The Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious, aka Yegory (Yuri) the Brave, is one of the most revered saints in Christianity: temples and churches were erected in his honor, epics and legends were composed, icons were painted. Muslims called him Jirjis al Khidr, the messenger of the prophet Isa, and farmers, herdsmen and warriors considered him their patron. The name "George" was taken by Yaroslav the Wise and Yuri Dolgoruky at baptism, Yegory the Victorious is depicted on the coat of arms of the capital of Russia and the most honorable award - the St. George Cross - is also named after him.
The origin of the saint
The son of Theodore and Sophia (according to the Greek version: Gerontius and Polychronia), Yegoriy the Brave was born in 278 (according to another version in 281) in a family of Christians living in Cappadocia, a locality located on the territory of Asia Minor. According to ancient legends of Byzantium, Ancient Russia and Germany, George's father is Theodore Stratilat (Stratilon), while his biography is very similar to the life of his son.
When Theodore died, Egory with his mothermoved to Palestine Syria, to the city of Lydda: there they had rich possessions and estates. The guy entered the service of Diocletian, who then ruled. Thanks to his skills and abilities, remarkable strength and masculinity, Egory quickly became one of the best military leaders and was nicknamed the Brave.
Death for Faith
The emperor was known as a hater of Christianity, severely punishing all those who dared to go against paganism, and after learning that George was a devout follower of Christ, he tried to force him to renounce his faith by various methods. Having suffered multiple defeats, Diocletian in the Senate announced a law giving all "warriors for the true faith" complete freedom of action, up to the murder of infidels (that is, Christians).
At the same time, Sophia died, and Egor the Brave, having distributed all his rich inheritance and property to homeless people, came to the emperor's palace and openly recognized himself as a Christian once again. He was seized, subjected to many days of torture, during which the Victorious repeatedly showed the power of the Lord, recovering from mortal wounds. At one of these moments, the wife of Emperor Alexander also believed in Christ, which hardened Diocletian's heart even more: he ordered that George's head be cut off.
It was 303 AD. The brave young man, who exposed the darkness of paganism and fell for the glory of the Lord, was not yet 30 years old at that time.
Saint George
Already from the fourth century, churches of St. George the Victorious began to be erected in different countries, offering prayers to him asprotector and glorifying in legends, songs and epics. In Russia, Yaroslav the Wise appointed November 26 as the feast of St. George: on this day, thanks and praises were offered to him, amulets were spoken for good luck and invulnerability in battles. Egory was addressed with requests for healing, good luck in hunting and a good harvest, most of the soldiers considered him to be their patron.
The head and sword of Yegory the Brave are kept in San Georgia in Velure, under the main altar, and his right hand (part of the arm up to the elbow) in the monastery of Xenophon in Greece, on the sacred Mount Athos.
Memorial Day
April 23 (May 6, new style) - the day of St. George the Victorious. According to legend, it was on this day that he was beheaded. This day is also called “Egoriy Veshny” (spring): on this day, for the first time, cattle breeders released livestock to pastures, collected medicinal herbs and bathed in the “healing Yuryevskaya dew”, which protected against seven diseases.
This day was considered symbolic and divided the year into two half-years (together with Dmitriev's day). There were many signs and sayings about St. George's Day, or the day of the Opening of the Earth, as it was also called.
The second holiday of veneration of Egor the Brave fell on November 26 (December 9, according to a new style) and was called Egor Autumn, or Cold. There was a belief that on this day St. George sets free wolves that could harm livestock, so they tried to arrange animals for a winter stall. On this day, they prayed to the saint for protection from wolves, calling him wolfshepherd.”
In Georgia, on April 23 and November 10, Giorgoba is annually celebrated - the days of St. George, the patron saint of Georgia (there is an opinion that the country got its name in honor of the great St. George: Georgia - Georgia).
Reverence in other countries
In many countries of the world, George the Victorious is one of the main saints and protectors:
- Georgia: Egoriy is the most revered saint in this country, along with Nina the Illuminator, who is considered his cousin. The first temple in Georgia to the glory of George was founded precisely in the year of the death of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina - in 335, and the St. George Church Cross is placed on the state flag. On the days of St. George in the country is an official holiday.
- England: in this country, St. George (George) is also the main patron of the country. On one of the crusades, the Victorious appeared before a significant battle and thus helped them win the battle. Since that time, Saint George has been revered throughout the country. On the day of celebration - April 23, mass celebrations, fairs and church processions are held. The English national flag is also the George Cross.
- In Arab countries, Georgia is considered the first among non-Koranic saints. Prayers are sent to him during droughts.
- Uasgergi (Uastyrzhdi) - this is how Egori the Brave is called in Ossetia, where he is considered the patron of men (women are even forbidden to give his name). Holidays in his honor last for a whole week, starting on the third Sunday in November.
George the Victorious is highly revered in many European countries, and in each his name is transformed in connection with the tradition of the language: Dozhrut, Jerzy, Georg, Georges, York, Yegor, Yuri, Jiri.
Mentioned in folk epic
Traditions about the exploits of the saint are widespread not only in the Christian world, but also among people of other faiths. Each religion slightly changed the small facts, but the essence remained unchanged: St. Yuri was a courageous, courageous and just defender and true believer, who died for the faith, but did not betray his spirit.
The tale of Egory the Brave (another name is "The Miracle of the Serpent") tells how a brave young man saved the young daughter of the ruler of the city, who was sent to be slaughtered by a monster from a lake with a terrible stench. The serpent terrorized the inhabitants of a nearby settlement, demanding children to be eaten, and no one could defeat him until George appeared. He called to the Lord, and with the help of prayers immobilized the beast. Using the belt of the rescued girl as a leash, Egory brought the snake into the city and, in front of all the inhabitants, killed it and trampled it under his horse.
"The epic about the brave Egory" was recorded by Peter Kireevsky in the middle of the nineteenth century from the words of the old-timers. It tells about the birth, growing up of Yuri and the campaign against the busurman Demyanishcha, who trampled on the glory of the Lord. The bylina very accurately conveys the events of the last eight days of the great saint, telling in detail about the torment and torture that Egoria had to endure, and how each time the angels resurrected him.
The Miracle of the Saracen
Very populara legend among Muslims and Arabs: it tells about an Arab who wanted to express his disrespect for Christian shrines and shot an arrow at the icon of St. George. The hands of the Saracen were swollen and lost sensitivity, he was overwhelmed by a fever, he called out to the priest from this temple with requests for help and repentance. The minister advised him to hang the offended icon over his bed, go to bed, and in the morning smear his hands with oil from the lamp, which was supposed to burn all night near this icon. The frightened Arab did just that. The healing impressed him so much that he converted to Christianity and began to praise the glory of the Lord in his country.
Temples to the glory of the saint
The first temple of St. George the Victorious in Russia was built in Kyiv in the 11th century by Yaroslav the Wise, at the end of the 12th century the Kurmukhsky temple (the church of St. George) was laid in Georgia. In Ethiopia, there is an unusual temple in honor of this saint: it was carved out of the rock in the form of a Greek cross in the 12th century by a local ruler. The shrine goes into the ground for 12 meters, diverging in width for the same distance.
Five kilometers from Veliky Novgorod is St. George's Monastery, which was also founded by Yaroslav the Wise.
The Russian Orthodox monastery in Moscow arose on the basis of a small church of St. George and became the ancestral spiritual place of the Romanov family. Balaklava in the Crimea, Lozhevskaya in Bulgaria, the temple on the Pskov mountain and thousands of others - all this was built to the glory of the great martyr.
Symbols of the most famous image
Among the icon painters Egory and hisexploits were of interest and popularity: he was often depicted as a fragile young man on a white horse with a long spear slaying a dragon (serpent). The meaning of the icon of St. George the Victorious is very symbolic for Christianity: the serpent is a symbol of paganism, baseness and meanness, it is important not to confuse it with the dragon - this creature has four paws, and the serpent has only two - as a result, it always crawls on the ground with its belly (plasun, reptile - a symbol of meanness and lies in ancient beliefs). Yegory is depicted with a young clergyman (as a symbol of only emerging Christianity), his horse is also light and airy, and Christ or his right hand was often depicted nearby. This also had its own meaning: George did not win on his own, but thanks to the power of the Lord.
The meaning of the icon of St. George the Victorious among Catholics is somewhat different: there the saint is often depicted as a well-built, strong man with a thick spear and a powerful horse - a more mundane interpretation of the feat of a warrior who stood on the defense of righteous people.
