ALL SAINTS OF UKRAINE: The Real Sts. Volodymyr and Ol’ha
In preparation for the feast-day (храмове свято) celebration of our Chapel - All Saints of Ukraine (second Sunday after Pentecost), we will spend the next few weeks learning more about this special feast-day.
Read last week’s article: All Saints of Ukraine: How Many Saints Are There?Grand Duchess (княгиння) Ol’ha of Kyiv
Ol’ha, daughter of Viking parents from Pskov (northern Russia), married Prince Ihor of Kyiv in the early 10th century, and a made a widow shortly after when her husband was brutally murdered in a revolt of a neighbouring tribe. Out of anger (and grief, no doubt), Ol’ha exacted her revenge by slyly killing as many of the tribesmen as possible, be it burying alive, setting aflame, or stabbing.
She survived another 25 years (dying in 969), several of which were spent ruling on her son’s behalf (Svyatoslav), as he had been 3 years old when his father was killed. In her later years, Ol’ha was baptized a Christian, taking the name ‘Helen(a).’ On her return, she tried, without success, to convert her son to Christianity, at which point she refocused her efforts on her grandson Grand Prince Volodymyr.
While many wonder how she can be called ‘saintly,’ it is important to remember the cornerstones of our faith: repentance, confession and absolution. When she became Christian, she went to confession, repented and received absolution. Yes, St. Ol’ha may have been brutally violent early in her reign - likely killing thousands - but we know that the Church does not just canonize anyone: there must be some sort of miracles that take place. In the 100 years following her death, her grave was dug up and found incorrupt (a miracle!) - that is to say, they were not decayed. And another miracle has been told of how a hole was built into the new coffin to allow you to see the un-decayed relics but that the remains were only visible to those who approached in faith. To others the hole presented an empty view. The Moscow Patriarchate canonized her in 1547.
Grand Prince Volodymyr
Born in 956 in Vyshorod (outside of Kyiv), St. Volodymyr was involved in as many violent battles as his father and grandmother. After truly numerous military exploits throughout the region (including the killing of his brother, Yaropolk), Volodymyr became the Grand Prince in Kyiv, uniting all the city-states. He truly lived a pagan life erecting temples to the pagan gods, giving offerings, multiple wives and even more concubine, but after the murder of two Christians in Kyiv (978 or 983), Theodore (Fyodor) and John (Ioan), it seems that Volodymyr began reconsidering the suggestion of his grandmother to adopt Christianity for his growing nation. As we know, it was in 988 that Volodymyr had his nation baptized, while he himself accepted baptism one year earlier, with the name of Basil.
Yes, there are many theories as to why he chose to accept the faith (whether as an alliance with Byzantium, or as a strategy to unify the nation among others), but whatever the reason, the fact that he did so was ultimately good (we, as Christians, want to share with others the good news of Christ’s resurrection so that they too can believe and be saved). It is said that after his conversion that Volodymyr changed his ways and lived the way of the faith through acts of charity, like handing out food and drink to the poor, all to help shoulder the burden of his neighbour’s crosses. He also built many churches including that of the Cathedral of the Tithes in 989 as well as schools. It also appears that after the conversion, Volodymyr leaved at peace with his neighbours, only fighting in response to invasions by the Pechenegs. It seems he also reformed the Byzantine law code, which he had introduced after the baptism, abolishing capital punishment and judicial torture and mutilation.
St. Volodymyr was canonized around 1254 (exact date unknown) for the fact that he had brought Christianity to the tribes of Kyivan Rus.’ Unfortunately there are no documented miracles associated with St. Volodymyr (but that does not mean you should not consider praying to him for his intercession and guidance).
Sts. Volodymyr and Ol’ha - we ask for your prayers to save our souls and to save our beloved motherland of Ukraine! Free her from her invaders!