Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands - description
The Savior Not Made by Hands The Savior Not Made by Hands has always been one of the most beloved images in Rus'. This is what was usually written on the banners of Russian troops. There are two types of images of the Image Not Made by Hands: the Savior on the ubrus and the Savior on the skull. On icons such as “The Savior on the Ubrus” the face of Christ is depicted on a cloth (towel), the upper ends of which are tied with knots. There is a border along the bottom edge. The face of Jesus Christ is the face of a middle-aged man with delicate and spiritual features, with a beard divided in two, with long hair curly at the ends and parted in the middle. The appearance of the icon “Savior on the Chest” is explained by the following legend. As already mentioned, the king of Edessa, Abgar, converted to Christianity. The miraculous image was glued to a “non-rotting board” and placed above the city gates. Later, one of the kings of Edessa returned to paganism, and the image was walled up in a niche of the city wall, and after four centuries this place was completely forgotten. In 545, during the siege of the city by the Persians, the Bishop of Edessa was given a revelation [...]

Savior Not Made by Hands - description of the icon
The miraculous Image of Jesus Christ, the Savior on the ubrus, Mandylion is one of the main types of images of Christ, representing His face on the ubrus (plate) or chrepiya (tile). Christ is depicted at the age of the Last Supper. Tradition relates the historical Edessa prototype of icons of this type to the legendary plate on which the face of Christ miraculously appeared when He wiped his face with it. The image is usually the main one. One of the options is Skull or Ceramide - an image of similar iconography, but against the background of brickwork. In Western iconography there is a known type<Плат Вероники>, where Christ is depicted on a cloth, but wearing a crown of thorns. In Rus', a special type of Image Not Made by Hands has developed -<Спас Мокрая брада>- an image in which Christ's beard converges into one thin tip.

The Savior Not Made by Hands is an icon that appeared during the earthly life of Jesus Christ. The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands depicts only the face of Christ, the meaning and symbolism of the icon focuses on main goal Christian - establishing a personal relationship with God. This is an image that speaks specifically about the personality, and not about the activity of Christ. Unlike narrative icons, here Christ is in direct contact, “face to face.”

Why Not Made by Hands or the History of the Image

The image appeared on a towel (plate) with which Jesus Christ wiped his face, seeing that Ananias (Canaan), sent from Edessa, was going to paint His portrait. Ananias was sent by the ruler Abgar V Uchama, who was sick with leprosy, asking Jesus for healing. Ananias was also instructed to paint a portrait of Christ and bring it to Abgar if Jesus could not come.

Important! The Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands has no author: its appearance is one of the most important miracles that occurred during the earthly life of Jesus Christ.

Finding Jesus in the crowd listening to His sermon, Ananias stood on a stone and prepared to write. Christ, who saw this, washed himself with water and wiped his face with a cloth on which His face was imprinted.

Miraculous Image (Ubrus) of the Lord Jesus Christ

Ananias took this handkerchief to his ruler, who was healed of leprosy in the image of Christ. But not completely - traces of illness remained on his face until he accepted Christianity and placed the image given to him by the Savior over the gates of the city, overthrowing the idol that had previously hung there.

A descendant of Abgar, who again fell into idolatry, tried to destroy the miraculous image. The icon was preserved by the local bishop: he walled it up in the city wall. The place where it was preserved was forgotten by the inhabitants of Edessa.

Important events or celebrations in honor of an icon

The Church honors the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands annually on August 16 according to the new style. On this day, at the service, an akathist to this icon is read, prayers addressed to it are sung. The date was not chosen by chance: on August 16, 944, the image was transported to Constantinople. It was bought from Edessa by Constantine Porphyrogenitus and Roman I.

400 years earlier, during the siege of Edessa by the Persians, the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands was rediscovered. The place where the icon was hidden was indicated to the local bishop by the Mother of God. When opening a niche in the city wall, it turned out that the image was preserved intact on the board and imprinted on a clay board.

Wooden carved icon"Savior Not Made by Hands"

Residents of the city carried the image along the fortress wall with prayer. The enemy retreated. Edessa began to honor the holy image every year.

In Constantinople, the relic was in the Pharos Temple Mother of God. The exact history of the first icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is unknown: there are only legends. According to one of them, he was kidnapped by the crusaders in the 13th century, but the ship that took him away sank. Another legend says that the board was transported to Genoa in the 14th century.

Now no one knows where the relic is.

How the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands is depicted

After the events of 544, two canonical ways of depicting the Image Not Made by Hands were formed: ubrus and skull. The Savior on the ubrus is an icon where the face of Christ is placed against the background of light matter (ubrus). Sometimes angels are also depicted holding the edges of the board. The Savior on chrepiya (tiles, bricks) is depicted against a dark background or on brickwork.

Important! IN Orthodox tradition this image is considered as one of the evidence of the truth of the human incarnation of God and as the main proof of the need for icon veneration.

The most famous icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands

In the meeting Tretyakov Gallery there is a double-sided image of the work of Novgorod masters of the 12th century, on one side of which the Savior on the skull, and on the other - the Glorification of the Cross. Savior Not Made by Hands in the Novgorod version icons XII century - one of the most famous lists from the Edessa relic.

The Savior Not Made by Hands is the first work of every completed icon painter.

Another list of the Image Not Made by Hands, especially revered by the Russian Orthodox Church, comes from Vyatka land. It was transported to Moscow from the city of Khlynov by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. This happened when a pestilence was raging in Rus', from which the city of Khlynov was protected by the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The list from the Vyatka image was recreated above the gates of the then Frolovskaya, and later the Spasskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin.

Gate icon of the Savior on the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin

According to legend, during a train crash near Kharkov, the emperor Alexander III held the collapsing carriage on his shoulders, in which he was helped by the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which he had with him.

You can pray before the icon of our Lord Jesus Christ “Savior Not Made by Hands” about everything that is important for a believer. A full-fledged spiritual life is impossible without prayer, and the soul needs all four of its types: praise, petition, repentance and gratitude.

Advice! The simplest prayer that anyone can remember is the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands

Osroena became the first state in whose territory Christianity was officially recognized as a religion. It occupied the northeast of present-day Syria. It existed in the period from 137 to 242 AD. It was a small state where the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands was first mentioned. This image is unique and has great significance for Orthodox Christians.

Legend of the icon

There are many legends that tell how the king of Osroene, Avgar, was sick with a terrible disease - black leprosy. This is where the story of the Savior Not Made by Hands begins; one day the king dreamed unusual dream, in it he was told that nothing could heal him except an icon on which the face of the Savior would be imprinted. After this, an artist from the court was sent to Christ, but he never managed to transfer his image to canvas and make an icon of Jesus Christ because of the divine radiance that emanated from Him.

Then the Savior took water, washed his face with it, and then wiped it with a towel, on which his bright image remained imprinted - the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

Formally, Jesus himself made the icon, but the image is classified as so-called not made by hands, that is, one where the face of the Savior appears by Divine grace and in a miraculous way.

The classic version of the icon is an image of Jesus, which is made on canvas. Along its edges there is a canvas, the upper ends of which are woven into knots. Hence the name of the icon of the Savior on the urbus, that is, on a canvas or scarf.

After King Abgar was healed in a bright image, there were no more mentions of the icon until the year 545. It was that year that Edessa came under blockade by Persian troops. Just at that moment providence came to the aid of people. In one of the naves above the city gates, an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands and its trace were found, imprinted on a ceramic wall in the Keramidion vault. Then, thanks miraculous power icons, the blockade of the city was lifted.

Until now, the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands helps to get rid of invaders and any encroachments by enemies, and is used in military affairs.

The meaning of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands

This miraculous icon in all types of its execution (an image on canvas, a print on ceramics) is distinguished by its characteristics and has many customs associated with them. The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands is essential for iconography. It is with writing this image that they recommend starting your individual work icon painters who are just beginning to show themselves in this field.

Considering the description of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, you need to pay attention to the halo surrounding the head of the Savior, which is depicted as a correct vicious circle, inside of which there is a cross. Each feature: the hair of Jesus, its main background (on all old canvases the icon painters left the background blank), expresses its essence, gives it a special meaning. According to many, the image, which was created without the use of paints or brushes, is a real photograph of Christ and his face is depicted on it.

Since the arrival of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands from Constantinople, it began to occupy an important role in the world of Orthodoxy. This happened in 1355. Icons of this type existed in Rus' already in the 11th century, but only starting from the second half of the 14th century, everything connected with the “Savior Not Made by Hands” was equated to the level of state cult and spread widely everywhere.

However, there is an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands from the 12th century, which is also called Novgorod, but was created in Moscow in the Assumption Cathedral. This image is two-way. Separately, it should be noted the icon of Simon Ushakov, which was created in the 17th century and the Savior Not Made by Hands is painted here more artistically and less canonically.

Since the 14th century, the construction of temples began, the image was applied to Russian military banners during the most important battles for Rus', such as the Kulikovo and the First World War.

“Savior Not Made by Hands” is an icon that is of great importance in Orthodox world. It symbolizes Orthodoxy as a cross and crucifix, and carries the same meaning.

Prayer to the icon

It is believed that it was on this day that Christ put the cloth to his face.

Troparion, tone 2

We worship Your most pure image, O Good One, asking for forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God, by the will of Your flesh you deigned to ascend to the Cross, so that You may deliver Him from the work of the enemy. Thus we cry out to You in gratitude: You have filled all with joy, our Savior, who came to save the world.

Prayer

O Most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, our God!

You, from the ancient times of human nature, washed your face with holy water and wiped it with a rubbish, and you deigned to depict it miraculously on the same fringe and sent it to the Edessa prince Abgar for the healing of his illness.

Behold, now we, Thy sinful servants, possessed by our mental and physical ailments, seek Thy face, O Lord, and with David in the humility of our souls we call: do not turn Thy face away from us, and turn away in anger from Thy servants,

Be our helper, do not reject us and do not abandon us.

O All-Merciful Lord, our Savior!

Imagine for yourself in our souls, so that you may live in holiness and truth,

We will be Your sons and heirs of Your Kingdom,

and so to You, our Most Merciful God,

Orthodox churches abound with the faces of saints who are capable of providing their divine help to people in difficult situations and in the presence of serious illnesses. Each icon is characterized by some special action that allows you to improve a person’s life in a certain area. In this article, I would like to invite you to understand the meaning of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, as well as in what situations you can pray to it for mercy.

The Miraculous Image of the Savior is one of the original images that imprinted the face of the Lord. The image is very significant among adherents of the Christian religion; it is often put forward in the same place as the cross and crucifix.

If you - Orthodox man and would like to know this description this icon, and also from what troubles you can protect yourself with its help - be sure to read on.

How the Miracle Image of Jesus Christ originally appeared

We can find out what the Savior looked like by a large number various church traditions and legends, but the Bible does not mention a single word about the appearance of Jesus. How then could the image of the one we are talking about now appear?

The history of the creation of the image of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” with all the details was preserved and transmitted by the Roman historian Eusebius (students of Pamphilus, living in Palestine). It should be noted that Eusebius made a very great contribution to history - much of the information from the time of Jesus has been preserved to this day precisely thanks to his efforts.

But how did it appear? The Savior Not Made by Hands? The glory of the Savior was known far from his place of residence; residents of other cities and even countries often visited him. One day, the king of the city of Edessa (now modern Turkey) sent a herald to him with a message. The letter said that Avgar was exhausted by old age and a serious illness of his legs. made a promise to send one of his disciples to assist the ruler and bring enlightenment to his people with the help of the light of the Holy Gospel. The following incident was recorded and reported by Ephraim the Syrian.

In addition to the messenger, Abgar also sent a painter to Jesus, but he was so blinded by the divine radiance that he was unable to paint a portrait of Christ. Then the Savior decided to present Abgar with a kind of present - a linen (ubrus) with which he wiped his face.

The canvas retained the imprint of the divine face - that is why it was given the name miraculous, that is, one that was not created human hands, but divine power (similar to the Shroud of Turin). This was the first image that arose during the life of Jesus. And when the fabric was delivered by ambassadors to Edessa, it immediately turned into a local shrine.

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the Apostle Thaddeus goes to Edessa, healing Abgar and performing other miracles, and also actively converting local population become Christians. We learn about these amazing events from another historian - Procopius of Caesarea. And in the records of Evagrius (Antioch) it is told about miraculous salvation townspeople from enemy ambush.

Appearance of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands

Historical documents have preserved to this day a description of the divine face, which was kept by King Abgar. The canvas was stretched over a wooden base. It is surprising that the Savior Not Made by Hands is the only image depicting Jesus as a human being, emphasizing his human nature.

And in all other images the Savior is depicted already with elements of church paraphernalia or performing certain actions. And in the image of the Savior you can see the appearance of Jesus, and it is not the “vision” of the author, but represents a real image of the Lord.

Most often we see the image of the Savior on the ubrus - the image of the Savior depicted against the background of a towel with folds. Most boards have White color. In some cases, the face is depicted against the background of brickwork. And in a number of traditions, the towel is held at the edges by angelic beings floating in the air.

The image is unique in its mirror symmetry, into which only the Savior’s eyes do not fit - they are slightly skewed, which adds more spirituality to the facial expressions of Jesus.

The list of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which is located in the city of Novgorod, is a standard of the ancient incarnation of ideal beauty. Besides perfect symmetry of great importance here they pay attention to the complete absence of emotions - sublime purity, peace of mind Savior, which seem to charge everyone who turns their gaze to his icon.

What does an image mean in Christianity?

It is difficult to overestimate what the face of the Savior Not Made by Hands means - after all, its amazing appearance in itself represents enough significant argument at the time of the struggle with icons. In fact, it is the image that is the main confirmation that the face of the Savior can be depicted and used as a shrine and pray to him for your requests.

The imprint preserved on the canvas represents the main type of iconography, reminiscent of the divine origin of icon painting. This skill initially also had a descriptive function - stories from the Bible began to come to life before the eyes of the first adherents of Christianity. In addition, before there were practically no books, even the famous Holy Scripture, which was a great rarity for a long time. Therefore, it is quite logical that believers really wanted to have a visible incarnation of the Savior.

The same fact that only the face of Jesus is depicted on the icon is intended to remind Christians that they can only be saved if they establish a personal relationship with Christ. And if this does not happen, none of the church rituals will be able to let the believer into the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the image, Jesus looks clearly at the audience - as if he is calling everyone who turns their gaze to him to follow Him. The process of contemplating the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands allows us to realize true meaning life in Christianity.

What does the icon of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” mean?

The amazing image of the Savior is distinguished by certain characteristics:

• it is the icon described that represents an indispensable element of the icon painters’ training program and their first independent icon;
• This is the only one of the faces of Jesus that has a closed halo. The halo symbolizes the harmony and completeness of the Universe;
• the image is symmetrical. Only Jesus' eyes slant a little to the side to demonstrate a more vivid picture. The symmetry in the image is intended to remind you of the symmetry in everything that was created by the Lord;
• the face of Jesus in the icon does not express the emotions of suffering or pain. On the contrary, it evokes associations with calm, balance and purity, as well as freedom from any emotional experiences. Often the face is associated with the concept of “pure beauty”;
• the icon shows only a portrait of the Savior, only his head, even his shoulders are missing. This feature can be interpreted with different positions, in particular, the head once again places emphasis on the primacy of the spiritual over the physical, plus it acts as a kind of reminder of the importance of the Son of God in church life.

It is noteworthy that the described icon is the only image of the face of Jesus. On all other holy faces one can find the Savior moving or standing at full height.

• if a person solves a difficult life problem, is in a difficult situation from which it is difficult to find a way out - it is worth turning to the icon of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” for help;
• if faith is lost, the face of the Savior will also help;
• if there are various severe pathologies, it is also worth turning to the face;
• if you have bad, sinful thoughts, by praying at this icon, you can quickly get rid of them;
• praying to the image to actually receive mercy and condescension from the Savior, both for yourself and for your close circle;
• if you suffer from apathy, lack of physical energy, the face of the Savior Not Made by Hands can also solve this problem.

Before you start asking Christ for help from his icon, repent and read the text of the prayer “Our Father.”

In conclusion, I suggest you also watch an informative video about the icon “The Savior Not Made by Hands”:

The first Christian icon is the “Savior Not Made by Hands”; it is the basis of all Orthodox icon veneration.

Story

According to the Tradition set out in Chetyi Menae, Abgar V Uchama, sick with leprosy, sent his archivist Hannan (Ananias) to Christ with a letter in which he asked Christ to come to Edessa and heal him. Hannan was an artist, and Abgar instructed him, if the Savior could not come, to paint His image and bring it to him.

Hannan found Christ surrounded by a dense crowd; he stood on a stone from which he could see better and tried to portray the Savior. Seeing that Hannan wanted to make His portrait, Christ asked for water, washed himself, wiped His face with a cloth, and His image was imprinted on this cloth. The Savior handed this board to Hannan with the command to take it with a reply letter to the one who sent it. In this letter, Christ refused to go to Edessa himself, saying that he must fulfill what he was sent to do. Upon completion of His work, He promised to send one of His disciples to Abgar.

Having received the portrait, Avgar was healed of his main illness, but his face remained damaged.

After Pentecost, the holy Apostle Thaddeus went to Edessa. Preaching the Good News, he baptized the king and most of the population. Coming out of the baptismal font, Abgar discovered that he was completely healed and gave thanks to the Lord. By order of Avgar, the holy obrus (plate) was glued onto a board of rotting wood, decorated and placed above the city gates instead of the idol that had previously been there. And everyone had to worship the “miraculous” image of Christ as if it were new heavenly patron hail.

However, the grandson of Abgar, having ascended the throne, planned to return the people to the worship of idols and, for this purpose, destroy the Image Not Made by Hands. The Bishop of Edessa, warned in a vision about this plan, ordered to wall up the niche where the Image was located, placing a lit lamp in front of it.
Over time, this place was forgotten.

In 544, during the siege of Edessa by the troops of the Persian king Chozroes, the Bishop of Edessa, Eulalis, was given a revelation about the whereabouts of the Icon Not Made by Hands. Having dismantled the brickwork in the indicated place, the residents saw not only a perfectly preserved image and a lamp that had not gone out for so many years, but also the imprint of the Most Holy Face on the ceramics - a clay board that covered the holy lining.

After the religious procession with In a Miraculous Image The Persian army retreated along the city walls.

A linen cloth with the image of Christ was kept in Edessa for a long time as the most important treasure of the city. During the period of iconoclasm, John of Damascus referred to the Image Not Made by Hands, and in 787, the Seventh Ecumenical Council, citing it as the most important evidence in favor of icon veneration. In 944 Byzantine emperors Constantine Porphyrogenitus and Roman I bought the Image Not Made by Hands from Edessa. Crowds of people surrounded and brought up the rear of the procession as the Image Miraculous was transferred from the city to the bank of the Euphrates, where galleys awaited the procession to cross the river. Christians began to grumble, refusing to give up the holy Image unless there was a sign from God. And a sign was given to them. Suddenly the galley, onto which the Image Not Made by Hands had already been brought, swam without any action and landed on the opposite shore.

The silent Edessians returned to the city, and the procession with the Icon moved further along the dry route. Throughout the journey to Constantinople, miracles of healing were performed continuously. The monks and saints accompanying the Image Not Made by Hands traveled around the entire capital by sea with a magnificent ceremony and installed the holy Image in the Pharos Church. In honor of this event, August 16 was established religious holiday Transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the Image Not Made by Hands (Ubrus) of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For exactly 260 years the Image Not Made by Hands was preserved in Constantinople (Constantinople). In 1204, the Crusaders turned their weapons against the Greeks and captured Constantinople. Along with a lot of gold, jewelry and sacred objects, they captured and transported to the ship the Image Not Made by Hands. But, according to the inscrutable fate of the Lord, the Miraculous Image did not remain in their hands. As they sailed across the Sea of ​​Marmara, a terrible storm suddenly arose and the ship quickly sank. Greatest Christian shrine disappeared. This ends the story of the true Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

There is a legend that the Image Not Made by Hands was transferred around 1362 to Genoa, where it is kept in a monastery in honor of the Apostle Bartholomew.

Plat of Saint Veronica

In the West, the legend of the Savior Not Made by Hands became widespread as tales of the Plath of Saint Veronica . According to it, the pious Jewish woman Veronica, who accompanied Christ on His way of the cross to Calvary, gave Him a linen handkerchief so that Christ could wipe the blood and sweat from his face. The face of Jesus was imprinted on the handkerchief.

The relic called "Veronica's board" kept in the Cathedral of St. Peter's in Rome. Presumably, the name Veronica, when mentioning the Image Not Made by Hands, arose as a distortion of Lat. vera icon ( true image). In Western iconography, a distinctive feature of the images of the “Plate of Veronica” is the crown of thorns on the head of the Savior.

Iconography

In the Orthodox icon painting tradition there are two main types of images of the Holy Face: "Spas on the ubrus" , or "Ubrus" And "Spas on the Chrepii" , or "Skull" .

On icons of the “Spas on the Ubrus” type, the image of the Savior’s face is placed against the background of a cloth, the fabric of which is gathered into folds, and its upper ends are tied with knots. Around the head is a halo, a symbol of holiness. The color of the halo is usually golden. Unlike the haloes of saints, the halo of the Savior has an inscribed cross. This element is found only in the iconography of Jesus Christ. In Byzantine images it was decorated precious stones. Later, the cross in halos began to be depicted as consisting of nine lines according to the number nine angelic ranks and write three Greek letters (I am Jehovah), and on the sides of the halo in the background place the abbreviated name of the Savior - IC and HS. Such icons in Byzantium were called “Holy Mandylion” (Άγιον Μανδύλιον from the Greek μανδύας - “ubrus, cloak”).

On icons such as “The Savior on the Chrepiya”, or “Chrepiye”, according to legend, the image of the Savior’s face after the miraculous acquisition of the ubrus was also imprinted on the ceramide tiles with which the Image Not Made by Hands was covered. Such icons in Byzantium were called “Saint Keramidion”. There is no image of the board on them, the background is smooth, and in some cases imitates the texture of tiles or masonry.

The most ancient images were made on a clean background, without any hint of material or tiles.

Ubrus with folds begins to spread on Russian icons from the 14th century.
Images of the Savior with a wedge-shaped beard (converging to one or two narrow ends) are also known in Byzantine sources, however, only on Russian soil they took shape into a separate iconographic type and received the name "Savior of Wet Brad" .

Savior Not Made by Hands “Savior of Wet Brad”

In the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God in the Kremlin there is one of the revered and rare icons - "Spas the Ardent Eye" . It was written in 1344 for the old Assumption Cathedral. It depicts the stern face of Christ looking piercingly and sternly at the enemies of Orthodoxy - Rus' during this period was under the yoke of the Tatar-Mongols.

Miraculous lists of the “Savior Not Made by Hands”

“The Savior Not Made by Hands” is an icon especially revered by Orthodox Christians in Rus'. It has always been present on Russian military flags since the time of the Mamaev Massacre.

A.G. Namerovsky. Sergius of Radonezh blesses Dmitry Donskoy for a feat of arms

The earliest surviving icon of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” - a Novgorod double-sided image of the 12th century - is located in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Savior Not Made by Hands. Third quarter of the 12th century. Novgorod

Glorification of the Cross (reverse side of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands) XII century. Novgorod

Through many of His icons the Lord manifested Himself, revealing wondrous miracles. So, for example, in the village of Spassky, near the city of Tomsk, in 1666, one Tomsk painter, to whom the village residents ordered an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for their chapel, set to work according to all rules. He called on the residents to fast and pray, and on the prepared board he painted the face of the saint of God so that he could work with paints the next day. But the next day, instead of Saint Nicholas, I saw on the board the outlines of the Miraculous Image of Christ the Savior! Twice he restored the features of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, and twice the face of the Savior was miraculously restored on the board. The same thing happened a third time. This is how the icon of the Miraculous Image was written on the board. The rumor about the sign that had taken place spread far beyond Spassky, and pilgrims began to flock here from everywhere. Quite a lot of time had passed; due to dampness and dust, the constantly open icon had become dilapidated and required restoration. Then, on March 13, 1788, the icon painter Daniil Petrov, with the blessing of Abbot Palladius, the abbot of the monastery in Tomsk, began to remove the former face of the Savior from the icon with a knife in order to paint a new one. I already took a full handful of paints from the board, but the holy face of the Savior remained unchanged. Fear fell on everyone who saw this miracle, and since then no one has dared to update the image. In 1930, like most churches, this temple was closed and the icon disappeared.

The miraculous image of Christ the Savior, erected by no one knows who and no one knows when, in the city of Vyatka on the porch (porch in front of the church) of the Ascension Cathedral, became famous for the countless healings that took place before it, mainly from eye diseases. Distinctive feature Vyatka Savior Not Made by Hands is an image of angels standing on the sides, whose figures are not fully described. The copy of the miraculous Vyatka icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands hung from inside over the Spassky Gate of the Moscow Kremlin. The icon itself was delivered from Khlynov (Vyatka) and left in the Moscow Novospassky Monastery in 1647. The exact list was sent to Khlynov, and the second one was installed above the gates of the Frolovskaya tower. In honor of the image of the Savior and the fresco of the Savior of Smolensk on the outside, the gate through which the icon was delivered and the tower itself were named Spassky.

Another miraculous image of the Savior Not Made by Hands located in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in St. Petersburg .

Icon “Savior Not Made by Hands” in the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Was the favorite image of Emperor Peter I.

The icon was painted, presumably, in 1676 for Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich by the famous Moscow icon painter Simon Ushakov. It was handed over by the queen to her son, Peter I. He always took the icon with him on military campaigns. It was in front of this icon that the emperor prayed at the founding of St. Petersburg, as well as on the eve of the fateful Poltava battle for Russia. This icon saved the life of the king more than once. Emperor Alexander III carried a list of this miraculous icon with him. During the crash of the royal train on the Kursk-Kharkov-Azov railway On October 17, 1888, he emerged from the destroyed carriage along with his entire family unharmed. The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands was also preserved intact, even the glass in the icon case remained intact.

In the collection of the State Museum of Art of Georgia there is an encaustic icon from the 7th century called "Anchiskhatsky Savior" , representing Christ from the chest. Georgian folk tradition identifies this icon with the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands from Edessa.

“Anchiskhatsky Spas” is one of the most revered Georgian shrines. In ancient times, the icon was located in the Anchi Monastery in Southwestern Georgia; in 1664 it was moved to the Tbilisi church in honor of the Nativity Holy Mother of God, VI century, which after the transfer of the icon received the name Anchiskhati (currently kept in State Museum arts of Georgia).

The miraculous icon of the “All-Merciful Savior” in Tutaev

Miraculous icon“The All-Merciful Savior” is located in the Tutaevsky Resurrection Cathedral. Ancient image written in the middle of the 15th century by the famous icon painter Dionysius Glushitsky. The icon is huge - about 3 meters.

Initially, the icon was located in the dome (it was the “sky”) of a wooden church in honor of the holy princes Boris and Gleb, which explains its large size (three meters in height). When was it built stone temple, the icon of the Savior was transferred to the summer Church of the Resurrection.

In 1749, by decree of Saint Arseny (Matseevich), the image was taken to Rostov the Great. The icon remained in the Bishop's House for 44 years; only in 1793 were the residents of Borisoglebsk allowed to return it to the cathedral. With great joy they carried the shrine from Rostov in their arms and stopped in front of the settlement on the Kovat River to wash away the road dust. Where they placed the icon, a spring of pure spring water flowed, which exists to this day and is revered as holy and healing.

From that time on, miracles of healing from physical and spiritual illnesses began to occur at the holy image. In 1850, with funds from grateful parishioners and pilgrims, the icon was decorated with a silver-gilded crown and chasuble, confiscated by the Bolsheviks in 1923. The crown that is currently on the icon is its copy.

There is a long-standing tradition of crawling with prayer under the miraculous icon of the Savior on your knees. For this purpose, there is a special window in the icon case under the icon.

Every year, on July 2, on the cathedral holiday, the miraculous image is taken out of the temple on a special stretcher and performed procession with the icon of the Savior through the streets of the city with singing and prayers.

And then, if desired, believers climb into the hole under the icon - a healing hole, and crawl on their knees or on their haunches under the “All-Merciful Savior” with a prayer for healing.

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Miraculous Image of the Savior Jesus Christ by Christian tradition is one of the proofs of the truth of the incarnation in human form second person of the Trinity. The ability to capture the image of God, according to teaching Orthodox Church, is associated with the Incarnation, that is, the birth of Jesus Christ, God the Son, or, as believers usually call Him, the Savior, the Savior. Before His birth, the appearance of icons was unreal - God the Father is invisible and incomprehensible, therefore, incomprehensible. Thus, the first icon painter was God himself, His Son - “the image of His hypostasis”(Heb. 1.3). God has found human face, The Word became flesh for the salvation of man.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Temple Life-Giving Trinity on Vorobyovy Gory

Documentary film “SPAS NOT MADE BY HANDS” (2007)

An image left to us by the Savior himself. The very first detailed intravital description appearance Jesus Christ, was left to us by the proconsul of Palestine, Publius Lentulus. In Rome, in one of the libraries, an undeniably truthful manuscript was found, which has great historical value. This is a letter that Publius Lentulus, who ruled Judea before Pontius Pilate, wrote to the ruler of Rome.

Troparion, tone 2
We worship Your most pure image, O Good One, asking for forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God: for by the will of Thou didst deign to ascend in the flesh to the cross, that Thou mightest deliver what Thou hast created from the work of the enemy. We also cry out to You with gratitude: You have filled all with joy, our Savior, who came to save the world.

Kontakion, tone 2
Thy ineffable and Divine sight of man, the Indescribable Word of the Father, and the unwritten and God-written image is victorious leading to Thy false incarnation, we honor him with kisses.

Prayer to the Lord
Lord, Generous and Merciful, Long-suffering and Many-merciful, inspire our prayer and listen to the voice of our prayer, create a sign for good with us, guide us on Your path, to walk in Your truth, make our hearts glad, in fear of Your Holy Name. You are great and work miracles, You are the only God, and there is no one like You in God, Lord, strong in mercy and good in strength, to help and comfort and save all who trust in the Name Thy holy. A min.

Another prayer to the Lord
Oh, Most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, our God, You are more ancient than Your human nature, having washed off Your face with holy water and wiped it with a rubbish, so You miraculously depicted it on the same curb and You deigned to send it to the Prince of Edessa Abgar to heal him from an illness. Behold, now we, Thy sinful servants, possessed by our mental and physical ailments, seek Thy face, O Lord, and with David in the humility of our souls we call: do not turn away Thy face, O Lord, from us, and do not turn aside in anger from Thy servants, O helper to us. wake up, do not reject us and do not leave us. Oh, All-Merciful Lord, our Savior, depict Yourself in our souls, so that living in holiness and truth, we will be Your sons and heirs of Your Kingdom, and so we will not cease to glorify You, our Most Merciful God, together with Your Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit. forever and ever. A min.