When and how to celebrate Tatyana’s name day according to the Orthodox calendar

The meaning of the name Tatyana

Most common names in Russia are of Greek origin. Therefore, the name Tatyana is often interpreted as Greek, derived from the verb “τάττω”, which means “to put in order,” “to arrange,” “to appoint.” Hence the interpretation of the name Tatyana as “founder” and “organizer.” However, this version seems dubious to linguists. After all, the name Tatyana in Greece is not only unpopular, but also little known.

Italy is another matter, where the name Tatyana is much more familiar. Etymologically, the name Tatyana goes back to the name of the legendary Sabine king Titus Tatius. The same Tatius who, rescuing from captivity the women treacherously abducted by Romulus, captured the Capitoline Hill.

According to one legend, Tatius even ruled Rome together with Romulus, which led to the unification of the Romans and Sabines into a single nation of Quirites, but that’s another story.

In a word, the name Tatyana comes from the Latin Tatius. This name was borne by the martyr Tatiana of Rome, whose memory is celebrated on January 25.

With the light hand of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Saint Tatiana became not only a well-known saint in Russia, but also the patroness of Moscow University, and the day of remembrance of the martyr Tatiana - January 25 - began to be considered the day of students. As for the name, in Europe Tatyana is considered a purely Russian name. But the diminutive form Tanya, which is familiar to us, can be found as an independent name in the Scandinavian countries, Germany and the USA.

Character of the birthday girl

Since childhood, owners of this name have demonstrated:

• individuality;
• leadership ambitions;
• independence.

These people always know what they want. And they will certainly achieve this. Representatives of this name are uncompromising, precise in their calculations, witty, friendly, and strict. The presence of selfishness and cruelty is also possible. Often such traits can be intimidating.

The best article for you, go to: How to choose the right name for a child according to the Orthodox calendar

Tanya always tries to cope with all problems and difficult tasks in order to always be on top. The following inherent traits help her in this: authority, ambition and perseverance.

If you want to give her a really interesting gift, you need to approach this issue with all seriousness. After all, Tanya does not recognize simply beautiful things and trinkets.

Life of Saint Tatiana

Saint Tatiana was born in Rome at the end of the second century into the family of a noble nobleman, who was three times consul of Rome. He secretly confessed Christ, so he raised his daughter in fear of God and devotion to God. Tatyana knew the Holy Scriptures well and, having matured, decided to devote herself to Christ. She became a deaconess, that is, a woman who carried out social ministry in the church. Her responsibilities included both caring for sick women and pregnant women, as well as preparing them for baptism and performing the baptism itself.

In 222, power in Rome passed to sixteen-year-old Alexander Sevier. And although his mother was a Christian, and Alexander himself had nothing against Christians, in reality power was concentrated in the hands of governors and regional rulers. Eparch Ulpian began to rule the country. Ulpian was an idolater, hated Christians and dealt with them in the most cruel way. During the persecution, Saint Tatiana was captured.

The saint was demanded to bow to idols in the temple of the god Apollo. Instead, the saint turned to Christ, and through her prayers an earthquake occurred. Not only the idols were destroyed, but also the temple itself, under the rubble of which the priests were buried. Saint Tatiana was brutally tortured. They gouged out her eyes and tortured her for a long time. The saint prayed loudly for her tormentors, calling on God to “open their spiritual eyes.” Suddenly, the eight tormentors saw angels who were repelling the blows inflicted on the holy virgin, and heard a heavenly voice. They not only believed, but with tears asked the saint to forgive them. For confessing Christ, they themselves were tortured and beheaded.

Saint Tatiana was tortured the next day, demanding that she renounce Christ. A miracle happened here when instead of blood, milk began to flow from the wounds and a fragrance began to emanate. And when on the third day they took her out of prison, they found that her body was as healthy as before and had no signs of torture. They again demanded that Saint Tatiana worship idols, this time the goddess Demeter. Arriving at the temple, Saint Tatiana crossed herself and began to pray. Immediately, before everyone’s eyes, both the idol and the temple were destroyed by lightning. Saint Tatiana was again tortured and thrown into prison at night. On the fourth day, she was taken to the circus arena to be devoured by a lion. But the beast obediently began to lick Saint Tatiana’s wounds and tore one of her tormentors to pieces. The saint was thrown into the fire, but she remained unharmed. Having declared her a witch, Saint Tatiana's hair was cut off, in which her magical power was believed to be concentrated. She was then taken to the temple of Zeus and locked up for two days. But here, too, through the prayer of Saint Tatiana, the idols were defeated. When it became obvious to the persecutors that torture was pointless, and Saint Tatiana was adamant and firm in her faith, she was beheaded along with her father. This happened on January 25, 226.

What date is Tatiana's Angels Day in Russia in 2022, 2023, 2024

Tatyana's name day is 10 times a year. In summer - July 17, in autumn they fall on September 14 and 23 and on October 3, 11 and 21, and in winter - on December 3 and 23, as well as on January 18 and 25. However, the last date is more popular - January 25 according to the new style or January 12 according to the old style. The dates of the celebration remain the same from year to year.

On what dates is Tatyana’s Day celebrated from 2022 to 2024:

• January 18: Tatiana, reverend;
• January 25: Tatiana of Rome, martyr, deaconess, virgin;
• July 17: Tatiana Romanova, passion-bearer, Grand Duchess New Martyr, since 2000;
• September 14: Tatiana Gribkova, New Martyr, since 2002;
• September 23: Tatiana Grimblit, New Martyr, since 2002;
• October 3: Tatiana;
• October 11: Tatiana Chekmazova, Venerable Martyr, novice New Martyr, since 2006;
• October 21 : Tatiana Bessurname, Venerable Martyr, nun New Martyr, since 2000;
• December 3: Tatiana Fomicheva, Venerable Martyr, novice New Martyr, since 2000;
• December 23: Tatiana Egorova, martyr, New Martyr, since 2000.

Icons of Saint Tatiana

Saint Tatiana is revered by all branches of the Christian Church. In the Catholic Church she is considered a little-known saint and her veneration is not widespread. On icons, it is customary to depict Saint Tatiana in a red robe (chasuble), which symbolizes her martyrdom and the blood shed by the saint in the name of Christ. Her head is covered with a white scarf, indicating her chastity. In her hand the saint holds a cross - a symbol of martyrdom, sometimes a scroll, the text of which is addressed to believers. On one such scroll we find: “In torment, praying to God for those who are tormenting, may he give them the knowledge of the truth.”

How to spend your name day

Angel Day is a time of veneration and glorification of the saint in whose honor the name was given. Many people mistakenly assume that name days should be accompanied by wild and loud fun. On the contrary, name days are a great time to find yourself in this world and strengthen the invisible connection with Higher powers. You can go to church and confess. Be sure to read prayers to the holy saint.

Prayer text of an appeal to the saint

Saint Tatiana's Day

January 25 - Tatiana's Day in 2005 was officially declared the Day of Russian Students. It is widely celebrated by students not only in Russia, but almost throughout the former USSR: in Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine. The connection between Saint Tatiana and the students is unexpected and simple.

On January 12, 1755, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna satisfied and signed the petition of Count Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (drawn up on the basis of the project of M.V. Lomonosov) to open a new educational institution in Moscow. On April 23, 1755, the University was opened in Moscow.

In 1786, the main building of the University appeared on Mokhovaya Street. Five years later, the left wing of the building was given over to the house church. The church was consecrated in 1791 in honor of the holy martyr Tatiana.

Thus, January 25 (coinciding with the end of the examination session) and May 7 (Lomonosov readings are held) became significant days for Moscow University, and the martyr Tatyana became the patroness of students.

Tatiana's Day in the Russian Empire, and especially in Moscow, was a noisy holiday, with wide festivities in which both professors and students participated on equal terms.

On the corner of Petrovsky Boulevard and Trubnaya Square there was a French restaurant “Hermitage Olivier”. Its owner, culinary specialist Lucien Olivier, on Tatiana's day gave the restaurant's hall to students who came here for a “walk” after official ceremonies and festive liturgy. Expensive dishes were removed from the tables, the floors were covered with straw, because the wine flowed like a river. Here and there there were enthusiastic speeches and toasts “to the glory of science and to the prosperity of ideals.” “Whoever on ordinary days gets drunk out of love for this art, gets drunk on Tatiana out of a sense of duty. Those who don’t drink at all on ordinary days get drunk on Tatyana to prove their solidarity with the drinking intelligentsia: let, they say, the paths of life have pulled us far from each other, scattered us apart, like haystacks in the sad poems of Alexei Tolstoy, but we are still alive, safe in the heart is the thread that attaches us with an inextricable connection to a common root, uniting us in the name of our common nurse - alma mater... Long live the alma mater, gentlemen! Gaudeamus igitur! vivat academy!”

And even the gendarmes on this day did not touch the intoxicated students, and if such a need nevertheless arose, they detained them, having first congratulated them on the holiday. This is exactly how Alexander Amfitheatrov captured Tatyana’s day in his literary sketch.

After the revolution, Tatyana's day began to be forgotten. They began to celebrate it again in connection with the transfer of the Tatiana Church to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1995.

How to congratulate Tatyana on her name day

You can congratulate the birthday person either verbally or write warm wishes for him in a holiday card.

On this holiday, you can wish the birthday person that the heavenly patron will assist him in all good endeavors and help him overcome the temptations allowed by God, that he will prayerfully stand for him before the Throne of God and always help in the salvation of the soul.

What to give to the birthday girl

The best gift for a Christian is the one that is useful not only for the physical flesh and life in the material world, but, mainly, the one that is useful for his soul. Among such useful gifts may be an icon, spiritual literature selected taking into account the tastes and interests of the birthday person, audio and video recordings of Christian themes, church items for household use, oils blessed on the relics of the righteous, or, for example, a trip to a pilgrimage.

You can give another gift, the main thing is that it pleases the person and does not contain a hint of base earthly passions.

Tatyana Rasnovskaya

Tatiana Church in Moscow

The university house church in the name of the holy martyr Tatiana was opened and consecrated in 1791. The parishioners of the Tatyana Church included professors and numerous students of the University. It was here, in the Tatyaninsky Church, that Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, historians Sergei Solovyov and Vasily Klyuchevsky, and many other prominent people of the Russian Empire were buried. Tatyana's Church burned during the fire of 1812. It was restored and re-consecrated in 1837. At the same time, a large image of the holy martyr Tatiana was placed on the facade of the temple. After the revolution, by decree of the People's Commissariat of Education in 1919, the temple was closed like many other university house churches. The temple was destroyed, the interiors were destroyed, and the premises were turned into a club, and later into a theater. In January 1995, the temple was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Church of the Great Martyr Tatiana, 2016. Photo by Yulia Makoveychuk

Today, the home church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana is one of the largest Moscow parishes, which conducts active missionary activities and social service. The temple was restored; in 1998, with the blessing of the Patriarch, the iconostasis of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov from New York was transferred to the church. Also, one of the most valuable relics of the Tatyana Church is the reliquary with particles of the relics of the holy martyr Tatyana and St. Philaret of Moscow. Two particles of relics from the right hand of the holy martyr Tatiana (kept today in the St. Michael's Cathedral of the Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery) were transferred to the university church in 1995. One of the particles is placed in the icon, the other in the ark located near one of the choirs.

Venerable Martyr Tatiana Gribkova, memorial date: February 8, September 14

Reverend Martyr Tatiana Gribkova was born in 1879 in the Moscow province, into a peasant family.

At seventeen, she entered the Golovinsky Convent as a novice. The monastery had four churches, a hospital, an almshouse, and a school. Almost two hundred sisters lived in the monastery. In 1925 the monastery was closed. Tatyana returned to her native village.

In 1937, a tenant who rented a room from Gribkova wrote a denunciation against her. He said that the novice allegedly had some gold reserves, which she collected during the civil war to help the monarchists. In addition, according to the false witness, Tatyana and other churchmen were waiting for Hitler to come to power. In August, Tatyana was arrested. She denied all charges. The investigator had no evidence other than the denunciation. But in those days this was enough to impose a death sentence. Tatyana Gribkova was sentenced to death. She was executed at the Butovo training ground near Moscow.

Tatyana Larina

Two events brought great popularity to the name Tatyana in Russia. The first of them, of course, was the novel by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”, where the girl Tatyana was written as the main character.

...Her sister was called Tatyana... For the first time with such a name, We willfully consecrate the tender pages of the novel. So what? it is pleasant, sonorous; But with him, I know, the memory of antiquity or maidenhood is inseparable! We all must admit: we have very little taste in our names (We are not talking about poetry); Enlightenment did not suit us, And we got from him Affection - nothing more.

During Pushkin's time, the name Tatyana was common among the people. By the beginning of the 19th century, it had long ceased to be popular among nobles, and merchants and peasants more often called their children Tatiana. But a century earlier, the name Tatyana was widespread among the nobility, because that was the name of one of the youngest daughters of the first Russian Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov.

Illustration by Lydia Timoshenko (1903–1976)

Tsarevna Tatyana Mikhailovna enjoyed the respect of her brother Alexei Mikhailovich. At the time of the conflict, she tried to reconcile Princess Sophia and Peter, she was even the godmother of Tsarevich Alexei. But Grand Duchess Tatiana Mikhailovna became even more famous for the fact that in 1691 she donated to the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery an ark with relics - the right hand of the martyr Tatiana. Since then, the holy martyr Tatiana began to be considered the patroness of the monastery. It is this antiquity that Pushkin talks about in his novel.

And also about “girlishness”. The poet probably means that the name Tatyana should refer the reader to “tatyanka” - a style of women’s dress with a wide, gathered skirt. “Tatyanka” is the simplest style of skirt that prevailed in the Russian national costume. And “Tatyankas”, rethought and improved with additional skirts and frills, shone at the balls of the era of Alexander Sergeevich.

You can continue your reasoning and say that in your own words “enlightenment did not suit us and we got from it Affection - nothing more...”

the poet is trying to emphasize that the heroes of the novel, Tatyana Larina’s parents, did not call her that because they remembered the patroness of Moscow University, the holy martyr Tatyana. But let’s not fantasize, the fact remains that thanks to the novel “Eugene Onegin,” the name Tatyana soared in the popularity ranking of Russian names to the utmost heights.

Partisan Tanya

According to statistics, the name Tatyana was the first most popular name in the country throughout the 20th century. In the 50-60s, there were an average of seven girls named Tatyana per school class. Every sixth woman in the country was called Tatyana. And the foreigners who visited the country with advice from Tatyana made their heads spin.

It is likely that such popularity of the name was associated not only with the novel in verse, but also with another event - the feat of eighteen-year-old Komsomol member Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya.

In October 1941, tenth-grader Zoya joined the sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Western Front headquarters, which was tasked with “smoking the Germans out” of their warm apartments. The Komsomol members of the group were to burn down ten villages occupied by the Germans. In one of them, in the village of Petrishchevo, Volokalamsk region, Zoya was captured. To her executioners, Zoya, who dreamed of entering a literary institute and probably loved Pushkin, called herself Tanya. Or maybe the priest’s granddaughter simply remembered the life of Saint Tatiana. The girl was brutally tortured, tortured for a long time and hanged naked with a sign on her neck saying “house arsonist.” The image of “Tanya,” who continued to threaten her enemies with vengeance, entered the annals of history thanks to an article by Pyotr Lidov. The note “Tanya” was published on January 27, 1942 in the newspaper “Pravda”, and Zoya (Tanya) herself for many years became a symbol of the heroism shown by man in the Great Patriotic War for many Soviet citizens.

Dozens of works of art, poems, songs, the one-act opera “Tanya”, the ballet “Tatyana”, monuments throughout the country, including the Partizanskaya metro station, and even a poem by the children's poetess Agnia Barto were dedicated to “Partisan Tanya”. It is not surprising that parents named their children after the hero of modern times.

According to statistical tables, until 1993 the name Tatyana did not leave first place in the ranking of the most popular names in the country. But with the collapse of the Soviet empire, its heroes fade into the background. The name Tatyana, while remaining among the top ten popular names in Russia, today occupies only seventh place. Today, many people fortunately associate this name not only with Tatyana Larina or Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, but with a saint whose life amazes with the depth of faith.

Troparion to the Martyr Tatiana

Troparion, tone 4

Thy Lamb, Jesus, Tatiana calls with a great voice: I love Thee, my Bridegroom, and seeking Thee I suffer and am crucified and buried in Thy baptism and suffer for Thy sake, for I reign in Thee and die for Thee, and live with Thee, but as a sacrifice Accept me immaculate, lovingly sacrificed to You: through your prayers, for You are merciful, save our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4

You shone brightly in your suffering, passion-bearer, covered with your blood, and like a red dove you flew to the sky, Tatiano. The same pray ever for those who honor you.

Prayer

Oh, holy martyr Tatiano, bride of Your Sweetest Bridegroom Christ! To the Lamb of the Divine Lamb! The dove of chastity, the fragrant body of suffering, like a royal garment, covered with the face of heaven, now rejoicing in eternal glory, from the days of her youth a servant of the Church of God, observing chastity and loving the Lord above all the blessings! We pray to you and we ask you: heed the petitions of our hearts and do not reject our prayers, grant purity of body and soul, inhale love for Divine truths, lead us onto a virtuous path, ask God for angelic protection for us, heal our wounds and ulcers, youth protect us, grant us a painless and comfortable old age, help us in the hour of death, remember our sorrows and grant us joy, visit us who are in the prison of sin, instruct us in repentance quickly, kindle the flame of prayer, do not leave us orphans, let your suffering be glorifying, we send praise to the Lord, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The childhood and youth of Saint Tatiana

Tatiana was born into a family of nobility who lived in Rome. From many testimonies it is known that the parents of the Blessed Girl occupied a certain place in the city, therefore, they were considered significant in society and at the same time were initiated into the secrets of the Christian Orthodox faith. It is known that Saint Tatiana was raised with special care, since her parents believed that their daughter would play an important role for the Almighty in later life. That is why, from a young age, Tatiana, who would later become the Great Martyr, learned the basic basics of Christian piety.

She once said that being unquestioning and faithful to the Almighty in her youth was extremely difficult, since there were some dangerous tasks that required certain feats to be performed. It is also important to note the fact that Saint Tatiana lived through the times of persecution and murder of Orthodox believers, that is, her youth fell at the beginning of the 2nd century, the period of the Nativity of Christ. That is why, observing the life situation of Orthodox Christian believers, the future Holy Great Martyr Tatiana, as a baby, absorbed the concept of persistent faith in the Almighty. Therefore, from a young age I asked the Almighty for strength so that over the years I would not stray from my chosen path. The Almighty did not refuse and fulfilled all her requests.

On the day she came of age, the young girl renounced all the worldly blessings that life in a wealthy family promised her and went to the temple in order to devote the rest of her life to serving the Almighty. It was during this period of her life that the great martyr refused to marry and thereby chose the path of a certain bride of Christ; therefore, she remained virgin throughout her life. That is why it is believed that the main feat of the Holy Great Martyr Tatiana is virtue and chastity. Dear Friends, we remind you that it is easy to buy an icon of Tatiana on our pages!