Peter and Fevronia of Murom. Gallery of Shchigry icons.
Peter and Fevronia of Murom are spouses, saints, the brightest personalities of Holy Russia, who reflected its spiritual values and ideals with their lives.
Life history of St. miracle workers, the faithful and reverend spouses Peter and Fevronia, existed for many centuries in the traditions of the Murom land, where they lived and where their honest relics were preserved. Over time, the true events acquired fabulous features, merging in the people's memory with the legends and parables of this region. Now researchers are arguing about which of the historical figures the life is written about: some are inclined to believe that they were Prince David and his wife Euphrosinia, in monasticism Peter and Fevronia, who died in 1228, others see in them the spouses Peter and Euphrosinia, who reigned in Murom in 14th century
Memorable places associated with the names of Peter and Fevronia.
In Murom, in the Holy Trinity Convent, there is a shrine with the relics of Murom saints. Peter and Fevronia.
Pilgrims constantly come here to venerate the relics of the most famous Russian holy couple, patrons of the family and marriage.
Recorded a story about blgv. Peter and Fevronia in the 16th century. priest Yermolai the Sinful (monastic Erasmus), a talented writer, widely known in the era of Ivan the Terrible. Having preserved folklore features in his life, he created an amazingly poetic story about wisdom and love - the gifts of the Holy Spirit with a pure heart and humble in God.
Rev. Peter was the younger brother of the blgv who reigned in the city of Murom. Paul. Once a misfortune happened in Paul's family - at the instigation of the devil, a kite began to fly to his wife. The woeful woman, who had succumbed to the demonic power, told her husband about everything. The prince ordered his wife to find out from the villain the secret of his death. It turned out that the death of the adversary "is destined from Peter's shoulder and Agrikov's sword." Upon learning of this, Peter immediately decided to kill the rapist, relying on God's help. Soon, during a prayer in the temple, it was revealed where Agrikov's sword was kept, and, having tracked down the snake, Peter struck it. But before his death, the snake splashed the victor with poisonous blood, and the prince's body was covered with scabs and ulcers.
No one could heal Peter from a serious illness. Enduring torment with humility, the prince surrendered to God in everything. And the Lord, taking care of His servant, sent him to the Ryazan land. One of the young men sent in search of a doctor accidentally went into the house, where he found a lonely girl named Fevronia, the daughter of a poison dart frog, who had the gift of clairvoyance and healing, at work. After all the questions, Fevronia punished the servant: "Bring your prince here. If he is sincere and humble in his words, he will be healthy!"
The prince, who himself could no longer walk, was brought to the house, and he sent to ask who wants to cure him. And he promised that if he cured him, a big reward. “I want to cure him,” Fevronia answered bluntly, “but I don’t demand any reward from him. Here’s my word to him: if I don’t become his wife, then it’s not fitting for me to treat him.” Peter promised to marry, but in his heart he was cunning: the pride of the princely family prevented him from agreeing to such a marriage. Fevronia scooped up bread leaven, blew on it and ordered the prince to take a bath and grease all the scabs except one.
The blessed maiden had the wisdom of the Holy Fathers and prescribed such treatment not by chance. Just as the Lord and Savior, healing lepers, the blind and the paralyzed, healed the soul through bodily ailments, so Fevronia, knowing that diseases are allowed by God into testing and for sins, prescribed a cure for the flesh, implying a spiritual meaning. Bath, according to St. Scripture, the image of baptism and the cleansing of sins (Eph. 5:26), while the Lord Himself likened the Kingdom of Heaven to leaven, which souls, whitened by the bath of baptism, inherit (Luke 13:21). Since Fevronia saw the cunning and pride of Peter, she ordered him to leave one scab unoiled as evidence of sin. Soon, from this scab, the whole disease resumed, and the prince returned to Fevronia. The second time he kept his word. "And they arrived in their fiefdom, the city of Murom, and began to live piously, in no way transgressing God's commandments."
After the death of his brother, Peter became autocrat in the city. The boyars respected their prince, but the arrogant boyar wives disliked Fevronia, not wanting to have a peasant woman as their ruler, taught their husbands unkind things. The boyars tried to raise all sorts of slanders against the princess, and once they rebelled and, having lost their shame, offered Fevronia, taking whatever she wanted, to leave the city. The princess wanted nothing but her husband. The boyars rejoiced, because each secretly aimed at the prince's place, and they told their prince about everything. Blessed Peter, having learned that they wanted to separate him from his beloved wife, chose to voluntarily give up power and wealth and go into exile with her.
The couple sailed down the river in two boats. A certain man, sailing with his family along with Fevronia, stared at the princess. The holy wife immediately guessed his thought and gently reproached: "Draw water from one and the other side of the boat," the princess asked. "Is the water the same or is one sweeter than the other?" “The same,” he answered. “So the nature of a woman is the same,” said Fevronia. “Why, having forgotten your wife, are you thinking about someone else?” The accused was embarrassed and repented in his soul.
In the evening they moored to the shore and began to settle down for the night. "What will happen to us now?" - Peter thought sadly, and Fevronia, a wise and kind wife, affectionately consoled him: "Do not grieve, prince, the merciful God, the Creator and Protector of all, will not leave us in trouble!" At this time, the cook began to prepare supper and, in order to hang the cauldrons, he cut down two small trees. When the meal was over, the princess blessed these stumps with the words: "May they be big trees in the morning." And so it happened. By this miracle, she wanted to strengthen her husband, foreseeing their fate. After all, if “there is hope for a tree that, even if it is cut down, it will come to life again” (Job 14: 7), then a person who hopes and trusts in the Lord will have a blessing both in this life and in the next.
Before they had time to wake up, ambassadors arrived from Murom, begging Peter to return to reign. The boyars quarreled over power, shed blood, and now they were again looking for peace and tranquility. Blzh. Peter and Fevronia with humility returned to their city and ruled happily ever after, doing alms with prayer in their hearts. When old age came, they became monks with the names David and Euphrosyne and begged God to die at the same time. They bequeathed to bury themselves together in a specially prepared coffin with a thin partition in the middle.
They died on the same day and hour, each in his cell. People considered it impious to bury monks in one coffin and dared to violate the will of the deceased. Twice their bodies were smashed across different temples, but twice they miraculously ended up side by side. So they buried the holy spouses together near the Cathedral Church of the Nativity Holy Mother of God and every believer received generous healing here.
Despite the fact that Saints Peter and Fevronia lived at the beginning of the distant 13th century, the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity is a very young holiday. In 2008, the wife of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Svetlana, put forward the initiative for this celebration, and it was supported State Duma. By the way, it was Svetlana Vladimirovna who came up with the symbol of this day - a camomile.
Photo: www.globallookpress.com
So were there really historical figures like Peter and Fevronia, or is it all a tribute to the legend?
The Tale of the Fire Serpent and the Wise Maiden
In the annals, according to historians, such a historical character as Prince Peter of Murom does not exist. However, there was Prince David of Murom and his wife, who took tonsure in old age, and in monasticism were called Peter and Fevronia.
The spouses were canonized in 1547 and only after that the work of Yermolai Erasmus, one of the great chroniclers, “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” was born, it is this Tale that underlies all the legends that tell about an unparalleled marital union and marital fidelity.
In fact, this Tale is based on two ancient Russian legends - the tale of the flying fiery serpent and the tale of the wise maiden.
But first things first. Before talking about Peter and Fevronia, you need to remember that Peter had an older brother - Prince Pavel. It is his story married life and served as the beginning of all events: “... the winged serpent began to fly to the wife of that prince for fornication. And with his magic before her, he appeared in the form of the prince himself. This obsession continued for a long time. The wife, however, did not hide this and told the prince, her husband, about everything that had happened to her. The evil serpent took possession of her by force.
Paul began to look for ways to destroy the snake, and his wife deceived the snake that he would die "by Peter's hand and Agric's sword."
Pavel went to his brother Peter and told him about his misfortune, but the brothers didn’t know what “Agrikov’s sword” was. But even here God helped the well-behaved brothers - such a sword was found in one of the churches near Murom. When Peter killed the snake, blood splashed on him and the younger prince fell ill with leprosy.
Peter kills the snake Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
For a long time, Peter was treated to no avail, until they told him that the daughter of a beekeeper and the Ryazan region, Fevronia, could help him. The girl promised to help the prince, and for the service she asked him to marry her. Peter agreed, Fevronia cured him, but did not heal one ulcer on purpose. Returning home, Peter did not think to fulfill his promise, since Fevronia was a commoner and the disease resumed.
The second time he came to Fevronia, the prince fulfilled his promise and married a girl.
The life of the spouses was not easy, after the death of the elder brother, Peter ascended the throne of Murom. The boyars were very unhappy that the princess was a peasant family and forced Peter to abdicate.
The Parable of the Water
The couple left Murom, sailing along the Oka in a boat, Fevronia noticed that one of the fellow travelers was looking at her with undisguised interest.
“She, immediately guessing his bad thoughts, rebuked him, saying to him: “Draw water from this river from this side of this ship.” He drew. And she ordered him to drink. He drank. Then she said again: "Now draw water from the other side of this ship." He drew. And she ordered him to drink again. He drank. Then she asked: “Is the water the same or is one sweeter than the other?” He answered: "The same, lady, water." After that, she said: “So the nature of women is the same. Why are you, forgetting about your wife, thinking about someone else? And this man, realizing that she had the gift of clairvoyance, did not dare to indulge in such thoughts anymore.
And then the inhabitants of Murom caught up with the prince and princess and told them how many boyars killed each other in the struggle for the principality and begged the couple to return to the throne. They still ruled for a long time in piety and fidelity.
Monument to Peter and Fevronia Photo: wikimapia.org
In their declining years, they decided to retire to a monastery, Peter took the name David, and Fevronia became Euphrosyne in monasticism.
They prayed to God to die on the same day and hour, and so it happened - on June 25, 1228, the lady's wife died. Despite the fact that they bequeathed to bury them in the same coffin with a thin partition, they were buried separately, but the very next day they were together again.
“After their repose, people decided to bury the body of Blessed Prince Peter in the city, at the cathedral church of the Most Pure Theotokos, while Fevronia was buried in a suburban convent, at the Church of the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, saying that since they became monks, they cannot be put in one coffin. And they made separate coffins for them, in which they laid their bodies: the body of St. Peter, named David, was placed in his coffin and placed until morning in the city church of the Holy Mother of God, and the body of St. Fevronia, named Euphrosyne, was placed in her coffin and placed in a country church Exaltation of the honest and life-giving cross. Their common coffin, which they themselves ordered to be carved out of one stone, remained empty in the same city cathedral church of the Most Pure Mother of God. But the next day, in the morning, people saw that the individual coffins in which they had placed them were empty, and their holy bodies were found in the city cathedral church of the Most Pure Mother of God in their common coffin, which they ordered to be made for themselves during their lifetime. Unreasonable people, both during their lifetime and after the honest death of Peter and Fevronia, tried to separate them: they again transferred them to separate coffins and again separated them. And again in the morning the saints found themselves in a single tomb. And after that, they no longer dared to touch their holy bodies and buried them near the city cathedral church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God, as they themselves commanded - in a single coffin, which God granted for enlightenment and for the salvation of that city: those who fall with faith to the cancer with their relics generously get healed."
Here is such a legend, and it is also interesting that, according to legend, Peter took in monasticism the name of the real-life prince of Murom, David Yuryevich. This is how fact and fiction intertwine.
Since 1547, Peter and Fevronia have been considered the patrons of Orthodox marriage, although weddings are not played on this day, so the day of their commemoration falls on Peter's fast.
When did Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom live? Why are they so revered in Russia and why are they considered protectors of married couples? Life of Saints Peter and Fevronia: we tell the most important thing.
When Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom Lived
Saints Peter and Fevronia lived in the XII-XIII centuries. Russia at that time was not a single Empire, but was fragmented into many principalities. Each principality lived by its own interests, traditions, charter.
All this could be called a country conditionally, since the princes often fought among themselves. In fact, the principalities were united only by the fact that they were all Slavic, and all were under the wing of the Russian Orthodox Church. (Sometimes additional unity between the principalities could be created by the fact that they were ruled by close relatives (brothers, fathers and children), but more often it did not, and brother often rebelled against brother).
At the same time, such a phenomenon as locally revered saints was widespread. These are ascetics who were well known and revered in a separate principality, but about whom the neighbors knew nothing. Peter and Fevronia were just like that for the Murom land. They were canonized by the Church only in the 16th century, when by that time Russia had already finally become a full-fledged single strong kingdom: with a single law, a single ruler and a single saint.
Saints Peter and Fevronia: what is known about them?
Almost nothing - and precisely because of the fragmentation of the country. The Murom principality belonged to the province - the annals in it, unlike Novgorod or Kyiv, were almost not conducted or not preserved. The inhabitants of Murom knew well what was happening to them, and the memory of important events transmitted from mouth-to-mouth and from generation to generation, but nothing left the lands.
However, the fact that Peter and Fevronia were canonized suggests that the Church had enough evidence of their spiritual feat - even if only rare traditions have survived to our time. (But in fact, there is only one “Legend of Peter and Fevronia of Murom”, which is also not fully proven who exactly wrote it).
Life of Peter and Fevronia briefly
In general, everything that is known about the life of Peter and Fevronia of Murom can be summarized in a few theses:
- Saint Peter was from a princely family. (Researchers still do not know exactly which prince of Murom they are talking about, because Peter is the name that the saint received during monastic tonsure, shortly before his death. But what was his name "in the world"?)
- One day, Peter became very (perhaps fatally) ill. Doctors shrugged their shoulders. He was cured by a simple believing girl from the village, but on the promise that he, the prince, would take her as his wife.
- Peter married her only "from the second time." At first he refused this promise and tried to simply give Fevronia a present, but soon he fell ill again with the same disease and they got married only after that.
- Peter and Fevronia lived in peace and respect for each other, lived according to the Commandments, and tried to rule Murom according to the laws of Love and truth.
- At the same time, all the boyars, and especially their wives, were embarrassed that Princess Fevronia had a simple origin. How can you obey her?
- The discontent was so strong that at some point Peter and Fevronia had to go into exile, having gone through many hardships. However, they were soon asked to return, because Murom was mired in strife without them.
- Shortly before his death, Peter and Fevronia went to the monastery.
- They died on the same day.
- Despite the fact that the spouses were buried separately, the next night the bodies of the spouses turned out to be in one coffin - which they made for themselves shortly before their death.
Love of Peter and Fevronia
Such is their life path. If in in general terms- then these facts do not say anything about holiness, because, apart from the incorruptible relics, no other evidence of the miraculous effect of Grace on them has been preserved. They are not known to heal anyone; references to some external supernatural events, apart from their joint repose in the same coffin, also did not survive.
However, the canonization of saints in the Church is not only a tribute to the ascetic and his miracles, but a great collection of inspiring examples of how one can come to holiness in various life, social and historical circumstances.
Saints Peter and Fevronia are an example of how one can acquire the Grace of the Holy Spirit through marriage, as well as evidence that holiness is possible not only among the poor and wretched, monks or wanderers, but even among rulers. The ways of the Lord are inscrutable, and life in Christ is possible everywhere, and not only in a monastery or a desert, since holiness is built not by external circumstances, but by the inner structure of a person.
So, what can the life of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom inspire?
Very much!
"Lessons" of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom
The responsibility of a man for a given word
Someone says that all this is not very similar to Orthodox life: Fevronia married Peter "by force and with conditions" - through his illness.
However, this story is not about the "ultimatum", but about the "man's word" and the responsibility of a man to a girl - their relationship has not reached any extent.
He promised to marry - marry, otherwise do not promise.
You are courting a girl - do not deceive her with your courtship, do not pass off frivolity as love.
And in general, bear responsibility for every act in a relationship, like a man, and let this principle become not a cage for you, but the core and foundation for gaining strong, real, love.
Because it is responsibility that distinguishes a man from a boy, and where there is a man, there will always be a woman's love for him.
"Sickness for Good"
The story of Peter's illness gives another parting word. Behind every event in our life lies the Providence of God for us - even if it is a serious illness or other sorrow.
After all, if we judge: if Peter had not fallen ill, would he have met the peasant woman Fevronia? Probably not. And even if he had met, would their marriage have become possible, even if it didn’t happen right away even under the conditions of “healing”? It is clear that it is impossible.
And if Peter Fevronia had not found, would he have been able to go his way to holiness? Hardly…
What a good lesson this is for us: do not despair and accept difficulties and sorrows with peace! Because in them - if you look - all the care of the Lord about eternal life for us.
Let it be difficult for the human mind to understand and hard to believe ...
The sanctity of trust between spouses. Miracle of St. Fevronia with crumbs
Tradition says that the boyars always suspected Fevronia of witchcraft. First, she was able to heal Peter when no one else could. Secondly, they did not understand many of her habits. For example, the boyars drew Peter's attention to the fact that his wife was collecting crumbs from the table in her palm. Fevronia simply treated all food with trepidation, as a gift from God, but the people around thought out who knows what ...
Once Peter heeded the suspicion of the boyars and asked Fevronia to open her hand. The princess obeyed, but in her hand, instead of crumbs, there was blessed incense. After that, Peter never "checked" his wife and did not listen to any talk about her.
This lesson goes deeper than just a story about suspicion. It is about total trust, which is established between spouses by the Grace of the Holy Spirit. Trust, which is built not only on respect for each other, but also on trust in the Providence of God, which can be expressed not only in right decisions spouse (or spouses), but also in their mistakes.
After all, if you look at the essence of things, then marriage is the service to God through a person nearby. And love in a Christian family is not only the direction of feelings from one person to another (from wife to husband and vice versa), but Love itself, which is established in the heart with Christ, and which graces everything around.
“Acquire a peaceful spirit and thousands around you will be saved,” said the monk. Thousands around, but first of all - your "other half"!
Christ consecrated marriage by visiting marriage in Cana of Galilee, establishing for centuries that marriage for God's sake is the same full-fledged path to the acquisition of Grace and holiness as virginity (which later in Christianity acquired the form of monasticism).
Icon of marriage in Cana of Galilee
That is why any marriage is holy and any divorce is a "tragedy in heaven." And that is why Peter at some point refused to divorce his peasant wife, although the boyars begged him to do so.
Devotion. Exile of Peter and Fevronia
After the rebellious boyars expelled Peter and Fevronia from the city, the couple lived for some time almost in open field in tents. A period that shows that marriage is not only words and feelings, but also deeds. AT this case- from the wife, who for the sake of her husband went with him from the palace to the hut. And not only accompanied him, but supported him during the hours when he was discouraged.
Women's support keeps the marriage and strengthens the man. Who knows how everything would have turned out if the obstinate wife had been in exile in the place of Fevronia. Would Peter have saved his health and life by the time the boyars came to bow to him and did not ask them to return?
Saint Fevronia and the boatman
One day the boatman who was transporting Fevronia thought of her with lust. The saint understood this and asked the man to draw water first from one side of the boat, then from the other, and try the water from there and from there. The water tasted the same. “So the essence of women is the same everywhere,” Fevronia explained to the boatman.
How many marriages would be saved if husbands did not look at other women.
Moreover, they didn’t even begin to simply look and evaluate, therefore any action and any sin begins with a thought that gradually becomes stronger in a person and takes root in him.
Peter and Fevronia died on the same day
This is not even a lesson, but beautiful story. Peter several times sent a messenger to Fevronia with the message: “I am dying,” and each time she answered: “Wait, don’t die, I need to sew a cover for the temple.” And only for the third time she put aside her sewing, leaving it unfinished - in order to move from the earthly world to the eternal world together with her husband ...
You don’t need to take death in one for a miracle or some kind of mystical event - very often spouses who have lived together for a whole life then die one after the other, because the life of the other in marriage is also your life and with the life of the other and part of you leaves .
The simultaneous death of Peter and Fevronia is, rather, a symbol of their marital service, which also found expression in such a beautiful, memorable way.
At first they were buried separately, but later they were surprised to find them in one coffin - which they ordered for themselves shortly before their death. And now this is already a miracle - the seal of the Lord on their lives, which added this wonderful married couple to the host of Russian saints: Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom!
Saints Peter and Fevronia: Days of Remembrance
Russian Orthodox Church established two days of their memory:
- July 8 is the day of Peter and Fevronia. In the state, it is celebrated as the Day of the Family.
- and September 19 - the day of the return in 1992 of the holy relics of the Church, after they had been in the Soviet museum for 70 years.
Where are the relics of Peter and Fevronia kept?
Since 1992, the relics of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom have been kept in the cathedral church of the Murom Holy Trinity Monastery.
Icon of Peter and Fevronia
Holy Blessed Peter and Fevronia, pray to God for us!
Read this and other posts in our group in
Edition of the Holy Trinity
nunnery in the city of Murom
2003
With the blessing of Evlogy Archbishop of Vladimir and Suzdal
The Lord Jesus Christ, opening the way to salvation for us, said that “everyone who leaves houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for the sake of My name, will receive an hundredfold and inherits eternal life (Mt. XIX, 29). The call of the Savior of the world did not go unheeded. Adult children left their parents, husbands - wives and children, women left family comfort and peace for the sake of the Lord and "a hundredfold" received their reward in the Kingdom of Heaven. Their names are inscribed in the Book of Life and shine with crowns of holy martyrs, reverend and righteous. These are the Apostle Peter and Alexy - the man of God, Seraphim of Sarov and Melania the Roman, Euphrosyne of Polotsk and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves, and many, many others.
But promises of future blessings were also given to those who, without breaking family ties, made their burden light, good and saving, “for where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matt., XVIII, 20) . These words of the Savior for many have become a prototype of the Christian family, in which the relationship of all its members is built on love and piety.
a prime example family life in God and according to God the life of the princely couple - Peter and Fevronia of Murom, and later, of all Russia, miracle workers serves. Worldly storms tried in every possible way to break their family boat. Envy, slander, civil strife of the boyars, evil devilish intrigues followed them everywhere throughout their life together. But Christ was relentlessly with them, abundantly pouring out grace and performing His miracles wherever Prince Peter had to be with his God-given wife Fevronia.
And now everyone who cares is resorting to the incorruptible relics of the spouses family happiness and well-being. Drink, dear reader, the blessed drop from the cup of life of these saints of God, may the Lord shine in your heart too.
There is a city in the Russian land called Murom. It was once ruled by a noble prince named Pavel. The devil, from time immemorial hating the human race, made the evil winged serpent fly to the wife of that prince for fornication. And with his magic in front of her, he was what he really was, and coming people it seemed as if the prince himself was sitting with his wife. This obsession continued for a long time. The wife did not hide this and told about everything that happened to her to the prince, her husband.
The prince began to think about what to do with the snake, but was at a loss. And now he says to his wife: “I’m thinking about it, wife, but I can’t think of how to defeat this villain? I don't know how to kill him? When he starts talking to you, ask him, seducing him, about this: does this villain himself know what death should happen to him? If you find out about this and tell us, then you will be freed not only in this life from the evil-smelling breath and hissing of it and all this shamelessness, which is even shameful to talk about, but also in the future life you will propitiate the unfeigned judge, Christ. The wife firmly imprinted the words of her husband in her heart, and she decided: “I will definitely do this.”
And then one day, when this evil serpent came to her, she, firmly keeping the words of her husband in her heart, turns to this villain with flattering speeches, talking about this and that, and in the end with reverence, praising him, asks: “There are many things do you know, but do you know about your death - what it will be and from what? He, the evil deceiver, was deceived by the pardonable deception of a faithful wife, for, neglecting the fact that he reveals a secret to her, he said: “Death is destined for me from Peter’s shoulder and from Agrikov’s sword.” The wife, having heard these words, remembered them firmly in her heart, and when this villain left, she told the prince, her husband, about what the serpent had said to her. The prince, hearing this, was perplexed - what does it mean: death from Peter's shoulder and from Agrikov's sword?
And the prince had a brother named Peter ... Prince Pavel ... Prince Peter - A point of view has been established in science: the names of Paul and Peter (not mentioned in chronicle sources) mean historically really existing princes. Scientists suggest that they could be the brothers Vladimir and David, who reigned in Murom since 1175. After the death of his elder brother Vladimir (+1203), and according to the text of the Tale ... "Tales ..." acting under the name of Peter (+1228). . Once Paul called him to him and began to tell him about the words of the serpent, which he said to his wife. Prince Peter, having heard from his brother that the serpent named the one from whose hand he was to die, by his name, began to think, without hesitation and doubt, how to kill the serpent. Only one thing confused him - he did not know anything about Agric's sword.
It was Peter's custom to walk alone in the churches. And outside the city stood in the convent the Church of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross. He came to her alone to pray. And then a youth appeared to him, saying: “Prince! Would you like me to show you Agric's sword?" He, trying to fulfill his plan, answered: “Yes, I will see where he is!” The lad said, "Follow me." And he showed the prince a gap in the altar wall between the plates, and in it lies a sword. Then the noble prince Peter took that sword, went to his brother and told him about everything. And from that day he began to look for a suitable opportunity to kill the snake.
Every day Peter went to his brother and his daughter-in-law to bow to them. Once he happened to come to his brother's chambers, and immediately he went from him to his daughter-in-law, to other chambers, and saw that his brother was sitting with her. And going back from her, he met one of his brother’s servants and said to him: “I went out from my brother to my daughter-in-law, and my brother remained in his chambers, and I, not stopping anywhere, quickly came to the chambers of my daughter-in-law and I do not understand and I wonder how my brother found himself before me in the chambers of my daughter-in-law? The same man said to him: “Sir, after your departure, your brother did not go anywhere from his chambers!” Then Peter understood that these were the machinations of the crafty serpent. And he came to his brother and said to him: “When did you come here? After all, when I left you from these chambers and, not stopping anywhere, came to the chambers of your wife, I saw you sitting with her and was very surprised how you came before me. And now you came here again, without stopping anywhere, but you, I don’t understand how, got ahead of me and ended up here before me? Paul answered: “After you left, I didn’t go anywhere from these chambers, brother, and I wasn’t with my wife.” Then Prince Peter said: “This, brother, is the machinations of the crafty snake - you appear to me so that I do not dare to kill him, thinking that it is you - my brother. Now, brother, don’t go anywhere from here, but I’ll go there to fight with the snake, I hope that with God help this evil serpent will be killed.”
And, taking a sword called Agrikov, he came to the chambers of his daughter-in-law and saw a serpent in the form of his brother, but, firmly convinced that it was not his brother, but an insidious serpent, struck him with a sword. The serpent, turning into its natural form, trembled and died, and it splashed the blessed Prince Peter with its blood. Peter, from that harmful blood, became covered with scabs, and ulcers appeared on his body, and a serious illness seized him. And he tried many doctors in his dominions to find healing, but none cured him.
Peter heard that there were many doctors in the Ryazan land, and ordered to be taken there - due to a serious illness, he himself could not sit on a horse. And when they brought him to the Ryazan land, he sent all his close associates to look for doctors.
One of the princely youths wandered into a village called Laskovo. He came to the gate of a house and saw no one. And he went into the house, but no one came out to meet him. Then he entered the upper room and saw an amazing sight: a girl was sitting alone at the loom and weaving a canvas, and a hare was galloping in front of her.
And the girl said: “It’s bad when the house is without ears, and the upper room is without eyes!” The young man, not understanding these words, asked the girl: “Where is the owner of this house?” To this she replied: “My father and mother went on loan to weep, but my brother went through the feet of death to look into the eyes.”
The young man did not understand the girl’s words, he was amazed at seeing and hearing such miracles, and asked the girl: “I went in to you and saw that you were weaving, and in front of you a hare jumped, and I heard some strange speeches from your lips and I can't understand what you are saying. At first you said: it's bad when the house is without ears, and the upper room without eyes. About her father and mother she said that they went on loan to cry, about her brother she said - “looks through the legs of death into the eyes.” And I didn’t understand a single word of yours!”
She said to him: “And you can’t understand this! You came into this house, and entered my chamber, and found me in an untidy state. If there was a dog in our house, he would have sensed that you were approaching the house, and would have begun to bark at you: these are the ears of the house. And if there were a lad in my upper room, then, seeing that you were going to the upper room, he would tell me about this: these are the eyes of the house. And what I told you about your father and mother, that they went on loan to cry - they went to the funeral and there they mourn the dead. And when death comes for them, others will mourn them: this is a crying on loan. I told you so about my brother because my father and brother are tree climbers, they collect honey from trees in the forest. And today my brother went to beekeeper, and when he climbs up a tree, he will look through his legs at the ground so as not to fall off the height. If someone breaks, he will part with his life. That's why I said that he went through the legs of death to look into the eyes.
The young man said to her: “I see, girl, that you are wise. Tell me your name." She replied: "My name is Fevronia." And that young man said to her: “I am a servant of the Murom prince Peter. My prince is seriously ill, with ulcers. He was covered with scabs from the blood of an evil flying snake, which he killed with his own hand. In his principality, he sought healing from many doctors, but no one could cure him. Therefore, he ordered to bring himself here, because he had heard that there were many doctors here. But we don’t know their names or where they live, so we ask about them.” To this she replied: "If someone demanded your prince for himself, he could cure him." The young man said: “What are you talking about - who can demand my prince for himself! If anyone cures him, the prince will richly reward him. But tell me the name of the doctor who he is and where his house is. She answered: “Bring your prince here. If he is sincere and humble in his words, he will be healthy!”
The young man quickly returned to his prince and told him in detail about everything he had seen and heard. Blessed Prince Peter commanded: "Take me to where this girl is." And they brought him to the house where the girl lived. And he sent one of his servants to ask: “Tell me, girl, who wants to cure me? May he heal and receive a rich reward." She answered bluntly: “I want to cure him, but I don’t demand any reward from him. Here is my word to him: if I do not become his wife, then it is not fitting for me to treat him. And the man returned and told his prince what the girl had said to him.
Prince Peter, however, treated her words with disdain and thought: “Well, how is it possible - for the prince to take the daughter of a poison dart frog as his wife!” And he sent to her, saying: “Tell her - let her heal as best she can. If she cures me, I will take her as my wife.” They came to her and conveyed these words. She, taking a small bowl, scooped up bread leaven with it, breathed on it and said: “Let your prince anoint his whole body with this, where there are scabs and ulcers. And let him leave one scab unanointed. And he will be healthy! And they brought this ointment to the prince. He wanted to test the girl in answers - is she so moire, as he heard about her speeches from his youth. He sent to her with one of his servants a small bunch of flax, saying this: “This girl wants to become my wife for the sake of her wisdom. If she is so wise, let this linen make me a shirt, and clothes, and a scarf for the time that I will be treated. The servant brought a bundle of flax to Fevronia and, handing it to her, handed over the prince's order. She said to the servant: “Climb on our stove and, having removed a log from the garden, bring it here.” He, having listened to her, brought a log. Then she, having measured with a span, said: “Chop off this duck (stump) from the log.” He cut off. She tells him: “Take this stump of logs, go and give it to your prince from me and say: while I comb this bunch of flax, let the prince make a weaving mill from this stump and all the rest of the tackle, on which the fabric will be woven for him." The servant brought a stump of logs to his prince and conveyed the words of the girl. The prince says: “Go tell the girl that it is impossible to make what she asks from such a small chock in such a short time!” The servant came and gave her the prince's words. The girl answered this: “Is it really possible for an adult man to make a shirt, a dress, and a scarf from one bunch of flax in that short time?” The servant left and conveyed these words to the prince. The prince marveled at her answer.
Then Prince Peter, as the girl punished, anointed his sores and scabs with ointment. And he left one scab unanointed, as the girl ordered. And soon felt no illness. The next morning, he looks - his whole body is healthy and clean, only one scab remains, which he did not anoint, as the girl punished. And he marveled at such a quick healing. But he did not want to take her as a wife because of her origin, but sent her gifts. She didn't accept it.
Prince Peter went to his patrimony, the city of Murom, recovered. Only one scab remained on him, which was not anointed at the command of the girl. And from that scab new scabs went all over his body from the day he went to his patrimony. And again he was covered with scabs and ulcers, as in the first time.
And again the prince returned for a tried and tested treatment to the girl. And when he came to her house, he sent to her in shame, asking for healing. She, not in the least angry, said: “If she becomes my husband, she will be healed.” He gave her a firm word that he would take her as his wife. And she again, as before, determined the same treatment for him, about which I wrote earlier. He quickly healed himself and took her as his wife. In this way, Fevronia became a princess.
And they arrived in their patrimony, the city of Murom, and began to live piously, in no way transgressing God's commandments.
After a short time, Prince Pavel died. Right-believing Prince Peter, after his brother, became autocrat in his city.
The boyars, at the instigation of their wives, did not like Princess Fevronia, because she became a princess not by birth. God glorified her for the sake of her good life.
One day, one of those serving her came to the noble prince Peter and said to her: “Every time,” he said, “after finishing the meal, he leaves the table out of order: before getting up, he collects crumbs in his hand, as if hungry!” And so the noble prince Peter, wanting to test her, ordered that she dine with him at the same table. And when dinner was over, she, according to her custom, collected the crumbs in her hand. Then Prince Peter took Fevronia by the hand and, opening it, saw fragrant incense and incense. And from that day on, he never experienced it again.
A considerable time passed, and then one day the boyars came to the prince in anger and said: “Prince, we are all ready to faithfully serve you and have you as autocrat, but we do not want Princess Fevronia to command our wives. If you want to remain an autocrat, let you have another princess. Fevronia, taking wealth as much as she wants, let her go wherever she wants! Blessed Peter, in whose custom it was not to be angry at anything, meekly answered: “Tell Fevronia about this, let's hear what she will say.”
Furious boyars, having lost their shame, decided to arrange a feast. They began to feast, and when they got drunk, they began to conduct their shameless speeches, like barking dogs, denying God's gift heal Saint Fevronia. And they say: “Madam Princess Fevronia! The whole city and the boyars are asking you: give us whom we will ask you! She answered: “Take whoever you ask!” They, as with one mouth, said: “We, madam, all want Prince Peter to rule over us, but our wives do not want you to rule over them. Having taken as much wealth as you need, go wherever you wish!” Then she said: “I promised you that whatever you ask, you will receive. Now I tell you: promise to give me whom I ask of you.” They, the villains, rejoiced, not knowing what awaited them, and swore: “Whatever you name, you will immediately receive without question.” Then she says: “I don’t ask for anything else, only my wife, Prince Peter!” They answered: “If he wants to, we won’t say a word to you.” The enemy clouded their minds - everyone thought that if there was no Prince Peter, they would have to install another autocrat: but in their hearts each of the boyars hoped to become an autocrat.
Blessed Prince Peter did not want to break God's commandments for the sake of reigning in this life, he God's commandments lived observing them, as the God-voiced Matthew prophesies in his Gospel. For it is said that if a man drives away his wife, who is not accused of adultery, and marries another, he himself commits adultery. This blessed prince acted according to the Gospel: he neglected his reign, so as not to violate the commandments of God.
These wicked boyars prepared ships for them on the river - a river called Oka flows under this city. And so they sailed down the river in ships. In the same ship with Fevronia, a certain man was sailing, whose wife was on the same ship. And this man, tempted by the crafty demon, looked at the saint with thought. She, immediately guessing his evil thoughts, rebuked him, saying to him: “Draw water from this river from this side of this ship.” He drew. And she ordered him to drink. He drank. Then she said again: "Now draw water from the other side of this ship." He drew. And she ordered him to drink again. He drank. Then she asked: “Is the water the same or is one sweeter than the other?” He answered: "The same, lady, water." After that, she said: “So the nature of women is the same. Why are you, forgetting about your wife, thinking about someone else? And this man, realizing that she had the gift of clairvoyance, did not dare to indulge in such thoughts anymore.
When evening came, they landed on the shore and began to settle down for the night. Blessed Prince Peter thought: “What will happen now, since I have voluntarily refused to reign?”
The marvelous Fevronia tells him: “Do not grieve, prince, the merciful God, the Creator and Protector of all, will not leave us in trouble!”
Meanwhile, dinner was being prepared on the beach. And the cook cut down small trees to hang pots on them. And when dinner was over, the holy princess Fevronia, walking along the shore and seeing these stumps, blessed them, saying: “May they be big trees with branches and foliage in the morning.” And so it was: we got up in the morning and found instead of stumps big trees with branches and foliage.
And when people were about to load their belongings from the shore onto the ship, nobles from the city of Murom came, saying: “Our Lord Prince! From all the nobles and from the inhabitants of the whole city we came to you, do not leave us, your orphans, return to your reign. After all, many nobles died in the city from the sword. Each of them wanted to dominate, and in a strife they killed each other. And all the survivors, together with all the people, pray to you: our lord prince, although we angered and offended you by not wanting Princess Fevronia to command our wives, but now, with all our household members, we are your servants and want you to be you, and we love you, and we pray that you do not leave us, your slaves!
Blessed Prince Peter and Blessed Princess Fevronia returned to their city. And they ruled in that city, observing all the commandments and instructions of the Lord impeccably, praying unceasingly and doing alms to all the people who were under their authority, like a child-loving father and mother. They had equal love for everyone, they did not like cruelty and money-grubbing, they did not spare perishable wealth, but they were rich in God's wealth. And they were true shepherds for their city, not hirelings. And they ruled their city with justice and meekness, and not with rage. Wanderers were received, the hungry were fed, the naked were clothed, the poor were delivered from misfortunes.
The time came for their pious repose, and they begged God to die at one time. And they bequeathed that they both be put in one tomb, and ordered to make two coffins from one stone, having a thin partition between them. At one time they took monasticism and put on monastic clothes. And in the monastic rank the blessed prince Peter David was named, and the Monk Fevronia in the monastic rank was named Euphrosyne.
At a time when the venerable and blessed Fevronia embroidered the faces of saints in the air. Air is a cover, a veil on church vessels with the Holy Gifts. for the cathedral church of the Most Pure Theotokos, the Monk and Blessed Prince Peter, named David, sent to her to say: “O sister Euphrosyne! The time of death has come, but I am waiting for you to go to God together.” She answered: “Wait, sir, until I breathe air into the holy church.” He sent for the second time to say: "I can't wait for you for long." And for the third time he sent to say: “I’m already dying and I can’t wait any longer!” At that time, she was finishing embroidering that holy air: she had already embroidered the face of one saint, but she had not yet finished the mantle: she stopped, and stuck her needle into the air and wrapped the thread around it with which she was embroidering. And she sent to tell blessed Peter that she was dying with him. And having prayed, they both gave their holy souls into the hands of God on the twenty-fifth day of the month of June.
After their repose, people decided to bury the body of Blessed Prince Peter in the city, at the cathedral church of the Most Pure Theotokos, while Fevronia was buried in a suburban convent, at the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross, saying that since they became monks, they cannot be put in one coffin.
And they made separate coffins for them, in which they laid their bodies: the body of St. Peter was placed in his coffin and placed until morning in the city church of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the body of St. Fevronia was placed in her coffin and placed in the suburban church of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. Their common coffin, which they themselves ordered to be carved out of one stone, remained empty in the same city cathedral church of the Most Pure Mother of God. But the next day, in the morning, people saw that the separate coffins in which they had placed them were empty, and their holy bodies were found in the city cathedral church of the Most Pure Theotokos in their common coffin, which they ordered to be made for themselves during their lifetime. Unreasonable people, both during their lifetime and after the honest death of Peter and Fevronia, tried to separate them: they separated and again transferred them to separate coffins. But on the morning of the next day, the saints ended up in a single tomb. And after that, they no longer dared to touch them, and their holy bodies were buried near the city cathedral church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, as they themselves commanded - in a single coffin.
Let us, according to our strength, give praise to them. Rejoice, Peter, for the power was given to you from God to kill the flying ferocious serpent! Rejoice, Fevronia, for the wisdom of holy men was in your female head! Rejoice, Peter, for, bearing scabs and ulcers on his body, he courageously endured all the torments! Rejoice, Fevronia, for already in girlhood she possessed the gift given to you by God to heal ailments! Rejoice, glorified Peter, for, for the sake of God's commandment not to leave his wife, he voluntarily renounced power! Rejoice, marvelous Fevronia, for with your blessing in one night small trees grew large, covered with branches and leaves! Rejoice, honest leaders, for in your reign with humility, in prayers, doing alms, you lived without ascending; for this, Christ overshadowed you with his grace, so that even after death your bodies lie inseparably in one tomb, and in spirit you stand before the Lord Christ! Rejoice, venerable and blessed ones, for even after death you invisibly heal those who come to you with faith!
We implore you, O blessed spouses, to pray for us, who honor your memory with faith!
Remember also me, a sinner, who wrote everything that I heard about you, not knowing whether others who knew more than me wrote about you or not. Although I am a sinner and an ignoramus, but trusting in God's grace and His bounty and hoping for your prayers to Christ, I worked on my work. Wishing to give you praise on earth, he has not yet touched real praise. I wanted to weave commendable wreaths for you for the sake of your meek reign and righteous life after your death, but I haven’t really touched this yet. For you are glorified and crowned in heaven with true incorruptible crowns by the Lord of all Christ. All glory, honor and worship befits him, together with his Father without beginning and with the Most Holy, Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Brothers and sisters, husbands and wives!
Let us thank the Lord, who has shown us through the example of the pious spouses Peter and Fevronia that family happiness is lasting only when it is built on stone. Orthodox faith leans on the strong walls of the commandments and promises of God and is covered by the shadow of the Cross of Christ. And when love is present in all our affairs, may the Lord God bless - Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of the entire universe - our life and our death for the glory of His Most Holy Name.
Troparion, tone 8:
As if you were a pious root, an honorable branch, having lived well in piety, blessed Peter, so with your wife, the wise Fevronia, pleasing God in the world and venerable life be worthy. With them, pray to the Lord to save your fatherland without harm, but we will constantly honor you.
Kontakion, tone 8:
Thinking about this reign of this world and temporary glory, for the sake of this, you lived piously in the world, Peter, together with your spouse, the wise Fevronia, pleasing God with alms and prayers. The same, and after death, lying inseparably in the tomb, you invisibly give healing, and now pray to Christ to save the city and the people who glorify you.
magnificence
We magnify you, holy princes and wonderworkers Peter and Fevronius, and we honor your holy memory, you pray for us Christ, our God.
The hagiographic Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom is one of the most precious gems of ancient Russian Orthodox literature and was written in middle of the XVI century church writer Yermolai-Erasmus, who served as a priest in Pskov, later became the archpriest of the palace cathedral of the Savior on Bor in Moscow, and then took monastic tonsure with the name of Erasmus.
"The Tale ..." about the Murom wonderworkers Peter and Fevronia was created by Yermolai-Erasmus especially for the "Great Menaion-Fourths" compiled under Metropolitan Macarius.
The text of "The Tale ..." translated into modern Russian is printed and collated according to the following editions:
Monuments of literature Ancient Russia. End of the 15th - first half of the 16th century - M., 1986.
The Tale of Peter and Fevronia. / Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House). - L., "Science", 1979.
The Life of Saints Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom Wonderworkers
On the insert Photo by A. Komlev: The icon over the shrine with the relics of the Monk Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia, Miracle Workers of Murom with their lives. Fragments.
Handed over to the set 1.09.2003. Signed for publication on 3.11.2003. Format 84 x 108/32.
Offset paper. Conv. oven l. 4.0. Circulation 980. Order No. 1-03.
Edition of the Holy Trinity Convent in the city of Murom.
602267, Murom, pl. Peasant, 3/A.
Saints Peter and Fevronia are spouses who achieved holiness not by monastic deeds or martyrdom, but by observance in family life. Their example became the ideal of the Orthodox family.
Peter was the son of Prince Yury Vladimirovich of Murom. According to The Tale of Peter and Fevronia, written in the 16th century, during a fight with a demon in the form of a snake, drops of snake blood fell on Peter, and he became covered with scabs. For a long time no one could cure him, until one day Peter found out that the peasant woman Fevronia, the daughter of a Ryazan beekeeper, could cure him. Peter found Fevronia, and she really was able to heal him. Fevronia took a word from Peter that he would marry her if he was healed, and he kept his promise, despite the fact that the Murom nobility condemned the marriage of the prince with a simple peasant woman.
When Peter became Prince of Murom, the boyars demanded that he divorce Fevronia and marry a boyar daughter, not wanting the Murom princess to be from a peasant family. Peter refused, and the boyars expelled him and Fevronia from the city. But after their expulsion, a bloody struggle for power began in Murom, and the people of Murom begged Prince Peter and his wife to return. Peter and Fevronia returned.
They lived and ruled for a long time, in love and harmony. In old age they became monks with the names David and Euphrosyne. The couple prayed to God to die on the same day. And so it happened. They even bequeathed to bury themselves in one coffin.
Saints Peter and Fevronia were canonized in 1547 under Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow, but they were revered by the people as miracle workers and saints of God long before that. Many believers testify that miraculous grace comes from any icon of Peter and Fevronia, if you turn to the holy spouses with sincere prayer and pure thoughts.
Interesting facts about Peter and Fevronia of Murom
After the canonization of the holy couple in the middle of the 16th century, Metropolitan Macarius instructed Yermolai (Erasmus) the Sinful, a well-known Russian writer at that time, to literary form the oral folk tradition about Peter in Fevronia. So it appeared "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom"- the only written source of information about the life of the holy spouses. The author of "The Tale ..." especially admired Fevronia's intelligence and insight.
Memorial Day of Saints Peter and Fevronia from the time of their canonization is celebrated on July 8 (June 25, old style). In 2008, this day was officially declared an All-Russian public holiday - Happy family, love and fidelity. The icon of Peter and Fevronia is in almost every church.
The relics of the saints before the revolution were in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Murom. AT Soviet time they were exhibited in the Murom museum for the purpose of anti-religious propaganda, and then kept in storerooms. Since 1992, the relics of the holy prince and princess have been in Murom Holy Trinity Monastery, and the day of memory of Peter and Fevronia is celebrated together with the Day of the city of Murom.
Even in the 15th century, before the canonization of the holy spouses, Ivan III prayed at their relics. Ivan IV the Terrible, a few years before the canonization of Peter and Fevronia, prayed at their relics before going to Kazan, and after the victory made a donation for the construction of a new church over the tomb of the saints.
Before Fevronia, the only Russian officially canonized woman was.
In Russia, since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been the Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia of Murom for a significant contribution to strengthening the institution of the family.
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