Tatiana or ‘Tatyana” Day

Tatyana Day in Ukraine is a cultural holiday celebrated on January 25 (or January 12 in the Julian calendar). It commemorates the endorsement of Ivan Shuvalov’s petition by Empress Elizabeth of Russia in 1755 to establish a university in Moscow. The chosen date coincided with the traditional Russian religious holiday known as Tatyana Day, which honors the Christian martyr Tatiana from 2nd-century Rome. In Ukraine, this day is observed as a cultural celebration, and it holds historical significance related to the establishment of the university in Moscow.