January Celebrations in Russia
Despite the frost and snow, January is a month full of joyful events in Russia. After New Year, Christmas, and the Orthodox New Year (according to the Julian calendar), there is still another day that many people look forward to: January 25th, Татьянин День (Tatiana's Day) or Students Day.
The Birth of Students Day
It might seem strange to associate a Roman Catholic saint and martyr from the 3rd century with a loud and cheerful feast involving drunken students strolling around the city. As А.П. Чехов (Chekhov) wrote in 1885 about Tatiana's Day:
“В этом году выпили всё, кроме Москва-реки, и то благодаря тому, что замёрзла...” (This year everything was drunk, except the water from the Moscow river, and only because it was frozen.)
In fact, the reason for this celebration is quite simple. On January 25th (Gregorian calendar), 1755, императрица Елизавета (Empress Elizabeth of Russia) signed a decree establishing the first Russian university, under the care of Иван Шувалов (Ivan Shuvalov). Shuvalov, often regarded as Russia’s first Minister of Education, was a highly educated man who believed that education should be accessible to all Russians. The decree was signed on the name day of his mother, Tatiana. Presenting it to her, Shuvalov reportedly said: “дарю тебе университет” (“I give you a university”) as a present.
That day became the official University day, which was called in those days, День Московского университета (the Day of the Moscow University). Initially, it was celebrated only in Moscow with a formal ceremony at the university, followed by lively, well-watered parties across the city.
In 1791, Храм мученицы Татианы при МГУ (the Church of Saint Tatiana) was built on the old university campus. Later, the Russian Orthodox Church declared Saint Tatiana the patron saint of all students, and Tatiana’s Day began to be celebrated nationwide as День российского студенчества (Russian Students Day).
Tatiana’s Day Today
Today, little has changed. After months of intense studying, revision, and exams, students make the most of this long-awaited day of freedom. Nightclubs and restaurants organize special events, and even the police tend to focus more on prevention than punishment.
So if you want to experience a true student celebration, make sure you’re in Russia on Tatiana’s Day.
Тамара Мелентьева
