The Kursk Root Sign of the Mother of God. Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "Sign

The Mother of God is revered and glorified by all believers without exception. The Kursk image of the Virgin Mary, otherwise called "The Sign", is able to protect your home from enemies and all evil.

The history of the icon

The miraculous icon "Sign" was found in the forests near the city of Kursk by a pious hunter. The man saw the icon near the roots of the tree: when he lifted it, a clean spring opened in the ground under his feet. Seeing this miracle, the hunter called his comrades, and next to the place where the image of the Mother of God was found, they built a chapel.

At this time, the Tatars came to the Kursk lands. The chapel of the Mother of God did not escape the plunder: the Tatars burned it down, and the icon was cut into two parts. The priest serving in the chapel was taken prisoner by the Tatars. A few years later, he was ransomed and the first thing he did was to look for parts of the miraculous icon. The priest found both parts, folded them - and the icon grew together, as if it had not been cut. The news of this great miracle quickly spread among the believers, and the icon was placed in the temple of Our Lady of the city of Kursk.

Where is the icon

After the expulsion of the Tatar yoke, the icon of the Mother of God was brought to Moscow at the insistence of the princely family. The image was decorated with velvet, gold ornaments and precious stones, after which it was returned to Kursk. At the moment, the image "Sign" is in the Kursk Znamensky Monastery.

Description of the icon "Sign"

The icon depicts the Virgin Mary raising her hands in prayer. In Her womb is depicted the Infant Jesus, bringing salvation to the entire human race. This image reminds every Orthodox Christian of the great miracle of the birth of the Lord.

How the miraculous image helps

The Kursk icon of the Mother of God marks justice and reminds all believers of the miracle of the appearance of the Son of God. That is why the image of the Mother of God "The Sign" is prayed for the healing of women's diseases, the gift of children and family happiness. Also, the icon is asked to protect the home and family from enemies, ill-wishers and all kinds of evil.

Prayers to the miraculous icon

“Most Holy Theotokos, merciful intercessor and patroness of unworthy servants of God! We humbly pray to Thee: beg Thy Son and our God not to leave us in sin and unbelief. May the grace of the Holy Spirit descend on us and humbly enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen".

“Virgin Mary, I pray to You humbly, running to You in tears: do not leave me in grief and sorrow, descend to my tears and grant me happiness to prolong our race! Amen".

This prayer can help a woman bring healthy offspring and raise a child in love.

Memorial Day of the Kursk Icon of the Mother of God - March 21. On this day, prayers for healing and forgiveness of sins are especially powerful. We wish you peace of mind and strong faith in God. Be happy and remember to press the buttons and

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On the night of March 7-8, the attackers, the atheist revolutionaries, decided to blow up the miraculous icon, but, despite the terrible destruction around the icon in the cathedral, the icon itself remained unharmed.

On April 12, the icon was stolen from the cathedral of the Kursk Znamensky Monastery, robbed, but on May 2 it was again found and returned to its place. Finally, in the year, accompanied by Bishop Theophan of Kursk and Oboyanskiy and several of the brethren of the Znamensk Monastery, the icon went abroad, through Constantinople, to fraternal Serbia. In the year, she again, at the request of General Wrangel, visited the Russian land in the Crimea and remained there until the general evacuation of the Russian Army general. Wrangel in early November. The icon returned to Serbia, where it remained until a year, when, together with the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad, went abroad, was in

Yesterday evening, the greatest sacred object of Orthodoxy - the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" was brought to the main temple of the Samara region.

The miraculous icon will be on the Samara land until September 23. From September 17 to 22 - in the Intercession Cathedral in Samara, September 23 - in the Transfiguration Cathedral in Togliatti.

The shrine is accompanied by Archbishop Mark of Berlin-German and Great Britain. Further, the icon will be delivered to Kursk and Perm, staying for a week in each city, and after that it will go overseas.

According to legend, the icon was found on September 8, 1295, on the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, in the forest, not far from Kursk, which was burnt by the Mongol hordes. The hunter found a small icon lying on the root of a tree, and when he lifted it up to examine it, a spring gushed out from the place where the icon lay. At this place, together with his comrades, he cut down a small chapel, where the icon was placed. In 1383, the Kursk region was again plundered, while the attackers cut the icon in half, burned the chapel and took the priest prisoner. According to legend, after a while the priest, Father Bogolyub, ransomed from captivity, found the split parts of the miraculous icon, put them together, and they grew together.

In 1597, at the behest of Tsar Theodore Ioannovich, the icon was taken to Moscow and images of the Lord of hosts and Old Testament prophets were added along its edges. In 1615, Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, the first of the Romanov dynasty, returned the icon to the Kursk land, where, on his order, a monastery was founded on the site of the chapel, called the Root Hermitage. Since 1618, the icon spent most of its time in Kursk in the Cathedral of the Znamensky Monastery.

In 1676, the miraculous icon was brought to the Don to bless the Cossack troops. In 1812, the Kursk city society sent a copy of the icon to the army of M.I.Kutuzov acting against the French.

In 1898, in the Kursk Znamensky Cathedral, three terrorists planted a bomb next to the Kursk Root Icon. The explosion caused destruction in the temple, but the icon remained intact.

During the Civil War, the icon was kept in the Kursk Znamensky Monastery. At the end of October 1919, when the troops of General A. I. Denikin were leaving the city, the icon was removed from Kursk. Her further path passed through Belgorod, Taganrog, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinodar, Novorossiysk. Bishop Theophanes of Kursk brought the icon to Serbia on the "Saint Nicholas" steamer. In September 1920, General P.N. Wrangel asked to deliver the miraculous icon to the Crimea. On October 29, 1920, the image finally left Russia. The icon arrived in Serbia again, where it stayed in a Serbian Orthodox monastery. Since the end of 1927, the image has been in the Russian Holy Trinity Church in Belgrade, where the banners of the Russian army of General P.N. Wrangel were kept.

In 1944, the icon was delivered to Munich. In 1950, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Anastassy, ​​moved to America. Near New York, the Novo-Root Hermitage was created, where the Kursk Root Icon arrived on February 5, 1951. Since 1957, the icon has been in the Cathedral of the Sign of the Synod of Bishops dedicated to it in New York. On September 12, 2009, after a 90-year absence, the Kursk Root Icon visited Russia.

The icon is glorified by numerous miracles. One of the most famous is associated with the miraculous healing of the future great saint - the Monk Seraphim of Sarov. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov, who was born and raised in Kursk, fell seriously ill in his childhood in 1767. Parents no longer hoped for his recovery. However, the Mother of God appeared to him and promised to visit him and heal him from the disease. A few days later, an annual religious procession with the Kursk Root Icon took place along their street. Because of the sudden rain, the procession entered their courtyard. The icon was carried over a sick child, and he venerated it. The patient soon recovered.

2. In the temple where the icon is located, public order is maintained by the forces of the Volga military Cossack society

3. On the days when the shrine is in the Intercession Cathedral, prayers will be held in front of it at 10, 12, 14 and 16 hours.
This morning it was crowded before the first one:

4. By the beginning of the morning prayer service, the Ataman of the Volga Cossack army, Cossack General Ivan Kuzmich Mironov, arrived at the temple

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6. The miraculous icon is installed in the center of the temple

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12. Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign"

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18. Metropolitan Sergius of Samara and Syzran

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On March 8/21 the Holy Church of Christ celebrates the memory of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign". Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "Sign"(Sign of the Root Kursk), the most revered icon in the Russian Church Abroad, which received the name Hodegetria of the Russian diaspora.

This icon depicts the Most Holy Theotokos sitting and prayerfully raising Her hands; on her chest, against the background of a round shield (or sphere) - the blessing Divine Child - Savior-Emmanuel. This image of the Mother of God is one of the very first Her iconographic images.

In the tomb of St. Agnes in Rome there is an image of the Mother of God with outstretched hands in prayer and with the Child sitting on Her lap. This image dates back to the 4th century.

In addition, the ancient Byzantine image of Our Lady "Nicopeia", VI century, is known, where the Most Holy Theotokos is depicted sitting on a throne and holding an oval shield with the image of the Savior-Emmanuel in front of her with both hands.

The icons of the Mother of God, known under the name "Sign", appeared in Russia in the XI-XII centuries, and they began to be called so after the miraculous sign from the Novgorod icon, which happened in 1170. In this year, the combined forces of Russian appanage princes, led by the son of the Suzdal prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, approached the walls of Veliky Novgorod. The Novgorodians prayed, asking the Lord not to leave them.

On the third night, Archbishop Elijah of Novgorod heard a wondrous voice commanding him to take the image of the Most Holy Theotokos from the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyina Street and carry it to the city wall.

Icon of the Mother of God, called the "Sign"

When the icon was transferred, the enemies sent a cloud of arrows into the procession, and one of them pierced the icon-painting face of the Mother of God. Tears flowed from Her eyes, and the icon turned its face to the city. After such a Divine sign, inexplicable horror suddenly attacked the enemies, they began to beat each other, and the Novgorodians, encouraged by the Lord, fearlessly rushed into battle and won.

In remembrance of the miraculous intercession of the Queen of Heaven, Archbishop Elijah at the same time established a feast in honor of the Sign of the Mother of God, which is celebrated by the entire Russian Church to this day.

Numerous copies of the Icon of the Sign are known throughout Russia. Many of them shone with miracles in local churches and were named after the place of the miracles.

Holy Icon of the Mother of God Kursk Root "Sign" attends all parishes of the North American and Canadian dioceses almost annually.

In the jubilee year of the millennium of the Baptism of Rus, the shrine visited our flock in Australia, as well as parishes in Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Further, in 1993, the icon was in France, in Lesna, where the Bishops' Council took place, after which the icon visited the German diocese. In November 1993, Metropolitan Vitaly visited the Australian Diocese with the Miraculous Image. The icon has visited almost all parishes of this diocese.

Many prayers were offered up and tears were shed before the Miraculous icon of the Mother of God; immense joy, consolation and wonderful help from the Queen of Heaven, pouring out through Her miraculous image.

Russian people abroad found themselves scattered throughout all countries of the world, and in order to preserve the Church Abroad, it was necessary to preserve spiritual and social unity among themselves. The soul and symbol of this unity has become our universal shrine, the Hodegetria of the Russian diaspora - the Kursk Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign".

And in our time of troubles, let us pray to the Most Holy Theotokos - may She preserve Her house from enemies visible and invisible; may the Sign of the promises of God be immutable, and may holy Russia arise in all its spiritual greatness. The fate of not only Russia, but the entire world depends on this.

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" of Kursk-Root was last on Russian soil on September 14, 1920 in the Crimea, in the army that fought against the Bolsheviks. Having left Russia in 1920, the holy icon became the "Hodegetria" (Guidebook) of the Russian Diaspora, staying with all the first hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Now she is in one of the temples of the New Root Desert near New York (USA). And in the Russian Kursk Znamensky Cathedral there is a copy of the miraculous image.

Kursk icon "Sign" of the Mother of God. History

One of the most remarkable and ancient icons of Orthodox Russia - Kursk icon "Sign" of the Mother of God ... The history of this icon is very instructive and full of such a multitude of blessed signs and wonders that it evokes involuntary reverence for the wondrous shrine.

In the 13th century, during the Tatar pogrom, when almost all of Russia was in ruins, the Kursk region also did not escape the fate of other Russian cities: it all came to complete desolation, and its main city, Kursk, devastated by the hordes of Batu, turned into a wild one. a deserted place overgrown with a dense forest and inhabited by wild animals.

Residents of the city of Rylsk, which survived the pogrom, often went hunting here to catch animals. This is what tells us "The story of the appearance of the miraculous icon of the Most Pure Theotokos, her honest and glorious sign, the Kursk one is also called, and about the beginning of the city of Kursk" about the acquisition of the icon:

“In the year 6803 from the creation of the world, and from the Nativity of Christ in 1295, on September 8 (O.S.), it happened to a pious husband to come for his profit in the forest, which overgrown the outskirts of Kursk, after its ruin, and by God's watch he saw near the Tuskari River in a half-mountain, at the root of a large tree, an icon lying prostrate, which he had just lifted from the ground, as immediately from that place a source of water flowed, seeing this, the man put the icon of the Sign of the Mother of God, honestly acquired by him, in the hollow of that tree, and then he announced this glorious miracle to his comrades, who agreed with each other, built a chapel a few fathoms higher than the mentioned place and, having erected a miraculous Icon in it, returned home in peace ”.

Such an unusual phenomenon of the icon, combined with a miracle, soon became known in the neighboring town of Rylsk and its environs. Hence the pious inhabitants rushed to worship the new shrine in the hope of receiving healing and consolation from it in their sorrows, which over time was more and more glorified by miracles.

Upon learning of this, the Rylsky prince Vasily Shemyaka ordered to transfer it to Rylsk. The icon was solemnly greeted by all residents who went out of town to meet the icon. Only one prince Shemyaka avoided this celebration. For this he was punished with blindness on the day the icon arrived in Rylsk. The prince realized his guilt, repented and, having performed fervent prayer before the holy icon, received healing. Touched by this miracle, Shemyaka built a church in the name of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Rylsk. A miraculous icon was placed in this temple, and on the day of the appearance - September 8, its annual celebration was established.

But the icon did not stay here for long: it was miraculously transported from the temple and returned to the place of its appearance, to the bank of the Tuskar River. Residents of Rylsk repeatedly took it from here and put it in Rylsk, but each time it incomprehensibly returned to its original place. Then they realized that the Mother of God favored the place where her icon appeared, and left it here in the chapel.

Numerous pilgrims flocked here to worship the shrine, from which miracles abundantly took place. Prayers for the pilgrims were performed by one pious priest called Bogolyub, who voluntarily, out of special zeal and reverence for the Mother of God, came here and lived here, especially on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, exercising asceticism.

In 1383, the Kursk land was subjected to a new plunder by the Tatars. The Tatars, having met a chapel on their way, took the priest prisoner, and decided to burn the chapel. But the chapel, despite their best efforts, did not catch fire, although they surrounded it with brushwood. Superstitious barbarians attacked Bogolyub, suspecting him of magic, with which they explained their failure.

The pious priest denounced their foolishness and pointed to the icon of the Mother of God in the chapel. The embittered Tatars seized the holy icon, cut it in two and threw them in different directions, and burned the chapel. Priest Bogolyub was taken captive.

Icon of the Mother of God Sign of Kursk-Root

In captivity of the infidels, the pious old man preserved his Christian faith: despite the Tatars' admonitions to accept their religion, he remained adamant, placing all his trust in the Most Holy Theotokos. And this hope did not deceive him. Once he grazed sheep and delighted himself in heavy bondage by singing church prayers and doxologies in honor of the Mother of God. The ambassadors of the Moscow tsar, who were passing to the khan, heard this singing, recognized the old shepherd as a Russian priest and ransomed him from captivity.

Bogolyub returned to his homeland and settled again in his former place, where there was a chapel with an icon. Here he soon found the parts of the miraculous icon split by the Tatars, put them together, and they immediately fused together so tightly that no trace of this damage remained; only in the place where the icon was split did "aki dew" appear. Residents of Rylsk, having learned about this miracle, glorified God and His Most Pure Mother.

Having renewed the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, built by Shemyaka, the inhabitants of Rylsk again tried to transfer the holy icon here, but the latter again miraculously returned to the place of its appearance. Then a new chapel was built here, in which the "Sign" icon remained for about 200 years, constantly exuding miracles.

Numerous copies of the Icon of the Sign are known throughout Russia. Many of them shone with miracles in local churches and were named after the place of the miracles. Such lists of the Icon of the Sign include the icons of Dionysius-Glushitskaya, Abalatskaya, Kurskaya, Seraphim-Ponetaevskaya and others.

In July 1966, ROCOR Archbishop John of Shanghai (Maksimovich) (Memorial Day 19 June Old Style / 2 July New Style) visited St. Nicholas parish in Seattle with the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God. On July 2, while praying in front of this icon in his cell, he died.

The original of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Kursk-Root is in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in New York, USA.

Days of celebration:

• March 8 / March 21- to commemorate the salvation of the icon from the atheist revolutionaries who tried to blow up the icon in the Kursk Cathedral in 1898;
• 9th Friday after Easter - an annual religious procession with an icon from the Kursk Znamensky Monastery to the Root Hermitage.
• September 8 (September 21) - in commemoration of the acquisition of the icon in 1295 on the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos;
• November 27 (December 10) - Feast of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign".

Our Lady of the Sign

ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD "SIGN"
Troparion, voice 4

Like an invincible wall and a source of miracles / who have acquired Thee, Thy Rabbi, / The Most Pure Mother of God, / we overthrow the resistance militias. / We also pray to Thee: / Grant peace to Thy city / and great mercy to our souls.

Kontakion, voice 4

An honorable sign of Thy image / Thy people celebrate, Mother of God, / I have given you a wondrous victory against Thy hail, / We cry out to You by faith: / Hail, Virgin, praise Christians.

Glorifications

It is worthy to be blessed by Thee, / Virgin Mary, / the most honest Cherubim / and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim. Or: Let us bring every spiritual song to the Mother of God.

Ino glorification

We magnify Thee, / Blessed Virgin, / God's Chosen Young Woman, / and we honor Thy holy image, / Thou hast bestowed upon Thy hail a wondrous victory.

Ino glorification

We magnify Thee, / Blessed Virgin, / and we honor Your honest image, / you have shown / a glorious sign.

Ino dignity, others like in Veliky Novgorod

We magnify Thee, / Blessed Virgin, / and honor Your honest image, / imzhe victory over the enemies of the gift / our city.

Prayer

Our beloved Queen, our hope, the Mother of God. The sanctuary of the orphan and the strange to the patroness, grieving joy, offended by the patroness; see our misfortune, see our sorrow. Help us as if we were weak, feed us as if we were strange. Our insult, resolve the one, as if you volish. As if they were not imams of any other help, except for You, not for another representative, not for a good comforter, only for You, O Bogomati, as if save us and cover us forever and ever. Amen.

The Orthodox icon of the Mother of God with the Child, surrounded at its edges with images of the Lord of hosts and the Old Testament prophets, is revered as miraculous, belongs to the icon-painting type Oranta(or The Omen).

Days of celebration:

• March 8 (March 21) - in memory of the salvation of the icon from the atheist revolutionaries who tried to blow up the icon in the Znamensky Cathedral of Kursk in 1898;
• 9th Friday after Easter - an annual religious procession with an icon from the Kursk Znamensky Monastery to the Root Hermitage;
• September 8 (September 21) - in commemoration of the acquisition of the icon in 1295 on the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos;
• November 27 (December 10) - Feast of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign".

According to legend, the icon was found September 8, 1295, in a day Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, in the forest, not far from Kursk, burnt by the Tatars. Two hunters hunted in a forest 28 kilometers from Kursk. Suddenly one of them saw, the chronicler claims, “ near the Tuskari River in a half-mountain, at the root of a large tree, an icon lying prostrate, which he had just lifted from the ground, as a source of water immediately flowed from that place, seeing this, this husband put the icon of the Mother of God, honestly acquired by him, in the hollow of that tree , and then he announced this glorious miracle to his comrades, who, agreeing among themselves, built a chapel a few fathoms higher than the mentioned place and, having placed a miraculous icon in it, returned home in peace". When Prince Rylsky Vasily Shemyaka informed about the appearance of the icon, he ordered to bring it to the city. The people greeted the icon of the Mother of God with triumph, but the prince himself did not take part in this meeting, for which he was immediately punished with blindness. When, after repentance, he received an epiphany, in gratitude for the healing he raised church in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where after the end of construction the miraculous icon was placed. At the same time, a holiday was established on the day of her appearance. The icon of the Virgin from the place of the appearance at the root of the tree began to be called Root.

V 1383 year The Kursk region was again plundered by the Tatars. The Tatars cut the icon in half, burned the chapel and took the priest away. According to legend, after a while the priest, father Bogolyub, ransomed from captivity, found the parts of the miraculous icon split by the Tatars, put them together, and they grew together [ Kiselev A. Miraculous icons of the Mother of God in Russian history. - M., 1992].

V 1597 year, at the behest Tsar Theodore Ioannovich, the icon was taken to Moscow and images of the Lord of hosts and Old Testament prophets were added along its edges.

V 1898 year v Kursk Znamensky Cathedral three revolutionary-minded young men led by A.G. Ufimtsev planted a bomb next to the Kursk Root Icon. The explosion caused destruction in the temple, but the icon remained intact.

WITH 1957 year the icon is in the dedicated to it Cathedral of the Sign Synod of Bishops in New york.

This is the icon through which the Most Holy Theotokos healed the boy, exhausted by a serious illness - in the future St. Seraphim of Sarov.

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Sign" of Kursk-Root, they pray for deliverance from internecine strife, during a disaster and the invasion of enemies, for healing from blindness and eye diseases, cholera, for the protection and blessing of our compatriots who are forced to wander around the world, for the peace of the warring.

More details about the description and history of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God "Sign" can be found.

On the page you can find out the history of the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" of our Temple.

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon "The Sign" Kursk-Root

Our Abiding Queen, our hope, the Mother of God, the Friend of the orphan and the strange to the Representative, the grieving Joy, offended by the Patroness, see our misfortune, see our sorrow; help us, as if weak, feed us, as if strange, our insult, resolve that, as if you will, save our fatherland, the suffering land of Russia, from the utter atheists of the situation, save and save your servants (the name of the rivers) and all of us here who are coming and those who pray, and cover us from all evil with Your honest omophorion, as if not the imams of any other help except for You, not for another representative, not for a good comforter, only for You, O Bogomati, as if save us and cover us forever and ever. Amen.