Dimond

In the fifties of XIX century this story was well known in Minsk itself and in the surruonding villages. It is connected with wonder-working image of God's Mother icon. Probably everybody knows the way the icon got to Minsk from Kiev (those who still don't may see it here). It turned out that there was one more legend connected with that icon.

It happened during one evening service. An exhausted sick old man in rags prayed more diligent than the others asking the Holy Virgin, Our Lady, for protection and rescue. He hadn't any shelter as his hut burned recently,  any food, any crust of bread for his children. Only one fate remaining for him was to beg during the rest of his life with hope for people's benevolence. He crossed himself with his sick hand and cried in front of the icon. «Tears ran down old man's cheeks one after another...»

And a miracle happened. When the old man pressed his head to the icon in a prayerful impulse the Holy Virgin lent his head to the martyr and wispered colsolating words. She took a diamond out from thecrown of her silver riza and gave to the old man. Then she became moveless for sights of people around again.  At the exit the old man was caught and judged for stealing of the diamond. But the court taking into account numerous testimonies of eye-witnesses  of that unusual event decided to leave the dimond to the old man with an order: «...to accept donations neither from God nor from Saints in the future». 

Translated by Ekaterina Ludvigovna Prokopovich, Odessa