Day of Remembrance of the Blessed Princes Theodore of Smolensk and his children David and Constantine (02/10)

The Holy Blessed Prince Theodore, of Smolensk and Yaroslavl, nicknamed Black, was born in the terrible year of the Mongol invasion for Rus', around 1237—1239, and was baptized in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates, especially revered by the Russian warrior princes.

It was destined by God to become famous in the Russian land and to Saint Prince Theodore through military exploits. In 1239, when, through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy martyr warrior Mercury delivered Smolensk from Batyev’s captivity, the youth Theodore was not in the city: he was taken away and sheltered in a safe place for the duration of the war. The following year, 1240, his father, Prince Rostislav, great-grandson of the blessed Prince Rostislav, of Smolensk and Kiev, died. The older brothers, the heirs, divided among themselves the lands of their father, allocating little Mozhaisk to the youngest — youth Theodore. His childhood was spent here, where he studied the Holy Scriptures, church service and military art.

In 1260, Saint Prince Theodore married Maria Vasilievna, daughter of the Holy Blessed Prince Vasily of Yaroslavl, and became Prince of Yaroslavl. They had a son, Michael, but Saint Theodore was soon widowed. He spent a lot of time in military labors and campaigns; his son was raised by his mother-in-law, Princess Ksenia.

In 1261, through the efforts of St. Alexander Nevsky and Metropolitan Cyril III, a diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church was established in Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde. In 1276, the Council of Constantinople, chaired by Patriarch John Vecca, answered questions from the Russian Sarai Bishop Theognostus about the procedure for baptizing the Tatars and the admission of monophysites and Nestorians who were among them to Orthodoxy.

During these years, Saint Prince Theodore ended up in the Horde. Distinguished by military exploits in the Ossetian campaign, he aroused special affection from Khan Mengu-Temir, who was respectful of the Orthodox Church, and issued the first khan’s label of church immunity to Metropolitan Kirill.

The chronicle says: «And Prince Theodore Rostislavich, King Mengu-Temir and his queen, who loves his nobles, and to Rus', do not at least let courage for the sake and beauty of his face». St. Theodore stayed for three years in the Horde, where he married a Tatar princess who received Holy Baptism. There, in the Horde, his sons were born to St. Theodore - the holy noble prince David and the holy noble prince Constantine.

He used the enormous influence that Saint Fyodor acquired in the Horde for the glory of the Russian land and the Russian Church. Orthodoxy became increasingly stronger among the Tatars, and the Horde learned Russian customs and traditions. Russian merchants, architects, and craftsmen carried Russian culture to the banks of the Don, Volga, Urals and further to Mongolia itself. This is how the great missionary movement of the Russian Church to the East began.

After the news came to Theodore from Rus', from the city of Yaroslavl, that his son was the first, Prince Mikhail reposed«, the khan, giving the prince rich gifts and a large squad, released him to Rus. Having again become a prince in Yaroslavl, Saint Theodore began to zealously take care of the strengthening and improvement of his city and principality. His glory thundered throughout Rus', all the princes sought friendship and union with him.

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