October 14: Intercession, Day of the Cossacks and Defender of Uk

2019-10-06 15:35:45

In Ukraine, Defender's Day is celebrated for the fourth year. The holiday is a state holiday, and since 2015 it is also a day off.

The date of October 14 for a new holiday was not chosen by chance. Every day on this day is celebrated the Day of the Ukrainian Cossacks - a holiday dedicated to the Day of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary (since the Mother of God is considered the protector and patroness of the Cossacks). Also on this day, the anniversary of the creation (in 1942) of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the military-political unit of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), is traditionally celebrated. And since Poroshenko also said that he wants to solve the issue of the status of UPA soldiers as defenders of Ukraine at the state level, then on October 14, in his opinion, he will be associated with the real heroes of Ukraine, participants in the hostilities and the war for the country's independence.

On the occasion of the holiday, a number of festive and solemn events are held, mainly in Kiev and Lviv. Also, according to the decree of the President of Ukraine of October 10, 2015, annually on this holiday it is proposed to all local government bodies, enterprises, institutions, organizations and associations of citizens to establish (hang out) the state flag.

October 14 was originally a great religious holiday. Christians of the Orthodox Church celebrate the Protection of the Holy Virgin. The holiday is based on the legend about the appearance of the Virgin to Andrei the Holy One during the All-night Vigil in the Blachernae Church. According to legend, the Virgin Mary entered the church, accompanied by John the Baptist and John the Theologian, went to the altar, took off the omophorion (cover from the head) and spread it over the praying parishioners. She prayed with everyone, asking for the safety of believers. And soon after the vision disappeared, the troops threatening Constantinople retreated.

It so happened that the Cossack society greatly honored the Virgin. The veneration of the Intercessor corresponded to the realities of their life, in which they had to leave their mothers and wives, and so they had to pray for their men. And the legends about the appearance of the Virgin during the famous Azov Seat, when the Turks besieged the fortress of Azov in 1641. It was the Cossacks who were able to combine the religious holiday with the secular, setting their fees on the day of the Intercession. October 1 (it is worth making an amendment for the old style) Cossacks chose new members of the foreman.