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Pistis (Faith), Elpis (Hope), Agape (Charity or Love) and their mother Sophia are Holy Martyrs who lived in Rome in the 2nd century, who, by order of Emperor Hadrian, were executed for their faith in Jesus Christ in 137. The eldest of the sisters, named Pistis, was at the time of her death, according to legend, 12 years old; middle Elpis – 10 and junior Agape – 9.
In the 9th century, when translating liturgical books into Church Slavonic, the names of the sisters were translated, which is an exceptional case (in fact, it was during the translation that the common word “faith” became a personal name). Until that moment, the vast majority of the names of Saints retained their original sound, to a greater or lesser extent adapting to the characteristics of the Slavic languages. Researchers interpreted the fact of translation as indirect evidence of a mythical nature of the personalities: it was presumably clear to medieval translators from Greek that an allegorical story was being told in the hagiography. In later translations carried out in Ancient Russia, the name of the mother of the martyrs, Wisdom, was also calqued, but the tradition similar to the names of her daughters did not develop with respect to this name.
In the Russian tradition of naming, the names Vera, Nadezhda and Lyubov (Faith, Hope and Charity or Love) were not used for a very long time – until the beginning of the 18th century; these names were not given to babies while baptizing. But after Empress Elizaveta Petrovna accessed to the throne (in 1742), which took place under the sign of the struggle against the dominance of foreigners in Russia, the growth of Russian national self-consciousness was indicated, and the only names in the entire list that sounded clearly in Russian turned out to be in demand, and above all in noble families. Vera was the name of the sister of Elizaveta Petrovna’s secret husband, Alexei Grigoryevich Razumovsky, in whose honor her niece, Vera Apraksina, was also named. In the second half of the 18th century, the frequency of the name Vera among noblewomen was 15% (that is, 15 carriers per thousand). In the same period, the name was found in merchant and peasant environments, but less often (fluctuations range from 1% to 7%, depending on the area). In the 19th century, the attitude towards the name as a whole did not change: it was still considered a name predominantly of the nobility, appropriate for the educated classes.
The period of the greatest popularity of the name was noted in the first half of the 20th century. In terms of the frequency of naming newborns, it took 7th place, however, in the post-war years, the name was no longer among the ten most popular names, and for newborns at the end of the century it was already only 2%… The names Milena, Eleonora, Zhanna, Snezhana became fashionable… It became a symptom of a serious illness!
The legend of Saint Sophia and her daughters became widespread in the early Middle Ages, but the first evidence of the worship of Saints dates back only to the 7th century, and early hagiographies date back to the 7th-8th centuries. These circumstances, as well as contradictions in different versions of the hagiographies and the fact that the names of the Saints are absent in the early martyrology, allowed later researchers to doubt the reality of personalities. Thus, these Saints began to be treated more often not as historical figures, but as allegorical personifications of Christian virtues.
Moreover, this combination of words has become a very common artistic image.
True, over so many centuries and millennia, the semantic content of these virtues has changed significantly – FAITH, HOPE and LOVE have matured!
Today, FAITH is not only a belief in the existence of God, but also a belief in the high destiny of a human, in the deep meaning of his existence and development… Now it is even the belief that “tomorrow will be better than yesterday” … It is like when a student buys 100 grams of “the most chocolate” sweets “Swallow” with his last money. It is like when he does not leave the money for “a rainy day” and believes that he will soar very high soon… The swallow symbolizes hope, the arrival of spring and good luck… In Christianity, the swallow is a symbol of resurrection – with the advent of spring, it brings new life… In China, the swallow means daring, fidelity, future success and favorable changes… That is the meaning of “tomorrow will be better than yesterday”!
HOPE is not only and not so much an expectation, confidence in the realization of something joyful, auspicious; it is not only a positively colored emotion that arises during the tense expectation of the fulfillment of the desired and anticipates the possibility of its accomplishment… It is the hope for the justice of divine laws and everything that happens in the world, it is the hope for the obligatory triumph of TRUTH.
LOVE is not only a feeling of selfless heartfelt attachment, passion for something or someone; it is perfect unconditional love as the pinnacle of earthly love! This is a gentle kind of love, when you can see God in everyone, when in any happening you see the Divine Providence, and in any particle of the Universe – the Divine Plan… It is when “love for my close ones becomes my religion; my every word becomes a prayer; forests, orchards, fields and mountains become my temple; rivers, lakes, seas and oceans become my holy water; conscience becomes my Preacher and joy becomes my guiding star!”
At all times, people have turned and continue to turn to Saint Vera, Saint Nadezhda and Saint Lyubov (Faith, Hope and Charity or Love) in difficult moments of life to ask them for the most secret concerning:
- family happiness and harmony in relations with relatives;
- health and well-being of their children;
- protection from sufferings, troubles, misfortunes and bad people;
- those who, under the yoke of sorrows, begin to lose faith in the Almighty.
The memory of Saint Vera, Saint Nadezhda and Saint Lyubov (Faith, Hope and Charity or Love) is celebrated on 30 September.
THREE SISTERS
B. OkudzhavaPerforming O. PogudinEquirhythmic translation by Em Rostverg
Will you pull down the dark blue curtains;Dear nurse, don’t fix potions for me in retorts.At my bedside, you see, there’re standing my creditors:Silent Charity, Faith, and numb Hope.
For the son of a short age it’s time to pay bills,But the wallets are empty and fall out of the hands.Don’t be sad and unhappy, oh, my Faith,You have some other debtors in the world.
And I’ll say both and weakly, and gently,Catching guiltily two of your hands with my lips:Don’t be sad and unhappy, my Mother Hope,You have some other sons at your fingertips.
I will stretch out my empty hands to Charity,I will hear the penitential voice in response:Don’t be sad and unhappy, my memories won’t go,I’ve given away myself in your name.
And no matter what hands would caress you,How unearthly the passion’s flame would burn you,People’s gossip has paid off three times all your debts,We are quits; you are clean for me as before.
Clean and innocent, I am lying in dawn’s light,My bed linen flows down to the floor, white flag-like.My three sisters, three judges, my merciful wivesOpen credit for me for the very last time.
My three judges, three wives, my three merciful sistersOpen credit for me for unlimited time.HOPEMusic by A. PakhmutovaLyrics by N. DobronravovPerforming A. GermanEquirhythmic translation by Em Rostverg
The unknown star is shining bright,We are cut off from our homes again,Cities lie between us one more time,Takeoff lights of airfields are beaming.We are having here fogs and rains,We are having here cold and dull dawns,Here on the unexplored pathIntricate plots are in store for all us.
My hope is my compass on earth,Luck – a proper reward for my courage,As to a song there’s enough only oneIf only it’s a song of our sweet home.
Please, believe that here, from afar,Many things are seen from different anglesStormy clouds are melting very fast,Feelings of resentment seem so stupid.One just have to learn how to await,How to be dead calm and even stubbornSo that to receive at least sometimesJoyful telegrams from a strict life.
My hope is my compass on earth,Luck – a proper reward for my courage,As to a song there’s enough only oneIf only it’s a song of our sweet home.
And we cannot really forgetEverything that we once did not finish,Those so tired dear eyes of yoursAnd severe blizzards of our Moscow.Cities lie between us one more time,Life again divides us, as before,The unknown star is shining brightLike a stone memorial to my hope.
My hope is my compass on earth,Luck – a proper reward for our courage,As to a song there’s enough only oneIf only it’s a song of our sweet home.
A SONG ABOUT HOPE
Music by E. KrylatovLyrics by L. DerbenyovEquirhythmic translation by Em RostvergWe never know and don't rememberUntil we face a real threatThat our whole world, our huge world,Is hanging on a thin thread.It’s called hope by everyone,Who can believe,Believe so much,That this thread will hold onAnd life will go on,Will go on.
At times when everything is uselessAnd there’s no point living in the world,Above the black chasm, awful chasmWe are held by a thin thread.
It’s called hope by everyone,Who can believe,Believe so much,That this thread will hold onAnd life will go on,Will go on.
We hardly feel it in the summer,But when a swirling blizzard comes,Not only a day without this thread,But even a second we can’t live.
It’s called hope by everyone,Who can believe,Believe so much,That this thread will hold onAnd life will go on,Will go on.It’s called hope by everyone,Who can believe,Believe so much,That this thread will hold onAnd life will go on,And life will go on,And life will go on,Will go on, will go on.THAT’S WHAT LOVE MEANSMusic by A. BronevitskyLyrics by L. OshaninPerforming E. PiekhaEquirhythmic translation by Em RostvergNo morning without night,No happiness without fight,No real life without death,No dates if no farewells.
But in early springIce floes will break;I believe the endlessSpring floods will spread.
No skyline without the sun,Birds can’t fly without the sky,No real life without blissNo day without love in it.
And every springIce floes will break upAnd again I’ll believeIn an endless flood.
I see you in all the rain and dew,I hear you in the roll of the waveAnd the rustle of the wood…I want to be with you on holidays and on weekdays,In winter and in summer, night and day,To unite our breaths,Smiles and feelings…
After all, that's what love means!No morning without night,No happiness without fight,No real life without death,No dates if no farewells…
But remember, my friend:Birds can’t fly without the sky!No skyline without the sun,No day without… love in it.
I’VE COME TO GET HAPPINESS
J. Slavyanskaya
Equirhythmic translation by Em RostvergI’ve come to get happiness; here is my handful…God, have mercy, give me, please, give me my portion…It is so important to wake up with the visionThat hope is still alive and we shouldn’t give in…At Your place, so many are queueing up for it,But even more of people who will be afraidTo join the endless crowd of awaiting people…Only they, believe me, also need to feel it…Bit by bit, I’ll give away happiness to everyone…Blondes, redheads, brunettes, close and not the ones,Poor and rich people, locksmiths and poets…There is simply in the world no unworthy of it…After all, when you meet kind smiles around,You forget at once all your own troubles…
And when someone’s soul easily warms you up,This means that true happiness really may happen…You need to look around, to take a closer look…Probably in someone’s heart, a door to bliss is open…
Just don't be afraid to knock on the hidden entrance…It’s better not resist true love and real feelings…And people were crowding, were taking their places…Someone wanted money, someone – a lavish wedding…
For some people happiness is to share gossip…The queue is long enough… Too many faces pass by…I’ve come to get happiness; here are my small palms…I see there’s empty… Birds have pecked up all crumbs…
But God has answered me with a very wise smile,Happiness is also – a smile of your loved ones…CALL ME TO FOLLOW YOU ALONGT. Snezhina
Performing A. PugachovaEquirhythmic translation by Em RostvergAgain the evil wind of changes blows you away,Leaving me not even trails in return,
Without askingIf I want to fly along with you, too,Like autumn yellow leaves,Like The Blue Bird after dreams.
Call me to follow you along,And I’ll come through angry nights.
I’ll for sure go after youAnd will ignore any prophecies.I’ll come right to where you areDrawing sunshine in the sky,
Where broken dreams of mineWill regain all skills and powers to fly high.I’ve been searching for you throughout the years,In the crowd of strangers.I thought you'd be always with me for agesBut you are leaving.You won't ever recognize me in the crowd,I let you go but mind you are still deeply loved.
Call me to follow you along,And I’ll come through angry nights.I’ll for sure go after youAnd will ignore any prophecies.
I’ll come right to where you areDrawing sunshine in the sky,Where broken dreams of mineWill regain all skills and powers to fly high.Every time as soon as night fallsOn the sleeping town,I run away quickly from the sleepless homeTo cold and sorrow,
I'm searching for you in my dreams, so dull,But at a new day’s threshold, I don’t see you again.(×3):Call me to follow you along,
And I’ll come through angry nights.I’ll for sure go after youAnd will ignore any prophecies.I’ll come right to where you areDrawing sunshine in the sky,Where broken dreams of mineWill regain all skills and powers to fly high.(×3):
