In Russia, along with cultural mass creativity, artistic images of the main mythical heroes of the Holy Bible occupy a special place in the world of Orthodox art. Among the legendary graphic works created by great icon painters in different historical times, the “Sovereign” icon of the Mother of God is of great importance for all religious Christians.
History of the icon
In one of the villages of Bronnitsky district there lived a believing peasant woman who observed all the requirements of religion. Her name was Evdokia Andrianova. One day she had an unusual dream: a mysterious female voice called on the woman to go to the village of Kolomenskoye, find an old icon there and give it to the church, so that people would pray in front of the image and ask for help, because... Harsh times will soon come for Russia.
The woman did not know whose voice it was in the dream. But something inside told her that the Mother of God herself was calling to find the lost icon. Soon Evdokia hit the road.
Arriving in the village of Kolomenskoye, she saw the Ascension Church as if in a dream. Going into the temple and looking for Father Nikolai, she told him about a mysterious dream. The abbot did not interfere with the search; he even went with Evdokia to look for an unusual thing. But the attempts were unsuccessful: not a single icon resembled the one in the dream.
Then they decided to go down to the basement and continue the search, hoping to still find the loss. Finally, under the boards and unnecessary things, a dirty icon, darkened by time, was found. Under a thick layer of dust and dirt it was difficult to see the drawing. When the icon was cleaned, Evdokia confirmed that it was this image that she saw in a dream.
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Sovereign icons of the Mother of God in the online store of Orthodox icons Saints.
The Lord communicated his opinion regarding the supreme power through a simple peasant woman
It is interesting that the woman who told about the place where the icon lies had dreams in which the Heavenly Powers pointed it out to her. It turns out that the Lord foresaw the upcoming renunciation. Or maybe the Council Oath, given by representatives of all lands and classes in 1613 to the Romanov family, was canceled in 1917? We can only guess and look for the hidden meaning of the event. The “sovereign” icon of the Mother of God does not answer who is to blame for the misfortunes of the people and the seizure of power by atheists. This means that we don’t need to know the answer. After all, by looking for him, we are looking for the culprit. And we are commanded: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.” With the blessing and conciliar prayer of Patriarch Alexy II, the Orthodox citizens of Russia repented for not preserving the monarchy, for allowing the violation and non-compliance of the Council Oath, pronounced and signed before the first Romanov - sixteen-year-old Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov-Yuryev - 300 years ago.
The meaning of the “Sovereign” icon
On a golden throne with a wide semicircular back, the Lady is depicted in a crown, holding a scepter and orb. The presence of royal attributes reflects the greatness, power and authority of the Queen. It was customary for royal families to wear bright red clothes, so the Saint is depicted in clothes of the same color.
The baby Jesus sits on the lap of the Lady, turning to the left. With his right hand he makes a blessing gesture, with his left he points in the direction where all sinners will stand at the Last Judgment. Thus, Jesus personifies forgiveness and blessing of all those who have stumbled along the path of life.
Description of the image of the Queen of Heaven
A somewhat unusual image appears. Traditionally, Christians are accustomed to the image of the Humble, but here it is a little different. On the Mother’s lap, the Christ Child blesses everyone with his outstretched hand. The mistress sits on the throne of the ruler, holding in her hands the signs of power (scepter, orb).
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The stern face is strict. The photo shows that there is a royal crown on the head, and a luminous halo around it. A red robe is draped - another symbol of power. Everything indicates that the Russian people now have their own divine guardian.
What does an icon help with?
The name “Sovereign” speaks for itself that you need to ask the Mother of God for peace, a quiet life, and an end to civil strife. But if your heart is restless and your soul is heavy, then it is difficult to achieve a peaceful sky above your head.
What you need to ask from the “Sovereign” Mother:
- about forgiveness and humility;
- about sincere love for each other;
- cope with serious illnesses, survive any illness;
- quickly restore health after a major operation;
- meet your soulmate;
- solve financial problems;
- restore peace of mind, gain confidence;
- overcome internal anger and envy;
- get rid of negative thoughts.
Miracles and veneration
Having been revealed to Orthodox people, the icon immediately began to show various miracles. Evdokia, who discovered the shrine, decided to raise funds for a chasuble for the relic. Soon the Mother of God appeared to her again and ordered her to return the money to the people. She warned that all church property would soon be plundered, and the robe would come to her on its own.
In 1917, craftsmen restored the image in the Alekseevsky nunnery and, through negligence, damaged its lower part. People began to fear retribution, but Evdokia managed to calm them down. It was revealed to the woman that the Most Pure Virgin Mary was not at all angry with the masters.
The sovereign icon quickly gained fame as a miracle worker. A large number of its copies were distributed throughout Russia. With the participation of Patriarch Tikhon, a special akathist was compiled, which combined fragments of texts glorifying other icons of the Mother of God. It was called “Akathist of Akathists for the Queen of Queens.”
Sovereign icon of the Mother of God in Kolomenskoye
When news about the icon spread, people began to come from the surrounding area to venerate the Virgin Mary. The procession of the Holy Image began through the churches of the region, and even through various enterprises in Moscow. For a long time, the Ascension Convent of the Moscow Kremlin kept the face of the Lady within its walls.
In 1812, the icon was transported to Kolomenskoye for preservation, because At this time, Napoleon's attacks on the capital began. Then she was sent to the State Historical Museum, and then to the Moscow publishing department of the Patriarchate.
In 1990, Patriarch Alexei II gave permission to transfer the image of the Saint to the famous church in the village of Kolomenskoye. To this day, the original icon is located there, in the Kazan Church in the village. Kolomenskoye.
Painful questions
In the light of modern events, when the world seems so fragile, when state borders do not protect the rich Russian lands from the greedy eyes of foreigners, when hundreds of thousands of people are destroyed to satisfy the geopolitical demands of the ruling world elite, when people indifferent to the fate of those who feed them have seized power within their own country their people, I want to exclaim: “Is this really fair, is it really how it should be, is there really no force capable of resisting evil and injustice?!” Maybe God has turned his back on Russia? Is there an answer to this question?
Appearance of the icon
The “sovereign” icon appeared before the people on March 15, 1917 (March 2, old style), on the same day as Tsar Nicholas II’s decision to relinquish power. Having learned about the ruler's abdication from the royal throne, people were at a loss: who would rule the country, who would protect them.
On the same day they learned about the found icon. This was a sign from above that no one would be left without protection; the Mother of God would protect everyone who asked her for help. With her appearance she once again proved her reliability, power and incredible strength.
The meaning of the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In the Moscow region, in the village of Kolomenskoye, the image of the Mother of God appeared to the Russian Orthodox people in 1917. This event coincided with the abdication of the throne of Nicholas II. One peasant woman, Evdokia, who lived near this village, began to have dreams about a white church, and heard demands from a secret voice to find the icon and make it red. Being a true Christian, the peasant woman told everything to the rector of the Ascension Church.
After a long search, an image of the Most Pure One was found in one of the basements of the church, among old boards. When it was cleared of many years of soot dust, everyone saw the image of the Mother of God as the Queen of Heaven: in red attire, sitting majestically on the royal throne, with a crown on her head and a golden halo, and in her hands an orb and a scepter. On Her lap She held the Son of God Jesus.
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The news of the appearance of a new image of the Mother of God on the day of the abdication of the Sovereign was regarded by Orthodox interpreters as a sign that the Queen of Heaven took control of Russia into Her hands and became its Intercessor. And according to another version, the appearance of the image of the Most Pure One testified to future trials for the Orthodox Church and the entire country, as punishment for numerous sins.
On the day the image was found, in Kolomenskoye, a healing spring came out of the ground. Since then, many copies of the icon have been written, and many believers have arrived in the village, and many miraculous healings of ailments of body and soul have been revealed before Her face.
Travel abroad
In recent decades, the wonderful image has traveled abroad three times. In 2007, after the unification of the Russian Orthodox Church with its foreign sister, the icon traveled to Russian parishes in America, Europe and Australia. In addition, in 2003 and 2014. she twice visited the Portuguese city of Fatima, where in 1917 three residents were honored with a vision of the Mother of God, who uttered prophecies about the fate of the world and the catastrophe approaching Russia.
Miracles performed through prayers to the Mother of God
Many miracles and healings occur through prayers to the Mother of God. One of the copies of the Sovereign icon became famous for its streaming of myrrh. The icon was painted in 1991 and consecrated on Easter 1993 in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. And a year later, drops of peace were discovered on the image of the Virgin Mary. During this time, the icon was brought to many churches many times. In August 1997, after prayers at the myrrh-streaming image, a resident of Brest received healing from facial skin cancer and blindness.
Nina Pavlova talked about the return of the Sovereign icon to Kolomenskoye. When the icon was taken out, Nina could not recognize the icon. Instead of a bright image of the Mother of God, she saw a “black board”. But since the narrator knew every crack and roughness on the icon, in this darkened image Nina was able to recognize the miraculous “Sovereign”. And then a true miracle happened:
“When they brought the icon of the Sovereign Mother of God to the temple and began to serve a prayer service in front of it, the blackness suddenly disappeared from it and the icon shone with bright, pristine colors.”
In the Nikolo-Perervinsky monastery in Moscow there is one of the copies of the Sovereign icon. It is distinguished by the fact that the Virgin Mary is depicted on an azure background. Her gaze is so piercing, looking into the very heart of the person praying, that it is impossible to fall to the icon without special awe and reverence. One of the miraculous events that happened in the spring of 1991 is connected with the icon. The rector of the St. Nicholas Church, Archpriest Vladimir Chuvikin, was informed that the icon of the Sovereign Mother of God was streaming myrrh abundantly. The fragrance and flow of myrrh from the image brought to the temple lasted for half a month. This wonderful event was observed by numerous parishioners and visitors.
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Soon after the appearance of the icon, pilgrims began to flock to Kolomenskoye in droves. To give everyone the opportunity to venerate the image, they began to transport it not only to surrounding churches, but also to factories. The icon stayed in the Church of the Ascension only on Sundays and holidays. It is known that the icon visited the Martha and Mary Convent of Mercy in Zamoskvorechye, where it was solemnly greeted by the abbess of the monastery, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, and the sisters of the monastery.
Visions of God's servant Evdokia
The circumstances under which this miraculous image was revealed to people are very surprising. As eyewitnesses of those ancient events testified, a certain pious woman, whose name is Evdokia Andrianova, had a vision on the night after the holiday established in honor of the miraculous image of the Iveron Mother of God. In a subtle dream, she was honored to see the Most Pure Virgin, who commanded her to go to the village of Kolomenskoye near Moscow and there, in the Church of the Ascension, to find Her image, forgotten by everyone and blackened by time.
Rising in the morning, the astonished woman prayed for a long time before the image of the Savior, asking her to enlighten her to fulfill the will of His Most Pure Mother and to grant her the necessary strength to do so. In the event that the night vision was only a devilish temptation (which also often happens) - to protect her from evil spirits. “Lord, save and send a blessing upon Your servant Evdokia!” she tirelessly repeated.
The next night, barely forgotten by sleep, the woman again saw the Queen of Heaven, who repeated her previous command and added that the image should not only be found, but also, having removed dust and soot from it, placed in the church for public worship. When the dream dissipated, and with it the last doubts went away, Evdokia felt an extraordinary surge of strength and a thirst to immediately fulfill the will of the Blessed Virgin.
Prayers for the Fatherland
Faith in the gracious help sent down through this holy image has not dried up to this day, despite all the troubles allowed by the Lord throughout the 20th century. In front of its numerous lists, available today in most Orthodox churches, candles and lamps burn inextinguishably. How does the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God help and what are prayers offered before it?
This is not difficult to guess by looking at the image. First of all, the Heavenly Autocrat, endowed with the attributes of the highest earthly power, is asked to protect the Russian state from wars and internal upheavals, to keep it intact, to save it from territorial disintegration and civil strife.
In the event of armed conflicts, they ask him for victory for the Orthodox army and deliverance from the death of his honest warriors. The main thing is a prayer for peace and admonition for politicians who are pushing the country to the brink of a new catastrophe. In our time filled with anxiety, it could not be more relevant. All this is stated in the prayer below to the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God. They also ask the Queen of Heaven to strengthen our holy Orthodox Church and deliver it from heresies, schisms and unbelief, which were so rooted in past years, when atheism was elevated to the rank of state ideology.
