The history of the Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God began far beyond the borders of the Russian land - on Mount Athos, and only after it arrived in Russia.
At the origins of history
This venerable event (the arrival of the great icon on the Russian land) took place at the end of the 14th century. The young monk Arseny went to Mount Athos to spend several years in strict fasting and prayer to God.
After three years, he decided to return to Novgorod in order to revive the ancient traditions and revive the feat of monasticism in his native land. The abbot of one of the Athos monasteries named John Zidon, from whom the monk asked for blessings for a good cause, not only allowed him to carry out his plans with God's help, but also gave a miraculous icon of the Mother of God. As a warning to the novice, he uttered prophetic words, indicating that he would soon become abbot.
Upon arrival on Russian soil, the monk immediately went to the Archbishop of Novgorod and Pskov, John, with the goal of asking permission and blessing for the foundation of the monastery. With a light word, Archbishop Arseny went to the Konevsky island of Lake Ladoga. The Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God set off with him. There, after a while, the monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was erected along with the monastery.
Expulsion of demons and triumph of the Mother of God
Arseny knew about the miraculous power of the icon from the time when he lived on Athos. And here in the monastery on Russian soil, not only he alone felt an unknown grace and calm emanating from the icon.
Prior to the ceremonial arrival of the icon on the lands of Russia, almost all the people living on the island professed a pagan religion and worshiped the forces of nature, and in the center of the island was the main object of worship - the sacred stone idol. Arseny, armed with the word of God and taking up the icon of the Konevskaya Mother of God, walked with a religious procession throughout the island and stopped at a pagan idol-stone. Arseny stood in this place and wholeheartedly prayed to the Lord God with all his heart.
The power of the shrine is great: at one moment, the stone ceased to carry pagan power, and the demons escaping from it became black crows and scattered in all directions. Since then, the main pagan idol has become the main symbol of the revival of Orthodoxy in the Konevskaya land.
Veil and protection of Konevskaya land
Not one of the inhabitants of the island had a question, Konevskaya icon of the Mother of God in what helps a person? Yes, in everything, and all children and adults in the district knew about it.
More than once she saved these lands from various troubles and misfortunes, and therefore she began to be revered as the protector and patroness of Konevsky Island and the surrounding lands. And even when the Swedes attacked Karelia, the Mother of God did not turn away from the people, but had mercy, saved and protected. During the same attack, an attempt was made on the very icon of the Mother of God. Enemies, not ashamed of either God or the Tsar, wanted to plunder the monastery and smash it. Incredibly, at one moment from the sky, on which there were no clouds or clouds, there was a strong roar and lightning flashed - a storm began. The ice around Konevsky Island cracked and broke overnight, so the Swedes simply could not get to the island and carry out their plan.
This event became another indisputable fact of the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
"Chronicles of the Time of Troubles ..."
After some time, Sweden declared Russia a brutal war, just when the Russian army was completely unprepared and did not have decent weapons. Unfortunately, the unpreparedness of the Russian soldiers was not in vain - the army suffered enormous losses. All novices, monks, abbots and priests of the Konevsky monastery had to urgently evacuate to safer places. For some time, the shelter of the brotherhood and the Konevskaya icon itself was the Novgorod Derevyanitsky monastery.
After 18 years, they were able to return to their native lands, but the strained relations between the armed countries did not make them wait long for the next military confrontation. The monks again had to return to the Derevyanitsky monastery, and then to the Tikhvin monastery.
The solemn return of the Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God home took place at the end of the 19th century with the blessing of Metropolitan Gabriel. A little later, at the place where Abbot Arseniy found his eternal refuge, a church was erected in honor of the Introduction of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the temple. But for over fifty years, the miraculous icon has been kept in the New Valaam Monastery in Heinävesi.
Temple of the Konevskaya Icon in the village of Saperny
The temple of the Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God in Saperny (Leningrad Region, Priozersky District) was built not so long ago and is now open for visiting parishioners and pilgrims from all over the country and neighboring countries.
The construction and consecration of the temple took place at the end of the twentieth century, but builders and architects did not stop transforming and improving the appearance a few more years after the consecration. This continued until the building took on a modern look. This temple is actually not so simple and much different from others. It consists of two parts: underground and ground.
When laying the foundation to the smallest detail, it was thought out how to equip the chapel of St. Sergius of Radonezh, which was excavated and arranged manually. Especially for the underground part, a marble iconostasis was made, and the craftsmen worked on the mural. The ceremonial consecration of the underground temple was held in 2003. Many consider it an honor to christen their children, as well as adults, in the lower church, where a special bowl the size of a man’s height is built in the ground for complete immersion.
Temple and hospital with him
The temple was built by the project of the talented architect N. S. Veselov, who developed a design in the style of northern wooden architecture. The initial idea concerned the construction of the temple and the further construction of the monastery around a wooden structure, but now the church is considered part of the local rehabilitation center "Resurrection", intended for the treatment of drug addicts with subsequent rehabilitation in the monastery.
The entire staff of the treatment center professes a charter similar to the monastic one, and the very principle of ridding people of heavy drug addiction is based on the Orthodox idea. The patients of the hospital are only men, the rehabilitation period is from about six to nine months. In small groups, men can come to the temple and walk in the countryside in a picturesque area, receiving healing not only with the help of doctors and medications, but also from nature. The Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God is also stored here. In Saperny, near the church, there is a small park with a fountain - this place was very fond of parishioners and pilgrims.
Requests for healing before the miraculous icon
Akathist Konevsky icon of the Mother of God is read in a variety of cases. The Mother of God does not leave without the help of all who sincerely ask for her help, especially they turn to her to be healed of demons, common eye diseases, blindness, drug addiction and paralysis. When it is not possible to read an akathist or if you do not know how, you can turn to the Mother of God with sincere prayer from the bottom of your heart in your own words.
In such cases, it is important to remember that in prayer before God, it is not the words and the correct pronunciation that are important, but the purity of thoughts, repentance, and wholehearted petition. All believers should understand that people can not understand our words, but not God. God always understands everything, but do we understand him? When a need arises, you must definitely pray as you can. Prayer to the Mother of God has tremendous power and can work miracles.
Both parishioners and pastors know that the Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God is able to work miracles, and it really is!
Celebration in honor of the icon
Day of the Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God falls on July 10/23. Every year in honor of the holiday in Konevsky Skete, the memory of the Mother of God is honored by performing a prayer service: Liturgy and religious procession with an icon at the head.
On ordinary days, the temple is open daily except Monday. And akathist is read weekly before the miraculous Konevsky Icon of the Mother of God.