Tatiana Day
| Tatiana Day | |
|---|---|
 Students of Lomonosov Moscow State University celebrating Tatyana's Day | |
| Official name | Students' Day |
| Also called | Students day |
| Observed by | Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova |
| Significance | Students Day |
| Date | 25 January |
| Next time | 25 January 2020 |
| Frequency | annual |
| Related to | Eastern Orthodox liturgical days |
Tatiana Day (Russian: Татьянин день, Tatyanin den') is an Orthodox religious holiday observed on 25 January according to the Gregorian calendar, January 12 according to the Julian. It is named after Saint Tatiana, a Christian martyr in 3rd-century Rome during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus.[1]
In 1755, on the name day of Ivan Shuvalov's mother Tatiana Rodionovna, his mistress Empress Elizabeth of Russia endorsed his petition to establish a university in Moscow. Shuvalov was Minister of Education.[2] The church of Saint Tatiana was later built in the university campus.[3] A traditional service is conducted at the University's church on 25 January,[4] followed by speeches and the awarding of prizes.
The Russian Orthodox Church declared Saint Tatiana the patron saint of students,[5] and Tatiana Day has come to be celebrated as Students Day in countries of the former Russian empire. The observance has a long tradition of festive activities. In 1885, Chekhov wrote, "This year everything was drunk, except the water from the Moscow river, and only because it was frozen".[2] Parties begin with a traditional mead.[6] Although originating in Moscow, St. Tatiana's Day celebrations have spread to most university towns.
Coincidentally 25 January is also the end of the first term of the traditional academic year[5] for Russian students and for Ukrainian students – the end of winter exams session, followed by a two-week winter holiday.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Tatiana Day".
- ^ a b Меленьева, Тамара. "Students Day in Russia", Center for Russian Language Studies, 25 January 2012
- ^ "St. Tatiana Day: The Power of Faith and Will | A Russian Orthodox Church Website". www.pravmir.com.
- ^ Aristov, Mikhail. "St. Tatiana's Day", Voice Of Russia, 25 January 2011
- ^ a b ""St. Tatyana's day kicks off winter holidays for Russian students", Russia Today, 27 January 2008". Archived from the original on March 11, 2014.
- ^ Eremeeva, Jennifer. "Students' Day", Russia Lite, 25 January 2011 (broken link)