“The icon of St. Luke is an invaluable gift”: how in Greece they honor the Crimean saint

Advisor to the Minister of Health of the Republic of Crimea Oleg Stebliy told on the air of the TV channel “Crimea 24” about the respect that St. Luke of Crimea is treated in Greece. According to him, conferences in memory of the saint gather thousands of people, and the icon with his image is perceived by the Greeks as an invaluable gift.

According to Stable, when the Greeks are presented with an icon with the image of the saint, they accept it as an invaluable gift. This attitude testifies to the deep respect that the people of Greece have for the Crimean saint.

Steblius also drew attention to the scale of the conferences dedicated to the memory of St. Luke in Greece. Even if the hall is designed for two thousand people, everyone present listens attentively to the speeches until the very end. Broadcasts of such events sometimes continue until late at night, but no one is in a hurry to leave the room.

The Chairman of the Society of Orthodox Doctors of the Republic of Crimea named after St. Luke Tatiana Shevchenko added another detail. According to her, even the NATO hospital in Thessaloniki bears the name of the Crimean saint. It should be noted that this allegation was aired and was not accompanied by additional official confirmation.

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization, North Atlantic Alliance

Recall that today, on October 9, the relics of St. Luke of Crimea were transferred to the Holy Trinity convent in the Alexander Nevsky cathedral of Simferopol. The transfer was carried out with the blessing of Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea and is associated with the beginning of the complex restoration of the monastery. The restoration is timed to prepare for the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the saint, which will be celebrated in 2027.

The relics will remain in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral until April 2027. The works will affect the Trinity Cathedral, the building where St. Luke lived, and the territory of the monastery, and also provide for the creation of a museum exposition.

Saint Luke (in the world Valentin Felixovich Voyno-Yasenetsky, 1877-1961) was an outstanding surgeon, doctor of medicine, professor and archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea. He is the author of “Essays on Purulent Surgery”, the winner of the Stalin Prize of the first degree (1946), who transferred a significant part of the prize to help orphans. From 1946 to 1961 he headed the Crimean diocese, the last six years of his life was completely blind, but continued to preach.