Celebration in honor of the icon of the Mother of God Feodorovskaya (29/08)

This Orthodox holiday is celebrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God Feodorovskaya (Kostroma). It is believed that it was written by the evangelist Luke.

The icon received its name from Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, father of Alexander Nevsky, who bore the name Theodore in holy baptism. According to legend, it was found by his older brother Yuri Vsevolodovich in a dilapidated wooden chapel near the ancient city of Gorodets (later the Gorodetsky Feodorovsky Monastery was built on this site).

Having become Grand Duke of Vladimir after the death of his brother, Prince Yaroslav-Theodor in 1239 blessed his son Alexander, who married the Polotsk princess Bryachislava, with the icon left over from his brother.

Yaroslav-Theodor himself left a significant mark on the history of Rus' in the first half of the 13th century. He raised from the ashes, rebuilt and decorated Rus', which he inherited, burned and plundered by the Tatars in 1237–1238, with cities, holy monasteries and temples. Restored the cities of the Volga region devastated by the enemy: Kashin, Uglich, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Gorodets. In just eight years, the prince managed to guide the country along the only correct path at that time, establishing military-political balance with the Golden Horde in the east and actively opposing Catholic Europe in the west.

The son of Yaroslav-Theodor —, the future Alexander Nevsky —, was his closest associate. The miraculous Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God — blessing of the father — was constantly with him. After Alexander's death, his younger brother Vasily took the icon in memory of him.

Having become Grand Duke, Vasily did not go to Vladimir, but remained under the protection of the miraculous icon in Kostroma. In 1272, defending the country from another Tatar raid, the Russian army led by the prince set out from Kostroma with the miraculous icon of Feodorovskaya. Bright rays came from the holy image, scorching enemies; the Tatars were defeated and expelled. After the death of Prince Vasily, the icon remained in the Kostroma Cathedral of St. Theodore Stratelates.

The Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God received even greater veneration in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century. It was with this that the nun Martha (in the world Ksenia Romanova) blessed her son Mikhail Romanov, the founder of a dynasty that would rule the country for 300 long years, to the kingdom in 1613. In memory of this historical event, a widespread celebration of the icon was also established on March 27 (new style). And August 29 marks its discovery on the day of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

Feodorovskaya icon — double-sided. On the reverse side is captured the image of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva in a rich princely robe. It is assumed that the appearance of this image is connected with the wife of Alexander Nevsky.

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