One of the Twelve Apostles, Saint Bartholomew hailed from Cana of Galilee and was likely a close friend or relative of the Apostle Philip, who introduced him to Jesus. The Gospel of John describes this encounter: Philip found Nathanael and proclaimed that they had discovered the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael initially responded with skepticism, but upon witnessing Jesus’ extraordinary knowledge of his past, he acknowledged Him as the Son of God. Most scholars agree that Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same individual, as the name “Bartholomew” (Bar Talmay) translates to “son of Talmai” and functions as a patronymic.

Bartholomew was among the first four apostles called by Jesus. According to tradition, he and Philip preached the Gospel in Asia Minor, India, and Armenia, where they encountered the Apostle Jude Thaddeus. In the city of Albanus (modern-day Baku), incited by pagan priests, the brother of the Armenian king ordered Bartholomew’s capture. He endured brutal torture: first crucified upside down, he continued to preach from the cross. Enraged, his captors flayed him alive and subsequently beheaded him. Due to the nature of his martyrdom, Bartholomew later became regarded as the patron saint of leatherworkers.

Iconography
In Ukrainian iconography, Bartholomew appears among the Twelve Apostles, often depicted alongside Philip. He is commonly portrayed with a beard, wearing a white tunic and an ochre himation. His attributes include a scroll or a knife, and in later icons, influenced by Western European art, he is sometimes shown holding flayed skin.

Mykhailo Skop