Icons of the Virgin. Icon "Tenderness" of the Blessed Virgin. Miracle-working icons

The image of the Virgin is the most revered among Christians. But they especially love her in Russia. In the XII century a new church holiday was established - the Protection of the Virgin. The icon with its image became the main shrine of many churches. The Most Holy Virgin was regarded as the patroness and defender of Russia. Novgorod icon of the Virgin "Affection" is a copy of the Byzantine image written at the end of this century.

In the XIV century, Moscow finally becomes the center of Orthodoxy in Russia, and the Assumption Cathedral at this time is called "The House of the Virgin."

Origins of iconography

The first images of the Mother of God historians refer to the beginning of our era. In the catacombs of Priscilla, plots with images of the Virgin, dating back to the 2nd century, were found. Images of the Blessed Virgin at the dawn of Christianity were applied to vessels for incense. Such ampoules, decorated with biblical subjects, were donated in about 600 to the Queen of the Lombards Theodelinde.

The first outcroppings of the Most Pure Virgin

In 431, the Council of Ephesus approved for Maria the eternal right to be called the Theotokos. After this significant event, Icons of the Mother of God appeared in the familiar form. Several images of that period have survived. On them, the Virgin Mary most often appears seated on the throne with an infant in her arms.

The image of the Mother of God is also found in the early mosaics that adorn the old temples. To such it is possible to carry:

• The Roman church of Santa Maggiore (dates back to the V century);

• A church of the 7th century Panagia Angeloktista, located in Cyprus.

But the painters from Constantinople were able to give this image a special harmony. The Church of St. Sophia is famous for its mosaics of the 9th-12th centuries, in which different types of iconography of the Virgin Mary are found. Byzantium - the birthplace of the wonderful images of the Blessed Virgin. One of these icons was brought to Russia. Later it was called Vladimirskaya and became the standard of Russian Orthodox iconography. Novgorod icon of the Virgin "Affection" is, as already said, a copy of the Byzantine image.

Types of the Virgin icons

In the iconography there are four main groups of images of the Blessed Virgin according to the main idea:

• "Sign" (the truncated version was called "Oranta"). This iconographic type is considered the most saturated in theological content. The main theme here is the Incarnation.

• "Hodegetria", which in Greek means "Guidebook".

• "Tenderness" is the name from the Greek "eleus" ("merciful").

• The fourth type is conditionally called Akathist. The main idea of such icons is the glorification of the Mother of God. These images are very diverse.

Iconographic type "Sign"

On the exits of this group the Holy Mother of God is represented by the praying. It is depicted as full-length or waist-deep. On the chest of the Mother of Christ is a medallion with the image of the unborn Savior. The icon of the praying Virgin symbolizes the virgin birth of Christ, the union of the mother and Holy infant. This type includes the Yaroslavl Oranta, the Kursk Root, the Novgorod "Sign". Oranta is a simpler version of the icons on which the Virgin is represented without a baby and is a symbol of the church.

Iconography "Hodegetria"

A very common type of the Virgin images. Such icons of the Virgin and Child embody the idea that the Mother of God directs us to faith, to Christ. The Virgin is portrayed frontalally shoulder-strapped or waist-deep, sometimes full-length. On one hand she holds the baby, and the other points to Jesus. This gesture has a profound meaning. The Mother of God seems to show the true path - to God, to faith.

Christ with one hand blesses the Mother, and with her and all believers. In the other, he holds a book, an unfolded or rolled up scroll. Less often - the power and the scepter. The most famous icons of the Virgin of this type: Smolensk, Iverskaya, Tikhvinskaya, Petrovskaya, Kazan.

Iconography of the Virgin "Tenderness"

Such images are the most lyrical of those depicting the Mother of God and the baby hugging her by the neck. Images of mother and child are symbols of Christ and the Church of Christ.

A variation of this type is "Attraction". Here the baby is written in a freer pose, with one hand he touches the face of the Virgin.

In such images, the Most Holy Mary is a symbol not only of motherhood, but of a soul close to God. The mutual touch of the two faces is Christ and the Church of Christ, the unity of the earthly and heavenly.

There is another kind of this type - "Mammal". On these icons the Theotokos feeds the baby with the Breast. So symbolically depict the spiritual nourishment of believers.

Volokolamskaya, Vladimir, Yaroslavl icons of the Virgin belong to this type of images of the holy image.

"Akathist" icons of the Virgin

Images of this type most often carry the features of one of the main, but they have additional details and details. To them in iconography include such icons as "Burning Bush", Our Lady - "Life-giving source", Our Lady - "Mountain Nerukosechnaya."

Ostrubramskaya-Vilna, "Softening of Evil Hearts" - rare icons of the Virgin, on which she is depicted without a baby. Usually they are also referred to as "Akathist". One of them, Serafimo-Diveevskaya icon "Tenderness" of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was the favorite image of Seraphim of Sarov, who was counted after death to the rank of saints. The priest himself called her "The Joy of All Joys" and used for healing those who came to him for help. And later, before this face, he departed to another world.

The canons of the iconography of Our Lady, the meaning of symbols

According to the Orthodox tradition, the elements used for depicting the clothes of the Virgin are blue tunic, blue cap and cherry boards on the head, otherwise called "maforium". Every detail has its own meaning. Three gold stars on the maforium - a triple symbol of the Immaculate Conception, birth and death, the rim on it - a sign of glorification. The boards themselves represent motherhood, belonging to God, the blue color of clothes - virginity.

There are cases of violation of traditions. This is used by icon painters to highlight certain features. For example, to emphasize chastity, Virgin Mother of God, depict it in a blue board. Our Lady of Akhtyrskaya is just such an option.

The writing of the Blessed Virgin without maforia is also considered a violation of the church canons.

According to Orthodox rules, even a crown, a sign of the kingdom, it is customary to depict a board over the top. So icons are painted Novodvorskaya, Kholmovskaya. The crown on the head of the Theotokos came to the Eastern Christian iconography from Western Europe, in the early images the head of the Mother of God was covered only with maforium.

Russian traditions in the iconography of the Mother of God

The image of the Blessed Virgin on the throne is found more often among the Italo-Greek images. The writing of the Queen of Heaven, sitting on the throne or in full growth, in Russia was mainly used in large-scale compositions: in frescoes or on iconostases.

Icon painters are more fond of the belly or dignified image of the Queen of Heaven. So they created more understandable and close to the heart. In many respects this can be explained by the special role of the icon in Russia: it was also a companion of life, and a shrine, and a prayerful way, and a family value passed down from generation to generation. It is not for nothing that the Mother of God was seen as an intercessor who is able to soften the wrath of the Terrible Judge. And the older the image and the "namolenney", the more power it has.

A large number of icons in the homes of believers and temples is a distinctive feature of the Russian land. Many images of the Mother of God are considered miraculous here, which is confirmed by numerous evidences.

Our Lady is a witness and participant of Russian history

Many centuries accompany the history of Russia with the icon of the Virgin, whose importance can not be overestimated. One small example is the icon of Theodore:

• In 1239, in this manner, Prince Yaroslav blessed his son Alexander for a marriage with Princess Paraskeva. This icon accompanied Alexander in all his military campaigns. Later, just before this face of the Mother of God, Saint Alexander took monastic vows.

• In 1613, before this image, Mikhail Romanov, summoned to the kingdom by the Zemsky Sobor, accepted the Russian throne. Feodorovskaya Bogoroditsa witnessed vows of loyalty to Russia, her people and the Orthodox Church.

• In the XVIII century, all the members of the royal family always came to Kostroma to bow to the miraculous exodus, from which the history of the royal dynasty of the Romanovs began.

Especially it is necessary to mention the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, presented to Russia by Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysosterg in the 12th century. According to tradition, prayers before this image have repeatedly saved Moscow from conquerors.

Miraculous power of the Virgin icons

Many images of the Blessed Virgin Mary are considered miraculous. They are inseparable from the life of Christians. They live with the people and help in sorrows.

Some Moscow miraculous icons of the Virgin:

1. Vladimirskaya, stored in the church of St. Nicholas. It is believed that she defended Russia three times from enemies. Therefore, the Orthodox honor this icon 3 times a year: in June, July and September.

2. Tikhvin icon "Tenderness" of the Blessed Virgin Mary, decorating the eponymous church in Moscow. In 1941, the airplane flew three times over the capital, after which the Nazis attack on the city was stopped. It is curious that this church did not close even during the Soviet era.

3. Icon of the Virgin "Merciful", the shrine of the Conception of the Convent of the Mother of God, which gave many women the happiness of motherhood.

"The Execution of the Dead", the Iberian Mother of God, "My Sorrow worn out" - only a part of the miraculous Moscow images of the Queen of Heaven. It is impossible to even count how many they are in the vast territory of Russia.

Miracles of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

This image deserves special attention. The Kazan icon of the Virgin was a miracle already by its appearance in 1579 after a big fire in the city, when it was found among the ashes absolutely unaffected by fire.

Numerous healings of the sick, help in affairs presented this conduit to believers. But the most significant miracles of this icon are connected by Russian Christians with the defense of the fatherland from foreign invaders.

Already in the middle of the XVII century, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to establish in honor of her all-Russian holiday. It happened after the successful birth of the heir to the Russian throne during the all-night service in honor of the Kazan Mother of God. This icon was considered the patroness of the royal dynasty.

Commander Kutuzov, going to the battlefield of the Patriotic War of 1812, knelt before this shrine and asked her for intercession. After the victory over Napoleon, he presented to the Kazan Cathedral all the silver taken away from the French.

Myrrh-streaming prayer images of the Mother of God

This is one of the greatest miracles associated with icons. Until now, there is no explanation for why the myrrh-streaming icons are found. But this happens always on the eve of the tragic events as a reminder of human sinfulness and the need for repentance. What is this phenomenon? On the images appears a fragrant liquid, reminiscent of the world. Consistency and color of it can be different - from transparent dew to a viscous dark resin. It is curious that not only the images written on the tree are myrrh. This happens with frescoes, photographs, metal icons and even with photocopies.

And now such miracles are happening. Several dozen Tiraspol icons began to melt in the period from 2004 to 2008. It was the Lord's warning about the bloody events of Beslan, Georgia, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine.

One of these images, the icon of the Mother of God "Seven Sisters" (another name - "Softening the Evil Hearts"), began to melt in May 1998. This miracle continues to this day.

On the protection of the house - Holy Mother of God

The icon of the Theotokos is necessarily in the house of the believer, who cares about the safety of his home.

It is believed that prayers before her face protect all living in the house in the physical and spiritual terms. Since ancient times, it has been customary to place an icon of the Virgin over the entrance doors and ask for her protection and support. The most beloved Bogorodichnye izvody: Iverskaya, Semistrella, "Inviolable Wall", "Burning Bush" and some others. In total, there are more than 860 names of the icons of the Mother of God. Remember them all is impossible, and it is not necessary. Choosing a prayer image, it is important to listen to your soul and follow its advice.

Not only ordinary believers, but also royal people revered icons of the Virgin. A photo taken in the bedroom of Tsar Alexander confirms this.

Icons of the Virgin with the child give consolation in sorrow, deliverance from diseases, spiritual insight only to those whose prayers are sincere, and faith is unshakable. The main thing is that the appeal to the Blessed Virgin should come from a pure heart, and the intentions should be kind.

Glorification of the Mother of God

The universal love of the Orthodox for this holy image was reflected in a large number of church holidays in her honor. Almost every month of the year there is such a day, and sometimes a few. About 260 miraculous Bogorodichnyh images are mentioned in the Russian Orthodox calendar.

A significant Orthodox holiday - the Protection of the Virgin - became the theme of the icons of the same name. At these exhortations the Blessed Virgin is depicted in full growth. In front of her, she holds a veil with or without the image of Christ. Founded at the end of the 20th century, the Port Arthur icon "The Triumph of the Most Holy Theotokos" became a symbol of the revival of Russia's spirituality and a reminder of the significance of this image in the history of the country. It is increasingly reckoned among the most honored Russian icons.