October 12
In the Russian Orthodox Church, October 12th is the commemoration of the Translation of a Portion of the Life-Giving Cross from Malta to Gatchina.
A portion of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, as well as the Philermos icon of the Mother of God and the right hand of St. John the Baptist were preserved on the island of Malta by the Knights of the Catholic Order of St. John of Jerusalem, who controlled the island.
In 1798, when the French seized the island, the Maltese Knights turned to the Russian Empire for defense and protection. To this end, they elected Paul I, the Tsar of Russia, as Grand Master of the Order. The Tsar accepted his election. On October 12, 1799, Maltese knights came to their new Priory Palace, just built for them by Paul in Gatchina (45 km. south of St. Petersburg), and offered these ancient and holy treasures to their new Grand Master, the Tsar.
In the autumn of 1799 the holy items were transferred to St. Petersburg and placed in the Winter Palace within the internal church dedicated to the Icon of the Savior Not-Made-by-Hands. The Feast for this event was established in 1800.
Read more about this topic: Feast Of The Cross