Hand of st. Barbara (1695)

Nicholas Zharkikh

Abstract of the chapter

Detailed argumentation in ukrainian version

The last part of the examining article of "Saints" is devoted to left hand of st. Barbara. Tuptalo begins like this:

However, on the second hand of St. Barbara, left, let there be known that it was not placed with the incorruptible body of the saint in the St. Michael's church, but it was delayed in the Hellenic lands.

This note contradicts the older eyewitnesses that Kyiv relics were whole body. Recall L.Müller's words: "You can look at and touch all members" and Paul of Aleppo: "body of a young girl with small legs and hands". Tuptalo had not knew this evidence, which greatly increased the scope for his imagination.

He further wrote that the left hand of St. Barbara was brought to Volyn in the 17th century by Greek Alexander Muzel. In Volyn this relic – allegedly – kidnapped by Jews who chrushed and burned Christian relic. But ashes and coral ring they have not forgotten gave Christians who put these residues in a special casket in St. John Divine Cathedral in Lutsk. Later Lutsk Bishop Gideon Svjatopolk-Chetvertinsky, when he was elected Metropolitan of Kyiv, transferred this relic to Kyiv, to St. Sophia Cathedral.

We can assume that Tuptalo wrote this story with the words of the hero of the story – Metropolitan Gideon.

Usually, fragmentation and burning remove all possible questions about the authenticity of the relics of the atheists of all ages and persuasions, including radiocarbon dating lovers. Commendable caution!..

This is quite incredible story of spare left hand of St. Barbara, and it caused no great enthusiasm in the following hierarchy of Kyiv. Thus, in 1825 the Metropolitan E.Bolkhovytynov describing relics that were kept in the St. Sophia Cathedral, gave only a fleeting mention of relics "great martyrs Greek: Fekla first martyr, Barbara, Marina". At that time they were kept in a large common ark hosted in 1824, along with dozens of other relics of the saints ().

So "spare" relics of St. Barbara that did not fit in Kyiv legend, were excluded from the circle of worship objects. The aim was eliminate unhealthy competition and not submit tributaries for jeering for us – atheists, materialists and rationalists.