Signs and superstitions 

The image was saved by something miraculous. Icons description and history

Seventh Ecumenical Council, which took place in 787, ended the era of iconoclasm. The veneration of holy icons has become one of the dogmas of Christianity, common to both Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Today there are many different sacred images: painted on wood or metal, icons made of stone, measured icons, but what did the original sources look like?

Miraculous Image of the Savior

The first Christian icon was the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The King of Edessa, sick with leprosy, having heard about the miracles performed by Christ, wanted to be healed. He wrote a letter to the Savior asking him to come to him and gave it to the painter Ananias. In case of refusal, he had to at least draw a face so that the king would have consolation in his illness.

Arriving in Jerusalem, Ananias saw Christ teaching the people, and began to secretly draw a portrait of him. But he didn’t succeed: the Savior’s face was constantly changing, his features were impossible to capture. The Lord Knower of Hearts, seeing the stranger’s futile labor and his grief, called him over for a conversation. During the conversation, Christ asked for water. After washing, he dried himself with a towel - and lo and behold, the image of his face was imprinted on it! This is how the Miraculous Image appeared. Handing it to Ananias, the Lord said: “Go and give this to the one who sent you.” Having prayed before the Icon brought by a faithful servant, King Abgar was cleansed of leprosy. In gratitude for the healing, he ordered the Image to be hung over the city gates, so that everyone passing through them would worship it.

How did the icons of the Mother of God appear?

The first icons Mother of God were written by the Evangelist Luke at the request of believers. First, he made a picturesque image of the Queen of Heaven with the Baby in her arms on the board. Then, having painted two more similar icons, he brought them to the Most Holy Theotokos. She, seeing her image on the icons, remembered the previous prophecy: “From now on, all generations will bless Me” and added: “May the grace of the One born of Me and Mine be with these icons!” Soon many miracles began to happen from these icons. Luke sent one of the painted icons to Antioch as an apostolic blessing, where it was highly revered. Later it was moved to Jerusalem, and then to the Blachernae Temple in Constantinople. Residents of the Byzantine capital, seeing many miracles occurring from this icon, called it Hodegetria or Guide. Later, a whole series of icons began to be called Hodegetria, where the Mother of God, holding the Baby in her hand, points to Him.

It should also be added that Luke made images of the apostles Peter and Paul, which served as the basis for all later icons. We can say that every image is a portrait of the Savior, Holy Mother of God or some saint. Moreover, their features were captured during their lifetime, which gives the icons enormous historical authenticity. However, just as in a good portrait it is easy to read the character of the person depicted, so from each icon the Lord, the Queen of Heaven, or some person who has pleased God with his life looks at us. You should remember this in order to treat holy images with due respect. (FROM THE INTERNET)

An icon is a visual evidence of eternity, which cannot come from a person who is essentially alien to spirituality. Who are these witnesses?

The first icon painter was Saint Evangelist Luke, who painted not only the icon of the Mother of God, but, according to legend, also the icon of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and perhaps others.

He is followed by a whole host of icon painters, almost unknown to anyone. Among the Slavs, the first icon painter was a saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius, Bishop of Moravia, educator of the Slavic peoples.

The Venerable Alipius the icon painter and ascetic is famous in Rus' Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. He was sent by his parents to “teach the icon imagination” to the Greek masters who arrived to decorate the temples of the Lavra in 1083. Here he is “learning from his master and helping him.” After finishing the painting of the Lavra cathedrals, he remained in the monastery and was so skilled in his work that, by the grace of God, as we read in the Life, visible image on the icon he reproduced, as it were, the most spiritual image of virtue, for he studied icon painting not for the sake of acquiring wealth, but for the sake of acquiring virtues. The Monk Alypius constantly worked, painting icons for the abbot, for the brethren, for all the temples that needed icons and for all the people, charging nothing for his work. At night he practiced prayer, and during the day, with great humility, purity, patience, fasting, and love, he occupied himself with the thought of God and handicrafts. No one ever saw the saint idle, but despite all this, he never missed prayer meetings, even for the sake of his godly pursuits. His icons were scattered everywhere. One of them - the icon of the Mother of God - was sent by Prince Vladimir Monomakh to Rostov, for the church he built there, where it became famous for its miracles. An incident that occurred just before the saint’s death is touchingly instructive for us.

Someone asked him to paint an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos for the day of Her Dormition. But the monk soon fell ill with a dying disease. When, on the eve of the Feast of the Dormition, the customer came to the Monk Alypius and saw that his request had not been fulfilled, he strongly reproached him for the fact that the reverend did not notify him of his illness in time: he could have ordered the icon from another icon painter. The monk consoled the distressed one, saying that God can “in one word paint an icon of His Mother.” The saddened man left, and immediately after his departure a certain young man entered the monk’s cell and began to paint an icon. The sick old man mistook the newcomer for a man and thought that the customer, offended by him, had sent a new icon painter. However, the speed of work and skill showed something else. Applying gold, rubbing paints on the stone and painting with them, the unknown person painted the icon over the course of three hours, then asked: “Father, perhaps what is missing or have I sinned in some way?” “You did everything perfectly,” said the elder, “God Himself helped you paint the icon with such splendor; He Himself did this through you.” As evening fell, the icon painter and the icon became invisible. The next morning, to the great joy of the customer, the icon was in the temple, in the place designated for it. And when after the service everyone came to thank the sick man and asked him by whom and how the icon was painted, the Monk Alypius replied: “This icon was written by an Angel, who is still here, intending to take my soul.”

The Monk Alypius had a student and fellow-faster, the Monk Gregory, who also painted many icons, and they all spread throughout Russia. In the 12th century, there were icon-painting workshops at the Novgorod monasteries: Antoniev, Yuryev, Khutynsky.

In the 13th century, history noted St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow, as a skilled icon painter.

In the XIV-XV centuries, many great masters created outstanding icons. Although the names of the icon painters have not been preserved, time has not destroyed their icons. In the will St. Joseph Volokolamsky says that Andrei Rublev, Savva, Alexander and Daniil Cherny “zealously devote themselves to icon writing and care so much about fasting and monastic life, as if they were vouchsafed Divine grace and thus prosper in Divine love, as they never exercised about earthly things, but always elevate the mind and thought to the immaterial light, as on the very holiday of Svetlago Christ's Resurrection sitting on the seats and having Divine and honorable icons in front of him and steadily looking at them, filled with Divine joy and lordship. And not just on that day I do this, but also on other days, when I don’t devote myself to painting. For this reason, the Lord Christ glorified them at the final hour of death. First, Andrei passed away, then his fasting companion, Daniel, fell ill, and, in his final breath, the sight of his fasting companion, Andrei, in great glory, joyfully calling him into eternal and endless bliss.”

The Monk Dionysius of Glushitsky, who labored on the Glushitsa River, painted many icons for various churches.

In the 16th century, famous icon painters were Simon, Metropolitan of Moscow, Varlaam and Macarius.

Venerable Pachomius of Nerekhta and his disciple Irinarchus; Saint Theodore of Rostov, nephew St. Sergius; Rev. Ignatius of Lomsky, companion of the fast of St. Kirill of Beloezersk; The Monk Ananias, an icon painter of the Novgorod St. Anthony Monastery, also painted icons.

The Monk Anthony of Siysk had icon painting as his main and favorite pastime. Even during the life of the icon painter, the sick were healed from his icon of the Holy Trinity. In the north of Russia (in the Arkhangelsk region) there were many icons painted by him. Many brethren of his monastery were also engaged in this holy work.

This great host of holy witnesses, named here only in part, left us the ancient icon as a precious heritage. Moreover, even in the 19th century, when ancient icon was neglected and forgotten by the “advanced” people of art, when the ancient icon technique was preserved only in a few villages and hamlets, mainly in the Vladimir province, and then there were lights of piety, ascetic icon painters, and for the holiness of their lives the icons they painted were filled with grace gifts.

The biography of Elder Hieroschemamonk Nil (1801-1870), the restorer and restorer of the Nilo-Sora hermitage, tells that even in childhood, under the guidance of his older brother, an icon painter, he was engaged in painting holy icons, and with reverence and fear of God, seeing in this the occupation is not so much a craft as a service to God. Having studied sufficiently in one of the icon painting artels, he, already a hierodeacon, a strict and attentive ascetic, in his free time still devoted himself to icon painting, reverently, with prayerful preparation, and the labors of his hands were blessed by God and marked by gracious actions. He was honored with his own hands to renew the miraculous Jerusalem icon of the Mother of God, which, even after the renovation, continued to work miracles as before. He made it from her exact list, who also received miraculous powers.

For himself, he wrote a copy in a reduced size, kept it with reverence in his cell and more than once received beneficial signs from it. Assigned to the Nilo-Sora hermitage, he accepted the schema there with the name of its founder, the Venerable Nile of Sora, the miracle worker. Here he also brought the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God, which was his invaluable treasure and consolation in his sorrows. He did not think of being separated from her, but the Most Holy Theotokos was pleased to bestow this icon, a part of grace, to the Russian monastery of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon on Athos. He received notification and command about this from the Mother of God Herself in a mysterious vision and in 1850 he sent the icon to Athos. Having been deprived of this shrine, Elder Nil, having prepared himself with fasting and prayer, began to paint for his cell an icon of the Mother of God, called the Cyprus icon, which he painted with remarkable skill. This icon for a long time was in his cell and witnessed his prayers, tears and sighs. It was also marked by manifestations of God's grace: the extinguished lamp in front of it was repeatedly lit in front of the elder's eyes, the oil in it multiplied so that it was enough for many days, which happened during the elder's illness. This icon, according to him, more than once saved his cell from fire and robbers and himself from obvious death. After the death of the elder, the icon was transferred to the church and placed on a high place, where an unquenchable lamp glowed in front of it.

In his work, the elder strictly adhered to ancient Greek icon painting and skillfully and reverently depicted divine faces. It is not superfluous to say how the elder, according to his cell attendant, performed the consecration of the icons he painted. Intending to paint an icon, especially large size, he intensified fasting and prayer, and after writing it, he placed it in his cell and usually called the cell attendant to all-night vigil. “What kind of holiday are we having tomorrow, father?” - the cell attendant will ask. “Tomorrow is my service day,” the elder will answer and point to the painted icon. The vigil was performed for the saint whose image was on the icon, and it lasted about four hours. In the morning, having served, according to his custom, the early liturgy, he performed a water-blessing prayer service, read the prayers laid out for the consecration of the icon, sprinkled it with holy water, then reverently worshiped it, kissed it - and the holy icon was ready, holy indeed, consecrated by both reverent labor and diligent the prayer of the righteous. All the icons painted and consecrated by him showed beneficial effects.

In addition to the aforementioned icon painters, glorified saints or metropolitans known for their church activities, there were countless reverent workers who remained unknown to anyone, for whose humility the works of their hands, of course, were not deprived of the grace of God.

As a kind of revelation of God, as the fruit of spiritual experience, as the tradition and creation of the Fathers of the Church, as their testimony to eternity, the ancient icon bears all the features of heaven: undistracted prayerful composure, the depth of the mysteries of faith, harmony of the spirit, the beauty of purity and dispassion, the greatness of humility and simplicity, fear of God and reverence. The passions and bustle of the world calm down before her; it rises above everything in a different plane of existence. An icon is a great shrine both in content and in form. Some icons are written by the finger of God, some by Angels. Angels served icons, carrying them from place to place (Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, etc.); many remained unharmed in the fires; some, being pierced with spears and arrows, shed blood and tears, not to mention countless other signs, such as healings and so on.

The Gospel Preaches the Kingdom God's word, the icon conveys the same message.

The divine word of the Gospel is distinguished by its greatest simplicity, accessibility and at the same time immeasurable depth. External form icons are the limit, the pinnacle of simplicity, but we worship its depth with reverence. The Gospel is eternal, one - for all times and peoples; The meaning of the icon is not limited to either the era or the nationality.

From the lecture by nun Juliana “Orthodox Icon”

07:55 pm - Need advice: how to determine when and by whom an icon was painted?
The icon is old, written on a board. On the reverse side there are two notches. Maybe it was removed from the altar?

This is the story.

Mom remembers that the icon hung in my grandmother’s old house in the village of Chernorechka Chelyabinsk region. Then the family moved to the regional center. There was no longer a red corner in the new house. The icon was simply lying somewhere in the house.

The village has long been abandoned, no one lives there. Great-grandmother passed away in 1987. But the icon has been preserved. Mom found it on the Internet based on the description. It depicts Mitrofan of Voronezh, a bishop who lived in the seventeenth century. He was known for building schools in villages, doing charity work, and being strict, honest, and fair. Died at the age of eighty in 1703. Peter the Great was present at the bishop's funeral. And he was not just present - he personally carried the coffin to the burial place.

The search returns quite a lot of icons with his image. The resemblance is apparently portrait: it is clear that

And it's not just about the details. Facial features: wide forehead, sparkling eyes, sunken cheeks, narrow lower part of the face, white beard.

Judging by the facial features and details, it is clear that it is Mitrofan of Voronezh on our icon.

Reverse side with grooves

I read somewhere that there are reference books that allow you to determine when and by whom the icon was painted. Background, selection of colors. How the hands are depicted, the folds on the clothes... The time of creation and the workshop or name of the icon painter are determined with an accuracy of almost a year.

Therefore the question. Who can help determine what exactly is stored with us? Can this be done from a photograph?

When did the first icon of the Mother of God and its miraculous power appear?

For more than 1000 years, since the time ancient Rus' and the adoption of Christianity, the image of the Mother of God is revered and occupies a special place in every home. IN Orthodox churches, monasteries, churches, icons with the face of the Virgin Mary are placed in the most remarkable and honorable place of the iconostasis. Each of them was painted by the best icon painters. They are decorated with precious metals, white lilies, semiprecious stones, to emphasize how priceless the icons of the Mother of God are.

How and when did the first icon of the Mother of God appear?

Old legends say that the Mother of Christ provided help and interceded for everyone who turned to her with any request. This is where the expression “ Mother of God- intercessor." In the old chronicles it is written that the very first icon with the Mother of God was painted by one of the apostles, whose name was Luke. The evangelist painted the face of the Virgin Mary and Child right on the table at which the Virgin Mary dined with Jesus Christ.

It was from this painting that further lists and reproductions of icons were compiled. On the right it depicted the Mother of God herself, and on the left little Jesus, whom she tenderly and caringly right hand hugs him close while the baby touches his mother's cheek.

The most revered icon in Russia is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God ( We recommend looking at the image options in the workshop). There are legends about its power dating back to 1395. At this time, bloodshed and battles between Russian troops and Khan Tamerlane took place in Rus'. The princes prayed to God and the Virgin Mary to save them from the invasion and invaders; for 10 days they walked in a procession of the cross from the city of Vladimir to Moscow. After which a real miracle happened: Tamerlane’s troops retreated. That is why the Vladimir Icon began to be considered the patroness family hearth, prosperity, home, and has been used more than once in the fight against foreign invaders.

What types of icons of the Mother of God are there and how do they help?

There are many variations of the image of the Mother of God on icons, each of them is remarkable in its own way; they are also called icons - helpers, intercessors, patronesses. The most miraculous are considered:

  • « Unpolished Bush»—helps every home and protects against possible fires and fires;
  • « Three-handed»—relieves pain in the hands and helps with learning handicrafts;
  • « Inexhaustible Chalice"- helps in the fight against alcoholism, drug addiction;
  • « Quick to Hear“- helps in all troubles, problems, matters very quickly, for which it received such a name;
  • « All-Tsaritsa"- cures cancer and other deadly diseases;
  • « Unexpected joy “Prayer in front of this icon relieves prolonged depression;
  • « Joy to all who mourn» — improves well-being and eliminates material need;
  • « Tikhvinskaya“- the intercessor of children, they pray and ask her for the healing of babies and pregnancy.

The Kazan, Smolensk, and Iveron icons with the face of the Virgin Mary, glorified by all believers, have the same power. If you want to bring real happiness, prosperity and peace to your home, you need to place all these icons. And, of course, believe in the power of the patroness, sincerely read prayers and ask for help. I, as the author of this material, purchased one of the images Vladimir Mother of God in the store vseikony.ru, and I want to leave good review about this workshop for its truly high-quality and inspired work.

Painting an icon is a complex process. How to paint an icon, who paints them and can you do it yourself? We will try to answer these questions in our article!

On May 6, Serbia celebrates Djurdjevdan, St. George's Day. For many Serbs this is family holiday. My wife and I decided to give our parents an icon of St. George and write a copy. We ordered a board from the monastery and... in the process of painting the icon, I filmed all the processes with a camera. I propose to get acquainted with the technology of painting icons.

In order to write on the board, it needs to be prepared - greased, i.e. apply specially prepared primer - gesso. It is made from chalk and glue. In Russia, glue is made from gelatin, and in Serbia from hare tutkal (I still don’t know what it is, perhaps glue from hare bones). Tutkalo looks like gelatin, it also needs to be dissolved in water in a water bath. After some time, after heating, you will get glue that glues the entire board, with the front surface pre-scratched with a breadboard knife (for better bonding with pavolok, pavolok is a fabric glued to the surface of the board).

While the pavolok has not dried, slits are made along the perimeter of the inside of the board so that there is no air left and the fabric is glued as tightly as possible.

After this, the board needs to dry thoroughly. At this time, you can prepare the gesso. Chalk is added to the finished glue in certain proportions; the container in which the gesso is made should be placed in a water bath so that the gesso heats up, but does not boil. Gesso comes in different consistencies; in Serbia they make it liquid and apply it with a brush (in Russia they apply gesso with a palette knife, a thick, jelly-like gesso). When the soil becomes warm, the process can begin.

Thus, at least 10 layers are applied (in in this case 14), with mandatory drying. Once enough coats of gesso have been applied, the board should be sanded down until the surface is as flat and smooth as possible to write on.

A drawing must be applied to the finished board. In this case, the Novgorod icon was copied. First, the image is drawn on paper, and then the drawing is transferred to the board.

Then it is enhanced with black color (tempera) and the graph is made. Countia is a thinly scratched line that repeats the design, made so that when writing the design is always readable (often the colors are opaque, through which the design is not visible).

The next stage is preparing the necessary areas for gilding. In this case, the halo and field around the perimeter of the icon will be gilded. The technology is as follows: the surface is polished, lye is applied to it so that the gesso does not fall through. Yellow enamel is then applied to give the gold thickness and richness. The enamel dries for a day, after which a transparent varnish is applied, and when it dries (another day), the areas are smeared with face paint, special composition, onto which (after 12 hours) gold leaf is glued.