Tatyana’s Day: how a church date became a secular holiday
A celebration of youth, energy, and freedom. Today in
Russia, Student Day is celebrated, also known as Tatyana's Day. It is filled
with merriment, and reminds us of the importance of education, friendship, and
youth. It has a long history and traditions that have changed over time.
However, one thing has remained constant – students have fun and venerate Saint
Tatyana, the patron saint of students.
Who was Tatyana of Rome?
In 2005, President of Russia Vladimir Putin established by
his decree that Russian Student Day is celebrated annually on 25 January. The
same date in the church calendar is the feast day of the martyr Tatyana of
Rome. According to tradition, in the 3rd century AD, a young woman lived in
Rome, whose father was a Roman consul and a secret Christian. He raised his
daughter in strictness and piety. Upon reaching adulthood, she also dedicated
her life to serving the church. When power passed to Emperor Alexander Severus,
cruel persecutions of Christians began in the state. As a result of one of the
raids, the father and daughter were caught, demanded to renounce their faith
and convert to paganism. They refused, and were therefore brutally tortured and
beheaded on 25 January in the year 226 (according to the Gregorian calendar).
Sometime later, Tatyana was canonised as a saint.
How Tatyana's Day became Student Day
The connection between the feast day of the Holy Martyr
Tatyana and the studenthood arose on 25 January 1755 (New Style), when Empress
Elizabeth Petrovna signed the decree "On the Establishment of Moscow
University". One of the most educated people of that time, Count Ivan Shuvalov,
had appealed to her with this request. It is believed he wanted to present a
gift to his mother, Tatyana Shuvalova, on her name day. The request was
granted. A little later, on 5 April 1791, a house church dedicated to the Holy
Martyr Tatyana — the patroness of students — was consecrated at Moscow State
University. The day of her commemoration became an unofficial, but the most
beloved holiday first for Moscow, and then for all Russian students. The
tradition of celebrating Tatyana's Day was solidified in 1850, when by decree
of Nicholas I, Student Day was extended to all higher educational institutions
of the Russian Empire.
Traditions and
In pre–revolutionary
times, the holiday united all students of the Russian Empire into a single
brotherhood. Young people considered the holiday a day of universal
equality. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Student Day was celebrated on a
grand scale in Moscow. In the 1870s, on Tatyana's Day, the hall of the famous
Hermitage restaurant would take another look to receive the student clientele.
In the evening, citywide festivities took place: mass processions with songs,
sleigh rides and tobogganing, and skating races.
Today the traditions have changed, but the general mood
remains. Annually on 25 January, major Russian universities hold ceremonial
assemblies featuring the awarding of named scholarships and prizes for the best
students, festive concerts, kapustniks (amateur concert parties), KVNs (wits
and humour competitions), quests, and much more. By the way, at Moscow State
University — the originator of student traditions — on Tatyana's Day, they
still brew mead according to a secret recipe and serve it to all comers.
Moreover, it is personally served by the Rector, Viktor Sadovnichy.
Many rituals exist within student culture, some of which
persist to this day. For example, on the night before an exam, a student is
supposed to lean out of a window with their record book, wave it, and shout
three times: "Freebie, come!". And then slam the record book shut.
Only a professor or other educator should open it during the exam, and luck
will surely come. Some students draw a little house with a smoking chimney on
the last page of their record book. It is believed that the longer the drawn
column of smoke, the more successful their studies will be. Another
popular beliefs holds that on Tatyana's Day, one should not even open their
lecture notes, otherwise the studies will be difficult.
Student Day at the National Centre RUSSIA
Today, a large–scale celebration of the Day of United
Studenthood will take place at the National Centre RUSSIA. Guests will, as
always, be met by volunteers, most of whom are students of Moscow universities.
The event is organised by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education with the
participation of the Russian society Znanie, Rosmolodezh, and the All–Russian
Student Project "Tvoy Khod" ("Your Move"). The event will
unite 600 students from across the country and become a space for
communication, exchange of ideas, and inspiration.
Participants will enjoy a rich educational and interactive programme. The All–Russian campaign — "Day of United Studenthood of Russia" — will take place, aimed at uniting the student community and helping youth to contribute to the cultural, scientific, and public life of the country as part of the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia.
The year 2026 has been declared the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.
On the eve of Russian Students Day, the Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic congratulated young people on the holiday.
