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† The suffering of the holy Prince Mikhail of Chernigov and his boyar Theodore and the memory of the grandson of Prince Mikhail, Prince Oleg of Bryansk Mikhail Prince of Chernigov, son of Vsevolod Chermny, from a young age was distinguished by a pious mood of soul; in his youth he did not enjoy good health, on the contrary, he was completely relaxed; according to rumors about the Pereyaslav stylite Nikita, he went to ask for the prayers of the righteous man and, by his faith, received (1186) full health. 261 In 1224 we see him in the council of princes, deciding whether to meet the Tatars halfway, at the call of the Polovtsians, and at the end of the same year he was already with his squad in Torzhok, ready to help Grand Duke Yuri, to whom his sister was married. The Novgorodians, not accepting Yuryev’s son, willingly accepted Mikhail. – Yuri, despite having made peace with the Novgorodians, took the Novgorod treasury from Torzhok; Prince Mikhail appeared with a request to return his property to Novgorod, and George respected his request. The Novgorodians enthusiastically thanked their prince for his service, which restored their fortune to hundreds. With his smart and complacent actions, Mikhali won the love of the Novgorodians. “Our entire region,” says the Novgorod chronicler, blessed its lot, without feeling any burden.” But in the terrible Battle of Kalka, Mikhail’s brother Mstislav, who reigned in Chernigov, was killed along with his son. Prince Mikhail announced that he must return to his hometown. In vain did the Novgorodians ask him to stay with them, in vain did they say that the prince beloved by Novgorod could not leave Novgorod without insulting his kind heart. Mikhail replied that Chernigov and Novgorod should be one with each other, and he was going to strengthen the bonds of friendship and trade relations between them. 262 Mikhail took up the organization of his native principality. In 1227, he was ready to fight with his neighbor, Prince Oleg of Kursk. Fortunately, Metropolitan Kirill reconciled the princes. At that time of unrest and civil strife, the peace-loving prince could not help but get involved in civil strife, and Mikhail, at the call of the Prince of Kyiv, had to go to Volyn for a war with the Galician Prince, but this campaign ended without troubles, in peace. At the end of 1228 The Novgorodians, pressed by Prince Yaroslav and their own troubles, sent ambassadors to ask Michael to Novgorod. Mikhail hurried to Novgorod all the more because the unfortunate Novgorod ambassadors were detained in Smolensk by the will of Yaroslav. The people received him with delight. The prince, having sworn an oath to protect the ancient truth to Yaroslav, first of all set about ending the troubles in Novgorod. In accordance with the ancient Novgorod law, he decided to stop all disputes and litigation regarding the collection of quitrents from villagers transferred or transferred from one owner to another: “as the ancient princes commanded, so pay, he said; whoever lives where, pays there; whoever comes to the new land is free from tribute, even for five years.” The villagers, hitherto oppressed and ruined by rich landowners, blessed the good Prince Mikhail. Having arranged other internal affairs of Novgorod, by peacefully persuading Yaroslav to make concessions in favor of Novgorod, Mikhail left the young prince Rostislav to the Novgorodians, and he himself returned to the south. He reconciled Prince Yaroslav, who was threatening war, with Chernigov and Kyiv. In 1235 Vladimir, Prince of Kiev, and Daniil, Prince of Galicia, led troops to Chernigov; Having besieged the city, they burned the suburbs and ravaged the surrounding area. Mikhail skillfully led his troops out of Chernigov and completely defeated Prince Galitsky. Izyaslav, an ally and relative of Mikhail, came to the rescue and Kyiv was taken for Izyaslav, and Mikhail took Galich for himself. 263 A terrible time has come. In 1238, the Tatars devastated Ryazan, Suzdal and Vladimir. In 1239 they turned to southern Russia. At this time, Mikhail owned Kyiv. The Mangu ambassadors demanded that Kyiv and the prince submit voluntarily to the khan. Mikhail and his squad saw that they had no strength to defeat the terrible enemy; but they recognized it as baseness to ask for chains from a proud enemy. The Khan's ambassadors were killed for their impudent comments. Michael hastened to seek help for his homeland outside its borders - he turned to Bela, the King of Hungary. Kyiv was taken, and even before that Chernigov, dear to Mikhail, was devastated. Prince Mstislav, Mikhail's cousin, exhausted both the courage and the military means to save Chernigov. The city was heavily fortified; The defenders fought the Tatars, not sparing their lives. The Tatars set up battering machines - huge stones were flying at the city 100 fathoms away, such that four people could barely lift one stone. Mstislav yielded to the stubborn pressure of a numerous enemy; many of his troops fell in battle; the city was taken and set on fire; Bishop Porfiry was taken prisoner, but, exhausted by years and sorrows, he was released from Glukhov, and he died. Prince Mikhail did not find help from the strong Bela - he remained to wait his turn, which reached Hungary after Kyiv. Mikhail traveled from country to country. Robbed by the Germans near Sirad, he returned to Kyiv and lived on an island, opposite the ruins of the ancient capital; then he moved to devastated Chernigov. Meanwhile, his son Rostislav knew how to win the love of Bela, and the Hungarian king gave his daughter to him. Michael, thinking of finding a faithful ally in a relative, arrived in Hungary another time; but again I met there the reception of blind self-interest. The distressed prince returned to his homeland. 264 Khan's officials enumerated all remaining residents in the Chernigov region to collect tribute; They demanded from the princes that they enter into the administration of the regions in no other way than by appearing in advance with obedience to Batu. Prince Mikhail, who could not find help for his homeland anywhere, saw that it was necessary to submit to the khan - such was the will of God; but what to do if you have to face the paganism of Batu’s court? Holy faith must be treasured most of all, he thought. Pious Michael turned for advice to his spiritual father, Bishop John. He told him: “Many princes went to the horde and acted according to the will of the pagan; seduced by the glory of this light, they walked through the fire and bowed to idols. But you, prince, do not take any food or drink into your mouth; but profess the Christian faith, say that Christians should not worship creatures, but only the Lord Jesus Christ.” The prince answered: “Let the will of God be accomplished through your prayer!” I desire to shed my blood for Christ and for the pure faith.” Mikhail's boyar Theodore said the same. “If you do this,” said the bishop, “you will be new martyrs, for the approval of others.” The prince and the governor promised to do so. The spiritual father gave them holy communion on their way and sent them off with the prayer: “May God, for whom you wish to suffer, strengthen you!” Arriving at Batu’s camp with his grandson Boris Vasilkovich, Prince of Rostov, and the boyar Theodore, Prince Mikhail announced that he wanted to introduce himself to Batu. He was reported. Batu ordered to call the priests and said: “Do everything that follows according to your regulations over the Russian prince Mikhail, and then present him to me.” The priests demanded that the prince and his boyar pass through the fire. “The prince answered: “A Christian worships the Creator, not the creature.” - They announced to Batu about the disobedience of the Russian prince. Batu became furious and sent his nobleman Eldega to announce to the prince: “How dare he not fulfill the will of the king? Let him choose one of two things: either he will worship the gods and calmly rule the principality, or he will die an evil death.” “The prince answered: “I am ready to bow to the king,” God entrusted him with the fate of the earthly kingdoms; but I am a Christian and cannot worship what the priests worship!” This is what a contemporary writes. 265 What was the action that was demanded of Prince Mikhail and which he refused? According to the confessor, Bishop John, this was a pagan affair. Is that how it was? 266 About Khan Mangu, the Western traveler says: “he made sacrifices to the sky, the sun, the moon and the mountains.” 267 We agree that Batu “did not belong to any sect and worshiped only one God.” 268 – But Yasa Chingisova was the ruling law of the Mongols; and in Yas, along with the worship of the Supreme, the worship of good and evil spirits, the worship of the sun, moon, elements, and ancestors was prescribed. “No matter how Batu thought for himself, Mongol law with its priests reigned in his camp. Daniel, Prince of Galich, three years after Michael, “saw here vile magical services and nonsense established by Genghis Khan - kings, princes, nobles were led by law near the bush to bow to the sun, moon, earth, devil, fathers, grandfathers and mothers who died in hell.” 269 ​​– It is known that even Buddhist lamas were forced to preserve the worship of fire among the Buryats - their ancient delusion. 270 It was natural for the pride of the Mongols to take pleasure in the fact that the Russians paid respect to their religion. If for anyone, then especially for Prince Mikhail Batu, he could not cancel any of the demands of the Mongol priests. He saw in Mikhail someone who tried to ward off Mongol power. “The Tatars were looking for an opportunity to kill him,” says a Western eyewitness to the events. – This Roman missionary did not quite correctly and too briefly described the reception of Prince Michael in the Horde; but he also wrote: “the southern side is worshiped as God and other noble people who submit to them are forced to do the same. Recently, Mikhail, one of the great Russian dukes, came to Batu; he was told to bow to Tsingis Khan to the south. Michael refused... They have idols made of felt: they worship the sun, luminaries, fire, water, earth, they worship and sacrifice the first fruits of food and drink.” 271 – So the noble prince Mikhail and the boyar Theodore were brought face to face with paganism; they had one of two options left - either to act according to the conscience of a pagan, or to die with a Christian conscience. And our chronicles call the feat of Prince Michael nothing other than a feat “for the holy faith,” 272 suffering for disrespect for paganism. 273 Let us turn to the history of high Christian feats. When Eldega heard the prince’s refusal to fulfill what was demanded of him, he said: “Do you understand, prince, that you are pronouncing a death sentence on yourself?” “Yes,” the prince answered calmly; I wish to suffer for my Christ, I am ready to shed blood for pure faith.” - The young prince Boris of Rostov, to whom Batu also declared his will about Mikhail, 274 said with tears to his grandfather: “Sovereign Father! bow down." The Borisov boyars said: “We and our entire country are ready to accept penance for you, prince.” Michael answered: “I don’t want to be a Christian only in name, but do the deeds of a pagan.” - This meant that the holy prince did not want to be a hypocritical Christian and dishonor Christianity before the pagans; he wanted to be the best Christian, whom Christians on earth and in heaven could look upon with triumph. Meanwhile, the boyar Theodore thought: if his prayers had not persuaded the prince to betray his conscience, the struggle they evoked in the prince’s soul with love for life, for his dear family, for everything dear to him would not have ended in the victory of the worst. And he said to his beloved prince: “Do you remember, sir, the words of our spiritual father? The Lord said: whoever wants to save his soul will destroy it; and whoever loses his soul for the sake of Me and My Gospel will save it. What good is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Whoever confessed Me before men, let us also confess him before My Father; and whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny Me before My Father.” - Prince Boris and his boyars, for their part, did not cease to convince Mikhail to spare himself. “I don’t listen to you, I won’t destroy my soul,” said the holy prince decisively. And taking off his princely cap, he threw it away with the words: “away with the glory of this world, I don’t want it.” 275 Seeing that no convictions could change the prince’s resolve, the khan’s nobleman went to Batu to convey Prince Mikhail’s answers. “Many Christians and pagans gathered here to listen to Prince Michael’s response to the Tsar,” says the descriptor of the feat. This is how both the Christian and pagan world looked at the feat of Saint Prince Michael. The Christian world saw with joy and triumph that the Christian prince did not humiliate the name of a Christian, to the temptation of his brethren; no, he set an example for others of what a sincere Christian should be. – The pagan world had to admit that Christianity raises people of high spirit, who love their faith not to the first danger to honor or life, but give everything for it. They say, and it is quite probable, that Batu, after listening to Mikhail’s answer, said: “this is a strong man.” 276 – Without a doubt, the firmness of the holy Prince Michael, which triumphed over the pride of the Mongolians, provided the Holy Church with the service that after Michael the Russian princes were no longer brought face to face with paganism at receptions in the Horde. When Eldega left, blessed Michael and his worthy boyar began to sing psalms and, having finished singing, partook of the Holy Mysteries, which were given to them by their spiritual father, who blessed them to suffer for Christ. 277 “Prince Michael!” the Tatar officials said again, “they are coming from the khan to kill you; submit and you will live." The Grand Duke and Theodore answered at the same time: “We don’t listen to you, we don’t want the glory of this world.” And they began to sing to themselves: “Your martyrs, O Lord, have not rejected You, have not departed from Your commandments.” Then they sang other martyrdom poems. In this way they strengthened themselves to complete the high feat. The killers appeared. Jumping off their horses, the Tatar executioners grabbed Prince Mikhail, stretched him by his arms and legs and began to hit him with fists and sticks on his chest, then turned him face to the ground and kicked him. “This atrocity lasted a long time. Even the apostate from Christianity, Dementiy of Putiv, was offended by this and cut off the head of the holy martyr with a knife. They began to persuade the boyar Theodore not to follow the example of the prince and promised him honors. He answered: “I cannot bow down to the creature, I want to suffer for my Christ, just like my sovereign prince.” “They began to torture him, as they tortured the prince, and finally they cut off his head. It was September 20, 1244 278 The holy bodies of the martyrs were thrown as food for dogs. They lay there for more than one day, but remained safe and sound. The Lord, for whom the martyrs suffered, showed His sign to strengthen the faith of the weak and humiliate paganism. A pillar of light stood over the holy bodies, candles were burning and heavenly voices were heard. - God-fearing Christians, who saw this, with joy and tears, secretly took the holy bodies and brought them to Chernigov. 279 Since the legend of the martyrdom of the holy prince and his commander was written by their confessor, Bishop John, there is no doubt that their memory began to be honored in Chernigov after the bringing of their relics to Chernigov. 280 In 1572, the holy relics were transferred to Moscow by the will of Tsar John, out of fear that they would not be desecrated by the papists when Chernigov came under Polish rule. Now they rest in the Archangel Cathedral. 281 Saint Prince Michael was awarded a heavenly blessing on earth for his great feat. While the branches of other descendants of the Equal-to-the-Apostles have long since faded away, the branches of the holy Prince Michael are still green to this day: the princes Baryatinsky, Gorchakov, Dolgoruky, Eletsky, Zvenigorod, Koltsov-Mosalsky, Obolensky, Odoevsky, Shcherbatov. Piety was constantly alive in his descendants. We are not talking here about his famous daughter - Saint Euphrosyne. 282 – The great parent was imitated in piety by his son, Prince Roman Bryansky, and even more so by his grandson, Prince Oleg Romanovich. In the handwritten calendar we read: “the holy noble prince Oleg Romanovich of Bryansk, monastery Leonty, reposed in the summer of 6740 and was laid to rest in the Peter and Paul Monastery.” There is an error in the time here. Prince Oleg Romanovich, grandson of Saint Prince Michael, was with his father in the war against Lithuania in 1274. “At the end of the war, says a contemporary, Oleg came from Novgorod of Lithuania to Vladimir (Volynsky) to visit his sister (Olga - Elena Romanovna, wife of Prince Vladimir of Volynsky). – Vladimir diligently called his father-in-law to him. “Sovereign Father! He said, come and visit your home and see your daughter’s health.” But Roman refused. - “My son Vladimir! He answered: I cannot separate myself from my military squad; I live on the side threatened by war; who will manage my squad without me? Let my son Oleg go instead of me.” They kissed and each went to their own place." According to this news, we see that in Prince Vladimir there is a respectful son, although according to another news he cut his beard, so in Prince Roman there appears a prince who takes care of his subjects, sacrificing the most innocent pleasure for duty. 283 – According to the news of the beginning of the Svensky Monastery, Prince Roman Mikhailovich is a pious prince, and his spiritual dispositions attract the special mercy of God to him. According to this news, the prince was very ill and miraculously healed on Svenskaya Mountain in front of the icon of the Mother of God. “He then placed a cross at the place of healing, which was still intact; then he built a church and a monastery on the mountain, and the miraculous icon was decorated with an expensive frame. 284 – We see the brave Prince Roman Mikhailovich still at war in 1285. 285 But after 1274 we no longer see Prince Oleg in any worldly anxiety. In ancient synodics they commemorated: Grand Duke Roman of old Chernigov and Princess Anna and his son Prince Oleg Romanovich, Grand Duke of Chernigov. Leonty, who left the twelve people and accepted the angelic image, joined the monastery of Vasily. 286 Synodics allow us to see in the blessed Prince Oleg moral courage, parting with the tempting power of the hereditary Grand Duke of Chernigov, who could still command hundreds of thousands of people. According to the chronicles, we see that after Prince Roman, his eldest son, Prince Mikhail, succeeded his father, and then in 1309 Vasily Mikhailovich was Prince of Bryansk. 287 It is clear that Prince Oleg, seeing the fragility of earthly happiness, which did not reassure his favorites, gave his brother and his son the principalities of Chernigov and Bryansk, and he himself decided to serve the Lord in the garb of a monk and began to build the Peter and Paul Monastery. Based on the pious dispositions of the children and grandchildren of Saint Prince Michael, we cannot doubt that the sister of the blessed prince Olga, having received rich estates in Volyn in 1289, according to the will of her husband, 288 generously helped her brother in establishing the Bryansk monastery. – Prince Monk Vasily died a strict ascetic. His relics rest hidden in the stone church of his monastery, which Patriarch Nikon, out of reverence for the holy ascetic prince, elevated to the degree of stauropegia. 289 St. great martyr Eustathius Placis and his wife Theopistia and their children Agapius and Theopist, who suffered in the year 118 An ancient legend tells about the extraordinary fate of Eustathius, in the paganism of Placis, who, like Job, having gone through various trials, not only was not crushed in spirit, but the more he was struck by the blows of fate, the more he became stronger and grew in soul and, through his misfortunes, as if by steps, from glory to strength, he ascended higher and higher to the very height of the martyr’s crown. Eutathius grew up in paganism, but his soul was too intelligent in its natural purity not to comprehend all the lies of those concepts in which he was brought up among a pagan environment. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God,” the Savior promised, and Eustathius, pure in heart, overshadowed by one of the wonderful, special revelations from above, saw God the Truth. Having received St. baptism together with his wife Theopistia and two children - sons Agapius and Theopist, Estathius, a famous Roman military leader during the reign of the emperors Titus and Trajan, spent his life in complete prosperity. But was earthly happiness ever enough to make an unhindered path to heaven? History testifies otherwise: no one ascended to the Kingdom of Heaven without a crown of thorns, woven from the thorns with which man’s earthly path was strewn... - Eustathius and his family were to be saved in the same way, having accepted the faith, which had to be proven by deeds: by a deed of patience and unshakable devotion to the will of God amid the most difficult trials. “That’s what the Lord helped them do.” First, the test appeared to Eustathius in the form of the loss of all the rich property that he was accustomed to using, and therefore it was especially difficult for him to suddenly find himself in poverty and face to face with extreme hardships and insults from his former friends, about which he now learned that most of them loved only his wealth in him, and in misfortune abandoned him and were ready to condemn and blame him for the disaster that befell him... It was so hard for Eustathius that, although he did not grumble against God, he decided, together with his wife and children, to move away from those places where a sad change in their situation occurred, after which people began to treat them differently. – Why should we stay here? “Moreover, his wife convinced him, “let’s better go further away from here, to where no one would know us and where we won’t be reproached by those who knew us...” And so, Eustathius went with his wife and children to a foreign side, to distant Egypt, where he could hide his rank and engage in daily work to support his family. But on this new path, a new disaster struck him... When the ship on which Eustathius and his family set off approached the Egyptian coast, the captain of that ship, who turned out to be a sea robber, captivated by the beauty of Eustathius’s wife, Theopistia, landed Eustathius and the children on the shore, kept Theopistia on the ship as a deposit for transportation and, threatening Eustathius with a sword, who was trying to free his wife from him, sailed to further path... Great was the grief of being separated from his wife. Barely maintaining his consciousness, he led his children, without knowing where, to an unfamiliar land. Soon a wide and fast river opened in front of them, which they had to ford. First, Eustathius carried one of his children to the opposite bank, then he began to cross after the other, and at that time the final disaster broke out over him... At the time when he, having left his eldest son off the bank, went after the younger one and was in the middle of the river, he saw that a lion had grabbed his son on the bank and rushed with him into the depths of the desert... Before the unfortunate father had time to reach the shore, where his youngest child was waiting, this one, in his eyes, was kidnapped by a wolf, who instantly disappeared with with their prey in the thicket of the forest... – God lives, and my soul lives! - the unfortunate man from whom God had taken everything could only remember in the depths of his soul... But God will not take away anything: He only gives man the best for him. And he compensates for the loss of earthly things with abundant gifts of grace to those who loved Him, who humbly submitted to the will of their Heavenly Father, who loves people more than an earthly mother loves her earthly child... This is what the Lord did with Eustathius. He did not retreat from him and gave him the power of His Holy Spirit; working miraculously in a believer, transforming sorrow into joy and loss into gain. Indeed, did not Eustathius gain more than he lost? He lost his wealth, but for this he was delivered from the destructive temptations that accompanied him, and acquired patience and the merit of work. He lost his wife and children, but acquired the undoubted faith that they are alive in the memory of the Lord, the Guardian of Christian souls. He who knew God betrayed his loved ones and calmed down with the consciousness of the incomparable superiority of God’s love over his love, human love... And with Christian cheerfulness, submitting to his lot, Eustathius continued his life, devoid of earthly consolations, but worthy of a Christian, more and more - as he prayed, in which he poured out his soul, filled with enduring consolations and incorruptible blessings: submission to the indestructible will of God, hope in God the Guardian and Rewarder - the undoubted and joyful consciousness of the brevity of earthly trials in comparison with promised blissful eternity. Such treasures are attracted to the heart by prayer and replace a person’s lost earthly happiness... Thus, the strength in Eustathia did not diminish to endure the trials that befell him; He lived for 15 years, humbly working and suffering hardships on a foreign side, constantly overcoming with prayer the grief for his lost loved ones. Meanwhile, in the midst of a sorrowful life, he matured for the highest feat with which God was pleased to crown his righteous life. But before calling Eustathius to a suffering feat, God wanted to console him here on earth and show him the goodness and power of His inscrutable Providence. God returned to him both human glory and all the joy of being united with his family. Those whom Eustathius considered dead did not perish... His children - Agapius and Theopist were saved by the shepherds, who managed to take them away from the animals, and his wife managed to free herself from the barbarian, struck by illness on the very day of her abduction... and, like her husband, enduring, but not despondent and not exhausted under the burden of losing all her happiness, she lived modestly, working for her food, on someone else's side, not parting, perhaps, with the hope of one day meeting her husband and children separated from her, about whose abduction by animals she did not know... And this hope came true. At this time, when the barbarians, who often attacked the borders of the empire, again approached and threatened the very capital of the empire - Rome, the emperor remembered the former military leader Placidus, who had successfully repelled enemies more than once - and ordered to find him in order to again entrust him with command of the army. By chance, two former comrades of Plakida, looking for him, reached the village (Vadisis) where he lived and was currently the guardian of grain reserves. When, having recognized him, they announced to him the will of the emperor, “so that his beloved commander would appear to him, for whom the entire Roman army is lamenting,” the surprise of the villagers, who had not until now not known that such a famous person was hiding among them, was great... and so, they honored Eustathius when he set out, at the royal call, to defend his fatherland. And the emperor received him with great honor and appointed him commander-in-chief over the Roman army. At the same time, the conscription of selected young warriors from all regions of the empire took place. Among them were the sons of Eustathius. These were beautiful young men, to whom the commander-in-chief was not slow to pay attention and brought them closer to him. Thus, they began to meet, not suspecting the close relationship that existed between them... Meanwhile, the campaign against the barbarians was carried out with complete success. Eutsafy was already returning to Rome at the head of his army, and then, during one of the rests in the middle of the journey, an unexpected and happy ending followed in his family fate. It so happened that, sitting near a house in a village where the army stopped for a three-day rest, two warriors, Theopistus and Agapius, talking to each other, told each other about the fate that befell him in childhood. By chance, a woman who lived in this house and served the warrior guests overheard this conversation, from which she recognized her children, since it was their mother, Theopistia. But she did not dare to reveal this to them, since she was poor, and they seemed to her to be noble warriors. She only decided to go to the military commander to beg him to allow her to return with the army to her fatherland - Rome. Seeing Placis, Theopistia recognized him, but without revealing anything to this noble man, surrounded by a crowd of subordinates, she waited for a convenient moment when she could tell him in private who she was and who the warriors were, from whose conversation she learned that these were their children. Thus, an extraordinary meeting of the family took place after a long and extraordinary separation... The news of this wonderful event quickly spread, and the entire army shared the joy of their beloved leader. This joy, it seemed, could now be overshadowed by nothing, and the life of the family united after a terrible separation seemed from now on to be full of joy, which could atone for all the suffering experienced... Meanwhile, earthly happiness for these God’s people flashed only for a moment, as if in order to strengthen them for the highest test that lay ahead of them, and so that their sacrifice of the most precious goods for the sake of love for God would make this sacrifice even more valuable before God and people... Upon the return of the army to the capital, Adrian, who was then on the imperial throne, having received with great honor those who had won a glorious victory over the barbarians, wished to celebrate this event with a solemn sacrifice to the gods. All the people gathered to participate in this celebration. Only the main culprit of the celebrated event was not in the church... -Where is Placida? - asked the emperor, who immediately noticed the absence of the military leader and, sending for him, asked: “Why don’t you participate in the thanksgiving sacrifice to the gods?” “Because I am a Christian,” answered Eustathius, “and I honor my only God – Jesus Christ, and I thank and glorify Him, because He alone could send down His help to defeat our enemies... Enraged by Eustathius's answers and driven to extreme fury by his resistance to take part in the pagan festival, Adrian, this cruel persecutor of Christians, did not spare in the person of Eustathius, a military leader glorified by victories and beloved by the people, and, having deprived him of his dignity, ordered him to be betrayed along with his entire family to be torn to pieces by wild beasts. When, to general amazement, the beasts released on the condemned did not touch them, then these firm, undaunted confessors of Christ, strong in the belief that their temporary separation on earth was only the beginning of their eternal union in the house of the Heavenly Father, were thrown into a red-hot copper bull, in which they suffered martyrdom... The bodies of these martyrs were found unharmed among the red-hot cover and buried with honor by Christians, whose number expanded significantly on this occasion, as well as after any similar manifestation of the miraculous power of the Christian God, accomplished in the natural weakness of human Christian martyrs... The relics of Saint Eustathius and his relatives who suffered with him are in Rome, in the church named after him. The “Life” of Saint Eustathius, recognized as reliable in its basis, has been known since the first centuries of Christianity; St. John of Damascus also mentions it in the 8th century and cites a passage from it in the 3rd word about icons. Since ancient times, this life has existed in translation into the Slavic language. Nestor mentions these holy martyrs in his chronicle. Saint Eustathius is called upon with special prayerful help, 290 faith in which can be based on the teaching of the Holy Apostle Paul that “although God is one and the same, producing everything in everyone, and the Spirit acting in people is the same, but the gifts and ministry are different: everyone is given the open action of the Spirit for the benefit; to one is a word of wisdom, to another is a word of knowledge; to another - faith, to another - the gift of healings, to others - miracles, to others - prophecies ... "(1 epist. to Corinth. Chapter XII, 4-10). See about Nikita Ave. May 24; life of blessings sq. Mikhail, describing. his confessor Bishop John, priest. to Chernigov. diocesan known 1864 Description of Andrei in the collection Novgor. 15th century libraries (Known Academician VI, 310), in the Synod. b. No. 556. It is also in the collection. l. V, 182–184. VII, 150–156. In the steppe sq. 1, 340-353, is compiled from that long-winded story, where the compiler presents his own thoughts and words as the thoughts and words of the martyrs. Collection l. III, 41. 42. I, 217. Collection l. I, 200. II, 181. Collection l. V, 182–184. VII, 154–156. The tale of the spirits. John the Bishop, ex. to Chernigov. diocesan Izv. 1864 Unfortunately, offensive reviews about St. the prince was expressed in print more than once by Polev, Artsybatev and others. Histor. Rus. D. 2, 15. 16. Rubrukvis's journey, ch. 36. Khondemira history of the Mongols, page 49. St. Petersburg. 1839 Lama Gomboeva about ancient Mongolian customs. Notes from an archaeologist. total XIII, 237. Plano-Carnini journey, pp. 187. 85. 89. 93. 180. Sl. Lama Gomboev XIII, 247. 242. Collection l. I, 201. II, 181. Rostov. l. at Karamz. 4, pr. 41. Nikon. l. III, 22. 23. Plano Carpini speaks about this, only he is mistaken, he called the prince the son of Yaroslav. Collection l. VII, 155. John: “and let us take off our hoofs and lay them down.” – Princely koch – epancha or mantle. In spiritual will of 1331 Vel. book John gives his sons “the great ring with the barms” (collection of state gr. 1, 31). The Volyn Chronicle calls this princely clothing by the Western name - myatlya, mantel: “and in the sight of Yaroslav, sitting in the same place in the mob of myatlya and in the klobutz.” Collection l. II, 72. Nikon. l. III, 22. Step. E.H. 1, 350. Karamz. 4, pr. 43. Nikon. l. III, 26. “And Michael called his priest and received the holy and Divine mysteries from him.” A contemporary says something else. Even sedate. book 1, 351 does not speak here of a priest. After St. Michael, our princes actually appeared in the horde with their confessors, and there was even a Sarai bishop. - But this was due to the strength of the saint. book Mikhail. Collection l. I, 201. II, 181. IV, 38. VIII, 156. Nikon. l. III, 25. Plano-Carpini also writes that Prince Michael was encouraged to a feat of courage by a Russian nobleman and that the latter was deprived of his head, like the prince. Collection l. V, 155. VIII, 159. Nikon. l. III. 25. 26. Step. E.H. 1, 352. The rendering of John. To Novgor. service book of the 15th century. in prayer before the liturgy, along with other saints, St. book Mikhail and boyar Theodore, - Izv. acad. n. VI, 317. Snegirev is remembered. Moscow ancient 66–67. At St. book Mikhail had 5 sons and 2 daughters: Prince. Rostislav, Prince. Roman, ep. Semyon Glukhovsky and Novosilsky, book. Mstislav Karachevsky and Kozelsviy, book. Yuri Torussky, Prince. Theodulia - St. Euphrosyne, book. Mary - wife of St. book Vasilka of Rostov. For descendants, see Book X. times total ist. genealogy, pp. 46–50. 66–71. 155–157. 240–244. K. P. Dolgoruky's genealogy book. 1, 47–120. In the synodics: Eletsk (“written in ancient times”), Seversk and Lyubetsk, relatives and descendants of St. book Mikhail: “book. Dimitry Mstislavich Chernig. killed by the Tatars for the Orthodox faith" (unknown to Stroev and Pogodin), "book. John of Putivl, passion-bearer and wonderworker, killed by the Tatars for Christians” (son of Prince Roman Igorevich, who died in 1211), book. John of Glinsky, book. Roman Novosilsky, who took on the angelic image (grandson of St. Prince Michael), Prince. John (Titovich) Kozelsky, who took on the angelic image” (great-grandson of Prince Mikhail). Collection l. II, 205. 206. 220. Probably when Oleg was returning to his father, the pious Prince Vladimir Vasilvovich “before Chernegov’s ambassador to the bishop’s euangelium was oprakos, written in gold, and bound in silver with pearls and among him the Savior with enamel.” Collection l. II, 223. The legend about the beginning of the Svensky monastery. in ancient times vivliof. 19, 284–293. East. Hier. VI, 36–39. The testimony of some (Dolgoruky genealogy. 1, 49. Karamz. 4, pr. 270. 271), as if the book. Roman was killed in the horde in 1275, and is not worth any trust, since according to the chronicle he attacked Smolensk in 1285. Collection l. VII, 109. Nikon. l. III, 85. The best genealogy (temporary general history X, 68) simply says: “and his other son (St. Prince Michael Roman) after his father reigned in Chernigov and Bryansk, and the king killed him in the horde.” Synodics Eletsky, Lyubetsky and Seversky. Karamz. 4, pr. 119. 252. Nikon. l. III, 106. Book. Roman Bryansk, mentioned in 1319, which perplexed Karamzin (IV, 128, pr. 270), is without a doubt not the son of St. book Mikhail, and the son of his grandson, Prince. Mikhail Romanovich. The synodikon distinguishes the son of St. Mikhail with the title “Roman of the Old”, and about another book. They say this to Roman Mikhailovich: <c. sq. Roman Mikhailovich Chernigov, killed from apt. Yuri Smolensk." Yes, and in the chronicle of the book. The novel of 1319 is called 8th book. Lev, and the book. Roman Sr. was himself father-in-law. Vladimir, brother of Leo. Collection l. II, 215. Prince Vladimir gave the mountain to his wife back in 1286. Kobrin entrusted the Apostolic Monastery he created with several villages and to her care; the village of Berezovichi was assigned to the latter. Collection gram. 2. No. 4. Mixed. about the monastery 430. East. Hier. III, 460. In 1662, “behind the Petrovsky (Bryansky) Monastery there are 95 courtyards.” Record Russian. archaeol. 2, 415. St. Petersburg. 1861 See about St. much Trifon – February 1st.