Orthodox faith - the meeting of Vladimir. Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary

September 8 is an ever-memorable day for the Church and our Fatherland due to a great historical event.

At the end of the fourteenth century, in the depths of Asia, one brave military leader named Tamerlane managed to unite numerous Tatar tribes under his control into one huge horde. To conquer all kingdoms with this horde.

Indeed, none of the then former states could resist the pressure of wild immigrants from the Asian steppes.

Like locusts, the Tatars, led by the ferocious Tamerlane, crushed everything that came their way.

Thousands of thriving cities in Asia were turned to ashes by them. Populous states became deserts.

Tamerlane, called the scourge of God by his contemporaries, moved closer and closer to Europe. And, first of all, he turned his predatory gaze to our Fatherland.

In 1395, he entered Russia to conquer the Moscow state. Everyone was horrified when they heard about the invasion of a merciless and indestructible enemy. Tamerlane had already reached the banks of the Don and marked his path with blood and devastation of Russian cities and villages.

The Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Dmitrievich set out with his army to meet the enemy. And he stopped on the banks of the Oka River near Kolomna.

But the pious prince did not rely on his own strength, but only expected salvation from the Lord. He remained with his army in unceasing prayer. The pious prince commanded everyone to pray to ward off the invasion of the terrible enemy.

Throughout the Moscow state, especially in the capital city of Moscow, people were in churches from morning to evening. They performed prayers for the prince and his army.

Especially the fast that came before the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God was devoted to the strictest abstinence, the most fervent prayers and repentance, in order to appease the wrath of God.

In the midst of the approaching disaster, our ancestors could not forget the ancient mercies of God, which were shown to our Fatherland many times - through the intercession of the Mother of God, the Protector of the Christian race.

At that time, within the Moscow state, in the city of Vladimir there was a miraculous icon of the Mother of God. Written, according to legend, by the Evangelist Luke. An icon glorified by many miraculous signs.

By the will of the Grand Duke and Metropolitan of Moscow Cyprian, for protection from the threatening disaster and to console the grieving citizens of the capital city, the miraculous icon was brought from Vladimir to Moscow.

In front of the walls of the city, where the Sretensky Monastery now stands, on a place at that time called Kuchkovo Pole, the miraculous icon was greeted by the clergy and all citizens.

Everyone prayed with tears and fell to their knees, without ceasing to cry:

- Mother of God! save the Russian land. And this diligent nationwide prayer of the citizens of Moscow was not in vain.

On the very day that this significant meeting of the miraculous Icon of Vladimir took place in Moscow, Tamerlane, for no apparent reason, having already reached the goal of his distant campaign, to the considerable amazement of his generals and troops, who were hoping for great loot from the plunder of the capital, ordered his hordes to immediately retreat.

The chronicler explains that the invincible conqueror was forced to hastily retreat due to a menacing vision of the Mother of God.

In the form of a wondrous Woman, surrounded by crowds of lightning-fast warriors, the Mother of God blocked Tamerlane’s path.

Our pious ancestors quite clearly recognized in this event the direct manifestation of God’s sovereign providence. Through the prayers and intercession of the Mother of God, the Lord showed His saving power to protect the Orthodox faith in our Fatherland. Just at that moment when the Fatherland was on the verge of destruction.

For centuries, this ancient manifestation of God's mercy was vividly preserved in the memory of our people. Memory, revived annually by the church celebration of the procession from the Kremlin to the Sretensky Monastery, built in memory of the current event.

In the godless Soviet times, religious processions were considered a crime. But even after the revival of spiritual life in Russia, only once in 1995 was such a religious procession carried out. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the pouring rain. Then the miraculous icon was brought to the monastery. A unique video recording of this wonderful event has been preserved.

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is awaiting its return to its rightful place in the altar of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. And the revival of the annual religious processions from the Kremlin to the Sretensky Monastery.

The celebration was established in memory of the rescue of Moscow from the invasion of Tamerlane in 1395.

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior dined with the Most Pure Mother and Righteous Joseph. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “From now on, all generations will bless Me. May the grace of the One born of Me and Mine be with this icon.”

Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In 1131, the icon was sent to Rus' from Constantinople to the holy prince Mstislav († 1132, commemorated April 15) and was placed in the Maiden Monastery of Vyshgorod, the ancient appanage city of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga.

The son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Saint Andrei Bogolyubsky, brought the icon to Vladimir in 1155 and placed it in the famous Assumption Cathedral, which he erected. From that time on, the icon received the name Vladimir. In 1395, the icon was brought to Moscow for the first time. Thus, with the blessing of the Mother of God, the spiritual bonds of Byzantium and Rus' were sealed - through Kyiv, Vladimir and Moscow.

Icon of the Vladimir Mother of God. Sacristy of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra

The Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated several times a year (May 21, June 23, August 26). The most solemn celebration takes place on August 26, established in the honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon during its transfer from Vladimir to Moscow. In 1395, the terrible conqueror Khan Tamerlane (Temir-Aksak) reached the borders of Ryazan, took the city of Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don. Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich went out with an army to Kolomna and stopped on the banks of the Oka. He prayed to the saints of Moscow and St. Sergius for the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to the Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Cyprian (September 16), so that the upcoming Dormition Fast would be devoted to fervent prayers for pardon and repentance. The clergy were sent to Vladimir, where the famous miraculous icon was located. After the liturgy and prayer service on the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the clergy accepted the icon and carried it to Moscow with a procession of the cross. Countless people on both sides of the road, on their knees, prayed: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!” At the very hour when the residents of Moscow greeted the icon on Kuchkovo Field, Tamerlane was dozing in his tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from the top of which saints with golden rods were coming towards him, and above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. Those who knew answered that the radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Protector of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back. In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, the Sretensky Monastery was built on Kuchkovo Field, where the icon was met, and on August 26, an all-Russian celebration was established in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Before the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, the most important events in Russian church history took place: the election and installation of St. Jonah - Primate of the Autocephalous Russian Church (1448), St. Job - the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (1589), His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon (1917). ). On the day of celebration in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen of Moscow and All Rus' was enthroned - May 21/June 3, 1971.

Quite recently, it seemed, festive services were held in the Prechistensky Cathedral, led by Archbishop Innocent of Vilna and Lithuania, dedicated to the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Where all the believers, together with the clergy, prayed to the Mother of God, the intercessor of the Christian race.

And, today, September 8, according to the Church calendar, the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated, the festival was established in memory of the salvation of Moscow from the invasion of Tamerlane in 1395. It was on the Feast of the Dormition that the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God appeared in a dream to Tamerlane and ordered him to leave the Russian land.
The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, according to Church Tradition and the faith of our glorious ancestors, was written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior ate with the Most Pure Mother and Righteous Joseph.
The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “From now on, all generations will bless Me. May the grace of the One born of Me and Mine be with this icon.”

In 1131, the icon was sent to Rus' from Constantinople to Saint Mstislav and was placed in the Maiden Monastery of Vyshgorod, the ancient appanage city of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga.
The son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Saint Andrei Bogolyubsky, brought the icon to Vladimir in 1155 and placed it in the famous Assumption Cathedral, which he erected. From that time on, the icon received the name Vladimir. In 1395, the icon was brought to Moscow for the first time. Thus, with the blessing of the Mother of God, the spiritual bonds of Byzantium and Rus' were sealed.

In 1395, the terrible conqueror Khan Tamerlane reached the borders of Ryazan, took the city of Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don. Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich went out with an army to Kolomna and stopped on the banks of the Oka. He prayed to the saints of Moscow and St. Sergius for the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to the Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Cyprian, so that the upcoming Dormition Fast would be devoted to fervent prayers for pardon and repentance. The clergy were sent to Vladimir, where the famous miraculous icon was located. After the liturgy and prayer service on the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the clergy accepted the icon and carried it to Moscow with a procession of the cross. Countless people on both sides of the road, on their knees, prayed: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!” At the very hour when the residents of Moscow greeted the icon on Kuchkovo Field, Tamerlane was dozing in his tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from the top of which saints with golden rods were coming towards him, and above them a majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. Those who knew answered that the radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Protector of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back. In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, the Sretensky Monastery was built on Kuchkovo Field, where the icon was greeted by Muscovites.

Thus, the intercession of the Mother of God saved Rus' from the invasion of Tamerlane, and thereby showed that whoever approaches the Mother of God with piety and prayer will fulfill Her words: “Rejoice, I will be with you all the days,” once spoken to the apostles on the third day , after His glorious Dormition.
And, as if as a pledge of Her invisible presence, She gave the Orthodox human race many tens, hundreds and thousands of Her holy, celibate and miraculous icons. Through them, She conveys Her Motherly mercy to everyone who with faith, reverence and love falls before these holy icons, consoles, encourages, heals, helps to bear the cross of life to everyone seeking heavenly reinforcement on their earthly path.

Troparion, tone 4
Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God
Today the most glorious city of Moscow brightly flaunts, / as if we have received the dawn of the sun, O Lady, / Your miraculous icon, / to which we now flow and pray. We cry to you: / oh, wonderful Lady Theotokos! / Pray from You to the incarnate Christ our God, / that he may deliver this city, / and all Christian cities and countries unharmed from all the slander of the enemy, / and save our souls, as he is the Merciful.

Kontakion, tone 8
To the chosen victorious Voivode, having been delivered from the evil ones by the coming of Your venerable image, to the Lady Theotokos we brightly celebrate the celebration of Your meeting and usually call You: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.

(August 26, old style) On this day we celebrate the commendable recovery of the miraculous icon, our Most Holy Lady Theotokos of Vladimir from the invasion of the godless Hagarians, the filthy king Temiryaxak (Pl.). Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Vladimir they pray for deliverance from the invasion of foreigners, for instruction in the Orthodox faith, for preservation from heresies and schisms, for the pacification of those at war, for the preservation of Russia.

According to church tradition, the icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke in the 1st century from the Birth of Christ on the board of a table that was in the house of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. The icon came to Constantinople from Jerusalem in the 5th century under Emperor Theodosius. This icon is attributed to the evangelist not in the sense that it was painted by his hand; Not a single one of the icons he painted himself has reached us. The authorship of the holy evangelist Luke here must be understood in the sense that this icon is a list of icons once painted by the evangelist

Theodosius II Greek Θεοδόσιος Β’, Bust of Theodosius from the Louvre. Byzantine Emperor 408 - 450

The icon came to Rus' from Byzantium at the beginning of the 12th century (about 1131) as a gift to the holy prince Mstislav from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysovergos. The icon was delivered by the Greek Metropolitan Michael, who arrived in Kyiv from Constantinople in 1130. At first, the Vladimir Icon was located in the women's monastery of the Mother of God of Vyshgorod, not far from Kyiv, hence its Ukrainian name - the Vyshgorod Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, brought the icon to Vladimir in 1155 (from which it received its current name, where it was kept in the Assumption Cathedral.) By order of Prince Andrei, the icon was decorated with an expensive frame. After the murder of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1176, Prince Yaropolk Rostislavich removed the expensive decoration from the icon, and it ended up with Gleb of Ryazan. Only after the victory of Prince Mikhail, Andrei’s younger brother, over Yaropolk did Gleb return the icon and headdress to Vladimir. When Vladimir was captured by the Tatars in 1237, the Assumption Cathedral was plundered, and the frame was torn off the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. The “State Book” reports on the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral and the restoration of the icon by Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich.

During the invasion of Tamerlane under Vasily I in 1395, the revered icon was moved to Moscow to protect the city from the conqueror.

The celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary happens several times a year. Each of the days of celebration is associated with the deliverance of the Russian people from enslavement by foreigners through prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos:

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

June 3 (May 21) - in memory of the rescue of Moscow from the Crimean Khan Makhmet-Girey in 1521.

The most solemn celebration takes place on September 8 (new style), established in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir icon when it was transferred from Vladimir to Moscow.

The history of the meeting in Moscow of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, falling on September 8, points to a specific date - 1395. The word "meeting" means "meeting." And indeed, in the indicated year in Moscow there was a meeting of the holy image of the Most Holy Theotokos by Muscovites. Later, the Sretensky Monastery was built on the site of the meeting. This monastery gave its name to Sretenka Street.

In 1395, the terrible conqueror Khan Tamerlane (Temir-Aksak) with hordes of Tatars entered Russian soil and reached the borders of Ryazan, took the city of Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don.

Timur / Tamerlane Chagat. تیمور, Great Emir of the Timurid Empire
April 9, 1336 - February 18, 1405 15th century miniature

Grand Duke Vasily I Dimitrievich, the eldest son of Dmitry Donskoy, went with an army to Kolomna and stopped on the banks of the Oka. The number of Tamerlane's troops was many times greater than the Russian squads, their strength and experience were incomparable. The only hope remained in chance and God's help.

He prayed to the saints of Moscow and St. Sergius for the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to the Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Cyprian, so that the upcoming Dormition Fast would be devoted to fervent prayers for pardon and repentance.

The clergy were sent to Vladimir, where the famous miraculous icon was located. After the liturgy and prayer service on the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the clergy accepted the icon and carried it to Moscow with a procession of the cross. The journey with the Vladimir Icon from Vladimir to Moscow continued for ten days. Countless people on both sides of the road, on their knees, prayed: “Most Holy Theotokos, save the Russian land!” In Moscow, the icon was greeted on August 26 (September 8 according to the new style) “the whole city came out against the icon to meet it”... .

At the very hour when the residents of Moscow greeted the icon on Kuchkovo Pole (now Sretenka Street), Tamerlane was dozing in his tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from the top of which saints with golden rods were coming towards him, and above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia.

Waking up in trepidation, Tamerlane called the wise men. “You won’t be able to deal with them, Tamerlane, this is the Mother of God, the intercessor of the Russians,” the fortune tellers said to the invincible khan. “And Tamerlane fled, driven by the power of the Most Holy Virgin”...

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, the Sretensky Monastery was built on Kuchkovo Field, where the icon was met, and on August 26, an all-Russian celebration was established in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

After this event, the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, after 235 years in Vladimir, remained in Moscow forever. She was placed in the cathedral built in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Before her, kings were anointed as kings and the most important events in Russian church history took place: the election and installation of St. Jonah - Primate of the Autocephalous Russian Church (1448), St. Job - the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (1589)

And less than a century had passed, in 1480 the Khan of the Golden Horde, Akhmet, marched on Moscow. He had already reached the Ugra River. The Grand Duke of Moscow John III was waiting for the khan on the other side of the river. Chroniclers write that unexpectedly and without any reason, the Tatars were attacked by animal fear of an inexplicable nature. He paralyzed both the physical strength and will of the Tatars. Khan Akhmet was unable to cope with the demoralized army and was forced to retreat...

In 1547 there was a strong fire in the Moscow Kremlin. They were going to take out the miraculous icon: several of the strongest and bravest men were sent to remove it and take it to a safe place outside the Kremlin. But no force could move the shrine from its place. According to eyewitnesses, at that moment a vision of a “luminous Woman overshadowing the temple” appeared in the sky above the Assumption Cathedral... Soon the fire subsided. Among the ashes stood the Assumption Cathedral, untouched by fire.

In Soviet times, the icon was placed in the Tretyakov Gallery; fortunately, it was not lost like many Orthodox shrines during the years of persecution of the Church.

In September 1999, one of the main Orthodox shrines of Russia - the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Vlaimir - was transferred by the Russian Orthodox Church to the Church of St. Nicholas at the Tretyakov Gallery.

There it is kept to this day under bulletproof glass, and special devices maintain a special temperature and humidity regime...

Iconographically, the Vladimir Icon belongs to the Eleus (Tenderness) type. The Baby pressed his cheek to the Mother's cheek. The icon conveys the tender communication between Mother and Child. Mary foresees the suffering of the Son in His earthly journey.

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

On the reverse are depicted the Etymasia (Prepared Throne) and the instruments of the passions, dating very roughly to the beginning of the 15th century.

The prepared throne (Greek) Etimasiya) - the theological concept of the throne prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ, coming to judge the living and the dead.

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

Since the people of Rus' were baptized, the Mother of God has been considered the patroness of our country. And this is not unfounded, since from the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos our compatriots received miraculous help in the most difficult situations, when not only the freedom of an entire nation was at stake, but also the lives of masses of people. One of these revered images is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.

September 8 - Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1395)

History of the icon

According to church tradition, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was painted by the Evangelist Luke in the 1st century after the Nativity of Christ on the board of the table at which Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and Joseph the Betrothed sat in the Savior’s youth.

For a long time this icon remained in Jerusalem (approximately until the middle of the 5th century AD). Later it was transferred from Jerusalem first to Constantinople, and at the beginning of the 12th century from Byzantium it came to Russia as a gift to the holy prince Mstislav (†1132) from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverkh. The icon was placed in the convent of Vyshgorod (an ancient appanage city of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga), not far from Kyiv. The rumor about her miracles reached the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who decided to transport the icon to the north.

After leaving Vyshgorod, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky took the icon to Rostov. 11 versts from Vladimir, the horses carrying the icon suddenly stopped, and no force could move them from their place. Everyone considered this a wonderful omen. After serving a prayer service, we decided to spend the night here. At night, during fervent prayer, the Queen of Heaven Herself appeared to the prince and commanded that the Vladimir miraculous icon of the Mother of God be left in Vladimir, and in this place a temple and a monastery be built in honor of Her Nativity.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and the remains of Andrei Bogolyubsky's castle (below the bell tower tent) in the village of Bogolyubovo, Suzdal district, Vladimir region

To the general joy of the residents, Prince Andrei returned to Vladimir along with the miraculous icon. The image of the Mother of God took pride of place in the Assumption Cathedral. Since then, the icon of the Mother of God began to be called Vladimirskaya .

History of the holiday September 8 - Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, falling on September 8, points to a specific date - 1395. The word "meeting" means "meeting." And indeed, in the indicated year in Moscow there was a meeting of the holy image of the Mother of God by Muscovites. Later, the Sretensky Monastery was built on the site of the meeting. This monastery gave its name to Sretenka Street.

In 1395 terrible conqueror Khan Tamerlan (Temir-Aksak) with hordes of Tatars entered Russian soil and reached the borders of Ryazan, took the city of Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don.

Tamerlane

Tamerlane's army

Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich prayed to the saints of Moscow and St. Sergius for the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to the Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Cyprian, so that the upcoming Dormition Fast would be devoted to fervent prayers for pardon and repentance.

The clergy were sent to Vladimir, where the famous miraculous icon was located. After the liturgy and prayer service on the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the clergy accepted the icon and carried it to Moscow with a procession of the cross. The journey with the Vladimir Icon from Vladimir to Moscow continued for ten days. Countless people on both sides of the road, on their knees, prayed: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!” The icon was greeted in Moscow on August 26 (September 8 according to the new style).

The miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane on Kuchkovo Field (meeting the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

At that very hour when the residents of Moscow greeted the icon on Kuchkovo Pole (now Sretenka Street) , Tamerlane dozed in his camp tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from the top of which saints with golden rods were coming towards him, and above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. They answered him that the radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Defender of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back.

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, a Sretensky Monastery , and on August 26 (in the new style - September 8) an all-Russian celebration was established in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

After this event, the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God remained in Moscow forever. She was placed in the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Before her, kings were anointed to the kingdom and high priests were elected.

Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

During Soviet times, the icon was placed in the Tretyakov Gallery. Now the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is in Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi (metro station "Tretyakovskaya", M. Tolmachevsky lane, 9).

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

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

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

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

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

Iconography

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

On the reverse are depicted the Etymasia (Prepared Throne) and the instruments of the passions, dating very roughly to the beginning of the 15th century.

The throne prepared. Back of the “Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God”

The throne prepared(Greek Etimasiya) is the theological concept of the throne prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ, coming to judge the living and the dead. Consists of the following elements:

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

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

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Vladimir” they pray for deliverance from the invasion of foreigners, for instruction in the Orthodox faith, for preservation from heresies and schisms, for the pacification of those at war, for the preservation of Russia.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

Prayer of the Mother of God before Her Icon of Vladimir
To whom shall we cry, Lady? To whom shall we resort in our sorrow, if not to You, Queen of Heaven? Who will receive our crying and sighing, if not You, Most Immaculate, the hope of Christians and refuge for us sinners? Who is in mercy more than You? Incline Your ear to us, Lady, Mother of our God, and do not despise those who require Your help: hear our groaning, strengthen us sinners, enlighten and teach us, O Queen of Heaven, and do not depart from us, Thy servant, Lady, for our grumbling, but Be our Mother and Intercessor, and entrust us to the merciful protection of Your Son. Arrange for us whatever Your holy will pleases, and lead us sinners to a quiet and serene life, may we weep for our sins, may we rejoice with You always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. A min.

Prayer 2 of the Mother of God before Her Icon of Vladimir
Oh, All-Merciful Lady Theotokos, Heavenly Queen, All-Powerful Intercessor, our shameless Hope! Thanking Thee for all the great blessings that the Russian people have received from Thee throughout the generations, before Thy most pure image we pray to Thee: save this city (this whole; this holy monastery) and Thy coming servants and the whole Russian Land from famine, destruction, earth shaking, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare! Save and save, Madam, our Great Lord and Father (name), His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and our Lord (name), His Eminence bishop (archbishop, metropolitan) (title), and all the Eminence metropolitans, archbishops and bishops of the Orthodox. May they govern the Russian Church well, and may the faithful sheep of Christ be preserved indestructibly. Remember, Lady, the entire priestly and monastic order, warm their hearts with zeal for God and strengthen them to walk worthy of their calling. Save, O Lady, and have mercy on all Your servants and grant us the path of the earthly journey without blemish. Confirm us in the faith of Christ and in zeal for the Orthodox Church, put into our hearts the spirit of the fear of God, the spirit of piety, the spirit of humility, give us patience in adversity, abstinence in prosperity, love for our neighbors, forgiveness for our enemies, success in good deeds. Deliver us from every temptation and from petrified insensibility; on the terrible day of Judgment, grant us, through Your intercession, to stand at the right hand of Your Son, Christ our God, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. A min.

Troparion, tone 4
Today the most glorious city of Moscow brightly flaunts, as if we had received the dawn of the sun, the Lady, Your miraculous icon, to which we now flow and pray, we cry out to You: O, most wonderful Lady Theotokos, pray from You to the incarnate Christ our God, that He may deliver this city and all Christian cities and countries are unharmed from all the slander of the enemy, and He will save our souls, like the Merciful.

Kontakion, tone 8
To the chosen victorious Voivode, having been delivered from the evil ones by the coming of Your venerable image, to the Lady Theotokos we brightly celebrate the celebration of Your meeting and usually call You: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.