Day of Remembrance of Andrei Bogolyubsky on the Orthodox Calendar

The Russian land is rich in talented, intelligent people,ahead of their time in the development and striving for good institutions in the territory of Kievan Rus and the Russian state. Many spiritual pillars of the Orthodox faith, ascetics, martyrs and the righteous, to illuminate his life on the commandments of God the darkness of idolatry, paganism, who gives us his gracious help and intercession before God, praying to heaven for their homeland on earth and children of the Orthodox Church, hitherto exemplify godliness , righteousness and unbending character in the face of the enemies of the Church.

One of such great people of his time is Saint Blessed Andrey Bogolyubsky, whose memory day falls on 17 July.

Pedigree

In the 12th century, in Kievan Rus,the Rurik dynasty. Prince Andrew Bogolyubsky is a direct descendant of Prince Vladimir Monomakh, his grandson. Father of the future saint was Yuri Dolgoruky, and his mother - the daughter of Polovtsian khan, princess.

The beginning of the way

From a young age, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, a day of memorywho falls on July 17, took part in the administration of the Suzdal Principality, helping his father to solve complex issues and problems peacefully. After the transfer of the Kiev princedom to the power of his father, Prince Andrew goes to Vyshgorod to reign, while actively participating in combat campaigns, bravely fighting with the enemy.

The origins of the idea of ​​a new statehood

At that time in Kievan Rus powerpassed down from generation to generation according to seniority. Thus, the oldest man in the family ruled Kiev, and his children, brothers and sons occupied other principalities. When the eldest person died in the family, his place was occupied by the second most senior member of the family, and all the other princes moved to another city and ruled there as long as the elder brother was alive.

Such a system of inherit the princely thronewas called a lestive right. She was very uncomfortable in terms of the need to change her residence several times during her life. But the most important thing was not even that. The attitude of princes to people living in the territory they controlled was built primarily on a consumer basis. Regardless of how the prince behaved in this or that patrimony, he knew that with the death of the eldest in the family, the whole system of government would shift and he would receive richer lands.

From early youth, the prince saw quarrels arising between relatives in the struggle for power in the rich principalities, disputes over the priority of inheriting the best lands.

Princedom in the Vladimir-Suzdal Lands

Most of the life of the prince takes place in the Vladimir-Suzdal lands. He rules them before moving to the Kiev throne.

The embodiment of the idea of ​​a new statehood

At this time he builds a modelgovernment based on responsibility before the people, love and respect for others, poor brothers and poor people. Saint Bogolyubsky, whose memory day falls on July 17, was distinguished by a wise and just government, developed trade and state institutions of power. After the death of his father took his place in Kiev in 1169-1175.

Righteous Life

During the reign of the Kiev principality, AndrewBogolyubsky had to face the open hostility of relatives who wanted to take away the rich Kiev lands from him, so he secretly left the throne with the image of the Blessed Virgin, presented to his father, Yuri Dolgoruky, the Patriarch of Constantinople. This image was kept in Vyshgorod, in the patrimonial estate of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles princess of Russian Olga.

This circumstance was preceded by amazingdevelopments. Seeing the endless quarrels between the Russian princes, Andrei Bogolyubsky (commemorated on July 17), prayed earnestly to the Most-Pure Theotokos. Several times this icon was found hanging in the air, inviting to go on a journey. Prince Andrew liked the north-eastern lands of Kievan Rus more than others. There he sent his way. Miraculously, in the middle of the road, the horses started, not wanting to move forward or backward. After the well-deserved prayer service, the Most-Holy Mother of God appeared to Prince Andrey, who ordered the construction of a temple and a monastery on this site. The prince immediately reacted to the command, laid the white-stone church and ordered the icon painters to write the image of the Most-Pure Mother of God in the form in which she appeared to him. Thus appeared the image of the Bogolyubsky Mother of God. After the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the horses were able to continue their journey and brought the prince to Vladimir, which Andrey Bogolyubsky decided to make the northern capital of Russia.

Saint Blessed Andrew Bogolyubsky (dayJuly 17) inherited from his grandfather Vladimir Monomakh deep concentration in prayer and spiritual life, love and diligence to church services, the habit of constantly checking his life with the Holy Scripture, in every case, with prayer, turn to the Lord God and the intercession of the saints. Differing from his youth a special aspiration for a righteous life, he was a merciful ruler. In those days, scattered princedoms in the southern lands of Russia often suffered from attacks by the hordes of nomads who ravaged villages that swept away everything in their path, from rampaging prince's squads who plundered and oppressed the peasants. Therefore, more and more exhausted, hungry people, deprived of shelter, clothing, food and drink, were drawn to more peaceful lands. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky accepted all with love and joy, endowed with lands, was generous in charity. Thanks to rich donations to monasteries, churches and indigent people, Andrei Bogolyubsky, whose memory day the Orthodox Church celebrates on July 17, has won their love, respect and devotion. For the period of the reign of the prince, it is necessary to establish the church feast of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is dearly beloved and revered by ordinary people.

The prince worked especially hard on enlightenment inthe Orthodox faith of the Russian people, converted the Orthodoxy, the Bulgars, to Orthodoxy, and tried to destroy the pagan traditions rooted in the people. His works were opened new Orthodox schools, developed icon painting skills. The day of Andrei Bogolyubsky's memory is an occasion to recall the development of Orthodoxy in the Vladimir-Suzdal lands, which rallyed the people and gradually became deeper into the everyday life of the population. Thus, the northeastern lands of Kievan Rus became the center of spiritual enlightenment and a new state system. The Day of Remembrance of Andrei Bogolyubsky is a particularly revered feast here.

Founder of Russian cities

In place of the miraculous appearance of the Blessed Virgin on the way to Vladimir, the prince founded a city called Bogolyubovo. In addition to him, the prince was founded several more cities: Dmitrov, Konyatin and Kostroma.

Construction of churches and cathedrals

During the reign of Andrei BogolyubskyHis order was erected over 30 temples. One of them is the grandiose Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, in which the miraculous image of the Virgin, named Vladimirsky, is kept. Until now, it is considered the greatest shrine of the entire Russian people, so long, carefully, with love, collected by the prince in one great state, united by the Orthodox faith. The day of Andrei Bogolyubsky's memory is honored in the church at the Golden Gate and in the Church of Our Savior in Vladimir, which were also founded by him.

Death of the Prince

After the execution of a close relative of his wife AndreyBogolyubsky, her brothers, wishing to take revenge, entered into a conspiracy with the servants of the prince's court. A total of 16 people gathered. On the day of the alleged assassination, one of the prince's servants secretly carried out a sword from the chambers of the prince, who was constantly kept there. After drinking wine for courage, in the evening of the same day the conspirators broke into the prince's rooms, killed all the guards, and, knocking out the door to the governor's chambers, attacked him unarmed with swords and spears, began to cut and stab him. After a brief resistance, the weakened and wounded prince fell to the floor. The murderers decided that he was dead, and they hastened to leave the princely chambers, but the prince was still alive. He began to call for protection. Hearing the cries and moans, the conspirators returned and finished their black business. The prince's body was dragged from the chambers and thrown into the garden. Only the next day the faithful servant of Prince Kosma found a lifeless body and, covering it with a carpet, carried it to the porch of the Assumption Cathedral.

On the day of the funeral, a countless number of bitterly weeping peasants and ordinary people came to him to say goodbye to him, and the pious prince managed to help him in any way.

The day of memory of Andrei Bogolyubsky falls on July 4 in the old style and 17 on the new. On this day, according to legend, the funeral of the prince passed.

The coincidence of historical events

So I lived my sinless, god-pleasing lifethe holy pious Andrei Bogolyubsky. When the day of remembrance of this saint is easy to remember. It coincides with the celebration of the memory of the holy Royal Passion-Bearers - the family of the last Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty - Nicholas II. There are two historical parallels:

• they both adhered to a truly Christian life, trusting themselves, their family and country with the will of the Lord God;
• both sought to create a powerful state, whose management is built on the responsibility of the first person of the state (prince, sovereign) before all the people and the Lord God;
• Both gained the love and respect of those whose life foundations, values ​​coincided with their personal;
• both became victims of a conspiracy of people envious, dissatisfied with the spread of influence, the might and power of their power, the wealth of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality and the Russian Empire;
• in both cases the holy ascetics accepteda martyr's death: at the hands of the Bolsheviks the last Russian emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich and at the hands of the relatives of his wife and domestic servants Andrei Bogolyubsky; when the day of the memory of that and the other saint coincides, it is July 17, according to the new style and July 4, according to the old style.

Conclusion

The whole life of Prince Andrew Bogolyubsky wasis filled with love for God and people, mercy and compassion for neighbors, is full of aspirations to unite the lands of Kievan Rus under the leadership of one sovereign, to develop and strengthen statehood.

Andrei Bogolyubsky (commemorated on July 17 byOrthodox calendar) was awarded the glorification of the Orthodox Church as a saint, whose life was pure and righteous in the face of the Lord God, and therefore he is called Bogolyubsky.