The relics of St. Barbara of Heliopol

Nicholas Zharkikh

Abstract of the chapter

Detailed argumentation in ukrainian version

In order to understand the origin of Kyiv cult of st.Barbara, we need to look at this holy in general Christian context.

Barbara died as a martyr for the faith in the heroic days of Christianity (2 half 1st – early 4th century AD). At that period the Roman government from time to time mentioned the existence of law by which all Christians ought to execute. At that time were simplified admission to the party of Christian saints and all the martyrs automatically fall into the honorary category of "saints". Christian communities created lists of martyrs – martyrologies, some of which came to our time. What sort of specific information about Barbara we have?

I note that this section is written by me not after the original sources, but based on encyclopedic reference. Very informative article submit "". In my presentation, I used these data and other survey article, focusing on those points which are of interest to our topic.

Sources about st.Barbara

Facts of her life

Time of her martyrdom

Place of martyrdom

Topography of possible places of st.Barbara's martyrdom on map of the Roman Empire (the base – from )

Plurality of St. Barbara

Relics of St. Barbara

Constantinople cult of St. Barbara

"Miracles" with reproduction of relics

After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks a local cult of St. Barbara decline (I do not know the evidence of pilgrims about it after 1453). But one rightly say that the holy place is never empty. So in our case, after 150 years of decline in the late 16th century, arised reports of whole body of st. Barbara in Kyiv…