The holy martyrs Theodore the Varangian and his son John lived in Kiev in the 10th century, when the Varangians actively participated in the life of Rus. Being Christians, they faced persecution from pagans. Theodore, a warrior who had received Holy Baptism in Byzantium, courageously defended his faith, refusing to offer sacrifices to pagan gods, declaring that "God is One, the Greeks serve Him."
When the pagans surrounded his house, Theodore and John met them with weapons in hand. As a result of the pagans' attack, they were killed, becoming the first martyrs for the Orthodox faith in Rus. Their memory is honored in the Russian Orthodox Church, and their martyrdom occurred on July 12, 978.
On the site of their death, the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was later erected, consecrated on May 12, 996. Saints Theodore and John became a symbol of Rus's transition from paganism to Orthodoxy; their feat was noted in the chronicles and is still revered today.
