Saints of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Kyiv - A Royal Fount of Holiness

Other Royal Saints of Ukraine include Sts. Michael, Prince of Chernihiv and his Boyarin, Theodore, martyred by the Horde.  Michael’s grandson, St. Oleh of Briansk, was miraculously healed of blindness through the Miraculous Icon of the Kyivan Caves called “Svinska” which is still honoured there. St Polykarp of Briansk was, in the world, Peter Boryatinsky, a Ukrainian descendant of St Michael of Chernihiv.  St. Lavrenti of Kaluga, was descended from a Ukrainian noble family in Peremyshl.  St. Yaropolk of Volyn,  St. Euphrosinia of Polotsk and St. Euphrosinia of Vilna were also Ukrainian Saints. St. Roman Olhovych of Ryazan was a Royal Martyr as well as were St Mstislav-George, Prince of Novhorod and St George, another Kyivan Prince and the son of Vsevolod III who died in battle with the Khan Batij in 1238 and whose relics are in the Volodymyr Cathedral.  St. Andrew Boholiubsky and his son St. Hlib are also numbered among the Saints of the Kyivan period before the development of Russian Muscovy. 

In 1230, the above St. George (Vsevolodovich) installed the Relics of a Tatar Orthodox Martyr and Wonderworker, Saint Avramii the Bulgar, in the Volodymyr Cathedral.  St. Avramii came from the city of Bulgara near the Volga (whence his surname).  Raised as a Muslim, Avramii became a Christian and for this was tortured and then executed by quartering and beheading.  The Ukrainians living in the city quietly took possession of some of Avramii’s Relics which are today a great Shrine in the Volodymyr Cathedral. Two other Royal Saints of Ukraine are St Svyatoslav-Gabriel and his son Dmytry of Yuriev (1285).