July 25, 2019, on the day of commemoration of the martyrs Theodore and the son of his infant John , with the blessing of His Grace Gideon, Bishop Makarovsky, the abbot of the Tithes Monastery of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, a festive divine service was performed at the monastery ...
After the reading of the Holy Gospel, a fervent prayer was raised for peace in Ukraine and for the unity of the Orthodox Church.
On the site of the martyrdom of Saints Fedor and John, the first cathedral church of Kievan Rus, Desyatinny the cathedral on the territory of which the Desyatny Monastery of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos is located.
In 983, the Grand Duke Vladimir, then still a zealous pagan, after a military victory over the Yotvyags, wished to sacrifice to idols. The "elders and boyars" advised the prince to choose a young man or a girl for the sacrifice.
"And the elders and boyars said: Let us cast lots on the youths and maidens, on whom he falls, we will slaughter as a sacrifice to the gods. " Obviously, not without intent, the lot cast by the pagan priests fell on the Christian John. When those sent to Theodore reported that the gods had chosen his son for themselves, let us sacrifice him to them, the old warrior replied resolutely: “These are not gods, but a tree. Today it is, and tomorrow it will rot. And what have these gods done? created. I will not give my son to demons. "
This was a direct challenge of the Christian to the customs and beliefs of the pagans. An armed crowd of pagans rushed to Theodore, smashed his yard, surrounded the house. Theodore, according to the chronicler, "stood in the passage with his son," bravely, with weapons in his hands, met enemies. He calmly looked at the raging pagans and said: "If they are gods, let them send one of the gods and take my son." Seeing that in a fair fight they could not defeat Theodore and John, brave skillful warriors, the besiegers swept the pillars of the gallery, and when they fell, they piled on and killed them.
On the spot. After the Martyrdom of the Varangians, Saint Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles, subsequently erected the Church of the Tithes.
There is an opinion that the events associated with the death of Theodore and John, to some extent influenced Vladimir's decision to become a Christian. He was shocked by what had happened, namely the courage with which Theodore the Varyag single-handedly confronted the crowd of angry Kievites and which could only be shown when defending a just cause.
