On August 5 (July 23, Old Style), the Orthodox world solemnly venerates the image of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God.

Before Your holy icon, Lady,/ those who pray are granted healing,/ accept the knowledge of true faith/ and reflect the Hagarian invasions./ Likewise, for us who fall to You,/ ask for remission of sins,/ enlighten the thoughts of piety in our hearts/ and offer a prayer to Your Son // about the salvation of our souls.

Pochaev icon The Mother of God is one of the most revered shrines of the Russian Church. She is known throughout the Orthodox world. She is revered in Russia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Serbia and many other countries. The Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God has been in the Pochaev Dormition Lavra, an ancient stronghold of Orthodoxy, for 400 years. The history of its appearance is shrouded in a wonderful mystery. This happened in the 14th century. In 1340, two monks settled on the mountain where the monastery is now located. One of them, after prayer, went to the top of the mountain to do some business and unexpectedly saw the Mother of God standing on a stone and surrounded by flames. He called his brother to see the miracle. The third witness to the vision was the shepherd John Bosoy. He also came running to the monk’s call. The three of them began to pray and glorify the Lord. When the vision disappeared, the men approached the stone on which the Blessed Virgin Mary stood. The trace of Her right foot was clearly imprinted on it. And today, seven hundred years later, pious pilgrims can see this great shrine.

Finding the same image Holy Mother of God Pochaevskaya happened in 1559. Metropolitan Neophytos of Constantinople, passing through Volyn, visited the noblewoman Anna Goyskaya, who lived on the Orlya estate, not far from Pochaev. As a sign of his blessing, he left Anna an icon of the Mother of God brought from Constantinople. Over time, they began to notice that an unearthly radiance emanated from the icon. And in 1597, a real miracle happened: Anna’s brother, Philip, was healed in front of the icon. In gratitude for the healing, Anna gave the miraculous image to the monks who settled on Pochaevskaya Mountain. The holy image was placed in a temple erected in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Later, a monastery was formed around the temple, for the maintenance of which Anna Goyskaya donated large amounts of money.

In honor of this monastery, the miraculous icon began to be called Pochaevskaya. History has brought to us many evidences of the help of the Queen of Heaven. One day, a monk of the Pochaev Monastery was captured by the Tatars. While in captivity, he recalled the Pochaev monastery, its shrines, services, and chants. When did the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary come? patronal feast monastery - the monk became especially sad and began to tearfully pray to the Mother of God for deliverance from captivity. And so, through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin, one day the walls of the prison disappeared, and the monk found himself at the walls of the Pochaev monastery.

For help, contact miraculous image resort not only when attacked by foreign enemies, but also when there are schisms within the Orthodox Church. This was the case at the time when Catholics tried to conclude a so-called union with the Orthodox. This continues to this day, when in Ukraine, tormented by the storms of the Orange Revolution, the Uniates and schismatics of the Filaretites, followers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, again raised their heads. But you can be sure: God cannot be mocked. Just as many centuries ago the Most Holy Theotokos preserved the Orthodox faith on the territory of Southern and Western Ukraine, so today Her intercession helps all Orthodox Christians in Ukraine to restrain the monstrous blow of the demonic elements.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters!

The miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos, called the Pochaev Icon, was received as a gift from the Greek Metropolitan Neophytos, who was passing through the estate of Anna Goiskaya (near Pochaev) to Moscow in 1559.

This icon stood in the castle chapel for about 30 years, until it was noticed that an extraordinary light was emanating from the icon. After brother A.E., who was blind from birth, received healing from the icon. Goyskoy, Philip Kozinsky, a pious resident gave the shrine to the monks of the Pochaev monastery. The miraculous icon with the procession was transferred to the Pochaev Monastery.

On the small icon, the Mother of God is depicted with the eternal Child on her right hand. In her left hand She holds the cloth with which the Infant Jesus is covered. The Lord put his left hand on the shoulder of His Most Pure Mother, and raised his right hand for blessing. The Mother of God bowed Her face to the head of the Son.

“The Book of Records of the Miracles of Pochaev” reports many healings through prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos, revealed through Her Pochaev Icon.

For four centuries, the Queen of Heaven has been showing Her all-powerful help to the Pochaev monastery. Thus, in the summer of 1675, Turkish troops led by Khan Nurredin besieged the Pochaev Lavra from three sides. The weak monastery fence was not a serious obstacle for the Turkish army. The besieged monks and laymen hiding in the monastery awaited the start of the assault in fear. Hegumen of the monastery Joseph (Dobromirsky) called on the Orthodox to turn for help to heavenly intercessors - the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Job of Pochaev.

All night the besieged prayed fervently in front of the miraculous Pochaev Icon and at the tomb with the relics of St. Job. On the morning of July 23, when the sun rose, they began to sing an akathist to the Mother of God. When they sang " Chosen Voivode", a wonderful miracle happened. The Most Holy Theotokos Herself appeared above the temple of the monastery with numerous angels holding drawn swords. The Monk Job was next to the Mother of God and prayed to Her for the protection of the monastery. Turks seeing heaven The new army mistook him for a ghost and began to shoot arrows at the Queen of Heaven and the angels. But the arrows returned and struck those who directed them. There was confusion in the Turkish army, the distraught soldiers killed each other, and then fled in panic. The defenders of the monastery, taking advantage of the enemy’s panic, captured many. Some of the prisoners accepted holy baptism and remained forever in the Pochaev Dormition Lavra.

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the monastery from enemies, on July 23, an annual celebration was established in honor of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God, intercessor and helper in all sorrow and sorrow.

By God's permission, from 1721 to 1831 the Pochaev Monastery was in the hands of the Uniates. And yet, more than 500 miraculous healings were documented during this period.

In 1831, the Pochaev Monastery returned again to the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Mother of God continued through Her Pochaev Icon to provide innumerable benefits to Christian believers who flocked to Her prayerful intercession.

The healing of a blind nine-year-old girl, Anna Akimchukova, in 1838 is especially famous. In 1859, Emperor Alexander II, who visited the Pochaev Monastery, donated a new iconostasis for the cathedral Dormition Church. In this iconostasis, to this day, in the third tier, there is a miraculous icon of the Mother of God, in a star-shaped silver icon case above the royal doors.

Every morning after the Midnight Office, when the troparion “The Gate is Impenetrable” is chanted, the miraculous icon slowly lowers down on special ribbons and stops at the level human size. Believers approach and reverently worship the icon. And to this day the grace-filled power exuding from this illustrious shrine has not diminished.

Let us, dear brothers and sisters, diligently honor the Queen of Heaven and pray to Her, so that She will not leave us without Her gracious help, heal our mental and physical weaknesses, help us carry our life’s cross to the end and be saved. Amen.

Many icons of the Mother of God and Child were painted throughout Christianity, but few of them have survived to the present day. The sacred Pochaev face of the Mother of God is a star of hope for people who have lost faith in salvation and healing from diseases that doctors are sometimes powerless to treat.

Important. The Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God has been resurrecting, healing, strengthening and giving faith to all true believers for more than half a century Orthodox people.

Historical information about the appearance of the Holy Face of the Virgin Mary

The year was 1559 when the Greek Metropolitan Neophytos visited Volyn on his way to the Patriarch of Moscow. Never did a priest leave Constantinople without a treasured shrine, the ancestral image of the Mother of God and Child, bestowing blessings on the long journey.

The Goysky nobles rendered the hierarch warm welcome, for their sincere hospitality, he blessed the hostess Anna Goyskaya, a widow, with the image of the Holy Mother and Child, with whom he had never parted until now.

The Goysky family chapel kept the holy face for almost 30 years. The inhabitants of the estate repeatedly noticed a wondrous glow emanating from the holy image.

The year 1597 was significant for the Goisky family. Philip Kozinsky, brother noblewoman Anna, fully regained her sight, having previously suffered from congenital blindness. After this, the miraculous face several times sent signs and healings to family members who came to him with prayers.

The pious noblewoman realized that the holy image should serve many people, and transferred the icon to Pochaev by deed of gift.

After some time, Andrei Firley, who became the heir to the icon after the death of the God-fearing Anna, laid claim to the holy face and took it from the monastery for 20 years. God did not forgive such mockery of the image of the Virgin Mary and struck Firlei’s wife with mental insanity.

For 100 years the Pochaev Monastery was protected by the Queen of Heaven, until the Zbarazh War of 1675 began. The Turks surrounded the monastery in a tight ring, pelting it with clouds of arrows. Suddenly the sky lit up with the image of the Mother of God, surrounded by hordes of angels, with the Venerable Job standing nearby. All the arrows fired by the Turks at the Queen of Heaven and the angels began to return, hitting the enemy with his own weapons.

The Turkish regiments shamefully fled from the wrath of the Mother of God. It was August 5, a day that is still celebrated today as the feast of the Pochaevskaya Icon of the Mother of God.

The year 1721 came, Catholic Uniates became the owners of the Holy Image of the Mother of God of Pochaev,

Being under the protection of the Uniates, the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God was crowned in 1773. Golden crowns appeared above the heads of Saint Mary and the Child.

The year 1831 brought a holiday to the Orthodox Church - the miraculous shrine was returned under the protection of Pochaev, the Assumption Cathedral of the Lavra was consecrated with the image of the Virgin Mary and Infants, surrounded by saints.

Jewelry with gold chasuble, inlay precious stones, the star-shaped icon case finally transformed the shrine. Since 1869, the image has become the way it can be seen above the royal gates of the Lavra.

Under the arches of the Lavra, which belongs to the Moscow Patriarchate, on Saturdays an akathist to the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is heard, a memory of the miraculous return of sight to a girl blind from birth.

Pochaev Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The uniqueness and distinctive feature of the Holy Face of the Virgin Mary of Pochaev

Among the images of the Pochaev Mother of God, photos of which do not always show the same image, there is distinctive features, inherent only to this face.

The holy painting was made by an unknown artist of the Byzantine school; the basis for it is a linden board reinforced with oak tongues. To paint the icon, tempera, paint based on egg yolk, was used.

Unlike the many images of the Mother of God that Orthodox people still see today, the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is easily recognized by the foot print located in the lower part. There is no such sign on any other image.

The foot symbolizes the footprint of the Queen of Heaven, left by Her on the mountain from which the construction of the Pochaev Lavra began.

About other monasteries in honor of the Mother of God:

• Cave monastery of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Shuldan”

The value of the image of the Mother of God is in the power of the grace emanating from her, God’s love. The Holy Face has been consecrating the Pochaev Lavra for more than half a century, granting salvation and healing to all humanity, both Orthodox and other faiths.

Important. The Mother of God, who loves her people, gave many miracles, being a savior in the most critical moments of a difficult life.

The emergence of the Pochaev Lavra

According to legend, at the end of the 9th century, the disciples of St. Methodius settled near the Pochaine river, on a deserted mountain, giving it the name Pochaevskaya.

In the mid-13th century, Kyiv monks who fled from Batu settled on the mountain, having the blessings of the founding fathers Theodosius and Anthony.

Both monks saw a pillar of fire at night that did not burn. The monastery servants also saw the Mother of God with a crown on her head and a scepter in her hand. After the disappearance of the sign, a footprint filled with crystal water remained on the top of the mountain.

Has miraculous powers. Pilgrims from all over the world come for holy water, collecting it to heal the sick. By God's grace, the source foot, located on the mountain itself, never becomes scarce.

About holy springs:

Today the site houses an ark surrounded by a latticework.

Location of the Pochaev Icon

Nowadays sixteen churches have been built on the mountain; in Uspensky, above the central entrance, the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is kept.

During the singing of the troparions, the bright face is lowered down with the help of silk ribbons, and a monk is constantly near it.

This image is entwined with special tenderness. The Mother of God reverently touches the cheek of her Son, thereby emphasizing the special relationship. Holding Him in her right hand, and with her left, the Mother of God carefully covers the Baby’s bare feet with a cloth. A gentle radiance emanates from Divine unity, illuminated by the golden rays of the frame.

At the bottom of the image are saints, prophets and martyrs:

• on the right you can see the prophet Elijah, who left the earth alive on a chariot of fire and Mina, the martyr from Florence;
• on the left are Saint Stephen, who was the first to suffer for Jesus, as well as St. Abraham, who laid down his life during the conversion of the pagans;
• the center of the base is decorated with the Great Martyr Catherine, who renounced her rich marriage and dedicated her life to Jesus, for which she was executed;
• On either side of her stand saints Paraskeva and Irina, who died for the faith along with their families at different times.

The meaning of the image of the Pochaev image of the Mother of God carries deep meaning, expressing not only the reverent relationship between the Mother and the Son, but also between God the Father and all humanity.

The main miracle granted by the Merciful, as the Queen of Heaven is also called, is healing human souls, converting them to the Orthodox faith.

The Mother of God of Pochaev, the importance of whose image is difficult to overestimate, saved the monastery from closure during the wars, during the Khrushchev tough period in relation to Orthodox faith. There is a belief that the end of the world will not come until the Pochaev Lavra, announced by the Liturgy, is the stronghold of Christianity.

Apparition of the Virgin Mary on Mount Pochaevskaya

Miracles and healings given by the Mother of God

When reading a prayer before the face of the Mother of God of Pochaev, people who sincerely believe in Christ receive answers to their requests.

Not once did the Queen of Heaven grant people:

• healing from illnesses;
• liberation from demons and addictions;
• strengthening faith and guidance on the true path;
• deliverance from captivity;
• protecting your home from evil people and thieves.

Miracles of healing began from the moment a bright face appeared in the house of the noblewoman Goyskaya.

• As stated above, the first miracle was the sight of a man born blind.
• The mercy of the Mother of God did not cease while the icon was in the possession of the Uniates.

Count Potocki was so angry with his coachman for his negligence that he decided to shoot him. Due to an oversight, the servants carried the count's horse so that the carriage ended up overturned.

It would seem that nothing could save the frightened coachman, who had no choice but to pray. The poor servant literally fixed his gaze on Mount Pochaev and offered up a fervent prayer to the Mother of God.

And a miracle happened. The shots sounded one after another, but did not touch the coachman.

This event shocked Count Pototsky so much that he not only believed in the power of the Mother of God, but also made donations, with which the Holy Assumption Cathedral was built.

• The year 1664 brought a new miracle. The son of the landowner Zhabokritsky died. In grief and grief, the grandmother prayed for her grandson in front of the holy icon all night, and in the morning the boy opened his eyes and asked for food.
• The modern world has not been left by the mercy of the Queen of Heaven. The Holy Face gives hearing to the deaf. The boy Yura became deaf after past infection. Doctors prescribed treatment for long time. The child spent just one night in the ward, holding near him the image of the Mother of God, given by his grandmother, and was discharged in the morning as healthy.
• Anna Yakimchukova was blind from birth, came from Kamenets-Podolsk to the holy mountain, washed her eyes with water from the miraculous foot and immediately began to see.
• Every Orthodox Christian who comes to the miraculous image with prayer sees crutches underneath it. This is a kind of monument to the miraculous healing of a nun in 1950, who came from Orenburg. She approached the image of the Mother of God, dragging her feet, accompanied by an assistant, and left it on her own, leaving her crutches under the icon.

At the shrine, prayers are heard for release from captivity.

• During the war, the Turks captured the monk. Day and night the captive lamented, praying to the Mother of God, turning to Her with a request for release. Everything happened extremely quickly. From the basement, where the monk was shackled, he found himself in the courtyard of the Pochaev Lavra among smartly dressed people.
• Frees sacred face from spiritual captivity. In houses where the miraculous image is kept, quarrels, anger and enmity disappear.

Miraculous lists of the Holy Image

• The first list of the Holy Image is kept in the same monastery. In contrast to the bright face of the Virgin and Child, presented in the radiance of golden rays, this list depicts the Mother of God with the Child, and below them is a foot print. This icon once saved Kyiv from cholera.
• The same cholera year of 1848, by the grace of the Mother of God, granted salvation to the Tobolsk region from the black disease. The list of the miraculous image is kept by the Ioanno-Vedeno Convent.
• Protects the list of shrines of the Moscow Church of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, guarding the Tver Gate.
• People come to the Trinity Cathedral, located at the St. Daniel Monastery, to venerate the list of the Mother of God.
• Lefortovo Peter and Paul Church keeps another list of the holy face.

Many copies of the miraculous icon are kept all over the world, where there are Orthodox churches. This list includes not only Russia, Ukraine, but also Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and other countries.

Important. Dormition, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 5, the day the Queen of Heaven saved the temple from the Turks, are holidays when the holy icon leads the religious procession held in the Lavra.

Watch a video of prayer in front of the Pochaev Icon

Many Christian shrines scattered all over the world. The lion's share of them consists of all kinds of images of the Mother of God. Each of these icons helps in certain situations, heals from certain physical or mental illnesses. Large quantity Holy paintings, which depict the Most Pure Virgin with the Child of God in her arms, are miraculous. This is also considered to be the case. The day of its celebration was established by the Church on August 5.

Historical background

Tradition says that the place where the Pochaev Lavra is located today was at one time illuminated by God. In 1340, two monks settled on Pochaevskaya Mountain. One of them, having prayed, went to the top, and was suddenly struck by a vision: the Mother of God stood on a stone, engulfed in fire. The monk was not at a loss and called his brother so that he too could see the miracle. There was also a third witness to the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the shepherd John Bosoy. The three observers glorified the Lord. The Most Pure One disappeared, but the stone where she stood retained forever the imprint of the woman’s right foot.

As for the history of the religious celebration, it is closely connected with important event past, namely with the deliverance of the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra from the Turkish siege, which lasted from July 20 to July 23, 1675.

The Zbarazh War was going on. At that time, the Polish king Jan Sobieski (1674-1696) was in power. In one of summer days Tatar regiments led by Khan Nurredin chose the Pochaev monastery as their victim. Enemies surrounded the Lavra from all sides. Since the monastery fence was unreliable, as well as the walls of the building, built of stone, the monks were well aware that they could not avoid a direct attack from foreigners. There was no point in resisting physically either. The servants of the Lord could repel their enemies only by turning to the Queen of Heaven for help. That's what they did. The initiator of this action was Hegumen Joseph Dobromirsky. With the whole world, the inhabitants of the monastery walls prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Job of Pochaev. Together with the monks, the flock prayed fervently. The hostages did not leave the icon of the Mother of God of Pochaev and the shrine with the relics of the saint already mentioned above for several days and nights.

The morning of July 23rd arrived. The abbot ordered the brethren to sing an akathist Holy Virgin Mary before her image. When the monks uttered the phrase “To the Chosen Voivode,” the Queen of Heaven herself suddenly appeared above the temple with angels holding drawn swords in their hands. Next to the Mother of God was the Monk Job of Pochaev. He bowed to the Virgin Mary and prayed for the protection of the Lavra. The Mother of God bloomed a “white-shining omophorion” over the monastery.

Not only the brethren and laity saw the heavenly vision, but also the Tatar enemies. The latter, thinking that there was a ghost in front of them, fell into complete confusion and began to shoot arrows at the Mother of God and the Monk Job of Pochaev. However, these arrows did not reach their target and, returning back, wounded their senders. The Tatars were seized with panic and horror. They rushed to run, not making out the road, not understanding where they were and where they were, killing each other. The defenders of the monastery took advantage of this state of their enemies and organized a pursuit of the enemy. As a result, many of the Tatars were caught and captured, and subsequently converted of their own free will to the Christian faith. Such foreigners remained in the monastery forever.

Miracles icons

After 46 years, a new disaster befell Pochaev: the city was occupied by the Uniates. And even during this difficult time for the monastery, especially many miracles flowed from the icon of the Mother of God, kept within the walls of the monastery: the chronicle recorded 539 such facts of help to people from above.

In general, throughout the entire period of existence of the holy image, the Most Pure Virgin regularly showed through it her concern for people. Another thing is that until 1664, the miracles that took place were not recorded anywhere by anyone. The image became miraculous after a certain pious noblewoman Anna Goyskaya received the blessing of the said person with the icon of the Mother of God for providing hospitality to the Greek Metropolitan Neophytos, who was traveling in Rus'. Then the image was placed in the chapel of a noble estate, where it remained for a long time. The servants told Anna more than once that the icon was glowing. Then Goyskaya herself saw the Most Pure Virgin in a dream. Soon after this, she witnessed the radiance of the image in reality. Anna realized that the icon had a special grace, and lit a lamp in front of it. Then, through prayers at the holy image, miracles began to happen. Anna Goyskaya informed the monks about them when her own brother received healing from the Mother of God. They served a prayer service and within procession moved the icon to Pochaevskaya Mountain. There, in the cave where the monks lived, it remained for storage for centuries.

What is described took place in 1597. In honor of the miraculous icon, the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God was erected on Pochaevskaya Mountain. Later, a monastery grew nearby, the maintenance of which was carried out with funds donated by Anna Goyskaya. Then the icon received its name “Pochaevskaya”, which has remained with it to this day.

A curious miracle occurred in the second half of the 18th century. Uniate Count Nikolai Pototsky accused his coachman of not restraining the enraged horses, which overturned the carriage. Enraged, the nobleman pulled out a pistol in order to kill the servant. The coachman in despair turned to the Pochaevskaya mountain and exclaimed: “Mother of God, revealed in the Pochaevskaya icon, save me!” After these words, Pototsky fired, but the weapon misfired. The same thing happened the second and third time. The matter ended with the fact that the coachman remained alive, and his owner went to the Lavra to the miraculous image of the Mother of God, gave all his property to the disposal of the monastery and dedicated himself to the Most Pure Virgin. With donations made by Pototsky, the monks erected a fraternal building and the Assumption Cathedral.

In 1832, the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God returned to the fold of Orthodoxy. This event was marked by another miracle: at the moment of worshiping the shrine, the blind girl Anna Akimchukova received healing. The baby, together with her elderly grandmother, came to the Pochaev Icon 200 miles from Kremenets-Podolsk. After what happened in memory of extraordinary events miraculous icon Archbishop of Volyn, Holy Archimandrite of the Lavra Innocent, established a weekly reading of the cathedral akathist before the holy image. A little later, during the period of control of the Lavra by Archimandrite Agafangel, Archbishop of Volyn, a special chapel appeared in the choir of the Holy Trinity Church.

The Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is still kept in the Pochaev Monastery. The monastery is located on the territory of Western Ukraine, in the Ternopil region, the city of Pochaev. The holy image belongs to the iconographic type of Tenderness. The Virgin Mary is depicted on it from the waist up. She holds the Divine Infant on her right hand. On the left hand of the Virgin Mary there is a cloth with which she covers the back and legs of Jesus Christ. Right hand The Son of God blesses, the left one rests on the shoulder of the Mother of God. The icon has inscriptions made on Greek. In addition, the image contains miniature images of saints, namely the Venerable Martyr Abraham, the First Martyr Stephen, the Prophet Elijah, the Great Martyrs Catherine, Paraskeva and Irina, and Saint Mina.

Absolutely every religion has its own attributes, symbols and signs. Well, since there are quite a lot of different religions, it is understandable that the number of religious attributes in the world is extremely large. What is noteworthy is that some attributes are present in several religions at once. For example, rosary beads are common not only among Muslims, as many mistakenly believe, but also among adherents of other religions, including Christianity.

Of course, the rosary is far from the most important attribute of the Christian faith. Moreover, it is common only among Catholics. Well, the main symbol of the Christian religion is the crucifix. This is exactly what is found in every church and temple, but also among most Christians.

Another truly common symbol of Christianity are icons. They are also present in the homes of many Christians. In addition, they decorate the walls of most temples and churches around the world.

Some icons are especially popular. People come to them from all over the world to pray. Moreover, these icons are transported around cities so that people who do not have the opportunity to get to their permanent location can touch them.

Among the most famous, popular and revered icons in Christianity is the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God. At the same time, she is revered both in the Orthodox and in catholic church, which you don’t see very often. Moreover, a special holiday was established in honor of this icon. This only confirms its importance for Christians.

History of the holiday

Despite the fact that almost all Christians know about the existence of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God, not every person realizes that a separate holiday is celebrated in her honor. Moreover, not all Christians know the history of this holiday. However, it is imperative to familiarize yourself with it in order to understand why the Church reveres this icon so much.

Today the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most revered in Orthodox world. Many Christians know about its existence. This is especially true for adherents of Orthodoxy. That's why greatest number Admirers of this icon live in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia, Bulgaria and other countries where Orthodoxy predominates. It is here that the Day of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated most festively and widely. Although Catholics also know about the existence of this holiday.

It is not known for certain when this icon of the Mother of God was created. But it is known for sure that this icon appeared before 1559, when a lady from a noble family, Anna Goyskaya, received it as a gift. She got it from Metropolitan Neophytos, who passed by Pochaev this year. The significance of this icon is also explained by the fact that this metropolitan later became the patriarch of Constantinople.

The noblewoman, in turn, presented this icon of the Mother of God to the monks of the Dormition Pochaev Lavra, which at that time was already one of the largest temple complexes in Western Ukraine. However, the icon stayed here for a relatively short time. The fact is that the heirs of the noblewoman Anna Goyska, the Calvinist, Polish military and statesman, governor and captain of the royal Andrzej Firlej decided to take the image from the Lavra. It is worth noting that he did not ask for the icon to be returned to the heir, but robbed the monastery and took the image with him.

The icon was in Firlei’s house for only 20 years, after which he returned it to the Lavra. The fact is that the governor had no children. Therefore, Job of Pochaevsky advised Andrzej to return the icon to the Lavra so that the damage would be removed from his wife. Therefore, in 1644, the Castellan of Belz returned the icon to the monastery. But, it is worth noting, in the end he never had any offspring.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the Pochaev Monastery came into the possession of the Uniates. Together with the monastery, the icon also passed into their possession. While in the possession of the Uniates, the icon acquired a crown made of the purest gold. The corresponding decree on coronation was issued by Clement XIV.

After 100 years, the Pochaev Monastery again became Orthodox. Together with the monastery, which after the return became a monastery, in Orthodox Church the famous icon has returned. Since then she has been in the Pochaev Lavra.

The fact that this icon acquired its own holiday is not at all surprising. The fact is that believers consider this icon miraculous. Most of these miracles are associated with the period when the Pochaev Monastery was under the influence of the Uniates. For example, the return of the monastery under the wing of the Orthodox Church was marked by the healing of a little girl who was blind. In honor of this significant event We began to read the cathedral akathist weekly. What’s remarkable is that it is still read today.

Well, a holiday in honor of this icon was established in memory of the emergence of the Pochaev Monastery from the Turkish siege. According to legend, it was this icon of the Mother of God that helped withstand this siege, which lasted only three days.

Today, the Day of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God is celebrated three times a year. They do this on March 31, July 23 and September 8.

How the holiday is celebrated in Russia

Since Orthodoxy predominates in our country, it is quite understandable that this holiday is celebrated on a special scale in our country. In many churches these days there is festive service. Moreover, some people go to Pochaev to celebrate this holiday there.

How the holiday is celebrated around the world

Despite the fact that this icon is revered not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by Catholics, they practically do not celebrate the Day of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God. Although, it is worth noting that some Catholics these days come to Pochaev to pray in front of the miraculous icon.