Alexandra Melgunova

Venerable Alexandra Melgunova, schemanun Alexandra, in the world Agafia Semyonovna Melgunova, was the founder of the monastic community of Diveevo. She died on 13 June 1789. She is venerated as a local saint of the diocese of Nizhny Novgorod, and the Church commemorates her on 13 June.

Born at the end of the 1720s or the beginning of the 1730s (the year 1729 is given as approximate) into a noble family of the Nizhny Novgorod governorate, the Belokopytovs, she was the wife of a colonel, a wealthy landowner in the governorates of Yaroslavl, Vladimir and Ryazan (Pereyaslavl). At about thirty she was widowed and resolved to dedicate herself to God. She received monastic tonsure at the Florovsky monastery in Kyiv, with the name Alexandra. After her husband's death she had been left with a daughter of three, who died at nine.

Saint Seraphim of Sarov said of the mother: “She was a great woman. To this day I kiss her footsteps.” She is one of the three ascetics whom Saint Seraphim foretold would be glorified: the schemanun Alexandra, the schemanun Martha (Milyukova) and the nun Helen (Manturova).

On 26 September 2000 the relics of the venerable Alexandra, Martha and Helen of Diveevo were found, and on 22 December 2000 their glorification as locally venerated saints of the diocese of Nizhny Novgorod took place. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Saint Seraphim that the three would be glorified and that their relics would rest openly in the monastery. After two days in the Transfiguration cathedral of the Seraphim-⁠Diveevo monastery, the holy relics were carried solemnly to the place Father Seraphim had appointed, the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. In November 2006 they were moved to the Kazan church because of repair work. On 6 March 2009 the portrait of Mother Alexandra was returned to the monastery.

The relics of the venerable foundresses rest in the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Of the site of that church Father Seraphim is said to have told that it pleased the Queen of Heaven that they have their own church next to the porch of the Kazan church, because that porch was worthy of an altar. For Mother Agafia Semyonovna, standing in prayer, had washed it all with streams of the tears of her humility.