Icons of the Mother of God
Icon of the Mother of God “You are a Vineyard” (Georgian: Shen khar venakhi)
On the Feast of Saint Basil the Great, we commemorate an Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos known as "You are a Vineyard," because on this day, through her Icon, the Most Holy Theotokos healed an unbelieving man of an incurable disease. After he was healed, he began to believe. Later, the Icon flowed…
Yelets Icon of the Mother of God
The only thing we known about this Icon is that it was located in the city of Yelts, Orlov Gubernia. In addition, the annals record the year of its appearance - 1060, which is the same as that of the Yelets-Chernigov Icon (February 5). Researchers believe that the Yelets Icon is a late copy of the…
Icon of the Mother of God “the Milkgiver”
The “Milk-Giver” Icon of the Mother of God was originally located at the Lavra of Saint Savva the Sanctified near Jerusalem. Before his death, the holy founder of the Lavra foretold that a royal pilgrim having the same name as himself would visit the Lavra. Saint Savva told the brethren…
Icon of the Mother of God of “the Akathist”
The “Akathist” Icon of the Mother of God is on the iconostasis of the Hilandar monastery’s katholikon. It is known as the “Akathist” Icon because, during a fire at the katholikon in 1837 an Akathist was being read before the icon, and it remained unharmed, to the joy…
Icon of the Mother of God, “Priestly”
The “Priestly” Icon of the Mother of God stands in the katholikon of Hilandar Monastery by a column of the left kliros. A certain heretical priest, having declared himself Orthodox, acted at the Hilandar monastery with evil purpose, but he was punished. During the procession for the…
Founder's Icon of the Mother of God at Vatopedi Monastery
The Founder's Icon of the Mother of God (Greek: Κτιτόρισσα) is also called Altarnitsa (Altárnitsa) or Bematarissa (Bēmatárissa). There are also other icons known by the name of Altarnitsa or Bematarissa (Commemorated on January 21, and Tuesday of Bright Week at Vatopedi Monastery).…
Icon of the Mother of God “the Joy & Consolation”
The Vatopedi “Comfort” or “Consolation” Icon of the Mother of God is in the old Vatopedi monastery on Athos, in the church of the Annunciation. It was called “Vatopedi” because near this monastery Arcadius, the son of Empreor Theodosius the Great, fell off a ship…
Icon of the Mother of God, “Stabbed”
The “Stabbed” Icon of the Mother of God, (Greek: “Esphagmeni.” Slavonic: “Zaklannaya”) dates from the fourteenth century, and is in the Vatopedi monastery on Mt. Athos, in a chapel dedicated to Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica. The icon was painted on canvas, and…
Icon of the Mother of God, “Xenophon Hodēgḗtria”
According to tradition, this wonderworking icon was for many years at the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, in the katholikon in front of a column on the left cliros. In 1730, it mysteriously disappeared not only from the church, but also from the monastery. Since the doors were locked, the monks…
Icon of the Mother of God “the Unexpected Joy”
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…
Translation to Moscow of the Icon of the Mother of God “Assuage My Sorrow”
The “Assuage my Sorrows” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was glorified at Moscow by many miracles in the second half of the eighteenth century, particularly during a plague in 1771. The icon had been brought to Moscow by Cossacks in 1640 in the reign of Tsar Michael (1613-1645), and…
Icon of the Mother of God Sumorin-Totma
The city of Tot'ma is located in the Vologda gubernia. Saint Theodosios contested nearby during the XVI century, and the spot was named Totemsk, after the place of his ascetical exploits. The residents of Tot'ma treated the aged Elder with reverence and helped him from their own means. When…
Icon of the Mother of God “Tinos”
This highly-venerated icon of the Annunciation was discovered in the ruins of the ancient church of Saint John the Baptist on January 30, 1823. An elderly man, Michael Polyzoes, had a dream shortly before the Feast of the Annunciation in 1821, in which the Mother of God appeared to him in shining…