SAINTS OF UKRAINE: Sts. Borys and Hlib
The holy, glorious and right-victorious martyrs Borys and Hlib (Борис і Гліб) were the sons of the great Prince Volodymyr, equal-to-the-Apostles. They became known as Passion-bearers, since they did not resist evil with violence. Borys and his brother Hlib are the first saints canonized in Kyivan Rus’ and are commemorated together on August 6 by the Church. They received the crown of martyrdom in 1015.
Borys (in baptism David) and Hlib (in baptism Roman) were brothers by the same mother (a Christian from Bulgaria). Their father Volodymyr, before his baptism, had numerous wives and many children by them. Hence, Volodymyr divided up the state among all of his sons before his death.
During his life Holy Prince Borys accepted the management of the Rostov and Hlib the Murom princedom [both near modern-day Moscow]. Both of them made every effort to spread the Christian faith to the princedoms among the persistent and rough pagans. St. Hlib was considered the primate of the Murom-Riazan country, where from the most ancient times up to now he was remembered as the first preacher of Christianity and the protector of the country.
In the year 1015, after the blessed demise of St. Volodymyr, Sviatopolk, called the "devastator," seized the great princedom. Being afraid of the rivalry of the holy brothers, he decided to kill them.
St. Borys at this time was with his troops by the Alta River. His troops suggested that he go to Kyiv and seize the throne, but St. Borys did not want to break the sacredness of patrimonial relationships and indignantly rejected this offer. Meanwhile Sviatopolk, informing St. Borys about the death of their father, cleverly suggested that he be with him in love and promised to increase his land holdings, but at the same time sent murderers to him. During the night of August 6 the murderers came to Borys's tent and, hearing him singing psalms from the tent, decided to wait until St. Borys would go to sleep. As soon as the holy prince, doubly grieved both by the death of his father and by hearing about the scandalous intentions of his brother, ended his prayer and lay down upon his cot as the murderers rushed in and with spears pierced the holy prince and his servant George, by birth a Hungarian, who attempted to protect his lord with his own body. The holy martyr was still breathing when the murderers wrapped him in canvas and carried him to Sviatopolk, who learned that St. Borys was still alive, and sent two Varangians to pierce his heart with the sword. The body of the holy prince was secretly taken to Vyshhorod and there was buried in the Church of St. Basil.
After the murder of St. Borys, Sviatopolk sent a message calling St. Hlib, who at the time was near Smolensk, to come to visit his dangerously-ill father. The young prince, who already was informed beforehand about the villainy of Sviatopolk, with tears prayed for his father and brother, when it was revealed to him that the murderers were sent by Sviatopolk. Goriaser, standing at the head of these murderers, ordered Hlib’s cook, Torchin, to kill the holy prince. This was on Sept. 18, 1015.
Сергій Венцеславський, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In 1019, after the occupation of Kyiv by Yaroslav Vladimirovich, the body of St. Hlib was found and caring for this prince, he brought it to Vyshhorod and buried it beside the body of St. Borys. Soon miracles started to be performed on the tomb of the holy princes. When the Church of St. Basil burned down, the relics of the holy princes were transferred to a Vyshhorod Church constructed in their honor.
At the opening of the tombs of the holy princes, Metropolitan John with priests saw a most glorious wonder: the bodies of the saints appeared white as snow, their faces radiated with heavenly light so that the Metropolitan and all the people marveled, who smelled a great fragrance. Prince Yaroslav together with Metropolitan John established a feast on August 6 in honor of the Holy Princes, which was the day of the death of St. Borys and the day of the sanctification of the newly built church. Then the special service for the Holy Princes was composed.
In 1072 the relics of the holy martyrs were transferred to a new temple of St. Michael, and in 1115 the relics of the saints were again solemnly transferred with the Kyivan princes to the stone church constructed in the name of the Holy Princes in Vyshhorod. In 1240, during the time of Batu's invasion of Kyiv, it is not known where the relics of Sts. Borys and Hlib were hidden. The memory of both Holy Prince-martyrs is revered in Ukraine and Russia since ancient times, and witnesses to the fact that, by the way, the majority of the ancient monasteries and parish churches in various parts of Ukraine and Russia up to now are named in their honour.
Sources:
S. V. Bulgakov, Handbook for Church Servers, 2nd ed., 1274 pp. (Kharkov, 1900) pp 0253-0255 Translated by Archpriest Eugene D Tarris © July 11, 2005. All rights reserved.