Veneration of the Archangel Michael in pre-Mongolian Time in Kyiv in the Context of the Idea of Kyiv as New Jerusalem

Abstract

The article examines the veneration of the Archangel Michael in Kyiv in the context of the idea of the capital of Rus' as New Jerusalem. This concept was influenced by the adoption of Christianity and was reflected in a number of written and architectural monuments. In them, the people of Rus' recognized themselves in a new way in world history and organized their living space accordingly. The author tries to show that the emergence of the Archangel Michael’s cult was one of the elements supporting this idea. His veneration was not only princely and military, which was typical for the Christian ecumene, but had its own local characteristics. In the people’s mind, St Michael fought with the devil and helped them to get rid of his authority during their Baptism. These ideas were reflected in the building of churches dedicated to the archangel: one — near the place where the idol of Perun stood, and the second — outside of Kyiv, where the idol was washed ashore and finally destroyed. The episodes associated with the victory over paganism with St Michael’s help had their parallels in biblical and church history. Folk tradition, literary works, frescoes in St Sophia Cathedral and the specifics of the dedication of the churches recorded them. All this gave rise to an analogy between Rus' and Israel, Kyiv and Jerusalem.