Monument to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga. Monuments to Grand Duchess Olga Equal to the Apostles In which city are monuments to Princess Olga

Is Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Klykov, the architect is Stanislav Yulievich Bitny, the chief architect of the city of Pskov.

The white pedestal, 4 meters 20 centimeters high, is a bas-relief on which images of the twelve most famous Pskov saints are carved.

The statue of Princess Olga, holding a cross in her hand, is of the same height.

Both the look of the princess and the cross are directed towards the Pskov Kremlin, the Holy Trinity Cathedral - the heart of our ancient city. Olga became the founder of the Trinity Cathedral. She blesses ancient city, who raised her and sent her to distant Kyiv-grad, to marry Prince Igor.

It was Olga who was the first of the entire princely family to decide to accept Christianity. After the death of Prince Igor, Olga took over the administration of Kievan Rus and suppressed the well-known uprising of the Drevlyans.

Next to the princess is a boy with an icon in his hand - Prince Vladimir - Olga's grandson, who baptized Russia. On the monument, Prince Vladimir holds in his hands an image of the face of the Savior.

As for the main idea of ​​the monument, in this monument the author wanted to display the ancestral continuity and affirmation Orthodox faith in Russia. Therefore, on the pedestal, Princess Olga blesses and at the same time guards Prince Vladimir, the future baptist of Russia, holding the icon in his hands. Decades will pass before the boy becomes a prince and a husband, and brings the Orthodox faith to Russia, uniting all the lands and all the peoples of the principality.

Memorial sign in honor of the 1100th anniversary of the first mention of Pskov in the annals. Photo June 2015

On July 23, a little after noon, when the sun was at its zenith, Archbishop of Pskov and Velikoluksky Eusebius consecrated the statue, congratulating all Pskovites on this event. And after the official and solemn speeches, the townspeople laid fresh flowers at the foot of the monument. In gratitude to the progenitor for the unification of Russia. For the Christian faith, which she chose for our land. Or simply as a sign of spiritual memory, passing from generation to generation.

The monument to Princess Olga and her grandson, the future Prince Vladimir, as well as the twelve patrons of the city of Pskov, reminds of those people who laid the foundation for the formation and development of Russian statehood, as well as those who gave life to the Orthodox faith and staunchly defended the freedom of the city of Pskov.

The first character is Blessed Nicholas of Pskov. Saint Nicholas lived in Pskov in the 16th century. The people of Pskov called him Mikula (Mikola, Nikola) Sallos, which in Greek means "blessed, holy fool." He was also called Mikula Svyat, even during his lifetime he was revered as a saint.

For more than thirty years he performed the feat of foolishness - voluntary, imaginary madness, thereby avoiding the true madness of the world, mired in passions and vices. In winter and summer, he walked around in shabby clothes, almost naked, enduring with patience both severe frosts and excessive heat.

According to local legend, Blessed Nicholas lived not far from the Trinity Cathedral of Pskov, in a cell under the cathedral bell tower.

Behind outwardly insane actions, meaningless words, blessed Nicholas hid his spiritual wealth and inner closeness to God. The blessed one was awarded from God the gift of miracles and prophecy.

On the cathedral square of the Pskov Kremlin, obviously, those events took place that glorified Nicholas as an intercessor for Pskov from John IV.

In 1569, the oprichnina troops, led by Tsar Ivan the Terrible, marched towards Novgorod. Temples and monasteries of the city were subjected to monstrous looting, shrines and valuables were taken out. Oprichniki robbed and killed Novgorodians, tortured and executed laymen and clerics, women and children. The number of tortured was from five hundred to a thousand people daily. The dead and the living were thrown into the Volkhov, which did not freeze in winter. The beating of the Novgorodians lasted more than a month.

Having defeated Novgorod, the tsar moved to Pskov. In February 1570, on Saturday of the first week of Lent, the tsar stopped near Pskov, at the Nikolsky Monastery in Lyubyatovo.

The ringing of bells for Sunday morning softened the heart of Ivan the Terrible. As the inscription on the miraculous Lyubyatovskaya Icon of the Tenderness of the Mother of God testifies, the tsar ordered his soldiers to dull their swords and not dare to kill.

On Sunday morning the king entered the city with his army. On the advice of Blessed Nicholas, tables with bread and salt were placed in front of each house along the streets of the city, and when Ivan the Terrible walked through the city, all the inhabitants with their wives and children were on their knees. And only one person met Grozny without fear.

Blessed Nicholas ran out to meet the tsar on a stick, as if riding a horse, as children do, and shouted to the tsar: “Ivanushko, eat bread and salt,
not Christian blood. The king ordered to catch the holy fool, but he disappeared.

Having forbidden murders, Ivan the Terrible, however, had the intention to rob the city. In addition, according to some sources, the killings still began.

The tsar entered the Trinity Cathedral, listened to a prayer service, bowed to the relics of Prince Vsevolod-Gabriel. After Ivan the Terrible went to the blessed Nicholas, wanting to receive his blessing. And again the king heard strange words holy fool: “Do not touch us, passerby; you won’t have anything to run on ... ”At the same time, the blessed one offered the king a piece raw meat. “I am a Christian and I don’t eat meat during Lent,” said the surprised Grozny. Blessed Nicholas objected: “You are doing worse: you feed on human flesh and blood, forgetting not only fasting, but also the Lord God.”

The blessed one instructed the king to stop killing and not to destroy temples. Ivan the Terrible did not obey and ordered the bell to be removed from the Trinity Cathedral, and at the same hour, according to the prophecy of the Saint, the king's best horse fell. When they told the king about this, he was horrified. The prayer and word of blessed Nicholas awakened the conscience of Ivan the Terrible, the tsar fled from Pskov.

Once, when the Monk Nikandr visited Pskov, after 12 years of seclusion, and was returning after the liturgy from the Church of the Epiphany, blessed Nikolai took him by the hand and predicted the disasters that the Saint had endured in his life. After the death of Blessed Nicholas, the grateful people of Pskov buried his body in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the main temple of the city he had saved.

In 1581, during the siege of Pskov by Stefan Batory, the blacksmith Dorotheus had a vision of the Mother of God with a host of saints praying for the city, among them was Blessed Nicholas.

The next character of the cultural composition of the monument is Reverend Vassa of Pskov-Pechora. The ideal of female spiritual beauty, ascending to the image of the Mother of God, with its deep piety, love of God, humility in bearing the cross, was born in Russia along with the adoption of the Christian faith.

The life path of our venerable mother Vassa is closely connected with the feat of the venerable Jonah, before the tonsure - the priest John, her husband. All those hardships and sufferings that he had on his thorny path were also her torments.

Saint Vassa was full of selflessness in the name of love for her husband, children, and neighbor. But above that, she had love for the Lord.

Our mother Vassa, in any danger, fearless, uncomplaining, indefatigable in labor and love, indestructible in suffering, lived according to the word of the Apostle: “Let the innermost person be your adornment in the imperishable beauty of the spirit.” Saint Vassa was such a person of spirit and heart.

Her whole life belonged to her husband, a servant of the Throne of the Lord. Priest John, taking his wife and children - two sons - came to the "God-created cave." Leaving his family in the village of Pachkovka, not far from the caves, near Ivan Dementiev, he began to dig a church in the mountain to the west of the cave.

From the Chronicle we learn that his wife, Mother Mary with her children labored tirelessly in the excavation of the temple, accustoming her children to work for the glory of God. After some time, Mother Mary falls ill and takes monastic vows with the name of Vassa.

This wife was, according to the Chronicle, the first person in the history of the Pskov-Caves Monastery, who took on a monastic image in it.

Around 1473, nun Vassa died. She was buried in a God-created cave. The next night the coffin was pushed out of the ground with some invisible force. John and spiritual father Vasses, thinking that they missed something in the tomb singing, performed this singing over the deceased for the second time and, after a permissive prayer, again lowered her into the same grave. But a night later, Vassa's coffin again found itself at the top of the grave.

After that, John left her coffin already unburied and placed it on the left side, at the entrance to the cave, digging in the wall only the receptacle needed for her.

There is a legend about the special preservation by the Lord of the holy remains of mother Vassa. During one of the attacks of the Livonians on the Pskov-Pechersk monastery, a daring knight dared to desecrate the holy
tomb with the relics of the saint. He tried to open the lid of the coffin with a sword, but was suddenly hit by Divine fire emanating from within. On the right side of the coffin there was a trace of flame, fragrant and exuding a wonderful aroma to this day.

Our reverend mother Vassa was honored with the Heavenly Hall together with the reverend Mark the desert-dweller. Becoming a monk was only the end high life St. Most of her life she was not a nun - she was a loving mother, a faithful and caring wife, pious, meek, hardworking. Remaining in the world, she lived like an angel, her heart remained free from evil.

Saints Jonah and Vassa are the patrons of matrimony.

And today, as before, we find in her "a sad comforter, a sick visitor and an ambulance who is in trouble, who comes to her in faith, sharpening healing for everyone."

With faith and hope, those who resort to the honest remains of St. Vassa receive healing and guidance on the right path of salvation, especially Christian women who seek a pious life in Christ and need intercession and admonition.

Another character is the Holy Prince Vsevolod-Gabriel of Pskov. The Holy Prince Vsevolod-Gabriel is revered as the patron and protector of the city of Pskov. In ancient times, as the chronicles say, the Pskovians started the battle and won the victory "by the prayer of the noble prince Vsevolod."

What connects the Grand Duke with Pskov, how to explain the special love of the Pskovites specifically for him? Prince Vsevolod, in holy baptism Gabriel, was the son of Mstislav, the grandson of Vladimir Monomakh.

Almost all of his life was spent in Novgorod, where his father reigned. Here he spent his childhood, studied wise management, made his first campaigns. Here he reigned for twenty years. During this time, Vsevolod-Gabriel did a lot for the city. The construction of many churches is associated with his name, including the temple in the name of St. John the Baptist and the cathedral in the name of the Great Martyr George in the Yuriev Monastery. The prince also granted preferential letters Sophia Cathedral and some other temples.

In 1132 (after the death of Grand Duke Mstislav), Vsevolod's uncle, Prince Yaropolk Vladimirovich of Kyiv, transferred him to Pereyaslav Yuzhny, which was considered the oldest city after Kyiv. But younger sons Monomakh, fearing that Yaropolk would make his nephew his heir, opposed Vsevolod. Avoiding bloodshed, the holy prince returned to Novgorod. But the inhabitants of the city received him with displeasure. They believed that the prince was "nurtured" by them and should not have left them.

Seeking to restore good relations, Vsevolod in 1133 undertook a successful campaign against Yuryev. But in 1135, the Novgorodians, against his will, undertook a campaign to Suzdal and Rostov and were defeated, the blame for which was laid on Vsevolod.

The convened veche decided to invite another prince to reign, and condemned Saint Vsevolod to exile. For a month and a half, the prince and his family, like a criminal, were kept in custody, and then, “empty from the city ...”.

Vsevolod went to Kyiv, where Uncle Yaropolk gave him the Vyshgorod volost near Kyiv to keep. Here, in the 10th century, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga of Russia lived. She defended her unjustly offended descendant: in 1137, the inhabitants of Pskov called him to reign in Pskov land - the homeland of St. Olga.

Thus St. Vsevolod became the first prince of Pskov, elected by the will of the people of Pskov. Here he was received with great triumph. The people, led by the clergy, came out to meet the prince with crosses, icons and bells. The general joy was indescribable.

St. Vsevolod reigned in Pskov for only one year. But he left in the hearts of its inhabitants a good memory of himself, And in the city - a stone church he laid in the name of the Holy Trinity. On February 11, 1138, he died at the age of 46.

The whole city gathered for the funeral of the beloved prince, church singing was not heard from the people's weeping.

The Novgorodians, coming to their senses, asked permission to take his holy body and transfer it to Novgorod. But they couldn't move the cancer. Then Novgorodians wept bitterly, repented of ingratitude, and begged to grant them at least a small particle of holy dust "for the approval of the city." And through their prayers, the nail fell off the saint's hand.

The body of the blessed Prince Vsevolod was laid by the people of Pskov in the church of the Holy Great Martyr Dmitry of Thessalonica. On November 27, 1192, the relics of St. prince, where they rest to this day.

Much time has passed since then. Much has changed since then in glorious Pskov. But the deep spiritual connection between the city of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga and the holy prince was never broken: he forever remained the miracle worker of Pskov. Thanks to his heavenly intercession, Pskov stood up many times in the fight against the enemy. So, during the siege of the city of Stefan Batory in 1581, when the fortress wall had already been destroyed, the holy icons and relics of Prince Vsevolod were brought from the Trinity Cathedral with a procession to the battlefield, and the Poles retreated.

They pray to the noble prince Vsevolod of Pskov for compassion for the poor, for the intercession of widows and orphans, for help in poverty and need.

Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, is another character in the composition of the monument.

Saint Tikhon (in the world Vasily Ivanovich Belavin), Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, was born on January 19, 1865 in Klin, Pskov Region, into the family of a priest.

He studied first at the spiritual and educational institutions of the Pskov diocese, and then at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy.

For his special affectionate seriousness, benevolence, calm dignity and self-control, his comrades called him “patriarch”, not suspecting that Vasily Belavin was destined by God to actually become a Patriarch.

Patriarch Tikhon has always been an extremely energetic, tireless ecclesiastical civic leader. He had to serve in Poland, in America - as a bishop of the Aleutian and Alaska, in Vilna (Vilnius).

In the most difficult conditions, the Patriarch did everything possible to strengthen the Church and managed to lead her through the storms. He saw the cause of disasters in sin (“sin has corrupted our land”) and called: “Let us cleanse our hearts with repentance and prayer.”

The patriarch was called the prayer book of the people, the elder of all Russia, and his wide charity was noted. For all who turned to him, both the doors of his house and his heart were opened. “It was truly holiness, majestic in its simplicity,” said those who knew him closely about him.

In the last year of his life, Saint Tikhon was seriously ill; he served only on Sundays and holidays. “Follow Christ! Don't change Him. Do not succumb to temptation, do not destroy your soul in the blood of vengeance. Don't be overcome by evil. Defeat evil with good." Christ love and kindness to enemies - the last sermon of the Patriarch.

On April 5, 1925, he performed the last liturgy at the Great Ascension Church. He died on April 7, on the feast of the Annunciation, with the words: "Glory to You, God, glory to You, God, glory to You, God." The Patriarch was buried in the Small Cathedral of the Moscow Donskoy Monastery. In 1989 he was canonized as a saint.

The next character of the cultural composition is the Martyr Cornelius of Pskov-Pechora.

Born in 1501 in Pskov in a boyar family. His parents, Stefan and Marya, raised their son in piety and the fear of God. Already in early age his mother noticed in the lad Cornelius a special inclination towards the spiritual life, taught him to pray and instilled in him a love for strangers.

To give their son an education, his parents sent him to the Pskov Mirozhsky Monastery. There, under the guidance of the elders, he grew in piety, learned to read and write, icon painting and many other crafts.

With special care he prepared for the painting of icons, observing a fast before this, praying to the Most Holy Lady for her blessing on his work. While working on the icon, he kept a special purity, creating incessant prayer in his soul.

Having finished his studies, Saint Cornelius returned to his parents' house. Staying in the holy monastery further confirmed his calling to monastic life. One day, the sovereign clerk Misyur Munekhin, an enlightened and pious man, a friend of the family of St. Cornelius, was about to go to the small Pechora monastery, lost among the forests, and took young Cornelius with him.

The beauty of nature, the quiet monastic service in the cave church filled the young man's heart with spiritual joy and reverence. Never before had he prayed so fervently. This trip had a great impact on his later life. Soon he left his parental home forever and took tonsure in the Pskov-Pechora Monastery. There Saint Cornelius led a strict life: in a wretched cell he slept on planks, devoted all his time to useful work and prayer.

In 1529, the Monk Cornelius, who served as a model of God-pleasing life, was elected abbot. During his presidency, the number of brethren increased from 15 to 200 people. Rising at sunrise, the Monk himself ruled the service and gave all his strength to labor, inspiring the brethren to fulfill the rule, strict fasting, prayer, recalling the feat of the first Christians.

His life was a model of active love for God and man. He spread Orthodoxy among the inhabitants of the surrounding areas, the Ests and the Setos, many of whom were baptized in the monastery.

The Monk Cornelius was always meek and affable, silently listening to people, giving instructions, and then blessing them with prayer and love. At the sound of his voice, the heart opened, shame ran away. After repentance, people wept with soul-relieving tears.

Once there was a pestilence in the Pskov region. People fled from the villages to the forests, the approaches to the cities were closed to protect the inhabitants from pestilence. Many died not only from infection, but also from hunger. With the blessing of St. Cornelius at that terrible time, the monks of the monastery went out to the hungry to distribute boiled rye to them. During the Livonian War, Saint Cornelius preached Christianity in the liberated cities, built churches there, helped the victims, cared for the wounded. In the monastery, the dead were buried and recorded in the synodikons for commemoration.

In 1560, on the feast of the Assumption Holy Mother of God, St. Cornelius sent a blessing to the Russian troops besieging the city of Fellin, prosphora and holy water. On the same day, the Germans surrendered the city.

Through the labors of hegumen Cornelius, a stone fence was built around the monastery with fortress towers and three fortified gates. The monastery became an impregnable fortress. During his administration of the monastery, the Monk Cornelius established an icon-painting workshop at the monastery. The monastery also had a carpentry, blacksmith, ceramics and other household workshops.

In the middle of the 16th century, the chronicle of ancient Pskov was kept in the monastery and a rich library for those times was collected. The monk wrote The Tale of the Beginning of the Pechora Monastery and one of the Pskov chronicles.

Monastic traditions keep the memory of the death of their great abbot. Falsely accused by envious people before John the Terrible of ties with the Lithuanian principality, the Monk Cornelius on February 20, 1570, accepted a martyr's death.

When Cornelius went out to the gates of the monastery with a cross to meet the sovereign, he cut off his head with his own hand, but immediately repented and, raising the body of the abbot, carried him in his arms to the monastery. The path along which Ivan the Terrible walked, carrying the slain to the Assumption Church, has since been called "bloody".

Hegumen Cornelius was buried in the walls of the cave, where he stayed for 120 years. In 1690, his incorruptible relics were transferred to the Assumption Cathedral.

The next Saint Alexander Nevsky saved Pskov during the invasion of the Crusaders. In 1240 Pskov for the first and last time during the Middle Ages was occupied by enemies. And it was here that the main blows of the Livonian knights were directed.

The squad of Prince Alexander Nevsky liberated Pskov from the German knights in the winter of 1242. On April 5, 1242, the united Russian army under the leadership of Alexander Nevsky won a victory on the ice Lake Peipus. After this victory, Alexander Nevsky gave the Pskovites a severe order: “If one of my relatives comes running to you from captivity, or in grief, or simply comes to live with you, and you do not honor him, or do not accept him, then you will be called the second Jew” . Later, the people of Pskov showed their hospitality by sheltering the persecuted grandson of Alexander Nevsky within their walls.

The Monk Euphrosynus of Pskov is the next saint. In the world of Eleazar, he was born around 1386 in the village of Videlebye, near Pskov, from the same village was also the Monk Nikandr of Pskov. Parents wanted Eleazar to marry, but he secretly went to the Snetogorsk monastery and took tonsure there.

Around 1425, in search of deeper concentration in prayer, the Monk Euphrosynus, with the blessing of the rector, settled in a solitary cell on the Tolva River, not far from Pskov. But concern for the salvation of his neighbors forced the monk to break his solitary life, and he began to receive everyone who needed an experienced elder - a mentor. The Monk Euphrosynus blessed those who came to him to live according to the skete charter, drawn up by himself.

The Rule of the Monk Euphrosynus is a general exhortation to monks about the worthy passage of the monastic path - "how it is fitting for a monk to arrive." It does not contain a strict routine for the entire life of the monastery, as, for example, the charter of the Monk Joseph Volotsky; there is no liturgical part in it at all.

In 1447, at the request of the brethren, the monk built a temple in honor of three saints - Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, who honored their appearance, and in honor of the Monk Onufry the Great.

The monastery later received the name Spaso-Eleazarovskaya.

Out of humility and out of love for a solitary feat, the monk did not accept the title of hegumen and, having given his disciple, the Monk Ignatius, the presidency, he lived in the forest near the lake.

On his tomb, by order of the Novgorod Archbishop Gennady, an image was placed, written during the life of the monk by his disciple Ignatius, and the testament of the monk brethren was laid on a piece of parchment, sealed with the lead seal of the Novgorod Archbishop Theophilus. This is one of the very few spiritual testaments written by ascetics with their own hands.

The Monk Euphrosynus, chief of the Pskov hermits, raised many glorious disciples who also created monasteries and carried the fertile seeds of asceticism throughout the Pskov land.

Martyrs are those Christians who accepted cruel torment and even death for their faith in Jesus Christ. They cry and mourn not for themselves, but for the terrible state of the tormentors, pray for their healing and enlightenment.

Hieromartyrs - those who accepted death in Holy Order. One of them is St. Benjamin.

He was born in 1873 in the family of a village priest of the Olonets diocese. In holy baptism he received the name Vasily. As a child, he loved to read the lives of the saints, regretting that he himself lives in such a calm time, when there is no opportunity to suffer for Christ.

After graduating from the seminary in his native diocese, Vasily Kazansky enters the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. At this time, the determination to devote his whole life to the service of the Church of Christ strengthened in him. And at the age of 22 he takes monastic vows in the name of Benjamin.

Already at the age of 29 he was consecrated to the rank of archimandrite. After another 8 years (January 24, 1910), Archimandrite Veniamin was consecrated Bishop of Gdov.

From that day began the zealous and sacrificial episcopal "obedience to the glory of God" of St. Benjamin of the Church of Christ. As a pastor, good Bishop Benjamin always found his way to the hearts of the common people, who affectionately called him “our father Benjamin.”

He was truly loved by the people of God. Vladyka was often seen in the poorest neighborhoods, where he hurried at the first call of the needy. Even the Gentiles bowed before his purity and meekness. bright soul and went to him for advice.

At the age of 44, Archbishop Benjamin becomes Metropolitan. He loved church services. Often he himself performed divine services in various churches. His services have always been especially gracious.

Once the fire descended into the Holy Chalice. As Elder Sampson (Sivers) recalls: “A huge spider of fire rotated, rotated over the Chalice - and into the Chalice!” Soon Metropolitan Veniamin was appointed Archimandrite of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

With spiritual and worldly wisdom he ruled over the clergy. He carefully guarded the true monastic precepts. Thanks to his attention, the whole Lavra acquired some special, bright, tender mood. Vladyka Benjamin himself possessed the gift of tears. And he constantly cleansed his conscience by sincere confession of his thoughts.

But this pious time was not destined to last long. Soon the tsar was forced to abdicate the Russian throne, and people who were completely alien to the interests of the Russian Empire came to power. Orthodox Church. For Russia, for the whole people, and with it for Metropolitan Veniamin, a difficult time has come, a time of suffering and torment for the faith of Christ.

Vladyka urged his flock to maintain a good Christian mood in the ordeal experienced by all. For it is said: "Conquer evil with good!" He himself was a prime example to that. His evangelically simple and exalted soul easily and naturally soared above the political passions and strife swarming somewhere below. He still remained sensitive to the troubles, oppressions and experiences of his people, helping everyone to whom he could and how he could. But, just as Jesus suffered from the envy of his disciple, so Saint Benjamin suffered from people's ingratitude.

AT last years In his life, he survived almost everything: prison, court, public spitting, venality and inconstancy of people. But not for a single moment did Vladyka doubt that it would be better to shed his blood and be rewarded with a martyr's crown than to betray his Orthodox faith. He never forgot the words of the Savior: "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life...".

On the night of August 13, 1922, Metropolitan Veniamin and three other people devoted to him were shot a few miles from Petrograd.

Information about last minutes life of the Lord. He went to his death calmly, quietly whispering a prayer and being baptized. They shot him seven times and could not do anything. Then the shooter pleaded:

Dad, pray, we are tired of shooting at you!

Blessed be our God, always, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

- The Lord said and blessed them.

The eighth shot cut short the life of St. Benjamin in the year 49.

At the fraternal cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, a cross will be erected to him over symbolic grave. The body of the Hieromartyr Benjamin lies in unmarked grave. His bright soul rejoices with all the saints in the light of the Face of God. How bright stars Saint Benjamin and with him the whole host of our new martyrs shine in spiritual heaven, and their rays illuminate and warm our souls. We, from the depths of our believing hearts, appeal to them: "To the Hierarch Father Benjamin, Father Sergius and Saints Yuri and John, New Martyrs of Russia, God's prayer for us."

The next character is Prince Dovmont. He fled from the Lithuanian lands with his family, was received in Pskov.

In Pskov, he reigned from 1266 to 1299. The prince became famous for victories in battles with the Livonian Order, for strengthening the Orthodox faith, and for his moral qualities.

During the reign of Dovmont, part of the city was surrounded by a fortress wall (Dovmont city).

Received at baptism orthodox name Timothy. His relics are in the Trinity Cathedral.

Another character of the cultural composition of the monument is the Martyr Elizabeth. She was born in 1864, was the sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

Every year, Elizabeth visited the Pskov land and gave gifts to Pskov.

In 1812, she was arrested and thrown alive into a mine near Alapaevsk.

In 1992 she was canonized as a saint of Russia. A particle of her holy relics is in the temple of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

After the death of her husband, she took monastic vows and took the name Martha.

In the Mirozhsky Monastery, on the icon "The Sign of the Mother of God" from the side of the Mother of God, Prince Dovmont and his wife Maria are depicted praying.

The Monk Martha was buried in the Ioanovsky Monastery in the city of Pskov.

The next character is the grandson of Princess Olga, the son of Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich and his housekeeper slave Malusha Vladimir Svyatoslavich. He was born in the village of Budnik, Pskov region.

In 969 Vladimir became a prince in Novgorod. He strengthened Old Russian state campaigns against Vyatichi, Lithuanians, Radimichi, Bulgarians. The successful struggle against the Pechenegs led to the idealization of Vladimir's personality and reign.

AT folk epic Vladimir Svyatoslavich received the name of Vladimir the Red Sun.

Vladimir was cunning. At first he decided to turn popular pagan beliefs into the state religion, but then in 988 he replaced paganism with Christianity, which he adopted from Byzantium after capturing the Greek colony of Chersonesus and marrying the sister of the Byzantine emperor Anna.

Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga

The last and most significant figure in the cultural composition of the monument is Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga.

Princess Olga was born in 890 in Vybuty, Pskov region. She was the Grand Duchess of Kyiv, the wife of Prince Igor.

After the murder of her husband by the Drevlyans, she brutally suppressed their uprising.

In 945-947. established the amount of tribute for the Drevlyans and Novgorodians, organized administrative centers-graveyards.

Olga significantly expanded the land holdings of the Kyiv Grand Duke's House. By the way, at her request, the Holy Trinity Cathedral was built.

There is even a legend that Olga saw how three rays shine from the sky and intersect in one place, this very place was taken for the construction of the cathedral, which stands to this day, being priceless for every Pskovite.

In 957, Olga visited Constantinople and converted to Christianity there, her Christian name Elena. She ruled the state during the early years of her son Svyatoslav Igorevich and later, during his campaigns. In 968, she led the defense of Kyiv from the Pechenegs.

During the celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the first mention of Pskov in the annals, 2 monuments to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga appeared in the city at once: the first one was not far from the Rizhskaya Hotel, on Rizhsky Prospekt, the other in children's park, on October Square. Russian Academy Arts invited the local authorities to install a sculpture of Grand Duchess Olga in the city. So the first monument made by the famous sculptor Zurab Tsereteli appeared in Pskov. The creator presented the Grand Duchess as a stern warrior. Olga's right hand rests on the sword, the left - she holds on the shield. Not everyone liked this image, but Zurabov's Olga fit perfectly into the architecture of modern Pskov.

The second monument became a creation famous sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov. The idea of ​​creating a monument heralds not only historical, but also spiritual, and in a sense, genealogical continuity of the Orthodox faith in Russia. In this case, it was faith that became the basis of the fortress of the entire Russian people, as well as a source of physical and spiritual strength - for this reason, on the pedestal, Grand Duchess Olga guards and at the same time blesses Prince Vladimir, who became the future ruler and Baptist of all Russia; Prince Vladimir, depicted on the monument, holds in his hands an image of the face of the Savior.

The sculpture rises to a height of 4.5 meters - exactly the same height has a complex cylindrical pedestal, on which different kind reliefs depicting saints. Not far from the monument is a memorial stone, on which the names of citizens who donated cash for erecting a monument.

The monument to Princess Olga and her grandson, the future Prince Vladimir, as well as the twelve patrons of the city of Pskov, reminds of those people who laid the foundation for the formation and development of Russian statehood, as well as those who gave life to the Orthodox faith and staunchly defended the freedom of the city of Pskov.

As you know, Olga was the wife Kyiv prince Igor and the mother of Prince Svyatoslav. It was Olga who was the first of the entire princely family to decide to accept Christianity. Olga was born in Vybuty, not far from Pskov. Olga was reputed to be from a simple family. Prince Igor met the future princess during a hunt, drawing attention to the extraordinary beauty of the girl who was transporting him to the other side of the river. As soon as it came to get married, the prince immediately remembered Olga and offered her to become his wife - so the humble girl became one of the Russian princesses.

In addition, it is known that Olga became the founder of the Trinity Cathedral. After the death of Prince Igor, Olga took over the administration of Kievan Rus and suppressed the well-known uprising of the Drevlyans. Olga was the first in Russia to establish a special system of taxes and divide Russian lands into volosts. On the territory of Novgorod land, during the reign of Princess Olga, camps and graveyards were created at the intersection of trade routes, which significantly strengthened Kievan state from the northwest side. The famous princess always believed that it was not enough for the ruler to make decisions only in favor of public life but it is worth paying attention to the spiritual and religious life of the people. It was thanks to Olga's efforts that the Pskov fortress was largely fortified. The name of the princess was immortalized on the Pskov land not only in topographical, but also geographical names- the embankment, the bridge and the newly restored chapel were named in her honor. Currently underway active work for the revival of the so-called Olginsky places.

On the monument to the Great Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga was immortalized with images of Pskov saints: Prince Vladimir, who ruled Novgorod, and since 980 Kyiv; Vsevolod-Gabriel - the son of the famous Prince Mstislav and the grandson of Vladimir Monomakh; Alexander Nevsky - son of Prince Yaroslav and great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh; Prince Dovmont-Timofei, descended from the family of Lithuanian princes and fled from Lithuania to Pskov; Martha of Pskovskaya - reverend princess, who was the daughter of Dmitry Alexandrovich and the granddaughter of Alexander Nevsky, as well as the wife of Prince Dovmont-Timofey; Vassa of Pskov-Caves - the wife of the first founder of the Pskov-Caves Monastery, namely John Shestnik; Cornelius of the Pskov-Pechersk - hegumen of the monastery of the same name; Nicander the desert-dweller - the Monk Nikon, who settled in the desert near a small river and led a hermit life; Nicholas Salos - better known as Saint Mikula; Princess Elizabeth Feodorovna - the holy martyr comes from the German city of Darmstadt; Saint Tikhon - Moscow Patriarch; Metropolitan Veniamin or Vasily Pavlovich Kazansky, who was born in the family of a priest in 1874.

Monuments to the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga were erected for the celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the first mention in the annals of Pskov. In Pskov, two monuments were erected at once. The first one is on Rizhsky Prospekt, next to the Rizhskaya Hotel, and the second one is on Oktyabrskaya Square in the Children's Park. With a proposal to erect monuments in Pskov, the Academy of Arts of Russia turned to the leadership of the city.

Thus, the first monument made by the great sculptor Zurab Tsereteli appeared in Pskov. The author presented Olga as a stern warrior. With her right hand, the princess leans on the sword, and left hand- she holds on a shield. This idea of ​​the monument was not to everyone's taste. Nevertheless, Zurabovskaya Olga fits perfectly into the architecture of a modern city.

The second monument is the creation of the famous sculptor V. Klykov. The meaning of the monument conveys the historical heredity and the establishment of the Orthodox faith in Russia. The source of the fortress of the Russian people, their spiritual and physical strength, is faith. That is why, on the pedestal, St. Olga protects and at the same time blesses Prince Vladimir, the future ruler and Baptist of all Russia. Who holds the icon with the face of the Savior.

The height of the sculpture and the pedestal is 4.5 meters each. The monument was erected on a cylindrical stone pedestal with bas-reliefs of Pskov saints. Not far from the sculpture is the famous stone, with the names of the inhabitants of the city, who made a donation for the manufacture and erection of the monument.

On the monument of St. Olga, images of Pskov and Russian saints are depicted: Dovmont-Timofey, was a native of the Lithuanian princes and fled from Lithuania to Pskov; Vsevolod-Gabriel - the son of Prince Mstislav and the grandson of Vladimir Monomakh; Prince Alexander Nevsky - son of Prince Yaroslav and great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh; Nikandr of Pskov - a desert dweller - the Monk Nikon, who settled in the desert near the river and led a hermit life; Marfa of Pskovskaya - the holy princess, daughter of Dmitry Alexandrovich and granddaughter of Alexander Nevsky, as well as the wife of Prince Dovmont-Timofey; Vassa of Pskov-Pecherskaya - the wife of the first founder of the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, John Shestnik; St. Tikhon the Moscow Patriarch; Cornelius of the Pskov-Pechersk - hegumen of the monastery of the same name; Metropolitan Veniamin or Vasily Pavlovich of Kazan, was the son of a priest in 1874; Princess Elizabeth Feodorovna - the holy martyr came from the city of Darmstadt; Nicholas Salos - better known as Saint Mikula.

Olga was the mother of Prince Svyatoslav and the wife of Prince Igor of Kyiv. Olga decided to be the first to accept Christian faith. Originally, the future princess was from Vybutakh, not far from Pskov. She was not from a noble family. Prince Igor met his future wife during a hunt. The prince paid special attention to the fact that the girl carrying him to the other side of the river was of amazing appearance. As soon as the hour for marriage came, the prince remembered Olga and made her an offer to marry him - so a simple girl became a Russian princess.

In addition, it is known that Olga was the creator of the Trinity Cathedral. After the death of her husband, Olga began to rule Kievan Rus. From the very beginning of her reign, the princess went down in history as a cruel ruler. Her first act was retribution with the Drevlyans, who killed her husband, Prince Igor. The troops of the princess were ruthless, they chopped, burned the Drevlyans, and even buried them alive.

However, Olga went down in history as the founder of the state and civilized life. Kievan Rus. On the Novgorod lands, during the reign of the princess, camps and graveyards were created at the intersections of trade routes, which significantly strengthened the Kiev state from the north-western side. The princess always thought that it is not good for the ruler to make decisions only for the good of public life, it is also necessary to pay attention to the religious life of people. With the help of Olga's efforts, the Pskov fortress was fortified. On the Pskov lands, not only in topographic, but also geographical names, the name of the princess was immortalized. A bridge, an embankment and a newly restored chapel were named in her honor. On the this moment active work is underway to restore the so-called Olginsky places.

Addresses:

• Pskov, Riga prospect, 25 (sculptor Zurab Tsereteli)
• Pskov, Oktyabrskaya sq. (sculptor V.Klykov)

Monument to Princess Olga (Pskov, Russia) - description, history, location, reviews, photo and video.

• Tours for May in Russia
• Hot tours in Russia

Previous photo Next photo

The personality of the Pskovite Olga left an indelible imprint on the centuries of Russian history. With her intelligence and charm, the commoner-carrier impressed Prince Igor so much that she became his wife, cruelly avenged the death of her husband, kept a violent squad in her hands, wisely ruled the country, raised her son - the great commander Svyatoslav and paid an official visit to Constantinople, where she converted to Christianity. The people of Pskov respect their countrywoman very much, the bridge and the embankment are named after her, the Olginskaya chapel has recently been revived. The monument to the great ruler was erected in 2008 in memory of the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Pskov near the Church of Basil on Gorka.

On a high white pedestal, surrounded by bas-reliefs of 12 Pskov saints, stands the figure of a woman with a halo above her head. She looks towards Holy Trinity Cathedral. AT right hand she is holding a cross, the left one seems to be blessing the boy who is pressed to her feet, who presses the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands to his chest. Years will pass, and this child will become the great Vladimir the Baptist.

A cast board with a laconic inscription is fixed on the pedestal: "To the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga." The authors of the monument are the sculptor V. M. Klykov and the architect S. Yu. Bitny.

Practical Information

Address: Pskov, Children's park.

How to get there: by buses No. 3, 4, 5, 11, 14 to the stop. "Children's Park".

Pskov. Monument to Princess Olga by sculptor Zurab Tsereteli nathalie_zh wrote in July 24th, 2018

July 24 is the day of memory of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, who, as you know, is the heavenly patroness of Pskov. So my post today will be related to her name.

If suddenly someone has forgotten, then I will remind you that in Pskov there are two monuments to Princess Olga. Both of them were installed in Pskov in July 2003, when the 1100th anniversary of the first mention of Pskov in Russian chronicles was celebrated. I talked about one of these monuments, the author of which is Vyacheslav Klykov (1939-2006), exactly a year ago. Well, today there will be a continuation of the topic - a small post about the second monument to Princess Olga - the work of Zurab Tsereteli.

But perhaps I'll start with how two monuments to Princess Olga appeared in Pskov at once.

But the fact is that until 2003 in Pskov there was not a single monument to Olga at all. This can be considered an amazing fact, because from time immemorial she has been a deeply revered person in Pskov. Well, in Soviet times, it is understandable. No one would erect a monument to "the first Christian woman in Russia." But this did not happen even earlier, in tsarist times. Although this idea was in the air.

In post-Soviet times, this topic in Pskov began to rise periodically, but everything hung at the level of good wishes. However, when the city in 2000 began to gradually prepare for the celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the first mention of Pskov in Russian chronicles, the discussion about the need to erect a monument to Princess Olga, who, among other things, is considered the founder of Pskov, flared up with new force. After all, the approaching anniversary could be a good reason, an impetus for the implementation of such a difficult (for the city budget) business as the creation and installation of a monument. Basically, this is how it happened. And to the great financial relief of the city authorities, even creative competition it was not necessary to carry out, because two venerable sculptors at once - Vyacheslav Klykov and Zurab Tsereteli wanted to give the city a monument to Olga. To each his own, of course. And at first it was supposed that one of them would be chosen. But then it was decided to take both. Who refuses such gifts? (Moreover, there are two monuments to Lenin in Pskov, but why is Olga worse?)

The monument to Olga by Tsereteli was opened first. It happened on July 22, 2003 in the square next to the Rizhskaya hotel. The author presented the Grand Duchess as a stern warrior. A granite pedestal and a monument to St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga in armor with a sword and shield are installed on a concrete base. And it seems like it is believed that by portraying Olga in this way, Tsereteli illustrated a quote from the life of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga: "... And Princess Olga ruled the regions of the Russian land subject to her not as a woman, but as a strong and reasonable husband, firmly holding power in her hands and courageously defending herself from enemies. And she was terrible for the latter ..."

The sculpture of Olga stands on a three-meter granite pedestal. The bronze monument was cast in the workshop "Foundry Yard" in St. Petersburg. The height of the monument with a pedestal is 6.7 meters.

The production of the pedestal and the improvement of the adjacent territory was financed by the regional administration, and the sculpture, as I said, was a free gift from the author on the 1100th anniversary of the first mention of Pskov in the annals.

The monument to Olga by V. Klykov was opened the next day - July 23, 2003. All expenses for its installation and landscaping of the territory were borne by the city authorities. Let me remind you that I can read about this monument