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On [[March 5]], 1463, the relics of Prince Theodore and his sons, David and Constantine, were uncovered at Yaroslavl. The chronicler, an eyewitness to the event, recorded, "At the city of Yaroslavl in the monastery of the Holy Savior they unearthed three Great Princes: Prince Theodore Rostislavich and his sons David and Constantine and brought them above the ground. The Great Prince Theodore was a man of great stature, and they placed his sons David and Constantine beside him. Their stature was less than his. They had lain in a single grave." The physical appearance of the holy prince so impressed those present at the uncovering of the relics that an account of this was entered into the Prologue (lives of saints) in St. Theodore's Life, and also into the text of the Manual for [[Iconographer]]s.
Shortly after the uncovering of the relics, the Life of the holy Prince Theodore the Black was written by the hieromonk Anthony of the Yaroslav Savior monastery with the blessing of Metropolitan [[Philip II of Moscow|Philip of Moscow]]. Another version of the Life was written by Andrew Yuriev at the St. [[Cyril of White Lake ]] monastery, while a third and more detailed Life of St. Theodore was included in the "Book of Ranks of Imperial Genealogy," compiled under Tsar [[Ivan IV of Russia|Ivan the Terrible]] and Metropolitan [[Macarius of Moscow]].
Over the centuries spiritual songs have been composed about Prince Theodore glorifying his piety and discernment, beneficence and kind-heartedness, and his concern for building and adorning churches.
