The pious prince Theodore of Novgorod, the elder brother of Saint Alexander Nevsky, was born in 1218. His princely service began at an early age, and in 1229 he was left in Novgorod as a representative of his father, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. In 1230, during a time of famine and plague, the Novgorodians invited Yaroslav again, but he himself stayed in the city for only two weeks, once again placing his sons there. In 1232, Theodore, already fourteen years old, participated in a campaign against the pagan Mordvin princes.
In 1233, at his father's wish, he was to marry the daughter of Saint Michael of Chernigov – Theodulia. However, he unexpectedly passed away, and the betrothed princess, having taken monastic vows, became renowned as the Venerable Euphrosinia of Suzdal.
Saint Theodore was buried in the Yuriev Monastery in Novgorod. In 1614, the Swedes broke into the prince's tomb, but his intact body was found and placed against the church wall. The Novgorod Metropolitan Isidore transferred his relics to the Sophia Cathedral, where they were laid in the chapel of Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord.
The service for the pious prince was composed in 1787 by Metropolitan Gavriil Petrov.
