It is no exaggeration that Saint Andrew the First-Called is one of the most revered saints in Russia, since it was he who was the first preacher in those places where our country appeared centuries later. The article will discuss his life, icons, as well as the famous order and foundation named after the apostle.
Hagography of St. Andrew the First-Called
Before talking about modern phenomena associated with the name of the apostle, it is necessary to tell about his life. Holy Scripture does not provide much information about him, but more is not needed. He came from Galilee, and since the inhabitants of that territory got along well with the Greeks, lived with them in peace, and themselves bore ancient Greek names, the name of the apostle comes from that country and in translation means “possessing courage.”
The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the very first to follow his teacher Christ, for which he later received his middle name. Initially, he, along with John, with whom they lived in the same city,He heard the sermons of John the Baptist, considering him the much-awaited Messiah. However, John refuted these assumptions by leading the two disciples to the true Messiah, Christ. So they became his disciples, and on the same evening Andrew told about the Teacher to his kinsman named Peter, who also followed Jesus.
But we know from the Holy Scriptures that before finally following the Lord, all the apostles had to return to their homes and do their usual things - in the case of the brothers Andrew and Peter, it was fishing. But after some time, Christ passed by the reservoir where they were catching fish, and called them with him, promising to make them "fishers of men." So they began to follow their Master incessantly.
Saint Andrew the First-Called was next to the Lord throughout his short journey, and after his Resurrection from the dead, he met with Jesus, and was also present at his Ascension.
Andrew the First-Called and Russian lands
Shortly after the Spirit descended, the followers of Christ cast lots to decide which land each of them would go to preach. The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called fell to the territories on the shores of the Black Sea, the north of the Balkans and the Scythian lands. It was here that Kievan Rus was founded several centuries later. According to legend, the Apostle Andrew even reached the place where Kyiv would later appear, and predicted that one of the greatest cities would be located here, illuminated by God's grace, with an abundance of beautiful temples. After he consecrated the nearby mountains and installed on onecross, thus anticipating the adoption of the true faith by the future inhabitants of these lands.
After his journey, the apostle returned to Greece, to a city called Patros. Here he was engaged in the healing of many local residents from various ailments, which set the ruler of the city of Egeat against himself, who ordered the saint to be crucified on the cross. However, Andrew the First-Called was not in the least afraid of the verdict and delivered a sermon, speaking in it about the spiritual meaning of the suffering of Christ on the cross.
Until his death after the crucifixion (it happened around 62 AD), the Apostle Andrew was constantly in prayer, crying out to the Lord. When his soul separated from his body, the cross on which he was lit up with white heavenly light. On the site of his crucifixion, the largest Christian church in Greece was later erected; a shrine is still kept in it - the embalmed head of the apostle, miraculously preserved during the fall of Constantinople. The rest of the relics of the saint are located in other temples of the world.
Memorial Day of St. Andrew the First-Called is celebrated on the thirtieth of November.
The meaning of the apostle for the Russian Church
It is well known that the Russian Church adopted the faith from Byzantium, which, in turn, is the successor of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, whose photo of icons you can see in the article. Thus, the Orthodox Church is the direct heir of the apostle, therefore he is especially revered by it. The icon of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called is believed to be miraculous, and lists from it are distributedin many temples. In addition, in almost every Russian city you can find a revered temple built in honor of this apostle.
Badge of the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called
Among the symbols of respect shown to him, for starters, it is worth recalling the order created in his honor. He appeared in 1648 on the orders of Peter I, since the Apostle Andrew, in particular, is considered the patron of all the rulers of the Russian lands since the Christian faith was strengthened in Russia. This order is the very first in time of occurrence.
It looks like this: it depicts the cross of St. Andrew the First-Called (which we will talk about a little later) against the background of a blackened double-headed eagle, the well-known symbol of the Russian Empire and the modern Russian Federation. On the cross itself is an image of the crucified apostle, and on its ends are the gilded initials of the words Sanctus Andreas Patronus Russiae, which in translation means "St. Andrew - the patron saint of Russia." Also on the other part of the award was a ribbon with the phrase "For Faith and Loy alty." This award was located on a light blue wide moiré ribbon worn at the hip, in no case over the left shoulder.
Another version of the Order
Another sign of the order was a small silver star with eight rays. In the center of it is placed a medallion depicting a cross and an apostle crucified on it, and around it is an inscription with the above-mentioned phrase. After 1800, the double-headed eagle, as on the main order, began to serve as the basis for the cross. She isworn on the left side of the chest, on top of all other possible awards.
In especially significant situations, the elements of the order were on a gilded chain. By the way, the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called is the only one for which they began to use the chain.
This order was dynastic for the entire House of Romanov - this means that every boy of the royal family became a holder of the order soon after birth. Largely due to the color of the ribbon, blue has become the shade considered the most boyish.
In total, 1050 people became gentlemen. The award was renewed in Russia at the end of the 20th century.
Cross of Apostle Andrew
This saint is revered as the patron saint of the country not only in Russia, but also in a number of other places - in Ukraine, Greece, Scotland, Romania and several other countries. In addition, he patronizes fishermen and sailors.
Therefore, the St. Andrew's cross, which we mentioned, is present in the symbols of different states. It looks like an oblique cross and symbolizes the crucifixion of the Apostle Andrew.
Flags and other state symbols
The national flag of Scotland, for example, looks like a white St. Andrew's cross on a blue background, and the so-called St. Patrick's flag is red on white. The emblem of the Russian navy is also marked with this symbol on a white background (by the way, the author of the flag project is Emperor Peter I himself). In principle, this cross is distributed precisely as a symbol of the naval units of various countries.
Interestingly, it was also posted onpatches and the flag of the Confederate Army of the Southern States of America.
Apostle Name Foundation
In Russia, there is a foundation of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, whose headquarters have been located in Moscow since the very beginning of the organization's existence. This public organization was founded in 1992 and is engaged in the promotion of spiritual values in Russian society. According to the information on the official website, the foundation's activities are aimed, in particular, at creating the most positive image of organizations that represent traditional values for Russia - the state, troops and churches.
One of the leading and main activities of the fund is Christian shrines that are transferred to the territory of the Russian Federation - for example, the Holy Fire from Jerusalem is transported by the leaders of this particular organization. A few years ago, with their assistance, the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was transported through the cities of Russia.
The current chairman of the fund is Boris Yakunin.
