Saint Piotr and Fevronia

July 8th is the day of Saint Peter and Saint Fevronia, also known here as the day of family, love and faithfulness.

The little church just up the road, on Bolshaya Nikitskaya, was heaving with women coming and going, many of them with bunches of white daisies, and stalls set up outside selling icons and bibles and books and I finally plucked up the courage to ask the lady that was sitting outside asking for money what was going on.

She told me that today was the Saints Day for Saint Peter and Saint Fevronia. According to the tale Peter was the son of the Duke and he fell in love with and married Fevronia who was a peasant girl. The nobles of the time disliked Fevronia and refused to be ruled by a peasant so Peter relinquished power and went with Fevronia into exile. Some time later after quarrels amongst the nobles about who should be in power they were invited back.

As they aged it is said that they took vows in separate monasteries and asked God to die on the same day. They both died on July 8th 1228 and had requested to be buried together. The monks ignored this request though and their bodies were taken to different churches. The next day they were, however, found together. Since then the history of Peter and Fevronia is the embodiment of unquenchable love and loyalty.