The lighthouse on Cape Ilya near Feodosia has been showing the way for ships for 114 years. During this time, high-altitude lights oriented thousands of ships in the Black Sea: ships never sank along these coasts. The lighthouse itself was almost completely destroyed during the Great Patriotic War, after it was rebuilt, and at the beginning of the 21st century, together with the namesake cape, it almost disappeared from the face of the earth.

In May 1890, by decision of the Russian government, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet was transferred from Nikolaev to Sevastopol. The city received the status of a military fortress of the 3rd class and was closed to foreign ships. The question arose of transferring the commercial port. After a long debate, they decided to relocate him to Feodosia. There, they urgently began to build berthing facilities and pull a railway line.

The Theodosian Gulf juts out into the southern coast of the eastern Crimea in a wide semicircle, forming a bay convenient for mooring ships. The western part of the bay ends with the rocky cape of St. Elijah. The steep-browed cape, protruding far into the sea, makes it difficult for ships coming from the west to approach the Feodosia port. Squally variable winds are frequent here, sudden fogs are not uncommon in autumn and spring, heavy rains in summer, and numerous reefs fringing the cape make navigation along its shores extremely dangerous. Not a year passed without a sea accident or catastrophe in this place. Neptune collected another tribute from sailors in 1890: on February 16, not far from Cape St. Elijah, the steamer Grand Duke Konstantin crashed on the reefs and sank, and soon the steamer Vladimir suffered the same fate. Local newspapers wrote bitterly: “Feodosia, having become a commercial port, is deprived even of port fire ... steamboats enter the bay by the lights of the Feodosia yacht club.”

Indeed, at that time there was no reliable navigational fence on the entire Crimean south coast from Ai-Todor (the lighthouse was built there in 1835) to Chauda (the lighthouse began to operate here in 1888). True, as is clear from the historical information that has come down to us, attempts to put up a warning sign have been made more than once, but these messages are more like legends. So, according to one of them, a certain sailor-merchant Ilya Tamara, who twice suffered a wreck on the reefs of an insidious cape, but survived, at his own expense erected a church in the name of the holy prophet Elijah, the manager of rains, thunders and lightnings, on the highest place of the steep coast . What it was and how long it existed is unknown. There is evidence that in 1816 the chapel of St. Elias was consecrated in its place and the sailors, when approaching the port, were guided by the domed cross during the day, and at night by the light of candles burning in the altar. However, in the 80s of the 19th century, the cape was primordially empty.

The catastrophes of 1890, which excited everyone, forced the Directorate of Lighthouses of the Black and Azov Seas to urgently consider the issue of building a lighthouse at Cape St. Ilya. With the approval of the Hydrographic Department in 1894, the cape was surveyed by specialists, and the commander of the hydrographic vessel "Ingul" chose a place to install a lighthouse. But due to lack of funds, the start of construction was delayed ...

It is not known how long the search for funds for the construction of the lighthouse by naval officials would have lasted and how many human lives this inaction would have cost if the family of the Moscow head, the famous philanthropist Konstantin Vasilyevich Rukavishnikov, had not been in trouble - the only son, nineteen-year-old Nikolai, who had just arrived, fell ill with tuberculosis. to Moscow University. A council of doctors recognized the situation as serious, but the opinions of medical luminaries on methods of treatment were divided. Zakharyin offered to immediately take the patient to Bashkiria for koumiss, but Ostroumov categorically opposed this, insisting on a trip to the Crimea. After a prayer service performed at the bedside of the sick man by Bishop John of Kronstadt, the family decided to take Nicholas to Feodosia. There, the founder of the family, the gold miner Vasily Nikitich Rukavishnikov, back in the 60s of the XIX century, acquired an estate in which the household loved to spend the summer.

The sun, the sea and the air, filled with the aromas of steppe herbs, gradually returned strength to the body weakened by the disease. Health was on the mend. A little stronger, Nikolai began to take walks to the port. There, an inquisitive young man was noticed, and soon he met many ship captains who became frequent guests at the Rukavishnikovs' dacha.

Seeing how her son was recovering before her eyes, the touched mother, Evdokia Nikolaevna, decided to thank the city of Feodosia. Listening to the stories of the captains about the frequent shipwrecks at Cape St. Elias, which claimed more than one hundred human lives, and about the futility of numerous attempts to knock on the doors of maritime officials, she became more and more strengthened in the idea of ​​​​building a much-needed lighthouse at her own expense. The captains, with whom Evdokia Nikolaevna shared the idea, warmly supported the noble intention and willingly gave advice on where to go and what steps to take to resolve this issue.

In the autumn of 1897, Rukavishnikova filed an application with the Lighthouse Directorate about her desire to take on the construction of a lighthouse at Cape St. Elias at her own expense. After some time, an answer came in which the Lighthouse Directorate recommended that she take a “Swedish fire” light installation for the future lighthouse. The plan and drawings of the tower were attached to the letter, and the officials ordered the light apparatus in Finland. Evdokia Nikolaevna entrusted the construction of the lighthouse to the technician Alexei Alekseevich Polonsky, whose brother she knew, and without delay she began to raise money: she mortgaged the dacha, sent a letter to her husband in Moscow. Konstantin Vasilyevich approved the planned enterprise and sent the missing funds.

A year later, the construction of the lighthouse and the caretaker's house was completed. Soon they received a lighting apparatus, and the lighthouse began to operate. In “Notice to Mariners” No. 5 dated February 17, 1899, an official notice appeared: “The Directorate of Lighthouses and Pilots of the Black and Azov Seas informs sailors that in the Black Sea, near Feodosia, on Cape Ilya, at the south-east cliff, installed in a wooden booth on top of the wooden goats, there is often a variable fire with white and green flashes ... The height of the fire at sea level is 214 feet and above the surface of the earth - 32 feet.

In order to equip the lighthouse also with a bell, to give signals in bad weather, Evdokia Nikolaevna had to start knitting and selling colored woolen wallets for charity. Residents of Feodosia and vacationers enthusiastically supported Rukavishnikova. Purses were in great demand, and most of them returned to the performer filled with gold coins. Soon a fog bell was installed at the lighthouse.

The grateful townspeople and sailors of the port of Feodosia persistently suggested that Evdokia Nikolaevna name the lighthouse built after her, but she resolutely refused, saying that this was a disinterested gift to the city of Feodosia for miraculous healing from the terrible illness of her beloved son, and the lighthouse should be called Ilyinsky, by the name of Cape St. Elias, on which it is installed. Then the captains of the ships, no less excited than the donor, informed her that, passing by the lighthouse, they take off their caps every time and pray for her. From these words, as the eldest daughter Evdokia testifies, "mother could not stand it and burst into tears ...".

The wooden lighthouse put up at the expense of Rukavishnikova regularly served the sailors until 1912. Then it was rebuilt: the goats and the lighthouse were made of metal, the lighting apparatus was replaced with a more powerful one, and a pneumatic siren was mounted instead of a bell. After the reconstruction, the visibility range of the beacon light and the audibility of the foggy nautophone increased significantly. In this form, the lighthouse survived both the revolution and civil strife and met the Great Patriotic War. But in December 1941, during the Kerch-Feodosiya operation, during the liquidation of an enemy battery dug in on the cape, the lighthouse was destroyed by artillery fire from the destroyer Zheleznyakov. After the liberation of Feodosia from the Nazi invaders (April 13, 1944), a temporary navigational fire was installed on the cape. The capital lighthouse and the camp for the attendants were built only in 1955.

The lighthouse has survived to this day. The round fifteen-meter white-stone tower with bright three-tier windows, crowned with a cylinder of a lantern structure, enchants with grace and austere beauty. Spacious flights of stairs lead to the lighthouse room, finished with oak panels. Here is the watchman's place. The entire area of ​​responsibility is clearly visible from the windows - from Cape Kiik-Atlam with a pointed rock-island Ivan Baba in the southwest to Cape Chauda in the east. From the lighthouse room, a vertical ladder leads to the holy of holies - a lantern structure. There, in the center of a faceted glass cylinder, in 2006 they installed a modern light-optical module assembled on bright LEDs, and electronics were entrusted with maintaining the beacon's operating mode. There was also no need for hourly meteorological observations. The mini-computer, which is part of the control system, on the monitor screen provides all the necessary synoptic data in real time without human intervention.

And the history of the construction of the lighthouse on Cape St. Ilya was carefully preserved in her diaries and, after the end of World War II, she told in a letter (dated October 21, 1947) to the head of the Hydrographic Service of the Black Sea Fleet, the daughter of the Rukavishnikovs, Evdokia Konstantinovna. At the end of the touching story, she reported that all these years she had been closely following the fate of the Ilyinsky lighthouse, dear to her heart: 1944 after the liberation of Feodosia from the German invaders. Without this letter, we would never have known about the noble deed of a wonderful Russian woman.

If you look at the geographical location, then on the one hand Feodosia borders on the resort village of Beregovoye, and on the other hand it is covered by the Tepe-Oba ridge. It protects the city from strong winds, and also closes the main ridge of the Crimean Mountains, stretching from Sevastopol to Cape St. Elias in Feodosia.

Today I will tell you about the best way to get to the cape and what interesting things you can see there.

Cape St. Elijah is the most protruding part of the Tepe-Oba ridge. Tepe-Oba in translation from the Crimean Tatar means the top of the mountain or the end of the mountains. So it is, we can safely say that in Feodosia the mountains end, or vice versa begin. Who likes it better.

Only later, beyond the Kerch Strait, on the Taman Peninsula, will they join the chain of the Caucasus Mountains.

Beyond Feodosia, you can only find plains and fields that go beyond the horizon.

The best way to get to Cape Ilya is by car.
The road is of poor quality, mostly country.

Having reached the cape, a wonderful view of the Feodosia Bay opened.
I parked my car and decided to take a walk.

From above you can see for many kilometers ahead!

The villages of Beregovoye and the village of Primorsky, adjacent to Feodosia, are clearly visible:

By the way, Cape Ilya looks like this from the sea:

Along the road, on the slopes, wild Capers cucumbers bloom beautifully.

Down in the bay, fishermen set up nets and catch fish.

Now the construction of elite real estate is in full swing.

During the war, pillboxes were built on the cape, holding the siege of the enemy.
They were dug up, and they stick out from under the ground.

The name of Cape St. Elijah is associated with legends:

Once upon a time there was an ancient temple on the highest point of the cape. The Theodosian legend tells of a sailor named Ilya Tamar, who was twice shipwrecked off the cape on the day of Elijah the Prophet. Both times he asked the gods for forgiveness. And both times Elijah the Prophet appeared to him and saved him from death.

After that, he built a church here in the name of St. Elijah the Prophet.

From that moment on, this place became known as Cape St. Elijah.

If you look closely at the western part of the Feodosia Gulf, then it is at the rocky Cape of Elijah that a strong illusion is created for incoming ships. Cape Ilya, as it were, covers the entrance to the harbor. And it is not always possible to clearly define and understand this. During the autumn-winter storms, ships often sank here. There was a need to designate a dangerous place.

On February 17, 1899, a lighthouse was built on the Swedish Lindberg optical system.
It was called Ilyinsky Mayak. It was far from the current modern one, but it helped a lot to orient the ships and subsequently protected them from crashing.

Photo of the Lighthouse in 1899.

Now the lighthouse looks different:

Today, there are 18 lighthouses from Odessa to Novorossiysk, but there are only 4 such as Feodosia.

Access to the territory to the lighthouse is prohibited.

I walked parallel along the territory of the lighthouse to look at the opposite bank.

There is no descent down there, but a very beautiful view of Dvuyakornaya Bay and the village of Ordzhonikidze opened up in front of me.

I looked and admired the bay. To my left was the lighthouse.

On the right, 50 meters away, there is a fence and a fenced military area.
And goats were grazing near me.

There were lone trees growing here and there.

This is a great place where there are no tours.
From the cape, as I said, a beautiful view opens up, from here you can see the entire Feodosiya Gulf.

It feels cold here. Very clean air blows from the sea, which you want to breathe deeply.

I stayed for some time at the cape.
Then I got into the car and went down at sunset ...

Our guest house is located in a cozy bay, on the outskirts of Feodosia - Cape Ilya. The heady and rich sea breeze creates freshness in the rooms, which is perfect for a family holiday, when you are away from the city noise, you can organize your stay in Crimea at the proper level. If you need entertainment, then getting to the center of Feodosia is not difficult, namely, the center has everything you need for amazing memories.

Here you will find rooms for two people and for companies. Bright and spacious, designed for 2 or more people, and of course with a view of the sea. Going ashore in the morning, you can enjoy the sunrise, plunge into the invigorating coolness of the sea, and in the evening get together and spend time in silence or at a stormy feast.

Clear sea, only 7 meters to the water's edge, private beach and absolute freedom in clear sea water, what else is needed to make your holiday in Crimea a success...

You can relax in comfort under an awning, which is located on the beach, or use a sun lounger, which is provided free of charge. And of course, your own boat, a necessary attribute of the boathouse, with this convenience you will have an unforgettable and comfortable rest. For all guests of our Alisa Guest House in Feodosia - the first walk and fishing on a boat is free.

For an additional fee, you can order delicious 3 meals a day (home cooking), and in the mini-bar on the ground floor you can buy soft drinks, juices, water, beer, ice cream.
How to get there: 1. We will pick you up from the Feodosiya bus station free of charge.
2. We organize a transfer for an additional fee from Simferopol Airport.
Number of buildings: 1
Floors of the building: 4
Total rooms: 7
Parking: nearby (free of charge)
Meals: - canteen: 3 meals a day from the menu
- Self-catering is not provided in the rooms
Distances: - pebble beach - 0 minutes (access to the beach)
- embankment - 20 minutes
- city center - 20 minutes
- entertainment center - 20 minutes
- water park - 1 hour (by car)
- Dolphinarium - 30 minutes (by car)
- market - 10 minutes
- grocery store - 1 minute
- bus stop - 5 minutes
- pharmacy - 5 minutes
At your service (additionally): - transfer (for a fee)
- Wi-Fi Internet
- washing machine
- barbecue
- playground
- gazebo
- ironing + iron
- microwave
- cable TV
Change of linen: after 5 days
Change of towels: after 5 days
Room cleaning: after 5 days
Restrictions: - we accept children from 3 years old
- pets are not accepted
- no smoking in the rooms
Discounts: possible individually
Booking: - application by phone or e-mail, prepayment for 2 nights of stay
- if canceled less than 15 days before the date of arrival, the prepayment is not refundable

Ilyinsky lighthouse is far from the standard tourist routes in the Crimea. Tours are rarely organized here. However, year after year, this place is increasingly attracting especially curious travelers who are ready to go off the beaten path. No wonder, because the lighthouse has an interesting history, and from the land on which it is located, an unusually beautiful view of the sea opens up.

It is noteworthy that this attraction of Feodosia does not have a specific address. The lighthouse is located on Cape St. Ilya on the southern coast of Crimea, in the western part of the Feodosia Bay.

Ancient times

The cape has long been a threat to ships. Strong winds often walk here, fogs occur in autumn and spring, and the entire coast is surrounded by rocks and reefs that are difficult to notice. Since ancient times, there have been many references in history to ships wrecked in these places. Therefore, even then the inhabitants of Feodosia were thinking about the need for landmarks that would be visible from a long distance.

For several centuries BC, the territory of Feodosia was occupied by the Greeks. On the then nameless cape they built a small temple. The building served not only religious purposes. She was also a signpost for passing ships. Apparently, the temple was also destroyed in antiquity. Because the ships kept crashing against the rocks.

Much later, in the XVIII-XIX centuries, a chapel was built here. Who exactly built it is unknown. There is a legend that during a strong storm near Cape St. Elijah, a rich merchant's ship was wrecked. When there was no longer any hope of salvation, the merchant began to pray and Saint Elijah himself appeared to him. The merchant promised the Saint to build a chapel if he survived. He survived the storm, but he forgot his promise. And a few years later, in the same places, the ship of the same merchant was again in distress. Having experienced the same event a second time, the merchant still kept his words and built a chapel. Now only ruins remain of it.

History of the Ilyinsky lighthouse

The Ilyinsky lighthouse itself begins its history in 1890. This year, the main naval base of the Black Sea Fleet was relocated from Nikolaev to Sevastopol. And the trading port was moved to Feodosia, since the bay here is very convenient for parking. However, the free passage of ships coming from the west was hindered by reefs in the vicinity of Cape St. Elias. Not a year went by without another damage or crash. The most famous cases are the wreck of the steamships "Grand Duke Konstantin" and "Vladimir", which claimed the lives of a large number of people. All this made the Directorate of lighthouses think about the construction of a guiding tower. However, there was no money for financing, so the implementation of the idea was forced to be postponed.

But everything was decided by a combination of circumstances, and the construction still took place. At that time, the wife of state councilor Evdokia Nikolaevna Rukavishnikova and her 19-year-old son Nikolai arrived from Moscow to Feodosia. The young man was seriously ill with tuberculosis, and the doctors' prognosis was disappointing. However, the sea air did a miracle - the young man was cured. As a sign of gratitude, Evdokia Nikolaevna, who had heard more than once from local captains about constant shipwrecks, decided to build a lighthouse on her own savings.

In the autumn of 1897, a statement was received by the Lighthouse Directorate in which Rukavishnikova expressed her desire to finance the construction. The funds available to her were very modest, but they were enough to build a wooden booth mounted on goats. The booth was fitted with Lindbergh's Swiss lighting system, which alternately flashed green and white. The construction of the lighthouse and the caretaker's house was completed in 1899. A little later, a bell was installed next to the lighthouse, with the help of which sound signals were given when visibility deteriorated. They wanted to name the building in honor of Evdokia Nikolaevna, but she insisted on fixing the name "Ilyinsky Lighthouse". Only recently, a commemorative plaque dedicated to Evdokia Nikolaevna Rukavishnikova was placed on the territory of the lighthouse. Her granddaughter Evgenia Gippius asked the city authorities about this.

In 1910-1912, the lighthouse was reconstructed: the bell was replaced with a sound siren, the booth and goats became metal. In this form, it functioned until the early 40s. During the Great Patriotic War, the Ilyinsky lighthouse was destroyed. Rumor has it that Russian soldiers had to blow it up on purpose in order to destroy the Germans who were sitting in the trenches next to the structure.

lighthouse today

The new lighthouse was built only in 1955. And since then, it has remained untouched. Now it is a 15-meter white tower with windows in 3 tiers. Relative to sea level, the height of the lighthouse is 65 meters. So the top is visible from anywhere in the Feodosiya Gulf. Comfortable stairs lead to the lighthouse room, finished with oak paneling. From here, a view of the entire sub-responsible zone opens. And only from the lighthouse room on a vertical staircase you can get to the very top, to the lantern. In 2006, a modern light-optical LED module was installed on the top. LEDs are powered by a crystal oscillator that can work autonomously for many days in a row. Every three seconds a white flash appears, the pause between signals is 6 seconds. And the computer is now managing all the activities of the lighthouse. Electronics made it possible not to carry out meteorological measurements every hour. The built-in mini-computer without human participation issues all the necessary weather indicators in real time.

The history of the lighthouse until the middle of the 20th century was preserved in her personal notes by Evdokia Konstantinovna, the daughter of those same Rukavishnikovs. In 1947, she told her in a letter to the head of the Hydrographic Service of the Black Sea Fleet. All these years, the daughter of Evdokia Nikolaevna followed the fate of the Ilyinsky lighthouse and visited it several times with her husband. Most likely, without her letter, we would never have known to whom Crimea owes such an important object.

The area around the lighthouse has recently been opened. Now, in order to get beyond the fence and into the tower itself, you need to get permission from the guards. In the buildings next to the lighthouse, you can go to a small makeshift "museum", which contains exhibits related to the history of the building. If time permits, it is worth stopping at the lighthouse until dark. At this time, the white tower looks especially attractive. Window openings illuminated from the inside fascinate the onlookers.

Despite the little fame, the lighthouse managed to get into the frame of cameras. In 2013, an episode of the film "Such beautiful people" by director Dmitry Moiseev was filmed here.

What about direct assignment? The Ilyinsky lighthouse continues to function to this day, showing the ships the way to Feodosia.

How to get to Ilyinsky lighthouse

There are several ways to get to the lighthouse by land:

1. By car. The road from the Free Flight Museum will take about 25 minutes. GPS coordinates: N 45.012644, E 35.42197.
2. By taxi. Every driver knows how to drive up to the Ilyinsky lighthouse in Feodosia.
3. By public transport (but part of the journey will need to be done on foot). At the bus station, you should take the minibus number 1, 2a, 14 or 15 and get to the stop "City Hospital". Then move on foot along Korabelny Lane to the SPK "Mayak", after which the open area will begin. About 1.5 kilometers along a winding dirt road to the cape. Military fortifications located near the lighthouse will serve as landmarks.

Which begins near Sevastopol. The cape is low, with whitish steep banks, which are constantly washed away by the sea.

H I eat closer to Ilyin's day. the lower the clouds hang, the air becomes more stuffy and more often night thunderstorms.

And on Ilyin's day the clouds will darken, snakes of lightning run in and the prophet will remind himself of himself with the crackle of thunder.

The trouble is to get into the sea then. Well, if only rip off the gear. Sometimes it will spin the ship, throw it on a rock and throw it in chips at Cape Ilya.

Pray, sailor, no misfortune would have happened to the church of the prophet.

And that church is visible from a great distance, although it is not great. The kind that was built in ancient times.

In those times when they believed in the Upper Force and knew their weakness in front of Her. Although they were bold, perhaps bolder than now.

People did not invent that Ilya, the son of Tamara, who built the church, went to the open sea on a board.

And when he became rich and bought his own ship, he was not afraid to leave the harbor in the worst storm and set sail in the December storm.

But once it happened to go under the prophet Elijah.

That day the sea was furious, the heavens were angry and people hid in their dwellings. And Ilya Tamara immediately picked up the flacos and the trinesta and, like a white seagull, was carried away into the wave.

Who would dare to do it now? Is it just crazy.

Tamara went far into the sea, the shores were not visible. He did not know the danger and did not believe in the fishing tale about Ilya.

And lightning and thunder from the clouds.

And when he thought so, a shaft rolled onto the ship much higher than the mast.

Vasta temoni, put down the rudder,” Tamara shouted to the helmsman, but the rudder came off, and the ship rushed by the will of the wind to the coastal rock.

Ilya realized that death was near, and doubt stirred in his frightened soul whether the prophet was punishing him for unbelief.

And at the same moment a thunderous rumble swept from north to south, and over the cape, where now the church of Elijah, a fiery chariot descended in flames and thousands of sparks.

Ilya! - Tamara exclaimed and thought in his heart: - In the place where I saw him, I will build a church for him, even if I had to sell the ship for that.

Matim bistin, I swear by my faith.

This thought had not had time to cool down, when the storm fell silent, and the wind from the shore drove a wave into the sea, and with it Tamarin's ship.

Vasta temoni,” someone’s formidable voice sounded over Tamara, and Tamara saw himself standing at the helm, which, having swum up to the ship, took its place.

By evening, Tamara reached Sugdei, handed over the goods and, loaded with new ones, returned to Kafa.

However, he did not tell anyone about what had happened, he regretted selling the ship and decided to earn more money first and then build a temple.

At first I decided so, but soon changed my mind.

It's impossible for all of this to happen. Just dreamed. Kolokitya!

And, calming himself like that, he eventually forgot about his oath.

Everything went well; for decades, none of his ships was wrecked, and Ilya Tamara became the richest merchant in Kafa.

However, in the soul, in addition to the will, there lived something that reminded me of an incident in my younger years. Tamara did not like to look at the mountain where he had a vision, and avoided going out to sea under Ilyin's day.

But one day, shortly before that day, he had to return from the shores of Amastrid.

May the name of George, the patron of that country, be blessed!

A fair wind carried the ship sharply, and in the distance the Taurus Mountains began to turn blue.

And suddenly the wind died down immediately, as if it had been swept away from the sea, and the ship fell into a dead calm.

Most of all, sailors are afraid of him, but Ilyin's day came, when the wind rushes all over Pontus, and Tamara lay calmly at the stern.

He counted the profits and. having finished the calculations, he smiled at the trading luck.

You don't need to be noble, you don't need to be a scientist to live well. You just need to be smarter than others to take advantage of their stupidity. Alyu pula poison gramata, alu pour gnosis!

A bad idea,” said someone in his soul, and Tamara shuddered.

I got up from my bed and looked at the shore. Clouds were slowly moving in from there, and the lightning flashed with an ominous eye.

A pre-wind ripple ran across the sea, after which the coastal shoreman drove a wave.

The ship raised all the sails and took her bow to the east, where Kafa was, but, having fallen into a strange current, she could not go far.

And the wind quickly grew stronger, the sea hummed with an unkind noise, the air hissed and whistled, howling.

The main mast could not withstand the rush and broke off.

That's bad!

And in the last twilight they saw a mountain where a vision had once happened.

Tamara remembered him and was confused in spirit. Darkness came, it was impossible to see your hand; the downpour flooded the deck; the wave beat over the sides and a leak appeared in the holds. The storm sails were frayed to shreds; the ship did not obey the rudder, like a rotten thread, the anchor chain broke when it overtook the ship to the shores and tried to anchor.

One miracle can save!

And people prayed for a miracle; they begged Ilya to soften his anger, promised to give the entire first catch for a candle to him.

And Tamara fell on his knees and swore in his heart to fulfill what he promised once in his youth.

The fiery lightning split the sky, scorched the air, illuminated the ship and the rocks among which it was rushing; in a last zigzag it slid down the mast and lit up in front of the ship.

Someone formidable and angry raised a hand over the ship. His gaze sparkled with lightning; his beard tore in a frenzy; the mouth was ready to be opened for the disastrous word.

Eleison imas, Kyrie! Have mercy on us!

The hand of cursing descended and showed the way of salvation to the perishing.

In the side, the Kafsky lights were lit, and ... the radiance went out.

Like the dead, the ship's houses fell asleep. Only old Tamara did not fall asleep. He stood at the city temple and whispered the words of the troparion:

Heal those who honor you, Elijah.

He stood all night and in the morning they found him in the same place. They did not recognize him, he had changed so much. His face breathed peace of majesty, and his eyes shone with the proximity of Heaven.

And when, a year later, the icon master painted the image of the prophet Elijah for the new temple that he built on Mount Tamara, it was from him that he painted the face of the prophet.

That is why you cannot see anger in prophetic eyes and there is no fear when you look at the icon.

Tamara died a very old man and at the end of his days he avoided talking about what he had experienced, but people read about it in his pure eyes.

For the gaze of the human soul often penetrates deeper than speech suggests.