icon of the Mother of God"ZHIROVITSKAYA"

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The appearance of the icon of the Mother of God of ZHIROVITSKAYA occurred in 1470 in the town of Zhirovitsy, Grodno district (now Belarus). In the forest belonging to the Orthodox Lithuanian nobleman Alexander Soltan, the shepherds saw an unusually bright light penetrating in the form of a flame through the branches of a pear tree. The shepherds came closer and saw on a tree a small icon of the Mother of God in a radiant glow. The shepherds took her to their master. However, the nobleman did not attach much importance to the shepherds’ story, but he took the image and locked it in a casket.

The next day, guests gathered at Alexander Solton’s place, and the owner decided to show them the find, but there was no icon in the casket. After some time, the shepherds again found the image of the Mother of God in the same place and again brought it to their master. This time, Alexander treated the icon with greater reverence than before, and vowed to build a temple at the site of the appearance of the icon of the Mother of God. Soon a small wooden temple was built, and the icon was transferred to it Holy Mother of God.

At the beginning of the 16th century, a fire suddenly broke out in the church. Despite the efforts of residents to put out the fire, the temple could not be saved. Everyone decided that the icon of the Mother of God also died in the fire. But one day, young children saw on the mountain, at the foot of which there was a burnt temple, a Virgin sitting on a stone in a radiant radiance. The children hastened to inform their families about what they had seen. Taking what the children said as a Divine revelation, everyone went to the mountain and, approaching the stone, saw a burning candle on it and the Zhirovitsky icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which had not been damaged at all by the fire. Soon the residents built a new stone temple and placed a miraculous image in it.

Subsequently, a monastery arose near the temple. Nowadays the miraculous Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God is located in the Cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Zhirovitsky monastery in Belarus.

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Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Zhirovitsk they pray during persecution of Orthodoxy, in doubt, for deliverance from fires, in case of any bodily weakness.

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon, called “Zhirovitskaya”

Oh, Most Merciful Lady, Virgin Mother of God! With my lips I will touch Your shrine, or with these words I will confess Your generosity, which is revealed to people: no one, who flows to You, goes away empty-handed and is not heard. From my youth I have sought Your help and intercession, and I would never again be deprived of Your mercy. See, O Lady, the sorrows of my heart and the ulcers of my soul. And now, kneeling before Your most pure image, I offer my prayers to You. Do not deprive me of Your all-powerful intercession on the day of my sorrow, and on the day of my sorrow intercede for me. Do not turn away my tears, O Lady, and fill my heart with joy. Be my refuge and intercession, O Merciful One, and enlighten my mind with the dawning of Your light. And I pray to You not only for myself, but also for the people who flow to Your intercession. Preserve the Church of Your Son in goodness, and protect it from the evil slander of the enemies who rise against it. Send Thy help to our archpastors in the apostleship, and keep them healthy, long-living, rightly ruling the word of the truth of the Lord. As a shepherd, ask God your Son for zeal and vigilance for the souls of the verbal flock entrusted to them, and to send down upon them the spirit of reason and piety, purity and divine truth. Ask the same way, Lady, from the Lord for wisdom and strength from the rulers and city rulers, from the judges for truth and impartiality, and from all who flow to You the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. I also pray to Thee, O Most Merciful One, to cover our country with the shelter of Thy goodness, and deliver it from natural disasters, invasions of foreigners and civil unrest, so that all who live in it may live a quiet and serene life in love and peace, and enjoy eternal blessings through eternal prayers Having inherited yours, they will be able to praise God together with you in heaven forever. Amen.

Troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon called “Zhirovitskaya”

Troparion, tone 5
Before Your holy icon, Lady, those who pray are honored with healing, accept the knowledge of true faith and repel the Hagarian invasions. Likewise, for us who fall to You, ask for the remission of sins, enlighten our hearts with thoughts of piety, and offer a prayer to Your Son for the salvation of our souls.

Greatness
We magnify Thee, Most Holy Virgin, and venerate Thy venerable icon, which Thou hast glorified since ancient times in the monastery of Zhirovitsk.

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Akathist to the Holy Mother of God in front of her Icon, called "Zhirovitsky"

Kontakion 1
We will bring songs of praise to the Queen and Lady chosen from all generations, as the Intercessor and Intercessor of the Christian family. But You, as a good Representative before the Lord, beseech Your Son and our God to grant us the inheritance of eternal blessings, so that we may rejoice in You: Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Ikos 1
Archangel Gabriel, sent to you from heaven, pure virgin thing Ti: Rejoice, Gracious Lord with you! We, by the grace of God through the illumination of you, will praise you with songs of gold: Rejoice, chosen before the ages by the Council of God; Rejoice, O Lamb, who gave birth to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Rejoice, treasury of our salvation, exceeding the powers of the angels; Rejoice, most immaculate Youth and Mother of Light. Rejoice, insectless mountain, who brought forth the fountain of living water; Rejoice, flower-bearing Paradise, who brought forth the Divine Tree of Life. Rejoice, God-pleased Mother, who gave birth to joy to heaven and earth; Rejoice, overshadowed by the power of the Most High, the Divine class, the Savior of the world, the vegetated one. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 2
Seeing Your faithful children despondent in the troubles of everyday life and demanding heavenly help from You, You, Mother of God, gave hope to Christians, by the miraculous appearance on the tree of Your holy icon as a monk of Zhirovitsky, You filled their sorrowful hearts with joy and gladness, so that they all cried out to You in gratitude to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 2
Not having understood with reason the mystery of the miraculous appearance of Your icon on the tree, Most Pure Lady, the boyar Soltan hid in the ark Your most honorable image, which You had revealed. But You, Virgin Mother of God, by the special appearance on the same tree of this icon, You taught him, so that everyone will know the gift of mercy sent to people by You, and cry out in joy: Rejoice, treasury of inexhaustible joy; Rejoice, fragrant flower of indescribable sweetness. Rejoice, like the tree of life, spiritually delighting the faithful; Rejoice, you who give weightless wealth to all who honor you. Rejoice, you who do not deprive the erring of your grace and mercy: Rejoice, you who overshadow all those who flow to your icon with your protection. Rejoice, obedient to the voice of the prayer of all those who mourn; Rejoice, Mother of mercy, inexhaustible. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 3
By the power of admonition about the appearance of Your miraculous icon, the enlightened Bolyarin Soltan knew that this icon was sent down from above for the consolation of those suffering by You, and, tearfully praying for his foolishness, he erected a temple on the site of its appearance, so that all people, offering prayers to God in it, would give unceasing praise of You: Alleluia.

Ikos 3
Having the wealth of mercy unspeakable, You did not reject Your chosen ones in the midst of great sorrow. When the temple, where Your most honorable icons were, was given over to fire, You, the All-Good One, the Comforter, having preserved them undamaged from the fire, again showed them on the stones near the temple, which was burned by fire. People, behold such a miracle, hurriedly sing a song of praise to You: Rejoice, unburnt Bush, preserving Your most honorable image in the fires; Rejoice, sorrowful people, who did not deprive Thy miraculous icon. Rejoice, covering Christians with the shelter of Your wing; Rejoice, through Thy intercession protecting Thy shrines. Rejoice, who once again showed Your most honorable image on the stone; Rejoice, through Thy admonition we have established our feet on the stone of faith. Rejoice, for the indestructible wall of our refuge is Your treasure; Rejoice, for I have known You as the beneficial Protectress. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 4
Through a storm of passions and temptations, when possessed by Your faithfulness, praying before Your miraculous icon, they find peace and spiritual joy. You, O pure Virgin, are the Guide of Christians, instructing them in the right path and helping them to understand the meaning of earthly existence, so that everyone praises God with a red song of God, singing to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 4
People who have heard that the icon You have revealed with the gift of miracles is abundant, with faith and trust in Your mercy they flow to it and, enriched by the wealth of Your bounty, sing the following praise to You: Rejoice, Mother of mercy, pouring out a sea of bounties for Christians; Rejoice, you who bring joy to the whole world. Rejoice, sacred refuge of the faithful; Rejoice, Giver of eternal blessings. Rejoice, Sweetener of our sorrows; Rejoice, strong rise of all the fallen. Rejoice, O intercessor and strengthener of the weary; Rejoice, everlasting consolation in our suffering. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 5
More than the godlike star that rose from the east, you were like the Most Holy Virgin, when in radiant radiance you appeared as a wife of indescribable beauty as a child, indicating the place of the appearance of your most honorable icon, miraculously preserved by you from the fire. You did not deprive these little ones of Your goodness, teaching them about Your great mercy, so that, imitating the children of Israel who exclaimed to Christ: Hosanna, they would sing praises to God about You. Alleluia.

Ikos 5
Having seen the strange and glorious miracle revealed by Thy icon, the Most Pure One, when a certain maiden Irina, in illness, moved to worship Thy shrine, died on the way, and when the foreigners began to perform the rite of her burial before Thy icon, rose again, all people exclaimed with trepidation: Rejoice, who gave birth to the Word of life in the flesh; Rejoice, having raised up Your dead servant through Your prayers. Rejoice, O ark of our life, preserving us from the mortal flood; Rejoice, most luminous mind, who bestows upon us the sweets of eternal life and knowledge. Rejoice, through Your icon you show us the sources of great miracles; Rejoice, you who drive away the darkness of cruel circumstances from those who worship you. Rejoice, you who encourage those who pray with incomprehensible signs; Rejoice, you who visit all those who come to You with your mother’s generosity. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 6
The preachers of Your goodness have all appeared, flowing to Your celibate icon, the Lady. For You have not rejected any of them, who in warm prayer stretched out their hands to her, so that, having recognized the power of the wonderful gift You have shown in her, they will cry out a song of gratitude to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 6
The all-honorable monastery of Zhirovitsk appeared, erected under the roof of Your shrine, the Mother of God, as a shining ray of light illuminating the path of good moral living. This house of monastic exploits, and the school of divine understanding for young men, illumine the land of Lithuania with the rays of true knowledge of God, so that all may sing to You, the Mother of the Divine Mind, in songs of praise: Rejoice, Mother of God of incomprehensible light; Rejoice, thou never-setting dawn of the Sun. Rejoice, ladder leading to heaven; Rejoice, thou who makest the foolish by the Divine mind wise. Rejoice, school of piety in our Motherland; Rejoice, all-wise Leader in the knowledge of the teachings of Christ. Rejoice, thou who graciously nourishes the souls of the faithful; Rejoice, faithful one who satisfies the milk of wisdom. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 7
Desiring to give veneration to Thy icon, which shone with many miracles, I visited the Zhirovitsky monastery not only of the noble ones, but also of the kings of the earth, falling to Thy Most Pure Image, the Lady, and, expecting great and rich mercy from Thee, offering to Thy a song of praise and chanting to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 7
You have shown truly marvelous industry. Mistress, Thy faithful, when the Zhirovitsky monastery was fenced off from Orthodoxy by flattery and violence, by Thy intercession it was again given to Orthodox people. For this reason, all worshipers of the right faith flocked to Your Most Pure Image, hurrying with joy: Rejoice, our reliable refuge in sorrowful circumstances; Rejoice, a quiet refuge for those seeking salvation. Rejoice, O apostles of the faith of Christ, Planter; Rejoice, depth of the word of God, all-wise Teacher. Rejoice, lamp of the Trisolar Light, illuminating us with truth; Rejoice, pillar of fire, showing us the path of right faith. Rejoice, we are protected from harmful teachings; Rejoice, shame on harmful teachings. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 8
We recognized strange and glorious miracles in You, Mother of God, Your faithfulness, for not only did You show your grace-filled gifts to them, but also to the waters of the source, at the place of the appearance of Your icon that flowed, you gave the gift of healing ailments, and all, great and rich mercy, from You Having received it, they will sing a song of praise to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8
All who resort to Your protection do not leave You empty-handed and are not heard; For You, Mother of God, who accepted the sorrows of motherhood at the cross of Your Son, weigh the burden of our sorrows. Moreover, to You, Mother, in more experienced sorrow, as a fellow participant in the sorrow and suffering of Your Son, we thus cry out: Rejoice, hopeless hope; Rejoice, consolation for the sorrowful. Rejoice, quenching our sorrows; Rejoice, you who give joy to the whole world. Rejoice, you who quickly give a helping hand to those in trouble; Rejoice, you who show us maternal love and mercy.
Rejoice, through Your prayers we are our Intercessor before God; Rejoice, great protector in adversity. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 9
All the angelic hosts magnify you, Mother of God, as the highest of heaven and the pure lordship of the sun: for you conceived God in flesh and you gave birth to the Light of lights. In the same way, we, earthly beings, like the most honest Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, magnifying You, will sing about You to the Gods: Alleluia.

Ikos 9
All the ornateness of earthly beings is not sufficient to glorify the icon You revealed, but from it, like from an ever-flowing source, those who flow in draw an abundance of benefits. Moreover, bewildered to praise You according to your inheritance, as the primary source of these blessings, with tenderness of heart we cry out to you: Rejoice, Housebuilder of our salvation, organizing our earthly life for good; Rejoice, Guide, who leads us to the heavenly fatherland. Rejoice, guilty one, who does not deprive eternal sinners of the blessings; Rejoice, our Representative before God, who transforms the righteous wrath of God into mercy. Rejoice, thou who teachest us the vanity of this world to despise us; Rejoice, thou who by the insight of our mind attracts us to a more divine love. Rejoice, quick deliverance from all troubles; Rejoice, reliable salvation for the desperate. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 10
For those who want to be saved, and for those who come running under Your roof, be, O Most Holy Virgin, your inexhaustible Helper. Save us from troubles and misfortunes, especially despair and the fall of the sinful, and, reveling in the virtues of Christ, with joy about Your previous intercession we cry out in gratitude: Alleluia.

Ikos 10
You were the strong wall of the Orthodox Church, O Most Holy Virgin, in the days of her grave trials; In the same way we pray to Thee: intercede, protect and protect us in our evil days from the evil enemies who rise up against us, so that we all cry out joyfully for You: Rejoice, protector and champion of Orthodoxy for the Church of Christ; Rejoice, for through Your intercession the Church shines brightly. Rejoice, for the apostates of the faith of our forefathers are being admonished by You: Rejoice, for by You the machinations of the enemies of Orthodoxy are put to shame. Rejoice, for through Your admonition the true faith is being implanted in our country; Rejoice, for the anger of the enemy burning upon you is being quelled. Rejoice, solid strengthening of Orthodoxy; Rejoice, shame on those who are heretical. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and sad intercession.

Kontakion 11
It is not enough to praise any kind of singing according to the wealth of Your generosity, O Most Pure One, which You have revealed to people. There is no reason capable of cognizing the depth of Your mercy, not a word in which to praise You worthily. Moreover, O good being, accept our wretched praises, and we, glorifying Your greatness, will sing a song to God about You: Alleluia.

Ikos 11
With the luminous ray of grace-filled help inherent in Your most pure image, illuminate, Lady, the path of our sorrowful life, so that all from troubles, sorrows and fierce misfortunes, delivered by You, we may have the right to stand in the law of the Lord, thanking You and singing to the Lord: Rejoice, miracles, through Your icon appearing as an omophorion covering us; Rejoice, you who give countless bounties to everyone. Rejoice, you who calm our passions and carnal thoughts; Rejoice, you who heal all our physical and mental illnesses. Rejoice, through Your intercession you deliver from all troubles; Rejoice, you who quickly comfort us in sorrows and sorrows. Rejoice, intercession of widows and care for the orphans; Rejoice, correction of the young and consolation of the old. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 12
Ask for grace from heaven from God for us, Lady, flowing to Your most pure image, and You, Mother of Light, magnifying in songs, so that, overshadowed by Your protection, we will live in all piety and purity and be worthy to appear before the Throne of the King of Glory without condemnation, singing praises about You song: Alleluia.

Ikos 12
Singing Your greatness, Most Holy Virgin, we all praise You, and, as the steadfast Representative of our salvation, we earnestly pray: be your Helper for the good of all of us and hear us touchingly calling upon You: Rejoice, O wise Pointer of the right path to Christ; Rejoice, protector of purity and chastity. Rejoice, Nourisher of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; Rejoice, vigilant Intercessor of those who seek Your intercession. Rejoice, help to those who are weary; Rejoice, protection for the whole world. Rejoice, our Guide, who protects us on all the paths of life; Rejoice, even after death in the air ordeals, protecting us from the spirits of evil. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

Kontakion 13
Oh, Most Holy Lady, Virgin Mother of God, hymned by the angelic ranks in heaven, accept from us, Thy unworthy servants, this prayer, offered in praise of Thee, and delivering us from the falls of sin, make us heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, so that we may sing to God with You forever. : Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)

Icon of the Mother of God "Zhirovichi" included in the 100 most significant Orthodox icons in the world. This icon is the smallest of the venerated icons of the Mother of God. Its size is 5.6 / 4.4 cm. The icon is an oval piece of jasper with a relief image of the Virgin Mary with the Child in her arms.

Initially, the icon emitted beautiful light and a subtle aroma and only later did it fade and darken (until 1638 it was kept open, without glass), and from the frequent touching and kissing of pilgrims its surface was somewhat smoothed out. Clearly visible cracks in the image are reminiscent of the fire she was in. From the very moment the icon appeared near it, miraculous healings began to occur, evidence of which is recorded in the chronicle of the Zhirovichi monastery.
According to researchers, There are virtually no analogues to the Zhirovichi icon. There are only three similar icons dating back to the 14th - early 16th centuries. The shrine is revered as not made by hands, for it was revealed miraculously. During the time of the Union, the Zhirovichi icon was revered by both Uniates and Catholics.

The main source of information about the appearance of the miraculous icon, the foundation of the temple and monastery is written in 1622 by the Zhiromonk Theodosius (Borovik) “History, or the story of noble people, worthy of faith, about the miraculous image of the Most Holy Virgin Mary of Zhirovitsky in the Slonim povet...”. This small piece occupies five pages in the handwritten polemical collection “On Images and Relics” (edition of “Descriptions against the Luthers”). Book owned before early XIX V. monastery library, was taken to Russia by Bishop Pavel (Dobrokhotov), a former professor at the seminary in Zhirovichi. Today it is kept in the Library of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. There is also the manuscript “Image of the Miracle-Working Mother of God in Zhirovitsy,” the author of which is Zhirovych Archimandrite Josaphat (Dubenetsky). The manuscript was written between 1652 and 1654. in Zhirovichi and was based on the legend recorded by Father Theodosius. It is divided into seven chapters, each of which is devoted to a description of certain circumstances of the history of the appearance of the icon and the founding of the monastery. Josaphat Dubenetsky supplemented the “sanctuary” of the icon with a story about miracles that occurred after 1622, with eyewitness accounts. In 1653, the Vilna Basilians published a book about the miracles of the Most Holy Theotokos in Zhirovichi, based on Dubenetsky’s manuscript. Both manuscripts, stored in the Library of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, are little known and have never been published in their entirety.

According to legend, the icon was miraculously revealed at the end of the 15th century in a forest near the town of Zhyrovitsy in the Grodno region. The question of the exact date of acquisition of the image remains unresolved. The date “1470”, established in the literature in the last century, according to recent research, seems quite doubtful. The icon was found in a dense forest on a forest pear tree, which stood under a mountain above a stream, by local shepherds, who took it to their master Alexander Soltan. But he did not pay much attention to the icon and hid it in a casket. The next day, the icon mysteriously disappeared from the casket. Soon the shepherds found her again on the same tree. Soltan realized that his house was not the place to store this icon, and made a vow to build a church on this place. After the construction of a wooden church, a village arose here and a parish was formed.

Around 1520 there was a strong fire that destroyed both the wooden temple and almost all the buildings. Only the church school survived. The miraculous icon also disappeared in the fire. The searches undertaken in the ashes were in vain. After some time, the students of the church school, frolicking after school, climbed the mountain, at the foot of which the church had recently stood, and They saw the Mother of God sitting on a huge stone in the heavenly radiance. In her hands was that same icon. The children did not dare to approach her, but hastened to tell their parents about what they had seen, who, together with the local priest, went to that place. Already from a distance they saw a burning candle on the stone, and when they came closer, they found an icon of the Mother of God on it, not damaged at all by the fire.

A wooden church was built on the site of the second discovery of the Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God, consecrated in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God. The stone church that replaced it was built in 1672. Today it is called Yavlenskaya and is the oldest surviving building of the monastery. The stone on which the icon was found was consecrated as the Holy See of the church.

The icon found shelter for some time in the priest's house, then was placed in a rebuilt wooden church. After completion of construction stone cathedral, consecrated in honor Dormition of the Virgin Mary, The miraculous icon was transferred to where it is kept to this day in a special icon case to the left of the royal doors as the greatest shrine. IN winter time transferred to St. Nicholas Church.

“I also pray to Thee, O Most Merciful One, to cover our country with the shelter of Thy goodness and deliver us from natural disasters, invasions of foreigners and civil unrest, so that everyone living in it may live a quiet and serene life in love and peace and enjoy eternal blessings through eternal prayers.” Having inherited yours, they will be able to praise God together with you in heaven forever. Amen"- these are the words from the prayer before the Zhirovichi Icon of the Mother of God, which is located in the most revered monastery in Belarus.

(Materials from the site http://www.piligrim.by/ were used)

ZHIROVICHI – THE ORTHODOX PEARL OF WHITE Rus'

Shrines of White Rus'

Any Orthodox country has its main symbols and shrines, which determine the very essence of its Orthodox life.

Such a place for Belarus is, of course, Zhirovichi - a small village in the Grodno region, a little over 10 kilometers from the regional center of Slonim. The Grodno region, by the way, is also traditionally a region with a strong Catholic influence. There are 1,509 Orthodox religious communities and 470 Catholic ones registered in Belarus, while in the Grodno region there are 186 Orthodox communities and 170 Catholic ones. We see a similar picture if we compare the number of Orthodox and Catholic clergy and churches: in Belarus there are 1564 Orthodox priests and 414 Catholic priests, in the Grodno region - 209 priests and 188 priests; in Belarus there are 1315 Orthodox churches and 462 Catholic churches, while in the Grodno region there are 227 churches and 226 churches. For comparison: there are 15 churches and 6 churches in Minsk. Thus, it is absolutely obvious that the Grodno region is religiously exceptional, and that it is an important spiritual center of Belarusian Orthodoxy.

The main shrine of Orthodoxy in Zhirovichi is the Assumption Monastery, in which the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God, highly revered by believers not only in Belarus, is reverently kept.

The Zhirovichi Assumption Monastery traces its history back to the 15th century. Tradition tells how once on a wild pear tree growing in the forest owned by Alexander Soltan - he held a very important post at that time - he was the treasurer (that is, treasurer) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia - shepherds found a small icon of the Mother of God. The shepherds took the icon to their master, and he hid it in a casket. A day later, Alexander Soltan decided to look at the icon, but it was not in the casket. The image was soon found in its original place - on a wild pear tree. Amazed by this, Soltan decided to build a church there. And soon people began to settle around the church in the initially dense and impenetrable forests - this is how a village arose.

The Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God is the smallest of the revered Mother of God icons: it is an oval measuring 5.6 x 4.4 cm made of jasper with a relief image of the Mother of God holding the Child in her arms. The image belongs to the “Tenderness” iconographic type. Over the past five centuries, many copies have been made from it.

It so happened that around 1520 the church (it was wooden) burned down in a fire. At first they could not find the icon and decided that it had died in the fire. However, the image survived. As the legend tells, students of a church school playing on the street saw the Virgin Mary sitting on a large boulder and holding an icon in her hands on the site of the burnt church. The children ran away to tell the adults about what they had seen. The adults went to the boulder and from a distance noticed a candle lit on it and an icon that had miraculously survived. This boulder began to be revered as a holy place, it was fenced off, and then the wooden Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God was built on that spot. A little later, around 1549, construction of the monastery began. Moreover, the Zhirovichi monastery became a kind of cultural center: here, as in other monasteries, church books were copied, there was its own rich library, and there was a school where children were taught to read and write. The monastery at that time was the property of the Soltanov family. It is also known that in 1587 Yaroslav Ivanovich, who was Alexander Soltan’s great-grandson, ceded part of the Zhirovichi estate to his brother Ivan, along with half of the monastery and the peasants assigned to it.

In 1596, a union was concluded in Brest; most Orthodox hierarchs (with the exception of two bishops), led by Metropolitan Michael of Kyiv, submitted to the pope, essentially becoming apostates. Russian population perceived the union with hostility, considering it a betrayal of its faith. Fermentation among the Cossacks began, which grew into an open uprising of Nalivaiko, whose “corrals” penetrated deep into Belarus. The leader of the Orthodox of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Russian voivode Konstantin Ostrozhsky did not dare to lead the Orthodox uprising and even restrained the active actions of the Orthodox, condemning Nalivaiko and his lads; True, he tried to convince King Sigismund III of the error of his course. Nalivaiko's uprising was defeated. And after the death of K. Ostrogsky in 1608, the Orthodox were left without a leader. Sigismund III and his Jesuit-Catholic entourage launched an open attack on Orthodoxy, which immediately affected the position of the Zhirovichi monastery.

At the request of the Vilna Tribunal, the monastery accepted the union in 1609. The first abbot of the monastery was the notorious Josaphat Kuntsevich - the same one who was killed in 1623 by the rebels of Vitebsk for extreme oppression of the Orthodox. Thus, the history of the Zhirovichi monastery turned out to be connected with the name of one of the most important detractors of Orthodoxy in White Rus'.

In 1613, the monastery and its churches became the spiritual and political center of the Uniate Basilian order. Uniate cathedrals and congregations were held here.

What about the famous image of the Mother of God? It was still the main shrine of the monastery, to which numerous pilgrims came. In order to protect the image, to which everyone who prayed in front of it touched, from abrasion and protect it from exposure to light, it was covered with glass in 1638.

In 1644, King Vladislav IV visited the Zhirovichi monastery. The icon made such a strong impression on him that he granted Zhirovichi the status of a city. And in 1652, the Zhirovichi, although they were not significant in number of inhabitants locality, Magdeburg law was given.

In 1655, the 20,000-strong army of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky, who fought against Polish-Lithuanian expansion, occupied the monastery. The wooden buildings were burned, and the Basilian monks, whom the Cossacks considered apostates, were dispersed and many were killed. And there were reasons for this: the Basilians were in special favor with the kings of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, who repeatedly visited Zhirovichi and the monastery itself, which - and this is understandable - could not meet with sympathy and in no way be approved by the Orthodox Cossacks who fought for the liberation of Little and White Rus' from Polish rule.

But the Cossacks left - and the Uniate monks returned to the monastery. The monastery was restored, and Polish kings came here more than once. And over time, it became a Polish “educational” center: prayer books and other liturgical literature in Polish began to be printed in the monastery printing house.

In 1672, on the site of the wooden Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, a stone temple was erected, which in memory of the miraculous appearance of the Zhirovitsky icon is now called Yavlensky. Image of the Mother of God of Zhirovitskaya for a long time was in this temple, and then was moved to the newly built Assumption Cathedral.

The reunification of Zhirovichi with Russia took place only in 1795 - after the second partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. But for a number of reasons, the Zhirovichi monastery remained in the hands of the Uniates for several decades. In 1810, the Assumption Cathedral even became the cathedral of the Brest Uniate Diocese, and in 1828 the diocesan administration moved from Novogrudok to the monastery.

On July 14, 1839, an event finally took place that, after reunification with Russia, Orthodox clergy and parishioners had been waiting for so long: Metropolitan Joseph (Semashko) signed an act on the liquidation of the union and the transfer of churches and parishes of the metropolis to the Russian Orthodox Church. The centuries-old division of believers imposed by Polish-Lithuanian rule was eliminated. The decision of Metropolitan Joseph and the clergy who supported him was truly a historical event.

Returned to the fold of Orthodoxy, the Zhirovichi monastery became the center of the Lithuanian diocese. By that time, the monastery had four churches: in addition to the main Assumption Church, there were the stone Holy Cross and Yavlenskaya churches, as well as the wooden St. George Church. There was also a three-story cell building (it also housed a theological seminary), a chapel, a refectory, and many other buildings, including utility buildings. The garden and fish ponds of the monastery were famous throughout the area.

Until the middle of the 19th century, the Zhirovichi Gospel, an ancient illustrated Slavic manuscript with a volume of more than 400 pages, was also kept in the monastery. It is noteworthy that on two pages at the end of the Gospel - 376th and 377th - there is a dedicatory record of the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia Lev Sapieha - therefore the manuscript is also called the “Gospel of Sapieha”.

By the decision of the Synod in 1845, the department, theological seminary, and with them the archive were moved from Zhirovichi to Vilna. The “Zhirovichi Gospel” also ended up there, which is still in Vilnius, in the Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

In the Zhirovichi monastery, a theological school was opened, which raised many priests, whose place of service became the Belarusian land. This school operated successfully until 1915, but the First World War, and due to the threat of the German occupation, both the school itself and the most valuable church property (including the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God) were taken to Russia - away from the front. Subsequently, only the icon returned to the monastery.

In 1921, as a result of the Riga Peace Treaty concluded between Soviet Russia and Poland, Zhirovichi, like the entire Grodno region, went to Poland. The Zhirovichi monastery experienced many shocks, like almost all cities, villages and shrines and temples of Western Belarus. But the Polish and then the German occupations passed. And after the war, Archbishop Vasily (Ratmirov), who endlessly visited the doors of various Soviet and party institutions, nevertheless received permission to open pastoral and theological courses in the Zhirovichi monastery (it continued to operate, although there were very few monks), on the basis of which in 1947 started its educational activities Zhirovichi Theological Seminary.

New trials befell the monastery under N.S. Khrushchev, who, as is known, threatened that under him the USSR would live until the time when the CPSU “shows to the Soviet people the last priest." Were closed nunneries in Grodno and Polotsk, and the nuns had no choice but to move to Zhirovichi. At first it seemed that their stay here would be short-lived, but the nuns lived in Zhirovichi until the very beginning of Perestroika, when the attitude towards Orthodoxy and religion in general in the USSR changed dramatically. And in 1963, Zhirovichi faced a new blow: the theological seminary was closed.

Only with the beginning of Perestroika, after the events dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', the Church, which turned to the leadership of the Belarusian SSR with a request to revive closed monasteries and seminaries, received permission to do this. In 1989, the Zhirovichi Theological Seminary was reopened. Then the monastery itself began to come to life. In 2002, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II visited Zhirovichi. He specially came to the monastery to celebrate the Icon of the Mother of God of Zhirovitskaya.

Now the monastery, academy and seminary have been revived and restored. St. Nicholas Church is adjacent to the Assumption Cathedral (the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God is moved here in winter). There are also other churches of the monastery. And it is joyful and gratifying that the Zhirovichi monastery and its churches and buildings escaped even partial irreversible destruction.

It is worth noting that the most famous holy springs in White Rus' are located in Zhirovichi. One of them is under the altar of the Assumption Cathedral (according to legend, it was in this place that a stream flowed, flowing from under the roots of a wild pear tree, on which the icon of the Virgin Mary was discovered). And there is also a spring in the Viknya tract (2 kilometers from the monastery), springs consecrated in the name of John the Baptist, the Vladimir (with font) and Kazan icons of the Mother of God, as well as a spring with Epiphany water.

It is interesting that during the Soviet period they tried to fill the spring under the Assumption Cathedral with soil, but the water still found a way out, and the spring filled up again. And the latter seems very symbolic to me, because Zhirovichi, like the holy source of the Assumption Cathedral, carried the light of Orthodoxy through the centuries, reviving after the difficult times of Uniate rule and Soviet atheism.

Holy Dormition Zhirovichi Stavropegic Monastery

The Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most extraordinary icons in the history of its discovery in Orthodox Christianity. The beginning of the appearance of the icon is associated with a story that occurred in Principality of Lithuania in the town of Zhirovitsy in 1470. The peasants found an icon of the Mother of God hanging on a pear tree in the forest and gave it to the owner of this forest, Prince Alexander Soltan. He hid the icon in a casket, but the next day miraculously reappeared in the forest. The prince saw this as a sign and ordered a temple to be built at the site of the appearance of the image. The temple existed for several years, but burned down during a fire. All residents no longer hoped that the Orthodox icon of the Zhirovitsk Mother of God was intact. And then a miracle happened. The children saw an unharmed icon standing on a stone with a candle burning next to it. In honor of the found icon, a new temple was built. The icon is made on jasper. It depicts the image of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms. Along the circumference of their halos is a wreath of wonderful flowers. The day of veneration of this extraordinary icon is considered.

The meaning of the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God

In the middle of the 16th century, a monastery was created at the temple in Zhirovitsy. The confrontation between the brotherhood of monks and Uniates ended with the fact that in 1613 the monastery was captured by Uniate monks, who owned it until 1839. Revered by Polish kings, the Zhirovitsky Icon of the Mother of God was solemnly crowned in 1730. In 1839 the monastery was returned to the Orthodox. During the First World War, the icon had to visit Moscow, and already in 1920 it was returned to the monastery. Currently, the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God is located in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Minsk Diocese.

The gracious help of the Orthodox icon of the Zhirovitsk Mother of God

Since ancient times, there has been a lot of evidence about the miracles performed by the Zhirovitskaya Mother of God icon. At the site of the appearance of the icon, there are sources that have... People who were in difficult life situations, as well as those overcome by serious illnesses, received help in mental and physical healing. They pray to the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God during persecution of Orthodoxy, against fires, during doubts and against any infirmity.

Where to buy the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God

The Mother of God, glorified by the Church, stands at the head of all saints, and therefore her image is the most revered among believers. It is not surprising that people want to buy the icon of the Zhirovitsk Mother of God - a protector from many troubles. The presence of icons in our home, regardless of what artistic style they are fulfilled and bring light and purity into our lives. A wonderful realization of the beauty of the icon of the Zhirovitsk Mother of God, in Lately, steel works embroidered with beads. With the help of the most daring colors, this type mastery fully reveals the beauty and purity of the image of the Virgin Mary. Bead embroidery can be bought either in a church shop or made to order.

Akfist text in front of the icon of the Mother of God of Zhirovitskaya

Having the wealth of mercy unspeakable, You did not reject Your chosen ones in the midst of great sorrow. When the temple, where Your most honorable icons were, was given over to fire, You, the All-Good One, the Comforter, having preserved them undamaged from the fire, again showed them on the stones near the temple, which was burned by fire. People, behold such a miracle, hurriedly sing a song of praise to You: Rejoice, unburnt Bush, preserving Your most honorable image in the fires; Rejoice, sorrowful people, who did not deprive Thy miraculous icon. Rejoice, covering Christians with the shelter of Your wing; Rejoice, through Thy intercession protecting Thy shrines. Rejoice, who once again showed Your most honorable image on the stone; Rejoice, through Thy admonition we have established our feet on the stone of faith. Rejoice, for the indestructible wall of our refuge is Your treasure; Rejoice, for I have known You as the beneficial Protectress. Rejoice, Most Merciful Lady, our intercession and all-joyful intercession.

The face of the Zhirovitsky Mother of God has healing properties, helps to direct a person to the true and correct path, therefore they pray next to her and turn to her with a variety of requests for help.

What does the icon look like?

The Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God depicts the Virgin Mary with the Child, whom she holds in her arms. The boy hugs the Virgin Mary tightly by the neck and presses his cheek to her face. This image is made on jasper.

The head of the Virgin Mary is tilted to the right and is completely uncovered. The boy is wearing only a short shirt, so his legs are not covered. The halos are made not in a round, but in an elliptical shape.

This holy image is the only one in Belarus that was made in flat relief on stones.

Today this miraculous icon is located in the church built in honor of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary at the Zhirovitsky Monastery, which belongs to the Minsk diocese.

History of the shrine

The story of how this beautiful Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God came into being is considered one of the most miraculous in the entire history of the Christian faith. At the end of the 15th century, it was discovered in the forest by simple shepherds. The icon inexplicably ended up on the branches of a pear tree. This happened near the small town of Zhirovitsy, on the territory of Belarus. As a symbol of the place where the icon was discovered, beautiful flowers are painted around the halos of the Virgin Mary and the Savior.

The icon was named Zhirovitskaya in honor of the settlement near which it was found. After discovery, the shepherds handed over the icon of the Mother of God to the owner of those territories, Alexander Soltan, a nobleman of Lithuanian origin. Initially, this man did not attach any importance to it; he did not even imagine that the find could be valuable. For this reason, he simply put it in his chest and locked it there.

Zhirovitsky Monastery in Belarus

The very next day, an amazing thing happened: the icon was again found in that same place; the nobleman no longer found it in the casket. This event was interpreted in this way: the Mother of God herself wants a temple to be built in the place where the icon has already been found twice. A small wooden church appeared there in her honor.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the church was completely burned, but the icon again became the object of a miracle. No one even thought that it could survive after such a fire. After some time she was found. It was located on one of the stones on the mountain, under which the same church had previously been. A church candle was burning in front of the face depicted on the icon. After some time, another temple and a monastery were erected on this site.

Over the following years, the holy image of the Mother of God and Savior managed to see many more places and cities, but returned to the church at the Zhirovitsky monastery.

Prayers before the image

People turn to the Zhirovitskaya icon with the image of the Mother of God in prayer with a variety of requests. They pray and offer:

requests for healing;
prayers for strengthening faith;
about help in finding the right path;
about getting rid of doubts.

There are many cases in which prayer in front of this icon helped people and again taught them to believe in miracles and enjoy every moment of life.

The fragments of stones taken from the monastery saved the life of a woman and her newborn baby.
Thanks to the fact that relatives prayed for the woman’s health in front of the shrine, she fully recovered from consumption.
One day a boy was healed while singing a funeral chant. All thanks to the fact that the mother fervently read the prayer before the face of the Mother of God.
The icon helped the man get rid of a serious illness, due to which he could not move and lost almost all his physical strength.
One elderly woman was completely cured of rheumatism due to the fact that her joints were anointed with oil that burned in a lamp standing in front of the holy face.
A poor woman's son was diagnosed with a brain cyst. She prayed in front of the shrine and even brought the boy to that same temple several times. After the first visit, his health improved noticeably, and after 5 visits, doctors examined him and found no malignancy.

Prayer text

The prayer to the Zhirovitsk Icon of the Mother of God sounds as follows:

“O Most Merciful Lady, Virgin Mother of God! With my lips I will touch Your shrine, or with these words I will confess Your generosity, which is revealed to people: no one, who flows to You, goes away and is not heard. From my youth I have sought Your help and intercession, and I would never again be deprived of Your mercy. See, O Lady, the sorrows of my heart and the ulcers of my soul. And now, kneeling before Your most pure image, I offer my prayers to You. Do not deprive me of Your all-powerful intercession on the day of my sorrow, and on the day of my sorrow intercede for me. Do not turn away my tears, O Lady, and fill my heart with joy. Be my refuge and intercession, O Merciful One, and enlighten my mind with the dawning of Your light. And I pray to You not only for myself, but also for the people who flow to Your intercession. Preserve the Church of Your Son in goodness, and protect it from the evil slander of the enemies who rise against it. Send Thy help to our archpastors in the apostleship, and keep them healthy, long-living, right ruling word truths of the Lord. As a shepherd, ask God Your Son for zeal and vigilance for the souls of the verbal stead entrusted to them, and to send down upon them the spirit of reason and piety, purity and divine truth. Ask the same way, Lady, from the Lord for wisdom and strength from the rulers and city rulers, from the judges for truth and impartiality, and from all who flow to You the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. I also pray to Thee, O Most Merciful One, to cover our country with the shelter of Thy goodness, and deliver it from natural disasters, invasions of foreigners and civil unrest, so that all who live in it may live a quiet and serene life in love and peace, and enjoy eternal blessings through eternal prayers Having inherited yours, they will be able to praise God together with you in Heaven forever. Amen".

Before the prayer is read, you can place a candle in front of the holy image. The significance of this icon for the Christian faith is quite great. The prayer in front of this image will definitely be heard by the Virgin Mary, the main thing is to read it sincerely, with all your heart and open your soul to her.