Martyr Michael, Prince of Tver

The Holy Right-Believing Prince Michael of Tver was born in the year 1272, after the death of his father Great Prince Yaroslav Yaroslavich, the brother of Saint Alexander Nevsky (November 23). On his journey to the Horde, Prince Yaroslav fell ill, and was tonsured as a monk with the name Athanasios, then he reposed. Michael’s mother, Xenia, raised her son with fervent love for God. Michael was educated and studied under the guidance of an Archbishop (probably Clement) of Novgorod. He took the place of his older brother Svyatoslav in the principality of Tver.

In 1285 Michael built a stone church in honor of the Savior’s Transfiguration to replace of the wooden church of Saints Cosmas and Damian. Upon the death of Great Prince Andrew Alexandrovich (+1305), Michael went to the Horde and was appointed as Great Prince by right of seniority. Prince Yurii of Moscow would not submit to this, however, because he sought the princely title for himself. He was often at the Golden Horde of the new Khan Uzbek, who had converted to Mohammedanism, and was known for his cruelty and fanaticism. Prince Yurii knew how to please the Khan, so he married the Khan's sister Konchaka and was given the title of Great Prince.

Even then he did not calm down, but instead began a civil war with Tver. In Yurii’s army was a detachment of Tatars sent by Uzbek, with Kavgadi at the head. But the men of Tver, led by Prince Michael, defeated Yurii on December 22, 1317. Many captives were taken, including Kavgadi, whom Saint Michael released, and the Moscow Prince Yurii's wife Konchaka, who died unexpectedly at Tver.

Prince Yurii slandered Prince Michael before the Khan, accusing him of poisoning Konchaka. The Khan became enraged, threatening to destroy Saint Michael’s princely holding, and demanded that he appear to give an account. Not wishing to spill Russian blood in an unequal struggle with the Khan, Saint Michael went humbly to the Horde, knowing that this meant certain death for him. He bade farewell to his family and the people of Tver, and received a blessing for his exploit of martyrdom from his Spiritual Father Igoumen John.

“Father,” said Michael, “I was much concerned for the peace of Christians, but because of my sins, I was not able to stop this civil war. Now give me your blessing, so that if my blood is shed for them, they might have some respite, and so the Lord may forgive my sins.”

An unjust trial was held at the Horde, which found the Saint guilty of disobedience to the Khan, and sentenced him to death. They removed him under guard and put him in heavy wooden stocks. As was his habit, Saint Michael constantly read the Psalter in prison and blessed the Lord for allowing him to suffer for Him. He asked not to be abandoned in his present torments. Since the hands of the holy sufferer were secured in the stocks, a boy sat before him and turned the pages of the Psalter. The holy captive languished at the Horde for a long time, enduring beatings and ridicule. They suggested that he flee, but the Saint replied, “Never in my life have I fled from an enemy. If I save myself and my people remain in peril, what glory is that for me? No, let it be as the Lord wills.”

By the mercy of God, he was not deprived of Christian solace: Orthodox priests attended to him, the Igoumens Alexander and Mark. Each week he made his Confession and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, thus receiving a Christian preparation for his death. At the instigation of Prince Yurii and Kavgadi, who wanted revenge on Michael for their defeat, assassins were sent into the encampment where the captive was held. On November 22, 1318, they beat the Martyr severely and kicked him, then one of them stabbed Prince Michael with a knife and cut out his heart.

The royal Martyr’s naked body was exposed for abuse, and later they covered him with a cloth and placed him on a large board attached to a cart. Two guards were posted to watch the body that night, but fear overcame them and they fled. In the morning, the body was not on the board.

On the previous night many, not only Orthodox but Tatars as well, had seen two radiant clouds shining over the place where the Martyr's body lay. Although many wild animals roamed the steppes, not one of them touched him. In the morning everyone said, “Prince Michael is a Saint, and was unjustly murdered."

Finally, the body of the martyred Prince was brought to Moscow and buried in the Kremlin's Monastery of the Savior in the Transfiguration church. Princess Anna was not yet aware of her husband's martyrdom. A year later, Prince Yurii returned from the Khan with Michael's yarlyk.1 He brought with him the Tver boyars and Prince Constantine from the Horde. A year later, in 1319, the people of Tver learned the fate of their Prince, his death, and his burial in Moscow.

Princess Anna and her children asked Prince Yurii of Moscow for permission to carry the holy relics to Tver, and he barely gave his consent. Then boyars from Tver were sent to Moscow to bring Saint Michael's body back to Tver. When they arrived in Moscow they witnessed a remarkable miracle by which the Lord was pleased to glorify His Saint: his body showed no signs of decay. The boyars took the coffin with the Holy Prince's relics and carried them to Tver with much honor. As the procession approached the city, Princess Anna and her sons Dēmḗtrios, Alexander and Basil went toward the Volga, and Bishop Barsanuphios, with all the priests of the cathedral and countless people, met the holy relics on the shore. There was much sobbing, so loud that the choir could not be heard, and Princess Anna wept bitter tears.

At the request of his wife, Saint Anna of Kashin (October 2), and the people of Tver, the relics of Saint Michael were transferred to his native city, and on September 6, 1320 they were placed in the church he had built in honor of the Lord's Transfiguration. Local veneration of the Holy Prince began soon after the transfer of his relics to Tver, and his Church-wide glorification took place at the Council of 1549.

On November 24, 1632 the incorrupt relics of Saint Michael were uncovered. The martyred Prince has often helped the Russian land. In 1606 the Polish and Lithuanians besieging Tver repeatedly saw an unknown horseman ride out from the city on a white horse, with sword in hand, forcing them to flee. Later, when they saw an icon of Saint Michael, they affirmed with an oath to Archbishop Theoktistos of Tver that the horseman was indeed Saint Michael.


1 яр­лы­к: An emblem of Saint Michael's office as Great Prince.