The Day of Forester

On August 14, 2016 the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the day of Walking (Procession) of Honorable Trees of Life-giving Cross. Since ancient times, this day is considered to be a day of foresters as praising the tree (Honorable trees). According to the legend, the cross on which Christ was crucified was made out of cedar of Lebanon, cypress and pine. Later, the wood of these trees was traditionally used for making the crosses of pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. In addition, the cross is a symbol of readiness to suffer for others, for one’s work and opinion, and selflessness has always been a hallmark of the Russian foresters.

The history of the day of forester takes its rise in 1862 in the Lisino-Korpus Village near St. Petersburg where the church of the Forest Department of Russia in the name of the Origin of Honorable Trees of the Life-giving Cross was raised by the architect Nicholas Benois. The church was built for the needs of the Training Forest District. Here, the graduates of the Forest Institute and Jaeger School were communed for the first time, and it was a venue for senior officials of the Forester Corps in the days of celebrations.

Here, at the initiative of the Minister of Finance of Russia Yegor Frantsevich Kankrin in 1834 the educational complex for training the timber industry specialists of Russia was established – the Lisinskoye Training Forest District on the territory of which the Russia’s first forestry secondary school – Jaeger College –  was opened. Up to now the Lisinsky Forest College turns out the timber industry specialists.

The church holiday of Walking (Procession) of Honorable Trees of Life-giving Cross was established in the IX century in Constantinople where it was customary to take an honorable tree of the Holy Cross in the square, streets, and roads to bless these places in order to prevent epidemics which often occurred in the hot month of August.

The Russian name of the holiday “Walking” is an inaccurate translation of the Greek word which means the ceremony, the procession. Therefore, in the name of the holiday the word “Procession” is added. From August 14 the Orthodox Christians celebrate the Dormition Fast which lasts for two weeks, until August 28. In Russia this holiday was celebrated as the Day of Forester until 1917, and then it was undeservedly forgotten.

As the revival of glorious traditions of the Russian foresters annually on August 14 in Moscow, in the temple of the Sheremetyevs’ Manor in Kuskovo, the feast rive with blessing of waters and honey gathers the forestry workers. The church and parishioners in their feast day pray for the welfare of Russian forests, for the health of forestry workers, the prayers for the preservation of Russian forests are said.

In the framework of the Guidelines on the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the environmental activities on July 13, 2015 the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved that on the Day of Procession of Honorable Trees of the Holy Cross the prayer on forest preservation is said.

“This holiday is significant for every Orthodox Cristian, but for the foresters it is landmark and very symbolic, because the Life-giving Cross was made of wood, and the daily work of forestry workers is to protect and preserve the forest. Protecting forests against fire and pests, they are trying to preserve the strength of each tree,” said the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology – Head of Federal Forestry Agency Ivan Valentik.