Long before the baptism of the Russian people under the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, the Christian faith had already penetrated the southern tip of Russia - Crimea and the Tauride Peninsula, which in ancient times was called Chersonese Tauride and was part of the Roman Empire.
The Roman emperors, cruel persecutors of Christians, themselves unwittingly contributed to the spread of the Christian faith in the Tauride Peninsula. They sent state criminals there into exile. Confessing the Christian faith was then considered a great crime and many Christians were sent into exile for their faith in Jesus Christ, for example, St. Clement of Rome during the reign of Emperor Trajan. These exiles, through their teachings and the example of their virtuous life, converted many pagans to the Lord and often, with their martyrdom, confirmed the faith in the hearts of the newly converted. Thus, the Lord directed everything for the good and benefit of the Church, and often the enemies themselves became unwitting instruments of God's all-beneficial providence.
Although the exiles - Christians - through their teachings converted many to the true God, the majority of the inhabitants of the Taurian Peninsula remained in the darkness of paganism for a long time. There were many Jews in this country who strove with all their might to hinder the spread of the Christian faith and, together with the pagans, persecuted and tortured believers in Christ. Christians, often deprived of bishops and priests, could only gather for prayer in secret. But in the first centuries of the Church, Christian love ignited all believers. Filled with zeal for the law of the Lord and love for their neighbors, Christians willingly accepted suffering for the faith and even death.
Thus, during the reign of Diocletian in the 3rd century, when Christians were persecuted, the Patriarch of Jerusalem sent several bishops to different countries to preach the Holy Gospel.
Two of them - Ephraim and Basil - arrived in Kherson. They lived together for a long time in Kherson or Korsun, the main city of the peninsula. They consoled the persecuted Christians with their compassion and exhorted the pagans to abandon idolatry and turn to the true God. After some time, Ephraim left Kherson and went further. He reached the Danube River, preaching the word of God. Many were converted and received Holy Baptism from him, but most of them met the preacher with hostility. He patiently endured persecution and insults, and finally, by order of the rulers of the country, he was beheaded with the sword.
Meanwhile, Basil continued to preach the word of God in Cherson. Some believed, but many of the inhabitants of the city angrily rebelled against the bishop. They beat and tortured him, and finally expelled him from the city. He went to the mountains and settled in a cave called Parthenon. Grieving for the unbelief and bitterness of the people, he constantly prayed to God to enlighten the pagans with the light of true faith.
Tradition says that after some time the son of one of the most distinguished inhabitants of Cherson died. His parents buried him and, filled with inconsolable grief, wept constantly at the grave of the young man. One night, the father and mother of the deceased had a wonderful dream at the same time. Their dead son appeared to them and said: "Why do you weep and mourn for my death? Why do you pray to our gods? They cannot resurrect me, because they do not exist. If you want to see me alive, go to that foreigner whom you insulted and expelled, and ask him to pray for me to his God; and believe in the same God whom he confesses; for He is true, having power over the living and the dead. He is able to resurrect me."
When they woke up, their parents told each other about the wonderful dream. Then, together with all their relatives and household, they went to find the exiled bishop. When they found him in the cave, they fell at his feet, begging him to resurrect their son. But the bishop replied:
- How can I, a sinful man, resurrect the dead? Only God can do this. Believe in Him and pray to Him!
- If our son is resurrected, we will do everything you command - said the parents of the deceased young man.
Basil went with them to the grave: they rolled away the stone and the bishop entered the cave where the deceased lay. He prayed over him and, having blessed water, sprinkled the deceased, calling on the name of the Holy Trinity, as is said during the sacrament of Baptism, and immediately the young man came to life and began to glorify God. All those present fell at the feet of the bishop, glorifying the God of heaven. St. Bishop Basil was brought with honors to the city and many residents believed and were baptized.
Since then, the Christian faith began to spread rapidly in the city and its surroundings. But the fierce pagans and Jews, seeing the success of the teaching they hated, decided to destroy the holy bishop. They attacked his house at night, seized him, tied him up, dragged him through the streets, and finally beat him to death with stones and clubs. They threw his body outside the city to be eaten by wild beasts. But the wild beasts did not touch him. A wonderful light shone over him at night. Finally, the Christians took the body of the martyr at night and buried him.
Soon after this, one of St. Basil's disciples went to the Hellespont and met there three of the bishops who had previously left Jerusalem with Ephraim and Basil. He told them about the fate that had befallen the holy confessors-sufferers. The bishops thanked God, who had honored their comrades to suffer and die for the Christian faith, and without fear of danger, they decided to go to Cherson to continue the enlightenment of the pagans in the Christian faith. This holy work was dearer to them than life.
These three bishops - Eugene, Elpidius, and Agathodorus - soon arrived in Cherson. The Christians received them with joy, but the Jews and pagans rose up against them and after a while killed them.
A few years passed. During the reign of Emperor Constantine, the Patriarch of Jerusalem again sent a bishop to Cherson, named Eutherius. He was met with hostility by the enemies of the Christian faith, but the emperor protected the Christians. Eutherius peacefully led his flock, spread the word of God, and set an example of Christian virtues through his life. But on his return from Constantinople, where he had gone to thank the king for his protection, he fell ill and died, mourned by all the Christians who loved him as a father.
After his death, Bishop Capito was sent to Cherson. Tradition says that the pagans who were in the city asked him for a sign so that they would believe in the God whom he confessed, and that the bishop, with firm trust in God's help, entered the fire they had kindled, prayed for a long time in the midst of the flame, and then emerged from it unharmed. Then everyone, struck by the miracle, exclaimed: "There is one God, the God of Christians, great and powerful! He preserves His servants unharmed in the midst of the fire!" Many were baptized, and the Christian faith began to spread throughout the Taurida Peninsula. St. Capito was bishop of Cherson for several years. Once, on his way to Constantinople, he was caught in a storm and his ship was driven into the mouth of the Dniester. The harsh inhabitants of the country captured the bishop and drowned him in the sea.