Holy Apostles Peter and Paul: icon, prayer, day of celebration

Among the apostles, two stand out in particular: the apostles Peter and Paul, called the supreme ones. Learn about the life path, labors and martyrdom of the apostles, read a prayer to them

Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Christianity spread throughout the earth through the great labors of Christ's disciples - the apostles. They traveled around countries and continents, accepted martyrdom, giving their lives for Christ, Whom they even renounced out of cowardice during their lifetime. Among them, two stand out: the apostles Peter and Paul, called the supreme ones. But their championship is completely different.

Peter was one of the witnesses to the earthly life of Christ, his closest disciple, but during the arrest of Christ he denied Him. And Paul at first was even a persecutor of Christ - during His earthly life he did not meet Christ. However, these two apostles are the most famous, they worked for the sake of the Lord and for the enlightenment of people, and were able to ascend to the heights of holiness, despite their previous deeds.

IN Orthodox tradition It is customary to pray to different saints in different difficulties, on different occasions. The grace to help in special areas of life is related to the miracles they performed on earth or their destiny. So the holy apostles Peter and Paul have the grace of help in large quantities affairs, because his life was varied, full of spiritual exploits and travels. Their journey was longer and more extensive than that of other missionaries. It was the apostles Peter and Paul who brought Christianity to Rome and many lands of the Roman Empire. They both ended their lives as martyrs in Rome, preaching the Cross of Christ and His teaching by their very death.

How to recognize the icon of the apostles Peter and Paul?

In church books there is a description of the appearance of both apostles. They are almost always depicted together, but in the iconostasis of many churches there are separate icons of them - in the second row of icons from the bottom they appear on both sides of Christ praying to Him. Icons always have signatures with the names of saints.

The images of the holy apostles Peter and Paul are the image of two men slightly older than middle age. The Apostle Peter has a round gray beard, he usually stands on the left, the Apostle Paul has a long brown beard.




The Apostle Peter has a blue lower robe and a yellow outer robe, the Apostle Paul has a green or turquoise lower robe, and a brown or reddish upper robe.




Often the apostles are depicted on the icon at all heights. Then they will hold scrolls in their hands (as a sign of their scriptures) or books of the Gospel.

Holy Apostle Peter

Saint Peter was the son of the fisherman Jonah, the brother of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. At birth he was named Simon. The Apostle Andrew, whom Christ was the first to call, announced the good news (this is how the word “Gospel” is translated, in a general sense meaning the teaching of Christ) to his elder brother Simon. According to the evangelists, he became the first person to exclaim: “We have found the Messiah, whose Name is Christ!” Andrew the First-Called brought his brother to Christ, and the Lord called him a new name: Peter, or Cephas - in Greek “stone”, explaining that on him, as on a stone, the Church would be created, which hell could not defeat. Two simple fisherman brothers, who became the first companions of Christ on His journey, accompanied the Lord until the end of his earthly life, helped Him in preaching, protected Him from the attacks of the Jews and admired His power and miracles.

Ardent in character, the Apostle Peter was eager to serve the teachings of Christ, but just as suddenly he renounced Him during his arrest. The Apostle Peter was among the chosen disciples of the Lord, whom he gathered on the Mount of Olives to talk about Last Judgment and the future of humanity. He accompanied Christ and at His sunset earthly path: at the Last Supper he received Communion from the hands of Christ, then, together with the other apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane, he tried to intercede for Christ, but he was afraid and, like everyone else, disappeared. Peter was asked if he had followed Christ, and he said that he did not know Jesus at all. Seeing the death of Christ, like the other apostles, being afraid to approach His Cross, he eventually repented of his betrayal of the Lord.

During the Crucifixion, the apostles, for fear of being killed, did not approach the Cross of the Lord, except for one apostle John. However, after the Resurrection of Christ, they believed in the Divine will about the Crucifixion, death and the Kingdom of the Lord, and understood this to the end. At the Ascension of the Lord, Apostle Peter and others received from the Lord a blessing to go and teach the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Trinity: God the Father - Sabaoth, God the Son - Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit - the invisible Lord, visibly abiding in human history only in the form of fire, smoke or dove. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles Peter and his brother Andrew, the Mother of God and other apostles who were in the Upper Room of Zion - the place of the Last Supper - on Pentecost, that is, in memory of the Resurrection of Christ, they celebrated the meal on the fiftieth day after it.

After the Descent of the Holy Spirit on them, the apostles were enlightened with Divine knowledge. God Himself spoke in them, they instantly spoke in all the languages ​​of the world: the Lord gave them this gift to preach the Gospel throughout the world. All the disciples of Christ, together with the Mother of God, received by lot directions and places where they were supposed to convert people to Christianity by baptizing them.

The Apostle Peter founded the church in Rome and taught many people in the faith. Traveling throughout the Empire, he converted up to five thousand people at a time to Christianity, healed the sick and even raised the dead. In the book of the Acts of the Apostles it is written that in the crowd people carried the sick to the feet of the apostle as he hurriedly passed, so that at least his shadow would fall on the sick person - this is how many people were healed.

Emperor Nero ordered the capture of all Christians, and the disciples begged Peter to leave Rome. But on the Appian Way Christ Himself appeared to him... Peter asked him. “Where are you going, Lord?” (“Quo vadis, Domine?”) - and Christ replied that he was going to suffer torment again. The Apostle Peter understood that it was God’s will for him to remain with the faithful Christians to the end. He was crucified on an inverted cross by the Romans - there is a legend that this happened because the holy apostle converted the wife and concubines of the emperor himself to Christianity. This episode and the martyrdom of the apostle are described in Henryk Sienkiewicz’s novel “Quo Vadis?”

The holy apostle humbly, without grumbling, accepted his lot and the will of God about him; Praying to the Lord, even today he intercedes for the requests of all people. He understood that he had to go through the same torment that he was afraid of when his Teacher, his Friend - and Christ, besides the apostles and His Mother, had no loved ones - abandoned by everyone, died on the Cross. Perhaps this is why only one of the apostles who remained with Christ at the time of His death, the Apostle John the Theologian, died of old age; the rest, in order to achieve holiness, atone for their sin and sit on the throne in the Kingdom of Heaven, had to testify to their loyalty to God.

Holy Apostle Paul

The Holy Apostle Paul, who had the name Saul before coming to Christ, was essentially the direct opposite of Peter. If Peter was a poor fisherman, the Apostle Paul was a citizen of the Roman Empire, born in the Asia Minor city of Tarsus. He graduated from the Greek Academy there, studied many works Greek philosophers, but remained a devout Jew and transferred to the rabbinical academy, preparing for the post of religious mentor of the Jews in Jerusalem. He witnessed the death of the first Christian martyr Stephen, killed by the Pharisees for his faith, and then he himself became a persecutor of Christians - Saul looked for them and sought to betray them into the hands of the Pharisees, who condemned Christians.
However, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in a miraculous vision, directed him to Himself. He appeared to Saul in a strong light, asking: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” - and to the bewildered question of the future apostle who it is, he answered: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Saul went blind and was sent by Christ to Damascus so that Christians would baptize him with the name Paul and heal him. And so it happened.

The Apostle Peter was one of the first mentors of Saul-Paul in Christianity. Over time, Paul went the longest of all the apostles along the missionary path and wrote more Epistles to Christians in different cities than all the apostles.
During the time of the early Christians, the Roman emperors persecuted them as state criminals: after all, believers recognized only Christ, and not the emperor, as God. The Roman Empire stood on the belief that the emperor was God, he was infallible and did everything right. Sanctity of life, righteousness or simple morality were not required - on the contrary, from history we know many depraved and criminal drunkard emperors. But the emperor was not overthrown, the common people were afraid to speak out against God - they could only kill him, and then the emperor’s associates themselves did this. By the time of the collapse of the Empire, people no longer believed in the deity of the emperor and all the gods of the Roman pantheon; they sometimes made sacrifices, out of habit. Christians, according to the emperors, were destroying the state and forcing Fortuna - the goddess of luck - to turn away from Rome. Today we mention her name in sayings like “wheel of fortune,” forgetting how many Christians have died because of the worship of luck.

Therefore, the holy Apostle Paul was executed. As a citizen of Rome he could not be subjected to shameful execution for vagabonds and foreigners on the cross - the apostle’s head was cut off with a sword.

Veneration of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

According to legend, the supreme apostles were executed on the same day (or on the same day with a difference of a year), on which today all Christians celebrate their memory - July 12 (June 31, old style, on this day the Catholic Church celebrates their memory).

Before this day, the Church blesses Christians to fast, celebrating the memory of the holy apostles as a great holiday for which one must carefully prepare, purifying oneself with prayer and fasting. The only other holidays celebrated this year are Easter, Christmas and Dormition - the greatest holidays.

These days the day before is performed All-night vigil, and on the day of remembrance of the apostles Divine Liturgy, behind which special songs are sung short prayers to the saint: troparia and kontakion. They can be read online or by heart, except for memorial days, also at any difficult moment in life.

Supreme Apostles, teacher of the entire Universe, Lord of all God, ask the world of the Universe to grant our souls the great mercy of God.

The prayer to Peter and Paul, in which petitions are made first to both apostles separately, and then to each of them, can also be read online:

O holy apostles Peter and Paul, do not lose heart from us, sinful servants of God (names), so that we are not forever separated from the love of God, but through your strong intercession protect and protect us, so that the Lord will have mercy on all of us through your prayers and destroy everything our sins, recorded in Heaven and Hell, and gave His Kingdom with all the saints, so that we would forever glorify the Lord Christ, to whom glory, honor and gratitude of all people belong.

Holy Supreme Apostle Peter, the stone of faith, standing firmly by your confession on Christ, the main stone of the Church! Pray to Him that we too, always tempted and suffering from the thoughts and lusts of the flesh, may always be strengthened by Christ Himself, the Stone of Life, and guided by His honor, love and election, so that by His grace we too may be transformed into spiritual temples, into a holy priesthood, to offer up the sacrifices of our prayerful labors to the Lord Jesus Christ.

O holy supreme Apostle Paul, chosen vessel of Christ, filled with the grace and glory of God! Ask the Creator Almighty, who rules all His creations, so that He will make us, His unfortunate and weak vessels, honest, sanctified and ready for good. Amen.

Magnification - that is, the glorification of the apostles in gratitude for their help:

We exalt you, the apostles of Christ Peter and Paul, who enlightened the whole world with your teaching, and brought all the ends of the world to Christ.

Temples and shrines associated with Peter and Paul

A cathedral was erected above the place of execution of St. Apostle Peter in his honor, now the most important cathedral in Rome, where the chair of the Pope and the relics of the Apostle Peter are located.

At the site of the death of the Apostle Paul, Emperor Constantine the Great, who gave freedom to the Christian faith and made Christianity state religion Rima, the first Roman ruler to be baptized, erected a temple where the relics of the apostle are kept.

According to the testimony of scientists, the relics of both the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul are their remains. There are a number of anatomical details that confirm that their bodies have indeed survived to this day.

In Russia, the apostles Peter and Paul are especially revered in St. Petersburg. The city was entrusted by Peter the Great heavenly patron- Apostle Peter, and the first council Northern capital was founded and consecrated in honor of the saints supreme apostles Peter and Paul.

Now the remains of all the emperors from the Romanov family rest here (the remains of the last one are controversial Royal family, Nicholas II).

In Peterhof, a suburb of the capital beloved by Peter the Great, there is also the Peter and Paul Cathedral, built with the personal participation of Emperor Alexander III in a neo-Russian style, similar to St. Basil's Cathedral - with a tent, tiled domes and beautiful frescoed interiors.

How do the apostles Peter and Paul help?

It is known that in the Orthodox tradition it is customary to pray to different saints in different difficulties, on different occasions. The grace to help in special areas of life is related to the miracles they performed on earth or their destiny. The Apostles Peter and Paul have the grace of help

• In science, study - for students and schoolchildren, understanding of the Holy Scriptures;


• In healing from ailments of body, day and spirit, deliverance from sins.


• In choosing, making an important decision.


• The apostles are known for their work, therefore, according to the testimonies of businessmen, they help those who start their own business, showing success.


• Also, the Apostle Peter is considered to be the helper of fishermen and sailors, since he himself fished a lot before his apostleship.

Men named Peter and Paul turn to their patron saints for all their needs. It is known that for saints there are no unimportant prayers. The prayer to St. Peter or St. Paul, if you bear that name, goes like this:

“Pray to God for me, holy apostle God's Peter/ Paul, after all, I diligently ask for your intercession, an assistant in everything and a prayer book for my soul.”

The donated or purchased icon of the holy apostles must be placed in the home iconostasis. It is usually arranged in the “red corner” - opposite the door, by the window or in any clean and bright place. On a special shelf for icons, which can be bought in shops near churches, the image of the Lord Jesus Christ is placed in the center, on the left - Holy Mother of God, and on the right - a revered saint, for example, the patron saint of you or your loved ones - here an icon of the apostles would be appropriate, and you can buy the image of both or one apostle, your namesake. If necessary, you can arrange an iconostasis on a bookshelf, but only next to spiritual books, and not entertainment publications.

O glorious apostles Peter and Paul, who gave their souls for Christ and fertilized the field of Christ’s faith with your blood! Hear your spiritual children's prayers and sighs brought to you from our contrite hearts. We are darkened by sins and iniquities, surrounded by troubles like clouds on all sides, impoverished without wealth good life and we cannot resist the demons - the predatory wolves who are trying to destroy our inheritance of God's grace.
O our strong mentors! Bear our infirmities like a heavy load, so that we are not separated in spirit from you and from the Lord of Hosts, but protect us with a strong wall of your prayers, ask the Lord for mercy on all of us, for the forgiveness of our sins and the granting of a good, clean and calm life, so that we received everything necessary for earthly life, and after death, with all the saints, we were worthy to glorify Him forever in the heavenly abodes, to give honor and glory to the Lord, thanked Him and rejoiced at His mercy always. Amen.

May the Lord protect you with the prayers of the holy apostles Peter and Paul!

Among all the disciples of God, the Apostle Paul stands out with a special life. His icon is recognized as miraculous, and prayers in front of it can turn Fate in a different direction and lead any person to the path of repentance and true faith.

History of the icon

Saint Paul, who bore the name Saul before his baptism, was born into a wealthy family in the city of Tarsus. Having received an excellent education, Saul was elected a member of the Sanhedrin and participated in the persecution of Christians and the teachings of the Lord. One day, while on the road, Saul was blinded by a bright light, and he heard the voice of the Lord from heaven and immediately believed in Him.

Upon arrival in the city of Damascus, Saul was baptized and from that day bore the name Paul. Having devoted the rest of his life to serving the Lord, the Apostle Paul suffered martyrdom during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero.

Since during his lifetime Paul was given the ability by the Lord to heal the sick, crowds of mourning people flocked to his burial site. Miracles of healing continued, but only several centuries later Saint Paul was canonized. The most famous and canonical image of him belongs to the brush of Andrei Rublev and was painted in 1410.

Where is the miraculous image located?

Icons of the Apostle Paul are found in almost all churches in Russia, but the canonical image painted by Andrei Rublev is located in the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Vladimir. Every day hundreds of pilgrims come to the icon to pray and feel the grace emanating from the image.

Description of the miraculous icon

The icon depicts the Apostle Paul in the prime of his pious activities. The saint is immersed in deep thoughts, and his gaze is turned into space. The apostle holds in his hands Holy Bible.

This image reminds every believer that even a militant opponent of Christianity can be admonished by the Lord and converted to the true faith.

How does the image of St. Paul help?

Saint Paul passed difficult path to the Lord, starting him as a Jew and an opponent of Orthodoxy, and ending as a martyr revered by Orthodox Christians. That is why they pray to the Apostle Paul for the admonition and churching of the wicked, strengthening the faith of those who doubt, and for the granting of strength in the struggle for a just, godly cause.

During the life of the apostle, the Lord gave him the ability to heal serious and even fatal illnesses. For this reason, people pray to the icon of St. Paul for the healing of mental and physical ailments, relief of pain and salvation from premature death.

There is a known case when a certain woman named Maria was in a terrible accident, finding herself on the threshold of life and death. Many injuries incompatible with life left no hope for salvation.

In despair, Mary’s mother went to the icon of the Apostle Paul and prayed for a long time to save her daughter’s life. And Saint Paul showed the mercy of God given to him: contrary to the doctors’ predictions, Mary survived, came to her senses and a short time recovered after several difficult operations.

Prayers to the icon of St. Apostle Paul

“Merciful Apostle Paul, who pleased the Lord with his life and converted to truth and faith with his wisdom! I humbly pray to you: do not leave us to perish in the devil’s networks of unbelief and lies, protect us from darkness and fiery hell, enlighten and enlighten the wicked and unworthy servants of God, who, out of spiritual blindness, do not believe and do not see the Light of the Savior. See our suffering, apostle, and help us find the path to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen".

“Oh, holy Apostle Paul, endowed by the grace of God to heal physical and mental wounds! I pray to you, falling in tears at your feet: heal my ailments that dominate me willy-nilly, protect my soul from black despair and unbelief, strengthen my faith and help me overcome adversity and illness. Amen".

Everyone should have an icon of the Apostle Paul in their home. Orthodox Christian. Prayers before her can help you change your destiny and find your true path in life. We wish you peace in your soul and strong faith in God. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

12.07.2017 05:19

Kazan icon Mother of God widely known among Orthodox Christians. The intercessor and protector of all people is...

The icon of St. Peter is the most important part of any home iconostasis. Prayers before her can protect you from danger, as well as strengthen and maintain faith in the Lord.

The Apostle Peter was the son of a fisherman and from childhood he lived in fishing. Upon reaching an older age, Peter met Christ and followed Him. Among the 12 apostles, Peter became the favorite disciple and follower of Jesus: it was to him that the Savior entrusted the keeping of the keys to the gates of heaven.

When Jesus Christ was captured and sentenced to death penalty, Peter, afraid of persecution, denied Him three times at dawn. Realizing the horror of his act, he bitterly repented and was later forgiven by the Lord. Peter devoted the rest of his life to preaching God's teachings, was captured and suffered martyrdom during the reign of Nero.

After his death, the apostle was canonized, and his icon still works miracles of healing and signs that save people’s lives.

Where is the miraculous icon located?

There are many copies and copies of the miraculous image, but the original icon, painted in the 6th century, is located in Egypt, in the monastery of St. Catherine. The canonical image of Peter, from which the frescoes of St. Isaac's Cathedral were copied, is located in the Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity St. Petersburg.

Description of the image

The icon depicts the Apostle Peter in his prime spiritual path. The saint is dressed in a monastic robe, holds the Holy Scriptures in one hand, and the keys to the gates of Paradise in the other. The apostle is on his way.

This image symbolizes a long life of preaching and deeds in the name of the Lord and faith in Him, as well as a long road from renunciation to forgiveness and acceptance by the Lord of his beloved disciple at the gates of Paradise.

How does the icon of the Apostle Peter help?

Although Peter left home and family to serve the Lord, he did not forget about his daily work and his roots. That is why Peter is considered the patron saint of fishermen and sailors. They pray to the saint for preservation of life on the water and help in trouble.

In addition, according to legend, the Apostle Peter was endowed with such great power that he could heal terminally ill people just by touching them. For this reason, people pray to the icon of the saint for the healing of physical and mental illnesses, as well as for the relief of chronic pain.

Prayers before the image of the Apostle Peter

“Saint Peter, patron saint of sailors and travelers, we pray to you, running to you in anguish and fear: do not leave our prayers unanswered, protect us from danger at sea and on land! We pray to you, do not let the belly of God’s servant (name) and save all his companions from all evil. Truly apostle, guardian and resolver, save and preserve the servant of God (name) from all evil. Amen".

“Holy Apostle Peter, keeper of the keys that open the gates of Paradise, great healer, we humbly and with hope pray to you: reveal the gift given to you by our Lord Jesus Christ, heal your mental and physical wounds, save my belly, my soul and my mind from the machinations devilish, save my life from pain and suffering. I truly ask you, protect and cover me with your cover from illnesses, in order to thank our Lord and humbly glorify His will until the end of my days. Amen".

What does the icon of the Apostle Peter look like?

In addition to the first canonical image, there are several common versions of the icon of the apostle, recognized by the Church. On one of them the saint is depicted not in full height, and waist-deep.

In one hand, Saint Peter holds the Sacred Scroll, and with the other he blesses each person praying in front of the image.

In another fairly common image, Saint Peter is depicted in old age. The apostle's eyes are raised to heaven: at this moment the saint receives God's blessing for martyrdom.

In one hand Peter holds the open book of the Gospel, and in the other he clutches the keys to the gates of heaven.

The Apostle Peter was the beloved disciple of the Lord and received forgiveness for the sin of renouncing the will of the Lord and His teaching. That is why prayers for the forgiveness of sins are especially strong in front of the image of the saint. We wish you peace in your soul and strong faith in God. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

11.07.2017 05:09

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is widely known among Orthodox Christians. The intercessor and protector of all people is...

And Paul is one of the most familiar to everyone who has ever turned to images of Christian saints. Their canonical appearance has been preserved unchanged since those ancient times, when followers of the doctrine of the risen Savior gathered for their services in the depths of the catacombs. The key to the gates of the Kingdom of God is in the hands of one of them and the sword - a symbol of sacrifice - in the hands of the other - evidence that before us are exactly those who are usually called the supreme apostles.

Features of their image

The researchers came to the conclusion that the description of the saints given in early legends apparently corresponds to reality, and on its basis the image that the icon conveys was formed. Peter and Paul lived in the era when the first chronicles of their ascetic ministry were compiled, the authors of which may well have been familiar with them, or at least seen them. This probably explains the permanence given to their portrait features.

It is believed that the icon “Peter and Paul” owes this extraordinary constancy to the traditions of the Roman sculptural portrait, brought to perfection by that time. The authors of the first frescoes discovered on the walls of the catacombs were undoubtedly familiar with the technique of portraiture, which allowed them to give the images of the apostles truthful and realistic features.

Proximity of individual traits

Comparing the works of masters who lived in different eras, in different parts of the Christian world and having never seen each other’s creations, you are amazed at the similarity of the faces they depict. For example, the icon “Peter and Paul”, painted in ancient Byzantium, and its analogue from the Novgorod school of the 16th century, undoubtedly convey the features of the same people. Moreover, it is known for sure that the painters from the banks of the Volkhov were not familiar with the works of their predecessors.

A special place in the iconography of the holy apostles is occupied by their joint images. Such compositions are often associated with the circumstances of the life of saints and their martyrdom, which took place on the same day. Apocryphal texts are often used as plots, telling about their last meeting and farewell shortly before the execution. Usually the icon “Peter and Paul”, painted on its basis, is an image of the apostles fraternally embracing and kissing each other.

Veneration of the Holy Apostles on the banks of the Dnieper and Volkhov

Since the adoption of Christianity, the image of the supreme apostles was considered one of the most revered in Rus'. It is known that upon his return from Korsun, Saint Prince Vladimir brought the icon “Peter and Paul” to Kyiv, which later became a gift. It has not survived to this day, but in ancient temple You can still see a fresco of the 11th century, painted on this subject.

Spirituality at the heart of the image of the apostles

Nowadays, in the iconostases of most churches, an integral part of the Deesis row is the icon of Peter and Paul. Its significance has increased immeasurably over time. The reason lies in a more complete understanding of their images. They are symbols of boundless faith in the truth of Christ’s teaching, which allows even a simple, unscientific and weak person, as Peter was before, rise to the heights of holiness.

In addition, this is a symbol of the openness of the path to spiritual perfection for those who initially not only did not accept the teachings of Christians, but were also their furious persecutors, like the Apostle Peter. Of course, in our post-atheistic times, such images are very relevant, especially since Orthodox Church carries out extensive educational work aimed at filling those gaps in the religious education of the people that arose during the era of theomachism. In general, any depiction of the apostles is a visual sermon Christian faith, opening the gates to eternal life.

Christian iconography knows many variations in the image of the venerable saints. The first images are found during the birth of this divine art. The Apostles, faithful disciples of the Savior, were more often represented in scenes from the Gospel on tomb reliefs or on frescoes. The icons of Saints Peter and Paul mercifully provide assistance to repentant atheists, Orthodox Christians who have lost their faith, as well as those who came to Christianity from another religion. They support people in undertaking noble deeds.

The history of the appearance of the holy face

The apostles came to faith in different ways, but their tremendous loyalty and love for the Lord elevated their names and united their destinies. Preaching together, they saved many people from godlessness and the fall.

Apostles Peter and Paul

Peter was the son of a simple fisherman and subsequently saw all the events from the life of Christ. The apostle three times renounced the teachings of the Savior, but each time he returned with repentance. Paul initially hated Christians, killed and persecuted the unfortunate, and, being a great orator, misled the people. However, he soon changed his rage to fiery love.

The most famous image of the great disciples of Christ is of East Slavic origin and was created in the middle of the 11th century. The icon is considered an early example of Russian easel painting; it is kept in the collection of the Novgorod Museum.

Tradition says that the canvas with the two apostles was brought from Korsun (Chersonese) by Prince V. Monomakh. Academician V. Lazarev suggests that miraculous icon was written in Novgorod, since it was in this city that sacred images of considerable size were often created. The author of this work of church art is considered to be a Byzantine master who was inspired by fresco images. Some time after its creation, the icon was decorated with gilded silver.

• The image of the saints was taken out of its native Novgorod three times: in the 16th century it was done by Tsar John IV, during the Second World War it was stolen by German troops, and in 2002 it was borrowed by Russian restorers. However, the icon always returned to its original place.
• The sacred image was painted on five linden canvases, which were held together using curly dowels, as evidenced by the marks on back side. The icon was updated by Russian craftsmen in the 16th century; in the mid-20th century it was covered with special wax. In the period from 2002 to 2008. the canvas was freed from the salary and the mistakes of past restoration work were corrected.
• In the image, the great apostles are presented in full growth, with a half-figure of the Messiah on top of them. The heads of Peter and Paul are slightly turned, in the hands of the first there is the tree of the cross, the sacred scroll and the keys to heavenly kingdom, the second one has a book. The icon is well preserved, from the original colors of the 16th century. fragments of robes and background remain. However, the original painting of the limbs of Paul and Peter has been completely lost.

Help coming from the canvas

Jesus personally chose the merciful Peter and the eloquent Paul to continue their missionary work and preaching. The apostles gained the gift of spreading God's word, and in the end life path together they suffered martyrdom for their Lord. Since ancient times they have been revered in all branches of the Christian faith.

Icon of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Icons and frescoes depicting Peter and Paul are found everywhere in many churches around the world.

• In the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Moscow, Orthodox believers will find not only images of the Messiah’s faithful disciples, but also their miraculous remains, which were brought from Rome.
• A similar temple, where the paintings of the saints are kept, is located near St. Petersburg, in the city of Sestroretsk, as well as in Novotroitsk, in the Orenburg region.

The Peter and Paul Icon is considered miraculous and grants healing from various ailments of the flesh and mind.

The people ask the great apostles, who are active disseminators of the word of God, to sincere faith entered the souls of people and never left them. Prayer helps simple lay people, who are easily tempted, to become more righteous and purer in their thoughts.

Advice! You can contact the saints either individually or two at the same time. Peter helps those who want to get closer to the very essence of religion, and Paul helps in matters of education and blesses them in their studies.

Other images

Researchers classify images where the faces of saints are combined into a special group.

An ancient icon depicting the venerable disciples of the Messiah Peter and Paul was created in Novgorod and is considered miraculous. Merciful saints, hearing the prayers of ordinary lay people, instill strong faith in their hearts and help get rid of unwanted passions. The people extremely reverence Paul and Peter, praising their missionary work and the courage that allowed them to offer their lives on the altar of Truth.

Icon of Peter and Paul of the XXI century