Prayers to Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga, Grand Duchess of Russia

"Save me, God!".
Thank you for visiting our website, before you start studying the information, please subscribe to our Orthodox community on Instagram, Lord, Save and Preserve † - https://www.instagram.com/spasi.gospodi/. The community has more than 60,000 subscribers. There are many of us like-minded people and we are growing quickly, we post prayers, sayings of saints, prayer requests, and timely post useful information about holidays and Orthodox events... Subscribe. Guardian Angel to you!

Princess Olga is popularly called the “chief of faith” and the “root of Orthodoxy” on Russian soil. She is revered by both Orthodox and Catholic believers. The saint is the protector of young mothers and widows, and therefore prayers addressed to the princess help in various needs and troubles.

Biography of the princess

Research into the woman’s biography is quite extensive, but it provides mixed information. If you pray to this Saint, you should definitely know about the princess’s services to Christians.

The name “Olga” translated from Greek means “wise, sacred” - this left its mark on the woman’s life. She was a wise, strong and powerful ruler, whom her enemies feared and respected at the same time.

Youth

Olga was born on Pskov land in 890. Almost nothing is known about her mother and father. One day, Prince Igor, the heir to the Rurikovich family, came to these lands to hunt. While hunting, he saw a girl floating in a tray; at first the prince thought it was a young man. The girl amazed Igor with her beauty, although she was wearing men's clothes, and the prince was also amazed by the sharp mind of her interlocutor, which she showed during communication.

The prince returned home, his guardian was the Prophetic Oleg, who began to look for a wife for him, but the young man’s heart was already occupied and soon matchmakers were sent to Olga and in 902 the girl arrived in Kyiv with honors.

Conversion to Christianity

Olga and Igor got married, years passed, but the woman could not give birth to an heir to her husband. This worried her very much, because sacrifices to pagan gods did not give the desired result, and she began to worry that her husband would start looking for a new wife. Over time, the princess began praying to the Christian God and accepted Christianity; soon the couple had a boy, Svyatoslav. For her son, the husband gave the princess expensive gifts, which she donated to the Kiev Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah - this is the first Christian church that still exists today.

Christianity in Rus'

The worship of pagan gods, during the reign of the princely family, was still strong among the people, but the fight against it entered a new stage. The Church of Christ during the reign of Igor becomes a very important and significant force. In everyday life, writing based on the Cyrillic alphabet was widely used, this helped Christianity penetrate deeper into Russian lands, but the prince was never able to eradicate pagan customs, and remained a pagan.

The best article for you, go to: Mother's prayer for children, son, daughter and her child

Some historians blamed the princess for the death of the prince, since she raised a tribute that the people refused to pay. Worshiping pagan gods, the woman took revenge on the Drevlyans for a long time for the death of her husband, but being a wise and intelligent woman, she observed the immaculate life of Christians, and she was captivated by the truth of Holy Scripture.

Baptism

From the moment the heir was born, the woman believed in God and his power. Conducting state affairs with Christian countries, especially with Byzantium, the ruler became convinced of the power of Christianity. Olga converted to Christianity only at the age of 60 with the name Elena in Constantinople. She was baptized by the patriarch himself, with a cross carved from the wood of the Holy Cross.

When the ruler returned home, she began to spread and strengthen Christianity in Rus', this consisted of the following:

• preached Christianity among the people;
• built churches, the wooden St. Sophia Shrine, the Church of the Annunciation in Vitebsk, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Pskov, built with the princess’s money.

The St. Sophia Temple was consecrated in 960 but, unfortunately, in 1017 it was destroyed by fire.

The princess tried to convert her son Svyatoslav to Christianity, but he did not agree, because he was afraid of losing the trust of his squad.

The main merit of the Saint is the baptism of Rus', because it was the grandson of the princess, Vladimir, who converted all of Rus' to Christianity. For this reason, believers often say a joint prayer in churches to Saint Olga the Patroness and Vladimir.

Prayer to Saint Olga - the Mother See of Kyiv Princess

The miraculous icon of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga is prayed to along with other great saints; it is revered not only in the Orthodox faith, but also in the Catholic faith. Prayer to Saint Olga always helps those who do it heartily and sincerely.

In the 16th century, she was canonized, her incorruptible relics were placed in the Tithe Church in Kyiv, but then a lot of time passed, and they disappeared without a trace.

In order to understand why the Grand Duchess deserved such holiness, under what circumstances one can pray to her and when is Saint Olga’s day, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the description of her life, which is very contradictory, quite voluminous and requires careful study. However, let’s go through the most important and interesting moments of her life.

Princess Olga and Christianity

The prayer to Saint Olga is most powerful when you understand what this great ruler experienced and how she achieved her goal.

By the way, the Slavic name Olga became a derivative of the Old Scandinavian name Helga, which translates as “wise”, “sacred”, “clear”. And this left a certain imprint on her fate, character and behavior.

Of course, she was a very wise and strong woman, everyone knew this very well, and even her enemies agreed with this.

Before answering the question of how Saint Olga’s prayer helps, it should be noted that Princess Olga became the first woman who, after the death of her husband, ruled Kievan Rus until 962.

She was born in approximately 890, almost a hundred years before the baptism of Rus', and led a very dignified and pious life, living until she was 80 years old.

Saint Olga went down in history as the first Russian princess to convert to Christianity and change the centuries-old pagan foundations and culture of her state.

Life of a saint

From the Tale of Bygone Years it is known that Olga was from the village of Vybuty, located on Pskov land. The names of her parents are unknown; most likely, they were not of a noble Varangian family at all; in any case, this fact is hinted at by the Old Scandinavian origin of her name. A number of archaeological finds also indicate the presence of Scandinavians in those places.

Olga's acquaintance with the Grand Duke is described in the chronicles as follows: one day Igor was hunting in the Pskov forests, where, while tracking down his next prey, he found himself at the Velikaya River and wanted to cross to the other side.

At this time, a boat with a girl floated past, whom the prince at first mistook for a young man. She was dressed in men's clothing, and he was very surprised when he saw a beautiful girl in her. The prince really liked her, he wanted to seduce her with his sweet speeches.

But chaste Olga immediately shamed the traveler with wise words. This is how their first meeting ended.

Prophetic Oleg

Prince Igor was the only heir of Prince Rurik; after the death of his father, the Novgorod governor Prophetic Oleg became his guardian, who loved him very much and raised him as a real warrior.

Soon the time came for Igor to get married, and they began to look for a worthy bride for him, but he never chose anyone. The Pskov girl Olga has already left her mark in Igor’s heart. Then he sent his messengers there to find her.

After some time, she was taken with honors to the capital city of Kyiv, where she became the wife of the Grand Duke.

The voivode, having married Igor, began to make sacrifices to the pagan gods so that they would give Igor an heir, but without waiting for this, Oleg dies from the bite of a poisonous snake.

Olga was disappointed with the pagan gods, who for many years of sacrifices did not bring results, because she never had children. The Grand Duchess was very worried that the prince would start looking for another wife who would give him an heir.

Then she began to tearfully and fervently pray to the one Christian God, and He heard her prayers. Soon Olga gave birth to an heir, named Svyatoslav. Prince Igor, distraught with happiness, as a sign of gratitude, showered his wife with various expensive gifts, which she donated to the Kiev Church of St.

Prophet Elijah (this is the first Christian temple that still exists in Kyiv on the Dnieper).

Baptism

In the study of the topic “Prayer to Saint Olga, the patroness of the name,” it is necessary to note that the princess believed in the Christian God so much that she very soon was baptized with the name Elena.

The Patriarch of Constantinople blessed her with a cross carved from the life-giving wood of the Cross of the Lord.

There was an inscription on it that said that the Russian land would be resurrected along with this Holy Cross, which Kiev Princess Olga accepted today.

Since then, Princess Olga became the first throne woman who revived the Christian faith in Rus'. She returned to her homeland and began to preach Christian teaching to the pagans and build temples.

The main miracle that happened thanks to the spiritual asceticism of Saint Olga was the baptism of Rus'. Prince Vladimir of Kiev, her grandson, did this on the instructions of his grandmother. Therefore, Orthodox Christians very often mention Saint Olga and Saint Vladimir together in their prayers.

Prayer to Saint Olga: features

In 1547, Princess Olga was canonized as an Equal-to-the-Apostles saint. In Christian history, such treatment is applied to only five women: St. Mary Magdalene, Martyr Apphia, First Martyr Thekla, St. Queen Helena (mother of Emperor Constantine I) and enlightener Nina of Georgia.

A prayer to Saint Olga is read before the icon in order to receive her protection in various everyday matters. But women especially pray to her that she would intercede with the Lord for the birth of a child, and if there are children, and especially sons, that she would protect them from troubles and misfortunes.

There is also a prayer to Saint Olga for marriage, which begins with the words: “Oh, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga, First Lady of Russia...”

In front of the icon of St. Olga they pray against enemies and anyone who wants to come into the house with unclean thoughts. Women who have lost a child or husband pray to her to cope with grief and find peace in their souls.

Prayer to Saint Olga, patroness of the name

Saint Olga is the heavenly patroness of women with this name, so it is especially important for them to seek prayerful protection from their saint with the words “Pray to God for me, holy saint of God Olga...”.

St. Olga's Day is celebrated on July 24 (11) and July 17 (4). Only the first date is celebrated by the Orthodox Church in honor of the Mother See of Kyiv Princess Olga, and the second in honor of the holy passion-bearer Grand Duchess Olga (the eldest daughter of Nicholas II).

Source: //fb.ru/article/265207/molitva-svyatoy-olge—pervoprestolnoy-knyagine-kievskoy

What does Saint Olga help with?

Knowing how prayer to Saint Olga helps, you can get the help you want. Mothers often ask the Saint for help about their children:

• young women who want to become pregnant;
• give strength to reason with an unbelieving offspring;
• gain the strength to raise a child in faith and benefactor.

The princess especially helps those women who are raising sons. She protects them from various troubles, helps them act honestly and fairly.

A prayer read in front of the icon to the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga in illness will help get rid of serious illnesses. It also nullifies all conflicts that arise in the family.

The Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess is considered their protector by women who occupy leadership positions.

History of the icon

Olga herself converted to Christianity during her visit to Constantinople and was baptized under the name of Helen, but she was canonized under her own name. Today, the icon of Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga is in many churches.

The merit of Princess Olga also lies in the fact that she raised the future baptist of Rus' - the grandson of Prince Vladimir, without imposing her faith on him, but implanting in his soul the idea of ​​God. And when Vladimir faced the historical choice of which religion to adopt instead of paganism, this upbringing played an important role.

It was under Olga that the construction of stone churches began, which is why on the icon of Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga she is always depicted with a cross in one hand and a miniature temple in the other.

Rules of prayer

It is necessary to pray to the Saint every day in the morning in any life situation. The prayer itself must be read before the icon. The prayed image will become a powerful amulet in the house, which will ward off the evil of others and the troubles hanging over the family. Before purchasing a holy face and bringing it home, it must be consecrated in the temple.

The best article for you, go to: Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker for healing, health, health

The icon should be placed in the red corner of the house; before prayer, you must light a candle.

In order for Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga to respond faster, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

• stay alone and tune in to the right mood;
• ask only for something meaningful;
• clear your thoughts;
• pronounce the prayer text from the bottom of your heart, with unshakable faith and humility in your soul, pondering the meaning of the words;
• do not use demanding notes in your voice.

You can add your own words to the prayer words. You need to ask not only for yourself, but also for your loved ones. For example, mothers often read a prayer to St. Olga for the marriage of their daughters or for the protection of their sons, since they sincerely love them and want to protect their children.

Princess Olga was a strong-willed and strong woman, she helped people during her life, and continues to help them after her death. For her services to the Christian Church, the woman was equated with the apostles of Christ and received the title Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Pray to the Saint, she will definitely hear your requests and help you get rid of your misfortunes.

Prayer of St. Olga

This article contains: prayer of St. Olga - information taken from all corners of the world, the electronic network and spiritual people.

"Save me, God!". Thank you for visiting our website, before you start studying the information, we ask you to subscribe to our group Prayers for every day. Also visit our Odnoklassniki page and subscribe to her Prayers for every day. "God bless you!".

Saint Olga is considered the mother of the clergy in Rus'. It was she and her grandson Vladimir who drove out paganism and baptized Rus'. In many temples and churches there is an icon of Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, to whom many Christians turn for help, as the spiritual mother of the Russian people. The memory of the holy princess is venerated annually on July 11th.

The meaning of the icon “Saint Olga”

The significance of this image for the Orthodox world is difficult to overestimate. It is Saint Olga who owns the greatest miracle - the Baptism of All Rus'. Therefore, today many people bow in prayer to this saint.

Equal to the Apostles Olga is equal in importance to the apostles, since her role in the development of Christianity is very great, and only 6 women had the opportunity at one time to receive such a calling. At baptism, Saint Olga received the name Helena - the saint who found the Life-Giving Cross. Olga’s service to the Lord was just as significant, as it contributed to the spiritual development of an entire people.

During her lifetime, Saint Olga was distinguished by her decisive character and wisdom. She allowed herself tears only once when she saw the dead body of her husband Igor.

After his death, she ruled Russia, and her leadership methods evoked only respect and praise.

During her life, she was not able to completely establish Orthodoxy in the country, but she excellently raised her grandson Vladimir in the traditions of the faith. And he has already performed the Baptism of Rus' in memory of his grandmother. According to legend, when the relics of Princess Olga were removed, they were incorruptible. They were placed in a tomb so that the believers could see their miraculous radiance and could receive healing from various serious illnesses.

Prayer for health

Oh, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olgo, accept praise from us, unworthy servants of God (names), who pray and humbly ask before your honorable icon:

protect us with your prayers and intercession from misfortunes and troubles, and sorrows, and severe sins;

We will also be delivered from future torments by honestly creating your holy memory and glorifying God, glorified in the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

Troparion, voice 1*

With the wings of God's understanding, you flew above the visible creation, / having sought God and the Creator of all things, / and, having found Him, you were born again through Baptism ́,/ the trees of the living beings enjoy, they remain incorruptible forever,// Olgo, ever-glorious.

Translation: Having covered your mind with the wings of the knowledge of God, you soared above the visible creation, seeking God and the Creator of all and, having found Him, received a new birth in Baptism, enjoying the Tree of Life, you remain incorruptible forever, Olga is always glorified.

Prayer for help to Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

O holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olgo, the first saint of Russia, a warm intercessor and prayer book for us before God.

We come to you with faith and pray with love:

Be a helper and accomplice for our good in all things, and just as in temporal life you tried to enlighten our forefathers with the light of the holy faith and instruct me to do the will of the Lord,

So now, abiding in heavenly lordship, with your favorable prayers to God, help us in enlightening our minds and hearts with the light of the Gospel of Christ, so that we may advance in faith, piety and love of Christ.

In poverty and sorrow, give comfort to those in need, give a helping hand to those in need, stand up for those who are offended and attacked, who have gone astray from the right faith and have been blinded to reason by heresies,

and ask us from the all-generous God all that is good and useful in temporal and eternal life,

so that we have lived here well, we will be worthy of inheriting eternal blessings in the endless Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, befits all glory, honor and worship always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

Amen.

Akathist to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga

• The life and works of the apostles - Holy Righteous Grand Duchess Olga, in Holy Baptism Elena

Saint Olga, Equal to the Apostles, was the wife of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Igor.
The struggle of Christianity against paganism under Igor and Olga, who reigned after Oleg († 912), enters a new period. The Church of Christ in the last years of Igor's reign († 945) became a significant spiritual and state force in the Russian state. This is evidenced by the surviving text of Igor’s treaty with the Greeks in 944, which was included by the chronicler in the Tale of Bygone Years, in an article describing the events of 6453 (945). The peace treaty with Constantinople had to be approved by both religious communities of Kyiv: “Baptized Rus',” that is, Christians, were sworn in in the cathedral church of the holy prophet of God Elijah; “Unbaptized Rus'”, pagans, swore on weapons in the sanctuary of Perun the Thunderer. The fact that Christians are placed in first place in the document speaks of their predominant spiritual significance in the life of Kievan Rus.

Obviously, at the moment when the treaty of 944 was drawn up in Constantinople, people in power in Kyiv were sympathizers with Christianity and aware of the historical necessity of introducing Rus' to the life-giving Christian culture. Prince Igor himself may have belonged to this trend, whose official position did not allow him to personally convert to the new faith without resolving the issue of the Baptism of the entire country and the establishment of an Orthodox church hierarchy in it. Therefore, the agreement was drawn up in cautious terms that would not prevent the prince from approving it both in the form of a pagan oath and in the form of a Christian oath.

But while the Byzantine ambassadors arrived in Kyiv, the situation on the Dnieper had changed significantly. The pagan opposition was clearly defined, headed by the Varangian governors Sveneld and his son Mstislav (Mstisha), to whom Igor gave the Drevlyansky land as their domain.

The influence of the Khazar Jews, who could not like the idea of ​​the triumph of Orthodoxy in the Russian land, was also strong in Kyiv.

Unable to overcome the rigidity of custom, Igor remained a pagan and sealed the agreement according to the pagan model - with an oath on swords. He rejected the grace of Baptism and was punished for his unbelief. A year later, in 945, the rebel pagans killed him in the Drevlyansky land, tearing him between two trees. But the days of paganism and the way of life of the Slavic tribes based on it were already numbered. With her three-year-old son Svyatoslav, Igor’s widow, Grand Duchess Olga of Kiev, assumed the burden of public service.

The Tale of Bygone Years first mentions the name of the future educator of the Russian region and her homeland in the article about Igor’s marriage: “and they brought him a wife from Pskov, named Olga.” She belonged, the Joachim Chronicle clarifies, to the family of the princes of Izborsk, one of the forgotten ancient Russian princely dynasties that existed in Rus' in the 10th–11th centuries. no less than twenty, but which were all supplanted over time by the Rurikovichs or merged with them through marriages. Some of them were of local, Slavic origin, others were newcomers, Varangian. It is known that the Scandinavian kings, invited to reign in Russian cities, invariably adopted the Russian language, often Russian names, and quickly became real Russians both in their lifestyle, in their worldview, and even in their physical appearance.

So Igor’s wife was called by the Varangian name Helga, in the Russian “okay” pronunciation – Olga, Volga. The female name Olga corresponds to the male name Oleg (Helgi), which means “saint”. Although the pagan understanding of holiness is completely different from the Christian one, it also presupposes in a person a special spiritual attitude, chastity and sobriety, intelligence and insight. Revealing the spiritual meaning of the name, the people called Oleg Prophetic, Olga - Wise.

Later legends called her family estate the village of Vybuty, a few kilometers from Pskov up the Velikaya River. Just recently they showed the bridge on the Olgin River - at the ancient crossing where Olga met Igor. Pskov toponymy has preserved many names associated with the memory of the great Pskov woman: the villages of Olzhenets and Olgino Pole, Olgina Vorota - one of the branches of the Velikaya River, Olgina Gora and Olgin Krest - near Pskov Lake, Olgin Kamen - near the village of Vybuty.

The life of Saint Olga tells that in Vybuty the young prince was hunting “in the Pskov region” and, wanting to cross the Velikaya River, he saw “someone sailing in a boat” and called him to the shore. Sailing away from the shore in a boat, the prince discovered that he was being carried by a girl of amazing beauty. Igor was inflamed with lust for her and began to incline her to sin. The carrier turned out to be not only beautiful, but chaste and smart. She shamed Igor by reminding him of the princely dignity of a ruler and judge, who should be a “bright example of good deeds” for his subjects. Igor broke up with her, keeping her words and beautiful image in his memory. When the time came to choose a bride, the most beautiful girls of the principality were gathered in Kyiv. But none of them pleased him. And then he remembered Olga, “wonderful in maidens,” and sent his relative Prince Oleg for her. So Olga became the wife of Prince Igor, the Grand Duchess of Russia.

After his marriage, Igor went on a campaign against the Greeks, and returned from it as a father: his son Svyatoslav was born. Soon Igor was killed by the Drevlyans. Fearing revenge for the murder of the Kyiv prince, the Drevlyans sent ambassadors to Princess Olga, inviting her to marry their ruler Mal. Olga pretended to agree. By cunning, she lured two embassies of the Drevlyans to Kyiv, putting them to painful death: the first was buried alive “in the princely courtyard,” the second was burned in a bathhouse. After this, five thousand Drevlyan men were killed by Olga’s soldiers at a funeral feast for Igor at the walls of the Drevlyan capital Iskorosten. The next year, Olga again approached Iskorosten with an army. The city was burned with the help of birds, to whose feet burning tow was tied. The surviving Drevlyans were captured and sold into slavery.

The struggle for the unity of Rus', for the subordination of tribes and principalities torn by mutual enmity to the Kyiv center, paved the way for the final victory of Christianity in the Russian land. Olga Bogomudraya went down in history as the great creator of state life and culture of Kievan Rus. The chronicles are full of evidence of her tireless “walks” across the Russian land in order to improve and streamline the civil and economic life of her subjects. Having achieved the internal strengthening of the power of the Kyiv Grand Duke, weakening the influence of small local princes who interfered with the gathering of Rus', Olga centralized all government administration with the help of a system of “cemeteries”. In 946, with her son and retinue, she walked through the Drevlyansky land, “establishing tributes and quitrents,” marking villages, camps and hunting grounds to be included in the Kyiv grand-ducal possessions. The next year she went to Novgorod, setting up graveyards along the Msta and Luga rivers, leaving visible traces of her activities everywhere. “Her traps (hunting places) were all over the earth, signs were installed, her places and graveyards,” the chronicler wrote, “and her sleigh stands in Pskov to this day, there are places indicated by her for catching birds along the Dnieper and along the Desna; and her village Olzhichi still exists today.”

The churchyards established by Olga, being financial, administrative and judicial centers, represented a strong support for the grand ducal power at the local level.

Being, first of all, by the very meaning of the word, centers of trade and exchange (“guest” - merchant), collecting and organizing the population around itself (instead of the previous “polyudye”, the collection of tribute and taxes was now carried out evenly and orderly in churchyards), Olga churchyards became the most important a cell of the ethnic and cultural unification of the Russian people.

Later, when Olga became a Christian, the first churches began to be erected in churchyards; Since the Baptism of Rus' under St. Vladimir, the churchyard and the temple (parish) have become inseparable concepts. (Only later did the word “pogost” in the sense of “cemetery” develop from the cemeteries that existed near churches.)

Princess Olga put a lot of effort into strengthening the country's defense power. Cities were built up and fortified, vyshgorods (or detinets, chromes) were overgrown with stone and oak walls (visors), bristling with ramparts and palisades. The princess herself, knowing how hostile many were to the idea of ​​strengthening princely power and unifying Rus', lived constantly “on the mountain”, above the Dnieper, behind the reliable visors of Kyiv’s Vyshgorod (Upper City), surrounded by a loyal squad. Two-thirds of the collected tribute, according to the chronicle, she gave to the Kyiv veche, the third part went “to Olza, to Vyshgorod” - for the needs of the military structure. Historians attribute the establishment of the first state borders of Russia to the time of Olga - in the west, with Poland. Bogatyr outposts in the south guarded the peaceful fields of the Kievites from the peoples of the Wild Field. Foreigners hurried to Gardarika (“the country of cities”), as they called Rus', with goods and handicrafts. The Swedes, Danes, and Germans willingly joined the Russian army as mercenaries. Kyiv's foreign connections are expanding. This contributes to the development of stone construction in the city, which was started by Princess Olga. The first stone buildings of Kyiv - the city palace and Olga's country tower - were discovered by archaeologists only in our century. (The palace, more precisely, its foundation and remains of the walls, were found and excavated in 1971–1972.)

But it was not only the strengthening of statehood and the development of economic forms of national life that attracted the attention of the wise princess. Even more urgent for her was the radical transformation of the religious life of Rus', the spiritual transformation of the Russian people. Rus' became a great power. Only two European states in those years could compete with it in importance and power: in the east of Europe - the ancient Byzantine Empire, in the west - the kingdom of the Saxons.

The experience of both empires, which owed their rise to the spirit of Christian teaching and the religious foundations of life, clearly showed that the path to the future greatness of Rus' lies not only through the military, but first and foremost through spiritual conquests and achievements. Having entrusted Kyiv to her grown-up son Svyatoslav, Grand Duchess Olga in the summer of 954, seeking grace and truth, set off with a large fleet to Constantinople. It was a peaceful “walk”, combining the tasks of a religious pilgrimage and a diplomatic mission, but political considerations demanded that it become at the same time a manifestation of the military power of Rus' on the Black Sea, reminding the proud “Romans” of the victorious campaigns of Askold and Oleg, who nailed down his shield in 907 "at the gates of Constantinople."

The result was achieved. The appearance of the Russian fleet on the Bosphorus created the necessary preconditions for the development of a friendly Russian-Byzantine dialogue. In turn, the southern capital amazed the stern daughter of the North with its variety of colors, splendor of architecture, and the mixture of languages ​​and peoples of the world. But the wealth of Christian churches and the shrines collected in them made a special impression. Constantinople, the “reigning city” of the Greek Empire, even at the very foundation (more precisely, renewal) in 330, was dedicated by Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great (May 21) to the Most Holy Theotokos (this event was celebrated in the Greek Church on May 11 and passed from there into Russian monthly books), strived in everything to be worthy of his Heavenly Patroness. The Russian princess attended services in the best churches of Constantinople - Hagia Sophia, Our Lady of Blachernae and others.

The heart of wise Olga opened to holy Orthodoxy, she decides to become a Christian. The Sacrament of Baptism was performed on her by Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople (933–956), and the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus himself (912–959) was his recipient. She was given the name Elena in Baptism in honor of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, mother of Saint Constantine, who found the Venerable Tree of the Holy Cross. In an edifying word spoken after the ceremony, the patriarch said: “Blessed are you among the Russian women, for you have left darkness and loved the Light. The Russian people will bless you in all future generations, from your grandchildren and great-grandchildren to your most distant descendants.” He instructed her in the truths of faith, church rules and prayer rules, and explained the commandments about fasting, chastity and almsgiving. “She,” says the Venerable Nestor the Chronicler, “bowed her head and stood, like a soldered lip, listening to the teaching, and, bowing to the Patriarch, said: “By your prayers, Master, may I be preserved from the snares of the enemy.”

This is exactly how Saint Olga is depicted, with her head slightly bowed, on one of the frescoes of the Kyiv St. Sophia Cathedral, as well as on a contemporary Byzantine miniature, in the front manuscript of the Chronicle of John Skylitzes from the Madrid National Library. The Greek inscription accompanying the miniature calls Olga “archontess (that is, mistress) of the Russians,” “a wife, Elga by name, who came to Tsar Constantine and was baptized.” The princess is depicted in a special headdress, “as a newly baptized Christian and an honorary deaconess of the Russian Church.” Next to her, in the same attire, was the newly baptized Malusha († 1001), later the mother of Saint Vladimir Equal to the Apostles (July 15).

It was not easy to force such a hater of Russians as Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus to become the godfather of the “Archon of Rus'.” The Russian chronicle preserves stories about how Olga spoke decisively and on an equal footing with the emperor, surprising the Greeks with her spiritual maturity and statesmanship, showing that the Russian people are just capable of accepting and multiplying the highest achievements of the Greek religious genius, the best fruits of Byzantine spirituality and culture . Thus, Saint Olga managed to peacefully “take Constantinople,” which no commander had been able to do before her. According to the chronicle, the emperor himself was forced to admit that Olga “outwitted” him, and the people’s memory, combining legends about the prophetic Oleg and the wise Olga, captured this spiritual victory in the epic legend “On the Capture of Tsarygrad by Princess Olga.”

Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in his essay “On the Ceremonies of the Byzantine Court,” which has come down to us in a single copy, left a detailed description of the ceremonies that accompanied Saint Olga’s stay in Constantinople. He describes a gala reception in the famous Magnavre chamber, accompanied by the singing of bronze birds and the roar of copper lions, where Olga appeared with a huge retinue of 108 people (not counting people from Svyatoslav’s squad), and negotiations in a narrower circle in the empress’s chambers, and a ceremonial dinner in Justinian's Hall, where, by coincidence, four “ladies of state” providentially met at one table: the grandmother and mother of Saint Vladimir Equal to the Apostles (Saint Olga and her companion Malusha) with the grandmother and mother of his future wife Anna (Empress Helena and her daughter-in-law Theophano). A little more than half a century will pass, and in the Tithe Church of the Holy Mother of God in Kyiv the marble tombs of St. Olga, St. Vladimir and the blessed “Queen Anna” will stand side by side.

During one of the receptions, says Konstantin Porphyrogenitus, the Russian princess was presented with a golden dish decorated with stones. Saint Olga donated it to the sacristy of the St. Sophia Cathedral, where it was seen and described at the beginning of the 13th century by the Russian diplomat Dobrynya Yadreikovich, later Archbishop Anthony of Novgorod: “The dish is a great gold service of Olga the Russian, when she took tribute while going to Constantinople; in Olzhin’s dish there is a precious stone, and Christ is written on the same stone.”

However, the crafty emperor, having provided so many details, as if in revenge for the fact that “Olga turned him over,” posed a difficult riddle to the historians of the Russian Church. The fact is that the Monk Nestor the Chronicler tells in the Tale of Bygone Years about the Baptism of Olga in the year 6463 (955 or 954), and this corresponds to the testimony of the Byzantine chronicle of Kedrin. Another Russian church writer of the 11th century, Jacob Mnikh, in the word “Memory and praise to Vladimir... and how Vladimir’s grandmother Olga was baptized,” speaking about the death of the holy princess († 969), notes that she lived as a Christian for fifteen years, and thereby dates the time Baptism by 954, which also coincides with an accuracy of several months as indicated by Nestor. Meanwhile, Constantine Porphyrogenitus, describing Olga’s stay in Constantinople and naming the exact dates of the receptions he organized in her honor, makes it clear beyond doubt that all this happened in 957. To reconcile the data of the chronicle, on the one hand, and the testimony of Constantine, on the other, Russian church historians had to assume one of two things: either Saint Olga came to Constantinople for the second time to continue negotiations with the emperor in 957, or she was not baptized at all Constantinople, and in Kiev in 954, she made her only pilgrimage to Byzantium, already being a Christian. The first assumption is more likely.

As for the immediate diplomatic outcome of the negotiations, Saint Olga had reason to remain dissatisfied with them. Having achieved success in matters of Russian trade within the empire and confirmation of the peace treaty with Byzantium concluded by Igor in 944, she could not, however, persuade the emperor to two important agreements for Rus': on the dynastic marriage of Svyatoslav with the Byzantine princess and on the conditions for the restoration of the existing under Askold the Orthodox Metropolis in Kyiv. Her dissatisfaction with the outcome of the mission is clearly heard in the answer that she gave upon returning home to the ambassadors sent from the emperor. To the emperor’s request regarding the promised military assistance, Saint Olga sharply answered through the ambassadors: “If you stand with me in Pochaina as I do in Court, then I will give you soldiers to help you.”

At the same time, despite the failure of efforts to establish a church hierarchy in Rus', Saint Olga, having become a Christian, zealously devoted herself to the exploits of Christian evangelism among the pagans and church building: “Crush the demonic trenches and begin to live in Christ Jesus.” She erects churches: St. Nicholas and St. Sophia in Kyiv, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vitebsk, and the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Pskov. Since that time Pskov has been called in chronicles the House of the Holy Trinity. The temple, built by Olga over the Velikaya River, in the place indicated to her, according to the chronicler, from above by the “Ray of the Tri-radiant Deity,” stood for more than a century and a half. In 1137, Saint Prince Vsevolod-Gabriel († 1138, commemorated February 11) replaced the wooden church with a stone one, which was rebuilt, in turn, in 1363 and was finally replaced by the still existing Trinity Cathedral.

And another most important monument of Russian “monumental theology,” as church architecture is often called, is associated with the name of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga - the Church of Sophia the Wisdom of God in Kiev, founded soon after her return from Constantinople and consecrated on May 11, 960. This day was subsequently celebrated in the Russian Church as a special church holiday.

In the monthly parchment of the Apostle of 1307, under May 11, it is written: “On the same day, the consecration of Hagia Sophia in Kyiv in the summer of 6460.” The date of commemoration, according to church historians, is indicated according to the so-called “Antiochian” calendar, and not according to the generally accepted Constantinople chronology and corresponds to 960 from the Nativity of Christ.

Since Saint Olga received in Baptism the name of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen, who found the Venerable Tree of the Cross of Christ in Jerusalem, the main shrine of the newly created Sophia Church became the Holy Cross, brought by the new Helen from Constantinople and received by her as a blessing from the Patriarch of Constantinople. The cross, according to legend, was carved from a single piece of the Life-Giving Tree of the Lord. On the cross there was an inscription: “The Russian land was renewed with the Holy Cross, and Olga, the blessed princess, accepted it.”

Saint Olga did a lot to perpetuate the memory of the first Russian confessors of the name of Christ: over the grave of Askold she erected the St. Nicholas Church, where, according to some information, she herself was subsequently buried, over the grave of Dir - the above-mentioned St. Sophia Cathedral, which, having stood for half a century, burned down in 1017. Yaroslav the Wise later built the Church of St. Irene on this site, in 1050, and transferred the shrines of the St. Sophia Holgin Church to the stone church of the same name - the still standing St. Sophia of Kyiv, founded in 1017 and consecrated around 1030. In the Prologue of the 13th century, it is said about Olga’s cross: “the same one now stands in Kyiv in St. Sophia in the altar on the right side.” The plunder of Kyiv shrines, continued after the Mongols by the Lithuanians, who acquired the city in 1341, did not spare him either. Under Jogaila, during the Union of Lublin, which united Poland and Lithuania into one state in 1384, Holga's cross was stolen from St. Sophia Cathedral and taken by Catholics to Lublin. His further fate is unknown.

But among the boyars and warriors in Kyiv there were many people who, in the words of Solomon, “hated Wisdom,” like the holy princess Olga, who built temples to Her. The zealots of pagan antiquity raised their heads more and more boldly, looking with hope at the growing Svyatoslav, who decisively rejected his mother’s entreaties to accept Christianity and was even angry with her for this. It was necessary to hurry with the planned task of the Baptism of Rus'. The deceit of Byzantium, which did not want to give Christianity to Rus', played into the hands of the pagans. In search of a solution, Saint Olga turns her eyes to the west. There is no contradiction here. Saint Olga († 969) still belonged to the undivided Church and hardly had the opportunity to delve into the theological subtleties of the Greek and Latin teachings. The confrontation between the West and the East seemed to her primarily as a political rivalry, secondary in comparison with the pressing task - the creation of the Russian Church, the Christian enlightenment of Rus'.

Under the year 959, a German chronicler, called “the successor of Reginon,” writes: “the ambassadors of Helen, Queen of the Russians, who was baptized in Constantinople, came to the king and asked to consecrate a bishop and priests for this people.” King Otto, the future founder of the German Empire, willingly responded to Olga’s request, but conducted the matter slowly, with purely German thoroughness. Only at Christmas of the following year, 960, Libutius, from the brethren of the monastery of St. Alban in Mainz, was installed as Bishop of Russia. But he soon died (March 15, 961). Adalbert of Trier was ordained in his place, whom Otto, “generously supplying with everything necessary,” finally sent to Russia. It is difficult to say what would have happened if the king had not delayed so long, but when Adalbert appeared in Kyiv in 962, he “did not succeed in anything for which he was sent, and saw his efforts in vain.” Worse, on the way back, “some of his companions were killed, and the bishop himself did not escape mortal danger.”

It turned out that over the past two years, as Olga had foreseen, a final revolution took place in Kyiv in favor of the supporters of paganism and, having become neither Orthodox nor Catholic, Rus' decided not to accept Christianity at all. The pagan reaction manifested itself so strongly that not only German missionaries suffered, but also some of the Kyiv Christians who were baptized with Olga in Constantinople. By order of Svyatoslav, Saint Olga's nephew Gleb was killed and some of the churches built by her were destroyed. Of course, this could not have happened without Byzantine secret diplomacy: opposed to Olga and alarmed by the possibility of strengthening Rus' through an alliance with Otto, the Greeks chose to support the pagans.

The failure of Adalbert's mission had providential significance for the future of the Russian Orthodox Church, which escaped papal captivity. Saint Olga had to come to terms with what had happened and completely withdraw into matters of personal piety, leaving the reins of government to the pagan Svyatoslav. She was still taken into account, her statesmanship was invariably turned to in all difficult cases. When Svyatoslav left Kyiv, and he spent most of his time on campaigns and wars, control of the state was again entrusted to the princess mother. But the question of the Baptism of Rus' was temporarily removed from the agenda, and this, of course, upset Saint Olga, who considered the gospel of Christ the main work of her life.

She meekly endured sorrows and disappointments, tried to help her son in state and military concerns, and guide him in heroic plans. The victories of the Russian army were a consolation for her, especially the defeat of the long-time enemy of the Russian state - the Khazar Kaganate. Twice, in 965 and in 969, Svyatoslav’s troops marched through the lands of the “foolish Khazars,” forever crushing the power of the Jewish rulers of the Azov and Lower Volga regions. The next powerful blow was dealt to Muslim Volga Bulgaria, then it was the turn of Danube Bulgaria. Eighty cities along the Danube were taken by Kyiv squads. One thing worried Olga: as if, carried away by the war in the Balkans, Svyatoslav had not forgotten about Kyiv.

In the spring of 969, Kyiv was besieged by the Pechenegs: “And it was impossible to take the horse out to water, the Pechenegs stood on Lybid.” The Russian army was far away, on the Danube. Having sent messengers to her son, Saint Olga herself led the defense of the capital. Svyatoslav, having received the news, soon rode to Kyiv, “greeted his mother and children and lamented what had happened to them from the Pechenegs.” But, having defeated the nomads, the militant prince again began to say to his mother: “I don’t like to sit in Kyiv, I want to live in Pereyaslavets on the Danube - there is the middle of my land.” Svyatoslav dreamed of creating a huge Russian state from the Danube to the Volga, which would unite Rus', Bulgaria, Serbia, the Black Sea region and the Azov region and extend its borders to Constantinople itself. Wise Olga understood that with all the courage and bravery of the Russian squads, they could not cope with the ancient empire of the Romans; failure awaited Svyatoslav. But the son did not listen to his mother’s warnings. Then Saint Olga said: “You see, I am sick. Where do you want to go from me? When you bury me, go wherever you want."

Her days were numbered, her labors and sorrows undermined her strength. On July 11, 969, Saint Olga died, “and her son, and her grandchildren, and all the people cried for her with great tears.” In recent years, amid the triumph of paganism, she, the once proud mistress, baptized by the patriarch in the capital of Orthodoxy, had to secretly keep a priest with her so as not to cause a new outbreak of anti-Christian fanaticism. But before her death, having regained her former firmness and determination, she forbade pagan funerals to be performed on her and bequeathed to openly bury her according to the Orthodox rite. Presbyter Gregory, who was with her in Constantinople in 957, carried out her will exactly. Svyatoslav, as the chronicler reports, faced an evil death: he was killed by the Pecheneg prince Kurei, who cut off Svyatoslav’s head and made himself a cup from the skull, bound it with gold and drank from it during feasts.

Saint Olga was buried as a Christian. “And having thus lived and glorified God well in the Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, rested in the blasphemy of faith, ending his life in peace in Christ Jesus our Lord.” As her prophetic testament to subsequent generations, she confessed her faith about her people with deep Christian humility: “God’s will be done! If God desires to have mercy on the family of my Land of Russia, may He place it on their hearts to turn to God, just as God has given me this gift.”

God glorified the holy worker of Orthodoxy, “the head of the faith” in the Russian land, with miracles and the incorruption of her relics. Jacob Mnich († 1072), a hundred years after her death, wrote in his “Memory and Praise to Vladimir”: “God glorified the body of His servant Olena, and her honest and indestructible body remains in the tomb to this day. Blessed Princess Olga glorified God with all her good deeds, and God glorified her.” Under Saint Prince Vladimir, according to some sources, in 1007, the relics of Saint Olga were transferred to the Tithe Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and placed in a special sarcophagus, in which it was customary to place the relics of saints in the Orthodox East. “And you hear another miracle about her: a small stone coffin in the Church of the Holy Mother of God, that church was created by blessed Prince Vladimir, and there is the coffin of blessed Olga. And at the top of the coffin a window was created - so that you can see the body of blessed Olga lying intact.” But not everyone was shown the miracle of the incorruption of the relics of the Equal-to-the-Apostles princess: “Whoever comes with faith, the window opens, and sees the honest body lying intact and marvels at such a miracle - the body has been lying in the coffin for so many years unbroken. That honest body is worthy of all praise: it is intact in the coffin, as if sleeping, resting. But for others who do not come with faith, the window of the tomb will not open, and they will not see that honest body, but only the tomb.”

So after her death, Saint Olga preached eternal life and resurrection, filling believers with joy and admonishing non-believers. She was, in the words of St. Nestor the Chronicler, “the forerunner of the Christian land, like the morning star before the sun and like the dawn before the light.”

The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, offering his thanks to God on the day of the Baptism of Rus', testified on behalf of his contemporaries about the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga with significant words: “The sons of Rusty want to bless you, and your grandson for the last generation.”

Saint Olga Equal to the Apostles was canonized at a council in 1547, which confirmed her widespread veneration in Rus' even in the pre-Mongol era. The Christian name of Saint Olga - Helen (translated from ancient Greek as “torch”) - became an expression of the burning of her spirit. Saint Olga (Elena) received a spiritual fire that did not go out throughout the thousand-year history of Christian Russia.

See also: “ The Repose of Blessed Princess Olga, in Holy Baptism of Helen” as presented by St. Demetrius of Rostov.

Prayer to Princess Olga for happiness in the family

O great saint of God, God-chosen and God-glorified, equal to the apostles Grand Duchess Olgo!

You rejected pagan evil and wickedness, you believed in the One True Trinitarian God, and you accepted holy Baptism, and you laid the foundation for the enlightenment of the Russian land with the light of faith and piety.

You are our spiritual ancestor, you, according to Christ our Savior, are the first culprit of the enlightenment and salvation of our race.

You are a warm prayer book and intercessor for the All-Russian Fatherland, the army and all people. For this reason we humbly pray to you:

look at our weaknesses and beg the Most Merciful King of Heaven, so that he will not be so angry with us, as through our weaknesses we sin all the days, and may he not destroy us with our iniquities,

but may He have mercy and save us by His mercy, may He plant His saving fear in our hearts, may He enlighten our minds with His grace, so that we may understand the ways of the Lord, leave the paths of wickedness and

errors, but stuck in the paths of salvation and truth, unwilling to fulfill the commandments of God and the holy rules of the Church.

Pray, blessed Olgo, to the Lord, the Lover of Mankind, to add His great mercy to us, to deliver us from the invasion of foreigners, from internal disorder, rebellion and strife, from famine, deadly diseases and from all evil,

may he give us the goodness of the air and the fruitfulness of the earth, may he preserve our country from all the snares and slander of the enemy,

may he observe truth and mercy in judges and rulers, may he give zeal to the shepherds for the salvation of their flock, and may all people hasten to perform their services diligently,

have love among each other and like-mindedness, strive faithfully for the good of the fatherland and the Holy Church,

may the light of saving faith shine in our country in all its ends, may non-believers turn to faith, may all heresies and schisms be abolished.

Yes, having lived in peace on earth, you and I will be worthy of eternal bliss in Heaven, praising and exalting God forever and ever.

Amen.

The best article for you, go to: Prayers to protect from evil, enemies, evil people and troubles

Prayer to Saint Olga for marriage

We will try to answer the question in detail: prayer to Saint Olga for marriage on the website: prayer-to-god.rf - for our dear readers.

The veneration of Princess Olga is closely connected with the name of her husband; their grandson, Prince Vladimir, who spread Christianity throughout the country, is also canonized. The icon of St. Olga is a reminder of who Rus' owes for becoming Holy. After all, it was the grandmother’s Christian upbringing that made itself felt when Vladimir was deciding what faith his subjects would accept.

The life story of St. Olga

During her long life, Olga was destined to know not only the privileges of the princely title, but also the sorrows of an ordinary woman. But the Russian people have always been distinguished by patience and strong will, which among the best over time became sacred. The princess became the first Christian ruler that the country recognized.

Tradition has preserved an interesting story about the meeting of young Olga with Prince Igor, who later became her husband. He was crossing the river in a boat when he suddenly noticed that the driver was not a guy, but a girl in men's clothing. The girls' wise speeches kept him from attacking his maiden honor. And when the time came to choose a wife, Igor remembered a friend who struck him with wisdom.

The exact date and place of birth of St. Olga has not been identified; it is believed that she was born near Pskov at the end of the 9th century. After marriage, nothing was written about Olga for a long time, from this we can conclude that there were no special shocks during that period. The crisis in her life begins with the insidious murder of her husband.

• On the icons, Saint Olga is depicted already in the status of the ruler of the Russian lands, as evidenced by the corresponding clothes. In her right hand she holds an Orthodox cross (it has 8 ends, the Catholic one has only 4). The cross on many icons is raised high - the ruler, as it were, shows her enemies that her subjects are under the protection of Christ. In her right hand she often holds a small image of a temple.

The mass baptism of Rus' became a significant milestone in the history of the country. But Princess Olga was baptized much earlier, so it is wrong to present the fact of accepting Christianity as something unexpected. Prince Vladimir knew about him from early childhood, thanks to his grandmother.

According to legend, Olga was baptized by Emperor Constantine himself in the mid-10th century. That is, she was already aged (50-60 years old). Byzantine sources mention the only visit of the princess. However, her faith was strong enough to survive in a pagan environment.

On the icons, Princess Olga is called Equal-to-the-Apostles. Very rarely were women celebrated with such a title. It is given only for the spread of the Christian faith. Princely status alone is not enough here - you must have patience, show with your life what a Christian should be.

At the time of her baptism, Olga had already established herself as a successful, wise ruler:

• Established the western and southern borders of the country.

• Developed trade relations with neighboring countries.

• Stopped internecine wars.

Upon returning to her homeland, the saint began to preach Christ and build churches throughout the country. Son Svyatoslav remained a pagan - although he did not interfere with his mother, he made everyone who was baptized laugh. Olga patiently prayed for him and raised her grandchildren in the Orthodox faith.

During her life, most of those around her retained the pagan faith, but the saint died in the hope that the light of Christ would shine over the entire country. They buried her herself according to Christian rites, in the ground.

The meaning of the holy image

Olga began to be revered as a saint only during the reign of her grandson, Prince Vladimir. There is a joint icon of Vladimir and Olga - they are facing each other, Prince Vladimir is holding a cross in his hand.

In another open scroll with a prayer - it asks for a blessing for the people, this prayer is read by the priest during the blessing of the cross (the rite of serving the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great).

The princess holds the church in her hands, as in her personal icons.

The cross is the center of the composition as a sign that both made a lot of effort to spread Christianity. Details may change:

• St. Vladimir is holding a scroll in his hands, and the cross is in Olga’s hands.
• Everyone holds a small cross in their hands, the figures are frontal.
• Prince Vladimir leans on his sword.
• Both saints are depicted in years; the prince has a long thick beard, sometimes gray.

If you have any doubts, you can always check with the seller in the church shop to find out who is depicted in the image.

The significance of the activities of St. Olga’s contribution to Russian history cannot be overestimated. The icons show the image of a determined woman. How much courage you need to have to radically change your life, to remain faithful to your chosen path until the very end.

It is difficult to say how the fate of the fatherland would have developed if Vladimir had chosen a different faith. Largely thanks to his grandmother’s instructions, he formed an opinion about Christianity and a desire to be baptized.

The prince continued the work of his Equal-to-the-Apostles relative.

Few people know about this, but the princess herself composed prayers. It is appropriate to read them in front of the icon of St. Olga. She helps widows protect themselves from offenders (the saint herself was like that), and softens the hearts of enemies. You can ask for help in trade, raising children and grandchildren, or in any other worthy cause.

Temples of St. Olga

The story of the baptism of Rus' is known to everyone, but the grandchildren have not forgotten about their deceased grandmother. He built a special temple to house her body. When the relics were raised, they turned out to be undamaged by time, although two decades had passed. A stone tomb was made for them.

According to legend, there was a window in the sarcophagus that itself opened to those who had enough faith.

This is the first discovery and veneration of relics in the history of Russian Christianity. Unfortunately, the shrine has not survived to this day. In the 13th century they were hidden from the Tatars and found again only 4 centuries later.

The relics of St. were completely lost. Olga at the beginning of the 18th century. But the churches of St. There are many Olgas all over Russia - from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. Each one contains an icon of a preacher of Orthodoxy.

Although the saint was called Elena at baptism, she is remembered under her own Russian name, which thanks to her was included in the calendar.

• Particularly instructive is the story of the princess’s relationship with her son, who never accepted Christ. The Lord, of course, hears the prayers of parents for their children. But He does not bring anyone to Himself by force. The first step must be taken by the person himself, open his heart, express a desire, if not to be baptized, then at least to get to know God better. Unfortunately, one’s own prayer cannot convert anyone to faith. Of course, you can pray for your loved ones, hoping for God’s mercy.

Which image is better

Icons of St. Olgas today are distinguished by great diversity. Most inexpensive ones are made by printing. The base can be cardboard or wood.

If you want to make a unique christening gift, you can contact an icon painting workshop, but the price will be tens of times higher.

Today, images are made using ancient technology, decorated with precious stones, and placed in expensive frames. Thanks to the manufacturing method, the image will be preserved for many years.

• Icon of Saint Helena
• Icon of Saint Alexandra - find here
• Icon of the Mother of God of Kozelshchanskaya - //bogolub.info/ikona-bogorodicy-kozelshhanskaya-o-chem-molyatsya-v-chem-pomogaet/

But what makes the icon of Princess Olga a shrine is not its price. It becomes dear to the human heart because it makes you think about eternal things - the fate of your soul in eternity, about loved ones, and teaches you to turn to the Lord in all matters. Therefore, it is not the cost that is important, but attention to the person, his faith, and the prayers that will be said in front of the image.

Prayer to Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

O holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olgo, the first saint of Russia, a warm intercessor and prayer book for us before God.

We resort to you with faith and pray with love: be your helper and accomplice in everything for our good, and just as in temporal life you tried to enlighten our forefathers with the light of the holy faith and instruct me to do the will of the Lord, so now, in the heavenly lordship, favorable With your prayers to God, help us in enlightening our minds and hearts with the light of the Gospel of Christ, so that we may advance in faith, piety and love of Christ. In poverty and sorrow, give comfort to the needy, give a helping hand to those in need, stand up for those who are offended and mistreated, those who have gone astray from the right faith and are blinded by heresies, and ask us from the all-generous God for all that is good and useful in temporal and eternal life, so that having lived well here, we will be worthy of an inheritance eternal blessings in the endless Kingdom of Christ our God, to Him, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, belongs all glory, honor and worship, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olgo, accept praise from us, unworthy servants of God (names), before your honest icon, praying and humbly asking: protect us with your prayers and intercession from misfortunes and troubles, and sorrows, and fierce sins; We will also be delivered from future torments by honestly creating your holy memory and glorifying God, glorified in the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

The widow's prayer for protection, for help, for illumination and softening of offenders (compiled by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga)

O most merciful Lord my God Jesus Christ, my soul clings to You, and Your right hand has accepted me: incline Your ear to me and hear my prayer. And give me a way to find, so that I may please You: for I thirst for the source of salvation.

Be my helper and do not leave me. God my Savior, for my Father and my mother abandoned me, and deprived me of a spouse; He fathered only one son, and he is disobedient and unfaithful, and people are also unfaithful. You, Lord, have called me alone to hope.

But, Lord, I have placed my hope in Thy mercy and in the abyss of Thy bounties, and, running to You, I pray: teach me to do Thy will and save me from this obstinate generation, the multitude of unfaithful people.

Even if they have gone astray from Thy grace, but Thou, Master, for the sake of Thy love for mankind, do not despise them, but visit them and call them to reason, and bring them to their knowledge.

Just as you have appropriated from me what was anciently cherished to Your heritage, so, Lord, heal this people, who are sick with unbelief, and, turning to Yourself, attract them, so that even those who were once enlightened by You will glorify Your Most Holy Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit to generation, and to generation, and forever.

Bead embroidery of the icon of St. Olga

Description of the icons Saint icon

Natalia - meaning, what helps.
. Icon of St. Olga
- meaning

Icon of Saint Olga

- you will find it here.
Icon
of St.
Anna - https . Icon of St. Olga
- meaning,
Icon
“It is Worthy to Eat” -...

Icon of Saint Olga

- Here.
. Icon of St. Olga
- meaning,
Icon
“It is Worthy to Eat” -...

Icon

Our Lady of Kozelshchanskaya - what they pray for, what they help with.
. Icon of St. Olga
- meaning
Description of the icons St.
Job of Pochaev - churches, life, relics, what they pray for.
. Icon of St. Olga
- see here.

Description of the icons Saint icon

Natalia - meaning, what helps.
. Icon of St. Olga
- meaning

Icon of Saint Olga

- you will find it here.
Icon
of St.
Anna - https . Icon of St. Olga
- meaning,
Icon
“It is Worthy to Eat” -...

Icon of Saint Olga

- Here.
. Icon of St. Olga
- meaning,
Icon
“It is Worthy to Eat” -...

Icon

Our Lady of Kozelshchanskaya - what they pray for, what they help with.
. Icon of St. Olga
- meaning
Description of the icons St.
Job of Pochaev - churches, life, relics, what they pray for.
. Icon of St. Olga
- see here.

Source: //xn—-7sbebizuhsg3bs.xn--p1ai/molitva_k_svyatoj_olge_o_zamuzhestve/