Icon of all the saints who shone in the Russian land. Icon of all saints in which prayer helps Icon of all saints with Jesus and the Virgin

The icon "The Cathedral of All Saints" tells us about one of the greatest Orthodox holidays. The "Revelation of John the Theologian" describes that the Council of All Saints means the worship of all the saints without exception (without taking into account the actual canonization) to the Lamb of God. This will be followed by the opening of the seventh seal. Thus, the Week of All Saints is a Christian holiday in which the Church honors all known and unknown righteous people. The Orthodox Church venerates all saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost, that is, it is a movable holiday that falls at the end of the eighth week after the celebration of Easter.

The history of the holiday and the icon of the Cathedral of All Saints goes back to the 4th-5th centuries of our era, and is associated with the name of John Chrysostom and Ephraim the Syrian. In particular, St. John Chrysostom spoke about the holiday in his sermons, indicating the exact date of the celebration, which coincides with the present. As for St. Ephraim the Syrian, he pointed to the feast in his chants, naming the date May 13th. Many other sources also indicate that the Feast of All Saints is celebrated on the first week after Pentecost. Orthodox theologians point out that all the saints, although they lived in different time, and became famous for various exploits, but all their grace is poured out on the Orthodox Church precisely during this period.

All Saints' Day is considered the boundary of the annual circle of worship. In particular, on this day the period of chants of the Colored Triodi ends, with the transition to the period of Oktoeh. On the day after the holiday, Petrov fast begins.

As for the icon "The Cathedral of All Saints", it tells us about the day of the Last Judgment, depicting all the righteous triumphant in Paradise. Many icon painters tried to depict their vision of Heaven through this icon. Moreover, the earliest image is an icon of the 10th century, which depicts angels and saints worshiping Jesus Christ, seated in the center. Saints, as a rule, are on their knees, holding out their crowns in the direction of Jesus Christ. Very often, near the Son of God, the icon depicts John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary, who are in the same sphere with Jesus Christ. There is also a second sphere, where the choir of saints is located, arranged according to the faces of holiness. Sometimes you can see saints who are depicted in separate arched openings, as well as the figures of the prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel and Solomon.

Date of celebration

The celebration takes place on the first Sunday of Petrovsky Lent.

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Icon of all the saints who shone in the Russian land

Simultaneously with the composition of the service to All the Saints who shone in the Russian land, Bishop Athanasius developed the composition of the icon of the Cathedral of Russian Saints. The verbal image of Holy Russia has found its iconographic embodiment. According to the plan of Bishop Athanasius, the groups of saints were to be arranged in a circle, in the direction of the sun, successively displaying the south, west, north and east of Russia, enlightened by the light of the Orthodox faith. The circular composition, ideally reflecting Divine eternity and the fullness of church catholicity, is emphasized by the icon of the Holy Trinity of St. Andrei Rublev, consecrating the Cathedral of Russian Saints, enclosed in a circle.

In the lower part of the icon is the root of the Orthodox Russian state, Saint Kyiv with his saints - the enlighteners of the Russian land, its first martyrs, on whose blood the tree of the Russian Orthodox Church began to grow. The first fruit of the sowing of the Christian faith on the Old Russian land is the luminiferous caves of the Dormition Kyiv Lavra. On both sides, the baptist of Russia, Prince Vladimir, is surrounded by a host of Kiev-Pechersk saints. On the left - the ascetics of the nearby caves, led by their chief, the Monk Anthony of the Caves. On the right - the inhabitants of distant caves with the Monk Theodosius. The pictorial image is closely connected with the verbal one. The words of the third song of the canon are consonant with the icon: “You are a mental paradise, the holy city of the Caves ...” To the left of the cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk saints, the saints of southern Russia, the Chernigov martyr princes Michael and Theodore, the miracle workers of Pereyaslav and Volyn with the Monk Job of Pochaev are depicted.

From the grain sown by the holy Grand Duke Vladimir, a great tree of the Orthodox Russian state, Orthodox Russian culture, has grown, the branches of which are studded with many fruits - holy ascetics and laborers of our Fatherland.

The core of the Russian historical tree is “the glorious city of Moscow”, “the root of the Kingdom”, in the words of the letters of the Time of Troubles of the 17th century. Under the roof of the Vladimir Icon Mother of God, in prayer at the Throne of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin with the Robe of the Lord reclining on it, Moscow saints Peter and Alexy, Theognost and Jonah, Hermogenes and Philip, Photius and Cyprian stand. The faces of the saints are continued by Saints Savva and Andronicus, the Blessed Princess Evdokia - the wife of the Holy Prince Demetrius of Donskoy, the Monk Prince-Builder of Moscow Daniel, Saint Tikhon of Kaluga, Tsarevich-Martyr Dimitri of Uglich and others. To the right of Moscow is the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra with St. Sergius of Radonezh and his closest disciples. The central part of the icon corresponds to the fourth song of the canon to Russian saints: “The glorious city of Moscow rejoices, and all Russia is filled with joy ...”

The Russian state expanded and grew stronger, more and more stars lit up in the sky of the Russian Orthodox Church. Lights, lit in ancient times in the southwest in Turov, Polotsk, flashed in Smolensk, Brest, Bialystok, distant Lithuania. Especially bright lamps in the north-west of the Fatherland were the Novgorod and Pskov eparchies. The fifth song of the canon is dedicated to them: “Come, we see the flowers of Eden’s paradise and God-pervaded, the deeds of the father, who shone within the borders of Novgorod ...” Like the Mother of God, the ancient image of the Mother of God “The Sign” shines over the host of Novgorod saints.

The crown of the great Russian tree is formed by the wonderful Northern Thebaid, sung in the sixth song: “Rejoice, Russian Thebaid, show off, deserts and wilds of Olonets, Beloezersk and Vologda, who raised the holy and glorious father of the multitude ...” From left to right in the upper part of the icon are depicted Petrograd, Olonets, Belozersk, Arkhangelsk, Solovetsky, Vologda and Perm saints of God. Harsh was the life of bloodless martyrs, reverend ascetics-enlighteners of the Russian North.

Following the seventh song of the canon, on the right side of the icon, all the saints of the Central Russian lands stand in prayer to Christ: saints of Rostov and Yaroslavl, Uglich and Suzdal, Murom and Kostroma, Tver and Ryazan, ancient Vladimir and Pereslavl Zalessky.

Closer to the east, our gaze meets the Tambov, Siberian and Kazan miracle workers. Kazan manifestation miraculous icon The Mother of God overshadows the east of Holy Russia. The image of the saints of the ancient Churches of the Caucasus closes the circular movement: Iberia, Georgia and Armenia, in the lower right corner. The iconographic image corresponds to the eighth song of the canon to Russian saints: “Show off, city of Kazan... Rejoice, Siberian country... Rejoice, Iberia and all the land of Georgia, triumph, Armenia...”

The verbal liturgical icon of the Russian Church, as well as its icon-painting image, with the fullest possible completeness represent the unity of the diverse and limitless multitude of ways to achieve holiness, to serve God. The venerable and great princes, saints and blessed ones, righteous wives and martyrs have equal dignity before God, Who looks not at faces, but at burning human hearts. The spiritual sky of Russian holiness is beautiful, the luminaries are distinguished by many shades, the brightness of burning, but all are united by the light of Christ, which enlightened and sanctified Russia.

In the upper part of the icon, as if under the vaults of an invisible temple, the Deesis rite is depicted. In the central rainbow medallion is the Holy Trinity. On both sides of the medallion, the Most Pure Mother of God and St. John the Baptist, the holy archangels Michael and Gabriel, especially revered and close to the Russian land saints, the apostles Bartholomew and Andrew, Saints Photius and the seven Kherson Hieromartyrs, Great Martyrs George and Demetrius of Thessalonica, Saint Nicholas of Myra and the Slovenian educators Cyril and Methodius, as well as many other saints, one way or another historically connected with the Russian Church. I recall the prayer at the litia of the service to All the Saints who shone in the Russian land, sequentially listing the ecumenical saints who served within the Russian land and are especially revered by the Russian people.

The Deesis rank helps to understand the deep content of the icon of the Cathedral of Russian Saints. In the vast expanses of great Orthodox Russia, under the blessed protection of the Holy Trinity, the beautiful temple of the Holy Orthodox Russian Church rises invisibly, where with one heart and one mouth all Russian saints, named and unnamed, revealed and unrevealed, celebrate the Divine Liturgy on the throne of the altar of Holy Russia - the Assumption Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin with a great shrine, the Robe of the Lord.

As if three stars shine on the icon, three miraculous images of the Mother of God, the Heavenly Defender of the Russian land: in the northwest - the Novgorod icon "The Sign", in the east - the Kazan icon of the Lady, and in the heart of Russia, Moscow - the Vladimir icon of the Most Pure.

The first icon of the Cathedral of Russian Saints, which did not fully satisfy Bishop Athanasius, was painted by his close friend and fellow student, the priest of Staraya Russa, Father Vladimir Pylaev, who died in exile. The second icon was created at the request and according to the plan of Vladyka by the famous icon painter of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, nun Juliana (Maria Nikolaevna Sokolova). Now the image, painted by the nun Juliana, along with a list of her own work, is kept in the sacristy of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Another icon of her work is in the Patriarchal Residence, in the Church of All Russian Saints, and another one is in the Resurrection Cathedral in the city of Romanov-Borisoglebsk, Yaroslavl Region.

The composition of the icon of Russian saints correlates with a stable church tradition of depicting patronal shrines and saints with upcoming ones. The Church and Archaeological Museum of the St. Petersburg Academy kept the icon of All Russian Saints, painted by Pyotr Timofeev in 1814, originating from the Old Believers. Prof. N.V. Po-krovsky suggested that it was copied from an older model. The upper part depicts the Holy Trinity, below - the Throne prepared and the instruments of the passions, then - Sophia, the Wisdom of God with those who are present, and, finally, eleven rows of Russian saints, prayerfully coming to Hagia Sophia.

The collection of the Tretyakov Gallery contains three-leaved folds of the first half of the 17th century, the middle of which represents the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, and on the wings, in orderly rows, in a strict hierarchy, the faces of the saints stand before the Queen of Heaven. The saints of each face stand in two rows. Russian saints, as a rule, are located in the bottom row.

Particular attention should be paid to the cathedrals of saints venerated in a particular area or diocese, but this is a topic for serious research that is beyond the scope of our message.

Saints of God, known and unknown. Looking at the icon of "All Saints", the faces of those who are depicted on it, you begin to understand what conciliar power lies in the Christian path. More than one holy generation of Christians is manifested in this icon. Each of them preached the faith of Christ with his life, it was a living gospel for God and before people. Orthodox online store Saints (icon of all saints).

Saints of God, known and unknown

Memorial Day of All Saints is established a week after the feast of the Holy Trinity. The saints, as fruits of the Church of Christ, adorn the Orthodox faith with their deeds. There is more than one list of the “All Saints” icon, and their meaning for a believer is also transmitted from the photo.

This list is a convincing fact of fidelity, the correctness of the Christian path

It would seem, why depict all the saints on one icon, because the figures are small and without knowledge of iconography it is not easy to recognize the face of a saint. Why don't even a photo of the All Saints icon and small, subtle details on it lower their significance. The answer is the icon itself.

Memorial Day of All Saints is set a week after the feast of the Holy Trinity

This list is a convincing fact of fidelity, the correctness of the Christian path, because only true faith can give such a number of saints. After all, they were ordinary people, like us, had only human nature, and not like Jesus Christ combined the divine and human principles.

The meaning of the icon "All Saints"

What is the choice of a person who wants to become a saint, the Lord himself showed by sacrificing His Only Begotten Son, for the sake of saving everyone and everyone. The icon of "All Saints" as a favorite memorable photo from the holy world, about the holy world, the world where every soul is awaited with pure love. The saints acquired (acquired) the Holy Spirit during their lifetime, so we can say that this icon, which embodied the image of the Holy Spirit in the faces of saints.

With his sermon, John Chrysostom established the day of the celebration of all saints, and already at the beginning of the 5th century this holiday is celebrated solemnly. The Russian land has given such ascetics, such saints, whose glory shines for the whole world and all religions. The day of celebration is determined two weeks after the feast of the Holy Trinity.

The history of the formation of the day "All the Saints of the Russian Land Resplendent" was not simple. During the formation of the Russian Church from 1700 to 1917, this holiday was forgotten. An interesting fact is that its restoration took place at the beginning of the atheistic period, in 1918. As if the Russian saints were called to help in order to preserve the faith, the light of the Orthodox in these difficult times for Christians.

Day of "All Saints" again triumphed in the temples and hearts of believers

But then the revolution prevented the completion of the restoration of the holiday. Only in 1946, after the terrible Great Patriotic War, the day of "All Saints" again triumphed in the temples and hearts of believers. These historical facts only confirm the importance, the necessity of this holiday and the significance of the icon of "All Saints" for a Christian.

What helps the icon "All Saints"

The icon of "All the Saints in the Russian Land Resplendent" is a symbol of Orthodox catholicity. Knowing what divine power each saint has individually, imagine only its power when they are together. Getting acquainted with the lives of the saints, imbued with their deeds, I want their faces to be in the home iconostasis.

But there are so many saints that there may not be enough walls, so by buying the icon of "All Saints" you will be able to contact the saint you love personally. A prayer appeal in front of this image helps to strengthen faith, overcome difficult circumstances, and teaches conciliar prayer. This image is unique, in that no matter how hard you apply, you will be heard.

The whole palette of human circumstances serves for the benefit and salvation of the soul.

Do not forget, you need not only to ask for support and help, but also to thank God, Holy Mother of God, heavenly hierarchs for everything that life brings. Sorrows and joys, success and disappointments, sickness and health. The whole palette of human circumstances serves for the good and salvation of the soul, if only a Christian makes an effort to do so.

In addition to the images that depict certain specific clergy (Jesus, the Mother of God, the apostles-evangelists, martyrs and prophets), there are collective icons. The entire Host of God is symbolically drawn on them, and, praying before them, we can turn to our patron saint for help, as if it were a nominal icon.

Why is the image called "The Icon of All Saints"? At baptism, each Christian receives a personal heavenly protector, a patron who protects him for life path and to whom the churched can turn in prayers with any need, request. In honor of this patron, a new name is given to him. However, the icon of All Saints is a universal image, and this is the essence of its name. Whoever your heavenly guardian is - Archangel Michael, Nicholas the Wonderworker or Mother Matrona - your prayer in front of this image will be heard by each of them. Ask for support at all life's crossroads - and you will definitely feel it! What prayers were most often heard by the icon of All Saints? Probably: “Heavenly fathers, merciful intercessors, pray to God for us!”

Description of the image

There are many different icon image lists. The oldest ones date back to the 5th-7th centuries, and they were made on Athos. For example, here is how the icon of All Saints looks like on one of the Russian samples of the 18th century: at the top - Holy Trinity(God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit). The Father is depicted in the center, the Son is on the right, and the Spirit (in the form of a Dove) is above Both. The second row of figures, that is, somewhat lower, are the Mother of God, who is called the Lady of the Mother of God, the Intercessor of all sinners, and the Baptist John. In addition to them, the icon of All Saints, the description of which we are making, includes John the Baptist and the faces of other lambs of God.

Holiday in honor of the image

In memory of All Saints - this is the name of the day of special glorification of the icon. It is usually celebrated after Trinity, on the first Sunday. It is also called Pentecost. After all, the icon of All Saints acquires special significance on the fiftieth day after Easter. Prayers in her honor are held all week until the 8th post-Easter Sunday. Thus, this holiday is a passing one, which does not have a specific calendar number assigned to it.

Our invisible protectors

Who are they, our invisible saviors? Let's take a closer look at the photo of the icon of All Saints and think about the personalities who look at us strictly and at the same time meekly and compassionately. Saints are people who, even during their lifetime, pleased the Lord with their deeds, firmness in faith and deeds that glorified the Almighty, performed for His glory. After their physical death, they were taken by God to heaven to pray before Him for our intercession.

Hierarchy heavenly

The faces of the saints are, first of all, the prophets. From God himself, they received a wonderful gift - to see the future, to see the events that should happen hundreds and thousands of years later. The most important of them is the return of the Savior to earth. Among the prophets, Ilya is most revered (prayer to the icon of All Saints and to him is effective in July-August, on the 20th and 2nd, depending on the style). In addition, Orthodox Christians respect John the Baptist, whose days of veneration are June 24 (July 7) and August 29 (September 11).

Apostles are messengers of God

Apostles are those people who personally knew Christ, were his disciples, accompanied the Son of God through the land of Judea, wrote down his teachings. We know the 12 apostles, by name, how they came to know the Living God and how they found themselves in Christ. After the death of their teacher, the apostles went to different parts of the world to preach new knowledge. They also have their own hierarchy. Paul and Peter are recognized as the main, or supreme ones. Evangelists, i.e. compilers Holy Scripture, are Luke, Matthew, John, Mark. Some saints are equated with the apostles according to the mission they perform. They were not personal disciples of Christ, but in different eras they propagated His teachings. These are the Greek kings Konstantin and Elena, the Russian princes Vladimir and Olga, the Georgian educator Nina.

clan of martyrs

Many of the saints depicted on the icon deserved such a great honor not only because they brought the Light of Truth to the masses, but also suffered severely for it. These include Christian martyrs. Those who endured terrible humiliation, abuse and torture are called great martyrs. This is the famous healer Panteleimon, whose image in the people's consciousness has grown together with the archangel Raphael, the healer of God; and St. George, bearing the big name Victorious; as well as Christian sufferers - Catherine and Barbara. The canonical texts speak of the first martyrs - Christians, that is, those who were the first of the huge number of victims to take the blow of persecution and persecution - Stefan and Thekla. A special place among the saints on the icon is occupied by confessors - Christians who, with their own righteous lives, proved the justice of God's precepts.

People for Christ's sake

These include the holy associates who pleased the Lord with their deeds:

• This is Nicholas, so respected by both Orthodox and Catholics: endowed with great abilities, he, for the glory of God, worked many miracles, for which he received the title of Miracle Worker. John Chrysostom, Gregory the Theologian and others called teachers of the Christian Church.
• Those who have become similar to God, that is, the reverends - Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, beloved by all Orthodox people. And to this day, faith in them is strong and unshakable.
• The righteous are family people who lived according to the laws of Christianity and tried with all their might to keep the covenants of God. These are, first of all, the Old Testament prophets, the parents of Mary, her husband, Joseph, Peter and Fevronia of Murom and many others.
• Holy fools and unmercenaries who help others morally and financially without payment, without expecting any reward, for Christ's sake: Vasily the Blessed and Mother Matrona, Xenia of Petersburg and others.

Here she is so amazing - the icon of All Saints!

Prayer to a saint or miracle worker helps in various needs, is effective help and protection. But recently I found out that there is an icon of all saints. I decided to ask my confessor about the meaning of this icon. It turns out that this is a universal icon, which depicts the entire host of heaven. If you do not have the image of your heavenly patron, you can directly refer to this icon.

I prayed about the money issue to several saints at once, who help in this particular area. Literally a week later, my situation was resolved by the most miraculously. What the Icon of All Saints looks like, let's look at the photo, analyze the meaning. I will tell you who is depicted there, and what you can pray for.

Description of the icon

This list should be in every Orthodox home. This is a universal image to which any prayers for help can be offered. The icon depicts the entire army of the Lord, the strength and power of which cannot be described in words. Also, this icon evokes reverent fear, since the Cathedral of All Saints is mentioned in the Revelation of John the Theologian. The saint foretold the coming of the Last Judgment, when all the saints would worship the Lamb of God.

Who is depicted on the icon:

• The Holy Trinity;
• Mother of God;
• archangels, angels;
• patriarchs;
• holy martyrs;
• church teachers.

On this icon you will find all the images of the saints, and your heavenly patron too. When you offer prayers to the icon to all the saints, you are addressing everyone at once. AT Orthodox tradition they honor all those who by their holy life or death have been worthy of the gift of the Holy Spirit. These are canonized saints and martyrs of God, as well as little-known Christian ascetics.

In the Orthodox Church, a special day of veneration of all saints has been established, it falls on the 7th day after the feast of the Trinity, on the first Sunday.

The tradition of venerating saints and martyrs was established by the first Christians, when they offered prayers on the tombs of the martyrs who died for the faith. From the same time, the practice of lighting lamps was introduced, since it was dark in the catacombs and tombs. Orthodox Church preserved the traditions of the first Christians and did not deviate a single step from the precepts of the apostles.

On the second week after the Trinity, the Cathedral of All Saints who died for the Orthodox faith and glorified Christ with their lives is celebrated. In honor of this day, the icon of the saints of the Russian Land was created.

What helps

There are Orthodox icons even in those houses whose inhabitants were not baptized. They are, as it were, just in case, because the subconscious of a person constantly calls him to faith. Even an unbelieving person needs protection and patronage, which can be given by the saints of God.

On the icon of the saints you can see Archangel Michael. According to the teachings of the church, the archangel will intercede at the Last Judgment for the souls of the righteous, so they pray to him for themselves and their deceased relatives. Prayer to the intercessor will help to beg for sins and find mercy in the eyes of God, because he helps to overcome sinful thoughts and keep the soul clean. Michael is turned to when possessed by wine drinking and drug addiction, as well as other sinful thoughts and addictions.

The icon shows St. Matrona Moscow, patroness of women and patroness of the family hearth. They also turn to Matronushka to clarify life situation, which seems impossible to get out of. The saint had a prophetic gift during her life and after death helps people to know the truth. Many people received healing when they turned to Matrona, and she also contributes to a successful marriage.

Among the faces of the saints one can distinguish John the Baptist. The Baptist helps with bodily and mental illnesses, strengthens faith and frees from the sin of drinking wine. You can pray to a saint with mental turmoil and in difficult life situations.