Icons of the Mother of God
Synaxis of the Gerontissa Icon of the Mother of God
The December 2 Feast Day of the Gerontissa Icon of the Mother of God commemorates a miracle which occurred on the night of December 1, 1948 when the Theotokos saved the Pantokrator Monastery on Mount Athos from a fire. Because of this event, the Icon also came to be known as the…
Icon of the Mother of God of Damascus
The Damascene Icon of the Mother of God, by ancient tradition, was painted by Saint John of Damascus in gratitude to the Theotokos for the miraculous healing of his right hand, cut off through the perfidy of Emperor Leo the Isaurian. This icon is also known as “Of the Three Hands” Icon…
“Vladimir” Icon of the Mother of God of Seliger
The Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Seliger comes from the island of Seliger in the Tver Province of Russia.
“Unexpected Joy” Icon of the Mother of God
The “Unexpected Joy” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is painted in this way: in a room is an icon of the Mother of God, and beneath it a youth is kneeling at prayer. The tradition about the healing of some youth from a bodily affliction through this holy icon is recorded in the book of…
Icon of the Mother of God the “Rescuer of the Drowning”
In the village of Lenkov on the bank of the Desno River near Novgorod, Russia, there was a dangerous whirlpool, which made the river difficult to cross. Often, the powerful swirling waters would cause the demise of ships and their passengers. It was at that dangerous site that an Icon of the…
Icon of the Mother of God of Novgorod
The Novgorod Icon of the Mother of God was painted by Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow (December 21), during his stay as igumen of a monastery on the River Rata at the boundary of the Malyi Dvorets. During a time of persecution, the Uniates plundered the Novgorod monastery, and the icon was…
Icon of the Mother of God “the Blessed Womb”
There are at least four distinct types of the “Blessed Womb” Icon. The Barlov Icon is a variant of the Hodēgḗtria Icon. It appeared on December 26, 1392, and it is in the Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow. The second example is similar to the “Milk-Giver” Icon (January…
“Bethlehem” Icon of the Mother of God
Within the magnificent Basilica of Christ’s Nativity in Bethlehem, the wonderworking icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, known as Bethlehemitissa, stands out. It is located in a prominent proskynitarion on the right side of the southern entrance of the Holy Cave of the Nativity. The infinite…
“All-Merciful Kykko” Icon of the Mother of God
The All-Merciful Kykko Icon of the Mother of God: This icon was painted, according to Tradition, by the holy Evangelist Luke. It received its name “Kykkiotisa” from Mount Kykkos, on the island of Cyprus. Here it was placed in an imperial monastery (so designated because it was built…
“Unfading Flower” Icon of the Mother of God at Ardatov
There is an Icon of the Mother of God with this name in Moscow, in the Dormition church of the Mogil'tsy. Another "Unfading Flower" Icon is in the third-class Ardatov women's monastery of the Protection, in the city of Ardatov, 50 versts from Arzamas. The Unfading Flower Icon shows the Mother of…