"By what names shall we call You, O Bride Unwedded?" "Shall we call You the dawn of the rising sun? But You are the very Heaven, for from You has risen the Sun of Righteousness – Christ our God, the Saviour of sinners."
(Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God "Blessed Heaven")
In the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation, we find these mysterious words: “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1). Often in theological commentaries, this figure represents both the Orthodox community under persecution and the image of the Most Holy Mother of God. The first to see the Christian assembly in the form of this Woman was the Hieromartyr Hippolytus of Rome. He wrote: “By the woman clothed with the sun, John clearly indicates the Church, clothed in the Word of the Father, shining brighter than the sun. By the garland of twelve stars on her head, he points to the twelve through whom the Church was founded.”
Woman clothed with the sun (Revelation 11:19; 12:1). Illustrated Apocalypse (fragment). 17th century. Russian State Library
Saint Andrew, Archbishop of Caesarea, provides crucial insight in his "Interpretation of the Apocalypse": “The woman clothed with the sun is the Church; and what is clothing for us is light for her; and what are gold and glittering jewels for us are stars for her – the best and brightest stars. She stands on the moon. Since moisture in nature depends on the moon, here the moon allegorically represents the faith, which cleanses and frees from decay through baptism. She labours, giving rebirth to the spiritual from the soulish, transforming their appearance and form into the likeness of Christ.”
Image "Woman clothed with the sun," fragment of an icon
Saint Dimitry of Rostov reflects: “In the last, fierce times, when, through the multiplication of our sins, woes multiply upon us… then the Most Pure and Most Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, extends to us Her protection and defence… Just as St John the Theologian once saw a great sign in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, so St Andrew, in the heavens, saw, like the Blachernae Church, the Bride Unwedded…”
In art, this image appears both in works depicting the Apocalypse (frescoes, illuminated manuscripts) and in separate iconography of the Mother of God.
Fresco of the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Tutayev, 17th century, by Guriy Nikitin
In iconography, depictions of the "Woman clothed with the sun" are uncommon. In the Russian Church, these icons appeared in the seventeenth century under Western influence. The image of the Virgin Mary holding the Child, standing in radiant glory upon the moon or a crescent, was widespread in Western Christian art, seen in paintings, sculptures, miniatures, and stained glass from the fourteenth century. In Russia, several versions of this image existed: "Woman Clothed with the Sun," "What Shall We Call You?" and "Blessed Heaven." The earliest depiction of this type in Russia is the icon from the local tier of the iconostasis of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Nikitniki, dating back to the 1640s. On that image, the Mother of God appears with the Child on her left arm, wearing a crown. Her figure is surrounded by an oval halo. Below are the kneeling Sts George the Chozebite and Andrew of Crete. Rays of light and the crescent beneath the Virgin’s feet are missing in this scene.
Icon "Blessed Heaven" of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Nikitniki, 1640s
The first widely venerated icon of the Mother of God "Blessed Heaven" in Russia was the image from the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, painted in 1678-1680 by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich by the masters of the Armoury Chamber. On it, the Mother of God, radiant in sunlight, majestically holds the Eternal Child – Jesus Christ. The wonderworking icon was once adorned with a silver riza and silver cherubim on the borders, now lost. This image remains in the iconostasis of the Moscow Kremlin's Archangel Cathedral today.
Tradition tells that the icon of the Archangel Cathedral was a copy of an ancient Byzantine image brought to Moscow. Some say it arrived with Sophia Palaiologina, wife of Grand Prince Ivan III Vasilyevich (1440-1505). Others believe that Vitovtovna, wife of Grand Prince Vasily Dmitrievich of Moscow (1371-1425), brought it.
Iconostasis of the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, to the left of the Royal Doors is the icon of the Mother of God "Blessed Heaven"
The widespread veneration of the icon of the Mother of God "Blessed Heaven" began with Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov). In 1853, during the renovation of the iconostasis of the Archangel Cathedral, he ordered historical information about the wonderworking image. Another name for the icon is known – "What Shall We Call You?", which the image received from the text of the Mother of God hymn of the First Hour, inscribed within the radiance emanating from the Mother of God and Child:
“What shall we call You, O Full of Grace? Heaven? For You have dawned the Sun of Righteousness. Paradise? For You have blossomed forth the Flower of incorruption. Virgin? For You have remained incorrupt. Pure Mother? For You have held in Your holy embrace the Son, the God of all. Beseech Him to save our souls.”
This prayer is read during the First Hour service. The combination of the Theotokos prayer, which solemnly sanctifies the start of the day, with the image of the Mother of God and Child standing on a slender crescent moon, bathed in light, fully expresses the symbolism of this image.
The feast of the "Blessed Heaven" icon was celebrated twice a year, and in the Archangel Cathedral, a moleben was served daily before the wonderworking image. Many parishioners brought oil lamps, candles, and oil to the icon. In pre-revolutionary Moscow, three holy images evoked particularly deep devotion and drew numerous pilgrims: the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, the "Unexpected Joy" icon, and the "Blessed Heaven" icon. Through these sacred images, the Lord bestowed abundant grace, and countless healings occurred through prayers to the Theotokos before them.
Copy of the "Blessed Heaven" icon in the Vaulovsky Convent Skete
A particularly revered copy of the Archangel Cathedral icon is the one commissioned in 1900 by St John of Kronstadt for the sacristy of the Church of the Dormition in the Vaulovsky Skete, Yaroslavl Governorate. Standing over two metres tall, the image impressed with its grandeur and the regal dignity of the Most Holy Theotokos. St John of Kronstadt cherished the Vaulovsky Skete as much as the Leushino Monastery. Established in 1903 on the estate of Senator Vladimir Pavlovich Mordvinov as a dependency of St John’s Monastery in St Petersburg, it served as a place of retreat for the all-Russian pastor. The copy of the "Blessed Heaven" icon miraculously survived to this day. It was before this very icon that St John of Kronstadt served forty Liturgies in the last year of his life. Below the icon are the words: “Queen of Heaven, save the Russian land.”
During the Soviet era, many icons were destroyed, chopped up, and burned. However, the venerated image of the all-Russian pastor was painted on metal – it could not be chopped or burned – so it was sent to Tutayev as scrap metal. Its large size saved it from being melted down. Eventually, the icon was transferred to the Resurrection Cathedral in Tutayev. In 2005, to commemorate the 105th anniversary of its creation, the image was returned to the Vaulovsky Skete on the feast day of St John of Kronstadt.
The altar image of the Mother of God in St Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kiev by Viktor Vasnetsov
Today, one of the best-known depictions of "Blessed Heaven" is Viktor Vasnetsov's altar image in St Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kiev. Professor Adrian Prakhov, in charge of the cathedral's decoration, invited the renowned artist to paint the frescoes in 1885.
Due to his son's illness, Vasnetsov had to decline the work in Kiev. But one spring evening at his dacha, he was captivated by the sight of his wife holding their infant son. The child, reaching out to the wondrous view of the spring garden, clapped his hands. This image struck Vasnetsov so profoundly that he suddenly envisioned painting the Mother of God and Child – just as his loved ones had appeared before him. He immediately decided to paint the cathedral and telegraphed Prakhov his acceptance the next day.
Meanwhile, at the cathedral, the walls were repeatedly plastered in preparation for painting. One evening, Adrian Prakhov entered the cathedral. The plaster was drying quickly but unevenly. Gazing at the plastered section of the wall intended for the altar image of the Mother of God, Prakhov and his companions saw a full-length image of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, whose hands seemed to embrace the world. Deeply moved, Prakhov sketched the image that had appeared on the wet plaster, and everyone present confirmed its accuracy. Later, when Vasnetsov showed Prakhov his sketches for the altar image, Prakhov produced and showed him his sketch of the image on the plaster. Vasnetsov was astonished by the precise similarity. Speechless for a moment, he finally said, "This was a divine commission." Vasnetsov worked on this icon for nearly two years. His original interpretation of the traditional image of the Mother of God also became known as "Blessed Heaven."
The icon of the Mother of God "Blessed Heaven" with a pearl riza, signed on the back by Father Nikolai Guryanov as "Talabskaya"
The Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker on Talabsk Island also houses a wonderworking copy of the "Blessed Heaven" icon, adorned with an embroidered riza. Archpriest Nikolai Guryanov customarily sang hymns to the Mother of God after evening services, and parishioners felt a particularly strong presence of the Holy Theotokos. In the 1920s, militant atheists stole the silver riza from the Talabsk icon, and Father Nikolai commissioned a new one from the Holy Spirit Monastery in Vilnius. Mother Tavifa, an elderly and ailing nun and skilled embroiderer, undertook the work with Father Nikolai’s blessing. For two years, nearly blind, she laboured on the riza, completing the exquisite embroidery in 1960 before reposing. The Talabsk icon is known for its many miracles.
The Blessed Heaven Medal, established by the All-Russian Orthodox Public Movement "Russia Orthodox" in 2001
The "Blessed Heaven" icon is also considered the protector of the Air Force. The legendary pilot and World War II hero, Air Marshal Alexander Pokryshkin, who was born on the icon's feast day, venerated this image. Indeed, the sky proved gracious to him, with the Mother of God safeguarding him in battles against the enemy. In 2001, the Blessed Heaven Medal was established to honour service and work in defending the nation’s airspace, space exploration, and the development of transport links. In Chechnya, a field church dedicated to the "Blessed Heaven" icon provides healing and spiritual guidance to soldiers. Near the air transport regiment in Ivanovo, a wooden church dedicated to the icon has been built. Similar churches exist in Lipetsk, Kubinka, and other cities. A chapel dedicated to the "Blessed Heaven" icon recently appeared at Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg, as well as at airfields of the Gatchina Air Sports Club "Sivoritsy," in Kusino, and elsewhere. Opposite Khabarovsk International Airport, a church dedicated to the "Blessed Heaven" icon now stands.
Church of the icon of the Mother of God "Blessed Heaven" in Khabarovsk
“What shall we call You, O Full of Grace? Heaven? For You have dawned the Sun of Righteousness. Paradise? For You have blossomed forth the flower of incorruption. Virgin? For You have remained incorrupt. Pure Mother? For You have held in your holy embrace the Son, the God of all. Beseech Him to save our souls.”
(Troparion, Tone 6)
Article prepared by the editorial staff of obitel-minsk.ru
Photos from the Internet
Sources used:
1. Commentary on the Apocalypse by St Andrew, Archbishop of Caesarea. Moscow, 1901. Reprint edition: Moscow, 2000.
2. Orthodox Encyclopaedia. Moscow, 2005. Vol. 9. pp. 709-710.
3. Obraz. Detailed online encyclopaedia of the Orthodox icon. (obraz.org)
4. Icon of the Mother of God "Blessed Heaven." Sharovkin Dormition Convent / Monastic Herald (monasterium.ru)
5. "What Shall We Call You" (Blessed Heaven) (tretyakov.ru)
6. Icon of Blessed Heaven (pstgu.ru)
