The event will be first celebrated on July 8 this year, but will not be a public holiday. It is designed to coincide with the day of Saint Peter and Fevronia, the Orthodox patron saints for marriage and family life.
According to its founders, the event will hopefully teach young people morality, responsibility and family values.
"This should be a day to promote family love and happiness, based on national cultural traditions," Valentina Petrenko explained. "We wanted to draw attention to the issues of family and marriage. It is designed to be a day when people can propose, tie the knot or simply say 'I love you.'".
She pointed out that the Day of Married Love and Family Happiness was not intended to replace Valentine's Day, which remains popular in Russia and across the globe.
Peter and Fevronia Day has long been celebrated in Murom, a historic city some 300 km (185 miles) east of Moscow. Young people traditionally exchange "fevronki," a local version of Valentine's Day heart-shaped cards.
Peter and Fevronia were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1547. They are said to have died in the same hour on the same day in 1228. As Peter was a monk, they were buried separately, but their bodies were later found in the same grave.
