4/17 March

The right-believing Vyacheslav (also Wenceslaus or Vaclav), Prince of the Czechs, was the grandson of the Holy Princess Ludmilla, who instructed him in the Christian faith. Having received a wonderful education from the presbyter Paul, the disciple of St Methodius, St Vyacheslav mastered the Slavonic, Latin and Greek languages and had a well-rounded education. His father, Prince Rostislav (Vratislav) was killed in battle with the Ugrians (Hungarians) in 920, and 18 year old Vyacheslav assumed the princely throne.

He governed wisely and fairly, attending to the Christian enlightenment of his people. After paying the ransom for pagan children, sold into bondage he would give them over to instruction in the spirit of Christianity. Prince Vyacheslav was peace loving, respected the clergy, and beautified churches. He did much to bolster Christianity in the Czech land. He translated the relics of the Martyr Vitus to the Czech capital, Prague, constructing the magnificent church in honor of St Vitus.

The Germanic clergy, having earlier persecuted St Methodius, opposed St Vyacheslav as well, and agitated the envious nobles against him. These nobles began to carry on intrigues against Vyacheslav and convinced his younger brother, Boleslav to assume the throne. To rid himself of Vyacheslav, Boleslav invited him to the Consecration of a church. Vyacheslav would not heed his servants, who warned him of the plot. He went to Matins in the church, and on its threshold was killed by his brother and his cohorts. This happened in 935. The butchered remains of St Vyacheslav lay for several days unburied, causing the people to became indignant and agitated. On learning of Vyacheslav's murder, his mother buried his remains in the church in the prince's court. For a long time they were unable to wash off the blood spilled at the church doors. Having assumed power, Boleslav, set out to eradicate Orthodoxy from the Czech land and to supplant it with Catholicism. He demanded that the Liturgy be served only in Latin. The people, who revered Vyacheslav as a martyr, pressured the fratricide to repent. Having translated the relics to Prague, he interred them in the church of St Vitus. Together, Princess Ludmilla and the Passion-bearer Vyacheslav are regarded as the protectors of the Czech land.