
The icon on the far left of the iconostasis or icon wall represents Sts.
Voldymyr and Olha. These two heads of state, who lived in the 10th century
in Kyiv, the capital of Rus'-Ukraine, helped make Christianity the official
religion of the country. In 988 Christianity became the official religion
of the Ukrainian state, some refer to that event as the Baptism of Ukraine.
Quite often St. Nicholas is placed on this spot, but because there are two
patron saints for this church, Sts. Cyril & Methodius, on the far right
side of the icon wall, it was decided to put a pair of saints, Volodymyr &
Olha, to match the other pair. Olha is the grandmother of Voldymyr. Both
were baptized as adults.