The most revered images of the Mother of God in Russia are the Vladimir and Kazan icons of the Mother of God. Their history is full of miracles, and they continue to work miracles in our time.

History of the icon

In 1579, a terrible fire occurred in Kazan, destroying about half of the city. Soon the fire victims began to build their own homes. Among them was the archer Daniil Onuchin and his family. One day, the Mother of God appeared in a dream to his ten-year-old daughter Matrona and ordered her to dig up Her icon at a certain place of the fire.

Matrona told her parents about this, but they did not believe her.

When the appearance of the Mother of God was repeated three times, the parents and other villagers went to the place indicated in the dream, and actually found there the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which had not been damaged at all by the fire, with such bright colors as if it had only recently been painted.

This is how the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was found in Kazan. And immediately she showed her miraculous power: she restored the sight of two old blind men, Joseph and Nikita, who just touched her. This made a huge impression not only on the Orthodox, but also on many Muslims living in Kazan. The icon was transferred to the Assumption Cathedral in Kazan. Subsequently, on the site where the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was found, they built convent.

The amazing story of the discovery of the icon and the miracles it revealed were outlined in detail and, together with a copy (copy) of the icon, were sent to Moscow that same year. By order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was erected on this site, where many pilgrims constantly flocked to the icon.

Unfortunately, the original was stolen back in 1904 - the blasphemers were flattered by her precious salary.

However, in the very first years after its discovery and in the following decades, they began to make lists of the icon, the first of which dates back to 1606. Surprisingly, they have the same miraculous power as the original.

The meaning of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God

In the history of Russia, the importance of the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan can hardly be overestimated. In 1611, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, who led the people's militia, asked to send him an icon before the upcoming decisive battle with the Polish-Lithuanian invaders, and won a victory, although the enemy army was much more numerous. In gratitude for the help, on the initiative of Dmitry Pozharsky, on Victory Day - October 22 (November 4, new style) a local celebration was established for the icon in Moscow. Tsar Peter the Great prayed before the Kazan Icon before the Battle of Poltava and Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov before the battle with Napoleon.

Apparently, this is why in Russia the icon of the Kazan Mother of God has long been called the Intercessor, because the Mother of God herself is considered the patroness of Russia and helps both in state affairs and in the needs of individual people.

How great the veneration of this icon is throughout the world is evidenced by the fact that the Vatican copy of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was for a long time in the personal chambers of Pope John Paul II, and in 2004 it was presented to Patriarch Alexy II, who the following year transferred his Kazan diocese.

To the question where the icon of the Kazan Mother of God is located in Kazan, one can give an exact answer: the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross at the Kazan Mother of God Monastery. Every year on July 21, the day of the appearance of the icon, religious processions of thousands take place in Kazan.

Description of the icon

In terms of iconographic type, the Kazan Icon belongs to Hodegetria (Guide), however, in an abbreviated version - the image is not half-length, but shoulder-length, in clothes characteristic of the Mother of God icons. The head of the Virgin Mary is slightly inclined towards the Infant Jesus, who has raised his hand with his fingers folded in a blessing gesture. The expression on the face of the Mother of God is mournful in anticipation of the torments awaiting Her Son, and the face of the Child is striking in its maturity and seriousness. Their gazes are turned directly to the person praying, which gives the feeling that They are looking directly into the soul.

How does the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God help?

Prayer in front of the icon helps strengthen faith, find inner balance, and protect yourself from making mistakes in difficult times. life situations– it’s not for nothing that they call her the Guide. The icon became famous miraculous healings, so they pray to her for physical and mental health, especially children, oh family world and well-being. Our Lady of Kazan is the patroness of warriors, so people pray to her for their protection. Prayer coming from a pure heart will always reach our Intercessor.

Prayer

Oh, Most Holy Lady Theotokos, Queen of Heaven and earth, the highest angel and archangel and the most honest, pure Virgin Mary of all creation, good Helper to the world, and affirmation for all people, and deliverance for all needs!

Look now, O All-Merciful Lady, upon Thy servants, praying to Thee with a tender soul and a contrite heart, falling with tears to Thee and worshiping Thy most pure and wholesome image, and asking for Thy help and intercession.

Oh, All-Merciful and Most Merciful Pure Virgin Mary! Look, O Lady, at Your people: for we are sinners and imams of no other help, except for You and from You, Christ our God born. You are our intercessor and representative. You are protection for the offended, joy for the sorrowing, refuge for the orphans, keeper for widows, glory for virgins, joy for those who cry, visitation for the sick, healing for the weak, salvation for sinners.

For this reason, O Mother of God, we resort to You, and looking at Your Most Pure Image with the Eternal Child held in Your hand, our Lord Jesus Christ, we bring tender singing to You and cry out: have mercy on us, Mother of God, and fulfill our request, for all that is Your intercession is possible, for glory is due to You now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

November 4th is the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. For 300 years she was the protector and intercessor of the Russian people. Historians are still wondering about the fate of the revealed image, stolen in 1904.

1. The icon was found in Kazan in 1579 after a fire that destroyed half of the city. Legend says that the Mother of God appeared in a dream to nine-year-old Matrona and indicated the place where the icon was hidden. The icon was discovered at a depth of a meter, wrapped in the sleeve of a man’s shirt; according to eyewitnesses, “the icon shone as if it had just been painted.”

2. The icon of the Kazan Mother of God belongs to the hodegetria type, which means “showing the way.” According to legend, the prototype of this icon was painted by the Apostle Luke. The main dogmatic meaning of this icon is the appearance into the world of the “heavenly King and Judge.”

3. In the revealed icon, the infant Christ blesses with two fingers. But in some later lists there is a nominal finger addition. The fingers are folded in a special way, each of them symbolizing a letter of the Greek alphabet. Together they make up the monogram of the name of Jesus Christ - I҃C X҃C.

4. The icon was almost immediately recognized as miraculous. When she was transferred from the place of discovery to the temple, two blind men were healed.

5. The revealed icon, judging by the inventory of the Kazan nunnery of 1853, was relatively small in size - 6 × 5 vershoks or 26.7 × 22.3 cm.

6. The revealed icon had two vestments - festive and everyday. The first one was made of gold; another frame, decorated with precious stones. Pearls predominated in the decoration of everyday chasuble.

7. In honor of the icon, Ivan the Terrible ordered the founding of a convent in Kazan Holy Mother of God. His first tonsures were Matrona, thanks to whom the icon was found, and her mother.

8. Most often, the Kazan Icon is asked for deliverance from eye disease, invasion of foreigners and help in difficult times.

9. In honor of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, two holidays were established: July 8 (July 21, new style) - in honor of its discovery, and October 22 (November 4) - in honor of the deliverance of Moscow from the Poles.

10. November 4 is celebrated as National Unity Day in Russia. This holiday was established in honor of the liberation of Moscow from Polish invaders in 1612 and at the same time dedicated to the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

11. One of the lists of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was accompanied by the militia of Dmitry Pozharsky. According to legend, the spiritual intercession of the icon led to the voluntary surrender of the Kremlin to the Poles in 1611.

12. In honor of the icon, the Kazan Cathedral was built on Red Square. The temple was erected at the expense of Prince Pozharsky.

13. By 1636, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God became “the palladium of the royal house of the Romanovs, the defender of the capital of the kingdom and the guardian of the throne,” i.e. a shrine on a national scale.

14. In “The Tale of Savva Grudtsyn” main character enters into a contract with the demon, and only the intercession of the Mother of God saves him. According to the text, Savva got rid of the curse only after he prayed in front of the Kazan Cathedral, and then in front of the icon itself.

15. In 1649, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to celebrate on October 22 the annual holiday in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, since on this day the Tsar’s first-born Dimitri was born the year before.

16. In 1709, Peter I and his army prayed before the icon of the Kazan Mother of God from the village of Kaplunovki. Many contemporaries attributed the victory in the Battle of Poltava precisely to the intercession of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God.

17. Peter I considered that the new capital of Russia needed its own shrine. By order of the emperor, one of the ancient copies of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was transported to St. Petersburg in 1721.

18. The first precious salary for the St. Petersburg list was ordered to be made by Empress Anna Ioannovna. In 1736, she ordered to build at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and Meshchanskaya Street stone church and move the shrine there.

19. In 1767, Empress Catherine II donated her diamond crown to decorate the frame of the revealed icon.

20. In honor of the Kazan Icon, a building was erected in St. Petersburg in 1811 Cathedral, which became one of the main symbols of St. Petersburg.

21. In 1812, Kutuzov prayed to the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, immediately after his appointment as commander-in-chief. And on October 22, on the day of the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Russian troops won their first victory over the French.

22. One of the copies of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was in 1880 in the Winter Palace during the terrorist attack carried out by the Narodnaya Volya. An explosion with a power of 30 kg of dynamite destroyed the ceiling between the ground and first floors and the floors of the palace guardhouse collapsed. Despite the fact that the room where the list was located was completely destroyed, the icon itself remained untouched.

23. The icon of the Kazan Mother of God is credited with helping in the victory in the Great Patriotic War. According to legend, Marshal Zhukov carried the Kazan Icon to the fronts. This fact is confirmed by his daughter, M. G. Zhukova, in the book “Marshal Zhukov: The Hidden Life of the Soul.”

24. Most famous icons The Kazan Mother of God is a revealed icon, Moscow and St. Petersburg lists. Unfortunately, the revealed icon and the Moscow list were lost at the beginning of the 20th century.

25. On June 29, 1904, the revealed icon of the Kazan Mother of God was stolen from the Kazan Mother of God Monastery by a gang of Bartholomew Stoyan. During the investigation, the remains of burnt icons were discovered in the stove of Stoyan’s apartment. During the trial, it was suggested that the revealed icon was destroyed.

26. There is a legend that in fact the revealed icon was not stolen. They say that the abbess of the Kazan Mother of God Monastery had the habit of replacing the icon at night in order to protect it from thieves. Therefore, the thief did not steal the icon itself, but only its exact list.

27. The Moscow copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in a precious setting was stolen from the Kazan Cathedral in 1918. The location of the icon is currently unknown.

28. The St. Petersburg list miraculously survived in 1922, when the Bolsheviks confiscated the iconostasis and the icon’s robe. The rector of the Kazan Cathedral, Archpriest Nikolai Chukov, saved the icon, saying that the original was stolen, and this list has no such value. Today, the St. Petersburg list is kept in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

29. One of the 18th century lists was taken from Russia during the revolution. In 1970, Russian Catholics bought the icon, and since 1993 the list was kept in the personal chambers of the Pope. In 2004, the "Vatican" list was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. Now the icon is in the Kazan Mother of God Monastery (Kazan).

30. The icon of the Kazan Mother of God is the most popular wedding icon in Russia.

31. 14 monasteries and 50 churches and temples are dedicated to the Kazan icon, which are located, including in Belarus, Ukraine, Finland and Cuba.

32. In 2011, a copy of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God went into space to the International Space Station.

The Kazan Icon enjoys very special love and veneration in Russia - every believer immediately understands what image it is about. we're talking about. It is this image that is given to the newly married couple as a keeper of the hearth and a family heirloom. The unique history of its appearance, the miracles that happened through the prayers of the Orthodox people near the image - all this makes the Kazan Mother of God completely special, among thousands of other icons.

Girl Matryona and the Blessed Virgin - the story of the icon

The name reflects the history of the appearance of the Kazan Icon - it was revealed in the city of Kazan under very unusual circumstances. This was the period after a strong fire, a good half of the Kremlin was damaged, and non-believers began to say that Christian God He is angry with His people.

A young girl (as children from 6 to 14 years old are called) named Matryona saw the Most Pure Virgin in a dream, who told her to go in search of an image. The girl told her parents about her dream, but they did not take it seriously. But the visions were repeated, and finally the mother gave up - she herself went to the ashes. An icon of the Queen of Heaven was found there, which is called revealed (to distinguish the “original” from many subsequent copies).

The news of the miraculous discovery instantly spread throughout the city; the ruling bishop appeared to the ringing of bells to venerate the shrine. During the very first procession of the cross through the city, near the image two people saw the light. puff. In the chronicle of St. Hermogenes, who was an eyewitness to many of the events listed, 16 more miracles are recorded:

• a pilgrim from another city got rid of an incurable disease (which is not specified);
• the blind child received his sight;
• the daughter-in-law of a certain boyar was healed of a leg disease;
• Demons came out of several women - similar events probably happened the rest of the time, because the suffering were immediately drawn to the image.

The image began to be kept in a nearby church, and on the site of the miraculous event, Ivan the Terrible built a monastery: Matryona and her mother became nuns there. In 1594, the foundation stone of the Kazan Cathedral took place, where a lot of jewelry and gold were donated. For example, Catherine II gave the icon a new chasuble with her own diamonds.

Description of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

You can recognize the image, first of all, by the fact that it contains a shoulder-length image of the Virgin Mary. This is one of the versions of the “Guide Book” - after all, the Queen of Heaven is the road to Christ.

• She is the earthly Mother of Jesus.
• The Mother of God prays for the salvation of all humanity.
• The human nature of Saint Mary unites every believer through her with Christ.

The head of the Mother of God is slightly tilted towards her son - this is also a sign mother's love, and worship of God. The Child blesses Mary and all the people in her person. The gazes of both figures are directed towards the praying people, as if emphasizing the unity of Divine and human nature.

The theological meaning of the Kazan Icon is to show believers the true Path to salvation, which lies through Christ. Only the Mother of God has such strong boldness towards the Savior that she can intercede before Him for all the faithful. This idea is clearly visible precisely in icons such as “Hodegetria”, where Saint Mary points to the Infant God with her hand. But since this image is made in a shortened version, this gesture is simply not visible (although it is implied).

Robes of the revealed image

Many believers have seen copies of the Kazan Icon, almost completely covered with pearls and precious stones. As written documents and photographs from the end of the last century testify, the icon really had such a frame. And he was not the only one.

The festive robe was made of gold, and another one was put on it - decorated with pearls, diamonds, etc. On ordinary days, they put on a different headband, no less beautiful - Moscow craftsmen completely covered it with pearls, and golden crowns with roses made of diamonds. It was on this frame that the royal crown also adorned itself.

The revealed icon was small in size and had a double ark. The inner frame also contained 12 small icons (stamps): holidays in honor of the Lord and the Mother of God, and the discovery of a miraculous image.

The feat of Saint Hermogenes

The significance of the Kazan Icon is great precisely for the history of the Russian people - from the moment of its appearance Russia began to enlighten with the light of Orthodoxy eastern peoples, as if the Queen of Heaven had rediscovered Asia. The special patronage did not end there.

During the Time of Troubles, the throne of the Patriarch was occupied by Saint Hermogenes, who was very worried about the strife within the country. The Poles also haunted the country. It was easier to seize power the more the people of Russia attacked each other, trying to seize more power. The country was overrun by bandits.

While under arrest, the Patriarch did what he could - he drew up an appeal to all ends, trying to reason with and unite the country, which was threatened with complete enslavement. He reminds people that they have forgotten about God, robbing and killing their own brothers in faith. The words of the saint achieved their goal, a militia began to form - the subsequent story is well known to everyone.

Having joined the army of Pozharsky and Minin, the residents of Kazan bring with them the holy image. Since then, it is believed that the Kazan Icon helps to defeat enemies. After all, it was she who then became the spiritual force that united Russia. In the fall of 1612, a religious procession took place in the Kremlin, the image of the Mother of God was left in the church on Lubyanka, then transferred to the Kazan Cathedral, built in honor of the victory over the Poles.

What troubles does the Kazan Icon help with?

At times it seems that your strength is running out, and the only help can come only from heaven. Then you should take a break and read prayers near the Kazan Icon. It’s not for nothing that she is called a Guide - she will guide you on the right path and save you from wrong decisions. Sometimes the Queen of Heaven appears to people in a dream and directly tells them what needs to be done. What else does the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God help with?

• Sorrows of an everyday nature.
• Healing poor vision.
• You can ask for sons who have joined the army or are serving in the military.
• The newlyweds pray for peace in their relationship.
• Women ask for prosperity in their home.
• Special protection for children; the image can be placed near the crib.

There is a special akathist dedicated to the Kazan Icon. It can be read both daily and on the day of church celebration. Praying in church or at home doesn’t really matter. Sometimes parishioners read the akathists in turn, so that it will sound every day in the temple in front of the image. For such prayers you need to take the blessing of the abbot.

Listen to the Akathist to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

Disappearance of an icon

At the very beginning of the last century, namely in the summer of 1904, robbers entered the cathedral, attracted by the rich decorations on the chasuble.

After the capture, the robbers claimed that the icon was destroyed and the jewelry was sold in parts.. The investigation reached a dead end - the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God disappeared.

Decades later, a certain image appeared abroad - although the icon itself turned out to be a copy, the chasuble is very similar to the stolen one. The image was soon acquired by the Vatican, where it is kept to this day.

Immediately, blows rained down on Russia, which ended in revolution. But pious believers do not lose hope that the true miraculous image will return to Russia.

Stay of famous copies

Where is the icon of the Kazan Mother of God located today? The location of the miraculous image that appeared to the girl Matrona is unknown.

But in Russia there are many revered lists. The most famous, of course, is the cathedral on the capital's Red Square.

The famous list is located in St. Petersburg, in the Kazan Cathedral (Nevsky Prospekt). It was brought by the widow of John the Fifth, Tsarina Praskovya, at the beginning of the 18th century.

This image is externally different from the original. It is much larger in size (60x50 cm), and has square proportions, characteristic of that period. The Christ Child is further away from the Mother, making a blessing gesture of a different form. Images of faces are also made in other traditions.

The revered Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was kept by Pope John II for a long time. The list dates from the mid-18th century, the precious frame is later. The image was taken from Russia after the revolution. For some time it was believed that this was exactly the icon that was found in the fire in Kazan. A collector from England offered to buy it back to the Archbishop of San Francisco (Foreign Orthodox Church), but no funds were found.

In 1963, the image was made available for veneration at an exhibition in New York. There were not enough funds to buy it back; it was proposed to write a script for Hollywood and take the icon to Russia, but Archbishop John rejected all these proposals. As a result, the shrine was bought by a Catholic organization.

The Vatican list differs in size from the one shown, although the chasuble is similar to the original. The icon was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 2004, on the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The following year, Patriarch Alexy blessed her to be transferred to the Kazan Monastery.

To this day, the image is located in the Holy Cross Monastery Church, where it enjoys well-deserved respect among believers and attracts masses of pilgrims from all over the world.

The role of the holy image in the 20th - 21st centuries

The significance of the Kazan Icon has not diminished over time. During the Great Patriotic War, Marshal G. Zhukov traveled with the image to the soldiers so that they could pray to their Heavenly Patroness. Prayer services were served both in Leningrad and in partisan detachments. In 1943, the revival of Orthodoxy began, churches began to open, monasteries and theological seminaries were revived.

The rector of the Kazan Church near Stalingrad was St. Seraphim Vyritsky. Day and night he offered prayers to God, the people also prayed in front of the Kazan Icon on the eve of battles. There is a legend that during the assault on Moscow, a plane with an icon flew around the front line. The Russians attribute victory in this terrible war with the intercession of the Mother of God.

New churches and monasteries in honor of the image are especially often built on the borders of the country (in Vladivostok, for example). As before the revolution, the Kazan icon is a regimental image. In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Victory, a temple in her honor was built for the Central Military Hospital.

Miracles through prayers to the Kazan Icon do not dry out in our time; they have been recorded throughout Russia from Ivanovo to Yekaterinburg. Believers consider the flow of myrrh to be a special spiritual sign. There was an outflow of the world (fragrant oil) from the Kazan image on the anniversary of the re-opening of Optina Hermitage.

In Smolensk, the image of the Mother of God began to cry (1991); several years later, in the Kazan Church (village of Puchkovo), the temple icon began to bleed - it was recognized as a local shrine. Numerous cases of healing have been recorded in different dioceses..

As long as life continues on earth, the help of believers from the Queen of Heaven will not become scarce. It doesn’t matter whether prayers are offered to the miraculous Kazan icon, or to an ordinary paper image cut out from a calendar. The main thing is that the prayer comes from the heart itself, then it will definitely be heard.

Prayer to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

Troparion, tone 4

Zealous Intercessor, Mother of the Lord Most High! Pray for all of Thy Son, Christ our God, and cause all to be saved, seeking refuge in Thy sovereign protection. Intercede for all of us, O Lady, Queen and Lady, who are in adversity, and in sorrow, and in illness, burdened with many sins, coming and praying to You with a tender soul and a contrite heart before Your most pure image with tears, and those who have irrevocable hope in You, deliverance of all evils, grant usefulness to all, and save everything, Virgin Mary: For You art the Divine Protection of Your servant.

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated twice a year: July 21 and November 4. This icon is associated with the great historical events of Russia. She is especially revered by Russians Orthodox people and is considered miraculous.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God: history

She was found miraculously in 1572 in Kazan. The city was taken by the troops of Ivan the Terrible shortly before this event. After the fire, due to which almost the entire Christian part of Kazan was destroyed, the Mother of God appeared three times in a dream to the nine-year-old girl Matrona and ordered her icon to be found in the ashes.

When mother and daughter began to dig in the place where the stove was located before the fire, they discovered an icon at a depth of about 1 meter. Among the first eyewitnesses of the miracle that occurred was the priest of the St. Nicholas Church, Ermogen, who later became the Patriarch of All Rus'.

On the same day, many people came to the place where the icon was found, and the city resounded with festive ringing. Since then, this day began to be celebrated annually, first in Kazan, and then throughout Russia. In 1579, at the site where the icon was found, Ivan the Terrible founded the Mother of God Monastery, where the found icon was kept, which soon became a national shrine, a sign of the Mother of God’s heavenly protection over Russia.

People call the date November 4 the autumn (winter) Kazan date. This holiday is connected with the events of the Time of Troubles, when Polish invaders invaded the territory of Russia. Moscow was taken by Polish troops, and the Patriarch of All Rus', Ermogen, was imprisoned. In captivity, the Patriarch prayed to the Mother of God, trusting in her help and protection. His prayers were answered, and in September 1611 a second militia was organized. Russian troops liberated Moscow and entered Red Square with the miraculous copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

In honor of the Most Holy Theotokos, Prince Pozharsky erected a temple of the Kazan Icon in the 1630s, where it remained for three hundred years. In 1920, the church was barbarically destroyed. In its place a pavilion and a public toilet were erected. In the nineties of the last century, these buildings were demolished and a new temple was erected. The original appearance of the cathedral was preserved thanks to drawings and measurements made before the demolition of the shrine.

The image of the Kazan Mother of God was especially revered by Peter the Great. During the Battle of Poltava, a miraculous list from an icon (Kaplunovsky) stood on the battlefield. There is a legend that Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh blessed Peter I even before the founding of St. Petersburg Kazan icon: « Take the icon of the Kazan Mother of God. She will help you defeat the evil enemy. After this, move the shrine to the new capital. She will become the cover of the city and all your people».

In 1710, Peter I ordered the miraculous copy of the Kazan Icon to be transported from Moscow to St. Petersburg. For some time, the holy image was in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and later (under Anna Ioannovna) it was transferred to a special temple built on Nevsky Prospekt.

The accession to the throne of Catherine II is also connected with this St. Petersburg shrine. Paul I, having become emperor in 1796, decides to build a more worthy temple for the icon. He announces a competition of projects, in which A. N. Voronikhin won. The temple was designed after St. Peter's in Rome. It took 10 years to build it. It was completed under Alexander I.

In front of the miraculous icon in 1812, M.I. prayed for the salvation of Russia. Kutuzov. On December 25, 1812, the first prayer service was served in the Kazan Cathedral for the deliverance of Russia from the French invasion.

Autumn Kazan: signs and traditions

Feast of the Kazan Icon – important date in the folk calendar. Winter is on the doorstep, with gardening and field work It's over, the workers are returning from waste production. Winter Kazan is the traditional settlement date. All construction work is completed by this time, and carpenters, diggers, plasterers and masons receive payment and return home.

Be patient, farm laborer, and you will have Kazanskaya in your yard.

And the owner would be glad to squeeze the farmhand, but Kazanskaya is in the yard: she is the head of the whole row.

It often rains on this day. About this they said: “ If the Kazan sky cries, then winter will come soon" If the day is clear on November 4, then cold weather is coming.

In some places, this date marks the patronal feast day. Many people get married on this day. After all, according to legend, whoever marries Kazanskaya will be happy all his life. But you shouldn’t hit the road on November 4th. It is believed that troubles can await a person on the road.

Among the people, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is a woman’s intercessor and patroness of the common people. Therefore, autumn Kazan is one of the main women's holidays. It was celebrated with a magnificent feast with mash and beer.

This icon is also considered an assistant in the treatment of eye diseases. They say that on this day the dew is especially healing. Therefore, before sunrise, they tried to collect at least a little dew, which they used to wipe their eyes and treat abscesses and skin diseases. There is a legend that one young girl thought that she did not come out with her face, because no one loved her. She got up early for autumn Kazan and went to the grove, there she found birch leaf, which hung low on the tree and was covered with frost. She looked into this sheet, as if into a silver mirror, and all the unsightliness disappeared from her face.

Autumn Kazan: signs and sayings

1. Whoever marries Kazanskaya will not repent.
2. If rain pours into Kazanskaya, it will send winter.
3. What Kazanskaya shows, winter will say.
4. You can’t drive far: you go out on wheels and come back on runners.
5. Before Kazanskaya it’s not winter, from Kazanskaya it’s not autumn.
6. Sometimes on this day it rains in the morning, and in the evening the snow lies in drifts.

Video: November 4 - Celebration of 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 which indicates Right way(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: 21 July 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 on the spot, after which procession transferred the miraculous icon (through the nearby Church of St. Nicholas) to the first Orthodox church Kazan - 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

Coming soon list with miraculous icon was sent to Ivan the Terrible in Moscow (from where it subsequently came 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 festival,” which was celebrated at the state level for a long time.

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(both on the eve of the 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, among the Russian Orthodox world suddenly terrible news spread: in Kazan she had been kidnapped and destroyed 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?..