The Fedorov Icon of the Mother of God has been known to us since the 12th century. Until this moment, there is no reliable information about her. At that time, she was in the chapel, which was located near the ancient city on the Volga with the interesting name of Gorodets, and was the main shrine of the monastery. At the beginning of the 13th century, a monastery was erected on this site in the name of this icon. After the Mongol-Tatars burned and destroyed the city in 1238, the icon disappeared. Later, she reappeared in an unknown manner.
There are several legends about how the icon of the Mother of God (Fedorovskaya) was resurrected. According to the first legend, on August 16, 1239, the prince from Kostroma Vasily Kvashnya saw the icon of the Virgin, which was stuck in the branches of a tall tree. It was removed and with the help of the clergy transferred to Kostroma in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At the place where the icon was found, the Zaprudnensky Spassky Monastery was later erected. On behalf of the great martyr Fedor, the icon was called Fedorovskaya. And when a man from Gorodets came to Kostroma, he recognized the icon from his hometown, which had once disappeared.
The second legend, according to which the icon of the Mother of God (Fedorovskaya) reappeared, tells a practically similar plot, with the exception of a few details. So, the discrepancy is in the name of the prince, as well as in the dates. In the second giving of the prince called Vasily Yaroslavovich. He was the lesser brother of Alexander Nevsky. And he found the icon on August 16, 1263. It is this date that appears in the "Tales of the Appearance and Miracles of the Fedorov Icon of the Mother of God", which were folded in 1670.
The third tradition, according to which the icon of the Mother of God (Fedorovskaya) appeared, is completely different from the two previous ones. It says that the image was found by Yuri Vsevolodovich in the ruined wooden chapel near Gorodets. Now Gorodetsky Fedorovsky Monastery rises on this place. After Prince Yuri died, the icon went to his younger brother Yaroslav. During the marriage of his son Alexander Nevsky with the Polotsk princess Alexandra Bryacheslavovna, he blessed her. And after Alexander died, the icon passed to his younger brother Vasily. And then the story goes like the first legend.
The Fedorov Icon of the Mother of God helps those families that, with all their desire, cannot have children in any way. In addition, expectant mothers pray in front of her so that the birth is safe and the baby is healthy. Women in childbirth give a prayer to this image in the event of a difficult birth. But not only children are asked from this icon. Young girls pray in front of her so that the future marriage will be successful, as well as those whose family relationships have cracked, and want to save the marriage. The icon also has healing properties. Prayer before her allows you to get rid of many diseases, especially women. In a word, she is the patroness of all women. This icon must be in the house for all those who have at least one of the above problems.
Where is the icon of the Mother of God (Fedorovskaya) located? It is stored in the Epiphany-Anastasy nunnery, which is located in Kostroma on the Epiphany street. You can get to it by public transport. So, to the monastery follows a bus on route 2, the stop "Cathedral". In addition, you can get on a trolley following route 7 and 2 (stop "Pyatnitskaya street").