Nobleborn Prince Theodore (Feodor) of Novgorod Commemorated on June 5 Nobleborn Prince
Theodore (Feodor) of Novgorod, the elder brother of Saint Alexander Nevsky,
was born in the year 1218. His princely service to his native land began at a
very early age; already in 1229 both brother had been left in Novgorod by their
father Yaroslav Vsevolodovich as representatives of his power. But not even a
year passed before the young princes had to quit Novgorod: the turbulent
Novgorod people in their "veche" ("government council")
decided to invite another prince. But in the very next year, 1230, during a
time of famine and epidemic, the Novgorodians again invited Yaroslav. On 30
December 1230 it became the fourth time that he sat as prince in Novgorod, but
he remained in the city for only two weeks, when he seated there his sons and
went off to Pereyaslavl'-Zalessk. In 1232 the fourteen year old Theodore was
already summoned to serve God not only in prayer, but also by the sword: he
took part in a campaign of the Russian troops against the pagan Mordovian
princes. © 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos. |
|
|
|