Russian icon "Iverskaja Bogomater" wood double embossing Size: 30x40 cm Condition: New. The icon is inaugurated by the head of the temple Reverend Serafima Sarowski in the town of Sofrino.
Once lived for a long time, in the IX. Century, not far from the city of Nikei in Asia Minor, the God-fearing widow and her son peacefully. This is how their quiet, measured life would have lasted if the persecution of the Orthodox icons had not begun. Even then the soldiers broke into their house. “She’s hiding the idol here!” – one of them cried out, seeing the icon of the Mother of God. “So you fulfill the emperor’s decree!” – picked up another and struck the icon from the spear. Unexpectedly, to his great horror, blood came out of the Mother of God's carved manner, and, going crazy with fear, he fell to his knees before him, begging forgiveness for the terrible, incorrigible sin. During the night the unfortunate widow and her son came to the sea shore. They prayed for a long time and then, saving the icon, betrayed its waves. And the new miracle! The icon got up and swam.
It's been two centuries. On the shore of the sea near Iversky (Georgian) the Afona monastery old men sat and had conversations. Suddenly the strange apparition caught your eye: the fiery support rose from the water to the sky and it became visible that the light came from the icon standing on the waves. They couldn't take the old people into their hands for long. Finally, the gray-haired hermit Gavriil, who boasted of holiness, inspired by the sign of the cross, bravely went on the waves and took the holy icon. With the honors their monks have placed in the altar of the temple. What was their surprise when in the morning found the icon... About вратами the monastery. Unable to believe it, they moved to the altar again, but again the same story was repeated. It happened like this several times until the wonderful vision of Old Man Gavriilu revealed that the icon of the Mother of God was shown not “so that she would protect, but that she would be a protector”. Then the icon was placed over the gate of the monastery, and since then, having received the title of "Vratarnitsa", it has saved the monks from enemies and robbers, hunger and fires several times...