Celebration of the Kazan Mother of God. Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God: signs, traditions, history

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is considered the patroness of the Russian land, which is confirmed by many historical facts. Since ancient times, Orthodox people prayed to her, asking for help and support in the most difficult times for Russia.

The Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated twice a year: in the summer - on July 21 - in memory of the appearance of the icon in Kazan, and on November 4 - in gratitude for the deliverance of Moscow and all of Rus' from Polish invaders.

Phenomenon

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God has a very interesting story. It was found in 1579 by a nine-year-old girl in the ashes of a terrible fire that destroyed part of the city of Kazan.

The fire in Kazan started in the house of the merchant Onuchin. After the fire, the Mother of God appeared to the merchant’s daughter Matrona in a dream and revealed to her that under the ruins of their house there was her miraculous image buried in the ground.

It still remains a mystery how the shrine fell into ruins. It is believed that it was buried by secret confessors of Christianity during Tatar rule.

At first they did not pay attention to the girl’s words, but when the dream repeated itself three times, they began to dig and found an icon of amazing beauty in the ashes. The holy image, despite the fire, looked as if it had just been painted.

The image was solemnly transferred to the parish church of St. Nicholas of Tula, the rector of which was then the pious priest, the future Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Hermogenes.

The future saint, who died at the hands of the Poles for his fidelity to Orthodoxy and was canonized, compiled a detailed account of the miracles of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

The fact that the icon was miraculous became clear immediately, since already during the procession the sight was restored to two Kazan blind people. These miracles were the first in long list cases of grace-filled help.

At the place where the icon was found, a convent, where Matrona and her mother took monastic vows.

So by the time difficult times came in Russia, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was no longer just known, but also very revered.

Many copies were made of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, and the icon itself became famous for its miraculousness - the sick recovered, the blind gained sight, enemies were defeated and expelled.

Most famous miracles The intercession of the Mother of God is associated with the events of the Time of Troubles. It is believed that it was the miraculous icon that helped the militia led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and merchant Kuzma Minin defeat the enemy on November 4, 1612 and liberate Moscow from the Poles.

Story

At the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, a series of tragic circumstances occurred in Russia and this era went down in history as the Time of Troubles. This is the era of the deep crisis of the Moscow state, caused by the suppression of the royal Rurik dynasty.

The dynastic crisis soon developed into a national-state crisis. One Russian state collapsed, numerous impostors appeared. Widespread robberies, robbery, theft, and widespread drunkenness struck the country.

By call His Holiness Patriarch Hermogenes, the Russian people stood up to defend their homeland. A list of the miraculous icon was sent from Kazan to the Nizhny Novgorod people's militia, which was headed by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin Holy Mother of God- Kazan.

The militia, having learned about the miracles performed by the icon, took it with them and constantly prayed in front of it, asking for help. They liberated Kitay-Gorod on October 22 (November 4, new style), and two days later they took the Kremlin. The next day, Russian soldiers went to the Kremlin with a religious procession with a miraculous image in their hands.

Artist G. Lissner. "The expulsion of Polish interventionists from the Moscow Kremlin. 1612."

In memory of the deliverance of Moscow from the Poles by the will of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, the first Russian Tsar of the Romanov dynasty, and the blessing of Metropolitan, later Patriarch Philaret, the Orthodox Church established annually on October 22 in Moscow the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God with a procession of the cross.

At first this celebration took place only in Moscow, but since 1649 it became all-Russian. It is believed that the Most Holy Theotokos took the Russian militia under her protection. The holiday was celebrated in Russia until the 1917 Revolution.

The icon of Our Lady of Kazan became the common shrine of Kazan, Moscow, St. Petersburg and all of Russia, where there were three main miraculous icons of Our Lady of Kazan - the discovered one and two copies.

One of the lists of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was brought into Moscow liberated from the Poles by Dmitry Pozharsky, who headed the people’s militia. Now it is kept in the Epiphany Patriarchal Cathedral in Moscow.

Traditions and signs

On this day, all people went to church, where they prayed for their homeland, for their loved ones and relatives, so that there would be peace and tranquility in families.

After the liturgy, all believers went to procession- with icons in their hands they walked around cities and villages, which symbolized the protection of the settlement from harm. Today they are limited to walking along the main streets or just around the church.

In the old days, women believed that on this day the Mother of God helped them. There were many protective rituals that women used on this day.

For example, a birch leaf gives beauty and protects against old age. To do this, early in the morning on the holiday, women went to birch grove, where they were looking for leaves covered with frost. Having torn off a piece of paper, they looked at it as if in a mirror. It was believed that after this the face would become clearer and younger, and the woman would look beautiful throughout the next year.

This day is considered happy for marriages and weddings. In the old days, it was believed that on such a bright day of the triumph of the Orthodox faith, it was the right time to create new family. Those who wanted to live family life without problems and in happiness, they tried to coincide the wedding ceremony precisely with the autumn holiday of the Kazan Mother of God.

There are many signs associated with the weather: if in the morning the ground is covered with fog, it will be warm, and if It is raining- it will snow soon, if the sun shines brightly - the winter will be just as sunny.

Rainy weather on this day is a good sign. People said that this Mother of God cries and prays for all people. She begs the Lord God for forgiveness for people and asks that their life be easier, so that the harvest will be next year was good and there was no hunger.

But dry weather, on the contrary, is bad omen. People say that if there is no rain on Kazanskaya, then next year will be very difficult. And you can’t count on a good harvest at all.

Also on this day, the villagers went out into their gardens and scattered salt on the ground: “they treated us to bread and salt” so that future harvest was rich and plentiful. After this, all the fields were walked around with the icon, and then a festive meal was held on the ground, consisting of gifts of earth and holy water.

What do they pray for?

The Kazan Mother of God is considered a miraculous icon, and prayers to her can be fateful. People believe that during any disaster, grief or misfortune, the Kazan Mother of God can cover a person asking for help from all troubles with her invisible veil and save him.

In front of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God they pray for the healing of eye and other diseases, protection of the house from disaster and fire, deliverance from enemy invasions, blessing of the newlyweds, the birth of children, family well-being.

Prayer

Oh, Most Pure Lady Theotokos, Queen of heaven and earth, the highest angel and archangel and the most honest, pure Virgin Mary of all creation, the Good Helper of the world, and affirmation for all people, and deliverance for all needs! You are our intercessor and representative, you are protection for the offended, joy for the grieving, refuge for the orphans, guardian for widows, glory for virgins, joy for those who cry, visitation for the sick, healing for the weak, salvation for sinners. Have mercy on us, Mother of God, and fulfill our request, for everything is possible through Your intercession: for glory befits You now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is a reliable patroness of the Russian land and its inhabitants.

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most revered and beloved shrines in Russian Orthodoxy. The miraculous Mother of Kazan repeatedly, in difficult times for Russia, provided help where it seemed there was no longer any hope of salvation. The Kazan icon is used to bless a marriage or an important life undertaking; it is given as a gift at the baptism of infants, and taken with them on long journey. Many who resort to this holy image with sincere prayer receive help in various life difficulties from the Most Holy Theotokos Herself.

Icon of Kazan Mother of God It was miraculously found on July 21 (new style) 1579 - this date is celebrated as the “Kazan summer”. The appearance of the icon was preceded by a fire, which, starting from the house of the archer Daniil Onuchin, turned half of Kazan and even part of the Kremlin into ashes.
Soon after this terrible event, ten-year-old Matrona Onuchina, the daughter of Daniel, had a vision. The Mother of God herself appeared to her in a dream and indicated the place from which Her Holy Image should be obtained. The girl told her mother about the sign, but she, not believing her, just waved it off. Matrona’s vision was repeated, but the mayors and the archbishop did not believe it in the same way when she and her mother turned to them. After the third, now formidable command of the Most Pure Virgin, Matrona herself, during the excavation of a fire on the site of the stove of her parents’ house, dug up the Holy Image.

The Feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is revered by Russian Orthodox people twice a year. There are not many other holy images that would be revered in Orthodoxy with the same power as the Kazan Icon. Miraculous icon, acquired back in late XVI century, has great value for the history of the Russian state. She is a symbol of unity Russian people and the triumph of Orthodoxy.

history of the holiday

Key moments in the chronicle of the medieval Muscovite kingdom are clearly reflected in the history of this icon.

The miraculous appearance of the icon of the Mother of God

Ivan the Terrible, included in the lists of Russian tsars as a ruler who significantly expanded the territory of his possessions, captured Kazan in 1552. After its annexation to the Russian state, the associates of Grozny actively instilled the Orthodox faith among local residents. Not everyone liked this decision of the new government. Muslims actively resisted Orthodox expansion. According to legend, it was their lack of faith that caused the terrible fire of 1579, which destroyed half of Kazan. In folk tales, fire is associated with the wrath of the Orthodox God.

The fire partially incinerated the Kazan Kremlin, but did not spare the houses of Orthodox Kazan residents. One of them, a ten-year-old girl named Matrona, soon after the fire saw the image of the Mother of God in a dream. The saint pointed out to the girl: in the place where Matrona’s house stood, Her miraculous image was buried in the ground. She ordered to dig up the icon, and Matrona told the mayor about her wonderful dream. However, no one listened to her. Twice more the Mother of God appeared to the young woman in a dream, the third time predicting: if the icon is not dug up, the image will be found in another place, and Matrona herself will die.

And for the third time, the mayors remained deaf to the child’s requests. Then, on July 8, Matrona’s mother and her daughter went to the ashes on their own. They found an icon wrapped in a piece of cloth. The image looked as if it had just been painted: the fire did not touch the work of the unknown master, presenting the clear face of the Mother of God.

The icon itself in classical iconography belongs to the type of Hodegetria - Guide. This holy image of the Mother of God holding the baby Jesus in her arms carries the meaning of worship of the Heavenly King who has appeared in the world. Only in contrast to the classic version, the Kazan Mother of God is depicted from the shoulder, not from the waist.

Loss of the Kazan Mother

Since its appearance, the Kazan Icon has become very popular. Lists from it were sent to different corners Russia, gaining veneration in temples and small churches. For just over three centuries, the original of the Mother of God of Kazan was kept in the Bogoroditsky Monastery in Kazan, built on the site where the image was found. In 1904, the icon of the Mother of God, along with another image (of the Savior), was stolen from the monastery. The amount of damage at that time was colossal (more than one hundred thousand rubles). But the spiritual damage caused by the attacker to the Church cannot be assessed. It took time to find the kidnapper.

When the thief, a peasant named Bartholomew Stoyan, was discovered, he stated that he had sold the rich frames and jewelry stolen along with the icon. And he treacherously chopped up the image and burned it in the oven, covering up the traces of the crime. But subsequently the attacker repeatedly changed his testimony, which is why today there are several theories suggesting that the miraculous image remained intact:

Stoyan stole not the original, but a skillful copy, while the original of the icon is still in storage in an unknown place;
For a lot of money, Bartholomew sold the Kazan Icon without salary to the Old Believers, who paid him for theft.

These theories have no actual evidence. In 1904, Orthodoxy lost one of the most amazing icons in its history.

Miracles of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan

This icon is rightly called miraculous, because as soon as the inhabitants of Kazan found it, mysterious and miraculous healings began for everyone involved in the icon. When the Archbishop of Kazan organized a religious procession to deliver the icon from the place of discovery to the Annunciation Cathedral, blind Joseph was among those present. The peasant lost his sight three years before the events described, but by the end of the procession he somehow regained his sight. Another blind man, Nikita, gained the ability to see after a prayer service in front of the icon in the Annunciation Cathedral.

But the most important miracle attributed to the Kazan Icon is the holy blessing from the image of the Mother of God, which descended on the troops of the Second People's Militia during the Time of Troubles. In those years when Moscow and all of Russia were under the yoke of Polish aggression, the true Orthodox faith, kept in the hearts of the fighters for the freedom of the Russian people, helped them achieve miraculous victories. Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, who led the militia, ordered the icon to be delivered to him before attacking the Poles. In the decisive battle with Polish troops, which significantly outnumbered the Russians, his army won a brilliant victory. October 22 (old style) 1612 became the day when the people of Russia united against the invaders, strengthened by the power of the icon of the Blessed Mother of God.

In folk tales and chronicles, many evidences of other miracles of the Kazan icon have been preserved. Her divine light healed blind people, but there were also cases when people who had lost the ability to move returned to normal life after praying in front of the image.

Rediscovery of an icon

Loss of image at the beginning of the 20th century long years was great grief for Orthodox people, although many skillful copies of the original have been preserved. After the revolution they were either destroyed or sold to the West. Among these exhibits was a copy of the icon made in the 18th century. It was considered one of the oldest and most beautiful copies of the miraculous image that had survived at that time. History of evidence has not preserved who exactly bought the list.

In 1993, the great icon was presented to Pope John Paul II. He revealed a desire to return the image to his homeland, despite difficult relationships between Orthodoxy and Catholic Church. It took more than ten years to complete this step. Despite all the active obstacles, God's great mercy to the Russian people was accomplished in 2004, and the icon of the Blessed Mother of God returned to Russia. This event also marks an important milestone in establishing good relations between the Vatican and Orthodox Russia.

Holiday traditions

Dates of holidays in honor of the icon

We already mentioned at the beginning of the article that in church calendar There are two dates when the feast of the blessed icon is celebrated. According to the new style, the following days correspond to them:

July 21 – discovery of the icon;
November 4 - in gratitude for help in saving Moscow and Russia from the Poles.

Both of these dates are immovable: in 2018 they will be the same as in all previous years. Since 2005, November 4 is also the Day national unity, i.e. a state holiday of the Russian Federation.

Rules and traditions: services, prayers, congratulations

The immutable tradition of this holiday is the procession of the cross, crowned with the image of the Kazan Icon. It is always preceded by a festive liturgy. It is the duty of every true Orthodox believer to visit it.

The classic text of the service for this day was written in the 16th century. Patriarch Hermogenes of Moscow, who was one of the eyewitnesses of the miraculous discovery of the icon, became the author of the troparion and magnification of the Mother of God. Five centuries later, his text “The Diligent Intercessor” has been preserved unchanged, while remaining one of the central components of the services of this day:

They pray to the Kazan icon for deliverance from illnesses; it is especially revered by people suffering from vision diseases. Since the Mother of God of Kazan is the patroness of young families, they honor her with a prayer for family well-being and the birth of healthy children.

Prayer before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God:

Congratulatory texts today remember the Protector Mother of God, who sheltered the Russian lands from adversity, helping to unite in the face of the enemy, and Her miraculous deeds.

Folk signs on the holiday

A good omen on both days of the celebration is rainy, wet weather. It was believed that this was the Most Holy Mary shedding tears for the human race, begging God for forgiveness and blessings for the next year. If the weather is dry, then coming year promises hardship.

November 4 is the day when believing newlyweds prefer to get married in church. There was a belief that such marriages would be happy and strong, and they would be protected in Heaven.

Most signs are connected specifically with the November celebration. For example, if fog falls on the ground on this day, then they expected a quick thaw, and if the weather is clear, then there will certainly be a harsh, harsh winter.

Today, November 4, the Orthodox world celebrates another religious holiday− day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Website tochka.net will tell you about the history of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the holiday, prayer, traditions, rituals and signs of this day.

The Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated on November 4, and in 2018 it falls on Sunday.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God - history

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God has a very interesting history. It was found in the 16th century by the little girl Matrona in the ashes of a large fire that destroyed part of the city of Kazan, after the Mother of God herself appeared to her three times in a dream and indicated the place where the icon was hidden.

At the site where the icon was found, the Mother of God nunnery was built, where Matrona and her mother subsequently took monastic vows.

The most famous miracles of the intercession of the Mother of God are associated with the events of the Time of Troubles. The militia, blessed by the Kazan Icon, led by Kuzma Minin and Prince Dimitry Pozharsky, liberated Moscow from the Poles on November 4, 1612, in a fierce struggle.

The history of the appearance of the holy face

The Kazan Icon has an interesting history of appearing to the Orthodox. This happened back in 1579. Then Kazan was on fire, the fire destroyed part of the city, leaving ashes behind. A terrible fire left the merchant and his family without a home. When people were left without a roof over their heads, the Mother of God herself came to their nine-year-old daughter Matrona in a dream. She ordered to come to the ashes to pick up her holy image from the ruins. At first, the adults did not believe the child, but the messages began to repeat themselves. The family went to ruins. There they found an icon that was no different from the new image - the fresh and bright colors amazed people. Residents of the city began to pray. They decided to take the image to the church. When the Kazan Icon was transferred, it showed its miraculous power, granting sight to two destitute blind people.

It is still unknown how the face of the Mother of God ended up under the burnt ruins. Presumably, it was buried there by Christian confessors who were fleeing the Tatar invasion. When the fire started, the icon appeared outside.

At the site of the appearance of the Mother of God, Kazan residents built a convent. There the girl Matrona, to whom the Saint turned, was tonsured, as well as her mother.

In a matter of time, news of the miraculous icon spread throughout all the cities, people began to pray for it and highly venerate it. By the time it began in Russia Time of Troubles, war and revolution, the Kazan face was considered the main defender. However, the original face has not reached our time; all that is kept in churches are lists. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the icon was stolen for profit and then burned.

The essence of the holiday

The Day of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God is celebrated on November 4 - this is the date of the appearance of the Most Holy One to Christians in burnt Kazan. However, there is another date that is no less revered by the Orthodox - July 21. Then the holy image helped the Russians rid their native land from the invasion of the Poles, who had captured Moscow by deception. They burned churches, destroyed shrines, and mocked the Orthodox. Patriarch Hermogenes called on the people to rise up to fight the invaders. From Kazan the defenders were sent the face of the Most Holy Theotokos. People began to fervently pray to the Holy One, fasted, and Russian army won. July 21, 1649 radically changed the course of history. Since then, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God has been especially revered by the people of Russia: people give each other postcards with the image of the Virgin Mary, say warm words, pray for salvation, happiness and healing.

You need to turn to the Kazan Mother of God for a miracle; she will help you make a fateful decision and protect you during any disaster. The Mother of God covers the person asking with a light veil, protecting him. You can only come to the Virgin Mary with an open heart and clear thoughts. Then the Christian will receive what he asks for. It is also recommended to carry postcards with the image of Our Lady of the Protector.

Signs and traditions

With the holiday of the Kazan icon, new rituals and signs came into the life of Orthodox Christians. On two solemn days, believers always went to church with the whole family, where they asked the Intercessor for patronage, protection and instructions. The congratulations were celebrated on a grand scale: after the church service, people made a religious procession - with the faces of the Mother of God they walked around the cities and villages. This process symbolized protection from adversity and troubled times. Today Christians do not go into passages, but limit themselves to walking along the main streets of the city. Some believers simply send postcards with the holy image to their relatives and friends.

In ancient times, the Mother of God was considered exclusively a female protector. Therefore, there were many rituals that women had to do during these days. For example, taking care of your beauty. It was believed that it was necessary to pick a birch leaf on the feast of the Kazan Mother of God. The main condition is that it is already covered with frost. You should have brought it home and looked at it like in a mirror. It was believed that in this way the woman would become even more beautiful and would not age.

The holiday was considered an excellent time for marriages and weddings. According to legends, new family created during this period will be happy. Those who wanted to unite their destinies before God tried to time the celebration to coincide with autumn holiday. This promised a cloudless life.

Church ministers recommend that those who want to find peace and receive support should always celebrate the triumph of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan. It is worth sending postcards with the face of the Holy One to your family and friends, and praying for their health.