Archangel Michael in ancient Russian hagiographies

Archangel Michael is an important figure in the Christian religion, an image that is reflected in art and literature, including ancient Russian lives. The article presents an analysis of a number of hagiographies in which Archangel Michael is mentioned, and examines the general prevalence of his image in this genre. One of his most famous acts the “Miracle at Chonae” had a special influence on the northern Russian hagiographic tradition; the military side of the Archangel was reflected in the “Life of St Alexander Nevsky”. Archangel Michael reveals himself most actively in the “Life of Eudokia of Heliopolis”, a well-known but unpopular translated work. Depending on the century of the creation of the life and its plot, Archangel Michael could be present in the work either as an unnamed angel, whose identity can only be revealed by the biblical parallels given in the text, or as an actor actively and not anonymously helping the saint. Without a doubt, the figure of Archangel Michael was of great importance for ancient Russian scribes, but the strict within the genre of Live did not allow authors to freely use his image in texts. Nevertheless, Archangel Michael is an important and integral part of hagiographic literature.

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