Daily Calendar - May 15

The 135th day of the year, 230 days left until the New Year.

Church Calendar

Commemoration of the Saints: Father Athanasius the Great, Archbishop of Alexandria (373); Holy Martyrs Esper and Zoyas and their sons Cyriacus and Theodosius (II); Holy Righteous Prince, Righteous to the Apostles Boris - Michael, Bulgarian (906-907); Holy Righteous Princes of Russia Boris and Gleb (1072 and 1175).

Holy Hierarch Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, was born around 297 in the city of Alexandria, into a family of God-fearing Christians. He preached Christianity and tirelessly wrote epistles and treatises against the heresy of Arius. When Julian the Apostate began a fierce persecution of Christians, his wrath was directed primarily against the High Priest Athanasius, who was considered the greatest pillar of the Orthodox faith. Julian intended to kill Saint Athanasius, thereby dealing a severe blow to Christianity, but by the will of God he himself soon died in one of the battles.

After his death, the High Priest Athanasius ruled the Church of Alexandria for another seven years and peacefully reposed in the Lord in 373.

The Holy Martyrs Esper, his wife Zoe, and their sons died for the faith of Christ during the persecution of Christians declared by Emperor Hadrian.

Born:

1567 – Claudio Monteverdi, Italian composer, died in 1643.

1845 – Ilya Mechnikov, Russian embryologist, physiologist and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate. Died in 1916.

1891 – Mikhail Bulgakov, great Russian writer. Died in 1940.

1893 _ Konstantin Gamsakhurdia, writer-classicist, academician. Died in 1975.

1895 _ Ioseb Jordania, doctor, academician. Died in 1962.

1921 _ Medea Chakhava, prominent actress. Died in 2009.

1925 _ Irakli Ghudushauri, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, professor.

1934 _ Givi Berikashvili, famous actor. Died in 2017.

1939 - Lia Sturua, Georgian poet

Died:

1857 - Vasil Tropinin, famous Russian portrait painter.

1916 - Irodion Evdoshvili, Georgian poet-revolutionary.

1935 - Kazimir Malevich, artist, one of the leaders of European avant-garde.

1979 - Irakli Bagrationi — Georgian dancer, choreographer, musical figure.

Events:

1867 - The Red Cross Society was established in Russia.

1879 - The "Society for the Promotion of Literacy among Georgians" was founded.

1922 – The Tbilisi Academy of Arts – the highest art school in Georgia – was opened on the basis of the Higher Art Technical Workshop.

1948 – The first Arab war against Israel began.

1955 – Austria was declared an independent, neutral state.

1990 – At Christie’s auction, the painting “Portrait of Doctor Gachet” by the famous artist Van Gogh was sold for a record price of $82.5 million.

1991 – The French government was headed by a woman for the first time – Edith Cresson, who held this position until April of the following year.

2024 – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot dead.

Memorable days:

International Day of Families (celebrated since 1994, by decision of the UN).

USA — Armed Forces Day

Austria — Independence Day.