Of the stone buildings begun in Yaroslavl, only the Assumption Cathedral was completed during the life of Konstantin Vsevolodovich, the consecration of which took place in 1219. Of course, thorough preparations were made for its grand opening: the temple was to be the main one in the new “capital” city. Therefore, the best grand ducal craftsmen made icons and utensils for him in advance, and wrote books in scriptoriums.
In 1212, Konstantin Vsevolodovich went to Kyiv to marry the daughter of Prince Vsevolod Chermny to his brother Yuri. Undoubtedly, he visited the St. Sophia Cathedral, and the mosaics in the central apse of this temple made a due impression on him. And if in strengthening the city on the Volga, the eldest son of the “great Vsevolod” followed Yaroslav the Wise, then, when starting to decorate the princely temple in Yaroslavl, he, obviously, also tried to imitate his illustrious ancestor.
An outstanding Byzantine artist, who worked at the grand-ducal court in Vladimir, painted a large icon of “Our Lady of the Great Panagia” for the altar of the Yaroslavl Assumption Cathedral. This image was considered a shrine of the Blachernae Temple in Constantinople and the palladium of the emperor, and was honored by Manuel Komnenos. In Rus', he was also recognized as the patron of princely power and was usually placed in the apse conch. So, in 1199, a large figure of Our Lady of the Great Panagia was painted in the altar of the Savior-Nereditsa. And if the frescoes of this Novgorod church, as I. E. Grabar suggested, really imitated the painting of the Demetrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir, then, probably, in the central apse of the palace cathedral of “the great Vsevolod” there was also a figure of Our Lady of the Great Panagia.
According to the fair remark of M. V. Alpatov, the Yaroslavl icon belongs among the icons of the 12th-13th centuries to the same place of unsurpassed sample that is now given to the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl among the buildings of the same time30. The artist was deeply imbued with Konstantin Vsevolodovich’s plan and created an icon that, with its monumentality, sparkling gold and colors as if transformed into an alloy of precious enamels, looked in the interior of the cathedral no worse than images made using the mosaic technique.
The Mother of God appeared before the believers, praying to God to grant mercy to all people, and the child Christ, carried by her on the golden disk of Glory, blessed them with both hands. The images of Mary and Emmanuel, filled with greatness and royal dignity, testified to the transformation of Yaroslavl into the same stronghold of Orthodoxy as all other “capital” cities of Rus' were considered. In accordance with this purpose of the image, the color of the icon was dominated by colors that symbolized truth, purity, eternity, and the Incarnation. The artist seemed to follow the words of John of Damascus and tried not only to “delight the eyes,” but also to pour “divine glory” into every soul looking at his creation.
It is no coincidence that the color of the icon is dominated by the image of light, Glory, purity, royal dignity - gold. The second most important is white - also a symbol of purity, peace, nobility. The symbol of victory that prevailed in the icons of 1216 was cinnabar; the red color appears muted on the icon, clearly subordinate to the shine of gold and the pure light planes of white.
The Mother of God, like the Byzantine emperors who rose to red platforms in the days of military triumphs, stands on a patterned red carpet. Like Oranta in the apse of the church of Theotokos Pharos, described by Patriarch Photius, this is “the Virgin who raised her pure hands for us and sends salvation to the king and victory over his enemies”32.
The face of Mary, like the faces of the other characters in the composition, is surrounded by a large white halo. The face is painted with small, dense strokes, laid in shape and welded into a surface similar to precious enamel. The master achieved this effect by stirring the pigments on large quantities lead white, having different body sizes and allowing for a variety of light-and-shadow transitions. The artist outlined the facial features, taking care of their better visibility from afar, with clear descriptions, which he made with cinnabar. He also painted, slightly changing the techniques of applying paint, the face of Emmanuel and the faces of the archangels. All of them seem to be illuminated by the glow of the flames of the victorious bonfires.
Confirming the rise of Yaroslavl, the images of the icon, like the images on the icons of the archangels and “Boris and Gleb” discussed above, also reminded us that the victory won by Konstantin Vsevolodovich in 1216 also contributed to the transformation of the city on the Volga into an “appanage” capital. Like the Mother of God, once seen in a dream by Andrei Bogolyubsky, Mary on the icon “greatly exalted in being” and, being in the altar on a high place, appeared to the people gathered in the temple for prayer “in the air brighter” - a golden background, with a sparkling on her chest “more than the rays of the sun” with a golden disk of Glory, on which is depicted the face of Wisdom and the Incarnation - Emmanuel. The icon, visible from the temple in the opening of the royal doors of the low altar barrier, above the throne, to which the Mother of God seemed to be raising the artos with the face of Emmanuel, could seem to people of the first half of the 13th century to be a literally “material” expression of the idea of the Protection of the Mother of God to the new Yaroslavl principality.
In addition to the icons that amazed his contemporaries with their solemn compositions, Konstantin Vsevolodovich the Wise ordered his masters to write miniatures in books. Several of the surviving manuscripts, executed in the first quarter of the 13th century, can be attributed to the work of artists from the workshop that existed first at the court of Konstantin Vsevolodovich, and after his death at the bishopric in Rostov, which was headed in the 1220s by a bishop devoted to the prince Kirill, an equally passionate lover and collector of beautifully designed manuscripts.
How Lyubov Mikhailovna knows how to inspire us, her listeners and students, to small feats!
After another lecture on Russian national style, I decided to visit the hall of ancient Russian art and try to enter the space of the icon. I didn’t count on success at all, remembering that image perception is a long process and requires a skill that I don’t have much of yet. But what I experienced at the icon of Our Lady of the Great Panagia is worth describing.
A little history:
“Great Panagia” is one of the most ancient revered icons; it is also called the Yaroslavl Oranta. Known since the beginning of the 12th century and, according to legend, written by the Monk Alypius, a monk of the Pechersk Monastery in Kyiv, the first outstanding icon painter. According to other sources, the author is unknown.
“In the darkened, junk (storeroom) of the Spassky Monastery in Yaroslavl, among dusty rags... the experienced hands of the icon artist G.O. Chirikov felt the uneven surface of a huge old board with dowels characteristic of ancient times. The icon turned out to be covered with dense painting of the 18th - 19th centuries, lying on top of the new soil, which tightly covered the seemingly lost original layer. And under this soil lurked the almost intact “Oranta - the Great Panagia,” perhaps created by the inspiration of the first Russian artist, the legendary Alimpy Pechersky.
The discovery of the icon described by V.I. Antonova dates back to 1919. After restoration in 1925-1929, the work entered the history of ancient Russian art as a unique monument of pre-Mongol painting. There is no generally accepted opinion about the time and place of writing “Oranta”. Some researchers attribute it to the Kyiv school of painting, others to the Yaroslavl school. However, everyone notes the stylistic similarity of the icon to Kyiv mosaics.
The Mother of God is represented in the pose of Oranta, that is, with her hands raised in prayer. On her chest is a medallion with the image of Christ. IN upper corners icons - half-figures of archangels in priestly vestments. This type of image of the Mother of God is called in Greek “Panagia”, which means “All Holy”.
Maria's slender, classically proportioned figure is very stable, but not devoid of movement. This is perfectly conveyed by the rhythm of the fan-shaped folds on the covering of the head, almost vertical on the left side of the chiton and steeply round on the right.
The monumental, majestic image reflects medieval ideas about the Mother of God as the patroness and protector of people.
Maria’s “full”, light, ruddy face corresponds to the Russian ideal of perfect beauty.
Now we can move on to personal perception.
First of all, the icon is striking in size; it is quite large, more than a meter in height.
Then you respond to the composition: “The entire figure of the Virgin Mary is likened to two sharp triangles with oval contours included in each other. The intersection of hands creates a colossal concentration of energy” (according to the lecture notes by L.M. Popova). Indeed, the figure of the Mother of God seems to exude power and calm, she is majestic and omnipotent. At the bodily level, you feel as if energy is entering you through the top of your head, and sharply, on your first breath. Then slowly exhale, on the next breath tears appear and a warm wave descends to the limbs, spreading throughout the body. The skin becomes covered with goosebumps.
The gaze returns from the figure as a whole to the face. This face is absolutely magical. Take a closer look at it. This cheek color is as soft as an apple starting to blush. The contours of the face, the line of the nose turning into the line of the eyebrows and eyelids, it is so smooth, calm, but not sluggish, but strong. A feeling of concentration, calmness combined with softness, innocence and tenderness comes from this face.
The figure of the Mother of God all glows and shimmers against a golden background.
Now imagine that the icon hangs not in a gallery, but in a dark church, where the light comes only from candles. Then the figure and face of the Virgin Mary seem to appear through the darkness, while flickering in the dim light. It seems to be protruding from above and a little forward. Let me remind you, the icon is from the 12th century. A time of transition for Russia, another foot in paganism, internecine wars all around, high mortality, life support depends only on the harvest. And you are a simple Russian woman with children, fears for them, yourself, your family and your land, which feeds and waters you. What will you feel in front of this face? Reverence, peace, hope. She will protect, she will reassure, forgive and console. She is a MOTHER. Of course they came to her, they bowed to her. The icon is prayed for, you can feel it right away.
Returning to the bodily response, with each breath the sensation intensifies, as if you are being covered with a fluffy, soft and warm blanket. Breathing becomes light and calm. It seems that you are becoming physically smaller, lower, as if you are lying down and curling up, and warmth is spreading inside, coming out as warm tears. Doesn't remind you of anything? This is the state of a baby in the mother’s arms, at the breast, or maybe in the womb. A state of absolute security under the cover of eternity.
: “The image of the Mother of God with her hands raised in prayer and without the Child is called "Praying" or "Oranta"(Greek). According to ancient tradition, such full-length images are placed in conhe — top of the altar. The Mother of God, depicted in full height, with the God-Child, is called "Great Panagia" what does it mean "All Holy"
Rice. 1. Icon Mother of God- Our Lady of Oranta - Great Panagia. Icon of the Yaroslavl school. XIII century Size - 193.2 × 120.5 cm - State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia. (Usually, none of the art critics notes that the ratio of the height of the icon to its width is (193.2/120.5) = 1.60332, which, within the error of measuring the dimensions of the icon board, is practically equal to the number of the golden ratio Ф = 1.6180339887 .... (Editor's note)). “The Mother of God stands on an oval ornamented red carpet. The arms are raised up with small palms open to shoulder level. On her chest there is a golden disk with a belt Emmanuel, arms spread wide with fingers folded in an oratorical gesture. In the upper corners there are half-figures of the archangels standing in front of the Mother of God in baptized omophorions, enclosed in white rings, with mirrors in their hands. The painting style of Great Panagia is a monumental image. As in the Kiev mosaics, gold plays a big role, the type of classically finished faces of the mother and baby, the Hellenistic images of angels, the nature of the decorations of clothes and carpets - all this does not find an analogy in the beginning of the 13th century. Rostov-Suzdal school of painting. Neither in Vladimir Zalessky, nor in Rostov the Great, nor in Suzdal, nor in Yaroslavl itself - the largest centers of this school - have there been preserved from the 13th century monuments marked, like the Great Panagia, by complete pictorial mastery...”
Figure 2 shows an enlarged image of Emmanuel in a golden circle.
Rice. 2. Image Savior Emmanuel in a golden circle. Above it, to the right and left, “stars” are visible on the clothing of the Mother of God. " Immanuel, (Immanuel, Emmanuel, Emanuel, Manuel, Manuel) is a male theophoric name of biblical (Hebrew) origin (Hebrew: עִמָּנוּאֵל, “God is with us”). In the shape of fr. Emmanuelle (Emmanuel)- French female name. By reference to the prophecy of Isaiah and the Gospel of Matthew, this name is associated with the messiah. In Christianity it is another name for Jesus Christ. Theophoric names(from Greek θεός, “god” and φορός, “bearer”) - personal names of people, including the name of god (gods) or divine epithet. For example, Theodor, Fedor - Greek. θεός, “god” and δῶρον, “gift” - the gift of God; Gabriel - Hebrew גבריאל, Gabriel, literally translated in Hebrew. גבורה - courage/power, אל - God, that is, divine power."
Archangel Gabriel is shown in the circle at the top right. In Figure 3 this fragment of the icon is shown in enlarged form. Archangel Michael is shown in the circle at the top left. In Figure 4 this fragment of the icon is shown in enlarged form.
Fig.3. Fragment of the icon – Archangel Gabriel.
Fig.4. Fragment of the icon – Archangel Michael.
COMMENT 1:
First, let's look at the main elements of the iconography of the Mother of God. They are shown in Figure 5.
Rice. 5. Basic elements of the iconography of the Mother of God - 1 - nimbus, 2- maforius, 3 — stars, 4 — instruct, 5 — naming- above - Mother of God, at the bottom - Lord Jesus Christ. This drawing is based on the drawing from the work .
On the icon of Oranta Panagia on maforia also shown stars. This is an essential canonical element of the icon, the sacred meaning of which we will see below. For better visibility of these and other details of the icon, Figure 6 shows these elements separately.
Rice. 6. Icon of the Mother of God - Our Lady of Oranta - Great Panagia. Icon of the Yaroslavl school - XIII century. On the left is an image of the Icon of the Mother of God "Oranta - Great Panagia", which is graphically edited for better visibility of the main details of the icon without changing its external dimensions. On the right, on the fragment of the icon of the Tolga Mother of God, the position of the canonical element - the “star” is shown. On the left of the Oranta icon, the same “stars” are shown with arc arrows. Below, on an enlarged scale, the ornament of the drawing in the lower part of the icon is shown. This ornament (of the carpet) on which the Mother of God stands is akin to the appearance of the matrix of the Universe.
Let's combine the icon of Oranta Panagia with the matrix of the Universe. The result of combining the icon with the matrix is shown in Figure 7. The icon is located at the transition point between the Upper and Lower worlds of the matrix.
Rice. 7. The figure shows the result of combining the Icon of Our Lady “Oranta - Great Panagia” with "energy matrix of the universe." The upper edge of the icon is located halfway between the 6th and 5th levels of the Upper World of the Matrix, and the lower edge of the icon is aligned with the 6th level of the Lower World of the Matrix. The sides of the icon board intersect the extreme positions on the 5th level of the Upper and Lower worlds of the matrix. The angle of rotation of the raised hands of the Mother of God actually exactly corresponds to the angle of inclination of the sides of the pyramid of the Upper World, and the fingers of the hands point to the extreme positions of the matrix of the 4th level of the Upper World of the matrix. " Stars"on the forehead of the Mother of God aligned respectively with the middle position of the 5th level, and the stars on the shoulders with two positions of the 4th level of the Upper World of the matrix. Thus, it becomes clear to us that the canonical element “star” on a Christian icon is the “key” for combining the icon with the matrix of the Universe! This is the sacred meaning of the element of icon painting - “star”. The head of Christ the Child in the circle on the chest of the Mother of God aligned with the top of the pyramid of the Lower World of the matrix. This symbolically suggests that Jesus Christ, Himself being in the Upper World, is the King, the ruler of the Lower World of the matrix. Circles with images of Archangels (Angels) turned out to be inscribed in the squares of the matrix, as shown in the circle on the left - A. Arrows - IN— crosses are shown in front of the angels, which are combined within the accuracy of the details of the picture with the vertical and horizontal lines of the matrix on the 5th level of the Upper World.
Half-length images of icons of the type "Great Panagia" in ancient Russian icon painting became widespread and began to be called "The Omen". One of the meanings of the Slavic word sign is miracle. Indeed, the image of the Infant Christ in the bosom of the Virgin Mary is a symbol of the greatest miracle of the Incarnation, when the Beginningless and Incontainable God fit into the human body. And with this, the iconography of the “Sign” echoes the icons of the Mother of God “Tenderness”.
The word “Znamenie” is also related to the Slavic verb “sign” - I convene, I call for worship. This reveals the second deep meaning of this iconography: the raised hands of the Mother of God as a symbol of prayer. Child Christ in a circle as a symbol Euchristia- “(Greek - Thanksgiving, prayer of thanks). In late Judaism and early Christianity, prayer of praise. Since the 1st century in the Christian religion, communion, one of the Christian sacraments with the ritual and elements of communion (bread, wine).” Hands on the hands of the Mother of God - a symbol concelebrations of the entire Church to its Heavenly Primate."
In Figure 8, similar to Figure 7, two Sacred symbols are drawn on top of the icon - Tetractys upper(top of the pyramid of the Upper world of the matrix) and lower(the top of the pyramid of the Lower World of the matrix), and the “Star of David”.
Rice. 8. In a drawing similar to Figure 7, two Sacred symbols are drawn on top of the “Great Panagia” icon - the Tetractys and the “Star of David”. These sacred symbols, as we have seen from the results of our research, characterize the place of transition between the Upper and Lower worlds of the matrix of the universe. In this case, the icon "Great Panagia" is also located at the transition point between the Upper and Lower worlds "energy matrix of the universe" therefore, we have the right to draw these two sacred symbols on top of the icon .
The remaining details are clearly visible in the figure.
COMMENT 2:
Above in Figures 7 and 8 we saw that in the icon the position of the head of Christ the Child in the circle on the chest of the Mother of God aligned with the top of the pyramid of the Lower World of the matrix. This, as we said, symbolically suggests that Jesus Christ, Himself being in the Upper World, is the King, the ruler of the Lower World of the matrix.
A similar position of the head in the matrix of the Universe is found in the ancient Egyptian tradition of depicting a baby born Horus (Horus).
Figure 9 from de Lubicz's work shows an Egyptian image of the boy Horus (Horus) the younger, born of Isis (Ast) and Osiris (Asar), whom the Greeks called by the name Harpocrates.
Rice. 9."From right to left: ( presumably) singer Amon Ra, Kher-Uben, and baboon ( god wisdom) Thoth in front of the eye image Uchat. The inscription underneath reads: “Worship of Ra; New Year Ra; in the heavenly boat of Ra." Between two lions - Akers ( This is Shu and Tefnut) they represent " Yesterday" And " Tomorrow" Above the Head of the Antelope is depicted on the horizon (as indicated by the horizon sign) sitting with a finger pressed to his lips, Horus ( Jr) Harpocrates- a boy with the attributes of a crowned heir to the throne. The “solar disk”, inside of which Horus sits, is wrapped in a circle by a snake biting its own tail (a symbol of eternity). The snake is embraced by two hands descending from heaven.” This is how this symbolic drawing is described in de Lubicz's work.
Figure 10 shows the result of combining the Horus-Harpocrates drawing with the matrix of the Universe.
Rice. 10. The figure shows the result of combining the Egyptian symbolic drawing of Horus (Horus) Horpakhart (Harpocrates) with “ energy matrix of the universe"at the transition point between the pyramids" Upper" And " Nizhny Novgorod» Egypt. It is clearly seen from the figure that it fits exactly within the boundaries of the upper and lower Tetractys. The positions of the matrix are well connected with the main nodal details of the drawing. This gives grounds to conclude with great conviction that a similar “ matrix" was the original basis for the creation of this drawing in ancient Egypt. The “Matrix” and its traces were removed by Egyptian priests, and the drawing “ carried into the future"secret knowledge, both about the actual symbols depicted on it, and about one’s belonging to the world" "or "The World of Invisible Light". Only by combining these two keys - the “matrix” and the symbols shown in the figure, is it possible to correctly interpret both the symbols and statuses of the “matrix”.
Figure 11 on the right shows the writing (from top to bottom) of the Egyptian hieroglyphs indicating the “Name” of the Divine Horus - the boy Horpakhart.
Rice. eleven. The picture on the right shows the writing (from top to bottom) of the Egyptian hieroglyphs indicating the "Name" of the Divine Horus - the boy Horpakhart. From the figure it is clear that the upper hieroglyph Choir in the “Name” the Mountain begins at the 14th level in the “Upper” world (in upper Egypt) in the matrix of the Universe. This means that the "energy status" or Power of the divine boy Mountain(Hora) reaches the 14th level of the Upper World of the matrix. This fact surprisingly corresponds to what we will see later in the study sacred meaning icons "Oranta Panagia".
In the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic records of the “Names” of kings or gods, there was hidden a power corresponding to that level “ energy matrix of the universe”, from which the entry in the matrix of this “Name” began. The priests knew this secret, giving this or that “Name” to the born baby. Outwardly, it seemed to the people around them that the names of the children simply echoed the names of the gods.
It is significant to note that the hieroglyphic recording of the Name of the Divine Horus - the boy Horpakhart - begins precisely from the 14th level of the Upper World of the matrix. Sacred Meaning We discussed this level for souls going to heaven in an article on the website in the “Author's Articles” section - “In a dream, Jacob saw a staircase leading to heaven, in the matrix of the Universe! ", while examining the icon "Spiritual Ladder" from the Monastery of St. Catherine on the Sinai Peninsula.
Orthodox iconography has a huge number of varieties and types of Mother of God icons, which are revered by Christians as miraculous images, granting healing. One of these wonderful shrines is the Orthodox icon of the Great Panagia, which means the All-Holy. On it, the Mother of God is depicted in full height with raised arms and with the Infant God in her bosom. The raised hands of the Mother of God are a symbol of prayer, Jesus in a circle is a symbol of the Eucharist, the hands of the Mother of God are a symbol of the Church’s service to its Heavenly Primate. The crimson-scarlet maforia in which the Mother of God is dressed symbolizes greatness and belonging to the royal family, the white tunic is a symbol of chastity and heavenly purity. In the upper corners of the icon are the archangels Michael and Gabriel. Ancient icon of Panagia or as it is also called Yaroslavl Oranta ,
known since the beginning of the 12th century and written by the monk of Pechersk. Day of veneration of this holy icon. Orthodox Christians pray to her for deliverance from mental illnesses and for the opportunity to have healthy children. Many Christian women, hoping for help from the great Panagia, try to buy the holy icon of Panagia for their solitary prayers. Churches, icon shops, and Orthodox online stores offer beautiful images of this powerful icon. painted with paints, carved on wood, as well as icons embroidered with beads.
A variety of images of the Great Mother of God Panagia
In addition to the revered icons of Panagia– Yaroslavl Oranta, the image of Oranta Mirozhskaya is known, which is in the Pskov Museum and dates back to the 16th century. The Mother of God is also depicted with raised hands and the Child of God in a medallion. It carries the idea of intercession and patronage of all Orthodox Christians, in contrast to the Great Panagia, which is an image of Isaiah’s prophecy about the birth of Jesus, which speaks of the Son as the future Messiah and Savior to the world. The Orthodox icons of the Mother of God of the Sign, the Incarnation and the Unbreakable Wall are considered to be a variety of types of the ancient icon of the Great Panagia.
Icon of the Mother of God Panagia as a gift
Nowadays, it has become a tradition to give Orthodox icons as gifts for especially significant celebrations. The famous icon of the Mother of God Panagia was no exception. Today it will not be difficult to choose the version of this beautiful icon that you like best from those proposed by icon painting masters. Traditional examples of icon painting are no longer so attractive to modern Christians. Icons of the Great Panagia, embroidered with beads, are in great demand. They very skillfully embodied the religious meaning of the image and artistic skill. The bright colors of the clothes of the Mother of God and Jesus look very beautiful, thanks to the correctly selected shades of beads, and the decorations that complement the image make this Christian icon an expensive shrine in every sense.
iconographic type of St. The Mother of God, representing a full-length image of Our Lady Oranta, with a medallion in front of her chest, in which the Infant Christ is depicted. This name, according to N.P. Kondakov, is associated with the inscription accompanying the carved image of the Virgin Mary on the artos panagiar of the 14th century. from the Xiropotamus Monastery on Mount Athos. The origins of iconography date back to ancient times.
The prototype of this type is a fresco of the 4th century. from the catacombs of the “May Cemetery” in Rome, where the waist-length image of Our Lady of Oranta is presented with a waist-length image of the Infant Christ without a medallion, and chrisms on the sides. This iconographic type became widespread in Byzantium. art in the XI-XII centuries. The image of V.P. was often placed in the conch of the altar apse of churches: Panagia in Trikomo (Cyprus), early. XII century - 1130; Savior on Nereditsa, 1199; Virgin Mary at Studenica Monastery (Serbia), 1208-1209; Our Lady of Leviski in Prizren (Serbia), 20s. XIII century; Vmch. Demetrius, Patriarchate of Peć (Serbia, Kosovo and Metohija), ca. 1345; Nativity of Christ on the Red Field in Novgorod, XIV century.
The liturgical content of the image is especially clearly expressed in Russian. icon, so-called Yaroslavl Oranta (c. 1224, Tretyakov Gallery), where the Infant Christ is represented as a bishop blessing with both hands, and angels in medallions are depicted in episcopal omophorions. Images of the V.P. type are also called “Blachernitissa” (relief from the Church of Santa Maria Mater Domini in Venice, ca. 1200; icon “Virgin Mary with the coming Moses and Patriarch Euthymius” from the monastery of the Great Church of Catherine on Sinai, XIII century; Mirozh Icon of the Mother of God, 16th century, PIAM; image of the Mother of God Episkepsis (Patroness) on a 12th century seal, Archaeological Museum in Istanbul).
In Russian traditions, images of the V.P. type are also called “The Sign” and are more often presented in a half-length version (Novgorod icon “The Sign”, 12th century, St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod). Such images are found in altar paintings (in the conch of the altar of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa), in domes (the Church of Our Lady Afendiko in Mystras, early 14th century), as well as on the walls of the narthexes above the entrance to the temple (the Church of Panagia Forbiotissa in Asinu, Cyprus, 1105-1106; mosaic of the narthex of the Chora monastery (Kahrie-jami) in K-pol, 1315-1321). This version of iconography is also called Platytera (“Broadening the skies”). The gesture of the raised hands of the Mother of God and the image of Emmanuel on Her chest determine the main content of the image - prayer for the whole world and testimony to the saving incarnation of the Divine Logos. Depending on the iconographic context and accompanying inscriptions, the theme of the incarnation takes on a dogmatic (for example, the image of the Mother of God “The Sign” in the center of the prophetic row of the iconostasis) or liturgical character (panagia of abbot Nikon, 15th century; the icon “Yaroslavl Oranta”). The variety of names associated with the veneration of famous images has led to the formation of various scientific traditions, in which preference is given to one or another version of the name, regardless of the iconographic features of the image. Kondakov, as a rule, uses the term “Sign”, the same monuments in the works of researchers of the 20th century. are called "Blachernitissa" and "Platitera". In Russian written sources of the 16th century. to denote this iconographic type, the term “Incarnation” is used, which most closely corresponds to the dogmatic content of the image.
Lit.: Kondakov. Iconography of the Mother of God. T. 2. P. 102-123; Lange R. Die byzant. Reliefikone. Recklinghausen, 1964; LCI. Bd. 3. Sp. 167-168; Putsko V. Our Lady of Great Panagia // ZRVI. 1978. T. 18. P. 245-256; Weiss A. Die Madonna Platytera: Königstein im Taunus, 1985; Sevcenko N. P. Virgin Blachernitissa // ODB. 1991. Vol. 3. P. 2170-2171; Smirnova E. WITH . Liturgical images in production. painting (using the example of an icon from the early 13th century) // VV. 1994. T. 55 (80). pp. 197-202; she is the same. Novgorod icon “Our Lady of the Sign”: certain questions of the Mother of God iconography of the 12th century. // DRI: Balkans. Rus. St. Petersburg, 1995. pp. 288-309.
