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- The Feast of the Transference of the Uncreated Image of Christ: origins and meaning
The Feast of the Transference of the Uncreated Image of Christ: origins and meaning
The feast of the Transference of the Uncreated Image of Jesus Christ, which the Orthodox celebrate on August 29, has ancient roots and combines history, religion and culture. The legend of the miraculous face, imprinted on the fabric without the involvement of a human hand, dates back to the first centuries of Christianity and is associated with the name of the king of Edessa. Today, the image of the Savior Not Made with Hands is perceived not only as a church relic, but also as an important element of the world cultural heritage. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
The origins of the tradition of the Uncreated Image of Jesus Christ
The legend of the uncreated face of Christ, imprinted on the fabric, has its roots in the first centuries of Christian history. The most common version is associated with the king of Edessa, Avgar V. According to the ancient narrative, he suffered from a serious illness and sent a letter to Jesus asking for help.
According to legend, the messenger Ananias was supposed to paint a portrait of Christ, but could not depict his features. Then the Savior put a piece of cloth to his face, and a face was miraculously imprinted on the canvas. This image became known as the "Mandylion" or "Ubrus" — a shrine "not created by human hands," which reflects the term acheiropoieton.
The history of correspondence between King Avgar of Edessa and Jesus is already recorded in the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea (IV century), however, the version of the miraculous imprint of the face on the cloth appears in later Syrian and Byzantine sources.
Over time, the relic ended up in Edessa and acquired the status of the city's shrine. The chronicles mention that during the siege of the city by the Persians, the image was placed on the fortress walls and, according to legend, it was then that the city escaped capture. Later, the face of the Savior became an object of special veneration throughout Byzantium.
Transfer of the shrine to Constantinople
By the 9th–10th centuries, the influence of Edessa on the political map of the Middle East had weakened, but the significance of the Uncreated image only increased. The transfer of the relic to Constantinople dates back to 944.
Modern historians more often associate the operation with the activities of Emperor Romanos I Lacapenus and his military campaigns in the east, although the name of Constantine VII also appears in church tradition and some reports. The chronicles describe the solemn meeting and placement of the image at the imperial court. Various sources mention both the Blachernae Church and the Faros court chapel as places of his veneration.
Today, the feast of the Transference of the Uncreated Image is celebrated on August 29 according to the new style (August 16 according to the Julian calendar). In the Orthodox tradition, it does not belong to the twelve, but it occupies a special place and is celebrated with a solemn divine service. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates liturgy on this day, and processions are held in a number of churches.
The influence of a man-made image on art and culture
The significance of the Uncreated image went far beyond the limits of church life and influenced the development of art. In Byzantium, icon painters tried to reproduce the mystical power of the Savior's face, emphasizing the special expressiveness of the eyes and the feeling of a living presence.
Images of the Savior Not Made with Hands have become one of the key iconographic themes, and a special type of image has been fixed in art — a face on a board or decoration.
Church of the Saviour of the Miraculous Image of the 17th century in the town of Balakhna, Nizhny Novgorod region
In Russia, the cult spread in the XI century. In 1355, Metropolitan Alexy brought a list of the icon to Moscow, and from that time temples began to be built in honor of the Savior Not Made with Hands. Such icons were often placed on military banners, considering them to be the patrons of warriors. There is a mention that Byzantine authors cited the story of the Mandylion even in theological discussions about the right to venerate icons.
The memory of the Transfer of an image Not Made with Hands in modern times
In the modern world, the memory of the event is preserved both in the church and in the cultural sphere. On August 29, services dedicated to the transfer of the shrine are held in Orthodox churches, and in folk tradition this day is also known by another name — "The Third Savior" or "Nut Savior". It completes the summer cycle of holidays associated with the Transfiguration and the Assumption.
For researchers, the man-made image remains a valuable object of study. It is considered not only as a monument of religious faith, but also as a unique cultural phenomenon. Historians associate it with the formation of Byzantine and Russian iconography, and art historians emphasize that it was this relic that became one of the sources of ideas about the canonical appearance of Christ in Christian culture.
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