On July 29, new style or July 16, old style, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates two holidays at once. This is the day of the holy martyr Anfinogen and 10 of his disciples, and on July 29, the Chirskaya (Pskov) icon of the Mother of God is honored.
Hieromartyr Anfinogen
Bishop Anfinogen of Sevastia preached the Christian faith, and every day more and more people followed him, replenishing the Christian community. Losing his supporters, the pagan ruler Philomachus ordered the capture of Anfinogen.
But the bishop was warned in advance of the impending attack, and he managed to escape. Then the guards began to grab his followers. In their hands fell 10 recently converted to Christianity disciples of Anfinogen, who were sentenced to death.
Upon learning of this, Anfinogen himself appeared to Philomachus and took all the accusations upon himself. He asked to release his innocent students. But Philomachus ordered everyone to be executed. Before Amphiloret's eyes, his co-religionists perished under the blows of swords, and the bishop himself laid his head on the block. But in Sebastia there were already many followers of the executed martyr, among whom there were the same sowers of Christian piety and virtues.
The peasants who revered Anfinogen associated the turning point of the summer with his name.
Since ancient times, on the day of St. Anfinogen, the harvesting season began. The peasants began the harvest with the proverb: "The first spikelet for Finogen, and the last for Ilya's beard." And so they did. On the first day of the harvest, the eldest women or men always left a few spikelets of bread on the vine - as a gift to Elijah the Prophet, so that he could wait with the rains and allow him to harvest.
Chirskaya icon of the mother of God
Another church holiday is celebrated on July 29. On this day, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God is honored.
The Pskov (or Chirsk) icon of the Mother of God was originally located in the church of the small village of Chirsk of the Pskov diocese, therefore it is customary to call it Chirskaya. In the 15th century, there was a terrible pestilence in Pskov, many people died every day, and on September 16 (according to the old style), 1420, tears flowed from the eyes of the Mother of God depicted in this icon.
After the icon was transferred to Pskov, it was renamed from Chirskaya to Pskov.
As soon as the news of this miracle reached the Pskov prince Fyodor Alexandrovich, he immediately gave the order to the priests to bring the icon to Pskov. With a huge gathering of people and the direct participation of the prince with the icon of the Mother of God, a procession of the cross took place. With unceasing prayers, the Pskovites brought the icon into the city and installed it in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity. After that, the pestilence stopped.
In memory of the miraculous sign, it was decided to establish the celebration of the Pskov Icon of the Mother of God on July 16 (according to the old style).
