It is not exaggerated that St. Andrew the First-Called is one of the most revered saints in Russia, since he was the first preacher in those places where our country appeared centuries later. The article will discuss his life, icons, as well as the famous order and foundation, named after the apostle.
Hagiography of St. Andrew the First-Called
Before talking about modern phenomena associated with the name of the apostle, it is necessary to talk about his life. Scripture does not provide much information about him, but is no longer needed. He came from Galilee, and since the inhabitants of that territory converged well with the Greeks, lived with them in peace, and bore the ancient Greek names themselves, the name of the apostle comes from that country and means “possessing courage” in translation.
The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the very first to follow his teacher Christ, for which he subsequently received his middle name. Initially, he, along with John, with whom they lived in the same city, heard the sermons of John the Baptist, believing him to be the much anticipated Messiah. However, John refuted these assumptions, leading the two disciples to the true Messiah, Christ. So they became his disciples, and on the same evening Andrei spoke about the Master to his cousin named Peter, and he also followed Jesus.
But from the Holy Scriptures, we know that before finally going to the Lord, all the apostles had to return to their homes and do their usual activities - in the case of the brothers Andrei and Peter it was fishing. But after some time, Christ passed by the reservoir where they caught fish, and called them with him, promising to make them "fishers of men." So they began to follow their Master inextricably.
Saint Andrew the First-Called was with the Lord along his short journey, and after his Resurrection from the dead he met with Jesus and was also present at his Ascension.
Andrew the First-Called and Russian lands
Soon after the Spirit descended, the followers of Christ threw lots to decide which land each of them would go to preach. The territory of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called fell on the shores of the Black Sea, the north of the Balkans and Scythian lands. It was here that several centuries later Kievan Rus was founded. According to legend, the apostle Andrew even reached the place where Kiev would later arise, and predicted that there would be one of the greatest cities, illuminated by God's grace, with an abundance of beautiful temples. After he consecrated the nearby mountains and erected on one cross, thus anticipating the acceptance of true faith by future residents of these lands.
After his journey, the apostle returned to Greece, to a city called Patros. Here he was engaged in the healing of many locals from various ailments, which restored the ruler of the city of Egeat against himself, who ordered the saint to be crucified on the cross. However, Andrew the First-Called was not at all afraid of the verdict and delivered a sermon, speaking in it about the spiritual meaning of the sufferings of Christ on the cross.
Until his death after the crucifixion (it happened around 62 AD), the apostle Andrew was constantly in prayer, calling to the Lord. When his soul was separated from the body, the cross on which he stood illuminated the white heavenly light. On the site of his crucifixion, the largest Christian church in Greece was later erected, the shrine is still stored in it - the embalmed head of the apostle, miraculously preserved during the fall of Constantinople. The remaining relics of the saint are located in other temples of the world.
Memorial Day of St. Andrew the First-Called is celebrated on the thirtieth of November.
The value of the apostle for the Russian Church
It is well known that the Russian Church adopted the faith from Byzantium, which, in turn, is the successor of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, photo of the icons of which you can see in the article. Thus, the Orthodox Church is the direct heiress of the apostle, therefore he is especially revered by her. The icon of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called is considered miraculous, and lists from it are common in many churches. In addition, in almost every Russian city you can find a revered temple, built in honor of this apostle.
Badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called
Among the symbols of respect shown to him, for a start it is worth recalling the order created in his honor. He appeared in 1648 by order of Peter I, since the apostle Andrew, in particular, is considered the patron saint of all the rulers of Russian lands since the Christian faith was strengthened in Russia. This order is the very first in time of occurrence.
It looks like this: it depicts the cross of St. Andrew the First-Called (which we will talk about later) on the background of a blackened two-headed eagle, a well-known symbol of the Russian Empire and the modern Russian Federation. On the cross itself is an image of the crucified apostle, and at its ends are the gilded initials of the words Sanctus Andreas Patronus Russiae, which means "St. Andrew - the patron saint of Russia." Also on the other part of the award was a ribbon with the phrase "For Faith and Loyalty." This award was located on a light blue wide ribbon of moire, which is worn at the hip, in no case over the left shoulder.
Another variant of the order
Another sign of the order was a small silver star with eight rays. In its center is a medallion depicting a cross and an apostle crucified on it, and around it is an inscription with the above phrase. After 1800, the double-headed eagle began to serve as the basis for the cross, as in the main order. She was worn on the left side of the chest, on top of all other possible awards.
In especially significant situations, the elements of the order were on a gilded chain. By the way, the order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called is the only one for which they began to use the chain.
This order was dynastic for the whole Romanov dynasty - this means that every boy in the royal family became a holder of the order shortly after birth. Largely because of the color of the tape, blue has become a shade, considered the most boyish.
In total, 1050 people became cavaliers. The award was renewed in Russia at the end of the twentieth century.
Cross of the Apostle Andrew
This saint is revered as the patron saint of the country not only in Russia, but also in a number of other places - in Ukraine, Greece, Scotland, Romania and several other countries. In addition, he patronizes fishermen and sailors.
Therefore, the St. Andrew cross, which we mentioned, is present in the symbols of different states. It looks like a slanting cross and symbolizes the crucifixion of the Apostle Andrew.
Flags and other state symbols
The national flag of Scotland, for example, looks like a white St. Andrew’s cross on a blue background, and the so-called St. Patrick’s flag is red on white. The emblem of the Russian Navy is also indicated by this symbol on a white background (by the way, the author of the draft flag is Emperor Peter I himself). In principle, this cross is widespread precisely as a symbol of naval divisions of various countries.
Interestingly, it was also placed at one time on the stripes and flag of the army of the Confederation of the Southern States of America.
Apostle Foundation
In Russia, there is a fund of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, whose headquarters has been located in Moscow since the very beginning of its existence. This public organization was founded in 1992 and is engaged in the promotion of spiritual values in Russian society. According to information on the official website, the fund’s activities are aimed, in particular, at creating the most positive image of organizations representing traditional values for Russia - the state, troops and churches.
One of the foundation’s leading and main activities is Christian shrines, which are transferred to the territory of the Russian Federation - for example, figures from this organization transport the Holy Fire from Jerusalem. Several years ago, with their assistance, the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary was transported through the cities of Russia.
The chairman of the fund is currently Boris Yakunin.