The Kozelshchanskaya Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most revered icons.
It is believed that this icon is of Italian origin, which was brought to Russia by one of the courtiers of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (1709—1762). The owner of the icon married the clerk of the Zaporozhye army, Siromaha. This is how the icon came to Ukraine. In the 19th century, the icon belonged to the Kapnist family and was considered a family shrine of the family. The icon was located in the village of Kozelshchyna, Poltava province.
At Cheese Week, in 1880, daughter V.I. Kapnista Maria fell ill. A local doctor identified a minor dislocation of the leg, from an incorrect slope to the side, and applied a plaster cast. After some time, Maria was taken to a Kharkov surgeon. He also identified a dislocation. To reduce foot pain when walking, a special shoe was made with steel springs that clasped the leg above the knee, and warm baths were prescribed. Lent passed, but the patient did not feel relief.
After Easter, Maria felt terrible pain in her other leg, which twisted like her first. The capnist again turned to the doctor, who found a dislocation in his left leg and put steel springs on that leg, advising him to immediately take the girl to the Caucasus for treatment with mineral waters and mountain air. Travel to the Caucasus and treatment caused even greater suffering. The father took his daughter to Moscow for examination by the most famous doctors, who said that they were powerless against illness.
The parents and the patient were already desperate to find salvation when the opportunity suddenly presented itself to turn to the help of a foreign professor. Since there was a long time left before his arrival in Moscow, the patient asked to go home. Her father let her go to the village, taking the word from his wife to bring her sick daughter to Moscow when he received notice of the professor’s arrival. On February 21 (old style), 1881, we received a telegram that the professor was going to Moscow. But the patient was worried: would the professor, like others, turn out to be powerless?
The mother, deciding to go the next day, pointing to the family image of the Mother of God, said to her daughter: «Masha, we are going to Moscow tomorrow, take the image of the Mother of God, clean His robe and pray more firmly before our Intercessor. Ask, let him help us make a safe journey and cure your illness». The patient herself, having lost hope in earthly doctors, placed all hope in God and entrusted her fate to Heavenly help. This icon has long been known as miraculous. According to legend, she especially helped girls who resorted to her with a plea to arrange family happiness. At the same time, the custom was established for the worshiper to clean the robe on the icon, wiping it with cotton wool or a towel.
Having pressed the holy icon to her chest, the sick woman, with the help of her mother, wiped it and poured out the entire severity of her illness, sorrow and despair of her soul before the face of the Mother of God. And the diligent, fiery prayer of the sick girl was heard. She immediately felt strength in her arms and legs and shouted loudly: «Mom! Mama! I can feel my legs! Mom, I feel my hands». She tore off the metal supports and bandages and began to walk freely around the room, continuing to reverently hold the image of the Mother of God. The parish priest was immediately invited, and a thanksgiving prayer service was held before the image of the Mother of God. The joyful event soon became famous in the surrounding villages. The mother went to Moscow with her recovered daughter and took with her the holy image of the Mother of God.
Rumors about healing quickly spread throughout Moscow, and people began to flock first to the hotel room, and then to the church, where the icon was moved. Several more healings occurred from the icon. When the family returned home to the Kozelshchina, the entire surrounding area already knew about the healings from the Kozelshchanskaya Icon of the Mother of God that took place in Moscow. Many came to bow to the image. It was not possible to further store the icon in the house, and, with the permission of His Eminence John, Archbishop of Poltava, the icon was moved to a specially arranged temporary chapel. Every day, from early morning, prayer singing and reading by akathists were heard in front of the chapel.