What is celebrated on August 2. The second of August is one of the most revered holidays - Ilyin's Day. Mailbox birthday

26.09.2019

The question of what holiday is celebrated today continues to remain in the focus of attention of a large number of people. In Russia, it is customary to celebrate a huge number of holidays, which are often almost impossible to track.

Today is a busy day in this respect, as there are several holidays on the second of August. In particular, we can talk about the Day of the Airborne Forces of Russia. In the church calendar, the day is called Ilyin, which is also reflected in popular beliefs. We will tell about this in the fresh material of our site.

Every year on August 2, our country celebrates a glorious date - the Day of the Airborne Forces (Day of the Airborne Forces), established by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 549 of May 31, 2006 "On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" promote the revival and development of domestic military traditions, increase the prestige of military service and established in recognition of the merits of military specialists in solving the problems of ensuring the defense and security of the state.
The airborne troops - “winged infantry”, “blue berets” - were awarded with whatever epithets did the guardsmen-paratroopers, but always, at all times and under any circumstances, the strength, courage and reliability of people living according to the principle: “Nobody, except us!". And today, more than a million Russians, who at one time wore blue berets, as well as serving in the Airborne Forces at the present time, will celebrate their holiday - the Day of the Airborne Forces.

The history of the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) dates back to August 2, 1930 - then, at the exercises of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh, a paratrooper unit consisting of 12 people was parachuted for the first time to perform a tactical task. This experiment allowed military theorists to see the prospect of the advantages of airborne units, their enormous capabilities associated with the rapid coverage of the enemy by air.

The formation of airborne units, which marked the beginning of the massive deployment of this type of troops, began in 1932. Already at the beginning of 1933, special aviation battalions were formed in the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Moscow and Volga military districts. By the summer of 1941, the staffing of five airborne corps of 10 thousand people each had ended. The paratroopers have always been at the forefront in the battles of the Great Patriotic War and have shown massive heroism more than once.
Since February 1988, Russian paratroopers have taken part in operations in "hot spots" both on the territory of the country and abroad, according to the Ros-Register website. One of the most severe losses in the history of modern airborne forces was the death of the 6th company of the 104th regiment of the 76th Pskov airborne division in March 2000, when the unit prevented the breakthrough of 2,500 militants, killing over 700 bandits.

Today, the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) are a branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which is a means of the Supreme High Command of the Armed Forces and is designed to cover the enemy by air and perform tasks in his rear to disrupt troop control, capture and destroy ground elements of high-precision weapons, disrupt advance and deployment reserves, disrupting the work of the rear and communications, as well as covering (defending) certain areas, areas, open flanks, blocking and destroying landed air assault forces, penetrated enemy groupings, and performing other tasks.

The second of August is one of the most revered holidays - Ilya's Day, in honor of the Prophet Elijah.

Legends say that he lived in the 9th century. BC, the people of the kingdom of Israel knew Elijah as a faithful defender of Judaism, who did not hesitate to crush idolatry and denounce wicked deeds, whoever committed them. The ruler of the city of Elijah was then Ahab, for whom, due to the gentleness of his character, his wife, Jezebel, actually ruled.

When she began to create the cult of the pagan god Baal, Elijah opposed this and made every effort to preserve the Jewish relics and change the decision of the rulers. Among his deeds, the famine sent to the whole country for three years and the execution of pagan priests for making sacrifices on Mount Carmel are especially well known.

But Jezebel did not accept defeat from the prophet and decided to destroy Elijah. Then Elijah went into the wilderness, but upon his return he again pacified Ahab, thereby stopping the queen's intrigues. According to the lines of the legend: "suddenly appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire", Ilya was ascended to paradise during his lifetime.

From this legend, which ends the life of Ilya, came his popular nickname - the Thunderer. They believed that he sometimes rushes in the heavens, driving a fiery chariot and a sword of lightning and thunders at his enemy - an unclean serpent.

On this day, prayers were offered to the saint for the weather to be as necessary for peasants' needs - clear or rainy, reinforcing the requests with processions of the cross. When it rained on Ilya, the water was collected to heal eye diseases and the evil eye with it.

Although August was just beginning, Ilya was greeted with autumn, foreshadowed by the night chill at night, frost in the mornings, and the fact that the August days were still summer, but not hot anymore.
Bathing ended: "It's summer before lunchtime on Ilya, and autumn after lunchtime", "Ilya the Prophet threw ice into the water", "Before Ilya, a man bathes, and says goodbye to Ilya", "The night is long since Ilya, and the water is cold" ...

The women were upset - the washed clothes took a long time to dry: “Before Ilyin’s day it dries under a bush, but after Ilyin’s day it doesn’t dry on the bush either.”

The fine days gave way to lingering showers: "Before Ilya, the priest will not rain, after Ilya and the woman will catch up with an apron."

The nights lengthened: “Peter and Paul took the hour off, but Elijah the Prophet took two away”; this, however, is not bad: "From the day of Ilyin the night is long: the worker gets enough sleep, the horses are full."

But bread loaves were baked from this year's grain. The farmers thanked Ilya for the abundance of the harvest, adding to the words a bowl of grains with oats and rye, which was customary to put at the gate, they turned to the priest with requests “to magnify Elijah for the fertility of bread”.

The big Ilyin holiday did not imply work, to work for it is a sin, because Ilya himself is capable of punishing for such a violation: "They do not throw haystacks on Ilya - Ilya will burn with a thunderstorm."

The grasses were already losing their juiciness, they were beginning to wither, the hay preparation had to be dealt with, which they used to say: "Throw hay before Ilyin's day - put a pound of honey in it." But it is appropriate - to collect hay in order to re-fill the mattresses: "Ilyinskaya straw - a village perinka".

It was believed that this day all forest dwellers - from reptiles to beasts - were roaming around, not only in the forests, but in the meadows, and therefore the cattle were not taken out to graze so that the wolf did not get it and did not get snake bites.

Moreover, they were afraid of evil spirits that could inhabit the animals, and only thunder from the hand of Elijah could cope with them. Even cats and dogs this day the door to the hut was closed - so as not to lure lightning to it.

The modern mailbox has become a familiar attribute of our life. It is in it that we look every day, expecting to receive our favorite magazine or greeting card.

It will be interesting to know that it has its own history. It is believed that the first mailbox was installed in the capital of France, Paris, and this significant event took place in 1653.

Russia is somewhat behind in this innovation and can boast of the first wooden miracle for correspondence since 1848, when a dark blue letterbook was installed in Moscow, knocked down from simple boards and sheathed with sheet iron.

The fast-moving 20th century can be called the finest hour in the development of the delivery of newspapers, magazines and letters. Currently, postal services are still in demand, and on August 2, the birthday of the mailbox, is celebrated by the public with undisguised pleasure.

Objectively, it should be said that the modern form of the device that stores our personal mail has changed significantly recently - there is even a whole movement of creative enthusiasts who have turned an ordinary street mailbox into a unique art object.

So did the resourceful residents of a small Californian town, who are seriously competing with each other in the honorary title - "whose mail storage device is more original." Against the background of bright lawns near private houses, sometimes the most unexpected structures are installed, for example, these are bright fire engines, sharp-nosed sharks, copies of ancient cathedrals, figures of turtles, cute kittens, penguins and dogs, and you can also see a whole family of fur seals on the lawn. Probably, very kind people live in this city who love to write and receive letters, of course, only with good news.

Leonty, Kuzma, Ilya, Konstantin, Alexey, Alexander, Efim, Ivan, Georgy, Afanasy, Tikhon, Fedor, Peter, Nikolay, Sergey.

1930 - Airborne assault troops were first landed in the USSR during the exercises of the Moscow Military District
1933 - The construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal is completed
1946 World Federation of United Nations Assistance Associations (UNWFAS) founded

Anne Dvorak 1912 - American film actress
Myrna Loy 1905 - American actress
Georgy Movsesyan 1945 - Soviet and Russian composer-songwriter
Leonid Linnik 1930 - Doctor of Medicine, ophthalmologist
Samuel van Hoogstraten 1627 - Dutch painter, graphic artist.
Ilya Knabenhof 1972 - Russian rock musician.

Published on 8/2/18 00:18 AM

Today, August 2, 2018, the Airborne Forces Day, the birthday of the mailbox and other events are also celebrated.

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Ilyin's Day is celebrated on August 2, 2018. This popular Christian holiday replaced the pagan celebration dedicated to the god of thunder Perun. The Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy prophet Elijah on this day.

Elijah is a biblical prophet who lived in the 9th century BC. in the kingdom of Israel. From an early age he devoted himself to serving the One God. Prophet Elijah lived in the wilderness, spent time in prayer and fasting. He fought against paganism and idol worship. Prophet intcbatch caught King Ahab and his wife Jezebel in the cult of Baal and Astarte. Elijah sent a three-year drought and famine to the kingdom of Israel, which ended only after the priests of the pagan deities were executed.

After the death of the priests, Jezebel decided to take revenge on Elijah and persecuted him. The prophet settled on Mount Horeb, where he took Elisha as a disciple. Elisha witnessed the ascension to heaven of the living Elijah in a fiery chariot drawn by horses.

In Russia, Saint Elijah is considered the patron saint of the Air Force and Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces).

You cannot work in the field and around the house, so as not to anger the holy prophet.

On the day of the holiday and after it, it is forbidden to swim in the reservoirs.

It is believed that summer ends on Ilyin's day.

According to signs, a rainy day promises few fires in a year.

Strong thunder on August 2 - throughout the year you will often have a headache, but if you get caught in the rain on Ilyin's day, you will be in good health all year round.

Mailbox birthday

It is customary to celebrate the birthday of the mailbox on August 2, the day this device was installed on the streets of London in 1858. The first post box was installed in Vienna in 1785. They appeared in Russia in 1848. On December 1 of the same year, it was decided to install them not only in post offices, but also near trade shops (for convenience). This date is considered the official birthday of the mailbox in Russia. True, the design was inconvenient. It opened easily, and correspondence was often lost along with the vault itself.

Leonty, Kuzma, Ilya, Konstantin, Alexey, Alexander, Efim, Ivan, Georgy, Afanasy, Tikhon, Fedor, Peter, Nikolay, Sergey.

1930 - Airborne assault troops were first landed in the USSR during the exercises of the Moscow Military District
1933 - The construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal is completed
1946 World Federation of United Nations Assistance Associations (UNWFAS) founded

Anne Dvorak 1912 - American film actress
Myrna Loy 1905 - American actress
Georgy Movsesyan 1945 - Soviet and Russian composer-songwriter
Leonid Linnik 1930 - Doctor of Medicine, ophthalmologist
Samuel van Hoogstraten 1627 - Dutch painter, graphic artist.
Ilya Knabenhof 1972 - Russian rock musician.

In childhood, Alexandra is often sick, but teens are busy with adolescents; sports and grow up strong and purposeful men. Alexandra get what they want, they make good leaders who know how to manage a team and pay tribute to talented, gifted employees. Enjoy ...

A calm, confident woman will call her son Alexei. Alyosha is very attached to his mother, looks like her outwardly, but rarely inherits her meekness. On the contrary, from childhood he feels himself to be the protector of his mother, and as he matures, he becomes the protector of all women. Alexey is benevolent, verbosity is not for him ...

Men with this name are non-conflicting and kind, they can be compared with Vladimirs. Outwardly, they are very pleasant, modest and often indecisive. They move up the career ladder slowly. "Winter" - are too stubborn, like to prove their case in an argument, fair - often to their own detriment. Any business ...

Little Zhorik is unlikely to eat the bitten candy. He has disgust from childhood to old age. At school age, he keeps aloof from his comrades, but not so much as to be regarded as arrogance. As soon as there is opposition to the collective, it takes a step back, and into it ...

Outwardly, Efim looks like his mother. He has a sensitive nervous system - a dog suddenly jumping out of the corner with a bark can cause him to stutter or have a nervous tic. Susceptible to diseases of the digestive system. Efim's parents need to monitor his rational diet. Efim is artistic by nature, ...

Ilya is an extremely economic person. This trait manifests itself in him as early as childhood. With the right upbringing, he becomes a good helper for parents. He will be eager to participate in the construction of a summer cottage, growing a vegetable garden, and repairing a car. This child won't be a hassle at all if ...

Grows up as a fearful, anxious child. A kindergarten, especially in the early days, is a problem, a new teacher is crying, to enter a dark room - no way ... Later, as a teenager, Konstantin skillfully hides his fears, choosing for this a playfully ironic tone of communication. Outwardly friendly and ...

In early childhood, Kolya is almost not sick, he does not bother his parents with whims. Grows up a strong, healthy child. Strength, activity and intelligence distinguish Kolya the schoolboy. He usually studies well, not giving preference to any subject. Suffers from a lack of parental attention. Is always...

Sergei is often sick in childhood, he gives his parents a lot of worries. By the age of five or seven, he will become stronger and healthier, at this time his future character begins to take shape. He is a caring boy, capable of empathy. True, he is restrained in the manifestation of feelings, prefers energetic actions ...

Russian Airborne Forces flag

Every year on August 2, a glorious date is celebrated in our country - Day of the Airborne Forces (Day of the Airborne Forces) established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 549 of May 31, 2006 "On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" as a memorable day designed to promote the revival and development of domestic military traditions, increase the prestige of military service and established in recognition of the merits of the military specialists in solving problems of ensuring the defense and security of the state.

The airborne troops - “winged infantry”, “blue berets” - were awarded with whatever epithets did the guardsmen-paratroopers, but always, at all times and under any circumstances, the strength, courage and reliability of people living according to the principle: “Nobody, except us!". And today, more than a million Russians, who at one time wore blue berets, as well as serving in the Airborne Forces at the present time, will celebrate their holiday - the Day of the Airborne Forces.

Airborne Forces - the elite of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Photo: mil.ru)

Since February 1988, Russian paratroopers have taken part in operations in "hot spots" both on the territory of the country and abroad. One of the most severe losses in the history of modern airborne forces was the death of the 6th company of the 104th regiment of the 76th Pskov airborne division in March 2000, when the unit prevented the breakthrough of 2,500 militants, killing over 700 bandits.

They have written many bright pages in the history of the Russian army. From the first day of its existence, the Airborne Forces became the troops of the "front line", capable of performing any task, no matter how impossible it would be considered. Their valor and courage, selfless devotion to the Motherland are forever fanned with unfading glory.

The Airborne Forces are the reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the RF Armed Forces (Photo: mil.ru)

They are where it is most dangerous, where high combat skills and excellent physical training, self-sacrifice and courage are needed. "Blue Berets" are always at the forefront - be it a peacekeeping mission or participation in an anti-terrorist operation. In peacetime, the Airborne Forces perform the main tasks of maintaining combat and mobilization readiness at a level that ensures their successful use as intended. And today, paratroopers command respect and admiration both among veterans and young people preparing for military service.

Traditionally, on this day, commemorative and festive events are held everywhere, demonstration performances of paratroopers and paratroopers, a demonstration of military equipment that is in service with the Airborne Forces, meetings with veterans of the Airborne Forces, charity events and festivities are held.

The main Slavic god is the thunderer Perun (Photo: leonid_tit, Shutterstock)

Perun's thoughts are quick
What he wants - so now.
Spreads sparks, throws sparks
From the pupils of sparkling eyes.
K. Balmont

On this day, it was accepted that all men present at the beginning must have a weapon (a knife, an ax, and if there is permission, then something more suitable). During the conception, the soldiers perform a solemn procession with a song. After the glories of Perun, the soldiers proceed to the consecration of weapons: on the shields laid in front of the temple, they put swords, axes, spears, knives, maces and other edged weapons.

A bull is sacrificed, and in the absence of it, a rooster (must be of the same color, not variegated, preferably red). A weapon is spoken on the sacrificial blood, the priest smears blood on the forehead of each warrior, after which they put red bands on their heads. Military amulets are consecrated over the sacrificial fire.

After the conception, the ritual battle of "Perun" with "Veles" begins, dedicated to the victory of Perun over Veles (Perun defeats Veles and returns the herd of heavenly cows). At the end of the battle, the soldiers carry a boat with gifts and put it on the steal. The elder, undressed, sets fire to the steal. After the fire burns out, the warriors pour a grave over the ashes and begin funeral feast (ceremonial battles on the grave).

Then a country is celebrated, on which all the fallen Slavic soldiers are commemorated. Ritual food: beef, game, chicken, porridge. Drinks: honey, red wine, beer, kvass. The games begin with the capture of the "town".

On this day, they give preference to military pleasures, but do not forget about love affairs. The Magi advise to spend the night after the holiday with a woman. A bad warrior is one who gains victories only over the enemy.

The ritual of making rain was also associated with Perun. It consisted in making a sacrifice - pouring water on a specially selected woman.

With the advent of Christianity, the functions of Perun were transferred to the Christian saint Elijah the Prophet, in whose image the features of Perun clearly appeared - the god of thunder who rode through the sky in a thundering chariot, and who, in fact, simply changed his name, remaining the same revered deity.

The paratroopers honor their military duty, continue the glorious traditions of their grandfathers and fathers (Photo: belarmy.by)

As in Russia, a valiant holiday is celebrated annually on August 2 in Belarus - Day of paratroopers and special operations forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus approved by Presidential Decree No. 397 of July 30, 2010. It also traces its history back to Soviet times.

The history of the Airborne Forces begins on August 2, 1930: on this day, at the exercises of the Air Force of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh, a unit of 12 people was parachuted.

The paratroopers also made a great contribution to the victory over the enemy during the Great Patriotic War. For military merits, all airborne formations were awarded the rank of guards. Thousands of soldiers, sergeants and officers of the Airborne Forces were awarded orders and medals.

A special page in the history of the Belarusian Airborne Forces is the participation of the 103rd Vitebsk Airborne Division and the 334th separate special-purpose detachment (formed on the basis of the 5th Special Forces Brigade) in hostilities in the Republic of Afghanistan. Hundreds of paratroopers were awarded orders and medals, seven were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

In the 90s of the last century, mobile forces were created as part of the Armed Forces of Belarus. And in 2007, by the decree of the President of the country, a new branch of troops was formed - the special operations forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, which became the legal successor of the Airborne Forces.

Today, the special operations forces are considered by the country's leadership as one of the most reliable links in the national security system of the Republic of Belarus. They are the main element of strategic deterrence and serve as a school of military excellence for thousands of citizens of the country. The paratroopers honor their military duty, continue the glorious traditions of their grandfathers and fathers, and remain true patriots of the Fatherland.

And every year on August 2, celebrations in honor of the holiday are held throughout the country. In the cities of Belarus - Minsk, Brest, Vitebsk - it is marked by many events: ceremonies, rallies with the participation of veterans, representatives of various public organizations. Paratroopers demonstrate their skills in parachute jumping, demonstration performances, military equipment and weapons of mobile troops are shown. In the garrisons, meetings are held with veterans of the Great Patriotic War and the Airborne Forces, military bands, reconnaissance airborne companies, sports paratroopers perform.

On August 2, 3 Orthodox church holidays are celebrated. The list of events informs about church holidays, fasts, days of veneration of the memory of saints. The list will help you find out the date of a significant religious event for Orthodox Christians.

Orthodox Church Holidays August 2

Prophet Elijah

Timed to one of the greatest prophets - Saint Elijah (IX century BC). It is believed that he was taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire alive. They pray to him during a drought for the gift of rain. In Russia, he is considered the patron saint of the Airborne Forces and the Air Force. The people call this holiday Ilyin's Day.

Who doesn't know the prophet Elijah? I think everyone knows him, even atheists. However, the Old Testament takes it to such a distant past that it becomes completely inaccessible to us. In the memory of most people, the associative array associated with this most unique person turns out to be either half-fabulous: if thunder is thundering, it is "Ilya the prophet rides across the sky in a chariot", or completely everyday: "Ilya the prophet is a deadline for mowing." That, in fact, is all.
So who is he really, the prophet Elijah? He is a saint. But a saint who could take a sword and stab 450 false prophets. He is "like in Heaven," but he did not die. He is an Old Testament righteous man, but he reveals an amazing new truth about God.

Elijah's feat can be better understood if we think of him in modern terms. He lived almost three thousand years ago. He lived in a society where the bulk of people broke away from their native faith. They called themselves Israelites by name, by way of life they were rude pagans. Vices, witchcraft, godlessness, cynicism and injustice. Isn't it very much reminiscent of our present day?

Now imagine that an inadequately dressed person walks along our asphalt streets and denounces all citizens of their sins and atheism. Suppose that in some amazing way he was not admitted to a psychiatric hospital, like the Monk Amphilochius of Pochaev. They didn’t go to jail because they were afraid ... and respected. Of course, he's crazy, but it's better not to touch him.

When lawlessness became universal, God punished the Israelites with drought. The calamity lasted three and a half years, and all this time the Lord expected repentance from His people. But he was not there. There was no rain either.

The prophet who proclaimed the wrath of God suffered as much from the drought as everyone else. At first he lived by the stream, and the raven brought him food. But the brook dried up, and the Lord sent Elijah to Zarepta of Sidon, to another state, to a certain pious widow.

“There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when heaven was shut up for three years and six months, so that there was a great famine throughout the whole earth, and Elijah was not sent to any of them, but only to the widow in Zarepta of Sidon” (Lk 4: 25-26), - said Christ to the Pharisees, emphasizing the constant weakness of the faith of the Jewish people.

That is, there was not enough pious person in all God's chosen people to send a prophet to him. And not only in Israel, but also in neighboring faithful Judea, God did not find a place of rest for his servant. But God is impartial, and the humble faith of a stranger, even whose name the Bible did not preserve, turned out to be more precious in the sight of God than the arrogance of the “sons of Abraham”.

How do we know about the humility of the poor widow? In the first words she spoke:

“As the Lord thy God lives! I have nothing baked, but only a handful of flour in a tub and a little oil in a jug; and now I will gather two pieces of wood, and I will go and prepare it for myself and for my son; let us eat it and die ”(1 Kings 17:12).

Look: "As the Lord thy God lives." A woman believes in true God and recognizes Him as Lord, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Knows the prophet by sight, because he does not even ask him who he is. And at the same time she humbly places herself outside the "legitimate" worshipers of God, outside the Jewish people, emphasizing this with the word "yours." And further, when Elijah assures her in the name of God that for the sake of him, the prophet, flour and oil in her house will not run out until the hunger recedes, the widow does not reread, does not doubt, but immediately fulfills what was said to her. Truly, she is an Old Testament "Samaritan woman" and deserves all respect.

In the meantime, the drought has continued for the fourth year. The country is so hungry that even the king has nothing to feed and water his cattle. And so the king of Israel - the wicked idolater Ahab - decided to look for new pasture and water for his horses. And then they told him that the prophet Elijah wanted to see him. And, as the Bible says, “Ahab went to meet Elijah” (1 Kings 18:16). How stingy the chronicler is with words! However, in many places the biblical language is extremely restrained.

I see much more behind this brief statement of fact. How can a king "go"? How does the king “go out” and “go” in general? And from other biblical texts, and from our lives, we know that the ruler does not walk alone - he is surrounded by his retinue, squires, guards. And the use of the singular verb in this case is a simple metaphor. It is logical to assume that here Ahab “went” to meet Elijah not alone, but surrounded by his retinue. So, let's try to imagine this, but to make it easier and more convenient for us to understand the fullness of the picture, let's imagine how it would look now.

A motorcade with flashing lights is moving at high speed, police motorcycles are in front and behind, and an armored limousine with tinted windows is in the center. In the middle of the road, a lonely silhouette of Elijah rises. And the procession stops! Which of the modern spiritual authorities can stop the presidential cortege by their appearance? I do not mean church hierarchs. I mean the authority of the spirit. I, unfortunately, do not know such people. Getting out of the limousine ... Ahab.

"Are you embarrassing Israel?" (1 Kings 18:17) - says Ahab, and his bodyguards in jackets and ties look at the prophet with anger and fear. “It is not I who confuse Israel, but you and your father’s house, by the fact that you have disdained the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals” (1 Kings 18:18), the prophet replies.

To whom of the current rulers of the world cannot these words be applied? Unfortunately, I do not know of those. It seems to me that when the prophet uttered these words, his gaze burned with fire, and his face was bright, like the face of Moses, for Divine zeal kindled his heart.

The saint offered the king a test: he, Elijah, would meet with the servants of Baal on Mount Carmel so that each side would make a sacrifice of itself. Whose sacrifice the Lord accepts with fire, he will confess the true God. And now 450 people - God's enemies, false prophets, gathered to confront Saint Elijah. 450 Wangs, Blavatsky, Globes, Malachs and Copperfield. From morning to evening, the prophets of Baal prayed to their gods, recited mantras and, in a frenzy, stabbed themselves with knives. Surely, among them there were real sorcerers (not all crooks!), Having demons under their control. Probably, at another time they could perform various "signs" and "miracles", but now, in the presence of the manifest power of God, all the demonic power wilted, weakened and abolished. The demons moved away and nothing happened. Saint Elijah stood aside and made fun of the prophets of Baal, galloping around the altar:

When it was his turn to pray, Saint Elijah built an altar out of stones, laid out the wood, prepared a calf, dug a moat and ordered to pour water over everything three times, so that the miracle of God would be revealed even more clearly. And the Lord heard his laconic, fiery prayer and came down with fire, burned up the calf, and the altar, and the water around it. And all the assembled people fell on their faces, exclaiming: "The Lord is God!"

O weak in faith Jewish people! How many times have you exclaimed like this, and within a moment you betrayed your Lord. So it was at Mount Sinai, when Moses slowed down on the top, and people did not hesitate to make a molded idol for themselves. So it was after the division of the Jewish kingdom into Judah and Israel, when Israel's king Jeroboam installed two golden calves to distract his subjects from the Jerusalem temple. And the people were not outraged that they were being distracted from God the Almighty to demons, did not arrange either an uprising or a revolution, but quite calmly changed the object of worship. How much they did not care! But they had a reliable teaching about angels and demons and knew the whole truth about the "gods of silver and gold." Only little did they believe this teaching ... So it was later, under Christ the Savior. So it was under Elijah.

As soon as everyone saw the miracle of God in the descent of the heavenly fire, then the miraculous rain according to the word of the prophet, as on the same day the godless Queen Jezebel threatened to deal with Elijah in revenge for killing her false prophets. And no one stands up for him: neither King Ahab, who wept after these miracles (1 Kings 18:45), nor the people who saw the holiness of the prophet.

The fire of heaven descends on the sacrifice of the prophet! It is enough to watch at least a video of the descent of the Holy Fire on the Holy Sepulcher on Holy Saturday to try to understand what was happening then on Mount Carmel. One can easily imagine general enthusiasm, fear of God and awe. The prophet himself, imbued with this enthusiasm and zeal for God, fled before the king's chariot from Mount Carmel to the city of Jezreel, where Ahab's residence was, and this is more than 30 kilometers (1 Kings 18:46). But the miracle did not enlighten Ahab's wife, the idolater Jezebel, and, fleeing from her anger, Elijah hid in neighboring Judea, in the city of Bathsheba.

Monk Abraham of Galich, Chukhloma, abbot

Honoring the memory of Saint Abraham (XIV century), the enlightener of the Galich country. Founder of 4 monasteries dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Monk Avraamy of Galich, of Chukhloma, lived and asceticised in the fourteenth century in the monastery of the Monk Sergius of Radonezh. After many years of art, he was awarded the priesthood. Striving for complete silence, he asked for the blessing of St. Sergius and withdrew in 1350 to the Galich country inhabited by the Chud tribes. Having settled in a desolate place, the Monk Abraham, by revelation, crossed over to the mountain, where he found an icon of the Mother of God shining with inexpressible light. The appearance of the holy icon became known to the Galich prince Demetrius, who asked the monk to bring it to the city.

The Monk Abraham came with the icon to Galich, where he was greeted by the prince and a host of clergy. Numerous healings took place from the icon of the Mother of God. Prince Demetrius gave the Monk funds for the construction of a temple and a monastery near Lake Chukhloma, at the site of the appearance of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. The temple was built and consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. The newly built monastery of the Monk Abraham became a source of spiritual enlightenment for the local Chud population.

When the monastery was strengthened, he put his disciple Porfiry in his place as abbot, and he himself retired 30 miles away in search of a secluded place, but the disciples found him there too. So there was another monastery with a temple in honor of the Position of the Robe of the Mother of God, called "the great desert of Abraham." The Monk Abraham twice withdrew to remote places, after the silent people gathered again to him. Thus, two more monasteries were founded - one in honor of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, of which the Monk Abraham appointed Abbot Paphnutius, and the other in honor of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

In the Intercession Monastery the Monk Abraham finished his earthly life. He reposed in 1375, having passed the abbot to his disciple Innocent a year before his blessed death. The Monk Avraamy became an enlightener of the Galich country, having founded four monasteries in it, dedicated to the Mother of God, who revealed her icon to him at the beginning of his devotional labors.

Uncovering of the relics of the Monk Martyr Athanasius of Brest, hegumen

The MonkMartyr Athanasius was born around 1595-1600 into a poor Orthodox family, probably an impoverished nobleman (judging by the fact that the future hegumen served as a teacher at the court of the magnate). Perhaps he was from the family of an urban artisan - as he himself points out in his memoirs, calling himself "a Nedzym Man, simple, garbarchik, poor kaluger." As is often the case, we have no information either about the place of birth or about the secular name of the saint; it is also unknown what the name "Filippovich" is - a surname or patronymic.

Probably, Athanasius received his elementary knowledge in one of the fraternal schools, where, taught the Greek and Church Slavonic languages, the word of God and patristic creations, highly educated people were trained who could resist Uniate violence and Catholic proselytism. But the education received at the fraternal school did not completely satisfy the inquisitive young man, and he studied at the Vilna Jesuit college, where young people of all Christian denominations were admitted.

The young scientist began his service as a home tutor in the homes of the Orthodox and Catholic gentry, but in 1620 his life fell into a different direction: Filippovich, who positively proved himself to be rich in knowledge, good manners and indisputable pedagogical talent, was invited by Hetman Lev Sapega, Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ... The hetman entrusted him with howling a certain "Dmitrovich" presented to Athanasius by the Russian Tsarevich John - allegedly the nephew of Theodore Ioannovich, who died in 1598, the grandson of John IV the Terrible from his youngest son Dimitri, under whose name several impostors acted in 1604-1612. One of these "applicants" was the father of the student of Athanasius, whom the Poles were preparing for the Russian throne: Dimitri-Mikhail Luba, who was killed in Moscow during a rebellion against the militia of False Dmitry I. Mikhail Luba's wife Maria died in prison, and a young son was taken by a certain Wojciech Belinsky, who brought the child to Poland and passed off the son of Dimitri and Marina Mniszek, who was actually hanged. All this was announced at the Diet before the king, who entrusted the upbringing of Ivan Dimitrievich to Lev Sapega. He appointed the maintenance of the "prince" at six thousand zlotys a year from the income of Brest and Brest povet.

For seven years, Athanasius served as the "inspector" of the false tsarevich, gradually coming to the conviction that this "certain Tsarevich of Moscow", "a certain Luba", "and who does not know about himself what he is," is another impostor. This confidence increased over time, especially when the content of Luba decreased to hundreds of zlotys a year, and hetman Sapieha himself somehow escaped: "Who knows who he is!"

Having become an unwitting accomplice in the political intrigue against the Moscow sovereign, the famous defender of Orthodoxy Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the son of the Russian patriarch Filaret, Filippovich left the chancellor's court in 1627 and retired to the cell of the Vilna Holy Spirit Monastery, where he soon received tonsure from the governor Joseph Bobrikovich. Soon, with his blessing, Afanasy passed obedience in the Kuteinsky monastery near Orsha, founded recently, in 1623 by Bohdan Stetkevich and his wife Elena Solomeretskaya (V. Zverinsky. Materials for historical and topographic research. St. Petersburg. 1892 p. 172), and then - in the Mezhyhir monastery near Kiev, at the abbot of the Commentary (mentioned under 1627) and the brother of the Kiev Metropolitan Job Boretsky - Samuel. However, already in 1632, the Abbot of Mezhigorsk released Athanasius to Vilna, where he was ordained a hieromonk.

The following year, Athanasius again left the monastery of the Holy Spirit and went as the abbot Leonty Shitik's abbot to the Duboin monastery near Pinsk, also sponsored by the Vilna monastic monastery, where he spent three years in caring for the brethren, fasting and praying.

In 1636, an ardent supporter of Catholic proselytism Albrecht Radziwill, violating the Articles of Reassurance published by King Vladislav IV, forcibly expelled the Orthodox inhabitants from the Duboin monastery in order to hand over the monastery to the Jesuits, who had recently settled in Pinsk through the efforts of the same Albrecht. Athanasius, unable to resist the magnate and keep the monastery, made a complaint with a narrative about the lawlessness committed, but this written protest, signed by many Orthodox Christians, did not bring positive results.

Expelled from the holy monastery, Afanasy Filippovich came to the Kupyatitsky monastery to the hegumen Illarion Denisovich. This monastery was founded in 1628 by the widow of the Brest kashtelian Gregory Voyna Apollonia and her son Vasily Kopt with the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, written inside the cross, once burned by the Tatars, and after miraculously appeared in the midst of the flames. Here, under the holy cover of "small size, but great miracles" of the icon, blessed Athanasius lived in cordial friendship with the monk Makarii Tokarevsky.

This Macarius in 1637 brought a station wagon from Metropolitan Peter Mogila, allowing the collection of "yalmuzhna" - alms for the restoration of the Kupyatitskaya monastery church. And so, on the advice of the brethren of the monastery and the blessing of the abbot, in November 1637 Afanasy Filippovich went to collect donations. To do this, he decided on rather bold actions: he went to Moscow in order to collect donations to seek the protection of Orthodoxy from the Moscow Tsar.

Shortly before the road, he had a vision, which was honored and the abbot of the monastery: King Sigismund, the papal nuncio and hetman Sapega burned in a blazing furnace. Athanasius considered this vision a good omen of the imminent triumph of Orthodoxy. Immediately before leaving for Muscovy, Athanasius, praying in the church vestibule, saw through the window an icon of the Mother of God and heard some noise and a voice from the icon “I am going and I am with you! ", And then noticed the deacon Nehemiah, who had died several years earlier, saying:" I am going with my Lady! " So, having secured the promise of the miraculous protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, having said goodbye to the brethren and having received the blessing of the hegumen, Athanasius set off on his journey.

Arriving in Slutsk, he met with unexpected difficulties: Archimandrite Samuil Shitik took away the Metropolitan wagon from him for the reason that Filippovich had no right to make collections in the territory that did not belong to the Lutsk diocese. When the conflict was resolved at the end of January 1638, Athanasius and his companion Volkovitsky went to Kuteino to ask Abbot Joel Trutsevich, associated with the most famous representatives of the Russian clergy, to assist in crossing the border into Muscovy (supervision over the border was increased due to the fact that the Cossacks, fearing reprisals after the recent riot, fled from the Commonwealth to Russia).

Taking from the hegumen Joel letters of recommendation "cards, information about himself", Filippovich went to Kopys, Mogilev, Shklov and returned to the Kuteinsky monastery, where the governor Joseph Surta recommended to get into the Muscovy through Trubchevsk. Having lost their way and almost drowning in the Dnieper, robbed and beaten in one of the inns, the travelers finally reached Trubchevsk. However, here too they were in for a failure; Prince Trubetskoy categorically refused to give them a pass, suspecting that they were spies.

Forced to return, Athanasius visited the Chovsky monastery on the way, where one of the elders advised him to make an attempt to cross the border in the Novgorod-Seversky area with the assistance of the local governor Peter Pesechinsky. The pilgrim gratefully accepted the good advice and crossed the border near the village of Shepelevo.

However, this did not end the difficulties of Athanasius: on the way to Moscow, he had a falling out with the novice Onisim, who had lost hope of achieving his goal.

Finally, the walkers came to the gates of the capital. In Moscow, they stopped in Zamoskvorechye, on Ordynka, where in March 1638 Athanasius wrote a note to the tsar, setting out his mission and travel history in the form of a diary. In this note, Athanasius showed the plight of the Orthodox Church in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, developing a picture of violence and abuse against Orthodoxy, and begged the Russian sovereign to intercede for the Russian faith. He also advised the tsar to make an image of the Kupyatitskaya Mother of God on military banners, with the help of which he managed to make such a difficult and unsafe journey. This note, together with the image of the miraculous image, was given to the king. As a result, Afanasy was received at the Ambassadorial hut, where, apparently, he spoke about the imposter being prepared. The very next year, a commission headed by the boyar Ivan Plakidin was sent to Poland to identify the impostors; the report of the head of the commission confirmed the information of Afanasy (Monuments of Russian antiquity. St. Petersburg. 1885. V.8).

On flower-bearing Palm Sunday, Athanasius left Moscow with generous donations for the Kupyatitskaya church, arrived in Vilna on June 16, and in July reached the limits of his native monastery.

In 1640, the brethren of the Brest Simeon Monastery, having lost their abbot, sent a petition to Kupyatitsa to bless them with Abbot Afanasy Filippovich or Makariy Tokarevsky. The choice fell on Athanasius, who went to Brest. Here he found himself in the very center of the struggle of Orthodoxy with the union, for Brest was the city in which “Greek Catholicism” was born and spread like nowhere else. Even earlier, all 10 Orthodox churches in the city were turned into Uniate ones, and only in 1632 the Orthodox brotherhood managed to return the temple in the name of Simeon the Stylite with a monastery with him, and in 1633 - the church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin.

The Uniates, however, did not stop their encroachments, and soon Abbot Athanasius had to look for "foundations" for Orthodox churches: six documents of the 15th century were found and entered into the city books of the Magdeburg, relating to the Brest Nikolsky brotherhood, which united the monasteries of the Nativity of the Theotokos and Simeon the Stylite ... The documents found by the abbot gave grounds for the legal registration of the rights of the Nativity of the Theotokos brotherhood, and the Brest ascetic went in September 1641 to Warsaw to the Diet, where he received a royal privilege on October 13, confirming the rights of the brothers and allowing him to acquire a place in Brest for the construction of a fraternal house.

But this privilege had to be ratified by Chancellor Albrecht Radziwill and Sub-Chancellor Tryzna, who refused, even for the 30 thalers that the abbot could offer them, to assure the privileges with their seals, referring to the fact that “under an oath they were forbidden from the Holy Father Papezh, so that even more the Greek faith did not multiply here. " The Orthodox bishops gathered at the Sejm were also unable to help the abbot of Brest, fearing that in the struggle for less, more could be lost, causing a wave of new persecution by the authorities. Hegumen Athanasius, however, strengthened in the righteousness of his work by the blessing of the miraculous icon, again made an attempt to assure this privilege, and again unsuccessfully. Then he appeared at the Diet and turned directly to the king with an official complaint - "suplika" - demanding "that the true Greek faith be thoroughly pacified, and the accursed union be destroyed and turned into nothing", threatening the monarch with God's punishment if he does not curb the dictate Church.

This denunciation, pronounced on March 10, 1643, led the king and the Diet to the strongest irritation. Hegumen Athanasius was arrested and imprisoned, together with his companion-in-arms, Deacon Leonty, in the house of the royal doorkeeper Jan Zhelezovsky for several weeks - until the Diet departure. Deprived of the opportunity to explain the reasons for his speech, Abbot of Brest took upon himself the feat of voluntary foolishness, and on March 25, at the celebration of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, he fled from custody and, standing on the street in a captura and paramanta, beating himself in the chest with a staff, publicly pronounced a curse union.

Soon he was seized and remanded in custody, and after the end of the Sejm he was brought before the church court. The court, to calm the authorities, temporarily deprived him of the priestly and abbot dignity and sent him to Kiev for the final trial of the consistory. Pending the final decision of the court, the Monk Athanasius prepared an explanatory note in Latin, for the arrival of a government prosecutor was expected. Far from the irritated Warsaw and the supreme authorities, the court, chaired by the rector of the Kiev-Mohyla Collegium Innokentiy Gizel, ruled that Athanasius had already atoned for his "sin" by imprisonment, and therefore he was given freedom and returned to the priesthood. Metropolitan Peter Mohyla confirmed this decision and on June 20 sent the monk to the monastery of Simeon the Stylite with a message instructing him to be more careful and restrained in church affairs.

Thus the Monk Athanasius returned to Brest, where he lived "in peace for a considerable time." This peace was very relative, for the continuous attacks on the monastery of Jesuit students and Uniate priests, insulting and even beating Orthodox monks, did not stop.

Hoping to receive support from the Novgorod voivode Nikolai Sapega, who was considered the patron of the Simeonov Monastery, and in the hope that he would help procure a security letter for the Orthodox birch bark people, the Monk Athanasius set off for Krakow, simultaneously collecting donations for his monastery. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find the support of the noble governor, and the monk went to the Moscow ambassador, Prince Lvov, who was living at that time in Krakow and was investigating the impostors. After meeting with him, Athanasius told about his trip to Moscow, and also told a lot of facts about Jan-Faustin Louba, presenting one of his last messages, certain fragments of which gave grounds to initiate a judicial investigation against the impostor.

Summoned from Krakow to Warsaw by a letter from the Warsaw lawyer Zychevsky, who reported on May 3, 1644, that through his efforts the letter, entrusted by Athanasius for assurance from the chancellor, had already been provided with the necessary seals, and demanded to redeem the privileges for six thousand zlotys, the Monk Athanasius immediately set off for the capital. But when, during a check, it turned out that the privilege was not included in the royal registration and, therefore, had no legal force, the abbot refused to redeem the fictitious document.

Returning to Brest from Warsaw, the Monk Athanasius ordered a copy of the Kupyatitskaya Icon in the Bernardine monastery and placed it in his cell; inspired by this image, he set about adding up a new public complaint with which he hoped to speak at the Diet of 1645. For this, he prepared several dozen copies of the handwritten "History of a Journey to Moscow" depicting the Kupyatitskaya Icon of the Mother of God.

Several holidays are celebrated in Russia on 2 August. These are both church and folk. There are also a number of unusual holidays celebrated around the world. Each of them has its own history and interesting traditions. They can be celebrated both with your family, and you can go to celebrate at city events, or you can even go to other countries.

Every year on August 2, the day of people in vests and berets is celebrated - the Day of the Airborne Forces. It is celebrated by representatives of the airborne troops, cadets, teachers of relevant educational institutions, and service personnel. The task of this type of troops is to carry out military operations both by land and sea, to protect sectors, communications, and fight the enemy. The Airborne Forces are considered elite troops, and service in their ranks is a special honor.

The commencement of the celebration is considered to be 1930, when the first military operation of the troops was carried out, after disembarking from an airplane. Then the advantages of such operations were noted, which made it possible to cover the enemy both by air and by land. In many CIS countries this holiday is celebrated and honored. By presidential decree, the holiday has been established in Russia since 2006. The purpose of the date is to increase respect for military service, its prestige, to honor the merits of the military.

Winged infantry, blue berets - epithets that have long been attached to this group of troops. The Airborne Forces has always been in the center of "hot spots". They bravely defended their homeland during the Second World War, in the Chechen war, in peacekeeping missions.
The motto of the Airborne Forces is “Who, if not us”. One of the famous traditions of paratroopers is associated with the next holiday - bathing in fountains. It is believed that August 2 is Elijah's Day, the last time you can swim. Therefore, for the airborne troops, Ilya became a patron, and on August 2, blue berets are trying to swim to their fullest before the ban.

Ilyin's day

The life of the glorious prophet fell on the 9th century BC. These were the times when the ruler of Israel Ahab and his wife Jezebel tried to introduce the pagan worship of the god Baal. Elijah is known for his struggle with the pagans, with the priests who worshiped and made sacrifices to Baal. In the fight against them, hunger was sent. The queen pursued Ilya, and he lived in the desert for a long time.

It is believed that before his death he ascended to heaven in a fiery chariot, for which he received the nickname the Thunderer. It is considered the patron saint of thunder and lightning. Therefore, if it rains on this day, this is for the harvest, and a person just has the opportunity to gain health for the year ahead.
The hostesses baked traditional cookies and bread that day, passed on their experience to the younger ones. The men stabbed the animals, prepared meals. It was customary to organize festivities in a joint when the villagers gathered, brought pastries, dishes, festivities were held, games with songs and dances.
On August 2, water is banned. After all, the mermaids, who were previously on land, are now forced to go into the water. They, the evil forces, are hiding from the punishing Ilya. Therefore, they get angry and drag anyone who breaks the ban into the river. If you wash on this day, the body may become covered with ulcers.

You should not let pets leave the house, because evil spirits, demons, hiding from Ilya, can enter animals. But he will feed the stray animals, especially the dogs. By this you will receive grace from the prophet, because during the years of his life a dog walked with him.
A symbolic marriage can be made under thunder and lightning. If the lovers take vows to each other on this day under the thundering sky, their union will be strong and faithful. But the betrayal of one of the couple will entail the anger of Ilya.

Holidays around the world

August 2 - Mailbox Day. It is believed that the first mailbox appeared in France. The peak of the popularity of this attribute fell on the twentieth century. The expectation of any magazine, newspaper, letter from loved ones became an important part of the inhabitants of that time.

In China, 2018 fell Valentine's Day, which is also called the Double Seven Festival.
And if someone wants a completely unusual holiday and there are such. Day of brakes, day of sitting on the windowsills, day of taming the obstinate. And how to celebrate this day, everyone will come up with, you just have to connect your imagination. The main thing is a cheerful company and a sea of positive emotions.

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