobilized, wandering around Moscow houses, she amazed people with the gift of healing and providence. Matronushka received up to 40 people a day, healing them and giving advice, and at night she prayed. She predicted her death three days in advance, and on May 2, 1952, she passed away. Matryona was buried at the capital’s Danilovsky cemetery. And after about 50 years, the saint was canonized by the church and her relics were transferred to the Moscow Intercession Convent. Thousands of pilgrims flock there all year round from all over Russia, as well as from abroad. One of Matrona’s predictions about the fate of Russia: “How many peoples have disappeared, but Russia existed and will exist. Pray, ask, repent! The Lord will not leave you and will preserve our land!”

She was born in the 5th century. She was married, and the couple had a daughter, Theodotia. Matrona was God-fearing, and having met two old women Evgenia and Susanna, she began to humble her flesh with abstinence and fasting, for which she suffered attacks from her husband. After much hesitation, the saint decided to leave her family, she gave her daughter to be raised by the elder Susanna, and she cut her hair and, dressing in a man’s dress, came to the monastery of the Monk Vassian. There the monk passed herself off as the eunuch Vavila and joined the brethren. One day the saint and other monks were working in the monastery vineyard, and the monk Barnabas noticed that her earlobes were pierced. After some time, the abbot of the monastery, Vassian, had a dream that the eunuch Babyla was a woman. Vassian called Matrona and demanded an answer why she came to the monastery. The monk told the abbot about her past life and vision. After this, Vassian sent the saint to the city of Emes to a convent. The saint remained in that monastery for many years and eventually became abbess.

It is believed that winter begins on this day.

It is necessary to go to the temple, or even better, to bow before the relics of Saint Matrona in the Pokrovsky Convent in Moscow.

All differences need to be resolved. The day when you should ask for forgiveness from family and friends and forget old grievances.

You need to thank others more often, instead of taking your anger out on them.

The day when you are supposed to treat the poor, give them money and give away your things.

You cannot swear, quarrel or be offended.

You can’t be fooled by your mood swings.

You can’t start traveling.

You can’t make important decisions.