St. Ilyinsky Church - the first Orthodox church of Kievan Rus

Capital city Kiev can not but admire its historical shrines and architectural monuments, some of which have been for more than 1000 years. One of such shrines is the St. Ilyinsky Church, built in honor of the Prophet Elijah and subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate. Now it is difficult to imagine that this particular Orthodox church appeared the very first in Kievan Rus, even before the adoption of Christianity. Nestor the Chronicler in The Tale of Bygone Years pointed out that it was built by the Great Princes of Kiev Askold and Dir.

St. Ilyinsky Church: Kiev (photo)

The chronicle states that in 860 the princes Askold and Dir went to war against the Greek Tsar'grad. The Byzantine emperor Michael was at that time on a campaign against the Hagar, but when he received news from the eparch that Rusichi would soon be in the capital, he immediately returned. By this time, Tsargrad was besieged by two hundred ships of Rusich, and many Christians perished from their hands.

But the emperor secretly entered the city and spent the whole night in prayer together with Patriarch Photius at the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Vlaherna. Then, with prayer singing, they carried the Holy Virgin's robe and lowered it to the sea floor. The sea was full of calm, but then a violent storm and storm began. Pagan vessels began to crash because of giant waves, few of them survived and returned home.

Askold and Deere were simply amazed by such miracles. And then they decided to be baptized in Constantinople. Upon their return home, the Ilyinskaya church was built. Kievan Rus gradually prepared for the adoption of Christianity.

Prince Igor

But the story does not end there. The church of Elijah was again mentioned in the chronicles in 945, when Grand Duke Igor I signed a peace treaty with the Byzantine Emperor Roman. In honor of this event, a divine service was performed in the church of St. Elijah in Kiev.

In ancient times, it was customary to swear an oath of allegiance to the treaty, in this case it occurred between Christian Byzantium and pagan Kyivan Rus. At first this oath was given in Constantinople with the participation of the Emperor Romanus. And after the Greek ambassadors together with Rusich went to Kiev, so that here, too, an oath of promise was promised for bilateral non-aggression. The pledge was the word, the most intimate and valuable that a man has.

At that time, the most sacred and expensive for Igor and his squads were idols, so the oath was uttered at the temple of Perun, the Slavic god of thunder. However, already at that time among the squad there were also many Christians who could not participate in pagan rites, and therefore swore an oath before the Holy Cross of the Holy Ilinsky Church.

Princess Olga and the Baptism of Rus

When Prince Igor was murdered, the throne of the Old Russian State was occupied by his wife, Princess Olga. Ilyinskaya church of Kiev continued its service among pagans. It was here that the princess Olga, who had accepted the baptism, came to pray.

In 988, in St. Ilyna Church, which was located on the banks of the Dnieper and Pochayny rivers, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir performed the Baptism of Rus . About what the church was originally unknown, but according to the assumptions of historians it was wooden.

Its stone temple was erected only later - in 1692. It was small and did not have a bright decor. Funds for its construction donated by the well-known philistine Peter Gudima.

Life of the Church

At the beginning of the 18th century, a two-tiered bell tower was built under the leadership of the famous Kiev architect Grigorovich-Barsky. At the church fence appeared baroque gates with openwork metal doors, on which the letters "IP" - Elijah the Prophet were very skilfully executed .

By the end of the XVIII century, thanks to the reconstruction, a low side-chapel was built in honor of St. John the Forerunner. In 1909 the church of Ilyin was renewed due to three images of wall paintings. Today, above the central entrance to the church under the choirs, you can see the preserved image of the Protection of the Holy Virgin.

In the 1930s, the Bolshevik government closed this church and turned it into a granary. When the Great Patriotic War broke out in 1941, in the German-occupied Kiev in the church, again resume divine services. The doors of the church were again open to all.

In 1957, it was discovered and restored magnificent fragments of 18th-century murals. Today, the St. Ilyinsky Church is framed according to all the canons of the academic school: on the walls - a list of forty biblical stories from the life of the prophet Elijah.

St. Ilyinsky Church (Kiev): address

Church holidays: the day of the memory of the prophet Elijah - the main throne (July 20 / August 2), and the Beheading of John the Baptist - the northern side-altar (August 29 / September 11). The main shrines, stored in the church, is the ark with the relics of several saints.

Divine services in the evening are held on Friday and Saturday from 17-00, on Sunday with akafstst from 16-00. Morning Liturgy: on Saturday from 8-00 and from 10-00, on Sunday from 7-30 and from 10-00.

Phones for communication: +38044 4252371; +38044 4252368

Admission is free, the time of visits on working days from 10-00 to 17-00, on weekends from 7-00 to 19-00.

Rector of the church: Protopriest Eugene Kosovsky.