2/15 June

Daughter of the boyar Maxim Danilov, Juliana gained renown for her profound chastity of mind, preserving the sanctity of her marriage. Her husband, Prince Symeon Mstislavitch of Vyazem, and Yuriy Svyatoslavitch of Smolensk, were both forced to flee their native lands, seized by the Lithuanian prince Vitovtus. Vasiliy Dimitrievitch, prince of Moscow, gave the exiles the town of Torzhok in Tver. Prince Yuriy Svyatoslavitch was captivated by Juliana’s beauty. Although he made every effort to tempt her into committing adultery, she remained faithful to her husband. During a banquet, Prince Yuriy killed Juliana’s husband, and tried to take her by force.St. Juliana fought off her attacker. Enraged, Prince Yuriy ordered that her arms and legs be cut off and her body thrown into the Tver River. St. Juliana was martyred in the winter of 1406. Torn by pangs of conscience, Prince Yuriy fled to the Tatars, but even there he could find no peace. He then went off to the Ryazan Hermitage, where he died in 1408.

In the Spring of 1406, the blessed princess’ body was seen, moving against the river current. A certain paralytic heard a voice from on high telling him to inter St. Juliana’s body at the Southern gates of the Torzhok Cathedral. The coffin containing her body was later installed in the Cathedral of the Savior’s Transfiguration; there many received healing. A chapel dedicated to St. Juliana was added to the right side of the cathedral in connection with her glorification on June 2, 1819. Where a chapel had stood over the Saint’s coffin at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration, a church dedicated to her was consecrated in 1906.