In this church there is kept a thing remarkable for its antiquity - this is the “crutch” of Alexander Peresvet. It is made from a four-year-old apple tree, uprooted. Its top, in the shape of the letter T, was formed from branches of the root. The length of the crutch is two arshins; but before, as can be seen from the monastery inventory, its length was two arshins and six vershoks; the thickness near the top is four inches and a quarter in circumference, and at the bottom - three inches and a half. There is no artificial finishing on it. This is a stick in its natural form, gnarled, cracked in places and not entirely straight. The weight of the crutch, as shown in the monastery inventory, is seven pounds. Judging by its size and weight, if it really belonged to Perfsvet, one must think that Jereevet was a very tall and strong man. The surrounding villagers know well about this crutch, they also have an idea about Neresvet, although their memories of it are mixed with quite a few fabulous things. Coming to the monastery on a pilgrimage, they always asked the monks to show them the crutch of Peresvet, and some of them gnawed off particles from it as a preventive remedy against dental disease, from which its dandruff was greatly damaged. Previously, it was kept in the altar and a deep niche was deliberately made for it in the altar wall on the right side of the royal doors; but about 11 years ago, the monks, in order not to take it out of the altar to the pilgrims each time, considered it best to place it at the right choir; and so that people would not spoil it, they ordered a case with a lock for it. It happened that the master made a mistake in measuring and made the case much shorter; On this occasion, the abbot of the monastery ordered the crutch to be cut by six inches.
- How Peresvet’s crutch got to the Dmitriev Monastery, the following, rather detailed legend has been preserved about this in the monastery and among the surrounding residents. Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, when he marched with troops from Kolomna to the banks of the Don, did not pass near that area; although here lay the direct and shortest path, he
LOCAL REPORTS ABOUT THE
holding the Vanadian borders of the Ryazan principality, which was necessary to prevent the union of the Grand Duke of Lithuania with Mamai. But light detachments of the Moscow army, choosing the shortest route, passed near this area. Peremet and Oslab' went with these detachments. Two gates from the place where Mr. Skopin now stands, both monks and their squads stopped for a few moments to rest. Here, because of something, a disagreement broke out between them and they walked from here on equal roads 1). Perepepet directed the path to the mountain on which Dmitriev’s aovatyr now stands. On this mountain at that time there was a Jewish hermit who was famous in the surrounding area. Peresvet spent the night with him, they prayed together and had a long friendly conversation, in his cell Peresvet put on armor and other military accessories, and gave him his travel crutch as a gift.
When and by whom was the Dmitriev Monastery founded on this site? The Right Reverend Ambrose in his History of the Hierarchy mentions the Dzhtriev Monastery; but when and by whom it was founded, not a word is said about the atom. The records of the monastery archive, which are all of later origin, directly state that the monastery was founded by Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy. The surrounding residents are also quite convinced that its founder was Dmitry Donskoy, and the legend they have preserved explains the matter in this way; Dmitry Donskoy was returning to Kolomna from the banks of the Don along the direct route. Having marched 45 versts from the Kulikov field, he stationed his troops on a vast, elevated plain, along the right bank* of the river. Verdi, near this mountain; and pitched his tent on this mountain. Here he celebrated the victory and made some preparations in case of hostile actions on the part of Oleg Ryazansky. The Ryazan boyars appeared on this mountain expressing joyful feelings about the victory over the enemy communities and brought him bread and salt. Dmitry Donskoy was very happy that the civil strife between the Ryazan people was being eliminated, he brought thanks to God and ordered the construction of a monastery and church on that mountain in the name of his angel - Demetrius of Thessalonica.