Hagiographic literature of Rus'. Orthodox Saints: list by year of life The most famous saints in Orthodoxy

Who would you put on this list?
The teacher of the Kyiv Theological Academy Andrey Muzolf made his choice and explained in detail to the editors of the portal why he selected these particular saints.

– When answering this question, it is immediately necessary to clarify the following: when we say that certain saints are more or less revered by the people, we do not mean that some of them are “better” and some are “worse” “, someone helps “stronger”, and someone “weaker”. All saints have the same grace, because they have already achieved deification, beyond which there is nothing higher. One modern theologian said: the one who has God and something else is not at all richer than the one who has only God. God is our most important wealth, and the one who has met the Lord in his life is truly happy. Therefore, the saints, as people who have already been honored to be in constant communion with God (to which, in fact, man was called from the very moment of his creation), are not in the least humiliated by the fact that some of them are revered more and others less. Consequently, the question of special veneration of saints lies exclusively in the plane of our personal prayer and liturgical practice.

If we talk specifically about the saints who are especially revered in Ukraine, then it is probably worth noting the following.

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

Firstly, this is St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra. Our people especially reverence this saint, first of all, because, as we know from his life, St. Nicholas was always an “ambulance” for those people who found themselves in a very difficult situation (remember, for example, the case of an unjustly convicted warrior or an impoverished the father of three girls), which is why he is often popularly called Nikolai Ugodnik. That is why people’s love for the saint has reached such a scale both throughout the Orthodox world and in our country. In Ukraine, perhaps, there is not a single city in which a temple would not be erected in honor of this saint.

In addition, we should also note those saints, thanks to whom, in fact, the spread of Christianity began in our land. These are, first of all, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga and Prince Vladimir.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga

The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga in 903 became the wife of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Igor. After his murder in 945 by the rebel Drevlyans, she, not wanting to marry again, took on the burden of public service with her three-year-old son Svyatoslav. In 954, Princess Olga went to Constantinople for the purpose of a religious pilgrimage and a diplomatic mission, where she was received with honor by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. The grandeur of Christian churches and the shrines collected in them impressed the princess so much that she decided to accept baptism, which was performed on her by Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople, and the emperor himself became her successor. The name of the Russian princess was given in honor of the holy Queen Helen. Upon returning from Byzantium, Olga zealously carried the Christian gospel to the pagans, and began to erect the first Christian churches: in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of the first Kyiv Christian prince Askold and St. Sophia in Kiev over the grave of Prince Dir. Holy Princess Olga reposed in 969, bequeathing her open Christian burial. The incorrupt relics of the princess rested in the Tithe Church in Kyiv.

However, the widespread spread of Christianity in Rus' was destined to begin only under the grandson of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga - Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.

Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir

The future enlightener of Rus' was the son of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich, and his mother (Princess Malusha), although she came from a Varangian family, professed the Christian faith. Young Vladimir was given the reign of Novgorod, where he grew up under the supervision of his uncle Dobrynya, a rude pagan. Soon, as a result of internecine wars, Vladimir reigned in Kyiv. Having established himself in the glorious city with the aim of better centralizing power and consolidating the Slavic tribes, he decides to establish unity of faith in Rus' and in the course of a long search (Vladimir himself talked about faith with representatives of various religions who were at the princely court, and repeatedly sent his proxies to see , so to speak, “faith on the ground”) is inclined to accept Christianity. Having accepted his own baptism, the holy prince subsequently called on his boyars to accept Christianity, as a result of which in 988, in the waters of the Pochayna River (a tributary of the Dnieper), the Sacrament of Baptism was performed on the ancient people of Kiev.

Blessed Princes Boris and Gleb

One of the first saints of God, canonized by our Church, are the holy brothers - the noble princes Boris and Gleb, the sons of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. They were canonized as passion-bearers, since they accepted a violent death, however, not for the name of Christ, but due to the political ambitions of their brother Svyatopolk, who wanted to concentrate the grand-ducal power in his hands. Saints Boris and Gleb are examples of the true love of Christ: knowing that their brother wanted to kill them, they could gather troops to resist, however, not wanting anyone else’s blood to be shed in internecine wars, they decided to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the benefits of the fatherland.

Venerable Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk

The saints about whom I would like to say especially are the Monks Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk. They are the “chiefs” of ascetic life in Rus'. Thus, the Monk Anthony, having become the first Russian monk, brought the monastic Rule from Holy Mount Athos, where he labored for a very long time. The Monk Theodosius is the founder of a more organized, so to speak, cenobitic monasticism in Rus'. It was he who founded the very first monastery in our lands (now the great Holy Dormition Lavra), from which monasticism spread throughout Rus' and which became a model for a huge number of monastic communities.

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The list of God-pleasers is inexhaustible. Truly, the great saints of the Christian religion bore their cross to the end, and therefore they became revered among all believers and become an example of how to serve their Almighty. Each of the righteous has his own divine image. That is, this term is a designation of the category to which the saint was assigned at the time of his canonization. You can find out in more detail what the heavenly church hierarchy is, as well as how many saints there are in the Russian Orthodox Church and brief information about them, from our article.

Holy Wonderworkers of the Orthodox Church

Glorifying the righteous, the Church in her prayer hymns gives them various greatnesses, which are given according to the image of their earthly life, rank, title, any accomplished feats and, finally, the type of their life outcome, why in the Orthodox calendar, as well as in liturgical scriptures, Russian saints The Orthodox Church is divided into ranks and hosts, namely:

Prophets are the saints of the Old Testament Scriptures who were chosen by the Almighty to prepare the Christian people to accept the Lord God and those who were endowed with the gift of foreseeing the future.
The apostles are the best followers of the King of Heaven, some of whom are among the 12 close associates, and the rest among the 70 of his disciples.
Forefathers are the pious men of the Old Testament, who in the flesh were the ancestors of Our Savior.
Reverends (wives and husbands) are righteous from the monastic (monastic) order.
Great martyrs or martyrs are those saints who accepted martyrdom for their faith in the Savior. Those who were martyred while in the rank of clergyman or bishop are called holy martyrs, and those who suffered in monasticism (monasticism) are called venerable martyrs.
The blessed are the pious, who, according to God's legend, were fools for Christ's sake and travelers who did not have a permanent refuge. Such people received God's mercy for their obedience.
Enlighteners and Equal to the Apostles are called righteous people who, after the apostolic times, with their instructions led nations and even entire states to the Most High.
The righteous and unmercenary are those who please God, who, while living a worldly life and without removing both social and family obligations, have pleased the King of Heaven.
Passion-bearers and confessors are pious who endured torment, persecution and imprisonment for their faith in the Savior, but suffered their death in the world.

The most revered saints in the Orthodox Church

Virtuous and humble Christians were canonized by the Orthodox Church, setting an example of morality, who, after completing their earthly life, are in the heavenly kingdom and cry out in prayer to the Savior for all sinful people now living on earth.

All saints of the Orthodox Church (list of the most famous):

Spyridon of Trimifuntsky was born on the island of Cyprus in the village of Askia, approximately in 270. He spent his righteous and pure life pleasing to God in obedience and humility, healing incurable illnesses and spending all his small income on helping the poor and the traveler. The saint died in 348 on December 12 (December 25), and his relics were placed in the city of Kerkyra in the local cathedral (Corfu Island, Ionian Sea). is found in every believer’s home so that the saint protects and bestows the grace of God.
Blessed Matrona. It is generally accepted that the Almighty chose the benefactress to serve even before her birth, which occurred in 1881 in the Tula province, Epifanovsky district in the village of Sebino. Throughout her life, she bore a heavy cross, while showing patience, remembrance and humility. The righteous woman departed into another world in 1952 on the 19th of April (May 2). To this day, many believers cry out for all kinds of needs.
Nikolai Ugodnik. One of the most revered righteous people by the Orthodox Church. Born around 270 in the Roman province of Lycia (Greek colony of Patara). During his lifetime, the Wonderworker gained fame as an intercessor and pacifier, and those who were falsely convicted quite often found their salvation in him. Nikolai Ugodnik died in 345 on December 6 (19).

Here are more names of saints of the Orthodox Church who were awarded canonization by their way of life:

Seraphim of Sarov. Born in Kursk, Belgorod province in 1754, July 19 (30), into a fairly wealthy family. The righteous man was the founder and constant patron of the Diveyevo convent and enjoyed boundless respect among the worldly people. The saint departed into another world on January 2 (14), 1833, and his relics rest in the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery.
Ksenia Petersburgskaya. The exact date of birth of the righteous woman is not known for certain, but it is believed that she was born in St. Petersburg between 1719-1730. After the early death of her husband, the blessed one chose the difficult path of foolishness, responding only to her husband’s name until her death . The day of remembrance of the saint falls on January 24 (February 6).

Chronological list of saints of the Russian Orthodox Church of the 19th century

The Lord is always with you!

Why read the lives of saints? What is the benefit of this for a believer? Can an ordinary mortal, or even more so a terrible criminal, achieve holiness? In this article we will give answers to these and other interesting questions and point out at least five reasons to be interested in the biographies of the righteous.

The main reasons to read biographies of the righteous

Surely at least once in your life you have encountered people whom you aspired to be like. You liked their thoughts, words, actions, behavior. Perhaps you learned some important lessons from their life experiences.

These people could be your contemporaries and even acquaintances or relatives. Perhaps they lived many centuries before you and you read about their biography in a book. But the main thing is that these people changed you or your attitude towards certain issues.

Many such people who influence our lives can be found among the saints. They inspire us, motivate us, help us answer difficult questions and get to the root of our sins. We invite you to familiarize yourself with five arguments in favor of reading the lives of saints. The only caution is to read trusted sources and wisely inherit those righteous people whose lifestyle suits you most. If you are a worldly person, then the experience of hesychast monks - no matter how attractive it may seem - who lived in solitude and complete silence, is unlikely to be useful to you.

1. Motivation for sinners, or becoming saints

Today, many people rally around charismatic, motivating personalities. On the one hand, they are the same as us, but on the other, they are completely different. They not only have certain talents, but also regularly work to improve them.

Saints constantly work on themselves, step by step rising higher and higher on the spiritual ladder. At the start, they are people just like us, with sinful weaknesses. Moreover, some even managed to fall into the most difficult situations. They worked hard to get up.

Remember the classic examples - the lives of the saints the Apostle Paul (formerly the persecutor of Christians Saul), Mary of Egypt (harlot), Cyprian of Carthage (the most powerful sorcerer).

But sincere repentance, the sculptor of our spiritual life, works miracles. It turns an ugly piece of marble into a beautiful figure.

What does a sculptor's work look like? First, the master makes only a general outline, and then cuts off everything unnecessary. One wrong step and the sculpture will no longer be as intended. It’s the same with a person: take a step to the left and you’ve already lost your way. But it's never too late to go back. With scratches or scars on half the face, but to return. Just as the father accepted the prodigal son, so the Heavenly Father is ready to accept each of us in response to sincere repentance.

2. The Lives of the Saints are the Revealed Gospel

The biography of the righteous helps us see how we can fulfill the commandments of Christ and live according to the Gospel. Seraphim of Sarov said: “Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved.” The example of one sincere Christian influences the life and behavior of others more than thousands of words and dozens of moral conversations.

3. Lives of saints - tips for spiritual life

For example, the Monk Paisius the Holy Mountain gives advice to those suffering from gluttony. Some of them will be useful to many people, but not all of them are recommendations. Therefore, be careful and compare your experience with the spiritual level and living conditions of the monk. If Elder Paisios ate only cabbage for 18 years, this does not mean that you can perform the same feat without harm to your health. As priest Alexy Esipov advises, learn to read between the lines.

Pay attention to the general example that certain righteous people set for Christians.

The life of the Great Martyr Catherine describes how she came to Christ and conveys the experience of sincere prayer.

Job Pochaevsky shows by his example how to stand firmly in faith and not succumb to the sinful spirit of the times.

Nicholas the Wonderworker gives us a lesson in mercy and helping those in need.

There are many such examples. And each of them is valuable in its own way.

4. By reading the lives of saints, we gain more helpers in spiritual life

How to contact a saint you know nothing about? Almost the same as talking to a stranger on the street. But when you start talking with this passer-by, learn about his life, become imbued with his problems and concerns, and rejoice at his success, then your communication will reach a completely different level.

So it is with the saints. The more we know about them, the more familiar they seem to us. We begin to contact them and receive answers to our requests.

5. The Lives of Saints Expand Our Worldview

The canonized righteous man is a real person, not a fictional character. He lived in a certain era with its own morals and tendencies. When we come into contact with the life of this person, we get a taste of the time in which he lived.

If this is a biography of the Great Martyr Panteleimon or the Great Martyr Barbara, then we will learn about terrible trials for Christians in a pagan country.

When we read information about Sergius of Radonezh, we always talk about the Battle of Kulikovo.

The life of Ambrose Optinsky is intertwined with facts from the biography of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy.

If we read about the new Russian martyrs, we remember the bloody terror and the Soviet regime.

Together with the biography of John of Shanghai, we will learn about foreign policy relations, the disasters of emigrants, and the Russian Orthodox Church abroad.

The lives of the saints are a story told through the prism of the biography of one person.

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

How was created hagiography literature

The study of Russian holiness in its history and its religious phenomenology has always been relevant. Today, the study of hagiographic literature is managed by a separate direction in philology, called hagiography . It should be noted that hagiographic literature for medieval Russian people was not just a relevant type of reading, but a cultural and religious component of his life.

The lives of saints are essentially biographies of clergy and secular persons glorified for veneration by the Christian Church or its individual communities. From the first days of its existence, the Christian Church carefully collected information about the life and activities of its ascetics and communicated it to its children as an edifying example.

The lives of saints constitute perhaps the most extensive section of Christian literature. They were the favorite reading of our ancestors. Many monks and even laymen were engaged in rewriting lives; richer people ordered hagiographic collections for themselves. Since the 16th century, in connection with the growth of Moscow national consciousness, collections of purely Russian lives have appeared.

Eg, Metropolitan Macarius under Tsar John IV, he created a whole staff of scribes and clerks, who for more than twenty years accumulated ancient Russian writing into an extensive literary collection Great Fours. In it, the Lives of the saints took pride of place. In ancient times, in general, reading hagiographic literature was treated, one might say, with the same reverence as reading the Holy Scriptures.

Over the centuries of its existence, Russian hagiography has gone through different forms and known different styles. The lives of the first Russian saints are works " The Legend of Boris and Gleb", lives Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Princess Olga, Theodosius of Pechersk, abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, and others. Among the best writers of Ancient Rus' who devoted their pen to glorifying saints, Nestor the Chronicler, Epiphanius the Wise and Pachomius Logothete stand out. The first Lives of the Saints were tales of martyrs.

Even Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome, during the first persecution of Christianity, appointed seven notaries in various districts of Rome to daily record what happened to Christians in places of execution, as well as in prisons and courts. Despite the fact that the pagan government threatened the recorders with the death penalty, recordings continued throughout the persecution of Christianity.

In the pre-Mongol period, the Russian church had a complete set of menaia, prologues and synoxarions corresponding to the liturgical circle. Patericons—special collections of the lives of saints—were of great importance in Russian literature.

Finally, the last common source for the memory of the saints of the Church is calendars and month books. The origin of calendars dates back to the very first times of the Church. From the testimony of Asterius of Amasia it is clear that in the 4th century. they were so complete that they contained names for all the days of the year.

From the beginning of the 15th century, Epiphanius and the Serb Pachomius created a new school in northern Rus' - a school of artificially decorated, extensive life. This is how a stable literary canon is created, a magnificent “weaving of words”, which Russian scribes strive to imitate until the end of the 17th century. In the era of Metropolitan Macarius, when many ancient inexperienced hagiographic records were being redone, the works of Pachomius were included in the Chetii-Minea intact. The vast majority of these hagiographic monuments are strictly dependent on their samples.

There are lives almost entirely copied from the ancients; others use established literary etiquette, refraining from providing precise biographical information. This is what hagiographers involuntarily do, separated from the saint by a long period of time - sometimes centuries, when the popular tradition dries up. But here, too, the general law of the hagiographic style, similar to the law of icon painting, operates. It demands the subordination of the particular to the general, the dissolution of the human face in the heavenly glorified face.

Valuable That, What modern?

Currently, classical hagiographic literature is fading into the background. In its place are news feeds, social networks, and, at best, reports from printed church media. The question arises: have we chosen the right path for church information life? Is it true that we only occasionally remember the exploits of famous saints, but pay more attention to the events of our day - high-profile, but forgotten tomorrow?

Not only lives, but also other ancient literary monuments are of less and less interest to Christians. Moreover, in the Old Believers this problem is felt more acutely than even in the Russian Orthodox Church. There is a lot of hagiographic literature on the shelves of bookstores of the Moscow Patriarchate, just have time to purchase and read. Some Old Believers express the idea that everything can be bought there. Their bookstores are overflowing with a variety of church literature, biographies of Sergius of Radonezh, Stephen of Perm, Dionysius of Radonezh and many others.

But are we really so weak that we ourselves cannot (or do not want) to publish a collection of lives or publish a brief overview of the life of this or that saint in the parish newspaper? Moreover, literary monuments published in non-Orthodox church publishing houses are replete with inaccuracies in translations, and sometimes with deliberate historical or theological falsifications. For example, today it is not difficult to stumble upon the publication of Domostroy, where in the chapter on church customs all ancient customs are replaced with modern ones.

Now the periodicals of the Old Believers are filled with news materials, but there is practically no educational information there. And if there is no such thing, then people will not have sufficient knowledge. And it is not surprising that many traditions are forgotten, once most important names, symbols and images are erased from memory.

It is no coincidence that, for example, in the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church and other Old Believer accords there is not a single temple dedicated to holy noble princes Boris and Gleb. Although these princes were the most revered Russian saints before the church schism, today, except for an entry in the calendar and a rare service (and then if the day of remembrance falls on a Sunday), they are not venerated in any way. What then can we say about other, less famous saints? They are completely forgotten.

Therefore, we must do everything possible for spiritual enlightenment. Hagiographic literature is a faithful assistant in this matter. Even a five-minute reading of the Life sets a person up for a good time and strengthens him in faith.

By publishing, even if abbreviated, the Lives of saints, teachings, sermons, possibly collections of church rules, apologetics, we will thereby help a person learn more about his faith. This can save many believers from superstitions, false rumors and dubious customs, including those borrowed from heterodox confessions, which are quickly spreading and turning into a “new church tradition.” If even older, experienced people often become hostage to ideas received from dubious sources, then young people can even faster become victims of harmful information.

There is a request for ancient literary works, including the Lives of Saints. For example, parishioners of the Rzhev Church in the name of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos have repeatedly expressed the opinion that they would like to see interesting hagiographic stories about local, Tver saints in the parish newspaper “Pokrovsky Vestnik”. Perhaps other Old Believer publications should think about this as well.

Coming back To Old Russian traditions enlightenment

Today, many Old Believer authors and journalists consider it important to publish hagiographic literature, reviving the reader’s sense of respect for the names of ancient ascetics. They raise the question of the need for more educational work within the Old Believers themselves.

Anna Kuznetsova - journalist, member JV Russia, teacher additional education V G. Rzhev

It is not only possible, but also necessary, to publish the lives of saints, only in a convenient and not very expensive format. We have saints who were canonized after the schism of the 17th century. But for the most part, people remember only Archpriest Avvakum and Boyarina Morozova, and therefore associate only them with the Old Faith.

And judging by the way our leading hagiographers are engaged in research on these issues about people who lived one and a half to two centuries ago, it turns out that we are “behind” by just two centuries. In this sense, there is no clear book church policy, because apart from the archpriest and the “victims like him” we don’t know anyone...

Dmitry Aleksandrovich Urushev - historian, member of the Union of Journalists of Russia

The Apostle Paul writes: “Remember your teachers, who spoke the word of God to you; as they look to the end of their lives, imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7).

Christians must honor their mentors - saints of God, and imitate their faith and life. Therefore, from ancient times the Orthodox Church established the veneration of saints, devoting every day of the year to one or another righteous person - a martyr, ascetic, apostle, saint or prophet.

Just as a loving mother takes care of her children, so the Church took care of her children, for their benefit and edification by recording the lives of the saints in the book Prologue. This book consists of four volumes - one for each season. In the Prologue, short lives are arranged day by day; in addition, one or more teachings of the holy fathers are given for each day. A more extensive collection of lives and teachings is called the Four Menaions and consists of twelve menaia - monthly volumes.

Bulky Chet'i-Minei are rare and hard-to-find books. The compact Prologue, on the contrary, was very popular in Ancient Rus'. It was often rewritten and published several times. Previously, Old Believers also read the Prologue with pleasure, receiving great benefit and true instruction in a righteous life.

Reading the lives of the saints of God and soul-helping teachings, Christians of the past had before them the example of holy martyrs and ascetics, they were always ready to courageously stand for Orthodoxy and piety, they were ready to fearlessly confess their faith before the enemies of the Church, without fear of executions and torture.

But the Prologue is written in Old Church Slavonic. And during the years of Soviet power, its knowledge among Christians decreased significantly, and the circle of reading Slavic books itself narrowed exclusively to liturgical books. Now the sad fact noted by V.G. has become obvious. Belinsky back in the middle of the 19th century: “Slavic and ancient books in general can be a subject of study, but not at all of pleasure; they can only be dealt with by learned people, not by society.”

What to do? Alas, we will have to put on the shelf the Prologue, the Chetii-Minea and other soulful reading in Old Church Slavonic. Let's be realistic, now only a few experts can delve into this ancient source of wisdom and draw the water of life from it. The average parishioner is deprived of this pleasure. But we cannot allow modernity to rob and impoverish it!

It is impossible to force all Christians to study the language of ancient Russian literature. Therefore, instead of Old Church Slavonic books, books in Russian should appear. Of course, creating a complete translation of the Prologue is a difficult and time-consuming task. Yes, probably unnecessary. After all, since the middle of the 17th century, since the schism, new saints appeared in the Church, new teachings were written. But they are not reflected in the printed Prologue. We must work to create a new body of soul-helping reading for Christians.

This will no longer be the Prologue and the Cheti-Minea. These will be new essays, written simply and entertainingly, designed for the widest audience. Let’s say this will be a selection of educational literature, including publicly available books about the Holy Scriptures, church history, Christian theology, the lives of saints, textbooks on Orthodox worship and the Old Church Slavonic language.

These are the publications that should be on the bookshelf in the home of every Old Believer. For many they will be the first step on the ladder of the wisdom of God. Then, by reading more complex books, a Christian will be able to rise higher and grow spiritually. After all, to be honest, many Old Believers do not understand anything about their old faith.

I was unpleasantly surprised when I encountered this phenomenon: a person lives a Christian life, prays and fasts, regularly attends services, but knows nothing about the teachings of the Church and its history. Meanwhile, Soviet times, when to go to church it was enough that “my grandmother went there,” are a thing of the past. New times ask us new questions and require new answers about our faith.

What can we answer when we don’t know anything? Therefore, we must not forget that Christianity has always been based on books. Without them, our faith and history seem inexplicable.

Holiness is a purity of heart that seeks the uncreated divine energy manifested in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as many colored rays in the solar spectrum. Pious ascetics are the link between the earthly world and the heavenly Kingdom. Imbued with the light of divine grace, they, through God-contemplation and God-communication, learn the highest spiritual secrets. In earthly life, saints, performing the feat of self-denial for the sake of the Lord, receive the highest grace of divine Revelation. According to biblical teaching, holiness is the likening of a person to God, who is the only bearer of all-perfect life and its unique source.

The church procedure for canonizing a righteous person is called canonization. She encourages believers to honor a recognized saint in public worship. As a rule, ecclesiastical recognition of piety is preceded by popular glory and veneration, but it was the act of canonization that made it possible to glorify saints by creating icons, writing lives, and compiling prayers and church services. The reason for official canonization can be the feat of a righteous person, the incredible deeds he has performed, his entire life or martyrdom. And after death, a person can be recognized as a saint because of the incorruption of his relics, or miracles of healing occurring at his remains.

In the event that a saint is venerated within one church, city or monastery, they speak of diocesan, local canonization.

The official church also recognizes the existence of unknown saints, the confirmation of whose piety is not yet known to the entire Christian flock. They are called revered departed righteous people and requiem services are served for them, while prayer services are served for canonized saints.

That is why the names of Russian saints, who are revered in one diocese, may differ and be unknown to parishioners of another city.

Who was canonized in Rus'

Long-suffering Rus' gave birth to more than a thousand martyrs and martyrs. All the names of the holy people of the Russian land who were canonized are included in the calendar, or calendar. The right to solemnly canonize the righteous initially belonged to the Kyiv, and later Moscow, metropolitans. The first canonizations were preceded by the exhumation of the remains of the righteous so that they could perform a miracle. In the 11th-16th centuries, the burials of princes Boris and Gleb, Princess Olga, and Theodosius of Pechersk were discovered.

From the second half of the 16th century, under Metropolitan Macarius, the right to canonize saints passed to church councils under the high priest. The unquestioned authority of the Orthodox Church, which had existed in Rus' for 600 years by that time, was confirmed by numerous Russian saints. The list of names of the righteous glorified by the Macarius Councils was replenished with the naming of saints by 39 pious Christians.

Byzantine rules of canonization

In the 17th century, the Russian Orthodox Church succumbed to the influence of the ancient Byzantine rules for canonization. During this period, mainly clergy were canonized because they had church rank. Missionaries carrying the faith and associates in the construction of new churches and monasteries also deserved to be counted. And the need to create miracles has lost its relevance. Thus, 150 righteous people were canonized, mainly from among the monks and high clergy, and the Saints added new names to Russian Orthodox saints.

Weakening church influence

In the 18th and 19th centuries, only the Holy Synod had the right to canonize. This period is characterized by a decrease in the activity of the church and a weakening of its influence on social processes. Before Nicholas II ascended the throne, only four canonizations took place. During the short period of the reign of the Romanovs, seven more Christians were canonized, and the calendar added new names of Russian saints.

By the beginning of the 20th century, generally recognized and locally revered Russian saints were included in the month-speaking books, the list of whose names was supplemented by the list of deceased Orthodox Christians for whom memorial services were performed.

Modern canonizations

The beginning of the modern period in the history of canonizations carried out by the Russian Orthodox Church can be considered the Local Council held in 1917-18, by which the universally revered Russian saints Sophrony of Irkutsk and Joseph of Astrakhan were canonized. Then, in the 1970s, three more clergy were canonized - Herman of Alaska, Archbishop of Japan and Metropolitan Innocent of Moscow and Kolomna.

In the year of the millennium of the baptism of Rus', new canonizations took place, where Xenia of Petersburg, Dmitry Donskoy and other, no less famous, Orthodox Russian saints were recognized as pious.

In 2000, the anniversary Council of Bishops took place, at which Emperor Nicholas II and members of the Romanov royal family were canonized “as passion-bearers.”

First canonization of the Russian Orthodox Church

The names of the first Russian saints, who were canonized by Metropolitan John in the 11th century, became a kind of symbol of the true faith of the newly baptized people, their full acceptance of Orthodox norms. Princes Boris and Gleb, sons of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, after canonization became the first heavenly protectors of Russian Christians. Boris and Gleb were killed by their brother in the internecine struggle for the throne of Kyiv in 1015. Knowing about the impending assassination attempt, they accepted death with Christian humility for the sake of autocracy and peace of their people.

The veneration of princes was widespread even before their holiness was recognized by the official church. After canonization, the relics of the brothers were found incorrupt and showed miracles of healing to the ancient Russian people. And the new princes ascending the throne made pilgrimages to the holy relics in search of blessings for a just reign and help in military exploits. The Memorial Day of Saints Boris and Gleb is celebrated on July 24.

Formation of the Russian Holy Brotherhood

Next after princes Boris and Gleb, the Monk Theodosius of Pechersk was canonized. The second solemn canonization carried out by the Russian Church took place in 1108. The Monk Theodosius is considered the father of Russian monasticism and the founder, together with his mentor Anthony, of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery. The teacher and student showed two different paths of monastic obedience: one is severe asceticism, renunciation of everything worldly, the other is humility and creativity for the glory of God.

In the caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, bearing the names of the founders, rest the relics of 118 novices of this monastery, who lived before and after the Tatar-Mongol yoke. They were all canonized in 1643, making up a common service, and in 1762 the names of Russian saints were included in the calendar.

Venerable Abraham of Smolensk

Very little is known about the righteous people of the pre-Mongol period. Abraham of Smolensk, one of the few saints of that time, about whom a detailed biography, compiled by his student, has been preserved. Abraham was revered for a long time in his hometown even before his canonization by the Makarievsky Cathedral in 1549. Having distributed to the needy all his property left after the death of his rich parents, the thirteenth child, the only son begged from the Lord after twelve daughters, Abraham lived in poverty, praying for salvation during the Last Judgment. Having become a monk, he copied church books and painted icons. The Monk Abraham is credited with saving Smolensk from a great drought.

The most famous names of saints of the Russian land

Along with the above-mentioned princes Boris and Gleb, unique symbols of Russian Orthodoxy, there are no less significant names of Russian saints who became intercessors of the entire people through their contribution to the participation of the church in public life.

After liberation from the Mongol-Tatar influence, Russian monasticism saw its goal as the enlightenment of pagan peoples, as well as the construction of new monasteries and temples in the uninhabited northeastern lands. The most prominent figure of this movement was St. Sergius of Radonezh. For godly solitude, he built a cell on Makovets Hill, where the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius was later erected. Gradually, the righteous began to join Sergius, inspired by his teaching, which led to the formation of a monastic monastery, living on the fruits of their hands, and not on the alms of believers. Sergius himself worked in the garden, setting an example for his brothers. The disciples of Sergius of Radonezh built about 40 monasteries throughout Rus'.

St. Sergius of Radonezh carried the idea of godly humility not only to ordinary people, but also to the ruling elite. As a skilled politician, he contributed to the unification of the Russian principalities, convincing the rulers of the need to unite dynasties and disparate lands.

Dmitry Donskoy

Sergius of Radonezh was greatly revered by the Russian prince, canonized, Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy. It was St. Sergius who blessed the army for the Battle of Kulikovo, started by Dmitry Donskoy, and sent two of his novices for God’s support.

Having become a prince in early childhood, Dmitry in state affairs listened to the advice of Metropolitan Alexy, who cared for the unification of the Russian principalities around Moscow. This process did not always go smoothly. Sometimes by force, and sometimes by marriage (to a Suzdal princess), Dmitry Ivanovich annexed the surrounding lands to Moscow, where he built the first Kremlin.

It was Dmitry Donskoy who became the founder of a political movement that aimed to unite the Russian principalities around Moscow to create a powerful state with political (from the khans of the Golden Horde) and ideological (from the Byzantine Church) independence. In 2002, in memory of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy and St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Order “For Service to the Fatherland” was established, fully emphasizing the depth of influence of these historical figures on the formation of Russian statehood. These Russian holy people cared for the well-being, independence and tranquility of their great people.

Faces (ranks) of Russian saints

All the saints of the Universal Church are summarized into nine faces or ranks: prophets, apostles, saints, great martyrs, holy martyrs, venerable martyrs, confessors, unmercenaries, holy fools and blessed ones.

The Orthodox Church of Russia divides saints into faces differently. Russian holy people, due to historical circumstances, are divided into the following ranks:

Princes. The first righteous people recognized as saints by the Russian Church were princes Boris and Gleb. Their feat consisted of self-sacrifice for the sake of the peace of the Russian people. This behavior became an example for all rulers of the time of Yaroslav the Wise, when the power in whose name the prince made a sacrifice was recognized as true. This rank is divided into Equal-to-the-Apostles (spreaders of Christianity - Princess Olga, her grandson Vladimir, who baptized Rus'), monks (princes who became monks) and passion-bearers (victims of civil strife, assassination attempts, murders for the faith).

Reverends. This is the name given to saints who chose monastic obedience during their lifetime (Theodosius and Anthony of Pechersk, Sergius of Radonezh, Joseph of Volotsky, Seraphim of Sarov).

Saints- righteous people with church rank, who based their ministry on the defense of the purity of faith, the spread of Christian teaching, and the founding of churches (Niphon of Novgorod, Stefan of Perm).

Fools (blessed)- saints who wore the appearance of madness during their lives, rejecting worldly values. A very numerous rank of Russian righteous people, replenished mainly by monks who considered monastic obedience insufficient. They left the monastery, going out in rags onto the streets of cities and enduring all the hardships (St. Basil, St. Isaac the Recluse, Simeon of Palestine, Xenia of Petersburg).

Holy laymen and women. This rank unites murdered babies recognized as saints, laymen who renounced wealth, righteous people who were distinguished by their boundless love for people (Yuliania Lazarevskaya, Artemy Verkolsky).

Lives of Russian saints

The Lives of Saints is a literary work containing historical, biographical and everyday information about a righteous person canonized by the church. Lives are one of the oldest literary genres. Depending on the time and country of writing, these treatises were created in the form of biography, encomium (praise), martyrium (testimony), and patericon. The style of writing lives in the Byzantine, Roman and Western church cultures differed significantly. Back in the 4th century, the Church began to unite saints and their biographies into vaults that looked like a calendar indicating the day of remembrance of the pious.

In Rus', lives appear along with the adoption of Christianity from Byzantium in Bulgarian and Serbian translations, combined into collections for reading by month - monthly books and menaions.

Already in the 11th century, a laudatory biography of princes Boris and Gleb appeared, where the unknown author of the life was Russian. The names of saints are recognized by the church and added to the monthly calendar. In the 12th and 13th centuries, along with the monastic desire to enlighten the northeast of Rus', the number of biographical works also grew. Russian authors wrote the lives of Russian saints for reading during the Divine Liturgy. The names, the list of which was recognized by the church for glorification, now received a historical figure, and holy deeds and miracles were enshrined in a literary monument.

In the 15th century there was a change in the style of writing lives. The authors began to pay the main attention not to factual data, but to skillful mastery of artistic expression, the beauty of literary language, and the ability to select many impressive comparisons. Skillful scribes of that period became known. For example, Epiphanius the Wise, who wrote vivid lives of Russian saints, whose names were most famous among the people - Stephen of Perm and Sergius of Radonezh.

Many hagiographies are considered a source of information about important historical events. From the biography of Alexander Nevsky you can learn about political relations with the Horde. The lives of Boris and Gleb tell of princely civil strife before the unification of Rus'. The creation of a literary and church biographical work largely determined which names of Russian saints, their exploits and virtues, would become best known to a wide circle of believers.