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Events held in Minsk to celebrate Sts. Peter and Febronia of Murom Day

Large families received various prizes at a special party that was held in Minsk on July 8 as part of celebrations of Sts. Peter and Febronia of Murom Day, BelaPAN reports.

The Day commemorates the patron saints of the family in Orthodox Christianity.

A legend says that Prince Peter married Febronia who was a peasant after she healed the prince of Murom suffering from leprosy. The two were forced out of Murom as the Russian nobles opposed the unequal marriage. According to the legend, they performed miracles and wonders as they traveled and their reputation as not only wonderworkers but also devoted husband and wife spread. They were sainted by the Russian Orthodox Christian Church in the 16th century, 300 years after their deaths.

The celebrations in Minsk were organized by the Archangel Michael Brotherhood.

“We want to show people that their success lies in their marriage, family and children,” said Tatsyana Tarasevich, the organizer of the party for large families. “Children are our investment in the future. The families that are awarded today are the gold assets of our country. We would like their number to increase.”

Archpriest Viktar Belyakow read out a message of greetings of Mitropolitan Filaret, head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus.

Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Surikov said that he regretted that no celebrations were organized at an officiallevel in Belarus or his country to mark the Day.

“It is impossible to build a stable and progressive state without a good family,” the ambassador said. “The foundations of any state should be based on the principle of love and loyalty, and good family values. They will help prevent demographic problems, extreme trends in shaping society and economic hardships.”