Icons on the walls of the church of St. George the Victory-Bearer watch the parishioners intently and wisely. Each of them can tell its miraculous story of its way to the church. One of them was presented by the Most Reverend Father in God Nikodim, the other was presented by parishioners. The third bears the sign: "From the counterespionage officers".

       The story of the icon was told us by a colonel of the counterespionage service – Vladimir Ilyich Konarev:

       - I have more that once been to Kiev and visited the wonderful church of Saint Vladimir which had been built by people of different nationalities. Once I noticed a small icon of Saint Vladimir with a sign saying that the icon had been presented by the officers of Achtyrka infantry regiment on October 31, 1906. The church as the guardian of spirituality keeps the icon with love and gratitude, and the icon is going to comfort the praying however many years may pass.

       This is how the idea was born to present the church of St. George the Victory-Bearer with an icon. I shared my ideas with veterans of counterespionage at a meeting on December 19, 2000. An artist painted an icon constantly consulting father Valerie. On February 23, 2001 the oldest and the youngest officers combining the experience of the older and the respect of the younger generations presented the icon to the Superior of the church of St. George the Victory-Bearer. I was struck then by the reaction of the parishioners – they knelt at the sight of the icon, thus welcoming its introduction to the church.

       Candles are always burning at the icon of Saint George the Victory-Bearer. Each of them is a man’s fate, tears of joy or sorrow, poured to the Holy protector of warriors. It is astonishing that the icon appeared in the church due to the people, to whom the “there’s no God” idea had been inculcated from the very childhood, to the people who survived the ordeals of the war; it’s not only because father Valerie is a “brother in arms”, but because faith can neither be concealed, banned or chained. It is only faith that gives man spiritual food, hope and love.

       - Spiritual food can not be priced, - says Vladimir Ilyich. – Neither be it sold or bought. It can only be obtained in church. Church is the first to welcome a man into the world and the last to see him to the other world. To my mind, if there is such a priest like father Valerie – this is the source of spirituality. He fortifies the Church in his soul and builds a church into which people will come.

       People come to the church of St. George the Victory-Bearer already. Placing a candle before an icon they not only confide their pain or joy, but also entrust their lives to the protection of the beautiful young man on a white horse - Great Martyr St. George the Victory-Bearer.