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Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: what the Orthodox celebrate. Dormition of the Virgin Mary - the history of the holiday

Feast of the Assumption Holy Mother of God after the holiday of light Christ's Resurrection more than others, he was revered by the Russian people.

“Theotokos Easter” - that’s what they called it in Rus'. And this is no coincidence. Through Her Dormition, the Mother of God became even closer and dearer to Christians, for she became a zealous Intercessor for them before the throne of God.

During His execution, Jesus Christ, seeing the Mother of God and the Apostle John, whom he especially loved, standing nearby, said to His Mother: “Woman! behold, your son,” and to John: “behold, your mother” (John 19:25-27). From that time on, the Apostle John cared about Mother of God until the end of Her life. From now on, we know about the earthly life of the Mother of God only from the apocrypha. She lived in the house of the Apostle John the Theologian in Jerusalem, becoming a common Mother for all the disciples of Christ, and on the day of Pentecost, like them, she received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Mother of God led a closed, hidden life, but many knew about Her great wisdom and came from distant countries to talk with Her. Like the apostles, She planted and established Christian Church With your presence, words and prayers.

So about ten years passed, and when the Jewish king Herod began persecuting the Church, the Mother of God, together with the Apostle John the Theologian, moved to Ephesus, which fell to him by lot for preaching the Gospel. While living here, She visited the righteous Lazarus in Cyprus and Mount Athos, blessing it as Her destiny.

The reverence of the ancient Christians for the Mother of God was so great that they preserved everything about Her life that they could notice from Her words and deeds, and even conveyed to us about Her appearance. “She was a Virgin not only in body, but also in soul, humble in heart, circumspect in words, prudent, reticent, a lover of reading, hardworking, chaste in speech. Her rule was not to offend anyone, to wish well to everyone, to honor elders, not to envy equals, avoid boasting, be sensible, love virtue. When did She even offend her parents with her expression, when she was in disagreement with her relatives? When did she show pride in front of a modest person, laugh at the weak, shy away from the poor? Did she have anything stern in her eyes, nothing imprudent? in words, nothing indecent in actions: modest body movements, quiet steps, even voice; so that Her bodily appearance was an expression of the soul, the personification of purity. She turned all Her days into fasting: she indulged in sleep only when required, but even then, like the body. She was at rest, she was awake in spirit, repeating in her sleep what she had read, or thinking about carrying out her intended intentions, or devising new ones, she only left the house to go to church, and then in the company of her relatives. However, although She appeared outside Her house, accompanied by others, She Herself was the best guardian for Herself; others guarded only Her body, and She preserved Her morals Herself.”

According to the legend preserved by the church historian Nicephorus Callistus (14th century), the Mother of God “was of average height or, as others say, slightly more than average; golden hair; fast eyes, with pupils as if the color of an olive; arched and moderately black eyebrows, her nose was long, her lips were full of sweet words; her face was not round and not sharp, but her hands and fingers were long... She maintained decorum in conversation with others, did not laugh, did not become indignant, and was not particularly angry; , simple, She did not think at all about Herself and, far from effeminacy, was distinguished by complete humility Regarding the clothes that she wore, She was content with their natural color, which is still proved by Her sacred head covering. In short, a special character was revealed in all Her actions. grace".

Struck by Her beauty even in his old age, the disciple of the Apostle Paul, the Greek Dionysius the Areopagite, testified that if he had not confessed the One God, he would have decided that before him was a “beautiful goddess.”

Shortly before Her death, the Mother of God returned to Jerusalem. She often visited those places that were closely connected with Her Son: Bethlehem, Golgotha, the Holy Sepulcher, Gethsemane, Olivet. There She prayed earnestly, and over time, more and more often, for the Son to take Her to Heaven as soon as possible. According to legend, the Jews attempted to kill Her, for which, by order of the high priests, guards were stationed at the Holy Sepulcher, but in right moment The soldiers' vision was taken away and they could not see the Mother of God.

The Most Holy Virgin awaited the end of her earthly days calmly and even with joy - after all, She knew that there, in Heaven, she would meet Her Son and Her God. One day the Mother of God was in deep prayer on the Mount of Olives. Suddenly Archangel Gabriel appeared before Her and informed Her that in three days Her earthly life would end, that the Lord was pleased to take Her to Himself. To commemorate his words, the archangel presented the Mother of God with a luminous branch of paradise - a symbol of victory over death and decay - (Dmitry of Rostov clarifies that it was a branch from a date palm), and ordered her to carry it in front of the coffin during burial. With the Heavenly message, the Mother of God returned to Bethlehem with three virgins who served Her (Zipporah, Ebigea and Zoila). The Mother of God, having come home, joyfully informed Her betrothed son John about this, and he informed the Apostle James and through him the entire Church of Jerusalem. The Mother of God ordered to bury Herself in Gethsemane, next to the graves of Her righteous parents and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed.

On the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God, miraculously in Jerusalem, almost all the apostles who had previously dispersed were gathered together to bid Her farewell. different countries for preaching the Word of God. Later than everyone else, the Apostle Paul arrived with his disciples: Dionysius the Areopagite, Hierotheus, Timothy and others from among the 70 apostles. She called each of them to Her by name and blessed them. Only Apostle Thomas was absent.

The third hour came when the Dormition of the Mother of God was to take place. Many candles were burning. The holy apostles chanting surrounded the splendidly decorated bed on which the Most Pure Virgin Mary reclined. Suddenly an unspeakable light shone, darkening the lamps; The roof of the upper room opened, and Christ Himself descended with many angels. The Most Holy Theotokos turned to the Lord with a prayer of gratitude and asked to bless all those who honor Her memory. She also prayed to Her Son to protect Her from the dark satanic power, from airy ordeals. Then the Mother of God joyfully surrendered Her soul into the hands of the Lord, and immediately angelic singing was heard.

There are many versions regarding the age of the Mother of God at the time of Her Dormition, but it is most likely that She lived about 72 years and died about 57 A.D.

From Her fragrant body the sick immediately began to receive healing. The solemn transfer of the Most Pure Body from Jerusalem to Gethsemane began. Peter, Paul and James, together with the other apostles, carried the bed of the Mother of God on their shoulders, and Saint John the Theologian walked ahead with a heavenly shining branch. The Apostle Peter began singing the psalm “In the exodus of Israel from Egypt,” and solemn hymns began to sound. A cloudy circle in the form of a crown appeared above the bed, illuminated with radiance. This crown floated over the procession all the way to the burial place. The procession was also followed by Jews who did not believe in Christ.

The high priests sent their servants to disperse the procession, kill the apostles and burn the body of the Mother of God, but the angels struck the blasphemers with blindness. The Jewish priest Athonia (according to other legends, Jephonios or Zephaniah), who tried to overturn the bed of the Mother of God, was punished by an angel who cut off his hands. Seeing such a miracle, Affonia repented and with faith confessed the greatness of the Mother of God. He received healing and joined the host of those accompanying the body of the Mother of God, becoming a zealous follower of Christ. Those who were blind also repented and received their sight.

For three days the apostles remained at the tomb of the Mother of God, chanting psalms. On the fourth day, the absent Apostle Thomas returned to Jerusalem and was very saddened by the fact that he could not say goodbye and bow to the Mother of God. The apostles, taking pity on him, decided to go and roll away the stone from the grave cave to give him the opportunity to say goodbye to the Mother of God. But, to their amazement, the body of the Virgin Mary was not in the cave, only funeral clothes remained. Returning home, the amazed apostles fervently prayed to God that He would reveal to them what had become of the body of the Mother of God. And through their prayers a miracle happened.

In the evening of the same day, the Mother of God Herself appeared to them and said: “Rejoice! I am with you all the days; and I will always be your prayer book before God.” This made the apostles and everyone with them so happy that they lifted up part of the bread supplied for the meal in memory of the Savior (“part of the Lord”) and exclaimed: “Most Holy Mother of God, help us.” This marked the beginning of the rite of offering panagia - the custom of offering part of the bread in honor of the Mother of God, which is still preserved in monasteries. That is why the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not a reason for sadness, but a holiday. After all, “with you” means that She is also with all of us “always”...

The Lord, in His special discretion, delayed the arrival of Saint Thomas on the day of the repose of the Most Pure Theotokos, so that the tomb would be opened for him, and the church would thus be assured of the resurrection of the Mother of God, just as earlier, through the unbelief of the same Apostle, she was confident of the resurrection of Christ. There is an Orthodox tradition that on the third day after the burial, the Mother of God appeared to the Apostle Thomas and threw Her belt from Heaven to him as a consolation.

Since then the Church has been celebrating this event. Everything in it is a memory of the earthly life of the Mother of God, sadness and joy, because this is also the day of Her birth for eternal life, where She is placed above the ranks of angels, the day of testimony that the promises of the Lord are immutable, about life and the miracle of the Resurrection...

The Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God has been established by the Church since ancient times. In the 4th century it was already celebrated everywhere in Byzantium. At the request of the Byzantine Emperor Mauritius, who defeated the Persians on August 15, on the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God (since 595), the holiday became a church-wide holiday. The main purpose of establishing the holiday was to glorify the Mother of God and Her Dormition. Towards this main goal in the IV-V centuries. another is added - denunciation of the errors of heretics who encroached on the dignity of the Mother of God, in particular, the errors of the Collyridians, heretics of the 4th century who denied the human nature of the Blessed Virgin (as a result of which they denied Her bodily death).

The death of the Blessed Virgin Mary is called Dormition because She “as if fell asleep for a short time, and, as if from sleep, rose up to eternal life“, because death, as the return of its dust to the earth, and the spirit to God, did not touch Her. She only fell asleep, only to awaken at the same moment to an ever-blessed life and, after three days, with an incorruptible body, move into a heavenly, incorruptible dwelling.

Place of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem

According to legend, before her death, the Most Holy Theotokos lived in the house of the Apostle John the Theologian. This is where she died.

In 1910, on this site, on the top of Mount Zion, a German Benedictine abbey was built - the Monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (Dormition).

In the crypt of the temple, in the center of the hall, there is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary reclining on a stone.

Tomb of the Virgin Mary

The most pure body of the Mother of God was buried, as She asked, in the tomb where her parents Joachim and Anna, as well as Joseph the Betrothed, had previously been buried. The tomb of the Virgin Mary is located in Gethsemane, at the foot of the western slope of the Mount of Olives, in the Kidron Valley, in Jerusalem (East Jerusalem). In the 5th century, a temple was erected at the burial site. There is a legend that earlier St. Equal to the Apostles Helena built a basilica here. In 614, the temple was destroyed, but the tomb of the Mother of God was preserved.

In 681, the tomb of the Virgin Mary was opened by decision of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. According to legend, a belt and burial shrouds were found in it.

Nowadays the cave church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary stands above the tomb.

Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Gethsemane, 12th century facade

Much of the modern building dates back to Crusader times. This is an underground temple, with 50 steps leading to it, with chapels of Sts. Godfathers Joachim and Anna and Joseph the Betrothed, located on the sides of the stairs.

Staircase, view from the entrance to the church

The temple has a cruciform shape: in the center is the tomb of the Virgin Mary with two entrances, at the end of the cave there is an altar. In a stone ark - miraculous icon Mother of God of Jerusalem in Russian letters.

Tomb of the Virgin Mary (edicule), view from the west. To the left of the entrance is the Armenian throne

The temple belongs to the Greeks and Armenians. It is here, according to tradition, before the Feast of the Dormition from Little Gethsemane near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher procession Orthodox Christians carry the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos along the same path as the apostles once carried the body of the Mother of God to burial.

Veneration of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rus'

The Holy Patriarch of Jerusalem Juvenal (420-458) confirmed before the Emperor Marcian (450-457) the authenticity of the legend about the miraculous ascension of the Mother of God into Heaven and sent to his wife, Saint Pulcheria († 453; commemorated September 10), the funeral shrouds of the Mother of God, which he took from Her coffin. Saint Pulcheria placed these shrouds in the Blachernae Church. In 866, the Russian fleet approached Constantinople, and the city was besieged by pagans. The Emperor and Patriarch of Constantinople prayed all night in the Blachernae Church, and then immersed the funeral robe of the Mother of God into the sea. Suddenly a storm arose and scattered the Russian ships in different sides. Rus' suffered a defeat, which marked the victory of Christianity.

It was this event that contributed to the special veneration by Russians of the Mother of God, her Dormition and vestments. The Mother of God became the patroness of the Russian army, and the Feast of the Intercession, dedicated to the robes of the Mother of God, was a holiday that until the 19th century. celebrated only in Russia.

The Blachernae Monastery itself, the Intercession and the Dormition acquired a special “military” and “protective” significance for Rus'. That is why, since the time of Saint Prince Vladimir, the main churches of the main cities of Rus' were dedicated specifically to the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the cathedral Kiev temple, the Church of the Tithes.

Likewise, the construction of St. Sophia Cathedrals, adopted from Byzantium, gradually turned into the tradition of building cathedrals in honor of the Assumption. Among the famous Assumption churches and monasteries today we can name Holy Dormition Kiev-Pecherskaya And Pochaev Lavra, Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, Pyukhtitsky Dormition convent, Assumption Cathedrals in Vladimir, in the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, Assumption Church of the Novodevichy Convent .

Built in the 15th century by the outstanding architect Aristotle, the majestic Fioravanti Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin became the main one cathedral Russian land. Here, in front of the most revered by Russians, the miraculous icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, weddings for the great reign and the kingdom, and the coronations of emperors took place. The ritual of “installing” metropolitans and patriarchs was immediately performed.

Celebration of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Greece

In Greece, the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated almost as widely as Easter. At the center of the celebrations Tinos island, and him miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Tinos" : miraculous healings, volleys from ship cannons, flowers and flags, military bands and religious processions.

A solemn religious procession leaves the temple, the icon is placed on a stretcher carried by sailors

Everyone passing under the icon tries to touch it with their hand or put some object to the icon.

Under the numerous gifts with which believers decorated the icon in gratitude for the miracles, it is difficult to discern the plot of the icon - the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary with good news. Nevertheless, every year on the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary thousands of people flock to greek island Tinos to make the way on your knees from the port to the temple and touch the miraculous icon.

There is a direct road from the port to the temple on the hill. Along the side of the road there is a path made of carpet-like material especially for pilgrims. Sometimes parents take sick children on their backs so that they can receive healing.

In Greece on the island of Kefalonia , or “island of miracles”, as it is called, every year on August 15 to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the village of Markopoulo, where miraculous icon of Panagia Fedus (translated as “Our Lady of the Serpents”), poisonous snakes crawl. Believers call them “snakes of the Virgin Mary” because on this day they are harmless. They do not exceed one meter in length; they have a cross on their heads, as well as on the tip of their tongue. According to tradition, if snakes do not appear, it is bad sign. This happened twice - in 1940 before the outbreak of World War II in Greece and in 1953 - before the devastating earthquake.

Villagers notice snakes on the eve of the holiday, often gather with the priest in advance, read prayers and wait for the snakes to appear. Little snakes crawl here, and they are brought to the temple for the Divine Service. They are collected, put on the neck and stroked. Orthodox Greeks believe that this touch brings happiness. During the festive service, snakes are placed on the icon of the Mother of God, and they calmly lie there throughout the not-so-short service. By ancient tradition the snakes are left in the church all night.

Snakes are mentioned in Christian books, mostly with a negative connotation, but Kefalonia is practically the only place in the world where these reptiles are, as it were, rehabilitated in the eyes of Christian believers.

Troparion, tone 1
At Christmas you preserved your virginity, at your dormition you did not forsake the world, O Mother of God; You reposed to the belly, Mother of the Being of the Belly, and through Your prayers you delivered our souls from death.

Kontakion, tone 2
In prayers, the never-sleeping Mother of God and in intercessions, the immutable Hope of the grave and mortification cannot be restrained: just as the Mother of the Belly was placed in the womb of the ever-virgin One.

Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary- This is the great twelfth impermanent holiday.
Christians have been celebrating the Feast of the Dormition of Our Blessed Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary since the 4th century. Installed in memory of her repose (ascension). Before the Feast of the Assumption, Christians fast; the Assumption Fast runs from August 1 to August 15, according to the old style, and, accordingly, from August 14 to according to the new style.

On the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Church remembers the righteous death of the Mother of God - an event simultaneously colored by sadness about the end life path Representatives for the human race and joy at the union of the Most Pure Mother of the Lord with Her Son.
We know about the earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos after the Death on the Cross and the Resurrection of the Savior from Sacred Tradition. Until the persecution brought by Herod against the Church, the Most Pure Virgin remained in Jerusalem, then she moved with the Apostle John the Theologian to Ephesus. While living here, She visited the righteous Lazarus in Cyprus and Mount Athos, which she blessed as Her destiny. Shortly before her death, the Mother of God returned to Jerusalem.
Here the Ever-Virgin often stayed in those places with which they are associated major events in the life of Her Divine Son: Bethlehem, Calvary, Holy Sepulcher, Gethsemane, Olivet. There She prayed earnestly. According to legend, the Jews attempted to kill Her, for which purpose, by order of the high priests, a guard was placed at the Holy Sepulcher, but at the right moment the soldiers’ vision was taken away, and they could not see the Mother of God.
Once, during a prayer on Olivet, Archangel Gabriel announced to the Mother of God about Her impending death in three days and presented a luminous branch of paradise - a symbol of victory over death and corruption. The Most Holy Theotokos told the Apostle John the Theologian about what had happened, and he informed the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord, and through him the entire Church of Jerusalem, in which the tradition of the Dormition of the Mother of God was preserved. Before her death, the Mother of God bequeathed Her meager property to the widows who served Her and ordered Her to be buried in Gethsemane, next to the graves of Her righteous parents and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed.
On the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God, miraculously, almost all the apostles who had previously dispersed to different countries with the mission of preaching the Word of God were gathered in Jerusalem to bid farewell to Her. The Apostle Paul arrived later than everyone else. Only Apostle Thomas was absent.
Suddenly an unspeakable light shone, darkening the lamps; The roof of the upper room opened, and Christ Himself descended with many angels. The Most Holy Theotokos turned to the Lord with a prayer of gratitude and asked to bless all those who honor Her memory. She also prayed to Her Son to protect Her from the dark satanic power, from airy ordeals. Then the Mother of God joyfully surrendered Her soul into the hands of the Lord, and immediately angelic singing was heard.
From Her fragrant body the sick immediately began to receive healing. The solemn transfer of the Most Pure Body from Jerusalem to Gethsemane began. Peter, Paul and James, together with the other apostles, carried the bed of the Mother of God on their shoulders. The Apostle Peter began singing the psalm “In the exodus of Israel from Egypt,” and solemn hymns began to sound. A cloudy circle in the form of a crown appeared above the bed, illuminated with radiance. This crown floated over the procession all the way to the burial place. The procession was also followed by Jews who did not believe in Christ.
The high priests sent their servants to disperse the procession, kill the apostles and burn the body of the Mother of God, but the angels struck the blasphemers with blindness. The Jewish priest Afonia (according to other legends, Jephonios or Zephaniah), who tried to overturn the bed of the Mother of God, was punished by an angel who cut off his hands, and received healing only after sincere repentance. Those who were blind also repented and received their sight.
For three days the apostles remained at the tomb of the Mother of God, chanting psalms. Angelic singing was constantly heard in the air. As St. Philaret of Moscow says, the apostles received complete and complete consolation “when, on the third day after Her Dormition, for the sake of Thomas, who was late for Her burial, opening Her tomb, they did not find Her most pure body, and after that they saw Her in the glory of the resurrection and from Her she heard a word of consolation: “Rejoice, for I am with you all the days.” The body of the Mother of God was raptured into heaven.
The Church calls the death of the Mother of God the Dormition, and not death, because death, as the return of its dust to the earth, and the spirit to God, “Who gave him,” did not touch our Gracious Intercessor. “The laws of nature are defeated in You, Pure Virgin,” the Holy Church sings in the troparion of the holiday, “virginity is preserved at birth, and life is combined with death: remaining a Virgin at birth and living at death, You always save, Mother of God, Your inheritance.” She only fell asleep, only to awaken at the same moment to an ever-blessed life and, after three days, with an incorruptible body, move into a heavenly, incorruptible dwelling. She fell into a sweet sleep after the heavy wakefulness of Her many-sorrowful life and “resigned to the Belly,” that is, the Source of Life, as the Mother of Life, delivering with Her prayers the souls of earth-born from death, instilling in them with Her Dormition a foretaste of eternal life.
In the 5th century, a temple was erected at the burial site. There is a legend that earlier St. Equal to the Apostles Helena built a basilica here. In 614, the temple was destroyed, but the tomb of the Mother of God was preserved. It is here, according to tradition, before the Feast of the Dormition from Little Gethsemane near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher that the Orthodox carry the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos in a procession along the same path as the apostles once carried the body of the Mother of God to burial.
Gethsemane ( sacred place, where the event of the Assumption took place), the rite of Burial is served on August 14 according to the old style, on the eve of the Assumption, but preparations for it begin long before that.

People call the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary the Second Most Pure, and the feast of the Assumption is called the First Most Pure; these names come from the translation from the Church Slavonic language of the expression Holy Virgin, which means “the Most Pure”.
Proverbs have been preserved that certainly used to help the peasant both in the field and in everyday life: “Look at the days until Peter, harrow until Ilyin, sow until the Savior”, “To plow until the Assumption - to press an extra hay”, “From the Assumption the sun falls asleep”, “ On the Assumption, pickle the cucumbers, chop the cabbage on Sergius”, “Winter this three days before the Assumption and three after the Assumption”, “Plow before the Assumption - press the extra hay”, “The Most Pure Mother sows, and the Veil collects.”

On August 15 (28), the “young Indian summer” began, which lasted until the day of Ivan Lent (August 29 / September 8). Dormition was the last day of the swallows' departure; and also, by popular ideas, from Assumption Day the frogs' mouths become overgrown and they stop croaking.

Today Orthodox church holiday:

Tomorrow is a holiday:

Holidays expected:
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Information Department of the Khabarovsk Diocese

The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is the twelfth holiday dedicated to the remembrance of the death (dormition) of the Mother of God. According to church tradition, on this day the apostles, who preached in various countries, miraculously gathered in Jerusalem to say goodbye and bury the Virgin Mary.

After the ascension of Jesus, the Most Holy Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John the Theologian. When King Herod persecuted Christians, the Mother of God retired with John to Ephesus and lived there in the house of his parents.

Here she constantly prayed that the Lord would quickly take her to him. During one of these prayers, which the Mother of God performed at the site of the ascension of Christ, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that in three days her earthly life would end, and the Lord would take her to himself.

Before her death, the Blessed Virgin Mary wanted to see all the apostles, who by that time had dispersed different places preach Christian faith. Despite this, the desire of the Mother of God was fulfilled: the Holy Spirit miraculously gathered the apostles at the bed of the Most Holy Theotokos, where she prayed and awaited her death. The Savior himself, surrounded by angels, came down to her to take her soul with him. The Most Holy Theotokos turned to the Lord with a prayer of gratitude and asked to bless all those who honor Her memory. She also showed great humility: having achieved holiness, which no other person can compare with, being the Most Honest Cherub and the Most Glorious Seraphim without comparison, she prayed to Her Son to protect Her from the dark satanic power and from the ordeals that every soul goes through after death. Having seen the apostles, the Mother of God joyfully surrendered Her soul into the hands of the Lord, and immediately angelic singing was heard.

After her death, the coffin with the body of the Most Pure Virgin was taken by the apostles to Gethsemane and buried there in a cave, the entrance of which was blocked with a stone. After the funeral, the apostles remained at the cave for three more days and prayed. The Apostle Thomas, who was late for the burial, was so saddened that he did not have time to venerate the ashes of the Mother of God that the apostles allowed the entrance to the cave and the grave to be opened so that he could venerate the holy remains. Having opened the coffin, they discovered that the body of the Mother of God was not there and, thus, were convinced of her miraculous bodily ascension to Heaven. In the evening of the same day, the Mother of God Herself appeared to the apostles gathered for dinner and said: “Rejoice! I am with you all the days."

The Church calls the death of the Mother of God the Dormition, and not death, therefore ordinary human death, when the body returns to the earth and the spirit returns to God, did not touch the Blessed One. “The laws of nature are defeated in You, Pure Virgin,” the Holy Church sings in the troparion of the holiday, “virginity is preserved at birth, and life is combined with death: remaining a Virgin at birth and living at death, You always save, Mother of God, Your inheritance.”

Looking at the church calendar on August 28, you will notice this date highlighted in color. After looking at the description, it is easy to find out that the day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is celebrated, but what does the word “dormition” mean? What is death and resurrection of the soul? Perhaps many do not know the answer to this, as well as the history of the holiday itself. Let's try to figure this out together.

Church traditions

From the words of Holy Scripture you can learn that the Mother of God, after the ascension of her son Jesus Christ into heaven, remained in the care of the saint

Many church traditions explain the Dormition in different ways, what the resurrection of the soul is, and the emergence of the celebration of death. The customs and rules for celebrating the Dormition are poorly covered in the scriptures, as are all the main points of the end earthly path Mother of God.

Also, from the entire sacred history of the New Testament, everyone knows how highly the Mother of the Lord was revered among the apostles when she was with them in Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, very few manuscripts from that time have reached us. Basically these creations were collected in the Holy Gospel and the New Testament.

Thanks to new archaeological devices, after numerous excavations in Jerusalem, the works of the saint were finally found

These documents mention the life of the Mother of God, show her Dormition itself, what kind of event this was for the people and the whole history of that period.

This apocrypha (a secret written history that was not included in the canon of the Bible) says that after the massive persecution of King Herod Agrippa against the Church, the Mother of God, together with John the Theologian, moved for a while to the city of Ephesus.

When the persecution was stopped, the Mother of God, together with John, returned to Jerusalem, where she settled in his house on

The history of the holiday

As the legend says, when one day the Mother of God went to the Mount of Olives to pray, she met the Archangel Gabriel there, in whose hands was a branch of a paradise palm tree. He preached to the Virgin Mary that three days later she would repose into Heaven, and the Lord would lift her, his own mother, into the Kingdom of Heaven, in which she would remain with him forever.

Upon returning to the house, the Mother of God told Saint John about her meeting with the Archangel Gabriel and her future death.

In her will, she asked to be buried in Gethsemane, next to her parents and her betrothed, the righteous Joseph.

In addition, the will indicated that two of her robes should be given to poor girls, who served her with great affection and hard work.

Presentation of the Virgin Mary to the Lord

The presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos itself was supposed to occur on the 15th day of August at the third hour of the day. At this time, candles were lit in the temple, and Mary lay on a beautiful decorated bed. In an instant, a sea of light flooded the Temple, in which Jesus Christ himself appeared with the angels, archangels and all heavenly forces, and he approached the Virgin Mary.

Seeing the Son, the Most Holy Virgin joyfully spoke to him, and the Lord with trepidation and pride took her to Himself, and she, hearing his approval, gave her most pure soul to Her only Son.

According to church beliefs, after the death of the Mother of God, the apostles placed her body in a tomb and blocked the entrance to it with a large stone. Three days after his death, they were joined by the Apostle Thomas, who tearfully begged and begged for a chance to say goodbye to the Blessed Virgin Mary. At his request, the apostles rolled away the stone and entered the cave with it, but what was their surprise when they found only the Virgin’s robe, and she herself was not there, and a pleasant fresh smell of herbs came from the cave itself.

Celebration in temples

Since ancient times, it has been customary to celebrate this holiday with morning service, to which believers brought cereal seeds for illumination and blessing. This happened after the night service at sunrise.

People call the Most Holy Theotokos the Lady, and this is why the Feast of the Assumption bears another name, Lady of the Day, Lady of the Day. Among the people it is customary to call the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God the Second Most Pure, and the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos the First Most Pure.

This holiday was celebrated with a great feast, with home-brewed beer, sweet dishes and pies.

So, one of the great and last of the twelve holidays church calendar in August there is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The spiritual meaning of the celebration

Such a phenomenon as death has always caused fear, hesitation, surprise and awe in the soul of every person.

On the path to eternal life, everyone needs to go through the path of learning, experiencing and joy in ordinary worldly life. It is the righteousness of today's life, our actions and deeds that influence the future eternal life of peace and happiness. This concept of death is the basis of the Christian faith.

If you remember Holy Scripture, then death is not something noble, but, on the contrary, a process of the Fall, the disobedience of the human soul to the will of God.

According to the teaching of the Church, the concept of death is the Assumption. What is death and why is it needed? We can say with confidence that our Creator did not want human death, but people themselves predicted it with constant falls and disobedience.

But even in such a situation, the gates to Paradise are opening before us, where those who to this day do not violate the laws of God, who constantly strive to do good and bring joy and help to others, will be next to the Creator.

Celebration of the death of the Virgin Mary

On icons depicting the Dormition of the Mother of God, Christ always rises next to her bed, in whose hands is a small figurine of a baby, symbolizing the soul of the deceased Mother of God. This child’s figurine is the prototype of the rebirth of the Soul after death, which its Son came to accept.

Historical information

In writings about the liturgical practices of the ancient Greek Church, the first references to the Dormition of the Virgin appeared at the end of the 6th century.

Emperor Mauritius, who ruled at that time, made this day a general church day. In most churches, this day was celebrated on January 18, but according to some experts who study the writing of that period, it was Mauritius that moved its celebration to August, on the Day of Victory over the Persians.

It falls just at the end of the Dormition Lent, which lasted from August 1 to 15 according to the old style and from August 14 to 28 according to the new style, and the 28 itself is the Assumption.

Preparatory period and celebration itself

As mentioned earlier, the Feast of the Assumption begins with a very strict two-week fast. This is one of the four annual fasts, and it is considered one of the most ancient and strict. Even eating fish is allowed once during the entire fast and on a certain day.

The clergy celebrate in blue robes. The church liturgy begins in the evening and lasts all night, and from the very morning the Liturgy of the Assumption itself is celebrated. On the third day, the shroud is brought out, symbolizing the robe of the Virgin Mary, similar to the shroud of Christ. The only difference here is the image on it of the Mother of God lying in a coffin.

According to the custom of the Church, at the morning liturgy before the burial of the shroud, prayers of praise are read, a kontakion and troparion are sung, and then a solemn procession with the shroud follows around the temple.

As can be seen from everything that has been said, the significance of the holiday is very great. From his story we can conclude that the righteous path of life is always rewarded by our Creator. All incredible miracles The Rapture gives hope to every believer to find eternal life after death.

All the prescribed canons and stichera of the holiday emphasize the greatness and joy of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. There is no place for grief and sorrow about death, but there is great happiness of victory over it.

People spend the entire day of August 28 (Assumption) in prayer and joy, eating cooked dishes at the family table after a long night liturgy

August 28, 2018: Dormition of the Virgin Mary
The full name of the holiday is the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

What does the word "Assumption" mean?
"Assumption" is obsolete word. Translated into modern Russian it means “death, demise.”

What is the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

The full name of the holiday is Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. This is one of the twelve Orthodox holidays. The twelfth holidays are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). Dormition - Theotokos feast.

A holiday celebrated in Russian Orthodox Church August 28, new style (August 15, old style), established in memory of the death of the Mother of God. Christians are led to it by the two-week Dormition Fast, comparable in severity to Great Lent. It is interesting that the Assumption is the last twelfth holiday of the Orthodox church year(ending September 13, new style).

When is the Assumption of the Virgin Mary celebrated?

The Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 28 according to the new style. It has 1 day of pre-feast and 9 days of post-feast. Forefeast - one or several days before a major holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, after-feasts are the same days after the holiday.

What can you eat on the Dormition of the Virgin Mary?

On August 28, the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, if it falls on Wednesday or Friday, you can eat fish. In this case, breaking the fast is postponed to the next day. But if the Assumption falls on other days of the week, then there is no fasting. In 2016, the Feast of the Assumption is not a fast day.

Events of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

Everything we know about the death of the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ is drawn from Church Tradition. In the canonical texts we will not read anything about how and under what circumstances the Mother of God departed to the Lord and was buried. Tradition is one of the sources of our dogma, together with the Holy Scriptures.

From the New Testament we learn that the Savior, crucified on the cross, asked his closest disciple, the Apostle John the Theologian, to take care of Mary: Seeing his mother and the disciple standing there, whom he loved, he said to His Mother: Woman! Behold, your son. Then he says to the disciple: Behold, your Mother! And from that time on, this disciple took Her to himself(John 19:26-27). After the crucifixion of Christ, the Mother of God, together with the disciples of her Son, remained in prayer and fasting. On the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles (Pentecost), she also received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In written monuments starting from the 4th century, we find references to how the Mother of God lived further. Most authors write that she was bodily caught up (that is, taken) from earth to heaven. It happened like this. Three days before her death, Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Mother of God and announced the upcoming Assumption. At that time she was in Jerusalem. Everything happened exactly as the Archangel said. After the death of the Most Pure Virgin, the apostles buried her body in Gethsemane, in the same place where the parents of the Mother of God and her husband, Righteous Joseph, rested. Everyone was present at the ceremony except Apostle Thomas. On the third day after the burial, Thomas wanted to see her coffin. The coffin was opened, but the body of the Mother of God was no longer in it - only her shroud.

History of the celebration of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

Reliable information about the history of the Feast of the Assumption begins only at the end of the 6th century. Most church historians believe that the holiday was established during Byzantine emperor Mauritius, who reigned 592–602. Most likely, until this time, the Dormition was a local holiday in Constantinople, that is, not a general church holiday.

Icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

Traditionally, icon painters depict the Mother of God in the center of the image - she lies on her deathbed, flanked by the weeping apostles. A little behind the bed stands the Savior with the soul of the Mother of God, depicted in the form of a swaddled baby.

In the 11th century, an expanded version of the iconography of the Assumption, the so-called “cloud type,” spread. We can see it, for example, in a fresco from the Church of Hagia Sophia in Ohrid in Macedonia. At the top of such a composition, the apostles are depicted flying to the deathbed of the Mother of God on the clouds. The oldest example of a “cloud Assumption” in Rus' is an icon from the early 13th century, which comes from the Novgorod Tithe Monastery. At the top of the icon there is a blue semicircular segment of the sky with golden stars and figures of angels carrying away the soul of the Mother of God. Now this image is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Often, at the bed of the Virgin Mary, icon painters depict one or more burning candles, which symbolize a prayer to God.

Divine service of the Assumption

The Feast of the Assumption has one day of pre-celebration and 9 days of post-feast. Forefeast - one or several days before a major holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, after-feasts are the same days after the holiday.

The celebration of the holiday takes place on September 5 according to the new style. And the Dormition of the Mother of God is preceded by a two-week Assumption Fast. It lasts from August 14 to 27.

There is a special service for the burial of the Mother of God. It is performed in the likeness of the Matins service Holy Saturday; during it they read the 17th kathisma - “Blessed are the Immaculate.” Currently, the Rite of Burial of the Mother of God can be seen in many cathedral and parish churches on the second or third day of the holiday. The service begins with all-night vigil. During the great doxology, the clergy of the temple comes out to the shroud with the image of the Mother of God lying in the middle of the temple; burns cense to her, and then carries her around the temple. After this, all worshipers are anointed with oil (blessed oil). And finally, litanies (a series of prayer requests) and dismissal (a blessing for those praying to leave the church at the end of the service) are read.

He wrote the stichera of the Assumption in the 5th century Patriarch of Constantinople Anatoly. And in the 8th century, Cosmas of Mayum and John of Damascus wrote two canons for this holiday.

Prayers of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

Troparion of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

At Christmas you preserved your virginity, at your Dormition you did not abandon the world, O Mother of God, you reposed yourself to the belly, Mother of the Being of the Belly, and through your prayers you delivered our souls from death.

Translation:

At the birth of Christ, You, Mother of God, preserved your virginity and after your repose you did not leave the world; You have passed on to eternal life, Mother of Life, and with Your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

Kontakion of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary
voice 2:

In the prayers of the never-sleeping Mother of God and in intercessions, the immutable hope/grave and mortification cannot be restrained: just as the Mother of the Belly was placed in the womb of the Ever-Virgin One.

Translation:

The Mother of God, in tireless prayers and unchanging hope in intercessions, was not restrained by the grave and death, for He brought Her to life as the Mother of Life, Who dwelt in Her eternally virgin womb.

The Majesty of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

We magnify You, Most Immaculate Mother of Christ our God, and glorify Your Dormition all-gloriously.

Translation:

We magnify You, Immaculate Mother of Christ our God, and we glorify Your Dormition all-gloriously.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh: Sermon on the Dormition of the Mother of God

We celebrate our patronal holiday today; we all stand before the one and only Throne that exists: the throne on which our God sits; but, as the Holy Scripture says, God rests in the saints: not only in holy places, but in the heart and mind purified by heroism and grace, in the life and in the very flesh of the saints.

And today we celebrate the day of the Dormition of the Most Holy of all saints - the Mother of God. She fell asleep in the sleep of the earth; but just as She was alive to the very depths of Her nature, so She remained alive: a living soul that ascended to the throne of God, a living and resurrected body with which She now stands and prays for us. Verily She is the throne of grace; The Living God dwelt in Her, in Her womb He was as on the throne of His glory. And with what gratitude, with what amazement we think of Her: the Source of life, Life-Giving Spring, as the Church calls Her, glorifying Her in one of the icons, the Life-Giving Source, the Mother of God, ends Her earthly life, surrounded by the reverent love of all.

But what does She leave us? Just one commandment and one wondrous example. The commandment is the words that She said to the servants in Cana of Galilee: Whatever Christ says, do it... And they did it; and the waters of ablution became the good wine of the Kingdom of God. She leaves this commandment to each of us: understand, each of us, the word of Christ, listen to it and do not just be a listener, but fulfill it, and then everything earthly will become heavenly, eternal, transformed and glorified...

And She left us an example: the Gospel says about Her that She put every word about Christ and, of course, every word of Christ in Her heart as a treasure, as the most precious thing She had...

Let us also begin to learn to listen as one listens with all love and all reverence, to listen to every word of the Savior. The Gospel says a lot; but the heart of each of us responds to one thing or another; and what my or your heart responded to is the word spoken by the Savior Christ to you and to me personally... And we need to preserve this word as the path of life, as the point of contact between us and God, as a sign of our kinship and closeness with Him.

And if we live like this, listen like this, put the word of Christ in our hearts like one sows seed into plowed ground, then what Elizabeth said to the Mother of God when She came to her will be fulfilled for us: Blessed is she who believed, for all will be fulfilled, what was spoken to you from the Lord... May this also be with us; may the Mother of God be our example; let us accept Her only commandment, and only then will our glorification of Her in this holy temple, which was given to Her as a dwelling, be true, because we will then worship God in Her and through Her, both in spirit and in truth. Amen.

Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

For six centuries, in the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin, bishops, metropolitans and patriarchs were elevated to the rank of bishops, state acts were read out, prayers were served before military campaigns and in honor of victories.

The first stone building of the cathedral was laid in 1326. This was done personally by the first Moscow Metropolitan Peter and Prince Ivan Kalita. At the end of the 15th century Grand Duke Ivan III Vasilyevich ordered the cathedral to be rebuilt; in 1479, the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti worked on this project.

The modern appearance of the cathedral was determined by the middle of the 17th century. It was then that the paintings and iconostasis that have survived to this day were created. In front of the iconostasis are the prayer places of the king, queen and patriarch. Also in the XIV - XVII centuries The Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin was the tomb of the metropolitans and patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church.

After the 1917 revolution, the temple became a museum. Divine services began to be held there again in 1990.

Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir

The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was built in 1158-1160 by order of the Vladimir prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. Initially, the cathedral was built from white hewn stone; it was single-domed with three small vestibules and towers at the western corners.

In 1185-1189, under Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, the porches and towers were dismantled and replaced with high galleries. The cathedral was rebuilt - in particular, it became five-domed.

The paintings of the cathedral have survived to this day only in fragments. The painting of 1161 includes the figures of the prophets between the columns in the northern gallery, and the painting of 1189 includes the figures of Artemia and Abraham in the southwestern corner of the ancient part of the cathedral.

In 1408, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir was painted Reverend Andrew Rublev and Daniil Cherny. Individual images of the large composition have been preserved " Last Judgment", which occupied the entire western part of the temple, and several more frescoes. It was for the iconostasis of this cathedral that the icon painters created a grandiose Deesis rite and icons of the festive series, which are now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Folk traditions of celebrating the Assumption

The Orthodox holiday of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary coincided with the harvest. At this time of year, Russian peasants were busy harvesting. That is why, in the popular consciousness, agricultural customs superimposed on the church traditions of the Assumption.

U Eastern Slavs The so-called “Ozhinki” were timed to coincide with the Assumption. Obzhinki is a holiday of the grain harvest. In addition, this day was called “Mistress”, “Mistress”, “Mistress’s Day” - these words reflected the veneration of the Mother of God, whom believers address as the Lady, the Lady.

The day after the Assumption - August 29 - the “Nut (or Bread) Savior” was celebrated. It was named after the tradition of collecting nuts at this time of summer. By the end of August, they also began to collect mushrooms and make vegetable and fruit preparations for the winter. They tried to sow winter crops: “Winter this three days before the Assumption and three after.”

« Nut, or Bread, Spas"

“Nut, or Bread, Savior” - this is how the common Russian people called the holiday of the Transfer from Edessa to Constantinople Miraculous Image Lord Jesus Christ, which is celebrated on August 29 (new style). This holiday fell on the first day after the end of the Dormition Fast, that is, the day after the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“Nut (or Bread) Spas” was named so in honor of the tradition of collecting nuts at this time of summer and completing the grain harvest.

Sermon on the Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

Saint Theophan the Recluse
After death on the cross Jesus Christ's Most Pure Mother lived for about fifteen years in Jerusalem, in the house of the holy Apostle John the Theologian, to whom the Lord Himself entrusted Her from the cross. Now the time has come for her to move to the heavenly abode of her Son. When the Mother of God prayed on the Mount of Olives, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Her, bringing a date branch, and announced Her death three days later.

The Most Pure One was incredibly happy to hear such news and began to prepare. On the day of Her repose, at the command of God, all the apostles, scattered to preach throughout the world, miraculously appeared in Jerusalem, except for the Apostle Thomas. They witnessed Her peaceful, quiet, holy and blessed death. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in heavenly glory, surrounded by countless Angels and righteous spirits, appeared to receive the soul of His Most Pure Mother and gloriously ascended Her to heaven.

This is how the Most Holy Virgin Mary ended her earthly life! With lighted lamps and singing psalms, the apostles carried the body of the Mother of God to Gethsemane, where Her parents and Joseph were buried. The unbelieving high priests and scribes, amazed by the grandeur of the funeral procession and embittered by the honors given to the Mother of God, sent servants and soldiers to disperse the mourners and burn the very body of the Mother of God.

The excited people and warriors rushed furiously at the Christians, but were struck by blindness. At this time, the Jewish priest Athos passed by, who rushed to the tomb with the intention of throwing him to the ground; but as soon as he touched the bed with his hands, an Angel cut off both his hands: their severed parts hung by the bed, and Athos himself fell to the ground screaming.

The Apostle Peter stopped the procession and said to Athos: “Make sure that Christ true God" Athos immediately confessed Christ as the true Messiah. The Apostle Peter ordered Athos to turn to the Mother of God with fervent prayer and place the remains of his hands on the parts hanging by the bed. After doing this, the hands grew together and were healed, and only signs remained at the place of cutting off. The blind people and warriors touched the bed with repentance and received sight not only physically, but also spiritually, and everyone joined the procession with reverence.

On the third day after the burial of the Mother of God, Apostle Thomas, who was absent by the will of God, arrived and wished to see Her coffin. At his request, the coffin was opened, but the body of the Mother of God was not found in it. In the evening of the same day, during their meal, the apostles saw the Most Holy Virgin in heaven in the air, alive, with many Angels. Standing and illuminated by ineffable glory, the Mother of God said to the apostles: “Rejoice! I am always with you"; The apostles exclaimed: “Most Holy Theotokos, help us.” This appearance of the Mother of God completely convinced the apostles, and through them the entire Church, of Her resurrection. In imitation Holy Virgin Mary, who often visited the places that Her Son and God sanctified with the feet of His most pure feet, a custom arose among Christians to visit holy places.

On the screensaver: Jaime Serra. Dormition of the Virgin Mary (fragment). 1361-1362