Not so long ago, a new folk-Orthodox holiday was established in Russia - the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. Its date falls on July 8th. This number was not chosen by chance. On this day, the Murom spouses Peter and Fevronia, who are the patrons of marriage, are honored. Who were these people during their lifetime?
Apart from the legends of the Murom land, the poetic story of Yermolai the Sinister tells about the life of the Monks Peter and Fevronia. It was written at the request of Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow and timed to coincide with the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, where the spouses were numbered among the host of saints.
According to legend, the dying serpent-tempter sprinkled blood on the younger brother of the Murom prince - Peter. From which his whole body was covered with non-healing wounds that no doctor could heal. The young prince was healed by the daughter of a honey collector named Fevronia, having prepared a healing ointment for him. According to the girl's terms, Peter was supposed to marry her after her recovery, but he decided to pay off with rich gifts. But Fevronia did not accept them. After a while, the disease returned to the prince. He was forced to turn to the girl again for help and this time he kept his word.
Soon Paul died, and the princely power passed to Peter. The boyars were unhappy with the low origin of the princess. They offered her to take whatever she wants and leave the city. Fevronia took only her husband. After they left the city, bloodshed began. Residents of the city begged the spouses to come back.
The princely couple ruled Murom justly: the spouses decorated churches, reconciled the warring ones, helped the needy, were faithful and devoted to each other: Peter did not leave Fevronia for the sake of human slander and complaints, and she, in turn, did not leave him in difficult times. They lived to a ripe old age. At the end of their lives they were tonsured and ordered to bury them together. Peter and Fevronia died in the same day and hour. But the last covenant of the spouses was not fulfilled: they were placed in separate coffins and taken to different churches. However, the deceased were soon found together. People tried several times to separate the bodies of Peter and Fevronia, but they still ended up close.
Although the life of the righteous is written on the basis of legends, there are chronicles (for example, Voskresenskaya and others) confirming the fact that Murom was ruled by a prince in 1203, who was cured by a girl from a simple class, who later became his wife. Fevronia (Euphrosinia) helped Peter (David) with practical advice, and was also involved in charity work. They ruled for 25 years, they had two sons and a grandson. According to chronicles, the eldest son Yuri and grandson Oleg died during the battle with the Volga-Kama Bulgars, and the youngest son Svyatoslav died a few days before the death of his parents.
The veneration of Peter and Fevronia began long before their canonization. As early as the 15th century, services were held for these saints. In 1446, the Murom spouses became the patrons of the Russian tsars.
For the first time, as an ideal married couple, Peter and Fevronia are mentioned in the message of Metropolitan Macarius to Tsar Ivan IV. Ivan the Terrible venerated the saints also as assistants in military affairs.
Over the centuries, many of the highest persons came to venerate the relics of the Murom miracle workers: Tsarina Irina Godunova, Peter I, Catherine II, Nicholas I, Alexander II and many others. To this day, thousands of people come to Murom to venerate the holy relics of the spouses. And the clergy keep a special book in which they record the miracles that happen to believers after the prayer to Peter and Fevronia.
