Tomorrow, July 8, our country celebrates the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, also known as the Day of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom. The holiday entered the modern history of Russia quite recently, but it has ancient and almost mythical roots. The Day of Family and Love was widely celebrated before the 1917 revolution, and even children knew the history of the saints who personified Russian Orthodox family values ​​and ideals. Meanwhile, the events about which the legend speaks were accompanied by real miracles.

The blessed Prince Peter was the second son of Murom Prince Yuri Vladimirovich and the younger brother of Prince Paul. According to legend, trouble once happened in Paul’s family - due to the devil’s obsession, his wife began to be visited by a “prodigal snake” (werewolf). The sad woman, who had succumbed to the demonic force, told her husband everything. The prince ordered his wife to find out from the adversary the secret of his death, and it turned out that the villain’s death was “destined to come from Peter’s shoulder and Agrikov’s sword.”

Having learned about this, the young prince Peter decided to kill the enemy, relying on God's help. In the temple, after prayer, it was revealed to him where Agrikov’s sword was kept, and, having tracked down the serpent, Peter struck him down, but before his death, the beast splashed the victorious prince with its poisonous blood, so that Peter’s body was covered with scabs and ulcers. No one could heal the prince from a serious illness, and Peter, humbly enduring the torment, surrendered to God in everything.

Once, in a sleepy vision, it was revealed to the prince that the girl Fevronia, a peasant woman from the village of Laskovo in the Ryazan land, the daughter of a “tree climber” - a beekeeper who extracted wild honey, could cure him. One of the messengers found the maiden.

According to legend, Fevronia was a beautiful, pious, kind and wise girl, wild animals listened to her, she knew the properties of herbs and knew how to treat ailments. She ordered the servant: “Bring your prince here. If he is sincere and humble in his words, he will be healthy!”

Peter, who could no longer walk on his own, was brought to the house, and he promised the one who would cure him a great reward. However, the girl did not demand jewelry and lands, but wished to become his wife if the prince recovered. Peter promised to marry, but in his heart he was lying: the pride of princely blood prevented him from agreeing to such a marriage.

Fevronia scooped up some sourdough, blew on it and ordered the prince to wash himself in the bathhouse and lubricate all the scabs except one. It must be said that the wise Fevronia saw through the cunning and pride of Peter - after all, that is why she ordered the prince to leave one scab undiluted - as evidence of sin.

Without keeping his word and not marrying, Peter fell ill again and was forced to return to Fevronia. This time the prince kept his promise. “And they arrived at their patrimony, the city of Murom, and began to live piously, without breaking God’s commandments in anything,” says the ancient legend.

After the death of his brother Paul, Peter began to reign in the city. The boyars respected him, but the arrogant boyars' wives disliked the prince's wife, the wise Fevronia, not wanting to have a peasant woman over them. Conspired by their spouses, the boyars tried to get rid of the young princess with insults and slander, and one day, rebelling, they openly invited Fevronia to leave the city, taking whatever she wanted. However, she did not want anything other than a husband, and this made the boyars even more happy - after all, each of them secretly predicted a princely place for themselves.

Blessed Peter, having learned that they wanted to separate him from his beloved, chose to voluntarily renounce power and went into exile with Fevronia. However, their solitude was short-lived: the quarreling boyars shed blood and, in search of peace, came to the prince with a bow and a request for return.

Peter and Fevronia returned to Murom and ruled happily ever after, giving alms with prayer in their hearts. When old age came, they took monasticism with the names David and Euphrosyne. According to legend, they died on the same day and hour, July 8 (according to the old style - June 25) 1228, each in his own cell. Despite the fact that the prince and princess bequeathed to bury themselves together, in a specially prepared coffin with a thin partition in the middle, people dared to violate the will of the deceased.

Twice the bodies of Peter and Fevronia were carried to different churches, but twice they miraculously found themselves nearby. So they buried the holy spouses together - near the cathedral church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and every believer found healing here. About 300 years after their death, Peter and Fevronia were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church, and now their relics rest in the Holy Trinity Convent in Murom.

In 1992, the secular authorities of Murom decided to combine City Day with the Day of Glorification of the Blessed Couple Peter and Fevronia, and since then July 8 has been a big holiday in Murom, and since 2008 - in Russia. The life of these spouses is an example that makes you think about what constitutes true happiness in marriage: like-mindedness, understanding and spiritual core.

On this day, it is customary for Orthodox believers to visit churches; young people ask for love in their prayers, and older people ask for family harmony. The day of Peter and Fevronia is considered lucky for marriage, and according to popular belief, after it you should wait for forty hot days.

Any Russian has undoubtedly heard about Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom. These are miracle workers who have become an example of a married couple who have lived in love and fidelity for many years, a symbol of an ideal marital union....

Any Russian has undoubtedly heard about Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom. These are miracle workers who have become an example of a married couple who have lived in love and fidelity for many years, a symbol of an ideal marital union. Humility, meekness and other Orthodox virtues were recognized through their example.

In 1547, Peter and Fevronia of Murom were canonized by representatives of the Christian Orthodox Church.

The story about them was written down on paper at the same time, in the 16th century.

The Murom prince Pavel, who ruled the city at that time, had a younger brother Peter.

One day, Prince Peter began to get sick, his body suddenly became covered in ulcers and boils. He sought salvation from an unknown illness from doctors in Rus' and overseas countries, but no one could help the noble man.

Then the prince sent messengers to all lands with a request to find someone who would heal him. And so the prince’s envoy stopped by a Russian village. There he met a girl who amazed him in conversation with her wise reasoning. The guy suggested that she try to heal the prince.

The girl asked the prince to come to their village, but warned that he could be cured if only he knew how to keep his word and was kind to others.

The girl's name was Fevronia. As a reward for healing the prince, she asked him to marry her.

When Prince Peter was brought to the village, the girl blew on the sourdough and ordered the prince to wash himself in the bathhouse and then spread the sourdough on all the ulcers and scabs, leaving one scab.

Peter followed all her instructions - he went to the bathhouse and, after washing there, smeared himself with the healing mixture, except for one scab. Immediately he felt relief, his skin cleared, there was no more pain.

However, a girl named Fevronia not only seemed, but was truly very wise. She understood that Prince Peter needed to first of all heal his soul, ridding it of vices, and only then would his body be healed. Fevronia remembered that the Lord sends illnesses as punishment for sins and therefore, foreseeing the possible deception of the prince due to baseness of thoughts, she ordered him to leave one scab.

Peter was amazed at such a quick recovery and richly rewarded the girl. However, he did not want to marry her, as he had previously promised, since she came from an ordinary family. Fevronia sent all the gifts back to the prince.

Peter returned to his hometown full of strength and health, with only one remaining small sore. But after some time, from this last scab, ulcers and boils again spread across his body.

This time Peter pacified his pride and returned to the wise girl with the firm intention of keeping his word and taking her as his wife. The prince sent an envoy to her with pleas for forgiveness. Fevronia did not hold any grudges in her heart and agreed to heal the prince completely and become his betrothed.

In the same way, Fevronia blew on the leaven and gave it to the prince. Peter, this time finally cured, kept his word and made the girl a princess, taking her as his wife.

When Paul, who ruled in Murom, died, Peter began to reign in the city in his place. The boyars gladly accepted the new prince, but their noble wives plotted against the commoner Fevronia.

Tricked by their evil spouses, the boyars lied about the modest Fevronia and set the condition for the prince to expel the girl from the city. The prince obeyed and ordered her to leave, taking with her only one favorite thing. Fevronia said that she only wanted to take him, her beloved husband, with her.

Prince Peter remembered that the Lord commanded to be with his wife in sorrow and in joy and went into exile with his wife. They sailed from Murom on two ships.

At dusk they landed on land. The prince was very worried about their future fate. The wife reassured Peter, urging him to hope for God’s mercy.

And she was right. A day later, the boyars from Murom sent envoys, asking the princes to return, because after they sailed, the nobility could not choose another ruler, everyone fought and now they wanted calm and peace again.

The future saints did not become angry with the boyars who had offended them and returned. They ruled Murom wisely and fairly for many years, respecting God's commandments and sowing goodness around them. They took care of the townspeople, provided assistance to the poor, and were like loving parents for their own children.

Despite a person’s social status, they bestowed love and warmth on anyone, prevented evil deeds and cruelty, did not sweat over money, and loved and revered God. The townspeople appreciated and respected them, striving to help everyone, feed and clothe them, heal the sick and give instructions to the lost.

Having reached old age, Peter and Fevronia took monastic vows at the same time, taking the names David and Euphrosyne. They prayed to the Lord for the opportunity to die on one day and their subjects were ordered to rest them in one coffin, which had only a thin wall.

However, after their departure to God, the townspeople thought that since the couple had accepted monasticism, they could not be buried in the same coffin, as they requested.

They cut down two coffins and left the spouses for funeral services in different churches.

But in the morning, the townspeople saw that the individual coffins were empty, and the bodies of the princes lay in a double coffin, carved from stone during their lifetime.

Not realizing the miracle that had happened, the dull townspeople again separated the spouses, but the next morning Peter and Fevronia rested in a common coffin.

After this, people finally understood that God wanted it this way and laid them to rest in a joint stone coffin, close to the church of the Holy Mother of God.

And to this day, people in need, sick and unhappy, make pilgrimages there. And if they come there with sincere faith and hope, then Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom will grant them healing and family happiness. And the story about mutual love and fidelity of spouses lives on for centuries.

In 1993, the relics of the holy princes of Murom were transported to the Trinity Cathedral of the Murom Holy Trinity Monastery.

In 2008, July 8, the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, was recognized as a national holiday at the state level. On this summer day, Orthodox churches hold a service in honor of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom and again tell the story of their love to grateful descendants.

(The Life of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom in the painting of Alexander Prostev - “What God has joined together, let not man separate”)

The story of Peter and Fevronia (patrons of family and marriage) is a story of fidelity, devotion and true love, capable of sacrifice for the sake of a loved one.
The Day of Family, Love and Fidelity is the name of the holiday, which is celebrated on July 8, according to the Orthodox calendar.

The love story of this married couple is described in detail by the greatest author of the 16th century, Ermolai Erasmus, in the ancient Russian "Tale of Peter and Fevronia." According to the Tale, the couple reigned in Murom at the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries, they lived happily and died on the same day.

(Always together)

The blessed Prince Peter was the second son of Murom Prince Yuri Vladimirovich. He ascended the Murom throne in 1203. A few years earlier, Saint Peter fell ill with leprosy - the prince's body was covered with scabs and ulcers. No one could heal Peter from a serious illness. Enduring the torment with humility, the prince surrendered to God in everything.

(illness of Prince Peter of Murom)

In a dream vision, it was revealed to the prince that he could be healed by the beekeeper’s daughter, the pious maiden Fevronia, a peasant woman from the village of Laskovoy in the Ryazan land. Saint Peter sent his people to that village.

(Dream of Prince Peter of Murom)

They decided to bury themselves together in a specially prepared coffin with a thin partition in the middle. Marriage vows, even after tonsure, remain valid for them, because they also fulfill their last promise to each other - to die at the same time.

They died on the same day and hour, June 25, 1228, each in his own cell.

(Extinguished candle)

(Left handicrafts)

People considered it impious to bury monks in the same coffin and dared to violate the will of the deceased. Twice their bodies were carried to different temples, but twice they miraculously found themselves nearby.
So they buried the holy spouses together in one coffin near the Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus, the Lord glorified not only His saints, but also once again sealed the holiness and dignity of marriage, the vows of which in this case turned out to be no lower than monastic vows.

(Two candles)

Peter and Fevronia were canonized at a church council in 1547. Saints' Day of Remembrance is June 25 (July 8).

Saints Peter and Fevronia are an example of Christian marriage. With their prayers they bring down Heavenly blessings on those entering into marriage.

The holy noble princes Peter and Fevronia are revered by the Church as the patrons of Christian marriage. It is they who should pray for peace to be sent into the family, for strengthening marital ties, and for achieving family happiness.

(The message presents the works of Alexander Prostev - Light of Love)

And finally, I suggest you watch the documentary:
Year of release: 2008
Director: Arthur Wiedenmeyer
Released by: Studio Ostrov
Duration: 25 minutes

And now we will talk about Peter and Fevronia, the Murom miracle workers, who with their story of eternal love became symbol of married life. They were able to embody in her the ideals of Christian virtues: meekness, humility, love and fidelity.

Murom has been keeping the legend of the life and death of the wonderworkers Peter and Fevronia for several centuries. They spent their entire lives on Murom land. And their relics are now kept there.

The story of their unusual life, over time, was embellished with fabulous events, and their names became a symbol of marital devotion and true love.

The legend of Peter and Fevronia was immortalized in the sixteenth century by the monk Erasmus, known in worldly life under the name of Ermolai the Sinner. He created a beautiful story dedicated to true eternal love, forgiveness, wisdom and true faith in God.

After the church decided to canonize the princes, Metropolitan Macarius ordered their names to be immortalized on paper. As a result, “ The Tale of Peter and Fevronia».

This happened in 1547, when at a church council there were canonized Holy Murom spouses.

The story of Prince Peter

Peter was the younger brother of the blessed Paul, who reigned at that time in Murom. Once a misfortune happened in their family: the prodigal serpent, turning into Paul, began to visit the prince’s wife. And this obsession lasted for a long time.

The poor woman could not resist the power of the demon and succumbed to him. After which she told the prince about her meetings with the snake. Paul ordered his wife to find out from the devil's messenger the secret of his death. It turned out that the demon would die from the shoulder of Peter and Agrikov’s sword.

Pavel shared the secret of the serpent with his brother, after which Peter thought about how he could destroy his adversary. And only one thing stopped him: he did not know what kind of sword he was talking about.

Peter always loved to go to churches alone. And then one day, he decided to go to a church that was located outside the city, in a convent. During prayer, a youth appeared to him and offered to show Agrikov the sword. The prince, wanting to kill the snake, replied that he wanted to know where the sword was kept and followed him. The youth led the prince to the altar and pointed to a crack in the wall where the weapon lay.

The delighted Peter took the sword, and then went to his brother to tell him about the miracle that happened to him. From that very day he waited for the right moment to settle accounts with the serpent.

One day, Peter went into the bedchamber of Paul’s wife and found there a serpent who had taken the guise of his brother. Having made sure that it was not Paul, Peter plunged his sword into him. The serpent died, having taken on its true form, but its blood got on Peter's body and clothes. From then on, the prince began to get sick, and his body was covered with wounds and ulcers. He tried to be healed by various doctors on his land, but none of them were able to save the prince from the disease.

Life of Saint Fevronia

Peter came to terms with his illness, placing his fate in the hands of the Almighty. The Lord, loving his servant, sent him to the lands of Ryazan.

One day, the prince’s youth found himself in the village of Laskovo. He approached one of the houses, but no one came out to meet him. He went into the house, but again did not see the owners. Walking further into the upper room, the boy was amazed by an unusual sight: a girl was working on a canvas, and a hare was jumping in front of her.

Seeing the young man enter, she complained that it was bad if there were no ears in the house, and no eyes in the upper room. The boy did not understand the girl’s mysterious speeches, and asked her about the owner of the house. Her answer struck him even more; she said that his mother and father had gone to cry on borrowed time, and his brother had gone to look into the eyes of death. The young man again did not understand the girl’s words and told her about this, asking her to clarify the mysterious speeches.

Surprised that he could not understand such simple words, the girl explained to him that if she had a dog, he would have heard that someone was coming and warned about it, because the dog is the ears of the house. Ochami, she called the child who could see the guest and also warn the girl. The father and mother, as it turned out, had gone to the funeral to mourn the deceased, so that when they died, they would come to mourn them. So there is cry on loan. And the brother, being a tree climber, went to collect honey. He will have to climb tall trees and look at his feet so as not to fall. So it turns out that he is looking death in the face.

The youth marveled at the girl’s wisdom and asked her name. “Fevronya,” the girl answered.

The young man told her about the misfortune that befell Prince Peter, saying that the Lord had sent him to these lands to seek healing. So he came by order of the prince to find out about the doctors here in order to find someone who would cure the prince.

After listening to the boy, the girl ordered the prince to be brought to her, warning that he could be cured only if he was true to his words and kind in heart.

Meet the Saints

Peter could no longer walk on his own. Therefore, when they brought him to the house, he asked the servant to find out who would undertake the treatment. He promised to reward the one who healed him generously.

Fevronia said that she herself wanted to treat him, and she did not need a reward. But if he wants to be healed, he must marry her, otherwise she will not help him. The prince decided to deceive Fevronia, promising to marry, and after being cured, to abandon his promise.

The girl took the leaven from the bread, blew on it and gave it to the prince, telling him to go to the bathhouse, and then smear all the ulcers with this mixture, and leave one.

The prince decided to test the girl’s wisdom. He handed her a small bundle of flax, telling her to weave a scarf and a shirt for him while he was in the bathhouse. The servant handed this bunch to the girl along with the prince's order.

Fevronia asked the servant to bring a small log, after which she chopped off a sliver from it and gave it to the prince. Together with the sliver, she gave Peter the order to make a loom and all the equipment from this piece of wood, so that she could weave clothes for him on this loom. And it needs to be done in the time it takes her to tear the flax.

The servant gave the prince a sliver of wood, conveying the girl’s answer. Peter sent the servant back to the girl, saying that it was impossible to make a machine out of a piece of wood chips. After listening to the prince’s answer, Fevronia replied: “How can you make clothes for a man from a small amount of flax in such a short time?”

The servant conveyed the girl’s answer to the prince, but Peter was surprised at her wisdom.

Miraculous healing of Peter

The prince did everything as the girl told him: first he washed himself, then he smeared all the scabs except one with leaven from bread. Coming out of the bath, he no longer felt pain, and his skin was free of scabs.

It was not by chance that the wise Fevronia, following the experience of her ancestors, prescribed him such treatment. The Savior, while healing the sick and healing bodily wounds, also healed the soul. So the girl, knowing that illnesses are given by the Almighty as a punishment for some sins, prescribed treatment for the body, in fact healing the prince’s soul. And since Fevronia foresaw that Peter would deceive her, driven by his pride, she ordered him to leave one ulcer.

The prince was amazed at such a quick healing and sent rich gifts to the girl in gratitude. Peter refused to take a commoner as his wife, since his pride and princely origin interfered with him. Fevronia did not take anything from the gifts.

Peter returned to Murom recovered, and only one scab remained on his body, reminding him of his recent illness. But as soon as he returned to his patrimony, the disease overtook him again: from the scab that remained on his body, new ulcers appeared. And after some time, the prince was again covered with ulcers and scabs.

Re-healing and wedding

And again Peter had to return to the girl for healing. Approaching her house, he sent a servant to her with words of forgiveness and a prayer for healing. Fevronia, without malice or resentment, simply answered that the prince could be healed only if he became her husband. Peter decided to take her as his wife and promised this time sincerely.

Then Fevronia, as the first time, prescribed exactly the same treatment for the prince. Now, having recovered, the prince immediately married the girl, making Fevronia a princess.

Returning to Murom, they lived happily and honestly, following the word of God in everything.

After Pavel died, Peter took his place, heading Murom. All the boyars loved and respected Peter, but their arrogant wives did not accept Fevronia. They did not want to be ruled by an ordinary peasant woman, and therefore persuaded their husbands to do dishonest things.

According to the slander of their wives, the boyars slandered Fevronia, trying to discredit her, and even started a riot, inviting the girl to leave the city, taking everything she wanted. But Fevronia only wanted to take her lover, which greatly pleased the boyars, since each of them wanted to take Peter’s place.

Marital fidelity

Saint Peter did not break God’s commandment and separate from his wife. Then he decided to leave the principality and all his treasures and go into voluntary exile with her.

Peter and Fevronia set off along the river on two ships.

One young man, who was with his wife in the same ship with the princess, fell in love with Fevronia. The girl immediately understood what he was dreaming about and asked him to pour water into a ladle and drink it, first from one side of the ship, then from the other.

The man complied with her request, and Fevronia asked if the water from the two ladles was different. The man replied that one water is no different from another. To which Fevronia said that female nature is also no different and conquered him because he dreams of her, forgetting his own wife. The convicted man understood everything and repented in his soul.

When evening came, they went ashore. Peter was very worried about what would happen to them now. Fevronia, as best she could, consoled her husband, talking about the mercy of God, making him believe in a happy outcome.

At this very time, the cook broke a couple of small trees in order to cook food with their help. When dinner was over, Fevronia blessed these branches, wishing that by morning they would turn into mature trees. This is exactly what happened in the morning. She wanted her husband to strengthen his faith by seeing this miracle.

The next day, ambassadors arrived from Murom to persuade the princes to return. It turned out that after their departure, the boyars could not share power, shed a lot of blood, and now they want to live in peace again.

Lives of the faithful spouses

The holy spouses, without any malice or resentment, accepted the invitation to return and ruled Murom for a long time and honestly, following the laws of God in everything and doing good deeds. They helped all people in need, treating their subjects with care, just as tender parents treat their children.

Regardless of their position, they treated everyone with the same love, suppressed all malice and cruelty, did not strive for worldly wealth and rejoiced in the love of God. And people loved them, because they refused to help anyone, fed the hungry and clothed the naked, healed illnesses and guided the lost on the true path.

Blessed death

When the couple grew old, they simultaneously accepted monasticism, choosing the names David and Euphrosyne. They begged God for mercy to appear before him together, and ordered people to bury them in a common coffin, separated by a thin wall.

On the day when the Lord decided to call David to himself, the pious Euphrosyne was embroidering images of saints in the air in order to donate her needlework to the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.

David sent a messenger to her with the news that his time had come and promised to wait for her in order to go together to the Almighty. Euphrosyne asked to be given time so that she could finish the work for the holy temple.

The prince sent a messenger a second time to say that he could not wait for her long.

When David sent a message to his beloved wife for the third time, saying that he was already dying, Euphrosyne left the unfinished work, wrapped a thread around the needle and stuck it in the air. And she sent the news to her blessed husband that she would die with him.

The couple prayed and went to God. This happened on June 25 according to the old calendar (or July 8 according to the new style).

Love is stronger than death

After the couple died, people decided that since they had taken the haircut at the end of their lives, it would be wrong to bury them together. It was decided to bury Peter in Murom, while Fevronia was laid to rest in a convent located outside the city.

Two coffins were made for them and left overnight for funeral services in different churches. The coffin, carved from a stone slab, made at their request during the couple’s lifetime, remained empty.

But when people arrived at the temples the next morning, they discovered that the coffins were empty. The bodies of Peter and Fevronia were found in a coffin, which they had prepared in advance.

Foolish people, not understanding the miracle that had occurred, again tried to separate them, but the next morning Peter and Fevronia ended up together.

After the miracle happened again, no one began to try to bury them separately. The princes were buried in a single coffin, near the Church of the Holy Mother of God. Since then, people in need of healing have constantly come there. And if they seek help with faith in their hearts, the saints give them health and family well-being.

Initially, the coffin of the saints was located in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the city of Murom. Then, when the communists came to power, they gave the remains of the princes to the local museum. The cathedral church was destroyed in the 1930s.

But already at the end of the eighties the shrine was returned to the Church.

In 1989, the relics were returned to the Church. And since 1993 shrine with relics of saints Peter and Fevronia located in the Trinity Cathedral of the Murom Holy Trinity Monastery.

The Day of Family, Love and Fidelity is a fairly young holiday, but already loved by many Russians. It was first celebrated on July 8, 2008, and some immediately dubbed this holiday our Orthodox answer to the Western one.

The date was not chosen by chance: on July 8, the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the saints Prince Peter and his wife Fevronia. According to legend, they were a model of marital fidelity; harmony and piety reigned in their marriage.

The story of the Murom prince Peter and the poison dart frog’s daughter Fevronia became widely known thanks to the “Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom” written in the 16th century. According to researchers, the story combines two folk-poetic plots: a fairy tale about a fiery serpent and a fairy tale about a wise maiden.

The narrative begins with the fact that the devil in the form of a serpent begins to visit the wife of Paul, Peter’s brother. He takes the guise of the princess's husband and tries to seduce her. The princess tells her husband about everything, and they decide to deceive the tempter to find out whether he knows what kind of death will overtake him. The serpent, succumbing to the flattering speeches of the princess, reveals the secret: “I am destined to die from Peter’s shoulder and from Agrikov’s sword.” Having learned about this, Peter decides to help his brother, gets the treasured sword and kills the snake. However, the devil's blood turns out to be poisonous, and Peter, splashed with it, is covered with terrible scabs and ulcers.

After a long search for a doctor, Peter hears rumors about a wonderful girl named Fevronia, who has the gift of healing. Wise Fevronia agrees to cure the prince's brother, but on one condition: he must marry her. Peter was shocked by this request, because he is from a noble family and it was not fitting for him to marry the daughter of a poison dart frog. Despite this, he promised Fevronia to make her his wife if she cured him. The girl fulfilled the will of the prince, and he became healthy, only Peter did not keep his word and, having recovered, immediately went back to Murom.

But at the request of the insightful Fevronia, the unsuspecting prince left one scab on his body, and as soon as he set off on his way back, new scabs sprang from this scab all over his body. Then Peter realized that he could not escape his fate, and took Fevronia as his wife.

The boyars did not accept the new princess, since she was a commoner, and initially drove the couple out of Murom. However, after the expulsion of the prince, strife began in Murom, and the nobles again turned to Peter with a request to rule over them. So the prince and his pious wife returned to their native patrimony and began to rule, and having reached old age, they took a vow of monasticism. In addition, as the legend says, the spouses were buried in different graves, but after burial their bodies miraculously ended up in the same coffin - so the monks realized that this was God’s blessing.

It is interesting that the genre of the story about Peter and Fevronia does not correspond either to the historical story or to the hagiographic one. However, most historians agree that these people existed in real life. Read about who Peter and Fevronia are, what might interfere with getting married on the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, and why the church gave these saints another day to celebrate their memory in an interview with historian and writer Dmitry Volodikhin.

“The serpent is not a living dinosaur, but a spiritual monster”

Dmitry Mikhailovich, you are one of the authors of the book “Peter and Fevronia: Perfect Spouses.” Tell me, did these characters actually have real prototypes? And if so, then why don’t we know anything about the Murom prince named Peter?

Of course, Peter and Fevronia existed in historical Rus' - these are real people, not literary characters. Another thing is that it is difficult to determine which of the Murom princes known from the chronicles and other sources corresponds to Saint Peter, known to us from his hagiography. You named one of the options - David Yurievich. There are other options: one of the princes of the 12th century, one of the princes of the 14th century, with whom the Ovtsyn family of nobles is related. We cannot completely correctly determine which of these princes was Saint Peter. His reign could have spanned a very wide period from the 12th to the 14th centuries. But nevertheless, no one expressed doubts about the historicity of St. Peter.

- “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom”, as far as I know, was written only inXVIcentury. Who was its author? And is it true that it was written by order of Moscow Metropolitan Macarius?

- “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” was actually written in the 16th century, in the era - most likely, by the monk Ermolai-Erasmus. Some other versions have been expressed, but this is the most common. However, in the Chetya Menaion of Metropolitan Macarius (The Great Menaion of the Chetya is a collection of the 16th century of 12 books, for each month of the year, including the lives of saints for every day, patristic teachings and apocrypha. - Note ed.) this text was not included. “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” is an independent text; it is the fruit of the creativity of a highly intelligent monastic scribe and is filled with Christian symbolism. Therefore, for those immersed in medieval Orthodox culture, this text is a set of ciphers and symbols that reveal Christian content, and not just a conclusion.

Yes, after all, the story is based on the plot of the fight against the devil, who in this case appeared to the wife of Paul, Peter’s brother, in the guise of a serpent. This is a classic plot not only for Christian literature?

The plot of snake fighting is really common. Actually, the struggle is both with the devil and with one’s own sins. A person is overcome by temptations, and he can cope with them by turning to God, or he cannot cope, and then he falls into sin. The serpent is such a symbol in “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia.” For the book-intellectual of the 16th century, this, of course, was not some living dinosaur, but a spiritual monster, or, as they said then, a verbal monster. This is what defeats a person if he is not strong in his faith and especially if he is not baptized.

“Peter’s healing is not magic, but firmness in Christianity”

Everyone knows Saints Peter and Fevronia as patrons of family and marriage, and, according to popular belief, happy marriages take place on the day of their memory. But here’s what I read: it turns out that July 8 falls on Peter’s Fast, when the sacrament of marriage is not celebrated in the Orthodox Church. Is it true that this is why the church established a second celebration?

Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom really have two celebrations. One of the days of remembrance is summer, it is celebrated on July 8 (June 25, old style), the other is autumn, celebrated on the Sunday before September 19 (September 6, old style). The second holiday was established in honor of the transfer of the relics of the saints, which took place in 1992. Then the relics of the holy princes were transferred from the museum, where they were exhibited under Soviet rule, to the cathedral church of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Murom. They are still there today.

- In 2008, a new holiday was established in Russia - Day family, love and fidelity. It is timed to coincide with the day of remembrance of Saints Peter and Fevronia. But, oddly enough, even among the Orthodox community there were opponents of this holiday. They motivated this by the fact that Fevronia, according to legend, married Peter almost by force. In addition, many argue that the couple did not have children, and, they say, what would an Orthodox family be without children! Tell us, how do you feel about these comments and the holiday that we celebrate on July 8?

Firstly, of course, in “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” it is not said anywhere that they have no children. Nowhere, anywhere does it say this! The fact that they took monastic tonsure before their death does not mean that they led a monastic life before their tonsure. Historical characters who could have been Saint Peter of Murom had children in two out of three alleged cases - this has been precisely established. Therefore, I certainly have a positive attitude towards this holiday. The holiday is very good and useful; such things as the benefits of marriage, love and fidelity should be mentioned many times. The fact that we remember this once again will not dim the value, but will only shine with renewed vigor. So this is a huge plus for this holiday! And as for the fact that Saint Fevronia married Saint Peter, here’s the thing. After all, Peter, having promised to marry her, refused this and left. And in Christianity a person must be directly consistent: yes - yes, no - no, the rest is from the evil one. The fact is that Saint Fevronia carries several symbolic functions: she is both the wisdom of God and the wise virgin. Her union with the man of power, the statesman, is what is necessary according to God's providence. And it was wrong for Peter to avoid this.

The story says that Fevronia had “the gift of insight and healing.” Isn't this about witchcraft? What did the author mean?

No, Peter’s healing is not magic, but simply firmness in Christianity. Everything that happens through Saint Fevronia is the action of the grace of the Holy Spirit on earth. Of course, this is not magic or witchcraft, this is the power of the Lord.

In conclusion, we note that in 2018,Museum of Military History of the Russian Military Historical Society Thematic events will be held dedicated toon the day of remembrance of Saints Peter and Fevronia. Guests of the Museum of Moscow Streltsy "Streltsy Chambers" are treated to free excursions around the exhibition "Servant People of the Moscow State" with a tour of the exhibition "Embroidered with Silk, Pearls and Gold." On the excursion you can see reconstructions of the costumes of contemporaries of Moscow Rus' (17th century) and be inspired by the unique beauty of an ancient Russian women's costume, hand-sewn in compliance with ancient techniques from Russian and overseas fabrics by the masters of the traditional costume studio “Russian Origins”.

The Museum of Military Uniforms will also host free tours of the “Rescued Relics” and “Rescued Relics. Two Centuries of Glory”, during which visitors will be told about , which houses the museum, and about the love of the famous poet Afanasy Fet and Maria Botkina.

Events will also be held in Smolensk: in They will conduct free tours of the exhibition and talk about the differences in family relationships in Smolensk both during the period of power of the Moscow State and during the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Couples who have been married for more than 20 years will receive memorable souvenirs and pleasant bonuses in all RVIO Museums (with a supporting document).