Constantine of Murom

Holy Right-⁠believing Prince Constantine of Murom was prince of Murom, a direct descendant of Vladimir I of Kiev and son of Prince Sviatoslav of Chernigov. He reposed in 1129 and is called "the Blessed". The Russian Church canonized him, according to one source, in 1547, through Metropolitan Macarius, and commemorates him on 21 May. He is sometimes identified with Yaroslav Sviatoslavich, prince of Chernigov (1123 to 1127), but it is not certain that they are the same man.

At his request, his father appointed him to rule the city of Murom, which at that time was inhabited by pagans, that he might spread Christianity there. According to the traditional account, Constantine first sent his son Michael to Murom as his emissary, but the inhabitants threw him from the walls, so Constantine was obliged to take the city by force. Still he did not succeed in converting them and, at one point, they became so angry that a mob came to his fortress, intending to storm it. According to legend, when he came out before them bearing the Murom-⁠Ryazan icon of the Mother of God, they quieted down and bowed reverently before the holy image. His son Theodore, with his support, continued the missionary work in the surrounding countryside.

On the place of the murder of his son Michael, the wooden church of the Annunciation was, according to the source, founded by Prince Constantine in 1205; the date does not fit his death in 1129. In 1553 a new cathedral was built on the site, which became a monastery in the time of Ivan the Terrible and was ruined by the Poles in the Time of Troubles. In 1664 it was rebuilt by the wealthy merchant and patron of the arts Tarasy Tsvetnov. In the monastery lie the relics of Constantine and of his sons Michael and Theodore. According to a legend recorded by the local nobleman and amateur historian Alexander Yepanchin, each night at midnight the gates of the monastery disappear, and Constantine, Michael and Theodore, in princely dress, ride out in a gilded carriage and go to the cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God, where Peter and Fevronia meet them. After praying, they guard and patrol the city.

The icon of the Mother of God "The Star Most Bright" shows her standing, with a star sending out rays in the background. On her right arm stands the infant Jesus. At her feet are the saints of Murom: Constantine, Michael and Theodore in princely robes, and Peter, Fevronia and Ulyana in monastic habits. The name of the icon is connected with the poetic hymns in honour of the Mother of God. His wife Irene is also venerated at Murom.