When they pray to the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”

History of the icon “The Sign”

The first prototypes of the miraculous face date back to the fourth century; the Mother of God with raised hands and the Savior Emmanuel in her arms was painted on the Roman tomb in which Saint Agnes was buried. The sixth century image of the Mother of God “Nicopaea” is known; in it, the Mother of God holds a shield on which the Savior Emmanuel is depicted.

The history of the appearance of the most ancient image of Rus', which delights Orthodox minds with its signs and wonders, is unusual.

Ancient miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”

The 13th century for the Kursk region was a time of ruin and devastation from the raids of the Tatar horde. According to legend, on September 8, 1295, a resident of the city went into the forest to buy firewood and saw an icon under a tree. As soon as the man touched the holy image, took it in his hands, a source of spring water began to flow from under the tree.

The townspeople, having heard about the acquisition of the holy face, built a church on that spot, where the acquired shrine was kept. Soon everyone in the area knew about the healing power of the bright image of the Mother of God, and pilgrims from all over the region flocked to the Church of the Sign.

Interesting! The Kursk-Root Icon was placed in the Church of the Mother of God, in which a miracle was soon revealed - the healing of a boy, who later became the famous Seraphim of Sarov.

Read about icons:

• Icon of the Virgin Mary “Peschanskaya”
• Icon of the Mother of God “Igorevskaya”
• Icon of the Mother of God “Consolation and Consolation”

Miracles of moving the holy face

By order of Prince Vasily Shemyaka, who heard about the miracles, the shrine was moved to Rylsk.

A religious procession was organized to meet her, but the prince himself ignored the meeting of the shrine, and for this he was punished with blindness. The blind prince spent whole days in prayer in front of the healing image and received insight. In gratitude for the healing revealed, he built the Nativity Church, where the miraculous icon “The Sign” was transferred.

Very little time passed, and the shrine disappeared, appearing at the place where it was found. Several times the residents of Rylsk returned it to the temple, but to no avail, the icon returned to the river bank.

By good will, priest Bogolyub held services in a small chapel, into which pilgrims constantly flocked.

A new miracle was revealed by the holy face of the Mother of God during the fire of 1383, caused by the Tatars during their next raid. The Basurmans cut the holy face in half, burned the church, took the priest prisoner, and a few years later he was ransomed by Russian merchants.

Important! Immediately upon returning from captivity, the priest wandered into the ashes, what was his surprise when he found both halves of the holy image, folded them, the icon grew together on its own so that no trace was visible.

Moving to Moscow

For two centuries the holy “Kursk-Root” icon was kept in a chapel built for it, and in 1597, by order of Tsar Theodore, it was transported to Moscow. Tsar Theodore himself, Patriarch Job, the entire sacred cathedral, the boyars, the army and the inhabitants of Moscow came out to meet them.

After the prayer service, by royal order, the holy image was supplemented with the image of the Lord of Hosts and the Holy Spirit in the upper part, and on the sides the holy image was, as it were, protected by the Old Testament prophets.

• In 1615, the shrine was moved to the newly built Korennaya Pustyn Monastery; most of the time the icon remains in the Znamensky Monastery of Kursk. In 1676, the holy face of the Mother of God was first taken to the Don, where the Cossacks were blessed with it.
• During the war with the French in 1812, a list was written from the miraculous image and presented to the Kutuzov army.
• In 1898, the Kursk-Root icon showed a miracle again when revolutionaries planted a bomb in the Znamensky Church, the building was damaged by the explosion, but the shrine remained unharmed. After 50 years, one of the terrorists repented and said that it was this miracle that turned him to God.
• In 1918, the original and its list were stolen because of a luxurious frame from the Church of the Sign. The revolutionary authorities accused the monks themselves of the theft and did not conduct a search.

In all churches and monasteries of Kursk there was a round-the-clock prayer for the holy image. The Mother of God announced herself after 30 days.

Two girls washed clothes in the stream, folded it at the Feodosievsky well, looking into which they saw a bag. There was no water in the well, and curious girlfriends pulled out the find, finding two wooden boards in it, which was reported to the relatives and the priest who accompanied the funeral procession.

Icon of the Mother of God “Kursk-Root”

A commission was quickly assembled and it was established that the shrine and its list were on wooden boards. In honor of the blessed event, thousands of people attended a solemn prayer service on Red Square.

Under the ringing of bells in a religious procession, the Kursk-Root Icon and its copy were returned to the place where the shrine was found.

Interestingly, the original and the copy were so identical that only Grigory Shuklin, the icon painter and author of the list, could distinguish them.

Shuklin instantly found the original by the barely noticeable scar that remained from the Tatar’s saber. A blue robe was put on the holy image, in which it is represented today.

After the revolution, the “travels” of the holy face of the Mother of God began throughout cities and countries.

General Denikin took the shrine to Novorossiysk, in 1920 it was transported by Bishop Feofan to Crimea, then to Serbia, where it settled in the Yazak monastery.

In 1927, the shrine was transported to Belgrade. Our Lady showed special grace to the residents of Belgrade during the war. The city was under constant bombing, but not a single bomb fell on Russian churches and those houses in which prayer services were held with the miraculous shrine of the Mother of God.

Witnesses subsequently wrote that, among the ruins and complete ruins, houses untouched by bombing seemed like a miracle, and in another place a case was described when three bombs that fell near the temple in which the icon was kept did not explode and were subsequently neutralized by sappers.

The Serbs invited priests to their homes during religious processions, carried out with the holy image through the streets of the city, even during the bombings. Metropolitan Anastassy showed the laity an example of faith, not leaving the Church of the Holy Trinity even during air raids, and was never ashamed.

Canon of the Most Holy Theotokos before the miraculous icon of Her, also called Kursk-Root

December 10

General beginning and end of the canons Troparion, kontakion, glorification of saints Akathists to the saints of God

Troparion, voice 4:

As an irresistible wall and source of miracles, acquired by Thy servants, Most Pure Mother of God, we overthrow the hostile forces of the resistance, and we also pray to Thee: grant peace to our fatherland and to our souls We have great mercy.

Canon of the Theotokos, voice 4, its borderline: I dare to offer praise to Thee, O Theotokos.

Song 1.

Irmos: I will open my lips, and they will be filled with the Spirit, and I will vomit a word to the Queen Mother, and I will appear, brightly triumphant, and I will sing, rejoicing, These are miracles.

Chorus: Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Do not despise my thinness, Mother of God, and fill my weakness, but sanctify my heart and mind and open my lips to bring songs to You who dare.

With the faith of our hearts we venerate your most pure image, and we bow to it with tenderness, as the true You Herself, visually to the Mother of God, more often than drops of tears, we cry out: Rejoice, Blessed Mary Yes, blessed Mother of God.

The angelic powers imitate Your image with fear and love, You, the Primordial One, are magnified in accordance, and Your sweet name is invoking: Rejoice, All-Immaculate Bride of God.

Love, faithful come, let us kiss the holy icon of the Mother of God, for from her healing is endless, and innumerable miracles are performed by those who flow to her with faith and hope, and we also call Everlastingly ve: Rejoice, unfalse Hope for Christians.

Song 3.

Irmos: Thy hymns, Mother of God, living and unenvious Source, the face of Thy body, spiritually established, in Thy divine glory, the crowns of glory of the Lord.

With intelligent eyes directed into the depths of the centuries, we see here and there Your icon, Most Pure One, with rays of mercy more than the sun, sowing, and I illuminate the Russian land - Your House, O Mother of God. I feel, we also call Ty: Rejoice, our Protection and Intercession.

The dark oak forest of Kursk in its depths contains a bright miracle - the most pure icon of the Mother of God, cut by the wicked, but gloriously spliced ​​by the power of God, and thus found, as great treasure, the people of Russia cry out: where do we get this from, as if the Most Blessed Mother of God has come to us.

The source of living water flowed out in the place where the image of the Mother of God abided, giving the faithful water with healing streams, and healing all ulcers and ailments, and let us cry out to the Most Gracious: Rejoice, true one Great Life-Giving Source.

At the root of the tree, an icon will be found, the Tree of Life will indescribably vegetate and bring forth the blessed fruit of the world, and even now the manifestation of the holiday is celebrated, crying out to the Most Pure: Oh, All-Blessed I am the Lady, our evil passions are from the roots, rooting good customs in us, and planting a garden of virtues, and participants in heavenly life will be worthy of us.

According to the 3rd song, sedalen, voice 7:

Whose holiday is the brightest and most red, more than the holiday of the Most Pure Mother of God? What name is sweeter after the name of the Sweetest Jesus than the name of the Mother of God Mary? Behold, with the purity and glory of all the faces of the angels, having surpassed the sowing Mother of the Almighty, the whole world embraces the Mother’s love, saves sinners and brings the righteous into the heavenly abodes , overthrows the enemies and gloriously tramples on the head of the serpent, and we also call to Her: in You, O Gracious One, every creature rejoices , glory to You.

[Glory, and now, the same.]

Song 4.

Irmos: Seated in glory on the throne of the Divine in a light cloud, the Divine Jesus came, with an imperishable Hand and those who saved, calling: glory, O Christ, to Thy power.

The Russian Church today triumphs, with the glory of the newly-revealed icons of the Mother of God, magnificently adorned with God, singing songs of God, calling upon all the faithful, with the verb: come, let us rejoice. lose our God, and let us worship Her honest image, from whom the Most Pure Virgin richly bestows gifts of grace to people named after Christ, crying out : Glory to Your power, Lord.

Chosen One of the Mother of God, like Father Seraphim, never-ending prayer for the Russian land, see our warm zeal, hear the prayers we offer before the icon of the Most Pure One, from Even though sometimes you, a fiercely suffering youth, received healing, so stand with us, lifting up your holy hands , and cry out to the Mother of God for us, because for the sake of our prayer our acceptance is favorable to you.

The wicked atheist, the foolish advice, You have put to shame Your icon, O Lady, by Your divine power, and You have kept this from every action, destroying it unharmed, the earth for having been shaken and destroyed like a pillar, Your icon only turns its face away from the vile deeds of men, and also turns to a glorious miracle Wondering, we pray to You diligently, do not turn Your most pure face away from us, for with a contrite heart we run to You, and weep, and cry out tenderly: may our malice not overcome Your mercy ardiya, but have mercy and save us.

From the hand of the evildoers and the cruel atheists, who trampled upon all the holy things of God, You kept Your honorable icon unharmed, and You gave this to Your people, O Mother of God, and we preserve it, Like the apple of your eye, therefore, O Lady, show us always the signs of Your mercy.

Song 5

Irmos: Everyone was terrified of Your Divine glory: For You, the unartificed Virgin, had in your womb God above all, and You gave birth to the Flightless Son, to all who sang Your praises, bestowing peace present.

Let us celebrate the luminous day of the day, in Onzhe the spiritual dawn for the salvation of the world has risen with the Nativity of the Most Pure Bride of God, in Onzhe and the Russian country, in the darkness of troubles and sorrows abiding, like a star The morning icon of the Mother of God has appeared, proclaiming the day of deliverance, and we also call the Most Blessed One: Rejoice, for You have kindled an unfading lamp of hope for us.

Wherever sin multiplies, the grace of God abounds; therefore, Lady, look at our weakness, see immeasurable humiliation, but also see faith and hear the cry, and help Hasten us helpless, showering us with Thy mercy.

We will not be afraid of the dark forces of hell, but rather, having embraced the weapons of light, we will resist with courage, the Invincible Voivode - the All-Singing Mother of God: for this he will solemnly overcome his enemies and The Lord intercedes, calling upon Her most pure name.

We confess the true Mother of God and Orthodoxy venerate the image of Your most pure face, but we turn away from all sin and depravity, and we pray to do good deeds, and our souls humbly cry out. m: Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Song 6.

Irmos: This divine and all-honorable celebration, God of God, Mother of God, come, let us clasp our hands, from Her we glorify the God who was born.

Let despondency flee from us, brothers, and let the clouds of thoughts flutter away by the Spirit of God, for the Mother of God Herself is clearly in our midst, worshiped in Her miraculous icon, and miracles come from it shining more than the sun, let us cry out from the depths of our hearts: Most Holy Lady, grace By yours, be with us relentlessly.

Whenever temptation comes upon us, when we fall into sorrow and illness, when our patience runs low and our spirit becomes confused, we turn to the image of the Most Pure Virgin and tears more often Let us cry out to you from our hearts: Thy God-bearing hands stretched out to us, raise us up from the depths of the ashes.

The joy of all joys, who gave birth to the eternal Joy of the world, who destroyed sinful sadness, and who gave Divine joy to troubled souls, in prayers for the Christian world, do not fall asleep, God Mother of God, by You, according to God, everyone is saved and raised from the abyss of falls.

The evil demons of the army, warring against Christians, stand gazing from afar, not daring to approach, trembling with the glory of the Mother of God icons, even the wicked and demons burn, while holding the faithful The enemy is clearly defending himself from everyone.

Kontakion, voice 4:

Come, faithful ones, let us brightly celebrate the all-honorable image of the Mother of God, the wonderful appearance and, from this, drawing grace, let us most tenderly cry out: Rejoice, Mary Theotokos, Mother of God , Blessed One.

Ikos:

By You, Mother of God, the Eternal Word became flesh, Having seen You as the Sun of Truth, the Angels do not dare to look upon the Worthless One; in Your arms are the cherubim, the One who is worn, and in Your most pure hands we hold the Almighty and Creator of all things; Adam's mortal daughter, You were called the Mother of God, and also, as you are united to That Mother's boldness of mind, in prayers for the world do not fall asleep, Thy hand is more pleasing to God lifting up His love for mankind towards Your servants, whose grateful lips constantly call to You: Rejoice, Mary Theotokos, Mother of God, Blessed One.

Song 7.

Irmos: Having not served the creation of God, more than the Creator, but, having bravely overcome the fiery rebuke, I rejoice, singing: O venerable father, Lord and God, blessed art thou.

The angels in your service revere you, the seraphs glorify you with fear, Mother of God, how dare we, earthlings, sing to you with unclean lips? Both, we trust in Your mercy, and in You we cry unceasingly to the Lord and Creator of all things: Blessed are You, God our Father.

You have already given us intercession, Your Most Pure Mother, Christ, accept now for the warmth of the Praying One, so that You may achieve intercession in the everlasting life, with everyone, who will improve your salvation Let us cry: Blessed are you, O God of our father.

I have called Thy Mother Blessed, and with prayers, pray, O Lord, that the light of Thy countenance may shine upon us, so that we may arise from the sleep of the sinful, as if in the days of piety we may begin to walk, in our hearts there is an incessant cry: blessed art thou, O God of our father.

We are like the Babylonian youths, we will not worship the golden image of Mammon and man-pleasing, but we will honor the image of the Immaculate Mother of our God, filled with the highest joys, and cry out to the Benefactor of all, Christ and: Blessed are you, O God of our father.

Song 8.

Irmos: The pious youths in the cave The Nativity of the Theotokos saved is, then what was formed, now in action, the whole universe raises up to sing to You: Sing to the Lord, do ye, and exalt Him in all things ki.

The strats sang the strata sulfur, the saints, the saints of the dumbness of his sons did not believe, the whole creature will praise constantly, will we be united in silence? Even though we are daring in Your mercy, even though we are unworthy, we exalt You forever.

Let us boast in You, Mother of God, that all created things will cease no more, therefore, according to the verb of the Apostle, the pagans will fall silent and knowledge will be abolished, but love will continue unceasingly, including glorifications, even from love. All that is offered to You will be glorified forever.

Tell us, O Most Pure One, what praise worthy of ours will our infirmity bring? Should we dare to look upon Your honest image? But both, O Good Being, even now do not disdain our songs, and in the lands of earthly advent, show us the image of Your most bright face, so that we may glorify You forever.

Now Your image is ever worshiped, Lady, with fear and love, putting aside all everyday cares, but raising our mental eyes to heaven, we anticipate the heavenly sweetness, and enjoy it You are a blessing to us, so that you have given us salvation and endless life, we sing of You in joy forever.

Song 9.

Irmos: Let every earth-born leap, let us be enlightened by the Spirit, let the nature of disembodied minds triumph, honoring the sacred triumph of the Mother of God, and let it cry out: Rejoice, All-Blessed, Pure Mother of God Ever-Devo.

O All-Singing Virgin, accept our song, as Thy Son gives the widow’s mite, and grant us to always bring this to You, who govern our life in the world and grant forgiveness of sin, as yes in Having entered the heavenly abodes by You, we magnify Your mercy.

Those like You, Mother of God, do not confess and do not venerate Your icons, but let them be completely put to shame, but let those who are faithful rejoice in You, so that the Russian country, as of old, may be Your House, and may they increase in number of saints Let the monasteries and temples be beautifully decorated, and let the people be sanctified and let them triumph with joy, magnifying Thee.

Queen Theotokos, standing at the right hand of Christ God in the heavenly Kingdom, establishing the kingdom of Christ on earth, destroying the advice of the wicked and strengthening faith with piety, and all earthly creatures unanimously magnified.

Do you eat the praise, O Lady, worthy of bringing? Is food Your image, honest in duty, to become famous? For all things, like songs, even if they are numbered, for Thy glorification, O Virgin, are not content; If we listen to the diligence of our hearts, our singing will only begin as it should be, so that what we have done, we are perplexed and horrified, we glorify the signs of Your mercy, and we will both strengthen our minds We love You and magnify You with the love of our hearts.

Luminous, voice 3:

The brightest sun of the Virgin Mary, kindle the unfading lamp of the faith of Christ in our country with your grace, so that the darkness of unbelief will be enlightened, and let the hearts of the faithful rejoice in this, thanksgiving at bearing Christ the Lover of mankind, giving great mercy to all.

Glory, and now, the same voice:

Have I taken off the robe of baptism with sins, as I went up to the Lord’s supper, not wearing a wedding robe? If not You, Mother of God, covered me with Your robe and spoke a word about me, the accursed one, to the King of Glory. Moreover, trusting in You alone, I extend my hand to You, hear, cover and intercede.

First prayer

Oh, Queen of Heaven! Who will count the great multitude of Your miracles, who will count the cries of prayerful petitions, streams of touched tears, grateful sighs shed before Your icon. For all of it is covered in the sorrow of the people, the tears of the oppressed and the joyful praise of the consoled. The people who suffered the Hagaryan yoke fell to her, crying out to Moscow in times of troubles, calling out Kursk to the enemy invasion. The whole region cried out during the days of deadly illnesses and troubles, and you turned all sorrow into joy. In the same way, bless the Russian land now. Save our country from sin, destruction and temptation. Pour grace on agricultural labor and on every good social undertaking. Remember, O Most Holy Virgin, by the name of all those present and praying, and all the people who demand Your consolation, help and mercy. You weigh the secret of our hearts. Likewise, fulfill their requests to everyone according to their needs. Turn more of the lost to repentance, and make us all wise with the light of Gospel love and good deeds. Show the archpastors and shepherds and all the faithful in Orthodoxy steadfast until death, rule them into the Kingdom of Heaven, and make them live with Christ forever and ever. Amen.

Second prayer

Our most blessed Queen, our hope, Mother of God, friend of the orphans and the strange, the intercessor of those who grieve with joy, those who are offended by the patroness! See our misfortune, see our sorrow; help us as we are weak, feed us as we are strange. Weigh our offense, resolve it, as you will, deliver our fatherland, the suffering Russian land from the cruel atheists of the situation, save and preserve Your servants (name) and all of us present and praying here, and cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion, like There are no other imams of help except You, no other intercessors, no good comforters, except You, O Mother of God, for you will preserve us and cover us forever and ever. Amen.

Writing a list

In 1944, the icon of the Mother of God ended up in Munich, where the Synod of the Orthodox Church Abroad moved. Before transferring the miraculous face of the Mother of God to America in order to save it from destruction, it was decided to make a list.

The work was entrusted to Hieromonk Cyprian, who reverently opened the shrine and was dumbfounded, for in front of him lay a board black with soot with barely visible drawings. The icon painter did not know what to do correctly, because he had not received a blessing for the restoration, and there was nothing to paint.

At his own peril and risk, without the permission of the Metropolitan, Cyprian began to wash the icon stroke by stroke, and the Mother of God and Child shone before him under the cover of the Lord, surrounded by Old Testament prophets.

Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”

Without waiting for the morning, Cyprian woke up Archimandrite Seraphim, who was amazed by what he saw, but did not know how to confess to the bishop that a miracle had happened through disobedience. The arriving bishop saw the will of God in disobedience, served a prayer service near the icon and blessed Father Cyprian to write the copy.

After both images were dressed in vestments, a piece of wood was split off from the original and mounted on the list. The original flew to America, but the list remained in Europe.

In 1950, the Kursk-Root Hermitage was built near New York, and the miraculous icon of the Mother of God moved into it. In 1957, the Kursk-Root Icon became the guardian of the Cathedral of the Sign, built in honor of this holy image.

The Kursk shrine arrives in Russia in 2000 for the period of worship, and then returns to America again.

On a note! Christians of the North American and Canadian diocese have the opportunity to venerate the Kursk-Root icon every year even today.

In the year of celebrating the millennium of the Baptism of Rus', she visited Australian churches and parishes in South America.

The miraculous shrine fills the hearts of Christians with joy, consolation and hope for help from the Most Pure Mother of God. For the Western world, Russian Orthodox Christians scattered across all corners of the earth, Oranta became a symbol of unity. Now the keeper of the Kursk Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” is Bishop Nikolai Olkhovsky.

Faces of saints on the icon

The icon depicts the Mother of God with a baby in her arms. The Virgin Mary sits in a prayer position with her hands raised up. This image is considered one of the earliest images of the Mother of God in icon painting. Another well-known shrine of this type is Abalatskaya, but on the edges of the Kursk-root shrine there are images of the Lord of Hosts and the prophets from the Old Testament.

The prophets are addressed to the Mother of God. On the right is the face of King Solomon. Near him are the faces of the prophet Daniel, Jeremiah, and Elijah. On the opposite side are the faces of King David, the prophet Moses, Isaiah and Gideon. Each of them holds scrolls in their hands, and each scroll contains one wise saying that has a special meaning.

The Mother of God is classified as an “Oranta” - the “sign” type, like the Abalak icon.

Description of the shrine

The ancient images - Oranta, personify the Intercessor Mother, they are easily recognizable by the location of the Baby in Her womb.

The icon of the Mother of God of Kursk-Root depicts the Mother of God with her hands raised up in prayer. Together with the Child, the Mother of God forms a single composition, and around them there is a completely different plot, which was added by the will of Tsar Theodore Ioannovich.

Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God

From above we see the Lord of Hosts and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. To the right and left of the Mother of God are the Old Testament prophets. In their hands are scrolls in which the prophecy about the coming of the Mission is written.

Both the original and copies of the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” were generously decorated with gold, silver, and velvet. Images of the Lord of Hosts. The Virgin and Child are covered with a scattering of diamonds. Amethysts. Turquoise and other semi-precious stones. Crowns of diamonds were placed above the heads of the Almighty and the Virgin Mary.

About prayers before the Mother of God icons:

• "Inexhaustible Chalice"
• "Vladimirskaya"
• "Tikhvinskaya"

Song 6

And the priest reads the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4:

In those days, Mariam arose and went to the mountains with diligence, to the city of Judah. And Zechariah went into the house and kissed Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard Marino’s kiss, the baby leapt in her womb: and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And he cried with a great voice and said: Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb. And where do I get this, so that the Mother of my Lord may come to me? Behold, as the voice of Thy kiss came into my ears, the baby leaped with joy in my womb. And blessed is She who believed, for the things spoken to Her by the Lord will be accomplished. And Miriam said: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. As if I looked upon the humility of my Servant: behold, from now on all my kindred will please Me. For the Mighty One has done great things for Me, and holy is His name. So Mariam stayed with her for three months and returned to her house.

Honored dates

On March 21, Orthodox Christians thank God and the Mother of God for saving the holy image during a terrorist attack, when a bomb was planted and exploded under it.

On the ninth Friday after the Resurrection of the Lord, thousands of parishioners take part in a religious procession from the Znamenskaya Monastery to the Root Hermitage. On the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 21, the day of the discovery of the holy image on the river bank is celebrated.

On December 10, Orthodox Christians around the world pay tribute to the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”.

Song 3