Russian 0090: Russian Fairy Tales
Russian Saints and Feasts
The following is a list of Russian saint (including popular saints) and feasts discussed in Linda J. Ivanits, Russian Folk Belief, Armonk: M. E. Sharpe, 1989. Transcription is according to the Library of Congress transliteration system, with the stressed vowel of each word is indicated by bold type. Numbers in parentheses refer to pages in Ivanits's book. Pagan gods, minor Russian spirits, and general Russian terms are listed separately. Under development; currently covers through pages 1-37, 130-53.
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- batiushka pokrov
- see pokrov
- bogoroditsa
- "Mother of God," most common term for Mary (20-21)
- Boris and Gleb
- first native Russian martyr saints, sons of St. Vladimir (who Christianized Rus' in 988), murdered by their half-brother Sviatopolk, associated with spring sowing as Boris-Gleb seiateli, May 2 (29)
- chistyi chetverg
- Holy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter), literally "Pure Thursday" (8)
- Egorii, Egor
- see Georgii
- Flor and Laur
- St. Flor and St. Laur, patrons of horses, August 18 (28)
- Georgii
- St. George, also known as Egorii or Iurii, popular warrior saint, November 26 and April 23 (26-29)
- Il'inskaia piatnitsa
- the seventh of the twelve Fridays, associated with Elijah and Paraskeva-Piatnitsa (34)
- Il'ia
- Elijah the Prophet, a stern figure in Russian folk belief, corresponding to pagan Perun, July 20 (29-30)
- Iurii
- see Georgii
- Kas'ian nemilostivyi
- Cassian the Unmerciful, a selfish and mean-spirited saint, February 29 (35-36)
- Kuz'ma and Dem'ian
- Cosmas and Damian, healers and smiths (associated in this latter function with pagan Svarog by Rybakov), sometimes personified as a female Matushka Kuz'madem'aina, November 1 (32-33)
- Kupalo's Day
- June 24, traditional celebration of the summer solstice, Christian feast of St. John the Baptist (10)
- Mar'ia Pustye Shchi
- "Mary 'Empty Cabbage'," April 1, corresponding to the time when the winter cabbage store begins to run out (24)
- maslenitsa
- Shrovetide, the eighth week before Easter (e.g., Mardi Gras, the period just before Lent) (6); also a straw effigy representing the Shrovetide season (7)
- matushka pokrov
- see pokrov
- matushka uspenie
- see uspenie
- Mikhail
- Archangel Michael, associated with Perun, November 8
- Nikolai Chudotvorets
- "Nicholas the Wonderworker," most merciful of the saints, December 6 and May 9 (24-26)
- Nikolai Mokryi
- "Nicholas the Wet," refers to St. Nicholas as patron of fishermen and sailors, also Nikolai Morskoi "Nicholas of the Sea" (25)
- Nikolai Morskoi
- see Nikolai Mokryi
- Paraskeva-Piatnitsa
- popular "woman's saint," associated by Rybakov with Mokosh' October 28 (33-35)
- Paraskeva Griaznaia
- "Paraskeva the Dirty," September 14 (24)
- paskha
- Easter, also a pyramid-shaped cake of dry cottage cheese traditionally eaten at Easter (9)
- Pëtr Polukorm
- "Peter Half-Feed," corresponding to the time when the winter rations should be at about half the original level, January 16 (24)
- pokrov
- "cover," referring to Mary's omophorion (shawl) and to the Feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God, October 1. Sometimes personified as batiushka pokrov 'Father Cover' or matushka pokrov 'Mother Cover' (12, 23)
- radunitsa
- Tuesday of St. Thomas Week (the second week after Easter), originally a pagan holiday celebrating ancestors (9)
- rusal'naia week
- spring holiday that falls on the seventh (sometimes eighth) week after Easter (Pentacost), also called Trinity Week or zelënye sviatki ("Green Yuletide") (9); possibly fixed in the pagan calendar on June 17-23 (17)
- Savvatii
- St. Savvatii, patron of bees, along with St. Zosima and sometimes St. Nicholas, September 17 (29)
- semik
- Thursday of Trinity Week, when funeral services are held for those who have not received a proper burial; possibly fixed in the pagan calendar on June 4 (9)
- sochel'nik
- Christmas eve (6)
- spas
- "Savior," a common epithet for Christ, also used to identify three feasts (24):
- medovyi spas "Honey Savior," also called mokryi spas "Wet Savior," August 1
- iablochnyi spas "Apple Savior," also called spas na gore "Savior on the Hill, corresponds to the Transfiguration, August 6
- orekhovyi spas "Nut Savior," August 16
- uspenie
- "Assumption" or "Dormition" of Mary, sometimes personified as matushka uspenie, August 15 (24)
- verbnoe voskresen'e
- Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter), literally Pussy-Willow Sunday (8)
- Vlas
- St. Vlas, Christian counterpart to pagan Volos, patron of cattle, February 12
- zelënye sviatki
- see rusal'naia week
- Zosima
- St. Zosima, patron of bees, along with St. Savvatii, and sometimes St. Nicholas, April 17 (29)