The building of St. Tatiana's Chapel of Moscow State University was presented to the university as a gift by a Russian aristocratic family, Pashkov, in the 19th century. Before this gift, theatre performances took place in that building.

The church was first consecrated in 1837, but a year after the Bolshevik revolution it was closed. Then the cross was removed from the top, holy icons and interiors were destroyed, and for a long time it served again as a theatre. Nevertheless, the worship of St. Tatiana went on even during the Soviet era. Tatiana's Day was celebrated by all students, notwithstanding many years of imposed atheism in Russia.

The church was newly consecrated only in 1995, when Patriarch Alexy II gave his blessings for continuing church rituals and services.

According to tradition, the Holy Martyr Tatiana of Rome was a Deaconess in the Church. Wicked advisers of the emperor attempted to force her to make a sacrifice to Apollo. She prayed, and miraculously, an earthquake destroyed the Apollo statue and part of the temple. Later she refused to make a sacrifice to Zeus.

She prayed for her executioners and their eyes were opened to see four angels around her. Eight of the executioners were converted to faith in Christ, and were subsequently tortured and killed. The remaining guards tortured Tatiana and used various means to try to inflict as painful a death as possible upon her. But each night God's angel visited her and healed her wounds.

Tatiana was then blinded, brought to a circus and thrown into the pit with a hungry lion. But the lion did not hurt her and lay by her feet. She was finally beheaded along with her father. "The Prologue from Ochrid" (by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic) says: "She had the weak body of a woman, but a manly and valiant spirit." Few men have so graciously endured what she did in service to Christ. She entered into rest of the Lord in 225. 

“Highly respected Mr. Sadovnichy, I'm very grateful for the example that you have set for the intellectual community of our country. You know that only a few scientists are blessed with the gift of enlightenment. Not all wonderful specialists in science are able to strike a spark, because it's a sacred gift.

The spark that you have struck in the sphere of the relationship between church and politics, between the church and the educational system, will transform into such a big fire that it will give light and warmth to millions of people.

You are an outstanding scientist and talented administrator of higher learning in Russia. You have build a bridge between the academic society and the Russian Orthodox Church. Long live the university! I hope that more and more of your wonderful students will create an ambiance of high morality among today's youth.

I wish we hadn't seen those awful scenes from our youth. But I hope it's not a sign for us that we've lost our youth.

There are many wonderful people among today's youth. Last year, I met lots of them, and I will never forget their shining eyes, their pure hearts, their sincere willingness to get to know the truth, or their readiness for heroic deeds. Russia will be revived with the help of such people. And we will pray for those who live in sin. Those who lead the way should help others who follow.

Those who lead the way should set an example for others, and I'm sure they will. Our church will do its best to increase the number of those who walk on sure footing, because the future of our motherland depends on such people.

Do remember this day and pray, because the patriarch needs badly prayers from you and from our scientific community.”