Saint Vladimir

The Story Behind This Icon: Saint Vladimir was the Grand Prince of Kiev when Orthodox Christianity was introduced into present-day Russia and Ukraine. He is the grandson of Saint Olga (also Saint Olga), who converted to Christianity, and Saint Vladimir is credited with the conversion of the Slavic lands to the one true Orthodox faith. He was a devout pagan, building pagan statues and spreading paganism wherever he went. During his many travels, he finally met someone of a different faith, and discovered that there were many different religions. As a result of this discovery, he sent out envoys everywhere he could. His servants met with Jews, Muslims, Catholics and many more, but discovered that they were all “unhappy”. After finding Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the envoys knew they had found what they were looking for. Vladimir himself came to visit, and converted as soon as he saw what Orthodoxy was about. He returned to his homeland and destroyed all traces of paganism, while showing his people the Orthodox faith. Saint Vladimir’s feast day is celebrated on July 15. *** This icon is made of solid, natural Limewood that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background is comprised of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece.   All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere.  Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here.