Kazan Icon of the Mother of God: what is prayed to the shrine, what is asked of the Mother of God

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most revered shrines in the Orthodox world. Its history begins in the 16th century in Kazan, where, according to legend, after a terrible fire, an icon was miraculously found that brought solace and hope to the city. Since then, the Kazan icon has become a symbol of protection, spiritual unity and maternal patronage. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

The Miraculous Finding of the Kazan Icon: the story

The discovery of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is traditionally attributed to 1579. The events are described in church traditions and secular publications as a series of coincidences, later perceived as a miracle.

After a devastating fire in Kazan's Russian posad, a nine-year-old girl named Matryona (also Matrona or Matryona in the sources), the daughter of the Sagittarius Danila Onuchin, saw the Virgin in a dream, who pointed out the place in the ashes where the image was hidden.

The residents excavated the indicated place and indeed found the icon wrapped in cloth; after that, the image was solemnly transferred to one of the temples of the city. Descriptions of this plot are available in church lives and popular historiography.

By order of Tsar Ivan IV, prayer buildings appeared at the site of the find, and then the Kazan Bogoroditsky Monastery was founded, as a center for further veneration of the image. Subsequently, copies were made of the original image, which were distributed throughout Russia and became the object of their own veneration.

During the 17th century, the icon acquired the status of an All-Russian shrine. One of the most famous episodes is the participation of copies of the Kazan Icon in the events of the Time of Troubles and in some of the key acts of the liberation of Moscow: copies of the icon accompanied the militia of Minin and Pozharsky and were used in religious processions and for the consecration of troops, which strengthened the public importance of the image.

Why are there two holidays in honor of the Kazan Icon?

The Kazan icon is revered in the Orthodox calendar twice — in summer and in autumn. Each memorable date reflects a different level of significance of the image. The summer date, July 21 in the new style (July 8 in the old style), is directly related to the very event of the acquisition in Kazan in 1579 and is celebrated as the day of the appearance of the icon. On this day, prayer services are held in churches, processions and solemn divine services are held in those parishes and monasteries where the shrine or its lists are venerated.

Autumn commemoration falls on November 4 in the new style (October 22 in the old style) and is associated with the events of the early 17th century: in the church tradition, this day is fixed in memory of the participation of the Kazan Icon and its lists in the liberation of Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian intervention in 1612. Historically associated with the militia and religious processions, the autumn date eventually acquired a secular, state dimension: November 4 in modern Russia is celebrated as National Unity Day. As a result, the image of the Kazan Mother of God performs both a religious and symbolic state function in public memory.

What to ask for in prayer from the Kazan Icon

The Kazan icon has historically been perceived as the intercessor of various social and family spheres, and appropriate petitions have been formed as part of folk and church prayer practice. In private prayer, requests are addressed to the image for health, intercession for children and successful childbirth, for family well-being and protection of the house from troubles and fire.

In addition to personal and family petitions, historically the icon served a public function: in difficult moments for the country, the image was approached with requests for help to the state, victory in battles and preservation of the unity of the people. In modern conditions, prayers are also offered to the Kazan Icon for peace, protection from disasters and spiritual support during periods of personal or social trials.