John Vladimir belonged to a noble and pious ruling line connected with the lands of Zahumlje and Prevala. He came to power in the late tenth century and ruled Zeta and neighbouring regions of the western Balkans.
From his youth, Saint John Vladimir was marked by gentleness, humility and sober wisdom. Though trained in warfare and recognised as a capable commander, he remained a man of deep faith. He knew the Holy Scriptures, cared little for wealth and gave freely to the poor. His holiness and good judgement won the love of his people and helped bring many Bogomils back to the Orthodox faith. He sent teachers among the people to strengthen them in Orthodoxy and to oppose heresy. During his reign, churches, monasteries, hospitals and houses for travellers were founded with his support.
His rule, however, was troubled by war. He faced the forces of Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria and the armies of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, known as the Bulgar-Slayer, as well as the religious unrest caused by the Bogomils. When Tsar Samuel marched against the Serbs with a large army, John Vladimir withdrew his troops to the heights of Mount Oblik, also called Kosogor, hoping to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. There his men were tormented by venomous snakes. The saint wept and prayed to God for help, and the attacks ceased.
Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria
For a time Samuel could not defeat the Serbs in their mountain refuge. Then one of the local princes betrayed them. Seeing that defeat was near, Saint John Vladimir gathered his men and said: "It is better for me to lay down my life for you and give myself up to death than for you to perish by hunger and the sword." He took leave of them and surrendered himself to Tsar Samuel, who imprisoned him in the dungeons of Prespa.
In prison, John Vladimir prayed continually. An angel of God appeared to him, strengthened him and foretold that he would be released and would later suffer martyrdom.
Tsar Samuel's daughter, Kosara, also called Theodora, was known for her compassion and often visited the prisoners. She came to love the young captive and begged her father to release him. Samuel could refuse her nothing, and he agreed. The Tsar gave her in marriage to Saint John Vladimir and restored him to his throne.
When they returned home, John Vladimir asked Theodora to live with him in chastity, as brother and sister, for the sake of Christ's teaching. She consented, and they ruled their people together in the fear of God.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian kingdom fell into turmoil. Tsar Samuel died, his son Gabriel was murdered, and Vladislav, a bitter enemy of Saint John Vladimir, seized the throne. Around this time the saint had a vision: he saw an eagle carrying a cross over the forests. The bird descended and set the cross upon the ground. The blessed ruler bowed before it and built a church on that spot, where he prayed day and night as he awaited his martyrdom.
Vladislav then plotted to seize John Vladimir's kingdom. Pretending that he wished to make peace, he summoned the saint to his court. Theodora feared treachery and begged her husband not to go, but he set out for Prespa. When John Vladimir approached the new king, Vladislav drew his sword but could not wound him. The saint said: "You wish to kill me, brother, but you cannot." He then handed Vladislav his own sword and said: "Take this and strike me down. I am ready to die, like Isaac and Abel." Blinded by malice, Vladislav took the sword and beheaded him.
By tradition, the martyr then took up his severed head, rode to the church he had built and prayed: "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." Thus the blessed John Vladimir suffered martyrdom on 22 May 1015.
On the first night after his burial, a wondrous light shone above his grave. Terrified, Vladislav gave the saint's body to Theodora and allowed her to bury it wherever she wished. The grieving widow laid him to rest in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Krajina. She later became a nun and spent the rest of her life beside his tomb. After her death, she was buried next to him.
Vladislav himself died in early 1018 while attacking Durrës. Tradition says that a warrior bearing the face of Saint John Vladimir appeared before him. As the wicked king fled in fear, an angel of God struck him down.
The relics of Saint John Vladimir were transferred around 1215 to Durrës and later to the monastery dedicated to him in Albania. Many miracles were worked there through the prayers of the holy martyr. Today his relics rest in the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Tirana. Each year, on his feast day, the clergy carry them back to his ancient shrine at Shijon, near Elbasan.
Ancient shrine at Shijon, near Elbasan
Saint John Vladimir was venerated by Serbs, Albanians and Greeks as a wonderworker and myrrh-streaming saint. A service and a life were written in his honour, first in Serbian and later in Greek. When the Serbian text was lost, the Hilandar monks Luke and Parthenius translated the Greek version back into Serbian. In 1861 Metropolitan Michael of Bulgaria included these texts in the Serbljak, the Serbian collection of saints' lives and services. In 1925 a church was built in his honour at Saint Naum Monastery by Lake Ohrid.
In icons, the holy martyr is depicted wearing a royal crown, holding a cross in his right hand and his own head in his left.
