Boris and Gleb: “Lay down and waited for the kill”?

Humility… How hard is proud to modern man to try this to yourself. From others we daily required humility, it is easy for us. Boris and Gleb were saved, not transgressing Christ’s precepts of humility. Not clinging to life, praying for us, melted our hearts.

Saints Boris and Gleb. Painter Viktor Morozov

  • Why was canonized Boris and Gleb?

Martyr’s blood ocropus purple light…

In the summer of 2009 at the exhibition of Ilya Glazunov was held a remarkable dialogue. On populous the painting “Eternal Russia”, the high guest – Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin drew attention to the saints Boris and Gleb. “Boris and Gleb are saints, it’s understandable. But they all gave up without a fight. This can be an example for us. Lay back and waited for their kill.” Ilya Sergeyevich Glazunov agreed with the state her husband: “it is alien to Me”.

Ilya Glazunov “a Hundred centuries” (“Eternal Russia”)

I think the people were hypocrites, not cunning. Glazunov life sang of the heroic feats of heroism, Putin – as athlete, officer and politician – he has developed a winning spirit and championship character. But the sanctity of Boris and Gleb appeared that they “gave up without a fight”. However, it is not “all” and all the worldly, material.

It’s probably hard to believe, but I’m not going to mock Putin in a China shop and the art show. It becomes all-powerful fashion trend to scold Putin. Fashion enslaves, it is dangerous to open the soul to such temptation. I’m not talking about elections, not about the meetings. Just remember that many times studied with students and students – and always the monument of ancient Russian literature was controversial.

“It’s senseless humility! They condone the evil, actually helped Sviatopolk to establish themselves on the throne. If Svjatopolk had acted at the instigation of the evil one – what a feat the saints?”, – such exclamations and questions are asked in any audience when it comes to Boris and Gleb. Often remember and tolstoyism, about Ivan Ilyin, talking about non-resistance to evil.

Almost all agree with V. V. Putin and I. S. Glazunov, almost everyone is willing to say about the princes-the passion-bearers: “it is alien to Me”. But they were, according to the famous expression of M. V. Tolstoy, “the first lovely spring flowers Novoroscement Russia”, because their feat for many people have discovered the essence of Christianity, was an example (unfortunately, unreachable) for all generations of Rurik.

There is an anecdote – in my opinion, not sparkling wit, but, as it turned out, accurate assessment of psychology. “If it was Dantes, why a monument to Pushkin?” In this spirit and increasingly talk about the murder of the princes…

Vladimir Krupin said:

“We are all sinners, still needs to grow to understand the greatest feat of the first Russian saints Boris and Gleb. Why are these humble, innocent dead people after his martyrdom was to the Holy blessed Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky before the battle of Neva and the battle on lake Peipus? Why did they come to help Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field? How to understand these facts? After all, they have not disappeared and disappeared like disembodied spirits, they’re left to live in Holy Russia, they remained to help us, to build, to create and to pray. If this were not so, we would not have prayed for them…”

It is difficult to reconcile our notions of heroism, victory, with images of princes, who could resist the criminal could throw in the squad, but chose the proportion of victims and eternal life.

Humility… How hard is proud to modern man to try this to yourself. From others we daily required humility, it is easy for us. Boris and Gleb were saved, not transgressing Christ’s precepts of humility. Not clinging to life, praying for us, melted our hearts. Their way on icons is known to every Orthodox and every major and roads. Failing to fully understand princes-martyrs, heart we took it and loved it.

Humility is not antithetical to the heroism, the heroism of humility, there is no categorical denial feats of arms in any situation… It is better understood all our chronicler. Boris and Gleb were his first and only Russian saints. It is believed that the monk Nestor was the author of the canonical “Reading about the life and the destruction of Boris and Gleb”.

Zelensky A.V. Nestor The Chronicler.

These are his characters, his system of values. As a youth he went to St Theodosius, became a novice, then became a monk. Had the obedience of being the chronicler. And for example, Prince Svyatoslav was for the monk-chronicler of the ideological enemy. He refused baptism, was a staunch pagan, like his squad. The chronicler could imagine a villain Svyatoslav on the throne – like Yaropolk or Svyatopolk. And the tragic death of the Prince could be presented as “inglorious”. But no! It’s hard not to have empathy for Svyatoslav, who “avenged unreasonable Khazars”, noble warned the enemy of his “Go you!”, and did not spare his stomach in the battle. Nestor sings it like Homer – Ajax.

And praying – Boris and Gleb.

In those years, humility and charity were in the order of the state custom. They are taken into account even when trampled. How can a Governor to act against their benefits, against expediency? Prince Vladimir, “knowing the true God”, refused the usual pretensions, which in former years brought him victory and glory. Many people are familiar with this episode of the Chronicles:

“Iwase same Volodimer in the fear of God. And annoies exceedingly razboeva and decide to Episkopi Volodimer: CE annagasse robber, barely casnici them? He said to them: I am afraid of sin. They said unto him, thou wast delivered from God’s punishment for evil and good for milovana. Worthy T. kazniti robbers, but espicom. Volodimer also rejected Vira, head of kazniti robbers”.

In this parable the story the Prince has twice shown the ability to be humble. First, he abolished the death penalty, showing that he is afraid of sin more than the weakening of their own power… And then did not persist in its maximalism, obeyed the exhortations of the bishops! In previous years, the mighty Prince of their decisions was not canceled.

In ancient Rus ‘ were the most difficult, the most distant from paganism to the gospel commandments to perceive it as something simple and clear. But Boris and Gleb made the feat, when after the baptism of Rus barely thirty years. The period is negligible! Princes-martyrs were from the first generation of Russian people are baptized Prince Vladimir. The baptism of Rus ‘ took place gradually, city by city. Boris and Gleb, Prince of Rostov and Murom and we can assume that for these cities, they became Baptist.

Here is where you realize the true essence of the chronicle information about Askold baptism, the baptism of Olga, that the germs of Christianity made their way to Russia long before the official Baptism, in which the key role was played by political will and wisdom of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.

Not as important the historical accuracy of the story of the baptism of Prince Askold – the circumstances, interpretations, all kinds of contradictions… the truth of the information that the Rus ‘ adopted Christianity for, at least, a century and a half, delved into him. Parable the meaning is more important than hypotheses…

Not accidentally so much attention paid to the history of Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov), an outstanding historian of the Church:

“Askold and dir after taking Holy faith lived and ruled Kiev for about fifteen years. In this period, under their protection, she could fairly be approved and made available not only in Kiev but also in the vicinity of Kiev writings of Bishop and pastor, which was made by the Kiev Rus from the Patriarch, and with the assistance, maybe other preachers who came from Greece or Bulgaria. But after the death of Askold and dir, who died (in 882), may be, as martyrs for the Holy faith, which reigned in Kiev pagan Oleg.”

The logic of Archbishop Makarios clear. We take for granted that Askold and dir were killed without the involvement of Prince Oleg. Read about it in nestorova chronicle… of the later stories of Sviatoslav, the Prince Vladimir, we know that the issue of the coexistence of paganism and Christianity in the ancient Kiev gave rise to outbreaks of violence. And the assumption that Askold and dir (it is very possible that the deer is a fictional figure, but that’s another story) have become victims of Gentile aggression does not look a stretch.

We have very little information about them, about the spiritual forerunners of Boris and Gleb. But, although the story of the murder of Askold and dir came to us in a vague manner, are not going to forget it.

Why Boris and Gleb became, in modern parlance, national heroes converted to Christianity in Russia?

State activity is inseparable from violence, whether we like it or not. In praise of Boris and Gleb you can see the repentance of Yaroslav and Yaroslav.

The people are very definitely gives prozvaniia their rulers. Yaroslav was exactly Wise. To power, he had to come through the turmoil of infighting, intrigues, massacres, compromises and errors. In pre-Christian time a fierce struggle for power was seen as the norm. But the young Yaroslav could not understand what the bloody strife is a sin.

Of course, you can console yourself with the fact that this sin is inevitable… Settled on the throne, Yaroslav began to build temples. Two Sofia – Kiev and Novgorod is not just monuments, it’s a miracle, a visible testimony of God on earth, so remote from Constantinople and Rome.

For such a large, unprecedented in Russia, and for Europe unique construction in those years, of course, needed an obsession. Two Sofia by Yaroslav the Wise United the Russian people, soldered civilization – from Novgorod to Kiev. And this is an important part of a broad program of Yaroslav on the Christianization of Russia and strengthening of statehood.

In 1037, the year wise Prince seeks companies in Kiev Metropolitanate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. With this milestone completed the background and the history of the present of the Russian Orthodox Church. We do not know whether it was possible to achieve Yaroslav the canonization of Boris and Gleb in Constantinople. Probably, it took another decade, when it was found miracles, when the Russian people begged for their first Holy…

An example of strength and humility, they became princes and to all the people. Few managed to overcome his temptations, no one has reached the spiritual heroism of the martyrs. But the image of the Holy brothers Boris and Gleb, Russia is not never lost, even in the twentieth century.

You may recall the poetry of Boris Chichibabin:

Kiev will droop, raspisatsya Volga,
look Constantinople hopelessly and blindly,
as from the bloody sight of Svyatopolk
jumping horses Boris and Gleb.

Came out, so that we are too hardened. Not so pointedly as in ancient pagan times, but sly and impenetrable. And by hard, but can’t throw off pride.

And best of all falls on the soul the legend of Boris and Gleb in Kideksha, near Boris and Gleb’s Church. Been there a few times – to the smallest detail, remembered the weather and the smell of snow and wet ground underfoot. It happens when touching something most important. They understand how all of this close to us – the death of Boris and Gleb, a thousand years ago.

We sometimes in fifty years it seems that life is just beginning, and a thousand years is only twenty to fifty lives. Just twenty! Hand. And is this temple for a long time inhabited by the Rus of Suzdal.

See also:


Why was canonized Boris and Gleb?

Maria Sergeeva

Boris and Gleb were born approximately during the years of the baptism of Russia, and from childhood he was brought up in the Christian faith. For what the Church glorified them as saints?

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