Icon of Our Lady of Kasperovskaya: history and photo

This small icon, painted in oil paint and pasted on a piece of a board, makes a strong impression on believers for several centuries.

The work of an unknown artist

An unknown author portrayed the Lady and the God-only to the top of her chest. Sadly looking at the parishioners, the Mother of God, holding Jesus to her, holds His head with both hands, and He grasped the edge of her head scarf with his left hand. In the right hand of the little Savior a scroll is clamped.

Where did the Casper's icon of the Mother of God take? What are they praying for before her?

The history of this miraculous icon began at a time when the Russian throne belonged to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, and the borders of the Russian Empire were attacked by Turkish and Tatar troops. The Russian government had to create a so-called Slavic diocese, populated mainly by immigrants from Serbia and Transylvania.

According to the legend, the Kasperovskaya icon of the Mother of God was brought to Russia at the end of the 16th century by a Serb coming from Transylvania and subsequently settling in the Kherson province (Olvopolsky district).

For several centuries, the icon was transferred from one generation to another until it was owned by the landowner Kasperova, who lived on the estate of the Kaspetrovka Olviopolskiy Uyezd.

Deteriorated and darkened by time, the shrine by that time had changed beyond recognition: the outlines of the faces of the Mother of God and Christ the Savior were barely discernible.

February 1840 th brought in the house of Uliania Kasperova, the owner of the village of Kaspetrovka (according to another source - Novo-Ivanovka), a lot of adversity. On long winter evenings the landlady paid homage in prayers, begging for help from holy images, among which was a family relic - the Kasperovskaya icon of the Mother of God. The meaning of the shrine for a long time remained a mystery - the icon simply passed from one generation to another - from father to son.

Once the landowner prayed especially diligently and did not notice how deep the night had come. Kasperova decided not to stop praying and rose from her knees only at dawn. She looked at the upper room with a tired look, and when she looked at the ancient, dilapidated icon, she was surprised to note that the images depicted on her were cleansed of the dust of centuries and enlightened (they have been preserved to this day). The news that the ancient icon was restored by itself quickly spread through the village, and soon beyond.

From this time, local and alien Christians began to pray before the shrine, expecting her protection from all sorts of ills. The icon of the Mother of God, Kasperovskaya, also became famous as delivering slanderers and spiteful people who are sending on Orthodox grief and illness.

Real wonders

According to the testimony of the old-timers, once the estate of Kasperovs was visited by the noblewoman Vera Burleeva, who lives next door. The Virgin, appearing Burlay in a dream, told a woman to pray at the icon, which was stored in the house of her neighbors, in order to heal the paralysis of the hand. Praying, Burleeva immediately recovered.

Another woman - a petty bourgeois from Ochakov, who had suffered from paralysis for many years and brought the disease to such a state that she could no longer move by herself, was brought to the estate of the Kaspersks and prayed, rose to her feet.

There is also a story about a 13-year-old peasant boy, suffering from attacks of epilepsy, who recovered by praying before the icon. The same miraculous healing occurred after a local peasant woman, who had lost her mind, was brought to the icon and healed after praying and anointing with oil from the lamp.

Many joyful events occurred in the families of the parishioners of the Novo-Ivanovsky church - many people were healed by the miraculous power of the ancient shrine. Icon Kasperov very quickly became famous and from the family relic turned into a general Christian shrine.

The common heritage

Many years have passed since that time. Many miracles revealed to the parishioners the painted icon of the Mother of God. The Kasperovskaya Most-holy Mother of God and the God-Bearer helped many suffering orthodox people, many were healed, and when the news of the miraculous divine intervention flew around the vicinity of Kherson province and went far beyond its borders, the Holy Synod recognized the icon with the image of the Most Holy Protector and Christ the Savior written by an unknown painter, miraculous.

The number of believers wishing to touch the shrine grew with each passing day, and when the endless rivers of pilgrims merged into a huge stream of people, the Kasperovs considered it impossible to keep a wonderful relic in their homes locked up and in 1844 of the last century they presented the icon to a local church.

In 1852, the faithful of Kherson achieved the icon of the Mother of God (Kasperovskaya) on their territory annually, during the traditional celebration of the Ascension of the Lord. Since then, the image is annually, by the procession, brought to this city.

The parishioners who live in Nikolaev also got the opportunity to worship the ancient relics, without leaving the boundaries of their native village. In the churches of Nicholas, a miraculous shrine is from the first days of July to the end of August.

How Odessa Survived

During the war in Crimea, which began in 1853, and ended in 1855, the miraculous icon was solemnly transferred to Odessa, besieged by the enemy, and from August 1854 until mid-May 1856 the prayer of the Kasperovo Icon of the Mother of God was constantly heard from the city's cathedral Cathedral. Here, in the Odessa temple, there was also the miraculous image.

The Anglo-French squadron of 96 battleships retreated in 1855 for unknown reasons ... after the Odessa citizens took the icon of Kasperovo bypassing the native city with the cross. The war actually ended after a service that Archbishop Innokentii served near the Kasperovo Icon on October 1. At the divine service in honor of the feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos , a large number of believers were present, and each of those present was sure that the city owes its salvation to the grace of the miraculous icon. Since then, this day is revered in Odessa as a great religious celebration.

Today the miraculous icon of the Mother of God Kasperovskaya is the holy of holies and the defender of Odessa and Kherson. Here it is for about six months every year. In Odessa, for example, the days when the icon is brought and carried off - the first day of October and the fourth Easter day respectively - are revered on a par with the most significant religious holidays.

Words of the great patriarchs

The icon of the Mother of God is venerated by the entire Orthodox world. Some Odessa residents still remember how, after the end of the Great Patriotic War, their hometown was visited by Patriarch Alexy I, whose plans were to pray at the famous icon and thank the Intercessor for not allowing the enemy to break through the southern borders of the Soviet Union.

A few teachings about this icon were left to the Christians by Patriarch Pimen, who, attending the southern city, invariably attended the Akathist every time (the last 150 years the akathist Kasperovsky Icon of the Mother of God is sung in the building of the cathedral on Fridays).

Patriarch Pimen once (12.07.1975) admitted to Odessa that during his stay in Moscow, he often recalled the majestic Uspensky Cathedral, rejoicing over the Odessa Orthodox, who were fortunate enough to visit the temple at any time and bring their sorrow and sorrow.

Life of the mother of God

Virtually nothing is known about the life of God's mother on Earth. In the Gospel narrative there is not a single word, even historical facts, which were directly related to the Blessed Virgin. Church ministers explain this by humility - the greatest dignity of the Mother of God.

One of the days of the bright week - Wednesday - Orthodox Christians-Odessa count as a great holiday. On this day in all the seaside temples the Kasperovskaya icon of the Mother of God is glorified. What helps and from what saves the believers this icon? From all sorts of sorrows and troubles, from all kinds of illnesses and sudden death, from demonic intrigues and slander, spread by evil people ...

On October 1, the relics will be seen by the residents of Odessa

The main place of stay of the miraculous image of the Mother of God and the God-fader is still considered to be Kasperovka (Novo Ivanovka) - a village whose inhabitants were the first to witness the miraculous properties of this image. True, it is not stored here for long.

With the advent of October, the shrine is moved every year from Kasperivka to Odessa, where the icon of the Mother of God Kasperovskaya is before the Easter Wednesday.

Where else can you see the ancient shrine

The rest of the Easter holidays, and then some time after Easter, the relic is kept in the house of the Kasperovs, and on the eve of the Ascension it is brought to Kherson, where it is there until the end of June. Believers living in Nikolaev know that they can worship a miraculous image before August 1. Wherever there is a shrine, every Friday before it read the akathist.

Currently, the Kasperovo relic is kept in the walls of the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the city of Odessa at 70 Preobrazhenskaya Street. The holiday dedicated to the Kasperov Icon in Odessa and other cities of the southern region now takes two days: July 12 and October 14.