Troparion in Tone 3
Shining with the rays of divine light,
O venerable Andrew,
You knew Christ the wisdom and power of God.
By means of the image of the Holy Trinity
You preached to all the world the Holy Trinity in unity.
And we, with amazement and joy, cry out to you:
As you have boldness before the Most Holy Trinity
Pray that the Uncreated Light
May illumine our souls!

Kontakion in Tone 2
Like a trumpet, you clearly sounded the sweetness of divine hymns,
and were revealed as a brilliant beacon shining on the world
with the light of the Trinity.
Therefore, we all cry to you, venerable Andrew:
"Unceasingly pray for us all."

Rublev, Andrei (circa 1360-c. 1430), the greatest Russian icon painter. Little is known of his life except that he eventually became a monk. He typically executed large cycles in collaboration with one or two other artists, frequently with the great Byzantine painter Theophanes the Greek, who may have been his teacher. Rublev is known to have collaborated in 1405 on the icons of the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow and in 1408 on the frescoes and icons of the Cathedral of the Dormition at Vladimir; several of these icons are believed, on stylistic grounds, to be his alone.

The only work authenticated as entirely his, however, is the celebrated icon of the Old Testament Trinity (circa 1410, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), picturing Abraham's three angels grouped in a two-dimensional arrangement. Rublev's style is characterized by deep, pure colors, flowing curved lines, gentle expressions, and a sense of intense spirituality. The first truly Russian painting style, it represents a refinement of the traditional, more angular Byzantine style and was widely imitated for two centuries.

St. Andrew (Andrei) Rublev (pronounced roob-lyof) wrote and proclaimed the Gospel with paints rather than with words — he was an iconographer (a person who writes/paints icons). His icons have been regarded for almost 600 years as so perfectly shining forth the divine splendor and radiance, joy and love—witnesses to the truth of Orthodoxy—that other iconographers have been directed to use his icons as models. He worked with the best iconographers of his day, painting some of the most important churches in northern Russia. Through his most famous icon, the Holy Trinity (photo, right), he has eloquently preached a beautiful sermon about the nature of the Holy Trinity. Saint Andrew is frequently depicted holding this Holy Trinity icon (as he is in both of the icons of him shown here). The Orthodox Church teaches that the divine Word and Light can be proclaimed just as powerfully in written-in-paint icons, as in written-in-ink words. "We proclaim our salvation in words and images [icons]," we sing in the Kontakion for Orthodoxy Sunday.

How do iconographers fulfill such a high calling—to let God speak to people through their icons? It is by working together with divine grace, and by living a holy, pure and simple life. And how does one live a holy life? Most of the saints, including Saint Andrew, lived to serve God above all else, and worked hard to overcome their self-centeredness (that gets in the way of God speaking through them) by strict fasting, abstinence, prayer, frequent reception of the Holy Mysteries, helping the needy, and by cultivating the spiritual attitudes of humility, patience, joy, peace and love. Sometimes, as with Saint Andrew, the Holy Spirit leads persons to express great love for God and His creation by becoming monks. Saint Andrew further expressed his love of Divine Beauty in his painting/writing of icons, through which God still speaks loudly and clearly to people today.

Saint Andrew was born near Moscow, and as a youth, knew Saint Sergius of Radonezh, who had founded the Monastery of the Holy Trinity about 45 miles from Moscow. It was at this monastery, now known as the Holy Trinity-Saint Sergius Lavra, in the city of Sergiev Posad (see the FIREBIRD Beautiful Russia article), where Saint Andrew became a monk, and where he has long been venerated as a saint.

Rublev painted his Holy Trinity icon for the Holy Trinity Church there, where Saint Sergius’ tomb still is today. Saint Andrew also lived, worked and is buried at the Savior-Andronikov Monastery in Moscow. Those who knew Saint Andrew testify to his strict ascetic and holy life and his great love for all. God granted him to have visions and contemplate the immaterial Divine Light. After his repose, he appeared in a vision, clothed in radiant garments, to his friend and fellow monk-iconographer, Daniel Chornii. Although many have testified to his sanctity, the greatest testimonies are his icons themselves. None but a true saint could have produced such marvels of beauty and truth.

St. Andrei's relics are buried beneath the floor of the Savior Cathedral (photo, right) of the Andronikov Monatery in Moscow, where the blessed one was living and working at the time of his repose, and have yet to be unearthed.  Although he had painted the entire interior of the Savior Cathedral, nothing whatsoever remains of these fresco icons.   Probably what saved the Andronikov Monastery from total destruction during the Soviet era was its establishment as the site of the Andrei Rublev Musem of icons.   Although many of its icons have been moved to the Tretyakov Gallery, may beautiful icons still remain here.  The Savior Cathedral was returned to the Church and reopened in May, 1991, and the monastery itself has finally been returned to the Church and re-opened as a monastery relatively recently.

Saint Andrew Rublev, Russia's greatest iconographer, was born near Moscow sometime between 1360 and 1370. While still very young, he went to the Holy Trinity Monastery, and was profoundly impressed by St Sergius of Radonezh (September 25).

After the death of St Sergius in 1392, St Nikon (November 17) succeeded him as igumen. St Andrew became a novice in the monastery under St Nikon. Sometime before 1405 he moved to the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery founded by St Andronicus (June 13), with the blessing of St Nikon.There St Andrew received monastic tonsure and was taught iconography by Theophanes the Greek and the monk Daniel, St Andrew's friend and fellow-ascetic.

St Andrew is first mentioned in the Chronicles in 1405, when he, Theophanes, and Prochorus painted the cathedral of the Annunciation. His next important project, which he undertook with the monk Daniel, was to paint the frescoes in the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir in 1408.

St Nikon of Radonezh asked St Andrew and Daniel to paint the new church in the reconstructed monastery of the Holy Trinity, which had been destroyed by the Tatars in 1408. At this time St Andrew painted his most famous icon: the Holy Trinity (actually, the Hospitality of Abraham).

St Andrew fell asleep in the Lord between 1427-1430, and was buried in the Andronikov Monastery. He was over seventy years old at the time of his death. The monk Daniel, who died before St Andrew, appeared to his friend and urged him to join him in eternal blessedness.