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 has become the main shrine of many temples. The Blessed Virgin was considered the patroness and protector of Russia. The Novgorod icon of the Virgin "Tenderness" is a copy of the Byzantine image painted at the end of this century.
In the XIV century, Moscow finally became the center of Orthodoxy in Russia, and the Assumption Cathedral at that time was called the "House of the Virgin".
The origins of iconography
Historians attribute the first images of the Mother of God to the beginning of our era. In the catacombs of Priscilla, plots with images of the Virgin Mary, which date 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, Theodelinda.
The first plots of the Blessed Virgin
In 431, Ephesus Cathedral approved the eternal right of Mary to be called the Virgin. After this significant event, the Icons of the Mother of God appeared in the form familiar to us. Several images of that period have survived. On them the Virgin Mary most often appears sitting on a throne with a baby in her arms.
The image of the Mother of God is also found in the early mosaics that adorn the old temples. These include:
Roman church of Santa Maggiore (dated V century);
the church of the 7th century Panagia Angeloktista, located in Cyprus.
But 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 there are different types of iconography of the Virgin. Byzantium is the birthplace of 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 icon painting. The Novgorod icon of the Virgin "Tenderness" is, as already mentioned, a copy of the Byzantine image.
Types of Virgin Icons
In iconography, there are 4 main groups of images of the Blessed Virgin according to the main idea:
"Sign" (a 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 is translated from Greek means "Guide".
"Tenderness" - the name from the Greek "eleus" ("gracious").
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"
In the recounts of this group, the Holy Mother of God is represented by the prayer. Depicted in full height or waist-high. On the chest of Mother of Christ is a medallion with the image of the unborn
Savior. The icon of the Praying Mother of God symbolizes the immaculate conception of Christ, the unity of the mother and the Holy baby. This type includes the Yaroslavl Orant, Kursk Root, Novgorod "Sign". Oranta is a simpler version of the icons on which the Virgin is presented without a baby and is a symbol of the church.
Iconography "Hodegetria"
A very common type of Mother of God images. Such icons of the Virgin and Child embody the idea that the Mother of God directs us to faith, to Christ. The Mother of God is portrayed frontally at the shoulder or waist, sometimes to the full height. On one hand she holds a baby, and the other points to Jesus. This gesture has a deep meaning. The Virgin Mary seems to show the true path - to God, to faith.
Christ blesses Mother with one hand, and with it all believers. In another, he holds a book, an expanded or folded scroll. Less commonly, a power and a scepter. The most famous icons of the Virgin of this type: Smolenskaya, Iverskaya, Tikhvin, Petrovskaya, Kazan.
Iconography of the Virgin "Tenderness"
Such images are the most lyrical of those depicting the Mother of God and the baby embracing her by the neck. The images of mother and child are symbols of Christ and the Church of Christ.
A variation of this type is Leap Back. Here the baby is written in a looser pose, with one hand it touches the face of the Virgin.
In such images, the Blessed Mary is a symbol not only of motherhood, but of a soul close to God. The mutual touch of two faces is Christ and the Church of Christ, the unity of the earthly and heavenly.
There is another variety of this type - "Mammal". On these icons the Mother of God feeds the baby Breast. So symbolically depict the spiritual nutrition of believers.
The Volokolamsk, Vladimir, Yaroslavl icons of the Virgin belong to this type of image of the holy image.
"Akathist" icons of the Virgin
Images of this type most often carry the features of one of the basic, but have additional details and details. In iconography, they include such icons as the “Burning Cupid”, the Mother of God - “Life-giving spring”, the Mother of God - “Mountain Nerukosechnaya”.
Ostrabram-Vilenskaya, "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, the Seraphim-Diveyevo icon “Tenderness” of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was the beloved image of Seraphim of Sarov, who, after his death, was counted among the saints. The priest himself called it "The Joy of All Joys" and used it to heal those who came to him for help. And later, before this face, he moved to another world.
The canons of the iconography of the Virgin, the meaning of the symbols
According to the Orthodox tradition, the following elements are used to depict the Virgin’s clothes: a blue tunic, a blue cap and a cherry plate on the head, otherwise called a “maforium”. Each detail has its own meaning. Three golden stars on a maforia - a triple symbol of the immaculate conception, birth and death, the border on it - a sign of glorification. The circuit board itself represents motherhood, belonging to God, the blue color of clothes is virginity.
Cases of violation of traditions are known. Icon painters use this to emphasize certain features. For example, to emphasize integrity, the Virginity of the Mother of God, they depict her in a blue plate. Our Lady of Akhtyrskaya is just such an option.
The spelling of the Blessed Virgin without maforia is also considered a violation of church canons.
According to Orthodox rules, even the crown, a sign of the kingdom, is customary to depict on top of the board. So the icons are written Novodvorskaya, Kholmovskaya. The crown on the head of the Virgin came to eastern Christian icon painting from Western Europe, in the early images the head of the Mother of God was covered only by maforians.
Russian traditions in the iconography of the Mother of God
The image of the Blessed Virgin on the throne is more common among Italian-Greek images. The spelling of the Queen of Heaven, sitting on a throne or at full height, in Russia was mainly used in large-scale compositions: in frescoes or on iconostases.
Icon painters fell in love with the belt or mantle image of the Queen of Heaven more. So the plots were created more understandable and close to the heart. In many ways, this can be explained by the special role of the icon in Russia: it was a life partner, and a shrine, and a prayer way, and family value, passed down from generation to generation. Not without reason among the people the Virgin was perceived as an intercessor, which is able to mitigate the wrath of the Terrible Judge. Moreover, the older the image and the “nicer”, the greater the power it has.
A large number of icons in houses of believers and churches - a distinctive feature of the Russian land. Many Mother of God images are considered miraculous here, as confirmed by numerous testimonies.
Mother of God - witness and participant in Russian history
For many centuries the icon of the Virgin Mary has accompanied the history of Russia, the significance of which cannot be overestimated. One small example is the Feodorovskaya icon:
In 1239, in this way, Prince Yaroslav blessed his son Alexander to marry Princess Paraskevna. This icon accompanied Alexander in all his military campaigns. Later, it was precisely before this face of the Mother of God that St. Alexander accepted monasticism.
In 1613, before this image, Mikhail Romanov, called to the kingdom by the Zemsky Sobor, adopted the Russian throne. Theodorovskaya Mother of God became a witness to the vows of fidelity to Russia, its people and the Orthodox Church.
In the XVIII century, all members of the royal family necessarily came to Kostroma to bow to the miraculous ploy, which began the history of the tsar’s Romanov dynasty.
Particularly worth mentioning is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, presented to Russia by the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverg in the XII century. According to legend, prayers before this image more than once saved Moscow from invaders.
The 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:
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.
Tikhvin icon "Tenderness" of the Blessed Virgin Mary, adorning the eponymous church in Moscow. In 1941, an airplane with this image circled the capital three times, after which the Nazi attack on the city was stopped. It is curious that this church did not close even in Soviet times.
The icon of the Virgin "Gracious", the shrine of the Conception of the Convent, which gave many women the happiness of motherhood.
“Recovery of the lost”, Iverskaya Mother of God, “Satisfy My Sorrows” - only part of the miraculous Moscow images of the Queen of Heaven. It is impossible to even count how many of them are on 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 showed a miracle by its appearance in 1579 after a big fire in the city, when it was found among the ashes completely unaffected by the fire.
Numerous healings of patients, help in deeds gave this plod to believers. But the most significant miracles of this icon connect 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 an all-Russian holiday in honor of her . This 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.
The commander Kutuzov, going to the battlefields of the Patriotic War of 1812, knelt before this shrine and asked her for intercession. After the victory over Napoleon, he presented the Kazan Cathedral with all the silver taken from the French.
Myrrh-streaming prayer images of the Mother of God
This is one of the greatest miracles associated with icons. An explanation of why the icons are myrrh-streaming has not yet been found . But this always happens on the eve of tragic events as a reminder of human sinfulness and the need for repentance. What is this phenomenon? A fragrant liquid resembling myro appears on the images. Its consistency and color can be different - from transparent dew to a viscous dark resin. It is curious that not only images written on a tree are myrrh-streaming. This also happens with frescoes, photographs, metal icons and even photocopies.
And similar miracles are happening now. Several dozen Tiraspol icons began to flow in the period from 2004 to 2008. It was a warning of the Lord about the bloody events of Beslan, Georgia, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine.
One of these images, the icon of the Mother of God “Seven-shooter” (another name is “Softening of Evil Hearts”), began to myrrh in May 1998. This miracle continues to this day.
On the protection of the house - Holy Mother of God
The icon of the Virgin is always in the house of a believer who cares about the safety of his home.
It is believed that prayers in front of her face protect all those living in the house physically and spiritually. From ancient times, it was customary to place an icon of the Virgin Mary above the entrance door to the hut and ask her for protection and support. The most beloved Mother of God vodings: Iverskaya, Seven-shooter, "Indestructible Wall", "Burning Cupola" and some others. In total, there are more than 860 names of icons of the Mother of God. Remember all of them is impossible, and not necessary. When choosing a prayer image, it is important to listen to your soul and follow its advice.
Not only ordinary believers, but also royal people venerated the icons of the Virgin. A photo taken in the bedroom of Tsar Alexander confirms this.
The icons of the Virgin and Child give comfort in sorrow, deliverance from disease, spiritual insight only to those whose prayers are sincere, and faith is unshakable. The main thing is that the appeal to the Blessed Virgin comes from a pure heart, and intentions are good.
Glorification of Our Lady
The universal love of the Orthodox to 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 Mother of God 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. On these accounts, the Blessed Virgin is depicted in full growth. In her hands in front of her, she holds a veil with the image of Christ or without him. The Port Arthur icon “The Triumph of the Blessed Virgin Mary”, acquired at the end of the 20th century, became a symbol of the revival of Russian spirituality and a reminder of the significance of this image in the history of the country. It is increasingly ranked among the most revered Russian icons.