Orthodox churches abound with the faces of saints who are able to provide their divine help to people in a difficult situation and in the presence of serious illnesses. Each icon is characterized by its own special action, it allows to improve a person's life in a certain area. In this article, I would like to invite you to understand the meaning of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, as well as in what situations you can pray for her mercy.

The Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands is one of the original images, imprinting the face of the Lord on itself. The image is very significant among adherents of the Christian religion, often it is put forward in one place with a cross and a crucifix.

If you - Orthodox person and want to know real characteristic this icon, as well as from what troubles you can protect yourself with its help - be sure to read on.

How the Image of Jesus Christ Not Made by Hands Originally Appeared

We can find out what the Savior looked like by a large number various church traditions and legends, but the Bible does not mention a single word about appearance Jesus. How, then, could the image of that face about which we are talking now appear?

The history of the creation of the image of the "Savior Not Made by Hands" with all the details was preserved and transmitted by the Roman historian Eusebius (a student of Pamphilus, who lives in Palestine). It should be noted that Eusebius made a very great contribution to history - many of the information from the time of Jesus has survived to this day precisely thanks to his efforts.

But how did the Savior Not Made by Hands appear? The glory of the Savior was known far from his place of residence; residents of other cities and even countries often visited him. Once the king of the city of Edessa (now it is modern Turkey) sent a herald to him with a message. The letter said that Avgar was exhausted by old age and a serious illness in his legs. Jesus made a promise to send one of his disciples to help the ruler and bring enlightenment to his people with the help of the light of the Holy Gospel. The following case was recorded and transmitted by Ephraim Sirin.

In addition to the messenger, Avgar also sent a painter to Jesus, but he was so blinded by the divine radiance that he was unable to paint a portrait of Christ. Then the Savior decided to give Avgar a kind of present - a canvas (ubrus), with which he wiped his face.

The canvas retained the imprint of the divine face - that is why it was given the name miraculous, that is, one that was created not by human hands, but by divine power (similarly Shroud of Turin). This was the first image that arose during the life of Jesus. And when the fabric was delivered by ambassadors to Edessa, it immediately turned into a local shrine.

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the apostle Thaddeus goes to Edessa, healing Abgar and performing other miracles, as well as actively converting the local population to become Christians. We learn about these amazing events from another historian - Procopius of Caesarea. And in the records of Evagrius (Antioch) it is told about the miraculous rescue of the townspeople from the ambush of enemies.

Appearance of the Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands

Historical documents have preserved to this day a description of the divine face, which was kept by King Avgar. The canvas was stretched on a wooden base. Surprisingly, the Savior Not Made by Hands is the only image depicting Jesus as a human being, emphasizing his human nature.

And in all other images, the Savior is already depicted with elements of church paraphernalia or performs certain actions. And on the image of the Savior, you can see the image of Jesus, and it is not a “vision” of the author, but is a real image of the Lord.

Most often we meet the image of the Savior on the ubrus - the image of the Savior, depicted against the background of a towel with folds. Most boards have White color. In some cases, the face is depicted against the background of brickwork. And in a number of traditions, the towel is held around the edges by angelic beings floating in the air.

The image is unique in its mirror symmetry, in which only the eyes of the Savior did not fit - they are slightly skewed, which adds more spirituality to the facial expressions of Jesus' face.

List Holy Savior, which is located in the city of Novgorod, is a standard of ancient incarnation about ideal beauty. In addition to perfect symmetry, great importance is given here to the complete absence of emotions - sublime purity, peace of mind Savior, which seem to charge everyone who turns their gaze to his icon.

What does the image mean in Christianity

It is difficult to overestimate what the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands means - after all, its amazing appearance in itself is a fairly significant argument at the time of the struggle with icons. In fact, it is the image that is the main confirmation that the face of the Savior can be depicted and used as a shrine and pray to him for your requests.

The print preserved on the canvas is the main type of iconography, reminiscent of the divine principle of icon painting. This skill initially also had a descriptive function - the stories from the Bible began to come to life before the eyes of the first adherents of Christianity. In addition, there were practically no books before, even the famous Holy Scripture which has been a rarity for a long time. Therefore, it is quite logical that believers very much wanted to have a visible incarnation of the Savior.

The very fact that only the face of Jesus is depicted on the icon is intended to remind Christians that they can only be saved if they establish a personal relationship with Christ. And if this does not happen, none of the church rites will be able to let the believer into the Kingdom of Heaven.

On the image, Jesus looks clearly at the audience - he seems to call on everyone who turns his gaze to him to follow Him. The process of contemplating the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands makes it possible to realize the true meaning of life in Christianity.

What does the icon of the "Savior Not Made by Hands" mean?

The amazing image of the Savior is distinguished by certain characteristics:

• it is the described icon that is an indispensable element of the training program for icon painters and their first independent icon;
• this is a single of the faces of Jesus, on which there is a closed halo. Nimbus is the personification of harmony and completeness of the Universe;
• the image is symmetrical. Only the eyes of Jesus squint a little to the side to show a more vivid picture. The symmetry on the image is intended to remind about symmetry in everything that was created by the Lord;
• the face of Jesus on the icon does not express the emotions of suffering or pain. On the contrary, it evokes associations with calmness, balance and purity, as well as freedom from any emotional experiences. Often the face is associated with the concept of "pure beauty";
• the icon shows only a portrait of the Savior, one of his heads, even the shoulders are missing. This feature can be interpreted from different positions, in particular, the head once again emphasizes the primacy of the spiritual over the bodily, plus it acts as a kind of reminder of the importance of the Son of God in church life.

It is noteworthy that the described icon is the only image of the face of Jesus. On all other holy Faces, you can find the Savior moving or standing to his full height.

With what requests can you turn to the "Savior Not Made by Hands"?

The icon is able to help out a person in a number of troubles, namely:

• if a person solves a difficult life problem, is in a difficult situation, from which it is difficult to find a way out - it is worth asking for help from the icon of the "Savior Not Made by Hands";
• if faith is lost, the face of the Savior will also help;
• if there are various severe pathologies, it is also worth contacting the face;
• in the presence of bad, sinful thoughts, having prayed at this icon, you can quickly get rid of the latter;
• praying at the image to really receive mercy and indulgence from the Savior, both for yourself and for your close circle;
• if you suffer from apathy, lack of physical energy - this trouble can also be solved by the face of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

Before you start asking for the help of Christ from his icon, repent and read the text of the prayer “Our Father”.

In conclusion, I suggest you also watch an informative video about the icon "Savior Not Made by Hands":

Guess about the secret from the obvious.

Solon

A sensation was caused in the scientific world by the conclusions that the blood on the greatest Christian shrines - the Shroud of Turin, the Tunic of Argentoy and the Sudarium of Oviedo - belongs to the same rare group. Their scientific analysis was carried out as part of the filming of the scientific documentary film "Can Christ be cloned" by the famous French director Yves Boisset.

From the highest church authorities, Boisset received permission to analyze blood stains on these shrines. It is believed that the body of Christ, stored in Turin, was wrapped immediately after being taken down from the cross. The tunic, located in the church of St. Denis in the suburbs of Paris - Argentoy, was on Christ during His way of the cross to Golgotha. Sudarium from the Cathedral of the Savior in the Spanish city of Oviedo covered the head of Christ during the position in the tomb.

All of these shrines contain numerous traces of blood. Their analysis showed that the blood belongs to the rarest group AB (blood group IV), and its carriers live mainly in Palestine, Syria, Jordan and in some parts of Turkey.The AB group is so rare that today, for example, less than 1.5 million people out of the entire multi-billion population of the Earth have it.Boisset does not rule out that the blood on all Christian shrines belonged to the same person.

The canonical Gospels do not directly describe the appearance of any of the three images. There are non-canonical stories about three miraculous images of Jesus Christ:

1. Face from Edessa (Savior Wet Brada, Savior Not Made by Hands).


2. Veil of Veronica (Veil of Veronica).


3. Shroud of Turin.

The first stories about images of Jesus Christ on shrouds, in this case on canvases, are connected with the legends about Veronica's headscarf. These legends were created during the VI-IX centuries. It was said that Jesus Christ, bearing his heavy cross to Golgotha, accompanied by "a great multitude of people and women, who wept and wept for him" (Luke 23:27; John 19:16-17).

Among them was a kind compassionate pagan Veronica. She drew attention to the fact that Jesus Christ was sweating profusely from the strain, and wiped hissweat and blood from the thorny needles from the face with your scarf. The Savior returned her handkerchief with the words: "Blessed are you, brave woman." On this scarf, the Image Not Made by Hands remained imprinted.As a result, the image of the face of the Savior remained on her scarf.

The legend is a legend, but it is authentically known that in 944 the “Plat of Veronica” was first put up for worship by believers in the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. In 1204, the pious and pious knights, having captured Constantinople, successfully seized the Veronica Plate and took it with them to Western Europe.

Since then, the Veronica Plate has become a relic exclusively of the Catholic Church. The original of the stolen "Veronica's Fee" was later lost.Having lost its shrine, the Orthodox Church created a new legend about the miraculous image of the face of Jesus Christ.

It is said that at the conclusion of his farewell supper, Jesus Christ wiped his face with a towel, with which he had previously wiped the feet of the apostles (John 13:1-15). After this action, the image of the face of Jesus Christ remained on the towel. The original of this miracle, of course, is currently nowhere to be found.

Instead of him in Orthodox churches there are “authentic” copies, which are officially called “The Image Not Made by Hands of Our Lord Jesus Christ”.

The relic, called "Veronica's plate" is kept in the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rome. Presumably, the name of Veronica at the mention of the Image Not Made by Hands arose as a distortion of the Latin vera icon (true image).The characteristic features of the Face from Edessa are: the fact that Jesus Christ wiped his wet face after washing with a towel, therefore His hair and beard were wet and divided into three strands: two strands of wet hair and one strand of wet beard, therefore the Face from Edessa is also called Spas Wet Brada.

Veronica's veil was made of mesh. Since Jesus Christ carried his cross to Calvary after the crown of thorns was put on his head,then many artists depict on the Veil of Veronica the face of Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns on his head and with bruises from punctures with thorn needles. The original has been lost, only copies survive.In medieval Western iconography, the two images were often confused.Some artists did not know about the existence of three miraculous images and, therefore, painted one instead of the other.

At least two "Veronica's Board" are known:

1. In St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. On the handkerchief, the image of the face of Jesus can be seen through the light.Just like on the shroud, the image was applied not with paint and not with any known organic materials.Scientists are still studying these images, but the mystery has not yet been solved.

2. "Face from Manopello", which is also called “Veil of Veronica”, but there is no crown of thorns on it, it is obvious that the drawing is man-made, in the positive, the proportions of the parts of the face are violated (the lower eyelid of the left eye is very different from the right, etc.), which allows us to conclude that this list from the "Savior Not Made by Hands" sent to Avgar, not Veronica's Plat.

"... According to an ancient legend, when Jesus, after laying the crown of thorns and scourging, carried His cross to Golgotha, a compassionate woman wiped his face with her handkerchief, "on which the features of His holy face were imprinted." The face of Jesus Christ was displayed on the board: "How as if a living person is looking through a thin fabric. The person has beautiful hair that falls on His shoulders. The eyes are open and the whites of the eyes are expressive whiteness. The look is affectionate and the lips seem to be folded into a slight smile. "This is how one of the researchers, Father Heinrich Pfeiffer, describes the saint. .

If we turn to history, we learn that in 574 Saint Plath ended up in Constantinople and in 626, during the siege of the city by the Avars, he was on its fortress walls. Then the board disappeared from Constantinople and its trace was found in Rome. In 1506, a stranger came to Manopello. Approaching the parish church of St. Nicholas, the mysterious wanderer found a priest in it and placed a bundle in front of him with the words: “Take care of this shrine as a gift from heaven, honor it, and it will be protection for you and for your entire family.” Admiring the image that the wanderer brought, the priest took the valuable gift to his house, where the Image Not Made by Hands stayed for 100 years. It was passed on by inheritance until, finally, one of the heirs in 1638 donated it to the temple. The image that got into the temple became the subject of universal veneration, and whoever turned to him received what he asked for .... "

But today, the Vatican refuses to recognize the authenticity of the Veil of Veronica icon, kept in a remote monastery in the Italian village of Manopello, which many believe was miraculously imprinted with the face of Jesus after His earthly death.The fact is that at the disposal of the Holy See is its own relic, which claims to be called the veil of St. Veronica.

According to church teaching, Saint Veronica wiped sweat from Jesus' eyebrows when He carried His cross to Golgotha. She became the patron saint of photography, and her name is believed to be derived from "faith icon", which means "true icon".

In dim light, the image loses color, the prints become darker, and the features of Christ's face look like those of the deceased. If you turn the image against daylight, it disappears, and when you watch it from the side of the altar, the expression of the eyes on the face of Jesus changes, and he seems to be looking sideways.

There is no crown of thorns in the painting by Hans Memling"Saint Veronica", it is obvious that, having no sample, Hans Memling used the list from the Savior Not Made by Hands instead of Veronica's Plat.The Roman Catholic Church canonized Veronica, although there is no reliable information that the story with the veil really took place.At least in the New Testament, there is no mention of the event described.According to the Vatican, Veronica kept the veil for a long time. They say that she cured the Roman emperor Tiberius with her help, and then handed her over to Pope Clement for safekeeping.

According to official data from the Vatican, the Scarf of Veronica, the most valuable relic of Christianity, is still kept in St. Peter's Basilica.Veronica's veil is taken out of the column for public viewing only once a year - on the fifth Sunday evening of Great Lent, but the display time is short and, moreover, it is shown from the high loggia of the Pillar of St. Veronica.Only the canons of St. Peter's Basilica are allowed to approach the relic.

The meticulous German journalist Paul Badde, in the spring of 2004, turned to Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, vicar general of the Vatican and archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, with a request to see the relic hidden in the column.The cardinal explained the refusals by saying that "over the years, the image has faded too much."

Finally, the journalist's perseverance won out, and an exception was made for him - he was allowed to enter the vault of the Vatican, located in the Pillar of Veronica. He experienced a deep disappointment. Linen not only made no impression on him,but you can hardly see anything on it - the image is more like a dark spot.

Badde suspects that in the early seventeenth century, while the new St. Peter's Basilica was still being built, the Veil was stolen and an unsuccessful copy planted in its place. In the picture Veronica's Veil depicted as a veil, like the one kept in Monapello.

“Formal recognition after so many centuries of silence would be of great theological and iconographic significance,” Frank Heinrich Feifer, another supporter of the authenticity of the monastery icon, a German Jesuit priest and art teacher at the Gregorian University in Rome, told the Italian press.

After examining the veil, he came to the conclusion that it has unusual, one might say, supernatural properties. The veil is a small piece of cloth measuring 6.7 by 9.4 inches (approximately 17 by 24 cm).It is almost transparent, reddish-brown in color, it depicts the face of a bearded man,there are no traces of paint on it.Depending on the inclination of the rays of the sun, the face either disappears or appears, which in the Middle Ages was considered a miracle in itself.In addition, the image is on both sides - both are absolutely identical to each other.

The relic shocks the observer with its properties.It is a mixture of transparencies and a hologram of a man of Mediterranean appearance with a broken face and a broken nose. Details like the thin beard and plucked eyebrows almost look like a photograph, or at least a negative.

On the Shroud of Turinthe crown of thorns is no longer there, since it has already been removed, but there are punctures from the needles of thorns and bruises. The original is located in Turin (Italy).The modern name of the shroud "Turin" comes from the place of its current residence. Since 1578, she has been moved to the city of Turin, which has been her place of official and almost non-stop stay for the last 428 years. The 400th anniversary of the Shroud of Turin was celebrated in 1978.

Her mystery has not yet been solved.How the imprint came to be, when it was made, radiocarbon dating gives a date much later than the death of Christ.Herself Catholic Church does not officially recognize the shroud as genuine, although he keeps and honors it.And then - a personal matter of the believers themselves.You want to believe in the truth, you want - no.These miraculous images became the first icons and gave rise to many images.

The shroud was a piece of linen about 410 cm by 140 cm in size. It was said that on the linen - by analogy with the Shroud of Veronica - there was an image of the entire body of the deceased Jesus Christ. And, in fact, the pilgrims saw on the canvas he offered a double image of the body of a man: from the back and in front; double head in the center - together, and legs - at opposite ends. Spectators could conclude that Jesus Christ was not wrapped in linen, but that the linen was only placed under his body from head to toe, the scroll of linen was folded over the head of the deceased and then covered with it from top to bottom.

It was said that this relic was brought to Liraea by a local crusader knight (according to another version, they say - “a soldier of fortune”) from Constantinople. For pilgrims, it was said that this shroud was only now, in 1347, “transferred” from Constantinople. Later, already in the 16th century, they began to say that it was the same shroud that the crusaders saw in Constantinople in 1204 and then “secretly took it with them” to France.

Since then and up to the present day, more and more rumors have been invented and spread about the current Shroud of Turin, which are simply impossible to follow with complete certainty; it is impossible to retell all these “says”. They say - well, let them talk. We will continue to present only the history of the present Shroud of Turin, based on strict documents and facts. (In parentheses, we note that among the versions of historical documents about the Shroud of Turin that have come down to us, there are some minor discrepancies that we are unable to eliminate. These discrepancies are not essential for our study.

Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands - description
The Savior Not Made by Hands The Savior Not Made by Hands has always been one of the most beloved images in Rus'. It was he who was usually written on the banners of the Russian troops. There are two types of images of the Image Not Made by Hands: the Savior on the Ubrus and the Savior on the Skull. On the icons of the "Savior on the Ubrus" type, the face of Christ is depicted on a board (towel), the upper ends of which are tied in knots. There is a border along the bottom edge. The face of Jesus Christ is the face of a middle-aged man with thin and spiritual features, with a beard divided in two, with long, curly hair at the ends and with a straight parting. The appearance of the icon "Savior on the skull" is explained by the following legend. As already mentioned, the king of Edessa, Abgar, converted to Christianity. The miraculous image was glued to a "rotting board" and placed over the city gates. Later, one of the kings of Edessa returned to paganism, and the image was walled up in a niche in the city wall, and after four centuries this place was completely forgotten. In 545, during the siege of the city by the Persians, the bishop of Edessa was given a revelation[...]

Savior Not Made by Hands - description of the icon
The Image of Jesus Christ Not Made by Hands, the Savior on the Ubrus, Mandylion is one of the main types of the image of Christ, representing His face on the Ubrus (plate) or shard (tile). Christ is depicted at the age of the Last Supper. Tradition relates the historical Edessa prototype of icons of this type to the legendary board, on which the face of Christ miraculously appeared when He wiped their faces. The image is usually the main one. One of the options - Chrepie or Ceramide - an image of similar iconography, but on the background brickwork. In Western iconography, the type<Плат Вероники>, where Christ is depicted on a board, but wearing a crown of thorns. In Rus', a special type of the Image Not Made by Hands has developed -<Спас Мокрая брада>- an image in which the beard of Christ converges into one thin tip.

Praying before icons, people rarely think about where the icons came from, when and by whom the tradition of icon veneration was established. Prayer before the image is so familiar to us that it seems to be eternal. Meanwhile, in the Gospel Christ never spoke about icons. But Holy Tradition tells us the story of the first icon that Christ created - it was not made by human hands, but has a miraculous origin, which is why it is called the Savior Not Made by Hands (the word Spas is an abbreviation for "Savior", the title of Christ as having saved all people from the slavery of sin) . This image for a long time preserved by mankind, it has a long history and deep theological significance.

The Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is one of the most important in Christianity. In the article, you will learn how the first icon was made, what miracles were created from it, what is its significance for the art of icon painting, and what is the difference between the versions of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” “on the ubrus” (Mandylion) and “on the neck” (Ceramidion).

HISTORY OF THE CREATION AND HONORING OF THE Savior NOT MADE BY HANDS

In the Gospel and the apostolic letters there is absolutely no description of the appearance of Christ. Nevertheless, all the icons of the Lord show us the same image of the God-man (even the icons of the Mother of God in the image of Her differ more strongly from each other). This is explained precisely by the miraculous creation of Christ's own icon. The history of this amazing event was recorded by the Roman historian Eusebius from Palestine, a Christian, as well as the Monk Ephraim the Syrian, a holy ascetic of the Syrian desert. The document is a real historical source, thanks to the descriptions of Eusebius, many everyday details of the life of the Roman Empire of that period have come down to us.

Eusebius wrote that during the life of Christ, the glory of Him and His miracles spread even to other countries. The ruler of the city of Edessa (now in Turkey), named Avgar, sent a servant and a skilled artist to Christ. Avgar was an elderly man and suffered greatly from a disease of the joints of his legs. He asked to pray for him and heal the disease, and in order to see Christ himself (due to illness, he could not do this, and there were no images of the Lord yet), he instructed the artist to draw Christ from life. It was common practice in the Roman Empire to make portraits and sculpt busts from life. Art at the time of Christ's earthly life was sufficiently developed to depict with the help of chiaroscuro: many believe that the schematic features of icon painting were the result of insufficient understanding by the creators of the images of painting, but this is not so; iconography has own language drawing, which consists in the techniques of reverse perspective and symbolism.

When the king's messengers conveyed to Christ a request for healing, the Lord promised that one of His apostles would visit Edessa and enlighten its people with the light of the New Testament teaching. At this time, the artist of the king tried and could not sketch Christ. Then the Lord Himself took a towel (a handkerchief, in Tserkonov Slavonic “ubrus”) and wiped his face with it - the Face of the Lord was imprinted on the handkerchief. That is why this image is called Not Made by Hands: human hands could not depict Him with the help of paints, but the grace of the Lord, His own energy and power created the image. Probably, this image was similar to the Shroud of Turin, where the Face of Jesus Christ is visible, as in the photograph.

So even during the life of the Savior, the first icon arose. The royal ambassadors delivered a wonderful image on fabric to Edessa. The miraculous Image-Mandylion (in Greek - on the fabric) began to be revered as a great shrine by the king. And when, after the Ascension of Christ, the holy Apostle Thaddeus visited the city, according to another historian, Procopius of Caesarea, he healed King Abgar, preached Christianity and performed many miracles. Then the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands became a city shrine that protected the Edessians, and was placed above the city gates as the banner of Edessa. For several centuries, through prayers before him, many miracles were performed, and the chronicler Evagrius of Antioch recorded evidence of the miraculous deliverance of Edessa from the siege of enemies thanks to him.

Alas, one of the descendants of Abgar became a pagan and an iconoclast. In order to protect the revered image from destruction, the Christians of Edessa laid the icon with stones in the wall. The image was hidden for so long that the generation of Christians who survived the persecution no longer remembered the location of the shrine. Only during new war, in the VI century, after the prayer of the townspeople for salvation, the bishop of the city in a dream saw a place where the image was hidden. When the masonry was removed, it turned out that the face of Christ was also imprinted on the stones (“on the skull”, in Church Slavonic). The small lampada, set up in previous centuries, continued to burn miraculously.

Both images became the object of worship. The icon imprinted on the stones was called Ceramidion and placed in a shrine, and the Mandalion was transferred to the altar of the city cathedral, from where it was taken out for veneration by believers only twice a year.

At the end of the 11th century, the Byzantine army laid siege to the city and demanded to surrender to the emperor. In exchange for peace, the people of Constantinople offered to give them the miraculous Image Not Made by Hands - Mandalion. The inhabitants of Edessa agreed, and the icon was transferred to Constantinople. And this day - August 29, according to the new style - is now church holiday. This is the Third, Bread or Walnut Savior, the day of remembrance of the transfer from Edessa to Constantinople of the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands. On this day in Rus', the harvesting of bread was completed and nuts ripened, for the collection of which the peasants took blessings. After the Liturgy they consecrated homebaked bread and pies baked from the flour of the new harvest.

In 1011, an artist of the Western Church made a list on fabric from the Image Not Made by Hands. It was transferred to Rome under the name "vero eikon" - the true image and became known with the name "Veronica's Plate". Miracles also occurred from this list, it provided the basis for an extensive iconography of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church.

Unfortunately, the miraculous Mandylion has not survived to this day. During the crusade of 1204, he was captured by the crusaders and, according to legend, drowned along with the ship of the kidnappers.

The Mandylion was never brought to Rus', but there were lists glorified by miracles. The oldest Russian icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands dates back to the 12th century and was presumably painted in Novgorod. There is no image of the fabric on it, therefore the image is attributed to Ceramidion (this type of iconography of the Image Not Made by Hands is called “The Savior on the Skull”). According to art historians, this icon is close to the miraculous image of Edessa. Perhaps his list was brought to Rus' in the first centuries after its Baptism by Prince Vladimir. The image was a revered shrine of the Moscow Kremlin, and now it is in Tretyakov Gallery.

PECULIARITIES OF THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE Savior NOT MADE BY HANDS

The description of the icon, created by Christ for King Abgar and preserved by the Edessians, has come down to us from historical evidence. It is known that the ubrus - the fabric with the imprint of the Face - was stretched over wooden frame, as artists today make a canvas on a stretcher.

The icon is an image of only the Face of Christ with the hair surrounding Him, without a neck - indeed, as if a person had washed himself and dried himself with a towel up to his chin.

Perhaps this is the only icon that specifically focuses on the Face of Christ, especially His eyes. Recognition and a special impression of the icon are also created by the symmetry of the image of the Face of the Savior. The eyes of Christ in the image often look to the side, indicating God's providence for a person. The slant look makes the facial expression spiritualized, full of understanding of the Mystery of the Universe. Art critics evaluate the Novgorod list of the Savior Not Made by Hands as the embodiment of ideal beauty in Ancient Rus' and antiquity, find in it the proportions of the golden section and the ideal of symmetry - such an image indicates the Perfection of the Lord and what He created.

An important role in creating an impression and a prayerful mood when looking at the icon is played by the expression of the Face of the Savior: there are no fleeting emotions on Him, the Face reflects only spiritual peace, purity, sinlessness.

The Novgorod list is a rarity: more often on the icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands, a Mandalion or “The Savior on the Ubrus” is depicted. The face of Christ is revealed in a golden radiance against the background of a white fabric (sometimes its purpose is even emphasized as a towel with stripes along the edges) with various folds, knots at the top and even Angels holding the ends of the fabric. Less commonly, the Face is depicted against the background of the actual brickwork or simply against a golden background.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ICON OF THE Savior Not Made by Hands for the Traditions of Icon Painting and Theology

The miraculous appearance of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands in the 6th century was a great impetus for icon painting. He appeared precisely during the period of iconoclasm (at that time, Christians were even killed for the veneration of icons, while the icons themselves were mercilessly destroyed - that is why so few images have come down to us from the first centuries of Christianity), when the memory of the establishment of the tradition of generation of icons by Christ Himself became the most important argument in disputes with heretics. An icon is a window into the spiritual world, an image of the Prototype (Christ, the Mother of God, saints), through which we pay honor and turn to Himself. That is why it is not entirely correct to say “Prayer to the icon” or “Kazan Mother of God”: they pray in front of the icon, and the icons of the Virgin are called, for example: Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

In the first centuries, the icon, in addition to theological, also carried the function of a “Bible for the illiterate” - not everyone could buy a book, for many centuries they were very expensive. However, to this day, many images are illustrations of events from the life of the Lord, His saints or the Mother of God.

The miraculously remaining imprint of the Face of Christ on the fabric reminds of the Divine principle of icon painting. The image of the Face of the Savior instructs everyone Orthodox Christian A: One must have a personal relationship with God. Prayer, even in your own words, Communion with God in the Sacraments Orthodox Church, changing one's life according to the teachings of Christ - that's what brings us to the Kingdom of Heaven already on earth. No rites and rituals, special words of conspiracy prayers help. To live with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven, we need to know Him here in our lives. The sight of the Savior Not Made by Hands calls us to follow Him, to imitate the Lord in wisdom, kindness, self-sacrifice - this is the meaning of the Christian life.

It is interesting that the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, as the first Christian icon and as the most important expression of the teachings of Christ, is obligatory for student icon painters. In many schools this is the first independent work students.

WHAT THEY PRAY FOR THE ICON "THE SAVOR NOT MADE BY HANDS"

The life of the Son of God on Earth, the mystery of the Incarnation are described in detail in the Gospel, interpreted in many books of the Church Fathers. The Lord gave himself as a sacrifice for human sins and conquered death itself, in His Resurrection returning the entire human race to paradise. That is why, despite the importance of our prayers to the saints - our holy helpers - and the Mother of God, turning to God Himself is a necessary daily prayer. Recall that the Church blesses daily morning and evening prayers, turning to the Lord and the Heavenly Powers.

They pray to the Lord in all needs:

• • About recovery from diseases;

• • About the mercy of God in the needs of you and your loved ones;

• • About your health, relatives and children;

• • About help in business, welfare;

• • About the right choice, making the right life decisions;

• • About getting rid of sins and vices.

Conduct a prayerful dialogue with God, measure your actions with the example of Christ, more often imagine what God Himself would say, seeing your deeds and hearing your thoughts - after all, He is Omniscient. Do not despair of any mistakes, hurry to the temple for confession and unite with God (with proper preparation, which is better to read in Orthodox literature) in the Sacrament of Communion. In no case should icons be used in conspiracies, divination, in rituals. Communication should be only with God and His saints, His Angels - psychics, "folk healers" and sorcerers communicate only with evil spirits, but no one can order Angels.

Thank God for His help in your life: He responded to your requests, expressed and not expressed - remember many happy occasions in life. The Lord really manages our lives for the better, showing our capabilities, leading to gratitude to God for everything. And humility in the face of difficulties, turning to God with prayer and without malice at this time is the key to our salvation and upbringing of the soul, personal growth. We must strive for a life pleasing to God, visit the church, pray at worship, help people, forgive the sins and mistakes of our neighbors, and behave calmly in conflicts.

The Lord is a great Power and great Love, you only need to believe - and therefore trust Him with your life and your soul. Christ, being the Almighty, voluntarily, in order to erase the past and future sins of mankind from the history of the universe, went to humiliation, torture and terrible suffering on the Cross. The teaching of the Lord Jesus is a call to repentance, to the love of all people for each other, compassion and pity even for terrible sinners.

You can pray to the Lord Jesus Christ in front of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands both in your own words and in church prayers. It is worth reading more often before this image the Lord's Prayer, recorded in the Gospel from the words of Christ Himself - "Our Father". It can also be read in the morning and at bedtime, before meals and before starting any business.

Prayer to Jesus Christ in front of the icon "Savior Not Made by Hands" can be in Russian online according to the text below:

Our good Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God! You in ancient times, during Your earthly life, Your flesh, Your face was washed with holy water and rubbed with a scrub, miraculously Your Face was depicted on this towel, You blessed to send it to the King of Edessa Abgar to heal the disease.
So now we, Your sinful servants, suffering from mental and bodily illnesses, are looking for Your Face, Lord, and pray with the king of the psalmist David with a humble soul: do not turn away from us, but take Your anger away from Your servants, be our Strong Helper, do not reject us and don't leave us alone. O Merciful Lord, our Savior! Settle yourself by Your grace in our souls, so that in holiness and truth, living on earth, we become Your true sons and daughters, and heirs of Your Kingdom, where You, all the mercies of our God who gives us, together with the Beginningless Father and the Holy Spirit, we will not stop glorifying forever.
God! I am Your vessel: fill me with the gifts of Your Holy Spirit! Without Your help, I am empty and do not have grace, often full of all kinds of sin. God! I am Your ship: fill me with a load of good deeds. God! I am your ark: instead of passions, fill me with love for you and for your image - my neighbor. Amen

May the Good and Merciful Lord keep you!

More than 1000 years ago, in 988, Rus', having received Baptism, saw the face of Christ for the first time. By this time, in Byzantium - its spiritual mentor - for several centuries there had been an extensive iconography of Orthodox art, rooted in the first centuries of Christianity. Rus' inherited this iconography, accepting it as an inexhaustible source of ideas and images. Images of the Savior Not Made by Hands have appeared in Ancient Rus' since the 12th century, first in the murals of churches (the Savior-Mirozh Cathedral (1156) and the Savior on Nereditsa (1199)), later as independent images.

Over time, Russian masters contributed to the development of icon painting. In their works of the 13th - 15th centuries, the image of Christ loses the harsh spirituality of Byzantine prototypes, the features of kindness, gracious participation and good will to man appear in it. An example of this is the oldest Russian icon of the Yaroslavl masters of the 13th century Savior Not Made by Hands from the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, which is currently kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery. The face of Jesus Christ on the icons of Russian masters is devoid of severity and tension. It contains a benevolent call to a person, spiritual exactingness and support at the same time.

The icon of Jesus Christ the Savior Not Made by Hands by the icon painter Yuri Kuznetsov maintains the traditions of ancient Russian masters. Encouraging trust emanates from the icon, a spiritual power akin to man, allowing him to feel his involvement in divine perfection. I would like to include the words of N.S. Leskova: "Typical Russian image Gentlemen: the look is straight and simple ... there is an expression in the face, but there are no passions ”(Leskov N.S. At the end of the world. Works in 3 vols. M., 1973. P. 221).

The image of Christ immediately occupied central location in the art of ancient Rus'. In Rus', the image of Christ was originally a synonym for Salvation, Grace and Truth, the highest source of help and comfort to a person in his earthly suffering. The value system of ancient Russian culture, which unites its religious meaning, the image of the world, the human ideal, ideas of goodness and beauty, is inextricably linked with the image of the Savior Jesus Christ. The image of Christ illuminated the whole life path man of Ancient Rus' from birth to the last breath. In the form of Christ he saw main point and the justification of his life, embodying his Creed in images high and clear, like the words of a prayer.

Hopes for help and protection from enemies were associated with the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. It was placed above the gates of cities and fortresses, on military signs. The miraculous image of Christ served as protection for the Russian troops. So, the troops of Dmitry Donskoy fought on the Kulikovo field under the princely banner with the image of the Holy Face. Ivan the Terrible had the same banner when he took the city of Kazan in 1552.

Prayers are addressed to the Savior Jesus Christ before his image not made by hands with prayers for healing from deadly diseases and for giving greater vitality.

Meaning of the Image Not Made by Hands

In the early Christian (pre-iconoclastic) period, the symbolic image of Jesus Christ was widespread. As you know, the Gospels do not contain any information about the appearance of Christ. In the painting of catacombs and tombs, reliefs of sarcophagi, mosaics of temples, Christ appears in the Old Testament forms and images: the Good Shepherd, Orpheus or the Servant Emmanuel (Is. 7, 14). Of great importance for the formation of the "historical" image of Christ is His image not made by hands. It is possible that the Image Not Made by Hands, known since the 4th century, with its transfer to Constantinople in 994, became “an immutable model for icon painting”, as N.P. Kondakov (Kondakov N.P. Iconography of the Lord God and Our Savior Jesus Christ, St. Petersburg, 1905, p. 14).

The silence of the evangelists about the appearance of Jesus Christ can be explained by their concern for the spiritual rebirth of mankind, the direction of their gaze from earthly life to heavenly life, from material to spiritual. Thus, silent about the historical features of the face of the Savior, they draw our attention to the knowledge of the personality of the Savior. “Depicting the Savior, we do not depict either His divine or His human nature, but His personality, in which both these natures are incomprehensibly combined,” says Leonid Uspensky, an outstanding Russian icon painter, theologian (Uspensky L.A. Meaning and language of icons / / Journal of the Moscow Patriarchy, 1955, No. 6, p. 63).

The gospel story also did not include the story of the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands, this can be explained by the words of the holy apostle and evangelist John the Theologian: “Jesus created many other things; but if we were to write about it in detail, then I think that even the world itself could not contain the books that were written” (John 21:25).

During the period of iconoclasm, the Image of Christ not made by hands was cited as the most important evidence in favor of icon veneration (the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787)).

The miraculous image of the Savior Jesus Christ, according to Christian tradition, is one of the proofs of the truth of the incarnation in the human image of the second person of the Trinity. The opportunity to capture the image of God, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, is associated with the Incarnation, that is, the birth of Jesus Christ, God the Son, or, as the believers usually call Him, the Savior, the Savior. Before His birth, the appearance of icons was unreal - God the Father is invisible and incomprehensible, therefore, indescribable.

Thus, God himself, His Son, “the image of His hypostasis” (Heb. 1.3), became the first icon painter. God took on a human face, the Word became flesh for the sake of man's salvation.

How the Image Not Made by Hands Was Revealed

There are two versions of the legend about the origin of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands. We will cite the Eastern version of the legend about the Image of Jesus Christ Not Made by Hands based on the book of the spiritual writer, church historian Leonid Denisov “The History of the True Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands Based on the Testimony of Byzantine Writers” (Moscow, 1894, pp. 3–37).

During the years of the earthly life of Jesus Christ in Osroene (the capital of this miniature kingdom was the city of Edessa), Augar V the Black reigned. For seven years he suffered unbearably from "black leprosy", the most severe and incurable form of this disease. The rumor about the appearance in Jerusalem of an extraordinary person performing miracles spread far beyond the borders of Palestine, and soon reached Abgar. The nobles of the King of Edes, who visited Jerusalem, conveyed to Abgar their enthusiastic impression of the amazing miracles of the Savior. Abgar believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and sent the painter Ananias to him with a letter in which he begged Christ to come heal him of his illness.

Long and unsuccessfully Ananias walked in Jerusalem for the Savior. The masses of the people surrounding the Lord prevented Ananias from fulfilling the task of Abgar. Once, tired of waiting, and, perhaps, despairing that he would be able to fulfill the order of his sovereign, Ananias stood on a ledge of a rock and, watching the Savior from afar, tried to copy him. But, despite all his efforts, he could not depict the face of Christ, because his expression was constantly changing by divine and incomprehensible power.

Finally, the Merciful Lord commanded the Apostle Thomas to bring Ananias to him. He had not yet had time to say anything, as the Savior called him by name, asking for the letter written to Him by Abgar. Wishing to reward Abgar for his faith and love for Himself and fulfilling his fiery desire, the Savior ordered water to be brought and, having washed His holy face, wiped himself off with the ubrus given to him, that is, with a four-pointed handkerchief. The water miraculously turned into colors, and the image of the divine face of the Savior was miraculously imprinted on the urn.

Having received the ubrus and the message, Ananias returned to Edessa. Avgar prostrated himself before the image and, with faith and love, venerated him, received, according to the Savior, instant relief from his illness, and after his baptism, as the Savior predicted, complete healing.

Avgar, honoring the ubrus with the miraculous image of the face of the Savior, overthrew the statue of a pagan deity from the city gates, intending to place the image miraculously there for the blessing and protection of the city. A deep niche was built in the stone wall above the gate, and the holy image was installed in it. Around the image was a golden inscription: “Christ God! None of those who trust in You will perish."

For about a hundred years, the Image Not Made by Hands protected the inhabitants of Edessa, until one of the descendants of Abgar, having renounced Christ, wanted to remove it from the gate. But the Bishop of Edessa, mysteriously informed by God in a vision, came at night to the city gates, reached the niche by the stairs, placed a lit lampada in front of the image, laid it with a ceramide (clay board) and leveled the edges of the niche with the wall, as was told to him in a vision.

More than four centuries have passed...

The place where the Miraculous Image was located was no longer known to anyone. In 545, Justian the Great, who then ruled Edessa, fought with the Persian king Khosroes I. Edessa constantly changed hands: from the Greeks to the Persians and back. Khozroy began to build wooden wall near the city wall of Edessa, in order to then fill up the space between them and thus create an embankment above the city walls so that arrows could be thrown from above at the defenders of the city. Khozroy put his plan into execution, the inhabitants of Edessa decided to lead an underground passage to the embankment in order to make a fire there and burn the logs holding the embankment. The fire was kindled, but had no exit, where, having got out into the air, it could cover the logs.

Bewildered and desperate, the inhabitants resorted to prayer to God, on the same night, the Bishop of Edessa, Eulalius, had a vision in which he was given an indication of the place where, invisible to everyone, was the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands. Having dismantled the bricks and taken away the ceramide, Eulalius found the most holy image of Christ whole and unharmed. The lamp, lit 400 years ago, continued to burn. The bishop looked at the ceramide, and a new miracle struck him: it miraculously depicted the same likeness of the face of the Savior as on the ubrus.

The inhabitants of Edessa, glorifying the Lord, brought the miraculous icon into the pit, sprinkled it with water, a few drops of this water fell on the fire, the flame immediately engulfed the firewood and passed to the logs of the wall erected by Khozroy. The bishop carried the icon onto the city wall and performed a litia (prayer outside the church), holding the icon in the direction of the Persian camp. Suddenly, the Persian troops, seized with panic fear, fled.

Despite the fact that Edessa was taken by the Persians in 610, and later by the Muslims, the image not made by hands remained with the Christians of Edessa all the time. With the restoration of icon veneration in 787, the Image Not Made by Hands became the subject of special reverent veneration. The Byzantine emperors dreamed of acquiring this image, but they did not succeed in bringing their dream to fruition until the second half of the 10th century.

Roman I Lekapen (919-944), full of ardent love for the Savior, wished to bring to the capital of the monarchy the miraculous image of His face at all costs. The emperor sent envoys outlining his demand to the emir, since Persia at that time was subjugated by the Muslims. The Muslims of that time oppressed the enslaved countries in every possible way, but often allowed the indigenous population to peacefully practice their religion. The emir, out of attention to the petition of the Christians of Edessa, who threatened with indignation, refused the demands of the Byzantine emperor. Enraged by the refusal, Roman declared war on the caliphate, the troops entered the Arab territory and devastated the environs of Edessa. Fearing ruin, the Christians of Edessa, in their own name, sent a message to the emperor with a request to stop the war. The emperor agreed to stop hostilities on the condition that the image of Christ be given to him.

With the permission of the Caliph of Baghdat, the emir agreed to the conditions proposed by the emperor. Crowds of people surrounded and brought up the rear during the transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands from the city to the banks of the Euphrates, where the galleys were waiting for the procession to cross the river. Christians began to grumble, refusing to give up the holy image, unless there was a sign from God. And a sign was given to them. Suddenly, the galley, on which the Icon Not Made by Hands had already been carried, swam without any action and landed on the opposite shore.

The silent Edessians returned to the city, and the procession with the image moved further by land. Throughout the journey to Constantinople, miracles of healing were continually performed. In Constantinople, jubilant people flocked from everywhere to bow to the great shrine. The monks and hierarchs accompanying the Icon Not Made by Hands, with a magnificent ceremony, traveled all over the capital by sea and installed the holy icon in the Pharos temple.

Exactly 260 years the Image Not Made by Hands was preserved in Constantinople (Constantinople). In 1204, the crusaders turned their weapons against the Greeks and took possession of Constantinople. Together with a lot of gold, jewelry and sacred objects, they captured and transported to the ship and the Image Not Made by Hands. But, according to the inscrutable fate of the Lord, the image not made by hands did not remain in their hands. When they sailed along the Sea of ​​Marmara, a terrible storm suddenly arose, and the ship quickly sank. Greatest christian shrine disappeared. This, according to legend, ends the story of the true Image of the Savior not made by hands.

In the West, the tradition of the Savior Not Made by Hands has spread as a legend about the Payment of St. Veronica. According to one of them, Veronica was a student of the Savior, but she could not accompany him all the time, then she decided to order a portrait of the Savior to the painter. But on the way to the artist, she met the Savior, who miraculously imprinted his face on her board. Veronica's robe was endowed with the power of healing. With its help, the Roman emperor Tiberius was cured. Later, another option appears. When Christ was led to Golgotha, Veronica wiped the face of Jesus, covered with sweat and blood, with a cloth, and it was displayed on the matter. This moment is included in the Catholic cycle of the Passion of the Lord. The face of Christ in a similar version is written in a crown of thorns.

Which icons are the most famous

Church historian L. Denisov mentions one of the oldest icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands (XIV century). The icon was brought to Moscow by the holy Metropolitan Alexy from Constantinople and from 1360 stood in the iconostasis of the cathedral church of the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. In 1354 Metropolitan Alexy of Kiev was caught in a storm on his way to Constantinople. The saint vowed to build a cathedral in Moscow in honor of that saint or holiday on the day of which he would safely reach the shore. The day fell on the celebration of the Savior Not Made by Hands, in honor of him the metropolitan built a monastery. Visiting Constantinople again in 1356, Alexy brought with him the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

Chronicles and monastic records for centuries have noted the presence of the Constantinople icon in the monastery. In 1812, she was evacuated from Moscow and then returned safely. According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta on June 15, 2000, “... in 1918 this icon disappeared from the Andronikov Monastery and was found in one of the Moscow storage facilities only in 1999. The painting of this icon was repeatedly rewritten, but always according to the old drawing. The small size and rare iconography put it among the few exact repetitions of the Constantinople relic. We were not able to trace the further fate of this icon.

Widely known is the Image of Christ the Savior Not Made by Hands, erected by no one knows who and no one knows when in the city of Vyatka on the porch of the Ascension Cathedral. The image became famous for the numerous healings that took place before him. The first miracle happened in 1645 (this is evidenced by the manuscript kept in the Novospassky Monastery in Moscow) - one of the inhabitants of the city was healed. Pyotr Palkin, having been blind for three years, after fervent prayer before the Image Not Made by Hands, received his sight. The news of this spread widely, and many began to come to the icon with prayers and petitions for healing. This icon was transported to Moscow by the then reigning sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich. On January 14, 1647, the miraculous image was transferred to the Kremlin and placed in the Assumption Cathedral. The gates to the Kremlin, through which the image was brought in, were called Frolovsky until that time, began to be called Spassky.

The icon remained in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin until the reconstruction of the Transfiguration Cathedral in the Novospassky Monastery was completed. On September 19, 1647, the icon was solemnly transferred to the monastery in a procession. The miraculous image won great love and reverence among the inhabitants of the capital; icons were resorted to for help in cases of fires and epidemics. In 1670, the image of the Savior was given to help Prince Yuri, who was going to the Don to pacify the rebellion of Stepan Razin. Until 1917, the icon was in the monastery. The location of the holy image is currently unknown.

In the Novospassky Monastery there is a preserved copy of the miraculous icon. It is installed in the local row of the iconostasis of the Transfiguration Cathedral - where the church itself was previously placed. miraculous icon.

Another miraculous image of the Savior Not Made by Hands is located in the Transfiguration Cathedral of St. Petersburg. The icon was painted for Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich by the famous icon painter Simon Ushakov. It was handed over by the tsar to her son, Peter I. He always took the icon with him on military campaigns, and he was with her at the laying of St. Petersburg. This icon saved the life of the king more than once.

Emperor Alexander III carried a list of this miraculous icon with him. During the crash of the royal train on the Kursk-Kharkovo-Azov railway On October 17, 1888, he got out of the destroyed car with his whole family unharmed. The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands was also preserved intact, even the glass in the icon case remained intact.

The meaning of the icon and miracles from it

The veneration of the image began in Rus' as early as the 11th-12th centuries and became widespread from the 14th century, when Metropolitan Alexy of Moscow brought a list of the Image Not Made by Hands from Constantinople. Churches and temples in honor of him began to be built in the state. The icon "Savior the Fiery Eye", also ascending in type to the original Image Not Made by Hands, was on the banners of Dmitry Donskoy, a student of Metropolitan Alexy, in the battle on the Kulikovo field with Mamai. It was located above the entrance of new temples and churches, regardless of whether they were built in honor of the Lord or other holy names and events, as their main protective protection.

The further history of the all-Russian glorification and transfer of the miraculous icon to Moscow begins in the 17th century. On July 12, 1645, in the city of Khlynov, now the city of Vyatka, a miracle of insight happened to a resident of the city, Peter Palkin, who gained the ability to see after praying before the icon of the Savior in the Church of the All-Merciful Savior. Prior to that, he had been blind for three years. After this event, recorded in church documents, miracles of healing began to happen more and more often, the fame of the icon expanded to the limits of the capital, where it was transferred in the 17th century: see the section “In which churches is the icon located.”

An embassy was sent to Khlynov (Vyatka) for a miraculous image, the head of which was appointed hegumen of the Moscow Epiphany Monastery Pafnuty.

On the day of January 14, 1647, almost all the townspeople came out to the Yauza Gates of the capital to meet the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. As soon as the congregation saw the icon, everyone knelt down on the cold winter pavement, and from all the Moscow bell towers there was a festive chime for the beginning of the thanksgiving service. When the prayer service was over, the miraculous icon was brought to the Moscow Kremlin and placed in the Assumption Cathedral. They brought the icon through the Frolovsky Gates, which are now called the Spassky Gate, as well as the Spasskaya Tower that towers above them - now many, coming to the Red Square of the Kremlin, know the origin of the name of this sacred place for every Russian person. At that time, the transfer of the image was followed by a royal decree that every male who passes or drives through the Spassky Gate should take off his hat.

The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the Novospassky Monastery was then in the process of reorganization, after its completion, on September 19 of the same year, the image was solemnly transferred to the place where the list from it is now located.

The history of the image is replete with many testimonies about the active participation of the Lord in the fate of Russia. In 1670, the icon was given to Prince Yuri to help suppress the revolt of Stepan Razin on the Don. After the Troubles ended, the saving image was placed in a gilded frame richly decorated with diamonds, emeralds and pearls.

In mid-August 1834, a severe fire broke out in Moscow, which spread at an incredible speed. At the request of the Muscovites, the icon was taken out of the monastery and stood with it against the blazing place, and everyone saw how the fire could not cross the line along which they carried the miraculous image, as if stumbling against an invisible wall. The wind soon died down and the fire curled up. Then the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands began to be taken out for prayers at home, and when a cholera epidemic broke out in Moscow in 1848, many received healing from the icon.

In 1812, when Napoleon's troops entered Moscow, the French, who were marauding in the deserted capital, tore off the 17th-century robe from the miraculous image. In 1830, it was again enclosed in a silver setting with gilding, decorated with precious stones. In the summer, the icon was in the Transfiguration Cathedral, and in the winter it was transferred to the Church of the Intercession. Also exact copies from the miraculous image were both in the Nikolsky and Catherine's churches of the monastery.

The Savior Not Made by Hands, according to some historians of the Russian Orthodox Church, has become the main part of the Christian tradition along with the Crucifixion. It is included in the top row of the home iconostasis; together with the image of the Mother of God, it was taken out as a wedding couple to bless the young for a happy and settled life together. On the feast of August 6/19 of the Transfiguration of the Lord, blessing the harvested crop, they celebrated the Apple Savior, on the first day of the Dormition Fast on August 14/29 they celebrated the Honey Savior - it was believed that on this day the bees no longer take bribes from flowers.

After the revolution of 1917, for some time the icon was in the monastery, but now the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands has been lost, and a list from that early icon has been preserved in the Novospassky Monastery. But this image is loved and revered to this day, and, as was said on VI Ecumenical Council: "The Savior left us His holy image according to Himself, so that, looking at him, we would constantly remember his incarnation, suffering, life-giving death and the redemption of the human race."