Archpriest Pavel Florensky. Pavel Florensky - thinker of tragic fate
In the most ancient way in Rus' Mother of God“The Sign” is a Novgorod icon, painted in the second quarter - mid-12th century. But the name “Sign” begins to be associated with it, oddly enough, only at the end of the 15th century, especially clearly from the 16th century, and is finally consolidated in the 17th century. They began to celebrate the feast of the icon on November 27, apparently, even before the miracle it showed to the Novgorodians, which happened on February 25, 1169 (1170). The First Chronicle of Novgorod reports that the Novgorodians defeated the Suzdalians “by the power of the cross and the Holy Mother of God,” that is, no name has yet been associated with the icon. The chronicler simply calls the icon “the Holy Mother of God,” without a specific epithet. The word “sign” was then usually used in the same meaning as in V.I. Dahl: “A sign is a sign, a sign, a sign; brand, tamga, seal; natural phenomenon or miracle for sign, proof; a foreshadowing of something."The etymology of the word “sign” is directly related to the verb “to know.” Indo-European ĝen - “to know” is identical to ĝen - “to give birth, to be born” and comes from this latter. It is the concepts “to be born” and “to know” that make up the meaning of the word “sign”.
Let us consider the symbolic and theological meanings of the iconography of the image. At the same time, let’s not forget about the conventions of the language of the icon and the difference between the image and the depicted. I.K. Yazykova writes: “At the moment of contemplating the icon, the Holy of Holies, the inner Mary, is revealed to the one praying, in whose bosom the God-man is conceived by the Holy Spirit.” Let's emphasize this “as if.” With this caveat, one of the meanings of the circle in which Emmanuel is depicted should be understood and perceived as symbol revelations. But anyway revelations- Divine sign. And although the most secret things are revealed to us, nevertheless this is only the first stage of the icon’s conversation with us, when a sign is a “foreshadowing of something.” On the second step, the Mother of God, knowing The Savior even before Christmas, still in the womb, gives birth- on the icon, as if from eternity, he sends - the Infant of God into the world for the salvation of the human race.
The hands of the Mother of God are raised to the sky, they are open to meet the One who is above the entire universe, and at the same time they bless those praying. This is a very ancient prayer gesture: according to Tertullian, the hands of Christians of his time were raised and spread out, “imitating the passion of the Lord.” The raised hands of the Mother of God in prayer also mean intercession for people before God. The inscription on one of the Byzantine seals of the early 13th century reads: “Ostretching out Your hands and offering Your intercession to the entire universe, give me Your protection, O Most Pure One, for what I must do.” Moses also prayed with his hands raised to heaven during the battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites: “And when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed, and when he lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed; but Moses' hands grew heavy, and then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. And his hands were raised until the sun went down” (Ex. 17: 11–12). Here the significance of the entire psychophysical side of prayer is clearly confirmed: it is not enough to utter words in the heart, last role plays the pose of the praying person and his gestures. Let us also pay attention to the theme of light and grace that accompanies this gesture. The name “Aaron” is translated as “mountain of light”, “Or” - “light”. And the hands of Moses himself were “raised until the sun went down,” that is, the hands, supported by “lights,” stretched out to the Light and received the grace of God. In the same way, during the liturgy, the priest stretches out his hands in front of the throne, exclaiming: “Woe is our hearts.” Therefore, we can talk about the canonicity of this gesture, used since ancient times in the liturgy, about the unique connection through this gesture of the Old and New Testaments. The same is inherent in the iconography of the Mother of God image “The Sign”. And here we see the execution Old Testament in Novy. The Infant of God in terms of representation is conventional, but eternal is born into the world for its salvation. That is why He is often placed in a mandorla, through the circles of which Divine energies seem to emanate into the world (again, the theme of light and grace, reflected even in the color of Emmanuel’s clothes). Mandorla in in this case acts as sign movements – movements of the Baby and light. And when, during the siege of Novgorod, an arrow from the Suzdal people hit the icon and the icon turned away from the attackers, the Suzdal people thereby lost light and grace, and the Novgorod people, on the contrary, received this grace for decisive action and victory over the enemy. Let us remember that the Greek ενέργεια is translated as active force, and a sign, according to V.I. Dahl, there is a sign. But in Greek a sign - σημειον - is a miraculous sign, not an ordinary one. In the Novgorod Festive Menaion (c. second quarter of the 14th century), this word in relation to the miraculous icon is used precisely in the meaning of “omen”, “miracle”. Another purpose of the mandorla in this case is to emphasize the Christocentrism of the icon: both with concentric circles around the Infant God - “Light has come into the world” (John 3: 19), and with its high hierarchical status in the system of iconographic symbols. The hands of the Divine Infant stretched out from the medallion in Great Panagia(from the Greek Παναγία - All-Holy) indicate the penetration of eternity into time, and therefore the abolition of time, which is characteristic of the Orthodox worldview.So, the first meaning of the “Sign” icon is revelation. At the same time, there is another meaning hidden in it: Christians, for their part, find out The birth and coming into the world of the Savior, know Him and we testify of Him as recognized. That is, birth (γέννησις), in fact, occurs in the name of creation (γένεσις), in order to return creation to the Divine plan: so that man becomes a created god by grace. In other words, without division and confusion, the dual unity of “God and me” arises - the unity that S.L. wrote about in his time. Franc. Let us recall that the word “Divinity” in theology indicates a property, a nature, and the word “God” indicates a Person. As a super-temporal or timeless act, the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: “Behold, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Emmanuel, which means: God is with us” (Is. 7: 14; Matt. 1: 23). In the 15th century, this text of Isaiah is given not only on the icons of the prophetic order of the iconostasis, as in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, but also serves as the basis for free literary adaptations, in which the word “sign” is used in relation to prophecy.
The religious experience of prayerful communication with an icon allows you to discover a new state in yourself, filled with Divine energies. The Greek term ένθεος – lit., is suitable for its designation. "filled with divinity." This state is indicated by the words of Christ: “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). We are clothed with Christ, and Christ abides in us. In this case, on a personal level, a real relationship is established between the Prototype and a person through the icon, and on a public level, the icon becomes a national shrine. Thus, the image of the Mother of God “The Sign” became the sacred guardian of Veliky Novgorod. This icon was also considered in Byzantium and Rus' to be the patroness of the Church, which explains the frequent use of its iconography on the seals of monasteries, dioceses and metropolises, in lunettes above the entrance to the temple, in apse conchs. There are grounds for establishing a connection between the image of the Mother of God “The Sign” and the icon of the Annunciation. If in the bosom of Mary “the God-man is conceived by the Holy Spirit,” as I.K. theologically correctly noted. Yazykov, then this is the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy about Emmanuel: good news has entered its implementation stage. Therefore E.S. Smirnova is absolutely right when she considers the images on back side The icons are images of Joachim and Anna, and not of the Apostle Peter and the martyr Natalia, as V.N. believed. Lazarev with followers. The theme of the Incarnation is central to the “Sign” icon (therefore, this iconography is canonical for the center of the prophetic order of the iconostasis). Both sides of the famous Novgorod image, with increasing content, testify precisely to the Incarnation. Otherwise, the theological connection between the obverse and reverse of this icon is lost, which comes into conflict with practice church life. A similar connection was present in the vast majority of external Orthodox images.
A special rite in honor of the Mother of God, called the “Rite of Raising the Panagia,” is directly associated with the “Sign” icon. But we know that Panagia is also called an encolpion - a small image of the Mother of God, worn by the bishop on his chest over his vestments, and a prosphora, from which a particle was removed during the liturgy in memory of the Most Pure One. During the meal, the prosphora was always placed on a special dish - panagiar - with the image of Our Lady of the Sign, often surrounded by prophets. On the Byzantine panagiars of the 12th–13th centuries you can see the inscription: “Christ is Bread. The Virgin gives body to God the Word.” The inscription was applied not only for decoration; its meaning was to mysteriously unite the rank Panagia and the meaning of holy bread - the body of Christ, received by Him from His Mother. So rank Panagia brings us back to the theme of the Incarnation.The genealogy of the iconography of the “Sign” goes back to the image of Oranta, which in Rus' was also called “ An unbreakable wall“, because “they were considered the intercessor of “all cities, suburbs and villages” in the fight against eternal enemies - the steppe nomads.” Is it correct to believe that Oranta was depicted as an intercessor, starting with the paintings of the catacombs? In them you can see many images similar in iconography: this is how, for example, the souls of the dead were originally depicted, who prayed for Christians who were still living.
Oranta was and is a symbol of the Heavenly Church. She became such fully and consciously from the moment she was identified with the personality of the Mother of God. Already in the catacombs, “under the image of a praying wife, ancient Christians sometimes used to depict none other than the Blessed Virgin Mary,” accompanying the frescoes with the inscriptions “Maria” and “Mara.” However, “in these orants we do not have a portrait, individual type of the Mother of God, but a conventional image of Her, accepted for every sedate Christian woman.” However, in the “Ascension” stamp of the Monza ampoule (the iconography of the stamps dates back to the 4th–6th centuries), we see Oranta, undoubtedly, in the person of the Mother of God, we see Her as the personification of the Apostolic Church.Since the 9th century, the Most Pure One began to be painted in the apse conch. As noted by I.K. Yazykova, since then “the theme of intercession takes on a broader aspect: the prayer of the Mother of God binds together Heavenly Kingdom, presented at the top of the temple, with the “downstream world” under Her feet. Our Lady of Oranta, as it were, opens up to meet Christ, Who descends through Her to earth, incarnates in human form and sanctifies human flesh with His Divine presence, turning it into a temple - hence Our Lady of Oranta is interpreted as a personification Christian temple, as well as the entire New Testament Church."
In the 14th century, Serbian isographers painted a fresco similar to the Novgorod icon “The Sign”, where the Mother of God, depicted full-length, is dressed not in the usual tunic, but in a chiton with claves. Similar examples can be seen on some of Oranta's frescoes in the catacombs. The Mother of God in this case was understood as the Church itself and as a messenger. If earlier the intercession of the Most Pure One implied a movement from the earthly to the heavenly, here it is understood as apostolic and directed from the heavenly to the earthly.Protographs of the image of the Mother of God “The Sign” have also been known since the 4th century (catacombs of St. Agnes in Rome) and, judging by the absence of a halo on the Infant of God, were created before the 1st century Ecumenical Council, that is, until 325. And in the 5th–6th centuries they were already written on icons and in the wall paintings of churches, minted on coins, and reproduced on the seals of the Byzantine emperors, which indicates their Constantinople origin. This iconography became especially widespread from the 11th to 12th centuries and became popular throughout the Orthodox ecumene. However, many art historians consider the time of appearance of this version to be only the middle of the 11th century, citing surviving images of coins (the nomism of empresses Zoe and Theodora,1042) and on sphragistics (seals of Empress Eudokia Macremvolitissa, wife of Constantine X in 1059–1067 and Roman IV in 1068–1071). Apparently, the confusion here occurs due to the unclear classification of the names of iconographic types, since the tradition of fixing stable names for one or another type of Mother of God icons develops only at the time of sunset Byzantine Empire, and perhaps later - already in post-Byzantine times.
According to I.K. Linguistically, the iconography of Oranta is an abbreviated and truncated version of the image of the Mother of God “The Sign”. Such an opinion cannot but cause objections. Since Oranta’s version is older than the “Sign”, the first cannot be a “shortened version” of the second: you can only truncate what already exists. Here we are not dealing with a reduction in the iconography of the image, but with its construction. Therefore, the “Sign” scheme is more complex than the Oranta scheme, not only externally, but also internally. “This is the most theologically rich iconographic type,” I.K. herself is convinced. Yazykova.
We have already verified from the example of Cypriot frescoes the undoubted connection between the images of the image “The Sign” and the image of the Mother of God Blachernitissa, which only confirms the understanding of the word “sign” as a miracle, because the events of 910 that took place in the Blachernae Church have been celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church for more than eight hundred years as the feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God. Apparently, it is natural that the icon is called “The Sign” only in Rus' and nowhere else. In other countries it is known under other names, mainly taken from akathists.In the art of the Byzantine circle, several terms were used for this iconography, which are often used by art historians: “Platitera” (from “Πλαντυτέρα τόν ουρανόν” - “Broadening the heavens”, from the liturgy of Basil the Great), “Episkepsis” (“Επίσκεψις " - "Patroness , Intercessor"), "Megali Panagia" ("Μεγάλη Παναγία" - "Great All-Holy")". Let’s add here “Pantonassa” (“παντο” - “all” + “νάσσα” from “ναίω” - “to live, inhabit; be; inhabit”).
It should be noted that there is a certain iconographic connection between the image of the Mother of God “The Sign” and the icon Our Lady of Nikopea(Victorious). During the restoration of the Blachernae Temple (1030–1031) during the reign of Emperor Romanus III Argir, builders discovered an icon walled up in the wall, which was hidden from the iconoclasts, most likely in the 8th century under Emperor Constantine Copronymus. The found image was described by a witness of the events, John Skylitzes. Its text has long been understood as a description of a translation identical to that of the Novgorod icon “The Sign,” but modern researchers have made a more accurate translation, from which it follows that the Mother of God holds a mandorla with the Infant God in Her hands. This is how Nikopea, known since pre-iconoclastic times, was found. A similar Sinai icon from the 7th century has survived to this day. The role of this excerpt, according to Academician N.P. Kondakova and V.N. Lazarev, echoes the role that the Novgorod shrine is called upon to play - the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”. Let us note how accurately our ancestors gave the name to the image! The miracle is inextricably linked with this icon. Especially for Novgorodians. Miraculously, they received help from her during the siege of the city by the Suzdalians. In 1356, a fire that broke out in the church subsided after a prayer service in front of this icon. In 1611, the Swedes who tried to rob it were thrown out of the Znamensky Cathedral. More recently, many of those present witnessed celestial phenomenon: On August 15, 1991, during the transfer of the icon from the museum, where it had been kept for a long time, to the Novgorod diocese, a rainbow surrounded the golden dome with a ring St. Sophia Cathedral, and then began to rise and dissolved in the clear, without a single cloud, sky.In conclusion, let us recall that the word “miracle” is formed from the verb “sense” - that is, “hear, feel.” God considering human nature, for the salvation of His people, turns to him with the help of signs. As long as we “feel” the all-presence of God and the universal protection of the Mother of God, we can hope for Her intercession and help in sorrows. And through Her image “The Sign” the luminous grace of God will continue to descend upon us.
Quote By: Smirnova E.S.. Novgorod icon “Our Lady of the Sign”: Some questions of the Mother of God iconography of the 12th century. // Old Russian art. Balkans. Rus. St. Petersburg, 1995. P. 289.
What is an icon? Why do icon painters create icons of the Virgin Mary . icons of patron saints . icons of the Savior and other Orthodox icons? Why do we one day have an irresistible desire to order an icon? We want the icon to be painted personally for us.
IN literal translation With greek icon- this is an image. Through the icon, each person turns to God in himself, because he is one in all. Prince E.N. Trubetskoy wrote that Orthodox icons open to a person “a vision of a different life truth and a different meaning of the world” 1. different from the struggle for survival. No words can convey that power Divine love and the joy of feeling the Divine grace that comes from the icons of the Mother of God, icons of saints and icons of the Savior Jesus Christ, painted by modern icon painter Yuri Kuznetsov.
As is known, icons “have special language– a system of signs that convey certain information” 2. But “deciphering” these symbols can only be done with the heart. For a person who would like to order an icon, it is important to find not just an icon with the image of the Savior Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, or saints, but behind the Orthodox icon there should be “the discovery of a saint, the place of his mystical presence. An icon is a visual link in the dialogue between a praying soul and a saint: a Christian prays not to an icon, but through the icon to the one depicted on it.” 3. Even a non-believer can experience the power of Divine love emanating from the icon of Yuri Kuznetsov. The icon of the Mother of God of Tenderness, Rejoice, Unbrideless Bride, makes a special impression.
Of course, “... church art has its own special, peculiar to it, features and therefore puts the artist in a special position: the artist must understand the demands placed on him. He must give not an ordinary real picture, not a copy from a sample that came to hand by chance, not an idle invention of the imagination, not sanctified by clear religious consciousness, but an icon corresponding to its high purpose” 4. And if the person praying, contemplating the icons of the Mother of God, icons of saints, icons of the Savior Jesus Christ or other Orthodox icons, experiences a soul-piercing sense of the reality of the spiritual world. If the icon suddenly opens as a bright, shedding light vision, which is recognized as exceeding everything around it, residing in another, its own space and in eternity, then the burning of passions and the vanity of the world subsides, the feeling of God is recognized as above-peaceful, qualitatively superior to the world and acting from its own domain here, among us there are 5.
All of the above was experienced by me personally and by many people who keep icons of the “Kuznetsov letter” in their homes. Everyone has an icon of their patron saint in their home.
An icon, be it the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. icon of the Mother of God the All-Tsarina. An icon of the patron saint, the Savior Jesus Christ or another Orthodox icon is “Church Tradition and the grace of God, manifested through lines and colors, as through color writing. The power of the icon indicates that this world [spiritual approx. KK] is near us, that the soul itself is a particle of this world” 6.
Father John of Kronstadt wrote about the need for icons in the house: “Icons in the church, in houses are necessary, among other things, because they remind of the immortality of the saints who live (Luke 20:38), as the Lord says, that they are in God they see us, hear us and help us” (John of Kronstadt. My life in Christ. St. Petersburg, 2005, p. 468). Through an icon of a saint, an icon of the Mother of God or an icon of the Savior Jesus Christ, we become involved in his life and seem to live it together. Together with the icon of the Mother of God “I am with you and no one else is against you,” the person praying is confirmed in his faith. Literally, the name of the icon sounds like “I am always with you and no one will offend you.”
“The icon begins with a line, and the line begins with the heart; it has no other basis or cause that determines it. Heart in patristic understanding– this is the place where the human spirit resides or the spirit itself. Therefore, the starting point of the icon lies in the invisible world, and then appears and manifests itself, as if descending onto the plane of the icon; it is not a repetition of the line of the sample from which the icon is painted” 7. Imagine a thin silver thread coming from the heart, and every moment of life dyes it in the corresponding color, so you get a multi-colored carpet woven from life’s episodes. This is the essence of the icons of the “Kuznetsov letter”. Icons of the Mother of God, icons of saints, icons of the Savior Jesus Christ or other Orthodox icons are painted by Yuri Kuznetsov according to this principle: each point is an episode of the life of a saint. If we perceive the icon not logically, but in spirit, then in the ornament Vladimir icon The Mother of God can be seen that this icon was brought from Byzantium to Russia at the beginning of the 12th century, as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverkh. The icon was placed in convent In Vyshgorod, not far from Kyiv, rumors of her miracles reached the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who decided to transport the icon to the north.
Such an understanding and reading of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is possible, because “the line on the icon is a cut in spiritual world“, this is a clearing in the world of skeletal and, therefore, in its essence, darkened matter - only grace can enlighten matter” 8. The cut in the icons of the “Kuznetsov letter” is the ornament that lies at its basis. The ornament is rounded, since the line in the icon “should not be pointed and angular, as if broken (angularity, convulsions, breaks, pointed ends refer to the image dark force). Circumference and roundness, the natural movement of the line is the life of the line...” 9. Variations of the ornament change depending on whether the icon of the Mother of God, the icon of saints or another Orthodox icon or the icon of the Savior Jesus Christ is being painted.
In the process of icon painting, “the mystical experience of communication with the Heavenly Church and the experience of spiritual realities” 10 is very important. It is this experience that gives the true content to the icon.
The canonical form and historical authenticity of an Orthodox icon is given by the sample from which the copy is taken. There is a fundamental difference between the copy and the copy from the icon of the Mother of God, the icon of saints or the icon of the Savior Jesus Christ. “A list is closeness to a person, a copy is similarity, or even a visual coincidence with an iconographic image” 11. “To make a list, you need to internally experience the icon, read its semantic text, and then write it in your own handwriting” 12.
Icons of the 21st Century is a site created specifically to popularize and promote the work of icon painter Yuri Kuznetsov, as well as to revive and restore Orthodoxy in Russia, to return people to the path of joy, love and kindness. With us you can order an icon"Kuznetsov" letter, get acquainted with the stories of the discovery of Orthodox icons, learn about earthly life saints and their veneration, read about the meaning and content of the holidays of the Orthodox calendar.
Icons of the Mother of God, patron saints, the Savior Jesus Christ and other Orthodox icons are created using ancient monastery technologies using tempera on a linden board.
Before ordering an icon, we suggest you find out our recommendations. If you want an icon for yourself, an icon that will be with you throughout your life, then this could be personalized icon. that is, an icon with the image of a saint of the same name as you. You can select the appropriate image from the proposed list of already written personalized icons. If your name is not on the list, this does not mean that you cannot order personalized icon, write to us or call us and we will select a holy image for you. A personal icon does not have to be personal. This could be an icon of the Mother of God, an icon of a saint, an icon of the Savior, or another Orthodox icon.
The peculiarity of the icons of the “Kuznetsov letter” is that the icon painter Yuri Kuznetsov, having a very sensitive perception of a person, writes for him an image that corresponds precisely to his spirit. An icon of an author's letter, written specifically for a specific person, will strengthen him in faith throughout his life and support him in difficult moments of life. When painting a holy image, it is very important for the icon painter to understand life path the person for whom he reveals the holy image, since after painting the icon the person and the saint will be connected. Therefore, a personal icon: an icon of the Mother of God, an icon of a saint, a personal icon, an icon of the Savior, family icon or another Orthodox icon painted specifically for you must under no circumstances be sold or given to another person.
After you decide on the image, in order to order the icon, you will need to choose its size. Yuri Kuznetsov paints icons of saints mainly in 2 sizes: large - 75x100 cm and small - 35x40 cm.
In which case is it better to order a large icon, and in which case a small one? A large icon allows the icon painter, with the help of ornament and color, to convey in more detail the story of the saint’s life and his spiritual feat. A small icon is more private and easy to transport. Of course, it is possible to choose an icon of a different format, but you need to take into account that this will require additional time to prepare the base for the icon. “The icon is both a path and a means; it is prayer itself." 13. The purpose of an icon, be it icons of the Mother of God, icons of saints, or other Orthodox icons or icons of the Savior Jesus Christ, is to "direct all our feelings, as well as the mind and all of our human nature, to its true goal - to the path of transformation" 14.
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1 Trubetskoy E.N. Speculation in colors / Icons of Russia. M. 2008. p. 117
2 L.V.Abramova. Semiotics of icons. Saransk, 2006, p. 4
3 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon/ Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 79
4 N.V. Pokrovsky. New church art and church antiquity / Theology of the image. Icon and icon painters. M. 2002, p. 267
5 Florensky P. Iconostasis. M. 2009. P. 36
6 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 60
7 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 66-67
8 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 63
9 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 71
10 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 60
11 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 67
12 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 67
13 Leonid Uspensky. The meaning and content of the icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 111
14 Leonid Uspensky. The meaning and content of the icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 111
and what miracles are associated with it
December 10– celebration Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” . This image has been known in Rus' since the 12th century, or more precisely since 1170, when the first miracle associated with the icon occurred.
Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”. Photo diveevo.ru
The first miracle of the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”
The united forces of the Russian appanage princes approached the walls of Novgorod to conquer the city. The Novgorodians prepared for a long siege and began to ask the Lord for help. On the third night, local Archbishop Ilya had a dream that he had to take an image from the church Holy Mother of God and go out with him to the city wall. He did just that.
The princes' troops were shelling the city at that moment, and one of the arrows hit the icon. Tears flowed from the eyes of the Mother of God, which horrified the attackers. Inspired by God's support, the Novgorodians rushed at their enemies and defeated them.
Then the archbishop established a holiday on the day of the Sign of the Mother of God, which is celebrated to this day.
The second miracle associated with the icon
Happened in 1611. An army of Swedes burst into Novgorod and intended to take possession of the Znamensky Cathedral, where at that moment a service was being held at the icon. But some unknown force did not allow them to approach the temple, each time throwing the soldiers back. Disappointed, the Swedes retreated and left the city.
Miracles associated with fires
Other miracles are also associated with the “Sign” icon. For example, in chronicle sources there is information that when in the 14th century there was a fire in the wooden church where the icon then resided, the fire stopped right next to the face of the Mother of God and did not damage the image. After this, a stone temple was erected - the Cathedral of the Sign, and the icon of the Sign was moved there.
The fact that fire has no power over the image was remembered two centuries later. At that time, a strong fire broke out in Novgorod again. Houses on several streets burned down, and the townspeople still could not cope with the elements. Then Metropolitan Macarius prayed at the icon of the Mother of God and with her in his hands performed procession. After that, it blew towards the river strong wind and the fire stopped.
It is known that one more protects against fires.
The “Sign” icon is the main shrine of the Novgorod land. Photo 53news.ru
How does the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” help?
In front of this image, the Mother of God asks for peace, deliverance from disasters, civil wars and invasions of enemies.
It is also believed that the “Sign” icon, if placed in a house, will help protect it from fire and envious people, return lost things and improve relations between relatives. Those who want to find their missing relatives often pray at the face of the Mother of God.
Like other icons of the Mother of God, for example, the icon of the Sign has the power of healing. It can help with eye diseases, including blindness, cure cholera and severe mental illnesses.
Icon of the Mother of God “SIGN” Kursk-Root
The Kursk Icon of the Sign of the Mother of God is one of ancient icons Russian Church.
The icon of the Mother of God, called the “Sign,” depicts the Most Holy Theotokos sitting and raising Her hands in prayer; on her chest, against the background of a round shield (or sphere), is the blessing of the Divine Infant - Savior-Emmanuel. This image of the Mother of God is one of Her very first iconographic images.
Icons of the Mother of God, known under the name “Sign”, appeared in Rus' in the 11th-12th centuries, and they began to be called that after a miraculous sign from Novgorod icon which happened in 1170.
Another similar icon appeared near the city of Kursk in 1295 and is called Kursk-Korenaya .
During the invasion of Russia by Khan Batu, the city of Kursk was so devastated that it was overgrown with forest, in which residents of the neighboring town of Rylsk often hunted. One day, on September 8, 1295, on the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a hunter saw an icon at the root of a tree, facing the ground. He raised the image, and it turned out that it was the “SIGN” icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. At that very moment, in the place where she lay, a source of spring water gushed out of the ground.
When Prince Vasily Shemyaka of Rylsky was informed about the appearance of the icon, he ordered it to be brought to the city. The people greeted the icon of the Mother of God with triumph, but the prince himself did not take part in this meeting, for which he was immediately punished with blindness. When, after repentance, he received insight, then, in gratitude for the healing, he erected a temple in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where, after construction was completed, it was placed miraculous icon. At the same time, a holiday was established on the day of her appearance. From the place of its appearance at the root of a tree, the icon of the Mother of God began to be called the Root Icon.
But the icon of the Mother of God did not stay in the temple for long: miraculously it disappeared and was discovered in the place where it was found by the hunter. Residents of Rylsk repeatedly took it and took it to the city, but each time the icon of the Mother of God disappeared from the temple, and it was again found at the place of its appearance at the root of a tree. Then everyone realized that the Mother of God favored the place where Her image appeared, and a chapel was built on this place.
In 1383, the Tatars who attacked the Kursk region captured the priest serving at the chapel, set the chapel on fire, cut the icon in half, threw one half into the fire and the other to the side. The priest was taken to Crimea, where he spent several years in captivity, performing hard work. One day, Moscow ambassadors, driving past the Tatar camp, heard Russian hymns to the Most Holy Theotokos. Having learned about the captured priest, the ambassadors ransomed him from slavery, and he returned to the place near Kursk, where there once stood a chapel with a miraculous icon.
At the site of the burnt chapel, the priest found one half, and after searching, he found the other half off to the side in the grass. With faith, he put the two halves together, and they grew together miraculously. From that time on, the icon of the Mother of God remained in its place in the newly built chapel, and miracles did not stop from it all the time. Subsequently, a monastery was built on the site of the chapel - Root Hermitage. It is known that Venerable Seraphim Sarovsky was cured by this image as a child.
In 1898, attackers tried to destroy the Russian shrine. The explosion from the planted bomb was so strong that the temple collapsed, but the icon of the Mother of God remained unharmed. To everyone’s amazement, even the glass on the icon case remained intact. In memory of the miraculous preservation of the icon during the explosion, another day was established for the celebration of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” - March 8 (March 21, new style).
After the October Revolution, the icon was stolen from the Znamensky Cathedral in broad daylight on April 12, 1918. The search yielded no results. The shrine was discovered a few days later, at about 10 am. One woman, returning home, passed by a well (according to legend, dug in his youth by the Monk Theodosius of Pechersk himself). Here, on the stump of the well, she saw a package wrapped in a bag. There was an icon in it, but it was already without magnificent vestments, apparently planted by the kidnappers.
In the 20th century, the Kursk Root Icon, having shared the fate of Russia, became a companion of Russian people abroad. At the end of October 1919 miraculous image left the Kursk region. From the Athos courtyard, the icon was transferred to Constantinople, then to the Greek city of Thessaloniki, then to the ancient capital of Serbia, the city of Nis, and to the suburb of Belgrade - Zemun. So it began way of the cross icons outside the Fatherland. The icon is currently located in the USA. The shrine visits parishes in the USA and other countries where Russian people live. She is truly considered Hodegetria of Russia Orthodox Church Abroad.
Memory March 8 celebrated in memory of the rescue of the icon from the atheist revolutionaries who tried to blow up the icon in the Kursk Cathedral in 1898, June 11 And 8 September- on the day of acquisition, November 27- on the day of celebration of the icon "The Sign", on the 9th Friday after Easter.
Description of the icon
On the upper part of the icon there is an image of the Lord of Hosts with the Holy Spirit emanating from His depths, on the other sides there are images of the Old Testament prophets in various clothes, according to the difference in origin and rank, with scrolls in their hands.
The faces of the prophets are turned to the image of the Mother of God, who has Emmanuel in Her bosom. On the right side of the icon is the king and prophet Solomon; V right hand his scroll with the saying: “Wisdom has created a house for herself,” and the prophet Daniel follows him down; in his left hand he has a scroll with the saying: “I saw a stone mountain.” Behind this is the prophet Jeremiah with a scroll in his left hand, on which is the saying: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord.” Below is the prophet Elijah with a scroll in both hands, on which is the saying: “I am jealous of the Lord.” On the left side at the top is the king and prophet David with a scroll in his left hand, on which is the saying: “Rise, Lord, into Thy rest.” Below is the prophet Moses with a scroll in both hands, on it is the saying: “I saw the bush of fire...”. Behind him is the prophet Isaiah with a scroll in his right hand with the saying: “Behold, the virgin will receive with child.” Behind this is the prophet Gideon with a scroll in his left hand, on which is the saying: “It came down like rain on the fleece.” The lower part of the icon depicts the prophet Habakkuk with a scroll in both hands containing the saying: “God will come from the south.”
The image of these particular prophets has direct relation to the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is called “The Sign”. The icon depicts the conception of the Son of God, Emmanuel, in the womb Holy Virgin Mother of God; and this is the greatest miracle, according to the prophecy of St. Isaiah, was a sign to the royal house of David that it would not cease until the incarnation of the Son of God. But other Old Testament prophets also foretold the same miracle of the incarnation of the Son of God; therefore, images of these prophets with scrolls containing their prophetic sayings are also placed on the icon of the “Sign” of the Most Holy Theotokos as their common consonant testimony to the truth of the miraculous sign given by God through the prophet Isaiah.
Before the Kursk-Root Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Sign” they pray for deliverance from internecine warfare during disasters and invasions of enemies, for healing from blindness and eye diseases, cholera, for the protection and blessing of our compatriots forced to wander around the world, for the pacification of those at war.
