St. Ludmila, Murder, and my Icon

At baptism Russians are given a name of a Russian saint, whose feast date (i.e. date of death) becomes their “Name’s Day”, celebrated every year.  I was christened “Ludmila” after St. Ludmila, whose feast day in Russia is on 29 September

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St. Ludmila was born c. 860 AD in Mělník, Bohemia (now Czech Republic). It is interesting to note that my surname is “Melnikoff”!  Ludmila is a Saint and martyr of Bohemia.  In 873 AD, Ludmila was married to Borivoj, the first prince of Bohemia to convert to Christianity.  Ludmila was the grandmother of St. Wenceslas, the future prince of Bohemia. She dedicated her life persuading her people to accept Christianity.

After Borivoj died, their son, Ratislav, married Drahomíra, Wenceslas’s mother.

Ludmila primarily cared for Wenceslas, raising him as a Christian. After Ratislav’s death, Wenceslaus' mother, Drahomira, became resentful of Ludmila's influence over Wenceslaus, whom Ludmila urged to take over the anti-Christian government and restore Christianity. Wenceslas’s ascent to the throne in 921 AD worsened Ludmila’s relations with Drahomira, who, as regent, favoured the pagans. She had two noblemen murder Ludmila in her castle in Tetín – they entered Ludmila’s chamber and strangled her with her veil.

Murder of Saint Ludmila.

In 2019, I commissioned a Russian monastery to produce an icon of St. Ludmila and donated it to our local Russian church.  Below is a photo of Father James and me holding the icon.

Father James and me.