Holy Kazan Mother of God. Temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Aleksandrovka. Help through the prayers of believers

28.09.2019

Icon of KAZAN Mother of God description, prayers and akathist to it

Icon of the Kazan Mother of God

The Miraculous Icon of Kazan, which was nicknamed after the place where it was found, became one of the most revered icons in Russia. Holy Mother of God.

Description of the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos:

The acquisition of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God took place on July 8, 1579 in Kazan, a quarter of a century after the conquest of the Kazan Khanate by Tsar Ivan the Terrible. In June 1579, Kazan suffered from a terrible fire, which turned part of the city and half of the Kazan Kremlin to ashes. The Muslims gloated, thinking that the Creator was angry with the Christians. But the fire in Kazan was an omen of the final establishment of Orthodoxy throughout the Golden Horde land - the future East Russian state.

During the fire, the house of archer Daniil Onuchin also burned down. A few days after the fire, the archer decided to start building a new house at the same place. Then the Mother of God appeared in a dream to his ten-year-old daughter Matrona with a command to announce to the archbishop and the heads of the city that they find in the ground, at the site of a recent fire, Her Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. The words of the girl were not given importance, but after the third appearance, Matrona tearfully begged her mother to fulfill the command of the Virgin. And so, starting to rake up the ashes in the indicated place, they saw the icon of the Kazan Mother of God shining with a wonderful light.

The news of the miraculous find instantly spread throughout Kazan. Many people began to flock to the place where the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was found. After the prayer service, the icon was solemnly transferred to the Kazan Cathedral of the Annunciation. Numerous miracles from the newly-appeared Kazan icon began with the insight of two blind men, Joseph and Nikita.

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God inspired Russian warriors during the Time of Troubles during the liberation of Moscow from the Poles. In front of the Kazan icon in 1709, on the eve of the Poltava victory, Emperor Peter I prayed for the victory of the Russian army (this list is currently in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg). In 1812, on the eve of leaving for the active army, Prince Mikhail Kutuzov prayed before the miraculous icon of the Mother of God.

Unfortunately, in 1904, the Kazan miraculous icon of the Mother of God was stolen by robbers and, after removing the precious robes from it, they destroyed it. After the Russian revolutionary turmoil of 1917, numerous ancient lists from the wonder-working Kazan Icon of the Mother of God were distributed throughout the world. The Russian Orthodox Church is making every effort to return the shrines to their homeland. In Russia, the earliest known lists the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (1606) is located in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Kazan, they pray for the insight of blind eyes and the healing of eye diseases, for deliverance from the invasion of foreigners, for intercession in Hard times, about the healing of any bodily infirmity, about the preservation of the Russian state, they bless those entering into marriage with it.

PRAYERS TO THE Blessed Mother of God and Virgin Mary BEFORE HER ICON OF KAZAN

PRAYER 1-I before the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan

Oh, Most Holy Lady Theotokos, Queen of Heaven and Earth, the highest angel and archangel and the most honest of all creatures, the pure Virgin Mary, the good Helper of the world, and affirmation to all people, and deliverance in all needs! Look now, the All-Merciful Lady, on Your servants, Praying to you with a touched soul and a contrite heart, falling down to You with tears and bowing to Your most pure and wholesome image, and asking for help and intercession of Your asking. Oh, All-Merciful and Most Merciful Virgin Mary Pure! Look, Lady, on Your people: for we are sinners, we are not the Imams of other help, except for You and from You, Christ our God was born. You are our intercessor and intercessor. You are the protection of the offended, the grieving joy, the orphan refuge, the guardian of widows, the glory of the virgins, the weeping joy, the sick visiting, the weak healing, the salvation of sinners. As a child, our Lord Jesus Christ beholding, we bring tender singing to You and cry out: have mercy on us, Mother of God, and fulfill our petition, for all the essence is possible for Your intercession, as glory befits You now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER 2nd before the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan

Oh, Blessed Lady Mother of God! With fear, faith and love, falling down before Your honest icon, we pray to You: do not turn Your face away from those who resort to You. Beg, merciful Mother, Thy Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, may he peacefully preserve our country, the Church will keep His holy and unshakable from unbelief, heresies and schism. Not imams of other help, not imams of other hope, unless you, Most Pure Virgin, are you the all-powerful Christian Helper and intercessor. Deliver everyone who prays to You with faith from the falls of sin, from the slander of evil people, from all temptations, sorrows, troubles and from vain death. Grant us the spirit of contrition, humility of heart, purity of thought, the correction of sinful lives and the remission of sins, so that we all thankfully sing of Your greatness, we will be made worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, and there with all the saints we will glorify the Most Honorable and Magnificent name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

TROPARY TO THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD AND ALL-VIRGO MARY BEFORE HER ICON "KAZAN"

TROPAR, VOICE 4

Zealous Intercessor, Mother of the Lord Vyshnyago! For all, pray to Your Son, Christ our God, and work for everyone to be saved, to those who run to Your sovereign cover. Protect us all, oh. Lady, Queen and Mistress, even in misfortunes and in sorrows and in illnesses, 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 irrevocably hope those who have deliverance from Thee of all evils. Grant useful to all and save everything, Virgin Mother of God: Thou art the Divine protection of Thy servant.

KONDAK, VOICE 8

Come, people, to this quiet and good haven, an early Helper, ready and warm salvation, the cover of the Virgin; let us hasten to prayer and rush to repentance: the Most Pure Mother of God exudes for us inexhaustible mercy, precedes to help and delivers from great misfortunes and evils Her well-behaved and God-fearing servants.

Magnification

We magnify Thee, Blessed Virgin, God-chosen Maiden, and honor Your holy image, and bring healing to all who flow with faith.

Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos BEFORE HER ICON NAMED "KAZAN"

Kondak 1

Chosen from all generations as the Intercessor of the Christian race, covering our Orthodox country with the cover of His goodness, we offer thanksgiving singing to Theotokos, about the appearance of Your wonderful icon. You, like the All-Merciful, all those who flow to You, Helper, intercede for us in all sorrows and needs, troubles and misfortunes, let us call Thee: Rejoice, Intercessor of the zealous Christian kind.

Ikos 1

The intercessor angel was sent to say “Rejoice” to the Theotokos when God the Word incarnated in Her womb: and we, sinners, glorify the appearance of Her miraculous icon and the Divine Infant of the Savior Christ, with tenderness crying out of Grace: Rejoice, God-chosen Maiden; Rejoice, Mother of God. Rejoice, Queen of Heaven and earth; Rejoice, bright decoration of the Church of Heaven and earth. Rejoice, honored angels; Rejoice, sung from the Seraphim. Rejoice, bright prophetic event; Rejoice, praise of the apostles. Rejoice, martyr's confession; Rejoice, venerable crown. Rejoice, joy of the righteous; Rejoice, hope of sinners. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 2

Seeing, All-blameless, from the height of Your heavenly dwelling, where you remain with Your Son in glory, the sorrow of Your servants in the newly enlightened city, as if for the sake of God's angry visitation, the faith of Christ is mocked by Hagarian wickedness, deigned to reveal Your icon, glorifying miracles, but affirming with banners Your grace, Christ-loving people faithfully cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

The wise maiden seeks the understanding of the threefold appearance of the Mother of God, flow to the authorities, telling them a wondrous appearance and a formidable ban: we, marveling from above at the maiden's admonition, reverently cry out to the Most Blessed One: Rejoice, with your mouth pure praise of the Gods and doing; Rejoice, revealing the mysteries of God's grace to the faithful. Rejoice, well-known praise of the faithful; Rejoice, lightning, fearful of the infidels. Rejoice, thou who illumines the mind with the glory of the wonders of thy faithful; Rejoice, denunciation of the evil faith of Hagar. Rejoice, their deposition of pride; Rejoice, affirmation of the Christian faith. Rejoice, consecration of the veneration of holy icons; Rejoice, transforming our sorrow into joy. Rejoice, gladdening us with undoubted hope. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 3

The power of the Most High, by the grace of the Mother of God, make wise and strengthen the maiden to seek the many-valued gift of God, and she, with faith daring in the Lord, set to work and, having found the treasure of the holy icon of the Mother of God hidden in the earth, joyfully cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having a good intention for the newly enlightened people of the city of Kazan, from Your most honorable icon, Thou hast exuded currents of miracles, O Lady, giving sight to the blind bodily eyes, illuminating those who are darkened spiritually with the light of God-knowledge and piety, illuminating, virgin under the fall of Your icon, a haven that is not stormy. For this reason we call Ty: Rejoice, by the appearance of Your icon, driving away the darkness of fierce circumstances; Rejoice, enlightening everyone with the rays of miracles. Rejoice, enlightenment of the blind; Rejoice, enlightenment darkened by the meaning. Rejoice, glory of Orthodoxy; Rejoice, quiet haven of those who seek salvation. Rejoice, Mother of Chastity; Rejoice, protection and protection of virginity. Rejoice, the whole multitude of the faithful rejoices with her; Rejoice, for the sake of Eyazhe the demonic horde is crying. Rejoice, beloved Helper of all Christians; Rejoice, Joy to all who mourn. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 4

The storm of confusion and sedition erected by enemies in our country is quenched by blessed Hermogenes, the writer of Your miracles, the Bogomati, the icon, tearfully praying before her and, seeing, as if to the Orthodox army in a shield and a victory sign, Your icon was bestowed, strengthened by faith to the end of his belly, crying out God: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hearing the Orthodox warriors, the secret revealed by St. Sergius to St. Arseny, as if by the intercession of the Mother of God, the judgment of our Fatherland has been turned over to mercy, the icon of the Mother of God, like a banner of victory, having received, isshitish the mother of the Russian cities from the hands of the adversary and
crying out to the Intercessor of Christians: Rejoice, Mother of the Most High God; Rejoice, for you pray for all your Son, Christ our God. Rejoice, as you create for everyone to be saved in Your sovereign cover by those who run; Rejoice, Intercessor of all who exist in sorrows and illnesses. Rejoice, useful giver to all who pray with a contrite heart before Your most pure image; Rejoice, deliverance of evil to all those who have irrevocable hope in Thee. Rejoice, quiet and kind haven; Rejoice, quick helper. Rejoice, ready and warm cover of salvation; Rejoice, thou who bestows on us inexhaustible mercy. Rejoice, pre-cooking help; Rejoice, deliverer from all troubles. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 5

The divine star appears to Thy, Bogomati, an icon that wraps around the entire Russian country, shining with the rays of Thy miracles all those wandering in the sea of passionate life, chasing away the darkness of sorrows and the darkness of all ailments and sorrows and setting on the path of salvation with faith to You flowing and crying to God: Alleluia .

Ikos 5

Seeing Tsar Peter, as if from the holy icon of the Mother of God, many miracles are made by the grace of God, he accepts it as a guide for his army and on the day of battle against the Sveev as a shield and cover, and defeating the enemy to the end with the help of the Mother of God, put the perfect stone at the foundation of a new reigning city , but your wonderful icon, like sanctification, like a shield and a fence, put in the heart of the city. For this reason, we cry out to the Most Pure: Rejoice, dwelling and house of Christ our God; Rejoice, receptacle of His inexpressible glory. Rejoice, animated city, ever-reigning; Rejoice, adorned chamber. Rejoice, Joy of cities and towns; Rejoice, invincible Christians in trouble, a repository and barrier. Rejoice, praise to the Orthodox Church; Rejoice, affirmation of the Russian land. Rejoice, Helper of the Christ-loving army; Rejoice, overcoming enemies. Rejoice, deliverance from troubles; Rejoice, visitor of all with Thy motherly bounties. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 6

The hierarchs of the estate and all the people, monasi and mirsts, are coming before Your most pure image, preaching to the Lady Theotokos, Your great mercy, like you are protecting cities, you are covering cloisters, you are protecting weights, and, leading You truly, the Helper is strong and invincible, with tears they bring Thee prayers, stretch out God-bearing hands to your Son for your people, in a hedgehog deliver us from all troubles and misfortunes, yes, thanksgiving cry to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Having shone true enlightenment and driving away the ancient flattery of the Agarians in the newly enlightened country of Kazan, now in all the cities of Russia shine with the light of miracles and graces: flowing with faith to Your icon, full-bodied deliverance of sorrows, healing ailments and the joys of all fulfillment, crying out to You diligently: Rejoice, inexhaustible the source of the shrine; Rejoice, multi-flowing river of Divine grace. Rejoice, reconciliation of sinners with God; Rejoice, cleansing of our sins. Rejoice, Instructor of piety; Rejoice, affirmation and help in good deeds. Rejoice, accepting good vows; Rejoice, conducive to good intentions. Rejoice, destroyer of evil undertakings; Rejoice, destroying the machinations of the enemy. Rejoice, ambulance to the Helper of man; Rejoice, mercy that bestows upon us. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 7

I want the Orthodox people to confess the mercy of the Most Blessed Queen of Heaven and Earth, and by the power of gratitude to bring about deliverance from the invasion of foreigners, to the wondrous temple, created in honor of the most wonderful icon, bring a victorious gift, but remember all the mercy of the Mother of God, who saved this city and country, Vynu sing to God with grateful lips: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

To the capital city of Russia, Thy holy icon, Bogomati, truly appeared the good Hodegetria, as if Tsaregrad was ancient: people resort to You, Thy help at the beginning of the path and their deeds, asking and thankful, offering prayers before Your most pure icon for deliverance from sorrows and misfortunes, Your Helper and they know a strong intercessor. We also thankfully cry out to You: Rejoice, protector of the Russian countries; Rejoice, Orthodoxy is protected and affirmed in it. Rejoice, invincible shield of our warriors; Rejoice, invulnerable to their armor. Rejoice, denunciation of the intrigues of enemies; Rejoice, for you tear them apart like a spider. Rejoice, reproof of wickedness; Rejoice, sedition destruction. Rejoice, correction of the young from delusions; Rejoice, consolation of the elders. Rejoice, deposition of soul-harming teachings; Rejoice, gift of soulful knowledge. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 8

It is strange and confusing for unbelievers to listen to how currents of grace flow from Your icon, the animal stink is fragrant: we, believing the word spoken by You, Lady, to the original icon: “My grace and strength are with you,” we hope, as with this icon, grace Your take out: the same reverently forthcoming we kiss it, we worship it, as if You are the very One, the honor of the icon ascends to the archetype, and Your grace with this icon works signs and wonders to all who flow to You with faith and cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

All the former grief is taken to Heaven, and you do not leave the earthly, Bogomati, with Your sacred intercession: have more motherly boldness to Christ our God. The same, affirm in the world a deeply Orthodox life and always grant all that is useful to Thy servants, but we sing majestically to Thee: Rejoice, Uncontainable receptacle; Rejoice, overshadowed by the power of the Most High. Rejoice, vegetative Heavenly Class; Rejoice, deliverer of the whole world of soul-destroying gladness. Rejoice, thou who art interceding for our race; Rejoice, for your prayer before your Son and God can do much. Rejoice, having adopted all of us at the Cross of Your Son; Rejoice, always showing motherly love to us. Rejoice, intercessor of eternal blessings; Rejoice, and in temporal life, a useful giver to us. Rejoice, our well-known refuge in all mournful circumstances; Rejoice, undoubted consolation in sorrows. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 9

Thou, the Blessed Virgin, appeared above all angelic nature: Thou conceived God in flesh, Thou didst contain all in Thy womb, in thy arms Thou carried the hand that bears the whole world: the same, as the Most Honorable Cherubim and the Most Glorious Seraphim without comparison, magnifying Thee, crying out about To you God: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

Vityas of the many-talked, like a voiceless fish, we see about You, the Mother of God: every tongue is perplexed to praise You according to her property, the mind of the singing of You, the Mother of God, wonders; Both, good being, receive from us the archangelic voice, crying out to you: Rejoice, full of grace; Rejoice, for the Lord is with you. Rejoice, Blessed in women; Rejoice, having found the grace of God. Rejoice, you who gave birth to the Savior of the world; Rejoice, Mother of the Son of God. Rejoice, Mother of the Eternal King; Rejoice, having grown for us the fruit of the belly. Rejoice, sanctified by the Holy Spirit; Rejoice, overshadowed by the power of the Most High. Rejoice, faithful Servant of the Lord; Rejoice, for thee are blessed by all birth. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.
Kondak 10

Wanting to save many from finding evils, sorrows and illnesses, Thy miraculous icon, Bogomaty, was given to you, even for the sake of blindness they despise, chromiums walk, relax, rise up, demoniacs are healed, fruitfulness is given to the earth, people get rid of deadly ulcers, cities and houses are saved from fire : the same glorifying God, who gives us such mercy, we cry out to Him fervently: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

Thou wall, Mother of God, the country of Russia, hail fence and glory, fortification to the enemies of the Orthodox army. Meanwhile, thanking Thee, we cry: Rejoice, glorifying Thee, glorifying; Rejoice, Thou who disgraceth those who do not honor Thee. Rejoice, intimidation of enemies; Rejoice, deliverance from the invasion of foreigners. Rejoice, fortress warriors; Rejoice, in the days of war the fence was taken away. Rejoice, life-giving garden in the days of the world, gladdening the hearts of the faithful; Rejoice, weapon, whose demons tremble. Rejoice, saving oil, anointing the sinful wounds of the penitent; Rejoice, our warm hope. Rejoice, our undoubted Hope; Rejoice, quiet and good haven. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 11

Singing of praise and thanksgiving they bring to You, the Lady, falling down to Your icon and kindly kissing, virgin faces, under Your sovereign cover, a quiet and peaceful monastic life, and placing all their hope in You, joyfully cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

Like a light-receiving candle, we see Your honest icon, Most Holy Lady: that immaterial fire of Your grace is perceived, and in the likeness of it, it kindles new lamps, they are also involved in the power of grace, and illuminates miracles, instructing on the path of salvation all those who cry to Thee: Rejoice, Bride of the Bride ; Rejoice, God-chosen Maiden, Mati Devo. Rejoice, good Instructor of immaculate virginity; Rejoice, Guardian of those who are jealous of purity. Rejoice, women praise; Rejoice, virgin majesty. Rejoice, intercession of widows; Rejoice, charity of orphans. Rejoice, Feeder of the poor; Rejoice, naked garment. Rejoice, sad consolation; Rejoice, joy to those who mourn. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 12

Grace to give grace to those who honor Thee with love, the Mother of God, inherent in Thee, left the grace-filled power in Your holy icons, for Divine grace, staying in those (icons), signs and wonders will bring out and spiritual and bodily ailments, healing to all who come with faith, gives Your Mother of God unceasingly to God with prayers for those who cry to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing Your miracles, which were in ancient and present times, we praise Thee, as the Life-Giving Source of grace, as an inexhaustible river of miracles, as the abyss of mercy and bounty, and all hope, according to Bose, is placed on Thee both in this and in future life, glorifying You, we cry out: Rejoice, shameless hope of Christians; Rejoice, shelter of the faithful. Rejoice, unreliable hope; Rejoice, salvation of the desperate. Rejoice, bath, washing conscience; Rejoice, dew, reviving souls. Rejoice, quick and uncompensated cure for diseases; Rejoice, quick deliverance from all troubles. Rejoice, Comforter in every sorrow; Rejoice, thou who savest from the depths of perdition. Rejoice, joy on the day of death; Rejoice, one Hope even after death. Rejoice, zealous intercessor of the Christian kind.

Kondak 13

O All-Singing Mother, who gave birth to all the saints of the Most Holy Word, now accept this small prayer and, for the sake of greatness for the sake of Your goodness and the abyss of Your bounty, do not remember our many sins, but fulfill our petitions in good, giving health to the body, salvation to the soul, delivering from all needs and sorrows and the Kingdom of Heaven, the heirs of creating all those who truly cry out to God: Alleluia.
(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)

The Heavenly Intercessor, Patroness and Guardian of the Russian land is the Blessed Virgin Mary. People who offered prayers to the Queen of Heaven soon received help through their prayers.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

Entering the temple of God, the first thing that every parishioner sees is the multitude of holy faces on the iconostasis. One of the main ones is the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, one of the oldest Russian shrines. Her image can be seen in almost every believing family.

Help through the prayers of believers

The Kazan Mother of God helps to cope with absolutely all problems:

they pray to her before the wedding, and the parents bless the bride and groom into family life with this particular icon - the Virgin Mary will certainly help the newlyweds to build a strong marriage union;
it is the Kazan Mother of God who prays for the sick, for the granting of health to them - She can heal from any disease, including through the prayers of believers, the eyes of blind people see through;
ensures peace on earth, in times of military conflicts, it inspires calmness and prudence to the warring parties, contributes to an early truce;
sincere prayer before the Holy Face will allow you to keep peace in the family hearth, prevent quarrels in the family, will become the key to a comfortable and harmonious marriage;
a mother, wishing health and well-being to her child, offers prayers before the Kazan icon;
Matushka helps childless spouses get rid of infertility;
The Queen of Heaven will protect from sudden death;
Protects travelers and wanderers.

Description of the holy image

The Kazan Mother of God belongs to the type "Hodegetria" - "Guide", "Showing the way".

Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan

Tradition says that the original image belongs to the brush of the Apostle Luke. The meaning of the image on the icon is to represent the appearance of the Savior in the world. On the icon He blesses with two fingers.

But in other lists, finger addition is depicted in such a way that each finger means a letter of the Greek alphabet, and together they form the monogram of the name of Jesus Christ IC XC.

The head of the Mother of God is bowed to Her Son, and Her face radiates the highest love. Her eyes are thoughtful, motherly, but the eyes of the Blessed Child express the mind of an adult. He stands on the left side of the Mother, his right hand is raised, which means blessing.

Procession of the Church to God

Religious processions were created in ancient times, since then they have been of great importance and great meaning for the Russian land. Processions with the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos are outwardly similar to church services and clearly show the strength of the Christian faith.

Icon of the Mother of God

More than 10 monastic cloisters and fifty cathedrals and churches were consecrated in her honor, which, in addition to Russia, are located in other countries.

Churches and temples in honor of the Kazan icon:

The veneration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God takes place annually:

July 21, on the day of her solemn acquisition;
November 4, in memory of the deliverance of Moscow and Russia from foreign invaders.

The history of the appearance of the face

The year 1579 turned out to be very terrible for the city of Kazan, at the time of its conquest by Ivan the Terrible. A huge part of the city was struck by a severe fire, many families were left without a roof over their heads. The fire broke out of the house of one of the city archers and in a few minutes turned into ashes what human hands had been creating with great labors for many years.

ancient icon

Fierce crying and human tears stood over Kazan. The fire raged mainly in the part of the city where Orthodox believers lived. It was difficult for them to endure accusations, desecration of sacred images.

And then the Almighty showed Divine mercy to his faithful people - to satisfy sorrow and enlightenment.

The ten-year-old girl Matrona, the daughter of an archer, in an empty hut, the image of the Virgin appeared. A voice came from the icon, commanding to find Her image in the bowels of the earth. The matron, of course, was frightened and did not tell her parents anything.

The next day, the vision was repeated, and the girl told her mother about the diva, but she did not attach much importance to her daughter's words. A few days later Matrona lay down to rest during the day and fell asleep, when suddenly an unknown force lifted her up and carried her to the middle of the courtyard.

Matrona of Moscow

Opening her eyes, the maiden again saw the face of the Theotokos. Huge and bright fiery rays emanated from it. The maiden was frightened and thought that they might burn her. A formidable female voice ordered her to publicly announce the revealed decree and find the icon, and as a punishment for disobedience, the girl was promised a serious and incurable mortal illness. From fright, the girl fell to the ground unconscious.

About other Mother of God icons:

When she woke up, she told her mother about her miraculous transfer from the house to the courtyard, about the icon and the fiery rays. Soon the mother and daughter went to the local governors, told about the miracle and indicated the place where the icon should be underground.

But the governors did not take the story seriously, and Matrona and her mother went to the ruling bishop in the hope that he would listen and order to remove the Holy Face from the earth. But he left the story without due attention.

There was nothing to do, they had to look for the miraculous icon in the ashes themselves. Many people worked at the excavations, but the icon was never found. But when Matrona herself began to dig the earth in the place where the furnace had previously stood, then at a depth of one and a half meters she acquired the Sacred Face.

The image of the Mother of God was wrapped in a shabby piece of cloth, but when the canvas was unfolded, it shone with radiant light. Time spared the Holy Face, it did not deteriorate at all and looked as if it had just been written.

The Orthodox people were very happy to find the icon, they knelt down before it, kissed and kissed it in the hope of healing from ailments and receiving grace.

The bishop, having learned about the miraculous finding, ordered to ring all the bells. Seeing the newly-appeared image, he was very surprised - he had never seen icons of such wonderful writing. Falling to his knees, he tearfully begged the Mother of God for forgiveness for his unbelief.

Patriarch Hermogenes, being a priest in those years, transferred the icon from the place where it was found to the church.

By the mercy of God, miracles began to happen from the icon on the way from the conflagration to the temple. The two men, who had been blind for a long time, suddenly received their sight.

The miraculous news spread far beyond Kazan, Tsar Ivan the Terrible learned about the miracle and ordered to write a copy from the miraculous icon. She, like a precious treasure, was delivered to Moscow.

Video about the icon of the Kazan Mother of God

National Unity Day is a comparatively recent holiday. However, it is based on an event that has not only historical, but also religious meaning. Orthodox believers on this day remember how thanks to the Kazan icon of the Mother of God people's militia managed to liberate Moscow.

But today this holiday has to be celebrated without its main symbol - the icon itself. And no one knows how she disappeared and where she is now. About the mystical appearance and equally mysterious disappearance of the main Russian shrine - in the material of RIA Novosti.

Banner of the Russian militia

According to church tradition, the icon appeared on the ashes. After a terrible fire in Kazan in 1579, the Mother of God appeared to a local resident Matrona, indicating where to find the icon wrapped in cloth. And when it was found, rumors about numerous miracles reached Tsar Ivan the Terrible himself, and a copy of the image was sent to him.

However, how this image actually appeared is unknown to this day. According to one version, it was brought to Muslim Kazan by Orthodox missionaries, according to another, the icon was painted by one of the local residents.

In 1611, the Kazan icon became the banner of the troops of Dmitry Pozharsky. According to legend, just before the assault on Moscow captured by the Poles, the prince ordered the soldiers to keep a three-day fast and constantly pray in front of the miraculous icon. And when the capital of the Russian state was liberated, the townspeople and the whole army went in procession with the icon to the Place of the Skull, thanking the Mother of God for helping the country and its people.

And 20 years later, the veneration of the icon became nationwide - she was chosen as the "patron" of the Russian army during the Smolensk War with the Commonwealth. Numerous lists (copies) of icons of Our Lady of Kazan appear throughout the country. Closer to the 18th century, this image becomes truly all-Russian, symbolizing not only the intercession of the Mother of God for the country, but also the unity of the people. To XIX century Kazan became a center of pilgrimage - Christians from all over the world came to bow to the miraculous image.

Theft of the century

But it is the nationwide popularity of the shrine that will play a cruel joke with it. An excessive number of lists often led to confusion, many believers did not understand exactly where the original was kept. The clergy even published pamphlets with proof that the image was in the Kazan Bogoroditsky Monastery, built on the site where the shrine was found.

It was in this monastery that a certain Bartholomew Chaikin liked to drop in. He spent especially much time near the icon on June 25, 26 and 27, 1904 - these days the icon of Our Lady of Smolensk was brought to Kazan. Both shrines were displayed in the center of the temple, and long services were performed in their honor in the monastery, after which the tired nuns immediately went to bed. And two days later, the whole of Kazan was shocked.

“Crowds of people from the early morning of June 29 surrounded the monastery and, while it was possible, filled the temple, the porch and even the monastery courtyard. Genuine horror and grief were expressed on the faces of all those who came to the monastery to share the common inexpressible grief. told, and from those who listened to the details of this sad event in the life of the monastery and Orthodox Kazan. Everyone felt the dear loss of the monastery as a personal loss. Nobody believed that the kidnapping would not be revealed, "wrote one of the eyewitnesses.

The news of the theft quickly spread throughout the country. Many saw this as a bad sign, besides, literally the next day after the abduction, the long-awaited heir was born to the emperor. The best detectives undertook to solve the crime, the investigation was personally supervised by Nicholas II.

The testimony of nine-year-old Yevgenia Kucherova became key in the case: she saw Ananiy Komov and Stoyan Chaikin (the name Bartholomew was not real), who was considered a first-class thief in criminal circles, approached the temple in the late evening of June 28. This helped the police to find the criminals. But what happened next - no one can find out so far. There are several versions.

The icon has been destroyed. Kucherova claimed that she saw how Komov and Chaikin cut the icon with an ax and threw it into the oven. Chaikin, on the other hand, constantly changed his testimony - at first he said that he had really destroyed the icon, then he said that he had sold it to the Old Believers, because they gave a lot of money for the Old Russian icons. This version of the investigation was considered as the main one.

"The fate of the original is unknown. The Church believes that the image disappeared after the theft," Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, deputy head of the Russian Orthodox Church Educational Committee, said.

They stole the wrong icon. Such rumors appeared immediately after the tragedy, as soon as a copy of the icon was exhibited in the Bogoroditsky Monastery. There is a version that every evening before the closing of the temple, the abbess put the original in a hiding place, putting a list in its place. Be that as it may, the image exhibited after 1904 was also stolen - either in 1917 or a year later, in 1918. What happened to him next, no one knows.

"The first image disappeared without a trace after the revolution of 1917," in turn, believes the rector of the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo (Moscow), Archpriest Alexander Ageikin.

In the 1990s, a myth arose that the Chekists had hidden the icon. According to legend, during the war with her, on the personal initiative of Stalin, they allegedly flew around the front line.

The icon is kept in a private collection or with Catholics. In 1960, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad became aware of a certain English collector who had "an ancient Kazan icon of the Mother of God, which in many ways resembled the original." There was a version that the comrades-in-arms of General Wrangel saved the icon, then it ended up in the United States, but the local Orthodox community had to sell it.

Another version says that the Portuguese Catholics bought the icon from that English collector and brought it to Fatima - there, in 1917, the Mother of God also miraculously appeared to children. In Fatima, a salary from an Orthodox icon is indeed kept, and some scholars claim that it belonged to the original image.

According to another version, the icon was handed over to Pope John Paul II, in whose private chambers it was kept for 11 years. In 2004, the "Vatican" image was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. Now it is kept in the Kazan Bogoroditsky Monastery.

"The image transmitted by the Catholics is actually a list," explains religious scholar Alexei Yudin.

Now in Russia, in addition to the "Vatican", there are several lists that are considered miraculous. The most famous are in the Kazan Cathedrals of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Judging by the descriptions compiled in the 19th century, they are slightly larger than the original in size. Since 2011, a copy of the Kazan Icon has been delivered to the ISS.

Dozens of temples and monasteries in honor of this image are scattered throughout the country. Almost every region has its own locally venerated icons of Our Lady of Kazan. Paradoxically, mysterious disappearance The revealed icon only increased its veneration among believers.

It is impossible not to notice that the miraculous grace of the Most Holy Theotokos was revealed only when people especially needed her help, when they were visited by some kind of disaster, or when they were threatened known danger. It was precisely under such circumstances that the miraculous appearance of the icon of the Mother of God took place in Kazan.

This phenomenon refers to the last period of the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible, namely to 1579, when Anthony was Metropolitan of Moscow, and Jeremiah was Archbishop of Kazan, 25 years after the capture of Kazan by Tsar John.

Artist Firinat Khalikov, Kazan

It was at that time that Kazan residents needed the manifestation of miraculous power. Since the city was recently taken from the infidels, most of it was still inhabited by Tatars who professed the Mohammedan faith.

Christians who were here often suffered persecution from them. It was necessary to be the first to show the holiness and divinity of the Christian faith, and the last, living among the irritated Tatars, who now especially hated the Russians as their conquerors, to give help and consolation.

At this time, Kazanians suffered a great misfortune - on July 23 (according to the old style), 1579, a terrible fire broke out here, which destroyed a significant part of the city. And in such difficult circumstances, the vigilant intercessor, the ever-present helper, deigned to comfort some, and to show the superiority of the Christian faith to others.

For this, she chose the appearance of her miraculous icon. It happened like this.

Vision of the Matron

In Kazan, there lived one archer named Daniil Anuchin (or Onuchin). During that same fire, his house burned down, which was located near the church of Nikolai Tulsky. After such a misfortune, he began to grieve and was already thinking about building a new house.

Not far from the place where the fire broke out, the Blessed Virgin appeared in marvelous visions to his ten-year-old daughter Matrona.² She ordered her to go to the city and tell the archbishop with the governors to go and take her icon from the bowels of the earth. At the same time, the Mother of God also indicated the place where her image is hidden.

At first, due to her folly, the maiden was afraid to reveal her vision and the will of the Blessed Virgin to the mayors. Only after some time she told her mother about this, who, however, left the story without attention.

After that, the same icon of the Blessed Virgin appeared again to the maiden and commanded her without fail, without any doubt, to tell about the vision. The girl told her mother several times about the appearance of the icon, but, as before, the mother did not pay attention to the words of her young daughter.

Once, the girl in question had to stay alone in her house. Around noon, she fell asleep in her room, suddenly found herself in the middle of her courtyard and saw here the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in a terrible fiery form.

The icon emitted fiery rays from itself, so that it seemed to be enveloped in flames from the bright radiance of these rays. Struck by such an extraordinary phenomenon, the maiden was even more frightened when she heard a formidable voice from the icon, telling her: “If you do not tell anyone what I told you about, that is, to take my icon from the ground, then I will appear in another place, and you will die miserably."

After this terrible vision, the girl was so frightened that she fell to the ground and lay as if dead for several hours. When she came to herself, she told her mother about everything that the Blessed Virgin had told her, indicated the very place where the icon was located, and then urged her mother to go to the city and tell people about the appearance of the icon of the Blessed Virgin.

After that, the mother immediately went to the governors with her daughter and ordered her to tell them about everything. The daughter told, but the mayors did not pay due attention to the words of the still inexperienced girl, whether out of disbelief, or out of disdain for ordinary people.

... Seeing that they did not believe their words, the mother began to cry, and went to the archbishop. She told him everything, pointed out the place about which her daughter had been revealed, and asked him to take the Holy Icon from the ground. But he, like the mayors, did not believe her and sent her away with nothing. It was on the 8th of July at 7 o'clock in the morning.

Icon search

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God depicting the history of finding the miraculous icon

Having met with such failure, and meanwhile fearing the wrath of the Queen of Heaven, the maiden’s mother at 12 o’clock on the same day herself took a spade, went to the place indicated by her daughter, and began to dig the ground. I dug for a long time, and still did not find treasures.

Seeing this, others could not at first understand the purpose for which this woman was tearing up the earth so diligently. Then, when they were told everything, they themselves took up the spatulas and also began to dig - they blew up the whole place, but they could not find the icons.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

Finally, the girl herself, who had a vision, began to dig in the place where the stove of the burnt house was. When a one and a half arshin deepening was dug in this way, suddenly the miraculous icon of the Hodegetria (guide) with the eternal Infant Jesus Christ appeared.

She was wrapped in a shabby sleeve of clothes made of cherry-colored cloth. Despite such bad defense from dampness, the Icon shone with wonderful light, as if it had been recently painted and had never lay in the ground.

The maiden, taking the Most Holy Icon with fear and joyful trembling, placed it in the place where she found it. The inhabitants of the city, having heard about this, converged in multitude, crying out with tears: Our Lady, save us!

Procession

After that, the highest officials in the city were informed. The archbishop now immediately, with a procession of the cross, with the whole consecrated cathedral, accompanied by the leaders of the city and a large crowd, went to the place where the holy icon was found.

Seeing the icon, shining with wondrous light, everyone was delighted and bewildered that they had never seen an icon so excellently painted. Joy and fear alternately agitated the souls of the elders of the city at the thought that not long before these they did not believe the words of mother and daughter.

With a large congregation of people, they fell on their knees before the miraculous icon, asking for mercy from the Most Holy Lady of the Theotokos and forgiveness for their unbelief. Meanwhile, the people flocked more and more, and everyone, seeing a wondrous miracle, sent up praise to God and the Mother of God.

Church of St. Nicholas (Nicholas) Tulsky, Kazan

Not far from the place where the holy icon was found, there was the church of Nikolai Tulsky (at present, the church is being destroyed). The archpastor ordered the newly-appeared icon to be transferred to this church along with other images and crosses.

Having served a moleben to the Most Holy Theotokos here, the archpastor, accompanied by local authorities and a multitude of people, carried the newly acquired icon with a procession to the city. Everyone strove for the holy icon, vying with each other trying to touch it.

Miraculous healing of the blind

Universal joy and reverence for holy icon increased even more when they saw the new mercy that the Blessed Virgin showed from her icon to one sick person (named Joseph). He had been blind for three years and was now miraculously healed.

The icon was placed in the cathedral church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos with prayer singing. Here, a new miracle was performed from the icon: the Lady healed a man “by the name of Nikita, who was also sick with his eyes.”

The next day, the archpastor served a liturgy in the cathedral church, and the people, thanking the Blessed Virgin for her great favors, brought gifts to adorn her newly-appeared image.

The construction of the church and the maiden monastery

After some time, they made a list from the miraculous icon and sent it to Tsar Ivan Vasilievich along with a description of its appearance and miracles. Having received the list, he was surprised at the elegant writing of the icon, and ordered to build a wooden church in the name of Hodegetria of the Most Holy Theotokos in the very place where the honest icon was found.

He also ordered the construction of a convent, sending a significant gift from his royal treasures for its construction, and determining to issue money for the maintenance of the clergy, abbess and 40 nuns.

Subsequently, they learned that the newly acquired image of the Blessed Virgin was an exact list from the same miraculous image that was taken from Jerusalem to Constantinople by the wife of the Greek king Theophides, Evdokia. It is believed that he was brought to Kazan by some Tatar who converted to Orthodoxy¹.

According to another version, there is evidence from one of the chroniclers about a certain girl who was “captured by one of the Kazan murzas, brought to Kazan, where, not wanting complications, she allegedly buried the icon in the ground ...” (N. Chugreeva, well-known specialist in the field of iconography, interview).

Kazan Bogoroditsky Convent - original view

When the church and monastery were built, the archpastor brought here the newly-appeared icon of the Mother of God with a procession of the cross. The first to be tonsured in the new monastery was the maiden Matrona, together with her mother.

Summer Kazanskaya, Summer Prokop - folk customs and signs

The Church celebrates the appearance of the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God on July 8 (21). The holiday is very revered by the people, and in many villages the celebration of summer and winter Kazan lasts for several days.

Makovsky A.V. Reapers

In the northern provinces, the day of the Kazan Mother of God is considered the beginning of mowing, in the more southern provinces, the beginning of harvesting winter crops.

If blueberries ripen on Kazanskaya (on summer Prokop), then rye has also ripened.
Procopius the reaper, Procopius the reaper - they reap rye.

In the Smolensk province, before harvesting, they make a “rye zazhin”: women, going to reap, take boiled eggs, bread, salt and lard with them; having pressed several sheaves, they separate the first sheaf separately and begin to eat the brought food; starting to lay the first sheaf, they say: “stand, my sheaf, for a thousand kopecks.”

The first sheaf goes into the house, is placed under the images, and during the threshing, the first one is planted on the barn. When there is already a little left to reap, then in an unfinished place they bury a slice of bread with salt, wrapped in a clean rag, into the ground; this place is surrounded by a circle and is surviving it with common forces.

At the end of the harvest, they gather in the middle of the field, weave a wreath from the corn and, having decorated one of the reapers with it, they ride along the field, saying: “Nyvka, nivka, give back my snares, that I sting the snares, I dropped the snares.” Then they return home with songs.

We believe that from now on, along with cleaning, the strongest summer heat, and this sign almost coincides, if we take into account the difference in styles, with the German "dog" days.

The following belief about the "worm", which exists in the western and out-of-Moscow provinces, and which Sakharov tells about, is rather obscure:

On the day of Kazanskaya, the whole mealybug gathers under one bush (Western province).
On the day of the Kazan kamakh (worm) lies in one place under a bush (Zamoskovn. lips.).
Find kamakha-happiness for the whole year.

According to Sakharov, on this day, according to the belief of the peasants, the kamakha, the paint worm (insect Coccus), is itself. They think that the kamakha is carried by winds to our fields from warm countries, twists into a ball, and rolls under the feet of the first lucky person who meets it.

The discovery of kamakha portends well-being for the whole year. In the old days there were passionate hunters to look for kamakha. Unsuccessful seekers say that it goes only to those who are destined for such happiness.

Poles are afraid of rain on this day:

Zle na Prokopa, jak zmoknie bark (Trouble if Prokop wets the sheaf).
Carrots and an early pear ripen on Prokop: Swiety Prokop marchwi ukop (Dig carrots on St. Prokop).

¹ There is a clear confusion here, because Theophilus's wife in the 9th century was Theodora, or another Theophilus was meant, from Antioch (4th century, Syria), who, according to legend, received an image painted by St. Apostle Luke, the Gospel and the book of the Acts of the Apostles after he accepted the faith of Christ. (Georgy Alexandrovich Muller, “In Memory of ancient list, stolen from Kazan in June 1904")

² According to Dmitry Khafizov, candidate historical sciences, engaged in research of the Kazan icon, the girl was not the daughter of Onuchin, the culprit of the fire of 1759. Her father was indeed a Sagittarius, but his last name is not known.

Literature:

The legend of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, St. Petersburg, 1861
S. Monastyrsky. Illustrated companion along the Volga, Kazan, 1884
A. S. Ermolov. Folk agricultural wisdom in proverbs, sayings and signs, St. Petersburg, 1901
(site adaptation)

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God revered by Orthodox Christians. Read about all the details of its appearance in the article.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God: history

1579. White mercilessly scorching sun, a pillar of dust on the roads of Kazan. Dust and ashes from a recent fire - a terrible fire blazed here a week ago. It began near the Church of St. Nicholas, spread to the Kazan Kremlin. For long hours the glow blazed, women lamented, children cried - well, how will it spread to houses, what will happen ?! And many chuckled maliciously - where was your God that the church burned down? It can be seen that all your priests are lying - it was blazing like that. And what do you say to that? And it's true, many in those days doubted their faith - perhaps it is not pleasing to God that they turn to Christ from Islam? “The faith of Christ,” says the chronicler, “became a parable and a reproach”…

In that fire, many families were left homeless, but there was nothing to do, no one who had burned down would be returned, and it was necessary to build soon - by winter. The archer Daniil Onuchin was in a hurry with the construction, among other fire victims. Daniel had a daughter, Matrona. Her parental sorrows were less understandable - for children and a fire - quite funny - so much remains after - where the glass is beautiful, where the pebble is unprecedented. Only in the evening, when you go to bed, do you remember that after the fire everything is different, unusual.

One night, Matryosh woke up from the unseen - the Mother of God Herself, the Most Holy Theotokos, appeared to her in a dream. And not just appeared, but commanded to get Her icon from under the ground. She shone with a bright light - and the girl woke up. You have dreams and visions, everything seems to you, all your miracles are endless - the skeptic who reads these lines will say. And it will anticipate our story, because that is exactly how the nine-year-old Matryosha was answered by her family. “Dreams are sometimes from God, but visions only happen to saints, so it’s better not to attach importance to dreams,” said the parents. And they were right. However, that dream was a vision, because it repeated itself a second time and on the third night. Then the parents decided to check the girl's words.

Matrona and her mother went to the place where, as the girl remembered from the dream, the icon was supposed to be. We started digging. Even deeper, still - is it really it! And for sure - the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. They cleared it of dust, earth .. But how did it get there? Apparently, a long time ago, secret confessors of Christianity in a non-Christian camp hid the icon of the Queen of Heaven in this way. The news of the miraculous acquisition of the icon spread faster than the fast bird, and now the priests of the surrounding churches rush to this wondrous place, Archbishop Jeremiah, reverently accepting the icon, solemnly transfers it to the church of St. Nicholas, from where, after a prayer service, they transferred it with a procession to the Annunciation Cathedral - the first Orthodox church city of Kazan, erected by Ivan the Terrible. It immediately became clear that the icon was miraculous - already during the procession, two Kazan blind men gained sight. We even know their names: Joseph and Nikita.

And those who a few days ago mocked Orthodox faith, embarrassedly hurried to the icon - with requests - Queen of Heaven, help, reason, heal!

These miracles are the first in a long list of miracles and healings. The story of finding the icon impressed Tsar Ivan the Terrible so much that he ordered the construction of the Kazan Cathedral and the founding of a convent. There, after some time, Matrona and her mother took monastic vows.

The image of the Kazan Blessed Virgin Mary by type refers to the icons of Hodegetria - the Guidebook, and indeed, she repeatedly pointed out the right path to many of our compatriots. So, with the Kazan icon, the militia moved to Moscow, freeing the city from the impostors of the Time of Troubles. In the besieged Kremlin, at that time, Archbishop Arseny of Elasson (later Archbishop of Suzdal; † 1626; April 13), who had arrived from Greece, was seriously ill from shocks and experiences, was in captivity. At night, the cell of St. Arseny suddenly lit up with Divine light, he saw the Monk Sergius of Radonezh (Comm. 5 July and 25 September), who said: “Arseny, our prayers have been heard; through the intercession of the Mother of God, the judgment of God on the Fatherland is turned over to mercy; tomorrow Moscow will be in the hands of the besiegers and Russia will be saved.” The next day, Kitay-Gorod was liberated, and the Kremlin was liberated 2 days later.

Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow

Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow - one of the most famous Moscow churches was erected in 1636. The icon-liberator was transferred there, and now the image is kept in the Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Before the Battle of Poltava, Peter the Great with his army prayed before the icon of the Kazan Mother of God (from the village of Kaplunovka). In 1812, the Kazan icon of the Mother of God overshadowed the Russian soldiers who repelled the French invasion. On the feast of the Kazan Icon on October 22, 1812, Russian detachments led by Miloradovich and Platov defeated Davout's rearguard. This was the first major defeat of the French after leaving Moscow, the enemy lost 7 thousand people. On that day, snow fell, severe frosts began, and the army of the conqueror of Europe began to melt.

The icon showed the way not only to statesmen and squads - according to a good tradition, it is with this icon that young parents bless young parents for marriage, this image of the Mother of God, one of the most beloved in Russia, is accompanied by a long list of miracles.

Troparion to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, tone 4

Zealous Intercessor, / Mother of the Lord Most High, / for all pray to Your Son, Christ our God, / and work for everyone to be saved, to those who run to Your sovereign protection. / Intercede for all of us, O Lady Queen and Mistress, / even 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 irrevocably having hope on Thee, / deliverance of all evils, / bestow on all useful / and save everything, Virgin Mother of God: / Thou art the Divine Protection of Your servant.

Kontakion of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, tone 8

Come, people, to this quiet and good haven, / an ambulance Helper, ready and warm salvation, the cover of the Virgin. / Let us hasten to prayer, and rush to repentance: / the Most Pure Mother of God exudes for us inexhaustible mercy, / anticipates help, and delivers from great misfortunes and evils, // Her well-behaved and God-fearing servants.

Prayer before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

O Most Holy Lady Theotokos! With fear, faith and love, falling down before Your honest icon, we pray to You: do not turn Your face away from those who resort to You, implore, Merciful Mother, Your Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, may our country be peaceful, may the Church be established His holy Yes, he will keep it unshakable from unbelief, heresies and schism. Not imams of other help, not imams of other hope, unless you, Most Pure Virgin: You are the All-Powerful Helper and Intercessor of Christians. Deliver all those who pray to You with faith from the falls of sin, from the slander of evil people, from all temptations, sorrows, troubles and from vain death; Grant us the spirit of contrition, humility of heart, purity of thought, the correction of sinful lives and the remission of sins, so that we all thankfully sing of Your greatness, we will be made worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven and there with all the saints we will glorify the Most Honorable and Magnificent Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

21 July. Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

This icon appeared in 1579 shortly after the capture of the Kazan kingdom from the Tatars by Ivan the Terrible. The Most Holy Theotokos revealed here her miraculous icon in order to more firmly establish in it the newly converted from the inhabitants there; but those who did not believe should no longer be disposed to Christian faith. She herself appeared in a dream to a pious maiden named Matrona, the daughter of an archer who had been burned during a terrible fire in Kazan, ordered to announce to the archbishop and the mayor that they take Her icon from the earth, and at the same time indicated the very place. The girl told her mother about her dream, but she explained it as an ordinary childhood dream. The dream repeated itself twice more.

For the third time, by miraculous power, Matrona was thrown out of the window into the courtyard, where she also saw an icon on which such formidable rays emanated from the face of the Mother of God that she was afraid of being burned by them, and a voice came from the icon: “If you do not fulfill my command, I will appear in another place, and you will perish.” After this, the mother and daughter went to Archbishop Jeremiah and the mayor, but they did not believe them. Then on July 8, in deep distress, both of them, in the presence of the people, went to the indicated place. Mother and the people began to dig the earth, the icons were not found.

But as soon as Matrona herself began to dig, the icon was found. It was wrapped in a piece of cloth and shone with a wonderful light, as if it were brand new, just painted. It is believed that the icon was buried even before the conquest of Kazan, by one of the Christians who hid their faith from the haters of the faith, the Mohammedans. The rumor about the appearance of the icon spread throughout the city, many people flocked, and the archbishop, in the presence of the mayors, with a procession of the cross transferred the icon to the nearest church of St. Nicholas, and from there to the Cathedral of the Annunciation. When the icon was taken to the temple, many sick people, especially the blind, were healed.

It can be thought that this primary purpose of blindness served as a sign that the holy icon appeared to enlighten with spiritual light those darkened by the blindness of Mohammedan false teaching. The list from the icon was sent to Moscow, and Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich ordered the construction of a church and a convent on the site of the appearance of the icon. The first nun and then the abbess in the monastery was the maiden Matrona. In 1768, Empress Catherine II, listening to the liturgy in the monastery, adorned the crown of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God with a diamond crown.

November 4th. Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

In 1611, in the winter, St. the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was sent back to Kazan, but on the way there, in Yaroslavl, she was met by a militia from Nizhny Novgorod, gathered by Minin, over whom Prince Pozharsky took command and who, having learned about the miracles performed from the icon in Moscow, took her with him and constantly prayed before her, asking the zealous Heavenly Intercessor of the Christian race to send down help to them. The Most Holy Theotokos showed Her mercy, took under Her Protection the faithful sons of the fatherland, and with Her help Russia was saved from her enemies. The militia that arrived at Moscow with Prince Pozharsky encountered many obstacles that were insurmountable for human forces, namely: it was necessary to take the city, which was well fortified and stubbornly defended by the Poles, to repel the fresh, numerous Polish army that had approached Moscow, to pacify the willfulness and riot of the Russian detachments, who met the arriving militia almost with hatred and showing them only enmity and treason. In addition, the lack of food in the devastated area and the lack of weapons produced a strong decline in courage in the arriving army. And many of the faithful sons of the fatherland, losing the last spark of hope, exclaimed in deep sorrow: “Forgive me, freedom of the fatherland! Forgive me, holy Kremlin! We have done everything for your release; but it is clear that it is not pleasing to God to bless our weapons with victory!”

Deciding on the last attempt to liberate the dear fatherland from enemies, but not relying on their own strength, all the army and people turned to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother with a prayer, establishing a special solemn prayer for this and strictly observing a three-day fast. God heard the prayer cry of those who care about the fatherland and inviolability Orthodox Church and showed them His mercy. Reverend Sergius appeared in a dream to the ailing Archbishop Arseny of Elasson, in the Moscow Kremlin occupied by the Poles, in the Moscow Kremlin occupied by them, who came to Russia with the Greek Metropolitan Jeremiah and announced that, through the prayers of the Mother of God and the great Moscow miracle workers Peter, Alexy, Jonah and Philip, On the very next day, the Lord will overthrow the enemies and return saved Russia to her sons, and to assure the fulfillment of his words, he granted healing to Arseny. Encouraged by the good news, the Russian soldiers called on the help of the Queen of Heaven and courageously approached Moscow, and on October 22, 1612, they liberated Kitai-Gorod, and two days later they took the Kremlin itself. The Poles fled. The next day, on Sunday, the Russian army and all the inhabitants of Moscow, in gratitude for their deliverance from their enemies, made a solemn procession to the Execution Ground, carrying the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, sacred banners and other Moscow shrines. This spiritual procession was met from the Kremlin by Archbishop Arseny with the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which he had kept in captivity. Seeing this icon, the soldiers and the people knelt down and, with tears of joy, kissed the holy image of their Intercessor.

In memory of such a miraculous deliverance of Moscow from the Poles, by the permission of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich and the blessing of his father, Metropolitan, later Patriarch Filaret, the Church was established annually on October 22 to celebrate the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow with a procession. First, the procession was made to the Church of the Presentation of the Mother of God, on Lubyanka, where the house of Prince Pozharsky was located, and after the construction of a new church, in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, built at the expense of Prince Pozharsky (which is now the Kazan Cathedral, on Resurrection Square), the procession is already taking place in the cathedral. The miraculous icon, which was with him in the ranks of the army, was also transferred there by Prince Pozharsky himself.

Tobolsk Icon of the Mother of God

This miraculous icon is located in Tobolsk in the cathedral. She appeared in 1661. This year, on July 8, in Tobolsk, in the Znamensky Monastery, on the day of the celebration of the Kazan icon, at matins, when Hierodeacon Ioanniky read the legend about the appearance of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kazan and reached the place where it is said that the Kazan archbishop had not previously believed the appearance of the icon , then in front of all the people he prayed to the Most Pure Lady for the forgiveness of his sin, he suddenly fell unconscious on the floor along with the lectern.

When he came to his senses, he immediately demanded a confessor and revealed to him the following:

“On June 21st, after Matins, I went to my cell and fell asleep. Suddenly I see - a saint comes to me in full vestments, similar to John Chrysostom; I took him for Metropolitan Philip. The saint said to me: “Get up and tell the archimandrite, the governor and all the people that not far from the Three Saints Church in the city they build a church in the name of the Kazan Mother of God, they would build it in three days, and on the fourth they would consecrate and bring into it the image of the Mother of God of Kazan - that the very one that now stands in the porch of this Three Saints Church in a closet, facing the wall. Tell this image to be celebrated in the city. For your sins, I was angry with you, you speak foul language and fill the air with your foul language like a stench: this is a stench to both God and people; but our Lady, with all the saints, prayed to her Son Christ our God for your city and for all the people, so that He would turn away His righteous wrath. But when I got up from sleep, I was amazed, but I didn’t say anything to anyone. A little later, when I was in my cell and began to write irmos: Embellished with divine glory, the same saint suddenly came to me and graciously said to me: “Why didn’t you tell what was said to you from the Most Holy Theotokos through me, Her minister?" - and disappeared. Out of fear, I fell to the ground, glorified God, but I was afraid to speak about the vision, so that confusion would not come out among the people, and out of fear that they would not believe me. A few days later, during my sleep, the saint again appeared to me and said with anger: “Why didn’t you say what was commanded to you? Because of your neglect, the wrath of God is coming on your city for your sins. Your bread is rotting, and the water is drowning - get up soon and tell the archimandrite, the governor and all the people; If you don't, you will soon lose your life. If the townspeople obey, then the mercy of God will be on your city and its environs; if they do not listen, then it will be hard for your city: your cattle will die, the water will scatter your houses from the rains, and you will all disappear like worms, and the image of the Mother of God will be glorified in another place.

But I didn’t tell anyone about this third phenomenon, and on July 6, when after the evening singing I came to my cell, went to bed, I fell asleep lightly and heard - in the monastery a wonderful ringing of two bells and the singing of extraordinary voices: Let us exalt Ty, Immaculate Mother of our God. One of the singers said to me: "Because you did not say what you were commanded, tomorrow you will be punished before all the people." And when in the morning I began to read about the appearance of the miraculous image of the Mother of God in Kazan, I saw that the saint who had appeared to me before came from the porch and blesses the people on both sides; having come to the meal, also blessing the people, he came up to me and said: “You are reading this and why don’t you believe it yourself? That image was in the ground, and this one stands in the porch facing the wall; why didn't you tell about it?" And he, shaking his hand at me, said: "From now on, be decrepit until the divine work is done." Having said this, he became invisible, and I fell to the ground from fear, and now I am telling you.”

The people, having learned about the miraculous phenomena, with tears glorified the mercy of the Most Holy Theotokos, and all with zeal with a procession of the cross took the icon to the place where it was ordered to build the Church, and the church was built in three days and consecrated on the fourth. Before the construction of the church, the narrator notes, there were torrential rains and water came in the rivers, as if in springtime, and when they began to build the church, there was a bucket; breads and vegetables have recovered since then.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. images

Kaplunovskaya-Kazan Icon
Karpovskaya-Kazan Icon
Katashinsky-Kazan Icon
Ascension-Kazan Icon
Pavlovsk-Kazan Icon
Irkutsk-Kazan icon
Kargopol-Kazan Icon
Yaroslavl-Kazan Icon
Kazanskaya, located in the Moscow Simonov Monastery
Kazanskaya, located in the Vyshenskaya desert
Kazanskaya, located in the Tambov Cathedral
Kazan, located in Suzdal

Kaplunovskaya-Kazan Icon. This icon is located in the village of Kaplunovka, Kharkov diocese. Appeared in 1689 as follows. The priest of this village, distinguished by a particularly pious life, Ioann Umanov, had a dream of an old man adorned with gray hair, and told him that icon painters with icons would soon come to him from Moscow and that he would acquire from the oldest of them in years from a bunch of icons for himself the eighth account, the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. “From her you will receive grace and mercy,” added the elder. The priest did so, but before that he strictly fasted. Soon a new vision followed in a dream to the priest Umanov: the Most Holy Theotokos Herself appeared and ordered the icon to be placed in the church. The priest announced his vision to the people and triumphantly transferred the icon to the church, and from that time miracles began to happen from the icon. The icon was called Kaplunovskaya. In 1709, when Emperor Peter the Great was at war with the Swedish king Charles XII, he summoned a priest with the Kaplunov icon to his army in Kharkov and ordered him to carry it in front of the regiments, and he himself prayed with tears to the Queen of Heaven for help. Meanwhile, King Charles, having stopped with his army near Kaplunovka, placed himself with the traitor Hetman Mazepa in the house of the priest John. Then some of his violent warriors wanted to burn the church. They surrounded it with straw and firewood, but no matter how hard they tried to set it on fire, neither firewood nor straw caught fire. Having learned about such a miracle and also about the fact that St. the icon is in the Russian camp, Karl said to Mazepa: "If they could not light the church even without the icon, then where it is, it will not be reliable for us." So indeed it happened. The Battle of Poltava gave Great Peter the victory over Charles. There is a miraculous Kaplunovskaya icon in the Kozeevka settlement, 80 versts from Kharkov.

Nizhnelomovskaya-Kazan Icon. This icon appeared in 1643 at a spring two versts from the city of Nizhniy Loma in the Penza province. At the site of her appearance, a chapel was first erected, and then a church and a monastery.

Karpovskaya-Kazan Icon. This icon is in the Kursk Znamensky Monastery. It was brought here in 1725 from the Karpov desert.

Katashinsky-Kazan icon. This icon appeared in 1622 in a grove near the village of Bely Kolodez, Chernihiv province, to the local priest and placed by him in the village church. In 1692, a monastery named Katashinsky.

Ascension-Kazan icon. She is in Voznesensky convent in Moscow, in the Kremlin. For the first time she became famous in 1689. Twice it was in danger of burning, but miraculously it was preserved. This year, after a prayer before this icon, they forgot to extinguish the candle, the candle fell, and the lectern on which the icon lay was burnt from it, and the icon itself, despite the fact that it was written on the canvas, remained completely unharmed. Another time, when in 1701 on June 19 there was a fire in the Moscow Kremlin and burned down royal palace and the Ascension Monastery, the icon has been miraculously preserved. When they took out the utensils and icons from the cathedral monastery church, they did not take it out, but meanwhile it turned out to be together with other icons taken out; when, after the end of the fire, they began to bring things into the cathedral, they saw that the icon was already in its place, although no one had brought it. And there were many miraculous healings from this icon.

Pavlovsk-Kazan icon. This icon is located in the village of Pavlovsky, Moscow province, Zvenigorod district. She appeared on a tree, near the village, where a chapel was built in memory of the apparition; inside the chapel is a well, popularly called holy. The first miracle from the icon was the following. One of the peasants of the village of Pavlovsky fell into a cruel illness from an intemperate life. At this time, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared in a dream to another pious peasant and ordered him to tell the sick man to pray to Her for healing and go to wash in the holy well. Then he would have abandoned his intemperate life, otherwise he might perish. The patient with great effort went to the well, washed himself and - completely recovered.

Irkutsk-Kazan icon. It is located in Irkutsk in the Epiphany Cathedral and became famous for many miracles. Every year in April or May, after the sowing of spring grain, they carry it with a procession through the neighboring rural peasant fields to consecrate the crops. This religious procession has long been established on the occasion of frequent crop failures in the surrounding villages of the city of Irkutsk.

Kargopol-Kazan icon. This miraculous icon is located in Kargopol, Olonets diocese, in the Church of the Ascension. She became famous in 1714. The icon was in the house of the pious widow Martha Ponomareva, who once, while praying before the icon, saw that a tear was flowing from the right eye of the Most Holy Theotokos, and in fear informed the priest about it. The icon was transferred to the church, and here twice in a short time, in the sight of everyone, streams of tears appeared from the eyes of the Mother of God, which was reported to the then Metropolitan of Novgorod Job.

Yaroslavl-Kazan icon. This icon is located in Yaroslavl in the convent of Kazan. The story of her glorification is as follows. In 1588, on July 2, a certain pious man named Gerasim, when he was in Kazan, had a wonderful vision of the Mother of God Herself, and after he wished to acquire Her icon for himself, he heard a voice in a dream indicating where and which icon purchase, and then go to the city of Romanov and tell the inhabitants there to build a temple in the name of the icon. Gerasim found the icon and only took it in his hands, as his right hand, which had been sick for a long time, was healed. A temple was built in Romanov, and the icon stood there until 1604, when Romanov was taken by the Lithuanians. At this time, one of them took a miraculous icon from the church and took it with him to Yaroslavl. Here the Theotokos Herself appeared to a certain deacon Eleazar and commanded that a temple be erected in Her honor. The temple was erected, and then a monastery with it. The inhabitants of Romanov wanted to return the miraculous icon to themselves, but the citizens of Yaroslavl asked Tsar Vasily Ioannovich to leave it in their city, and the tsar, on the advice of Patriarch Hermogenes, approved the wish of the latter by a letter on his behalf, but with the fact that they made an exact list with the miraculous icons for Romanov. And the miraculous icon itself is carried every year from Yaroslavl to Romanov.

Kazanskaya, located in the Moscow Simonov Monastery. This icon was donated to the monastery by those who received it for a blessing from Bishop Tikhon of Voronezh. On the sides are depicted St. Tikhon, the angel of the saint, and Martha, the angel of the saint's sister Martha. For the first time she became famous for the healing of the girl - the wanderer Natalia, who three times appeared in a dream with an icon, but she did not know where to find it. Finally, Hieroschemamonk Alexy of the Simonov Monastery appeared to her in a dream with the image itself and said that the icon was in the monastery in the cathedral church on the right side. The icon was found, and the patient, after praying before it, received healing. Subsequently, in honor of her and for her, a special chapel was arranged at the cathedral monastery church. There were many miracles from the icon.

Kazanskaya, located in the Vyshenskaya desert. This icon in 1812 was brought from Moscow to the Tambov Ascension Convent by the nun Miropia, who, on the occasion of the ruin of the capital, moved there. The pious old woman three times in reality heard a voice from the icon commanding her to be transferred to Vyshenskaya Hermitage, and after her death, according to her will, the icon was transferred. In addition to many healings from the icon, the Vyshensky monks sometimes saw a bright light pouring from it throughout the church at night.

Kazanskaya, located in the Vysochinskiy Kazan Monastery. So the monastery is named after the icon, and the icon is named after the village of Vysochino, where it became famous for miracles. The icon appeared at the beginning of the 18th century, during the reign of Emperor Peter I. The village of Vysochino did not exist then, but there was a government pine forest. On the bank of the swampy river Mzha, which flowed among the forest and was surrounded by swamps, a watchman and his family lived in a hut. It was to this watchman that the icon appeared, standing on a swampy hummock. Light rays emanated from the icon. The watchman took it with reverence and prayer and placed it in his hut with icons on the shelf. Here the icon soon marked itself with a sun-like radiance emanating from it and at the same time healing the blind and lame old man, the watchman's father. Then they took the icon to the nearest church in the village of Artyukhovka, but the icon returned three times back to the watchman's hut. The people, having learned about the revealed icon, began to come in large numbers to worship her, and many received healing and consolation. Then the centurion Vysochin, to whom the emperor for merit during Battle of Poltava he donated land with a forest - a forest, where a miraculous icon stood in the watchman's hut, built a village here, which was named after his last name, Vysochino, and from the village of Artyukhovka moved the church here, where the miraculous icon was delivered. Subsequently, a monastery was built here. And in the monastery there were many miracles from the icon.

Kazan, located in the Tambov Cathedral. This icon is richly decorated. Her first miracle was in 1695, on December 6, during the all-night vigil, tears that moistened the veil and lectern.

Kazanskaya, located in the Temnikovsky Transfiguration Cathedral. She was in the pantry among the unusable utensils. The icon appeared three times to a lady who suffered from pain in her legs and promised healing if she found it. The patient demanded to be taken to the Temnikovsky Cathedral. As soon as she saw the icon in the pantry, she immediately felt relieved and, after prayer, was completely healed.

Kazan, located in the city of Vyazniki. It stands in the cathedral church. This icon marked itself with miracles at the beginning of the 17th century.

Kazan, located in Suzdal. It stands in the parish Church of the Resurrection. This icon, as a result of the appearance of the Mother of God Herself, was painted by one pious monk of the Shartom Nikolaev Monastery, Joachim, who lived in the 17th century. The monk lived near the Kazan Church in a hut, where he was buried.

“Miraculous Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos. Their history and images”, compiled by Archpriest I. Bukharev. Moscow, Caravel, 1994. Published according to the edition: Miraculous Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos (Their History and Images). Compiled by Archpriest I. Bukharev. Moscow, Tipo-Lithography G.I. Prostakov, Balchug, village of Simonov Monastery. 1901