Russia, Kiev, 800, 9th - 11th Century, Ukraine Folder, Varangian Newcomers.kmz

Russia, Kiev, 800, 9th - 11th Century, Ukraine Folder, Varangian Newcomers

Russia, Kiev, 800-899, 9th Century Folder, Rus Byzantine War, Kiev Varangians, Cyril and Methodius

Drevlians, people of the forests, Mal of the Drevlians, 6th - 10th Century
Drevlians, people of the forests, Mal of the Drevlians, 6th - 10th Century; Polyanians, people of the fields, Kiev Rus, 6th - 10th Century; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15;

Russia, Kiev, 845-885, CYRIL AND METHODIUS, MISSIONARIES TO SLAVS, f Thessalonica, Greece, Clement's relics, Cirilic a, Slavic litergy
Greece, 845-885, CYRIL AND METHODIUS, MISSIONARIES TO THE SLAVS, from Thessalonica, Greece, Constantine to Arabs, then philosophy prof, librarian, Methodius a slav governor, both then to Khazars Dnieper-Volga, discovered Clements relics, 863 G Moravia prince Rotislav asked for Slav missionaries, litergy in Slavonic, invented S alphabet, Cyrillic a, for Russian, Ukranian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Romanian, German missionaries of HRE, to Pope w Clements relics, new Caroligian Latin bishop forced M to exile in Bulgaria; Thessalonica; Repose of Saint Cyril, Equal of the Apostles and Teacher of the Slavs Commemorated on February 14; Cyril Equal of the Apostles, Teacher of the Slavs (Constantine in the schema), and his older brother Methodius (April 6), were Slavs, born in Macedonia in the city of Thessalonica. Cyril received the finest of educations, and from the age of fourteen he was raised with the son of the emperor. Later, he was ordained as a priest. Upon his return to Constantinople, he worked as a librarian of the cathedral church, and as a professor of philosophy. Saint Cyril successfully held debates with iconoclast heretics and with Moslems. for solitude, he went to Mount Olympos to his older brother Methodius, but his solitude lasted only a short while. Both brothers were sent by the emperor Michael on a missionary journey to preach Christianity to the Khazars in the year 857. Along the way they stopped at Cherson and discovered the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement of Rome (November 25). at the territory of the Khazars, the holy brothers spoke with them about the Christian Faith. Persuaded by the preaching of Saint Cyril, the Khazar prince together with all his people accepted Christianity. The grateful prince wanted to reward the preachers with rich presents, but they refused this and instead asked the prince to free and send home with them all the Greek captives. Saint Cyril returned to Constantinople together with 200 such captives set free. the year 862 began the chief exploit of the holy brothers. At the request of Prince Rostislav, the emperor sent them to Moravia to preach Christianity in the Slavic language. Saints Cyril and Methodius by a revelation from God compiled a Slavonic alphabet and translated the Gospel, Epistles, the Psalter and many Service books into the Slavonic language. They introduced divine services in Slavonic. holy brothers were then summoned to Rome at the invitation of the Roman Pope. Pope Adrian received them with great honor, since they brought with them the relics of the Hieromartyr Clement. Sickly by nature and in poor health, Saint Cyril soon fell ill from his many labors, and after taking the schema, he died in the year 869 at the age of forty-two. Before his death, he expressed his wish for his brother to continue the Christian enlightenment of the Slavs. Saint Cyril was buried in the Roman church of Saint Clement, whose own relics also rest there, brought to Italy from Cherson by the Enlighteners of the Slavs. CYRIL AND METHODIUS, MISSIONARIES TO THE SLAVS (14 FEB 869) ; (originally Constantine) and Methodius were brothers, from a noble family in Thessalonika, a district in northeastern Greece. was the younger, born in about 827, and his brother Methodius in about 825. They both entered the priesthood. undertook a mission to the Arabs, and then became a professor of philosophy at the imperial school in Constantinople and librarian at the cathedral of Santa Sophia. became governor of a district that had been settled by Slavs. brothers then retired to monastic life. about 861, the Emperor Michel III sent them to work with the Khazars northeast of the Black Sea in the Dnieper-Volga region of what was later Russia. They learned the Khazar language and made many converts, and discovered what were believed to be relics of Clement, an early Bishop of Rome. about 863, Prince Rotislav, the ruler of Great Moravia (an area including much of what was later Czechoslovakia), asked the emperor for missionaries, specifying that he wanted someone who would teach his people in their own language (he had western missionaries, but they used only Latin). emperor and the Patriarch Photius sent Methodius and his brother Constantine, who translated the Liturgy and much of the Scriptures into Slavonic. Slavonic had no written form, they invented an alphabet for it, the Glagolitic alphabet, which gave rise to the Cyrillic alphabet (named for Constantine aka Cyril), which is used to write Russian and (with modifications) several related languages today. used the Greek alphabet as their basis, writing a letter in two forms when two similar sounds in Slavonic each needed a letter (hence, in modern Russian, we have "plain a" written "A" and "fancy a" written like a backward "R" representing the sounds of hard and soft (or unpalatalized and palatalized) a, represented approximately in English by "ah" and "yah"). no Greek letter was close, then they borrowed from Hebrew (the letter TZADDI for the sound "ts" as in "tsar", and the letter SHIN for the sound "sh", and a variant on it for the sound "shch" as in "Khrushchev", and so on). resulting alphabet had 43 letters. It has since undergone development, chiefly simplification and the omission of letters. Thus, the modern Russian alphabet has only 32 letters. Cyrillic alphabet with minor variations is used today for Russian, Ukrainian, and other languages of the former USSR, and also for Bulgarian and Serbian and formerly for Rumanian. and Croats both speak Serbo-Croatian, but the Serbs, who are traditionally East Orthodox, write it with the Cyrillic alphabet, while the Croats, who are traditionally Roman Catholic, write it with the Latin alphabet. the first World War, there were many muslims (regarded as Turks) living in Greece, and many Christians (regarded as Greeks) living in western Turkey. Each group spoke the language of the country in which it lived, but the Greek-speaking Turks in Greece wrote Greek using the Arabic script that was then standard for writing Turkish, and the Turkish-speaking Greeks in Turkey wrote Turkish in the Greek alphabet. For some reason, the alphabet matters to rival religious groups.) Thus the brothers were the first to produce written material in the Slavic languages, and are regarded as the founders of Slavic literature. brothers encountered missionaries from Germany, representing the western or Latin branch of the Church, and more particularly representing the Holy Roman Empire as founded by Charlemagne, and committed to linguistic, and cultural uniformity. They insisted on the use of the Latin liturgy, and they regarded Moravia and the Slavic peoples as their rightful mission field. When friction developed, the brothers, unwilling to be a cause of dissension among Christians, went south toward Venice, and then from Venice to Rome to see the Pope, hoping to reach an agreement that would avoid quarreling between missionaries in the field. brought with them the above-mentioned relics of Clement, third bishop of Rome after the Apostles (see 23 November). arrived in Rome in 868 and were received with honor. Constantine entered a monastery there, taking the name Cyril, by which he is now remembered. However, he died only a few weeks thereafter. He is buried in Rome in the Church of San Clemente. Pope (Adrian II) gave Methodius the title of Archbishop of Sirmium (now Sremska Mitrovica in Yugoslavia) and sent him back in 869, with jurisdiction over all of Moravia and Pannonia, and authorization to use the Slavonic Liturgy. however, Prince Rotislav, who had originally invited the brothers to Moravia, died, and his successor did not support Methodius. 870 the Frankish king Louis and his bishops deposed Methodius at a synod at Ratisbon, and imprisoned him for a little over two years. The pope (John VIII) secured his release, but told him not to use the Slavonic Liturgy any more. In 878 he was summoned to Rome on charges of heresy and using Slavonic. This time Pope John was convinced by his arguments and sent him back cleared of all charges, and with permission to use Slavonic. died 6 April 885 in Velehrad, the old capitol of Moravia. Carolingian bishop who succeeded him, Wiching, suppressed the Slavonic Liturgy and forced the followers of Methodius into exile. found refuge with King Boris of Bulgaria (852-889), under whom they reorganized a Slavic-speaking Church. Meanwhile, Pope John's successors adopted a Latin-only policy which lasted for centuries. Cyril and Methodius are honored by Eastern and Western Christians alike, and the importance of their work in preaching and worshipping in the language of the people is recognized on all sides. by James Kiefer

Russia, Kiev, 860, Rus-“Byzantine War, Prince Askold
Rus-“Byzantine War (860), Russians seize Constantinople ; St Ignatius the Patriarch of Constantinople, Commemorated on October 23 ; The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Mother of God at Blachernae, Commemorated on July 2 ;

Russia, Kiev, 9th-11th Century, Kiev Varangians (Land of the Varangians)
Kiev Varangians; Theodore; Martyr Theodore and his son of Kiev, Commemorated on July 12;

Russia, Kiev, 860-879, Askold, Kiev Rus King, Pagan Novgorodian Rurik Varangian, captured Kiev on way to atttack Constantinople
Russia, Kiev, 860-879, Kiev Rus King, Askold Kiev Rus King, 870's, Princes Askold and Dir; St Nahum of Ochrid, the Disciple of St Cyril and Methodius, Equal of the Apostles, Commemorated on December 23; The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Mother of God at, Blachernae, Commemorated on July 2 ; Martyr Theodore and his son of Kiev, Commemorated on July 12; CYRIL AND METHODIUS, MISSIONARIES TO THE SLAVS (14 FEB 869) ; St Methodius, Equal of the Apostles and Archbishop of Moravia, Enlightener of the Slavs, Commemorated on April 6; The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Mother of God at Blachernae, Commemorated on July 2;

Russia, Kiev, 862, Invitation of the Varangians, Pagan Novgorodian Rurik Dynasty, w Askold and Dir, captured Kiev
Russia, Kiev, 862, Invitation of the Varangians; Invitation of the Varangians, and Foundation of the Kievian State; Venerable Theodosius of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated September 2 ; Venerable Nestor the Chronicler of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on October 27; 12 Greeks who built the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 14;

Russia, Kiev, 862-867, Cyril and Methodius in Russia, Kiev Rus Saints
Kiev Rus Saints, 862-867, Saints Cyril and Methodius in Russia; Hieromartyr Clement the Pope of Rome, Commemorated on November 25; St Nahum of Ochrid, the Disciple of St Cyril and Methodius, Equal of the Apostles, Commemorated on December 23; Apostle Clement of the Seventy, Commemorated on January 4 ; CYRIL AND METHODIUS, MISSIONARIES TO THE SLAVS (14 FEB 869) ; Repose of St Cyril, Equal of the Apostles and Teacher of the Slavs, Commemorated on February 14 ; St Methodius, Equal of the Apostles and Archbishop of Moravia, Enlightener of the Slavs, Commemorated on April 6;

Russia, Kiev, 870-882, Askold and Dir, Kiev Rus Kings, earliest Norse rulers of Kiev, baptized, martyred by Oleg
Kiev Rus King, 870's, Princes Askold and Dir; and Dir (died in 882), mentioned in both the Primary Chronicle[1] and the Nikon Chronicle,[2] were the earliest known Norse rulers of Kiev.[3] Map of Kievan principality in the 9th century Chronicle[edit] Primary Chronicle relates that Askold and Dir were sanctioned by Rurik to go to Constantinople. travelling on the Dnieper, they settled in Kiev seizing power over the Polans who had been paying tribute to the Khazars. chronicle also states that they were killed by Oleg the Seer in 882.[1] to the Primary Chronicle he tricked and killed Askold and Dir using an elaborate scheme.[4] Tatishchev, Boris Rybakov and some other Russian and Ukrainian historians interpreted the 882 coup d'état in Kiev as the reaction of the pagan Varangians to Askold's baptism. went so far as to style Askold "the first Russian martyr".[citation needed] Askold; St Nahum of Ochrid, the Disciple of St Cyril and Methodius, Equal of the Apostles, Commemorated on December 23; The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Mother of God at, Blachernae, Commemorated on July 2 ; Martyr Theodore and his son of Kiev, Commemorated on July 12; CYRIL AND METHODIUS, MISSIONARIES TO THE SLAVS (14 FEB 869) ; St Methodius, Equal of the Apostles and Archbishop of Moravia, Enlightener of the Slavs, Commemorated on April 6; The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Mother of God at Blachernae, Commemorated on July 2;

Russia, Kiev, 879-912, Oleg of Novgorod, K Rus King, the Wise, tricked and killed Askold and Dir
Russia, Kiev, 879-912, Kiev Rus King, Oleg of Novgorod; He then came to the hills of Kyiv, and saw how Askold and Dir reigned there. He hid his warriors in the boats, left some others behind, and went forward himself bearing the child Igor'. He thus came to the foot of the Hungarian hill, and after concealing his troops, he sent messengers to Askold and Dir, representing himself as a stranger on his way to Greece on an errand for Oleg and for Igor', the prince's son, and requesting that they should come forth to greet them as members of their race. Askold and Dir straightway came forth. Then all the soldiery jumped out of the boats, and Oleg said to Askold and Dir, "You are not princes nor even of princely stock, but I am of princely birth." Igor' was then brought forward, and Oleg announced that he was the son of Rurik. They killed Askold and Dir, and after carrying them to the hill, they buried them there, on the hill now known as Hungarian, where the castle of Ol'ma now stands.[ Kiev Rus King, 870's, Princes Askold and Dir; Askold; St Methodius, Equal of the Apostles and Archbishop of Moravia, Enlightener of the Slavs, Commemorated on April 6; The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Mother of God at Blachernae, Commemorated on July 2;

Russia, Kiev, 882-1240, Ancient Rus or Russia (Kievan Russia)
Ancient Rus or Russia (Kievan or Ukrainian Russia); Martyr Basil of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on August 11; Right-believing Great Prince Igor of Kiev and Chernigov, Commemorated on September 19 ; Dedication of the Church of the Greatmartyr George at Kiev, Commemorated on November 26 ; St Stephen the Confessor the Archbishop of Surozha in the Crimea, Commemorated on December 15 ; Martyr Stratonicus of Belgrade, Commemorated January 13 ; St Ephraim the Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Commemorated Janaury 28 ; Icon of the Mother of God "the Seeker of the Lost", Commemorated February 5 ; St Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel) the Wonderworker of Pskov, Commemorated February 11 ; 12 Greeks who built the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 14; St Niphon the Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on April 8; Venerable Sava the Recluse of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on April 24;

Russia, Kiev, 900-999, 10th Century Folder, Treaty of Igor, Vladimir, Baptism of the Rus

Russia, Kiev, 907, Russian incursion into Greece, Oleg the Wise
Russian incursion into Greece in 907 (Rus-“Byzantine War (907)); The very first pages of the Russian Primary Chronicle, as foreordained by God, is bound up with the name of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica. The Chronicle relates that when Oleg the Wise threatened the Greeks at Constantinople (907), the Greeks became terrified and said, œThis is not Oleg, but rather St Demetrius sent upon us from God. Russian soldiers always believed that they were under the special protection of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius. Moreover, in the old Russian barracks the Great Martyr Demetrius was always depicted as Russian. Thus this image entered the soul of the Russian nation. Russian Primary Chronicle; Timeline of Russian history; Holy, Glorious Demetrius the Myrrhgusher of Thessalonica, Commemorated on October 26; Oleg of Kiev and Novgorod (Little Russia); Little Russia (Ukraine);

Russia, Kiev, 914-945, Igor, K Rus King, Oleg's son, besieged Constntnpl twice, plundered Arabs in Caspian
Kiev Rus King, 914-945, Igor of Kiev; Right-believing Prince Wenceslaus of the Czech Lands, Commemorated on March 4; St Olga the Princess of Russia, in Holy Baptism Called Helen, Commemorated on July 11; Martyr Theodore and his son of Kiev, Commemorated on July 12; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15;

Russia, Kiev, 940s-970s, Sveneld, and his son Mstisha, Kiev Rus Warlord, Pagan, Drevlyani lands
Russia, Kiev, 940s-970s, Kiev Rus Warlord, Sveneld; St Olga the Princess of Russia, in Holy Baptism Called Helen, Commemorated on July 11; peace treaty had to be sworn to by both the religious communities of Kiev: “Baptized Rusâ€, i.e. the Christian, took place in the cathedral church of the holy Prophet of God Elias (July 20); “Unbaptized Rusâ€, i.e. the pagans, in turn swore their oath on their weapons in the sanctuary of Perun the Thunderer. The fact, that Christians are included in the document in the first place, indicates their significant spiritual influence in the life of Kievan Rus. at the moment when the treaty of 944 was being drawn up at Constantinople, there were people in power in Kiev sympathetic to Christianity, who recognized the historical inevitability of involving Rus into the life-creating Christian culture. To this trend possibly belonged even prince Igor himself, whose official position did not permit him personally to go over to the new faith, nor at that time of deciding the issue concerning the Baptism of the whole country with the consequent dispersal throughout it of Orthodox Church hierarchs. The treaty therefore was drawn up in the circumspect manner of expression, which would not hinder the prince to ratify it in either the form of a pagan oath, or in the form of a Christian oath. when the Byzantine emissaries arrived in Kiev, conditions along the River Dneipr had essentially changed. A pagan opposition had clearly emerged, at the head of which stood the Varangian voevoda (military-leader) Svenel’d (or Sveinald) and his son Mstislav (Mtsisha) to whom Igor had given holdings in the Drevlyani lands. also at Kiev was the influence of the Khazar Jews, who could not but be displeased with the thought of the triumph of Orthodoxy in the Russian Land. to overcome the customary inertia, Igor remained a pagan and he concluded the treaty in the pagan manner, swearing an oath on his sword. He refused the grace of Baptism and was punished for his unbelief. A year later, in 945, rebellious pagans murdered him in the Drevlyanian land, cut down betwixt two trees. But the days of paganism and the lifestyle of the Slavic tribes basic to it were already numbered. The burden of government fell upon the widow of Igor -- the Kiev Great-princess Olga, and her three-year-old son Svyatoslav.

Russia, Kiev, 944, Russia, Treaty of Igor, with Byzantine Empire
Treaty of Igor (of Kiev) with the Greeks in the year 944; Translation of the Image œNot-Made-By-HandsÂ of our Lord Jesus Christ from Edessa to Constantinople, the Third œFeast of the Savior in AugustÂ, Commemorated on August 16 ; St Olga the Princess of Russia, in Holy Baptism Called Helen, Commemorated on July 11;

Russia, Kiev, 945-963, Olga, King w son Svyatoslav 945, Christian 955, centralized admin trade centers
Kiev Rus King, 945-963, Olga of Kiev ; Martyr Theodore and his son of Kiev, Commemorated on July 12; St Olga the Princess of Russia, in Holy Baptism Called Helen, Commemorated on July 11; Olga, Equal of the Apostles, was the wife of the Kievan Great Prince Igor. The struggle of Christianity with paganism under Igor and Olga, who reigned after Oleg (+ 912), entered into a new phase. The Church of Christ in the years following the reign of Igor (+ 945) became a remarkable spiritual and political force in the Russian realm. The preserved text of a treaty of Igor with the Greeks in the year 944 gives indication of this: it was included by the chronicler in the “Tale of Bygone Years,â€ under the entry recording the events of the year 6453 (945). peace treaty had to be sworn to by both the religious communities of Kiev: “Baptized Rusâ€, i.e. the Christian, took place in the cathedral church of the holy Prophet of God Elias (July 20); “Unbaptized Rusâ€, i.e. the pagans, in turn swore their oath on their weapons in the sanctuary of Perun the Thunderer. The fact, that Christians are included in the document in the first place, indicates their significant spiritual influence in the life of Kievan Rus. at the moment when the treaty of 944 was being drawn up at Constantinople, there were people in power in Kiev sympathetic to Christianity, who recognized the historical inevitability of involving Rus into the life-creating Christian culture. To this trend possibly belonged even prince Igor himself, whose official position did not permit him personally to go over to the new faith, nor at that time of deciding the issue concerning the Baptism of the whole country with the consequent dispersal throughout it of Orthodox Church hierarchs. The treaty therefore was drawn up in the circumspect manner of expression, which would not hinder the prince to ratify it in either the form of a pagan oath, or in the form of a Christian oath. when the Byzantine emissaries arrived in Kiev, conditions along the River Dneipr had essentially changed. A pagan opposition had clearly emerged, at the head of which stood the Varangian voevoda (military-leader) Svenel’d (or Sveinald) and his son Mstislav (Mtsisha) to whom Igor had given holdings in the Drevlyani lands. also at Kiev was the influence of the Khazar Jews, who could not but be displeased with the thought of the triumph of Orthodoxy in the Russian Land. to overcome the customary inertia, Igor remained a pagan and he concluded the treaty in the pagan manner, swearing an oath on his sword. He refused the grace of Baptism and was punished for his unbelief. A year later, in 945, rebellious pagans murdered him in the Drevlyanian land, cut down betwixt two trees. But the days of paganism and the lifestyle of the Slavic tribes basic to it were already numbered. The burden of government fell upon the widow of Igor -- the Kiev Great-princess Olga, and her three-year-old son Svyatoslav. name of the future enlightener of the Russian Land and of her native region is first to be met with in the “Tale of Bygone Years,â€ in the phrase where it speaks about the marriage of Igor: “and they brought him a wife from Pskov, by the name of Olga.â€ She belonged, so specifies the Joakimov Chronicle, to the lineage of the Izborsk princes, -- one of the obscure ancient-Russian princely dynasties, of which in Rus during the 10th-11th Centuries there numbered no less than twenty, but who were all displaced by the Rurikovichi or merged otherwise with them through marriage. Some of them were of local Slavic descent, others -- Varangian new-comers. It is known, that the Scandinavian Viking “koenigsâ€ (kinglets) called to become princes in the Russian cities -- invariably assimilated to the Russian language, and often, they soon became genuinely Russian with Russian names and lifestyle, world-outlook and even physical appearance of attire. Igor’s wife also had the Varangian name “Helga,â€ which in Russian is pronounced Olga. The feminine name Olga corresponds to the masculine name “Olegâ€ (Helgi), which means “holyâ€ [from Germanic “heiligâ€ for “holyâ€]. Although the pagan understanding of holiness was quite different from the Christian, it also presupposed within a man a particular frame of reference, of chastity and sobriety of mind, and of insight. The fact that people called Oleg the Wise-Seer (“Veschiâ€) and Olga the Wise (“Mudraâ€) shows the spiritual significance of names. later traditions regard her a native of a village named Vybuta, several kilometers from Pskov up along the River Velika. They still not so long ago used to point out at the river the Olga Bridge, the ancient fording place, where Olga was met by Igor. The Pskov geographic features have preserved several names connected with this great descendent of Pskov: the village of Ol’zhinets and Ol’gino Pole (Olga Field); the Olga Gateway, one of the branches of the River Velika; Olga Hill and the Olga Cross near Lake Pskov; and the Olga Stone at the village of Vybuta. beginning of the independent rule of Princess Olga is connected in the chronicles with the narrative about her terrible revenge on the Drevlyani, who murdered Igor. Having sworn their oaths on their swords and believing “only in their swordsâ€, the pagans were doomed by the judgment of God to also perish by the sword (Mt. 26: 52). Worshipping fire among the other primal elements, they found their own doom in the fire. And the Lord chose Olga to fulfill the fiery chastisement. struggle for the unity of Rus, for the subordination to the Kievan center of mutually divisive and hostile tribes and principalities paved the way towards the ultimate victory of Christianity in the Russian Land. For Olga, though still a pagan, the Kiev Christian Church and its Heavenly patron saint the holy Prophet of God Elias [in icons depicted upon a fiery chariot] stood as a flaming faith and prayer of a fire come down from the heavens, and her victory over the Drevlyani—despite the severe harshness of her victory, was a victory of Christian constructive powers in the Russian realm over the powers of a paganism, dark and destructive. God-wise Olga entered into history as a great builder of the civil life and culture of Kievan Rus. The chronicles are filled with accounts of her incessant “goingsâ€ throughout the Russian land with the aim of the well-being and improvement of the civil and domestic manner of life of her subjects. Having consolidated the inner strengthening of the might of the Kiev great-princely throne, thereby weakening the influence of the hodge-podge of petty local princes in Rus, Olga centralized the whole of state rule with the help of the system of “pogostiâ€ (administrative trade centers). In the year 946 she went with her son and retinue through the Drevlyani land, “imposing tribute and taxesâ€, noting the villages, inns and hunting places, liable for inclusion in the Kiev great-princely holdings. The next year she went to Novgorod, establishing administrative centers along the Rivers Msta and Luga, everywhere leaving visible traces of her activity. “Her lovischa (hunting preserves) were throughout all the land, the boundary signs, her places and administrative centers, wrote the chronicler, and her sleighs stand at Pskov to this very day, as are her directed places for snaring of birds along the Dneipr and the Desna Rivers; and her village of Ol’zhicha stands to the present day.â€ “pogostiâ€ established by Olga, as financial-administrative and law-court centers, represented sturdy props of great-princely power in these places. first of all, and in the actual sense of the word, centers of trade and exchange (the merchant as “guestâ€) gathered together and became organized around the settlements (and in place of the “humanly arbitraryâ€ gathering of tribute and taxes, there now existed uniformity and order with the “pogostiâ€ system). Olga’s “pogostiâ€ became an important network of the ethnic and cultural unification of the Russian nation. on, when Olga had become a Christian, they began to erect the first churches at the “pogostiâ€; from the time of the Baptism of Rus the “pogostâ€ and church (parish) became inseparably associated. (It was only afterwards with the existence of cemeteries alongside churches that there developed the current meaning of the Russian word “pogostâ€ to nowadays signify “parish graveyardâ€.) Olga exerted much effort to fortify the defensive might of the land. The cities were built up and strengthened, Vyshgorod (or Detintsa, Kroma) they enclosed with stone and oak walls (battlements), and they bristled them with ramparts and pallisades. Knowing how hostile many were to the idea of strengthening the princely power and the unification of Rus, the princess herself lived constantly “on the hillâ€ over the Dneipr, behind the trusty battlements of Kievan Vyshgorod (“Verkhna-gorodâ€ or “Upper-cityâ€), surrounded by her faithful retainers. Two thirds of the gathered tribute, as the chroniclers testify, she gave over for the use of the Kiev “vecheâ€ (city-council), and the remaining one third went “to Olga, for Vyshgorodâ€ -- for the needs of building fortifications. And to the time period of Olga, historians note the establishment of the first state frontiers of Russia -- to the west, with Poland. Heroic outposts to the south guarded the peaceful fields of the Kievans from the peoples of the Wild Plains. Foreigners hastened to Gardarika (“the land of citiesâ€), as they called Rus, with merchandise and craftwares. Swedes, Danes, Germans all eagerly entered as mercenaries into the Russian army. The foreign connections of Kiev spread. This furthered the development of construction with stone in the city, the beginnings of which was initiated under Olga. The first stone edifices of Kiev -- the city palace and Olga’s upper enclosure -- were discovered by archaeologists only but in this century. (The palace, or more properly its foundations and remains of the walls were found in excavations during the years 1971-1972). it was not only the strengthening of the civil realm and the improvement of domestic norms of the manner of life for people that attracted the attention of the wise princess. Even more urgent for her was the fundamental transformation of the religious life of Rus, the spiritual transfiguration of the Russian nation. Rus had become a great power. Only two European realms could compare with it during these years in significance and might: in Eastern Europe -- the ancient Byzantine empire, and in the West the kingdom of Saxony. experience of both empires, connected with the exaltation in spirit of Christian teaching, with the religious basis of life, showed clearly, that the way to the future greatness of Rus lay not through military means, but first of all and primarily through spiritual conquering and attainment. Having entrusted Kiev to her teenage son Svyatoslav, and seeking grace and truth, Great-princess Olga in the Summer of 954 set off with a great fleet to Constantinople. This was a peaceful “expeditionâ€, combining the tasks of religious pilgrimage and diplomatic mission, but the political considerations demanded that it become simultaneously a display of the military might of Rus on the Black Sea, which would remind the haughty “Romaioiâ€ [Byzantine Greeks] of the victorious campaigns of Askold and Oleg, who in the year 907 advanced in their shields “to the very gates of Constantinople.â€ result was attained. The appearance of the Russian fleet in the Bosphorus created the necessary effect for the developing of Russo-Byzantine dialogue. In turn, the southern capital struck the stern daughter of the north with its variety of beauty and grandeur of architecture, and its jumbled mixture of pagans and peoples from all over the world. But a great impression was produced by the wealth of Christian churches and the holy things preserved in them. Constantinople, “the city of the imperial Caesar,â€ the Byzantine Empire, strove in everything to be worthy of the Mother of God, to Whom the city was dedicated by Saint Constantine the Great (May 21) in 330 (see May 11). The Russian princess attended services in the finest churches of Constantinople: at Hagia Sophia, at Blachernae, and others. her heart the wise Olga found the desire for holy Orthodoxy, and she made the decision to become a Christian. The sacrament of Baptism was made over her by the Constantinople Patriarch Theophylactus (933-956), and her godfather was the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitos (912-959). At Baptism she was given the name Helen in honor of the holy Equal of the Apostles Helen (May 21), the mother of Saint Constantine, and she also had been the discoverer of the Venerable Wood of the Cross of the Lord. In an edifying word spoken at the conclusion of the rite, the Patriarch said: “Blessed are you among Russian women, for you have forsaken the darkness and have loved the Light. The Russian people shall bless you in all the future generations, from your grandson and great-grandson to your furthermost descendants.â€ He instructed her in the truths of the Faith, the churchly rules and the rule of prayer, he explained the commands about fasting, chastity and charity. “She, however,â€ says the Monk Nestor, “bowed her head and stood, literally like a sponge absorbing water, listening to the teaching, and bowing down to the Patriarch, she said, “By your prayers, O Master, let me be preserved from the wiles of enemiesâ€. is in precisely this way, with a slightly bowed head, that Saint Olga is depicted on one of the frescoes of the Kiev Sophia cathedral, and likewise on a Byzantine miniature contemporary to her, in a manuscript portrait of the Chronicles of John Scilitius in the Madrid National Library. The Greek inscription, accompanying the miniature, terms Olga “Archontissa (i.e. ruler) of Rus,â€ “a woman, Helga by name, who came to the emperor Constantine and was baptizedâ€. The princess is depicted in special head attire, “as a newly-baptized Christian and venerable deaconess of the Russian Church.â€ Beside her in the same attire of the newly-baptized -- is Malusha (+ 1001), the future mother of the Equal of the Apostles Saint Vladimir (July 15). one who had originally so disliked the Russians as did the emperor Constantine Porphyrigenitos, it was no trivial matter for him to become the godfather to the “Archontissa of Rusâ€. In the Russian chronicles are preserved narratives about this, how resolutely and on an equal footing Olga conversed with the emperor, amazing the Greeks by her spiritual depth and wisdom of governance, and displaying that the Russian nation was quite capable of accepting and assimilating the highest attainments of the Greek religious genius, the finest fruition of Byzantine spirituality and culture. And thus by a peaceful path Saint Olga succeeded in “taking Constantinopleâ€, something which no other military leader before her had ever been able to do. According to the witness of the chronicles, the emperor himself had to admit, that Olga “had given him the slipâ€ (had outwitted him), and the popular mind, jumbling together into one the traditions about Oleg the Wise and Olga the Wise, sealed in its memory this spiritual victory in the bylina or folk-legend entitled “Concerning the Taking of Constantinople by Princess Olgaâ€. his work “About the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court,â€ which has survived to the present day in just one copy, Constantine Porphyrigenitos has left us a detailed description of the ceremony surrounding the stay of Saint Olga at Constantinople. He describes a triumphant reception in the famed Magnaura palace, beneath the singing of bronze birds and the roars of copper lions, where Olga appeared with an impressive retinue of 108 men (not counting the men of Svyatoslav’s company). And there took place negotiations in the narrower confines of the chambers of the empress, and then a state dinner in the hall of Justinian. And here during the course of events, there providentially met together at one table the four “majestic ladiesâ€: the grandmother and the mother of holy Equal of the Apostles Saint Vladimir (Saint Olga and her companion Malusha), and the grandmother and the mother of Saint Vladimir’s future spouse Anna (the empress Helen and her daughter-in-law Theophano). Slightly more than half a century would pass, and at the Desyatin church of the Most Holy Theotokos at Kiev would stand aside each other the marble tombs of Saint Olga, Saint Vladimir and “Blessed Annaâ€. the time of one of these receptions, as Constantine Porphyrogenitos relates, the Russian princess was presented a golden plate inset with jewels. Saint Olga offered it to the vestry of the Sophia cathedral, where at the beginning of the thirteenth century it was seen and described by the Russian diplomat Dobrynya Yadeikovich (who afterwards was to become the Novgorod archbishop Anthony): “The large golden official plate of Olga of Russia, when she took it as tribute, having come to Constantinople; upon the plate be precious stones, and upon it is written in these stones the name Christâ€. the wily emperor, after reporting such details as would underscore how “Olga had given him the slipâ€, also presents a difficult riddle for historians of the Russian Church. This is it: Saint Nestor the Chronicler relates in the “Tale of Bygone Yearsâ€ that the Baptism of Olga took place in the Biblical year 6463 (955 or 954), and this corresponds to the account of the Byzantine chronicles of Kedrinos. Another Russian Church writer of the eleventh century, Yakov Mnikh, in his work “Eulogy and Laudation to Vladimir... and how Vladimir’s Grandmother Olga was Baptizedâ€, speaks about the death of the holy princess (+ 969) and he notes that she lived as a Christian for fifteen years, and he places the actual date of Baptism as the year 954, which corresponds within several months to the date indicated by Nestor. In contrast to this, describing for us the stay of Olga at Constantinople and providing the precise dates of the receptions given in her honor, Constantine Porphyrogenitos has us to understand in no uncertain terms that all this occurred in the year 957. reconcile the cited chronicles, on the one hand, with the testimony of Constantine on the other hand, Russian Church historians are led to suppose one of two things: either Saint Olga made a second journey to Constantinople in the year 957 to continue negotiations with the emperor, or she was not baptized at Constantinople, having previously been baptized at Kiev in 954, and that she was merely making a pilgrimage to Byzantium, since she was already a Christian. The first supposition is the more credible. for the immediate diplomatic outcome of the negotiations, there were basic matters for Saint Olga that had been left unsettled. She had gained success on questions concerning Russian trade within the territories of the Byzantine Empire, and also the reconfirmation of the peace accord with Byzantium, concluded by Igor in the year 944. But she had not been able to sway the emperor on two issues of importance to Rus: the dynastic marriage of Svyatoslav with a Byzantine princess, and the conditions for restoring an Orthodox metropolitan to Kiev as had existed at the time of Askold. The evidently inadequate outcome of her mission is detected in her answer, when she had already returned home, which was given to emissaries sent out by the emperor. To the emperor’s inquiry about promised military aid, Saint Olga curtly replied through the emissaries: “If you had spent time with me at Pochaina, as I did at the Court, then I would send the soldiers to help you.â€ all this, in spite of her failed attempts at establishing the Church hierarchy within Rus, Saint Olga, after becoming a Christian, zealously devoted herself to efforts of Christian evangelization among the pagans, and also church construction: “demanding the distressing of demons and the beginning of life for Christ Jesusâ€. She built churches: of Saint Nicholas and the church of the Holy Wisdom at Kiev, of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos at Vytebsk, and of the Holy Life-Creating Trinity at Pskov. Pskov from that period has been called in the chronicles the Domicile of the Holy Trinity. The church, built by Olga at the River Velika at a spot pointed out to her from on high, according to the chronicler, by a “light-beam of the Thrice-Radiant Divinityâ€, stood for more than one and an half centuries. In the year 1137 holy Prince Vsevolod-Gabriel (February 11) replaced this wooden temple with one made of stone, which in turn in 1363 was rebuilt and replaced finally with the presently existing Trinity cathedral. very important monument of Russian “Monument Theologyâ€, as Church architecture frequently is termed, connected with the name of Saint Olga, is the temple of the Wisdom of God at Kiev, which was started soon after her return from Constantinople, and consecrated on May 11, 960. This day was afterwards observed in the Russian Church as a special Church feastday. the Mesyatseslov (calendar supplement)of a parchment Epistle-book from 1307, under May 11 is written: “On this day the consecration of Saint Sophia took place at Kiev in the year 6460.â€ The date is indicated in the so-called “Antiochianâ€ rather than generally-accepted Constantinople chronology, and it corresponds to the year 960 from the Birth of Christ. was no mere coincidence that Saint Olga received in Baptism the name of Saint Helen, who found the Venerable Wood of the Cross at Jerusalem (March 6). The foremost sacred item in the newly built Kiev Sophia temple was a piece of the Holy Cross, brought by this new Helen from Constantinople, and received by her in blessing from the Constantinople Patriarch. The Cross, by tradition, was hewn out from an entire piece of the Life-Creating Wood of the Lord. Upon the Cross-Wood was inscribed: “The Holy Cross for the Regeneration of the Russian Land, Received by Noble Princess Olga.â€ Olga did much to memorialize the first Russian confessors of the Name of Christ: over the grave of Askold the Saint Nicholas church was built, where according to certain accounts, she herself was afterwards interred. Over the grave of Dir was built the afore-mentioned Sophia cathedral, which stood for half a century and burned in the year 1017. On this spot Yaroslav the Wise later on built a church of Saint Irene in 1050, but the sacred items of Olga’s Sophia temple were transferred into a stone church of the same name now standing as the Kiev Sophia, started in 1017 and consecrated about the year 1030. In the Prologue of the thirteenth century, it says about the Olga Cross: “for It is now at Kiev in Saint Sophia in the altar on the right side.â€ The plundering of Kiev’s holy things, which after the Mongols was continued by the Lithuanians who captured the city in 1341, did not spare even this. Under Jagiello in the period of the Liublin Unia, which in 1384 united Poland and Lithuania into one state, the Olga Cross was snatched from the Sophia cathedral and carried off by the Catholics to Lublin. Its further fate is unknown. even in Olga’s time there were at Kiev among the nobles and retainers no few people who, in the words of Solomon, “hated Wisdomâ€, and also Saint Olga, for having built Wisdom’s temple. Zealots of the old paganism became all the more emboldened, viewing with hope the coming of age of Svyatoslav, who decidedly spurned the urgings of his mother to accept Christianity, and even becoming angry with her over this. It was necessary to hurry with the intended matter of the Baptism of Rus. The deceit of Byzantium, at the time not wanting to promote Christianity in Rus, played into the hands of the pagans. In search of a solution, Saint Olga looked to the west. No contradiction here yet existed. Saint Olga (+ 969) belonged still to the undivided Church (i.e. before the Great Schism of 1054), and she had scant possibility to study the theological points involved between the Greek and Latin Creeds. The opposition of West and East presented itself to her first of all as a political rivalry, of secondary importance in comparison with her task, the establishment of the Russian Church and the Christian enlightenment of Rus. the year 959, the German chronicler named “the Continuant of Reginon,â€ records: “to the king came emissaries of Helen, queen of the Russes, who was baptized in Constantinople, and who sought for their nation to have bishop and priestsâ€ King Otto, the future founder of the German Empire, willingly acceded to Olga’s request, but he urged that the matter not be decided in haste. It was only on Nativity of the following year 960, that there was established a Russian bishop Libutius, from the monastery brethren of Anatolius Alban am Mainz. But he soon died (March 15, 961). In his place was ordained Adalbert of Trier, whom Otto “generously furnishing all needsâ€ finally sent to Russia. It is difficult to say what would have happened, had the king not delayed for so long a while, but when in 962 when Adalbert showed up at Kiev, he “did not succeed in the matter for which he had been sent, and did consider his efforts to be in vain.â€ Furthermore, on the return journey “certain of his companions were murdered, and the bishop himself did not escape mortal danger.â€ turned out that after the passage of years, as Olga indeed had foreseen, matters at Kiev had twisted ultimately in favor of paganism, and Rus having become neither Orthodox nor Catholic, had second thoughts about accepting Christianity. The pagan reaction thus produced was so strong, that not only did the German missionaries suffer, but also some of the Kiev Christians who had been baptized with Olga at Constantinople. By order of Svyatoslav, Saint Olga’s nephew Gleb was killed and some of the churches built by her were destroyed. It seems reasonable, that this transpired not without Byzantium’s secret diplomacy: given the possibility of a strengthened Rus in alliance with Otto, the Greeks would have preferred to support the pagans, with the consequent intrigues against Olga and various disorders. collapse of the mission of Adalbert had providential significance for the future Russian Orthodox Church, escaping papal dominion. Saint Olga was obliged to accede to the humiliation and to withdraw fully into matters of personal piety, handing over the reigns of governance to her pagan-son Svyatoslav. Because of her former role, all the difficult matters were referred over to her in her wisdom of governance. When Svyatoslav absented himself from Kiev on military campaigns and wars, the governance of the realm was again entrusted to his mother. But the question about the Baptism of Rus was for a while taken off the agenda, and this was ultimately bitter for Saint Olga, who regarded the good news of the Gospel of Christ as the chief matter in her life. meekly endured the sorrow and grief, attempting to help her son in civil and military affairs, and to guide matters with heroic intent. The victories of the Russian army were a consolation for her, particularly the destruction of an old enemy of the Russian state—the Khazar kaganate. Twice, in the years 965 and 969, the armies of Svyatoslav went through the lands of “the foolish Khazars,â€ forever shattering the might of the Jewish rulers of Priazovia and lower Povolzhia. A subsequent powerful blow was struck at the Mahometan Volga Bulgars, and then in turn came the Danube Bulgars. Eighteen years were spent on the Danube with the Kiev military forces. Olga was alone and in worry: it was as though, absorbed by military matters in the Balkans, Svyatoslav had forgotten about Kiev. the Spring of 969 the Pechenegs besieged Kiev: “and it was impossible to lead out the horses to water, for the Pechenegs stood at the Lybeda.â€ The Russian army was far away, at the Danube. Having sent off messengers to her son, Saint Olga herself headed the defense of the capital. When he received the news, Svyatoslav rode quickly to Kiev, and “he hugged his mother and his children and was distressed, with what had happened with them from the Pechenegs.â€ But after routing the nomads, the warrior prince began anew to say to his mother: “It does not please me to sit at Kiev, for I wish to live at Pereslavl’ on the Dunaj (Danube) since that is the center of my lands.â€ dreamed of creating a vast Russian holding from the Danube to the Volga, which would unite all Rus, Bulgaria, Serbia, the Near Black Sea region and Priazovia (Azov region), and extend his borders to those of Constantinople itself. Olga the Wise understood however, that all the bravery and daring of the Russian companies could not compare against the ancient Byzantine Empire, and that the venture of Svyatoslav would fail. But the son would not heed the admonitions of his mother. Saint Olga thereupon said, “You see that I am ill. Why do you want to forsake me? After you bury me, then go wherever you wish.â€ days were numbered, and her burdens and sorrows sapped her strength. On July 11, 969 Saint Olga died: “and with great lament they mourned her, her son and grandsons and all the people.â€ In her final years, amidst the triumph of paganism, she had to have a priest by her secretly, so she would not evoke new outbursts of pagan fanaticism. But before death, having found anew her former firmness and resolve, she forbade them to make over her the pagan celebration of the dead, and she gave final instructions to bury her openly in accord with Orthodox ritual. Presbyter Gregory, who was with her at Constantinople in 957, fulfilled her request. Olga lived, died, and was buried as a Christian. “And thus having lived and well having glorified God in Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, having worshipped in the blessed faith, she ended her life in the peace of Christ Jesus, our Lord.â€ As her prophetic testament to succeeding generations, with deep Christian humility she confessed her faith concerning her nation: “God’s will be done! If it pleases God to have mercy upon my native Russian Land, then they shall turn their hearts to God, just as I have received this gift.â€ glorified the holy toiler of Orthodoxy, the “initiator of faithâ€ in the Russian Land, by means of miracles and incorrupt relics. Yakov Mnikh (+ 1072), a hundred years after her death, wrote in his work “Memory and Laudation to Vladimirâ€: “God has glorified the body of His servant Olga, and her venerable body remains incorrupt to this day.â€ Olga glorified God with good deeds in all things, and God glorified her. Under holy Prince Vladimir, ascribed by some as occurring in the year 1007, the relics of Saint Olga were transferred into the Desyatin church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and placed within a special sarcophagus, such as was customary to enclose the relics of saints in the Orthodox East. “And hear ye concerning a certain miracle about her: the grave of stone is small in the church of the Holy Mother of God, this church built by the blessed Prince Vladimir, and in the grave is the blessed Olga. And an opening was made in the tomb to behold Olga’s body lying there whole.â€ But not everyone was given to see this miracle of the incorrupt relics of the saint: “For whoever came with faith, the aperture opened up, and there the venerable body could be seen lying intact, and one would marvel at such a miracle -- the body lying there for so many years without decay. Worthy of all praise is this venerable body: resting in the grave whole, as though sleeping. But for those who did not approach in faith, the grave aperture would not open up, and they would not see this venerable body, but only the grave.â€ even after death Saint Olga espoused life eternal and resurrection, filling believers with joy and confounding non-believers. She was, in the words of Saint Nestor the Chronicler, “a precursor in the Christian land, like the dawn before sunrise or the twilight before the light.â€ holy Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, himself giving thanks to God on the day of the Baptism of Rus, witnessed before his countrymen concerning Saint Olga with the remarkable words: “The sons of Rus bless you, and also the generations of your descendants.â€ Martyr Theodore and his son of Kiev, Commemorated on July 12; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15;

Russia, Kiev, 960, Sophia Icon, Wisdom prophecy, Sophia = Wisdom = Jesus, House = MOG, 7 Epistles of Paul
Russia, Kiev, 960, Sophia Icon, Kiev's Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) Cathedral, 960 by Olga, Wisdom prophecy, Sophia = Wisdom = Jesus, House = MOG, 7 Epistles of Paul, icon arrangement church, MOG, archway 7 pillars, palms out, feet on crescent moon, holding pre-eternal Christ child, blessing w right hand, Father and holy spirit over entrance, Father affirmation of wisdom's footsteps, 7 Archangels along both sides, symbold of duties in their hands, Right side Michael w flaming sword, Uriel w lightning downward, Raphael w Myhrr, Left side Gabriel w lily blossom, Selaphiel w scale, Jerudiel w crown, Barachiel w flowers on shawl, Staircase MOG footrest, seven steps (the Church), under a cloud w crescent moon, 7 steps, faith, hope, love, purity, humility, blessedness, glory, 7 steps on 7 pillars w images from Apocalypse; Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) Cathedral in Kiev; Icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of God, Commemorated on September 8; Icon of Sophia, the Wisdom of God (Kiev), occupies an unique place in the Russian Orthodox Church. the icon is depicted the Theotokos, and the Hypostatic Wisdom, the Son of God incarnate of Her. Wisdom or Sophia, ponders the Son of God, about Whom in the Proverbs of Solomon it says: “Wisdom has built a house for herself, and has set up seven pillars” (9:1). words refer to Christ, the Son of God, Who in the Epistles of Saint Paul is called “Wisdom of God” (1 Cor.1:30), the word “house” refers to the Most Holy Virgin Mary, of Whom the Son of God is incarnate. arrangement of the icon bears witness to the fulfillment of this prophecy. the Kiev icon of Sophia is a church, and standing there is the Mother of God in a robe with a veil on her head, under an archway of seven pillars. palms of Her hands are outstretched, and her feet are set upon a crescent moon. Theotokos holds the Pre-eternal Christ Child, blessing with Her right hand, and holding the Infant with Her left. the cornice of the entrance are inscribed the words from the Book of Proverbs: “Wisdom has built a house for herself, and has set up seven pillars.” the entrance are depicted God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. From the mouth of God the Father issues the words: “I am affirmation of Her footsteps.” both sides the seven Archangels are depicted with outstretched wings, holding in their hands symbols of their duties. the right side: Michael with flaming sword; Uriel with a lightning flash hurling downwards; Raphael with alabaster vessel of myrrh. the left side: Gabriel with a lily blossom; Selaphiel with a scale; Jerudiel with royal crown; and Barachiel with flowers on a white shawl. a cloud with the crescent moon, serving as a footrest for the Mother of God, is a staircase with seven steps (depicting the Church of God on earth). standing on the seven steps are the Old Testament witnesses of the manifestation of Wisdom, the Forefathers and the Prophets. each of the seven steps are inscribed: faith, hope, love, purity, humility, blessedness, glory. The seven steps of the staircase are set upon the seven pillars, on which images are inscribed, and their explanation taken from the Apocalypse.

Russia, Kiev, 962 co E -1025-1028 E, Constantine VIII, Byzantine Emperor, Basil II's b, Zoe's f, disaster reign
Byzantine Emperor, 962-1028, Constantine VIII ; VIII Porphyrogenitus (960 - 11/12 November 1028) was de jure Byzantine Emperor from 962 until his death. He was the younger son of Emperor Romanos II and Empress Theophano. was nominal co-emperor for 63 years, successively with his father; stepfather, Nikephoros II Phokas; uncle, John I Tzimiskes; and brother, Basil II. II died childless on 15 December 1025 and thus left the rule of the Byzantine Empire in Constantine's hands. had no interest in politics, statecraft or the military. His brief reign is said to have been "an unmitigated disaster", sparking "a collapse of the military power of the Empire". Constantine had no sons, so shortly before his death he married his daughter Zoë to his chosen successor, Romanos Argyros. Venerable John the Georgian, of Mt. Athos, Commemorated on July 12 ; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15; Translation of the relics of the Venerable Lazarus of Mt. Galerius Near Ephesus, Commemorated on July 17; Venerable Nikon "œMetanoeite,"Â the Preacher of Repentance, Commemorated on November 26; Venerable Luke the New Stylite of Chalcedon, Commemorated on December 11 ; St Arsenius the Archbishop of Kerkyra (Corfu), Commemorated on January 19; Martyr Luke of Jerusalem, the Georgian, Commemorated on February 12; Venerable Simeon the New Theologian, Commemorated on March 12; St Euthymius of Athos the translator, Commemorated on May 13 ; St Euthymius the New, Founder of the Iveron Monastery and His Fellow Georgian Saints of Mt. Athos, Commemorated on May 13 ; St (John) Tornike of Mt Athos, Commemorated on June 12;

Russia, Kiev, 963-972, Sviatoslav I of Kiev, Kiev Rus King, Olga's s, but Pagan, Volga to Danube Empire
Kiev Rus King, 945-972, Sviatoslav I of Kiev; I Igorevich ( 943 - 26 March 972), also spelled Svyatoslav, was a Grand Prince of Kiev[2][3] famous for his persistent campaigns in the east and south, precipitated the collapse of two great powers of Eastern Europe, Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire. also conquered numerous East Slavic tribes, defeated the Alans and attacked the Volga Bulgars,[4][5] and at times was allied with the Pechenegs and Magyars. decade-long reign over the Kievan Rus' was marked by rapid expansion into the Volga River valley, the Pontic steppe, and the Balkans. By the end of his short life, Sviatoslav carved out for himself the largest state in Europe, eventually moving his capital in 969 from Kiev (modern-day Ukraine) to Pereyaslavets (identified as the modern village of NufÄƒru, Romania)[6] on the Danube. In contrast with his mother's conversion to Christianity, Sviatoslav remained a staunch pagan all of his life. Due to his abrupt death in ambush, his conquests, for the most part, were not consolidated into a functioning empire, while his failure to establish a stable succession led to a fratricidal feud among his three sons, resulting in two of them being killed. of Kiev, who served as regent during her son's youth Primary Chronicle records Sviatoslav as the first ruler of the Kievan Rus' with a name of Slavic origin (as opposed to his predecessors, whose names had Old Norse forms). Some scholars see the name of Sviatoslav, composed of the Slavic roots for "holy" and "glory", as an artificial derivation combining the names of his predecessors Oleg and Rurik (whose respective names mean "holy" and "glorious" in Old Norse).[7] Sveinald or Sveneld is identical to Sviatoslav, as the Norse rendition of the Slavic name.[8] life and personality[edit] nothing is known about Sviatoslav's childhood and youth, which he spent reigning in Novgorod. Sviatoslav's father, Igor, was killed by the Drevlians around 945, and his mother, Olga, ruled as regent in Kiev until Sviatoslav reached maturity (ca. 963).[9] was tutored by a Varangian named Asmud.[10] The tradition of employing Varangian tutors for the sons of ruling princes survived well into the 11th century. appears to have had little patience for administration. His life was spent with his druzhina (roughly, "company") in permanent warfare against neighboring states. to the Primary Chronicle, he carried neither wagons nor kettles on his expeditions, and he boiled no meat, rather cutting off small strips of horseflesh, game, or beef to eat after roasting it on the coals. Nor did he have a tent, rather spreading out a horse-blanket under him and setting his saddle under his head, and all his retinue did likewise.[11] of Sviatoslav wearing a vyshyvanka, by Fedor Solntsev appearance has been described very clearly by Leo the Deacon, who himself attended the meeting of Sviatoslav with John I Tzimiskes. Following Deacon's memories, Sviatoslav was a bright-eyed man of average height but of stalwart build, much more sturdy than Tzimiskes. He had a bald head and a wispy beard and wore a bushy mustache and a sidelock as a sign of his nobility.[12] He preferred to dress in white, and it was noted that his garments were much cleaner than those of his men, although he had a lot in common with his warriors. He wore a single large gold earring bearing a carbuncle and two pearls.[13] beliefs[edit] mother, Olga, converted to Orthodox Christianity at the court of Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus in 957,[14] at the approximate age of 67. Sviatoslav remained a pagan all of his life. In the treaty of 971 between Sviatoslav and the Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes, the Rus' swore by the gods Perun and Veles.[15] According to the Primary Chronicle, he believed that his warriors (druzhina) would lose respect for him and mock him if he became a Christian.[16] The allegiance of his warriors was of paramount importance in his conquest of an empire that stretched from the Volga to the Danube. mother, Olga, with her escort in Constantinople, a miniature from the late 11th century chronicle of John Skylitzes. little is known of Sviatoslav's family life. It is possible that he was not the only (or the eldest) son of his parents. The Russo-Byzantine treaty of 945 mentions a certain Predslava, Volodislav's wife, as the noblest of the Rus' women after Olga. The fact that Predslava was Oleg's mother is presented by Vasily Tatishchev. He also speculated that Predslava came from the Hungarian nobility. George Vernadsky was among many historians to speculate that Volodislav was Igor's eldest son and heir who died at some point during Olga's regency. Another chronicle told that Oleg (? - 977?) was the eldest son of Igor. At the time of Igor's death, Sviatoslav was still a child, and he was raised by his mother or under her instructions. Her influence, however, did not extend to his religious observance. I in the Tsarsky Titulyarnik, 1672 had several children, but the origin of his wives is not specified in the chronicle. By his wives, he had Yaropolk and Oleg.[17] By Malusha, a woman of indeterminate origins,[18] Sviatoslav had Vladimir, who would ultimately break with his father's paganism and convert Rus' to Christianity. Skylitzes reported that Vladimir had a brother named Sfengus; whether this Sfengus was a son of Sviatoslav, a son of Malusha by a prior or subsequent husband, or an unrelated Rus' nobleman is unclear.[19] Predslava Oleg of Drelinia (died 977?) Yaropolk I of Kiev (952 - 978) Malusha Vladimir the Great (c. 958 - 1015) Sfengus? campaigns[edit] after his accession to the throne, Sviatoslav began campaigning to expand Rus' control over the Volga valley and the Pontic steppe region. greatest success was the conquest of Khazaria, which for centuries had been one of the strongest states of Eastern Europe. The sources are not clear about the roots of the conflict between Khazaria and Rus', so several possibilities have been suggested. The Rus' had an interest in removing the Khazar hold on the Volga trade route because the Khazars collected duties from the goods transported by the Volga. Historians have suggested that the Byzantine Empire may have incited the Rus' against the Khazars, who fell out with the Byzantines after the persecutions of the Jews in the reign of Romanus I Lecapenus.[20] Kievan Rus' at the beginning of Sviatoslav's reign (in red), showing his sphere of influence to 972 (in orange) began by rallying the East Slavic vassal tribes of the Khazars to his cause. Those who would not join him, such as the Vyatichs, were attacked and forced to pay tribute to the Kievan Rus' rather than to the Khazars.[21] According to a legend recorded in the Primary Chronicle, Sviatoslav sent a message to the Vyatich rulers, consisting of a single phrase: "I want to come at you!" (Old East Slavic khochiu na vy iti)[22] This phrase is used in modern Russian and Ukrainian (usually misquoted as idu na vy) to denote an unequivocal declaration of one's intentions. Proceeding by the Oka and Volga rivers, he attacked Volga Bulgaria. He employed Oghuz and Pecheneg mercenaries in this campaign, perhaps to counter the superior cavalry of the Khazars and Bulgars.[23] destroyed the Khazar city of Sarkel around 965, possibly sacking (but not occupying) the Khazar city of Kerch on the Crimea as well.[24] At Sarkel he established a Rus' settlement called Belaya Vyezha ("the white tower" or "the white fortress", the East Slavic translation for "Sarkel").[25] subsequently destroyed the Khazar capital of Atil.[26] A visitor to Atil wrote soon after Sviatoslav's campaign: "The Rus' attacked, and no grape or raisin remained, not a leaf on a branch."[27] The exact chronology of his Khazar campaign is uncertain and disputed; for example, Mikhail Artamonov and David Christian proposed that the sack of Sarkel came after the destruction of Atil.[28] Council of War by Boris Chorikov Ibn Haukal reports the sack of Samandar by Sviatoslav, the Rus' leader did not bother to occupy the Khazar heartlands north of the Caucasus Mountains permanently. On his way back to Kiev, Sviatoslav chose to strike against the Ossetians and force them into subservience.[29] Therefore, Khazar successor statelets continued their precarious existence in the region.[30] The destruction of Khazar imperial power paved the way for Kievan Rus' to dominate north-south trade routes through the steppe and across the Black Sea, routes that formerly had been a major source of revenue for the Khazars. Moreover, Sviatoslav's campaigns led to increased Slavic settlement in the region of the Saltovo-Mayaki culture, greatly changing the demographics and culture of the transitional area between the forest and the steppe.[31] in the Balkans[edit] article: Sviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria invading Bulgaria, Manasses Chronicle annihilation of Khazaria was undertaken against the background of the Rus'-Byzantine alliance, concluded in the wake of Igor's Byzantine campaign in 944.[32] Close military ties between the Rus' and Byzantium are illustrated by the fact, reported by John Skylitzes, that a Rus' detachment accompanied Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros Phokas in his victorious naval expedition to Crete. 967 or 968,[33] Nikephoros sent his agent, Kalokyros, to persuade Sviatoslav to assist the Byzantines in a war against Bulgaria.[34] Sviatoslav was paid 15,000 pounds of gold and set sail with an army of 60,000 men, including thousands of Pecheneg mercenaries.[35][36] defeated the Bulgarian ruler Boris II[37] and proceeded to occupy the whole of northern Bulgaria. Meanwhile, the Byzantines bribed the Pechenegs to attack and besiege Kiev, where Olga stayed with Sviatoslav's son Vladimir. The siege was relieved by the druzhina of Pretich, and immediately following the Pecheneg retreat, Olga sent a reproachful letter to Sviatoslav. He promptly returned and defeated the Pechenegs, who continued to threaten Kiev. Rus'–Byzantine Wars of Sviatoslav's warriors by the Byzantine army, a miniature from 11th century chronicles of John Skylitzes. refused to turn his Balkan conquests over to the Byzantines, and the parties fell out as a result. To the chagrin of his boyars and his mother (who died within three days after learning about his decision), Sviatoslav decided to move his capital to Pereyaslavets in the mouth of the Danube due to the great potential of that location as a commercial hub. In the Primary Chronicle record for 969, Sviatoslav explains that it is to Pereyaslavets, the centre of his lands, "all the riches flow: gold, silks, wine, and various fruits from Greece, silver and horses from Hungary and Bohemia, and from Rus' furs, wax, honey, and slaves". Skylitzes, meeting between John Tzimiskes and Sviatoslav. summer 969, Sviatoslav left Rus' again, dividing his dominion into three parts, each under a nominal rule of one of his sons. At the head of an army that included Pecheneg and Magyar auxiliary troops, he invaded Bulgaria again, devastating Thrace, capturing the city of Philippopolis, and massacring its inhabitants. Nikephoros responded by repairing the defenses of Constantinople and raising new squadrons of armored cavalry. In the midst of his preparations, Nikephoros was overthrown and killed by John Tzimiskes, who thus became the new Byzantine emperor.[38] Tzimiskes first attempted to persuade Sviatoslav to leave Bulgaria, but he was unsuccessful. Challenging Byzantine authority, Sviatoslav crossed the Danube and laid siege to Adrianople, causing panic in the streets of Constantinople in summer 970.[39] Later that year, the Byzantines launched a counteroffensive. Being occupied with suppressing a revolt brought by Bardas Phokas in Asia Minor, John Tzimiskes sent his commander-in-chief, Bardas Skleros, who defeated the coalition of Rus', Pechenegs, Magyars, and Bulgarians in the Battle of Arcadiopolis.[40] Meanwhile, John, having quelled the revolt of Bardas Phokas, came to the Balkans with a large army and promoting himself as the liberator of Bulgaria from Sviatoslav, penetrated the impracticable mountain passes and shortly thereafter captured Marcianopolis, where the Rus' were holding a number of Bulgar princes hostage. of Durostorum in Manasses Chronicle retreated to Dorostolon, which the Byzantine armies besieged for sixty-five days. Cut off and surrounded, Sviatoslav came to terms with John and agreed to abandon the Balkans, renounce his claims to the southern Crimea, and return west of the Dnieper River. In return, the Byzantine emperor supplied the Rus' with food and safe passage home. Sviatoslav and his men set sail and landed on Berezan Island at the mouth of the Dnieper, where they made camp for the winter. Several months later, according to the Primary Chronicle, their camp was devastated by famine, so that even a horse's head could not be bought for less than a half-grivna.[41] While Sviatoslav's campaign brought no tangible results for the Rus', it weakened the Bulgarian state and left it vulnerable to the attacks of Basil the Bulgar-Slayer four decades later. and aftermath[edit] Rurikids , (IX—XI century) that the peace with Sviatoslav would not endure, the Byzantine emperor induced the Pecheneg khan Kurya to kill Sviatoslav before he reached Kiev. This was in line with the policy outlined by Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in De Administrando Imperio of fomenting strife between the Rus' and the Pechenegs.[42] According to the Slavic chronicle, Sveneld attempted to warn Sviatoslav to avoid the Dnieper rapids, but the prince slighted his wise advice and was ambushed and slain by the Pechenegs when he tried to cross the cataracts near Khortytsia early in 972. The Primary Chronicle reports that his skull was made into a chalice by the Pecheneg khan.[43] Death of Sviatoslav by Boris Chorikov Sviatoslav's death, tensions among his sons grew. A war broke out between his legitimate sons, Oleg and Yaropolk, in 976, at the conclusion of which Oleg was killed. In 977 Vladimir fled Novgorod to escape Oleg's fate and went to Scandinavia, where he raised an army of Varangians and returned in 980. Yaropolk was killed, and Vladimir became the sole ruler of Kievan Rus'. St Olga the Princess of Russia, in Holy Baptism Called Helen, Commemorated on July 11; when the Byzantine emissaries arrived in Kiev, conditions along the River Dneipr had essentially changed. A pagan opposition had clearly emerged, at the head of which stood the Varangian voevoda (military-leader) Svenel’d (or Sveinald) and his son Mstislav (Mtsisha) to whom Igor had given holdings in the Drevlyani lands. also at Kiev was the influence of the Khazar Jews, who could not but be displeased with the thought of the triumph of Orthodoxy in the Russian Land. to overcome the customary inertia, Igor remained a pagan and he concluded the treaty in the pagan manner, swearing an oath on his sword. He refused the grace of Baptism and was punished for his unbelief. A year later, in 945, rebellious pagans murdered him in the Drevlyanian land, cut down betwixt two trees. But the days of paganism and the lifestyle of the Slavic tribes basic to it were already numbered. The burden of government fell upon the widow of Igor -- the Kiev Great-princess Olga, and her three-year-old son Svyatoslav. Martyr Theodore and his son of Kiev, Commemorated on July 12; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15; Venerable Constantine, (In baptism Yaroslav), with his children Michael and Theodore, Wonderworkers of Murom, Commemorated on May 21;

Russia, Kiev, 968, Seige of Kiev by Pechenegs
Russia, Kiev, 968, Seige of Kiev by Pechenegs; Kiev Rus King, 945-972, Sviatoslav I of Kiev; St Olga the Princess of Russia, in Holy Baptism Called Helen, Commemorated on July 11;

Russia, Kiev, 969-977, Oleg of the Drevlyans, Pagan
Russia, Kiev, 969-977, Oleg of the Drevlyans; Martyr Theodore and his son of Kiev, Commemorated on July 12;

Russia, Kiev, 972-980, Yaropolk I of Kiev, Kiev Rus King, Christian
Russia, Kiev, 972-980, Kiev Rus King, Yaropolk I of Kiev; Russia, Kiev, 968, Seige of Kiev by Pechenegs; Kiev Rus King, 945-972, Sviatoslav I of Kiev; St Olga the Princess of Russia, in Holy Baptism Called Helen, Commemorated on July 11; Martyr Theodore and his son of Kiev, Commemorated on July 12;

Russia, Kiev, 976-1025, Basil II, Bulgar Slayer, Byzantine Emperor, with Rus over First B Empire and Georgia
Byzantine Emperor, 976-1025, Basil II ; II Porphyrogenitus (c.958 -“ 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar Slayer [note 3] was the senior Byzantine Emperor for almost 50 years (10 January 976 -“ 15 December 1025), having been a junior colleague to other emperors since 960. He and his brother Constantine[note 4] were named as co-rulers before their father Romanos II died in 963. The throne went to two generals, Nikephoros Phokas (r. 963-“969) then John Tzimiskes (r. 969-“976), before Basil became senior emperor. His influential great-uncle Basil Lekapenos was the de facto ruler of the Byzantine Empire until 985.[note 5] Basil II then held power for forty years. early years of Basil's reign were dominated by civil wars against two powerful generals from the Anatolian aristocracy; first Bardas Skleros and later Bardas Phokas, which ended shortly after Phokas' death and Skleros' submission in 989. then oversaw the stabilization and expansion of the eastern frontier of the Byzantine Empire and the complete subjugation of the First Bulgarian Empire, its foremost European foe, after a prolonged struggle. Although the Byzantine Empire had made a truce with the Fatimid Caliphate in 987-“988, Basil led a campaign against the Caliphate that ended with another truce in 1000. He also conducted a campaign against the Khazar Khaganate that gained the Byzantine Empire part of Crimea and a series of successful campaigns against the Kingdom of Georgia. near-constant warfare, Basil distinguished himself as an administrator, reducing the power of the great land-owning families who dominated the Empire's administration and military, filling its treasury, and leaving it with its greatest expanse in four centuries. his successors were largely incapable rulers, the Empire flourished for decades after Basil's death. One of the most important decisions taken during his reign was to offer the hand of his sister Anna Porphyrogenita to Vladimir I of Kiev in exchange for military support, thus forming the Byzantine military unit known as the Varangian Guard. marriage of Anna and Vladimir led to the Christianization of the Kievan Rus' and the incorporation of later successor states of Kievan Rus' within the Byzantine cultural and religious tradition. Basil is seen as a Greek national hero but as a despised figure among Bulgarians. Venerable Lazarus the Wonderworker of Mt. Galesius Near Ephesus, Commemorated on November 7; Icon of the Mother of God œthe MercifulÂ, Commemorated on November 12; Venerable George the Scribe, of Khakhuli, Commemorated on December 19; Icon of the Mother of God œthe MercifulÂ, Commemorated on December 27; Venerable Philotheus the Founder of Philotheou Monastery of Mt Athos, Commemorated on January 24; Icon of the Mother of God œIveronÂ, Commemorated on February 12; Martyr Luke of Jerusalem, the Georgian, Commemorated on February 12; Martyr Nicholas Dvali in Jerusalem, Commemorated on February 12; Venerable Simeon the New Theologian, Commemorated on March 12; Venerable George of Mt. Athos, the Builder, Commemorated on July 28;

Russia, Kiev, 983-1015, Vladimir the Great, Kiev Rus King, Pagan then Great Christian
Kiev Rus King, 980-1015, Vladimir the Great ; Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Founder of Monasticism in Russia, Commemorated on July 10 ; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15; St Theodosius (Prince Theodore of Ostrog) of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on August 11; Icon of the Mother of God of Minsk, Commemorated on August 13; Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on September 2; Passion-Bearer Gleb, in Holy Baptism David, Commemorated September 5 ; St Procopius, Commemorated on September 16; St Michael the first Metropolitan of Kiev, Commemorated September 30 ; Right-believing Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich the Prince of Novgorod, Commemorated on October 4 ; Venerable Damian the Healer and Clairvoyant of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on October 5; Icon of the Mother of God of Korsun, Commemorated on October 9; Icon of the Mother of God œJerusalem, Commemorated on October 12; Hieromartyr Clement the Pope of Rome, Commemorated on November 25; Venerable Elias of Murom the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on December 19; Venerable Ephraim, Abbot and Wonderworker of Novy Torg, Commemorated on January 28 ; St Joachim, First Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on February 10; Hieromartyr Basil of Cherson, Commemorated on March 7; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; Venerable Constantine, (In baptism Yaroslav), with his children Michael and Theodore, Wonderworkers of Murom, Commemorated on May 21; St Michael the first Metropolitan of Kiev, Commemorated on June 15; St Menas, Bishop of Polotsk, Commemorated on June 20;

Russia, Kiev, 983-1015, Vladimir I, Apostles equal, Olga's gson, C Kiev and Pagan Novgorod, robe a Cyril lead to baptism
Kiev Great Prince, 980-1015, Vladimir I The Great of Kiev; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15; Holy Equal of the Apostles and Great Prince Vladimir, the youngest son of Prince Svyatoslav of Kiev, was born in 963. He was only six years old when his grandmother, the Holy Princess Olga (July 11), who had raised him, reposed, and his father sent him to reign in Novgorod under the tutelage of the voivode Dobryn, his mother's brother. Princess Malusha, who still bore her Scandinavian name Malchrid, was a Christian. After Saint Vladimir converted to Christianity and founded the church of the Tithes at Kiev, she donated her estate to it. Olga's son Prince Svyatoslav was killed in battle with the Pechenegs three years after his mother's repose. Then his sons' tutors fought a war among themselves. Christian Kiev and pagan Novgorod struggled for supremacy. After the death of his father Svyatoslav in 972, Prince Vladimir of Novgorod was forced to flee to Scandinavia in 976, Vladimir's brother Yaropolk murdered his other brother Oleg of Drelinia and conquered Rus'. For the rest of his life Prince Vladimir mourned their deaths. the age of seventeen he began to rule on his own. He spent the first six years of his reign on military campaigns, leading his army personally, reconquering Novgorod from Yaropolk. By 980, Vladimir had consolidated the territory of Kievan Rus' from what is now Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine to the Baltic Sea. In addition, he strengthened the frontiers against the incursions of Bulgarians, Baltic tribes, and Eastern nomads. the Slavic tribes from the Carpathians and the Neman, and the city of Gorodyon (Grodno) to Beloozero, Anka and Volga united to form a single whole – the Russian land (Русскую землo), and they were called Russians. In gratitude for his victory at Kiev he set up idols of pagan gods - Perun and Beles - and offered them human sacrifices. In ancient times, the Slavs did not have idols and sacrifices, but adopted them much later from other pagan lands. the VI century, the Greeks said of them: "They recognize one God as the Ruler of the whole world." He was called Svarog, which means "blue sky." Perun, Veles, and other, lesser deities were thought to be his children. The Slavs believed in the immortality of the soul and in the afterlife, which predisposed them toward Christianity. the year 860 the Russians attacked Constantinople from the sea, but the Greeks immersed the robe of the Most Holy Theotokos in the ocean. The sea became agitated, and the Russian ships were swept away and retreated. After that, they sent an embassy to Constantinople to request Baptism. This was the first Baptism of Rus'. in 860 Saint Cyril, the enlightener of the Slavs, baptized 200 families in the southern Russian steppes. He made his own translation of the Gospel and the Psalter. Metropolitan Michael was sent to care for the converts, and the Prince gathered the people and called them to be baptized. The elders agreed, but they demanded a miracle. They wanted a Gospel book to be thrown into the fire without being burnt. The Gospel was thrown in, the miracle occurred, and the people were baptized. This was the second Baptism of Rus'. third took place under Princess Olga. By that time, there were already many Christians in Kiev and there was a church dedicated to the Prophet Elijah. After Saint Olga's repose, the spread of Christianity was halted temporarily, but not for long. The time of Prince Vladimir had come. those days, Kiev was a large trading city. Merchants came from all over the world, as well as preachers of various religions. Saint Vladimir wanted to unite his people, not just under one government, but also under one Faith. The Prince sent envoys to various countries to see which religion would be most suitable for his people. When Vladimir's emissaries returned from Constantinople, they told him that when they stood in the church of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), they did not know "whether they were on earth or in heaven." was located on a great waterway from the Varangian region to Constantinople; that is, from Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire. The proximity of Orthodox Constantinople may have influenced Saint Vladimir, and the memory of Christianity, recently destroyed by Svyatoslav, was revived. According to the XI century writer Jacob Mnikh, the young Prince Vladimir remembered the example of his grandmother, Princess Olga, "the wisest of men," as she was called by her contemporaries. Furthermore, he could not help being influenced by the example of his mother, the Christian Princess Malusha, as well. The heroic death of Holy Protomartyrs Theodore and his son John (July 12) in 983 also made a lasting impression on him. one Icelandic saga it is said that in his youth, King Olaf of Norway had lived for a long time at the court of "the Gardarikian king Vol'demar" (Gardarika, that is, the land of cities. The Scandinavians called it Northwestern Russia). When he reached adulthood, he left there on military campaigns, according to the custom of the Scandinavians of that time. While upon the sea, he heard a heavenly voice calling him to Constantinople, where he would come to know the only true God. There he was baptized, and on the way back, he stopped to see King Vol'demar and urged him to convert to Christianity. When he returned from his campaign as a Christian, King Olaf encouraged his people to be baptized. Vladimir, however, was still a pagan, and he adhered to pagan customs. He also had five wives. How he was brought to Christ, and how his conversion was took place, remains a mystery. Hilarion († 1053) in his "Word of Law and Grace," addressed the departed Great Prince Vladimir, saying, "How did you believe? How was your mind moved to love what is unseen, and to strive for heavenly things? You have not seen any Apostle who, after coming to your land, inclined your heart to humility. Guided only by your kind heart and sharp mind, you realized that there is one God." continued: "Upon him came a visitation of the Most High, and the eye of the All-Merciful God looked upon him; and a thought shone forth in his heart - he realized the futility of idol worship, and sought the one God, the Creator of all things, both visible and invisible. He had heard about the Orthodox, and the strong Christ-loving faith of the Byzantine Empire, who honor the one God in Trinity, and worship Him. When he heard all this, he was aflame in spirit, and with all his heart he longed to be a Christian, and to convert his entire land to Christianity." to the reason for the conversion of Saint Vladimir to Christ, another writer of the XI century, Saint Nestor the Chronicler (October 27) states in his Life of Saints Boris and Gleb: "In those years there was a Prince named Vladimir, who ruled the Russian land. He was righteous and merciful to the poor, to orphans, and to widows, but he was a pagan. God intervened and made him a Christian, just like Saint Eustathios Plakidas (September 20). So Prince Vladimir became a Christian, receiving the name Basil at his Baptism." Venerable Nestor the Chronicler pointed out that the Holy Prince Vladimir's experience was similar to that of Saint Eustathios, the exact details are not known. Meanwhile, by the will of God, external events led Saint Vladimir to the fulfillment of his desire. The Byzantine Emperors Constantine and Basil asked Vladimir to help them put down the revolt of Phokas. Vladimir agreed, but asked for the hand of Princess Anna Porphyrogenita, in return. The Emperors agreed, and sent clergy and the sacred utensils required for the Baptism of Rus'. when Vladimir defeated Phokas, they did not fulfill their obligations. Then Vladimir conquered Korsun, thereby forcing the Emperors to keep their promise. He returned Korsun to the Greeks as a ransom for his bride. His army was baptized and, according to the "Tale of the Baptism of Russia," he himself was baptized. This was in 988, and the Chronicle says that before Baptism he became blind, but received his sight when he came out of the water. However, Jacob Mnikh (XI century) writes that Vladimir captured Korsun when he was already a Christian, and that he was baptized in 987 at his estate Vasiliev (now Vasilkov). Prince Vladimir returned to Kiev, the Orthodox priests who came with him were obviously Bulgarians (Bulgaria was then subject to the Byzantine Empire). They baptized the people of Kiev at the confluence of the river, then called Khreshchatyk, with the Dnieper. They brought with them liturgical books translated into Slavonic by Saints Cyril and Methodios (May 11), the enlighteners of the Slavs. With them was Metropolitan Michael of Kiev (June 15, September 30). At Kiev, where people had heard of Christianity, the Faith was quickly established. In the north, at Novgorod, Rostov, and Murom, paganism lasted longer, and it took a great deal of effort for princes and preachers to uproot it. Vladimir was twenty-five years old at the Baptism of Rus'. With all the fervor of youth, he began to fulfill the precepts of Christ, especially those about helping the poor, sick and disadvantaged. This assistance was provided on a large scale. Throughout Russia, the poor were sought and were given everything they needed, and the sick also received treatment. During Saint Vladimir's reign, the state served the people, which was very unusual in those days. In ancient times there was no death penalty in Russia. Instead, there was a "penalty," that is, a monetary fine. Saint Vladimir confirmed this custom, saying: "I am afraid of sin." This custom became law and entered the Code of Laws compiled under his son, Great Prince Yaroslav under the name "Russkaya Pravda." people loved their Prince, praising him in songs and epics, calling him the Red Sun. Saint Vladimir summoned the elders of the people from all over Russia for meetings and provided feasts for them. The memory of these feasts is also preserved in the epics. He built new cities, such as Volodymyr-Volynsky (where his palace once stood), Vladimir in the land of Suzdal, and others. He strengthened the boundaries of his possessions as a defense against the neighboring pagan tribes. In order to unite Russia, he sent his sons to rule in different cities: at Rostov, Murom, Novgorod, Polotsk, and other places. Soon the influence of the Varangians began to wane, and the importance of the Slavs increased. In Kiev, at the place where the Russian Protomartyrs Theodore and John were murdered, he built the church of the Tithes and dedicated it to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, donating a tenth of his income for its upkeep. Holy Prince Vladimir reposed on July 15, 1015 in his beloved village of Berestov and was buried in the church of the Tithes. A piece of his holy relics was kept in Holy Wisdom Cathedral, established by his son, Great Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Feast Day of Saint Vladimir was instituted by Saint Alexander Nevsky (November 23) after May 15, 1240, because of Saint Vladimir's help and intercession at Saint Alexander's renowned victory over the Crusaders at the Neva River. In Russia, the Church veneration of the Holy Prince began much earlier. In Saint Hilarion's "Word of Law and Grace," the holy Prince is called "an apostolic sovereign," similar to Saint Constantine (May 20); and his evangelization of the Russian land is likened to the preaching of the Gospel by the Holy Apostles. Vladimir is commemorated on July 15 (the day of his repose) and on the second Sunday of Great Lent, along with the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves, and all Saints who shone forth in Little Russia.

Russia, Kiev, 983-1015, Vladimir, consolidated Russia from Belarus South to Black Sea, Unified Slavs with Christianity
Russia, Kiev, 983-1015, Vladimir, Apostles Equal, Kiev, Ukraine (Dnieper River 4), consolidated Russia from Belarus South through Kiev to Black Sea, Unified Slavs with Christianity, great story; Kiev; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15; Holy Equal of the Apostles and Great Prince Vladimir, youngest son of Prince Svyatoslav of Kiev, was born in 963. was only six years old when his grandmother, the Holy Princess Olga (July 11), who had raised him, reposed, and his father sent him to reign in Novgorod under the tutelage of the voivode Dobryn, his mother's brother. Malusha, who still bore her Scandinavian name Malchrid, was a Christian. Saint Vladimir converted to Christianity and founded the church of the Tithes at Kiev, she donated her estate to it. Olga's son Prince Svyatoslav was killed in battle with the Pechenegs three years after his mother's repose. his sons' tutors fought a war among themselves. Kiev and pagan Novgorod struggled for supremacy. After the death of his father Svyatoslav in 972, Prince Vladimir of Novgorod was forced to flee to Scandinavia in 976, brother Yaropolk murdered his other brother Oleg of Drelinia and conquered Rus'. the rest of his life Prince Vladimir mourned their deaths. the age of seventeen he began to rule on his own. spent the first six years of his reign on military campaigns, leading his army personally, reconquering Novgorod from Yaropolk. 980, Vladimir had consolidated the territory of Kievan Rus' from what is now Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine to the Baltic Sea. In addition, he strengthened the frontiers against the incursions of Bulgarians, Baltic tribes, and Eastern nomads. the Slavic tribes from the Carpathians and the Neman, and the city of Gorodyon (Grodno) to Beloozero, Anka and Volga united to form a single whole – the Russian land (Русскую землo), and they were called Russians. gratitude for his victory at Kiev he set up idols of pagan gods - Perun and Beles - and offered them human sacrifices. In ancient times, the Slavs did not have idols and sacrifices, but adopted them much later from other pagan lands. the VI century, the Greeks said of them: "They recognize one God as the Ruler of the whole world." was called Svarog, which means "blue sky." Perun, Veles, and other, lesser deities were thought to be his children. Slavs believed in the immortality of the soul and in the afterlife, which predisposed them toward Christianity. the year 860 the Russians attacked Constantinople from the sea, the Greeks immersed the robe of the Most Holy Theotokos in the ocean. The sea became agitated, and the Russian ships were swept away and retreated. that, they sent an embassy to Constantinople to request Baptism. This was the first Baptism of Rus'. in 860 Saint Cyril, the enlightener of the Slavs, baptized 200 families in the southern Russian steppes. He made his own translation of the Gospel and the Psalter. Metropolitan Michael was sent to care for the converts, and the Prince gathered the people and called them to be baptized. elders agreed, but they demanded a miracle. They wanted a Gospel book to be thrown into the fire without being burnt. Gospel was thrown in, the miracle occurred, and the people were baptized. This was the second Baptism of Rus'. third took place under Princess Olga. By that time, there were already many Christians in Kiev and there was a church dedicated to the Prophet Elijah. Saint Olga's repose, the spread of Christianity was halted temporarily, but not for long. The time of Prince Vladimir had come. those days, Kiev was a large trading city. Merchants came from all over the world, as well as preachers of various religions. Vladimir wanted to unite his people, not just under one government, but also under one Faith. Prince sent envoys to various countries to see which religion would be most suitable for his people. Vladimir's emissaries returned from Constantinople, they told him that when they stood in the church of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), they did not know "whether they were on earth or in heaven." was located on a great waterway from the Varangian region to Constantinople; that is, from Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire. proximity of Orthodox Constantinople may have influenced Saint Vladimir, and the memory of Christianity, recently destroyed by Svyatoslav, was revived. to the XI century writer Jacob Mnikh, the young Prince Vladimir remembered the example of his grandmother, Princess Olga, "the wisest of men," as she was called by her contemporaries. he could not help being influenced by the example of his mother, the Christian Princess Malusha, as well. heroic death of Holy Protomartyrs Theodore and his son John (July 12) in 983 also made a lasting impression on him. one Icelandic saga it is said that in his youth, King Olaf of Norway had lived for a long time at the court of "the Gardarikian king Vol'demar" that is, the land of cities. The Scandinavians called it Northwestern Russia). he reached adulthood, he left there on military campaigns, according to the custom of the Scandinavians of that time. upon the sea, he heard a heavenly voice calling him to Constantinople, where he would come to know the only true God. There he was baptized, and on the way back, he stopped to see King Vol'demar and urged him to convert to Christianity. he returned from his campaign as a Christian, King Olaf encouraged his people to be baptized. Vladimir, however, was still a pagan, and he adhered to pagan customs. He also had five wives. How he was brought to Christ, and how his conversion was took place, remains a mystery. Hilarion († 1053) in his "Word of Law and Grace," addressed the departed Great Prince Vladimir, saying, "How did you believe? How was your mind moved to love what is unseen, and to strive for heavenly things? You have not seen any Apostle who, after coming to your land, inclined your heart to humility. Guided only by your kind heart and sharp mind, you realized that there is one God." continued: "Upon him came a visitation of the Most High, and the eye of the All-Merciful God looked upon him; and a thought shone forth in his heart - he realized the futility of idol worship, and sought the one God, the Creator of all things, both visible and invisible. He had heard about the Orthodox, and the strong Christ-loving faith of the Byzantine Empire, who honor the one God in Trinity, and worship Him. When he heard all this, he was aflame in spirit, and with all his heart he longed to be a Christian, and to convert his entire land to Christianity." to the reason for the conversion of Saint Vladimir to Christ, another writer of the XI century, Saint Nestor the Chronicler (October 27) states in his Life of Saints Boris and Gleb: those years there was a Prince named Vladimir, who ruled the Russian land. He was righteous and merciful to the poor, to orphans, and to widows, but he was a pagan. God intervened and made him a Christian, just like Saint Eustathios Plakidas (September 20). So Prince Vladimir became a Christian, receiving the name Basil at his Baptism." Venerable Nestor the Chronicler pointed out that the Holy Prince Vladimir's experience was similar to that of Saint Eustathios, the exact details are not known. by the will of God, external events led Saint Vladimir to the fulfillment of his desire. Byzantine Emperors Constantine and Basil asked Vladimir to help them put down the revolt of Phokas. agreed, but asked for the hand of Princess Anna Porphyrogenita, in return. The Emperors agreed, and sent clergy and the sacred utensils required for the Baptism of Rus'. when Vladimir defeated Phokas, they did not fulfill their obligations. Vladimir conquered Korsun, thereby forcing the Emperors to keep their promise. He returned Korsun to the Greeks as a ransom for his bride. His army was baptized and, according to the "Tale of the Baptism of Russia," he himself was baptized. was in 988, and the Chronicle says that before Baptism he became blind, but received his sight when he came out of the water. Jacob Mnikh (XI century) writes that Vladimir captured Korsun when he was already a Christian, and that he was baptized in 987 at his estate Vasiliev (now Vasilkov). Prince Vladimir returned to Kiev, the Orthodox priests who came with him were obviously Bulgarians (Bulgaria was then subject to the Byzantine Empire). baptized the people of Kiev at the confluence of the river, then called Khreshchatyk (main street of Kiev with Khreshchatyk streams flowing under it) , with the Dnieper. brought with them liturgical books translated into Slavonic by Saints Cyril and Methodios (May 11), the enlighteners of the Slavs. them was Metropolitan Michael of Kiev (June 15, September 30). Kiev, where people had heard of Christianity, the Faith was quickly established. the north, at Novgorod, Rostov, and Murom, paganism lasted longer, and it took a great deal of effort for princes and preachers to uproot it. Vladimir was twenty-five years old at the Baptism of Rus'. all the fervor of youth, he began to fulfill the precepts of Christ, those about helping the poor, sick and disadvantaged. This assistance was provided on a large scale. Russia, the poor were sought and were given everything they needed, and the sick also received treatment. Saint Vladimir's reign, the state served the people, which was very unusual in those days. ancient times there was no death penalty in Russia. Instead, there was a "penalty," that is, a monetary fine. Saint Vladimir confirmed this custom, saying: "I am afraid of sin." This custom became law and entered the Code of Laws compiled under his son, Great Prince Yaroslav under the name "Russkaya Pravda." people loved their Prince, praising him in songs and epics, calling him the Red Sun. Vladimir summoned the elders of the people from all over Russia for meetings and provided feasts for them. The memory of these feasts is also preserved in the epics. built new cities, such as Volodymyr-Volynsky (where his palace once stood), Vladimir in the land of Suzdal, and others. strengthened the boundaries of his possessions as a defense against the neighboring pagan tribes. order to unite Russia, he sent his sons to rule in different cities: at Rostov, Murom, Novgorod, Polotsk, and other places. the influence of the Varangians began to wane, and the importance of the Slavs increased. Kiev, at the place where the Russian Protomartyrs Theodore and John were murdered, he built the church of the Tithes and dedicated it to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, donating a tenth of his income for its upkeep. Holy Prince Vladimir reposed on July 15, 1015 in his beloved village of Berestov and was buried in the church of the Tithes. piece of his holy relics was kept in Holy Wisdom Cathedral, established by his son, Great Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Feast Day of Saint Vladimir was instituted by Saint Alexander Nevsky (November 23) after May 15, 1240, because of Saint Vladimir's help and intercession at Saint Alexander's renowned victory over the Crusaders at the Neva River. Russia, the Church veneration of the Holy Prince began much earlier. In Saint Hilarion's "Word of Law and Grace," the holy Prince is called "an apostolic sovereign," similar to Saint Constantine (May 20); and his evangelization of the Russian land is likened to the preaching of the Gospel by the Holy Apostles. Vladimir is commemorated on July 15 (the day of his repose) and on the second Sunday of Great Lent, along with the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves, and all Saints who shone forth in Little Russia.

Russia, Kiev, 980-1015, Elias of Murom (Ilya Muromets), Kiev Rus Saint
Kiev Rus Saint, 980-1015, Elias of Murom (Ilya Muromets); Venerable Elias of Murom the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on December 19; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23;

Russia, Kiev, 988-992, Michael I of Kiev, Suzdal, Novgorod, Rostov, Metropolitan, first church, utensils, crosses f Korsun
Kiev Rus Metropolitan, 988-992, Michael I of Kiev; St Michael the first Metropolitan of Kiev, Commemorated on June 15; on certain Russian sources, Saint Michael is remembered as the first Metropolitan of Kiev and all Russia (988-992). He began his missionary work in Kiev, Suzdal, Novgorod, and Rostov, as well as in other cities. He built the first wooden church of the Dormition of the Theotokos at Rostov, and installed Theodore the Greek there as bishop. largest church in Kiev was the one dedicated to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, which was adorned with icons, crosses and Church utensils, brought from Korsun by Saint Michael. Saint Vladimir moved the coffin containing the relics of Saint Olga, Equal-of-the-Apostles († 969) to that church. When Saint Michael fell asleep in the Lord on June 15, 992, he was also buried there.1 First Hierarch of the See of Kiev left behind a good memory. At the Synods held in the Holy Wisdom cathedrals of Kiev and Novgorod, he is forever described as "the first beginning of the hierarchy in Russia." Michael was distinguished for his wisdom, kindness and his strictness, and he was succeeded by Leo. the year 1103, the Saint's body was transferred to the katholikon in the Near Caves of Saint Anthony by Igoumen Theóktistos.2 Michael is also commemorated on September 30 (the Transfer of his relics). St Joachim, First Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on February 10; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; St Niphon the Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on April 8 ;

Russia, Kiev, 988, Baptism of Rus, August 1st, 988
Baptism of Rus, Kiev, August 1st, 988; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15; Procession of the Honorable Wood of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (First of the three "œFeasts of the Savior"Â in August), Commemorated on August 1; Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on September 2; Venerable Damian the Healer and Clairvoyant of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on October 5; St Amphilochius the Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on October 10; Venerable Nestor the Chronicler of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on October 27; Venerable Elias of Murom the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on December 19; St Joachim, First Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on February 10; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23;

Russia, Kiev, 988, Icon Rescuer otDrowning, dangerous whirlpool from Desna Mouth, protecting Icon found on bank, D ceased
Russia, Kiev, 988, Icon Rescuer otDrowning, dangerous whirlpool mouth of Desna, Kiev, protecting Icon found on bank, Icon Church prayers, Whirlpool danger ceased; Icon of the Mother of God the Rescuer of the Drowning, Commemorated on December 20; the village of Lenkov on the bank of the Desno River near Novgorod, Russia, there was a dangerous whirlpool, which made the river difficult to cross. the powerful swirling waters would cause the demise of ships and their passengers. was at that dangerous site that an Icon of the Mother of God was discovered, resting on the riverbank. time, a church dedicated to the Mother of God was erected on the site, and the Icon of the Mother of God, the "Rescuer of the Drowning," was enshrined therein. Those who journeyed along the Desno River customarily stopped at Lenkov to offer prayers in the icon's presence, imploring the Mother of God to grant them a safe journey despite the dangerous whirlpool. It had been said that after the icon had been discovered, mishaps to sailors were rare, and later completely ceased. and its church were destroyed during an invasion by the Poles in the 17th century. A new church dedicated to the Archangel Michael soon rose on the site of the former Church of the Mother of God, and the icon was enshrined therein. Many miracles were ascribed to the Mother of God, and the icon came to be revered not only in area of Lenkov, but far beyond, especially in Russia's larger port cities. the 18th century, the Icon was transferred to the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Novgorod, where it remained until the Russian Revolution in 1917. History does not record what happened to the miraculous icon during Soviet times. However, in 2003, a pious man named Sergei Babushkin gave to the Church an identical antique copy of the long-lost original "Rescuer of the Drowning" Icon, which was subsequently enshrined in the Transfiguration Monastery, thus marking the beginning of its revival. icon is remarkably similar to the much older Korsun Icon of the Mother of God, which was said to have been a copy of an icon by Saint Luke the Evangelist that had been kept in Ephesus until it was brought to Kyiv in 988 AD.

Russia, Kiev, 989-1030, Ioakim Korsunianin, First Bishop of Novgorod, cast idol into river, builder
Kiev Rus Bishop, 989-1030, Joachim the Korsunian; Korsunianin was the first bishop of Novgorod the Great (r. ca. 989-1030). surname suggests he probably came from the Byzantine town of Cherson (Korsun) on the Crimean Peninsula and, according to the chronicles, arrived in Kievan Rus’ around the time of the Conversion in 988.[1] his arrival in Novgorod, he cast the idol of the god Perun into the Volkhov River and built the Peryn Monastery on the site where it once stood.[2] He also built the first, wooden, Cathedral of Holy Wisdom, “with 12 tops,”[3] on the site of a pagan cemetery. He also built the Church of Joachim and Anne, named for his patron saints, which stood near the present site of the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom. He was buried there on his death in 1030, but his remains were transferred into the current cathedral in 1598. little is known of his episcopate; although the Ioakimovskaia Letopis (Ioachim Chronicle), a no longer extant source cited in the history of Vasilyev Tatishchev, was traditionally attributed to Ioakim Korsunianin. This is now considered to be highly questionable, as is the historical reliability of Tatishchev's work: it is more likely a seventeenth-century compilation and is now often attributed to Patriarch Ioakim of Moscow (d. 1690).[4] Upon his death in 1030, Ioakim's disciple, Efrem, administered the eparchy for five years (1030–1035) until the arrival of Luka Zhidiata.[5] Ioakim is venerated as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church. His feast days are February 10 (the feast of the Novgorodian Saints, in which 10 other bishops and archbishops and others are commemorated) and June 19.[6] Kiev Rus Metropolitan, 988-992, Michael I of Kiev; St Michael the first Metropolitan of Kiev, Commemorated on June 15; St Joachim, First Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on February 10; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23;

Russia, Kiev, 991-1023, Theodore, first Bishop of Rostov and Suzdal, fGreece, Bishop 991, successful in Suzdal
Russia, Vladimir, 991-1023, Theodore, first Bishop of Rostov and Suzdal (Southern Valley, Ukhtoma (Nerl) River 5), fGreece, Bishop 991, successful in Suzdal; Suzdal (Southern Valley) ; Saint Theodore, first Bishop of Rostov and Suzdal, Commemorated on June 8; great wonderworker Saint Theodore, who was a Greek by birth, was the first Bishop of Rostov. was consecrated as a bishop in the year 991 or 992. that time, most of the Rostov territory was still pagan, and Saint Theodore worked tirelessly to proclaim the Gospel to the people of that area. inhabitants subjected the hierarch to many insults, and they even drove him away on one occasion. Saint Theodore moved to Suzdal, where he brought many souls to Christ. fell asleep in the Lord at Suzdal in 1023, resting from his fruitful apostolic labors. His holy relics are in Suzdal's Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Cathedral. of his holy relics are also kept in two other churches at Suzdal: that of the Kazan Icon, and that of Saints Constantine and Helen. Theodore is also commemorated at the Synaxis of the Saints of Rostov and Yaroslavl (May 23), and at the Synaxis of the Saints of Vladimir (June 23). saint should not be confused with Saint Theodore of Rostov (November 28), who reposed in 1395, and was the nephew of Saint Sergius of Radonezh (September 25).

Russia, Kiev, 1000-1099, 11th Century Folder, Anthony of Kiev, Boris and Gleb, Yaroslav the Wise

Russia, Kiev, 1001, Unbreakable Wall Icon, Kiev's Holy Wisdom Cathedral, above main altar, 10 centuries unbreakable
Russia, Kiev, 1001, Unbreakable Wall Icon, Kiev's Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) Cathedral, 960 by Olga, All Saints Sunday, Blachernae Type, above main altar, mandrola circle symbolizing divine light, 10 centuries unbreakable, while cathedral damaged several times; Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) Cathedral in Kiev; Icon of the Mother of God The Unbreakable Wall, Commemorated on June 11; Unbreakable (or Indestructible) Wall Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is commemorated on the Sunday of All Saints. is an XI century mosaic icon of the Blachernae type, above the main altar of Kiev's Holy Wisdom Cathedral. Mother of God is depicted against a golden background, standing with upraised hands on a quadrangular gold platform. some Icons of this type [but not in the mosaic Icon], Christ is depicted within a mandorla, an oval or circle, symbolizing the glory of Heaven, or the Divine Light. Icon is called the Unbreakable Wall because for ten centuries it has remained intact, spite of the fact that both Kiev's Holy Wisdom Cathedral and the city have been damaged several times. ancient description of this Icon has been preserved: "A gigantic full-length portrait of the Theotokos.... stands upon a gold stone, as an unshakable foundation for all who resort to her protection. chiton is blue, and she wears a scarlet belt. Hanging from it is an embroidered cloth with which she wipes away so many tears. There are several possible sources for this Icon's title: The Prophet-King David wrote "God is in the midst of her (i. e. the city of God); she shall not be moved: God shall help her with his countenance" (Psalm 45/46:5). "Thus the Lord showed me; and behold, he stood upon a wall of adamant..." (Amos 7:7, LXX). The Akathist to the Mother of God, Ikos 12. "Rejoice, indestructible wall of kingdoms" - Ikos XII). According to Kievan tradition, the wall of the church will not perish while the hands of the Mother of God are extended over it.

Russia, Kiev, 1001-1077, Abraham or Abramius of Rostov, destroyed idol with Forerunner's staff
Russia, Rostov, 1000-1077, Abraham or Abramius of Rostov; Abraham of Rostov, Archimandrite of Rostov, in the world Abercius, was born in tenth century in Chuhloma, which is in Kostroma region near Galich, Russia.[1] of the Saint[edit] Born Abercius, he was very ill as a child. He converted to Christianity in his youth after being cured from illness through prayer.[2] He decided to become a monk at Valaam and with the new name Abramius (Abraham) settled at Rostov on the shore of Lake Nero.[3] Not far from his hut was a temple where the local tribes worshiped the stone idol of Veles, a source of superstitious fright in the whole neighborhood. His legend recounts a miraculous vision of Saint John the Evangelist, who gave him a staff, crowned with a cross, to destroy the idol. In commemoration of this, at the site of the temple, Abraham erected a monastery in honor of the Theophany. He also built a church dedicated to Saint John the Theologian, and preached the Gospel in his area. Convinced by his preaching, many pagans were baptized.[3] At the petition of the Rostov princes Avraham was ordained to the rank of archimandrite of the monastery of the Theophany.[4] His death and veneration[edit] Abraham Reposed in old age and was buried in the church of the Theophany by his disciples.[5] His relics were found during the time of Grand Prince Vsevolod Georgievich (1176-1212).[6] According to Golubinsky the general church canonization of the Monk Abraham was held already by the time of the Makaryev Sobors of 1547-1549.[7] The divine service devoted to Abraham of Rostov, compiled in the imitation of the like to the Monk Sergius of Radonezh, was first mentioned in the manuscript collection of the 15th century.[8] In 1551 Ivan the Terrible, during his military campaign against Khanate of Kazan, made a pilgrimage to the Abraham Monastery before the battles. He took the staff of the saint and upon successful defeat of Kazan khans he returned it back and ordered construction of the stone Cathedral of the Theophany in 1553- 1555.[9][6] His feast days are: October 29 (November 11) (new style) - finding relics - in the Synaxis of the Kostroma saints, May 23 - in the Synaxis of Rostov-Yaroslavski Saints and in the Synaxis of the Karelian Saints - May 21 (dates are given according to the Julian calendar).[8] Years of life and activity[edit] The legend of the saint indicates 1010 as the date of his death, but most historians recognize this date to be wrong.[1] Nikolay Karamzin indicated, that Abraham was acting in Rostov during or after Andrey Bogolyubsky (c. 1111 â€“ 1174). The activity of Abraham in Rostov dates from 1073â€“1077 years according to Vasily Klyuchevsky; Macarius Bulgakov refers it to (?)-1045 years, Andrei Titov - the end of the XI - the beginning of the XII century, Filaret (Gumilevsky) - the beginning of the XII century.[10] Evgeny Golubinsky was skeptical about the very fact of the existence of Abraham, apparently considering him a single person with Abraham Galitzki and referring his activity to the last quarter of the fourteenth century (according to the legend, the latter lived the same years as Yury Dmitrievich, born in 1374). Arseny Kadlubovsky does not consider Abraham to be the founder of the Theophany Monastery, and also relates his life to the fourteenth century. [10][1] Venerable Abramius, Archimandrite of Rostov, Commemorated on October 29 Venerable Irenarchus the Recluse of Rostov, Commemorated January 13 ; Venerable Cornelius the Abbot of Komel, Vologda, Commemorated on May 19;

Russia, Kiev, 1001-1499, Areovindus Icon, Byzantium, copy tRussia, scroll, petitions fUs, garments so Fire Bearing Icon
Constantinople, 845, Areovindus Icon, Byzantium (downtown Constantinople), painted in 845, widespread copies 12-15th centuries, 1100-1499, one to Russia, scroll in hand, her petitions to Jesus for us, garments visible fire, so icon called fire bearing; Byzantium; Byzantine Empire; Icon of the Mother of God “Areovindus”, Commemorated on February 10; is little information about the history of this Icon, and the story of its appearance is shrouded in mystery. only know that the now lost original was painted around 845. However, there is reason to believe its iconographic type was the same as the Hagiosoritissa Icon.1 Copies of the ancient Icon were widespread in Byzantium during the 12th to the 15th centuries; apparently one of these came from that area to Russia. original version of the Icon represented the Virgin without the Child, but she held a scroll in her hands. this scroll were the All Holy Virgin’s petitions concerning us, which are addressed to her Son. gives us hope that the “Fire-appearing” Icon of the Mother of God, like her other icons, will help and protect us from all misfortune and adversity. Therefore, we pray before the Icon for everything that exceeds the limits of our strength and requires God’s help. face of the Theotokos is turned toward her right side, and her garments are bright red red in color. This is why the Icon is called “Fire-appearing,” or “Visible in Fire.” The name Hagiosoritissa, “of the holy soros” (chest), is derived from the chapel of the holy soros, which was built next to the Blachernae church by Emperor Leo I to house the robe of the Most Holy Theotokos, which was brought from Palestine in 473 (see July 2). The Panagia Hagiosoritissa Icon is associated with this shrine. This icon type shows the Mother of God with both hands raised in supplication, as depicted in the Deisis row of the iconostasis.

Russia, Kiev, 1003-1073, Anthony of Kiev, Rus Saint, founder of monasticism in Rus, and Dormition Cathedral
Kiev Rus Saint, 1003-1073, Anthony of Kiev; of Kiev also called Anthony of the Caves (c. 983-1073) was a monk and the founder of the monastic tradition in Kievan Rus'. Together with Theodosius of Kiev, he co-founded the Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Kiev Monastery of the Caves). 1 Early life 2 Return to Kiev 3 Establishment of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra 4 Exile and return 5 Veneration 6 See also 7 References 8 External links life[edit] sculpture in Lyubech by Giennadij Jerszow was born in Lyubech (present-day Liubech, Ukraine) in Chernigov Principality and was baptized with the name "Antipas". was drawn to the spiritual life from an early age and left for the Greek Orthodox Esphigmenou Monastery on Mount Athos to live as a hermit. He lived in a secluded cave there overlooking the sea, which is still shown to visitors. circa 1011, the abbot gave Anthony the job of expanding monasticism in his native Kiev (present-day Kyiv, Ukraine), which had only recently begun its conversion to Christianity. to Kiev[edit] returned to Kiev, and founded several monasteries on the Greek model on the order of local princes. These monasteries were not as austere as Anthony was used to from his time on Mount Athos. He instead chose to live in a small four-yard cave which had been dug by the presbyter Hilarion. 1015, his peaceful austerity was interrupted by the death of Vladimir I of Kiev, and the subsequent fratricidal war for the throne between Vladimir's sons Yaroslav and Sviatopolk, and Anthony returned to Mount Athos. When the conflict ended, the abbot sent Anthony back to Kiev, prophesying that many monks would join him on his return. of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra[edit] his return, Anthony found a small 4-yard cave which Hilarion of Kiev had dug before his elevation as the first native Metropolitan of Kyiv. Anthony became well known in the area for his strict asceticism. He ate rye bread every other day and drank only a little water. His fame soon spread beyond Kiev, and several people began to ask for his spiritual guidance or blessing. Soon, some people even offered to join him. Eventually, Anthony accepted the company of a few of them. The first was a priest named Nikon. The second was Theodosius of Kiev. new monastery enjoyed royal favor almost from the beginning, although there were occasional problems. When Iziaslav I of Kiev demanded that the son of a wealthy boyar and one of his own retainers be told to leave the monastery, Nikon said he could not take soldiers away from the King of Heaven. This did nothing to placate Iziaslav's anger, and Anthony decided that it might be expedient for him to leave. Anthony returned after Iziaslav's wife requested his return. thereafter Anthony had gained twelve disciples. Anthony, devoted to the model of the solitary hermit set by his namesake Anthony the Great, left his cave for a nearby mountain so he could continue to live the solitary life. There he dug another cave for himself and lived in seclusion there. This cave became the first of what would later be known as the Far Caves. time, the first official abbot of the monastery, Barlaam of Kiev, was called by Iziaslav to head a new monastery, St. Demetrios, which had been built at the gates of the city. The monks requested Anthony to name the replacement, and he named Theodosius. the number of monks grew and crowding became a problem, Anthony requested that Iziaslav give them the hill in which the caves were located. He did so, and the monks built a wooden church and some cells there, encircling the area with a wooden fence. Theodosius continued to consult Anthony in the guidance of the community and, as the monastery grew, so did Anthony's reputation. and return[edit] Iziaslav and his brothers were facing a popular uprising involving the Cumans, they came to Anthony for his blessing. did not get it. Anthony foretold that because of their sins they would be defeated, and that the brothers would be buried in a church they would build. Shortly thereafter Iziaslav left because of the rebellion. He suspected Anthony of sympathizing with the opposition and arranged to banish Anthony upon his return. he could do so, Iziaslav's brother, Sviatoslav, arranged for Anthony to be secretly taken to Chernigov. Anthony dug himself a cave there. Eletsky Monastery there is said by some to be built on the site of Anthony's cave. Eventually Iziaslav was again reconciled to Anthony and asked that he return to Kiev. his return, Anthony and Theodosius decided to build a larger stone church to accommodate the ever-increasing number of monks. Anthony himself did not live to see the church completed. He died in 1073, shortly after blessing the foundation of the new church, at 90 years old. Shortly before his death he called the monks together and consoled them about his coming death. He also asked them that his remains be hidden away forever. The monks carried out his request. He was reportedly buried in his cave, but no relics have ever been found. Many however have subsequently come to the cave to pray and many of them have reported being healed there. Anthony is venerated as a saint and the founder of monasticism in Kievan Rus'. His feast day falls on July 10. Since the Russian Orthodox Church as well as Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow_Patriarchate) follow the Julian Calendar, the day on which his feast is celebrated is currently July 23 on the modern Gregorian Calendar. Saint Anthony is also venerated by Greek Catholics and is listed in the Martyrologium Romanum of the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day of May 7. relics have never been found. Kiev Rus Saint, 1024-1091, Theodosis of Kiev; Baptism of Rus, Kiev, August 1st, 988; Icon of the Mother of God of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on August 17; œChernigov-GethsemaneÂ Icon of the Mother of God, Commemorated on September 1; Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on September 2; Venerable Theodosius of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated September 2 ; Venerable Hilarion the Schemamonk of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on October 21; Venerable Nestor the Chronicler of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on October 27; Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; 12 Greeks who built the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 14 ; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; Venerable Theodosius the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves Monastery, and Founder of Coenobitic Monasticism in Russia, Commemorated on May 3;

Russia, Kiev, 1015, Boris and Gleb, Passion bearers because did not resist evil with violence, both killed by brother Sviatopolk
Russia, Kiev, 1015, Boris and Gleb, Vyshgorod near Kiev (Dnieper River 4) residence of kievan rulers, Passion bearers because did not resist evil with violence, both killed by brother Sviatopolk; Vyshgorod near Kiev; Vyshhorod, a residence of the medieval Kievan rulers, now a town in Kiev Oblast, Ukraine; Martyrs and Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb, Commemorated on July 24; Boris and Gleb were sons of Saint Vladimir (July 15). Boris was named Romanus and Saint Gleb was named David at their Baptism. their father’s death the eldest son Sviatopolk planned to kill his brothers Boris, Gleb, and Yaroslav in order to seize power. sent a message to Boris, pretending that he wished to live in peace with him, and to increase Boris’s land holdings inherited from their father. of Vladimir’s advisers told Boris that he should take the army and establish himelf as ruler of Kiev. Saint Boris, however, said that he could never lift his hand against his own brother. Unfortunately, Sviatopolk was not so scrupulous. came to the town of Vyshegorod to ask its leaders if they were loyal to him. They assured him that they were ready to die for him. sent assassins to the Alta to kill Boris, who already knew that his brother wanted him dead. When they arrived they heard him chanting psalms and praying before an icon of Christ. He asked the Lord to strengthen him for the suffering he was about to endure. He also prayed for Sviatopolk, asking God not to count this against him as sin. he lay down upon his couch, and the assassins stabbed him with their lances, and also killed some of Boris’s servants. Wrapping Boris in a cloth, they threw him onto a wagon and drove off with him. When Sviatopolk saw that he was still breathing, he sent some men to finish him off with swords. Sviatopolk had killed Boris, he wondered, “Now how can I kill Gleb?” sent him a message saying that their father was ill and wished to see him. As he was on his way, he received word from Yaroslav that their father had died and that Sviatopolk had murdered Boris. Gleb wept for his father and brother, and was lamenting them when the assassins arrived. They seized his boat and drew their weapons, but it was Gleb’s cook Torchin who stabbed him with a knife. martyr’s body was thrown onto the shore between two trees. Later, he was buried beside Saint Boris in the church of Saint Basil. Boris and Gleb received the crown of martyrdom in 1015. They became known as Passion-Bearers, since they did not resist evil with violence. holy martyrs Princes Boris and Gleb are also commemorated on May 2.

Russia, Kiev, 1015-1019, Svyatopolk, K Rus King, Accursd, Killed 3 of 4 brothers, d by Y, fled to Poland
Kiev Rus King, 1015-1019, Svyatopolk the Accursed; I Vladimirovich (Sviatopolk the Accursed, the Accursed Prince; c. 980 – 1019) was the Kniaz' (Turov) of Turov (988–1015) and Velykyi Kniaz or Grand Prince of Kiev (Kyiv, 1015–1019) whose paternity and guilt in the murder of brothers are disputed. 1 Early life 2 Biography according to domestic sources 3 Biography according to foreign sources 4 Archeological record 5 See also 6 References life[edit] coin of Sviatopolk I, Grand Prince of Kiev Sviatopolk's silver srebrenik of Vladimir the Great, Grand Prince of Kiev of Vladimir the Great from a 17th-century Menaion mother was a Greek nun captured by Sviatoslav I in Bulgaria and married to his lawful heir Yaropolk I, who became Prince of Rus in 972. In 980, Yaropolk's brother Vladimir had him murdered, and the new sovereign married his predecessor's wife, who gave birth to a child. Thus, Sviatopolk may have been the eldest of Vladimir's sons, although his parentage has been questioned. Sviatopolk was eight years old, Vladimir put him in charge of Turov and later arranged his marriage with the daughter of the Polish duke BolesÅ‚aw I Chrobry of Poland. The young princess came to Turov together with Reinbern, the Bishop of Kolberg (now KoÅ‚obrzeg). Dissatisfied with Vladimir and encouraged by his own wife and Reinbern, Sviatopolk began preparations for war against Vladimir, probably counting on support from his father-in-law. Vladimir soon discovered Sviatopolk's intentions, however, and threw him, his wife and Reinbern in prison. Reinbern died in prison. according to domestic sources[edit] (in red) with Boleslaw the Brave at the Golden Gate in Kiev long before Vladimir's death, Sviatopolk was freed from prison and sent to govern the town of Vyshgorod several miles from Kiev. In 1015, Sviatopolk's retinue concealed Vladimir's death from him to prevent him from claiming the Kievan throne. When Sviatopolk learned of Vladimir's demise, he seized power in Kiev almost immediately. citizens of Kiev did not show much sympathy for Sviatopolk and, therefore, he decided to distribute presents in order to win them over. Then, he decided to rid himself of three of Vladimir's sons, Boris, Gleb, and Sviatoslav, whose claims for the Kievan throne threatened his power. Boris presented most danger to him because he had been in charge of Vladimir's druzhina (personal guards) and army, and enjoyed the support of the citizens. He sent the boyars of Vyshgorod to execute Boris. Boris and his manservant were stabbed to death when sleeping in a tent. The prince was discovered still breathing when his body was being transported in a bag to Kiev, but the Varangians put him out of his misery with the thrust of a lance. cold-blooded reprisal earned him the nickname of the Accursed. The news of this triple murder reached another son of Vladimir, Yaroslav, Prince of Novgorod, who decided to go to war against Sviatopolk with the support from the citizens of Novgorod and the Varangians. The battle took place in 1016 not far from Lubech, near Dnieper river. Sviatopolk was defeated and fled to Poland. of Yaroslav the Wise 1018, he returned to Rus', defeated Yaroslav with the help from his father-in-law and seized Kiev. BolesÅ‚aw I Chrobry of Poland and his army remained in Rus' for several months, but later left for Poland. On his way to Poland, BolesÅ‚aw seized some of the Cherven towns. the posadnik Konstantin Dobrynich and other citizens of Novgorod persuaded Yaroslav to go to war against Kiev once again. Sviatopolk was defeated and fled to the steppes. Soon he returned with the Pecheneg army and attacked Yaroslav on the Alta River, but was once again defeated and fled to Poland, eventually dying on his way there. Sviatopolk's death could have been procured by a descendant of Valuk Conqueror (Wallux dux Winedorum)[1] who in 1018 helped him and his father-in-law BolesÅ‚aw I in expedition against Yaroslav. according to foreign sources[edit] (IX—XI century) gold crown.svg Igor (co-ruler: Simple gold crown.svg Oleg) gold crown.svg Sviatoslav (co-ruler: Simple gold crown.svg St. Olga) gold crown.svg Yaropolk gold crown.svg Sviatopolk the Accursed of Drelinia gold crown.svg St. Vladimir of Novgorod [ru] of Polotsk (Polotsk branch) gold crown.svg Yaroslav the Wise Vladimirovich [ru] the Brave Mstislavich [ru] of Drelinia [ru] Boris Gleb Vladimirovich [ru] [ru] of Pskov gold crown.svg — Grand Prince of Kiev of Sviatopolk" by Jan Matejko, 1892 the last century, the traditional account of Svyatopolk's career has been somewhat modified. It has been argued that it was Boris who succeeded Vladimir in Kiev, while Svyatopolk was still in prison. One Norse saga called Eymund's saga (a part of Yngvars saga vÃðförla), with remarkable details, puts on Yaroslav the blame of his brother Burizlaf's murder. This Burizlaf, however, may be Svyatopolk (whose troops were commanded by the Polish king BolesÅ‚aw I Chrobry of Poland; the latter name is also rendered as Burizlaf in some sagas) as well as Boris. Therefore, it has been suggested that Svyatopolk ascended the throne after Boris's assassination and tried to fend off Yaroslav's attacks as well as to punish his agents guilty of Boris's murder. chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg, who died in 1018, could have been regarded as the only contemporary and unbiased account of events, if it were not for the fact that Thietmar's data could have been supplied by Svyatopolk himself during his brief exile at the Polish court. Unfortunately it can be interpreted ambiguously as far as the question of Svyatopolk's guilt is concerned. One place in his chronicle can be understood (although this is not necessary) as telling that Svyatopolk escaped from Kiev to Poland immediately after his father's death. But Thietmar states that Boleslaus I of Poland firstly supported his son-in-law against Yaroslav in 1017, which is the date, according to the Russian Primary Chronicle, of Svyatopolk's first defeat by Yaroslav. Preparing a campaign against Kiev, Boleslaus abruptly stopped a successful war against the German Emperor Henry II. So, it is unlikely that Svyatopolk had been present at his court since 1015, which is often supposed by the historians that consider Yaroslav guilty of Boris and Gleb's murders. Passion-Bearer Gleb, in Holy Baptism David, Commemorated September 5 ; Right-believing Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich the Prince of Novgorod, Commemorated on October 4 ; Venerable Damian the Healer and Clairvoyant of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on October 5; St Amphilochius the Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on October 10; Venerable Ephraim, Abbot and Wonderworker of Novy Torg, Commemorated on January 28 ; Venerable Isaac the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 14; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23;

Russia, Kiev, 1018, Boleslaw I the Brave of Poland, Captured Kiev, installed Svyatopolk 1 as ruler
Poland, 992-1025, Boleslaw I the Brave; Venerable Moses the Hungarian of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on July 26;

Russia, Kiev, 1019-1054, Yaroslav the Wise, K Rus King, d Svyatopolk 1, then ruled both Novgorod and Kiev
Kiev Rus King, 1019-1054, Yaroslav the Wise ; I, Grand Prince of Rus', known as Yaroslav the Wise or Iaroslav the Wise (c. 978 – 20 February 1054) was thrice grand prince of Veliky Novgorod and Kiev, uniting the two principalities for a time under his rule. Yaroslav's baptismal name was George (Yuri) after Saint George. son of Vladimir the Great, the first Christian Prince of Kiev, Yaroslav acted as vice-regent of Novgorod at the time of his father's death in 1015. his eldest surviving brother, Sviatopolk I of Kiev, killed three of his other brothers and seized power in Kiev. Yaroslav, with the active support of the Novgorodians and the help of Varangian mercenaries,[2] defeated Svyatopolk and became the Grand Prince of Kiev in 1019. Yaroslav the codification of legal customs and princely enactments began, and this work served as the basis for a law code called the Russkaya Pravda ("Rus Truth [Law]"). During Yaroslav's lengthy reign, Kievan Rus' reached the zenith of its cultural flowering and military power.[2] 1 Rise to the throne 2 Reign 2.1 Power struggles between siblings 2.2 Allies along the Baltic coast 2.3 Campaign against Byzantium 2.4 Protecting the inhabitants of the Dnieper from the Pechenegs 2.5 Establishment of law 3 Family life and posterity 4 Grave 5 Legacy 6 See also 7 References 7.1 Bibliography 8 External links to the throne[edit] article: BolesÅ‚aw I's intervention in the Kievan succession crisis of Yaroslav the Wise from Granovitaya Palata. early years of Yaroslav's life are mostly unknown. He was one of the numerous sons of Vladimir the Great, presumably his second by Rogneda of Polotsk,[3] although his actual age (as stated in the Primary Chronicle and corroborated by the examination of his skeleton in the 1930s) would place him among the youngest children of Vladimir. has been suggested that he was a child begotten out of wedlock after Vladimir's divorce from Rogneda and marriage to Anna Porphyrogenita, or even that he was a child of Anna Porphyrogenita herself. figures prominently in the Norse sagas under the name Jarisleif the Lame; his legendary lameness (probably resulting from an arrow wound) was corroborated by the scientists who examined his remains.[citation needed] his youth, Yaroslav was sent by his father to rule the northern lands around Rostov but was transferred to Veliky Novgorod,[4] as befitted a senior heir to the throne, in 1010. living there, he founded the town of Yaroslavl (literally, "Yaroslav's") on the Volga River. relations with his father were apparently strained,[4] and grew only worse on the news that Vladimir bequeathed the Kyivan throne to his younger son, Boris. 1014 Yaroslav refused to pay tribute to Kyiv and only Vladimir's death, in July 1015, prevented a war.[4] the next four years Yaroslav waged a complicated and bloody war for Kyiv against his half-brother Sviatopolk I of Kyiv, was supported by his father-in-law, Duke BolesÅ‚aw I Chrobry (King of Poland from 1025).[5] the course of this struggle, several other brothers (Boris, Gleb, and Svyatoslav) were brutally murdered.[5][6] Primary Chronicle accused Svyatopolk of planning those murders,[5] while the saga Eymundar þáttr hrings is often interpreted as recounting the story of Boris' assassination by the Varangians in the service of Yaroslav. the victim's name is given there as Burizaf, which is also a name of Boleslaus I in the Scandinavian sources. is thus possible that the Saga tells the story of Yaroslav's struggle against Svyatopolk (whose troops were commanded by the Polish duke), and not against Boris.[citation needed] of Yaroslav and his descendants represent the trident. defeated Svyatopolk in their first battle, in 1016, and Svyatopolk fled to Poland.[5] ----------------------------------But Svyatopolk returned in 1018 with Polish troops furnished by his father-in-law, seized Kyiv[5] and pushed Yaroslav back into Novgorod. at last, prevailed over Svyatopolk, and in 1019 firmly established his rule over Kyiv.[7] of his first actions as a grand prince was to confer on the loyal Novgorodians (who had helped him to gain the Kyivan throne), numerous freedoms, and privileges. the foundation of the Novgorod Republic was laid. For their part, the Novgorodians respected Yaroslav more than they did other Kyivan princes; and the princely residence in their city, next to the marketplace (and where the veche often convened) was named Yaroslav's Court after him. probably was during this period that Yaroslav promulgated the first code of laws in the lands of the East Slavs, the Russkaya Pravda. struggles between siblings[edit] aside the legitimacy of Yaroslav's claims to the Kievan throne and his postulated guilt in the murder of his brothers, Nestor the Chronicler and later Russian historians often presented him as a model of virtue, styling him "the Wise". A less appealing side of his personality is revealed by his having imprisoned his youngest brother Sudislav for life. Yet another brother, Mstislav of Chernigov, whose distant realm bordered the North Caucasus and the Black Sea, hastened to Kiev and, despite reinforcements led by Yaroslav's brother-in-law King Anund Jacob of Sweden (as Jakun - "blind and dressed in a gold suit"),[8] inflicted a heavy defeat on Yaroslav in 1024. Yaroslav and Mstislav then divided Kievan Rus' between them: the area stretching left from the Dnieper River, with the capital at Chernihiv, was ceded to Mstislav until his death in 1036. along the Baltic coast[edit] his foreign policy, Yaroslav relied on a Scandinavian alliance and attempted to weaken the Byzantine influence on Kiev. In 1030, he conquered Cherven Cities from the Poles followed by the construction of Sutiejsk to guard the newly acquired lands. Yaroslav concluded an alliance with Polish King Casimir I the Restorer, sealed by the latter's marriage to Yaroslav's sister, Maria. In another successful military raid the same year, he captured Tartu, Estonia and renamed it Yuryev[9] (named after Yury, Yaroslav's patron saint) and forced the surrounding Ugandi County to pay annual tribute. According to Heimskringla Olaf the swede made an alliance with Yaroslav even thou the alliance was not liked in Sweden to conquer Norway. to the Icelandic Sagas king, Olof of Sweden married his daughter to Yaroslav instead of the Norwegian king. That lead to protests in Sweden because the swedes wanted to reestablish control over lost eastern territories and bring in tribute from Kievan Rus. Olof Skötkonung did not listeen to his people and allied Yaroslav the Wise and both became close allies. Instead declaring war against Olaf Tryggvason.[10] the Far-Travelled Anund Jakobs jarl later under Yaroslav's reign sent Swedish soldiers into Kievan Rus due to Olof son wanting to assist his fathers ally Yaroslav in his conquest against the Pechenegs and Byzantines.[11] The georgians annals report 1000 men coming into Georgia but original force was likely much larger around 3000 men. [12] faith is unknown likely captured in battle during Byzantine campaigns or killed. Only one ship returned to Sweden according to the legend.[13] against Byzantium[edit] article: Rus'–Byzantine War (1043) presented his second direct challenge to Constantinople in 1043, when Rus' flotilla headed by one of his sons appeared near Constantinople and demanded money, threatening to attack the city otherwise. Whatever the reason, the Greeks refused to pay and preferred to fight. The Rus' flotilla defeated the Byzantine fleet but was almost destroyed by a storm and came back to Kyiv empty-handed.[14] the inhabitants of the Dnieper from the Pechenegs[edit] defend his state from the Pechenegs and other nomadic tribes threatening it from the south he constructed a line of forts, composed of Yuriev, Bohuslav, Kaniv, Korsun, and Pereyaslavl. To celebrate his decisive victory over the Pechenegs in 1036 (who thereafter were never a threat to Kiev) he sponsored the construction of the Saint Sophia Cathedral in 1037. That same year there were built monasteries of Saint George and Saint Irene (named after patron saints of Yaroslav and his wife). Some mentioned and other celebrated monuments of his reign such as the Golden Gate of Kiev perished during the Mongol invasion of Rus', but later restored. of law[edit] was a notable patron of book culture and learning. In 1051, he had a Slavic monk, Hilarion of Kiev, proclaimed the metropolitan bishop of Kiev, thus challenging the Byzantine tradition of placing Greeks on the episcopal sees. Hilarion's discourse on Yaroslav and his father Vladimir is frequently cited as the first work of Old East Slavic literature. Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Founder of Monasticism in Russia, Commemorated on July 10; Venerable Arcadius of Novotorsk, Commemorated on July 11; Venerable Moses the Hungarian of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated July 26 ; Appearance of the Smolensk "œDirectress"Â Icon of the Mother of God brought from Constantinople, Commemorated on July 28; Right-believing Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich the Prince of Novgorod, Commemorated on October 4 ; Venerable Damian the Healer and Clairvoyant of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on October 5 ; St Amphilochius the Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on October 10; Venerable Nicholas Sviatosha Prince of Chernigov, and Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on October 14; St Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kiev, Commemorated on October 21; Venerable Hilarion the Schemamonk of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on October 21; Blessed Yaropolk the Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia, in Holy Baptism Peter, Commemorated on November 22; Dedication of the Church of the Greatmartyr George at Kiev, Commemorated on November 26; Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; Venerable Ephraim, Abbot and Wonderworker of Novy Torg, Commemorated on January 28 ; Princess Anna of Novgorod, Commemorated on February 10 ; Venerable Isaac the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 14; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; Greatmartyr, Victory-bearer and Wonderworker George, Commemorated on April 23; Translation of the relics of the Holy Passionbearer Boris, in Holy Baptism Roman, Commemorated on May 2 ; Venerable Theodosius the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves Monastery, and Founder of Coenobitic Monasticism in Russia, Commemorated on May 3; Venerable Constantine, (In baptism Yaroslav), with his children Michael and Theodore, Wonderworkers of Murom, Commemorated on May 21; St Menas, Bishop of Polotsk, Commemorated on June 20;

Russia, Kiev, 1019-1056, Princess Anna, Kiev Rus Queen, two Cathedrals, children Christian upbringing, to monastery
Russia, Novgorod, 1019-1056, Princess Anna, Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden, Kiev Rus Queen, two Cathedrals, , gave her children a true Christian upbringing, marked by a strong faith in God; and love of work, integrity and learning, she left the world and went into a monastery; Kiev Rus Queen, 1019-1050, Princess Anna, Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden ; Olofsdotter of Sweden, also known as Irene, Anna and Saint Anna (1001 – 10 February 1050), was a Swedish princess and a Grand Princess of Kiev. was the daughter of Swedish King Olof Skotkonung and Estrid of the Obotrites and the consort of Yaroslav I the Wise of Ingegerd or Saint Anna is often confused with the mother of Saint Vladimir “the Enlightenerâ€ of the Rus. This is mainly because Ingegerd and Yaroslav also had a son named Vladimir. However, Saint Vladimir was the father of Ingegerd’s husband Yaroslav I “the Wiseâ€, thus making her Saint Vladimir’s daughter-in-law. Saint Vladimir was the son of Sviatoslav and Malusha.[1] Sophia Cathedral in Kiev Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod was born a princess in the court of King Olof Skötkonung. In 1015, after Olaf II of Norway assumed the throne as King of Norway, he proposed a royal marriage alliance. In 1016, noblemen of both countries tried to arrange a marriage between King Olaf and Princess Ingegerd. Olof Skötkonung agreed at first but later he reneged. Rather he agreed to the marriage of his daughter, Astrid Olavsdatter to King Olaf. [2][3][4] Skötkonung subsequently arranged for the marriage of Princess Ingegerd to the powerful Grand Prince Yaroslav I the Wise of Novgorod with whom Sweden had a flourishing trade relationship. The marriage took place in 1019. [5] in Kiev, Ingegerd had her name changed to the Greek Irene. According to several sagas, she received as a marriage gift Ladoga and adjacent lands, which later became known as Ingria, arguably a corruption of Ingegerd's name. She arranged for her father's cousin, jarl Ragnvald Ulfsson, to rule in her stead.[6] [7] Ingegerd and Yaroslav had six sons and four daughters; three of the latter becoming Queens of France, Hungary, and Norway. The whole family is depicted in one of the frescoes of the Saint Sophia. and burial[edit] died on 10 February 1050. Upon her death, according to different sources, Ingegerd was buried in either Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev or Cathedral of St. Sophia in Novgorod. initiated the building of the Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev (foundation laid in 1037). also initiated the construction of Cathedral of St. Sophia in Novgorod (built between 1045 and 1050). was later declared a saint under the name of St. Anna in Novgorod and Kiev. The reason for her sainthood was that she initiated the building of both cathedrals in Kiev and in Novgorod together with many other good deeds. following was stated by the church in reference to her sainthood: Anna, Grand Duchess of Novgorod, She was the daughter of Swedish King Olaf Sketktung, the "All-Christian King," who did much to spread Orthodoxy in Scandinavia, and the pious Queen Astrida. Sweden she was known as Princess Indegard; she married Yaroslav I “the Wise“, Grand Prince of Kiev, who was the founder of the Saint Sophia Cathedral in 1016, taking the name Irene. gave shelter to the outcast sons of British King Edmund, Edwin and Edward, as well as the Norwegian prince Magnus, who later returned to Norway. is perhaps best known as the mother of Vsevolod of , himself the father of Vladimir Monomakh and progenitor of the Princes of Moscow. daughters were Anna, Queen of France, Queen Anastasia of Hungary, and Queen Elizabeth (Elisiv) of Norway. The whole family was profoundly devout and pious. reposed in 1050 in the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom (St. Sophia) in Kiev, having been tonsured a monastic with the name of Anna. As saint, her hymn goes: 4 stichera, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: Joy of the ranks of heaven joy of the Swedish people, thou didst gladden the Russian realm, filling it with grace and purity, adorning its throne with majesty, lustrous in piety like a priceless gem set in a splendid royal crown. Ingegerd in the baptismal waters, O venerable one, thou wast called Irene by thy Russian subjects, who perceived in thee the divine and ineffable peace; but when thou didst submit to monastic obedience, thou didst take the new name, Anna, after the honoured ancestor of Christ, the King of kings. in honourable matrimony, O holy Anna, thou didst live in concord with thy royal spouse, the right-believing and most wise Prince Yaroslav; and having born him holy offspring, after his repose thou didst betroth thyself unto the Lord as thy heavenly all the allurements of vanity and donning the coarse robes of a monastic, O wondrous and sacred Anna, thou gavest thyself over to fasting and prayer, ever entreating Christ thy Master, that He deliver thy people from the all want and misfortune. Feast days: 10 February, 4 October. Princess Anna of Novgorod, Commemorated on February 10 ; Holy Princess Anna of Novgorod, wife of Great Prince Yaroslav the Wise, gave her children a true Christian upbringing, marked by a strong faith in God; and love of work, integrity and learning. son Mstislav later became Great Prince of Kiev, and her daughter the queen of a western European realm. Saint Anna left the world and went into a monastery, where she ended her days in strict obedience and prayer in the year 1056. Venerable Isaac the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 14; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23;

Russia, Kiev, 1023-1065, Barlaam, Kiev Near Caves, St Anthony's Second Location, 2 pilgrimages to Jerusalem & Constantinople
Russia, Kiev, 1023-1065, Barlaam, 1st Abbot of the Kiev Near Caves, St Anthony's Second Location, 2 pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Constantinople; Kiev Near Caves; Venerable Barlaam the Abbot of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on November 19 ; Barlaam, Igumen of the Kiev Caves, lived during the eleventh century at Kiev, was the son of an illustrious noble. his youth, he yearned for the monastic life and he went to Saint Anthony of the Caves (July 10), accepted the pious youth so firmly determined to become a monk, he bade Saint Nikon (March 23) to tonsure him. Barlaam’s father tried to return him home by force, but finally became convinced that his son would never return to the world, so he gave up. the number of monks at the Caves began to increase, Saint Anthony made Saint Barlaam igumen, while he himself moved to another cave and again began to live in solitude. Barlaam became the first igumen of the Kiev Caves monastery. the year 1058, after asking Saint Anthony’s blessing, Saint Barlaam built a wooden church in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Saint Barlaam became igumen of the newly-formed monastery in honor of the Great Martyr Demetrius. Barlaam twice went on pilgrimage to the holy places in Jerusalem and Constantinople. he returned from his second journey, he died in the Vladimir Holy Mountain monastery at Volhynia in 1065 and was buried, in accord with his final wishes, at the Caves monastery in the Near Caves. memory is celebrated September 28 and on the second Sunday of Great Lent.

Russia, Kiev, 1024-1091, Theodosis, K Rus Saint, of the Kiev Caves, Cenobitic Monasticism
Kiev Rus Saint, 1024-1091, Theodosis of Kiev; Baptism of Rus, Kiev, August 1st, 988; Icon of the Mother of God of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on August 17; Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on September 2; Venerable Theodosius of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated September 2 ; Venerable Hilarion the Schemamonk of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on October 21; Venerable Nestor the Chronicler of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on October 27; Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; 12 Greeks who built the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 14 ; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; Venerable Stephen the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on April 27;

Russia, Kiev, 1025-1028, Constantine VIII, Byzantine Emperor, Brother of Basil II
Russia, Kiev, 1025-1028, Kiev Rus King, Constantine VIII, Brother of Basil II; Russia, Kiev, 960-976, Kiev Rus King, Basil II, Basil the Bulgar Slayer ; Equal of the Apostles Great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the Enlightener of the Russian Land, Commemorated on July 15;

Russia, Kiev, 1065 -1090, Isaiah tWonderworker, Bishop oRostov, Strength fResolute Intention, huge Diocese, successful t
Russia, Rostov, 1065 -1090, Isaiah the Wonderworker, Bishop of Rostov (Lake Nero), Rostov the Great, fKiev, Kiev Caves Monastery, strength from resolute intention, Prince Iziaslav wanted Isaiah fhMonastery, 1078 apostolic ministry Bishop oRostov, Large territory, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma, Vologda, Moscow, Tver, &Olonets, Rostov Cathedral, traveled large area, teaching & destroying idols, P Vladimir Monomakh money fC, W Icon ; Rustov; Saint Isaiah the Wonderworker, Bishop of Rostov, Commemorated on May 15; Isaiah was born near Kiev to pious parents who raised him in the Orthodox Faith. his youth, he forsook worldly vanity and entered the Kiev Caves Monastery, where he was tonsured by Saint Theodosios († May 3, 1074). with love for the Savior, the young monk engaged in the difficult struggles of fasting and prayer. the same time, he was meek, humble, obedient, non-acquisitive, fraternal, and he mortified the carnal passions through abstinence and patience, as well as the virtues of wisdom, spiritual courage, and chastity. recalled the words of an ancient Elder: "A man's strength does not depend upon human nature, which is subject to change, but upon resolute intention." by God's help, he constantly ascended in spirit to the heavenly Jerusalem.1 of the young monk Isaiah's ascetical struggles soon spread beyond the Monastery. when Barlaam, the first Igoumen of the Monastery reposed, a Monastery was built in the courtyard of the Great Prince Iziaslav of Kiev, and dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr Dēmḗtrios. 1065, Prince Iziaslav asked Saint Theodosios to elevate Father Isaiah to the rank of Igoumen of that Monastery because of his virtuous life. Theodosios gave his blessing, and Father Isaiah became the Igoumen. receiving this high office, the blessed one was a good mentor for the brethren and a good shepherd of Christ's rational flock. As Igoumen, he always thought of the Lord, and continued to abide in humility and in spiritual and corporeal labors. such a holy man in his Monastery, Prince Iziaslav rejoiced in spirit, thanking the Lord and Saint Theodosios for granting his desire. 1078, Saint Isaiah, who was proficient in piety and filled with divine grace, took part in the joint prayer of the Elders of the Caves for the ascetic Nikḗtas (January 31), who had been deceived by a demon (later he became the Bishop of Novgorod). the podvig2 of monastic life for three years, and then serving as Igoumen for ten years, Saint Isaiah was called to exercise an apostolic ministry. 1078, Saint Isaiah was consecrated as Bishop of Rostov, where there were still many pagans at that time. Diocese of Rostov encompassed a vast territory which included Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma, Vologda, and part of Moscow, Tver, and Olonets. pagan inhabitants of the region clung to many superstitions, bloody customs, divination, and sorcery. good shepherd Saint Leontius of Rostov († May 23, 1073) labored hard for the enlightenment of the Rostov region, but still more pagans were to be found there by his valiant successor. Isaiah worked zealously, planting the seeds of Orthodoxy among the inhabitants of his large Diocese, also built a cathedral in Rostov in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. to his ancient Life, Saint Isaiah "found the newly-illumined people, who had not yet been firmly established in the Faith," and so he began to instruct them. travelled around with apostolic zeal, preaching about Christ in the Diocese of Rostov, persuading them of the folly of idolatry, and destroying the pagan idols. Isaiah begged his flock to remain strong in their faith, and to imitate Christ in their life. He repeated his message everywhere he went: "As many of you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). a stikheron from his Church Service, the spirit of Saint Isaiah's ministry is perfectly expressed: "What shall we call you O Hierarch? Angel, for you lived on earth as one incorporeal; Apostle, for you taught the true Faith to the ends of Russia; Martyr, because for the sake of Christ you fought until death, turning people from the darkness of wickedness and bringing them to the pasture of godly reason." was a great consolation to Saint Isaiah to have the Great Prince Vladimir Monomakh participate in his ministry. The Great Prince gave money to build a cathedral at Rostov in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, in which there was a wonderworking icon painted by Saint Alypios of the Kiev Caves (August 17). Christ's Hierarch Isaiah treated the poor, the unfortunate, and all those in need with love. Lord glorified His servant by working many signs and miracles through him. In 1089, "borne on a cloud like the Apostles of old,"3 Bishop Isaiah was able to be present at the consecration of the "heavenly" church of the Dormition of the Mother of God at the Kiev Caves Monastery. it was time for the consecration of the Dormition cathedral at the Kiev Caves Lavra, Metropolitan John of Kiev did not have time to invite the God-loving Bishops from distant lands to attend the Service. his pious wish was granted by an Angel of God who appeared to Bishop Isaiah and told him to attend the ceremony. Then, miraculously, the Angel brought him to the Kiev Caves Lavra, and he was able to participate in the consecration. himself, marveling at his wondrous journey, told Metropolitan John about it, saying that he did not dare to disobey his order by not coming to the consecration of the temple. First Hierarch of Russia was amazed by what he heard, for there was no time to invite the Bishops. This miraculous journey was the fruit of Saint Isaiah's obedience and zeal for the church of God. bishops, Isaiah of Rostov, Luke of Belgorod, and John of Chernigov, served with Metropolitan John at the consecration of the church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos on August 14, 1089, and then Bishop Isaiah returned to his flock, which welcomed him with great joy. that, Saint Isaiah shepherded his flock of Rostov for less than a year. He departed from this world in the summer after the Nativity of Christ (on May 15, 1090) after thirteen years as a Bishop. same Angel who bore him to Kiev for the consecration of the church, also carried his soul to dwell in the heavenly abodes for eternity. relics of Saint Isaiah were first found together with the relics of Saint Leontius on May 23, 1164. Holy Right-believing Prince Andrew Bogolyubsky (July 4) laid the foundation for a new stone church in Rostov to replace the wooden one damaged by a fire in 1160. While excavating the foundation under the southern wall, the relics of Saint Isaiah were found. According to ancient Tradition and the Chronicle: "The coffin of blessed Isaiah was found, and when they opened it, they saw the Saint's vestments and body were incorrupt, and they glorified God, Who was pleased to glorify His servant not only in life, but also in death. Though many years had passed, the Hierarch's vestments and his body remained untouched by decay." Saint's relics were placed in the church of Saint John, and since the stone church collapsed as soon as it was completed, the relics were moved to the cathedral in 1231 and placed in the narthex, on the right side. the years, however, the memory of Saint Isaiah's miracles was forgotten, so that not even a lamp was lit over his tomb, nor did any priest come with incense to serve a Panikhida for him, because the narthex was always closed. was not fitting, however, for such a great lamp to remain hidden under a bushel (Matthew 5:15). According to the manuscript Life, "The Archbishop, seeing that the icon of Saint Isaiah was venerated by all, and also his coffin (in the narthex of the cathedral), he summoned the priests on May 17 and opened the coffin of this most wondrous Father. He took him from there in 1474 and placed him in a new coffin with honor, near the southern doors, where he still works miracles of healing." first Archbishop of Rostov was Theodore in 1390, and the ecclesiastical veneration of Saint Isaiah began in 1474, at the time of the transfer of his relics to the church. The first written Life of Saint Isaiah also belongs to that same time. In 1722 the relics were moved to a silver casket. April 25, 1920, by the decision of the Tenth Rostov District Congress of Soviets, despite the protests of believers, the relics of Saint Isaiah, and the relics of Saints Ignatius and Dēmḗtrios (Tuptalo), Venerable Abraham of Rostov, and Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk were exhibited naked in the center of the Dormition Cathedral. week later, the shrines with the relics of the Saints were returned to their places. Subsequently, the relics of Saint Isaiah were placed in a closed wooden shrine in the Dormition Cathedral. the end of the 1980s, some of the relics were brought to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, some were given to Archbishop Platon (Udovenko) of Yaroslavl and Rostov. the honorable head of Saint Isaiah is kept in the Serapion tent in the Lavra, and a portion of the relics is in Rostov's Dormition Cathedral, in an ark handed over on June 5, 1999 to the diocesan administrator of Yaroslavl and Rostov, Archbishop Micah (Kharkharov). the "Iconographer's Manual" a description of the Saint's external appearance is given: "Our Father among the Saints Bishop Isaiah of Rostov, the wonderworker, a pointed beard like that of Saint Blaise. The Saint's phelonion is red, with a green lining, a white omophorion, a white knobuk on his head, and he holds a Gospel in his hands." Isaiah is also commemorated on May 23, the Synaxis of the Saints of Rostov - Yaroslavl. 1 Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 21:2, 21:10) 2 Podvig = ascetical effort, spiritual struggle. 3 See the Feast of the Dormition on August 15.

Russia, Kiev, 1040-1077, Sviatoslav II, K Rus King, Yaroslav's son, Monk, Kiev, Volhy, Cherg, Triumvirate
Kiev Rus King, 1040-1077, Sviatoslav II of Kiev, St Nicholas Sviatoslav ; II Iaroslavich or Sviatoslav II Yaroslavich (1027 -“ 27 December 1076[1] in Kiev [Kyiv]) was Grand Prince of Kiev between 1073 and 1076. He was born as a younger son of Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise. His baptismal name was Nicholas. ruled the Principality of Vladimir in Volhynia in his father's lifetime (from around 1040 to 1054). the Wise, who divided the Kievan Rus' between his five sons in his testament, willed the Principality of Chernigov to Sviatoslav. joined his brothers, Iziaslav of Kiev and Vsevolod of Pereyaslav, in forming a princely "triumvirate" that oversaw the affairs of Kievan Rus' until 1072. three brothers together fought against their enemies, including the nomadic Oghuz Turks, and their distant relative, Prince Vseslav of Polotsk. Cumans defeated their united force in the autumn of 1068, but Sviatoslav routed a Cuman band plundering his principality. "triumvirate" broke up, when Sviatoslav, supported by his younger brother Vsevolod, dethroned and replaced their older brother Iziaslav in 1073. commissioned the compilation of at least two miscellanies of theological works. Otherwise, his short reign was uneventful. 1 Early life 2 Triumvirate 3 Grand Prince of Kiev 4 Family 5 See also 6 References 7 Sources 7.1 Primary sources 7.2 Secondary sources 8 Further reading life[edit] was the fourth son of Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev, and his wife, Ingegerd of Sweden.[2] He was born in 1027.[2] The Lyubetskiy sinodik—a list of the princes of Chernigov which was completed in the Monastery of Saint Anthony in Lyubech—writes that his baptismal name was Nicholas.[3] Russian Primary Chronicle writes that Sviatoslav was staying "at Vladimir"[4] (Volodymyr-Volynskyi, Ukraine) in Volhynia around the time his father fell seriously ill before his death.[5] to the historian Martin Dimnik, the chronicle's report shows that Yaroslav the Wise had, most probably in about 1040, appointed Sviatoslav to rule this important town of the Kievan Rus'.[6] his deathbed, Yaroslav the Wise divided the most important towns of his realm among his five sons—Iziaslav, Sviatoslav, Vsevolod, Igor, and Vyacheslav—who survived him.[7][8] Sviatoslav, he bequeathed Chernigov (Chernihiv, Ukraine).[9] dying grand prince also ordered that his four younger sons should "heed"[10] their eldest brother, Iziaslav who received Kiev.[8] of the Kievan Rus' in the Kievan Rus' (1054–1132) the Wise died on 20 February 1054.[11] three elder sons—Iziaslav of Kiev, Sviatoslav of Chernigov, and Vsevolod of Pereyaslav—decided to jointly govern the Kievan Rus'.[12] Martin Dimnik writes that taking into account Sviatoslav's political and military skills it "is reasonable to assume that he was one of the main motivating forces, if not the actual architect, of many of the policies adopted" by the three brothers.[13] "triumviri" closely cooperated in the following years.[12] 1059 they liberated their uncle, Sudislav whom their father had sent to prison around 1035.[14][15] made a joint expedition "by horse and ship against the Torks"[16] or Oghuz Turks, according to the Russian Primary Chronicle, in 1060.[17] On hearing of the arrival of the Rus' forces, the Torks fled from their lands without resistance.[18] 1065, Sviatoslav led his troops against his nephew, Rostislav Vladimirovich, who had in the previous year expelled by force Sviatoslav's son, Gleb from Tmutorakan.[19] Upon Sviatoslav's arrival, Rostislav withdrew from this important center of his uncle's domains, but he reoccupied it after Sviatoslav had returned to Chernigov.[20] A distant cousin of the "triumviri", Vseslav Briacheslavich (Prince of Polotsk), attacked Pskov in 1065, according to The Chronicle of Pskov.[21][22] Vseslav Briacheslavich could not take this town, but he seized and plundered Novgorod—which had been ruled by Iziaslav of Kiev's son, Mstislav—in the next winter.[21][23] Izyaslav, Sviatoslav and Vsevolod soon united their forces and set forth against Vseslav, "though it was the dead of winter",[24] according to the Russian Primary Chronicle.[25] They routed Vseslav's army by the Nemiga River (near Minsk) on 3 March 1066.[25] Vseslav, who fled from the battlefield, agreed to enter into negotiations with the "triumviri", but they treacherously captured him at a meeting at Orsha in early June.[22][25] Cumans, who had emerged as the dominant power of the Pontic steppes in the early 1060s, invaded the southern regions of Kievan Rus' in 1068.[26] The three brothers together marched against the invaders, but the Cumans routed them on the Alta River.[27] From the battlefield, Sviatoslav withdrew to Chernigov and regrouped his troops.[27] He returned to defeat the Cumans with a smaller force at the town of Snovsk on 1 November, thus enhancing his prestige among the populace.[27] In the meantime, the townspeople of Kiev had dethroned and expelled Sviatoslav's brother, Iziaslav.[28] Taking advantage of Iziaslav's absence, Sviatopluk sent his own son, Gleb to Novgorod to rule the town.[29][30] returned at the head of Polish reinforcements.[31] The townspeople of Kiev sent messages to Sviatoslav and Vsevolod, imploring them to come to their "father's city"[32] and defend it, according to the Russian Primary Chronicle.[33] Sviatoslav and Vsevolod requested Iziaslav "not to lead the Poles in attack upon Kiev", stating that "if he intended to nurse his wrath and destroy the city, they would be properly concerned for the ancestral capital".[33][34][31] Iziaslav partially acquiesced: he did not let his Polish allies enter the town, but his retinue slaughtered or mutilated many of his opponents in Kiev.[35] He also attempted to punish Anthony—the founder of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev—who had supported his enemies, but Sviatoslav gave shelter to the saintly monk in Chernigov.[36] Iziaslav's return to Kiev, the "triumvirate" was restored.[28] The three brothers together visited Vyshhorod in order to participate in the translation of the relics of their saintly uncles, Boris and Gleb on 3 May 1072.[37] According to The Narrative, Passion, and Encomium of Boris and Gleb, Sviatoslav took Saint Gleb's hand and "pressed it to his injury, for he had pain in his neck, and to his eyes, and to his forehead"[38] before placing it back into the coffin.[39] In short Sviatoslav felt a pain at the top of his head and his servant found a fingernail of the saint under his cap.[39] Most historians agree that the three brothers expanded their father's legal code on this occasion, but the exact date is unknown.[40] [41] Prince of Kiev[edit] Izbornik of 1076 page from Sviatoslav's Izbornik of 1073 to the Russian Primary Chronicle, "the devil stirred up strife"[42] among the three brothers shortly after the canonization of Saints Boris and Gleb.[43][44] Sviatoslav and Vsevolod united their forces and expelled Iziaslav from Kiev on 22 March 1073.[43] The chronicler put the blame for this action on Sviatoslav, stating that "he was the instigator of his brother's expulsion, for he desired more power".[42][44] The chronicler also states that Sviatoslav had "misled Vsevolod by asserting that" Iziaslav "was entering into an alliance"[42] with Vseslav Briacheslavich against them.[44] Modern historians disagree about the motives of Sviatoslav's action. Franklin and Shepard write that he was driven by "straightforward greed";[45] Martin says that Sviatoslav who seems to have suffered from a grave illness wanted to secure his sons' right to Kiev which would have been lost if Sviatoslav "had predeceased Iziaslav without having ruled"[46] the town. In fact, the Russian Primary Chronicle states that it was Sviatoslav who "ruled in Kiev after the expulsion"[42] of Iziaslav.[47] the head of the Monastery of the Caves, Feodosy criticized Sviatoslav for usurping the throne.[43][48] However, before his death in May 1074 he was reconciled with the grand prince, who supported the foundation of a stone church dedicated to the Mother of God in Kiev.[45][49] Sviatoslav also supported the compilation of ecclesiastic works. Two izborniki or miscellanies—collections of excerpts from the Bible and from theological works—were completed under his auspices in 1073 and 1076.[50] According to the Izbornik of 1073, Sviatoslav, who is praised as a "new Ptolemy", had by that time collected a great number of spiritual books.[51] rule was short and uneventful.[52] His dethroned brother first fled to Poland, but Duke Boleslav II, who was Sviatoslav's son-in-law, expelled him from his lands.[28][53] Next Iziaslav sought the assistance of the German monarch, Henry IV.[43] The latter, in 1075, sent his envoys—including Sviatoslav's brother-in-law, Burchard—to Kiev to collect more information.[54] According to the Russian Primary Chronicle, "in his pride", Sviatoslav "showed them his riches", displaying them "the innumerable quantity of his gold, silver and silks".[55][56] In 1076 Sviatoslav sent reinforcements to Poland to help his son-in-law against the Bohemians.[57] died on 27 December 1076.[1] The Russian Primary Chronicle writes that "the cutting of a sore"[58] caused his death.[59] He was buried in the Holy Savior Cathedral in Chernigov.[59] Within a year, his elder brother Iziaslav was restored and Sviatoslav's sons lost most parts of his domains.[1][60] Venerable Nicholas Sviatosha Prince of Chernigov, and Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on October 14; Blessed Yaropolk the Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia, in Holy Baptism Peter, Commemorated on November 22; Venerable Arcadius of Novy Torg, Commemorated on December 13; Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; Princess Anna of Novgorod, Commemorated on February 10 ; Venerable Isaac the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 14; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; Venerable Stephen the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on April 27; Translation of the relics of the Holy Passionbearer Boris, in Holy Baptism Roman, Commemorated on May 2;

Russia, Kiev, 1051-1055, Hilarion, First native Kiev Rus Metropolitan, Writer, Splits 1054
Kiev Rus Metropolitan, 1051-1055, Hilarion of Kiev; Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on September 2; St Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kiev, Commemorated on October 21; Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kiev, lived during the era of the Great Prince Yaroslav the Wise (+ 1054), son of Saint Vladimir. the history of the Russian Church he is remembered as the first Russian installed as Metropolitan by a Council of Russian bishops. The Russian Church up to that time had been a Metropolitan See, under the patriarchate of Constantinople. Russia’s first metropolitans were Greeks, and they were appointed by Constantinople. Hilarion, priest of the prince’s village of Berestovo near Kiev, was the spiritual Father and companion of Prince Yaroslav. Saint Nestor the Chronicler relates: prince Yaroslav loved Berestovo, and built the church of the Holy Apostles there, and he honored many priests. Among them was the presbyter Hilarion, a man of virtue, knowledge, and given to fasting. He made his way from Berestovo to the Dniepr, where the old Kiev Caves monastery is now, and he made his prayer in the deep forest there. Having dug out a shallow 14 foot cave, he chanted the Hours and prayed in solitude to God....” Hilarion, as his works attest, was not simply a “man of books”, but was endowed with great spiritual gifts and profound theological knowledge. He devoted all his efforts to the service of the Russian Church. When Metropolitan Theopemptus died, Rus was in a state of war against Byzantium. By decision of a Council of the Russian hierarchs, a resolution was made to establish a Metropolitanate at Kiev, not subject to Constantinople. Hilarion was famed among the Russian clergy for his heightened spiritual life and gift for preaching. Prior to this, he gave a eulogy in the “Tithe” church of Kiev to the holy Prince Vladimir with his acclaimed “Discourse Concerning Law and Grace,” in which he provided a theological explanation of the place of the Russian Church in the history of the divine economy of Salvation. choice of the Council hierarchs was dear to the heart of Yaroslav the Wise. Saint Hilarion was installed as Metropolitan at the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) cathedral in the year 1051 and was later confirmed by the Patriarch of Constantinople. He was not the primate of the Russian Church for long. The chronicle does not mention the year of his death, but the saint was not at the death of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (February 20, 1054), and in the year 1055 a new metropolitan had arrived at Kiev. Evidently, Saint Hilarion had died in 1053. spiritual legacy lives on in the Russian Church especially in a fine example of Russian church literature, the “Discourse Concerning Law and Grace.” Its content is profound and multi-faceted. At the heart of the “Discourse” is the teaching concerning salvation and grace. Secondly, great attention is devoted to the question of the superiority of Christianity over Judaism. This theme was essential during those times in Kievan Rus. The Jews had approached Saint Vladimir, hoping to convert him to their faith, and Saint Theodosius of the Kiev Caves (May 3) had gone to the “Jewish Quarter” in Kiev to preach Christ Crucified. It is also known that the Jews had attempted to convert the holy hierarch Nikḗtas the Hermit to Judaism when he was still a monk of the Kiev Caves monastery (1088). Saint Simon relates this in the Kiev Caves Paterikon. This explains the attention which Saint Hilarion devotes to the question “about the Law given to Moses, and about grace and truth, through the coming of Jesus Christ.” finally, the third theme, the occasion of the uttering of the “Discourse” was the glorification of the apostolic work of holy Prince Vladimir. The kingdom of nature, the kingdom of grace and the future Kingdom of Glory are perceived in the spiritual experience of the Church as inseparably connected. The Law is only the forerunner and servant of grace and truth. Truth and grace are but servants of the future age and true life. Saint Hilarion teaches thus about the superiority of the Church: “Moses and the prophets foretold the Coming of Christ, whereas Christ and His Apostles bore witness to the Resurrection and the future age.” saint explains that from the moment the Savior came into he world, the Old Covenant of man with God ceased to be in effect. With the theological symbols of the Old and New Covenants the saint employs images borrowed from the holy Apostle Paul (Gal. 4:22-31) relating to the two wives of Abraham: the freeborn Sarah and the maidservant Hagar. “Hagar was cast out, a slave, together with her son Ishmael; and Isaac, the free son, was heir to Abraham. Thus also were the Jews cast out and dispersed through the lands, whereas the sons of grace, the Christians, have become heirs to God the Father. As the light of the moon fades at the shining of the sun, so also the Law fades at the shining forth of grace. The cold of night vanishes when the warmth of the sun heats the earth, and mankind is no longer bent over under the burden of the Law, but instead walks freely in grace.” joy of Christ fills the holy preacher when he speaks about the entry of his native Rus into the host of Christian peoples. “The grace of Christ has filled all the earth,” and especially, the youthfully alive peoples, to which the Russian people also belong. “It becomes grace and truth to shine forth in new peoples. They do not, in the words of the Lord, pour new wine (this being the teaching of grace) into old wineskins (referring to the Jews) but the rather put the new teaching, into new wineskins, into new peoples,” Thus the faith “throughout all the earth has spread and reached our Russian tongue. Here now we too, glorify the Holy Trinity with all Christians, and the Jews be silent. Pagans are accepted, but the Jews are spurned.” the Orthodox Russians “are not termed idolaters, but rather Christians. No longer do we build heathen temples, but rather the churches of Christ. No longer do we sacrifice others to the demons (Varangian Martyrs, July 12), but instead, Christ has been slain for us in sacrifice to God the Father. The Blessed God has had mercy on all lands, and has not despised us, for He also desired to save us and bring us to our senses in truth.” great apostolic exploit of the enlightening of the Russian Land was made by holy Prince Vladimir (15 July 15), “like Saint Constantine,” who “commanded throughout all his land that they be baptized in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In a clear and loud voice, he ordered all in the cities to glorify the Holy Trinity and to be Christians, the small and great, slave and free, young and old, rich and poor.” Saint Hilarion speaks with pride about his native land, “Saint Vladimir did not exercise sovereignty in a bad or ignorant land, but the rather in Russia, which is known and heard of by all the ends of the earth.” “Discourse Concerning Law and Grace” was the first work of its time in the Russian Church in which the holy Baptizer of Rus is acclaimed blessed among the ranks of the equals-to-the-Apostles. “Rejoice in the midst of sovereigns, O apostle, not in having dead bodies resurrected, but our deadened souls resurrecting: for by you have we been made alive in God and given to know life in Christ.” Such is the content of this remarkable memorial of ancient Russian theology. Among the other works of Saint Hilarion is his episcopal “Confession,” having become the model for a bishop’s vow in the Russian Church. Usually appended to the manuscripts of the “Discourse Concerning Law and Grace” is the “Prayer of Saint Hilarion.” This work of the saint also possesses a long history within the tradition of his native church. In the year 1555, upon his journey to the newly-formed Kazan diocese, Saint Gurias ordered that there be read to him the prayer, “The Work of Metropolitan Hilarion the Russian”, at Moscow and in the other cities, through which he was to travel. Hilarion was buried in the Kiev caves. In the inscribed titles to his works, in the manuscripts of saintly literature and lists of holy hierarchs, Saint Hilarion is invariably termed a saint and described as a wonderworker. His assured literary veneration as a saint is evidenced in the services to the Fathers of the Kiev Caves. Both in the service of the Synaxis of Fathers of the Near Caves (September 28), and also in the service to all the Kiev Caves Saints (second Sunday of Great Lent), Saint Hilarion is numbered among the saintly hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church. Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23;

Russia, Kiev, 1054-1078, Izyaslav I, K Rus King,Yaroslav's oldest son, Caves M, legal code, w Poland,Ger,HRE
Kiev Rus King, 1054-1078, Izyaslav I (Demetrius) Yaroslavich ; Yaroslavich (1024 – 3 October 1078, baptized as Demetrius) was a Kniaz' (Prince) of Turov and Veliki Kniaz (Grand Prince of Kiev (now Kyiv, Ukraine), from 1054). children Yaropolk and Sviatopolk would rule the Turov Principality. Their authority was mainly challenged by the Rostilavichi of Rostislav Vsevolodovich. 1 Biography 2 Children 3 Ancestry 4 See also 5 References 6 Sources 7 External links was the oldest son of Yaroslav I the Wise by his second wife Ingigerd Olafsdottir. succeeded his father, after Yaroslav's oldest child, Vladimir (the only child by Yaroslav's first wife), had predeceased his father. was one of the authors of "Pravda Yaroslavichiv" – a part of the first legal code of Rus, called Russkaya Pravda. is also credited with the foundation of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery. Iziaslav I of Kiev ceded the whole mountain to Antonite monks who founded a monastery built by architects from Constantinople. to the Primary Chronicle, in the early 11th century, Antony, a Greek Orthodox monk from Esphigmenon monastery on Mount Athos, originally from Liubech in the Principality of Chernigov, returned to Rus' and settled in Kiev as a missionary of the monastic tradition to Kievan Rus'. chose a cave at the Berestov Mount that overlooked the Dnieper River and a community of disciples soon grew. 1043 his father Veliki Kniaz (Grand Prince) Yaroslav made an agreement with King Casimir I of Poland that recognized Cherven (Cherven Cities, or Vohly, between Poland and Russia) as part of Kiev. agreement was sealed with a double marriage—Casimir to Dobronega, Yaroslav's sister; and Iziaslav to Gertrude, Casimir's sister.[1] this marriage were born three children: Iziaslav's son Yaropolk, Mstislav and Sviatopolk. Upon the death of Yaroslav the Wise, his realm was divided between three of his older sons (Vladimir of Novgorod died before that), Izyaslav, Sviatoslav, and Vsevolod, the Yaroslavichi triumvirate that ruled the country for the next 20 years. a result of the popular uprising in 1068, Iziaslav was deposed and fled to Poland.[1] 1069 he retook Kiev with the help of the Polish army; however, he was ousted again by his brothers in 1073. turned to the German king Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Polish king BolesÅ‚aw II the Bold, and Pope Gregory VII, for help on several occasions. Iziaslav became the first King of Rus' in 1075 when the Pope sent him a crown. He succeeded in retaking Kiev once again in 1076, but soon died in an internecine war against Princes Oleg Sviatoslavich and Boris Vyacheslavich. Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Founder of Monasticism in Russia, Commemorated on July 10; Venerable Arcadius of Novotorsk, Commemorated on July 11; Venerable Moses the Hungarian of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated July 26 ; Icon of the Mother of God of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on August 17; Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on September 2; Venerable Theodosius of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated September 2 ; Venerable Damian the Healer and Clairvoyant of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on October 5; Venerable Nicholas Sviatosha Prince of Chernigov, and Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on October 14; Venerable Nestor the Chronicler of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on October 27; Venerable Barlaam the Abbot of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on November 19; Blessed Yaropolk the Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia, in Holy Baptism Peter, Commemorated on November 22; Dedication of the Church of the Greatmartyr George at Kiev, Commemorated on November 26; Venerable Arcadius of Novy Torg, Commemorated on December 13; Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; Icon of the Mother of God of Elets, Commemorated on January 11; St Ephraim the Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Commemorated on January 28; Icon of the Mother of God ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚Â€Ã‚ÂœElets-ChernigovÃƒÂ¢Ã‚Â€Ã‚ÂÂÂÂ, Commemorated on February 5 ; Princess Anna of Novgorod, Commemorated on February 10 ; 12 Greeks who built the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 14 ; Venerable Isaac the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 14; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23 ; Icon of the Mother of God of Constantinople, Commemorated on April 25 ; Venerable Stephen the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on April 27 ; Translation of the relics of the Holy Passionbearer Boris, in Holy Baptism Roman, Commemorated on May 2; Venerable Theodosius the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves Monastery, and Founder of Coenobitic Monasticism in Russia, Commemorated on May 3 ; Venerable Constantine, (In baptism Yaroslav), with his children Michael and Theodore, Wonderworkers of Murom, Commemorated on May 21; Uncovering of the relics of St Leontius the Bishop and Wonderworker of Rostov, Commemorated on May 23; Venerable Agapitus the Unmercenary Physician of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on June 1 ;

Russia, Kiev, 1054-1098, Saint Ephraim of the Caves, Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Ukraine, copied Studite monastic rule, builder at P
Russia, Kiev, 1054-1098, Saint Ephraim of the Caves, Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Ukraine, (the Principality, Alta River, Trubizh River, Dnieper River 4), treasurer and steward for Izyaslav 1054-1098, became monastic w enraged I, threatened destroy monastery, changed his mind, Ephraim to Holy Land, copied Studite monastic rule, 1072 made bishop of P, builder at P, churches, public buildings, stone walls, hospices, public bath houses, 1091 transfer Theodosius' relics, 1098 died; Pereyaslavl; St Ephraim the Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Commemorated Janaury 28 ; Ephraim of the Caves, Bishop of Pereyaslavl, before his tonsure into monasticism, was treasurer and steward of household affairs at the court of the Kiev Great Prince Izyaslav (Demetrius) Yaroslavich (1054-1068). Weighed down by this noisy and bustling life and wishing to become a monk, he was accepted by Saint Anthony of the Kiev Caves and was tonsured by Saint Nikon (March 23). enraged prince demanded that Ephraim return, threatening to lock him up in prison and to destroy the Monastery of the Caves. Saint Anthony and the brethren left the monastery and decided to go to another place. Izyaslav, however, feared the wrath of God. He took his wife’s advice and withdrew his forces from the monastery in disgrace. Ephraim wished to go on pilgrimage to the holy places abroad. With the blessing of Saint Anthony, he journeyed to Constantinople and settled there in one of the monasteries. While in Constantinople, Saint Ephraim made a copy of the Studite monastic Rule, and took it to Kiev at the request of Saint Theodosius. As soon as he received the Rule, Saint Theodosius implemented it in his monastery. the year 1072 Ephraim was made bishop in Pereyaslavl, with the title of Metropolitan. He adorned Pereyaslavl with many beautiful churches and public buildings, and he built stone walls around the city in the Greek manner. He built free hospices for the poor and travelers, and constructed several public bath-houses. the year 1091, Saint Ephraim participated in the opening and solemn transfer of the relics of Saint Theodosius. A Life of Saint Ephraim existed in former times, but it has not survived. We find an account of him both in the Life of Saint Theodosius, and in the Russian Chronicles. A tale and encomium for Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker is ascribed to Saint Ephraim. Ephraim died in the year 1098. He was buried in the Antoniev (Far) Caves of the Kiev Caves monastery. memory is also celebrated on September 28 and on the second Sunday of Great Lent.

Russia, Kiev, 1060-1676, Yelets Icon, 1060 Yelets-Chernigov I, 1395 Yelets I when MOG scared Tamerlane
Russia, Ryazan, 1060-1676, Yelets (Elets) Icon, Muravsky Trail 6 (Scythia, Bystraya Sosna River Mouth, Don River 4), same year as Yelets-Chernigov Icon, could be a copy, 1395 another Yelets Icon when MOG and Saints scared Tamerlane, same day residents prayed to Luke's Vladimir Icon in Moscow; Elets; Icon of the Mother of God of Elets, Commemorated January 11 ; only thing we known about this Icon is that it was located in the city of Yelts, Orlov Gubernia. addition, the annals record the year of its appearance - 1060, which is the same as that of the Yelets-Chernigov Icon (February 5). Researchers believe that the Yelets Icon is a late copy of the Yelets-Chernigov Icon. addition to the belt image of the Mother of God, there is another kind of Yelets Icon which depicts the appearance of the Queen of Heaven to Tamerlane in 1395 in the city of Yelets, before his march on Moscow. Holy Virgin appeared with a multitude of Saints, in a threatening vision to Tamerlane as he was resting in his tent on Mount Argamach. the same day (August 26) the residents of Moscow met the wonderworking Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, praying before it for deliverance from the terrible invasion. by the vision, Tamerlane exclaimed, "So, we shall not defeat the land of Russia!" and then he retreated with his horde. Yelets Icon is commemorated on January 11, and also on August 26, in remembrance of Tamerlane's retreat. The Elets-Chernigov (or Chernigov Spruce Tree) Icon of the Mother of God is commemorated On February 5. Commemoration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the deliverance of Moscow from the Invasion of Tamerlane, Commemorated August 26 ; Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was painted by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior ate together with His All-Pure Mother and Righteous Joseph. Mother of God, upon seeing this image, exclaimed, “Henceforth, all generations shall call Me blessed. The grace of both My Son and Me shall be with this icon.” the year 1131, the icon was sent from Constantinople to Rus to holy Prince Mstislav (April 15) and was installed in the Devichi monastery in Vyshgorod, the ancient appanage city of the holy Equal of the Apostles Princess Olga. son of George Dolgoruky, Saint Andrew Bogoliubsky, brought the icon to the city of Vladimir in 1155 and installed it in the renowned Dormition cathedral which he built. At this time the icon received its name of “the Vladimir Icon.” The icon was first brought to Moscow in the year 1395. Thus, the blessing of the Mother of God established the spiritual bonds of Byzantium and Rus via Kiev, Vladimir and Moscow. festal celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos occurs several times during the year (21 May, 23 June and 26 August). The most solemn celebration occurs on August 26, the Feast established in honor of the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon upon its Transfer from Vladimir to Moscow. the year 1395, the fearsome conqueror Khan Tamerlane (Temir-Aksak) reached the Ryazan frontier, took the city of Elets and advancing towards Moscow he came near the banks of the River Don. Great Prince Basil Dimitrievich went with an army to Kolomna and halted at the banks of the River Oka. He prayed to the holy Hierarchs of Moscow and Saint Sergius for the deliverance of the Fatherland, and he wrote to the Metropolitan of Moscow Saint Cyprian (September 16), that the pending Dormition Fast should be devoted to zealous prayers for mercy and repentance. were sent to Vladimir, where the famed wonderworking Vladimir Icon was. After Divine Liturgy and a Molieben on the feast of the Dormition, they clergy took the icon and brought it to Moscow. Along the way, on both sides of the road, countless people prayed kneeling: “O Mother of God, save the land of Russia!” At that same hour, when the people of Moscow were meeting the Vladimir Icon on Kuchkov Field, Tamerlane was sleeping in his tent. Suddenly, he saw in a dream a great mountain, at the summit of which were the holy hierarchs with golden staffs coming towards him. Above them, in a brilliant radiance, was a Majestic Woman. She commanded him to leave the domains of Russia. in fright, Tamerlane asked the meaning of the vision. The experts answered that the Radiant Lady was the Mother of God, the great Protectress of Christians. Tamerlane then gave the order for his troops to retreat. In memory of this miraculous deliverance of the Russian Land from Tamerlane, they built the monastery of the Meeting on Kuchkov Field, where the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon took place. On August 26, the all-Russian celebration in honor of the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God was established. important events in Russian Church history have occurred before the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: the election and elevation of Saint Jonah, advocate of an Autocephalous Russian Church (1448), and of Saint Job, first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1589), and of His Holiness Patriarch Saint Tikhon (1917). The enthronement of His Holiness Pimen, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, occurred on a day of celebration in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God on May 21 (O.S.), 1971. historical days of 21 May, 23 June and 26 August, connected with this holy icon, have become memorable days for the Russian Orthodox Church. Icon of the Mother of God "œElets-Chernigov"Â, Commemorated on February 5 ; Elets-Chernigov (Chernigov Spruce Tree) Icon of the Mother of God appeared on a spruce or fir tree near Chernigov in the year 1060, in the time of Prince Svyatoslav Yaroslavich, as was recorded in the Synodikon of Bishop Zosimus Prokopovich of Chernigov (1655-1657). icon was placed in a church built in honor of the Elets-Spruce Icon of the Mother of God. Saint Anthony (July 10), while living an ascetical life on the Boldino Heights (1068-1069), had given his blessing to found a monastery at this place. 1238 the monastery was pillaged by the Tatars (Mongols), but the icon was hidden inside the monastery walls. In the year 1470, Prince Simeon Olelkovich of Kiev restored the monastery, and they placed the icon in the church. ultimate fate of the icon is unclear. According to one tradition, a descendant of the Chernigov princes, Baryatinsky, carried the icon to Moscow in the year 1579, when Chernigov fell into the hands of the Polish King Stephen Bathory. 1687, Prince Daniel Baryatinsky was returning from a campaign in the Crimea. At Kharkov he fell seriously ill, and before his death he bequeathed the Elets Icon to the nearby Kharkov Dormition church. to another tradition, the icon vanished from the monastery when it was sacked in the seventeenth century by the forces of Sigismund III. In 1676, Prince Constantine Ostrozhsky presented the Elets monastery a copy of the Elets Icon of the Mother of God, brought from Vladimir by the Kozel brothers. Archimandrite Joannicius (Golyatovsky) was at this time restoring the monastery and he described numerous miracles of this icon in his book, “Skorbnitsa” (or “Sokrovischnitsa”, i.e. “Consoler” or “Treasury”), published in 1676 in Novgorod. is still another Elets Icon of the Mother of God, also appearing in the year 1060. It received its name because it appeared in the city of Elets, in a cathedral church dedicated to the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. The feastday of this icon was set for January 11.

Russia, Kiev, 1060-1676, Elets-Chernigov (Spruce Tree) Icon, appeared in tree, numerous miracles
Russia, Kiev, 1060-1676, Elets-Chernigov (Spruce Tree) Icon, appeared in tree, monastery built, 1238 m pillaged Tartars, Icon hidden in walls, 1579 to Moscow because Bathory, copy in Vladimir 1676, numerous miracles; Chernigov; Icon of the Mother of God "œElets-Chernigov", Commemorated on February 5; Elets-Chernigov (Chernigov Spruce Tree) Icon of the Mother of God appeared on a spruce or fir tree near Chernigov in the year 1060, in the time of Prince Svyatoslav Yaroslavich, as was recorded in the Synodikon of Bishop Zosimus Prokopovich of Chernigov (1655-1657). The icon was placed in a church built in honor of the Elets-Spruce Icon of the Mother of God. Saint Anthony (July 10), while living an ascetical life on the Boldino Heights (1068-1069), had given his blessing to found a monastery at this place. 1238 the monastery was pillaged by the Tatars (Mongols), but the icon was hidden inside the monastery walls. In the year 1470, Prince Simeon Olelkovich of Kiev restored the monastery, and they placed the icon in the church. ultimate fate of the icon is unclear. According to one tradition, a descendant of the Chernigov princes, Baryatinsky, carried the icon to Moscow in the year 1579, when Chernigov fell into the hands of the Polish King Stephen Bathory. 1687, Prince Daniel Baryatinsky was returning from a campaign in the Crimea. At Kharkov he fell seriously ill, and before his death he bequeathed the Elets Icon to the nearby Kharkov Dormition church. to another tradition, the icon vanished from the monastery when it was sacked in the seventeenth century by the forces of Sigismund III. In 1676, Prince Constantine Ostrozhsky presented the Elets monastery a copy of the Elets Icon of the Mother of God, brought from Vladimir by the Kozel brothers. Archimandrite Joannicius (Golyatovsky) was at this time restoring the monastery and he described numerous miracles of this icon in his book, “Skorbnitsa” (or “Sokrovischnitsa”, i.e. “Consoler” or “Treasury”), published in 1676 in Novgorod. is still another Elets Icon of the Mother of God, also appearing in the year 1060. It received its name because it appeared in the city of Elets, in a cathedral church dedicated to the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. The feastday of this icon was set for January 11.

Russia, Kiev, 1060-1129, Constantine of Murom with his sons Michael and Theodore (Fyodor), Saint, died 1129
Kiev Saint, died 1129, Constantine of Murom; Icon of the Mother of God of Murom, Commemorated on April 12; Venerable Constantine, (In baptism Yaroslav), with his children Michael and Theodore, Wonderworkers of Murom, Commemorated on May 21;

Russia, Kiev, 1064-1114, Alypius of the Caves, First Kiev Rus Iconographer
Russia, Kiev, 1064-1114, First Kiev Rus Iconographer, Alypius of the Caves; Icon of the Mother of God of Chelnsk and Pskov Caves, Commemorated on May 14

Russia, Kiev, 1068, Battle of the River Alta, Cumans, Kipchaks over Rus
Kiev, Battle of the River Alta, 1068; Venerable Moses the Hungarian of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated July 26 ; Venerable Ephraim, Abbot and Wonderworker of Novy Torg, Commemorated January 28 ; Uncovering of the relics of St Leontius the Bishop and Wonderworker of Rostov, Commemorated on May 23; Venerable Agapitus the Unmercenary Physician of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on June 1 ;

Russia, Kiev, 1068-1069, Vseslav, Grand Prince ( Prince of Polotsk (Vohly) and Belarus, 1044-1101)
Russia, Belarus, 1044-1101, Prince, Vseslav of Polotsk (also Grand Prince of Kiev 1068-9); of Polotsk or Vseslav Bryachislavich (c. 1039 – 24 April 1101), also known as Vseslav the Sorcerer or Vseslav the Seer, the most famous ruler of Polotsk and was briefly Grand Prince of Kiev in 1068–1069. with Rostislav Vladimirovich and voivode Vyshata, they created a coalition against the Yaroslaviches' triumvirate. Polotsk's Cathedral of Holy Wisdom (completed in 1066) is one of the most enduring monuments on the lands of modern Belarus and dates to his 57-year reign. Venerable Euphrosyne the Abbess of Polotsk, Commemorated on May 23;

Russia, Kiev, 1072-1115, Oleg I, K Rus P, Chernigov, Tmutarakan, Crimea, Kazaria, w Cumans, Olgovichis
Kiev, 1072-1115, Rus Prince, Oleg I of Chernigov, œGorislavich; Svyatoslavich (c. 1052 -“ August 1115) was a Rurikid prince whose equivocal adventures ignited political unrest in Kievan Rus' at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries. was a younger son of Sviatoslav Iaroslavich, Prince of Chernigov and his first wife, Killikiya.[1] He might have been either the second or the fourth among the four sons of Sviatoslav Iaroslavich by Killikiya, because their order of seniority is uncertain.[2] According to historian Martin Dimnik, Oleg was born around 1050.[1] Oleg was named after his grand uncle.[citation needed] His baptismal name was Michael.[3] writes that "it is highly probable" that Oleg succeeded his brother, Gleb in Tmutarakan after their father appointed the latter Prince of Novgorod in about 1068.[4] father and uncle, Vsevolod Iaroslavich made an alliance against their elder brother, Iziaslav Iaroslavich, Grand Prince of Kiev and dethroned him on 22 March 1073.[5][6] to Dimnik, Oleg received the Principality of Vladimir from his father who succeeded Iziaslav Iaroslavich in Kiev.[7] short, Oleg and his cousin, Vladimir Monomach—son of Vsevolod Iaroslavich—became close friends.[8] Monomach writes in his Instruction that Oleg was the godfather of his eldest son, Mstislav.[8] two cousins together commanded the troops Oleg's father sent to assist Boleslav II of Poland in Bohemia in 1076, according to the Russian Primary Chronicle.[9] Iaroslavich died in Kiev on 27 December 1077.[10][11] He was succeeded by his brother, Vsevolod Iaroslavich.[11] The new grand prince seems to have confirmed Oleg's rule in Vladimir, because no source makes mention of a conflict between them.[11] the dethroned Iziaslav Iaroslavich—Vsevolod's brother and Oleg's uncle—returned with Polish reinforcements.[12][13] Iziaslav and Vsevolod had a meeting where they reached an agreement: renounced of Kiev, but received Chernigov, the one-time domain of Oleg's father.[12][13] Iziaslav marched in Kiev on 15 July 1077, while Oleg "was with Vsevolod at Chernigov",[14] according to the Russian Primary Chronicle.[12] The chronicler's remark suggests that Oleg had by that time been forced to leave Vladimir.[15] to get along with his uncle, on 10 April 1077 Oleg fled to his brother Roman who reigned in Tmutarakan.[16 Together with his cousin, Boris Vyacheslavich, who had also settled in Tmutarakan (Tmutarakan was a Kievan Rus' principality that controlled the passage from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, near Crimean Penninsula), Oleg made an alliance with the Cumans and invaded Rus' in the summer of 1078.[18][19] routed their uncle, Vsevolod on the Sozh River and entered Chernigov on 25 August.[19] The Russian Primary Chronicle accuses Oleg and Boris of being the first to lead "the pagans to attack the land of Rus'".[20][21] Vladimir Monomach, in his Instruction, reveals that he and his father, Vsevolod had hired Cumans when attacking Polotsk in the previous year.[21] from Chernigov, Vsevolod fled to Kiev and sought assistance from his brother, Iziaslav.[19] They united their forces and marched against Chernigov.[13][19] Oleg and Boris were not in the town when their uncles arrived, the citizens decided to resist.[22] Oleg was willing to start negotiations with his uncles, but Boris refused his proposal.[23] The decisive battle was fought "at a place near a village on the meadow of Nezhata"[24] on 3 October.[19] was defeated and escaped to Tmutarakan, where the Khazars had him imprisoned and sent in chains to Constantinople. emperor, who was a relative and ally of Vsevolod, exiled him to Rhodes. There he married a noble lady, Theophano Mouzalonissa, who bore him several children. years later, we again find him active in Tmutarakan, where he adopted the title "archon of Khazaria". 1094, he returned with the Kipchaks to Rus' and captured Chernihiv. There ensued a prolonged internecine struggle with his cousins Sviatopolk and Vladimir Monomakh. of the most prominent princes of Kievan period who never attained the Kievan throne, he died on August 1, 1115 and was buried in Chernihiv. Tale of Igor's Campaign styles him Gorislavich, poetically deriving his patronymic from the Russian word for sorrow. descendants, known as Olgovichi, were archrivals of Vladimir's descendants (known as Monomakhovichi) in their struggle for supremacy in Rus'. son was Igor II of Kiev. Right-believing Great Prince Igor of Kiev and Chernigov, Commemorated on September 19;

Russia, Kiev, 1073, Dormition Icon Story, 4 Architects, 3 year Gold, MOG, Blachernae to Caves, War Hero
Russia, Kiev, 1073, Dormition Icon Story, 4 Architects, 3 year Gold, MOG, Blachernae to Caves, War Hero; Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves (Destroyed in WWII) 1073 ; Icon of the Mother of God of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on August 17; Kiev Caves Icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most ancient icons in the Russian Orthodox Church. The Mother of God entrusted it to four Byzantine architects, who in 1073 brought the icon to Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. The architects arrived at the monks’ cave and asked, “Where do you want to build the church?” The saints answered, “Go, the Lord will point out the place.” “How is it that you, who are about to die, have still not designated the place?” the architects wondered. “And they gave us much gold.” the monks summoned all the brethren and they began to question the Greeks, saying, “Tell us the truth. Who sent you, and how did you end up here?” architects answered, “One day, when each of us was asleep in his own home, handsome youths came to us at sunrise, and said, ‘The Queen summons you to Blachernae.’ We all arrived at the same time and, questioning one another we learned that each of us had heard this command of the Queen, and that the youths had come to each of us. Finally, we beheld the Queen of Heaven with a multitude of warriors. We bowed down to Her, and She said, ‘I want to build Myself a Church in Rus, at Kiev, and so I ask you to do this. Take enough gold for three years.’” “We bowed down and asked, ‘Lady Queen! You are sending us to a foreign land. To whom are we sent?’ She answered, ‘I send you to the monks Anthony and Theodosius.’” “We wondered, ‘Why then, Lady, do You give us gold for three years? Tell us that which concerns us, what we shall eat and what we shall drink, and tell us also what You know about it.’” “The Queen replied, ‘Anthony will merely give the blessing, then depart from this world to eternal repose. The other one, Theodosius, will follow him after two years. Therefore, take enough gold. Moreover, no one can do what I shall do to honor you. I shall give you what eye has not seen, what ear has not heard, and what has not entered into the heart of man (1 Cor.2:9). I, Myself, shall come to look upon the church and I shall dwell within it.’” “She also gave us relics of the holy martyrs Menignus, Polyeuctus, Leontius, Acacius, Arethas, James, and Theodore, saying, ‘Place these within the foundation.’ We took more than enough gold, and She said, ‘Come out and see the resplendent church.’ We went out and saw a church in the air. Coming inside again, we bowed down and said, ‘Lady Queen, what will be the name of the church?’” “She answered, ‘I wish to call it by My own name.’ We did not dare to ask what Her name was, but She said again, ‘It will be the church of the Mother of God.’ After giving us this icon, She said, ‘This will be placed within.’ We bowed down to Her and went to our own homes, taking with us the icon we received from the hands of the Queen.” heard this account, everyone glorified God, and Saint Anthony said, “My children, we never left this place. Those handsome youths summoning you were holy angels, and the Queen in Blachernae was the Most Holy Theotokos. As for those who appeared to be us, and the gold they gave you, the Lord only knows how He deigned to do this with His servants. Blessed be your arrival! You are in good company: the venerable icon of the Lady.” For three days Saint Anthony prayed that the Lord would show him the place for the church. the first night there was a dew throughout all the land, but it was dry on the holy spot. On the second morning throughout all the land it was dry, but on the holy spot it was wet with dew. On the third morning, they prayed and blessed the place, and measured the width and length of the church with a golden sash. (This sash had been brought long ago by the Varangian Shimon, who had a vision about the building of a church.) A bolt of lightning, falling from heaven by the prayer of Saint Anthony, indicated that this spot was pleasing to God. So the foundation of the church was laid. icon of the Mother of God was glorified by numerous miracles. Two friends, John and Sergius, sealed their friendship before it. After many years John fell mortally ill. He gave part of his wealth to the the Caves monastery, and he gave Sergius the portion for his five-year-old son for safekeeping. He also entrusted his son Zachariah to his guardianship. When Zachariah turned fifteen, he asked for his inheritance, but Sergius persisted in saying that John had distributed everything to the poor. He even went into the Dormition church and swore before the wonderworking icon that he had taken nothing. he attempted to kiss the icon, he was not able to come near it. He went to the doors and suddenly shouted, “Saints Anthony and Theodosius! Let me not be struck down for my dishonesty. Entreat the Most Holy Theotokos to drive away the multitude of demons which torment me. Let the gold and silver be taken away. It is sealed up in my granary.” Zachariah gave away all his inheritance to the Caves monastery, where he also himself was tonsured a monk. From that time, no one would take oaths before the wonderworking icon (March 24). than once the icon defended the land from enemy invasion. In 1677, when the Turks laid siege to Chigirin and danger threatened Kiev, they carried the icon around the city for almost the entire day of August 27. The Mother of God blessed Russian armies going to the Battle of Poltava (1709). In 1812 they carried the icon around Kiev again. The icon is commemorated twice during the year: May 3 and August 15. Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 1; 12 Greeks who built the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 14;

Russia, Kiev, 1073, 12 Greeks built Dormition C, 4 Architects Dormition Icon, Queen of H, church in Rus, I will dwell in it
Russia, Kiev, 1073, 12 Greeks built Dormition Cathedral, Far Caves - Theodosiev Caves - Berestovo Village, 4 Byzantine Architects, brought Icon of the Dormition, Lord will show t place, hansome youths, Queen summonds you to Blachernae, Queen of Heaven with warriors, build myself church in Rus, at Kiev, take gold for 3yrs, to Anthony and Theodosis, I will honor you, I will dwell in it, she also gave us relics for the foundation, they saw the church in the air, dew and dry spot, dry spot and dew, golden sash for measuring from previous vision, bolt of lightning on the spot; Kiev Far Caves - Berestovo Village ; 12 Greeks who built the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 14; Kiev Caves Icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos (May 3) is one of the most ancient icons in the Russian Orthodox Church. Mother of God entrusted it to four Byzantine architects, who in 1073 brought the icon to Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. architects arrived at the monks’ cave and asked, “Where do you want to build the church?” The saints answered, “Go, the Lord will point out the place.” “How is it that you, who are about to die, have still not designated the place?” the architects wondered. “And they gave us much gold.” the monks summoned all the brethren and they began to question the Greeks, saying, “Tell us the truth. Who sent you, and how did you end up here?” architects answered, “One day, when each of us was asleep in his own home, handsome youths came to us at sunrise, and said, ‘The Queen summons you to Blachernae.’ all arrived at the same time and, questioning one another we learned that each of us had heard this command of the Queen, and that the youths had come to each of us. we beheld the Queen of Heaven with a multitude of warriors. We bowed down to Her, and She said, ‘I want to build Myself a Church in Rus, at Kiev, and so I ask you to do this. Take enough gold for three years.’” “We bowed down and asked, ‘Lady Queen! You are sending us to a foreign land. To whom are we sent?’ She answered, ‘I send you to the monks Anthony and Theodosius.’” “We wondered, ‘Why then, Lady, do You give us gold for three years? Tell us that which concerns us, what we shall eat and what we shall drink, and tell us also what You know about it.’” “The Queen replied, ‘Anthony will merely give the blessing, then depart from this world to eternal repose. The other one, Theodosius, will follow him after two years. Therefore, take enough gold. Moreover, no one can do what I shall do to honor you. I shall give you what eye has not seen, what ear has not heard, and what has not entered into the heart of man (1 Cor.2:9). I, Myself, shall come to look upon the church and I shall dwell within it.’” “She also gave us relics of the holy martyrs Menignus, Polyeuctus, Leontius, Acacius, Arethas, James, and Theodore, saying, ‘Place these within the foundation.’ We took more than enough gold, and She said, ‘Come out and see the resplendent church.’ We went out and saw a church in the air. Coming inside again, we bowed down and said, ‘Lady Queen, what will be the name of the church?’” “She answered, ‘I wish to call it by My own name.’ We did not dare to ask what Her name was, but She said again, ‘It will be the church of the Mother of God.’ After giving us this icon, She said, ‘This will be placed within.’ We bowed down to Her and went to our own homes, taking with us the icon we received from the hands of the Queen.” hearing this account, everyone glorified God, and Saint Anthony said, “My children, we never left this place. Those handsome youths summoning you were holy angels, and the Queen in Blachernae was the Most Holy Theotokos. As for those who appeared to be us, and the gold they gave you, the Lord only knows how He deigned to do this with His servants. Blessed be your arrival! You are in good company: the venerable icon of the Lady.” For three days Saint Anthony prayed that the Lord would show him the place for the church. the first night there was a dew throughout all the land, but it was dry on the holy spot. On the second morning throughout all the land it was dry, but on the holy spot it was wet with dew. On the third morning, they prayed and blessed the place, and measured the width and length of the church with a golden sash. (This sash had been brought long ago by the Varangian Shimon, who had a vision about the building of a church.) A bolt of lightning, falling from heaven by the prayer of Saint Anthony, indicated that this spot was pleasing to God. So the foundation of the church was laid. icon of the Mother of God was glorified by numerous miracles.

Russia, Kiev, 1073, Kiev Caves Icon, from MOG in Blachernae, for MOG Church, build church in Rus at Kiev I will dwell in it
Russia, Kiev, 1073, Kiev Caves Icon, from MOG in Blachernae, Constantinople, 4 Byzantine Architects to build church, Lord will show place, much gold, each summoned to Blachernae by youths, MOG, multitude of warriors, build church in Rus at Kiev, to Anthony and Theodosis, MOG will dwell in it, Relics for foundation, A saw church in air, named C of MOG, MOG gave MOG Icon for it, place of church dew and no dew, no dew and dew, golden sash, lightning bolt, numerous Icon miracles, two friends inheritance story, could not kiss icon, icon defended land many times, 1677 from Turks, 1709 Poltava battle Swedes, 1812 French ; Blachernae; Icon of the Mother of God of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on August 17; Kiev Caves Icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most ancient icons in the Russian Orthodox Church. Mother of God entrusted it to four Byzantine architects, who in 1073 brought the icon to Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. architects arrived at the monks’ cave and asked, “Where do you want to build the church?” The saints answered, “Go, the Lord will point out the place.” “How is it that you, who are about to die, have still not designated the place?” the architects wondered. “And they gave us much gold.” the monks summoned all the brethren and they began to question the Greeks, saying, “Tell us the truth. Who sent you, and how did you end up here?” architects answered, “One day, when each of us was asleep in his own home, handsome youths came to us at sunrise, and said, ‘The Queen summons you to Blachernae.’ We all arrived at the same time and, questioning one another we learned that each of us had heard this command of the Queen, and that the youths had come to each of us. Finally, we beheld the Queen of Heaven with a multitude of warriors. We bowed down to Her, and She said, ‘I want to build Myself a Church in Rus, at Kiev, and so I ask you to do this. Take enough gold for three years.’” “We bowed down and asked, ‘Lady Queen! You are sending us to a foreign land. To whom are we sent?’ She answered, ‘I send you to the monks Anthony and Theodosius.’” “We wondered, ‘Why then, Lady, do You give us gold for three years? Tell us that which concerns us, what we shall eat and what we shall drink, and tell us also what You know about it.’” “The Queen replied, ‘Anthony will merely give the blessing, then depart from this world to eternal repose. other one, Theodosius, will follow him after two years. Therefore, take enough gold. no one can do what I shall do to honor you. I shall give you what eye has not seen, what ear has not heard, and what has not entered into the heart of man (1 Cor.2:9). Myself, shall come to look upon the church and I shall dwell within it.’” “She also gave us relics of the holy martyrs Menignus, Polyeuctus, Leontius, Acacius, Arethas, James, and Theodore, saying, ‘Place these within the foundation.’ took more than enough gold, and She said, ‘Come out and see the resplendent church.’ We went out and saw a church in the air. Coming inside again, we bowed down and said, ‘Lady Queen, what will be the name of the church?’” “She answered, ‘I wish to call it by My own name.’ did not dare to ask what Her name was, but She said again, ‘It will be the church of the Mother of God.’ giving us this icon, She said, ‘This will be placed within.’ We bowed down to Her and went to our own homes, taking with us the icon we received from the hands of the Queen.” heard this account, everyone glorified God, Saint Anthony said, “My children, we never left this place. Those handsome youths summoning you were holy angels, and the Queen in Blachernae was the Most Holy Theotokos. for those who appeared to be us, and the gold they gave you, the Lord only knows how He deigned to do this with His servants. be your arrival! You are in good company: the venerable icon of the Lady.” three days Saint Anthony prayed that the Lord would show him the place for the church. the first night there was a dew throughout all the land, but it was dry on the holy spot. the second morning throughout all the land it was dry, but on the holy spot it was wet with dew. the third morning, they prayed and blessed the place, and measured the width and length of the church with a golden sash. sash had been brought long ago by the Varangian Shimon, who had a vision about the building of a church.) bolt of lightning, falling from heaven by the prayer of Saint Anthony, indicated that this spot was pleasing to God. So the foundation of the church was laid. icon of the Mother of God was glorified by numerous miracles. friends, John and Sergius, sealed their friendship before it. After many years John fell mortally ill. He gave part of his wealth to the the Caves monastery, and he gave Sergius the portion for his five-year-old son for safekeeping. He also entrusted his son Zachariah to his guardianship. Zachariah turned fifteen, he asked for his inheritance, Sergius persisted in saying that John had distributed everything to the poor. even went into the Dormition church and swore before the wonderworking icon that he had taken nothing. he attempted to kiss the icon, he was not able to come near it. went to the doors and suddenly shouted, “Saints Anthony and Theodosius! Let me not be struck down for my dishonesty. Entreat the Most Holy Theotokos to drive away the multitude of demons which torment me. Let the gold and silver be taken away. It is sealed up in my granary.” gave away all his inheritance to the Caves monastery, where he also himself was tonsured a monk. From that time, no one would take oaths before the wonderworking icon (March 24). than once the icon defended the land from enemy invasion. 1677, when the Turks laid siege to Chigirin and danger threatened Kiev, they carried the icon around the city for almost the entire day of August 27. Mother of God blessed Russian armies going to the Battle of Poltava (1709). 1812 they carried the icon around Kiev again. icon is commemorated twice during the year: May 3 and August 15.

Russia, Kiev, 1073, Transltn Dormition Icon fConstantinople tKiev Far Caves, when MOG built her Church iK
Russia, Kiev, 1073, Translation of Dormition Icon from Constantinople to Kiev Far Caves, architects brought it, story MOG having Church built, angels, dew defines spot, enough gold f3yrs, foundation relics, church vision, C named&protected by MOG, numerous icon miracles, war hero; Kiev Far Caves - Berestovo Village ; Translation of the Dormition Icon of the Mother of God from Constantinople to the Kiev Caves, Far Caves; Kiev Caves Icon of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most ancient icons in the Russian Orthodox Church. Mother of God entrusted it to four Byzantine architects, who in 1073 brought the icon to Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. architects arrived at the monks’ cave and asked, “Where do you want to build the church?” The saints answered, “Go, the Lord will point out the place.” “How is it that you, who are about to die, have still not designated the place?” the architects wondered. “And they gave us much gold.” the monks summoned all the brethren and they began to question the Greeks, saying, “Tell us the truth. Who sent you, and how did you end up here?” architects answered, “One day, when each of us was asleep in his own home, handsome youths came to us at sunrise, and said, ‘The Queen summons you to Blachernae.’ all arrived at the same time and, questioning one another we learned that each of us had heard this command of the Queen, and that the youths had come to each of us. we beheld the Queen of Heaven with a multitude of warriors. bowed down to Her, and She said, ‘I want to build Myself a Church in Rus, at Kiev, and so I ask you to do this. Take enough gold for three years.’” “We bowed down and asked, ‘Lady Queen! You are sending us to a foreign land. To whom are we sent?’ answered, ‘I send you to the monks Anthony and Theodosius.’” “We wondered, ‘Why then, Lady, do You give us gold for three years? Tell us that which concerns us, what we shall eat and what we shall drink, and tell us also what You know about it.’” “The Queen replied, ‘Anthony will merely give the blessing, then depart from this world to eternal repose. other one, Theodosius, will follow him after two years. take enough gold. Moreover, no one can do what I shall do to honor you. shall give you what eye has not seen, what ear has not heard, and what has not entered into the heart of man (1 Cor.2:9). Myself, shall come to look upon the church and I shall dwell within it.’” “She also gave us relics of the holy martyrs Menignus, Polyeuctus, Leontius, Acacius, Arethas, James, and Theodore, saying, ‘Place these within the foundation.’ We took more than enough gold, She said, ‘Come out and see the resplendent church.’ We went out and saw a church in the air. inside again, we bowed down and said, ‘Lady Queen, what will be the name of the church?’” “She answered, ‘I wish to call it by My own name.’ We did not dare to ask what Her name was, but She said again, ‘It will be the church of the Mother of God.’ giving us this icon, She said, ‘This will be placed within.’ We bowed down to Her and went to our own homes, taking with us the icon we received from the hands of the Queen.” heard this account, all glorified God, and Saint Anthony said, “My children, we never left this place. handsome youths summoning you were holy angels, and the Queen in Blachernae was the Most Holy Theotokos. for those who appeared to be us, and the gold they gave you, the Lord only knows how He deigned to do this with His servants. be your arrival! You are in good company: the venerable icon of the Lady.” For three days Saint Anthony prayed that the Lord would show him the place for the church. the first night there was a dew throughout all the land, but it was dry on the holy spot. the second morning throughout all the land it was dry, but on the holy spot it was wet with dew. the third morning, they prayed and blessed the place, and measured the width and length of the church with a golden sash. (This sash had been brought long ago by the Varangian Shimon, who had a vision about the building of a church.) bolt of lightning, falling from heaven by the prayer of Saint Anthony, indicated that this spot was pleasing to God. So the foundation of the church was laid. icon of the Mother of God was glorified by numerous miracles. friends, John and Sergius, sealed their friendship before it. After many years John fell mortally ill. He gave part of his wealth to the the Caves monastery, and he gave Sergius the portion for his five-year-old son for safekeeping. He also entrusted his son Zachariah to his guardianship. Zachariah turned fifteen, he asked for his inheritance, but Sergius persisted in saying that John had distributed everything to the poor. He even went into the Dormition church and swore before the wonderworking icon that he had taken nothing. he attempted to kiss the icon, he was not able to come near it. went to the doors and suddenly shouted, “Saints Anthony and Theodosius! Let me not be struck down for my dishonesty. the Most Holy Theotokos to drive away the multitude of demons which torment me. the gold and silver be taken away. It is sealed up in my granary.” Zachariah gave away all his inheritance to the Caves monastery, where he also himself was tonsured a monk. From that time, no one would take oaths before the wonderworking icon (March 24). than once the icon defended the land from enemy invasion. 1677, when the Turks laid siege to Chigirin and danger threatened Kiev, they carried the icon around the city for almost the entire day of August 27. The Mother of God blessed Russian armies going to the Battle of Poltava (1709). 1812 they carried the icon around Kiev again. The icon is commemorated twice during the year: May 3 and August 15 .

Russia, Kiev, 1073-1077, Sviatoslav II of Kiev, K Rus King, NIcholas, Y's younger son, Vohly trade
Kiev Rus King, 1073-1077, Sviatoslav II of Kiev, Nicholas; II Iaroslavich or Sviatoslav II Yaroslavich (1027 – 27 December 1076[1] in Kiev [Kyiv]) was Grand Prince of Kiev between 1073 and 1076. was born as a younger son of Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise. His baptismal name was Nicholas. ruled the Principality of Vladimir in Volhynia in his father's lifetime (from around 1040 to 1054). Yaroslav the Wise, who divided the Kievan Rus' between his five sons in his testament, willed the Principality of Chernigov to Sviatoslav. Sviatoslav joined his brothers, Iziaslav of Kiev and Vsevolod of Pereyaslav, in forming a princely "triumvirate" that oversaw the affairs of Kievan Rus' until 1072. The three brothers together fought against their enemies, including the nomadic Oghuz Turks, and their distant relative, Prince Vseslav of Polotsk. The Cumans defeated their united force in the autumn of 1068, but Sviatoslav routed a Cuman band plundering his principality. "triumvirate" broke up, when Sviatoslav, supported by his younger brother Vsevolod, dethroned and replaced their older brother Iziaslav in 1073. He commissioned the compilation of at least two miscellanies of theological works. Otherwise, his short reign was uneventful. 1 Early life 2 Triumvirate 3 Grand Prince of Kiev 4 Family 5 See also 6 References 7 Sources 7.1 Primary sources 7.2 Secondary sources 8 Further reading life[edit] was the fourth son of Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev, and his wife, Ingegerd of Sweden.[2] He was born in 1027.[2] The Lyubetskiy sinodik—a list of the princes of Chernigov which was completed in the Monastery of Saint Anthony in Lyubech—writes that his baptismal name was Nicholas.[3] Russian Primary Chronicle writes that Sviatoslav was staying "at Vladimir"[4] (Volodymyr-Volynskyi, Ukraine) in Volhynia around the time his father fell seriously ill before his death.[5] According to the historian Martin Dimnik, the chronicle's report shows that Yaroslav the Wise had, most probably in about 1040, appointed Sviatoslav to rule this important town of the Kievan Rus'.[6] his deathbed, Yaroslav the Wise divided the most important towns of his realm among his five sons—Iziaslav, Sviatoslav, Vsevolod, Igor, and Vyacheslav—who survived him.[7][8] To Sviatoslav, he bequeathed Chernigov (Chernihiv, Ukraine).[9] The dying grand prince also ordered that his four younger sons should "heed"[10] their eldest brother, Iziaslav who received Kiev.[8] of the Kievan Rus' in the Kievan Rus' (1054–1132) the Wise died on 20 February 1054.[11] His three elder sons—Iziaslav of Kiev, Sviatoslav of Chernigov, and Vsevolod of Pereyaslav—decided to jointly govern the Kievan Rus'.[12] Historian Martin Dimnik writes that taking into account Sviatoslav's political and military skills it "is reasonable to assume that he was one of the main motivating forces, if not the actual architect, of many of the policies adopted" by the three brothers.[13] The "triumviri" closely cooperated in the following years.[12] In 1059 they liberated their uncle, Sudislav whom their father had sent to prison around 1035.[14][15] They made a joint expedition "by horse and ship against the Torks"[16] or Oghuz Turks, according to the Russian Primary Chronicle, in 1060.[17] On hearing of the arrival of the Rus' forces, the Torks fled from their lands without resistance.[18] 1065, Sviatoslav led his troops against his nephew, Rostislav Vladimirovich, who had in the previous year expelled by force Sviatoslav's son, Gleb from Tmutorakan.[19] Upon Sviatoslav's arrival, Rostislav withdrew from this important center of his uncle's domains, but he reoccupied it after Sviatoslav had returned to Chernigov.[20] A distant cousin of the "triumviri", Vseslav Briacheslavich (Prince of Polotsk), attacked Pskov in 1065, according to The Chronicle of Pskov.[21][22] Vseslav Briacheslavich could not take this town, but he seized and plundered Novgorod—which had been ruled by Iziaslav of Kiev's son, Mstislav—in the next winter.[21][23] Izyaslav, Sviatoslav and Vsevolod soon united their forces and set forth against Vseslav, "though it was the dead of winter",[24] according to the Russian Primary Chronicle.[25] They routed Vseslav's army by the Nemiga River (near Minsk) on 3 March 1066.[25] Vseslav, who fled from the battlefield, agreed to enter into negotiations with the "triumviri", but they treacherously captured him at a meeting at Orsha in early June.[22][25] Cumans, who had emerged as the dominant power of the Pontic steppes in the early 1060s, invaded the southern regions of Kievan Rus' in 1068.[26] The three brothers together marched against the invaders, but the Cumans routed them on the Alta River.[27] From the battlefield, Sviatoslav withdrew to Chernigov and regrouped his troops.[27] He returned to defeat the Cumans with a smaller force at the town of Snovsk on 1 November, thus enhancing his prestige among the populace.[27] In the meantime, the townspeople of Kiev had dethroned and expelled Sviatoslav's brother, Iziaslav.[28] Taking advantage of Iziaslav's absence, Sviatopluk sent his own son, Gleb to Novgorod to rule the town.[29][30] returned at the head of Polish reinforcements.[31] The townspeople of Kiev sent messages to Sviatoslav and Vsevolod, imploring them to come to their "father's city"[32] and defend it, according to the Russian Primary Chronicle.[33] Sviatoslav and Vsevolod requested Iziaslav "not to lead the Poles in attack upon Kiev", stating that "if he intended to nurse his wrath and destroy the city, they would be properly concerned for the ancestral capital".[33][34][31] Iziaslav partially acquiesced: he did not let his Polish allies enter the town, but his retinue slaughtered or mutilated many of his opponents in Kiev.[35] He also attempted to punish Anthony—the founder of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev—who had supported his enemies, but Sviatoslav gave shelter to the saintly monk in Chernigov.[36] Iziaslav's return to Kiev, the "triumvirate" was restored.[28] The three brothers together visited Vyshhorod in order to participate in the translation of the relics of their saintly uncles, Boris and Gleb on 3 May 1072.[37] According to The Narrative, Passion, and Encomium of Boris and Gleb, Sviatoslav took Saint Gleb's hand and "pressed it to his injury, for he had pain in his neck, and to his eyes, and to his forehead"[38] before placing it back into the coffin.[39] In short Sviatoslav felt a pain at the top of his head and his servant found a fingernail of the saint under his cap.[39] Most historians agree that the three brothers expanded their father's legal code on this occasion, but the exact date is unknown.[40] [41] Prince of Kiev[edit] Izbornik of 1076 page from Sviatoslav's Izbornik of 1073 to the Russian Primary Chronicle, "the devil stirred up strife"[42] among the three brothers shortly after the canonization of Saints Boris and Gleb.[43][44] Sviatoslav and Vsevolod united their forces and expelled Iziaslav from Kiev on 22 March 1073.[43] The chronicler put the blame for this action on Sviatoslav, stating that "he was the instigator of his brother's expulsion, for he desired more power".[42][44] The chronicler also states that Sviatoslav had "misled Vsevolod by asserting that" Iziaslav "was entering into an alliance"[42] with Vseslav Briacheslavich against them.[44] Modern historians disagree about the motives of Sviatoslav's action. Franklin and Shepard write that he was driven by "straightforward greed";[45] Martin says that Sviatoslav who seems to have suffered from a grave illness wanted to secure his sons' right to Kiev which would have been lost if Sviatoslav "had predeceased Iziaslav without having ruled"[46] the town. In fact, the Russian Primary Chronicle states that it was Sviatoslav who "ruled in Kiev after the expulsion"[42] of Iziaslav.[47] the head of the Monastery of the Caves, Feodosy criticized Sviatoslav for usurping the throne.[43][48] However, before his death in May 1074 he was reconciled with the grand prince, who supported the foundation of a stone church dedicated to the Mother of God in Kiev.[45][49] Sviatoslav also supported the compilation of ecclesiastic works. Two izborniki or miscellanies—collections of excerpts from the Bible and from theological works—were completed under his auspices in 1073 and 1076.[50] According to the Izbornik of 1073, Sviatoslav, who is praised as a "new Ptolemy", had by that time collected a great number of spiritual books.[51] rule was short and uneventful.[52] His dethroned brother first fled to Poland, but Duke Boleslav II, who was Sviatoslav's son-in-law, expelled him from his lands.[28][53] Next Iziaslav sought the assistance of the German monarch, Henry IV.[43] The latter, in 1075, sent his envoys—including Sviatoslav's brother-in-law, Burchard—to Kiev to collect more information.[54] According to the Russian Primary Chronicle, "in his pride", Sviatoslav "showed them his riches", displaying them "the innumerable quantity of his gold, silver and silks".[55][56] In 1076 Sviatoslav sent reinforcements to Poland to help his son-in-law against the Bohemians.[57] died on 27 December 1076.[1] The Russian Primary Chronicle writes that "the cutting of a sore"[58] caused his death.[59] He was buried in the Holy Savior Cathedral in Chernigov.[59] Within a year, his elder brother Iziaslav was restored and Sviatoslav's sons lost most parts of his domains.[1][60] Venerable Nestor the Chronicler of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on October 27; Venerable Barlaam the Abbot of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on November 19; Blessed Yaropolk the Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia, in Holy Baptism Peter, Commemorated on November 22; Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; St Ephraim the Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Commemorated on January 28; 12 Greeks who built the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 14 ; Venerable Isaac the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 14; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; Venerable Stephen the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on April 27; Uncovering of the relics of St Nikita the Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on April 30; Translation of the relics of the Holy Passionbearer Boris, in Holy Baptism Roman, Commemorated on May 2; Venerable Constantine, (In baptism Yaroslav), with his children Michael and Theodore, Wonderworkers of Murom, Commemorated on May 21; Venerable Agapitus the Unmercenary Physician of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on June 1 ;

Russia, Kiev, 1073-1114, Saint, Alypius of the Caves, Iconographer
Russia, Kiev, 1073-1114, Saint, Alypius of the Caves, Iconographer; Valaam Icon of the Mother of God, Commemorated on August 7;

Russia, Kiev, 1078-1087, Yaropolk Izyaslavich, Rus King, Belrus Vohly, Caves benefactor, j to Pol, Ger, Rome
Kiev Rus King, 1078-1087, Yaropolk Izyaslavich; Izyaslavich[2] (died 1087) was a Knyaz (prince) during the eleventh-century in the Kievan Rus' kingdom and was the King of Rus (1076-1078). son of Grand Prince Izyaslav Yaroslavich by a Polish princess named Gertruda, he is visible in papal sources by the early 1070s but largely absent in contemporary Rus sources until his father's death in 1078. his father's exile in the 1070s, Yaropolk can be found acting on his father's behalf in an attempt to gain the favor of the German emperors and the papal court of Pope Gregory VII. father returned to Kiev in 1077 and Yaropolk followed. his father's death Yaropolk was appointed Prince of Volhynia and Prince of Turov in 1078 by the new Grand Prince, his uncle Vsevolod. 1085 Yaropolk had fallen into a state of enmity with the Grand Prince, and by extension the Grand Prince's son Vladimir Monomakh, forcing him to flee to Poland, his mother's homeland. returned in 1086 and made peace with Monomakh but was murdered the same year on a journey to Zvenyhorod.[3] was remembered in Rus sources as extremely pious and generous to the church and is recognized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Blessed Yaropolk the Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia, in Holy Baptism Peter, Commemorated on November 22; Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; St Ephraim the Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Commemorated on January 28; Venerable Isaac the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 14; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; Venerable Stephen the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on April 27;

Russia, Kiev, 1078, Master Builders come from Greece with Theotokos Icon
Venerable Stephen, Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on April 27; 1078 Saint Stephen was removed from office and driven from the monastery through the malice of an evil monk. He endured this meekly and without bitterness, and continued to pray for those who had turned against him. Stephen learned that master builders had come from Greece with an icon of the Theotokos, and they told him of the appearance of the Heavenly Queen at Blachernae. Because of this, Saint Stephen also built a church at Klovo in honor of the Theotokos (in memory of the Placing of Her Robe at Blachernae). The monastery was founded in thanksgiving for solicitude of the Most Holy Theotokos for the Caves monastery. Blachernae; The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Mother of God at Blachernae; Placing of the Venerable Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos at Blachernae: the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Leo the Great (457-474), the brothers Galbius and Candidus, associates of the emperor, set out from Constantinople to Palestine to venerate the holy places. a small settlement near Nazareth they stayed in the home of a certain old Jewish woman. In her house they noticed a room where many lamps were lit, incense burned, and sick people were gathered. When they asked her what the room contained, the pious woman did not want to give an answer for a long time. persistent requests, she said that she had a very precious sacred item: the Robe of the Mother of God, which performed many miracles and healings. Her Dormition the Most Holy Virgin bequeathed one of her garments to a pious Jewish maiden, an ancestor of the old woman, instructing her to leave it to another virgin after her death. the Robe of the Mother of God was preserved in this family from generation to generation. jewelled chest, containing the sacred Robe, was transferred to Constantinople. Saint Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople (August 31), and the emperor Leo, having learned of the sacred treasure, were convinced of the incorrupt state of the holy Robe, and they certified its authenticity. Blachernae, near the seacoast, a new church in honor of the Mother of God was constructed. On June 2, 458 Saint Gennadius transferred the sacred Robe into the Blachernae church with appropriate solemnity, placing it within a new reliquary. the maphorion (i.e., the outer robe) of the Mother of God, and part of Her belt were also put into the reliquary with Her Robe. This circumstance also influenced the Orthodox iconography of the Feast, in connecting the two events: the Placing of the Robe, and the Placing of the Belt of the Mother of God in Blachernae. The Russian pilgrim Stephen of Novgorod, visiting Constantinople in about the year 1350, testifies: “We arrived at Blachernae, where the Robe lies upon an altar in a sealed reliquary.â€ than once, during the invasion of enemies, the Most Holy Theotokos saved the city to which She had given Her holy Robe. Thus it happened during the time of a siege of Constantinople by the Avars in 626, by the Persians in 677, and by the Arabs in the year 717. Especially relevant for us are events of the year 860, intimately connected with the history of the Russian Church. June 18, 860 the Russian fleet of Prince Askold, a force comprising more than 200 ships, laid waste the coastal regions of the Black Sea and the Bosphorus, then entered into the Golden Horn and threatened Constantinople. The Russian ships sailed within sight of the city, setting ashore troops who “proceeded before the city, stretching forth their swords.â€ The emperor Michael III (842-867), interrupted his campaign against the Arabs and returned to the capital. All night he prayed prostrated upon the stone tiles of the church of the Mother of God at Blachernae. The holy Patriarch Photius spoke to his flock, calling for tears of repentance to wash away sins, and to seek the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos with fervent prayer. danger grew with each passing hour. “The city was barely able to stand against a spear,â€ says Patriarch Photius in another of his homilies. Under these conditions the decision was made to save the church’s sacred objects, especially the holy Robe of the Mother of God, which was kept in the Blachernae church, not far from the shore. serving an all-night Vigil, and taking it out from the Blachernae church, they carried the sacred Robe of the Mother of God in a procession around the city walls. They dipped its edge into the waters of the Bosphorus, and then they transported it to the center of Constantinople into the church of Hagia Sophia. The Mother of God protected the city and quelled the fury of the Russian warriors. An honorable truce was concluded, and Askold lifted the siege of Constantinople. June 25 the Russian army began to leave, taking with them a large tribute payment. A week afterwards, on July 2, the wonderworking Robe of the Mother of God was solemnly returned to its place in the reliquary of the Blachernae church. In remembrance of these events an annual feastday of the Placing of the Robe of the Mother of God was established on July 2 by holy Patriarch Photius. in October-November of the year 860, a Russian delegation arrived in Constantinople to conclude a treaty “in love and peace.â€ Some of the conditions of the peace treaty included articles concerning the Baptism of Kievan Rus, the payment of an annual tribute by the Byzantines to the Russians, permission for them to serve with the Byzantine army, an agreement to trade in the territory of the Empire (primarily in Constantinople), and to send a diplomatic mission to Byzantium. important was the point about the Baptism of Rus. The continuator of the Byzantine “Theophanes Chroniclesâ€ relates that “their delegation arrived in Constantinople with a request for them to receive holy Baptism, which also was fulfilled.â€ An Orthodox mission was sent to Kiev to fulfill this mutual wish of the Russians and the Greeks. Not very long before this (in 855) Saint Cyril the Philosopher (February 14 and May 11) had created a Slavonic alphabet and translated the Gospel. Saint Cyril was sent with his brother, Saint Methodius (April 6 and May 11), on a mission to Kiev with books translated into Slavonic. This was at the initiative of Saint Photius, whose student Saint Cyril was. The brothers spent the winter of 860/861 at Cherson, and in the spring of 861 they were at the River Dniepr, with Prince Askold. Askold was faced with a difficult choice, just as holy Prince Vladimir faced: both the Jews on the one hand, and the Moslems on the other, wanted him to accept their faith. But under the influence of Saint Cyril, the prince chose Orthodoxy. At the end of the year 861, Saints Cyril and Methodius returned to Constantinople and carried letters with them from Prince Askold to Emperor Michael III. Askold thanked the emperor for sending him “such men, who showed by both word and by example, that the Christian Faith is holy.â€ “Persuaded that this is the true Faith,â€ Askold further wrote, “we bid them to baptize in the hope that we may also attain sanctity. We are all friends of the Kingdom and prepared to be of service to you, as requested.â€ accepted holy Baptism with the name Nicholas, and many of his retinue were also baptized. Directly from Constantinople, the capital of Orthodoxy, through the efforts of the holy Apostles to the Slavs both the Slavonic divine services and the Slavonic written language arrived in Rus. Photius appointed Metropolitan Michael to Kiev, and the Russian metropolitan district was entered into the lists of dioceses of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Patriarch Photius in an encyclical of the year 867 called the Baptism of the Bulgarians and the Russians as among the chief accomplishments of his archpastoral service. “The Russians, who lifted their hand against the Roman might,â€ he wrote, almost quoting literally from the missive of Askold, “have now replaced the impious teaching which they held to formerly, with the pure and genuine Christian Faith, and with love having established themselves in the array of our friends and subjects.â€ (The Byzantines counted as “subjectsâ€ all accepting Baptism from Constantinople and entering into military alliance with the Empire.) “The desire and zeal of faith has flared up within them to such an extent, that they have accepted bishops and pastors, and they embrace Christian sanctity with great zeal and fervor.â€ Feast of the Placing of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos in Blachernae also marks the canonical establishment of the Russian Orthodox metropolitanate in Kiev. By the blessing of the Mother of God and by the miracle from Her holy Robe not only was the deliverence of Constantinople from the most terrible siege in all its history accomplished, but also the liberation of the Russians from the darkness of pagan superstition to life eternal. Together with this, the year 860 brought recognition to Kievan Rus from Byzantium, and signified the emergence of the young Russian realm into the arena of history. attempt of Prince Askold to renew the Christian evangelization begun by the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, which he intended as a religious and state reform, ended unsuccessfully. The time for the spread of Christianity in the Russian Land had not yet come. The adherents of the old paganism were too strong, and the princely power was too weak. In the clash of Askold with the pagan Oleg in 882 the Kievans betrayed their prince. Askold, lured into the camp of his enemies for talks, received a martyr’s death at the hand of hired killers. the deed of Blessed Askold (the Ioakimov Chronicle calls him such) was not extinguished in the Russian Church. Oleg the Sage, who killed Askold, occupied the Kiev princedom after him, and called Kiev the “Mother of Russian Cities.â€ most ancient chronicles of Kiev preserved the grateful memory of the first Kievan Christian prince: the church of the Prophet of God Elias, built by Askold and later mentioned in Igor’s Treaty with the Greeks (in 944), is on the site where the present church of this name now stands, and there is also the church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, built in the 950s by Saint Olga over Askold’s grave. most important achievement of Askold, entering forever into the Church inheritance not only of Rus, but of also all Orthodox Slavs, is the Slavonic Gospel and Slavonic services, translated by Saints Cyril and Methodius. Their apostolic activity among the Slavs began in Kiev at the court of Askold in 861, and continued afterwards in Moravia and Bulgaria. Following Blessed Askold, in the words of the ancient Alphabetic Prayers, “the Slavonic tribe now soars in flight, all striving toward Baptism.â€ outstanding works of Byzantine Church hymnology and homiletics are connected with the miracle of the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos at Blachernae. There are two homilies of Saint Photius, one of which he preached within days of the siege of Constantinople, and the other soon after the departure of the Russian forces. Also associated with the campaign of Askold against Constantinople is the composition of a remarkable “Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos,â€ which certain Church histories ascribe also to holy Patriarch Photius. This Akathist forms an integral part of the services of Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos (i.e., the “Saturday of the Akathist,â€ Fifth Saturday of Great Lent). is not only Byzantine sources that relate the events of the year 860, but also Russian historical chronicles. Saint Nestor the Chronicler, stressing the significance of the Russian campaign against Constantinople, notes that from this time “it was begun to be called the Russian Land.â€ Certain of the chronicles, among them the Ioakimov and Nikonov, preserved accounts of the Baptism of Prince Askold and Kievan Rus after the campaign against Constantinople. The popular commemoration of this event is firmly associated with the names of the Kievan princes Askold and Dir, although in the opinion of historians, Dir was prince of Kiev somewhat earlier than Askold. veneration of the feast of the Placing of the Robe was long known in the Russian Church. Saint Andrew Bogoliubsky (July 4) built a church in honor of this feastday in the city of Vladimir at the Golden Gates. At the end of the fourteenth century, part of the Robe of the Mother of God was transferred from Constantinople to Rus by Saint Dionysius, Archbishop of Suzdal (June 26). holy Robe of the Mother of God, which previously saved Constantinople, later saved Moscow from hostilities. Tatars of the Horde of the princeling Mazovshi approached the walls of Moscow in the summer of 1451. Saint Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow, with constant prayer and church services, encouraged the defenders of the capital. On the night of July 2, the Chronicle relates, great confusion occurred within the Tatar camp. The enemy abandoned their plundered goods and speedily departed in disarray. In memory of the miraculous deliverance of Moscow, Saint Jonah built the church of the Placing of the Robe in the Kremlin, making it his primary church. It burned, but in its place in the years 1484-1486 a new church, also dedicated to the Feast of the Placing of the Robe of the Mother of God, was built thirty years later. This temple, standing at present, continued to serve as the primary church of Russian metropolitans and patriarchs until the cathedral of the Twelve Apostles was built under Patriarch Nikon. Venerable Romanus the Melodist, œSweet-SingerÂ, Commemorated on October 1 ; Appearance of the Smolensk œDirectressÂ Icon of the Mother of God brought from Constantinople, Commemorated on July 28 ; Icon of the Mother of God of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on August 17; St Callinicus the Patriarch of Constantinople, Commemorated on August 23; Venerable Anthony of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on September 2; Right-Believing Pulcheria, Byzantine Empress, Commemorated on September 10; Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, Commemorated on October 1 ; Blessed Andrew the Fool-For-Christ at Constantinople, Commemorated October 2 ; Translation of the relic of the Right Hand of John the Baptist, Commemorated October 12 ; Righteous Anna of Constantinople, Commemorated October 29 ; St Sopatra of Constantinople, Commemorated on November 9 ; Venerable Patapius of Thebes, Commemorated on December 8 ; 12 Greeks who built the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Lavra, Commemorated on February 14; Venerable Stephen the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on April 27 ; Prophet Isaiah, Commemorated on May 9 ; St Germanus the Patriarch of Constantinople, Commemorated on May 12; Icon of the Mother of God œthe Unbreakable WallÂ, Commemorated on May 28; St Anna and Her Son of Constantinople, Commemorated on June 13; St Anna and Her Son of Constantinople, Commemorated on June 13; The Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Most Holy Mother of God at Blachernae, Commemorated on July 2; Translation of the "Blachernae" Icon of the Mother of God to Russia, Commemorated July 7 ;

Russia, Kiev, 1078-1093, Vsevolod I, K Rus King, Y's 5th, favorite, Married B Princess, Monomahk
Kiev Rus King, 1078-1093, Vsevolod I of Kiev; I Yaroslavich (c. 1030 – 13 April 1093) ruled as Grand Prince of Kiev (Kyiv) from 1078 until his death. 1 Early life 2 Reign 3 Children 4 Ancestry 5 See also 6 References 7 Sources 8 External links life[edit] was the fifth[1] and favourite son of Yaroslav I the Wise by Ingigerd Olafsdottir. was born around 1030.[2] On his seal from his last years, he was named "Andrei Vsevolodu" in Greek, implying that his baptismal name was Andrew.[3] back up an armistice signed with the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos in 1046, his father married Vsevolod to a Byzantine princess, who according to tradition was named Anastasia or Maria. That the couple's son Vladimir Monomakh bore the family name of the Byzantine emperor, suggests she was a member of his close family, but no contemporary evidence attests to a specific relationship and accounts of the Emperor give him no such daughter.[4] his father's death in 1054, he received in appanage the towns of Pereyaslav,[5] Rostov, Suzdal, and the township of Beloozero which would remain in possession of his descendants until the end of Middle Ages. with his elder brothers Iziaslav and Sviatoslav he formed a sort of princely triumvirate which jointly waged war on the steppe nomads, Polovtsy, and compiled the first East Slavic law code. 1055 Vsevolod launched an expedition against the Turks who had in the previous years expelled the Pechenegs from the Pontic steppes.[6] also made peace with the Cumans who appeared for the first time in Europe in the same year.[6] The Cumans invaded his principality in 1061 and routed Vsevolod in a battle.[6] Vsevolod persuaded his brother, Iziaslav, and their distant cousin, Vseslav to join him and they together attacked the Turks in 1060.[6] 1067, Vsevolod's Greek wife died and he soon married a Kypchak princess, Anna Polovetskaya. She bore him another son, who drowned after the Battle of the Stugna River, and daughters, one becoming a nun and another, Eupraxia of Kiev, marrying Emperor Henry IV. Cumans again invaded Kievan Rus' in 1068.[7] The three brothers united their forces against them, but the Cumans routed them on the Alta River.[7] After their defeat, Vsevolod withdrew to Pereyaslav.[8] its citizens rose up in open rebellion, dethroned Iziaslav, and liberated and proclaimed Vseslav their grand prince.[9] Vsevolod and Sviatoslav made no attempt to expel the usurper from Kiev.[10] supported Sviatoslav against Iziaslav.[11] They forced their brother to flee from Kiev in 1073.[11] Feodosy, the saintly hegumen or head of the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev remained loyal to Iziaslav, and refused lunch with Sviatoslav and Vsevolod.[2] court in the times of Vsevolod I granted Sviatoslav's former principality to Vsevolod, Sviatoslav's sons considered the Principality of Chernigov as their own patrimony or otchina.[11] Oleg Sviatoslavich made an alliance with the Cumans and invaded Chernigov.[12] came to Vsevolod's rescue and they forced Oleg to retreat, but Iziaslav was murdered in the battle.[12][13] Iziaslav's death, Vsevolod, as their father's only surviving son, took the Kievan throne, thus uniting the three core principalities—Kiev, Chernigov and Pereyaslavl—in Kievan Rus'.[14] appointed his eldest son, Vladimir Monomach to administer Chernigov.[15][13] Russian Primary Chronicle writes that the "people no longer had access to the Prince's justice, judges became corrupt and venal",[16] followed his young councilors' advice instead of that of his old retainers in his last years.[17] Monomakh, Vsevolod's son spoke five foreign languages, according to Vladimir Monomach's Autobiography.[18] Historian George Vernadsky believes that these probably included Greek and Cuman, because of the nationality of his two wives, and that he likely spoke Latin, Norse, and Ossetian.[19] lost most of his battles; his eldest son, Vladimir Monomakh, a grand and famous warrior, did most of the fighting for his father. last years of his reign were clouded by grave illness, and Vladimir Monomakh presided over the government. Appearance of the Smolensk "œDirectress"Â Icon of the Mother of God brought from Constantinople, Commemorated on July 28; Venerable Gregory the Iconographer of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on August 8; Venerable Alypius the Iconographer of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on August 17; St Martyrius, Archbishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on August 24 ; Princess Anna Vsevolodna, Commemorated on November 3; Venerable Barlaam the Abbot of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on November 19; Venerable Sylvester of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 2 ; Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; St Ephraim the Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Commemorated on January 28; Venerable Prochorus of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 10; Venerable Isaac the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 14; Venerable Nikon the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, Commemorated on March 23; Venerable Stephen the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on April 27; Translation of the relics of the Holy Passionbearer Boris, in Holy Baptism Roman, Commemorated on May 2;

Russia, Kiev, 1088-1093, Rostislav, Kiev Rus Prince, Vsevolod's son, Monomahk's half bro
Kiev Rus Prince, 1088-1093, Rostislav Vsevolodovich; Vsevolodovich ((c. 1070-“1093) was the Prince of Pereyaslavl (1078-“1093), son of Vsevolod I of Kiev, and half brother of Vladimir Monomakh. He fought at Stugna river against the Cumans and drowned while fleeing the battle.[1] Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8; St Ephraim the Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Commemorated on January 28; St Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel) the Wonderworker of Pskov, Commemorated on February 11; Venerable Isaac the Recluse of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 14; Icon of the Mother of God of Murom, Commemorated on April 12;

Russia, Kiev, 1088-1093, 1095-1117, Mstislav I of Kiev, Prince, Vladimirovich the Great, Vladimir II's son
Novgorod Prince, 1088-1093, 1095-1117, Mstislav I of Kiev ; I Vladimirovich the Great or Mstislav the Great (February, 1076 - April 14, 1132) was the Grand Prince of Kiev (Kyiv, 1125–1132), the eldest son of Vladimir II Monomakh by Gytha of Wessex.[1] He is figured prominently in the Norse Sagas under the name Harald, to allude to his grandfather, Harold II of England. Mstislav's Christian name was Theodore. was born in Turov. As his father's future successor, he reigned in Novgorod the Great from 1088 to 1093 and (after a brief stint at Rostov) from 1095–1117. Thereafter he was Monomakh's co-ruler in Bilhorod Kyivskyi, and inherited the Kyivan throne after his death. He built numerous churches in Novgorod, of which St. Nicholas Cathedral (1113)[2] and the cathedral of St Anthony Cloister (1117) survive to the present day. Later, he would also erect important churches in Kiev, notably his family sepulchre at Berestovo and the church of Our Lady at Podil. St Nicholas Cathedral, built by Mstislav I near his palace at Yaroslav's Court, Novgorod, contains 12th-century frescoes depicting his illustrious family Mstislav's life was spent in constant warfare with Cumans (1093, 1107, 1111, 1129), Estonians (1111, 1113, 1116, 1130), Lithuanians (1131), and the princedom of Polotsk (1127, 1129). In 1096, he defeated his uncle Oleg of Chernigov on the Koloksha River, thereby laying foundation for the centuries of enmity between his and Oleg's descendants. Mstislav was the last ruler of united Rus, and upon his death, as the chronicler put it, "the land of Rus was torn apart". He died in Kiev, aged 55. 1095, Mstislav married Princess Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden, daughter of King Inge I of Sweden.[3] They had many children: Ingeborg of Kiev, married Canute Lavard of Jutland, and was mother to Valdemar I of Denmark Malmfred, married (1) Sigurd I of Norway; (2) Eric II of Denmark Eupraxia, married Alexius Comnenus, son of John II Comnenus Vsevolod of Novgorod and Pskov Maria Mstislavna of Kiev, married Vsevolod II of Kiev Iziaslav II of Kiev Rostislav of Kiev Sviatopolk of Pskov Rogneda, married Yaroslav of Volinya Xenia, married Briachislav of Izyaslawl Christine died on January 18, 1122; later that year Mstislav married again, to Ljubava Dmitrievna, the daughter of Dmitry Saviditsch, a nobleman of Novgorod. Their children were: Vladimir III Mstislavich (1132–1171) Euphrosyne of Kiev, (c. 1130 – c. 1193) married King Géza II of Hungary in 1146. Through Euphrosyne, Mstislav is an ancestor of both Philippa of Hainault and King Edward III of England, hence of all subsequent English and British monarchs. Through his mother Gytha, he is part of a link between Harold II of England and the modern line of English kings founded by William the Conqueror, who deposed him. St Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel) the Wonderworker of Pskov, Commemorated on February 11; Right-believing Great Prince Rostislav-Michael the Prince of Kiev, Commemorated on March 14; Uncovering of the relics of St Nikita the Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on April 30;

Russia, Kiev, 1091-1099, Cuman Chief Boniak, Mangy, plundered Kiev and Caves, w Oleg, d Hungary
Russia, Kiev, 1091-1099, Cuman Chief Boniak, Boniak (Maniak) the Mangy; Bonyak or Maniac, also known as Boniak the Mangy, was "one of the most prominent Cuman chieftains"[1] in the late 11th century and the early 12th century. He headed a powerful Cuman tribe or clan that inhabited the steppes to west of the Dnieper River. He supported the Byzantines against the Pechenegs in the Battle of Levounion in 1091. He defeated Coloman, King of Hungary in 1097 or 1099. descent is uncertain.[2] Svetlana Pletneva associates him with the Burch tribe, Peter B. Golden with the Ölberli tribe of the "Wild Cumans", and Omeljan Pritsak with the Qay clan.[3][4][5] Boniak's nickname – the Mangy – may show that he was born with the caul, according to the Hungarian historian Szilvia Kovács.[6] In Anna Komnene's Alexiad, he is called Maniac.[7] exact position cannot be determined, but his career shows that he must have been the head of powerful Cuman tribal federation, tribe, or clan.[2] When pursuing Boniak, Sviatopolk II of Kiev and Vladimir Monomach "advanced to the Bug and later beyond the Ros' ",[8] according to Vladimir's Testament, which suggests that Boniak's people dwelled between the rivers Dnieper and Southern Bug or Dniester.[9] His participation in military campaigns in the Balkan Peninsula also shows that his people lived near the Lower Danube.[9] records[edit] with Tugorkan, Boniak, or Maniak, was one of the Cumans' "outstanding leaders",[10] named by Anna Komnene, who came to assist the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos against the Pechenegs.[11][12] The united Byzantine and Cuman army annihilated the Pechenegs in the Battle of Levounion on 29 April 1091.[13] Historian Florin Curta writes that the two Cuman chieftains plundered the eastern regions of the Kingdom of Hungary on their return to the Desht-i Kypchak, or Cuman steppes.[11] Pletneva says that Boniak and Tugorkan together supported the pretender Pseudo-Diogenes against Emperor Alexios I in 1094, but Anna Komnene did not refer to Boniak's participation in the fights.[14] in Rus'[edit] Russian Primary Chronicle recorded two events connected to Boniak under the year 6604, that is 1095[15] or 1096 AD.[16][17] First Boniak and his Cumans "appeared before Kiev ..., and while ravaging the environs, they burned the prince's palace at Berestovo"[18] around 24 May.[19][16][20] On 20 July, "Boniak, that godless, mangy thief and bandit, came suddenly to Kiev for the second time"[21] and plundered three monasteries, including the Cave Monastery.[22][23] During the second campaign, the Cumans "planted two standards before the monastery gates",[21] which may show that they were under the command of two chieftains, according to Kovács.[24] Kovács writes that Boniak's action preceded the campaign that Sviatopolk II and Vladimir Monomach launched against Oleg I of Chernigov.[25] According to Simon Franklin and Jonathan Shepard, Boniak invaded only after Sviatopolk and his army left Kiev for a campaign against Chernigov (Chernihiv in Ukraine).[20] Kovács says that the joint campaign of Sviatopolk and Vladimir Monomach against Boniak's land over the river Ros' that Monomach mentioned in his Testament seems to have been a retaliatory action after Bonia's plundering raids in Kiev.[26] of Kiev expelled David Igorevich, Prince of Volhynia, from his principality in the late 1090s.[27][28][29] David Igorevich fled to the Cumans and persuaded Bonyak and another Cuman chieftain, Altunopa, to join him to fight against Sviatopolk who had sought assistance from Coloman, King of Hungary.[27][30] On the eve of the battle against the Hungarians, Boniak "rode away from the troops" and "began to howl like a wolf, till first one and then many wolves answered him with their howls",[31] according to the Russian Primary Chronicle.[3] On his return, Boniak predicted to David Igorevich that they would defeat the Hungarians in the battle.[3] The Cumans annihilated the Hungarian army and seized the royal treasury.[32] According to the Hungarian Illuminated Chronicle, "[r]arely did Hungarians suffer such slaughter as in this battle".[33][34] However, David Igorevich could not reconquer Volhynia and was again forced to seek refuge among the Cumans.[32] Boniak again joined them and their united armies seized Lutsk and Volodymyr-Volynskyi.[29] According to the Russian Primary Chronicle, these events occurred in 1097, but many historians (including Kovács and Martin Dimnik) say that the fights took place two years later.[27][28] Russian Primary Chronicle recorded that five Rus' princes – Sviatopolk II of Kiev, Vladimir Monomach, Davyd Sviatoslavich, Oleg Sviatoslavich and Yaroslav Sviatoslavich – assembled on the left bank of the Dnieper near Kiev in 1101.[28][23] On learning of the princes' meeting, all Cuman chieftains sent envoys to them "with propositions of peace".[35][36] The princes and the Cuman chieftains met at Sakov on the Dnieper and made peace on 15 September.[28] Two years later Sviatopolk II of Kiev, Vladimir Monomach and Davyd Sviatoslavich invaded the Cuman steppes and routed a large Cuman army, killing 20 Cuman chieftains.[37] to the Hypatian version of the Russian Primary Chronicle, Boniak made an incursion into the region of Zarub in the Principality of Pereyaslavl, fighting with the Torks and Berendei in the winter of 1105 and 1106.[38] The Russian Primary Chronicle recorded that Boniak "raided and seized many horses in the vicinity of Pereyaslavl' "[39] in May 1107.[37] During the summer, he returned accompanied by Sharukan and other Cuman chieftains and laid siege to Lubno on the Sula River.[40] Vladimir Monomach, Prince of Pereyaslavl, persuaded Svyatopolk II of Kiev and other Rus' princes to come to fight against the invaders.[40] Their unified armies unexpectedly crossed the Sula, forcing the terrified Cumans to lift the siege and leave their camp on 12 August.[41] According to an alternative narration, recorded in Vladimir Monomach's Testament, the united forces of the Rus' princes routed Boniak and his Cuman allies on the banks of the Sula in summer, and Monomach alone defeated Boniak at Lubno alone only in 1108.[42] II of Kiev died on 16 April 1113 or 1114.[43][44] After the Cumans learned of Svyatopluk's death, the Cumans marched as far as Vyr' River.[44][45] The Cumans were under the command of Aepa and Boniak, according to the Testament of Vladimir Monomach who succeeded Svyatopolk in Kiev.[44] Monomach wrote that he "advanced to meet them as far as"[46] Romny with his sons and Oleg Sviatoslavich, forcing the Cumans to flee.[44][47] Boniak is often represented as a sorcerer in Rus' folklore.[48] Kiev, 1095-1096, Cuman Chief Boniak Wars in Kiev; Monkmartyr Eustratius of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on March 28;

Russia, Kiev, 1093, Vladimir II Monomakh and Rostislav, 1093, both betrayed by Oleg, R drowned fleeing
Vladimir Monomakh of Kiev and Prince Rostislav 1093; II Monomakh (Christian name: Vasiliy, or Basileios) (26 May 1053 -19 May 1125) reigned as Grand Prince of Kievan Rus' from 1113 to 1125. He is considered a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and is celebrated on May 6.[1] Family[edit] He was the son of Vsevolod I (married in 1046) by a relative of Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomachos, from whom Vladimir obtained his sobriquet.[2] Contemporary Byzantine naming practice allowed the adoption of a maternal surname if the mother's family was perceived to be of a more exalted origin than that of the father.[3] Testament of Vladimir Monomakh to Children, 1125. Lithography of 1836. his famous Instruction (also known as The Testament) to his own children, Monomakh mentions that he conducted 83 military campaigns and 19 times made peace with the Polovtsi. At first he waged war against the steppe jointly with his cousin Oleg, but after Vladimir was sent by his father to rule Chernigov and Oleg made peace with the Polovtsi to retake that city from him, they parted company. Since that time, Vladimir and Oleg were bitter enemies who would often engage in internecine wars. The enmity continued among their children and more distant posterity. 1094, his chief patrimony was the southern town of Pereyaslav, although he also controlled Rostov, Suzdal, and other northern provinces (see Principality of Pereyaslavl). In these lands he founded several towns, notably his namesake, Vladimir, the future capital of Russia. In order to unite the princes of Rus' in their struggle against the Great Steppe, Vladimir initiated three princely congresses, the most important being held at Lyubech in 1097 and Dolobsk in 1103. 1107 he defeated Boniak, a Cuman khan who led an invasion on Kievan Rus'. When Sviatopolk II died in 1113, the Kievan populace revolted and summoned Vladimir to the capital. The same year he entered Kiev to the great delight of the crowd and reigned there until his death in 1125. As may be seen from his Instruction, he promulgated a number of reforms in order to allay the social tensions in the capital. These years saw the last flowering of Ancient Rus, which was torn apart 10 years after his death. Monomakh is buried in the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev. Succeeding generations often referred to his reign as the golden age of that city. Numerous legends are connected with Monomakh's name, including the transfer from Constantinople to Rus of such precious relics as the Theotokos of Vladimir and the Vladimir/Muscovite crown called Monomakh's Cap. and children[edit] married three times. Some sources cite his first wife as Gytha of Wessex, daughter of Harold of England who had fallen at Hastings in 1066 and of Edith Swannesha. Problems exist in that none of the sources citing this are contemporary, and none of the Russian sources cite the name of his first wife as the daughter of Harold Godwinson. They had at least five children: I of Kiev (1 June 1076 -14 April 1132) Izyaslav Vladimirovich, Prince of Kursk (c. 1077 -“ 6 September 1096) Svyatoslav Vladimirovich, Prince of Smolensk and Pereyaslav (c. 1080- 16 March 1114) Yaropolk II of Kiev (1082-18 February 1139) Viacheslav I of Kiev (1083- 2 February 1154) The following daughter has been attributed to either the first or the second wife: Vladimirovna (d. 1146). Married Leon Diogenes, a pretender to the throne of the Byzantine Empire who claimed to be a son of Romanos IV and who rose to the rank of khan of the Cumans in Ossetia. rests after hunting (painting by Viktor Vasnetsov, c. 1900). second wife, Eufimia, is considered to have been a Byzantine noblewoman.[2] The Primary Chronicle and the "Testament of Vladimir Monomakh" record her date of death as 7 May 1107. However the Chronicle does not mention her name. This marriage produced at least six children: Prince of Volhynia (d. 6 January 1119) Eufemia of Kiev (d. 4 April 1139). Married Coloman of Hungary. Agafia (Agatha). Married Vsevolod Davidovich, Prince of Gorodno. According to older historians her husband was a son of David Igorevich, Prince of Volhynia (d. 1113), but this theory was rejected.[4] Yuri (George), later known as Yuri Dolgoruki (d. 15 May 1157). Andrew, Prince of Volhynia (11 July 1102-1141). third marriage is thought to have been to a daughter of Aepa Ocenevich, Khan of the Cumans. Her paternal grandfather was Osen. Her people belonged to the Kipchaks, a confederation of pastoralists and warriors of Turkic origin. the Primary Chronicle identifies Aepa as father-in-law to Yuri Dolgoruki, with Vladimir negotiating the marriage in name of his son.[citation needed] Whether father and son married sisters or the identity of intended groom was misidentified remains unclear. Venerable Gregory the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 8 ;

Russia, Kiev, 1093-1113, Sviatopolk II, Michael, Kiev Rus King, internecine wars, not popular
Kiev Rus King, 1093-1113, Sviatopolk II Iziaslavich ; II Iziaslavich (Old East Slavic: November 8, 1050 - April 16, 1113) was supreme ruler of the Kievan Rus for 20 years, from 1093 to 1113. He was not a popular prince, and his reign was marked by incessant rivalry with his cousin Vladimir Monomakh. life[edit] was the son of Iziaslav Iaroslavich by his concubine. Sviatopolk's Christian name was Michael. During his brother Iaropolk's life, Sviatopolk was not regarded as a potential claimant to the throne of Kiev (Kyiv). 1069 he was sent to Polotsk, a city briefly taken by his father from the local ruler Vseslav, and then he spent ten years (1078–88) ruling Novgorod. Upon his brother's death he succeeded him in Turov, which would remain in possession of his descendants until the 17th century. of St. Demetrius was installed by Sviatopolk in the Kievan St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery to glorify the patron saint of his father. Vsevolod Iaroslavich died in 1093, Sviatopolk was acknowledged by other princes as the senior son of Veliki Kniaz and permitted to ascend the Kievan throne. he participated in the princely congresses organized by Vladimir Monomakh, he is sometimes charged with encouraging internecine wars among Rurikid princes. instance, he sided with his cousin David of Volhynia and his son-in-law Bolesław III Wrymouth in capturing and blinding one of the Galician princes.[1] He also sided with Vladimir Monomakh in several campaigns against the Kypchaks but was defeated in the Battle of the Stugna River (1093).[2] Later that year, Sviatopolk would face the Kypchaks again, and again be defeated.[2] Whereupon the Kypchaks destroyed Torchesk, an Oghuz Turk settlement.[2] 1096, in an attempt to force Oleg I of Chernigov into a Rus compact, Sviatopolk left his lands undefended.[3] His father-in-law, Tugorkhan raided Pereiaslavl, while Boniak raided as far as Kiev, destroying Berestovo and sacking the three monasteries of Klov, Vydubichi, and the Caves.[3] Tugorkhan would be killed during his raid on Pereiaslavl, consequently Sviatopolk would have him buried in Kiev.[4] Christian name was Michael, so he encouraged embellishment of St Michael's Abbey in Kiev, which has been known as the Golden-Roofed up to the present. The history now known as the Primary Chronicle was compiled by the monk Nestor during Sviatopolk's reign. and children[edit] Sviatopolk married firstly a Bohemian princess (Přemyslid dynasty), probably a daughter of Duke Spytihněv II. They had three children: Zbyslava, married to king Boleslaw III of Poland on November 15, 1102. Predslava, married to Prince Álmos of Hungary on August 21, 1104. Her fate is less known. Iaroslav (died 1123), Prince of Volynia and Turov was married three times - to Hungarian, Polish Sophia (daughter of Władysław I Herman and his second wife Judith of Swabia), and Kievan princesses. In consequence of Iaroslav's early death, his descendants forfeited any right to the Kievan throne and had to content themselves with Turov and Pinsk. Secondly, in 1094 Sviatopolk married to a daughter of Tugorkhan of the Kypchaks, Olena.[5] They had four children: Anna (died 1136), married to Sviatoslav Davydych from Chernihiv who turned into a monk upon her death and later became Saint Nikolai Svyatoslav Davydych of Chernihiv. Maria, married Piotr Włostowic, castellan of Wroclaw and Polish palatine. Bryachislav (1104–1127), possibly dethroned Iaroslav as the Prince of Turov (1118–1123) in 1118. Izyaslav (died 1127), possibly the Prince of Turov in 1123. In 1104, Sviatopolk would marry for a third time to Barbara Komnena.[6] sources claim Sviatopolk had an out-of-wedlock son Mstislav who ruled Novgorod-Sieversky in 1095–1097 and later Volyn (1097–1099). Mstislav later was murdered in Volodymyr-Volynski. ; Venerable Gregory the Iconographer of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on August 8; Martyr Basil of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on August 11; St Theodosius (Prince Theodore of Ostrog) of the Kiev Caves, Commemorated on August 11; Venerable Alypius the Iconographer of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on August 17; Venerable Pimen of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on August 27; Icon of the Mother of God of Kupyatich, Commemorated on November 15; Venerable Nikon the Dry, of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on December 11; Venerable Sylvester of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on January 2 ; St Ephraim the Bishop of Pereyaslavl, Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Commemorated on January 28; Venerable Nikita of the Kiev Caves, Far Caves the Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on January 31; Venerable Prochorus of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on February 10; St Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel) the Wonderworker of Pskov, Commemorated on February 11; Icon of the Mother of God of Smolensk the œSweet-Kissing , Commemorated on March 19; Monkmartyr Eustratius of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on March 28; Icon of the Mother of God of Murom, Commemorated on April 12; Venerable Stephen the Abbot of the Kiev Far Caves, and Bishop of Vladimir, in Volhynia, Commemorated on April 27 ; Uncovering of the relics of St Nikita the Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on April 30; Venerable Isaiah the Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on May 15; Venerable Constantine, (In baptism Yaroslav), with his children Michael and Theodore, Wonderworkers of Murom, Commemorated on May 21; Venerable Agapitus the Unmercenary Physician of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on June 1 ;

Russia, Kiev, 1094-1115, Oleg 1, Father of Olgoviches, parted with Vladimir II over Chernigov&Cumans
Russia, Kiev, 1113-1125, Oleg 1, Father of all the Olgoviches, parted with Vladimir II over Chernigov; Svyatoslavich (c. 1052-August 1115) was a Rurikid prince whose equivocal adventures ignited political unrest in Kievan Rus' at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries. was a younger son of Sviatoslav Iaroslavich, Prince of Chernigov and his first wife, Killikiya.[1] He might have been either the second or the fourth among the four sons of Sviatoslav Iaroslavich by Killikiya, because their order of seniority is uncertain.[2] According to historian Martin Dimnik, Oleg was born around 1050.[1] Oleg was named after his grand uncle.[citation needed] His baptismal name was Michael.[3] Dimnik writes that "it is highly probable" that Oleg succeeded his brother, Gleb in Tmutarakan (fort controlling the straight between Black and Azov seas near Crimean P) after their father appointed the latter Prince of Novgorod in about 1068.[4] father and uncle, Vsevolod Iaroslavich made an alliance against their elder brother, Iziaslav Iaroslavich, Grand Prince of Kiev and dethroned him on 22 March 1073.[5][6] to Dimnik, Oleg received the Principality of Vladimir from his father who succeeded Iziaslav Iaroslavich in Kiev.[7] In short, Oleg and his cousin, Vladimir Monomach, ”son of Vsevolod Iaroslavich, ”became close friends.[8] writes in his Instruction that Oleg was the godfather of his eldest son, Mstislav.[8] two cousins together commanded the troops Oleg's father sent to assist Boleslav II of Poland in Bohemia in 1076, according to the Russian Primary Chronicle.[9] Sviatoslav Iaroslavich died in Kiev on 27 December 1077.[10][11] He was succeeded by his brother, Vsevolod Iaroslavich.[11] new grand prince seems to have confirmed Oleg's rule in Vladimir, because no source makes mention of a conflict between them.[11] However, the dethroned Iziaslav Iaroslavich(”Vsevolod's brother and Oleg's uncle) ”returned with Polish reinforcements.[12][13] and Vsevolod had a meeting where they reached an agreement: renounced of Kiev, but received Chernigov, the one-time domain of Oleg's father.[12][13] marched in Kiev on 15 July 1077, while Oleg "was with Vsevolod at Chernigov",[14] according to the Russian Primary Chronicle.[12] The chronicler's remark suggests that Oleg had by that time been forced to leave Vladimir.[15] to get along with his uncle, on 10 April 1077 Oleg fled to his brother Roman who reigned in Tmutarakan.[16][17] with his cousin, Boris Vyacheslavich, who had also settled in Tmutarakan, Oleg made an alliance with the Cumans and invaded Rus' in the summer of 1078.[18][19] routed their uncle, Vsevolod on the Sozh River and entered Chernigov on 25 August.[19] The Russian Primary Chronicle accuses Oleg and Boris of being the first to lead "the pagans to attack the land of Rus'".[20][21] Vladimir Monomach, in his Instruction, reveals that he and his father, Vsevolod had hired Cumans when attacking Polotsk in the previous year.[21] from Chernigov, Vsevolod fled to Kiev and sought assistance from his brother, Iziaslav.[19] united their forces and marched against Chernigov.[13][19] Oleg and Boris were not in the town when their uncles arrived, the citizens decided to resist.[22] was willing to start negotiations with his uncles, but Boris refused his proposal.[23] The decisive battle was fought "at a place near a village on the meadow of Nezhata"[24] on 3 October.[19] was defeated and escaped to Tmutarakan, where the Khazars had him imprisoned and sent in chains to Constantinople. emperor, who was a relative and ally of Vsevolod, exiled him to Rhodes. There he married a noble lady, Theophano Mouzalonissa, who bore him several children. years later, we again find him active in Tmutarakan, where he adopted the title "archon of Khazaria". 1094, he returned with the Kipchaks to Rus' and captured Chernihiv. There ensued a prolonged internecine struggle with his cousins Sviatopolk and Vladimir Monomakh. One of the most prominent princes of Kievan period who never attained the Kievan throne, he died on August 1, 1115 and was buried in Chernihiv. Tale of Igor's Campaign styles him Gorislavich, poetically deriving his patronymic from the Russian word for sorrow. His descendants, known as Olgovichi, were archrivals of Vladimir's descendants (known as Monomakhovichi) in their struggle for supremacy in Rus'. son was Igor II of Kiev. Kiev Rus King, 1113-1125, Vladimir Monomakh of Chernigov;

Russia, Kiev, 1095-1096, Cuman Chief Boniak Wars in Kiev, plundered Kiev K Caves, w Oleg, d Hungary
Kiev, 1095-1096, Cuman Chief Boniak Wars in Kiev; Venerable Nikon the Dry, of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on December 11 ; St Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel) the Wonderworker of Pskov, Commemorated on February 11; Monkmartyr Eustratius of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on March 28;

Russia, Kiev, 1095-1108, Venerable Nikita of the Kiev Far Caves, Bishop of Novgorod
Russia, Novgorod, 1095-1108, Venerable Nikita of the Kiev Far Caves, Bishop of Novgorod; Venerable Nikita of the Kiev Caves, Far Caves, Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on January 31; Uncovering of the relics of St Nikita the Bishop of Novgorod, Commemorated on April 30;

Russia, Kiev, 1097-1123, Davyd Sviatoslavich, ruler of Murom and Chernigov, father of Nicholas Sviatosha the first prince monk
Russia, Kiev, 1097-1123, Davyd Sviatoslavich, ruler of Murom and Chernigov, father of Nicholas Sviatosha the first prince monk; Sviatoslavich was the ruler of Murom and Chernigov. date of his birth is uncertain. Before his father's death was appointed to the Pereyaslav Principality, however in 1076 he ran to Murom which was located as far away as possible from Kiev. In 1093 Davyd was appointed a prince of Smolensk. During the war of his brother Oleg I of Chernigov against Sviatopolk II of Kiev and Vladimir II Monomakh he went up against the Vladimir's son Izyaslav of Murom. Oleg and Davyd in the united coalition of Sviatoslavichi managed to recover Smolensk and defeated Izyaslav at Murom where the last one perished. the Council of Liubech in 1097 Davyd was appointed to Chernigov, while Oleg was given Novhorod-Siverskyi. Protested against the rule of Sviatopolk who after the council together with Davyd Igorevich took Vasylko Rostyslavich a hostage and blinded him. The last two were in the constant warfare in the western areas of the Grand Duchy. Under pressure from Monomakh and Sviatoslavichi Sviatopolk outcast Davyd Igorevich to Poland. Later supported Sviatopolk in the war against Rostislavichi (one of whom was Vasylko). Davyd sent along his son Sviatoslav, but after an unsuccessful campaign the last one came back to his father and upon the death of his wife became a monk. At the Council of Witchew between the Sviatoslavichi, Monomakh, and Sviatopolk agreed to peace, stop the civil war, and consolidated their forces against the foreign enemies. At the council it was decided to cast Davyd Igorevich away from government duties, yet leaving him with some estates in Volyn. sometimes together with his brother, but more often with Vladimir Monomakh raided the Cuman lands from 1103 to 1111. Among numerous battles the most important one were at the Suteni river and Salnitsa river (March 27, 1111). During that campaign they managed to occupy the Cuman cities of Sharukan which is believed to be located somewhere between Chuhuiv and Zmiiv, and Sugrov. Davyd also greatly assisted Monomakh in the war against Polatsk Prince and Prince of Volyn in 1115–1118, while their sons continued to raid the Cumania. Chernigov; Venerable Nicholas Sviatosha Prince of Chernigov, and Wonderworker of the Kiev Near Caves, Commemorated on October 14; Nicholas Sviatosha, Prince of Chernigov, and Wonderworker of the Kiev Caves, Near Caves, was a great-grandson of Great Prince Yaroslav the Wise and son of Prince David Svyatoslavich of Chernigov (+ 1123). was the Prince of Lutsk, and he had a wife and children (his daughter was later married to the Novgorod prince Saint Vsevolod-Gabriel (February 11). February 17, 1106 the holy prince left his family and was tonsured at the Kiev Caves monastery. Nicholas Sviatosha carried out his obediences with great humility. For three years he worked in the kitchen, for which he chopped wood and carried water. For the next three years, he was gatekeeper at the monastery. The saint had a garden around his cell. Out of his own means he built at the monastery the temple of the Holy Trinity and the infirmary church in the name of Saint Nicholas, his patron saint. Nicholas was the first of the Russian princes to accept monasticism, patiently enduring the reproaches of his brothers for his decision to lead a life of humble obedience. The saint’s doctor, Peter, pointed out to the royal ascetic that such exploits of obedience had injured his health. But suddenly the doctor himself fell sick, and was healed only by the prayer of Saint Nicholas. Then Peter himself was tonsured. he had progressed through various obediences, Saint Nicholas took upon himself the vow of silence. When the saint received money, he used it to beautify the church and to procure books (because he loved reading), or he distributed it to the poor. Saint Nicholas was a zealous peacemaker; in 1142 he reconciled the Prince of Chernigov with the Great Prince Vsevolod. after the death of the saint, his brother Prince Izyaslav fell grievously ill. The igumen of the monastery sent the sick man the saint’s hairshirt. Izyaslav put it on and was healed.