По Библии, у Христа было 12 близких ему учеников.They were called apostles. They were ordinary people, mostly all fishermen. He called them while he was on earth. God gave them great power so that they could heal all the sick, raise the dead from the world, cast out evil forces, and tell all people about it.
Apostles are sent.They witnessed how Jesus was resurrected and ascended into heaven. In the upper room of Zion, the Holy Spirit fell on them, and after that the apostles began to speak in different languages, previously unexplored, but most importantly, they were strengthened in their faith and became real preachers.
Andrew
The first of the 12 apostles was Andrew, they called himThe first-called. He walked with good news to the Dnieper River and the hills on which the city of Kiev was built upon the expiration of time. The chroniclers say that Andrei told his students that instead of huge mountains a magnificent city would be built, where a large number of churches would be erected. After his words, the apostle went up to the mountains, blessed them, and placed a cross there. According to legend, from Kiev, Andrew went to Novgorod, where he was struck by how people, bathing in the baths, beat themselves with bars and poured cold water and kvass.
Peter
Andrew the First Called had a brother, his name wasPeter People loved him very much, because with all his strength he preached, healed and resurrected. The people even brought hopelessly sick relatives to the streets so that even Peter’s shadow fell on them.
Two brothers
Continuing to remember the names of the 12 apostles of JesusChrist, let's talk about two brothers, John and James. In the Gospels they were called Zebedee, since their father's name was Zebedee. The brothers had an explosive temper, so Jesus gave them another name - “Boanerges”, which means “sons of thunder”. According to legend, the Apostle James died a painful death at the age of 44. His remains were sent to the Mediterranean Sea, and found in 813 by the hermit monk Pelayo. Later, in the years 896-899, by order of Alphonse III, a church was built at the place where the remains were found. This place was given a beautiful name - Compostela, and the apostle Jacob began to patronize Spain. By the way, in honor of him was named the capital of Chile - Santiago.
The brother of James, John the Theologian, held a specialplace in a row of 12 apostles of Christ. He was his favorite student. John preached love, because without it, as he said, man cannot come close to God. He resurrected the departed. John lived on earth for more than a hundred years, during which time he performed many good deeds for the people. The people loved this apostle very much. Before his death, he asked his students to dig a grave for themselves in the form of a cross, lay down there and ordered to bury. After the other students excavated the grave, the bodies were not found there.
Other saints
Это только часть из 12 апостолов Христа, были еще Philip, Bartholomew, St. Thomas, Matthew, Jacob Alpheus, Simon Zealot, Jude, and Matthias. All of them are depicted on the icons of many countries of the world. They are honored; all believers pray to them, because they did good deeds and there were witnesses who left behind manuscripts.
They have reached our days, and with them the powerall 12 apostles. Particles of the bodies of these saints, as a rule, are stored in churches and temples. The icon of the 12 apostles shows us the faces of all the disciples of Christ. There are several versions, and they are all different from each other, as the artists who created the images were from different countries.
Cathedrals
Также в честь 12 апостолов были воздвигнуты temples, cathedrals and churches. All the buildings are old, they are in the most picturesque places. The temple of 12 apostles stands in Tula, in Israel, in Moscow, in the Crimea (Balaklava).
Israeli temple is different from all othersits pink domes. This building was built around the eighties of the twentieth century. It is rumored that on the spot where the temple stands, there used to be a house in which Jesus healed a person from paralysis.
Tula is also famous for its building in honor of 12apostles. There used to be an old wooden building, but over time there was a need to expand it. And in 1903, construction began on a stone church. In 1912, in the building itself, a school and a poorhouse for the elderly was equipped. The walls in the temple are painted with images and ornaments of famous artists. This is a very large building that can accommodate over a thousand people.
In Moscow, the temple of the 12 apostles is a nationala monument. It was built in 1635-1656 by Russian masters. It has five chapters, looks like a palace. The materials that were used in its construction were the most expensive that then existed. The best icon painters and izografs worked on the painting. In 1917, the church was shelled by revolutionaries, and in 1918 it was converted into a museum.
Another temple
In Balaclava, the temple of the 12 apostles, along with allOthers is a unique monument of the 18th century. It was built in 1794 on the foundations of an old church. The history of the temple says that it was the repository of banners and relics of the Balaklava battalion, then transferred to the diocesan department. And after the Soviet power was established in the Crimea, the sanctuary was closed, and it housed the house of the pioneers, and later the club.
In the nineties, he was transferred to the Orthodoxchurches and began to restore. Everything was restored by the works of Augustine. In 1991, the temple was consecrated again. Today it is the compound of the Inkerman monastery. Here are stored many relics of various saints. Inside the temple there are no murals at all, but perhaps they had previously decorated the walls of this great structure.
Conclusion
We told you about the twelve apostles of Christ, we learned the necessary information about them. In addition, we realized that in honor of these saints, many churches and cathedrals were built.
