This icon is distinguished by the fact that the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ look at each other. Against a gold ornate background, there is an image of the Virgin Mary facing right in a three-quarter turn. With Her left arm, she holds the Christ Child, while with Her right hand, She points at Him as the Heavenly King. In His left hand, the Savior holds a scroll, which symbolizes the Book of the Gospels, while His right hand is raised in a blessing gesture.
The Virgin Mary is dressed in a dark red maphorion decorated with a border and stars on the veil and shoulders. Christ wears a bright red chiton. There are gold leaf highlights in garments. The proportionate figures and clear outlines testify to the skill of the unknown artist.
Legend has it that the first icon depicting the Virgin Mary was painted by Luke the Apostle. He sent the icon to Antioch (modern-day Turkey). From there, it was moved to Jerusalem and then to Constantinople, where a temple called the Church of Saint Mary of Blachernae was built for it. In 1383, seventy years before the fall of Constantinople, the icon appeared over the waters of Lake Ladoga, in front of Moscow Prince Dmitry Donskoy. The fishermen who were casting their nets saw an illuminated icon floating on the water. Later, the icon appeared in several other places, including the Tikhvinka River. On the shore of the river, a church and later a monastery were built. In the 16th century, Tikhvin became a famous pilgrimage site. Grand Duke Vasili III visited Tikhvin and prayed in front of the icon for an heir. His son later became Tsar Ivan the Terrible.
In 1613, when the Swedes captured Novgorod and approached the Dormition Monastery in Tikhvin, a procession was held. People carried the miracle-working icon around the monastery, singing hymns and prayers. Legend has it that after that the Swedes retreated.
“Our Lady of Tikhvin” is one of the most revered
Russian shrines. It began to be venerated as a miracle-working icon due to the legend
of the icon floating miraculously through the air and appearing to people. After
that, many copies of the icon were made and distributed throughout Russia. The Feast
of “Our Lady of Tikhvin” is celebrated on July 9, which is the day
commemorating the appearance of the holy image to fishermen on Lake Ladoga.
