DAY 1039 RUSSIAN AGGRESSION - ДЕНЬ 1039 РОССИЙСКАЯ АГРЕССИЯ
On December 28, we celebrate International Cinema Day, Call a Friend Day, Short Film Day, and Calendar Day.
The Orthodox Church honors the memory of the 2000 martyrs who were burned in Nicomedia.
International Cinema Day
International Cinema Day is a celebration for filmmakers, professionals in this remarkable art, and its enthusiasts worldwide.
On December 28, 1895, the first screening of the cinematograph by the Lumière brothers took place at the "Grand Café" on Boulevard des Capucines in Paris. This date became the official day of celebration for International Cinema Day.
Earlier in the same year, the Frenchmen Auguste and Louis Lumière received a patent for their invention, the "Cinematograph." On March 22, 1895, the brothers held the first-ever film screening in history in Paris, showing a short film titled "Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory" to a select group of friends.
However, the birth of cinema is celebrated on December 28, 1895, when the Lumières presented the world's first short film "Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station" to a broader audience at a Paris café. This was the first film in cinematic history to be shown to the public for a fee. Interestingly, there is a version that the screening caused a real panic among viewers, who jumped up and ran out of the hall, fearing that the approaching train on the screen would crush them.
Call a Friend Day
Call a Friend Day is celebrated on December 28, dedicated to reconnecting with friends through the simple yet powerful act of a phone call.
Calendar Day
Every year on December 28, the world celebrates Calendar Day, chosen in honor of the publication of the first civil calendar edited by Yakov Bras in 1708.
Also on this day:
1908 - The largest of the documented earthquakes in Europe occurred in southern Italy, resulting in the deaths of between 160,000 and 250,000 people;
1942 - During World War II, Japanese aviation began bombing the city of Calcutta (India);
1983 - The Shatsky National Nature Park was established;
1987 - 76-year-old Cypriot Kiveli Papaioannou got stuck in a store elevator, remaining there until January 2 (a world record for the longest time spent in an elevator), surviving on purchased food;
1991 - Ukraine's independence was recognized by Italy, Indonesia, Jordan, Oman, Syria, and Japan;
1999 - A law was passed in Turkmenistan that made Saparmurat Niyazov the country's lifelong president;
2014 - The operation of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was concluded.
Born on this day:
90 years since the birth of Mykhailo Vasylovych Kosiv (1934), a Ukrainian writer, critic, literary scholar, participant in the opposition movement, and public-political figure;
80 years since the birth of Carey Banks Mallis (1944-2019), an American biochemist and Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry (1993).
Church Holiday
The Orthodox Church commemorates the memory of 20,000 holy martyrs, among whom are known Glykeria, Zinon, Theophilus, Dorotheus, Mardonios, Migdonios, Indis, Gorgonios, Peter, Euphemios, Secundus, Nikostratus, Agapia, Domna, Theophila, Antonina, and others.
By order of Emperor Maximian (284—305), the destruction of Christian temples began in the early 4th century, along with the burning of liturgical books and the deprivation of all Christians of civil rights and offices. At that time, the bishop of Nicomedia was Saint Cyril, who, through preaching and life, contributed to the spread of the Christian faith, resulting in many of the emperor's officials being secret Christians.
In the emperor's palace lived a pagan priestess named Domna. In Maximian's absence, she read the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of the Apostle Paul. Her heart was ignited with a desire to learn about Christian teachings. With the help of a young Christian, Domna secretly came to Bishop Cyril, accompanied by her faithful servant, the eunuch Indis. Saint Cyril baptized them, and thereafter, both accepted holy baptism. Domna began to assist the poor: she distributed her jewels with Indis's help and shared food from the royal table.
Upon learning of Domna and Indis's unusual lifestyle, the chief of the eunuchs, responsible for the royal table, imprisoned both and starved them, yet they received sustenance from Angels and suffered no harm. To avoid living with pagans any longer, Saint Domna pretended to be insane. Thus, she and Indis were removed from the palace, and she settled in a convent under the abbess Agapia. Soon the abbess dressed her in men's clothing, cut her hair, and released her from the convent.
Meanwhile, the emperor returned and ordered the search for the former priestess Domna to commence. The soldiers dispatched for this purpose reached the convent and ravaged it. The sisters were thrown into dungeons, subjected to torture and disgrace, but none of them suffered defilement. The saint Theophila, sent to a brothel, with the help of the Angel of the Lord, preserved her virginity: the Angel led her out from the brothel.
Once, the emperor arranged a sacrifice to pagan gods in the city square. When the sprinkling of the crowd with the blood of sacrificial animals began, the Christians started to leave the square. Seeing this, the emperor became enraged but restrained his feelings, for suddenly the ground shook.
After some time, Maximian entered the church and ordered the Christians to renounce Christ — for refusal, he threatened to burn the church and kill the Christians. The Christian presbyter Glykeria replied that Christians would never renounce their faith, no matter what tortures awaited them. Controlling his anger, the emperor left the church, and shortly thereafter commanded that presbyter Glykeria be brought to trial. The executioners tortured the martyr, who continued to pray and call upon the Name of the Lord. Unable to sway Saint Glykeria to renounce, Maximian ordered him to be burned.
On Christmas Day in 302, when about 20,000 Christians had gathered in the Nicomedia Cathedral, the emperor sent a herald to the temple, conveying his command for all Christians to leave the church and offer sacrifices to the idols, threatening to burn the temple along with the worshippers if they refused. However, all present refused to bow to the idols. The torturers then set the church on fire, and all 20,000 worshippers perished in the flames.
Maximian was convinced that all the Christians of Nicomedia had been destroyed, but soon he received word that many believers remained, all of whom continued to solemnly profess Christianity and remained devoted to the teachings of Jesus Christ. The thought of dealing with all the believers did not leave the emperor. Maximian ordered the arrest of the commander Zinon, who publicly accused the emperor of impiety and cruelty. Zinon was brutally beaten and beheaded. The eunuch Indis, a priest of idols, was then imprisoned for refusing to participate in the pagan festivities.
Meanwhile, Saint Domna hid in a cave, living on wild food. The persecution of Christians continued. The governor of Italy Dorotheus, Mardonios, the deacon Migdonios, and several officials were thrown into prison. Bishop Anthimus spiritually strengthened them by sending messages. One of the messages was intercepted from deacon Theophilus. Trying to learn about the bishop, he was tortured, but the holy martyr endured all torments without revealing anything. Then, along with him, those to whom the bishop addressed in the message were executed.
Saint Domna returned to the city and wept for a long time at the ruins, regretting that she had not been worthy to die with her sisters. She then went to the seaside, where fishermen were pulling the bodies of the martyrs Indis, Gorgonios, and Peter from the water with their nets. Still dressed in men's clothing, Saint Domna helped the fishermen haul the nets, and they left her the bodies of all the martyrs.
With reverence, Domna gazed upon the holy remains. She was particularly delighted to see the body of her spiritual friend — the martyr Indis. After the burial, she did not depart from the graves dear to her heart, praying before them daily. Someone reported to the emperor that an unknown young man was daily paying respects at the graves of the executed Christians. The emperor immediately ordered the