Apostle Andrew the First-Called is the first of the twelve apostles to become a disciple. The icons depict him as a man with a small beard in red or green clothes, holding a straight or oblique cross in his hands, as well as a scroll or book. The name “St. Andrew’s cross” is associated with his name, which is found on flags and other signs. The highest Russian award, the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, bears his name.

Considered the patron saint of fishermen and sailors. St. Andrew's flag (an oblique blue cross on a white background) is the banner of the Navy Russian Federation. The Orthodox Church celebrates the day of remembrance of the Apostle on December 13. In churches dedicated to St. Andrew the First-Called, a festive service is held on this day. People celebrated St. Andrew's Day on November 30, this is one of the first holidays of the winter cycle.

Childhood and youth

The biography of the apostle recorded in the Bible tells that the brothers Andrew and Simon were born and raised in Bethsaida on the shores of the Sea of ​​Galilee, their father was a fisherman named Jonah. Young fishermen moved to the town of Capernaum, neighboring their hometown, from where they sailed to the sea (which is actually a large freshwater lake) to fish.

From a young age, Andrei searched for the path to God. He refused to marry and led a chaste life. When he began to prophesy about the imminent coming of the Messiah, the young man left home and came to the saint. Having been baptized in the Jordan, Andrei remained with John and took a place in the circle of his close disciples, listened to sermons and waited for the appearance of the Savior.

According to the version set out in the Gospel of John, Andrew’s meeting with Jesus took place on the Jordan. The Savior came to John the Baptist, who publicly called him the Lamb of God. After this, Andrew left the Baptist and became the first disciple of Christ. Later he returned to Capernaum and convinced his brother to join the apostles.

The Gospel of Matthew says that the Teacher himself found the future disciples when they were casting nets for fishing. Jesus called the brothers behind him, promising to turn them into “fishers of men.” Andrew and Simon heeded the call and left with Jesus, from whom Simon received a new name, and Andrew began to be called the First-Called.

Unlike Peter, Andrei did not stand out from the apostolic circle with loud words and harsh actions, but entered the Scriptures as an attentive person. Before Easter, when it was necessary to feed the crowd, it was Andrei who saw a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish, which were miraculously multiplied and fed the hungry people. He answered the question of the pagans who were looking for the real God in Jerusalem.

The Gospel of Mark tells that Saint Andrew was with the Teacher on the Mount of Olives and learned from him the fate of the world. The devoted disciple was present at the crucifixion of Christ, his Resurrection and Ascension. 50 days after the resurrection, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and they acquired superhuman abilities. Now they could heal people from deadly diseases and preach in different languages.

Christian service

The apostles cast lots, choosing the direction of their further journey. Saint Andrew had a road to the lands lying on Black Sea coast. Almost everywhere the preacher brought the good news, he was greeted unfriendly. The authorities expelled the saint from the cities, the population insulted him and did not allow him to spend the night. In Sinope, the pagans subjected the persistent Christian to cruel torture, but Andrew’s crippled body was healed by the will of God.

Finally, in the Thracian city of Byzantium, the stories and miracles of the saint made an impression on the people. In the future center of Eastern Christianity, the apostle found 70 disciples and founded the Church, which was headed by Bishop Stachy, ordained by Andrew the First-Called. Andrew appointed elders of the church, instructed them to perform the sacraments and instruct the people, and he himself went on.

The preacher not only healed his own body, but also raised the dead. The life of the saint mentions four unnamed boys and two men who died from different causes. The miracle of the resurrection invariably led to the baptism of witnesses to the event. In Thessalonica they tried to persecute the apostle wild animals, but the leopard, instead of the saint, strangled the son of the proconsul Virin. Andrew's long prayer brought the child back to life.

In Patras, the apostle raised forty drowned people who were heading to him from Macedonia. The ship with Andrei's future students capsized during a storm, but the sea carried all the bodies ashore and thanks to the power of the saint's prayer, everything ended well. This legend explains the veneration of St. Andrew as the patron saint of sailors. In the Georgian city of Atskuri, just one resurrection was enough to convert the townspeople to Christianity.

Christian historians supplemented the gospel narrative with their own versions of the preacher’s further journey. Eusebius of Caesarea wrote about Andrew's ministry in Scythia. In 1116, the monk Sylvester, by order, included in the Tale of Bygone Years the legend about the mission of St. Andrew the First-Called in Rus'.

Later the life was supplemented a detailed story about the saint’s journey from Crimea to Rome via Ladoga. According to this version, Andrei climbed up the Dnieper and, having spent the night on the picturesque hills, saw in a dream Big city with churches. The next morning he told his companions about this dream, predicting the foundation of Kyiv in that place, blessed the hills and erected a cross on one of them.

Then the apostle, tired from the journey, took a steam bath in the baths of Novgorod, which he later told his friends about in Rome. In the Middle Ages, the legend acquired details: about the erection of a wooden cross near the village of Gruzino on the banks of the Volkhov and a stone one on the island of Valaam, about the destruction of the temples of Veles and Perun and the conversion of former priests to Christianity. Be that as it may, residents of Ukraine and Russia venerate St. Andrew the First-Called as their patron.

Death

The apostle suffered martyrdom in the Greek city of Patras in approximately 67 of the first century. Saint Andrew lived in this city for several years, preaching and leading the Christian community. The city governor Egeat considered that the activities of Christians undermined his power, and ordered the execution of the obsessive preacher on the cross. Taking into account the wishes of the saint, who considered himself unworthy to imitate the death of Jesus, the weapon chosen was an oblique cross, later called St. Andrew’s.

Andrew the First-Called was not nailed to the cross, but his hands and feet were tied to the crossbars. For two days the apostle preached to his disciples from the cross. The listeners demanded to stop the torture, threatening a riot, and Egeates ordered the guards to untie the martyr. However, the saint was already determined to die and the knots did not succumb to the efforts of the soldiers. When the soul of the holy apostle left his body, the cross shone brightly, and then a source began to gush at this place.

The relics of Saint Andrew and the cross on which he died were first kept in Patras, but in 357, by order of the Roman Emperor Constantius II, they were transported to Constantinople and placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles. In the 9th century, the head and remains of the cross were separated from the relics and returned to Patras. After the capture of Patras by the Ottomans in 1460, Thomas Palaiologos saved the head of the saint and parts of the cross from desecration and handed over the shrine to Pope Pius II.

In 1964, the shrine returned to Patras thanks to an agreement between Pope Paul VI and representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church. The head of the saint is kept in the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called, built in 1974 near the source. In the largest Orthodox church in Greece, there is also an oblique cross-reliquary, in which are embedded parts of the very cross that served as the instrument of death of the saint.

In the old Church of the Apostle Andrew, located next to the cathedral, part of the finger of the Apostle is kept. The shrine was presented to Patram in 1847 by Russian nobleman Andrei Muravyov, who received it from the monks on Mount Athos. The remaining relics are scattered and kept with honor in different European cities.

According to legend, the Greek monk Regulus, at the direction of an angel, took the relics of St. Andrew to Scotland. The village where the monk's ship landed turned into the city of St. Andrews, which became the ecclesiastical capital of the kingdom. The relics are kept in the city's cathedral, and the Apostle Andrew is revered as the patron saint of Scotland.

Another legend says that in 1208 the crusaders took the relics to the Italian city of Amalfi, where they are kept in the local Cathedral of St. Andrew, built in the rarest Norman-Byzantine style. In Germany, a sandal and a nail from the saint's cross are kept in the Trier Cathedral. Some of the relics of St. Andrew ended up in the cathedral of the Italian city of Mantua.

In Russia there is the Foundation of the Holy All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called - public organization, which delivers major Christian relics to parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Foundation delivers annually from Jerusalem Holy Fire, descending from heaven during Easter service. In 2011, the organization brought the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Russia.

Memory

• 1698 – Peter I established the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called
• 1754 – St. Andrew’s Church was built in Kyiv
• 1865-1940 – Church of St. Andrew the First-Called and St. in the village of Palkeala
• 1899 – the steamship “Andrey Pervozvanny” was launched, the first specially built research vessel Russian Empire
• 1906 – St Andrews Football Stadium opens in Birmingham
• 1906 – the battleship “Andrei Pervozvanny” was launched
• 1974 – The Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called was built in the city of Patras on the Peloponnese Peninsula
• 1991 – the song “Walking on Water” by Nautilus Pompilius was recorded
• 1992 – The Foundation of the Holy All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called was founded
• 2003 – a monument was opened in Bataysk
• 2006 – a monument was unveiled in Moscow
• 2007 – St. Andrew’s Church in Kaliningrad was consecrated
• 2008 – raid of the charitable medical and educational Orthodox ship-church “Andrew the First-Called” through remote villages of the Novosibirsk region

Andrew the First-Called was born at the beginning of the 1st century and was from the Galilean city of Bethsaida. When John the Baptist began to preach on the banks of the Jordan, Andrew, along with John Zebedee, followed the prophet. Many thought that John the Baptist was the expected Messiah, but the prophet explained to the people that he was not the Messiah, but was sent only to prepare the way for Him.

Andrew, who followed the Lord earlier than the other apostles, received the name First-Called. Later in the New Testament, Andrew the First-Called is reported sporadically. He is mentioned among the twelve disciples of Christ. During the miraculous feeding of five thousand people, it is he who informs Jesus about the five loaves and two fishes available. Andrew the First-Called, together with three chosen disciples of Christ, Peter, James and John, took part in the Savior’s conversation on the Mount of Olives about the coming end of the world. Among the twelve disciples, Andrew the First-Called was present at the Last Supper and at the appearance of Christ to the apostles after the Resurrection, as well as at the Ascension of the Savior. The last thing that is known about Andrew the First-Called from the New Testament is his participation, along with everyone else, in the choice of the twelfth apostle instead of Judas Iscariot and his presence at the descent of the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost.

According to legend, when the apostles cast lots as to who should go where to preach, Apostle Andrew got Scythia. According to the contemporary of the apostles Ovid, this country occupied the territory north of the Pontus Euxine (Black Sea), stretching from the Caucasus Mountains, Meotida (Sea of ​​Azov) and the Tanais (Don) River in the east to the Hypanis River (Southern Bug) in the west and including the Crimean Peninsula , and in the north limited by the Scythian mountains.

In the life of St. Andrew the First-Called, compiled by Epiphanius the Monk, it is reported that during the third journey the apostle, having passed through the Southern and Eastern Black Sea region, reached the Crimea and spent considerable time in Chersonesos. This life enjoyed great authority in all Orthodox Churches, at the end of the 11th century its Slavic translation appeared. In addition, in Rus' an original legend was created about the visit of Andrew the First-Called to the Russian borders - “The Word about the manifestation of the Baptism of the Russian Land of the Holy Apostle Andrew, how he came to Rus',” preserved as part of the Tale of Bygone Years. According to this text, Andrew the First-Called, who arrived from Sinop to Korsun (Chersonese), learned about the proximity of the Dnieper mouth and wanted to go along this river to Rome. Climbing up the Dnieper, he blessed the site of the future Kyiv, and then went north to the land of the Slovenes, where Novgorod later arose.

After returning to Greece, the Apostle Andrew stopped in the city of Patros, located near the Gulf of Corinth. Since many residents believed in Christ, the local ruler Egeat was inflamed with hatred against the Apostle Andrew and sentenced Him to crucifixion. He ordered the apostle to be crucified so that he would suffer longer. St. Andrew was tied to the cross like the letter X, without driving nails into his hands and feet, so as not to cause quick death. Egeat's unjust sentence caused indignation among the people, but remained in force. The martyrdom of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called followed about 62 years after the Nativity of Christ.

Apostle Andrew the First-Called has long been revered in Rus'. In 1030 Vsevolod Yaroslavich, younger son Prince Yaroslav the Wise, received the name Andrei in baptism. In 1086 he founded the St. Andrew's Monastery in Kyiv. In 1089, Metropolitan Ephraim of Pereyaslavl consecrated the stone cathedral he built in Pereyaslavl in the name of St. Andrew the First-Called; at the end of the 11th century, a temple in the name of St. Andrew the First-Called was built in Novgorod. At the same time, the memory of St. Andrew the First-Called was included in all Russian calendars. Since 1097, church services to St. Andrew the First-Called have been attested in Russian tradition.

Under Emperor Peter I, who considered St. Andrew the First-Called his patron, the name of the “Baptist of the Russian Land” was given to the main order of the Russian Empire, and St. Andrew’s Cross began to be depicted on the flags of the Russian Navy.

ap. from 12 (memorial November 30; June 30 - in the Cathedral of the 12 Apostles, in the Cathedral of Karelian Saints and in the Cathedral of Crimean Saints). Occurred, like the ap. Philip, from Bethsaida (John 1.44), A.P. lived in Capernaum (Mk 1.29) in the same house with his brother Simon Peter (Mt 4.18; Mk 1.16). Peter's and A.P.'s father's name was Jonah (Matthew 16.17; John 1.42) (some ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of John offer a different version of his name - John). According to the Gospel of John, A.P. was one of those 2 disciples of St. John the Baptist, who, after the last testimony of Christ in Bethany, followed the Savior (John 1. 35-40). Having become the first disciple of Christ (hence his traditional nickname - the First-Called) and spending a day with Him, A.P. then brought his brother to Him (John 1.41-42). According to the evangelists Matthew and Mark, A.P. and Peter were engaged in fishing, during which they, together with James and John, were called by the Savior on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. (Mt 4.18; Mk 1.16).

When this message is reconciled with the Gospel of John, this calling is usually considered the second, which occurred after the return of Jesus from the desert (Gladkov B.I. Interpretation of the Gospel. St. Petersburg, 1907. pp. 154-155). Subsequently, A.P. is reported sporadically in the NT. He is mentioned among the 12 disciples of Christ, where he ranks 2nd, after the ap. Peter (Mt 10.2; Lk 6.14), or 4th place, after Peter, James and John (Mk 3.18). Together with his fellow countryman, Ap. Philip A.P. may have occupied some special place in the community of the apostles: with the miraculous feeding of 5 thousand people. it is he who informs Jesus about the availability of 5 loaves and 2 fish (John 6.8-9), and in the story of the Hellenes who came to Jerusalem for Easter, Philip, to whom they first turned, conveyed their request to A.P., and together they went to Jesus (John 12:21-22). A.P., together with 3 chosen disciples of Christ, Peter, James and John, took part in the Savior’s conversation on the Mount of Olives about the coming end of the world (Mark 13.3). Among the 12 disciples, A.P. was present at the Last Supper and at the appearance of Christ to the apostles after the Resurrection, as well as at the Ascension of the Savior (Acts 1.13). The last thing that is known about A.P. from the NT is his participation, along with everyone else, in the choice of the 12th apostle instead of Judas Iscariot and his presence at the descent of the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2.1).

Early Christian and Byzantine tradition

Regarding the future life of A.P., already in ancient times there were 2 traditions. K ser. II century The apocryphal “Acts of Andrew” date back to R.H. According to their text, reconstructed primarily on the basis of the “Book of Miracles” by Gregory of Tours (Liber de virtutibus beati Andreae Apostoli, c. 591-592), the apostle began preaching the Gospel to the south. shore of the Black Sea, moving through Pontus and Bithynia to the west. Perhaps this tradition is based on the connection between South. Black Sea region with ap. Peter (1 Peter 1.1): later texts mention the joint preaching of the brothers. Having visited Amasia, Sinope, Nicaea and Nicomedia, A.P. crossed to Byzantium (bud. K-pol) and ended up in Thrace, and from there to Macedonia, where he visited the cities of Philippi and Thessalonica. He then went to Achaia, where he visited the cities of Patras, Corinth and Megara. Throughout the journey, the apostle performed numerous miracles and healings. Imprisoned in Patras, he suffered martyrdom - crucifixion. Since the 9th century. The death of the apostle is usually dated to the reign of the emperor. Nero (c. 67 AD). In a later apocryphal tale, “The Acts of Andrew and Matthias” (BHG, N 109-110), the action takes place in a certain “city of cannibals” Myrna (Myrmen, Myrmidon), identified no later than the 6th century. with Issulimen or Sinope. Dr. apocryphal texts associated with this tradition transfer the preaching of A.P. to the North-West. Persia (Greek: “The Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew in the city of the Parthians”, Arabic: “The Martyrdom of Andrew among the Kurds”).

Dr. a tradition dating back to at least the 1st half. III century, reflected in Eusebius of Caesarea (Church history III 1), who, literally quoting the 3rd volume of Origen’s Commentary on Genesis, believes that M. Asia, Pontus and Bithynia were the apostolic inheritance of the apostle. Peter, while A.P. went to Scythia. This tradition was developed in the so-called. apostolic lists dating back to the lost sir. texts of the 4th century (Th. Schermann). In the early editions of these lists, the scope of A.P.’s preaching was extended to all nomadic Iranian-speaking tribes related to the Scythians: Saks, Sogdians, Sarmatians; later, in the list of Pseudo-Epiphanius (VI-VII centuries), the preaching of A.P. in Scythia was combined with the martyrdom of the apostle in Patras described in the “Acts of Andrew”; then, in the list of Pseudo-Dorotheus (VIII-IX centuries), material from the “Acts of Andrew” about the preaching of A.P. in Pontus was also added here; The same list also reflected the legend about the founding of A.P.’s episcopal see in Argyropolis, a suburb of Byzantium, which over time became an important argument in the polemics between K-pol and Rome on the issue of the hierarchy of the Patriarchal Thrones (F. Dvornik).

In Byzantium, as a result of the processing of ancient legends, detailed canonical lives of A.P. were created: the not widespread “Narratio” (BHG, N 99; 1st half of the 7th century or 9th-10th centuries), the more widely recognized “Life of Andrew ", created between 815 and 843. Epiphanius the Monk, who walked along the supposed path of A.P., collecting legends about him. Based on certain fragmentary information from church writers (Pseudo-Clementine, Pseudo-Epiphanius, etc.), local traditions, including written ones (for example, “Alphabetary of Khersakov”), and the revised ending of the “Acts of Andrew,” Epiphanius placed the action of apocryphal sources in the context of the canonical Acts of the Apostles, eliminating fantastic elements and skipping those places in the sermon where he had not visited himself. This life has been preserved in 2 editions, which apparently belonged to the pen of Epiphanius himself: the 1st, created as a continuation of the “Acts of Andrew and Matthias” (BHG, N 95b), and the 2nd, supplemented by information about the apostle’s stay in Palestine and M. Asia and abbreviated in some other parts (BHG, N 102).

According to Epiphanius, A.P. made 3 trips from Jerusalem along the shores of the Black Sea, always along the route south - east - north. In the 1st year, together with Peter, he visited Antioch, Tiana, Ancyra, Sinope, where he freed Matthias from prison. Then Peter went to preach in the West. lands, A.P. moved east. In Amis, he, together with Matthias and 7 other disciples, preached in the synagogue, which he turned into a temple of the Virgin Mary; from Trebizond A.P. came to Iberia and returned through Parthia to Jerusalem. On his next journey, the apostle from Antioch went to Ephesus together with the apostle. John (the connection between A.P. and John is evidenced by ancient monuments, for example, the Muratori canon of the 2nd century). From there, after the appearance of Christ, who commanded him to go to Scythia, A.P. went to Phrygia and Nicaea, where he cast out demons, killed a dragon, pacified robbers and crushed idols (some of these miracles go back through local tradition to the “Acts of Andrew”). After 2 years, he visited Nicomedia, Iraklia Pontus, Amastris and Sinope, where the inhabitants beat him for his previous deliverance of Matthias and where he converted many to Christ, resurrecting a murdered city dweller. From there he went to Amis, Trebizond and Samosata, where he discussed with the Greek. philosophers. On the last, 3rd, journey A.P. and his companions passed through Edessa, where he left the apostle. Thaddeus, to Iveria and Susania (Svaneti?). Leaving the app there. Matthias, he moved to Alania and Abazgia, where he parted with his other companion, ap. Simon the Canaanite. Through Zikhia, where A.P. barely escaped death, he arrived in the Bosporus, the inhabitants of which willingly listened to his sermons, and then to Feodosia and Chersonesus, “persistent in paganism.” From there he crossed back to Sinope, where he installed Philologus as bishop, and from there, through Chalcedon (where Bishop Tychicus was installed), he arrived in Byzantium. Having made Stachios bishop of Argyropolis and founded the temple of the Mother of God on the acropolis, A.P. headed through Iraklia of Thracia and Macedonia to Patras. Epiphanius begins the Greek. part of the life from the appeal of the Apostle Maximilla, the wife of the Achaean proconsul Egeat, and his brother Stratocles, for which A.P. was imprisoned and then crucified on the cross (here the hagiograph follows the final part of the “Acts of Andrew”, while also mentioning the episodes not preserved in any of the other texts).

All subsequent authors who wrote about A.P. relied on the “Life” of Epiphanius. Nikita David Paphlagon compiled, on the basis of its 2nd edition, the Eulogy (encomium) of A.P. (BHG, N 106) and the life of the encomiastic type - “Laudatio” (BHG, N 100), in which he added to Epiphanius’s narrative mention of A.P.’s sermon in the village. Charax in Paphlagonia, about the installation of bishop. Palma in Amastris and the story of Lesbian in Patras. Simeon Metaphrastus (BHG, N 101), who used the 1st edition of Epiphanius’s Life, extended the area of ​​A.P.’s preaching to the Danube and added, like Nikita David, a story about the transfer of the relics of the Apostle to K-pol. Several are also known. Byzantine Enkomiev A.P. (BHG, N 103-108). Further development of the Byzantine Empire. tradition received in Georgia and Rus'.

In Georgia

the beginning of Christ sermons have long been associated with the name of A.P.: Georgians (Greek Gorsins) are mentioned in certain manuscripts of the apostolic list of Pseudo-Epiphanius, information about the Ivers is available from Epiphanius the Monk. List of Pseudo-Dorotheus no later than the 8th century. was transferred to cargo. language and included in the cargo. homiletic-liturgical collection. Klarjet polychapter (IX century), reflecting the ancient (VI-VIII centuries) liturgical practice of the Georgian Church. In con. X century St. Euthymiy Svyatogorets was transferred to cargo. language “Praise” (“The Walk and Sermons of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called”) by Nikitas Paphlagon; already in the X-XI centuries. in zap. and southwest parts of Georgia, the original cargo was widespread. version of the “Praise” included by Leonti Mroveli in the 11th century. included in the cargo. chronicle collection Kartlis Tskhovreba, telling about the sermon of A.P. in the South-West. Georgia during his 3rd trip. According to the lot, Georgia became the inheritance of the Most Holy. The Mother of God, but the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Her in a vision, instructing him to send A.P. there. Having received Her miraculous icon from the hands of the Mother of God, A.P., together with the apostle. Simon the Canaanite first went to Trebizond, where the Mingrelians (Greek Laz) lived. Having baptized them, A.P. went to Adjara, performed many miracles there (in particular, with the help of the icon of the Mother of God, he brought out a source of healing water) and laid a c. in the name of the Most Holy Our Lady, where he left a miraculous copy of Her image, attaching it to an ordinary board. Crossing the pass on the way to Samtskhe (Southern Georgia), the apostle planted an iron cross there (“Rkinis Jvari”). In the village Zaden-Gora A.P. crushed the pagan idols. The special miracles of the apostle are associated with. Atskuri, religious. and adm. the center of ancient Samtskhe (see also Atskur diocese), where A.P. raised the son of the widow of the local ruler Samdzivari from the dead, after which the widow herself and the entire Samtskhe people converted to Christianity. Seeing that the local priests were furious and began to persuade the people to abandon the new faith, A.P. suggested that they leave the icon in the local temple of Apollo and Artemis for the night. The next morning, the statues of the pagan gods were broken, and the icon radiated radiance. At the request of the Samtskhi residents, A.P. left the icon in the small chapel in the village. Atskuri (where the name of the icon came from - Atskuri; the medieval Georgian historian Juansher tells of a visit to it in the 7th century by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, who venerated the miraculous shrine, widely known at that time, and founded a temple in its name). Then the apostle continued his preaching in Tao, Klarjeti, Megrelia, Abazgia and Svaneti, after which he headed north to preach Christianity to the Ossetians and Dzhiks (Greek Alans and Zikhs); Having reached the city of Fostafor in Ossetia, he performed many miracles and baptized Ossetians. The Djiks met A.P. with hostility and tried to kill him, and the apostle, having once again visited Abazgia and Megrelia, went to Scythia. The preaching activity of A.P. on the territory of Georgia was considered by the Georgian Church to be an irrefutable fact. Based on this, the cargo. theologians Rev. George Svyatogorets and Ephraim Mtsire (2nd half of the 11th century) repeatedly defended the autocephalous rights of the Georgian Church in disputes with the Antiochian Patriarchate. Questions regarding the history of the conversion of Georgians, Rev. Ephraim Mtsire dedicated a special work, in which he put forward a position on 2 stages of enlightenment of Georgia - through the works of the Apostle A.P. and St. equal to Nina. This provision was legalized in 1105 by the Ruiz-Urbnis Council of the Georgian Church. Reliability of information about A.P.’s preaching on modern territory. Georgia some cargo. scientists questioned (I. Javakhishvili, K. Kekelidze), but the factual content of the cargo. versions of the life of A.P. (route of the saint, ethnotoponymy, accurate description of the social environment and life) leaves this question open. In order to identify additional evidence about A.P.’s stay on the territory of Georgia, archaeological excavations began in 1988 in the vicinity of the village. Atskuri. Structures of the 5th century were discovered. BC - 1st century, traces of the acropolis of the 1st century, burial goods.

Veneration in Russia

The basis of the legends about A.P.’s visit to the Russian land is Origen’s testimony about Scythia as the apostolic inheritance of A.P. (Eusebius. Church history III 1). As a result of the analysis of references to Scythia in the works of Publius Ovid Naso (43 BC - 18 AD), a poet almost modern. A.P., one can outline its limits at that time. This country, according to Ovid, occupied the territory north of Pontus Euxine (Black Sea), stretching from the Caucasus Mountains, Meotida (Azov Sea) and the river. Tanais (Don) to the river. Hypanis (Southern Bug) in the west and included the Crimean Peninsula, and in the north limited by the Scythian, or Riphean, mountains of uncertain localization (Podosinov A. Ovid and the Black Sea region: Experience in source analysis of a poetic text // The most ancient states on the territory of the USSR, 1983. M., 1984. P. 8, 22-23). According to a number of researchers, the ethnonym “Scythians” is Late Antique and Early Byzantine. the authors could refer to other peoples who lived in the North. Black Sea region, i.e. in the former Scythian lands. However, some Byzantines. monuments (for example, “Narratio”) are understood as Scythia, in which A.P. preached, the so-called. M. Scythia - Rome. province and early Byzantine. church diocese at the mouth of the Danube (region of modern Dobrudzha, Romania). However, this province appeared only during the imperial reforms. Diocletian (late 3rd century) and, therefore, did not exist at the time of Origen.

In the life of A.P., compiled by Epiphanius the Monk, it is reported that during the 3rd journey the apostle, having passed along the South. and Vost. Black Sea coast, reached Crimea and spent considerable time in Chersonesus (PG. 120. Col. 215-260). This life enjoyed great authority in all Orthodox churches. Churches, in the end. XI century his glory appeared. translation. In addition, an original legend was created in Rus' about the visit of A.P. Rus. limits - “The Word about the manifestation of Baptism in the Russian land of the Holy Apostle Andrew, who came to Rus',” preserved as part of the PVL. According to this text, A.P., who arrived from Sinope to Korsun (Chersonese), learned about the proximity of the Dnieper mouth and “desired to go to Rome”; Having climbed up the Dnieper, he blessed the place. Kyiv, and then went north to the land of the Slovenes, where Novgorod later arose; marveling at the local customs, the apostle left for Rome, and from there returned to Sinope (PSRL. Vol. 1. Stb. 7-9).

By the 11th century. refers to the growth of veneration of A.P. in Rus': in 1030 Vsevolod Yaroslavich, the youngest son of Prince. Yaroslav the Wise, received the baptismal name Andrei, in 1086 he founded the St. Andrew's (Yanchin) Monastery in Kyiv. In 1089, Metropolitan of Pereyaslavl. Ephraim consecrated the stone cathedral he built in Pereyaslavl in the name of St. Andrew the First-Called, at the end. XI century A temple was built in Novgorod in the name of St. Andrew the First-Called. At the same time, the memory of A.P. was included in all types of Russian. calendars. The oldest mentions of A.P. are in the month books of the Gospels - the Reims 1st half. XI century (L. 1v.), Ostromirova 1056-1057. (L. 243) and Arkhangelsk 1092 (L. 138ob.). The Menea of ​​1097 contains the service of A.P. (Yagich, pp. 493-503).

From the 12th century The tradition of legends about A.P. in Russian continuously developed. Prologue. The Prologues of the 1st edition included short life A.P. “The Passion of the Holy, and Most Praiseworthy, and First-Called Andrew, Brother of the Great Peter” (RNB. Sof. No. 1324. L. 74ob.-75, late XII - early XIII century; GIM. Khlud. 187. L. 71ob. - 73, 1282), in the Prologues of the 2nd edition - also “The Tale of the Manifestation of Baptism in the Russian Land” (RGADA. Type No. 153, 161, 164, XIV century). In the 1st half. XIV century A.P.’s life was again translated into glory. language (apparently by the Serbs on Mount Athos) as part of the Stish Prologue. It occurs in large quantities Yuzhslav and Russian lists of the XIV-XVII centuries. An “updated” edition is also known, which combines both texts about A.P. - the Life and “The Sermon on the Manifestation of Baptism in the Russian Land” (the earliest list is the Russian National Library. Soph. No. 1374, before 1513). In hagiographical literature, the “Word” is first found in the life of St. Stephen of Perm, written by Epiphanius the Wise c. 1420

In VMC on November 30. contains a selection of texts dedicated to A.P. (Joseph, archim. Table of contents of the VMCH. Stb. 209-210). In addition to the prologue life and the Legend of A.P.’s journey to Rus', the VMCH contains a translation of the “Acts of Andrew and Matthias” (BHG, N 109), the 1st edition of the “Life” of Epiphanius the Monk (BHG, N 95b), an excerpt from the “Tale” Simeon Metaphrastus (BHG, N 101b) and the laudatory word of Proclus, Patriarch of Poland (BHG, N 103).

The memory of A.P. is celebrated in all Eastern. and zap. calendars. According to the Typikon of the Great Ts. IX-X centuries on the day of memory of A.P., a lithium was performed in the Church of the Holy Apostles, where the relics of A.P. were located; His service took place there. A.P. had his own troparion, which indicates his special veneration. In the Studian-Alexievsky Typikon of 1034 (GIM. Sin. No. 330. L. 101-101v., XII century) and the Evergetid Typikon of the 1st half. XII century (Dmitrievsky. Description. T. 1. 328-329) the service of A.P. is indicated in composition similar to the sixfold one (see Signs of the holidays of the month), and the Evergetid Typikon allows for the possibility of singing on the pannikhis of the canon of A.P. instead of the ordinary canon of Octoechos. According to southern Italian. edition of the Studite Charter - Messinian Typicon of 1131 (Arranz. Typicon. P. 63-64) - in the service of A.P. Vespers is similar to that performed during the doxological service, and Matins is similar to polyeleos - with the reading of the Gospel, as well as with the replacement of kathismas with antiphons (Ps 18, 19, 20). According to the Jerusalem Typicons - the first printed Russian. 1610, currently used in the Russian Orthodox Church (Typicon. T. 1. P. 297), as well as the one adopted today. time in Greek Churches, - A.P. a polyeleos service is performed.

The succession of A.P., placed in modern. Greek official Menea, completely coincides with modern. Slavic. Troparion A.P. 4th tone " ", kontakion 2nd voice " "and the canon of the 1st tone of A.P., compiled by John the Monk (additions to it and discrepancies were published from the manuscripts of the Vienna National Library by K. Hannick C. Studien zu liturgische Handshriften der Osterreichischen Nationalbibliothek. W., 1972. S 36), are already indicated in the Studite Typikon and Menaion, like the Greek. (for example, RNB. Greek. 227-1. L. 156-157ob., XII century), and glory. (RGADA. Syn. typ. No. 91, 1097; RGADA. Syn. typ. No. 92, 12th century. L. 199-204v. - Yagich. Service Menaions. P. 493-504). The body of stichera and sedalia dates back to the time of the Studite Charter, however, many stichera and sedalia appear only in the Jerusalem Menaion; Among the stichera there are self-concords, inscribed in printed liturgical books with the names of Andrew of Jerusalem, Anatoly, and Herman. In the Jerusalem Menaions, among the texts of the service of A.P., whose memory is celebrated during the days of the Nativity Fast, several are placed. the stichera of the forefeast of the Nativity of Christ, not indicated in the monuments of the Studite tradition. The Jerusalem Menaion also contains the 2nd canon of A.P. and the canon of the Mother of God of the 1st tone, anonymous, without an acrostic.

In the Typikon of the Great Church, the Studite and Jerusalem Typikons, following the Polish system of liturgical readings, at the liturgy, as in the present. time, the prokeimenon, the apostolic reading, the alleluia and the general sacrament of the apostle are indicated, the gospel reading is special, about the calling of A.P. by the Lord (John 1. 35-51); Typikon of the Great Church indicates a reading from Matthew 4. 18-23.

From the manuscripts of Christ. East XI-XIV centuries. 4 canons are known, not included in the printed Menaion, by the hymnographers Herman, George, Andrei and anonymous (Ταμεῖον. Ν 297-300. Σ. 110-111). In Serbian The official Menea (Athos, Zograf Monastery, No. 53 (88), 1st half of the 13th century) contains the canon of A.P. in the 4th tone, written by St. Naum Ohridski († 910), with an acrostic: “” (Kozhukharov S. Songwriting on the Old Bulgarian scribe Naum Ohridski // Literary History. Sofia, 1984. No. 12. P. 3-19). Troparion A.P. of the 3rd tone, indicated in the Typikon of the Great Church. “Τῆς νοητῆς θαλάσσης τοὺς ἀνθρωποβόρους ἰχθύας ἐσαγήνευσας” (Mateos. Typicon. T. 1. P. 116) and translated into glory. the language included in the Prologue of the 1st edition - “” (RNB. Sof. No. 1324. L. 74 ob. - 75, late XII - early XIII centuries) - was not included in printed liturgical books.

In 1867, A.N. Muravyov compiled the Akathist A.P. (Ponomarev S.I. Akathists: (Bibliographic notes). St. Petersburg, 1890. P. 11; Akathistnik. M., 1994. T. 1. pp. 117-125).

In hymnographic texts (Minea (ST). November. L. 282-294 vol.) A.P. is called a relative of the ap. Peter, a disciple of St. John the Baptist, after. became a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. The meaning of the name Andrey (Greek - courageous) is played on: “ "(kontakion). The calling of A.P. Peter is described: “ "(troparion of the 4th song of the 2nd canon), A.P.’s apostolic sermon, especially among the pagans. The death of A.P. on the cross is described: “” (troparion of the 8th song of the 2nd canon of A.P.), also noted in the epigram on the apostles John Mavropod, Metropolitan. Euchaitsky (XI century). Healings through the prayer of A.P. and miracles from his honest relics are mentioned. A.P. named heavenly patron Patras: " "(4th stichera on Praise).

A . YU . Nikiforova, O. V. Loseva

Iconography

Along with the apostles Peter and Paul, he is represented in many gospel stories and acts of the apostles. The earliest images of him are preserved on a fresco from the catacomb in Karmuz (Egypt), IV-VI centuries; rare individual images - on an ivory diptych, 450-460. (Victoria and Albert Museum. London), and ampoules (for example, on a ceramic ampoule from Dvin). To Byzantium. hagiographic literature contains references to miraculous images A.P.: according to the testimony of Epiphanius the Monk, an ancient image of the apostle written on marble was in a chapel in Sinope.; others - above the gates of the house of John Scholasticus near Perdix in K-pol.

Already in the early monuments, the appearance of A.P. has pronounced individual characteristics: gray tousled hair and a short thick beard; like the other apostles, he is dressed in a tunic with claves and himation. According to the description of Epiphanius the Monk, “he was not small in build, but tall, long-nosed, with broad eyebrows, and slightly hunched over.”

A.P. is represented in the domed mosaic of the Baptistery of the Orthodox (Ravenna), ser. V century - with a wreath in hands; in the oratorio of the Archbishop's Chapel (Ravenna), 494-519, - bust, in a medallion; in c. San Vitale (Ravenna), approx. 547; in the apse of the catholicon of the monastery VMC. Catherine in Sinai, 550-565; on the fresco of the apse of Chapel VI in Bauita (Egypt), VI century, - with the Gospel; in the apse c. Santa Maria Antiqua (Rome), 705-707, etc. In post-iconoclastic times, A.P. was usually depicted with a scroll in his hand, for example, on the mosaics of the narthex of Hosios Loukas in Phocis (Greece), 30- e years XII century, or with a cross on a long shaft - on the mosaic of the apse c. Santa Maria Assunta in Torcello, ca. 1130; Chapel del Sacramento of the Cathedral of Trieste, 1st floor. XII century; cathedral to Cefalu in Sicily, approx. 1148

“Baptism of the Lord” (Church of Panagia Mavriotissa in Kastoria (Greece), late 12th century); on the icons “Cathedral of the 12 Apostles” (1st third of the 14th century; Pushkin Museum; ca. 1432; NGOMZ).

The martyrdom of A.P., crucified on the cross (called “Andreevsky”), is presented in the Minology of Basil II (Vat. gr. 1613. R. 215, 976-1025); on the icon “Menaion for September, October, November”, 12th century. (Monastery of the Great Martyr Catherine on Sinai) A.P.’s crucifix is ​​placed on a tree. In the XVII-XIX centuries. this iconography was developed in Russian. icon painting (for example, “Apostolic Acts and Sufferings,” 17th century (GMMC)). This theme was common in Catholicism. art.

The special veneration of A.P. in Rus' was reflected in his depiction in the miniature of the Radzivilov Chronicle (BAN OR. 34. 5. 30. L. 3v.; end of the 15th century).

Along with the images of the supreme apostles, the image of A.P. was often included in the high iconostasis, where it was usually placed opposite the apostle. John the Evangelist: on an icon from the 1408 iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (Tretyakov Gallery); on an icon from the Deesis 1444-1445. c. Dormition from Paromenya in Pskov (PIAM) - in a red chiton and dark green himation, with the Gospel in hands; on an icon of the 15th century. from the Deesis (Dmitrov Kremlin Museum-Reserve), on the Rostov icon from the Deesis rank, end. XV century (GMZRK), - with a scroll in his hand. On the icon is gray. XVI century (CAM MDA) he is presented together with arch. Mikhail; on the image from the Nikolo-Koryazhemsky Monastery (before 1661; SIHM) - full-length, in prayer to Christ; on the Vologda icon “Ap. Andrew the First-Called in the Life" 1717 (VGIAHMZ). The full cycle of 80 miniatures with the life of A.P. is contained in a 17th-century manuscript. (OLDP F 137. L. 1-96ob).

Lit.: R é au L. L "origine de la croix de Saint-André // Mémoires de la Societé des antiquaires de France, 1932; idem. Iconographie de l" art chrétien. P., 1958. Vol. 3. P. 76-84; Lechner M. Andreas // LCI. Bd. 5. 1973. Sp. 138-152; Pillinger R. Der Apostel Andreas: Ein Heliger von Ost und West im Bild der frühen Kirche. W., 1994.

N. V. Kvlividze

Saint Andrew the First-Called is the first of the apostles. You can learn more about this saint, see icons with his image and read his life in this article!

Today, December 13, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Day of Remembrance of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

APOSTLE ANDREW was from Galil e And. This northern part of the Holy Land was distinguished by its fertility and picturesqueness, and its inhabitants were good natured and hospitable. The Galileans easily got along with the Greeks who inhabited their country in large numbers; many spoke Greek and even bore Greek names. The name Andrey is Greek and means courageous.

When John the Baptist began to preach on the banks of the Jordan River A On, Andrei, together with John of Zebedee (who came from the same city as Bethsaida), followed the prophet, hoping to find an answer to his spiritual questions in his teaching. Many began to think that maybe John the Baptist was the expected Messiah, but he explained to people that he was not the Messiah, but was sent only to prepare the way for Him. At that time, the Lord Jesus Christ came to John the Baptist on the Jordan for baptism, and he, pointing to the Lord, said to his disciples: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”

Hearing this, Andrew and John followed Jesus. The Lord, seeing them, asked: “What do you need?” They said: “Rabbi (Teacher), where do you live?” “Come and see,” Jesus answered, and from that time on they became His disciples. On the same day, the Apostle Andrew went to his brother Simon Peter and told him: “We have found the Messiah.” So Peter joined the disciples of Christ.

However, the apostles did not immediately devote themselves entirely to the apostolic title. From the Gospel we know that the brothers Andrew and Simon Peter and the brothers John and James had to return to their families for a while and take up their usual work - fishing. A few months later, the Lord, passing by Lake Galilee and seeing them fishing, said: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their boats and nets and from that day became constant disciples of Christ.

Andrew, who followed the Lord earlier than the other apostles, received the name First Call A new. He remained with Christ throughout the entire period of His public ministry. After the Resurrection of the Savior, Apostle Andrew, together with other disciples, was honored with meetings with Him and was present at Holy Oil O mountain, when the Lord, having blessed them, ascended to Heaven.

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles cast lots as to who should go to which country to preach the Gospel. Saint Andrew received the countries lying along the Black Sea coast, the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula and Scythia, i.e. the land on which Russia was later formed. According to legend, the Apostle Andrew preached on the Tauride Peninsula, then climbed north along the Dnieper and reached the place where Kyiv subsequently arose.

“Believe me,” the apostle said to his disciples, “that the grace of God will shine on these mountains: a great city will be here, the Lord will enlighten this land with holy baptism and will erect many churches here.” Then the Apostle Andrew blessed the Kyiv mountains and erected a cross on one of them, heralding the acceptance of faith by the future inhabitants of Rus'.

Nikolay Lomtev. Apostle Andrew the First-Called erects a cross on the mountains

After returning to Greece, the Apostle Andrew stopped in the city of Patros, located near the Gulf of Corinth. Here, through the laying on of hands, he healed many people from illnesses, including the noble Maximilla, who believed in Christ with all her heart and became a disciple of the apostle. Since many residents of Patras believed in Christ, the local ruler Egeat was inflamed with hatred against the Apostle Andrew and sentenced him to crucifixion. The apostle, not at all afraid of the verdict, in an inspired sermon revealed to those gathered the spiritual power and significance of the Savior’s suffering on the cross.

Governor Egeat did not believe the apostle's preaching, calling his teaching madness. Then he ordered the apostle to be crucified so that he would suffer longer. Saint Andrew was tied to the cross in the shape of the letter X, without driving nails into his hands and feet, so as not to cause imminent death. Egeat's unjust sentence caused indignation among the people, however, this sentence remained in force.

Hanging on the cross, the Apostle Andrew prayed incessantly. Before the separation of his soul from his body, the heavenly light shone on Andrew’s cross, and in its brilliance the apostle departed into the eternal Kingdom of God. The martyrdom of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called followed around the 62nd year after the Nativity of Christ.

The Russian Church, having accepted the faith of Christ from Byzantium, whose bishops trace their succession to the Apostle Andrew, also considers itself his successor. That is why the memory of Saint Andrew the First-Called was so solemnly revered in pre-revolutionary Russia. Emperor Peter I established the first and highest order in honor of the Apostle Andrew, which was given as a reward to dignitaries of the state. Since the times of Peter the Great, the Russian fleet has made St. Andrew's flag its banner, a blue X-shaped cross on a white background, under the shadow of which the Russians won many victories.

Troparion

As the first-called apostles/ and the supreme brother,/ the Lord of all, Andrew, pray/ to grant peace to the universe// and great mercy to our souls.

Kontakion
Apostle Andrew the First-Called:

Let us praise the courage of the same-named eulogist/ and the Church’s supreme successor,/ Peter’s relative,/ before now, as in ancient times/ and now we have cried: come, thou who have found the Desired.

Prayer to Saint Andrew the First-Called

First-called Apostle of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, supreme follower of the Church, all-validated Andrew! We glorify and magnify your apostolic works, we sweetly remember your blessed coming to us, we bless your honorable suffering, which you endured for Christ, we kiss your sacred relics, we honor your holy memory and believe that the Lord lives, and your soul lives, too. You remain with us forever in heaven, where you do not forsake us with your love, as you loved our fathers, when through the Holy Spirit you saw our land turning to Christ. We believe, as God prayed for us; in His light all our needs are in vain. Thus we confess this faith of ours in your temple, and we pray to the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, that through your prayers he will give us everything we need for the salvation of us sinners: as you abied the voice of the Lord, forsake your fears; and let each one of us seek not his own, but for the building up of his neighbor, and let him think about a higher calling. Having you as an intercessor and prayer book for us, we hope that your prayer can accomplish much before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Akathist before the icons of St. Andrew the First-Called

Kontakion 1

Let us praise the first-called apostle of Christ, the holy preacher of the Gospel, the divinely inspired enlightener of the Russian country, Andrew the Most Glorious, with songs, standing on the top of the hill, where his right hand raised the Cross, and to him, as the supreme follower of the Church, who has shown her the path to Christ, we cry out in tenderness: Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Ikos 1

You were the angel of the good news of the Lamb of Christ, who takes away the sins of the world, to Andrew the Apostle, and you remain with Him forever in Heaven; From there, look at the songs brought to you in your temple, in the place where your feet stand, and, as you are rich in the grace of God, give us a good word, so that we call to you: Rejoice, thou who shone forth unto us the star from the city of Bethsaida; Rejoice, equal brother of the Supreme Peter. Rejoice, disciple of the great Forerunner of Christ; Rejoice, first of all, the apostle, called to apostolic service by the Lord Himself. Rejoice, for you also cried out to others with joy: “Come, you have found the desired Messiah”; Rejoice, and lead us to Him. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 2

Teacher, where do you live? - You asked, Andrew, the Savior of our souls and, having spent one day with Him, you loved the Messiah you had found for all the days of your life, and you brought your oldest brother to Him. Likewise, we, like your least brothers, do not cease to be attracted to Him, and we, following in your footsteps, cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

Seeing in you, Saint Andrew, a flame of faith and love, the Lord again found you on the lake of Gennesaret, like a fisherman, together with your brother, sweeping deep waters, and he said to you: “He will come after Me, and I will make you a fisher of man.” You followed Him aby and with the inspired word, as if you caught people in the wild for Christ, with whom we caught you for salvation, we say to you: Rejoice, for you learned spiritual fishing from the Lord Himself; Rejoice, for on the same lake with the others the apostles were overwhelmed; by faith you were saved in the Lord, who rebuked the wind and the sea. Rejoice, you who have acquired great faith, when you saw the wonderful feeding of five thousand with five loaves; Rejoice, having received the gift from the Lord to heal every ailment and every disease. Rejoice, for a voice from heaven was heard by the Greeks, who saw Christ by you; Rejoice, for there was a revelation on the Mount of Olives that will come to you at the end of the world. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 3

The Lady's wanderings and the Immortal Meal in the High Place of Zion, having enjoyed true friend Christ, together with the rest of the apostles, you saw the Lord and your God, from the Worthless you received the Holy Spirit, in order to bind and solve the sins of people. And again, in the same upper room of Zionstei, there was an abundant outpouring of the promised Spirit on you in fiery tongues. Moreover, all the tribes were amazed at how with their tongue you spoke of the greatness of God, singing: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

We receive the commandment from the Lord to preach the Gospel to all creation, flowing around many cities and countries, Apostle Andrew, calling people to the knowledge of the True God and baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; with them we too have been made worthy of the grace of Baptism. For this reason, let us sing a note of gratitude to you: Rejoice, faithful herald of Christ’s miracles; Rejoice, loud preacher of the Holy Gospel. Rejoice, idolatrous service to the consumer; Rejoice, planter of true piety. Rejoice, for according to your word people are reborn by water and the Spirit; Rejoice, for through you the faithful partake of the Immortal Meal. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 4

The power of God has fallen upon you, First-Called Apostle, to proclaim the power and glory of the Son of God and to confirm all faith in the Holy Trinity for those called. Likewise, keep us, who worship the One God in the Three Hypostases, in the green pastures of the faith of Christ, so that we may be sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and sing with a loud voice to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Having brought your brother Simon Peter, the First-Called, to Christ, you went with him to your apostolic ministry, first to Antioch and Sinop, there having defeated the demons of the regiment, you freed your companion Apostle Matthias from the prison bonds, and baptized those who were with him, to the Supreme Peter from there to the western countries flowing, you gave him a brotherly kiss, but you yourself labored well in the eastern workshop. Likewise, we, the people of the Eastern Church, bless you: Rejoice, power of God, driving away armies of demons and breaking the bonds of prisons; Rejoice, friend of the apostolic grace, secretly freeing us from the bonds of hell. Rejoice, West and East with your God-wise brother, preaching for the sake of the word of God, dividing by lot; Rejoice, in the city of Sinope you exposed the unbelief of the Jews by the power of your miracles. Rejoice, for there you were from the godless for Christ’s sake; Rejoice, for from the Lord who appeared to you the healing of ulcers was granted to you. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 5

Returning twice to the holy city, and together with the apostles celebrating the fiftieth day there, twice again you marched from holy Zion, to preach Christ to the whole world, first with John, the confidant of the Lord, then with Simon the Canaanite and Matthias, whose lot was destined to become an apostle, and the entire borders of Asia and Pontus flowed around you, announcing the word of salvation to everyone, so that they could sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

From the Sea of ​​Galilee to the Euxine Apostolic Pontus, your spread out and all the seas around, proclaiming your gospel, you have risen, O First-Called One, into the countries of Scythia, planting the Cross of Christ everywhere as a sign of our salvation. For this reason, we, even if we were born later, heeding your gospel and remembering your deeds, call to you: Rejoice, thou who has tamed the fierce robbers in Nicaea and slain the fiercest dragon; Rejoice, the Cross of Christ has been erected in the midst of this city, as the Forerunner of the two-fold Father of the God-bearing ones gathered there. Rejoice, for in Asia and Pontus the light of Christ has risen by you; Rejoice, for your apostolic rod opened the foothills of the Caucasus to the light of Christ. Rejoice, for the darkness of the Cimmerians was illuminated; Rejoice, who gave the universe life to drink from streams of water. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 6

Possessed by a storm of passions and, like the waters of the ocean, troubled, the tribes of men, who do not know the True God, you led, apostle, to the quiet refuge of Christ and those hearts, like a fragile boat overwhelmed by unbelief, you established on the anchors of the Orthodox faith. In the same way, we, as children of the Orthodox faith, cry out to God with grateful hearts and grateful lips: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

On the Mount of Olives, sometimes you and the other apostles asked your Divine Teacher, Andrew: “Tell us, what is the sign of Your coming?” On the mountains of Kyiv, as an organ of the grace of the Holy Spirit, you foretold the coming glory of this place; We, who were ordained to be worthy of this mercy, tenderly cry out to you: Rejoice, for you brought us the law of the Gospel from Mount Zion; Rejoice, for through the waters of Voristhenes the apostle of God came to us. Rejoice, grace of the Jordan, for the sake of our Baptism, you bestowed this word; Rejoice, erected the Cross of our salvation on the Kyiv mountains. Rejoice, for the abundant outpouring of God’s grace was foretold here; Rejoice, for the existence of the city is great and many churches are to be heralded here. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 7

Today, in fulfillment of your prophetic voice, the glorious temple adorns itself in the place where you foresaw things that do not exist, as if they exist through the gift of the Holy Spirit; Around it, a great city with golden-domed churches testifies to the truth of your words, to which even to this day you, as if from the heights of the pulpit, have preached peace. Likewise, we, seeing the fulfillment of your God-inspired words, cry out to God with a great voice: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

From the luminous dawn, the First-Called Apostle, having received the light of divine knowledge, Saint Olga rose up to the Russian land as the star of our salvation, raising up after herself, like a luminous luminary, her grandson Vladimir, the enlightener of the entire midnight country. In the same way, we, having raised our eyes to you, Andrew the God-Wise, as to the initial harbinger of our salvation, let us write this praiseworthy: Rejoice, for the star of our salvation, Holy Olga, was granted the knowledge of the Divine light; Rejoice, for through her good faith the Kingdom of Christ has been opened. Rejoice, for through your blessing the glorious light has come to us from this day; Rejoice, for according to your apostolic foreshadowing, the prince equal to the apostles has appeared to us. Rejoice, for through you Saint Vladimir the kingdom of earth has joined the kingdom of heaven; Rejoice, for the Dnieper and Pochaina, the rivers of Kiev, were a saving font for us. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 8

The shepherds and flocks preach the memory of your deeds to the glorious city of Kyiv and the entire Russian country, O wise man Andrew the Apostle; in the depths of the caves, the incorruptible saints of God, with Anthony and Theodosius, with silent lips, as if they live, proclaim your glory throughout the century and generation, for by you the Cross erected here, like a blessed-leaved tree, will grow to bear us the fruits of piety and holiness. We of your heavenly helix, like spiritual chicks, have taught us to sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

Not just Rus', you were the herald of salvation, the First-Called Apostle of Christ, but you brought the entire Slovenian tribe, like the Kokosh, gathering its chicks under the wing, to Christ; You, from Chersonis into the darkness of the midnight country, despising the people there, so that the wise teachers, Cyril and Methodius, might learn the word of God, you have prepared your preaching for many centuries; We, like the mouths of these enlighteners of ours, cry out loudly to you: Rejoice, blessed Slovenian tribe from time immemorial; Rejoice, thou madet wise by their word by the word of God. Rejoice, for the child of God was obedient to the word of the Church; Rejoice, for in Chersonis, where you preached, the first Russian writer, Saint Cyril, was found and received. Rejoice, for by those Alpha and Omega, the firstfruits and the end, you proclaimed the wisdom of Christ to them; Rejoice, for this teacher has translated all the inspired scriptures into the Slovenian language for us. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 9

Without fearing deserted Scythia, you extended your apostolic wanderings into the depths of the midnight country, O First-Called One, from there you came to ancient Rome, who then became the head of the pagan world; Otherwise, for the sake of idolatry, leave him for the sake of darkness, and came to the red shore of Vospor, there in the city of Byzantium, where the new Rome and Mother became a Christian, you established your apostolic throne. Yes, from him the entire East and North will be illuminated with the light of faith, and the faithful children of the Church of Christ unanimously call to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

Mother Zion - a man says psalmically, as if a person was spiritually born in it, a new Zion has become for us Kiev: in it the light and grace of God appeared to all the sons of the Russians from the pulpit, which you, the First-Called Apostle, established in Byzantium. In the same way, we, illuminated by the Everlasting Light, gratefully cry out to you: Rejoice, you who descended from Mount Zion and illuminated multi-hill Kyiv with the mountain light; Rejoice, you have sent down to this city abundant fruitfulness with your spiritual blessing. Rejoice, for thou hast established thy apostolic throne in the midst of the universe; Rejoice, for under its shadow (in new Rome) you have gathered all the languages ​​enlightened by you. Rejoice, since Orthodoxy is established in their souls; Rejoice, for even the darkness of the West breaks away from the East. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 10

When the time of your repose came, blessed apostle, you came to the ancient Patras of Achaia, and there you were devoured, for you ended the course, you fought a good fight, preaching Christ crucified to everyone, a temptation to the Jews, and madness to the Greeks, but to us, who are called and saved, - Christ, God's Power and God's Wisdom, from the Unknown and learned to sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

Everywhere in the name of the Lord Jesus, you healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, and in Patras you confirmed your dying sermon with miracles, O Apostle of Christ, and you turned the anthipate of the Blade to the knowledge of the truth, when you were struck by an ulcer for the sake of opposition, you were quickly raised from your sickbed; All the people, having seen the power of God in you, crushed their idols, therefore the Lord appeared to you, as Paul sometimes did in Corinth, and commanded you to take up your Cross, thereby marking your suffering in Patras, for His sake. In the same way, we, marveling at the great grace in you, reverently cry: Rejoice, great power of Almighty God; Rejoice, treasure of great price and wonders. Rejoice, enlightenment and decoration of ancient Patras; Rejoice, you who have changed the unbelief of the anfipat into faith. Rejoice, for there the Lord again appeared to you, calling you to the feat of the cross; Rejoice, for the crown of righteousness has been prepared for you. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 11

Nero the Caesar, like sometimes Herod, instigated persecution against all the faithful, in Rome I will behead Paul with the sword, and crucify Peter on the cross, likewise the tormenting hand reached you in Patras, when instead of the meek Blade you set up the cruel Egeatas as a judge, who did not tolerate the baptism of his brother, below, he was softened by the healing of his wife, cast into prison and, like the Supreme Peter, condemned to the cross. You, this prisoner, in a darker dungeon, as if in a bright temple, thou didst vouch for Anthipat’s brother Stratoklis as Bishop Patrom, singing to God with all the faithful in the midst of the prison: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

In the place of the forehead we erect a cross, having seen, on which you were crucified, you were not afraid, O apostle, even to death to testify to your beloved and beloved Christ, and stretching out your hand to this sign of salvation, you tenderly cried out: Rejoice, O All-Honorable Cross, before him I stand with joy, knowing you, my hope; Rejoice, Life-Giving Cross, whose head has reached to Heaven, and crush the foot of the gates of hell. Rejoice, venerable Cross, accepted by my Master as the sweetest grape that has poured out salvation for us; Rejoice, blessed Cross, who saved the thief and bestowed upon him the fruits of confession. Rejoice, for you were the fulfillment of my joy; Rejoice in the same way, O passion-bearer, having sealed your faith in Christ on the Cross. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 12

Come, witness of my joy! - You appealed to the Apostle to the doer of the will of Egeata, - do your will over me, crucify me and, like a lamb, sacrifice me to the Creator who created me. And this river, you ascended to the cross, as if to a high pulpit, for three days and three nights you preached the word of God to the people standing around, so that they would not be afraid of death, confessing the Lord Jesus. When your face was illuminated with heavenly light, the tormentor was horrified and commanded to take you from the cross; Otherwise, you, the passion-bearer, did not want to be freed from the torment of the cross, until your departure you incessantly cried out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Glorifying your apostolic deeds, St. Andrew the First-Called, we bless your holy death, with which you glorified the Life-Giving Passion of the Son of God, and with the tenderness of our hearts we cry to you: Rejoice, friend of Christ, who with joy endured the suffering of the Cross for Him; Rejoice, faithful apostle, from the cross you preached the words of the Eternal Life to people. Rejoice, for at the hour of being taken down from the cross in autumn you are light, like lightning from heaven; Rejoice, for you have promised great grace to those who Orthodoxy confess the Christ you preached, the Son of God. Rejoice, apostolic foundation of the Mountain of Jerusalem; Rejoice, sitting with the apostles on one of the twelve thrones, to judge all the tribes of Israel. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 13

O First-Called Apostle of Christ Andrew, look upon this blessing of all who honor your holy memory, and as you have erected the Tree of the Cross on the mountains of the city of Kiev, ever overshadow us with this saving sign, so that, guarded by the Cross of the Lord God and our Savior, we will reach the measure of the age of fulfillment Christ and let us be worthy with you and with all the saints, in a voice of joy, to sing to God our Savior forever and ever: Alleluia.

(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)

A short biography of Andrew the First-Called describes how a simple fisherman became an apostle of Christ. Together with other witnesses to the Resurrection of his Teacher, the apostle - which means witness - fermented the entire universe with a new saving faith, unprecedented and unthinkable before. This was such an innovation that everyone who Andrei met was inflamed with either love and devotion to God, or rejection and hatred. Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the one who enlightened you and me through his mission in modern Ukraine and Russia. Today, many places in Crimea still testify to this - even the temples that the apostle himself began to build have been preserved.

The Apostle Andrew was a Galilean, a fellow countryman of the sons of Zebedee - the apostles John and James. Having first become a disciple of John the Baptist, he was the first to respond to the Savior’s call to preach. Due to the fact that he was given the honor of being the first to follow Christ, he was nicknamed the First-Called. The future apostle follows the Messiah, preceding John and Peter.

Life of St. Andrew the First-Called

Andrew the First-Called lived in the north of the Holy Land in an area called Galilee. Since the area bordered Greece, there was a lot of communication between the two peoples. That's why Andrey got himself Greek name, translated as “Courageous.” From his youth, the future apostle retained chastity and his ardent desire to serve God; he first responded to the preaching of John the Baptist and was one of his disciples. After the baptism of Christ and the Forerunner’s instructions about Him that “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” the Apostle Andrew, without hesitation, followed Him. With him was John, the future beloved disciple of Christ. This is how the first four apostles appeared: Andrew called his brother, the future apostle Peter, and now just Simon, and John called James: “We have found the Messiah!”

Saint Andrew the First-Called was with Christ from the very beginning of his preaching, and until the last: he was with him during the revelation by the Lord about the destinies of the world, he told who had five loaves of bread and two fish before the miracle of multiplication. He was with Him on the Mount of Olives, where Christ ascended to heaven after His Resurrection.

According to the Savior’s promise, on the 50th day after His Ascension the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and the Mother of God. The apostles, after being enlightened by grace and filled with many Holy gifts, went out to preach. In the upper room of Zion they cast lots - who should go to preach in what country. Apostle Andrew inherited our lands - the north of the Black Sea. In his wanderings, he reached the future Kyiv, where he planted a cross and predicted that the Lord would enlighten this land with Holy Baptism and erect many churches on it.

After returning to Greece, for many healings and conversions to Christianity, the Apostle Andrew shared the fate of most of the other apostles: he was crucified by the wicked pagan ruler. But he was crucified in such a way that his torment would last longer. To do this, they tied him to a cross resembling the letter X, without nailing him down, so that the saint would not die quickly. After two days of suffering, the apostle went to the Lord in prayer and those present saw how a bright light illuminated the cross with the martyr and in this radiance he betrayed his soul.

Veneration of Saint Andrew the First-Called

Apostle Andrew is considered the patron saint of the Russian Church, since it, the direct heir of Byzantium, took over the succession that the Church of Constantinople led from Andrew the First-Called.

In Russia, his memory was always solemnly celebrated - to a greater extent before the revolution. Peter 1 introduced special veneration - the highest award order named after him and approved the St. Andrew's flag, under which many victories were accomplished. The flag depicts an X-shaped cross - blue on a white background - on which the apostle was crucified.

The relics of Saint Andrew are kept in the Greek city of Patras, at the site of the apostle’s crucifixion. In 1974, a grandiose cathedral named after him, known throughout the world, was erected here.

Andrew the First-Called: what do they pray for?

Andrew the First-Called is the patron saint of Ukraine and Russia, as well as other countries located in the territory where he preached: these are modern Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, Asia Minor. He also patronizes fishermen and sailors. St. Andrew's battle flag is known throughout the world: since the 17th century it has been the state flag of the Russian navy. They pray to Andrew the First-Called for conversion to the holy faith, for success in the defense of the fatherland, for the well-being of sailors.

From Holy Tradition there are known cases of not just trouble-free healing, but also the resurrection of people by Andrew: like the other apostles, he repeatedly used the gift of Christ and brought people back to life. Therefore, you can pray to him for healing from illnesses.

At the site of his martyrdom, a spring filled with water that had the ability to heal. Now there is a huge cathedral named after him. Famous for its splendor, it took almost 60 years to build.

Prayer to St. Andrew the First-Called

The memory of Saint Andrew the First-Called is honored with prayer. Believers pray for healing and health.

Prayer to Saint Andrew the First-Called

First-called Apostle of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, supreme follower of the Church, all-validated Andrew! We glorify and magnify your apostolic works, we sweetly remember your blessed coming to us, we bless your honorable suffering, which you endured for Christ, we kiss your sacred relics, we honor your holy memory and believe that the Lord lives, and your soul lives, too. You remain with us forever in heaven, where you do not forsake us with your love, as you loved our fathers, when through the Holy Spirit you saw our land turning to Christ. We believe, as God prayed for us; in His light all our needs are in vain. Thus we confess this faith of ours in your temple, and we pray to the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, that through your prayers he will give us everything we need for the salvation of us sinners: as you abied the voice of the Lord, forsake your fears; and let each one of us seek not his own, but for the building up of his neighbor, and let him think about a higher calling. Having you as an intercessor and prayer book for us, we hope that your prayer can accomplish much before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Troparion to St. Andrew the First-Called

As the first-called and supremely existing brother of the Apostles, Andrei, the Lord of all, pray to grant greater peace to the universe and great mercy to our souls.

Kontakion to St. Andrew the First-Called

Let us praise the courage of the same-named eulogist and the Church's supreme successor, Peter's kinsman, just as in ancient times we have cried out to us: come, you who have found the Desired.

Briefly examining the biography of Andrew the First-Called, we see a courageous man, fearless in the face of inhuman trials: preaching among wild, barbaric peoples was doubly courageous if we remember the customs of wild pagans. But the love of Christ burned in his heart and therefore today we are enlightened Christ's faith. Let us appreciate the merits of our patron, and remember his life, which is so instructive for us.