Twelve Greek Masters

The twelve Greek masters are Orthodox saints revered in the face of the reverend , whose relics are in the Near (Anthony) caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra . They are considered Greek masters, who, according to the Kiev Pechersky Patericon , at the wonderful call of the Virgin came from Constantinople to build and decorate the Assumption Church of the monastery . The memory of these saints takes place (according to the Julian calendar ) on February 14 and September 28 ( Cathedral of the Reverend Fathers of the Kiev Caves Near Caves ).

Twelve Greek Masters
Masters receive from the Virgin Mary her icon for the future church
Is revered	in the Russian church
In the face	reverend
Main shrine	relics in the Near (Antoniev) caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra
Day of Remembrance	February 14 and September 28 ( Julian calendar )
Asceticism	construction of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra

Paterik informs about two arrivals of masters in Kiev . The first four masters came before the laying of the Assumption Church began (that is, before 1073 ). Having come to the Monk Anthony and Theodosius , they asked where they want to build a church, and having heard the answer that the place has not yet been determined, they were indignant, saying, “ You gave us so much gold, but you don’t know where to build the church .” The monks, having gathered the whole monastic brethren, began to question the Greeks and heard from them the following:

Once, while we were still sleeping in our houses, early at sunrise, noble cohorts came to each of us, saying: "The Queen calls you to Vlacherna ." When we went, taking our friends and our neighbors with us, we all came at the same time and reasoned that each of us heard the same command from the Tsarina and that we had the same messengers. And so we saw the Queen and many warriors with her, we bowed to Her, and She told us: " I want to build a church for myself in Russia, in Kiev, I command it to you, take gold for yourself for three years ." We bowed and said: “ O Madame Queen! You send us to a foreign country - to whom will we come there? "She said:" I am sending them, to Anthony and Theodosius . " We said: “ Why, Madam, do you give us gold for three years? Order them for us, so that we need what we need for food, and give us what you want . ” The queen said: “ This Anthony, only having blessed, will depart from this world for eternal rest, and this Theodosius two years after it will depart to the Lord. You take abundant gold, and as far as honoring you, no one can do it like me: I will give you that the ear has not heard and that the person has not entered the heart. I myself will come to see the church and I will live in it . "

Then the Tsarina gave them the relics of the martyrs Artemy and Polievkt, Leonty, Akaky, Arefa, Jacob, Theodore, in order to lay the foundation of the church, showed the image of the future church in heaven, and when asked what to call it, she said, “ Bogoroditsyna will be the church .” She also gave them an icon , indicating that they should be placed in the church.

The second group of icon painters came to Abbot Nikon ten years after the death of Anthony and Theodosius, but said that they had received payment from them for painting a small church, and Uspenskaya was too large, and they wanted to give the gold and leave. Nikon told them that the reverends had already passed away, showed the Greeks their images, and they recognized them as the customers of the mural with which they bargained. Masters said that the image of the church repeatedly appeared to him on the way from Constantinople. Seeing its size, they wanted to turn back, but the storm stopped them, and then they heard a voice coming from the local icon that appeared to them:

People, why rush in vain, not submitting to the will of My Son and My; if you do not obey Me and want to run away, I will take all of you and put you right in the boat in My church. And then know that you will not leave from there, but, having cut your hair at My monastery, they will die there, and I will grant you mercy in the next century for the builders of this church, Anthony and Theodosius.

Paterik reports that all the masters took the tonsure , remained in the monastery, and after death were “ laid in their narthex ; their retinues and now lie in the dark, and their Greek books are kept in memory of such a miracle . "