Religious holiday on July 28th. Day of the Baptism of Rus'. Holidays around the world

6th Sunday after Pentecost. Voice five.

Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Vasily (1015).

Martyrs Cyricus and Julitta (c. 305).

The holy martyrs Kirik and Julitta lived in Asia Minor in the city of Iconium, Lycaon region. Saint Julitta came from a noble family and was a Christian. Widowed at an early age, she raised her three-year-old son Kirik. During the persecution instituted against Christians by the emperor Diocletian (284-305), Saint Julitta with her son and two faithful slaves left the city, leaving her house, property and slaves.
Under the guise of a beggar, she first hid in Seleucia, and then in Torso. There, around 305, she was recognized, detained and presented to the court of the ruler Alexander. Strengthened by the Lord, the saint fearlessly answered the judge’s questions and firmly confessed her faith in Christ. The ruler ordered the saint to be beaten with sticks. During the torture, Saint Julitta repeated: “I am a Christian and will not sacrifice to demons.”
Baby Kirik cried, looking at the torment of his mother, and rushed to her. Ruler Alexander tried to caress him, but the boy struggled and shouted: “Let me go to my mother, I am a Christian.” The ruler threw the child from the height of the platform onto the stone steps, the boy rolled down, hitting sharp corners, and died. The mother, seeing her tormented son, thanked God for honoring the baby with the crown of martyrdom. After many cruel tortures, Saint Julitta was beheaded with a sword.
The relics of Saints Cyricus and Julitta were found during the reign of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles King Constantine († 337, commemorated May 21). In honor of the holy martyrs, a monastery was built near Constantinople, and a temple was erected not far from Jerusalem. According to popular belief, Saints Cyricus and Julitta are prayed for family happiness and the recovery of sick children.

Sschmch. Peter the Deacon(1938).
Mch. Avudima(IV) .
St. Donald of Ogilvy(716) (Scotland) .
St. Swithuna, ep. Winchester(862) (Celtic and British) .
Gained. head of St. Matrona of Chios(Greek) .
Mch. Loliana(Greek) . |

Few people know what holiday is July 28th according to the church calendar, since this is a relatively recent solemn event. The Baptism of Rus' was legalized by former Russian President D. A. Medvedev in 2010. This date was timed to coincide with the day of the great accomplishment, when in 988 Christianity was proclaimed on the pagan land, which became the main religion of the young state. And now on July 28, Orthodox Christians celebrate the day of the baptism of Rus'. On this day, the Holy Church prayerfully honors the memory of Prince Vladimir, who himself was first baptized, and then, thanks to him, the baptism of the entire Russian people took place. After this, people began to have the opportunity to save their souls and live according to the Holy Gospel.

What church holiday is July 28 (history): the role of Vladimir

How did this all happen? Let's plunge a little into the times of ancient Kievan Rus. Delving further into what holiday is July 28 according to the church calendar, it should be noted that in the history of the church the prince is mentioned as Vladimir the Baptist; in ancient epics he is called the Red Sun. In ancient Russian writings he was called equal to the apostles, since his princely feat was equated with apostolic service.

He was born around 963. His father was the Kiev prince Svyatoslav, and his mother was the Drevlyan princess Malusha. Soon after his birth, Vladimir is taken to Kyiv, and his grandmother, Princess Olga, and his uncle, the pagan governor Dobrynya, are involved in his upbringing.

Svyatoslav

In 969, Prince Svyatoslav distributed the inheritance among his sons. Kyiv went to Yaropolk, the land of the Drevlyans - to Oleg. At the same time, the Novgorodians came to the prince and, on the advice of Dobrynya, began to ask for Prince Vladimir to rule. So, as a child, Vladimir became the ruler of the Novgorod lands. In 972, Svyatoslav dies, and his sons begin to fight for the lands. As a result, Yaropolk kills Oleg. Vladimir is leaving for Scandinavia at this time and wants to gather a mercenary army to go to Kyiv. The traitor brings Yaropolk to Vladimir, and he decides to kill his brother. From this moment the era of Vladimir's reign begins.

Vladimir

Speaking about what holiday is celebrated on July 28, it must be added that before Prince Vladimir converted to Christianity, he was described in the chronicles as a vindictive and cruel ruler, a convinced pagan. On the Kyiv mountains at that time there were pagan idols that required human sacrifices.

The Varangian Christians Theodore and his son John challenged paganism; they became the first Christian martyrs in Rus', because they did not want to sacrifice to an idol.

And then the prince first thought about the truth of his faith. Vladimir took care of the power of the state and carried out military campaigns. He annexed other lands, wanted to introduce something new and carried out a pagan reform, uniting the pagan gods in the pantheon he himself established. This became his first step in the search for truth.

Philosopher

The prince was greatly impressed by the Greek philosopher who visited him at that time and told him about Orthodoxy. And then Vladimir sends his envoys to different lands so that they can see with their own eyes the beauty of this or that faith, compare and upon arrival tell about everything they saw. After a certain time, the messengers began to return. A story about the solemnity of the service, the singing and the splendor of the church of St. Sophia and the patriarchal service touched to the depths of my soul.

The envoys uttered a phrase that during the service they did not know where they were - in heaven or on earth! The boyars noticed that Princess Olga had also converted to Christianity, and they considered her the wisest of all women.

Baptism

The baptism of Vladimir was associated with the conquest of the city of Chersonesos. He vowed to be baptized after the victory. However, I was in no hurry with this issue. From Chersonesos he sends envoys to Constantinople to Emperor Basil and Constantine so that they give him their sister Anna as his wife. But they replied that their sister could only marry a Christian. When Princess Anna came to him with her retinue and priests, the prince suddenly became blind. The princess, in order to heal the illness, asks him to be baptized as soon as possible. In 988, Vladimir was baptized and received the name Vasily. He emerged from the font healed of his physical illness and regained his sight spiritually. He exclaimed, “Now I know the true God.”

People

And this is where the most important event for Rus' begins - the baptism of the people. First, all the children of Vladimir were baptized, then the boyars and people. The prince begins a merciless fight against pagan idols. Perun - the main pagan idol - was tied to a horse's tail, dragged to the Dnieper and thrown into the water, so that no one could find him again and take him away.

And the priests who arrived with Princess Anna begin to talk throughout Rus' about the savior of the world - Jesus Christ.

Then a day was appointed when all residents of Kyiv would have to gather on the banks of the Dnieper to perform the baptismal ceremony.

There was also a prince who thanked the Lord for His great mercies to his people. People entered the water, and priests read prayers over them.

Spread of Christianity throughout Rus'

In conclusion of the study of the question of what holiday is July 28 according to the church calendar, it must be said that Novgorod, Murom, Rostov, Suzdal Territory, Lutsk, Pskov, Smolensk accept Christianity after Kiev... The children of the prince, who were given their inheritance, also baptized people in their lands.

The Christian faith generally spread successfully, since sermons and conversations were conducted peacefully and in a language understandable to people thanks to Cyril and Methodius. Although it happened differently.

By the 10th-13th centuries, other peoples neighboring Kievan Rus also accepted the Orthodox faith. And in Kyiv, on the site where the pagan idol stood, the church of St. Basil, the heavenly patron of the Kyiv prince, was built. A little later, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Tithe) was built. An important administrative reform will be associated with its appearance - the establishment of church tithes.

Holy Martyrs

July 28 - Church of the holy martyrs Julitta (Ulitta) and Kirik, who suffered martyrdom under the emperor Diocletian (late 3rd - early 4th century). Iullita was a widow from a wealthy family. Kirik was her son. During the time of fierce persecution of Christians, she left her home and property, together with her three-year-old son and two slaves, she went to another city, where she began to wander like a beggar. But one day they recognized her, took her to the ruler and began to demand her to renounce her faith. But Iulitta didn’t want to hear about it. Then they began to beat her with whips and took away her son.

The boy burst into tears when he saw his mother being tortured. The ruler wanted to caress the baby, but he said that he was also a Christian and wanted to be released to his mother. Then the ruler threw him off his stone platform. And Iulitta was first brutally beaten, and then her head was cut off.

The holy relics of these martyrs were found under the ruler Constantine the Great; one of the slaves showed where their bodies were buried.

Old Believers also venerate these saints. According to folk tradition, this holiday is considered the middle of summer, and it is on this day that the sun shines especially brightly.

In conclusion of the study of the question of what holiday is July 28 according to the church calendar, it should be especially noted that women loved to celebrate Mother Julitta’s day the most. They called this saint their intercessor. They were supposed to get as much rest as possible. It was believed that on this day it was better not to go out into the field, since evil spirits were walking there at that time. There was a rumor among the people that whoever reaps at this time may see a bad omen that may come true. This is logically explained by the fact that on this day it often rains heavily, so there is nothing to do in the garden at this time.

Kiriki are always wet-holes. That's what the peasants said. But at home there was always plenty of work for everyone. Children were also taught to work very early. And they became a reliable support for their mothers, like Saint Cyric for Julitta.

The Orthodox church calendar in July contains such wonderful dates that we can only pray to our saints to help us in our trials, sent to us by the Lord himself.

Today, July 28 (July 15, old style), the Orthodox Church celebrates the Orthodox Church holiday:

* Martyrs Cyricus and Julitta, his mother (c. 305). *** Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, in holy baptism Basil, Baptist of Rus' (1015). Blessed Prince Vladimir and Princess Agrippina, Rzhevsky (XVI)
Martyr Avudim (c. 284-305); Lolliana. Blessed King Justinian II (695). Venerable Matrona of Chios (finding of the head). Hieromartyr Peter the Deacon (1938).

Equal to the Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, named Vasily in holy baptism

Prince Vladimir was a rude pagan before being baptized. But, leading a dissolute, unconscious life, in 988 the prince received holy baptism from the Byzantine clergy. Before this event, for several years, he analyzed and became more familiar with world concessions. But Islam, Judaism, and Roman-style Christianity left the heart of the pagan ruler cold. Only worship and the commitment to personal transformation preached in Orthodoxy prompted Vladimir to repent and become a Christian.

At baptism, Vladimir was named Vasily. Many of his friends and comrades in military and political service were baptized along with the Grand Duke. The example of the prince prompted a significant part of the citizens of Kyiv to accept Christianity. Baptism was accompanied by the establishment of a church hierarchy. Rus' became one of the metropolises (Kyiv) of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The diocese was also created in Novgorod, and according to some sources - in Belgorod of Kiev (not to be confused with modern Belgorod), Pereyaslavl and Chernigov. The first reliable information about the official veneration of Vladimir as a holy equal-to-the-apostle dates back to the 2nd half of the 13th century, since the Prologue with an insertion from the prologue life of St. Vladimir dates back to this period of time. In 1635, Metropolitan of Kiev Peter Mogila found the relics of Vladimir from the ruins of the Church of the Tithes, which marked the beginning of the veneration of his remains.

Martyrs Kirik and Julitta

The martyrs Kirik and Julitta suffered at the beginning of the 4th century. To hide from the persecutors, Julitta and her three-year-old son Cyricus went from Iconium, where she lived, to Tara. But soon the ruler Alexander arrived here to persecute Christians. Iulitta was brought to him for trial. She fearlessly confessed herself to be a Christian, and they began to beat her severely.
Then Kirik, seeing his mother’s torment, began to cry. Alexander took Kirik in his arms and began to calm him down with gentle words. But the boy did not stop crying and yearning for his mother, and at the same time also called himself a Christian. Then the ruler angrily threw him to the floor and killed him. Julitta, seeing the death of her son, thanked God that her son was worthy to suffer for Christ. Alexander ordered her to be hanged, his body was whittled with a sharp iron and boiling resin was poured on the wounds, and finally he killed her with a sword and threw her body to be devoured by dogs. Iulitta's maids buried the body of the martyr. Under Emperor Constantine, it was found incorrupt and was placed in the St. Sophia Church.

Today is an Orthodox church holiday:

Tomorrow is a holiday:

Holidays expected:
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Holidays are an integral part of our lives. Every day of the year is designated by some date, be it a religious, Orthodox or professional holiday. One of these days is July 28th. To understand what holiday July 28 is, you need to read the entire article.

July 28 in the Russian Federation

When asked what is significant about the day of July 28, any schoolchild who has not skipped history classes will easily answer that on this day a unique event took place - the baptism of Rus'. Surely every person, even those not associated with religion, studied at school the legend about how Prince Vladimir of Kievan Rus chose a religion for the state. It says that the stories of the ambassadors who visited the wonderful religious country of Byzantium impressed the prince and became strong arguments in favor of Kievan Rus becoming an Orthodox state.

His choice was fully justified, since the choice of such a religion immediately caused a number of positive processes for the state:

• The territory at that time could be united exclusively according to the principle of “one state, one prince, one God.” But before the Baptism of Rus', people believed in many gods, which was simply unacceptable. To transition to a new faith, they needed to abandon tribal gods and move to a monotheistic religion.
• At that time, all of Europe had already accepted the Orthodox faith, and the tendency to strive to reach the level of Western countries existed even then.
• The transition to the Christian faith caused an immediate strengthening of ties with Byzantium, which was rightfully considered one of the most powerful and significant states of that time.
• The country, having joined the Christian culture, received a good incentive to develop - literacy and new knowledge became widespread.

For a long time, Vladimir contributed in every possible way to the development of Christianity as a faith in Rus', building new cities and erecting churches in them. Many cities adopted the Orthodox faith after Kiev. Despite this, the process of accepting a new faith, year after year, defeating pagan beliefs, dragged on for several centuries.

What church holiday is July 28th? On this day, namely July 28, the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the baptizer of Rus' - the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir, son of Svyatoslav.

Today, this significant date for Russians is becoming even more famous and popular. On this day, various cultural, charitable, and educational events are held throughout the country. The main goal is to give the younger generation an idea of ​​the baptism of Rus' and the importance of the date July 28 for the Slavic peoples.

Russia begins the celebrations from the Crimean Peninsula, where the procession of the Cross moves from the center of Sevastopol to St. Vladimir's Cathedral. Nearby is the baptismal font, into which Prince Vladimir himself entered and accepted the Orthodox faith.

What holiday is July 28th in Russia? That's right, the baptism of Rus'. The most active celebrations took place in the capital of Russia, Moscow. Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church - Patriarch Kirill conducted the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Also with him were Japanese, American, Australian and other representatives of the Orthodox community from many European countries. It is worth saying that these people gather exclusively for significant events in the lives of all Orthodox believers.

A gala reception was held in the St. George Hall of the Kremlin in Moscow on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. There, tribute was also paid to the memory of Prince Vladimir.

The entire celebration ends in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where after a long journey through the cities of Russia and Belarus the ark with the relics of St. Vladimir returns. All religious people who visit Moscow on this day strive to come to this shrine.

July 28 in Ukraine

Everyone knows that Kievan Rus was the state from which both Ukraine and Russia originated. In Ukraine, as in Russia, the date July 28 is significant for the Baptism of Rus'. Everyone should know what holiday is July 28th in Ukraine. Since 2008, it has been considered an official holiday - the Day of the Baptism of Kievan Rus. It is noteworthy that this holiday is called nothing less than the Day of the Baptism of Kievan Rus - Ukraine.

On this day, the Christian community of Ukraine honors the memory of the Kyiv prince Vladimir, who eradicated pagan beliefs and baptized Rus'. The main goal of the events held in honor of the holiday is to develop national interest in the history and culture of the country, as well as to unite the fraternal Slavic peoples. Strengthening in the public consciousness the idea of ​​the Baptism of Rus' as a special historical date is an important factor in the memory of the history of the state. It is believed that every blessing, every prayer read on the Day of the Epiphany of Kievan Rus will help to realize the true meaning of unity.

Modern religious leaders have no less respect for this holiday than before. For example, in 2016, July 28 became the start date of the religious procession throughout Ukraine. People flocked from the eastern and western parts of Ukraine to the capital, Kyiv.

Other events dedicated to the Day of the Baptism of Rus' included thematic lectures, youth national-patriotic events and other celebrations. The center of all actions became the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and Vladimir Hill, where groups of believers flocked. The downpour, which became another participant in the celebration, did not stop people either.

The following events are worth noting:

• Divine Liturgy in the Assumption Cathedral, which was recently restored after destruction during the war years;
• The large bell tower of the Lavra filled the entire area with its ringing and inspired all people to prayer and faith. Surely everyone thought that along with this sound, every request reaches God;
• The veneration of holy relics becomes an integral part of this religious holiday, like any other. The people who are worshiped by all visitors to the caves under the laurel, through the centuries, unite the present and the year 988, when the Baptism of Rus' began.

Now you know what church holiday is July 28, how it is celebrated in Russia and Ukraine, what traditions are present.