Iveron Mother of God. Copies of the Iveron Mother of God

The Icon of the Mother of God, famous for its miracles in the areas of the Mother of God - on Athos, in Iveria (Georgia) and in Russia - is named after the Iveron Monastery on Holy Mount Athos.

Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. 1st half XI or early XII century Starting salary XVI century (Iveron Monastery on Athos)

The first news about it dates back to the 9th century - the times of iconoclasm, when, by order of the heretical authorities, holy icons in houses and churches were destroyed and desecrated.

A certain pious widow who lived near Nicaea kept the treasured image of the Mother of God. It soon opened. The armed soldiers who came wanted to take away the icon, one of them hit the shrine with a spear, and blood flowed from the face of the Most Pure One. Having prayed to the Lady with tears, the woman went to the sea and lowered the icon into the water; the standing image moved along the waves.

On Mount Athos they learned about the icon with the pierced face thrown into the sea: The only son This woman became a monk on the Holy Mountain and practiced asceticism near the place where the ship carrying the Mother of God Herself to Cyprus once landed, and where later, in the 10th century, the Georgian nobleman John and the Byzantine commander Tornikius founded the Iveron monastery.

One day, the inhabitants of the Iversky Monastery saw a sky-high pillar of fire on the sea - it rose above the image of the Mother of God standing on the water. The monks wanted to take the icon, but the closer the boat sailed, the further the image went into the sea... The brothers began to pray and earnestly asked the Lord to grant the icon to the monastery.

The next night, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared in a dream to Elder Gabriel, who was distinguished by a strict ascetic life and a childishly simple disposition, and said: “Tell the abbot and the brethren that I want to give them My icon as protection and help, then enter the sea and walk with faith waves - then everyone will know My love and favor towards your monastery.”

The next morning, the monks went to the shore with prayer singing, the elder fearlessly walked on the water and was honored to receive the miraculous icon. They placed it in a chapel on the shore and prayed before it for three days, and then transferred it to the cathedral church (in the place where the icon stood, a source of clean, sweet water opened).

The next day the icon was discovered above the monastery gates. She was taken to her previous place, but she again found herself above the gate. This happened several times.

Finally, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to Elder Gabriel and said: “Tell the brethren: I do not want to be guarded, but I myself will be your Guardian in this life and in the future. I asked God for My mercy, and as long as you see My icon in the monastery, the grace and mercy of My Son towards you will not become scarce.”

Iveron Monastery on Mount Athos

The monks built a gate church in honor of the Mother of God, the Guardian of the monastery, in which miraculous icon remains to this day. The icon is called Portaitissa - Goalkeeper, Gatekeeper, and after the place of its appearance on Athos - Iverskaya.

According to legend, the appearance of the icon took place on March 31, Tuesday Easter week(according to other sources, April 27). In the Iversky Monastery, a celebration in her honor takes place on Tuesday Holy Week; the brethren with a religious procession go to the seashore, where Elder Gabriel received the icon.

In the history of the monastery, there are many cases of the gracious help of the Mother of God: the miraculous replenishment of supplies of wheat, wine and oil, the healing of the sick, the deliverance of the monastery from barbarians.

So, one day the Persians besieged the monastery from the sea. The monks appealed to the Mother of God for help. Suddenly a terrible storm arose and the enemy ships sank, leaving only Amir’s commander alive. Struck by the miracle of God's wrath, he repented, asked to pray for the forgiveness of his sins, and donated a lot of gold and silver for the construction of the monastery walls.

Iconography

The iconography of the Iveron Icon is a special version of the “Hodegetria”, which in Byzantine art received the name “᾿Ελεοῦσα” (Russian - “Merciful”). The board is elongated, the figures fill almost the entire space of the ark. The image of the Mother of God is half-length, the head is slightly inclined towards the Infant Christ, the right hand is raised in a prayer gesture at chest level.

Myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, Montreal

The Divine Infant sits on the Mother’s left hand high and straight, in a slight turn towards Her, his head tilted back slightly. The Baby’s right hand is extended forward towards the hand of the Mother of God with a blessing gesture with two fingers; in his left He holds a scroll, resting vertically on his knee.

The position of the hands of the Mother of God, the parallel semicircular folds of Her maforia visually create a kind of container - a semblance of a throne for the Infant Christ, which corresponds to Byzantine theological and poetic ideas about the image of the Mother of God - a temple, a container of the Incontainable and is reflected in many monuments of Byzantine art of the 11th-12th centuries.

The manner of painting the faces is peculiar: with large, massive features, wide-open almond-shaped eyes; the gaze is directed forward, the expression of the faces is concentrated. A significant iconographic detail is the image on the face of the Mother of God of a wound from which blood is oozing.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the icon was decorated with a chased silver gilded frame of Georgian work, leaving only the faces of the Mother of God and the Child exposed. Apparently, the frame quite accurately reproduces the iconography of the ancient image, but in the margins it is supplemented with chased images of half-figures of the 12 apostles.

Iveron Icon – Russian pages of history

In the 17th century, they learned about the Iveron Icon in Rus'. Archimandrite of the Novospassky Monastery Nikon, the future Patriarch, turned to the Archimandrite of the Iveron Athos Monastery Pachomius with a request to send exact list miraculous image.

“...Having gathered all their brethren...they performed a great prayer service from evening until daylight, and blessed the water with holy relics, and poured holy water over the miraculous icon Holy Mother of God old Portaitissa, and they collected that holy water into a great basin, and having collected it, they poured the packs on a new board, which they made all of the cypress tree, and again they collected that holy water into the basin, and then they served the Divine and Holy Liturgy with great boldness, and after the holy Liturgy gave that holy water and holy relics to the icon painter, the priest and spiritual father Mr. Iamblichus Romanov, so that he could paint a holy icon by mixing holy water and holy relics with paints.”

The icon painter ate food only on Saturday and Sunday, and the brethren celebrated all-night vigil and liturgy twice a week. “And that (newly painted) icon differs in nothing from the first icon: neither in length, nor in breadth, nor in face...”

Meeting of the copy of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God from the holy Mount Athos in the Ascension Church, Pavlovsky Posad, April 2010.

On October 13, 1648, the icon was greeted in Moscow by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Patriarch Joseph and crowds of Orthodox people. (This icon was owned by Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna and her daughter Tsarevna Sofya Alekseevna; after the death of the princess, the image remained in the Novodevichy Convent. Currently it is in the State Historical Museum.)

According to legend, the monks who were carrying the shrine from Mount Athos did not have enough money to cross the Danube. They had already decided to return to the monastery, but the Mother of God Herself helped them - She appeared to the rich Greek Manuel and ordered him to pay the Muslim carriers for the monks.

Another list, by order of Patriarch Nikon, was delivered from Athos to Moscow, decorated with a precious robe, and in 1656 transferred to Valdai, to the newly built Iversky Mother of God Svyatoozersky Monastery (after the revolution, the icon disappeared without a trace).

Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. 1995 Icon painter Hierom. Luke (Iverskaya Chapel, Moscow)

Another copy was made from the icon that was in the royal family; in 1669 it was installed in the chapel at the gate overlooking the main Tverskaya street in Moscow. The goalkeeper became one of the most revered shrines, the Intercessor Mother of Muscovites.

The winners entered Red Square through the Resurrection Gate; Kings and queens, having arrived in the old capital, first of all went to bow to Iverskaya - like everyone who came to the city. Muscovites went to the chapel to pray for all their urgent needs; they took the icon from house to house, served prayers in front of it, and received it by faith: the Iveron Goalkeeper became famous for her healings of the sick and many miracles.

In 1929 the chapel was destroyed, and in 1931 the Resurrection Gate was demolished. The icon was transferred to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki, where it remains to this day.

In November 1994 His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II consecrated the foundation of the Iverskaya Chapel and the Resurrection Gate in the same place, and less than a year later they were restored. On October 25, 1995, he arrived from Mount Athos to Moscow new list miraculous Iveron icon, painted by a monk-icon painter with the blessing of the Iveron abbot. The Good Goalkeeper returned to the main gates of Her city.

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 is placed on the left hand of the Mother and with his right hand he sends a blessing gesture to everyone, and in his other hand he has 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

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 the icons of the Most Holy Theotokos is occupied by her 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.

In contact with

Classmates

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 a new list, completed 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) - an exact copy from the Athos 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 become right hand 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.

In contact with

Many of us have heard about icons that have miraculous power. Among them is the miraculous one (Iverskaya). She primarily helps those who have repented of their sins and taken the path of repentance. In front of the icon they pray for their loved ones, for the healing of both mental and physical illnesses. This image is recommended to have in every home. Prayer before him will help protect your home from various disasters, including attacks from enemies.

Where can you see the icon

Icon "Iverskaya" mother of god"is located in the Iveron Monastery in Greece on Mount Athos. Many temples have been built in honor of this icon throughout the world. Russia is no exception, where similar temples are located in Belyaev, on Vspolye, in Babushkino. They contain lists of those made in Greece or in Russia, this does not matter, since any copy of this icon becomes miraculous. As an example, consider the temple on Vspolye. The image of the Iveron Mother of God was brought to the church by Archpriest Gregory from own home during its opening. After a certain time, certain healings began to occur from the icon.

There are many lists in the world, 16 of which have become the most famous. Thus, there is an icon of the “Iveron Mother of God”, which was painted by the priest Iamblichus Romanov in 1648. This image is an exact copy of the Athonite icon, commissioned at the request of Nikon, who later became the Patriarch of Moscow. The board on which the icon was written was first doused with sacred water, serving a prayer service to the Mother of God. This water was then collected, as it was used to mix the paints with which the icon was subsequently painted.

In addition, on Athos it was written famous list, which is now kept in the Valdai Svyatoozersky Iversky Monastery. In Moscow, in the Iverskaya Chapel, a copy of the image is also kept. There is a similar list in the Smolensk Monastery, Tambov, Saratov and many other places.

How it appeared in Athos

Not far from Nikia lived a pious widow who secretly kept the image of the Mother of God in her house. When this was revealed, soldiers came to the house and wanted to take the icon away. One of them even hit the shrine with a spear, after which blood flowed from the image of the Most Pure One. After praying, the woman, in order to protect the icon, took it and lowered it into the sea. The image floated on the waves while standing. One fine day, the inhabitants of the Iversky Monastery above the sea saw a holy pillar that rose above the image standing on the water. After the vision, Gabriel walked on the water and took the icon. It was placed in the chapel, but the next morning the image was discovered above the monastery gates. Attempts to take her to her previous place ended in failure. Then the Mother of God again appeared to Gabriel and told him that she did not want to be guarded, but that she wanted to protect and protect everyone herself. As a result, a gate church was built, in which the icon was placed. The “Iveron Mother of God” got its name from its location. In the history of the monastery there are many manuscripts about the gracious help of the Mother of God. Thus, during the period of famine, supplies of wheat, oil and wine were miraculously replenished. Many times the image protected the monastery from attacks. An example is the death of the Persians during the siege of the monastery, when a storm suddenly arose and sank all the ships.

Icon of the Iveron Mother of God: description

She has enough big sizes. Its height is 137 centimeters and its width is 87. The icon has two frames, which change periodically. The chased frame is more ancient. It was made by Georgian craftsmen in the 16th century; below there is a note in the language of the manufacturer. On the reverse side of the icon there is a cross with a monogram and the abbreviated phrase “Christ gives grace to Christians.” The second salary is later. Distinctive feature The images of the apostles on the margins of the image are full-length, while on the prototype they are half-length. Like most miraculous icons, it is decorated with numerous donations.

The Iveron Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most famous and revered in Orthodox world. According to legend, it was written by the evangelist Luke, for a long time was in Asia Minor Nicaea, and from the beginning of the 11th century. permanently resides in the Iveron Monastery on Holy Mount Athos (in honor of which it received its name).

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 gave Iviron the Monastery of St. Nicholas, which became the courtyard of this Athonite 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, at the inner gates of the monastery, in the iconostasis, instead of the usual Mother of God, there is a certain holy and miraculous icon, named by the ancient monks Portaitissa, that is, the Goalkeeper, extremely terribly transparent, with great feathers, holding Christ the Savior on her left hand , blackened on the face for many years, both completely showing the image, everything except the face is covered with silver-plated gilded clothing, and in addition, dotted with valuable stones and gold coins, from various kings, princes and noble boyars given for many of her 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, it 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:

February 12 (February 25) and on Tuesday of Holy Week- finding the image on Mount Athos;
October 13 (October 26) - the copy of the icon sent to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from Athos was transferred to Moscow in 1648;

The use of materials is possible
provided that an active hyperlink is indicated
to the portal "AFONIT.INFO" ()