Commemorated on June 8
The holy Princes Basil and Constantine Vsevolodovich of Yaroslav.
In their youth they lost their father, Vsevolod, who fell in battle with
the Tatars (Mongols). St Basil, the elder brother, succeeded to the
throne. As prince, he had to face a multitude of concerns, tasks and
sorrows. The city and the villages were devastated from the invasion of
the Tatars, many households remained without shelter and food, and he
had to concern himself about everything and about everyone. Besides
this, it was necessary to gain the good will of the Tatar Khan, and the
holy prince more than once journeyed for this reason to the Horde. He
suffered also a family misfortune, the loss of his only son.
All his tribulations the holy prince suffered without complaint, and he
ruled the princedom, like a true Christian. He did not enter into
disputes with other princes, he concerned himself with the unfortunate
among his subjects, and he built churches. But soon his life, filled
with many sorrows, exhausted the strength of the prince, and he took
sick and died in the year 1249.
After him holy Prince Constantine succeeded to the throne. He strove to
imitate his brother, but to his great dismay, everywhere he saw pillage
and murdering done by the Tatars. In 1257 the Tatars fell upon Yaroslavl
itself. The prince came out to fight the enemy, but here in this battle
he gave up his life for his country. In the year 1501 the incorrupt
relics of the holy princes were uncovered and now rest in the Yaroslav
cathedral.
SOURCE:
SAINT OR FEAST POSTED THIS DATE 2010(with 2009's link here also and further, 2008's, even 2007!
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