Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child. The miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The Leaping of the Baby” (Ugreshskaya)

Icon Mother of God
"Baby Leaping"

The Birth of a Child - Divine Joy
embodiment of a new life. She's the one
reflected in this amazing icon.
Images of the Mother of God and the Child Savior
convey the full depth of trust and
tenderness of the relationship between Mother and Son, which
commanded to exist among all
mothers and children. Icon of the Mother of God
“Baby Leaping” is one of many
miraculous icons Holy Mother of God.
In Rus', in front of this image, Orthodox
mothers have long said fervent prayers
about the well-being of your children. Exists
pious tradition of praying to the Most Holy
Our Lady for help during pregnancy,
before and after childbirth. Before the image
many married couples bring prayer for
resolution from infertility. Birth of a child,
this is great happiness. Thank Our Lady
for this and ask that in the future She,
"who took into adoption the whole human race"
continued her maternal care for her mother
and the baby and His intercession for them before
Lord. We always have something to be grateful for
Mother of God, you shouldn’t miss every
that's an opportunity.

About the history and meaning of the icon

The birth of a baby is the main event in the life of every woman. It is during pregnancy and the birth of a child that the Lord most clearly reveals to a person the fullness of His power and greatness. When a baby is born, a true miracle of God appears on Earth. For a successful outcome of pregnancy, many mothers pray to the Lord, the Saints and, of course, the Most Holy Theotokos throughout the entire period before and after childbirth. The Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” is one of the many miraculous icons of the Most Holy Theotokos. In Rus', before this image, Orthodox mothers have long said fervent prayers for the well-being of their children. There is a pious tradition before childbirth to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos and perform prayer services with the reading of the akathist, dedicated to the icon"Baby Leap" The icon belongs to the most common type in iconography, called “eleusa”, which is translated from Greek as “merciful”. Such works most fully depict deeply reverent and tender relationship between the Holy Mother and the Divine Child.

Here there is no distance between Mother and Son: the Baby presses his cheek to the face of the Virgin Mary, showing her his sincere love and trust. Many famous icons of the Mother of God, such as Vladimir, Tenderness, Yaroslavl and others, also belong to the “eleus” type. The icon depicts the Savior Jesus Christ sitting on the hand of the Mother of God. Throwing his head back, He seems to be playing with His Mother. With one hand the Savior touches her cheek, thereby showing tenderness. The entire pose of the Infant God conveys His childlike, spontaneous character. This icon most strongly shows the human side of the Divine Savior, which is rarely found in other iconographic images of the Mother of God.

Most famous list The icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” was revealed on November 7/20, 1795 in Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery , which still operates in the Moscow region, not far from the city of Dzerzhinsky. The monastery is historically famous for the fact that it was founded by Dmitry Donskoy in honor of the victory in 1380 on the Kulikovo field at the site of the appearance of the great icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Ugreshsky - from the Old Russian “ugresh”, in modern language- “warmed up.” According to legend, the phenomenon icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Before the battle, the prince was so inspired that he exclaimed: “This whole thing has sinned my heart,” that is, “warmed my heart.” This ardent joy of the presence of the will of the Lord, revealed through His saint, was transmitted through the commander to the troops as a premonition of victory, and the enemy was completely defeated.

A little over four centuries later in the Nikolo-Ugreshskaya monastery miraculously the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” appeared, where on back side icon plaque, possibly written down by the master himself short prayer: “Save everyone with your prayers, Most Holy Theotokos, who flow to you, deliver all needs and sorrows.” After 1917, the monastery, which, starting from the times of Peter the Great, was destroyed and plundered, like many other churches and monasteries. The Ugresh icon “Leaping of the Child” also disappeared.

In 1991, the monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, recovery has begun. In 2013, a woman called the monastery and said that she kept an icon whose description was very similar to the “Leaping of the Child,” which had previously been sold to her family by a certain collector. The collector claimed that this is the same icon that was once among the shrines of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky monastery. The monks who arrived from the monastery agreed that the icon fit the ancient descriptions very well. The image was taken to the monastery. And when the icon was installed in the place in the Transfiguration Cathedral where the lost list had previously been located, it became clear to everyone present that this was it, and the image of the Mother of God returned home by Her will.

What a miracle happened

Since the discovery of the icon “Leaping of the Child” in 1795 in the Nikolo-Ugreshskaya monastery, many miracles have occurred from it, associated with cures for infertility, assistance in successful pregnancy, and healing of sick babies. Many, many families began to flock to her with their sorrows and requests, which, through their prayers and faith, found a miraculously successful solution. This is why this icon was glorified, but the memory of its miraculousness has reached us since ancient times - the most ancient list, located in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, also exhibited miraculous properties.

And yet the greatest miracle is the wonder of the reverent feeling born from the image on the icon, from the image of Divine love between the Mother and the Child, embodied according to the plan of the God-loving icon painter, who, being the Lord, both during earthly life and after His Ascension, as we know According to legend, he remained respectful and loving Son. Therefore, the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on our behalf before Him is the strongest, for the Son of God, in His respect for the requests of the Mother, is merciful much more often than we sometimes deserve.

Meaning of the icon

Just one look at the Divine family, at the manifestations of Filial love and Maternal tenderness, is an example for human relationships. The divine joy of new life, reflected in this amazing icon, reveals the depth and greatness of relationships in the heavenly world and at the same time their humanity that is understandable and close to us. Thus, the dual, divine-human essence of the nature of the Lord Christ as the Son of God and the Son of Man is reaffirmed. After all, the birth of a child is a repetition of the event of the Nativity of Christ every time. The reflection of the Mother of God shines in every mother - it illuminates her face, bowed over her beloved child. In every baby from the moment of baptism there is a reflection of the Holy Spirit of God's Infancy - the incarnation became the basis for the deification of man “in His image and likeness.” A miracle is revealed to the soul that believes in Him - a unique opportunity to follow His path and lead your children with you. It is difficult for an earthly person, they say - of course, it is difficult, but let us remember: “The Kingdom by God's power given"...

The image on the icon is of an unusually personal nature, as if it lifts the veil of the relationship between the Mother of God and the Son of God, left alone. The face of the Mother of God is mournful. She bowed over the Baby with gentle sadness, foreseeing His difficult path through the earthly vale and the future torment of the cross. The baby, playing, touches the face of the Most Pure One. This affectionate gesture is evidence of the all-understanding tenderness that exists between the Mother of God and the Son of God, the wonderful feelings that should exist between all mothers and children.

But in this gesture of joyful trust there is also a shade of consolation - He, born and living in the Holy Spirit, also foresees, in the Divine hypostasis of His divine-human being, Her suffering at the foot of Calvary. Another prophetic meaning contained in this image of the Mother of God, according to some researchers of Russian Orthodox iconography, arose on the basis of the composition of the icon “The Presentation of the Lord” - only there the Baby reaches out to Saint Simeon the God-Receiver from the Mother’s hands, which foreshadows His future way of the cross. As is known, when, after the Nativity of the Infant God, Mary and Joseph came to the temple of Jerusalem to offer, according to Jewish custom, a sacrifice for the birth of a boy child (Ex. 12:12–15), Saint Simeon also appeared there, drawn by the Holy Spirit. It is known that the angel announced to Simeon that he would not rest until he accepted into his arms the Child born of a Virgin, and not a wife.

Taking the Baby in his arms, he uttered words that have now become one of the most wonderful and heartfelt chants in the evening. Orthodox worship: “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Master, in peace, according to Your word...” (Luke 2:29–32). And this meeting, the meeting - in Old Russian, Church Slavonic, took place, after which the elder was released from this world and went to God.

How an icon protects

The image of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” is an icon of all young mothers and all Orthodox women who want to have a child. During pregnancy, before childbirth, in the first months of a newborn’s life, it is customary to read the akathist to the icon of the Mother of God “The Leaping of the Child.” In this way, the health of the expectant mother and newborn baby will be protected by warm prayer to the Intercessor. Of course, the joint prayer of loved ones in front of this icon of the Mother of God during the hours when the mother is in the maternity ward is very important. Common prayer her family will support her and give her strength. Positive attitude and peace of mind- a good state for every person, but while a woman is carrying a child under her heart, the state of grace and inner peace is especially important for her - after all, she lives and feels the world for two. And if he gets sad, the Intercessor Mother will console and protect, since it has been known since ancient times: everything that the mother feels, the child also feels, and therefore one must keep one’s thoughts pure and keep joyful anticipation in the heart.

What does an icon help with?

If it suddenly happens that your family or someone close to you does not have the children you want for a long time, then turn with prayer to the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child,” most copies of which are known as miraculous. A prayer to the Mother of God will always be heard, of course, provided that it is persistent, sincere, and ardent. Also, prayer in front of the image of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” for the mother and child will contribute to a successful pregnancy, and then help the mother and newborn to remain healthy and quickly recover after labor - this is joyful work, but it requires a lot of effort, and the Mother of God, according to our prayers, never will not forsake those who call on her.

You have had a child, this is a great happiness. Thank the Mother of God for this and ask that in the future She, who “took into adoption the entire human race,” will continue Her maternal care for the mother and baby and Her intercession for them before the Lord. We always have something to thank the Mother of God for, so we shouldn’t miss every opportunity.

How to pray in front of an icon

In front of the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” you can pray any Mother of God prayer. In general, in the old days it was customary to serve a prayer service before an imminent birth, to read akathists to the Mother of God in front of Her icon “The Leaping of the Child.”

There is a prayer for a successful outcome during childbirth, which is good to read for pregnant women:

“O Glorious Mother of God, have mercy on me, Your servant, and come to my aid during my illnesses and dangers, with which all the poor daughters of Eve give birth to children. Remember, O Blessed One among women, with what joy and love You went hastily to the mountainous country to visit Your relative Elizabeth during her pregnancy, and what a wonderful effect Your gracious visit had on both mother and baby. And according to Your inexhaustible mercy, grant me, Your most humble servant, to be safely relieved of my burden; Grant me this grace, so that the child who now rests under my heart, having come to his senses, with a joyful leap, like the holy baby John, will worship the Divine Lord Savior, Who, out of love for us sinners, did not disdain to become a baby Himself. May the unspeakable joy with which Your virgin heart was filled at the sight of Your newborn Son and Lord, sweeten the sorrow that awaits me amidst the pains of birth. May my life, my Savior, born of You, save me from death, which cuts off the lives of many mothers at the hour of resolution, and may the fruit of my womb be numbered among the elect of God. Hear, O Most Holy Queen of Heaven, my humble prayer and look upon me, a poor sinner, with the eye of Your grace; do not be ashamed of my trust in Your great mercy and overshadow me, Helper of Christians, Healer of diseases, may I also be honored to experience for myself that You are the Mother of mercy, and may I always glorify Your grace, which has never rejected the prayers of the poor and delivers all those who call on You in a time of sorrow and illness. Amen".

After the birth of a baby, in order to establish feeding and initial upbringing of the baby, it is good to serve a prayer service in church for the mother’s health, addressed to the “Mammal” and “Nurture” icons, as well as read akathists and prayers in front of these Her icons.

When does the celebration take place?

The celebration of the icons of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” takes place on November 7/20 according to the date miraculous acquisition icons in 1795 in the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery.

A prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, spoken from a pure heart, always brings spiritual fruit. Many Christian believers, after praying in front of this icon, received consolation in spiritual anxieties, as well as deep calm and peace. This is the effect of the help of the Queen of Heaven, who always helps in various life circumstances.

Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” protects from infertility, from ill health of infants, from possible problems when carrying a child. This image has always been protective for Orthodox women and was famous for its miraculous qualities in these cases. If, during childbirth, loved ones pray in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” for a successful outcome for mother and baby, this prayer will protect the woman from possible adverse events

What a miracle happened

There are no documented miracles in our time, when there is no chronicle evidence (which is a pity!). But it is known that since the discovery of the “Leaping of the Child” icon in 1795 in the Nikolo-Ugreshskaya monastery, many miracles have occurred from it, related to cures for infertility, assistance in successful pregnancies, and healing of sick babies. Many, many families began to flock to her with their sorrows and requests, which, through their prayers and faith, found a miraculously successful solution. This is why this icon was glorified, but the memory of its miraculousness reaches us from ancient times - the most ancient copy, located in the Vatopedi monastery on Athos, also showed miraculous properties.

And yet the greatest miracle is the wonder of the reverent feeling born from the image on the icon, from the image of Divine love between the Mother and the Child, embodied according to the plan of the God-loving icon painter, who, being the Lord, both during earthly life and after His Ascension, as we know according to Tradition, he remained a respectful and loving Son. Therefore, the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on our behalf before Him is the strongest, for the Son of God, in His respect for the requests of the Mother, is merciful much more often than we sometimes deserve....

“Most Holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, who weighed the birth and nature of mother and child, have mercy on Thy servant (name) and help in this hour so that her burden may be resolved safely. O all-merciful Lady Theotokos, even though you did not require help in the birth of the Son of God, grant help to this servant of yours who requires help, especially from You. Grant her blessings at this hour, and grant her the birth of a child and bring her into the light of this world at the right time and the gift of intelligent light in holy baptism with water and spirit. We fall down before you, Mother of the Most High God, praying: Be merciful to this mother, the time has come for her to be a mother, and beg Christ our God, who has become incarnate from you, to strengthen you with his power from above. Amen".

Prayers
“O Glorious Mother of God, have mercy on me, Your servant, and come to my aid during my illnesses and dangers, with which all the poor daughters of Eve give birth to children. Remember, O Blessed One among women, with what joy and love You went hastily to the mountainous country to visit Your relative Elizabeth during her pregnancy, and what a wonderful effect Your gracious visit had on both mother and baby. And according to Your inexhaustible mercy, grant me, Your most humble servant, to be safely relieved of my burden; Grant me this grace, so that the child who now rests under my heart, having come to his senses, with a joyful leap, like the holy baby John, will worship the Divine Lord Savior, Who, out of love for us sinners, did not disdain to become a baby Himself. May the unspeakable joy with which Your virgin heart was filled at the sight of Your newborn Son and Lord, sweeten the sorrow that awaits me amidst the pains of birth. May my life, my Savior, born of You, save me from death, which cuts off the lives of many mothers at the hour of resolution, and may the fruit of my womb be numbered among the elect of God. Hear, O Most Holy Queen of Heaven, my humble prayer and look upon me, a poor sinner, with the eye of Your grace; do not be ashamed of my trust in Your great mercy and overshadow me, Helper of Christians, Healer of diseases, may I also be honored to experience for myself that You are the Mother of mercy, and may I always glorify Your grace, which has never rejected the prayers of the poor and delivers all those who call on You in a time of sorrow and illness. Amen".

When does the celebration take place?

The celebration of the icons of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” takes place on November 7/20, following the date of the miraculous discovery of the icon in 1795 in the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery.

It is curious that this day, November 20, coincidentally or not, marks the day on which the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, and in 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 1954, the UN Assembly recommended that all countries introduce the practice of celebrating world day Child (Universal Children's Day) as a day of world brotherhood and mutual understanding of children, dedicated to activities aimed at ensuring the well-being of children around the world.

- celebration of November 20 according to the new style. The Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” is one of the most beloved among the Russian people. IN Byzantine Empire this image was considered an ancient miraculous shrine. The icon was found on November 7, 1795 in the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery near Moscow, founded by Dmitry Donskoy in honor of the victory on the Kulikovo Field in 1380. It is known that after prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos before this icon, many miracles occurred related to cures for infertility, assistance in successful pregnancy, and healing of sick babies. Many, many families began to flock to her with their sorrows and requests, which, through their prayers and faith, found a miraculously successful solution. This is why this icon was glorified, but the memory of its miraculousness reaches us from ancient times - the most ancient copy, located in the Vatopedi monastery on Athos, also showed miraculous properties. During the Soviet era, which was accompanied by the destruction of monasteries, the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” was considered lost. And only in 2003, an icon of the Mother of God was donated to the revived Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery from an unknown woman, which, according to the description, was very similar to the lost one. According to the clergy, when the image was brought to the monastery and installed in the place where it once stood, the last doubts were dispelled - the lost shrine returned home. Nowadays the image of the “Leaping of the Child” is in the altar of the Transfiguration Cathedral. Pregnancy and upcoming birth are events that show the Divine greatness of life, therefore Ancient Rus' We tried to carry the child under our hearts with prayer. The Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” is responsible for the fullness of motherhood, therefore in Orthodox Christianity It was customary before childbirth to serve a prayer service with akathists to the Mother of God in honor of Her icons “Leaping of the Child” and “Helper in Childbirth”. After the birth, a prayer service was served to the icons of the Mother of God: “Mammal” and “Education”. This helped to establish breast-feeding and raise a child correctly... And yet the greatest miracle is the wonder of the reverent feeling born from the image on the icon, from the image of Divine love between the Mother and the Child, embodied according to the plan of the God-loving icon painter, who, being the Lord, both during earthly life and after the Ascension His own, as we know from Tradition, remained a respectful and loving Son. Therefore, the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on our behalf before Him is the strongest, for the Son of God, in His respect for the requests of the Mother, is merciful much more often than we sometimes deserve.... In most compositions on the Leaping icons, the Baby Jesus is sitting on the left or right hand The Virgin Mary is depicted as if playing and impulsively reaches out with her hands to the face of Her Mother, touching Her chin or cheek, sharply throwing her head back. Icons with the name “Leaping of the Child” are common in the Balkans and Mount Athos. In Russia, traditionally, the feast of all icons of the Mother of God “Leaping” is celebrated on the day of the celebration of the Ugresh image “Leaping of the Child”: November 20 (November 7, old style). Well-known copies of the icon - the Moscow and Kostroma icons of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” are kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery. There are icons of the Mother of God of the same name in the Moscow Novodevichy Convent, as well as in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos. ******* Before the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” you can pray any Mother of God prayer. In general, in the old days it was customary to serve a prayer service before an approaching birth, to read akathists to the Mother of God in front of Her icon “The Leaping of the Child.”

Every year on November 20, the day of remembrance of the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” is celebrated. This image of the Virgin Mary amazing story: it was revealed in , where in the 14th century the icon of the saint and wonderworker Nicholas the Pleasant had already been miraculously found. It is in the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery that many shrines of the Orthodox Church are kept.

Years passed after the miraculous discovery of the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” in 1795. During the revolution, a tragedy happened - the icon disappeared, and for a long time no one knew anything about it. Until in 2003, an image strikingly reminiscent of the miraculous list was donated to the monastery... It was installed in the original place of the image of the “Leaping of the Child”. Now the icon is kept in the altar of the Transfiguration Cathedral. You can worship her in the monastery.

Where is the icon

Well-known copies of icons - the Moscow and Kostroma icons of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” are also kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery.
Another list is in the Moscow Novodevichy Convent.
You can venerate the Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos.

How does the icon help? Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child”

For a woman expecting a child, the pregnancy period becomes very important and exciting. God gave her the happiness and responsibility of future motherhood. The Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” is an image of the Motherly Love of the Mother of God. Looking at the icon, we remember the great sacrifice that Christ made and the suffering that the Most Holy Theotokos endured with him. On miraculous image, through prayers before which many were healed of infertility, the Baby Jesus stretches out his hands to the Mother of God in play, and She presses her cheek to Him. Her love for Him and tenderness is love for all humanity.

Before the icon they pray for:

the gift of children;
safe pregnancy;
safe birth;
about the health of the baby and his mother.

Open sources

Prayers to the image of the Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child”

In front of the icon they pray for a safe delivery.

“Most Holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, who weighed the birth and nature of mother and child, have mercy on Thy servant (name) and help in this hour so that her burden may be resolved safely. O all-merciful Lady Theotokos, even though you did not require help in the birth of the Son of God, grant help to this servant of yours who requires help, especially from You. Grant her blessings at this hour, and grant her the birth of a child and bring her into the light of this world at the right time and the gift of intelligent light in holy baptism with water and spirit. We fall down before you, Mother of the Most High God, praying: Be merciful to this mother, the time has come for her to be a mother, and beg Christ our God, who has become incarnate from you, to strengthen you with his power from above. Amen".

“O Glorious Mother of God, have mercy on me, Your servant, and come to my aid during my illnesses and dangers, with which all the poor daughters of Eve give birth to children. Remember, O Blessed One among women, with what joy and love You went hastily to the mountainous country to visit Your relative Elizabeth during her pregnancy, and what a wonderful effect Your gracious visit had on both mother and baby. And according to Your inexhaustible mercy, grant me, Your most humble servant, to be safely relieved of my burden; Grant me this grace, so that the child who now rests under my heart, having come to his senses, with a joyful leap, like the holy baby John, will worship the Divine Lord Savior, Who, out of love for us sinners, did not disdain to become a baby Himself. May the unspeakable joy with which Your virgin heart was filled at the sight of Your newborn Son and Lord, sweeten the sorrow that awaits me amidst the pains of birth. May my life, my Savior, born of You, save me from death, which cuts off the lives of many mothers at the hour of resolution, and may the fruit of my womb be numbered among the elect of God. Hear, O Most Holy Queen of Heaven, my humble prayer and look upon me, a poor sinner, with the eye of Your grace; do not be ashamed of my trust in Your great mercy and overshadow me, Helper of Christians, Healer of diseases, may I also be honored to experience for myself that You are the Mother of mercy, and may I always glorify Your grace, which has never rejected the prayers of the poor and delivers all those who call on You in a time of sorrow and illness. Amen".

Icon of the Mother of God "Leaping of the Child"
read more
The Birth of a Child - Divine Joy

The embodiment of a new life. She's the one

Reflected on this amazing icon.

Images of the Mother of God and the Child Savior

Convey the full depth of trust and

The tenderness of the relationship between Mother and Son, which

Commanded to exist between all

Mothers and children. Icon of the Mother of God

“Baby Leaping” is one of many

Miracle-working icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In Rus', in front of this image, Orthodox

Mothers have long said fervent prayers

About the well-being of your children. Exists

The pious tradition of praying to the Most Holy One

Our Lady for help during pregnancy,

Before and after childbirth. Before the image

Many married couples offer prayer for

Resolution from infertility. Birth of a child,

This is great happiness. Thank Our Lady

For this, ask her to continue

"who took into adoption the whole human race"

Continued her maternal care for her mother

And the baby and His intercession for them before

Lord. We always have something to be grateful for

Mother of God, you shouldn’t miss every

That's an opportunity.

About the history and meaning of the icon

The birth of a baby is the main event in the life of every woman. It is during pregnancy and the birth of a child that the Lord most clearly reveals to a person the fullness of His power and greatness. When a baby is born, a true miracle of God appears on Earth. For a successful outcome of pregnancy, many mothers pray to the Lord, the Saints and, of course, the Most Holy Theotokos throughout the entire period before and after childbirth. The Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” is one of the many miraculous icons of the Most Holy Theotokos. In Rus', before this image, Orthodox mothers have long said fervent prayers for the well-being of their children. There is a pious tradition before giving birth to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos and perform prayer services with the reading of an akathist dedicated to the icon “The Leaping of the Baby.” The icon belongs to the most common type in iconography, called “eleusa”, which is translated from Greek as “merciful”. Such works most fully depict the deeply reverent and tender relationship between the Holy Mother and the Divine Child.

The most famous copy of the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” was revealed on November 7/20, 1795 in Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery , which still operates in the Moscow region, not far from the city of Dzerzhinsky. The monastery is historically famous for the fact that it was founded by Dmitry Donskoy in honor of the victory in 1380 on the Kulikovo field at the site of the appearance of the great icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Ugreshsky - from the Old Russian “ugresh”, in modern language - “warmed”. According to legend, the phenomenon icons of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Before the battle, the prince was so inspired that he exclaimed: “This whole thing has sinned my heart,” that is, “warmed my heart.” This ardent joy of the presence of the will of the Lord, revealed through His saint, was transmitted through the commander to the troops as a premonition of victory, and the enemy was completely defeated.

A little over four centuries later, in the Nikolo-Ugreshskaya monastery, the icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” miraculously appeared, where on the reverse side of the icon board, perhaps, the master himself wrote a short prayer: “Save everyone with your prayers, Most Holy Theotokos, who flow to you, deliver all needs and sorrows.” After 1917, the monastery, which, starting from the times of Peter the Great, was destroyed and plundered, like many other churches and monasteries. The Ugresh icon “Leaping of the Child” also disappeared.

In 1991, the monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, and restoration began. In 2013, a woman called the monastery and said that she kept an icon whose description was very similar to the “Leaping of the Child,” which had previously been sold to her family by a certain collector. The collector claimed that this is the same icon that was once among the shrines of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky monastery. The monks who arrived from the monastery agreed that the icon fit the ancient descriptions very well. The image was taken to the monastery. And when the icon was installed in the place in the Transfiguration Cathedral where the lost list had previously been located, it became clear to everyone present that this was it, and the image of the Mother of God returned home by Her will.

What a miracle happened

Since the discovery of the icon “Leaping of the Child” in 1795 in the Nikolo-Ugreshskaya monastery, many miracles have occurred from it, associated with cures for infertility, assistance in successful pregnancy, and healing of sick babies. Many, many families began to flock to her with their sorrows and requests, which, through their prayers and faith, found a miraculously successful solution. This is why this icon was glorified, but the memory of its miraculousness reaches us from ancient times - the most ancient copy, located in the Vatopedi monastery on Athos, also showed miraculous properties.

And yet the greatest miracle is the wonder of the reverent feeling born from the image on the icon, from the image of Divine love between the Mother and the Child, embodied according to the plan of the God-loving icon painter, who, being the Lord, both during earthly life and after His Ascension, as we know According to legend, he remained a respectful and loving Son. Therefore, the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on our behalf before Him is the strongest, for the Son of God, in His respect for the requests of the Mother, is merciful much more often than we sometimes deserve.

Meaning of the icon

Just one look at the Divine family, at the manifestations of Filial love and Maternal tenderness, is an example for human relationships. The divine joy of new life, reflected in this amazing icon, reveals the depth and greatness of relationships in the heavenly world and at the same time their humanity that is understandable and close to us. Thus, the dual, divine-human essence of the nature of the Lord Christ as the Son of God and the Son of Man is reaffirmed. After all, the birth of a child is a repetition of the event of the Nativity of Christ every time. The reflection of the Mother of God shines in every mother - it illuminates her face, bent over her beloved child. In every baby from the moment of baptism there is a reflection of the Holy Spirit of God's Infancy - the incarnation became the basis for the deification of man “in His image and likeness.” A miracle is revealed to the soul that believes in Him - a unique opportunity to follow His path and lead your children with you. This is difficult for an earthly person, they say - of course, it is difficult, but let us remember: “The kingdom of God is given by force”...

But in this gesture of joyful trust there is also a shade of consolation - He, born and living in the Holy Spirit, also foresees, in the Divine hypostasis of His divine-human being, Her suffering at the foot of Calvary. Another prophetic meaning contained in this image of the Mother of God, according to some researchers of Russian Orthodox iconography, arose on the basis of the composition of the icon “The Presentation of the Lord” - only there the Child reaches out to Saint Simeon the God-Receiver from the Mother’s hands, which foreshadows His future way of the cross. As is known, when, after the Nativity of the Infant God, Mary and Joseph came to the temple of Jerusalem to offer, according to Jewish custom, a sacrifice for the birth of a boy child (Ex. 12:12–15), Saint Simeon also appeared there, drawn by the Holy Spirit. It is known that the angel announced to Simeon that he would not rest until he accepted into his arms the Child born of a Virgin, and not a wife.

Taking the Baby in his arms, he uttered the words that have now become one of the most wonderful and heartfelt hymns in the evening Orthodox service: “Now you are releasing Your servant, O Master, according to Your word in peace...” (Luke 2:29-32). And this meeting, the meeting - in Old Russian, Church Slavonic, took place, after which the elder was released from this world and went to God.

How an icon protects

The image of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” is an icon of all young mothers and all Orthodox women who want to have a child. During pregnancy, before childbirth, in the first months of a newborn’s life, it is customary to read the akathist to the icon of the Mother of God “The Leaping of the Child.” In this way, the health of the expectant mother and newborn baby will be protected by warm prayer to the Intercessor. Of course, the joint prayer of loved ones in front of this icon of the Mother of God during the hours when the mother is in the maternity ward is very important. The general prayer of her family will support her and give her strength. A positive attitude and peace of mind are a good state for every person, but while a woman is carrying a child under her heart, the state of grace and inner peace is especially important for her - after all, she lives and feels the world for two. And if he gets sad, the Intercessor Mother will console and protect, since it has been known since ancient times: everything that the mother feels, the child also feels, and therefore one must keep one’s thoughts pure and keep joyful anticipation in the heart.

What does an icon help with?

How to pray in front of an icon

There is a prayer for a successful outcome during childbirth, which is good to read for pregnant women:

When does the celebration take place?