Love and fidelity in letters of prominent people of Russia

On 8 July, the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity is celebrated annually in Russia. The holiday was established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated 28 June 2022 "in order to preserve traditional family values and spiritual and moral education of children and youth".

The holiday is young, but it is closely connected with the story of a married couple of saints Peter and Fevronia, who lived in Murom in the XII-XIII centuries; their memory is honoured on this day according to Orthodox tradition. This family became a model of Christian marriage, a symbol of true devotion and love. In 1547, 300 years after their deaths, Peter and Fevronia were canonised. The Orthodox Church proclaimed them patrons of the family.

Family and family values (which include love, fidelity, trust, respect, mutual understanding, etc.) have been preserved in Russia at all times and are considered fundamental values that underlie the relationship between a man and a woman.

Love and fidelity saved on the battlefield, helped to survive in captivity, inspired creativity. In the electronic reading rooms of the Presidential Library is available the 1913 edition Love in the letters of outstanding people of the XVIII and XIX centuries. It contains letters "written by those who loved, to those who were loved".

The relationship between the parents of the famous writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was characterised by "cordiality and tenderness". Vasily Afanasyevich Gogol wrote to his future wife Maria Ivanovna: "My dear Mashenka! Many obstacles have deprived me of the happiness of being with you this day! The weakness of my health inspires a terrible imagination, and a fierce despair torments my heart... I ask you to be healthy and not to worry about me...". There is an assumption that the image of his parents served the genius son as a prototype of the main characters of the story "The Old World Landlords". 

Nina Chavchavadze, widow of the writer and Russian diplomat Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov, outlived her husband by 30 years. She sacredly honoured the memory of her husband and did not marry after his death. Griboyedov loved his wife very much. A month before his tragic death, the author of "Woe from Wit" wrote her such lines from Tehran, where he was sent to serve as Russian ambassador: "...My invaluable friend, I feel sorry for you, sad without you as much as possible. Now I truly feel what it means to love... Let us endure a few more, my angel, and pray to God that after that we will never be separated again..."

The poet and critic, participant of the Battle of Borodino in 1812, Prince Pyotr Andreyevich Vyazemsky piously believed that it was his wife's love that saved him on the battlefield. In letters to his wife Vera he tells about the battles: "We had a glorious case, and the French are soundly beaten ...", reports that many "wounded and killed". And he tenderly addresses his wife: "I am on my way now, my darling. You, God and honour will be my companions. The duties of a man of war will not drown out in me the duties of your husband and the father of our child... You have been chosen by heaven for my happiness, and shall I want to make you unhappy forever? I'll see you again, I'm sure of it. Pray to God for me... You are in my soul, you are in my life. I could not live without you..."

The poet and playwright Count Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy dedicated his famous poem "In the midst of a noisy ball" to his future wife Sophia Andreyevna Miller, whom he met at one of the balls in St. Petersburg. In these lines, the author reflected "the feeling that swept over him, which was then preserved in a happy marriage for life".

Russian philosopher and publicist Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky wrote letters to his wife Olga Sokratovna from exile, which lasted most of his life, including seven years of hard labour and two years in a fortress. Tenderly loving his wife, he tried to hide from her all the hardships of his imprisonment, cared for her health and well-being. This is how Chernyshevsky addresses his wife in one of his letters: "I do not know whether you are going to visit me this summer, as you thought before. Ah, my dear joy, this road through Transbaikalia frightens me for your health. I would beg you not to undergo such an uncomfortable journey over mountains and rocks, across rivers without bridges, through deserts where you will not find a piece of decent wheat bread. Better, postpone seeing me for a year... Take care only of your health. It's the only thing I care about. Please try to be cheerful..."

The collection of documents Family and traditional family values in Russia as the basis of Russian statehood is dedicated to the history of family and family values in Russia on the Presidential Library's portal. It includes materials on the history of development of the family institution in Russia from the times of Ancient Russia to the present day. Considerable attention is paid to the state policy of preserving and strengthening family values in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. Separately highlighted are stories on assistance to the families of military and civil servants. The collection also reveals regional peculiarities of family relations among the peoples of Russia, issues of child rearing and orphans' care.

Interesting facts about the history of celebrating the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity can also be found in the section On this Day on the Presidential Library portal.

Information about the Presidential Library's electronic reading rooms open in Russia and abroad is available on the portal in the section Electronic reading rooms on the map.