Today, the Orthodox celebrate a big holiday - the Day of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God. The history of this holiday began in 1579 with a terrible fire in Kazan. The house of the merchant Onuchin was the first to burn. After the fire, Matrona, the nine-year-old daughter of a merchant, the Mother of God appeared in a dream and revealed to her that under the ruins of their house is Her miraculous image, buried in the ground by secret confessors of Christianity during the Tatar rule. The Mother of God accurately indicated the place where the icon could be found.

The parents did not pay attention to the girl's story, but the miraculous appearance of the Heavenly Queen was repeated three times, and the third time it was formidable. The icon was found by Matrona. The image was of extraordinary beauty and shone with completely fresh colors. After 10 years, Matrona Onuchina was tonsured in a convent in honor of the icon of the Mother of God and later became abbess.

The icon showed its miraculous help in the Time of Troubles, when Russia was invaded by Polish interventionists. Polish troops took Moscow, captured and imprisoned Patriarch Hermogenes of Moscow and All Russia. In captivity, the Patriarch prayed to the Mother of God. And soon the Nizhny Novgorod militia of Minin and Pozharsky arose. With the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, the prince's troops approached the walls of Moscow. Preparing for the assault, the Russian army fasted for three days and prayed before the icon of the Mother of God for victory. Archbishop Arseny, who was a prisoner of the Poles, had a vision of St. Sergius of Radonezh, who said: “Arseny, our prayers have been heard, Mother of God. The judgment of God on the Fatherland is at mercy, tomorrow Moscow will be in the hands of the besiegers and Russia will be saved.. And as if to confirm the truth of the prophecy, the archbishop was healed of his illness. St. Arseny informed the Russian soldiers about the vision and prophecy of the great saint of the Russian land, and the next day the militia drove the Poles out of Kitai-Gorod, and two days later the Kremlin was liberated. On Sunday (October 25), Russian soldiers went to the Kremlin with a procession with a miraculous image in their hands. At the place of execution, they met with Archbishop Arseny, who was carrying the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which he preserved despite all the hardships of captivity and illness. The people were shocked by the meeting of two miraculous icons and tearfully prayed to the Heavenly Intercessor of the Russian land. In memory of the liberation of Moscow from the Poles, the celebration of the Kazan Mother of God on October 22 / November 4 was established. After 1649, the Orthodox holiday was celebrated by all of Russia.

The icon of the Kazan Mother of God was especially revered by the great generals. The holy image overshadowed the Russian soldiers going to liberate Russia from foreign invaders in 1812. The first major victory was won on October 22, the feast day of the icon.

According to the faith of the Russian Orthodox Church, the icons of the Most Pure Mother of God protect Russia. The image of the Vladimir Mother of God guards our northern borders. The Smolensk and Pochaev icons protect the west, and to the east, to the ends of the earth, the miraculous Kazan icon of the Most Pure Mother of God extends its influence. Of the many icons of the Mother of God revered in the Russian Orthodox Church, not one is common in so many lists as Kazan. She is most often looked upon in troubles, illnesses and hardships.

The celebration of the Most Holy Theotokos, in honor of Her icon, called "Kazan", was established in gratitude for the deliverance of Moscow and all of Russia from the invasion of the Poles in 1612. The end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th centuries are known in the history of Russia as the Time of Troubles. The country was attacked by Polish troops, who mocked the Orthodox faith, looted and burned churches, towns and villages. By fraudulent means they managed to seize Moscow. At the call of His Holiness Patriarch Hermogenes, the Russian people stood up to defend their homeland. The miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos was sent from Kazan to the militia, which was headed by Prince Dimitri Mikhailovich Pozharsky.
Knowing that the calamity was allowed for sins, the militia members imposed a three-day fast on themselves and with a prayer turned to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother for heavenly help. The prayer was heard. From St. Arseniy, who was in captivity by the Poles (later Bishop of Suzdal), came the news that in a vision it was revealed to him about the change of God's judgment to mercy, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.

Encouraged by the news, on October 22, 1612, the Russian troops stormed Kitai-Gorod, almost completely establishing control over Moscow (the Poles locked themselves in the Kremlin and surrendered a month later to the mercy of the winner). In memory of this event, the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was established.

Recall that the icon of the Mother of God was revealed in 1579 in Kazan, shortly before this (in 1552) the capital of the Kazan Khanate conquered by Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The acquisition of the icon took place with the direct participation of the Hieromartyr Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1606-12), at that time a parish priest, who composed the troparion to the icon "The Zealous Intercessor". He blessed the militia of Minin and Pozharsky to take the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which was in the camp of their troops, as their Patron.

The celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, established in memory of the first victory, was first performed only in Moscow, but in 1649, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, in honor of the birth of the heir to Dimitri during the all-night vigil under Kazan, it was instructed “to celebrate the Kazan icon in all cities throughout years, which has been done ever since. Immediately after the end of the Troubles, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky built a temple in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God on Red Square in Moscow, where a copy of the icon was placed. The original of the icon was kept in Kazan until 1904, when the shrine was stolen by malefactors and its fate is unknown since then.

The idea to celebrate November 4 as National Unity Day was put forward by the Interreligious Council of Russia in September 2004. It was supported by the Duma Committee on Labor and Social Policy, and thus acquired the status of a Duma initiative. On September 29, 2004, Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia publicly supported the initiative of the Duma to establish the celebration on November 4th. “This day reminds us how, in 1612, Russians of different faiths and nationalities overcame division, overcame a formidable enemy and led the country to a stable civil peace,” Patriarch Alexy said then.

On November 23, 2004, members of the Presidium of the Interreligious Council of Russia turned to the Chairman of the State Duma, Boris Gryzlov, with a request to consider the Council's statement on the establishment of November 4 as a holiday. The Council supported the initiative to introduce a new holiday. The corresponding appeal, together with the text of the statement, was circulated in the Duma in connection with the consideration in the first reading of amendments to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation related to the revision of holidays. "We believe that the day of the tragic division of Russia - November 7 - did not become a day of reconciliation and consent," the appeal says. Members of the Interreligious Council of Russia believe that the events that followed "led to the death of millions of our fellow citizens, while the liberation of Moscow from foreign invaders in 1612 united the people and stopped the fratricidal bloodshed." At the meeting of the Duma, the bill was adopted in the first reading. Only the communists opposed.

Since 2005, National Unity Day has been celebrated annually.

Troparion of the Mother of God before the icon of Her Kazan(voice 4): Zealous Intercessor, / Mother of the Lord Most High, / for all pray to Your Son, Christ our God, / and work for everyone to be saved, / to those who run to your sovereign cover. / Intercede for all of us, O Lady Queen and Mistress, / like in misfortunes, and sorrows, and in illnesses, burdened with many sins, / coming and praying to You / with a tender soul and a contrite heart, / before Your most pure image with tears, / and irrevocably hope of those who have on Thee / deliverance of all evils. / Grant useful to all / and save everything, Virgin Mother of God // Thou art the Divine cover of Thy servant.

Kontakion of the Mother of God before the icon of Her Kazan(voice 8): Come, people, to this quiet and good haven, / an early Helper, ready and warm salvation, the cover of the Virgin, / let us hasten to prayer and sweat for repentance, / the Most Pure Mother of God exudes for us inexhaustible mercy, / anticipates help and delivers from great misfortunes and evils / / His well-behaved and God-fearing servants.

November 4 is celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church and throughout our state in honor of the liberation of Russia from the Polish invaders in 1612. The liberation took place under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky under the overshadowing of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

The militia that left Nizhny Novgorod under the command of these two great commanders met in Yaroslavl with the first militia, which, unfortunately, could not liberate the capital from the Poles due to the fact that strife began in its camp. Disagreements arose over the distribution of positions in the liberated capital, or, in modern terms, who would receive what “portfolio”. The desire to rule, vanity and pride led to the fact that Moscow could not be liberated.

So, in Yaroslavl, two militias met, one retreated from Moscow, the other, on the contrary, went to Moscow. The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was handed over to the advancing army, and under its fall in 1612, the militia first liberated Kitai-Gorod, and then the Kremlin.

Kazan icon of the Mother of God: history, miracles, prayers.

1579, summer. White mercilessly scorching sun, a column of dust on the roads of Kazan. Dust and ashes - a terrible fire blazed here a week ago. It began near the Church of St. Nicholas, spread to the Kazan Kremlin. For long hours the glow blazed, women lamented, children cried - well, how will it spread to houses, what will happen ?!

And many chuckled maliciously - where was your God that the church burned down? It can be seen that all your priests are lying - it was blazing like that. And what do you say to that? And it’s true, many in those days doubted their faith – maybe it’s not pleasing to God that they turn to Christ from Islam? “The faith of Christ,” says the chronicler, “became a parable and a reproach”…

In that fire, many families were left homeless, but there was nothing to do, no one who had burned down would be returned, and it was necessary to build soon - by winter. Daniil Onuchin, an archer, was in a hurry with the construction, among other fire victims. Daniel had a daughter, Matrona. Her parental sorrows were less understandable - for children and a fire - quite funny - so much remains after - where the glass is beautiful, where the pebble is unprecedented. Only in the evening, when you go to bed, do you remember that after the fire everything is different, unusual.

One night, Matryosh woke up from the unseen - the Mother of God Herself, the Most Holy Theotokos, appeared to her in a dream. And not just appeared, but commanded to get Her icon from under the ground. She shone with a bright light - and the girl woke up.

You have dreams and visions, everything seems to you, all your miracles are endless - the skeptic who reads these lines will say. And it will anticipate our story, because that is exactly how the nine-year-old Matryosha was answered by her family.

“Dreams are sometimes from God, but visions are only for saints, so it’s better not to betray the meaning of dreams,” the parents said. And they were right. However, that dream was a vision, because it repeated itself a second time and on the third night. Then the parents decided to check the girl's words.

Matrona and her mother went to the place where, as the girl remembered from the dream, the icon was supposed to be. We started digging. Even deeper, still - is it really it! And for sure - the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

They cleared it of dust, earth .. But how did it get there? Apparently, a long time ago, secret confessors of Christianity in a non-Christian camp hid the icon of the Queen of Heaven in this way.

The news of the miraculous finding of the icon swept faster than the fastest bird, and now the priests of the surrounding churches rush to this wondrous place, Archbishop Jeremiah, reverently accepting the icon, solemnly transfers it to the church of St. Nicholas, from where, after a prayer service, they transferred him with a procession to the Annunciation Cathedral - the first Orthodox church in the city of Kazan, erected by Ivan the Terrible. It immediately became clear that the icon was miraculous - already during the procession, two Kazan blind men gained sight. We even know their names: Joseph and Nikita.

And those who a few days ago mocked the Orthodox faith, shyly hurried to the icon - with requests - Queen of Heaven, help, enlighten, heal!

These miracles are the first in a long list of miracles and healings. The story of finding the icon impressed Tsar Ivan the Terrible so much that he ordered the construction of the Kazan Cathedral and the founding of a convent. There, after some time, Matrona and her mother took monastic vows.

The image of the Kazan Blessed Virgin Mary by type refers to the icons of Hodegetria - the Guidebook, and indeed, she repeatedly pointed out the right path to many of our compatriots. So, with the Kazan icon, the militia moved to Moscow, freeing the city from the impostors of the Time of Troubles.

In 1611, in the winter, St. The miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was returning to Kazan, but on the way there, in Yaroslavl, she was met by a militia from Nizhny Novgorod, gathered by Minin, over whom Prince Pozharsky took command and who, having learned about the miracles performed from the icon in Moscow, took her with them and constantly prayed before her, asking the zealous Heavenly Intercessor of the Christian race to send down help to them.

The Most Holy Theotokos showed Her mercy, took under Her Protection the faithful sons of the fatherland, and with Her help Russia was saved from her enemies.

The militia that arrived at Moscow with Prince Pozharsky encountered many obstacles that were insurmountable for human forces, namely: it was necessary to take the city, which was well fortified and stubbornly defended by the Poles, to repel the fresh, numerous Polish army that had approached Moscow, to pacify the willfulness and riot of the Russian detachments, who met the arriving militia almost with hatred and showing them only enmity and treason. In addition, the lack of food in the devastated area and the lack of weapons produced a strong decline in courage in the arriving army.

And many of the faithful sons of the fatherland, losing the last spark of hope, exclaimed in deep sorrow: “Forgive me, freedom of the fatherland! Forgive me, holy Kremlin! We have done everything for your release; but, apparently, it is not pleasing to God to bless our weapons with victory!”

Deciding on the last attempt to liberate the dear fatherland from enemies, but not relying on their own strength, all the army and people turned to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother with a prayer, establishing a special solemn prayer for this and strictly observing a three-day fast.

God heard the prayerful cry of those who care for the fatherland and the inviolability of the Orthodox Church and showed them His mercy. St. Sergius appeared in a dream to the ailing Archbishop Arseny of Elasson, who was in heavy captivity by the Poles, in the Moscow Kremlin occupied by them, who came to Russia with the Greek Metropolitan Jeremiah, and who came to Russia with the Greek Metropolitan Jeremiah and announced that, through the prayers of the Mother of God and the great miracle workers of Moscow, Peter, Alexy, Jonah and Philip The Lord, on the very next day, will overthrow the enemies and return the saved Russia to her sons, and to assure the fulfillment of his words, he granted healing to Arseny.

Encouraged by the good news, the Russian soldiers called on the help of the Queen of Heaven and courageously approached Moscow and - on October 22, 1612, they liberated Kitai-Gorod, and two days later they took the Kremlin itself. The Poles fled.

The next day, Sunday, the Russian army and all the inhabitants of Moscow, in gratitude for their deliverance from enemies, made a solemn procession to the Place of the Skull, carrying the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, sacred banners and other Moscow shrines. This spiritual procession was met from the Kremlin by Archbishop Arseny with the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which he had kept in captivity. Seeing this icon, the soldiers and the people knelt down and, with tears of joy, kissed the holy image of their Intercessor.

In memory of such a miraculous deliverance of Moscow from the Poles, by the permission of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich and the blessing of his father, Metropolitan, later Patriarch Filaret, the Church was established annually on October 22 to celebrate the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow with a procession.

First, the procession was made to the Church of the Presentation of the Mother of God on Lubyanka, where the house of Prince Pozharsky was located, and after the construction of a new church, in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, built at the expense of Prince Pozharsky (which is now the Kazan Cathedral, on Resurrection Square), the procession was already takes place in the cathedral. The miraculous icon, which was with him in the ranks of the army, was also transferred there by Prince Pozharsky himself.

Many lists from the Kazan icon became famous in their time for miracles: Tobolsk, Kaplunov, Voznesenskaya and others.

Troparion to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, tone 4

Zealous Intercessor, / Mother of the Lord Most High, / for all pray to Your Son, Christ our God, / and work for everyone to be saved, to those who run to Your sovereign protection. / Intercede for all of us, O Lady Queen and Mistress, / even in adversity and in sorrow, and in illness, burdened with many sins, / coming and praying to You with a tender soul and a contrite heart, / before Your most pure image with tears / and irrevocably having hope on Thee, / deliverance of all evils, / bestow on all useful / and save everything, Virgin Mother of God: / Thou art the Divine Protection of Your servant.

Kontakion of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, tone 8

Come, people, to this quiet and good haven, / an ambulance Helper, ready and warm salvation, the cover of the Virgin. / Let us hasten to prayer, and rush to repentance: / the Most Pure Mother of God exudes for us inexhaustible mercy, / anticipates help, and delivers from great misfortunes and evils, // Her well-behaved and God-fearing servants.

Prayer before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

O Most Holy Lady Theotokos! With fear, faith and love, falling down before Your honest icon, we pray to You: do not turn Your face away from those who resort to You, implore, Merciful Mother, Your Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, may our country be peaceful, may the Church be established His holy Yes, he will keep it unshakable from unbelief, heresies and schism. Not imams of other help, not imams of other hope, unless you, Most Pure Virgin: You are the All-Powerful Helper and Intercessor of Christians. Deliver all those who pray to You with faith from the falls of sin, from the slander of evil people, from all temptations, sorrows, troubles and from vain death; Grant us the spirit of contrition, humility of heart, purity of thought, the correction of sinful lives and the remission of sins, so that we all thankfully sing of Your greatness, we will be made worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven and there with all the saints we will glorify the Most Honorable and Magnificent Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tobolsk icon. This miraculous icon is located in Tobolsk in the cathedral. She appeared in 1661. This year, on July 8, in Tobolsk, in the Znamensky Monastery, on the day of the celebration of the Kazan icon, at matins, when Hierodeacon Ioanniky read the legend about the appearance of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kazan and reached the place where it is said that the archbishop of Kazan had not previously believed the appearance of the icon, then before all the people he prayed to the Most Pure Lady for the forgiveness of his sin, he suddenly fell unconscious on the floor along with the lectern.

When he came to his senses, he immediately demanded a confessor and revealed to him the following:

“On June 21st, after Matins, I went to my cell and fell asleep. Suddenly I see - a saint comes to me in full vestments, like; I took him for Metropolitan Philip. The saint said to me: “Get up and tell the archimandrite, the governor and all the people that not far from the Three Saints Church in the city they build a church in the name of the Kazan Mother of God, they would build it in three days, and on the fourth they would consecrate and bring into it the image of the Mother of God of Kazan - that the very one that now stands in the porch of this Three Saints Church in a closet, facing the wall. Tell this image to be celebrated in the city. God is angry with you for your sins, you speak foul language and fill the air with your foul language like a stench: this is a stench to both God and people; but our Lady, with all the saints, prayed to her Son Christ our God for your city and for all the people, so that He would turn away His righteous wrath. But when I got up from sleep, I was amazed, but I didn’t say anything to anyone. A little later, when I was in my cell and began to write irmos: Embellished with divine glory, the same saint suddenly came to me and graciously said to me: “Why didn’t you tell what was said to you from the Most Holy Theotokos through me, Her minister? ' and disappeared. Out of fear, I fell to the ground, glorified God, but I was afraid to talk about the vision, so that confusion would not come out among the people, and out of fear that they would not believe me.

A few days later, during my sleep, the saint again appeared to me and said with anger: “Why didn’t you say what was commanded to you? Because of your neglect, the wrath of God is coming on your city for your sins. Your bread is rotting, and the water is drowning - get up soon and tell the archimandrite, the governor and all the people; If you don't, you will soon lose your life. If the townspeople obey, then the mercy of God will be on your city and its environs; if they do not listen, then it will be hard for your city: your cattle will die, the water will scatter your houses from the rains, and you will all disappear like worms, and the image of the Mother of God will be glorified in another place. But I didn’t tell anyone about this third phenomenon either, and on July 6, when, after evening singing, I came to my cell, went to bed, I fell into a light sleep and heard - in the monastery a wonderful ringing of two bells and the singing of extraordinary voices: Let us glorify Thee, the Immaculate Mother of our God.

One of the singers said to me: "For the fact that you did not say what was commanded to you, tomorrow you will be punished before all the people." And when in the morning I began to read about the appearance of the miraculous image of the Mother of God in Kazan, I saw that the saint who had appeared to me before came from the porch and blesses the people on both sides; having come to the meal, also blessing the people, he came up to me and said: “You are reading this and why don’t you believe it yourself? That image was in the ground, and this one stands in the porch facing the wall; why didn't you tell about it?" And he, shaking his hand at me, said: "From now on, be decrepit until the divine work is done." Having said this, he became invisible, and I fell to the ground from fear, and now I am telling you.”

The people, having learned about the miraculous phenomena, with tears glorified the mercy of the Most Holy Theotokos, and all with zeal with a procession of the cross took the icon to the place where it was ordered to build the Church, and the church was built in three days and consecrated on the fourth. Before the construction of the church, the narrator notes, there were torrential rains and water came in the rivers, as in springtime, and when they began to build the church, there was a bucket; breads and vegetables have recovered since then.

Kaplunovskaya-Kazan icon. This icon is located in the village of Kaplunovka, Kharkov diocese. Appeared in 1689 as follows.

The priest of this village, distinguished by his especially pious life, Ioann Umanov, had a dream of an old man, adorned with gray hair, and told him that icon painters with icons would soon come to him from Moscow, and that he would acquire an eighth from the bundle of icons from the oldest of them. in a row, the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. “From her you will receive grace and mercy,” added the elder.

The priest did so, but before that he strictly fasted. Soon a new vision followed in a dream to the priest Umanov: the Most Holy Theotokos Herself appeared and ordered the icon to be placed in the church. The priest announced his vision to the people and triumphantly transferred the icon to the church, and from that time miracles began to happen from the icon. The icon was called Kaplunovskaya.

In 1709, when Emperor Peter the Great was at war with the Swedish King Charles XII, he summoned a priest with the Kaplunov icon to his army in Kharkov and ordered him to carry it in front of the regiments, and he himself prayed with tears to the Queen of Heaven for help.

Meanwhile, King Charles, having stopped with his army near Kaplunovka, placed himself with the traitor Hetman Mazepa in the house of the priest John. Then some of his violent warriors wanted to burn the church. They surrounded it with straw and firewood, but no matter how hard they tried to set it on fire, neither firewood nor straw caught fire.

Having learned about such a miracle and also about the fact that St. the icon is in the Russian camp, Karl said to Mazepa: "If they could not set fire to the church even without the icon, then where it is, it will not be reliable for us." So indeed it happened. The Battle of Poltava gave Great Peter the victory over Charles.

There is a miraculous Kaplunovskaya icon in the Kozeevka settlement, 80 miles from Kharkov.

Nizhnelomovskaya-Kazan icon. This icon appeared in 1643 at a spring two versts from the city of Nizhny Lomov, Penza province. At the site of her appearance, a chapel was first erected, and then a church and a monastery.

Karpovskaya-Kazan icon. This icon is located in the Kursk Zibichensky Monastery. It was brought here in 1725 from the Karpov desert.

Katashinsky-Kazan icon. This icon appeared in 1622 in a grove near the village of Bely Kolodez, Chernihiv province, to the local priest and placed by him in the village church. In 1692, a monastery was built here, called Katashinsky.

Ascension-Kazan icon. She is in the Ascension Convent in Moscow, in the Kremlin. For the first time she became famous in 1689. Twice it was in danger of burning, but miraculously it was preserved.

After the prayer service before this icon, they forgot to extinguish the candle, the candle fell, and from it the lectern on which the icon lay was burned, and the icon itself, despite the fact that it was written on the canvas, remained completely unharmed.

Another time, when in 1701, on June 19, there was a fire in the Moscow Kremlin and the royal palace and the Ascension Monastery burned down, the icon miraculously survived. When they took out the utensils and icons from the cathedral monastery church, they did not take it out, but meanwhile it turned out to be together with other icons taken out; when, after the end of the fire, they began to bring things into the cathedral, they saw that the icon was already in its place, although no one had brought it. And there were many miraculous healings from this icon.

Pavlovsk-Kazan icon. This icon is located in the village of Pavlovsky, Moscow province, Zvenigorod district. She appeared on a tree, near the village, where a chapel was built in memory of the apparition; inside the chapel is a well, popularly called holy.

The first miracle from the icon was the following. One of the peasants of the village of Pavlovsky fell into a cruel illness from an intemperate life. At this time, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared in a dream to another pious peasant and ordered him to tell the sick man to pray to Her for healing and go to wash in the holy well. Then he would have abandoned his intemperate life, otherwise he might perish. The patient with great effort went to the well, washed himself and - completely recovered.

Irkutsk-Kazan icon. It is located in Irkutsk in the Epiphany Cathedral and became famous for many miracles. Every year in April or May, after the sowing of spring grain, it is carried with a procession through the neighboring rural peasant fields to consecrate the crops. This procession has long been established on the occasion of frequent crop failures in the surrounding villages of the city of Irkutsk.

Kargopol-Kazan icon. This miraculous icon is located in Kargopol, Olonets diocese, in the Church of the Ascension.

It became famous in 1714. The icon was in the house of the pious widow Martha Ponomareva, who once, while praying before the icon, saw that a tear was flowing from the right eye of the Most Holy Theotokos, and in fear informed the priest about it. The icon was transferred to the church, and here twice in a short time, in the sight of everyone, streams of tears appeared from the eyes of the Mother of God, which was reported to the then Metropolitan of Novgorod Job.

Yaroslavl-Kazan icon. This icon is located in Yaroslavl in the convent of Kazan. The history of her glorification is as follows.

In 1588, on July 2, a certain pious man named Gerasim, while he was in Kazan, had a wonderful vision of the Mother of God Herself, and after he wished to acquire Her icon for himself, he heard a voice in a dream indicating where and what icon to buy, and then go to the city of Romanov and tell the inhabitants there to build a temple in the name of the icon. Gerasim found the icon and only took it in, as his right hand, which had been sick for a long time, was healed.

A temple was built in Romanov, and the icon stood there until 1604, when Romanov was taken by the Lithuanians. At this time, one of them took a miraculous icon from the church and took it with him to Yaroslavl. Here the Theotokos Herself appeared to a certain deacon Eleazar and commanded that a temple be erected in her honor. The temple was erected, and then a monastery with it.

The inhabitants of Romanov wanted to return the miraculous icon to themselves, but the citizens of Yaroslavl asked Tsar Vasily Ioannovich to leave it in their city, and the tsar, after consulting with Patriarch Hermogenes, approved the wish of the latter by a letter on his behalf, but so that they would make an exact list from the miraculous icon for Romanov. And the miraculous icon itself is carried annually from Yaroslavl to Romanov.

Kazan, located in the Moscow Simonov Monastery. This icon was donated to the monastery by those who received it for a blessing from Bishop Tikhon of Voronezh. On the sides are depicted St. Tikhon, angel of the saint, sister of the saint Martha and her angel.

For the first time she became famous for the healing of the wanderer girl Natalya, who had an icon three times in a dream, but she did not know where to find it. Finally, Hieroschemamonk Alexy of the Simonov Monastery appeared to her in a dream with the image itself and said that the icon was in the monastery in the cathedral church on the right side. The icon was found and the sick woman, after praying before it, was healed.

Subsequently, in honor of her and for her, a special chapel was arranged at the cathedral monastery church. There were many miracles from the icon.

Kazanskaya, located in the Vyshenskaya desert. This icon in 1812 was brought from Moscow to the Tambov Ascension Convent by the nun Miropia, who, on the occasion of the ruin of the capital, moved there. The pious old woman three times in reality heard a voice from the icon commanding her to be transferred to the Vyshenskaya hermitage, and after her death, according to her will, the icon was transferred. In addition to many healings from the icon, the Vyshensky monks sometimes saw a bright light pouring from it throughout the church at night.

Kazanskaya, located in the Vysochinskiy Kazan Monastery. So the monastery is named after the icon, and the icon is named after the village of Vysochino, where it became famous for miracles. The icon appeared at the beginning of the 18th century, during the reign of Emperor Peter I.

The village of Vysochino did not yet exist, but there was a state-owned pine forest here. On the bank of the swampy river Mzha, which flowed among the forest and was surrounded by swamps, a watchman and his family lived in a hut. It was to this watchman that the icon appeared, standing on a swampy hummock. Light rays emanated from the icon. The watchman took it with reverence and prayer and placed it in his hut with icons on the shelf. Here the icon soon marked itself with a sun-like radiance emanating from it and at the same time healing the blind and lame old man, the watchman's father.

Then they took the icon to the nearest church in the village of Artyukhovka, but the icon returned three times back to the watchman's hut. The people, having learned about the revealed icon, began to come in large numbers to worship her, and many received healing and consolation.

Then the centurion Vysochin, to whom the emperor, for merit during the Battle of Poltava, presented land with a forest, where a miraculous icon stood in the watchman's hut, built a village here, which was named after his last name, Vysochino, and from the village of Artyukhovka moved the church here, where it was miraculous icon delivered.

Subsequently, a monastery was built here. And in the monastery there were many miracles from the icon.

Kazan, located in the Tambov Cathedral. This icon is richly decorated. Her first miracle was in 1695, on December 6, during the all-night vigil, tears that moistened the veil and lectern.

Kazanskaya, located in the Temnikovsky Transfiguration Cathedral. She was in the pantry among the unusable utensils. The icon appeared three times to a lady who suffered from pain in her legs and promised healing if she found it. The patient demanded to be taken to the Temnikovsky Cathedral. As soon as she saw the icon in the pantry, she immediately felt relieved and, after prayer, was completely healed.

Kazan, located in the city of Vyazniki. It stands in the cathedral church. This icon marked itself with miracles at the beginning of the 17th century.

Kazan, located in Suzdal. It stands in the parish Church of the Resurrection. This icon, as a result of the appearance of the Mother of God Herself, was painted by one pious monk of the Shartom Nikolaev Monastery, Joachim, who lived in the 17th century. The monk lived near the Kazan Church in a hut, where he was buried.

“Grant useful to all and save everything, Virgin Mother of God”

The celebration of the Most Holy Theotokos, in honor of Her icon, called "Kazan", was established in gratitude for the deliverance of Moscow and all of Russia from the invasion of the Poles in 1612. The end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th centuries are known in the history of Russia as the Time of Troubles. The country was attacked by Polish troops, who mocked the Orthodox faith, looted and burned churches, towns and villages. By fraudulent means they managed to seize Moscow. At the call of His Holiness Patriarch Hermogenes, the Russian people stood up to defend their homeland. The miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos was sent from Kazan to the militia, which was headed by Prince Dimitri Mikhailovich Pozharsky.

Knowing that the calamity was allowed for sins, the militia members imposed a three-day fast on themselves and with a prayer turned to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother for heavenly help. The prayer was heard. From St. Arseniy, who was in captivity by the Poles (later Bishop of Suzdal), came the news that in a vision it was revealed to him about the change of God's judgment to mercy, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.

Encouraged by the news, on October 22, 1612, the Russian troops stormed Kitai-Gorod, almost completely establishing control over Moscow (the Poles locked themselves in the Kremlin and surrendered a month later to the mercy of the winner). In memory of this event, the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was established.

Recall that the icon of the Mother of God was revealed in 1579 in Kazan, shortly before this (in 1552) the capital of the Kazan Khanate conquered by Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The acquisition of the icon took place with the direct participation of the Hieromartyr Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1606-12), at that time a parish priest, who composed the troparion to the icon "The Zealous Intercessor". He blessed the militia of Minin and Pozharsky to take the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which was in the camp of their troops, as their Patron.

The celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, established in memory of the first victory, was first performed only in Moscow, but in 1649, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, in honor of the birth of the heir to Dimitri during the all-night vigil under Kazan, it was instructed “to celebrate the Kazan icon in all cities throughout years, which has been done ever since. Immediately after the end of the Troubles, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky built a temple in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God on Red Square in Moscow, where a copy of the icon was placed. The original of the icon was kept in Kazan until 1904, when the shrine was stolen by malefactors and its fate is unknown since then.

The idea to celebrate November 4 as National Unity Day was put forward by the Interreligious Council of Russia in September 2004. It was supported by the Duma Committee on Labor and Social Policy, and thus acquired the status of a Duma initiative. On September 29, 2004, Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia publicly supported the initiative of the Duma to establish the celebration on November 4th. “This day reminds us how, in 1612, Russians of different faiths and nationalities overcame division, overcame a formidable enemy and led the country to a stable civil peace,” Patriarch Alexy said then.

On November 23, 2004, members of the Presidium of the Interreligious Council of Russia turned to the Chairman of the State Duma, Boris Gryzlov, with a request to consider the Council's statement on the establishment of November 4 as a holiday. The Council supported the initiative to introduce a new holiday. The corresponding appeal, together with the text of the statement, was circulated in the Duma in connection with the consideration in the first reading of amendments to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation related to the revision of holidays. "We believe that the day of the tragic division of Russia - November 7 - did not become a day of reconciliation and consent",- the appeal says. Members of the Interreligious Council of Russia believe that the events that followed "led to the death of millions of our fellow citizens, while the liberation of Moscow from foreign invaders in 1612 united the people and stopped the fratricidal bloodshed." At the meeting of the Duma, the bill was adopted in the first reading. Only the communists opposed.

Since 2005, National Unity Day has been celebrated annually.

Troparion of the Mother of God before the icon of Her Kazan (tone 4):
Zealous intercessor, / Mother of the Lord Most High, / for all pray to Your Son, Christ our God, / and work for everyone to be saved, / to those who run to your sovereign cover. , and in illnesses, burdened with many sins, / coming and praying to You / with a tender soul and a contrite heart, / before Your most pure image with tears, / and irrevocably hope of those who have on Thee / deliverance from all evils. / Grant useful to all / and save everything, Virgin Mother of God: // Thou art the Divine protection of Thy servant.

Kontakion of the Mother of God before the icon of Her Kazan (tone 8):
Come, people, to this quiet and good haven, / an early Helper, ready and warm salvation, the cover of the Virgin, / let us hasten to prayer and sweat for repentance, / the Most Pure Mother of God exudes for us inexhaustible mercy, / anticipates help and delivers from great troubles and angry / / His well-behaved and God-fearing servants.

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 have 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 Russia from Polish invaders.

Phenomenon

© photo: Sputnik / Maxim Bogodvid

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God has a very interesting history. 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 of the merchant's daughter Matrona, the Mother of God appeared 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 under the ruins. It is believed that it was buried by secret confessors of Christianity during the Tatar rule.

At first, they did not pay attention to the words of the girl, but when the dream repeated itself three times, they began to dig and found an icon of amazing beauty on 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 Tulsky, the rector of which was then a pious priest, the future Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Hermogenes.

The future saint, who died at the hands of the Poles for his fidelity to Orthodoxy and canonized, and 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 returned to two Kazan blind. These miracles were the first in a long list of cases of grace-filled help.

At the place where the icon was found, a convent was subsequently founded, 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.

© photo: Sputnik / Sergey Pyatkov

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

The most famous miracles of the intercession of the Mother of God are 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 the merchant Kuzma Minin on November 4, 1612, defeat the enemy and liberate Moscow from the Poles.

Story

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

The dynastic crisis soon developed into a national-state one. The united Russian state collapsed, numerous impostors appeared. Widespread robberies, robbery, theft, wholesale drunkenness hit the country.

At the call of His Holiness Patriarch Hermogenes, the Russian people stood up to defend their homeland. The Nizhny Novgorod militia, headed by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, was sent from Kazan a list of the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos - Kazan.

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

© photo: Sputnik / RIA Novosti

Artist G. Lissner. "The expulsion of the Polish invaders 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 from the Romanov dynasty, and the blessing of the Metropolitan, later Patriarch Filaret, the Orthodox Church established every year on October 22 in Moscow the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God with a procession.

At first, this celebration took place only in Moscow, and since 1649 it has become 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 Revolution of 1917.

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 acquired one and two lists.

One of the lists of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was brought to Moscow liberated from the Poles by Dmitry Pozharsky, who led 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 churches, 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 the procession - with icons in their hands they walked around cities and villages, villages, which symbolized the protection of the settlement from trouble. Today they are limited to walking along the main streets or just around the church.

© photo: Sputnik / Alexey Danichev

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

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

This day is also considered lucky 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 start a new family. Those who wished to live a family life without problems and in happiness, sought to coincide with the wedding ceremony precisely on the feast of the autumn Mother of God of Kazan.

There will be many signs related to the weather: if the earth is covered with fog in the morning, it will be warm, and if it rains, it will soon snow, if the sun shines brightly, the winter will be just as sunny.

Rainy weather on this day is a good omen. The people said that this Mother of God cries and prays for all people. She begs the Lord God for forgiveness for people and asks them to live easier, so that the next year's harvest is good and there is no hunger.

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

© photo: Sputnik / Alexey Nasyrov

Also on this day, the villagers went out to their gardens and scattered salt on the ground: "they treated them with bread and salt" so that the future harvest would be rich and plentiful. After that, they went around all the fields with the icon, and then arranged a festive meal on the ground, consisting of gifts of earth and holy water.

What are they praying 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 with her invisible veil a person asking for help from all troubles and save him.

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

Prayer

Oh, Most Pure Lady of the Theotokos, Queen of heaven and earth, the highest angel and archangel and the most honest of all creatures, the pure Virgin Mary, the Good Helper of the world, and affirmation to all people, and deliverance in all needs! You are our intercessor and intercessor, you are protection for the offended, joy for the grieving, refuge for the orphan, guardian widows, glory to the virgins, weeping joy, visitation to the sick, healing to the weak, salvation to sinners. Have mercy on us, Mother of God, and fulfill our petition, for all the essence is possible for Your intercession: for glory befits You now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.