Saint Blessed Prince Roman Olegovich of Ryazan (in the world Yaroslav) was born in 1237. He came from the lineage of the Ryazan princes, who cared for the faith. His ancestors were renowned for their holiness, including Prince Oleg, who founded the Olegov Uspensky Monastery. In his childhood, the holy prince lost his parents, and his father was taken captive. Roman was taken by Bishop Euphrasius to Murom.
From his youth, the prince showed piety and patience, establishing himself in the Orthodox faith. He was a family man; his wife Anastasia came from the lineage of the great prince of Kyiv. They had three sons. In 1258, after the death of his father, Roman ascended to the throne of the Ryazan principality, striving to alleviate the plight of the devastated people.
The holy prince prayed with tears for his homeland and defended the people from Tatar oppression. Once, he was summoned to the Horde for trial, where he was accused of blasphemy against the khan. In the Horde, the prince refused to accept the pagan faith, for which he was cruelly tortured. They beat him, cut off his tongue, gouged out his eyes, and subjected him to terrible torments until he was killed on July 19, 1270.
According to tradition, his relics were secretly transferred to Ryazan. The ecclesiastical veneration of the holy prince began immediately after his martyrdom. In 1812, on the day of the prince's memory, the Russian troops achieved their first victory at Klyastitsy. In Ryazan, a procession and prayer are held on the day of remembrance of Saint Roman, and in 1861, a church was consecrated in his honor.
