Prince Daniil’s Miracles

This legend tells us about the miracles of Russian Prince Daniil who founded the famous St. Danilov monastery in 1282 on the bank of the Moskva-river. All the miracles happened after his death. You can now visit this famous monastery which is one of the oldest in Moscow. It’s situated in Danilovskii Val Street, not far from Tulskaya underground station. There is also the Museum of History of Danilov Monastery inside the monastery.

Once upon a time the great Prince Ivan III was riding his horse pass St. Danilov Monastery. One man came to his servant and said, “I’m a Christian and a master of this land and my name is great Prince Daniil of Moscow. Please, tell your Prince Ivan that he has forgotten about me, but I was not forgotten by God.” Since then the great Prince Ivan started to hold a service in the church, give some money to the beggars and organize a commemorative feast in memory of great Prince Daniil.
The second time Prince Daniil appeared during the reign of Ivan III’s son Vasilii Shuiskiy. Once Prince Vasilii was near the church of St. Daniil and he tried to get on his horse with the help of a tombstone. An unknown man appeared and told him: ”Don’t get on your horse from that stone. Here the great prince Daniil of Moscow lies”. “It doesn’t matter who’s lying there”, were Prince Vasilii’s words. Suddenly his horse reared, fell on the ground and died. Vasilii was trapped under the horse. So his servants, with great difficulty, helped their master to rise. Vasilii Shuiskiy quickly started to say a prayer in honour of Prince Daniil and ordered prayers be sung to Daniil by a church choir.
The third time Prince Daniil appeared during the reign of Czar Ivan the Terrible. A merchant and his son were sailing in a boat along the Moskva-river from Kolomna to Moscow. Suddenly, his son became seriously ill and was going to die. When they were sailing near St. Daniil’s church, the merchant took his dying son to the tomb of great Prince Daniil and asked one priest to hold a service. When the merchant said the prayer in tears and put his dying son on the stone of Prince Daniil’s tomb, the young man recovered quickly. The merchant was really happy and thanked Prince Daniil with another prayer before sailing further.

EXERCISES:
1. Study these words and expressions and use them in the sentences of your own:
great Prince Daniil of Moscow великий князь Даниил московский
to hold a service отслужить молебен
to say a prayer прочитать молитву
to organize a commemorative feast [fi:st] устроить поминальную трапезу
to rear встать на дыбы (о лошади)
to reign [rein] править, царствовать
a church choir церковный хор
a priest [pri:st] священник
a tomb [tu:m] могила
a tombstone могильный камень
a merchant купец, торговец

2. Answer the questions:
1) When did Prince Daniil found a monastery?
2) Where is Danilov Monastery situated?
3) What did Prince Daniil order to say to Ivan III?
4) What did Ivan III start doing after the appearance of the great Prince Daniil?
5) How did Prince Vasilii try to get on a horse?
6) Why was Prince Vasilii punished severely?
7) Who was sailing in a boat from Kolomna to Moscow?
8) Why did the merchant ask the priest to say the prayer?
9) Did the prayer help the merchant?
10) When did these three miracles happen?

3. True or false? Correct the wrong sentences.
1) Ivan III forgot about Prince Daniil.
2) Prince Vasilii Shuiskiy was the grandson of Prince Ivan III.
3) Prince Daniil helped Prince Vasilii to rise from the ground.
4) A merchant and his son were sailing in a boat from Kolomna to Moscow.
5) The merchant put his dying son on the stone of Prince Daniil’s tomb.
6) The merchant thanked the priest and sailed further.

4. Discuss these questions:
1) What should the great Princes Ivan III and Vasilii Shuiskiy have done before Prince Daniil appeared to them?
2) Why do you think Prince Daniil appeared to these people?

Литература:
Звезда пресветлая земли русской // Составитель Т. Петрова. М.: Издательство «Даниловский благовестник», 2005.