An elderly woman came to our chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

An elderly woman came to our chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. She prayed for a long time to the saint, tears glittered in her eyes. Here is what she said:
“In our village there was a large and beautiful church. They closed it in Soviet times. Or rather, they closed it for believers, but they opened it for unbelievers. They threw off the cross, knocked out the windows, destroyed the shrines. The doors of the church did not close, and the kids after school lessons ran to the church to indulge. We climbed onto the bell tower, played hide and seek, shouted, broke what was left in the temple. At home, my mother scolded me: "Do not go, Ninushka, to indulge in the church. And if you go past it, cross yourself and bow. "

After class, classmates wanted to gather in the church and they asked me to come. I am afraid then my mother did not allow it. However I decided to go and see. All the girlfriends were already in the temple, running around there, laughing. I thought to myself:: "Mom will not notice.." I went inside the church and opened some door, turned into the corridor and stumbled. I turned around but didn't know where I was going. I wanted to go out, but couldn't find a way out. Everywhere I went, there was a dead end. I walked and walked, but became dark and scary. I screamed but there was no response.  Then I  sat down on the step and cried. I thought: "I did not obey my mother - no one will find me here now." Suddenly I saw an old man standing next to me. I just wanted to ask him how to get out, and he silently pointed his finger. I jumped up and went there. Then I turned around and the old man was gone. Disappeared.

I went out, ran home, and didn’t tell anyone. Only after some time, when my mother took out the icons wrapped in a napkin, on one of them I recognized an old man whom I had met in church. I told my mom everything. She scolded me a little for disobeying and then said that it was Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. I venerated his icon and afterwards mom wrapped it again and put it away.