February 23rd marks the Day of the Defender of the State in Russia. We traditionally celebrate men who dedicated lives to the military service for the Motherland. In recent years, however, women are also widely included in the ranks, literally as well as figuratively. Women serve in the special military operation and on the border.
This year is particularly special in that this state holiday has coincided with the beginning of the Great Lent. This overlap reminds one of the importance to abandon many a prophane habit to achieve the height of one’s service, be that in the army, the arts, or the science.
