The Virgin Mary always comes to the aid of people in difficult situations. It relieves anxiety, insecurity and doubts, suggests the right decision, strengthens faith and saves from problems. But at the beginning of the 20th century, The Heavenly Queen took the whole country under her patronage, revealing a new revered image to the faithful. How it happened and why the amazing icon became famous - read in our article and find out more information on yantar.ua.

Finding the "State" icon

2 (according to the old style - 15) March 1917 - a date known to everyone who is at least a little interested in history. It was then that the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, abdicated. But few people know that another event happened on this day, which gives Orthodox Christians faith that the dark times of persecution will end sooner or later.

Not far from Moscow, in the village of Kolomenskyi (the former royal residence), lived a poor peasant Yevdokia Adrianova. She tried to lead a righteous, honest life, to be gentle, peaceful and fair. And her efforts were rewarded - on February 13, 1917, the woman saw a dream in which a gentle voice spoke to her: "There is a large black image in the Ascension Church in your village. He should be taken and made red, and let all believers pray before him." After some time, the vision was repeated, but this time a shining white temple appeared in front of the peasant woman, in which stood the majestic Mistress.

Stunned Evdokia immediately went to the rector of the church - Father Mykola Lykhachev. Together they examined all the ancient shrines that were on the iconostasis, but none of them resembled the woman's face. Then people went down to the basement - and among the garbage they found a board painted with paints. And after washing it from dust and cobwebs, the amazed parishioners discovered the image of the Most Pure Virgin! In her hands were the scepter and the state, on her head - a crown decorated with precious stones, and the Mother of God was sitting on the royal throne. This is how the icon of the Mother of God "State" was found. In addition, on the same day, a new spring appeared in the village - it rose from the ground on the slope of the Moskva River. Water from this key cured diseases.

Later, thanks to the preserved records from the Resurrection Convent (Moscow), historians managed to establish the origin of the relic. In 1812, before the war with Napoleon, it was moved from the Kremlin to a distant church, and then they forgot to return it. The image was in obscurity for 105 years until, by the grace of God, it appeared before Christians.

The rumor about the miraculous shrine quickly spread across the country. Numerous pilgrims went to her, skilled craftsmen began to make lists of relics, and an akathist of the State Icon of the Mother of God was compiled in her honor. It was believed that the image represents the hope for the revival of the empire, because from now on the ruler's regalia was in the Most Pure Virgin herself!

However, the prosperity did not last long - the Soviet authorities began to persecute everyone who had copies of the shrine. The abbots of the temples and parishioners who tried to hide the relic were arrested and shot, and the original image was seized and sent to the exposition of the State Historical Museum.

The icon returned to the church only at the end of the 1980s. At the request of Metropolitan Pytyrim, it was secretly transferred to the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate, to the altar of the home church of Joseph Volotsky. On July 27, 1990, the shrine was transferred to the Kazan Cathedral in the village of Kolomensk, placing it near the right wing. And in August 2007, the image was transported around Europe, the USA and Australia, so that everyone who wanted to could fall in love with it.