From Diocese of Sourozh

Miracle-working Derzhavnaya (Reigning) Icon of the Mother of God to visit London

With the blessing of the Holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, an official delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church will be visiting dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, coinciding with the restoration of the canonical unity of the Russian Orthodox Church and the ninetieth anniversary of the finding of the Derzhavnaya Icon of the Mother of God.

During this brotherly visit joint services will be held in churches and monasteries of the Church Abroad. With the guests from Russia will come the Derzhavnaya icon of the Mother of God, dear to every Orthodox Christian heart. This icon will be available for veneration in the London Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints at 67 Ennismore Gardens London SW7 on 29 and 30 September 2007. After the Divine Liturgy on 30 September the icon will be transferred to the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God and Holy Royal Martyrs at 57 Harvard Road in Chiswick, where a moleben will be served.

The Derzhavnaya (Reigning) icon is one of the most venerated icons of Mother of God in the Russian Orthodox Church. The icon was found on the day of the abdication of Tsar-martyr Nicholas II on 2/15 March 1917. This event was taken by the Russian Orthodox people as a sign that the supreme power and guardianship over Russian had passed to the Heavenly Queen. The Mother of God is depicted on the icon as Queen of the world. She is dressed in a red garment, in appearance like an Imperial gown, and a green tunic. She is sitting on the throne holding a sceptre in her extended right hand. Her left hand is resting on an orb. Her crowned head is edged by a golden nimbus. On her knees the God-infant is giving His blessing, pointing with His left hand at the orb.

Miracles arising from the icon began even before its discovery. Twice the Mother of God appeared in dreams to a peasant woman, Evdokia Adrianova. On 13 February 1917 Evdokia heard the Mother of God telling her: “In Kolomenskoye there is a large dark icon. It must be taken – let people pray before it.” On 26 February she saw a white church and in it a majestic Woman sitting. The peasant woman decided to find the church which she had seen in her dream. On 2 March she recognised the church of her dream in the church of the Ascension of the Lord in Kolomenskoye near Moscow. As a result of zealous searching, she and the dean found a large dark icon of the Mother of God, the same as Evdokia had seen in her dream.

After the discovery of this icon, it quickly became very much respected. Many pilgrims visited Kolomenskoye and the icon was brought to the nearby villages for veneration. Soon after almost every church had a copy of “Reigning” icon of Mother of God. In the Soviet times the icon was held in the store-rooms of the Historical Museum. Now the icon has returned to the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in Kolomenskoye.

The timetable of services in the London Cathedral at 67 Ennismore Gardens for the days when the icon will be there:

• 29 September – Moleben after Vigil – approx. 20:00
• 30 September – Divine Liturgy – 09:30

Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain and Bishop Elisey of Bogorodsk, acting administrator of the diocese of Sourozh will be participating in the joint Sunday Liturgy. After the Liturgy the icon will be transferred to the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God and Holy Royal Martyrs in Chiswick, 57 Harvard Road, London W4 4ED, where the Moleben will be celebrated.

With the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, the Derzhavnaya icon will be escorted by the choir from the Moscow Sretensky Monastery. The choir will participate in the divine services in the London Cathedral.