Great Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Enlightener of the Lands of Rus
Vigil. Kept with an All-Night Vigil.
Commemorated today
- Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir (in holy baptism Basil), enlightener of the Russian Land (1051)Apostle · d. 1051 life on this site
The life we have written
Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir
A ruler formed by violence and pagan power received Baptism and redirected his authority toward the Christianization of Rus’, proving neither that conversion erases consequences nor that any modern nation owns the inheritance of ancient Kyiv.
- Era
- c. 958–1015
- Region
- Kyivan Rus’, Crimea, and the lands surrounding Kyiv
- Category
- Great prince, ruler, and Equal-to-the-Apostles
- Feast
- July 15
- Holy Martyrs Cyricus and His Mother Julitta (304)Martyr · d. 304
What is known
A martyr died rather than deny Christ. The word is Greek for witness, and the Church uses it in that sense: the death is testimony, not merely a fate. Most of these deaths fall in the Roman persecutions before 313, though the title is not restricted to them.
The year given is 304.
Beyond this, no life of them survives that could be checked — which is true of most of the saints kept on any given day. The commemoration is the record.
- The Finding of the Head of St. Matrona of Chios
What is known
The title places them at Head. Kept in the Greek tradition.
Beyond this, no life of them survives that could be checked — which is true of most of the saints kept on any given day. The commemoration is the record.
- Donald and his Nine Daughters
What is known
Kept in the Greek tradition.
Beyond this, no life of them survives that could be checked — which is true of most of the saints kept on any given day. The commemoration is the record.
- Swithun, Bishop of WinchesterHierarch
What is known
A hierarch is a bishop — including patriarchs, metropolitans and archbishops. The Church commemorates bishops in this rank whether they are remembered chiefly for teaching, for governing, or for holding a see through a difficult century.
The title places them at Winchester. Kept in the Greek tradition.
Beyond this, no life of them survives that could be checked — which is true of most of the saints kept on any given day. The commemoration is the record.
Appointed readings
- 3[1] Kings 8:22–23, 27–30
- Isaiah 61:10–62:5 continues in 62
- Isaiah 60:1–16
- John 10:9–16
- Galatians 1:11–19
- John 10:1–9
- 1 Corinthians 13:11–14:5 continues in 14
- Matthew 17:24–18:4 continues in 18
About this page. This is the Menaion date — the fixed calendar. Parishes on the New Calendar keep it on July 15 by the civil calendar. On the Julian calendar this same commemoration is kept on July 28 by the civil calendar. The movable cycle, which turns on the date of Pascha and changes every year, is on the calendar page. Where a life has been written on this site the name links to it; where it has not, only what the commemoration itself attests is shown, and nothing is added to it.