Holy Martyr and Confessor Michael and his councilor, Theodore, Wonderworkers of Chernigov
The Holy Right-believing Prince Michael of Chernigov, the son of Vsevolod Olgovich Chermny (+ 1212), was born in 1179 (or 1195). From his childhood Prince Michael was known for his piety and meekness. His health was very poor, but in 1186, trusting in God's mercy, he asked for the holy prayers of Saint Niketas the Stylite of Pereyaslavl (May 24), who was renowned as a fervent intercessor with the Lord. After receiving a wooden staff from the holy ascetic, Michael was healed right away.
In 1223 Prince Michael participated in a council of Russian princes at Kiev, debating whether to help the Polovetsians against the approaching Mongolian Tatar hordes. Upon the death of his uncle, Mstislav of Chernigov at the Battle at the Kalka River in 1223, Saint Michael became the Prince of Chernigov.
In 1225 he was invited to become the Prince of Novgorod. By his sense of justice, compassion, and firmness he won the love and respect of Novgorod's citizens. This was particularly important for the Novgorodians, since Michael's accession as Prince signified the reconciliation of Novgorod with the city of Vladimir’s Holy Great Prince George Vsevolodovich (+ February 4, 1238), whose wife was the Holy Martyr Agatha (+ February 4, 1238), Prince Michael's sister.
Saint Michael did not remain as Prince at Novgorod, and soon he returned to his native Chernigov. To the requests of the Novgorodians that he remain their Prince he replied that Chernigov and Novgorod ought to become kindred lands, and their inhabitants like brothers, and he would forge bonds of friendship for these cities.
The noble Prince diligently concerned himself with the building up of his appenage realm. But this was difficult for him in those troubled times. His activities provoked unrest in Kursk's Prince Oleg, and in 1227 civil strife almost broke out, but Metropolitan Cyril of Kiev reconciled them. In that same year Prince Michael peacefully resolved a dispute between Kiev's Great Prince Vladimir Rurikovich and the Prince of Galich. In 1235 Prince Michael occupied the throne of Kiev.
Troublesome times ensued. In 1238 the Mongol Tatars laid waste to Ryazan, Suzdal, and Vladimir. In 1239 they moved against southern Rus', ravaging the left bank of the Dniepr River, and the lands of Chernigov and Pereyaslavl. By the autumn of 1240 the Mongols were approaching Kiev. The khan’s emissaries proposed that Kiev surrender voluntarily, but the Prince would not negotiate with them.
Prince Michael rode to Hungary, hoping to persuade the Hungarian King Bela to organize allied forces to resist their common enemy. Saint Michael tried to recruit both Poland and the German Emperor into the struggle against the Mongols, but the moment for combined resistance was lost. Rus' was devastated, and then Hungary and Poland. With no foreign support, Prince Michael returned to the ruins of Kiev, and for a time he lived near the city on an island, and then he went back to Chernigov.
The Prince did not abandon hope in the possibility of an united Christian Europe against the Asiatic nomads. In 1245, at the Council of Lyons in France, his co-worker Metropolitan Peter (Akerovich) was sent as emissary by Prince Michael, calling for a crusade to march against the pagan Horde. Catholic Europe, in the persons of its chief spiritual leaders, the Roman Pope and the German Emperor, betrayed the interests of Christianity. The Pope was involved in a war with the German Emperor, and the Germans took advantage of the Mongol invasion to attack Rus' themselves.
In these circumstances affecting Christianity in general, there is a universal significance to the Confessor’s exploit of Saint Michael of Chernigov in the midst of the pagan Horde. In Rus' emissaries of the khan soon appeared, in order to make a census of the Russian population, and to levy taxes.
The Prince was ordered to make full submission to the Tatar khan, and the khan would grant a special charter for his realm. The emissaries told Prince Michael that he must journey to the Horde in order to confirm his right to rule the princedom under the khan’s charter. Seeing the sad plight of Rus', Prince Michael recognized the necessity of obeying the khan, but as a devout Christian he knew that he could not deny his faith before the pagans. He received a blessing from his Spiritual Father, Bishop John, to travel to the Horde and to become a true Confessor for Christ.
Accompanying Prince Michael on his trip to the Horde was his faithful friend and companion, the Boyar Theodore. At the Horde the khan was aware of Prince Michael’s attempts to organize an uprising against the Tatars in concert with Hungary and the other European powers, and the Prince's enemies had long sought an opportunity to destroy him.
In 1246 when Prince Michael and the Boyar Theodore arrived at the Horde, they were instructed on how to approach the khan: they must walk through fire to cleanse themselves of their evil intents, and worship the primal elements - the sun and fire, which the Mongols worshipped as gods. Responding to the priests who commanded them to participate in pagan rituals, the Holy Prince said, “A Christian worships God alone, the Creator of the world, and not creatures."
The khan was informed of the Russian Prince's intransigence, Batu’s attendant El’deg restated the terms: the Prince must obey the demands of the pagan priests, or be put to death. Prince Michael remained steadfast in his faith and declared: “I am prepared to submit to the khan, since God has entrusted him with the destiny of earthly kingdoms, but as a Christian, I cannot worship idols.”
Taking courage from the Lord's words: “Whosoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever loses his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25), the Holy Prince and his devoted Boyar prepared for their martyric death and received the Holy Mysteries, which their Spiritual Father had given them, foreseeing this possibility. The Tatar executioners seized the Prince and beat him savagely for a long time, until the ground ran crimson with his blood. Finally, Domanus, an apostate from Christianity, beheaded the Holy Martyr.
The Tatars deceitfully promised Saint Theodore great honor and his lord’s princely rank if he would perform the pagan ritual. Saint Theodore was not swayed by this, however, and he followed the example of his Prince. After horrible tortures, he was beheaded as well. The bodies of the holy Passion Bearers were tossed aside to be eaten by dogs, but the Lord preserved them for several days, until some faithful Christians could bury them secretly and with reverence.
Saint Theodore's exploit of a Confessor amazed even his executioners. Convinced of the Russian people’s steadfast fidelity to the Orthodox Faith, and their willingness to die gladly for Christ, the Tatar khans decided not to try God's patience as before, and they ceased requiring Russians to perform any pagan rituals at the Horde. But the struggle of the Russian nation and the Russian Church against the Mongol Yoke continued for a long time. During this struggle the Orthodox Church was adorned with many New Martyrs and Confessors. Great Prince Theodore was poisoned by the Mongols. Among those martyred were Saint Roman of Ryazan (+ 1270), Saint Michael of Tver (+ 1318), his sons Demetrios (+ 1325) and Alexander (+ 1339). All of them took courage from the example and holy prayers of Saint Michael of Chernigov, the Russian Protomartyr of the Horde.
On February 14, 1578, with the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony, Tsar Ivan the Terrible transferred their holy relics to the church which was dedicated to them in Moscow.
In 1770 the relics of Saints Michael and Theodore were brought to the Meeting of the Lord (Сретенский) cathedral, Since November 21, 1774, they have been kept in a secret place in Holy Archangels Cathedral in the Kremlin.
The Lives and Church Service of Saints Michael and Theodore were compiled in the middle of the XVI century by the renowned writer, Saint Zenobios of Otonsk (October 30).
The Prophet-King David wrote, "The generation of the upright shall be blessed (Psalm 111/112:2). This occurred in full measure for Saint Michael. He is at the head of many famous families in Russian history. His children and grandchildren continued Saint Michael's Christian service. The Church also numbers his daughter Saint Euphrosyne of Suzdal (September 25), and his grandson Saint Oleg of Briansk (September 20) among the Saints.
The Holy Martyrs and Confessors Michael and Theodore are commemorated on September 20 (the day of their martyric death); on February 14 (the Translation of their Holy Relics in 1578; and on the Sunday before August 26 (the Synaxis of the Moscow Saints).