Day of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God. Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God: description, photo

Among the variety of icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, so revered throughout the Orthodox world, there is one that carries a deep individuality. This is the Akhtyrskaya icon of the Mother of God. It shows the Virgin Mary with her hands folded on her chest, as if immersed in a mourning prayer before the Son by her Jesus Christ, whose figure, crucified on the cross, is placed to her left. This image was remembered by many who received through him a miraculous cure for their ailments.

Finding a wonderful image

But before we speak about the importance it has for all those who profess the Son of God and His Most Pure Mother, we should dwell in more detail on the history of his acquisition, which occurred in July 1739. It happened in the small town of Akhtyrka, not far from Kharkov. Today this territory belongs to the Sumy region. In those years, at the very end of the reign of Anna Ioannovna, a very respectable priest, Father Vasily (Danilov), lived in this town. He served under the local Church of the Intercession.

The legend says that he once bought a new scythe and, wanting to try it out, went to his site. It was in July, and the grass was high. But Father Vasily did not have time to swing, as he saw a dazzling light emanating from the thick sedge thickets. Covering his eyes with his hand, the priest bent down and saw a marvelous icon shining with its radiant sunlight. The pious shepherd fell to his knees and prayed for a long time, seized with a deep religious impulse.

It was the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God, a photo of which is presented at the beginning of the article. Having recovered himself a bit and calmed down, the priest lifted a wonderful image from the earth and carried it into the house with the greatest reverence, having allocated him a particularly honorable place among other icons. Realizing that he became the owner of the greatest shrine, Father Basil for the first time hid his findings from strangers and prayed before her alone.

The Appearance of the Mother of God

So it would go on and on, but once there was a vision for him. He was able to see the Queen of Heaven herself, who ordered him to clear the icon of dust and wash it with clean river water. Having woken up from a dream, the priest first of all fulfilled all that the Mother of God desired. Before, he was afraid to touch the surface of the holy image, rightly believing himself unworthy of this honor. Now, with great diligence, he removed all the accumulated dust on him, washed it and, considering it sacrilegious to throw this water to the ground, decided to take it back to the river in the same vessel.

But the priest did not have time to leave the house, as the same marvelous voice of the Virgin, which the father heard in a dream and remembered for a lifetime, was heard again. The Queen of Heaven commanded him this time to save this water, because she, having washed Her immaculate face, was filled with the power of grace, able to heal ailments. Without any doubt about the truthfulness of the words of the Mother of God, the priest also watered his daughter with miraculous water with a fever the same hour, and the miracle did not stop happening - the girl immediately recovered.

A miracle revealed to the icon-painter John

Of course, all that happened filled Father Vasily with even greater reverence for the shrine he had found. But for a long time to keep his discovery secret, of course, he could not, and first his family, then his neighbors, and then all the residents of the city, learned about her. Taking care of the miraculous image, the father invited an icon painter named John, so that with his skillful brush corrected the painting layer, eliminating on it appearing from time damage.

The artist, who knew about the miraculous power of the icon, even before the work began, washed it with water and watered his son, who suffered from a fever. Needless to say, the illness left the young man at the same moment, and the happy father glorified the mercy of the Blessed Virgin, which was shown to him by the Akhtyrskaya icon of the Mother of God! Preparing to start work, John already took a brush in his hand, when suddenly the voice of the Queen of Heaven was heard. To the ear of the master, Her words were heard: "Leave the thought. It is not in your power to change the icon. Bring her back to her place. "

Falling to his knees, shocked by what he heard, the artist spent the whole night in prayer, and in the morning took the shrine to his father Vasily. The pious shepherd felt himself no longer entitled to use the gift of the Blessed Virgin alone, especially since three years have passed since the discovery of the icon. He placed it in the Intercession Church, the priest of which had been for many years. Since then, the residents of Akhtyrka, receiving their prayers before the miraculous image, received healing, which were carefully recorded in a special book. Soon the glory of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God became the property of the whole country and numerous crowds of pilgrims rushed to it.

Prediction of Baroness von Weidel

A significant event, which made the icon known at the highest court, occurred in 1748. One of the approximate reigns of the then Empress Elizabeth Petrovna - Baroness von Weidel - visited Akhtyrka, where she had a rich estate. Being in advanced years, she suffered many infirmities peculiar to her age. Having learned about the wonderful properties of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God, the lady-in-law prayed fervently to her, asking for intercession before Her Blessed Son.

The next night she had a vision of the Blessed Virgin, who told that her life was over and in a short time she would enter the Gate of Eternity. In order to be blessed in the Kingdom of God, she must immediately distribute all her possessions to the poor. About the two daughters who were on her dependent, the Virgin promised to show special care.

The next morning, without losing precious time, the Baroness proceeded to fulfill the command of the Blessed Virgin. Five days later she went to the Lord in peace, having had time to give everything she owned during her lifetime. After the funeral the Empress took two orphaned girls to the capital and soon found them grooms - rich and deeply respectable people. After these events, the Akhtyrskaya icon of the Mother of God became one of the most famous in Russia, and in 1751 the Most Holy Synod decided to honor it as a miracle-working one.

Construction of a stone church in Akhtyrka

Around the same time, the list from the icon appeared in the church of St. Nicholas the Apparition, which was on the Arbat and in 1931 was destroyed. It is quite obvious that this was not the only Akhtyrskaya icon of the Mother of God in Moscow. In what church, besides the one named, the Muscovites worshiped this image - now it is difficult to say.

Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was very pious and in 1768 donated a large sum of money for the erection in Akhtyrka of the stone Pokrovsky Cathedral instead of the wooden one that existed in those years. The Russian autocrat wished that it was built on the very spot where the Ohter's icon of the Mother of God was miraculously found almost three decades ago.

Elizaveta Petrovna's order was executed, and work on the temple project was entrusted to the outstanding architect D. Ukhtomsky, who immortalized his name with many architectural masterpieces of Russia. In the newly erected temple the image was kept until 1903. In the same place, the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God was regularly held.

Abduction of the icon and sending it abroad

Her future destiny has developed in a somewhat mysterious way, which is regrettable. In 1903, the icon left for restoration to the northern capital, where it soon disappeared without a trace. It is difficult to assume in this case the fishing of God, most likely, it is a question of banal theft. After a short time, the icon appeared in Harbin, where it was put up for sale and purchased by a certain Mr. SA Stepanov. It is known that the local archpriest N. Trufanov, carefully examining the image, testified that this is a true shrine from the Intercession Church of Akhtyrka.

Until 1950, the icon was in China, and then the son of the former owner took her first to South America, and later - to San Francisco, where he donated to the youth Orthodox organization. And in our days this miraculous image is still beyond the ocean. For many years in the Soviet Union, nothing was known about the fate of the icon, and it was only in 1975 that the first information appeared. But then, for known reasons, it was not possible to take any practical steps to get at least a reliable list with it.

Only with the onset of democratic changes metropolitan of Kharkov Nicodemus was able to bring a long-awaited copy and transfer it to storage in the Intercession Cathedral of Akhtyrka, where once there was an original. This event was marked by a solemn procession of the cross, held with a large crowd of people. Thus, the tradition was restored, which began in 1844. And on June 15, 1999, the 260th anniversary of the miracle-working image was celebrated. At the service in the church sounded the troparion of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God and prayers to the Blessed Virgin.

Artistic features of the icon

I should say a few words about the iconography of the image. There is no doubt that it was based on works of Italian-Greek art. As a rule, the figure of the Virgin is depicted with prayer-crossed hands, but there are other outlets on which the position of the hands is changing. The same applies to the headdress of the Blessed Virgin. Sometimes it is depicted in the form of a mafor, sometimes a crown, and on some icons it is completely absent. A curious feature is the use in the composition of a direct perspective, rather than the reverse, which is more typical of Italian and Greek schools. This is expressed in the fact that the figure of the Savior is much lower than his Mother, which creates the illusion of remoteness.

In 1945, the so-called Ravensbrück image appeared, based on the Akhtyrskaya icon of the Mother of God. The description of both icons in many respects coincide, except that on the first crucified Christ is presented in the form of a baby or adolescent. The history of creating an image is also interesting. For the first time it was made, as was said above, in 1945 in the technique of embroidery. He received his name from the concentration camp of Ravensbrück, where one of the prisoners, the Mother of Martyr Maria , was created.

Temples in which lists of icons are presented

Especially popular were the healing properties, which the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God fully possesses. In Moscow, in the main limit of the Temple of the Resurrection of the Speaker on the Arbat, there is a very revered list made in the 18th century from the same icon that is in America today. Also in Samara, in one of the temples of the Desert-Nicholas Monastery, you can see a copy of the miracle-working image, famous for its numerous miracles, manifested in the prayers of pilgrims. Day of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated on July 2 (15), when the entire Orthodox world celebrates the position of an honest robe of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vlaherna.

Temple in Orel

It is known that in the honor of such a revered shrine from the earliest times, temples were built and consecrated. Among the current in our days the most majestic is in Orel. It was built in 1775 on the donations of a local merchant K. S. Pastukhov. The fact is that once this devout person, suffering from a certain disease, being on business in Akhtyrka, received healing from the miraculous icon.

Returning home, he asked the diocesan authorities to allow him to build a temple in honor of the shrine, which he owes his health as a token of gratitude. The permission was received, and soon the temple of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God (Eagle) received the first parishioners. As the glory of the icon grew rapidly, more and more pilgrims came to bow to it. There were not enough places, and in the following years the church expanded and rebuilt many times. Now it is a majestic structure, rightfully become one of the sights of the city.

Monastery, founded in honor of the holy icon

In addition to those already named, many other churches were built and consecrated in honor of the icon, so venerated in the people. For example, the native aunt of the famous Russian poet FI Tyutchev built in 1805 at his own expense a church in the village of Chernetove in the Bryansk region. And in the Volgograd region, in the village of Gusevka, Olkhovsky district, there is a convent for the Mother of God of Akhtyrsk. This monastery was founded in 1874 by the works of the local priest Father John (Levitsky) and the Athonite Assimiless Nicodemus (Dvojachenkov). Having survived many shocks of the 20th century, the monastery is open for those who wish to dedicate their lives to the salvation of the soul.

In what way does this wonderworking image help and what is the custom for the Most-Holy Theotokos to ask? His gracious power he showed, healing the fever, but later there was a lot of evidence that he helps in a variety of life situations. For example, the prayer of the Akhtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God about children is the most reliable way to protect them from illnesses and from bad influences so dangerous in our time.

In addition, before the image pray for the safe marriage of daughters. With each miracle, the glory of this image grows. The lists made from him also multiply. And who knows, maybe one day the ocean will return from the ocean, so miraculously acquired two hundred and seventy-six years ago.