Meditation “Keepers of the Family” Having created an atmosphere of silence in yourself, stand facing east so that there is free space behind your back. Fold your palms into a boat on your chest and through your heart greet the Spiritual Parents, as well as the Guardians of the Family. After

Holiness is a purity of heart that seeks the uncreated divine energy manifested in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as many colored rays in the solar spectrum. Pious ascetics are the link between the earthly world and the heavenly Kingdom. Imbued with the light of divine grace, they, through God-contemplation and God-communication, learn the highest spiritual secrets. In earthly life, saints, performing the feat of self-denial for the sake of the Lord, receive the highest grace of divine Revelation. According to biblical teaching, holiness is the likening of a person to God, who is the only bearer of all-perfect life and its unique source.

The church procedure for canonizing a righteous person is called canonization. She encourages believers to honor a recognized saint in public worship. As a rule, ecclesiastical recognition of piety is preceded by popular glory and veneration, but it was the act of canonization that made it possible to glorify saints by creating icons, writing lives, composing prayers and church services. The reason for official canonization can be the feat of a righteous person, the incredible deeds he has performed, his entire life or martyrdom. And after death, a person can be recognized as a saint because of the incorruption of his relics, or miracles of healing occurring at his remains.

In the event that a saint is venerated within one church, city or monastery, they speak of diocesan, local canonization.

The official church also recognizes the existence of unknown saints, the confirmation of whose piety is not yet known to the entire Christian flock. They are called revered departed righteous people and requiem services are served for them, while prayer services are served for canonized saints.

That is why the names of Russian saints, who are revered in one diocese, may differ and be unknown to parishioners of another city.

Who was canonized in Rus'

Long-suffering Rus' gave birth to more than a thousand martyrs and martyrs. All the names of the holy people of the Russian land who were canonized are included in the calendar, or calendar. The right to solemnly canonize the righteous initially belonged to the Kyiv, and later Moscow, metropolitans. The first canonizations were preceded by the exhumation of the remains of the righteous so that they could perform a miracle. In the 11th-16th centuries, the burials of princes Boris and Gleb, Princess Olga, and Theodosius of Pechersk were discovered.

From the second half of the 16th century, under Metropolitan Macarius, the right to canonize saints passed to church councils under the high priest. The indisputable authority of the Orthodox Church, which had existed in Rus' for 600 years by that time, was confirmed by numerous Russian saints. The list of names of the righteous glorified by the Macarius Councils was replenished with the naming of saints by 39 pious Christians.

Byzantine rules of canonization

In the 17th century, the Russian Orthodox Church succumbed to the influence of the ancient Byzantine rules for canonization. During this period, mainly clergy were canonized because they had ecclesiastical rank. Missionaries carrying the faith and associates in the construction of new churches and monasteries also deserved to be counted. And the need to create miracles has lost its relevance. Thus, 150 righteous people were canonized, mainly from among the monks and high clergy, and the Saints added new names to Russian Orthodox saints.

Weakening church influence

In the 18th and 19th centuries, only the Holy Synod had the right to canonize. This period is characterized by a decrease in the activity of the church and a weakening of its influence on social processes. Before Nicholas II ascended the throne, only four canonizations took place. During the short period of the reign of the Romanovs, seven more Christians were canonized, and the calendar added new names of Russian saints.

By the beginning of the 20th century, universally recognized and locally revered Russian saints were included in the monthly calendars, the list of whose names was supplemented by the list of deceased Orthodox Christians for whom memorial services were performed.

Modern canonizations

The beginning of the modern period in the history of canonizations carried out by the Russian Orthodox Church can be considered the Local Council held in 1917-18, by which the universally revered Russian saints Sophrony of Irkutsk and Joseph of Astrakhan were canonized. Then, in the 1970s, three more clergy were canonized - Herman of Alaska, Archbishop of Japan and Metropolitan Innocent of Moscow and Kolomna.

In the year of the millennium of the baptism of Rus', new canonizations took place, where Xenia of Petersburg, Dmitry Donskoy and other, no less famous, Orthodox Russian saints were recognized as pious.

In 2000, the anniversary Council of Bishops took place, at which Emperor Nicholas II and members of the Romanov royal family were canonized “as passion-bearers.”

First canonization of the Russian Orthodox Church

The names of the first Russian saints, who were canonized by Metropolitan John in the 11th century, became a kind of symbol of the true faith of the newly baptized people, their full acceptance of Orthodox norms. Princes Boris and Gleb, sons of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, after canonization became the first heavenly protectors of Russian Christians. Boris and Gleb were killed by their brother in the internecine struggle for the throne of Kyiv in 1015. Knowing about the impending assassination attempt, they accepted death with Christian humility for the sake of autocracy and peace of their people.

The veneration of princes was widespread even before their holiness was recognized by the official church. After canonization, the relics of the brothers were found incorrupt and showed miracles of healing to the ancient Russian people. And the new princes ascending the throne made pilgrimages to the holy relics in search of blessings for a just reign and help in military exploits. The Memorial Day of Saints Boris and Gleb is celebrated on July 24.

Formation of the Russian Holy Brotherhood

Next after princes Boris and Gleb, the Monk Theodosius of Pechersk was canonized. The second solemn canonization carried out by the Russian Church took place in 1108. The Monk Theodosius is considered the father of Russian monasticism and the founder, together with his mentor Anthony, of the Kiev Pechersk Monastery. The teacher and student showed two different paths of monastic obedience: one is severe asceticism, renunciation of everything worldly, the other is humility and creativity for the glory of God.

In the caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, bearing the names of the founders, rest the relics of 118 novices of this monastery, who lived before and after the Tatar-Mongol yoke. They were all canonized in 1643, making up a common service, and in 1762 the names of Russian saints were included in the calendar.

Venerable Abraham of Smolensk

Very little is known about the righteous people of the pre-Mongol period. Abraham of Smolensk, one of the few saints of that time, about whom a detailed biography, compiled by his student, has been preserved. Abraham was revered for a long time in his hometown even before his canonization by the Makarievsky Cathedral in 1549. Having distributed to the needy all his property left after the death of his rich parents, the thirteenth child, the only son begged from the Lord after twelve daughters, Abraham lived in poverty, praying for salvation during the Last Judgment. Having become a monk, he copied church books and painted icons. The Monk Abraham is credited with saving Smolensk from a great drought.

The most famous names of saints of the Russian land

Along with the above-mentioned princes Boris and Gleb, unique symbols of Russian Orthodoxy, there are no less significant names of Russian saints who became intercessors of the entire people through their contribution to the participation of the church in public life.

After liberation from the Mongol-Tatar influence, Russian monasticism saw its goal as the enlightenment of pagan peoples, as well as the construction of new monasteries and temples in the uninhabited northeastern lands. The most prominent figure of this movement was St. Sergius of Radonezh. For godly solitude, he built a cell on Makovets Hill, where the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius was later erected. Gradually, the righteous began to join Sergius, inspired by his teaching, which led to the formation of a monastic monastery, living on the fruits of their hands, and not on the alms of believers. Sergius himself worked in the garden, setting an example for his brothers. The disciples of Sergius of Radonezh built about 40 monasteries throughout Rus'.

St. Sergius of Radonezh carried the idea of ​​godly humility not only to ordinary people, but also to the ruling elite. As a skilled politician, he contributed to the unification of the Russian principalities, convincing the rulers of the need to unite dynasties and disparate lands.

Dmitry Donskoy

Sergius of Radonezh was greatly revered by the Russian prince, canonized, Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy. It was St. Sergius who blessed the army for the Battle of Kulikovo, started by Dmitry Donskoy, and sent two of his novices for God’s support.

Having become a prince in early childhood, Dmitry in state affairs listened to the advice of Metropolitan Alexy, who cared for the unification of the Russian principalities around Moscow. This process did not always go smoothly. Sometimes by force, and sometimes by marriage (to a Suzdal princess), Dmitry Ivanovich annexed the surrounding lands to Moscow, where he built the first Kremlin.

It was Dmitry Donskoy who became the founder of a political movement that aimed to unite the Russian principalities around Moscow to create a powerful state with political (from the khans of the Golden Horde) and ideological (from the Byzantine Church) independence. In 2002, in memory of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy and St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Order “For Service to the Fatherland” was established, fully emphasizing the depth of influence of these historical figures on the formation of Russian statehood. These Russian holy people cared for the well-being, independence and tranquility of their great people.

Faces (ranks) of Russian saints

All the saints of the Universal Church are summarized into nine faces or ranks: prophets, apostles, saints, great martyrs, holy martyrs, venerable martyrs, confessors, unmercenaries, holy fools and blessed ones.

The Orthodox Church of Russia divides saints into faces differently. Russian holy people, due to historical circumstances, are divided into the following ranks:

Princes. The first righteous people recognized as saints by the Russian Church were princes Boris and Gleb. Their feat consisted of self-sacrifice for the sake of the peace of the Russian people. This behavior became an example for all rulers of the time of Yaroslav the Wise, when the power in whose name the prince made a sacrifice was recognized as true. This rank is divided into Equal-to-the-Apostles (spreaders of Christianity - Princess Olga, her grandson Vladimir, who baptized Rus'), monks (princes who became monks) and passion-bearers (victims of civil strife, assassination attempts, murders for the faith).

Reverends. This is the name given to saints who chose monastic obedience during their lifetime (Theodosius and Anthony of Pechersk, Sergius of Radonezh, Joseph of Volotsky, Seraphim of Sarov).

Saints- righteous people with church rank, who based their ministry on the defense of the purity of faith, the spread of Christian teaching, and the founding of churches (Niphon of Novgorod, Stefan of Perm).

Fools (blessed)- saints who wore the appearance of madness during their lives, rejecting worldly values. A very numerous rank of Russian righteous people, replenished mainly by monks who considered monastic obedience insufficient. They left the monastery, going out in rags onto the streets of cities and enduring all the hardships (St. Basil, St. Isaac the Recluse, Simeon of Palestine, Xenia of Petersburg).

Holy laymen and women. This rank unites murdered babies recognized as saints, laymen who renounced wealth, righteous people who were distinguished by their boundless love for people (Yuliania Lazarevskaya, Artemy Verkolsky).

Lives of Russian saints

The Lives of Saints is a literary work containing historical, biographical and everyday information about a righteous person canonized by the church. Lives are one of the oldest literary genres. Depending on the time and country of writing, these treatises were created in the form of biography, encomium (praise), martyrium (testimony), and patericon. The style of writing lives in the Byzantine, Roman and Western church cultures differed significantly. Back in the 4th century, the Church began to unite saints and their biographies into vaults that looked like a calendar indicating the day of remembrance of the pious.

In Rus', lives appear along with the adoption of Christianity from Byzantium in Bulgarian and Serbian translations, combined into collections for reading by month - monthly books and menaions.

Already in the 11th century, a laudatory biography of princes Boris and Gleb appeared, where the unknown author of the life was Russian. The names of saints are recognized by the church and added to the monthly calendar. In the 12th and 13th centuries, along with the monastic desire to enlighten the northeast of Rus', the number of biographical works also grew. Russian authors wrote the lives of Russian saints for reading during the Divine Liturgy. The names, the list of which was recognized by the church for glorification, now received a historical figure, and holy deeds and miracles were enshrined in a literary monument.

In the 15th century there was a change in the style of writing lives. The authors began to pay the main attention not to factual data, but to skillful mastery of artistic expression, the beauty of literary language, and the ability to select many impressive comparisons. Skillful scribes of that period became known. For example, Epiphanius the Wise, who wrote vivid lives of Russian saints, whose names were most famous among the people - Stephen of Perm and Sergius of Radonezh.

Many hagiographies are considered a source of information about important historical events. From the biography of Alexander Nevsky you can learn about political relations with the Horde. The lives of Boris and Gleb tell of princely civil strife before the unification of Rus'. The creation of a literary and church biographical work largely determined which names of Russian saints, their exploits and virtues, would become best known to a wide circle of believers.

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May 18 (new style) The Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Irene. Irene, a Slav by birth, lived in the second half of the 1st century and was the daughter of the pagan Licinius, ruler of the city of Mageddon in Macedonia, so Saint Irene began to be called Macedonian.
At birth she was given the name "Penelope". When Penelope began to grow up and turned 6 years old, she seemed to have an unusually beautiful face, so that she outshone all her peers with her appearance. Licinius assigned Elder Karia to his daughter as a teacher. Licinius also instructed an old man named Apelian to teach her book wisdom. Penelope's father did not know that Apelian was a secret Christian. The girl spent six years and three months like this, and when she turned 12 years old, the father began to think about who to marry his daughter to.
One day, when the girl was sitting in her room, a dove flew into her open window facing east, holding a small branch in its beak; placing it on the table, he immediately flew out of the room through the window. Then, an hour later, an eagle flew into the room with a wreath of different flowers, and he, too, placing the wreath on the table, immediately flew away. Then a raven flew in through another window, carrying a small snake in its beak, which it placed on the table, and itself also flew away.
Seeing all this, the young woman, together with her teacher, were very surprised, wondering what this arrival of birds foreshadowed? When teacher Apelian came to them, they told him what had happened.
Apelian explained it this way:
- Know, my daughter, that the dove means your good disposition, your meekness, humility and maiden chastity. The olive branch signifies God's grace, which will be given to you through baptism. An eagle, soaring high, depicts a king and a winner, signifies that you will reign over your passions and, having risen in the mind of God, you will defeat invisible enemies, just as an eagle defeats birds. A crown of flowers is a sign of the reward that you will receive for your exploits from the King Christ in His heavenly kingdom, where an imperishable crown of eternal glory is being prepared for you. A raven with a snake signifies the enemy, the devil, who is trying to inflict grief, sadness and persecution on you. Know, maiden, that the great King, who holds heaven and earth in His power, wants to betroth you to His bride, and you will endure many sufferings for His name.

Saint Panteleimon (Panteleimon), often called "Panteleimon the Healer", was born in the 3rd century in the city of Nicomedia (now Izmit, Turkey) into a noble pagan family and was named Pantoleon. Pantoleon's mother was a Christian, but she died early and did not have time to raise her son in the Christian faith. Pantoleon was sent by his father to a pagan school, after which he began to study the art of medicine from the famous physician Euphrosynus and became known to Emperor Maximian, who wanted to see him at his court.
Saint Hermolai, who lived in Nicodemus, told Pantoleon about Christianity. Once a young man saw a dead child on the street, bitten by a snake that was still nearby. Pantoleon began to pray to Christ for the resurrection of the deceased and the killing of the poisonous reptile. He firmly decided that if his prayer was fulfilled, he would be baptized. The child came to life, and the snake scattered into pieces in front of Pantoleon's eyes.
Saint Hermolai baptized Pantoleon under the name Panteleimon - “all-merciful” (it is the spelling “Panteleimon” that is canonical in Orthodoxy, the version of the name with “th” is the secular version of this name). Panteleimon's father, seeing how he healed a blind man, also received baptism.

Conversation between Saint Panteleimon and Saint Hermolai

Saint Panteleimon devoted his life to healing the sick, including prisoners, among whom were Christians. The fame of a wonderful doctor who did not charge money for treatment spread throughout the city and the rest of the doctors were left without work. Embittered doctors reported to the emperor that Panteleimon was treating Christian prisoners. Emperor Maximian demanded that Panteleimon renounce his faith and sacrifice to idols. The saint suggested that the emperor call upon one incurable patient and arrange a test to see who would heal him: he or the pagan priests. The pagan priests were unable to heal the sick man, but Panteleimon, by the power of prayer, granted healing to the sick man, proving the true Christian faith and the falsity of paganism.

Almost everyone knows what "Valentine's Day" is, but few know the history of Saint Valentine himself. This article will examine the origins of the legend of St. Valentine, and will also present images of this saint, including Orthodox icons of him.

On February 14, Catholicism celebrates the day of remembrance of three Saint Valentines: Valentine of Rome, Valentine the Bishop of Interamna, and Valentine from the Roman province of Africa. Almost nothing is known about the third; the first two are possibly the same person. Due to this confusion, in 1969 the Catholic Church excluded Valentine from the universal Roman calendar (Calendarium Romanae Ecclesiae) - a list of those saints whose memory is obligatory for liturgical veneration by all Catholics. At the same time, the name of Valentine remained in the Catholic martyrology - a list of saints, the decision to venerate them is made at the level of local churches. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the day of remembrance of Valentin of Interamna is celebrated on August 12, and the day of memory of Valentin of Rome is celebrated on July 19 (both dates are in the new style).

On December 7, the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria (287 - 305).

Catherine was the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria of Egypt, Constus, during the reign of Emperor Maximian (305 - 313). Living in the capital - the center of Hellenic learning, Catherine, who had rare beauty and intelligence, received an excellent education, having studied the works of the best ancient philosophers and scientists.

Carlo Dolci. Saint Catherine of Alexandria reading a book

In Christianity, several saints bearing the name Paraskeva are revered. In Russian Orthodoxy, the most revered holy martyr of the 3rd century is Paraskeva-Friday (commemorated on November 10). Another saint with the name Paraskeva, called “Petka” in these countries, is popular among Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria and Serbia. Saint Paraskeva-Petka is commemorated on October 27. In Russian Orthodoxy, Saint Petka is called Serbian or Bulgarian Paraskeva.

Saint Petka (Paraskeva Bulgarian/Serbian)

Jerome is a Christian saint, venerated in Catholicism (feast day on September 30) and in Orthodoxy (feast day on June 28). The main merit of Saint Jerome is the translation of the Old Testament into Latin and the editing of the Latin version of the New Testament. The Latin Bible, created by Jerome and called the Vulgate, is the canonical Latin text of the Bible to this day. Saint Jerome is considered the heavenly patron of all translators.

Jerome was born around 340-2 (according to other sources, in 347) in the Roman province of Dalmatia, in the city of Stridon (not far from where the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, is now located). Jerome went to study in the capital of the empire - Rome, where he was baptized in the period from 360 to 366. Jerome studied with the famous grammarian Aelius Donatus, a specialist in ancient and Christian literature. While continuing his studies, Jerome traveled a lot. In the Syrian city of Antioch in the winter of 373-374, Jerome became seriously ill and had a vision that forced him to abandon secular studies and devote himself to God. Jerome retired to the Chalcis desert in Syria, where he began to study the language of the Jews with the aim of reading biblical texts in the original. Jerome returned to Antioch in 378 or 379, where he was ordained bishop. Later Jerome leaves for Constantinople and then returns to Rome. In the capital of the empire, Jerome gained great confidence among the famous noble women of Rome: Jerome's peer Paula and her daughters Blesilla and Eustochia, under the influence of Jerome, abandoned their aristocratic lifestyle and became ascetics.

On September 30, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Love and their mother Sophia, who suffered in Rome under Emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD).

Saint Sophia, a strong Christian, managed to raise her daughters in ardent love for God. The rumor about the good behavior, intelligence and beauty of the girls reached the Emperor Hadrian, who wished to see them, having learned that they were Christians.

Adrian called on all three sisters in turn and affectionately convinced them to make a sacrifice to the goddess Artemis, but received a firm refusal from everyone and agreement to endure all the torment for Jesus Christ.

Vera was 12 years old, Nadezhda - 10 and Lyubov - 9. In front of their mother's eyes, they were tortured in turn. They beat Vera mercilessly and cut off her breasts, but instead of blood, milk came out of the wound. Then she was placed on a hot iron. The mother prayed with her daughter and strengthened her in suffering - and the iron did not burn Vera. Being thrown into a cauldron of boiling resin, Vera loudly prayed to the Lord and remained unharmed. Then Adrian ordered her head to be cut off.

Next Nadezhda and Lyubov were tortured and killed.

To prolong the mother's torment, the emperor did not torture her; he gave her the tortured bodies of three girls. Sophia put them in an ark and buried them with honors on a high hill outside the city. The mother sat at the grave of her daughters for three days and finally gave up her soul to the Lord. Believers buried her body in the same place.

The relics of Saints Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia rest in Alsace, in the Church of Escho.

Tatiana of Rome (in Church Slavonic Tatiana) is a holy martyr, whose memory is honored in Orthodoxy on January 25.

Tatiana was born in Rome into a noble family. Her father was elected consul three times, he was a secret Christian and raised his daughter in the Christian faith. When Tatyana reached adulthood, she decided not to get married and to be the bride of Christ. Tatiana's piety became known in Christian circles and she was chosen as a deaconess (the duties of a deaconess were to visit sick women and care for them, to prepare women for baptism, to “serve the elders during the baptism of women for the sake of decency,” etc.). In 222, Alexander Severus became emperor. He was the son of a Christian woman and did not persecute Christians. However, the emperor was only 16 years old and all power was concentrated in the hands of Ulpian, who fiercely hated Christians. Persecution of Christians began. Tatyana was also captured. She was brought into the temple of Apollo and forced to bow to his statue. She prayed to the true God and the idol of Apollo fell and broke, and part of the temple collapsed with it.

They began to torture Tatyana. The author of the life of Saint Tatiana, Dmitry Rostovsky writes about it this way:
“At first they began to beat her in the face and torment her eyes with iron hooks. After long torment, the tormentors themselves became exhausted, for the body of the sufferer of Christ was hard for those who inflicted wounds on her, like an anvil, and the tormentors themselves suffered more torment than the holy martyr. And the angels stood invisibly near the saint and struck those who tortured Saint Tatiana, so that the tormentors cried out to the lawless judge and asked him to order an end to the torment; they said that they themselves suffered more than this holy and innocent virgin. ", courageously enduring suffering, she prayed for her tormentors and asked the Lord to reveal to them the light of truth. And her prayer was heard. The heavenly light illuminated the tormentors, and their spiritual eyes were opened.". The eight executioners who tortured Tatiana converted to Christianity and were executed for this.

The next day, Tatyana was tortured again (she was healed from previous torture). They began to cut Tatyana's body, but milk flowed from the wounds.
“Then they spread her out crosswise on the ground and beat her with rods for a long time, so that the tormentors were exhausted and often changed. For, as before, the angels of God stood invisibly near the saint and inflicted wounds on those who struck the holy martyr. The torturer’s servants were exhausted, declaring, that someone was striking them with iron sticks. Finally, nine of them died, struck by the right hand of an angel, and the rest fell to the ground barely alive.”
The next day they began to persuade Tatyana to make a sacrifice to the goddess Diana. She prayed to the true God and fire fell from the sky, burning the statue, the temple and many pagans.

Natalia is a female name formed in the first centuries of Christianity from Lat. Natalis Domini - birth, Christmas. The meaning of the name "Natalia" is Christmas. Of the bearers of this name in Orthodoxy, the most famous is Saint Natalia of Nicomedia, whose feast day falls on September 8. Saint Natalia is venerated together with her husband, Saint Adrian.
Adrian and Natalia lived in Nicomedia of Bithynia under Emperor Maximian (305-311). Adrian was a pagan, and Natalia was a secret Christian. When their marriage was one year and one month old, the emperor instructed Adrian, as the head of the judicial chamber of Nicomedia, to draw up protocols of interrogations of 23 Christians arrested on the denunciation of pagans in the caves where they secretly prayed. The martyrs were severely beaten, but did not renounce Christ. Adrian wanted to know why Christians suffer so much and they told him about their belief in eternal life and divine reward. This faith entered Adrian’s heart, he converted to Christianity and added himself to the list of arrested Christians. Natalia, having learned about this, was delighted, because now her husband shared her secret faith. Natalia went to prison and began to beg Adrian to courageously accept the crown of martyrdom for the sake of Christ. She looked after Christians crippled by torture, alleviating their suffering. When Adrian was sent home to tell his wife about the day of his execution, she at first did not want to let him into the house, thinking that he had renounced Christ. On the day of execution, Natalia, fearing that Adrian might hesitate at the sight of the suffering and death of other martyrs, asked the executioners to begin the execution with her husband and she herself placed his feet on the anvil. When Adrian's legs were broken, Natalia exposed his hand to the blow of the hammer. The executioner cut it off with a strong blow and Adrian died. He was 28 years old. Natalia secretly took her husband's hand and hid it. Maximian, having executed all the Christians in prison, ordered the bodies of the martyrs to be burned. But by the will of God, a strong thunderstorm began, and many of the tormentors were killed by lightning. The rain extinguished the burning stove, and Christians were able to remove the bodies of the saints, undamaged by the fire, from the stove. A pious Christian named Eusebius collected the remains of the saints and brought them to the city of Argyropolis near Byzantium. The emperor wanted to give Natalia as a wife to a noble military leader, then Natalia took Adrian's hand and went by ship to Argyropolis. The military commander, having learned about Natalia's escape, pursued her on the ship, but was caught in a storm and turned the ship back, while many of those sailing on it drowned, and the ship with Christians was bypassed by the storm. Adrian saved them by appearing to them in a blaze of light. Upon arrival in Argyropol, Natalia came to the temple with the bodies of the martyrs and connected Adrian’s hand to his body. The sufferer died that same day.
Natalia, despite her bloodless death and the fact that she was not subjected to physical torture, was numbered among the martyrs for her boundless compassion for her husband and other martyrs.

The modern name Audrey (Audrey) comes from the Old English name Ethelfrith (option - Edilfrida) (Aethelthryth, aethele - noble, excellent, excellent + thryth - power, authority, strength). In Latinized form, the name sounded like Etheldreda, Etheldred. German forms of the same name are Edeltraud, Edeltrud.
The name “Etheldreda” entered history thanks to the saint who bore this name.

Saint Audrey (Etheldreda) on stained glass in St Leonard's Church (Horringer, England)

Saint Etheldreda (Saint Audrey) was born in 630 in Exning, the estate of the kings of the East Angles, located in western Suffolk. She was the daughter of Anne, the future king of the East Anglian Land. She was baptized by the Apostle of East Anglia, St. Felix. While still a young girl, Etheldreda, thanks to the influence of St. Felix, as well as his friend and associate St. Aidan and the latter’s student, the future abbess Hilda (Hilda), felt a strong attraction to monastic life. However, in 652 she was married to a nobleman from the "Lowland" (located on the border of what is now Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire). As a dowry, Etheldreda received the city of Ely and the island on which it was located.

In 655 her husband died; They probably never entered into a marriage relationship. Contrary to her hopes of starting a monastic career in Ely, in 660 she was again forced to marry for political reasons, this time to the 15-year-old king of Northumbria, thus becoming queen of that country.

Apostles(ap.) - these are the closest disciples of Jesus Christ, whom He sent to preach during His earthly life; and after the descent of the Holy Spirit on them, they preached the Christian faith throughout all countries. There were first twelve of them, and then seventy more.

• Two of the apostles, Peter and Paul, are called Supreme, since they worked more than others in preaching the faith of Christ.
• The four Apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the Theologian, who wrote the Gospel, are called Evangelists.

Unmercenary (unsr.) served as free healing of illnesses for neighbors, that is, they healed illnesses, both physical and mental, without any payment, such as: Cosmas and Damian, the great martyr and healer Panteleimon and others.

The faithful (blgv.). In the celebration of the memory of holy monarchs and princes, their feat, embodied in piety, mercy and concern for strengthening the Christian faith, is glorified, and not the powers they had in earthly life or their noble origin. For example, the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow, the Holy Blessed Grand Duchess Anna Kashinskaya.

Blessed (foolish) (bl., bliss) (gr. σαλός slav.: stupid, insane) - representatives of the host of holy ascetics who chose a special feat - foolishness, the feat of depicting the external, i.e. visible madness, in order to achieve inner humility.

Great Martyrs (martyr, Vlkmch.).Those who died for the holy faith after especially severe (great) suffering, to which not all martyrs were subjected, are called great martyrs, such as: St. Great Martyr George; Holy Great Martyrs Barbara and Catherine and others.

Confessors (Spanish, confession). Martyrs who, after the torture they endured, died peacefully are called confessors.

Martyrs(martyr) - those Christians who accepted cruel torment and even death for their faith in Jesus Christ. For example, St. martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.

• The first to suffer for the Christian faith were: Archdeacon Stephen and St. Thekla, and that’s why they are called first martyrs.

Inscribed . Confessors whose torturers wrote blasphemous words on their faces are called inscribed.

(novmch., new-much.). Christians who suffered martyrdom for confessing faith in Christ in relatively recent times. This is how the Church names all those who suffered for their faith during the period of post-revolutionary persecution.

Righteous(right) led a righteous life pleasing to God, living in the world, being family people, such as St. righteous Joachim and Anna, etc.

• The first righteous people on earth: the ancestors (patriarchs) of the human race are called forefathers, such as: Adam, Noah, Abraham, etc.

Reverend Confessors (venerable isp., prpisp.) Confessors from among the monks.

Venerable Martyrs (prmch.). Saints who suffered torment for Christ are called venerable martyrs.

Reverends (St.) - righteous people who moved away from Worldly life in society and pleased God by remaining in virginity, (i.e., not marrying), fasting and prayer, living in deserts and monasteries, such as: Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, Venerable Anastasia and others.

Prophets(proph.) - God, who, at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, predicted the future and mainly about the Savior; they lived before the Savior came to earth.

Equal to the Apostles (equal to the Apostles) - saints who, like the Apostles, spread the faith of Christ in different places, for example: Mary Magdalene, the First Martyr Thekla, the blessed kings Constantine and Helen, the noble prince of Russia Vladimir, St. Nina, educator of Georgia, etc.

Saints(St.) - bishops or bishops who pleased God with their righteous lives, such as; Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, etc.

• Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom are called universal teachers, that is, teachers of the entire Christian Church.

Priests (scratched). Confessors belonging to the priestly order.

Hieromartyrs (sschmch.). Priests who suffered torment for Christ are called holy martyrs.

Stylites(pillar) - holy ascetics who labored on a pillar - a tower or high platform of rock, inaccessible to outsiders.

Passion-bearers - who suffered martyrdom not from the persecutors of Christianity, but from their fellow believers - due to their malice, deceit, and conspiracy. The feat of passion-suffering can be defined as suffering for the fulfillment of the Commandments of God, in contrast to martyrdom - which is suffering for the testimony of faith in Jesus Christ (faith in God) during times of persecution and when the persecutors try to force them to renounce their faith. This name emphasizes the special nature of their feat - goodness and non-resistance to enemies, which are the commandments of Jesus Christ.

Miracle Workers(miracle) - an epithet of saints who are especially famous for the gift of miracles, intercessors to whom they resort in the hope of help. We can say that all saints have the gift of working miracles, because... Witnessed miracles are the main condition for canonization.

Common abbreviations

The abbreviation of the plural of a term is usually formed from the abbreviation of the singular by doubling the last letter. Example: St. - saint, sv. - saints.