VIRGIN OF KAZAN ICON
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Savior Save Us!
An icon to the Russian Christian is a “window to the eternal” connecting the created to his Creator and His saints. When looking at an icon one is considered to be in the presence of Christ, the Virgin or Saint portrayed. Eastern Christians have a great devotion to the Virgin Mary (called the THEOTOKOS or the “God Bearer”) with more than over 350 different icons dedicated to her. While all icons play a part in the religious life of Russia, some played a part in the historical and political development of Russia.
This icon is called the “Kazan Mother of God” in which the Virgin Mary faces a standing full figure of the Christ child with His hand extended in blessing.
The Kazan icon is one of the most beloved icons to the Russian people for religious and political reasons. The original icon was found in the ashes of a burnt home in Kazan and immediately became the source of spiritual and physical healings. Russian military successes of the 16th and 17th Century were attributed to the Mother of God though her icon. The icon was eventually taken to Moscow where a cathedral was built in its honor on Red Square. Eventually this Moscow Cathedral was blown up by Stalin and public toilets built there. The Cathedral was the first church built after the fall of Communism by monies collected from the Russian people.
A Russian mystic in 1863 predicted Tsar Peter (the Great) would build a magnificent city and it would protect the Virgin Mary as long as the Kazan Mother of God icon was in that city. Peter the Great established St Petersburg in 1703 and in 1710 he had the icon taken to the new city of St Petersburg. In 1815 in thanksgiving for the Russian victory over Napoleon, the magnificent Virgin of Kazan Cathedral was built on Nevsky Prospect. A rather bad omen was in 1904 when the icon was stolen. After the Communist Revolution this church was converted into the Museum of Atheism. During the 1945 siege of St Petersburg by the Nazis, the Virgin Mary in a dream to the Metropolitan of Mt Lebanon told him to have the icon processed to the parameters of the city and the siege would stop. Stalin allowed this to happen and within 3 days the siege was ended. The Virgin through icon of Kazan is the protector of St Petersburg.
An icon believed to be the one stolen in 1904 was bought in the 1950s by the Blue Army, a Roman Catholic group, and placed for public veneration at Shrine of Fatima until Pope John Paul II had it brought to his private apartment. Fulfilling his long time desire, Pope John Paul II had the icon returned to the Russian Church and people shortly before his death.
That icon is now in the Virgin of Kazan Cathedral on Nevsky Prospect in St Pteresburg. The Icon’s feast days are July 8th and October 22nd.
This icon is venerated throughout the world (including Greece and the Middle East specially in Lebanon and Syria) and among both Catholics and Orthodox. In Lebanon the icon is miraculous and is known as Our Lady of Soufanieh.
LOOKING FOR A MATCHING ICON OF CHRIST SEE OUR ITEM NUMBER "U422."
Icon is executed in gold foil with a stand for easy display.
Christ is the Teacher. King, Ruler and Judge if All.
Christ is pictured blessing us with his right hand and in his left hand he holds an open book of Gospels with the text in Slavonic from St Mathew: 28:30.
" Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
There are few icons of Christ by comparison to the many of the Virgin Mary. This icon is derived from the MADE WITHOUT HANDS icon of Christ.
This stunning Slavic Russian style icon is executed in gold foil. It comes with a stand for easy display.
Each Icon Measures 7 1/4" x 5 6/8"
icon MADE IN UKRAINE