Vladislav Serbsky is a saint, a photo with images of which can be seen not only in church publications, but also in ordinary history textbooks. Who was this man in life? For what merits was he canonized? What is famous for? To whom and in what does this saint help? How should one pray before his icon? These and many other questions arise among believers quite often, since Vladislav Serbsky, a saint who is extremely popular in the Balkans, is little known in Russia.
Who was this man?
In the world of the saint, they called Stephen Vladislav Nemanich and this man was the ruler of Serbia, the king. He ruled from 1234 to 1243. To a modern person, this tenure in power may seem rather short. However, for the thirteenth century, the duration of the reign was very decent.
The merits of this king include political unity with Bulgaria, achieved through marriage with Princess Beloslav. Under his rule, the Serbs managed to defend their territories against the threat of conquest by the Hungarian crusaders, namely, the coastal region of Zakhumye.
However, the Emperor’s luck was not long. Soon after the death of his wife's father, hordes of the Mongol-Tatars invaded the territory of the Balkans. Serbia was ravaged by them. Of course, this gave rise to the discontent of the nobility and nobility. Vladislav did not wait for his overthrow and abdicated himself in favor of his younger brother.
Vladislav was born around 1198 (the exact date is unknown to historians), and died in early November 1267.
How did Vladislav become king?
He was the second son of King Stephen II the First-Crown and received the throne under very complicated circumstances. Power was inherited by the eldest son of Stephen, Radoslav. However, he lost the throne because he was overthrown from it in 1234 by the nobles.
Historians have two hypotheses related to this palace coup. According to the first, the future saint, Prince Vladislav Serbsky, led the conspirators. According to another version, he was asked to take the throne, freed from Radoslav. No matter how events unfolded, due to which Vladislav became king, he turned out to be a very good ruler.
Interesting moments from family history
Vladislav Serbsky is not the only saint in his family. His uncle Savva, founder and first archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian church, was canonized in the guise of a miracle worker, and the monk lived his life. The worldly name of this person is Rastko Nemanich. She took the veil and was also canonized and the mother of Savva. They canonized her under the name Anastasia.
St. Savva of Serbia is often confused with another archbishop, who comes from the same family and bears the same name. One of the sons of the founder of the Nemanichi dynasty, Stephen the First Crown, Predislav was a clergyman. He made monastic vows under the name of Savva. This man was a bishop in Zakhumye, rescued from a Hungarian invasion. And later became the archbishop of Serbia, known as Savva II.
The fact that the life of the Nemanichi family turned out to be closely connected with Orthodoxy and in this family was not the only Vladislav Serbsky-saint, interesting facts do not end there. The founder of the dynasty, Stefan the First-Crown, was seriously ill at the end of his life's journey. Due to his health, the decision to leave the worldly life or not, is unknown to anyone. But shortly before his death, the king gave monastic vows. Stefan was not only a ruler, but also a writer and publicist. His literary works, created in the middle of life, surprisingly combine the details of jurisprudence, descriptions of everyday life and a spiritual orientation.
The king founded the monastery of Zicha, in which he made monastic vows, taking the spiritual name Simeon. He was also canonized and revered by the Serbian Church. In Russia, this person is practically unknown. He also received tonsure years after the loss of the throne and his eldest son, Radoslav, who became a monk Jovan.
All members of the family, in whose hands the secular and spiritual authority over the country was concentrated in the early Middle Ages, are buried in the Mileshev Monastery, built during the reign of Vladislav.
What was Vladislav’s main merit to the Serbian Orthodox Church?
Without a doubt, every ruler of the past, no matter in which country he occupied the throne and in what historical period this happened, had services to the church. It is about laying and building temples, monasteries. Granting economic freedoms or special powers to representatives of the clergy - rectors of cloisters or churches.
Of course, St. Vladislav Serbsky, whose life outside the period of government of the country is described very poorly, was no exception. During his stay in power, beautiful temples and monasteries were founded and built, which to this day are the subject of national pride of the Serbs.
However, the main merit of the ruler before the church and the Serbian people is considered to be the return to his homeland of the relics of St. Sava, who died in Bulgaria. The first archbishop of the independent Serbian church and its founder died suddenly, being a guest of the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen II, the father of his wife, Vladislav. It happened in 1236. The archbishop stopped at the court of the ruler of Bulgaria while returning home from the Holy Land, where he made a pilgrimage. Savva was buried in the temple of the Forty Great Martyrs, which now stands in Tarnovo.
Why did the Bulgarians refuse to return the relics of Sava of the First Serbian?
Of course, the nobility and the clergy of Serbia were unhappy that the ashes of the founding father of their autocephalous church were located outside the country. Vladislav repeatedly addressed Ivan Asen the Second with written petitions for the return of Savva’s relics to his homeland. However, the Bulgarian king invariably answered them with a polite but firm refusal. Of course, the Bulgarian ruler was not sorry to return the bones of Savva to his family, the reason for the refusals was not at all the “capricious mood” of the king.
The Archbishop of Serbia was very revered in the Balkans, enjoyed fame and respect not only in his homeland. His opinion was taken into account, and many people were confident in the sanctity of this man during his lifetime. In other words, the question was not about returning to the homeland the dust of an ordinary person, but about gaining the relics of a saint. The political moment was also important. Bulgaria at that time was a kind of "counterweight" to Byzantium. Of course, to maintain its position and authority in the international arena, the country needed its own saints and their relics, which could be worshiped.
How did Vladislav manage to recover the relics? The miraculous intervention of the Lord
Desperate to convince his father-in-law, Vladislav Serbsky, whose holy uncle was resting in a Bulgarian church, personally went on a visit to a neighboring state. What the ruler of Serbia had counted on, to this day remains a mystery. Vladislav was a very educated and wise politician and could not help but realize the illusory chances of success in negotiations with the king of Bulgaria.
Indeed, negotiations with the father-in-law seemed to freeze in one place. The king of Serbia went to the resting place of his uncle and prayed for a long time before his relics, repented and tearfully asked for assistance from above in transferring the remains to his homeland, orphaned without his holy patron.
And that night, during the prayer of Vladislav, a miracle happened. An angel of the Lord appeared to the Bulgarian king in a dream and reproached him. He commanded that the relics of St. Sava be returned to his family for repose in a Serbian monastery.
Of course, it was impossible to resist the will of the Lord himself. The relics of St. Uncle Vladislav with great honors delivered to the monastery of Mileshev, where they rested until the end of the sixteenth century. In 1594, the famous military and statesman of the Ottoman Empire, Koja Sinan Pasha, ordered the remains of the saint to be taken to Belgrade, where he betrayed them to public burning on Mount Vračar. After the liberation of the country from Turkish rule, a temple was built in this place in memory of the barbaric destruction of the relics of an old man.
The intervention from above, the miracle of the appearance of an angel who ordered the return of the body of the holy elder to his homeland, formed the basis of the plot of the famous fresco, which became one of the symbols of the country, located in the cathedral church of the Ascension of the Lord in the monastery of Mileshev.
And, of course, the fact that a miracle happened through the king’s prayer and the Lord sent his Angel to help Vladislav in earthly affairs was one of the reasons for the canonization of this ruler.
How did this person live after abdication?
Of course, Vladislav Serbsky is a saint not only because a miracle happened through his prayer. The king led a righteous life and managed to escape many temptations. He was alien to pride, lust for power, anger. Such personal qualities are indicated by the life of Vladislav after abdication.
The Serbian king took his fate with meekness and humility. Moreover, he independently decided to transfer the board to his younger brother. There are not many examples of such behavior in the history.
After the abdication of the throne, Vladislav lived another twenty years. Not once in these years did he grumble at his fate and intrigue against his younger brother, who occupied the throne. Moreover, Vladislav was a reliable support, a close friend and adviser, assistant to the new king.
This man lived extremely simply. He was always attentive to the needs of others, he prayed a lot and was engaged in charity work.
When do people remember Vladislav Serbsky in the church?
Not only in his homeland, but also in the Russian Orthodox Church, Saint Vladislav Serbsky is revered. The day of remembrance and glorification of it is October 7th.
Of course, you can turn to the saint at any time. For prayer, one does not need to expect the onset of the church day of remembrance of Vladislav Serbsky.
What is this saint addressed to?
How does St. Vladislav Serbsky help ? Traditionally, people who need to resolve disputes, conflicts, trying to reconcile the warring parties turn to him with prayers. In other words, the saint protects all peacekeepers, regardless of how much global conflict they are trying to resolve.
In addition, before the image of Vladislav, they also pray for simple everyday needs. The earthly life of this person was not easy. It had ups and downs, temptations and miracles, successes and failures, recognition, popularity and oblivion. Through all the trials of the earth passed St. Vladislav Serbsky. How does he help people? In everything that he himself suffered. He is asked to be instructed before making important decisions, to avoid the temptations of being in power. Even before passing exams or before employment, they turn to him with prayers.
How is Vladislav Serbsky portrayed on the icons?
The most common are two versions of the artistic performance of the image of the Holy King of Serbia. In the first version, Vladislav appears before the faithful in full growth with a crown on his head. The second type of image is waist-length. On such icons, as a rule, the crown is absent.
In both cases, the image of Vladislav is prescribed in princely or royal attire. In the hands of the saint is usually an image of the monastery of Mileshev.
Do I need to have an icon of this saint in the house?
The icon of St. Vladislav, Prince of Serbia, is not represented in every church. Therefore, if you want to turn to him for help, of course, you need to find an image in church shops and acquire it. There is another reason to buy the image of the saint.
It is generally accepted that the icon of St. Vladislav Serbsky located in the house protects the family from conflicts, quarrels, scandals and abuse. That is, in the absence of mutual understanding between close people, it makes sense to pray to him and place his image in the home.
How to pray to Vladislav Serbsky?
An appeal to this saint is no different from requests addressed to others. This means that a prayer to St. Vladislav Serbsky can be said both in his own words and using ready-made texts.
If you want to pray, reading troparia or kondak, as they do in church service, it is important to understand what the text says and not to have difficulty in pronouncing it. During prayer, a person should not be distracted by anything. If the words are not clear or uncomfortable, then the mind will involuntarily begin to focus on the correct reading, and not on the prayer itself.
An example of the text of a prayer for peace in the family of this saint
Well-being at home, mutual respect between family members, kindness and understanding are what Vladislav Serbsky has traditionally asked for.
You can pray for peace in your own home like this:
“The Right Prince Vladislav, the saint of the Lord, omnipotent in his prayer! I appeal to you for a blessing for my home, relatives and friends. I beg you for the instruction and granting of wisdom, for filling our hearts with humility and meekness, for patience and respect, I ask you, Saint Vladislav! Help us to avoid the temptations of demons, do not let us fall into pride and survive the anger. Do not let the mind become clouded, but the heart become blacker. Do not let commit the acts of the unrighteous, save from anger and envy. Amen"