Kazan Icon of the Mother of God: history, miracles, prayers. Feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God: history, date, congratulations
Kazan icon Mother of God considered the patroness of the Russian land, which is confirmed by many historical facts. Since ancient times, Orthodox people prayed to her, asked for help and support in the most hard times for Russia.
The Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated twice a year: in the summer - on July 21 - in memory of the appearance of the icon in Kazan, and on November 4 - in gratitude for the deliverance of Moscow and all of Rus' from Polish invaders.
Phenomenon
© photo: Sputnik / Maxim Bogodvid
The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God has a very interesting story. It was found in 1579 by a nine-year-old girl in the ashes of a terrible fire that destroyed part of the city of Kazan.
The fire in Kazan started in the house of the merchant Onuchin. After the fire, the Mother of God appeared to the merchant’s daughter Matrona in a dream and revealed to her that under the ruins of their house there was her miraculous image buried in the ground.
It still remains a mystery how the shrine fell into ruins. It is believed that it was buried by secret confessors of Christianity during Tatar rule.
At first they did not pay attention to the girl’s words, but when the dream repeated itself three times, they began to dig and found an icon of amazing beauty in the ashes. The holy image, despite the fire, looked as if it had just been painted.
The image was solemnly transferred to the parish church of St. Nicholas of Tula, the rector of which was then the pious priest, the future Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Hermogenes.
The future saint, who died at the hands of the Poles for his fidelity to Orthodoxy and was canonized, compiled a detailed account of the miracles of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
The fact that the icon was miraculous became clear immediately, since already during the procession the sight was restored to two Kazan blind people. These miracles were the first in a long list of cases of grace-filled help.
At the site where the icon was found, a convent was subsequently founded, where Matrona and her mother took monastic vows.
So by the time difficult times came in Russia, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was no longer just known, but also very revered.
© photo: Sputnik / Sergey Pyatkov
Many copies were made of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, and the icon itself became famous for its miraculousness - the sick recovered, the blind gained sight, enemies were defeated and expelled.
The most famous miracles of the intercession of the Mother of God are associated with the events of the Time of Troubles. It is believed that it is miraculous icon helped the militia led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and merchant Kuzma Minin defeat the enemy on November 4, 1612 and liberate Moscow from the Poles.
Story
At the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, a series of tragic circumstances occurred in Russia and this era went down in history as the Time of Troubles. This era of deep crisis of the Moscow state caused by the suppression royal dynasty Rurikovich.
The dynastic crisis soon developed into a national-state crisis. The united Russian state collapsed, and numerous impostors appeared. Widespread robberies, robbery, theft, and widespread drunkenness struck the country.
At the call of His Holiness Patriarch Hermogenes, the Russian people stood up to defend their homeland. A list of the miraculous icon was sent from Kazan to the Nizhny Novgorod people's militia, which was led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin Holy Mother of God- Kazan.
The militia, having learned about the miracles performed by the icon, took it with them and constantly prayed in front of it, asking for help. They liberated Kitay-Gorod on October 22 (November 4, new style), and two days later they took the Kremlin. The next day, Russian soldiers with procession went to the Kremlin with a miraculous image in their hands.
© photo: Sputnik / RIA Novosti
Artist G. Lissner. "The expulsion of Polish interventionists from the Moscow Kremlin. 1612."
In memory of the deliverance of Moscow from the Poles by the will of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, the first Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty, and the blessing of the Metropolitan, later Patriarch Philaret, Orthodox Church It was established annually on October 22 to celebrate the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow with a procession of the cross.
At first this celebration took place only in Moscow, but since 1649 it became all-Russian. It is believed that the Most Holy Theotokos took the Russian militia under her protection. The holiday was celebrated in Russia until the 1917 Revolution.
The icon of Our Lady of Kazan became the common shrine of Kazan, Moscow, St. Petersburg and all of Russia, where there were three main miraculous icons of Our Lady of Kazan - the discovered one and two copies.
One of the lists of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was brought into Moscow liberated from the Poles by Dmitry Pozharsky, who headed the people’s militia. Now it is kept in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral in Moscow.
Traditions and signs
On this day, all people went to church, where they prayed for their homeland, for their loved ones and relatives, so that there would be peace and tranquility in families.
After the liturgy, all believers went to a religious procession - with icons in their hands, they walked around cities and villages, which symbolized the protection of the settlement from harm. Today they are limited to walking along the main streets or just around the church.
© photo: Sputnik / Alexey Danichev
In the old days, women believed that on this day the Mother of God helped them. There were many protective rituals that women used on this day.
For example, a birch leaf gives beauty and protects against old age. To do this, early in the morning on the holiday, women went to a birch grove, where they looked for leaves covered with frost. Having torn off a piece of paper, they looked at it as if in a mirror. It was believed that after this the face would become clearer and younger, and the woman would look beautiful throughout the next year.
This day is considered happy for marriages and weddings. In the old days it was believed that on such a bright day of celebration Orthodox faith, the most the right time to start a new family. Those who wanted to live their family life without problems and in happiness, sought to time the wedding ceremony specifically for the autumn holiday of the Kazan Mother of God.
There are many signs associated with the weather: if the ground is covered in fog in the morning, it will be warm, and if it rains, it will snow soon, if the sun is shining brightly, the winter will be just as sunny.
Rainy weather on this day is a good sign. People said that this Mother of God cries and prays for all people. She begs the Lord God for forgiveness for people and asks that their life be easier, so that the harvest will be next year was good and there was no hunger.
But dry weather, on the contrary, is bad omen. People say that if there is no rain on Kazanskaya, then next year will be very difficult. And on good harvest You can't count on it at all.
© photo: Sputnik / Alexey Nasyrov
Also on this day, the villagers went out into their gardens and scattered salt on the ground: “they treated them to bread and salt” so that the future harvest would be rich and plentiful. After this, all the fields were walked around with the icon, and then a festive meal was held on the ground, consisting of gifts of earth and holy water.
What do they pray for?
The Kazan Mother of God is considered a miraculous icon, and prayers to her can be fateful. People believe that during any disaster, grief or misfortune, the Kazan Mother of God can cover a person asking for help from all troubles with her invisible veil and save him.
In front of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God they pray for the healing of eye and other diseases, protection of the house from disaster and fire, deliverance from enemy invasions, blessing of the newlyweds, the birth of children, and family well-being.
Prayer
O Most Pure Lady Theotokos, Queen of heaven and earth, supreme angel and the Archangel and all creatures, the most honest, pure Virgin Mary, the Good Helper of the world, and affirmation for all people, and deliverance for all needs! You are our intercessor and representative, you are protection for the offended, joy for the grieving, refuge for the orphans, guardian for widows, glory for virgins, joy for those who cry, visitation for the sick, healing for the weak, salvation for sinners. Have mercy on us, Mother of God, and fulfill our request, for all things are possible through Your intercession: for glory befits You now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.
The holiday of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God is one of the most important for Orthodox believers, since this icon is one of the most famous and revered in Rus'.
When Kazanskaya in 2018
The Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in 2018 - as in all other years - is celebrated on July 21. It was on this day in 1579 that the icon appeared. This year the holiday fell on Saturday.
In addition, in the fall - on November 4 - Orthodox Christians honor this icon in gratitude for the expulsion of the Poles from their native land.
Many believe that it is on this day that prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary have unique power and are truly capable of working miracles.
Before the icon of the Kazan Mother of God they pray:
- about healing from various diseases, especially those related to the eyes and vision;
- in case of problems in the family, since the Kazan Mother of God is the patroness of the family, it is customary to give her image at the wedding and baptism of children;
- in difficult life situations they ask Our Lady for help in making a decision;
- about protection from fires - since, according to legend, this image is generated by fire.
Here are a few prayers to the Kazan Mother of God:
Oh, Most Pure Lady Theotokos, Queen of heaven and earth, the highest angel and archangel and the most honest, pure Virgin Mary of all creation, the Good Helper of the world, and affirmation for all people, and deliverance for all needs! You are our intercessor and representative, you are protection for the offended, joy for the grieving, refuge for the orphans, guardian for widows, glory for virgins, joy for those who cry, visitation for the sick, healing for the weak, salvation for sinners. Have mercy on us, Mother of God, and fulfill our request, for all things are possible through Your intercession: for glory befits You now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Mother Intercessor, blessed among wives, guide me and my loved ones on the true path. Forgive us our sins and sinful thoughts on this great day and on any other. Give us the strength to overcome any troubles, to cope with devilish temptations on the path of life. Take trouble away from our house - save it from fire, evil people, eyes of evil, water and wind. Amen.
Day of the Kazan Mother of God: signs
By folk signs, from July 21 the most intense heat begins. There are other folk signs for July 21:
- the bees have become angrier - to drought;
- if the acacia pods are ripe, then the rye field is ripe.
They say that it is on this day that blueberries ripen.
In addition, on the Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, rain is considered a good omen: its drops symbolize the tears of the Mother of God. Thus, the Mother of God begs forgiveness from God for all human sins. If the sun shines brightly, then winter will be sunny.
Fog on this day is considered a harbinger of warmth and thaw.
But dry weather is considered a bad omen: they say that next year will be extremely difficult. Moreover, the villagers believe that if Kazanskaya was without rain, then they should not count on a good harvest.
Day of the Kazan Mother of God: traditions
On this day it is customary to attend prayer services in honor of the Mother of God. In addition, on the 21st, religious processions are held in every church and temple.
Traditionally, on the feast of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, cellars and basements with winter supplies were prepared for winter: it was customary to ventilate them on this day and fumigate them with juniper smoke - so that the food would be better stored until the next harvest.
It is better to avoid housework if possible. There is no direct church ban on work, since the holiday is not the Twelfth. However, believers say that do not expect good results from hard work on this day.
Among the strict prohibitions are swearing and quarrels. It is also not recommended to cry and be sad on this day - it is better to spend the holiday with your beloved family and close friends.
WHAT DOES THE KAZAN ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD HELP WITH?
Prayers in front of the image of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God can help you in many matters in life, and besides, they pray to Her in times of despondency, sadness and disaster, when there is no longer enough strength to fight adversity.
With the help of prayers in front of the image of the Kazan Mother of God, you can be cured of any disease, especially eye diseases and even blindness, not only physical, but also spiritual.
The image of the Mother of God and prayers help her find the right decision complex issues.
For many centuries, people placed the “Kazan” icon near a child’s crib, knowing that the Mother of God would look after the child and protect him, if necessary.
Also, since ancient times, the Kazan icon was used to bless newlyweds for a long and happy life. And, if the wedding falls on the day of the celebration of this icon, family life should have a long and happy life.
It must be remembered that icons or saints do not “specialize” in any specific areas. It will be right when a person turns with faith in the power of God, and not in the power of this icon, this saint or prayer.
And .
DISCOVERY OF THE KAZAN ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD
The miracle of the discovery of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God occurred on July 8, 1579, several decades after Ivan the Terrible conquered the Kazan Khanate.
In June 1579, a large fire occurred in Kazan, which destroyed a significant part of the city’s wooden buildings, and half of the Kazan Kremlin burned down.
Muslims rejoiced at the troubles and said that this Russian God was angry with Christians. But, as usually happens with God’s providence, the fire actually became the beginning of the spread of Orthodoxy in the Khanate.
The house of archer Daniil Onuchin, who was planning to build a new home in the same place, was also damaged in the fire. The work had almost begun, but his daughter Matrona, who was then ten years old, had a dream of the appearance of the Mother of God Herself, who indicated the place where Her icon lay under a layer of earth, which was thus hidden by Orthodox confessors in order to protect the image from desecration by Muslims . The Mother of God ordered to find this icon, but no one paid attention to the girl’s words; the adults were busy with their own affairs.
Three times the Holy Mother appeared to Matrona, again and again She indicated the place where the miraculous icon was hidden. The girl still managed to persuade her mother to help in the search, and finally they began to dig together in the indicated place. And a miracle happened, the icon was found!
All the clergy arrived at the place where the shrine was miraculously found. Archbishop Jeremiah took the found image of the Mother of God and solemnly transferred It to a nearby church in the name of St. Nicholas, and from there, after serving a prayer service, the shrine was transferred by procession to the very first Orthodox church in Kazan, which was built by order of Ivan the Terrible.
Immediately, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God began to work miracles; during the procession of the Cross, two blind men, Nikita and Joseph, regained their sight.
The newly found icon of the Mother of God very soon became a national shrine, because in this way Holy Mary showed a sign to the entire Russian Church. More than once, “Kazanskaya” showed the way to glory and victory for Orthodox soldiers, defenders of the Russian land, who fulfilled their duty to God and the Motherland.
While defending Rus' from the atrocities of the Poles, Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky began to gather an army. In Yaroslavl, Kazan warriors with the Kazan icon (with its copy), which they handed over to the prince, also joined the militia. With the icon and prayers of the Mother of God, the Russian army moved towards the capital. And at this time, in Moscow captured by the Poles, the captured Greek Archbishop Arseny († 1626; April 13) was located. One night in his cell there appeared bright light and he saw. The saint told Arseny that the Mother of God interceded for our Fatherland and soon, God's grace, Russia will be saved.
The Most Holy Theotokos took the Russian troops under Her protection; with Her help, two days later the Poles were expelled from the Kremlin and defeated, and through Her intercession Rus' was saved.
The day after this victory, in gratitude for the help in expelling the enemies, a procession of the cross was made with the miraculous Kazan Icon, to meet which Archbishop Arseny came out of the Kremlin. In his hands he held the miraculous medicine, which he had preserved in his captivity. According to the descriptions, all the people knelt before the image of their Intercessor.
After the Polish invaders were expelled from Moscow, Dmitry Pozharsky installed the holy Kazan icon in the Church of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was located in Moscow on Lubyanka.
After some time, the prince began to build the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square and in 1636, when the cathedral was erected, the shrine was moved to a new location.
November 4 (October 22, old style) was declared the day of celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in memory of the liberation from the Poles. At first this day was celebrated only in Moscow, but since 1649 this holiday became a state holiday.
Before the battle of Poltava, Peter the Great prayed before the icon of the Kazan Mother of God (in the village of Kaplunovka).
In 1812, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was given protection to Russian soldiers who defended Russian soil from French invaders. The first major military success of Russian soldiers in this war happened just on the holiday of the “autumn” Kazan icon; on this day (October 22, old style) the rearguard of the French army was defeated, Napoleonic army lost about seven thousand of its soldiers.
During the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 miraculous image Kazan icon They were carried out in a religious procession in besieged Leningrad, a prayer service was served before the icon in Moscow, after which the icon was taken to Stalingrad. Where the miraculous icon was located, the enemy was defeated. 
This icon is revered throughout Russia; there is not a single church where there is not a Kazan Icon. This image has been revered at all times, and if there is an image of the Mother of God in a family that is passed down by inheritance, in most cases it will be the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
Now this miraculous icon has been located in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral in Moscow.
Kazanskaya Tobolskaya The icon of the Mother of God was found in 1661 and is located in the city of Tobolsk in the cathedral church. The story of the acquisition of this icon is as follows.
There was an apparition to Hierodeacon Ioannikios, who revealed to him that in the closet of the Church of the Three Hierarchs, facing the wall, there was an image of the Kazan Mother of God. By the command of God, they must build a church nearby in honor of this icon, consecrate it and bring it into the new church as a throne one. But the hierodeacon did not tell anyone about this vision. After some time, the saint visited him again and asked him why he did not tell the archimandrite about this. After this question, the vision disappeared, and the hierodeacon himself fell to the ground out of fear, glorified God, but was still afraid to say about it, “ so that there would be no confusion among the people, and for fear that they would not believe". He did not mention this even after the next, third vision of the saint.
And during the feast of the Kazan Icon, at Matins, Hierodeacon Ioannikis suddenly lost consciousness and fell. As he later said, among the people he again saw the saint, who said:
“You read this and why don’t you believe it yourself? That image was in the ground, and this one stands in the porch facing the wall; why didn’t you tell about him?”
And he, shaking his hand at me, said:
“From now on, be decrepit until the divine work is completed.”
Having said this, he became invisible, and I fell to the ground out of fear and now I’m telling you.”
After people found out about this, they immediately paid homage to the Mother of God, consecrated the icon and built a church. The narrator noted that until that moment there had been rains that flooded the fields, the rivers began to overflow, like in spring, flooding houses, but as soon as they began to build the temple, everything calmed down, “the bread and vegetables have gotten better since then.”
Kaplunovskaya The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is located in the village of Kaplunovka, Kharkov region. 
In 1689, a gray-haired old man appeared in a dream to the pious priest of this village, John Umanov, who ordered him to buy from the Moscow icon painters, who would soon arrive, the eighth Kazan icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
"From her you will receive mercy and grace"
- said this old man. After the icon was purchased, the Mother of God herself appeared to the priest in a dream and ordered to place this icon in the temple. John told the people about this and all the people triumphantly fulfilled this command.
After this, miracles began to happen from this icon.
In 1709, Emperor Peter I, before the battle with the Swedes, prayed to the Mother of God for help to this particular image; this icon was carried in front of all the regiments. According to legend, Swedish soldiers tried to burn down the Kaplunovskaya church, but were unable to do so. And then Karl said:
“If they couldn’t light the church without an icon, then where it is located will be unsafe for us.”
That’s how it all happened, the Russian people won the Battle of Poltava.
Nizhnelomovskaya The Kazan icon appeared in 1643 near the city of Nizhny Loma, Penza region. First, a chapel was built on this site, and later a monastery was founded here.
Voznesenskaya The Kazan Icon is located in the Moscow Ascension Convent, in the Kremlin. 
The icon was glorified for the first time in 1689. After the prayer service to the image of Kazan, the candle was not extinguished. It fell and started a fire, which burned the lectern, but the icon itself, despite the fact that it was painted on canvas, was not damaged. In 1701 there was a big fire from which the Ascension Monastery burned down, but the icon itself was not damaged at all. At the same time, she herself miraculously found herself first among the removed icons, and then, after the fire, she independently, without anyone’s help, found herself back in her place. In addition, many healings occurred from this icon.
Pavlovskaya The Kazan Icon is located in the village of Pavlovskoye, Moscow province, Zvenigorod district. 
Her appearance took place near the village, on a tree, next to which a chapel was built.
The first miracle immediately happened from this icon, the healing of a peasant who had become very ill as a result of his sinful life. The Mother of God appeared to his neighbor in a dream and said that the sick man could recover if he stopped sinning in his life and went to the holy well and washed himself with holy water. With great difficulty, the patient reached this well, washed himself, and immediately recovered.
Yaroslavsky The image of the Kazan Icon is located in the Kazan Convent of the city of Yaroslavl. 
In 1588, the pious man Gerasim wished to purchase an icon of the Mother of God, after which he had a miraculous vision of the Mother of God, who told him where it needed to be done and what needed to be done next. When Gerasim found this icon, immediately after he took it in his hands, he was immediately healed from the illness that had tormented him for a long time. Then he went, according to the instructions of the Mother of God, to the city of Romanov, where he handed over this icon to its inhabitants with the condition that a temple be erected for it. The church was built and the icon was in it until 1604, when the city was taken by the Lithuanians. Then the miraculous icon was transported to Yaroslavl, where a temple was erected in honor of the Mother of God, and later a monastery. The residents of Romanov wanted to return the icon to themselves, and wrote a petition to Tsar Vasily Ioannovich. But the residents of Yaroslavl also wanted to keep the shrine for themselves. Then an exact list of the icon was made for the residents of Romanov, and the miraculous icon itself is carried annually in a religious procession from Yaroslavl to Romanov.
In addition to these listed icons, there are many more images and lists of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, and in any of them the Mother of God will show us her love and protection in the face of any troubles, is our Comforter in our sorrows and rejoices with us in our joys.
THE GREATNESS OF THE VIRGIN BEFORE HER ICON OF KAZAN
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, God-chosen Youth, and honor Your holy image, through which you bring healing to all who come with faith.
VIDEO ABOUT THE KAZAN ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD
The image of the Mother of God has long been famous in Rus', and it is no coincidence that the festivities associated with it have a special sacred meaning for all Orthodox people. Therefore, the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (or the feast of the Kazan Mother of God, in common parlance) is considered one of the most beloved and revered among the people.
To this day, parents bless newlyweds with this icon and it shows the right path (or the right decision) to all those who doubt. This amazing icon also has many healing properties, but it is most famous for the numerous cases of healing believers from blindness and other vision problems.
The holiday is celebrated twice a year: July 21 And November 4, because each date has its own story associated with it.
By the way, the very origin and real fate of this miraculous icon, which gives both physical and spiritual insight, is still shrouded in mystery. But, first things first!..
July 21 – summer holiday of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
This chain of amazing events began after a terrible fire that occurred in Kazan in the summer of 1579, which left many Kazan residents homeless. Among the fire victims was the nine-year-old daughter of a local archer (according to some sources, eleven-year-old) Matryona (or Matrona) Onuchina, to whom the Mother of God suddenly appeared in a dream, showing the girl the place where Her icon was located underground.
Since none of the adults took the children’s words seriously, in the third dream the Most Pure Virgin became angry with Matryona, threatening her with imminent death if she did not fulfill Her instructions. At this point, the frightened girl and her mother went with the news to the local mayor and archbishop, but they only waved away the annoying visitors.
What to do?.. The Onuchins themselves had to begin excavations on the ashes in the place indicated in the dream, where the icon was dug up by Matryona with her own hands and looked surprisingly freshly painted.
How it got into the ground is the first secret of the Kazan icon. Perhaps it was hidden there from Mohammed’s supporters by some Orthodox Christian even before the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, but these are just assumptions, nothing more...
This time, the “city fathers” did not make a mistake and immediately arrived at the place, after which, in a procession of the cross, they transferred the wonderful icon (through the nearby Church of St. Nicholas) to the first Orthodox church in Kazan - the Annunciation Cathedral. And it was here (literally along the road) that the Kazan Mother of God began to show miracles of healing, the first of which affected the local blind men Joseph and Nikita.
At the site of the miraculous find, a little later a convent was founded, in which Matryona Onuchina was the first to take monastic vows, becoming Mavra (Martha), in the future its abbess. Matryona's mother followed her daughter.
November 4 – autumn holiday of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
Soon the copy of the miraculous icon was sent to Ivan the Terrible in Moscow (from where it subsequently went to St. Petersburg in 1737 and was placed in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the site of which the Kazan Cathedral was later erected).
It is interesting that historians do not have exact facts regarding the fate of the original, because some of them claim that it was he who was sent to Moscow, and not the list. It is only known for certain that two miraculous lists were made.
One of the lists of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was brought to Moscow liberated from the Poles on October 22 (November 4), 1612 by Dmitry Pozharsky, who headed the people’s militia. This joyful event gave rise to the “autumn Kazan”, which for a long time noted at the state level.
In 1636, this image of the Most Pure Virgin was placed in the Kazan Cathedral erected on Red Square (today the icon is located in the Epiphany Cathedral). Russian rulers turned to the patronage of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God at the threshold of all turning points historical events(and the day before Battle of Poltava, and before the defeat of the French in 1812).
The last secret of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (PHOTO)
In 1904, terrible news suddenly spread among the Russian Orthodox world: a woman had been kidnapped and destroyed in Kazan. famous icon Mother of God. This crime was taken upon himself by a certain Stoyan-Chaikin, who died later in the Shlisselburg fortress, who committed this blasphemy in order to prove to everyone the “unsanctity” of the icon.
The accusation was based on jewelry found in the thief’s apartment and the testimony of the nine-year-old (is it a coincidence?) daughter of his partner, who allegedly saw Chaikin and his accomplice Komov chop icons and burn them in the oven.
Several loops, pearls, nails and remnants of material were actually found there later. But whether it was the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God that was stolen from the church that was burned then is not known for sure...
Thus, the trace of this shrine was lost... Some believe that the original icon is in Moscow (and the copy was lost in the fire), others - that it is in St. Petersburg, and still others - that the real icon is being preserved by the Old Believers.
I really want to believe in the immortality of the relic!.. But perhaps it is no less important for all of us to keep it in our hearts?..
The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God saved Moscow from destruction and this happened on November 4th. By church calendar The celebration of the Orthodox Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God takes place on July 21, after this icon was miraculously discovered in Kazan in 1579. And it happened like this.
History of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
Long before the arrival of Ivan the Terrible’s troops in Kazan, most The city was razed to the ground by a terrible fire. One of the victims was a certain archer Onuchin. A miraculous vision came to his daughter when the Mother of God came to her during sleep and told her about a wonderful icon buried under ashes. Kazan is a Muslim city, so the Orthodox image was hidden by one of the believers.
How did the holiday Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God appear?
In memory of the liberation of Moscow, the Day of celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was established - November 4. It was this icon that helped fight the invaders back then. And what’s most interesting is that the icon was found in exactly the same place that was indicated to the girl in her prophetic dream.
The meaning of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God
The icon found then has incredible power and its acquisition by believers was accompanied by a variety of miracles. And a copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, painted in the 19th century, more than once healed the sick due to their sight.
Often the miraculous icon saved Russian lands from invasions; it was revered by our great warriors and generals who lived in different times. The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was owned by the militiamen Minin and Pozharsky, Kutuzov prayed to it before Borodino, and even despite the excommunication of the church from the state during the USSR, they relied on it before the start of the Battle of Stalingrad.
The miraculous icon is associated with the end of the Time of Troubles in Russia. Thanks to her, the militia, Minin and Pozharsky, managed to expel the Polish invaders from Moscow. According to historians, at the most difficult moment, Minin and Pozharsky were sent from Kazan a Holy image - an icon of the Mother of God.
After this, the army maintained a strict three-day fast, after which they turned to God and the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God with a prayer for help. As a result, on November 4, 1612, the Poles were defeated, troubled times finally ended in Russia, and the end of strife and conflicts came. In honor of the glorious victory, the Kazan Cathedral was laid on Red Square, which was completely destroyed in the 30s of the last century, but in our time it has been restored.
In the modern calendar, this holiday is revered only by deeply religious people, but 300 years ago Orthodox holiday The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was popular. It was believed that true winter was coming the next day. Among young men and girls it was believed good sign get married on Our Lady of Kazan Day. This meant that the family would be strong and happy.
When is the Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God?
Every year, on November 4, hundreds and thousands of believers celebrate a bright Orthodox holiday - the Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Congratulate your loved ones on this great Day - the day of liberation from invaders and the unity of the Russian people!
