Vladimir icon meaning it helps. Icon of the Vladimir Mother of God

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God depicts the Mother of God. It is one of the most revered relics of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: legend

According to pious tradition, the image of the Mother of God of Vladimir was written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior dined with the Most Pure Mother and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “From now on, all my people will please Me. May the grace of Him who was born of Me and Mine be with this image.”

Until the middle of the 5th century, the icon remained in Jerusalem. Under Theodosius the Younger, it was transferred to Constantinople, from where in 1131 it was sent to Rus' as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverkh. The icon was placed in a nunnery in the city of Vyshgorod, not far from Kyiv, where it immediately became famous for its many miracles. In 1155, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, St. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, wanting to have a famous shrine, transported the icon to the north, to Vladimir, and placed it in the famous Assumption Cathedral, which he erected. From that time on, the icon received the name Vladimir.

During the campaign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky against the Volga Bulgarians, in 1164, the image of the “Holy Mother of God of Vladimir” helped the Russians defeat the enemy. The icon survived during terrible fire April 13, 1185, when the Vladimir Cathedral burned down, and remained unharmed during the ruin of Vladimir by Batu on February 17, 1237.

The further history of the image is entirely connected with the capital city of Moscow, where it was first brought in 1395 during the invasion of Khan Tamerlane. The conqueror with an army invaded the borders of Ryazan, captured and ruined it and headed his way to Moscow, devastating and destroying everything around. While the Moscow Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich was gathering troops and sending them to Kolomna, in Moscow itself, Metropolitan Cyprian blessed the population for fasting and prayerful repentance. On mutual advice, Vasily Dmitrievich and Cyprian decided to resort to spiritual weapons and transfer the miraculous icon of the Most Pure Mother of God from Vladimir to Moscow.

The icon was brought into the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The chronicle reports that Tamerlane, having stood in one place for two weeks, suddenly became afraid, turned south and left the Moscow borders. A great miracle happened: during a procession with a miraculous icon, heading from Vladimir to Moscow, when countless people were kneeling on both sides of the road and praying: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!”, Tamerlane had a vision. Before his mind's eye appeared high mountain, from the top of which saints with golden rods descended, and above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. They answered him that the radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Defender of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back.

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of Rus' from the invasion of Tamerlane on the day of the meeting in Moscow of the Vladimir Icon Mother of God On August 26/September 8 a solemn ceremony was established religious holiday The meeting of this icon, and at the meeting place itself a temple was erected, around which it was later located Sretensky Monastery.

For the second time, the Mother of God saved Rus' from ruin in 1480 (commemorated on June 23 / July 6), when the army of the Khan of the Golden Horde, Akhmat, approached Moscow.

The meeting of the Tatars with the Russian army took place near the Ugra River (the so-called “standing on the Ugra”): the troops stood on different banks and were waiting for a reason to attack. In the front ranks of the Russian army they held an icon Our Lady of Vladimir, which miraculously put the Horde regiments to flight.

The third celebration of the Vladimir Mother of God (May 21 / June 3) remembers the deliverance of Moscow from the defeat of Makhmet-Girey, Khan of Kazan, who in 1521 reached the borders of Moscow and began to burn its suburbs, but suddenly retreated from the capital without causing harm to it.

Before the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, many of the most important events in Russian church history took place: the election and installation of St. Jonah - Primate of the Autocephalous Russian Church (1448), St. Job - the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (1589), His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon (1917), and also in all centuries before her, oaths of allegiance to the Motherland were taken, prayers were performed before military campaigns.

Iconography of the Vladimir Mother of God

The icon of the Vladimir Mother of God belongs to the “Caressing” type, also known under the epithets “Eleusa” (ελεουσα - “Merciful”), “Tenderness”, “Glycophilus” (γλυκυφιλουσα - “Sweet kiss”). This is the most lyrical of all types of iconography of the Virgin Mary, revealing the intimate side of the Virgin Mary’s communication with Her Son. The image of the Mother of God caressing the Child, his deep humanity turned out to be especially close to Russian painting.

The iconographic scheme includes two figures - the Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ, their faces clinging to each other. Mary's head is bowed towards the Son, and He puts his hand around the Mother's neck. Distinctive feature The Vladimir icon differs from other icons of the “Tenderness” type: the left leg of the Infant Christ is bent in such a way that the sole of the foot, the “heel,” is visible.

This touching composition, in addition to its direct meaning, contains a deep theological idea: the Mother of God caressing the Son appears as a symbol of the soul in close communion with God. In addition, the embrace of Mary and the Son suggests the future sufferings of the Savior on the cross; in the Mother’s caressing of the Child, his future mourning is foreseen.

The work is permeated with completely obvious sacrificial symbolism. From a theological point of view, its content can be reduced to three main themes: “the incarnation, the predestination of the Child to the sacrifice and the unity in love of Mary the Church with Christ the High Priest.” This interpretation of Our Lady of Caress is confirmed by the image on the back of the icon of the throne with the symbols of the Passion. Here in the 15th century. they painted an image of the throne (etimasia - “prepared throne”), covered with an altar cloth, the Gospel with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, nails, a crown of thorns, behind the throne there is a Calvary cross, a spear and a cane with a sponge, below is the floor of the altar flooring. The theological interpretation of etymasia is based on Holy Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers. Etymasia symbolizes Christ's resurrection and His judgment over the living and the dead, and the instruments of His torment are the sacrifice made to atone for the sins of mankind. The juxtaposition of Mary caressing the Child and the turnover with the throne clearly expressed sacrificial symbolism.

Arguments have been put forward in favor of the fact that the icon was double-sided from the very beginning: this is evidenced by the identical shapes of the ark and the husks of both sides. In the Byzantine tradition, there were often images of a cross on the back of Mother of God icons. Starting from the 12th century, the time of the creation of the “Vladimir Mother of God,” in Byzantine murals, the etymasia was often placed in the altar as an altar image, visually revealing the sacrificial meaning of the Eucharist, which takes place here on the throne. This suggests the possible location of the icon in antiquity. For example, in the Vyshgorod monastery church it could be placed in the altar as a double-sided altar icon. The text of the Legend contains information about the use of the Vladimir icon as an altar icon and as an outside icon that was moved in the church.

The luxurious attire of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which she had according to the news of the chronicles, also does not testify in favor of the possibility of its location in the altar barrier in the 12th century: “And there were more than thirty hryvnias of gold on it, in addition to silver and in addition to expensive stones and pearls, and Having decorated it, put it in your church in Volodymeri.” But many of the external icons were later strengthened precisely in iconostases, like the Vladimir Icon in the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow, originally placed to the right of the royal doors: “And having brought in<икону>to the successor temple of her glorious Dormition, which is the great Catholic and Apostolic Church of the Russian Metropolis, and put it in an icon case on the right side, where to this day it stands visible and worshiped by all" (See: Book Degree. M., 1775. Part 1 552).

There is an opinion that the “Vladimir Mother of God” was one of the copies of the icon of the Mother of God “Caressing” from the Blachernae Basilica, that is, a copy of the famous ancient miraculous icon. In the Legend of the Miracles of the Icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, she is likened to the Ark of the Covenant, like the Virgin Mary herself, as well as her Robe, which was kept in the rotunda of Agia Soros in Blachernae. The Legend also speaks of healings that are accomplished mainly thanks to the water from the ablutions of the Vladimir Icon: they drink this water, wash the sick with it, and send it to other cities in sealed vessels to heal the sick. This miracle-working of waters from the washing of the Vladimir icon, emphasized in the Legend, could also be rooted in the rituals of the Blachernae sanctuary, the most important part of which was the chapel of the spring dedicated to the Mother of God. Constantine Porphyrogenitus described the custom of washing in a font in front of a marble relief of the Mother of God, from whose hands water flowed.

In addition, this opinion is supported by the fact that under Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in his Vladimir principality, the cult of the Mother of God, associated with Blachernae shrines, received special development. For example, on the Golden Gate of the city of Vladimir, the prince erected the Church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of God, directly dedicating it to the relics of the Blachernae Temple.

Style of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

The time of painting of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, the 12th century, refers to the so-called Komninian revival (1057-1185). This period in Byzantine art is characterized by the extreme dematerialization of painting, carried out by drawing faces and clothes with numerous lines, whitening slides, sometimes whimsically, ornamentally placed on the image.

In the icon we are considering, the most ancient painting of the 12th century includes the faces of the Mother and the Child, part of the blue cap and maforium border with a gold assist, as well as part of the ocher chiton of the Child with a gold assist with sleeves to the elbow and the transparent edge of the shirt visible from under it, a brush left and part right hand The baby, as well as the remains of the golden background. These few surviving fragments represent a high example of the Constantinople school of painting of the Komnenian period. There is no deliberate graphic quality characteristic of the time; on the contrary, the line in this image is nowhere opposed to volume. The main remedy artistic expression built on “the combination of insensible fluids, giving the surface the impression of not being made by hands, with a geometrically pure, visibly built line.” “The personal letter is one of the most perfect examples of “Comnenian floating”, combining multi-layered sequential modeling with the absolute indistinguishability of the stroke. The layers of painting are loose, very transparent; the main thing is in their relationship with each other, in the transmission of the lower ones through the upper ones.<…>A complex and transparent system of tones – greenish sankira, ocher, shadows and highlights – leads to a specific effect of diffused, flickering light.”

Among the Byzantine icons of the Komnenian period, the Vladimir Mother of God is also distinguished by its characteristic the best works this time deep penetration to the region human soul, her hidden secret suffering. The heads of Mother and Son pressed against each other. The Mother of God knows that Her Son is doomed to suffer for the sake of people, and sorrow lurks in Her dark, thoughtful eyes.

The skill with which the painter was able to convey a subtle spiritual state most likely served as the origin of the legend about the painting of the image by the Evangelist Luke. It should be recalled that the painting of the early Christian period, the time when the famous evangelist icon painter lived, was flesh and blood of the art of late antiquity, with its sensual, “life-like” nature. But, in comparison with icons early period, the image of the Vladimir Mother of God bears the stamp of the highest “spiritual culture,” which could only be the fruit of centuries-old Christian thoughts about the coming of the Lord to earth, the humility of His Most Pure Mother and the path they traversed of self-denial and sacrificial love.

Revered miraculous lists with icons of the Vladimir Mother of God

From the Vladimir Icon Holy Mother of God Many lists have been written over the centuries. Some of them became famous for their miracles and received special names depending on their place of origin. This:

Vladimir - Volokolamsk icon (memory of Mr. 3/16), which was the contribution of Malyuta Skuratov to the Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery. Nowadays it is in the collection of the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev.
Vladimirskaya - Seligerskaya (memory D. 7/20), brought to Seliger by Nil Stolbensky in the 16th century.
Vladimir - Zaonikievskaya (memory M. 21. / John 3; John 23 / Ill. 6, from the Zaonikievsky monastery), 1588.
Vladimirskaya - Oranskaya (memory M. 21 / John 3), 1634.
Vladimirskaya - Krasnogorskaya (Montenegorskaya) (memory M. 21 / John 3). 1603
Vladimir - Rostov (memory Av. 15/28), XII century.

Troparion to the Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, tone 4

Today the most glorious city of Moscow is shining brightly, / as the dawn of the sun has received, O Lady, Your miraculous icon, / to which now we flow and pray to You we cry out to You: / O, most wonderful Lady Theotokos, / pray to You, our incarnate God, / may He deliver the city this and all Christian cities and countries are unharmed from all the slander of the enemy, // and our souls will be saved by the Merciful.

Kontakion to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, tone 8

To the chosen victorious Voivode, / as those who were delivered from the evil ones by the coming of Your honorable image, / Lady Theotokos, / we brightly celebrate the celebration of Your meeting and usually call You: // Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.

Prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

O All-Merciful Lady Theotokos, Heavenly Queen, All-Powerful Intercessor, our shameless Hope! Thanking Thee for all the great blessings that the Russian people have received from Thee throughout the generations, before Thy most pure image we pray to Thee: save this city (or: this whole, or: this holy monastery) and Thy coming servants and the whole Russian land from famine, destruction , land of shaking, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare. Save and save, O Lady, our Great Lord and Father Kirill, His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', and our Lord (name of the rivers), His Eminence Bishop (or: Archbishop, or: Metropolitan) (title), and all Your Eminence metropolitans, archbishops and Orthodox bishops. May they govern the Russian Church well, and may the faithful sheep of Christ be preserved indestructibly. Remember, O Lady, the entire priestly and monastic order, warm their hearts with zeal for God and strengthen them to walk worthy of their calling. Save, O Lady, and have mercy on all Thy servants and grant us the path of the earthly journey without blemish. Confirm us in the faith of Christ and in zeal for the Orthodox Church, put into our hearts the spirit of the fear of God, the spirit of piety, the spirit of humility, give us patience in adversity, abstinence in prosperity, love for our neighbors, forgiveness for our enemies, success in good deeds. Deliver us from every temptation and from petrified insensibility, and on the terrible day of Judgment, grant us through Your intercession to stand at the right hand of Your Son, Christ our God. To Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

______________________________________________________________________

These long and numerous movements of the icon in space are poetically interpreted in the text of the Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which was first found by V.O. Klyuchevsky in Milyutin’s Chetya-Minea, and published according to the list of the collection of the Synodal Library No. 556 (Klyuchevsky V.O. Tales of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. - St. Petersburg, 1878). In that ancient description they are likened to the path that the sun's luminary takes: “When God created the sun, He did not make it shine in one place, but, going around the entire Universe, illuminates with its rays, and so this image Holy Lady Our Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary is not in one place... but, going around all countries and the whole world, she enlightens..."

Etingof O.E. TO early history icons of the “Vladimir Mother of God” and the traditions of the Blachernae cult of the Mother of God in Rus' in the 11th-13th centuries. // Image of the Mother of God. Essays on Byzantine iconography of the 11th-13th centuries. – M.: “Progress-Tradition”, 2000, p. 139.

There, p. 137. In addition, N.V. Kvilidze unveiled the painting of the deacon of the Trinity Church in Vyazemy late XVI century, where on the southern wall there is a liturgy in a church with an altar, behind which is an icon of the Vladimir Mother of God (N.V. Kvilidze. Newly discovered frescoes of the altar of the Trinity Church in Vyazemy. Report in the Department ancient Russian art at the State Institute of Art Studies. April 1997).

Etingof O.E. To the early history of the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir”...

Throughout its history it was recorded at least four times: in the first half of the 13th century, at the beginning of the 15th century, in 1521, during alterations in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin and before the coronation of Nicholas II in 1895-1896 by restorers O. S. Chirikov and M. D. Dikarev. In addition, minor repairs were carried out in 1567 (at the Chudov Monastery by Metropolitan Athanasius), in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Kolpakova G.S. Art of Byzantium. Early and average periods. – St. Petersburg: Publishing house “Azbuka-Classics”, 2004, p. 407.

There, p. 407-408.

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One of the first places on the list of the most revered images in Russia is the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God. Its significance for the country is enormous. At one time, prayer to her more than once saved Russia from crushing raids by invaders. Only thanks to the intercession of the Mother of God this was avoided.

The history and significance of the Vladimir Icon is majestic, first of all for the Russian people, because it is truly their protector.

The origin and journey of the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God

An ancient legend tells about the origin of the icon. He wrote it when the Mother of God was still alive. An image was created on a board from the table where the entire Holy Family had a meal.

Until 450, the icon was in Jerusalem; in the same year it was sent to Constantinople. There it was kept somewhere until approximately 1131.

In the 12th century, the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God was donated Kievan Rus Luke Chrysovergos (Patriarch of Constantinople). She was sent to the Mother of God Monastery in Vyshgorod.

When she had been there for some time, the icon was taken away from there by Andrei Bogolyubsky (son of Yuri Dolgorukov). On his journey, he stops in the city of Vladimir, where he received the sign of the Mother of God. On the site of this miracle, a temple was erected, in which the icon remained. Now it began to be called Vladimirskaya.

Today, there is a list there that was written by Andrei Rublev. The original icon was transferred in 1480 to the Assumption Cathedral, which is located in Moscow. Then the image was transferred two more times: in 1918 - to the Tretyakov Gallery, and in 1999 - to the Church of St. Nicholas. It is still stored in the latter.

The great shrine is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Many stories have been recorded about the history and significance of the icon for the Russian people, which happened in ancient times and in modern times.

Miracles associated with this icon

There are really a great many of them. And they are connected not only with the original icon, but also with the lists that were created a large number of.

In addition to the threefold and recorded salvation of the Russian land from the invasion of foreign yoke, the Mother of God more than once manifested her will through it. For example, where the icon should have remained (in Vladimir), there was a sign for Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky during prayer.

In addition, even in the church in Vyshgorod, cases of moving the icon were recorded. She seemed to find no place for herself. Three times she was found in different parts of the temple, and in the end, after prayer, Andrei Bogolyubsky took her with him to the Rostov land.

Then there were numerous cases of healing of ordinary people. For example, water washing an icon could cure a disease. This is how healing of the eyes and heart took place.

This is how the Vladimir Mother of God became. Its significance both for the common people and for the greats of this world was undeniable. She witnessed many important actions in Russia. This includes the appointment of patriarchs and military campaigns. They also swore allegiance to their homeland before her and carried out the coronation of several monarchs.

Prayer before the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God

Prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is truly salvation for a state in which there has been turmoil or schism. It will allow passions to subside, anger and enmity to moderate. In addition, when heretical sentiments arise, one should also offer prayer to this image.

Many believers turn to the icon during illness, and also when necessary to make any important decision.

The prayer begins with a respectful address: “O All-Merciful Lady Theotokos.” Next, he asks to protect people and the Russian land from various shocks, to protect the entire spiritual rank. Prayer to the Mother of God strengthens faith and gives strength to overcome adversity and troubles.

The meaning of the icon for Russia

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is the most beloved icon in Rus'. And in fact, she protected her from everything so much; numerous signs and healings were revealed.

Perhaps an interesting sign was that the Mother of God herself chose the place for her icon, which later became known as the Vladimir icon. This was her already mentioned appearance to Andrei Bogolyubsky.

Then there were some more signs of her intercession for the Russian land. For example, in 1395, a great invasion of the conqueror Tamerlane was expected, who had already conquered many lands and was approaching the Russian border. It seemed that the battle could not be avoided, but the universal prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God did not allow this to happen.

According to one version, Tamerlane saw the Majestic Mother of God in a dream, who ordered him to leave this land.

And this happened more than once. People's faith increased after each successive salvation. became truly miraculous and most revered. A large number of lists were written from it, which are also worshiped by believers. It's always been important value icons The Vladimir Mother of God was especially revered in Rus'.

Days of celebration

Since the icon is considered a deliverer from external attacks on Russian soil, as well as its protector, celebrations in its honor take place three times a year. Each of these dates was chosen for a reason.

On August 26, the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God is venerated for liberation from Tamerlane in 1395.
On June 23, a celebration takes place in honor of the victory over the Tatar yoke, which happened in 1480.
May 21 is a celebration in honor of the victory over Khan Mahmet-Girey, which occurred in 1521.

Prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God has saved Russia more than once.

Lists of the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God

There are numerous copies that were written from this icon. The most famous are:

Orange icon. It was written in 1634.
Rostov icon. This image dates back to the 12th century.
Krasnogorsk icon. Its writing dates back to 1603.
Chuguev icon. The exact date of creation is not known.

These are not all available lists of icons. The first of them were written when the image had just appeared on Russian soil. Later they also created lists from it; now there are only two of the oldest.

Obviously, such diversity indicates that the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, whose significance for believers is great, is highly revered.

Iconography of the image

If we talk about writing this image, then its style is classified as “caressing”. It is characterized by the fact that icons of this type speak of the communion of the Mother of God and her Son, i.e. this is the deeply human side of the Holy Family.

It is believed that this style of painting icons did not exist in early Christian art; it appeared much later.

This style of writing contains two central figures. This is the Mother of God and the baby Jesus Christ. Their faces are closely touching, the Son puts his hand around the Mother’s neck. This image is very touching.

The peculiarity that the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God has, its meaning is the appearance of the baby’s heel, which is not found on others similar to this type.

This icon is double sided. The reverse depicts the throne and the symbols of the Passion. This suggests that the icon itself carries a special idea. This is the future sacrifice of Jesus and the mourning of his Mother.

There is also an opinion that this icon is a copy of Our Lady of Caress from the Blachernae Basilica. In any case, the Vladimir image has long become an independent miraculous face.

Other revered icons of the Mother of God

In addition to the Vladimir Mother of God, there are many more miraculous images that are consulted. So, in front of which icon of the Mother of God do they usually pray for what?

For example, prayer in front of the Iveron icon helps to increase the fertility of the earth, and it is also a comforter in various troubles.
Prayer before the Bogolyubskaya icon is a help during epidemics (cholera, plague).
In case of cancer, prayers are offered to the image of the Mother of God, the All-Tsarina.
The Kazan icon is a blessing for marriage, as well as a protector from various invasions and in difficult times.
The image of the Mother of God “Mammal” is very revered by nursing mothers, and prayers are also offered to him during childbirth.

As you can see, there are a lot of images that help believers with their miracles. You should always pay attention to the meaning of icons. The Vladimir Mother of God is no exception. It’s just that each of the images takes upon itself intercession in different situations. The Mother of God seems to embrace all the sorrows and sorrows of her subjects, helping them in difficulties.

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God depicts the Mother of God. It is one of the most revered relics of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: legend

During the campaign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky against the Volga Bulgarians, in 1164, the image of the “Holy Mother of God of Vladimir” helped the Russians defeat the enemy. The icon survived the terrible fire on April 13, 1185, when the Vladimir Cathedral burned down, and remained unharmed during the destruction of Vladimir by Batu on February 17, 1237.

The icon was brought into the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The chronicle reports that Tamerlane, having stood in one place for two weeks, suddenly became afraid, turned south and left the Moscow borders. A great miracle happened: during a procession with a miraculous icon, heading from Vladimir to Moscow, when countless people were kneeling on both sides of the road and praying: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!”, Tamerlane had a vision. A high mountain appeared before his mental gaze, from the top of which saints with golden rods were descending, and above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. They answered him that the radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Defender of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back.

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of Rus' from the invasion of Tamerlane, on the day of the meeting in Moscow of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God on August 26 / September 8, the solemn church holiday of the Presentation of this icon was established, and at the meeting place itself a temple was erected, around which the Sretensky Monastery was later located.

For the second time, the Mother of God saved Rus' from ruin in 1480 (commemorated on June 23 / July 6), when the army of the Khan of the Golden Horde, Akhmat, approached Moscow.

The meeting of the Tatars with the Russian army took place near the Ugra River (the so-called “standing on the Ugra”): the troops stood on different banks and were waiting for a reason to attack. In the front ranks of the Russian army they held the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, which miraculously put the Horde regiments to flight.

Before the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, many of the most important events in Russian church history took place: the election and installation of St. Jonah - Primate of the Autocephalous Russian Church (1448), St. Job - the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (1589), His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon (1917 .), and also in all centuries, oaths of allegiance to the Motherland were taken before her, prayers were performed before military campaigns.

Iconography of the Vladimir Mother of God

The iconographic scheme includes two figures - the Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ, their faces clinging to each other. Mary's head is bowed towards the Son, and He puts his hand around the Mother's neck. A distinctive feature of the Vladimir Icon from other icons of the “Tenderness” type: the left leg of the Infant Christ is bent in such a way that the sole of the foot, the “heel,” is visible.

Style of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

In the icon we are considering, the most ancient painting of the 12th century includes the faces of the Mother and the Child, part of the blue cap and maforium border with a gold assist, as well as part of the ocher chiton of the Child with a gold assist with sleeves to the elbow and the transparent edge of the shirt visible from under it, a brush the left and part of the right hand of the Child, as well as the remains of the golden background. These few surviving fragments represent a high example of the Constantinople school of painting of the Komnenian period. There is no deliberate graphic quality characteristic of the time; on the contrary, the line in this image is nowhere opposed to volume. The main means of artistic expression is built on “the combination of insensible flows, giving the surface the impression of not being made by hands, with a geometrically pure, visibly built line.” “The personal letter is one of the most perfect examples of “Comnenian floating”, combining multi-layered sequential modeling with the absolute indistinguishability of the stroke. The layers of painting are loose, very transparent; the main thing is in their relationship with each other, in the transmission of the lower ones through the upper ones.<…>A complex and transparent system of tones – greenish sankira, ocher, shadows and highlights – leads to a specific effect of diffused, flickering light.”

Among the Byzantine icons of the Komnenian period, the Vladimir Mother of God also distinguishes the deep penetration into the area of the human soul, its hidden secret sufferings, characteristic of the best works of this time. The heads of Mother and Son pressed against each other. The Mother of God knows that Her Son is doomed to suffer for the sake of people, and sorrow lurks in Her dark, thoughtful eyes.

The skill with which the painter was able to convey a subtle spiritual state most likely served as the origin of the legend about the painting of the image by the Evangelist Luke. It should be recalled that the painting of the early Christian period, the time when the famous evangelist icon painter lived, was flesh and blood of the art of late antiquity, with its sensual, “life-like” nature. But, in comparison with the icons of the early period, the image of the Vladimir Mother of God bears the stamp of the highest “spiritual culture”, which could only be the fruit of centuries-old Christian thoughts about the coming of the Lord to earth, the humility of His Most Pure Mother and the path they traversed of self-denial and sacrificial love.

Revered miraculous lists with icons of the Vladimir Mother of God

Over the centuries, many copies have been written from the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some of them became famous for their miracles and received special names depending on their place of origin. This:

Vladimir - Volokolamsk icon (memory of Mr. 3/16), which was the contribution of Malyuta Skuratov to the Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery. Nowadays it is in the collection of the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev.
Vladimirskaya - Seligerskaya (memory D. 7/20), brought to Seliger by Nil Stolbensky in the 16th century.
Vladimir - Zaonikievskaya (memory M. 21. / John 3; John 23 / Ill. 6, from the Zaonikievsky monastery), 1588.
Vladimirskaya - Oranskaya (memory M. 21 / John 3), 1634.
Vladimirskaya - Krasnogorskaya (Montenegorskaya) (memory M. 21 / John 3). 1603
Vladimir - Rostov (memory Av. 15/28), XII century.

Troparion to the Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, tone 4

Kontakion to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, tone 8

Prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

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These long and numerous movements of the icon in space are poetically interpreted in the text of the Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which was first found by V.O. Klyuchevsky in Milyutin’s Chetya-Minea, and published according to the list of the collection of the Synodal Library No. 556 (Klyuchevsky V.O. Tales of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. - St. Petersburg, 1878). In this ancient description, they are likened to the path that the sun's luminary takes: “When God created the sun, he did not make it shine in one place, but, going around the entire Universe, illuminates with its rays, so this image of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is not on one place... but, going around all countries and the whole world, it enlightens..."

Etingof O.E. On the early history of the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” and the tradition of the Blachernae cult of the Mother of God in Rus' in the 11th-13th centuries. // Image of the Mother of God. Essays on Byzantine iconography of the 11th-13th centuries. – M.: “Progress-Tradition”, 2000, p. 139.

There, p. 137. In addition, N.V. Kvilidze unveiled the painting of the deacon of the Trinity Church in Vyazemy at the end of the 16th century, where on the southern wall there is a liturgy in a church with an altar, behind which is an icon of Our Lady of Vladimir (N.V. Kvilidze. Newly discovered frescoes of the altar of the Trinity Church in Vyazemy. Report in the Department of Ancient Russian Art at the State Institute of Art Studies, April 1997).

Etingof O.E. To the early history of the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir”...

Kolpakova G.S. Art of Byzantium. Early and middle periods. – St. Petersburg: Publishing house “Azbuka-Classics”, 2004, p. 407.

There, p. 407-408.

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During the campaign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky against the Volga Bulgarians, in 1164, the image of the “Holy Mother of God of Vladimir” helped the Russians defeat the enemy. The icon survived the terrible fire on April 13, 1185, when the Vladimir Cathedral burned down, and remained unharmed during the destruction of Vladimir by Batu on February 17, 1237.

The icon was brought into the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The chronicle reports that Tamerlane, having stood in one place for two weeks, suddenly became afraid, turned south and left the Moscow borders. A great miracle happened: during a procession with a miraculous icon, heading from Vladimir to Moscow, when countless people were kneeling on both sides of the road and praying: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!”, Tamerlane had a vision. A high mountain appeared before his mental gaze, from the top of which saints with golden rods were descending, and above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. They answered him that the radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Defender of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back.

Read also: Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir in the history of Russia

For the second time, the Mother of God saved Rus' from ruin in 1480 (commemorated on June 23 / July 6), when the army of the Khan of the Golden Horde, Akhmat, approached Moscow.

The meeting of the Tatars with the Russian army took place near the Ugra River (the so-called “standing on the Ugra”): the troops stood on different banks and were waiting for a reason to attack. In the front ranks of the Russian army they held the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, which miraculously put the Horde regiments to flight.

The third celebration of the Vladimir Mother of God (May 21 / June 3), remembers the deliverance of Moscow from the defeat of Makhmet-Girey, Khan of Kazan, who in 1521 reached the borders of Moscow and began to burn its suburbs, but suddenly retreated from the capital without causing harm to it.

Before the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, many of the most important events in Russian church history took place: the election and installation of St. Jonah - Primate of the Autocephalous Russian Church (1448), St. Job - the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (1589), His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon (1917 .), and also in all centuries, oaths of allegiance to the Motherland were taken before her, prayers were performed before military campaigns.

Iconography Vladimir Mother of God

The icon of the Vladimir Mother of God belongs to the “Caressing” type, also known under the epithets “Eleusa” (??????? - “Merciful”), “Tenderness”, “Glycophilus” (?????????? ?? – “Sweet kiss”). This is the most lyrical of all types of iconography of the Virgin Mary, revealing the intimate side of the Virgin Mary’s communication with Her Son. The image of the Mother of God caressing the Child, his deep humanity turned out to be especially close to Russian painting.

Read also: Queen of heaven and earth: why are there so many icons of the Virgin Mary?

The iconographic scheme includes two figures - the Virgin Mary and the Child Christ, with their faces pressed to each other. Mary's head is bowed towards the Son, and He puts his hand around the Mother's neck. A distinctive feature of the Vladimir Icon from other icons of the Tenderness type: the left leg of the Infant Christ is bent in such a way that the sole of the foot, the “heel,” is visible.

Arguments have been put forward in favor of the fact that the icon was double-sided from the very beginning: this is evidenced by the identical shapes of the ark and the husks of both sides. In the Byzantine tradition, there were often images of a cross on the back of Mother of God icons. Starting from the 12th century, the time of the creation of the “Vladimir Mother of God,” in Byzantine murals, the etymasia was often placed in the altar as an altar image, visually revealing the sacrificial meaning of the Eucharist, which takes place here on the throne. This suggests the possible location of the icon in antiquity. For example, in the Vyshgorod monastery church, it could be placed in the altar as a double-sided altar icon. The text of the Legend contains information about the use of the Vladimir icon as an altar icon and as an outside icon that was moved in the church.

The luxurious attire of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which it had according to the chronicles, also does not support the possibility of its location in the altar barrier in the 12th century. “And you bought more than thirty hryvnias of gold, besides silver and besides expensive stones and pearls, and decorated it, and placed it in your church in Volodymeri.” But many of the external icons were later strengthened precisely in iconostases, like the Vladimir Icon in the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow, originally placed to the right of the royal doors: “And having brought in<икону>to the supreme temple of her glorious Dormition, which is the great Cathedral and Apostolic Church The Russian Metropolis, and placed it in an icon case on the right side of the land, where to this day it stands visible and worshiped by all” (See Book Degree. M. 1775. Part 1. P. 552).

There is an opinion that the “Vladimir Mother of God” was one of the copies of the icon of the Mother of God “Caressing” from the Blachernae Basilica, that is, a copy of the famous ancient miraculous icon. In the Tale of the Miracles of the Icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, she is likened to the Ark of the Covenant, like the Virgin Mary herself, as well as her Robe, which was kept in the rotode of Agia Soros in Blachernae. The Legend also speaks of healings that are accomplished mainly thanks to the water from the ablutions of the Vladimir Icon: they drink this water, wash the sick with it, and send it to other cities in sealed vessels to heal the sick. This miracle-working of waters from the washing of the Vladimir icon, emphasized in the Legend, could also be rooted in the rituals of the Blachernae sanctuary, the most important part of which was the chapel of the spring dedicated to the Mother of God. Constantine Porphyrogenitus described the custom of washing in a font in front of a marble relief of the Mother of God, from whose hands water flowed.

Style

In the icon we are considering, the most ancient painting of the 12th century includes the faces of the Mother and the Child, part of the blue cap and maforium border with a gold assist, as well as part of the ocher chiton of the Child with a gold assist with sleeves to the elbow and the transparent edge of the shirt visible from under it, a brush the left and part of the right hand of the Child, as well as the remains of the golden background. These few surviving fragments represent a high example of the Constantinople school of painting of the Komnenian period. There is no deliberate graphic quality characteristic of the time; on the contrary, the line in this image is nowhere opposed to volume. The main means of artistic expression is built on “the combination of insensible flows, giving the surface the impression of not being made by hands, with a geometrically pure, visibly built line.” “The personal letter is one of the most perfect examples of “Comnenian floating”, combining multi-layered sequential modeling with the absolute indistinguishability of the stroke. The layers of painting are loose, very transparent; the main thing is in their relationship with each other, in the transmission of the lower ones through the upper ones.<…>A complex and transparent system of tones – greenish sankira, ocher, shadows and highlights – leads to a specific effect of diffused, flickering light.”

In the church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi

The skill with which the painter was able to convey a subtle spiritual state most likely served as the origin of the legend about the painting of the image by the Evangelist Luke. It should be recalled that the painting of the early Christian period - the time when the famous Evangelist-icon painter lived, was flesh and blood of the art of late antiquity, with its sensual, “life-like” nature. But in comparison with the icons of the early period, the image of the Vladimir Mother of God bears the stamp of the highest “spiritual culture”, which could only be the fruit of centuries-old Christian thoughts about the coming of the Lord to earth, the humility of His Most Pure Mother and the path they traversed of self-denial and sacrificial love.

Revered miracle-working lists from icons Vladimir Mother of God

Vladimir - Volokolamsk icon (memory of Mr. 3/16), which was the contribution of Malyuta Skuratov to the Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery. Nowadays it is in the collection of the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev.

Vladimirskaya - Seligerskaya (memory D. 7/20), brought to Seliger by Nil Stolbensky in the 16th century.

Vladimir - Zaonikievskaya (memory M. 21. / John 3; John 23 / Ill. 6, from the Zaonikievsky monastery) 1588.

Vladimirskaya - Oranskaya (memory M. 21 / John 3) 1634.

Vladimirskaya - Krasnogorskaya (Montenegorskaya) (memory M. 21 / John 3). 1603.

Vladimir - Rostov (memory Av. 15/28) 12th century.

A miracle in our life - how to pray for a miracle?

Troparion to the Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, tone 4

Kontakion. voice 8

Prayer Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir

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These long and numerous movements of the icon in space are poetically interpreted in the text of the Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which was first found by V.O. Klyuchevsky in Milyutin’s Chetya-Minea, and published according to the list of the collection of the Synodal Library No. 556 (Klyuchevsky V.O. Tales of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. - St. Petersburg, 1878). In this ancient description, they are likened to the path that the sun's luminary takes: “When God created the sun, he did not make it shine in one place, but, going around the entire Universe, illuminates with its rays, so this image of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is not on one place... but, going around all countries and the whole world, it enlightens...".

There, p. 137. In addition, N.V. Kvilidze unveiled the painting of the deacon of the Trinity Church in Vyazemy at the end of the 16th century. where on the southern wall there is a liturgy in a church with an altar, behind which is an icon of Our Lady of Vladimir (N.V. Kvilidze Newly discovered frescoes of the altar of the Trinity Church in Vyazemy. Report in the Department of Ancient Russian Art at the State Institute of Art History. April 1997.

Etingof O.E. To the early history of the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir”...

Throughout its history it was recorded at least four times: in the first half of the 13th century, at the beginning of the 15th century, in 1521, during alterations in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, and before the coronation of Nicholas II in 1895-1896 by restorers O S. Chirikov and M. D. Dikarev. In addition, minor repairs were carried out in 1567 (at the Chudov Monastery by Metropolitan Athanasius), in the 18th and 19th centuries..

Kolpakova G.S. Art of Byzantium. Early and middle periods. – St. Petersburg: Publishing house “Azbuka-Classics”, 2004, p. 407.

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (icon of the Theotokos) is considered miraculous and, according to legend, was written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which they ate Holy Family: Savior, Mother of God and righteous Joseph the Betrothed. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “ From now on all generations will bless Me. May the grace of the One born of Me and Mine be with this icon».

The icon was brought to Russia from Byzantium at the beginning of the 12th century as a gift to the holy prince Mstislav (†1132) from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverkh. The icon was placed in the convent of Vyshgorod (an ancient appanage city of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga), not far from Kyiv. The rumor about her miracles reached the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who decided to transport the icon to the north.

While passing Vladimir, the horses carrying the miraculous icon stood up and could not move. Replacing the horses with new ones also did not help.

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vladimir

During fervent prayer, the Queen of Heaven Herself appeared to the prince and commanded that the Vladimir miraculous icon of the Mother of God be left in Vladimir, and in this place be built a temple and a monastery in honor of Her Nativity. To the general joy of the residents of Vladimir, Prince Andrei returned to the city along with the miraculous icon. Since then, the icon of the Mother of God began to be called Vladimir.

In 1395 terrible conqueror Khan Tamerlan(Temir-Aksak) reached the borders of Ryazan, took the city of Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don. Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich went with his army to Kolomna and stopped on the banks of the Oka. He prayed to the saints of Moscow and St. Sergius for the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to the Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Cyprian, so that the upcoming Dormition Fast would be devoted to fervent prayers for pardon and repentance. To Vladimir, where the famous miraculous icon, the clergy were sent. After the liturgy and prayer service on the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the clergy accepted the icon and carried it to Moscow with a procession of the cross. Countless people on both sides of the road, on their knees, prayed: “ Mother of God, save the Russian land!"At that very hour when Moscow residents greeted the icon on Kuchkovo Pole (now Sretenka Street), Tamerlane dozed in his camp tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from the top of which saints with golden rods were coming towards him, and above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. They answered him that the radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Defender of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back.

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, the Sretensky Monastery was built on Kuchkovo Field, where the icon was met, and on August 26 (in the new style - September 8) an all-Russian celebration was established in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane on Kuchkovo Field (meeting the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

For the second time, the Mother of God saved our country from ruin in 1451, when the army of the Nogai Khan with Tsarevich Mazovsha approached Moscow. The Tatars set fire to the Moscow suburbs, but Moscow was never captured. Saint Jonah performed during the fire religious processions along the city walls. Warriors and militia fought with the enemy until nightfall. The small army of the Grand Duke at this time was too far away to help the besieged. The chronicles say that the next morning there were no enemies near the walls of Moscow. They heard an extraordinary noise, decided that it was the Grand Duke with a huge army and retreated. The prince himself cried in front of the Vladimir Icon after the Tatars left.

The third intercession of the Mother of God for Rus' was in 1480(celebrated on July 6). After the resounding victory on the Kulikovo Field in 1380, the Russian principalities remained under Horde dependence for another century, and only the events of the autumn of 1480 decisively changed the situation. Ivan III refused to pay tribute to the horde, and regiments were sent to Rus' Khan Akhmat. Two armies converged on the Ugra River: the armies stood on different banks - the so-called "standing on the Ugra"– and were waiting for a reason to attack. In the front ranks of the Russian army they held the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir. There were skirmishes, even small battles, but the troops never moved in front of each other. The Russian army moved away from the river, giving the Horde regiments the opportunity to begin crossing. But the Horde regiments also retreated. The Russian soldiers stopped, but the Tatar soldiers continued to retreat and suddenly rushed away without looking back.

Standing on the Ugra River on November 11, 1480

“Standing on the Ugra” put an end to the Mongol-Tatar yoke. Russia was finally freed from paying tribute. From this time on, we can talk about the final elimination of any form of political dependence of Moscow on the Horde.

Standing on the Ugra

In 1472, the Horde Khan Akhmat with a large army moved to the Russian borders. But at Tarusa the invaders met a large Russian army. All attempts of the Horde to cross the Oka were repulsed. The Horde army burned the city of Aleksin (in the Tula region) and destroyed its population, but the campaign ended in failure. In 1476, Grand Duke Ivan III stopped paying tribute to the Khan of the Golden Horde, and in 1480 he refused to recognize Rus'’s dependence on it.

Khan Akhmat, busy fighting the Crimean Khanate, began active action only in 1480. He managed to negotiate with the Polish-Lithuanian king Casimir IV on military assistance. The western borders of the Russian state (Pskov lands) at the beginning of 1480 were attacked by the Livonian Order. The Livonian chronicler reported that: “... Master Bernd von der Borch was involved in a war with the Russians, took up arms against them and gathered 100 thousand troops from foreign and native soldiers and peasants; with these people he attacked Russia and burned the outskirts of Pskov, without doing anything else».

In January 1480, his brothers Boris Volotsky and Andrei Bolshoi rebelled against Ivan III, dissatisfied with the strengthening of the power of the Grand Duke. Taking advantage of the current situation, Akhmat set out with the main forces in the summer of 1480.

The boyar elite of the Russian state split into two groups: one (“rich and potbellied money lovers”) advised Ivan III flee; the other defended the need to fight the Horde. Perhaps the behavior of Ivan III was influenced by the position of the Muscovites, who demanded decisive action from the Grand Duke.

Grand Duke Ivan III arrived on June 23 at Kolomna, where he stopped awaiting further developments. On the same day, she was brought from Vladimir to Moscow miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God- intercessor and savior of Rus' from the troops of Tamerlane in 1395.

Akhmat's troops moved freely across Lithuanian territory, expecting help from Casimir IV, but they never received it. The Crimean Tatars, allies of Ivan III, distracted the Lithuanian troops by attacking Podolia (in the southwest of modern Ukraine).

Akhmat decided, after passing through Lithuanian lands, to invade Russian territory across the Ugra River.

Having learned about these intentions, Ivan III sent troops to the banks of the Ugra River.

8 October 1480 years, the troops met on the banks of the Ugra. Akhmat tried to cross the Ugra, but his attack was successfully repulsed. Specified historical event occurred in the area of a 5-kilometer section of the Ugra River. It was impossible for the Tatar cavalry to cross the border of the Grand Duchy of Moscow here - the Oka was 400 m wide with a depth of 10-14 m. There were no other fords in the area between Kaluga and Tarusa. The Horde's attempts to cross continued for several days, thwarted by Russian artillery fire. On October 12, 1480, the Horde retreated two miles from the river. The Ugrians settled in Luza. Ivan III's troops took up defensive positions on the opposite bank of the river.

The famous began "standing on the Ugra". Skirmishes broke out periodically, but neither side dared to launch a serious attack. In this situation, negotiations began. Demands for tribute were rejected, gifts were not accepted, and negotiations broke down. It is quite possible that Ivan III entered into negotiations in an effort to gain time, since the situation was slowly changing in his favor.

All of Moscow prayed to its Intercessor for the salvation of the Orthodox capital. Metropolitan Gerontius and the prince's confessor, Archbishop Vassian of Rostov, supported the Russian troops with prayer, blessings and advice, trusting in the help of the Mother of God. The Grand Duke received a fiery message from his confessor, in which he called on Ivan III to follow the example of the former princes: “... who not only defended the Russian land from the filthy (that is, not Christians), but also subjugated other countries... Just take courage and be strong, my spiritual son, as a good warrior of Christ, according to the great word of our Lord in the Gospel: “You are the good shepherd.” The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."…»

Having learned that Akhmat, in an effort to achieve a numerical advantage, mobilized the Great Horde as much as possible, so that there were no significant reserves of troops left on its territory, Ivan III allocated a small but very combat-ready detachment, under the command of the Zvenigorod governor, Prince Vasily Nozdrevaty, who was supposed to go down the Oka, then along the Volga to its lower reaches and commit devastating sabotage in the possessions of Akhmat. The Crimean prince Nur-Devlet and his nukers (combatants) also took part in this expedition. As a result, Prince Vasily Nozdrovaty and his army defeated and plundered the capital of the Great Horde, Sarai, and other Tatar uluses and returned with great booty.

On October 28, 1480, Prince Ivan III ordered his troops to retreat from the Ugra, wanting to wait for the Tatars to cross, but the enemies decided that the Russians were luring them into an ambush, and they also began to retreat. Akhmat, having learned that in his deep rear he was operating sabotage squad Prince Nozdrevaty and the Crimean prince Nur-Devlet, and deciding that the Russians were luring them into an ambush, did not pursue the Russian troops and at the end of October - early November also began to withdraw his troops. And on November 11, Akhmat decided to go back to the Horde.

For those who watched from the sidelines as both armies almost simultaneously turned back without bringing the matter to battle, this event seemed either strange, mystical, or received an overly simple explanation: the opponents were afraid of each other, they were afraid to take the battle.

On January 6, 1481, Akhmat was killed as a result of a surprise attack by the Tyumen Khan Ibak, and in 1502 herself The Horde ceased to exist.

Since then, the river Ugra near Moscow began to be called "belt of the Virgin Mary".

The “Standing” put an end to the Mongol-Tatar yoke. The Moscow state became completely independent. The diplomatic efforts of Ivan III prevented Poland and Lithuania from entering the war. The Pskovites also made their contribution to the salvation of Rus', stopping the German offensive by the fall.

Gaining political independence from the Horde along with the spread of Moscow's influence on Khanate of Kazan(1487) played a role in the subsequent transition to the rule of Moscow of part of the lands that were under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Russian Orthodox Church established a threefold celebration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Each of the days of celebration is associated with the deliverance of the Russian people from enslavement by foreigners through prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos:

8 September according to the new style (August 26th to church calendar) – in memory of the rescue of Moscow from the invasion of Tamerlane in 1395.

July 6(June 23) – in memory of the deliverance of Russia from the Horde king Akhmat in 1480.

June 3(May 21st) - in memory of the rescue of Moscow from the Crimean Khan Makhmet-Girey in 1521.

The most solemn celebration takes place 8 September(new style), established in honor the meeting of the Vladimir Icon during its transfer from Vladimir to Moscow.

The celebration on June 3 was established in memory of the salvation of Moscow in 1521 from the invasion of the Tatars led by Khan Makhmet-Girey.

Invasion of the Crimean Tatars

The Tatar hordes were approaching Moscow, setting Russian cities and villages to fire and destruction, exterminating their inhabitants. Grand Duke Vasily gathered an army against the Tatars, and Moscow Metropolitan Varlaam, together with the residents of Moscow, fervently prayed for deliverance from death. During this terrible time, one pious blind nun had a vision: Moscow saints were emerging from the Spassky Gate of the Kremlin, leaving the city and taking with them the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God - the main saint of Moscow - as God's punishment for the sins of its inhabitants. The saints were met at the Spassky Gate Venerable Sergius Radonezhsky and Varlaam Khutynsky, tearfully begging them not to leave Moscow. All of them together brought a fiery prayer to the Lord for the forgiveness of those who had sinned and the deliverance of Moscow from its enemies. After this prayer, the saints returned to the Kremlin and brought back the Vladimir holy icon. The Moscow saint, Blessed Basil, had a similar vision, to whom it was revealed that through the intercession of the Mother of God and the prayers of the saints, Moscow would be saved. The Tatar Khan had a vision of the Mother of God, surrounded by a formidable army rushing towards their regiments. The Tatars fled in fear, the capital of the Russian state was saved.

In 1480, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was transferred for permanent storage to Moscow in the Assumption Cathedral. In Vladimir, an exact, so-called “spare” copy of the icon, written by the Monk Andrei Rublev, remained. In 1918, the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin was closed, and miraculous image moved to the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Now the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is in the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi (metro station "Tretyakovskaya", M. Tolmachevsky lane, 9).

Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi at the State Tretyakov Gallery

Museum-Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi

Iconography

Iconographically, the Vladimir Icon belongs to the Eleus (Tenderness) type. The Baby pressed his cheek to the Mother's cheek. The icon conveys the tender communication between Mother and Child. Mary foresees the suffering of the Son in His earthly journey.

A distinctive feature of the Vladimir Icon from other icons of the Tenderness type: the left leg of the Infant Christ is bent in such a way that the sole of the foot, the “heel,” is visible.

On the reverse are depicted the Etymasia (Prepared Throne) and the instruments of the passions, dating very roughly to the beginning of the 15th century.

The throne has been prepared. Back of the “Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God”

The throne is prepared th (Greek etimasia) - the theological concept of the throne prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ, coming to judge the living and the dead. Consists of the following elements:

the church throne, usually dressed in red robes (symbol of Christ’s scarlet robe);
closed Gospel (as a symbol of the book from the Revelation of John the Theologian - Rev. 5:1);
instruments of passions lying on the throne or standing nearby;
a dove (symbol of the Holy Spirit) or a crown crowning the Gospel (not always depicted).

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is an all-Russian shrine, the main and most revered of all Russian icons. There are also many copies of the Vladimir Icon, a significant number of which are also revered as miraculous.

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Vladimir” they pray for deliverance from the invasion of foreigners, for guidance in Orthodox faith, about preservation from heresies and schisms, about the pacification of warring parties, about the preservation of Russia.

God's Law. Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

Queen of Heaven. Our Lady of Vladimir (2010)

About the film:
According to church tradition, the icon of the Mother of God was painted by the Evangelist Luke on the board of a table that was located in the house of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. The icon was transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople, and then to convent near Kyiv, in Vyshgorod. Having fled from Vyshgorod to the north, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky brought the icon to Vladimir, after which it was named.

During the invasion of Tamerlane, under Vasily I, the revered icon was transferred to Moscow as a defender of the city. And an example of the intercession of the Mother of God of Vladimir is that Tamerlane’s troops left without any particular reason before reaching Moscow.

Troparion, tone 4
Today the most glorious city of Moscow brightly flaunts, as if we had received the dawn of the sun, the Lady, Your miraculous icon, to which we now flow and pray, we cry out to You: O, most wonderful Lady Theotokos, pray from You to the incarnate Christ our God, that He may deliver this city and all Christian cities and countries are unharmed from all the slander of the enemy, and He will save our souls, like the Merciful.

Kontakion, tone 8
To the chosen victorious Voivode, having been delivered from the evil ones by the coming of Your venerable image, to the Lady Theotokos we brightly celebrate the celebration of Your meeting and usually call You: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.