Grand Duchess of Vladimir Maria Yasynya

The first wife of Vsevolod the Big Nest, Maria Yasynya, was undoubtedly an interesting person and was respected by her contemporaries. Evidence of this is the real panegyric in her honor in the Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. In it, she is glorified for her exceptionally pious lifestyle, patronage of the church, generosity and mercy. The author of this work apparently assumed that the princess would be canonized as an all-Russian saint. The basis for this was the charitable activity of Mary, and the founding of the Assumption Monastery in Vladimir, and the construction of a temple in it. However, her official canonization never took place, and she remained a locally revered saint. The reason, obviously, was not that there were insufficient grounds for proclaiming the Vladimir princess an all-Russian saint, but that soon after her death, civil strife began between her sons in the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, and then the Mongol-Tatar invasion caused such a powerful a blow to the traditional way of life of the Russian people, that they could not get rid of its consequences for several centuries. At this time, the Orthodox Church had no time for canonizations of the righteous, since there were too many martyrs who died in battles with the steppe inhabitants.

Novgorod. Church of the Savior-Nereditsa. "Ascension". Our Lady and Angels. 1199

The first researcher who became interested in the personality of Maria Yasynia was N.M. Karamzin. In his work, he actually repeated the information about her contained in the Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles: “His first (Vsevolod the Big Nest. - L.M.) wife was Maria, born Yasynya (i.e. Yaska, or Ossetian. - L.M.), glorious in piety and wisdom. In the last seven years of her life, suffering from a serious illness, she showed amazing patience, often compared herself to Job, and 18 days before her death she cut her hair; preparing to die, she called her sons and conjured them to live in love, reminding them of the wise words of the Great Yaroslav that civil strife destroys princes and the fatherland, exalted by the labors of their ancestors; advised children to be pious, sober, generally friendly and especially respect the elders... Chroniclers also praise her for decorating churches with silver and gold vessels; They are called the Russian Elena, Theodora, the second Olga. She was the mother of eight sons, two of whom died in infancy.”

Novgorod. Church of the Savior-Nereditsa. "Christmas Nativity". 1199

In the notes to the fundamental work, Karamzin noted that the grandson of Mstislav the Great, Yaroslav Vladimirovich, was married to his sister Maria. Analyzing the inscription on the princess’s tomb, the historian decided that her patronymic, Shvarnovna, indicates that she was the daughter of either a Czech or a Bohemian prince, Shvarn. The name Martha was apparently given to her after her tonsure.

Karamzin’s assumption that Vsevolod the Big Nest’s wife was a Bohemian or Czech princess is hardly justified, since Maria’s nickname, Yasynya, directly indicates that she was a Yaska, or an Ossetian, by nationality (the Yases were the ancestors of modern Ossetians).

In the Ipatiev Chronicle, the historian discovered information about another sister, Maria - she became the wife of Mstislav Svyatoslavich, the son of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich. From the Trinity Chronicle, he learned that on March 2, 1206, the princess took monastic vows in her monastery, and on March 19 she died. S. M. Solovyov, in a multi-volume work on the history of Russia, mentioned Maria Yasyn only in the section on the role of women in ancient Russian society. He noted that the entry in the Laurentian Chronicle about her death is an example of love and respect for women at that time.

Modern researcher Yu. A. Limonov, in a work devoted to the history of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, suggested that the second wife of Andrei Bogolyubsky was a relative of Maria Yasynia and both were from the North Caucasus. Proof of this, in his opinion, was information about Andrei Bogolyubsky’s youngest son Yuri, the son of his second wife, who after his father’s death went to the Caucasus and there married the Georgian queen Tamar. He was able to do this only with the help of his mother’s relatives, since the Russian princes did not have close contacts with the Caucasus at that time. The second proof of the non-Russian origin of the princesses, according to Limonov, was the presence in Andrei Bogolyubsky’s inner circle of the Ossetian Ambala, who was in charge of the entire princely household. It was difficult for a stranger to advance to such a high position without family ties. The historian decided that the marriages of Andrei and Vsevolod took place at approximately the same time - in the late 60s - early 70s. XII century Their wives probably maintained close ties, although the brothers themselves were not friends. Therefore, Andrei’s wife became part of the conspirators who killed him, thereby helping Vsevolod ascend to the Vladimir throne. Before this, he did not have his own possessions at all and was forced to wander with his ever-increasing family, including his wife’s unmarried sisters.

Novgorod. Church of the Savior-Nereditsa. “Introduction to the Temple” and “Candlemas”. 1199

B. A. Rybakov was not interested in the personality of Maria Yasynya, but decided that her relative, the wife of Andrei Bogolyubsky, took part in a conspiracy against him, so in one of the miniatures of the Radziwill Chronicle she was depicted with her husband’s severed hand.

The opinion of M.V. Shchepkina stands apart, she decided that Maria was a Moravian princess, a relative of the wife of Svyatopolk Mstislavich. The researcher even suggested that her sister was Mikhail Vsevolodovich’s wife Fevronia, although there is no such data in the most ancient sources. Shchepkina’s opinion about the origin of Maria Yasynya was based on information from the brief Vladimir chronicler of the late 15th – early 16th centuries, discovered by N.M. Karamzin. However, is it possible to believe this rather late monument and ignore the direct indication of the most ancient chronicles that Maria was a Yask, that is, an Ossetian? I think it's impossible. Therefore, all the researcher’s arguments about Maria’s foreign relatives and their names look very far-fetched. Shchepkina’s assumption that the handwritten Assumption collection of the 12th century belonged to Mary is also doubtful. It is more likely that it was the property of Mikhail Vsevolodovich’s wife Fevronia. This is indicated by the life of the saint of the same name contained in it; i.e. St. Fevronia, which is quite rare in Russian manuscript collections. The origin of this princess is unknown, so she could be a Czech and a relative of the wife of Svyatopolk Mstislavich.

There are no convincing grounds for the opinion of M.V. Shchepkina about the ownership of Princess Maria of the Suzdal serpentine at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries. Several names were listed on this amulet-amulet, starting with Christina, who bore the name of Miloslava in the world, her eldest daughter and George. The last one was Maria. Among the princesses, the name Christina was only the wife of Mstislav the Great, a Swedish princess. But whether she could be called Miloslava in the world is unknown. She also did not have a son named George, but Mstislav himself was called George. If we assume that Christina, mentioned in the inscription on the coil, is Mstislav’s wife, then we can assume that this amulet was made during Mstislav’s serious illness after a wound to the stomach received during a hunt. After the prince’s recovery, Christina could put the coil into the Suzdal Cathedral, since she lived in this city for some time. Later, when at the end of the 12th century. Maria Yasynya became seriously ill; an inscription could have been made on the amulet concerning her.

The main sources about the life and work of Maria Yasynya are chronicles. The most detailed information about it is contained in the Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles, while in the second, later one, they are even much more complete, despite the loss of part of the text at the beginning. In the Trinity Chronicle, the tonsure and death of the princess are dated 1205, in the Laurentian Chronicle - 1206. The latter date seems correct, since the Trinity Chronicle is later.

Novgorod. Church of the Savior-Nereditsa. Portrait of Prince Yaroslav. 1199

Although the Trinity text is much larger in volume than the Laurentian text, it does not contain information about what name Maria took after her tonsure, who accompanied her to the monastery, and who was present at the funeral. All this data is in the Laurentian Chronicle, but it does not contain Mary’s instructions to her sons, her conversations with her eldest son Konstantin before his departure to Novgorod, his experiences after receiving the news of his mother’s death are not described, there are no comparisons of the princess with the greatest women of the past, and also much shorter quotes from church literature concerning the righteous life of Mary. All these stories are in the Trinity Chronicle, but since it is later (according to researchers, it dates back to the beginning of the 15th century), the conclusion suggests itself that the text added to it was written to further glorify the Vladimir princess for her canonization. It is likely that the customer of the Trinity Chronicle considered Maria Yasynya a very significant person worthy of veneration by her descendants.

For comparison, it can be noted that in the Ipatiev Chronicle there is almost no information about the wife of Vsevolod the Big Nest. There is no information about it in the Rogozh chronicler, very brief information in the Ermolinskaya chronicle, nothing at all in the Novgorod chronicles, the Resurrection, Lviv, and First Sofia chronicles. In an abbreviated form, the information from the Laurentian Chronicle is presented in the Moscow Code of the late 15th century. On the contrary, an expanded version is given in the Nikon Chronicle.

The information about the princess in the Tver Chronicle stands out. Here she is named as the daughter of the Czech king Shvarn and it is indicated that she arrived in Rus' unbaptized. This fact seems unlikely, since at the time of her marriage Mary must have been at least 12-16 years old and she certainly had to be baptized in the Czech Republic. In addition, for some reason this article reports that Mary was ill for 8 years, and not 7, as in all other chronicles; Rostov Bishop John is called Smolensk; It is not the eldest son of Princess Konstantin who is especially famous, but the second - Yuri and the younger Vladimir, about whom there is no information at all in other sources. Therefore, the conclusion suggests itself that the additional information in the Tver Chronicle was the result of processing an article in the Laurentian Chronicle in the interests of the customer. The glorification of Mary’s eldest son Konstantin in the Trinity Chronicle, and the middle Yuri in the Tverskaya Chronicle, may indicate that these monuments were written for different descendants of these princes. As you know, a branch of Rostov-Yaroslavl princes came from Constantine; Yuri's children, like himself, died during the Mongol-Tatar invasion, and the family descended from Yaroslav, with whom Yuri was friends, but Konstantin was not. Among the descendants of Yaroslav were the Tver princes, the customers of the Tver Chronicle.

In a word, it is obvious that the new information about Maria Yasyn in some later chronicles was not taken from any additional sources, but was the fruit of the scribes’ conjectures to please the customers of the new texts.

Summarizing all the most reliable information about Vsevolod’s wife the Big Nest, let’s try to create a historical portrait of her.

First of all, it is necessary to answer the question: how did a representative of the Caucasian peoples become the wife of the youngest son of Yuri Dolgoruky? It is known from the chronicles that the ancestors of the Ossetians had contacts with the Rurik princes since the 10th century. Thus, under 965, it was noted that Svyatoslav Igorevich conquered the Yases and forced them to pay tribute. After this, connections with Russia among these peoples became permanent. Under 1116, one interesting event was recorded in the Laurentian and Ipatiev Chronicles: the middle son of Vladimir Monomakh, Yaropolk, made a deep raid into the Polovtsian steppes, took three cities and at the same time captured the very beautiful daughter of the Yasky prince. At home he married her. But before that, the girl was baptized and received a new name Elena. It can be assumed that the Yask princess arrived in Rus' not alone, but with numerous relatives, because she became not a captive, but the legal wife of the prince, who in 1132 was proclaimed the supreme ruler - the Grand Duke of Kyiv. Under 1145, the Ipatiev Chronicle noted that “the blessed princess Olena Jaska” reburied her husband inside the church of St. Andrei, built by Yaropolk’s grandfather Vsevolod Yaroslavich. From this recording it becomes known that contemporaries respected Yaropolk’s wife.

The Ipatiev Chronicle especially emphasizes that the bride brought by Yaropolk was distinguished by her unusual beauty, which amazed the people of Kiev. Since portraits of princes and their wives were not uncommon at that time, the assumption arises that the beautiful appearance of Princess Elena was captured either on a fresco, or on an icon, or on a miniature of that time. It is most likely that her appearance was reflected on the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, since all art historians noted the presence of oriental features in her. Although art historians believe that this icon was brought from Byzantium, there is no data about this in the most ancient sources. It is likely that the Greek master was specially invited by Yaropolk to Kyiv to create a portrait of his unusually beautiful wife, and he presented her in the form of the Mother of God.

It is known that Andrei Bogolyubsky especially revered this icon and, leaving for the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality, took it with him from Vyshgorod. The prince's passion for this image could be explained by the fact that his second wife was a relative of Elena and was very similar to her. Maria Yasynya should have been similar to these princesses.

Therefore, it can be assumed that the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir gives an idea of ​​what Maria Yasynya looked like during the heyday of her beauty.

From the inscription on the tomb of Maria Jasynya it is known that her patronymic was Švarnovna, but her father is unlikely to have been the Czech and Bohemian king. From the Ipatiev and Laurentian chronicles it is known that in the middle of the 12th century. Voivode Schwarn was in the service of the Kyiv princes. He took part in internecine battles and campaigns against the Polovtsians. The last news about him dates back to 1168 - he was captured by the Polovtsians, who demanded a large ransom for him.

Novgorod. Church of the Savior-Nereditsa. Our Lady of Oranta

The coincidence of Maria Yasynya's patronymic and the name of the Kyiv governor gives us the right to assume that he was her father. Although there is no exact information about the year of Mary’s birth, it can be assumed that it happened in the second half of the 50s. XII century The fact is that Mary’s husband, Vsevolod the Big Nest, was born on October 19, 1154, i.e., he reached marriageable age in 1170. Therefore, Yu.A. Limonov suggested, as already noted, that around this year the prince married Maria, at the same time her sister became the wife of the Vladimir-Suzdal prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. At the time of her marriage, Mary must have been at least 16 years old, since her marriage was neither dynastic nor political and, most likely, was concluded by mutual sympathy between the bride and groom. Relatives, of course, also played a certain role. For example, it can be assumed that Voivode Schwarn was closely related to the wife of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Yaropolk Vladimirovich Elena. Therefore, even after the capture or death of the governor, the relatives of the Grand Duke continued to maintain contact with his family. (Andrei Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod were nephews of Yaropolk Vladimirovich.)

From the chronicles we can conclude that Mary had several sisters. The eldest, as already noted, became the wife of Andrei Bogolyubsky. One of the younger sisters in 1180 married the Novgorod prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich, the grandson of Mstislav the Great and Lyubava Dmitrievna (he was the builder of the Church of the Savior-Nereditsa). Vsevolod the Big Nest loved his brother-in-law and repeatedly invited him and his family to visit.

The youngest of the sisters in 1182 became the wife of the Chernigov prince Mstislav, the son of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich.

The fairly advantageous marriages of the Yasky princesses indicate that their family was firmly rooted in Russian soil and they themselves were enviable brides. Their popularity was probably due to their striking beauty.

Novgorod. Church of the Savior-Nereditsa. General view of the fresco painting of the middle apse

Maria Yasynya's husband was the youngest son of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Yuri Dolgoruky from his second wife Elena, a relative of the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos (Manuel ruled from 1143 to 1180 - L. M.). Yuri's eldest sons were from a Polovtsian princess, so they were not too friendly with the younger ones and did not even want to share their father's possessions with them. Significantly different in age (Andrei Bogolyubsky was born approximately in 1110 and was 34 years older than Vsevolod), the older Yuryevichs preferred to keep the younger ones in their retinue and did not want to share land holdings. The conflict between the brothers ended with the fact that in 1162 Vsevolod with his mother and his entire family (paternal and maternal) Vasily and Mstislav were forced to leave for Byzantium. On this occasion, the following entry was made in the Ipatiev Chronicle: “That same summer (1162. - L. M.) idol Gyurgevich to the Tsar-city, Mstislav and Vasilko with their mother, and young Vsevolod with them, the third brother; and the king will give Vasilkovi 4 cities in the Danube, and give Mstislav the volost of Otskalana (Askalinskaya. - L.M.).

Vasily and Mstislav, apparently, were already quite old, since they ruled independently in their homeland. Thus, Vasily received Suzdal from his father back in 1149, but Andrei Bogolyubsky expelled him from this city. Mstislav Yuryevich also lost Novgorod, although by the will of his father he was married to a noble Novgorod woman, the daughter of mayor Pyotr Mikhailovich Anastasia. As already noted, information about her father and mother Morena is contained in recently discovered birch bark letters. The “Sign” icon, painted for a wedding in 1155, later became famous in 1169 during the battle of the Novgorodians with the Suzdalians, and the kratir (a silver vessel for sacramental wine), made by the master Kosta, became a relic of the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral. The model for it was the Bratilo crater, created in 1132 for Peter Mikulic and his wife Varvara.

Mstislav and Vasily, apparently, left for Byzantium with their families, while Vsevolod was only 8 years old. Having lived in a foreign land for several years, he was probably able to get a good education there, studied the Greek language perfectly, read the original works of famous church writers, historians, philosophers, poets, etc.

Church of the Savior-Nereditsa (1199)

There is no information in the chronicles about when Vsevolod returned to his homeland and with whom. One can only assume that he came to his eldest full brother Mikhail, who also had no inheritance after the death of his father and lived with his brother Gleb in Pereyaslavl South. Since Andrei Bogolyubsky did not lay claim to the Kiev grand-ducal throne, Gleb believed that it should pass to him after the death of Mstislav the Great’s son Rostislav. However, the Vladimir-Volyn prince Mstislav Izyaslavich, a cousin of the Yuryevichs, thought differently and in 1168 captured Kyiv. Vsevolod soon took part in this civil strife that began. As a result, Gleb Yuryevich won in 1159 and became the ruler of Kyiv. His inner circle included Mikhail and Vsevolod, while the first received Pereyaslavl South. It can be assumed that it was at this time that the wedding of Vsevolod and Maria took place.

Although the younger Yuryevich did not have his own inheritance, he was probably very handsome and this captivated the young Yask princess. According to the unanimous statement of art historians, a portrait image of the prince has reached us in the form of an icon of Dmitry of Thessalonica on the throne, since his baptismal name was Dmitry. (In his honor, his father founded the city of Dmitrov, not far from Moscow.) The iconography of the saint is not entirely ordinary: he sits on a throne in full armor as the sovereign ruler of a vast empire. Moreover, on his seat there is a characteristic sign of ownership of the Rurikovichs. Dmitry's appearance has many typically Greek features: dark curly hair, large eyes, arched eyebrows, a small beard and mustache.

Since Gleb Yuryevich soon fell seriously ill, Vsevolod had to become his right hand and carry out campaigns against the Polovtsians. At the beginning of 1171, the Grand Duke died, and power in Kyiv was in the hands of the youngest Yuryevich. Perhaps he wanted to give it to his older brother Mikhail, but he was in Pereyaslavl. Prince Davyd Rostislavich of Vyshny Novgorod took advantage of the unclear situation. With a large retinue, he entered Kyiv and captured Vsevolod and his nephew Yaropolk.

It should be noted that in the Ipatiev Chronicle the events that took place in Kyiv are described somewhat differently. The death of Gleb Yuryevich is dated to 1073. After him, the last son of Mstislav the Great, Vladimir, ascended the throne, but ruled for only 4 months, because he fell ill and died. Instead, at the behest of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the Kiev great reign passed to Roman Rostislavich. However, it soon became clear that Gleb Yuryevich was poisoned by the people of Kiev. Then Andrei Bogolyubsky demanded that Roman Rostislavich punish them, but he did not want to quarrel with the townspeople. As a result, the Vladimir-Suzdal prince ordered Roman to leave Kyiv and return to Smolensk. Power in the capital passed to Vsevolod and his nephew Yaropolk. But the Rostislavichs did not like this. At night they attacked the city and captured the envoys of Andrei Bogolyubsky. After this, Rurik Rostislavich sat on the grand-ducal throne. This happened in 1174. According to the Laurentian Chronicle - 3 years earlier. One way or another, Maria, most likely, was already the wife of Vsevolod and, together with him, was captured by the warlike Rostislavichs - the sons of Rostislav Mstislavich.

Princely signs: 1 – seal of Dmitry; 2, 3 – seals of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich; 4 – images of princely signs on the ktitor fresco of the Spaso-Nereditsky Church

Realizing that their behavior would outrage Andrei Bogolyubsky, who wanted to place his brother Mikhail on the Kiev throne, the cunning Rostislavichs decided to attract the applicant to their side and give him Torchesk and Pereyaslavl South. They wanted to exchange Vsevolod and Yaropolk for Vladimir Yaroslavich and hand him over to his father in Galich. Naturally, all these intrigues did not please the power-hungry Andrei Bogolyubsky, and he, together with the Chernigov princes allied to him, began a war with the Rostislavichs. Vsevolod, who received freedom, was also on his side. Maria at this time, apparently, moved to the relatively calm Chernigov and found herself with her younger sisters under the protection of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich. Apparently, Vsevolod Yuryevich’s sister Olga, who had fled from Galich, was also there. The plight of both women probably led them to become friends despite the large age difference.

It is interesting to note that during internecine battles, Vsevolod repeatedly had to fight next to Igor Svyatoslavich, the future hero of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.”

A long civil strife between the descendants of Vladimir Monomakh ended with Kyiv ending up in the hands of the Chernigov prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, from the Olgovichi tribe.

During her wanderings, Maria Yasyna could only dream of a calm and prosperous family life. Although there were many quiet towns in Andrei Bogolyubsky’s domain where his brother’s family could settle, he categorically refused to invite any of his relatives to visit. This could hardly please his wife, who sincerely sympathized with Maria. Perhaps concern for the well-being of her younger sisters pushed her to take part in a conspiracy against her oppressive husband.

One way or another, but on June 29, 1174, the Vladimir-Suzdal prince was killed at his residence in Bogolyubovo. Of all his sons, only young Yuri, who was in Novgorod, was alive. Therefore, the people of Vladimir decided to invite the sons of Rostislav Yuryevich Mstislav and Yaropolk, who were nearby in the Ryazan principality, to the throne. However, Mikhail and Vsevolod Yuryevich had more legitimate rights to the Vladimir throne. Having learned about the death of brother Andrei, they united and with common efforts decided to return their father's inheritance. They took as their allies the hospitable Chernigov prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, who gave shelter to the families of Mikhail and Vsevolod. After the victory of the princes, their spouses set off under the protection of Oleg Svyatoslavich, the son of the Chernigov prince. These data, as already noted, were recorded in Olga Yuryevna’s chronicler.

His elder brother Mikhail became the Grand Duke of Vladimir, although at that time he was already seriously ill. Vsevolod and Maria received Pereslavl-Zalessky, at that time a small town with a stone church on the shore of Lake Pleshcheevo (Kleshchina). According to the Ipatiev and Laurentian Chronicles, this important event occurred in 1176, but researchers date it to 1175.

The Laurentian Chronicle contains one interesting remark that the Rostislavichs who fled from Vladimir abandoned their elderly mother and wives in the city. The winners did not capture the women in trouble; on the contrary, they took them under their protection and provided assistance. It can be assumed that Maria Yasynya showed special concern for the princesses, since she herself often found herself in distress. In addition, she was always very friendly with all her relatives: her sisters and her husband’s, nieces, etc. The constant wanderer, the wife of Yaroslav Osmomysl, Princess Olga Yuryevna, finally found shelter in her house. Some of the princesses were given the opportunity to live independently and independently at the princely courts in Suzdal and Kideksha. Obviously, special funds were allocated from the treasury for their maintenance.

Mikhail Yuryevich reigned in Vladimir for only a short time - on June 20, 1176, he died, bequeathing the throne to his brother Vsevolod. There were no particular difficulties in Vsevolod’s reign, since Mikhail did not leave any sons. His only daughter in 1180 became the wife of the Chernigov prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.

The Rostislavich nephews, with the support of the Ryazan prince Gleb Rostislavich, who was married to their sister, again wanted to get the Vladimir throne and began an armed struggle with Vsevolod. But he defeated them and took them prisoner. Gleb Rostislavich, unable to bear the shame, died in prison in 1178. The nephews, Mstislav and Yaropolk, at the request of the townspeople had to be blinded and expelled from the Vladimir land. Such a severe punishment was imposed on the seditious people for the plunder of the Assumption Cathedral and the theft of its main shrine - Our Lady of Vladimir. Later the Ryazan people returned it.

After Vsevolod Yuryevich finally gained a foothold on the Vladimir throne, Maria Yasynya was finally able to start arranging her own mansion for herself, her sisters and daughters. At this time she did not have any sons yet. The first-born Constantine was born on May 18, 1185.

There is no information in the chronicles about when Mary’s first three daughters were born. Only under 1179 in the Ipatiev Chronicle there is an entry: “... before Dmitrov, the fourth daughter was born to the Grand Duke Vsevolod, and gave the name in holy baptism Polagya, and the prince Sbyslov; and baptize you, Aunt Olga.”

The birth dates of the first three princesses can only be approximately calculated based on the dates of their marriages. Thus, in the Laurentian Chronicle under 1187 it is reported that Vsevolod Yuryevich gave his daughter Vseslav to the Chernigov prince Rostislav Yaroslavich, the grandson of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vsevolod Olgovich. The entry indicates the exact date of this event - July 11; It is noted that the main celebration took place in Vladimir and many guests were present.

It is known that at the time of marriage Rostislav Yaroslavich was 16 years old (he was born in July 1173). The bride could be the same age. In this case, she should also have been born in 1173. Since Rostislav was the first-born of a wealthy Chernigov prince and was considered an eligible groom, then Vseslava should have been the first daughter of Vsevolod and Maria.

Plan of the city of Vladimir (according to N. N. Voronin)

It should be noted that in the Ipatiev Chronicle there is no information about Vseslav; her husband is mentioned only once in connection with the campaign of the Chernigov princes against the Polovtsians in 1191. In the Laurentian Chronicle it is noted that both Rostislav and Vseslav often went to visit Vladimir to participate in various family events, they themselves lived in the city of Snov. Undoubtedly, the Laurentian Chronicle recorded many events related to the life of the family of Vsevolod and Mary. In the Ipatiev Chronicle, such facts are mentioned only if they also applied to Olga Yuryevna. This circumstance once again gives us the right to suggest that the Ipatiev Chronicle includes the records that this princess kept during her wanderings after quarrels with her husband, the Galician prince Yaroslav Osmomysl. Before her death, she apparently handed them over to her son Vladimir so that they would help him in the fight for his fathers’ throne. Later they were included in the Galician Chronicle, which was later included in the Ipatiev Chronicle.

The second oldest daughter of Vsevolod and Maria may have been Elena, who did not marry due to some physical defect or poor health. She died before her mother and was buried in 1205, in the Assumption Monastery that had already been founded.

The third, most likely, was Verkhuslava (Verkhoslava), about whose wedding there is data in both the Laurentian and Ipatiev Chronicles. In the first, the entry dates back to 1189 and is quite brief: “The Great Prince Vsevolod gave his daughter to Verkhuslav Belugorod for Rurikovich Rostislav, on the 30th day of July.”

The Ipatiev Chronicle has a different date - 1187, and the description is quite detailed. Instead of the exact date, day and month, it is noted that Vsevolod and Maria gave their daughter to the matchmakers on Boris's day, i.e. July 24, the bride arrived in Belgorod only on “Euphrosyne Day,” i.e. September 25, before “Theologian” , before September 26th. It turns out that July 30, indicated in the Laurentian Chronicle, does not fit any of the dates in the Ipatian Chronicle. At the same time, some of them are questionable. Based on them, it turns out that the journey from Vladimir to Belgorod took the bride and her retinue two months. Even with the methods of transportation that existed then, this seems too long. In addition, the Ipatiev Chronicle clearly states that Verkhuslava was only 8 years old, so her parents were very sad when they parted. Simple calculations show that the princess should have been born in 1179, but as the chronicles report, Sbyslava-Pelageya was born in this year. It turns out that either the author of the Ipatiev Chronicle confused the birth years of the princesses, or made a mistake in the wedding date, or did not know how old the bride was at the time of marriage. In any case, the dates in the Ipatiev Chronicle are questionable. But at the same time, the recording itself contains a lot of interesting information about how matchmaking took place at that time. Initially, matchmakers were sent to the bride's parents. For Rostislav Rurikovich they were: his mother’s brother Gleb Yuryevich and his wife, the thousand’s Slavna and his wife, and many prominent boyars of his father. When the wedding issue was resolved, all the matchmakers received rich gifts from Vsevolod. They took with them the bride and her rich dowry - “gold and silver without number.” The father and mother only had to accompany their daughter to the fourth camp and say goodbye to her, shedding tears.

The wedding of the newlyweds took place in Belgorod, in the wooden Church of the Holy Apostles. The ceremony was performed by the local Bishop Maxim. After this, the groom's father arranged a grand wedding, the likes of which had never happened before. It was attended by 20 princes. Young Verkhuslava received the entire city of Bryagin as a gift from her father-in-law. Those accompanying her, her cousin Yakov (the son of Vsevolod Yuryevich’s sister) and his wife and the boyars of the city of Vladimir received rich gifts and returned to their homeland.

This detailed description of the wedding of Rostislav Rurikovich and Verkhuslava Vsevolodovna was undoubtedly compiled in the entourage of Rurik Rostislavich, who, apparently, was very glad that he became related to the powerful Grand Duke of Vladimir. But the dates indicated in it are most likely erroneous.

It is interesting to note that, according to the Ipatiev Chronicle, the wedding celebration also took place in Vladimir, when the matchmakers who accompanied Verkhuslava returned there in November; however, the young people were not present.

Judging by the entries in the Ipatiev Chronicle, Rurik Rostislavich attached great importance to his son’s marriage to Verkhuslava, who, apparently, was very young. Therefore, there were no children in this marriage for a long time. Only in 1198 did the princess give birth to a daughter, named Euphrosyne in baptism, and in princely name Izmoragd (Pearl). On this occasion, celebrations were organized not only in Kyiv, but also in neighboring Vyshgorod, where Rostislav and Verkhuslava probably lived after the reign of Rurik Rostislavich in the southern capital.

Mstislav Mstislavich, Rostislav’s cousin, and Predslava, daughter of Rurik Rostislavich, i.e. Rostislav’s sister, came to visit on the occasion of this event. The grandfather and grandmother immediately took the baby from her parents and began to raise her in Kyiv, in the grand ducal palace.

According to this entry, Euphrosyne-Izmoragd immediately received the status of a grand-ducal granddaughter. In the future, this was supposed to turn her into a very enviable bride, since her husband received the right to the Kiev grand-ducal throne.

It should be noted that such a detailed description of the birth of a girl in a grand ducal family is found for the first time on the pages of chronicles. It undoubtedly testifies to the increasing role of women at that time. For example, in the same Ipatiev Chronicle, under 1200, the participation of the female half of the family of Rurik Rostislavich in the celebration of the completion of the construction of the stone wall that strengthened the bank of the Dnieper at the St. Michael's Monastery was reported. Those present are indicated: the princess, princess Predslava and daughter-in-law Verkhuslava.

If the Ipatiev Chronicle mainly told about the Kyiv events at the end of the 12th century, then the Lavrentievskaya Chronicle recorded the events that took place in Vladimir-on-Klyazma, in the family of Vsevolod Yuryevich and Maria Yasynya. As already noted, before the birth of the sons, data concerning their four daughters was recorded.

Having no heirs for a long time, the Grand Duke of Vladimir was forced to invite his nephews as assistants. Among them was Yaroslav Mstislavich, the son of Mstislav’s elder brother, who remained in Byzantium. He helped Vsevolod in the fight against other nephews - the Rostislavichs and then received Pereyaslavl South as an inheritance. The Vladimir squad included the sons of Gleb Yuryevich Vladimir and Izyaslav. The first (who was married to the sister of Vseslava Vsevolodovna’s husband) was probably considered for some time the main grand ducal heir. Therefore, it was he who was first sent to reign in South Pereyaslavl (before Yaroslav Mstislavich), but in 1187 this prince died. Even earlier, in 1184, Izyaslav Glebovich, who went on campaigns with Vsevolod against the Volga Bulgars, died. His body was taken with honor to Vladimir and buried in the Assumption Cathedral.

Vladimir. Dmitrievsky Cathedral. "The Last Judgment." Holy Wives

Only in 1185 Vsevolod Yuryevich had a son-heir, Konstantin. This important event was not noted at all in the Ipatiev Chronicle. In the Laurentian - the entry is quite brief, although with an exact date: “In the same summer, in the same month of May, on the day, in memory of the holy martyr Potapya, on Saturday, a son was born to Grand Duke Vsevolod; and called his name in holy baptism Kostyantin.” Although the Laurentian Chronicle places this event in 1186, researchers believe that Constantine was born in 1185, since May 18 fell on a Saturday in that year. True, for some reason they did not pay attention to the fact that the memory of St. Patapia is celebrated not on May 18, but on December 8, and besides, he is not a martyr, but a venerable one. The reason for the error in the chronicle entry could be due to the fact that its author confused Patapius with Peacock, who was a martyr and his memory is celebrated on May 18. Most likely, the record of Constantine’s birth was made later than the event itself - when the real facts were already forgotten.

It can be assumed that from the protograph of the Laurentian Chronicle the exact record of the birth of Constantine was excluded by his rival brother Yuri, who laid claim to the great reign of Vladimir after the death of his father. Therefore, it lacked information about the tonsure of the senior prince and his mounting on a horse. Later they could not be restored.

According to the Laurentian Chronicle, the next son of Vsevolod and Mary was Boris, who was born on May 2, 1187 on the day of remembrance of Saints Boris and Gleb. It is characteristic that the second prince, like the first, received only a Christian name without a princely one; Unfortunately, Boris apparently fell victim to the epidemic and died the following year. The chronicle wrote about this: “That same summer, the sickness was strong among the great people, for there was not a single courtyard without a sick person, and in another courtyard there was no one to give water, but they all lay in pain.”

From the record for 1189 it turns out that Boris probably had a twin brother, Gleb, about whose birth there is no information: the chronicle records only his death on September 29, 1189. Perhaps his name disappeared from the birth record during correspondence, or , perhaps the name of the second twin was not recorded in the chronicles. It is characteristic that neither the Ipatiev nor the Laurentian Chronicles contain any data on the birth of twins, although they should have been in princely families.

It is likely that the death of two sons at once became a great grief for Maria Yasynya. After all, she and her husband probably dreamed of a large number of sons, support and helpers in old age.

There are many oddities in the chronicle records of the birth of Mary’s fourth son, Yuri. In the Laurentian Chronicle, his birth is attributed to 1189, while neither the date nor the month are indicated. On the contrary, in the Ipatiev Chronicle this entry is placed under the year 1187, albeit with the note: “Toe autumn,” and it is indicated that the prince was born in Suzdal on November 26, during the Filippov fast, on a church holiday dedicated to the consecration of the church of St. George in Kyiv. Bishop Luke took part in the baby's baptism, giving him the baptismal name George.

The year of Yuri’s birth raises doubts about this entry, since according to the Laurentian Chronicle, Boris and Gleb were born in 1187. The entry about their birth was placed earlier than the announcement about Yuri’s birth. Therefore, the assumption arises that the date in the Ipatiev Chronicle is incorrect. The one reported in the Laurentian Chronicle - 1189, seems more correct, since it agrees with the year the prince was mounted on a horse and his tonsure - 1192 (As is known, this ritual was performed when the boy was 3-4 years old, but no more.)

The record about this event in the Laurentian Chronicle is quite detailed: “8th summer 6700, month of July on the 8th day, in memory of the holy martyr Eustafia in Ankyur Galastey was tonsured by the Grand Duke Vsevolod, son of Georgev, grandson of Volodymyr Monomakh, his son Georgievi, in the city of Sujdali ; the same days and mounted his horse; and there was great joy in the city of Judgment, which was given to the blessed Bishop John.”

A comparison shows that some details in this entry coincide with the entry about Yuri's birth in the Ipatiev Chronicle: both events took place in Suzdal; not only the date is indicated, but also the church holiday; It is noted that the bishop participated in the ceremony and that “there was great joy in Suzdal.” The last phrase is identical in both chronicles, with the exception that in the Ipatievskaya it is reported that there was joy “in the entire Suzdal land,” and in the Laurentian chronicle - only in the city of Suzdal. The similarity of the entries may indicate that in the Ipatiev Chronicle the entry about the birth of Yuri was made by analogy with the entry about the mounting of the prince on a horse in the Laurentian Chronicle. Moreover, the date of his birth was given earlier in order to present him as the legitimate heir to the grand ducal throne.

We may recall that in the Ipatiev Chronicle there was no data at all on the birth of Konstantin, Boris and Gleb. Although Maria Yasynya was no longer a young woman, she continued to regularly give birth to boys. The Laurentian Chronicle records all the years of their birth, while the Ipatiev Chronicle records only a few and with different dates. Thus, the birth of Yaroslav, who received the baptismal name Fedor, was noted only in the Laurentian Chronicle. The entry is quite brief, but with an exact indication of the day (8) of the month (February) of the year (1190), a church holiday (in memory of the prophet Zechariah).

It should be noted that after Batu’s invasion, it was Yaroslav who became the Grand Duke and ruler of almost all of Rus', and the Moscow sovereigns became his descendants. There is little information about this prince in the Ipatiev Chronicle, since for some time he was a rival of Daniil Galitsky in the struggle for autocracy in the country. (It was already noted above that the final part of the Ipatiev Chronicle contains the Galician Chronicle.)

In the Laurentian Chronicle, the birth of Dmitry-Vladimir is noted on October 25, 1194, on the eve of Dmitri's Day. In the Ipatiev Chronicle, this event is attributed to 1192 and it is indicated that it was before Dmitri’s day, so the baby received the baptismal name Dmitry, the princely name Vladimir, in honor of the supposed grandfather of Vladimir Monomakh. (In fact, Monomakh was the great-grandfather of the sons of Vsevolod the Big Nest.) In this case, it is impossible to determine which date is more correct. The difference between the entries in the two chronicles under consideration is not only in the date, but also in the fact that in the Lavrentievskaya only the baptismal name of the prince is indicated, in the Ipatievskaya - both.

It is characteristic that the first four sons of Vsevolod and Mary had only baptismal names, and Yaroslav, Svyatoslav and Vladimir - according to the previous custom - two names.

The next prince, Svyatoslav-Gabriel, was born on March 27, 1196. This event was recorded only in the Laurentian Chronicle. In Ipatievskaya there is no information about this prince at all. There is information about the birth of the last prince Ivan in both chronicles. In Laurentian it is marked on August 28, 1198; in Ipatievskaya - August 1, 1197, and it is indicated that he received his name John in honor of John the Baptist. However, as is known, the festival dedicated to John the Baptist is celebrated on August 29, so the date in the Laurentian Chronicle seems more correct.

As already noted, the most important event in the life of the prince's sons was tonsure and mounting them on horses. After this ceremony, they left the care of their mother and were considered old enough. There is no doubt that all the boys in the family of Vsevolod and Maria were tonsured, but only a few of them are recorded in the Laurentian Chronicle. Among them, in addition to Yuri, there is also Yaroslav-Fedor. His tonsure took place on April 27, 1194, in memory of St. Semeona. At this time Yaroslav was 4 years old.

It turns out that even in the Laurentian Chronicle, not all events related to the family of Vsevolod and Mary were recorded. As already noted, some of the episodes related to the first prince Constantine were excluded from it. But some of them survived as part of the Trinity Chronicle. These include a message about the wedding of Constantine in 1196: “The same autumn (1196 - L.M.) Grand Duke Vsevolod married his son Kostyantin to Mstislav Romanovich; The Holy Mother of God was crowned in Volodymeri by the blessed Bishop John, on the 15th day of October, in memory of the holy martyr Lucian. I am here for the Grand Duke Vsevolod and the princess, and his children, and his husbands, and the Ryazan prince Roman, and his brother Vsevolod, and Volodimer with his son Gleb, and Vladimer of Murom, and David, and Yury with his husbands; and there was great joy in the city of Volodymeri.”

It turns out that Constantine, born in 1185, turned into a married man at the age of 11. Such an early marriage obviously testified to the desire of his parents to quickly make him an adult, capable of sitting on the Vladimir grand-ducal throne at any time. His wife was, apparently, the same young princess, the daughter of the Smolensk prince Mstislav Romanovich, the future Grand Duke of Kyiv.

The Trinity Chronicle states that after Constantine’s wedding, his brother Vladimir was tonsured on October 26. The same guests were present. As a result, the celebration lasted almost a month. All those present returned home with rich gifts: horses, gold and silver dishes, expensive clothes, furs, fabrics. For this they praised Vsevolod, his “blessed mistress” and children. The events described in the Trinity Chronicle indicate that Vsevolod and Maria were very hospitable hosts and loved to receive guests. Among them were usually their neighbors - the Ryazan and Murom princes. At the same time, they not only feasted for many days, but also left with expensive gifts. Maria Yasynya probably took care of this, since the princesses were in charge of making gift clothing. For this purpose, a whole workshop of gold seamstresses and weavers worked under their leadership.

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Blessed Grand Duchess Maria of Vladimir. Icon of the beginning of the 21st century.

Blessed Grand Duchess Maria of Vladimir, monk Martha, was born in the city of Meuse - the capital of Orthodox Alania (North Caucasus), Alan princess.

Known as Princess Maria Shvarovna.

• In some sources, she is mistakenly considered a Moravian princess.
• There is information that at an early age she was left an orphan and grew up in a related family of the Vladimir-Volyn prince.
• In 1174 - she was married to Grand Duke Vsevolod Yuryevich (Georgievich)
• In marriage she gave birth to 12 children, 4 of whom (Konstantin, Yuri (George), Yaroslav, Svyatoslav) later became Grand Dukes of Vladimir.
• In the matter of establishing and governing the Grand Duchy, the Grand Duke's wife had to do charity work, and Grand Duchess Maria performed them with truly Christian love and zeal. She was not only kind, but extremely kind to everyone. In “Russian History from Ancient Times” V.N. Tatishchev says that after the fire of 1185, when, according to the chronicler, not only the entire city and the churches numbering 30 and 2 and the cathedral church of the Holy Mother of God, the golden-domed one, were adorned by the blessed Prince Andrei, then the grand-ducal palace served as a victim of the flame; The Grand Duke immediately became concerned with the restoration of the holy churches and distribution to the poor fire victims from his own estate to build houses, but the princess distributed mainly to the poor, although her rich clothes were almost all burned.
• With the birth of her last son, John, in 1198, the holy princess fell into a serious illness. According to the testimony of the Degree Book and the Life of the son of Princess Mary, the holy noble prince Georgy Vsevolodovich, the Grand Duchess lay in weakness for seven years and did not utter any blasphemous word. She endured her suffering with gratitude and patience, prayed and often recalled the words of the righteous Job: if we could accept good things from the hand of the Lord, then will we not endure evil (cf. Job 2:10). The Grand Duchess drew strength and consolation from memories of the Lord's suffering. During her illness, her desire to become a monk and prepare a place for eternal rest was finally confirmed, by founding the first convent in Vladimir.
• In 1200, at her insistence, the Assumption Monastery was founded in the city of Vladimir, which later became known in her honor as the Assumption (Princess) Monastery. Thanks to her efforts and patronage, the monastery was quickly built and developed.
• In 1205, the Grand Duchess decided to say goodbye to the world and move to a newly built monastery. And see you off, Grand Duchess. it is said in the chronicle, the Grand Duke Vsevolod himself with many tears, her son George and her daughter Vseslav... There came Bishop John, and all the abbesses and the monks and the monks and all the people, seeing off with many tears. These farewells began from the court church of the Great Martyr Demetrius, which served as a place of prayer for the Grand Duke, and especially his sick wife. This temple was the closest witness to the Grand Duchess’s farewell to all worldly things, before her departure for her monastic feat. Here Bishop John, the clergy and the people awaited her final exit from the grand-ducal palace, and a parting prayer was offered to the Lord God for the princess who was departing for the newly founded Dormition monastery.
• The saint took monastic vows. Trinity Chronicle: “In 1206, on March 2, Grand Duchess Maria took monastic vows in the monastery of the Holy Mother of God, she herself created and gave her the name Maria, and was quickly baptized in the same name. And Grand Duke Vsevolod himself accompanied her with many tears to the monastery of the Holy Mother of God and his son George and his daughters. And quickly Bishop John, Simon abbot, her spiritual father, and other abbots, all the boyars and boyars and maidens from all the monasteries and the townspeople, escorted her with many tears to the monastery, and was very kind to everyone.”
• Passed away March 19 (April 1) 1206 , before her death, the nun Maria accepted the schema with the name Martha. She was buried in a niche in the northern porch of the Assumption Cathedral of the monastery, but at a later time, during the construction of the northern chapel of the Assumption Church, the tomb ended up in the Annunciation chapel of the temple.

From that time (before the transfer of the Grand Duke's throne to Moscow), the monastery also served as the tomb of the Grand Duchesses and Princesses of Vladimir.

2012.07.27 Sun. book Maria Vladimirskaya on the monument to Vladimir the Red Sun and St. Theodore

Children:

• Sbyslava (Pelageya) (born October 26, 1178);
• Verkhuslava (Antonia) (1181-after 1189), from 04/26/1189 married to Rostislav Rurikovich
• Konstantin (1186-1218) - Prince of Novgorod, Prince of Rostov and Grand Duke of Vladimir;
• Vseslav (died after 1206). Since June 15, 1187, married to Rostislav Yaroslavich Snovsky;
• Boris (†1188)
• Gleb (†1189)
• Georgy (Yuri) - b devout Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich (1188-1238) - Grand Duke of Vladimir
• Alena (d. 12/30/1203);
• Yaroslav (1191-1246) - Grand Duke of Vladimir;
• Vladimir (1192-1227) - Prince of Starodub;
• Svyatoslav - noble prince

Holy Dormition Princess Convent.

Blessed Grand Duchess Maria of Vladimir is the organizer of the Assumption Monastery. Each era creates its own ideal of female personality. Until the time of Peter the Great, our pious ancestors believed in holiness the highest meaning of their entire lives. Therefore, in pre-Petrine Rus', the image of a fasting woman, the image of monastic piety even in the world, purity and severity of character, monastic sanctification of all thoughts and all actions, every movement of the soul and body, dominates over all other female images. Maria Shvarnovna was able to combine the features of this ideal image, which pious Russian princesses and princesses strived for - and often achieved.

Icon of Grand Duchess Maria Shvarnovna. Beginning of the 21st century

Grand Duchess Maria came from the family of the Czech prince Švarn. Her Czech princely name is known - Miloslava. At an early age she was left an orphan and grew up in a related family of the Vladimir-Volyn prince. As the Trinity Chronicle testifies, the future Grand Duchess was raised from childhood in the fear of God. In 1174, she was married to Prince Vsevolod and since then found a new homeland in Rus', close to her in spirit.

In the matter of establishing and governing the Grand Duchy, the Grand Duke's wife had to do charity work, and Grand Duchess Maria performed them with truly Christian love and zeal. She was not only kind, but extremely kind to everyone. In “Russian History from Ancient Times” V.N. Tatishchev says that after the fire of 1185, when, according to the chronicler, not only the entire city and the churches numbering 30 and 2 and the cathedral church of the Holy Mother of God, the golden-domed one, were adorned by the blessed Prince Andrei, then the grand-ducal palace served as a victim of the flame; The Grand Duke immediately became concerned with the restoration of the holy churches and distribution to the poor fire victims from his own estate to build houses, but the princess distributed mainly to the poor, although her rich clothes were almost all burned.

Maria Shvarnovna was a faithful and selfless helper to her husband, a child-loving and pious mother who raised twelve children, among them eight sons.

Princess Maria always had a special affection for monasticism. Perhaps this was her true calling from her earliest years, which did not come true immediately, but always lived in her soul and only the duties of a wife and mother delayed the moment of fulfillment of this cherished desire. The burning of the soul with love for God, the secret desire for monastic life was passed on from Princess Maria not only to children, but also to grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

With the birth of her last son, John, in 1198, the Grand Duchess fell into a serious illness. According to the testimony of the Degree Book and the Life of the son of Princess Mary, the holy noble Prince George, the Grand Duchess lay in weakness for seven years and did not utter any blasphemous word. She endured her suffering with gratitude and patience, prayed and often recalled the words of the righteous Job: if we could accept good things from the hand of the Lord, then can we really not endure evil (cf. Job 2:10). The Grand Duchess drew strength and consolation from memories of the Lord's suffering. During her illness, her desire to become a monk and prepare a place for eternal rest was finally confirmed, for this purpose she founded the first convent in Vladimir.

In 1205, the Grand Duchess decided to say goodbye to the world and move to a newly built monastery. And see you off, Grand Duchess. it is said in the chronicle, the Grand Duke Vsevolod himself with many tears, her son George and her daughter Vseslav... There came Bishop John, and all the abbesses and the monks and the monks and all the people, seeing off with many tears. These farewells began from the court church of the Great Martyr Demetrius, which served as a place of prayer for the Grand Duke, and especially his sick wife. This temple was the closest witness to the Grand Duchess’s farewell to all worldly things, before her departure for her monastic feat. Here Bishop John, the clergy and the people awaited her final exit from the grand-ducal palace, and a parting prayer was offered to the Lord God for the princess who was departing for the newly founded Dormition monastery. The Grand Duke's court church parted forever with its permanent pilgrim, the wife of its sovereign founder. Now the princess offered her prayers in the Assumption Monastery, where she later found eternal peace.

Shortly before this event, the princess admonished her eldest son Konstantin to reign in Novgorod and gave her children dying testamentary instructions, full of fear of God, love and meekness:

My beloved children! Here you see me in great pain, and soon I will depart from this short-lived light to my fathers. And so, as long as you remain in a vain life, first of all, have faith and love for God and His Most Pure Mother, the true Mother of God, and strive with all your might to have the fear of God in yourself. To the saints and presbyters and the entire priestly rank, do not be ashamed to bow your heads, since they are servants of God Himself and the Most Pure Mother of God and shepherds of the verbal sheep; he who honors the priest of God honors God Himself, and he who insults the priest of God insults God Himself. Always have quietness and meekness, and humility, and love, and mercy; Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the free, and keep yourselves clean. Always do alms, for it will put you before God; don't miss any person, greetings. Have unfeigned love among yourselves, and the God of peace and love will be in you and will keep you from all evil, and may he subdue your enemies under your feet. If you are in hatred, and in strife, and in enmity among yourself, then you yourself will perish, and you will destroy the Blessed Heritage - the power of your fatherland, which your forefathers and your father and your other relatives acquired with much labor and then. Therefore, be peaceful and kind to each other, listening to brother to brother. Have your oldest brother Constantine as your father and head. But you, my eldest son Constantine, have your Brotherhood as sons, take care of them as a member of your body, listen to John the Evangelist the Theologian, who says: “If anyone says: “I love God,” but hates his enemy, he is a liar.” Therefore, abide in love, for “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” My beloved sons, Fear God with all your soul; Bishops, priests and deacons and every priestly rank do not be ashamed to bow their heads, because they are the shepherds of the verbal sheep and the leaders of the secret Divine Table. Especially do not pass by any monk without bowing. Visit the sick, feed and drink the hungry and thirsty, clothe the naked; have purity in yourself; Love fasting and prayer, but especially almsgiving, for it will put you before God. And bow your head before every elder among you, and do not let the strong offend the lesser, carry out judgment to protect the orphan, justify the widow, have sobriety, hate pride, for it brought down the angels from heaven.

Soon Constantine went to reign in Novgorod, and the next day, March 2, the Grand Duchess moved to a monastery and took monastic vows. Here is how the Trinity Chronicle tells about it: In 1206, on March 2, Grand Duchess Maria took monastic vows in the monastery of the Holy Mother of God, which she herself created and gave her the name Maria, and was quickly baptized in the same name. And Grand Duke Vsevolod himself accompanied her with many tears to the monastery of the Holy Mother of God and his son George and his daughters. And quickly Bishop John, Simon abbot, her spiritual father, and other abbots, all the boyars and boyars and nuns from all the monasteries and the townspeople, escorted her with many tears to the monastery, and she was very kind to everyone.

That same month, on the nineteenth day, Grand Duchess Maria reposed, having been in the monastery for 18 days, having taken monastic vows, and having been ill for 8 years, she passed away to the Lord for the ninth year.

Before her death, following the desire of her heart, the nun Maria accepted the schema with the name Martha; She is also listed under this name in the synodics of the monastery, and the inscription on her tomb testifies to the same.

Schema-nun Martha was buried in a niche on the northern porch of the Assumption Cathedral of the monastery, but at a later time, during the construction of the northern aisle of the Assumption Church, the tomb ended up in the Annunciation aisle of the temple. From that time (before the transfer of the Grand Duke's throne to Moscow), the monastery also served as the tomb of the Grand Duchesses and Princesses of Vladimir. The name Knyaginin was assigned to the monastery in honor of the founder.

A small feature of the Vladimir icon: this is the only image in which the foot of Jesus is visible.

The image of the Mother of God for the Orthodox world is one of the main ones. He is placed along with the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit and the Savior. The Mother of God is an intercessor and teacher for each individual Christian and the entire country.

Icons of the Mother of God can be found in every church, every Orthodox home. Through them she manifests her will, listens to those praying, and helps. One of the most revered images is Vladimir. It appears in important historical events in Russia. The icon healed many people from ailments that modern medicine could not cope with.

The history of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is very interesting, but no less interesting is its description given by art historians, iconographers and scientists. It is a striking example of Byzantine painting of the 12th century and has unique features.

Description

On the Vladimir Icon, the Virgin Mary is depicted in a dark red robe. In her arms is the baby Savior. On his clothes there is a small green stripe - klav, a symbol of royal power. The background is gold. Monograms are applied to the sides.

The iconographic type of the icon is “Tenderness”. Icon painting experts claim that it was made in Byzantium. The estimated time of creation is the 11th-12th centuries. The image is a striking example of changes in the art of that area. Artists and icon painters moved away from deliberate graphics and stopped contrasting lines with volume. Characteristic are weak, almost invisible strokes that create a feeling of the miraculous nature of the shrine. The lines are smooth, flowing from one another.

The “Tenderness” type is characterized by the way the Mother of God and the Child Savior are depicted. The Virgin Mary holds Jesus in her arms, her head bowed towards him. The little Savior presses his cheek to his mother's cheek. It is widely believed that this particular image was held in special esteem in Constantinople. The type was formed in the 11th–12th centuries AD. Tenderness icons have multifaceted symbolism.

Symbolism

“Tenderness” can be interpreted in different ways. On the one hand, it symbolizes the sacrifice made by the mother for the sake of all humanity. Is every mother ready to give her child to be tortured in order to save someone else? The Virgin Mary's sacrifice is limitless. She knew that the Son of God would live a difficult earthly life. Therefore, her mental anguish can be compared with all the pain that her son experienced.

Also, the “Tenderness” icons are a symbol of maternal love. The Mother of God is the common mother of all Christians, she protects us, helps us in difficult moments, and intercedes before the Father-Lord for everyone.

The appearance of the shrine in Rus' and the first miracles

This icon was presumably painted in the 12th century. According to legend, this is a list from an image made by Luke during the life of the Virgin Mary. The canvas was the tabletop from the table at which the Savior dined with Joseph and his mother. In the 5th century, this icon came to Constantinople, and almost 700 years later, the clergyman Luke made a copy of it and sent it as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky.

Yuri's son, Andrei Bogolyubsky, went with the shrine to the other end of the country to found a kingdom there independent of Kyiv. He was passing through Vladimir. And here the icon first showed itself as miraculous. Before Andrey had time to move away from the city, the horses stopped dead in their tracks. Nobody could move them. Then the horses were replaced, but these also refused to move away from Vladimir. Yuri realized that this was a sign and began to pray fervently. The Mother of God appeared to him and said that the place of the icon was in this city. It was ordered to build a temple for her. The prince obeyed. Since then, the icon began to be called Vladimir.

Miracles created

From the moment it appeared in Rus', the Vladimir icon was revered by all segments of the population - from peasants to princes. History knows at least 3 cases when, through the shrine, the Virgin Mary expressed her will several times, had mercy on entire cities, protecting them from destruction.

Briefly about the three most famous miracles:

• Rescue from Khan Mehmet. In 1521, the Tatar leader was planning to capture Moscow and gathered a large army for this purpose. The entire Orthodox population, bishops and administration prayed before the icon of the Mother of God. In the end, she saved the city by appearing to Mehmet in a dream with a huge army. He was afraid of this sign and retreated.
• Rescue from Khan Akhmat. The confrontation was won before it even began. Akhmat led the troops to the Ugra River and waited for action from the opposite side. The prince did not lead the soldiers on the offensive, but took up convenient positions. Fearing a trap, the enemy retreated. Before this, the Mother of God appeared to one pious nun in a dream, showing that the icon should not be taken outside the city. Khan retreated after they stopped the bishops who were going to do this and read a sincere prayer.
• Rescue from Khan Tamerlane. He retreated after seeing the Mother of God in his dream.

In honor of each of these miracles, icon celebrations are held.

The Mother of God also responded to the prayers of ordinary people. She healed many from diseases that medicine could not overcome: blindness, heart defects, cancer.

Miracle Lists

A distinctive feature of the Volokolamsk icon is the image of Saints Cyprian and Gerontius, with whom the arrival of the shrine in Moscow is associated

• The Volokolamsk copy of the icon of the Virgin Mary is in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral. In 1572, she was brought from Zvenigorod to the monastery of Joseph Volotsky. Saints Cyprian and Leonidas played an important role in the fate of the Vladimir shrine, and therefore were honored to be included on its list. The first one transported the icon from Vladimir to Moscow. During the second, it finally gained a foothold in the capital; it was decided to leave it here, if not forever, then for a very long time. In 1588, a church was dedicated to the Volokolamsk shrine, and then it was moved to the Assumption Cathedral. The shrine is considered miraculous.
• Seliger list. It belonged to the Monk Neil of Stolbensky, who lived near Lake Seliger, on Stolbny Island. Kept next to his relics. During his lifetime, they tried to rob the clergyman: upon entering his cell, the criminals saw only an icon. And they immediately became blind - the Lord protected the Nile, punishing the attackers. They repented and began to tearfully ask the monk for forgiveness. Having forgiven them, Stolbny prayed to the Lord for the men’s forgiveness. Their vision returned.

On the Seliger Icon the Child is depicted to the right of the Virgin Mary.

People most often pray to the Vladimir icon for the salvation of the soul, guidance on the true path, and for the protection of children. The Mother of God is ready to protect everyone who turns to her in sincere prayer. There were cases when she even helped people of other faiths.

On the eve of Easter. Church.

Church services include days of remembrance of revered saints. On April 1 (March 19, Old Style), in the Fifth Week of Lent, the Russian Orthodox Church commemorates Grand Duchess Maria († 1206), the wife of the Vladimir-Suzdal prince Vsevolod Yuryevich the Big Nest. The exact time of canonization is not known, but the practice of commemoration dates back centuries, at least to the 19th century. Mary was not considered universally revered, but a local saint and was venerated only in the Vladimir parish of the Russian Orthodox Church. But this year prayer services were also held in Vladikavkaz.

I quote information from State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company « Alanya" from April 1: http://alaniatv.ru/vesti/?id=13283

“Today the Orthodox Church remembers Alanian Princess Maria Yasynya. Prayer services were held in churches in Vladikavkaz, Vladimir and Moscow. Maria Yasskaya was the wife of the Vladimir prince Vsevolod the Big Nest.[…]
Prayers in memory of Alanian Princess Maria Yasyne were held in North Ossetia for the first time. This decision was made after an Orthodox forum organized in November last year in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. […]
Holy image of Mary Ash trees Zoya Dzangubekova evokes admiration and boundless pride. About Alanian The princess, a parishioner of the Ossetian Church, knows almost everything. Maria Yasynya was the wife of the Vladimir prince Vsevolod the Big Nest. She gave him 12 children. Mikhail Chernigovsky, Alexander Nevsky, Daniil Moskovsky - her descendants played a big role in the formation of the Russian state.
The fact that on this day the memory is honored in the churches of the republic Alanian Few people know about the princess yet, so the memorial prayer service in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary today attracted only a few dozen believers. […]
Zosima, Archbishop of Vladikavkaz and Alan: “This is a significant event, because two great peoples - the people of Holy Rus', the people Alanya united, as it were, in this personality, a great personality, a spiritual personality.”
Maria Yasynya became the third Russian saint after the Kyiv Princess Olga and Prince Vladimir. […]
Zalina Kusaeva, representative of the Foundation for Promoting the Revival of Spiritual, Ethnocultural and Family Values ​​named after Grand Duchess Maria Ash trees: "Maria Yasynya She herself was a great philanthropist. And this is how we establish friendly relations with the city of Vladimir.”
Long time personality of Mary Ash trees was not given due attention, especially during Soviet times. The Grand Duchess Foundation was created so that descendants throughout the country know and remember Iasi princess" (c).

Your eyes didn't get bright from repetitions about Yasynya And Alanian princess? What kind of saint she is, what she is famous for, it doesn’t matter - what matters is that she is Ash, Alan, Ossetian.

Alas, this is not true. Not an ash tree, not an Alan, and not an Ossetian.

And "every liethere is sin "(1 John 5:17). On the eve of Easter, during Great Lent, when it is customarycleansing yourself of everything sinful for the sake of joining Christ’s ideal is somehow not good.

Yes, the Orthodox Church venerates the blessed princess Mary. But not Yasynya.
They venerate Mary of Vladimir. Maria Vsevolozha (by her husband). Maria Shvarnovna (on her father's side). No "ash tree".
Who is her origin? Let's look at Orthodox sites.

« Maria Shvarnovna(Vladimirovna), Czech princely name Miloslava, in monasticism Maria, in the schema Marfa», « princess Czech, Grand Duchess of Vladimir." List of canonized princes

“Maria Shvarnovna, in monasticism Maria, schema Martha (+ 1206), blessed saint, Grand Duchess of Vladimir, her memory is on March 19, the day of her death (local, Vladimir), July 6 (June 23, old style) in the Cathedral of Vladimir saints
Daughter Czech Prince Shvarn and was baptized in the Orthodox faith." Lives of the Saints

“Feeling the approach of death, Grand Duchess Maria Shvarnovna (daughter Czech Prince Shvarna) wished to take monastic vows, but her monasticism (under) the name of Martha) did not last long: from March 2 to March 19, 1206. On the same day she died.” Chetii-Minei Metropolitan Philaret of Chernigov: Memory of the Righteous Grand Duchess Maria

And this is information from Mary’s nest itself - the Princess of the Holy Dormition Convent in Vladimir: “The monastery was founded around 1200 by Mary Shvarnovnoy, wife of Grand Duke Vsevolod Georgievich (Yurievich), better known as Vsevolod the Big Nest. She was a daughter Czech King Schwarn." http://www.km1199.ru/istoriya-monastyirya/

Also: from the Life of Mary from the website of her same monastery. "Holy Blessed Grand Duchess Maria Shvarnovna was the wife of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Vsevolod III “Big Nest”, famous for his political prudence, military courage and justice, under which (1176-1212) the Vladimir principality experienced its greatest prosperity. By origin she was Moravian princess, chronicles trace her lineage back to Czech Prince Švarn (Moravia then became part of the Czech Republic). In the Multiple Vladimir Chronicler n.XV1c. she is also called “Yashya, daughter Czech prince,” as is believed, based on the name of the river Ashes, a tributary of the Morava River in Serbia. Known for her Moravian princely name - Miloslava." http://www.km1199.ru/o-monastyire/velikaya-knyaginya-mariya/

It is not the ash tree that the Russian Orthodox Church honors, but the Czech one (an option is the Moravian one). Maria Shvarnovna. Why deceive your flock? “All untruth is sin.”

The question of the origin of Mary is not only ecclesiastical, but also historical. In both Christianity and history, people seek truth: Christians through faith, historians through the scientific method. Both of them reject lies. They successfully exchange experiences, so that the line between religion and humanitarian knowledge is in many cases blurred. “Christianity is the religion of historians,” Mark Bloch accurately put it at the time.

In this case, one small part of the Russian Orthodox Church came into conflict not only with the traditional view of the church on Mary as the daughter of a “Czech prince,” but also with historical science. Because in the historiography of Ancient Rus' the question is clarified. Maria had two sisters, who also married Russian princes, only one of them, the wife of Mstislav Svyatoslavich (the future prince of Chernigov), was called “yasynya” (either from the Czech toponym, or from the Don - but not Caucasian - yas). “There is no need to attribute Ossetian origin to all three sisters,” write famous researchers of Russian princely genealogy A.F. Litvina and F.B. Uspensky, suggesting that the ash sister was born from another marriage of Shvarn (Litvina A.F., Uspensky F.B. Who was “Maria Vsevolozhaya”? Patronymic and origin of three Russian princessesXII century // A.F.Litvina, F.B. Uspensky. The choice of a name among Russian princes in the X-XVI centuries: Dynastic history through the prism of anthroponymy. - M.: Indrik, 2006. (Works on philology and history.) Excursion 5. P. 374). Fyodor Borisovich Uspensky, for information, is deputy director of the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, teaches at the Orthodox St. Tikhon's University for the Humanities.

But what about the decision of the “Orthodox forum organized last November in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow”? The “Orthodox Forum” was held on November 10-11, 2014.XVIIIWorld Russian People's Council under the patronage of the Russian Orthodox Church. Indeed, there was a section called “The Fatherland, exalted by the labors of our ancestors.” Maria Yasynya: from an Alanian princess to a holy Russian princess,” where carefully selected participants from North Ossetia, none of whom are an expert on the topic (do not call Ruslan Bzarov such), spoke clearly about the Yassy-Alanian-Ossetian origin of Maria without, of course, providing any evidencepro. http://www.blagos.ru/vse-novosti/item/2663-sobor

The Ossetian version of “Maria Yasynya” is built on this sand. Contrary to everything that is known about the blessed princess.

I have prepared a special article with objections to unscientific attempts to mold a Russian princess into an Ossetian princess. It was planned that it would be published in the first issue of the “Bulletin of the Vladikavkaz Scientific Center” for this year (the issue has already been published). But editor-in-chief Anatoly Georgievich Kusraev (chairman of the All-Russian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences) removed it because he saw there (saw correctly) criticism of the politicization (as well as falsification and mythologization) of history, which is blooming in full bloom in the republic with the full connivance of scientific and educational structures.

I end my fast on Easter Eve. What to remember from Christ’s covenants? To the place.

« Blessed are those who hunger and thirsty truth" (Matt. 5:6).
The Christian “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor. 13: 4-8).

This is why we break spears.

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