To our universal happiness, there are magnificent miraculous icons in the world that help people in sorrows and sorrows, help to recover from serious illnesses and not lose faith in life and in themselves. These images came to us from time immemorial and brought with them peace and healing for tormented human souls.
Every year the number of miraculous faces increases more and more.
Previously, in Rus', people had the right to keep miraculous icons, if they had them, in their homes. But in the 18th century, Peter 1 issued a decree according to which all images glorified by miracles should be transferred to the church.
First you had to declare that you have a miraculous icon at home. Then, on this basis, a special commission was assembled. Such a commission had to include a priest, who would determine the degree of miraculousness of the icon. If an icon was recognized as miraculous, it was transferred to churches or monasteries. Nowadays there is enough popular rumor for the image to be considered miraculous. And only in rare cases are commissions collected.
Priests also want to show prudence in this matter in order to avoid unnecessary exaltation.
Depending on the size, complexity, and volume of those healed, the icon rendered assistance is why it is declared miraculous. Of course, it is not the icon itself that heals, but God’s grace. Grace is contained in the icon itself, painted with the right attitude and with certain prayers.
How can you tell whether an icon is miraculous or not by its appearance? Outwardly, the icon may not manifest itself as miraculous, i.e. it does not need to have myrrh on it. For example, the image of Saint Matrona cannot be called outwardly anything special, but in fact, it heals millions of people every year.
And some icons are called miraculous because they stream myrrh. Some - from time to time, and others - constantly, so that the myrrh can be collected in a bowl and washed with it. After such anointing, healing occurs.
Sometimes the faces stream myrrh not because they are miraculous, but on the eve of some large-scale events for the country and people, in order to warn people of danger.
Icon of the Mother of God of Three Hands meaning
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One of these icons is a real miracle - the icon of the Mother of God, called the Three-Handed One. (The Mother of God in the icon is depicted with three hands).
The history of this image is unforgettable, inextricably linked with that time (717), when Christians were brutally persecuted in Byzantium, subjecting them to inhuman torture and committing martyrdom.
And only in Damascus, which was Muslim territory, could Christians at that time feel calm. The main Christian in Damascus at that time was a man named John of Damascus, an adherent of the Christian religion, who carried it to the masses. John worked long and fruitfully in the field of Christianity, until one day he was accused of treason and his hand was cut off, which was hung in a prominent place in the city to intimidate him.
The crippled John begged the emperor to return his brush, then locked himself in his monastic room and began to earnestly pray to the Mother of God. He asked to help him, to return his healthy hand and put the severed hand to his hand. The Mother of God appeared to him in a dream and healed the righteous man. Of course, the elder decided to thank the image.
He composed a prayer of thanks and attached an additional silver hand, which he had custom-made, to the icon. Since then, the icon began to be called the Three-Handed One.
During the period of invasions of the Ottoman Empire, the icon was saved by Serb believers. They placed her on a donkey, which independently reached Mount Athos, and the image of the Three-Handed One, having reached a safe haven on the donkey safely, was installed inside the temple in a place of honor.
What does it help with?
Believers believe that if they touch the image, the Queen of Heaven herself will bless them. Many patients suffering from eye diseases, as well as with sore arms and legs, received healing through this icon. And those who constantly read a prayer dedicated to the image are forever freed from depression, melancholy and sad thoughts. Craftsmen and those who do a lot of housework can safely ask for support from the Three-Handed One, she will help everyone and protect everyone.
The church celebrates the feast of the image in the month of July 2 times (11th and 25th).
Where is it located in Moscow?
The image of the Three-Handed One was brought to Russia only in the 17th century, and it was from that time that it became known. It was presented as a gift to Patriarch Nikon. Now a copy of this wonderful image is in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary near the Taganskaya metro station.
Magic icons
There is a known case when in the 19th century the image of the Three-Handed One saved Kyiv from the typhus that was raging there at that time, when a public prayer service was held for the icon on the main square.
Cases of magical healings are also common these days: the Mother of God has helped even people with terrible burns save their limbs more than once.
Bulgarian farmstead
The Bulgarian courtyard is a special territory in the city of Moscow, which includes several churches. This is the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church of St. Nicholas. The farmstead is located near the Taganskaya metro station.
The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary also began to be built at the beginning of the 17th century.
It is decorated with beautiful tiles made by a master of his craft named Ivan Polubes. Napoleon completely plundered and burned this temple. It was rebuilt in the 19th century. During the revolution, the temple remained, surprisingly, intact.
The Church of St. Nicholas appeared in the 17th century with donations from patrons of the arts. It burned down and was repaired many times. During the war with Napoleon it was almost completely destroyed.
During the revolution, the temple was looted, and paintings and iconostases were destroyed. The church was returned to believers only in the 90s of the 20th century.
In the 40s of the 20th century, both temples were considered a Bulgarian courtyard.
The temple is visited mainly by Russian believers; there are not very many Bulgarians here, since the Bulgarian diaspora in Moscow is small. There are only about 2,000 people left, some of whom are embassy employees.
Temples of the Three-Handed Icon
Especially for you, we have compiled a list where copies of this wonderful image of the Virgin Mary are located.
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Akathist Three-Handed Icon of the Mother of God
We bring to your attention the text of the Akathist to the image of the Three-Handed One:
There is the Tradition of the Church, and there are folk traditions that one way or another penetrate the church fence. For earthly church life, which bears the imprint of our imperfection, this is a common phenomenon.
Usually the Church copes with these traditions, rejects some, churchizes some, since even fictitious events can carry an edifying meaning and thereby reveal some higher truth. But several contrary to church teaching folk tales crop up from time to time, no matter what.
Icon of Three Hands
In this case, we will talk about the “three-armed” version of the famous Mother of God icon “Three-Handed”.
Having encountered such an image, an inexperienced viewer experiences a certain surprise.
After all, on the icon the Mother of God has three hands! What would that mean? And here there are two options - to delve into specialized literature or to invent your own version, more or less intricate, depending on your imagination. For example, we had to deal with a situation where people inclined towards the “wisdom of the East” immediately drew a parallel with the many-armed Eastern deities. And this explanation sounds no more and no less ridiculous than “three hands symbolize the Holy Trinity.”
But if we compare this image with the original kept in the Hilandar monastery, we will see a significant difference: the “third” hand is not written on the icon, but is made of metal and superimposed on the surface of the image.
Icon of the Mother of God “Three-Handed” and its meaning
Church tradition connects this overlay with the life of the great saint.
The Monk John of Damascus (Damascus), lived in the 7th-8th centuries in Syria conquered by the Arabs and was a Syrian by origin. His worldly name was Mansur ibn Serzhun. He came from a rather noble family and served in the tax administration of the Arab Caliphate (later legend called him almost a vizier). Mansur later retired to a monastery and became known as a theologian and hymnographer. A tradition recorded in the 9th century tells the following story.
St. John of Damascus, icon by Archimandrite Zenon
The hagiographer says that, being the son of a major official, John of Damascus, after his death, inherited his position at the court of the caliph and even rose higher, becoming the first adviser to the caliph - although against his own will, since he was inclined towards a solitary monastic life.
When persecution of icons began in the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Leo III, John of Damascus composed a message against the heresy of the iconoclasts, which quickly spread throughout the Christian world.
The angry Emperor Leo decided to slander John before the Caliph. On his orders, the court scribes wrote a letter on behalf of Damascus, forging his handwriting, in which he allegedly called on the emperor to attack Damascus, while a peace treaty was in force between the caliphate and Byzantium. Leo III forwarded the false letter to the caliph along with assurances of strict adherence to the peace treaty. The Caliph believed, became angry with his minister and ordered his hand, which allegedly wrote the “treasonous letter,” to be cut off and hanged in the Damascus market for everyone to see.
The slandered John begged the caliph to give him his hand. After his long prayer in front of the icon of the Mother of God, his hand grew back. Seeing such an undoubted miracle, the caliph recognized the integrity of Saint John and agreed to release him to the monastery, which he tirelessly asked for. In memory of this miraculous healing, John of Damascus made a silver model of his hand and, in gratitude, attached it to the icon, through which he was healed through the prayers of the Mother of God.
So says the legend. And the icon called the “Three-Handed One,” which is kept in the Hilandar Athos Monastery, is considered to be the very one in front of which St. John prayed.
It can be said that both the tradition and the connection of St. John with the Athos icon are not indisputable. Historians and art critics will have their own arguments here. For example, it can be noted that the Athonite “Three-Handed” does not in any way relate to the time of St. John. However, there is essentially no contradiction here.
Throughout Christian history, many miraculous healings through prayer in front of one or another icon have been recorded. And to this day, in different parts of the Christian world, there is a custom of hanging a miniature in the form of a healed organ from an icon as a sign of gratitude. The custom, of course, is not indisputable, especially since exactly the same one existed in ancient paganism. Still, it explains a lot.
Copies of the miraculous Hilandar icon multiplied and spread. But copying did not always guarantee high-quality performance. And so, after some time, lists appeared on which the silver false hand began to be depicted as alive. And then the not particularly thinking bogomaz wrapped this hand in a mophoria of the Virgin Mary. And this version also thoughtlessly spread in many copies.
The Church tried to combat such violation of the canon, the Synod issued decrees, but habit and superstition are difficult to eradicate. And even now, when so many books on Christian iconography have been published, thoughtless gods continue to reproduce the meaningless third hand. But I am glad that against the background of these crafts there are also excellent examples of modern icon painting.
The Three-Handed Icon is important in the Orthodox faith because it is miraculous. The celebration of this image takes place on July 11 and 25. The icon is classified as the “Hodegetria” type, and it depicts the Virgin Mary with the Infant God, who is located on her right hand. A distinctive detail is that under the right hand of the Mother of God at the bottom there is an image of a human hand. On some lists the Mother of God is credited with a third hand. The main meaning of the icon of the Mother of God “Three-Handed” is based precisely on the severed hand, which testifies that people who serve God can receive salvation.
What does the “Three-Handed” icon help with and its meaning
First, let's talk about the history of this image and it is connected with the Monk John of Damascus. At some point he was accused of treason. The emperor ordered his right hand to be cut off and hanged in the square to frighten other people. John was pardoned, and for a long time he tearfully asked near the icon of the Mother of God for the Higher powers to help restore his hand. One night the Virgin Mary appeared to St. John and said that his prayers had been heard and his hand had been healed. From then on he had to use his hand to glorify God. It was this event that became the prerequisite for the appearance of the “Three-Handed” icon to the world.
One of the most important meanings of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Three-Handed” is associated with her protective abilities. It is placed at home to protect the family from various problems and negativity. This image of the Mother of God helps people receive hope and support in a difficult situation. “Three-Handed” is considered the patron saint of people who engage in crafts. The icon of the Mother of God “Three Hands” is of particular significance for people who are sick with something. 
The image helps to heal, and prayers in front of it contribute to the recovery of loved ones. There are cases in history when prayers in front of an icon helped save a huge number of people from typhoid and other serious diseases. It is worth noting that the image heals not only from physical ailments, but also from mental ones. Our Lady helps women who pray for a good husband or who want to preserve and strengthen their existing marriage.
It is important to say that only the person who gives his own and believes can count on the help of “Three Hands”. Not only the original of this image is considered miraculous, but also numerous copies located in different temples.
You definitely need to have one at home to remind you of immortality; John of Kronstadt wrote about this. Translated from Greek, icon means image. It is, as it were, a visual link that helps to turn to God and the saints, while they pray not to the icon, but to the one depicted on it.
One of the many revered and miraculous images is an unusual image of the Mother of God, called the “Three-Handed One”. As you can see in the photo, its amazing feature is the presence of a third hand in the image.
Storycreation
There are three stories of its origin. Depending on them third hand depicted as belonging to the Virgin Mary or as an independent element. Icon has healing powers and great significance. The day of its celebration takes place on July 11 and 25.
Icons depicting Our Lady with Jesus, include to type (“Guide Books”). Usually on them the Baby is to the left of the Mother, but on the “Three-Handed”, on the contrary, he is to the right. The third hand in the image looks very unusual and is depicted either flesh-colored, like the hand of the Virgin Mary, or silver or dark.
There are very different opinions about the origin of the icon. So, some compare it with the image of ancient multi-armed deities or claim that three hands are a reminder of the Holy Trinity. This is, of course, not true. No one can say with certainty what it really was like, but it has survived to this day. three ancient legends.
About John of Damascus
The most widespread legend begins in the 8th century. The Byzantine Emperor Leo III the Isaurian declared a fight against icons and worship of all heavenly inhabitants. Christian icons were equated with pagan idols and were mercilessly destroyed. In addition, a huge number of cultural monuments such as sculptures, mosaics and frescoes, and images of saints were lost. People who tried to defend them were punished and even killed.
Mansur ibn Serzhun was one of the few who opposed the destruction of icons. As an advisor to the ruler of Muslim Damascus, he protected the shrines so that the people could worship them. He also wrote letters and treatises denouncing the heresy of fighting icons. These actions supported Christians and greatly irritated Leo, as an active supporter of iconoclasm. But Mansur was the son of a major official and held a high position in Damascus, so he was beyond the limits of imperial influence.
Then the emperor, with the help of his subjects, forged a letter in which John allegedly offered him an alliance to conquer Damascus. The letter was sent to the Caliph of Damascus, and he was so enraged by the alleged betrayal that he immediately deprived his minister of all privileges and, in addition, ordered his right hand to be cut off and hung on public display to warn others. The saint miraculously escaped death by hanging, but when the ruler’s anger subsided a little, he gave the severed hand to the martyr.
No matter how bad and painful the bleeding monk was, he did not despair, but began to pray for help in front of the icon of the Holy Virgin Mary with the Child. He asked for the opportunity to continue working for the glory of God. And then at night the Mother of God dreamed of him and promised healing, and in the morning the severed hand was in place. All that remains as a memory of the event is a scar.
John was truly grateful for the miracle. According to the ancient tradition of making offerings to shrines as a sign of gratitude, he attached a hand cast from silver to the frame of the icon in front of which he prayed. This is the icon that will later be called “Three-Handed”. The third hand served as a recognition that the hand returned to him was God’s mercy and did not belong to him. He also made a vow of service to the Lord and the Mother of God and wrote a song of thanksgiving, which can still be heard on St. Basil the Great.
The miracle that occurred brought the caliph to his senses, he admitted the mistake and asked John to return to public service. But he realized that now his destiny was to serve the Lord. He went alone to the Jerusalem Lavra, taking with him only the icon. There he was tonsured a monk with the name John. His memorial day is December 4th.
The icon was in Jerusalem until the 13th century, when it was presented to Saint Sava and transported by him to Serbia. When in the 15th century Ottoman invasions began to try to protect the shrine, it was transferred to the care of the Heavenly forces. There was no other way to place the image on the donkey and release the animal. Guided only by God, the animal reached the center of Orthodox Christianity, the holy Mount Athos, and stopped at the doors of the Hilendar monastery, founded two centuries before the events. The monks took the icon and placed it on the altar. From that time to the present day, it has been sacredly kept and protected there. Religious processions are held to her every year.
Although the image was taken away from Serbia, few traces of its veneration were preserved in the territory close to it. So, in the temple of the village of Karan There is a most amazing full-length image of the Most Holy Theotokos, in which she holds the Child in her right hand and points at him with her two left ones.
About the icon painter
A more ancient legend says that the “Three-Handed One” appeared in the monastery in a different way. The artist working on the icon was surprised to discover that the Mother of God he painted miraculously had a third hand appear at the bottom of the image. Twice he washed this hand, until the third time he received a dream vision of the Mother of God, who ordered him to leave everything as it was. The artist strove for naturalness, but it was on this icon that the miracle had to be reflected.
Our Lady and the Thieves
Albeit occasionally, you can also hear a third version. It says that one day young Mary had to escape with Jesus from thieves. She ran to the river, but to quickly swim across, she needed both hands, and she was holding the Baby. Then she turned to God for help and a third hand was sent down to her, with the help of which she was saved.
Meaningimage
The position of the figures on the icon is such that the Holy Child is in the middle of the image in the arms of the Mother, bowing her head towards him. He does a blessing gesture, and the hand of the Mother of God points to her son as the path to salvation. Depending on the position of the hand, the value changes slightly.
- Hand of John testifies to the mercy and grace of the Mother of God descending upon those who love the Lord.
- In icons depicting a hand belonging to the Queen of Heaven, its meaning is revealed in the troparion dedicated to the image. Two hands are needed to support the Child, and the third grants cover and protection to people. It is worth noting that the Synod was very dissatisfied with this method of depiction, as it considered it unnatural. There was even a ban on depicting saints with elements that do not correspond to the truth.
Over time, people realized that the meaning of “Three Hands” is edification the need to serve the Lord and believe in miracles. It gives hope for the help of the Heavenly Forces in response to an appeal to them. “According to your faith, be it done to you.”
Miracles
The first miracle associated with the icon occurred shortly after the death of the abbot of the Hilendar monastery. The monks could not come to a unanimous decision on who should become the new abbot. And then the Mother of God intervened in their turmoil. One day, during a morning service, the monks were surprised to discover that the “Three-Handed” icon had disappeared from the altar and was in the place of the head of the monastery. Confident that someone had moved it, the brethren returned the image to its place, but the next day he again occupied the post of abbot. Surprised by what seemed to them to be someone’s stubbornness, the monks took the image to the altar and sealed the doors. But, despite this, the next morning the icon was again in the abbot’s place.
The situation was resolved by a monastery hermit. In a vision, the Mother of God came to him, announcing her decision to independently govern the flock, as a sign of which the icon would take the place of the head of the monastery.
Since then this the monastery is ruled by the Queen of Heaven. There is no position of abbot; he is replaced by a hieromonk-vicar. It is located near the abbot's place, which is occupied by an icon from the 14th century. By kissing the hands in the image, they ask for blessings for the service. It is she, or rather, the Mother of God depicted on her, who maintains peace and order within the monastery walls.
In connection with such an amazing history, for this monastery the icon has a special, great meaning, blesses and guides. The Heavenly Mother Superior patronized the monastery and protected it from enemy invasions. During the Russian-Turkish War, both sides of the conflict more than once saw how a mysterious female image appeared above the monastery walls right in the air, unharmed either by weapons or by attempts to reach the face.
Also the icon showed miracles of healing. At the end of the 19th century, a prayer service served before the miraculous icon stopped typhus in Kyiv. Now this image is kept in the church of the Holy Trinity Monastery. The relics of Jonah, reburied in the monastery, also showed miracles of healing. A pilgrimage to them cured one woman’s acid-burned hand.
Where can I find copies of the icon?
The oldest copy is in the Troyan Monastery in Bulgaria. It is believed that it was “Three-Handed” that protected it, since it never closed, even during times of persecution. Her hands in the image are covered with three silver sculptures on the frame.
In Russia, the icon has been revered since the 17th century, when a copy of it was presented as a gift to Moscow Patriarch Nikon. Unfortunately, that image has disappeared, and its copy, made in the mid-19th century, is kept in the museum. The image was so unusual that they had to hang a sign next to it explaining its origin so as not to confuse the parishioners. Since then, a huge number of people have bowed to the amazing image, including the family of Tsar Nicholas II. Nowadays this icon can rarely be found on a home iconostasis. But some churches have miraculous copies of it. Below are the most famous of them.
- In the Moscow St. Daniel's Monastery there is an image from the 17th century. The image is famous for curing the restorer’s weak eyesight.
- In the Bryansk region there is an image painted by Artemy Fedorov and Afanasy Ivanov at the beginning of the 18th century, famous for its miracles. The third hand on it was written as belonging to the Virgin Mary.
- In the Yekaterinburg Church on the Blood.
- In the Moscow Church, named after the Three-Handed Icon.
- In the Moscow Assumption Church and Trinity Cathedral.
- In the Trekhsvyatitelsky, Borisoglebsky and Simeonovsky churches in Tver.
- In the Trinity Convent of Arkhangelsk.
- In the Tambov convent.
Despite its low prevalence, it works real miracles. This is how important the Three-Handed Icon is.
What does it help with?icon
Any true believer can receive help through “Three-Handed”. Most often they turn to it to protect the family from enemies and hang the icon in the house. But they also turn to the Mother of God with the following requests:
- about well-being in marriage;
- about the stability of well-being;
- for help against illnesses, especially with mutilations, injuries, operations, burns of the skin, hands, feet, as well as with eye and infectious diseases;
- for the sake of the health of loved ones;
- to get rid of melancholy, anxiety and mental anguish;
- to strengthen mental strength;
- to help and give strength in needlework, crafts (especially surgeons) and housework.
Prayer
In front of the icon you can pray to God and his Mother. Many akathists are dedicated to the miraculous image. Below is one of them.
“O Most Holy Lady Lady Theotokos, who showed a great miracle to Saint John of Damascus, as if he showed true faith and undoubted hope! Hear us, Thy sinners (names), before Thy miraculous icon, earnestly praying and asking for Thy help: do not reject this prayer of many for the sake of our sins, but, as the Mother of mercy and generosity, deliver us from illnesses, sorrows and sorrows, forgive us for what we have done sins, fill with joy and gladness all who honor Your holy icon, so that we joyfully sing and glorify Your name with love, for You are chosen from all generations, blessed forever and ever. Amen".
Three-handed icon
What is an icon? Why do icon painters create icons of the Virgin Mary . icons of patron saints . icons of the Savior and other Orthodox icons? Why do we one day have an irresistible desire to order an icon? We want the icon to be painted personally for us.
Literally translated from Greek, an icon is an image. Through the icon, each person turns to God in himself, because he is one in everyone. Prince E.N. Trubetskoy wrote that Orthodox icons open to a person “a vision of a different life truth and a different meaning of the world” 1. different from the struggle for survival. No words can convey the power of Divine love and the joy of feeling Divine grace that comes from the icons of the Mother of God, icons of saints and icons of the Savior Jesus Christ, painted by modern icon painter Yuri Kuznetsov.
As you know, icons “have a special language - a system of signs that convey certain information” 2. But “deciphering” these symbols can only be done with the heart. For a person who would like to order an icon, it is important to find not just an icon with the image of the Savior Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, or saints, but behind the Orthodox icon there should be “the discovery of a saint, the place of his mystical presence. An icon is a visual link in the dialogue between a praying soul and a saint: a Christian prays not to an icon, but through the icon to the one depicted on it.” 3. Even a non-believer can experience the power of Divine love emanating from the icon of Yuri Kuznetsov. The icon of the Mother of God of Tenderness, Rejoice, Unbrideless Bride, makes a special impression.
Of course, “... church art has its own special, peculiar to it, features and therefore puts the artist in a special position: the artist must understand the demands placed on him. He must give not an ordinary real picture, not a copy from a sample that came to hand by chance, not an idle invention of the imagination, not sanctified by a clear religious consciousness, but an icon corresponding to its high purpose” 4. And if the prayer, contemplating the icons of the Mother of God, icons of saints, icons of the Savior Jesus Christ or other Orthodox icons will experience a soul-piercing sense of the reality of the spiritual world. If the icon suddenly opens as a bright, shedding light vision, which is recognized as exceeding everything around it, residing in another, its own space and in eternity, then the burning of passions and the vanity of the world subsides, the feeling of God is recognized as above-peaceful, qualitatively superior to the world and acting from its own domain here, among us there are 5.
All of the above was experienced by me personally and by many people who keep icons of the “Kuznetsov letter” in their homes. Everyone has an icon of their patron saint in their home.
An icon, be it the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. icon of the Mother of God the All-Tsarina. An icon of the patron saint, the Savior Jesus Christ or another Orthodox icon is “Church Tradition and the grace of God, manifested through lines and colors, as through color writing. The power of the icon indicates that this world [spiritual approx. KK] is near us, that the soul itself is a particle of this world” 6.
Father John of Kronstadt wrote about the need for icons in the house: “Icons in the church, in houses are necessary, among other things, because they remind of the immortality of the saints who live (Luke 20:38), as the Lord says, that they are in God they see us, hear us and help us” (John of Kronstadt. My life in Christ. St. Petersburg, 2005, p. 468). Through an icon of a saint, an icon of the Mother of God or an icon of the Savior Jesus Christ, we become involved in his life and seem to live it together. Together with the icon of the Mother of God “I am with you and no one else is against you,” the person praying is confirmed in his faith. Literally, the name of the icon sounds like “I am always with you and no one will offend you.”
“The icon begins with a line, and the line begins with the heart; it has no other basis or cause that determines it. The heart in the patristic understanding is the seat of the human spirit or the spirit itself. Therefore, the starting point of the icon lies in the invisible world, and then appears and manifests itself, as if descending onto the plane of the icon; it is not a repetition of the line of the sample from which the icon is painted” 7. Imagine a thin silver thread coming from the heart, and every moment of life dyes it in the corresponding color, so you get a multi-colored carpet woven from life’s episodes. This is the essence of the icons of the “Kuznetsov letter”. Icons of the Mother of God, icons of saints, icons of the Savior Jesus Christ or other Orthodox icons are painted by Yuri Kuznetsov according to this principle: each point is an episode of the life of a saint. If you perceive the icon not logically, but in spirit, then in the ornament of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God you can see that this icon was brought from Byzantium to Russia at the beginning of the 12th century, as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky from the Patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverkh. The icon was placed in the convent of Vyshgorod, not far from Kyiv; rumors of its miracles reached the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who decided to transport the icon to the north.
Such an understanding and reading of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is possible because “the line on the icon is a cut into the spiritual world, it is a gap in the world of bone and, therefore, in its essence, darkened matter - only grace can enlighten matter” 8. A cut in icons “Kuznetsov writing” is the ornament that underlies it. The ornament is rounded, since the line in the icon “should not be pointed and angular, as if broken (angularity, convulsions, breaks, pointed ends refer to the image of dark power). Circumference and roundness, the natural movement of the line is the life of the line...” 9. Variations of the ornament change depending on whether the icon of the Mother of God, the icon of saints or another Orthodox icon or the icon of the Savior Jesus Christ is being painted.
In the process of icon painting, “the mystical experience of communication with the Heavenly Church and the experience of spiritual realities” 10 is very important. It is this experience that gives the true content to the icon.
The canonical form and historical authenticity of an Orthodox icon is given by the sample from which the copy is taken. There is a fundamental difference between the copy and the copy from the icon of the Mother of God, the icon of saints or the icon of the Savior Jesus Christ. “A list is closeness to a person, a copy is similarity, or even a visual coincidence with an iconographic image” 11. “To make a list, you need to internally experience the icon, read its semantic text, and then write it in your own handwriting” 12.
Icons of the 21st Century is a site created specifically to popularize and promote the work of icon painter Yuri Kuznetsov, as well as to revive and restore Orthodoxy in Russia, to return people to the path of joy, love and kindness. With us you can order an icon“Kuznetsov’s” letter, get acquainted with the stories of the discovery of Orthodox icons, learn about the earthly life of saints and their veneration, read about the meaning and content of the holidays of the Orthodox calendar.
Icons of the Mother of God, patron saints, the Savior Jesus Christ and other Orthodox icons are created using ancient monastery technologies using tempera on a linden board.
Before ordering an icon, we suggest you find out our recommendations. If you want an icon for yourself, an icon that will be with you throughout your life, then this could be personalized icon. that is, an icon with the image of a saint of the same name as you. You can select the appropriate image from the proposed list of already written personalized icons. If your name is not on the list, this does not mean that you cannot order a personalized icon; write to us or call us and we will select a holy image for you. A personal icon does not have to be personal. This could be an icon of the Mother of God, an icon of a saint, an icon of the Savior, or another Orthodox icon.
The peculiarity of the icons of the “Kuznetsov letter” is that the icon painter Yuri Kuznetsov, having a very sensitive perception of a person, writes for him an image that corresponds precisely to his spirit. An icon of an author's letter, written specifically for a specific person, will strengthen him in faith throughout his life and support him in difficult moments of life. When painting a holy image, it is very important for the icon painter to understand the life path of the person for whom he shows the holy image, since after painting the icon the person and the saint will be connected. Therefore, a personal icon: an icon of the Mother of God, an icon of a saint, a personal icon, an icon of the Savior, family icon or another Orthodox icon painted specifically for you must under no circumstances be sold or given to another person.
After you decide on the image, in order to order the icon, you will need to choose its size. Yuri Kuznetsov paints icons of saints mainly in 2 sizes: large - 75x100 cm and small - 35x40 cm.
In which case is it better to order a large icon, and in which case a small one? A large icon allows the icon painter, with the help of ornament and color, to convey in more detail the story of the saint’s life and his spiritual feat. A small icon is more private and easy to transport. Of course, it is possible to choose an icon of a different format, but you need to take into account that this will require additional time to prepare the base for the icon. “The icon is both a path and a means; it is prayer itself." 13. The purpose of an icon, be it icons of the Mother of God, icons of saints, or other Orthodox icons or icons of the Savior Jesus Christ, is to "direct all our feelings, as well as the mind and all of our human nature, to its true goal - to the path of transformation" 14.
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1 Trubetskoy E.N. Speculation in colors / Icons of Russia. M. 2008. p. 117
2 L.V.Abramova. Semiotics of icons. Saransk, 2006, p. 4
3 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 79
4 N.V. Pokrovsky. New church art and church antiquity / Theology of the image. Icon and icon painters. M. 2002, p. 267
5 Florensky P. Iconostasis. M. 2009. P. 36
6 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 60
7 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 66-67
8 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 63
9 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 71
10 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 60
11 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 67
12 Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). About the language of the Orthodox icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 67
13 Leonid Uspensky. The meaning and content of the icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 111
14 Leonid Uspensky. The meaning and content of the icon / Orthodox icon. Canon and style. M. 1998, p. 111
