The holy and righteous princes Vasily and Konstantin were the sons of the first prince of Yaroslavl, Vsevolod Konstantinovich. In 1238, during the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the great prince Georgy and prince Vsevolod of Yaroslavl, the father of Vasily and Konstantin, were killed. Vasily, becoming a prince, strengthened the spirit of his subjects and restored the destroyed churches.
In 1239, he went to the Horde to obtain confirmation for the Yaroslavl principality and was honorably released by Khan Batu. Later, he married princess Ksenia, and they had a daughter, Maria, and a son, Vasily, who died in infancy.
In the winter of 1249, prince Vasily fell seriously ill and passed away on February 8. His body was buried in the Assumption Cathedral in Yaroslavl. After his death, the principality was taken over by Konstantin, who also fell in battle against the Mongol-Tatars on July 3, 1257. His body was buried next to his brother Vasily.
In 1501, after a fire, the incorrupt relics of the princes were found. At the request of the people, the Yaroslavl bishop transferred them to a wooden church. Grand Prince of Moscow Ivan III built a new cathedral, where the relics were solemnly transferred again. In 1744, the relics were burned during a fire and were placed in a specially arranged tomb.
The memory of the holy princes Vasily and Konstantin is celebrated twice a year: on July 3/16 – on the day of the battle on Mount Tugovaya, and on June 8/21 – on the day of the discovery of their relics.
