Stories from the lives of strong people. Five stories about strong people. A specific example of a strong personality
The strength of the spirit of the Russian people
“Russia is the depth, the measure of which
no one has yet been able to determine
hence the legend of the mysterious Russian
soul, to simulate the movements of which
no one can."
EXODUS
Book 2
Hard times have come again for our country. America, Great Britain and the "highly civilized" countries of Europe, accustomed to living stably and comfortably at the expense of the resources of dependent states of donors, are currently facing a large-scale economic crisis. Their leaders began to look for new victims in order to continue their comfortable existence in the future. In this regard, the vast natural wealth of Russia has always been a tasty morsel for conquerors at all times.
Russia survived many wars, but it never attacked first, but only adequately fought back. Hidden enemies tried to decompose it from the inside. In all sorts of ways, Western countries tried to impose a consumer consciousness and instill in the minds of Russian people uncharacteristic thoughts about worthlessness and self-abasement. All this was done so that we would forget about the soul and God, and thus break the Russian spirit. But this scenario failed. And now again an aggressive attempt is being made by countries with colonial thinking to unleash another war and subjugate Russia. All unthinkable methods are used. Flow outright lies, falsifications and dirty accusations from all the media hit our country and no explanation or even evidence can stop it. Russia and its president have been slandered and crucified with obvious pleasure, blaming them for all the sins and troubles of the whole world. Until recently, it was hard to believe, but now this is our reality, and it's time to unite in spirit and protect our Motherland, as our ancestors did in the days of hard times.
From history we know many amazing examples of the manifestation of the fortitude and stamina of Russian people at the limit of human capabilities.
The catchphrase "Russians do not surrender" appeared during the First World War. In the Book of S.A. Khmelkov "The Struggle for Osovets" is described as"v In 1915, the Russian garrison defended the small fortress of Osovets, located on the territory of present-day Belarus. As a last resort to break the Russians, the enemy decided to use a gas attack. For this, the Germans deployed 30 gas batteries. A dark green mist of a mixture of chlorine and bromine flowed onto the fortress. The defenders of the fortress did not have gas masks. All life around was poisoned. About seven thousand infantrymen moved to storm the Russian fortress. But when the German chains approached the trenches, counterattacking Russian infantry fell upon them from a thick green chlorine fog. The sight was terrifying: the soldiers walked into the bayonet with their faces wrapped in rags, shaking from a terrible cough, literally spitting out pieces of the lungs on the bloodied tunics. These were the remnants of the 13th company of the 226th infantry Zemlyansky regiment, a little more than 60 people. But they plunged the enemy into such horror that the German infantrymen, not accepting the battle, rushed back, trampling each other and hanging on their own wire barriers. The world military art did not know anything like this. This battle will go down in history as the "attack of the dead."
The glory of Russian weapons knows no bounds. The Russian soldier endured what the soldiers of the armies of other countries have never endured and will not endure. This is evidenced by letters from the front of soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht, in which they admired the courage of Russian soldiers during the Second World War. ANDfrom a letter from a soldier of the Third Reich, Erich Ott, senthome from Stalingrad on October 14, 1942:« Russians are not like people, they are made of iron, they do not know fatigue, they do not know fear. Sailors, in the bitter cold, go on the attack in vests. Physically and spiritually, one Russian soldier is stronger than our entire company.”
From the book by Robert Kershaw “1941 through the eyes of the Germans. Birch crosses instead of iron ones":“During the attack, we stumbled upon a light Russian T-26 tank, we immediately clicked it right from the 37-graph paper. When we began to approach, a Russian leaned out of the hatch of the tower to the waist and opened fire on us with a pistol. It soon became clear that he was without legs, they were torn off when the tank was hit. And despite this, he fired at us with a pistol!
The strength of the spirit was manifested not only in battles. During the blockade of Leningrad in severe frosts up to 50 degrees, our heroic compatriots laid the "Road of Life" through Lake Ladoga, which became a salvation for thousands of Leningraders dying of hunger. After visiting the Museum "Road of Life" in the memory there was a photograph of a man walking knee-deep in water, with a bag over his shoulders. This was the first spring of the siege of Leningrad. The ice on Ladoga began to melt, the cars stalled, the horses refused to go into the icy water. But it was vital to deliver 4.5 tons of onions to the besieged city. What horses could not do, people did. Thirty volunteers 44 km dragged a precious load. In total, 65 tons of food was transported on foot across Ladoga.
And this is only a tiny part of the feat of the Russian people, who, not sparing their lives in the name of victory, defended their Motherland from foreign invaders.What is the secret of the unbending will, steadfastness and courage of Russians?
The ancestral home of Russia is Hyperborea, a highly spiritual legendary civilization that, according to scientists, existed several tens of thousands of years ago in the Arctic. Artifacts of this ancient country were discovered by archaeologists on the Kola Peninsula. The very name of the Kola Peninsula and the Kola River contains the rootnamed after the ancient Slavic god Kolo-Kolyada. When the poles of the Earth changed, escaping from the cold, our ancestors dews or Russ, as they were also called, moved to the territory of today's Russia from ancient Hyperborea. Confirmation can be found in predictionsNostradamus, whocalled the Russians "the Hyperborean people."Having moved to Russia, the dews were saturated with its codes, and a sprout of the strength of the spirit of the Russian land broke through in their souls. Russia is a special country, it is a stronghold of the forces of Light, the Spirit of the Earth is concentrated here. According to the Slavic-Aryan Vedas, the word"Russia" stands for "increasing light"."Ros" - growth, increase;"siya" - shine, light. That is, Russia was originally a source of spiritual light, hence the name Holy Russia. Our earth is luminiferous in its essence, it carries maternal feminine energies. It is no coincidence that only we have the concept of "Motherland". Therefore, it is a great sin to find fault with Russia, no matter how decadent the country is. This is the same as insulting your exhausted, sick mother, who gave all her strength to savechildren. It is difficult for foreigners to understand why Russians are always so desperate to defend their land from invaders. And the answer is simple - they protect the most sacred thing - their mother, and this is inherent in the Russians at the gene level.
Even in fairy tales, any evil spirits cannot stand the Russian spirit and can smell it from a distance. Our land is famous for the feats of arms of Russian heroes. Their names and deeds for the glory of the Fatherland were passed from mouth to mouth of their ancestors, and have come down to our days in epics and legends. You need to study and remember the history of your country. The connection of generations strengthens the roots of the spirit and gives stability and inflexibility in any of the most difficult trials. A man without family or tribe, like a "tumbleweed", is pliable even to a weak pressure of the wind and is an easy prey for any enemy.
Image of Russia - This is the Phoenix bird, reborn from the ashes, a symbol of immortality. From our rich history, we know many facts when it seemed to the enemies that Russia was completely destroyed and fell at the feet of the conquerors. Here are just a few examples: the surrender of Moscow to Napoleon during Patriotic War 1812; the blockade of Leningrad, the battles for Moscow during the Second World War; naxithe flattening of atheism in Soviet times; restructuring of the 90s and a focus on Western consumer values. But every time, contrary to all the forecasts of analysts, Russiareborn from devastation and poverty, like a Phoenix bird, and regained strength and power, causing bewilderment of observers from the outside. What is happening now. Recall the recent events in the month of March, whenRussia's position at the UN meeting on the issue of a referendum in Crimea caused an inadequate reaction from the US Permanent Representative Samantha Power. She spoke hystericallyenvoyRF VitalyChurkineverything she thinks about our country: “Russia has nothe right to forget that she is not a winner, butdefeated". Almighty America cannot believe and accept that Russia is back on the horse again.
The Russian soul is a depth, and there is a lot of unknown and unpredictable in it, its patience is great, which misleads many and gives rise to thoughts about the impunity of criminals. In fact, they are given a chance to change their minds and not commit sin. Russia endures to the limit, and waits for repentance, the spring is compressed more and more and the moment comes when it shoots with great force. And the enemy will be able to fully feel the full power of the Russian spirit in his own skin. As said"Iron Chancellor" Otto von Bismarck: "I know many ways to drive a Russian bear out of its den, but not a single one how to drive it back."The lessons of history are quickly forgotten, the long-suffering of Russia is again taken for weakness, and again self-confident conquerors are found, eager to get the riches of the Russian land.
EXODUS books say that Russian people do not even suspect what strength of spirit is inherent in them, these roots of strength and spirituality 
originally laid by the Lord himself. And still, the final decision remains with the people themselves.Faced with death, he makes a choice either to preserve honor and conscience, having lost his life, or to continue to live without honor and conscience. The Russian land gave birth to a large number of Saints. They raised the spirit of the people in the most difficult times by the example of their lives and true faith in God. The blessing of the Great Saint Sergius of Radonezh for the Battle of Kulikovo was an unconditional guarantee of victory over Mamai. The feat of selfless service to the God of the Saints of the Russian land erected pillars of the spirit that kept and keep the souls of people from the final fall in the most difficult years of unbelief and atheism.
Western consumer civilization throughout the history of mankind felt the "otherness" of Russia. The sacrifice and breadth of the Russian soul is still a mystery to her. The spiritual potential of Russia, the desire for unification is not understood and not accepted in Western countries, and alien and incomprehensible always causes fear and suspicion.German philosopher Walter Schubart tried to find an answer to this question:“Russia does not seek to conquer the West, nor to enrich itself at its expense - it wants to save it. The Russian soul feels itself happiest in a state of self-giving and sacrifice. It strives for universal integrity, for the living embodiment of the idea of universal humanity. It pours over the edge - to the West. Because she wants integrity. She does not look for additions to herself in him, but squanders herself, she intends not to take, but to give. She's in a messianic mood." . Russia has always been self-sufficient and did not claim foreign territories.In this idea of Russia Western countries do not believe and do not want to believe. But there comes such a critical moment in their destinies that they will be forced to overcome their arrogance. And a turning point will come in the "enlightened" minds when they begin to see clearly and see in Russia spiritual leader, Mother savior and protector of the whole world.
Now, during the Transition of humanity to a new level of consciousness, when the struggle between the forces of Light and darkness has reached its maximum, the Lord is betting on the revival of the Russian spirit. To the above, we can add the words of Lord El Morya from book 5.3 of the series EXODUS : “Russian people are amazing in their desire for knowledge, for service, when they want it with all their hearts, with all their souls. Therefore, indeed, Russia will be the first. The Russian spirit is strong. You really can't kill him. But if everyone united, everyone showed the spirit, what strength would be, what a breakthrough, what progress. Then, in one fell swoop, it would be possible to do away with all the negatives, with all the darkness that surrounds you ... How long, how painfully the Russians have suffered and are suffering! But why? For the sake of the future, or maybe as a payment for the past? No and no again. For the sake of the future, they accept flour. To do what needs to happen. Then Russia will rise and lead other countries and peoples, in whom the spirit is not so strong and patient, in whom there is little holiness, in whom faith in God is not enough.
Ostrer Elena and Romanova Ludmila
Love for Motherland
My eyes look with anger at people,
On those who sow lies, cynicism, poison and cowardice
Insidious enemies came to the Russian land,
To cultivate debauchery and indifference in the hearts
They managed to inspire us with vicious words
And they taught not to love their native people,
Having managed to cover and desecrate with shame
The once sacred word "patriot"
But a Russian cannot not love
Without beauty and kindness, there is emptiness in the heart
Desecrated honor and justice gnaw at the soul
She needs love and purity like air
Love for the native land is sung in Russian songs,
It is in our blood and in our souls and in our hearts.
And we have a lot to return in battles,
And make clear what was only in dreams
I believe that the long-awaited hour will come,
When love for the Fatherland awakens again
And the Russian Spirit will fill us with power,
And mother - holy Russia will forever be reborn!
Marat Nasybulin. October, 2014
A word to those who personify our essence - the elite of the Spirit
(These words are their true essence, and left a bright mark in the history of mankind)
Prince Alexander Nevskysaid before the battle with the Swedes:"God is not in power, but in truth!"
In all Ages, Russians believed in the same thing - above all istruth, truth, god , and only by this measure can one measure both one's own life and the life of one's people. No material force - be it the force of weapons, money or an unjust law - is higher than truth for Russians: and this is the most important difference between Russian civilization and modern Western civilization. All our troubles were due to the deviation from truth and justice - and then Russia fell apart from within or lost to an external enemy. But in the Ukrainian crisis, everyone understands that our cause is just, which is why V. Putin speaks of our strength:
“It's just that we are stronger ... Everyone. Because we are right. Power is in the truth. When a Russian person feels right, he is invincible" .
“The simpler and closer to the earth a person is, the more responsibility he has for his Motherland. I'll even tell you why. He has no other homeland, he will not get on a plane, on a train or on a horse and leave, he will not roll away from here. He knows that he will stay here, on this earth, where his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be. He must take care of them. If he doesn't do it, no one else will. This is the basis of statehood and patriotism of an ordinary Russian person. Yes, and a person of any nationality living here ... "There is strength in unity!" ‒ this inner patriotism of an ordinary Russian citizen very strong..."
“Look at our thousand-year history. As soon as we rise, we immediately need to move Russia a little, put it in its place, slow it down. Containment theory, how many years has it been around? It seems that it originated in Soviet times, although it is hundreds of years old. But we must not escalate, dramatize. You have to understand that this is how the world works.
http://vz.ru/politics/2014/11/24/716863.html - « The Truth and Love of Vladimir Putin
Many Rulers often recite great words with pathos: “God is with us!”
But people know - not by words, but by deeds, the cosmic Themis will judge them.
Did GOD direct the actions of American presidents from Truman to the present day, who left an obvious bloody planetary trail in history for the GLORY of America (“American interests”) and the so-called “American democracy”? Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, carpet bombings of Dresden, Vietnam, the dismemberment of Yugoslavia, plunging into the chaos of the fratricidal war of Afghanistan Iraq, ... Orange revolutions in Libya, Egypt, Syria, Georgia and Ukraine ... And everywhere - chaos, genocide of civilians, destruction of life support infrastructure and economic potential! And everywhere - bringing to power the most fanatical radical forces up to the Nazis. Now, under American control, the Kiev Junta for the GLORY of Ukraine is conducting a punitive operation, genocide against the people of their country, who dared to claim the right to their own point of view on life. But GOD is their judge!
The spiritual leader of Russia, V. Putin, never utters such lofty words from the podium, but the constant presence of God is felt in his soul and heart. Therefore, he speaks very frankly, directly and openly, without lies and falsehood. And you feel his responsibility for every word and decision.
And the Higher GODS highlighted this most important facet of him, as a servant of Russia, the planet and GOD, giving us the words of a prayer in which all dots are placed over i :
Prayer is heard in the blue sky
MOTHER Great.
She calls the stars that have fallen down,
Let the heart of the presidents tremble with love,
Calling them to unite around Russia,
Having united in thought with Avatar Thoth,
Who teamed up with Putin
As with your own material body.
The President of Russia will show the rest the way
To Truth and Light.
In his prayer, Heaven praises the earthly son, -
The embodiment of loyalty, love and wisdom.
To unite everyone is his task,
Connecting the links of the entire planet
And become a star of the Cosmos and the Sky.
And she turns to him:
“Hallowed be, My son, your name.
You are the main warrior carrying the cross
For the entire planet and for all people.
May everything that I have said come true.
Amen"
Now every person, in his right mind and reason, can unambiguously determine who to follow and how, in other words, what God he serves.
An artist cannot be a failure;
be an artist‒luck itself.
Charles Horton Cooley
This story is about how the will to live and fortitude can demolish any obstacles in its path and help fulfill a dream, no matter how difficult it may seem.
Fate constantly tests a person on his life path. Some people, being healthy, give in to the slightest difficulties and complain about life. Others, without complaints or excuses, overcome the most difficult trials and find their place in life.
The epigraph to this article was a quote I read in social network, on the page of an amazing person whose name is Ildar Apcheleev. This capacious phrase contains a deep meaning, with which one cannot but agree.
Ildar- a self-taught artist from the Kuibyshev region (aul Bergul). A happy smile, a perky look and a lot of energy. And also faith in God, in yourself and your limitless possibilities. This is how people see our hero. He is strong-willed, talented and strong-willed the young man, managed to achieve his goal, despite the existing difficulties that stood in his way of life ...
Even at birth, the young man received a birth injury, the functionality of the hands turned out to be completely impaired. Ildar has cerebral palsy, he is a disabled person of the 1st group, because of the disease his hands do not fully function, so their work is done by the legs. Ildar has to do everything with his feet, or rather, with his toes. He is a very talented, sociable and kind young man who has many friends. The guy likes to play football and computer games. But my favorite pastime was and still is drawing. Despite the illness, Ildar tries to live fully. He is supported in everything by his loving family.
Initially, he sculpted plasticine figurines, created various paper crafts, and even learned to embroider. Soon before our hero opened wonderful world painting...
In 2013, Ildar Apcheleev received a diploma of the first degree and an electric stove "Dream" for his exhibition of paintings. Your participation in the festival creative people with disabilities "Talent and Will" and such a stunning success, Ildar made a splash in his native village Bergul. No one expected that the first participation in the regional competition would be the beginning of a new life for the young man.
The initiator of the participation of the guy in the prestigious regional competition "Talent and Will" was Dina Faizulina, head of the center of Tatar national culture of the Kuibyshev region. Upon learning that the young man paints with his toes, Dina decided to help him feel at all costs. needed by society. Ildar's parents supported this idea. The cultural and leisure center of the Kuibyshev region allocated funds and transport for the trip. And now six paintings were taken by mother and son to Novosibirsk. By the way, the artist comes up with the names of his drawings himself - and they very accurately reveal the meaning and idea of the work. For example, "Corner of Thoughts", "Free in the Steppe", "Native Land", "Little Dream" ... Each picture radiates goodness, light, love, happiness and faith. Of course, parents are always next to the son - their support and understanding help him achieve the results that he has today.
Saviya Apcheleeva, mother: " We are very grateful to Dina and the others who helped our son to take part in the competition. It looks like he has wings on his back. Draws and draws. Now the neighbors are asking him to paint their portrait. Ildar already completed one order, everyone liked it. Working on the second».
Happy is the man who has something to fight for, who has something to achieve. You have to forge yourself. If a person wants to achieve something in life ‒ he must set goals for himself and achieve them. Life is overcoming. Overcoming your fear, laziness, weaknesses, external circumstances. We live if we study hard to win.
Let's remember the story - a man who inspires thousands of people not to give up, despite the pain, despair and seeming hopelessness. By his example, every day he inspires faith and hope in the hearts of millions of people around the world.
The strength of the spirit, the strength of the will - this is real strength. Self-victories are real victories. A life strong man- that's real life.
Ildar is one of those people who do not give up before the trials of life, thanks to his perseverance, talent and great strength will, we have the opportunity to contemplate beautiful paintings and be inspired by the creative success of the artist ...
Each person must remember that in every difficulty he is not alone - with him is the One who Created him. The one who sees and hears everything, even what a person is silent about, the one who knows his soul. No matter how much grief we experience and no matter how abandoned we feel, the Almighty is with everyone.
The Quran says:
He replied, "Don't be afraid, both of you! There is no doubt that I [the Lord of the worlds] is near you, I hear and see everything. [I will not let anyone offend you, at the right time, help will be next to you].*
Holy Quran, 20:46
A believer, taking into account the absolute "online" awareness of the Creator, and even more so - His control and power over everything and everything, should never despair and do everything in his power to achieve happiness both in the earthly and in the eternal!
Gulnara,
Mahalla №1
*With comments by Sh. Alyautdinov
Hello))
Having started publishing articles on preparing for the holidays, I don’t want to “leave” the topic of relaxation for household topics, so today’s article will be, especially since there have been no similar ones on the blog for a long time)
Although it is difficult to call it purely entertaining, reading about people who, despite numerous failures, have achieved their goal is both interesting and informative.
We are all people and we all tend to doubt: is it worth starting a business, is it worth striving for a goal, will it work out, will there be enough strength? Some people spend their entire lives in this turmoil. And some try to do something, but at the first failure they give up: “After all, fate favors only the lucky ones, doesn’t it? Can I be one of them?"
Read interesting stories from the lives of great people. They did not give up, they respected themselves and showed a lot of wonderful personal qualities. As a result, we have achieved a lot.
Thomas Alva Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was not lucky initially: he was youngest child in the family of a merchant who managed to lose all his miserable savings. Thomas was sent to school, but after four months the boy was put out the door, declaring "a brainless dumbass."
And he turned out to be an amazing man, this Thomas Edison, Interesting Facts is living proof of that. He began to invent toys for himself because his parents had no money to interrogate for "any nonsense" and at the age of ten he built a toy railway and a sawmill.
The guy was twelve when he started selling apples on the train, and spent all the money he earned on his passion, chemistry. By cunning or flattery, he won the right to equip a luggage car for a laboratory and learned to print a newspaper (it became the first weekly publication for passengers).
But two years later, a fire broke out in his car. According to one of the legends, the senior conductor threw the boy out of the train, and the printing press and assorted flasks with retorts followed him. As a result of a strong blow, Thomas lost his hearing, but survived and did not give up.
He never allowed himself to be disappointed or doubted, which is why his success story is so amazing.
Inventing the famous incandescent lamp, Thomas Edison made 1999 (!) Experiments and only in 2000 did he achieve what he wanted.
Once a certain young man asked him: what is it like to be wrong 1999 times? “Young man,” Edison replied, “I have never made a mistake. On the contrary, I invented 1999 ways of how not to make light bulbs.
The Beatles
The fifties thundered in England. People shook off the ashes of war, they wanted to dance and sing. Bands popped up like mushrooms after the rain, and many of them played the whimsical skiffle.
Hooligan John Lennon also wanted to try. He knew how to compose songs, and just at that time an exemplary boy Paul McCartney turned up on his arm, he famously strummed rock and roll on the guitar and even knew how to tune it! In addition, he found a friend named George Harrison - also a great guitarist. It seems that all the components of success were, but he did not expect them around the next corner.
For fans and everyone who loves the Beatles interesting facts .
Far from immediately they found "their" fourth participant. His place was taken by a variety of people, one of them was not even a musician.
The record labels showed no interest in the newcomers, stating that "they sound bad, the guitar bands are out of fashion, so there is no future for these guys."
At the Decca recording studio, the Beatles were rejected on the grounds that: “We don't like their sound. They have no future in the music industry."
During the first tour to Hannover (Germany), the group was deported outside the country.
However, producer Brian Epstein believed in his young protégés, and he was completely right.
Walt Disney
They say the perpetually unemployed dad got drunk drunk and beat little Walty. He cried from pain and resentment, and his mother read fairy tales to him - to calm him down. Perhaps that is why, being already a 12-year-old boy, he decided to become a cartoonist.
Fate did not want to smile at Walty for a long time, but he still turned out to be worthy to head the list of people who did not give up.
Walt drew cartoons and comics, submitting them to various magazines and getting rejected everywhere. And at the age of 18 he got a job as a cartoonist and was expelled in disgrace "for unsuitability."
Together with a friend, he started his own business, earning "crazy money" (135 dollars), but the business fell apart. Then Walt began to draw cartoons in the garage, however, his first dilogy about Alice by Carroll crashed. Disney then came up with a lucrative character named Oswald the rabbit. This time, the rights to it were stolen by an insidious deceiver.
Walt gritted his teeth and created Donald Duck. And also Mickey Mouse to him for company. However, about both of them, everyone was sarcastic, and indeed, it became a good form to criticize the “mouse studio”, nevertheless, things were going on.
But as soon as decent amounts loomed in the accounts, competitors poached the best Disney animator, his best, longtime friend. And that's when the resilient Walt broke down. He drank, and then decided to take his own life. Luckily, doctors saved him, allowing the Walt Disney success story to continue.
The cartoonist was slowly pulling himself out of depression and financial collapse. I thought of selling souvenirs with characters from my cartoons, thus getting money for the production of Snow White. But to attack again - the project ate all the profits from souvenirs, and not a single bank gave a loan to Disney. He started drinking again due to a nervous breakdown. Then he still found five million to continue filming.
He always went ahead through a lot of obstacles. His idea of building Disneyland turned out to be another hassle. Even his own brother called the future park a "cheap fair". But today the whole world knows the name of Walt Disney.
He is part of the culture, the founder and innovator in the world of cinema. In addition: the owner of 29 Oscars, the Order of the Legion of Honor and more than seven hundred other distinctions. And he left his heirs a billion-dollar fortune.
Success stories of rich people
Oprah Winfrey
It is impossible to list in a few words all the failures, difficulties, insults that fill the success story of Oprah Winfrey. She was able to earn a capital of two and a half billion on ... intimate conversations. But it didn't come to that right away. 
Her mother was a frivolous girl of eighteen years of age. She gave birth to a daughter "accidentally" and disliked from the moment of birth. She threw her grandmother in the Mississippi wilderness, and she herself went to the city in search of happiness. Grandmother was a kind, sensitive and caring person. Thanks to her, talents were discovered early in the girl: she loved to “interview” animals, and at the age of 5 she delivered such heartfelt speeches in the church that everyone said: “The Holy Spirit descended on the child!”.
But then Oprah was taken in by her unfortunate mother. They lived in terrible poverty, in addition to everything else, a girl from the age of nine was repeatedly subjected to sexual violence by her cousins. As a result, having matured a little, she could not stand it and ran away wherever her eyes looked. She gave birth and buried a premature baby, wanted to commit suicide, got hooked on drugs and slept with pushers for a dose.
Only when she got to the house of her own father, she began to stand on her feet. And even she was able to break into television, however, with great difficulty, then a woman with a dark skin color was considered a creature of the lowest grade. She was pointed to the door everywhere as "unsuitable", for example, Oprah was fired from the Baltimore news because of excessive emotionality.
Today she is an idol and the idol of Americans, her programs are watched with bated breath. And all this Oprah Winfrey certainly deserved.
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone, "Sly" was born into a family of impoverished Italian immigrants, in the creepy New York quarter of "Hell's Kitchen". The birth was difficult for the baby, the nerve endings on the face were damaged. Therefore, part of his cheek, tongue and lips remained paralyzed.
He studied at a special school for difficult teenagers, grew up among drug addicts, bandits and prostitutes, having learned a simple truth from childhood: if you want to survive, strike first. Needless to say, the success story of Sylvester Stallone turned out to be incredibly complex?
Stallone dreamed of cinema: he starred in crowd scenes, went to screen tests, wrote unsuccessful scripts, played several "passing" roles ... But it was as if no one had seen him, he was invisible! His crazy dream of becoming an actor was openly mocked.
Tired of endless lack of money, his wife left him. Sly had only a dog left, and an empty, cold apartment - heating and electricity were turned off for the malicious defaulter. Then the dog had to be sold in order to buy food and not die of hunger. Reluctantly, because friends are not sold, he did it - there was nothing to feed the dog. Sly swore that he would ransom him as soon as he got hold of the money.
Where there! He found himself at a dead end, forced to warm himself in public libraries, until he finally came up with a script about the boxer Rocky Balboa, timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of US independence, however, the script was not wanted anywhere at first.
Finally, a couple of young producers agreed to take the risk and offered $15,000 for the script. But they did not need Stallone as an actor, who offered himself "in the appendage." And he categorically refused any offered money, because he wanted to play Rocky himself.
As time went on, the producers raised the stakes: $100,000, $250,000... Sylvester said no. Bending down from poverty, he continued to say “no” and eventually got his way - he was taken to leading role by paying the original asking price for the script.
And his dog, sold for $ 50, Stallone bought back, giving him the entire fee - 15,000.
After the premiere of the film, he woke up famous. Then there were many ups and downs. He is considered the record holder for nominations for the infamous Golden Raspberry. Many whispered that it would be better for Sly to leave the cinema. He was declared bankrupt several times and forced to sell his share in the Planet Hollywood cinema for debts.
But, like his favorite characters in his films, Stallone finds the strength to get up after every fall.
beyoncé
This is now the beautiful Beyoncé - the idol of millions, one of the highest paid singers, and in the past, not everyone recognized her talent. It is worth telling Beyoncé fans interesting facts about her biography.
As part of a girl group, she took part in the most prestigious talent competition on national television. And... was defeated.
After the first failure, she decided to continue her career only at the suggestion of her parents, for the sake of which her father quit his job, and her mother was engaged in the image of a girl, but everything turned out terribly wrong: the producers either agreed to “take under the wing” of the young Destiny's Child, then tore up contracts, the girls mercilessly scandalized between themselves. Beyoncé's parents were so exhausted that they announced a divorce.
And only a few years later the project still started working. And today her fortune is estimated at three hundred million dollars.
Steven Spielberg
The name of Steven Spielberg on the poster of any film is a sign of quality. Nowadays, the author of "Jurassic Park", "Indiana Jones", "Jaws", "Alien", "Saving Private Ryan", "Poltergeist", "Terminal" and a host of other chic paintings is known not only to moviegoers.
And if you like the work of Steven Spielberg, interesting facts from his biography will definitely impress you.
First, he is extremely scrupulous about his name. If he considers the finished film to be substandard, he will definitely demand to remove the mention of himself from the credits.
Secondly, in his youth, he tried to enter the Film School at the University of California, but received low scores in exams and failed twice.
Deciding to go the other way, he became a student at a technical college, and in his spare time he shot his first short film, which was noticed at the Universal Pictures studio. Since then, Stephen has steadily moved forward.
And Spielbegr nevertheless entered the film school, but only 37 years after the first failures))
Examples of strong personalities
Joy Mangano
History knows many strong personalities and examples famous people, whose biography may well be a role model.
One of these is an American housewife named Joy Mangano, a real-life example of the notorious American dream coming true.
This woman was born with an inventive streak. She lived in poverty, went to work early, the first job for her was a veterinary clinic. After seeing enough of the naughty flea dogs, Joy invented a flea collar that could glow in the dark.
But since she was a teenager, she could not bring her idea to life. Instead, it was done by the “senior comrade”, to whom the idea brought millions. The offended girl decided that next time she would definitely grab fate by the tail and become an example of people who have achieved success from scratch.
A few years later, already a mother with three children, she came up with a miracle mop. The device had a cotton rag and a simple squeezing mechanism - if you have something similar in your house, then remember that we need to say thanks to the ordinary American Joy Mangano for the self-squeezing mop))
For the first batch of one hundred mops, the inventor collected money from acquaintances, humiliated herself and begged. And then... in 20 minutes at the TV store, she managed to sell 18,000 pieces. Today they are sold at ten million a year, and Joy has become one of the richest women in business - she built an Empire to develop useful little things in the household.
Michael Jordan
In each segment of science and technology, art and sports there is a unique strong personality - examples of people-athletes are a vivid confirmation of this.
The famous basketball player Michael Jordan did not aspire to anything special as a child.
He was lazy, arrogant to teachers and did not study well. He only liked sports. More precisely - baseball, where he achieved excellent results, becoming the champion of his state.
And then he was fascinated by basketball. But the guy didn’t come out tall, the coach didn’t believe in a short player and didn’t take him to the senior team.
After being kicked out of the college basketball team, he went home, locked himself in his room, and burst into tears. However, Michael began to give his best in the "little league" and decided to compensate for this with a high jump, which later became his trademark and for which he received the nickname "Air Jordan". Michael even grew ten centimeters.
“I lost almost three hundred games. I missed over nine thousand times. I was constantly failing. And that’s the only reason he succeeded,” Jordan will later say.
Now you understand why you can't give up for anything? Even if life is in full swing and constantly hits you on the top of your head - fight, and let the success stories of the rich and famous become your foothold. Do not listen to those who want to lower your self-respect.
Einstein said: "If you judge a fish by its ability to climb trees, it will die - confident in its stupidity."
About the same incredible stories of people, but not so famous, who achieved what they dreamed of, you can read in the articles: and.
If you think about it, nothing worthwhile in this life is given to us without struggle and overcoming difficulties - they are an integral part of life path. We have a choice: either endure the pain and pass the test to the bitter end, or give up and suffer the pain of defeat.
Ludwig van Beethoven, Albert Einstein, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra - we hear these names from childhood. But few people know what trials they had to go through. They succeeded only through willpower.
Ludwig van Beethoven
At 26, Ludwig began to lose his hearing. But this circumstance did not stop him from composing music. When he was almost out of hearing, he wrote " moonlight sonata”, and being completely deaf, the bagatelle play“ To Elise ”(the same one that sounds from music boxes).
Thanks to his persistent character and talent, he learned to listen to music inside, and after writing the 9th symphony, he himself conducted the concert. After the triumphant performance, he burst into tears. “For a person with talent and a love of work, there are no barriers,” Beethoven repeated.
Albert Einstein
When Einstein was a small child, it was hard to imagine that he would succeed in life. Until the age of three, Albert could not speak, suffered from autism and dyslexia. While studying at the gymnasium, he often missed classes, which is why he never received a certificate. To prove to his parents what he really is worth, Einstein prepared himself and entered the Polytechnic in Zurich the second time.
Albert said: “We are all geniuses. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is a fool.”
Grigory Zhuravlev - icon painter without hands
Hello, dear visitors of the Orthodox island "Family and Faith"!
WITH The silt of the spirit gives you and me not only to live, but also to experience various everyday difficulties. So Grigory Zhuravlev, the hero of today's story, survived with the help of force Orthodox Spirit such difficulties that you and I never dreamed of. After all, he, being a wonderful icon painter, had neither arms nor legs ...
"V in a dimly lit hut, illuminated by the flashing fire of a torch, Marya Zhuravleva's relatives were sitting at the table. Her husband was taken to the Assumption as a soldier and served in the distant Caucasus, where he participated in the pacification of the rebellious Dagestan and Chechnya. Marya herself, taken to the village of Utevka from a rich peasant family, lay on clean crisp straw, spread on the floor in a well-heated bathhouse, and toiled with the third birth. The bathhouse soon resounded with the shrill cry of a baby. But after this cry came the desperate cry of the midwife. Marya's sister-in-law Dasha grabbed the oil lamp, brought it closer to the newborn and also squealed: the child was born without arms and legs ... The doors of the hut flung open, and out of breath Dasha ran in, clasped her hands and began to wail. The relatives sitting at the table were alarmed.
What, Manka died?! Don't howl, you fool, speak plainly!
The child was born a freak. No arms, no legs, one body and head. Everything is smooth. Sort of like an egg.
Everyone jumped up from the table and rushed into the bathhouse to watch. The deacon's father came and carefully examined the child. “Hmmm,” he said, “indeed, there are no limbs, not even stumps. Shameful oud is also available for males. And he yells at the top of his lungs, puffs up his belly, dances with his lips, which means that he wants to start the meal. “Father deacon, how could this happen? And our Manka is healthy and strong, like a turnip. And her man was like a stallion, but the child turned out to be defective? - Manka's relatives asked in bewilderment. “Hmm, Orthodox, here only doctoral science is able to answer. As a clergyman, I can say that Satan himself worked here. Apparently, the Lord saw a great person in this baby. Maybe he was appointed by the Lord to be a general or a bishop. And the devil, out of malice, took it, and took away the arms and legs from the baby. However, maybe I'm wrong, so forgive me for Christ's sake.
A parent with a child from the bathhouse was brought to the hut, relatives crowded around the bed and gave advice. “You, Manka, don’t give him a tit,” said Uncle Yakim, “he’ll scream for a day or two, and he’ll ditch. And he will untie you, and he himself in the Kingdom of Heaven will thank you. He has no place in this life."
But still, after eight days, the baby was brought to the church.
The servant of God Gregory is baptized. In the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen.
SAVIOR by Grigory Zhuravlev
Uncle Yakim was the recipient. Taking the baptized Grisha in dry diapers, he grumbled: "And what kind of child is this, just one mouth." The father reproachfully said: “We do not know what God's providence is for this child. And as for the mouth, with this mouth he can do great things. After all, the mouth serves not only for eating food, but it is said in Scripture: "In the beginning was the Word." Wait, not you yet, but he will feed you. “You, father Vasily, are not interpreting the same. Well, how will such a kaleksha provide me, a healthy peasant, with food? “What is impossible for man is possible for God,” Father Vasily said.
And a hundred years later, in 1963, in Yugoslavia, the Serbian art historian Zdravko Kaimanovic, conducting an inventory of the cultural monuments of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in the village of Purachin, near Tuzla, discovered an icon, on the reverse side of which there was an inscription in Russian: “This icon was painted in the Samara province, Buzuluk district, Utev volost, the same village, by the teeth of a peasant Grigory Zhuravlev, armless and legless, 1885 , July 2".
... Little Grisha would have had a bad time if it were not for his older brother and sister. The godfather, Uncle Yakim, worked out a special low carriage for Grisha, which he brought to the yard with the words: "For my future breadwinner." And wherever the brother and sister went, they took Grisha with them everywhere, who grew up as a smart boy and looked at the world of God with clear, thoughtful eyes. Father deacon himself came to teach him to read and write and the law of God. Grisha, sitting on a bench, leaning his chest on the table and holding a pencil in his teeth, carefully wrote letters on paper. The whole village felt sorry for him, and everyone tried to do something for him. Children, usually ruthless towards holy fools and cripples, did not offend or tease Grisha. Grisha's father did not return from the Caucasus, apparently, he was struck down by a dashing Chechen bullet. But there was no need for a family, because the world took care of her. Father Vasily also helped, and the master - the leader of the district nobility, a retired general, Prince Tuchkov.
Grisha's drawing abilities showed up early. It seemed that through his bodily suffering he saw many things that others did not see. With a childish mind, he penetrated the very essence of things and events, and sometimes even old people were surprised by his reasoning. At the suggestion of the master, Grisha was taken every day in a wheelchair to the estate, where teachers taught the general's children. But the church was especially attractive to Grisha. He constantly asked to go to the temple of God, and his patient brother and sister took him to Vespers, to Sunday mass and to all holidays. Pushing through the people, they brought Grisha to each icon, lifted him up, and he kissed the icon and gazed at it with wide eyes, whispering something, smiling, nodding his head. Mother of God and often tears rolled down his cheeks. The prince did not leave Grisha with his grace and sent him to study at the Samara gymnasium. Brother and sister went with him.
The city board of trustees rented an apartment for them not far from the gymnasium, paid their tuition fees, and the master left money for living expenses and for a cab driver. His brother took Grisha to the gymnasium and stayed with him in the classroom, while his sister took care of the house, went to the market, and prepared simple meals. Grisha studied well. Classmates at first were shy and shunned him, but over time they got used to and fell in love with him for his cheerful disposition, remarkable mind and abilities, but especially for folk songs which he sang in a strong beautiful voice. “Wow, a man never loses heart! they said. “Not that we are boring and sour.”
In addition to the gymnasium, Grisha was taken to the city cathedral for services and also to the icon-painting workshop of Alexei Ivanovich Seksyaev. When Grisha found himself in the workshop, he, inhaling the smell of drying oil, turpentine and varnishes, experienced a festive feeling. Once he showed the owner of the workshop his drawings in pencil and watercolor. The drawings went from hand to hand, the masters clicking their tongues approvingly, patting Grisha on the back. Soon they began to teach him the skill of fine icon painting.
The owner, especially for him, set up a separate table by the window, attached a strap to it to fasten Grisha to the table, gave him a three-wick kerosene lamp, and hung a glass ball of water from the ceiling on a cord, which cast a bright beam of light onto the table from the lamp. And Grisha's brother was taught what Grisha could not do: making wooden blanks for icons, priming and sticking canvas, overlaying gesso and polishing with a cow's tooth, as well as sticking gold leaf and preparing special paints. Grisha himself was taught to apply the contours of the image on the gesso with a thin steel needle - graphic, to write in dolitic, as well as the faces themselves, palms and fingers. His brother gave him a brush in his mouth, and he began. It was difficult: the board lay flat on the table so that the paint did not flow down, and the brush had to be held vertically in relation to the board. The better this was done, the thinner the drawing came out. The close distance hurt his eyes, the tension hurt his neck. After two or three hours of work, a spasm of the jaw muscles set in, so that Grisha could not remove the brush from his mouth. He managed to open his mouth only after wet hot towels were applied to his cheekbones. But on the other hand, the drawing on the icon came out solid, correct. Another won't do it with his hand like Grisha with his teeth. The master, looking at Grisha’s table, shouted to others: “Hey, Grishka, the crow has deftly worked out! How alive he flies to Elijah the Prophet!
Grisha started with simple icons, where there was one figure of a saint, then he moved on to more complex plots and compositions. The owner taught him: “You paint an icon with the Jesus Prayer. Write earnestly, in our opinion - in Russian. You are a pure person, not soiled in everyday affairs, sort of like a true monk. We would like to write like that, but it doesn't work. Already fucked up. Where can we write a truly holy image! We do not have a monastic cloister, where the monks-painters fulfill their holy obedience and, before writing the image, they fast, pray, are silent, and rub the paints with holy water and a piece of holy relics. We just have a workshop, with worldly sinful masters. It helps us that the icons after our hands in the temples of God are consecrated with a special rite. Then the image becomes pure, holy... You are a completely different matter. You are blessed with success. But do not forget to observe the canon. The demon will be tempted to add a gag, but you stick to the canonical. Because the canonical is ecclesiastical, and therefore conciliar. God forbid you allow a lie in the icon. Lies in iconography can cause irreparable harm to many Christian souls.”
THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD painted by Grigory Zhuravlev
Years passed, Grisha learned a lot in Seksyaev's workshop. At twenty-two, he graduated from the Samara gymnasium and returned to his native village of Utevka, where he began to paint icons to order. They were in great demand. For not only were the icons good and graceful, the people especially appreciated the fact that they were icons not made by hands. They believed that the Holy Spirit Himself helps Gregory the icon painter, that a man without arms and legs could not work like that. This is a sacred work, this is a feat according to Christ. The queue of customers was formed for years to come. Grisha began to earn good money, built a workshop, trained assistants for himself, and took on his uncle Yakim, who by that time had been widowed and aged, as a dependency.
By 1885, during the reign of the pious Sovereign Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich, in the rich and grainy village of Utevki, they began to build a cathedral church in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity. Grisha was invited to paint the walls. For him, according to his drawing, special scaffolds were made, where the cradle on the blocks went in different directions. It was necessary to paint on wet plaster quickly, within one hour, and Grisha decided to paint on primed canvas pasted on the walls. Near him were a brother and another assistant who moved him, served him and changed brushes and paints. It was terribly hard to paint the dome of the temple, only a prayer cry to Christ and the Mother of God poured strength into him for this feat. He had to lie on his back, on a special lift with screws, suffering from fatigue and pain. From this work, bleeding ulcers formed on the shoulder blades, the sacrum and the back of the head. The walls are easier to work with. First of all, Gregory began to write a magnificent appearance to Patriarch Abraham of the Holy Trinity at the oak of Mamre, trying to make everything come out like the reverend painter Andrei Rublev.
Sts. Cyril and Methodius by Grigory Zhuravlev
Having heard about such an extraordinary painter, journalists arrived from St. Petersburg with a photographer. Standing at the cathedral, they asked the working plasterers: “How is it that Gregory paints the cathedral without limbs?” Pskov plasterers grinned. “How does he paint? It is known how - with his teeth, - the peasants said, puffing on cigarettes, - he takes a brush in his teeth and went to play. The head goes back and forth like this, and two accomplices hold it by the body, move it little by little. "Wonders! - journalists were surprised. “Will he let us shoot?” “How not to let. Let the Orthodox people, huch not in kind, but still look at your pictures. Gregory's icons are painfully good, very kind to the soul and heart. In a word, they are not made by hands. Gregory painted the temple for several years in a row. From hard work and constant peering into the drawing, his eyesight deteriorated almost closely. I had to go to Samara to order glasses. The mouth was very disturbing: the lips cracked and bled, the front incisors were thoroughly worn out, painful sores appeared on the tongue. When he, sitting at the table after work, could not eat because of pain in his mouth, his sister sobbed: “You are our martyr, Grishenka.”
Finally, the temple was completely painted, and the diocesan bishop himself, the Samara governor, eminent benefactor merchants, officials of the provincial government and the spiritual consistory arrived for its consecration. Dressed-up people gathered from the surrounding villages. When the authorities entered the temple and looked around the painting, everyone gasped, amazed at the beauty of the images: the entire Old and New Testament shone in the colors. There was a fresco “The Joy of the Righteous in the Lord,” where the righteous, rejoicing, enter paradise; The image was so impressive that the two merchants rolled with fear into the hands of their husbands and were dragged unconscious onto the grass. There was also “Let every breath praise the Lord”, and “Every creature rejoices in You, Rejoiced”, which depicted all kinds of cattle, every creature under heaven, as well as the sea with reptiles and fish playing in the foamy waves.
The consecration was solemn. The bishops' choir, brought from Samara, sang. The cathedral protodeacon recited the litanies with a thunderous voice. And Grisha at that time was sick, lying at home ...
Approximately a month after the consecration of the cathedral, an official on special assignments under the governor arrived in Utevki from Samara with an envelope sealed with official wax seals. The envelope contained a letter from the Minister of the Court of His Imperial Majesty with an invitation to Grigory Nikolaevich Zhuravlev to St. Petersburg and with an attachment of five hundred rubles in banknotes for the journey. Grisha was escorted to the tsar in St. Petersburg by the whole village. They served a parting prayer, baked plantain pies.
Gregory was accompanied by his brother and sister. From Samara, at first they sailed on the steamer "St. Bartholomew", then they went by cast iron. At the station, people sent by Count Stroganov met with a carriage. The carriage drove up to the Stroganov Palace on Nevsky Prospekt, and the visitors were placed in the guest wing, in three rooms. A workshop was prepared for Gregory. And from the first day, visitors began to come to Gregory. The eminent first-guild merchant Labutin, the owner of a large collection of icons, was the first to appear. He offered Grisha to conclude a contract for the production of 50 icons. Immediately laid out on the table a large sum deposit.
And if I die, - said Grisha, - what will happen then?
Labutin rubbed his hands and wished him many more years. This was followed by an endless stream of visitors: students of the Academy of Arts, curious high-society ladies, newspapermen and journalists, scientists - professors of medicine Bekhterev, Grekov, Vreden ... He was also visited by a fellow countryman who came from the Volga region - the famous icon painter Nikita Savateev, who painted images for the Royal Family . He gave Grisha an icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh feeding a bear in the forest with bread. Grisha accepted the icon with pleasure and looked at the gift for a long time, marveling at the subtle Stroganov letter.
Once, Count Stroganov himself came to Grisha and warned that a high visit was expected from the Sovereign Emperor Alexander III and his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna. And then one day the Sovereign's carriage drove into the courtyard of the Stroganov Palace. Grisha was sitting on the sofa waiting for the distinguished guests and looked at front door. The door opened and the Emperor and Empress entered. The sovereign looked like a real hero, his friendly face was decorated with a bushy beard. He was dressed in a military uniform with an aiguillette under the right epaulet and a white cross around his neck, trousers tucked into Russian boots with accordion tops. The sovereign sat down next to Grisha. The Empress, on the contrary, said to the Emperor in French: "What a pleasant soldier's face he has." Indeed, it was pleasant to look at Grisha: his eyes were large, clear and meek, his face was clean, framed by a short dark beard. The hair on the head is short and combed back. The people surrounding Grisha began to show icons of his letter. The August couple liked the icons. The Empress especially liked the image of the Theotokos - "The Mammal", which was immediately presented to her.
Well, now let's see how you work, - said the Sovereign, getting up from the sofa. Grisha was taken to the workshop, seated on a stool, strapped to the table. His brother gave him a brush in his teeth. Grisha dipped the brush into the paint, squeezed it a little against the edge, and quickly began to paint the face of the saint. Soon his brush worked a miracle, and from the icon looked the benevolent image of St. Nicholas.
Well, thank you, brother, respected, - said the Emperor and, unfastening the gold pocket watch with the rehearsal, put it on the table next to Grisha. Then he hugged him and kissed his head.
The next day, a decree was brought from the Chancellery of His Majesty's Court appointing Grisha a pension for life, in the amount of 25 gold rubles a month. And one more decree on providing Grigory Zhuravlev with a pacer with a summer and winter departure. In the spring, Grisha returned to his native Utyovki, life went on as before. In the morning they rang in the cathedral, and the isographer was taken on a pacer with a summer departure to the early and seated in an armchair on the kliros, where he heartily sang the entire daily routine of Mass. After the service, they drove home, where he ate breakfast and, having prayed, moved to the workshop, went headlong into a completely different world, where there were no taverns, drunken men, thieving gypsies, quarrelsome women and old gossips. And there was an amazing world where on linden and cypress boards, with his God-given talent, the Holy Gospel was born in colors.
Grisha often thought about the icon-painting canon. Sometimes he was tempted to add something of his own, but religious feeling kept him from doing so. He knew that the icon-painting canon is created, firstly, by the saints, through mystical visions and through their spiritual experience, secondly, through revelations to God's people in miracles by the influx of the Holy Spirit, and, thirdly, it is drawn from the treasury of the Holy Scriptures and Traditions. Of course, the isographs are only executors of the will of the saints. So, Andrei Rublev would never have written his famous "Trinity" if St. Sergius of Radonezh had not instructed him. And at the end of the 19th century, the elder Ambrose of Optina had the appearance of the Mother of God in the air, blessing the grain field. And they began to write a new image of the Theotokos - “The Conqueror of Bread” ... But then the 20th century came, when humanity disgraced itself with unheard-of bloody wars, monstrous atrocities, and proud atheism. Gregory continued to paint icons. For his icons came from the distant outskirts of Russia, from other Orthodox countries ... But in 1916, when there was a war with Germany, he began to get sick often. During his illness, in a dream vision, he had a revelation: that dashing times would come when no one would need him and his icons. Churches will begin to close, and Utevsky Cathedral in the name of the Holy Trinity will be turned into a vegetable warehouse. Three years later, this is what happened. Thank God, Grisha did not see this, because he was already lying in the grave.
He died at the end of 1916, just before the revolution. Until his death, he kept writing the icon of the Theotokos "Fragrant Color", but due to illness he could not complete it. The day before, the priest confessed to Grisha, took unction and communed with the Holy Gifts. Icon lamps illuminated the departing sufferer, who restlessly tossed about on the bed and kept shouting for the Angel of God to come and finish the icon “Fragrant Color”. By morning Grisha gave his spirit to God...
And when the customer came for the Fragrant Color icon, it turned out to be finished and even covered with drying oil. Who completed the icon is unknown. And on the grave of Grisha they put a simple Orthodox Cross and wrote on it: "Behold, Man."
P help us, our dear readers, through the example of this marvelous Orthodox icon painter, with gratitude to endure all the difficulties that our Lord Jesus Christ sends us for our salvation!
