Sts. Olga and Vladimir

Question: 

I have discovered that I am a direct descendant of St. Olga (g-grandparent x 65) and St. Vladimir (g-g x 63). I love to travel and now that I know this I hope someday to return to Ukraine and Kiev, and wonder if there is an actual burial place for Sts. Olga and Vladimir that can be visited.

Dr. Alexander Roman alex@unicorne.org

Congratulations on discovering your family roots! I too am directly descended from these saints through my paternal grandmother and I have recently discovered my family tree that was shown to me by a distant relative.

There are relics of St Volodymyr of Kyiv at the Kyivan Caves Lavra. Most other relics of these Saints may be found in part in various other places, but the main part of them, especially those of St Olha, are lost, as are those of Sts Boris and Hlib Volodymyroch, according to Metropolitan Ilarion Ohienko (+ Memory Eternal!).

But do go to the Kyivan Caves Lavra in Kyiv and there are other sites there associated with Sts. Volodymyr and Olha, including the Grave of Prince Askold. St Olha ordered churches built over the graves of the Kyivan Princes Askold and Dir - a way of canonizing them as local saints.

Ukrainian Orthodoxy