Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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On October 14, Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the great feasts of the twelve feasts – the Protection of the Holy Mother of God.
The holiday is based on the legend of the miraculous salvation of Christians from a pagan invasion in Constantinople in the mid-10th century. The city was besieged by enemies, and people gathered in the Blachernae Church to pray. Among them was Andrew, the fool-for-Christ from Constantinople. According to his life, he was the first to see the Mother of God walking across the sky, surrounded by saints and angels. The Most Pure One began to pray for the salvation of Christians, and then spread a maphorion—a woman's veil covering her head and shoulders—over them. According to legend, a storm arose that night, and the enemy ships retreated from Constantinople without a fight.
This is how the Feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God came into being. On this day, believers celebrate the spiritual protection that the Mother of God provides to all those in need and disadvantaged.
For Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, the Feast of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin has a special, symbolic significance. Until 2018, it was celebrated on October 1st according to the Julian calendar then in use in the Russian Empire. In 1902, it was on October 1st, the Feast of the Intercession, that the consecration of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute took place. The clergy of the Novosiltsevskaya Church held a service in the assembly hall, and the building was sprinkled with holy water. At the opening ceremony, the government was represented by Pyotr Mikhailovich Romanov, the head of the Ministry of Finance, deputy minister, and privy councilor, who declared the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute open.
On behalf of all those present at the service, Pyotr Mikhailovich sent a telegram to Emperor Nicholas II, who was in Livadia at the time: "Today, the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, erected by the will of Your Imperial Majesty, was consecrated—classes will begin there tomorrow. The director, professors, and students of the institute ask me to lay at the feet of Your Imperial Majesty their feelings of boundless devotion and gratitude for the gift of an institution of higher learning, so generously endowed by Your Highest Grace, and to report to Your Majesty that they will make every effort to fulfill their duty and dedicate themselves to the cause of good education. I humbly submit this to Your Imperial Majesty."
The next day, before classes began, Grigory Petrov, the artillery school's religious teacher and preacher, held a prayer service in the assembly hall. Then, Andrei Gagarin, the institute's director, addressed the students. Here's an excerpt from his speech: "You are the first; with your participation, the traditions of our institute will be established. Therefore, strive to ensure that it becomes a proud and stable member of its elder brothers. For its life to flow correctly, you must consciously exercise self-discipline. Follow the institute's rules and the instructions of myself and the faculty. Feel free to contact us if you have any difficulties. In us, you will always find support and assistance."
The first lecture on theoretical mechanics for students in the technical departments was given by Ivan Vsevolodovich Meshchersky, the founder of the mechanics of variable systems and a member of the St. Petersburg Mathematical Society. In one of the larger auditoriums, Professor Alexander Sergeevich Posnikov gave a lecture on political economy to students in the economics department.
On October 2, 1902, the Polytechnic received a telegram from Emperor Nicholas II in Livadia: "I sincerely wish success to the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, which opened today, and I thank the director, professors, teachers, and students for the sentiments they have all expressed." Nicholas.
Ten years later, on June 6 (June 19, new style), 1912, a church was laid at the Emperor Peter the Great Polytechnic Institute in honor of the Feast of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin—the institute's opening day. The church was consecrated on December 15 (December 28, new style), 1913. Today, it is an active church at the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.
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