The Holy Prince Igor Olgovich, George in Holy Baptism, Gabriel in monasticism, lived in the XII century, when Russia was suffering from internecine wars. The related princely houses of Olgovichi and Mstislavichi fought for the Kiev throne. The enmity between them caused the tragic death of the prince, who became holy through prayer and suffering.
In August 1146, after the death of his elder brother Vsevolod, Igor became Prince of Kiev. The people of Kiev swore an oath to him, kissing the cross, and he promised to rule justly and protect the people. However, soon the Kiev boyars called Izyaslav Mstislavich to reign. During the battle, the Kiev army sided with his opponent. Having been defeated, Igor hid in the swamps for several days, then was captured and imprisoned in a log cabin — a cold log cabin. His reign lasted only about two weeks.
In prison, the prince became seriously ill. Fearing his imminent death, the opponents allowed the prisoner to be released and take monastic vows. Igor was tonsured with the name Gabriel in the Kiev Theodorovsky Monastery. By the grace of God, he recovered and devoted himself to repentance and prayer.
But the princely strife did not stop. In 1147, hatred of the Olgovichi turned against the monk prince. The Kiev Veche decided to deal with him. The metropolitan and the clergy tried to stop the people, but their exhortations were not heeded.
The crowd broke into the monastery church during the Divine Liturgy. Igor was praying in front of the icon of the Mother of God when he was captured and dragged to execution. Prince Vladimir Mstislavich came to the aid of the sufferer. He covered him with his cloak and called out to the attackers: "Do not kill, brothers!" Vladimir managed to hide Igor in the courtyard for a while, but the angry people broke down the gate and killed the defenseless monk. Even after his death, his body was vilified.
In the evening, the remains of the sufferer were transferred to St. Michael's Church. According to the hagiography, the Lord showed a sign: all the candles were lit over the body of the murdered man. The next day, the prince was buried in the monastery of St. Simeon on the outskirts of Kiev. In 1150, his brother Svyatoslav Olgovich transferred the relics of the saint to Chernigov, where they were laid in the Savior Cathedral.
The memory of the Prince's last prayer is preserved in the name of the Igor Icon of the Mother of God. The life and martyrdom of Saint Igor remind us of the deadly power of hatred and internecine strife, calling on Christians to preserve peace, seek reconciliation and remain faithful to Christ amid trials.