Teacher of orthodoxy/ and enlightener of all Russia,/ pious Grand Duke Vladimir,/ you enlightened everyone with holy Baptism/ and you adorned many glorious churches,/ oh to the wise Vladimir, // pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.
Having resembled the great Apostle Paul in his gray hairs, the all-glorious Vladimir, / like a child, I left all care for idols, / like a perfect man was adorned with the Divine Baptism with scarlet./ And now the Savior Christ stands in joy, // pray that the ruler of the Russian powers and the multitude of those who rule will be saved.
Oh, great saint of God, God-chosen and God-glorified, equal to the apostles Prince Vladimir! You, having rejected pagan evil and wickedness, have believed in the One True Trinitarian God, and we will receive Holy Baptism, the entire Russian country with the light of Divine faith and piety you enlightened. Moreover, we glorify and thank our most merciful Creator and Savior, we glorify and thank you, our Enlightener and Father, for by you we know the saving faith of Christ and in the name of the Most Holy and the Most Divine Trinity we are baptized. Thus, by faith we have been delivered from the righteous condemnation of God, and we have been freed from eternal work to the devil and the torment of hell; With this faith, the grace of sonship to God and the hope of inheriting Heavenly bliss. Moreover, we glorify you, as the first language of our guide to the Chief and Perfecter of salvation, our Lord Jesus Christ, and your representative before the Throne of the King of Kings for the Kingdom of All Russia knowledge, about his kings, the rulers of the people, the army and about all the people. Our language will not be able to depict the greatness and height of the blessings that you poured out on our earth, our fathers and forefathers and on us unworthy. O blessed Father and our Enlightener! Look at our weaknesses and beg the most merciful King of Heaven, may he not be so angry with us, as through our weaknesses we sin all day long, and may he not destroy us with our iniquities, but may he have mercy and save us by His mercy, may He plant repentance and the saving fear of God in our hearts, may He enlighten our minds with His grace, so that He may leave us the paths of wickedness and turn unswervingly to the path of salvation and keep the commandments of God and the statutes of the Holy Church. Pray, kindly, to the Lover of Mankind, God, that He may show us His great mercy: may He deliver us from the invasion of foreigners, from riots and strife, from famine, deadly diseases and from all evil; may he give us the blessing of the air and the fruitfulness of the earth; May he preserve righteousness and mercy in judges and rulers; may he give the shepherds zeal for the salvation of his flock, may he give mutual love and like-mindedness to all people, may he give constant care for the success of the fatherland and the Holy Church, may he multiply the light of saving faith in the country Let us convert our unbelievers to orthodoxy, and overthrow heresies and schisms, so that all of us, who have lived in peace on earth, may be made worthy of eternal bliss with you, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.
О, вели́кий и пресла́вный уго́дниче Бо́жий, богоизбра́нный и богопросла́вленный, равноапо́стольный кня́же Влади́мире, свято́е и великоде́йственное ору́дие всеблага́го Про́мысла о спасе́нии наро́да Росси́йскаго! Ты отри́нул еси́ злове́рие и нече́стие язы́ческое, уве́ровал еси́ во Еди́наго И́стиннаго Триипоста́снаго Бо́га и, восприя́в свято́е Креще́ние, просвети́л еси́ све́том Боже́ственныя ве́ры и благоче́стия страну́ Росси́йскую. Сла́вяще у́бо и благодаря́ще Премилосе́рдаго Творца́ и Спаси́теля на́шего, сла́вим и благодари́м и тя, вели́кий па́стырю и о́тче наш, я́ко тобо́ю позна́хом спаси́тельную ве́ру Христо́ву и крести́хомся во Имя Пресвяты́я и Пребоже́ственныя Тро́ицы, то́юже ве́рою изба́вихомся от пра́веднаго осужде́ния Бо́жия, ве́чнаго ра́бства диа́воля и а́дова мучи́тельства, то́ю ве́рою восприя́хом благода́ть всыновле́ния Бо́гу и наде́жду насле́дования Небе́снаго блаже́нства. Ты еси́ перве́йший наш вождь к Нача́льнику и Соверши́телю на́шего ве́чнаго спасе́ния, Го́споду Иису́су Христу́, ты еси́ ближа́йший предстоя́тель пред Престо́лом Царя́ ца́рствующих и те́плый моли́твенник и хода́тай о стране́ на́шей и о всех лю́дех, ты еси́ перве́йший вино́вник благослове́ний и ми́лостей Бо́жиих, почива́ющих на нас. И что еще́ рече́м? Не мо́жет язы́к наш изобрази́ти вели́чие и высоту́ благодея́ний твои́х, излия́нных на нас, недосто́йных. Но, о неразу́мия и ослепле́ния на́шего! Прие́мше толи́кая благодея́ния, ни во что же вмени́хом я́ и отщети́хомся спаси́тельных плодо́в их. Омы́вшеся бо от греха́ в купе́ли Креще́ния и обле́кшеся в оде́жду чистоты́ и неви́нности, оскверни́хом сию́ богода́нную оде́жду сту́дными дея́нии и помышле́нии на́шими. Отре́кшеся сатаны́ и а́нгелов его́, па́ки порабоща́емся ему́, служа́ще и́долом страсте́й на́ших, ми́ру, пло́ти и злым обы́чаем ве́ка. Сочета́вшеся Христу́, вы́ну оскорбля́ем Его́ беззако́нии на́шими, многообра́зными я́звами го́рдости, за́висти, зло́бы, злосло́вия, невоздержа́ния и презо́рства ко Святе́й Це́ркви. Прилепи́хомся всеце́ло к су́етным бла́гом, а́ки мня́ще во ве́ки пребыва́ти на земли́, не помышля́ем о Не́бе, о души́, о сме́рти, о Суде́, о несконча́емей ве́чности. Сего́ ра́ди воздвиза́ем на ся пра́ведный гнев и осужде́ние Бо́жие, ку́пно же оскорбля́ем и преогорчева́ем твою́ о́тчую любо́вь и попече́ние о нас, ты бо просвети́л еси́ нас святы́м Креще́нием, во е́же спосо́бствовати нам к получе́нию Небе́снаго блаже́нства и земна́го благоде́нствия, мы же, неразу́мнии, злым произволе́нием на́шим са́ми себе́ подверга́ем а́довым му́кам и вре́менным бе́дствиим! Но, о всеблаги́й о́тче и просвети́телю наш, ми́лостив бу́ди к на́шим не́мощем, долготерпели́в ко грехо́м и непра́вдам на́шим, умоли́ Премилосе́рдаго Царя́ Небе́снаго, да не прогне́вается на ны зело́ и не погуби́т нас со беззако́ньми на́шими, но да поми́лует и спасе́т нас, и́миже весть судьба́ми. Да всади́т в сердца́ на́ша спаси́тельный страх Свой, да просвети́т Свое́ю благода́тию ум наш, во е́же узре́ти нам бе́здну поги́бели, в ню́же стреми́мся, оста́вити стези́ нече́стия и заблужде́ний, обрати́тися же на путь спасе́ния и и́стины, неукло́нно исполня́ти за́поведи Бо́жии и уста́вы Святы́я Це́ркве. Моли́, благосе́рде, Человеколю́бца Бо́га, да яви́т нам вели́кую ми́лость Свою́, да изба́вит нас от наше́ствия иноплеме́нников, от вну́тренних нестрое́ний, мяте́жей и раздо́ров, от гла́да, смертоно́сных боле́зней и от вся́каго зла, да пода́ст нам благорастворе́ние возду́ха и плодоно́сие земли́, да сохрани́т в су́дящих и нача́льствующих пра́вду и ми́лость, да даст духо́вным па́стырем непоро́чность жития́ и ре́вность о спасе́нии пасо́мых, всем же лю́дем усе́рдие в исполне́нии свои́х обя́занностей, взаи́мную любо́вь и единомы́слие, стремле́ние ко бла́гу оте́чества и Святы́я Це́ркве. Да распространи́т свет спаси́тельныя ве́ры в стране́ на́шей, во всех конце́х ея́, да обрати́т к правове́рию неве́рующих, да упраздни́т вся е́реси и раско́лы, да, та́ко пожи́вше в ми́ре на земли́, сподо́бимся с тобо́ю ве́чнаго блаже́нства, хва́ляще и превознося́ще Бо́га во ве́ки веко́в. Ами́нь.
How shall we praise you, most courageous among earthly rulers, Vladimir? How shall we give thanks to you, since by your knowledge of the Lord and the flattery of idols is abundant, since by your command Christ is glorified throughout the whole earth? How did you believe? How did you seek Christ? Tell us, your servants, where can I smell the stench of the Holy Spirit from? You have not seen Christ, nor walked on Him, how will you become His disciple? You have not seen the apostle come to your land, you have not seen driving out demons in the Name of Christ, healing the sick, raising the dead. Wonderful miracle! And you, the king and ruler, seeing all this, being from the saints, a man who did not believe, but rather betrayed them to passion and torment, but you, O blessed one, without seeing or hearing all of these, came to you Christ, understanding that One is the Creator of invisible and visible, heavenly and earthly, and as He sent into the world, for our salvation, His beloved Son. And having thought this, you entered the holy font.
And now, a thousand years have passed since the Baptism of Russia, look upon your land and see your children. See your people, how they live, how they preserve the essence of the Lord, how they keep their faith according to your tradition, how they glorify Christ, how they worship His Name. See and cities, shining with majesty, see churches blooming, see Christianity growing, see and your city Kiev, such saints of God, resting in incorruption, shining, and incense We are fragrant, and we announce the praises and divine songs of the saints. And having seen all this, rejoice and be glad and praise the Good God, the Builder of all.
Seeing that your faithful sowing through your intercession and intercession was not dried up by the heat of unbelief, but by the rain of God’s haste it was disposed to become abundantly fruitful, rejoice in the spirit in the rulers Apostle, he did not raise the dead body, but raised us up in soul! Rejoice, our comforter and teacher of good faith! You are, O honorable head, a garment for the naked, a feeder for the greedy, refreshment for the womb, a helper for widows, a resting place for the strange, a protector for the offended, an enrichment for the poor.
Having received retribution from this good deed in Heaven and seeing the sweet face of God, do not stop praying for your land and for your children, in whom the dominion is trustworthy, may it be glorified in our land I will take away orthodoxy and may the Lord not forsake us, even as we continue to wander, so many centuries have passed, and even as we continue to sin against our Lord and Master, like the new purchase of a slave, in everything displeasing to his master. We raise our hands to you and pray to you: pray to the Lord of all, may he extend, until the end of the world, His mercy on our fatherland and His people, driving away the military, peace establishing, satisfying the famine, scattering cities, restoring His Church, preserving His inheritance, saving husbands and wives and babies, and bearing His grace in the unity of faith together we cheerfully and joyfully glorify our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit, the Indivisible Monotheistic Trinity, reigning in Heaven and on earth, now, and forever and ever. Amen.
Oh, great saint of God, equal to the apostles to Prince Vladimir! Look at our weaknesses and beg the Most Merciful King of Heaven, may he not be so angry with us and may he not destroy us with our iniquities, but may he have mercy and save us in His mercy, may he put us in our hearts are repentance and the saving fear of God, so that our minds may be enlightened by His grace, so that we may leave the paths of wickedness and turn to the path of salvation, and unswervingly follow God’s commandments and statutes Observe the Holy Church. Pray, kindly, to the Lover of Mankind, may He show us His great mercy: may He deliver us from deadly diseases and from all evil, may He preserve and save the servants of God (names) from all snares and slander of the enemy, and may we all become worthy of eternal bliss with you, praising and exalting God forever and ever. Amen.
Oh, great Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir! I pray, Thy servant (name), seek mercy from God and our Savior Jesus Christ, that through your prayers I may grant (the content of the petition) and forgiveness of all my sins. Amen.
Memorial Day July 15/28
St. Vladimir, who baptized Rus', is a prayer book for the Russian state, for the Orthodox people. Almost blind, he regained his sight after receiving Holy Baptism. They pray to St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir for the salvation of Russia, for the good character of the authorities and rulers, for the conversion of the people to faith, for help with eye diseases.