The Spring of St. Euphrosyne in Kolyupanovo

The Spring of St. Euphrosyne in Kolyupanovo is located in Aleksinsky District of Tula Region, next to the Kazan Convent. The spring waters feed the old Russian river of Oka. Apart from one of the main waterways of Tula Region, the spring heals the bodies and souls of believers with its water. It is an integral part of the culture and religion of the Land of Craftsmen. Pilgrims from neighboring regions come here every day, since the Spring of Euphrosyne has miraculous properties. This water helps treat poor eyesight and cancer. Even if the pilgrims who come here are not sick, the spring will fortify and fill them with grace.

Visiting the Spring of Euphrosyne, everyone should learn about the life of the locally revered saint. Evdokia Vyazemskaya, a member of the famous princely family, graduated at the age of 18 from the Educational Society for Noble Maidens and became the lady-in-waiting to Empress Catherine the Great. She was acquainted with Suvorov, Naryshkin, and many other Russian society giants of the late 18^th century.

Did Catherine II’s lady-in-waiting dig the Spring of Euphrosyne in Kolyupanovo? Evdokia and Euphrosyne are different names. The fact is that the young lady-in-waiting suddenly felt a burning desire to devote herself to God. Escaping the palace, she wandered around temples and monasteries, doing odd jobs. In Moscow, Platon the Metropolitan blessed her to be a holy fool in Christ, giving her a new name of Euphrosyne.

In 1845, the eldress, already renowned by then for her piety and miraculous deeds, moved to the village of Kolyupanovo, Tula Governorate. Not far from the Kazan Church that was already located in the village, she found a secluded place for prayers in a ravine, and dug a well there. She urged everyone who visited her for advice and blessing to drink from her well in order to be healthy.

Almost 200 years have passed since then, and the stream of prayers and the sick who would like to visit the holy eldress has not abated. Those who visit Kolyupanovo come to pray at the Kazan Church, venerate the eldress’s shrine, ask her to resolve their problems and illnesses, and then visit the Holy Spring of St. Euphrosyne.

The spring and the Kazan Convent do not have an exact address, since Kolyupanovo is a small settlement. However, moving from Aleksin along Lomonosova St. or turning on the P-132 highway towards Pershino, you will reach the crossroads with a sign pointing to the Holy Spring. It is possible to get there by rail. In this case, you will need to get off at the Kolyupanovo railway station on the Tula – Aleksin branch.