According to the Bible, Christ had 12 disciples close to him. They were called apostles. They were ordinary people, mostly all fishermen. He called them during his time on earth. God gave them great power so that they could use it to heal all the sick, resurrect from the world of the dead, exorcise unclean forces, and also tell all people about it.
Apostles are sent ones. It was they who witnessed how Jesus was resurrected and ascended into heaven. In the upper room of Zion, the Holy Spirit descended on them, and after that the apostles began to speak different languages, previously unknown, but most importantly, they strengthened their faith and became real preachers.
Andrey
The first of the 12 apostles was Andrew, he was called the First-Called. He went with good news to the Dnieper River and the hills, on which, after a time, the city of Kyiv was built. The chroniclers claim that Andrew told his disciples that instead of huge mountains, a Majestic City would be built, where a large number of churches would be erected. Apostle after his wordsclimbed the mountains, blessed them and put a cross there. According to legend, Andrey went from Kyiv to Novgorod, where he was struck by how people, swimming in baths, beat themselves with rods and douse themselves with cold water and kvass.
Peter
Andrew the First-Called had a brother, his name was Peter. People loved him very much, because with all his power he preached, healed and resurrected. The people even carried hopelessly ill relatives out into the streets so that at least Peter's shadow would fall on them.
Two brothers
Continuing to remember the names of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, let's talk about two brothers, John and James. In the Gospels they were called Zebedee, because their father's name was Zebedee. The brothers had an explosive nature, so Jesus gave them another name - "Voanerges", which means "sons of thunder." According to legend, the Apostle James died a painful death at the age of 44. His remains were released into the Mediterranean Sea, and found in 813 by the hermit monk Pelayo. Later, in 896-899, by order of Alphonse III, a church was built on the site where the remains were found. This place was given a beautiful name - Compostella, and the Apostle James began to patronize Spain. By the way, the capital of Chile, Santiago, was named after him.
The brother of James, John the Theologian, occupied a special place among the 12 apostles of Christ. He was his most beloved student. John preached love, because without it, as he said, a person cannot draw near to God. He raised the dead. John lived on earth for more than a hundred years, during which time he did many good deeds forof people. The people loved this apostle very much. Before his death, he asked his disciples to dig a grave for themselves in the form of a cross, lay down there and ordered them to bury it. After the other students dug up the grave, no bodies were found there.
Other Saints
This is only a part of the 12 apostles of Christ, there were also Philip, Bartholomew, Saint Thomas, Matthew, Jacob Alfeev, Simon the Zealot, Judas and Matthias. All of them are imprinted on the icons of many countries of the world. They are revered, all believers pray to them, because they did good deeds and there were witnesses who left behind manuscripts.
They have survived to this day, and with them the relics of all 12 apostles. Parts of the bodies of these saints are usually kept in churches and temples. The icon of the 12 apostles shows us the faces of all the disciples of Christ. There are several versions, and they all differ from each other, as the artists who created the images were from different countries.
Cathedrals
Also, temples, cathedrals and churches were erected in honor of the 12 apostles. All buildings are old, they are located in the most picturesque places. The Temple of the 12 Apostles stands in Tula, in Israel, in Moscow, in the Crimea (Balaklava).
The Israelite temple is different from all the others with its pink domes. This building was built around the 1980s. Rumor has it that the place where the temple stands was once a house in which Jesus healed a man from paralysis.
Tula is also famous for its building in honor of the 12 apostles. There used to be an oldwooden building, but over time it became necessary to expand it. And in 1903, the construction of a stone church began. In 1912, a school and an almshouse for the elderly were equipped in the building itself. The walls in the temple are painted with images and ornaments of famous artists. This is a very large building, accommodating more than a thousand people.
In Moscow, the Church of the 12 Apostles is a national monument. It was built in 1635-1656 by Russian craftsmen. It has five chapters and looks like a palace. The materials that were used in its construction were the most expensive that existed then. The best icon painters and isographers worked on the painting. In 1917, the temple was shelled by revolutionaries, and in 1918 it was converted into a museum.
Another temple
In Balaklava, the temple of the 12 apostles, along with all others, is a unique monument of the 18th century. It was built in 1794 on the foundations of an old church. The history of the temple says that it was the repository of the banners and relics of the Balaklava battalion, then transferred to the diocesan department. And after Soviet power was established in Crimea, the sanctuary was closed, and it housed the house of pioneers, and later the club.
In the nineties, it was handed over to the Orthodox Church and began to be restored. Everything was restored by the labors of Augustine. In 1991, the temple was consecrated again. Today it is a courtyard of the Inkerman Monastery. Many relics of various saints are kept here. There are no murals inside the temple at all, but they may have previously decorated the walls of this great building.
Conclusion
We told you about the twelve apostles of Christ, learned about them the necessary information. In addition, we learned that many churches and cathedrals were built in honor of these saints.
