Memorial Day of the Don Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Don Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most revered icons, before whose holy image believers have bowed for many years and asked in prayer for help According to legend, this holy image of the Mother of God was painted at the end of the 14th century by the icon painter Theophan the Greek The icon depicts the Mother of God holding the infant Christ in her right hand A distinctive feature of the holy face is the baby’s bare legs, bent at the knees This face belongs to the “Tenderness” type The icon has been worshiped for many times, and many miraculous events are associated with it It is believed that in 1380 the holy image helped the Russian regiment win the Battle of Kulikovo, after which the icon was presented to Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who transported it to Moscow The miraculous icon helped the Russian army in battles many times, so in 1552, before the Kazan campaign, Ivan the Terrible himself prayed to it, which helped him win And in 1591, to help in the battle with the Tatar army, a religious procession with an icon was held around Moscow, and on the day of the battle, despite the numerous advantage, the Tatars fled the battlefield In gratitude and in memory of this event, the Donskoy Monastery was founded in 1592 and the celebration was established on September 1 (August 19 according to the church Julian calendar) Since then, the icon has been revered as a protector from enemies; people pray to it asking for peace and healing from serious illnesses, and also ask for guidance on a righteous life Currently, the icon is in the Tretyakov Gallery, but on the day of its celebration, the icon of the Mother of God returns to the Donskoy Monastery to perform a festive service