According to legend, Martin’s father did not want his son to become a Christian monk and insisted on a military career for him. So Martin got to Gaul (modern France), where he served as an officer. One day in winter he saw a poor man freezing. Martin tore his cloak into two equal parts and gave half to a stranger. So it is not for nothing that St. Martin is considered the patron saint of beggars. He is also considered a protector against drunkenness and poverty. He went down in history as the founder of the chaplaincy.
This saint is one of the most popular in medieval Western Europe, thousands of churches are dedicated to him in Sweden, Poland, Austria, Germany, and France. The main Roman Catholic church of Mukachevo also bears his name. In Germany and France, Martin is considered a national patron saint. In Catholic and Protestant churches, St. Martin is honored on November 11, and in Orthodox Christians – on October 12.
Recently, on March 3, 2019, a huge four-meter monument to St. Martin was opened in Mukachevo, the authors of which were sculptors Stepan Fedoryn and Mykola Gurmak. The huge 33-ton monument is located in the central square of Cyril and Methodius and is dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the birth of St. Martin.
