The Holy Princes Theodore, David and Constantine

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Prince Theodore of Yaroslavl and his two sons, David and Constantine, were the first Yarosalvians to be canonized as all-Russian saints. Together with its twin piece devoted to the Saints of Moscow, this icon tells a tale of the two neighboring cities. For centuries, Yaroslavian princes supported the princes of Moscow in their struggles against the Tartars. Mercantile Yaroslavl relied on the strength of Moscow to free the lower Volga from the Tartars and open it up for trade. In 1463, Yaroslavl joined the Moscow state. The local Yaroslavian saints were offered as national saints to be honored on par with Moscow’s holy clerics, and the rich city of Yaroslavl claimed its place of honor in the unified Russian state.

All persons on the icon: The Holy Princes Theodore, David and Constantine, the Wonder-workers of Yaroslavl the Holy Princes Vassily and Constantine, and the Holy Monk Macarius Unzhensky