Celebration in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary (08/09)

The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, according to legend, was painted by the evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Holy Family ate: the Savior, the Mother of God and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: « From now on all generations will please Me. May the grace of Him who was born from Me and Mine with this icon be».

The icon was brought to Russia from Byzantium at the beginning of the 12th century, as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky from Patriarch Luke Chrysoverchus of Constantinople. The icon was erected in the Vyshgorod convent, not far from Kyiv; rumors about its miracles reached the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who decided to transport the icon to the north.

The Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated several times a year (new style June 3, July 6, September 8). The most solemn celebration takes place on September 8, installed in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon when moving it from Vladimir to Moscow.

In 1395, the terrible conqueror Khan Tamerlan (Temir-Aksak) reached the borders of Ryazan, took the city of Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don. Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich went out with his army to Kolomna and stopped on the banks of the Oka River. He prayed to the Saints of Moscow and St. Sergius for the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Cyprian, that the coming Assumption Fast would be dedicated to diligent prayers for pardon and repentance.

Clergy were sent to Vladimir, where the famous miraculous icon was located. After the liturgy and prayer service on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the clergy accepted the icon and carried it to Moscow with a religious procession. Countless people on both sides of the road, kneeling, prayed: «Mother of God, save the Russian land!».

At the very hour when Moscow residents greeted the icon on Kuchkov Field, Tamerlan was dozing in his tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from the top of which saints with golden batons were walking towards him, and above them the Great Wife appeared in a radiant glow. She ordered him to leave Russia.

Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. Those who know answered that the shining Wife is the Mother of God, the great Protector of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back.

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, the Sretensky Monastery was built on the Kuchkov Field, where the icon was greeted, and on September 8, an all-Russian celebration was established in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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