In the Orthodox calendar you can find one very amazing day - the feast of Peter and Fevronia, the history of which is so beautiful and interesting that it cannot be left without attention of the modern generation. Honoring the memory of Peter and Fevronia of Murom takes place on July 8. This date was approved in 2008 by the Federation Council of Russia. The initiator of this event was the wife of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Svetlana. She also came up with a holiday symbol - daisies.
Peter and Fevronia of Murom. History of holiness
The conjugal union of Peter and Fevronia became an indicative example of a Christian marriage, therefore these saints are venerated by his patrons. It is very important to note that not a single truly Orthodox person will be left indifferent by the history of Saints Peter and Fevronia. People with great joy and response in the heart perceive this holiday. The story of Peter and Fevronia is simply amazing, and God's providence is clearly traced in it.
Peter and Fevronia died on the same day - June 25, 1228 according to the old calendar (July 8 according to the new one). Their bodies, left in different temples, somehow miraculously appeared in one coffin, prepared by them in advance. People regarded this as a great miracle. In 1547, Peter and Fevronia of Murom, whose history is simply amazing, were canonized. Today, their holy relics are stored in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the Holy Trinity Monastery of Murom.
Truly the city of Murom is rich in various epic heroes. Everyone perfectly remembers the hero Ilya of Muromets, but few people know that his holy relics are stored in burial caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
Poetic story
The love story of Saints Peter and Fevronia has existed for many centuries on Murom’s land. Over time, the true story of these faithful and reverend miracle workers has grown into fabulous outlines that merged with parables and legends of this land. Today in Murom there is a cancer with the relics of the married couple of saints Peter and Fevronia, and pilgrims come to them from everywhere to honor their memory, ask for help and pray.
The story of the life of the faithful Peter and Fevronia was written by the clergyman Yermolai the Sinful - a brilliant writer who lived in the era of John the Terrible. The story of Peter and Fevronia in the original interpretation of the writer acquired the colors of folklore and became a poetic story of love and wisdom, which are given only to a pure heart from God and the Holy Spirit.
About love and fidelity
This amazing story of Peter and Fevronia began at a time when Prince Paul ruled on Russian soil in the city of Murom. And he had a beautiful wife, to whom the devil, in his dislike and hatred of the human race, began to send a winged serpent to fornication. Using his unclean magical power, he appeared before her in the image of a prince. The wife did not hide such obsession from her husband and said that the treacherous serpent possessed her by cunning. The annoyed prince did not know what to do with the villain of darkness. However, he ordered his wife to find out flattering speeches from an insidious tempter about whether he knew what death would come to him from. When once again a serpent appeared to her, the princess found out from him that death was prepared for him from the shoulder of Petrov and Agrikov’s sword.
Savior Peter
She immediately told Prince Paul about all this. The same one called for his own brother Peter and began to share his thoughts with him. Peter immediately realized that it was he who was destined to kill the snake. However, he was really confused only by the fact that he did not have Agrikov’s sword.
But at that time, Peter, all alone, loved to go to churches and pray. Once he ended up in a convent, in the church of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, and a young lad came up to him and told the prince that he knew where the treasured weapon was hidden. And, leading Peter to the altar wall, he pointed him to the place between the plates where Agrikov’s sword lay. Peter took it and went to his brother to tell him everything and think about a plan for the next action.
And when Peter came to his brother Paul, and then went to his daughter-in-law to pay his respects, he noticed that Prince Paul was somehow in an incredible way at once in two places, in his chambers and with his wife. Peter immediately saw through the snake’s cunning in his reincarnation and, of course, not without God's help killed the monster.
Acquaintance with Fevronia
But the story of Peter and Fevronia did not end there. After the blows of the sword, the serpent took on its real atrocious appearance, fluttered and died, splashing Prince Peter with its blood. From this the whole prince was covered with fetid scabs, terrible ulcers covered his body. Since that time, all close associates have knocked down, searched for doctors around the world, but not one has taken up his treatment.
One day, one of his youths went to Ryazan lands, where there were many healers, and ended up in a small village called Laskovo, in which he met a very wise young girl named Fevronia. She promised to cure Prince Peter if he would be sincere and humble in her thoughts. And she commanded to bring him to her.
When the prince came to Fevronie, he began to promise her a huge reward. But she told him that he would cure him if he would marry her. And the prince misled, promising to take her as a wife for healing. Then the girl scooped up a cup of sourdough, then blew on it and ordered the prince to drown the bath and anoint her sick body with it, but only so that one scab would remain anonymous.
Peter did just that, and the disease immediately receded. However, the prince was in no hurry to fulfill the main condition and soon again the whole covered with ulcers. Then he still had to marry Fevronia. After that, they left for Murom and healed there according to God's commandments.
Leave to return
After the death of Prince Paul, his brother Peter took over as governor of the city. But the princess was disliked by the boyars, and once, having drunk wine for courage, they came to her and asked her to take whatever her soul desired and leave their city. But she did not take the riches, but asked one thing - to give her her faithful Peter to her.
The boyars even rejoiced at such a turn of affairs, because in my heart everyone dreamed of taking the throne of the prince. Well, what is decided is decided. The pious prince Peter did not violate the laws of God and wished to leave with his wife. They sat in a boat and sailed along the Oka River. The gracious intercessor did not leave them in trouble. Adhering to one shore, they stopped for the night. Nobles from Murom appeared immediately and tearfully asked them to return, as the struggle for power led to strife and death between the boyars.
Blessed Peter and Fevronia with great humility returned to the city of Murom and began to rule there happily ever after. When they got old, they decided to take a vow of monasticism, and when they received tonsure received the names of David and Euphrosyne. And then together they began to pray to the Lord that He would send them death at the same time. The pious couple wanted to be buried together. A special coffin for two with a partition in the middle was even prepared in advance. But after their death, people in their cells considered it unholy to bury the monks in one coffin and did not fulfill the will of the deceased. Their bodies were left twice in different temples, but in the morning they always somehow miraculously ended up together in one coffin. Then it was decided to bury them together.
That's how Peter and Fevronia of Murom, whose love story deserves respect and recognition, became the patrons of the family, love and fidelity. And now, every believer can come to the Murom Holy Trinity Convent to worship their holy relics.
Many Orthodox are helped by Peter and Fevronia of Murom. The story of eternal love will forever remain in the heart of everyone who could ever hear or read it.