1. Explain the concept.
Law enforcement- a separate group, mainly of state bodies, authorized to carry out activities to protect law and order and the rule of law, protect human rights and freedoms (law enforcement activities).
2. Based on the text of the textbook, reveal the content of Article 120 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation: “1. Judges are independent and subject only to the Constitution Russian Federation and federal law."
The main guide to action for judges should be the Constitution, followed by federal and local laws. The judiciary is a separate branch of government, independent of either the legislative or the executive. Court decisions are binding on both legislators (Federal Assembly) and executors (the president and down the ladder, although in our country the president somehow rises above all three authorities). The courts are subject exclusively to the laws and decisions of the courts of higher instances, which have the right to give explanations to the courts of the first and second instances regarding the rules for applying certain rules of law in judicial practice.
3. Match law enforcement agencies with the tasks they are called upon to perform: for each position given in the first column, select the corresponding position from the second column.
Write the numbers under the corresponding letters in the table.
4. Read a fragment of the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Police” and complete the tasks.
Article 21. Use of special means
1. A police officer has the right, personally or as part of a unit (group), to use special means in the following cases:
1) to repel an attack on a citizen or police officer;
2) to suppress a crime or administrative offense;
3) to suppress resistance to a police officer;
4) to detain a person caught committing a crime and trying to escape;
5) to detain a person if this person can offer armed resistance;
6) for delivery to the police, escort and protection of detained persons, persons in custody, subject to administrative punishment in the form of administrative arrest, as well as for the purpose of suppressing an escape attempt, if a person resists a police officer, causes harm to others or himself;
7) for the release of forcibly detained persons, seized buildings, premises, structures, vehicles and land plots;
8) to suppress mass riots and other illegal actions that disrupt traffic, the operation of communications and organizations;
9) to stop a vehicle whose driver has not complied with a police officer’s request to stop;
10) to identify persons who commit or have committed crimes or administrative offenses;
11) to protect protected objects, block the movement of groups of citizens committing illegal actions.
2. A police officer has the right to use the following special means:
1) special sticks" - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 1 - 5, 7, 8 and 11 of part 1 of this article;
2) special gas means - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 1 - 5, 7 and 8 of part 1 of this article;
3) means of restricting mobility - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 3, 4 and 6 of part 1 of this article. In the absence of means of restricting mobility, a police officer has the right to use improvised means of restraint;
4) special coloring and marking agents - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 10 and 11 of part 1 of this article;
5) electric shock devices - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 1 - 5, 7 and 8 of part 1 of this article;
6) light-shock devices - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 1 - 5, 7 and 8 of part 1 of this article;
7) service animals - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 1 - 7, 10 and 11 of part 1 of this article;
8) special lighting and acoustic means - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 5, 7, 8 and 11 of part 1 of this article;
9) means of forcibly stopping transport - in cases provided for in paragraphs 9 and 11 of part 1 of this article;
10) means of restricting movement - in cases provided for in paragraphs 1 - 5 of part 1 of this article;
11) water cannons - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 7, 8 and 11 of part 1 of this article;
12) armored vehicles - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 5, 7, 8 and 11 of part 1 of this article;
13) means of protecting protected objects (territories), blocking the movement of groups of citizens committing illegal actions - in cases provided for in paragraph 11 of part 1 of this article;
14) means of destroying barriers - in the cases provided for in paragraphs 5 and 7 of part 1 of this article.
3. A police officer has the right to use special means in all cases where this Federal Law permits the use of firearms.
Fill out the table.
| Situation | Special means used |
| Repelling an attack on a citizen or police officer | |
| Suppression of resistance to a police officer | special sticks, gas agents, electroshock devices, mobility restraints |
| Detention of a person caught committing a crime and trying to escape | special sticks, gas agents, electroshock devices |
| Detention of a person if this person can offer armed resistance | special sticks, gas means |
| Delivery to the police, escort and protection of detained persons | mobility restraints |
| Suppression of riots and other illegal actions that disrupt traffic, communications and organizations | special sticks, gas agents, electroshock devices |
| Stopping a vehicle whose driver did not comply with a police officer’s request to stop | means of forced stop of transport |
| Identification of persons who commit or have committed crimes or administrative offenses | special coloring and marking agents, service animals |
5. A group of teenagers allowed themselves to make offensive remarks towards a passing police officer. In response, he used a rubber truncheon against them without warning. Are the actions of the policeman legal?
Of course not. The police officer's actions are unlawful. First, it was necessary to talk to the teenagers, since violence and beating are prohibited. Moreover, a police officer would never allow himself to do this.
6. Below is a list of organizations. All of them, with the exception of two, belong to law enforcement agencies.
1) Police; 2) customs; 3) Committee of Soldiers' Mothers; 4) Association of Veterans of Law Enforcement Agencies; 5) Federal Security Service; 6) prosecutor's office.
Find and circle the numbers under which the organizations that fall out of this series are indicated.
These organizations do not belong to law enforcement agencies, but are public organizations.
7. Expand the meaning of the presumption of innocence as one of the principles of justice.
Presumption of innocence- one of fundamental principles criminal proceedings, which consists in the fact that the accused is considered innocent until his guilt in the crime committed is proven in the manner prescribed by Federal Law and established by a court verdict that has entered into legal force. The basic principle of the presumption of innocence is: “The accused is innocent until proven guilty.”
In accordance with the principle of the presumption of innocence, everyone accused of committing a crime is considered innocent until his guilt is proven in the manner prescribed by law and established by a court verdict that has entered into legal force (Article 49 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Part 1 of Article 14 of the Code of Criminal Procedure).
Prepared by:social studies teacher
at MBOU Secondary School No. 17, Derbent
Abumislimova Dilara Gadzhimagomedovna.
Public lesson in social studies in grade 7A
Topic: Who is upholding the law?
The purpose of the lesson :
to form in students general idea about law and order, about the rights and responsibilities of citizens, about law enforcement agencies of the state.
Lesson objectives:
Educational:
Comprehension, generalization and consolidation of acquired knowledge; developing the ability to think critically, highlight the main thing, solve problematic tasks, prove your point of view; work with documents, participate in discussions, develop skills in the civilized defense of one’s rights.
Educational:
the formation of a political culture in children, a respectful attitude towards the law and the rights of other people, the development of students’ communicative competencies through work in pairs and groups.
Developmental:
to teach to highlight the main, essential things in the material being studied, to apply this knowledge in practice (competence formation)
Basic Concepts : law, law and order, law, law enforcement agencies.
Lesson tools: materials from the textbook L.N. Bogolyubov “Social studies” 7th grade, paragraph 7, Constitution of the Russian Federation, Handout, social science dictionary.
Lesson type– combined
Technology– pedagogy of cooperation
During the classes
Organizational moment (5 min.)
Introductory conversation:
Good afternoon dear guests, good afternoon guys! Look around: how many different people have gathered in this office today. We are all so different: eye color, hair color, age, interests. - But we have a lot in common. What do you think exactly? (children's answers)
We are all people, we are citizens of Russia, and we are all endowed with equal rights and responsibilities. There are many responsibilities given on the board, you need to choose the right responsibilities that are enshrined in the laws.
2. Updating knowledge (7 min.)
Guys, now let's talk about rights. What types of rights do you and I have? (children's answers)
What documents define our rights and responsibilities? (children's answers)
Guys, have you read the story by Vladimir Zheleznikov, which talks about simple relationships in school and extracurricular life. This book was made into a movie that talks about difficult situations in the classroom. Have you guessed what story I'm talking about now? (children's answers)
Guys, pay attention to the screen, be careful, you need to watch a fragment of the film “Scarecrow” and tell me what rights were violated?
What human rights were violated in this passage? (children's answers) They called her names, called her bad words.
The right to personal integrity and human dignity.
Unfortunately, child cruelty exists in our society, and often it leads to very serious crimes, when a person violates the rights of another person, then legal liability arises. A person is responsible in accordance with the law for the offense committed. The main character of the film and her grandfather did not seek help. The film shows moral court-court conscience. And in social studies lessons we tell you that in this case human rights were violated.
Guys, please tell me what is the name of people’s behavior that violates rules and laws? (children's answers) - What authorities could the heroine of the film contact to defend her rights? (children's answers)
It is very difficult for a person to fight such behavior, so the state has created special structures that are responsible for the rule of law and the preservation of the rule of law, ensuring that the rights and responsibilities of a person are respected.
3. Learning new material (20 min.)
Guys, what problem do you think we have to solve in class? A hat of ideas will help us with this. Each group has ideas fanned out on their tables; you need to choose the idea that you think is suitable today.
The problem of our lesson is: “Can a person and society do without law enforcement agencies?” - Guys, what are we going to talk about in class today?
-Lesson topic:“Who is upholding the law?” -Who are law enforcement agencies? (children's answers) - What goal will we set for the lesson? (children's answers)
- Target: characterize law enforcement agencies, functions operating for society and individuals.
Look at the board, let's populate our house with law enforcement agencies. List law enforcement agencies: prosecutor's office, bar, FSB, police, court, customs.
Attention to the screen in front of you is the image of Themis, the goddess of justice. Why is she depicted blindfolded, with a sword in her right hand and scales in her left hand? (children's answers) - The bandage says that everyone is equal before it; scales mean a symbol of measure and justice, and the sword suggests that the law not only punishes, but warns.
In order to become better acquainted with law enforcement agencies, we will now, by drawing lots, divide ourselves into the following groups: the prosecutor's office, the court, the police and the bar.
Guys, every work has a result, every result should be useful. I propose to put our work in the form quick reference guide: “Who will protect you?” To begin this work, you need to complete the first task. You are given a green envelope with tasks on your desk; for this you need to study the documents. There are questions in the documents, but the attached answers are in a green envelope. You need to choose the appropriate one and paste it into the answer form. I give you 5 minutes for everything (children’s answers)
-Look at the directory we have made (make a paper clip). We discussed this topic today, but how can we convey this information to other students? (children's answers) put it online, print it out and hang it up in the classroom corner at school.
- Guys, what function do you think customs serves? What function does the federal security service perform? In order to avoid becoming victims of a terrorist attack, you must follow the following rules. Guys, look at the slide. These are general safety rules, but what safety measures do you have at your school? (children's answers) Is there a security guard sitting on the first floor of your school, recording who has left and who has entered?
Each group now spoke and told what types of law enforcement agencies there are, looked at their functions and found out what they do.
-Discuss the legal situation (on the slide)
4. Consolidation of the studied material (10 min.)
So we settled in our House of Law. I hope that if you have to go into it, you will not get confused and seek help from the right office. We will check this now.
-Guys, let's summarize our lesson, remember what we went through today in class. You have the constitution and a textbook for the task on your desk, select any law enforcement agencies, give a description and solve the problem.
Group work 5 minutes? Completing tasks.
group Court.
Carefully read articles of the Constitution 118,119 and page 57 of the textbook, document and answer the questions:
Who administers justice in our country and how?
Who is a judge and who works in court?
Try to formulate a definition: A COURT is......a state body that administers justice.
Task. After graduating from law school, Ivanov was appointed to the position of judge. He was 22 years old. Is this appointment legal?
Advocacy group
Carefully read Article 48 of the Constitution or page 56 of the textbook or document and answer the questions:
Who provides legal assistance in our country and how?
Who is a lawyer, who can become a lawyer?
Try to formulate a definition: a lawyer is...a person who provides legal assistance to individuals.
Task. Minor Nosov stole a car. This criminal case was heard in court without a lawyer. Did the court do the right thing?
Police group.
Carefully read page 60 of the textbook, document and answer the questions:
What are the main tasks of the police?
What is the criminal police, public security police, passport and visa service?
What do police officers have the right to ensure public order?
Try to formulate a definition: The police are……. system of government services and public order protection bodies.
Task. When Nikolai turned 14 years old, he declared. I won't get a passport! There are so many problems: photographs, documents, queues... This is my right, if I want, I won’t get it. Is the teenager right?
Group Prosecutor's Office.
Carefully read page 77 of the textbook, document and answer the questions:
What are the main tasks of the prosecutor's office?
Try to formulate a definition: the prosecutor's office is... a system of bodies that, on behalf of the state, oversee compliance with the laws of the Russian Federation.
Task. The policeman searched Ivanov’s apartment without presenting any documents. Are the actions of the policeman legal?
Group assignment. (questions are asked to groups one by one)
You have decided to change your apartment, you want to get clarification about your rights to inheritance, you need protection in court (lawyer, lawyer)
They threaten you with violence, or your phone or your things are stolen (Police)
Your neighbors flooded your apartment and do not want to pay money for the damage caused (Court);
You were illegally detained, taken to the police station, and treated rudely (to the prosecutor).
5. Reflection (3 min.)
-So, everyone has self-assessment sheets on their desks, don’t forget to hand them in at the end of the lesson.
Committee of Education and Science Kursk region
Regional budget professional educational institution
"Kursk State College of Technology and Service"
Extracurricular activity on the topic:
« Holy ascetics in Rus'»
for students 16-18 years old
Prepared by: Natalya Aleksandrovna Prokopova,
teacher of OBPOU "KGTTS"
Kursk, 2017
annotation
The extracurricular event “Holy Ascetics in Rus'” is intended for students aged 16-18 years. It is aimed at mastering knowledge about the family as a basic national value through the study of Russian culture and traditions, to organize extracurricular activities for students within the framework of spiritual and moral education. The material of this development educates students in the spirit of love for the Motherland and respect for the cultural and historical heritage of their people and their country. This should contribute to social adaptation and their fulfillment of basic social roles that are positively assessed by society.
The event promotes the spiritual and moral development of the individual, the formation of such moral feelings as: conscience, duty, faith, responsibility, citizenship, patriotism, as well as moral character(patience, mercy, meekness, gentleness), moral position (ability to distinguish between good and evil, manifestation of selfless love, readiness to overcome life's trials), moral behavior (readiness to serve the Fatherland, manifestation of spiritual prudence, obedience, good will).
At the extracurricular event, it is planned not only to address moral issues, but also to work on artistic expression. Students are offered various creative tasks: the “Unfinished Sentence” test, the “ Folk wisdom says”, writing essays “My impression of “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom”, selection of photographs depicting Peter and Fevronia. All this will enhance the emotional perception of the material.
Students will develop critical thinking, which can be traced through dialogue and individual tasks.
Purpose of the event: contribute to the formation of interest in the history of Orthodoxy, show the basics of family relationships using the vivid example of the married life of Peter and Fevronia of Murom.
Tasks:
Educational: talk about Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom, about their veneration in Rus', about the holy places associated with their names;
- developing: to form in students an interest in the history of their Motherland, a desire to study its traditions, to develop the ability to establish connections between the past and the present in the history of the Fatherland; developing interest in the history of one’s family, family traditions, and culture of the people;
- educational: to educate students moral values, respect for the traditions of their homeland, its cultural heritage, instilling in students an attitude towards family as a national value, the basis of spirituality and unity of the people.
Form: literary living room
Form of organization: group
Preparatory work: conducting a survey with students, preparing research material on this topic, preparing messages on the topic of the event, selecting proverbs about the family by students, selecting a test about the family, preparing wall newspapers for students, preparing presentations.
Equipment: balls, daisies, classroom walls decorated with posters, musical accompaniment: audio recording of the song “Family Anthem” performed by the Ying-Yang group; computer presentation.
Progress of the event:
1. Emotional mood.
The song by I. R. Reznik “Anthem to the Family” is played
2. Teacher's word:
Family is a sacred word
And you can’t offend him!
In it are our roots, our strength,
Our cherished words!
Good afternoon, dear students! I am glad to welcome you to our event. Family is the most important thing in life for each of us - these are close and dear people, those whom we love, from whom we take example, whom we care about, to whom we wish goodness and happiness. It is in the family that we learn love, responsibility, care and respect. I would really like to know your opinion on “What is a family”, because after a short period of time you will also become fathers and mothers, and you will turn on the lights in your windows.
3. Students are given the “Incomplete Sentence” test.
(Students are asked to collect chamomile)
1. Family is...
2. My parents are...
3. The light in the windows of my house is...
4. Joy in my family is...
5. My family's grief is...
6. Away from home I will remember...
7. From the traditions of my family, I would like to take into my future family...
8. I wouldn’t want in my future family...
9. I believe that my parents’ deepest desire is...
Teacher: Well done! Family is
Labor collective,
And moral support
And the highest human affections (love, friendship),
And space to relax
And the school of kindness,
And a diverse system of relationships with parents, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends,
Morals and tastes
Manners and habits
Worldview and beliefs
Character and ideals...
The foundations of all this are laid in the family.
IN modern literature family is defined as:
"A small social group based on love, marriage and family relations; united by a common life and household management, legal and moral relations, the birth and upbringing of children"
What comes to your mind when you say the word “family”?.. (Students’ answers)
4. Teacher's word: Indeed, the word “family” is understandable to everyone, like the words “mother”, “bread”, “homeland”. A family is several people living together under one roof. Family for each of us is the most important, most necessary thing in life. Every person should have a home, family, relatives, because this is where we will find sympathy, warmth, and mutual understanding. Each family is a unique association of people of different ages, based on consanguineous relationships.
So, a family is a group of people consisting of parents, children, grandchildren and close relatives living together.
Each of us has a desire to live in a friendly, prosperous family, based on mutual understanding and trust between children and adults. Today we will get acquainted with the basics of family relationships using the vivid example of the married life of Peter and Fevronia of Murom, thanks to which the phrase "and they lived happily ever after…" you can continue: "and they died on the same day". On July 8, according to the Orthodox calendar, the day of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom is celebrated, whose love and marital fidelity became legendary. They were revered in Rus' as patrons of married life.
- Attention to the screen. I invite you to watch the presentation prepared by a group of our students.
5. Screening of the presentation “Peter and Fevronia of Murom”
Questions about the content of the presentation:
1. Did you like the story about Peter and Fevronia?
2. Did Fevronia come from a noble family or who was she?
3. What special did she do for Prince Peter? (healed him of leprosy)
4. How did Peter and Fevronia live their lives? (in love, in fidelity, in harmony)
5. How did this love manifest itself even after their deaths? (buried in different places they miraculously ended up nearby)
You also reflected your impression of Peter and Fevronia in your writings. Let's read it best works students.
6. Teacher's word: And the Lord performed a miracle, because they were faithful and loved not only each other, but also the people around them. Orthodox Christians reverence this married couple as the patrons of family and marriage. The story of their romantic love and exemplary life has come to us in the descriptions of the ancient Russian “Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom,” which was written in the 16th century by Ermolai the Pregreshny (monastically Erasmus). Their lives embody traits that traditional religions Russia has always been associated with the ideal of marriage, namely: piety, mutual love and loyalty, performing acts of mercy and caring for the various needs of their fellow citizens.
In the traditional value system of an Orthodox person, the family has always occupied a prominent place. The marriage union is concluded not only at the request of a man and a woman, but with the blessing of the Church. Marriage is a spiritual union, performed with the blessing of the Lord, a sacred rite, a special sacrament that carries the grace of the Holy Spirit over married couple. Marriage must be indissoluble: “what God has joined together, let no man separate.” Marriage is made and broken only by the will of God, and not by the desire of people. IN modern society Among young people you can often hear phrases with approximately the following content: “Let’s get married, and if anything happens, we’ll run away” - this is unthinkable for Christian marriage, because your “half” is intended for you by God. A Christian getting married in a church realizes that he binds himself to his spouse for the rest of his life, and must steadfastly endure the trials that will befall him in family life, including those related to the relationships between people in marriage.
Thus, we can say that the basis of a Christian marriage are such spiritual values as fidelity, patience, mutual assistance in physical and spiritual life, honesty and love between spouses, as well as their joint care for spiritual and material benefits your family.
Spouses, according to the canons of Christianity, are destined for each other by God and are responsible for their family not only to each other, but also to the Lord, and must love and honor each other, despite the trials of life.
9. Monuments to Peter and Fevronia.
And since family is an enduring spiritual value, the memory of these saints is reflected in various forms: paintings, musical and literary works and, of course, architectural monuments.
Historical reference(student messages)
The purpose of the monuments is “to create a positive image of family values, faithful and chaste relationships, love and devotion in marriage, the birth and upbringing of children in the spirit of love for the Motherland.” It is expected that the newlyweds will lay flowers at the foot of the monuments.
The first monument to Peter and Fevronia was erected in ancient Murom (sculptor Nikolai Shcherbakov). The monument was unveiled on July 8, 2008, on the Day of Remembrance of Peter and Fevronia of Murom. Place of installation - in front of the Murom registry office building. Sculptural compositions “Holy Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom” have been installed in other Russian cities since 2009. The installations are timed to coincide with July 8 – the celebration of Peter and Fevronia Day. Well, now monuments to Peter and Fevronia are being erected throughout the country. Including in Kursk.
In Kursk, on the site in front of the registry office of the Seimsky district, a monument to the faithful Peter and Fevronia of Murom was also erected.
It is a historical fact that Peter was the Prince of Murom and that he fell in love with a simple peasant woman. The proud Murom boyars, for whom it was humiliating that their prince would marry a commoner, were against this marriage. Peter was even forced to leave the city. But then all this was settled,” explains Metropolitan German of Kursk and Rylsk.
The author of the sculpture is Svyatoslav Tretyakov. It was his project that was recognized as the best of the 10 options for monuments submitted to the creative competition. As the sculptor himself admitted, he spent a very long time developing this composition, taking into account the specifics of the territory and the wishes of the public.
I looked a lot at icons, and looked a lot on the Internet at monuments that had already been dedicated to Peter and Fevronia. And I wanted to do something of my own so as not to repeat myself. I wanted to keep it simple so as not to overload it with ornaments. The cross is a symbol of Orthodoxy. That’s why this composition turned out,” says Svyatoslav Tretyakov, the author of the monument.
Immediately after the opening, the new monument was consecrated by Metropolitan German of Kursk and Rylsk.
- After listening to these historical information, can you give an example of a married couple that would evoke your admiration and surprise, that young families could look up to?
7. Results of the survey.
In preparation for today's event, you filled out the questionnaire “My values or without which I cannot be happy (oops)”
Based on the results of the survey, we can draw the following conclusion: family for each of you is the most important thing, the most necessary thing in life. Based on the results of the questionnaire, out of fourteen proposed values, 49% of respondents put FAMILY in first place. And if there is mutual understanding and harmony in the family, trust and warmth - this is real happiness.
What problems prevent a family from becoming happy?
(Example student answers: money, misunderstanding, conflicts, etc.)
Are there examples of an ideal family in literature?...Students' answers.
It's not easy for one person to live. The greatest wealth in every person's life is his family. Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy said: “Happy is he who is happy at home.”
It’s not for nothing that there are so many proverbs and sayings about family...
Which ones do you know? Let's check. I suggest you take part in the “Folk Wisdom Says” competition.
8 . Competition "People's Wisdom Says"
There are many proverbs and sayings about family. Let's remember them. You need to correct what is said incorrectly.
– Don’t be born beautiful, but be born rich (happy).
– Love is a ring, and a ring has no problems (no beginning and no end).
– Seven nannies have a child in their care (without an eye).
- Darlings only fight on Fridays (they have fun).
Leading:
Now continue the proverb.
- A guest on the doorstep means happiness in ... (house).
– A house without a owner...(orphan).
- Lead the house... (don’t shake your beard).
- The apple never falls far from the tree).
- The richer we are... (the more we are happy).
- Being a guest is good, but being at home is better).
What proverbs do you know about family?
A family in a heap is not a terrible cloud.
There is no need for treasure when there is harmony in the family.
When the family is together and the heart is in the right place.
Where there is love and advice, there is no grief.
Even if it’s crowded, it’s better together.
With a sweetheart, heaven and in a hut.
They live in perfect harmony.
10. Closing remarks from the teacher:
- The Day of Remembrance of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom - the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity - is a very kind and beautiful holiday that quickly gained popularity in our country. Of course, life has changed since the times when Peter and Fevronia lived, but eternal values have remained, which include Family, Love, Loyalty. These universal human values are very important in our lives. Family gives a person love, support, stability and joy. We should strive for the ideals that this holiday reminds us of. We must follow the example of these saints, family life which became the ideal of marriage, love and fidelity.
How has the story of Peter and Fevronia enriched you?
What eternal values did this event make you think about?
Why are Peter and Fevronia especially revered by the Orthodox Church?
Why are they canonized?
What lesson do they teach us?
I want to wish you that your life path was consecrated by the light of the gracious love of the great saints Peter and Fevronia. Thank you very much everyone for participating in our event.
QUESTIONNAIRE
Exercise: From the listed values, choose the most important ones in your opinion. Rank your priorities in ascending order.
“My values or what I can’t be happy without (oops)”
5. Education
6. Ability to work
8. Health
9. Cheerful companies
10. Delicious food
11. Beautiful and fashionable clothes
12. Apartment
For our readers: holy people in Rus' with detailed descriptions from various sources.
Russian saints...The list of saints of God is inexhaustible. By their way of life they pleased the Lord and thanks to this they became closer to eternal existence. Each saint has his own face. This term denotes the category to which the Pleasant of God is classified during his canonization. These include the great martyrs, martyrs, saints, saints, unmercenaries, apostles, saints, passion-bearers, holy fools (blessed), holy believers and equal to the apostles.
Suffering in the name of the Lord
The first saints of the Russian Church among the saints of God are the great martyrs who suffered for the faith of Christ, dying in severe and long agony. Among the Russian saints, the first to be numbered in this rank were the brothers Boris and Gleb. That is why they are called the first martyrs - passion-bearers. In addition, the Russian saints Boris and Gleb were the first to be canonized in the history of Rus'. The brothers died in the internecine war for the throne that began after the death of Prince Vladimir. Yaropolk, nicknamed the Accursed, first killed Boris while he was sleeping in a tent while on one of his campaigns, and then Gleb.
The face of those like the Lord
Reverends are those saints who led an ascetic lifestyle, being in prayer, labor and fasting. Among the Russian saints of God we can distinguish St. Seraphim Sarovsky and Sergius of Radonezh, Savva Storozhevsky and Methodius Peshnoshky. The first saint in Rus' to be canonized in this guise is considered to be the monk Nikolai Svyatosha. Before accepting the rank of monasticism, he was a prince, the great-grandson of Yaroslav the Wise. Having renounced worldly goods, the monk labored as a monk in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Nikolai Svyatosha is revered as a miracle worker. It is believed that his hair shirt (a coarse woolen shirt), left behind after his death, healed one sick prince.
Sergius of Radonezh - the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit
The 14th century Russian saint Sergius of Radonezh, known in the world as Bartholomew, deserves special attention. He was born into the pious family of Mary and Cyril. It is believed that while still in the womb, Sergius showed his chosenness of God. During one of the Sunday liturgies the not yet born Bartholomew screamed three times. At that time, his mother, like the rest of the parishioners, was overcome with horror and confusion. After his birth the monk did not drink breast milk, if Mary ate meat that day. On Wednesdays and Fridays, little Bartholomew went hungry and did not take his mother's breast. In addition to Sergius, there were two more brothers in the family - Peter and Stefan. Parents raised their children in Orthodoxy and strictness. All the brothers, except Bartholomew, studied well and knew how to read. And only the youngest in their family had a hard time reading - the letters blurred before his eyes, the boy was lost, not daring to utter a word. Sergius suffered greatly from this and fervently prayed to God in the hope of gaining the ability to read. One day, again ridiculed by his brothers for his illiteracy, he ran into the field and met an old man there. Bartholomew spoke about his sadness and asked the monk to pray to God for him. The elder gave the boy a piece of prosphora, promising that the Lord would definitely grant him a letter. In gratitude for this, Sergius invited the monk into the house. Before eating, the elder asked the boy to read the psalms. Timidly, Bartholomew took the book, afraid to even look at the letters that always blurred before his eyes... But a miracle! – the boy began to read as if he had already learned to read and write for a long time. The elder predicted to the parents that their youngest son would be great, since he was the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit. After such a fateful meeting, Bartholomew began to strictly fast and pray constantly.
The beginning of the monastic path
At the age of 20, the Russian saint Sergius of Radonezh asked his parents to give him a blessing to take monastic vows. Kirill and Maria begged their son to stay with them until their death. Not daring to disobey, Bartholomew lived with his parents until the Lord took their souls. Having buried his father and mother, the young man and his older brother Stefan go to take monastic vows. In the desert called Makovets, the brothers are building the Trinity Church. Stefan cannot stand the harsh ascetic lifestyle that his brother adhered to and goes to another monastery. At the same time, Bartholomew took monastic vows and became the monk Sergius.
Trinity-Sergius Lavra
The world-famous monastery of Radonezh once originated in a deep forest in which the monk once retired. Sergius was in fasting and prayer every day. He ate plant foods, and his guests were wild animals. But one day several monks found out about the great feat of asceticism performed by Sergius and decided to come to the monastery. There these 12 monks remained. It was they who became the founders of the Lavra, which was soon headed by the monk himself. Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who was preparing for a battle with the Tatars, came to Sergius for advice. After the death of the monk, 30 years later, his relics were found, performing a miracle of healing to this day. This 14th-century Russian saint still invisibly welcomes pilgrims to his monastery.
The Righteous and the Blessed
Righteous saints have earned God's favor by living godly lives. These include both lay people and clergy. The parents of Sergius of Radonezh, Cyril and Maria, who were true Christians and taught Orthodoxy to their children, are considered righteous.
The blessed are those saints who deliberately took on the image of people not of this world, becoming ascetics. Among the Russian Pleasers of God, Basil the Blessed, who lived during the time of Ivan the Terrible, Ksenia of St. Petersburg, who renounced all blessings and went on long wanderings after the death of her beloved husband, Matrona of Moscow, who became famous for the gift of clairvoyance and healing during her lifetime, are especially revered. It is believed that I. Stalin himself, who was not distinguished by religiosity, listened to the blessed Matronushka and her prophetic words.
Ksenia is a fool for Christ's sake
The blessed one was born in the first half of the 18th century into a family of pious parents. Having become an adult, she married the singer Alexander Fedorovich and lived with him in joy and happiness. When Ksenia turned 26 years old, her husband died. Unable to bear such grief, she gave away her property, put on her husband’s clothes and went on a long wandering. After this, the blessed one did not respond to her name, asking to be called Andrei Fedorovich. “Ksenia died,” she assured. The saint began to wander the streets of St. Petersburg, occasionally visiting her friends for lunch. Some people mocked the grief-stricken woman and made fun of her, but Ksenia endured all the humiliation without complaint. Only once did she show her anger when local boys threw stones at her. After what they saw, the local residents stopped mocking the blessed one. Ksenia of Petersburg, having no shelter, prayed at night in the field, and then came to the city again. The blessed one quietly helped the workers build stone temple at the Smolensk cemetery. At night, she tirelessly laid bricks in a row, contributing to the speedy construction of the church. For all her good deeds, patience and faith, the Lord gave Ksenia the Blessed the gift of clairvoyance. She predicted the future, and also saved many girls from unsuccessful marriages. Those people to whom Ksenia came became happier and luckier. Therefore, everyone tried to serve the saint and bring her into the house. Ksenia Petersburgskaya died at the age of 71. She was buried at the Smolensk cemetery, where the Church built by her own hands was located nearby. But even after physical death, Ksenia continues to help people. Great miracles were performed at her tomb: the sick were healed, those seeking family happiness were successfully married. It is believed that Ksenia especially patronizes unmarried women and already accomplished wives and mothers. A chapel was built over the tomb of the blessed one, to which crowds of people still come, asking the saint for intercession before God and thirsting for healing.
Holy sovereigns
The faithful include monarchs, princes and kings who have distinguished themselves
a godly lifestyle that strengthens the faith and position of the church. The first Russian saint Olga was canonized in this category. Among the faithful, Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who won a victory on the Kulikovo field after the appearance of the holy image of Nicholas, stood out to him; Alexander Nevsky, who did not compromise with Catholic Church to maintain their power. He was recognized as the only secular Orthodox sovereign. Among the faithful there are other famous Russian saints. Prince Vladimir is one of them. He was canonized due to his great activity- the baptism of all Rus' in 988.Empresses - God's Pleasants
Princess Anna, the wife of Yaroslav the Wise, was also counted among the saints, thanks to whom relative peace was observed between the Scandinavian countries and Russia. During her lifetime she built convent in honor of St. Irene, since she received this very name at baptism. Blessed Anna revered the Lord and sacredly believed in him. Shortly before her death, she took monastic vows and died. Memorial Day - October 4 according to the Julian style, but in modern Orthodox calendar this date, unfortunately, is not mentioned.
The first Russian holy princess Olga, baptized Elena, accepted Christianity, influencing its further spread throughout Rus'. Thanks to her activities that contributed to the strengthening of faith in the state, she was canonized.
Servants of the Lord on earth and in heaven
Saints are saints of God who were clergy and received special favor from the Lord for their way of life. One of the first saints ranked among this rank was Dionysius, Archbishop of Rostov. Arriving from Athos, he headed the Spaso-Kamenny Monastery. People were drawn to his abode because he knew human soul and could always guide those in need on the right path.
Among all the saints canonized by the Orthodox Church, Archbishop stands out especially Nicholas of Mirlikiy Miracle Worker. And although the saint does not have Russian origin, he truly became the intercessor of our country, always being at right hand from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Great Russian saints, the list of which continues to grow to this day, can patronize a person if he diligently and sincerely prays to them. You can contact the Pleasants of God at different situations– everyday needs and illnesses, or simply wanting to thank the Higher Powers for a calm and serene life. Be sure to purchase icons of Russian saints - it is believed that prayer in front of the image is the most effective. It is also advisable that you have personalized icon- the image of the saint in whose honor you were baptized.
7 first canonizations of saints in Rus'
The first Russian saints - who are they? Perhaps as we learn more about them, we will find insights into our own spiritual path.
Boris Vladimirovich (Prince of Rostov) and Gleb Vladimirovich (Prince of Murom), at baptism Roman and David. Russian princes, sons of Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich. In the internecine struggle for the Kiev throne, which broke out in 1015 after the death of their father, they were killed by their own elder brother for their Christian beliefs. Young Boris and Gleb, knowing their intentions, did not use weapons against the attackers.
Princes Boris and Gleb became the first saints canonized by the Russian Church. They were not the first saints of the Russian land, since later the Church began to honor the Varangians Theodore and John who lived before them, the martyrs for the faith who died under the pagan Vladimir, Princess Olga and Prince Vladimir, as equal-to-the-apostles enlighteners of Rus'. But Saints Boris and Gleb were the first married elects of the Russian Church, its first miracle workers and recognized heavenly prayer books “for the new Christian people.” The chronicles are full of stories about miracles of healing that took place at their relics (particular emphasis was placed on glorifying the brothers as healers in the 12th century), about victories won in their name and with their help, about the pilgrimage of princes to their tomb.
Their veneration was immediately established as a nationwide one, before church canonization. The Greek metropolitans at first doubted the holiness of the miracle workers, but Metropolitan John, who doubted the most, soon himself transferred the incorrupt bodies of the princes to the new church, established a holiday for them (July 24) and composed a service for them. This was the first example of the firm faith of the Russian people in their new saints. This was the only way to overcome all the canonical doubts and resistance of the Greeks, who were generally not inclined to encourage the religious nationalism of the newly baptized people.
Rev. Theodosius Pechersky
Rev. Theodosius, the father of Russian monasticism, was the second saint solemnly canonized by the Russian Church, and its first reverend. Just as Boris and Gleb forestalled St. Olga and Vladimir, St. Theodosius was canonized earlier than Anthony, his teacher and the first founder of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery. Ancient life of St. Anthony, if it existed, was lost early.
Anthony, when the brethren began to gather to him, left her in the care of the abbot Varlaam, whom he had appointed, and shut himself up in a secluded cave, where he remained until his death. He was not a mentor or abbot of the brethren, except for the very first newcomers, and his lonely exploits did not attract attention. Although he died only a year or two earlier than Theodosius, by that time he was already the only focus of love and reverence not only for the monastic, already numerous brethren, but for all of Kyiv, if not all of southern Rus'. In 1091 the relics of St. Theodosius were opened and transferred to the great Pechersk Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which spoke of his local, monastic veneration. And in 1108, at the initiative of the Grand Duke Svyagopolk, the Metropolitan and the bishops performed his solemn (general) canonization. Even before the transfer of his relics, 10 years after the death of the saint, Rev. Nestor wrote his life, extensive and rich in content.
Saints of the Kiev-Pechersk Patericon
In the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, in the Near (Antonieva) and Far (Feodosieva) caves, the relics of 118 saints rest, most of whom are known only by name (there are also nameless ones). Almost all of these saints were monks of the monastery, pre-Mongol and post-Mongol times, locally revered here. Metropolitan Petro Mohyla canonized them in 1643, instructing them to compile a common service. And only in 1762, by decree of the Holy Synod, the Kyiv saints were included in the all-Russian month books.
We know about the lives of thirty of the Kyiv saints from the so-called Kiev-Pechersk Patericon. Paterikas in ancient Christian writing were the names of summary biographies of ascetics. certain area: Egypt, Syria, Palestine. These eastern patericons were known in translations in Rus' from the first times of Russian Christianity and had a very strong influence on the education of our monasticism in spiritual life. Pechersk Patericon has its own long and complex history, by which one can fragmentarily judge ancient Russian religiosity, Russian monasticism and monastic life.
Rev. Avraamy Smolensky
One of the very few ascetics of pre-Mongol times, from whom a detailed biography remains, compiled by his student Ephraim. Rev. Abraham of Smolensk was not only revered in his hometown after his death (at the beginning of the 13th century), but also canonized at one of the Moscow Macarius Councils (probably 1549). Biography of St. Abraham conveys the image of an ascetic great strength, full of original features, perhaps unique in the history of Russian holiness.
The Monk Abraham of Smolensk, preacher of repentance and the coming Last Judgment, was born in the middle of the 12th century. in Smolensk from wealthy parents who had 12 daughters before him and prayed to God for a son. From childhood he grew up in the fear of God, often attended church and had the opportunity to study from books. After the death of his parents, having distributed all his property to monasteries, churches and the poor, the monk walked around the city in rags, praying to God to show him the path of salvation.
He took monastic vows and, as an act of obedience, copied books and performed Divine Liturgy. Abraham was dry and pale from labor. The saint was strict both towards himself and towards his spiritual children. He himself painted two icons on the topics that occupied him most: on one he depicted Last Judgment, and on the other - torture at ordeals.
When, due to slander, he was forbidden to perform sacred functions, various troubles appeared in the city: drought and disease. But through his prayer for the city and its inhabitants, heavy rain began to fall, and the drought ended. Then everyone became convinced of his righteousness and began to highly honor and respect him.
From the life we see an image of an ascetic with intense tension, unusual in Rus'. inner life, with anxiety and emotion breaking out in stormy, emotional prayer, with a gloomily repentant view of human destiny, not a healer pouring oil, but a stern teacher, animated by, perhaps, prophetic inspiration.
The holy “blessed” princes constitute a special, very numerous rank of saints in the Russian Church. One can count about 50 princes and princesses canonized for general or local veneration. The veneration of the holy princes intensified during the Mongol yoke. In the first century of the Tatars, with the destruction of monasteries, Russian monastic holiness almost dried up. The feat of the holy princes becomes the main, historically important, not only national matter, but also church service.
If we single out the holy princes who enjoyed universal, and not just local, veneration, then this is St. Olga, Vladimir, Mikhail Chernigovsky, Theodore Yaroslavsky with their sons David and Konstantin. In 1547-49, Alexander Nevsky and Mikhail Tverskoy were added to them. But Mikhail Chernigovsky, the martyr, takes first place. The piety of the holy princes is expressed in devotion to the church, in prayer, in the construction of churches and respect for the clergy. There is always a love of poverty, concern for the weak, orphans and widows, and less often justice.
The Russian Church does not canonize national or political merits in its holy princes. This is confirmed by the fact that among the holy princes we do not find those who did the most for the glory of Russia and for its unity: neither Yaroslav the Wise, nor Vladimir Monomakh, with all their undoubted piety, no one among the princes of Moscow, except Daniil Alexandrovich, locally revered in the Danilov Monastery built by him, and canonized no earlier than the 18th or 19th centuries. But Yaroslavl and Murom gave the Church holy princes, completely unknown to the chronicles and history. The Church does not canonize any politics, neither Moscow, nor Novgorod, nor Tatar; neither unifying nor specific. This is often forgotten nowadays.
Saint Stephen of Perm
Stephen of Perm occupies a very special place in the host of Russian saints, standing somewhat apart from the broad historical tradition, but expressing new, perhaps not fully explored, possibilities in Russian Orthodoxy. Saint Stephen - a missionary who gave his life for conversion pagan people- Zyryan.
St. Stephen was from Ustyug the Great, in the Dvina land, which just in his time (in the 14th century) from the Novgorod colonial territory became dependent on Moscow. Russian cities were islands among a foreign sea. The waves of this sea approached Ustyug itself, around which settlements of Western Permians, or, as we call them, Zyryans, began. Others, eastern Permians, lived on the Kama River, and their baptism was the work of the successors of St. Stefan. There is no doubt that both the acquaintance with the Permians and their language, and the idea of preaching the Gospel among them date back to the saint’s adolescence. Being one of the smartest people of his time, knowing Greek language, he leaves books and teachings for the sake of preaching the work of love, Stefan chose to go to the Perm land and become a missionary - alone. His successes and trials are depicted in a number of scenes from life, not devoid of humor and perfectly characterizing the naive, but naturally kind Zyryansk worldview.
He did not connect the baptism of the Zyryans with their Russification, he created the Zyryans writing, he translated the divine service for them and St. Scripture. He did for the Zyryans what Cyril and Methodius did for the entire Slavs. He also compiled the Zyryan alphabet based on local runes - signs for notching on wood.
Rev. Sergius of Radonezh
The new asceticism, which arose from the second quarter of the 14th century, after the Tatar yoke, is very different from the ancient Russian one. This is the asceticism of the desert dwellers. By taking upon themselves a most difficult feat, and, moreover, necessarily associated with contemplative prayer, the desert monks will raise spiritual life to a new height, not yet reached in Rus'. The head and teacher of the new desert-dwelling monasticism was St. Sergius, the greatest of the saints of ancient Rus'. Most of the saints of the 14th and early 15th centuries are his disciples or “interlocutors,” that is, they experienced his spiritual influence. Life of Rev. Sergius was preserved thanks to his contemporary and student Epiphanius (the Wise), biographer of Stephen of Perm.
His life makes it clear that his humble meekness is the main spiritual fabric of the personality of Sergius of Radonezh. Rev. Sergius never punishes spiritual children. In the very miracles of his reverends. Sergius seeks to belittle himself, to belittle his spiritual strength. Rev. Sergius is the exponent of the Russian ideal of holiness, despite the sharpening of both its polar ends: mystical and political. The mystic and the politician, the hermit and the cenobite were combined in his blessed fullness.
Who: Nikolai Ugodnik.
Why they are revered: He beat Arius for heresies, this happened during the Ecumenical Council, and according to the rules he was immediately deposed for a fight. However, on the same night, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to all participants in the Ecumenical Council in a dream and categorically ordered that it be returned. Nikolai Ugodnik was a fiery, fiercely religious man, he was kind, he saved many people from unfair lawsuits. He is best known for giving gifts at Christmas. And it was like this: his neighbor went bankrupt and was planning to marry off his daughters to unloved, old, but rich people. When Nikolai Ugodnik learned about this injustice, he decided to give his neighbor all the gold of the church in which he was a bishop. He found out about this just before Christmas. Nikolai Ugodnik went to the temple, collected gold, but there was a lot of it, he couldn’t carry it in his hands, and then he decided to pour it all into a sock, and threw the sock to his neighbor. The neighbor was able to pay off his creditors, and his girls were not harmed, and the tradition of giving Christmas gifts in socks has been preserved to this day.
It is worth noting that Nikolai Ugodnik is an endlessly revered saint by the Russian people. In Peter’s times, the main argument for not wanting to trim beards was the following: “How can I appear before St. Nicholas the Pleasant without a beard!” He was very understandable to the Russian people. For me, this is a very warm saint, I cannot explain or motivate it, but I feel it very strongly in my heart.
Who: Spyridon of Trimifuntsky.
Why they are revered: He distinguished himself at the same Ecumenical Council as Nicholas the Ugodnik, proving the dual nature of Christ. He squeezed a brick in his hand and received sand and water, thus proving that there can be two natures in one. But another incident connected with this saint is much more interesting. It is known that Gogol was finally strengthened in the Orthodox faith after his visit to Corfu. Gogol and his English friend got to carry out the incorruptible relics of Spyridon of Trimifuntsky. During this procession, the saint’s relics are carried on a special stretcher, in a crystal shrine. Watching the procession, the Englishman told Gogol that this was mummification, and the seams were not visible because they were on the back and covered with clothing. And at that moment the relics of Spyridon of Trimifuntsky moved, he turned his back to them and threw off the robes thrown over his shoulders, showing a completely clean back. After this event, Gogol finally turned to religion, and the Englishman converted to Orthodoxy and, according to unconfirmed reports, eventually became a bishop.
Who: Ksenia Petersburgskaya.
Why they are revered: Her story is known to everyone. She was the wife of the director of the royal choir. She loved her husband dearly, and when he died, she went out into the street in his clothes and said that it was Ksenia who died, and not Ivan Fedorovich. Many people took her for crazy. Later everything changed; she performed miracles during her lifetime. The merchants considered it a great honor if she came into their shop - because then trade went much better.
I have felt her help many times in my life. Whenever I come to St. Petersburg, the main purpose of my trip is not to visit the Hermitage or other museums and churches, but to visit the chapel of Xenia of Petersburg and the temple where she prayed.
Who: Basil the Blessed.
Why they are revered: At one time, Basil the Blessed was the only person, besides Metropolitan Philip, who decided to tell Ivan the Terrible the truth, without thinking about how his fate might develop in the future. He had the gift of working miracles.
True, nothing personally touched me with him, except for the views of St. Basil's Cathedral, but I feel in my heart that he is a great saint, he is very close to me.
Who: Praskovya Friday.
Why they are revered: They pray to her for children. Once I was in Yugoslavia, went there for Easter, just when the Americans were just starting to bomb these territories. I visited the Praskovya Friday monastery and prayed for my children, of which I have many. There they gave me the simplest icon of it, an ordinary cardboard one. I brought her to Moscow. I decided to bring it to the temple to show it; my friend was carrying it in his bag, since I had nowhere to put it. And the entrance to the temple was through a gate with a bell tower over the gate. I decided to climb the bell tower, and my friend went further. Then I remembered that I had forgotten to take the icon of Praskovya Friday from him, and called out to him. My friend took a step towards me, and at the same moment a hammer fell from the bell tower to the place where my friend had just stood. He fell with such force that he broke through the asphalt and entered it to the very handle. This is how Praskovya Friday saved my friend.
Who: John the Warrior.
Why they are revered: They pray to him to protect against theft. I myself didn’t pray to him for protection from theft, but he’s just my saint. This is a military man. At one time he was a major Roman military leader. He accepted Christianity, transferred all his property to the nascent church, thereby giving a strong impetus to the development of Christianity. They did not dare to execute him because he was a hero, but simply sent him into exile.
Who: Venerable Kuksha of Odessa.
Why they are revered: Favorite saint of Odessa residents. Almost our contemporary, he died in December 1964. He was so revered that on the day of his death the authorities banned the receipt of telegraph messages about this, so as not to provoke a flow of believers to Odessa. The Monk Kuksha was infinitely kind, bright and cheerful. He was not a martyr, but he could calm and soothe any emotional trauma with his words. He healed people both before his death and after. The Monk Kuksha of Odessa is very close to my heart.
Who: Alexander Svirsky.
Why they are revered: He is famous for the fact that when the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him and ordered him to go across the lake to build the Svirsky Monastery, he stood on a stone and swam across the lake on the stone. I really like this poetic image. And in my heart I feel that he can help me and will not leave me in prayer.
Who: Seraphim of Sarov.
Why they are revered: His story is known to everyone. Along with Nikolai Ugodnik, he is a saint very close and understandable to the heart of the Russian people.
Who: 40 Martyrs of Sebaste.
Why they are revered: I will tell their story in modern language. These were 40 contract soldiers, an invincible cohort, veteran soldiers who had faithfully served the emperor for many years, but converted to Christianity. In those days, attitudes towards Christians were extremely contradictory. And this fact seemed extremely suspicious to local officials. They drove them into the lake in winter so that the warriors would cool their hot minds, come to their senses and abandon Christianity. The military did not want to give up their beliefs and remained standing in the lake until everyone died. One of them became faint-hearted, got out of the water and went to warm himself in the bathhouse, which was heated on the shore, and died there due to a sharp temperature change and the lack of God’s protection. And the bath attendant, seeing the courage of the soldiers, considered it an honor to share their convictions and death. I really like the spirit of collective feeling in this story.
Who: Feodor Ushakov.
Why they are revered: This is the well-known Admiral Ushakov. Ushakov was Orthodox person and an ideal military man who shared all the hardships with his soldiers. Thanks to his courage, his faith in the power of Christ, he won many victories. He is recognized as a saint, including in Greece.
Who: Daniil Moskovsky.
Why they are revered: Daniil of Moscow is one of those people who, in bloody times for Rus', decided everything peacefully. Did not participate in civil strife. When dividing his father's inheritance, he inherited the rather worthless territory of the Moscow Principality. During the years of his reign, he managed not to enter into intrigues, not to encroach on other people's territories, and when his own brother went to war against him, he defeated him with a small army, and then let him in. And this elder brother, pacified by the nobility and peacefulness of Daniil of Moscow, when he was dying, bequeathed his principality to him, and as a result, Daniil of Moscow became the most powerful prince. With all my humility.
Who: Saint Boniface.
Why they are revered: He was a slave at the court of a rich Christian woman. He lived with his mistress in a civil marriage and led an extremely riotous lifestyle. Back then it was considered very honorable to have a reliquary in your home church. At that time, and this was already the end of the Roman Empire, quite a lot of Christians were still executed. So he went, on the orders of his mistress, to look for the relics of the martyrs. He walked for a long time, found nothing, but ended up being executed by Christians, and during this execution he decided to declare himself a Christian and sacrifice himself for his mistress. Then his relics were given to this woman. And after some time she left worldly life and dedicated herself to God. This is the story.
The Baptism of Rus', its influence on the further development of the spirituality of the Russians. Canonization. Virtues and sins. Saints in Rus'. Some saints of the Russian people: Elijah the Prophet, St. George the Victorious, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Boris and Gleb.
Introduction. About holiness
1. canonization
2. virtues and sins
Saints in Rus'
1. Some saints of the Russian people:
a) Elijah the prophet
b) St. George (George the Victorious)
c) Nicholas the Wonderworker
d) Boris and Gleb
Conclusion.
“If the world can be saved, it will be saved by spirituality. Politicians, bankers, soldiers, businessmen, even writers and artists are not the most significant people. We need saints. The most significant individuals are not those who understand the world, but those who can give something to the world from without, who can serve as a channel of God's mercy... God does not force humanity to survive, but at least enough saints appear in each generation to show we have this opportunity. The saints lead society, and spiritual world a separated future will not only be a better place, but also a much safer place.”
Lord Rees - Mogg
"Independent".
Saints are mythical or historical persons who in various religions (Christianity, Islam) are credited with piety, righteousness, pleasing to God, and mediation between God and people.
The veneration of saints was legalized local councils 4th centuries - Gangra and Laodicea. The doctrine of the veneration of saints was developed by church writers of the 4th century (Efrem the Syrian, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa and others). The Church fought against opponents of the cult of saints - the Paulicians, Bogomils, Albigensians, Hussites, etc. Seventh Ecumenical Council(787) declared anathema to all those who refused to venerate the saints. The Church established for each saint a day of his memory. Initially, individual Christian communities had their own saints, then canonization and the introduction of the cult of a new saint were centralized through canonization (the inclusion of a person among the saints). In Russia, canonization was introduced in the 16th century and placed under the control of the tsar, and since the time of Peter I was carried out according to imperial decrees on the proposal of the synod.
The number of saints included “martyrs”, “ascetics”, “those who suffered for the faith”, as well as many popes (Gregory I, Leo III, etc.), princes (for example, Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Alexander Nevsky, Boris and Gleb), sovereigns ( Charlemagne, French King Louis IX, etc.).
· The Church created biographies of saints - lives of saints. Lives of Saints - biographies of clergy and secular figures canonized by the Christian Church. The lives of saints began to take shape in the Roman Empire as tales of Christian martyrs (martyrologies). Then (from the 4th century) 3 main types of collections of the Lives of Saints were created: calendar collections for the year -
"Minea" (lengthy lives for church services);
· “synaksari” with brief Lives saints arranged in calendar order;
· “patericon” (Lives of saints, selected by the compilers of collections).
The Byzantine Symeon Metaphrastus (106) reworks the lives, giving them a moralizing, panegyric character. His collection of Lives of Saints becomes a model for hagiographers (saints) of the East and West, who, while creating images of ideal “saints,” increasingly move away from the real circumstances of their lives and write conventional biographies. The lives of the saints absorbed a number of narrative plots and poetic images, often pre-Christian (myths about slaughter, etc.), as well as medieval parables, short stories, and anecdotes.
The lives of saints came to Ancient Rus' with the beginning of writing - through the southern Slavs, as well as in translations from Greek. language. Original lives of the first Russian saints - Boris and Gleb, Theodosius of Pechersk (11th century) - began to be compiled. In the 16th century, Metropolitan Macarius expanded the “host” of Russian saints and led the compilation of their lives, which were combined in the “Great Four - Menaions” (12 vols.).
The objects of cult in the Christian religion are images of Saints (icons). Icon (image, image) in the Christian religion (Orthodoxy and Catholicism) in in a broad sense– an image of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and saints, to which the church ascribes a sacred character; in a narrow sense - a work of easel painting that has a cult purpose. In Orthodoxy, pictorial images on wood predominate. The holiness of icons is symbolized by a halo (shine in the form of a circle around the head).
Stories of heroic deeds, virtuous living, and courageous deaths were valued and circulated among believers. In fact, this process began already in the time of the New Testament (Hebrews 11, 12). Hence the desire to honor these men and women. This desire reveals the germs of canonization - a procedure by which certain people officially canonized.
Christianity knows many virtuous lives and heroic deaths; Modern Christians draw faith and inspiration from the stories of such people. Therefore, in the Christian calendar there are days dedicated to individual saints canonized by the church. Special honor is given to the disciples of Christ, but there are many others.
People are canonized because of their holiness. Holiness implies renunciation of sin, victory over temptations and the cultivation of Christian virtues.
Over time, Christianity developed the idea of 7 deadly sins: vanity, envy, anger, despondency, stinginess, gluttony and extravagance. The Bible does not limit sins to this number, but it does speak of their "mortality." “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Sin is a serious matter. It is rooted in hostility or indifference to God, to His truths and standards established for us. According to Jesus, sin can enslave us to such an extent that we cannot free ourselves from it (John 8:34). But thanks to the atoning sacrifice of I. Christ, we can receive forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us - gives us strength to fight and overcome.
“Salvation” means the freedom to become fully human. I. Christ points to a world in need of our help, he calls for love and service in His name and power.
Christian novitiate allows one to open oneself to the Holy Spirit so that one can grow in faith, hope and love. These three virtues above all are distinctive features holiness.
Faith.
In a certain sense, faith is universal. Christians are called “believers” not because they alone live by faith, but because they live by faith in Jesus Christ. Faith does not replace reason; in fact, she has a different basis in her mind.
Hope.
* Christian hope means confidence in the future
- Christian hope is joyful. Saints are often thought of as inaccessible, majestic figures whose appearance should remind us of death and suffering. But in general New Testament breathes joy, and people living close to God are joyful and serene.
Love.
Love (“agape”) is the selfless, sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, showing deep compassion for those in need and especially for those who have been rejected by society. By his death on the cross he proved that love can be heroic.
Love is the highest sign and main condition of holiness, whether we are talking about a formally canonized saint or about a person living in obscurity. This is the most important quality. The Apostle Paul ends his great hymn of love with the following words: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, love; but love is the greatest of these.” (Corinthians 13:13)
According to Christian doctrine, saints are people of high righteousness who glorified themselves by serving God. With this righteousness they “acquired grace”: their human nature, darkened by sin, but initially created in the image and likeness of God, was purified and transformed, and they found eternal life. It was believed that the plan of Jesus Christ for man had already been embodied in the saints: for the sake of redemption human sins he sacrificed himself: “God became man so that man could become God.”
There are already stories about such people, about saints. Old Testament. Following the story of the creation of the world and the fall of Adam and Eve, it talks about the beginning of the restoration of the connection between man and God, about the people who served this restoration with their righteousness. These people were considered saints in Christianity.
The New Testament, which talks about the incarnation of God for the sake of people, about bringing them a saving creed, also speaks about many people who have truly approached God. As Christianity spread throughout the world, many people became famous for their righteousness, were considered to have acquired grace, and were canonized.
In Rus', martyrs who died for their faith during the persecution of Christians were revered as saints; the hierarchs of the church who approved its doctrine; monks who renounced worldly temptations for the sake of serving God. Along with the saints inherited by Ancient Russia with the adoption of Christianity, it also had its own righteous people. In their acquired height, saints are the connectors between God and people, their intercessors and intercessors before him.
People sought to get closer to the saints, to comprehend them, to convey their prayer to them. For this purpose, the memory of the saints was carefully preserved: everything that was said about them in the Old and New Testaments, in the ancient stories and apocrypha that filled out this was comprehended. Information was carefully collected about those of them who became famous for righteousness after the spread of Christianity (sometimes this began to be done even during the life of the righteous person), and when the glorified person was canonized after death, he was canonized, on the basis of this information a life was compiled that helped understand what his righteousness consisted of. And, helping this understanding, the saints were always remembered and identified at church services.
His images—icons—were supposed to serve this same goal of comprehension, of approaching the saint in whom he trusted, to whom he turned in prayer. Striving towards this goal, to express the truth about the person depicted, the features of his appearance, once gleaned from lifetime images, or from ancient verbal descriptions, were carefully preserved over the centuries - the icon of the saint embodied a living, concrete human personality. Icons of the Saint made visible, preserved in human memory what the word conveyed about the saint: the text of the Bible, the text of the Gospel, lives written in honor of the holy hymn, services.
There were a great many saints revered in Rus'. But among this multitude there were those especially beloved and revered by the people - among them those about whom the Old and New Testaments spoke, and those who became famous after the spread of Christianity, and those who “shone in the Russian land.” Let's look at some of those saints on whose intercession the people especially firmly trusted: Elijah the Prophet, St. George, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Boris and Gleb.
Adopting Christianity, Ancient Rus' took from Byzantium and church calendar, where one day a year (or several) was dedicated to each of the Saints. The calendar (“saints”) became the basis that connected into one whole the names of Orthodox saints, the experience of the peasant - tiller, artisan - of all segments of the population with primordially Russian rituals and holidays. The Byzantine saints in the Slavic consciousness were transformed beyond recognition. So, for example, Saint Athanasius the Great was the archbishop of Alexandria, frantically and fiercely defended the Christian church from heretics. In the Russian “saints” he became Afanasy Lomonosov, since on January 18, the day of veneration of the saint, there were the bitterest frosts, from which the skin peeled off the nose. The stern prophet Elijah (a prophet is one who has been given the gift of prophecy, a prophet of the future illuminated by God. God took the righteous Elijah alive to heaven. On this day, the waters of the Jordan part before Elijah and his disciple, the prophet Elisha, and a chariot of fire appears, which carries Elijah away, and he disappears in the sky) turned into a grain god - “Ilya the prophet is a grain god,” the peasants said and named wooden village churches after him. Over time, the Byzantine saints became so Russified that their Greek origin was barely recognizable.
Saint George, George the Victorious - one of the most revered and beloved saints Ancient Rus'.
St. George belongs to the holy martyrs - to that type of holiness, as they say, which developed in the first centuries of the existence of Christianity. The fact is that at the very emergence of Christianity, the Roman authorities treated it with contemptuous indifference. But then everything changed. Even during the lifetime of the apostles, persecutions fell upon Christians, which were characterized by terrible cruelty, especially under the emperors Nero (37-68) and Diocletian (243-318). Christians were crucified on crosses, subjected to sophisticated torture, and thrown into circuses to be torn to pieces by wild animals. And extraordinary, immortal was the firmness with which the persecuted endured these torments - a firmness that was rooted in the very religion that they professed and for which they died. After all, this religion gave them the belief that a person’s existence does not end with his earthly life that, having atoned for sins in this life through suffering, a person gains the right to the Kingdom of Heaven. Suffering was understood as the path to this kingdom. It likened and brought a person closer to Jesus Christ, who voluntarily suffered for people. The martyrs who died in persecution were deeply revered by Christians as “those who acquired grace in faith,” which strengthened their human nature and allowed them to endure the unbearable. The Church canonized them as Saints.
He suffered torment and death for his faith and St. Georgiy, who actually lived in the 3rd century AD. The first life of St. George appeared in the 5th century, then it was reworked more than once. In Rus', the version of life that developed in the 11th century was mainly used.
This life tells that St. George was a Christian, although he comes from a noble family. When persecution broke out under Diocletian, George renounced his wealth and title and went to the emperor to defend his faith. By the power of his faith, St. George converts Empress Alexandra to Christianity, but Emperor Diocletian imprisons him. George is subjected to monstrous tortures, each of which is enough to break a person’s will or simply kill him: they kill him, “flog him in the air” (a suspended body with such a section has no support), pour molten tin down his throat, and put him on a red-hot metal bull , they are tortured by wheeling (the person tied to the wheel is rotated, pressed against pointed peaks). They stabbed George with spears, but the spears bent; they poisoned him, but he remained alive, they tore his body into pieces, crushed his bones and threw him into a well, but he remained unharmed; finally, he was sawed up and boiled in a cauldron, but he was resurrected. Georgy endures all this, drawing strength from the faith he has acquired. God's grace. Then, by order of the emperor, he is killed again (his head is cut off).
In the life itself, in the story of the miraculously endured torture, the motive of the victory of George, who became a saint pleasing to God, is clearly heard.
The aura of terrible torment made him one of the most popular saints: cities, countless churches and monasteries bore his name; image of St. George was printed on coins and depicted on coats of arms. The church life of the holy martyr George was so colored by popular imagination that it became like a fairy tale.
In the country of Libya, as the life says, there lived an idolater king. For their sins, God sent a terrible serpent to the city, which began to destroy the inhabitants of the Libyan country. To appease the monster, young men and women were given to him to be devoured. The turn came to the king’s daughter; there was nothing to do, and she went to the lake where the snake lived. At this time, George was passing by the lake; he stopped to water his horse. “Run,” sir,” the princess warned him, “the dragon is already close.” But Georgy did not even think about running away. The battle of George, or Yegor, as he was called in Rus', was told about the battle by Kaliki passers-by - wandering singers - performers of spiritual songs.
Yagoriy ran into a fierce snake,
The snake is fierce, fierce, fiery.
Like fire from the mouth, flames from the ears,
Fire streams pour from the eyes into them.
Yagorya wants to consume
George, feeling that the serpent was stronger than him, as it is said in the life, began to pray: “Lord, give me your strength so that I can cut off the dragon’s head, so that everyone will know that you are with me, and glorify your name forever and ever.” . In the folklore interpretation, George's prayer sounded like a fairy tale.
Yagorius light said:
Oh, fierce snake, fierce, fiery!
Even if you eat me, you won’t be full,
The piece is not even, it’s a snake, you’ll choke.
After such furious words, the serpent humbled himself, obeying Saint George.
The folklore image of the warrior-hero became one of the most beloved in Ancient Rus'. He was revered by great princes and simple warriors, peasants and artisans. Icon painters were commissioned to create large hagiographic icons, but most often the “Miracle of St. George.” This theme in Iconography represented the moment of the saint’s victory over the monstrous serpent: a young man on a rearing snow-white horse pierces the monster with a golden spear.
There is another, expanded iconographic version of the “Miracle”: a young warrior on a horse and a princess, followed obediently by a humble serpent, are met on the city walls by the king, queen, and residents of the Libyan country saved by George. Folk poems told about this in a completely fairy-tale way:
And she leads the snake on her belt,
Like a cow that has been milked.
The same motif is quite often found in icon painting: a young princess leads a snake on a leash - a belt.
At St. George's folk calendar aka Yuri, Egor, there were a lot of worries:
Yuri, get up early,
Unlock the ground
Release the dew
For a warm summer,
To a lush life,
To people's health...
The people revered Saint George as both a glorious warrior, a defender of the Russian land, and the master of Russian nature. Icons of St. George always look unusually festive, bright, and colorful.
Many other Byzantine saints also changed beyond recognition on Russian soil. Saint Nicholas entered the history of the church as one of the strictest defenders of dogma, a ruthless persecutor of heresy; This is how Byzantine painters imagined him - an unforgiving, stern ascetic. On Russian soil he became Nikolai, an assistant in all good endeavors, a great worker.
Saint Nicholas, Miracle Worker of Myra – Saint Nicholas is a revered saint of the Russian Church, one of the most beloved saints of the Russian Church.
Saint Nicholas belongs to the holy saints, i.e. to the saints who during their lifetime were saints - bishops, metropolitans, who occupied the highest positions in the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church, and gained holiness in serving it. This type of holiness arose when the Christian religion became increasingly widespread and its church hierarchs were glorified, when Christianity, from a persecuted doctrine, became the dominant religion in the Roman Empire and spread widely beyond its borders.
It was during this time that Saint Nicholas lived. A native of Asia Minor, he witnessed both the persecution of Christians and the leading position occupied by Christian church under Emperor Constantine the Great. He was a bishop in the city of Myra in Lycia (hence his name), a miracle worker, i.e. who worked miracles, a saint of God, as they said about him in Rus'. There are many lives of Nicholas the Wonderworker. In Rus', lives written in Greek were also known. writer Simeon Metaphrastus, and lives created and supplemented by Slavic lands and in Rus' itself. On their basis and on the basis of festive chants dedicated to Nicholas, the idea of Nicholas the Wonderworker was formed and firmly entered into the people's consciousness, becoming akin to it.
His life acts only as a service to God and the Church. Saint Nicholas did good, performed miracles for people with the help of God’s acquired grace. In the stories about the accomplishments of St. Nicholas’s good deeds firmly echo a thought that is very important for Christianity: good should be done not in anticipation of a reward, not to satisfy pride, but out of true love to one's neighbor; It is best to create it anonymously, remaining unrecognized.
Lives tell that already during his lifetime the appearance of St. Nicholas spoke of his holiness, pointing to the transformation that had taken place in him. "What has come down to us ancient legend, writes the Greek author. life, - represents Nicholas as an old man with an angelic face, full of holiness and the grace of God. A certain bright radiance emanated from him, and his face sparkled more than Moses’ (according to the Bible, Moses’ face shone after he received the tablets of the Covenant from God).
The holiness of the Bishop of Myra, according to the lives, is confirmed by his death. When the time came for him to die, he sang funeral chants and joyfully awaited his departure to another world. When his body was brought to the city temple, it began to exude myrrh; and after his death healings took place at the grave.
Lives known in Rus' also mention an event that happened several centuries after the death of the saint. Asia Minor, including the city of Myra, where St. Nicholas, were conquered by Muslim Arabs in the 8th century. And in 1087, an Italian merchant managed to transfer the remains of the saint - his relics - to the Christian land, to Italy, where they were buried in the cathedral of the city of Bari and where they are still given due veneration.
In memory of St. Nicholas, two holidays were established: December 6 (19) in honor of his presentation - death (this holiday in Russian is usually called “Winter St. Nicholas”) and May 9 (22) in honor of the transfer of his relics to Bar-grad (feast of -in Russian it is called “Nikola the Spring”). In the hymns of these holidays, what the lives told about the saint was clearly and accurately reflected. The hymns of St. are called “the rule of faith and the image of meekness.” Nicholas, they call him “quick in help,” a saint of God.
To match St. Nicholas were the apostles Peter and Paul and even the Mother of God herself.
Saint Peter walks behind the plow,
St. Paul drives the oxen,
The Blessed Virgin is wearing,
Carry the truth, ask God,
God, freak out the wheat,
All arable land.
The Byzantine martyr in the popular consciousness became the spinning goddess Paraskeva Friday, the patroness of trade and bazaars; she is a wedding planner, a benefactor of women.
The twin brothers Flor and Laurus were famous as holy horse breeders; it is no coincidence that the icons with their image also depicted the Archangel Michael holding two stately horses on a leash; it was he who taught Flor and Laurus horse breeding.
Boris and Gleb remained in the people's memory as holy warriors and great workers. The brothers Boris and Gleb are real historical figures, the heroes of the story “On the Murder of Borisov,” which was included in the Russian chronicle in the year 1015. Boris and Gleb were the sons of the great Kyiv prince Vladimir, nicknamed “The Red Sun” in epics for his gentleness and clarity of mind. The eldest son of the prince, Boris, reigned in Rostov, the youngest, Gleb, went to Murom. After the death of Vladimir Svyatoslavich (980-1015), the squad wanted to place Boris on the Kiev throne. Svyatopolk, Boris's half-brother, killed both Boris and Gleb, hoping to take his father's throne by force. People's memory branded his name with the nickname Damned. After the burial of the murdered brothers, a rumor spread that miracles were performed at their graves: “the lame can walk, the blind receive their sight.” “Healing gifts,” as the people believed, they gave not only to individual people, but to “the entire Rustei of the earth.”
Prince Yaroslav obtained from Byzantine patriarchs canonization of brothers; Boris and Gleb became the first Russian national saints, and not only Russians: their cult was recognized in Byzantium, the Czech Sazavsky monastery. “The Tale of Boris and Gleb” was translated into Armenian in the 13th century.
Boris was 26 years old when Svyatopolk the Accursed killed him, Gleb even younger. Boris “is tall, thin in stature, handsome in face, kind in appearance, his beard and mustache are small, for he is still young,” it is written in the interpretation of the iconographic original. According to the interpretation, the icon painters depicted Boris. Gleb, remembering his tender age, was written beardless; dressed the brothers in princely robes embroidered in gold, decorated with gold brooches - clasps with precious stones, lalams and yakhonts. The brothers hold a sword and a cross in their hands - symbols of their princely power and martyrdom.
Thus, in the world, many people, as Christianity spread, were canonized as saints, as they became famous for their righteousness and were considered to have found grace. Over time, a pantheon of national saints emerged in Rus': saints, martyrs, saints, and righteous ones. Among them are warrior-princes, boyars, church and secular political figures who laid down their lives for their Motherland and spiritual unity people: Alexander Nevsky, Metropolitans Alexei and Peter, Sergius of Radonezh and many others. They revered among the saints and people from the lower classes - “fools”, such as, for example, Basil the Blessed, Procopius of Ustyug; under the guise of visible madness, they spoke the truth to the powers that be, and, as their fellow citizens believed, saved them from troubles and misfortunes through the power of prayer.
The lives of saints were told about the “miracles”; Hagiography (hagiography) is part of the great literature of Ancient Rus'. On its basis, an iconographic tradition developed. Icons, as a rule, were painted many years after the death of the hero of the life in the “image and likeness” of an already famous saint. The icon painter did not set goals for specific similarities, remembering that all people, and especially saints, as the Bible says, are created “in the image and likeness” of God. The hallmarks of hagiographic icons represented feats from the hagiography, that is, specific historical events in the consciousness of medieval man.
Hagiographic icons of Russian saints are the embodiment in visible images of Russian history and the spiritual ideals of the Russian people using pictorial means.
List of used literature:
Likhachev D.S. Man in the literature of ancient Russia. - M., 1970.
Ranovich A. How the lives of saints were created. - M., 1961.
Young D. Christianity. - M., 1999, pp. 189-208.
Taktashova L.E. Russian icon. - Vladimir, 1993.
Barskaya N. An Subjects and images of ancient Russian painting. - M., 1993.
Uspensky L.A. Theology of the icon of the Orthodox Church. - M., 1989.
Sergeev V.N. Andrey Rublev. - M., 1981.
Alpatov M.V. Old Russian painting. - M., 1978.
Main part................................................ ................. 3
1. Prince Vladimir................................................... ................. 3
2. Boris and Gleb................................................... ....................... 5
3. Sergius of Radonezh................................................ ....... 9
Conclusion................................................. ......................... eleven
List of used literature................................... 11
Introduction
Every society, like every person, needs a bright spiritual ideal. Society needs it especially urgently in times of troubles. What serves us, the Russian people, as this spiritual ideal, the spiritual core, the force that for a whole millennium united Rus' in the face of invasions, unrest, wars and other global cataclysms?
There is no doubt that Orthodoxy is such a connecting force, but not in the form in which it came to Rus' from Byzantium, but in the form in which it acquired on Russian soil, taking into account the national, political and socio-economic characteristics of Ancient Rus'. Byzantine Orthodoxy came to Rus' with an already formed pantheon of Christian saints, for example, Nicholas the Wonderworker, John the Baptist and others, deeply revered to this day. By the 11th century, Christianity in Rus' was only taking its first steps, and for many ordinary people of that time was not yet a source of faith. After all, in order to recognize the holiness of the visiting saints, it was necessary to believe very deeply, to be imbued with the spirit Orthodox faith. It’s a completely different matter when before your eyes there is an example in the person of your own, Russian person, sometimes even a commoner, performing holy asceticism. This is where the most skeptical person towards Christianity will come to believe. Thus, by the end of the 11th century, a purely Russian pantheon of saints began to form, revered to this day on a par with general Christian saints.
What made me take up writing a work on this topic was my interest in this period of time in Russian history, my interest in historical role Russian Orthodox Church as well as some unpopularity of this topic among students (with the possible exception of students of theological seminary). In addition, this topic is more relevant than ever in our time of transition, when many talk about Orthodox ideals and values, often without adhering to them, when the emphasis is only on visible side worship of God, and when many of us do not live according to the commandments that formed the basis of Christianity.
Main part
The turbulent Russian history has brought forward many bright, extraordinary personalities.
Some of them, thanks to their ascetic activity in the field of Orthodoxy, thanks to their righteous life or deeds as a result of which the name of Russia acquired greatness and respect, were awarded the grateful memory of their descendants and canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
What kind of people were these, Russian saints? What was their contribution to history? What were their deeds?
Prince Vladimir
A special place both in Russian history and among the saints canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church is occupied by Prince Vladimir (? -1015 son of Prince Svyatoslav, Prince of Novgorod (from 969), Grand Duke of Kiev (from 980), who received the nickname Krasnoe in Russian epics Sunny, what is remarkable about this prince and how did he take his place in the pantheon of Russian saints?
To answer these questions, it is necessary to analyze the current situation in Kievan Rus towards the end of the 10th and beginning of the 11th centuries. During his lifetime, Prince Svyatoslav transferred the Kiev throne to his son Yaropolk, another son Oleg became the Drevlyan prince, and sent Vladimir to Novgorod.
In 972, with the death of Prince Svyatoslav, civil strife broke out between his sons. It all started with the fact that the Kiev governor essentially initiated the campaign against the Drevlyans, which ended in the victory of the Kyivans and the death of the Drevlyan prince Oleg. During the retreat, he fell into the fortress moat and was trampled by his own warriors. Having learned about these events, Prince Vladimir gathers Scandinavian mercenaries, kills his brother Yaropolk and seizes the Kiev throne. If Yaropolk was distinguished by religious tolerance, then Vladimir at the time of the conquest of power was a convinced pagan. After the victory over his brother in 980, Vladimir built a pagan temple in Kyiv with idols of especially revered pagan gods, such as Perun, Khors, Dazhdbog, Stribog and others. In honor of the gods, games and bloody sacrifices with human sacrifices were organized. And Vladimir began to reign in Kyiv alone, says the chronicle, and placed idols on the hill behind the tower courtyard: a wooden Perun with a silver head and a golden mustache, then Khors, Dazhdbog, Stirbog, Simargl and Mokosha. And they made sacrifices to them, calling them gods... And the Russian land and that hill were defiled with blood" (around 980). Not only those close to the prince, but also many townspeople treated this approvingly. And just a few years after the reign in Kyiv, in 988-989, Vladimir himself accepted Christianity, and also converted his subjects to it. But how did a convinced pagan suddenly believe in Christ? It is unlikely that he was guided only by an understanding of the state benefits of Christianity.
Perhaps this was caused by repentance for the atrocities committed, fatigue from the wild life. Metropolitan Hilarion of Kiev, monk Jacob and chronicler St. Nestor (11th century) named the reasons for Prince Vladimir’s personal conversion to the Christian faith, pointing out the action of the calling grace of God.
In his “Sermon on Law and Grace,” St. Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kiev, writes about Prince Vladimir: “A visit from the Most High came upon him, the All-Merciful Eye of the Good God looked upon him, and reason shone in his heart. He understood the vanity of idolatry’s delusion and sought the One God , who created everything visible and invisible. And especially he always heard about the Orthodox, Christ-loving and faith-strong Greek land... Hearing all this, he was kindled in spirit and desired in his heart to be a Christian and to convert the whole Earth to Christianity."
At the same time, Vladimir, as an intelligent ruler, understood that a power consisting of separate principalities that were always at war with each other needed some kind of super-idea that would unite the Russian people and keep the princes from civil strife. On the other hand, in relations with Christian states the pagan country turned out to be an unequal partner, with which Vladimir did not agree.
Regarding the question of the time and place of the Baptism of Prince Vladimir, there are several versions. According to the generally accepted opinion, Prince Vladimir was baptized in 998 in Korsun (Greek Chersonese in Crimea); According to the second version, Prince Vladimir was baptized in 987 in Kyiv, and according to the third - in 987 in Vasilevo (not far from Kyiv, now Vasilkov). Apparently, the second one should be considered the most reliable, since the monk Jacob and the Monk Nestor agree on the year 987; the monk Jacob says that Prince Vladimir lived 28 years after baptism (1015-28 = 987), and also that in the third year after Baptism ( i.e. in 989) made a campaign against Korsun and took it; the chronicler Reverend Nestor says that Prince Vladimir was baptized in the year 6495 from the creation of the world, which corresponds to 987 from the Nativity of Christ (6695-5508 = 987). So, having decided to convert to Christianity, Vladimir captures Chersonesos and sends messengers to the Byzantine Emperor Vasily the Second demanding that he give him the emperor’s sister Anna as his wife. Otherwise, threatening to approach Constantinople. Vladimir was flattered to become related to one of the powerful imperial houses and, along with the adoption of Christianity, this was a wise step aimed at strengthening the state. The people of Kiev and residents of the southern and western cities of Rus' reacted calmly to baptism, which cannot be said about the northern and eastern Russian lands. For example, to conquer the Novgorodians, it even took an entire military expedition of the Kievites. Christian religion was considered by the Novgorodians as an attempt to infringe on the ancient primordial autonomy of the northern and eastern lands.
In their eyes, Vladimir seemed to be an apostate who had violated ancestral liberties.
First of all, Prince Vladimir baptized 12 of his sons and many boyars. He ordered the destruction of all idols, the main idol, Perun, to be thrown into the Dnieper, and the clergy to preach in the city new faith.
On the appointed day, a mass baptism of Kiev residents took place at the confluence of the Pochayna River into the Dnieper. “The very next day,” says the chronicler, “Vladimir with the Tsaritsyn and Korsun priests went out to the Dnieper, and countless people gathered there. Enter the water and stand there alone up to the neck, others up to the chest, the young ones near the shore up to the chest, some were holding babies, and the adults were wandering, but the priests were praying, standing still. And joy was visible in heaven and on earth over so many souls being saved... People. Having been baptized, they went home. Vladimir was glad that he knew God and his people, looked at the sky and said: “Christ God, who created heaven and earth! Look at these new people and let them, Lord, know You, the true God, just as Christian countries have known You. Establish in them a right and unwavering faith and help me, Lord, against the devil, so that I may overcome his wiles, trusting in You and Your strength."
This most important event took place, according to the chronicle chronology accepted by some researchers, in 988, according to others - in 989-990. Following Kiev, Christianity gradually comes to other cities of Kievan Rus: Chernigov, Novgorod, Rostov, Vladimir-Volynsky, Polotsk, Turov, Tmutarakan, where dioceses are created. Under Prince Vladimir, the overwhelming majority of the Russian population accepted the Christian faith and Kievan Rus became a Christian country. The Baptism of Rus' created the necessary conditions for the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church. Bishops headed by the Metropolitan arrived from Byzantium, and priests from Bulgaria brought with them liturgical books in the Slavic language; churches were built, schools were opened to train clergy from the Russian environment.
The chronicle reports (under 988) that Prince Vladimir “ordered to cut down churches and put them in the places where the idols had previously stood. And he built a church in the name of St. Basil on the hill where the idol of Perun and others stood and where the prince and others performed their services for them. people began to build churches in other cities and appoint priests in them and bring people to Epiphany in all cities and villages." With the help of Greek craftsmen, a majestic stone church was built in Kyiv in honor of the Nativity. Holy Mother of God(Tithe) and the holy relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga were transferred into it. This temple symbolized the true triumph of Christianity in Kievan Rus and materially personified the “spiritual Russian Church.”
Animals
