Biographies 

Holy Mother of God of Vladimir. Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir: meaning and history. Prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

The Most Holy Theotokos is the protector and patroness of the entire Russian people. They turned to her for help in the most difficult life situations. Often believers ask themselves the question: “The Icon of the Vladimir Mother of God: what helps and how to pray?”. The answer to it can be found in this article.

The history of the creation of the icon

An old legend says that the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir was painted by the Evangelist Luke during the life of the Virgin. For a long time (until 405) she remained in Jerusalem. And in the XII century, Andrei Bogolyubsky took her from Kyiv to the city of Vladimir. There she got her name - Vladimirskaya. Having traveled the path of wandering around Europe and Russia, only in the XIV century did the face of the Mother of God come to Moscow. At the moment, the icon is in the church of St. Nicholas. Now her miraculous lists are in almost every Orthodox church.

Initially, this image of the Virgin was addressed with a prayer for victory over the enemies and conquerors of the Russian land. And all subsequent years, more than once, the Fatherland was saved by such a prayer.

strong Prayer of the Mother of God of Vladimir

Each of the revered images of the Most Holy Theotokos is great and priceless. The icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir is one of the main Russian shrines that can work a miracle. The prayer addressed to her was at all times one of the most powerful.

In total, 8 variants of prayer texts can be read in front of the Vladimir Icon. If there is any important request, it is better to pray on memorable dates - June 3, July 6 and September 8. These days, words addressed to the image of the Mother of God acquire special power.

In the home iconostasis, it is necessary to have this icon along with the image of Christ.

How and in what way does an icon help?

The power of prayer before the face of the Virgin Mary is limitless. According to believers, there are a lot of cases of incredible healings and miracles. Before the image of the Mother of God they ask:

  • protect the state in difficult times from enemies, strengthen the country and unite the people;
  • soften hearts and pacify anger and malice in a person;
  • help in the cure of female diseases;
  • about easy pregnancy and happy delivery;
  • about patronage over small children from troubles;
  • for a speedy recovery.

Since the family has always been a stronghold of a strong Russian state, the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir is addressed with prayers for a happy marriage.

Many women in tears and sorrows come to the face of the Lady, and return from the temple already spiritualized and filled with light. The Mother of God will not leave the suffering, and this must be remembered even in the most difficult times.

Many people specially come to the temple-museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi at the State Tretyakov Gallery to bow and pray to the famous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.

It is believed that it is miraculous - protects from troubles and dangers, heals diseases.

The day dedicated to this unique icon is celebrated three times a year - June 3, July 6 and September 8. And each date is associated with a miracle that happened thanks to this sacred artifact.

And today we will talk about the origin of the icon, about what it is famous for, and how to ask it for help.

Origin of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

It is generally accepted that this holy image was written by the Evangelist Luke on a table-top board, at which Jesus Christ, his mother Mary and her husband Joseph took a meal. As the Bible says, the Mother of God herself blessed the icon and said: “From now on, all generations will bless Me. The Grace of the One Born of Me and Mine will be with this icon.”

However, most likely, we are not dealing with the work of Luke himself (according to numerous studies, none of his creations have survived to this day), but with the so-called "list". Yes, and art critics date the icon to the XII century AD. However, this does not make it any less valuable and miraculous. Whoever the author of this work was, he managed to put light and some kind of heavenly power into it, protecting and protecting not only people, but the whole country.

It is worth adding that, according to iconography, the icon belongs to the type of Eleus, that is, “Tenderness”, and conveys the tenderness that binds the Mother of God and her divine child. In addition, there is an opinion that initially the icon was two-sided, since the shape of the ark and the husk is the same on both sides.

The Path of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the Miracles Performed by It

The icon appeared in Russia around 1131. It was donated to Yuri Dolgoruky by the Byzantine patriarch Luke Chrysoverg. She was placed in the convent of the Theotokos in Vyshgorod, not far from Kyiv. However, she did not stay there long. In 1169 (according to some sources - in 1160), Andrey Bogolyubsky stole the icon (according to other sources, he simply took it with him when he left Suzdal) and moved it to Vladimir, which is why it has been called Vladimirskaya since then.

As the legend says, Bogolyubsky did not plan to leave the icon in Vladimir at all, but was passing through this city, but the horses got up and refused to go further. They were changed, but the result was the same - the horses did not move. Then Andrei realized that the Mother of God herself was showing him the place where she wanted to stay. And in two years, the temple of the Assumption of the Virgin was erected in Vladimir.

But even there the icon did not linger. When Tamerlane went to war against Russia in 1395, Vasily I ordered the holy image to be delivered to Moscow in order to protect the city from the usurper. And the Mother of God interceded for the Russians - Tamerlane did not reach Moscow, but turned his army from Yelets and set off on his way back. There is another legend: the conqueror fell asleep in his tent, and the Mother of God appeared to him in a dream, surrounded by a heavenly army, and ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. In honor of this event, the day of the icon is celebrated on September 8.

The following miracles happened when the icon in 1480 helped to get rid of the army of Khan Akhmat (date of memory - July 6), and in 1521 - from Makhmet Giray (celebrated on June 3). In both cases, the soldiers and their leaders found such a strong fear that they preferred to retreat. They say that Girey's soldiers also had a vision - an uncountable number of either people or angels dressed in golden clothes.

In addition to the fact that the icon protected Russia, it also saved itself more than once. So, she did not suffer during a terrible fire and survived when the soldiers of Batu ravaged Vladimir. And wherever she was - in Vyshgorod, in Vladimir, in the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow, everywhere the inhabitants received help and intercession.

How and when to refer to the icon

It is generally accepted that the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God helps on any day, but on the dates of her special commemoration, her strength increases many times over. There is an akathist, consisting of 27 kontakia and ikos, praising the Mother of God and asking her for protection for our country and for its inhabitants.

If you do not know all these words by heart, then remember at least the first kontakion and refer to the holy image with it when you want to gain the protection of the Virgin:

“To the Chosen Voivode, our Intercessor, looking at Your first-written image, we sing laudatory singing Thy servants, Bogomati. But you, as if having an invincible power, save and save thanks to You crying out: Rejoice, Most Pure One, exuding mercy to us from Your icon.

However, even if you express your requests in the usual, familiar language for you, the Mother of God will not refuse to help you, the main thing is that your words come from the heart. You can also read one of the many prayers to the Mother of God. And do not forget to put candles in front of the icon. Their number is up to you.

What helps the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

It is believed that the icon not only protects the country and heals diseases, but also helps with quarrels in the family, inspires answers to difficult questions and helps to make important decisions. She is prayed to receive insight - both physical and spiritual, as well as for heart problems, again in terms of health, and in the absence or loss of faith. She especially protects mothers and their children, gives pregnant women easy childbirth and healthy babies, relieves infertility and diseases of the reproductive organs.
On June 3, visit the Church-Museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, pray to the Intercessor, and may her Grace be with you.

The image of the Mother of God is especially revered by all Orthodox Christians. The Vladimir icon is notable for its special power: prayers before it more than once saved entire cities from inevitable death.

History of the icon

According to legend, the Vladimir icon was painted during the life of the Mother of God by the apostle and evangelist Luke. During the meal, the apostle had a wonderful vision of the future of the Christian people, and he, taking a board from the table, began to write the image of the Mother of God with the Infant Jesus in her arms. The Virgin Mary did not interfere with the apostle, for she saw that he was moved by the Will of the Lord.

Where is the holy image

For a long time, the Vladimir Icon was located in the holy city of Jerusalem. In the middle of the 12th century, the image was donated to Kievan Rus and kept in the Bogorodichny Monastery in the city of Vyshgorod. A little later, Andrei Bogolyubsky moved the icon to Vladimir, where it remained for a long time. At the moment, the miraculous image of the Vladimir Mother of God is located in Moscow, in the church of St. Nicholas.

Description of the icon

The Vladimir icon depicts the Mother of God with the baby Jesus in her arms. The look of the Mother of God is directed directly at the person praying standing in front of the icon, the face is serious and full of sorrow for the sins of this world.

The Mother of God firmly presses the Infant Jesus to her, and His gaze is directed upwards, at the Mother of God. Thus, the image shows the great love of the Lord for His Mother, which all believers should be equal to.

What helps the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

The Vladimir image of the Mother of God saved Russia from invaders more than once. That is why the image is prayed for the well-being of the country, for salvation in difficult and dangerous life situations, as well as for the preservation of peace.

There are known cases of miraculous healings that occurred during a common prayer in front of the icon. Therefore, the Vladimir image of the Virgin Mary is prayed for healing from bodily and mental illnesses.

Prayers before the Vladimir Icon

“All-merciful Intercessor, Protector and Protector! We humbly pray to You, bowing before You in tears: expel, Mistress, death, trampling the souls of the faithful servants of the Lord, turn the enemies and deliver our land from all evil! O Lady, we hope in You, and our prayer flies to You, for we trust only in You and pray to save our lives and souls. Amen".


“Queen of Heaven, merciful Intercessor, I humbly pray to You: do not leave my cry unanswered, hear me, a sinful and unworthy servant of God, take trouble, sickness and infirmity away from me. May my soul not turn away from the Lord, and prayer to the Most High will send grace on my forehead. Be merciful, Mother of God, and send miraculous healing to my soul and body. Amen".

Days of veneration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God - June 3, July 6 and September 8, according to the new style. At this time, any prayers to the Mother of God can completely change your life and destiny. We wish you peace of mind and strong faith in God. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

06.07.2017 05:36

The icon "Protection of the Virgin" is one of the most significant shrines among all Orthodox images. This icon...

The Vladimir icon of the Mother of God (the icon of the Mother of God) is considered miraculous and, according to legend, was written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Holy Family ate: the Savior, the Mother of God and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: From now on, all generations will please Me. The Grace of the One Born of Me and Mine with this icon, let it be».

The icon was brought to Russia from Byzantium at the beginning of the 12th century, as a gift to the holy prince Mstislav († 1132) from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverch. The icon was placed in the nunnery of Vyshgorod (the ancient specific city of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga), not far from Kyiv. The rumor about her miraculous works reached the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who decided to transport the icon to the north.

Passing Vladimir, the horses carrying the miraculous icon stood up and could not move. Replacing the horses with new ones also did not help.

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in Vladimir

During fervent prayer, the Queen of Heaven Herself appeared to the prince and ordered to leave the Vladimir miraculous icon of the Mother of God in Vladimir, and in this place to build a temple and a monastery in honor of Her Nativity. To the general joy of the inhabitants of Vladimir, Prince Andrei returned to the city along with the miraculous icon. Since then, the icon of the Mother of God began to be called Vladimirskaya.

In 1395 terrible conqueror Khan Tamerlane(Temir-Aksak) reached the limits of Ryazan, took the city of Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don. Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich went out with an army to Kolomna and stopped on the banks of the Oka. He prayed to the Hierarchs of Moscow and St. Sergius for the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to the Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Cyprian, so that the coming Dormition Fast would be dedicated to fervent prayers for mercy and repentance. Clergy were sent to Vladimir, where the glorified miraculous icon was located. After the liturgy and prayer service on the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, the clergy received the icon and carried it to Moscow with a procession of the cross. Countless people on both sides of the road, on their knees, prayed: Mother of God, save the Russian land!» At the very hour when the inhabitants of Moscow met the icon on the Kuchkov field (now Sretenka street), Tamerlane was dozing in his camping tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from the top of which saints with golden wands were walking towards him, and above them in a radiant radiance the Majestic Wife appeared. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. He was told that the radiant Wife is the Mother of God, the great Protector of Christians. Then Tamerlane ordered the regiments to go back.

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, on the Kuchkov field, where the icon was met, the Sretensky Monastery was built, and on August 26 (according to the new style - September 8), an all-Russian celebration was established in honor of the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.


The miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane on the Kuchkov field (the meeting of the Vladimir icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

For the second time, the Mother of God saved our country from ruin in 1451, when the army of the Nogai Khan approached Moscow with Prince Mazovsha. The Tatars set fire to the Moscow suburbs, but Moscow was never captured. Saint Jonah during the fire made religious processions along the walls of the city. Warriors and militias fought with the enemy until night. The small army of the Grand Duke at that time was too far away to help the besieged. The chronicles tell that the next morning there were no enemies at the walls of Moscow. They heard an unusual noise, decided that it was the Grand Duke with a huge army and retreated. The prince himself, after the departure of the Tatars, wept in front of the Vladimir icon.

The third intercession of the Mother of God for Russia was in 1480(celebrated on July 6). After the resounding victory at the Kulikovo field in 1380, the Russian principalities were in the dependence of the Horde for another century, and only the events of the autumn of 1480 decisively changed the situation. Ivan III refused to pay tribute to the horde, and regiments were sent to Russia Khan Ahmad. Two troops converged on the Ugra River: the troops stood on different banks - the so-called "standing on the Ugra" and waited for an excuse to attack. In the front ranks of the Russian troops they kept the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir. There were skirmishes, even small battles, but the troops did not move in front of each other. The Russian army moved away from the river, giving the Horde regiments the opportunity to start crossing. But the Horde regiments also retreated. The Russian soldiers stopped, while the Tatar ones continued to retreat and suddenly rushed away without looking back.


Standing on the river Ugra November 11, 1480

"Standing on the Ugra" put an end to the Mongol-Tatar yoke. Russia was finally freed from paying tribute. Since that time, we can talk about the final elimination of any form of political dependence of Moscow on the Horde.

Standing on the Ugra

In 1472, the Khan of the Horde Akhmat moved to the Russian borders with a large army. But at Tarusa, the invaders met a large Russian army. All attempts of the Horde to cross the Oka were repulsed. The Horde army burned the city of Aleksin (in the Tula region) and destroyed its population, but the campaign ended in failure. In 1476, Grand Duke Ivan III stopped paying tribute to the Khan of the Golden Horde, and in 1480 he refused to recognize Russia's dependence on it.

Khan Akhmat, busy fighting the Crimean Khanate, only in 1480 began active operations. He managed to negotiate with the Polish-Lithuanian king Casimir IV on military assistance. The western borders of the Russian state (Pskov lands) at the beginning of 1480 were attacked by the Livonian Order. The Livonian chronicler reported that: "... master Bernd von der Borch was involved in the war with the Russians, took up arms against them and gathered 100 thousand troops from foreign and native soldiers and peasants; with this people, he attacked Russia and burned the suburbs of Pskov, without doing anything else».

In January 1480, his brothers Boris Volotsky and Andrei Bolshoy rebelled against Ivan III, dissatisfied with the strengthening of the power of the Grand Duke. Using the current situation, Akhmat in the summer of 1480 set out with the main forces.

The boyar elite of the Russian state split into two groups: one (“money-lovers of the rich and paunchy”) advised Ivan III to flee; the other advocated the need to fight the Horde. Perhaps the behavior of Ivan III was influenced by the position of the Muscovites, who demanded decisive action from the Grand Duke.

Grand Duke Ivan III arrived on June 23 to Kolomna, where he stopped in anticipation of further developments. On the same day, from Vladimir to Moscow was brought Miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God- Intercessor and savior of Russia from the troops of Tamerlane in 1395.

Akhmad's troops moved freely across Lithuanian territory, waiting for help from Casimir IV, but they never did. The Crimean Tatars, allies of Ivan III, distracted the Lithuanian troops by attacking Podolia (south-west of modern Ukraine).

Akhmat decided, having passed through the Lithuanian lands, to invade Russian territory through the Ugra River.

Upon learning of these intentions, Ivan III sent troops to the banks of the Ugra River.

October 8, 1480 years the troops met on the banks of the Ugra. Akhmat tried to cross the Ugra, but his attack was successfully repulsed. This historical event took place in the area of ​​a 5-kilometer section of the Ugra River. It was impossible for the Tatar cavalry to cross the border of the Moscow Grand Duchy here - the Oka had a width of 400 m and a depth of up to 10-14 m. There were no other fords in the area between Kaluga and Tarusa. For several days, the attempts of the Horde to cross, suppressed by the fire of Russian artillery, continued. On October 12, 1480, the Horde retreated two miles from the river. Ugry and stood in Luz. The troops of Ivan III took up defensive positions on the opposite bank of the river.

The famous "standing on the Ugra". Skirmishes broke out periodically, but neither side decided on a serious attack. In this position, negotiations began. Tribute demands were rejected, gifts were not accepted, and negotiations broke down. It is possible that Ivan III entered into negotiations, seeking to gain time, as the situation was slowly changing in his favor.

All of Moscow prayed to its Intercessor for the salvation of the Orthodox capital. Metropolitan Gerontius and the confessor of the prince, Archbishop Vassian of Rostov, supported the Russian troops with prayer, blessing and advice, trusting in the help of the Mother of God. The Grand Duke received a fiery message from his confessor, in which he urged Ivan III to follow the example of the former princes: “... who not only defended the Russian land from the filthy (that is, not Christians), but also subjugated other countries ... Just take heart and be strong, my spiritual son, like a good warrior of Christ according to the great word of our Lord in the Gospel: “You are a good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”…»

Having learned that Akhmat, in an effort to achieve a numerical advantage, mobilized the Great Horde as much as possible, so that there were no significant reserves of troops left on its territory, Ivan III allocated a small but very combat-ready detachment, under the command of the Zvenigorod governor, Prince Vasily Nozdrevaty, who was supposed to go down the Oka, then along the Volga to its lower reaches and commit a devastating sabotage in the possessions of Akhmat. The Crimean prince Nur-Devlet took part in this expedition with his nukers (combatants). As a result, Prince Vasily Nozdrovaty with his army defeated and robbed the capital of the Great Horde, Saray, and other Tatar uluses, and returned with a lot of booty.

On October 28, 1480, Prince Ivan III ordered his troops to retreat from the Ugra, wanting to wait for the Tatars to cross, but the enemies decided that the Russians were luring them into an ambush, and also began to retreat. Akhmat, having learned that a sabotage detachment of Prince Nozdrevaty and the Crimean prince Nur-Devlet was operating in his deep rear, and deciding that the Russians were luring them into an ambush, did not pursue the Russian troops and in late October - early November also began to withdraw his troops. And on November 11, Akhmat decided to go back to the Horde.

For those who watched from the sidelines as both armies turned back almost simultaneously, without bringing things to a battle, this event seemed either strange, mystical, or received too simple an explanation: the opponents were afraid of each other, they were afraid to accept the battle.

On January 6, 1481, Akhmat was killed as a result of a surprise attack by the Tyumen Khan Ibak, and in 1502 herself The Horde has ceased to exist..

Since then, the Ugra River near Moscow has been called "Girdle of the Virgin".

"Standing" put an end to the Mongol-Tatar yoke. The Muscovite state became completely independent. The diplomatic efforts of Ivan III prevented Poland and Lithuania from entering the war. The Pskovites also contributed to the salvation of Russia, stopping the German offensive by autumn.

The acquisition of political independence from the Horde, along with the spread of Moscow's influence on the Kazan Khanate (1487), played a role in the subsequent transition under Moscow's rule of part of the lands that were under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The Russian Orthodox Church has established a three-time celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Each of the days of the celebration is associated with the deliverance of the Russian people from enslavement by foreigners through prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos:

8 September according to the new style (August 26 according to the church calendar) - in memory of the salvation of Moscow from the invasion of Tamerlane in 1395.

July 6(June 23) - in memory of the deliverance of Russia from the Horde king Akhmat in 1480.

June 3(May 21st) - in memory of the salvation of Moscow from the Crimean Khan Makhmet Giray in 1521.

The most solemn celebration takes place 8 September(according to the new style), established in honor of meeting of the Vladimir Icon during its transfer from Vladimir to Moscow.

The festival on June 3 was established in memory of the salvation of Moscow in 1521 from the invasion of the Tatars under the leadership of Khan Makhmet Giray.


Invasion of the Crimean Tatars

The Tatar hordes were approaching Moscow, setting Russian towns and villages on fire and destruction, exterminating their inhabitants. Grand Duke Vasily was gathering an army against the Tatars, and the Moscow Metropolitan Varlaam, together with the inhabitants of Moscow, fervently prayed for deliverance from death. At this terrible time, one pious blind nun had a vision: Moscow saints were coming out of the Spassky Gates of the Kremlin, leaving the city and taking with them the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God - the main saint of Moscow - as God's punishment for the sins of its inhabitants. At the Spassky Gates, Saints Sergius of Radonezh and Varlaam Khutynsky met the saints, tearfully imploring them not to leave Moscow. All of them together brought an ardent prayer to the Lord for the forgiveness of those who have sinned and the deliverance of Moscow from enemies. After this prayer, the saints returned to the Kremlin and brought back the Vladimir holy icon. The Moscow saint, blessed Basil, had a similar vision, to whom it was revealed that through the intercession of the Mother of God and the prayers of the saints, Moscow would be saved. The Tatar Khan had a vision of the Mother of God, surrounded by a formidable army, rushing to their regiments. The Tatars fled in fear, the capital of the Russian state was saved.

In 1480, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was transferred for permanent storage to Moscow in the Assumption Cathedral. In Vladimir, the exact, so-called "reserve" list from the icon, written by the Monk Andrei Rublev, remained. In 1918, the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin was closed, and the miraculous image was transferred to the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Now the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is located in the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi (m. "Tretyakovskaya", M. Tolmachevsky per., 9).

Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi at the State Tretyakov Gallery

Museum-temple of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi

Iconography

Iconographically, the Vladimir Icon belongs to the Eleusa (Tenderness) type. The baby leaned his cheek against the mother's cheek. The icon conveys the full tenderness of the communication between the Mother and the Child. Mary foresees the suffering of the Son in His earthly journey.

A distinctive feature of the Vladimir icon from other icons of the Tenderness type: the left leg of the Christ Child is bent in such a way that the sole of the foot, the “heel”, is visible.

The back depicts Etimasia (the Throne prepared) and instruments of passion, dated very roughly to the beginning of the 15th century.

Throne prepared. Turnover of the "Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God"

Throne prepared th (Greek Etimasia) - the theological concept of the throne, prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ, who is coming to judge the living and the dead. Consists of the following elements:

  • the church throne, usually dressed in red clothes (a symbol of Christ's scarlet);
  • the closed Gospel (as a symbol of the book from the Revelation of John the Theologian - Rev. 5:1);
  • instruments of passions lying on the throne or standing nearby;
  • a dove (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) or a crown crowning the Gospel (not always depicted).

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is an all-Russian shrine, the main and most revered of all Russian icons. There are also many lists of the Vladimir Icon, a significant number of which are also revered as miraculous.

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Vladimir" they pray for deliverance from the invasion of foreigners, for instruction in the Orthodox faith, for preservation from heresies and schisms, for the pacification of the warring, for the preservation of Russia.

Law of God. Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

Queen of Heaven. Our Lady of Vladimir (2010)

About movie:
According to church tradition, the icon of the Mother of God was painted by the Evangelist Luke on the board of the table, which was in the house of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. The icon was transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople, and then to a convent near Kiev, in Vyshgorod. Having escaped from Vyshgorod to the north, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky brought the icon to Vladimir, after which it was named.

During the invasion of Tamerlane, under Vasily I, the revered icon was transferred to Moscow as a protector of the city. And an example of the intercession of the Mother of God of Vladimir is that the troops of Tamerlane left without any special reasons, before reaching Moscow.

Troparion, tone 4
Today, the most glorious city of Moscow flaunts brightly, as if we perceived the dawn of the sun, Lady, Your miraculous icon, to which we now flow and pray, We cry out to You: Oh, wonderful Lady Theotokos, praying from You to the incarnate Christ our God, may He deliver this city and all the cities and countries of Christianity are unharmed from all the slander of the enemy, and our souls will be saved, like Mercy.

Kontakion, tone 8
The chosen Voivode is victorious, as if having got rid of the evil ones by the coming of Your honest image, to the Lady Mother of God, we lightly create the feast of Your meeting and usually call Thee: Rejoice, Bride of the Bride.

In Orthodoxy, the Mother of God is honored on a par with Christ himself, and there are quite a few images of her. One of the most popular and interesting is the image of Vladimir, whose significance for Russia is great.

It is believed that the Evangelist Luke painted the first icon, and in the 5th century it passed from Jerusalem to Constantinople to Emperor Theodosius. The icon came to Russia already from Byzantium in the XII century, approximately in 1131 - it was a gift from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverg to Prince Mstislav. Delivered the image of the Greek Metropolitan Michael who arrived the day before, in 1130.

Story

Initially, the Mother of God was kept in the Mother of God convent in the city of Vyshgorod near Kyiv - hence her Ukrainian name Vyshgorod Mother of God. In 1155 Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky took the icon and moved it to Vladimir, hence its Russian name. The prince adorned the image with an expensive salary, but after his death, by order of Prince Yaropolk, the jewelry was removed, and the icon was handed over to Prince Gleb of Ryazan. Only after the victory of Prince Michael, the Mother of God and the precious dress was returned back to the Assumption Cathedral.

In 1237, after the devastation of the city of Vladimir by the Mongol-Tatars, the Assumption Cathedral was also plundered, and the image again lost its decoration. The cathedral and the icon were restored under Prince Yaroslavl. After that, at the end of the XIV century, Prince Vasily I, during the invasion of Tamerlane's army, ordered the icon to be transported to Moscow to protect the capital. She was placed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin on the right side of the royal gates. At the meeting place of the image with the Muscovites (“candlemas”), the Sretensky Cathedral was founded, and later the street of the same name was laid.

At the same time, Tamerlane's army suddenly, without any reason, turned back, reaching only the city of Yelets. It was decided that the Mother of God stood up for Moscow showing a miracle. But the miracles did not end there: similar sudden retreats occurred in 1451 during the invasion of the Nogai prince Mazovsha and in 1480 while standing on the Ugra River.

Experts believe that between the retreat of Tamerlane and standing on the Ugra, the icon was transported several times to Vladimir and back, since 1480 was especially marked by the return of the Vladimir icon to Moscow.

Later, the icon was taken away from the capital in 1812 to Vladimir and Murom, after the victory it was returned to the Assumption Cathedral and was not touched until 1918. That year, the cathedral was closed by the Soviet authorities, and the image was sent for restoration. After 8 years, she was transferred to the Historical Museum, and after another 4 years - to the Tretyakov Gallery.

Since 1999, the icon has been in the church-museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi. This is a home church at the Tretyakov Museum, where services are held for believers, and the rest of the time the church is open as a museum hall.

In 1989, part of the icon (the eye and nose of Our Lady) were used in the logo of Mel Gibson's Icon Productions. This company released the film The Passion of the Christ.

Wonders

In addition to the incredible salvation of Moscow from enemies, other miracles performed by the Mother of God have been preserved in history:

Unfortunately, to find out which icon is involved in miracles(original from Constantinople or its copy), it is impossible, but many noted that almost all images work miracles.

Description

The Vladimir icon of the Mother of God belongs to the type (“Eleusa”), which is easy to identify. In contrast to the Kazan image, where the Infant is primarily the Son of the Lord and blesses people, and the Mother of God sees his fate in advance, the Vladimir one is more “human”, it clearly shows the mother with the child, her love for him. Widespread image received in the XI century, although it was known in early Christian times. The description of the image and its meaning are given below:

The first icon that came to Russia dates back to the 12th century, researchers believe that it was painted in Constantinople, that is, it was originally a list from the original of the Evangelist Luke. However, it is a monument of Byzantine painting of 1057-1185 (Comnenos' revival), which managed to be preserved.

The size of the icon is 78*55 cm. Over the centuries of its existence, it has been rewritten (redrawn in the same place) at least 4 times:

  1. In the first half of the XIII century;
  2. At the beginning of the XV century;
  3. In 1514, during the alteration in the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral;
  4. In 1895-1896 before the coronation of Nicholas II.

Also, the icon was partially updated in:

  1. 1567 by Metropolitan Athanasius in the Miracle Monastery;
  2. In the XVIII century;
  3. In the 19th century.

In fact, today only a few fragments remain from the original icon:

  1. Faces of the Mother of God and the Child;
  2. Full left and part of the right hand of the Child;
  3. Part of a blue cap and border with gold;
  4. Part of the golden-ocher tunic of the Child and the visible transparent edge of his shirt;
  5. Part of the general background.

The precious salary also suffered: the first salary, ordered by Andrei Bogolyubsky (about 5 kg of gold alone, not counting silver and precious stones), was not preserved at all. The second was commissioned by Metropolitan Photius at the beginning of the 15th century and was also lost. The third was created in the middle of the 17th century by order of Patriarch Nikon from gold and is now stored in the Armory.

Copies

Today, the Vladimir icon is a very common image and is found in a large number of churches around the world. Of course, to consider each Vladimir icon as a creation Luke is impossible: the very designation "Vladimirskaya" means a certain pose of the Mother of God and the Child, the expression of their faces. In fact, today all icons of this type are lists (copies) from the original, which has not reached us.

The most significant lists are:

All of the above icons although they are lists, they are revered as miraculous. Also, the Vladimir Mother of God became the basis for the creation of other images: “The Legend of the Vladimir Icon”, “The Presentation of the Vladimir Icon”, “The Vladimir Icon with the Akathist”, the Igorevskaya Vladimir Icon (an abbreviated version of the original), “Praise of the Vladimir Icon” (“The Tree of Russian Sovereigns” , author Simon Ushakov).

honor days

The icon has only 3 dates:

  1. June 3: gratitude for the victory in 1521 over Khan Mahmet Giray;
  2. July 6: gratitude for the victory in 1480 over the Mongol-Tatars;
  3. September 8: gratitude for the victory in 1395 over Khan Tamerlane. This also includes the meeting (meeting) of the icon in Moscow.

These days, the same services are usually held, especially in churches with miraculous lists.

What helps

“The icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir helps in what way?” - ask the people who came to the temple. Most often, she was prayed for the protection of Russia from enemies, but this is not the whole list of her "opportunities". The icon is also used in more “small” situations:

For prayer, it is not necessary to come to the miraculous list, although, if possible, it should be used. You can also pray to the Mother of God at home, saying a ready-made prayer (easy to find on the Internet) or expressing a wish in your own words. No special rituals are required, and there is no need to come to the temple. The only condition is that thoughts must be pure. You can’t wish someone harm or say a prayer, thinking about an outsider.

Conclusion

The miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God with the Child is not only one of the most popular images in Orthodoxy, but is also considered extremely emotional. It depicts not the Son of the Lord, but a mother protecting her child, whose fate was foreshadowed to her in advance.