According to the established public opinion from time immemorial, the Most Holy Theotokos is the patroness and intercessor of the entire Russian people. Orthodox Christians - our compatriots - turn to her first with a request for help, so that the Most Pure Virgin Mary conveys her tearful prayer to the Creator and her Son Jesus Christ. However, the Mother of God is also perceived as a caring and all-merciful mother outside of Russia. For example, in Lithuania the saint is highly revered by believers. And one of the icons of Lithuanian origin at one time ended up on Russian soil. This refers to the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God, the day of celebration of which was established by the Christian Church on February 28.

History of the Vilna Icon

If you believe the ancient legend, the author of the Vilna image of the Mother of God is the Evangelist Luke. He painted this icon during the life of the Virgin Mary. Initially, the image was in Palestine, but was later transferred to the Byzantine capital of Constantinople. This explains the second name of Vilensky’s image – “Tsargradskaya”. There is another name for the icon: “Jerusalem”.

How did the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God end up in Moscow? There are two main versions on this matter. The first and most common one says that a certain Zoya Palaeologus took the miraculous image with her when she arrived in the Russian capital city as the bride of Grand Duke John III Vasilyevich. Having become the wife of the said ruler, the princess took the name Sophia. As for the second version, the Moscow princes received the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God as a gift from the Galician princes. The last icon was granted by the Emperor of Byzantium himself.

If we talk directly about the main name of the image, then it acquired the definition “Vilna” thanks to its appearance in Vilna, a city in the Principality of Lithuania. This event is connected, according to historians, with the arrival of Elena Ioannovna, a Moscow princess, in the mentioned area. The latter was going to become the wife of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander, and the icon was given to her as a sign of parental blessing. By the way, Elena’s father and mother were the Moscow Prince John III and his wife Sophia, already mentioned above.

Throughout the rest of Elena Ioannovna’s life, the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God was kept in the princess’s chambers. When the crowned lady rested in peace, the icon took its place above the tomb of the deceased in the Orthodox Assumption Cathedral there, in Vilna. This happened according to the will drawn up by Elena Ioannovna herself. This temple was the residence of the Metropolitan of Kyiv and Lithuania.

Travels of the Holy Image

In Moscow, of course, they cherished the hope of the return of the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God. The chance appeared during the Livonian War, which took place in the 16th century. During the negotiations, representatives of the Russian side made an attempt, offering an ultimatum: in exchange for the holy image, they promised to release fifty captive Lithuanian nobles. But these conditions were not accepted by the enemy.

The real threat of the Orthodox losing the icon in Vilna arose in 1596, when the Uniates seized church power. The cathedral, where the image of the Mother of God was located, also went to the union. Trying to save the icon, it was transferred to the Church of St. Nicholas near Orsha, but that too quickly became Uniate. As a result, the image returned to its original location. Due to a fire in 1610 in the Prechistensky (Assumption) Cathedral, the metropolitan see, and along with it the icon, was moved to the Holy Trinity Church of the monastery of the same name - also Uniate.

Moscow's second attempt to return the Vilna image of the Mother of God to Russia was made by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich during the Russian-Polish War (mid-17th century). Luckily, the Russian troops managed to occupy Vilna. A search for the holy image was organized, but it was not successful. The fact is that a little earlier, the Vilna tradesman Yu. Seledchik took the icon to Krulevets (later Königsberg), and already there the Uniate monks safely hid it. Only in the early 60s. XVII century Vilna image returned to Vilna. Later, the icon made several more forced trips, but still returned back. This is how it was kept in the Trinity Monastery: first in a wooden case, then in a gilded icon case. The image was available to a generation of believers. Through prayers before the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God, great miracles were performed.

In gratitude for the help they received, those healed decorated the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God with jewelry.

Description of the shrine

When the Polish uprising of 1863-1864 ended in the defeat of the enemy, the Vilensk image of the Mother of God turned into a unique symbol of the original Orthodoxy of the northwestern regions. Much historical research was carried out during that period, and many publications were written. There was only one goal: to prove the Orthodox roots of the icon.

A few words about what the image looked like. It was written according to the type of Hodegetria. The exact dimensions of the icon are known: 135.5 cm by 90 cm, as well as the material of manufacture - central cypress and side linden boards. The Vilensky image had quite a lot in common with the Jerusalem, Georgian and Tikhvin images.

For 4 whole centuries, the Mother of God showed her countless mercy to believers through the ancient miraculous icon. In 1677, the shrine was completely transformed: it acquired a chased robe, the Mother of God and the Baby Jesus depicted on it - gilded and silvered clothes and crowns.

According to documentary written sources dated 1701 and 1781. The Vilna image was simply drowned in decorations. In the 60s In the 19th century, the icon was placed in a new frame and bronze frame, created from donated jewelry. Now the heads of the Virgin Mary and the Child of God were crowned with diamond halos. In 1866, the icon underwent restoration cleaning.

Disappearance of the shrine

The First World War was the reason why the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God was lost. The government organized the evacuation of major and ancient relics of great religious significance in order to protect the shrines from desecration. Icons and other utensils were exported to the interior of the country. Thus, in 315, at the end of summer, the Vilna image of the Mother of God, together with the relics of the 3 Vilna martyrs, ended up in the Moscow Donskoy Monastery, and after that its trace was lost and has not been found to this day.

This image should not be confused with what is called Vilna Ostrobramsky. You can pray for anything in front of the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God, but people receive special help with physical illnesses, mental illnesses and making life easier. There are corresponding troparion and kontakion:

Troparion, tone 4

Intercessor of the faithful, Most Blessed and Swift, Most Pure Virgin Mary! We pray to You before Your holy and miraculous image, that just as You bestowed Your intercession on the city of Moscow from ancient times, so now You mercifully deliver us from all troubles and misfortunes and save our souls, like the Merciful One.

Kontakion, tone 8

To the chosen victorious Voivode, as having been delivered from the evil, let us write thanks to Ti, Thy servants, to the Mother of God, but, as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call to Ti: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.

VILNA OSTROBRAMSK ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD

Vilna Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God

(Celebration - December 29/January 8, as well as April 14/27 on the day of remembrance of the three Lithuanian martyrs)

In Vilnius, in the old part of the city, next to the Church of St. Theresa and the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Spirit, there is a shrine revered by both Orthodox and Catholics - Ostrovorotnaya or Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God , in the past also called Korsunskaya Blagoveshchenskaya(this is due to the fact that the icon is part of the composition of the Annunciation, and with the legend of its ancient origin from Korsun - the old Russian name for Chersonesus). The icon is located in the chapel above the gate, popularly called the “Sharp Gate” or “Sharp Gate” (from Polish. "Brama"- gates). The name of the image that has long been placed above it comes from the name of the gate. It is considered one of the main Christian shrines of Vilnius and Lithuania.

Ostrobramsky gate with a chapel above it with the miraculous Ostrobramskaya icon of the Mother of God in Vilnius

Numerous traditions and legends are associated with the icon and the miracles it performs.

Origin

There are several legends about the origin of the Vilna Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God.

One of them is based on the legend that the icon miraculously appeared in Vilna, the capital of the Principality of Lithuania, on the Sharp Gate on April 14, 1431.

Another is that the icon was sent to the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd by the Greek Emperor John Palaiologos as a sign of the prince’s acceptance of Christianity.

According to the third version, the image of the Mother of God was brought from Tauride Chersonesus (or Korsun) by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd among military trophies. It is known that in the years 1341-1373, Prince Olgerd made several successful campaigns against the Crimean Tatars. There is no direct evidence about when exactly the icon was brought. However, researchers are inclined to believe that this happened after the victorious campaign against Korsun in 1363. The version is based mainly on the testimony of the Wenden canon Daniel Lodziata, who lived in the 17th century. When writing the book “Ancient History of the Lithuanian People,” the historian Teodor Narbut had at hand the manuscript of Daniel Lodziata, which he referred to twice. In a note dated 1653, Canon Lodziata reports the following: “The Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd enriched his treasuries with the treasures of Chersonese; His heirs distributed most of the church decorations to the churches of the city of Vilna. Among these treasures is an authentic image of the Blessed Virgin Mary; She seems to be standing in front of the Divine messenger Archangel Gabriel. Now we see the Lady of Grace in the Carmelite chapel on the eastern gate of the city, usually called Sharp, which is documented by the written evidence of the mentioned order.” The testimony of Canon Lodziata is the most ancient of the surviving testimonies about the Ostrobramsk Icon of the Mother of God.

The existence of such information is also mentioned by the Carmelite writer Hilarion, who wrote about the Ostrobramskaya icon in 1761.

Catholics see in the Ostrobramskaya icon the image of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, which arose in Western European art in the second half of the 16th century.

The Polish version supports the hypothesis that the Ostrobramskaya Icon was painted in 1619 in Krakow in the workshop of Lukasz Porenbski. The theory was based on the similarity of the Vilna Ostrobramsky icon with the icon of the Virgin Mary from the Krakow Church of Corpus Christi, painted by Porenbsky.

All versions of the origin of the icon are of rather historical interest. For prayerful veneration, the question of who painted the icon and in what century is not of significant importance, since it is not the creation of human hands that is venerated, but the Prototype - the One whose image the icon painter embodied on the board. Revered by both Catholics and Orthodox - the Mother of God.

Story

It is believed that the holy icon was originally donated to the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, built with the assistance of the wife of Grand Duke Olgerd, Princess Juliana Alexandrovna of Tver, and then placed above the Sharp Gate. There is evidence that in 1431 the icon of the Mother of God was already above the Sharp Gate.

The further fate of this image is closely intertwined with the fate of Orthodoxy in Lithuania. After the signing of the Lublin Union of Lithuania with Poland in 1569, church union with Rome began to be established in the Lithuanian lands. Many churches, including the Holy Trinity Monastery, passed into the hands of the Uniates, but the Orthodox managed to transfer the icon to the Church of St. Nicholas. However, in 1609, this temple also passed to the Uniates, and the icon returned to its original place above the Sharp Gate.

In 1624, a Carmelite monastery with the Church of St. was founded right at the gate. Teresia. The Carmelites built it in 1671. instead of the old one there was a new chapel, and the icon was turned to face the church. After the fire of Vilna in 1741. The icon was transferred to the Terezin monastery, and in 1744. again placed above the gate.

In 1812 it suffered during the French invasion, and in 1829. restore-ro-va-na. After closure in 1832 Kar-me-lit-sko-go-mon-on-sty-rya, Te-re-zin-sky ko-stele was re-named in Ostrobram-sky and remained in the ve-de- Research Institute of the Roman Spirituality.

Subsequently, the icon stayed in the chapel of the Sharp Gates of Vilna, in a huge icon case. The icon was covered with a gilded robe, as well as many metal offerings in the form of images of saints and various parts of the body, which testified to the benefits of the Mother of God to the human race. A Latin throne was built under the icon, on which at least two liturgies were celebrated daily.

Iconography

The Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God belongs to a rare type of image of the Mother of God without a baby in her hands.

The icon is painted in tempera on two joined oak boards measuring 1.63 x 2 m and 2 cm thick, covered with a thin layer of soil. The chasuble was made in the Baroque style by Vilnius craftsmen at the end of the 17th century.

The Ostrobramskaya icon is part of the composition of the Annunciation, so the image was sometimes called the Korsun Annunciation Icon. The Virgin Mary is depicted at the moment of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to her; the corresponding part of the image of the archangel has been lost. On Her face is an expression of deep peace, concentration and virginal modesty. Above Her head, a two-tiered crown is attached to the chasuble - the baroque crown of the Queen of Heaven, the rocaille crown of the Queen of Poland. Long rays extend from the face in all directions.

Later (in 1849) a large silver vault was placed at the bottom of the icon (a gift given by vow, for the sake of healing or the fulfillment of some desire) in the shape of a crescent with engraved text in Polish: “I bring gratitude to You, Mother of God, for listening to my requests, and I ask You, Merciful Mother, to keep me as before, in the love and care of Your Most Holy WII1849.”

The Vilna Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God is a miraculous icon, widely revered by Orthodox and Catholics in Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland. Currently, public worship before the Ostrobramskaya icon is performed according to the Roman Catholic rite, but Orthodox Christians continue to flock to this image with personal prayer and worship.

Lists of the Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God occupy their rightful place both in Orthodox churches in Lithuania and in the homes of believers.

Kontakion
To the chosen Voivode and wonderful Intercessor of the Christian race, who deigned to pour out streams of grace-filled healings from Her holy icon, let us sing praises to Thy servants, Theotokos. You, as the good Intercessor of those who honor Thee, free us from all troubles, so we call Thee: Rejoice, Lady, showing us grace and mercy through Your Ostrobramskaya icon.

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of Her Icon “Ostrobramskaya Vilna”
Oh, Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord of the highest powers, Heaven and earth to the Queen and our city of Kyiv, omnipotent Intercessor!

Accept this song of praise from us, unworthy Thy servants, and lift up our prayers to the throne of Thy Son and our God, may He be merciful to us sinners, and may He add His goodness to those who honor Thee and worship Thy miraculous image with faith and love.

To whom shall we cry out to the Lady? To whom shall we resort in our sorrows, if not to You, Queen of Heaven? Who will accept our tears and our sighs, if not You, Most Immaculate, the Hope of Christians and refuge for us sinners? Who will protect You more in adversity? In the same way, we earnestly pray to You: cover our sins with Your intercession, protect us from enemies visible and invisible, soften the hearts of evil people who rebel against us.

O Mother of the Lord our Creator! You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. Accept our unworthy prayer and keep us in spiritual purity, save us from the slander of evil people and from sudden death, and grant us repentance before the end. Have mercy on us in the hours of the day, morning and evening, and protect us at all times: protect those who stand, those who sit, those who walk on every path, and those who sleep in the hours of the night, provide, cover and protect. In every place and at every time, awaken for us, Mother of God, an insurmountable wall and a strong intercession. You appear to us as the guardian of all life, Most Pure One; Deliver us from demons at the hour of death; Even after death, ask Thy Son and our God to find peace.

We, sinners, lift up prayers to You with hope and tenderly cry out: Rejoice, O Blessed One; Rejoice, O Delighted One; Rejoice, Most Blessed One; The Lord is with You, with You and with us. We resort to You, as to our undoubted and speedy Intercessor, and to You, as our Almighty Helper, we commit ourselves and each other and our whole life according to Christ God; to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, together with His beginningless Father, with the Most Holy and His good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. A min.

Another prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of Her icon “Ostrobramskaya Vilna”
O All-Merciful Lady, Queen Theotokos, chosen from all generations and blessed by all heavenly generations! Look mercifully at these people standing before Your holy icon, earnestly praying to You, and act through Your intercession and intercession with Your Son and our God, so that no one will leave this place empty of their hope and be ashamed in their hope, but may everyone receive from You all according to the good will of your heart, according to your need and desire, for the salvation of the soul and the health of the body.

Most of all, protect the autumn with Your protection, Merciful Mother, Your Holy Church, strengthen our Orthodox bishops with Your highest blessing, protect with peace, and grant the whole, healthy, honest, and long-living Saints of Your Church the word of Your truth, from all visible and invisible enemy, with all Orthodox Christians, mercifully deliver, and in Orthodoxy and the firm faith until the end of centuries, inaccessibly and unchangeably preserve. Look with mercy, O All-Singing One, and with the charity of Your merciful intercession over our entire country, our cities and this city [or: this temple, or: and the spiritual city that exists here], and pour out Your mercies unsparingly on this rich one. You are the all-powerful Helper and Intercessor of us all. Bow down to the prayers of all Your servants who flow here to Your holy icon, hear the sighs and voices in which Your servants pray in this holy place.

If both a non-believer and a foreigner, passing here, pray, hear, O beloved Lady, and do this kindly and mercifully, even to help him and to salvation. Instruct your hardened and scattered hearts in our countries on the path of truth: convert those who have fallen from the pious faith and bring them closer to the holy Orthodox Catholic Church and the Apostolic Church. In the houses of Thy people and in the brethren, protect and preserve the holy abodes of sowing peace, establish brotherhood and humility in the young, support old age, instruct youths, make those who are at a perfect age wise, stand up for the orphans and widows, support the oppressed and those in sorrow, comfort and protect them, raise infants Heal the sick, free the captives, protect us from all evil with Thy goodness, and comfort us with Thy merciful visit and all the good things done to us. Grant, O Good One, the fruitfulness of the earth, the goodness of the air, and all the gifts that are timely and useful for our benefit, through Your omnipotent intercession before the All-Holy Life-Giving Trinity.

Our fathers and mothers, our brothers and sisters, who have gone before, and all who have fallen upon this holy icon of Thy from ancient times, rest in the villages of the saints, in a green place, in a place of peace, where there is no sorrow and sighing. When our departure from this life and migration to eternal life is ripe, appear to us, O Most Blessed Virgin, and grant a Christian end to our life, painless, shameless, peaceful and partaker of the Holy Mysteries, so that in the future we will all be worthy of all, together with all the saints , endless blessed life in the Kingdom of Your beloved Son, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, to Him belongs glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. A min.

AUGUST 1 - DISCOVERY OF THE RECENTS OF THE REVEREND SERAPHIM, THE WONDERWORKER OF SAROV (1903). JOY OUR FRATE SERAPHIM Pastors on how to acquire love and an affectionate attitude towards everyone Today the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the discovery of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The Wonderworker Seraphim greeted everyone with the exclamation “My joy! Christ is risen!” Next to the priest, hearts thawed, faith in the Living God arose, and repentance came. Priests Dimitry Shishkin and Nikolai Bulgakov told the correspondent of the portal Pravoslavie.Ru how to acquire love and an affectionate attitude towards everyone. “If we do not have complete love, we will do deeds of love” Priest Dimitry Shishkin Priest Dimitry Shishkin, rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village. Pochtovoe of the Bakhchisarai region (Simferopol and Crimean diocese): - When we talk about the Christian attitude towards one’s neighbor, we must remember that affection can easily turn into endearment and people-pleasing. Excessive affection and “condescension” can, after all, destroy a person. This is especially evident in our time, when it is “philanthropy” that is used to justify extreme leniency towards human passions and vices. The Holy Fathers always distinguished the attitude towards the person himself, no matter how low he fell, from the attitude towards the spirits of darkness, towards the passions that possess this or that person. We lack those who, while comforting us, would not flatter our pride and selfishness. The affectionate attitude of the saint of God, St. Seraphim, has a special quality: it stems from the depths of a God-loving heart. And this love of God, suffered and acquired as a priceless gift, allows you to truly love a person precisely in the awareness of his true calling. The love and affection of St. Seraphim embraces the whole person, contributing not only to his mental and physical peace, but most of all to salvation in eternity. How we miss such people who, while comforting and inspiring us to spiritual life, at the same time would not flatter our pride and selfishness. And that’s exactly what Saint Seraphim is like! His affection, extreme warmth and love extended, as a rule, to those whose souls were softened by repentance or at least an inclination towards it. It is precisely to repentance that true love and spiritual affection encourage to an even greater extent. But if the monk met an arrogant and proud person, entrenched in sins and unwilling to change, we see completely different examples - considerable severity and even accusatory harshness. However, this harshness is actually filled with love and extreme anxiety for the eternal future of man, for his salvation. We, of course, need to treat each other not only with outwardly kind and affectionate treatment, but also, most importantly, with true and unfeigned brotherly love. The Lord Himself commanded us to do this; the holy apostles spoke about this more than once. But brotherly love is not acquired immediately. It is given bit by bit by the Lord as we ourselves seek love and learn to acquire it. That is why the Lord says: “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). He does not say “ask,” but “ask,” that is, in your good desire, in your soul-beneficial request, you need to show persistence and patience, extending even to the last moment of earthly life. This is how spiritual life works—nothing can be settled here completely, nothing can be considered a done deal. Everything requires extreme sobriety and attention. And in the matter of acquiring love, too. But even if we do not have that very heartfelt and full love from which truly spiritual and affectionate treatment of our neighbors comes, we will at least do deeds of love. Just by good deeds performed for the sake of Christ, we will try to please God. And the Lord, seeing our need, our heartfelt request, seeing our constancy in good deeds, will certainly give us spiritual love for Him and our neighbors, and this is the greatest treasure of a Christian! It is in this constancy, in this daily and careful fulfillment of the Commandments of Christ, in contrite and attentive prayer, that probably the main “recipe” for acquiring love from St. Seraphim is contained. *** “Faith makes a good attitude towards any person” Priest Nikolai Bulgakov Priest Nikolai Bulgakov, rector of the Church of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Kratovo, Moscow region: - “My joy!” - so affectionately the Monk Seraphim of Sarov greeted everyone who came to him. Of course, we also need affection. We all love to be treated kindly. “Beat everyone with affection and love,” this was the advice Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, a younger contemporary of St. Seraphim, gave to his sisters. But where do you get it, this tenderness? She must be sincere. You can't pretend to be affectionate. If you try to deliberately say “My joy!”, and there is coldness in your words, there will be no sense. The main thing is not what is outside, but what is inside. You won't get far on the outside. How did St. Seraphim do this? How he managed to speak in a kind voice to everyone - although, probably, those who spoke to him not kindly also visited him. And those who came to him were sinners! Father Seraphim knew everything about them - more than even they knew about themselves. The Lord revealed it to him. Why were they a joy to him? What did they do to make him happy? And the fact that they are people. That they live in the world. That God created them. That He loves them, provides for them, endures, forgives, cares: He sends them to His saint for advice, and gives him a good thought - which will be useful to them. It will become easier for them to live, more joyful...

Among the numerous miraculous images of the Mother of God, the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God occupies a special place. It has a very rich history, which dates back to apostolic times. She is also responsible for many different healings, simply helping in various human affairs. Today, a copy of this image of the Mother of God is located in Vilnius, in the Holy Spirit Monastery (and the original icon was lost after the events of the Civil War and the First World War).

Legend about the origin of the icon

Vilenskaya has its own special history of origin (like many others like it). It is believed that it was written at the time when Jesus Christ came to earth, when the Mother of God was alive. According to legend, it came to Constantinople from Palestine, which is reflected in its name - “Constantinople”, or “Jerusalem”.

History of icons in Rus'

There is no exact version of how the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God appeared in Rus'. According to one of them, this ancient image came to Moscow in 1472. The princess subsequently becomes the wife of John III. There is another version of how the icon ended up in Rus'. The Greek emperor sent it as a gift to the Galician king, and after the capture of the Galician principality, it passed to the Moscow ruler.

Be that as it may, in 1495, Princess Elena, daughter of John III, was blessed for marriage. She moved with her to Vilna, the capital of Lithuania. Obviously, this is why it was later named Vilna. While the princess was alive, the ancient image was in her chambers.

After Helena's death, which happened in January 1513, the shrine was placed over her tomb in the Assumption Cathedral in Vilna (this was stipulated in her will). It was the residence of the Lithuanian and Kyiv Metropolitan, as well as one of the oldest and most ancient churches in the capital. Some historians find confirmation that Elena gave this image to the temple in advance, and not from the moment of her death it ended up there.

An interesting fact is that the Moscow principality tried to reclaim this icon more than once. Many ransoms were offered for her, but all attempts were rejected.

The history of the icon during the formation of Uniate rule

The Vilna Icon of the Mother of God, after the Brest Church Union was proclaimed, was transferred to the Church of St. Nicholas. This happened because the Prechistensky Cathedral, where the image was located, became Uniate, and the Orthodox tried to preserve the most valuable shrines in their faith. However, in 1609, the Church of St. Nicholas also went to the Uniates, so it was decided to return the Vilna Icon back to the cathedral.

Further events led to the fact that the Vilna icon ended up in the Holy Trinity Church of the monastery. After a fire in 1610 in the Prechistensky Monastery and subsequent repairs, the metropolitan see was moved to the Holy Trinity Church. According to some sources, it is said that they immediately took the icon with them; other evidence suggests that after the desolation of the Prechistenskaya Church, the image was transferred to the Trinity Church. Be that as it may, in 1652 there were already documentary references to the fact that an akathist was performed every Saturday in front of the Vilna Icon in the Trinity Church.

Subsequently, she was taken out of the city and the temple more than once during wars. For example, in 1654-1667, during the Polish War, and also in 1700-1721, during the Northern War. The first time they searched for her on the orders of the Moscow Tsar Alexei in order to return her, but she was never found.

In 1707, a new icon case was built for the icon (the previous one had disappeared a year earlier in a fire), and a few years later it was gilded. Attempts to transfer the image to the Russian Empire ceased, since it was not touched even after Vilna was annexed to Russia, as well as after the annulment of the union.

Since then she has been in this monastery, but she was evacuated during the First World War, her further path is unknown. In the church in Vilnius there is now an exact copy of the icon (also, by the way, miraculous).

Iconography of the image

To make this icon, four boards were cut - two cypress and two linden. In its writing, the image is very similar to the Jerusalem icon (obviously, this is precisely why it is sometimes called “Jerusalem”). There are also similarities with Tikhvin and Georgian images.

In the icon you can see the Mother of God holding the Baby in her left hand. His heel is bare and exposed, his left hand rests on his lap with a scroll, and his right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing.

During its long stay in the temple, the icon was overgrown with offerings of precious materials. In 1677, a chased silver chasuble was made for the image. The clothes of the Mother and Child were in silver, on which eagles and flowers were depicted in gold. It is also clear that the background of the icon is made using the most skillful filigree technique. On the head of the Mother of God there was a golden crown, which was supported by gilded angels, and on the crown of the baby there were precious stones.

Against the background of the icon there were many silver tablets, as well as various precious jewelry (beads, pearls, precious stones, jewelry made of gold and silver). When the restoration, repair and cleaning of the image was carried out in 1866, a new frame was made from all the jewelry and silver that was removed from the icon, as well as new halos with diamonds and diamonds. They also made a bronze frame for the icon.

Days of celebration

The days of celebrating this image fall on two dates. The first day is the fifteenth of February, which coincides with the event of the transfer of the icon to Vilna, which took place in 1495. And the second day of the celebration is the fourteenth of April.

Prayer to the icon

The Vilna Icon of the Mother of God is very famous for its various miracles. What do they pray for in front of this image? Usually they offer prayers and requests to her to alleviate or heal their ailments, both spiritual and physical. It is these healings that this image is glorified. This is exactly what is said in the prayer-address to the Mother of God in front of this icon.

They also ask for protection from various misfortunes, for deliverance from sins, for protection from various enemies. There is a special prayer with which you can address the icon, but there is no separate akathist, troparion and kontakion for it.

Thus, based on everything described above, the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God is of great importance for all Orthodox Christians.

Ostrobramskaya icon

There is also an equally revered image in Vilnius, which is also sometimes confused with the one described above. It also has a rich and quite ancient history, and several options for its origin. This is Vilna, which is currently located in Lithuania, in the Ostraya Brama chapel.

The origin of this icon is quite interesting. Some believe that this image was brought from Chersonese (Korsun), which is why in other sources it is also called the “Korsun Annunciation”. Prince Olgerd brought it from his campaign against the Tatars and gave it to his wife Maria. However, his second wife gave this icon to the Holy Trinity Monastery.

According to the second legend, the icon itself appeared on the Sharp Gate in 1431 on the fourteenth of April. There is also a third legend, according to which, the icon was sent by John Palaeologus to the Lithuanian prince Olgerd after he converted to Christianity. Thus, a miraculous shrine appeared on Lithuanian soil.

Days of celebration and prayer to the icon

Vilenskaya also has its own days of celebration. The first time in a year falls on the fourteenth of April. This is the day of remembrance of the three Lithuanian martyrs. The second day of remembrance falls on the twenty-sixth of December.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to note that Vilna, like Ostrobramskaya, is very significant for the Orthodox people. Although the last image is revered by both Orthodox and Greek Catholics due to the events that took place on the territory of Lithuania. This all suggests that true faith has no boundaries, if we turn to our intercessors with a pure heart and reverence, they will certainly help on this sometimes difficult path of life.

Together with the Vilna martyrs, on April 27, the Orthodox Church honors the Ostrobramsky Vilna Icon of the Mother of God.

Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God(lit. Aušros Vartų Dievo Motina, Polish. Matka Boska Ostrobramska, Belarusian Mother of God of Vastrabramskaya) is located on the city gate of Vilnius (Ostraya gate) and is revered by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. It is considered one of the main Christian shrines of Vilnius and Lithuania. Numerous traditions and legends are associated with the icon and the miracles it performs.

Painted in tempera on two joined oak boards 2 cm thick, covered with a thin layer of soil. Size 200 x 165 cm. Refers to a rare type of image of the Mother of God without a baby in her hands. A detailed study and conservation of the image was carried out by Jan Rutkowski in 1927 before his coronation. Based on the technique, primer and paint composition, it was established that The image was created in the second half of the 16th century, probably by an Italian artist.

The figure of the Mother of God is completely covered with a gilded silver dress; Only the face tilted to one side and crossed arms are open. The figure is covered with a silver dress approx. 1671. The silver crescent at the bottom of the image is Vote 1849. On the head there are two crowns: the baroque crown of the Queen of Heaven, the rocaille crown of the Queen of Poland.

There are many versions about the appearance of the icon in Vilna, the capital of the Principality of Lithuania. One of them says that the icon miraculously appeared on the Sharp Gate 14th of April 1431 Another is that the icon was sent to the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd by the Greek Emperor John Palaiologos as a sign of the prince's acceptance of Christianity.

IN 1653 Lodziata (Wenden canon) wrote that the icon was brought by Prince Olgerd from Chersonese (Korsun). It is known that Olgerd committed in 1341-1473. a number of successful campaigns against the Crimean Tatars. T. Narbutt believed that Olgerd received the icon among the spoils of war during the campaign against Korsun in 1363. And Olgerd’s wife, Princess Juliana Alexandrovna of Tver, donated the icon to the newly built Church of the Life-Giving Trinity. But already in 1431 the icon was located above the Sharp Gates. Narbutt's version, however, does not find confirmation in a number of major works devoted to the history of the miraculous icons of the Mother of God.

Polish researcher Mieczyslaw Skrudlik supported the hypothesis that the Ostrobramskaya icon was painted in 1619 in Krakow in the workshop of Lukasz Porenbski. The theory was based on similarities Vilna Ostrobramsky Icon with the Icon of the Virgin Mary from the Krakow Church Corpus Christi, written by Porenbsky.

In the 20s of the XX century. The opinion has become widespread that the image of the Ostrobramskaya Virgin Mary bears a resemblance to the Queen of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Barbara Radziwill (1520-1551).

The first reliable written mention of the Ostrobramskaya icon is contained in the “Chronicle of the Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Vilna”. The chronicle speaks of the ceremonial transfer of the icon to the built in 1671 chapel (chapel). The founders of the chapel were Mikhail Kazimir Pats, the great hetman of Lithuania, Krishtofor Pats, the great chancellor of Lithuania, and Gilary Polubinsky, the marshal of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was to this year that the first miracle performed through the icon dates back - saving the life of a child. The second miracle dates back to 1702.

On the left is the Orthodox Holy Spirit Monastery, in the center is the Church of Teresa, and in the distance to the right is the Ostrobramskaya icon on the gate.

During the city fire of 1711, the wooden chapel burned down. The rescued icon was placed in the Carmelite Church of St. Teresa. In 1713-1715 A new stone chapel was built, where the icon was transferred with a solemn procession. The cult of the Ostrobramskaya icon of the Virgin Mary received wider development after the end of the first half of the 18th century. The main celebration in Ostraya Brama was the Feast of the Guardianship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In addition to Catholic masses, services according to the Eastern rite of the Greek Catholic Church were regularly held in the chapel.

The first printed source that mentioned the cult of the Ostrobramskaya icon was the book of the priest, the Jesuit Korsak, published in 1748.

In 1799-1805 The defensive walls of Vilna, built in the 16th century, were dismantled, but the cult of the Ostrobramskaya icon made it possible to preserve the Ostrobramskaya icon, which acquired its modern appearance in 1828-1830.

The icon was placed in the chapel above the city gates at the beginning of the 17th century. At the bottom of the icon there is a large silver vota in the shape of a crescent with engraved text in Polish: “ I thank You, Mother of God, for listening to my requests, and I ask You, Merciful Mother, keep me as before, in the love and care of Your Most Holy WII1849».

Permission to coronate the icon was received in 1927 during the visit of Archbishop Romuald Jalbzychowski of Vilnius to Rome. The solemn act of coronation by decree of Pope Pius XI (who in 1920, as an apostolic nuncio, celebrated Holy Mass before the altar of the Ostrobramsky Mother of God) was carried out July 2, 1927 Metropolitan of Warsaw Cardinal Alexander Kakowski in the presence of the entire Polish episcopate, Jozef Pilsudski and the President of Poland Ignacy Moscicki before cathedral in the pouring rain. After the coronation in 1928, the image was placed in the chapel in a special metal container, protecting it from fires and thieves.

Remembrance Day of the Icon - April 27, in the Catholic Church - November 16

The cult of the icon of the Mother of God in the Ostaya Brama in Vilna, in addition to painting, was reflected in poetry. Famous poets addressed her - Adam Mitskevich, Vladislav Syrokomlya, Maxim Bogdanovich.

Obviously, in the middle of the 18th century. special songs were composed, which were sung by believers in the chapel in front of the miraculous icon. One of the first songs, according to researchers of Ostrobram poetry, was the song “Obrona wielka miasta Gedymina”, (“Defender of the all-powerful city of Gedimina”), first published in 1756 in “Złoty altarik” (“Golden Altarik”).

The icon is also especially revered in Kyiv. On the territory of the Institute of Urology there is a temple of the Ostrobramskaya Icon, where since 2002 many miracles of healing have been witnessed, as well as the finding of missing children through prayers to the list of the Kyiv image of the Ostrobramskaya Mother of God.

Prayer before the Ostrobramskaya icon

O Most Holy Lady, my Lady Theotokos, Heavenly Queen! Save and have mercy on me, Your sinful servant, from vain slander, from all misfortune and misfortune and sudden death.

Have mercy on me in the hours of the day and in the morning and evening, and at all times preserve me: protect me when I stand, when I sit, and when I walk on every path, and when I sleep at night, provide for me, cover and protect me.

Protect me, Lady Theotokos, from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and from every evil situation. In every place and at every time, be the Mother of God, an insurmountable wall and a strong defense.

Oh, Most Holy Lady, Lady Virgin Mary! Accept my unworthy prayer and save me from sudden death, and grant me repentance before the end.

You appear to me as the guardian of all life, Most Pure One; Deliver me from demons at the hour of death; Give me peace even after death.

We resort to your mercy, Virgin Mary: do not despise our prayers in sorrows, but deliver us from troubles, O One Pure and Blessed One.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us!

The prayer read daily in the chapel in front of the Ostrobramskaya Mother of God icon, translated from Polish:

To my Lady, Most Holy Theotokos, to Your goodness and under the cover of Your mercy, now, every day and at the hour of my death, I dedicate my soul and body, all hopes and consolations, all suffering and adversity, my life and hour of death, I commit to You, so that through Your intercession all my actions were performed and directed according to Your will and Your Son. Amen

In Vilnius, Pope John Paul II prayed in front of this icon.
But the Ostrobramsky icon should not be confused simply with the Vilna Icon of the Mother of God.

Vilna icon

The Vilna Icon of the Mother of God was painted by the holy evangelist Luke. For a long time it was the ancestral shrine of the Greek emperors in Constantinople. In 1472, the icon was transferred to Moscow by Sophia Palaeologus, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow John III (1462 - 1505). In 1495, the Grand Duke blessed his daughter Elena with this icon when marrying her to the Lithuanian King Alexander. In honor of the transfer of the icon to Vilna, a celebration was established on February 15. Later, the holy icon was placed in the Church of the Baptist, in which Princess Elena was buried. Subsequently, the icon was transferred to the Vilna Holy Trinity Monastery.
But this icon has nothing in common with the Ostrobramskaya icon, even though they are celebrated on the same day..