October 26 Orthodox celebrate the bringing of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God to Moscow

This miraculous image, also known as the “Guidekeeper”, refers to the ancient icon-painting type of Odigitria (“Guide Guide”).

According to legend, in the ninth century, saving the shrine from the iconoclasts, a pious widow from Nicaea lowered it into the sea waves. Two centuries later, the monks of the Georgian Iberian monastery on Athos saw an icon floating above the water in a pillar of fire.

The monk Gabriel, having received instructions in a dream, miraculously walked on the water and brought the image to the temple. But in the morning the icon was again over the monastery gate. This was repeated several times until the brothers realized: The Virgin wants to protect the monastery from the outside. Since then, she has been called the “Guardian”. Today, the original is decorated with a sumptuous silver salary by 16th-century Georgian masters, which leaves open only the faces of the Virgin and Child.

In Moscow, this shrine has its own history. In 1669, an exact list (copy) of the Iverian icon was installed at the Resurrection Gate of China City. Later, in 1791, architect Matvey Kazakov erected an elegant chapel there. It survived the ruins of 1812 and was restored as a monument to the victory over Napoleon.

In 1929-1931, the chapel and the gate were barbarously demolished. But historical justice prevailed: in 1994-1995, the historical appearance of the Resurrection Gate and the chapel was completely recreated, returning the shrine to its rightful place in the heart of the capital.

October 26 celebrate the name day Benjamin, Innocent, Karp, Nikita, Nikolai, Trophim.