Holy Spring

The Holy Spring (Svyatoy Rodnik) is a revered spring in the Matveevsky district of Orenburg region, between the village of Kuzkino and the former settlement of Vasilyevka. The spring is also known as the Vasilyevsky Spring or the Holy Key. For more than a century it has drawn pilgrims not only from the Orenburg region but also from the Samara region, Bashkortostan and Tatarstan.

Nature and geology

The spring emerges on a hillside not far from the forest. Its aquifer belongs to the Tatarian-stage deposits of the Upper Permian, which makes it a notable geological feature. The water is clear and transparent, with a moderate flow rate. It is believed to contain silver ions, which keeps the water from spoiling for a long time. Since 1998 the spring has had the status of a natural monument, with a protected area of one hectare.

Legends

Locally the spring is called the Manifested Spring (Yavlenny): according to accounts, the faces of saints have reportedly been seen in its waters more than once. This belief is also behind one of its names, the Vasilyevsky Spring, after the nearby village of Vasilyevka.

History

The spring has been venerated for more than a hundred years. Pilgrims come here for its water and to ask for help. Even during the Great Patriotic War, people came to the spring to pray for the war to end and for the health and safe return of their loved ones from the front.

Today

The spring is developed: it is capped with a concrete ring, the water is drained through a pipe, and a chapel has been built above it. Water-blessing services and baptism rites are held here regularly, and especially large numbers of believers gather on Epiphany, when a makeshift pool is set up for them. Doctors recommend the spring's water for digestive and nervous system ailments; local tradition also holds that it helps relieve a hangover.

Getting there

The nearest settlement is the village of Kuzkino in the Matveevsky district of Orenburg region. A bus runs there twice a week, and it is also possible to get there by taxi from the district center.