A special holiday on June 2 is Timofey the Gardener: history, traditions, omens

Every year on June 2, Orthodox believers honor the memory of the blessed Prince Dovmont of Pskov, Timothy, defender of Pskov, ruler, famous for military valor, justice and loyalty to the Orthodox faith. In the national calendar, the date was named Timothy the Gardener. In 2026, the holiday falls on a Tuesday. Read about its history, traditions, signs and strict prohibitions in the Izvestia article.

What is the church holiday on June 2?

Dovmont lived in the 13th century and was the Lithuanian Prince of Nalshinai, but after civil strife in Lithuania he was forced to leave his homeland. In 1265, he, along with relatives and several hundred Lithuanian families, came to Pskov, where he found a new home.

In Pskov, Dovmont, who had previously been a pagan, was baptized with the name Timothy. A year later, the Pskov people elected him their prince. This turned out to be a rare political decision for the city, but the newcomer ruler quickly earned the trust of the veche and retained it for many years.

Dovmont ruled Pskov for 33 years, and the chronicle tradition has preserved his memory as a strict, just and active prince. He oversaw the court, helped the poor, received pilgrims, supported monasteries and temples, and founded a monastery in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The prince became related to the Russian grand ducal family by marrying the granddaughter of Alexander Nevsky. But the main business of his life was the protection of the north-western borders of Russia. Pskov was constantly threatened by Germans, Lithuanians and other opponents in those years. Dovmont managed to turn the city into a strong military center.

In 1268, he participated in the Battle of Rakovor, where Russian troops defeated Danish and German forces. Before each battle, the prince came to the temple, laid his sword at the altar, prayed and received the blessing of the confessor.

How not to invite trouble on a Bad day: what were they especially afraid of violating

The acquisition of the Holy Spirit is the main goal of Christian life

Under Dovmont, the Pskov fortress was fortified. The stone wall built next to the Krom was named Dovmontova, and the territory behind it is still known as Dovmont city. After the victories, the prince built temples next to the Kremlin in honor of those saints, whose memorial day accounted for important military successes.

Dovmont won his last victory on March 5, 1299. Livonian knights suddenly attacked Pskov Posad, burned down the Snetogorsky and Mirozhsky monasteries, killed monks and ravaged the surrounding area. The prince did not begin to assemble a large army and without delay led the squad to meet the enemy and defeated the enemy on the banks of the Velikaya River.

Dovmont died a few months after this victory. He was buried in the Trinity Cathedral in Pskov. Soon after his death, the veneration of the prince as the heavenly protector of the city began. Legend has preserved the story of his help to Pskov in 1480, when during the siege the townspeople surrounded the city with a veil from his tomb, after which the enemies retreated.

Traditions of the national holiday Timofey the Gardener on June 2

In Russia, the day of veneration of the blessed Prince Dovmont of Pskov fell on the beginning of June, when gardening was in full swing. The peasants were engaged in planting vegetables, tending the beds and checking early shoots. Therefore, the holiday in the national calendar was named Timothy the Gardener. A lot of attention was paid to cucumbers, in some regions they were just being sown, in others they were already looking to see if the whips had turned yellow, whether the plants were well received after cold nights. "Timofey has come — finish the cucumbers quickly," the ancestors said.

They tried to plant cucumbers in silence, without unnecessary witnesses, without discussing it even with neighbors. The people believed that someone else's unkind look could harm the future harvest, the stems would start to turn yellow, the ovaries would fall off, and the cucumbers themselves would grow bitter.

The first cucumber patch and the first harvest were especially carefully guarded. Fruits were already appearing in the southern regions by this time, but the first cucumber was not served to the table. It was buried in a secluded place in the garden so that no one else would see it. It was believed that such a rite protects the whips from the evil eye and helps the entire crop grow strong.

The Holy Trinity in 2025: the Spiritual meaning of the doctrine of the trinity of God in simple words

Orthodox and Catholics will celebrate Trinity on the same day in 2025

If wilted plants were noticed in the garden, they tried to save them, watered, shaded from the scorching sun, and sometimes sprinkled with holy water. The taste of cucumbers was also closely monitored. To prevent them from becoming bitter, they were not overused, covered with improvised materials in the heat, and fresh manure was chosen for fertilizer.

During this period, not only cucumbers were planted. Where the weather allowed, the peasants were engaged in other vegetables, straightened the beds after the rain, loosened the ground, and removed weeds.

What not to do on the holiday of Timothy the Gardener

In Russia, Timothy the Gardener was considered a day when it was especially important to protect children and the house from the envy of ill-wishers, therefore, a number of prohibitions were associated with the holiday. On June 2, babies should not be left unattended, their ancestors believed that during this period they were especially vulnerable to damage, fright and the evil eye.

What else you can't do on June 2:

• giving away children's things — along with the clothes that the child grew out of, you can "give away" his health and well-being;
• Leaving children with strangers is a high risk of illness, fright, or the evil eye.;
• bragging loudly about your garden — someone else's envy can ruin cucumber vines;
• swearing in the garden or working in irritation — negative energy will be "absorbed" into the beds and weaken the shoots.;
• telling neighbors about your plans — envy will prevent them from coming true;
• to be lazy and postpone things in the garden — lost time will turn into a poor harvest.

Folk signs for June 2

At Timofey Ryadochnik, the peasants carefully observed nature, trees, insects and birds to determine whether the summer would be warm, dry and generous, and whether cucumbers would be born.

• while working in the garden, frogs can be heard croaking — the plantings will give strong shoots.;
• the rooster is crowing loudly next to the vegetable garden — the vegetables will grow well;
• there are many cones on the fir trees — cucumbers will yield a rich harvest;
• bees become angry and sting people — the weather will turn bad soon.;
• the first days of June are rainy — the middle and end of the month will be dry and sunny;
• a lot of dew fell in the evening — the next day will be clear;
• the water in the river subsided after the flood and brightened — to a good bite of roach and minnow.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the preparations for confession and communion in the Petrov fast.