Euphrosyne of Polotsk

Life

Predslava was born between 1101 and 1104, into the Rurik noble family, members of which were the dukes of the principality of Polotsk, in what is modern day Belarus. Her father was Prince Svyatoslav (Georgy) Vseslavich, second son of Vseslav the Sorcerer.

She refused all proposals of marriage and, without her parents' knowledge, ran away to the convent where her aunt was the abbess. She became a nun and took the name Euphrosyne. With the blessing of the Bishop of Polotsk, she began to live near the Sophia cathedral, where she spent her time copying books. The money she thus earned she distributed amongst the poor.

Around 1128 Bishop Elias of Polotsk entrusted Euphrosyne the task of setting up a convent. At the newly constructed Savior-Transfiguration convent at Seltse she taught young women to copy books, sing, sew and do other handicrafts. Through her efforts, in 1161, a cathedral was built which survives to the present day. She also founded a monastery dedicated to the Mother of God, as well as two churches. The church of The Holy Saviour still stands today and is considered to be the most precious monument of early Belarusian architecture.

Towards the end of her life, she undertook a pilgrimage to Constantinople and the Holy Land. where she died circa 1173. Her body, after the conquest of Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187, was carried by the monks to Kiev and deposited there in the Monastery of the Caves. It was only in 1910 that the relics of Euphrosyne were brought back to her native town of Polotsk.

Veneration

Her feast day is celebrated on May 23. Euphrosyne is the only virgin saint of East Slav origin.

Euphrosyne (or Efrosinia) of Polotsk is a patron saint of Belarus. In Belarus there is a Convent of Saint Euphrosyne in Polotsk and a Saint Euphrosyne Orthodox Church in Minsk. In addition, there are churches dedicated to Euphrosyne of Polotsk in London, Toronto, Vilnius and South River, New Jersey (see: St. Euphrosynia Belarusian Orthodox Church).

Cross of Saint Euphrosyne

The Cross of Saint Euphrosyne was a gem-studded cross created at her behest by a local master, Lazar Bohsha (). The famous six-armed golden cross was decorated with enamels and precious stones and presented by her to the Church of the Holy Saviour in 1161. The relic survived centuries of turbulence until World War II, when it disappeared during the evacuation of the museum in 1941. The cross was last seen in Mogilev. Despite efforts of the Belarusian government to trace its whereabouts in the early 1990s, which included searching in private collections in the United States, it has not been found.

References

Sources

References

1. Kasaty, Peter. "Saint Euphrosyne of Polatsk (1104-1167)".
2. It is suggested that Georgy was the [[Christian name]] of Svytoslav, although it could have been the hame of his elder brother; historical sources are scarce and unsure.Мельников А. А. «Жыціе» і жыціё Еўфрасінні, ігуменні Полацкай. Адраджэнне: Гіст. альманах. (бел.). — Минск: Універсітэцкае, 1995. — 259 с. — ISBN 985-09-0088-1.
3. [http://churchmotherofgod.org/articleschurch/about-saints-and-icons/1555-euphrosyne-abbess-of-polotsk.html "Euphrosyne Abbes of Polotsk" Church of the Mother of God, Mays Landing, New Jersey]
4. Keck, Karen Rae. "Euphrosyne of Polotsk". The Ecole Initiative.
5. {{in lang. el ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/3354/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ἡ Ὁσία Εὐφροσύνη].'' 23 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
6. [http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=101499 Venerable Euphrosyne the Abbess of Polotsk]. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
7. [http://orthodox-world.org/en/i/16222/Saint_Euphrosyne_Orthodox_Church_Minsk Saint Euphrosyne Orthodox Church, Minsk at orthodox-world.org]
8. [http://www.absociety.org.uk/belarusians-in-the-united-kingdom/ Belarusians in the UK] absociety.org.uk
9. "Official website of the St. Ephrasinia Orthodox Church".
10. [http://orthodox-world.org/en/i/16655/Saint_Euphrosyne_Orthodox_Church_Vilnius orthodox-world.org]