Holy noble princes boris and gleb. The life of the saint and the meaning of the icon Life icon boris and gleb

Boris and Gleb are the first saints canonized by the Russian and Constantinople churches. The younger sons of the Equal-to-the-Apostles, who were born before the baptism of Rus, demonstrated a religious and spiritual feat. They showed an example of humility and non-resistance to evil for the sake of peace and good.

The first generations of Orthodox Christians were brought up on the example of the prince-martyrs who accepted death and wished to share the sufferings of Christ.

Saints Boris and Gleb are loved and revered by the Russian people. The pious martyrs showed how to accept the will of God, whatever it may be. The brothers were numbered among the holy martyrs, and they became the patrons of Russia and the heavenly assistants of the Russian princes.

Childhood and youth

At baptism, the younger sons of the Grand Duke of Kiev were given the names Roman and David. In the biography of the brothers, the dates of their birth remained white spots. The mother of Boris and Gleb, according to the Tver collection of 1534, was a "Bulgarian", the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Roman II. Non-chronicle data indicate a different name - Milolika.

Boris and Gleb were brought up as pious Christians. The eldest Boris (the ninth son of Vladimir Svyatoslavich) was given a good education. The young prince spent a lot of time reading Holy Scripture and legends about the lives and deeds of the saints, wishing to “walk in their footsteps”. The young man dreamed of a spiritual feat and turned with prayers to the Almighty, so that he would be honored to lay down his life in the name of Christ.

At the behest of his father, Boris married and was set to rule over Vladimir-Volynsky on the right bank of the Luga. Then, at the behest of Prince Vladimir, the son was put to reign in Murom on the left bank of the Oka, while being in Kiev.

During the life of the Grand Duke, in 1010, Boris received the Rostov inheritance under his control. Ruling the lands, Boris took care of the spread of Orthodoxy among his subjects, instilled piety and followed the righteous way of life among the inner circle of his subordinates, whom the people looked at.

Murom went to the board of Boris's younger brother, Gleb. Prince Gleb shared the views of his elder brother and love for Christianity. He resembled Boris in kindness and mercy to the disadvantaged and sick. Father, Grand Duke Vladimir, whom they loved and revered, became an example for the sons.

In the spring of 1015, the Grand Duke of Kiev was on his deathbed. At the bedside of his dying father was Boris, who loved and respected Vladimir "more than anyone else." Upon learning of the attack on the possessions of the 8-thousandth Pechenezh army, the Grand Duke sent Boris to repel the enemy bulk: Boris Vladimirovich, a zealous Christian, became famous as an experienced warrior.

Boris went on a campaign, but did not meet the Pechenegs: frightened, the nomads left for the steppe. On the way, the young prince learned about the death of his father. The death of Vladimir Svyatoslavich untied the hands of the eldest grand-ducal offspring, the half-brothers of Svyatopolk and those who were aiming at the Kiev throne.

Earlier, Vladimir harshly dealt with the troublemakers who pursued their policies and sought independence. Yaroslav, who refused to pay tribute to Kiev, was declared a rebel by his father and gathered a squad for a campaign against Veliky Novgorod in order to humble the schismatic. And the adopted son Svyatopolk, nicknamed the Cursed, on charges of conspiracy to power, together with his wife and accomplices, was imprisoned.

The death of the ruler opened the way for the heirs who were striving for power, and the released Svyatopolk, taking advantage of Boris's departure from the capital, took the Kiev throne. During his lifetime, Prince Vladimir saw Boris as the legal successor, which Svyatopolk knew about. Having distributed generous gifts to the Kievites in order to win them over to their side, Vladimir's stepson unleashed a bloody struggle against Boris and Gleb, direct competitors to the throne.

Death

Boris's squad, who accompanied him on the campaign against the Pechenegs, was ready to go to Kiev and overthrow Svyatopolk, but the prince refused to shed the blood of the named brother and sent the army home. Svyatopolk doubted Boris's good intentions and wished to eliminate the competitor.

The circumstance that pushed the impostor to a bloody massacre was the people's love for the young prince. Svyatopolk sent loyal servants to Boris, instructing him to kill the heir to the throne. The prince was informed of the intentions of the insidious brother, but he did not want to preempt the blow or hide.

On a Sunday in July, 1015, Boris Vladimirovich was in a tent on the banks of the Alta. He prayed knowing that death awaited him. When he finished his prayer, he humbly invited the sent assassins to do what Svyatopolk had sent them for. Boris's body was pierced by several spears.

The servants wrapped up the bloody body of Boris, still breathing, and took it as proof to the prince who ordered the murder. They were met by the Varangians sent by Svyatopolk, sent by the prince to help the murderers. Seeing that Boris was alive, they finished him off with a dagger blow to the heart. The deceased was taken to Vyshgorod and hid in the church under cover of night.

Gleb remained in Murom, and Svyatopolk understood that he could avenge the murder of his beloved brother. The killers also went to him, about which the messengers from Kiev warned Gleb. But Gleb Vladimirovich, grieving for his dead father and brutally murdered brother, followed Boris's example: he did not raise his hand against Svyatopolk and did not unleash a fratricidal war.

Svyatopolk lured Gleb out of Murom, where loyal troops could protect him, and sent warriors to him, who carried out a bloody mission at the mouth of the Smyadyn River near Smolensk. Gleb, following the example of his older brother, resigned himself to a terrible fate and, without resisting the tormentors, resignedly accepted death.

Christian ministry

The Christian feat of the brothers lies in the fact that they refused to take life and shed the blood, even though they were named, but a brother, because according to the canons of Orthodoxy, murder was considered a mortal sin. They deliberately became passion-bearers, laying their lives on the altar of Christian love. Boris and Gleb did not violate the postulate of Christianity, which says that everyone who swears to love God, but at the same time hates his neighbor, is deceitful.

Saints Boris and Gleb are the first in Russia who showed Christian humility by their example. In Russia, which had previously been in the darkness of paganism, blood feud was elevated to valor. The brothers demonstrated that one cannot respond to evil with evil, and that bloodshed can be stopped only by refusing to respond in kind.

True to Christian teachings, Boris and Gleb followed his main postulate, which says not to be afraid of those who kill the body, because the soul is beyond their reach.

As historians of that time write, the Lord punished the power-hungry and bloody tyrant. In 1019, the fratricide squad was utterly defeated by the army of Yaroslav the Wise. The prince, whom his contemporaries called the Cursed One, fled to Poland, but found neither a safe haven nor a quiet life in a foreign land. The annals say that a stench emanated from the grave of the fratricide.

And in Russia, as the Apocrypha write, peace reigned and feuds subsided. The blood spilled by Boris and Gleb strengthened the unity and stopped the wars. Immediately after his death, the veneration of the martyrs began. The service to Boris and Gleb was made by John I, Metropolitan of Kiev.

Yaroslav the Wise found the unburied remains of Gleb and transported them to Vyshgorod, where he laid them next to the relics of Boris. When the temple burned down, the relics of the holy brothers remained untouched by the flames.

Evidence of the miraculousness of the holy relics has been preserved. The healing of a young man from Vyshgorod is described: the brothers appeared to the teenager in a dream and made the sign of the cross over his sore leg. The boy woke up and walked without limping.

Hearing about the miraculous healing of the patient, Yaroslav the Wise ordered the construction of a five-domed church on the site of the appearance to the youth of saints, which the Metropolitan consecrated on the day of the assassination of Boris (July 24) in 1026.

Thousands of churches and monasteries were built in Russia, named after saints, where divine services are performed. The icons of the martyrs are worshiped by millions of Orthodox Christians around the world.

Boris and Gleb are called saints who patronize Russia, protecting it from enemies. The saints appeared in a dream before the Battle of the Ice and when he fought on the Kulikovo field in 1380.

Hundreds of cases of healing and other miracles associated with the names of Boris and Gleb are described. In history, the image of the brothers has been preserved to this day. Poems and novels have been written about the holy martyrs, whose lives are described in legends and apocrypha, films have been made.

Memory

The memory of Saints Boris and Gleb is celebrated three times a year. May 15 - the transfer of their relics to the new church-tomb in 1115, which was built by prince Izyaslav Yaroslavich in Vyshgorod, September 18 - the memory of the holy prince Gleb, and on August 6 - a joint celebration of the saints
In honor of Boris and Gleb, the cities of Borispol in the Kiev region were named, Daugavpils in 1657-1667 bore the name of Borisoglebsk, Borisoglebsk of the Voronezh region, Borisoglebsky village in the Yaroslavl region, Borisoglebsky village in the Murmansk region

Boris Tumasov ("Boris and Gleb: Washed with Blood"), Boris Chichibabin (poem "In the Night of Chernigov from the Ararat Mountains ..."), (poem "Sketch", Leonid Latynin (novels "Sacrifice" and "Berloga") wrote about Boris and Gleb
In 1095, particles of the relics of the holy princes were transferred to the Czech Sazava monastery.
In the Armenian Cheti-Minei in 1249, the "Legend of Boris and Gleb" is included under the title "The History of Saints David and Romanos"

The icon of Prince Boris is a reflection of the Grand Duke Boris.
The names Boris and Gleb were the first canonized saints of the Russian Orthodox Church. They were the sons of Prince Vladimir. At baptism, Saint Boris was named Roman, and Gleb - David.

After the death of their father in 1015, the throne was supposed to pass to Boris, but he did not dispute his right and gave power to Vladimir’s stepson Svyatoslav. Boris sent off the ambassador with the words: "You will be my father, you are my elder brother." Svyatoslav sends murderers to Boris. They waited until the end of the prayer that Boris uttered, who turned to the Lord: "Grant me to accept suffering not from enemies, but from my brother," and went to bed. In bed, his killers pierced him with a spear. The wound was not fatal, and he pleaded with his tormentors to finish their work. After a fatal blow with a spear, Boris gave up his ghost.

Svyatoslav was not satisfied with the murder of his brother and summoned Gleb to him. In the message, Svyatoslav says that the father, who actually died, is dying. On the way to Svyatoslav, Gleb met a messenger sent by his brother Yaroslav of Novgorod, who announced the death of Boris. He warns Gleb about the impending ambush. Gleb decided to stop and say a prayer to calm the soul of his deceased brother. At this time, armed killers overtake Gleb. His chef dealt the fatal blow. Gleb's lifeless body was thrown into the river. In that very place, a wonderful radiance arose, and an angelic song sounded.

In 1019, the imperishable relics of Gleb were found and taken to Kiev, where the body of Saint Boris was buried.
The brother of Boris and Gleb, Yaroslav the Wise, asked that the martyrs be enlisted among the saints, but the authorities of Constantinople refused to do this, since, according to them, Russia was not yet enlightened by the light of Christ and there could not be saints of God there. In 1078, the Orthodoxy of the deceased brothers took place. This happened when the relics of Boris began to be transferred from the old coffin to a new shrine, and a wonderful fragrance appeared in the church. Metropolitan George, who opposed the glorification of the holy martyrs, was amazed at what was happening. When Svyatoslav, the son of Yaroslav the Wise, who was very sick, touched the holy relics, he was healed. After that, a church was built in honor of the brothers in Kiev. Until 1240, the relics of the brothers were kept in that church, but with the arrival of the Tatar yoke, they disappeared without a trace.

The brothers' feat lies in the fact that they did not defend their power, did not fight for their lives, bowed their heads under the sword of the murderers. They, as it were, repeated the feat of Christ, who did not resist and did not descend from the cross, so Boris and Gleb sacrificed themselves silently to their brother and became the executors of the law of the Gospel.
Brothers Gleb and Boris became saints who are venerated by Christian people.

Today, August 6, the Orthodox Church and all believers celebrate the day of remembrance of the first Russian saints, the Russian princes Boris and Gleb, the youngest sons of Saint Prince Vladimir. Born shortly before the Baptism of Rus, they were brought up in the Orthodox faith and bore the names Roman and David in baptism.

And their faith was so great, they were so impressed by the image of Christ that when the murderers came to them, they did not resist evil and shed blood, but sacrificed themselves. Therefore, they are glorified as holy martyrs. It was 1003 years ago. And their elder brother Svyatopolk, who feared that they would challenge the grand-princely throne, and therefore gave the order to kill them, has since remained in history under the nickname "The Cursed One."

Holy princes pray

About liberation from envy and jealousy
On keeping the young in the true faith, on delivering them from temptations, intolerance and anger
About the gift of strong faith, on which you can rely in any adversity
About taming hostility and anger, about protection from ill-wishers
On solving a difficult situation at work, in case of conflicts with colleagues and bosses
About helping those who defend the Motherland from the attacks of enemies, be it military, economic, political or ideological attacks
About getting rid of diseases, especially with blindness and diseases of the legs, since there are many testimonies of miraculous healings in front of their icons
About spiritual purity and inner harmony
About peace in the family, about harmony with relatives and friends

How Boris and Gleb died

These troubled times came immediately after the death of the Grand Duke Vladimir. His eldest son Svyatopolk, who was at that time in Kiev, declared himself the Grand Duke of Kiev. Boris, on the other hand, was returning with his retinue from a campaign against the Pechenegs. Having received the news that brother Svyatopolk arbitrarily took the throne, he accepted this news with humility and dismissed his squad, although the boyars from among the senior combatants persuaded him to go to Kiev and take the grand prince's throne. Boris did not want to challenge Svyatopolk's decision, the very thought of an internecine war hated him.

He was killed by order of Svyatopolk on August 6, 1015 while praying in his tent on the banks of the Alta River in the Kiev region. The prince did not die right away, the first was stabbed with spears to his faithful servant Georgy Ugrin, who rushed to his defense. Before his death, Boris said to the murderers: “Brothers, when you start, finish your service. And peace be on my brother and you, brothers! "

Gleb, on the orders of his father, reigned at that time in Murom. He was informed in advance that Svyatopolk had sent soldiers to him and that he was in danger of death. But, like Boris, he decided to accept it, since the bloody internecine war with his older brother was more terrible for him than death. Like Boris, he did not put up resistance to the soldiers sent to him. His murder took place on September 9, 1015 near Smolensk, in the place where the Smyadyn river, flowing into the Dnieper, forms a small, convenient for stopping ships, bay.

What is their holiness

“Several sources have come down to us about Boris and Gleb, and they highlight the accents a little differently,” says Doctor of Philology, Scientific Secretary of the St. Philaret Orthodox Christian Institute. church history specialist Julia Balakshina... - There is "Reading about the life of Boris and Gleb", and there is "The Legend of Boris and Gleb." "Reading", which was less popular in Russia, suggests that they did not put up resistance to their brother out of unwillingness to increase civil strife in Russia, to destroy these tribal relations. This is one motivation. The second motivation, which is offered by the "Legend," says that it was more important for them to imitate Christ. They found themselves in a situation where they could accept their death as a voluntary sacrifice in imitation of the exploit of Christ. "

By this time, Russia had recently adopted Christianity, and quite recently the face of Christ, his deed and life's path, arose before the eyes of the Russian people. And so, Boris and Gleb were so inspired by this gospel ideal, the image and appearance of the Savior, that they wanted to end their lives, imitating Christ - to make this voluntary sacrifice. According to Yulia Balakshina, this became a new special order, a special spiritual feat of passion-suffering, the meaning of which is to increase the power of love without increasing evil in this already infected with evil light.

Why is this type of holiness not very clear to modern people?

“We are all children of the Soviet era, when the bearer of strength was considered a hero, but not spiritual strength, but strength as a powerful physical, even natural principle, which turns rivers backwards, plows huge spaces, and so on. The beauty of the feat of voluntary sacrifice by oneself was lost, because faith was lost, the gospel ideal was lost, and the national principle was destroyed. Another, triumphant type of person came to the fore in the minds of people, ”explains Yulia Balakshina.

But this is seen as a legacy of the Soviet era. People who lived in the Russian emigration and, unlike the Soviet ones, preserved the national tradition, just very subtly felt this beauty of weakness, this power of external defeat, which turns into a spiritual, internal victory.

“We are accustomed to the fact that external force can only be responded to by force, and violence by violence,” says a church historian. - But such an answer makes this chain endless: for one evil force there will certainly be another. And at some point, the action of this evil force must be interrupted and stopped. And this can only be done by a force even greater than this destructive energy. And this power is the power of love - love for another person, love for God, love for Christ. And just in these people, Boris and Gleb, apparently, this power of love was found, which turned out to be higher than the instinct of self-preservation, higher than the desire to take revenge on his brother, restore justice, and so on. Their victory was not revealed at the same moment. They were killed, and the power did not go to them. But it is quite obvious that the spiritual victory - in the centuries, in the Russian soul, in the history of Russia - remained with them. "

The ones depicted on them help Christians to better understand the feat of faith in Christ and transform into His image. Among the many holy images, there are widely revered faces, and there are those that are turned to in times of special need.

The icon of Boris and Gleb is a holy face that helps to acquire patience and righteousness through the deed of humility and the acceptance of death by brothers.

The story of the life and death of the holy brothers

After the adoption of Christianity, an ardent pagan Vladimir became an adherent of the true faith. Having renounced polygamy, Prince Vladimir lived with one wife and with her raised his sons in obedience, humility and patience. Boris and Gleb were the youngest children of the Grand Duke, grew up in helping the poor and orphans.

Holy Martyrs and Passion-bearers Boris and Gleb

Boris ruled in Rostov, Gleb got Moore. The great Vladimir appointed Boris the heir to his principality, although he was not the eldest son.

Svyatopolk in 1015 arbitrarily took the throne of the prince after his death. Humble and obedient to God, Boris did not fight for power, he was busy with the war with the Pechenegs, but Svyatopolk was not so peacefully disposed and decided to kill the brothers.

Gleb, knowing about the intentions of his elder brother, did not want a battle and tried to get away from reprisals, but the killers overtook him near Smolensk, killed him and threw him into the field.

Boris was killed in a tent while praying. Pierced by swords, the young prince asked for mercy to perform the last prayer of repentance, after which he told the executioners to finish their dirty work as soon as possible.

The son of Vladimir Yaroslav, later named the Wise, could not endure the murders of the brothers, defeated the army of Svyatopolk, expelled him from the Kiev land and began to rule himself. The memory of the innocently murdered young princes haunted Yaroslav the Wise, and he decided to find their graves. If Boris's grave was known, then no one knew the place of Gleb's burial.

Description of the holy face

The time when the holy image was painted dates back to the 14th century. Several holy images can be seen in different churches.

The first to appear was an image depicting the slain princes in princely attire, holding a sword and a cross, symbolizing the murder and committed to the Christian faith.

Icon of the Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb

Later, an icon appears depicting princes on horseback. At the same time, Jesus Himself looks at them.

The Orthodox Church recognized the brothers as patron saints of the Russian land. It was this image that the army took with them

- Boris and Gleb

Holy noble princes of Russia and passion-bearers Boris and Gleb- the first Russian canonized saints who accomplished their spiritual deed in the 11th century. For ten centuries, people remember them and pray to them, turn to heavenly patrons for help and healing.

Some Orthodox Russian icons depict two brothers. One is older, with a beard, the other is younger. They wear princely cloaks, hats with a round top and a sable edge. The brothers stand or ride side by side on light-legged horses: one is black, black, the other is red, looks almost red. These are Boris and Gleb - the first saints of the Russian land.

The story of the brothers Boris and Gleb

The brothers were the younger sons of the Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich - the very one whom the people called the "Red Sun". Boris and Gleb from a young age heard the difficult story of their father. He had to take up arms against his older brother Yaropolk, whose struggle for princely power led to the death of their third brother, Oleg. Having defeated his brother's squad, Vladimir showed generosity and was not going to shed his own blood. However, Yaropolk still died from the swords of the Varangians, and his death lay like a heavy stone on the soul of Prince Vladimir.

The strife between the princes led to the great devastation of the Russian lands. Taking advantage of the turmoil, the Poles and Bulgarians moved to Russia, on its southern borders the steppe Pechenegs raided. Vladimir Svyatoslavovich more than once had to lead his squad on campaigns, freeing and collecting the seized estates under his wing. After one of these campaigns (to Chersonesos), the Kiev prince baptized his subjects in the waters of the Dnieper.

The new, Orthodox faith was after the hearts of Boris and Gleb. The eldest, Boris, knew the literacy well, often read the Holy Scriptures and spoke with his brother about the life of the great Christian ascetics and martyrs. The examples of people who did not flinch before the severe trials of life and did not give up their faith inspired the brothers. Very soon they themselves had to make difficult choices in life.

In 1015, the aged Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich fell seriously ill and was unable to lead another campaign against the Pechenegs. Instead of himself, he sent his son Boris, who by that time had reigned in the city of Rostov for almost a quarter of a century. Vladimir had several sons, but his choice fell on Boris not by accident. He was a good commander, was kind to the common people, the squad loved him.

The struggle of the brothers for the principality in Russia

Boris did not have to fight on that campaign. The Pechenegs, having learned about the approach of a formidable army, went far into the steppe, and by that time sorrowful news came from Kiev - Prince Vladimir had died. However, this was not the only thing that saddened Boris. Messengers reported that the Kiev throne was seized by his elder brother Svyatopolk. Fearing that Boris would also claim the throne, he decided to kill him.

The indignant squad of Boris made a noise, offering to go to war against Kiev, to take the throne by force and to overthrow Svyatopolk, which they did not love. However, Boris knew very well what such actions would lead to. The fire of the old family drama was about to break out again, now scorching the children of Prince Vladimir. Russia was again threatened with ruin, hundreds of warriors could die in the princely struggle for power.

Death of Boris

Boris did not want to let this happen. He dismissed the squad and remained in his tent to pray. He knew that the assassins sent by Svyatopolk were not far away. They broke into the prince's tent in the morning and began to beat him with spears. His faithful servant, the Hungarian Georgiy, tried to cover Boris with his body. They did not spare him either. The body of the bleeding prince was wrapped in a tent cloth, thrown onto a cart and taken in the direction of Kiev. Boris was still breathing at the city walls. Completing their dirty work, the assassins stabbed him with swords. The body of the murdered prince was buried in Vyshgorod, near the church of St. Basil.

Death of Gleb

At that time Svyatopolk sent messengers to Gleb, who reigned in Murom. The messengers told Gleb that Prince Vladimir was seriously ill and called his son to Kiev to say goodbye before his death. In fact, both Vladimir and Boris were already dead. With this trick Svyatopolk tried to lure his brother out of Murom in order to deal with him too. Gleb believed the messengers and set off on the road.

Other messengers found Gleb not far from Smolensk. They were sent by Vladimir’s fourth son, Yaroslav, who wanted to inform his brother that their father was dead, Boris was killed, and Gleb’s life was in mortal danger. Gleb did not want to believe these terrible words. He had the opportunity to return to Murom, surround himself with a squad, wait out. However, like his brother Boris, he did not want to resist evil and went to meet his death.

Death overtook Gleb on the Dnieper, at the mouth of the Medyn river. The assassins' rook caught up with Gleb's rook, and a few moments later the young prince fell with his throat cut. The annals say that the body of the murdered was thrown on the shore "between two decks."

Curse of Svyatopolk the Deathblast

Boris and Gleb almost voluntarily accepted death, abandoning an armed struggle with an insidious brother, but he was not destined to rule in Kiev for a long time. In the fall, the Novgorod army, headed by Yaroslav, approached the walls of the city. Fearing reprisals, Svyatopolk fled.

But he could not come to terms with the loss of power and twice appeared at the walls of Kiev. The first time he brought the Pechenegs, the second time - the Poles. Svyatopolk wanted to achieve power by any means. Yaroslav fought the fratricide for four long years. Once he was even forced to flee to Novgorod, but in 1019 Svyatopolk was finally defeated. The decisive battle took place near the Alta River - the very one on the banks of which Prince Boris was killed. Svyatopolk fled to Poland, where until the end of his days he did not find a refuge for himself. The people called him the Mortal.

Boris and Gleb - the first Russian saints

Gleb's body was found several years later. Miraculously, he was not touched by decay. The remains of the martyr were buried next to his brother - in Vyshgorod.

Subsequently, the first of the Borisoglebsk churches was consecrated near the grave of the slain princes. It was built by Yaroslav the Wise, and the consecration of the stone five-domed church on July 24, 1026 was performed by John, Metropolitan of Kiev, together with the cathedral of the local clergy.

In 1071 Boris and Gleb were canonized. They were neither monks nor hermits. The brothers did not respond to evil with violence, they accepted death and thus became the first Russian passion-bearers. Their memory is honored on May 2; on this day, the relics of the brothers were transferred to a new church in Vyshgorod. Saints Boris and Gleb were and remain in Russia "heavenly prayer books" for all Orthodox Christians.

The veneration of the holy brothers-princes Boris and Gleb was also initiated by their brother Yaroslav the Wise after he took the grand-princely throne in Kiev.

The chroniclers unanimously compared Svyatopolk with another fratricide, the biblical Cain, whose name became a household name, and argued that the villain until the end of his days had no peace anywhere, and even his grave exuded a stench and stench.

The blood shed by Gleb and his brother seemed to have flooded the fire of internecine strife that burned in Russia, but the memory of the brothers survived them forever, for it is said in the Holy Scriptures: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul."

At times, at key moments in history, images of brothers appear in the world, blessing people for spiritual deeds.

Brothers blessing to Alexander Nevsky

In 1240 Swedish ships entered the mouth of the Neva. When the news of the enemy's invasion reached Novgorod, its prince Alexander, without waiting for the help of his neighbors, set out with his squadron to meet the enemy squadron. Legend says that on the night before the battle, a boat appeared in the fog on the waters of the river, on which stood two holy brothers. They blessed the Novgorodians for a feat of arms. The Swedes were defeated, and after that glorious victory.

Boris and Gleb patrons of the Rurik family

Boris and Gleb became the first Russian saints, patrons of the reigning, and are revered by the Orthodox Church as miracle-working healers and passion-bearers.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 25.01.2016 12:37

Photo: Transfer of the relics of Boris and Gleb.

What is the feature Saints Boris and Gleb, what was their spiritual feat, that for so many centuries people remember about it? If you look closely, it seems that they did not do anything special - they are not even martyrs, but passion-bearers, that is, those who accepted suffering and death at the hands of their fellow believers without resistance, and did not commit a martyr's confession of faith.

Boris and Gleb were the sons of the Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, their elder half-brothers were Svyatopolk, nicknamed the Cursed One, and Yaroslav the Wise.

Vladimir summoned Boris to Kiev and gave him soldiers to fight the Pechenegs. He set out on a campaign and, not meeting the enemy, was going to return, and suddenly received news of the death of his father and that Svyatopolk wanted to kill him in order to seize power alone.

Boris did not flee, but stood up for prayer in his tent - here the assassins sent by Svyatopolk attacked him. Mortally wounded, he prayed for forgiveness for his enemies.

“And, looking at his murderers with a sad look, with a sunken face, all shedding tears, he said:“ Brothers, when you have come, finish what was entrusted to you. And peace be on my brother and you, brothers! ”"

Yaroslav warned Gleb that Svyatopolk also wanted to kill him after his brother, but Gleb also did not hide from his enemies and accepted suffering and death. His body was thrown in a deserted place, and for a long time the shepherds saw light there and heard angelic singing, but no one knew the reason until Yaroslav the Wise, many years later, found Gleb's body and buried it next to Boris. The body of the saint remained incorrupt, and wild animals did not touch him.

In 1072, the relics of the brothers were solemnly transferred to the new cathedral in Vyshgorod - since then May 15 is considered the day of their glorification. For a hundred years, miracles of healing were performed at the tomb of the saints, therefore they were glorified as healers.

In all images - both on icons and in literary monuments - the humility and meekness of the brothers, their kind, soft faces are emphasized. This is precisely where their holiness lies - in accepting suffering without resistance, in forgiveness and love.

The people keep the memory of the saints in the names of churches, monasteries and cities - in Russia there is the city of Borisoglebsk in the Voronezh region, Romanov-Borisoglebsk (Tutaev) in the Yaroslavl region, the city of Daugavpils in Lithuania also bore the name Borisoglebsk before, and this is not to mention the many Borisoglebsk churches ...

In Moscow, the famous church of Boris and Gleb, destroyed in the 1930s, was located at the Arbat Gate - Boris Pasternak recalls it in his poem "Bacchanalia":

Town. Winter sky.
Dark. Spans of the gate.
Boris and Gleb have Light, and the service is going on.
Praying foreheads
vestments And old women
shushuny candles
flame from below
Weakly illuminated ...

Boris's lament for his deceased father finds a response in the hearts of readers even after a thousand years:

“Alas for me, my father and my lord! To whom will I resort, to whom will I turn my gaze? Where else can I find such wisdom and how can I do without the guidance of your mind? Alas for me, alas for me! How did you go down, my sun, but I was not there! If I had been there, I would have removed your honest body with my own hands and betrayed your grave. But I did not carry your valiant body, I did not qualify to kiss your beautiful gray hair. My heart burns, my soul confuses the mind, and I don't know who to turn to, to whom to tell this bitter sorrow? "

Sasha Mitrakhovich 07.11.2018 18:16