January 15 is the church holiday of Seraphim of Sarov. Church Orthodox holiday of January

There are many Orthodox holidays in honor of various saints. The Day of St. Seraphim of Sarov, celebrated on January 15, is considered a major church holiday. It marks the death of this saint. All temples, churches, monasteries hold festive services. The Day of Seraphim of Sarov is also the name day of men with the name Seraphim.

history of the holiday

Like most Orthodox holidays, St. Seraphim's Day is associated with the life, work and death of this person. His name was Prokhor Isidorovich Moshnin, and the righteous name Seraphim was assigned to him after an honorable conversion to the faith.

Prokhor Moshnin was born in Kursk in January 1754. He was raised by the wealthy and famous merchant Isidore and his wife Agathia. IN early years Prokhor's father left this world.

He was associated with the church from early childhood, since at the age of 7, for some reason, he fell from the bell tower of the unfinished Sergius-Kazan Cathedral, being built on the site of the old temple. However, he suffered the fall quite easily and did not receive serious injuries.

As a young man, the future great saint had a strange dream. He dreamed about it when the future saint became seriously ill. At the same time, the Virgin Mary, who appeared to the sick young man, promised to save him from his illness. Soon Prokhor really recovered, but this happened in a rather unusual way. Then the procession of the Cross was taking place, and the mother of Prokhor decided to carry the sick young man to the holy face of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos, as the believers swept past the houses. When the child venerated the holy icon, his inexplicable recovery occurred.

After reaching the age of 22, Prokhor Moshnin joined the pilgrims going to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. There, a revered elder named Dositheus blessed the guy and designated where the acceptance of his obedience and tonsure would take place - the Sarov Hermitage. Listening to his mentor, Prokhor immediately set off on the road, and in 1778 he became a novice under the no less revered Joseph, who served in the Sarov Monastery. After 8 years, Prokhor becomes a monk and is ordained as a hierodeacon. Another 7 years later he was honorably ordained as a hieromonk.

The future miracle worker had a penchant for a solitary life. Soon he moved to a cell located in the forest, at a distance of 5 km from the famous monastery. His ascetic achievement was wearing the same clothes in the cold and winter. He himself took care of food, finding various foods in the forest, allocated very little time to sleep, adhered to strict fasting and devoted most of his time to prayers and reading holy books(Patristic Scripture, Gospel). After some time, Seraphim formed a small garden bed near his cell and equipped a beehouse.

There are quite a few ascetic deeds of Saint Seraphim. He ate only grass for 3 years. In addition, the convinced ascetic spent approximately 1000 days on one of the stone boulders in the stylite ritual. Many were surprised that during the parting words given to all those who sought spiritual advice, Saint Seraphim hand-fed an incredibly large bear. The saint himself claimed that the animals themselves came to him for food. At the same time, Seraphim hand-fed not only the bear, but also other animals.

The second amazing fact of the life of the holy elder is that one day the robbers, who learned about the frequent visits to the ascetic by wealthy visitors, decided to track him down and rob his cell. Finding him in the forest was a simple task: he always prayed in one place. The robbers severely beat the saint, who at that time was quite strong and healthy person, using the butt of an ax. The elder was severely injured, but the bandits were unable to find anything valuable from him. Contrary to the expectations and fears of many, Saint Seraphim soon came to his senses and fully recovered, however, he remained hunched over forever. After some time, the robbers who attacked St. Seraphim were found. However, the enlightened elder who recognized them not only forgave them, but also asked not to be punished for their atrocities.

Since 1807, the ascetic decided to take an honorable vow of silence, so he tried to avoid contact with people and avoided any contact with them. Three years later he returned to the monastery, however, he became a recluse until 1825. Seraphim of Sarov again began to accept different people from their church environment and the laity. According to the description of his life, he had the gift of healing from a variety of ailments and insight. People with a high position in society, including Tsar Alexander the First, often turned to him. The elder always greeted all visitors with blessing phrases and did not refuse help, regardless of the time of the visitors’ visit. Seraphim of Sarov is also considered the constant patron, as well as the honorary creator of the popular Diveyevo monastery for women. The famous saint reposed in 1833, while in his cell of the Sarov Monastery, performing a kneeling prayer. This happened on January 15, which became the date of the founding of a new holiday in honor of his memory.

Seraphim of Sarov died in the first month of 1833, but he was classified as a saint only in the middle of 1903. On the holiday associated with the canonization of the great saint, the Sarov hermitage was visited by up to 300 thousand believing pilgrims, including the emperor and his entire family. On the day the saint was born (August 1) of the same year, his relics were placed in a shrine and sent to the convent he founded. However, in the 20s of the 20th century, his relics were transferred to an unknown place. Only at the beginning of 1991 it became known that they were in the storerooms of the Museum of the History of Atheism and Religion.

How to celebrate and ask for help from a saint?

Shortly before the death of Saint Seraphim, an icon was painted, which is present today in many temples and churches. On the Day of St. Seraphim of Sarov, believers visit church to ask for help from the miracle worker, who is numbered among the saints.

You can celebrate this holiday in different ways. Believers fast on January 15 and attend services held in almost every Orthodox church. It is believed that the saint continues to help all people who turn to his icon with prayer and a pure heart. Therefore, today almost everyone can ask for the help of Saint Seraphim. You need to come to the church or temple where his icon is located for the service. During the service, you should try not to think about everyday problems, trying to imbue yourself with the spirit of the sacred service. After completing the church hymns, you should approach the icon of Seraphim of Sarov and touch it, mentally asking the miracle worker for help in difficult situation. There is no doubt that invisible help will come at the right time, since faith is the main mechanism that triggers the mechanism of holy miracles.

However, you can ask Seraphim of Sarov for help any day. The icon with the face of Seraphim is constantly in churches, so people can constantly turn to the saints for help. You can come to church almost any day when such an inner desire arises. The main thing is to sincerely believe that the saint will really help and a miracle will happen.

Holidays January 15, 2019

Day of formation of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

The formed Investigative Committee should have been created outside the prosecutor's office system the necessary conditions work of the prosecutor's office and investigative bodies.
Emperor Peter I for the first time tried to separate the investigative agency of Russia from other government agencies. He made judicial reform, dividing the criminal process into two parts. As a result, the criminal process consisted of a preliminary investigation and trial.
In Russia, the first specialized investigative bodies appeared in 1713. These were the major's investigative offices. They dealt with cases of the most dangerous acts and reported directly to Peter I. Dangerous acts included offenses that encroached on the foundations of statehood: official forgery, embezzlement, bribery and fraud. These investigative bodies were objective and impartial even towards high-ranking officials and depended only on the Emperor himself.
After the death of Peter I, the investigative bodies were abolished, and the preliminary investigation began to be considered as an ordinary procedural procedure of pre-trial proceedings.
From 1723 to 1860, Russia had an administrative model for organizing the investigative apparatus, the main drawback of which was corruption.
In 1860, during the judicial reform carried out by Alexander II, new ways were found for organizing the preliminary investigation; it was decided to remove investigative bodies from the police and transfer them to the courts. Later, this judicial model formed the basis for the work of military investigators attached to military district courts.
After 1917, due to the fact that the new government wanted to make justice an instrument of class struggle, in almost all law enforcement agencies investigative units appeared.
In the Moscow province in 1927, all judicial investigators were transferred to the prosecutor's office. This experiment was successful, so in 1928 the board of the People's Commissariat of Justice decided to transfer the entire investigative apparatus to the prosecutor's office.
In 1929, military investigators became subordinate to the military prosecutor's office.
In 1938–1939, investigative units were already established in the police and state security agencies, which at that time were subordinate to the NKVD of the USSR.
In 1963, investigative bodies also appeared in the Ministry of Public Order (Ministry of Internal Affairs), and in 2007 the Investigative Committee became an independent department under the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation, although it was part of the system of prosecutorial bodies.
In 2011, the Law returned to Russia the model of development of the investigative authorities of Peter I.
Based on the legislation, it was established that the head of state directs the activities of the Investigative Committee. investigative committee Russian Federation is not currently part of any government body.

Wikipedia Birthday

Wikipedia is a universal encyclopedia that is distributed freely throughout the Internet. In the encyclopedia, articles are created by the collective work of volunteer authors in many languages ​​of the world. One of the most important advantages of Wikipedia is the ability to present information on native language, while maintaining her cultural identity.

International Recognition Day for Croatia

January 15 is International Recognition Day in Croatia
The Republic of Croatia, a former Yugoslav republic, is internationally recognized by 12 European Union countries as separate state January 15, 1992.

Religious holiday

DAY OF SAINT SERAPHIM OF SAROV

– Orthodox holiday January 15
On this day, all Orthodox Christians honor the memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
On January 15, Christians celebrate the repose of the saint. In churches and monasteries on this day throughout Russia, a festive service is performed. Men named Seraphim celebrate their name day today.
The ascetic Seraphim of Sarov was born into a merchant family in Kursk in 1754.
Since childhood, he dreamed of a monastic life, and at the age of 24 he went to the Sarov desert, which is located on the territory Nizhny Novgorod region. There, in the monastery, the monk Seraphim lived for a considerable time, in a deep forest, several kilometers from the monastery; with the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, he built a cell, where he lived for more than 15 years.
Seraphim came to the monastery only on Sundays and holidays.
One day, robbers attacked and severely beat the monk, after which he remained hunched over for the rest of his life. However, Seraphim forgave his offenders and asked them not to punish them.
Solitude of St. Seraphim of Sarov in special prayer works. The saint fought against strong spiritual temptation with the feat of pillarism - for a thousand days and nights he prayed on a stone with raised hands. Later, Seraphim of Sarov took a vow of silence for three years. At this time he even stopped visiting the monastery.
For his labors, the ascetic Seraphim, after a long seclusion, received the gifts of miracles and clairvoyance and received all parishioners who wanted to receive advice and consolation from him.
Contemporaries of Seraphim of Sarov noted that he healed with love and joy emanating from him.
Seraphim of Sarov addressed every person with tenderness - “my joy.”
During his lifetime, people from all over Russia flocked to the monastery of Seraphim of Sarov for his instructions. And after his peaceful death in 1833, the veneration of Seraphim of Sarov became special.
At his grave, according to eyewitnesses, miracles often began to occur, and in 1903 the Monk Seraphim of Sarov was canonized.
The relics of Seraphim of Sarov rest in the very famous monastery of Russia, the Seraphim-Diveevo Convent. On the days of the saint’s memory, thousands of pilgrims flock here every year and the most solemn divine service is held here with the participation of the Patriarch.

Folk calendar January 15:

CHICKEN HOLIDAY or SYLVESTER'S DAY

This church holiday was named after Saint Sylvester.
Sylvester I - Pope, who lived in the 4th century, became famous for his miracle. According to legend, he caught the serpent Leviathan in the sea and thereby prevented the end of the world.
On January 15, Russian people celebrated the day of Kura and Kurki, or Chicken Holiday. This one was designed for cleaning chicken coops.
Our ancestors had a popular belief that on this day a seven-year-old black rooster lays an egg, from which the Basilisk serpent will be born on June 4.
A “chicken god” - a black stone with a hole - was hung in the chicken coop to protect it from evil spirits. Old women, in order to ward off evil spirits and protect birds from night blindness, fumigated chicken coops with tar and elecampane.
On this day, children were given new toys - clay cockerels.
On Sylvester's Day, girls used bulbs to tell fortunes. They peeled 12 onions, trying not to cry, and putting a pinch of salt on each one, they left it on the stove until the morning.
It was believed that whichever bulb would be wet would mean that month of the year would be rainy.
At night, the peasants looked at the month: if both horns were sharp and bright, then there would be wind, and if both horns were steep, then there would be frost, but sloping horns would mean bad weather.
If magpies flew near a dwelling, they promised a blizzard.
Sylvester was given spells against illness; it was believed that on this day they had special power.
Name day January 15 from: Vasily, Kuzma, Mark, Modest, Peter, Sergei, Ulyana.

Seraphim of Sarov is one of the most revered Orthodox saints. There are many things associated with this man unusual facts, which will be interesting to know for every believer.

Seraphim of Sarov is highly revered by the church because of his deeds. He endured many problems on the way to harmony with the outside world and with God. Some of his feats are still considered impossible, so faith plays a big role in matters of authenticity. Those who are strong in their faith make a pilgrimage to Diveevo to the relics of the saint in order to lay their hands and head on the place where one of the greatest Russian saints rests in peace. January 15 is the official day of remembrance of the saint according to the church calendar.

The history and miracles of Seraphim of Sarov

This one was born great person in Kursk in 1754. Despite the fact that Seraphim's family was rich and noble, he devoted himself to God. The child's father died when he was still at an early age.

Miracles began to happen to him as a child. Prokhor, as the saint was called before becoming a monk, once fell from the bell tower, but remained unharmed. Soon he became seriously ill, but the Virgin Mary came to him in a dream and promised to heal him. After some time this happened. The boy was surrounded by faith, so he devoted a lot of his personal time to the study of Christianity. His faith grew stronger day by day.

When Prokhor turned 17 years old, he decided to leave his father's house. He took monastic vows on the advice of the elder at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. The choice fell on the Sarov Monastery in Tambov. He became a novice in 1778 and a full monk in 1786. He was awarded the rank of hieromonk after another seven years. Monk Seraphim always had a penchant for solitude, so he tried to live away from other people. He lived in a cell in the forest, looked for food for himself, observed strict fasting and constantly prayed. He did not consider this a feat - this was his sincere desire.

According to historical sources, Seraphim was engaged in pillarism, that is, constant prayer for many years. He prayed on a stone, which people learned about and began to come to him for advice. Day and night he devoted himself entirely to prayer. They say that miraculously Wild animals constantly came to him, including even bears, which the saint fed with bread. In the forest, a misfortune befell him - bad people received news that rich people were visiting him, leaving him gifts. The robbers found the place of solitude of Seraphim of Sarov and brutally beat him, causing serious injuries. After the monk recovered, he remained hunched over for the rest of his life. They say that he did not even resist, and later completely forgave his offenders, declaring that they needed to be released. These people were never brought to justice.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the saint took a vow of silence, which he tried to fulfill for almost 20 years. For the last 7-8 years of his life, he healed people’s illnesses and received everyone who wanted to see him. Even Tsar Alexander the First was among the guests. The elder died at the age of 78 while praying. He was canonized only 70 years after his death. August 1 marks the discovery of the relics of the saint, and January 15 is the official day of remembrance and name day for all men with the name Seraphim.

January 15 is the day of memory of Seraphim of Sarov

People like monk Seraphim can be counted on one hand. But almost no one had devoted faith and dedication. He demonstrated fortitude and faith in Christ, which helped him live a worthy life.

Icons and prayers are dedicated to Elder Seraphim. It is believed that Saint Seraphim helps us in alleviating suffering and healing illnesses. Every home should have an icon of this saint, which will bring good luck to all believers. Prayers before the icon of Seraphim of Sarov help restore faith in God, so mothers of children who have lost faith in God often resort to this prayer.

On January 15, every church in the Orthodox world remembers the life of St. Seraphim year after year. On this day, clergy recommend not to quarrel with loved ones, do only good deeds and believe in miracles. God is merciful to everyone who devotes their time to prayers on this day.

Prayers to Seraphim of Sarov have special power not only on Memorial Day or August 1st. On January 15 and any other day, ask the monk to pray for our souls and for the health of all loved ones. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

11.01.2017 06:05

On February 6, 2017, Christians celebrate the day of remembrance of Saint Xenia of St. Petersburg. Her veneration was lifelong...

Female and male names (how to name boys and girls in December)

Name days in January:

1 – Boniface, Gregory, Ilya, Timofey.

2 – Anton, Daniil, Ivan, Ignatius.

3 – Leonty, Mikhail, Nikita, Peter, Procopius, Sergei, Feofan.

4 – Anastasia, Dmitry, Fedor, Fedosya.

5 – Vasily, David, Ivan, Makar, Naum, Nifont, Pavel, Theoktist.

6 – Evgenia, Innocent, Claudia, Nikolai, Sergei.

8 – Augusta, Agrippina, Alexander, Anfisa, Vasily, Gregory, Dmitry, Efim, Isaac, Konstantin, Leonid, Maria, Mikhail, Nicodemus, Nikolai.

9 – Antonina, Luka, Stepan, Tikhon, Fedor, Ferapont.

10 – Agafya, Alexander, Arkady, Vavila, David, Efim, Ignatius, Joseph, Leonid, Nikanor, Nicodemus, Nikolai, Peter, Simon, Theoktist, Yakov.

11 – Agrippina, Anna, Varvara, Benjamin, George, Evdokia, Euphrosyne, Ivan, Lavrenty, Mark, Markel, Matrona, Natalia, Theodosius.

12 – Anisya, Anton, Daniil, Irina, Lev, Makar, Maria, Fedora, Fedosya.

14 – Alexander, Vasily, Vyacheslav, Gregory, Ivan, Mikhail, Nikolai, Peter, Platon, Trofim, Fedot, Emilia, Yakov.

15 – Vasily, Gerasim, Kuzma, Mark, Modest, Peter, Seraphim, Sergei, Sylvester.

16 – Gordey, Irina.

17 – Alexander, Andronik, Archippus, Athanasius, Anisim, Aristarchus, Artemy, Athanasius, Denis, Efim, Karp, Clement, Kondraty, Luke, Mark, Nikanor, Nikolai, Pavel, Prokhor, Rodion, Semyon, Silouan, Stepan, Timofey, Trophim, Thaddeus, Theoktist, Philemon, Philip, Jacob.

18 – Apollinaria, Gregory, Eugenia, Joseph, Lukyan, Matvey, Micah, Roman, Semyon, Sergei, Tatyana, Thomas.

19 – Feofan.

20 – Athanasius, Vasily, Ivan, Paphnutius.

21 – Anton, Vasilisa, Victor, Vladimir, Dmitry, Georgy, Gregory, Evgeny, Emelyan, Ilya, Mikhail, Sidor, Feoktist, Julian.

22 – Antonina, Zakhar, Nikander, Pavel, Peter, Philip.

23 – Anatoly, Gregory, Zinovy, Makar, Pavel, Peter, Feofan.

24 – Vladimir, Mikhail, Nikolai, Stepan, Terenty, Fedor, Feodosius.

25 – Eupraxia, Makar, Peter, Savva, Tatyana.

26 – Athanasius, Maxim, Nicephorus, Nicodemus, Pakhom, Peter, Jacob.

27 – Agnia, Adam, Andrew, Aristarchus, Benjamin, David, Eremey, Ivan, Ilya, Joseph, Isaac, Makar, Mark, Moses, Nina, Pavel, Paphnutius, Savva, Sergei, Stepan.

28 – Varlam, Gabriel, Gerasim, Elena, Ivan, Maxim, Mikhail, Pavel, Prokhor.

29 – Ivan, Maxim, Peter.

30 – Anton, Antonina, Victor, Georgy, Ivan, Pavel, Feodosius.

31 – Alexander, Afanasy, Vladimir, Dmitry, Evgeny, Emelyan, Ephraim, Hilarion, Kirill, Ksenia, Maxim, Maria, Mikhail, Nikolay, Sergey, Feodosia.

Church Orthodox holidays in January

Venerable Elijah of Pechersk

On the first day of the year, the church celebrates the memory of St. Elijah of Pechersk, nicknamed Chobotok. Ilya was a native of the city of Murom, and popular legend identified him with the famous hero Ilya Muromets, about whom Russian epics told.

The Savior was born during the reign of Emperor Augustus in the city of Bethlehem. During the census, everyone had to be in the place where his family originated. Arriving in Bethlehem, the Virgin Mary and the Righteous Joseph did not find any vacancies in hotels and stopped outside the city in a cave intended for keeping livestock. At midnight, the news of the birth of the Savior from the jubilant Angels came to the shepherds, who came to worship the God-Man. The holiday in honor of this event was established in apostolic times, but before the 4th century. it was connected with the celebration of Epiphany.

Having learned from the Magi about the birth of a new King, Herod ordered the killing of all babies under two years of age, hoping that among them would be the Infant of God, in whom he saw his rival.

On this day, according to the Old Testament law, the Lord accepted circumcision, established for all male infants as a sign of the Covenant of God with the forefather Abraham and his descendants.

On the same day, the memory of the Archbishop of Caesarea of ​​Cappadocia is celebrated.

Vasily lived in the 4th century and received an excellent education in Constantinople and Athens. Returning to Caesarea, he taught rhetoric, then was baptized and embarked on the path of ascetic life. Together with his friend Gregory the Theologian, he retired to the desert to devote his life to God. Subsequently, the saint was ordained a presbyter; during the reign of Emperor Valens, a supporter of the Arians, he became an archbishop and made great efforts to protect his flock from heresy. He compiled the rite of the Liturgy, wrote Conversations on the Sixth Day, on the psalms, as well as a collection of monastic rules.

January 15 is the day of the repose (1883) and the second discovery of the relics (1991) of one of the most beloved Russian saints among the people -. Having taken monastic vows at the age of 27, the monk labored in the Sarov monastery or in the forest desert until the end of his life. For his feat of prayer, he was honored with repeated visits from the Queen of Heaven. The Monk Seraphim went to the Lord during prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God. The monk was canonized as a saint in 1903. After the October Revolution, the saint’s relics disappeared and were discovered only in 1991, in the storerooms of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, which was located in the building of the Kazan Cathedral in Leningrad.

January 17 – Council of 70 apostles of Christ, chosen by the Lord to preach the Gospel to the whole universe.

These apostles are commemorated separately throughout the year, and this holiday was established in order to show the equality of each of the seventy and thereby prevent disagreements in their veneration.

January 19 is celebrated - the twelfth holiday established in honor of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River and in honor of the appearance of the Holy Trinity during this event. The Father spoke from heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by the holy Forerunner of the Lord John, and the Holy Spirit descended on the Son in the form of a dove. The next day, the Council of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John is celebrated - the one who served the cause of the Baptism of Christ, laying his hand on the head of the Savior.

On January 24, we remember St. Theodosius the Great, who became the founder of cenobitic monasteries. He was born at the end of the 5th century. in Cappadocia. The saint lived for about 30 years in the Palestinian desert, remaining in fasting and prayer. Those who wanted to live under his leadership constantly came to him; as a result, a communal monastery, or Lavra, arose, which existed according to the charter of Basil the Great.

The memory of the holy martyr Tatiana is celebrated on January 25. Tatiana, the daughter of the Roman consul, refused marriage, wanting to devote her life to the Lord. She was installed as a deaconess in one of the Roman temples and served God, caring for the sick and helping those in need. During the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus (between 222 and 235), Tatiana accepted martyrdom for Christ, refusing to make a sacrifice pagan gods and endured terrible torture.

On January 27, the church remembers the enlightener of Georgia. She was born around 280 in Cappadocia into a noble, pious family. One day Nina saw in a dream Holy Mother of God, Who gave her a cross made of grapevine and sent her with apostolic service to Iveria (Georgia). Nina came to Georgia in 319 and made a lot of efforts to educate this country - five years later Christianity was established in Georgia.

January 30 is the day of remembrance of the famous ascetic, founder of desert living, called the father of monasticism. Anthony was born in Egypt in 251. After the death of his parents, who instilled in him love for God and piety, he began an ascetic life. He had to fight with the most difficult temptations and attacks of evil spirits, but with God's help he overcame the tricks of the devil and went into the depths of the Thebaid desert to serve the Lord in complete solitude. The saint spent 85 years in desert solitude; his example was followed by many of those who wanted to spend their lives in ascetic deeds for the sake of the Lord.

On this day it was customary to clean chicken coops (Photo: Ivonne Wierink, Shutterstock)

Old style date: January 2

The day got its name in honor of a church holiday - St. Sylvester's Day. Pope Sylvester I lived in the 4th century and became famous for his miracle. According to legend, he caught the sea serpent Leviathan and thereby prevented the end of the world.

Also on this day, Russian people celebrated the day of Kur and Kurki, or Chicken holiday. On this day it was customary to clean chicken coops. In Rus' there was a belief that on this day a seven-year-old black rooster lays an egg, and in the summer the serpent Basilisk will be born from it. To protect the chicken coop from evil spirits, a black stone with a hole was hung in it - the “chicken god”. In addition, old women fumigated chicken coops with tar and elecampane to protect poultry from night blindness and ward off evil spirits - feverish spirits. On this day, children received new toys - clay cockerels.

People used to tell fortunes about Sylvester using bulbs (Photo: Ekaterina Kondratova, Shutterstock) They told fortunes about Sylvester using bulbs. We cleaned 12 pieces (while trying not to cry), put a pinch of salt on each and left them on the stove until the morning. Whichever bulb turns out to be wet is the month that will be rainy. There were also simpler signs for the weather. At night they looked at the month: if both horns are sharp and bright - towards the wind; if both horns are steep - to frost; sloping horns foreshadowed bad weather. Magpies also promised a blizzard if they flew near a dwelling.

However, the frosts at this time did not surprise anyone. People said: “On this day, not only is it cold and frosty on the ground, but also underground. Frost drives out the dashing sisters with illnesses from underground". It was considered useful to read a conspiracy against illness on Sylvester; They said that on this day he has special power.

Name day on this day

Vasily, Kuzma, Mark, Modest, Peter, Seraphim, Sergey, Sylvester, Ulyana

Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov twice a year. The discovery of his relics in 1903 is celebrated on August 1. And on January 15, Orthodox Christians celebrate the repose of the saint.

On the days of memory of St. Seraphim of Sarov, festive services are held in churches and monasteries throughout Russia, and men who bear the name of the saint celebrate their name days. The future ascetic was born in 1754 in Kursk, into the merchant family of the Moshnins.

Since childhood, he dreamed of a monastic life and at the age of 24 he went to the Sarov Hermitage in the territory of what is now the Nizhny Novgorod region. Having lived for a considerable time in the monastery, Monk Seraphim, with the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, built himself a cell in a deep forest several kilometers from the monastery.

He lived there for more than 15 years, coming to the monastery only on Sundays and holidays. During his retreat, the monk was attacked by robbers who brutally beat him, as a result of which he remained hunched over for the rest of his life - this is how he is depicted on icons. However, Seraphim forgave his offenders and asked not to punish them.

The monk's time of solitude was associated with special prayer works. The saint fought against strong spiritual temptation with the feat of stylite life. For a thousand days and nights, with raised hands, the Monk Seraphim prayed on a stone: during the day - in his cell, and at night - in the forest. Later, he took upon himself the feat of silence for three years, at which time he stopped even visiting the monastery.

For his labors, the ascetic acquired the gifts of clairvoyance and miracles, and after a long retreat he began to accept everyone who came to him for advice and consolation. Contemporaries of Seraphim of Sarov especially noted that the saint healed not so much with a gentle word, but with the love and joy that emanated from him.

The monk addressed any person with tenderness, “My joy.” Even during his lifetime, Seraphim of Sarov was respected; people from all over Russia flocked to the monastery to hear his instructions regarding spiritual life and to receive advice. After the peaceful death of the saint in 1833, veneration became special.

According to eyewitnesses, miracles were often performed at his grave. In 1903, the monk was canonized. Now the relics of Seraphim of Sarov rest in the Seraphim-Diveevo convent, which thanks to this is one of the most famous monasteries in Russia. Every year, on the days of the saint’s memory, especially solemn divine services are held here with the participation of the Patriarch, where thousands of pilgrims flock.

International Recognition Day for Croatia

On this day in 1992, the Republic of Croatia, then another of the Yugoslav republics, was internationally recognized by 12 countries of the European Union. On the same day they were joined by Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Switzerland.

The first country to recognize Croatia was Iceland, which made a corresponding decision on December 19, 1991. On January 13, Croatia was recognized by the Vatican, and on January 14 by San Marino.

Back in the fall of 1991, the Republic of Croatia was also recognized by countries that themselves were not yet recognized at that time: Slovenia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia.

By the end of January 1992, Croatia was recognized by seven more states: Finland, Romania, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. The first Asian country to recognize Croatia, not counting Turkey, was Iran, and the first African country was Egypt. On May 22, 1992, Croatia was admitted to the UN, and by that time it was also recognized by Russia, Japan, the USA, Israel and China.

Since then, Croatia has 48 embassies, six permanent missions in different international organizations, 23 consulates and maintains diplomatic relations with more than 120 countries.

Day of formation of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation

Effective January 15, 2011 the federal law“On the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation”, signed on December 28, 2010. This became a reason to add another holiday date to the calendar - Day of formation of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

As reported in the explanatory note to the bill, the functioning of the Investigative Committee outside the prosecutor's office system will create the necessary conditions for more efficient work of both the prosecutor's office and investigative bodies. The idea was not new: for the first time, Peter I decided to separate the investigative department from other government agencies. The Emperor carried out judicial reform, dividing the criminal process into two stages: preliminary investigation and trial.

In 1713, the first specialized investigative bodies appeared in Russia. They became the major's investigative offices, which reported directly to Peter I and examined cases of the most dangerous acts. These included offenses that encroached on the foundations of statehood: bribery, embezzlement, official forgery, fraud. Investigative bodies, dependent only on the emperor, could remain impartial and objective even in relation to high-ranking officials. Thus, at the beginning of the 18th century, 11 out of 23 Russian senators attracted the attention of investigative offices.

However, immediately after the death of Peter I, independent investigative bodies were abolished, and the preliminary investigation began to be considered as an ordinary procedural procedure of pre-trial proceedings. From 1723 to 1860, the investigation of crimes was carried out by non-specialized bodies: the police chief's office, the detective order, the lower zemstvo courts, and the deanery councils. This is how an administrative model for organizing the investigative apparatus has developed in Russia.

In the 19th century, the shortcomings of such a system became clear, the main one of which was the growth of corruption. During the judicial reform of 1860, Alexander II tried to find new ways to organize the preliminary investigation, but a return to the Peter the Great model was not even considered. As a result, it was decided to remove the investigative bodies from the police and transfer them to the courts. During this period, 993 forensic investigators appeared in 44 provinces of the country. The judicial model laid down by Alexander II later formed the basis of the system of military investigators who were attached to military district courts.

After 1917, investigative units appeared in almost all law enforcement agencies. This was due to the desire of the new government to make justice one of the instruments of class struggle.

In 1927, in the Moscow province, forensic investigators were transferred to the prosecutor's office. The experiment was considered successful, and in 1928 the board of the People's Commissariat of Justice decided to transfer the investigative apparatus to the full control of the prosecutor's office. And in 1929, military investigators became subordinate to the military prosecutor's office. In 1938–1939, investigative units were also established in the state security and police agencies, subordinate to the NKVD of the USSR at that time. In 1963, investigative bodies also appeared in the Ministry of Public Order (later it became the Ministry of Internal Affairs).

In 2007, the Investigative Committee under the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation became a relatively independent agency, but was still part of the system of prosecutorial bodies. The 2011 law returned the model of development of investigative agencies to the idea of ​​​​Peter I. This document established that the leadership of the committee’s activities is carried out by the head of state.

Currently, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (IC of Russia) is not part of the structure of any government body. It is a federal government body in the country exercising powers in the field of criminal proceedings and other powers in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Thus, today the employees of the Investigative Committee can celebrate a kind of “independence day”. In any case, this holiday is A good reason summarize the results of the work and recognize distinguished employees of the department.

Let us remind you that the celebration professional holiday- Investigative Officer Day of the Russian Federation is set in our country on July 25.