"Save me, God!".
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The miraculous Tolga Icon is known to everyone not only by the history of its appearance, but also by its miraculous influence. A large number of pilgrims constantly come to the sacred face, seeking to heal their ailments. According to one legend, even Tsar Ivan the Terrible himself was healed thanks to prayers to her. One day he suffered terribly from pain in his legs, so much so that he could not walk. They brought him in front of the image on a chair. Thanks to fervent prayers, he received healing. Most people go to her for healing of body and soul.
The icon of the Tolga Mother of God was revealed to Bishop Prokhor of Yaroslavl in 1314. One day in the middle of the night, he woke up from a bright light that penetrated his tent. Coming out of the shelter, he saw a pillar of fire that rose to the sky. It was at the place where the Tolga flows into the Volga. A bridge led to the pillar and Prokhor, leaning on his staff, hurried there. Coming closer, he saw the image of the Virgin Mary with the Child in her arms. He hovered in the air and the elder could not reach him. He prayed and, forgetting his staff, headed back to the tent.
In the morning he told everything to his fellow travelers and remembered the staff. The companions returned to that place and took away the icon, which lay peacefully on the ground. Prokhor saw this face and recognized it. It was decided to build a church on that site. In just one day, the church was built, which was consecrated in the evening. Local residents also helped build it. Many people talk about miracles that happened at this time.
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Soon a monastery was built on the site of the church, and the Tolga icon of the Mother of God glorified Rus' with its numerous miracles.
The day of celebration of the miraculous Tolga Icon of the Mother of God occurs once a year on August 21 (August 8, old style).
History of the icon
The history of the miraculous image goes back to the distant 14th century. The year 1311 was marked by the fact that Prokhor, appointed Metropolitan of All Rus' by Peter, became the bishop of the Rostov principality. The monk had a tradition - every summer he walked around his region, going down the Volga all the way to Yaroslavl. In the third year of his reign, he set out again and, just short of reaching the appointed city, stopped to spend the night at the place where the Tolga River merges with the Volga.
The August night was hot, and the bishop had difficulty sleeping. However, exactly at midnight, Prokhor suddenly woke up from a bright radiance. On the opposite bank, the clear starry sky was illuminated by a huge pillar of fire, next to which stood the Mother of God with the Child in her arms. Soon the flames spread across the river, forming a kind of bridge. Guided by invisible forces, the monk went straight to the Ever-Virgin, walking along the burning crossing and not feeling the heat. Kneeling before the Mother of God, Prokhor prayed until the first lightning, until he was discovered by the servants who followed him. A bishop's staff and an icon of the Mother of God, now called Tolgskaya, were also found there.
Holy Vvedensky Tolga Convent
Seeing a sign of God in what had happened, the bishop ordered the construction of a church on the site where the holy image was found. The work went very quickly, the temple was rebuilt in just one day and by the evening it was consecrated in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos. Miracles began to happen immediately after he opened his doors to the first parishioners - many sick people were healed of their ailments. In the same year, the Tolga Monastery was founded nearby, which existed until the beginning of the 20th century.
After the revolution, when the Bolsheviks came to power, the monastery was looted and closed, and in its place a colony for juvenile delinquents was organized. Almost all the shrines were destroyed by atheists, but the icon of the Mother of God was miraculously saved. It was given to the Yaroslavl Art Museum for storage, where it remained for almost sixty years.
Work on the restoration of the Tolga Monastery began only in 1987. Now it was no longer a men's, but a women's monastery.
After the opening of the shrine, the miraculous face was returned to the nuns. For a long time it occupied a place of honor among other icons, until it was officially transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery. Despite the fact that the original is in the exhibition hall of the museum, you can also venerate the copies of the Tolga icon. The most famous copies are the property:
- Assumption Cathedral (Yaroslavl);
- Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery (Moscow);
- Nezhinsky Vvedensky monastery (Nezhin).
You can venerate the miraculous face on any day, but the official date for the celebration of the Mother of God image is August 21.
Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery
Nezhinsky Vvedensky Monastery
Assumption Cathedral in Yaroslavl
Historical reference
The image was revealed on Yaroslavl land, therefore it is considered its patron. There are three Tolga icons of the Mother of God:
- Large - dates back to the 13th century, today it is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. Previously it was in a place of honor in the Tolga Monastery. Written on a large linden board, dimensions 140 by 90 cm.
The Virgin Mary is depicted here in full height, seated on a throne. Jesus Christ wraps his arms around his mother's neck, standing on her knees. Angels in ministerial robes hover above the figures of Mary and Christ. The remaining two icons are considered partial replicas of this image.
- Revealed - it is about her that the legend of Demetrius of Rostov was composed. A monastery was founded at the site of its discovery (today the monastery, like many revived monasteries, has become a monastery for women). The miraculous event took place in 1314. Externally, the image is somewhat different from the Great Icon - it has a chest-length image, the size of the board is 48 by 61 cm. The baby is not standing here, but sitting.
- List from the Russian Museum - located in St. Petersburg, made in 1327. Made in a more restrained manner. It was also kept in the Yaroslavl monastery, and then was transferred to the museum.
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Despite the differences in details and colors, all these icons are Tolga and are celebrated on the same day - August 21. They belong to the Eleusa (Merciful) type and have the same meaning. The prayer can be offered in front of any image; it is important to remember that it is addressed not to a board or drawing, but to the Queen of Heaven herself.
Description of the holy image
There is a lot of debate about who is the author of the Tolga Icon of the Mother of God. Nevertheless, most researchers are sure that it came from the brush of the Byzantine and Russian icon painter - Theophanes the Greek.
The canvas for the original was a wooden board made of linden, measuring 140x90 cm. It depicts the Ever-Virgin with the Child, seated on a throne painted with a fancy ornament. The Virgin Mary is dressed in red, flowing clothes, decorated with pearls and silver. A golden halo shines above Her head. The Tolga icon amazes with its incredible emotionality, expressed in the sad look of the Mother of God - the Virgin Mary seems to grieve for all of humanity.
On the left knee of the Virgin Mary sits little Jesus, dressed in a blue cloak. He presses his face to the cheek of the Mother of God and wraps his arms around Her neck. His entire image is filled with love, and his pose symbolizes the support that the Savior gives to all those in need.
At the top of the miraculous image, on both sides of the Ever-Virgin, the archangels Michael and Gabriel are depicted. Heavenly warriors hover over the Mother of God and the Child, protecting them from evil forces.
However, not all copies of the Tolga icon repeat the original. The churches also have copies with a half-length image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is no throne on the icons, and the Mother of God holds the Baby Jesus in the air with her left hand. The changed expression on the Savior’s face is also clearly noticeable - his gaze is filled with suffering, and not with the former tenderness.
Revealed icon of the Tolga Mother of God
The healing and liberating power of the icon
The great Tsar Ivan the Terrible, suffering from severe pain in his legs, heard about the healing power of the icon of the Mother of God. The king ordered him to be taken to the Tolga monastery. For a long time, John fervently prayed before the Holy Face, and received healing, going out to his subjects with his feet.
What other icons do they pray to for healing:
- "Life-Giving Spring"
- "Assistant in childbirth"
- "The Tsaritsa"
In 1392, after the proclamation of the kontakion, the right hand of the Mother of God began to flow myrrh, and after some time myrrh appeared on the left foot of the Child. So the Most Holy Mother of God gave Her Divine sign to weak people.
For 7 centuries, the miraculous power of the Holy Face has helped people who come with a pure heart and faith in the healing power of Jesus Christ.
Reverent silence reigns in the temple, where pilgrims, on their knees, ask the Mother of God for healing of spirit, soul, body:
- save from godlessness;
- protect during famine;
- heal from diseases;
- get rid of celibacy;
- give children;
- free from addiction: drunkenness, smoking, fornication and drug addiction.
Important!
Faith, fasting and reverence for God help people receive the miraculous liberation given by the Mother of God. The blessed power of the Tolgskaya icon of the Mother of God is the protective cover of Yaroslavl. The bright face of a loving Mother gives hope to the fallen in spirit, heals and delivers from addictions.
Meaning and Interpretation
The Tolga image of the Mother of God belongs to the Eleus (Tenderness) icon painting type and is often called “Throne” among representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church. The main difference between this icon is its emotionality, which stands out from the usual iconographic canons.
It was not for nothing that the author chose dark tones that prevail in the composition. They favorably emphasize and enhance the sad mood that can be read on the face of the Mother of God. The Most Holy Virgin Mary grieves for humanity, seeing what is happening on earth, but still remains the Heavenly Intercessor before the Lord.
The image of the Divine Couple is imbued with the endless love that exists between the Almighty and man. That is why the Baby Jesus clings to His Mother so childishly, wrapping his thin arms around Her neck. In this composition, the icon painter shows the peace and tranquility that the Savior gives to all who turn to Him.
How does the Tolga Icon of the Mother of God help?
The image of the Mother of God is very revered by Orthodox Christians, as it helps to heal not only spiritually, but also physically. Pilgrims from all over the country flock to the miraculous image to turn to the Ever-Virgin with a variety of problems:
- overcome a serious illness;
- strengthen faith;
- help guide you on the right path;
- improve your financial situation;
- experience the long-awaited happiness of motherhood;
- find a husband/wife;
- find harmony in the family;
- get rid of alcohol, nicotine or drug addiction.
People often turn to the Tolga Mother of God to receive forgiveness for their sins. They sincerely repent before Her and ask to save a soul overwhelmed by passions. If the words come from a pure heart, the Mother of God never refuses the one asking, interceding for him before the Almighty.
After offering prayers to the holy face, leave a small gift or a symbolic monetary donation at the icon.
Author's advice
Pilgrims from all over the country flock to the miraculous image
Miracle healings
The most famous miracle of healing happened to the first crowned Tsar of All Rus', Ivan the Terrible. Being bedridden with severe joint pain, he asked to be taken to the shrine. John prayed in front of her for several days, until he finally left the monastery on his own feet.
Since then, the holy face has never ceased to amaze Orthodox Christians with its healing power. So, in 1995, prayers to the Mother of God helped a 14-year-old boy get rid of a hump and the serious consequences of a spinal fracture. At the same time, another boy forever threw away the crutches, without which he could not walk.
In the 21st century, miracles of healing continued. After the mother’s long prayers for her son, he was cured of a heart disease over which modern medicine was powerless. A few years later, another miracle happened - the girl’s warts, which were planned to be removed surgically, disappeared on their own. Two years later, a parishioner who had been addicted for a long time was cured of alcoholism.
The official date for the celebration of the Mother of God image is August 21
Location[edit]
The icon is located in the Holy Vvedensky Monastery in the city of Nizhyn.
The monastery is located east of the territory of the Old Town, in the former suburb of Avdeevka (which was inhabited since the 17th century and bears the name of its first inhabitant). The historical territory of the monastery is a city block, stretching from west to east and limited from the north by street. Avdeevskaya, from the west - an unnamed lane and square, from the east - lane. Shkolny, from the south - st. Ivan Bogun.
Address:
16605, Ukraine, Chernihiv region, Nizhyn, st. Avdeevskaya, 44a
Telephone:
(04631) 2–41–76
Prayer before the face of the Mother of God
O Most Holy Lady, Virgin Mother of God, above the Cherubim and Seraphim and the holiest of all saints! You, the All-Blessed One, on Tolga, You deigned to reveal Your multi-healing icon to the blessed Saint Tryphon in a fiery way, and with it You performed many and ineffable miracles, and are now doing them, according to Your ineffable mercy towards us. Before Your most pure image we bow down and pray, O Most Blessed Intercessor of our race: in this much-sorrowful and much-rebellious earthly journey, do not deprive us of Your intercession and the protection of God.
Save and protect us, Lady, from the fiery arrows of the evil enemy of our salvation. Strengthen our weak will to do the commandments of Christ, soften our hardened hearts with love for God and our neighbors, grant us heartfelt contrition and true repentance, so that, having been cleansed from the filth of sin, we will be able to bring to the Creator the fruits of good deeds pleasing to Him and we will be honored with a peaceful Christian death and response right at His terrible and impartial Judgment. Hey, Lady All-Merciful!
In the hour of menacing death, show us Your powerful intercession, then hasten to help us, helpless, and with Your sovereign hand free us from the power of the fierce world ruler, for truly Your prayer can do a lot before the face of the Lord, and nothing will stop Your intercession, only admiration . Also, looking tenderly at Your holy image and before it, as if You are alive and living with us, we worship, with good hope, ourselves, and each other, and our whole life to You, according to God, we prayerfully commend to You and we magnify You with our Savior born of You, The Lord Jesus Christ, to Him, with His Father Without Beginning and the Most Holy Spirit, is due all glory, honor and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The power of prayer truly works wonders. The Ever-Virgin, being the Intercessor of all Christians before God, always responds to calls for help. She, like a real Mother, never leaves Her children in trouble, showing another miracle of Divine grace.
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