Who killed Boris and Gleb of Rurik. Confrontation between Svyatopolk and Yaroslav

May 15 - the transfer of the relics of the faithful passion-bearers princes Boris and Gleb, in the baptism of Roman and David.

In Russian Orthodoxy, Boris and Gleb occupy an honorable place. Innocently killed, they did not have time to accomplish any military or spiritual deeds, did not live a long pious life. Believers venerate them as passion-bearers who accepted death from a relative and who at the time of death showed truly Christian gentleness and non-resistance to violence, for which they were the first in Russia to be numbered among the saints.

The chronicles describe an episode with the murder of the brothers-princes. It is believed that they were killed by their own brother Svyatopolk, who for this atrocity was popularly called the Cursed and “Russian Cain”. However, a comparison of various historical versions allows us to assert that Svyatopolk was not the murderer of his brothers Boris and Gleb ...

Historians know little about the younger sons. Boris and Gleb (baptized - Roman and David, respectively) were the sons of the Kiev prince from the Byzantine princess Anna from the Macedonian dynasty. As soon as the boys grew up, Vladimir gave each city a lot: Boris - Rostov, and Gleb - Murom.

It is difficult to judge how the princes looked, however, a description of Boris's appearance has survived, but recorded half a century after his death. "The Legend of Boris and Gleb" says that the young man was "handsome in body, tall, round in face, broad shoulders, thin at the waist, kind eyes, cheerful face."

It is impossible to find such scant information about Gleb, all that remains is to rely on fantasy or icon painting tradition, which depicts Gleb as very young, long-haired and beardless. That's all that has survived to this day about the two young princes. As if they did not stand out among the other offspring of Vladimir.

It should be noted that Prince Red Solnyshko was a father with many children, from different wives he had several sons: Vysheslav from the Scandinavian Tin, Svyatopolk(by blood - the son of Yaropolk's brother killed by Vladimir), Izyaslav, Yaroslav and Vsevolod- from the captured by the prince after the fratricide of the wife of Yaropolk Rogneda, Mstislav, Stanislav and Sudislav from Adella, Svyatoslav from "Chekhine" Malfrida, Pozvizd, whose mother is unknown, and the children of Anna of Byzantine Boris and Gleb.

Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich with his sons. Painting of the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin. 1882

It is almost impossible to count the daughters, about whom they almost did not write in the annals, and illegitimate children from many concubines.

Vysheslav and Izyaslav died before their father, Svyatopolk and Yaroslav rebelled against his power (Yaroslav, for example, refused to pay the tribute collected in Novgorod), and Vladimir turned his attention to his younger sons, Boris and Gleb.

First, they were the only of his sons born in Christianity, that is, according to the Baptist, his most legitimate children. Secondly, the blood of the Byzantine Basileus, who at that time still remained a model and authority for the Russian rulers, flowed in them. And finally, thirdly, the younger ones were, apparently, the most obedient of the princes and could continue their father's policy after his death.

According to fragmentary chronicle records, Vladimir kept Boris with him, thinking to him to transfer the great reign, even subordinated his squad to him. However, by the time of the death of his parent, Boris went on a campaign against the Pechenegs, and Gleb remained in his inheritance - Murom.

Russia in the XI century

Canonical Murder Story

It is surprising that with such an abundance of sons, Vladimir did not make formal orders about the heir. Probably, he was in the common conviction of many rulers: he believed that he would rule forever. But the hour of death came for him, and after his death the question arose: who will become the prince of Kiev, the main one on the Russian land?

The official history of subsequent events says the following. Since the two sons of Vladimir had already died by 1015, there were only two real contenders for the Kiev table: Svyatopolk, married to the daughter of the Polish prince Boleslav, and Yaroslav (then not Wise, but Lame), who had a father-in-law of the Swedish king Olaf.

Yaroslav sat out in the Novgorod inheritance, and Svyatopolk was in Kiev, so he took power into his own hands. However, according to the chronicle legend, he did not calm down on this, but decided to physically eliminate all other applicants for the great reign.

Boris at this time was in a hurry home from an unsuccessful military campaign, but did not manage to catch his father alive - he received the news of Vladimir's death when he camped on the Alta River. The squad, who trusted the young prince, began to persuade him to go to Kiev and take power. This testimony proves once again that Boris was considered as the father's heir. But the chronicle says that he did not succumb to the persuasion of the soldiers, and answered them:

- I will not raise my hands against my elder brother: if my father died, then let this one be my father's instead.

The decision was truly Christian and supported the strength of family ties, but the squad did not agree with him and left for Kiev. Boris remained only with his fellow youth, which Svyatopolk took advantage of. He sent assassins to Alta, and they did their dirty deed without meeting any resistance.

Boris sang psalms and did not think to save himself, only his old Hungarian servant tried to cover the prince with his body from the spears of the conspirators. Boris's body was transported to Vyshgorod and hastily buried near the Church of St. Basil.

Having got rid of one rival, Svyatopolk set to work for another brother - Gleb. The chroniclers believe that he not only wanted to destroy another pretender to the throne, but also feared revenge from the half-relative of Boris, who was killed by him.

Gleb received news from Svyatopolk about the death of his father and left for Kiev, but stopped near Smolensk, where he was found by the second message - from Yaroslav.

It should be noted that the route from Murom to Kiev itself runs away from Smolensk, and how Gleb ended up there is another mystery of this story. But one way or another, and the letter from Yaroslav, which reported a threat to his life, according to the chronicler's story, found the prince there.

The murderers also found him there, and none of his youths, who were strictly forbidden to use weapons, could prevent the atrocity. Gleb was buried right at the scene of the murder, in a simple coffin made of hollowed-out wood.

While the fratricidal strife lasted, Yaroslav gathered in Novgorod 40,000 militia and 1,000 Varangian mercenaries under the leadership of Jarl Eimund, moved to Kiev and expelled Svyatopolk from there, who fled to Poland.

By order of Yaroslav, Gleb's body was found and transported to Vyshgorod, where he was buried next to Boris.

From that moment on, the deceased princes ceased to be just young men killed in the struggle for power; they became a lesson for anyone starting a fratricidal massacre.

Yaroslav did everything to make the memory of them sacred, while historians habitually call Svyatopolk the Damned to this day. But did he actually give the order to kill Boris and Gleb?

Other versions

Along with the traditional hypothesis about the murder of princes, there is another one, and in it the murderer is “positive”, who eventually took the Kiev table. One of the reasons for this version is explained by the usual logic.

As is known from the chronicle sources, the younger Vladimirovichs supported Svyatopolk in his claims to the throne and resolutely refused to raise weapons against him.

Boris, due to his peacekeeping position, even lost power over the squad, which immediately went over to the winner. Of course, it would have been more than strange for Svyatopolk to kill his allies.

Another argument accusing Yaroslav is contained in the Scandinavian "Saga of Eimund". The Jarl was Yaroslav's commander back in Novgorod. The saga tells how Eymund was hired in Holmgard (Novgorod) to serve the king Yarisleif (Yaroslav) and how he fought for power in Gardarik (Rus) with another king Burisleif (Boris).

In the saga of Boris, the Vikings are killed by the order of Yaroslav, and Eymund brings him in a sack a terrible proof of the work done - Boris's head. Then, says the saga, "all the people in the country went under the arm of Yarisleif and swore oaths, and he became king over the principality that they had previously held together."

There are also several circumstantial evidence of Yaroslav's guilt. His ability to get rid of rivals is confirmed by the 23-year imprisonment of another Vladimirovich - the Pskov prince Sudislav.

He was kept in prison by none other than Yaroslav. In addition, Yaroslav, who canonized Boris and Gleb and who did so much to glorify their memory, did not name any of his children by their worldly or baptismal names.

It would have been more than logical to give the children the heavenly patrons of their siblings, but this did not happen. But one of the grandchildren of the Kiev prince bore the name of Svyatopolk, which could not have happened if it had been the name of a fratricide, “Russian Cain”.

Both the canonical and the alternative versions have adherents in the scientific community ...

Long memory

In Russian Orthodoxy, Boris and Gleb occupy an honorable place. Believers honor them as passion-bearers who accepted death from a relative and showed at the time of death truly Christian gentleness and non-resistance to violence, but they were also canonized because of the miracles performed by the prayers of believers by their holy relics.

On the pages of the "Tale" the blind saw their sight, the lame and the crippled were healed, repentant sinners were released from prison through prayer, and all these miracles were performed by the holy princes Boris and Gleb.

F The traditions of the first Russian saints, the passion-bearer princes Boris and Gleb, are especially loved by our people. Many generations of our ancestors were brought up on them. Reading a touching story about young princes who wished to share the sufferings of Christ and who voluntarily accepted death at the hands of murderers, the Russian people learned to accept the will of God, whatever it may be, cultivated in their hearts the seeds of humility and obedience.

However, the historical outline of the events of that time is also interesting, which makes it possible to imagine the environment in which the characters took shape, which gave us this great example. We offer our readers an article by the historian D. V. Donskoy, who deals with the period of Ancient Rus and compiled the "Dictionary of Russian Princes-Rurikovich".

The holy princes of Ancient Russia, primarily princes from the Rurik family, constitute a special, very numerous order of the saints of the Russian Church. Until the end of the 15th century, more than a hundred princes and princesses were canonized for general or local veneration. These are princes equal to the apostles, monks, passion-bearers and princes, glorified for their public service. The martyr princes Boris and Gleb were not the first saints of the Russian land, but they are the first saints canonized by the Russian Church. The main sources of information about their life and veneration have been preserved in Russian chronicles, hagiographic works and various liturgical monuments.

Let's turn to historical realities. The beginning of the first decade of the 11th century, the reign of the Grand Duke of Kiev Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the Baptist of Russia, is coming to an end. With a firm hand he leads the political ship of the Russian state, which occupies an important place in the system of interstate relations of that time. The chronicler emphasizes the friendly nature of relations between Russia and its western neighbors: “with Boleslav Lyadskiy and Stephan Ougrskiy and Andrikh Chesskim”. However, the Grand Duke is worried about his intra-family affairs.

At the end of his life, the seventy-year-old Vladimir Svyatoslavich had eleven relatives and one adopted son from different wives; the prince had fourteen daughters. Two eldest sons - Svyatopolk (adopted; † 1019) and Yaroslav († 1054), having matured, are trying to pursue their own policy. This greatly worries the Grand Duke, who, despite his paternal feelings, harshly and even cruelly deals with troublemakers.

The assassins at the tent of Prince Boris
(up); assassination of Prince Boris
and Georgy Ugrin (below).
Miniature from Sylvestrovsky
collection 2nd half of the XIV century

The first, Svyatopolk, on suspicion of a conspiracy and an attempt on the power of his father, was imprisoned with his wife (daughter of the Polish prince Boleslav I the Brave from the Piast dynasty) and her confessor, Bishop Rainbern of Kolobrzeg, in a dungeon. The second, Yaroslav, who was reigning in Veliky Novgorod from 1010 after the death of his elder brother Vysheslav, in 1014 refuses to transfer to Kiev the usual tribute in the amount of two thousand hryvnias. The Grand Duke perceives this as an open rebellion and announces his intention to go to war against his son. In turn, Yaroslav, "afraid of his father," brings the Varangian squads from across the sea.

The confrontation between the sons and the father ended with his death, which followed on July 15, 1015 at the prince's residence in the village of Berestovo near Kiev. The body of the Grand Duke, wrapped in a carpet and in accordance with custom laid on a sleigh, according to the chronicles, is transported to Kiev. Here the Grand Duke is buried in the stone church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos (Tithes), for which he generously donated throughout his life. According to the testimony of the German chronicler, Bishop Titmar of Merseburg, the marble sarcophagus of the Grand Duke stood "in plain sight in the middle of the church."

Upon the death of his father, Prince Svyatopolk, as the eldest in the family, was released from prison and occupied the Kiev table, contrary to the plans of his stepfather, who had considered Boris as the heir of one of his younger sons. Svyatopolk, by distributing generous gifts, is trying to win over the inhabitants of Kiev to his side, then he begins a bloody struggle against his stepbrothers, the Vladimirovichs.

Now let's turn to brothers Boris and Gleb. The following is known about them. Boris (baptized - Roman) Vladimirovich is the ninth son of the Grand Duke of Kiev Vladimir Svyatoslavich and a certain princess, a "Bulgarian". According to the Tver collection, compiled in 1534, he and his brother Gleb were the sons of another wife of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich - Anna, daughter of the Byzantine emperor Roman II (from the Macedonian dynasty; † 963). According to non-chronicles, their mother was called Milolika.

Boris's date and place of birth are not known; he was baptized in honor of the Monk Roman the Sweet Songwriter. As a child, Boris was very friendly with his younger brother Gleb (in baptism - David, in honor of the prophet David). The date and place of birth of Gleb are also unknown.

Boris, taught to read and write, reads the lives of the saints, praying to God to "walk in their footsteps." Brothers love to do charity, following the example of their father, whose love for poverty is repeatedly reported in the chronicle. Boris also displays this mercy and meekness in his reign in his volost, where he is already married ("the law for the sake of the royal and obedience for the sake of his father"), is sent by the Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich.

First, the prince was planted by his father in Vladimir-Volynsky (on the right bank of the Luga, the right tributary of the Western Bug), where Boris lives after his marriage. Then, according to non-annotated data, he owns Murom (on the left bank of the Oka), but is in Kiev. And finally, in 1010, the Grand Duke transferred his son to reign in Rostov (on the northwestern shore of Lake Nero). Gleb from the same time reigns in Murom.

In the spring of 1015, Boris is in Kiev near his dying father, as "we love our father more than anyone else." The Grand Duke sends him at the head of an eight-thousandth army to repel the attack of the Pechenegs. Historical sources have preserved a portrait of Prince Boris, a real warrior, who is “tall by the body, tall, face round the shoulders of the great tonk into the loins of the good man’s face;

Not meeting enemies, Boris turns back and, at a distance of one day's journey to Kiev, on the Alta River (the right tributary of Trubezh, near the town of Pereyaslavl-Russky), having set up a camp, he learns from the messenger about the death of his father. He is seized with a premonition that his elder brother Svyatopolk, who by right of the elder sat on the Kiev table, seeks to destroy him. But in the name of brotherly love, fulfilling the commandments of Christ, Boris decides to submit to his brother and accept the martyr's crown, for power and wealth are transient. The governors from his entourage, on the contrary, advise him to go to Kiev, start a fight with his older brother at the Kiev table and become a grand duke. But Boris refuses, not wanting to "take his hands on his old brother." The squad leaves him and, probably, goes over to the side of Svyatopolk, and Boris is left alone, only with his people: "And it was then the Sabbath day."

Varangians pierce the heart with a sword
Prince Boris (above); prince's coffin
Boris is being carried to burial (below)

In his tent on the bank of the river, the prince spends the night in prayer on the eve of his death, then he also prays for Matins. On Sunday, July 24, he was overtaken by murderers, the Vyshgorod "bolyarians" led by a certain Putsha, sent by Svyatopolk. The assassins rush into the tent and stab Boris with their spears. His faithful servant, Georgy, “comes from an ugrin (Hungarian - Approx. ed.) ", Who tried to cover up the prince, was killed on his chest. Having wrapped Boris's body in a tent, the villains put him on a cart and take him to Kiev. On the way, it turns out that Boris is still breathing, and two Varangians, Eimund and Ragnar, finish him off with swords. The cap of Prince Putsh and other murderers present to Svyatopolk as evidence of the atrocity.

Prince Boris is buried in Vyshgorod, 15 versts north of Kiev, near the wooden church of St. Basil the Great, since the people of Kiev, for obvious reasons fearing his half-brother Svyatopolk, "did not priest him."

Having dealt with Boris, Svyatopolk, the depth of whose fall knows no limits, decides on a second murder - his brother Gleb. Fear of revenge on the part of the surviving brothers, first of all Yaroslav, fears for his throne and not least the audacity of despair push him to this new crime.

Svyatopolk sends a messenger to Gleb in order to deceive him to Kiev: "Go on the edge of your father and call them not to flatten the bo velmi."

According to the chronicle and the anonymous Legend of the Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb, the prince travels by water, along the Volga and the Dnieper, from his volost, from Murom to Kiev. Having reached Smolensk "in a ship" and sailing another three miles downstream, Gleb moored to the left bank of the Smyadyn (now dried up) river at its confluence with the Dnieper. Suddenly he receives news from Veliky Novgorod, from his brother Yaroslav, with a warning about an impending attempt on his life. This news does not stop him - he does not want to believe in the villainy of his brother Svyatopolk.

According to another version of events, according to the Monk Nestor the Chronicler, the author of "Reading about the life and destruction ... of Boris and Gleb," at the time of the death of his father, Gleb was in Kiev and flees to the north ("there is a holy gate in a different place"), fleeing Svyatopolk ... He sails by ship, swims to Smolensk (but only from the south) and also stops at Smyadyn.

On Monday, September 5, the assassins sent from Svyatopolk appear. They seize the ship of Prince Gleb, and the warrior Goryaser, the messenger of the fratricide Svyatopolk, orders one of Gleb's people, a traitorous cook with the characteristic name Torchin (that is, from the Torks, a Turkic nomadic tribe. - Approx. ed.) to slaughter your prince. The body of the prince is buried on the bank of the "dwiema kolodam", that is, according to a simple peasant custom - in hollowed out logs, and not according to the prince's - in a stone sarcophagus.

The killers are waiting for Prince Gleb
(up); the assassination of Prince Gleb (below)

At the end of the same or the beginning of the next year, 1016, the faithful prince Yaroslav the Wise, having gathered a large army of a thousand Varangians and three thousand Novgorodians, goes to Svyatopolk, eager to avenge the innocent brothers. The mayor Konstantin Dobrynich (died after 1034) remains in Veliky Novgorod.

Svyatopolk, having learned about the approach of Yaroslav, in turn attracts the Pechenegs to his side. The troops meet near the city of Lyubech (on the left bank of the Dnieper) and, separated by the river, wait for three months, not daring to start a battle. On the eve of the battle, Yaroslav receives from his informant the news that Svyatopolk is wandering with the squad. He crosses the river to the right bank and unexpectedly attacks the enemy. Due to the fact that the lakes covering the position of Svyatopolk are covered with thin ice, the Pechenegs cannot help him. Svyatopolk suffers a crushing defeat and flees to Poland to his father-in-law, Prince Boleslav I, and his wife is captured by Yaroslav. And then Yaroslav was 28 years old, the chronicler notes.

In the spring of 1016, Yaroslav entered Kiev and took the throne of his father. In 1017, he entered into an alliance with the German emperor Henry II against Svyatopolk and Boleslav the Brave. In the same year, he went to the city of Berestye (on the right bank of the Bug), where, according to some sources, Svyatopolk was entrenched. At the same time, he defeats the Pechenegs who approached Kiev.

In the summer of 1018, the army of the Polish prince Boleslav, to which Svyatopolk joins, invades Russia and on July 22 defeats Yaroslav on the Bug River. Yaroslav with only four husbands flees to Veliky Novgorod, intending to further "run across the sea", but the Novgorod mayor Konstantin Dobrynich prevents him, and the Novgorodians "rasekosh" his boats.

Wanting to continue the war with Boleslav and Svyatopolk, the Novgorodians raise money and hire a large army. Meanwhile, on August 14, Yaroslav's opponents entered Kiev. Boleslav the Brave sends Metropolitan of Kiev John I (+ c. 1038) to Veliky Novgorod with a proposal to exchange his daughter in captivity for Yaroslav's relatives captured during the hostilities. The story of the Bishop of Merseburg Titmar clarifies their composition: “There was the stepmother of the aforementioned king (the widow of Yaroslav's father, her exact origin is unknown. - Approx. ed.), his wife (her name Anna is known from late sources of the XVI century. - Approx. ed.) and nine sisters; one of them, Predslav, whom he had previously illegally sought, forgetting about his wife, was married to the old libertine Boleslav. " Yaroslav refuses this offer and at the same time sends an embassy to Sweden to the Swedish king Olav Shötkonung (+ 1022) with a proposal to create an anti-Polish military alliance.

Construction of a five-topped church
(up); transfer of holy relics
to the newly built church (below)

Meanwhile, in the autumn of the same year, a quarrel occurs between Boleslav and Svyatopolk. Boleslav leaves Kiev, taking with him the stolen goods, as well as the boyars Yaroslav and his sisters. At the beginning of 1019, Yaroslav sets out from Veliky Novgorod. Upon learning of his approach, Svyatopolk fled from Kiev to the Pechenegs, and Yaroslav again took the Kiev table.

In the same year, Svyatopolk, together with a large Pechenezh army, went to Russia. In the decisive battle on the Alta River, the place of the death of his brother Boris, Yaroslav wins a complete victory. His adversary flees to Berest and soon dies a terrible death, which he deserves according to all the laws of God and man. Yaroslav, according to the chronicler, "Sede Kyeve wiped sweat with his squad, showing victory and great work."

Presumably in the summer of 1019, the Grand Duke of Kiev Yaroslav begins to collect information about the place of death of his brother Gleb. “In the same summer (in 1020. - Approx. ed.) ”Various witnesses report light and radiance at the scene of the murder on the Smyadyn river. Then Yaroslav sends priests to Smolensk with an order to find Gleb's body; upon finding the body of Gleb, they are transported to Vyshgorod and buried next to the grave of brother Boris at the church of St. Basil, built by the father of the martyrs.

Once at the burial site of the brothers, parishioners see a "pillar of fire" over the grave of the saints and hear "singing angels", and then two events occur, which became the beginning of the popular veneration of the martyr princes. One of the Varangians ignorantly entered the holy place where the princes were buried, then fire burst out of the grave and scorched the legs of the one who unintentionally desecrated the holy place. Then a second sign occurs: the church of St. Basil, next to which there were graves, burns down, but the icons and all church utensils are saved. This is perceived as a sign of the intercession of the martyrs.

The incident is reported to Yaroslav, who informs Metropolitan John I of this. Vladyka is “in disbelief,” pondering whether this revelation can be trusted. And finally, the Metropolitan comes in "zeal and joy," believing in a miracle. Yaroslav and the Metropolitan decide to open the princely tombs.

In Vyshgorod, where a burnt-down church stood, a small wooden chapel ("cage") is being built, the crayfish are solemnly opened, the relics that have been found, which have remained incorrupt, exude a fragrance. The coffins are brought in "into that temple ... and I put it on the earth on the right hand of the country."

Soon two new miracles take place: a lame man - a youth of the city administrator named Mironeg is healed after the invocation of the saints, and then the same happens to a certain blind man. Mironeg himself reports these miracles to the Grand Duke, he to the Metropolitan. The Metropolitan gives the prince "goodness that is pleasing to God": to build a church in the name of the saints ("the church is named after her in zgraditi"), which is being done. Then the relics from the "cage", where they still rested, are transferred to the newly built five-topped church and installed there. The day of their transfer, July 24, which coincides with the anniversary of the death of Boris, is declared a day of common memory of the princes and is included in the church calendar. On the occasion of the holiday, the Grand Duke of Kiev Yaroslav arranges a feast.

Before us is a detailed story about the canonization of saints in all its stages, which is a rarity in Byzantine and Old Russian literature. After the first miraculous signs (fire from the grave, the fire of the church, in which its decoration and utensils were not damaged), which, due to their ambiguous nature, could not be immediately unconditionally attributed to genuine miracles, an assumption arises whether Boris and Gleb are saints. On this basis, the relics are raised and exhibited for local, Church-approved, but not yet officially established veneration.

After some time and two subsequent miracles-healings, documented in detail and earning the confidence of the Metropolitan, the latter, together with the Grand Duke, makes a decision on canonization. In fulfillment of this decision, a church is built in the name of the saints, an annual holiday is established and a service for the martyrs is compiled, which was either the personal work of Metropolitan John I, or the work of an unknown author who worked at the behest of Vladyka.

It remains to clarify the chronological detail - the year of the canonization of the holy princes Boris and Gleb. According to the testimony of the Monk Nestor the Chronicler, the healing of the lame takes place in the presence of Metropolitan John I and Grand Duke Yaroslav. Therefore, the miracle should be dated at the latest in 1039.< . Поскольку акт перенесения мощей был совмещен с актом канонизации и приходился на праздничный день, на воскресенье, следует выяснить, на какие годы падает соотношение «24 июля - воскресенье» в период от середины 20-х до конца 30-х годов XI века. Юлианский календарь сообщает нам, что такими годами были 1026-й и 1037 годы.

The choice in favor of the latest date is obvious. First, the year 1026 is too close to the events associated with the discovery of the remains and the beginning of the veneration of the holy princes Boris and Gleb. Secondly, it should be borne in mind that only after 1036, when with the death of his younger brother Mstislav (the ruler of the eastern Dnieper and the Left Bank) and the imprisonment (“in the cut”) of another younger brother, the Pskov prince Sudislav, Yaroslav became “an autocrat »The entire Russian land (excluding the Principality of Polotsk). At the same time, the establishment in Kiev of a special metropolitanate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople ("statute metropolitanate"), the opening of which was achieved by the Grand Duke of Kiev Yaroslav the Wise. The canonization of the holy martyr princes was supposed to strengthen the independent position of the Russian Church.

So, we can definitely conclude that the holy princes Boris and Gleb were canonized under the Grand Duke of Kiev Yaroslav the Wise and Metropolitan of Kiev John I, on Sunday 24 July 1037 in the Kiev diocese (the first stage).

The subsequent fate of the brothers' holy relics is also of considerable interest: they were transferred twice more, both times on Sunday and in May.

After the death of the Grand Duke of Kiev Yaroslav the Wise, the veneration of the holy martyrs is growing. Their new reburial takes place in 1072, when their nephews, princes Izyaslav (at that time the Grand Duke of Kiev; † 1079), Svyatoslav († 1076) and Vsevolod († 1093) Yaroslavichs, as well as Russian hierarchs headed by Metropolitan George († after 1073) on Sunday 20 May the remains of the holy brothers are transferred to a new one-domed church. This church was built by the acquisition of the Grand Duke on the site of the former five-topped, already dilapidated.

Transfer of the relics of Prince Boris
(up); transfer of relics
Prince Gleb (below)

The princes carry the wooden coffin of Boris on their shoulders, and then in the church they transfer the relics to a stone sarcophagus. Then a stone sarcophagus with the relics of Gleb is brought on a sleigh. At the opening of the tombs of the holy princes, the metropolitan blesses three brother-princes with the hand of Saint Gleb. Then the Divine Liturgy is performed, after which a feast is arranged.

Since that time, the process of the all-Russian glorification of the holy passion-bearers Boris and Gleb begins (the second stage of canonization).

It should be noted that when the tomb of Boris was first opened and the church was filled with a fragrance from the relics (an important fact in the case of the canonization that had already taken place), Metropolitan George, being “not firm in faith in him,” fell on his face and began to pray and ask for forgiveness: “ Forgive me, Lord, for those who have sinned unbelief towards your holy one. "

It should be clarified here that the doubts of the Greek Metropolitan were quite natural. Boris and Gleb are precisely passion-bearers, partakers of the Passion of Christ, and not martyrs for the faith (the canonization of the princes required additional agreement with Constantinople).

The princes fell victims of a political crime, perished in the princely strife, like many before and after them. Simultaneously with them, the third brother, Svyatoslav, whose canonization was out of the question, fell from the hands of Svyatopolk in the autumn of the same year. However, the motives of the holy brothers were completely different, never before seen in Russia: they strove to act according to the word of Christ, by their death to preserve the world.

We also note that almost all the saints of the Greek calendar are among the martyrs for the faith, monks (ascetic ascetics) and saints (bishops). Laymen in the rank of "righteous" are extremely rare. It is necessary to remember this in order to understand all the exclusivity of the canonization of princes killed in civil strife, and, moreover, the first canonization in the new Church, which until recently nursed the pagan people.

At the end of the 11th century, the spread of the veneration of the holy princes Boris and Gleb becomes so wide that "the grace of God in the land of sowing Rus to sow and heal all passion and ailment" prompts the Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatoslav Yaroslavich to begin the construction of an already stone church at "80 cubits" high. The construction ends shortly before the death of the next Grand Duke - Vsevolod, but after the sudden collapse of the church dome for some time, "there was oblivion of the Tsrkvi sei."

Heavenly intercession of the saints
princes Boris and Gleb in the battle
Russian troops with the Pechenegs

In 1102, attention to the shrine was attracted by a new generation of princes: the grand-nephew of the holy martyrs, the Chernigov prince Oleg Svyatoslavich (+ 1115), took upon himself the labor of erecting a new stone church in Vyshgorod, while another grand-nephew, Pereyaslavsky (at that time time) Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh (+ 1125), ordered to forge silver plaques with images of saints, arranged a fence of silver and gold for their relics, decorating it with crystal pendants, and installed gilded lamps. The tomb was so skillfully decorated that later pilgrims from Greece, who repeatedly visited the shrine, said: "Nowhere is there such beauty, although in many countries we have seen the shrines of saints."

Finally, in 1113, the church in Vyshgorod was completed, but the then Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatopolk Izyaslavich (+ 1114), who envied Prince Oleg of Chernigov that he did not erect a temple for the saints, did not consent to the transfer of the relics. And only after his death, when the Kiev table was occupied by Vladimir Monomakh, on Saturday, May 1, 1115 (the year of the centenary of the brothers' death), the newly built stone church was consecrated.

The Borisoglebsk Church was one of the largest in pre-Mongol Rus; it can be compared, for example, with the Transfiguration Cathedral in Chernigov. The new cross-domed building, with a tower for climbing the choir in the north-western corner, had a length of 42 meters along the west-east axis, with a small width of 24 meters.

The walls were made of bricks using the "hidden row" masonry technique, the facades were decorated with arched niches with ledges, and the roof was covered with lead. From the inside, the temple was painted with frescoes, paved with glazed tiles. Prince Vladimir Monomakh decorated (“forged with silver and gold”) niches. The temple stood until the end of 1240, when the army of Khan Baty ravaged Kiev and neighboring cities. Mentions about him in the annals disappear after the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The relics of the holy martyrs were lost during those events.

On the Week of Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, May 2, 1115, in the presence of Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia Nikifor I (+ 1121), a cathedral of bishops, abbots, princes and boyars, the solemn transfer of the relics to a new stone cathedral took place. The procession took place in front of a huge crowd of people, so that the crayfish with relics advanced with great difficulty. The ropes ("snakes"), on which the sledges with crayfish were pulled, could not withstand and were constantly torn, so that they were transported from Matins to Liturgy. The brought crayfish were left at the entrance to the church and were there until May 4, so that during these two days the people could kiss the relics of the holy martyrs.

After the cancer was brought into the temple, a place for them was not chosen, since a dispute arose between the princes. Vladimir Monomakh wanted to put the remains in the middle of the temple "and put silver towers over it", while Oleg and his brother David (+ 1123) wanted to place them "in a mosquito (an arched crypt for burial. - Approx. ed.), where the father ... appointed (Grand Duke Svyatoslav Yaroslavich 40 years ago. - Approx. ed.) ". The dispute between the princes was resolved by lot, laid on the throne, in favor of the Svyatoslavichs.

Over the next centuries, the veneration of the holy princes Boris and Gleb as helpers of Russian princes and defenders of the Russian Land constantly increased. Their miraculous help and intercession manifested themselves in the struggle against the Polovtsy and Pechenegs (XI century), then before the Battle of the Neva (1240), when Saints Boris and Gleb appeared in the boat, among the rowers, "clothe them with darkness", putting their hands on each other's shoulders. “Brother Gleb,” Boris said then, “took us to row, so let us help our relative Oleksandr” (Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky; † 1263). Victory on Lake Peipsi (1242) was also won by "the holy martyr Boris and Gleb ... great prayers" Prince Alexander Mikhailovich (+ 1339), who raised against the Tatars "by the newly-minted prayer of the martyr of the saints of the Russian Tsar 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 lifestyle 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"

Boris and Gleb(in baptism novel and David; killed in 1015) - Russian princes, sons of the Kiev Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich. In the internecine struggle that broke out in 1015 after the death of their father, they were killed by their older brother Svyatopolk the Accursed. Boris and Gleb became the first Russian saints, they were canonized as martyrs-martyrs, making them the defenders of the Russian land and the heavenly helpers of the Russian princes.

Some of the first monuments of Old Russian literature are dedicated to the history of Boris and Gleb: "The Legend" by Jacob Chernorizets and "Reading" by Nestor the Chronicler. Many temples and monasteries were built in honor of the brothers.

Biography

Main articles: Boris Vladimirovich (Prince of Rostov) , Gleb Vladimirovich (Prince of Murom)

Brothers Boris and Gleb were the younger sons of the Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich from his wife, in the initial Kiev chronicle their mother is called "Bulgarian", in other chronicles she is called a Greek woman (perhaps she was a captive concubine), and half-brothers of Svyatopolk Occidental and Yaroslav. Sources share the names of the brothers: Boris and Gleb - the names received at birth, Roman and David - at baptism. However, the name Boris by that time had already ceased to be pagan and could be used for naming at baptism (in the 10th century, Prince Boris I had already been canonized, who baptized Bulgaria). The name Gleb refers to pagan names and is known from the story of the Joachim Chronicle about the murder of his brother Gleb by Svyatoslav Igorevich for his Christian convictions. Around 987-989 Boris received Rostov from his father, and Gleb received Murom.

The death of brothers

Both brothers, according to the generally accepted version, were killed by Svyatopolk the Accursed during the struggle for power.

The murder of Boris

The canonical version, known both from the chronicle material and from the ancient Russian hagiographic legends, tells many details about the death of the brothers. In 1015, the brothers' father, Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich, fell ill, and Boris was called to Kiev. Soon after his arrival, it became known about the invasion of the Pechenegs, and his father sent him with a squad to repel their raids. Boris never met the Pechenegs and, on his way back, stopped at the Alta River. Here he learned about the death of his father and about the occupation of the grand ducal table by his stepbrother Svyatopolk. The squad offered to go to Kiev and seize the throne, but Boris did not want to violate the sanctity of family relations and indignantly rejected this offer, as a result of which his father's guards left him and he remained with only his youths.

Meanwhile, Svyatopolk, who, notifying Boris about his father's death, offered to be in love with him and increase his inheritance, wanted to kill Vladimir's sons (he himself should be considered the son of Yaropolk, since his mother, whom Vladimir took from his brother, was in that the moment she is pregnant - therefore he is called either the son of Vladimir or the nephew) to eliminate rivals for the possession of the principality. Svyatopolk sent Putsha and the high-city boyars to kill his brother, since the sympathy of the people and squads for Boris made him a dangerous rival. Putsha and his comrades came to Alta, to Boris's tent, on the night of July 24 (30); Hearing the singing of the psalms coming from the tent, Putsha decided to wait until Boris went to bed. As soon as Boris, doubly saddened by both the death of his father and the rumors of the villainous intention of his brother, finished his prayer and went to bed, the murderers rushed in and pierced Boris and his Hungarian servant George, who was trying to protect the master with his own body, with spears.

The murderers wrapped Boris still breathing in a tent canvas and drove him away. Svyatopolk, learning that he was still alive, sent two Varangians to kill him, which they did, stabbing him in the heart with a sword. Boris's body was secretly brought to Vyshgorod and buried there near the Church of St. Basil. Boris was about 25 years old.

The murder of Gleb

After the murder of Boris, Svyatopolk called Gleb to Kiev, fearing that being with the killed Boris not only half-brother, but also half-brother, he could become an avenger. When Gleb stopped near Smolensk, he received from his fourth brother, Yaroslav the Wise, the news about the death of his father, about the occupation of Kiev by Svyatopolk, about his murder of Boris and about the intention to kill him, Gleb; at the same time, Yaroslav advised him not to go to Kiev.

As the life says, when the young prince prayed with tears for his father and brother, those sent to him by Svyatopolk appeared and showed a clear intention to kill him. The youths accompanying him, according to the news of the chronicles, were depressed, and according to the lives of the holy prince they were forbidden to use weapons in defense of him. Goryaser, who was at the head of those sent by Svyatopolk, ordered the prince to be slaughtered by his own cook, a torch by birth. The murder of Gleb took place on September 5, 1015. The killer buried Gleb's body "From scratch, between two decks and two decks"(that is, in a simple coffin consisting of two hollowed out logs). E. Golubinsky believes that we are talking about the burial of the body directly at the scene of the murder on the banks of the Dnieper down from Smolensk, five miles from the city.

In 1019, when Yaroslav occupied Kiev, by his order the body of Gleb was found, brought to Vyshgorod and buried, along with the body of Boris, near the Church of St. Basil.

Discussion about the credibility of the generally accepted version

There is also a version according to which it is not Svyatopolk the Damned who is to blame for the death of Boris, but the "good" brother Yaroslav the Wise, who later disguised his participation. In 1834, a professor at St. Petersburg University Osip Senkovsky, translating into Russian "The Saga of Eimund" ("Eymund's strand"), discovers there that the Varangian Eymund, along with his squad, was hired by Yaroslav the Wise. The saga tells how King Yarisleif (Yaroslav) fights with King Burisleif, and in the Burisleif saga the Varangians are killed by order of Yarisleif. Some researchers assume under the name of "Burisleif" Boris, others - the Polish king Boleslav, whom the saga confuses with his ally Svyatopolk.

Then, some researchers, on the basis of the saga about Eimund, supported the hypothesis that the death of Boris was the "handiwork" of the Varangians sent by Yaroslav the Wise in 1017, given that, according to the chronicles, both Yaroslav, Bryachislav, and Mstislav refused to recognize Svyatopolk as a legitimate prince in Kiev ... Only two brothers - Boris and Gleb - declared their loyalty to the new Kiev prince and pledged to "honor him as his father," and for Svyatopolk it would be very strange to kill his allies. Until now, this hypothesis has both its supporters and opponents.

Also historians and historians, starting with S. M. Solovyov, suggest that the story of the death of Boris and Gleb was clearly inserted into the Tale of Bygone Years later, otherwise the chronicler would not repeat again about the beginning of Svyatopolk's reign in Kiev.

In ancient Russian literature

Main articles: The Legend of Boris and Gleb , Reading about Boris and Gleb

Saints Boris and Gleb are traditional characters in literary works of the hagiographic genre, among which the Legend of Boris and Gleb, written in the middle of the 11th century in the last years of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, occupies a special place. Later, the "Legend" was supplemented with a description of the miracles of the saints ("The Legend of Miracles"), written in 1089-1115 sequentially by three authors. In total, the "Legend of Boris and Gleb" has survived in more than 170 copies, and Jacob Chernorizets is considered a possible author on the basis of the research of Metropolitan Macarius and MP Pogodin.

There is also "Reading about Boris and Gleb", written by the Monk Nestor the Chronicler. According to a number of researchers, "Reading" was written before the "Tale", created, according to their version, after 1115 on the basis of "Reading" and the chronicle material.

Regarding the stories about the murder of Boris and Gleb in the ancient Russian chronicles, there is an opinion that all of them up to article 6580 (1072) are later inserts made not earlier than the transfer of the relics of the brothers described in this article. This is connected both with the beginning of the birth of the cult of the holy brothers, and with the comprehension in the middle - third quarter of the 11th century of the history of their death in the context of the biblical commandment "Thou shalt not kill" after the abolition of blood feud in Russia.

SM Mikheev believes that the source of all works is the Varangian legend about the murder of Boris, then supplemented by a Russian story about the death of Gleb and about Yaroslav's struggle with Svyatopolk. On their basis, the chronicle story about Boris and Gleb was created, and then "Reading" and "Tale". According to A. A. Shakhmatov, "Reading" and "Tale" are the result of a creative reworking of the general protograph, which, in his opinion, is the "Most Ancient Kiev Chronicle Code" of the second quarter of the 11th century.

Veneration

Canonization

Boris and Gleb are considered the first Russian saints, but the exact date of their canonization is controversial:

The most reliable, according to researchers (E. E. Golubinsky, M. K. Karger, N. N. Ilyin, M. Kh. Aleshkovsky, A. S. Khoroshev, A. Poppé), is the canonization of Boris and Gleb that transferring (or immediately after) their relics to a new stone church. This solemn ceremony was performed on May 20, 1072 with the participation of the children of Yaroslav the Wise, princes Izyaslav, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, Metropolitan George of Kiev, and a number of other bishops and Kiev monasticism. At the same time, the brothers were immediately established not local, but church-wide veneration, which made them patrons of the Russian land.

There is a version of the later canonization of Boris and Gleb - on May 2, 1115, when their relics were transferred to the temple built by Prince Izyaslav Yaroslavich. This dating does not find support from researchers, who point to the presence of the names of Boris and Gleb as saints in the documents of the last quarter of the 11th century, the peculiarities of their hymnography and the fact that a particle of their relics was transferred to the Czech Republic in 1094-1095.

The brothers were canonized as passion-bearers, which underlines their acceptance of martyrdom not at the hands of persecutors of Christianity, but from co-religionists, and their martyrdom consists of innocence and non-resistance to enemies. However, regarding the reason for the canonization, E. Golubinsky notes that the brothers were canonized not for martyrdom, but because of miracles attributed to their relics (he especially emphasizes that Prince Svyatoslav, also the son of Grand Duke Vladimir, killed by Svyatopolk, was not canonized because was killed and buried in the Carpathian Mountains and information about the miracles from his grave is unknown).

Veneration in Russia

Initially, Boris and Gleb began to be revered as miracle-working healers, and then the Russian people and mainly the princely family began to see them as their intercessors and prayer books. In the praise to the saints contained in the "Tale", they are called the defenders of the Russian land and the heavenly helpers of the Russian princes:

The chronicles are full of stories about the miracles of healing that took place at their tomb (a special emphasis on the glorification of brothers as healers was made in the most ancient church service to saints, dating back to the 12th century), about the victories won by their name and with their help (for example, about the victory of Rurik Rostislavich over Konchak , Alexander Nevsky over the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva), about the pilgrimage of princes to their grave (for example, Vladimir Vladimirovich, Prince of Galician, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich - Prince of Suzdal), etc.

Academician D.S.Likhachev notes: "The political tendency of the cult of Boris and Gleb is clear: to strengthen the state unity of Russia on the basis of strict fulfillment of the feudal obligations of the younger princes in relation to the elders and the elders in relation to the younger ones.".

Days of remembrance

In honor of Boris and Gleb, the following celebrations were established (according to the Julian calendar):

• May 2 - the transfer of their relics to the new church-tomb in 1115, built by Prince Izyaslav Yaroslavich in Vyshgorod.
• July 24 - joint celebration of the saints.
• September 5 - memory of Prince Gleb.

The celebration of the memory of the saints on July 24 from the beginning of the XII century is constantly found in monthly words (Mstislav's Gospel, the beginning of the XII century; Yuryev's Gospel, 1119-1128; Dobrilovo Gospel, 1164 and others). Initially, the day of remembrance in monthly words was related to small holidays (saints with doxology), then it began to be celebrated as medium (saints with polyeleos), and from the second half of the 12th century this day of remembrance in monthly words began to be accompanied by the sign of a cross in a circle, which is celebrated by the main church after the twelve holidays. The rest of the days of remembrance are less common in Old Russian month words.

For the first time, all three days of commemoration are met together in the Moscow typicon of 1610. In it, on May 2, it is supposed to commemorate the saints with polyeleos and more solemnly than the commemoration of St. Athanasius of Alexandria (one of the Church Fathers), which falls on the same day. The charter of the church services of the Kremlin Dormition Cathedral for June 2 states: "Athanasius the Great, when it will be out of place, together with Boris and Gleb, then on the 4th day, the ringing is average, and Boris and Gleb's ringing is big, the gospel is roaring."... In the modern menaea of ​​the Russian Orthodox Church on May 2, it is indicated that the saints should perform the polyeleos service.

Construction of temples and monasteries

The center of veneration for Boris and Gleb in the pre-Mongol period was the church in their honor, built in Vyshgorod in 1115. In addition to relics, it also contained other relics associated with the brothers. Among them was the sword of Boris, taken to Vladimir in 1155 by Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky. The church was destroyed during Batu's invasion of Kiev in 1240. At the same time, the relics of the holy brothers were lost and the attempts to find them again, undertaken in 1743, 1814 and 1816, did not give any result.

In the 1070s, wooden churches were built on the sites of the brothers' murder. Soon they were replaced with stone ones: in 1117 on the Alta River (the place of Boris' murder), and in 1145 on Smyadyn (the place of Gleb's murder). Already at the time of the wooden churches, monasteries were formed (in Alta - earlier in 1073, in Smyadyn - no later than 1138).

Many churches and monasteries arose in honor of the holy brothers in different cities of Russia. Until the middle of the 16th century, the chronicler cites more than 20 cases of building churches in their honor. The oldest of them are:

• Borisoglebsky Cathedral in Chernigov (until 1123);
• Borisoglebskaya church in Kideksha near Suzdal (1152);
• Borisoglebskaya Church in Polotsk (mid-12th century);
• Borisoglebskaya church in Novgorod (1167);
• Kolozha Church in Grodno (1180-1190).

In the pre-Mongol period, in addition to monasteries at churches built on the sites of the brothers' murder, monasteries were founded: the Borisoglebsk monastery in Torzhok (1038, founded by Ephraim Ugrin, who served in the retinue of one of the brothers) and the Borisoglebsk Nadozerny monastery in Pereslavl-Zalessky (closed in 1788 ).

For later churches and monasteries dedicated to Saints Boris and Gleb, see Borisoglebsk Monastery and Borisoglebsk Church.

Veneration outside of Russia

The veneration of Boris and Gleb as saints in other Orthodox countries began shortly after their canonization in Russia:

The veneration of princes was especially widespread in the XIII-XIV centuries in the South Slavic countries (especially in Serbia). This is due to the development through Athos and Constantinople of ecclesiastical and cultural ties between Russia and these countries, as well as the liberation of the Bulgarian and Serbian states from the power of Byzantium. The days of remembrance of the saints appear in the South Slavic months (the earliest mention in the Gospel of aprakos of the first half of the 13th century), prayers to them are placed in the kondakars (the earliest example is the Serbian kondakar of the beginning of the 14th century), but the facts of the consecration of temples to these saints in Bulgaria and Serbia in the Middle Ages unknown.

Gymnography

The first hymns to Boris and Gleb appear at the end of the 11th century, the oldest of them are contained in the July Menaion of the late 11th - early 12th centuries and Kondakar under the Studios' charter, written at the same time. In the XII century, chants to the princes included 24 stichera, 2 canons, 3 kontakion with ikos, sedalene and luminaries. The composition of the chants indicates that they formed 3 services, that is, for each of the days of the memory of the saints. According to the instructions in the Menaion of the first half of the 12th century, the author of the service to the brothers is Metropolitan John of Kiev.

Despite the extensive composition of the chants to Boris and Gleb, in the pre-Mongol period they were placed only on July 24 (for the May 2 holiday during this period, only one kontakion was given). The first texts of services for May 2 appear at the end of the XIV century and are composed of previously known stichera. New stichera for this holiday appear in the 15th century and are associated with the work of Pachomius Logofet. In the 15th-16th centuries, the mention of the murderer of the brothers, Prince Svyatopolk, disappears from the chants.

At the turn of the 11th-12th centuries, paremic readings to saints appear, which are atypical for the Byzantine rite - instead of biblical readings, proverbial legends about saints are used, although they are called in the traditional form "Reading from Genesis." The text of the paremias contains allusions to passages from the Old Testament, but the basis is the teaching about love and hatred between brothers (1st paremia), the story of the murder of Boris and Gleb and the war of Yaroslav with Svyatopolk (2nd and 3rd paremias). In the 17th century, these paremias were replaced by the traditional biblical ones, included in the services of the martyrs.

Settlements

See also: Borisoglebskiy and Borisoglebsk (disambiguation).

A number of settlements were named in honor of Boris and Gleb:

• Boryspil (known since the beginning of the XI century, its modern name in honor of St. Boris received at the beginning of the XVI century);
• Daugavpils in 1657-1667 bore the name Borisoglebsk;
• Borisoglebsk (1698);
• Tutaev - formed from the confluence of the cities of Romanov and Borisoglebskaya Sloboda, in 1882-1918 it was called Romanov-Borisoglebsk;
• Borisoglebsky settlement in the Yaroslavl region (the center of the district of the same name) arose around the Borisoglebsky monastery, founded in 1363;
• The Borisoglebsk settlement in the Murmansk region was built for the personnel of the Borisoglebsk hydroelectric power station, which was commissioned in 1964.

Iconography

The first fact of writing the image of the holy brothers is reported by Nestor in his "Readings about Saints Boris and Gleb" and connects this with the indication of Yaroslav the Wise:

However, researchers note that until the 1070s the iconography of the saints was not developed, their images are not in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, the seals with their images have not survived. Among the works of the 11th - first half of the 12th centuries, the images of Boris and Gleb were preserved on the works of "small forms" (reliquary crosses, etc.), which is associated with the veneration of princes as healers and patrons of the customer of the product.

The holy brothers are usually represented on icons together, in full growth. They are depicted in princely robes: round caps trimmed with fur and cloaks, a martyr's cross or a cross with a sword is placed in their hands, indicating their origin and military glory. Information about Boris's appearance was preserved in the Legend of Boris and Gleb, written no later than 1072:

There is no such information about Gleb's appearance, and he, as a younger brother, is portrayed as young, beardless, with long hair falling over his shoulders. On the icons of the 15th-16th centuries, the image of saints in frontal identical poses is becoming traditional; on some icons, the figures are given excessive elongation in order to emphasize the external fragility. The brothers are also depicted in a small spread towards each other, depicting their conversation.

In 1102, the reliquaries with the relics of the holy brothers were covered with gilded silver plates at the direction of Vladimir Monomakh. After transferring the relics to the new church, he ordered to decorate them with relief images of saints: "Looking for more silver plates and saints for them, publishing and gilding"- these images became the basis for rare single images of Boris and Gleb.

The hagiographic icons of Boris and Gleb have been known since the second half of the 14th century: in their hallmarks, icon painters emphasize the humility and meekness of the brothers, their Christian love for their neighbors, their readiness for martyrdom, and also place images of miracles attributed to them. Academician V.N. Lazarev, describing the hagiographic icon of Boris and Gleb of the Moscow school of the XIV century, writes:

In the post-Mongol period, the late antique and Byzantine traditions of depicting saints on horseback appeared in the iconography of Boris and Gleb, which arose under the influence of the images of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, George the Victorious, Demetrius of Thessaloniki and others. This reveals the intercessory and military function of the cult of these saints.

Icons are known that reflect the idea of ​​Boris and Gleb as the defenders and patrons of cities (for example, an icon of the early 18th century, written in memory of the salvation of the city of Kargopol from the fire, attributed to the intercession of the brothers). They are characterized by the image of the saints in prayer to the cloudy Savior (the image of Jesus Christ in the sky). On one of these icons of the second half of the 18th century, the brothers' clothes are drawn with cinnabar, symbolizing both the blood they shed and the purple robe of Christ.

Image in fiction

Notes (edit)

1. ? Nikitin A. L. Svyatopolk and the Legend of Boris and Gleb. Foundations of Russian history. Mythologemes and facts... Retrieved July 13, 2009.
2. V. N. Tatishchev Russian history. - M.-L .: 1963 T. 2. - S. 218.
3. ? Rummel V.V.
4. ? A. V. copy// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. : 1890-1907.
5. E. E. Golubinsky The history of the canonization of saints in the Russian Church // Theological bulletin... - 1894. - T. 3. - No. 7. - P. 66.
6. Saga of Eimund (Strand of Eimund Hringsson). Retrieved June 27, 2009.
7. "O. Golovko, following M. Іlshim and A. Grabskiy, at the presentation of the saga about Eimund, the death of Boris is even more boldly seen before the hands of the Varangians, supervised by Yaroslav the Mudrim at 1017 r. " - Leontiy Voytovich. Princely dynasties of Western Europe (Kinets IX - the ear of the XVI century): warehouse, suspension and political role. Historical and genealogical dosages. - Lviv: Institute of Ukrainian Studies IM. І. Krip'yakevich, 2000. - ISBN 966-02-1683-1
8. Mikheev S.M. The bifurcation of the murder of Boris and the history of the Borisoglebsk cycle // Ancient Russia... - M .: 2005. - No. 3. - P. 74.
9. Soloviev S.M. History of Russia since ancient times T. III-IV // Works. - M .: 1988 T. 2. - P. 104.
10. ? The Legend of Boris and Gleb. Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) RAS. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
11. M.V. Rozhdestvenskaya The beginning of Russian literature. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
12. M. P. Pogodin Ancient Russian history before the Mongol yoke. - M .: 1999 T. 2. - S. 313-314. - ISBN 5-300-02727-8
13. Mikheev S.M. The story about Svyatopolk and Yaroslav and the legend about Boris and Gleb: "The most ancient vault" and the vault of the 70s of the 11th century // Ancient Russia... - M .: 2008. - No. 3. - P. 46.
14. A. A. Gorsky“In total, the Russian land is full ...” Personalities and mentality of the Russian Middle Ages: Essays. - M.: 2001. - S. 99-100.
15. Mikheev S.M. Differences in the descriptions of events and the relationship of the texts of the Borisoglebsk cycle // Slavic studies... - M .: 2007. - No. 5. - S. 3-19.
16. A. A. Shakhmatov Investigations about the most ancient Russian annalistic vaults. - SPb: 1908 .-- S. 92-94.
17. ? Uzhankov A. The Holy Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb: Towards the History of Canonization and the Writing of Lives. Retrieved June 28, 2009.

Vladimir Svyatoslavich, who baptized Russia, had a great many children from several wives. In this confusing story, four of his sons usually appear: Svyatopolk (sometimes he is called Vladimir's nephew and Yaropolk's son), Yaroslav, Boris and Gleb. Sons of different mothers, they were still considered half-brothers, and therefore after the death of the Grand Duke, a serious struggle for power unfolded between his heirs.

Vladimir died in 1015. Civil strife began to brew even during his lifetime: Svyatopolk planned to overthrow his father and seize power, but the conspiracy was revealed in time, and the rebellious son went into captivity. Shortly before his father's death, Yaroslav also began to demonstrate an obstinate character. He flatly refused to transfer tribute and church tithes to Kiev. Vladimir wanted to teach this son a lesson, but did not have time - he died before he could move towards Novgorod. When the soul of the Kiev prince went to another world, his entourage chose not to disclose this information temporarily. To begin with, they intended to inform Boris about the death of their father - the people of Kiev did not want to see in the role of Prince Svyatopolk, who was at that time in the city and in the hustle and bustle could usurp power. And Vladimir himself wanted Boris to take the throne after his death. The deceased Baptist of Rus was secretly taken to the Tithe Church, where he was buried.

Saints Boris and Gleb on the ship. Ivan Bilibin

However, Svyatopolk did not succeed - he quickly found his bearings in the situation and proclaimed himself the Grand Duke. The indignant squad of Boris grumbled and called to move to Kiev in order to teach Svyatopolk a lesson, but Boris - not without reason the future saint - did not want to fight his own brother in any way, considering such acts blasphemous. Desperate warriors left the prince, and Boris was left practically alone.

Svyatopolk did not share the pacifist positions of his younger brother. He understood that Boris, the favorite of the people, was its serious rival. The prince, later called the Cursed One, sent his people to meet Boris. They got to Boris's tent when he was praying. After waiting for the moment when the victim finished the prayer and went to bed, the killers entered the tent and stabbed Boris, as well as his servant George, who rushed to protect the prince. The brother's body had to be delivered to Svyatopolk. When Boris was brought to Kiev, it turned out that he was still breathing, and Svyatopolk ordered to complete what he had begun.

Then Svyatopolk remembered Gleb, Boris's half-brother. Fearing revenge on his part for a loved one, the usurper invited Gleb to Kiev. The young man already knew about the death of his father and the death of his brother - he was warned by Yaroslav, - however, submitting to God's will, he still went to the "mother of Russian cities" and shared the fate of Boris. But Svyatopolk did not have to rule for a long time: already in 1019, Yaroslav finally took the Kiev throne.

Construction of the Borisoglebsk Church in Vyshgorod and the transfer of the relics of the brothers

This is the generally accepted version described in The Tale of Bygone Years. However, there is a hypothesis that has found many supporters among scientists, according to which it was not Svyatopolk who ordered to kill the brothers, but Yaroslav, who went down in history as a wise ruler and, in general, a positive prince in all respects. He also dreamed of the title of Kiev prince and subsequently achieved it. He had even more reasons to kill Boris and Gleb: when Svyatopolk proclaimed himself the ruler of Kiev, the martyred princes declared that they would "honor him as their father." Other brothers - for example, Bryachislav, Mstislav - did not recognize the legality of Svyatopolk's rule. It turns out that Boris and Gleb were allies of Svyatopolk, therefore, there was no reason to kill them.

In the first half of the 19th century, Osip Ivanovich Senkovsky, a well-known editor and expert in several foreign languages, translated the Scandinavian "Saga of Eimund" into Russian. The text revealed information that Yaroslav had hired the Varangian Eimund and his squad. After thinking about the goals of this enterprise, the researchers came to the conclusion that the mercenaries were needed just for the murder of Boris and Gleb.

It is also proved that the episode describing the death of the brothers was inserted into the "Tale of Bygone Years" later - possibly during the reign of Yaroslav. It is likely that the prince did not want to honor the memory of the murdered Boris and Gleb, but to rewrite history and shift the responsibility to his deposed brother Svyatopolk.