Midsummer Wishes To My Faithful Readers ...

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"In 1020, Yaroslav of Novgorod, another son of Volodymyr the Great, invaded Kyiv and drove out Svyatopolk, who died in flight to Poland. Yaroslav of Novgorod translated the bodies of his brothers Boris and Gleb (d. 1015), reputedly incorrupt, to the church of St. Basil at Vyshgorod, north of Kyiv along the river; miracles were reported and pilgrimages began. The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Kyiv hesitated to canonize them: they were neither ascetics nor teachers, neither bishops nor martyrs in the sense of being killed for the faith. They were seen, however, as ‘passion-bearers’, innocent men who had renounced violence and accepted death as a sacrifice in the unresisting spirit of Christ. They were accordingly canonized and Pope Benedict XIII approved their cult as martyrs in 1724."












Church of the Slavonic Orthodox Saints Boris and Gleb, Grodno, Belarus, Future European Union, 1180 C.E.

This church is the only surviving monument of ancient Black Ruthenian architecture, distinguished from other Orthodox churches by prolific use of polychrome faceted stones of blue, green or red tint which could be arranged to form crosses or other figures on the walls. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo credit: (c) Belarus.by. All rights reserved. With thanks.