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July 6, 2018

Uncovering of the Relics of the Holy Virgin Princess Juliana Olshansky

St. Juliana Olshansky (Feast Day - July 6)

Saint Juliana lived during the first quarter of the sixteenth century. Her father, Prince Yurii Dubrovitsky-Olshansky, was one of the benefactors of the Kiev Caves Lavra. The God-pleasing virgin died at the age of sixteen.

One day, during the time of Archimandrite Elisha Pletenets (1599-1624), monks began to dig a grave near the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, in front of the Chapel of Saint John the Forerunner. Here the diggers unexpectedly found the honorable relics of the God—pleasing Princess Juliana, who had rested uncorrupted. The deceased lay as if she were alive and sleeping. Her body was nice and white. She lay near the church wall with her head to the south and feet to the north. There was a stone over her coffin with the inscribed arms of the Olshansky. On the coffin itself, there was a silver gold-plated plaque with the arms and the inscription: ‘Juliana, Princess Olshanskaya, daughter of Prince Gregory Olshansky, reposed a virgin in the 16th year from her birth.’ All her clothing looked completely new as if no one had touched it.

The holy relics were in a fire at the great church in the year 1718, and were put into a reliquary and placed in the church of the Near Caves.


Saint Juliana appeared to Archimandrite Peter Moghila (afterwards Metropolitan of Kiev) in a dream, reproaching him for the carelessness and lack of respect shown to her relics. He ordered a new reliquary to be made, for which a suitable covering was made by pious nuns. On the reliquary was the inscription: “By the will of the Creator of heaven and earth Juliana, patroness and great intercessor to Heaven, rests here for all time. Here are the bones as a medicine for all those suffering healing against all passions ... You adorn Paradise, Juliana, like a beautiful flower ...”

There is a story of an unusual case that occurred with the relics of the holy virgin. Once, an intruder, an Arian named Vasili, came to the Dormition church under the guise of a true believer. He pretended that he was going to visit holy places and venerate the relics of the holy saints of the Caves. In the church he asked permission to venerate the relics of Saint Juliana, that is, to open the coffin with her relics. His request satisfied, he bowed to her hand. But when he came out of the temple, he suddenly shouted in a terrible, wild voice and fell dead. When they examined the body of the villain, it turned out that he took the ring off the finger of the princess, for which he was punished. Since then, the Orthodox Church has begun to glorify Juliana.

Many miracles have been worked by Saint Juliana, and she helps those who venerate her holy relics with piety and faith. She is also commemorated on October 10 with the seven saints of Volhynia.