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Andrew the First-Called in the glorious city. Apostle Andrew

short biography Andrew the First-Called describes how a simple fisherman became an apostle of Christ. Together with other witnesses of 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 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.

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 biggest Orthodox church Greece also installed an oblique cross-reliquary, into which are placed particles 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 cathedral city, 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 “Andrei Pervozvanny” was launched, the first specially built research vessel of the 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

Holy Apostle ANDREW THE FIRST CALLED (†c.62)

Andrew the First-Called, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, brother of the Apostle Simon Peter, according to legend, preached the Gospel in Scythia, Asia Minor and Greece and was crucified in the city of Patras, on an oblique (St. Andrew's) cross.

The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was from Bethsaida of Galilee. He subsequently lived in Capernaum, on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, together with his brother Simon, fishing.

Andrey and his brother Simon-Peter are fishing

From a young age, Apostle Andrew was distinguished by his prayerful striving towards God. He did not marry, but became a disciple of the holy prophet John the Baptist, who announced the Incarnation. When Saint John the Baptist pointed to Jesus Christ on the Jordan River to the holy apostles Andrew and John the Theologian, calling Him the Lamb of God, they immediately followed the Lord.

Calling of the Apostles Andrew the First-Called and John the Theologian

The holy Apostle Andrew became the first disciple of Christ and was the first to confess Him as the Savior (Messiah), bringing his elder brother Simon, the future Apostle Peter, to Christ.

Drawing. Apostle Andrew the First-Called

After the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, which the holy Apostle Andrew also witnessed, he returned to Jerusalem. Here on the Day of Pentecost, together with the other apostles and Holy Mother of God, the Apostle Andrew was filled with the Holy Spirit, as the Lord Himself predicted.

Preaching the Word of God, the holy Apostle Andrew made several journeys, during which he returned to Jerusalem three times. He passed Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, Scythia (the land on which Rus' was later formed), Black Sea region (according to the tradition of the Georgian Church, Apostle Andrew preached together with Apostle Simon Kanait in Abkhazia, where Apostle Simon suffered martyrdom). Up the Dnieper, the Apostle Andrew rose to the location of the future Kyiv, where, as the Monk Nestor the Chronicler narrates, he erected a cross on the Kyiv mountains, turning to his disciples with the words: “Do you see these mountains? The grace of God will shine on these mountains, there will be a great city, and God will build many churches.”

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

Moving further north, the Apostle Andrew reached the Slavic settlements on the site of the future Novgorod and planted his staff near the present village of Gruzino. From here the Apostle Andrew through the lands of the Varangians (Finnish Valaam) went to Rome and returned again to Thrace. Next, the holy Apostle went to the Greek city of Byzantium (future Constantinople) where he founded Christian Church, consecrating one of the seventy disciples of the Lord, Stachy, as a bishop.

The Apostle Andrew had the habit of placing large stone and iron crosses everywhere. He walked with a huge staff topped with a cross. He was modest and had few students. He did not preach to crowds of people, like Peter or Paul, but usually gathered small company as the elders do.

Sermon of St. Andrew the First-Called

He was a man who had seen a lot in his time. Traveled with northern reindeer herders, Huns, talked with Greek philosophers and Russian traders, was acquainted with Chinese officials, visited primitive tribes in northern Pakistan and Berbers in the Sahara Desert.

On his way, the Apostle Andrew endured many sorrows from the pagans. He was beaten and expelled from cities. But the Lord protected his chosen one and, through his prayers, performed wondrous miracles.

The last city where the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called came and where he suffered a martyr’s death was the city of Patras (Patras). Here, through the prayer of the apostle, the seriously ill Sosius, a noble citizen, recovered. Maximilla, the wife of the ruler of Patras, and his brother the philosopher Stratocles were healed by the laying on of apostolic hands. This prompted the city residents to receive from the Apostle Andrew holy baptism, however, the ruler of the city, consul Egeat, remained an inveterate pagan. The holy apostle with love and humility appealed to his soul, trying to reveal to him the Christian mystery eternal life, the miraculous power of the Holy Cross of the Lord.

Apostle Andrew before the ruler of the city of Patras, consul Egeat

The angry Aegeates ordered the apostle to be crucified. Saint Andrew the First-Called joyfully accepted the ruler’s decision and went to the place of execution. To prolong the torment of the apostle, Egeat ordered not to nail his hands and feet to the cross, but to tie them. According to legend, the cross on which the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was crucified had the shape of the letter “X” and was named "St. Andrew's Cross" .

Crucifixion of the Apostle Andrew on the cross

For two days the apostle taught from the cross to the townspeople gathered around. The people who listened to him sympathized with him with all their souls and demanded that the holy apostle be taken down from the cross. Frightened by popular outrage, Egeat ordered the execution to be stopped. But the holy apostle began to pray that the Lord would honor him death on the cross. No matter how the soldiers tried to remove the Apostle Andrew, their hands did not obey them. The crucified apostle, giving praise to God, said: “Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit.” Then the bright radiance of Divine light sanctified the cross and the martyr crucified on it. When the radiance disappeared, the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called had already given up his soul to the Lord. Maximilla, the ruler's wife, took the apostle's body from the cross and buried him with honor. This happened around 62 AD.

Relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called

The relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called were originally located at the site of his martyrdom - in Patras (Greece) .

In 357, on behalf of Emperor Constantius II, the relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (except for the venerable head) were solemnly transferred to Constantinople and placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles next to the relics of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke and the disciple of the Apostle Paul - Apostle Timothy.

After the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders, in 1208, Cardinal Peter of Capua, confessor of the fourth crusade, took the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called to Italy and placed them in the cathedral church Amalfi towns where they are currently located. The relics are under the altar, and a separate reliquary contains part of the head of the holy apostle.

Interior of the cathedral

The relics of St. are kept in the crypt (underground church of the cathedral). Apostle Andrew the First-Called

The remains of St. Apostle Andrew is kept under a marble sarcophagus, which is used as a throne

The remains of St. St. Andrew the Apostle is kept under a marble sarcophagus, which is used as a throne. On this altar, Mass (Catholic liturgy) is celebrated weekly and an Orthodox service is celebrated once a week.

Honest chapter And cross of St. Andrew the First-Called remained in Patras for many centuries. In 1462, the Morean despot Thomas Palaiologos took the head and cross of the apostle from Patras, saving them from the Turks, and handed them over to Pope Pius II for safekeeping, who placed them in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. Part of the chapter was placed along with the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called in Amalfi.

Reliquary with part of the head of St. Andrew the Apostle (Amalfi, Italy)

In 1964, Pope Paul VI decided to transfer the head of St. Andrew the First-Called and parts of the St. Andrew's cross to the Greek Orthodox Church, and these relics were solemnly transferred to Patras.

The Ark with the Honest Head and the cross of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the Cathedral of Patras - the largest temple in Greece

During the Napoleonic Wars, French soldiers tried to destroy the St. Andrew's Cross, which was then located in one of the monasteries near Naples, by setting it on fire. But one of the monks covered the cross with his body and saved the shrine at the cost of his life.

Part of the chapter is also in St. Andrew's Skete on Athos .

Reliquary with the frontal part of the head of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called (Athos)

In the Great Lavra of Athanasius stored hand of the apostle , A in the Panteleimon Monastery - foot .

Few people know that the relics of the Apostle Andrew are myrrh-streaming, and wherever they are (in Patras or Amalfi) they stream myrrh very abundantly. Catholic priests open the relics and take myrrh 6 times a year, on the days of the saint’s memory.

In Amalfi, as well as in Bari, thanks to the favor of the Catholic authorities of Naples, an Orthodox priest has the opportunity to serve Divine Liturgy and prayer services for Orthodox pilgrims, because they especially reverence the Apostle Andrew, who was the first to bring the word of God to the Scythian lands, to the territory of the future Holy Rus'.

Some of the photographs were taken from the personal photo album of priest Konstantin Parkhomenko.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Temple Life-Giving Trinity on Vorobyovy Gory

Troparion, tone 4:
As the first-called Apostles, and the supreme brother, the Lord of all, Andrew, pray to grant greater peace to the universe, and great mercy to our souls.

Kontakion, voice 2:
Let us praise the courage of the namesake celebrant, and the church’s supreme successor, Peter’s relative, just as in ancient times, and now we cry: come, having found what you desire.

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Biography, life story of Apostle Andrew the First-Called

Apostle Andrew the First-Called is one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. The First-Called Andrew received his nickname due to the fact that he became the very first called disciple of Christ.

Origin, early years

Born at the beginning of the 1st century AD in Bethsaida, a small town located in the north of Lake Galilee. Andrey - brother Apostle Peter (originally his name was Simon). Their father's name was Jonah. Before becoming Jesus' disciple, Andrew was a fisherman, just like his brother.

Andrei and Peter spent their childhood in their native Bethsaida. As adults, they moved to Capernaum, equipped themselves with their own home and seriously took up fishing, supporting themselves.

Andrei began to think about devoting his life to serving God in his youth. Being very young, he flatly refused to look for a wife, deciding to maintain chastity in the name of a high goal. As soon as Andrei heard rumors that on the Jordan River, John the Baptist (John the Baptist) was calling the people to sincere repentance and assuring them that the Messiah would soon visit them, Andrei abandoned his house, gave up fishing and immediately sent him to the river. He soon became John's most devoted and closest disciple.

Gospels

Andrew the First-Called is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of John, and also in the Acts of the Holy Apostles.

The Gospels of Matthew and Mark say that the calling of Andrew and his brother Peter took place at the same time near Lake Galilee. The Gospel of John states that Andrew’s calling happened near the Jordan immediately after the baptism of Jesus Christ. The same biography says that initially Andrei was a disciple of John the Baptist. In the Gospel of John, Andrew appears twice: during a conversation with Jesus about fish and loaves before five thousand people were magically fed, and while leading the Greeks to Christ in the company of the Apostle Philip.

Historians know of two other texts about Andrew: the apocryphal text “The Acts of Andrew,” created around the 3rd century, and the Gospel of Andrew, which was rejected by Gelasius I and subsequently irretrievably lost.

CONTINUED BELOW

Meeting of St. Andrew the First-Called and Jesus Christ

The evangelists John and Matthew described the moment of the meeting between Andrew and Jesus in different ways. The Gospel of Matthew says that Christ discovered Andrew and Peter while they were fishing in Lake Gennesaret. Jesus told the brothers to follow him. The men obeyed him and abandoned their nets. John claims that Peter saw Jesus Christ when John the Baptist, pointing his hand at him, shouted that, here comes our savior. Hearing these words, Andrew left John the Baptist and followed Jesus. A little later, Andrei found his brother and led him to Christ.

Andrew the First-Called was very close to Jesus. Jesus revealed the fate of the world to Andrew and three other apostles. Having received such an unprecedented honor, Andrew the First-Called began to serve Christ even more devotedly. He followed on his heels and was always by his side until his very last day on earth. According to the evangelists, it was the Apostle Andrew who was an eyewitness of the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. Fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (in religion this day is called Pentecost), a real miracle happened in Jerusalem - the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire came down from heaven and engulfed the apostles, after which they not only remained alive, but also began to have the gift of healing, the gift of prophecy and the ability to speak fluently in all languages.

The teachings of Christ from the lips of Andrew the First-Called

After the apostles were endowed superhuman strength to attract the pagan people to the teachings of Christ, they decided to divide the countries among themselves using lots. Apostle Andrew the First-Created received the lands of Bithynia, Propontis, Thrace, Macedonia, Scythia, Thessaly, Hellas, Achaia and several other cities. The brave Andrew the First-Called went around all these places, delivering his sermon and calling on people to turn to God. Almost everywhere people met him with discontent, he was driven out of the cities, Andrei had to endure a lot of humiliation, insults and even cruel torture, but his sincere faith helped him to endure all the hardships.

Miracles

Andrew the First-Called, possessing the gift of resurrecting the dead, more than once demonstrated his ability publicly, proving to people his right to the word of God. Thus, historians highlight several striking cases of the miraculous resurrection of the dead by the Apostle Andrew:

1. The city of Amaseev. A certain Demetrius asked Andrei to help return his son Egyptius, who died of a fever. The apostle fulfilled the request and the boy came to life.

2. City of Nicomedia. Local residents buried a boy literally torn to shreds by dogs. Apostle Andrew the First-Called was able to resurrect the unfortunate man and give him life.

3. The city of Thessalonica. In full view of the city residents, Andrei brought back to life a child who had died from strangulation. There he also resurrected another little boy who had died from a poisonous snake bite.

4. City of Patras. Andrei resurrected a drowned man washed ashore, who later turned out to be the son of Sostratus, a resident of Macedonia, who sank on a ship. Sostrato, seeing what a miracle the apostle had performed, asked him to resurrect his friends and servants, who were also on the ship. Andrew the First-Called began to read a prayer and soon almost forty more people were thrown out of the sea. The Apostle ordered the bodies to be put in one place and resurrected them all at once.

5. City of Sinop. A local resident found her husband's body in a hole. Heartbroken, she turned to Andrei for help. He brought the man back to life.

Demise

Of course, despite Andrei’s miracles and confidence that he was right, there were also those on his way who considered him a deceiver and a fool. This is what happened in the city of Patras around the year 70 of the 1st century. A local ruler named Egeat ordered his servants to catch Andrew the First-Called and crucify him on the cross. The Apostle Andrew was not afraid of the fate that awaited him, but, on the contrary, was glad that he had to accept death in the name of Jesus Christ, his savior. He even chose a cross for himself - a little beveled, since the apostle did not consider himself worthy to die on the same cross as Jesus. Then the angry Egeat came up with a way to punish Andrei. He ordered that his hands and feet should not be nailed to the cross, but simply tied with ropes. So, Egeat thought, the apostle will die for a very long time, experiencing terrible torment. But even this did not turn Andrew the First-Called away from his duty. For two days he preached directly from the cross. People listened to him, heeded his words and eventually unanimously demanded to stop the execution and release the apostle. Aegeates, fearing that the people might overthrow him, hastened to satisfy their request, but nothing came of it. Andrew the First-Called wanted to die for Christ so badly that the ropes did not want to come undone. As a result, Egeat gave up trying to control Andrei.

At the moment of the death of St. Andrew the First-Called, the cross was illuminated with the brightest radiance. Many years later, at the site of the death of Christ’s most faithful apostle, a spring with the purest water began to flow.

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Gospels

Mentioned in the lists of the apostles in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 10:2), Mark (Mark 3:18), Luke (Luke 6:14), as well as in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:13).

Andrew was the brother of the Apostle Peter; a fisherman, like Peter, was born in Bethsaida, a city on the northern shore of Lake Galilee.

Andrew became the first of the called disciples of Christ, and therefore this apostle is often called the First Called.

According to the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 4:18-19) and Mark (Mark 1:16-18), the calling of Andrew and Peter took place near Lake Galilee, the Apostle John in the Gospel of John describes the calling of Andrew, which took place near the Jordan immediately after baptism Jesus (John 1:35-40). According to this story, the Apostle Andrew was initially a disciple of John the Baptist.

On the pages of the Gospel of John, Andrew appears twice more - he conducts a dialogue with Jesus about the loaves and fishes before the miracle of feeding five thousand people (John 6:8-9) and, together with the Apostle Philip, brings the Greeks to Jesus (John 12:20- 22).

The apocryphal text of the Acts of Andrew, created, according to the generally accepted version, in the 3rd century, as well as the lost Gospel of Andrew, rejected by Gelasius I (492-496) in the Decretum Gelasianum, are known.

Life

In the life of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, it is mentioned that Andrew and his brother Simon (the future St. Peter) were Galilean fishermen, born and raised in Bethsaida (a city on the shore of Lake Gennesaret); their father's name was Jonah. Having matured, the brothers moved to Capernaum, where they acquired their own home and continued to fish.

Even in his youth, Andrei decided to devote himself to serving God. Maintaining chastity, he refused to marry. Hearing that on the Jordan River John the Baptist was preaching about the coming of the Messiah and calling for repentance, Andrei left everything and went to him. Soon the young man became John the Baptist's closest disciple.

The evangelists Matthew and John describe Andrew's meeting with Jesus differently. The Gospel of John says that Andrew first saw the Savior when the holy Forerunner pointed to the walking Jesus Christ and said: “Behold the Lamb of God.” Hearing this, Andrei, together with another disciple of the Forerunner, whose name the evangelist does not give, left the Baptist and followed Christ. Then Andrew found his brother Simon Peter and also brought him to Jesus. Matthew tells how the Savior met Andrew and his brother Simon Peter on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, where the brothers were fishing by throwing nets into the water. Jesus addressed them with the words: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And they followed Him, leaving their nets.

Scripture brings to us very scanty information about the Apostle Andrew, but his life story speaks for itself. The Gospel of John says that during the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, Andrew pointed to a boy who had “five barley loaves and two fish” (John 6:8-9). He showed the Savior to the pagans who came to Jerusalem to worship true God(John 12:20-22). According to the testimony of the Evangelist Mark, Saint Andrew was one of the four disciples of Jesus, to whom He revealed the destinies of the world on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3).

Saint Andrew is called the First-Called because he was called the first of the apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ. Before last day The Savior's earthly path was followed by His First-Called Apostle. After the death of the Lord on the cross, Saint Andrew became a witness of the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. On the day of Pentecost (that is, fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus), the miracle of the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire on the apostles took place in Jerusalem. Thus, inspired by the Spirit of God, the apostles received the gift of healing, prophesying and the ability to speak in different dialects about the great deeds of the Lord.

The twelve disciples of Jesus divided among themselves the countries where they were to carry the gospel preaching, converting the pagans to Christ. Saint Andrew was given by lot the vast lands of Bithynia and Propontis with the cities of Chalcedon and Byzantium, also the lands of Thrace and Macedonia, extending to the Black Sea and the Danube, in addition, the lands of Scythia and Thessaly, Hellas and Achaia, the cities of Amins, Trebizond, Heraclius and Amastris. Saint Andrew passed through these cities and countries, bringing the gospel sermon to the pagans. The first field of his apostolic ministry was the Black Sea coast, which in those days was called the “Euxinian Pontus” (“Hospitable Sea”).

Almost everywhere where the apostle found himself, the authorities met him with cruel persecution, and he endured many sorrows and sufferings. But, strengthened by the strength of his faith, Saint Andrew “with delight” endured all disasters in the name of Christ. The First-Called Apostle had to face especially much torment in the city of Sinope, where the pagans subjected him to cruel torture. But, as the legend says, “by the grace of his Teacher and Savior, Saint Andrew was again healthy and whole from his wounds.”

Continuing his preaching path, the apostle passed through the cities of Neokesarea and Samosata, through the country of Alana, through the lands of the Abasques and Zigs. According to legend, the pagan Zigs at first did not accept the gospel sermon of Saint Andrew and even wanted to kill the apostle, but, marveling at his meekness and asceticism, they abandoned their intention. Having passed through the Bosporan kingdom, he undertook a sea voyage to the Thracian city of Byzantium. The Apostle was the first to preach the teachings of the Savior there in the future center of Eastern Christianity, where Saint Andrew founded the Church. He ordained the Byzantine bishop Stachys, one of the 70 apostles of Christ whom Paul mentions in Romans (16:9). The saint also appointed elders of the church “so that they would teach the people and perform the sacraments.”

The life of the apostle tells of several cases of his resurrection of the dead:

In the city of Amaseev, the Apostle Andrew resurrected a boy named Egyptius, who had died of a fever, at the request of the boy’s father, Demetrius.
In Nicomedia, during a funeral procession, the apostle resurrected a boy who had died when his body was torn to pieces by dogs.
In Thessalonica, at the request of one of the residents of the city, the apostle publicly resurrected a boy who had died of strangulation.
Enraged by the sermons of the Apostle Andrew, the proconsul Virinus sent soldiers to forcefully bring the Apostle to him. One of the soldiers fell dead as soon as he drew his sword, after which the apostle resurrected him through prayer. Proconsul Virinus ordered the apostle to be tortured in the stadium, releasing a boar, a bull and a leopard into the arena in turn. But the animals did not touch the apostle, while the leopard attacked the proconsul’s son and strangled him. After a long prayer, the apostle raised his son Virin.
Also in Thessalonica, the apostle raised a little boy who had died from a snake bite.
In the city of Patras, the Apostle Andrew preached in the house of the proconsul Lisbius. The former concubine of the proconsul Trophimus followed the teachings of the apostle and left her husband. Trophima's husband came to the proconsul's wife Calista and slandered his wife, accusing her of resuming relations with the proconsul. By order of Calista, Trofima was forcibly placed in a brothel for abuse, but Trofima prayed so hard that all the men who tried to touch her died, after which she resurrected one of them. The proconsul's wife went to the bathhouse with her lover, where they both died. At the request of the nurse Calista, the Apostle Andrew resurrected the deceased, after which Lisbius and his wife believed in Christ.
In the city of Patras, during the preaching of the Apostle Andrew, a drowned man was thrown ashore by a wave, whom the Apostle resurrected with his prayer. It was Philopatra, the son of Sostratus, a resident of Macedonia, who was sailing on a ship to Patras in order to become familiar with the new teaching, but he was carried away by a wave from the ship during a storm. Philopatra asked the apostle to resurrect his friends and servants, who had also been carried away from the ship into the sea. When the Apostle Andrew prayed, another 39 people were carried ashore by the wave, and the crowd surrounding the Apostle turned to him with a request for their resurrection. The apostle asked to put the bodies in one place and with his prayer resurrected all the dead.
In the city of Sinop, the Apostle Andrew, at the request of a woman, resurrected her husband, who was found murdered in a pit.
In the city of Atskuri (modern Georgia), through the prayer of the apostle, a deceased person was resurrected, and this miracle prompted the inhabitants of the city to accept Holy Baptism.

Tradition about the service of Andrew the First-Called in Scythia

Eusebius of Caesarea in the first half of the 4th century, referring to the work of Origen that has not reached us, speaks of Andrew’s service in Scythia. Origen, according to Eusebius, argued that the 12 apostles cast lots to determine the direction of their missionary activity. So Peter had to preach in Rome, Matthew - in Palestine, Mark - in Egypt, John - in Asia Minor, Thomas - in Parthia, and Andrew - in Thrace and Scythia.

However, the opinions of church historians differ regarding this evidence. Thus, A. Harnack left open the question of how much the quotation given by Eusebius represents a literal excerpt from Origen. Some scientists argued that the news about the Apostle Andrew belongs to Eusebius himself and the contemporary church tradition, and A.V. Kartashev was inclined to the traditional opinion.

Subsequent church writers - Dositheus of Tire, Epiphanius of Cyprus (IV century), Eucherius of Lyons (V century), Nikita Paphlagon (IX-X) and others - complement this legend in their own way. Thus, the apostle’s route ran “through all of Bithynia, all of Thrace and the Scythians... then reached the great city of Sebaste... where the fortress of Aspar and the river Phasis are located... where the internal Ethiopians live”(that is, according to these authors, the apostle reached approximately present-day Abkhazia (Fasis is usually correlated with Rioni)). Between Iberia and Scythia, Andrei allegedly visited the Bosporus, Feodosia and Chersonesos.

However, in most versions of the legend about the casting of lots, Scythia is not mentioned at all. Also, none of the oldest records of the legend mention the travels of the apostles along the Northern Black Sea coast or along the Dnieper. And St. Gregory the Theologian (IV century) wrote that Andrew’s lot fell on India.N. M. Karamzin, citing this story in “History of the Russian State,” noted: “ However, people who know doubt the truth of this Andreev’s journey».

Church historian, professor A.V. Kartashev notes:

in the 8th, 9th and subsequent centuries, the material accumulated over centuries in the form of apocryphal and church legends, brief news and local traditions sown everywhere by both served as a source for the compilation of new “acts”, “praises” and “lives” of the apostles. Here is the missionary activity of St. Andrei breaks up into three whole preaching journeys, copied from the travels of St. Paul, and the First-Called Apostle already with full certainty passes through European Scythia and along the northern and western coasts of the Black Sea to Byzantium, where he appoints the first bishop for this city - Stachy.

At the same time (VIII-IX centuries), the monk Epiphanius composed a story about the Apostle Andrew. This story mentions "an iron rod with an image life-giving cross, on which the apostle always relied". Near Nicaea in Bithynia "blessed ap. Andrei, having overthrown the vile statue of Artemis, placed there a life-giving image of the saving Cross.”. Further east, in Paphlagonia “he chose a place of prayer convenient for building an altar, and consecrated it, erecting the sign of the life-giving cross”. From this story, notes A.V. Kartashev, the cross and the rod, which appear in two versions of the Russian legend, originate.

The Legend of Andrew the First-Called in Rus'

Monument to Apostle Andrew in Kyiv. On the pedestal there is a quote from the chronicle

The legend about the lot of the apostles has been known in Rus' since the advent of Christianity here. In 1051, Metropolitan Hilarion of Kiev writes about him in his “Sermon on Law and Grace.” The legend was also included in the “Svyatoslav Collection of 1076”. But in them the legend about the lot of the apostles is not connected with the baptism of Rus'. Thus, Metropolitan Hilarion wrote: “The Roman country praises with a laudatory voice Peter and Paul... Asia and Ephesus and Patmos - John the Theologian. India - Thomas, Egypt - Mark... Let us also praise... the great and wondrous one who created, our teacher and mentor, the Grand Duke of our land Vladimir...”. Moreover, the first list of the “Tale of Bygone Years” - the so-called The most ancient vault 1039, as well as the Initial Code of 1095 and “Reading about Boris and Gleb” by Nestor the Chronicler directly state that the apostles “did not go to Rus'” and that they “were not in our lands.”

But already in 1116, the son of Vsevolod Yaroslavich, Vladimir Monomakh, ordered the abbot of the Vydubitsky monastery Sylvester to include in the “Tale of Bygone Years” the Russian version of the legend about the apostolic mission of Andrew the First-Called. So, from that time on, stories about the apostle’s visit to the Russian land are certainly included in all subsequent chronicle lists.

This is how the story about the journey of the Apostle Andrew from Crimea to Rome through Ladoga appeared. According to this version about the ministry of the apostle in the Black Sea region: “And the Dnieper will flow into the Poneta Sea like a zhelol; “The hedgehog of the sea speaks Russian, as Saint Ondrei, brother Petrov, taught.”(St. 7) - further tells that upon arrival in Korsun, Andrei learned that the mouth of the Dnieper was nearby, and, deciding to go to Rome, he climbed up the Dnieper. Having stopped for the night on the hills on which Kyiv was later built, the apostle, according to the chronicler, said to the disciples who were with him:

Do you see these mountains? As if the grace of God will shine on these mountains, there will be a great city and God will raise many churches.

According to legend, the apostle climbed the mountains, blessed them and planted a cross. From Kyiv the apostle arrived in Novgorod, where he was surprised that the local residents, while washing in the baths, like to beat themselves with “young twigs”, douse themselves with kvass and cold water. The story to the disciples of Jesus in Rome was limited only to the baths, and the Roman listeners “heard and marveled.”

IN ancient lists and the versions of this legend do not contain any mention of the successes of the preaching of St. Andrew the First-Called. In this regard, the professor of the Moscow Theological Academy E. E. Golubinsky ironized: did the apostle really come to our lands only to see Russian customs of using baths.

Professor A.V. Kartashev notes:

The Russian southern author obviously had a specific, not particularly lofty goal in his story about the Novgorod baths. Having so beautifully exalted his native Kyiv, he, according to the Russian custom of making fun of everyone who is not from our village, decided to expose the Novgorodians before the apostles in the very funny. The Novgorodians understood it this way, because, in response to the Kyiv edition of the story, they created their own, in which, without rejecting the glorification of Kyiv and completely silent about the baths, they claim that the apostle. Andrei “into the boundaries of this great Novagrad goes down the Volkhov and immerses his rod a little in the ground and from there the place is called Gruzino... This miraculous rod “from an unknown tree” was kept, according to the testimony of the life of St. Mikhail Klopsky, in his time (1537) in the St. Andrew’s Church in the village of Gruzina.”

So this legend began to acquire more and more details.

Various medieval sources report on the further path of Saint Andrew to Novgorod, where he erected a cross near the present village of Gruzino on the banks of the Volkhov, to Lake Ladoga and further to the island of Valaam, where he allegedly erected a stone cross and destroyed the temples of the gods Veles and Perun, turning them into Christianity of pagan priests.

It is worth noting that the fact of the presence of the Apostle Andrew on the territory of future Rus' was questioned even by some Orthodox church historians. Among them: Metropolitan Platon (Levshin), Archbishop Filaret (Gumilevsky), academician, MDA professor E. E. Golubinsky, A. V. Kartashev and others. The famous elder of the Pskov Eleazar Monastery Philotheus (c. 1465-1542) wrote about the Russian land:

This is a desert, before the saints of the faith let go, and the apostles did not preach in them, but after all the grace of God was enlightened upon them.

In one collection of the 16th century we read:

and not to any apostle in the Russian land, but truly to the Russian language the mercy of God was revealed.

The Monk Joseph of Volokolamsk (1440-1515) in his “Enlightener” even posed the question: why ap. Andrei did not preach Christianity in Russian soil? and answered like this:

forbidden by the Holy Spirit. His fate is an abyss of many, and for this reason the essence of this is unspeakable.

However, another opinion is widespread in the church environment. Some church historians are inclined to consider the legend about the Apostle Andrew to be true. Thus, the church historian, Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov) (1816-1882) notes on this matter:

The tradition of the gospel of the Holy Apostle Andrew, even in the inner regions of our fatherland, does not contain anything incredible, and there is no reason to reject it unconditionally or accept it as one idea.

In the introductory article to the “History of the Russian Church” by Metropolitan Makariy S.A. Belyaev in 1994 states that “in the 2nd millennium - the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. Eastern Europe was already quite densely populated by peoples... Almost all researchers identify Slavic, or rather Proto-Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe... In that at least in the XV-XII centuries. BC, the Proto-Slavs already live in the territory of interest to us, there is no doubt,” and believes that with the Greek colonization of the Northern Black Sea region, “all of Eastern Europe from the Carpathians in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east and from the northern shore of the Black Sea to modern Perm became an integral part the ancient world."

Martyrdom for faith

The oblique cross on which the Apostle Andrew suffered martyrdom is called the St. Andrew's Cross. This crucifixion is considered to have taken place around the year 67. Not far from the site of the crucifixion of the holy apostle in Patras, the majestic Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called, the largest in Greece, was erected. At the supposed site of St. Andrew's crucifixion there is a spring located next to the old church of St. Andrew the Apostle.

Politics of the Byzantine Church

According to Professor A.V. Kartashev, with the help of the development of the legend of Andrew, the Byzantine church solved two problems:

Protect your independence from the claims of Rome and prove your equality with Rome (Andrew was the elder brother of the Apostle Peter).
To ensure dominance over all possible churches of the East.

From this we can conclude that Byzantium willingly supported the legends about the preaching of St. Andrew in those countries where they existed (Armenia, Georgia) and even tried to instill similar traditions in the northern countries (Moravia, Russia), where her influence extended. The fact that the Byzantines, on occasion, even directly instilled in the Russians the belief about the preaching of the apostle in Rus'. Andrey, we have documentary evidence. This is a letter to the Russian prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich, written on behalf of Emperor Michael Duca (1072-1077) by his secretary, the famous scientist of his time, Mikhail Psellus, with the aim of matchmaking the brother of the emperor's daughter Vsevolod. One of the arguments for the closest union of the two courts is the following: “Spiritual books and reliable histories teach me that our states both have one certain source and root, and that the same saving word is widespread in both, the same witnesses of the divine the sacraments and their messengers proclaimed the word of the Gospel in them.”

Reverence

Under Emperor Constantius II, the relics of the holy Apostle Andrew were solemnly transferred from Patras to Constantinople and placed on March 3, 357 in the Church of the Holy Apostles next to the relics of the holy Evangelist Luke and the disciple of the Apostle Paul - Timothy, an apostle from seventy.

Apostle Andrew is revered as the founder and heavenly patron Constantinople Orthodox Church.

According to legend, in the 8th century, the relics of the Apostle Andrew were transported to Scotland by the monk Regulus and placed in the Cathedral of St. Andrews, a city that received its name in honor of the Apostle and became the ecclesiastical capital of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to another version, they were (possibly partially) transported by the crusaders in 1208 to Italy, to Amalfi.

After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Thomas Palaiologos (the younger brother of Constantine XI Palaiologos) fled with his wife and children to Corfu, taking with him the embalmed head of St. Andrew the Apostle. At the end of 1460, he left, taking her with him, to Italy and on March 7, 1461 he was received with honors in Rome. A week later, the pope, to whom Thomas presented the head of the Apostle Andrew, awarded him the Order of the Golden Rose.

The sandal and nail of the Apostle Andrew are kept in the Trier Cathedral.

Some of the relics of St. Andrew are kept in the cathedral in the city of Mantua.

IN Orthodox Church the memory of the apostle on November 30 (December 13) according to the Julian calendar and at the Council of the Twelve Apostles on June 30 (July 13); V Catholic Church and Orthodox churches adhering to Gregorian calendar: June 30 and November 30.

In Rus', a special cult of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called became widespread in the 1080s. The first church in honor of the Apostle Andrew was built in Kyiv in 1086 through the efforts of Grand Duke Vsevolod Yaroslavich, son of Yaroslav the Wise.

Paintings depicting St. Andrew were created by many great painters, including Murillo, El Greco, and Zurbaran.

In 1698, Russian Tsar Peter I established the first (and then remained the highest) award of Russia - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called; later he established the flag of the Russian fleet - St. Andrew's, placing an image of the cross of St. on the naval flag. Andrey (two blue stripes intersecting diagonally, on a white background). In 1998, the order was revived in Russia.

On December 26, 1906, the St. Andrews football stadium, named after St. Andrew, was opened in Birmingham, England.

Apostle Andrew is the patron saint of Ukraine, Russia, Scotland, Romania, Greece, Sicily, Amalfi; as well as sailors and fishermen.

In July 2013, a monument to St. Andrew the First-Called was unveiled in Kharkov.

Church ship "Andrew the First-Called"

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the formation of the Novosibirsk region, from August 15 to August 31, 2008, the charitable spiritual medical and educational Orthodox ship-church “St. Andrew the First-Called” operated. The raid of the ship-church was organized by the Novosibirsk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and the regional administration. the main objective mission - providing spiritual, social and material assistance to residents of remote villages. During their visit, representatives of social protection, medical workers, the clergy visited more than 25 remote villages of the Bolotninsky, Kolyvansky, Moshkovsky and Novosibirsk districts.

"Golden Legend" about St. Andrey

The “Golden Legend” also reports one of the miracles of the apostle, which is not mentioned in the “Cheti-Menaia”, but which can explain the veneration of St. Andrew as the patron saint of sailors: he once resurrected forty men who were heading to him to receive teaching about the faith, but who drowned due to a storm caused by the devil. Therefore, in the hymn to the Apostle it is sung: “Quaternos iuvenes submersos maris fluctibus vitae reddidit usibus.” In another case, recorded in the Golden Legend, the apostle managed to calm the raging sea with prayer.

Another curious episode of the legend is the Christian answer of the holy apostle to the fundamental question invented by the devil about what is higher - earthly or heavenly: “In the imperial heavens, where Jesus Christ is located, Who is the form of our flesh, He is above all heavens!”

Monuments

Monument to St. Andrew the First-Called (Moscow)
Monument to St. Andrew the First-Called in Bataysk. Opened on September 27, 2003. Sculptor S. Isakov
Monument to Andrew the First-Called (Donetsk, Ukraine).
Monument to Andrew the First-Called (Sevastopol).

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