June 8 is the Orthodox holiday of Fevronia. The story of the eternal love of Peter and Fevronia of Murom

Even in modern world The marriage of Peter and Fevronia is a standard for lovers and married couples. The holiday dedicated to the saints has a rich history and many traditions and customs that are still relevant today. From our article you will learn how to celebrate the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity in 2018.

Since ancient times, Peter and Fevronia have been considered the patrons of family and marriage. Couples in love turn to the saints with prayers for love and family well-being. It is in honor of their veneration that the Day of Family, Love and Loyalty is celebrated annually on July 8th. The tradition of celebrating this unusual holiday was established back in 2008 and continues to be popular.

history of the holiday

According to legend, one day Prince Peter of Murom was overcome by a severe illness that no doctor could heal. Every day the patient’s torment became stronger, and then he was advised to turn to the peasant woman Fevronia. Having agreed to the prince’s request, the peasant woman demanded that Peter take her as his wife in return. However, as soon as the illness left him, the prince left, breaking his word. After a while, he felt worse, which is why he again needed to go to Fevronia. After his recovery, Peter finally agreed to marry a peasant woman, which he later did not regret. For a long time they were happy and loved each other, and then they took monasticism and lived the rest of their lives in different monasteries, but despite this, they died on the same day. To this day, lovers celebrate the holiday of Peter and Fevronia and offer them prayers for family happiness. However, in Rus' the event was dedicated exclusively to married couples.

How to celebrate the holiday of Peter and Fevronia in 2018

This joyful and truly bright day is traditionally celebrated noisily and cheerfully. In 2018, couples in love will be able to visit the homeland of Saints Peter and Fevronia - the city of Murom, where various festivals, fairs and festive concerts will take place. It is in this place that everyone can find entertainment to their liking and celebrate the event unforgettably.

Do not forget that, first of all, the holiday is of a religious nature. From the very morning, divine services will be held in all churches of our country, during which believers will be able to pray for their family. If you have not yet found your soulmate, turn to the saints with a prayer for love, and if your marriage is on the verge of breaking, ask Peter and Fevronia to save the family. If your appeals are truly sincere, the Higher Powers will definitely respond to your requests.

Couples who decide to tie the knot will be able to ask for blessings from Peter and Fevronia. An ancient tradition says that lovers whose wedding took place on this day will live together happily ever after.

As on most holidays, on the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, it is customary to invite guests to your home and set a festive table. However, do not forget that in 2018, Petrov's fast will end only on July 11, which means that dishes made from meat, eggs and milk should not be present on the table. Since the holiday will take place on Sunday, fish and red wine can be served as treats.

In Rus', on this day, young girls gathered together and... However Orthodox Church does not welcome the performance of various rituals and fortune-telling, so this is not recommended.

The fear of loneliness quite often makes us think about starting a family, but sometimes finding a soul mate is quite difficult. On the day of Peter and Fevronia, you will have the opportunity to turn to the saints with prayers for marriage and family happiness, with the help of which you can find your love. We wish you and your loved ones happiness,and don't forget to press the buttons and

04.07.2018 05:05

Even the strongest couples are not immune from cheating. Before tying the knot with...

On July 8, the Orthodox Church celebrates the day of remembrance of the holy noble princes Peter and Fevronia of Murom - patrons of family well-being, mutual respect and sincere love. Their marriage has been a model of Christian marriage for many centuries.

Their story is reminiscent of a good fairy tale about love - big and pure. They serve as an example for all lovers, because they lived in sorrow and joy, wealth and poverty, and no one could separate them, not even death.

Great love story

According to the lives of the saints, the blessed Prince Peter was the second son of Murom Prince Yuri Vladimirovich. He ascended the Murom throne in 1203. A few years earlier, Prince Peter fell ill with leprosy, from which no one could cure him.

And then the prince had a prophetic dream that he could be healed by the beekeeper’s daughter Fevronia, a peasant woman from the village of Laskovoy in the Ryazan land. Since childhood, the girl studied herbs and had the gift of healing, and even wild animals obeyed her and did not dare to show aggression.

The prince fell in love with Fevronia for her piety, wisdom and kindness and vowed to marry her after healing. The girl healed the prince, but he did not keep his word. The illness resumed, Fevronia again cured the prince, and he married the healer.

When Peter inherited the principality after his brother, the boyars did not want to have a princess of simple rank and demanded that the prince abandon her. Peter, having learned that they wanted to separate him from his beloved wife, chose to voluntarily renounce power and wealth and go into exile with her.

In exile, the young, wise princess supported her saddened husband in every possible way. When there were difficulties with food and money in the house, she always found a wonderful way out. Peter still idolized his wife and never reproached him for the fact that for her sake he had to renounce the principality and live in deprivation.

Soon, unrest began in Murom, the boyars quarreled, seeking the vacated princely throne, and blood was shed. Then the boyars, who came to their senses, gathered a council and decided to call Prince Peter back. The prince and princess returned, and Fevronia managed to earn the love of the townspeople. They ruled happily ever after.

The Saints

In their old age, Peter and Fevronia took monastic vows in different monasteries with the names David and Euphrosyne, and they prayed to God to die on the same day, and they bequeathed to bury themselves together in a specially prepared coffin with a thin partition in the middle.

Tradition says that they actually passed away on the same day - it happened on July 8, 1228 according to the new style. Considering burial in the same coffin incompatible with the monastic rank, their bodies were placed in different monasteries, but the next day they found themselves together.

After such a miracle happened for the second time, the monks buried the holy spouses together in the city of Murom in the cathedral church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

About 300 years after his death, Prince Peter of Murom and his wife Fevronia were canonized. The Orthodox Church declared them patrons of the family, and the relics of the saints found peace in the Holy Trinity Convent in the city of Murom.

Day of Family, Love and Fidelity

The memory of the miracles and exploits of these saints was passed on from generation to generation. The Orthodox holiday is celebrated in many countries around the world, but the main celebrations take place in Murom.

Residents of Murom, where the holy spouses have always been revered, decided to combine City Day with an Orthodox holiday. Thus, since 2008, a new one was born Russian holiday, praising love and devotion.

The symbol of the holiday of pure and selfless love is chamomile, a flower that is especially popular among all lovers. Later, Family Day got its own medal, with a daisy depicted on one side and the faces of Peter and Fevronia on the other.

The medal is traditionally awarded to married couples in whom love and mutual understanding reign.

The eighth of July in Russia has become an analogue of Valentine's Day, which Catholics celebrate on February 14. Peter and Fevronia Day is celebrated as Valentine's Day.

Traditions and signs

There are many customs and signs associated with the holiday of Peter and Fevronia.

According to tradition, people go to church to pray for love, family happiness, preservation of marriage and well-being. They ask the saints for intercession if the relationship between spouses has deteriorated and only hope remains for divine help.

You can pray at the icon of Saints Peter and Fevronia for family happiness, for the birth of children, for the health of loved ones, and even for a successful marriage. Many believers recognized the fact that after appeals and requests to these saints, their family life improved.

On this day, in the old days, according to customs, young people celebrated their engagement. In Rus', such a ceremony was an analogue of a modern marriage contract. Couples exchanged rings and swore an oath of fidelity to each other in the presence of their parents and invitees. From that moment on, they received the status of bride and groom.

The duration of such an agreement was approximately three to six months, after which a final decision was made.

On the day of Peter and Fevronia, it was possible to find out the weather for the next 40 days. It is believed that if July 8 is clear, it means that the weather will be clear and warm for all 40 days.

On the day of family, love and fidelity, various fortune-telling and rituals are also carried out related to family, marriage, weddings, the birth of children, establishing peace in the family and preserving love between spouses.

The material was prepared based on open sources

The Great Peter and Fevronia are deeply revered Orthodox martyrs. They help believers maintain peace and prosperity in the family and are the patrons of marriage.

Traditions and rituals of July 8

On the day of veneration of the Murom saints, loving couples try to get married in church, get married, or simply confess their love. People believe that on July 8th the Lord himself gives his blessing for marriage to all lovers. All Christians on this day should be close to their loved ones so that in the future their life together will be full of happiness.

Young girls tell fortunes about the groom, wanting to see their husband's face in a mirror reflection. Many people make love spells to melt and awaken feelings.

There are many beliefs about July 8, which our ancestors collected from year to year. For example, if the weather is beautiful on that day, it will remain that way for another 40 days. The same is true with rain: if the weather is cloudy or raining, then the weather will remain rainy for the whole month.

Prayer to Saints Peter and Fevronia

On this great day of family, love and fidelity, all Orthodox believers should be in high spirits. In 2018, on July 8, you can read a prayer to strengthen your marriage, ask for blessings and enlist the support of the Murom faithful by reading the prayer:

“Oh, greatest saints of the Lord! I turn to you in my prayers and ask for your blessing! I pray, do not leave me without help, strengthen my strength and fill my life with strong and pure love. Sanctify our union and do not let us lose heart. May our whole life be filled with eternal love and prosperity. Reward my family with happiness, and may there always be joy in my house, not giving way to grief and suffering. I will kneel before you, oh holy wonderworkers, Peter and Fevronia! May I glorify you and honor your names until the end of my earthly life. Let the will of the Lord be done. Amen".

You can read prayers in church, while defending the service. It is not forbidden to pray at home either. The most important thing is that the words of prayer come from the heart, are pure and sincere. By enlisting the support of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom in 2018, you will definitely attract happiness into your life. We wish you harmony and family well-being, and don't forget to press the buttons and

24.06.2018 02:27

The day of family, love and fidelity is a holiday filled with happiness and tenderness. Every year he reminds everyone...

On this day, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the day of remembrance of Saints Peter and Fevronia, who from ancient times were considered patrons of family and marriage in Rus'.
The initiative to establish a new public holiday - the All-Russian Day of Married Love and Family Happiness in honor of the faithful Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia was unanimously approved in the Federation Council at a meeting of the Federation Council Committee on social policy March 26, 2008.

Since then Orthodox world July 8 honors family patrons. The tradition of secular celebration of the day of Peter and Fevronia was restored by Murom residents in the 1990s: they decided to combine the city day with the day of family values.
The Day of Family, Love and Fidelity became an all-Russian holiday in 2008.
The holiday received approval from the Interreligious Council of Russia.

The organizing committee of the holiday is headed by the wife of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Svetlana Medvedeva. Chamomile was chosen as the symbol of the holiday. Every year on the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity to the best families Russia is awarded a public award - a medal for love and fidelity.
On one side of the medal the symbol of the holiday is depicted - a daisy, on the reverse - the faces of Saints Peter and Fevronia. The slogan of the medal is: for love and loyalty to the family. Along with the medal, valuable gifts are also awarded, which correspond to the “family theme” and are determined by local authorities and organizers.

The tradition is to reward married couples who have long history family union, which is based on love and fidelity, will take on a new scale from 2013. Meeting numerous appeals and requests to increase the number of award badges issued, the organizing committee decided that this year each subject Russian Federation will receive 70 sets of medals instead of 50.

The holiday itself has taken root not only in our country. In 2012, in addition to Russia, it was celebrated in almost 40 countries around the world.
The main celebrations will take place in the Vladimir region and in the city of Murom.

In 2013, for the first time, such a resource as SMS information about the holiday will be used. This task is undertaken by the Health and Motherhood Foundation.
The annual awareness-raising campaign to prevent abortion “Give Me Life” traditionally starts on July 9 and will last until July 15.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Since 2008, Russia has celebrated the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, which has become an official alternative to the European Valentine's Day. Peter and Fevronia, whose memorial day, July 8 (June 25) became the date of the celebration, are considered Orthodox patrons of marriage and family. What do we know about them?

Did the saints have real historical prototypes and how was the main source created from which we can draw information about the heroes of today’s holiday - “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom”?

You can read the text of the Tale

Bibliographic description: Literature Library Ancient Rus'/RAN. IRLI; Ed. D. S. Likhacheva, L. A. Dmitrieva, A. A. Alekseeva, N. V. Ponyrko. - St. Petersburg: Nauka, 2000. - T. 9: The end of the XIV - the first half of the XVI century.

“The Tale of the Lives of the New Saints, the Wonderworker of Murom, the Blessed and Reverend and Worshipful Prince Peter, named in the monastic rank of David, and his wife, the blessed and venerable and praiseworthy Princess Fevronia, named in the monastic rank of Euphrosyne” - this is the full title of one of the most famous works ancient Russian book literature. Its popularity is determined by many factors, including close to folk themes, lively and unusual for the hagiographic genre literary language and the undeniable talent of the author, which made it possible to create such a harmonious work.

Author of “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom” Ermolai-Erasmus

The author of the Tale of Peter and Fevronia is the famous publicist of the era of Ivan the Terrible - Ermolai-Erasmus, the author of such works as “The Book of the Trinity”, “The Ruler of the Tsar’s Well-Wishing”, “A Word on the Reasoning of Love and Truth and the Conquering of Enmity and Lies”.

The question of Ermolai Erasmus’s involvement in the work caused great controversy in Soviet historiography. Some researchers attribute the time of creation of the work to the 15th century, but, in this case, the question of Yermolai’s authorship disappears. This point of view is shared by M.O. Skripil, arguing his position by the fact that the Tale reflects Russian reality of the second half of the 15th century, and “its author is not a Muscovite, but a resident of one of the peripheral cultural and political centers (most likely, Murom).” Another group of researchers, including A.A. Zimin, the most famous Soviet researcher of the Russian Middle Ages and source scholar, is of the opinion that the Tale should still be attributed to the middle of the 16th century in its first edition, and to the 60s of the second, and its author was Ermolai Erasmus.

We know about the life of Yermolai-Erasmus, or, as he was also called, Yermolai the Prehreshny, mainly from his writings. From the works one can find out where the publicist was at one time or another and what he was doing. In the 40s of the 16th century he lived in Pskov, by the beginning of the 60s he was already in Moscow.

The heyday of Ermolai-Erasmus's writing activity fell in the middle of the century; it was at this time that he wrote a treatise sent to the king. It is known under the title “The Ruler and the Land Surveyer, Benevolent to the Tsar.” In this work, Ermolai takes the position of humanity, which can also be seen in his other works, even in “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia.”

As a publicist, attention was paid to him in 1546, which followed his acquaintance with the court bookworm of Ivan the Terrible, Cyrus Sophrony. Soon he moved to Moscow and received the position of archpriest of the palace (Savior on Bor in the Moscow Kremlin) cathedral. Ermolai-Erasmus was involved in the activities of the group of scribes, which was created by Metropolitan Macarius. Her task was to create lives in connection with the preparation of the canonization of Russian saints at the councils of 1547 and 1549.

St. Peter and Fevronia of Murom

On behalf of Macarius, Ermolai - Erasmus wrote at least 3 works, including: The Tale of Peter and Fevronia and the Tale of Bishop Vasily.

Somewhere in the early 60s, in the lists of some of his works “Ermolai, Erasmus of the monastery” is already found, which indicates his tonsure as a monk. Gradually his name was forgotten, and his works were rewritten as anonymous.

The history of the creation of the story of Peter and Fevronia and the path of the source

The 16th century is an era of impending changes, when a turn begins from church culture, as it has been for 6 centuries, to secular literature. At this time, the narrative style in works, illustrativeness, interest in the ups and downs of life, and the depiction of characters are actively developing. On the other hand, this is a period when the Church especially strongly insisted on observing the canons, fought against heresy in all its manifestations, and against secularization in literature.

In this context, there is a wide dissemination of lives and chronicles, the “Great Menaions of Chetia” (GMC) are created, which leads to the need to establish rules for new forms of works. The story of Peter and Fevronia was written by Eromolaus Erasmus at the request of Metropolitan Macarius for inclusion in the VChM as a life about the Murom saints, but... it was not included, and there were very good reasons for that. At the same time, the Metropolitan allowed this work to be rewritten separately, preserving the Tale’s right to be classified in the genre of hagiography (life). As a result, this decision led to the creation of many lists and their wide dissemination among the people.

The story was created in the 40s of the 16th century, but the legend itself about the heroes and the beginning of their veneration date back to a much earlier period, as did the church service to Peter and Fevronia.

The story was written as a hagiography on the eve of the canonization of the Murom miracle workers at the cathedral in 1547. Along with the main task - glorification, the Tale has a second meaning - to present the reader with an allegorical meaning, to tell about the power of love and faith in Divine Providence. And Ermolai Erasmus drew information for the “hagiographical subtext” of his work from the text of church services and oral traditions.

Each version of the story has been preserved in large number lists. The text of the story is most consistently preserved by lists of variants of the so-called Khludov version (GIM. Khludov. No. 147, 16th century). The second known version of the MDA (RGB. Collected. Fundamental library of the Moscow Theological Academy No. 224, 16th century), to which the list with the name of Erasmus dates back, suggests that it was not the original text of the Tale that fell into the hands of the editor of this list, but many times rewritten. As a result of the classification and comparison of lists of the First Edition of the Tale, it can be considered established that the text closest to the original was preserved in one of three lists - Solovetsky Collection No. 826, Pogodin Collection No. 892, TsGALI Collection No. 27.

The generally accepted text of the Tale turned out to be the text that has come down to us in the list of Pogodin’s collection, and not the text from the collection of Ermolai-Erasmus. The Solovetsky manuscript No. 287 presents the author’s text, and the Pogodinskaya manuscript contains the copy that was put into reader circulation. Although the author’s version of the Tale has reached us in a very small number of copies, and the manuscript of the author himself ended up in the Solovetsky Monastery in the 16th century, their history confirms that the text of the Tale is closely connected with the name of Erasmus.

The imperfect beginning of the marriage of Peter and Fevronia

In fact, turning with all attention to the beginning of the story of Peter and Fevronia, it is difficult to imagine that several centuries later their union will be called ideal.

Murom Prince Peter killed the Serpent-Devil, who came to the wife of his brother Paul, with a holy sword. But the snake, breathing its last breath, splashed the hero with blood, from which the latter became seriously ill and covered with scabs. A long search for a healer does not yield results until the prince ends up with the poison dart frog’s daughter, Fevrnia. Does she cure him immediately, honoring the hero who struck the devil with Agric's sword? In gratitude for her service, does Peter marry a virgin with the gift of healing? No. This is what Fevronia answers to the prince’s servant, who conveys his request for a cure: “I want to cure him, but I don’t demand any reward from him. Here is my word to him: if I do not become his wife, then it is not right for me to treat him.”

Peter does not want to marry an ignorant girl, and therefore tries to deceive her - by accepting treatment, but not fulfilling his promise of marriage. But Fevronia, the future saint, turns out to be much more cunning: on her advice, Peter left one of the scabs not anointed with a healing remedy, and after his departure the disease grew again from it. And this time Peter repents and, having promised marriage, receives healing.

Ermolai Erasmus in no way doubts the holiness of Fevronia, later describing the miracles that she is able to perform by God's grace, but this element of familiarity, more characteristic of a picaresque tale about a cunning peasant woman, makes the Tale a unique work and makes you think about a lot.

The Tale of Peter and Fevronia - a question about the genre

The question of the Tale genre is probably one of the most widely discussed and interesting. Yes, the work is not included in the Great Four Menaions, but after the canonization of Peter and Fevronia in 1547, its hagiographical nature was recognized. The first researcher who denied the Tale the right to be called a life was V.O. Klyuchevsky. He writes: “The legend of Peter... cannot be called a life either by its literary form or by the sources from which its content is drawn.” Researcher Ya.S. Lurie, studying the Tale, transferred to it the characteristics of a “rogue story”, focusing on the image of Fevronia as a cunning peasant woman, capable of getting a prince as her husband. This conclusion is a consequence of comparing the Tale with a Western European short story of the Renaissance. There are also interpretations of the Tale as a medieval literary parable and a notable view of it as a theological and allegorical life, considering the union of Peter and Fevronia as an allegory of Christian power in Rus'.

Historical prototypes of the images of Peter and Fevronia

In the Tale there are no direct or indirect references to which specific Murom princes the author has in mind. But in the works of V.O. Klyuchevsky and E.E. Golubinsky, Prince Peter is identified with the prince who ruled in the first quarter of the 13th century in Murom - with David Yuryevich.

As for the date chosen for the celebration, it is somewhat at odds with historical evidence. The holiday of family, love and fidelity is celebrated on June 25 according to the old style, i.e. July 8 in a new way. In the 17th century source “The Book of the Verb Description of Russian Saints” this date is indicated as the date of the repose of the miracle workers. But the information regarding David of Murom, which we find in the chronicle, says that he died in April, and the dates differ by 1 year (1228-1227).

The point of view on the historical prototype of Peter, expressed by N.D. Kvashin-Samarin raised some doubts among other researchers, but I find it very interesting. In his opinion, St. Peter is the Murom prince Peter, the ancestor of the boyars Ovtsyn and Volodimirov. This fact the existence of such a prince and his two brothers is confirmed by the Murom synodics of a much later time, but this recording was most likely made already from the Tale. The legend about Vasily Ryazansky and Muromsky provides new information about the legend, and determines the life of Peter and his wife as later than the life of David Yuryevich. Based on these data, we can conclude that the lifetime of the historical prototypes dates back to the end of the 13th century or the beginning of the 14th century, and these princes are absolutely unknown to us.

Christian and pagan in the story of Peter and Fevronia

The story can be roughly divided into 2 parts - the story of the murder of the insidious serpent-tempter by Peter, the brother of the Murom prince Pavel, and the vicissitudes that occur after the wedding of Peter and Fevronia in the fate of the new Murom miracle workers. Thus, the first part is based on two folklore elements independent of each other: tales of wise maidens and the tale of the fiery serpent. In the first part of the story (before the start of treatment), the following stages can be distinguished, which are more characteristic of a fairy tale than of a life:

1. A hero's test, after which he gains an assistant or a magic item
2. The hero's struggle with adversity and subsequent victory
3. Finding. According to the fairy tale canon, there should be a bride/wealth in this place, but in this case - illness, and a transition to the next storyline.

The story is filled with symbolism, both Christian and pagan. Among the first allegories are the miracles performed by Fevronia and the miraculous acquisition of Agrikov's sword by Peter through the appearance of a youth-angel to him, the transformation of bread crumbs in Fevronia's hand into fragrant incense, as well as the transformation of two dry sticks into living trees. The miracle of trees is a symbol of the rebirth of life. The symbolism of the Feast of the Exaltation is one of the subtexts of the Tale. Peter is correlated with Christ, who atoned for original sin by death on the cross and thereby defeated the serpent-devil; researchers of the plot interpret Peter’s wounds as a symbol of human sins.

But what about the pagan folk tradition, which is clearly embedded in the Tale? One should not neglect the fact that Christianity came to Murom much later than it spread throughout the main territory of Rus'. The Murom land was at the opposite end, which is why it took almost a century. Many researchers use this detail as the cornerstone of their conclusions regarding the parallel of the heroine with the pagan goddess inherent in the image of Fevronia, her genetic relationship with mythological characters. A number of researchers have generally noticed some images that, it is believed, Ermolai Erasmus deliberately introduced into the work in order to bring it closer to popular perception. For example, the question-and-answer game that takes place between Peter’s servant and Fevronia, the leaven with which she treats her future husband is veiled marriage symbolism. The hare galloping around Fevronia is a lunar animal, a symbol of her innocence and wisdom. There is an opinion that the main plot-generating principle in the Tale is precisely the wedding ritual used by Erasmus to fully express his own author’s intention: the resurrection of Peter through marriage.

Ermolai Erasmus, apparently, became interested in the folk legend, in which the heroine was a simple peasant girl, and combining the story with details of the hagiographic canon, he created a story that was bright in form and deep in content, which became one of the most significant works of this genre in Russian literature XVI V. Feats, a fairy-tale motif, a maiden who got her husband by cunning, saints and lovers. Is it not in this eternal combination of the truly folk and Christian that we should look for the roots of Russian culture?

Olga Davydova