They say that this happened during the earthly life of the Savior. The ruler of the city of Edessa, Prince Avgar, was seriously ill. Hearing about the countless healings that Jesus Christ performed, Abgar wanted to look at the Savior. He sent a painter to paint the face of Christ.
However, the artist was unable to complete the assignment. Such a radiance emanated from the face of the Lord that the master's brush could not convey His Light. Then the Lord, having washed, wiped His most pure face with a towel, and His Image was miraculously displayed on it. Having received the Image, Avgar was healed of his illness.
The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands on the obverse of the reliquary is the greatest shrine of the Christian world,
lost in 1204 during the sack of Constantinople by the crusaders.
According to Tradition, she was miraculously imprinted on a piece of cloth, with which the Lord wiped his face after washing. Jesus Christ gave His image to the servant of the king of Edessa, Abgar, who was sick with leprosy. The image healed the king and made him a Christian. The miracle of healing The miracle of healing was the first one, performed not by the Lord Himself, but by His image. It became a sign of the holiness of the images of the Church, the miraculousness of Her icons. Traditionally, the icon "Savior Not Made by Hands" is the first of the images entrusted to be painted by an icon painter who has completed his apprenticeship.
Sometimes this image, like a number of others, is called the Golden-haired Savior (Savior Golden Hair), since Christ's hair is lined with golden lines. The nimbus is in the form of a cross and occupies almost the entire field of the icon. Christ's gaze is turned to the left. In the upper corners of the centerpiece there is an inscription: IС ХС.
The miraculous image of the Savior not made by hands, which was in the Novospassky monastery, constituting its main shrine, was, at the same time, an All-Russian church treasure deeply revered by the Orthodox Russian people.
In the West, the legend about the Savior Not Made by Hands has spread as the legend about the Fee of St. Veronica. According to one of them, Veronica was a disciple of the Savior, but she could not accompany him all the time, then she decided to order a portrait of the Savior for the painter. But on the way to the artist, she met the Savior, who miraculously captured his face on her board. Veronica's plate was endowed with the power of healing. With his help, the Roman emperor Tiberius was healed. Later, another option appears. When Christ was led to Golgotha, Veronica wiped the face of Jesus, soaked in sweat and blood, with a cloth, and it was reflected on the matter. This moment is included in the Catholic cycle of the Passion of the Lord. The face of Christ in a similar manner is written in a crown of thorns and with dripping drops of blood.
In the Orthodox Church glorification Miraculous Image Savior spread in the X century, after the transfer in 944 with the face of the Savior from Edessa to Constantinople. In Ancient Russia, the Savior Not Made by Hands is known in the 12th century church murals of the Spaso-Mirozhsky Cathedral in 1156. and Savior on Nereditsa 1199.
At the time of the iconoclastic heresy, the defenders of veneration of icons, shedding blood for the holy icons, sang the troparion to the Image Not Made by Hands. To prove the veneration of icons, Pope Gregory II (715-731) sent a letter to the Eastern emperor, in which he pointed to the healing of King Abgar and the stay of the Image Not Made by Hands in Edessa as a well-known fact. The Image Not Made by Hands was placed on the banners of the Russian troops, protecting them from enemies. In the Russian Orthodox Church, there is a pious custom, when a believer enters a church, to read together with other prayers the troparion to the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands.
According to the Prologues, there are four Not-Made-to-Hand Images of the Savior:
1) In Edessa, king Abgar - August 16.
2) Camulian; its acquisition was described by Saint Gregory of Nyssa (Comm. 10 January). According to the legend of the Monk Nikodim the Holy Mountain (1809; commemorated July 1), the Camulian image appeared in the year 392, but he had in mind the image of the Mother of God on August 9.
3) Under the emperor Tiberias (578-582), from whom Saint Mary syncliticia received healing (Comm. 11 August).
4) On ceramics - August 16.
The feast in honor of the transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands, performed on the feast day of the Assumption, is called the third Savior, "Savior on canvas." The special veneration of this holiday in the Russian Orthodox Church was also expressed in icon painting. The Icon of the Miraculous Image is one of the most widespread.
Miracles of the holy icon of the Savior.
The first miracle, which marked the beginning of the all-Russian glorification of the holy icon of the Savior, was revealed from her on July 12, 1645 in the city of Khlynov (Vyatka) in the Church of the All-Merciful Savior. Historical church documents certify that a resident of the city, Petr Palkin, who suffered from complete blindness for three years, after praying in front of the icon of the Savior, received healing and received his sight. After that wondrous wonders from the image they began to be performed one after another, and the fame of the miraculous image quickly spread throughout the entire Russian Land. Hearing about the extraordinary miracles from the icon, then reigning pious sovereign Alesya Mikhailovich, on the advice of Archimandrite Nikon, later Patriarch, former abbot of the Novospassky monastery, decided to transfer the icon to Moscow. In fulfillment of the royal will, with the blessing of Patriarch Joseph, an embassy headed by the hegumen of Moscow was sent to the city of Khlynov for the holy icon. Epiphany monastery Paphnutia.
On January 14, 1647, literally all of Moscow came out to meet the Not-Made-by-Hands Image of the Savior. The meeting took place at the Yauzsky gate. As soon as the icon became visible to the people, there was a ringing in all Moscow churches, everyone knelt down, and a thanksgiving service began. At the end of the prayer service, the miraculous icon was transferred to the Kremlin and placed in the Assumption Cathedral. The gates to the Kremlin, through which the image was introduced, which until that time were called Frolovsky, were ordered to henceforth be called Spassky. In addition, a royal decree followed that everyone should take off their hats when passing through the gate.
The image remained in the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral until the reconstruction of the Transfiguration Cathedral in the Novospassky Monastery was completed. As soon as the day of the consecration of the cathedral was set, September 19, 1647, the icon was solemnly transferred to the monastery by the procession of the cross.
In 1670, the image of the Savior was given to help Prince Yuri, who went to the Don to pacify the rebellion of Stepan Razin. The revolt was suppressed, and by the imperial command the image was adorned with a gilded robe, strewn with diamonds, yachons and large pearls.
On August 13, 1834, a terrible fire broke out in Moscow. At the request of the inhabitants, a miraculous image of the Savior was brought from the Novospassky monastery, which they began to wear around the conflagration. In front of everyone's eyes, the fire, as if by an invisible force, kept from spreading beyond the line where the icon was carried. Soon the wind died down and the fire stopped. Since then, the image began to be carried out for the service of prayers at home. During the cholera that raged in Moscow in 1848, many patients received wonderful help from the icon.
In 1839, the icon was decorated with a gilded silver robe with precious stones instead of the one kidnapped by the French in 1812. V summer time the image was in the Transfiguration Cathedral, and in winter it was transferred to the Intercession Church. In the Nikolsky and Catherine churches of the monastery there were exact copies of the miraculous image.
Until 1917, the icon was in the monastery. The whereabouts of this holy image are currently unknown. In the Novospassky monastery there is a preserved copy of the miraculous image. He dwells in local row the iconostasis of the Transfiguration Cathedral - where it used to be miraculous icon.
“The Savior left us in Himself His holy image, so that, looking at him, we would never stop remembering his incarnation, suffering, life-giving death and the redemption of the human race,” it was said at the VI Ecumenical Council.
Iconography of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands.
The Savior Not Made by Hands is a special type of image of Christ, representing His face on an ubrus (board) or chrepia (tile). According to the Orthodox iconographic canon, the Savior Not Made by Hands is written in the form of a middle-aged man, in the words of the icon-painting original: "perfect in the image of a husband", which corresponds to the fifth week (from 28 to 35 years old) of Old Russian calculus human life... Only the Divine face of the Savior is depicted on the icon "Savior Not Made by Hands". Moreover, this image may be different. The face of the Lord is either simply inscribed in a halo, or is depicted on the ubrus, and sometimes the ubrus is held by the Angels.
All these icons are painted from the "original original". Christ is depicted with long dark hair, parted in a straight part, and with a short beard. Generally speaking, it is customary to paint both the hair of Christ and the beard with wavy ones, but on Russian icons sometimes there are images with straight, as if wet hair.
Icons "Savior Not Made by Hands" are usually divided into the main types: "Savior on the Ubrus" or simply "Ubrus", where the face of Christ is placed on the image of a plate (ubrus) of a light shade and "Savior on a bowknot" or simply "Chrepie", "Keramida". According to legend, the image of Christ appeared on the tiles or bricks that hid the niche with the icon Savior not made by hands... Occasionally, on this type of icons, the background is an image of a brick or tiled masonry, more often the background is simply given more dark color compared to Ubrus.
The Christian tradition considers the Image of Christ not made by hands as one of the proofs of the truthfulness of the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity in the human image, and in a narrower sense - as the most important evidence in favor of veneration of icons.
We magnify Thee, the Life-Giving Christ, and we honor all the glorious image of Thy Most Holy Face.
The miraculous image of the Spas
The image not made by hands (?????????????), or the icon of the Savior "on the ubruse", known in the West as the "holy face" (?????????), takes the first place among icons of Christ.
The expression "not made by hands" gets its true meaning in the light of the accompanying Gospel text (see: Mark 14:58): the "not made by hands" image is, first of all, the embodied Word, manifested in the temple of His body(John 2:21). From that time on, the Mosaic law, which prohibits human images (see: Ex. 20: 4), loses its meaning, and the icons of Christ become irrefutable evidence of the Incarnation. Instead of creating a "man-made" image of the God-man made according to their own will, icon painters should follow the tradition that links them with the "not made by hand" prototype. This legend is at the beginning of the 5th century. acquired a legendary form in the history of the Edesian king Avgar, who ordered a pictorial portrait of Christ. The Byzantine version of the legend says that the Edesian image was the imprint of the Savior's face on the board, which He applied to His face and passed on to the messenger of Avgar. The first images of Christ, the "mandillion" and his two miraculous imprints on the tiles, the "ceramides", were thus supposed to be a kind of "miraculous" documents, direct and, so to speak, material evidence of the incarnation of God the Word. These legendary stories in their own way express dogmatic truth: Christian iconography, and above all the ability to portray Christ, is based on the very fact of the Incarnation. Therefore, the sacred art of icon painting cannot be an arbitrary creation of an artist: just like a theologian in the field of thought, an icon painter must express in art the living, "not made by hands" Truth, Revelation, the contents of the Church in Tradition. Better than any other sacred image, the "not made by hands" image of Christ expresses the dogmatic basis of iconography. Therefore VII Ecumenical Council gave this icon Special attention, and it is this icon of Christ that is venerated on the day of the Triumph of Orthodoxy (see above the kontakion of the feast, p. 117).
Savior Not Made by Hands "on the Ubrus". Fresco of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa. Novgorod. 1199 g.
Savior Not Made by Hands "on the Ropes". Fresco of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa. Novgorod. 1199 g.
The iconographic type of the Savior Not Made by Hands represents only the face of Christ, without neck and shoulders, framed on both sides by long strands of hair. The beard sometimes ends in a wedge, sometimes it is forked. The correct facial features are conveyed schematically: the beautiful line of the mouth is devoid of any sensuality, the elongated and thin nose, together with wide eyebrows, makes a pattern resembling a palm tree. The serious and dispassionate expression of the face of the God-man has nothing to do with the dispassionate indifference to the world and man, so often encountered in religious images Of the Far East... Here is the dispassion of absolutely pure human nature, excluding sin, but open to all the grief of the fallen world. Look big, wide open eyes facing the viewer, sad and attentive; it seems to penetrate into the very depths of consciousness, but does not suppress. Christ did not come to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved by Him (see: John 3:17). The sign of the cross is inscribed in the halo surrounding the head of Christ. We see this baptized halo in all the images of the Lord. The Greek letters at the three ends of the cross make up the Name of God revealed to Moses:? ?? - He (who is) (see: Ex. 3:14). This is the fearful name of Jehovah, belonging to the divine nature of Christ. The abbreviated spelling of the name of Jesus Christ IC XC (on one below, on the other - above) indicates the Hypostasis of the incarnate Word. The inscription of the name is obligatory on all icons of Christ, the Mother of God (MP? Y) and all saints.
Savior Not Made by Hands. Banner. Around 1945
Icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands were probably numerous in Byzantium starting from the 6th century; they became especially widespread after the transfer of the icon from Edessa to Constantinople in 944. However best icons of this type, which we know, of Russian origin. One of the oldest surviving icons (XII century) is in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral. It is painted in a monumental style reminiscent of a fresco.
Our icon (see p. 121) was painted on the banner by a Russian icon painter around 1945. Here, the new technique and artistic flair of our contemporary served to convey what is not created by human hands: the traditional image of Christ, as only the Church knows Him.
Savior the Almighty. Russia. XVI century Temple Gallery. London
From the book Traveling Out of the Body the author Monroe Robert Allan6. REVERSE IMAGE Paradoxically, modern scholars find it much easier to come to terms with the possibility of the existence of a region called Locale III here than they admit to Locale II. Why? Yes, because it is consistent with the latest discoveries in physics, with tiny facts mined
From the book Young Sorceress, or Magic for Teenagers the author Ravenwolf SilverImage of wealth The word “wealth” has different meanings for different people... Some people think that big money makes a person rich, others consider a harmonious and exciting life to be real wealth. Take your photo and paste it onto a large sheet of paper.
From the book The Golden Book of Yoga the author Sivananda Swami From the book There are only stars above us the author Natalia Borisovna PravdinaMy Radiant Image Finally, I want to offer you another method of creating a positive inner image of yourself. It is very simple - you need to learn to imagine yourself as you would like to become. However, do you yourself know who you want to become? If not, start
From the book The Power of Silence the author Mindell Arnold21. The harmless way of life of Tao, which can be expressed in words, is not the eternal Tao. Lao Jie, Chapter 1 of the Tao Te Ching “... there is a universal flow that cannot be defined explicitly and can be cognized only indirectly, like that which is indicated explicitly
From the book Legends and Parables, stories about yoga the author Byazirev GeorgyA THOUGHT IMAGE My dear readers, our Hyperborean ancestors said: “Everything is Thought. The universe is a mental image. " And that's it. Having understood the essence of this aphorism, one can get an idea of the reason for the creation of man. Man is a tool
From the book Traveling Out of the Body the author Monroe Robert Allan6. Reverse Image It is paradoxical, but modern scientists are much easier to come to terms with the possibility of the existence of a region called Locale III here than they admit to Locale II. Why? Yes, because it is consistent with the latest discoveries in physics, with the tiny facts obtained
From the book Ghosts Among Us author Ilyin VadimReturning Image American portrait painter Gerard Hale was widely regarded as the author of one of his later works, a magnificent depiction of the head of Christ. And in 1928 he worked in Paris and received an order for a portrait there from a very rich French woman,
From the book The Language of Symbols [Collected Articles] the author Team of authors From the book Secrets of Ancient Civilizations. Volume 1 [Collection of articles] the author Team of authorsImage of the world If the dwelling of the soul and the symbol of its deeds is the heart, then the dwelling of God and the image of the world created by him is a temple. It is a copy of the celestial model - the first temple, the first sacred space, and its construction corresponds to the creation of the Cosmos. Architect, master,
From the book of Anapanasati. The practice of breath awareness in the Theravada tradition the author Buddhadasa AjahnFinal Image If we want to follow this process, or sequence, of tranquility, then we should observe and see that when we exercise as described here, the breath is purified and calmed by itself. When we practice this way -
From the book All the secrets of the subconscious. Encyclopedia of Practical Esotericism the author Naumenko GeorgyLifestyle To practice Anapanasati fruitfully, you need to make some adjustments to your lifestyle. Your lifestyle and anapanasati are interconnected. Thus, we should discuss the lifestyle that promotes the study of Dhamma and the practice of citta-bhavana.
From the book of Rus - Space Race the author Klimkevich Svetlana TitovnaThe image of the soul All peoples and tribes that have ever inhabited our planet believed in afterlife... When archaeologists discover ancient burials of people of the Stone Age, they find them buried in the position of an infant in their mother's womb or on a bed of flowers. Thus the ancient
From the book The Unique Encyclopedia of Happiness. How to win a lucky ticket and catch a goldfish. Best techniques and techniques the author Natalia Borisovna PravdinaSavior Not Made by Hands has come! 623 = To keep the Divine Knowledge about the Unity of All That Is = Integrity - characterizes the process of evolution (D. Rudyar) = "Numerical codes". Book 2. Kryon Hierarchy 08/19/14 I AM THAT I AM! I AM the Heavenly Father! I AM Eternity! Svetlana, Spas
From the book 30 steps to wealth the author Natalia Borisovna PravdinaMy new image! The first thing that should go into your plans is to change yourself. From the moment you were born, when you appeared in this blissful world, you were destined to become happy man... Perhaps other people's wrong thoughts have affected your well-being, and it
The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands occupies a special place in icon painting, and an extensive literature is devoted to it. Tradition says that the icon we know is a hand-made copy of a wonderfully found original. According to legend, in 544 A.D. two images of Jesus not made by hands were found in the gate niche of the wall of the city of Edessa. When the niche was opened, a candle was burning in it and there was a board with a wonderful image, which at the same time turned out to be imprinted on the ceramic tiles that covered the niche. Thus, two versions of the image immediately arose: Mandylion (on the board) and Keramion (on the tile). In 944, Mandylion moved to Constantinople, and two decades later Ceramion followed the same path. According to the testimonies of pilgrims, both relics were kept in vessels-arks, suspended on chains in one of the naves of the Temple of Our Lady of Pharos, the home church of the Emperor / 1-4 /. This famous church was also home to other relics of comparable significance. The vessels were never opened and both relics were never shown, but the lists began to appear and spread throughout the Christian world, gradually taking the form of the iconographic canon known to us. After the sack of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1204, Mandylion supposedly ended up in Paris, was kept there until 1793, and disappeared during the French Revolution.
There are several versions of the legend about the original origin of Mandylion. The most popular narrative in the Middle Ages is called epistula Avgari in the scientific literature and can be found in its entirety in / 4, 5 /. The king Abgar of Edesa, sick with leprosy, sent a letter to Jesus asking him to come and heal him. Jesus responded with a letter that later became widely known as an independent relic, but did not heal Abgar. Then Abgar sent an artist-servant to paint the image of Jesus and bring it with him. The arriving servant found Jesus in Jerusalem and tried to sketch him. Seeing the failure of his attempts, Jesus asked for water. He washed and wiped himself with a cloth, on which His face was miraculously imprinted. The servant took the board with him and, according to some versions of the story, the Apostle Thaddeus went with him. Passing the city of Hierapolis, the servant hid the boards in a pile of tiles for the night. At night, a miracle happened and the image of the board was imprinted on one of the tiles. A servant left these shingles in Hierapolis. Thus, a second Keramion appeared - the Hierapolis one, which also eventually ended up in Constantinople, but was of lesser importance than the Edesian one. At the end of the story, the servant returns to Edessa, and Avgar is healed by touching the wonderful towel. Avgar placed the boards in the gate niche for general worship. During the times of persecution, the relic was immured in a niche for the sake of preservation, and it was forgotten for several centuries.
The story of St. Mandylion is often confused with the story of the Veronica plate, a separate relic kept in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and belonging to the Western tradition. According to legend, on the day of the crucifixion, St. Veronica gave a towel to Jesus, exhausted under the weight of his cross, and he wiped his face, which had been imprinted on the towel, with it. Some believe that this is the history of the emergence of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, i.e. Mandylion, but it is a completely independent relic, an independent narrative and an independent portrayal that has other typical features. On most iconographic versions of Veronica's board, Jesus' eyes are closed and facial features are different than on Mandylion. Its head is crowned with a crown of thorns, which is consistent with the situation of the story. On Mandylion, eyes are open, there is no crown of thorns, Jesus' hair and beard are wet, which is consistent with the story of Abgar's servant, in which Jesus dries himself with a towel after washing. The cult of the Veronica fee arose relatively late, around the 12th century. Some famous icons associated with this cult are actually versions of St. Mandylion and are of Byzantine or Slavic origin / 6, 7 /.
In this essay, I reflect on the amazing charisma of this one-of-a-kind icon, I try to put together and formulate different aspects its symbolic meaning and solve the riddle of its attractive power.
THE SAVIOR'S LIKE
The Savior Not Made by Hands is the only icon depicting Jesus simply as a person, as a person with a face. The rest of the iconic images of Jesus show Him performing some action or contain indications of His attributes. Here He sits on the throne (which means He is the King), here He blesses, here He holds a book in His hands and points to the words written there. The plurality of images of Jesus is theologically correct, but it can hide the basic truth of Christianity: salvation comes precisely through the person of Jesus, through Jesus as such, and not through some of his individual actions or attributes. According to Christian teaching, the Lord sent us His Son as the only way to salvation. He Himself is the beginning and end of the path, alpha and omega. He saves us by the very fact of his eternal presence in the world. We follow him not because of any obligations or reasoning or customs, but because He calls us. We love him not for something, but simply because he is, i.e. about the same as we love, not always explainable by the love of the chosen ones or the chosen ones of our hearts. It is to this attitude towards Jesus, an attitude that is highly personal, that the image depicted on St. Mandylion corresponds.
This icon strongly and clearly expresses the very essence of the Christian life - the need for everyone to establish a personal relationship with God through Jesus. From this icon, Jesus looks at us like no other, which is facilitated by exaggeratedly large and slightly slanted eyes. This Jesus does not look at humanity in general, but at a specific viewer and expects an equally personal response. Having met His gaze, it is difficult to hide from ruthless thoughts about yourself and your relationship with Him.
A portrait icon gives a much greater sense of direct contact than an icon with a narrative content. If a narrative icon conveys a story, then a portrait icon expresses presence. The portrait icon does not distract attention to clothing, objects, or gestures. Jesus is not here blessing or offering verbal formulas of salvation to hide behind. He only offers Himself. He is the Way and Salvation. The rest of the icons are about Him, and here He is.
PHOTO PORTRAIT
St. Mandylion is a one-of-a-kind ‘photographic portrait’ of Jesus. This is actually not a drawing, but a face print, a photograph in the literal material sense. Being a stylistically neutral image of a face as such, our icon has something in common with the not too honorable, but absolutely necessary and widespread genre of passport photo in our life. Just like in passport photos, it is the face that is depicted here, and not the character or thoughts. This is just a portrait, not a psychological portrait.
The usual photographic portrait depicts the person himself, and not his vision of the artist. If the artist replaces the original with an image that meets his subjective vision, then a portrait photo captures the original as it is physically. So it is with this icon. Jesus is not interpreted here, not transformed, not deified and not comprehended - He is as He is. Let us remind you that God in the Bible is repeatedly called “existing” and says about himself that He is “what He is”.
SYMMETRY
Among other iconic images, the Savior Not Made by Hands is unique in its symmetry. In most versions, the Face of Jesus is almost completely mirror-symmetrical, with the exception of the slanting eyes, the movement of which gives life to the face and spiritualizes it / 8 /. This symmetry reflects, in particular, fundamentally important fact creations - the mirror symmetry of a person's appearance. Many other elements of God's creation (animals, plant elements, molecules, crystals) are also symmetrical. Space, the main arena of creation, itself has a high degree of symmetry. The Orthodox Church is also symmetrical, and the Image Not Made by Hands often takes place in it on the main plane of symmetry, linking the symmetry of architecture with the asymmetry of icon painting. He, as it were, attaches to the walls a carpet of temple paintings and icons, which is dynamic in its diversity and color.
Since, according to the Bible, man was created in the image and likeness of God, it can be assumed that symmetry is one of the attributes of God. The Savior Not Made by Hands thus expresses the symmetry of God, creation, man and temple space.
THE GENIUS OF PURE BEAUTY
In the title of the 12th century Novgorod icon from the Tretyakov Gallery (this is the oldest Russian icon of the Savior), St. Lik expresses the late antique ideal of beauty. Symmetry is just one aspect of this ideal. Jesus' features do not express pain and suffering. This perfect image free from passions and emotions. He sees heavenly tranquility and peace, sublimity and purity. This combination of the aesthetic and the spiritual, the beautiful and the Divine, which is just as strongly expressed in the icons of the Mother of God, reminds us that beauty will save the world.
The type of face of Jesus is close to that which in Hellenistic art is called "heroic" and has common features with late antique images of Zeus / 9 /. This ideal Face expresses the union in the single person of Jesus of two natures - the Divine and the human and was used in that era on other icons of Christ.
CIRCLE CLOSES
The Savior Not Made by Hands is the only icon in which a halo is fully shaped vicious circle... The circle expresses the perfection and harmony of the world order. The position of the face in the center of the circle expresses the completeness and completeness of Jesus' act of saving mankind and His central role in the universe.
The image of the head in a circle also reminds of the head of Ionne the Forerunner laid on a dish, who preceded with his suffering way of the cross Jesus. The image of the head on a round dish also has obvious Eucharistic associations. The round halo containing the face of Jesus is symbolically repeated in the round prosphora containing His body.
CIRCLE AND SQUARE
On the Novgorod icon, a circle is inscribed in a square. The opinion was expressed that the geometricity of this icon creates the image of the paradox of the Incarnation through the idea of squaring the circle, i.e. as a combination of incompatible / 10 /. The circle and the square symbolically represent Heaven and Earth. According to the cosmogony of the ancients, the Earth is a flat square, and the Sky is the sphere along which the Moon, the Sun and the planets revolve, i.e. the world of the Divine. This symbolism can be found in the architecture of any temple: a square or rectangular floor symbolically corresponds to the Earth, and the vault or dome of the ceiling - to Heaven. Therefore, the combination of a square and a circle is a fundamental archetype, expressing the structure of the Cosmos and having in this case special meaning, since Christ, having become incarnate, united Heaven and Earth. It is interesting that a circle inscribed in a square (as well as a square inscribed in a circle), as a symbolic display of the structure of the Universe, is used in the mandala, the main icon of Tibetan Buddhism. The motif of a square inscribed in a circle can also be seen in the icon of the Savior in the drawing of a cross halo.
FACE AND CROSS
The crumbling halo is a canonical element of almost all major types of Jesus icons. From the point of view of the modern viewer, the combination of a head with a cross looks like an element of a crucifixion. In fact, the imposition of a face on a cruciform motif rather reflects the end result of a kind of competition between the images of the cross and the Face of Jesus for the right to serve as the state emblem of the Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine made the cross the main symbol of his power and the imperial standard. Icons of Christ have replaced the cross on state images since the 6th century. The first combination of a cross with an icon of Jesus was, apparently, a round image of Jesus, attached to military crosses-standards, in the same way as the portraits of the emperor were attached to the same standards / 11 /. Thus, the combination of Jesus with the cross indicated rather His authoritative authority than the role of the Sacrifice / 9 (see chapter 6) /. It is not surprising that an identical cross-shaped halo is also present on the icon of Christ the Almighty, in which the role of Christ as Lord is especially emphasized.
The letters depicted in the three crossbeams of the cross convey the transcription of the Greek word "o-omega-n", meaning "existing", i.e. the so-called heavenly name of God, which is pronounced "he-on", where "he" is the article.
‘AZ IS THE DOOR’
The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is often placed above the entrance to a sacred room or space. Let's remember that he was found in a niche above the gates of the city of Edessa. In Russia, it was also often placed above the gates of cities or monasteries, as well as in churches above entrance doors or over royal gates altars. At the same time, the sacredness of the space protected by the icon is emphasized, which thereby becomes likened to the God-protected city of Edessa / 1 /.
There is another aspect here as well. Emphasizing that the path to God lies only through Him, Jesus calls himself a door, an entrance (John 10: 7,9). Since the sacred space is associated with the Kingdom of Heaven, passing under the icon to the temple or altar, we symbolically do what the Gospel invites us to, i.e. we pass through Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven.
HEAD AND BODY
St. Mandylion is the only icon that shows only the head of Jesus, even without the shoulders. The immateriality of the face speaks of the primacy of the spirit over the body and gives rise to multiple associations. The head without a body reminds of the earthly death of Jesus and creates the image of the Sacrifice, both in the sense of his crucifixion and in the sense of the Eucharistic associations mentioned above. The image of one Face corresponds to the Orthodox theology of the icon, according to which a person is depicted on icons, and not human nature / 12 /.
The image of the head also recalls the image of Christ as the Head of the Church (Ephesus 1: 22,23). If Jesus is the Head of the Church, then believers are her body. The face continues downward with expanding wet hair lines. Continuing down into the space of the temple, these lines seem to cover the believers, who thereby become the Body, expressing the fullness of church existence. On the Novgorod icon, the direction of the hair is emphasized by sharply drawn white lines dividing individual strands.
HOW LOOKED ST. MANDILION?
Judging by the historical evidence, the Edesian Mandylion was an image on a board stretched over a small board and kept in a closed casket / 2 /. Probably there was a gold frame, which left only the face, beard and hair exposed. The Bishop of Samosata, tasked with bringing St. Mandylion from Edessa, had to choose the script from among four applicants. This suggests that already in Edessa, from Mandylion, copies were made, which were also images on a cloth basis stretched on a board. These copies apparently served as the beginning of the tradition of images of the Image Not Made by Hands, since there is no information about the copying of Mandylion in Constantinople. Since icons in general are usually painted on a fabric base (pavolok) stretched over a board, St. Mandylion is a proto-icon, the prototype of all icons. Of the surviving images, several icons of Byzantine origin that have survived in Italy are considered the closest to the original, the dating of which is being debated. On these icons, the Holy Face has natural dimensions, the features of the face are oriental (Syro-Palestinian) / 13 /.
TABLET OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The meaning of Mandylion in Byzantium was comparable to that of the Tablets of the Covenant in ancient Israel... The tablets were the central relic of the Old Testament tradition. On them the commandments were inscribed by God himself, which constituted the main content. Old Testament... The presence of the Tablets in the Tabernacle and the Temple confirmed the authenticity of the Divine origin of the commandments. Since the main thing in the New Testament is Christ himself, the Holy Mandylion is a tablet of the New Testament, its visible God-given image. This motive clearly sounds in the official Byzantine narrative about the history of Mandylion, in which the story of its transfer to Constantinople is consonant with the Biblical narrative about the transfer of the tablets to Jerusalem by David / 14 /. Like the tablets, Mandylion was never shown. Even the emperors, worshiping Mandylion, kissed the closed chest. As the tablet of the New Testament, St. Mandylion became the central relic of the Byzantine Empire.
ICON AND RELICION
Byzantine piety strove for the synthesis of icons and relics / 15 /. Icons often arose as a result of the desire to "multiply" the relic, to consecrate the entire Christian world to it, and not just a small part of the space. The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands reminded not only of the reality of the earthly life of the Savior, but also of the reality and authenticity of the Holy Plate himself. The connection with the relic is indicated by the folds of matter depicted on many versions of the icon of St. Mandylion. The icons of St. Keramion depict the same face, but the background has the texture of tiles.
However, the direct connection with the relic was not always emphasized. On the icon presented in the title, the Face is depicted on a uniform gold background, symbolizing the Divine Light. In this way, the effect of Jesus' presence is enhanced, His divinity and the fact of the Incarnation are emphasized, as well as the fact that the source of salvation is Jesus himself, and not a relic. Wolf / 10 / points to the “monumentalization” of the Face, freed from the tissue base, its movement from matter into the sphere of spiritual contemplation. It was also hypothesized that the gold background of the Novgorod icon copies the gold setting of the prototype icon / 16 /. The Novgorod icon was processional, portable, which explains its big sizes(70x80cm). Since Lika's size is larger human face, this image could not claim to be a direct copy of St. Mandylion and served as his symbolic substitute in divine services Holy Week and holiday icons of 16 August.
It is interesting that the reverse side of the Novgorod Mandylion just illustrates the use of icons to “multiply” relics. It presents a scene of the Adoration of the Cross / 17 /, containing the image of all the main passionate relics from the Church of Our Lady of Pharos (crown of thorns, sponge, spear, etc. / 4 /). Since in ancient times the image was considered as a substitute for the depicted one, our icon created in the space of the Novgorod temple a kind of equivalent of the Church of Our Lady of Pharos - the main temple-reliquary of Byzantium.
The Incarnation and the Consecration of the Mother
The Incarnation is unanimously recognized as the core theme of the Mandylion. Although the appearance of Christ in the material world is the theme of any icon, the story of the miraculous display of the Face of Christ on the board not only confirms with particular clarity the doctrine of the Incarnation, but also creates an image of the continuation of this process after the earthly death of Jesus. Leaving the world, Christ leaves in it his "imprints" on the souls of believers. Just as St. Mandylion, by the power of the Holy Spirit, passed from a board to a tile, the same power is transferred to the image of God from heart to heart. In church icon painting, Mandylion and Keramion are sometimes placed opposite each other at the base of the dome, which recreates the situation of a miraculous reproduction of the image / 1 /.
St. Mandylion occupies a special place both among icons and among relics. Many relics are common items, unique due to their proximity to the Divine (for example, the belt of the Mother of God). Mandylion, on the other hand, was matter directly changed by purposeful Divine influence and can be regarded as a prototype of the transformed materiality of the next century. The reality of the transformation of the Mandylion fabric confirms the real possibility of deification of a person already in this world and portends his transformation in the future, and not in the form of an incorporeal soul, but as a renewed materiality, in which the Image of God will in the same way "shine through" through human nature, like St. The face shines through the fabric of Mandylion.
The image of the fabric on the icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands has more deep meaning than just an illustration of the naturalness of St. Plat. Fabric Fee is an image material world, already sanctified by the presence of Christ, but still awaiting the coming deification. This is a multivalued image reflecting both the potential deification of the matter of our world today (as in the Eucharist) and its future complete deification. The cloth Plate also denotes the person himself, in whom Christ has the power to reveal his image. Associated with this circle of images is the Eucharistic meaning of the Mandylion. The image of St. Face that appears on Mandylion is similar to the Body of Christ existing ontologically in the Eucharistic bread. The image not made by hands does not illustrate, but complements the sacrament: that which is not visible in the Eucharist is accessible to contemplation on the icon. Not surprisingly, St. Mandylion was widely used in the iconographic programs of altarpieces / 18,19 /.
The question of the nature of Mandylion, like the paradox of the Incarnation itself, is difficult for rational comprehension. Mandylion is not an illustration of the Incarnation, but a living example of the incarnation of the Divine into the material. How is the sanctity of Mandylion to be understood? Is only the image itself holy, or is the material holy too? In Byzantium in the 12th century, there was a serious theological debate on this topic. The discussion ended with the official statement about the sanctity of only the image, although the practice of venerating this and other relics testifies rather to the opposite.
BANNER OF ICON REVIEW
If the pagans worshiped "Gods made by men" (Acts 19:26), then Christians could contrast this with the Image Not Made by Hands, as a material image made by God. Jesus' creation of his own image was the strongest argument in favor of veneration of icons. The icon of the Savior occupies an honorable place in the iconographic programs of Byzantine churches shortly after the victory over iconoclasm.
The Legend of Avgar deserves a careful reading, as it contains theologically significant ideas related to the veneration of icons:
(1) Jesus wanted His image;
(2) He sent His image in place of Himself, thereby confirming the legitimacy of honoring the image as His representative;
(3) He sent the image in response to Abgar's request for healing, which directly confirms the miraculousness of the icon, as well as the potential healing power of other contact relics.
(4) The letter sent before this does not heal Avgar, which is consistent with the fact that the copies of the sacred texts, despite the practice of worshiping them, as a rule, do not play the role of miraculous relics in the Orthodox tradition.
In the legend about Avgar, the role of the artist is also remarkable, who is unable to draw Christ on his own, but brings the customer an image drawn according to the Divine will. This emphasizes that the icon painter is not an artist in the usual sense, but the executor of God's plan.
NON-CREATIVE IMAGE IN RUSSIA
The veneration of the Image Not Made by Hands came to Russia in the 11-12 centuries and spreads especially widely since the second half of the 14th century. In 1355, the newly appointed Moscow Metropolitan Alexy brought from Constantinople a copy of St. Mandilion, for which a reliquary temple was immediately founded / 7 /. The veneration of copies of St. Mandylion was introduced as a state cult: throughout the country, churches, monasteries and temple side-altars began to appear, dedicated to the Image of Not Made by Hands and receiving the name "Spassky". Before the icon of the Savior, Dmitry Donskoy, a pupil of Metropolitan Alexy, prayed, having received news of Mamai's attack. The banner with the icon of the Savior accompanied Russian army in campaigns starting from the Battle of Kulikovo up to the First World War. These banners are beginning to be called "signs" or "banners"; the word "banner" replaces the Old Russian "banner". Icons of the Savior are placed on the fortress towers. Just as in Byzantium, the Savior Not Made by Hands becomes the guardian of the city and country. Images for home use, as well as miniature images of the Savior, used as amulets / 20 /. Church buildings in book illustrations and icons are beginning to be depicted with the icon of the Savior above the entrance as a designation of the Christian church. The Savior becomes one of the central images of Russian Orthodoxy, close in meaning and meaning to the cross and crucifixion.
Probably, Metropolitan Alexy himself was the initiator of the use of the Non-Creative Image in the iconostases, which acquire a look close to the modern one precisely in this era / 7 /. In this regard, arose new type huge icons of the Savior with a face much larger than natural. The Holy Face on these icons acquires the features of the Heavenly Jesus, Christ the Judge Of the last day/ 21 /, which was consonant with the expectations of the near end of the world widespread in that era. This theme was also present in Western Christianity at that time. Dante in the Divine Comedy used the iconography of St. Face to describe the contemplation of the Divine on the Day of Judgment / 7 /.
The image of the Savior acquired new shades of meaning in the context of the ideas of hesychasm. The images of Mandylion, especially on large icons, seem to be “charged” with uncreated energy, radiating unearthly power. It is no coincidence that in one of the stories about Mandylion the image itself becomes a source of uncreated Light, similar to Tabor / 14 /. A new interpretation of the theme of the transforming light of Tabor appears on the icons of Simon Ushakov (17th century), on which the Holy Face itself becomes a source of unearthly radiance / 22 /.
SERVICE ICON
The general ecclesiastical character of the worship of St. Mandylion was expressed in the existence of the feast of the icon on August 16, the day of the transfer of the relic from Edessa to Constantinople. On this day, special biblical readings and stichera are read, expressing theological ideas associated with the icon / 12 /. The stichera conveys the above legend about Avgar to the holiday. Bible readings set out critical stages stories of the Incarnation. The Old Testament readings remind of the impossibility of depicting God, who remained invisible, while the Gospel readings contain the key phrase for Mandylion's theology: "And, turning to the disciples, he said to them especially: blessed are the eyes that saw what you see!" (Luke 10:23).
There is also a canon for the miraculous image, the authorship of which is attributed to St. Herman of Constantinople / 12 /.
LITERATURE
/ 1 / A. M. Lidov. Hierotopy. Spatial icons and images-paradigms in Byzantine culture. M. Theoria. 2009. The chapters "Mandylion and Keramion" and "The Holy Face - Holy Letter- Holy Gates ", p. 111-162.
/ 2 / A. M. Lidov. Holy Mandillion. Relic history. In the book "Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon". M. 2008, p. 12-39.
/ 3 / Robert de Clari. Conquest of Constantinople. M. 1986. p. 59-60.
/ 4 / Relics in Byzantium and Ancient Rus. Written sources (editor-compiler A.M. Lidov). M. Progress-Tradition, 2006. Part 5. Relics of Constantinople, pp. 167-246. The epistula Avgari text can be found in Part 7. p. 296-300.
/ 5 / E. Meshcherskaya. Apocryphal acts of the apostles. New Testament Apocrypha in Syrian Literature. M. Pristsels, 1997.455 p. See the chapter "Old Russian version of the legend of Avgar based on a 13th century manuscript"
http://www.gumer.info/bogoslov_Buks/apokrif/Avgar_Russ.php. This version of Epistula Avgari was popular in medieval Russia.
/ 6 / In Rome there were several ancient images of Christ of Byzantine origin, including several copies of St. Mandylion. According to L.M. Evseeva / 7 / their images converged and by the 15th century the famous image of Christ was formed from the Plate of Veronica with long symmetrical strands of hair and a short, slightly forked beard, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_Veronica
This iconographic type also influenced the later Russian icons of the Savior. It is also suggested that the name "Veronica" comes from "vera icona" (true image): originally the Roman copies of St. Mandylion were called so, then the legend of Veronica arose and Platus Veronica himself appeared, the first reliable information about which dates back to 1199.
/ 7 / L.M. Evseeva. The Image of Christ Not Made by Hands "by Metropolitan Alexy (1354-1378) in the context of the eschatological ideas of the time. In the book "Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon". M. 2008, p. 61-81.
/ 8 / On many icons of the Savior (including Novgorod icon in the illustration) you can see a slight deliberate asymmetry of the face, which, as shown by N. B. Teteryatnikova, contributes to the "revival" of the icon: the face, as it were, "turns" towards the viewer looking at the icon at an angle. N. Teteriatnikov. Animated icons on interactive display: the case of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. In the book “Spatial Icons. Performative in Byzantium and Ancient Rus ”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov, M. Indrik, 2011, pp. 247-274.
/ 9 / H. Belting. Likeness and presence. A history of image before the era of art. Ch. 11. The Holy Face. The University of Chicago Press, 1992.
/ 10 / G. Wolf. Holy face and holy feet: preliminary reflections before the Novgorod Mandylion. From the collection "Eastern Christian Relics", ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. 2003, 281-290.
/ 11 / There are few crosses with portraits of emperors. Most early example- a 10th century cross with a portrait of Emperor Augustus stored in the treasury of the Aachen Cathedral and used in the coronation ceremonies of the emperors of the Carolingian dynasty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Lothair
/ 12 / L. I. Uspensky. Theology of the icon of the Orthodox Church. M. 2008. Ch. 8 "Iconoclastic doctrine and the response to it of the church", p. 87-112.
/ 13 / See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Holy_Face_-_Genoa.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:39bMandylion.jpg
/ 14 / The story of the transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands from Edessa to Constantinople. In the book "Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon". M. 2008, p. 415-429. Interestingly, in another Byzantine work, the set of passionate relics kept in the church of Our Lady of Pharos is compared with the Decalogue (ten commandments).
/ 15 / I. Shalina. Icon "Christ in the grave" and the image not made by hands on the Shroud of Constantinople. From the collection "Eastern Christian Relics", ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. 2003, p. 305-336. http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/books/tourin/
/ 16 / I.A. Sterligova. Precious headpiece old Russian icons XI-XIV centuries. M. 2000, p. 136-138.s.
/ 17 / The reverse side of the Novgorod Mandylion:
http://all-photo.ru/icon/index.ru.html?big=on&img=28485
/ 18 / Sh. Gerstel. Miraculous Mandylion. The Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Byzantine Iconographic Programs. From the collection "The Miraculous Icon in Byzantium and ancient Russia", Ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. "Martis", 1996. S. 76-89.
http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/books/gerstel.htm.
/ 19 / M. Emanuel. Savior Not Made by Hands in the iconographic programs of the churches of Mystra. From the collection "Eastern Christian Relics", ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. 2003, p. 291-304.
/ 20 / A. V. Ryndin. Reliquary image. Savior Not Made by Hands in Small Forms of Russian Art XIV-XVI. From the collection "Eastern Christian Relics", ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. 2003, p. 569-585.
/ 21 / For an example of such iconography see.
http://www.icon-art.info/masterpiece.php?lng=ru&mst_id=719
/ 22 / The image of the Savior was the main, programmatic one for Ushakov and was repeated by him many times. Unlike ancient icons, where Divine light is transmitted by the background and spreads over the entire plane of the icon, in Ushakov's "uncreated light" shines through the face itself. Ushakov strove to combine the Orthodox principles of icon painting with new technical methods that made it possible to convey the Holy Face “with light, ruddy, shade, shade and life-like”. New style was approved by most of his contemporaries, but drew criticism from zealots of antiquity, who called Ushakov's Savior "a puffy German." Many believe that Ushakov's "light-like" faces convey physical, created rather than uncreated light, and that this style meant the disintegration of the Byzantine icon image and its replacement by the aesthetics of Western art, in which the beautiful takes the place of the sublime.
http://www.tretyakovgallery.ru/ru/collection/_show/image/_id/2930#
Established became the first state on the territory of which Christianity was officially recognized as a religion. It occupied the northeast of what is now Syria. It existed in the period from 137th to 242nd A.D. It was a small state where the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands was first mentioned. This image is unique and of great importance for Orthodox Christians.
Icon legend
There are many legends that tell how the king of Osroeny Avgar was sick with a terrible disease - black leprosy. This is where the story of the Savior Not Made by Hands begins, once the king dreamed unusual dream, in it he was told that nothing could heal him, except for the icon on which the face of the Savior would be imprinted. After that, the artist from the court was sent to Christ, but he never managed to transfer his image to canvas and make an icon of Jesus Christ because of the divine radiance that emanated from Him.
Then the Savior took water, washed his face with it, and then rubbed it with a towel, on which his bright image remained - the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands.
Formally, Jesus himself made the icon, but the image is referred to as so-called not made by hands, that is, one where the face of the Savior is manifested by Divine grace and in a miraculous way.
The classic version of the icon is an image of Jesus, which is made on canvas. Along the edges of it there is a canvas, the upper ends of which are braided into knots. Hence the name of the icon of the Savior on the urbus, that is, on a canvas or scarf.
After King Abgar was healed in a bright way, there was no more mention of the icon until 545. It was in that year that Edessa fell under the blockade of the Persian troops. Just at that moment, providence came to the aid of people. In one of the naves above the city gates, an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands was found and its trace was imprinted on the ceramic wall in the Keramidion vault. Then, thanks to miraculous power the icons of the blockade of the city were removed.
Until now, the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands helps to get rid of invaders and any encroachments of enemies, it is used in military affairs.
The meaning of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands
This miraculous icon in all types of its execution (image on canvas, print on ceramics) is distinguished by its peculiarities and has many customs associated with them. The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands is essential for iconography. It is with writing this image that it is recommended to start your individual work icon painters who are just beginning to show themselves in this matter.
Considering the description of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, you need to pay attention to the halo surrounding the head of the Savior, which is depicted in the form of a regular closed circle, inside which is a cross. Each feature: the hair of Jesus, its main background (on all old canvases, the icon painters left the background clean), express its essence, endow it with a special meaning. According to many, the image, which was created without the use of paints and brushes, is a real photograph of Christ and his face is captured on it.
From the moment the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands arrived from Constantinople, it began to occupy important role in the world of Orthodoxy. It happened in 1355. Icons of this type existed in Russia already in the XI century, but only since the second half of the XIV century everything that is associated with the "Savior Not Made by Hands" is equated to the level of the state cult and is widely distributed everywhere.
Nevertheless, there is an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands of the 12th century, which is also called Novgorod, but was created in Moscow in the Assumption Cathedral. This image is two-sided. Separately, it should be noted the icon of Simon Ushakov, which was created in the 17th century and the Savior Not Made by Hands was painted here in a more artistic and less canonical manner.
Since the 14th century, the construction of temples begins, the image is applied to Russian military banners during the most important battles for Russia, such as the Kulikovo and the First World War.
"Savior Not Made by Hands" is an icon that has great importance v Orthodox world... It symbolizes Orthodoxy as a cross and crucifixion, carries the same meaning.
Prayer to the Icon
It is believed that it was on this day that Christ applied the plumage to his face.
Troparion, voice 2
We bow to Thy Most Pure Image, Good One, asking forgiveness of our sins, Christ God, by the will of Thy flesh was pleased to climb to the Cross, so that you can save you from the work of the enemy. With this grateful cry of Ti: you have fulfilled all joy, our Savior, who came to save the world.
Prayer
O All-good Lord Jesus Christ, our God!
You are older than the human nature of Your face with holy water, having washed it and wiped it with a wipe, depict it miraculously on the same trim, and to the Edessa prince Avgar, you were kind enough to heal his ailment.
Behold, we too, your sinful servants, are obsessed with our mental and physical ailments, we seek Thy face, O Lord, and with David in the humility of our souls we call: do not turn Thy face away from us, and deviate with anger from Thy servants,
Wake up our helper, do not reject us and do not leave us.
O All-Merciful Lord, our Savior!
Imagine Yourself in our souls, but you live in holiness and righteousness,
we will be thy sons and heirs of thy kingdom,
and so to You, Gracious God, ours,
NON-CREATIVE SPAS The church tradition tells the following about the appearance of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands: at the time of the Savior, King Abgar ruled in the Syrian city of Edessa. He contracted a terrible incurable disease - leprosy. The king hoped for the help of the Lord. He wanted to pray before his image. For this, Abgar sent his artist Ananias to Jerusalem with a letter to Christ. Then the all-seeing Lord Himself called Ananias, ordered to bring a jug of water and boards. After washing, the Savior wiped off this cloth, and the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands was imprinted on it. Adhering to the shrine, Abgar immediately received complete healing. He installed the Holy Icon in a niche near the city gates, but soon he hid the image from the wicked. When in 545 the Persians besieged Edessa, Holy Mother of God She appeared in a dream to the then bishop of the city and commanded to open the Image Not Made by Hands. Bypassing the walls of the city with Him, its inhabitants averted their enemies. In 944 the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (912-959) solemnly transferred [...]
Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands - description
Savior Not Made by Hands The Savior Not Made by Hands has always been one of the most beloved images in Russia. It was he who was usually written on the banners of the Russian troops. There are two types of images of the Not-Made-by-Hands Image: Savior on Ubrus and Savior on Ropes. On icons of the "Savior on the Ubrus" type, the face of Christ is depicted on a board (towel), the upper ends of which are tied in knots. There is a border along the bottom edge. The face of Jesus Christ is the face of a middle-aged man with thin and soulful features, with a beard divided in two, with long, curly hair at the ends and with a parted part. The appearance of the icon "Savior on a Chrepia" is explained by the following legend. As already mentioned, the king of Edessa, Avgar, converted to Christianity. The image not made by hands was glued to a "rotting board" and placed over the city gates. Later, one of the kings of Edessa returned to paganism, and the image was immured in a niche of the city wall, and four centuries later this place was completely forgotten. In 545, during the siege of the city by the Persians, the bishop of Edesa was given the [...]
Savior Not Made by Hands - description of the icon
The Not-Made Image of Jesus Christ, Savior on the Ubrus, Mandylion is one of the main types of the image of Christ, representing His face on the ubrus (board) or chrepia (tile). Christ is depicted at the age of the Last Supper. Tradition relates the historical Edessa prototype of this type of icons to the legendary board, on which the face of Christ miraculously manifested itself when He wiped his face with it. The image is usually in the top. One of the options - Chrepie or Keramida - is an image of similar iconography, but against the background brickwork... In western iconography, the type is known<Плат Вероники>, where Christ is depicted on a board, but in a crown of thorns. In Russia, a special type of the Image Not Made by Hands has developed -<Спас Мокрая брада>- an image in which the beard of Christ converges into one thin tip.
