In St. Petersburg there is a very interesting and visited place among Orthodox believers. This place is the Chapel of St. Xenia Blessed. This is an active Orthodox chapel on the Smolensk cemetery Vasilievsky Island.
This chapel is interesting because it is very revered among believers. Rather miraculous powers of stories have the spirit of Xenia Blessed, who was buried in the place of the chapel itself. Xenia Blessed died in the beginning of the 19th century and was buried at the Smolensk cemetery of Vasilievsky Island of St. Petersburg. When the hill of the earth was made above the grave, people completely disassembled this land as a shrine. The hill had to be rebuilt several times. Then a stone slab was laid on the grave, but people came to the grave and broke the slab on small stones like shrines and amulets. Then a stone slab was laid on the grave, but people came to the grave and broke the slab for small stones like shrines and amulets. At the end of the 19th century, a small chapel was built at the burial site of Xenia. And in 1902, on the site of this chapel, a stone chapel was built by the architect Alexander Alexandrovich Vseslavin. In 1940, the chapel of Xenia Blessed was closed, and together with the chapel, the Smolensk church that was next to Smolensk cemetery was closed.
The Smolensk church was built in 1786 - 1790 according to the project of architect Alexei Alekseevich Ivanov.
But back to the chapel. In 1947, the chapel of Xenia Blessed was opened after the renovation again. In 1947, the chapel was consecrated and was open to believers until 1962. In 1962, the authorities closed it and again believers could visit the chapel only in 1983.
The chapel is visited daily by hundreds of people who pray and ask Xenia Blessed to fulfill their most secret desires. According to the stories, pleas and requests often come true.
Today I told you not just about the monument of St. Petersburg, but also about the shrine of thousands of believers who are here every day - about the Chapel of Xenia Blessed.
I wait for you again on my excursions.