According to the iconographic type, of which there are three: "Eleusa" ("Tenderness"), "Hodegetria" ("Guide") and "Oranta" ("Praying"), the Gracious icon belongs to the type "Eleusa", a characteristic feature of which is the contact of faces Virgin and Savior, symbolizing love without barriers - boundless love.
The Merciful Icon is a mysterious image. The face of the Mother of God with the baby Jesus is covered with a veil (shroud), which depicts the outline of the image. Even the patriarchs do not dare to open the image, because everyone who encroaches awaits the inevitable punishment of God. Only once, in 1699, Gerasim, the Patriarch of Alexandria, dared to open the veil, for which he was immediately punished with blindness. But the Gracious gave him healing, after Gerasim, having repented, begged her for forgiveness.
And yet the face of the icon is sometimes revealed. To help with the harvest, or to send down rain, the icon of the Merciful is taken to the mountain for a prayer service and the veil is removed from it, but even then the monks do not dare to look at the image.
A Brief History of the Merciful Icon
Evangelist Luke sent her, among others, to Egypt to strengthen the faith of local Christians. Until 980, the miraculous image stayed there. In connection with iconoclastic persecution, the Merciful icon was transported to Constantinople (Constantinople, now Istanbul) - the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The icon got there not without incident. The ship on which the "Merciful" was transported was captured by Saracen pirates, but by the Will of God the Greeks recaptured her, and the Saracens were captured.
In Tsargrad, the shrine was placed in the royal palace. But the story of the Merciful Icon does not end there.
Once the Cypriot governor Manuel got lost in the mountains. Elder Isaiah met him. The governor rudely and disrespectfully demanded from the elder to show the way. The elder ignored his request, and Manuel ordered his servants to beat him. The next day, the governor fell ill from an unknown illness. Remembering his act and connecting it with his illness, he sent for Isaiah to apologize to him.
And Isaiah, meanwhile, had a vision that night that everything that happened to him was God's sign, so that through Manuel he could ask the emperor to transfer the icon to Cyprus, to a temple built specially for it.
Isaiah cured the governor, and he promised his assistance. The elder and Manuel went to the capital. Meanwhile, the emperor's daughter falls ill with the same disease as the viceroy. As well as possible, Isaiah, who arrived at the palace, heals her, and together with Manuel they state their request to the emperor. After the miraculous healing of his daughter and everything he heard from Manuel, the emperor agrees to transfer the icon of the Merciful to Cyprus. But he is sorry to leave miraculously and he decides to cheat. Isaiah is given two images to choose from - the original and his exact list, made by the most skillful icon painter. And then a bee sits on the salary of the true icon, indicating to Isaiah that it is necessary to choose it (now this bee is a symbol of the Kikk monastery, it is depicted on some lists from the Merciful icon).
So the Kikk monastery found its shrine.
The monastery burned down four times, but the Merciful Icon was always saved.
Many miracles (recorded in the everyday life of the Kikk monastery) were shown by this icon. These are rains in dry summers, and miraculous healings, including the giving of children to the barren, and the cessation of epidemics. Once during the invasion of locusts, after turning to the icon of the Merciful, out of nowhere, a flock of birds flew in and completely destroyed the pests.
A hand made of iron is attached to the salary of the icon. This is the memory of how a certain Moor dared to hit the "Merciful" and immediately his hand was paralyzed.
In Russia, lists of the Merciful icon began to appear from the end of the 16th century.
Where can you see this wonderful image?
The best two lists of ancient relics belong to the brush of the royal iconographer from the Armory Simon Ushakov (1626-1686).
The first one is the Merciful icon ("Eleusa Kikkotissa") (1668) was painted for the Moscow church in the name of St. Gregory of Neocaesarea (Bolshaya Polyanka, 29a). The original icon in 1935 was moved to the Tretyakov Gallery (Lavrushinsky lane, 10, hall 62), to the exposition of the department of ancient Russian art.
The image is signed: "The summer of the Lord 7176 was written by Pimen Fedorov calling Simon Ushakov." The baby Jesus on the icon holds in his hand a scroll with the inscription: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, for the sake of anointing me".
And the second - the icon "Our Lady of Eleusa of Kikk" (1675) from the cathedral church of the Assumption of the Florishcheva Hermitage (now located in the State Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve).
There is reason to believe that at the time of the painting of the icon in the Florishcheva Hermitage, the hegumen was the future Metropolitan Hilarion of Suzdal and Yuryev, who was related to Simon Ushakov.
On the icon of the Merciful, the monograms of Christ and the Mother of God are enclosed in circles on top, and in the rectangle is written in Greek "Eleusa Kykkotissa". At the bottom, Simon’s handwriting is inscribed: “7183 Pimen Fedorov’s son, nicknamed Simon Ushakov, wrote with a student to the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Red Mountains in the Gorokhovets district, to commemorate the unbaptized infant Mikhail.”
In 1999, her ancient shrine, the icon of the Merciful, from the Church of the Prophet Elijah in Obydensky Lane, where she had been kept since 1927, was returned to the Zachatievsky Convent in Moscow (2nd Zachatievsky Lane, 2). This list dates from the 18th century.
Infertile couples come to this icon to pray for the gift of a child. The very name of the monastery - "Zachatievsky" instills hope in people.
The salary of the icon frames the face of the Virgin so that the left ear is visible, in connection with which the name of the image “Listener” has become stronger among the people, as if the Merciful one carefully listens to the prayers offered to her and fulfills them by faith.
There is also an icon of the Merciful in the Church of All Saints in Kulishki (Moscow, Slavyanskaya Square, 2). characteristic feature This image is the image of a bee on the salary.
In the Rybinsk State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve (Rybinsk, Volzhskaya Embankment, 2) there is an icon "Our Lady of Kykk", made by the icon painter Leonty Yakovlevich Tyumenev (late 17th - early 18th centuries) from the Church of the Renewal of the Church of the Resurrection Hristov (1787) (the village of Borzovo, Rybinsk region).
Prayer before the icon of the Merciful
O Most Holy and Blessed Mother of the Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, Merciful Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary!
Falling down to Your holy and miraculous icon, we humbly pray to You, our Good and Merciful Intercessor: heed the voice of our sinful prayers, do not despise the sighs from the soul, see the sorrows and misfortunes that surround us, and like a truly loving Mother, rush to help us helpless, despondent, into many and grave sins that have fallen and ever angered our Lord and Creator, pray to Him, our Representative, may he not destroy us with our iniquities, but show us His humane mercy.
Ask us, Mistress, from His goodness, bodily health and spiritual salvation, a pious and peaceful life, fruitfulness of the earth, good air, timely rains and a blessing from above on all our good deeds and undertakings, and as if of old, you have graciously looked at the humble doxology of the novice of Athos who sang to Thee a song of praise before Your most pure icon, and sent the Archangel Gabriel to him to teach him to sing a song from heaven, with which the angels of the mountain praise Thee, accept graciously and our prayers now diligently offered to You, and bring it to Your Son and God, but be merciful He will be a sinner to us, and He will grant His mercy to all who honor You and worship Your holy image with faith.
O All-Merciful Queen, Mother of God, All-good, stretch out Your God-bearing hands to Him, in His image, as if You carried a baby, and beg Him to save us all and deliver us from eternal perdition.
Reveal to us, Mistress, Your bounty: heal the sick, comfort the grieving, help the needy, make it easy for all of us to wear the yoke of Christ in patience and humility, make us piously end this earthly life, receive a Christian shameless death, and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, by Your motherly intercession to to Christ our God, who was born of Thee, Himself with His Beginningless Father and the Most Holy Spirit, befits all glory, honor and worship, now and forever, and forever and ever.
Amen.
An ancient legend claims that the icon Mother of God"Merciful" was drawn by the evangelist Luke. It got its second name - "Kikkotis" - thanks to Mount Kykkos, which is located on the island of Cyprus. Here she is kept in the temple, in the imperial monastery built in her honor.
Where did this wonderful image of the Heavenly Queen travel before it ended up on the island of Cyprus? At first it was owned by one of the first Christian Egyptian communities. After it was transported to Constantinople, where it was kept until the reign of Alexius Komnenos (beginning of the 12th century). It was then that the hermit Isaiah was told in a miraculous sign that through his efforts the miraculous image, which the Evangelist Luke wrote, would be kept on the island of Cyprus.
The elder spent a lot of energy before he fulfilled the Divine revelation. When the icon of the Mother of God "Merciful" arrived on the island, she began to work miracles. And until now, from all over the world, obsessed with all kinds of diseases come to the monastery of an unusual image: they receive healing according to their faith.
It is interesting that not only Christians believe in the miraculous power of this icon, but also foreigners who, in troubles and illnesses, also ask her for help. The mercy of the Blessed Virgin, the patroness of all those who suffer, is endless: it is not for nothing that her image bears the name “Merciful”. The miraculous "Kykk" icon of the Queen of Heaven has a stunning quality: it is, no one knows from what time, covered with a veil to the middle - from the lower right corner to the upper left. Because of this veil, no one can see the faces of the Virgin Mary and the baby Christ, and they don’t even try.
The image of the Blessed Virgin on the icon is similar to the image of Hodegetria, as well as the face of the Smolensk image of the Queen of Heaven: her head is crowned with a crown. It should be noted that today the list from this image is especially honored in Nikolsky convent city of Mukachevo.
Kykkos Monastery
And let's explore the Kikk Monastery? It's stauropegial monastery Orthodox Cypriot Church, one of the richest and most famous monasteries in Cyprus. It is called the Holy Royal Monastery of the Kikk Icon of the Mother of God.
This monastery was founded at the end of the eleventh century by the Byzantine ruler Alexios I Komnenos. It is located close to mountain system Troodos at an altitude of 1140 meters above sea level.
History of the monastery
Legend has it that an ancient hermit named Isaiah lived in a cave in Mount Kykkos. One day, the Byzantine satrap of Cyprus, Manuel Vutomitis, arrived in the village of Marathas. It should be noted that this person came to rest in this place every summer. And so the governor went hunting in the forest and suddenly lost his way. For a long time he was looking for the road leading to the house, and by chance he met Isaiah. The satrap asked him to help find his way, but the hermit, who had retired from worldly life, remained silent. Manuel got very angry and hit Isaiah.
A little time passed, and the governor returned to Nicosia, where he suddenly fell down with an incurable disease "shatika": it was considered a kind of paralysis. He suffered terribly, every cell of his body suffered from pain, and suddenly he remembered what he had done with the hermit. And at the same hour, the unfortunate man began to pray to the Lord for recovery, because only then could he meet Isaiah and ask his forgiveness.
God heard the prayers of the satrap, and he was healed. Soon the Lord appeared to the hermit and told him that he had met the governor by God's will. Among other things, the Almighty ordered Isaiah to ask Manuil Vutomitis to bring him which he painted in Cyprus. It is known that this relic was kept in the Imperial Palace of Constantinople.
Hearing the request of the hermit, Manuil Vutomitis was very upset, because he considered it impossible to fulfill this request. Then Isaiah told him about the will of the Almighty and invited Manuel to go together to Constantinople. They arrived in the capital and long time they walked along it, but the governor could not gather his courage and stand before the emperor. Not wanting to exhaust Isaiah, he ordered him to go to Cyprus, providing him with various ceremonial decorations and icons. He also reassured him, promising that he would definitely meet with the emperor.
A little later, the daughter of the ruler fell ill with the same ailment that Manuil Vutomitis had earlier. The governor, taking advantage of this opportunity, immediately went to the ruler Alexei I Komnenos. He told him about the monk Isaiah and what had happened to him. Manuel assured the ruler that if he allowed the icon to be transported to Cyprus, the child would instantly recover. The emperor was very sad, so he obeyed Manuel, and soon his daughter
It should be noted that the emperor really liked the icon of the Mother of God "Merciful", and he did not want to part with it. Alexei ordered the best artists of the empire to draw her exact copy, which he planned to send to Cyprus. At night, the Queen of Heaven appeared to the ruler in a dream: she said that she wanted to see the original of her image on the island, and let him keep copies.
The next day, the miraculous “Merciful” icon of the Mother of God set off on a ship to Cyprus, where Isaiah was waiting for her. The image was carried from the coast to the Troodos mountains on foot: the trees bowed their branches and trunks, greeting him, nodding their tops, greeting him. So, the icon was brought to the island, and the emperor ordered the construction of a wooden monastery and a chapel in the mountains to store such a precious relic.
In 1365 there was a fire, and the monastery had to be rebuilt. The second time it was built of stone and wood. Unfortunately, in 1541 the skete was burned down again, and it was rebuilt again, but now from stone. Previously, the building was one-nave, but in 1745 it was enlarged, and it turned into a three-nave. It should be noted that the middle nave was dedicated to the Virgin Mary: that is why the monastery celebrates religious holiday Nativity of the Virgin on September 8 and Assumption of the Virgin on August 15. The left nave is dedicated to the archangels Michael and Gabriel, and the right one is dedicated to All Saints.
By the way, the bell tower was built in 1882, much later than the monastery. This is due to the fact that during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, Christians were forbidden to ring bells. The bell tower has six bells: one of them was smelted in Russia, its weight is 1280 kg.
Current state
The buildings of the Kykkos monastery belong to different eras. The temple is located in the center. A cathedral room, the abbot's house, a library, monks' cells, a museum, reception halls and other buildings were built around it. There is also a well dug in the center of a large paved courtyard. As noted above, initially both the monastery and all its buildings were cut down from wood: the top of Mount Kykkos is located near the Paphos forest, so the area does not lack lumber.
The skete is decorated with frescoes and mosaics created in 1991-1993 by icon painters Kipola brothers and other masters from Romania and Greece.
Image of the Virgin
For many centuries, the icon of the Mother of God "Merciful" was revered by the locals, who explained the miracles that took place on the island only by her presence. For example, it is believed that the deliverance of the area in 1760 from locusts was due to the influence of this image.
In general, the Kikk “Merciful” Icon of the Mother of God served as a model for a huge number of images of the Queen of Heaven in Orthodox society. In 1975, the image was decorated with a silver setting that completely covered her face, which no one has seen since. The icon of the Virgin Mary is kept in the monastery to this day; its magical properties attract a huge number of pilgrims there.
Compound of the monastery
The courtyard of the Kykkos monastery is located in a suburb of Nicosia called Metochion Kykkos. Previously, it was the outskirts of the city, but over time, the lands of Nicosia expanded, and the courtyard was located near the city buildings. In this monastery in 1974, Archbishop Macarius III of Cyprus was hiding from the military junta that was pursuing him: it was for this reason that the buildings were attacked by tanks and some of them were destroyed.
Museum
The Kykkos Monastery Museum is a unique repository of the history and culture of Cyprus. Since 1992, this institution has been open daily for numerous pilgrims and travelers: from 10 am to 4 pm from November to April and from 10 am to 6 pm from May to October. The museum owns several halls containing works of Christian art. Amazing exhibits: icons, embroideries, shrines, wood carvings, manuscripts, vestments and other relics - express part of the living reverence for the Lord and the history of the monastery. In general, an impressive collection of antiques introduces visitors to the history of Cyprus. An overview of the treasures of the museum exhibition is accompanied by Byzantine music.
Miraculous icon "Merciful"
So, we found out that the Kikk "Merciful" icon of the Mother of God has many duplicates. Let's get acquainted with one of them, located in the Cathedral of the Zachatievsky monastery. The image is kept in an ancient icon case in a white stone tent and exudes currents of miracles to those who come running with faith under the blessed protection of the Mother of God.
It is interesting that the monastery legend connects this image with the ancient icon of the Virgin Mary "Merciful-Kykk". In general, it is called Eleusa, which means "spring of mercy." This image is one of the basic types of the image of the Queen of Heaven in Russian icon painting.
For the first time, the icon of the Mother of God "Merciful-Kikskaya" is mentioned in the monastic catalogs of the 18th century. Before the skete was closed, this image was in his cathedral church erected in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin.
In 1909, the abbess of the monastery, Abbess Maria (Korobka), compiled an inventory in which the icon of the “Merciful Mother of God” was noted as one of the most revered shrines of the Zachatievsky Skete. It is written that prayerful singing with an akathist was performed in front of her on Wednesdays.
The sisters took care of the icon. For example, the nun Magdalena from a noble family, before the closing of the monastery, performed the obedience of the head of the passport office of the monastery. Until the end of her life, she kept the kiot and icon clean, straightened the icon lamps. During worship, the sisters in the temple always stood in a special place.
Among the monastics, the icon of the Mother of God "Merciful" was highly revered. Its value in their lives cannot be measured. The day of the celebration of the image is scheduled for November 25th. Every year on this day, the inhabitants of the Zachatievsky Skete gathered to serve in the Ilyinsky Church. According to monastic custom, an all-night solemn vigil was performed the other day, accompanied by the singing of an akathist.
After Divine Liturgy the clergy and the conception sisters went to a solemn meal with one of the nuns. They kept the monastic custom, constantly reading an akathist to the “Merciful” icon of the Mother of God.
In honor of this icon, a sisterhood was created in 1991, and a little later, preparations began for the revival of the Zachatievsky monastery. Further, the sisters began to think about the return of the shrines of the monastery, and first of all they wanted the main relic to return - the icon of the Mother of God "Merciful". What helps her, does she hear all the prayers and lamentations brought to her - every nun could tell about her miracles. And after a long wait, on November 25, 1999, the image appeared in the monastery.
"Hearer"
The prayer of the Mother of God “Merciful” is very often read by believers who flow into the Zachatievsky monastery under her blessed protection. This icon is sometimes popularly called the "Hearer", because the ear of the Virgin Mary in the image is ajar. The Mother of God hears all the prayers offered to her and shows her maternal love and mercy.
Akathist to the icon "Merciful" is read when they want to get rid of the drought or be healed of infertility, bleeding. Saying prayer lines, many ask her for strengthening in sorrows and needs, for the gift of childbearing, for healing from headaches, and for the recovery of the paralyzed. And this image can also help to carry the Ionic cross and relieve family grief.
By the way, the “Merciful” icon can also be seen in the All Saints Church, which is located in Kulishki. Its exact address: d. 2. A distinctive feature of this image is the bee depicted on the salary.
And in the State Rybinsk Architectural, Historical and Art Museum-Reserve (Rybinsk, Volzhskaya embankment, 2) there is an icon of Our Lady of Kikk. This image was painted by the icon painter Leonty Yakovlevich Tyumenev at the beginning of the eighteenth century. In those days, Leonty served in the Church of the Renewal of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (the village of Borzovo, Rybinsk region). It is noteworthy that the “Merciful” always carefully listens to the prayers offered to her, and fulfills them by faith.
The prayer of the Mother of God "Merciful" is offered from all those who suffer with faith and hope for her all-powerful intercession. For some, help comes immediately, while for others, changes in life occur only after months or years. Sometimes the Blessed Virgin does something amazing, completely unrelated to what is asked or expected. But her love for sinful children is visible to everyone without exception.
The Mother of God instructs and heals, helps in the most hopeless everyday situations. Many people, visiting the skete, talk about the grace-filled help they received from the Queen of Heaven through her image “Merciful”.
The Mother of God is the glory of men, the glory of the world… as the personal dwelling of the Holy Spirit, she is truly the personal head of the Church, the heart of the Church, of which Christ is the Head… It would be wrong to say in a general form that Mary is the Church, and yet one can say that the Church is represented by Mary to the extent that in Her person all the properties of the Church are united, in a personal, and, moreover, the highest, ultimate incarnation. For if the Church lives and moves by the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, then He dwells in Her; if the Church imagines Christ in her children and, as it were, gives birth to Him in them, then in the Mother of God He was born and incarnated. That which is the Church constitutes the very essence of Mary, who is both the receptacle of the Holy Spirit, and the Mother of God, and the Bride of God.
Archpriest Sergei Bulgakov
"Burning Bush" (1927)
From the port of Larnaca, the path leads to the Kykkos monastery - the throne Holy Mother of God what is his name here. The Cypriots have long prayed to her, the Blessed One, to send down rain, so rare and so desired in these mountains scorched by the Mediterranean sun.
The Kikk monastery stands high on Mount Kokkos. It impresses not only with beauty, but also with cleanliness, grooming, unostentatious splendor. The special concern of the Orthodox for this holy place is visibly felt. The monastic mosaics are magnificent, not ancient, but filled with the same high spirituality as the ancient Byzantine smalt. This continuity of tradition both strikes and pleases the eye of a Russian person.
Within the walls of the Kykkos monastery, before the face of the "Merciful", Archbishop Makarios, the long-term president of the Republic of Cyprus and at the same time the first hierarch of the autocephalous Local Cypriot Church, found his last earthly rest.
For eight centuries now, the flow of pilgrims has not dried up, falling to the miraculous image of the “Merciful” Mother of God (of Kykkos). Tradition classifies it among the icons painted by the Apostle Luke himself. The miraculous acquired its current name no later than 1576, when the Greek inscription “Kykkiotissa” was already made on its silver riza, that is, Residing in Kykkos.
At first, the Apostle Luke sent this image to Egypt, and until 980 he served as a consolation for local Christians. With the invasion of the Saracens, who began persecution, the icon was sent by sea to Constantinople, captured by pirates along the way, but repulsed by Greek sailors, who delivered the “Merciful” to its destination. In the palaces of the Byzantine basileus, it was kept until the beginning of the 12th century.
In the reign of Emperor Alexei Komnenos, the Cypriot governor Manuel Vutomit appeared to the ruler of the Second Rome and told about the wondrous event. Lost in the Cypriot mountains while hunting, Manuel became embittered and severely beat the hermit monk Isaiah he met there. Not much time passed, and the Cypriot governor was overtaken by a cruel illness - as he immediately understood, as a punishment for the sin he had committed.
Meanwhile, Elder Isaiah had a vision, from which he learned that everything that happened was sent down only for the sake of transferring the “Merciful” from the shores of the Bosphorus to Cyprus. Therefore, the monk without surprise met the governor who came to repent and ordered him to go to Constantinople for the icon. Manuel was frightened: it did not suit him, far from being the first among the imperial officials, to turn to the basileus with such a daring request. But the elder remained adamant: “If you want to receive forgiveness, then go and do it; and do not be afraid, for in this matter you have the Mother of God Herself as an assistant; so it's open to me."
But Manuel, who had recovered from his illness, visiting Constantinople, was still afraid to talk about it with the emperor. Meanwhile, the elder Isaiah had already begun to build a temple in order to place the miraculous in it. And suddenly the daughter of the basileus was seized by the same strange illness that Manuel had once been; doctors were desperate to find a cure for it. Manuel decided that the desired occasion had come to fulfill the promise, he appeared to the emperor and told about the command of the elder.
The ruler of the Orthodox world exclaimed: “If such is Your will, Virgin Mother of God, then how can I resist Your desire, my Lady and Mistress! I only pray to You about one thing: deliver my daughter from a fierce illness, as You delivered Manuel, and with all readiness I will let Your honest icon go to the island of Cyprus.
The imperial daughter immediately felt relieved. However, the emperor hesitated and intended to send the Cypriots not the miraculous itself, but an exact list from it, executed by a skilled craftsman. But the Most Pure One appeared to the basileus in a dream and said menacingly: “Leave your icon here, and send Mine immediately to the monk Isaiah, as I please.” After that, the emperor equipped the ship and with great honors accompanied the image to Cyprus to the elder Isaiah.
The elder hoisted the “Merciful” into the temple built for her, while other monks settled around. Manuel donated three nearby villages to the new monastery, and the basileus confirmed this with a special letter, also giving money for the settlement of desert dwellers. That is why the monastery, where the “Merciful” Kikkskaya resides, is still called the Imperial monastery.
Since then, the flow of those seeking the intercession of the “Merciful” has not dried up, those who suffer and receive healing and consolation by their faith. Not only the Orthodox, but also the Turkish Cypriots bow before Her wondrous grace. Through prayers before the icon of Kykkos, rain fell many times during a drought, barren wives received childbearing, the dumb gained speech. Once, a certain pagan dared to strike Her image, after which his right hand immediately withered away, and as a reminder of this, an iron hand was attached to the miraculous salary (why this image, out of ignorance, is sometimes mixed with the “Three Hands”).
The Mother of God "Merciful" (Kykk) belongs to the type of "Eleus" (on which the cheeks of the Most Pure and the Child are in contact), Her face is turned to the left side, the Infant with His right hand supports the edge of the maforium of the Virgin; Her and His left hands touch and together hold a scroll with Greek text.
This is exactly what the image of the Kikk brush by Simon Ushakov (1668) looks like, created by the tsar’s iconographer for the Moscow church in the name of St. Gregory of Neocaesarea in Derbitsy (on Bolshaya Polyanka; in 1935 it was taken to the Tretyakov Gallery, where it completes the exposition of the department of ancient Russian art).
More famous within the Russian borders was the locally revered list with the "Merciful" Kikkskaya, who was in the Florishchevskaya Assumption Hermitage of the Vladimir diocese, near the city of Gorokhovets.
Yurovichskaya Merciful Icon of the Mother of God
prototype, Krakow, Poland
The miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Yurovichi "Merciful" has long been revered by the inhabitants of Yurovichi and the entire Mozyr Polesie as an intercessor and patroness.
For centuries, pilgrims from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus flocked to the monastery in the village of Yurovichi, in the Gomel region, to bow to the holy image and ask the Mother of God for help and intercession, because she was famous for miracles and healings.
This icon was originally a Catholic shrine. In the second half of the 17th century, representatives of the Catholic order of the Jesuits built a temple complex in these places, in which they placed the icon of the Mother of God, painted, as art historians believe, at the beginning of the century in the Ukrainian or Belarusian part of the Commonwealth.
According to legend, it was written or acquired by order of the Crown Hetman and the Krakow castellan Stanislav Koncepolsky, whom fervent prayer to the Queen of Heaven saved from the persecution of the Ukrainian Cossacks. If they captured the successful commander, his death would not have passed.
Since then, Koncepolsky carried the icon with him everywhere, and after his death, his relatives handed over the image of the Virgin to the Jesuit order. Soon, both the clergy and parishioners noticed that sincere prayer in front of this icon never goes unanswered - the one who asks receives what is required if it is for his good.
In 1661 priest Martin Torovsky went on a missionary mission to Volhynia, taking with him the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. In 1673 he stopped in the village of Yurovichi. When he was about to leave this area, his horses stopped as if rooted to the spot, as if they were being held by an unknown force.
Tradition says that at that moment the young priest heard the voice of the Queen of Heaven, commanding him to leave her miraculous icon in Yurovichi, so that the locals would be strengthened in the Christian faith. Martin Torovsky stayed to serve in the village, and pilgrims from all over the region came to bow to the image of the Most Holy Theotokos.
During the first one and a half centuries of the existence of the miraculous image, the annals described many cases of healings that took place through prayers in front of him. People were cured of delirium tremens, terrible wounds were healed, the unfortunate, demon-possessed were healed, records were kept about the resurrection of the dead. At the same time, both Catholics and Orthodox believers prayed before the miraculous image, and they all equally received help and healing And everyone felt that special grace that came from the icon and saved people in seemingly hopeless situations.
AT late XIX century, at the direction of the last Yurovichi priest Gogu Gordzetsky, who was afraid of losing the miraculous image, an exact copy of the image was made, which was secretly replaced by the original exhibited in the church
After closing, the church was consecrated according to the Orthodox rite, and the list of the miraculous image received its holy grace.
In 1885, the original image of the icon was transferred to Krakow to the church of St. Barbara, where it is kept to this day. According to an old agreement, this icon will be able to return to Yurovichi as soon as the church is opened there.
One of the three lists made from the miraculous image remained in the Yurovichi Orthodox monastery. During the reign of Soviet power, this icon was lost and miraculously found quite recently, during the restoration of the monastery. For some time, the icon of the Mother of God "Merciful" was in the Mozyr Cathedral, but now it has been again transferred to Yurovichi.
In famine years, in lean years, people came to pray in front of this miraculous way, entire villages, sometimes hundreds of miles away, They served prayers, sang akathists, asked for salvation from poverty and hunger, And always received help from the Most Holy Theotokos.
For the Queen of Heaven, all people are equal, regardless of religion. All living on earth are her children, for whom she cares day and night, to whose prayers she responds immediately.
And the image of her Yurovichsky is equally revered by both Orthodox and Catholics.
And now, in economically difficult times, people turn to the icon with prayers. They ask not only for healings, but also for help in business, for stability in work, for financial well-being. The glory of her miraculous help is spreading wider and wider. And from all over Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, and from other countries, believers come to light their candle in front of the miraculous icon, and read a prayer
Before the icon of the Mother of God Yurovichskaya "Merciful" they pray for healing, salvation from poverty and hunger
In April 2006, in Yurovichi, an ancient copy of the main Polessky shrine was found - the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Yurovichi, which for more than 200 years was the patroness and intercessor of Mozyr Polissya, and on September 13, the icon was delivered to Yurovichi Holy Nativity of the Mother of God by a procession from Mozyr to Yurovichi monastery. It should be clarified that in the Middle Ages Mozyr was a povet town of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and all modern cities the south-west of the present Gomel region belonged to Mozyr and did not have the status of cities. Therefore, these lands were called Mozyr Polissya.
Found list icon
About the miracles that occur through prayers before the miraculous image, a book was written in the Jesuit mission "Krinitsa of spiritual caresses of the Virgin Mary from the mountains of Yurovichi", published in 1742 in the city of Poznan. Here are just a few of those wonders:
One of the parishioners of the Yurovichi church, Prigorodsky, had a terrible grief in 1686 - his son, whom he loved beyond measure, died. The boy's parents were dying of grief. When the time came to put the body of the deceased in the coffin, his father and mother, weeping, fell down next to him and began to fervently pray to the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos for help.
The people who gathered to participate in the funeral procession were amazed - in front of their eyes the boy, who was about to be buried, suddenly rose from the coffin.
In August 1724, a fire broke out in the estate of a Mozyr zemstvo clerk named Teofil Lenkevich, during which his little son suffocated in smoke. "Merciful" to return the child to them.
Neighbors and relatives gathered in their house witnessed the miracle of the resurrection - through the fervent prayers of the parents, the boy came to life.
At the beginning of the 18th century, another miracle was revealed to the inhabitants of Yurovichi. During the crossing of the Pripyat River, the boat of one of the local residents - Rutkovsky - capsized, and the man went to the bottom. Those who rushed to save him could not find the body. Rutkovsky appeared in the water, safe and sound, and climbed ashore himself.
In the year 1865, an old landowner in one village died, and the son-heir turned out to be an ignoramus and a tyrant. He did not know how to manage the economy, he quickly squandered the inheritance, and began to tear three skins from his peasants. And then the day came when there was no bread left in any peasant house something for sowing, even for food. The headman then called the peasants and went with them to bow to the image of the miraculous Mother of God of Yurovichskaya “Merciful” - to ask the Mother of God to save them from starvation.
The pilgrims walked for several days, and already some began to fall exhausted when they saw in the distance the church in which the holy icon was kept. They bought, with the money they had pooled together, a large candle, lit it in front of the image, and while it was burning, everyone prayed for their family and for all their loved ones. And as the candle went out, they gathered and set off on their way back.
As they began to approach the village, they saw that a crowd of children was running towards them. The peasants were surprised - when they left, the children were all lying in the huts, dying of hunger, and then they were running.
They approach the village and do not believe their eyes - in the empty fields, which there was nothing to sow, the seedlings turn green. And in the village, their wives joyfully meet, show that the storerooms are full of grain, and tell such a wonderful story:
Several days have passed since the men left to bow to the icon, and suddenly an old woman appeared in the village - in a dress to the ground, in a black scarf, she began to knock on every yard and ask for alms. I could - who poured water to drink, who poured bread crumbs, who found a pretty penny. We left her in one of the houses to spend the night. We got up in the morning - and her trace was gone. And in every house the bins are breaking. They went out into the street, and the unsown fields turn green. Then all the women fell on their knees and began to thank the Mother of God - they realized that their prayer had been heard.
And a week later there was a rumor that the young unlucky master had lost the ancient one at cards, and the debt was taken by a neighbor who was known throughout the district as a kind and gentle owner, who cared about his peasants - and built schools in the villages, and they did not pay taxes pressed.
According to the materials of the annals of the Mogilev province
The famous and richest Orthodox monastery of Kykkos is located at a colossal height in the Troodos mountain gorge, in the west of the island of Cyprus. This monastery is famous for the fact that genuine miracles take place in it. The history of this monastery is full of extraordinary events. It is in this monastery that the world Christian legend is kept - the Kikk Icon of the Mother of God.
December 26 (or January 8, according to the new style) is considered the day of honoring this glorified miraculous icon. In honor of this image, an imperial monastery was erected, where it is currently kept.
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History of Kykkos Monastery
According to the existing tradition, the Apostle Luke himself was the creator of the Kykkos Icon of the Mother of God. It was created during the earthly life of the Most Pure Theotokos. The Holy Virgin herself blessed this icon with her own hands.
The legendary icon belongs to the variety of images "Eleusa" - Merciful. This image symbolizes love and goodwill towards all life on this earth.
Kykkos is a monastery with a very ancient and rich history. The first written mention of this monastery dates back to 1136. The emergence of the monastery is covered with legends and in itself has a wonderful character.
- According to legend, the governor of Byzantium in Cyprus, Manuel Vutomitis, was hunting in this place, got lost in the forest and accidentally met an old hermit named Isaiah. The governor wanted to find out from the elder the way to the capital, but the hermit could not answer, as he had taken a vow of silence. Enraged, Manuel hit the elder.
- Very soon, the viceroy was struck by paralysis. Manuel realized that the disease was sent to him as a punishment for the offense inflicted on the holy man. By order of the governor, the old man was found and brought to the palace. Manuel apologized to the hermit and soon the illness subsided.
- As a sign of gratitude, Isaiah asked the governor to bring from Constantinople image of the Holy Mother of God, which was written during her lifetime. The viceroy complied with this request and turned with a request to the emperor himself. Although the latter did not want to give away the precious icon, he was forced to meet halfway.
- The emperor left a copy of this icon for himself, and soon he was struck by the same mysterious illness that on the eve of Manuel. Paralysis also struck the imperial daughter. After the ruler gave the icon to Isaiah and allocated funds for the construction of the monastery, he and his daughter were healed. erected the monastery was named Kykkos. The legendary icon of the Mother of God is still there today.
An abbot was appointed over the monks and a charter of the monastery was given. The governor donated several villages to the monastery. This decision was confirmed and approved by the emperor. Since the monastery was built with the money of the ruler of Byzantium, it received the name of the Royal.
Kikk Icon of the Mother of God
There is a belief that the Kikk Icon of the Mother of God, called the Merciful, was created by the hands of the most holy Apostle Luke. In addition to this icon, he painted two more images and sent all the icons to Egypt. The holy icon was transported from Egypt to Constantinople in order to protect this relic from the persecutors of Christianity. It happened in 980. However, on the way to Constantinople, the ship carrying the icon was captured by the Saracens. Soon the wicked themselves became captives of the Greeks, and the shrine was delivered to its destination.
After numerous misadventures, the icon finally reached Constantinople and stayed there in the imperial palace until the 12th century. In the XII century, the image was transported to Cyprus.
Icon of the Mother of God in Cyprus
During the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in Byzantium (beginning of the 12th century), the holy icon was transported to the island of Cyprus. This decision was preceded by a series of events, which is described above.
The holy hermit Isaiah received a revelation that the icon of the Mother of God, painted by the Apostle Luke himself, should be transferred to the island of Cyprus from the imperial palace. The elder fulfilled the command of God and revealed the truth to the governor of Byzantium in Cyprus. Manuel for a long time did not dare to turn to the emperor with such a request, however, the elder insisted, saying that the Mother of God herself would patronize Manuel in this matter.
Ultimately, the governor agreed, on the condition that Isaiah follow him to Constantinople. Together with the hermit, the governor soon arrived in the capital. Manuel for a very long time did not dare to appear before the emperor with such a bold request. As a result, the elder decided to return to Cyprus. However, before leaving, he persistently asked Manuel to fulfill God's command as soon as possible, which was revealed to him.
In his seclusion, the elder gave himself over to despair because of an unsuccessful trip. However, he soon had a dream in which he heard words of consolation that the miraculous icon would soon come to the island by the will of the Mother of God.
Pleased with such a vision, the elder began the construction of a temple in honor of the Virgin. The construction was carried out with funds donated by the governor.
Illness of the emperor
It was at this time that the emperor's daughter became seriously ill. Her illness was very similar to the one that struck the governor in Cyprus the day before. As soon as Manuel Vutomitis found out about this, he considered the moment the most successful to address his request to the emperor. All famous healers gathered in the palace around the bed of the sick princess. But no one could help her. The emperor was inconsolable.
Arriving at the palace, Manuel told the emperor that not so long ago he was struck by the same ailment that had now struck the princess. And if not God's help through the prayers of the holy hermit Isaiah, the governor would have already been dead. Then the governor conveyed to the emperor the demand of Elder Isaiah to transfer the icon of the Mother of God to the island of Cyprus. He assured the ruler that after this the daughter of the latter would certainly be healed.
In a fit of despair, the emperor gave his word to his governor that he would fulfill the will of the Mother of God and transfer the icon to the island of Crete. And very soon the emperor's daughter was miraculously healed. However, the ruler was in no hurry to fulfill his promise. He really did not want to lose the great shrine that had belonged to his family for so long. And then the ruler of Byzantium himself suffered a serious illness as a punishment for negligence and false vows.
Then the emperor called the best icon painter and ordered him to make a copy from this icon. It was this list that he intended to send to the island. However, his deceit was miraculously revealed. In a dream, the Queen of Heaven herself appeared to the emperor and sternly ordered to leave a copy of the icon in the palace, and send the original to the island, as she ordered.
Another legend
There is another legend, according to which Elder Isaiah came to Constantinople a second time with the intention of taking the icon.
- The emperor, however, planned to deceive the monk and left him to choose from two icons, one of which was a copy, and the other was genuine.
- At night, the Mother of God appeared to the monk in a dream and promised him her help. She pointed out to Isaiah that a bee would sit on a genuine icon. That is exactly what happened the next day.
- Thanks to this event, the bee became one of the symbols of the Kikk icon.
- After such a miracle, the emperor no longer dared to keep the shrine in his possession and equipped a ship on which he sent the icon and Isaiah himself. In addition, the monarch gave the old man required amount money to build a church.
- Then the emperor ordered the governor Manuel to assist the elder in everything.
Nevertheless, the emperor gave a strict order - to cover the faces of the Virgin and the Infant with a veil, so that no one else would dare to look at them.
Miracles performed by the icon
When the icon of the Mother of God, called the Merciful, was brought to Cyprus, all the inhabitants of the island came to meet the ship. The meeting was organized with the greatest honors. Not only people rejoiced at the arrival of the shrine, but even nature itself. Trees bowed their crowns, and sea shells rose from the bottom and accompanied the ship.
Today on Troodos you can see living evidence of that miraculous event - pine trees with bowed crowns. In this way, nature expressed its admiration and admiration for the shrine.
From the very construction of the monastery to the present day, numerous pilgrims come to it from all sides, who ask the Mother of God for help and receive it according to their faith.
- This miraculous icon is worshiped and prayed not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by representatives of other religious denominations.
- Through the prayers of the pilgrims, abundant rain was repeatedly sent to the earth, which saved crops from drought, and residents from imminent famine.
- With the help of a miraculous icon barren women were able to have children. The Holy Mother of God also helps with bleeding in women.
- There is evidence that after praying at this icon, a dumb teenager received ability to speak. The warrior who injured his leg was healed near this icon. The man lying on his deathbed came to life and was healed.
- Another case of the miraculous influence of the icon is also described. Once a monk, who was doing his lesson in obedience, turned to the Mother of God with a complaint about thirst. He was answered by a voice that commanded to hit the stone on which he was sitting with his hand. After that, a jet hit from the stone clean water, which quenched the monk's thirst. Subsequently, this place was formed life-giving spring where many have been healed. One of the monks, who suffered from a severe headache and did not find a way to heal, felt completely healthy when he washed his head in this source with a prayer. Many other monks were healed near this source.
- Once a wicked pagan decided to raise his hand to the holy icon, after which he was immediately punished. His hand immediately began to dry out. In memory of this event to the icon since then a hand of iron is hung.
- In 1751, the temple was seriously damaged by a strong fire. When the vaults of the temple began to be restored, they suddenly collapsed. However, by the grace of the Mother of God, none of the workers in the temple were injured. Some monks claimed that shortly before this they saw a woman in the rays of light, who walked around the monastery.
On the island of Cyprus, this icon became famous under the name Eleusa. The literal translation of this word is Merciful. For many centuries, this icon has been widely known and revered among Orthodox believers in Greece, Georgia, Russia, and Bulgaria. No less widely known shrine even in Ethiopia and Egypt.
Mother of God under cover
Decorates the legendary icon the richest salary of silver with gilding. Ever since the time of Emperor Alexei Komnenos, there has been a custom according to which icon-paintings faces are covered with a veil that is never removed. There are exceptions only during severe drought. At this time, the holy image is transferred to the top of Mount Troni, where the monks serve a solemn prayer service for sending rain to the earth. Here the monks take off the cover, but at the same time they do not look at the bright faces, turning the image of the Mother of God towards the sky.
There is a legend according to which in the 17th century Gerasim, Patriarch of Alexandria, dared to lift the veil and look at the image of the Virgin. Soon the Patriarch was punished with blindness for his insolence. Realizing his mistake, he wept and repented for a very long time, begging for forgiveness from heaven. Some time later, forgiveness was granted to the Patriarch. Since that time, there has been a belief that anyone who dared to look at the face of the Mother of God would immediately be punished with blindness.
What can you pray for in front of the Kikk Icon of the Mother of God
The icon of Our Lady of Eleusa can be addressed with the following prayers:
- About sending down rains during a drought.
- About getting rid of infertility and the birth of a baby. With these prayers, they often turn to the list of the Merciful icon, which is now stored in. Even the name itself Monastery "Zachatievsky" instills in believers hope for the mercy of the Virgin.
- Relief from a variety of ailments- dumbness and deafness, bleeding, severe headache.
- About getting rid of natural disasters and all sorts of other misfortunes.
- About sending down peace in the family, ending quarrels and good relations.
- About salvation from epidemics of dangerous diseases.
If you pray to the image with all sincerity and passion, you can even heal an incurable patient.
Kikk icon today
And today people revere and idolize the legendary shrine. Many laudatory chants were composed in her honor, including laudatory. The Kykkos icon of the Mother of God is the greatest value of the island of Cyprus. Miracles performed in this way are observed in our time.
At all times, pilgrims who traveled to the Holy Land always stopped by or went to Cyprus in order to venerate the shrine and bow before its greatness and holiness. This tradition has been preserved to this day. Thousands of believers come to pray to the image of the Mother of God from all over the world. Divine services are held here and the akathist of the Merciful Mother of God is read.
The Most Holy Theotokos the Merciful listens to everyone who turns to her with a prayer in their grief asking for help and healing from ailments of the soul and body. This applies not only to Orthodox Christians, but also to those who adhere to other faiths.
Poetic works dedicated to this great icon were repeatedly collected and published in large editions. Akathist to the Merciful Icon of the Mother of God is read on the day of celebration - January 8, new style. Lists from the icon of the Mother of God the Merciful are available in many churches and monasteries, including the Moscow Zachatievsky.
