Great Martyr
Great Martyr Paraskeva of Iconium
III в. — ок. 300
Also known as: Параскева Пятница
Great Martyr Paraskeva of Iconium — born on a Friday and named for that day (Greek "paraskevi" = "Friday"); martyred under Emperor Diocletian c. 300 in Iconium; became one of the most beloved saints in Russia under the name "Paraskeva Pyatnitsa" (Friday).
Great Martyr Paraskeva of Iconium was born in the 3rd century in the city of Iconium in Asia Minor (modern Konya, Turkey) into a devout Christian family. Her parents especially honored Friday — the day of Christ's Passion — and named their daughter, born on that day, Paraskeva (Greek for "Friday"/"preparation"). Orphaned early, she dedicated herself to God, taking a vow of virginity and preaching among pagans.
Around AD 300, during Emperor Diocletian's persecution, a governor arrived in Iconium tasked with eradicating Christianity in Galatia. Paraskeva refused to sacrifice to idols and was subjected to brutal torture — her flesh torn with iron claws and burned with torches — though tradition holds her wounds were miraculously healed. She was ultimately beheaded. Numerous healings were attributed to her relics.
In Russia she became known and beloved as "Paraskeva Pyatnitsa" ("Friday"), with churches and roadside chapels ("pyatnitsy") dedicated to her; she was venerated as patroness of fields, livestock, and women's handicrafts, and as a healer of body and soul. HONEST NOTE: in popular Russian veneration, the cult of Paraskeva of Iconium historically merged with that of the identically named Paraskeva of Rome and Paraskeva-Petka of the Balkans into a single composite image of "Pyatnitsa" — a genuine, documented folk syncretism, not a database error; hagiographically, however, these are three distinct historical figures.
Her feast is kept on October 28/November 10.