Miraculous Iberian icon. Iberian Icon of the Mother of God: photo, description and meaning. Iberian icon on Mount Athos

Orthodox Church October 26 marks a holiday in honor of the transfer of the miraculous image to Moscow - an exact copy of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God was brought from Athos in 1648.

According to legend, one of the most revered images of the Mother of God was created by the Holy Apostle Luke - the evangelist painted the icon during the days of earthly life Holy Mother of God and with her blessing.

History of the icon

For the first time, this icon of the Mother of God was mentioned in the 9th century - at that time, the Holy images were desecrated and destroyed both in churches and at home.

The ancient icon of the Mother of God during the fierce struggle against the Christian religion was kept by a pious widow who lived near the city of Nicaea (the territory of modern Turkey) with her son.

According to legend, the soldiers, who were searching for and destroying icons on the orders of the Greek emperor Theophilus, broke one night into the widow's house. Seeing the icon, one of them hit the face of the Mother of God with a spear. The blow fell on the right cheek of the Mother of God, and blood flowed from the wound.

The woman, not losing hope of saving the shrine, begged the soldiers to leave the icon of the Mother of God until morning, promising them a reward for this. The greedy iconoclasts agreed, confused by the blood that had come out on the icon.

The woman took the icon to the sea and lowered the icon into the water to save it from destruction. The icon, in front of the astonished widow and her son, standing upright, facing the shore, set off on a journey across the sea.

What happened to the widow in the future is unknown. As for her son, he became a monk of the Iberian monastery on Mount Athos. It was he who told the monks the story of the ancient icon, which became the sacred tradition of the monastery.

The bleeding wound remained on the face of the Virgin, therefore the Iveron Mother of God is always depicted with a small wound on her face.

Why was it called Iverskaya

The icon of the Mother of God was named Iberian in honor of the monastery of the same name on Mount Athos, where the Holy Icon has been located since the beginning of the 11th century.

According to legend, the monks of the Georgian Iberian Monastery saw the icon, supported by a pillar of fire, in the sea, and after a prayer service for the gift of the appeared shrine, they placed the icon in the temple.

However, the next morning the icon was found over the gates of the temple, and not in the monastery. This miracle was repeated several times, until the Mother of God revealed to Saint Gabriel the Georgian in a dream Her will, according to which She wants to be the guardian of the monks, and not be kept by them.

The monks, following the will of the Mother of God, built a gate church, in which the miraculous image of the Mother of God remains to this day. Hence the other name of the icon - "Portaitissa" that is, "Goalkeeper".

According to legend, the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, permanently residing in Iveron, will leave Athos shortly before the Second Coming.

How did Iverskaya appear in Rus'

The news of the miraculous Iberian Icon of the Mother of God spread in Rus' in the 17th century - Archimandrite Nikon of the Novospassky Monastery, the future Patriarch, asked the Archimandrite of the Iberian Athos Monastery Pachomius to send a list of the miraculous icon to Moscow.

The blessing to paint the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos for Russia was received by the priest Iamblikh Romanov. Before the start, the brethren of the Iversky Monastery - all 365 monks - from evening to dawn held a great prayer service and blessed the water with holy relics.

They poured holy water over the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, and then poured over a new board, made of cypress wood, prepared for writing the icon.

After the Divine Liturgy, the icon painter was given Holy water and particles of the Holy relics - having mixed them with paints, he began to paint the icon of the Mother of God.

The Mother of God herself helped to deliver to Russia an exact copy from her image. Tradition tells that the monks of Athos, who were carrying the icon of the Mother of God to Moscow, could not cross the Danube due to lack of money, and the Mother of God appeared to the wealthy Greek Manuel Konstantiev, ordering the Muslim carriers to pay for the monks.

The image of the Mother of God was met by a solemn procession led by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Patriarch Joseph at the Resurrection Gate of Kitay-Gorod - this happened on October 26, according to the new style of 1648. On this day, an annual celebration was established in honor of the bringing of the Iberian Icon to Moscow.

Subsequently, the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God was owned by Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna and her daughter Tsarevna Sofya Alekseevna, who took monastic vows in the Novodevichy Convent of Smolensk.

An exact copy of the Iberian Icon since 1654 has been in the Novodevichy Convent for three and a half centuries. After the closing of the monastery, the holy image was kept in the funds of the State Historical Museum.

The Iberian Icon of the Mother of God was returned to the Novodevichy Convent on May 6, 2012. Then the shrine was transferred to the Assumption Cathedral of the monastery, where the icon remains to this day.

The icon quickly spread throughout Rus' - in 1656, a second copy of the miraculous icon was delivered from Athos to the Valdai Iberian Monastery.

The third copy of the icon of the Mother of God was placed in the Iverskaya Chapel, which was built at the Resurrection Gates of Kitay-Gorod in Moscow in 1669. This list was made in Moscow from the Athos image from the Novodevichy Convent, but larger.

The Iberian icon of the Mother of God left Moscow only once - it was taken to Vladimir together with the Vladimir icon in September 1812, saving it from the French.

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

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II consecrated the laying of the Iverskaya Chapel and the Resurrection Gate in 1994 - they were restored in less than a year.

A new copy of the Iberian Icon was delivered from Athos to Moscow in October 1995 - this is how the "Goalkeeper" returned to the main gates of her city.

There are many cases of the miraculous help of the Most Holy Theotokos to people who pray with faith before Her Holy Icon.

Miracles of Iverskaya

The Iberian Icon of the Mother of God became famous for many miracles - through prayers before Her Holy Image, many received healing and consolation.

Prayers before the Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos are offered up in the most different occasions- about the healing of bodily and mental ailments, from a fire, about increasing the fertility of the earth, as well as under various difficult circumstances.

Having miraculously appeared on Athos, the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God became a shield for all those who constantly pray on the Holy Mountain for the entire human race.

There are many manuscripts about miracles and the grace-filled help of the Mother of God in the Iberian monastery. The Mother of God miraculously protected the monastery from the invasions of enemies, saved from fires, filled vessels, multiplied oil and vegetables.

Miracles of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God not only helped the monks, but also admonished them. Evidence of this is the story of a poor man who was denied lodging for the night in the monastery due to lack of money.

The unfortunate man, deprived of a piece of bread and an overnight stay, continued on his way, but on the way he met a woman who gave him a gold coin. Rejoiced, the poor man, returning to the monastery, gave the coin to the gatekeeper.

Surprised at how such an ancient coin came to the wanderer, the monks, after asking the poor man, realized that on the way he met the Mother of God herself. In the monastery, all the products after this incident deteriorated - the monks repented of their deeds and since then they have been welcoming all pilgrims free of charge and cordially.

The icon of the Iberian Mother of God or the "Goalkeeper" should be kept in your house near the entrance and thereby receive protection from various troubles.

Prayers

Prayer one

O Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord, Queen of Heaven and Earth! Hear the painful sighing of our souls, look down from the height of Your holy on us, with faith and love worshiping Your most pure image. Behold, immersed in sins and overwhelmed with sorrows, looking at Your image, as if you live with us, we offer our humble prayers. Imams for no other help, no other intercession, no consolation, only to You, O Mati, all those who grieve and are burdened! Help us, the weak, quench our grief, guide us on the right path, the erring ones, heal and save the hopeless, grant us other time of our belly in peace and silence, give us a Christian end and at the Last Judgment of Your Son, the merciful Intercessor will appear to us, yes always we sing, magnify and glorify Thee, as the good Intercessor of the Christian race, with all those who pleased God. Amen.

Prayer two

O Most Holy Lady Theotokos, accept our unworthy prayer, and save us from slander evil people and from a vain death, and grant us repentance before the end, have mercy on our prayer, and grant joy in sorrow a place. And deliver us, Madam, from all misfortune and misfortune, sorrow and sorrow, and from all evil. And vouchsafe us, Thy sinful servants, to the right hand at the second coming of Your Son, Christ our God, and be the heirs of us to be vouchsafed the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life, with all the saints in endless ages of ages. Amen.

Material prepared on the basis of open sources

This year in Russia, the holiday in honor of the Iberian Icon is celebrated for 2 days in a row - on May 6, the second acquisition of the Moscow image in 2012, and on May 7, the traditional celebration on Tuesday of the Bright Week of finding the prototype in the sea near Mount Athos

The icon of the Iberian Mother of God (“Goalkeeper”) is one of the most revered in the world, and the most inaccessible. Let's start with the fact that the last woman who saw her lived more than 1200 years ago. According to legend, this was a widow from Nicaea, who kept the image in her house and, during the time of iconoclasm, let the icon float on the waves of the sea in order to prevent its desecration.

In the 10th century, the monks of the Iviron (Iversky, Georgian) monastery at Athos saw the icon standing on the sea. Ascetic high life Gabriel was able to walk on the waters and take the icon. Since then, she has been in Iviron and is revered as the main shrine of the Holy Mountain.

Many Athos relics and miraculous icons are brought to " big land for worship. Suffice it to recall the bringing to Moscow last year from the Vatopedi monastery of the girdle of the Most Holy Theotokos. At present, tens of thousands of people come to Thessaloniki to venerate the icon of the Mother of God “It is Worthy to Eat”, brought there from the capital of Athos Karei.

Unlike them, "Iverskaya" never left Athos. On the contrary, there is a legend that before the end of the world the icon will mysteriously disappear. Until then, the Athos monks ask each other whether the “Goalkeeper” is still in place, whether it is still in a small white-red temple at the old gates of Iviron.

Nevertheless, "Iverskaya" has become one of the most famous icons of the Mother of God. It is enough to list the names of its lists to understand this worldwide veneration: Moscow, Paris, Montreal, Mozdok. Even Hawaiian...

The Iberian icon is quite large - 137x87 cm. It has two salaries, which change one for the other. More ancient, chased, made by Georgian masters in the 16th century. Below is an inscription in Georgian: “Queen, Mother of the philanthropic God, Immaculate Virgin Mary, have mercy on the soul of my master, the great Kaikhosroy Kvarkvarashvili, and I, Your servant and deprived of all strength, worthy of regret, Ambrose, thank You, who honored me to chain this and adorn the holy image of Your Portaitissa. Accept as a sacrifice from me, a sinner, this little insolence of mine and save the rest of my life without sin. And at the hour of the exodus of my miserable soul, help me, scatter all the lists of my sins. And place me, a sinner, at the throne of the Son and Thy God and His beginningless Holy Father and the Holy Spirit. Now and forever and forever and ever. Amen". On the back of the icon there is an image of a cross with the monogram "IC XC NI KA" and four letters "X" - an abbreviation of the phrase "Christ grants grace to Christians", in which on Greek All words start with H.

Later salary on the prototype of the "Goalkeeper". On the margins of the icon are enamel images of the apostles. On the old salary they are waist, and on the new one they are in height. Like many miraculous icons, Iverskaya is decorated with numerous donations: crosses and coins. There is an Athos legend, according to which, once the Iberian monks experienced a lack of food, and the gatekeeper began to demand money from the travelers for bread. The Mother of God appeared to one of the pilgrims and gave him a coin. At the moment when the gatekeeper took it as payment for food, all the bread in the monastery turned sour. The abbot examined the coin and recognized in it an ancient Byzantine nomisma, suspended from the salary of the Iberian.

Panorama of the Iviron Monastery, drawing by the Russian pilgrim V.G. Grigorovich-Barsky, 1744

The icon is not in the cathedral of the monastery, but in the temple to the left of the gates of the monastery. After finding the icon, the monks first placed the icon in the altar of the cathedral, but in the morning it appeared above the gates of the monastery. This went on for several days. The Mother of God appeared in a dream to the elder and said: I do not want to be guarded by you, but I want to be your Guardian... As long as you see My image in this monastery, until then the grace and mercy of My Son will not fail you. Therefore, the Iberian icon is also called differently “Portaitissa” (“Goalkeeper”). The Church of the Blessed Virgin Portaitissa was built at the end of the 17th century, presumably on the site of a medieval temple. Photo: www.agionoros.ru

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk reads Akathist in front of the Goalkeeper icon, Athos, Iviron Monastery, October 26, 2010. Photo: DECR MP Communications Service

The first copy of the Iberian icon was brought to Rus' in mid-seventeenth century. In 1647, Archimandrite of the Athos Iberian Monastery Pachomius came to Moscow to collect donations and met the abbot of the Novospassky Monastery of the capital, Nikon, the future patriarch, who was so impressed by the story about the monastery and the miraculous icon that he asked me to make for him a list of the Iberian icon “measure in moderation." the image was painted by the icon painter "Kir Iamvlih Romanov". So, in the fall of 1648, the icon was solemnly greeted in Moscow, at the Resurrection Gate. It is to this event that the Russian celebration in honor of the Iberian Icon on September 13 (September 26) is dedicated.

The iconoclast warrior hit the Athos Iberian icon with a spear. Blood flowed from the injured area. Therefore, on many lists the face of the Mother of God is depicted with a bleeding wound.

May 2012 oldest list The Iberian Icon was handed over to the Church and returned to the Novodevichy Convent. Photo: .

On May 25, 2012, a prayer service was performed in front of the icon on Vasilyevsky Spusk. It was headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill and the Archbishop of Athens and All Hellas Jerome II. Photo: press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.

Iverskaya chapel at the Resurrection Gate, photo from the beginning of the 20th century. The chapel kept an icon painted by the royal icon painters in the 17th century, the so-called. Moscow Iverskaya. Archbishop Arseniy (Zhadanovsky) recalled: “The Muscovites surrounded the chapel for the whole day. At nine o'clock in the evening it was locked, but this did not divert the attention of the pilgrims, who continued to stand in anticipation of the night vigil. The image from the chapel was often taken out for worship and going around the houses, especially during epidemics. During her absence, icons replacing her were exhibited in the chapel for veneration.

Alexander Vertinsky in his memoirs “Dear long ...” tells how a poor student wore flowers from Iverskaya: “Iverskaya was the religious center of Moscow. In a small chapel near Red Square stood her icon, illuminated by hundreds of candles, which were placed by believers. The icon sparkled with diamonds, emeralds and rubies, which were donated by those healed from various ailments and sorrows, hardships and suffering. Everything started with her. Not a single visiting merchant started a business without bowing to Iverskaya ... We, too, sometimes carried our modest gifts to the icon. I remember how before big events, exams, for example, my friends and I would go to Iverskaya and light candles or buy long-stemmed white roses and put them in candlesticks.”

Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, Moscow, last quarter of the 17th century, State Tretyakov Gallery, Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi. IN Lately more and more historians and art historians are inclined to believe that this icon is the Moscow Iberian.

In the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki, an image from the Iberian chapel is kept. It remains an open question whether this icon is the Moscow Iberian icon or a substitute image

Another replacement image from the Iberian Chapel is located in Paris. It was taken to France in 1812 by an officer of the retreating army of Napoleon and unexpectedly discovered in an antique shop by a Russian emigrant in 1930 and bought out in 1932 by the huge efforts of emigration, in particular the famous ascetic Bishop Benjamin (Fedchenkov, later metropolitan). Many donated their last funds for the ransom of the icon. The Parisian Iberian Icon is kept at the Compound of the Three Hierarchs (rue Petel, 5), where an akathist is read before it on Wednesdays. There are venerated Iberian icons in other well-known parishes of the Russian emigration of the first wave. For example, in the church of St. Nicholas at Via Palestra 69 in Rome.

In 1995, the Iverskaya chapel was restored and solemnly consecrated by Patriarch Alexy II.

For the restored chapel, Hieromonk Luke from the Xenophon Monastery on Athos wrote a copy of the Goalkeeper. Before the image, the akathist is read daily by Moscow priests in turn.

List of the Iberian Icon from the Nikolo-Perervinsky Monastery. The chapel at the Resurrection Gate was assigned to the monastery as early as 1659. Prayer services were served by Perervinsk hieromonks. Photo: V. Khodakov, I. Lazuta, press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.

Iveron icon from the Valdai Iberian Monastery. The monastery was founded by Patriarch Nikon, who asked Iviron to send him another list of the Goalkeeper icon, which was done around 1655. The icon was met in Valdai on February 12, 1656. From here came the tradition of the second Russian holiday in honor of the Iberian Icon - February 12 (25). After the revolution, the list disappeared and has not yet been found. The icon shown in the photo is a later one.

The Iberian-Montreal Icon of the Mother of God was painted on Mount Athos in 1981. Myrrh streamed almost continuously since 1982 for 15 years. The icon traveled almost the whole world - the image was transported from temple to temple by its keeper, a Chilean converted to Orthodoxy, Joseph José Muñoz Cortes. Cotton wool with holy myrrh is kept in many parishes. On the night of October 30-31, brother Joseph was killed under circumstances that have not yet been clarified, and the icon disappeared. Myrrh-streaming and lists from the Montreal icon. Thus, since 2007, a small paper copy of it has been exuding chrism, located in the parish of ROCOR in Hawaii.

According to legend, a list from the Athos Iberian icon was handed over to the Ossetians by St. Queen Tamar. In 1768, by decree of Catherine II, the Ossetians of the village of Maryam-Kay had to move to a new place. They took with them a revered image. The travelers spent the night on the banks of the Terek, near the city of Mozdok. At night, light poured from the icon. In the morning, the oxen refused to move and carry the cart on which the icon was hoisted. The Mother of God appeared to one Ossetian in a dream and ordered to leave the icon in this place. The news reached the bishop, and the image was transferred to the cathedral. The Mozdok Iberian icon is revered throughout North Caucasus and on the Don.

List of the Iberian Icon from the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sioni) in Tbilisi. Written on Mount Athos at the request of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II and brought to Tbilisi in 1989. Patriarch Ilia ΙΙ paints icons himself. One of them, the revered image of Iverskaya, is in a new cathedral Holy Trinity (Tsminda Sameba).

List of the Iberian Icon from the Rozhenovsky Monastery, Bulgaria, late 18th century.

Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, Kostroma, late 17th-early 18th centuries.

Common iconography of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. As a rule, such icons were replicated in the workshops of the St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos.

Prepared by Arseniy ZAGULYAEV

Mother of God. It is also one of the most common images of the Blessed Virgin in Orthodoxy.

For many centuries, believers have resorted to this holy image in the most difficult situations of their lives and receive help. The face of the Mother of God saves everyone - even those who do not belong to the Orthodox faith, the grace of the miraculous image is so great.

The original of this icon has been located on the Holy Mount Athos, in the famous Iberian Monastery for more than a thousand years. Iberia is ancient name Georgia, and its name Holy place received because the monastery was founded precisely by immigrants from Georgia.

History of the icon

The history of this ancient image is amazing and beautiful. It is believed that the face of the Mother of God was captured by the Evangelist Luke himself, back in the days of the earthly life of the Blessed Virgin..

Further events are connected with a difficult and dangerous time for Christians - iconoclasm, when the idea arose that the worship of icons was contrary to the spirit of the church.

At the end of the 13th century, the ancient image was kept in the house church of a pious rich widow who lived in Byzantium (present-day Turkey). The iconoclasts came to her house and wanted to destroy the miraculous image. However, they were more interested in profit, and they retreated after the widow promised them a lot of money for not touching the holy icon until morning.

One of the soldiers hit the image with a spear, and blood flowed from the face of the Virgin. Despite the fact that this miracle struck the heretics, the risk of losing the shrine was too great. Therefore, the widow prayed for a long time at night, asking the Lord to help her in saving the face of the Most Pure Virgin.

The woman received a sign from above and did as the Lord told her: she lowered the priceless image into the waves mediterranean sea hoping for a miracle. And it happened: she didn’t drown and didn’t get lost in the water. The image was not placed flat in the water, but held vertically, and from it a pillar of light went into the night sky. This miracle convinced the widow that the image was safe.

After a long journey, the miraculous icon sailed to the shores of Athos, and the monks of the Iberian Monastery saw it. They noticed her by the light pillar that rose into the sky above the icon.

Very pleased, the monks wanted to get the image of the Queen of Heaven out of the water, but at first they did not succeed. The hermit Gabriel Svyatogorets (Georgian by nationality) was able to extract the image from the sea: the Mother of God appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to get his miraculous image from the waves of the sea. At the same time, the monk had to walk on the waters without fear of anything.

And everything happened exactly as she told him: St. Gabriel the Holy Mountaineer walked along the sea surface, and the icon itself swam up to him. Under thanksgiving prayers the hermit carried the icon ashore. For three days, the monks served a thanksgiving service, and after this time it turned out that there was no icon in the temple - the monks found it above the monastery gates.

The monks tried to transfer the image back to the temple. But each time he miraculously ended up in the same place - above the gates. The Most Pure One again appeared in a dream to Gabriel and explained that she wanted to leave her image in this very place. The monks agreed and left the icon where the Mother of God herself wished. Since then, the image began to be called the Goalkeeper (in Greek it sounds - Portaitissa).

From here, from the place she chose, the Mother of God guards the monastery and all of Mount Athos. Thanks to the miraculous image, the Iversky Monastery became famous and grew. At present, it is one of the most famous and beloved monasteries of pilgrims throughout the holy land of Athos.

Iberian image warns of trouble

The Iberian image is today in a small temple located in the courtyard of the monastery. This temple was erected specifically for preservation. The image adorns a rich salary with shining precious stones. The lamp, located in front of the face of the Blessed Virgin, has the ability to warn the monks of the monastery about impending troubles.

If the lamp sways by itself, it means that some bad event will happen., and the Mother of God warns the monks about him. So, the monks say that the lamp tells about epidemics of dangerous diseases, severe earthquakes, and wars. This was before the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, before the start of the Iraqi war, on the eve of the tragic Spitak earthquake.

What do they pray for the miraculous image?

The Iberian icon gives help and holy forgiveness to all repentant sinners. She is especially merciful to those who resort to her help and believe in intercession. Anyone who has gained the strength to repent and undergo repentance, thanks to a miraculous image, receives healing from ailments and sorrows, feels joy and closeness to the Blessed Virgin.

Even the most serious sinners, the Mother of God, through her image, can bestow peace and spiritual purity. Often those who suffer from bad inclinations and habits turn to the icon. Sincere prayer always finds an answer: and people who have suffered from alcoholism or other habits for years, unable to find the strength to part with them, gain amazing determination and easily start a new life.

Also, before the Iberian image of the Mother of God, they pray for the admonition of those who have apostatized or forgot about the faith. And through the prayers of loved ones, people who have not visited the church for a long time return to faith, begin to pray, attend church, and perform the sacrament of Communion.

Such is the power of the Lady of Heaven, revealed to us in her miraculous image. It is said that already today a mother who lost her child, in desperation, wanted to commit suicide. Prayer before the holy image gave her not only admonition and strength to fight depression, but also an understanding of the need for a future life.

In addition, the image comes to the aid of those who suffer from spiritual ailments and diseases of the body. And the Mother of God comes to the aid of those who sincerely believe. The most severe ailments pass, old ones are healed chronic diseases. Those to whom the doctors signed the verdict are returning to life: there is evidence that prayers before the Iberian image helped with the most serious diseases, such as leukemia, paralysis. At the same time, healings were performed not only in ancient times, but also in our days - there is a lot of evidence about this.

Since the image is called the Goalkeeper, it protects the house from robbery and other troubles. Therefore, they pray to the Mother of God of Iberia when they want to keep their home safe, to protect it from the angry elements during disasters.

A small icon or photo of the image can be placed in an apartment or house near the entrance - the Goalkeeper will make sure that not a single unkind person can step over it. The Iberian Mother of God is asked to be protected from fire. And if this trouble happened, then the icon can help to cope with it.

A wonderful image also helps those who ask for prosperity in the house, well-being and protection from witchcraft. Saves from enemies and slander, saves from persecution.

In addition, they pray to the miraculous icon for the inviolability of the borders of their native country. It is known that the image of the Blessed Virgin has such a strong meaning that even Catholics and Protestants pray to it. After that, some accepted Orthodoxy.

The text of the prayer to the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God

O Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord, Queen of heaven and earth! Listen to the painful sighing of our souls, look from the height of Thy saint upon us, with faith and love, worshiping Thy most pure image.
Behold, immersed in sins and overwhelmed with sorrows, looking at Your image, as if you live with us, we offer our humble prayers. Imams for no other help, no other intercession, no consolation, only to You, O Mother of all those who grieve and burdened! Help us, the weak, quench our grief, guide us, the erring ones, on the right path, heal and save the hopeless, grant us the rest of our life in peace and silence, give us a Christian end and appear to us at the Last Judgment of Your Son, merciful Intercessor, yes we always sing, magnify and glorify Thee, as the good Intercessor of the Christian race, with all those who please God. Amen.

IVER ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD

Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, Goalkeeper or doorkeeper — Orthodox icon Virgin Mary with the Child, revered as miraculous.

The original is in Iberian Monastery on Athos , in Greece; according to Orthodox tradition, it was written by the Evangelist Luke.

The history of this icon is amazing from the very beginning of its creation. Even during her earthly life, the Virgin Mary blessed the holy Apostle Luke to paint her image. When the great evangelist presented to the Theotokos the icon he had created, the Most Holy One said that henceforth the grace and power of the Lord would be with this image.

... 800 years have passed, and the cherished shrine turned out to be carefully kept by a pious widow who lived near the city of Nicaea, in Asia Minor. In those days (IX century) in Byzantium, a cruel iconoclast, Emperor Theophilus, ruled. By his order, the Divine faces were carefully searched for, they were confiscated from the Temples, taken away from the inhabitants, searching their houses. The people saw a terrible sight - icons blazed in fires.

Soldiers sent by the emperor everywhere to destroy holy icons came to a pious widow, in whose house the mentioned icon was kept. One of the soldiers struck with a sword at the cheek of the Mother of God depicted on the icon. To his horror, blood began to flow from the wound. Struck by a miracle, the warrior fell to his knees with repentance and left heresy (and later accepted monasticism). The widow decided to hide the holy icon in order to save her from desecration. The pious woman let her into the sea and the icon in an upright position floated on the waves. The son of a pious widow subsequently went to Athos, where he spent in monastic deeds. From him, the monks of Athos learned about the icon, which his mother put into the water. This tradition was preserved among the elders.

Many years later, the holy icon appeared "in a pillar of fire" on the sea near the Iberian monastery. At that time, the holy elder Gabriel the Caveman (“Speleotis”) lived in the Iberian Monastery. The Mother of God appeared to him in a dream and commanded him to announce to the abbots and brethren that She wished to give them Her icon for help and intercession, commanding the elder to approach the icon on the water without fear. The Monk Gabriel with faith walked right across the water, took the icon and carried it to the shore.

The monks brought her into the monastery and placed her on the altar. The next day, the icon was not in place. After long search it was found on the wall above the monastery gates and carried to its original place. However, in the morning the icon was again over the gates. This was repeated several times. After that, a temple was built over the gates of the monastery, in which the holy icon remains to this day. It is called by the name of the monastery Iverskaya , and at the place of her stay above the gates - Goalkeeper (Portaitissa).

Monastery of Iveron

The Iberian Monastery is located on the northeastern coast of the Holy Mountain, surrounded by mountains covered with forests from the northwest. From the capital of Athos Karei about an hour on foot.

It was in this monastery that the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, called Goalkeeper, which is highly revered in Russia.

The monastery is surrounded by high walls and is located on the shore of the pier, called in ancient times Clement pier , to which, according to legend, a ship with the Mother of God landed. At the entrance to the monastery on the left side there is a small gate church with a miraculous icon of the Mother of God called "Goalkeeper" ("Portaitissa"). Now the icon is placed in a special kiot.

The Iberian Monastery was founded at the end of the 10th century on the ruins of the completely deserted Klimentov Monastery. Its builders were the royal monks John, his son Euthymius and his relative George, who were originally from Iveria (Georgia) and descended from the Georgian dynasty of Bagrations.

From the very beginning mshe was named Iversky due to the origin of its founders and the first monks, however, in 1357 this Georgian monastery was transferred to the Greeks, who then outnumbered and played a role in the spiritual life of the monks from Iveria (Georgia).

In 1259, the Iberian monastery suffered severe disasters from the Latins; was devastated, some of the monks were captured, many were killed. After such a pogrom, the monastery did not recover soon. In 1285 there was another attack by the Latins, and in 1306 the monastery suffered terrible devastation from the Catalans. Until the end of the 16th century, the monastery was in decline.

In the middle of the 17th century, the Iberian monks, at the invitation of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, went to Russia, bringing with them as a gift a copy of the icon of the Virgin Goalkeeper, thanks to which the tsar's daughter was cured. As a token of gratitude to the Mother of God and the Iberian monks, Alexei Mikhailovich gave them the monastery of St. Nicholas in the central part of Moscow.

The revival of the monastery full strength carried out throughout the 17th century. TO XIX century as a result of political upheavals in the east, very few Georgians remained and the management of the monastery finally passed into the hands of the Greeks.

The main cathedral church of the monastery is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Founded in the 10th century, the Cathedral is almost entirely painted with late paintings, but the frescoes of the 16th century have been preserved. In the western wall of the inner vestibule there is a tomb with the relics of the monastery's ktitors.

In addition to the Cathedral Church in the monastery there are three more small churches: the Virgin "Goalkeeper" ("Portaitissa"), St. Forerunner and Baptist John, Cathedral of St. Archangels and fifteen paraclises.

From the monastery shrines there are parts of the chlamys, lips and canes through which the Lord was desecrated by the Jews; a part of the life-giving tree of the Cross of the Lord and particles of the relics of the saints: Theodore Stratilates, Michael of Sinad, Great Martyr Panteleimon, Martyr Photinia, Eupraxia and Paraskeva, Great Martyr George, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian, Apostle Peter, Evangelist Luke, Apostle Bartholomew, Athanasius Great and many others.

The Iberian Monastery occupies the 3rd place in the hierarchy of 20 Athos monasteries. The monastery is a cenobitic (since 1990) and, as already mentioned, in the beginning, monks from Iberia (Georgia) lived here, for which the monastery was an important cultural center. The last Georgian monk died in 1955.

Currently, the monastery has about 90 monks living inside the monastery and outside - in the skete and cells.

The Iberian icon is the patroness of Moscow. The icon, revered in Russia, is a copy of an ancient image kept in the Iberian Monastery on Mount Athos.

This is how this miraculous icon got to Moscow. Archimandrite of the Iberian monastery Pachomius went to Moscow to collect offerings in favor of the Athos monasteries. Returning, the grateful Pachomius ordered to gather all his brethren. From evening until morning, the monks performed great prayer singing together, blessed the water with holy relics and poured it over the Iberian icon; then, having collected water in a bowl, they poured it over a new board of cypress. Having again collected water in a bowl, they served Divine Liturgy, and then gave this water to the best icon painter. He mixed holy water with paints and, maintaining a strict fast, began to paint an icon. The monks, to help him, performed vigils and Liturgies twice a week. So a new Iberian image appeared, which was no different from the original.

In Moscow, the icon was solemnly greeted by Patriarch Joseph, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with his entire family, the clergy, the boyars and the people. Then Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna took this icon to her chambers, and after her death, the icon passed to her daughter Sofya Alekseevna, who became a monk in the Smolensk Novodevichy Convent. The holy icon remains there to this day.

In memory of the meeting of the Iberian Icon, a chapel was built at the Resurrection Gate in Moscow. Another list was written for her, called Moscow . Soon miracles began to happen from him, and a handwritten book was kept in the chapel to record them. How strongly the inhabitants of Moscow and all of Russia, who came to the capital, venerated the holy icon, could be seen from the fact that, from early morning until evening, the chapel was constantly overflowing with worshipers. In addition to general prayers, custom-made prayers were served almost continuously. It was hardly possible then in Moscow to find a person who, throughout his life, would not have resorted to prayer with a holy icon and would not have found hope and consolation in this prayer.

In July 1929 the chapel was closed and then destroyed. And in November 1994, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' consecrated the foundation stone of the restored chapel. In 1996, work on the restoration of the chapel and the Resurrection Gate was completed, and the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, painted especially for this occasion, was brought to Moscow from the Iberian Monastery on Athos. The holy icon has returned to the main gates of the city, which is patronized by the Mother of God.

For Moscow, three lists were made from the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which, according to legend, appeared in the Iberian Monastery of St. Mount Athos. The list of 1615 was ordered by Patriarch Nikon for his Iberian monastery in Valdai. The list of 1648 was placed in the Novodevichy Convent. The third list was brought in 1669 for the Nikolsky Greek monastery. He was placed in the built in 1666. a wooden chapel at the Neglinensky Gate at the entrance to Red Square.

The Iberian Icon of the Mother of God in the chapel at the Resurrection Gate has been and remains the most revered Moscow shrine since the 17th century.

In Moscow, there is also a parish church of the Iberian Mother of God on Bolshaya Ordynka. Built before the Romanovs, it was first consecrated in honor of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, and then a chapel of the Iberian Icon appeared.

May 6, 2012 to Novodevichy convent handed over the oldest copy of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God from the storerooms of the Historical Museum. Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the ceremony of handing over the icon. Together with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' and Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Vladimir Putin took part in the procession, during which the icon was carried by the clergy of the Moscow diocese from the gates of the monastery to Smolensky Cathedral where a prayer service was performed before her.

Thousands of believers came to the Novodevichy Convent to witness the return of the Iberian Icon. The miraculous image, which had been in the monastery for three centuries, has been in the storerooms of the State Historical Museum since post-revolutionary times.

Celebration of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God 25 February, October 26 and in Tuesday of Holy Week .

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

Prayer:
O Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord, Queen of Heaven and Earth! Listen to the painful sighing of our souls, look from the height of Thy saint on us, with faith and love worshiping Thy most pure image. Behold, immersed in sins and overwhelmed with sorrows, looking at Your image, as if you live with us, we offer our humble prayers. Imams for no other help, no other intercession, no consolation, only to You, O Mother of all those who grieve and burdened! Help us weak, quench our grief, guide us on the right path, the erring ones, heal and save the hopeless, grant us other time of our belly in peace and silence, give us a Christian end and at the Last Judgment of Your Son, appear to us a merciful intercessor, but always sing , we magnify and glorify Thee, as a good intercessor of the Christian race, with all those who pleased God. Amen.

Troparion, tone 1:
From Thy holy icon, O Lady Theotokos, healing and healing are given abundantly with faith and love to those who come to her; so visit my infirmity and have mercy on my soul, Good One, and heal my body, with Your grace, Most Pure.

Kontakion, tone 8:
As soon as Thy holy icon, Mother of God, was cast into the sea, / from a widow who could not save this one from enemies, / but there appeared the Guardian of Athos / and the Gatekeeper of the monastery of Iberia, fearsome enemies / and in the Orthodox Russian country / / honoring Thee from all troubles and deliverer of adversity.

Iberian Icon of the Mother of God

There are two icons with this name. One was revealed on Athos. This is the most famous image of the Mother of God, which is revered not only in Orthodoxy, but also in Catholicism. The Goalkeeper icon is also located in one of the Russian monasteries, but it has a different composition and its own history.

History of the icon

The fertile island keeps many legends. According to one of them, the Mother of God had to leave Jerusalem when Christians began to be persecuted there. On the way to Cyprus, the Blessed Virgin stopped at Athos, which she called one of her inheritances. There are several of them in total:

Georgia (Iveria);
Mount Athos;
Russia (Kievan Rus);
Diveevo (a monastery founded by St. Seraphim of Sarov).

The Mother of God has a special relationship with each of these places. For example, a lot of miraculous icons have been revealed on Athos. One of them is the Goalkeeper icon. She came to the brothers of the Iversky Monastery straight from the depths of the sea in a column of fire. For a long time no one could get a wonderful image, until a Georgian monk was called - now known as Gabriel the Svyatogorets. He lived in seclusion, ate only herbs, drinking them with water. But one day the Most Pure One herself ordered him to return to the monastery in order to take on his image.

The monk did just that. After the prayer, all the brethren went down to the shore, and Gabriel went straight on the water, while the image moved towards him. The monks solemnly brought the shrine to the altar, but in the morning it ended up at the gate. Thus, the Mother of God showed her desire to protect the monastery and its inhabitants. Since then, the Iberian icon has been called Portaitissa, that is, the Goalkeeper.

Since that time, the image has been on Mount Athos, but there are also many miraculous copies of it. One of them is in Iveria itself (Georgia). Since the Mother of God was very sad that in one of her inheritances people still had not accepted Christ, she therefore decided to send the Apostle Andrew there. As a blessing, she gave him her image - she washed her face, put her face on the board, miraculously left an imprint on it.

Where else are miraculous icons kept?

The icon of the Mother of God "The Goalkeeper" is well known in the Diveevo monastery. A healing spring has been flowing here for many decades. It is located near the chapel in the name of the Iberian image. Elder Alexandra dug a spring with her own hands so that the workers who built the Kazan temple for the monastery could drink water.

Here, the local population prayed during dry periods, brought babies to bathe in healing water. Already in our time, a reservoir was equipped so that you could plunge entirely. Water helps from various diseases, as well as those who are possessed by evil spirits.

The meaning and interpretation of the icon

Each image of the Mother of God carries general meaning- she embodies the unity of the Lord with her children, which are all Christians, regardless of gender, age, nationality. But there are special blessings specifically for Russia: for example, the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Goalkeeper” (“Inextinguishable Candle”). It is strikingly different from the usual iconography of the Virgin Mary.

The Queen of Heaven is standing in monastic robes.

In her left hand she holds a rosary (an attribute of any monk), as well as a rod. This is a symbol of power, patronage, which can only be worn by bishops (higher clergy).

IN right hand The Mother of God holds a candle - a symbol of unceasing prayer.

The icon was discovered at the end of the 19th century. in Uglich. A man turned to the monastery there, to whom the Queen of Heaven came in a dream. On her orders, he came from St. Petersburg to find an amazing image that showed up in the pantry. The visitor after the prayer became completely healthy. In memory of this, he ordered an expensive salary for the icon, which is still in the monastery, squandering healings.

What does the Goalkeeper icon help with?

For Orthodox Mother of God- just like a mother. They share with her any sorrows and sorrows. When a child is sick, it is necessary to find a new job, someone has been unfairly offended, the husband suffers from drunkenness - the Goalkeeper icon will help in each of these troubles. It can protect the dwelling from enemies - it is not for nothing that the Mother of God returned her image to the monastery gates several times.

To this day, in front of the Athos icon, there is a wonderful lamp: before the tragic events, it begins to sway. This also happened during enemy attacks on the monastery, but not once did the Mother of God allow enemies into her monastery. Every believer has the right to count on such protection if he regularly prays and attends the temple.

According to pious tradition, the Orthodox acquire several icons for their homes. Among the bottom, the face of the Most Holy Theotokos is obligatory; the “Goalkeeper” is well suited. It is especially possible in prayers to ask for protection for the house, because there we store all our property, for which we have worked for many years. Of course, the main concern of a Christian should be the achievement of the Kingdom of Heaven, but the Lord does not forbid having things, being a zealous master. The main thing is not to become attached to earthly values, not to make objects of worship out of them.

Where is it better to hang the Iberian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (“The Goalkeeper”)?

Based on the name, it is quite possible to place it above the doorway. This is usually done from the inside of the apartment in order to avoid theft or, worse, desecration of the shrine. Outside, a cross can be glued to the door itself.

A good place is a shelf in the hallway, directly opposite the entrance. When leaving, you can pray in front of the icon, ask for good luck in business, overshadow your home and home with a cross. After returning, you must also cross yourself and thank the Lord for what you have kept during the day.

There is no special need to place icons near children's beds - the Lord protects them anyway. But this is not prohibited either. The main thing is that the place should be appropriate - either a separate shelf, or a wall free from decorations, worldly images. It will be good if a child from an early age is taught to pray before going to bed - for this the icon will be very useful. The main thing is that the home should understand that the power of God comes through prayers, and not through the boards.

Prayer to the icon of the Goalkeeper

O Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord, Queen of heaven and earth! Listen to the painful sighing of our souls, look from the height of Thy saint upon us, with faith and love, worshiping Thy most pure image. Behold, immersed in sins and overwhelmed with sorrows, looking at Your image, as if you live with us, we offer our humble prayers. Imams for no other help, no other intercession, no consolation, only to You, O Mother of all those who grieve and burdened! Help us, the weak, quench our grief, guide us, the erring ones, on the right path, heal and save the hopeless, grant us the rest of our life in peace and silence, give us a Christian end and appear to us at the Last Judgment of Your Son, merciful Intercessor, yes we always sing, magnify and glorify Thee, as the good Intercessor of the Christian race, with all those who please God. Amen.

What you need to know about the icon Goalkeeper

Icon of the Virgin Goalkeeper - meaning, what helps was last modified: July 8th, 2017 by Bogolub