The icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir means what helps. What helps the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God

  • 14.10.2019

double sided icon

First third of the 12th century

  • Onasch 1961: 11th–12th centuries
  • Antonova, Mneva 1963: Beginning of the 12th century.
  • Bank 1967: First half of the 12th century.
  • Kamenskaya 1971: The beginning of the XII century.
  • Onasch 1977: 11th–12th centuries
  • Alpatov 1978: First half of the 12th century.
  • Lazarev 1986: First half of the 12th century.
  • Βοκοτοπουλος 1995: First third of the 12th century
  • State Tretyakov Gallery 1995: First third of the 12th century.
  • Icons of the Assumption Cathedral 2007: First third of the 12th century.
  • Bulkin 2008: Beginning of the 12th century.
  • Bayet 2009: Early 12th century

Beginning of the 15th century. Andrei Rublev (?).

The Mother of God presses her son, sitting on her right hand, to her. Raising his childishly rounded face, he leaned against the cheek of his bowed mother and put his arm around her neck. The right hand of the infant Jesus is stretched forward and touches the shoulder of the Mother of God. Maria supports the engulfed with her left hand from. 58
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¦ by the impetuous movement of the child, who directed wide-open round eyes at her. Closing the thin lips of her small mouth, Maria looks straight ahead with her large oblong eyes, as if illuminating her narrow, elongated face. The left leg of the baby is bent so that the sole of the foot is visible 2.

2 This detail has become an indispensable attribute of iconography Our Lady of Vladimir from the 15th century

The Vladimir icon, according to the restoration work of 1918, was written down four times: in the first half of the 13th century, after the devastation of Batu; at the beginning of the 15th century; in 1514, during the work on decorating the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, and, finally, in 1896 by the restorers O. S. Chirikov and M. I. Dikarev. Minor chinks were also produced in 1566 and in the 18th and XIX centuries 3 . The faces, unlike the rest of the icon, were painted without applying a new layer of gesso, directly over old drying oil which contributed to their preservation.

3 The chronicles preserved information about the renovation of the monument only in 1514 (PSRL, vol. XIII, St. Petersburg, 1904, “The Sophian Second Chronicle.” - In the book: PSRL, vol. 6, St. Petersburg, 1853, about the renovation of the painting of the Assumption Cathedral) and 1566 (“Antiquities of the Russian State”, section 1, M., 1849, text, p. 5).

The oldest paintings of the 12th century include the faces of a mother and a baby, a part of a blue cap and a border of a maforium with a gold assist, a part of an ocher chiton with a gold assist of a baby with a sleeve up to the elbow and a transparent edge of the shirt visible from under it, a brush of the left and a part of right hand baby, as well as the remains of a golden background with fragments of the inscription: “Mr. .U".

The color of the original painting is based on a combination of deep, rich shades of cherry red, blue, orange-yellow and greenish-olive with gold.

A drawing was made on a greenish preparation; facial modeling was done in ocher with white and cinnabar; after the imposition of reddish shadows, a layer of ocher was applied again, after which greenish shadows were painted. The child's face is done in the same way, but its preparation is lighter, and there are more glazes (floats - successive overlays of different shades of paints).

The mother's face is made with transparent pinkish ocher, connected with tonal transitions with greenish shadows painted along the oval of the face, on the temples, under the eyebrows and lower eyelids, near the nose, mouth and on the neck. A barely visible dark blush merges with the whole colors. Rich in various shades, transparent layers of red paint lie on the cheeks, forehead, eyelids, eyebrows, along the nose and on the chin. Free whitening strokes are placed along the shape of the nose and above the left eyebrow. The eyes are light brown, with a red teardrop. The lips are written in cinnabar in three shades. The cap is blue with a dark blue, almost black edge.

The baby's face is also made in ocher, but with the addition of white. Reddish transparent tones round out the oval of his face, cheek and chin. On the tip of the nose and on the lips are smears of dark cinnabar, which also marks the teardrops. White lies on the most illuminated places: above the right eyebrow, on the rounded tip of the nose and on the chin. Lighter than that of the mother, the color scheme conveys the childish whiteness of the skin of the face, a small hand of the left hand and part of the right hand lying on top of the dark from. 59
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¦ maternal clothes. The eyes of Jesus are filled with brown and green tones. Light brown hair was preserved above a prominent forehead.

On the baby's torso there is a fragment of a 13th-century chink, running from the shoulder to the waist. The ends of the fingers of the left hand of the Mother of God, originally located higher and to the left than in the painting of the 16th century that have come down to us at this place, have also been preserved.

By the beginning of the 15th century (around 1411) are parts of the clothes of the Mother of God and the baby on the lower left; parts of the baby's shoulder and arm, feet, hair and neck; the right hand of the Mother of God, her ear, a part of a dark green cap and a golden border of maforium. Attention is drawn to these fragments by the picturesque execution of the baby's feet, the thin transparent melts of the mother's right hand, the baby's massive neck and chestnut curls of his hair. The deep tone of brown maforium, combined with the greenish ocher of the himation of the baby, decorated with a golden assist, forms a characteristic range of cold colors 4 . The artist who carried out the restoration at the beginning of the 15th century was most likely Andrey Rublev 5 .

4 From similar sonorous combinations of pure, cold shades, the color of the reverse side of the icon with the image of the throne, filled, in all likelihood, is composed at the same time.

5 Comparison of the coloring of the parts of the Vladimir icon dating back to the beginning of the 15th century leads to this conclusion with its copy made by Andrey Rublev in 1395, the so-called “reserve Vladimir icon”.

It is also significant that the drawing of the baby's feet on the Vladimir State Tretyakov Gallery is close to these details of Andrei Rublev's fresco on the altar pylon of the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir. This conclusion is led by a comparison of the coloring of the parts of the Vladimir icon, dating back to the beginning of the 15th century, with its copy made by Andrei Rublev in 1395, the so-called “reserve Vladimir”, which is now in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Until the 17th century information has survived that Rublev was the author of one of the Kremlin icons of the Mother of God. In 1669, in the Figurative Chamber, “the dungeon (case. - V. A.) pure Rublev’s letters” were kept (A. I. Uspensky, Church and archaeological repository at the Moscow Palace in the 17th century, M., 1902, p. 68) .

“Spare Vladimirskaya” is written, in contrast to the composition of the original ancient icon, somewhat shortened: this is not a half-length, but rather a bust image. Both hands of the Mother of God are on the same level; her eyes are not directed straight ahead, but to the left, in the direction where her head is tilted.

The Rublevsky version of Vladimirskaya was widely used in the 15th century. This is due to the glory of Rublev and the fact that the work he wrote was in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

The contributions of the Moscow nobility to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery preserved excellent examples of this type of Vladimirskaya (see Yu. A. Olsufiev, Inventory of the icons of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Sergiev, 1920, p. 83, contribution by M. V. Obraztsov).

For a detailed argumentation of the attribution of the “spare Vladimirskaya” to Andrei Rublev, see V. I. Antonova, Moscow artist Andrei Rublev. Report at the session dedicated to the 600th anniversary of Andrei Rublev at the Academy of Arts of the USSR, read on September 17, 1960.

It is also significant that the drawing of the baby's feet on the Vladimir State Tretyakov Gallery is close to these details of Andrei Rublev's fresco on the altar pylon of the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir.

The third significant renewal of the Vladimir icon in the news of the Sophia Times is associated with the murals of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, executed in 1514. Then the maphorium of the Mother of God, which has come down to our time, was written, her left hand, most of the clothes of the baby and the brush of his right hand 6 .

6 At the same time, a "kivot" was made for Vladimirskaya, decorated with silver and gold.

The colors of the restorations of the beginning of the 15th and 16th centuries were selected in accordance with the color of the original painting, which had darkened by that time. The golden melts of the beginning of the 15th century, as well as the dark tint and dull colors of the 16th century, do not disturb the restrained, almost monochrome range of colors of the monument.

The light yellowish ocher of the beginning of the 15th century with the letters "Ө", "IC ХС" and the darker, orange-hued ocher of the 16th century replaced the lost original gold on the background and margins. Judging by the nature of the background and margins, they were repaired already when they were closed with a salary 7 .

7 The Ipatiev Chronicle under 1155 preserved information about the salary of Vladimir, made by Andrey Bogolyubsky. In 1176, Yaropolk removed her precious headdress from the icon; she herself was for some time in the hands of Gleb Ryazansky (PSRL, vol. I, St. Petersburg, 1846, pp. 159, 161). In 1237, the Tatars "... plundered the Holy Mother of God, a wonderful icon of an odrash, decorated with gold and silver and a dredge stone ..." (ibid., p. 197). In 1411, the Tatars of Tsarevich Talych again stole the salary of Vladimirskaya. At this time, Metropolitan Photius of Moscow was in Vladimir; behind him, hiding in the forests, the Tatars were chasing (PSRL, vol. XI, St. Petersburg, 1897, p. 216). It is possible that, in memory of his salvation, Photius made a salary for the Vladimir, instead of the one stolen by the Tatars: I believe that it was then that Andrei Rublev restored the icon itself, which was in Vladimir.

Two of her garments, stored in the State Museum, have survived to our time. Armory in the Moscow Kremlin. It is possible that the first one with a chased golden deesis at the top, dating back to the 13th century, combined with a golden basma of the 15th century, was made for the so-called “reserve Vladimirskaya” - a copy attributed to Andrei Rublev. The second, until 1918, located on the original Vladimirskaya, consists of parts of the beginning of the 15th century. , made, as mentioned above, by order of Metropolitan Photius (1410–1431, see M. Alpatoff, Die Frühmoskauer Reliefplastik ... - “Belvedere”, Wien, 1926, No. 9–l0) and parts of 1656–1657. performed by master Peter Ivanov (see I. E. Zabelin and Kholmogorov brothers, Materials for the history, archeology and statistics of Moscow churches, part I. M., 1884, p. 30).

On the reverse side (beginning of the 15th century) there is an inscription with instruments of passion, covered with a red cloth decorated with gold ornaments with pink gaps and blue gold borders. He stands on a lilac earth with brown stains, depicting a floor lined with colored marble. On the throne are blue nails, a book with a blue edge and a gold cover decorated with pearls and precious stones, as well as an ocher crown of thorns. A white dove with a golden halo and red paws stands on a book. Above the throne rises an olive-green cross in two tones, a spear with a blue tip and a cane 8 . Pale yellow background, ocher fields, 16th century.

8 The altar on the back of the Vladimir icon is similar in design, coloring and ornamentation to the image of the altar in the "Wine Distribution" from the festive row of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, associated with the last stage of Rublev's work. The manner of drawing the throne could hardly have changed over the decade that the compared monuments share, which speaks in favor of attributing the work in question to Andrei Rublev.

The board is linden, with later extensions on all sides. Traces of the hilt are preserved below. Pavoloka (?), gesso, egg tempera. The original size is 78 x 55, the size with finishing touches is 100 x 70. from. 60
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Disclosed in 1918 by G. O. Chirikov in the Commission for the Disclosure of Ancient Russian Painting.

Around 1136, the icon was brought from Constantinople along with the icon of the Mother of God Pirogoshcha and placed in Vyshgorod near Kiev 9 . In 1155, she was taken away from Vyshgorod to Vladimir by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky (Lavrentiev and Ipatiev Chronicles). In 1395, she was brought to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin under the leadership. book. Vasily Dmitrievich (PSRL, vol. XXV, M.–L., 1949, pp. 222–225).

9 Between 1131 and 1136 the Church of Our Lady of Pirogoshcha was built in Kyiv (N. Zakrevsky, Description of Kyiv, vol. 2, M., 1868, pp. 713–717).

After 1395, the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir was returned to Vladimir 10; for the second time it was brought to Moscow in 1480. The following information has been preserved about this: 1. Chronicles, telling about the already mentioned raid on Vladimir by the Tatar prince Talych in 1411, they say that in the Assumption Cathedral the Tatars “knocked out the doors of the church and entered the nude (church. - V. A.), the icon the miraculous Holy Mother of God is dressed and also other icons ”(PSRL, vol. XXV, M.–L., 1949, p. 240). 2. In the Followed Psalter of the 16th century of the library of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra No. 321, it says under June 23: "... the miraculous icon of the Most Pure Mother of God came from Volodymyr to the city of Moscow 6988 (1480)". The establishment in Moscow on June 23, 1480 of the celebration of the Vladimir Icon speaks of the final transfer only at the end of the 15th century. Since no other noteworthy event took place that day, it is very likely that the Vladimir Icon arrived in Moscow for the second time on that day, where it has remained to this day.

10 Return of Vladimirskaya between 1395 and 1480. in Vladimir could be caused by the still strong idea at that time about the specific isolation of parts of the future Russian state. It was believed that the destinies had a pre-emptive right to monuments related to their history. In addition, Vladimir - the city from where the great reign passed to Moscow, enjoyed special attention of the Moscow princes. So, for example, the Prince of Moscow Vasily Dmitrievich, using the hands of his masters Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, resumes in 1408 the murals of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir.

It is possible that the “reserve Vladimirskaya” made in Moscow around 1395 by the same Andrei Rublev refers to the Moscow annalistic news of 1471 (PSRL, vol. XXII, St. Petersburg, 1901, p. 130).

In 1480, when Moscow became the center of the Russian state, and the Assumption Cathedral of its Kremlin became the Russian pantheon, the final transfer to Moscow of the most ancient icon is quite natural (see about this L. A. Dmitriev, On the dating of the “Tale of the Battle of Mamaev”. - In the book: “Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature of the Institute of Russian Literature of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR”, X, M.–L., 1954, pp. 195–197).

Received from the State Historical Museum in 1930. from. 61
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GTG 1995


from. 35¦ 1. MOTHER OF GOD OF VLADIMIR
First third of the 12th century
Constantinople
On the back:
Throne and Instruments of the Passion
Early 15th century (?)
Moscow

Wood, tempera. 104×69; original size 78×55
Inv. 14243

The image of the Mother of God is half-length, of the "Tenderness" type. The Mother of God holds the Christ child on her right hand, her head is bowed to the right. The baby presses his cheek against the face of the Mother of God and hugs her with his left hand around the neck, his face is turned upwards. The right hand of the baby is stretched forward and touches the shoulder of the Mother of God. The legs of Christ are covered with a chiton to the feet, the left one is bent so that the foot is visible.

The general tone of the carnation of the face of the Mother of God is light, it is determined by the combination of a greenish-olive sankir, translucent in places through the top layer and left almost uncovered in shady places, and light pinkish ocher. All colors are so fused that their transitions are almost imperceptible to the eye. On the cheeks, light pink ocher imperceptibly turns into an intense blush. The transition from a pink tone laid on top of green shadows is also gradually given. On the upper eyelids pink tone gradually thickens to dark red. The smooth curve of the outline of the nose is also emphasized.

Tears in the corners of the eyes are filled with red, the pupils are light, greenish-brown, with a black dot in the center, eyelashes and pupils are outlined with a dark stripe. The line of the nose is highlighted with two bright white highlights. A similar glare of light, but softer, given by a thin layer of pink and white, lies on the forehead. A small mouth with thin lips is painted with bright red paint, which has barely noticeable transitions from a light tone to a darker one. Deep green shadows lie around the eyes, near the nose, above the bridge of the nose, on the chin and along the oval of the face.

The baby's face has a lighter carnation tone. His style of writing is broad and picturesque. On top of the greenish sankir is a thin layer of ocher with the addition of white. On the forehead, on the right temple, on the cheek, a pink color is laid, thickening to the contour, the outline of the nose is indicated by a gradual increase in red. The red color of the blush and contour shadows contrasts with the sankir shadows and bright white highlights on the chin, the tip of the nose. Traces of bleaching engines are visible above the eyebrow, above the lip and on the cheek near the eye. The eyelids are outlined in brown, the upper ones are darker. The pupils are light brown with a dark dot in the center.

The border between the faces of the Mother of God and the baby is not indicated by a contour line, but is given by a color comparison of the green shadow on the baby's cheek and the pink cheek of the Mother of God. The only contour line is the brown stroke of the fingers of the left hand of Christ, lying on the neck of the Mother of God.

Initially, the Mother of God was wearing a cherry-red maforium with a dark border, decorated with golden lines (small fragments of it are visible above the baby's head), a bright blue cap. Chiton and himation of Christ in ocher tone with golden linear cutting. A white transparent shirt is visible from under the sleeve of the tunic.

The background was gold (fragments of the original background are visible above).

The husk is steep, the initial margins are narrow (later extended on all sides). The nimbuses have not been preserved.

Inscriptions. Above, fragments of a cinnabar monogram: ΜΡ ΘΥ (the letters M and the rest have been preserved from the author's painting, fragmentarily); lower left late monogram in cinnabar: IC XC.

Reverse side. The throne is depicted with a pink-red cover, decorated with gold ornaments and a blue border with gold trim. On the throne are: a closed Gospel with a blue edge in a gold setting, ornamented with stones and pearls, four nails and a crown of thorns. On the Gospel - a symbol of the Holy Spirit - a white dove with a golden halo. Behind the throne rises a high eight-pointed cross. On either side of him is a spear and a cane with a sponge at the end.

The background is pale yellow, the fields are ocher. Dung imitating marble, lilac with brown lines of stains.

Inscriptions. On the sides of the crosshairs IC XC; below NIKA

Board of two parts of unequal width. The fields of the icon were enlarged on all four sides for a salary no later than the beginning of the 15th century. one . The two lower bars are made up of four parts, as they fill the gaps between the preserved parts of the ancient handle fork, which was embedded in the lower field. The lower part of it was sawn off when increasing the margins for the salary.

1 See about it Anisimov A.I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / USSR Ministry of Culture. All-Union Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 187, 238. The size of the icon, in all likelihood, was increased at the beginning of the 15th century, when, under Metropolitan Photius, a new gold filigree setting was made for the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir. It was probably made by visiting Greek craftsmen. In the 17th century under Patriarch Nikon, the icon was decorated (1657) with a golden riza. In 1919, during the restoration of the icon, the frame and the riza were removed (they are in the GOP). For salaries, see

  • Alpatoff M. Die fruhmoskauer Reliefplastik. Beschlags der Ikone der Gottesmutter von Wladimir und ein Evangeliumdeckel des Sergiev-Troitzky Klosters. Belvedere, 1926, Nr. 9–10, p. 237–256;
  • Pisarskaya L.V. Monuments of Byzantine art of the 5th-15th centuries in the State Armory. M.; L., 1964, p. 18, 19, tab. XIX–XXV;
  • Postnikova-Loseva M. M., Protasyeva T. N. The front gospel of the Assumption Cathedral as a monument of ancient Russian art of the first third of the 15th century // Old Russian art of the 15th - early 16th centuries. M., 1963, p. 162–172;
  • Bank A.V. Byzantine art in collections Soviet Union. L.; M., 1966, tab. 291-295, p. 329, p. 23–24;
  • Grabar A. Les revêtements en or et en argent des icones byzantines du Moyen Age. Venise, 1975, no. 41, p. 68–72, fig. 88–97;
  • Nikolaeva T.V. Applied art of Moscow Russia. M., 1976, p. 20, 176;
  • Ryndina A.V. Monuments of the Paleolog style in Moscow silver of the first half of the 15th century: Report at the II International Symposium on Georgian Art. Tbilisi, 1977, p. nine;
  • Tolstaya T.V. Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin: To the 500th anniversary of the unique monument of Russian culture. M., 1979, p. 28, 29, ill. XVIII, 111, 116, 117;
  • Ryndina A.V. Salary of the Gospel of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (On the issue of the jewelry workshop of Metropolitan Photius) // Ancient Russian Art. Handwritten book: Sat. articles. M., 1983, p. 146–150;
  • Bobrovnitskaya I. A. Golden setting with the Deesis rank of the icon "Our Lady of Vladimir" // Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin: Materials and Research. M., 1985, p. 215–234.

Front side. The ark is deep, with a steep husk; gesso is thin; canvas - under late inserts 2, as well as on the margins of the icon.

2 A. I. Anisimov suggested that “the faces and, perhaps, the figures themselves were layered with canvas; against the background of gesso lay directly on the board. In note. he points out that the nature of the state of the faces lying on the gesso, dotted with cracks, along the edges of which the soil has risen, suggests the presence of a fastening canvas at the bottom. Otherwise, the painting could not hold on and crumbled ( Anisimov A.I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / USSR Ministry of Culture. All-Union Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 234). However, the X-ray examination of the icon showed the presence of the lining only in the margins and under the later inserts; there is no lining in other places. The radiograph of the icon was made by MP Vikturina in 1974 in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Reverse side. The ark is the same as on the front one, thin weave, gesso.

Preservation. Front side. From the original painting, the faces of Mary and the baby, the hair on his forehead, part of the right hand and the left hand have been preserved; fragments of the blue cap of the Mother of God, a dark red maphorium and a border near her right eye, a part of an ocher chiton with a gold assist of a baby and a transparent shirt visible from under it, the remains of a gold background and letters.

The icon has been updated several times. According to the restoration works of 1918 3 , it was painted four times: in the first half of the 13th century, at the beginning of the 15th century, in 1514, during the work on decorating the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, and, finally, in 1895-1896 for the coronation of Nicholas II restorers O. S. Chirikov and M. I. Dikarev 4 . Minor chinks were also produced in 1566 and in the 18th and 19th centuries.

  • OR GTG, f. 67, units ridge 252;
  • Anisimov A.I. The History of the Vladimir Icon in the Light of Restoration // Proceedings of the Art History Section of the Institute of Archeology and Art History. M., 1928, no. 2, p. 92–107, tab. VIII, IX;
  • Anisimov A.I. Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God // Seminarium Kondakovianum. Prague, 1928, p. 105–189.
  • Anisimov A.I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / USSR Ministry of Culture. All-Union Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 179, 230, 427.

From the original restoration of the XIII century. a fragment of the dark purple robe of Christ below the shoulder has been preserved with the tips of two fingers of the left hand of the Mother of God visible on it 5 .

5 “Partial tests showed that in this place, under the record of the 13th century, the painting of the original was still preserved. The latter was left, however, not opened, in order to preserve the only surviving fragment of the first restoration of the icon" ( Anisimov A.I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / USSR Ministry of Culture. All-Union Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 253).

By the time of the second renovation, made at the beginning of the 15th century, there are parts of the clothes of the Mother of God and the baby: a dark maphorium and a yellow, olive-colored tunic of Christ with a golden assist (lower left); part of the shoulder and arm of the baby; both of his legs (except for the upper part of the right foot), hair and neck; the right hand of the Mother of God (up to the ends of four fingers), parts of a maforium with a yellow border and a dark cap (near the baby’s left hand) and fragments of a light yellow background with dark red letters "IC" "XC" and "Θ".

The third renovation dates back to 1514, and the fragments of this restoration occupy the largest area: a significant part of the maphorium of the Mother of God and her left hand, as well as the fingers of the right hand, the middle part of the red-brown tunic of the baby, the right hand of Christ, part of his right leg and fragments of dark -brown background, in which the fields of the icon are also painted.

During the renewal of the icon, most of the ancient painting was not preserved, the old gesso was cut out and a new one was applied. The only exception was the painting of faces, which were painted over the old drying oil, which is why the ancient layer remained completely undamaged. On the face of the Mother of God, near the chin of Christ and next to his left hand, there are two inserts; in general, the preservation of the faces is good.

Reverse side. Painting of the 15th century has been preserved, there are minor losses with loss of painting and gesso, mainly at the junction of boards. The most significant: in the lower left corner (three large losses that exposed the canvas); in the lower right corner, a large gesso insert, running along the junction of the boards, passes to the right of the image of the crown through the entire centerpiece; gesso insert along the husk near the right margin.

Restoration. In December 1918 - April 1919, it was discovered by G. O. Chirikov under the supervision of I. E. Grabar, A. I. Anisimov and A. I. Grishchenko in the Commission. Olifil icon F. A. Modorov. The diagram showing the restoration fragments of the painting was made by I. A. Baranov 6 . from. 35
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  • OR GTG, f. 67, units ridge 252;
  • Anisimov A.I. The History of the Vladimir Icon in the Light of Restoration // Proceedings of the Art History Section of the Institute of Archeology and Art History. M., 1928, no. 2, p. 82–107, tab. VIII, XX.

In 1929, G. O. Chirikov made a copy of a fragment of an ancient painting depicting the faces of the Mother of God and the infant Christ (size 27 × 19; wood, tempera, State Tretyakov Gallery, inv. DR-472).

Origin. From Constantinople. Around 1130 7 brought to Kyiv and placed in the convent of the Virgin in Vyshgorod. In 1155, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky transferred the icon of the Mother of God from Vyshgorod to Vladimir, decorated it with an expensive salary and placed it in the Assumption Cathedral 8 , built in 1158-1161 9 . AI Anisimov, analyzing the ancient “Tale of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon...”, makes the assumption that the icon was in the altar near the altar, taking the place of the “altar” image 10 . After the assassination of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1176, Prince Yaropolk Rostislavovich removed the expensive headdress from the icon 11, and Gleb of Ryazansky had it. Only after the victory of Prince Mikhail, Andrey's younger brother, over Yaropolk did Gleb return the icon and headdress to Vladimir 12. When taking from. 37
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¦ Vladimir Tatars, during the fire of the Assumption Cathedral in 1237, the cathedral was plundered and the salary was torn off from the icon of the Mother of God 13 . The Book of Power speaks of the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral and the resumption of the icon of the Mother of God by Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich 14 . In 1395, on August 26, during the invasion of Tamerlane under Prince Vasily Dmitrievich, the icon was solemnly transferred to Moscow, and on the same day Tamerlane retreated and left the Moscow state. The icon was placed in the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral, to the right of royal doors 15 . Probably, after that she was taken to Vladimir more than once. The return of the icon to Moscow in 1480 is specially marked as the second transfer of the icon 16 . In 1812, the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir was taken away for several months to Vladimir and Murom, and then returned to Moscow to the Assumption Cathedral, where it remained until 1918, when it was taken for restoration. From 1926 to 1930 she was in the State Historical Museum.

7 The icon was brought along with another icon of the Mother of God, called Pirogoshcha, for which a church was built. The Ipatiev Chronicle under the year 6640 (1132) reports: “This summer, the church of the stone of the Holy Mother of God, rekmaya Pirogoshcha, was laid” ( T. 2: Ipatiev Chronicle. SPb., 1843, p. 12) and indicates the completion of its construction in 6644 (1136) ( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 2: Ipatiev Chronicle. SPb., 1843, p. fourteen). The Laurentian Chronicle speaks of the laying of the Pirogoshche church in 1131 ( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. SPb., 1846, p. 132), i.e. both icons were brought from Constantinople before the time of the construction of the Pirogoshcha church.

8 The Lavrentiev and Trinity chronicles under 1155 report the transfer of the icon by Andrei Bogolyubsky to Vladimir: “The same summer, Andrei went from his father Suzhdal, and brought the icon of the Holy Mother of God, bringing in a single ship with Pirogoshcha from Tsaryagrad; and forge in the nude more than three hundred hryvnias of gold, except for silver and precious stones and pearls, and decorate and put it in the church of your Volodymyr ”( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. SPb., 1846, p. 148). In the oldest “Tale of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God”, which dates from the second half of the 12th century, we read: “I want Prince Andrei to reign on the Rostov land, and I began to talk about icons, telling him an icon in Vyshgorod in the women’s monastery, our most holy mistress Theotokos ... and came to church, and began to look at the icons, this icon seemed to have passed away all the images. Seeing you and falling down on the ground, praying the verb: O most holy Mother of God, mother of Christ our God, if you wish me to be the intercessor of the Rostov land, visit the newly enlightened people, yes, according to your will, all these will be. And then we will take the icon and go to the Rostov land "( [Klyuchevsky V.] The Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. (Monuments of ancient writing, XXX). SPb., 1878, p. 29–31). After the transfer of the icon by Andrei Bogolyubsky, it began to be revered as the palladium of the city of Vladimir, which is why it was called Vladimirskaya.

9 The Ipatiev Chronicle, speaking of the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, names the dates: the year of laying - 1158 and completion - 1161 ( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. SPb., 1846, p. 150).

  • [Klyuchevsky V.] The Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. (Monuments of ancient writing, XXX). SPb., 1878, p. 31–37;
  • Anisimov A.I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / USSR Ministry of Culture. All-Union Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 289.
  • Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. SPb., 1846, p. 159;
  • Antonova V. I., Mneva N. E. State Tretyakov Gallery: Catalog of ancient Russian painting of the 11th - early 18th centuries. Experience of historical and artistic classification. M., 1963, vol. 1, 2, vol. 1, p. 62, note. 7.
  • Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. SPb., 1846, p. 161.

13 “Tatars, by force, opened the doors of the church, and seeing both (shut with Bishop Mitrofan in the temple) died by fire, but they betrayed death with weapons to the end; plundered the holy Mother of God, adorned a wonderful icon, adorned with gold and silver and precious stones ... "( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. SPb., 1846, p. 197).

14 “And henceforth this miraculous image of the Theotokos, like its former magnificence, accepts a worthy adornment” ( Book of Degree. M., 1775, part 1, p. 541).

15 “And bring it [the icon] into the most famous temple of its glorious Assumption, which is the great Cathedral and Apostolic Church of the Russian Metropolis, and put it in an icon case on the right side of the country, where it still stands visible and worshiped by all” ( Book of Degree. M., 1775, part 1, p. 552).

16 For more details see Anisimov A.I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / USSR Ministry of Culture. All-Union Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 217–227. A. I. Anisimov quotes from Tales of effective officials(1627) on the occasion of the removal of Akhmat from the Ugra on June 23, 1480, which refers to the second bringing of the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Vladimir to Moscow: , to the steppe of the reigning city of Moscow and the whole Russian land.

Admission. In 1930 from the State Historical Museum.

Iconography. Front side. The iconographic type of the Mother of God holding the baby Christ in her arms, who presses his cheek to her face, was called "Tenderness". A similar composition is known in early Christian art. It became widespread in the 11th century. For details on the history of the iconographic type of the Mother of God "Tenderness" ("Eleuses"), see.

  • Kondakov N.P. Monuments of Christian art on Mount Athos. SPb., 1902, p. 164;
  • Alpatoff M., Lazareff V. Eine byzantinisches Tafelwerk aus der Komnenepoche. Jahrbuch der preussischen Kunstsammlungen. Berlin, 1925, Bd. 46, S. 140–155;
  • Lazarev V. N. Byzantine painting: Sat. articles. M., 1971, p. 282–290;
  • Grabar A. L'Hodigitria et l'Eleusa // Collection for the fine art. Novi Sad, 1974, No. 10, p. 8–11;
  • Grabar A. Les images de la Vierge de Tendresse. Type iconographique et theme // Zograf. Beograd, 1975, No. 6, p. 25–30;
  • Anisimov A.I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / USSR Ministry of Culture. All-Union Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 166-173, 252-258;
  • Tatіћ-Ђuriћ M. Mother of God of Vladimirska // Collection for Likovne Cleverness. Beograd, 1985, [issue] 21, p. 29–50.

Reverse side. The Throne with the Gospel (The Throne prepared - “Etimasia”) symbolizes the invisible presence of God and is interpreted on the basis of the texts of Holy Scripture and the comments of the Church Fathers, depending on which image this image is associated with.

The throne represents the Last Supper, and the Tomb of Christ, and his resurrection, and the second coming on the day doomsday; cross, cane, spear and nails - redemptive sufferings of Christ. The throne with the image of the Gospel and the dove next to the cross and instruments of passion symbolically represents the Trinity. The image of Etimasia in monumental paintings was often placed in the apse (this became especially widespread in the 12th century) and revealed the meaning of the Eucharistic sacrifice ( 1960, S. 58–61; Babich 1966, from. 9–31). The reverse and front sides of the icon have a single symbolic and dogmatic content. The cross and instruments of passion reveal the mournful meaning of the image of the Mother of God, pointing to the coming sufferings of Christ.

  • 1960 = Bogyay, T. von. Zur Geschichte der Hetoimasie. Akten des XI Internationalen Byzantinischen Kongresses. München, 1958. München, 1960, pp. 58–61.
  • Babich 1966 = Babi G. Christoloshka strife in the XII century and put down the Byzantine churches. Bishops in the service before the Hetimasi and archbishops in the service before the lamb // Collection for the litter of excellence. Novi Sad, 1966, br. 2, p. 9–31 (in Serbo-Croatian).

Attribution. Front side. According to church tradition, the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir was painted by the evangelist Luke himself. L. A. Uspensky says about the icons attributed to the Evangelist Luke: “The authorship of the Holy Evangelist Luke must be understood here in the sense that these icons are lists (or rather, lists from lists) from icons once painted by the Evangelist” ( Uspensky L. 1989, from. 29).

AI Anisimov attributed the icon to the second half of the 11th century. ( Anisimov 1928/1 (1983), from. 183, 184; Anisimov 1928/3 (1983), from. 272). V. I. Antonova dated the beginning of the XII century. ( Antonova, Mneva 1963, vol. 1, no. 5). In subsequent works, V. N. Lazarev and A. Grabar called the time of execution - the first half of the XII century. ( Lazarev 1967, p. 204, 257, nota 82; Grabar 1974, p. 8–11). One thing is clear - the icon was painted before it was transferred to Kyiv, that is, before 1130.

  • Uspensky 1989 = [Uspensky L. A.] Theology of the icon of the Orthodox Church / Ed. Western European Exarchate. Moscow Patriarchy. [M.], 1989.
  • Alpatoff, Lazareff 1925 (1978/1) = Alpatoff M., Lazareff V. Lazarev 1978/1, from. 9–29.
  • Anisimov 1928/1 (1983) = Anisimov A.I. Anisimov 1983, from. 165–189.
  • Anisimov 1928/3 (1983) = Anisimov A.I. Anisimov 1983, from. 191–274.
  • Antonova, Mneva 1963 = Antonova V. I., Mneva N. E.
  • Lazarev 1967 = Lazarev V. Storia della pittura bizantina. Torino, 1967.
  • Grabar 1974 = Grabar A. L'Hodigitria et l'Eleusa // Collection for the fine art. Novi Sad, 1974, No. 10, p. 8–11.

Reverse side. Probably the icon is already in the XII century. was bilateral. This is evidenced by the nature of the ark and the husk, the same as on the front side of the icon. There are numerous examples of ancient images of the cross on the back of the icons of the Mother of God (see Fig. Sotiriou 1956–1958, fig. 146–149; Grabar 1962, p. 366-372). It is possible that from the very beginning on the back of the icon "Our Lady of Vladimir" there was an image of the throne with the Gospel, the cross and instruments of passion, which was renewed during later restorations. Similar iconography is found in Byzantine art of the 12th century. (see. Cross with enamel images from the sacristy of the cathedral in Kozienica, on which is placed in a circle under the "Crucifixion" the image of the throne with a red cover, a spear and a cane on the sides, on it are nails, a bowl and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove ( Talbot Rice 1960, tab. XXIV). Researchers who wrote about the icon dated the reverse painting to the beginning of the 15th century. and connected it with the time of the second renewal of the front side, i.e. with the era of Andrei Rublev. A detailed substantiation of this point of view was given by A.I. Anisimov ( Anisimov 1983, from. 186, 187, 262–266), it was supported by V. I. Antonova and N. E. Mneva, believing that the renewal of the obverse and reverse sides of the beginning of the 15th century. performed by Andrey Rublev ( Antonova, Mneva 1963, vol. 1, no. 5).

  • Sotiriou 1956–1958 = Sotiriou G. et M. Icones de Mont Sinai. Athenes, 1956-1958, t. 12.
  • Grabar 1962 = Grabar A. Sur les icones bilaterales // Cahiers archeologiques. Paris, 1962, vol. 12, p. 366–372.
  • Talbot Rice 1960= Talbot RiceD. The Art of Byzantium. New York, 1960.
  • Anisimov 1983 = Anisimov A.I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / USSR Ministry of Culture. All-Union Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983.
  • Antonova, Mneva 1963 = Antonova V. I., Mneva N. E. State Tretyakov Gallery: Catalog of ancient Russian painting of the 11th–18th centuries. M., 1963. T. 1–2.

The study of the icon under a binocular microscope confirmed the dating of the 15th century. The background and letters were written at a later time, perhaps at the end of the 19th century.

Exhibitions.

  • 1920 Moscow;
  • 1926 Moscow;
  • 1974 Moscow, No. 7;
  • 1975 Leningrad / 1977 Moscow, No. 468 (not exhibited).

Literature.

  • Snegirev 1842, from. 13, 14 = Snegirev I. M. Monuments of Moscow antiquity [...]. M., 1842
  • Sakharov 1849, from. 20 = Sakharov I. Research on Russian icon painting. SPb., 1849, book. 2
  • Snegirev 1849, from. 3–7, tab. 1 = [Snegirev I.] Antiquities of the Russian state. M., 1849, part 1
  • Shirinsky-Shikhmatov 1896, tab. 26 = Big Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. Collection of phototype shots / Ed. book. A. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov. M., 1896
  • Rovinsky 1856 (1903), from. 13 = Rovinsky D. A. The history of Russian schools of icon painting until the end of the 17th century // Zapiski Imp. Archaeological Society. SPb., 1856, v. 8, p. 1–196. Republished under the title: Review of icon painting in Russia until the end of the 17th century. SPb., 1903
  • Kondakov 1911, from. 172, fig. 119 = Kondakov N.P. Iconography of the Mother of God. Connections of Greek and Russian icon painting with Italian painting of the early Renaissance. SPb., 1911
  • Alpatoff, Lazareff 1925 (1978/1), S. 140–155 = Alpatoff M., Lazareff V. Eine byzantinisches Tafelwerk aus der Komnenepoche. Jahrbuch der preussischen Kunstsammlungen. Berlin, 1925, Bd. 46, S. 140–155. Reissued: Lazarev 1978/1, from. 9–29
  • Wulff, Alpatoff 1925, S. 62–66, Taf. 22, 23 = Wulff O., Alpatoff M. Denkmäler der Ikonenmalerei in kunstgeschichtlicher Folge. Hellerau; Dresden, 1925
  • Grabar 1926 (1966), from. 52, 55 (note 64), 60, 71, 84, 101–103, fig. from. 108= Grabar I. Andrei Rublev. Essay on the artist's work according to the restoration work of 1918-1925 // Questions of restoration. M., 1926, no. 1, p. 7–112. Reissued: Grabar 1966, from. 112–208
  • Anisimov 1926/1, No. 1, p. 12, 13 = Anisimov A.I. Guide to the exhibition of monuments of ancient Russian icon painting / State Historical Museum. M., 1926
  • Anisimov 1928/1 (1983), from. 93–107 = Anisimov A.I. The History of the Vladimir Icon in the Light of Restoration // Proceedings of the Art History Section of the Institute of Archeology and Art History. M., 1928, no. 2, p. 93–107. Reissued: Anisimov 1983, from. 165–189
  • Anisimov 1928/2 (1983), from. 110, 111, fig. from. 99= Anisimov A.I. Pre-Mongolian period of ancient Russian painting // Questions of restoration / Central state restoration workshops. M., 1928, no. 2, p. 102–180. Reissued: Anisimov 1983, from. 275–350
  • Anisimov 1928/3 (1983) = Anisimov A.I. Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God // Seminarium Kondakovianum. Praha, 1928. Reprinted: Anisimov 1983, from. 191–274
  • Grabar 1930 (1966), R. 29–42 = Grabar Y. Sur les origins et l'evolution du type iconographique de la Vierge Eleusa // Melanges Charles Diehl. Studies sur l'histoire et sur L'Art de Byzance. Paris, 1930, vol. 2, p. 29–42. Reissued: Grabar 1966, from. 209–221
  • Brehier 1932, R. 160, p1. XX,XXVII = Brehier L. Les icones dans l'histoire de L'Art Byzance et la Russie // L'Art byzantin chez les Slaves. Deuxième recueil dédié à la mémoire de Th. Uspenskij. Paris, 1932, 1, p. 150–173
  • Kondakov 1933, from. 217–220 = Kondakov N.P. Russian icon. Vol. 4: Text, part 2. Prague, 1933
  • Guide 1934, from. 13, 14, ill. 1 = Tretyakov Gallery: Guide on the art of feudalism / Comp. N. Kovalenskaya. M., 1934, no. one
  • Catalog State Tretyakov Gallery 1947, from. 16, tab. 2 = State Tretyakov Gallery: Catalog of works of art on display. M., 1947
  • Lazarev 1947–1948 (1986), vol. 1, p. 125, tab. XXXVIII; v. 2, tab. 198= Lazarev V. N. History of Byzantine Painting. M.; L., 1947–1948, vol. 1–2. Reissued: * Lazarev 1986
  • Alpatov 1948, from. 230; 1955, p. 69, 84 = Alpatov M.V. General history of arts. M., 1948, v. 1
  • Antonova 1948, from. 44-52, 85-91, 200-217 = Antonova V.I. Monuments of painting in Rostov the Great. (Fund of dissertations of the RSL). M., 1948
  • Lazarev 1953/1, from. 442, 443 (fig.), 444 (table), 446, 462, 494, 496 = Lazarev V. N. Painting of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus // History of Russian Art. In 13 volumes / Ed. I. E. Grabar. M., 1953, v. 1, p. 442–504
  • Onasch 1955, S. 51–62 = Onasch K. Die Icone der Gottesmutter von Wladimir in der Staatlichen Tretiakov-Galerie zu Moskau // Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Martin-Luther Universität. Halle-Wittenberg Jahrg. V. 1955. Heft I, S. 51–62
  • Svirin 1958/2, from. 3, tab. 3, 4 = [Svirin A. N.] Old Russian painting in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery: Album. M., 1958
  • Antonova 1961, from. 198–205 = Antonova V.I. On the question of the original composition of the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God // Byzantine Vremennik. M., 1961, v. 18, p. 198–205
  • Antonova, Mneva 1963, vol. 1, no. 5, p. 56–64, tab. 7–10 = Antonova V. I., Mneva N. E. State Tretyakov Gallery: Catalog of ancient Russian painting of the 11th - early 18th centuries. Experience of historical and artistic classification. M., 1963, v. 1, 2
  • Pertsev 1964, from. 91, 92 = Pertsev N. V. On some methods of depicting a face in ancient Russian easel painting of the 12th–13th centuries. // Communications of the State Russian Museum. L., 1964, [issue] 8, p. 89–92
  • Bank 1966, ill. 223, 224, p. 315, 370 = Bank A.V. Byzantine art in the collections of the Soviet Union. L.; M., 1966
  • 1967, p. 204, 257 (note 82), fig. 325, 326 = Lazarev V. Storia della pittura bizantina. Torino, 1967
  • Vzdornov 1970/3, from. 26, 27, 36, ill. 1, 2 = Vzdornov G.I. On the theoretical principles of the restoration of ancient Russian easel painting // Theoretical principles of the restoration of ancient Russian easel painting / All-Union Conference. Moscow, November 18-20, 1968. Reports, messages, speeches. M., 1970, p. 18–95
  • Lazarev 1971/1, from. 282–290 = Lazarev V. N. Byzantine painting: Sat. articles. M., 1971
  • 1974, p. 8–11 = Grabar A. L'Hodigitria et l'Eleusa // Collection for the fine art. Novi Sad, 1974, No. 10, p. 8–11
  • Lazarev 1978, from. 9–29 = Lazarev V. N. Byzantine and ancient Russian art: Articles and materials. M., 1978
  • Tolstaya 1979, from. 14, 28, 29, 32, 37, 42, 43, 46, 56, 62, 63, tab. XVIII, ill. 73, 111, 116, 117 = Tolstaya T.V. Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin: To the 500th anniversary of the unique monument of Russian culture. M., 1979
  • Yakovleva 1980, from. 39= Yakovleva A. I. Techniques of personal writing in Russian painting of the late 12th - early 13th century // Ancient Russian Art. Monumental painting of the XI-XVII centuries. M., 1980, p. 34–44
  • Tatic-Djuric 1985, from. 29–50 = Tatіћ-Ђuriћ M. Mother of God of Vladimirska // Collection for Likovne Cleverness. Beograd, 1985, [issue] 21, p. 29–50 (in Serbo-Croatian)
  • Lazarev 1986, from. 94, 98, 112, 113, 227, ill. 325, 326. = Lazarev V. N. History of Byzantine Painting. M., 1986

S. 38
¦

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God depicts the Mother of God. It is one of the most revered relics of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: Tradition

According to pious tradition, the image of the Mother of God of Vladimir was written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior ate with the Most Pure Mother and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “From now on, all birth will please Me. The grace of Him who was born of Me, and Mine, be in this way.”

Until the middle of the 5th century, the icon remained in Jerusalem. Under Theodosius the Younger, it was transferred to Constantinople, from where in 1131 it was sent to Russia as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverha. The icon was placed in a maiden monastery in the city of Vyshgorod, not far from Kyiv, where it immediately became famous for many miracles. In 1155, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, St. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, wishing to have a glorified shrine in his place, moved the icon to the north, to Vladimir, and placed it in the famous Assumption Cathedral erected by him. Since that time, the icon has received the name of Vladimirskaya.

During the campaign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky against the Volga Bulgarians, in 1164, the image of the "Holy Mother of God of Vladimir" helped the Russians to defeat the enemy. The icon was preserved during a terrible fire on April 13, 1185, when the Vladimir Cathedral burned down, and remained unharmed during the ruin of Vladimir Batu on February 17, 1237.

The further history of the image is already entirely connected with the capital city of Moscow, where it was first brought in 1395 during the invasion of Khan Tamerlane. The conqueror with his army invaded the borders of Ryazan, captured and ruined it and directed his way to Moscow, devastating and destroying everything around. While the Moscow Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich was gathering troops and sending them to Kolomna, in Moscow itself, Metropolitan Cyprian blessed the population for fasting and prayerful repentance. By mutual advice, Vasily Dmitrievich and Cyprian decided to resort to spiritual weapons and transfer the miraculous icon of the Most Pure Mother of God from Vladimir to Moscow.

The icon was brought to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The chronicle reports that Tamerlane, having stood in one place for two weeks, suddenly became afraid, turned south and left Moscow. A great miracle happened: during procession with a miraculous icon, heading from Vladimir to Moscow, when countless people knelt on both sides of the road and prayed: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!”, Tamerlane had a vision. Before his mind's eye appeared a high mountain, from the top of which saints descended with golden rods, and above them in a radiant radiance appeared the Majestic Wife. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. He was told that the radiant Wife is the Mother of God, the great Protector of Christians. Then Tamerlane ordered the regiments to go back.

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of Russia from the invasion of Tamerlane, on the day of the meeting in Moscow of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God on August 26 / September 8, a solemn church holiday of the Presentation of this icon was established, and a temple was erected at the very place of the meeting, around which the Sretensky Monastery was later located.

For the second time, the Mother of God saved Russia from ruin in 1480 (commemorated on June 23 / July 6), when the army of Khan of the Golden Horde Akhmat approached Moscow.

The meeting of the Tatars with the Russian army took place near the Ugra River (the so-called “standing on the Ugra”): the troops stood on different banks and waited for a reason to attack. In the front ranks of the Russian troops they kept the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir, which miraculously put the Horde regiments to flight.

Third celebration Vladimir Mother God's (May 21 / June 3) recalls the deliverance of Moscow from the defeat by Makhmet-Girey, Khan of Kazan, who in 1521 reached the limits of Moscow and began to burn her settlements, but suddenly retreated from the capital without harming her.

Before the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, many important events of Russian church history took place: the election and installation of St. Jonah - Primate of the Autocephalous Russian Church (1448), St. Job - the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1589), His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon (1917), as well as in all centuries, oaths of allegiance to the Motherland were taken before her, prayers were performed before military campaigns.

Iconography of the Mother of God of Vladimir

The icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir belongs to the “Carssing” type, also known under the epithets “Eleusa” (ελεουσα - “Merciful”), “Tenderness”, “Glycofilus” (γλυκυφιλουσα - “Sweet Kiss”). This is the most lyrical of all types of iconography of the Virgin, revealing the intimate side of the communication of the Virgin Mary with her Son. The image of the Mother of God caressing the Infant, his deep humanity turned out to be especially close to Russian painting.

The iconographic scheme includes two figures - the Mother of God and the Infant Christ, clinging their faces to each other. Mary's head is bowed to the Son, and He embraces the Mother by the neck with his hand. A distinctive feature of the Vladimir icon from other icons of the “Tenderness” type: the left leg of the Christ Child is bent in such a way that the sole of the foot, the “heel”, is visible.

In this touching composition, in addition to its direct meaning, there is a deep theological idea: the Mother of God, caressing the Son, appears as a symbol of the soul, which is in close communion with God. In addition, the embraces of Mary and the Son suggest the future sufferings of the Savior on the Cross; in the caressing of the Infant by the Mother, his future mourning is foreseen.

The work is permeated with a completely obvious sacrificial symbolism. From a theological point of view, its content can be reduced to three main themes: "the incarnation, the predestination of the Infant to sacrifice and the unity in love of Mary the Church with Christ the High Priest." This interpretation of the Mother of God Caressing is confirmed by the image on the back of the icon of the throne with the symbols of the Passion. Here in the 15th century they painted an image of the throne (etimasia - “the throne prepared”), covered with an altar cover, the Gospel with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, nails, a crown of thorns, behind the throne - the Calvary cross, a spear and a cane with a sponge, below - the floor of the altar flooring. The theological interpretation of etimasia is based on Holy Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers. Etimasia symbolizes Christ's resurrection and His judgment on the living and the dead, and the instruments of His torment - the sacrifice made for the atonement of the sins of mankind. The juxtaposition of Mary caressing the Child and the turnover with the throne clearly expressed the sacrificial symbolism.

Arguments have been put forward in favor of the fact that the icon was two-sided from the very beginning: this is evidenced by the same forms of the ark and the husks of both sides. In the Byzantine tradition, images of the cross on the back of the Virgin icons were not uncommon. Starting from the 12th century, the time of the creation of the “Vladimir Mother of God”, in Byzantine murals, etimasia was often placed in the altar as an image behind the altar, visually revealing the sacrificial meaning of the Eucharist taking place here on the throne. This suggests the possible location of the icon in antiquity. For example, in the Vyshgorod monastery church, it could be placed in the altar as a double-sided altar icon. The text of the Legend contains information about the use of the Vladimir icon as an altar and remote icon that moved in the church.

The luxurious attire of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which she had, according to the chronicles, also does not testify in favor of the possibility of its location in the altar barrier in the 12th century: decorate yu, put in the c (e) rqui of yours in Volodimer. But many of the portable icons were later strengthened precisely in iconostases, like the Vladimir icon in the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow, originally placed to the right of the royal gates:<икону>to the blessed temple of her glorious Assumption, which is the great Cathedral and Apostolic Church of the Russian Metropolis, and put it in a kiot on the right land, where it still stands visible and worshiped by all ”(See: Book of Power. M., 1775. Part 1 pp. 552).

There is an opinion that the "Vladimir Mother of God" was one of the lists of the icon of the Mother of God "Carssing" from the Blachernae Basilica, that is, a list from the famous ancient miraculous icon. In the Tale of the Miracles of the Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, she is likened to the Ark of the Covenant, like the Virgin Mary herself, as well as her Robe, which was kept in the rotunda of Agia Soros in Blachernae. The Legend also speaks of healings that are performed mainly thanks to the water from the ablutions of the Vladimir Icon: they drink this water, wash the sick with it, and send it to other cities in sealed vessels to heal the sick. This miraculous work of waters from the washing of the Vladimir icon, emphasized in the Legend, could also be rooted in the rituals of the Blachernae sanctuary, the most important part of which was the chapel of the spring dedicated to the Mother of God. Constantine Porphyrogenitus described the custom of bathing in a font in front of a marble relief of the Mother of God, from whose hands water flowed.

In addition, this opinion is supported by the fact that under Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in his Vladimir principality, the cult of the Mother of God, associated with the Blachernae shrines, received special development. For example, on the Golden Gates of the city of Vladimir, the prince erected the Church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of God, directly dedicating it to the relics of the Blachernae Church.

Style of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

The time of writing the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, XII century, refers to the so-called Komnenos' revival (1057-1185). This period in Byzantine art is characterized by the extreme dematerialization of painting, carried out by drawing faces, clothes with numerous lines, whitewash engines, sometimes whimsically, ornamentally lying on the image.

In the icon we are considering, the most ancient painting of the 12th century includes the faces of the Mother and the Child, part of the blue cap and the border of the maforium with a gold assist, as well as part of the ocher, with a gold assist tunic of the Infant with a sleeve up to the elbow and a transparent edge of the shirt visible from under it, a brush left and part of the right hand of the Infant, as well as the remains of a golden background. These few surviving fragments are a high example of the Constantinopolitan school of painting of the Komnenos period. There is no deliberate graphic character characteristic of the time; on the contrary, the line in this image is nowhere opposed to volume. The main remedy artistic expressiveness built on the "combination of insensible fluids, giving the surface the impression of miraculousness, with a geometrically clean, visibly lined line." “The letter of the personal is one of the most perfect examples of “Komnin's floats”, combining multi-layered successive modeling with the absolute indistinguishability of the brushstroke. The layers of painting are loose, very transparent; the main thing is in their relationship to each other, in the translucence of the lower ones through the upper ones.<…>A complex and transparent system of the correlation of tones - greenish sankire, ocher, shadows and highlights - leads to a specific effect of scattered, flickering light.

Among the Byzantine icons of the Komnenian period, the Vladimir Mother of God also highlights the deep penetration into the realm of the human soul, its hidden secret sufferings, characteristic of the best works of this time. The heads of Mother and Son pressed against each other. The Mother of God knows that Her Son is doomed to suffer for the sake of people, and sorrow lurks in Her dark, thoughtful eyes.

The skill with which the painter was able to convey a subtle spiritual state, most likely, served as the origin of the legend about the painting of the image by the Evangelist Luke. It should be recalled that the painting of the early Christian period - the time when the famous evangelist-icon painter lived, was the flesh of the flesh of the art of late antiquity, with its sensual, "life-like" nature. But, in comparison with the icons of the early period, the image of the Vladimir Mother of God bears the stamp of the highest "spiritual culture", which could only be the fruit of centuries-old Christian thoughts about the coming of the Lord to earth, the humility of His Most Pure Mother and the path they traveled of self-denial and sacrificial love.

Honored miraculous lists with icons of the Vladimir Mother of God

From the Vladimir Icon Holy Mother of God many lists have been written over the centuries. Some of them became famous for miracles and received special names depending on the place of origin. This:

  • Vladimir - Volokolamsk icon (commemorated Mr. 3 / 16), which was the contribution of Malyuta Skuratov to the Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery. Now it is in the collection of the Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art.
  • Vladimirskaya - Seligerskaya (memory D. 7/20), brought to Seliger by Nil Stolbensky in the 16th century.
  • Vladimirskaya - Zaonikievsky (memory M. 21. / In. 3; In. 23 / Il. 6, from the Zaonikievsky monastery), 1588.
  • Vladimirskaya - Oranskaya (memory M. 21 / In. 3), 1634.
  • Vladimirskaya - Krasnogorskaya (Chernogorskaya) (memory M. 21 / In. 3). 1603.
  • Vladimir - Rostov (commemorated Av. 15/28), XII century.

Troparion to the Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, Tone 4

Today, the most glorious city of Moscow flaunts brightly, / like the dawn of the sun, O Lady, Your miraculous icon, / to her now, flowing and praying to You, we cry out to you: / oh, wonderful Lady Theotokos, / pray from you to our incarnate God, / may deliver the city this and all the cities and countries of Christianity are unharmed from all the slander of the enemy, // and our souls will be saved, like Mercy.

Kontakion to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Tone 8

To the victorious Chosen Governor, / as if they were delivered from the evil ones by the coming of Your honest image, / Lady of the Mother of God, / we lightly create the feast of Your meeting and usually call Thee: / Rejoice, Bride Unbrideed.

Prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

O All-Merciful Lady Theotokos, Heavenly Queen, Omnipotent Intercessor, our shameless Hope! Thanks to Thee for all the great blessings, in the generations of the Russian people from You who were, before Your most pure image, we pray to Thee: save this city (or: this whole, or: this holy monastery) and your coming servants and all the Russian land from gladness, destruction , land of shaking, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare. Save and save, Madam, our Great Lord and Father Kirill, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Our Lord (name of the rivers), His Grace Bishop (or: Archbishop, or: Metropolitan) (title), and all the Most Reverend Metropolitans, Archbishops and Orthodox bishops. Give them good governance of the Russian Church, keep the faithful sheep of Christ indestructible. Remember, Lady, and the entire priestly and monastic rank, warm their hearts with zeal for Bose and, worthy of your title, strengthen each and every one. Save, Lady, and have mercy on all Your servants and grant us the path of the earthly field without blemish. Confirm us in the faith of Christ and in zeal for the Orthodox Church, put into our hearts the spirit of the fear of God, the spirit of piety, the spirit of humility, give us patience in adversity, abstinence in prosperity, love for our neighbors, forgiveness for the enemy, prosperity in good deeds. Deliver us from every temptation and from petrified insensibility, on the terrible day of Judgment, vouchsafe us with Your intercession to stand at the right hand of Your Son, Christ our God. He deserves all glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

______________________________________________________________________

These long and numerous movements of the icon in space are poetically interpreted in the text of the Tale of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which was first found by V.O. Klyuchevsky in Milyutin's Chetia-Minei, and published according to the list of the collection of the Synodal Library No. 556 (Klyuchevsky V.O. Legends about the miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. - St. Petersburg, 1878). In this ancient description, they are likened to the path that the solar luminary travels: “When God created the sun, he did not set it to shine in one place, but, going around the whole Universe, it illuminates with rays, so this image of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is not on one place… but, bypassing all countries and the whole world, enlightens…”

Etingof O.E. To the early history of the icon "Our Lady of Vladimir" and the tradition of the Blachernae cult of the Theotokos in Russia in the 11th-13th centuries. // Image of the Mother of God. Essays on Byzantine iconography of the 11th-13th centuries. - M .: "Progress-Tradition", 2000, p. 139.

Ibid, p. 137. In addition, N.V. Kvilidze published a painting by the deacon of the Church of the Trinity in Vyazemy at the end of the 16th century, where on the south wall there is a liturgy in the temple with an altar, behind which is the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir (N.V. Kvilidze. Newly discovered frescoes of the altar of the Church of the Trinity in Vyazemy. Report in the Department of Old Russian Art at the State Institute of Art Studies, April 1997).

Etingof O.E. To the early history of the icon "Our Lady of Vladimir" ...

Throughout its history, it was recorded at least four times: in the first half of the 13th century, at the beginning of the 15th century, in 1521, during alterations in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin and before the coronation of Nicholas II in 1895-1896 by the restorers O. S. Chirikov and M. D. Dikarev. In addition, small repairs were carried out in 1567 (in the Miracle Monastery by Metropolitan Athanasius), in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Kolpakova G.S. Art of Byzantium. Early and middle periods. - St. Petersburg: Publishing House "Azbuka-Klassika", 2004, p. 407.

Ibid, p. 407-408.

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The image of the Mother of God is especially revered by all Orthodox Christians. The Vladimir icon is notable for its special power: prayers before it more than once saved entire cities from inevitable death.

History of the icon

According to legend, the Vladimir icon was painted during the life of the Mother of God by the apostle and evangelist Luke. During the meal, the apostle had a wonderful vision of the future of the Christian people, and he, taking a board from the table, began to write the image of the Mother of God with the Infant Jesus in her arms. The Virgin Mary did not interfere with the apostle, for she saw that he was moved by the Will of the Lord.

Where is the holy image

For a long time, the Vladimir Icon was located in the holy city of Jerusalem. In the middle of the 12th century, the image was donated Kievan Rus and was kept in the Mother of God Monastery in the city of Vyshgorod. A little later, Andrei Bogolyubsky moved the icon to Vladimir, where it remained for a long time. At the moment, the miraculous image of the Vladimir Mother of God is located in Moscow, in the church of St. Nicholas.

Description of the icon

The Vladimir icon depicts the Mother of God with the baby Jesus in her arms. The look of the Mother of God is directed directly at the person praying standing in front of the icon, the face is serious and full of sorrow for the sins of this world.

The Mother of God firmly presses the Infant Jesus to her, and His gaze is directed upwards, at the Mother of God. Thus, the image shows the great love of the Lord for His Mother, which all believers should be equal to.

What helps the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

The Vladimir image of the Mother of God saved Russia from invaders more than once. That is why the image is prayed for the well-being of the country, for salvation in difficult and dangerous life situations, as well as for the preservation of peace.

There are known cases of miraculous healings that occurred during a common prayer in front of the icon. Therefore, the Vladimir image of the Virgin Mary is prayed for healing from bodily and mental illnesses.

Prayers before the Vladimir Icon

“All-merciful Intercessor, Protector and Protector! We humbly pray to You, bowing before You in tears: expel, Mistress, death, trampling the souls of the faithful servants of the Lord, turn the enemies and deliver our land from all evil! O Lady, we hope in You, and our prayer flies to You, for we trust only in You and pray to save our lives and souls. Amen".


“Queen of Heaven, merciful Intercessor, I humbly pray to You: do not leave my cry unanswered, hear me, a sinful and unworthy servant of God, take trouble, sickness and infirmity away from me. May my soul not turn away from the Lord, and prayer to the Most High will send grace on my forehead. Be merciful, Mother of God, and send miraculous healing to my soul and body. Amen".

Days of veneration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God - June 3, July 6 and September 8, according to the new style. At this time, any prayers to the Mother of God can completely change your life and destiny. We wish you peace of mind and strong faith in God. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

06.07.2017 05:36

The icon "Protection of the Virgin" is one of the most significant shrines among all Orthodox images. This icon...

In Orthodoxy, the Mother of God is honored on a par with Christ himself, and there are quite a few images of her. One of the most popular and interesting is the image of Vladimir, whose significance for Russia is great.

It is believed that the Evangelist Luke painted the first icon, and in the 5th century it passed from Jerusalem to Constantinople to Emperor Theodosius. The icon came to Russia already from Byzantium in the 12th century, approximately in 1131 - it was a gift from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverg to Prince Mstislav. Delivered the image of the Greek Metropolitan Michael who arrived the day before, in 1130.

History

Initially, the Mother of God was kept in the Mother of God convent in the city of Vyshgorod near Kyiv - hence her Ukrainian name Vyshgorod Mother of God. In 1155, the icon was taken by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky and moved to Vladimir - hence it follows Russian name. The prince adorned the image with an expensive salary, but after his death, on the orders of Prince Yaropolk, the jewelry was removed, and the icon was handed over to Prince Gleb of Ryazan. Only after the victory of Prince Michael, the Mother of God and the precious dress was returned back to the Assumption Cathedral.

In 1237, after the devastation of the city of Vladimir by the Mongol-Tatars, the Assumption Cathedral was also plundered, and the image again lost its decoration. The cathedral and the icon were restored under Prince Yaroslavl. After that, at the end of the XIV century, Prince Vasily I, during the invasion of Tamerlane's army, ordered the icon to be transported to Moscow to protect the capital. She was placed in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin on the right side of the royal gates. At the meeting place of the image with the Muscovites (“candlemas”), the Sretensky Cathedral was founded, and later the street of the same name was laid.

At the same time, Tamerlane's army suddenly, without any reason, turned back, reaching only the city of Yelets. It was decided that the Mother of God stood up for Moscow showing a miracle. But the miracles did not end there: similar sudden retreats occurred in 1451 during the invasion of the Nogai prince Mazovsha and in 1480 while standing on the Ugra River.

Experts believe that between the retreat of Tamerlane and standing on the Ugra, the icon was transported several times to Vladimir and back, since 1480 was especially marked by the return of the Vladimir icon to Moscow.

Later, the icon was taken away from the capital in 1812 to Vladimir and Murom, after the victory it was returned to the Assumption Cathedral and was not touched until 1918. This year the cathedral was closed Soviet power, and the image was sent for restoration. After 8 years, she was transferred to Historical Museum, and after 4 years - to the Tretyakov Gallery.

Since 1999, the icon has been in the church-museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi. This is a home church at the Tretyakov Museum, where services are held for believers, and the rest of the time the church is open as a museum hall.

In 1989, part of the icon (the eye and nose of Our Lady) were used in the logo of Mel Gibson's Icon Productions. This company released the film The Passion of the Christ.

Miracles

In addition to the incredible salvation of Moscow from enemies, other miracles performed by the Mother of God have been preserved in history:

Unfortunately, to find out which icon is involved in miracles(original from Constantinople or its copy), it is impossible, but many noted that almost all images work miracles.

Description

The Vladimir icon of the Mother of God belongs to the type (“Eleusa”), which is easy to identify. In contrast to the Kazan image, where the Infant is primarily the Son of the Lord and blesses people, and the Mother of God sees his fate in advance, the Vladimir one is more “human”, a mother with a child and her love for him are clearly visible in it. Widespread image received in the XI century, although it was known in early Christian times. The description of the image and its meaning are given below:

The first icon that came to Russia dates back to the 12th century, researchers believe that it was painted in Constantinople, that is, it was originally a list from the original of the Evangelist Luke. However, it is a monument of Byzantine painting of 1057-1185 (Comnenos' revival), which managed to be preserved.

The size of the icon is 78*55 cm. Over the centuries of its existence, it has been rewritten (redrawn in the same place) at least 4 times:

  1. In the first half of the XIII century;
  2. At the beginning of the XV century;
  3. In 1514, during the alteration in the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral;
  4. In 1895-1896 before the coronation of Nicholas II.

Also, the icon was partially updated in:

  1. 1567 by Metropolitan Athanasius in the Miracle Monastery;
  2. In the XVIII century;
  3. In the 19th century.

In fact, today only a few fragments remain from the original icon:

  1. Faces of the Mother of God and the Child;
  2. Full left and part of the right hand of the Child;
  3. Part of a blue cap and border with gold;
  4. Part of the golden-ocher tunic of the Child and the visible transparent edge of his shirt;
  5. Part of the general background.

The precious salary also suffered: the first salary ordered by Andrey Bogolyubsky (about 5 kg of gold alone, not counting silver and precious stones) was not preserved at all. The second was commissioned by Metropolitan Photius at the beginning of the 15th century and was also lost. The third was created in the middle of the 17th century by order of Patriarch Nikon from gold and is now stored in the Armory.

Copies

Today the Vladimir icon is a very common image and is in in large numbers temples around the world. Of course, to consider each Vladimir icon as a creation Luke is impossible: the very designation "Vladimirskaya" means a certain pose of the Mother of God and the Child, the expression of their faces. In fact, today all icons of this type are lists (copies) from the original, which has not reached us.

The most significant lists are:

All of the above icons although they are lists, they are revered as miraculous. Also, the Vladimir Mother of God became the basis for the creation of other images: “The Legend of the Vladimir Icon”, “The Presentation of the Vladimir Icon”, “The Vladimir Icon with the Akathist”, the Igorevskaya Vladimir Icon (an abbreviated version of the original), “Praise of the Vladimir Icon” (“The Tree of the Russian Sovereigns” , author Simon Ushakov).

honor days

The icon has only 3 dates:

  1. June 3: gratitude for the victory in 1521 over Khan Mahmet Giray;
  2. July 6: gratitude for the victory in 1480 over the Mongol-Tatars;
  3. September 8: gratitude for the victory in 1395 over Khan Tamerlane. This also includes the meeting (meeting) of the icon in Moscow.

These days, the same services are usually held, especially in churches with miraculous lists.

What helps

“The icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir helps in what way?” - ask the people who came to the temple. Most often, she was prayed for the protection of Russia from enemies, but this is not the whole list of her "opportunities". The icon is also used in more “small” situations:

For prayer, it is not necessary to come to the miraculous list, although, if possible, it should be used. You can also pray to the Mother of God at home, saying a ready-made prayer (easy to find on the Internet) or expressing a wish in your own words. No special rituals are required, and there is no need to come to the temple. The only condition is that thoughts must be pure. You can’t wish someone harm or say a prayer, thinking about an outsider.

Output

The miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God with the Child is not only one of the most popular images in Orthodoxy, but is also considered extremely emotional. It depicts not the Son of the Lord, but a mother protecting her child, whose fate was foreshadowed to her in advance.









A small feature of the Vladimir icon: this is the only image on which the foot of Jesus is visible.

The image of the Mother of God for the Orthodox world is one of the main ones. He is placed along with the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit and the Savior. The Mother of God is an intercessor, a mentor for each individual Christian and the whole country.

Icons of the Mother of God can be found in every church, every home of the Orthodox. Through them, she manifests her will, listens to those who pray, and helps. One of the most revered images - Vladimir. It appears in important historical events in Russia. The icon healed many people from ailments that modern medicine is unable to cope with.

The history of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is very interesting, but no less interesting is its description given by art historians, iconographers and scientists. It is a striking example of Byzantine painting of the XII century, has unique features.

Description

On the Vladimir icon, the Virgin Mary is depicted in a dark red robe. In the arms is the baby Savior. On his clothes there is a small green strip - clave, a symbol of royal power. The background is gold. Monogrammed on the sides.

The iconographic type of the icon is "Tenderness". Experts in icon painting claim that it was made in Byzantium. Estimated time of creation - XI-XII century. The image is a prime example of the changes in the art of that area. Artists, icon painters moved away from deliberate graphics, ceased to oppose lines to volume. Weak, almost invisible strokes are characteristic, which create a feeling of the miraculousness of the shrine. The lines are smooth, flowing from one another.

The “Tenderness” type is characteristic of the way the Mother of God and the Infant Savior are depicted. The Virgin Mary holds Jesus in her arms, her head is bowed to him. The little Savior presses his cheek against his mother's cheek. It is widely believed that just such an image enjoyed special honor in Constantinople. The type was formed in the XI-XII centuries AD. Icons "Tenderness" have a multifaceted symbolism.

Symbolism

"Tenderness" can be interpreted in different ways. On the one hand, it symbolizes the sacrifice made by the mother for the sake of all mankind. Is every mother ready to give her child to torture in order to save someone else? The sacrifice of the Virgin Mary is unlimited. She knew that the Son of God would live a difficult earthly life. Therefore, her mental anguish can be compared with all the pain that her son experienced.

Also icons "Tenderness" - a symbol of maternal love. The Mother of God is the common mother of all Christians, she protects us, helps us in difficult moments, intercedes before the Father-Lord for everyone.

The appearance of the shrine in Russia and the first miracles

This icon was painted presumably in the XII century. According to the legend, this is a list from the image made by Luke during the life of the Virgin Mary. The canvas served as a tabletop from the table at which the Savior dined with Joseph and his mother. In the 5th century, this icon came to Constantinople, and almost 700 years later, the clergyman Luke made a list of it and sent it as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky.

The son of Yuri, Andrei Bogolyubsky, went with the shrine to the other end of the country in order to establish a kingdom there independent of Kyiv. He was on his way to Vladimir. And here the icon for the first time showed itself as miraculous. Before Andrey had time to move away from the city, the horses stood up as if rooted to the spot. Nobody could move them. Then the horses were replaced, but even these refused to move away from Vladimir. Yuri realized that this was a sign and began to pray fervently. The Mother of God appeared to him, who said that the place of the icon is in this city. It was ordered to build a temple for her. The prince obeyed. Since then, the icon has become known as Vladimirskaya.

Created miracles

Since its appearance in Russia, the Vladimir icon has been revered by all segments of the population - from peasants to princes. History knows at least 3 cases when the Virgin Mary expressed her will several times through the shrine, pardoned entire cities, protecting them from death.

Briefly about the three most famous miracles:

  • Rescue from Khan Mehmet. In 1521, the Tatar leader was going to capture Moscow, he gathered a large army for this. The entire Orthodox population, bishops and government prayed before the icon of the Mother of God. In the end, she saved the city by appearing to Mehmet in a dream with a huge army. He was afraid of this sign and retreated.
  • Salvation from Khan Akhmat. The confrontation was won before it began. Akhmat led troops to the Ugra River and waited for action from the opposite side. The prince did not lead the soldiers on the offensive, but took up convenient positions. Fearing a trap, the enemy retreated. Before that, the Mother of God appeared in a dream to one pious nun, showing that it was impossible to take the icon out of the city. Khan retreated after they stopped the bishops who were about to do this, read a sincere prayer.
  • Salvation from Khan Tamerlane. He stepped back, seeing the Mother of God in his dream.

Icon celebrations are held in honor of each of these miracles.

The Mother of God responded to prayers ordinary people. She healed many from diseases that medicine is not able to defeat: blindness, heart defects, cancer.

miraculous lists

A distinctive feature of the Volokolamsk icon is the image of Saints Cyprian and Gerontius, with whom the arrival of the shrine to Moscow is associated

  • Volokolamsk copy of the icon of the Mother of God is in the Moscow Cathedral of the Assumption. In 1572, she was brought from Zvenigorod to the monastery of Joseph Volotsky. Saints Cyprian and Leonid played an important role in the fate of the Vladimir shrine, therefore they were honored to be included in its list. The first moved the icon from Vladimir to Moscow. At the second time, she finally gained a foothold in the capital, it was decided to leave her here, if not forever, then for a very long time. In 1588, a church was dedicated to the Volokolamsk shrine, and then it was transferred to the Assumption Cathedral. The shrine is considered miraculous.
  • Seliger list. Belonged to the Monk Nil Stolbensky, who lived near Lake Seliger, on Stolbny Island. Kept next to his relics. During the life of the clergyman, they tried to rob him: entering his cell, the criminals saw only an icon. And immediately they were blinded - the Lord protected the Nile, punishing the intruders. They repented, began to tearfully ask the reverend for forgiveness. Having forgiven them, Stolbny prayed to the Lord for the forgiveness of the men. They regained their sight.

On the Seliger icon, the Child is depicted to the right of the Virgin Mary.

The Vladimir icon is most often prayed for the salvation of the soul, guidance on the true path, and the protection of children. The Mother of God is ready to protect everyone who turned to her in sincere prayer. There were cases when she helped even non-Christians.