Orthodox Faith - Meeting of Vladimir

Troparion of the Mother of God before Her Icon of Vladimir, voice 4

Today the most glorious city of Moscow shines brightly, / like the dawn of the sun, having received, O Lady, / Your miraculous icon, / to which we now flow and pray to You, we cry out to You: / Oh, wonderful Lady Theotokos! / Praying from You to the incarnate Christ our God, / may he deliver this city and all Christian cities and countries / unharmed from all the slander of the enemy / / and save our souls, like the Merciful.

Kontakion, voice 8

To the chosen victorious Voivode, / as having been delivered from the evil ones / by the coming of Your honorable image, Lady Theotokos, / we brightly celebrate the celebration of Your meeting and usually call You // Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.

P according to the chronicle, an icon of the Mother of God, painted by the ap. Luke, was sent around 1131 to Rus' during the reign of Yuri Dolgoruky by the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke the Christ.

In 1155 St. blg. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, leaving Kyiv and heading to his ancestral land of Suzdal, secretly took with him a wondrous icon of the Mother of God from Vyshgorod, which by this time had become his appanage city. This icon later received the name “Vladimir”.

According to Church Tradition, the image of the “Vladimir Mother of God” goes back to the work of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke himself. However, researchers date this icon to a much later time (12th century). For us, it is unconditional that this wondrous image, being painted at a later time, goes back to the prototype and is a copy of the icon painted by St. and the Evangelist Luke.

Holy blessings book Andrei brought the wondrous image to Vladimir, and after the completion of the Assumption Cathedral, the icon was placed there. Already in 1161, as the chronicler narrates, the icon was richly decorated with gold, silver, precious stones and pearls. The richness of this setting amazed the chronicler, who especially noted the efforts of St. Prince Andrey: “and we have forged more than three hundred hryvnias of gold (about 12 kg), besides silver and precious stones and pearls.” The icon has since become known as “Vladimir”, and St. Prince Andrey received the nickname “Bogolyubsky”.

Celebrations in honor of the Vladimir Icon are celebrated by the Church three times a year: May 21, June 23 and August 26 according to the old style, and the most solemnly celebrated is the memory of the presentation (that is, meeting) of the Vladimir Icon in Moscow on August 26, 1395 (September 8 n.st. ).

Rus' by the end of the 14th century. For almost three hundred years it has been in a state of feudal fragmentation, and the last two centuries have been under the weight of the Mongol-Tatar yoke and under constant attacks from its western neighbors. Constantly devastated either by its own people or by others, having lost a large significant part of its lands, becoming an “ulus” (vassal) of the Golden Horde khans, subjected to exorbitant tribute from them, Rus' was in a state of deep decline. The revival of statehood began with a spiritual revival, with the Orthodox faith, the wondrous fruits of which appeared in Rus' with St. Sergius of Radonezh and his disciples.

St. Sergius was elevated to the rank of abbot of the monastery he founded (the future Trinity-Sergius Lavra) in 1354, and already in the 1360s an event took place that was extremely important for the future fate of the Russian people: Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, who was then the guardian of a minor Prince of Moscow Dmitry and who actually ruled on behalf of the prince, managed to obtain from the Horde khans recognition of the right of the Moscow princes to hereditarily hold the title of Grand Duke of Vladimir, which actually abolished the “laddered right” of inheritance that existed at that time and created the basis for the emergence of a centralized monarchical state. This policy culminated in the triumph of victory on the Kulikovo Field in 1380, when the Russian princes, led by Moscow Prince Dmitry, united for the first time in so long and defeated the Mongol-Tatar troops.

However, the final unification of Rus' was still out of the question, and in 1382 Moscow and all its lands were subjected to devastating destruction by the hordes of Tokhtamysh. Russian princes again begin to go to bow to the khans and pay tribute.

In 1370, in the territories between India and the Golden Horde, a powerful new Islamic Timurid empire emerged with its capital in Samarkand, led by one of the greatest Asian conquerors, Tamerlane. In a short time, Tamerlane conquered several kingdoms. This ruler was particularly bloodthirsty. His empire grew rapidly, and serious friction arose with its neighbors, over whom Tamerlane also tried to extend his influence. Their number included the Golden Horde. The situation especially worsened in 1394, when, in response to the provocative actions of Khan Tokhtamysh, Tamerlane went on a campaign against the horde and defeated Tokhtamysh in a general battle on the Terek River on April 15, 1395. Pursuing the retreating forces of Tokhtamysh, Tamerlane passed the entire Golden Horde from south to north and in July appeared within the Russian lands. The Russians watched the developments with trepidation. From the Georgian princes they had already heard about the strength and bloodthirstiness of Tamerlane, who more than once conquered Georgia and even tried to introduce Islam in this Orthodox country. Tamerlane understood well that the large Russian ulus was an important source of income and stability for the Golden Horde. Russian sources report the intention of Tamerlane or Timur Aksak, as he was called in our chronicles, to march on Moscow.

In August 1395, Tamerlane invaded Rus' and burned the city of Yelets, located on the outskirts of the Ryazan principality, killed the Yelets prince and brutally dealt with the population.

Then Tamerlane stood on the Don and waited, either giving rest to the wars, or making plans for further actions. Moscow Prince Vasily Dmitrievich began hastily gathering forces on the Oka River, but there was practically no hope of resisting the thousands of victorious hordes of Tamerlane. People were in fear, and for Rus' in this situation, Tamerlane’s campaign could become deadly, and not only because of the Mongol-Tatars: the Lithuanian state in the west, which had already accepted the Catholic Union, was rapidly absorbing the lands of weakened Rus' (as already in 1362 they took Kyiv), the Russian borders were threatened by Poland and Sweden.

And then Metropolitan Cyprian of Moscow - a wondrous saint and zealous servant of the Church - declares a nationwide fast and, together with the princes, organizes an unprecedented religious procession from Vladimir to Moscow with the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. A Serb by nationality, Bishop Cyprian loved the Russian people very much, believed in them and saw that now a critical moment had come, on which the entire future of this people depended, and nothing could help except a miracle, except a conciliar people’s prayer to the Lord and His Most Pure One Mothers. On August 15, on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Vladimir Icon was carried out of the church with all possible solemnity, accompanied by the entire Vladimir clergy, with chants, crosses and banners, and carried to Moscow in a religious procession of many thousands. All the residents of the city came out to see off the icon.

The Lady’s journey from the banks of the Klyazma lasted ten days. On both sides of the road, kneeling people stood and, stretching out their hands to the icon, cried out: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!” A solemn meeting awaited the Vladimir Icon in the white stone: a religious procession with all the city clergy, the family of the Grand Duke, boyars and ordinary Muscovites went outside the city walls to Kuchkovo Field, met and escorted the miraculous one to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

It was August 26, old style. “The whole city came out in front of the icon to meet it,” the chronicler testifies. Metropolitan, Grand Duke, “husbands and wives, young men and virgins, children and babies, orphans and widows, from young to old, with crosses and icons, with psalms and spiritual songs, moreover, saying everything with tears, who cannot find a person, not crying with silent sighs and sobs.”

And the Mother of God heeded the prayer of those who trusted in Her. At the very hour of the meeting of the icon on the banks of the Moscow River, Tamerlane had a sleepy vision in his tent: saints with golden staves were descending from a high mountain, and above them in indescribable grandeur, in the radiance of bright rays, the Radiant Woman was hovering; countless hosts of Angels with fiery swords surrounded Her... Tamerlane woke up, trembling with horror. The wise men he convened, elders and Tatar fortune-tellers, explained that the Wife he had seen in a dream was the Intercessor of the Orthodox, the Mother of God, and that Her power was invincible. And then the Iron Lame ordered his hordes to turn back.

Both the Tatars and the Russians were amazed by this event. The chronicler concluded: “And Tamerlane fled, driven by the power of the Blessed Virgin!”

In memory of this event, the Sretensky Monastery was founded at the meeting place of the icon in front of Moscow in 1397.

Returning from a campaign against Rus', Tamerlane once again passed through the Golden Horde, this time from east to west, leaving behind him bare scorched earth. The troops of Khan Tokhtamysh were completely defeated, and after that the Golden Horde was never able to restore its former power. She was no longer able to prevent the formation of the Moscow state, and over time her lands were absorbed into Russia itself. And in this, a believer can also see the hand of God in history: it is within the power of the Lord to turn any worst evil into good.

Many of the most important events in the history of the Russian state over the course of many centuries are associated with the miraculous Vladimir image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And we have the power, just like our God-loving ancestors, to appeal to the Mother of God with simple and earnest prayer, bringing to Her all those worries and sorrows that torment us today.

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. On September 8, the Church decided to celebrate a holiday dedicated to it.

General information

If you believe the ancient church tradition, the icon of the Virgin Mary, celebrated at the beginning of autumn every year, has a centuries-old history. According to this version, the author of the holy image is the Evangelist Luke. He painted the face of the Mother of God on an ordinary wooden board - part of the table at which the Mother of God, Jesus and righteous Joseph ate food. Seeing her own image on the board, the Virgin Mary blessed the latter, saying the following words: “From now on, all generations will bless Me. May the grace of the One born of Me and Mine be with this icon.”

For a long time this icon remained in the main city of Israel - Jerusalem. Then I found myself in Constantinople, the Byzantine capital. In the 12th century, the Patriarch of Constantinople presented the holy image to the holy prince Mstislav, who sat on the Kiev throne. This is how the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God ended up in Russia. She was placed in the Maiden Monastery, which was located in Vyshgorod.

Two decades passed before the miraculous icon found itself in Vladimir. By the way, this event happened thanks to the holy Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. The image of the Mother of God took pride of place in the Assumption Cathedral of the city. Hence the name of the holy image of the Virgin Mary: it literally has a topographical character.

Scientists do not believe church tradition regarding the true age of the miraculous icon. As a result of research, the holy image was dated to the 12th century AD. It turns out that the Vladimir Icon belongs to the period of the Komnenian revival in Byzantine art, in particular painting. This is indicated by the coincidence of some drawn elements present on the image of the Mother of God with those used by artists of the indicated pictorial era. From the point of view of art, the icon of the Virgin Mary we are considering can safely be called an example of the Byzantine school of painting. The one who wrote it was a master of his craft, since he managed to convey the feelings and emotions of the Most Pure One so accurately that it is impossible to remain indifferent while looking at the holy canvas and the woman depicted on it.

However, some facts, although very controversial, also speak out in favor of church tradition. For example, there is information that the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was in the city of Jerusalem until the middle of the 5th century AD. What is not proof of the truth of the church’s opinion on the issue of the real age of the Orthodox relic?

history of the holiday

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 Virgin Mary by Muscovites. Later, the Sretensky Monastery was built on the site of the meeting. This monastery gave its name to Sretenka Street.

Under what circumstances did the holy image of the Most Pure One end up in the capital and, moreover, why was it greeted by so many people? History provides an explanation. In the year 1395 already mentioned above, Khan Tamerlane with hordes of his warriors approached Moscow. His goal was to capture the capital city. The Christian people realized that their enemies were stronger, at least in quantitative terms, and therefore they relied solely on the help of heaven. The Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Dmitrievich took the initiative in this regard. He ordered that the holy image of the Mother of God, which was already kept in Vladimir by that time, be brought to Moscow. The journey of the miraculous icon of the Intercessor was very long - it lasted 10 days. On both sides of the road crossed by the Lady, there were many people standing. Everyone stretched out their hands to the icon, crying out: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!” In Moscow, the holy image of the Virgin Mary received a magnificent reception. On this occasion, a solemn religious procession was organized, which was attended by representatives of the city clergy, boyars, the Grand Duke and his family and, of course, ordinary citizens. The meeting of the icon took place on the city walls overlooking Kuchkovo Field, after which the people escorted the holy image to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

The event described above took place on August 26, 1395. The meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was accompanied by great crying of those present, incessant prayers and lamentations. All this, undoubtedly, came from the heart, because, firstly, the Russian people at that time were distinguished by their high fear of God, and secondly, the fear of the invasion of Tamerlane’s hordes was too strong. And it is not surprising that the Mother of God heeded the sincere requests for help and intercession coming from so many people.

At the moment of the meeting of the miraculous icon on the banks of the Moscow River, the Khan and his soldiers had a subtle vision in which the enemies of Rus' saw saints descending from a high mountain, holding golden staffs in their hands, and a woman hovering above them, surrounded by the radiance of bright rays of light and a host of Angels with fiery swords. It is interesting that this vision appeared not only to the Tatars, but also to the Russian people. Both of them were indescribably surprised, and the latter were also in indescribable horror. As a result, Tamerlane fled with his tent without looking back.

At the end of these events, the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God remained in Moscow forever. It was placed in the Kremlin Cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Later, more than once, the Virgin Mary protected the capital city from enemies. So, in 1408, through her holy image, she saved the capital from the raids of Khan Edigei, in 1451 - from the attack of Mazovsha, the Nogai prince, in 1459 - from the encroachments on the Russian land by Khan Sedi-Akhmet. In 1480, a popular prayer in front of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God forced Khan Akhmet to change his intention to try to conquer Moscow, and in 1521 the same thing happened to the Kazan Khan Makhmet-Girey. Paying tribute to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the Church has established three holidays honoring the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: in addition to the date of September 8 (August 26, NS), commemorating the salvation of the capital city from Khan Tamerlane in 1395, Orthodox Christians also celebrate the holiday of 21 May - the defense of Moscow from the invasion of the Crimean Khan Makhmet-Girey in 1521 and June 23 - the memory of the salvation of Moscow from the invasion of Khan Akhmat in 1480.

The Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God - without exaggeration, the most revered in Rus'. This holiday is celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church three times: June 3 - in memory of the deliverance from Makhmet-Girey in 1521, July 6 - in memory of the deliverance from Khan Akhmat in 1480, and September 8 - in memory of how the Mother of God drove away walls of Moscow, Tamerlane's army.

Thunderstorm of the Tatar-Mongols

Many miracles have been observed behind the Vladimir Icon. In 1164, she accompanied Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky on a campaign against the Volga Bulgars. Before the battle, the prince and his entire army prayed in front of the icon, the enemy was defeated, and after the victory a miracle appeared to the soldiers’ eyes: the entire area was illuminated with a wondrous radiance coming from the image. Exactly on the same day and hour, the Byzantine emperor Manuel, before the battle with the Saracens, saw the same light coming from the Cross of the Lord.

The next great miracle happened almost a century later. In 1395, Tamerlane was approaching Moscow. There was little hope for salvation, and then the Moscow prince Vasily Dmitrievich ordered the icon of the Mother of God to be delivered from Vladimir to Moscow. Tamerlane pitched his tents on the banks of the Moscow River and was going to take the city under siege. However, at night in a dream he saw a Radiant Woman in radiance, surrounded by angels with fiery swords. The next morning Tamerlane convened a council. The sages interpreted the vision and explained to the khan that the Woman he saw was the Mother of God, the intercessor of the Orthodox, and he would not be able to overcome her. “And Tamerlane fled, driven by the power of the Blessed Virgin!” - this is what the chronicler wrote about Tamerlane’s flight.

Later, the icon more than once saved the Russian people from enemy raids. It is to her blessed power that chroniclers attribute victories over enemies: in 1408 - over Khan Edigei, in 1451 - over the Nogais, in 1459 they managed to fight off the troops of Khan Sedi-Akhmet. In 1480, the icon forced the army of the Horde Khan Akhmat to turn back to the steppe (the famous standing on the Ugra River), and in 1521 Moscow was saved from the hordes of Kazan and Nogai Tatars under the leadership of Khan Makhmet-Girey. Then the princes barely had time to gather an army to repel the attack. Holding back the onslaught of the Tatars, Russian troops slowly retreated to Moscow, behind whose walls all the people fervently prayed before the face of the Mother of God, asking for intercession. One nun had a vision: she saw the Moscow saints Peter and Alexy coming out of the closed gates of the Assumption Cathedral with an icon in their hands. The nun told the townspeople about what she had seen, and the people began to pray even more fervently. And again the Mother of God put the Tatar troops to flight, appearing to the enemies surrounded by shining warriors.

Guardian of the Russian North

As legends say, the Apostle Luke himself painted this image on a board from the table at which the Virgin Mary and the Child Christ and the righteous Joseph dined. When researchers note that the image was written by the apostle, what is meant first of all is the image itself: its character, style, artistic features. Not a single one of the icons painted by Luke, alas, has survived to this day: all modern images authored by the Apostle Luke are lists or copies of those icons that were once created by him, including the Vladimir Icon, which today is kept in the Tretyakov Museum gallery. Art scholars believe that the icon was painted at the end of the 11th century or a little later, at the beginning of the 12th century, in Constantinople.

The icon was sent to Rus' in 1131 by Patriarch Luke of Constantinople as a gift to Moscow Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. The icon was placed in the nunnery of Vyshgorod, near Kiev, which was given by Yuri Dolgoruky to his son Andrei Bogolyubsky for appanage rule. A little later, Andrei decided to go to the northern lands of Rus'. The young prince was a God-loving man, for which he received the nickname Bogolyubsky, and asked the Mother of God to be his intercessor in the Rostov-Suzdal lands, which the prince promised to give under the authority of the Mother of God. He was looking for an icon that he could take with him on the road. They told him about an icon that was not averse to going on a journey: according to the testimony of parishioners, this image left its place three times. Prince Andrei took the icon with him secretly from his father. However, on the way from Vladimir to Rostov, when Andrei drove only about ten miles from the city, the horses suddenly stood up and refused to go further. The young prince turned to the icon with prayer. The Mother of God appeared to Andrei and ordered him to leave the image in Vladimir and to found a temple at the site of her appearance. From that moment, from 1160, the icon received its current name: Vladimir. Later, the icon continued its journey through the northern lands of Rus' and repeatedly helped repel Tatar raids on Moscow. After the Mother of God miraculously delivered Rus' from the Horde yoke, the miraculous image of the Mother of God remained in Moscow, in the Assumption Cathedral. Since 1930, the icon has been kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. In 1999, it was moved to the temple-museum located on the territory of the Tretyakov Gallery.

Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God 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.”

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 Vladimirskaya.

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.

The celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary occurs several times a year (May 21, June 23, August 26). The most solemn celebration takes place on August 26/September 8 - 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 Mother of God

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.

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

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.

The historical days of May 21, June 23 and August 26 (Old Style), associated with this holy icon, became memorable days of the Russian Orthodox Church.

VLADIMIR ICON OF THE HOLY VIRGIN
Troparion, tone 4

Today the most glorious city of Moscow shines brightly, / like the dawn of the sun, having received, O Lady, / Your miraculous icon, / to which we now flow and pray to You, we cry out: / O most wonderful Lady Theotokos! / Pray from You to the incarnate Christ our God, / may he deliver this city and all Christian cities and countries / unharmed from all the slander of the enemy / and save our souls, for he is the Merciful.

Kontakion, tone 8

Another kontakion, tone 8

To the Exalted Voivode and Intercessor, the Virgin and Mother of God, / in a clear conscience, strengthened by faith, the Russian people, / having irrevocable hope, are the harbinger, / to Her miraculous and most pure image, and cry out to Her: / Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.

Greatness

It is worthy to magnify Thee, the Mother of God, / the most honorable Cherub, / and the most glorious without comparison, the Seraphim.

Prayer of the Mother of God before Her Icon of Vladimir

O 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, O Lady, our Great Lord and Father (name), His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and our Lord (name), His Eminence the 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. Amen.

26.08.1395 (8.09). - Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in the history of Russia

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is the greatest shrine of our Church and our people. It 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.” The image is a little more than one meter high, about 70 cm wide. It has a gold frame, ancient Greek workmanship, strewn with precious stones, of a high price; 12 Lord's holidays are minted on its margins.

In 1131, the icon was sent to Rus' from the holy prince Mstislav (†1132, commemorated April 15) and was placed in the Maiden Monastery of Vyshgorod, an ancient appanage city. The son brought the icon to Vladimir in 1155 and placed it in the famous Assumption Cathedral that he erected. From that time on, the icon received the name Vladimirskaya. In 1395 the icon was first brought to. Thus, with the blessing of the Mother of God, the spiritual bonds of Byzantium and Rus' were sealed - through Kyiv, Vladimir and Moscow.

The celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos occurs several times a year (May 21, June 23, August 26). The most solemn celebration takes place on August 26, established in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir icon when it was transferred from Vladimir to Moscow for intercession against the invasion of Tamerlane (Timur).

In 1395, the ferocious Khan Tamerlane entered Russia, horrifying the people. Having ravaged the Ryazan land and heading towards Moscow, he approached the banks of the Don. He went out with his army to Kolomna and stopped on the banks of the Oka. He also prayed 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.

Muscovites, frightened by rumors about the countless forces of Tamerlane, prayed earnestly for deliverance from the invasion of foreigners and fasted; The Metropolitan almost never left the church. The Grand Duke, not relying on his own strength, asked to send St. Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. After the liturgy and prayer service in Vladimir, 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!”

Chroniclers testified that at the very hour when the residents of Moscow met 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 his 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.

Subsequently, the Vladimir Icon more than once demonstrated its intercession to the Russian people in various disasters and wars. The miraculous icon proved to be the savior of the capital both in 1408 () and in 1451, when Tsarevich Mazovsha approached Moscow with a huge army of the Nogai Khan. The Tatars had already set fire to the suburbs of Moscow and were happy that they would have many prisoners and gold.

A recently published textbook for universities reports that in 1451 Moscow “was not captured by a miracle.” True, by what miracle, he does not specify. And the chronicles describe how during the fire he made religious processions along the walls of the city, and Moscow soldiers and militia fought with the Tatars until night, expecting a new attack the next day. But in the morning there were no enemies under the walls. The chronicler says that they heard an extraordinary noise and “imagined that it was the Grand Duke coming at them with his army.” The Grand Duke himself, whose army was small and stood far away, after the departure of the Tatars, as legend says, wept before the Vladimir Icon... The Russian people also attributed this victory to the intercession of the Mother of God.

Included in the chronicle of miracles from the Vladimir icon. When he tore up the khan's basma and refused to pay tribute to the Horde, in 1480 the hordes of Khan Akhmat rushed to Moscow. Having reached the Ugra River (between the Tula and Kaluga regions), the khan's army concentrated in anticipation of a favorable moment for an attack. Russian troops lined up on the opposite bank of the Ugra. In the front rows, the soldiers held the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God.

There were isolated skirmishes, there was a small battle in the lower reaches, but the main parts of both troops - both Russian and Tatar - still occupied their positions on different banks. The parties waited long and tensely for the decisive battle; but none of the opponents wanted to attack first, crossing the river. The Russians moved away from the river a little, giving the Tatars the opportunity to begin crossing, but the Tatars also began to retreat. The Russian army stopped, but the Tatar army continued to move away. And suddenly the formidable Horde horsemen rushed away without looking back, panicking and as if trembling with fear, although no one attacked them, no one pursued them. Russian soldiers interpreted this event as a clear expression of the new patronage of the Lady of the Russian Heavenly Land. Grateful compatriots after standing on the Ugra called this place “the belt of the Mother of God.” “Let the frivolous not boast of the fear of their weapons,” the chronicler wrote. - No! It is not weapons and not human wisdom, but the Lord has now saved Russia.”

In 1521, the holy icon defended Moscow from the invasion of Muhammad-Girey.

After the revolution, the miraculous icon painted by St. by the Apostle Luke, was placed in, now it is in a temple specially opened for her on the territory of the gallery. On great patronal holidays, the shrine appears in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

It is impossible not to note the reaction of the shrine to a recent historical event in the fall of 1993 -. These days, the Vladimir Icon was brought from the Tretyakov Gallery to the Epiphany Cathedral in the Kremlin. On the eve of the shooting of parliament, on October 3, Patriarch Alexy II, in the presence of Mayor Luzhkov and other Yeltsinists, participants in the coup, “knelt before the icon for the salvation of Russia.” As Alexy II later wrote about this in the preface to the book about the negotiations of the parties in this coup d’etat, “Orthodox Muscovites prayed in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral in front of the great shrine of the Russian land - the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. More than once in the history of Russia, through prayers before this icon, our country received from the Mother of God deliverance from war dangers and other great disasters. I am convinced that this time, despite the tragedy, Rus' was saved by the Most Pure Virgin” (“The Quiet Negotiations”, M., 1993). After the prayer service, a noticeable deterioration in the condition of the miraculous icon was discovered, and after the shooting of the parliament that resisted the “reforms” of Yeltsin-Gaidar-Chubais, the plunder and destruction of Russia began in full swing...

Kontakion of the Mother of God before the Icon of Her Vladimir

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