MOSCOW, July 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russia marked Day of Married Love and Family Happiness on Wednesday, an official holiday which coincides with Peter and Fevronia Day, the Orthodox patron saints of married couples.
Festivities in Moscow and other regions included charity concerts and other events involving orphans, newlyweds and elderly couples.
Orthodox churches said special prayers for family wellbeing and the country, whose population has been dwindling steadily since the Soviet collapse endangering economic development, its role on the world stage and even territorial integrity.
A 16th-century tale recounts how Prince Peter, who ruled the Russian city of Murom in the 13th century, was cured of leprosy by a young peasant woman, Fevronia. The prince married Fevronia, but they had to live through many hardships because of their unequal status.
The couple was banished from Murom when the prince gave up the throne for love. But the people of Murom called the wise prince back. He was a fair ruler and happy in his married life.
The loving spouses are said to have died the same day in 1228 after being ordained as a monk and nun.
They were buried separately, but according to tradition their bodies were discovered in the same grave. They were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
In Moscow, festivities were held throughout the day in the central Gorky Park and Izmailovsky Park, in the northeast, with families, children from orphanages, newlyweds and couples celebrating their 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries invited.
The program included concerts and gift giving. Participants also got the chance to try their hand at crafts like glass-blowing, pottery and smithying.
Speaking on Tuesday in the historic town of Murom, some 300 km (185 miles) east of Moscow, where the saints were buried, Russian first lady Svetlana Medvedev called for reviving Russian traditional family values.
"The family is a source of love, understanding and respect. It makes people's lives emotionally and spiritually fuller," she said.
She said the holiday has become popular across the country, including among non-believers and representatives of other religions.
The holiday, which was officially introduced last year, is seen by some as an alternative to St. Valentine's Day.
Russia's parliamentary speaker, Boris Gryzlov, said on Wednesday that the number of people getting married had increased, while divorces were down despite the ongoing global economic crisis. He also said birth rate has grown over the last few years.
