The Kazan Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an amazing, pure and strong image. The Queen of Heaven is the great patroness of the entire Russian people, she protects from the invasion of enemies, gives strength to protect the Fatherland from enemies. At the same time, she is a strong defender of the Orthodox faith, supports and strengthens the spiritual strength of all those who pray.
Sincere prayers before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God will help in solving many life problems. People go to her in times of sadness, despondency, and disaster, when they no longer have the strength to resist illnesses and adversities. By faith, through the consecrated image of the Kazan Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one can be cured of diseases of the soul and body. Many have improved their vision, even completely gotten rid of blindness.
Knowing how the Kazan image helps, mothers have long hung this holy icon at the head of the child’s crib. The Most Pure One will look after the baby, protect him from illness, everything evil, and show him the right path in life. Joyful and wise parents brought the icon out to meet the young couple to bless them with the support of the Heavenly Queen for a long, righteous, good life together. If the wedding of the newlyweds took place on the day of the celebration of the holy image, then everyone rejoiced - the life of the new family would be long, happy and prosperous.
History of the Kazan Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The history of the holy Kazan Icon of the Mother of God dates back to the 16th century. Today the circumstances of her appearance seem unusual and surprising. In 1579, Kazan, thanks to Ivan the Terrible, had already been part of Russia for 27 years, but it could hardly be called a Russian city. And even the creation (1553) of a separate Kazan diocese, part of the Russian Orthodox Church, did not greatly influence the balance of forces: Christian and Mohammedan.
And then there was the great fire of 1579. A terrible fire destroyed almost half of the Kazan Kremlin, the princely palace, the Transfiguration Monastery with the Christian saints Barsanuphius and Gury buried there, rows of merchants and people's houses.
Muslims interpreted the event in their own way. There were spiteful critics everywhere, they did not forget to mention that the wrath of God fell on the heads of Christians. But it turned out that the fire element brought not only losses and suffering, but also great consolation. After all, it was in this city that the Mother of God strengthened her reign, miraculously revealing her holy image to people.
Finding a miraculous icon
After the fire, the main concern of many Kazan residents was construction. Summer does not last forever, and with the arrival of cold weather, a family cannot survive the winter without a warm home.
Among the fire victims, the royal archer Daniil Onuchin worked tirelessly to build a home for himself, his wife and daughter Matrona, a ten-year-old girl. One day Matrona had an amazing dream. The Mother of God appeared to her and ordered her to go to the city, tell the archbishop and the governors about the icon of the Mother of God, which rests in the ground, and then get this wonderful image. The girl asked her parents to help, but they didn’t believe her. And the Mother of God came again and again. The mother turned to the priests for help, but they did not immediately listen. Only persistence and appeals to the bishop helped. The legend says that on July 8, Matrona herself dug up a small image wrapped in a sleeve of cherry cloth on one of the ashes.
Hearing the good news, the Kazan mayors and the archbishop arrived at the place of the find. And then in a procession with all honors they escorted the relic to the Church of St. Nicholas of Tula. After serving a prayer service, the wonderful icon was transferred to the Annunciation Cathedral, where, by the grace of the Most Pure One, a miracle of healing of the blind occurred: Joseph regained his sight on the way to the monastery, and Nikita - directly in the temple. Later they noticed that the Mother of God shows special mercy to the eyes of those praying to her.
All these and other events remained in people’s memory thanks to the notes made by the priest of the St. Nicholas Church, Ermolai.
The archbishop and the governors sent a message to the king with a detailed description of the miraculous discovery of the holy image and the first accurate copy of it. Having learned about the mercy shown by the Mother of God through her face, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered the construction of a Christian monastery on the site where the image was found. The first nuns of the Mother of God Convent (for 40 nuns) were Matrona, after taking the name Mavra, and her mother. Feasts of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God are celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church twice a year:
- July 21 (July 8, old style) . On the day of the acquisition of the shrine by the Russian people through the girl Matrona, who had visions. The celebration of the appearance of the image of the Mother of God has been annual since the 16th century.
- November 4 (October 22, old style). The glorious liberation of Moscow by the army of Minin and Pozharsky from Polish-Lithuanian encroachments (autumn 1612).
Having become a metropolitan (1595), Hermogen built a new Cathedral of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kazan. The number of nuns was increased to 64. The fame of the miraculous image sent down by the Blessed Virgin and the help that people receive through their prayers spread very quickly. Ordinary parishioners and royal persons brought gifts to the icon. Gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls were donated to the temple. Several vestments were created for the holy face: festive and for every day. Despite the division, they were all made of precious metals, lavishly decorated with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, low pearls, etc. Empress Catherine laid gifts at the Kazan shrine, among them: gold, jewelry, the diamond crown of the empress herself and 25 thousand rubles intended for the construction of a new temple.
Kazan Icon - Russian assistant in military affairs
The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God received the status of a national shrine; its appearance became a sign that Holy Mary gave to the entire Russian Church. And then for many years, through the gracious face of the Mother of God, she showed support and mercy to Russia during difficult periods of its history:
- In times of turmoil. She helped stop internal strife, create a Russian militia, and then liberate Moscow from the Poles (October 22, 1612).
- She patronized the soldiers of Peter I during the battle of Poltava, helping to defeat the army of the Swedes (1709).
- October 22, the day of the celebration of the icon, became the day of victory in the battle of Vyazma. This is a turning point in the course of the Patriotic War of 1812.
- Strengthened the spirit of soldiers during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Wherever the relic appeared, the enemy could not move forward, was frightened by frightening visions, and German weapons failed. Moscow was saved thanks to a miracle revealed through the prayers and intercession of the Ever-Virgin. The liberation of the mother of Russian cities, Kyiv, took place on the day of the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
Lists of the Kazan shrine
Many mercies and miracles were revealed through the first-discovered icon (original) and its numerous copies (copies). The most famous copies are:
- Petersburg list;
- Kazan Icon in Moscow;
- Kaplunovsky Kazan image of the Virgin Mary;
- Kazansky Tobolsk the face of the Queen of Heaven;
- Nizhnelomovskaya
- Voznesenskaya;
- Pavlovskaya;
- Yaroslavl Kazan image of the Mother of God.
It should be noted that in relation to holy images the concept of “original” is conditional. The Most Pure Virgin hears sincere, humble prayers, regardless of the place and image to which they are pronounced. Of course, if only this face is consecrated. Although some express the opinion that the Mother of God wished to present to the Orthodox a certain face, in which a gesture, color, turn of the head, manner of writing - everything has a secret or obvious meaning, a symbol. And when creating lists, iconographers often make changes to the composition of the image, possibly adjusting its meaning.
The original Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is a small-sized image that was found by the girl Matrona (1579), and then lost in the 10s of the twentieth century. Copies and copies made from it are large in size, may differ in the brightness of the colors (the first image was quite dark, covered with mica), and in some compositional features.
Loss of the Kazan Icon given by the Mother of God
The original of the miraculous icon has been in the Bogoroditsky Monastery in the city of Kazan almost all the time (from the moment of its acquisition). The deprivation of the image happened during the years of revolutionary unrest at the beginning of the twentieth century. Many people have lost the faith of their fathers and humility, so what happened should be a serious edification for everyone.
The theft of the Orthodox relic took place on the night of June 28-29 (old style), 1904. The thieves chose the moment when there was no one near the shrine, and the monastery guard was locked in the basement of the church. The robbers were primarily attracted by the rich decoration - the precious vestments of the icons (the Savior and the Kazan Face of the Mother of God). Thanks to the assistance of the population, the criminals were quickly detained and arrested. The robbery was committed by 28-year-old peasant Bartholomew Chaikin (Stoyan) with Ananiy Komov, their accomplices were Fyodor Zakharov, Nikolai Maksimov, and Chaikin’s cohabitant Praskovya Kucherova and her mother covered up the criminals.
During the investigation, it was established that Chaikin and Komov stole ancient shrines in precious frames. They took away the gold, silver, and stones to sell, and the icons themselves (according to the testimony of Kucherova’s daughter and mother) were chopped up and then burned in the oven. The people were outraged by the crime, all participants were severely punished.
Until today, several facts have been discovered that allow us to hope that the holy Kazan relic has not been destroyed.
- According to one version, the icons were not chopped up and burned; instead, they were sold at a high price to the Old Believers. Later, the image of the Virgin Mary ended up abroad and was eventually presented to Pope John Paul. Over time, the Vatican wished to return the image to Russia, but only during a personal meeting between the Pope and His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow. Since this is impossible, the transfer was postponed for a long time. But on August 15, 2004, the Pope's envoy returned the image to its homeland. Researchers have found that the face is undoubtedly valuable, since it is an old copy of the original. This icon was transferred to the Kazan Monastery in place of the lost one.
- According to another version, due to the fact that earlier attempts had been made to steal the image, the abbess of the Kazan Monastery secretly replaced the original shrine every night with its exact copy, leaving the precious frame in place. Thus, the icon stolen and destroyed by Chaikin was only an exact list. The original image was preserved in the Church of the Yaroslavl Wonderworkers, which is at the Arskoye cemetery.
Iconographic canons of the Kazan image of the Virgin Mary
The Kazan image of the Blessed Virgin Mary belongs to the iconographic type of images of Hodegetria (Guide). Most of the icons of this type represent the Virgin Mary with the Child of God on her right hand. But there are places where the Baby is placed on the left side. The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is a chest image.
The Virgin Mary should be dressed in a blue tunic - a long undergarment, mostly with narrow sleeves. Its color symbolizes the virgin purity of the Ever-Virgin. The head and entire figure of Mary is covered with maforium - this is a quadrangular cloth that was worn over the tunic. Three stars should be written on the maforia - symbols of purity:
- The star on the right shoulder is the Virgin before the Nativity of Jesus.
- The star on the head is the Virgin at the moment of the Nativity of the God-Man.
- The star on the left shoulder is the Virgin after the Birth of the Son of God.
Also, three stars symbolize the Holy Trinity (God the Holy Spirit, God the Father, God the Son). Since there is Jesus (the third star) in the image, it covers the one on the shoulder. Halos are written around the heads of the Virgin Mary and Christ. The Divine Infant has a halo with an inscribed cross. Near the figures there are signatures written in Greek letters.
The figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary is depicted frontally. The head is slightly tilted to the side towards Christ. This gesture simultaneously means tenderness towards the Son, admiration for the Savior, indicating movement - Christ is Salvation, Truth and Way.
The baby sits on the left hand of the Virgin Mary, the right one is hidden. The right hand of Jesus Christ is raised in a blessing gesture, the second is hidden under his clothes. The glances of the Most Pure One and the Savior are directed towards the one who prays in front of the image. This creates an atmosphere of spiritual closeness, attention to each person, his requests and pleas.
The Feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is revered by Russian Orthodox people twice a year. There are not many other holy images that would be revered in Orthodoxy with the same power as the Kazan Icon. The miraculous icon, discovered at the end of the 16th century, is of great importance for the history of the Russian state. It is a symbol of the unity of the Russian people and the triumph of Orthodoxy.
history of the holiday
Key moments in the chronicle of the medieval Muscovite kingdom are clearly reflected in the history of this icon.
The miraculous appearance of the icon of the Mother of God
Ivan the Terrible, included in the lists of Russian tsars as a ruler who significantly expanded the territory of his possessions, captured Kazan in 1552. After its annexation to the Russian state, Grozny’s associates actively instilled the Orthodox faith among local residents. Not everyone liked this decision of the new government. Muslims actively resisted Orthodox expansion. According to legend, it was their lack of faith that caused the terrible fire of 1579, which destroyed half of Kazan. In folk tales, fire is associated with the wrath of the Orthodox God.
The fire partially incinerated the Kazan Kremlin, but did not spare the houses of Orthodox Kazan residents. One of them, a ten-year-old girl named Matrona, soon after the fire saw the image of the Mother of God in a dream. The saint pointed out to the girl: in the place where Matrona’s house stood, Her miraculous image was buried in the ground. She ordered to dig up the icon, and Matrona told the mayor about her wonderful dream. However, no one listened to her. Twice more the Mother of God appeared to the young woman in a dream, the third time predicting: if the icon is not dug up, the image will be found in another place, and Matrona herself will die.
And for the third time, the mayors remained deaf to the child’s requests. Then, on July 8, Matrona’s mother and her daughter went to the ashes on their own. They found an icon wrapped in a piece of cloth. The image looked as if it had just been painted: the fire did not touch the work of the unknown master, presenting the clear face of the Mother of God.
The icon itself in classical iconography belongs to the type of Hodegetria - Guide. This holy image of the Mother of God holding the baby Jesus in her arms carries the meaning of worship of the Heavenly King who has appeared in the world. Only in contrast to the classic version, the Kazan Mother of God is depicted from the shoulder, not from the waist.
Loss of the Kazan Mother
Since its appearance, the Kazan Icon has become very popular. Lists from it were sent to different parts of Russia, gaining veneration in temples and small churches. For just over three centuries, the original of the Mother of God of Kazan was kept in storage in the Bogoroditsky Monastery in Kazan, built on the site where the image was found. In 1904, the icon of the Mother of God, along with another image (of the Savior), was stolen from the monastery. The amount of damage at that time was colossal (more than one hundred thousand rubles). But the spiritual damage caused by the attacker to the Church cannot be assessed. It took time to find the kidnapper.
When the thief, a peasant named Bartholomew Stoyan, was discovered, he stated that he had sold the rich frames and jewelry stolen along with the icon. And he treacherously chopped up the image and burned it in the oven, covering up the traces of the crime. But subsequently the attacker repeatedly changed his testimony, which is why today there are several theories suggesting that the miraculous image remained intact:
- Stoyan stole not the original, but a skillful copy, while the original of the icon is still in storage in an unknown place;
- For a lot of money, Bartholomew sold the Kazan Icon without salary to the Old Believers, who paid him for theft.
These theories have no actual evidence. In 1904, Orthodoxy lost one of the most amazing icons in its history.
Miracles of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan
This icon is rightly called miraculous, because as soon as the inhabitants of Kazan found it, mysterious and miraculous healings began for everyone involved in the icon. When the Archbishop of Kazan organized a religious procession to deliver the icon from the place of discovery to the Annunciation Cathedral, blind Joseph was among those present. The peasant lost his sight three years before the events described, but by the end of the procession he somehow regained his sight. Another blind man, Nikita, gained the ability to see after a prayer service in front of the icon in the Annunciation Cathedral.
But the most important miracle attributed to the Kazan Icon is the holy blessing from the image of the Mother of God, which descended on the troops of the Second People's Militia during the Time of Troubles. In those years when Moscow and all of Russia were under the yoke of Polish aggression, the true Orthodox faith, kept in the hearts of the fighters for the freedom of the Russian people, helped them achieve miraculous victories. Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, who led the militia, ordered the icon to be delivered to him before attacking the Poles. In the decisive battle with Polish troops, which significantly outnumbered the Russians, his army won a brilliant victory. October 22 (old style) 1612 became the day when the people of Russia united against the invaders, strengthened by the power of the icon of the Blessed Mother of God.
In folk tales and chronicles, many evidences of other miracles of the Kazan icon have been preserved. Her divine light healed blind people, but there were also cases when people who had lost the ability to move returned to normal life after praying in front of the image.
Rediscovery of an icon
The loss of the image at the beginning of the 20th century was a great grief for Orthodox people for many years, although many skillful copies of the original have been preserved. After the revolution they were either destroyed or sold to the West. Among these exhibits was a copy of the icon made in the 18th century. It was considered one of the oldest and most beautiful copies of the miraculous image that had survived at that time. History of evidence has not preserved who exactly bought the list.
In 1993, the great icon was presented to Pope John Paul II. He revealed a desire to return the image to his homeland, despite the difficult relationship between Orthodoxy and the Catholic Church. It took more than ten years to complete this step. Despite all the active obstacles, God's great mercy to the Russian people was accomplished in 2004, and the icon of the Blessed Mother of God returned to Russia. This event also marks an important milestone in the establishment of good relations between the Vatican and Orthodox Russia.
Holiday traditions
Dates of holidays in honor of the icon
We have already mentioned at the beginning of the article that there are two dates in the church calendar when the Feast of the Blessed Icon is celebrated. According to the new style, the following days correspond to them:
- July 21 – discovery of the icon;
- November 4 - in gratitude for help in saving Moscow and Russia from the Poles.
Both of these dates are immovable: in 2018 they will be the same as in all previous years. Since 2005, November 4 has also been the Day of National Unity, i.e., a state holiday of the Russian Federation.
Rules and traditions: services, prayers, congratulations
The immutable tradition of this holiday is the procession of the cross, crowned with the image of the Kazan Icon. It is always preceded by a festive liturgy. It is the duty of every true Orthodox believer to visit it.
The classic text of the service for this day was written in the 16th century. Patriarch Hermogenes of Moscow, who was one of the eyewitnesses of the miraculous discovery of the icon, became the author of the troparion and magnification of the Mother of God. Five centuries later, his text “The Diligent Intercessor” has been preserved unchanged, while remaining one of the central components of the services of this day:
They pray to the Kazan icon for deliverance from illnesses; it is especially revered by people suffering from vision diseases. Since the Mother of God of Kazan is the patroness of young families, they honor her with a prayer for family well-being and the birth of healthy children.
Prayer before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God:
Congratulatory texts today remember the Protector Mother of God, who sheltered the Russian lands from adversity, helping to unite in the face of the enemy, and Her miraculous deeds.
Folk signs on the holiday
A good omen on both days of the celebration is rainy, wet weather. It was believed that this was the Most Holy Mary shedding tears for the human race, begging God for forgiveness and blessings for the next year. If the weather is dry, then the coming year promises hardships.
November 4th is the day when believing newlyweds prefer to get married in church. There was a belief that such marriages would be happy and strong, and they would be protected in Heaven.
Most signs are connected specifically with the November celebration. For example, if fog falls on the ground on this day, then they expected a quick thaw, and if the weather is clear, then there will certainly be a harsh, harsh winter.
The Kazan Icon enjoys very special love and veneration in Russia - every believer immediately understands what image we are talking about. It is this image that is given to the newly married couple as a keeper of the hearth and a family heirloom. The unique history of its appearance, the miracles that happened through the prayers of the Orthodox people near the image - all this makes the Kazan Mother of God completely special, among thousands of other icons.
Girl Matryona and the Blessed Virgin - the story of the icon
The name reflects the history of the appearance of the Kazan Icon - it was revealed in the city of Kazan under very unusual circumstances. This was the period after a strong fire, a good half of the Kremlin was damaged, and non-believers began to say that the Christian God was angry with His people.
A young girl (as children from 6 to 14 years old are called) named Matryona saw the Most Pure Virgin in a dream, who told her to go in search of an image. The girl told her parents about her dream, but they did not take it seriously. But the visions were repeated, and finally the mother gave up - she herself went to the ashes. An icon of the Queen of Heaven was found there, which is called revealed (to distinguish the “original” from many subsequent copies).
The news of the miraculous discovery instantly spread throughout the city; the ruling bishop appeared to the ringing of bells to venerate the shrine. During the very first procession of the cross through the city, near the image two people saw the light. puff. In the chronicle of St. Hermogenes, who was an eyewitness to many of the events listed, 16 more miracles are recorded:
- a pilgrim from another city got rid of an incurable disease (which is not specified);
- the blind child received his sight;
- the daughter-in-law of a certain boyar was healed of a leg disease;
- Demons came out of several women - similar events probably happened the rest of the time, because the suffering were immediately drawn to the image.
The image began to be kept in a nearby church, and on the site of the miraculous event, Ivan the Terrible built a monastery: Matryona and her mother became nuns there. In 1594, the foundation stone of the Kazan Cathedral took place, where a lot of jewelry and gold were donated. For example, Catherine II gave the icon a new chasuble with her own diamonds.
Description of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
You can recognize the image, first of all, by the fact that it contains a shoulder-length image of the Virgin Mary. This is one of the versions of the “Guide Book” - after all, the Queen of Heaven is the road to Christ.
- She is the earthly Mother of Jesus.
- The Mother of God prays for the salvation of all humanity.
- The human nature of Saint Mary unites every believer through her with Christ.
The head of the Mother of God is slightly tilted towards her son - this is both a sign of maternal love and worship of God. The Child blesses Mary and all the people in her person. The gazes of both figures are directed towards the praying people, as if emphasizing the unity of Divine and human nature.
The theological meaning of the Kazan Icon is to show believers the true Path to salvation, which lies through Christ. Only the Mother of God has such strong boldness towards the Savior that she can intercede before Him for all the faithful. This idea is clearly visible precisely in icons such as “Hodegetria”, where Saint Mary points to the Infant God with her hand. But since this image is made in a shortened version, this gesture is simply not visible (although it is implied).
Robes of the revealed image
Many believers have seen copies of the Kazan Icon, almost completely covered with pearls and precious stones. As written documents and photographs from the end of the last century testify, the icon really had such a frame. And he was not the only one.
The festive robe was made of gold, and another one was put on it - decorated with pearls, diamonds, etc. On ordinary days, they put on a different headband, no less beautiful - Moscow craftsmen completely covered it with pearls, and golden crowns with roses made of diamonds. It was on this frame that the royal crown also adorned itself.
The revealed icon was small in size and had a double ark. The inner frame also contained 12 small icons (stamps): holidays in honor of the Lord and the Mother of God, and the discovery of a miraculous image.
The feat of Saint Hermogenes
The significance of the Kazan Icon is great precisely for the history of the Russian people - from the moment of its appearance, Russia began to enlighten the eastern peoples with the light of Orthodoxy, as if the Queen of Heaven had rediscovered Asia. The special patronage did not end there.
During the Time of Troubles, the throne of the Patriarch was occupied by Saint Hermogenes, who was very worried about the strife within the country. The Poles also haunted the country. It was easier to seize power the more the people of Russia attacked each other, trying to seize more power. The country was overrun by bandits.
While under arrest, the Patriarch did what he could - he drew up an appeal to all ends, trying to reason with and unite the country, which was threatened with complete enslavement. He reminds people that they have forgotten about God, robbing and killing their own brothers in faith. The words of the saint achieved their goal, a militia began to form - the subsequent story is well known to everyone.
Having joined the army of Pozharsky and Minin, the residents of Kazan bring with them the holy image. Since then, it is believed that the Kazan Icon helps to defeat enemies. After all, it was she who then became the spiritual force that united Russia. In the fall of 1612, a religious procession took place in the Kremlin, the image of the Mother of God was left in the church on Lubyanka, then transferred to the Kazan Cathedral, built in honor of the victory over the Poles.
What troubles does the Kazan Icon help with?
At times it seems that your strength is running out, and the only help can come only from heaven. Then you should take a break and read prayers near the Kazan Icon. It’s not for nothing that she is called a Guide - she will guide you on the right path and save you from wrong decisions. Sometimes the Queen of Heaven appears to people in a dream and directly tells them what needs to be done. What else does the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God help with?
- Sorrows of an everyday nature.
- Healing poor vision.
- You can ask for sons who have joined the army or are serving in the military.
- The newlyweds pray for peace in their relationship.
- Women ask for prosperity in their home.
- Special protection for children; the image can be placed near the crib.
There is a special akathist dedicated to the Kazan Icon. It can be read both daily and on the day of church celebration. Praying in church or at home doesn’t really matter. Sometimes parishioners read the akathists in turn, so it will sound every day in the church in front of the image. For such prayers you need to take the blessing of the abbot.
Listen to the Akathist to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
Disappearance of an icon
At the very beginning of the last century, namely in the summer of 1904, robbers entered the cathedral, attracted by the rich decorations on the chasuble.
After the capture, the robbers claimed that the icon was destroyed and the jewelry was sold in parts.. The investigation reached a dead end - the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God disappeared.
Decades later, a certain image appeared abroad - although the icon itself turned out to be a copy, the chasuble is very similar to the stolen one. The image was soon acquired by the Vatican, where it is kept to this day.
Immediately, blows rained down on Russia, which ended in revolution. But pious believers do not lose hope that the true miraculous image will return to Russia.
Stay of famous copies
Where is the icon of the Kazan Mother of God located today? The location of the miraculous image that appeared to the girl Matrona is unknown.
But in Russia there are many revered lists. The most famous, of course, is the cathedral on the capital's Red Square.
The famous list is located in St. Petersburg, in the Kazan Cathedral (Nevsky Prospekt). It was brought by the widow of John the Fifth, Tsarina Praskovya, at the beginning of the 18th century.
This image is externally different from the original. It is much larger in size (60x50 cm), and has square proportions, characteristic of that period. The Christ Child is further away from the Mother, making a blessing gesture of a different form. Images of faces are also made in other traditions.
The revered Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was kept by Pope John II for a long time. The list dates from the mid-18th century, the precious frame is later. The image was taken from Russia after the revolution. For some time it was believed that this was exactly the icon that was found in the fire in Kazan. A collector from England offered to buy it back to the Archbishop of San Francisco (Orthodox Church Abroad), but no funds were found.
In 1963, the image was made available for veneration at an exhibition in New York. There were not enough funds to buy it back; it was proposed to write a script for Hollywood and take the icon to Russia, but Archbishop John rejected all these proposals. As a result, the shrine was purchased by a Catholic organization.
The Vatican list differs in size from the one shown, although the chasuble is similar to the original. The icon was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 2004, on the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The following year, Patriarch Alexy blessed her to be transferred to the Kazan Monastery.
To this day, the image is located in the Holy Cross Monastery Church, where it enjoys well-deserved respect among believers and attracts masses of pilgrims from all over the world.
The role of the holy image in the 20th - 21st centuries
The significance of the Kazan Icon has not diminished over time. During the Great Patriotic War, Marshal G. Zhukov traveled with the image to the soldiers so that they could pray to their Heavenly Patroness. Prayer services were served both in Leningrad and in partisan detachments. In 1943, the revival of Orthodoxy began, churches began to open, monasteries and theological seminaries were revived.
The rector of the Kazan Church near Stalingrad was St. Seraphim Vyritsky. Day and night he offered prayers to God, the people also prayed in front of the Kazan Icon on the eve of battles. There is a legend that during the assault on Moscow, a plane with an icon flew around the front line. Russians associate victory in this terrible war with the intercession of the Mother of God.
New churches and monasteries in honor of the image are especially often built on the borders of the country (in Vladivostok, for example). As before the revolution, the Kazan icon is a regimental image. In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Victory, a temple in her honor was built for the Central Military Hospital.
Miracles through prayers to the Kazan Icon do not dry out in our time; they have been recorded throughout Russia from Ivanovo to Yekaterinburg. Believers consider the flow of myrrh to be a special spiritual sign. There was an outflow of the world (fragrant oil) from the Kazan image on the anniversary of the re-opening of Optina Hermitage.
In Smolensk, the image of the Mother of God began to cry (1991); several years later, in the Kazan Church (village of Puchkovo), the temple icon began to bleed - it was recognized as a local shrine. Numerous cases of healing have been recorded in different dioceses..
As long as life continues on earth, the help of believers from the Queen of Heaven will not become scarce. It doesn’t matter whether prayers are offered to the miraculous Kazan icon, or to an ordinary paper image cut out from a calendar. The main thing is that the prayer comes from the heart itself, then it will definitely be heard.
Prayer to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
Troparion, tone 4
Zealous Intercessor, Mother of the Lord Most High! Pray for all of Thy Son, Christ our God, and cause all to be saved, seeking refuge in Thy sovereign protection. Intercede for all of us, O Lady, Queen and Lady, who are in adversity, and in sorrow, and in illness, burdened with many sins, coming and praying to You with a tender soul and a contrite heart before Your most pure image with tears, and those who have irrevocable hope in You, deliverance of all evils, grant usefulness to all, and save everything, Virgin Mary: For You art the Divine Protection of Your servant.
Every year on November 4, believers celebrate the great Orthodox holiday dedicated to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. On this day, prayers read in front of the shrine of the Mother of God have special power. They are capable of creating real miracles.
First prayer:
“Oh, Holy Mother of God! With hope and bright feelings I bring my prayer to You. Do not turn Your gaze away from those who pray to You. Hear our words, O merciful Virgin. Pray before the Lord and before Your Son Jesus Christ for our mistakes and sinful deeds. Don’t let our country fall in the battle for a free life. Do not let soldiers die in war in bloody and dishonorable battles. Protect our homes from evil spirits and quarrels. Do not let us indulge in grief, sadness and despondency. Give us the strength to move forward and live our lives in health, happiness and joy. Fill our hearts with love, loyalty and courage! And never leave us, O Blessed Virgin! May we praise Your Great Name. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Second prayer:
“Oh, great Mother of God, Protector and Benefactor of Christians. You are the Queen of heavenly souls and the Mistress of humanity living on the sinful earth. You pray for us, thanks to You the Lord gives us repentance and His blessing. Hear our prayers now, for we pray to You before Your Holy Image. Do not leave our souls without Your light and warmth! Fill our hearts with virtue. Drive away malice and deceit, lies and hatred from our lives. Become a talisman for our children, illuminate their life path with righteousness. Our refuge is in You. Oh, Most Pure Virgin, we glorify You, we bow our knees before You, we pray to You and we honor You, Great Intercessor. Don't leave us without help. Heal from mental and physical illnesses. Guide me on the right path. Do not leave in terrible moments. In You is our defense, in You is our road to the Kingdom of God. We will never stop singing and praising Your name. May the will of the Lord be done. From now on and forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Amen".
On this bright holiday in honor of the great Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, every person has a chance to take the right path and change their life for the better, gaining the support of the Mother of God, letting Her into their heart. It is enough just to offer sincere prayers before the face of the Holy Virgin, filling every word with goodness, love and faith. We wish you a bright and clean holiday, take care of yourself and don't forget to press the buttons and
November 4th is the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. For 300 years she was the protector and intercessor of the Russian people. Historians are still wondering about the fate of the revealed image, stolen in 1904.
1. The icon was found in Kazan in 1579 after a fire that destroyed half of the city. Legend says that the Mother of God appeared in a dream to nine-year-old Matrona and indicated the place where the icon was hidden. The icon was discovered at a depth of a meter, wrapped in the sleeve of a man’s shirt; according to eyewitnesses, “the icon shone as if it had just been painted.”
2. The icon of the Kazan Mother of God belongs to the hodegetria type, which means “showing the way.” According to legend, the prototype of this icon was painted by the Apostle Luke. The main dogmatic meaning of this icon is the appearance into the world of the “heavenly King and Judge.”
3. In the revealed icon, the infant Christ blesses with two fingers. But in some later lists there is a nominal finger addition. The fingers are folded in a special way, each of them symbolizing a letter of the Greek alphabet. Together they make up the monogram of the name of Jesus Christ - I҃C X҃C.
4. The icon was almost immediately recognized as miraculous. When she was transferred from the place of discovery to the temple, two blind men were healed.
5. The revealed icon, judging by the inventory of the Kazan nunnery of 1853, was relatively small in size - 6 × 5 vershoks or 26.7 × 22.3 cm.
6. The revealed icon had two vestments - festive and everyday. The first was made of gold; another frame, decorated with precious stones, was put on top of it. Pearls predominated in the decoration of everyday chasuble.
7. In honor of the icon, Ivan the Terrible ordered the founding of a convent of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kazan. His first tonsures were Matrona, thanks to whom the icon was found, and her mother.
8. Most often, the Kazan Icon is asked for deliverance from eye disease, invasion of foreigners and help in difficult times.
9. In honor of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, two holidays were established: July 8 (July 21, new style) - in honor of its discovery, and October 22 (November 4) - in honor of the deliverance of Moscow from the Poles.
10. November 4 is celebrated as National Unity Day in Russia. This holiday was established in honor of the liberation of Moscow from Polish invaders in 1612 and at the same time dedicated to the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
11. One of the lists of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was accompanied by the militia of Dmitry Pozharsky. According to legend, the spiritual intercession of the icon led to the voluntary surrender of the Kremlin to the Poles in 1611.
12. In honor of the icon, the Kazan Cathedral was built on Red Square. The temple was erected at the expense of Prince Pozharsky.
13. By 1636, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God became “the palladium of the royal house of the Romanovs, the defender of the capital of the kingdom and the guardian of the throne,” i.e. a shrine on a national scale.
14. In “The Tale of Savva Grudtsyn,” the main character enters into a contract with a demon, and only the intercession of the Mother of God saves him. According to the text, Savva got rid of the curse only after he prayed in front of the Kazan Cathedral, and then in front of the icon itself.
15. In 1649, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to celebrate on October 22 the annual holiday in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, since on this day the Tsar’s first-born Dimitri was born the year before.
16. In 1709, Peter I and his army prayed before the icon of the Kazan Mother of God from the village of Kaplunovki. Many contemporaries attributed the victory in the Battle of Poltava precisely to the intercession of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God.
17. Peter I considered that the new capital of Russia needed its own shrine. By order of the emperor, one of the ancient copies of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was transported to St. Petersburg in 1721.
18. The first precious salary for the St. Petersburg list was ordered to be made by Empress Anna Ioannovna. In 1736, she ordered to build a stone church at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and Meshchanskaya Street and move the shrine there.
19. In 1767, Empress Catherine II donated her diamond crown to decorate the frame of the revealed icon.
20. In honor of the Kazan Icon, a cathedral was erected in St. Petersburg in 1811, which became one of the main symbols of St. Petersburg.
21. In 1812, Kutuzov prayed to the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, immediately after his appointment as commander-in-chief. And on October 22, on the day of the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Russian troops won their first victory over the French.
22. One of the copies of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was in 1880 in the Winter Palace during the terrorist attack carried out by the Narodnaya Volya. An explosion with a power of 30 kg of dynamite destroyed the ceiling between the ground and first floors and the floors of the palace guardhouse collapsed. Despite the fact that the room where the list was located was completely destroyed, the icon itself remained untouched.
23. The Icon of the Kazan Mother of God is credited with helping to win the Great Patriotic War. According to legend, Marshal Zhukov carried the Kazan Icon to the fronts. This fact is confirmed by his daughter, M. G. Zhukova, in the book “Marshal Zhukov: The Hidden Life of the Soul.”
24. The most famous icons of the Kazan Mother of God are the revealed icon, the Moscow and St. Petersburg lists. Unfortunately, the revealed icon and the Moscow list were lost at the beginning of the 20th century.
25. On June 29, 1904, the revealed icon of the Kazan Mother of God was stolen from the Kazan Mother of God Monastery by a gang of Bartholomew Stoyan. During the investigation, the remains of burnt icons were discovered in the stove of Stoyan’s apartment. During the trial, it was suggested that the revealed icon was destroyed.
26. There is a legend that in fact the revealed icon was not stolen. They say that the abbess of the Kazan Mother of God Monastery had the habit of replacing the icon at night in order to protect it from thieves. Therefore, the thief did not steal the icon itself, but only its exact list.
27. The Moscow copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in a precious setting was stolen from the Kazan Cathedral in 1918. The location of the icon is currently unknown.
28. The St. Petersburg list miraculously survived in 1922, when the Bolsheviks confiscated the iconostasis and the icon’s robe. The rector of the Kazan Cathedral, Archpriest Nikolai Chukov, saved the icon, saying that the original was stolen, and this list has no such value. Today, the St. Petersburg list is kept in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
29. One of the 18th century lists was taken from Russia during the revolution. In 1970, Russian Catholics bought the icon, and since 1993 the list was kept in the personal chambers of the Pope. In 2004, the "Vatican" list was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. Now the icon is in the Kazan Mother of God Monastery (Kazan).
30. The icon of the Kazan Mother of God is the most popular wedding icon in Russia.
31. 14 monasteries and 50 churches and temples are dedicated to the Kazan icon, which are located, including in Belarus, Ukraine, Finland and Cuba.
32. In 2011, a copy of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God went into space to the International Space Station.
