In Staraya Russa in the Church of St. George is a list of the Old Russian icon of the Mother of God. Like the once lost original, it is considered miraculous, which has repeatedly been the most convincing evidence. His story is still full of unexplained circumstances and excites the minds of researchers. But first of all, you need to talk about that ancient icon, a copy of which it is.
Assumptions about the appearance of the icon in Staraya Russa
Neither the time nor the place of the appearance of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God in Russia is precisely known. One version says that in 1470, the inhabitants of Byzantium, which was attacked by the Turks in order to save the shrine, secretly transported it to Russa and placed it in the Transfiguration Monastery. According to another version, the icon in 1570 miraculously appeared in the church of St. George, in one of the villages of the Tver province, from where it was later transferred to Staraya Russa.
Staying Icon in Tikhvin
One way or another, it was really hard to say. But it is known for certain that in 1570 the inhabitants of Tikhvin turned to the Rushans with a request to send them a miraculous image, hoping with it to get rid of the terrible disaster that had befallen them - a pestilence. The inhabitants of Staraya Russa acted as true Christians and came to the aid of the Tikhvin people. The icon was on hand, a procession of the cross, delivered to the city covered by the epidemic, after which the pestilence sharply waned and soon completely stopped.
Further events unfolded as follows. The inhabitants of Tikhvin, having received such an obvious confirmation of the wonderworking of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God and filled with love and gratitude for her, refused to return the shrine to its owners. At first, they used to make time for various pretexts, but in the end they gave a categorical refusal.
Three Century Litigation
Following this, an unprecedented lawsuit of its kind began, which lasted more than three hundred years. Only in 1888, after countless trials and bureaucratic delays, did Staraya Russa regain its shrine. Again, as in 1570, it was carried in a solemn procession. By the way, the dimensions of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God are very impressive: 278 cm x 202 cm. It is considered the largest remote icon in the world.
In order to comfort the Tikhvin people, who were finally forced to part with the icon so dear to their hearts, the inhabitants of Staraya Russa handed them a copy of the shrine, made in 1787. That year, having lost hope of the return of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God, the Rushans sent masters to Tikhvin to make copies of it. The masters were very skilled and completed the order in exact accordance with the original.
The miracle revealed by the icon
What was the general amazement when, in 1888, when exchanging the original for a copy, it suddenly became clear that the image of the Baby Jesus on the copy had inexplicably changed. In the original, Jesus with his face fell to the face of the Virgin, while in the list kept in Staraya Russa, his figure was expanded in such a way as if He had turned away from the Blessed Virgin and was striving away from Her.
The falsification and substitution of the icon was out of the question, as the experts who examined it unanimously declared that this was the very image that was executed in 1787. There were suggestions that, since the painting layer of the original was badly damaged by time, the masters who made the copy could simply be mistaken, not having the opportunity to examine it in detail, but this was a little like the truth.
And so, having not found any convincing explanations for what had happened, it was decided to consider this a miracle, which was revealed by the icon of the Old Russian Mother of God. Its meaning was interpreted as follows - The baby, depicted on the list with an ancient icon, turned his back on the Virgin, filled with sorrow for the sins of men. This version is considered final and generally accepted until our days.
The fate of the holy image today
After the revolution, the new authorities treated the shrines without the slightest reverence. The precious robes adorning them were removed from them, and they themselves became exhibits of the museum of local lore. During the war, when Staraya Russa was in occupation, the ancient image disappeared without a trace, its fate is unknown. The copy, the very one on which the position of the Baby Jesus miraculously changed, was transferred by the Germans to the temple that opened in the city.
Today, this miraculous image is stored in Staraya Russa, in the Church of St. George. The feast of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated twice a year: May 17 is the day when the icon first appeared in Staraya Russa, and October 1 is the day of her return after a three hundred year stay in Tikhvin.
Before this icon, it is customary to pray for the protection against theft and all sorts of thefts. She herself was actually stolen from her rightful owners for many years, and it is against this misfortune that she is protecting today. The meaning of this image is succinctly and clearly expressed in the eighth Commandment of God - "Do not steal." She reminds us of this and calls for this.