The main icon of the Iveron Mother of God. Iveron Icon of the Mother of God - with a pierced face

Getting into difficult life situations, we hope we hope for Heaven's help. Most often we turn our gaze to the patroness of all people and their intercessor before the Almighty - Mother of God.

We will always find her image to the left of the royal gates in any Orthodox Church. A special place among icons Holy Mother of God It is occupied by the Iveron Icon. This is one of the most widespread, most revered and famous shrines of Orthodoxy.

The face of the Most Pure Virgin saves even those who do not belong to the Orthodox faith, so great is his saving power. The strength that it draws from its almost two thousand years of history.

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Iveron icon - origins

Isn't that what source of this power, that the icon was born from the brush of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke during the earthly life of the Mother of God? That is, he created her image, as they say now, from life. Tradition attributes to him the creation of up to seventy icons of the Most Pure One. Presumably, the apostle’s creations were to his liking Holy Virgin, who, contemplating them, said: the one born of her and her mercy will be with these icons.

Mediterranean voyage

The next mention of our icon appears at the time of iconoclasm, when one of the commandments Old Testament- not to create an idol for yourself, as well as a reflection of what is above, becomes dominant in the politics of Byzantium. Its then ruler, Emperor Theophilus, sent his troops to destroy the icons.

One of them broke into the house of a wealthy widow in the Asia Minor city of Nicaea, where (apparently, the neighbors reported) the image of the Virgin Mary was preserved. The mistress of the house and her son especially revered the icon, before which they bowed daily. The widow begged the soldiers to leave the icon with her until the next morning. One of them, leaving the house, gloatingly threw a spear at the holy face, and a miracle happened: blood flowed from the wound made by the tip.

The shocked guards hurriedly left the house, and the mother and son, having received a sign from above, took their shrine to the seashore and released it to the waves. An amazing thing happened: the icon did not lie flat on the surface of the water, but stood upright, and a column of light rose above it. The rescuers understood: the image of the Virgin Mary was safe. History is silent about the further fate of the Nicene woman, but her son allegedly fled to Mount Athos and became a monk of the Iveron Monastery, where the image of the Blessed Virgin, saved by him, would later arrive after his Mediterranean voyage.

Finding names

The Iversky Monastery grew up at the end of the 10th century on the Holy Mountain with funds from the Georgian royal house of Bagration. That's why named Iversky(In those days, present-day Georgia was called Iberia). It was the novices of this monastery who were lucky enough to see a pillar of fire in the sea one April night. Approaching it, they noticed an icon of the Virgin Mary at its base. But it was impossible to take her from the sea: as soon as the monks swam to her, she retreated into the sea.

According to legend, on the night of Tuesday of Bright Week, one of the monks - The Queen of Heaven appeared to Saint Gabriel and She said that the icon had been sent to the monastery by her grace, and he should go on the waves and bring the image to the monastery. This was done after morning prayer. Called Iverskaya, the icon was placed in the main church of the monastery. However, the next morning she was not there. We found an image on the gate of the monastery.

This was repeated for several days, until the Mother of God appeared to Saint Gabriel again. She explained that she did not want to be protected; on the contrary, she herself wanted to be the keeper of the monastery. The brethren erected a gate church, in which the image remains to this day. And the icon received a second name - Portaitissa, that is, the Goalkeeper.

Our land learned about miraculous icon in the 12th century. The then Primate of the Novospassky Moscow Monastery Tikhon and the future Russian Patriarch asked the leadership of the Iveron Monastery to fulfill the list of the Goalkeeper for Orthodox Rus'. Exact copy The icon arrived in Moscow on October 26 (13 old style) 1648. She was solemnly greeted with prayer royal family, clergy, hundreds of laity.

Twenty years later, the image was placed at the Resurrection Gate of Kitay-Gorod under a wooden canopy, and later a chapel was erected in its place. After the Bolsheviks came to power, the chapel, and with it the gate, was demolished so as not to interfere with traffic military equipment to parades. It seemed that the Iveron image also disappeared. But according to some reports, he waited out the atheistic timelessness in the Church of the Resurrection of Sokolnikov.

It happened October 25, 1995. On that day, a Greek plane delivered to the Russian capital new list, performed on the Holy Mountain at the request of Patriarch Alexy II. And everything was repeated all over again: the icon was placed in a newly rebuilt chapel near the restored Resurrection Gate.

Today, images of the Iveron Mother of God are kept in many monasteries and churches in our country and its neighbors. In Moscow alone there are more than ten such monasteries. The most revered icons to which our compatriots come to pray for help from the Goalkeeper include:

• List of works by the icon painter of the Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos Iamblichus (1648) - the first copy from the original to arrive in Russia;
• Icon of the Valdai Iversky Monastery (1656) - exact list from the Athonite prototype;
• Icon in the chapel, called Iverskaya, in Moscow (XVII century);
• Image in the Molchansk Sophronium Hermitage (XVII–XVIII centuries). This is the Kursk diocese;
• Icon kept in the New Jerusalem Monastery in the Moscow region (XVII century);
• Nizhny Novgorod list (1672);
• Icon in the Smolensk Monastery (XVII century);
• An image in the Moscow church on Ordynka (1792);
• Mozdok icon. According to some sources, it was given by Queen Tamara to the Ossetians for their devotion to Christian values;
• Icon in Sukhotinsky convent in Tambov (1855);
• A copy in Kinovia of the bishop's house in Saratov;
• An image in the church of the bishop's house in Chisinau (1859).

Orthodox churches consecrated in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God exist today in Russia, China, Lithuania, Tajikistan, and Ukraine.

How does an image help?

Many generations of inhabitants of the Holy Mountain experienced the magical influence of the image of the Goalkeeper. They argue convincingly that the Virgin Mary of Iveron helps:

• heal the sick;
• overcome illnesses of body and soul;
• replenish supplies;
• get rid of enemy raids;
• warns of disasters.

They say that the unquenchable oil lamp in front of the Face suddenly begins to sway without any external influence. Usually this is a sign of the approach of some tragic event.

When in the 10th century the troops of the Persian king Amir besieged the monastery, the monks began to ask the Mother of God in front of her image for help. Suddenly a storm came and destroyed the enemy ships. Only the commander survived. Struck by the wonder of divine wrath, he repented, asked forgiveness for his sins, and then became one of the benefactors of the monastery.

Similar miracles happen today. For example, when Turkish troops invaded Cyprus in 1974, the lamp swayed so violently that oil even spilled out of it. Movements were also seen before the Spitak earthquake in Armenia in 1988, the US and allied military operation against Iraq undertaken in 2003 to overthrow the government of Saddam Hussein.

Goalkeepers cry out to the bright image:

• for consolation in troubles;
• in case of fires and other disasters;
• to increase the fertility of the earth;
• to overcome harmful desires;
• asking for intercession for themselves, their loved ones and even their enemies.

This icon has great importance for those who have stumbled in life and sinned. She helps them find the courage to sincerely repent of what they have done, abandon harmful desires and return to a pious life. The Iveron Mother of God guards the hearth. She is known as the patroness of all women, their helper and intercessor before the Almighty.

The tragic fate of a Montreal icon

The so-called Montreal list of the Iveron Mother of God has a mysterious history. It was performed on the Holy Mountain in 1981 and presented to a Canadian expert in the field of icon painting - Chilean by birth Joseph Muñoz-Cortez. Starting from November 24, 1982, the icon streamed myrrh for 15 years. Myrrh exuded the scent of roses and had a strong healing ability. It was sent on cotton wool all over the world. The miraculous moisture helped get rid of even the most severe diseases. Some photographs of the icon also streamed myrrh. In the fall of 1997, Joseph Muñoz-Cortez was killed on Mount Athos, and the Montreal Icon went missing.

How to refer to the image?

In the prayer read at the moleben before the Iveron Icon in its chapel, they ask the Mother of God to protect her from slander. bad people and unexpected death, to give repentance before death and joy instead of sadness. They ask to be delivered from all kinds of troubles and misfortunes, sorrows and sorrows, from all kinds of evil. Those standing in front of the icon hope to earn the right to stand at the right hand of her son Jesus Christ and inherit eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven with all the saints.

In another prayer, parishioners ask the Mother of God to pay attention to them from her holy height, because there is no other help, no other intercession and consolation for them except her. They ask to satisfy them, the weak, their sorrows, to guide them on the right path, to heal their painful hearts, to save the hopeless, to grant them life in peace and repentance and a Christian death. They also ask you to become their merciful intercessor at the Last Judgment.

Days of veneration of the icon

The Orthodox Church has established days on which we especially worship the Light Image. This:

• Every year on Tuesday after Easter(moving celebration) - finding the prototype in the sea near Mount Athos;
• 25 February- arrival of a copy of the icon at the Valdai Monastery in 1656;
• October 26- celebrations on the occasion of the arrival in Moscow of a list of icons from Mount Athos in 1648);
• the 6th of May- new acquisition of the oldest Moscow list. On this day in 2012, the Historical Museum returned it to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Keep this image in your home. The Mother of God will protect him from robbers, fires, floods and other misfortunes. If you sincerely ask with a pure heart, the icon of the Iveron Mother of God will definitely help.

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Not far from the Iveron monastery on the seashore, a miraculous spring has been preserved to this day, flowing at the moment when the Mother of God set foot on Athos soil; this place is called Klimentova pier. And it was to this place that the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, now known to the whole world, miraculously, in a pillar of fire, appeared across the sea. The veneration of this image is evidenced by the fact that the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain alone wrote four canons to the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.

During the second period of iconoclasm (813-843), the widow, the owner of this icon, who lived near the city of Nicaea, saving the image from desecration, sent it floating on the waves with prayer. Several centuries have passed. And so, in 1004, he miraculously, in a pillar of light rising to the very heavens, arrived at the shores of Athos. The monks of the Iveron monastery, together with other Athonite monks, who hastened to the place of the miraculous phenomenon, tried to approach the icon in boats, but it moved away from them. Then they gathered in the main cathedral of the Iveron Monastery and began to ask the Mother of God to allow her to take away Her miraculous icon.

At the time described, the blessed elder Gabriel, originally from Iberia, labored near the Iveron monastery. He led an ascetic hermit's life and constantly said the Jesus Prayer. Day and night he studied the Holy Scriptures and the works of the Holy Fathers. The monk's only food was mountain herbs and spring water. This God-bearing elder had a vision of the Mother of God, commanding him to take Her image from the water and announce to the brethren of the Iveron Monastery that She was giving them Her icon.

The brothers of Iviron went to the sea in a religious procession, chanting the Most Holy Theotokos with church chants along the way. The Monk Gabriel entered sea ​​waters, and the icon began to quickly approach the shore. Then he walked towards her across the waves, as if on dry land, and the icon sailed straight into his hands. At the place where Elder Gabriel emerged from the water with the icon, a chapel was erected (now the park of the Most Holy Theotokos Portaitissa (Goalkeeper, Iveron)). This wonderful event took place on Tuesday of Bright Week.

The brethren of the Iveron monastery with great reverence transferred the found miraculous image to their monastery. For three days in a row the monks served All-Night Vigils and Divine Liturgies, thanking the Most Holy Theotokos for the mercy shown.

Initially, the icon of the Mother of God was placed in the main cathedral of the Iversky Monastery. But the next morning she found herself above the gates of the monastery. This went on for several days. The Most Holy Theotokos, appearing to St. Gabriel, said:

“Go to the monastery and tell the abbot and the monks so that they do not tempt Me. I did not appear to them so that they would protect Me, but so that I myself could be their guardian, and not only in the present, but also in the next century. And also tell them: while on this mountain the monks live in the fear of God and in reverence and work according to their strength to gain virtue, then let them have boldness and hope in the mercy of My Son and Master, for I asked Him for them as My inheritance , and He gave them to Me. Let My icon be to them as a sign of these words of Mine: as long as they contemplate it in their monastery, until then the mercy and grace of My Son and God will not fail them.”

Since then, the miraculous Iveron Icon began to be called the “Goalkeeper,” and some time later it was placed in a specially built church at the gates of the monastery.

Once, during a Saracen raid, one barbarian boldly hit the icon with his spear. At that same moment, blood flowed from the image, which can still be seen on it today. The robber repented and became a monk under the name of Damascus, but he called himself a Barbarian. The monk achieved holiness, and his iconographic image was preserved in the monastery.

Divine punishment befell the ships of the pirates who attacked the Iveron monastery: a storm broke out and sank all the ships except the ship of their leader. Repentant, he donated significant funds for the restoration of the monastery.

In 1651, Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich donated the Abode to Iviron St. Nicholas, which became the courtyard of this Athos monastery. This was done in gratitude for the healing of the Tsar’s daughter, who received healing from the list of “Goalkeepers” brought by the inhabitants of the Iveron Monastery to Moscow.

Here is what the famous Russian pilgrim-pedestrian of the 18th century Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky writes about “The Goalkeeper”:

“In this beautiful church built at the inner gates of the monastery, in the iconostasis, instead of the usual local Mother of God, there is a certain saint and miraculous icon, named from the ancient monks Portaitissa, i.e., the Goalkeeper, extremely terribly transparent, with great hair, holding Christ the Savior on her left hand, her face blackened for many years, both completely showing the image, and everything except her face is covered with silver-plated, gilded clothing, and besides, it is dotted with valuable stones and gold coins, given by various kings, princes and noble boyars for her many miracles, where and Russian Tsars, queens and princesses, emperors and empresses, princes and princesses, I saw gold coins and other gifts hanging with my own eyes.”

The legend of the Iversky Monastery tells of a miracle performed by the Mother of God. One poor man asked to spend the night in Iviron, but the monk-goalkeeper demanded payment from him. The poor man had no money, and, dejected, he walked along the road to Kareya. Soon he met a mysterious Woman who gave him gold coin. The poor man returned and gave the gold coin to the gatekeeper. The monks, paying attention to the antiquity of the coin, suspected the unfortunate man of theft. After his story about the Wife, they went to the “Goalkeeper” icon and saw that this coin was one of many donated to the Mother of God.

Due to the fact that the monks refused the traveler gratuitous hospitality, all the food in the Iveron Monastery spoiled.

The repentance of the monks was great. Since then, the vow of free hospitality has been strictly observed on the Holy Mountain. And on the site of the appearance of the Mother of God, a small temple was built.

The Russian saint Parthenius testified that during the Greek uprising of 1822, Turkish soldiers living in the monastery were unable to disturb the “Goalkeeper” dressed in precious vestments and decorated with many magnificent gifts. And a few years later, the monk serving at the icon was amazed to see a woman dressed in black woman. She diligently swept the monastery.

It's time to thoroughly sweep the entire monastery. “He’s been standing unswept for so many years,” said the Wife and became invisible.

Soon the Sultan issued a decree for all soldiers to leave the Holy Mountain, although before that he had repeatedly threatened to destroy its monastery to the ground.

The famous singer Nektariy Vlah (1812-1890), invited as the best Athonite protopsalt to the patronal feast at the Iveron Monastery, was poisoned during a fraternal meal by other singers who were jealous of his skill. Feeling unwell, Nektary went to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos Goalkeeper and, turning to the Mother of God with fervent prayer, drank oil from the lamp of Her icon. The poison lost its potency, and Nectarius sang at the festival as well as he had ever sung in his life.

Before the First World War, the gentle expression of the face of the Infant Christ on the Iveron Icon changed and became formidable

A lot of historical data has been preserved about cases of healings of the sick, blind, lame and possessed by the Iveron Icon. Through prayers from the miraculous icon, the brethren of the Iveron Monastery repeatedly received miraculous help during times of shortage of flour, wine and oil.

In front of the Iveron Icon hangs a large unquenchable lamp, called the “Lamp of the Goalkeeper.” It has a wonderful property - without the slightest outside influence during the hours of worship, it sometimes begins to swing like a pendulum, warning of the approach of global disasters or some other important events. Thus, before the Turkish attack on the island of Cyprus, the lamp was swayed so that oil flowed over its edges. In our days, such inexplicable swinging occurred before the American invasion of Iraq, before the earthquake in Armenia and many other events on a global scale.

The “Goalkeeper” herself never left Iviron; in response to requests from the laity, the monks sent lists of the miraculous image. The icon is taken out of the paraklis only three times a year, where it remains permanently:

On the eve of the Nativity of Christ, after the ninth hour, she is solemnly transferred by the brethren to the cathedral and remains there until the first Monday after the feast of the Council of John the Baptist;

WITH Holy Saturday until Monday of St. Thomas week. On Tuesday of Bright Week a solemn procession of the Cross takes place through the territory of the monastery;

On the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

According to Athonite legend, shortly before the Second Coming the Iveron Icon will leave Holy Mount Athos. This was announced by the Monk Nile the Myrrh-Streaming, who appeared several times in 1813-1819. monk Theophan.

Days of celebration of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God:

October 13 (October 26) - transfer in 1648 to Moscow of the list of icons sent to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from Athos;

Video:

Prayer service at the site of the discovery of the Iveron Icon (2010)

Procession with the Iveron Icon (2011)

Procession with the Iveron Icon (2010)

Prayer canon to the icon of the Mother of God “Goalkeeper” (Iverskaya) performed by the brethren of the Iversky Monastery

Photo gallery: Celebration of the Iveron Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Bright Week (2012)

The first images of the Mother of God, painted by the Evangelist Luke, include the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God: where is the holy image today, fulfilling its highest purpose? He was blessed by the Ever-Virgin herself, and from then on the power and grace of the Almighty will remain with them forever. The history of the image is wonderful and amazing.

Finding of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God

In the 9th century, the reign of Byzantium by Emperor Theophilus (813-843) became a cruel time of testing for the young Christian faith, a period of oppression and destruction of holy icons. Divine images were taken from monastic monasteries, from the homes of Christians, and then bonfires were lit in the streets, and relics were thrown into the fire. The image of the Mother of God was kept as a shrine in her home by a pious widow who lived near the city of Nicaea. One day, soldiers of the iconoclast emperor also came to her. One of the hard-hearted hit the icon of the Mother of God with a sword, and everyone saw how blood flowed from the damage on the board. The mercenaries retreated in horror, and the one who struck fell to his knees. When the confused soldiers left the house, the woman decided to reliably hide the icon in order to save it from other barbarians.

The pious woman went to the sea and lowered the holy face onto the water. The icon did not drown, but surprisingly floated on the waves in vertical position. The widow's son saw this, and then he went to Athos, where he devoted himself to monasticism. Thanks to his stories and testimonies, the legend of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God was preserved.

Many years passed, one day (1004 years) the holy image of the Mother of God, surrounded by a “pillar of fire,” appeared on the sea not far from the Iveron monastery on Mount Athos. At that time, an old ascetic named Gabriel the Caveman (“Speleotis”) lived in the Iversky Monastery. He devoted days and nights to the study of holy books, and ate spring water and mountain herbs. The Most Pure One came to him in a dream and ordered him to tell the brethren and abbots that she was giving her holy icon to the monastery for intercession and help. Next, the Mother of God ordered the elder to walk straight across the water to the icon without fear or fear. Gabriel carried out the order. With prayer and faith, he walked, simply walking on the surface of the water, took the wonderful icon, and then brought it to dry land.

The monks who came in procession brought the image into the monastery and placed it on the altar. But the next morning the icon was not there. After a fruitless search, the holy face, to everyone’s surprise, was discovered on the wall above the monastery gate. They returned him, but the next morning everything happened again. And again the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to St. Gabriel. She said to tell the monks and the abbot that it is not for them to keep the Mother of God, but she herself appeared to be the guardian. And also, as long as the holy icon is with the monastery, and the monks are hardworking and virtuous, the mercy of the Lord will not become scarce for them.

The monks realized that the miraculous image had chosen its place for itself. The icon was placed in an icon case above the entrance, and soon a small temple was built especially for it near the gate. Here the shrine remains until today. The name of the icon was given by the name of the monastery - Iverskaya, and also mentioned its peculiarity, place of residence, calling "Goalkeeper" (which is Greek sounds like "Portaitissa").

Iversky Monastery: monastery of the image of the Virgin Mary

The Iveron Monastery is located in a wonderful place - on the northeastern coast of the Holy Mountain. The northwestern side of the monastery is surrounded by mountains with dense forest. The monastery received the name Iversky because of the Georgian origin of its first monks, the founders. The Latins caused a lot of trouble to the holy monastery and destroyed it (1259). From 1285 to 1306 attacks by the Latins and Catalans followed. The monastery was in decline until the end of the 16th century.

The 17th century was marked by the revival of the Iversky Monastery. TO 19th century political upheavals changed the balance of power, and there were fewer and fewer Georgians in the east. The monastery began to be managed exclusively by the Greeks.

The original Iveron Icon of the Mother of God was never taken out of the monastery; the holy face is always located on Mount Athos, in the Iveron Monastery. But based on requests and prayers, monastic painters write lists and provide them to churches, monasteries, and the laity. Only three times every year is the “Goalkeeper” taken out of the temple:

1. Before Christ On Christmas Day (after 21.00) the monks honorably transfer the image to the cathedral and leave it there until the first Monday after the celebration of the Council of John the Baptist.
2. On Tuesday Easter week monks perform a religious procession inside the monastery.
3. For the celebration of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God.

Athos legend says that before the Second Coming, the Iveron image of the Ever-Virgin will leave the monastery on Athos. This was told by the Monk Neil (Myrrh-streaming), who appeared to the monk Theophan (1813-1819).

Veneration of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in Rus'

The history of the ancient relic in Rus' begins with a visit to Moscow by the abbot of the Iveron monastery, Archimandrite Pachomius. The monk arrived in the capital, collecting donations. Having learned about the wonderful icon, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (Romanov) invited (mid-17th century) Iveron monks to visit Russia, and Archimandrite Nikon asked for the grant of a copy of the shrine.

While preparing a copy for the Russian Tsar, the Iveron iconographer hieromonk, whose name is Iamblichus Romanov, observed strict fast, and other monks prayed fervently. The list of icons was made identical to the original image, all dimensions were observed. Arriving in Moscow on October 13, 1648, the Iveron monks (ecclesiarch Pachomius, hierodeacon Damascene, cellarer Ignatius) presented the tsar, who came out in a solemn procession to meet him, with a copy of the image of the Iveron Mother of God. In response to prayers, the miraculous shrine helped heal the royal daughter. Wanting to thank the Queen of Heaven and the Iveron monks for the miracle, the Russian Tsar allocated them the monastery of St. Nicholas, located in the center of Moscow.

First, the Goalkeeper was presented with honor to the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. Then they handed it over to the church at the house of Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. In 1654, going on a military campaign, the sovereign took the icon with him. The battle of Vyazma ended with the defeat of the enemy Polish troops. In gratitude for the victory, Alexey Mikhailovich erected the Iveron Virgin Mary image in the Smolensk Cathedral on the territory of the Novodevichy Convent. In the 16th-17th centuries, the temple was a place of “royal pilgrimage.”

The fame of the Iveron Icon quickly spread throughout Rus'. New lists have appeared:

• In 1656, thanks to the activities of Patriarch Nikon, the second Athonite production of the Goalkeeper was delivered for the arrangement of the Valdai Iveron Monastery.
• In 1669, another Moscow (Iveron) chapel was erected. The place for it was chosen at the Resurrection Gate of Kitay-Gorod. Here is a list of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, painted in Moscow from the Athos image (Novodevichy Convent). The new image had a little larger size. Now it can be seen in the Church of the Resurrection in Sokolniki.
• There is also a copy of the holy image in the Tretyakov Gallery. Previously, the icon was in the Iveron Chapel. She was taken for prayer services at the homes of seriously ill people. To make it convenient to transport the Mother of God's face, there are loops at the bottom.

The days of celebration of the holy Iveron Icon of the Mother of God are:

• February 12 (old style February 25), Tuesday of Easter week in honor of the appearance of the shrine on Mount Athos.
• October 13 (October 26, old style) the appearance in Moscow (1648) of the miraculous Athos copy of the image, a gift to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Traditions of writing the Iveron image of the Mother of God

The Iveron Icon of the Mother of God is a special variant of the Hodegetria iconographic type. In the Byzantine art of writing it was called "Merciful". The image is applied to an elongated board. At the same time, the figures of the Virgin Mary and the Infant God fill almost the entire surface. The Queen of Heaven is depicted from the waist up, her head slightly bowed towards Christ. The right hand of the Virgin Mary is raised to chest level in a prayer movement.

The Divine Infant is located straight and high on the left hand of the Mother of God. His head is slightly thrown back in a turn towards the Virgin Mary. The right hand of Christ is directed towards the hand of the Mother in a two-fingered blessing gesture. With his left hand, Jesus holds a scroll, which rests vertically on his knee.

A characteristic feature of the Iveron icon is the special arrangement of the hands of the Virgin Mary, as well as the repeating semicircular folds of the Mother of God’s clothing. These details visually create specific place for the Divine Child, resembling a throne. The image fully corresponds to the poetic and theological Byzantine interpretation of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is a container, a temple of the Incontainable. This feature is clearly observed in the works of art of Byzantium during the 11th-12th centuries.

A unique iconography can be seen in the depiction of holy faces. Our Lady and Jesus have massive, large features, almond-shaped, wide-open eyes; the gaze is directed forward. Mother and Son have a concentrated expression on their faces. An obligatory feature of the Most Pure One is the image on the right cheek (lanit) of a wound inflicted by the hand of an iconoclast warrior, from which blood is oozing.

The copies written by the monks of the Iveron Monastery do not differ from the original either in size or image. The master left an autograph on the icon in Greek. (For example, this icon was painted by Iamblichus Romanov, who lives in the Iveron cell. Summer 7156). Above the head of the Virgin Mary between two angels are the words “Goalkeeper of Iverskaya”, near the right shoulder - “Merciful”. At the beginning of the 16th century, Georgian craftsmen made a precious chased frame for the icon from gold and silver. It completely covered the image, leaving only the faces of the Virgin Mary and the Child Christ exposed. The decoration exactly repeats the iconography of the ancient image, but on the margins the overlay is supplemented with chased images of the 12 apostles.

How the Iveron Face of the Mother of God will help

People come to the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God with problems, troubles, asking for help, resolution of dilemmas, etc. First of all, the Mother of God is the Great Comforter, she will reduce sorrows and guide Right way. Rural residents can pray for a good future harvest and for the land to be fertile.

The very name “Goalkeeper” suggests that the icon protects the hearth, the house, helps protect it from enemies, fire, and turns away ill-wishers and misfortunes from the house. Therefore, it is better to keep the image at the entrance to your house, apartment or office.

The miraculous image, if necessary, is capable of bringing some sense to the owners of the house themselves. An old parable tells the story of a hungry traveler who decided to look for shelter for one night in a monastery. Times were not easy for the monastery, and the gatekeeper decided to charge a fee per person. He had no money, so the traveler was left without food and shelter. Continuing on his way, he met a woman who gave him a gold coin. The poor man was delighted and returned to the monks to eat for payment. When the monks took the coin, they were amazed. The frame of the Iveron Icon was decorated with exactly the same ones. And they realized that the Mother of God herself took pity on the poor man, putting them to shame.

The monks repented and wanted to treat the traveler, but all their food spoiled. Since then, the monks never again took money for shelter, bread and water. They warmly welcome their guests, treating them to rakia, fruits, and sweet delight.

The veneration of the Iveron Mother of God icon is completely justified, since it is one of the important images of the Mother of God, who addressed the believers through it, warning them of troubles. Another name for this icon is known - “Goalkeeper”. According to legend, the image of the Mother of God was painted by the holy Apostle Luke at a time when she was still alive. Day of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God: October 26, April 17 and February 25. On this moment the image is located in the temple on Holy Mount Athos and all believers do not have access to it, but there are also numerous lists that have enormous power.

What does the icon of the Iveron Mother of God look like?

This image belongs to the Hodegetria icon painting type, and it is quite large in size - 137x87 cm. This icon has two frames, which the monks periodically change. A more ancient chased frame was made in the 16th century in Georgia. WITH reverse side a cross with a monogram and the following text “Christ gives grace to Christians” is presented. The second salary has its own peculiarity - on its margins are depicted the apostles in full height. The Mother of God is represented from the waist up, and her head is bowed to the Infant God. She raises her right hand in a prayer gesture at chest level. Jesus placed himself on the left hand of the Mother and right hand he sends a blessing gesture to everyone, and in his other hand he holds a scroll. The eyes of Our Lady and Jesus are focused and directed forward.

There is a wound on the face of the Mother of God from which blood is oozing. It appeared after a blow from a soldier’s bayonet, and it happened during the iconoclasm. After that, as the icon reflected the blow, a wound appeared on it and blood began to flow. The soldiers were frightened by what had happened and retreated.

What do they pray to the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God?

A temple was specially built on Mount Athos in which the icon is kept. Next to it is a lamp, which has the ability to warn monks about impending troubles. It is believed that if a lamp begins to sway for no apparent reason, it means that soon you should expect bad events. According to the stories of the monks, the lamp more than once reported epidemics, earthquakes and wars.

The Mother of God comes to the aid of all people who have repented of their sins. The main thing is to read from the heart and believe that they will certainly be heard. The Mother of God helps even serious sinners find peace.

How does the miraculous icon of the Iveron Mother of God help:

1. Prayerful appeals in front of the image allow you to get rid of bad inclinations and bad habits. Man gets rid of all invisible fetters and moves into new life with a pure soul.
2. You can pray in front of the icon for people who have “lost their way” and apostatized from the faith.
3. Prayer before the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God helps to cope with spiritual and physical illnesses. Believers claim that the Mother of God helped cope with various chronic diseases and serious fatal illnesses.
4. Considering that this image of the Mother of God is called the “Goalkeeper”, it is also powerful amulet home from fires, enemies and other problems. That is why it is worth having this icon in your home and it is best to hang it near the entrance.
5. The miraculous image of the Mother of God also helps in solving financial issues.
6. The icon is an excellent amulet against negative impact from other people, even magical ones. It helps to protect yourself from enemies.

Many people are interested in which zodiac sign the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God is suitable for, so this image will become

I prayed to the Lord for a long time for a new home, in which there would be plenty of space for all the children. And finally - the long-awaited move! But the house turned out to be an apartment building, and I immediately made acquaintances on two floors - fellow countrymen lived in one of the apartments, and former colleagues(after all, the earth is round!), after which...

The doors to our apartment stopped closing! Guests kept dropping by all the time, which greatly depressed me, an introvert by nature - and my upbringing did not allow me to show them the door.

Therefore, I asked the priest to tell me if it was possible to hang some kind of icon at the door so that the house would have a heavenly protector from unwanted visitors. That’s how I met Our Lady of Iveron.

The Iveron icon has many names, some of which are folk: Goalkeeper, Gatekeeper, Portaitissa (the same Goalkeeper, but translated from Greek).

The icon received its main name thanks to the holy monastery where it is located: this is the Athos Iveron Monastery.

The history of this icon can be outlined in several milestones:

• The image is very old. It is believed that the apostle himself wrote it while the Mother of Jesus was alive.

• In the 9th century, a decree was issued to destroy all icons. The same fate threatened the oldest image of the Mother of God, but a widow living near Nicaea managed to hide it in her house. True, this did not remain a secret, and soon soldiers stood at her doorstep. They tried to take away the image. One of them even hit the icon with a spear, hitting the cheek of the Virgin Mary. Blood began to drip from the pierced area.
• The widow grabbed her wounded face and ran to the sea. She understood that even if these soldiers let her go (the miracle that happened to the icon convinced them that it was impossible to destroy shrines), the desecration of the image was a matter of time. Not knowing what to do, she lowered the icon into the waves, giving it up to the will of the Lord - and it floated away. No one had heard of her for about 200 years.

• The monks of the Iversky Georgian monastery once saw a pillar of fire. This icon was visible on its top. They recognized her because the former abbot of the monastery (the son of that same widow) at one time described both the icon itself and the wound on the cheek of the Virgin Mary. The image floated in the sea, but the monks could not get it. And only when, after lengthy prayers, the Mother of God came to one brother in a dream and allowed him to take the icon, they were able to get it.
• The brothers prayed, thanking God for the appearance of the holy image to them, and brought it into the temple. But when we woke up in the morning, we were surprised: the icon was hanging above the entrance! No one knew who brought her there. Fearing that the shrine would be spoiled by the sun and rain, the monks hid it again... And it returned to its place again.
• The Queen of Heaven herself came to one of the monks, Gabriel the Svyatogorets, in a dream, telling him not to remove the icon again: its place was precisely above the gate, since the image should protect the entrance to the monastery.

• The inhabitants of the Iveron monastery did not disobey the Virgin, and the icon is still in the same place that it chose for itself. Although, of course, they didn’t just let the icon hang, they erected a special gate church, where they placed the shrine. It was never taken out of here: the monks believe that the image will leave the mountain only before the Second Coming of Christ.

Dates of veneration of the icon

She is revered by both Orthodox and Catholics.

In our churches they sing about it:

• February 25 (or, if according to the old style, then February 12).
• On Tuesday Holy Week(this is a moving Easter holiday, celebrated in April).
• October 26 (13).

Miracles revealed by the Iveron face of the Mother of God

• In the place where the monks first hung the icon, there was a source of clean and sweet water. It still exists today. The input to the source looks like this:

• The monastery was once threatened by the Persians, who besieged it from the sea. The monks began to ask the icon for help - on the same day, a sudden storm sank all the ships of the invaders, and the monastery was saved.
• One day a man came knocking at the monastery wanting to spend the night. But the year was hungry, the brothers did not have enough for themselves, and the gatekeeper asked the pilgrim to pay for lodging for the night. He couldn’t, and they didn’t let him in. After such greed, all the food in the monastery spoiled. On the way, the poor man met a woman (it was a Virgo) who gave him a coin. He returned to the monastery to pay and spend the night. So the monks realized that their Intercessor was angry with them, and to this day they do not charge anyone for an overnight stay.
• There is always a lamp hanging in front of the icon. When it begins to sway for no reason, the holy brothers know that soon there will be a shock or great disaster in the world. And before the outbreak of the First World War, even the face of Jesus on the icon changed: it was childishly tender, it became angry.

Iveron-Hawaiian icon:

One of the copies of the Iveron image of the Virgin Mary has become a cult among Orthodox Christians in the United States. He appeared to them in 2007, and since then he has been constantly moving around churches, where people can touch this myrrh-streaming gift of the Lord.

And the Montreal one was also considered wonderful myrrh-streaming icon. This list was created on Mount Athos in 1981; it streamed myrrh for 15 years. You can learn more about this foreign, but still almost Russian Orthodox miracle from this video:

What does the Iveron Mother of God help with?

• It’s not for nothing that they called her the Goalkeeper: the icon can protect the house from unwanted visits. They also pray before her to protect the home from thieves, fire, and flood. It will also help protect against enemies.
• She helped many people protect themselves or recover from illness. This refers to both physical and mental illnesses.
• People in the villages ask this icon to give them a good harvest.
• It will help bring some sense to a person who has taken the wrong path.
• Finally, the Mother of God is asked for consolation in trouble and sorrow. Moreover, it is correct to ask not only for yourself, but also for your loved ones. It’s also worth putting in a good word for the health of your enemies.

How to pray to this icon correctly

Here special prayer about help, which is read in front of the icon in difficult times: Most often it is placed either above front door, or opposite the entrance, so that the Mother of God looks into the eyes of everyone who enters.

Of course, after hanging the icon, you need to tell your household about it, and your children too. To help kids better understand the essence of the shrine, you can show them this cartoon, drawn specifically about the Iveron Mother of God.

Probably, it is not for kindergarteners, but for schoolchildren, since it raises many almost adult topics - say, the topic of personal choice. In any case, watch it with your children, because they will have many questions to which you, adults, already know the answers: