Spiritual developmentChristianity

The Don Icon of the Mother of God (photo)

The cultural Christian heritage of the Russian Federation is very large. Beautiful temples and cathedrals, towering above modern buildings of cities, testify to the established ancient canons of the Orthodox faith. Having passed difficult tests by history, Christian relics stood and preserved their value to this day, pleasing their unsurpassed beauty of many parishioners and tourists.

Most of the Orthodox churches were built by our ancestors in honor of certain miraculous spiritual images that influenced the course of the country's development history.

One of the most picturesque Christian sites of cultural heritage in modern times is the Moscow Donskoy Monastery, the icon of the Mother of God for which became the foundation of the majestic erection.

The location of the monastery

The majestic monastery is located on the Donskoy square of the capital of Russia, not far from the metro station "Shabalovskaya".

The territory occupied by the monastic parish unites several Orthodox churches: Alexander Svirsky, George the Victorious, Archangel Michael, the hospital temple, the big and small cathedrals of the Don icon of the Mother of God, John Climacus, John Chrysostom, Tikhon of Moscow and the gate of the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God.

Historical significance of the Don Icon of the Mother of God

The Don Temple was erected in honor of the Theotokos. It is the picturesque Don icon of the Mother of God that is a shrine that saved Moscow from the invasion of Crimean Tatar troops during the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich. In 1591, before the enemy forces attacked, a service was held around the city with this icon, the next day the Russian army won.

The miracle of the icon of the Virgin is also described in the early historical events. So, in 1552, Ivan the Terrible himself prayed for her intercession before the Kazan military campaign.

Very many historians associate with the icon even the victory of the Don Cossacks in the Kulikovo battle in 1380. It was on the eve of the battle that the Don Icon of the Mother of God was brought to the soldiers from the city of Sirotin, handed over to the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich. It was he who blessed his army for victory.

Interesting Facts

Ancient original of the wonderworking icon in modern times is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.

The Don icon of the Mother of God is double. The face of the Mother is depicted with Jesus in the style of Tenderness.

And on the other side - the Assumption of the Virgin.

The true author of holy images is the follower of Theophanes the Greek. And many attribute the icon to the works of the most outstanding master of painting.

The Don icon of the Mother of God is not only a symbol of military victories, but also has the property to heal a lot of ailments, and therefore is classified among the miraculous shrines.

Since the original icon, several lists have been made, the artistic decoration of which looks more attractive than the original itself. The Don icon of the Mother of God (pictured below) is depicted on a golden rich background, expressed by the great significance of this image for believers.

In the seventeenth century, for a marvelous icon, a precious salary was made, in which it was clothed. But the most beautiful decoration was looted by Napoleon's troops in 1812.

Historical past of the monastery

The construction of the temple is attributed to the years 1591-1593. It began with the construction of the so-called small cathedral. The Church of the Donskoy Icon of the Mother of God was not well-off, its appearance was similar to the simple churches of that time.

Only during the reign of Catherine were the works on the construction of a new Temple and the reconstruction of old premises, around the buildings a beautiful fence rose. The church parish developed, had in its possession a vast territory, where he was engaged in farming. It is the seventeenth century that is the most favorable for the emergence of the Christian faith, for which the queen strictly observed, during whose reign the temple was considered the richest and had significant significance in the historical and political life of the country.

During the war with Napoleon, the most beautiful Temple of the Donskoy Icon of the Mother of God was plundered by the French. But, despite this, its walls survived, the monastic life in it was boiling until 1920. After that, with the onset of revolutionary anti-religious time, the monastery was closed for worship, all important documents were sent to the archive, and the building itself was used to organize anti-religious exhibitions.

In the 90s the church was transferred to the beginning of the Moscow Patriarchate and is now functioning according to its Orthodox mission. To date, the Don icon of the Mother of God is mainly worship before God in this monastery, built in her honor.

Beautiful architecture

The temple of the Donskoy Icon of the Mother of God has a beautiful baroque fence with exquisite tiles and twelve towers reflecting the rich essence of the monastery. The Great Don Cathedral is executed in the Ukrainian style, the accent in the building is made on noncanonical architectural decisions. But the small cathedral belongs to the Godunov era, which was characterized by the elevation of the main dome of the building on rounded kokoshniks.

All the buildings within the monastery were built gradually and cover the historical period from 1591 to the end of the twentieth century.

Christian heritage of the monastery

The main sacred values of the temple are: The Don icon of the Mother of God and the relics of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of All Russia, who were discovered only in 1992, during the fire extinguishment after the provoked arson of the monastery.

The modern purpose of the temple

Thanks to such a Christian sight, Orthodox believers do not forget the miraculous deeds of the icon for many centuries, worshiping it. In the cathedral erected in her honor prayer always sounds, the Don icon of the Mother of God is a divine symbol of peace on Russian soil, which to this day has the ability to protect, heal and give strength in matters related to resisting malicious intent.

In modern times, a spiritual and educational center is developing on the territory of the monastery, embodying such Christian projects as the Sunday school, the volunteer youth movement, the Donskoy club for the faithful, the Orthodox education for adults, and the Christian center that organizes sightseeing tours to The territory of the monastery, including pilgrimage trips to Russia and Europe.

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