Seven-shot icon: meaning, symbolism, placement rules

What icons are hung above or opposite the front door?

st.
Novoslobodskaya, 20, building 4127055 Russia, Moscow 7 (495) 743-32-48 Orthodox believers often ask the question: is it possible to hang icons above the front door? Of course, the canons of the Orthodox Church allow this to be done.

But here it is very important to understand that an icon is not a talisman that will protect your home from ill-wishers

An icon at the entrance to a house may be necessary so that every person who sees it remembers the name of God and can turn to the holy image with prayer, thank higher powers for their help and ask for intercession.

An icon is, first of all, your helper to tune in to prayer and turn to God or the saints, as well as to revive hope for God’s help and the successful resolution of a particular request.

Which icon is best to hang above or opposite the front door of the house? To do this, you can choose almost any Christian image, however, among them there are those most often found in the homes of Orthodox believers.

Savior Not Made by Hands (Savior on Ubrus)

Price: from 7,000 rub.

This icon of Jesus Christ is quite often found opposite the front door in Christian homes. According to legend, this face appeared as an imprint on a handkerchief after the Savior wiped his face with it and it is believed that it is the one that is most similar to the true image of Jesus Christ.

The placement of the icon “Savior on Ubrus” above the entrance door is very symbolic, because the Savior himself says to himself: “I am the door: whoever enters by Me will be saved” (John 10:9). Thus emphasizing that the path to salvation lies through Him.

Seven-shot Icon of the Mother of God

Price: from 9,500 rub.

Before this image, it is customary to ask the Mother of God to soften the hearts of household members, to grant peace and quiet in the family, a warm and sincere atmosphere in the house, as well as to protect the hearth from enemies and ill-wishers.
More often, the Seven-Arrow Icon is hung opposite the front door, so that everyone entering the house will first meet the gaze of the Mother of God, and all bad thoughts will leave him.

Icon of the Mother of God Impenetrable Door

Price: from 80,000 rub.

This icon, even by its name, reminds us of the intercession of the Mother of God. Truly She is an impenetrable door for any evil, enemies, ill-wishers. Found more than 800 years ago in one of the Christian churches, this icon remains unharmed to this day, despite the fact that the temple itself is almost destroyed.

“The Impenetrable Door” reminds us that by turning to the Mother of God in prayer, we can always, by our faith, receive help and ward off troubles and misfortunes from ourselves and our loved ones.

The Guardian Angel is God's messenger, bringing His love and protection to earth and protecting you and your home from troubles and troubles. An icon with his image, placed above or opposite the front door, will always remind you of your Angel and encourage you to turn to him in prayer.

He, like a Guiding Star, will always guide you and direct you only to godly deeds and thoughts, accompany you on the road and ward off evil from you and your home.

You can purchase an icon to place near the front door in our icon-painting workshop “Creating a Heritage”. We will be happy to make an Orthodox image for you to order or we will offer ready-made icons from stock

Each such icon (no matter whether it was painted individually for you or not) is a genuine work of art, one of a kind

Our icon painters belong to the Vladimir school of Orthodox icon painting, which at all times, from Ancient Rus' to this day, was considered the largest, oldest and most revered in our country. The brushes of our artists own thousands of icons, which are now carefully preserved in churches and homes around the world.

You can purchase an icon in our workshop, which will become a priceless gift for any Orthodox Christian, and it will also patronize your home or the home of your loved ones for many years.

Choose the image you need;
Contact us by phone, email or by submitting an online application:
We will call you back and agree on the desired plot and signature;
From 2 weeks to 3 months (depending on the complexity of the plot and execution technique), the icon painter will work on the image;
Upon completion of the work, the image will be consecrated in the temple (in the Vladimir region), and you will be able to take part in this bright event;
After this, you can pick up the finished icon in person, or we will deliver it to you by mail anywhere in Russia or the world.

Choose the icon you need on our website right now!

Myrrh-streaming icon from Bachurino

At the end of the 90s, during a difficult time for Russia, the Lord showed many miracles. One could often hear about the streaming of myrrh from icons, the renewal of faces, and the miraculous appearances of holy images. The Most Holy Virgin also did not spare Her mercy “The Softening of Evil Hearts,” bought by a simple Muscovite in a church shop.

This happened in 1999. In the apartment of Margarita Vorobyova, an ordinary paper icon of the Mother of God “with arrows” was covered with fragrant myrrh. Each such case is twice examined by scientific commissions under the Russian Orthodox Church, identifying cases of quackery. When no natural reasons for the appearance of liquid on the icon are identified, the image is placed in a sealed glass case. If the icon continues to stream myrrh, then this is recognized as a miracle of God. The myrrh-streaming of “Semistrelnaya” turned out to be true and a chapel was built for it in the village of Bachurino.

Worship of the Myrrh-Streaming Icon of the Seven-Shot Mother of God

Important! The ongoing miracle from Bachurin’s image continues to this day. In moments of technological disasters and terrorist attacks, the fragrant oil on the icon turned into blood. This is how the Mother of God empathized with Her people during a difficult historical period.

The miracle of God cannot be kept secret, so the myrrh-streaming icon constantly travels. With donations from Muscovites, parades of the image are organized throughout all countries of the world. The “Seven Shot” was warmly welcomed in all cities of Russia, on the holy Mount Athos, in Australia, in the USA, where representatives of the Church Abroad, who fundamentally did not want to communicate with Russian Orthodox Christians, came to the image to pray. Such was the miracle of the "Softening of Evil Hearts" in America.

Prayer of the Seven Shot Mother of God Softening Evil Hearts

A plea for help addressed to the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, is one of the most powerful petitions of the Lord. There are a lot of images of the Queen of Heaven depicted on icons and lists, and one of them is the miraculous Mother of God of the Seven Arrows.

This face of the Most Pure Virgin is considered one of the most powerful icons in the Orthodox church world. For many centuries in a row, Orthodox believers appealed to the Blessed Virgin Mary for help and intercession precisely through this image.

Prayer to the Seven Shots Icon of the Mother of God

The icon depicts the Virgin Mary, without the Son of God Jesus Christ, her heart is pierced by seven arrows or swords. Why seven? In the Orthodox world, the number seven denotes the “fullness” of anything.

This image of the Most Pure Mother of God symbolizes the fullness of all the grief that Mary experienced during her life; the weapon passed through her soul, through her sorrows and heart illnesses. Also, there is another vision of this image: seven arrows are the seven sinful passions of a person, which the Most Holy Theotokos can read in any heart without much difficulty.

A strong prayer to the “Seven Arrows” icon helps everyone who asked for help, which is why, every day, many people gather in the Church of the Holiest of the Angels Michael to ask the Virgin Mary for help.

What prayer to read to the “Seven Arrow” icon

Orthodox believers ask the Virgin Mary for reconciliation between warring parties, deliverance from hardness of heart, deliverance from anger and hatred towards someone. The prayer of the “Seven Arrow” Mother of God - “Softening Evil Hearts” is designed to give people hope that mercy, kindness and love will reign in the world, there will be no place for enmity, anger and rage.

The image of the Mother of God “Seven Arrows” and “Softening Evil Hearts” are often confused, since they are almost identical, the only difference being that in the first case, the Virgin Mary is pierced by arrows, and in the second, she is pierced by swords. But among the people, as a rule, both images are referred to as the “Seven Shot” Mother of God.

We advise you to study Prayers before court for a successful outcome

The prayer to the Mother of God of Seven Arrows is said at her miraculous face in these words:

“O long-suffering Mother of God, Higher than all the daughters of the earth, in Your purity and in the multitude of sufferings You have brought to the earth, accept our much-painful sighs and keep us under the shelter of Your mercy. Do You know of no other refuge and warm intercession, but, since You have the boldness to be born of You, help and save us with Your prayers, so that we may without stumbling reach the Kingdom of Heaven, where with all the saints we will sing praises in the Trinity to the one God, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen".

Prayer of the Seven Shot Mother of God - how to ask correctly

In order for your request to the Mother of God to come true as quickly as possible, you need to follow some rules:

Go to an Orthodox church;
Light a candle for health in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary;
Pray before the icon of the Son of God Jesus Christ;
Buy a candle with which you will pray at home;
Returning home, retire to a separate room, light a candle in front of the image of the Mother of God and ask the Queen of Heaven for help in matters disturbing the soul.

Today, the miraculous myrrh-streaming image of the Most Pure Virgin Mary is kept in Moscow, on the Maiden Field, in the Church of the Archangel Michael.

Days of veneration of the holy face:

The image of the Most Holy Theotokos, pierced by seven arrows, is venerated according to the new style on August 13 (old style - August 26).

The most important thing is not to be afraid to turn to the Lord God, the Mother of God, Jesus Christ or God's Saints and Great Martyrs for help. Sincere prayer is a powerful weapon for solving any problem. Not a single conspiracy, not a single magical act can be compared to prayer in terms of impact.

God commanded people to turn to him for help, and not to the dark forces of the devil. Any appeal to the Lord should begin with the prayer “Our Father”, and then ask for the indulgence of God’s grace, healing from an illness or solution to a problem

Not a single conspiracy, not a single magical act can be compared to prayer in terms of impact. God commanded people to turn to him for help, and not to the dark forces of the devil. Any appeal to the Lord should begin with the prayer “Our Father”, and then ask for God’s grace, healing from an illness or solution to a problem.

Don’t be afraid to turn to the Lord, he will hear everyone and help even in the most intractable situation.

God bless you!

Watch also the video prayer to the Most Pure Mother of God “Softening Evil Hearts”:

Where can I find the miraculous icon “Seven Arrows”?

Unfortunately, the icon itself disappeared after the revolution, but there remained copies of the icon, which are also miraculous. For example, in the Church of the Archangel Michael, in Moscow, there is a myrrh-streaming image “Seven Shots”, to which both locals and people from afar come to ask for peace, deliverance from illnesses, healing of the soul from anger and hatred.

Church of the Archangel (Archistratigus) Michael in Troparevo

is an Orthodox church that was built in 1693-1694 on the lands of the Novodevichy Convent near Moscow. Now this is already the territory of Moscow.

The meaning of the “Seven Shot” icon

This image is one of the few in which the Mother of God is depicted without the baby Jesus Christ. The seven swords represent the fullness of suffering when She looked at the mockery and abuse of the Son of God. Swords also indicate the seven deadly sins, which all humanity still commits to this day.

The icon depicts the Mother of God pierced by arrows or swords. There are many versions of this image: sometimes the Virgin Mary is depicted alone, sometimes angels or Jesus with the saints can be seen with her. Swords and arrows carry a certain symbolism - the pain of Christ's crucifixion. This is the pain a mother experienced during the execution of her son.

The endless pain and grief of the unfortunate mother is expressed in the number of spears - seven. This number has the meaning of the completeness of something. Sometimes the number 7 is associated with the seven sins of humanity, which pierce the heart of the Mother of God. The Mother of God folded her hands in prayer, as if begging humanity to get rid of their sins. After all, they lead to death. The seven-shot icon of the Mother of God appeals to every heart and promises to intercede with the Son for the forgiveness of all who have repented.

The seven-arrow icon is closely connected with the Gospel story about the holy family’s visit to the Jerusalem Temple on the fortieth day (Luke 2: 34-35). It was on this day that, according to Israeli laws, every baby had to be dedicated to God. When the Most Holy Theotokos and Elder Joseph crossed the threshold of the Jerusalem Temple, they were met by Elder Simeon.

Simeon really took the Savior into his arms and spoke prophetic words addressed to the Most Holy Theotokos. He said that because of the child, many of the people of Israel would fall, while others would rise. And that the soul of the Mother of God will be pierced by a weapon. The prophecy actually came true.

The scribes and Pharisees, who were at the top among the Israeli people and were considered “pillars of faith,” departed from God due to the condemnation of the Son of God to death. And the simple and unlearned apostles - disciples of Christ - rose in the eyes of God and man. The Mother of God herself received many sorrows, seeing before her own eyes how people blinded by sin treated her Divine Son. Indeed, her soul was pierced by the weapon of grief and sadness through the contemplation of the suffering on the cross and the death of the Savior.

The legend about the appearance of the icon in Rus'

At the end of the 17th century on the river. In Toshna, Vologda district, a small stone church was erected in the name of the Apostle John the Theologian. Almost a hundred years later, the Mother of God deigned to glorify Her image in this temple. Several times a sick peasant approached the clerks with a request to climb the bell tower. In a dream, he saw the Mother of God, who commanded that Her icon be taken from there. The bell ringers knew for sure that there were no icons on the bell tower and therefore did not allow the petitioner to enter.

Thanks to persistence, the peasant finally got to the belfry and began the search. While going down the stairs, he tripped over one of the steps. The board came off and everyone saw the image of the Blessed Virgin, darkened with dirt, with seven arrows piercing Her heart.

Icon "The Seven Shot Mother of God"

The icon was immediately washed and placed in the church. After the prayer service was served, the peasant was healed of his illness. The miraculous image was installed in one of the chapels, which was later consecrated in his name.

Interesting articles about Orthodoxy:

What is an amulet and how to wear it
About the creation of the world
About dreams in Orthodoxy

Another hundred years later, in 1830, a cholera epidemic swept through Vologda. The seven-shot icon of the Mother of God went to the city, where it was carried with a religious procession around the walls. By the grace of God, the disease subsided. In honor of this event, a day of remembrance of the icons “Seven Arrows”, “Softening Evil Hearts” and the similar plot “Passionate” was established - August 26.

Miracles through prayers from the Mother of God did not dry up until the Civil War, when the Church of St. John the Theologian was destroyed to the ground. But local residents managed to preserve the shrine. After the Great Patriotic War, the miraculous image was placed in the Lazarus Church in Vologda, where, by the grace of the Blessed Virgin, it remains today.

How does the Seven-Arrow Icon of the Mother of God help?

eye diseases – restoration of vision;
cure for cancer - relief from severe pain;
healing of the paralyzed – restoration of lost body functions;
lack of funds for repairs and construction of the temple - frozen construction was quickly completed;
conflicts in the family, at work, encountering cruelty and rudeness on the part of relatives and friends - the evil temper is softened, peace and harmony are established.

Note: We noticed that through the prayers of the Mother of God, love and prosperity reign in the family. The Most Holy Queen of Heaven preserves the peace of spouses and children, protects the home from the encroachment of dishonest people, destroying evil intentions.

The meaning of the Mother of God in Orthodoxy

The Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin Mary, is a central figure in Orthodox culture. Her first icon was painted by the Apostle Luke, and this image became the model for subsequent copies. From childhood, Mary was given to the service of God. She knew about the prophecy that announced the birth of the Messiah from a virgin. The girl understood that this was a great honor, and did not consider herself worthy. But when Archangel Gabriel appeared and asked if she agreed to become the Mother of God, Mary agreed and accepted her assigned role with humility.

Thanks to the humility with which she treated her parents’ decision to give her to the service of God and to her life at the temple, the girl became chosen to be the Mother of God. But her main feat was that she knew how her Son’s earthly journey would end. She sacrificed her child to save humanity. But the deep pain of loss struck her, as if seven arrows had entered her chest. After all, the number 7 in Orthodoxy means completeness and absolute.

Mary believed in her destiny, did not become proud, but lived like a simple woman and preached the Word of God like the apostles. And for her selflessness and great devotion to God, the memory of Her will be eternal. The Mother of God is not equated with God, but She is His Mother, the person closest to the Throne of the Lord and authorized to intercede for those praying for help.

We advise you to study the Prayers of St. Basil of Ostrog

The Mother of God of Seven Arrows became a consolation for people in illness and sorrow. They pray to the Blessed Virgin for healing illnesses, conceiving children, and achieving family happiness. Her icons work miracles, and the myrrh flow warns of dangers.

Old Believer icon

Since the 18th century, the image “Softening Evil Hearts” with a completely different plot has been known in the southern regions of Russia. The icon depicts the Mother of God with the Child Jesus, in front of Her is a stone wall. On the head of the Most Pure One is worn a royal crown with the image of the dead Jesus and the Mother of God Herself weeping over Him. On Mary’s chest there is a medallion with a cross, on the right along the golden field of the icon there is the inscription: “Softening the evil hearts of the Most Holy Theotokos.”

Complex symbols and the Mother of God's cloak, decorated with a star pattern, indicate the Western origin of the icon. The first such image was miraculously found near Mogilev, in the village. Rudnya (swampy places where ore was mined) at the end of the 17th century. In terms of time, the phenomena of “Semistrelnaya” in Toshna and “Ugleniya” in Rudnya coincide.

The name of the icon was given by St. Dmitry Rostovsky, writing a quatrain dedicated to the miraculous image:

“Where is the Creating Iron from cronyism; Virgo Dwell Dearest Gold. Yes, Cruelty softens people's morals; And turns iron Hearts to God.”

These words are placed at the bottom of the image, on the frame. The icon was revered by the Old Believers.

SECOND SECRET.

Here you can already feel the hand of the Vatican, “The Holy Father will dedicate Russia to me,” - the Vatican’s addition is too obvious, can one person dedicate an entire country to the Mother of God? Here the answer is obvious, no matter who he is, he alone cannot do anything. Who then can do this? Of course, the people, the people themselves who live in these territories, have all the power in them, and not in the Holy Fathers. And if we remember the 90s, what happened, a spiritual upsurge in society began to occur, old Temples began to be restored, new ones were opened, people began to visit these Temples (some for show, of course), there were also those who, without visiting the Temples, simply They believed in God, and this is wonderful. Faith awoke in people and the Mother of God found her home.

By the way, in my opinion, the last sentence was completely added by the Vatican. “The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted and some time of peace will be given to the world.” And the prophecy ends with the words “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

Temples in honor of the icon

Since the start of the journey across the country of the myrrh-streaming icon from Bachurino, in the name of “Softening Evil Hearts,” many churches have been built: in Moscow (Konkovo), Nebug (Krasnodar Territory), Kiev (Ukraine), Usinsk (Komi), Sverdlovsk region. and others. Churches in honor of this image are opened in children's colonies and educational institutions. Since 2011, the temple in the name of the Seven Arrows icon has been operating in Cyprus.

About other Orthodox churches and monasteries:

Gethsemane monastery in Sergiev Posad
Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Krasnodar
Monastery in honor of St. Apostle Luke in the village of Laki

In front of the image of the Mother of God “Seven Arrows,” the warring pray for reconciliation, the unfortunate for mercy, the sick for health, and receive what they ask for. In a relatively short time of glorification, the icon “Softening Evil Hearts,” which came to the Russian Church from the West, acquired Orthodox meaning and became beloved among the people.

Presentation of the Lord

This is what the Mother of Christ did when she met the prophet Simeon there. He uttered words that symbolize the swords piercing the heart of the Virgin Mary. Meeting is the meeting of the righteous elder with the Savior, whom the Jews were waiting for. But why is the event given such great importance? To understand, you have to go back 270 years.

The Egyptian king Ptalomey II Philadelphia decided to add to the Library of Alexandria. To do this, he invited 72 learned men to transpose the Old Testament. Among them was the righteous Simeon. In the book of St. Isaiah, I saw the phrase: “Behold, the Virgin will conceive...”. Considering the word “Virgo” to be a mistake, he decided to change it to “Wife”. An Angel appeared, predicting: because of doubt, he would not die without seeing the Savior.

In which temples is the shrine located?

In the Moscow region there are two myrrh-streaming icons of Our Lady of the Seven Arrows. The first is located in the Church of the Archangel Michael in Moscow.

The second image is kept near Moscow in the village of Bachurino. The history of the second shrine is quite interesting. The thing is that this image is printed. It was printed for Margarita Vorobyova, but the owner noticed that the face of the Mother of God was streaming myrrh. After this, it was handed over to the church and recognized as miraculous. Recently, the image has been taken to various churches in Russia and abroad.

Another image is located in the Church of St. Lazarus the Righteous in the city of Vologda. The face of the Mother of God occupies one of the important places in the local church. It has been in this place since 1945. Previously, the icon was miraculously revealed in the Church of St. John the Evangelist. Today, pilgrimages take place here twice a year.

One of the lists of the shrine "Softening Evil Hearts" is in the Chapel of Venice. She came to Italy after the events associated with the Great Patriotic War. In 1942, not far from Belogorye (Voronezh region) near the Don, troops of the allied Italy fought against the German coalition. Italian soldiers, in a house destroyed by a bomb, found the surviving icon “Softening Evil Hearts.” This image was given to the Italian priest Policarpo.

The best article for you, go to: Icon of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg

Local residents said that it was previously the property of the Resurrection Belogorsk Monastery. The Italians gave the shrine a new name, “Madonna del Don,” but this image had nothing in common with Our Lady of the Don. A year later, the Italians were defeated, and the priest fled with the image to Maistre, where a chapel was built for the miraculous icon. Many Slavs came to this place to mourn those killed in World War II.

Another list is located in the city of Zhizdra, Kaluga province. The icon is of the same type, and in the description it is listed as “Simeon’s Prophecies”. It is slightly different from “Seven Shots” and “Softening Evil Hearts” in that in it the Mother of God covers herself from seven swords with one hand, and holds her baby with the other. The image reads the following words: “And a weapon will pierce your very soul.”

What helps and where to hang the “Seven Shots” icon in the apartment

This shrine in modern merciless times is considered one of the most necessary and significant. And yet, what does the “Seven Arrow” icon protect against?
A prayer service before this image will help with outbreaks of family or neighborly enmity. The icon protects against people’s intolerance towards you.
It will also help with outbursts of irritation, anger or anger. These properties of human nature are present in every person and are not his best properties.
In times of hostility between nations, people turned to the image of the Mother of God for help, asking for protection. It is believed that prayer in front of the face of the Mother of God can soften the enemy’s heart. After all, even the name of the image “Softening Evil Hearts” speaks for itself.
Society today has become so cruel that people don’t even notice it. And the face of the Mother of God with a pierced heart helps to feel mercy and compassion. This allows you to reconcile people who are in a quarrel or hostility. Prayers improve dysfunctional relationships between spouses, loved ones and relatives.
It is also known that if you visit the temple where Semistrelnaya is located and pray to her with all your heart, you can be healed of physical and mental illnesses.

Placing an icon in the house

Believers, before placing an image, often ask themselves the question: how to hang the “Seven Arrow” icon and where is the best place to place it? The best place for such a shrine, of course, would be its own equipped corner. Other icons that are significant to a person are also placed in it.

There are practically no requirements in this regard. But there is still a list of important recommendations:

To attract positive energy, it is better to place the face of the Mother of God on the eastern side of the house;
It is acceptable to place the image above the front door;
You can also hang it opposite the entrance. Just like in the second option, this helps protect the house from evil spirits, negative energy and other evil;
Priests recommend adding a towel to the face of the Mother of God;
It is not recommended to place various talismans, amulets and other objects that do not belong to the Christian religion next to the icon;
The corner or place for the icon must be constantly clean. Regular cleaning is required;
It is not advisable to place household appliances or any images nearby;
It is not recommended to hang photographs of relatives or family members next to it.

The best article for you, go to: Blessed Prince Georgy (Yuri) Vsevolodovich, Vladimirsky

How to get to the Church of the Archangel Michael in Moscow and the Seven Arrow Icon?

Located in the Troparevo-Nikulino district of Moscow, not far from the Yugo-Zapadnaya metro station at 90 Vernadskogo Avenue. You can also walk from the metro, because it’s only 900 meters.

Read other articles about the miraculous Seven-Shot Icon HERE . And about all Orthodox holidays, all the information is HERE .

Prayers and incantations before the icon of the Mother of God “Seven Arrows”. Miracles of the miraculous icon “Softening Evil Hearts”

LiveJournal
Google+

Revered miracles of the image

For more than half a century, Semistrelnaya showed people her miraculous powers. All of them are confirmed historically and by witness testimony:

The first miracle is the appearance of the icon. After all, until the moment of the peasant’s vision, no one remembered about her. The image itself “declared” itself, wishing to return to the people in all its strength.
The second happened in the 19th century, when a plague epidemic swept across the country. Cities and villages perished, villages died. The plague captured more and more new areas and reached the Vologda province. Priests and parishioners despaired of stopping the plague with medical forces and prayed to Semistrelnaya. Having taken the image out of the church, they performed several processions of the cross. In the evenings they prayed fervently before the Intercessor, and the pestilence subsided. Since then, it has been customary to hang the icon at the head of patients suffering from incurable or severe pathologies.
The second discovery of the icon called the Don Madonna (Madonna del Don). The image was lost during the time of great persecution after 1917. It was found only in December 1942 near the Don, where there were battles between the Soviet Army and Italian troops. We must give the enemy soldiers their due - they not only carefully handed the icon to the chaplain, but also did not dare to violate the image, as was the case with other icons. After the victorious offensive of the Soviet troops, the enemy divisions were defeated. The icon passed into the hands of Russian soldiers, and then was solemnly handed over to Chaplain Policarpio.

We advise you to study the Sin of the love of money in Orthodoxy

It is interesting that the SA generals, who were categorically opposed to the church, admitted that they were saved many times by Semistrelnaya. After a fierce offensive, battles were fought in which death threatened all living things. And the salvation of the SA divisions, according to the veterans, was impossible without the protection of the Queen of Heaven. Everyone prayed to her - from privates to army generals. And She helped to withstand and cope with the monstrous onslaught of the best forces of the Wehrmacht.

"Don Madonna" in Italy

By the time of the Patriotic War, the image of the “Seven Shot” was rewritten several times and spread throughout the southern regions of Russia. One of them was kept by residents of the village of Belogorye (Voronezh region). It was a shrine taken from one of the temples destroyed in the 20s.

In 1942, Italian soldiers who fought on the side of the Nazis discovered a large ancient icon in a house destroyed by bombing. They immediately recognized the familiar face of the Mother of God and handed the find to the regimental priest.

Feeling the approach of death, the soldiers constantly prayed before the Madonna so that they could return home alive. But on the occasion of the successful offensive of the Soviet troops, there was little hope. At the busiest time, priest Fr. Policarpo handed over the shrine with the transport leaving for Italy, with a request to all Italian mothers to pray for their sons in front of the “Don Madonna,” as the icon was called in the regiment.

Seven-shot Mother of God

The image was given to Fr.'s mother. Policarpo, who immediately began to fervently pray for her son. By the grace of God, the priest and several soldiers were wounded and captured, after which they were able to return to their homeland. The icon, which had seen many tears, was placed in a specially built chapel. It is located in Venice, where World War II veterans come annually to touch the image from a distant land and pray for the souls of those killed. There, in two vessels, earth and water from the Don are stored.

On the Don soil, where the icon came from, an obelisk in the shape of a cross was also built over the burial site of the remains of Italian soldiers discovered by search engines. Thus, the Mother of God “Softening Evil Hearts” softened the hearts of the warring parties, just as 300 years earlier she softened the inflexibility of the bell ringers who did not allow the peasant called by the Mother of God into the bell tower.