MIRACLE-WORKING ICON
“Old Russian Mother of God”
“Theotokos of Old Russian” is one of the famous Mother of God icons revered by the entire Russian Orthodox Church and associated specifically with the Novgorod land. The glory of the ancient Novgorod shrines “Znamenie” and “Tikhvinskaya” did not overshadow this miraculous image, although its reproductions in later copies acquired a mysterious duality of iconographic options. The festive service in honor of the Old Russian icon is held on May 4 (17), the day of its appearance and the creation of miracles in Tikhvin (1570). In Novgorod and Staraya Russa, the date of the return of the icon to Staraya Russa in 1888 is also celebrated - September 18 (October 1).
According to folk legend, the icon was brought to Rusa (as the city was called in the chronicles) from the Greek city of Olviopolis at the end of the 10th century. The beginning of her creation of miracles is associated with the times of Ivan the Terrible. Around 1570, a pestilence raged in the northern countries. According to the revelation of one pious resident of Tikhvin, in order to get rid of this deadly epidemic it was necessary to “exchange” the revered icons of Tikhvin and Staraya Russa. Then the Rushans gave their icon of the Mother of God to Tikhvin, and the Tikhvin people sent one of the copies of their shrine, the Tikhvin Mother of God, to Staraya Russa.
According to another legend, the icon of the Staraya Russa Mother of God during a pestilence in the same 1570 was taken from Staraya Russa and, carried from one village to another to get rid of a destructive ulcer, thus reached Tikhvin, where it remained for a long time. The census and income book of the Tikhvin Assumption Monastery mentions the icon of the “Russian” Mother of God “eleven spans” (about 220 cm), hanging in the cathedral on a pillar near the left choir. On the occasion of the renovation of the cathedral in 1784, the icon was moved to the warm Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. The icon was always located not far from the famous Tikhvinskaya and was revered as the second shrine of the monastery, especially by the Old Believers.
Around 1787, Ilya Petrov Krasilnikov was sent to petition the Tikhvin people for the return of the Old Russian icon. Having received a refusal in Tikhvin, Krasilnikov ordered an exact copy of the Old Russian icon, which was brought to the Cathedral of the Transfiguration Monastery of Staraya Russa on May 4 (17 BC). Over time, this copy became famous for working miracles, repeatedly demonstrating healing powers. However, the residents of Staraya Russa did not lose their desire and hope to return the shrine itself, and in 1805 their famous litigation with the Tikhvinites began, which lasted more than 80 years.
A lot of evidence has been preserved of how the people of Old Rus turned first to the Novgorod Metropolitan, then to the Holy Synod. The Tikhvin residents argued their refusals by the lack of reliable written evidence about the ownership of the icon to Staraya Russa and pointed to the length of the icon’s stay in Tikhvin, and as proof of their deep veneration of the icon they cited descriptions of the incredibly rich setting of the Staraya Russa icon, made by the diligence of the Tikhvin merchant couple, the Klimovs, at the end of the 18th century. In 1854 1855 Archimandrites Peter and Vladimir are making a new luxurious silver-gilded chasuble, demonstrating care for the revered image. However, the residents of Staraya Russa persistently demanded the return of the icon, which they considered theirs. Finally, in 1888, thanks to the intervention of the Grand Duke. Vladimir, who favored Staraya Russa, by order of the Synod, the revered Old Russian icon was solemnly carried in his arms from Tikhvin to Staraya Russa, placing it in the Cathedral of the Transfiguration Monastery. (In Tikhvin, a new exact copy of the Old Russian icon remained made and decorated. Money for this was collected by subscription in the amount of 14,500 silver rubles).
In 1891, the temple of the icon of the Old Russian Mother of God was already completed, the consecration of which was attended by the great shepherd Father John of Kronstadt.
With the advent of Soviet power, the icon, according to local residents, was “ruined”, silver and jewelry were removed from it, and transferred to the local history museum. In August 1941, during the occupation, the icon disappeared and has not yet been found. As a result of this long history, two types of Old Russian icons emerged. According to a later legend, when the artist painted a copy depicting the Divine Child looking at the Mother of God, Christ himself “turned away his “face”, revealing a new miracle “to strengthen the faith” of the parishioners. This list is located in the current St. George Church. The icon has a rich silver frame from the mid-19th century with large inserts from the 18th century. This is a kind of unique “reproduction” of some disappeared work of Old Russian icon painting of the 17th century, which, it is possible, was the same miraculous Old Russian icon transferred to Tikhvin in 1570.
T. TSAREVSKAYA
(From the book “Where is Saint Sophia,
Novgorod is there.” St. Petersburg, 1998)
In Staraya Russa, in the Church of St. George, there is a copy of the Staraya Russa Icon of the Mother of God. Like the once lost original, it is considered miraculous, for which there has been the most convincing evidence repeatedly. Its history is still full of unclear circumstances and worries the minds of researchers. But first of all, we need to talk about the ancient icon of which it is a copy.
Assumptions about the appearance of the icon in Staraya Russa
Neither the time nor the place of the appearance of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God in Rus' is known exactly. One version says that in 1470, the inhabitants of Byzantium, which was attacked by the Turks, in order to save the shrine, secretly transported it to Russa and placed it in the Transfiguration Monastery. According to another version, in 1570 the icon miraculously appeared in the Church of St. George, in one of the villages of the Tver province, from where it was later transferred to Staraya Russa.
Stay of the icon in Tikhvin
One way or another it really was - it’s hard to say. But it is known for certain that in 1570 the residents of Tikhvin turned to the Rushans with a request to send them a miraculous image, hoping with its help to get rid of the terrible disaster that befell them - the pestilence. The residents of Staraya Russa acted like true Christians and came to the aid of the Tikhvin residents. The icon was carried in the hands, in a religious procession, delivered to the epidemic-ridden city, after which it sharply began to decline and soon stopped completely.
Further events unfolded as follows. Having received such obvious confirmation of the miraculousness of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God and being filled with love and gratitude for it, they refused to return the shrine to its owners. At first, under various pretexts, they stalled for time, and in the end they gave a categorical refusal.
Three centuries of litigation
Following this, an unprecedented litigation of its kind began, which lasted more than three hundred years. Only in 1888, after countless bureaucratic delays, Staraya Russa regained its shrine. Again, as in 1570, it was carried in a solemn religious procession. By the way, the dimensions of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God are very impressive: 278 cm x 202 cm. It is considered the largest outdoor icon in the world.
In order to somehow console the Tikhvin residents, who were finally forced to part with the icon so dear to their hearts, the residents of Staraya Russa gave them a copy of the shrine, made in 1787. That year, having lost hope of the return of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God, the Rushans sent craftsmen to Tikhvin to make a copy of it. The craftsmen were very skilled and completed the order in exact accordance with the original.
Miracle revealed by the icon
Imagine everyone's amazement when in 1888, when exchanging the original for a copy, it suddenly turned out that the image of the Baby Jesus on the copy had inexplicably changed. In the original, Jesus bowed his face to the face of the Mother of God, while in the list kept in Staraya Russa, his figure was deployed in such a way as if He had turned away from the Most Pure Virgin and was striving away from Her.
There could be no question of falsification and substitution of the icon, since the experts who examined it unanimously declared that this was the same image that was made in 1787. There were assumptions that, due to the fact that the painting layer of the original had suffered greatly from time to time, the craftsmen who made the copy could simply have made a mistake, not being able to examine it in detail, but this did not seem very likely to be true.
And so, without finding any convincing explanations for what happened, it was decided to consider it a miracle, which was shown by the icon of the Old Russian Mother of God. Its meaning was interpreted as follows: The baby depicted on the copy of the ancient icon turned away from the Mother of God, filled with sorrow for human sins. This version is considered final and generally accepted to this day.
The fate of the holy image today
After the revolution, the new authorities treated the shrines without the slightest respect. The precious vestments that adorned them were removed, and they themselves became exhibits of the local history museum. During the war, when Staraya Russa was occupied, the ancient image disappeared without a trace, its fate is unknown. The copy, the same one on which the position of the Baby Jesus miraculously changed, was transferred by the Germans to the temple that opened in the city.
Nowadays, this miraculous image is kept in Staraya Russa, in the Church of St. George. The Starorusskaya holiday is celebrated twice a year: May 17, the day when the icon first appeared in Staraya Russa, and October 1, the day of its return after a three-hundred-year stay in Tikhvin.
In front of this icon, it is customary to pray for protection from theft and all kinds of theft. She herself was actually stolen from the rightful owners for many years and it is precisely from this misfortune that she protects us today. The meaning of this image is succinctly and clearly expressed in the eighth Commandment of God - “Thou shalt not steal.” She reminds us of this and calls us to this.
The meaning of the “Old Russian” Icon of the Mother of God
In Staraya Russa, in the Church of St. George, there is a copy of the Staraya Russa Icon of the Mother of God. Like the once lost original, it is considered miraculous, for which there has been the most convincing evidence repeatedly. Its history is still full of unclear circumstances and worries the minds of researchers. But first of all, we need to talk about the ancient icon of which it is a copy.
Assumptions about the appearance of the icon in Staraya Russa
Neither the time nor the place of the appearance of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God in Rus' is known exactly. One version says that in 1470, the inhabitants of Byzantium, which was attacked by the Turks, in order to save the shrine, secretly transported it to Russa and placed it in the Transfiguration Monastery. According to another version, in 1570 the icon miraculously appeared in the Church of St. George, in one of the villages of the Tver province, from where it was later transferred to Staraya Russa.
Stay of the icon in Tikhvin
One way or another it really was - it’s hard to say. But it is known for certain that in 1570 the residents of Tikhvin turned to the Rushans with a request to send them a miraculous image, hoping with its help to get rid of the terrible disaster that befell them - the pestilence. The residents of Staraya Russa acted like true Christians and came to the aid of the Tikhvin residents. The icon was carried in the hands, in a religious procession, delivered to the epidemic-ridden city, after which the pestilence sharply subsided and soon stopped completely.
Further events unfolded as follows. The residents of Tikhvin, having received such obvious confirmation of the miraculousness of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God and being filled with love and gratitude for it, refused to return the shrine to its owners. At first, under various pretexts, they stalled for time, and in the end they gave a categorical refusal.
Three centuries of litigation
Following this, an unprecedented litigation of its kind began, which lasted more than three hundred years. Only in 1888, after countless trials and bureaucratic delays, Staraya Russa regained its shrine. Again, as in 1570, it was carried in a solemn religious procession. By the way, the dimensions of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God are very impressive: 278 cm x 202 cm. It is considered the largest outdoor icon in the world.
In order to somehow console the Tikhvin residents, who were finally forced to part with the icon so dear to their hearts, the residents of Staraya Russa gave them a copy of the shrine, made in 1787. That year, having lost hope of the return of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God, the Rushans sent craftsmen to Tikhvin to make a copy of it. The craftsmen were very skilled and completed the order in exact accordance with the original.
Miracle revealed by the icon
Imagine everyone's amazement when in 1888, when exchanging the original for a copy, it suddenly turned out that the image of the Baby Jesus on the copy had inexplicably changed. In the original, Jesus bowed his face to the face of the Mother of God, while in the list kept in Staraya Russa, his figure was deployed in such a way as if He had turned away from the Most Pure Virgin and was striving away from Her.
There could be no question of falsification and substitution of the icon, since the experts who examined it unanimously declared that this was the same image that was made in 1787. There were assumptions that, due to the fact that the painting layer of the original had suffered greatly from time to time, the craftsmen who made the copy could simply have made a mistake, not being able to examine it in detail, but this did not seem very likely to be true.
And so, without finding any convincing explanations for what happened, it was decided to consider it a miracle, which was shown by the icon of the Old Russian Mother of God. Its meaning was interpreted as follows: The baby depicted on the copy of the ancient icon turned away from the Mother of God, filled with sorrow for human sins. This version is considered final and generally accepted to this day.
The fate of the holy image today
After the revolution, the new authorities treated the shrines without the slightest respect. The precious vestments that adorned them were removed, and they themselves became exhibits of the local history museum. During the war, when Staraya Russa was occupied, the ancient image disappeared without a trace, its fate is unknown. The copy, the same one on which the position of the Baby Jesus miraculously changed, was transferred by the Germans to the temple that opened in the city.
Nowadays, this miraculous image is kept in Staraya Russa, in the Church of St. George. The feast of the Staraya Russa Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated twice a year: May 17, the day when the icon first appeared in Staraya Russa, and October 1, the day of its return after a three-hundred-year stay in Tikhvin.
In front of this icon, it is customary to pray for protection from theft and all kinds of theft. She herself was actually stolen from the rightful owners for many years and it is precisely from this misfortune that she protects us today. The meaning of this image is succinctly and clearly expressed in the eighth Commandment of God - “Thou shalt not steal.” She reminds us of this and calls us to this.
WHAT DO PRAYERS IN FRONT OF THE OLD RUSSIAN ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD HELP WITH?
The Staraya Russa Icon got its name from the name of the city - Staraya Russa in the Novgorod region, where it was located for a very long time. In 1656, during the epidemic of cholera in Tikhvin, the icon was moved there. And since the Tikhvinites refused to return the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God, in 1768 a copy was made of it, which was placed in the Resurrection Cathedral of Old Russia. This protected the icon from complete oblivion. During the Great Patriotic War, the original of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God disappeared without a trace, and now this copy of the icon is revered as miraculous. The icon depicts the Mother of God. Jesus Christ sits in Her arms. His whole figure seems to be rushing away from the Mother of God. The Savior holds a scroll in his right hand, and supports his head with his left hand. The legend tells that the face of Christ on the Staraya Russa icon of the Mother of God turned away, with all his appearance decrying the vicious behavior of the townspeople of Staraya Russa.
How does the Old Russian Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary help?
This image is rightfully considered miraculous. Any believer can turn to the Mother of God with any prayer and request, because She is the first intercessor of humanity before the Lord and there is no one closer to the Almighty than She. They pray to the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God, asking for protection from thieves for themselves, their home and their loved ones. It is believed that it can protect and save from fires. People ask her for healing from physical ailments and mental wounds; she will listen and graciously help everyone whose prayer comes straight from the heart.
Where to buy the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God
You can buy the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God in a shop selling icons, church utensils, Orthodox literature, near a temple or church. The Internet provides even greater opportunities and choice. There are many Orthodox online stores here that will offer a choice of one made according to an old model on a wooden board, painted on canvas, with a jewelry frame, or a completely simple one in a light plastic frame. The size and shape can also be adjusted to suit your needs.
Many people buy the icon of the Old Russian Mother of God not only for the home iconostasis, but also for travel or short prayers right at the workplace. In this case, the size of the icon will be small. A special place among those offered for purchase is occupied by the Old Russian Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, embroidered on fabric with beads. The bright and fresh colors of the beaded clothing give off an iridescent glow when caught in the light. You can create this beauty with your own hands by purchasing a pattern or a whole embroidery kit.
Memory Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God celebrated in the Russian Orthodox Church on May 17 and October 1 according to the new style.
The city of Staraya Russa is very ancient and is located near Novgorod. One of the main shrines is the image of the Mother of God, which is revered by believers as miraculous. Unfortunately, no information has been preserved about where and when this icon was painted, but it is assumed that it was transferred to Rus' from Greece in the second half of the 16th century. According to legend, the reason for this was the threat of an attack on Byzantium by the Turks. In order to save the shrine from desecration, it was transported to Rus' and ended up within the powerful Novgorod principality. Residents of Staraya Russa reverently accepted this image and placed it in the main Transfiguration Monastery of the city. It was there that miracles and healings began to occur from the icon, and therefore, when a pestilence epidemic arose in the neighboring city of Tikhvin, the residents asked to bring the image of the Mother of God to them, in the hope of helping the Queen of Heaven. In turn, they sent a copy of the miraculous Tikhvin icon to Staraya Russa. And so, through the prayers of the Mother of God and the faith of the people, a miracle happened: after a procession of the cross around the city was carried out with the icon, the terrible epidemic stopped. However, the Tikhvin people did not return the miraculous image to Staraya Russa, and for a long time it was in one of the Tikhvin churches.
At the beginning of the 19th century, litigation began between the two cities for the right to have the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God. Since Tikhvin did not want to return the image, the dispute became protracted, so that the residents of Staraya Russa had to address this issue not only to the Holy Synod, but even to Emperor Nicholas I himself. However, the petition was not considered for a long time, and later, for some reason, the reasons are rejected. After some time, the Rushans again repeated their attempt to return their shrine, but this time to no avail. Only in 1888, by order of Emperor Alexander III, the icon was returned to its historical place in the Transfiguration Monastery. The transfer of the image became a great holiday for Staraya Russa; it was carried out with a large religious procession, and to decorate the image, the residents collected a large sum of money, for which a precious frame was made. In honor of this, a holiday was established, and from now on, October 1, the transfer of the icon is remembered.
The prototype of the Old Russian icon is very ancient. According to researchers, it was written around the 13th century. The iconography of the image is interesting in that it combines two types of Mother of God icons - the Tenderness and the Guide. The Old Russian icon is a large external icon. While the prototype was in Tikhvin, a copy of the miraculous image was made in Staraya Russa, which does not literally repeat the ancient icon and has many differences, the main one being that the face of the Infant God is turned away from the Mother of God. A legend has been preserved that initially the copy exactly repeated the prototype, but the residents of Staraya Russa did not keep the icon with due reverence, for which Christ turned away from them.Both Old Russian icons were richly decorated with frames, but after the revolution, the godless authorities confiscated these valuables and transferred the icons to the city museum. During the Second World War, the ancient prototype was lost, and the list was taken to one of the cities of the Pskov region, where it was located until the liberation of Staraya Russa from enemy invaders. Currently, the miraculous image is again located in one of the Old Russian churches. The flow of pilgrims to the shrine does not stop, and in front of the icon people pray to the Queen of Heaven for deliverance from mental and physical ailments, as well as from all evil.
We are now diligent to the Mother of God, / sinners and humility, and let us fall, / calling in repentance from the depths of our souls: / Lady, help us, having had mercy on us, / struggling, we are perishing from many sins, / do not turn away your vain servants, / for you Imams have one hope.
To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil ones, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Thee: Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.
We magnify You, / Most Holy Virgin / God-chosen Youth, / and honor Your holy image, / through which you bring healing / to all who come with faith.
Offering to my queen, my hope to the Mother of God, friend of the orphans and the strange, the intercessor of the sorrowful, the joyful, the offended patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow, help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange. Weigh my offense, resolve it as if by will: for I have no other help except You, no other intercessor, no good comforter, except You, O Mother of God, for you will preserve me and cover me forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the Mother of God before Her icon, (“OLD RUSSIAN”)
Icon of the Mother of God “OLD RUSSIAN”
There are two versions of the appearance of this icon in the city of Staraya Russa (Novgorod region). According to one version, at the behest of the Mother of God herself, it was transferred to Staraya Russa from Tikhvin, where it was originally located. There she was in the Resurrection Cathedral of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery for so long that the inhabitants of this city began to consider the icon theirs. According to another, the Greeks brought it to Staraya Russa in January 1471, six months before the famous Battle of Shelon, when Grand Duke Ivan III launched a campaign against Novgorod in order to strengthen the northern borders of the Russian state.
On the eve of the battle, the Novgorodians prayed in front of the icon of the Mother of God for the granting of victory to them in order to “live in the old way.” The Moscow army led by Prince Daniil Kholmsky consisted of only 5 thousand copies. And from Veliky Novgorod an army of 40,000 came forward to meet them. And, despite their eight-fold superiority, the Novgorodians were defeated to smithereens.
The further development of history showed the providence of what happened. After the Shelon victory, Ivan III brought Rus' into the geopolitical orbit in which our country is still moving. As for Novgorod, the Mother of God did not turn away from the pilgrims at all, but answered their pleas to protect Russian antiquity and the Orthodox faith. At that time, only as part of a united Rus' led by Moscow could one be saved. If Novgorod had not submitted to Moscow then, it might have perished from the Polish invaders in the future.
During the raging cholera of 1656, a certain resident of Tikhvin had a revelation that if the miraculous Staraya Russa Icon of the Mother of God was brought from Staraya Russa to Tikhvin, the epidemic would stop. Once this was done, the epidemic ended. After this, the Tikhvin people did not return the icon, and only in 1768 they were allowed to make a copy of it, which was transported to Staraya Russa on May 4. A celebration was established in honor of this event.
For many years there was a dispute between the two cities about where the icon should be, and finally, in 1888, the dispute was resolved in favor of Staraya Russa. The shrine was solemnly brought into the city in a religious procession and placed in the Starorussky Monastery. In honor of this event, a second celebration of the icon was established on September 18.
After the revolution, the holy icon, having removed its precious decorations, was transferred to the museum. In 1941, during the occupation, the icon disappeared and has not been found to this day. Now in Staraya Russa a copy of the miraculous icon, which is located in the St. George Church, is revered.
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Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God
The miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which is revered by all Orthodox people, is a shrine of the Old Russian land. Her great power can protect from disasters and diseases, as well as help every lost soul.
According to the clergy, the icon is a window into the temple of our Lord. The image of a saint acts as a conductor of your desires and requests. According to the church charter, you can ask for help only from God, and the prayers addressed to the saints, which we read at their icons, can only convey our desires to the Almighty. Everyone who has been canonized has a certain amount of power over different circumstances. Therefore, it is important to know what power a particular anointed one of God has when asking for help.
History of the Old Russian Icon
Brought by the Greeks from Ukrainian soil, the icon received its name from the name of the city of Staraya Russa in the Novgorod region. She was there for a very long time and helped the Old Russian people with her miraculous power. However, during the period of the deadly epidemic that broke out in the homeland of the picturesque icon, it was needed back by the residents of Tikhvin. It was decided to hand it over for a while to the Tikhvin townspeople so that they could atone for their sins and avoid a difficult fate. But after the end of the epidemic, no one wanted to give up the face of the Mother of God. So she stayed there for almost three hundred years, until 1768.
Residents of Staraya Russa in the 18th century were only allowed to create a copy of the great icon, which they placed in their church. However, in 1848, after several attempts to return the icon back to the Novgorod region, the Old Russian people were struck by a cholera epidemic. A battle began for the miraculous power of the icon of the Mother of God. And only in 1888, almost 180 years after the first forgiveness, it was decided to return the original to the townspeople of Staraya Russa. They greeted the icon with due respect: they carried it in their arms all the way from Tikhvin, and for its return to Novgorod land, the Church of the Miraculous Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God was built.
During Soviet times, the icon was plundered: all the precious stones that served as decoration were removed from it. The face of the Mother of God was sent to the Museum of Local Lore. After the start of the Great Patriotic War, the icon disappeared without a trace. The copy that was in the Resurrection Temple is now revered as miraculous.
Description of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God
There are two types of copies of the revered icon. The ancient image was painted back in the 13th century: it depicts the Baby Jesus, who sat in the arms of his Mother and turned his face to the Blessed Virgin. This copy is kept to this day in the Intercession Convent in the Leningrad Region.
But the now revered image runs counter to the image painted in the 13th century. The impossibility of returning the icon to Staraya Russa was the reason to order a copy, which was handed over to the residents of Staraya Russa in 1768. 180 years later, when the image returned to the Novgorod land, people saw the dissimilarities between the original and the copy: the Baby rests on his left hand, but he is turned away from the Holy Virgin, his body rushes away from the Mother.
History claims that the Tikhvin residents treated the miraculous icon carelessly, and the accumulated dirt and soot prevented them from seeing the faces of the saints when writing the copy. But the belief claims a different development of events: the face of Christ was turned away from the vicious life of the Old Russian townspeople that he saw. But it is this image that is revered today. It is also the largest external icon in the world, which is 278 cm in height and 202 cm in width.
Prayer to the Old Russian Icon
The icon of the Mother of God is asked for atonement for sins, for protection from theft. The power of the Mother of God is capable of healing any ailment and helping the lost to take the right path. Many people turn to her miraculous help through prayer:
“Your mercy, O Queen of Heaven, can help from any misfortune - both mortal and human. With the birth of our Savior, you ended our torment and gave us eternal life. Hear my requests and convey them to the Almighty, O Holy Lady. Let Your grace descend from heaven on the lives of the perishing. Oh, Mother of God, You are the only hope for desperate people. Save and preserve, and let ill-wishers not think of anything bad. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
The days of commemoration of the icon are May 17 and October 1. These dates are not accidental: it was at this time that the Staraya Russa icon was returned to the residents of Staraya Russa, first as a copy (May 17), and then the original (October 1). There are no restrictions these days, but clergy urge you to pray and attend church, especially if you are tormented by illness. be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and
Icons of the Queen of Heaven are the most revered Shrines of the Orthodox Church. The strength and power that radiates help many people, families, cities, countries in difficult periods of life, hardships, and illnesses. Heal from evil spirits. They protect.
It is these miraculous qualities that the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God possesses.
The temple, akathist, prayer, celebration associated with this Shrine of Orthodoxy are described in this article.
Story
And the Icon of the Mother of God is named after the city - Staraya Russa, in the Novgorod region. The icon has been here since the time it was brought by Greek settlers from the city of Olviopolis (currently the city of Kherson, in Ukraine). This happened at the time of the birth of Christianity on the territory of Kievan Rus.
But in the middle of the 17th century, in the city of Tikhvin, in the Leningrad region, a pestilence epidemic broke out, due to which many people died.
Then one Tikhvin resident received a revelation from above that it was necessary to bring the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God to the city - to heal sick people and protect the area. Which was done.
Only the Shrine was returned back after 233 years. The Tikhvin residents refused to give back the miraculous Face.
Only in 1768, the Rushans agreed to write a copy for the Old Russian Temple. Where it was later placed.
In September 1888, the original was solemnly transferred by hand to Staraya Russa - to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, which was built specifically in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God of Staraya Russa.
The Shrine was located here until the Bolsheviks came to power. Then all the decorations from the Icon were removed, and the Face was transferred to the Museum of Local Lore.
When German troops came to Russia in 1941, the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God disappeared. But later it was returned.
And currently it is located in the Church of St. George the Victorious - in Staraya Russa. Her appearance here was a real miracle, as the frescoes of the monastery eloquently show. They depict the return of the Icon, which is carried high above the heads of the parishioners. One of the participants in the procession is the Hieromartyr Vladimir of the Epiphany, who later became the Bishop of Starorussky.
Miraculous healing
The legends of those days say that during the transfer of this Shrine from Tikhvin to its rightful place (in Staraya Russa), many miracles occurred.
One monk was present - a resident of the Old Russian Transfiguration Monastery - Sergius. He described one of the miraculous healings that took place.
On the way, a group of women (15 people) followed the Icon of the Mother of God. They shouted in voices other than their own. They said that the women were possessed by a demon.
And those carrying the Icon could not stand it, sympathized with the unfortunate ones and lowered the stretcher. And the women were allowed to approach the Face - each 12 times.
A real miracle happened: looking at the Shrine, those healed with hot tears began to kiss the Icon and ask the Queen of Heaven for the salvation of their souls. And their prayer was heard.
Description
Thus, there are several Old Russian Icons of the Mother of God. The first, written in the 13th century AD, depicts the Queen of Heaven with Jesus in her arms, who is facing Mary.
The second was painted in the 18th century, as a copy of the first, when it was not possible to return the Icon to the city of Staraya Russa from Tikhvin. And 180 years later, when the original returned to its original, rightful place, parishioners noticed the differences between the original and the copy. In the last one, Jesus is positioned on Mary's left arm, and his face is turned away from her.
Sources claim that the reason for this was the unkempt surface of the Shrine. She was completely covered in dirt and soot. Therefore, the artist could not see Faces correctly.
The original Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God is the largest portable icon in the world, since its dimensions are:
- Width - 2.02 meters.
- Height - 2.78 meters.
Days of celebration
In those years when the Shrine was in Tikhvin, and then returned: first in the form of a copy (May 17, new style), and decades later the original (October 1), the tradition arose among the parishioners of Staraya Russa to celebrate the feast of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God on these days .
And the answer will definitely come and a real miracle can happen.
Prayer
The Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God is able to cure various ailments, atone for sins, protect, and help a confused person take the true path.
The prayer to the Mother of God at this Shrine begins with an appeal to the Queen of Heaven and the affirmation that Her Grace helps from all sorts of misfortunes: mortal and human. Next follow the words about the Savior born by Her, thanks to whom human torment ended and eternal life was given. Then there is a request that the Mother of God hear the person praying and convey these words to the Almighty. For grace to descend from heaven on the lives of those who are perishing. An appeal to the Mother of God as the only Hope of desperate people. A request for salvation and preservation from ill-wishers.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Akathist
The Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God is located in the Church of St. George the Victorious, in the city of Staraya Russa. And in 2015, in October (when it was the 20th week of Pentecost), an evening service was held by the Metropolitan of Staraya Russia and Novgorod. And after it, the clergyman sang an akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God.
In general, such a hymn glorifying the Queen of Heaven was composed back in Byzantium in the 5th-7th centuries. In the modern Orthodox Church, the akathist to the Most Pure Virgin Mary occupies a place of honor, since of all the hymns it is included in the liturgical charter.
And its performance at the Shrine of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God will definitely be heard.
In the photo: A genuine Old Russian image of the Mother of God on a pre-revolutionary engraving.
She was absent from Staraya Russa for more than three hundred years. For almost a hundred years, the people of Rush have been actively trying to return it. The icon returned, a special cathedral was erected for it, consecrated in 1892 with great celebration (even came). And in the 20th century it disappeared.
Finding the Old Russian miraculous image, two versions:
Since ancient times, Staraya Russa has been the city guard. The story of its appearance in Rus “bifurcates”, which is connected with the further fate of the icon and the litigation about it between the Rushans and the Tikhvins.
So, the Rushans believed that the icon:
“was transferred to the city of Staraya Russa in the first centuries of Christianity by the Greeks from Olviopolis, but how true this opinion is is difficult to say about it with certainty. According to the legend preserved among the people, all that is known is that, since ancient times, it belonged to the city of Staraya Russa and was there for several centuries for the joy and consolation of all residents of the city and the surrounding region.”
A. A. Usinin. The celebration of the transfer of the miraculous icon of the Old Russian Mother of God from the city of Tikhvin to the city of Staraya Russa, Novgorod province.
She stayed, according to old Russian legend, in the Transfiguration Cathedral - as the most ancient and venerable church in the city. The Tikhvinites insisted that the icon appeared in 1570 in Vydropusk (Vydro-Puzhsk) and was in Staraya Russa only for a short time. 
How the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God came to Tikhvin
For several centuries, the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God served, as already mentioned, as the subject of disputes between the Rushans and the Tikhvins, and this is because of this event. The Rushans tell it like this. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, in the 1570s, a pestilence was raging in Tikhvin, and one pious resident of the city had a vision according to which, in order to get rid of the ulcer, it was necessary to transfer to Tikhvin - temporarily - the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God in exchange for the miraculous Tikhvin Icon . The Rushans, in the simplicity of their hearts, gave their icon to the Tikhvin people, and they “cheated” a little and instead of the miraculous Tikhvin image they sent a copy to Rusa.
After the pestilence, the icon remained in the city, where it was revered on a par with the famous Tikhvin image of the Mother of God (the Old Believers especially loved it).
Litigation for the Staraya Russa Icon of the Mother of God between residents of Tikhvin and Staraya Rusa
It would seem that over time the residents of Staraya Russa should have come to terms with the loss, but no. In 1787, they sent an “embassy” to Tikhvin with the goal of returning the shrine. As expected, the Tikhvin people did not give up the icon; they only allowed it to be removed from the list. And in 1805, a lawsuit arose between the Rushans and the Tikhvin residents about who should own the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God.
The litigation for the Old Russian icon lasted for more than eighty years and began with a petition from the people of Rus, submitted to the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Novgorod Ambrose (Podobedov). As A. A. Usinin, already quoted by us, writes, Metropolitan Ambrose:
“with Eugene, Bishop of Staraya Russa, they were inclined to satisfy the pious desire of the Starorussian citizens, but Archimandrite of the Tikhvin Monastery Gerasim refused to give the icon to the deputies sent from Russa, under the pretext of fearing the indignation of the Tikhvin citizens who did not want to let go of the revered shrine.”
The “Old Russian citizens” did not give up their hopes. They wrote either to the Novgorod rulers or to the Holy Synod. The Tikhvin residents, in turn, pointed to the lack of reliable documents that would confirm the Old Russian origin of the miraculous icon, and questioned the legend about its transfer to Tikhvin during a pestilence. They stated:
“This legend has no basis and is a work of modern times, and therefore more conjectural than reliable.”
Moreover, the Tikhvinites also resorted to “prohibited techniques,” pointing out the lack of faith of their opponents:
“If they consider this icon miraculous, then why don’t they subjugate their will to its miraculous power and want to appropriate it by judicial means?”
Old Russian icon, return
Be that as it may, in 1888, with the assistance of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, who favored Staraya Russa and the Transfiguration Monastery, Alexander III:
“I have deigned to approve the most submissive report of the Holy Synod on the transfer of the miraculous icon of the Old Russian Mother of God from the Tikhvin Mother of God Monastery to... the Transfiguration Monastery.”
There was no limit to the jubilation of the Old Russian residents. The miraculous Old Russian image was carried in their arms from Tikhvin to Staraya Russa, where, according to the most conservative estimates, up to 50,000 people met it. It was placed in the Transfiguration Cathedral, and the following year the construction of a special temple for the shrine began in the monastery - “in honor and glory of the Most Holy Theotokos, called Starorusskaya.”
Loss of the Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God
After the revolution, the icon, as the Rushans put it, was “ruined” (that is, the precious frame was removed from it) and transferred to the local history museum. During the years of occupation, it disappeared without a trace, and now in Staraya Russa, in the St. George Church, there is a copy of it, also considered miraculous. There are lists, both old and new, in many other surrounding churches.