St. Alexandra's Day is celebrated according to the church calendar simultaneously with the feast of the Great Martyr George - April 23. This date has been known since the 10th century; it was recorded in the Typicon of the Great Church. The date is associated with the death of the saint on April 21, 303, but the commemoration began to be held two days later.
The Life of the Holy Martyr Alexandra
The Orthodox saint Alexandra is mentioned in the life of the great martyr George the Victorious as the queen and wife of the Roman emperor Diocletian (303) - an ardent follower of idolatry and persecutor of Christianity, according to whose orders all churches were to be destroyed, church books were burned, and church property was transferred to the state. Every Christian had to make sacrifices to the emperor and pagan gods. They were tortured, imprisoned, and executed for refusal.
At a meeting of the tsar and princes on the killing of innocent Christians, St. George was not afraid to oppose this outrage. The spears with which the saint was expelled from the congregation became soft as tin and did not harm the martyr. George was sentenced to wheeling. After the execution of the sentence, the Angel of the Lord healed his wounds. Each time, after the sophisticated torture and torment that Diocletian invented for St. George the Victorious in revenge for his firm Christian faith, the great martyr was healed miraculously, invoking God in prayer. With the help of God, he raised the dead and cast out demons from idols. Watching the exploits of St. George, St. Alexander believed in Christ and began to openly practice her faith. At the feet of the martyr, she boldly ridiculed pagan gods, thereby incurring the wrath of her husband.
For refusing to serve idols, Diocletian pronounced the confessors of Christ a death sentence in the form of truncation with a sword. Saint Alexander meekly followed George, reading prayers to herself and looking up at the sky. On the way, she asked for rest and, leaning on the building, died quietly. This happened on April 21, 303 in Nicomedia.
Patroness of Russian monarchs
Saint Alexander was especially revered in the family of Russian monarchs as the patroness of two empresses: Alexandra Fedorovna - the wife of Nicholas I, Alexandra Fedorovna - the wife of Nicholas II. During their reign, a number of churches in the name of Tsarina Alexandra were built and consecrated in Moscow.
Church of the Great Martyr in Peterhof
In 1854, the church of St. Alexandra on Babi Gon began to be built. With the ceremonial laying on August 11, with the participation of Emperor Nicholas I, a stone was laid from the holy banks of the Jordan. In the future, this temple will become a favorite place for prayer of the imperial family. The five-domed stone church was distinguished by its unique beauty. In the architecture of the temple was used one of the most beautiful elements of ancient Russian architecture - “kokoshniki”.
The carved wooden iconostasis - a gift from Emperor Nicholas I - was a real decoration of the church. A lot of money was spent on the construction of the temple. The delivery of materials uphill required significant costs. The solemn consecration of the church of the Holy Martyr Alexandra was attended by Nicholas I and members of the royal family. In his speech at the end of the Divine Service, the emperor thanked everyone who participated in the construction.
The Church of St. Alexandra on the Babigonsky heights was designed for about 500 people praying. In the church there was a bodyguard from red Siberian jasper, utensils made of precious stones, gold and silver.
Temple destruction
Divine services in the church in the name of St. Alexandra took place until 1940, until a proposal was received to turn this holy place into an entertainment club. But the war did not allow the implementation of the plans. The temple was repeatedly bombarded, and bombing caused significant damage to the church.
After the war, the temple was transferred to the state farm workshop, while the basement was adapted for a vegetable store. Only in 1991 the building was returned to the diocese. At the beginning of the restoration, the church of the Holy Martyr Alexandra was a sad sight: the five-domed completion was lost, there was no head of the large dome and small chapels, the tent of the bell tower with the head was demolished, the picturesque decoration of the church and the carved iconostasis disappeared, the spiral staircase was destroyed , there were no windows or doors .
Temple restoration
In 1998, for the first time after such a long break in the church of the Holy Martyr Alexandra, Divine service was performed. This momentous event happened on the feast day. And a year later, from April 1999, divine services began to be held regularly. Work is still underway to restore its original appearance.
Other temples in the name of St. Alexandra
In St. Petersburg there is also the Putilov Church, built in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the martyress of Tsarina Alexandra. In 1925 it was closed, domes and crosses were demolished. Later the church was turned into a club, in 1940 it was transferred to the regional motor transport school, and after the war - to a haberdashery enterprise.
In the 90s, the process of returning the building of the Russian Orthodox Church began. In 2006, the 100th anniversary of the Putilov Church was celebrated. In the same year, the first service was held after an 80-year hiatus. Now in the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Martyr Queen Empress Alexandra, divine services are held regularly.
In honor of the holy martyr, many metropolitan military schools were consecrated before the revolution. On Znamenka there used to be the Alexander Military School. His church was built in honor of St. Alexandra. In 1833, the church was consecrated at the Alexandrinsky Palace in the Neskuchny Garden in the name of Alexandra Roman.
In 1895-1899, the church of the Holy Martyr Queen Empress Alexandra was erected in the village. Muromtsevo Vladimir region. The temples consecrated in her honor are also abroad. For example, in Armenia, Ukraine, Germany, Finland, Hungary.
Icons
Saint Alexander, whose icon is located in St. Petersburg in Peterhof, in the Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Spas on Blood), the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, in the State Tretyakov Gallery, in St. Nicholas Monastery in Saratov and in other churches of Russia and beyond, was an example of love for God and piety.
The Great Martyr is usually depicted on icons in royal clothing and a crown, often with a cross in her hand. There are many single-person images.
The face of Queen Alexandra, we also see on other icons and murals of temples. So, the martyr is captured on the icon “Selected Saints”, which is located in the Central Museum of Old Russian Art . Andrei Rublev. The icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Holy Queen Alexandra is located in the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The image of the martyr is in the mosaic of Bryullov in the main iconostasis of St. Isaac's Cathedral, in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Savior on Blood) and in other places.
What does the saint help
Empress Alexander of Rome pray for the salvation of the soul and deliverance from all evil, the strengthening of faith. The Great Martyr will help all the afflicted, seeking answers to difficult life questions, and protect against betrayal. Strongly mating action of icons with the image of a saint, which helps to strengthen the bonds of marriage, maintain good relations in the family.