Russians went to the Czech Republic and are now going for anything - drink beer, get medical treatment healing springs; and before they fled to Prague to escape the atrocities of the Cheka; It happened more than once that Russians went there on a tank - to free their Slavic brothers from the Nazi plague, and then went there to defend the ideas of socialism that had begun to fade, equally alien to both Russians and Czechs... There were many reasons why Russians went there, but not pray! Our pilgrimage routes usually somehow bypass this ancient city.

Archimandrite Sylvester (Vailo), rector of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Assumption Mother of God that at the Olshansky cemetery in Prague: “ Even the police won’t let you in to see Saint Lyudmila. WITH the greatest work we achieved the right to serve at her relics on the days of her memory - on the evening of September 28, the cathedral akathist and on the 29th to perform the Liturgy. And on other days no one is allowed to see her. If there were Catholics there, it would still be possible to come to an agreement with them. But atheists are now in charge there. »

Saint Ludmila, Princess of Bohemia, the first Slavic holy martyr. Back in the ninth century, she turned this land to the True God - Christ!

Alexander Rimarchuk originally from Donetsk. Lives in Prague since 1998. He is thirty years old. For five years now he has been serving as a psalm-reader in the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in this ancient city. And before that, for a year and a half, he was a reader at the Assumption Church in Olshany. Every Sunday for seven whole years he reads an akathist to Saint Lyudmila at the relics of this saint. Everyone here is used to it - both Catholics and atheists. They let him in everywhere. All doors are open for him. This did not happen right away, but he begged for this right long years works And suddenly it dawns on me: after all, today is an everyday day, why did we meet?

If the Czech authorities gave permission to Orthodox people to visit the Church of St. George and pray at the relics of St. Lyudmila, many pilgrims from Russia and Ukraine would come here. But today there is no such permission. The relics of Saint Ludmila today belong to the Czech state. For some reason, people responsible for the preservation of historical and cultural monuments are not interested in allowing people to see the relics of St. Lyudmila. They believe that this will harm historical monuments, among which officials included the relics of the great Czech saint.

The enemy of the human race does not want to let people see Saint Lyudmila! And we need to pray a lot to overcome this resistance...

Several years ago, a major Czech official fell ill, on whose decision the passage of pilgrims to the shrine depends. And not even knowing what faith this man was, Alexander began to fervently pray for him at the relics of Saint Lyudmila. And this leader conveyed words of gratitude to the Russian guy from the hospital through other people. He conveyed that his prayers made him feel better, and after being healed, he ordered all museum workers to allow Alexander to see the relics at any time. Since then, Alexander has had no problems getting to the resting place of Saint Lyudmila.

Now on the shrine with the relics of St. Lyudmila there is an Orthodox lamp glowing. Alexander Rimarchuk spent a lot of work so that the Czech authorities would meet this humble request of his! He was neither refused nor allowed. Then he, having prayed, went ahead and lit the lamp - at his own peril and risk. The ministers did not prohibit this. Now, when he reads an akathist to this saint on Sundays, a lamp burns on her relics. And then, thanks to the efforts of Alexander, the icon of St. Lyudmila of Bohemia appeared here. Alexander bought this icon in the Moscow St. Daniel Monastery. Orthodox icon this one meets and sees off for now rare pilgrims From Russia.

The grandson of Saint Ludmila - the Holy Warrior-Martyr Vyacheslav - is the patron saint of the Czech land. Her commander. Just as Saint Olga converted her grandson Prince Vladimir to the faith, so in the Czech Republic, only a century earlier, Saint Lyudmila, having received enlightenment from the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius, raised her grandson Vyacheslav in the Christian faith. His martyrdom at the hands of his brother became an example for the first Russian saints - Boris and Gleb, who were well acquainted with his life. Here, in Prague, everyone loves Saint Vyacheslav - both Catholics and Orthodox Christians pray to him and seek his protection. Although the Czechs have joined the European Union, they have not yet abandoned their national currency, the crown. Apparently, they are being saved from this complete loss of national independence by the same holy saints of God who shone in this Slavic land. On the coin of 20 crowns, this particular saint is depicted - a formidable warrior sitting on a horse. In the city center, on Wenceslas Square, there is a large monument to this saint. Before him are Saint Lyudmila and Saint Procopius.

The relics of St. Vyacheslav of Bohemia rest in the cathedral catholic cathedral St. Vitus. His honest head (like the honest head of his grandmother, Saint Lyudmila) is separated from the relics and is stored in the same temple separately in a reliquary. Every week our Orthodox psalmist Alexander Rimarchuk comes to this Catholic church and reads an akathist to him near the relics of St. Vyacheslav. In the Czech Republic there is a legend that Saint Vyacheslav (Vaclav, as the Czechs call him) in last times will rise from the grave and become one of the great warriors - defenders of the Orthodox Russian Tsar.

We have almost forgotten about this holy youth; all that remains in our memory is the name of the disease - the dance of St. Vitus (it was from this disease that Grigory Rasputin healed his future murderer, Felix Yusupov). Saint Vitus lived in Sicily during the time of Emperor Diocletian. He died as a 12-year-old boy, but was known during his lifetime for the grace-filled power of healing those possessed by unclean spirits (hence the name of the disease). Saint Vyacheslav the Czech brought the hand of this saint to his homeland, the Czech Republic. So Saint Vitus became one of the patrons of the Czech lands. Ancient images of St. Vitus always featured an open Gospel and a rooster (usually sitting on the Gospel) - as a symbol of the Gospel gospel... Tourists here are charged money for viewing the shrines.

Alexander says with regret that the holy youth Vita has almost been forgotten in our homeland, but so many mentally ill people suffer and need the help of this great saint! It would be nice to decorate chapels and churches at houses of mourning - psychiatric hospitals - with icons of this saint! Serve him prayers, read an akathist...

The reliquary of St. Vitus Cathedral, where the heads of St. Lyudmila and St. Vyacheslav are located, also contains the Cross of Charles IV. This was the great European mystic monarch who tried to create a Second Rome in Prague. He understood that the mystical city needed to be built on some kind of strong foundation - and so that the whole undertaking did not collapse, one had to strengthen one’s idea, first of all, spiritually. And therefore he collected or redeemed the holy relics of God's saints from many countries. He collected many great Orthodox shrines. This Cross, about 70 centimeters in size, which is included in the coronation regalia of the Czech monarchs, contains a piece of sponge from the Passion of Christ, a piece of the Venerable Tree of the Cross of the Lord, a piece of the rope that was used to bind the hands of the Savior, and two thorns from the Crown of Thorns. Access to this the greatest shrine not at all: this cross belongs to both the Roman Catholics and the Czech state. Even for worship, this cross is brought out only on the most significant state events - with an interval of approximately twenty to thirty years .

This Cathedral of St. Vitus took under its arches in last days life of the famous Czech classic writer Karela Capek. He was known for his freethinking and atheism. But at the end earthly days asked to be locked alone in this majestic cathedral for the whole night. We don’t know what he prayed for there. But soon after this night prayer he died.

St. Vitus Cathedral is the main attraction of Prague - huge, Gothic, it is visible from everywhere and amazes with its grandeur. But upon closer examination, it is clear that the gutters on the cathedral are made in the form of mythical predators, some small hyenas or dragons, opening their mouths. Why they are here is unclear.

Exotic Hussites have long served in St. Nicholas Cathedral on Old Town Square. They have little left of the former Hussites, who fought with the Latins for a return to the lost truth of Orthodoxy. Now the Hussites are closer to Protestants than even to Catholics. They are supported by the state as its local, national faith.

And before the war there was a center in this temple Orthodox life in the city. The Orthodox served in turns with the Hussites. But this temple was built by decree and at the expense of the Russian Tsar. All that remains of the former is a gift from the Emperor Alexander III chandelier, shaped like a Russian Imperial crown. The Soviet government entered Prague together with our liberating army and took the church away from their own - Orthodox Russians, who emigrated from Russia in the twenties. Local authority gave the temple to the Hussites. Now the few Hussites, in order to somehow make ends meet, organize organ music concerts in this beautiful hall. And only the royal chandelier reminds of the past greatness of this once Orthodox church.

There is a memorial plaque with a bas-relief on the house - a reminder that during the war, Czech paratroopers hid in this building.

...It was necessary to remove Heydrich, the bloody Gauleiter of Prague. Now this would be called a terrorist act. Then it was assessed differently: there was a war going on! Several Czechs flew from England and landed in Prague. They blew up Heydrich in the city center in 1942. And they hid in the Orthodox Church. Why here? One can only guess about this. But the point, apparently, was to show whose side the Church was on in that war! They were hidden in the basement of the temple Orthodox priest. Only he, and perhaps even Archbishop Gorazd, knew about this secret. All exits from the city were blocked by the Nazis. And the hero paratroopers had to sit out in the basement. One evening one of them lit a cigarette at the window, and they noticed a light. They say that they were betrayed to the Gestapo by a Catholic priest from a neighboring church... The cathedral was taken by storm: no one surrendered alive... And then, on Hitler’s personal orders, repression fell on the Orthodox in the Czech Republic. Archbishop Gorazd was executed (he was canonized as a martyr). Now in the basement of the temple there is a memorial in memory of those bloody events. There are still bullet holes in the church wall... Not many churches have such a turbulent history. Not many of them were attacked by the forces of evil...

The benches in the middle of the church are amazing. The icons are slightly different, and so are the candles. Every word is clear, as if Cyril and Methodius left us a wonderful alphabet just yesterday. Russians, Bulgarians, Czechs, Slovaks... to these Slavic brothers - for all time!

December 29, 2012 at the Embassy Russian Federation was consecrated in Prague new temple in honor of the holy martyr Lyudmila, Princess of Bohemia. The rite of minor consecration was performed by the head of the Moscow Patriarchate Office for Foreign Institutions, Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk. Before the consecration of the temple, Natalya Sudlenkova, editor-in-chief of the Prague Telegraph, spoke with Archbishop Mark.

– For the Czech Republic, the opening of a new Russian church Orthodox Church– this is a major event. Can it be called a precedent from the point of view of all foreign activities of the Russian Orthodox Church?

– We open churches abroad quite often. Of course, these are not always our churches; we often enjoy the hospitality of other faiths. This is typical for those countries where it immediately appeared a large number of Orthodox. For example, we have fifty-two communities in Italy, but the vast majority of them do not have their own churches. Services are held in Catholic churches, where we are either allowed in of our own free will, simply for free, or some small rent is paid.

There are temples that we build abroad, but this is usually an exceptional phenomenon, or we acquire buildings where temples are set up. The creation of the Church of St. Ludmila of Bohemia in Prague is a unique event in its own way. The temple building is a secular building for civil purposes, an exhibition pavilion, which was used for purely secular purposes. By order of the President of the Russian Federation, it was transferred to the use of the Russian Orthodox Church for the creation of a temple, which, in essence, is an embassy one.

– In fact, the transfer of premises belonging to to the Russian state, the Russian Orthodox Church is a precedent. How can this be explained? Why didn't this happen earlier?

– This decision of the Russian leadership speaks of many positive trends. The Russian state now understands that the healthiest forces of its compatriots, those who are committed to positive activities, unite around churches. For them, the temple is not only a place of worship, but also, in general, a center of communication and unification of the Russian diaspora. We are grateful for this building, although it must be said that it was in a deplorable state and a lot had to be done capital investments, people donated money to create this temple, and the renovation is far from finished.

When I entered the temple today, I did not recognize the room. Now this is truly a real temple, and it is surprising that the building turned out to be oriented to the east, that is, nothing had to be completely altered to create the altar. The circle is a symbol of eternity, therefore the very shape of this structure already predisposes the temple to be located in this room without any damage from the point of view of the canons.

– However, isn’t there an internal contradiction in the fact that a building that is secular in its essence will serve church purposes, because a temple is not just walls or correct location altar, but also something much more?

– I don’t see any contradiction. If we recall the history of Christianity, temples were also created in places that served as places of pagan cults. For example, Athenian Acropolis, and many other temples in both Greece and Rome were pagan, and then were consecrated, i.e. where sacrifices were made to idols, the name of the One God began to be glorified. It is no coincidence that the Gospel says that the sun passes through not only clean, good and favorable places, but also bad places, but it is not desecrated. Everything is sanctified and blessed by prayer.

– How many believers, according to your estimates, will the new temple be able to accommodate?

– The Church of St. Ludmila of Bohemia will become the largest Orthodox church in Prague, and this is logical, because the Russian community in Prague is very, very significant. More than a thousand people can be accommodated here for holiday services. The community that previously visited the Church of St. George the Victorious at the Russian Embassy in Czech Republic, but it was not very convenient there, because there is a permit regime on the embassy territory, and the temple itself is small. It could hardly accommodate 100 people, but on Easter, for example, up to one and a half thousand believers come to worship. We have been waiting for the opening of the new temple for eight years.

In addition, we will be able to actively use this temple for parishioners of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, for local residents, Prague resident Here you can hold festive services with the participation of the Czech clergy and believers of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

– Doesn’t the creation of a new church of the Russian Orthodox Church on the territory of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia contradict the unwritten rules of relations between sister Churches, within which it is not customary to open churches of one Church on the canonical territory of another?

– We have a tradition of opening metochions - in Moscow there is a metochion of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and in Karlovy Vary there is a metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church. Compounds can be created exclusively on a mutual basis. The Church of St. Ludmila of Bohemia has the status of an embassy church; it does not completely fall under the general jurisdictional canonical framework; in a sense, it is both territorially and canonically extraterritorial. We held the necessary negotiations with the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and the very idea of ​​arranging the temple was positively received by the Czech clergy. The creation of the temple will serve the cause of the Christian mission, and both Churches will benefit – the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

- In many European countries There is a tendency towards a decline in the interest of residents of these states in religion. To the point that communities and municipalities sell churches or rent them out for events or concerts. At the same time, the opposite trend is obvious in Orthodoxy - the opening of new churches. What is this connected with?

– Firstly, with a large influx of people abroad. But I would not say that everything is going smoothly for us; we also have parishes where the number of people in the communities has decreased.

For example, we have a parish in Iran, there are now few parishioners there, and the number of parishioners is declining in African countries, for example, in Morocco. In Canada in rural areas, where previously there were many people who lived on farms and attended temples, now worship is performed in turns in different temples, as many people leave farms and move to cities.

In general, the processes of globalization and urbanization have an impact on Orthodox churches, but, thank God, that after all, in Russia and in other countries of the Russian world, and abroad we do not yet have such a problem as the need to use Orthodox churches for other purposes and, thank God, we do not sell them.

– Is it possible to say that Catholicism and Orthodoxy have common external threats, in the face of which these confessions could unite?

– Of course, there are such threats. Firstly, I would call Christianophobia such a threat. We see in some cases that Christians are persecuted various reasons, and this aggression comes both from representatives of other religions and from militant secularism. But, on the other hand, this is generally a problem of departure from Christian values, which we see in different countries on a variety of examples.

Several years ago, representatives of the European Union refused to mention Christianity in the preamble of the European Constitution; in various traditionally Christian countries, for example, in France, the issue of allowing marriage for same-sex couples is being discussed. Denmark recently passed a law according to which weddings must take place in churches of the state Lutheran Church. same-sex marriage. Actually we're talking about about the direct pressure of the secular system on the church, gross interference in people’s lives and violation of Christian values.

– How serious is the threat from quasi-Christian confessions, for example, neo-Protestants and various sectarian organizations?

– This is also a problem that interferes and threatens Christendom. And unfortunately there are more a common problem: People are now accustomed to surrogates. See how many people drink straight natural water? Many people prefer Pepsi-Cola or Fanta, etc. People are losing their taste healthy food and the right drinks, the same thing happens with regard to faith. Many people use surrogates, because in our age this is how it works: whoever is more active manages to seize the initiative, and, unfortunately, people are often seduced by some false promises. But very often people go there, then return, realizing that there is nothing there but emptiness.

Natalya SUDLENKOVA

SANCTUARY OF THE TEMPLE OF ST. NICHOLAS IN KOTELNIKI

Particles of the relics of the holy martyrs Princess Lyudmilaand Prince Vyacheslav of Czech

The great patron saints of the Czech lands, the holy martyr Lyudmila and the holy prince Vyacheslav of Bohemia, were venerated in Rus' already in the 10th century. Nowadays, the fame and veneration of the great prayer book Princess Lyudmila and her grandson Prince Vyacheslav is growing.

Our temple stores the only ones in Moscow particles of the holy relics of the holy martyrs Lyudmila and Vyacheslav of Czech. They were brought to Moscow by His Beatitude Metropolitan Dorotheos in 1999 and were donated to the Russian Orthodox Church by the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia. By decision His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', the holy relics were left in the Church of St. Nicholas in Kotelniki for the prayerful veneration of believers.

Saint Lyudmila is revered as a quick-to-hear, which means that she quickly responds to prayers to her. Often parishioners tell how prayer to Saint Lyudmila helped them cope with problems in life.

Recently, a reliquary with a holy particle of the holy martyr Lyudmila was installed in the temple for permanent access of believers. currently time is running fundraising for the second reliquary, where the relics of St. Vyacheslav, Prince of Bohemia, and other saints will be kept

Akathists Saints Lyudmila and Vyacheslav of Czech are read on Wednesdays in our church according to.

Memorial Days:

The Day of Remembrance of the Holy Martyr, Blessed Princess Lyudmila of Czechoslovakia is celebrated by the Church on September 16/29.

The memory of the holy martyr Vyacheslav is celebrated by the Church on March 4/17 and September 28/October 11.

A piece of the holy relics of St. Nicholas, Archbishop Myra of Lycia

Gift to the Temple of His Eminence Archbishop George of Michalovsko-Kosice.

There is probably not a single Orthodox believer who does not know about the miracles performed by St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Amazing words about the help of the great saint were spoken by Archpriest Alexy Uminsky during the Patronal Feast in our Temple: “ It is Saint Nicholas that we call “quick to hear.” And, indeed, there is probably no saint as close and quick to help as Nicholas the Wonderworker. As soon as the heart begins to truly deeply cry out to him, St. Nicholas is next to us. He hears very well, he is very sensitive to us. His heart is open to us. Every moment of his life was such that he listened to human grief, listened to human misfortune.»

In the fall of 2015, one of the most revered icons of our church, the icon of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonderworker, received a new vestment to the joy of all believers. For the icon, dating back to the 18th century, a precious frame was created with gold crowns, which the jewelers made from gifts donated to the icon by our parishioners (gold crosses, rings, chains). The frame is decorated with gems.

The image is decorated with a tsata - a special silver pendant in which the holy piece of the relics of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, Wonderworker. Every believer can venerate the holy relics at any time.

Akathists to St. Nicholas is read every Thursday according to.

Memorial Days:

July 29 (August 11) - Nativity of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia.

Icon of the Mother of God Feodorovskaya

An amazing story is connected with the icon of the Mother of God of Feodorovskaya. Today, this is the only holy image that was in the Temple before the 1917 revolution and has survived to this day.It was preserved with God’s help by the daughter of the last rector of the temple before its closure, Irina Nikolaevna Chertkova. Her father, Archpriest Nikolai Feoktistovich Chertkov, served in St. Nicholas Church for more than 30 years. It is known that the priest went to the Lord on the night when the security officers were supposed to arrest him.

Risking their lives and freedom during the times of iconoclasm, the priest’s family preserved the holy image of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God until the 90s of the 20th century. When the Church of St. Nicholas in Kotelniki began to be revived, Irina Nikolaevna transferred the icon back to the temple.

Days of HonoraboutTimes of the Virgin Mary "Feodorovskaya":

Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan

Many parishioners, upon entering the temple, first of all go to bow before a small icon with a face darkened by time. This is the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan. It was once discovered at the site of a burnt house. According to eyewitnesses, after the fire not a single object remained intact, and only the holy image lay untouched. The icon was transferred to our church, and it is one of the revered shrines.

Days of veneration:

October 22 / November 4 – celebration in honor of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God

Icon with a particle of the holy relics of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara

Icon of the Great Martyr Barbara with a particle of holy relics

On March 8, 2015, the icon of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara with a particle of the saint’s relics was in our Temple. The Lord gave the Great Martyr Barbara a special gift - prayers and intercessions for a person’s last communion. In her dying prayer, the Holy Great Martyr Barbara asked the Lord to deliver everyone who resorted to her help from unexpected troubles, from sudden death without repentance and would pour out His grace on them.

Day of veneration:

Icon with particles of the relics of the holy prince

Icon of the Holy Blessed Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom Wonderworkers, kept in our Temple

Particles of the holy relics of the holy faithful Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom Wonderworkers were donated to the Temple by His Beatitude Metropolitan Christopher.

The life of the holy faithful Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia is an example of love and fidelity, patience and wisdom; an example of the life that is available only to people who are pure in heart and humble in God. The icon with a particle of the holy faithful Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom Wonderworkers is kept in our church.

Celebration:

Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom Wonderworkers

Icon with a particle of holy relics light. Nectarios of Aegina

Saint icon Nectarios of Aegina with a particle of St. relics of the saint

Our church is one of the few in Moscow that houses an icon with a particle of holy relics Saint Nektarios of Aegina. The icon was donated to the Church of St. Nicholas in Kotelniki by Archbishop George of Michalovsko-Koshice.

Saint Nektarios is one of the most revered (modern) Greek saints. He reposed in the Lord in 1920 and was canonized in 1961 in Greece. He is revered everywhere as a renowned miracle worker, as an ambulance in troubles and illnesses. Through the prayers of Saint Nektarios, countless miracles of healing were performed. In Greece there is even a saying: “Nothing is incurable for Saint Nektarios.”

Our Temple also contains icons with particles of holy relics Great Martyr George the Victorious, Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon.

On December 29, 2012, a new church of the Russian Orthodox Church was consecrated in Prague. The new temple is named in honor of the holy martyr, blessed princess Lyudmila of Czechia. The rite of small consecration of the temple was performed by Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Office for Foreign Institutions.

The service in honor of the consecration of the new church was attended by His Beatitude Christopher, Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Chechen Republic Sergei Kiselyov, Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the Chechen Republic Alexander Turov, and representatives of the Orthodox community.

The new temple is located in the premises of the former exhibition complex of the trade mission, owned by the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, and was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church for use.

“The consecration of the Church of the Holy Martyr Lyudmila of Bohemia was a unique event. This was originally a secular civil premises, which was used for purely secular purposes. By order of the President of Russia, this premises was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church so that an embassy church could be created here,” said Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk. He also noted that the temple is actually extraterritorial, but at the same time, it is not subject to the restrictions that are inherent in security institutions - embassies, trade missions, and so on.

Metropolitan Christopher of the Czech Lands and Slovakia emphasized that the new church will serve all Orthodox believers, regardless of which church they belong to.

Before the consecration of the Church of the Holy Martyr Lyudmila of Czechia, the embassy church was the Church of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious, located on the territory of the Russian Embassy in the Chechen Republic, which was consecrated on May 6, 1999. “This temple, however, is very small in size, moreover, it is located on restricted territory of the Russian Embassy in the Czech Republic, which means certain inconveniences both for the embassy itself and for believers. On holidays to the temple of the saint

Several hundred people come to St. George the Victorious, and they, of course, cannot all pray in the church at the same time, since the size of the room simply does not allow this,” said the rector of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Czech Republic, Archpriest Nikolai (Lishchenyuk).

The new church of St. Ludmila of Bohemia can accommodate up to a thousand people. The temple will be open daily, a Sunday school will operate at the temple, and it is also planned to create a spiritual center.

“The opening of the Church of St. Ludmila of Bohemia in Prague is a precedent. The state already understands that the healthiest forces of compatriots abroad unite around churches. Those who are committed to positive activities are united by the Temple in in a broad sense of this word - not only as a place for worship, but also as a place for communication of the Russian diaspora. Therefore, the creation of a new temple in Prague is, let’s say, a joint project The Russian Orthodox Church and the state,” said Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk.

In order to adapt the premises of the exhibition complex into a temple, repair work had to be carried out. “So far, only the first stage has been completed, the most necessary things have been done so that people can already pray in the temple. We have to big job By major renovation premises, building a dome and solving other problems. All repair work is being carried out at the expense of donations; we have not raised a penny of government funds,” noted Archpriest Nikolai (Lishchenyuk).

The holy martyr Ludmila of Bohemia, according to modern historiography, was the daughter of the Serbian prince Slavibor. In 874 she was married to the Czech prince Borzhivoj. Having been baptized together, the pious spouses contributed to the spread of Orthodoxy: they built churches in their principality and installed priests at them. During the reign of Borzhivoj and Lyudmila, a second Christian church was built in the Czech Republic in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The grandson of Lyudmila and Borzhivoy, Vyacheslav (Vaclav), was raised by his grandmother in the Christian spirit. However, his mother, the pagan Dragomira, who became an instrument in the hands of powerful Inrigan nobles who feared the spread of Christianity in the Czech Republic, ordered Lyudmila to be killed.

On the night of September 15-16, 921, two murderers broke into a house in the town of Tetin, where a retired woman lived. worldly life Lyudmila, they strangled the blessed old woman. Her body was buried without a church funeral under the city wall of Tetina.

The Lord glorified the burial place of his saint with many miracles: every night burning candles appeared over that place. One blind man received his sight when he touched the soil from the grave of Saint Lyudmila.

Vyacheslav ordered the relics of Lyudmila to be transferred to Prague. Officially, her holiness was recognized in 1143-1144.

On the icons Saint Lyudmila is depicted in long dress, her head is covered with a howl, sometimes with a princely cap. Her main attribute is a bow descending onto her neck; on some icons there is a rope - symbols of her torture.

Saint Ludmila, the first Czech saint and martyr, became the patroness of the Czech Republic, as well as the patroness of grandmothers, mothers and Christian educators and teachers.

The Day of Remembrance of the Holy Martyr, Blessed Princess Lyudmila of Czechoslovakia is celebrated by the Church on September 16/29.