Cathedral of Vladimir Saints

The Council of the Vladimir Saints: three decades of the general holiday of the ascetics of the land of Vladimir.

In 1982, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ Pimen, a new memorable date appeared in the church calendar — the Council of the Saints who shone in the land of Vladimir. Archbishop of Vladimir and Suzdal Serapion (Fadeev) initiated the establishment of a general celebration in honor of the ascetics whose life was connected with this ancient region.

June 23 (old style) was chosen as the day of celebration. The choice was determined by the connection with the liturgical celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. It is with this revered image that church tradition connects Moscow’s deliverance from the threat in 1480, when the troops of Khan Akhmat retreated from the Russian borders without a fight after the famous stand on the Ugra. Thus, the feast of the Council turned out to be rooted in one of the key events in Russian history.

The host of saints united by the new date included dozens of names — noble princes, saints, saints and martyrs. These ascetics lived and served at different times on the territory of the modern Vladimir diocese. The establishment of common memory allowed believers to prayerfully remember the entire host of locally revered saints of God on one day, emphasizing the continuity of spiritual tradition from antiquity to the modern period.

The initiative of Bishop Serapion, approved by Patriarch Pimen, formalized the long-standing need for the liturgical highlighting of the Vladimir saints as a special collection of ascetics. Since 1982, this day has been celebrated annually on a set calendar date, combining the veneration of the Mother of God image and the memory of those who glorified the Vladimir land with their lives.