In 1469, one of the most famous figures in Russia was born, who is destined to influence the terrible Tsar Ivan the Terrible and become the one who worked miracles not only during life, but also after death. Today we'll talk about Basil the Blessed.
Russian holy fool
Basil the Blessed was a Russian holy fool, and then a saint, who was canonized in 1588. The people believed that God rewarded him with the gift of foresight, as well as the ability to perform miracles during his lifetime.
He was the son of peasants destined to become a shoemaker. But at an early age, he accidentally discovered that he had a gift. One day his teacher said that he needed to make boots that the customer has been carrying for several years. But Vasily replied that it was impossible, because that person was destined to die tomorrow. And so it happened.
At 16, the holy fool leaves the shoemaker and goes to wander. He lived as poorly as possible and by his own example tried to show what morality is.
In the service of the king
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Basil the Blessed gave many predictions that came true, so famous and influential people listened to him. One of them was Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It was said that he not only honored, but even feared the holy fool.
They say that it was Basil the Blessed who predicted that the Terrible would be able to take Kazan. But they also say that the holy fool often scolded the king like a boy, and he endured everything. For example, once the seer treated the Terrible with blood and raw meat. He refused, and Vasily was able to show him the souls that died at the hands of the king. The king got scared and promised that he would stop executing people.
Basil the Blessed died in 1557. It is believed that Ivan the Terrible was one of those who undertook to carry the coffin of the holy fool.
The confused predictions of Basil the Blessed
Moscow fire
In 1547 the Blessed One visited the Ascension Monastery (Ostrog). Suddenly he fell on his knees in front of the church and prayed with tears in his eyes, asking God to turn away his grief. It is known that the next day there was a Moscow fire, which began precisely from a specific monastery.
Fire in Novgorod
Rumor has it that once Basil the Blessed feasted at Ivan the Terrible. The king gave him three glasses of wine, which the holy fool threw out the window. The ruler got angry and asked what he was doing, and the Blessed One replied that he was pouring fire into Novgorod. The king got angry, but still sent his man to find out everything.
It turned out that there was indeed a major fire in the city. People considered themselves doomed, but suddenly an unknown young man appeared and extinguished the fire. This happened exactly at the moment when the Blessed One threw the wine out the window. Therefore, the legend says that the holy fool extinguished the flame with three bowls.
Predicted his own death
In addition to providence, he also denounced people. For example, one day the Blessed One smashed the image of the Mother of God on the Varvara Gate. A crowd of people immediately pounced on him, but he said that the devil was hiding under a layer of paint. The paint was scraped off and it really turned out that the face of the Mother of God was painted over the figure of the devil.
Basil the Blessed could curse. One day he walked home in a fur coat donated by one of the boyars. He was overtaken by a group of peasants who decided to deceive him and take away his clothes. One of them pretended to be dead, while others asked for donations for burial. The holy fool covered the "dead" with a fur coat, but said that the pretender would die from his own cunning. When the accomplices took off their fur coat, they saw that their friend had died.