The priest spoke about the reasons for the joint image on the icons of Peter and Paul.

Peter and Paul are depicted on icons together because the church awarded them the equal title of the first apostles for their great contribution to the formation of the Christian faith and the establishment of the church institution. Besides, they were contemporaries, met each other, and suffered on the same day. Philip Ilyashenko, a priest and vice-rector of St. Tikhon's Orthodox University for the Humanities, told Izvestia about this.

"Paul is depicted on icons together with Paul, because Paul has no equal in his work and contribution to understanding and understanding the Orthodox faith and its spread. Paul worked incredibly hard in the gospel of Christ, communicating the good news of the resurrection of the Lord God Jesus Christ," the priest explained.

According to Ilyashenko, Pavel's story is all the more surprising. Initially, he was a fierce persecutor of Christianity in Jerusalem, but also beyond its borders. One day, Paul, who was still called Saul, went to Damascus, where there was a large Christian community, to force believers to renounce Christ.

As Saul approached Damascus, he was suddenly illuminated by an incredibly bright light, and he heard a voice: "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?" The frightened Jew asked who it was, and the answer was, "I am Jesus, whose persecutor you are." After this episode, Saul went blind, and his companions carried him to the city in their arms.

At that time, the Lord appeared in a vision to a disciple named Ananias and commanded him to go to Saul, saying that he was "a chosen vessel." After meeting Ananias, Saul regained his sight and was baptized. After that, he became a missionary, preached to pagans, and established Christian communities in many cities of the Roman Empire. He also laid the foundations of the doctrine of faith, which later formed the foundation of Orthodox dogma. It was for these works that the Church honored him with the title of the first patriarch, equal to Peter.

Peter, in turn, is revered as the first-born for his contribution to the development of the Universal Church.

"The apostle had permission from the Lord Jesus Christ for a blessing and a vocation to preach the faith of Christ and spread it throughout the world. To be her such a leader. And he becomes such a building organizer of the Universal Church, that is, of the church institution, of relations between believers and communities of believers throughout the Roman Empire," Ilyashenko said.

According to the priest, the joint veneration of the apostles was also facilitated by the fact that they were contemporaries and suffered martyrdom on the same day.

"Paul, as a Roman citizen, was executed by the sword. And Peter was executed by crucifixion," he explained.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

Peter and Paul Day – 2026: secrets of the Biblical story that not everyone knows about