Before answering the question of when Fedor's name day, let's explore the history of this name a little. The once very common old Russian name Fedor, moreover, of Greek origin, is translated as "God's gift." The church and pre-revolutionary form sounds like Theodore - a two-component theophoric name, where the first part means "god", and the second - "gift". Here it must be pointed out that the theophore names consist of the name of a god or a divine epithet. Such names include such as Elijah (my God) or Gabriel (Divine power).
Fyodor's name day according to the church calendar
After the Russian spelling reform of 1918, that is, after the October Revolution, the name underwent some changes and began to be spelled as Fedor. Fedor's name day is celebrated several times a year. But more on that later.
Many theophoric names are Christian, which means that they began to be used for the first time among Christians. But we also know that the name Theodore was known even before the advent of Christianity, for example, Theodore of Cyrene (Ancient Greek mathematicianto. V - n. 4th century BC e.). This name was also used by early Christian saints. Of these, the most famous are the holy martyrs - Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratilat (beginning of the 4th century).
Ancient Russia and early Christianity
In ancient Russia, the name Theodore was one of the most popular. For the name of Theodore, the Orthodox calendar contains many days of remembrance.
In addition to the early Christian and Byzantine saints, in the Orthodox tradition, several Rurik princes were canonized as saints: Fyodor Rostislavovich Cherny (who was the grandson of Vladimir Monomakh) and his children, David and Konstantin.
Tsars Fyodor Ioannovich, Fyodor II Borisovich and Fyodor III Alekseevich also bore this name.
It is necessary to dwell on the lives of several saints who glorified their name with their ascetic feat.
Fyodor Rostislavovich Cherny
Fyodor was born somewhere in 1231-1239. From childhood, he was a humble and pious man. After his father died, the young man inherited a small town called Mozhaisk. After some time, he made it a crowded and fairly non-poor city, which earned him the love and respect of the population.
In 1260 he married Princess Maria Vasilievna and began to reign in Yaroslavl. In this marriage, a son, Michael, was born. The prince, making military campaigns in 1277 on the Ossetian lands, attracted special attention and reverence for Khan Mengu-Timur. He spent about three years in the Horde, but when he returned, his wife had already died suddenly, and his mother-in-law, Princess Xenia, along withthe boyars opposed his return, and his young son Mikhail was declared prince. Fedor was forced to return again to the Horde and there he married the daughter of the Khan, who had previously been baptized with the name Anna. She gave him sons David and Constantine. The veneration and respect that he acquired in the Horde, the prince used for the good of Russia and the Russian Church. During the years spent with the Khan, he built several Orthodox churches.
In 1290, when his son Mikhail died, Prince Fyodor and his family finally returned to Yaroslavl. At home, he began to zealously and intensely take care of his principality and compatriots. Saint Theodore built many churches and cathedrals.
On September 18, 1299, anticipating the near end, the prince accepted the schema. On September 19, having sincerely asked for forgiveness from all the inhabitants, he peacefully departed to God.
March 5, 1463, the acquisition of the incorruptible relics of St. Theodore and his children David and Constantine took place.
So St. Fedor became famous. Name days according to the church calendar are celebrated on September 19 (October 2) - the day of death, March 5 (18) - the acquisition of relics, May 23 (June 5) - the Cathedral of Rostov Saints.
From 1989 to 2011, the holy relics were kept in Yaroslavl, in the Feodorovsky Cathedral, now they are kept in the Assumption Cathedral.
Theodore Tyrone
It is worth mentioning one more, only already early Christian, St. Theodore. He served in Amasia in the Pontic region. Under the reign of Maximian (286-305). The Christian warrior Theodore was forced to renounce Christ andworship a pagan god, but he refused to do so, so he was subjected to monstrous torture and was imprisoned. There he indulged in prayer, and the Lord heard him and comforted him with a miraculous phenomenon. After a while he was again tortured, but the martyr did not renounce Christ, then he was sentenced to be burned. He resignedly ascended the fire and with a prayer gave his soul to his Lord. This was around 305.
After 50 years, Emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363), wishing to desecrate the Great Lent of Christians, ordered the governor of Constantinople to secretly sprinkle the products sold on the market with the blood of idol sacrifices throughout the week of the first Lent.
At night, St. Theodore himself appeared in a vision to the Archbishop of Constantinople Eudoxius and warned people not to buy defiled products on the market, but to cook boiled wheat with honey - kutya. Now, in memory of this event, every year on the first Saturday of Great Lent, the feast day of St. Theodore the Tyrone is celebrated. On the eve of Friday, at the end of the prayer behind the ambo, a moleben to St. Theodore is served in the church and the kutya is blessed.
Theodore Stratilates
In continuation of the most interesting topic: “Fyodor: name day, day of an angel”, it is also necessary to mention the martyrdom of the governor Theodore Stratilates, who lived during the reign of Licinius in the 4th century, was from Euchait and was the manager of the city of Heracleia. He saved people from the serpent near the source with the help of physical and prayer strength, passed all the trials with dignity, did not break spiritually and did notrenounced faith in Christ. The name day of Fyodor Stratilat is celebrated on February 8 (21), June 8 (21).
