In ancient Russia, the city of Constantinople was called the city of Constantinople - the capital of the Byzantine Empire. As for the first baptized Slavs, they became well-known from the history of Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga and her grandson Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, who later worked hard to introduce the Orthodox faith in Russia. They themselves adopted the Christian faith in Byzantium - Olga in Constantinople itself, and the Grand Duke Vladimir in Korsun (now Sevastopol is located in this territory). It was from Tsargrad that the Russian people received as a gift a precious list of the Tsaregrad Icon of the Mother of God.
In 1054, Great Rome was disconnected from Byzantium and, according to ancient sources, in 1071 on April 8 (25) this icon was transferred from Rome to Constantinople.
After the adoption of the union, the split into two camps and the fall of Byzantium in 1453 at the hands of Mehmed the Second, when heretical moods began to appear in Russia in places, a list of the miraculous image appeared to the Russian people.
Bringing the image of the Blessed Image of the Mother of God to the Eleazarov monastery
In the XV century, the Pskov region suffered greatly from the invasion of the Swedes, Latvians and Estonians. At the same time, the Patriarch of Constantinople Gennady II sent a list of the miraculous Tsaregradsky icon of the Mother of God to the newly constructed Eleazarov monastery. The icon was presented as a gift of God, as a symbol of the fact that God turns away from the people who have fallen into heresy and turns to face those who hold fast to Orthodoxy.
The inhabitants of the monastery with faith and reverence reacted to the image of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Infant. Rev. Efrosin, together with the brethren, went out to meet the icon at the source of water, and there they accepted it with the singing of an akathist and the service of a prayer service. At the meeting place, they built a wooden chapel with a well, the water of which is then considered to be healing even then. The chapel exists to this day: rebuilt from wooden to stone, it is called the "Chapel of the Most Holy." The monastery has long been called the Sretenskaya Eleazarovskaya desert.
Healings and miracles
During the stay of the Tsaregrad Icon of the Mother of God in the monastery, by the grace of God miracles emanated from her. Many people were healed of mental and bodily diseases. Not only Orthodox people flocked to it, but also Latvians, Estonians and everyone who needed help and protection.
Lutheran Emilia, who had suffered from female illness for many years, fell into complete exhaustion and could hardly walk. As soon as she came to the temple and stood the singing of an akathist to the Tsaregradsky Icon of the Mother of God, she was anointed with oil from the lamp, lit before the image. The woman immediately felt healing and, opening her heart to God, converted to Orthodoxy. She returned home already an Orthodox Christian, praising the Lord and His Most Holy Mother.
Another, no less surprising case of healing is known. A blind man from his youth, a man named Andris, often went to the Eleazarov monastery and prayed in front of a miraculous icon. Once during the Water Sanctuary, having fallen into a frenzy and praying earnestly, he asked the Virgin Mary and the Lord to receive healing from blindness. When sprinkling with water, Andrei (Andris) felt drops of water falling into his eyes and, washing them, made them sighted. The man’s gaze fell on the face of the Divine Infant and His Most Holy Mother, then he saw the Monk Euphrosyne and other people looking at him joyfully. There were other miracles emanating from the icon.
Loss of icons
Unfortunately, the Spaso-Eleazarovsky monastery was constantly raided, and according to legend, the miraculous Tsaregradsky Icon of the Mother of God, decorated with a silver salary with precious stones, along with other valuable things, was captured by the Swedes on their ships, but they were not delivered - they drowned in Lake Peipsi, in the confluence of the Tolba River into it. Neither the ship nor the icon has yet been found.
Once this icon was the guardian of Rome (First Rome), then it was transferred to Constantinople (Second Rome), and Russia or, as they say, the Third Rome, became the last refuge. The fourth is not given. But another list of icons was kept in the monastery for a long time.
Finding Icons
In the difficult period of the October Revolution, when believers were persecuted, the Savior-Eleazar Monastery was looted, and the monks were dispersed. The list of the Tsaregrad Icon stored there survived to the joy of everyone thanks to the elder Nikolai Guryanov, who lived on the island of Zalita.
During the revival of the monastery, he handed it to the rector of the monastery, and now everyone can pray before the Tsaregradsky Icon of the Mother of God with their true faith and offer it to the Lord.
Another image of the Tsaregradsky icon
There is another image of the Tsaregrad Icon, which is very different from the previous one. According to legend, this icon was presented by two Byzantine monks. There is no reliable information about this, but the legend has survived, stating that once two travelers came to Staraya Russa, located 93 km from Novgorod. They wandered from Constantinople (Constantinople) and defended the service in the local cathedral (most likely Spaso-Preobrazhensky).
The Greeks liked the service so much that they donated a small icon depicting the Mother of God of Constantinople. The icon, embossed on a solid slate, was specially made of a small size for travelers. They will glorify her on September 30th.
Tsaregrad icon of the Mother of God. What do they pray before her?
This icon is one of the amazing images that the holy Apostle Luke left for believers. She came to Russia from the very heart of Orthodoxy - the Byzantine state, which for centuries preserved apostolic traditions and teachings.
As with all other images of the Mother of God and Her Most Pure Son, one needs to pray before her for her needs, requests, and thank our heavenly patrons. In a word, there are no restrictions, but it happens that some images of saints, angels, the Mother of God, the Lord Jesus Christ help in specific problems.
Icon of the Mother of God "Tsaregradskaya" what helps?
This holy image strengthens the Orthodox faith, fights against heresies and idols. As soon as deviations from pure Orthodox doctrine arise somewhere and people depart from the truth, you should definitely pray for the country, so as not to fall into heresy, not to accept union, and so on.
The icon is the keeper of the center of apostolic doctrine and the truth of God. At the present time of trouble, the Tsaregradsky Icon of the Mother of God, a photo of which can be seen in this article, is located in St. Eleazar Monastery. Over the centuries, looking at the images of the Lord and His Most Holy Mother, you can feel the connection of times and thank God for His Providence — the opportunity to pray or simply to contemplate the list of the icon written by the Evangelist Luke himself.
The connection of times is not broken: just like two millennia ago, so now believers experience the same feelings that unite us with the past.