| Relics of Holy Prince Vladimir to be brought to cities and towns of Russia and Belarus Moscow, May 18, 2015 Within the framework of the all-Russian national celebrations marking the 1000th anniversary of repose of Holy Prince Vladimir of Kiev, the Baptizer of Russia, and with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia the reliquary with relics of Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, will be brought to cities and towns of Russia and Belarus for veneration by the faithful. Viktor Vasnetsov: “Baptism of Grand Prince Vladimir of Kiev”, c. 1890. Between May 27 and December 1, 2015, residents of 45 cities of Russia (including remote northern regions) and 5 cities of Belarus will be able to venerate the relics. Bringing of the relics is organized on the Russian Orthodox Church’s initiative and with support from the St. Basil the Great Charitable Foundation, reports the Synodal Information Department. Prince Vladimir (d. 1015, feast: July 28) is one of the most venerated saints in the Orthodox Church. The role of his personality in the present-day Russia is really crucial. Not only was the holy prince the pioneer of Christianity in Kievan Russia (Rus’), but he also was the embodiment of an ideal and wise ruler. The visit of St. Vladimir’s relics to many cities of Russia and Belarus is timed to coincide with the 1000th anniversary of his repose, widely celebrated this year. It is the first large-scale event of this kind since the uncovering of the Grand Prince’s relics back in the 17th century. Reference: Prince Vladimir was buried on July 15, 1015, in a marble sarcophagus inside the Church of the Tithes (of Dormition of the Mother of God) in Kiev. Later the Mongols destroyed the original church, and the sarcophagus with relics of the holy prince remained for a long time under the ruins, until in 1635, by order of Metropolitan Peter (Mohyla) of Kiev and Halych (1596-1646, now venerated as a saint by some Local Orthodox Churches), the area was cleared and the sarcophagus discovered. Then a portion of the relics of St. Vladimir was sent to Moscow, to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov (who reigned from 1613 till 1645), and they remained at the Moscow Kremlin’s Dormition Cathedral. In the Soviet era and until recently the relics were kept in the Moscow Kremlin museum treasuries. |
| About Pages Проекты «Правмира» Raising Orthodox Children to Orthodox Adulthood The Daily Website on How to be an Orthodox Christian Today Twitter Telegram Parler RSS Donate Navigation HRH Prince Andrej returns to Serbia admin 18 May 2013 May 15, 2013 His Royal Highness Prince Andrej’s casket was met today at the Nikola Tesla airport (Belgrade) by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, Prince Vladimir and Prince Dimitri, sons of HRH Prince Andrej, Princess Lavinia – Maria, daughter of HRH Prince Andrej with young Luka Austin Prichard (son of HRH Princess Lavinia-Maria) Princess Elizabeth, Prince George and Prince Michael, Ms. India Oxenberg, granddaughter of Princess Elizabeth, Professor Oliver Antic Special Advisor to President of Serbia H.E. Mr. Tomislav Nikolic, government officials and Serbian Orthodox Church representative His Grace Vicar Bishop of Hvosno Atanasije with blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia. His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej conducted a Memorial Service at the Royal Chapel, where the caskets of HRH Prince Andrew’s brother HM King Peter II, his sister-in-law HM Queen Alexandra and his mother HM Queen Maria, are already in place. After the service, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia has said: “This is a holy moment, sad and joyful, when the members of the Royal House are gathering in their homeland, this holy land. By historic injustice, they have left their homeland to live in exile in this world. Praised the Lord, the human and historic injustice has been rectified now. They came back to their home, built by their father, something they couldn’t have done during their lives. On May 26 they would be buried in Oplenac, and their return has made our nation happy“. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander II has said: “Today we are fulfilling the legacy of King Peter I, who passed to us obligation to protect our country, our faith, our people and our descendants. Earthly remains of HM King Peter II, HM Queen Maria, HM Queen Alexandra and HRH Prince Andrej have been returned to Serbia, and the historic wound and injustice have been healed. Today, we have witnessed justice and family reunion, of the family that suffered a lot, as same as our society has suffered from injustice. . |
| Right-believing Prince Basil (Vasilko) of Rostov Commemorated on March 4 Holy Prince Basil of Rostov belonged in lineage to the Suzdal Monomashichi, famed in Russian history. The saint’s great-grandfather was Yuri Dolgoruky, and his grandfather was Great Prince Vsevolod III “Big-Nest” (+ 1212), brother to Saint Andrew Bogoliubsky (July 4), who had been heir to and continuer of Saint Andrew Bogoliubsky’s work. From Vladimir-on-Klyazma, which became the capital of the old Rostovo-Suzdal principality, Vsevolod “Big-Nest” single-handedly set the course of affairs of the whole of Great Rus. The “Lay of Igor’s Campaign” (“Slovo o polku Igoreve”) says that he could “splash the Volga with oars, and bail out the Don with helmets.” Saint Basil (Vasilko) was the oldest child of the “Big Nest”. The oldest grandson of Vsevolod from his oldest son Constantine, Saint Basil was born on December 7, 1208 in Rostov, where his father ruled as prince. He spent his childhood there, and in 1216, when Constantine Vsevolodovich became Great Prince of Vladimir, Rostov was apportioned to Basil (he was then eight years old) as his princely appanage to rule himself. Military valor, sacred duty of service to country, the sense of justice and the heeding of one’s elders, all these are traditional features of a Russian princely defender of the land, and all were present in Basil. The saint’s father, Great-prince Constantine, died on February 2, 1218, when Basil was not yet ten years of age. The guide of the young Rostov prince then became his uncle, the Great Prince Saint Yuri of Vladimir (February 4). For twenty years Prince Yuri ruled Vladimir, and for all these years Basil was his closest friend and confidant. The chronicles take note of the vibrantly handsome figure of Basil, his bright and majestic glance, his daring in trapping wild game, his beneficence, his mind and deep studiousness, together with his mildness and good-nature in relations with the nobles: “Whoever served him, whoever ate his bread and drank the cup with him, could never be the servant of another prince.” |
| The wonderworking Theodore Icon of the Mother of God was constantly with Saint Alexander, and he prayed before it. After Saint Alexander Nevsky died on November 14, 1263 at the monastery founded by his father, the icon was taken by his younger brother Basil. Basil Yaroslavich was the youngest (eighth) son of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. In 1246 after the death of his father (Prince Yaroslav was poisoned in the capital city of Mongolia, Karakorum when he was only five years old) Basil became prince of the Kostroma appanage-holding, the least important of his father’s domains. In the year 1272, he became Great Prince of Vladimir. His four years as Great Prince (1272-1276) were filled with fratricidal princely quarrels. For several years he waged war against Novgorod with an unruly nephew Demetrius. In becoming Great Prince, however, Basil did not journey to Vladimir, but remained under the protection of the wonderworking icon at Kostroma, regarding this place as safer in case of new outbreaks of strife. He had occasion also to defend Rus against external enemies. In 1272, during a Tatar incursion, a Russian army came forth from Kostroma to engage them. Following the example of his grandfather, Saint Andrew Bogoliubsky (who took the wonderworking Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God with him on military campaigns), Prince Basil went into battle with the wonderworking Theodore Icon. A blinding light came forth from the holy image, and the Tatars dispersed and fled from the Russian land. The Chronicles say that the Great Prince Basil had a special love for the Church and the clergy. After the martyric death of Bishop Metrophanes of Vladimir during the storming of Vladimir by Tatars on February 4, 1238, the Vladimir diocese had remained widowed for many years. This grieved Great Prince Basil. With his help, a large cathedral was constructed in Vladimir in 1274. This was apparently in connection with the consecration of Saint Serapion (July 12) as Bishop of Vladimir. He was an igumen from the Monastery of the Caves. |
| Archive His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated a prayer service at the monument to Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles 28 July 2018 year 18:44 On 28 July 2018, the commemoration day of the Grand Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, the Divine liturgy was celebrated at the Cathedral Square in the Moscow Kremlin to mark the 1030 th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia. After the liturgy, a Procession of the Cross went to the monument to the Baptizer of Russia at the Borovitskaya Square. The procession was led by His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation took part in the procession. The Primates of both Churches officiated at a prayer service to Prince Vladimir at the monument to him. Liturgical hymns, including the troparions to the Life-Giving Trinity, to All Saints who shone forth in the land of Russia, the Baptism of Russia, to the Grand Prince Vladimir, were sung by the choir of clerics from the Moscow region conducted by the Rev. Sergy Golev. At the Litany of Fervent Supplication petitions were offered for His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, the President of our country Vladimir, and the prosperity of the Holy Church. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill read a prayer to Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles. ‘Many Years was proclaimed to Patriarch Theodoros, Patriarch Kirill, President Vladimir, the authorities, the army and the people of Russia, and all Orthodox Christians. After the prayer service the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the worshippers, saying: “We have gathered today at the monument to the Baptizer of Russia to recall the event which happened over one thousand years ago and has determined the course of history for the Slavic people. Today we honour Prince Vladimir whose choice has changed not only the Slavic, but also Christian civilization.” |
| Saint Theodore, Prince of Ostrozh Saint Theodore, Prince of Ostrozh, was famous for the construction of churches and his defense of Orthodoxy in Volhynia against the enroachment of Papism. He was descended from St. Vladimir (July 15/28), through a great-grandson Svyatopolk-Michael, prince of Turov (1080-1093) and later Great Prince of Kiev (+1113). The first time the name of the holy Prince Theodore is mentioned is in the year 1386, when the Polish king Jagiello and the Lithuanian prince Vitovt affirmed his hereditary possession of the Ostrozh district, and they augmented the Zaslavsk and Koretsk surroundings. In 1410 St. Theodore participated in the defeat of the Teutonic Knights of the Catholic Order at the Battle of Gruenwald. In 1422 the holy prince, because of sympathy for the Orthodox in Bohemia, supported the Hussites in their struggle with the German emperor Sigismund. Theodore introduced the Hussite formation (i.e., the Taborite, adopted by the Ukrainian Cossacks) into Russian military strategy. In 1432, after winning a series of victories over the Polish forces, St. Theodore compelled Prince Jagiello to guarantee the freedom of Orthodoxy in Volhynia under the law. Prince Svidrigailo, apprehensive of the strengthening of his ally, locked St. Theodore into prison, but the people who loved the saint rose up in rebellion, and he was freed. St. Theodore was reconciled with the offender and went to him for help in the struggle against the Lithuanians and the Poles. In 1438, the holy prince took part in a battle with the Tatars. In 1440, with the accession to the Polish throne of Cazimir, youngest son of Prince Jagiello, St. Theodore received the rights of administration of the city of Vladimir, Dubno, Ostrog, and he was granted extensive holdings in the best regions of Podolia and Volhynia. St. Theodore left all this behind, together with princely power and fame. After 1441 he entered the Kiev Caves monastery, where he received the monastic tonsure with the name Theodosius, and struggled there for the salvation of his soul until the time of his blessed repose. |
| St. Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel) the Wonderworker of Pskov Commemorated on February 11 Holy Prince Vsevolod of Pskov, in Baptism Gabriel, a grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, was born at Novgorod, where in the years 1088-1093 and 1095-1117 his father ruled as prince. His father was the holy prince Saint Mstislav-Theodore the Great (April 15). In the year 1117, when Great Prince Vladimir Monomakh gave Mstislav Kievan Belgorod as his “udel” (land-holding), practically making him co-ruler, young Vsevolod remained as his father’s vicar in the Novgorod principality. Holy Prince Vsevolod did much good for Novgorod. Together with the Archbishop of Novgorod, Saint Niphon (April 8), he raised up many churches, among which were the cathedral of the Great Martyr George at the Yuriev monastery, and the church of Saint John the Forerunner at Opokakh, built in honor of the “angel” (i.e. patron saint) of his first-born son John, who had died in infancy (+ 1128). In his Ustav (Law code) the prince granted a special charter of lands and privileges to the cathedral of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) and other churches. During a terrible famine, he exhausted his entire treasury to save people from perishing. Prince Vsevolod was a valiant warrior, he marched victoriously against the Yam and Chud peoples, but he never took up the sword for lucre or power. In 1132, upon the death of holy Great Prince Mstislav, Vsevolod’s uncle Prince Yaropolk of Kiev fulfilled the last wishes of his brother and transferred Vsevolod to Pereyaslavl, then regarded as the eldest city after Kiev itself. But the younger sons of Monomakh, Yuri Dolgoruky and Andrew Dobry, were apprehensive lest Yaropolk make Vsevolod his successor at Kiev, and so they marched out against their nephew. Hoping to avoid internecine strife, Saint Vsevolod returned to Novgorod, but was received there with disaffection. The Novgorodians felt that the prince had been “raised” by them and should not have left them earlier. “Vsevolod went to Rus, to Pereslavl,” noted the Novgorod chronicler, “and kissed the cross against the Novgorodians, saying, ‘I will kill you.’” |
| Enfin, un ambassadeur grec se présentent devant le prince. Il arrive le dernier. Ce n’est pas un simple prédicateur, c’est un philosophe. Son discours, dans lequel il commence par accuser ses concurrents et termine par la perspective du feu éternel pour ceux qui ne croient pas en vérité, occupe plusieurs pages de la chronique. Il s’agit, en fait, d’un véritable cours d’histoire sainte, d’Adam au Christ et aux apôtres, dont les Grecs adoptèrent la doctrine. Suivant la chronique, Vladimir est impressionné par le récit, et plus encore par l’image du Jugement dernier qui lui est montrée. Il fait de généreux présents au philosophe, mais, lorsqu " il lui est proposé de se faire baptiser, il laisse entendre qu’il doit réfléchir. Suit un récit qui, malgré sa forme légendaire, comporte de nombreux détails historiquement fiables. Ayant convoqué les boyards et les doyens de la cité, Vladimir leur fait part de ses entretiens avec les Bulgares, les Allemands, les Juifs et les Grecs et leur demande conseil. Les boyards et les anciens, ayant fort justement remarqué que « chacun dit du bien, et non du mal de ce qui est à lui », conseillent au prince de choisir dix hommes sensés et sûrs, et de les envoyer vers ces peuples « pour qu’ils constatent comment ils servent Dieu ». Les émissaires du prince se rendent donc chez les Bulgares, assistent à la prière à la mosquée. Ensuite, ils sont envoyés vers « les Allemands », puis « en terre grecque ». On connaît le résultat de leur mission : de retour à Kiev, les membres de l’ambassade font part au prince et à son conseil de leurs impressions, s’exprimant en faveur du culte byzantin. « Les boyards rendent leur sentence : « Si la loi grecque était mauvaise, Olga, ton aïeule, ne l’aurait pas adoptée, et elle était sage entre tous ». Le prince prend une décision rapide, quelque peu inattendue : « Vladimir répondit disant : « Alors, où serons-nous baptisés ? » Eux de dire : « Où bon te semblera » Pourquoi le prince pose-t-il cette question ? N’était-il pas évident que le baptême devait avoir lieu à Kiev, la capitale ? En fait, le plan de Vladimir était plus complexe. Il fait encore débat, mais l’explication la plus logique est la suivante. En dehors des boyards et des anciens, le prince était dépendant de l’opinion de l’armée – sa droujina. Ce sont les railleries de ses compagnons d’armes qui avaient, en leur temps, incité Sviatoslav à refuser résolument le baptême, tandis que sa mère, Olga, s’efforçait vainement de lui faire adopter le christianisme. Pour l’armée, recevoir le baptême des mains des Grecs byzantins, ces mêmes Grecs chez lesquels les princes Sviatovslav, Igor ou Oleg faisaient des incursions, en rapportant richesses et gloire pour eux et pour leurs gens, était un signe de faiblesse. Pour conserver son autorité, Vladimir devait donc résoudre un problème assez délicat : recevoir le baptême des Grecs, sans que son geste puisse être interprété comme soumission aux Byzantins. Une solution fut trouvée. |
| About Pages Проекты «Правмира» Raising Orthodox Children to Orthodox Adulthood The Daily Website on How to be an Orthodox Christian Today Twitter Telegram Parler RSS Donate Navigation Events devoted to Holy Prince Vladimir in Romanian capital Source: DECR Natalya Mihailova 20 July 2015 July 15, 2015 – the Russian Science and Culture Center in Bucharest presented a program devoted to the memory of one of the brightest statesmen of Old Rus’, as part of the events to honour the memory of the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostle, the Baptizer of Russia. Photo: http://mospat.ru The guests saw the first part of the Romanian version of the documentary ‘The Second Baptism of Rus’ produced by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. The Baptism of Rus’ by Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles as an event that influence the entire world history is related in the film to dramatic events of the history of our country intertwined with the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20 th century up to these days. The program also included an exhibition of reproductions of classical paintings, frescos and icons illustrating events of the Baptism of Rus and reflecting the ideas of Rus that prevailed before Christianity was embraced. In conclusion of the program, a discussion took place devoted to Prince Vladimir. Participating in it were Prof. Alexandru Barnea, Bucharest University, Rev. Eugene Rogoti, Romanian Patriarchate staff member, and Ms. Natalia Muzhennikova, director of the Russian Science and Culture Center in Bucharest. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Events devoted to Holy Prince Vladimir in Romanian capital Natalya Mihailova The guests saw the first part of the Romanian version of the documentary ‘The Second Baptism of Rus’ produced by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. The Baptism of Rus’ by Prince Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles as an event that influence the entire world history is related in the film to dramatic ... Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. |
| Repose of St Alexander Nevsky Commemorated on November 23 The Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky was born on May 30, 1220 in the city of Pereslavl-Zalessk. His father Yaroslav II, Theodore in Baptism (+1246), “a gentle, kindly and genial prince”, was the younger son of Vsevolod III Large Nest (+ 1212), brother of the Holy Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich (February 4). Saint Alexander’s mother, Theodosia Igorevna, a Ryazan princess, was Yaroslav’s third wife. Their older son was the Holy Prince Theodore (June 5), who departed to the Lord at age fifteen. Saint Alexander was their second son. His childhood was spent at Pereslavl-Zalessk, where his father was prince. The princely tonsure of the lad Alexander (a ceremony of initiation to be soldier) was done in the Savior Transfiguration Cathedral of Pereslavl by Saint Simon, Bishop of Suzdal (May 10), one of the compilers of the Kiev Caves Paterikon (Lives of the Fathers). From this Elder-hierarch, Saint Alexander received his first blessing for military service in the name of God, to defend the Russian Church and the Russian Land. In 1227 Prince Yaroslav, at the request of the people of Novgorod, was sent by his brother Yuri, the Great Prince of Vladimir, to rule as prince in Novgorod the Great. He took with him his sons, Saints Theodore and Alexander. Dissatisfied with the Vladimir princes, the people of Novgorod soon invited Saint Michael of Chernigov (September 20), and in February 1229 Yaroslav with his sons departed to Pereslavl. The matter ended peacefully: in 1230 Yaroslav with his sons returned to Novgorod, and Saint Michael’s daughter Theodosia was betrothed to Saint Theodore, the elder brother of Saint Alexander. After the death of the bridegroom in 1233 the young princess went to a monastery and became famous in monastic exploits as the nun Saint Euphrosyne of Suzdal (September 25). From his early years Saint Alexander went along on his father’s campaigns. In 1235 he participated in a battle at the River Emajogi (in present-day Estonia), where the forces of Yaroslav totally routed the Germans. In the following year Yaroslav went to Kiev, “settling” his son, Saint Alexander, to rule independently as prince at Novgorod. In 1239 Saint Alexander entered into marriage, taking as wife the daughter of the Polotsian prince Briacheslav. Some histories relate that the day the princess was baptized was the Name Day of her saintly spouse, and she was named Alexandra. His father, Yaroslav, blessed them at betrothal with the holy wonderworking icon of the Theodore Mother of God (the father was named Theodore in Baptism). Afterwards, Saint Alexander constantly prayed before this icon. Later, it was taken from the Gorodetsk Monastery, where he died, by his brother Basil of Kostroma (+1276), and transferred to Kostroma. |
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