Hieromonk Venedikt (Shustov).
The relic was met on the platform by the clergy of Moscow headed by Archpriest Maxim Baturin, Acting Dean of the Epiphany Church District, rector of the Church of the Ascension of the Lord on Gorokhov Field, Vice-Governor of the Leningrad Region — Head of the Representative Office of the Governor and Government of the Leningrad Region at the Leningrad Diocese of the Russian Federation, Archpriest Venedikt (Shustov). N.M. Tsiganov, Senator from the Leningrad region S.N. Perminov.
The clergy took the icon out of the train carriage and with the singing of the Easter troparion «Christ is Risen», «Theotokos, the Virgin, Hail», «Tsarina my beloved» carried along the platform. In the hall of official delegations of the Leningrad railway station, Bishop Mstislav, accompanied by the clergy, celebrated a brief prayer service.
The liturgical chants were sung by the choir of the clergy who took part in the meeting of the relic, and the choir of the Church of the Ascension of the Lord on Gorokhovoye Pole in Moscow.
The liturgical chants were sung by the choir of the Church of the Ascension of the Lord on Gorokhovoye Pole in Moscow.
Holy Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will lead the solemn meeting of the holy relic in the Cathedral Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior tonight.
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The Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God — one of the greatest Orthodox shrines. The fate of this miracle-working image is closely connected with the history of Russia.
The legend says that the image was written by the Evangelist Luke himself while the Mother of God was still on earth. The Apostle sent the icon as a gift to Theophilus, the governor of Antioch. In the V century the icon ended up in Constantinople and became one of the main shrines of Byzantium. 70 years before the fall of Constantinople, the icon left the Byzantine Empire.
According to the manuscript «Tales of the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God» dated XV-XVI centuries, in 1383 «this icon was taken from Constantinople by the power of God and transferred to Russia».
In 1507-1515, by the decree of Grand Duke Vasily III, instead of the wooden temple, where the relic had stayed until then, a stone Assumption Cathedral was built, consecrated by Archbishop Serapion of Novgorod. Tikhvin became a place of «royal worship» and the icon was named — Tikhvin. Numerous copies of the miracle-working image are written.
In 1560, by the command of Tsar Ivan IV, a monastery was founded on the site of the icon's appearance.
From those ancient times to the present day many miracles have been performed from the Tikhvin icon. Looking at the icon, people were strengthened in spirit in troubled times, overcame difficulties and hardships. Through this icon the Mother of God blessed those who prayed, delivered them from famine and devastating epidemics, saved them from distressing circumstances and protected them from enemies.
During the Nazi occupation of Tikhvin from November 8, 1941 to December 9, 1941, the icon was taken to Pskov, then in March 1944 — to Riga and Latvia, where its keeper became Archbishop of Riga John (Garklavs) together with his adopted son Sergius. In order to save the Tikhvin Icon from evacuation, they left Latvia and wandered then through the refugee camps in Europe. They met the end of the war in Jablonec, Czech Republic, then moved to the western part of Germany. In 1949, Vladyka John received permission to enter America. He settled in Chicago, in 1957 he became Archbishop of Chicago and Minneapolis, and served in the Trinity Cathedral of Chicago, where the Tikhvin image had been for many years.
In 2004, after 60 years of absence, the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God returned to Russia to the Tikhvin Monastery, which is being restored.
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