Orthodox icon | Mother of God of Vladimir | Vladimirskaja | 25005

Orthodox icon | Mother of God of Vladimir | Vladimirskaja with Silver oklad.

About the icon:

The Mother of God is depicted cradling the child on her right arm. This portrayal is in line with the Umilenie icon style, which originated in Byzantium during the 11th century. There’s an unmistakable sense of affection as the Mother of God tenderly gazes upon the child.

Their intimate relationship is palpable, and the somber expression of the Mother of God suggests her foresight of the inevitable Passion in the future.

The Russian Orthodox Church honors the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God on three separate feast days: May 21, June 23, and August 26. This icon holds a significant place as the most revered and famous amongst all of Russia’s miraculous icons. Each feast day is linked with a great miracle attributed to the icon.

Vladimirskaya:

This icon is one of the three portraits of the Mother of God holding the child, believed to be painted by the apostle Luke. According to the legend, Mary upon seeing these three pictures, declared: “The blessed goodness born from me will also be associated with these holy icons.”

The icon, later known as Vladimirskaya, was first moved from Jerusalem to Constantinople in the middle of the 5th century. Following tradition, the Patriarch of Constantinople sent it to Kiev during the mid-12th century.

Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruki placed the icon in the Devičij Virgin Monastery in Vyshhorod (near Kiev). In 1155, the Prince of Vyshhorod took the icon northward during his campaign. En route, people prayed before the icon, and it performed miracles.

When the procession reached the Klyazma River, the horses carrying the icon refused to move. The prince then named the place Bogolyubovo (“loved by God”) and built two churches, one of which housed the icon. A women’s monastery and the city of Bogolyubov were later established here.

The icon was moved to the newly constructed grand cathedral in the city of Vladimir on September 21, 1160, and from then on, it was called “Vladimirskaya”. Since 1395, the icon has resided in the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow.

The silver oklad:

The silver oklad was skillfully chased and hallmarked in Moscow between 1908 and 1916: IW Ivan Philippovich Vshivikov (1905-1914).

Source: Orthodox icon | Mother of God of Vladimir | Vladimirskaja | 25005 © Ikonen Mautner. Typing errors, other errors or changes reserved. For more information: “Das Synaxarion. Die Leben der Heiligen der Orthodoxen Kirche.” (http://www.prodromos-verlag.de/buecher.html) and Joachim Schäfer: Das Ökumenische Heiligenlexikon – https://www.heiligenlexikon.de