Who is depicted in the icon of the Cathedral of Smolensk Saints. Icon of the Mother of God "Smolensk"

Smolensk icon The Mother of God, called "Hodegetria", which means "Guide", according to Church tradition, was written by the holy evangelist Luke during his earthly life Holy Mother of God. Saint Demetrius of Rostov suggests that this image was painted at the request of the Antioch ruler Theophilus. From Antioch the shrine was transferred to Jerusalem, and from there Empress Eudokia, wife of Arcadius, transferred it to Constantinople to Pulcheria, the emperor’s sister, who placed the holy icon in the Blachernae Church. The Greek Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh (1042–1054), marrying his daughter Anna to Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich, son of Yaroslav the Wise, in 1046, blessed her on her journey with this icon. After the death of Prince Vsevolod, the icon passed to his son Vladimir Monomakh, who transferred it at the beginning of the 12th century to the Smolensk Cathedral Church in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. From that time on, the icon received the name Hodegetria of Smolensk. In 1238, following a voice from the icon, the selfless Orthodox warrior Mercury entered Batu’s camp at night and killed many enemies, including their strongest warrior. Having suffered a martyr's death in battle, he was canonized by the Church (November 24). In the 14th century, Smolensk was in the possession of the Lithuanian princes. The daughter of Prince Vytautas Sophia was married to the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Dimitrievich (1398–1425). In 1398, she brought the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God with her to Moscow. The holy image was installed in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin, according to right side from the royal gates. In 1456, at the request of the residents of Smolensk, led by Bishop Misail, the icon was solemnly procession returned to Smolensk, and two copies of it remained in Moscow. One was erected in the Annunciation Cathedral, and the other - “measure in moderation” - in 1524 in the Novodevichy Convent, founded in memory of the return of Smolensk to Russia. The monastery was built on the Maiden Field, where “with many tears” Muscovites released the holy icon to Smolensk. In 1602 with miraculous icon An exact list was written (in 1666, together with the ancient icon, a new list was taken to Moscow for renewal), which was placed in the tower of the Smolensk fortress wall, above the Dnieper Gate, under a specially constructed tent. Later, in 1727, a wooden church was built there, and in 1802 - a stone one. The new copy took on the beneficial power of the ancient image, and when Russian troops left Smolensk on August 5, 1812, they took the icon with them for protection from the enemy. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, this image was worn around the camp to strengthen and encourage the soldiers for a great feat. An ancient image of the Smolensk Hodegetria, taken temporarily to the Assumption Cathedral, on the day of the Battle of Borodino, together with Iverskaya and Vladimir icons The Mother of God was carried around the White City, Kitay-Gorod and the Kremlin walls, and then sent to the sick and wounded in the Lefortovo Palace. Before leaving Moscow, the icon was taken to Yaroslavl. Our ancestors so reverently guarded these sister icons, and the Mother of God protected our Motherland through Her images. After the victory over the enemy, the icon of Hodegetria, along with the illustrious list, was returned to Smolensk. The celebration in honor of this miraculous image on July 28 was established in 1525 in memory of the return of Smolensk to Russia. There are many revered lists from the Smolensk Hodegetria, which are celebrated on the same day. There is also a day of celebration of the Smolensk Icon, which became famous in the 19th century - November 5, when this image, by order of the commander-in-chief of the Russian army M. I. Kutuzov, was returned to Smolensk. In memory of the expulsion of enemies from the Fatherland, it was established in Smolensk to celebrate this day annually. The Holy Icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria is one of the main shrines of the Russian Church. Believers have received and are receiving abundant gracious help from her. The Mother of God, through Her holy image, intercedes and strengthens us, guiding us to salvation, and we cry out to Her: “You are the All-Blessed Hodegetria to the faithful people, You are the Smolensk Praise and all the Russian lands are the affirmation! Rejoice, Hodegetria, salvation for Christians!”

The miraculous icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, called the Hodegetria of Smolensk, has been known in Rus' since ancient times. "Hodegetria", translated from Greek language, means “Guide”. There are several versions of the origin of this name, but the fact that the Most Holy Theotokos is a guide to eternal salvation for all Orthodox Christians is an undeniable truth.

According to Church tradition, the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, called “Hodegetria,” was painted by the holy evangelist Luke during the earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos at the request of the ruler of Antioch, Theophilos, for whom he wrote an essay about the earthly life of Christ, known as the Gospel of Luke. When Theophilus died, the image was returned to Jerusalem, and in the 5th century, the blessed Empress Eudokia, wife of Arkady, transferred Hodegetria to Constantinople to the emperor’s sister Queen Pulcheria, who placed the holy icon in the Blachernae Church.

The image came to Rus' in 1046. The Greek Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh (1042-1054), marrying his daughter Anna to Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich, son of Yaroslav the Wise, blessed her on her journey with this icon. After the death of Prince Vsevolod, the icon passed to his son Vladimir Monomakh, who transferred it at the beginning of the 12th century to Smolensk Cathedral Church in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. From that time on, the icon received the name Hodegetria of Smolensk.

Assumption Cathedral (Smolensk)

History of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God

In 1238 The army of Khan Batu approached Smolensk. In that army there was a giant warrior who, according to legend, alone was worth almost an entire army. All Smolensk residents came out to pray in front of the image of the Smolensk Hodegetria Guide. The Tatars had already come almost close to the city, no more than 30 kilometers remained by today’s standards, when a certain sexton in the Pechersky Monastery outside the city saw in a vision the Mother of God, who ordered him to bring a warrior named Mercury to Her. Entering the Pechersk Church, Mercury saw with his own eyes the Mother of God sitting on a golden throne with the Child in her arms and surrounded by angels. The Mother of God said that Mercury must save Her own destiny from desecration, which once again indicated Her special protection over the Smolensk land. She also told him about his imminent martyrdom, and that She Herself would not leave him, but would be with him to the end.

Following the command of the Mother of God, the selfless Orthodox warrior Mercury raised all the townspeople, preparing them for the siege, and at night he entered Batu’s camp and killed many enemies, including their strongest warrior. Then, in an unequal battle with the invaders, he laid down his head on the battlefield. His remains were buried in the Smolensk Cathedral. Soon Mercury was canonized as a locally revered saint (November 24), the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God was also declared locally revered, and the legend “The Tale of Mercury of Smolensk,” which dates back approximately to the 15th – 16th centuries, was written about his feat. Moreover, the legend says that after the burial, Mercury appeared to the same sexton and ordered the shield and spear that belonged to him during his life to be hung at his resting place.

Sandals of the Holy Martyr Mercury - one of the shrines cathedral Smolensk

In 1395 The Principality of Smolensk came under the protectorate of Lithuania. In 1398, in order to avoid bloodshed in Moscow and soften the bitter relations between the Polish-Lithuanian rulers and Moscow, the daughter of the Lithuanian prince Vitovt Sophia was married to the son of Dmitry Donskoy, Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Dimitrievich (1398-1425). Smolensk Hodegetria became her dowry and was now transferred to Moscow and installed in the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kremlin on the right side of the altar.

Annunciation Cathedral (Moscow Kremlin)

In 1456, at the request of the residents of Smolensk, led by Bishop Misail, the icon was solemnly returned to Smolensk with a religious procession. On June 28, according to the old style, at the Monastery of St. Savva the Consecrated on the Maiden Field in Moscow, with a large crowd of people, the icon was solemnly escorted to the bend of the Moscow River, from where the path to Smolensk began. A prayer service was served. Half a century later, in 1514, Smolensk was returned to Rus' (the assault on the city by Russian troops began on July 29, the day after the celebration of the Smolensk Icon).

In 1524, in memory of this event Grand Duke Vasily III founded the Monastery of the Mother of God of Smolensk, which we know better as Novodevichy Convent. The monastery was consecrated and began operating in 1525. From this period, the all-Russian glorification of the icon began, officially established by the Church.

Novodevichy Mother of God-Smolensky Monastery on the Maiden Field in Moscow

However, Muscovites were not left without a shrine - two copies of the miraculous icon remained in Moscow. One was erected in the Annunciation Cathedral, and the other - “measure in moderation” - in 1524 in the Novodevichy Convent, founded in memory of the return of Smolensk to Russia. In 1602, an exact copy was written from the miraculous icon (in 1666, together with the ancient icon, a new copy was taken to Moscow for renewal), which was placed in the tower of the Smolensk fortress wall, above the Dnieper Gate, under a specially constructed tent. Later, in 1727, a wooden church was built there, and in 1802 - a stone one.

The Smolensk miraculous image again showed its intercession during Patriotic War 1812. On August 5, 1812, when Russian troops abandoned Smolensk, the icon was taken to Moscow, and on the eve of the Battle of Borodino this image was carried around the camp to strengthen and encourage the soldiers for a great feat.

Prayer service before the Battle of Borodino

August 26, the day of the battle in Borodino, three images of the Virgin Mary - ancient image The Smolensk Hodegetria, together with the Iveron and Vladimir icons of the Mother of God, was carried around the capital in a procession of the cross, and then sent to the sick and wounded soldiers in the Lefortovo Palace so that they could venerate the shrines, thank the Mother of God for their intercession and ask for recovery. Before leaving Moscow, the icon was transported to Yaroslavl.

After the victory over the enemy, on November 5, 1812, by order of Kutuzov, the Hodegetria icon, along with the illustrious list, was returned to Smolensk to its native Assumption Cathedral.

In 1929, the Assumption Cathedral was closed, but was not subject to desecration and destruction, like many other temples and churches during that period. Intelligence, which can be considered reliable, about the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God– prototype of other, subsequent lists ends in 1941, after the capture of Smolensk by German troops. Then, at the beginning of August 1941, the German command headquarters received a message that the list of icons attributed to historical information brushed by the Evangelist Luke, is in the same place, in good condition, the icon is considered miraculous and its location is a place of worship and pilgrimage. Nothing more is known about that icon.

Now in the place of the missing icon there is a list from the middle of the 16th century, which is not inferior to its predecessor in the number of miracles and in popular veneration, but Hodegetria of the apostolic letter is still awaited in Smolensk, they still believe that the time will come and she will reveal herself from some a hiding place, where it was miraculously preserved all these years, as it once was.

Icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria of Smolensk Gateway, copy from the famous Smolensk Icon. Once it hung above the gates of the Smolensk Kremlin; now it is kept in the cathedral on the site of the Smolensk icon lost in 1941.

Lists with icons

There are many revered copies of the miraculous Smolensk Hodegetria. Many copies of that original but lost icon became miraculous (more than 30 in total) - Igretskaya Pesochinskaya, Yugskaya, Sergievskaya in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Kostroma, Kirillo-Belozerskaya, Svyatogorsk, Solovetskaya, etc.. All these images in different times and demonstrated their miraculous properties to varying degrees.

Iconography

There is little information left about the iconographic features of the image, since the icon, as is known, was lost in 1941, and therefore no one studied it. It was only known that the icon board was very heavy, the ground was made of chalk with glue, as was done in ancient times, and covered with canvas.

The Virgin Mary holds the Child in her left hand, right hand The Lord is raised in a blessing gesture, in His left hand is the “scroll of teaching.” On the reverse side were written a view of Jerusalem, the Crucifixion and an inscription in Greek - “The King is Crucified”. In 1666, the icon was renewed, and later images of the Most Pure Mother and John the Evangelist appeared at the Crucifixion.

The iconographic image of the Smolensk Icon is very similar to the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, but differs in the severity of the arrangement of the figures and the expression of the faces of the Mother of God and the Infant.

Meaning of the icon

The Holy Icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria is one of the main shrines of the Russian Church (along with Vladimir and Kazan).

Amazing historical material is associated with the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, which, through the paths of her wanderings across Western Russian lands, marks all the most important events in the history of Russia up to the last century. It can be said that not a single event where the intercession of the One depicted on it was required was accomplished without Her intervention. Hodegetria the Guide pointed out and defended our west from the aggressive interests of neighboring states that sought to establish their influence in Russian state both military and political means. But even the retreats, which were accompanied by the transfer of the miraculous shrine from its main inheritance - the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk, were only a strategic necessity, and in no way an agreement with the presence and rule of foreigners and the prevailing Latin faith on our land. The cathedral prayers of Smolensk and Muscovites before her brought their wonderful fruits - sooner or later the enemy was expelled, and the Smolensk Hodegetria returned home to Smolensk.

Believers have received and are receiving abundant gracious help from her. The Mother of God, through Her holy image, intercedes and strengthens us, guiding us to salvation, and we cry out to Her: “You are the All-Blessed Hodegetria to faithful people, You are Smolensk Praise and all Russian lands are affirmation! Rejoice, Hodegetria, salvation for Christians!”

Celebration

The celebration of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God takes place three times a year - July 28/August 10, established in 1525, when the miraculous image was transferred from the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin to the Mother of God of Smolensk (Novodevichy) Monastery, founded by Vasily III in gratitude to the Mother of God for the return of Smolensk to Rus' during the Russo-Lithuanian War. The festival was established in memory of the arrival of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God to Rus' in 1046.

The celebration takes place for the second time November 5/18 in honor of Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812.

November 24/December 7 We celebrate the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, remembering the victory of the inhabitants of Smolensk over the troops of the Golden Horde through the common prayer of the people before Her icon - the Smolensk Hodegetria.

The Smolensk Mother of God helps everyone who turns to her with prayers for healing from incurable diseases, in search of family peace and in other difficult and insoluble situations, as the first intercessor for us before God.

Troparion, tone 4
Let us now diligently approach the Mother of God, sinners and humility, and let us fall down in repentance calling 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 slaves, for you are the only hope of the imams.

Kontakion, tone 6
The intercession of Christians is not shameful, the intercession to the Creator is immutable, do not despise the voices of sinful prayers, but advance, as if good, to help us, who faithfully call Thee: hasten to prayer and strive to supplicate, ever interceding, the Mother of God, those who honor Thee.

In Kontakion, tone 6
There are no other imams of help, no other imams of hope, except You, the Lady: Help us, we hope in You and we boast in You: We are Your servants, let us not be ashamed.

Prayer
O Most Wonderful and Above All Creatures Queen Theotokos, Mother of the Heavenly King Christ our God, Most Pure Hodegetria Mary! Hear us sinners and unworthy at this hour, praying and falling before Your Most Pure Image with tears and tenderly saying: lead us out of the ditch of passions, Most Blessed Lady, deliver us from all sorrow and sorrow, protect us from all misfortune and evil slander, and from the unrighteous and cruel slander of the enemy. May you, O Our Blessed Mother, save Your people from all evil and provide and save Your people with every good deed; Do You need other Representatives in troubles and circumstances, and warm Intercessors for us sinners, not imams? Pray, O Most Holy Lady, Thy Son Christ our God, that He will make us worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven; For this reason, we always glorify Thee, as the Author of our salvation, and extol the holy and magnificent name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, glorified and worshiped God in the Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.

Second prayer
To whom shall I cry, Lady? To whom shall I resort in my sorrow, if not to You, Lady Lady Theotokos, Queen of Heaven? Who will accept my cry and my sighing, if not You, O Most Immaculate One, the Hope of Christians and the Refuge for sinners? Incline, O Most Pure Lady, Thy ear to my prayer, Mother of my God, do not despise me, requiring Thy help, hear my groaning and inspire the cry of my heart, O Lady Theotokos Queen. And give me spiritual joy, strengthen me, who is impatient, sad and careless towards Your praise. Enlighten and teach me how You should pray, and do not leave me, the Mother of my God, for my grumbling and impatience, but be my protection and intercession in my life and lead me to the quiet haven of blessed peace, and count me to your face Thy chosen flock and there deign me to sing and glorify Thee forever. Amen.

Documentary film “Seekers. TRACE OF HODIGITRIA" (2014)

The Assumption Cathedral is one of the most impressive buildings in Smolensk. It was here that the famous icon of the Smolensk Mother of God - the ancient Hodegetria - was kept from the day the temple was built. She, according to legend, saved the city more than once and was considered miraculous, disappeared during the Second World War. There are quite a few versions regarding the fate of Hodegetria. Many researchers are inclined to believe that the legendary image still exists, which means it makes sense to look for it!

The icon of the Holy Mother of God “Hodegetria” of Smolensk has long been known in Rus'. An unusual name, unusual to the Russian ear, the Greek “Hodegetria” means “Guide”.

The Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God is truly a guide for anyone Orthodox man, which will lead him to the true Lord, one has only to pray to her from a pure heart."Hodegetria" has rich history and very famous in circles Orthodox Church.

Image and compositional features of the holy image

The main theological idea for the image was the theme of the coming of Christ, who became the incarnation of the Lord himself on Earth, for the sake of the salvation of every human soul. The board depicts the Mother of God holding the Christ Child in her hands. The fragile baby is the embodiment of the Heavenly King, who is coming to judge this world and every person.

A characteristic feature of this image is the unique placement of the hand of the Mother of God - she raised her right hand as if pointing people to Christ, telling whom they should worship and pray. It can also be interpreted as a personal appeal of the Mother of God to Jesus.

Researcher Kondakov argued that this image is the oldest of all that have reached the modern church. Initially it was known in Palestine, and after the 6th century it spread widely and became known throughout Byzantium and the East.

The composition of the iconography is very interesting:

1. All characters are depicted frontally so that their faces do not touch each other. They seem to be detached;
2. The person praying can clearly see the face of Jesus and His Mother;
3. The face of the Virgin Mary is slightly inclined towards the child;
4. The right hand is raised to chest level, where it is frozen, in a prayer gesture;
5. Jesus is positioned in his arms;
6. Christ's right hand blesses, and in his left there is a parchment (in some variations he holds a book instead of a whistle);
7. The Queen of Heaven is depicted from the waist up, but in the world there are variants of the board where she is depicted at full height or vice versa, only up to the shoulders;
8. On some similar icons the Child is located on the right side.

There is no exact information about how exactly the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God came to the territory of Rus', however, since its appearance, the board has been revered and considered a precious shrine by all members of the Orthodox Church. Few Orthodox Christians did not know this image and did not pray to it.

History of the image

The author of the plaque, according to church tradition, is the Apostle Luke, whose gospel can be found in the New Testament. The board was discovered and transported to Constantinople from Palestine in the 5th century as part of other shrines by Empress Eudokia, whose husband was Emperor Theodosius the Younger.

According to surviving sources, it can be calculated that the board was originally kept in the Odigon convent, and on Easter days moved to the imperial palace. The monastery was already famous for its miracles at that time and was called Odigon or “Guide”, and later the shrine kept in it began to be called “Hodegetria”.

Important! The name “Hodegetria” perfectly suits the board not only in the place of its original storage, but also in the spiritual sense, because the Mother of God is the guide of all people to the Lord, who guides them to the truth and saves them from enemies. This portrait became one of the main ones in Constantinople - it was the one that was raised on the city walls during a siege, protecting the city from enemies.

Many historians confirm that it was this board became the main one in the procession. The miracle that occurred during this move is also known: according to the records of Stefan of Novgorod, who was a pilgrim in Constantinople, the picture of the Mother of God was carried through the streets and squares, but the miracle was that the heavy image in the beautiful wooden frame, weighing at least 10-20 kg, was carried by only one person throughout the entire course, which lasted about 4-6 hours. Isn't this a miracle?

More about miracles in Orthodoxy:

In the 11th century, the Mother of God Hodegetria entered the territory of Rus' as part of the dowry that Emperor Constantine gave for his daughter Anna during the wedding with Prince Vsevolod. When Vsevolod died, his son Vladimir Monomakh ordered the foundation of the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Smolensk, where the holy inheritance was located. After this, Lik became the defender of the city. The first significant miracle occurred in 1239 during the siege by the army of Batu Khan. The warrior Mercury prayed to Hodegetria for a long time and received a revelation - to fight the enemy alone. According to the testimony of many Mongols, during the battle of Mercury there were angels and the Mother of God herself who fought with him. The Mongols fled, horrified by what they saw, and Mercury died there and became one of the saints of the Orthodox Church.

Where can you see the icon

At the beginning of the 15th century, the icon of Our Lady Hodegetria was moved to Moscow u. Exact reason unknown, but there are three versions of this event:

1. Dynastic marriage of a Lithuanian princess and the Prince of Moscow;
2. The inheritance of the last prince Yuri Svyatoslavovich, who was expelled by Vytautas and took everything with him;
3. As part of the loot of Yurga, when he left Prince Svidrigail and went to serve the Moscow Prince Vasily Vasilyevich.

During his stay in Moscow, several copies were written from the holy face. In 1456, the original image returned to Smolensk, after the Moscow prince Vasily the Dark returned it as a future reunification of the two cities. At the same time, a copy was written and left in Moscow in the Annunciation Cathedral. On the copy, the infant Christ is positioned vertically, and researchers are inclined to think that this is how Jesus was depicted in the original Byzantine image. Later, the Smolensk Mother of God was brought to Moscow several times to perform prayer.

The day of the Battle of Borodino was especially significant, when many holy faces, including Smolensk, were gathered in the religious procession of Muscovites. During the war with the French, the face was transferred to storage in the city of Yaroslavl for preservation and protection.

Important! In 1941, the Hodegetria, which was brought from Byzantium, was lost and it is suspected that it was stolen. A copy of the image is now kept in the Armory Chamber, where it came from the Novodevichy Convent, built in 1523. They did this for safety reasons, because the frame of the board is decorated with a rich gold frame and a pearl chasuble.

What does Hodegetria help with?

Our Lady of Smolensk often moved, being located either in the churches of Moscow or in the cathedrals of Yaroslavl, and only in 1655 was she returned to Smolensk, where today you can bow and pray to her, the rights are no longer to the original image, but to a copy. Initially, the holy image was placed in Constantinople, which was saved many times by her. After all, it was before Hodegetria that many believers prayed for peace in the city and for an end to hostilities. She guarded first Byzantium, and now Russia, protecting it from military operations, destructive natural phenomena and terrible epidemics.

What do Orthodox Christians pray for before this image? They believe that the face:

• will protect the native land from hostilities and bloodshed;
• will protect those who are in the army and at the front;
• protects against diseases and epidemics;
• will protect every family;
• will patronize family people.

What else can you pray to the Mother of God for:

• Prayer before the icon “Softening Evil Hearts” for reconciliation
• Prayer before the icon “The Queen of All” to get rid of cancer

This image represents a symbol of protection from harm and a symbol of health. They pray to the icon for the salvation of the family, for the protection of loved ones and relatives, for those who are far from their home. Those who go on a trip or business trip also ask for the protection of the Mother of God. The mother is asked to protect the children, and

But the most main task The icon of Our Lady of Smolensk is to guide humanity and individual souls to salvation. All who thirst for God will find Him here. The sick can ask the Mother of God for healing, and they will receive it; they can ask for health for their soul, and it will come with them.

This happens three times a year:

• August 10 - this date has been observed annually since 1525, when on this day the face was moved from the Kremlin to the Novodevichy Convent;
• November 18 - after the victory over Napoleon in 1812, this date is also celebrated annually by Orthodox believers;
• December 7 - residents of Smolensk decided to celebrate this holiday as the day of liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

Watch the video about the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God

The Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God belongs to the Hodegetria iconographic type. The name can be translated from Greek as “Guide”.

This is one of the most common images in Byzantine and Russian art.

Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God: compositional features

The composition of the Hodegetria iconography is as follows: the Mother of God and the Infant Christ are depicted almost frontally, their faces facing the praying person do not touch. The head of the Mother of God may be slightly inclined towards the Son, the hand raised in a prayer gesture at chest level. The Divine Infant sits in the arms of the Mother; He blesses with his right hand, holds a scroll with his left, and less often, a book. The Mother of God is most often represented in a half-length image, but there are also full-length and shoulder-length versions, for example, the Kazan Icon. The Baby can be located either to the right or to the left of the Virgin Mary; more often He is depicted sitting on the left hand of the Blessed Virgin.

Mosaic icon. 1st half of the 13th century National Gallery, Palermo, Italy

The idea of ​​the image of Hodegetria

The defining theological idea of ​​this image is the coming into the world of the Son of God, the incarnation of God for the sake of the salvation of mankind. The Fragile Baby is the Heavenly King and the Coming Judge. The gesture of the Mother of God’s right hand can be interpreted not only as a prayer, expressing Her personal prayer to God. With this gesture, the Mother of God seems to point believers to the One to whom their thoughts and prayers should be directed.

N.P. Kondakov, who studied the iconography of the Mother of God, believed that the image of Hodegetria is one of the most ancient. It developed in Palestine or Egypt before the 6th century. Starting from the 6th century, it spread widely throughout the Orthodox East and Byzantium.

Mosaic icon. Byzantium. XIII century Monastery of St. Catherine, Sinai, Egypt

According to Church Tradition, the first such icon of the Virgin and Child was painted by the Apostle and Evangelist Luke. In the middle of the 5th century, this image, along with other shrines, was brought from the Holy Land to Constantinople by Empress Eudokia, wife of Emperor Theodosius the Younger. Some sources report that the icon was placed in the temple convent Odigon, but on Holy Week the icon was transferred from the monastery to the imperial palace. Near the monastery there was a spring that healed the blind. The nuns took care of those who came to the source. The area was called “place of guides” or “place of leaders”, and the monastery began to be called Odigon - “Guide”, “Guide”. Based on the name of the monastery, the main shrine - the icon of the Mother of God - began to be called Hodegetria. Initially given as a topographical name, it was also given deep meaning: The Mother of God is a guide for believers, instructing them in the true way and protecting them from the enemy. The icon was one of the most revered shrines of Constantinople and was considered the palladium of the city. During enemy attacks, the image was raised to the city walls.

Empress Evdokia. Marble icon with inlay. From the church of Lipsa Monastery. X century Archaeological Museum, Istanbul

Researchers believe that it was with the icon of the Odigon monastery that a procession of the cross took place throughout Constantinople on Tuesdays. During this prayer procession, a miracle regularly occurred, which was described by the Russian pilgrim Stefan Novgorod, who visited the capital of Byzantium in 1348 or 1349. The heavy, large icon was carried across the square by only one person. “That icon is taken out every Tuesday. This is an amazing sight: then all the people come together, and they come from other cities. This icon is very large, skillfully bound, and the singers walking in front of it sing beautifully, and all the people cry with tears: “Lord, have mercy!” ... It’s a wondrous sight: seven or eight people place the icon on the shoulders of one person, and he, by the will of God, walks as if unburdened by anything,” reports Stefan. Numerous miracles and healings took place in front of the icon.

Our Lady Hodegetria. Byzantium. 1st quarter of the 15th century

According to one version of the legend, the icon written by the Apostle Luke and brought from the Holy Land ended up in the Blachernae Church, where there was also a healing spring and where other shrines were kept: a robe and part of the belt of the Virgin Mary. Perhaps one of the copies made from the original icon by the apostle was placed in the Blachernae church. It is known that several copies were made from the original image, which became famous for miracles. In any case, in the Blachernae Church there was a particularly revered icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria.

Blachernae icon. Wax mastic. XIII – XIV centuries Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

Numerous copies of the miraculous image of the Mother of God Hodegetria were sent to all parts of the empire and beyond. From Byzantium, the iconographic type of Hodegetria came to Rus', where, based on the place of creation, stay or miraculous discovery, similar icons received names: Toropetskaya, Smolenskaya, Tikhvinskaya, Iverskaya, Sedmiezernaya, Kazanskaya.

Our Lady Hodegetria. Pskov. End XIII – beginning of the XIV V. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

History of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria”

The icon of Our Lady Hodegetria, called “Smolensk”, arrived in Rus' in the middle of the 11th century. In 1046 Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh blessed his daughter Anna with this icon for her marriage to Prince Vsevolod, the son of Yaroslav the Wise. After the death of Vsevolod, his son, Vladimir Monomakh, moved the icon to Smolensk, where the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was founded, in which the shrine was subsequently placed.

According to legend, when the hordes of Khan Batu approached Smolensk in 1239, the city was saved from ruin through the intercession of the Mother of God. A warrior named Mercury, praying in front of the icon, received instructions from the Mother of God to fight the enemy standing near the walls. The Mongols saw that Mercury was helped in battle by lightning-fast men and a radiant Wife. Seized with horror, throwing down their weapons, the enemies fled, driven by an unknown force. Mercury suffered a martyr's death in battle and was canonized by the Church.

Our Lady Hodegetria. Byzantium. Mid-15th century Private collection.

IN end of the 14th century or the beginning of the 15th century, the icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria was brought from Smolensk, captured by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, to Moscow, where, as a particularly revered shrine, it was placed in the Annunciation Cathedral, on the right side of the royal gates. There are three versions of the circumstances under which the icon ended up in Moscow. One of possible options The transfer of the icon is associated with a dynastic marriage. Perhaps the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas gave this icon to his daughter Sophia, the wife of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Dmitrievich, when she was in Smolensk in 1398 to meet with her father and received from him many icons in Greek writing. According to another version, the last of the Smolensk princes, Yuri Svyatoslavovich, expelled in 1404 by Vitovt, arrived in Moscow and brought with him the icon of Hodegetria along with other icons. The third version, set out in the Russian Vremennik, says that a certain Yurga, Pan Svilkoldovich, when he left Svidrigail, the Lithuanian prince, for the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily Vasilyevich, plundered Smolensk on the way, took the icon of Hodegetria along with other things and brought it as a gift to the Moscow to the Grand Duke.

In 1456, Bishop Misail of Smolensk arrived in Moscow, accompanied by the governor of the city and noble citizens. The people of Smolensk asked the Moscow Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich the Dark to return the icon to Smolensk. The prince, seeing in this step a guarantee of the future reunification of Smolensk with Moscow, decided to return the shrine. An accurate, “measure to measure” copy of the icon was made, which remained in Moscow, in the Annunciation Cathedral. The icon was taken out of the Kremlin in a religious procession and walked to Maiden's Field, which is at the entrance to the Old Smolensk road, and after the prayer service they released the icon to Smolensk. On the list icon, a scroll in the hand of the Child is depicted in vertical position. Researchers suggest that this feature was also on the sample - the Smolensk icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria, sent from Constantinople.

List of the Smolensk Icon of Hodegetria. Moscow. 1456 Recorded in the 19th century. Armory Chamber, Moscow Kremlin museums

In 1514, the troops of the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily III Ivanovich Smolensk was recaptured from Lithuania. In memory of this event, in 1523, the prince founded the Novodevichy Convent not far from the place where Muscovites said goodbye to the icon. On July 28, 1525, the copy of the icon that was kept in the Annunciation Cathedral was solemnly transferred from the Kremlin to the monastery church, consecrated in the name of the Smolensk Icon of Hodegetria. In 1927, this icon, thanks to its rich gold frame from the time of Boris Godunov and the pearl robe, was transferred to the Armory Chamber.

In 1602, in Smolensk, an exact copy was written from the miraculous icon, which was placed in the tower of the Smolensk fortress wall, above the Dnieper Gate, under a specially constructed tent. Later, in 1727, a church was built there. In 1666, the ancient Smolensk icon was in Moscow for the second time: it was brought here by Archbishop Barsanuphius of Smolensk to renew the painting, which had darkened over time.

In 1812, during the French invasion, the icon was taken from Smolensk by Bishop Irinei (Falkovsky) and taken to Moscow, where residents could pray before it in the Assumption Cathedral. On the day of the Battle of Borodino, August 26, Muscovites walked around the White City, Kitay-Gorod and the Kremlin walls in a religious procession with Smolensk, Iveron and Vladimir icons. Before the occupation of Moscow by the French, the Smolensk icon was sent to Yaroslavl, where it remained until the very end of World War II, and then returned to Smolensk. The icon, which was located in the Assumption Cathedral of Smolensk until 1941, was revered as the original one, brought from Constantinople. IN about the time of the Great Patriotic War ancient icon disappeared without a trace.

The most ancient images of the Mother of God, according to legend, belong to the brush of the Evangelist Luke, who created them during the life of the Most Holy Theotokos. These include the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. She arrived in Rus' as a wedding gift from the Emperor of Byzantium, Constantine IX Porphyrogenitus, to his daughter Anna, who was married to the Chernigov prince Vsevolod, the son of Yaroslav the Wise.

The Smolensk icon is a copy of the icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria Blachernae”

From the history of icons

The name “Hodegetria,” that is, Guide, is associated with a miracle revealed by the Mother of God herself, who once brought two blind men to the Blachernae Temple, where, by Her will, they received their sight.

The Smolensk Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was also a guide during Anna’s journey from Byzantium to Rus'. After the death of the couple, their son, Prince Vladimir Monomakh, moved the icon to Smolensk, in honor of which it received the name “Smolensk”.

The history of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” is associated with many miraculous deliverances

Thus, thanks to the fervent prayer of the residents of Smolensk, their city was delivered from Batu’s invasion in 1239. There are known cases when prayers in front of an icon protected from terrible epidemics, attacks from enemies and enemy conquest. For the Orthodox, the Smolensk Icon “Hodegetria” has indeed always been a Guide, showing the right path.

The icon was so revered that temples were built in its honor. Thus, the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God was built in St. Petersburg, Arzamas, Shuya and other cities. The Shuya Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God became especially famous.

In 1665, Shuya was struck by a pestilence epidemic, and the frightened residents decided that it was necessary to write a copy of the Smolensk icon. The pious icon painter made a sketch, but the next day he discovered that the position of the Baby Jesus had changed: His right leg was placed on the left knee. Deciding that this was his mistake, he corrected the icon, however, the next day the position of the Child again became the same.

The icon painter considered it God's sign and made no further corrections. When the finished icon was brought to the temple, it shone with an extraordinary light, and after the prayer service the pestilence ended. After this, a real pilgrimage to the icon began, more than a hundred miracles occurred, and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich even sent a special commission to Shuya to certify the miraculous power of the Shuya (Smolensk) icon, which was done.

Description of the icon

In terms of iconographic type, the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God is one of the oldest editions characteristic of Byzantine writing.

This is a half-length image of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus. Holy Virgin dressed in crimson (on modern lists often red) clothes, which emphasizes Her status as the Queen of Heaven. On her left hand She holds the Baby Jesus, and with her right hand she seems to point to Him. The meaning of this gesture is that the Guide points the way to salvation through Jesus Christ.

Jesus is also in a royal robe of golden color, that is, in the image of the Almighty. In His left hand is a scroll symbolizing His teaching, and His right hand is raised with fingers folded in a gesture of blessing. The icon seems to emanate an aura of faith and hope that the path to salvation really exists, and Hodegetria points it out.

How does the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God help?

This icon has shown so many miracles that its meaning does not need explanation - it remains for the Orthodox today one of the most revered images of the Mother of God, the patroness and defender of the Russian state. That is why they turn to her with prayers for the protection of the Motherland from enemy invasions and wars; on preserving the life and health of military personnel, especially in hot spots; about getting rid of epidemics.

Our Lady of Smolensk also helps in family matters: she protects the family hearth from envious people and ill-wishers; strengthens steadfastness in faith and helps to resist temptations and delusions; helps to recover from serious illnesses and resolve difficult life situations.

Prayer to Our Lady of Smolensk

O Most Wonderful and Above All Creatures Queen Theotokos, Mother of the Heavenly King Christ our God, Most Pure Hodegetria Mary! Hear us, sinners and unworthy at this hour, praying and falling before Your Most Pure Image with tears and tenderly saying: lead us out of the pit of passions, Most Blessed Lady, deliver us from all sorrow and sorrow, protect us from all misfortune and evil slander, and from the unrighteous and fierce slander of the enemy. May you, O Our Blessed Mother, save Your people from all evil and provide and save Your people with every good deed; Do You need other Representatives in troubles and circumstances, and warm Intercessors for us sinners, not imams? Pray, O Most Holy Lady, Thy Son Christ our God, that He will make us worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven; For this reason, we always glorify Thee, as the Author of our salvation, and extol the holy and magnificent name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, glorified and worshiped God in the Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.