Chapter 5 -- St. Nicholas the Wonderworker"
Eleven days before the Old Believers' holyday of St. Nikola (Svyatoy Nikola) on December 19, according to the new style Gregorian calendar, a Spanish ship sailed out of the harbor of Rome on its epic journey to a new world. The Old Believers were promised a piece of land somewhere in South America. The ship sailed smoothly past the invisible prime meridian, and later it slowly passed the visible rock of Gibraltar.
As the ship sailed into the Atlantic Ocean, the mood of the waters changed and the clouds overhead began to exert a disquieting influence. Masha was unaware of the approaching storm. She sat in her small cabin-room and cross-stitched the last purple grape for her husband's new shirt, which she wanted him to wear at the baptismal ceremony. She finished the green leaves, and then she sewed the completed design onto a violet rubaha (shirt). The three clusters of seven purple grapes on the front panel and the five clusters of five grapes on the collar made an impressive picture.
Masha had just finished putting her needle away when Ivan came into the compartment and told her the latest news--there was a storm brewing at sea. Masha's hands instinctively moved onto her womb as if to protect her child from harm. Masha was afraid for her baby-to-be, and Ivan saw Masha's apprehension written all over her face. He took out his cherished ikon of St. Nikola from his suitcase and placed it in the corner of the room. He lit a beeswax candle in front of the image of Russia's patron saint, and then he crossed himself and made several obeisances to the floor. It was too difficult for Masha to make a full poklon (obeisance), so she bowed only with her head.
Masha listened as Ivan prayed to the patron saint, St. Nikola:
"Pravilo verye, e obraz krotosti,
vozderzhaniyu oochitelya yavi tya gospog'
stadu svoyemu, yazhe veshchem istina,
sego radi styazhav smireniyem visokaya,
nishchetoyou bogataya otche nash svyatitelyou Nikolaye
moli Hrista Boga spastisya doosham nashim."
(Thy work of justice did show thee to thy congregation a canon of faith, the likeness of humility, a teacher of abstinence, O father, Bishop Nicholas. Wherefore, by humility thou didst achieve exaltation, and by meekness, richness. Intercede, therefore, with Hristos to save our souls.)
Otche nash, izhe yesi na
nebesakh, da svyatitsya imya
tvoye, da priydyet tsarstviye
tvoye, da boodyet volya tvoya,
yako na nebesye e na zemlye.
Hlyeb nash nasushniy,
gazhg nam gnes. E ostavi
nam dolgee nashya,
yakozhe e mi ostavlyayem
dolzhnikami nashim. E ne
vedi nas vo iskusheniye, no
izbavi nas ot lukavogo.
(Our Father, which art in
heaven, hallowed be thy
name, thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread, and forgive
us our debts
as we forgive
our debtors. And
lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil.)
Even though the protective prayer was soothing and reassuring, Masha still felt uneasy about the threatening storm. She was too close. She was due to deliver any day. Mixed emotions see-sawed back and forth on the sensitive fulcrum of her mind; the joy of having a baby was counter-balanced with the fear of losing it. As if to convince Masha in the positive, the fetus gave a hearty kick to her ribs. As it did so, Masha instantly felt a tightening in her muscles. She felt as if she were one big muscle in the grip of a vise, and she screamed.
"Oh, my God," said Ivan, who came rushing to Masha's side as she buckled over in pain. "What's wrong?"
"It's just a sharp pain in my womb," answered Masha as she tried to catch her breath.
"Maybe I should call Yuliana Lazarevskaya," proposed Ivan, holding Masha and slowly helping her to a narrow bed. Yuliana Lazarevskaya was Masha's Godmother, and she also was an experienced midwife who had delivered most of the children in the Harbin group. She was a widow; her husband had lost his life during a Soviet raid on their village.
"I think I'll be all right," stated Masha heroically. "I don't feel the pain any longer."
"Just to be sure I'll run over and get Yuliana," said Ivan as he hurried to the door. "I'll be back in a minute."
Masha lay down on the bed and placed her hands on her active womb. She had recovered from the initial shock, and the thought of ensuing labor left her mind. She must calmly thought of the baby wanting to be born, and she yearned to hold the newborn next to her breast. A warm glow radiated inside and around her as the thought and feeling of motherhood embraced her.
Within minutes Ivan was back with Yuliana following close at his heels. Yuliana crossed herself hurriedly when she entered the room, and she whispered a short prayer as she faced the ikon of St. Nikola in the corner of the room.
"I hear the little one is starting a storm of his own," said Yuliana in a jolly manner as she turned her attention to Masha. Her short round babushka-type (like a grandmother) body approached the bed on which Masha lay.
"He sure is kicking up a storm," answered Masha in her own witty way.
"Let's hear what's going on inside there," said Yuliana as she pulled her flowery Russian scarf away from her ear and listened for the fetal heartbeat. After a minute of intense listening, the midwife lifted her head and smiled at Masha.
"You're going to have a strong, healthy baby," announced Yuliana. "The heartbeat is vigorous and energetic. The great moment hasn't arrived yet, though, and I would suggest you get plenty of sleep and rest. You don't want to overstrain yourself and the little one."
"Thank you, Kryostnaya (Godmother)," said Masha as she took Yuliana's hand and pulled her down to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"Call me any time you need me," responded Yuliana as she kissed Masha in return in typical Russian fashion on the cheek. "By the way," she said as an afterthought, "I brought out my weaving cards, shuttle, and cotton string the other day. I started weaving a special poyas (belt) for your little one. It should be ready by the time it decides to come out." She crossed herself again at the door and made a deep bow before she exited.
On the fifth day after the ship began its journey to San Paolo, Brazil, Masha began to feel excruciating pain, and Ivan rushed to call Yuliana again. The Spanish ship had just crossed the Tropic of Cancer at 30 degrees W. longitude. After Yuliana examined Masha and after the contractions subsided, it was discovered that Masha had been victimized by false labor.
"I knew it wasn't time," said Yuliana after the ordeal was over. "I haven't finished weaving the belt, yet."
As the ship approached the equator several days later, the waters became ominously calm. A great stillness lay over the ocean and not a wave was in sight. The heat became unbearable, for there wasn't any breeze around to cool the scorching bodies. It was hard to breathe in such heat. During the equally still night, the Milky Way covered the sky with myriads of stars. The bright star, Sirius, and the Southern Cross became more visible.
And then on the eleventh day, as the ship came close to the Tropic of Capricorn at 40 degrees W. longitude, a gentle breeze wafted its way across the waters and brought cool relief to the pilgrims who were on their way to a new world. It was at that moment that Masha's water bag broke and the real labor began. Ivan rushed for the third, and last, time to call Yuliana.
"I just finished the belt," announced Yuliana, walking through the door with a jubilant smile. "Just like I predicted."
Masha tried to smile, but her desire to scream overcame her. The loud scream pierced the walls of the ship and resounded in all directions.
"Breathe nice and easy," ordered the experienced midwife when she saw that Masha was in no mood for humor.
"Ivan, get me a pan of hot water and some clean sheets and towels," commanded Yuliana, who always became authoritative whenever she took on the task of being a midwife.
Ivan obeyed without hesitation. When he returned with all the essential supplies, he was told to leave the room. Childbirth was a process that was sacred to Yuliana and, at the same time, a private act between mother, child, and midwife. Only God and the Holy Saints were observant of and participants in the sacred mystery of birth. Yuliana called upon the Holy Company of Saints, Seraphim, Cherubim and Archangels to assist and guide her to bring about a speedy and safe delivery. Ivan waited in the corridor of the ship with the nastoyatel (elder) Simeon, who was called to the event in case of complications and the soul of the baby needed to be prayed for. It would be a fate worse than death to die unchristened, for the unchristened had no hope of ever seeing the face of God.
Five hours later, as the ship crossed the imaginary line called the Tropic of Capricorn, a baby boy was born. It was Thursday, December the 19th, and Masha was overjoyed in her heart that her dream had come true. Ivan was permitted to see the newborn boy only after Yuliana had finished all the clean up work. He brought a list of saints' names for Masha to choose a name from. Deep down in her heart Masha already knew what she wanted to name her baby.
"I got the svyatsi (list of saints' names) from Simeon," said Ivan as he watched Masha nurse the baby. "I also found out which names belong to the eight-day limit and what some of the names mean, in case you want to know."
"Isn't he adorable," said Masha. Her gleaming eyes followed every move of the baby. She didn't pay much mind to what Ivan was prattling about. To her the sound of the baby suckling was more precious than any human words.
"He has my wide cheek bones," said Ivan.
"He's got my blue eyes," said Masha, finally looking at Ivan.
"One of the names I kind of like," said Ivan, trying to get back to his main interest at the moment, "is Amvrosy, which means godly and immortal in Greek. Another one is Antony, which means to gain in exchange for something. Mina means lunar; Spiridon means a round woven basket; Evgeny means of gentle birth; Arseny means manly; Evstraty means a good warrior; Avksenty means to increase; and Orest means exalted. Another one is Daniel, but it's a Jewish name. The only other one is the saint's name for today, which is Nikolai for St. Nikola."
"What does the name Nikolai mean?" asked Masha when she finally heard the name she had been waiting for.
"It means pobezhdayushchiy narod (victorious people)," answered Ivan, reading from his list. "It's a good Russian name."
"That's the name I like best," said Masha. "He should bear the name for the day he was born on."
"I kind of like the sound of Kolya, too," said Ivan, using the diminutive form of the name.
Yuliana later came to check on the mother and child. She also brought the finished molitveniy poyas (prayer belt), which had a prayer woven into the fabric of the five-colored belt. Yuliana proudly unrolled the belt and displayed it on the bed next to the baby. Two purple and turquoise tassels adorned the ends of the belt, which was almost twice the length of the baby. Purple Church Slavonic letters and purple geometric designs were interwoven with a turquoise-blue background down the center of the belt. Along the edges of the inch wide belt were three narrow bands of yellow, white, and olive-green; the yellow bands were on the inside, on both sides of the center, the white in between, and the olive-green on the outside border.
Yuliana crossed herself and then she read the prayer on the belt. The prayer was interspersed with graphic designs in the following manner:
"Bozhe milostiv buddi nam greshnim Bozhe ochisti grehi nasha e pomilui nas amin"
(God be merciful to us sinners God cleanse our sins and pardon us Amen)
Afterwards, Yuliana kissed the baby on the forehead and said, "This is for you to wear for protection and safekeeping for the rest of your days on earth."
"It's such a lovely belt," complimented Masha. She picked it up and inspected the artistic handiwork. When she turned it over to look at the back side, the colors reversed; the purple changed to turquoise, and the turquoise changed to purple. Masha turned it over several times and showed Ivan the optical illusion, for from one point of view it appeared that the background was sky-blue and the foreground was purple, whereas from the opposite point of view it was possible to visualize a purple background with blue designs and letters.
"I'll make him a name belt when he grows up," added Yuliana. "Have you chosen a name, yet?"
"Yes, we have," admitted Masha without hesitation. "We want to call him Nikolai."
"What a blessed name!" exclaimed Yuliana. "Our patron saint is to be honored in your family. What a privilege!"
"He will have to live up to a great saint's name," remarked Ivan. "The holy Archbishop of Myra helped the poor, and he saved sailors by calming stormy seas with his prayers."
"He did much more than just that," commented Yuliana. "He built houses for travelers and hospitals for the sick and needy. He was always performing charitable deeds. The charitable deed I enjoyed hearing about during services for St. Nikola was the one about the three bags of gold that he gave as a gift to three impoverished sisters secretly at night in order to save them from a life of shame."
"He performed miracles, too, didn't he?" asked Masha, wanting to find out more about the patron saint now that her baby was going to carry his name.
"The most well-known miracle," said Yuliana, who seemed to be an authority on the compassionate saint, "was when he traveled to the Holy Land where Hristos was born, crucified and resurrected. A storm arose at sea, and he gathered the people together to pray for their safety. Immediately the storm stopped, and the people claimed it was because of his prayers."
"I heard somewhere that he was one of the Fathers of the church summoned to the First Ecumenical Synod in Nicea in 325 A.D. by Emperor Constantine," said Ivan. "He helped establish the teaching that the Son is of the same essence as the Father, as we are taught in our ispovedaniye pravoslavniya veri (profession of orthodox faith."
"What I learned most from his exemplary life," said Yuliana, as the discussion continued to unfold in scope, "was his practice of love and charity in a true fatherly way. His favorite teaching was taken from the life of Hristos: 'For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me . . . Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.'"
The memory of St. Nikola began to fade in Masha's mind as she began thinking of the next stage in her baby's life--the christening.
"When will we be able to get the nastoyatel (minister) to perform the christening?" asked Masha, turning her face away from the sleeping baby at her breast and looking up at her husband.
"I talked with Simeon," said Ivan, "and he assured me that he would perform the ceremony even if we aren't of the Sinkiang group. I explained to him that our new nastoyatel (elder) was supposed to leave on a train soon after we left; but we didn't hear from him. Simeon said this Sunday would be the best day. He mentioned that there was a very small holyday on Tuesday in memory of the miracle-worker Spiridon, and we could do it then if we so desired."
"I'd rather do it on Sunday," decided Masha.
"Simeon read from his ustav (book of rules) that Tuesday is the day when the sun returns from winter to summer; that's when the day becomes longer and the night shorter," said Ivan.
"I still prefer Sunday," said Masha, finalizing the decision-making process. Ivan said no more.
On the twelfth day, the ship entered the port of Santos, Brazil. The Old Believers were met by a delegate from the World Council of Churches who had already arranged their immediate transportation by cable railway to Sao Paulo. There they were to stay for several days, and then they would be transported to their new home in Ponta Grossa, which was about 250 miles southwest of Sao Paulo.
On Sunday, a small group gathered together for the christening ceremony in a small hotel room in the heart of Sao Paulo. Simeon was the nastoyatel (minister) who performed the ceremony in his calf-length black monk's robe. He dipped the brown-haired head and naked body of the awakened baby into a large pan of water three times: Once in the name of the Father, the second time in the name of the Son, and the third time in the name of the Holy Spirit. Then he prayed over the baby. During the liturgical prayer he officially named the crying child Nikolai, linking him with the heavenly patron saint. After establishing the child's entry into the unity of the Church--on earth as it is in heaven--the nastoyatel made the sign of the blessed holy cross of protection over the wide-eyed infant, and then he took a small lead cross on a thong and hung it around the resisting neck of the screaming child. He gladly handed the protesting baby into the hands of the waiting Godfather, whose blessing was next in order.
The Godparent, who was chosen for the solemn occasion, was Vasily Velikov, who had become very close friends with Ivan and Masha ever since they met in Hong Kong. The Godfather had agreed to the task of providing spiritual and religious instruction to the child whenever needed during their journey through life together. He was linked to the child not in a biological or economical way, but in a spiritual and religious way; while Ivan and Masha were the physical parents, Vasily was the spiritual parent. Zinaida, Vasily's wife, had hastily cross-stitched a tiny tunic-like shirt for the newborn to wear after the ceremony, and she proceeded to dress the twisting body.
"Vot smotri kakoy on boykiy," (Will you look at that lively little fellow) laughed Vasily as the mood of the occasion changed from the solemn to the festive.
"He probably doesn't want you to hang all those cherries around his neck," observed Yuliana, who had received a special invitation from Masha.
Zinaida struggled for a couple of minutes with the waving arms, and then she finally managed to fit the small shiny light-blue silk rubashka (small shirt) over the child's head and arms. The five pairs of cherries on the front panel each had a yellow flower and six green leaves to make a whole unit. The only noticeable difference in each unit was the position of the yellow flower, which alternated from left to right on the stem as the eye roved up and down. There were also eight tiny cherries cross-stitched around the circular collar. All in all, the artistic stitchwork looked like a fruitful cherry tree done in miniature.
"And here's something for the head," said Vasily, bring out a simple white bonnet that had been passed down in his family. It showed little sign of wear and tear. It had been well preserved.
"Now let's see how this poyas (belt) fits," proceeded Yuliana. It was her turn to take part in the traditional dressing festival after the baptismal ceremony. She crossed herself, then she read the prayer on the belt, and finally she wrapped the belt around the waist of the tired baby. She tied the belt in a bow at the back near the bottom of the spine. The sleepy infant squirmed a little at first as it felt the grip of the constricting cord, but then he slipped gently into the encircling arms of the waiting mother and was asleep in a wink.
"Now he looks like a real Russian Old Believer," commented Ivan in a tone of fatherly pride.
"His cross should be tucked inside the shirt," said Simeon, who had up till now quietly observed the festivities without comment. He knew that his role was to perform only the liturgical part for the child, and the rest was in the hands of the parents. But he always was on the look-out for any violation of church law.
Masha took the common one-inch cross in her hand and was about to tuck it back behind the shirt, when she noticed something peculiar on the back side of the cross where the prayer was usually inscribed.
"This prayer looks a little different," said Masha, who recognized Church Slavonic letters enough to notice a variation from her own cross that she wore around her neck.
"I forgot to tell you about the inscription," apologized Simeon. "I was going to read it for you, but the infant started screaming. I made it myself back in Kuldja, where I had the instruments and the mold to pour the lead into. The inscription is taken from a holy book, and it reads:
'Kres hranityel vsey selenam
Kres krasota tserkovnaya
Kres Angelam slav
Kres besyam yazva.' "
(The cross is the Protector of all the world
The cross is the Beauty of the Church
The cross is glorious to the Angels
The Cross is a plague to the demons)
"That's a marvelous prayer," spoke up Vasily contemplatively. "It really expresses the various meanings of the cross."
"I'm sure Kolya will be proud to wear it," said Masha. She gave a sign that it was nursing time, and the gathering at once began to disperse.
Several days later the Old Believers finally arrived at their destination--Ponta Grossa, "the Princess of the Grasslands." There was free land provided for them about eight miles from the city of Ponta Grossa, which was in the state of Parana, "Land of Pines." There was also assistance given to them with the farming of the land by their sponsors, the World Council of Churches. They set up their separate villages near each other, the Sinziantsi from Sinkiang sticking together in their established family groups, and the Harbintsi from Harbin forming their own posyolki (little villages) of families and their relatives. Blood lines seemed to run thicker than religious systems, and each stuck to their own kind in spite of mutual beliefs. Eventually, more boatloads of Old Believers came and more villages were set up.
And so four long years of farming and struggling for survival passed, and the Old Believers became more discontent with their life in poverty-stricken Brazil. Daily the men would come home either from the rice and watermelon fields or from the market places in Ponta Grossa, and they would complain to their wives about the harvest that had been washed away by torrents of rain or about the glutted market and the low prices that were paid for the surplus harvest. Corrupt tax collectors roamed like bandits upon the highways and the byways, and things went from bad to worse. The voices of the people appealed both to the saints in the high heaven and to the nations of the earth for help.
Someone up there in the high heaven must have been looking out for the Old Believers, for in 1962 an organization called the Tolstoy Foundation in New York caught wind of the plight of the Old Believers in Brazil. The organization had taken its name from the great Russian novelist Lev Tolstoy, who had helped many needy people during his life on earth in an attempt to express the true Christian spirit of love and brotherhood.
And so it came to pass that the Tolstoy Foundation agreed to sponsor the majority of the Old Believers in a move to the United States of America. Ivan and several others in his group from Harbin were able to pay at least part of their plane fare and still have a small savings to begin life in America. The group from Sinkiang also managed to make the move, in spite of heavy losses at the marketplace. Some managed to move in later years. Some were so poor that they couldn't get on their feet to move. Others were too wealthy to want to move.
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Chapter 6
Beginning - Chapter 1
Copyright 1982 by Paul John Wigowsky
