Saint Blessed Yaropolk (in Baptism Peter), Prince
of Vladimir-Volhynia.
Also known as Yaropolk Izyaslavich, Peter Yaropolk, Yaropolk Iziaslavich, Yaropolk Iziaslavych, Yaropolk-Peter of Vladimir-Volhynia, Yaropolk of Volhynia
Blessed Yaropolk (in baptism Peter), a grandson of Yaroslav the Wise, ruled Volhynia and was murdered in 1086. He is remembered in the Orthodox tradition for piety and generosity to the Church.
- Fell asleep
- November 22, 1086 (some sources give 1087)
- Feast day
- November 22 (New) · December 5 (Old)
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Troparion of St. Blessed Yaropolk (in Baptism Peter), Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia
No troparion specific to Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) could be confirmed from the sources consulted, so none is reproduced here.
The life of St. Blessed Yaropolk (in Baptism Peter), Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia A Pious
Prince of Volhynia
Blessed Yaropolk, baptized Peter, was a grandson of Yaroslav the Wise who ruled Volhynia and Turov in the late eleventh century. He was treacherously killed in 1086 and is honored in the Orthodox tradition for his piety and generosity to the Church.
Early years
Yaropolk was the son of Grand Prince Iziaslav of Kiev and a Polish princess, Gertrude, and he was raised within the Rurikid dynastic world that linked Kiev with Poland and the German lands. The sources give differing estimates of his birth, so no firm date is stated here. During his father's exile in the 1070s he acted as an envoy, seeking support from the German emperors and from Pope Gregory VII.
In the Church
Yaropolk is not described in the sources as a monk or cleric; his service to the Church was that of a lay prince. The Church remembers him chiefly for his generosity, and for the church of Saint Peter in Kyiv that he had begun to build. Chroniclers record that he supported the Church with regular giving.
Later years
After 1078 Yaropolk governed Volhynia and Turov under the authority of his uncle, Grand Prince Vsevolod. Conflict with the Rostislavichi forced him out of Volodymyr in 1084, and he later returned and came to terms with Vladimir Monomakh. In November 1086 he was killed on the road toward Zvenyhorod by a retainer who was reportedly bribed by his rivals.
Legacy and veneration
Early Rus' chroniclers, beginning with Nestor, testify that Yaropolk was regarded as a saint pleasing to God after his death. He is commemorated on November 22 (December 5 in the New Style calendar) in the Orthodox Church in America's calendar, and in the Synaxis of the Saints of Volhynia. In Volhynia he is honored locally at the Pochaev Lavra.
Veneration of St. Blessed Yaropolk (in Baptism Peter), Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia How the saint's
memory is kept.
- Patronage
- Patron of Volhynia (regional veneration), Pochaev Lavra local celebration, Princes and rulers (general).
- Iconography
- No sourced description of the standard iconographic depiction of Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) was located during research, so none is given here. A miniature in the Radziwiłł Chronicle is said to depict his death, but this is a manuscript illustration rather than a canonical icon type.
Frequently asked Questions about
St. Blessed Yaropolk (in Baptism Peter), Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia.
- When is the feast day of Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) of Vladimir-Volhynia?
- The Orthodox Church in America commemorates him on November 22, which corresponds to December 5 in the New Style calendar.
- Who was Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) of Vladimir-Volhynia?
- He was a prince of Volhynia and Turov in the late eleventh century, a grandson of Yaroslav the Wise and the son of Grand Prince Iziaslav of Kiev. He was baptized Peter.
- How did Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) die?
- He was treacherously murdered in November 1086 by a retainer named Neradets, who the chronicles say had been bribed by the Rostislavichi.
- Where is Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) buried?
- His body was taken to Kyiv and buried in the Church of Saint Peter, which he had begun to build, at the monastery of Saint Demetrius.
- Is Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) a canonized saint?
- He is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox tradition and listed in the Orthodox Church in America's calendar, though sources vary in their titles, calling him Blessed, Holy, or Saint.
- What is Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) known for?
- He is remembered for his piety, his generosity toward the Church, and his patient endurance of exile and conflict.
- What is St. Blessed Yaropolk (in Baptism Peter), Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia the patron saint of?
- St. Blessed Yaropolk (in Baptism Peter), Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia is the patron saint of Volhynia (regional veneration), Pochaev Lavra local celebration, and Princes and rulers (general).
Kontakion of St. Blessed Yaropolk (in Baptism Peter), Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia
No kontakion specific to Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) could be confirmed from the sources consulted, so none is reproduced here.
Prayer to St. Blessed Yaropolk (in Baptism Peter), Prince of Vladimir-Volhynia
No traditional prayer addressed specifically to Blessed Yaropolk (Peter) could be confirmed from the sources consulted, so none is reproduced here.
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References and further reading
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2020/11/22/103364-blessed-yaropolk-in-baptism-peter-prince-of-vladimir-volhynia
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/1001/11/22
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2026/10/10/102923-synaxis-of-the-saints-of-volhynia
- en.orthodoxwiki.orghttps://en.orthodoxwiki.org/November_22
- athos.guidehttps://athos.guide/en/axios/ropolk-v-kreschenii-petr-izyaslavich
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaropolk_Iziaslavich
- encyclopediaofukraine.comhttps://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CY%5CA%5CYaropolkIziaslavych.htm
- johnsanidopoulos.comhttps://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2019/10/synaxis-of-saints-of-volhynia.html
- pravoslavie.ruhttps://pravoslavie.ru/87046.html
- orthochristian.comhttps://orthochristian.com/125486.html
- wikidata.orghttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1343016
- orthochristian.comhttps://orthochristian.com/calendar/20221122.html
- crkvenikalendar.comhttps://www.crkvenikalendar.com/zitije_en.php?pok=0&id=ZEKK
- orthodoxriver.orghttps://www.orthodoxriver.org/calendar/november/22-november/
- molonlabe70.blogspot.comhttp://molonlabe70.blogspot.com/2008/10/st-yaropolk-prince-of-vladimir-volhynia.html
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Yaropolkovna_of_Minsk
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Turov
- orthodoxriver.orghttp://www.orthodoxriver.org/calendar/november/22-november/
- orthochristian.comhttps://orthochristian.com/87046.html
- freepages.rootsweb.comhttps://freepages.rootsweb.com/~dearbornboutwell/genealogy/fam7126.html
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