Feodorovskaya icon of the mother of God days of celebration. The acquisition of the icon in Rus'. Prayer before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Feodorovskaya"

According to legend, the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God was painted by St. Apostle and Evangelist Luke.

According to modern researchers, it is this image of the Mother of God Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich in 1239 blessed his son - the right-believing Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky - to marry the Polotsk princess Bryachislava. This is confirmed by the peculiarity of the Feodorovskaya icon: on its reverse side there is an image of the holy martyr Paraskeva, called Pyatnitsa - the heavenly patroness of the Polotsk princely house.

The discovery of the icon took place on the feast of the Assumption Holy Mother of God in 1263. Residents of Kostroma observed a special phenomenon. A warrior appeared on the streets of the city with an icon of the Mother of God in his arms. The warrior marched with the holy image through the whole of Kostroma, and the next day the pious Prince Vasily Yaroslavich, the younger brother of St. Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, found this icon on the banks of the Zaprudnya River. In the revealed icon, they recognized the image that disappeared a quarter of a century ago from Gorodets, and in the warrior - St. vmch. Theodore Stratilates, who was especially revered in Rus'. At present, there is a temple at the place where the icon was found. Subsequently, during the princely civil strife, Kostroma was under the protection of the holy image. The further stay of the Theodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God was accompanied by many events, among which it is necessary to note its preservation in the fire of two fires and the help of the Most Holy Theotokos to Prince Vasily and the Kostroma residents in the battle of the Holy Lake.

After finding the icon, it was in a wooden church, where a fire soon broke out. Temple along with interior decoration was burned to the ground. But the icon miraculously remained unharmed and was found by the inhabitants of the city on the third day among the ashes. During the second fire, the icon was again preserved. The inhabitants of Kostroma could observe a miraculous phenomenon. When the flame of fire destroyed the temple, the face of the Mother of God was seen above the flame in the air.

The icon also saved the people of Kostroma in 1272 during the raid of the Tatars. Prince Vasily, following the example of his grandfather, St. Andrei Bogolyubsky went into battle with a miraculous image. Bright fiery rays emanating from the holy image burned the enemies; Tatars were defeated and expelled from Holy Rus'. As Archpriest Pavel Ostrovsky, a Kostroma church historian and local historian of the 19th century, says, “in memory of this miraculous event and as an edification to posterity, a high oak pillar was erected in the place where the miraculous icon of the Intercessor stood, on which a special place was carved for the Feodorovskaya icon (in copies), and later on, instead of a pillar, a stone chapel was built ... On the same occasion, the nearby lake is called Holy. After the death of Prince Vasily, life path which was consecrated in a holy way, the icon was in the Kostroma Cathedral of St. Theodore Stratilates.

Church history has preserved many miracles of updating icons. But with the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, the opposite miracle happened. Shortly before the abdication of the martyr Tsar Nicholas II, the image darkened and became almost black.

In the 20th century, many miracles were also associated with the icon. During the years of persecution of the church, the holy image did not leave the temple walls and was preserved as a shrine. In the recent history of Russian Orthodox Church this case can rightfully be called unique.

Since 1991, the miraculous image has been kept in the Epiphany-Anastasin cathedral Kostroma. The miraculous image attracts many pilgrims from everywhere. According to eyewitnesses, people come to her every day to bow and offer prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Theodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God has long been revered by believers not only as miraculous, but also as especially patronizing. family well-being, the birth and upbringing of children, helping in difficult childbirth. Many miracles and marvelous phenomena are associated with it. The sisters of the Epiphany-Anastasia Monastery, under the guidance of the abbess, keep a chronicle of modern miracles performed through prayers at the Feodorovskaya Icon. Here are some fragments of the monastery chronicle:

“1991. Deacon V. from the Nizhny Novgorod region. Seven years without children; during the year, on the advice of the faithful, they read the Akathist to the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God with Mother. A son was born. They came to Kostroma to thank the Mother of God.

* * *

1991 A married family from Moscow - G. and N., who visited miraculous icon with a group of pilgrims, sent to the monastery thank you letter in connection with the safe birth of a child (the woman had a serious illness, as a result of which the doctors forbade her to have children). The letter ends with the words: “Everything went well: my son and I feel good. It's a miracle! A miracle performed by the Mother of God! She had mercy on us through your prayers ... "

* * *

August 29, 1995, the day of the celebration of the appearance of the miraculous icon. M.S.T., a pilgrim from Moscow, was healed of a tumor in her right hand that she had suffered from for five years; the doctors could not do anything. After the woman put her hand to the icon, the disease soon disappeared without a trace.

* * *

October 1997 N.P.S., a resident of Kostroma, fell seriously ill and almost lost her leg. With great difficulty, on October 5, she arrived at the cathedral, where Vespers were served with the akathist to the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God; I seriously feared that I would not be able to return home. However, after the service, having venerated the miraculous image, she came home without outside help and in the morning next day my leg didn't hurt at all.

* * *

October 11, 1997. A.A.T., a resident of the city of Krasnoarmeysk, Moscow Region, told the abbess about her daughter, who, immediately after the birth of her third child, found herself on the verge of life and death. Relatives turned to the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra; there they advised to order a prayer service to the miraculous Feodorovskaya icon and read an akathist to it. The daughter soon recovered, was discharged from the hospital with the child, and the mother immediately came to Kostroma to bow to the miraculous icon and thank the Queen of Heaven for saving her daughter from death.

* * *

On July 4, 2002, a letter was received from spouses B., which says: “My husband and I did not have children for a long time. Last fall, I asked a servant of God to pray. In response to my request, this merciful servant of God brought me oil and an icon of the Theodore Mother of God, where on the reverse side it was written that this image was consecrated at the Theodore Icon of the Mother of God in your monastery. A month later, a miracle happened! The Lord, through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, had mercy on me a sinner, so at this time I am waiting for the birth of our long-awaited little man ... "

* * *

In March 2003, the convent was visited by a couple from Moscow, E. and I., who left the following written testimony: “In the spring of 2001, the icon of the Mother of God Feodorovskaya was brought to Moscow. With the whole family, we came to bow to the Queen of Heaven, asking Her for help in childbirth. We were expecting a fourth child, and in the previous three births I had a complication ... Three times we came to the Queen of Heaven to bow and received consecrated oil, with which I was anointed before childbirth. There were no complications during the fourth birth. Now we have arrived in Kostroma and with gratitude we bow down to the Mother of God.”

* * *

I thank the Mother of God for the mercy shown. Thank you for your attention.

R.B. Olga 2012

celebration Feodorovskaya Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos committed March 27(March 14 O.S.) and August 29(August 16 old style). Also on the second Sunday, the Old Believer Church celebrates the appearance of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God "according to the charter of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin in 1627." On this day, the New Believers commemorate St. Gregory Palamas (1296-1359). The Theodore image of the Mother of God is prayed for health, the birth of a child, easy childbirth, and the well-being of married life.

The history of the holiday in honor of the appearance of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Feodorovskaya

About the appearance in Rus' Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God no exact information. The first mention of the image of a similar iconography refers to XII century. The icon was located in a wooden chapel near the city of Gorodets (Nizhny Novgorod region). At the beginning of the 13th century, a monastery was built on this site in the name of the icon of the Mother of God, which became its main shrine. Later, it began to be called by the name of the icon of the Theotokos, the Theotokos-Feodorovsky, and then - Feodorovsky. In 1238, during the invasion of Batu's troops, the city was destroyed, the monastery also burned down. Contemporaries of the events believed that the icon was also lost, but after a few years it was found again. There are several legends about the re-acquisition of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

First tradition. August 16, 1239 Kostroma prince Vasily Kvashnya(XIII century) not far from the Zaprudnya River, he saw the image of the Virgin, which hung on a tree. With the participation of the priesthood, the icon was transferred to Kostroma and placed in the cathedral church of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos. Later, the Zaprudnensky Savior Monastery was built at the place where the icon was found. The story of the appearance of the miraculous icon of Feodorovskaya tells the following:

... seeing the people of an honest icon, and starting to tell, saying, yesterday we saw this icon, carried through our city by a certain warrior, like that warrior in the vision of a saint Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates, and taco testify to the people.

On behalf of the great martyr Theodore, the icon got its name - Feodorovskaya. Soon a resident of Gorodets appeared in Kostroma, who said that this was the same icon that was considered lost after the burning of the Feodorovskaya monastery.

According to second tradition, Theodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God On August 16, 1263, the younger brother of Alexander Nevsky (1221-1263) found the Kostroma prince Vasily Yaroslavich(1236/1241-1276). This date is indicated in Legends about the Appearance and Miracles of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God in Kostroma» (1670)

Third tradition reports that the Feodorovsky image of the Virgin found Yuri Vsevolodovich(1188-1238) in a dilapidated wooden chapel near Gorodets (later the Gorodetsky Feodorovsky Monastery was built on this site). After the death of the prince, the icon passed to his younger brother Yaroslav Vsevolodovich(1190/1191-1246), who blessed the image of the marriage of his son Alexander Nevsky with Polotsk princess Alexandra Bryachislavovna. After the death of Prince Alexander in 1263, the icon passed to his younger brother Vasily (the second legend tells about him), who transferred the holy image to Kostroma.

The events described above formed the basis of the legend about the icon. The icon was transferred from Gorodets, devastated by Batu, to Kostroma, where it was placed in the church of the Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates (d. 319). This fact is confirmed by the "Tale of the Appearance and Miracles of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God in Kostroma". From that moment on, she became known as Feodorovskaya. Some researchers, based on the identity of the iconography of the Feodorovskaya icon with the Vladimir icon, consider it a list from the glorified ancient shrine and put forward three versions of its origin:

1. the icon was painted in 1164 by order of Andrei Bogolyubsky (1111-1174) for the Gorodetsky Monastery;
2. The icon was commissioned by Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich in 1239 as a gift for the wedding of his son Alexander Nevsky. It is noteworthy that on the reverse side of the image is the image of the Great Martyr Paraskeva, who in Rus' was considered the patroness of brides and weddings, as well as the former patroness of the Polotsk princely house, where Alexander's bride came from;
3. the icon was painted by order of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich in 1218-1220 in honor of the return to him of his wife Theodosia, who was taken away by her father in 1216 during the confrontation, and the birth of his first-born Theodore (1219-1233) from her.

Regarding the name of the Feodorovskaya icon, it is hypothesized that it arose due to the fact that Theodore Stratilat was the heavenly patron of Prince Yaroslav and many other Mstislavich princes, with whom Yaroslav and his offspring were connected through his wife Theodosia, daughter of Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny (d. 1228).

Miracles of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God

To the first Miracles of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God relate stories about her miraculous salvation in the fire during a fire (tales report two fires: one destroyed the old wooden church, the second occurred already in the new stone church). “The Tale of the Appearance and Miracles of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God”, which was created over several centuries and has survived to this day in a number of lists, reports the miraculous rescue of Kostroma from the Tatar troops in the Battle of the Holy Lake (1262 (?)):

... and departed from the city as if there were two fields or a little far away and a stasha near a certain lake, and as if there were regiments close to each other, and the sinners drew their weapons and strained their bows to shoot the right and humble in heart, a small Christian army, and suddenly from the miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos, having lifted the divine and bright rays, more sunbeam and like a fire stinging and attacking them and burning the Tatar regiments, and from that illumination and a ray of divine and from burning, all the opposite regiments were confused, and many from them were blind and did not know each other, and fear and trembling entered into them, and weapons entered and their hearts and their bows were crushed and attacked them by Russian hordes and beaten their many multitudes, the remnants of the wicked disappeared and perished for their iniquity, but captivated all Russian captives with the intercession and help of the Blessed Mother of God.

Veneration of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos

In 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Romanov(1596-1645), which was confirmed by the final document - the Cathedral oath. After that, an embassy was appointed from Moscow to the Kostroma Ipatiev Monastery, where Mikhail Fedorovich lived with his mother, nun Marfa (d. 1631).

The embassy was headed by the Ryazan Archbishop Theodoret(1551-1617), cellar of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery Abraham Palitsyn(d. 1625/1626/1627) and boyar Feodor Ivanovich Sheremetev(d. 1650). On March 14 (O.S.), the embassy was received by Mikhail Romanov and his mother in Ipatiev Monastery. Both Mikhail Romanov and his mother initially refused the throne, but as a result of persuasion, they agreed. According to the post Patriarch Filaret:

But on that day there was great joy in Kostroma, and there was a feast for the miraculous icon of the Most Pure Theotokos Feodorovskaya.

This day became the day of the celebration of the icon, which is celebrated in our time. Some historians claim that the nun Martha blessed her son with the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God when she was elected to the kingdom. However, Avraamy Palitsyn, a cellarer who participated in those events, does not mention this icon in his “Tale”. He writes that when the nun Martha and her son Michael for a long time refused the offer to take the royal throne, then the archbishop " ... we take on our hand the miraculous icon of the image of the Most Holy Theotokos, which Metropolitan Peter wrote to the south, and Elder Avramei, the Trinity cellar, lifted the image of the great miracle workers Peter and Alexy and Jonah, and brought it before the empress».

Mikhail Romanov took with him to Moscow a list from the icon and placed it in the court church of the Nativity of the Virgin "on Senya". In 1618, he sent decorations for the icon to Kostroma, and in 1636, at the direction of the tsar, the icon was refurbished and decorated with a precious riza. From this time on, gradually begin to create lists with this icon. With late XVIII centuries, German princesses, marrying Russian grand dukes and converting to Orthodoxy, according to tradition, in honor of the Feodorovskaya icon, received their patronymic Feodorovna. These include Maria Feodorovna (wife of Paul I), Alexandra Feodorovna (wife of Nicholas I), Maria Feodorovna (wife of Alexander III), Alexandra Feodorovna (wife of Nicholas II), Elizabeth Feodorovna. The origins of this tradition go back to XVII century when, in honor of the same icon, the “dissonant” patronymic of Tsaritsa Evdokia Lopukhina was changed from “Illarionovna” to “Feodorovna”, and when Tsar Ivan Alekseevich married Praskovya Saltykova, she not only changed her patronymic, but also changed her father’s name from Alexandra to Theodore.

The icon was repeatedly decorated with precious salaries. At the beginning of the 19th century, at the expense of the inhabitants of Kostroma, a new gold frame was made for the icon, in which precious stones were placed from the previous one. In the description of the Assumption Cathedral in Kostroma, which dates back to 1820, the icon is reported:

On this image, the chasuble, arranged in 1805 of the purest gold, by the cathedral dependency, and by the more zeal of the citizens, has a weight with a crown of 20 pounds 39 spools; she and the crown are adorned with diamonds, yachts, emeralds, rubies (of which one red is the most precious), garnets and others. precious stones, large pearls and Burmite grains... Cassocks or earrings more than half an arshin long, with Burmite grains, precious stones, gold dies, rings and blocks belong to this image...

In 1891, a golden riza weighing about 10 kg was made for the icon. She decorated the icon until 1922. After the October Revolution, the icon was in the temple. In 1919, in Kostroma, the commission of the museum department of the People's Commissariat of Education under the leadership of I. E. Grabar examined the image. In 1922, the Assumption Cathedral and the Feodorovskaya Icon passed to the renovationists. In 1929, the Kostroma community brought the icon to Moscow to the Central State Restoration Workshops. During the restoration work, experts came to the conclusion that in its main part, the painting of the 13th century was lost. Since April 1964, the icon has been in the Church of the Resurrection on Debre, where the bishop's pulpit was transferred. On August 18, 1991, the Feodorovskaya Icon was transferred to the Epiphany Anastasiyin Cathedral, returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, where it remains to this day.

The celebration of the appearance of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos has been known since the 13th century. The icon was locally venerated. After the accession to the Moscow throne of Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov, a new celebration of the icon appears, connected with the events of his naming in the Ipatiev Monastery. From this period, the veneration of the image becomes general church. Initially, it did not have a specific date. Various officials indicate the celebration then " on the second or third or fourth week of Holy Lent", then in " the second week or on the second day of Lent". Celebration of March 14 (old style) in church calendar fixed since 1620, which is associated with the return from captivity of Patriarch Filaret, father of Mikhail Romanov. The typicons of the Assumption Cathedral for this day indicate: On the 14th day of singing the most pure Theotokos of Fedorovskaya with Benedict for the naming of the sovereign ...". Under the first Romanovs, the date of the celebration, which fell on the days of Great Lent, was observed strictly and was transferred to other days only in cases of coincidence with Lazarus Saturday or the burial of someone from the royal family. In the second half of the 17th century, the date of the holiday began to be moved to the next Sunday, which already reduced its status. Under Patriarch Filaret, on the day of the holiday, at the end of the divine service, the tsar arranged a festive reception at which he presented gifts to his father-patriarch. This tradition completely ceased to exist in 1668. In the second half of the 18th century, the custom of moving the celebration of the icon to the next Sunday finally took root in church life dominant church.

Divine Liturgy for the Apparition of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Feodorovskaya. Troparion and kontakion for the holiday

Troparion, tone 8

Today, the city of Kostroma flaunts brightly, and the whole Russian country, convening all the God-loving Christian peoples to rejoice, to the glorious triumph of the Mother of God, Her miraculous and multi-healing image of the coming. The day of the battle hanging to us bright great sun. Come, all God's chosen people, new Israel, to the source of healing, the Most Pure Mother of God exudes for us the inexhaustible mercy, delivers all the cities and countries of Christianity unharmed from all the slander of the enemy. But Oh! all-merciful Lady Virgin Mother of God, save our country and the metropolitan, and all the people of your property from all troubles, according to your great mercy, let us call you, rejoice in the Virgin Christian praise.

Kontakion, tone 8

All the people come to a quiet and kind refuge, in the House of the Mother of God of a wonderful image of the appearance of the Queen and the Mother of God. For Her inexpressible mercy, rightly falling and blatantly: Oh! All-merciful Lady, for Your saving looking at the wonderful image of the coming to us, visit us sinners, brightly creating Your feast. Strengthen our people, it is marvelous for them to give victory to their enemies. And confirm our metropolitan, keep the church of your Son unshakably. Save those who flow to You, save them from all misfortunes: preserving all Orthodoxy in the world, let us call Thee, rejoice, Unbrideed Bride.

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Feodorovsky Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Iconography

According to legend, The Theodore Icon of the Theotokos painted by the Evangelist Luke. The image belongs to the iconographic type of Eleus (Tenderness). Its iconography is very close to the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. For this reason, many researchers consider Feodorovskaya to be the list of Vladimirskaya. The difference between the Feodorovskaya icon and the Vladimir one is the left leg of the Savior, naked to the knee. According to the description of the icon, made when it was transferred to Kostroma, it looked like this:

... written oil paints"on a dry tree." The board is 1 arshin 2 inches long, 12 inches wide. The Mother of God is depicted with her head slightly bowed on her right shoulder. Right hand supported by the Divine Infant, embracing the Mother of God. The right leg of the Divine Infant is covered with a riza, while the left leg is uncovered up to the knee. On the reverse side, the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva, called Pyatnitsa, is written ... The lower part of the icon ends with a handle 1 1/2 arshins long.

To this day, the icon has been poorly preserved, it has been updated more than once, and the original painting of the faces of the Virgin and Jesus Christ is noticeably worn. On the reverse side of the icon is a half-length image of the Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. The saint is depicted in red robes, decorated with golden floral ornaments. Her hands are raised in prayer at chest level.

There are a number of lists of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Temples and monasteries in Rus' in honor of the Theodore Icon of the Mother of God

Consecrated in honor of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God Cathedral of the Feodorovsky Monastery in Gorodets Nizhny Novgorod region.

The monastery was built at the beginning of the 13th century on the site wooden chapel, which housed the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. The monastery was called the Theotokos-Feodorovskaya. According to legend, the monastery and the city were founded in 1152 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky (1090s - 1157). In 1238, during the invasion of the troops of Batu, Gorodets was devastated, and the monastery was burned. Tradition reports that the Feodorovskaya icon miraculously survived, but never returned to the monastery. But a miraculous list was placed in the monastery, which was the main shrine of the Feodorovskaya church.

The monastery existed in this deserted place until about the 15th century, then the place was inhabited, and the monastery was abolished. The monastery was re-established in 1700. In 1927 the monastery was closed. Resurrected in 2009.

Old Believer churches in honor of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos

In honor of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, the Republic of Kazakhstan will be consecrated. The laying of the temple in the name of the Feodorovsky Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was carried out on August 29, 2013 by the patriarch. Construction continues.

The Theodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God has been revered since ancient times as a miraculous shrine in Russia. Through the prayers of the faithful, many miracles, joyful events and long-awaited healings were revealed from her.

The history of the appearance of the icon

Each icon of the Theotokos has its own name and a wonderful story of finding. Many names and events intersect in the history of Feodorovskaya: Theodore Stratilat, blessed Paraskeva, Prince Alexander Nevsky, the dynasty of the Romanov tsars. The icon has patronized the city of Kostroma for more than 8 centuries.

More about Orthodox saints:

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Feodorovskaya".

The Holy Face was written by the apostle from the seventy and the evangelist Luke, the author of one of the Gospels, in the 1st century from the Nativity of Christ and brings kindness and universal care for humanity to the world.

The image was delivered from Jerusalem to the Russian land, and when and by whom - history has not retained information about this. The image was kept in a small dilapidated chapel near the city of Gorodets, here, over time, the Gorodets male monastic monastery was erected.

In 1239, the Mongol-Tatars burned Gorodets, and during countless conflagrations, the holy image disappeared. Presumably, it was given by Alexander Nevsky to the Kostroma prince Vasily Mizinny.

One day, Prince Vasily Yaroslavovich went hunting in the northern Kostroma forests. Here, near a small river, he saw the face of the Mother of God shining with heavenly beauty. Simultaneously experiencing joy and great fear, he approached Him and wanted to take Him in his hands. Surprisingly, the image miraculously soared in the air and climbed the tree above his height. The prince, taken aback, fell to his knees and began to tearfully beg the Queen of Heaven to be able to take the image in her hands and deliver it to the main Kostroma temple. But the icon remained inaccessible to his hands. Then the prince hurriedly went to Kostroma, told the clergy and parishioners of the cathedral about the extraordinary event. The procession went to the place where the icon appeared. Arriving at the place, all the pilgrims began to kneel and beg Blessed Virgin about showing mercy to the city and the transfer of the icon to Kostroma. After the prayer service, the priests freely removed the Holy Face from a tall pine tree and solemnly transferred it to the city church.

Antique Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, female heavenly patroness. Russia XIX century.

The next day, a huge queue lined up to worship the Mother of God, and many parishioners announced to the priesthood that the day before they had seen an unusually dressed man in military clothes, who walked along the city streets and held a newly appeared icon in his hands. People recognized Theodore Stratilates in him and understood that the heavenly patron of Kostroma himself brought a miraculous shrine as a gift to the city. On behalf of Theodore Stratilates, the icon was named Feodorovskaya, and the first Kostroma monastery was erected on the site of its miraculous discovery. His altar, as an exception to the generally accepted rules, was turned to the north, to the place where the icon was revealed.

Help from the Feodorovsky image

It is well known that it is not the icon itself that helps believers, but the Face depicted on it, interceding for those who pray before the Almighty.

Prayers are offered before her:

• about healing from diseases;
• about the gift of a long-awaited child and about its successful bearing;

More about prayers for children:

The Mother of God is the great Intercessor and Helper of all mankind. The miraculous Feodorovskaya icon of the Mother of God will help women in successful marriage, helps to get pregnant and safely get rid of the birth burden, heals even the most serious ailments. They pray to the Virgin Mary for a worthy upbringing of children, for deliverance from sorrows, in various everyday needs.

Advice! If there is a discord in the family, then the Queen of Heaven will help to improve the shaken relationship between the spouses.

Often parents bless their children for marriage with this particular icon, and for many women it is the Feodorovskaya Virgin that is the wedding icon.

Iconography

At first glance, the Feodorovskaya icon of the Mother of God is very similar to the Vladimir one, but looking closely at it, some differences and symbols are visible.

On both icons, the Divine Infant embraces His Mother by the neck, and presses His cheek against her cheek, but He sits on the mother's right hand. Him right leg covered with a robe, and the left knee is naked, which symbolizes the memories of the Passion of Christ. The Mother of God has a mournful appearance, which means that She is already, as it were, mourning Her Son, who is going to death for the atonement of human sins.

The Almaty - Feodorovskaya icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is an exact list of the shrine of the Orthodox world, the great All-Russian shrine.

On the reverse side there is a half-length image of the Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. She is wearing red robes, decorated with gold designs, and her hands are raised in prayer at chest level.

The Mother of God is the great Intercessor before the throne of Her Son, that humanity should rightly and worthily follow its earthly path, that people do good, love the Heavenly Father and their neighbor, that they cherish that short time which is allotted for the acquisition of holiness, and prepared themselves for Salvation and Eternal Life.

In honor of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, two solemn days of veneration of her memory were established: August 29 and March 27.

Video about the Fedorov Icon of the Mother of God.

“Once, when the Tatars approached Kostroma, the Russian militias came out to meet them, carrying their holy icon of the Mother of God in front of them. When the ratis stood in front of each other, an unknown horseman rushed between them. His crimson robe fluttered in the wind, and a gilded shield shone dazzlingly. The Russians recognized him as the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates. Horror attacked the Tatars, and they fled from the battlefield. This is how Kostroma was saved.”

Icon of the Mother of God Feodorovskaya. History

Each icon of the Mother of God has its own history, its own name. It is amazing how much overlaps in the history of the Feodorovskaya icon - here are the names of Theodoro Stratilat, and Paraskeva, and Prince Alexander Nevsky, the beginning of a new dynasty of Russian tsars - the Romanovs, is also associated with this icon.

Tradition says that this icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke, it is not known how it got into small city Gorodets, where the first mention of the icon goes back. However, in 1239 Gorodets was burned by the Mongol-Tatars, and the image disappeared, but was soon miraculously found by the younger brother of Alexander Nevsky, Prince Vasily Kostroma. While chasing an animal on a hunt, the prince accidentally saw an icon on a pine tree. He tried to take it off, but it rose into the air. At the same time, in Kostroma, many residents saw how some warrior walked through the city, carrying an icon in his hands. This warrior was similar to the image of the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates, in whose honor the cathedral was built in Kostroma.

Returning to the city, the prince, in agitation, told the clergy about what had happened. Arriving at the place indicated by the prince, the priests and the people saw the image of the Mother of God, fell on their knees and prayed for a long time. Having removed the icon from the tree, it was placed in the cathedral church of the city of Kostroma, and the icon was called Feodorovskaya, remembering the appearance of Theodore Stratilates with the icon, who later appeared to Russian soldiers more than once on the battlefield. At the place where the icon was found, the first monastic monastery in Kostroma was founded - the Spaso-Zaprudnikovsky Monastery.

It is known that in the same year 1239, Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich blessed his son, the right-believing Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, to marry Alexandra, the daughter of the Polotsk Tsar Prince Bryachislav. And here one more feature of the Feodorovskaya icon is revealed: on the reverse side there is an image of the holy martyr Paraskeva (Friday), who was considered in Rus' the patroness of weddings and brides.

During the stay of the Feodorovskaya icon in Kostroma, many miraculous events were revealed: the Kostroma Cathedral burned twice, and twice the icon remained intact in the fire. In 1260, the Tatars approached Kostroma, and the city was threatened with complete ruin. The militia of the prince was only a small squad, which he managed to hastily gather. Not relying on his own strength, the prince ordered to carry the image of the Defender of Christians in front of him. During the battle, a miracle happened: dazzling rays of light began to emanate from the face of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Tatars, struck by the burning rays, fled, the battle ended in victory for the Kostroma. In memory of this miracle, the prince approved the cross, just on the spot where the icon stood during the battle, later a stone chapel was built there, and the nearby lake was named Holy.

Icon of the Mother of God Feodorovskaya - a miracle

One of the significant events in the history of our country is also associated with the name of the Feodorovskaya icon - the election of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom in 1613. In the Trinity Cathedral of the Ipatiev Monastery, the embassy Zemsky Cathedral for a long time persuaded Mikhail Fedorovich and his mother, nun Martha, to accept the election. To all their prayers, they remained adamant. Only the speech of Theodoret, Archbishop of Ryazan, who hoped for the help of the Most Holy Theotokos, persuaded Martha to agree to bless her son for the kingdom. She fell before the Feodorovskaya icon and said: “May Thy will be done, Lady! I entrust my son into Your hands: guide him on the true path, for the good of Yourself and the Fatherland! Since that time, the image of the Feodorovskaya Mother of God was especially revered by all representatives of the Royal House of the Romanovs. Many Russian tsarinas and princesses of foreign origin received patronymics.

There are several copies of the Feodorovskaya icon, the first of which was made by the nun Marfa, which she brought with her to Moscow.

Today, the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God is located in the Kostroma Epiphany-Anastasia Cathedral. In honor of this miraculous icon, two solemn holidays were established: on August 29, according to the new style, in memory of the miraculous appearance of the icon in 1239 and on March 27, in memory of the election of Mikhail Romanov to the kingdom.

To whom to pray before the icon of the Mother of God Feodorovskaya

The Theodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God is revered as:

• Patroness of brides, family well-being
• Childbirth in childless couples
• Help in difficult childbirth.

The miraculous Theodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God is the main shrine of Kostroma and one of the most revered icons of the Most Holy Theotokos in the entire Russian Church. Many legends are connected with its acquisition and subsequent existence in the Kostroma limits, partly reflected in the akathist. Researchers date the miraculous image to the 13th century, although, alas, the oldest layer of the icon's writing, which has been repeatedly updated, has almost not been preserved.

In 1613, the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Feodorovich, was blessed with the Feodorovskaya icon, and since that time it has received special meaning as the patroness of the royal house, and lists from her diverge in many in all Russian cities.

In the Soviet era, the Feodorovsky icon was perhaps the only all-Russian shrine that escaped museum imprisonment (although it lost its precious robe during the campaign to seize church valuables and for some time was in the hands of the Renovationists).

Now the Feodorovskaya Icon resides in the Kostroma Epiphany-Anastasia Monastery. in the temple St. Sergius Radonezh in Krapivniki there is a miraculous list, apparently dating back to the 18th century.

Before the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, they traditionally pray for a good marriage, the gift of children, and help in overcoming family unrest. Every Saturday at 4:00 p.m., a prayer service with an akathist is served in our church near the Feodorovsky icon.

Celebration days:

• March 27 (March 14, old style) - blessing upon the election of Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov to the kingdom;
• August 29 (August 16, old style) - the memory of the appearance of the miraculous image.

Troparion, tone 4

By the coming of Your honest icon, the Mother of God, / the God-protected city of Kostroma, rejoiced today, / like ancient Israel to the covenant of the Covenant, / flows to the image of Your face / and our God incarnated from You, / yes, by Your Maternal intercession to Him / you intercede all the time, / under shade of your shelter to those who run, / peace and great mercy.

Kontakion, tone 8

Giving gratitude to Thee, Thy servants, the Theotokos, about all, / Thou hast done good to our city, / From the depths of our souls we cry out to You and have mercy on us: / Do not stop, Mistress, / Maternal to Your Son and our God with prayers / give all the good and saving to all, / by faith and love crying out to Ty: / rejoice, Virgin, praise of Christians.

Prayer before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Feodorovskaya"

O Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary! To whom shall I call, Mistress, to whom shall I resort in my sorrow, to whom shall I bring my tears and sighs, if not to Thee, Queen of heaven and earth. Who will tear me out of the mud of sins and iniquities, if not You, O Mother of the Belly, Intercessor and Refuge of the human race. Hear my groaning, console me and have mercy in my sorrow, protect me in troubles and misfortunes, deliver me from bitterness and sorrows and all sorts of ailments and diseases, from enemies visible and invisible, pacify the enmity of those who torment me, may I be delivered from slander and human malice; so free me from your own flesh of vile customs. Cover me under the shade of Your mercy, may I find peace and joy and cleansing from sins. I entrust myself to your maternal intercession: wake me Mother and hope, protection, and help, and intercession, joy, and consolation, and an ambulance in everything.

O wonderful mistress! Everyone who flows to You without Your almighty help does not depart: for this sake, and I am unworthy, I resort to You, so that I will be delivered from sudden and fierce death, gnashing of teeth and eternal torment. I will receive the Kingdom of Heaven and I will be honored with you in the tenderness of the heart of the river: rejoice, Mother of God, our zealous Intercessor and Intercessor, forever and ever. Amen.