The veneration of the Mother of God in Russia has been going on since ancient times. She is our intercessor before the Lord. The Orthodox Church has many images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, many of which are miraculous. Virgin Mary has repeatedly appeared in difficult situations, helping people to strengthen their spirits. The icon of the Mother of God of August appeared after the appearance of the Virgin before the Russian soldiers in the First World War. This fact is documented.
History of the phenomenon
It is known for certain that the miraculous phenomenon occurred on the night of August 31 to September 1 (according to the old style). A detachment of Russian soldiers and Cossacks was surrounded between Augustow and Mariampol (now the territory of Poland). The mood of the soldiers was depressed. The war was clearly not on the side of the Russians. And suddenly, at about 11 a.m., a shining star appeared in the sky, the light of which intensified, and before the amazed soldiers the Virgin Mary appeared with the Baby Jesus in her arms. Her gaze was warm and kind. With her right hand she pointed west, toward the city of Augustow. The vision lasted more than half an hour, and hundreds of soldiers and officers became witnesses of it. In the end, the image of the Virgin began to fade, as if dissolving in the air, and in her place a cross shone. Soon, everything disappeared. The soldiers prayed fervently, shocked by what they saw. This is how the August Icon of the Mother of God appeared. The history of this event is recorded in all details.
The next day the convoy set off in the direction indicated by the Virgin, and the detachment managed to get out of the encirclement. On the same day, the first victory of the Russian soldiers in this war was won. The great miracle was reported to Nicholas II.
We can add that, 45 km from Augustow, there was the Osovec fortress, in which a significant battle took place, which went down in history as an “attack of the dead”. Then the Russians went into battle after the enemy brought down tons of poison gas on the fortress. The enemy generals decided that there was not a single living soul left in the fortress and gave the order to take the empty fortification. But to meet them came Russian soldiers who survived a choking attack with deadly gas. Enemies fled in panic when they saw the “rebellious Russians”. It was then that the famous expression “Russians do not give up!” Appeared, and it was expressed by the defeated enemy.
Commission of the Holy Synod
A special commission was created from members of the Synod, which documented eyewitness accounts, carefully studied all the details and officially confirmed that the miraculous phenomenon really happened. The commission began work in September, immediately after the events described, and recorded evidence for two years. The decision was the decree that the icon should be captured in memory of what happened for worship in temples and at home prayer. The synod prepared the necessary documents for the glorification of the image, but the revolution of 1917, the shooting of the imperial family and the chain of other tragic vicissitudes pushed the icon's glorification for many decades. Only on February 28, 2008, by decree of Patriarch Alexy II, the icon of the Mother of God “August Victory” was officially included in the list of miraculous icons of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The image of the Virgin
Rumors of what happened at the August event quickly spread throughout the country. There were notes in the newspapers about the appearance of the Virgin and the subsequent victory of the Russian troops. In various volosts, the icon painters painted the icon of Our Lady of Augustus. Unfortunately, when the Bolsheviks came to power, and the persecution of the church began, this icon was destroyed especially zealously. Surprisingly, it became the last icon displayed in Tsarist Russia. We can say that with its appearance the time of autocracy ended.
What temples can be found
One icon of the Mother of God of Augustus is exhibited in the lower aisle of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, in the Russian capital. Another list from this icon is kept in the State Historical Museum. It was this image that was exhibited at an exhibition in Berlin on May 13, 2004.
Another image is in the Kremen-Ascension Monastery belonging to the Volgograd Diocese. It is also known that one icon of the Mother of God of Avgut is located in Canada, among the descendants of the imperial family and is especially revered by them.
There are several more options for the icon. But what was the first - the opinion of researchers was divided about this. It is possible that she was lost forever in the harsh years of hard times. Or maybe a new miraculous appearance of the icon awaits all believers in the near future.
New Hope
Not so long ago it became known that an icon was found in the village of Stepmother of the Volgograd Region. Locals claim that it belonged to their countryman. Cossack during the years of persecution of the church hid a precious icon, and did not tell anyone about the place of the cache. After his death, relatives tried to find a cache. But the attempts were in vain. And only recently during the repair work on the courtyard under the old barn was a crypt discovered, in which there was a marvelous icon.
It darkened from time to time, but the faces of the Virgin and Child of Christ were preserved surprisingly well.
The icon was transferred to the priest of the local church. Rumors about finding a shrine spread throughout the neighborhood, and crowds of “interested” people reached the small village, most of whom were interested not in the spiritual but in the material value of the find. Indeed, even in this form, a relic acquired can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. In order to avoid tragedy, as well as not to lose the newfound shrine, it was transferred to the Volgograd administration for storage, study and restoration.
The veneration of the people
The icon of the Mother of God of August is venerated among the people. Various lists from this icon can be seen in the churches of Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus. There is one in Poland and in Serbia.
Icon Description
Fifteen lists were originally created from this icon, appearing from 1914 to 1917, but so far only a few have remained.
The icon depicts the Virgin with the Baby in her arms. On her look kneeling soldiers and Cossacks. The Virgin Mary, with her hand, shows them the way to salvation, and blesses them.
The symbol of the First World
It so happened that almost every war led by Russia has its own miraculous icon. When our troops stood on the Kulikovo field in anticipation of the battle, the image of the Mother of God of God was with them. The overthrow of the Tatar-Mongol yoke that occurred in the decisive battle on the Ugra was guarded by the Vladimir Mother of God. Minin and Pozharsky went to Moscow during the Time of Troubles with the image of the Kazan Mother of God. The abdication of Emperor Nicholas from the throne was marked by the acquisition of the Sovereign Icon. But the August symbol of the Mother of God became the spiritual symbol of the First World War. Photos of this holy image can be found in various variations, because during the war, about fifteen different versions of this icon were made.
Belgrade
In 2012, two lists of the August Icon were completed, one of them remained in the church of St. John the Theologian in St. Petersburg, and the other was presented to the Serbian patriarch Irenaeus. Now the holy image is in the main cathedral of Belgrade - the church of Alexander Nevsky. This church is a memorial to the memory of the First World War. The church has many relics, one way or another connected with the Russian sovereigns and Russian soldiers who fell in battle in these places.
Visit of Augustow
When the icon was guided by a procession to Belgrade, its path ran through the places of the appearance of the Virgin to Russian soldiers, through the city of Augustow. The procession organizers decided to write an exact copy of the icon for the Polish diocese, which was done. The list for Poland was consecrated in a festive atmosphere on the day of the beginning of the First World War on August 1 at the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral. At the same time, this icon held a prayer service in Russia, Serbia and Poland. So the miraculous icon united in prayer the believers of the three states.
What are they praying for?
The Mother of God is prayed for any reason. Her icons always have believers, lighting candles. The August Icon of the Mother of God was no exception. What do they pray before her? Of course, about intercession, about the victory over enemies. Soldier mothers especially revere this icon. While their sons pay their debt to the Motherland, mothers ask for their return, and then thank the Mother of God for saving her son. Prayer before the Icon of the Mother of God of August helps to maintain peace and defeat enemies, both obvious and invisible. In the text of the prayer, believers ask for the preservation of the Russian state, for its strengthening and prosperity.
Prayer
The text of the prayer and the troparion of the August Icon of the Mother of God can be found in timely prayer books, because veneration of this icon was introduced not so long ago. Not in all churches you can find this icon and pray in front of it, but in church shops there is an August icon of the Mother of God on sale. The Akathist to her and the prayer rule can also be found in the relevant literature.
The Icon of the Mother of God of August is a symbol and patroness of all European Christians. After all, the appearance of the Virgin took place in the very center of Europe.