Description of the image of the Mother of God
Unlike traditional paintings, where the figures are a mother and baby, this painting depicts only the Mother of God. The position of her figure speaks volumes:
- the half-turn emphasizes the prayerful position, from which the descriptors conclude that she is praying to the Lord;
- the full-length depiction emphasizes the significance of the figure for Orthodox believers;
- the folding of hands is a separate element of the overall picture, by which one can judge the completeness of the image.
The hands are positioned differently. One hand holds a scroll on which specific inscriptions can be read. There are several options for recordings, they are united by a common meaning. The Mother turns to her own Son, calls him “Master”, “Lord”, asks to hear the prayers addressed to Him.
The Mother of God acts as a guardian, patroness; ordinary Christians turn to her on their knees. This element of the canvas is missed when creating revered scrolls. The original depicted kneeling people, one of them, according to general descriptions, was Andrei Bogolyubsky.
Types of iconography
Iconography in the church sense refers to the accepted system of rules and patterns when depicting certain images or events.
When depicting the Mother of God, there are several well-known iconographic types:
- Oranta (the image of the Virgin Mary with her arms raised up with palms turned outwards and with a baby in her arms - symbolizes intercessory prayer).
- Eleusa (the image of the Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms, pressing her cheek to the Mother’s cheek - symbolizes the highest love of God for people).
- Hodegetria (the image of the Virgin Mary on a throne with a baby in her arms holding a scroll, with her right hand turned towards him - symbolizes the worship of the baby).
- Panahranta (the image of the Virgin Mary on a throne with a baby in her arms with her right hand turned towards him - symbolizes the greatness of the Mother of God)
- Agiosoritissa (the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary without a baby in a prayerful pose - symbolizes prayer for humanity).
Meaning in Orthodoxy
The Virgin Mary is traditionally depicted as an intercessor who prays for salvation or protection. The image is clear to every believer and is treated with special respect.
In addition, the icon belongs to the paintings made in the pre-Mongol period, highly appreciated by critics. The iconography of that period is characterized as aesthetically attractive, as well as filled with special meaning. Pilgrims line up to the image of the Bogolyubskaya Mother of God; the lists are honored and kept throughout Russia.
The effect of Christian prayer
The Orthodox prayer of Bogolyubskaya has a strong energetic effect. If it is read correctly, it can help cope with epidemics, viruses and the most terrible disease. Prayer words for health and healing affect:
- on a person's aura;
- subconscious and consciousness;
- well-being and health;
- emotional and physical state;
- behavior
- from the evil eye;
- current life situation.
Thanks to such extensive influence, Bogolyubskaya’s prayer will be able to protect against the epidemic. Its power has been used since ancient times. While reading the holy words, higher powers are called upon to help you achieve what you want and resolve even the most difficult situation.
Prayer to the Mother of God:
You should resort to the Bogolyubskaya prayer in any difficult situation. At the moment of sadness, poor health, the onset of troubles and misfortunes, a difficult financial situation. It is better to say this prayer spell before going to bed in complete solitude and in created silence.
Additionally, you need to light two church candles. Then focus on what you want and quietly say the following prayer out loud:
“Holy Mother of God of Bogolyubskaya, great and revered by me! Progenitor of the Lord God, I turn to you and I trust only in you. I ask for intercession and help. Be lenient and merciful to me. Hear my prayers and requests. Give healing to the soul and body, bring happiness and good luck, ward off troubles and misfortunes. Your mercy will touch me, you will take misfortunes and worries with you. With your will and blessing I will move on. Amen!"
There is no need to extinguish the candles. They must burn out to the end. And the remaining cinders in the morning should be placed under your own bed. Soon prayer will bring relief and change life for the better.
History of appearance and acquisition
The canvas was painted on the orders of Andrei Bogolyubsky. The prince lived on his own estate near the village of Bogolyubovo. One day he went hunting, then fell asleep among the trees late in the evening. In the morning, the Mother of God appeared at his hut. She ordered a temple to be built on this site. The prince was inspired by the phenomenon and began construction that same day. First, the stone walls of the church were erected, then a monastery was built nearby.
By order of Andrey, an icon was painted, which took pride of place in the iconostasis. The image of the Mother of God was executed according to the prince’s oral description; she appears before the believers as Andrei Bogolyubsky saw her.
Where are the revered lists?
A list, or protograph, is a reproduction of the original in compliance with the canon. The most revered protographs are distributed throughout the country:
- In Uglich. An image transferred from the Vladimir Church is kept here. Those who want to worship one of the oldest lists come here.
- On the territory of Vladimir. The Vladimir-Suzdal Museum keeps a list, the condition of which was catastrophic before restoration. Experts managed to return the canvas using various restoration techniques.
- In Moscow. The capital of Russia has 2 lists, which are kept under the strict control of the department of the Russian Restoration Commission (Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and the Church of the Resurrection of Christ).
Bogolyubsky Monastery
Around 1158, Vladimir-Suzdal Prince Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky founded a country residence - Bogolyubovo, in which he also erected a temple in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Later sources explained the choice of place by the will of the Mother of God. The ensemble of the princely residence included, in addition to temples, a two-story stone palace and a stone ciborium. The castle was surrounded by stone walls. Prince Andrei was killed in his castle. The supposed place of the murder of Prince Andrei, located under the stairs of the staircase tower, has been preserved to this day. The monastery on the territory of the former castle was built under Andrei's successors, at the beginning of the 13th century, but early information about the history of the monastery is very scarce and dates back to a much later time. It is not listed in the academic lists of ancient Russian monasteries.
Ensemble of the Bogolyubsky Monastery
According to the charter of Tsars John and Peter Alekseevich in 1687, the monastery became a patriarchal house monastery; in 1753 - synodal; later the monastery came under the jurisdiction of the Vladimir bishops; from 1882 until its closure it was managed by the vicars of the Vladimir diocese. When the states were established in 1763, the monastery was assigned the 3rd class, in 1872 - the 2nd, in 1891 - the 1st. The cathedral in honor of the Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Mother of God was erected in 1855–1866 in the “Russian-Byzantine style” according to the design of Konstantin Ton.
On June 3, 1923, the monastery was closed. In 1991, part of the buildings was transferred to the monastics of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Schema-Hegumen Nicodemus. On January 14, 1997, by decision of the hierarchy, 60 nuns from the Zadonsk Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery were transferred here; two monasteries arose: male and female. After this, the active revival of the Bogolyubsky Monastery began.
Cathedral in honor of the Bogolyubsk Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the monastery of the same name
Most Holy Lady Theotokos, save us!
Orthodox texts
Many texts are dedicated to the Bogolyubskaya icon. They are read independently in front of the home iconostasis or at a church service.
Prayer
Oh, Most Pure Lady Theotokos, God-loving Mother, hope of our salvation! Look mercifully at those who are coming with faith and love and worshiping Your most pure image; Accept our singing of praise and pour out Your warm prayer for us sinners to the Lord, that, despising all our sins, He will save and have mercy on us! Oh, Precious Lady! Show us Your wonderful mercies. We pray to You tenderly, deliver us from all sorrow, guide us on the path of all virtues and goodness, save us from temptations, troubles and illnesses, remove slander and quarrels from us; save from lightning thunder, from burning fire, from famine, cowardice, flood and deadly plague; Give us Your merciful help on the way, in the sea and on land, so that we do not perish in the heat. Oh, All-Merciful, God-loving Mother, with firm hope we send our humble prayer to You! Do not deny our tears and sighs, do not forget us all the days of our lives, but always remain with us, and through your intercession and intercession with the Lord, give us joy, consolation, protection and help, so that we may glorify and We magnify Your Most Blessed and All-Sung Name. Amen.
Akathist
To the chosen Voivode, the God-loving Queen, above all creation, the Virgin and Mother of Christ God, let us sing praises to Thy servants, Mother of God! You, as the God-loving and All-Merciful Mother, who deigned to show Your bright face to our blessed Prince Andrei, preserve us and this temple from troubles and sorrows, let us call You:
Rejoice, God-loving Queen Theotokos, our Hope and Refuge.
Ikos 1
The angels above all the Heavenly Powers magnify You, the Mother of God Queen, but we sinners on earth, marveling at God’s wonderful sight of You, dare to say with all our soul, heart and lips:
Rejoice, Blessed One among women, the Virgin of Grace;
Rejoice, Mother of the Most High, presence of the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice, supreme Queen of Heaven and earth and all Heavenly Powers;
Rejoice, honored by the Angels, glorified by the Seraphim.
Rejoice, blessed in Heaven and glorified on earth;
Rejoice, truly Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate.
Rejoice, God-loving Queen Theotokos, our Hope and Refuge.
Kontakion 2
Seeing our earthly sorrowful life, weaknesses and illnesses, the Most Merciful Mother of God deigned to show a miracle, choosing the vessel of His grace and mercies for us, the pious Prince Andrew. Both of us, with unspeakable joy, fall before You, Lady, and from the depths of our souls we thank You, our wondrous Intercessor, singing to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Although you understand the miracle revealed by Your mercy, the Most Holy Theotokos, when the horses carrying the holy image, the stasha, and the people were unable to move them to the procession, the blessed Prince Andrei began to pray with tears to You, the Lady, that You might show, O Most Pure One, Your holy will; You, in a vision, were pleased to reveal Your most good advice. Likewise, we, remembering this miracle, on bended knee, cry out to the Lord:
Rejoice, thou who glorified the place of Thy monastery with wondrous miracles and in this showed us abundant mercy;
Rejoice, you who illuminated the country of Vladimir with Your light and extended rays of light to all of us.
Rejoice, our All-Good Teacher, who attracts us with love;
Rejoice, our Protector from troubles and illnesses.
Rejoice, the Lord has our salvation, our Intercessor, our Heavenly Queen;
Rejoice, for teaching us gratitude for all Your good deeds.
Rejoice, God-loving Queen Theotokos, our Hope and Refuge.
Kontakion 3
The power of the Most High overshadows all who flow to You with faith and reverence, Most Pure Lady Theotokos, and who trust in Your mercy, since you warmly accept every good request. The noble prince prayed to Thee, the Lady, to reveal Thy will, filled with awe before the mystery of Thy will. In the same way, we, Most Pure One, come running to You, crying out with emotion: Our All-Merciful Patroness, teach us to glorify Your all-honorable and all-praiseworthy name and worthily sing to God: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Have on your way, like a God-bearing star, an honest image of Yours, O Lady, the faithful prince, in your diligent prayer before Your miraculous icon, was vouchsafed to see You, the Queen of Heaven, bringing Your warm intercession to God for the place of Your appearance and for the whole world. O Mother of God, Most Pure Mother of God! We fall to You with tenderness and, expecting Your rich mercy, we tenderly cry out to You:
Rejoice, our Joy and strong Intercessor;
Rejoice, our Protection and our Consolation.
Rejoice, our Guardian and our Hope;
Rejoice, our joy and wonderful care for us.
Rejoice, our Praise, surprising us with miracles;
Rejoice, our refuge and guarantee of eternal salvation.
Rejoice, God-loving Queen Theotokos, our Hope and Refuge.
Kontakion 4
Our mind is perplexed as to how worthy it is to praise You and Your wondrous appearance, Most Holy Lady: like the sun emitting rays, You appeared to the praying prince and thus You declared: “I don’t want to bring My image to Rostov, but set It in Vladimir; in this place, in the name of My Nativity, erect a church and make a habitation for the monks,” and, raising Your Divine hands to the Master’s image, hid from its spiritual spectacles. We also bow our knees before You, God-loving Mother, and we understandly sing to God of Your wonderful manifestations and commands from the depths of our souls: Alleluia.
Ikos 4
The Lord hears Thy prayers, O God-chosen Queen of Heaven, I promise to fulfill, like the Most Blessed Mother, Thy petitions. But You, O Lady, then spoke to the Lord with Your lips: “Much-merciful Lord, Lord Jesus Christ, My Son and God, I pray to You that Divine grace may abide on Your people, and may the radiant ray of Your glory always descend upon this place “My favorite.” We truly confess, O Most Pure One, that You quickly help those who come running to You with faith, and, singing to You with tenderness, we call you:
Rejoice, our Prayer Book before the Lord and Thy Son;
Rejoice, Intercessor of the entire human race and Defender of the Orthodox people.
Rejoice, Thy Motherly love that always shows us and bestows all good things on us;
Rejoice, joy to us, grace and glory eternal to the Intercessor, our wondrous Comforter.
Rejoice, who foretold the existence of the monastery and the sending down of grace upon her;
Rejoice, who, in memory of Your appearance, set up a temple for the glory of Your Nativity and showed there a wondrous adornment to the Church of Christ.
Rejoice, God-loving Queen Theotokos, our Hope and Refuge.
Troparion
God-loving Queen, / Inexperienced Virgin Mary, / pray for us to You, Who loved / and Your Son, Christ our God, who was born of You, / grant us forgiveness of sins, / bring peace to the earth fruits in abundance, / holiness for the shepherd, / and salvation for the whole human race. / Our cities and the Russian country from the presence of foreign intercessions / and from internecine warfare. / Oh, Mother of the God-loving Virgin! / Oh, the All-Singing Queen! / Cover us with Your robe from all evil, / from The enemy protects the visible and the invisible, // and save our souls.
Canon One
Irmos: I will open my mouth and be filled with the Spirit, and I will vomit the word to the Queen Mother, and I will appear, brightly triumphant, and I will sing, rejoicing, Those miracles.
They revere You, Mother of God, the rulers of the angels and the saints honestly serve You, the righteous show off, Prince Andrew prays, and the city of Vladimir boasts brightly. We, sinners, falling before Your holy icon, O God-loving One, ask for mercy: illumine our hearts, O Most Holy Virgin Theotokos.
Prince Andrey cried out with tears: Most Holy Queen Theotokos, hope of the Christians, pray to Your Son, Christ our God, for Your power, for You have deigned, within the borders of the country of the Vladimir monastery, to be gloriously created in Your name, O God-loving One.
Come, people of Christ, having secretly purified your minds, come to the temple of the Mother of Christ our God, the God-loved place of the country of Vladimir, like a God-pleasing village: in it the Lady shows us Her mercy.
Under Thy roof, O Virgin Mother of God, we all take refuge, give birth to humanity: enlighten, O God-loving One, the holy place of Thy triumph, and we, Thy sinful servants, praying to Thy Most Pure Icon, ask You to receive great mercy.
