In its modern form, the holiday is often positioned as "our answer to Valentine's Day", although the story "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom", which tells about the relationship between them, is even less romantic than many people who are not familiar with its content think. As this work of ancient Russian literature says, Fevronia, the daughter of a beekeeper, healed Prince Peter in exchange for a promise to marry her. However, Peter refused his promise, since Fevronia was a commoner. However, she foresaw this and deliberately did not complete the healing process, so he again had to turn to her for help and this time marry her.
The further history of Peter and Fevronia is much less contrary to modern ideas about romantic relationships. The boyars condemned the marriage, and the couple decided to leave Murom, but later returned at the request of the same boyars, because after Peter's departure, a bloody struggle for power began in the city. Subsequently, as the story says, Peter and Fevronia died on the same day and were buried in different monasteries, but the next day they ended up together.
Prince Peter is not mentioned in chronicle sources. Some researchers identify Peter and Fevronia with the well-known Murom prince Davyd Yuryevich, who ruled in Murom from 1205 to 1228, and his wife. Peter and Fevronia were canonized at the church council of 1547 as locally venerated saints. "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom" appeared some time after that.
The Eastern Slavs believed that happy marriages were concluded on the Day of Peter and Fevronia. Also on this date, the first mowing fell, and people began to swim "without looking back", since it was believed that on this day the last mermaids leave the banks deep into the reservoirs and fall asleep.
It was believed that the heat on the Day of Peter and Fevronia portends warm weather in the next 40 days.
Among the traditions of the Day of family, love and fidelity, which have already appeared in modern Russia, we can name the weaving of wreaths of daisies and the presentation of bouquets of these flowers. Also, many registry offices, especially in Murom, extend their opening hours on July 8, because people often want to get married on that day. It is worth noting that according to Orthodox tradition, on the day of memory of Peter and Fevronia, the sacrament of marriage is not performed, since it falls on Peter's post. In this regard, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on December 25, 2012 established a second celebration in memory of the transfer of relics, which took place in 1992. The celebration takes place on the Sunday preceding September 19 in the Gregorian calendar.
A few years ago, when he was still president, Dmitry Medvedev imposed on Russia as a semi-official another church holiday - the day of "saints" Peter and Fevronia from Murom, celebrated by the Orthodox on June 25 according to Julian, and according to the new style - July 8. Now in the Russian calendar this date is listed as the Day of Love, Family and Fidelity. In the past, the church has been very insistent on introducing some of its own, homegrown alternative to the Western Valentine's Day, which allegedly corrupts our youth. In addition, in the country it is necessary to strengthen the family by all means, and these Murom "miraculous saints" they say are revered in Russia precisely as patrons of family life and conjugal love ...Of course, everyone has heard about this new holiday, many are even proud, so to speak, of our home-grown "St. Valentine's Day", but almost the majority of Russians have a vague idea of the very essence of this "holy" holiday, as well as of its culprits - Peter and Fevronia, but since not only the Orthodox Church, but also the former head of state himself, known for his love for "advanced gadgets" and other electronic technologies, Medvedev consecrated the celebration of the day of Peter and Fevronia in Russia with his authority, then a significant number of our ordinary fellow citizens quite seriously considered this pair of "saints" from Murom with the true ideal of the family, conjugal love, friendship, etc., etc.
At the same time, due to usual laziness or naivety, people do not even try to look into the original source - the church life of Peter and Fevronia - but trust the harmonious church version of this story. Orthodox priests and their fans from among the laity do not get tired of painting in the modern media a couple of Murom "miracle workers" in the most attractive colors.
You can find out how the story of Peter and Fevronia sounds by reading the original source of this story - "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom" or in "Academic Studies of the Tale of Peter and Fevronia", which were edited by Academician Panchenko, in which there is both Pryluky and the Peipsi edition, and the Murom edition, which are considered the most complete. In fact, in the text of the lives of these "miracle-workers" from Murom - at least the authentic one dating back to the 16th century - you will find virtually nothing about love, family life, marital fidelity, and so on. Let's remember what we are talking about when we talk about Peter and Fevronia. It should be noted that the very attempts of modern clerics to pass off Peter and Fevronia as some real historical figures who allegedly lived in the 13th century are, in fact, a lie - no Prince Peter , as well as his brother Pavel, who would have ruled in Murom in that century, neither before nor after him, history does not know. Moreover, the chronicles about some miracle worker Fevronia, who allegedly managed to become a Murom princess, are silent.
In fact, in the 13th century, the Murom principality was ruled by the Svyatoslavoviches, a branch of the Rurikovichs - Yuri Vladimirovich, the prince of Murom had three sons - Vladimir, Davyd and Yuri. After the death of Yuri Muromsky, first Vladimir Yuryevich ascended the throne, and after his death, Davyd Yuryevich, who ruled the Principality of Murom for 13 years. As we see, we do not observe any Paul and Peter on the throne of the Principality of Murom in the first half of the 13th century. Pavel, Peter and Fevronia are fictional characters.
However, by and large, in order to be convinced of the obvious far-fetchedness of The Tale of Peter and Fevronia, it is not even necessary to delve into history: just read the text of this life, and everything will fall into place.
This story begins with an absolutely fabulous plot - namely, with a story about the victory of the main character, Peter, over a certain flying "serpent" sent by the devil himself. In itself, such a plot as a duel with a Serpent is a classic for the folklore of various peoples from ancient times - it also exists in Christianity, where it is embodied by George the Victorious and in Russian folk epics, where such reptiles are "wet" with might and main by heroes like Alyosha Popovich or Dobrynya Nikitich ... But if in most of these folklore stories the hero saves his land and compatriots from a really terrible enemy, a dangerous monster that brings evil to many people, then in "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia" from the very beginning we meet with a rather pathetic and an absurd profanation of such an image of the Serpent - one might even say, with some obscene caricature of him. For the local "serpent" is not a threat to the human race as a whole, or to all of Russia, or to the separately taken Murom land and the city of Murom, but appears as an enemy of only one princely family that specifically rules there. This operetta serpent did not burn the city with fire, did not eat people and did not take in a full of beautiful girls: instead of all this, he got into the habit of just "pulling the horns" to Prince Pavel of Murom, the elder brother of the same Peter, who will be discussed below ... Moreover , according to the plot of the Tale, this snake appeared in the bedroom of the prince's wife (unnamed princess) in human form, taking on the guise of her lawful husband Pavel, so that none of the outsiders could suspect anything. It is not clear from the story at what exact moment the princess herself discovered such a scandalous circumstance, but it is mentioned that before she told her husband about everything, "a lot of time passed." One must think that at first the prince's wife was quite satisfied with her satanic lover. Further, when Prince Pavel learns the scandalous truth, he urges his wife to decisively break with the snake, so that she can finally "free herself ... from his evil breath, and sibilance, and other abominations, which are ashamed to say." True, it is not clear from the text how the prince of Murom was able to find out such intimate details of his wife's closeness to the "serpent" - one might think that he was personally present at the same time - however, looking ahead, we say that such a mention is generally the only moment in the whole this supposedly love Tale, at least somehow directly related to the theme of family life ...
But this is not yet a fairy tale itself, but only a "saying", where it is not yet about Fevronia or Peter himself, but only about the misadventures of his brother Pavel. Not only is there no historicity in this plot and there cannot be, this mystical anecdote about a "scandal in a noble family" must be recognized as a rather vulgar beginning for a story about ideal love and marital fidelity, isn't it?
But let's go further: how did the Orthodox prince of the city of Murom behave, finally knowing that some kind of devilish offspring, all of himself so smelly and hoarse, "uses" his beloved wife under his own guise?
Maybe Paul, as befits a medieval hero-knight, signed himself with the sign of the cross and stood with a sword in his hand to guard and defend his marital bed? Not at all, according to the text"Tell ...", this faithful husband was seriously scared, for some reason immediately deciding that he himself would never defeat such a formidable adversary! Therefore, he decided to act slowly, but according to an insidious plan. - He ordered his wife to continue, as before, to intercourse with the ugly snake in order to lull the vigilance of the reptile, to find out from him the way in which you can kill him. - Of course, this plot is also a classic for fairy-tale folklore, meeting already in the biblical legend about Samson and Delilah... destined "from Peter's shoulder, from Agrikov's sword."
Here, for the first time, the notorious Peter, in fact, enters the matter - the brother of the prince, whom Pavel, on the basis of intelligence received from his wife, instructs, in order to save his marital honor, to oppose the insidious snake, as it should be "itching with his shoulder." For this purpose, Peter soon armed himself, respectively, with the "Agric Sword", which very conveniently turned up literally nearby - outside the city in the church of the Vozdvizhensky Monastery for Women - "and from that day he began to look for a convenient time to kill the serpent." Here, however, the problem arose that the latter, as already mentioned at the beginning, appeared in the princess's chambers, taking the form of her husband Pavel. In connection with this circumstance, Peter was in danger of accidentally demolishing the jug of his own brother, the God-anointed ruler of the city of Murom, by mistake with the "Agrikov sword", moreover, right on the bed of his lawful wife - which would be clearly misinterpreted by the majority of ordinary Murom residents as regicide for the purpose of usurpation. throne. In theory, the most reasonable option in such a delicate situation for Pavel would be to completely refrain from visiting his wife during the hunt for a snake - so that Peter, having caught her in the arms of the prince, could immediately chop from his shoulder, being sure that this husband - not real...
In general, for a long time, for a short time, but Peter managed to safely avoid such confusion: having tracked down a vile snake in the prince's chambers, he finished him off in no time with his wonderful Agrikov sword. - The vile satanic reptile, although at first he tried to pretend to be Prince Paul, immediately before his death took on his true appearance: but, dying, he managed to splash Peter with his poisonous blood. The latter, apparently, was not taught that after the murder it was customary to wash, or even better to sprinkle himself with holy water in advance - and because of this oversight of his, Peter soon became covered with scabs and ulcers. Under such completely unthinkable and fantastic circumstances, he "became seriously ill."
This is where the first, introductory part of the "Tale ...", exploiting the hackneyed plot of the victory over the serpent, ends, and the main part of this story begins - it must be admitted, much less fantastic, but much more vulgar.
So, suffering from his serious illness, Peter began to look for a doctor who could heal him, but no one in the Principality of Murom was able to do this. Then the hero-serpent fighter went to the neighboring Ryazan land, and began searching for a healer there. And then one of his servants came across in the village of Laskovo the "very wise" peasant girl Fevronia, who owned a unique gift of healing. Convinced of her abilities, the "lad" told Fevronia about the misfortune of his master, mentioning the reason for his painful condition, that is, the murder of a flying kite he had committed. However, contrary to expectations, the story of such a miraculous feat did not make any special impression on this commoner, because when the servants brought the ulcerated hero to her village, she set a completely cynical and arrogant condition: that she would cure him only if Peter took her as his wife.
As the "Tale ..." says, at first he did not allow the thought of marrying some kind of redneck, however, dreaming of a speedy recovery, he pretended to promise to become her husband if she healed his ulcers. Thus, both main characters of this story, now revered by the Russian Orthodox Church as "saints", behave in this situation absolutely cynically and immorally, guided by a vile calculation: Fevronia is eager to take advantage of a unique opportunity to have a rich noble husband, and Peter, on his part, hopes any at the cost of getting away from such "happiness", trying to frankly cheat a peasant woman who has imagined herself. But in the end, Fevronia, who foresaw all this, outwitted the arrogant prince, and deceived him himself.
Peter agrees and promises to marry. Fevronia, being a not stupid girl, apparently understands that she can be fooled, and she, performing all these manipulations to heal scabs: “And leave one scab unanointed.” That is, she leaves one ulcer, one scab for divorce, her plan is justified. Because, of course, having refused to marry after being cured, Prince Peter leaves, but he does not have time to get to his Murom: “And from that scab many scabs began to disperse on his body. And the whole is aggravated by many scabs and ulcers, as if for the first time. And then he again returns to Fevronia, she again sets a condition for him: either you take me as your wife, or I will not treat you. He agrees, realizing that there is no other way out. And indeed, after the second case, when she treats him, he, fearing, probably, that something else has remained untreated somewhere and there will not be a third time, he really marries her.
Then it gets even funnier. That is, there is no question of any love, no feelings, no relationship - pure blackmail. Fevronia dramatically improves her social and financial situation in this way. Peter is a victim of blackmail, and the object of blackmail is health and life.
Then, this couple lives in Murom for some time. About the further married life of Peter and Fevronia during the years of their reign in Murom, "The Tale ..." speaks very briefly, literally in a few phrases. Moreover, this description does not contain absolutely any specifics relating specifically to the family life of the princely couple, but only gives a set of features characteristic of ideal rulers and, in general, Christian righteous people in medieval literature - they say that they prayed a lot, kept the commandments of the Lord, took care of their subjects, they helped the wanderers and the poor, fed the hungry, and so on and so forth.
Fevronia and Prince Peter, as well as his previously deceased brother Pavel, did not have children: at least, "The Tale ..." for some reason does not mention absolutely anything about them. But Davyd of Murom, whose person is considered the prototype of the prince-serpent fighter Peter, had three children - Evdokia, the future prince Yuri of Murom and Svyatoslav.
Having lived to an advanced age and sensing the approach of death, Peter and Fevronia took the veil as monks: he under the name of David, and she - Euphrosyne. Each of them went to his own monastery - thus, their awkward, tortured marriage nevertheless ended, in the concepts of that time, with a divorce, because in the monastery, of course, no families, no wives and husbands can exist. This childless couple, who came together on the basis of blackmail, is getting divorced, while the marital devotion of Peter and Fevronia, they say, was expressed in their desire to die at the same time as each other, for which they prayed intensely to God ...
And then comes some mythological circus in the style of a zombie apocalypse...
The scene of death is described by life in the best traditions of religious folklore. Monk Peter-David from his monastery sends news to the nun Euphrosyne-Fevronia that he is already dying, but she answers him: they say, wait, let me sew a patterned scarf for the church! He again reports that he is “leaving”, but his ex-wife again says that she has not finished sewing, and this is repeated again ... For the third time, finally, Fevronia spat: without finishing the holy images on the scarf, she stuck it in she sent her needle to Peter in his monastery, after which both of them, as they wished, died on the same day, June 25 (according to the old style), who knows what year, when the Orthodox Church celebrates a holiday in their honor. Before their death, Peter and Fevronia bequeathed to bury them in the same coffin.
They are buried in different coffins, of course. Because a monk and a nun, even in our time, so far no one has come up with a bright idea, to put in one coffin. Therefore, it was decided to bury Fevronia in the suburban convent of the Exaltation, and Peter, who was still a prince before, in the cathedral church of the city of Murom. As soon as this burial takes place, suddenly, in the morning, the inhabitants of Murom discover a monk and a nun in one coffin, in a completely different place. How and how they crawled down in order to lie down in one coffin, both history and life are silent.
The people of Murom were amazed, and there was something to be amazed at - not every day the corpses of dead rulers crawl around the capital at night, they were pulled out of there and again transferred to separate coffins, but the next day they again found the dead in one grave ...
And this happens several times. The Orthodox residents of the city of Murom eventually decided that it was better not to mess with these walking corpses, and left the bodies of Peter and Fevronia alone, in a common coffin, since they like it there so much. - It is not clear why they needed to get divorced in order to then with such persistence seek their reunification after death. This pious narrative ends with the assurance that the relics of these "saints", of course, have the miraculous property of healing the pilgrims who come to them ...
What can be said about this whole semi-crazy story? - That it, like many other church tales, would be extremely vile, if, fortunately, it were not completely fictional! After all, all the main components of the plot are folklore here: both Peter and Pavel as the princes of Murom, and the flying kite, and the ghouls crawling and self-fitting into one coffin - and the very possibility of a simple village servant, albeit with great "reasonableness", to become a princess on Russia of the Middle Ages could only take place in a fairy tale ..
But "the fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it - a lesson for the good fellows!" And what is the hint, what kind of morality is revealed in the "Tale of Peter and Fevronia"? What can she teach modern "well done" and especially "girls"? .. Get married for convenience and thanks to blackmail? Living with a spouse without love and without children? End your family life with a divorce, then go to a monastery, then to be buried together? However, a good example...
It turns out that this childless, divorced couple, who came together because of blackmail, who after death for some reason gathers in the same coffin through Murom mud, has become a symbol of Russian love, family and fidelity. Nothing wilder can be imagined. And for some reason this couple is now made a symbol of love, family and fidelity in Russia. It is very difficult to speak seriously here, because, based on wild dullness, on the fact that no one will ever read, even formally, even the church life. Not to mention some more solid sources. Again, the calculation of dullness.
Even in the modern world, the marriage of Peter and Fevronia is the standard for lovers and married couples. The holiday dedicated to the saints has a rich history and many traditions and customs that are relevant to this day. From our article you will learn about how the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity will be celebrated in 2018.
Since ancient times, Peter and Fevronia have been considered the patrons of the 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 Fidelity is celebrated annually on July 8. The tradition of celebrating this unusual holiday was established back in 2008 and still remains popular.
history of the holiday
According to the legend, once Prince Peter of Murom was overcome by a severe illness that no doctor could heal. Every day the torment of the patient became stronger, and then he was advised to turn to the peasant woman Fevronia. Responding with consent to the request of the prince, the peasant woman demanded that in return Peter take her as his wife. However, as soon as the disease left him, the prince left, breaking his word. After a while, he felt worse, because of which he again needed to go to Fevronia. After the cure, 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 after that they became monks 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 feast of Peter and Fevronia and offer them prayers for family happiness. However, in Russia, 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 be held. It is in this place that everyone can find entertainment to their taste and celebrate the event in an unforgettable way.
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 the churches of our country, during which believers will be able to pray for their families. If you have not yet found your soul mate, turn to the saints with a prayer for love, and if your marriage is on the verge of breaking up, ask Peter and Fevronia to save the family. If your appeals are truly sincere, the Higher powers will surely respond to your requests.
Couples who decide to tie each other in marriage 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 with most holidays, on the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, it is customary to invite guests to the house and set the festive table. However, do not forget that in 2018 the Petrov fast will end only on July 11, which means that dishes from meat, eggs and milk should not be on the table. Since the holiday will take place on Sunday, fish can be served as treats, as well as red wine.
In Russia, on this day, young girls got together and. However, the Orthodox Church does not welcome the conduct of various rituals and divination, so this is not recommended.
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 which you can find your love. We wish happiness to you and your loved ones,and don't forget to press the buttons and
04.07.2018 05:05
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Russian history
Literature
Day of family, love and fidelity: the story of Peter and Fevronia
On July 8, Russia celebrates the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. At the heart of the holiday is the day of remembrance of the saints who are considered the patrons of marriage and family - Peter and Fevronia. What story underlies the holiday, did the saints have real historical prototypes, and why is it difficult to call the love story of Peter and Fevronia beautiful? The answers are in our article.Since 2008, a new holiday has appeared in Russia - the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, which has become a pleasant alternative to the traditional, but European Valentine's Day. The date of June 25 in the old style, and July 8 in the new one was not chosen by chance - this is the day of memory of Peter and Fevronia, the Orthodox patrons of marriage.
"The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom" - the main source that tells us the story
Information about the heroes of the holiday - Peter and Fevronia - we can find in the "Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom", which was created in the era of Ivan the Terrible by the famous author Yermolai-Erasmus.For a long time in history, the question of the author of the story caused fierce controversy. Mainly because of the reality and everyday life described in the story, Soviet historians expressed their fear that the author could not belong to the era of Grozny, but rather worked in the 15th century. Nevertheless, authoritative source scholars insist that the Tale was created in the middle of the 16th century, and the author was a well-known publicist, author of The Book of the Trinity and The Word on the Discussion of Love and Truth and on the Defeat of Enmity and Lies - Yermolai Erasmus.
What do we know about the author?
Yermolai Erasmus, aka Yermolai the Sinful, was a fairly popular author of the 16th century. Little is known about his life, mostly from his own writings. The peak of his writing career, as we would now say, fell in the middle of the century - it was then that the author sent his treatise “The ruler and land surveying to the formidable king” to the formidable king. Erasmus was personally acquainted with the court clerk of Ivan the Terrible - Cyrus Sophronius. Acquaintances and talent allowed Erasmus a little later to get into the group of scribes, gathered by the famous Metropolitan Macarius. Their main task was to create the lives of the saints, organized in the process of preparing new canonizations at the Local Councils of 1447-49.
On behalf of Macarius, the same one who crowned Ivan the Terrible to the kingdom, Yermolai - Erasmus created the "Tale of Peter and Fevronia." Its original name, by the way, is much longer. The full text can be found on the website of the Institute of Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Why was the story written?
The history of the holiday of the Day of family, love and fidelity gives us an excellent reason to turn to the history of our country. Not a single literary work is created “just like that”, and hagiography is a branch of Church Slavonic literature, otherwise, lives, biographies of saints, this is precisely literature.
So, the era of Ivan the Terrible, and indeed the entire 16th century, is a turning point for culture and the church. On the one hand, the church is getting closer to the culture of ordinary laity: characters are finally depicted in books, illustrativeness appears, and not just descriptive. On the other hand, let's remember Ivan the Terrible and his time - the church and its ministers, more than ever, strongly demand the observance of the canons, denying any heresy, including in literature. Now we would say this: “Saints are saints, you don’t need to talk about them as if about people.”
As mentioned above, "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia" was created to be included in the "Great Menaion of the Chetya" - a collection of chronicles and lives, but ... but it was not included. The reasons lie precisely in the peculiarities of the narrative: Erasmus depicts the prince and future princess of Murom as ordinary people with their own passions. True, the metropolitan allowed the work itself to be called a life and “published” - so that after a few years the text was widely spread throughout the country.
In the text of Yermolai-Erasmus itself, there are no direct indications of which Murom princes have in mind. Nevertheless, the great historians Vladimir Osipovich Klyuchevsky and Evgeny Evsigneevich Golubinsky conducted the necessary research in order to assume with a high degree of probability who the publicist is talking about. Apparently, Prince Peter is the Murom prince David Yuryevich, whose reign was at the beginning of the 13th century.
For those who love historical detective stories and finding errors, we have information. The Day of Family, Love and Fidelity is celebrated on July 8 (June 25). In the “Book of the verb description of Russian saints”, which is a whole century older than the Tale itself, it is June 25 that is indicated as the date of death of the saints. But if we look into the chronicle, which contains information about David of Murom, the date will be different. Firstly, for a year, and secondly, April is named the month of the prince's death.
There is also a second version of the prototype of Peter (there is no information at all about the peasant woman Fevronia). According to another historian of the century before last with an interesting surname Kvashin-Samarin, the holy prince Peter is the Murom prince Peter, the ancestor in the future of the very famous boyars Ovtsyn and Volodimirov. But who wouldn't want a saint as an ancestor? Nevertheless, sources offer us facts to confirm this theory: in two Murom synodiks - texts for commemoration - there is information about the life of such a prince and his two brothers. True, the entry itself was made later than the release of The Tale of Peter and Fevronia, and may already be a copy from it.
The third version is contained in the Legend of Vasily of Ryazan and Murom, which refers to the prince and his wife, who lived later than David Yuryevich, but much earlier than Peter from Murom synodikov. Summarizing all three sources, we can say that the historical prototypes of Peter and Fevronia, if they existed, then lived at the end of the 13th century and, alas, are absolutely unknown to us.
Day of family, love and fidelity - an unfavorable beginning of the relationship between Peter and Fevronia
Indeed, if you carefully read the Tale, thinking about the motives of the actions of its characters, it becomes not entirely clear why the story of the relationship between these two characters becomes an ideal representation of marriage. Let's look at the text again.So, the Murom brave Prince Peter kills the Serpent with a sword, which, under the guise of Prince Paul - Peter's brother - comes to his wife. The terrible devil, who took the form of Paul, dies, but his blood falls on Peter. As a result, the prince becomes seriously ill - covered with scabs. Further, everything goes according to the fabulous canon, which Yermolai Erasmus could not help but use. All forces are thrown into the search for a healer, but they do not bring any results. As a result, the prince manages to find Fevronia in the wilderness - the daughter of a honey collector, a humble but wise girl. From this place begins the relationship of heroes.
 "The Life of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom in the Paintings of Alexander Prostev" |
Fevronia does not want to cure the prince "just like that", even knowing that Peter killed the Devil Serpent himself. According to the logic of fairy tales known to us since childhood, the hero must pass the test in order to get a wonderful wife, but he has already passed it! Alas, Fevronia announces the following requirements to the prince's servant: "Here is my word to him: if I do not become his wife, then it is not fitting for me to treat him." Prince Peter does not want to marry a girl "from the forest", and he deceives her: he accepts treatment, but does not fulfill his promise to marry Fevronia. It would seem a sad, but very real ending. Only now Fevronia - the future saint - turns out to be more cunning: she deceives Peter. Passing the potion to Peter's servant, she says the following: “Let them heat a bath for your prince, let him anoint his whole body with it, where there are scabs and ulcers. And let him leave one scab unanointed. And he will be healthy! The prince believes, leaves, sends gifts in response, but from that ill-fated scab, a terrible disease again spreads through the body ... |
Only after that, Peter returns to his healer, and she promises that the prince will be healed as soon as he takes her as his wife. What is happening. Further, the author tells us about the relationship between the prince and Fevronia already married. About the trials that she has to go through because of the envy of noble wives and wicked boyars. In the end, everything ends well, and the life of the pious and faithful Peter and Fevronia, albeit full of doubts and difficulties, can really become an admonishment to future generations.
However, the beginning of the story does not look like an exemplary acquaintance of either two lovers or two saints. The fact is that Yermolai Erasmus, although he does not doubt the holiness of a simple girl - in his story she works many miracles by God's grace, but uses elements of a typical European fairy tale about a cunning peasant woman in her story. Perhaps, wanting to bring life closer to worldly - simple - understanding. This is what makes the Tale of Peter and Fevronia a unique work, and encourages us to think about both marriage and love.
Probably, each of us has heard the names of Peter and Fevronia, Murom miracle workers, who, with their story of eternal love, have become a 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 a legend about the life and death of the miracle workers Peter and Fevronia for several centuries. They spent their entire lives on Murom land. And they are stored there now.
The history of their unusual life, over time, was embellished with fabulous events, and the 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 Yermolai the Sinful. He created a wonderful story dedicated to true eternal love, forgiveness, wisdom and true faith in God.
After the church made a decision to canonize the princes, Metropolitan Macarius ordered to perpetuate their names on paper. As a result, "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia" was written.
This happened in 1547, when the holy spouses of Murom were canonized at a church council.
Peter was the younger brother of the faithful Paul, who reigned at that time in Murom. Once a misfortune befell their family: the prodigal serpent, turning into Paul, got into the habit of going to the prince's wife. And this obsession lasted a long time.
The poor woman could not resist the power of the demon and succumbed to him. Then she told the prince about the meetings with the snake. Paul ordered his wife to ask 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.
Paul shared with his brother the secret of the serpent, after which Peter thought about how he could destroy the adversary. And only one thing stopped him: he did not know what kind of sword he was talking about.
Peter always liked to walk alone in churches. And then one day, he decided to go to a church, located outside the city, in a convent. During the prayer, a youth appeared to him and offered to show Agrikov's sword. The prince, wanting to kill the snake, replied that he wanted to know where the sword was kept and followed him. The lad led the prince to the altar and pointed to a crack in the wall where the weapon lay.
Delighted, Peter took the sword, and then went to his brother to tell him about the miracle that happened to him. From that day on, he waited for the right moment to pay off the serpent.
One day, Peter went into the bedchamber of Paul's wife and found there a snake that had taken on the guise of his brother. Convinced that it was not Paul, Peter plunged his sword into him. The serpent died in its true form, but its blood got on Peter's body and clothes. Since then, the prince began to get sick, and his body was covered with wounds and ulcers. He tried to be healed by various doctors in his land, but none of them could save the prince from his illness.
Life of Saint Fevronia
Peter resigned himself to his illness, leaving his fate in the hands of the Almighty. The Lord, loving his servant, sent him to the lands of Ryazan.
One day, the boy of the prince ended up 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. Going further into the upper room, the youth was struck by an unusual sight: a girl was working on a canvas, and a hare was jumping in front of her.
Seeing the young man who entered, she complained that it was bad if there were no ears in the house, but eyes in the room. The lad, did not understand the mysterious speeches of the girl, and asked her about the owner of the house. Her answer struck him even more, she said that mother and father had gone to weep for a loan, and her brother had gone to look into the eyes of death. The young man again did not understand the words of the girl and told her about it, asking her to explain the cryptic 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. Eyes, she named the child, who could see the guest and also warn the girl. The father and mother, as it turned out, went to the funeral to mourn the deceased, so that when they die, they would come to mourn them. Here is and there is weep on loan. And the brother, being a tree climber, went to collect honey. He will have to climb tall trees and look under his feet so as not to fall. So it turns out that he looks death in the face.
The lad marveled at the girl's wisdom and asked her name. "Fevronya," the girl replied.
The young man told her about the misfortune that befell Prince Peter, saying that the Lord sent him to these lands to seek healing. So he came by order of the prince to find out about the local doctors in order to find someone who would undertake to 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.
Acquaintance of 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 take up the treatment. Whoever heals him, he promised to reward generously.
Fevronia said that she herself wanted to treat him, and she did not need a reward. But if he wants to be healed, then he must marry her, otherwise she will not help him. The prince decided to deceive Fevronia, promising to marry, and after the cure, to abandon his promise.
The girl took the leaven from the bread, breathed on it and gave it to the prince, ordering 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 linen, ordering him to weave a handkerchief and a shirt while he was in the bathhouse. The servant gave the girl this bundle along with the princely order.
Fevronia, however, asked the servant to bring a small log, after which she chopped off a chip from it and handed it over to the prince. Together with a chip, she gave Peter an order to make a loom and all the equipment out of this piece of wood so that she could weave clothes for him on this loom. And you need to do it for the time that she will fight flax.
The servant gave the prince a piece of logs, passing on the girl's answer. Peter sent the servant back to the girl, saying that it was impossible to make a loom out of a piece of wood. After listening to the prince’s answer, Fevronia replied: “But 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, while Peter was surprised at her wisdom.
Listen to the akathist to Peter and Fevronia
Miraculous healing of Peter
The prince did everything as the girl ordered him to do: first he washed himself, then smeared all the scabs except one with leaven from bread. After leaving the bath, he no longer felt pain, and his skin was free from scabs.
The wise Fevronia, who followed the experience of her ancestors, did not accidentally appoint him such a treatment. The Savior also, healing the sick, healing bodily wounds, healed the soul at the same time. So the girl, knowing that diseases are given by the Almighty as a punishment for some sins, prescribed a treatment for the body, actually healing the soul of the prince. And since Fevronia foresaw that Peter would deceive her, driven by her pride, she ordered him to leave one ulcer.
The prince was amazed at such a quick healing and, in gratitude, sent rich gifts to the girl. Peter refused to take a commoner as his wife, as pride and princely origin prevented 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 a recent illness. But as soon as he returned to his patrimony, the disease again overtook him: from the scab remaining on the body, new ulcers began. And after a while, the prince again became covered with ulcers and scabs.
Re-healing and marriage
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 and resentment, simply replied 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, like the first time, prescribed the prince exactly the same treatment. 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 Paul died, Peter took his place, leading Moore. 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 they persuaded their husbands to do dishonest deeds.
At the slander of their wives, the boyars slandered Fevronia, trying to discredit her, and even revolted, suggesting that the girl leave the city, taking everything she wanted. But Fevronia wanted to take only her lover, which greatly pleased the boyars, since each of them aimed at the place of Peter.
marital fidelity
Saint Peter did not violate God's commandments and part with his wife. Then he decided to leave the principality and all the treasures and go with her into voluntary exile.
Peter and Fevronia went down the river on two ships.
One young man, who was with his wife in the same ship with the princess, admired Fevronia. The girl immediately understood what he was dreaming of and asked him to pour water into a ladle and drink water, first from one, then from the other side of the ship.
The man complied with her request, and Fevronia asked if the water from the two buckets was different. The man replied that one water is no different from another. To which Fevronia said that the female nature is also no different and conquered him because he dreams of her, forgetting his own wife. The accused 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, forcing him to believe in a happy outcome.
At this very time, the cook broke down a couple of small trees in order to use them to cook food. 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 Righteous 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, as gentle 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 did not refuse help to anyone, fed the hungry and clothed the naked, healed from diseases and set the lost on the true path.
Blissful demise
When the couple grew old, they simultaneously became monks, choosing the names David and Euphrosyne. They begged God for mercy to appear before him together, and the people were ordered 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 embroidered images of the saints in the air in order to donate her needlework to the church of the Most Holy Theotokos.
David sent a messenger to her with the news that his hour had come and promised to wait for her in order to go to the Almighty together. Euphrosyne asked to give her 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 for long.
When for the third time David sent a message to his beloved wife, that he was already dying, Euphrosyne left the unfinished work, wrapped the needle with thread and stuck it into 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 spouses died, people decided that since they had taken a 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.
They made two coffins for them and left them overnight for funerals in different churches. The coffin, carved from a stone slab, made at their request during the life of the spouses, remained empty.
But when they came to the temples the next morning, people found that the tombs were empty. The bodies of Peter and Fevronia were found in the coffin, which they had prepared in advance.
Unreasonable people, not understanding the miracle that had happened, again tried to separate them, but the next morning Peter and Fevronia were together.
After the miracle happened again, no one tried to bury them separately. The princes were buried in a single coffin, near the church of the Holy Mother of God.
Since then, people who need healing have been constantly coming there. And if they seek help with faith in their hearts, the saints give them health and family well-being. And the story of the eternal love of Peter and Fevronia of Murom is passed down from generation to generation.
Initially, the tomb of the saints was located in the Mother of God-Nativity Cathedral 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, the shrine with the relics of Saints Peter and Fevronia has been in the Trinity Cathedral.
Day 8 July - Feast of Peter and Fevronia
The memory of the noble princes Peter and Fevronia is celebrated on June 25 (July 8, according to a new style). Every summer on this date (July 8), believers celebrate an amazing holiday dedicated to boundless love and eternal devotion.
In 2008 Day of Family, Love and Fidelity officially established as a national holiday. Orthodox Temples on this day hold a service dedicated to the holy spouses and once again remind all believers of their life, which is an eternal example of fidelity and love for all families.
That is why this holiday is also called the Day of Peter and Fevronia of Murom.
You can find out more about the Holy Trinity Monastery, where the miraculous relics of the blessed princes Peter and Fevronia are currently stored.
And one more amazing holiday is celebrated on Murom land. On August 23, 2004, the Day of Charity and Mercy was held for the first time. It took place with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II in the Murom Diocesan Monastery (Murom, Vladimir Region).
In 1604 (400 years ago) the holy righteous Juliana Lazarevskaya (Osoryina), who became famous for her amazing mercy and ascetic life in the world, died. And ten years later, it was on this day, August 10/23, 1614, that the relics of the saint were uncovered. In the same year, Righteous Juliana was canonized as a saint.
Therefore, it is no coincidence that the choice of the day for the establishment of a new public and church holiday for our country fell on August 23 - the day of finding the relics of St. Righteous Juliana.
