(celebration April 14, February 15 - transferred to Vilna in 1495), miraculous; named after its location in Vilna. According to legend, this is one of the oldest icons, painted during the life of the Mother of God by the Evangelist Luke and transferred to K-pol from Palestine (hence the names V. and. “Jerusalem” or “Constantinople”). According to one version, from K-field to Moscow V.I., a Byzantine family heirloom. emperors, arrived in 1472 with Sophia Paleologus, b. led by his wife. book Moscow John III Vasilievich. According to others, less recognized, V. and. passed to the Moscow princes from the Galician princes, titled kings of Red Rus, who in turn received it as a gift from the Byzantines. Emperor. The appearance of V. and. in Vilna is associated with the arrival there on February 15. 1495 Moscow prince. Elena Ioannovna, edge, marrying Vel. book Lit. Alexander, brought with her from Moscow an icon of the Mother of God - the blessing of her parents, led. book John III Vasilievich and Sophia Paleologus. In Vilna V. and. originally was in the princely castle in the chambers of the leader. Kng. Lit. and cor. Polish Elena Ioannovna. After his death he led. Princess (Jan. 24, 1513), according to her will, the icon was placed above her tomb in the Vilna Cathedral Orthodox Church. Assumption (Prechistensky) Cathedral - the residence of the Metropolitan of Kyiv and Lithuania, one of the oldest Orthodox churches. churches in Vilna, built by the great book Lit. Olgerd (consecrated in 1358). There is an opinion that V. and. was previously transferred to the Prechistensky Cathedral by Elena Ioannovna herself.

During the Livonian War, during negotiations in 1569 (1570?), the Moscow side tried to negotiate the conditions for the return of V. i., in return it was proposed to release 50 representatives of noble litas from captivity. childbirth, but the offer was rejected.

As a result of the proclamation of the Brest Church Union in 1596, the majority of the Orthodox. churches in Vilna became Uniate. In 1608, the Prechistensky Cathedral also became Uniate. Trying to preserve the ancient icon of the Mother of God, the Orthodox in 1608 temporarily moved it along with other church treasures and relics from Prechistenskaya to the church. St. Nicholas, built in 1514 by Prince. Konstantin Ostrogsky in honor of the victory near Orsha. Nikolskaya c. in 1609 it also became Uniate, and V. and. was returned to its original location - the Prechistensky Cathedral. In 1610 the cathedral burned, in 1612 it was restored, but the metropolitan see in 1613 was moved from it to the Holy Trinity Church. Vilna in the name of the Holy Trinity husband. mon-rya, which passed to the Uniates back in 1609. About the finding of V. and. in Trinity Church in the 17th century evidenced by the will of 1652 of Alexy Dubovich, archimandrite. Trinity Monastery, according to which a contribution of 100 zlotys of annual income was made to the monastery for the commission of the Trinity Church. before V. and. every Saturday Akathist (perhaps the transfer of V. and. took place later and was caused by the desolation of the Prechistenskaya Church, as evidenced by the inscription 1748 on the icon, as well as the mention of this event in the archival documents of the Trinity Monastery for 1775).

During the Russian-Polish war (1654-1667), Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich made another attempt to return V. and. from Vilno to Moscow: rus. troops occupied Vilna in 1655, and in 1657 and 1658. book Mikhail Shakhovskoy, appointed by Alexei Mikhailovich as governor of Vilna, carried out a search for V. and., on behalf of the tsar, which turned out to be unsuccessful (some researchers of the 19th century mistakenly believed that Prince Shakhovskoy was looking for the Ostrobramsky Vilna Icon of the Mother of God). As shown by the Russian By the administration of Vilna in 1658, as a result, the icon was taken out by the Vilna tradesman Yuri Seledchik from Vilna along the river. Viliya on a vitin boat to Krulevets (Königsberg) and hidden there by Uniate monks. After 1661 it was returned to Vilna. In and. temporarily left Vilna during the Northern War (1700-1721) - along with her precious salary, she was taken out by the monks of the Basilian Trinity Monastery on December. 1701 in Zhirovitsky Assumption Monastery.

In Trinity Church In and. was placed in an icon case built in the middle. XVII century at the expense of the Vilna burgomaster Yuri Pavlovich. The icon in it was covered with a sliding curtain with the image of the Annunciation (according to other sources - the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary). After a fire in Vilna in 1706, which destroyed all the decoration of the Trinity Church, but did not damage V.I., the Uniate brotherhood of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God built a new, carved wooden icon case in 1707, and in 1713 gilded it. In the Trinity Monastery V. and. was located both after the annexation of Vilna to Russia in 1795, and after the liquidation of the union in 1839. At the direction of the Lithuanian Archbishop. Joseph (Semashko) in 1851 for the Trinity Church. instead of the old (Uniate) altar barrier art. Ivan Khrutsky, son of a Belarusian. Uniate priest, a new iconostasis was made, in the local row of which, to the left of the royal doors, V. and. For the convenience of pilgrims, there were steps in front of the icon, and on major holidays the glass frame of the icon case was removed and believers could freely venerate the icon. Reading of the Akathist to the Mother of God before V. and. was performed at Vespers every Friday and attracted a large number of worshipers. For help and healing from illnesses, believers decorated V. and. numerous offerings - pendants and silver plates.

After the defeat of the Polish uprising of 1863-1864. glorification of V. and. acquired a political connotation, since this image was perceived as a symbol of the original Orthodoxy of the North-Western region. In this aspect, the history of V. and. became a kind of contrast to the history of the Ostrobramsky Vilna Icon of the Mother of God, which at that time was a symbol of the national. liberation for Catholics and Orthodox Christians (former Uniates) of Lithuania and Belarus. This period was marked by a large number of publications dedicated to V. and., due to the desire to prove the antiquity of the icon, emphasizing its Orthodoxy. roots. Archim. Joseph (Sokolov), in a book dedicated to the Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God, also published the text of a prayer to the Mother of God asking for the patronage of the Emperor. home, read in the Vilna Trinity Monastery in front of V. and.

In and. (size 134.5´ 90 cm) was written on 4 boards (2 central cypress and side linden). Judging by the photographs and graphic reproductions of the icon in the 2nd half edition. XIX century, it is closest to the iconographic version of the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God (in a mirror version - with a baby on the left hand of the Mother of God) and the version of the Georgian and Tikhvin icons of the Mother of God. As on the Tikhvin icon, on V. and. the Baby’s right leg is turned with its bare heel outward, the Baby’s left hand with a scroll lies on His lap, but His blessing right hand is raised higher compared to the position of the hand on the Tikhvin icon.

During his 400-year stay in Vilna, V. and. decorated with numerous precious offerings. In 1677, a chased chasuble was made for it from silver votive tablets presented to the icon. The clothes of the Mother of God and the Child were silver with gilded flowers and eagles, the background was made using filigree technique. The golden filigree crown on the head of the Mother of God was supported by 2 chased silver gilded angels; on the silver gilded crown of the baby there were 3 precious stones. The background of the icon was covered with silver tablets (including votive tablets from 1758 and 1759), on one of which there was a relief image of a kneeling woman (presumably Grand Duke Elena Ioannovna). In archival documents of 1701 and 1781. Many precious stones, silver and gold jewelry were listed that were located on V. and., including 55 strings of pearls at the neck of the Mother of God, and 33 strings of beads at the neck of the Infant of God. In 1866, the frame was dismantled, leaving only the basma silver frame on the margins of the icon. From silver taken from the icon and donated jewelry, St. Petersburg jeweler A. Sokolov made a new frame, applied ornamented halos with diamonds and diamonds, and a crown on the head of the Mother of God; A new bronze frame was also made for the icon. In the same year, artist. V. Vasiliev carried out restoration clearing of V. and.

With the beginning of the First World War, Russian. government and church authorities organized the evacuation of the most ancient and valuable Orthodox churches. relics from the front-line zone of Lithuania and Belarus to the interior of Russia. In Aug. 1915 V. and. together with the relics of 3 Vilna Orthodox Churches. Martyrs was taken to the Moscow Donskoy Monastery, her further fate is unknown.

Lit.: Koialowicz W. Miscellanae rerum ad statum ecclesiasticum in magno Lituaniae Ducatu pertinentum. Vilnae, 1650; Image of icons of St. Mother of God. M., 1848. Part 1. P. 8; Correspondence between Russia and Poland on diplomatic papers // CHOIDR. 1860. Book. 4. Dept. 2. P. 1-189; Western Russian monthbook for 1865. Vilno, 1864. P. 67; The case of the Vilna Holy Trinity Monastery on the decoration of the chasuble on St. icon of the Mother of God // Lithuanian EV. 1868. No. 5. P. 222; PRSZG. 1874. Issue. 6. P. 50, 105; Shcherbitsky O. IN . Vilna Holy Trinity Monastery // Lithuanian EV. 1885. No. 25. P. 255; Petrov N. I., Gorodetsky M. AND . Belarus and Lithuania: East. fate of the North-West the edges. St. Petersburg, 1890. Part 1. P. 173 (ill.), 258; Part 2. P. 28, 54; Joseph (Sokolov), archimandrite. Pointed, or Strobramsky miraculous icon of the Mother of God, in Vilna. Vilna, 18902. pp. 39-40, 253 (note 123 - list of literature about V. i.); Ivanovsky K. IN . Vilna St. and the miraculous icon of the Mother of God: On the 400th anniversary of her stay in Vilna. Vilna, 1895; Historical commemoration: To the 400th anniversary of the stay in Vilna of the miraculous Constantinople Icon of the Most Holy. Theotokos Hodegetria // Tsved. 1895. p. 265; R-v A. Reflection of the war // Old years. 1915. Sept. P. 58; Chomik P. Kult ikon Matki Bożej w w wielkim księstwie litewskim w XVI-XVIII w. Białystok, 2003. S. 148.

Yu. A. Piskun

Ostrobramskaya Vilna Icon of the Mother of God

Ostrobramskaya Vilna Icon of the Mother of God

In Vilnius, in the old part of the city, next to the Church of St. Theresa and the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Spirit, there is a shrine revered by both Orthodox and Catholics - the Ostrovorotnaya or Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God, in the past also called the Korsun Annunciation.

The icon is located in the chapel above the gate, popularly called the “Sharp Gate” or “Sharp Gate” (from the Polish “Brama” - gate). The name of the image that has long been placed above it comes from the name of the gate. (Currently the gates are called Medininki, or Aušros. They are a surviving fragment of an ancient defensive system. Vilnius formerly had a wooden city wall, and at the beginning of the 16th century it was surrounded by a stone one, with five gates. In the part of the city called Ostry, or Russian , the end (due to the predominance of the Russian population here) and the gate in question was located).

There are several legends about the origin of the Vilna Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God.
One of the legends says that the icon miraculously appeared on the Sharp Gate on April 14, 1431.

Supporters of another version claim that the icon was sent to the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd Gediminovich by the Greek Emperor John Palaiologos on the occasion of Olgerd's adoption of Christianity.

According to the third version, the image of the Mother of God was brought from Tauride Chersonesus (or Korsun) by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd among military trophies. It is known that in 1341 - 1373. Prince Olgerd made several successful campaigns against the Crimean Tatars. There is no direct evidence about when exactly the icon was brought. However, researchers are inclined to believe that this happened after the victorious campaign against Korsun in 1363. The version is based mainly on the testimony of the Wenden canon Daniel Lodziata, who lived in the 17th century. The historian Teodor Narbut, when writing the book “Ancient History of the Lithuanian People,” had at hand the manuscript of Daniel Lodziata, which he referred to twice. In a note dated 1653, Canon Lodziata reports the following: “The Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgierd enriched his treasuries with the treasures of Chersonese; his heirs distributed most of the church decorations to the churches of the city of Vilna. Among these treasures is a genuine image of the Blessed Virgin Mary; She seems to be standing in front of "The Divine Messenger of the Archangel Gabriel. Now we see the Lady of Grace in the Carmelite chapel on the eastern gate of the city, usually called the Sharp Gate, which is documented by the written evidence of the mentioned order." The testimony of Canon Lodziata is the most ancient of the surviving testimonies about the Ostrobramsk Icon of the Mother of God.
The existence of such information is also mentioned by the Carmelite writer Hilarion, who wrote about the Ostrobramsk Icon in 1761.

It is believed that the holy icon was originally donated to the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, built with the assistance of the wife of Grand Duke Alexander Juliana, and then placed above the Sharp Gate. There is evidence that in 1431 the icon of the Mother of God was already above the Sharp Gate.
The further fate of this image is closely intertwined with the fate of Orthodoxy in Lithuania. After the signing of the Lublin Union of Lithuania with Poland in 1569, church union with Rome began to be established in the Lithuanian lands. Many churches, including the Holy Trinity Monastery, passed into the hands of the Uniates, but the Orthodox managed to transfer the icon to the Church of St. Nicholas. However, in 1609, this temple also passed to the Uniates, and the icon returned to its original place above the Sharp Gate.
In 1624, a Carmelite monastery with the Church of St. was founded right at the gate. Teresia. The Carmelites built a new chapel in place of the old one in 1671, and turned the icon towards the church.

In 1829, the icon was rewritten in some places by the hand of the Polish artist Kanut Rusetsky. In connection with the restoration undertaken in 1829, some authors report that a song of praise to the Mother of God - “The most honorable cherub...” written in Church Slavonic was discovered on the icon. There are also reports of inscriptions in Greek on the icon. The magazine "Russian Archive" published in 1884 the notes of Prince N. Imeretinsky from 1854, which states: "The Ostrobramskaya icon was once the property of the Orthodox, as evidenced by the Greek inscription preserved on it." The existence of such an inscription is also reported by the Kholm-Warsaw Diocesan Bulletin. A certain eyewitness F. Serno-Solovyevich writes in it: “In 1865, when the head of the Vilna diocese was Prelate Zhilinsky, who was in charge of the “Sharp Gate,” I had to see a Greek inscription on the back panel of the icon (it was then being updated).” .

The “Vilna” icon is part of the composition of the Annunciation, so the image was sometimes called the Korsun Annunciation Icon. The Virgin Mary is depicted at the moment of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to her; the corresponding part of the image of the archangel has been lost. The icon is painted on an oak board measuring 1.63 x 2 m. The chasuble was made in the Baroque style by Vilna masters at the end of the 17th century.

During the First World War, in connection with the threat of occupation of Lithuania by German troops, Archbishop Tikhon of Vilna and Lithuania (future Russian Patriarch) blessed the evacuation of all Orthodox shrines to Russia, including the Vilna Icon. The miraculous image was placed in the Moscow Donskoy Monastery.

Currently, public worship before the Ostrobramskaya icon is performed according to the Roman Catholic rite, but Orthodox Christians continue to flock to this image with personal prayer and worship.

Lists of the Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God occupy their rightful place both in Orthodox churches in Lithuania and in the homes of believers. And when passing through the Ostrobramsky Gate, above which the revered image is located in the chapel, Orthodox Christians, just as respectfully as Catholics, remove their hats.

On July 25 - 27, 1997, in connection with the anniversary celebrations of the 650th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Vilna martyrs Anthony, John and Eustathius and the 400th anniversary of the Holy Spiritual Monastery, His Holiness Patriarch ALEXIY II of Moscow and All Rus' visited Vilnius. On July 26, after the Divine Liturgy, a procession of the Cross was held from the Holy Spirit Monastery to the Ostrobramskaya Icon with the participation of His Holiness the Patriarch. From the gate chapel, where the miraculous image of the Mother of God is located, His Holiness addressed a pastoral word to the people of Lithuania.

Celebration

Ostrobramskaya Vilna Icon of the Mother of God.
The icon depicts waist-deep, head bowed, eyes downcast, arms crossed on the chest; on the head there is a two-tiered crown, the halo is surrounded by sharp rays of radiance with stars; the gilded chasuble completely covers the figure, leaving only the face and hands exposed.

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of Her Icon "Ostrobramskaya Vilna"

Oh, Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord of the highest powers, Heaven and earth to the Queen and our city of Kyiv, omnipotent Intercessor!
Accept this song of praise from us, unworthy Thy servants, and lift up our prayers to the throne of Thy Son and our God, may He be merciful to us sinners, and may He add His goodness to those who honor Thee and worship Thy miraculous image with faith and love.
To whom shall we cry out to the Lady? To whom shall we resort in our sorrows, if not to You, Queen of Heaven? Who will accept our tears and our sighs, if not You, Most Immaculate, the Hope of Christians and refuge for us sinners? Who will protect You more in adversity? In the same way, we earnestly pray to You: cover our sins with Your intercession, protect us from enemies visible and invisible, soften the hearts of evil people who rebel against us.
O Mother of the Lord our Creator! You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. Accept our unworthy prayer and keep us in spiritual purity, save us from the slander of evil people and from sudden death, and grant us repentance before the end. Have mercy on us in the hours of the day, morning and evening, and protect us at all times: protect those who stand, those who sit, those who walk on every path, and those who sleep in the hours of the night, provide, cover and protect. In every place and at every time, awaken for us, Mother of God, an insurmountable wall and a strong intercession. You appear to us as the guardian of all life, Most Pure One; Deliver us from demons at the hour of death; Even after death, ask Thy Son and our God to find peace.
We, sinners, lift up prayers to You with hope and cry out tenderly: Rejoice, full of grace; Rejoice, O Delighted One; Rejoice, Most Blessed One; The Lord is with You, with You and with us. We resort to You, as to our undoubted and speedy Intercessor, and to You, as our Almighty Helper, we commit ourselves and each other and our whole life according to Christ God; to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, together with His beginningless Father, with the Most Holy and His good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Another prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of Her icon "Ostrobramskaya Vilna"

O All-Merciful Lady, Queen Theotokos, chosen from all generations and blessed by all heavenly generations! Look mercifully at these people standing before Your holy icon, earnestly praying to You, and act through Your intercession and intercession with Your Son and our God, so that no one will leave this place empty of their hope and be ashamed in their hope, but may everyone receive from You all according to the good will of your heart, according to your need and desire, for the salvation of the soul and the health of the body.
Most of all, protect the autumn with Your protection, Merciful Mother, Your Holy Church, strengthen our Orthodox bishops with Your highest blessing, protect with peace, and grant the whole, healthy, honest, and long-living Saints of Your Church the word of Your truth, from all visible and invisible enemy, with all Orthodox Christians, mercifully deliver, and in Orthodoxy and the firm faith until the end of centuries, unfailingly and unchangeably preserve. Look with mercy, O All-Singing One, and with the charity of Your merciful intercession over our entire country, our cities and this city [or: this temple, or: and the spiritual city that exists here], and pour out Your mercies unsparingly on this rich one. You are the all-powerful Helper and Intercessor of us all. Bow down to the prayers of all Your servants who flow here to Your holy icon, hear the sighs and voices in which Your servants pray in this holy place.
If both a non-believer and a foreigner, passing here, pray, hear, O beloved Lady, and do this kindly and mercifully, even to help him and to salvation. Instruct your hardened and scattered hearts in our countries on the path of truth: convert those who have fallen from the pious faith and bring them closer to the holy Orthodox Catholic Church and the Apostolic Church. In the houses of Thy people and in the brethren, protect and preserve the holy abodes of sowing peace, establish brotherhood and humility in the young, support old age, instruct youths, make those who are at a perfect age wise, stand up for the orphans and widows, support the oppressed and those in sorrow, comfort and protect them, raise infants Heal the sick, free the captives, protect us from all evil with Thy goodness, and comfort us with Thy merciful visit and all the good things done to us. Grant, O Good One, the fruitfulness of the earth, the goodness of the air, and all the gifts that are timely and useful for our benefit, through Your omnipotent intercession before the All-Holy Life-Giving Trinity.
Our fathers and mothers, our brothers and sisters, who have gone before, and all who have fallen upon this holy icon of Thy from ancient times, rest in the villages of the saints, in a green place, in a place of peace, where there is no sorrow and sighing. When our departure from this life and migration to eternal life is ripe, appear to us, O Most Blessed Virgin, and grant a Christian end to our life, painless, shameless, peaceful and partaker of the Holy Mysteries, so that in the future we will all be worthy of all, together with all the saints , endless blessed life in the Kingdom of Your beloved Son, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, to Him belongs glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

VILNA OSTROBRAMSK ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD

Vilna Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God

(Celebration - December 29/January 8, as well as April 14/27 on the day of remembrance of the three Lithuanian martyrs)

In Vilnius, in the old part of the city, next to the Church of St. Theresa and the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Spirit, there is a shrine revered by both Orthodox and Catholics - Ostrovorotnaya or Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God , in the past also called Korsunskaya Blagoveshchenskaya(this is due to the fact that the icon is part of the composition of the Annunciation, and with the legend of its ancient origin from Korsun - the old Russian name for Chersonesus). The icon is located in the chapel above the gate, popularly called the “Sharp Gate” or “Sharp Gate” (from Polish. "Brama"- gates). The name of the image that has long been placed above it comes from the name of the gate. It is considered one of the main Christian shrines of Vilnius and Lithuania.

Ostrobramsky gate with a chapel above it with the miraculous Ostrobramskaya icon of the Mother of God in Vilnius

Numerous traditions and legends are associated with the icon and the miracles it performs.

Origin

There are several legends about the origin of the Vilna Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God.

One of them is based on the legend that the icon miraculously appeared in Vilna, the capital of the Principality of Lithuania, on the Sharp Gate on April 14, 1431.

Another is that the icon was sent to the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd by the Greek Emperor John Palaiologos as a sign of the prince’s acceptance of Christianity.

According to the third version, the image of the Mother of God was brought from Tauride Chersonesus (or Korsun) by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd among military trophies. It is known that in the years 1341-1373, Prince Olgerd made several successful campaigns against the Crimean Tatars. There is no direct evidence about when exactly the icon was brought. However, researchers are inclined to believe that this happened after the victorious campaign against Korsun in 1363. The version is based mainly on the testimony of the Wenden canon Daniel Lodziata, who lived in the 17th century. When writing the book “Ancient History of the Lithuanian People,” the historian Teodor Narbut had at hand the manuscript of Daniel Lodziata, which he referred to twice. In a note dated 1653, Canon Lodziata reports the following: “The Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd enriched his treasuries with the treasures of Chersonese; His heirs distributed most of the church decorations to the churches of the city of Vilna. Among these treasures is an authentic image of the Blessed Virgin Mary; She seems to be standing in front of the Divine messenger Archangel Gabriel. Now we see the Lady of Grace in the Carmelite chapel on the eastern gate of the city, usually called Sharp, which is documented by the written evidence of the mentioned order.” The testimony of Canon Lodziata is the most ancient of the surviving testimonies about the Ostrobramsk Icon of the Mother of God.

The existence of such information is also mentioned by the Carmelite writer Hilarion, who wrote about the Ostrobramskaya icon in 1761.

Catholics see in the Ostrobramskaya icon the image of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, which arose in Western European art in the second half of the 16th century.

The Polish version supports the hypothesis that the Ostrobramskaya Icon was painted in 1619 in Krakow in the workshop of Lukasz Porenbski. The theory was based on the similarity of the Vilna Ostrobramsky icon with the icon of the Virgin Mary from the Krakow Church of Corpus Christi, painted by Porenbsky.

All versions of the origin of the icon are of rather historical interest. For prayerful veneration, the question of who painted the icon and in what century is not of significant importance, since it is not the creation of human hands that is venerated, but the Prototype - the One whose image the icon painter embodied on the board. Revered by both Catholics and Orthodox - the Mother of God.

Story

It is believed that the holy icon was originally donated to the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, built with the assistance of the wife of Grand Duke Olgerd, Princess Juliana Alexandrovna of Tver, and then placed above the Sharp Gate. There is evidence that in 1431 the icon of the Mother of God was already above the Sharp Gate.

The further fate of this image is closely intertwined with the fate of Orthodoxy in Lithuania. After the signing of the Lublin Union of Lithuania with Poland in 1569, church union with Rome began to be established in the Lithuanian lands. Many churches, including the Holy Trinity Monastery, passed into the hands of the Uniates, but the Orthodox managed to transfer the icon to the Church of St. Nicholas. However, in 1609, this temple also passed to the Uniates, and the icon returned to its original place above the Sharp Gate.

In 1624, a Carmelite monastery with the Church of St. was founded right at the gate. Teresia. The Carmelites built it in 1671. instead of the old one there was a new chapel, and the icon was turned to face the church. After the fire of Vilna in 1741. The icon was transferred to the Terezin monastery, and in 1744. again placed above the gate.

In 1812 it suffered during the French invasion, and in 1829. restore-ro-va-na. After closure in 1832 Kar-me-lit-sko-go-mon-on-sty-rya, Te-re-zin-sky ko-stele was re-named in Ostrobram-sky and remained in the ve-de- Research Institute of the Roman Spirituality.

Subsequently, the icon stayed in the chapel of the Sharp Gates of Vilna, in a huge icon case. The icon was covered with a gilded robe, as well as many metal offerings in the form of images of saints and various parts of the body, which testified to the benefits of the Mother of God to the human race. A Latin throne was built under the icon, on which at least two liturgies were celebrated daily.

Iconography

The Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God belongs to a rare type of image of the Mother of God without a baby in her hands.

The icon is painted in tempera on two joined oak boards measuring 1.63 x 2 m and 2 cm thick, covered with a thin layer of soil. The chasuble was made in the Baroque style by Vilnius craftsmen at the end of the 17th century.

The Ostrobramskaya icon is part of the composition of the Annunciation, so the image was sometimes called the Korsun Annunciation Icon. The Virgin Mary is depicted at the moment of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to her; the corresponding part of the image of the archangel has been lost. On Her face is an expression of deep peace, concentration and virginal modesty. Above Her head, a two-tiered crown is attached to the chasuble - the baroque crown of the Queen of Heaven, the rocaille crown of the Queen of Poland. Long rays extend from the face in all directions.

Later (in 1849) a large silver vault was placed at the bottom of the icon (a gift given by vow, for the sake of healing or the fulfillment of some desire) in the shape of a crescent with engraved text in Polish: “I bring gratitude to You, Mother of God, for listening to my requests, and I ask You, Merciful Mother, to keep me as before, in the love and care of Your Most Holy WII1849.”

The Vilna Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God is a miraculous icon, widely revered by Orthodox and Catholics in Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland. Currently, public worship before the Ostrobramskaya icon is performed according to the Roman Catholic rite, but Orthodox Christians continue to flock to this image with personal prayer and worship.

Lists of the Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God occupy their rightful place both in Orthodox churches in Lithuania and in the homes of believers.

Kontakion
To the chosen Voivode and wonderful Intercessor of the Christian race, who deigned to pour out streams of grace-filled healings from Her holy icon, let us sing praises to Thy servants, Theotokos. You, as the good Intercessor of those who honor Thee, free us from all troubles, so we call Thee: Rejoice, Lady, showing us grace and mercy through Your Ostrobramskaya icon.

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of Her Icon “Ostrobramskaya Vilna”
Oh, Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord of the highest powers, Heaven and earth to the Queen and our city of Kyiv, omnipotent Intercessor!

Accept this song of praise from us, unworthy Thy servants, and lift up our prayers to the throne of Thy Son and our God, may He be merciful to us sinners, and may He add His goodness to those who honor Thee and worship Thy miraculous image with faith and love.

To whom shall we cry out to the Lady? To whom shall we resort in our sorrows, if not to You, Queen of Heaven? Who will accept our tears and our sighs, if not You, Most Immaculate, the Hope of Christians and refuge for us sinners? Who will protect You more in adversity? In the same way, we earnestly pray to You: cover our sins with Your intercession, protect us from enemies visible and invisible, soften the hearts of evil people who rebel against us.

O Mother of the Lord our Creator! You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. Accept our unworthy prayer and keep us in spiritual purity, save us from the slander of evil people and from sudden death, and grant us repentance before the end. Have mercy on us in the hours of the day, morning and evening, and protect us at all times: protect those who stand, those who sit, those who walk on every path, and those who sleep in the hours of the night, provide, cover and protect. In every place and at every time, awaken for us, Mother of God, an insurmountable wall and a strong intercession. You appear to us as the guardian of all life, Most Pure One; Deliver us from demons at the hour of death; Even after death, ask Thy Son and our God to find peace.

We, sinners, lift up prayers to You with hope and tenderly cry out: Rejoice, O Blessed One; Rejoice, O Delighted One; Rejoice, Most Blessed One; The Lord is with You, with You and with us. We resort to You, as to our undoubted and speedy Intercessor, and to You, as our Almighty Helper, we commit ourselves and each other and our whole life according to Christ God; to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, together with His beginningless Father, with the Most Holy and His good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. A min.

Another prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of Her icon “Ostrobramskaya Vilna”
O All-Merciful Lady, Queen Theotokos, chosen from all generations and blessed by all heavenly generations! Look mercifully at these people standing before Your holy icon, earnestly praying to You, and act through Your intercession and intercession with Your Son and our God, so that no one will leave this place empty of their hope and be ashamed in their hope, but may everyone receive from You all according to the good will of your heart, according to your need and desire, for the salvation of the soul and the health of the body.

Most of all, protect the autumn with Your protection, Merciful Mother, Your Holy Church, strengthen our Orthodox bishops with Your highest blessing, protect with peace, and grant the whole, healthy, honest, and long-living Saints of Your Church the word of Your truth, from all visible and invisible enemy, with all Orthodox Christians, mercifully deliver, and in Orthodoxy and the firm faith until the end of centuries, unfailingly and unchangeably preserve. Look with mercy, O All-Singing One, and with the charity of Your merciful intercession over our entire country, our cities and this city [or: this temple, or: and the spiritual city that exists here], and pour out Your mercies unsparingly on this rich one. You are the all-powerful Helper and Intercessor of us all. Bow down to the prayers of all Your servants who flow here to Your holy icon, hear the sighs and voices in which Your servants pray in this holy place.

If both a non-believer and a foreigner, passing here, pray, hear, O beloved Lady, and do this kindly and mercifully, even to help him and to salvation. Instruct your hardened and scattered hearts in our countries on the path of truth: convert those who have fallen from the pious faith and bring them closer to the holy Orthodox Catholic Church and the Apostolic Church. In the houses of Thy people and in the brethren, protect and preserve the holy abodes of sowing peace, establish brotherhood and humility in the young, support old age, instruct youths, make those who are at a perfect age wise, stand up for the orphans and widows, support the oppressed and those in sorrow, comfort and protect them, raise infants Heal the sick, free the captives, protect us from all evil with Thy goodness, and comfort us with Thy merciful visit and all the good things done to us. Grant, O Good One, the fruitfulness of the earth, the goodness of the air, and all the gifts that are timely and useful for our benefit, through Your omnipotent intercession before the All-Holy Life-Giving Trinity.

Our fathers and mothers, our brothers and sisters, who have gone before, and all who have fallen upon this holy icon of Thy from ancient times, rest in the villages of the saints, in a green place, in a place of peace, where there is no sorrow and sighing. When our departure from this life and migration to eternal life is ripe, appear to us, O Most Blessed Virgin, and grant a Christian end to our life, painless, shameless, peaceful and partaker of the Holy Mysteries, so that in the future we will all be worthy of all, together with all the saints , endless blessed life in the Kingdom of Your beloved Son, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, to Him belongs glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. A min.

VILNA OSTROBRAMSK ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD

In Vilnius, in the old part of the city, next to the Church of St. Theresa and the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Spirit, there is a shrine revered by both Orthodox and Catholics - Ostrovorotnaya or Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God, in the past also called the Korsun Annunciation Icon.

The icon is located in the chapel above the gate, popularly called the “Sharp Gate” or “Sharp Gate” (from the Polish “Brama” - gate). The name of the image that has long been placed above it comes from the name of the gate. (Currently, the gates are called Medininki, or Aušros. They are a surviving fragment of an ancient defensive system. Vilnius formerly had a wooden city wall, and at the beginning of the 16th century it was surrounded by a stone one, with five gates. In the part of the city called Ostry, or Russian, the end (due to the predominance of the Russian population here) and the gate in question was located).

There are several legends about the origin of the Vilna Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God.

One of them is based on a pious legend that the icon miraculously appeared on the Sharp Gate on April 14, 1431.

According to the third version, the image of the Mother of God was brought from Tauride Chersonesus (or Korsun) by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd among military trophies. It is known that in the years 1341 - 1373, Prince Olgerd made several successful campaigns against the Crimean Tatars. There is no direct evidence about when exactly the icon was brought. However, researchers are inclined to believe that this happened after the victorious campaign against Korsun in 1363. The version is based mainly on the testimony of the Wenden canon Daniel Lodziata, who lived in the 17th century. The historian Teodor Narbut, when writing the book “Ancient History of the Lithuanian People,” had at hand the manuscript of Daniel Lodziata, which he referred to twice. In a note dated 1653, Canon Lodziata reports the following: “The Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgierd enriched his treasuries with the treasures of Chersonese; his heirs distributed most of the church decorations to the churches of the city of Vilna. Among these treasures is a genuine image of the Blessed Virgin Mary; She seems to be standing in front of "The Divine Messenger of the Archangel Gabriel. Now we see the Lady of Grace in the Carmelite chapel on the eastern gate of the city, usually called the Sharp Gate, which is documented by the written evidence of the mentioned order." The testimony of Canon Lodziata is the most ancient of the surviving testimonies about the Ostrobramsk Icon of the Mother of God.

The existence of such information is also mentioned by the Carmelite writer Hilarion, who wrote about the Ostrobramskaya icon in 1761.

In 1624, a Carmelite monastery with the Church of St. was founded right at the gate. Teresia. The Carmelites built a new chapel in place of the old one in 1671, and turned the icon towards the church. After the fire of Vilna in 1741, the icon was moved to the Terezin monastery, and in 1744 it was again placed above the gate.

In 1812 it suffered during the French invasion.

The icon is part of the composition of the Annunciation, so the image was sometimes called the Korsun Annunciation Icon. The Virgin Mary is depicted at the moment of the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to her; the corresponding part of the image of the archangel has been lost. The icon is painted on an oak board measuring 1.63 x 2 m. The chasuble was made in the Baroque style by Vilna masters at the end of the 17th century.

In 1927, during the restoration of the icon carried out by prof. J. Rutkovsky, experts discovered under the top layer, painted with oil paints, an older letter written in tempera, as well as traces of a lime primer. Vilnius researcher Professor I. Remer came to the conclusion that the icon was painted in the 15th or 16th century. There is evidence of an earlier restoration. So, in 1829, the icon was rewritten in some places by the hand of the Polish artist Kanut Rusetsky. In connection with the restoration undertaken in 1829, some authors report that a song of praise to the Mother of God - “The most honorable cherub...” written in Church Slavonic was discovered on the icon. There are also reports of inscriptions in Greek on the icon. The magazine "Russian Archive" published in 1884 the notes of Prince N. Imeretinsky from 1854, which states: "The Ostrobramskaya icon was once the property of the Orthodox, as evidenced by the Greek inscription preserved on it." The existence of such an inscription is also reported by the Kholm-Warsaw Diocesan Bulletin. A certain eyewitness F. Serno-Solovyevich writes in it: “In 1865, when the head of the Vilna diocese was Prelate Zhilinsky, who was in charge of the “Sharp Gate,” I had to see a Greek inscription on the back panel of the icon (it was then being updated).” .

It is difficult to say without special research whether the mentioned inscriptions were later destroyed in connection with the controversy about the ownership of the icon or whether information about them was generated by the same controversy.

In the book “News of the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Sharp Gate and other miraculous images in Vilna”, published in Vilna in 1863, the following assumption about the icon is given: “Closest to the truth,” the book says, “which is confirmed by stories of elderly people of 60 years or more, who have repeatedly heard stories from the lips of the elder Carmelites, that due to the damage to the original (on the wooden gate) icon, the Carmelites decided to build a new, more majestic one in its place, calling a painter from Kyiv..." . One can hardly agree with the version about the painter from Kyiv, but there is no reason to exclude the version about the replacement of the ancient Orthodox icon with a later one, especially in the light of the discoveries of 1927.

All versions of the origin of the icon are of rather historical interest. For prayerful veneration, the question of who painted the icon and in what century is not of significant importance, since it is not the creation of human hands that is venerated, but the Prototype - the one whose image the icon painter embodied on the board. Revered by both Catholics and Orthodox - the Mother of God.

Currently, public worship before the Ostrobramskaya icon is performed according to the Roman Catholic rite, but Orthodox Christians continue to flock to this image with personal prayer and worship. Lists of the Ostrobramskaya Icon of the Mother of God occupy their rightful place both in Orthodox churches in Lithuania and in the homes of believers. And when passing through the Ostrobramsky Gate, above which the revered image is located in the chapel, Orthodox Christians, just as respectfully as Catholics, remove their hats.

July 25 - 27, 1997, in connection with the anniversary celebrations of the 650th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Vilna martyrs Anthony, John and Eustathius and the 400th anniversary of the Holy Spiritual Monastery, His Holiness Patriarch ALEXIY II of Moscow and All Rus' visited Vilnius. On July 26, after the Divine Liturgy, a procession of the Cross was held from the Holy Spirit Monastery to the Ostrobramskaya Icon with the participation of His Holiness the Patriarch. From the gate chapel, where the miraculous image of the Mother of God is located, His Holiness delivered a pastoral word to the people of Lithuania.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD IN HONOR OF HER ICON "OSTROBRAMSKAYA VILNA"

Oh, Most Holy Virgin, Mother of the Lord of the highest powers, Heaven and earth to the Queen and our city of Kyiv, omnipotent Intercessor!

ANOTHER PRAYER TO THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD IN HONOR OF HER ICON "OSTROBRAMSKAYA VILNA"

Ostrobramsky gate with a chapel above it with the miraculous Ostrobramskaya icon of the Mother of God in Vilnius

http://te.zavantag.com

AUGUST 1 - DISCOVERY OF THE RECENTS OF THE REVEREND SERAPHIM, THE WONDERWORKER OF SAROV (1903). JOY OUR FRATE SERAPHIM Pastors on how to acquire love and affectionate attitude toward everyone Today the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the discovery of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The Wonderworker Seraphim greeted everyone with the exclamation “My joy! Christ is risen!” Next to the priest, hearts thawed, faith in the Living God arose, and repentance came. Priests Dimitry Shishkin and Nikolai Bulgakov told the correspondent of the portal Pravoslavie.Ru how to acquire love and an affectionate attitude towards everyone. “If we do not have complete love, we will do deeds of love” Priest Dimitry Shishkin Priest Dimitry Shishkin, rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village. Pochtovoe of the Bakhchisarai region (Simferopol and Crimean diocese): - When we talk about the Christian attitude towards one’s neighbor, we must remember that affection can easily turn into endearment and people-pleasing. Excessive affection and “condescension” can, after all, destroy a person. This is especially evident in our time, when it is “philanthropy” that is used to justify extreme leniency towards human passions and vices. The Holy Fathers always distinguished the attitude towards the person himself, no matter how low he fell, from the attitude towards the spirits of darkness, towards the passions that possess this or that person. We lack those who, while comforting us, would not flatter our pride and selfishness. The affectionate attitude of the saint of God, St. Seraphim, has a special quality: it stems from the depths of a God-loving heart. And this love of God, suffered and acquired as a priceless gift, allows you to truly love a person precisely in the awareness of his true calling. The love and affection of St. Seraphim embraces the whole person, contributing not only to his mental and physical peace, but most of all to salvation in eternity. How we miss such people who, while comforting and inspiring us to spiritual life, at the same time would not flatter our pride and selfishness. And that’s exactly what Saint Seraphim is like! His affection, extreme warmth and love extended, as a rule, to those whose souls were softened by repentance or at least an inclination towards it. It is precisely to repentance that true love and spiritual affection encourage to an even greater extent. But if the monk met an arrogant and proud person, entrenched in sins and unwilling to change, we see completely different examples - considerable severity and even accusatory harshness. However, this harshness is actually filled with love and extreme anxiety for the eternal future of man, for his salvation. We, of course, need to treat each other not only with outwardly kind and affectionate treatment, but also, most importantly, with true and unfeigned brotherly love. The Lord Himself commanded us to do this; the holy apostles spoke about this more than once. But brotherly love is not acquired immediately. It is given bit by bit by the Lord as we ourselves seek love and learn to acquire it. That is why the Lord says: “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). He does not say “ask,” but “ask,” that is, in your good desire, in your soul-beneficial request, you need to show persistence and patience, extending even to the last moment of earthly life. This is how spiritual life works—nothing can be settled here completely, nothing can be considered a done deal. Everything requires extreme sobriety and attention. And in the matter of acquiring love, too. But even if we do not have that very heartfelt and full love from which truly spiritual and affectionate treatment of our neighbors comes, we will at least do deeds of love. We will try to please God just by good deeds performed for the sake of Christ. And the Lord, seeing our need, our heartfelt request, seeing our constancy in good deeds, will certainly give us spiritual love for Him and our neighbors, and this is the greatest treasure of a Christian! It is in this constancy, in this daily and careful fulfillment of the Commandments of Christ, in contrite and attentive prayer, that probably the main “recipe” for acquiring love from St. Seraphim is contained. *** “Faith makes a good attitude towards any person” Priest Nikolai Bulgakov Priest Nikolai Bulgakov, rector of the Church of the Sovereign Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Kratovo, Moscow region: - “My joy!” - so affectionately the Monk Seraphim of Sarov greeted everyone who came to him. Of course, we also need affection. We all love to be treated kindly. “Beat everyone with affection and love,” this was the advice Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, a younger contemporary of St. Seraphim, gave to his sisters. But where do you get it, this tenderness? She must be sincere. You can't pretend to be affectionate. If you try to deliberately say “My joy!”, and there is coldness in your words, there will be no sense. The main thing is not what is outside, but what is inside. You won't get far on the outside. How did St. Seraphim do this? How he managed to speak in a kind voice to everyone - although, probably, those who spoke to him not kindly also visited him. And those who came to him were sinners! Father Seraphim knew everything about them - more than even they knew about themselves. The Lord revealed it to him. Why were they a joy to him? What did they do to make him happy? And the fact that they are people. That they live in the world. That God created them. That He loves them, provides for them, endures, forgives, cares: He sends them to His saint for advice, and gives him a good thought - which will be useful to them. It will become easier for them to live, more joyful...