- Origin and interpretation of the shrine
- Miracles created by the “Unbreakable Wall” icon
- In what cases should one bow before an image?
- Prayer to the icon “The Unbreakable Wall”
Shrines made according to the “Oranta” type have always been among the most revered in Orthodoxy. And it is not surprising - after all, they personify the protection, patronage and defense that the Heavenly Queen gives to every believer. And one of these relics is the “Unbreakable Wall” icon. The meaning, what helps, where to hang this image - you can learn all this from our article.
Origin and interpretation of the shrine
“Oranta” (from the Latin “orans” - “one who prays”) is the oldest way of depicting the Blessed Virgin. Palms outstretched upward and turned horizontally symbolize a humble request, readiness to act in accordance with the Lord's will, awe and reverence for God. This gesture was first described in the Old Testament - according to legend, this is how Moses stood during the battle between the Jews and the Amalekites. While the hands of the righteous old man pointed to the sky, his people were victorious, but as soon as he got tired, the enemies began to gain the upper hand. Therefore, he ordered two young men to hold his hands in the desired position. However, gradually such placement became a characteristic feature of the Mother of God iconography.
Similar frescoes, dating back to the 3rd-4th centuries, are found in the Roman catacombs, where the first believers hid. And in the lands of Kievan Rus, the oldest relic of this type is the mosaic in the Cathedral of St. Sophia - the Wisdom of God, modeled after the Constantinople shrine "Blachernitissa". In this work, created back in the 11th century, the Heavenly Lady is depicted standing on a quadrangular stone - it embodies the unshakable foundation that is given to all who flow to the Virgin Mary. Her sky-colored chiton is belted with a scarlet sash, and a golden cape falls from her head, covering her shoulders. A bright star shines on the Madonna’s forehead, and two smaller luminaries crown the ramen - they personify the Never-Setting Sun of Faith, which overshadows all Christians. This is how the akathist of the Blessed Virgin sings this image: “Rejoice, Mother of God, Indestructible Wall, our Intercessor and consolation!” It is to this prayer that the “Unbreakable Wall” icon owes its name.
However, there is another version of its origin, which was described by A. N. Muravyov, a famous spiritual writer and playwright. According to it, the Lord's grace protects the temple relic from damage, destruction and damage. This is also facilitated by the Greek inscription on the half-vault, which reads: “God is in the midst of Her and does not move: God will help her in the morning.” Over all the centuries that have passed since its creation, the shrine has hardly changed - therefore, the indestructible image should serve every Christian as a reminder of perseverance, firmness of spirit and prayerful diligence, instruct him in faith and suggest a way out of difficult life situations.
What to pray for
The icon is called "The Unbreakable Wall". This name also defines her powers. You can pray to this image in the following cases:
- a long departure from home, a trip, and so on;
- if you are leaving and are worried about the safety of the house and its inhabitants;
- illness of someone dear to you;
- family problems, quarrels, separations.
The Mother of God on the icon is a protector, intercessor and patroness
Miracles created by the “Unbreakable Wall” icon
Many legends told by believers are associated with this image. Here are some of them.
In the Spaso-Eleazar Hermitage there lived the pious and God-fearing Elder Gabriel (1844-1915). Once in a dream he saw a beautiful and rich city, surrounded by strong walls. A wide path led to it, on the side of which a terrible giant lurked - he captivated travelers, throwing nets woven from chains over them. Frightened by the enemy, the righteous man began to look for another path - and a narrow path opened before him, rising steeply over the rocks. Almost no one walked along it, and when the traveler still dared to step on the trail, a giant immediately rushed towards him. However, no matter how hard he tried to throw his bonds on those who walked along this road, all efforts were in vain.
The monk decided to follow this path. And, although a heavy net whistled over him more than once, the prayer to the “Unbreakable Wall” icon protected the ascetic from all threats. He reached the city and enjoyed the joy, prosperity and happiness reigning there. Waking up, Gabriel wrote down his dream as an instruction for all Christians.
Lists of shrines also have miraculous properties - for example, a copy created for the Resurrection-Myrrh-Bearing Convent and consecrated by John of Kronstadt himself. After the revolution of 1917, the monastery was devastated - the cathedral was destroyed, and the nuns were arrested and sent to camps. Most of the images were destroyed, but some were hidden in the houses of residents of neighboring villages. Among them was Maria Anshakova, who kept the “Unbreakable Wall” relic for more than 50 years. In 1972, she gave the icon to Schema-Abbot Paisius, who was restoring the church in the village. Nikolskoye.
Since then, numerous miracles have occurred in the temple - for example, prayer in front of the shrine saved the old woman Agrippina Eremeeva from deteriorating eyesight, helped find a person who disappeared 11 years ago, and repeatedly reconciled spouses and relatives.
Therefore, you should also buy an amber icon, made according to the model of an ancient relic. The master securely attached solid precious stones and semi-precious chips to the base, carefully reproducing all the canonical features of the shrine. Thanks to this, the face of the Most Pure Virgin looks expressive, sublime and spiritual.
Where to place the icon in the house
It is believed that the best way to approach the “Unbreakable Wall” icon is to visit the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Of course, not everyone has this opportunity. Salvation will be the nearest temple, which has a list, or an icon in your home.
Since the image is popular, finding a copy in a church store will not be difficult.
It is better to hang the icon opposite the entrance to a house or apartment. The Mother of God will protect home peace and family relationships, protect from quarrels and illnesses. If you can’t hang the icon opposite the entrance, you can place it above the front door. In this case, the Queen of Heaven will influence not so much on you as on the people who enter your house. If their thoughts are pure, then being around you will be pleasant and useful. However, if a person brings evil to you and your family, then he will feel uncomfortable in the house and will try to leave as quickly as possible.
Before hanging an icon in a specific place, you need to read a special prayer, ask for protection and intercession. You should not place the icon next to electrical appliances, near computers and televisions. If you put it on a shelf, then there should be nothing else there except the face. You should not place the icon in the iconostasis. Why is that? Our Lady must see everyone who enters the house. The person entering must meet her eyes. Only then will she be able to protect your family and home.
It is better to place the icon opposite the entrance
Prayer to the icon “The Unbreakable Wall”
First prayer: To my Queen, my hope, to the Mother of God, friend of the orphans and the strange, to the Representative of the sorrowing, to the Joy of the offended, to the 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.
Second prayer: Oh, our gracious Lady Theotokos, Ever-Virgin, accept from us this song of thanksgiving and praise and offer up to our Creator and Creator your warm prayers for us unworthy, may He, the Merciful, forgive us all our sins, evil and unclean thoughts, deeds nasty. Oh, Most Holy Lady, have mercy and send down a gift according to each need: heal the sick, comfort the sorrowing, bring the lost to reason, protect the infants, raise and teach the young, encourage and instruct men and wives, support and warm the old, be with us both here and in life eternal Wall, Indestructible, deliver us from all troubles and misfortunes and from eternal torment, and always singing Your Motherly love, we praise with all our hearts Your Son, with His Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Miracles Revealed
The Mother of God herself often appears to people and works miracles. The stories can be listed endlessly, but we will tell you about the most famous ones.
Let's go back to the times of the Great Patriotic War. Mothers, wives, daughters saw off fathers, husbands, sons and brothers to the front. Everyone understood that they might not return. At that time, most prayers were addressed specifically to the “Unbreakable Wall” icon as a protector. Front-line soldiers have repeatedly said that during bloody battles a woman appeared in the clouds with her hands raised to the heavens. She directed her gaze towards the enemy. One of the fighters recognized her as the Holy Mother of God, who was depicted on the “Unbreakable Wall” icon.
There are people who talk about a miracle that came to them during illness. At the hospital, the woman was diagnosed with cancer. Doctors did not give guarantees for a long life. Sincere faith and prayer helped to heal from the disease.
Lost children were returned to their parents. Thus, there is a known case when a son returned to his home after 12 years of separation. He was considered missing. Disagreements and quarrels subsided, married couples came together again when it seemed there was no longer a chance.
Where is
Currently, the holy image is kept on the territory of the St. Sophia Cathedral, where anyone can turn to the Mother of God and ask her for help. However, there are other places where the Unbreakable Wall was previously kept:
- Monastery of the Mother of God, located in the Krasnodar region;
- Kaliningrad chapel at the Cathedral;
- Moscow temple named in honor of Paul and Peter;
- Nativity Church of Our Lady.
Examples of miracles
The Icon of the Unbreakable Wall is known for its ability to perform miracles if you pray to it periodically. For example, the most famous miracles are associated with the holy list, which was created for the Resurrection-Myrrh Monastery. In the temple, where the image of the Mother of God has been kept for the last 50 years, several miracles have occurred during this time. With her help, spouses and relatives were repeatedly reconciled. Also, prayer to the saint’s face helped to find a person who was considered missing for more than ten years.
Temples and lists of icons
Despite the popularity of the icon, there are quite a few lists of her. The most ancient and miraculous image, as mentioned above, is located in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. In Russia it is:
- Cathedral in the Kaliningrad region
- Church of the Holy Apostles in Moscow
If we talk about the churches of the same name dedicated to the “Unbreakable Wall” icon, then these are:
- Temple in the vicinity of Yalta
- Temple in Essentuki
- Monastery in Apsheronsk
Monastery in Apsheronsk
Church of the Holy Apostles in Moscow
Cathedral in the Kaliningrad region
Where to find miracle lists
Nowadays, finding miracle lists is not as easy as it used to be. The main one is located in St. Sophia Cathedral, which is located in Kyiv. However, lists can be found not only in this temple, as there are other places. For example, there are miraculous lists in the Kaliningrad Cathedral, in the convent in Astrakhan and in the Moscow Church of Peter and Paul.
Origin story
The name of this icon, which depicts the Mother of God, originates from the twelfth akathist. In this prayer text, the Mother of God is compared to an unbreakable wall, since she is the main protector and patroness of people. Then this saying began to be used as the name of the image of the Mother of God. The prototype of this image is the Blachernae face of the Mother of God, which is kept in Constantinople, on one of the walls of the Blachernae Church.
Results
- The original icon “The Unbreakable Wall” is located in St. Sophia Cathedral (Kyiv, Ukraine). But she has many healing copies, which can be worshiped in Russia. The most famous is rightfully considered to be the image from the Resurrection-Myrrh-Bearing Monastery (Russia, Nikolskoye village).
- The main meaning of the image is indestructibility and protection from all sorts of troubles.
- They pray to this icon to protect the house from thieves, fires and the evil eye. It is also believed that it can protect family members from illness and prevent people with bad intentions from entering the door.
- We, ordinary Orthodox Christians, buy this icon not for a home iconostasis, but as protection for our home, hanging it in front of the entrance or giving it to people whom we want to protect from all adversity.
In the modern world, when the era of globalization, Internet addiction, wars and armed conflicts has begun, it is necessary to find more time for your soul, for solitude and for fervent prayer. In the morning or evening, on the way to work or on the way home, it doesn’t matter when, but it’s worth praying.
A person who prays always feels spiritual joy, peace and silence. He is less fussy, more calm and is almost always in a good mood. When leaving the house, or returning to it, the first thing you will see is the image of the Virgin Mary “The Unbreakable Wall”, which will immediately calm and take away all the painful thoughts of the day, just from just one glance at it.
