Tambov (Utkino) Icon of the Mother of God
In 1686, Saint Pitirim (July 28) came to Tambov and, along with other relics, he brought with him a copy of the Il'insk-Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God, considered to be the patroness of the southwestern region. For this reason, the Icon was placed at the southwestern gate of the city. Over time, the Icon began to be called Tambov, especially since there were some differences between it and the Il'insk-Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God.
On the borders of the Icon, on the right and on the left, were depicted: Saint Alexei, the Man of God, and Saint Eudoxia. It is assumed that these were the heavenly patrons of Bishop Pitirim's parents, and it is quite possible that he himself painted the images of those Saints.
Later, on the site of the southwestern city gate, a small wooden church was built and dedicated to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. It was in this church that the Icon was kept. And when the merchant Ivan Utkin built the stone church of the Holy Protomartyr Stephen at his own expense in 1771-1778, the Tambov Icon was transferred there and placed in the altar above the altar. People began to call the church by the name of the builder Utkinskaya, and the Icon was later completely forgotten.
But the Queen of Heaven reminded people of herself. At the beginning of the XIX century, a priest in Kaluga, was suffering from a malady of his legs and could not walk. He saw this Icon of the Mother of God in a dream. She told him: "Find this icon. Pray before it and you shall be healed." After the dream, the priest received some relief from his illness, so that he was able to walk, and immediately he began to search for the Icon he had seen in the dream. After visiting various villages and towns, he finally reached Tambov, where, after inspecting all the churches, he found the Icon he had seen in his dream in the altar of the Utkin church. After praying before it, he received complete healing. This incident became widely known in the city, and afterward there were several more miraculous healings of the townspeople.
The Tambov Icon became famous again, and when in 1835 the old Utkin church was severely damaged. At the request of the townspeople, the right side altar was consecrated in honor of the Tambov Icon of the Mother of God. With the passage of time, the grateful Tambov residents adorned the Icon with a luxurious silver-gilt riza with many precious stones. There were so many cures from the Icon that there was no time to record all of them. In 1888, by decree of the Holy Synod, a Cross Procession took place in all the churches of the city on April 16 in honor of the Tambov Icon, and in 1900 the church was once again called the church of the Theotokos.
After the 1917 revolution, Tambov's churches were devastated, and the wonderworking Icon also suffered. The riza was removed and the stones were pried out, and then it disappeared without a trace. There are revered copies of the wonderworking Icon in the city.
The Tambov Icon is commemorated on April 16, and again on July 28 (the repose of Bishop Pitirim).