In May 1935, immediately after the opening of the metro, an unusual religious procession took place in Stalinist Moscow. Bishop Athanasius (Sakharov), with an icon of all Russian saints, drove the first and then only branch from Sokolniki to Park Kultury, while reading prayers for the consecration of a new metropolitan mode of transport. But then, this harmless act in modern times could cost him his life ...

The choice of the icon was not accidental. Vladyka Athanasius was directly involved in its writing. For almost thirty-five years he also compiled a service to All the Saints in the Russian Land who shone, and it is to him that we owe much to the revival of this ancient Orthodox holiday in our country.

Day of all saints in the Russian land shone

The Church celebrates this holiday every year on the second Sunday after the day. So, for example, in 2017, the memory of all the saints who shone in the Russian Land is celebrated on June 18.

Initially, the holiday appeared in the church calendar as early as the 16th century, when, at the suggestion of the famous Metropolitan Macarius, many Russian saints were canonized. However, then the tradition of celebrating did not take root - the Time of Troubles and the reforms of Patriarch Nikon (Dmitry Volodikhin wrote in "Thomas") led to a break in the Russian church tradition, and the holiday was never fixed on the calendar.

Tried to fix the situation. In the era of new civil disorder, the prayerful help of the saints of the Russian land was more than ever welcome. The Council decided to restore the day of all Russian saints in the church calendar, and Bishop Athanasius (Sakharov) began to work on compiling a new service.

In part, he used old texts of the 16th century, but as a result, only a few chants were taken from them. To a large extent, the service was written by Bishop Athanasius virtually from scratch.

The work went slowly, which was due to external circumstances. Bishop Athanasius went through years of prisons and exile, during the 33 years of his episcopacy he, in his own words: “was in the diocesan service for 33 months; at large, out of work - 32 months, in exile - 76 months, in bonds and bitter labors - 254 months ... ”Bishop Athanasius finished work on the text of the service to the Russian saints only in 1953. After that, until his death in 1962, he edited and supplemented it.

The service, first edited and supplemented by Bishop Athanasius, was published in the May Menaion (collection of services to the saints) in 1987. Later, it was also finalized, but only slightly: for example, new names were introduced into the text of the service. And in 2000, its author became its “addressee”: Vladyka Athanasius was glorified as a New Martyr and Confessor of Russia, which means he joined the Council of All Saints Who Resplendent in the Russian Land.

Service to all the saints in the Russian Land shone

The full text of the service to all the saints in the Russian Land shone

The text compiled by Bishop Athanasius is an amazing “verbal icon” of the persecuted Russian Church of the 20th century. In the stichera on the Litiya, the persecuted earthly Church asks the Russian saints to pray to God for the suffering Motherland and Orthodox Christians who now live as persecuted and naked captives in a foreign land:

Voice 5. Similar to: Rejoice: Come, our heavenly intercessors, to us, / your demanding gracious visit, / and deliver those embittered by tormenting punishment / and the fierce fury of the infidels, / from below, like a captive / nasmy, megonists the place is often transient / and misleading in dens and mountains. / Have mercy, praise, / and grant us weakness, / quench the storm / and quench our indignation, / praying to God, / giving you the land of our greatness.

At the end of Great Vespers, one can hear the stichera, stunning in beauty and meaning, written by Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) and the author of the service of the 16th century, the Russian saint monk Gregory.

The texts of the service mention only a small part of the Russian saints, since only one listing of the names of Russian ascetics can take several hours, which can be seen by opening

Icon of all Russian saints nun Juliana (Sokolova)

Maria Nikolaevna Sokolova (Iuliania in monasticism) began to paint the icon "The Cathedral of All Saints Who Resplendent in the Russian Land" in the 1930s with the blessing of clergyman Athanasius (Sakharov). About each saint who got on the icon, the icon painter searched for information from the lives and other sources in order to find the exact likeness of the icon painting.

Bishop Athanasius described in detail the concept of this icon. It depicts Kiev and Moscow. The first city - as the foundation of Russian Orthodoxy, and the second - as its core. The icon also depicts the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin as the main shrine, three icons of the Mother of God associated with Russia - Vladimir, Kazan and Novgorod "Signs", as well as many saints.

The image, painted by nun Juliana in 1934, is kept in the sacristy of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Of course, it was physically impossible to depict all Russian saints on it (even without taking into account the new martyrs), and we have before us an image of holiness rather than a literal depiction of all Russian saints.

In a difficult life situation, a person goes to church for help. Depending on the request of the person and marital status, it is worth praying to a certain Saint.

Read what the seven-arrow and holy family icon helps with, as well as their names and the meaning of the images.

Every pious Christian visits the temple on Sundays. Depending on the purpose of his stay, he can pray with gratitude for all the good things or ask for help in his own endeavors.

Important! The seven-shooter icon of the Mother of God can be prayed in any situation. She will help fulfill any request.

You can turn to the painting of the Holy Family for help in establishing family relationships. It depicts Joseph with Mary, and little Jesus.

However, such an image is rarely seen in an ordinary temple. The most revered icon in Jerusalem.

You can turn to the Holy Trinity to improve relations between relatives.

You can also turn to the Holy Father and Son, the Holy Spirit with gratitude or a request to help in any matter.

With small prayers, you can appear before the following faces:

• Archangel Michael. The most important governor over the heavenly angels. They turn to him when moving, so that he fences a new home from troubles.
• John the Baptist. Can make the land of the garden or vegetable garden more fertile. You need to turn to him so that there is no need in life.
• Alexander Nevskiy. The great commander has long belonged to the saints. It will help protect the weak from attack.
• Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. Able to protect the weak and small children. You can ask for health even for a pet.
• Holy Martyrs Guriy, Samon and Aviv. They will help maintain friendly relations between relatives and close family members. They keep the peace in the house.
• Holy Martyr Boniface. Ask to release a relative or husband from addictive habits like alcoholism, smoking, and even overeating.
• John of Kronstadt. It will heal sick children and adults, help a little person cope with the load at school and better learn knowledge.
• God's prophet Elijah. Will change the weather not only in the house, but also on the street. During a drought, they ask him for rain, during a flood and a flood - a clear sky.
• Holy Blessed Xenia of Petersburg. It will help women in a difficult situation to establish relationships with their spouse. A man can also contact her.
• St Nicholas. Will help in any business. He works wonders in every area of ​​life.
• Rev. Sergius of Radonezh. A great teacher will help young schoolchildren to master a large amount of new knowledge and take a worthy place in life.
• Holy Great Martyr Anastasia the Destroyer. A repentant prisoner can turn to her and ask for early release from the government house.
• Saint Spyridon of Trimifuntsky and Seraphim of Sarov. Those who turn to these faces can hope for healing from serious illnesses. With a similar request, you can turn to the Great Martyr doctor Panteleimon.
• Holy Great Martyr Barbara. Her face will help get rid of mental instability and depression. It is worth asking for peace and harmony in the soul.
• Apostles Peter and Paul. They will help in troubles associated with the lack of "prey" at work and sick people to get on their feet.

  With similar requests for help in solving worldly affairs, you can pray to the Blessed Matrona of Moscow.

Advice! It is better to pray not at home, but in a Holy place. Bow to the tomb of the Saint and kiss the sacred cross.

The more often you ask for help, the more likely you are to get it sooner. The most important and all-powerful is God.

The ways of the Lord are inscrutable, therefore His help is invaluable in the life of a mere mortal.

What does the icon help with?

An icon is just a window into another world. The Great Apostles will help in life on Earth to find peace and harmony in the soul, heal from diseases, and improve the financial situation. Ask for what you really need.

Advice! Never turn to the face of the great martyrs with a request to do evil for another.

Such a call can reflect badly on the purity of the soul of an Orthodox person.

The meaning of the guardian angel icon

Zodiac sign	Date of Birth	Icon by date of birth
Aries	March 21 - April 20	Kazan Mother of God
Taurus	April 21 - May 21	The guarantor of sinners, Mother of God of Iberia
Twins	May 22 - June 21	Vladimir Mother of God
Cancer	June 22 - July 23	Kazan Mother of God, St. Cyril
a lion	July 24 - August 23	Prophet Elijah, Nicholas the Pleasant
Virgo	August 24 - September 23	Passionate, Burning Bush
scales	September 24 - October 23	Mother of God of Pochaev, burning Bush
Scorpion	October 24 - November 22	Mother of God of Jerusalem
Sagittarius	November 23 - December 21	Nicholas the Wonderworker, Mother of God of Tikhvin
Capricorn	December 22 - January 20	sovereign icon
Aquarius	January 21 - February 19	Burning Bush, Mother of God of Vladimir
Fishes	February 20 - March 20	Iberian Mother of God

Advice! In any difficult situation, you can turn to God himself or the icon of all Saints for help.

It is important to pray correctly to the faces of the great martyrs so that your words are heard. The Lord is omnipresent, words can come from your home or temple.

Light candles, cross yourself and read a specific prayer addressed to your patron.

It is important to believe and wait for a miracle. Fulfillment of desires is impossible without your attempts to realize your plans.

Do not sit still and wait for diamonds to fall from the sky. Try to create wealth with your own hands, and God will only show you the right path.

Advice! The more often you ask for help, the more likely you are to get it. Pray to your Patron or icon in the morning and evening daily.

May the Lord protect you and your children on the path of life.

Useful video

As in every Orthodox Church, in church in Victory Park to the right of the Royal Doors is a temple icon. This the image of "All Saints, in the Russian Land shone". The name of the holiday was recently changed to "All Saints, in the Earth Russian shone", but the inscription on the icon remained the same, this is allowed by tradition. The sacred meaning in the icon is only the signature of the name of the saint next to each image. The name of the event to which the icon is dedicated does not have to be formulated exactly according to the church calendar: the main thing is that it corresponds to the true meaning of the depicted.

The temple icon of All the Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land was painted in the tradition of the Moscow school of icon painting of the late 15th-16th centuries. The author of this wonderful image is the famous St. Petersburg icon painter Khristina Prokhorova. The icon came to the temple on January 27, 2012, on the memorable Day of lifting the blockade of Leningrad. The icon seems too big for our church. And this is no coincidence. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and the order of President V.V. Putin in Victory Park, a memorial church should be built, which will adequately perpetuate the memory of the people burned and buried in it and replace the current small church-chapel.

Icon of "All the Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land", painted by nun Juliania (Sokolova)

The iconographic concept of the image of all Russian saints was developed by St. Afanasy Kovrovsky, who corrected and edited the text of the service “To All the Saints in the Russian Land Resplendent” by decision of the Local Council of 1917-1918. According to his description, two different icons were originally painted, but only one, created by the nun Juliania (Sokolova), became the canonical model. The icon of mother Juliana formed the basis of the iconography created in the Russian Church Abroad, where it was supplemented by the image of the holy royal martyrs and new martyrs of Russia. After the canonization by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000, the holy New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, the image of their cathedral was added to the icons painted in Russia.

Next to the temple icon there are shrines that make our church a place of intense prayer for the Russian Land, which is so necessary for the Fatherland in this turbulent time. This is (so far only in the form of a reproduction) the image of St. blgv. book. Alexander Nevsky, the defender of the Russian Land, and the reliquary with the relics of the saints resting in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The very first Russian saints, standing at the origins of our spiritual history, mystically came to the place of the new Russian Golgotha ​​of the 20th century. Here, among the thousands burned and buried in the park pond, lies the ashes of many innocently murdered martyrs. They are new branches of the tree of Russian holiness, which started its first shoots more than a thousand years ago in the caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

The icon of "All Saints in the Russian Land Resplendent" is unusual. There are no other similar images depicting saints, where the earth occupies the entire icon-painting space, rising vertically upwards. Usually the saints are depicted standing on a conditional strip - earth - and their figures are surrounded on all sides by a gold or ocher background. This background symbolically indicates that God's chosen ones only figuratively appear in our sinful world, but in reality they eternally abide in the Kingdom of Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, in Heavenly Jerusalem. The earth takes the place of a symbolic background only when the icon tells about the presence of God on earth: about His Nativity, Baptism, the Second Coming for the Last Judgment - because where God is, there is Heaven. The icon of "All the Saints in the Russian Land Resplendent" with its unusual composition testifies: God is with us! Our land, inhabited by saints, ascends directly to the Divine Throne. The saints did not leave the Russian Land. With their presence, with their prayers, they fill it with the grace of the Holy Spirit, make it "Holy Russia", which is alive and inseparable from the Holy Trinity. The icon of "All the Saints Who Resplendent in the Russian Land" is an icon of our holy Russian Land.

The abundance of the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are poured out on our earth by the prayerful standing of the Russian saints, is metaphorically represented on the icon in the form of a stream of a full-flowing river that flows from the throne of the Holy Trinity. This metaphor is taken from the Gospel, where Jesus Christ several times compares the gifts of the Holy Spirit with living water: “ TOthen thirsty, come to Me and drink"(John 7:37). In a conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well, the Lord calls to Himself all those “thirsty” for the truth as to a new, true source: “... everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water springing up into eternal life.(John 4:10,13-14).

The Russian land, filled with living water of grace, seems to bloom on the icon with hundreds of images of saints. “They are countless in the entire history of Russia,” said the Pskov-Pechersk elder John (Krestyankin), “manifested and unmanifested, many holy men, wives, saints, miracle workers, princes, monks ... They show different properties of Russian religiosity, but they have something in common that they are all filled with one spirit - the spirit of holy faith and church piety, the Spirit of Christ. The images of saints are interconnected into groups that merge into a single stream. The symbolic river of Russian holiness on the icon flows upward, rising towards the river, symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit to the Russian land. The stream of saints in the center of the icon is divided into two arms that go around the white walls of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. In front of his throne, overshadowed by the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, are Moscow saints. First, Peter and Alexy, followed by Theognost, Jonah, Hermogenes, Philip, Job, Photius, Macarius… Nearby are the reverends, the holy fools, the faithful… The names of each are written in a halo around the face. The liturgical service of Moscow saints at the main altar of the country reveals the main theme of the icon: communion of the Russian land with God.

Drawings of Nun Juliania (Sokolova)

“The river of Russian folk life, giving birth to saints, flowed in a given direction, but sometimes quickly and fruitfully, sometimes slowly, sometimes so quietly that it was difficult to establish whether it was flowing forward or backward,” said John (Krestyankin). The Pskov-Pechersk elder divided Russian religious history into seven periods from the holy prince Vladimir to the present day, comparing them with the Seven Sacraments. “The first period - Vladimir - corresponds to the Mystery of Holy Baptism. It is short, but unusually significant, as a result of a radical change in the life and consciousness of the people, as a result of striving for a new goal. Birth from water and the Spirit. Then the first saints appear - mentors of the true faith and our intercessors to the Lord. On the icon, Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir, together with his family - the holy grandmother, Princess Olga, the sons-passion-bearers Boris and Gleb and other Kiev saints - is depicted at the very bottom in the center, as if inside the oldest Russian church - Kiev Sophia. This place corresponds to the place of the symbolic root of the spiritual tree of Russian holiness. On both sides of it in dark caves are the Kiev-Pechersk reverends. In the Kiev Caves Monastery, the relics of the holy monks rest in two cave complexes - the Near and Far Caves. On the left are the saints of the Near Caves, and in front of all - St. Anthony Pechersky, founder of Russian hermit monasticism. On the right are the saints of the Far Caves. The first among them is Rev. Theodosius of the Caves is the founder of Russian cenobitic monasticism. The Saints of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, together with the Kiev saints and Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir, are the foundation of the symbolic temple of Russian holiness, they mark the beginning of the dispensation of the Holy Spirit on the Russian Land.

Above the Kiev saints, exactly along the axis of the domes of the Kiev Sofia and the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, the Tsar-Passion-bearer Nicholas II is depicted on a dais, surrounded by his family. On both sides of the royal martyrs stands a host of new martyrs: saints who gave their lives for their Christian convictions during the years of godless persecution of the 20th century. Despite the fact that the holy new martyrs have recently entered the host of Russian saints, their place is at the bottom of the icon. With their blood they strengthen the foundation of the temple of Russian holiness.

It is no coincidence that the image of Nicholas II becomes the symbolic center of the holy new martyrs. He is not just a martyr - he is the murdered Anointed of God, and his royal throne, like the liturgical throne in the church, symbolizes the throne of the King of Kings and the Great Hierarch Jesus Christ. The king is the image of Christ the Almighty, and his earthly kingdom is the image of the Kingdom of Heaven. " The king, by nature, is similar to the whole person, but by power, he is similar to the Most High God", - wrote the great Russian elder, Rev. Joseph Volotsky (†1515) Therefore, on the icon of Russian Holiness, Nicholas II is the only one standing on a dais, dressed in red and gold clothes, like the covers of the throne of the Assumption Cathedral above his head.

St. Athanasius (Sakharov), Bishop of Kovrov, confessor.

When St. Athanasius (Sakharov) developed the composition of the icon of the Cathedral of Russian Saints, the royal family and the Cathedral of the New Martyrs were not affixed to the face of the saints, and most of those depicted on the icon had yet to ascend to their Golgotha. Vladyka did not know that in four years he himself would enter the path of confession, and the celebration of All Russian Saints according to the service corrected by him would be celebrated for the first time on November 10, 1922 in the 172nd cell of the Vladimir prison. On the icon painted by the nun Juliania (Sokolova), which has become an iconographic model, a number of new martyrs are not yet there. He showed up later. On the icons painted after 2000, there is also an image of St. Athanasius - he is depicted third in the second row to the left of the family of royal martyrs.

Saint Athanasius conceived a circular composition of the icon, where groups of saints were to be located in the direction of the sun, successively displaying the south, west, north and east of Russia. The circular composition of the icon, replenished with a new row, became more complex, but it retained the image of perfect unity, the symbol of which is the circle. We see how the branches of Russian holiness rise from both sides of the center: on the left are hosts of ascetics, consecrating the western limits of the Russian land, on the right - the eastern ones.

To the left of the cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk saints are depicted the saints of southern Russia, the princes of Chernigov martyrs Michael and Theodore, the miracle workers of Pereyaslavl and Volyn with the Monk Job of Pochaev. To the right of Moscow is the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra with St. Sergius of Radonezh and his closest disciples. Above are the saints who affirmed Orthodoxy in Smolensk, Brest, Bialystok, and Lithuania. The Novgorod and Pskov dioceses became famous for the abundance of saints in the north-west of the Fatherland. The crown of the great Russian tree is formed by the Northern Thebaid, so the monasteries of the northern Russian lands are figuratively called. From left to right, in the upper part of the icon are depicted the Saints of God from Petrograd, Olonets, Belozersky, Arkhangelsk, Solovetsky, Vologda and Perm.

In the lower right corner, a branch of the saints of the Russian Orthodox East begins to grow. At the very bottom we see the image of the saints of the ancient Churches of the Caucasus: Iberia, Georgia and Armenia. Above, in prayer to Christ, the hosts of Tambov, Siberian and Kazan miracle workers are coming. Kazan manifested miraculous icon of the Mother of God overshadows the east of Holy Russia. Above them are all the saints of the Central Russian lands: saints of Rostov and Yaroslavl, Uglich and Suzdal, Murom and Kostroma, Tver and Ryazan, ancient Vladimir and Pereslavl Zalesky. “In Holy Russia “there is no difference between a Jew and a Greek, because the Lord is one for all, rich for all who call on him” (Rom. 10:12). Russians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Serbs, Ukrainians, Moldavians, Germans, Karelians, Hungarians, Tatars, Aleuts, etc. - different peoples who lived on Russian soil and professed the Orthodox faith, regardless of nationality, entered Holy Russia, consecrated it his spiritual feat” (V. Lepakhin).

The Russian land, inhabited by saints, rises to the very clouds, to Heavenly Jerusalem, where, sanctified by the golden light of Divine Glory, the Most Pure Mother of God and Saint John the Baptist, the holy archangels Michael and Gabriel, the apostles Bartholomew and Andrew, Saints Photius and the seven Hieromartyrs, Great Martyrs George and Demetrius of Thessalonica, St. Nicholas of Myra and the Slovenian Enlighteners Cyril and Methodius, as well as many other saints, one way or another historically connected with the Russian Church. They pray together with the saints of the Russian land for all those who live on it, for everyone, the righteous and the sinner, the believer and the unbeliever, for every person who walks on our blessed blood of the martyrs, supplicated by the Lord and drunk with the grace of the Holy Spirit of the Russian Land.

O.V. Gubareva.

Literature:
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). Word on the Week of All Saints, who shone in the Russian land.
Gubareva O.V. Questions of the iconography of the holy royal martyrs. (To the All-Russian glorification of Emperor Nicholas II and His Family). St. Petersburg, 1999.
Life of St. Athanasius, Bishop of Kovrov, Confessor and Songwriter. M .: "Father's House", 2000. S. 3-21.
Lepakhin V.V. Iconic Image of Holiness: Spatial, Temporal, Religious and Historiosophical Categories of Holy Russia. In 2 parts.
Chinyakova G.P. Holy Russia, keep the Orthodox faith! Danilovsky Blagovestnik. Issue. 9, 1998, pp. 71-77.

Each person with his appearance in the world is called to glorify his God, the one who created him, the world, the earth, animals, people and everything else. But have you ever wondered how much you know about your faith, its traditions and saints, and the significance of the Orthodox Church in the world today? Orthodoxy is called true, real knowledge of God.

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Traditionally, all Orthodox believe in the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But, besides this, in any Orthodox Church you can find icons of saints. Faced with various life difficulties, believers turn for help not only to the Almighty, but also to the saints, through them and certain prayers. Everyone has their own guardian angel and saint, in whom a person believes more than in others. But in order for the life situation to be resolved for the better, and the one asking to be heard, it is necessary to know all the icons and their meaning.

Icons of all saints photos and their meaning.

First, let's deal with the question of what icons are. Icon - a sacred image of the faces of saints, as well as the events of church history presented in the bible. In other words, an icon is a way and means of communication and unification with God. Different icons help in different situations.

Nicholas the Wonderworker will help you in any need. They say that his icon, which is in your home, will protect you and your loved ones from poverty and want. You can ask the saint for prosperity and well-being in the house. Nikolai Ugodnik is worshiped by all travelers, and pilots, and drivers, and sailors, and everyone who simply believes in him.

The Orthodox celebrate the feast of Nicholas the Wonderworker twice a year - on May 22 and December 19. These two dates are fixed, unlike some other church holidays.

2. Mother of God

The Mother of God is one of the most revered icon-painting images among Orthodox believers. The image of the Mother of God has always been and is still considered a symbol of the guardian and intercessor of the Russian people. One of the proofs is the victory of the Russian people in the Great Patriotic War under the protection of the Mother of God. It was from that time that it became customary in Russia that the image of the Mother of God helps and protects the Russian land.

Despite the common meaning, in Orthodoxy there are different icons of the Virgin Mary. Each type has its own special meaning for believers. We will give, for example, five types of images of the Virgin Mary:

• Guide -

According to biblical data, it was she who was first written by the Evangelist Luke. The Virgin Mary is depicted here to the waist, less often to the shoulders. There is also a slight inclination of the head towards Jesus Christ, and the right hand points to him. This type means the mutual relationship of mother and son.

• Tenderness - Eleusa

In this case, the Mother of God presses her baby to her cheek, there is no distance between them, and this is a symbol of boundless love and tenderness between the son and mother. Tenderness carries the boundless love of God for all people, the image reminds us of his great sacrifice for the salvation of all human people.

• Prayer - Oranta, Panagia, Omen

The Mother of God is depicted waist-high or full-length with her hands raised up, her son Jesus is depicted in the center, at the level of his mother's chest. Here the meaning is the foreshadowing of the Nativity of Christ.

• All-merciful - Panahranta,

The Virgin Mary, sitting on the throne and Jesus sitting on her knees, all this only shows her greatness, as an intercessor on earth.

• Intercessor - Agiosoritissa

Here the Virgin is depicted alone, without the son of God. Her hands are directed to God, which means a prayer for the protection of humanity by the Most Holy Theotokos before Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist is the last prophet of the Old Testament, who introduced the people of Israel as a savior - Jesus Christ. He is also called by another name - John the Baptist - emphasizing his specific role as the forerunner and predecessor of Jesus. It was John who baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. They turn to the icon for help in soil fertility and a rich harvest.

The feast of John the Baptist is celebrated several times and is associated with various episodes from his life and veneration. July 7 - Nativity of John the Baptist; September 11 - Decapitation of John the Baptist; January 20 - Synapsis of John the Baptist.

4. George the Victorious

- Orthodox saint He is depicted sitting on a horse and holding a dragon sword. It is he who will help you in dealing with your children, as well as in protecting your pets. The feast of St. George the Victorious is celebrated on May 6th.

5. John of Kronstadt

Father John of Kronstadt, one of the most famous saints of recent history, possessed evangelical zeal and, above all, was of the Orthodox tradition and faith and life of the Orthodox Church. Father John, one might say, a family saint, was an expressive and impressive preacher, a man who transferred the hearts of outcast sinners to repentance, a man with great depth of love and a spiritual healer. Huge crowds rushed to him from all parts of Orthodox Russia to hear him and be healed by him (in body and soul). Until now, his icon is being addressed with requests for healing from serious illnesses. January 2 is considered the day of memory of St. John of Kronstadt.

6. Holy Martyr Boniface

If the problem of alcoholism has settled in your house, the advice to you will be to seek help from Bonifaty. In addition, it will help you cope with gluttony.

7. Blessed Matrona of Moscow

The matron was endowed with a special feeling, spiritual insight, miraculous and healing powers. Even at an early age, her family, as well as neighbors, noticed that she knew absolutely everything not only about people's sins, but also about their thoughts. In addition to everything, she could easily see the approaching dangers and social disasters.

The icon of the Blessed Matrona is one of those to which you can come to bow and ask for absolutely everything, especially for healing. It is also worth remembering that believers should know icons and prayers for them. A holiday in honor of the Matrona of Moscow is considered the day - November 22 of each year.

8. Xenia of Petersburg

Everyone should know what icons are needed for what, for example, the icon of Xenia of Petersburg will help everyone in family problems. You can turn to her icon not only with requests for a happy marriage, but also with grief. February 6 is considered the day of Blessed Xenia of Petersburg.

Saint Seraphim of Sarov is one of the most beloved and famous Orthodox saints of recent times. He spent 1000 days and nights on the rock, praying to God for forgiveness. He was a hermit, spiritual guide and priest. He led many Christian souls on the path of apostolic Christianity in Russia during the 19th century.

There are different icons, for example, family icons, among which. Pray to Seraphim of Sarov for healing from pain in the joints, arms, legs and spine. The feast of finding the relics of Seraphim of Sarov in Orthodoxy is celebrated on August 1.

10. Saints Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.

The martyrs Vera, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia believed in God and proved that people strengthened by the grace of the Holy Spirit have no obstacles to the manifestation of fortitude and courage. You can also ask for the intercession of the saints on the day of their prayer service - September 17 - and on any other day.

A few words about how to pray

Regardless of whether you are a woman or a man, before going to the Temple you need to cleanse yourself both physically and mentally. Only then will he go to the temple with good intentions. A woman must be in a skirt, it is desirable that the skirt covers the knees. Men come in ordinary clothes, but without a headdress. All women are required to cover their heads with a headscarf.

Before entering the temple and praying, you need to cross yourself before entering the church. After that, you can approach the icon. Our list will help you choose an icon. Before the icon you need to be baptized, read a prayer and be baptized again three times. Each icon requires its own prayer, usually a prayer can be found near the icon. After the end of your prayer in the temple, you need to cross yourself three times at the exit, and only then go about your business with a pure soul.

In addition to the images that depict certain specific clergy (Jesus, the Mother of God, the apostles-evangelists, martyrs and prophets), there are collective icons. The entire Host of God is symbolically drawn on them, and, praying before them, we can turn to our patron saint for help, as if it were a nominal icon.

Why is the image called "The Icon of All Saints"? At baptism, each Christian receives a personal heavenly protector, a patron who protects him on his life path and to whom the churched can turn in prayers with any need, request. In honor of this patron, a new name is given to him. However, the icon of All Saints is a universal image, and this is the essence of its name. Whoever your heavenly guardian is - Archangel Michael, Nicholas the Wonderworker or Mother Matrona - your prayer in front of this image will be heard by each of them. Ask for support at all life's crossroads - and you will definitely feel it! What prayers were most often heard by the icon of All Saints? Probably: “Heavenly fathers, merciful intercessors, pray to God for us!”

Description of the image

There are many different icon image lists. The oldest ones date back to the 5th-7th centuries, and they were made on Athos. Here, for example, is how the icon of All Saints looks like on one of the Russian samples of the 18th century: at the top is the Most Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit). The Father is depicted in the center, the Son is on the right, and the Spirit (in the form of a Dove) is above Both. The second row of figures, that is, somewhat lower, are the Mother of God, who is called the Lady of the Mother of God, the Intercessor of all sinners, and the Baptist John. In addition to them, the icon of All Saints, the description of which we are making, includes John the Baptist and the faces of other lambs of God.

Holiday in honor of the image

In memory of All Saints - this is the name of the day of special glorification of the icon. It is usually celebrated after Trinity, on the first Sunday. It is also called Pentecost. After all, the icon of All Saints acquires special significance on the fiftieth day after Easter. Prayers in her honor are held all week until the 8th post-Easter Sunday. Thus, this holiday is a passing one, which does not have a specific calendar number assigned to it.

Our invisible protectors

Who are they, our invisible saviors? Let's take a closer look at the photo of the icon of All Saints and think about the personalities who look at us strictly and at the same time meekly and compassionately. Saints are people who, even during their lifetime, pleased the Lord with their deeds, firmness in faith and deeds that glorified the Almighty, performed for His glory. After their physical death, they were taken by God to heaven to pray before Him for our intercession.

Hierarchy heavenly

The faces of the saints are, first of all, the prophets. From God himself, they received a wonderful gift - to see the future, to see the events that should happen hundreds and thousands of years later. The most important of them is the return of the Savior to earth. Among the prophets, Ilya is most revered (prayer to the icon of All Saints and to him is effective in July-August, on the 20th and 2nd, depending on the style). In addition, Orthodox Christians respect John the Baptist, whose days of veneration are June 24 (July 7) and August 29 (September 11).

Apostles are messengers of God

Apostles are those people who personally knew Christ, were his disciples, accompanied the Son of God through the land of Judea, wrote down his teachings. We know the 12 apostles, by name, how they came to know the Living God and how they found themselves in Christ. After the death of their teacher, the apostles went to different parts of the world to preach new knowledge. They also have their own hierarchy. Paul and Peter are recognized as the main, or supreme ones. Evangelists, i.e. compilers of Holy Scripture, are Luke, Matthew, John, Mark. Some saints are equated with the apostles according to the mission they perform. They were not personal disciples of Christ, but in different eras they propagated His teachings. These are the Greek kings Konstantin and Elena, the Russian princes Vladimir and Olga, the Georgian educator Nina.

clan of martyrs

Many of the saints depicted on the icon deserved such a great honor not only because they brought the Light of Truth to the masses, but also suffered severely for it. These include Christian martyrs. Those who endured terrible humiliation, abuse and torture are called great martyrs. This is the famous healer Panteleimon, whose image in the people's consciousness has grown together with the archangel Raphael, the healer of God; and St. George, bearing the big name Victorious; as well as Christian sufferers - Catherine and Barbara. The canonical texts speak of the first martyrs - Christians, that is, those who were the first of the huge number of victims to take the blow of persecution and persecution - Stefan and Thekla. A special place among the saints on the icon is occupied by confessors - Christians who, with their own righteous lives, proved the justice of God's precepts.

People for Christ's sake

These include the holy associates who pleased the Lord with their deeds:

• This is Nicholas, so respected by both Orthodox and Catholics: endowed with great abilities, he, for the glory of God, worked many miracles, for which he received the title of Miracle Worker. John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian and others called teachers of the Christian Church.
• Those who have become similar to God, that is, the reverends - Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, beloved by all Orthodox people. And to this day, faith in them is strong and unshakable.
• The righteous are family people who lived according to the laws of Christianity and tried with all their might to keep the covenants of God. These are, first of all, the Old Testament prophets, the parents of Mary, her husband, Joseph, Peter and Fevronia of Murom and many others.
• Holy fools and unmercenaries who help others morally and financially without payment, without expecting any reward, for Christ's sake: Vasily the Blessed and Mother Matrona, Xenia of Petersburg and others.

Here she is so amazing - the icon of All Saints!