Celebrating the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God - date, history, congratulations, poetry, prose, SMS

The head of the Mother of God is slightly tilted towards her son. The Child blesses Mary and all the people in her person. The gazes of both figures are directed towards the worshipers. Every believer immediately understands what image we are talking about. This, the most beloved and revered icon in Rus', is found in almost every family. It is customary to bless children with it, and it is given to the married couple as a keeper and protector of the family hearth. On November 4, the entire Orthodox world celebrated the Day of Remembrance of the Kazan Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary with love and respect.

Memorial Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

Why Kazanskaya?

The miracle of finding the icon occurred at the end of the 16th century. A terrible fire in Kazan destroyed most of the city's buildings. The house of archer Daniil Onuchin also burned down. And then, about a month after the tragedy, in a dream, the Most Pure One Herself appeared to his ten-year-old daughter Matrona and indicated the place where Her image was buried under a layer of earth. The elders did not listen to the girl, but the Most Holy Theotokos appeared again and again. Only after the third vision did her mother go in search of her daughter. In the indicated place, on the ashes, the icon of the Queen of Heaven was found. Written on a cypress board, it was untouched by the fire and shone with bright colors. During the religious procession, when the image was solemnly transferred to the nearest church, a string of miracles had already begun - two blind men regained their sight, demons emerged from several women, the wife of one boyar was healed of an incurable leg disease. All this is recorded in the chronicle of an eyewitness - St. Hermogenes. Tsar Ivan the Terrible was so amazed by what happened that he built a monastery at the site of the event, and founded the Kazan Cathedral in the capital. The day of the discovery of the icon, July 21, became a church holiday dedicated to the discovery of the holy image in the city of Kazan. People call this day “Kazan Summer”.

Intercessor of the Fatherland.

The newly discovered icon of the Mother of God very soon became a national shrine. While defending Rus' from the atrocities of the Poles, Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky began to gather an army. With the Kazan Icon, the Russian army moved towards the capital. And at this time, in Moscow captured by the Poles, the captured Greek Archbishop Arseny was located. One night a bright light appeared in his cell and he saw St. Sergius of Radonezh. The saint told Arseny that the Mother of God had interceded for our Fatherland and soon, by God’s mercy, Russia would be saved. And, indeed, two days later the Poles were expelled from the Kremlin and defeated. The day after this victory, a religious procession was held with the miraculous Kazan Icon, to meet which Archbishop Arseny came out of the Kremlin. According to the descriptions, all the people knelt before the image of their Intercessor. November 4 was declared the day of celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in memory of the liberation from the Poles. At first this day was celebrated only in Moscow, but since 1649 this holiday has become a state holiday.

The Icon of the Kazan Mother of God has repeatedly granted protection from enemy attacks. Her prototype is associated with the victory of Russian troops in the battle of Poltava in 1709, as well as the victory in the war with Napoleon in 1812. The miraculous image also played a significant role in the history of the Great Patriotic War. According to historical documents, the icon was delivered to Leningrad, surrounded by the Nazis. Here she was carried along the outskirts of the besieged city - and it survived. Then the icon was transported to Moscow - and the Germans were defeated. After this, a prayer service was served before her in Stalingrad - and a turning point in the war occurred, the battle was won.

Deliverance of all evils.

At times it seems like your strength is running out, and only a miracle can save you. Then you should take a break and read at least a short prayer near the Kazan Icon. She is called the Guide - she will guide you on the right path, point you in the right direction and calm your soul. And as long as life continues on earth, the help of believers from the Queen of Heaven will not become scarce. It doesn’t matter whether prayers are offered to the miraculous Kazan icon, or to an ordinary paper image cut out from a calendar. The main thing is that the prayer comes from the heart itself, then it will definitely be heard.

Troparion, tone 4

Zealous Intercessor, Mother of the Lord Most High! Pray for all of Thy Son, Christ our God, and cause all to be saved, seeking refuge in Thy sovereign protection. Intercede for all of us, O Lady, Queen and Lady, who are 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 those who have irrevocable hope in You, deliverance of all evils, grant what is useful to all, and save everything, Virgin Mary: For You are the Divine Protection of Your servant.

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is the most revered holy image among Russian Orthodox believers. This icon is considered a symbol of the blessing of the Russian people; after all its miraculous appearances in the history of the country, prosperous times came and turmoil ended. It is with this icon that it is customary for Orthodox Christians to bless newlyweds. It is believed that this image shows the right path and helps to gain faith in order to get out of difficult life situations.

Godparents also give gifts to godchildren so that this face will protect the child and guide him through life.

The Kazan image of the Mother of God is a reminder of the highest blessing, alms and intercession of the Higher powers for our land and our country. The construction of many cathedrals is dedicated to this icon, the largest and most revered are on Moscow's Red Square, the Cathedral in St. Petersburg and the Annunciation Cathedral in Kazan.

The unprecedented reverence for the holy image of the Mother of God has led to the fact that Orthodox believers celebrate the church holiday of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God not once a year, but twice: July 21 and November 4.

The history of the miraculous appearance of the icon of the Mother of God

There are still different hypotheses about the origin of the Kazan Icon. The most widespread version in the history of religion is considered to be the version of the discovery of the icon in 1579 (old style of calculation) in Kazan. Shortly before this miracle, a large-scale fire raged in the city, destroying half of its buildings and many people. The little girl Matryona had a dream in which the Mother of God appealed to her to find a surviving icon in a burnt house. This dream appeared to the girl three times, only on the third morning the parents believed the girl, and her mother took her to the place where in the dream the Mother of God told Matryona to find the icon. They dug up the icon, intact and unharmed, and went to show the shrine to the nearest church. The news of the miraculous appearance of the shrine spread quickly, and soon Archbishop Jeremiah placed the icon in the Church of St. Nicholas. After this, a prayer service was served near the icon and transferred to the Annunciation Cathedral, which was erected by Ivan the Terrible. In the procession of the Cross, when the icon was being carried, there were two blind men in the procession (Joseph and Nikita), who after that began to see. It became absolutely clear that this was a miraculous icon. It was decided to build the Kazan Convent on the spot where it was found. The girl Matryona, who saw the wonderful icon in a dream, and her mother were among the first to be accepted into the new cathedral.

It was the day of the miraculous appearance of the icon from the earth and ashes, 21 July, today is the first summer Icon of the Kazan Mother of God.

To venerate the miraculous icon, ask her for healing or direction in business, many people began to come to Kazan. News about her spread very quickly. Gradually, a large number of lists from the image appeared, which spread throughout the country. Copies and copies of the icon also had miraculous powers.

The history of the loss of the Kazan icon

If the appearance of the icon was a sudden miraculous insight that united the people who suffered after the fire, giving them hope and confidence in God's intercession, then the disappearance of the icon occurred for a very everyday and low reason - theft. This happened on the night of July 29 (old style) 1904. The thief locked the watchman in the basement, stole the icon and money from the donation chest, and escaped while the monks were sleeping after a long evening service. The fact is that the Kazan image of the Mother of God was very revered. In the built stone church where the icon was placed, hundreds of believers prayed to it every day. The priests decided to ennoble the icon. Back in 1676, they decided to decorate the icon with gold and place it in a new casket. The icon was decorated generously: large diamonds, gold, pearls, more than 2 thousand precious stones. It was they who attracted the criminal.

An investigation into the theft of the icon was carried out, but neither the thief nor the shrine could be found. This has not been proven, but some reports said that the robbers did not believe in the miraculous nature of the icon. They removed all the gilding and jewelry from the image, and burned the icon itself to prove that the robbery was not sacrilege, and the icon was in no way incinerable. Partially contradicting this is the fact that information has been preserved about several cases of the sale of a precious icon, very similar to the Kazan icon, in Europe into private collections. But it was not possible to establish the originality of the sold images.

But another sad fact is known for certain. Soon after the disappearance of the icon, Kazan, which flourished for almost two centuries and was not drawn into any military conflicts, was defeated in the 1905 war with Japan. This event marked the beginning of a new troubled period in the history of Kazan and the entire empire.

Even after the disappearance of the Holy Image, the history of the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God did not stop. Believers worshiped copies of the original icon and asked the Mother of God to show mercy, to guide them on the right path, to heal soul and body, to grant harvests, to protect families from disintegration and cities from destruction.

Miracles of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan

The miracle of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan can be described as an “epiphany,” physical or spiritual. Even after the first appearance of the icon to the people in the procession of the Cross, two believers were healed of blindness. After this, blind people who wanted to heal their illness were brought to the icon to worship. But the icon also healed people from spiritual blindness. The miraculous image of the Mother of God sowed the first crumbs of insight even by its sudden appearance.

Today, those who do not know which path is best to take, what to do, those who are tormented by the problems of difficult choices come to pray to the icon. It is best to read a prayer before the miraculous image on the feast of the Kazan Icon, so that the Mother of God will prompt, direct on the right path, protect from the wrong choice, and give hope.

Large-scale historical events are also associated with the Kazan Icon, which could not have happened without miraculous intervention. These also include the so-called “times of troubles”, the apotheosis of which was the end of 1620 - the beginning of 1622, when the military-political situation in Russia became extremely tense. At that difficult time, Polish nobles laid claim to power in the country; the country was shaken by the civil war.

There was no strong ruler and commander on the throne at that time, so the monks, led by Patriarch Ermogen, began to call the people to the militia. The spiritual symbol of the militia was the image of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan, because the country was being liberated not only from the invaders themselves, but also from the faith they implanted (the Poles promoted Catholicism).

When the militia was almost assembled, the Poles had almost captured the Kremlin. On the eve of the assault, the Russian army announced a fast and prayer in front of the icon. After this, on the morning of October 22, the successful liberation of Kitay-Gorod and the Kremlin began.

Since that time, November 4 (new style) has been considered one of the holidays in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

Original and lists of the Kazan Icon

This icon is one of the most widespread and revered in Orthodox Russia. No other is written in as many lists as the Kazan Mother of God.

Here we need to clarify. When it comes to an icon, there is no concept of “copy” or “original”. All icons of the Mother of God have miraculous power, from the first copy made from the original icon, to a postcard with the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God or a small icon with a prayer. All images of icons in the Kazan image are shrines in front of which you can pray. The Mother of God will hear prayers, regardless of which icon they sound in front of.

In the case of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, the original is considered to be the same icon that the girl Matryona found through a vision from a prophetic dream. It is known to have been lost or destroyed. All other icons are lists, some of them also have miraculous powers.

The icon in front of which they prayed on the eve of the assault by the Poles, who almost captured the Kremlin, is also lost; it was a copy of the original icon. It was brought by militia members from the east.

Another list - the St. Petersburg one - is also associated with many miracles that happened in the 1730s. Field Marshal Kutuzov prayed to her before going to the front line in the war with the French.

The following lists of icons are considered miraculous: Kaplunovskaya, Yaroslavlskaya, Vysochinskaya and Tobolskaya.

New discovery of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God

Another new stage in the history of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God occurred in 2004. Patriarch Alexei was contacted by Pope John Paul II to discuss a certain icon that was discovered at the papal court in 1993. It is known that such an act of the Pope was another step in resolving Christian conflicts between faiths. But, whatever his motives, he returned to our land a long-lost shrine. Later it was determined that this was not the original icon that appeared in Kazan, but it was a very ancient copy of it, most likely from the original.

Delivered in 2004, the icon is today kept in Kazan in the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the former monastery of the Virgin Mary, where the first icon was lost.

Summer holiday of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God on July 21

The first summer holiday of the icon of the Mother of God is celebrated on July 21 according to the new style. This is the day the icon was found, when little Matryona and her mother found a shrine that had survived the fire. At first this day was celebrated only in Kazan, but later it became a holiday throughout the country.

This feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in 2017 was celebrated with a religious procession and a service with an akathist to the Mother of God.

The Kazan Icon is also called the “Guide”. The baby in the icon contributes his hand to baptize, and the Mother points her hand in the direction of the Son of God. The miraculous power of the icon was manifested in the fact that it was able to suggest to those praying the right path in life, helped them make difficult choices, and blessed them for good but difficult deeds.

On the bright day of July 21, priests advise not to send each other postcards on the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, but to go to church, pray or bring your children or other relatives and dear people to church, who face an important choice: where to go to study, whether the time has come enter into a marriage?

The priests also advise listening on this day to the signs given by the Higher Powers, perhaps in this way the Mother of God will “admonish” us on this holiday.

Day of Our Lady of Kazan - women's day

No matter what temple you go to, you can notice one pattern: the majority of those praying are women. And on the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in 2017, many more women came to churches than usual. This holiday has long been considered women's day; women came to the temple with requests that they could only voice before the Mother of God. On this day, mothers and wives ask the Mother of the Lord for spiritual and physical healing, wisdom and intercession, and pray for their children and husbands, who often find “more important” things to do than praying in church.

On what date is the feast of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God celebrated in the fall?

For the second time in our country, the Day of Our Lady of Kazan is celebrated in the fall, namely on November 4, according to the new style. This is the day when prayer in front of the image of the Kazan Mother of God helped our compatriots liberate the capital from the siege of the Poles.

On this day, in front of the icon they pray for peace and prosperity, for the prosperity of the state, which has been protecting the image of the Kazan Icon for how many years.

And every parishioner can ask the Mother of God for peace and harmony in his family, to bless him for marriage or other good union.

A marriage or wedding on the eve of or on the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is considered a good sign. Congratulations and warm wishes for a long, happy life on this day are supported by the blessing of the Mother of God, who will protect the couple from envious people and ill-wishers.

How the Day of the Kazan Icon is celebrated in the Orthodox tradition: worship, sermons, congratulations

The Day of the Kazan Icon is considered a big day. The evening before, evening services are held in churches, and on the morning of November 4, people gather in cathedrals to listen to the festive service and pray at the Holy Icon.

On this day you cannot do dirty and heavy things. This holiday is not a national holiday, but it is quite possible to avoid washing, working with a needle, etc. on this holy day.

Also, priests do not advise quarreling, sorting things out, or setting ultimatums on the feast of the Kazan Icon. This is a holiday of peace and hope, a holiday in which it was proven that people are protected by higher powers.

Since ancient times, women have prepared a festive dinner for the evening, because Lent follows in a week and a half.

The sermon on the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God has special significance. Sometimes the purpose of a sermon is to instruct and warn believers, but on the day of the Kazan Icon it is important to let people understand that the Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel will always help, give hope, harmony, understanding, and bless for a good deed. Our land at some stages was saved by the holy patronage of the Kazan Icon, and every resident can hope for the help of the Holy Intercessor in difficult moments.

Folk signs on the day of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God

On the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, signs have special meaning.

Throughout history, people have composed many omens and legends on the day of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan. This is a day of special power and miracles; it is believed that on this holiday the Mother of God instructs people on the right true path, so people have long begun to notice little things and interpret them in a holy, mystical way.

People, for example, said that if it rains on this day, then this is a good sign, this is the Mother of God crying for all people, begging forgiveness from the Lord for people. Rain on this day is also associated with a good harvest for the next year. Dry weather, on the contrary, predicts a lean year.

“What Kazanskaya shows, winter will say” means that the weather, especially snow on this day, “sets the tone” for the weather for the entire coming winter.

It is considered a good sign to marry, woo, or baptize children on the feast of the Kazan Icon. Such unions promise to be strong and happy.

Orthodox Christians reverence the icon of the Mother of God. This is explained by the numerous miracles that are associated with the miraculous icon. Temples and churches of the same name were built in honor of the Kazan icon. And in the church calendar, the appearance of the icon is marked by holiday dates, one of which falls on July 21 - the day of the first appearance in Kazan.

July 21 is the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the story of a miraculous appearance

The story of the miraculous appearance of the icon took place in 1579. The faith of Christians was not yet strong enough to resist trials. An unmerciful test falls on the shoulders of Kazan residents.

The rays of the scorching sun are not able to break through the columns of dust and ash. A terrible fire that burned here for a week mercilessly destroyed the Church of St. Nicholas.

The Kazan Kremlin was also engulfed in flames. No matter how hard the men tried, they could not put it out - and the glow stood over the hail for many hours. Horror gripped the women and children. what will happen if it is not possible to stop the disaster and the flames spread to houses. After all, winter is coming very soon, and there is no way to have time to rebuild a new home.

And the opponents of the church grinned sarcastically, why did your god allow a fire - he did not protect his temple. And many doubted their faith. Maybe this is a sign of God’s displeasure that people turned to Christ.

The efforts were in vain - and the fire was still able to destroy many houses. Construction has begun.

There is no time to grieve, and there is no one to expect help from.

Very soon it will be cold - and work will begin to boil at an accelerated pace. The days of fire victim Daniil Onuchin also passed in worries.

But the daughter of the Sagittarius Matrona was completely incomprehensible to parental worries. The nine-year-old girl was glad that her mother and father did not prohibit interesting fun. And the little ones had something to get carried away with.

We spent the whole day conducting research excavations at the fire site. Either you find an interesting pebble, or an outlandish piece of glass. Only in the evening, having calmed down, Matrona ran home and quickly fell asleep.

But one night the little girl woke up from an unusual dream.

The Virgin Mary herself came to her, illuminating her with a bright light. And she told me where to find the miraculous icon at the fire. The little girl was frightened and couldn’t understand whether it was a dream or a vision.

Tired parents swore at their daughter. Dreams are not all from God, and only saints have visions. So Matrosha’s unusual dream remained unnoticed.

But the vision is repeated the next night, and the next day. Nevertheless, the parents decided to check, and what if it was not without reason that Matrona sees the Mother of God every night.

And Matrona and her mother went to the fire in the indicated place. We started digging. A little more, and, lo and behold, is it really an icon? They took out a package, and there, indeed, was an icon of the Mother of God.

How did the icon end up in the ground? Most likely, in this way the first Christians saved the icon from the encroachments of infidels.

News of the discovery quickly spread to neighboring villages. And the priests hurried to the wonderful place.

Archbishop Jeremiah accepted the icon and ordered it to be transferred to the Church of St. Nicholas.

After holding a prayer service, the icon is transferred in a procession to the first Orthodox church in the city of Kazan - the Annunciation Cathedral.

The miraculous power of the icon manifested itself on the way. Two blind men from Kazan, Nikita and Joseph, regained their sight during the procession of the Cross. And lines of sufferers hurried to the icon, and even those who had grinned yesterday, doubting their faith.

The pilgrims asked the icon to return health, goodness for great deeds, and help in important events.

Ivan the Terrible himself was so amazed by the story of the discovery of the icon that he immediately ordered the construction of the Kazan Cathedral and a convent to begin.

It was in this monastery that Matrona and her mother subsequently took monastic vows.

Miracles of the Kazan Mother of God Icon

The icon of the Mother of God is a guide, and many Orthodox believers have found their way thanks to the holy image.

With the Kazan icon, the militia marched towards Moscow during the Time of Troubles and was able to liberate the city from impostors.

In 1636, the most significant temple was erected in Moscow - the Kazan Cathedral. It was to that temple that the miraculous icon was later transferred.

Peter I and his soldiers, on the eve of an important battle - the Battle of Poltava, turned specifically to the icon of Our Lady of Kazan, which was located in the village of Kaplunovka.

In the war with Napoleon, soldiers went into battle with the image of the Kazan Mother of God. It was on October 22, on the day of the celebration of the appearance of the Kazan Icon, that a major victory was won over the French after they left Moscow. The day began with snowfall and severe frosts, which was one of the reasons for the melting of the enemy army.

But the holy image shows the way not only to warriors and liberators. It is with this icon that parents bless young people for their life together. Many miracles are associated with the icon, which became beloved in Rus'.

Celebration of the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God

First of all, from this day harvesting began in the villages.

But for villages and cities where the icon was the throne, July 21 was a holiday and a non-working day.

It was a sin to work on such a day.

Therefore, festive celebrations were organized, to which residents of neighboring villages also gathered. Treats and songs accompanied by an accordion were obligatory.

They sang short songs and ditties. Young people danced in the streets. The holiday could last for several days.

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God revered by Orthodox Christians. Read about all the details of its appearance in the article.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God: history

1579 White mercilessly scorching sun, dust in a column on the roads of Kazan. Dust and ashes from a recent fire - a terrible fire burned here a week ago. It started near the Church of St. Nicholas and spread to the Kazan Kremlin. The glow blazed for long hours, women were wailing, children were crying - but how will it spread to the houses, what will happen?! And many laughed maliciously - where was your God that the church burned down? Apparently, all your priests are lying - it was so blazing. And what do you say to this? And it’s true that many in those days doubted their faith - perhaps God did not like that they were turning to Christ from Islam? “The Faith of Christ,” says the chronicler, “has become a byword and a reproach”...

In that fire, many families were left homeless, but there was nothing to do, no one would return what was burned, and they had to build soon - in time for winter. The archer Daniil Onuchin, among other fire victims, also hurried with the construction. Daniel had a daughter, Matrona. Parental sorrows were less understandable to her - for children even a fire is 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 Matryosha woke up from something unprecedented - the Mother of God Herself, the Most Holy Theotokos, appeared to her in a dream. And she didn’t just appear, but commanded to get Her icon out of the ground. It shone with a bright light - and the girl woke up. You still have dreams and visions, you imagine everything, all your miracles are endless - the skeptic reading these lines will say. And it will anticipate our story, because this is exactly how the family answered nine-year-old Matryosha. “Dreams sometimes come from God, but only saints have visions, so it’s better not to attach importance to dreams,” said the parents. And they were right. But that dream was still a vision, because it was repeated a second time and on the third night. Then the parents decided to check the girl’s words.

Matryosha and her mother went to the place where, as the girl remembered from the dream, the icon should have been located. We started digging. Even deeper, even more - is it really her! And sure enough – an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. They cleared it of dust and earth... But how did it end up there? Apparently, long ago the secret confessors of Christianity in the camp of other faiths hid the icon of the Queen of Heaven in this way. The news of the miraculous discovery of the icon flew faster than the fastest bird, and now the priests of the surrounding churches are rushing to this wondrous place, Archbishop Jeremiah, reverently receiving the icon, solemnly transfers it to the church of St. Nicholas, from where, after a prayer service, she was transferred 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 religious procession, two Kazan blind men regained their sight. We even know their names: Joseph and Nikita.

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

These miracles were the first in a long list of miracles and healings. The story of the discovery of the icon so impressed Tsar Ivan the Terrible 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 Most Holy Theotokos is similar in type to the icons of Hodegetria - the Guide, and indeed, she more than once showed the right path to many of our compatriots. So, with the Kazan Icon, the militia moved to Moscow, liberating the city from the impostors of the Time of Troubles. In the besieged Kremlin at that time, Archbishop Arseny of Elasson (later Archbishop of Suzdal; † 1626; April 13), who had arrived from Greece and was seriously ill from shocks and experiences, was in captivity at that time. At night, Saint Arseny’s cell suddenly illuminated with Divine light, he saw St. Sergius of Radonezh (July 5 and September 25), who said: “Arseny, our prayers have been heard; through the intercession of the Mother of God, God’s judgment on the Fatherland was transferred to mercy; Tomorrow Moscow will be in the hands of the besiegers and Russia will be saved.” The next day Kitay-Gorod was liberated, and 2 days later the Kremlin.

Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow

Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow - one of the most famous Moscow churches was built in 1636. The liberator icon was moved there, and now the image is kept in the Epiphany Cathedral.

Before the Battle of Poltava, Peter the Great and his army prayed before the icon of the Kazan Mother of God (from the village of Kaplunovka). In 1812, the Kazan image of the Mother of God overshadowed Russian soldiers who repelled the French invasion. On the feast of the Kazan Icon on October 22, 1812, Russian troops led by Miloradovich and Platov defeated Davout’s rearguard. This was the first major defeat of the French after leaving Moscow; the enemy lost 7 thousand people. That day snow fell, severe frosts began, and the army of the conqueror of Europe began to melt.

The icon showed the way not only to statesmen and squads - according to good tradition, it is this icon that is used to bless young parents for marriage; a long list of miracles is accompanied by this image of the Mother of God - one of the most beloved in Rus'.

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

O zealous intercessor, / Mother of the Lord Most High, / pray for all Thy Son Christ our God, / and cause all to be saved, seeking refuge in Thy sovereign protection. / Intercede for all of us, O Lady Queen and Lady, / who are in adversity and in sorrow, and in illness, burdened with many sins, / standing and praying to You with a tender soul and a contrite heart, / before Your most pure image with tears, / and having irrevocable hope on Thee, / deliverance from all evils, / grant useful things to everyone / and save everything, Virgin Mary: // For You are the Divine Cover of Your servant.

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

Let us come, people, to this quiet and good refuge, / the quick Helper, the ready and warm salvation, the protection of the Virgin. / Let us hasten to prayer and strive for repentance: / for the Most Pure Mother of God exudes boundless mercies to us, / advances to our aid, and delivers from great troubles and evils, // her well-behaved and God-fearing servants.

Prayer before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

O Most Holy Lady Lady Theotokos! With fear, faith and love, falling before Thy honorable icon, we pray to Thee: do not turn Thy face away from those who come running to You, beseech, Merciful Mother, Thy Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, that He may preserve our country in peace, and may He establish His holy Church May he preserve the unshakable from unbelief, heresies and schism. There are no imams of any other help, no imams of other hope, except 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 thoughts, correction of sinful lives and the remission of sins, so that we all praise Thy greatness with gratitude, let us be worthy of the Heavenly Kingdom 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.

21 July. Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

This icon appeared in 1579, shortly after the capture of the Kazan kingdom from the Tatars by Ivan the Terrible. The Most Holy Theotokos revealed her miraculous icon here in order to further confirm in it the newly converted from the local residents; those who did not believe were no longer to be attracted to the Christian faith. She Herself appeared in a dream to one pious maiden named Matrona, the daughter of an archer who was burned during a terrible fire in Kazan, and ordered that the archbishop and the mayor be informed to take Her icon from the ground, and at the same time indicated the very place. The girl told her mother about her dream, but she explained it as an ordinary childhood dream. The dream repeated itself twice more.

For the third time, by miraculous force, Matrona was thrown out of the window into the courtyard, where she saw an icon on which such menacing rays emanated from the face of the Mother of God that she was afraid of being burned by them, and a voice came from the icon: “If you do not fulfill my command, then I will appear in another place, and you will perish.” After this, mother and daughter went to Archbishop Jeremiah and the mayor, but they did not believe them. Then on July 8, in deep grief, both of them, in the presence of the people, went to the indicated place. The mother and the people began to dig the ground, but the icons were not found.

But as soon as Matrona herself began to dig, the icon was found. It was wrapped in a piece of cloth and shone with a wonderful light, as if it were completely new, just written. It is believed that the icon was buried even before the conquest of Kazan, by one of the Christians who hid their faith from the haters of the faith, the Mohammedans. The rumor about the appearance of the icon spread throughout the city, many people flocked, and the archbishop, in the presence of the mayors, carried the icon with a procession to the nearest church of St. Nicholas, and from there to the Annunciation Cathedral. When the icon was brought to the temple, many sick people, especially the blind, received healing.

One might think that this primary purpose of blindness served as a sign that the holy icon appeared to enlighten with spiritual light those darkened by the blindness of Mohammedan false teaching. A copy of the icon was sent to Moscow, and Tsar John Vasilyevich ordered the construction of a church and a nunnery on the site of the appearance of the icon. The first nun and then abbess in the monastery was the maiden Matrona. In 1768, Empress Catherine II, listening to the liturgy in the monastery, decorated the crown of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God with a diamond crown.

November 4. Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

In 1611, in winter, St. The miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was sent back to Kazan, but on the way there, in Yaroslavl, it was met by a militia from Nizhny Novgorod, assembled by Minin, over whom Prince Pozharsky took charge and who, having learned about the miracles performed by the icon in Moscow, took it with him and constantly prayed before her, asking the zealous Heavenly Intercessor of the Christian race to send them help. The Most Holy Theotokos showed Her mercy, took the faithful sons of the fatherland under Her Protection, and with Her help Russia was saved from its enemies. The militia that arrived in Moscow with Prince Pozharsky encountered many obstacles that were insurmountable for human forces, namely: it was necessary to take a well-fortified city 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 troops who met the arriving militia almost with hatred and showed them only enmity and treason. In addition, the lack of food in the devastated area and the lack of weapons caused a strong decline in courage in the arriving army. And many of the faithful sons of the fatherland, losing their last spark of hope, exclaimed in deep sorrow: “Forgive me, freedom of the fatherland! Sorry, sacred Kremlin! We have done everything for your release; but it is clear that God is not pleased to bless our weapons with victory!”

Deciding on a last attempt to liberate the dear fatherland from enemies, but not relying on their own strength, the entire army and people turned in prayer to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother, establishing a special solemn prayer service for this purpose and strictly observing a three-day fast. God heard the prayerful cry of those who cared for the fatherland and the inviolability of the Orthodox Church and showed them His mercy. Being in grave captivity among the Poles, in the Moscow Kremlin occupied by them, who came to Russia with the Greek Metropolitan Jeremiah, the sick Archbishop of Elasson Arseny appeared in a dream and announced that, through the prayers of the Mother of God and the great wonderworkers of Moscow Peter, Alexy, Jonah and Philip, The Lord, on the very next day, will overthrow the enemies and return saved Russia to her sons, and to ensure the fulfillment of his words, he granted healing to Arseny. Encouraged by the joyful news, the Russian soldiers called on the Queen of Heaven for help and courageously approached Moscow, and on October 22, 1612 they liberated Kitay-Gorod, and two days later they took the Kremlin itself. The Poles fled. The next day, Sunday, the Russian army and all the residents of Moscow, in gratitude for their deliverance from their enemies, made a solemn religious procession to the Place of Execution, 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 preserved in captivity. Seeing this icon, the soldiers and people bowed their knees and with tears of joy kissed the holy image of their Intercessor.

In memory of such a miraculous deliverance of Moscow from the Poles, with the permission of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich and the blessing of his father, Metropolitan, later Patriarch Philaret, the Church established annually on October 22 in Moscow the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God with a procession of the cross. First, the procession took place at 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 took place is already taking place in the cathedral. The miraculous icon that was with him in the ranks of the army was also transferred there by Prince Pozharsky himself.

Tobolsk Icon of the Mother of God

This miraculous icon is located in the Tobolsk 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 Ioannikiy 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 did not previously believe the appearance of the icon , then in front of all the people he prayed to the Most Pure Lady for forgiveness of his sin, he suddenly fell unconscious on the floor along with the lectern.

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

“On June 21st, after Matins, I came to my cell and fell asleep. Suddenly I see a saint coming to me in full vestments, like John Chrysostom; I considered him to be Metropolitan Philip. The saint said to me: “Get up and tell the archimandrite, the governor and all the people, so that not far from the Church of the Three Hierarchs 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 one that now stands in the porch of this Church of the Three Hierarchs in a closet, facing the wall. Tell this image to be celebrated in the city. Because of your sins, I am angry with you, you use foul language and fill the air with your foul language, like a stench: it is a stench to both God and people; but our Lady, with all the saints, prayed to His Son Christ our God for your city and for all the people, so that He would turn away His righteous anger.” But I, getting up from sleep, was amazed, and didn’t say anything to anyone. A little later, when I was in my cell and began to write irmos: Adorned with divine glory, suddenly the same saint 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 he disappeared. I fell to the ground out of fear, glorified God, but was afraid to talk about the vision, lest it cause confusion among the people, and for fear that they would not believe me. A few days later, during my sleep, the saint appeared to me again and said with anger: “Why didn’t you say what was commanded to you? Because of your neglect, the wrath of God will come upon your city for your sins. Your bread is rotting and your water is drowning - get up quickly and tell the archimandrite, the governor and all the people; If you don’t say it, you’ll soon lose your life. If the townspeople obey, then the mercy of God will be in your city and its surroundings; If they don’t listen, then it will be hard for your city: your cattle will die, the rain will destroy your houses, 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 6th, when after evening singing I came to my cell, went to bed, fell into a light sleep and heard in the monastery the wonderful ringing of two bells and the singing of extraordinary voices: Let us exalt Thee, Immaculate Mother of our God. One of the singers told me: “Because you did not say what was commanded to you, tomorrow you will be punished before all the people.” And so, when at Matins 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 was coming from the porch and blessing the people on both sides; Having come to the meal, also blessing the people, he came up to me and said: “Are you 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 him?” And he, shaking his hand at me, said: “Be from now on decrepit until the divine deed is accomplished.” Having said this, he became invisible, and I fell to the ground out of fear and now I’m telling you.”

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

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Images

• Kaplunovskaya-Kazan icon
• Karpov-Kazan icon
• Katashinskaya-Kazan icon
• Ascension-Kazan icon
• Pavlovsk-Kazan icon
• Irkutsk-Kazan icon
• Kargopol-Kazan icon
• Yaroslavl-Kazan icon
• Kazan, located in the Moscow Simonov Monastery
• Kazanskaya, located in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage
• Kazan, located in the Tambov Cathedral
• Kazan, located in Suzdal

Kaplunovskaya-Kazan icon. This icon is located in the village of Kaplunovka, Kharkov diocese. Appeared in 1689 as follows. To the priest of this village, who was distinguished by his especially pious life, John Umanov, someone, an old man adorned with gray hair, appeared in a dream and told him that icon painters would soon come to him from Moscow with icons and that he should purchase for himself the eighth from a bunch of icons from the oldest of them. account, the Kazan Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “From her you will receive grace and mercy,” added the elder. The priest did so, but before doing this he strictly fasted. Soon a new vision followed in a dream to priest Umanov: the Most Holy Theotokos herself appeared and ordered the icon to be placed in the church. The priest reported his vision to the people and triumphantly transferred the icon to the church, and from that time miracles began to be performed 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 Kaplunovskaya icon to his army in Kharkov and ordered it to be carried in front of the regiments, while he himself prayed with tears to the Queen of Heaven for help. Meanwhile, King Charles, stopping with his army near Kaplunovka, stayed with the traitor Hetman Mazepa in the house of the priest John. Then some of his violent warriors wanted to burn the church. They covered it with straw and wood, but no matter how hard they tried to set it on fire, neither the wood nor the straw caught fire. Having learned about such a miracle and also that St. The icon is in the Russian camp, Karl told Mazepa: “If they could not light the church without the icon, then where it is located will be unreliable for us.” This is exactly what happened. The Battle of Poltava brought Great Peter victory over Charles. There is a miraculous Kaplunovskaya icon in the settlement of Kozeevka, 80 miles from Kharkov.

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

Karpov-Kazan icon. This icon is located in the Kursk Znamensky Monastery. It was brought here in 1725 from the Karpov Desert.

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

Ascension-Kazan icon. It is located in the Ascension Convent in Moscow, in the Kremlin. She first became famous in 1689. Twice it was in danger of burning, but was miraculously preserved. This year, after a prayer service in front of this icon, they forgot to put out the candle, the candle fell, and it burned the lectern on which the icon lay, and the icon itself, despite the fact that it was painted on 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 Ascension Monastery burned down, the icon was miraculously preserved. When they took out the utensils and icons from the cathedral monastery church, they did not take it out, but meanwhile it ended up with other icons that were taken out; when, after the fire was over, they began to bring things into the cathedral, they saw that the icon was already in its place, although no one had brought it in. And there were many miraculous healings from this icon.

Pavlovsk-Kazan icon. This icon is located in the village of Pavlovskoye, 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 there is a well, popularly called holy. The first miracle from the icon was the following. One of the peasants in the village of Pavlovskoye fell into a severe illness from an intemperate life. At this time, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to another pious peasant in a dream and commanded him to tell the sick man to pray to Her for healing and to go and wash himself at the holy well. Then he would give up 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 sowing spring grain, it is carried in a religious procession through neighboring rural peasant fields to consecrate the crops. This religious procession has long been established on the occasion of frequent grain harvest failures in the surrounding villages of the city of Irkutsk.

Kargopol-Kazan icon. This miraculous icon is located in the city of Kargopol, Olonets diocese, in the Church of the Ascension. She became famous in 1714. The icon was in the house of the pious widow Martha Ponomareva, who once, while praying before the icon, saw a tear flowing from the right eye of the Most Holy Theotokos, and in fear reported this to the priest. 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 Job of Novgorod.

Yaroslavl-Kazan icon. This icon is located in Yaroslavl in the Kazan convent. The story of her glorification is as follows. In 1588, on July 2, a certain pious man named Gerasim, while he was in Kazan, had a miraculous vision of the Mother of God Herself, and after that, when he wished to purchase Her icon for himself, in a dream he heard a voice indicating where and what icon purchase, and then go to the city of Romanov and tell the residents there to build a temple in the name of the icon. Gerasim found the icon and just took it in his hands, when his right hand, which had been sick for a long time, was healed. The 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 Mother of God Herself appeared to a certain deacon Eleazar and commanded that a temple be erected in Her honor. A temple was erected, and then a monastery was attached to 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, on the advice of Patriarch Hermogenes, approved the desire of the latter with a letter on his behalf, but so that they would make an accurate list of the miraculous icons for Romanov. And the miraculous icon itself is carried every year 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 its sides are depicted St. Tikhon, the angel of the saint, and Martha, the angel of the saint’s sister, Martha. She first became famous for the healing of a maiden, the wanderer Natalia, to whom an icon appeared three times in a dream, but she did not know where to find it. Finally, the Hieroschemamonk of the Simonov Monastery, Alexy, appeared to her in a dream with the image itself and said that the icon stood in the monastery in the cathedral church on the right side. The icon was found, and the sick woman, after praying before it, received healing. Subsequently, a special chapel was built in her honor and for her at the cathedral monastery church. There were many miracles from the icon.

Kazanskaya, located in the Vyshenskaya Hermitage. This icon was brought from Moscow to the Tambov Ascension Convent in 1812 by the nun Miropia, who, on the occasion of the ruin of the capital, moved there. The pious old woman heard a voice from the icon three times in reality, commanding it 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 at night saw a bright light spilling from it throughout the church.

Kazan, located in the Vysochinsky Kazan Monastery. The monastery was named after the icon, and the icon after the village of Vysochino, where it became famous for its 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 banks of the swampy Mzhi River, which flowed through a forest and surrounded by swamps, a watchman and his family lived in a hut. The icon appeared to this watchman standing on a marshy hummock. Light rays emanated from the icon. The watchman, with reverence and prayer, took it and placed it in his hut with icons on a shelf. Here the icon soon marked itself with a sun-like radiance emanating from it and at the same time with the healing of a 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 to the watchman’s hut. The people, having learned about the revealed icon, began to come in large numbers to worship it, and many received healing and consolation. Then the centurion Vysochin, to whom the emperor gave land with a forest - a forest, where a miraculous icon stood in the guard's hut, for his services during the Battle of Poltava, built a village here, which was named after his surname, Vysochino, and from the village of Artyukhovka he moved a church here, where and the miraculous icon was 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 an all-night vigil, tears that wetted the shroud and lectern.

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

Kazanskaya, 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 St. Nicholas Monastery, Joachim, who lived in the 17th century. A monk lived near the Kazan Church in a hut, where he was buried.

“Miracle-working icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Their history and images,” compiled by Archpriest I. Bukharev. Moscow, “Caravel”, 1994. Published according to the publication: Miraculous Icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Their History and Images). Compiled by Archpriest I. Bukharev. Moscow, Typo-Lithography G.I. Prostakova, Balchug, village of Simonov Monastery. 1901

Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God twice a year - in the fall, on November 4, and in the summer, on July 21. This is due to the fact that Our Lady of Kazan is the most revered and beloved holy image in Russia. She is considered the defender of the Russian land and the patroness of all righteous believers. Read on to learn about the history of the origin of the holiday, the peculiarities of the celebration, the creation of a postcard with the image, as well as signs and stories.

The history of the appearance of the holy face

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

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

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

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

The essence of the holiday

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

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

Signs and traditions

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

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

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

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