Icon of Our Lady of Vladimir. Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: photo

VLADIMIR ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD, a Christian shrine, the earliest known miraculous icon preserved in Rus'.

According to the legend of the 2nd half of the 15th century, it was written by the holy evangelist Luke; artistic and stylistic features and historical data indicate the creation of the icon in the 1st third of the 12th century. Probably in 1130 the icon was brought by Metropolitan Michael, who arrived from Constantinople to Kyiv, as a gift to the prince of Kyiv Mstislav Izyaslavich. It was located in the Monastery of the Mother of God in Vyshgorod (near Kyiv), from where Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky transported it to Vladimir in 1155 and decorated it with a precious frame. At first, the icon was located in Bogolyubovo, and after the construction of the Vladimir Assumption Cathedral (1158-60) it became the main icon of this temple. In 1163-64, the Legend of Miracles from the Icon was created, which reported the triple descent of the image from its place in the temple in Vyshgorod and listed 10 cases of miraculous healings. In 1164, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky took the image on a campaign against the Volga Bulgars; the victory was also perceived as a miracle from the icon. In 1395, during the invasion of the troops of Temir-Aksak (see Timur), the icon was moved to Moscow, after which Temir-Aksak moved away from Moscow.

In the 1st third of the 15th century, by order of Metropolitan Photius, a new gold frame was made for the icon. In 1480, the icon was moved to the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral in connection with the invasion of Khan Ahmed, which ended with the retreat of the Tatar troops. At this time, a service to the Vladimir Icon was compiled. In the middle of the 16th century, a detailed “Tale of the meeting of the miraculous image of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and the Ever-Virgin Mary ...” was written with a description of the most significant miracles, having a mainly ecclesiastical and political nature, where it was argued that through her image the Mother of God provides special protection to the Russian to the people. Celebration of the Vladimir Icon - August 26 [(September 8), deliverance from Temir-Aksak], June 23 [(July 6), bloodless victory over Ahmed], May 21 [(June 3), deliverance from the invasion of Muhammad-Girey I in 1521 ].

Initially, the icon had a size of 78x55 cm. Probably, under Andrei Bogolyubsky, its margins were extended (to a size of 104x69 cm) to accommodate the massive gold frame, torn off by the Tatars in 1237. It is believed that the icon is a copy of a revered image from the temple at the palace Byzantine emperors at Blachernae in Constantinople. The iconographic type of “Our Lady Caressing” with the Child clinging to the Mother was called “Our Lady of Tenderness” in the Russian tradition. The Vladimir Icon shows a half-length image of the Mother of God with the Child on her right hand. Her head is inclined towards the Son, who, pressing his cheek to the cheek of the Blessed Virgin, hugs the Mother’s neck. The Baby's right hand is extended, left leg the foot is turned towards the person praying. These obligatory iconographic features of the Vladimir Icon are repeated on all numerous copies of it.

The icon was renewed several times; only the faces from the 12th century painting have been preserved intact. The right hand of the Mother of God, hair, neck and legs of the Child, as well as the background were executed at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, the remaining fragments of the image date mainly to 1514. The elongated face of the Mother of God with a thin, slightly curved nose and large almond-shaped eyes has a mournful expression due to the eyebrows drawn down to the bridge of the nose and the corners of the mouth barely noticeably drooping. The gaze of the Blessed Virgin is fixed on the person praying, the Child looks at the Mother. It is these features that made it possible to unambiguously interpret the meaning of the image: the motive of the mutual love of the Mother and the Baby is closely connected with the theme of the future sacrifice made for the salvation of humanity. The Mother of God does not respond to the affection of her Son; She is addressed to those standing before the icon, for whose sake Christ descended into the world and will accept suffering on the cross. Particular expressiveness of the look of the Mother of God is given by specific painting techniques, in particular the painting of faces in olive color - sankiryu (from the Greek "sarkinos" - bodily). Pinkish ocher is placed on top of the sankir in the bright areas, smoothly turning into a more intense red color on the cheeks and upper eyelids. In the eye sockets of the Mother of God, the sankir is left open, the greenish-brown irises almost merge with it, creating the impression of special depth and penetration of the gaze. The inner corners of the eyes, mouth, and nose contour are painted with bright scarlet cinnabar, which contrasts with green shadows, reminiscent of the traditions of ancient illusionism. Light ocher on the face of the Child, with a large number white provides a striking luminosity effect. The virtuoso writing technique served to create an image of exceptional perfection, where the highest spirituality and physical beauty are in inextricable unity.

The icon, restored in 1918-19 by G. O. Chirikov under the supervision of I. E. Grabar and A. I. Anisimov, was in the Historical Museum in 1926-30, then in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow; since 1999 - in the Moscow Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi (the home church of the Tretyakov Gallery).

Lit.: Our Lady of Vladimir: Sat. materials: Exhibition catalogue. M., 1995; State Tretyakov Gallery: Collection catalogue. M., 1995. T. 1: Old Russian art of the 10th - early 15th centuries; Shchennikova L. A. The miraculous icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” as “Hodegetria of the Evangelist Luke” // The miraculous icon in Byzantium and Ancient Rus'. M., 1996; Etingof O. E. Byzantine icons of the 6th - first half of the 13th century. in Russia. M., 2005.

I. L. Buseva-Davydova.

Vladimir icon Mother of God written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior dined with the Most Pure Mother and Righteous Joseph. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “From now on, all generations will bless Me. May the grace of the One born of Me and Mine be with this icon.”

Until 450, this image of the Lady remained in Jerusalem, and then was transferred to Constantinople. In the first half of the 12th century, Patriarch Luka Chrysover of Constantinople sent the icon as a gift to Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky, who placed the image in the Vyshgorod nunnery near Kiev, in an area that once belonged to the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga. In 1155, Vyshgorod became the inheritance of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky.

Having decided to move to his native Suzdal land, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky took the icon with him. On the way, he constantly served prayers before her. The residents of Vladimir-on-Klyazma greeted their prince with joy; From there the prince went further to the city of Rostov. However, having driven no more than ten miles from Vladimir, the horses stood on the banks of the Klyazma and, despite urging, did not want to go further. Struck, Prince Andrei fell in front of the icon and began to pray tearfully. And then the Mother of God appeared to him with a scroll in her hand and commanded him to leave Her image in the city of Vladimir, and on the site of this appearance to build a monastery in honor of Her Nativity.

The prince placed the icon in Vladimir, and from that time - from 1160 - it received the name Vladimir.

In 1395, Khan Tamerlane reached the Ryazan borders, took the city of Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don. Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich went out with an army to Kolomna and stopped on the banks of the Oka. He prayed to the saints of Moscow and St. Sergius about the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to the Metropolitan of Moscow, Saint Cyprian, so that the upcoming Dormition Fast would be devoted to fervent prayers for pardon and repentance. The clergy were sent to Vladimir, where the famous miraculous icon was located. After the liturgy and prayer service on the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the clergy accepted the icon and carried it to Moscow with a procession of the cross. Countless people on both sides of the road, on their knees, prayed: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!” At the very hour when the residents of Moscow greeted the icon on Kuchkovo Field, Tamerlane was dozing in his tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from the top of which saints with golden rods were coming towards him, and above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. Those who knew answered that the radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Protector of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back. In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, the Sretensky Monastery was built on Kuchkovo Field, where the icon was met, and on August 26, an all-Russian celebration was established in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir moved to Moscow and was placed in the Kremlin Cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Most Pure One. Moscow owes its blessings for deliverance from the raids of Khan Edigei in 1408, the Nogai prince Mazovshi in 1451, and Khan Sedi-Akhmet in 1459.
In 1480, the Horde Khan Akhmat moved to Moscow and already reached the Ugra River in Kaluga. The Grand Duke of Moscow John III was waiting on the other side of the river. Suddenly the Tatars were attacked by such strong and unreasonable fear that Akhmat did not dare to go to the Russian army and turned back to the steppe. In memory of this event, a religious procession from the Assumption Cathedral to the Sretensky Monastery began to be held annually in Moscow. And the Ugra River has since been known as the Belt of the Virgin Mary.

In 1521, the Kazan Khan Makhmet-Girey led the Kazan and Nogai Tatars to Moscow. Metropolitan Varlaam and all the people prayed earnestly before the face of Vladimir. Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich barely had time to gather an army to meet the Tatars at the far frontier, on the Oka River. Holding back their onslaught, he slowly retreated to Moscow. On the very night of the siege, the nun of the Kremlin Ascension Monastery saw the saints coming out through the locked doors of the Assumption Cathedral, carrying the miraculous Vladimir in their hands. These were the holy metropolitans of Moscow Peter and Alexy, who lived two centuries earlier. And the nun also saw how the Venerable Varlaam of Khutyn and Sergius of Radonezh met the procession of saints at the Spasskaya Tower - and fell prostrate before the icon, praying to the Most Pure One not to leave the Assumption Cathedral and the people of Moscow. And then the Intercessor returned through the locked doors. The nun hastened to tell the townspeople about the vision. Muscovites gathered in the temple and began to pray fervently. And the Tatars again saw a vision of “a great army, shining with armor,” and they fled from the walls of the city.

So more than once our Fatherland was saved by the people's prayer before the miraculous image of Vladimir. In memory of these deliverances, the celebration of the Vladimir Icon was established:
May 21 - in memory of the salvation of Moscow from the invasion of Khan Makhmet-Girey in 1521;
June 23 - in memory of the salvation of Moscow from the invasion of Khan Akhmat in 1480;
August 26 - in memory of the salvation of Moscow from the invasion of Tamerlane in 1395.

The most important events in Russian church history took place before the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: the election and installation of St. Jonah - Primate of the Autocephalous Russian Church in 1448, St. Job - the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' in 1589, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon in 1917. On the day of celebration in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen of Moscow and All Rus' was enthroned - May 21/June 3, 1971.

In 1918, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was removed from the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin for restoration, and in 1926 it was transferred to the State Historical Museum. In 1930 it was transferred to the State Tretyakov Gallery.

In September 1999, the image of the Most Pure One was transferred to the Church-Museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi at the State Tretyakov Gallery, where it remains to this day.

Since ancient times, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God has worked miracles and is rightfully considered one of the most revered and famous in the Orthodox world. Several major holidays are celebrated in her honor: May 21, June 23, August 25. In memory of the salvation of Moscow from: Muhammad-Girey, Akhmat and Tamerlane, respectively. These days it is customary to read the troparion to the Vladimir Icon.

The meaning of the Vladimir Icon

Prayers in front of this icon can protect people from misfortunes; people turn to it for help in the most different situations. There are very difficult periods in a person’s life and then they resort to prayer. Every believer who sincerely asks for help from higher powers receives it. Our Lady of Vladimir is a protector and protects houses from misfortunes, helps in various everyday situations.

Every Orthodox man, I simply must have this image in my home. Many different stories have been written about the meaning and miraculousness of the icon; miracles happened hundreds of years ago, and they also happen today.

Miraculousness of the icon

Throughout this time, miracles associated with the Vladimir Icon occurred.

• Three times people’s prayers for the salvation of their own land were heard. Foreigners left Russian soil for various reasons.
• When the icon was in Vyshgorod, unauthorized movements of the icon were noticed. Three times the image ended up in different parts monastery
• The water that washed the shrine had healing properties; parishioners were repeatedly healed of various bodily ailments.
• The wife of one of the clergy was expecting a child, she often prayed in front of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, and once, miraculously, her life was saved from a mad horse.
• The abbess of the monastery was healed of blindness. The girl simply drank water from the holy face and said a prayer.
• One day, in the city of Vladimir, the Golden Gate collapsed on twelve people, all these people suddenly found themselves under the rubble. One of them read a prayer in front of the image of the Mother of God, then all these people managed to escape. None of them were seriously injured.
• The baby was washed with holy water, and he was saved from evil spells.
• The woman had been suffering from a serious heart disease for many years, she gave the priest all her gold jewelry and sent the priest with them to the temple where the icon was located. He brought holy water to the woman, she drank it and prayed, and after a while the woman turned out to be completely healthy.

This is far from a complete list of miracles that are associated with the Vladimir Icon. Moreover, miracles happened not only associated with the original icon, but also with its numerous copies.

How does the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God help?

This shrine witnessed almost all important events in the history of Russia. She saw military campaigns, how the coronation of monarchs took place, as well as the appointment of many patriarchs. Prayer addressed to the icon helps to calm hostility and reduce the level of anger and passions.

A large number of parishioners turned to the monk for help in order to make a fateful decision, strengthen their own spirit and gain vitality during illness. To the question of how the Vladimir Icon helps, you can answer this way:

• comes to the rescue when making an important decision, shows the true path;
• strengthens faith and gives strength that is almost running out;
• helps in healing diseases, especially people with blindness and various heart ailments are often healed;
• delivers from evil intentions and sinful thoughts.

Our Lady also helps in establishing a happy marriage, since a happy and strong family is the key to a strong and successful country.

What does the Vladimir Icon look like?

This icon belongs to the “Caressing” type. This image is considered the most lyrical of all images of the Virgin Mary.

Every person can see the face of the Virgin Mary; with her left hand she holds her little son.

They tenderly clung to each other, thereby revealing the other side of the Virgo’s communication with her son. The original icon was painted on a wooden table top.

Throughout the entire canvas, only two figures are depicted: the Virgin Mary and her son. Her head is bowed towards the Infant Christ, who hugs his Mother’s neck with his left hand.

A distinctive feature of this icon from all others is that the leg of Christ is curved so that his foot is visible.

Miracle Lists

Throughout time, a very large number of diverse lists of the Vladimir Icon were created. Some of them also acquired miraculous properties and received special names:

• Vladimirskaya-Volokolamskaya, which was created in 1572;
• Vladimirskaya-Seligerskaya, created in 1528;
• Vladimirskaya-Oranskaya, dated 1634.

All these images also have miraculous properties, and all Orthodox Christians often come to them to read the akathist to the Vladimir Icon of God.

History of the Vladimir Icon

The legend says that this icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke, using the lid of a dining table as the base. The Most Pure Mother and Joseph the Betrothed took food behind him. And when the Mother of God saw the image, she became very joyful and said the following words: “From now on, all the people will bless Me.”

Initially, the icon was in Jerusalem, later it moved from this city to Constantinople, long time she was there. Then, Yuri Dolgoruky received this icon as a gift from one influential patriarch.

In the city of Vyshgorod (not far from Kyiv), a monastery was recently built, and the image was placed there. Almost immediately, the icon began to be glorified for various kinds of miraculous deeds. The son of Yuri Dolgoruky very much desired to have such an icon and brought it to the city of Vladimir, where it found new home. It was from then that it received the name - Vladimirskaya.

This icon very often saved soldiers who went to war. In the battle against the Volga Bulgarians, the icon of the Mother of God helped the prince win a difficult victory in battle.

Thirty years later there was a terrible fire, then the cathedral in which the icon was located burned down, but it remained completely unharmed. In 1237, Batu attacked the city of Vladimir and completely destroyed it, but this time the icon managed to survive.

The further history of the icon is completely connected with Moscow, where it came only in 1395, when Khan Tamerlane attacked Rus'. The conqueror completely plundered Ryazan and sent his army to Moscow, they destroyed everything in their path. The prince, without wasting a minute, gathered a large army and ordered them to go on the attack to meet the invaders. The Metropolitan at this time called on higher powers to help them. Then the prince and metropolitan decided to move the icon to Moscow.

When the shrine arrived in Moscow and was brought into the cathedral, incredible things began to happen. As the chronicle says, the conqueror simply stayed in one place for several weeks; he did not go on the offensive, but he did not retreat either. But suddenly he was overcome with fear, he turned back and left the Moscow borders.

A little later, when Moscow did not even expect an invasion, suddenly a huge army of invaders appeared in front of the city walls. The then prince realized that he did not have enough time and skills to assemble a worthy army to resist the foreigners and simply left the capital with his family. Vladimir the Brave, who suddenly had to rule Moscow, was an experienced commander and gathered a large army, so much so that the horde did not dare to storm Moscow. However, they began to plunder neighboring cities.

At this time everything Orthodox people They prayed before the Vladimir Icon, calling on the Mother of God to help her people. And again the prayers were heard, Edigei (leader of the Horde) received news of the coup and was forced to leave Russian soil. Thus, the Mother of God once again saved her people from their enemies.

Prayer to the Vladimir Icon

O All-Merciful Lady Theotokos, Heavenly Queen, All-Powerful Intercessor, our shameless Hope! Thanking Thee for all the great blessings that the Russian people have received from Thee throughout the generations, before Thy most pure image we pray to Thee: save this city (this whole; this holy monastery) and Thy coming servants and the whole Russian Land from famine, destruction, earth shaking, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare! Save and save, O Lady, our Great Lord and Father (name), His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' and our Lord (name), His Eminence the bishop (archbishop, metropolitan) (title), and all the Eminence metropolitans, archbishops and bishops of the Orthodox. May they govern the Russian Church well, and may the faithful sheep of Christ be preserved indestructibly. Remember, Lady, the entire priestly and monastic order, warm their hearts with zeal for God and strengthen them to walk worthy of their calling. Save, O Lady, and have mercy on all Your servants and grant us the path of the earthly journey without blemish. Confirm us in the faith of Christ and in zeal for the Orthodox Church, put into our hearts the spirit of the fear of God, the spirit of piety, the spirit of humility, give us patience in adversity, abstinence in prosperity, love for our neighbors, forgiveness for our enemies, success in good deeds. Deliver us from every temptation and from petrified insensibility; on the terrible day of Judgment, grant us, through Your intercession, to stand at the right hand of Your Son, Christ our God, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Conclusion

This is very ancient and strong icon, it is one of the most revered faces of the Virgin Mary. Three times, with the help of the icon, it was possible to stop foreign invaders. Huge number people received spiritual and physical strength, praying in front of her.

Two-sided icon

First third of the 12th century.

• Onasch 1961: XI–XII centuries.
• Antonova, Mneva 1963: The beginning of the 12th century.
• Bank 1967: First half of the 12th century.
• Kamenskaya 1971: The beginning of the 12th century.
• Onasch 1977: XI–XII centuries.
• Alpatov 1978: First half of the 12th century.
• Lazarev 1986: First half of the 12th century.
• Βοκοτοπουλος 1995: First third of the 12th century.
• Tretyakov Gallery 1995: First third of the 12th century.
• Icons of the Assumption Cathedral 2007: First third of the 12th century.
• Bulkin 2008: The beginning of the 12th century.
• Bayet 2009: Beginning of the 12th century.

Beginning of the 15th century. Andrey Rublev (?).

The Mother of God hugs her son sitting on her right hand. Raising his childishly round face, he fell to the cheek of his bent mother and hugged her neck. The right hand of the baby Jesus is extended forward and touches the shoulder of the Mother of God. Maria supports the engulfed man with her left hand With. 58
With. 59- with the impetuous movement of a child, looking at her with wide open round eyes. Thin lips closed small mouth, Maria looks straight ahead with large elongated eyes, as if illuminating her narrow, elongated face. Left leg the baby is bent so that the sole of the foot is visible 2.

2 This detail has become an indispensable attribute of the iconography of Our Lady of Vladimir since the 15th century.

The Vladimir icon, according to restoration work in 1918, was recorded four times: in the first half of the 13th century, after Batu’s ruin; at the beginning of the 15th century; in 1514, during the work on decorating the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, and, finally, in 1896 by restorers O. S. Chirikov and M. I. Dikarev. Minor repairs were also made in 1566 and in the 18th and 19th centuries 3. The faces, unlike the rest of the icon, were painted without applying a new layer of gesso, directly on top of the old drying oil, which contributed to their preservation.

3 The chronicles preserved information about the renovation of the monument only in 1514 (PSRL, vol. XIII, St. Petersburg, 1904, “The Second Sofia Chronicle.” - In the book: PSRL, vol. 6, St. Petersburg, 1853, about the renovation of the painting of the Assumption Cathedral) and 1566 (“Antiquities of the Russian State”, department 1, M., 1849, text, p. 5).

The oldest paintings of the 12th century include the faces of a mother and baby, part of a blue cap and maforium border with a gold assist, part of an ocher chiton with a gold assist of a baby with a sleeve to the elbow and the transparent edge of a shirt visible from under it, a left hand and part right hand baby, as well as the remains of a gold background with fragments of the inscription: “MR. .U".

The color of the original painting is based on a combination of deep, rich shades of cherry red, blue, orange-yellow and greenish-olive with gold.

A drawing was made based on the greenish preparation; facial modeling was done with ocher, white and cinnabar; After applying reddish shadows, another layer of ocher was applied, after which greenish shadows were painted. The child’s face is done in the same way, but its preparation is lighter, and there are more glazes (successive application of different shades of paint).

The mother's face is made of transparent pinkish ocher, connected using tonal transitions with greenish shadows written along the oval of the face, on the temples, under the eyebrows and lower eyelids, near the nose, mouth and on the neck. The barely visible dark blush blends in with the entire color scheme. Rich in a variety of shades, transparent layers of red paint lie on the cheeks, forehead, eyelids, eyebrows, along the nose and on the chin. Loose whitening strokes are placed along the shape of the nose and above the left eyebrow. The eyes are light brown, with a red teardrop. The lips are painted with three shades of cinnabar. The cap is blue with a dark blue, almost black edge.

The baby's face is also made with ocher, but with the addition of white. Reddish transparent tones round the oval of his face, cheek and chin. On the tip of the nose and on the lips there are smears of dark cinnabar, which also marks the tears. Whitewash lies on the most illuminated places: above the right eyebrow, on the round tip of the nose and on the chin. The color scheme, which is lighter than that of the mother, conveys the childish whiteness of the skin of the face, the small hand of the left hand and the part of the right hand lying on top of the dark With. 59
With. 60- mother's clothes. Jesus' eyes are filled with brown and green tones. Light brown hair remains above the prominent forehead.

On the baby's torso there is a fragment of a 13th-century mending, running from the shoulder to the waist. The ends of the fingers of the Mother of God’s left hand, originally located higher and to the left than in the 16th century painting that has come down to us at this place, have also been preserved.

From the beginning of the 15th century (circa 1411) parts of the clothes of the Virgin and Child on the lower left belong; parts of the baby's shoulder and arm, feet, hair and neck; the right hand of the Mother of God, her ear, part of a dark green cap and a golden border of maforia. These fragments attract attention to the picturesque execution of the baby’s feet, the thin transparent fins of the mother’s right hand, the baby’s massive neck and the chestnut curls of his hair. The deep tone of the brown maphorium, combined with the greenish ocher of the baby's himation, decorated with a golden assist, forms a characteristic range of cold colors 4. The artist who carried out the restoration at the beginning of the 15th century was most likely Andrei Rublev 5 .

4 Similar sonorous combinations of pure, cold shades make up the color of the reverse side of the icon with the image of the throne, executed, in all likelihood, at the same time.

5 This conclusion is reached by comparing the color of parts of the Vladimir icon dating back to the beginning of the 15th century with its copy made by Andrei Rublev in 1395 - the so-called “reserve Vladimir

It is also significant that the drawing of the baby’s feet on the Vladimir State Tretyakov Gallery is close to these details of the fresco by Andrei Rublev on the altar pylon of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir. This conclusion is reached by comparing the color of parts of the Vladimir Icon dating back to the beginning of the 15th century with its copy made by Andrei Rublev in 1395 - the so-called “spare Vladimir”, which is now in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Until the 17th century information has survived that Rublev was the author of one of the Kremlin icons of the Mother of God. In 1669, in the Image Chamber there was kept “a dungeon (case. - V.A.) of Rublev’s most pure letters” (A.I. Uspensky, Church-archaeological repository at the Moscow Palace in the 17th century, M., 1902, p. 68) .

“Spare Vladimir” was written, in contrast to the composition of the original ancient icon, somewhat shortened: it is not a half-length, but rather a bust-length image. Both hands of the Mother of God are at the same level; her eyes are not directed straight ahead, but to the left, in the direction where her head is tilted.

Rublev's version of Vladimirskaya became widespread in the 15th century. This is explained by Rublev’s fame and the fact that the work he wrote was in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

The contributions of the Moscow nobility to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery preserved excellent examples of this type of Vladimir (see Yu. A. Olsufiev, Inventory of the icons of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Sergiev, 1920, p. 83, contribution of M. V. Obraztsov).

For a detailed argument for the attribution of the “spare Vladimirskaya” to Andrei Rublev, see V. I. Antonova, Moscow artist Andrei Rublev. Report at the session dedicated to the 600th anniversary of Andrei Rublev at the USSR Academy of Arts, read on September 17, 1960.

It is also significant that the drawing of the baby’s feet on the Vladimir State Tretyakov Gallery is close to these details of the fresco by Andrei Rublev on the altar pylon of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir.

The third significant renovation of the Vladimir Icon in the news of the Sophia Temporary is associated with the paintings of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, completed in 1514. Then the maphoria of the Mother of God, which has survived to this day, was written, her left hand, most of the baby's clothes and the hand of his right hand 6.

6 At the same time, an “ark” was made for Vladimirskaya, decorated with silver and gold.

The colors of the restorations of the early 15th and 16th centuries were selected in accordance with the coloring of the original painting, which had darkened greatly by this time. The golden splashes of the early 15th century, as well as the dark swirls and dull colors of the 16th century, do not disturb the restrained, almost monochrome range of colors of the monument.

Light yellowish ocher from the beginning of the 15th century with the letters “Ө”, “IC ХС” and a darker, orange tint, ocher from the 16th century replaced the lost original gold in the background and margins. Judging by the nature of the background and margins, they were repaired even when they were covered with a frame 7.

7 The Ipatiev Chronicle under 1155 preserved information about the salary of Vladimir, made by Andrei Bogolyubsky. In 1176, Yaropolk removed its precious decoration from the icon; she herself was in the hands of Gleb Ryazansky for some time (PSRL, vol. I, St. Petersburg, 1846, pp. 159, 161). In 1237, the Tatars “... plundered the Holy Mother of God, a wonderful icon, decorated with gold and silver and drag stones...” (ibid., p. 197). In 1411, the Tatars of Tsarevich Talych again stole Vladimirskaya’s salary. At this time, Metropolitan Photius of Moscow was in Vladimir; The Tatars were chasing him, who had taken refuge in the forests (PSRL, vol. XI, St. Petersburg, 1897, p. 216). It is possible that in memory of his salvation, Photius made a frame for Vladimir, in return for what was stolen by the Tatars: I believe that it was then that Andrei Rublev restored the icon itself, which was in Vladimir.

Two of her dresses, stored in the State Museum, have survived to this day. The Armory Chamber in the Moscow Kremlin. It is possible that the first with a chased gold deesis in full height at the top, dating back to the 13th century, combined with a gold basma of the 15th century, was compiled for the so-called “spare Vladimir” - a copy attributed to Andrei Rublev. The second, until 1918 located on the original Vladimirskaya, consists of parts of the early 15th century. , made, as mentioned above, by order of Metropolitan Photius (1410–1431, see M. Alpatoff, Die Frühmoskauer Reliefplastik... - “Вelvedere”, Wien, 1926, No. 9–l0) and parts of 1656–1657. , performed by master Peter Ivanov (see I. E. Zabelin and Kholmogorov brothers, Materials for the history, archeology and statistics of Moscow churches, part I. M., 1884, p. 30).

On the reverse side (early 15th century) there is a throne with instruments of the passions, covered with red fabric decorated with gold ornaments with pink spaces and blue gold borders. It stands on lilac soil with brown stains, depicting a floor lined with colored marble. On the throne lie blue nails, a book with a blue edge and a gold one, decorated with pearls and precious stones lid, as well as an ocher crown of thorns. A white dove with a golden halo and red legs stands on a book. Above the throne rises a two-tone olive-green cross, a spear with a blue tip and a cane 8. Pale yellow background, ocher fields, 16th century.

8 The throne on the back of the Vladimir Icon is similar in design, color and ornamentation to the image of the throne in the “Distribution of Wine” from the festive row of the iconostasis of the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, associated with the last stage of Rublev’s work. The manner of drawing the throne could hardly have changed during the decade that separates the compared monuments, which speaks in favor of attributing the work in question to Andrei Rublev.

The board is lime, with later growths on all sides. At the bottom there are traces of a handle. Pavoloka (?), gesso, egg tempera. The original size is 78 x 55, the size with additions is 100 x 70. With. 60
With. 61¦

Disclosed in 1918 by the Commission for the Discovery of Old Russian Painting by G. O. Chirikov.

Around 1136, the icon was brought from Constantinople along with the icon of the Mother of God of Pirogoshcha and placed in Vyshgorod near Kiev 9. In 1155, she was taken from Vyshgorod to Vladimir by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky (Lavrentievskaya and Ipatievskaya chronicles). In 1395 it was brought to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. book Vasily Dmitrievich (PSRL, vol. XXV, M.–L., 1949, pp. 222–225).

9 Between 1131 and 1136 the Church of Our Lady of Pirogoshchaya was built in Kyiv (N. Zakrevsky, Description of Kyiv, vol. 2, M., 1868, pp. 713–717).

After 1395, the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God was returned to Vladimir 10; it was brought to Moscow a second time in 1480. The following information has been preserved about this: 1. Chronicles, telling about the already mentioned raid on Vladimir by the Tatar prince Talych in 1411, say that in the Assumption Cathedral the Tatars “cut down the church doors and entered the nude (church - V.A.), an icon The wonderful holy Mother of God was refreshed and so were the other icons” (PSRL, vol. XXV, M.–L., 1949, p. 240). 2. In the 16th-century Psalter of the Library of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra No. 321, it says under June 23: “... the miraculous icon of the Most Pure Mother of God came from Volodymyr to the city of Moscow 6988 (1480).” The final relocation was indicated only at the end of the 15th century by the establishment of the celebration of the Vladimir Icon in Moscow on June 23, 1480. Since no other noteworthy event occurred on this day, it is very likely that the Vladimir Icon arrived in Moscow for the second time on this day, where it has remained to this day.

10 Return of Vladimir between 1395 and 1480. to Vladimir could have been caused by the still strong at that time idea of ​​​​the specific isolation of parts of the future Russian state. It was believed that the appanages had a preferential right to monuments associated with their history. In addition, Vladimir, the city from where the great reign passed to Moscow, received special attention from the Moscow princes. So, for example, Prince of Moscow Vasily Dmitrievich, with the hands of his masters Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny, resumed the paintings of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir in 1408.

It is possible that the Moscow chronicle news of 1471 refers to the “spare Vladimirskaya” made in Moscow around 1395 by the same Andrei Rublev (PSRL, vol. XXII, St. Petersburg, 1901, p. 130).

In 1480, when Moscow became the center of the Russian state, and the Assumption Cathedral of its Kremlin became the Russian pantheon, the final movement of the oldest icon to Moscow was quite natural (see about this L.A. Dmitriev, On the dating of “The Legend of the Massacre of Mamaev.” - In the book: “Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature of the Institute of Russian Literature of the USSR Academy of Sciences,” X, M.–L., 1954, pp. 195–197).

Received from the State Historical Museum in 1930. With. 61
¦

Tretyakov Gallery 1995

With. 35¦ 1. MOTHER OF GOD OF VLADIMIR
First third of the 12th century
Constantinople
On the back:
THE THRONE AND THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE PASSION
Early 15th century (?)
Moscow

Wood, tempera. 104 × 69; original size 78 × 55
Inv. 14243

The image of the Mother of God is half-length, of the “Tenderness” type. The Mother of God holds the infant Christ in her right hand, her head tilted to the right. The baby presses his cheek to the Mother of God's face and hugs her neck with his left hand, his face turned upward. The baby's right hand is extended forward and touches the shoulder of the Mother of God. The legs of Christ are covered with a chiton up to the feet, the left one is bent so that the foot is visible.

The general tone of the carnation of the face of the Mother of God is light, it is determined by the combination of greenish-olive sankir, shining through in places through the top layer and left almost bare in shady places, and light pinkish ochre. All the colors are so fused that their transitions are almost imperceptible to the eye. On the cheeks, the light pink ochre imperceptibly turns into an intense blush. The transition from the pink tone placed on top of the green shadows is also gradually given. On the upper eyelids, the pink tone gradually thickens to dark red. The smooth curve of the outline of the nose is also emphasized.

The teardrops in the corners of the eyes are filled with red, the pupils are light, greenish-brown, with a black dot in the center, the eyelashes and pupils are surrounded by a dark stripe. The nose line is highlighted with two bright white highlights. A similar glare of light, but softer, given by a thin layer of pink and white, lies on the forehead. The small mouth with thin lips is painted in bright red paint, which has subtle transitions from light to darker. Deep green shadows lie around the eyes, near the nose, above the bridge of the nose, on the chin and along the oval of the face.

The baby's face has a lighter carnation tone. His writing style is broad and picturesque. On top of the greenish sankir lies a thin layer of ocher with the addition of white. On the forehead, on the right temple, on the cheek there is a pink color, thickening towards the contour, the outline of the nose is indicated by a gradual intensification of red. The red color of the blush and contour shadows contrasts with the sankir shadows and bright white highlights on the chin and tip of the nose. Traces of whitewashing strokes are visible above the eyebrow, above the lip and on the cheek near the eye. The eyelids are outlined in brown, the upper ones are darker. The pupils are light brown with a dark dot in the center.

The boundary between the faces of the Mother of God and the baby is not indicated by a contour line, but is given by the color comparison of the green shadow on the baby’s cheek and rosy cheek Our Lady. The only contour line is the brown outline of the fingers of the left hand of Christ, lying on the neck of the Mother of God.

Initially, the Mother of God wore a cherry-red maforium with a dark border decorated with gold lines (small fragments of it are visible above the baby’s head), and a bright blue cap. The chiton and himation of Christ are ocher in tone with golden linear trim. A white transparent shirt is visible from under the sleeve of the chiton.

The background was gold (fragments of the original background are visible at the top).

The husk is steep, the original fields are narrow (later they were extended on all sides). The halos have not survived.

Inscriptions. At the top are fragments of a cinnabar monogram: ΜΡ ΘΥ (the letters M and the rest have been preserved from the author’s painting, fragmentarily); Below on the left is a late monogram in cinnabar: IC XC.

Reverse side. The throne is depicted with a pink-red cover, decorated with gold ornaments and a blue border with gold trim. On the throne lie: a closed Gospel with a blue edge in a gold frame, ornamented with stones and pearls, four nails and a crown of thorns. On the Gospel there is a symbol of the Holy Spirit - a white dove with a golden halo. Behind the throne rises tall eight-pointed cross. On either side of him is a spear and a cane with a sponge at the end.

The background is pale yellow, the fields are ocher. Manure imitating marble, lilac with brown streak lines.

Inscriptions. On the sides of the crosshairs IC XC; below NIKA

A board made of two parts of unequal width. The margins of the icon were increased on all four sides under the frame no later than the beginning of the 15th century. 1. The two lower bars are composed of four parts, as they fill the gaps between the preserved parts of the ancient fork of the handle, which was embedded in the lower field. Bottom part it was sawed off when expanding the fields for the salary.

1 See about this Anisimov A. I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / Ministry of Culture of the USSR. All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 187, 238. The size of the icon, in all likelihood, was increased at the beginning of the 15th century, when, under Metropolitan Photius, a new gold filigree frame was made for the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir. It was probably made by visiting Greek craftsmen. In the 17th century under Patriarch Nikon, the icon was decorated (1657) with a golden chasuble. In 1919, during the restoration of the icon, the casing and chasuble were removed (they are located in the State Prosecutor's Office). For salaries, see

• Alpatoff M. Die frühmoskauer Reliefplastik. Beschlags der Ikone der Gottesmutter von Wladimir und ein Evangeliumdeckel des Sergiev-Troitzky Klosters. Belvedere, 1926, Nr. 9–10, p. 237–256;
• Pisarskaya L.V. Monuments of Byzantine art of the 5th–15th centuries in the State Armory Chamber. M.; L., 1964, p. 18, 19, tab. XIX–XXV;
• Postnikova-Loseva M. M., Protasyeva T. N. Face Gospel of the Assumption Cathedral as a monument of Old Russian art of the first third of the 15th century // Old Russian art of the 15th - early 16th centuries. M., 1963, p. 162–172;
• Bank A.V. Byzantine art in the collections of the Soviet Union. L.; M., 1966, tab. 291–295, p. 329, p. 23–24;
• Grabar A. Les revêtements en or et en argent des icones byzantines du Moyen Age. Venise, 1975, No. 41, p. 68–72, fig. 88–97;
• Nikolaeva T.V. Applied art of Moscow Rus'. M., 1976, p. 20, 176;
• Ryndina A.V. Monuments of the Palaeologian style in Moscow silver of the first half of the 15th century: Report at the II International Symposium on Georgian art. Tbilisi, 1977, p. 9;
• Tolstaya T.V. Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin: To the 500th anniversary of a unique monument of Russian culture. M., 1979, p. 28, 29, ill. XVIII, 111, 116, 117;
• Ryndina A.V. Cover of the Gospel of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (On the issue of the jewelry workshop of Metropolitan Photius) // Old Russian art. Handwritten book: Sat. articles. M., 1983, p. 146–150;
• Bobrovnitskaya I. A. Golden frame with the Deesis rank of the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” // Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin: Materials and research. M., 1985, p. 215–234.

Face. The ark is deep, with a steep husk; thin gesso; pavoloka - under the later inserts 2, as well as on the margins of the icon.

2 A.I. Anisimov suggested that “the faces and, perhaps, the figures themselves were layered with canvas; against the background the gesso lay directly on the board.” In note he points out that the nature of the state of the faces lying on the gesso, riddled with cracks, along the edges of which the soil has risen, suggests the presence of fastening pavolok underneath. Otherwise the painting would not be able to hold on and would crumble ( Anisimov A. I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / Ministry of Culture of the USSR. All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 234). However, an X-ray examination of the icon showed the presence of pavoloka only in the margins and under the later inserts; there was no pavoloka in other places. The X-ray image of the icon was made by M. P. Vikturina in 1974 in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Reverse side. The ark is the same as on the front one, fine weaving, gesso.

Safety. Face. The faces of Mary and the baby, the hair on his forehead, part of his right arm and his left hand have been preserved from the original painting; fragments of the Mother of God’s blue cap, a dark red maforium and border around her right eye, part of the baby’s ocher chiton with a gold assist and a transparent shirt visible from under it, the remains of a gold background and letters.

The icon was renewed several times. According to the restoration work of 1918 3, it was painted four times: in the first half of the 13th century, at the beginning of the 15th century, in 1514, during the work on decorating the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, and, finally, in 1895–1896 for the coronation of Nicholas II restorers O. S. Chirikov and M. I. Dikarev 4. Minor repairs were also made in 1566 and in the 18th and 19th centuries.

• OR Tretyakov Gallery, f. 67, units hr. 252;
• Anisimov A. I. History of the Vladimir Icon in the light of restoration // Proceedings of the art history section of the Institute of Archeology and Art History. M., 1928, issue. 2, p. 92–107, tab. VIII, IX;
• Anisimov A. I. Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God // Seminarium Kondakovianum. Praha, 1928, p. 105–189.

• Anisimov A. I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / Ministry of Culture of the USSR. All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 179, 230, 427.

From the original restoration of the 13th century. a fragment of Christ's dark purple robe below the shoulder with the tips of two fingers of the Mother of God's left hand visible on it 5 has been preserved.

5 “Partial samples showed that in this place, under a 13th-century record, the original painting was still preserved. The latter was left, however, not opened in order to preserve the only surviving fragment of the first restoration of the icon" ( Anisimov A. I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / Ministry of Culture of the USSR. All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 253).

Parts of the clothes of the Mother of God and the Child date back to the second renovation, carried out at the beginning of the 15th century: a dark maforium and a yellow, olive-colored tunic of Christ with a golden assist (bottom left); part of the baby's shoulder and arm; both of his legs (except for the top of his right foot), hair and neck; the right hand of the Mother of God (up to the ends of the four fingers), parts of a maforium with a yellow border and a dark cap (near the baby’s left hand) and fragments of a light yellow background with dark red letters “IC”, “XC” and “Θ”.

The third renovation dates back to 1514, and fragments of this restoration occupy the most large area: a significant part of the maforia of the Mother of God and her left hand, as well as the fingers of her right hand, the middle part of the baby's tunic of a red-brown color, the right hand of Christ, part of him right leg and fragments of a dark brown background, in which the fields of the icon are also painted.

When the icon was renewed, most of the ancient painting was not preserved; the old gesso was cut out and a new one was applied. The only exception was the painting of faces, which were painted on top of the old drying oil, which is why the ancient layer remained completely undamaged. On the face of the Mother of God near the chin of Christ and next to his left hand there are two inserts; In general, the preservation of the faces is good.

Reverse side. Painting from the 15th century has been preserved; there are minor falls with losses of painting and gesso, mainly at the junctions of boards. The most significant: in the lower left corner (three large losses that exposed the darkness); in the lower right corner there is a large gesso insert running along the joint of the boards, extending to the right of the image of the crown through the entire centerpiece; gesso insert along the husk near the right margin.

Restoration. In December 1918 - April 1919, it was disclosed by G. O. Chirikov under the supervision of I. E. Grabar, A. I. Anisimov and A. I. Grishchenko in the Commission. Olifil icon of F. A. Modorov. The diagram indicating the restoration fragments of the painting was made by I. A. Baranov 6 . With. 35
With. 37¦

• OR Tretyakov Gallery, f. 67, units hr. 252;
• Anisimov A. I. History of the Vladimir Icon in the light of restoration // Proceedings of the art history section of the Institute of Archeology and Art History. M., 1928, issue. 2, p. 82–107, tab. VIII, XX.

In 1929, G. O. Chirikov made a copy of a fragment of an ancient painting depicting the faces of the Mother of God and the Child Christ (size 27 × 19; wood, tempera, Tretyakov Gallery, inv. DR-472).

Origin. From Constantinople. Around 1130 7 was brought to Kyiv and placed in the convent of the Mother of God in Vyshgorod. In 1155, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky transferred the icon of the Mother of God from Vyshgorod to Vladimir, decorated it with an expensive frame and placed it in the Assumption Cathedral 8, built in 1158–1161 9. A.I. Anisimov, analyzing the ancient “Tale of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon...”, makes the assumption that the icon was in the altar near the throne, taking the place of the “altarpiece” image 10. After the murder of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1176, Prince Yaropolk Rostislavovich removed the expensive decoration from the icon 11, and it ended up with Gleb of Ryazan. Only after the victory of Prince Mikhail, Andrei’s younger brother, over Yaropolk did Gleb return the icon and headdress to Vladimir 12. When taken With. 37
With. 38¦ Vladimir by the Tatars, during the fire of the Assumption Cathedral in 1237, the cathedral was plundered and the frame was torn off from the icon of the Mother of God 13. The book Degree speaks of the restoration of the Assumption Cathedral and the restoration of the icon of the Mother of God by Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich 14. In 1395, on August 26, during the invasion of Tamerlane under Prince Vasily Dmitrievich, the icon was solemnly transferred to Moscow, and on the same day Tamerlane retreated and left the Moscow state. The icon was placed in the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral, to the right of the royal doors 15. Probably after this she was taken to Vladimir more than once. The return of the icon to Moscow in 1480 was especially noted as the second transfer of the icon 16. In 1812, the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir was taken for several months to Vladimir and Murom, and then returned to Moscow to the Assumption Cathedral, where it remained until 1918, when it was taken for restoration. From 1926 to 1930 she was in the State Historical Museum.

7 The icon was brought along with another icon of the Mother of God, called Pirogoshcha, for which the church was built. The Ipatiev Chronicle under the year 6640 (1132) reports: “In this summer, the Holy Mother of God, rector of Pirogoshcha, founded the Kamyan church” ( T. 2: Ipatiev Chronicle. St. Petersburg, 1843, p. 12) and indicates the completion of its construction in 6644 (1136) ( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 2: Ipatiev Chronicle. St. Petersburg, 1843, p. 14). The Laurentian Chronicle speaks of the foundation of the Pirogoshchey Church in 1131 ( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. St. Petersburg, 1846, p. 132), i.e. both icons were brought from Constantinople before the construction of the Church of Pirogoshche.

8 The Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles under 1155 report the transfer of the icon by Andrei Bogolyubsky to Vladimir: “That same summer Andrei went from his father to Judgment, and brought the icon of the Holy Theotokos, which he brought in a single ship with Pirogoschya from Tsariagrad; and forged more than three hundred hryvnias of gold, besides silver and precious stones and pearls, and decorated it and placed it in Volodymeri’s church" ( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. St. Petersburg, 1846, p. 148). In the ancient “Tale of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God,” which dates back to the second half of the 12th century, we read: “I wanted Prince Andrey to reign on the Rostov land, and I began to talk about icons, telling him the icon in Vyshgorod in the nunnery of our most holy mistress Mother of God... and he came to the church and began to look at the icons, but this icon seemed to have passed away from all images. Seeing her and falling to the ground, praying, saying: O Most Holy Theotokos, Mother of Christ our God, if you wish to be my intercessor, the Rostov land will be visited by newly enlightened people, so that all these will be according to your will. And then we’ll take the icon and go to Rostov land” ( [Klyuchevsky V.] The Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. (Monuments of ancient writing, XXX). St. Petersburg, 1878, p. 29–31). After the icon was transferred by Andrei Bogolyubsky, it began to be revered as the palladium of the city of Vladimir, which is why it received the name Vladimir.

9 The Ipatiev Chronicle, speaking about the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, names the dates: the year of foundation - 1158 and completion - 1161 ( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. St. Petersburg, 1846, p. 150).

• [Klyuchevsky V.] The Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. (Monuments of ancient writing, XXX). St. Petersburg, 1878, p. 31–37;
• Anisimov A. I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / Ministry of Culture of the USSR. All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 289.

• Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. St. Petersburg, 1846, p. 159;
• Antonova V. I., Mneva N. E. State Tretyakov Gallery: Catalog of Old Russian painting of the 11th - early 18th centuries. Experience of historical and artistic classification. M., 1963, vol. 1, 2, vol. 1, p. 62, note. 7.

• Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. St. Petersburg, 1846, p. 161.

13 “The Tatars opened the church doors by force, and saw both of them (shut up with Bishop Mitrofan in the church) dying by fire, but they put them to death with weapons until the end; plundered the Holy Mother of God, stripped the wonderful icon, adorned with gold and silver and precious stones...” ( Complete collection of Russian chronicles: T. 1: Laurentian and Trinity Chronicles. St. Petersburg, 1846, p. 197).

14 “And from then on, this miraculous image of the Mother of God, like its former splendor, receives a worthy adornment” ( Book Degree. M., 1775, part 1, p. 541).

15 “And bring it [the icon] into the most famous temple of its glorious Dormition, which is the great Cathedral and Apostolic Church of the Russian Metropolis, and place it in an icon case on the right side of the country, where to this day it stands visible and worshiped by all” ( Book Degree. M., 1775, part 1, p. 552).

16 For more details, see Anisimov A. I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / Ministry of Culture of the USSR. All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 217–227. A. I. Anisimov quotes words from Tales of effective officials(1627) on the occasion of the removal of Akhmat from Ugra on June 23, 1480, which speaks of a secondary bringing miraculous icon Our Lady of Vladimir to Moscow: “Having heard this, the Great Prince Ivan Vasilyevich of All Rus' came to Vladimir to bring the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and commanded her to bring the second one to Moscow, for the protection of the reigning city of Moscow and the entire Russian land.”

Admission. In 1930 from the State Historical Museum.

Iconography. Face. The iconographic type of the Mother of God holding the infant Christ in her arms, who presses his cheek to her face, is called “Tenderness.” A similar composition is known in early Christian art. Widespread she received it in the 11th century. For more details on the history of the iconographic type of the Mother of God “Tenderness” (“Heleus”), see

• Kondakov N. P. Monuments of Christian art on Mount Athos. St. Petersburg, 1902, p. 164;
• Alpatoff M., Lazareff V. Eine byzantinisches Tafelwerk aus der Komnenepoche. Jahrbuch der preussischen Kunstsammlungen. Berlin, 1925, Bd. 46, pp. 140–155;
• Lazarev V. N. Byzantine painting: Sat. articles. M., 1971, p. 282–290;
• Grabar A. L’Hodigitria et l’Eleusa // Collection of Likovne Umetnosti. Novi Sad, 1974, No. 10, p. 8–11;
• Grabar A. Les images de la Vierge de Tendresse. Type iconographique et theme // Zograf. Beograd, 1975, No. 6, p. 25–30;
• Anisimov A. I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / Ministry of Culture of the USSR. All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983, p. 166–173, 252–258;
• Tatiћ-Ђuriћ M. Mother of God of Vladimir // Collection for the celebration of skill. Beograd, 1985, [issue] 21, p. 29–50.

Reverse side. The Throne with the Gospel (The Throne Prepared - “Etimasia”) symbolizes the invisible presence of God and is interpreted on the basis of the texts of the Holy Scriptures and the comments of the Church Fathers, depending on which image this image is associated with.

The throne represents and last supper, and the Tomb of Christ, and his resurrection, and the second coming on the day of the Last Judgment; cross, reed, spear and nails - the redemptive suffering of Christ. The throne with the image of the Gospel and the dove next to the cross and instruments of the passion symbolically represents the Trinity. The image of Etymasia in monumental paintings was often placed in the apse (this became especially widespread in the 12th century) and revealed the meaning of the Eucharistic sacrifice ( Bogyay 1960, pp. 58–61; Babich 1966, With. 9–31). The back and front sides of the icon have the same symbolic and dogmatic content. The cross and instruments of the passions reveal the mournful meaning of the image of the Mother of God, pointing to the future suffering of Christ.

• Bogyay 1960 = Bogyay, T. von. Zur Geschichte der Hetoimasie. Akten des XI Internationalen Byzantinischen Kongresses. München, 1958. München, 1960, S. 58–61.
• Babich 1966 = Babiћ G. Christoloska discord in the 12th century and the Byzantine church. Archiereji in service before the khetimasij and archiereji in service before the lamb // Collection of Likovne Umetnosti. Novi Sad, 1966, br. 2, p. 9–31 (in Serbo-Croatian).

Attribution. Face. According to church tradition, the icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir was painted by the Evangelist Luke himself. L.A. Uspensky says about the icons attributed to the Evangelist Luke: “The authorship of the Holy Evangelist Luke here must be understood in the sense that these icons are lists (or rather, lists from lists) from icons once painted by the Evangelist” ( Uspensky L. 1989, With. 29).

A.I. Anisimov attributed the icon to the second half of the 11th century. ( Anisimov 1928/1 (1983), With. 183, 184; Anisimov 1928/3 (1983), With. 272). V.I. Antonova dated it to the beginning of the 12th century. ( Antonova, Mneva 1963, vol. 1, no. 5). In subsequent works, V.N. Lazarev and A. Grabar named the time of execution - the first half of the 12th century. ( Lazarev 1967, p. 204, 257, nota 82; Grabar 1974, p. 8–11). One thing is clear - the icon was painted before it was transferred to Kyiv, i.e. before 1130.

• Uspensky 1989 = [Uspensky L. A.] Theology of the icon of the Orthodox Church / Ed. Western European Exarchate. Moscow Patriarchate. [M.], 1989.
• Alpatoff, Lazareff 1925 (1978/1) = Alpatoff M., Lazareff V. Lazarev 1978/1, With. 9–29.
• Anisimov 1928/1 (1983) = Anisimov A. I. Anisimov 1983, With. 165–189.
• Anisimov 1928/3 (1983) = Anisimov A. I. Anisimov 1983, With. 191–274.
• Antonova, Mneva 1963 = Antonova V. I., Mneva N. E.
• Lazarev 1967 = Lazarev V. Storia della pittura bizantina. Torino, 1967.
• Grabar 1974 = Grabar A. L’Hodigitria et l’Eleusa // Collection of Likovne Umetnosti. Novi Sad, 1974, No. 10, p. 8–11.

Reverse side. Probably the icon dates back to the 12th century. was bilateral. This is evidenced by the character of the ark and the husk, the same as on the front side of the icon. There are numerous examples of ancient images of the cross on the back of icons of the Mother of God (see. Sotiriou 1956–1958, fig. 146–149; Grabar 1962, p. 366–372). It is possible that from the very beginning on the back of the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” there was an image of the throne with the Gospel, the cross and the instruments of the passion, which was updated during later restorations. Similar iconography is found in Byzantine art of the 12th century. (see Cross with enamel images from the sacristy of the cathedral in Kozienice, on which is placed in a circle under the “Crucifixion” an image of a throne with a red cover, a spear and a cane on the sides, on it are nails, a cup and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove ( Talbot Rice 1960, tabl. XXIV). Researchers who wrote about the icon dated the painting on the back to the beginning of the 15th century. and associated it with the time of the second renovation of the front side, i.e. with the era of Andrei Rublev. A detailed justification for this point of view was given by A. I. Anisimov ( Anisimov 1983, With. 186, 187, 262–266), he was supported by V.I. Antonova and N.E. Mneva, believing that the renovation of the front and back sides of the early 15th century. performed by Andrey Rublev ( Antonova, Mneva 1963, vol. 1, no. 5).

• Sotiriou 1956–1958 = Sotiriou G. et M. Icones de Mont Sinai. Athénes, 1956–1958, t. 1, 2.
• Grabar 1962 = Grabar A. Sur les icones bilaterales // Cahiers archéologiques. Paris, 1962, vol. 12, p. 366–372.
• Talbot Rice 1960 = Talbot Rice D. The Art of Byzantium. New York, 1960.
• Anisimov 1983 = Anisimov A. I. On ancient Russian art: Sat. articles / Ministry of Culture of the USSR. All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Restoration. M., 1983.
• Antonova, Mneva 1963 = Antonova V. I., Mneva N. E. State Tretyakov Gallery: Catalog of Old Russian painting of the 11th–18th centuries. M., 1963. T. 1–2.

Studying the icon under a binocular microscope confirmed its dating to the 15th century. The background and letters were painted at a later time, perhaps at the end of the 19th century.

Exhibitions.

• 1920 Moscow;
• 1926 Moscow;
• 1974 Moscow, No. 7;
• 1975 Leningrad / 1977 Moscow, No. 468 (not exhibited).

Literature.

• Snegirev 1842, With. 13, 14 = Snegirev I. M. Monuments of Moscow antiquity [...]. M., 1842
• Sakharov 1849, With. 20 = Sakharov I. Research on Russian icon painting. St. Petersburg, 1849, book. 2
• Snegirev 1849, With. 3–7, table. 1 = [Snegirev I.] Antiquities of the Russian State. M., 1849, part 1
• Shirinsky-Shikhmatov 1896, table 26 = Great Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. Collection of phototypical photographs / Ed. book A. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov. M., 1896
• Rovinsky 1856 (1903), With. 13 = Rovinsky D. A. History of Russian schools of icon painting until the end of the 17th century // Notes of the Imp. Archaeological Society. St. Petersburg, 1856, t. 8, p. 1–196. Republished under the title: Review of icon painting in Russia until the end of the 17th century. St. Petersburg, 1903
• Kondakov 1911, With. 172, fig. 119 = Kondakov N. P. Iconography of the Mother of God. Connections between Greek and Russian icon painting and Italian painting of the early Renaissance. St. Petersburg, 1911
• Alpatoff, Lazareff 1925 (1978/1), S. 140–155 = Alpatoff M., Lazareff V. Eine byzantinisches Tafelwerk aus der Komnenepoche. Jahrbuch der preussischen Kunstsammlungen. Berlin, 1925, Bd. 46, pp. 140–155. Republished: Lazarev 1978/1, With. 9–29
• Wulff, Alpatoff 1925, pp. 62–66, Taf. 22, 23 = Wulff O., Alpatoff M. Denkmäler der Ikonenmalerei in kunstgeschichtlicher Folge. Hellerau; Dresden, 1925
• Grabar 1926 (1966), With. 52, 55 (note 64), 60, 71, 84, 101–103, fig. With. 108 = Grabar I. Andrey Rublev. Essay on the artist’s creativity based on restoration work of 1918–1925 // Questions of restoration. M., 1926, issue. 1, p. 7–112. Republished: Grabar 1966, With. 112–208
• Anisimov 1926/1, No. 1, p. 12, 13 = Anisimov A. I. Guide to the exhibition of monuments Old Russian icon painting/ State Historical Museum. M., 1926
• Anisimov 1928/1 (1983), With. 93–107 = Anisimov A. I. History of the Vladimir Icon in the light of restoration // Proceedings of the art history section of the Institute of Archeology and Art History. M., 1928, issue. 2, p. 93–107. Republished: Anisimov 1983, With. 165–189
• Anisimov 1928/2 (1983), With. 110, 111, fig. With. 99 = Anisimov A. I. Pre-Mongol period of ancient Russian painting // Issues of restoration / Central state restoration workshops. M., 1928, issue. 2, p. 102–180. Republished: Anisimov 1983, With. 275–350
• Anisimov 1928/3 (1983) = Anisimov A. I. Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God // Seminarium Kondakovianum. Praha, 1928. Reprinted: Anisimov 1983, With. 191–274
• Grabar 1930 (1966), r. 29–42 = Grabar Y. Sur les origins et l’evolution du type iconographique de la Vierge Eleusa // Melanges Charles Diehl. Studies sur l'histoire et sur L'Art de Byzance. Paris, 1930, vol. 2, p. 29–42. Republished: Grabar 1966, With. 209–221
• Brehier 1932, r. 160, p1. XX, XXVII = Brehier L. Les icones dans l’histoire de L’Art Byzance et la Russie // L’Art byzantin chez les Slaves. Deuxième recueil dédié à la mémoire de Th. Uspenskij. Paris, 1932, 1, p. 150–173
• Kondakov 1933, With. 217–220 = Kondakov N. P. Russian icon. T. 4: Text, part 2. Prague, 1933
• Guide 1934, With. 13, 14, ill. 1 = Tretyakov Gallery: Guide on the art of feudalism / Comp. N. Kovalenskaya. M., 1934, issue. 1
• Tretyakov Gallery catalog 1947, With. 16, table. 2 = State Tretyakov Gallery: Catalog works of art on display. M., 1947
• Lazarev 1947–1948 (1986), vol. 1, p. 125, tab. XXXVIII; vol. 2, table. 198 = Lazarev V. N. History of Byzantine painting. M.; L., 1947–1948, vol. 1–2. Republished: *Lazarev 1986
• Alpatov 1948, With. 230; 1955, p. 69, 84 = Alpatov M. V. General history of art. M., 1948, vol. 1
• Antonova 1948, With. 44–52, 85–91, 200–217 = Antonova V.I. Monuments of painting of Rostov the Great. (RSL Dissertation Fund). M., 1948
• Lazarev 1953/1, With. 442, 443 (fig.), 444 (table), 446, 462, 494, 496 = Lazarev V. N. Painting of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus' // History of Russian art. In 13 volumes / Ed. I. E. Grabar. M., 1953, vol. 1, p. 442–504
• Onasch 1955, S. 51–62 = Onasch K. Die Icone der Gottesmutter von Wladimir in der Staatlichen Tretiakov-Galerie zu Moskau // Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Martin-Luther Universität. Halle-Wittenberg Jahrg. V. 1955. Heft I, S. 51–62
• Svirin 1958/2, With. 3, table. 3, 4 = [Svirin A. N.] Old Russian painting in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery: Album. M., 1958
• Antonova 1961, With. 198–205 = Antonova V.I. On the question of the original composition of the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God // Byzantine temporary book. M., 1961, t. 18, p. 198–205
• Antonova, Mneva 1963, vol. 1, no. 5, p. 56–64, tab. 7–10 = Antonova V. I., Mneva N. E. State Tretyakov Gallery: Catalog of Old Russian painting of the 11th - early 18th centuries. Experience of historical and artistic classification. M., 1963, vol. 1, 2
• Pertsev 1964, With. 91, 92 = Pertsev N.V. On some techniques for depicting a face in ancient Russian easel painting of the 12th–13th centuries. // Communications of the State Russian Museum. L., 1964, [issue] 8, p. 89–92
• Bank 1966, ill. 223, 224, p. 315, 370 = Bank A.V. Byzantine art in the collections of the Soviet Union. L.; M., 1966
• Lazarev 1967, p. 204, 257 (nota 82), fig. 325, 326 = Lazarev V. Storia della pittura bizantina. Torino, 1967
• Vzdornov 1970/3, With. 26, 27, 36, ill. 1, 2 = Vzdornov G. I. On the theoretical principles of restoration of Old Russian easel painting // Theoretical principles of restoration of Old Russian easel painting / All-Union Conference. Moscow, November 18–20, 1968. Reports, messages, speeches. M., 1970, p. 18–95
• Lazarev 1971/1, With. 282–290 = Lazarev V. N. Byzantine painting: Sat. articles. M., 1971
• Grabar 1974, p. 8–11 = Grabar A. L’Hodigitria et l’Eleusa // Collection of Likovne Umetnosti. Novi Sad, 1974, No. 10, p. 8–11
• Lazarev 1978, With. 9–29 = Lazarev V. N. Byzantine and Old Russian art: Articles and materials. M., 1978
• Tolstaya 1979, With. 14, 28, 29, 32, 37, 42, 43, 46, 56, 62, 63, table. XVIII, ill. 73, 111, 116, 117 = Tolstaya T.V. Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin: To the 500th anniversary of a unique monument of Russian culture. M., 1979
• Yakovleva 1980, With. 39 = Yakovleva A. I. Techniques of personal writing in Russian painting of the late XII - early XIII centuries // Old Russian art. Monumental painting of the 11th–17th centuries. M., 1980, p. 34–44
• Tatic-Djuric 1985, With. 29–50 = Tatiћ-Ђuriћ M. Mother of God of Vladimir // Collection for the celebration of skill. Beograd, 1985, [issue] 21, p. 29–50 (in Serbo-Croatian)
• Lazarev 1986, With. 94, 98, 112, 113, 227, ill. 325, 326. = Lazarev V. N. History of Byzantine painting. M., 1986

P. 38
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It was written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior dined with the Most Pure Mother and the righteous Joseph the Betrothed.

The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “From now on, all my people will please Me. May the grace of Him who was born of Me and Mine be with this image.”

Until the middle of the 5th century, the icon remained in Jerusalem. Under Theodosius the Younger, it was transferred to Constantinople, from where in 1131 it was sent to Rus' as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverkh. The icon was placed in a nunnery in the city of Vyshgorod, not far from Kyiv, where it immediately became famous for its many miracles. In 1155, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, St. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, wanting to have a famous shrine, transported the icon to the north, to Vladimir, and placed it in the famous Assumption Cathedral, which he erected. From that time on, the icon received the name Vladimir.

During the campaign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky against the Volga Bulgarians, in 1164, the image of the “Holy Mother of God of Vladimir” helped the Russians defeat the enemy. The icon survived the terrible fire on April 13, 1185, when the Vladimir Cathedral burned down, and remained unharmed during the destruction of Vladimir by Batu on February 17, 1237.

The further history of the image is entirely connected with the capital city of Moscow, where it was first brought in 1395 during the invasion of Khan Tamerlane. The conqueror with an army invaded the borders of Ryazan, captured and ruined it and headed his way to Moscow, devastating and destroying everything around. While the Moscow Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich was gathering troops and sending them to Kolomna, in Moscow itself, Metropolitan Cyprian blessed the population for fasting and prayerful repentance. On mutual advice, Vasily Dmitrievich and Cyprian decided to resort to spiritual weapons and transfer the miraculous icon of the Most Pure Mother of God from Vladimir to Moscow.

The icon was brought into the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. The chronicle reports that Tamerlane, having stood in one place for two weeks, suddenly became afraid, turned south and left the Moscow borders. A great miracle happened: during a procession with a miraculous icon, heading from Vladimir to Moscow, when countless people were kneeling on both sides of the road and praying: “Mother of God, save the Russian land!”, Tamerlane had a vision. A high mountain appeared before his mental gaze, from the top of which saints with golden staffs were descending, and above them the Majestic Woman appeared in a radiant radiance. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. They answered him that the radiant Woman is the Mother of God, the great Defender of Christians. Then Tamerlane gave the order to the regiments to go back.

In memory of the miraculous deliverance of Rus' from the invasion of Tamerlane, a solemn ceremony was established on the day of the meeting in Moscow of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God on August 26 / September 8 church holiday The meeting of this icon, and at the meeting place itself a temple was erected, around which the Sretensky Monastery was later located.

For the second time, the Mother of God saved Rus' from ruin in 1480 (commemorated on June 23 / July 6), when the army of the Khan of the Golden Horde, Akhmat, approached Moscow.

The meeting of the Tatars with the Russian army took place near the Ugra River (the so-called “standing on the Ugra”): the troops stood on different banks and were waiting for a reason to attack. In the front ranks of the Russian army they held the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, which miraculously put the Horde regiments to flight.

The third celebration of the Vladimir Mother of God (May 21 / June 3), remembers the deliverance of Moscow from the defeat of Makhmet-Girey, Khan of Kazan, who in 1521 reached the borders of Moscow and began to burn its suburbs, but suddenly retreated from the capital without causing harm to it.

Before the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, many of the most important events in Russian church history took place: the election and installation of St. Jonah - Primate of the Autocephalous Russian Church (1448), St. Job - the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' (1589), His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon (1917 .), and also in all centuries, oaths of allegiance to the Motherland were taken before her, prayers were performed before military campaigns.

Iconography Vladimir Mother of God

The icon of the Vladimir Mother of God belongs to the “Caressing” type, also known under the epithets “Eleusa” (ελεουσα - “Merciful”), “Tenderness”, “Glycophilus” (γλυκυφιλουσα - “Sweet kiss”). This is the most lyrical of all types of iconography of the Virgin Mary, revealing the intimate side of the Virgin Mary’s communication with Her Son. The image of the Mother of God caressing the Child, his deep humanity turned out to be especially close to Russian painting.

The iconographic scheme includes two figures - the Mother of God and the Child Christ, clinging to each other's faces. Mary's head is bowed towards the Son, and He puts his hand around the Mother's neck. A distinctive feature of the Vladimir Icon from other icons of the Tenderness type: the left leg of the Infant Christ is bent in such a way that the sole of the foot, the “heel,” is visible.

This touching composition, in addition to its direct meaning, contains a deep theological idea: the Mother of God caressing the Son appears as a symbol of the soul in close communion with God. In addition, the embrace of Mary and the Son suggests the future sufferings of the Savior on the cross; in the Mother’s caressing of the Child, his future mourning is foreseen.

The work is permeated with completely obvious sacrificial symbolism. From a theological point of view, its content can be reduced to three main themes: “the incarnation, the predestination of the Child to the sacrifice and the unity in love of Mary the Church with Christ the High Priest.” This interpretation of Our Lady of Caress is confirmed by the image on the back of the icon of the throne with the symbols of the Passion. Here in the 15th century. they painted an image of the throne (etimasia - “prepared throne”), covered with an altar cloth, the Gospel with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, nails, a crown of thorns, behind the throne there is a Calvary cross, a spear and a cane with a sponge, below is the floor of the altar flooring. The theological interpretation of etymasia is based on Holy Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers. Etymasia symbolizes Christ's resurrection and His judgment over the living and the dead, and the instruments of His torment are the sacrifice made to atone for the sins of mankind. The juxtaposition of Mary caressing the Child and the turnover with the throne clearly expressed sacrificial symbolism.

Arguments have been put forward in favor of the fact that the icon was double-sided from the very beginning: this is evidenced by the identical shapes of the ark and the husks of both sides. In the Byzantine tradition, there were often images of a cross on the back of Mother of God icons. Starting from the 12th century, the time of the creation of the “Vladimir Mother of God,” in Byzantine murals, the etymasia was often placed in the altar as an altar image, visually revealing the sacrificial meaning of the Eucharist, which takes place here on the throne. This suggests the possible location of the icon in antiquity. For example, in the Vyshgorod monastery church, it could be placed in the altar as a double-sided altar icon. The text of the Legend contains information about the use of the Vladimir icon as an altar icon and as an outside icon that was moved in the church.

The luxurious attire of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which she had according to the news of the chronicles, also does not testify in favor of the possibility of its location in the altar barrier in the 12th century: “And there were more than thirty hryvnias of gold on it, in addition to silver and in addition to expensive stones and pearls, and Having decorated it, put it in your church in Volodymeri.” But many of the external icons were later strengthened precisely in iconostases, like the Vladimir Icon in the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow, originally placed to the right of the royal doors: “And having brought in<икону>to the supreme temple of her glorious Dormition, which is the great Cathedral and Apostolic Church of the Russian Metropolis, and placed it in an icon case on the right side, where to this day it stands visible and worshiped by all" (See: Book Degree. M., 1775. Part 1 . P. 552).

There is an opinion that the “Vladimir Mother of God” was one of the copies of the icon of the Mother of God “Caressing” from the Blachernae Basilica, that is, a copy of the famous ancient miraculous icon. In the Tale of the Miracles of the Icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, she is likened to the Ark of the Covenant, like the Virgin Mary herself, as well as her Robe, which was kept in the rotode of Agia Soros in Blachernae. The Legend also speaks of healings that are accomplished mainly thanks to the water from the ablutions of the Vladimir Icon: they drink this water, wash the sick with it, and send it to other cities in sealed vessels to heal the sick. This miracle-working of waters from the washing of the Vladimir icon, emphasized in the Legend, could also be rooted in the rituals of the Blachernae sanctuary, the most important part of which there was a chapel of a spring dedicated to Our Lady. Constantine Porphyrogenitus described the custom of washing in a font in front of a marble relief of the Mother of God, from whose hands water flowed.

In addition, this opinion is supported by the fact that under Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in his Vladimir principality, the cult of the Mother of God, associated with Blachernae shrines, received special development. For example, on the Golden Gate of the city of Vladimir, the prince erected the Church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Mother of God, directly dedicating it to the relics of the Blachernae Temple.

Style

The time of painting of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, the 12th century, refers to the so-called Komnenian revival (1057-1185). This period in Byzantine art is characterized by the extreme dematerialization of painting, carried out by drawing faces and clothes with numerous lines, whitening slides, sometimes whimsically, ornamentally placed on the image.

In the icon we are considering, the most ancient painting of the 12th century includes the faces of the Mother and the Child, part of the blue cap and maforium border with a gold assist, as well as part of the ocher chiton of the Child with a gold assist with sleeves up to the elbow and the transparent edge of the shirt visible from under it, brush the left and part of the right hand of the Child, as well as the remains of the golden background. These few surviving fragments represent a high example of the Constantinople school of painting of the Komnenian period. There is no deliberate graphic quality characteristic of the time; on the contrary, the line in this image is nowhere opposed to volume. The main means of artistic expression is built on “the combination of insensible flows, giving the surface the impression of not being made by hands, with a geometrically pure, visibly built line.” “The personal letter is one of the most perfect examples of “Comnenian floating”, combining multi-layered sequential modeling with the absolute indistinguishability of the stroke. The layers of painting are loose, very transparent; the main thing is in their relationship with each other, in the transmission of the lower ones through the upper ones.<…>A complex and transparent system of tones – greenish sankira, ocher, shadows and highlights – leads to a specific effect of diffused, flickering light.”

Among the Byzantine icons of the Komnenian period, the Vladimir Mother of God is also distinguished by its characteristic the best works this time deep penetration into the area human soul, her hidden secret suffering. The heads of Mother and Son pressed against each other. The Mother of God knows that Her Son is doomed to suffer for the sake of people, and sorrow lurks in Her dark, thoughtful eyes.

The skill with which the painter was able to convey a subtle spiritual state most likely served as the origin of the legend about the painting of the image by the Evangelist Luke. It should be recalled that the painting of the early Christian period - the time when the famous Evangelist-icon painter lived, was flesh and blood of the art of late antiquity, with its sensual, “life-like” nature. But in comparison with the icons of the early period, the image of the Vladimir Mother of God bears the stamp of the highest “spiritual culture”, which could only be the fruit of centuries-old Christian thoughts about the coming of the Lord to earth, the humility of His Most Pure Mother and the path they traversed of self-denial and sacrificial love.

Revered miracle-working lists from icons Vladimir Mother of God

Over the centuries, many copies have been written from the Vladimir Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some of them became famous for their miracles and received special names depending on their place of origin. This:

Vladimir - Volokolamsk icon (memory of Mr. 3/16), which was the contribution of Malyuta Skuratov to the Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery. Nowadays it is in the collection of the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev.

Vladimirskaya - Seligerskaya (memory D. 7/20), brought to Seliger by Nil Stolbensky in the 16th century.

Vladimir - Zaonikievskaya (memory M. 21. / John 3; John 23 / Ill. 6, from the Zaonikievsky monastery) 1588.

Vladimirskaya - Oranskaya (memory M. 21 / John 3) 1634.

Vladimirskaya - Krasnogorskaya (Montenegorskaya) (memory M. 21 / John 3). 1603.

Vladimir - Rostov (memory Av. 15/28) 12th century.

Troparion to the Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, tone 4

Today the most glorious city of Moscow is brightly adorned, / as if we have received the dawn of the sun, O Lady, Your miraculous icon, / to which we now flow and pray to You we cry out: / O, most wonderful Lady Theotokos, / pray to You, our incarnate God, / may He deliver the city this and all Christian cities and countries are unharmed from all the slander of the enemy, // and our souls will be saved by the Merciful.

Kontakion, tone 8

To the chosen victorious Voivode, / as those who were delivered from the evil ones by the coming of Your honorable image, / Lady Theotokos, / we brightly celebrate the celebration of Your meeting and usually call You: // Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.

Prayer Icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir

O All-Merciful Lady Theotokos, Heavenly Queen, All-Powerful Intercessor, our shameless Hope! Thanking Thee for all the great blessings that the Russian people have received from Thee throughout the generations, before Thy most pure image we pray to Thee: save this city (or: this whole, or: this holy monastery) and Thy coming servants and the whole Russian land from famine, destruction , land of shaking, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare. Save and save, O Lady, our Great Lord and Father Kirill, His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', and our Lord (name of the rivers), His Eminence Bishop (or: Archbishop, or: Metropolitan) (title), and all Your Eminence metropolitans, archbishops and Orthodox bishops. May they govern the Russian Church well, and may the faithful sheep of Christ be preserved indestructibly. Remember, Lady, the entire priestly and monastic order, warm their hearts with zeal for God and strengthen them to walk worthy of their calling. Save, O Lady, and have mercy on all Your servants and grant us the path of the earthly journey without blemish. Confirm us in the faith of Christ and in zeal for the Orthodox Church, put into our hearts the spirit of the fear of God, the spirit of piety, the spirit of humility, give us patience in adversity, abstinence in prosperity, love for our neighbors, forgiveness for our enemies, success in good deeds. Deliver us from every temptation and from petrified insensibility, and on the terrible day of Judgment, grant us through Your intercession to stand at the right hand of Your Son, Christ our God. To Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

______________________________________________________________________

These long and numerous movements of the icon in space are poetically interpreted in the text of the Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which was first found by V.O. Klyuchevsky in Milyutin’s Chetya-Minea, and published according to the list of the collection of the Synodal Library No. 556 (Klyuchevsky V.O. Tales of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. - St. Petersburg, 1878). In this ancient description they are likened to the path that the sun's luminary takes: “When God created the sun, he did not make it shine in one place, but, going around the entire Universe, it illuminates with its rays, so this image of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is not in one place... but , going around all countries and the whole world, enlightens...”

Etingof O.E. On the early history of the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir” and the tradition of the Blachernae cult of the Mother of God in Rus' in the 11th-13th centuries. // Image of the Mother of God. Essays on Byzantine iconography of the 11th-13th centuries. – M.: “Progress-Tradition”, 2000, p. 139.

There, p. 137. In addition, N.V. Kvilidze unveiled the painting of the deacon of the Trinity Church in Vyazemy at the end of the 16th century, where on the southern wall the liturgy in the temple with an altar is depicted, behind which the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God is presented (N.V. Kvilidze Newly discovered frescoes of the altar of the Trinity Church in Vyazemy. Report in the Department of Ancient Russian Art in State Institute of Art History. April 1997.

Etingof O.E. To the early history of the icon “Our Lady of Vladimir”...

Throughout its history, it was recorded at least four times: in the first half of the 13th century, at the beginning of the 15th century, in 1521, during alterations in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, and before the coronation of Nicholas II in 1895-1896 by restorers O . S. Chirikov and M. D. Dikarev. In addition, minor repairs were carried out in 1567 (at the Chudov Monastery by Metropolitan Athanasius), in the 18th and 19th centuries..

Kolpakova G.S. Art of Byzantium. Early and middle periods. – St. Petersburg: Publishing house “Azbuka-Classics”, 2004, p. 407.