Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: a holiday, signs, when they celebrate. Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos: the main traditions and prohibitions of the feast The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos when celebrated
The icon of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos is an image that conveys to us the joy of a great event, which has a special meaning for all people. September 21(old style September 8) Orthodox Christians celebrate Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary... This feast of the Theotokos is one of the twelve most important (after Easter) in Orthodoxy, which are timed to coincide with the special events of the earthly existence of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. The tradition of celebrating the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos with a separate significant day dates back to the second half of the 5th century.
As a rule, the iconographic rules begin to form almost soon after the appearance of the church celebration, respectively, new subjects appear for writing. But since in the VIII-IX centuries Byzantium was seized by iconoclasm, and then the struggle with this heresy, new plots of the image of divine images almost did not appear. The first image of the Nativity of the Mother of God, which has survived to this day, is a fresco from the painting of a Christian temple in Cappadocia (the territory of modern Turkey), the work of the master dates back to the 9th century.
The details of the circumstances, events that preceded the birth of the Mother of God are not reflected in the texts of Holy Scripture. Information is drawn from the text of the Apocrypha "Proto-Gospel of Jacob", which has come down to us from the middle of the II century, as well as from the Gospel of pseudo-Matthew.
The story of the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
According to the legend that has come down to us, the exact place where the Virgin Mary was born is located in Jerusalem. But most of the researchers belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church are of the opinion that the father and mother of the Most Pure Mary lived in the city of Nazareth, where they had a daughter. This version was considered the most possible by the hagiographer, spiritual writer, teacher, preacher Dimitri Rostovsky.
Family of Joachim and Anna
The village of Nazareth was located in a mountainous region north of Jerusalem, at the foot of a mountain next to the Ezdrelon Valley. Of an unremarkable small, boring city, the Jews themselves scornfully said that nothing good could come from Nazareth. It was here that the pious Joachim lived with his wife Anna, who was destined by Providence to become the forefathers of Jesus Christ - the Savior of the world. The ancestors of Joachim belonged to the house of King David, and his wife Anna was from a family of priests. It should be noted that Anna's own niece became involved in the great story of the Messiah in this family. Righteous Elizabeth gave birth to John, later named the Baptist.
Joachim the Righteous was not a poor man, had a lot of livestock. Despite prosperity, reputation of good owners married couple I lived quite simply, helping the poor, donating money for the temple, in reverent, sincere love for God. But the family did not know complete happiness - the union of Joachim and Anna was childless. It should be noted that in those days it was believed that in this way God punishes people for some serious sins. Joachim and Anna tirelessly asked the Lord for great mercy - a child, but nothing helped. As time went on, old age came, there was less and less hope.
Prophecy of the Angel of God
One early morning, when Joachim came with offerings to the temple, a certain Reuben boldly and loudly declared, they say, why should an unworthy, barren person offer gifts to God before others. Cruelty increased the suffering of the righteous Joachim so much that he decided to go into the deserted desert in order to atone for his guilt, calm his heart, and propitiate God with strict fasting along with sincere prayer.
Anna the righteous woman, who blames herself for the absence of offspring, was gripped by great sorrow. The woman began, as never before, earnestly to pray to the Lord, wishing that the prayers would be accepted, and the Almighty Father gave the family a child. Suddenly, during prayer, a bright Angel of God appeared in front of Anna. He brought the good news that the Lord's requests were heard. Further, the Angel painted a prophetic picture: soon Anna will conceive, give birth to a daughter who will receive a blessing greater than any other of the earthly daughters. Also, the Angel told Anna to name her girl Mary.
Having listened with delight to the good news, Anna the righteous bowed down before the Angel, promising that she would give her only long-awaited child to the Lord's service to praise the name of the Most High. Then the Angel appeared before Joachim, announcing the gift of his daughter. And then he ordered the pious husband to go to Jerusalem to meet his wife at the Golden Gate. At the same hour, Joachim fulfilled the parting words, preparing gifts for the priests, as well as for donations to God.
The fulfillment of the prophecy
Approaching the place indicated by the Angel of God, Joachim met with his wife Anna. The husband and wife talked about what had happened, made a sacrifice to God, made a vow to devote their child to the service of the Lord, giving the temple until they reach adulthood. Then Joachim and Anna went home to Nazareth. As predicted, right on time (September 8, old style), righteous Anna gave birth to a girl. She was given the promised name - Mary, in Hebrew means "hope" or "mistress."
A year has passed. Saint Joachim decided to arrange a great feast. He invited elders, priests, relatives, and acquaintances to the table. During the feast, the happy father showed his Daughter to the guests and appealed to the priests present to bless Her.
Iconography of the Birth of the Most Holy Theotokos
The dates when the most ancient frescoes, icons of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, were painted, are difficult to establish, but they date back to the X-XI centuries of our era. Researchers admit that there were earlier examples of this iconographic plot. A vivid example is the painting of one of the ancient Georgian Mother of God temples of the 7th century in the city of Ateni. Murals dating from the 11th century have survived to this day. But most likely it was painted over a similar or similar image in order to renew an even more ancient painting, possibly related to drawings of pre-iconoclastic times.
The frescoes of Kievan Rus, which can be seen on the vault of the St. Sophia Cathedral in the city of Kiev (written by a master of the first half of the 11th century), are rightly called the oldest surviving Orthodox images of the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Also worth mentioning is the famous Serbian painting of the Church of Joachim and Anna of the Studenica monastery (1304), the frescoes of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the monastery on the Mirozhskaya embankment of the city of Pskov.
The depictions of early versions of the image of the Nativity of the Virgin are rather sparingly presented with various everyday details, more detailed drawings are characteristic of samples of the later time.
Images of icons of the Nativity of the Most Pure Mother of God
The background of the image is the architectural backstage that corresponds to the ancient tradition. On the early icon of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary central part the composition is taken by the righteous Anna, who is reclining on a high couch. The figure of the righteous woman stands out as she is larger than the other characters. Near Saint Anne are women who have brought generous gifts. In front of the bed is written the midwife, the maids from the house of Anna, who wash the Born Mother of God in the font.
Later images give us the details of the situation, depicting a picture of the house of the saints Joachim with Anna. Here you can see a table with presented treats and gifts. A pond, birds, maids also appear. The motif of women-servants who support the righteous Anna, borrowed from ancient works, is also present in some later icons. The figures of women (maidservants, virgins) are diverse. For example, on an early monument - a miniature of the Minology of Moscow Prince Vasily II (reigned 979-989). In other icons, several virgins approach the bed of the woman in labor, Anna, bringing dishes filled with treats, vessels, and bowls.
There is an image of a girl holding a fan. More often this is due to the development of narrative tendencies in iconographic art. The newborn Maria is looked after by two maids: the first of them, as a rule, rocks the cradle, and the second with care fanns the baby with a fan.
New details, detailed descriptions of everyday details that emphasize the earthly, human picture of the icon, give the image a deep theological meaning.
- Firstly, iconographers make ordinary Christians, looking at the image, involved, close to the joyful event of the Birth of the Mother of God.
- Secondly, they show that the depicted event precedes the main one: the birth of the Son of God among earthly people for the atonement of their sins.
Orthodox icons of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
The most famous holy Orthodox icons dedicated to the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God:
- The Glinsk icon of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos is revered and widely known for its miraculous properties. Prayers for the image have helped to heal many unfortunate lost souls. The icon helps women, according to their faith, to be cured of various gynecological diseases, to get rid of infertility.
- The Isaac icon of the Birth of the Mother of God was found by the Orthodox among the willow branches that grew on the banks of the river. Residents of a nearby village brought the holy face to the church. Over time, on the site of the miraculous find, a new church was erected, which still exists today. It is worth praying at the Isakovskaya Icon of the Birth of the Theotokos for protection from troubles, diseases, misfortunes of small children, babies.
- Another icon dedicated to the feast of the Birth of the Ever-Virgin Mary is named Lukianovskaya after the monk Lucian, who was the first to discover the holy face. Later, on this site, the monks built a new temple, and a monastery was created around it. Lukianovskaya icon became famous for cases of miraculous help. Every day at the holy icon, the relatives of the kids say: "Help." And she again shows her healing qualities, protecting babies from ailments.
At the end of September, Ukrainians celebrate a big Orthodox holiday - the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2019. This day is considered one of the most important and revered in the Christian world. After all, it is known that since ancient times people have respected the Mother of God as God's righteous woman, intercessor, and patroness of children and mothers. Read about the main traditions, history and prohibitions of the holiday in our material.
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2019: when is it celebrated
History of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
An ancient biblical legend says that Joachim and Anna from Jerusalem for a long time could not have children. Then Joachim went to the Christian church to pray to the higher powers for the gift of posterity. However, even there the priests refused him, since he "did not create offspring for Israel."
In despair, Joachim went into the desert and prayed to the Lord for a child for many days. Then an angel appeared to him from heaven and said: "The Lord heeded your prayer, you will conceive and give birth, and they will talk about your offspring in the whole world."
And so it happened: the couple had a daughter who united heaven and earth, people and God. The family was grateful for the gift from heaven. Therefore, in return, Joachim and Anna promised the Lord to give the child to serve God, which they did when Mary was three years old.
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: how they celebrate
The Holy Mother of God is a symbol of a pure feminine and maternal principle. Her child was born as a result of the immaculate conception, therefore, the Virgin Mary is called "the purest of all mothers."
The Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady is dedicated primarily to women. Every girl on this day should read a prayer dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is believed that the Mother of God fulfills the innermost desires of those who truly believe in her. Therefore, it is worth asking the saint for health for yourself and loved ones, unity in the family and protection from adversity.
But those who are only striving for motherhood, marriage, or simply looking for love should go to church for the solemn liturgy dedicated to the miracle of the birth of the Intercessor.
There is also a special tradition for children at the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. There is a belief that the children who are born on this day, the Virgin Mary will protect all their lives from troubles and hardships. Also, the Mother of God helps mothers in raising children, as well as during childbirth. Therefore, women in labor pray to the saint for a quick, painless, and most importantly healthy birth.
According to legends, if it rains on the street on September 21, it means that the Virgin Mary mourns the sins of people.
It is believed that girls need to wash themselves with the morning dew before sunrise. Then their youth and beauty will be preserved for many years.
Previously, people collected herbs in the period between the Dormition of the Theotokos and the Birth of the Most Holy Theotokos and prepared a special tincture from them. We believe that the elixir has healing properties and can cure the most terrible diseases.
Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos: meaning
The icon dedicated to the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos depicts the happiness with which the Virgin Mary came to our world. Before the image of the saint, you need to ask only for the most sincere desires that are most important for a person at the moment. The clergy believe that the Heavenly Queen pleases in the name of every believer.
Before the image of the Nativity of the Virgin, women need to ask for health and happiness for their children. And if God does not give offspring, in this case a sincere prayer to the Mother of God will help. It must be remembered that icons or saints do not “specialize” in any particular area. It will be right when a person turns with faith in the power of God, and not in the power of this icon, this saint or prayer.
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2019: what not to do
On the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there are a number of strict prohibitions that must not be violated.
On this day, you can not do hard work, for example, sewing, cleaning, washing, ironing, making repairs and the like. It is better to postpone everything to another day.
Remember that on this day it is strictly forbidden to swear. Otherwise, all negative energy will turn against you with a triple force. All conflicts and disagreements must be resolved peacefully, without raising their voices.
And if on this day someone asks you for help, be it physical or material, you cannot refuse.
On September 21, you cannot throw away leftover food from the table. They should be given to feed birds and animals.
On this holy holiday, you cannot pass by beggars and beggars without giving them food or alms. This prohibition especially applies to women, otherwise they may become sterile.
Prayer for the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
My courtesy, my beloved Mother of God, the friend of the orphaned and strange protesters, grieving kin, offended patrons! See my god, see my sorrow, help me, as if I am powerless, feed me, as if it is strange. My insult, dissolve that as if you will: as if not the imams of any other attendants, nor the good suppressor, only TOBO about Bogomati, as if you can preserve me and cover me for the ages of the Amen.
Nativity of the Most Holy Lady of our Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary- the first (from the Slavic " two ten"- twelve) church year. He is the first in the chronology of events in New Testament history, and in church calendar, which the starts in September and therefore it is called in liturgical hymns “ the beginning of our salvation». Birth Mother of God was the fulfillment of the prophecies that Christ, the Savior of the world, would soon come to earth. The holiday is celebrated annually by the Church September 21 (September 8 old style), is intransient and has 1 day of forefeast and 4 days of afterfeast.
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. Holiday event
From the Gospel, we learn only the main, most important events of life. Virgin, but it does not say about the circumstances of Her birth, or about Her further life. These details are brought to us church tradition, that is, ancient legends, church historical writings, as well as hymnographic liturgical heritage, that is, the texts of the church service. Parents of the Most Holy Theotokos,Joachim and Anna, The Church calls " godfathers". Joachim was a descendant of the king Davyda, Anna came from the line of the high priest Aaron... They led a righteous and godly life. Tradition says that they left only a third of the income for themselves - they distributed the rest to the needy and donated to the temple. Having reached old age, the couple remained childless. It should be said that iniquity was considered among the Jewish people. punishment for sins, and therefore Joachim and Anna endured unjust accusations of secret sins. But they did not despair, but hoped for the mercy of God and believed that the Lord could send them a child even in old age, as Abraham and Sarah once did.
Saints Joachim and Anna. Fresco from the Monastery of Dionysios on Mount Athos On one of the great Jewish holidays, Joachim came to the temple of Jerosalim to offer a sacrifice to God according to the law of Moses. But the high priest did not accept the gifts of Joachim, accusing him of sins, for which the Lord punishes with childlessness. Saddened, Joachim did not return home, but went into the wilderness, where his flocks were grazing. Anna, learning about what had happened in the temple, was also saddened. However, they did not murmur against the Lord, but fervently prayed, asking for His mercy. Their prayer was answered by the Lord. According to legend, to Joachim in the desert, and to Anna in the garden, there was an angel's appearance with the joyful news that they would have a daughter. Both immediately went to Jerosalim and met at the Golden Gate. In due time they had a daughter, who was named Mary... Joachim and Anna happily thanked the Lord and promised to devote their child to serving God. The date of the Nativity of the Virgin is exactly 9 months from the date Orthodox holiday Saint Anne's conception(December 22).
The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in history
One of the first mentions of the holiday Nativity of the Blessed Virgin occurs in the 5th century in words Saint Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople (439-446). The Jacobites and Nestorians, who separated from the Orthodox Church in the 5th century, also have a holiday on September 8 called “ The Nativity of Lady Mary". In the 7th-8th centuries, the Greek Church already celebrated the holiday with great solemnity. The official approval of this holiday in the Byzantine Empire is credited with Emperor Mauritius.
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Divine service on the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
The service of the feast includes the creations of the monk John Damascene(VIII century) - the first canon; saint Andrew of Crete(VII century) - the second canon; Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople(VIII century) - stichera on verse; Anatoly, Bishop of Thessalon(IX century) - some stichera on the lithium; Stephen and Sergius Svyatogradtsev(IX century) - stichera on "Lord I have cried" and some on litiya and verse. In stichera for the holiday Nativity of the Virgin contains the doctrinal thought that in the person of the Virgin Mary, the Lord prepared for Himself an earthly throne and a royal palace; that the Mother of God surpasses all wives in her majesty, because the Son of God was born from her; that by resolving the infertility of the parents of the Mother of God, the Lord can also resolve our spiritual infertility, i.e. give us the strength to do good. At the same time, in the same stichera, all people, both Old Testament and New Testament (those present in the church) are invited to rejoice and glorify the Mother of God, because through Her heaven was united with earth, hell was put to shame, the doors of heaven, i.e. The Kingdom of Heaven was again opened to people, we were renewed and " deified", I.e. become partakers of God's grace.
IN paremias, read on the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, the first (Gen. XXVIII, 10–17) speaks of Jacob's vision of the ladder, which typified the Mother of God, connecting heaven to earth; the second pair (Ezek. XLIII, 27; XLIV, 1–4) contains the prophecy of Ezekiel, who called the Mother of God the gate through which the Holy Elder and the Holy Master Builder passed; the third (Proverbs IX, 1–11) speaks of the House prepared for itself by the Hypostatic Wisdom, ie. Jesus Christ (this house, built by Wisdom - the Mother of God, the Most Holy Virgin Mary, in which the Lord has moved).
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Thoughts canon holiday close to the thoughts of sticher. The Apostle (Philip II, 5-11) speaks of the self-abasement and humility of the Son of God, who took the form of a servant, humbled Himself to the death of the cross, and for this was glorified above every name. The Gospel (Luke X, 38-42. XI, 27-28) speaks of the stay of Christ in the house of Martha and Mary. The oldest hymn of the holiday, composed, probably in the 5th-7th centuries, is troparion.
Church Slavonic text:
P zhctvo2 is yours, btsde two, joy to heighten2 the whole universe. and 3 out of 8 you will be happy with the truth xrt0c bG'n our, ra € rushi1v clstvu, let blgswenie. and3 ўTo celebrate1 to die, the gifts to us are alive to the eternal.
Russian text:
Your birth, Virgin Mary, heralded the joy of the whole universe: because from You shone the Sun of Truth - Christ our God, and, breaking the curse, gave a blessing, and, destroying death, gave us eternal life.
Kontakion to the holiday. Church Slavonic text:
Ї waki1m i3 nna worn out of despair, i3 adam i3 є4vva. t aphids2 dead freedom1stasz, especially with ™ hm rzhctv0m your1m. then 2 for sale and 3 your people 2, guilt 2 are sinful and 3 forgiving, crying out for a bad and 3 nourishing life of ours.
Russian text:
Joachim and Anna were freed from reproach for childlessness, and Adam and Eve - from death by your holy birth, Most Pure One. It is also celebrated by Your people, who have freed themselves from the burden of sinfulness, exclaiming loudly to You: the barren gives birth to the Mother of God and the nourishment of our Life.
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Folk traditions
Holiday Nativity of the Blessed Virgin also referred to as “ Small Most Pure», « Asposov day". According to popular legend, the time closest to this day was called Opponents, Spozhinki or Mistresses... The scope of the festive festivities depended on the harvest in the new year. With a good harvest, the Lady celebrated for a whole week: the more fruitful the summer, the longer the holiday. Village "feasting", timed to the festivities of the church cycle, took place from and to. The feast unfolded in accordance with all the laws of hospitality: they brewed beer according to the number of guests, slaughtered a sheep or a ram, cooked beef dishes, used the bull's head and legs for jelly, took fish from the kulebyaki, and also, despite the fact that the holiday was moderate, baked homemade pie wheat flour with an admixture of purchased grains. A day or two before the holiday, children summoned relatives to a feast, giving preference to those who are ready to pay for a treat at their holiday. An exception was made for sons-in-law, especially young ones: neither the father-in-law, nor the mother-in-law did not bypass them with an invitation, even if they themselves did not expect a response. It was very important that good relations exist between the sons-in-law and the father-in-law and the daughter's mother-in-law, as in the proverb: "Not for a son-in-law-dog, but for a sweet child."
The matchmaker and matchmaker with the father-in-law and mother-in-law of their son were the most important guests, who sat down at the table in the front corner, under the very image. The village fun was wider and more varied in the area where there were churches in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin, then in these villages various fairs were held, timed to the holiday.
Nativity of the Virgin. Icons
The oldest images of the holiday Nativity of the Virgin have been known since the 6th century and are widely used in Byzantine and Russian art in the 11th – 12th centuries. By this time, the main elements of iconography ascend: Anna in a red maforia on a high bed, supported by a servant; to the right or to the left below - a scene of the washing of a baby. Three women with gifts approach Anna. The father of the Mother of God, the righteous Joachim, looks out from the window of the chamber.
Nativity of the Virgin. Mid-14th century State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow 
Nativity of the Virgin. Double-sided tablet icon. Late 15th - early 16th centuries Novgorod state Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve 
Fragment of the icon of the Nativity of the Virgin. XVI century. Museum them. A. Rubleva 
Nativity of the Virgin. Nevyansk icon. 1830-1840 
Nativity of the Virgin with a life. XVI century. From the local row of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin in Ustyuzhna 
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. From the festive rank. Mid-17th century State Museum-Reserve "Rostov Kremlin", Rostov the Great 
Nativity of the Virgin. Nevyansk icon. Circle of the Bogatyrevs. Second quarter of the 19th century
Temples in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin in Russia
Temples and monasteries in honor Nativity of the Virgin were built in the XII-XIV centuries throughout Russia. The patronage of the Mother of God in the liberation of the Russian lands from the Tatar-Mongol yoke was reflected in the massive construction of temples dedicated to theotokos holidays.
The Cathedral was dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Bobreneva monastery(1381) near Kolomna and the gate church of the Andronikov monastery.
Bobrenev Monastery near Kolomna The widow of Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy, Princess Euphrosyne, was founded in the Moscow Kremlin in 1392 Ascension monastery and erected a white stone church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin in the traditions of Vladimir-Suzdal architecture. The church was painted in 1395 by the outstanding icon painters Theophanes the Greek and Simeon the Black.
Ascension Monastery. 1850-1865 In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Bogolyubsky monastery in the Vladimir region was consecrated. The monastery was founded in the 12th century, and the main church was built between 1158 and 1751. The Nativity of God Cathedral was decorated with carved reliefs and frescoes, copper and gilding, ceramic floors and stained-glass windows. Round, marbled columns supported the vaults. The ancient cathedral collapsed from dilapidation and inept alterations in the 18th century. was replaced by a new one. A bell tower tent was built over the staircase tower. The place of the princely chambers was taken by a cell building. In the XIX century. the ancient gate with a gate church was replaced by the Assumption gate church with a bell tower, at the same time a huge five-domed cathedral was built. On June 3, 1923, the monastery was closed, and in 1991 the revival of the monastery began.
The Nativity of God Cathedral of the Bogolyubsky monastery in the Vladimir region In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Ferapontov monastery was consecrated in the village. Ferapontovo Vologda region... The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin was built in 1490. Its volume, set on a high basement, ends with three tiers of kokoshniks and a small graceful drum. The facades at the top are ornamented with belts of balusters and ceramic slabs with floral ornaments, below - with a belt with teratological (animal) and plant ornaments, which is a reminiscence of the white stone carving of Vladimir architecture. Three perspective portals are carved out of white limestone. Inside, the cathedral is divided by four square pillars into three naves with elevated arches under the drum. In 1924, the Ferapontov Monastery of the Nativity of God was closed. Since 1975, the monastery has been used as a museum. In 2018, the Synod decided to resume monastic life at the monastery.
Cathedral in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village. Ferapontovo, Vologda region In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, a monastery in Moscow was consecrated. The Nativity of God Cathedral was built in 1501-1505. The building of the cathedral was badly damaged by a fire in 1547, but by 1550 it was completely restored. The four-pillar, three-apse temple has one chapter. The lower volume is cubic. The corner parts are covered with cross vaults and are lowered in relation to the central part, which is cruciform in plan. The stepped supporting arches carry a high drum with a helmet-shaped head. The end has a pyramidal appearance. There are two rows of kokoshniks under the drum. In 1676-87. dismantled the belfry of the cathedral and replaced it with a hipped-roof bell tower from the south-west. By the end of the 18th century. The Nativity of God Cathedral was rebuilt: the southern extension was extended along the entire southern facade, and from the north another volume was erected along the entire length of the facade, which served as a covered porch. In 1835, the cathedral's tent-roofed bell tower suffered from a lightning strike and was dismantled. The Nativity of the Mother of God monastery was closed in 1921. the cathedral of the monastery was partially restored; during the restoration, it returned to its original form. In 1991, the buildings of the monastery were returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
The ensemble of the monastery in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Moscow In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Pafnutiev Borovsky Monastery was consecrated in the village of Roscha, Kaluga Region. Nativity of the Mother of God St. Paphnutiev Borovsky Monastery was founded in 1444 by the Monk Paphnutius Borovsky. Initially, a small wooden church of the Nativity of the Virgin was cut down here, on the site of which a small white-stone church was soon built. At the beginning of the XVI century. defensive fortifications were erected. In 1511 a stone refectory was built, and in the eighties of the same century a cathedral was erected on the site of the church. In 1610 Borovsky Monastery was besieged by the troops of False Dmitry II. The betrayal of the two governors allowed the "Tushino thief" to enter the fortress. In a terrible battle on the territory of the monastery itself, 12,000 people died. The monastery was burned down, and all the documents of its early history were burnt. After the end of the Troubles, much was restored, new towers and temples were erected. In the middle of the 17th century. a bell tower was built. In the middle of the 17th century, Archpriest Avvakum and boyarina Morozova were twice imprisoned in the Paphnutiev Monastery at different times, who died there by starvation in an earthen pit. In 1923, a correctional colony was placed on the territory of the monastery, then an agricultural technical school. Since 1960, restoration work has been carried out. The Pafnutiev Monastery was again transferred to the Church in 1991.
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Svyato-Pafnutyev Borovsky Monastery In honor of the Nativity of the Virgin, a church was consecrated in Volokolamsk, Moscow region. The church served as the cathedral of the Vozmishchensky monastery, known since the 15th century. and abolished in 1764. The building of the church was built in 1535. The brick four-pillar church was originally three-domed. The two eastern drums were dismantled in 1792, when the post-patch roof was being converted into a four-pitched roof. The walls are dismembered with shoulder blades into three unequal spinners, completed with semicircular zakomaras. In the middle zakomaras there are round icon cases. The walls in the middle of the height are surrounded by a cornice that turns into the cornice of the apses. Of the three portals, the northern perspective portal with a keeled archivolt, ceramic capitals and melons has been preserved. The drum is completed with a helmet-shaped head with an openwork cross of the 17th century. The plaster decoration of the drum dates back to the middle of the 19th century. A three-tiered bell tower and a two-aisled refectory were built in 1850. During the Soviet era, the temple remained in operation. Only during the Great Patriotic War, services were briefly interrupted, but soon resumed.
Nativity of the Virgin Church in Volokolamsk In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Medvedev Hermitage was consecrated in the Dmitrovsky District of the Moscow Region. The first construction of a wooden church in Medvedeva Hermitage dates back to 1360. In 1547, the construction of a stone church in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary began in the village of Medvedeva Hermitage. A small brick, four-pillar, one-domed temple with three equal apses belongs to the cross-domed type. The smooth planes of the facades are dissected by shoulder blades into three equal spinners and decorated at the base of the semicircular zakomaras with a terracotta ornamental frieze. Low slit windows are spaced apart in two levels. The entrances to the cathedral are accented with perspective keeled portals. The covering of the temple has undergone significant changes. Initially, the cathedral ended, in addition to the zakomar, with two rows of kokoshniks, located parallel to the facade planes. Their square pedestals are hidden by a late hipped roof. The brick light drum and onion head are new. In the 16th century, a three-tiered bell tower was also built, rebuilt in 1871. At the same time, from the neighboring village. Dulova, the Church of the Savior was transported to Medvedev's hermitage. In the 19th century, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was reconstructed. In 1937, Medvedeva's Theotokos-Christmas Hermitage was closed, and her property was plundered. In 1999, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. The existing temple complex is slowly being revived.
The Nativity of God Church of the same name Medvedeva Hermitage in the Dmitrovsky district of the Moscow region In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Luzhetsky Ferapontov Monastery in the city of Mozhaisk, Moscow Region, founded in 1408, was consecrated. The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in the first half of the 16th century. Rebuilt in the middle of the 18th century, the galleries surrounding the cathedral were dismantled. In the 1960s of the XX century, it was restored. In 1922 the monastery was officially closed and destroyed. In 1994 it was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. The relics of the Monk Ferapont Belozersky rest in the Mother of God Cathedral.
Mozhaisk Luzhetsky Mother of God Ferapontov Monastery in Mozhaisk, Moscow Region In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery in the town of Zvenigorod, Moscow Region, was consecrated. The monastery was founded in 1398, and the cross-domed four-pillar one-domed cathedral was built in 1405. The facades, the top of the apses and the drum are decorated with belts of white-stone carving. Perspective portals with keeled top. Completion with three tiers of zakomar in the 18th-19th centuries. was replaced by a hipped roof. The onion chapter dates back to the 17th century. In the middle of 1919 the monastery was closed, and in the 1990s. returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Nativity of God Cathedral of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery in Zvenigorod, Moscow Region In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Antoniev Monastery in Veliky Novgorod was consecrated. The monastery was founded in 1106. The first Novgorod Chronicle marks the foundation of the cathedral in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1117, and in 1119 speaks of the completion of construction. The building was a three-aisled one-domed temple with a round staircase tower. The cathedral has survived to this day with alterations and restructuring. Instead of narrow ones with a semicircular end, wide ones were pierced. A hipped iron roof was installed over the vaulted roof. Glavka received a bulbous shape characteristic of the late time. The porch galleries surrounding the cathedral were also added later. In the composition of the building, the asymmetrical arrangement of three chapters is interesting, one of which crowns a round tower that has been extended from the total volume. This tower contains a staircase leading to the "floor" - the modern choir of the cathedral. In 1920, the Antoniev Monastery was abolished. Today the monastery buildings are part of the Novgorod Museum-Reserve. A number of faculties of the Yaroslav the Wise Novgorod State University are located on the territory of the monastery.
The Nativity of God Cathedral of the Anthony Monastery in Veliky Novgorod In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Tithe Monastery in Veliky Novgorod was consecrated. The first mention of the monastery dates back to 1327. The stone Church of the Mother of God was built in 1397. Initially, it was a four-pillar, one-dome, one-apse church. Since 1918, the Novgorod GubChK and the Novgorod department of the OGPU have been located in the Desyatin Monastery. The basement of the Nativity Cathedral was converted into cells for the arrested, the abbot building - under the Chekists' club. In 1929, the cemetery church of All Saints was demolished and the monastery cemetery was destroyed. The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin was seriously damaged during the Great Patriotic War, but retained the dome and in some places destroyed walls. In the mid-1950s, it was demolished and dismantled into bricks. The monastery has survived in fragments. In addition to the monastery bell tower, the buildings of the monastery premises and the ruins of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin have been preserved.
Tithes monastery before the revolution In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in the Perynsky skete near Veliky Novgorod. The Perynsky Nativity of the Mother of God male skete is a monastery located in the Novgorod tract of Peryn and operating from the XIV century to 1764. It is mentioned in chronicles for the first time in 1386, when the Novgorodians burned down the monastery. On Peryn in 995, a wooden church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built, which stood for about two hundred years; practically nothing is known about her. At the same time, the monastery was probably founded, although for the first time in the chronicles it was mentioned in 1386 in the list of monasteries. The stone building of the church in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin dates back to the 30s of the XIII century. The church has a three-blade covering, fragments of fresco painting in the lintels of the drum trench openings. Slightly tapering upward walls, blades, windows, the drum of the church enhance the effect of lightness and aspiration upward. Three spacious entrances lead inside the building. They and the widely spaced slender dome pillars contribute to the fact that even with a small size, the church gives the impression of a spacious, high structure. The basis of the building that has come down to us is the masonry of the pre-Mongol period - a combination of limestone and thin brick-plinths, laid on a lime mortar, with an admixture of brick chips (cement). The cross crowning the church is the so-called "domed cross with a crescent", typical for the pre-Mongol period of the form, which comes from the "blossoming cross", or "the cross of the vine." Currently, the monument has been restored in its original form.
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in the Perynsky skete near Veliky Novgorod In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Snetogorsk Monastery in Pskov was consecrated. For the first time, the monastery is mentioned in the Pskov chronicle of the late 13th century, according to which on March 4, 1299, the monastery that already existed by that time was burned during the attack on Pskov by the Livonian knights. In the XIV-XV centuries, the Snetogorsk monastery became the main spiritual and monastic center of Pskov. The main shrine of the monastery, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built in 1311. The internal space of the cathedral is designed in the form of an equal-pointed cross with volumes adjoining it at the corners of smaller volumes. In accordance with the internal structure of the interior, the side facades of the temple are asymmetrical. Their eastern spans are decorated with high arches corresponding to the height of the branches of the cross. Here are the side portals of the temple, above them there are niches-icon cases and windows intended for painting. The bottom of the western spans are decorated with low arch-niches, corresponding to the lower tier of the western corner rooms. The eastern façade, with its three apses, has largely retained its original shape. The western façade, which originally ended with three zakomaras, is currently closed by the additions to the temple that have arisen in the following centuries. The cathedral is completed by a dome placed in the center of the inner cross, the drum of which is decorated on the outside with an unusual belt of pointed arches, restored during the restoration. In the 15th century, the drum of the dome was raised, and the arched belt was replaced by ribbons of runner and curb. The shape of the roof has changed several times during the history of the cathedral. Initially, the temple was covered with a plank in the shape of a zakomar, and the head of the dome was covered with a wooden ploughshare-scales. In the 16th century, triangular tongs were put on top of the semicircular zakomars, the head of the dome was made bulbous. After 1920, the destruction of the monastery began. The territory of the monastery was occupied by a rest house. In 1934, the Ascension Church-bell tower was partially destroyed. During the Great Patriotic War, the headquarters of Army Group North was located here. The territory and buildings of the monastery were arranged well for German officers. At the same time, a meeting room was arranged in the Nikolskaya Church, a wine warehouse and a shooting gallery in the cathedral, and a garage in the ruins of the Ascension Church. In the post-war period, a rest house and a children's sanatorium continued to exist. In 1993, the buildings of the Snetogorsk monastery were transferred to the Pskov diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Snetogorsk Mother of God Monastery in Pskov In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Solotchinsky Monastery was consecrated in the village. Solotcha of the Ryazan region. The monastery was founded in 1390. In the 1570-1580s, the monastery was considered one of the most important in Russia. In 1618, the Solotchinsky Monastery was devastated by the troops of the Polish prince Vladislav and the Zaporozhye hetman Pyotr Sagaidachny. The monastery flourished again at the end of the 17th century. In 1917, the monastery was closed by the Soviet authorities, it housed a colony for juvenile criminals. Subsequently, the architectural complex of the monastery became part of the Ryazan Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve. Restoration of buildings began in the 1960s.
Nativity of the Mother of God Cathedral of the Solotchinsky Monastery In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Paleostrovsky Monastery on about. Paley of the Republic of Karelia. The Paleostrovsky Rozhdestvensky Bogoroditsky Monastery was founded in the 15th century. In the 17th century, the monastery became a place of imprisonment for Bishop Pavel Kolomensky. The Old Believers fled to the monastery after the split of the Russian Church, finding many sympathizers. In 1928, the Paleostrovsky Monastery was destroyed, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin was officially closed. A colony for juvenile delinquents was established on the island. The monastery is currently being revived.
Nativity of the Virgin Paleostrovsky Monastery in the Republic of Karelia In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Root Hermitage was consecrated in the village. Freedom of the Kursk region. Founded in 1597, in the place where the miraculous icon of the Sign of the Mother of God, called the Root, or Kursk, appeared at the root of the tree. In troubled times, the Root Desert was destroyed to the ground. From 1618 to 1764, the desert was assigned to the Kursk Znamensky Monastery. In 1792, a hostel was set up in it. After the revolution, the monastery was looted and closed. The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was blown up, the dome of the bell tower was demolished, and an observation deck was arranged on it for vacationers in a rest house, which became the Korennaya Pustyn. In 1989, the deserts were transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Mother of God Root Hermitage in the village. Freedom of the Kursk region In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sofroniev-Molchanskaya Pechersk Hermitage was consecrated in the village. New Sloboda of the Sumy region of Ukraine. According to legend, in the fall of 1405, a miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos appeared on the Wonderful Mountain, above the Molche swamp. The locals immediately noticed the shrine. On the site of the miraculous find, people erected a small wooden church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Over time, monks began to settle in her, building nearby caves on the hillsides for living and constant prayers. Subsequently, a small monastery arose here. It was called the Molchanskaya Nativity of the Virgin the desert. In the 16th century, the desert grew and turned into a large monastery-prison, so the monks who lived in it acquired several "siege yards", where they erected the church of Saints Florus and Laurus, and in the 1580s they erected the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in the prison. In 1605, the Sofronievsky Monastery was plundered by the army of False Dmitry I, heading for Moscow. The 17th and 18th centuries were the heyday of the Sofronievskaya Hermitage. Already in the early 1920s, the Soviet government closed the Sofronievsky Monastery. In the first post-war years, the ruins left over from the Sofronievsky Monastery began to be dismantled into bricks for pigsties, collective farm buildings and industrial facilities. So, bulldozers razed the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos to the ground, and in its place there was a plot for grazing collective farm cattle. The revival of the monastery began in 1999.
Nativity of the Virgin Sofroniev-Molchanskaya Pechersk hermitage in the village. New Sloboda of Ukraine In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Molchansky Monastery in Putivl, Ukraine was consecrated. The history of the founding of the Molchansky Monastery is closely connected with the Sofroniev Hermitage. In 1592, the Molchansk hermitage was burned by the Tatars, and in 1593 all the monks moved to Putivl, where there were several "sedimentary yards" and turned the monastery courtyard into a new Molchansk monastery. During 1602-1604, stone fortifications were built and the monastery became a real defensive outpost. The monastery served as a powerful fortress, in which the monks of the monastery and local residents have repeatedly found shelter. From November 18, 1604 to May 26, 1605, False Dmitry I used the monastery as his residence. It was at this time that the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin and other structures were built. Since the cathedral was being erected in the middle of a narrow fortified courtyard, built up on all sides, it was necessary to combine a barn in its building - in the basement and in the basement, the refectory and the kitchen - in the basement, the cathedral and a warm church - on the second tier, a battle chamber with loopholes - on the third tier. , above the altar. In the architectural plan of the building there are three extraordinary features: the altar in the form of a square tower, rather than a semicircular apse; the defense chamber on the third tier of the altar is crowned with a tent; overlapping the basement of the nave with a system of cross vaults with a pillar in the middle. In 1605, the Molchansk Hermitage was assigned to the Putivl Molcha'nsky Monastery, and a monastery apiary was set up on its territory. During the Civil War of the Time of Troubles, a fire broke out in the monastery, as a result of which the building was badly damaged. In 1653, the destroyed monastery was rebuilt. To avoid confusion, the monastery in Putivl became known as the Bolshoi Molchansky Monastery, and the monastery restored over the Molcha swamp - the Malaya Molchansky Hermitage. The latter, from the end of the 17th century, began to be called the Sofroniev Monastery, or the Sofroniev Monastery. From the end of the 17th century, the monastery, like the city of Putivl itself, began to gradually decline. In the post-revolutionary period, the monastery was closed, and the monks were dispersed. Since the 1930s, the territory and buildings of the monastery were occupied by an orphanage, vocational school, and a military plant. Since 1960, restoration work has been carried out in the monastery, and after 17 years the State Historical and Cultural Reserve was created here. In 1991 the monastery was transferred to the UOC.
Nativity of the Virgin Molchansky Monastery in Putivl (Ukraine) In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in Yuryevo (Veliky Novgorod, MDZ "Vitoslavitsy"). The Nativity of the Virgin Church was built between about 1530 and 1540. The church was transported from the village of Peredki. A crumbly, three-altar, stands on a high basement and is crowned with a high crowned tent. On five sides: the north, north-west, west, south-west and south, the church is surrounded by an open-to-the-outside gallery, resting on support brackets - logs released from the main frame. The north-west and south-west sides of the gallery do not follow the contours of the walls of the church, but are straightened. In the west, in front of the gallery, there is a porch. The branches of the log cross are covered with gable roofs, the side altars and gallery - with gable roofs. A striking feature of the church: the side walls of the cross in its plan are not parallel, as was usually done in such cases, but are sharply moved out from the middle of the room.
Nativity of the Virgin Church in Yuryev near Veliky Novgorod In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a cathedral was consecrated in Suzdal, Vladimir region, built between 1222 and 1225. In 1237, during the invasion of Suzdal by the horde of Batuyeva, the Cathedral of the Mother of God was plundered. Later restored. On March 25, 1577, a great fire broke out in Suzdal, from which the cathedral was also badly damaged. In 1635-36, after the invasion of the Poles, the cathedral was restored again. In 1719, a great fire broke out in Suzdal, which destroyed almost all the churches and houses of the inhabitants. The cathedral was also damaged in this fire: the roof and the heads made of tin melted and the upper tier in the cathedral collapsed. Then the cathedral was renewed. During the Soviet years it did not function. In 1991, divine services were held in the cathedral.
Cathedral in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Suzdal, Vladimir region A church in the Moscow Kremlin was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin. The church was built on the territory of the Kremlin in 1393-1394. on the site of the ancient wooden church of the Resurrection of the Righteous Lazarus. The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin was located on the female half of the Kremlin and was the home church of the Grand Duchesses. During a fire in 1479, the top of the church collapsed and had to be restored. In 1514, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin on Senyi was also rebuilt. In the years 1681-1684. the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin on Seny was again almost completely rebuilt. New church was single-headed, from the west there was a refectory. Subsequently, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin on Seny was restored in 1923-1928 and in 1949-1952. The ancient white-stone four-apse building with the main portal, as well as the elements of the temple, which were added later, have survived to our time.
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin on the Seny in the Moscow Kremlin In honor of the Nativity of the Virgin, a church was consecrated in Old Simonov in Moscow, built in 1509 on the site of a wooden church, which was originally erected in 1370. The temple is part of the original Simonov monastery that existed on this site. In the XVII century. the monastery was abolished, the church became a parish. In 1927 the church was closed. In the 1930s. beheaded. The building houses the compressor station of the Dynamo plant. In 1932 the bell tower was demolished. In the 1980s. the church was transferred to the Historical Museum. Returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1989.
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Old Simonov in Moscow In honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God, a church was consecrated in Putinki in Moscow. The wooden church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been known since 1625. In 1648 the wooden church burned down and then was built in stone. The temple is a narrow, elongated double-height quadrangle, topped with three tents. The octahedral belfry, hipped, located between the chapel and the temple, stands on the vaults of the refectory. The composition is complemented by a large tent-roofed porch on the western facade of the refectory, brought out to Malaya Dmitrovka. In the design of the facades of the church, lancet kokoshniks, columnar keeled platbands and complex loosened cornices, characteristic of the 16th century, were used. After the church was closed in 1938, it housed offices for a long time, then the rehearsal hall of the Moscow directorate “Circus on the Stage”. Gradually the building of the temple came to a critical state, and in 1959-1960. its comprehensive restoration was carried out. In 1990, the temple was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Putinki in Moscow In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in the village of Murovanka of the Republic of Belarus. The temple-fortress was erected in 1524 in the Gothic style. In terms of architecture, it is a four-pillar one-story building with a high gable roof. The monumental stone building is secured at the corners with cylindrical defensive towers. The towers are organically linked to the hull. At different times, the temple served not only as a place for worship, but also to protect the peasants from devastating raids. In 1656 the church was badly damaged, and in 1706 it was shelled by the Swedes during the Great Northern War. In 1928, the church was converted into a church by the Polish authorities and transferred to the local Catholic community. In August 1993, the church was returned to the ROC community.
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in the village of Murovanka of the Republic of Belarus In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a cathedral was consecrated in Murom, Vladimir region, built between about 1549 and about 1557. Initially, the stone cathedral was crowned with three chapters; in the middle of the 17th century, the cathedral was renovated and crowned with five chapters. The relics of the Murom miracle workers Peter and Fevronia rested in the Peter and Paul side-altar of the cathedral. In 1934, "with the consent" of the community of believers, the cathedral was leased to one of the regiments stationed in the city. Since the mid-1930s, Cathedral Square has been turned into a football field, and the bell tower has become a fire tower and a dressing room for players. In 1939, by order of the City Council, they began to demolish the cathedral and the church near the bell tower. The cathedral was dismantled before the Great Patriotic War, and the bell tower - eight years later.
Cathedral in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Murom, Vladimir region In honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the side-altar of the Church of Spiridon of Trimith was consecrated in the Goat bog in Moscow. The temple has been known since 1627. In 1633-1639, the temple was rebuilt in stone and was popularly called not by the main altar in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin, but by the side-altar of St. Spyridon. In the 17th-19th centuries, the church was rebuilt and expanded more than once. The church was seriously damaged in 1812, during the great Moscow fire, and then was rebuilt. The ancient core of the church retained the features of Old Russian architecture. The cube building of the temple was crowned with a single chapter, resting on a round drum with an arcature-columnar belt. Rows of excellent keeled kokoshniks were preserved under the late hipped roof, which completed all four facade walls. In August 1930, the temple was destroyed.
Spiridonovskaya church on the Goat bog in Moscow In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in the village. Sviyazhsk of the Republic of Tatarstan. Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built around 1567, destroyed in 1928.
Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral in Sviyazhsk In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in the village of Listvenka Leningrad region... This is one of the oldest churches in the Leningrad region. The church was built in 1599. The building is three-volume: a church, an altar sidewalk and a refectory. In 1720, the church was rebuilt: a refectory and a new porch were erected. The carved choir and the iconostasis with the inscription and images of saints have been preserved unchanged. The temple was closed in 1932 and has been operating again since 1992.
Nativity of the Virgin Church in the village of Listvenka, Leningrad Region In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in Pskov. The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Prolom dates back to 1581. The Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God "Intercession from the Corner" or "From the Prolom" of the monastery has been known since the XIV century. The monastery stood at the fifth wall in the Okolny city at the gates to the Great and a huge tower, also named after the monastery - Pokrovsky. Initially, the main monastery was a temple in the name of the Intercession of the Mother of God, to which, after the siege of Pskov in 1581-1582 by the troops of King Stephen Batory, in memory of the miraculous deliverance "from the dashing townspeople", annexed the newly erected Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. Since then, the temple has been a small architectural miracle: identical, kletskie, tiny, one-domed, one-apse churches and a belfry symmetrically placed above the vestibules on a common wall unites them into one whole. Nowadays, a historical exposition is located in the Church of the Intercession; the Church of the Nativity belongs to the Cossack community of Pskov.
Church of the Intercession and the Nativity from Prolom in Pskov In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in the town of Porkhov, Pskov region. Until the middle of the 18th century, on the site of the modern Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the southern outskirts of Porkhov, there was a Rozhdestvensky nunnery, which was abolished in 1764 during the secularization of the monastic lands. After the abolition of the monastery, the parish church was located here until 1930. Before the war, the parish was closed, the Porkhov fire brigade was housed in the building, after the war - a sports society, and in the 1980s - a city club-disco. Only in 1991, the church was returned to the ROC community.
Nativity of the Virgin Church in Porkhov, Pskov region In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in the village. Gorodnya of the Tver region. Presumably the church was built in 1390. During its existence, the church was repeatedly burned and rebuilt. After a fire in 1412, it was renewed on the old foundation and painted again. After a fire in 1716, the temple was rebuilt. The church was badly damaged during the Great Patriotic War. In 1966, a major overhaul of the temple began. The volume of the temple, rectangular in plan, is crowned with a gilded onion dome. The territory is surrounded by a massive stone fence with three-span arched gates, also topped with a gilded dome.
Nativity of the Virgin Church in the village. Gorodnya of the Tver region In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in the town of Rohatyn, Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine. The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin was built in 1421. Built of stone and red brick on lime mortar, three-aisled, one-apse, two-pillar, two-headed. The walls are reinforced with buttresses. At the level of the vaults, they are connected by arches resembling zakomaras in ancient Russian temples. The facades are decorated with deep niches in which lancet windows are recessed, as well as small niches. During the German attack on Galicia in the Second world war a bomb hit the temple. As a result of her hit, the roof burned down, only the walls remained. The church was soon restored. But three years later, in 1944, a high-explosive bomb hit the church and destroyed the church from the inside. After the war, restoration work began in the temple, which lasted almost 10 years.
Nativity of the Virgin Church in Rohatyn, Ukraine In honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a church was consecrated in the village. Steblevka of the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine. Wooden, three-frame, with a tower above Babinets was built in 1643. The structures of the nave and babinets are equally wide rectangular in plan, a narrower eastern frame with a triangular eastern part. The church was erected from oak beams, covered with a ploughshare. Unlike many similar structures, the western frame, as well as the eastern and the nave, is covered with a box vault. The church was covered with two steep roofs - high above the central frame and low above the eastern frame. The frame tower-bell tower towered over the western felling and ended with a podbit, cracked vertically by boards with a figured cut at the bottom and a high conical spire with an apron at the base. The Nativity of the Virgin Church was on fire. It is currently in a dilapidated state.
Courtyards Masalishskaya, Slizhishskaya in Lithuania.
Every year on September 21, the Orthodox Church celebrates a big holiday - the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. It was installed in honor of the miraculous birth of the Virgin Mary from elderly parents - pious Anna and Joachim. The holiday was first mentioned in the 5th century.
There is little information about the Mother of God in the New Testament. The story of Her life has been brought to us by a legend according to which the parents of the Virgin Mary came from the clan of David. The Church calls them holy Fathers of God, because in the flesh they are the ancestors of Jesus.
In a miraculous way, the Divine Providence for the salvation of mankind manifested itself on Anna and Joachim: after 50 years of marriage, the childless Anna conceived and gave birth to the Divine Mother. Even before the birth of the girl, the Angel gave her the name Maria. She became the only and most holy Virgin, who was predicted to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: “Behold, the Virgin in her womb will bring and bear a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14).
History of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
According to legend, the place where the Mother of God was born is in Jerusalem. However, in the Russian Orthodox Church, the version put forward by St. Dmitry of Rostov became widespread: that the Virgin Mary was born in Nazareth, where her parents lived.
Nazareth was a small town, unremarkable. The Jews even spoke of him somewhat contemptuously: "Could there be something good from Nazareth?" In this city lived the pious couple of Anna and Joachim, who were chosen by the Lord to become the forefathers of the Savior of people. Anna came from a priestly family, and Joachim came from the family of King David. Anna's niece, righteous Elizabeth, became a cousin of the Virgin Mary and the mother of John the Baptist.
Joachim was a well-to-do man, he kept a large number of cattle. Despite their wealth, the righteous couple believed in God and were merciful to people all their lives. For this they were loved and respected by their neighbors. The existence of the spouses was darkened only by childlessness, which was considered by the Jews to be God's punishment. They constantly asked the Lord to give them a baby. But the older they got, the weaker the hope was.
Once Joachim, bringing a gift to God, heard a cruel reproach against him from another Jew: “Why do you want to bring your gifts to the Lord before others? After all, you, being barren, are not worthy of this? " Hearing this, Joachim was greatly upset. Out of great grief, he went into the wilderness for prayer and fasting.
Upon learning of this, Anna felt guilty of their disgrace, and began to pray even more earnestly that the Lord would hear her and send them a child. During one of the prayers, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and said: “Your request has been heard by God. Soon you will conceive and give birth to a blessed Daughter who will be higher than all earthly daughters. Name Her Mary. " Hearing the good news, Anna promised to give the child to the service of the Lord.
Archangel Gabriel appeared to Joachim. He also told the saint the wonderful news and ordered him to go to Jerusalem, where he would meet his wife at the Golden Gate. Joachim hurried to Jerusalem, taking with him gifts for God and priests.
At the Golden Gate, Joachim met with Anna. They told each other about the miraculous appearance of the Angel of the Lord. They spent some more time in Jerusalem, and then returned home to Nazareth. Nine months later, Anna gave birth to a daughter, who was named Maria.
When the girl was one year old, her father made a feast, to which he summoned the elders, priests and all the acquaintances. During the celebration, he showed his Daughter to everyone present and asked the clergy to bless Her.
According to church legends, the Virgin Mary was born at a time when religion was in decline and various prejudices became very popular. Every year the moral strength of people was depleted. Believers understood that only some extraordinary event, God's intervention in earthly affairs, can save spirituality. The human image decided to accept God's Son to come to earth and save mankind from sins. Mary was chosen to be the mother of Jesus because She led a very godly life. She devoted herself entirely to the service of the Lord. From childhood, the Virgin Mary studied diligently, studying the Holy Scriptures, so she was ideally suited to fulfill this important mission.
The Nativity of the Virgin is celebrated as the day on which God's providence for the salvation of the human race from the devil's undertakings began to be carried out. The day of women in labor is also associated with the holiday. Women who dreamed of knowing the joy of motherhood invited guests to dinner and ordered a service in the church.
Icon "Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary"
The icon "The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos" helps everyone who turns to her with their requests. It protects from everything bad, averts trouble, helps heal the human soul and guides you on the right path. Also, at the holy image, childless people pray, dreaming that the Lord would give them a child.
September 21 Orthodox Christians remember Nativity of the Blessed Virgin... This event is the birth of the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ from the righteous parents of Joachim and is described in the Church Tradition. We will tell you about the history, meaning and folk traditions associated with the holiday.
What is the Nativity of the Virgin
The Nativity of the Most Holy Lady Our Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary is the full name of the holiday that the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on September 21 in the new style (September 8 in the old style). This is one of . The twelve feasts are dogmatically closely related to the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). The Nativity of the Theotokos is a feast of the Theotokos.
The event that we celebrate on this day is not described in the New Testament. Knowledge about him came to us from Church Tradition, one of the sources of our doctrine, together with Holy Scripture.
The legend about the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, namely the Proto-Gospel of Jacob, was written in the 2nd century. And they began to celebrate the holiday as a separate significant day by the second half of the 5th century. For example, we read about this in the Patriarch of Constantinople Proclus (439-446) and in the missal (liturgical book) of Pope Gelasius (492-426).
When the Nativity of the Virgin is celebrated
Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 21 New Style (September 8 Old Style). This is a non-passing holiday, that is, its date remains the same every year.
According to the Orthodox tradition, the holiday lasts 6 days, from September 20 to 25. This period includes forefeast and afterfeast. Forefeast - one or several days before a big holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, afterfeast is the same days after the holiday.
What can you eat at the Nativity of the Virgin
In 2018, the holiday falls on Friday, fast day, in honor of the holiday, believers are allowed to eat fish.
Events of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
In the New Testament, we will find practically nothing about the earthly life of the Mother of God. The Gospels do not provide information about who the parents of the Virgin Mary were and under what circumstances she was born.
The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on the Church Tradition. There is the so-called Proto Gospel of Jacob, written in the 2nd century. In it we read that Mary was born of pious parents, Joachim and Anna. Joachim came from a royal family, and Anna was the daughter of the high priest. They lived to a ripe old age and were childless. This was a source of grief for the couple and caused public censure.
Once, when Joachim came to the Temple, the high priest did not allow him to offer a sacrifice to God, saying: "You did not create offspring for Israel." After that, the inconsolable Joachim retired into the desert to pray, while Anna stayed at home and also prayed. At this time, an angel appeared to both of them and announced to each: "The Lord heeded your prayer, you will conceive and give birth, and they will talk about your offspring in the whole world."
Having learned the good news, the couple met at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem.
After that, Anna conceived. As the Proto Gospel of Jacob writes, "the months allotted to her passed, and Anna gave birth in the ninth month." The righteous took a vow to consecrate their child to God and gave their daughter Mary to the Jerusalem temple, where she served until she came of age.
History of the celebration of the Nativity of the Virgin
Christians began to celebrate the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin only by the 5th century. We read the first mentions of him in the Patriarch of Constantinople Proclus (439-446) and in the missal (liturgical book) of Pope Gelasius (492-426). Saints John Chrysostom, Epiphanes and Augustine also write about the holiday. And in Palestine, there is a legend that the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Helen built a temple in Jerusalem in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Icon of the Nativity of the Virgin
We meet the most ancient images of the events of the Nativity of the Mother of God by the X-XI centuries. These are icons and frescoes. For example, the painting of the 7th century Georgian temple in Ateni. This entire temple is dedicated to the Mother of God (the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God).
There are other ancient images of the holiday: frescoes in the Kiev Sophia Cathedral (first half of the 11th century) and in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery (XII century), a composition in the Church of Joachim and Anna of the Serbian monastery Studenica (1304).
Traditionally, on early icons and frescoes, icon painters depicted righteous Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, in the center of the composition. The woman in labor reclining on a high bed, before her are women with gifts, a midwife and maids who wash the Mother of God in the font.
With each century, this icon-painting plot was enriched with more and more new details. For example, they began to depict a table with brought gifts and treats, a pond, birds. Now the icon of the Nativity of the Virgin is often made hagiographic, that is, the main plot is supplemented with separate compositions (stamps) - plots from the history of the event. The lamentation of Joachim in the wilderness, the gospel to Joachim and the evangelism to Anna, the meeting of the spouses at the Golden Gate of the Jerusalem Temple, and so on.
The painting of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin of the Ferapontov Monastery, which was completed in 1502 by the great icon painter Dionysius, has survived to this day. This is a fresco above the main entrance that depicts Saint Anne on a bed; font; wives and virgins who come to bow to the Born with vessels in their hands; Joachim and Anna with the Virgin Mary in her arms.
Divine service of the Nativity of the Virgin
In the 6th century, the Monk Roman the Sweet Songwriter wrote a kontakion for the Nativity of the Virgin, but its text has not survived to this day. The most ancient chant of the holiday is the troparion "Thy Nativity, Virgin Mary". Most likely, it was compiled in the 5th-7th centuries. In addition, the modern service of the holiday includes, for example, the hymns of St. Andrew of Crete (VII century), the Monk John Damascene VIII century), Patriarch Herman of Constantinople (VIII century).
Troparion of the Nativity of the Virgin
Voice 4:
Thy Nativity to the Virgin Mary, joy to erect the whole universe: from Thee, the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God, has risen, and having broken the oath, gave the blessing, and having abolished death, the eternal life has been given to us.
Translation:
Thy Nativity, Virgin Mary, announced joy to the whole universe: for out of You shone the Sun of righteousness - Christ our God, and, breaking the curse, gave a blessing, and, destroying death, gave us eternal life.
Kontakion of the Nativity of the Virgin
Voice 4:
Joachim and Anna of reproach of iniquity, and Adam and Eve are free from the aphids of death, Most Pure One, in Thy holy birth. Thy people also celebrate, the guilt of sins will be rid of, always call Ti: the Mother of God and the nourisher of our life gives rise to fruitlessness.
Translation:
Joachim and Anna were freed from reproach for childlessness, and Adam and Eve were freed from death by Your holy birth, Most Pure One. It is also celebrated by Your people, who have freed themselves from the burden of sinfulness, exclaiming loudly to You: the barren gives birth to the Mother of God and the nourishment of our Life.
Magnification of the Nativity of the Virgin:
We magnify Thee, Most Holy Virgin, and honor Thy holy parents, and glorify Thy Christmas all-glorious.
Translation:
We magnify You, Most Pure Virgin, and honor Your holy parents, and glorify Your Christmas all-gloriously.
First prayer for the Nativity of the Virgin
Oh, Most Holy Lady, Christ our Savior, God-chosen Mother, asked by God by holy prayers, dedicated to God and beloved by God! Who will not please You or who will not sing, Your Glorious Christmas. Your Christmas is the beginning of the salvation of people, and we, sitting in the dark of sins, see Thee, the Unapproachable Light of the dwelling. For this reason, the fluttering language cannot chant Ty in its possession. More than the seraphim, Thou art exalted, the Most Pure. Receive from the unworthy Thy servants the present praise and do not reject our prayers. We confess your greatness, we fall to You in affection, and we boldly ask the child-loving and benevolent Mother to intercede quickly: pray Thy Son and our God to grant us, who sin much, sincere repentance and a pious life, so that we can do everything that is pleasing to God and useful to our souls. Let us hate all evil, strengthened by Divine grace in our good will. Thou shameless hope of ours in the hour of death, grant us a Christian end, a comfortable procession in the terrible ordeals of the air, and the legacy of the eternal and ineffable blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven, but with all the saints we ceaselessly confess Thy intercession for us and glorify the one True God, in the Holy Trinity we bow down to Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Second prayer for the Nativity of the Virgin
Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of heaven and earth, to Your miraculous image, falling down, tenderly with the verb: look mercifully on Your servants and by Your omnipotent intercession sent down something you need. Save all the faithful children of the Holy Church, convert the unfaithful, instruct those who have gone astray on the right path, support old age and weakness of strength, grow the young in the holy faith, direct courage to good, bring sinners to repentance, and hear all Christians prayers, heal the sick, relieve sorrows, travel take a trip. You weigh, All-Merciful, as weak, as sinful, as embittered and unworthy of the forgiveness of God, both wake us to help us, but by no sin of self-love, temptation and devilish deception we anger God: Thy Imams, Representative, The Lord will not reject the Lord. If you admire, all you can bestow upon us is like a blessed source, faithfully singing Ti and extolling Thy glorious Christmas. Deliver, Lady, the fall and misfortunes of all who piously invoke Your holy name and worship Your honest image. Thou shalt cleanse our tuna with the prayers of iniquity, the more we fall to Thee and cry out to Thee: drive away from us every enemy and adversary, every misfortune and destructive unbelief; By your prayers, giving rains are in good time and the earth abundant fruitfulness, put into our hearts the Divine fear of fulfilling the commandments of the Lord, so that we all quietly and peacefully live for the salvation of our souls, for the good of our neighbors and for the glory of the Lord, to Him, like the Creator, Provider and Savior All glory, honor and worship befits ours, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
The third prayer for the Nativity of the Virgin
Oh, Most Pure and Most Blessed Virgin, the Lady of the Theotokos, born from barrenness according to the promise and purity for the sake of Thy soul and body, worthy to be the Mother of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, with Nimzha now dwelling in heaven and imashi great boldness to Holy Trinity, from Neyazhe, like the Tsarina, you were crowned with the crown of eternal reign. In the same way, we humbly resort to You and ask: seek us from the All-Merciful Lord God forgiveness of all our voluntary and involuntary sins; to our suffering fatherland of salvation, peace, silence and piety, restoration, times are peaceful and serene, the sedition of the wicked are not involved; to an abundance of earthly fruits, an air of bliss, the rains are peaceful and timely. And all that is necessary for our life and salvation, ask for us from Thy Son, Christ our God. Most of all, have good luck that we adorn ourselves with good morals and good deeds, yes, very powerfully, we will be imitators of Your holy life, since you have adorned the earth from youth, pleasing the Lord; For this reason, Thou art the most honest Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim. To her, Most Holy Lady, wake us in everything an ambulance and a wise Mentor for salvation, so that we will help You and help You, let us be honored to be the heir to the existence of the Heavenly Kingdom, through the sufferings of Your Son from the mysterious source, to the fulfillment of His promised holy commandments. Thou art, Mistress, our hope and hope are one according to Bose, and we betray our whole belly to Thee, longing for Thy for the sake of intercession and intercession are not ashamed to be at the hour of our departure from this life, and at the Last Judgment of Thy Son, Christ of our God, His hand standing to be honored, and tamo to rejoice forever with all who have pleased Him from time immemorial and praise, praise, thank and bless Him with the Father and the Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Sermon by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh on the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Every holiday of the Mother of God is pure joy. It is a joy not only about God's love for us, but also about the joy that the earth - our simple, dear, ordinary land - can respond to the love of the Lord in this way. This is a special joy for us.
When we receive mercy from God, our heart rejoices; but sometimes it becomes melancholy: how, how can I return love for love, where can I find that holiness, that affection, that ability to respond with all nature to the mercy of God? And then, although we know that each of us is weak and weak in love, we can think about the Mother of God. She answered for all of us with perfect faith, never wavering with hope and love so wide that She managed to embrace heaven and earth with this love, open up with love so that the Son of God was incarnate, and so open up with love for people that all, the most sinful, can come to Her and receive mercy. This is the answer of the whole earth, this is the answer of the whole universe to the love of the Lord.
And so, let us rejoice and take away joy today from this church - not only for one moment: we will keep it from day to day, we will be amazed at this joy, we will rejoice with this joy and we will begin to give this joy to people, so that every heart will rejoice and be comforted and enlightened with this joy that the earth can contain heaven, that man can answer God in such a way that God would become man.
And now, from century to century, while the world stands, God is among us, Christ is the same among us, from day to day. And when the glory of earth and heaven is manifested, revealed, the Lord Jesus Christ, true God, but also a true man, will be the Mother of God among us, Who gave Him flesh with Her love, faith, holiness, and reverence.
Let us preserve, cherish, grow this joy and live by it in the days of sorrow, in the dark days, in the days when it seems to us that we are not capable of anything, that the earth cannot respond to the love of God with anything. The earth answered, and this Answer stands forever with uplifted hands, praying for us all, for the good and for the evil, never standing across the path of salvation, forgiving everyone - but She has something to forgive: after all, the people of Her Son killed - and to Her we we resort. Because if She forgives, then no one will condemn us.
With what faith we come to the Mother of God, how deep it must be, so that each of us, who by his sins and his unworthiness participates in the death of the Lord, could say: Mother, I have destroyed Your Son, but You forgive. And he intercedes for us, and has mercy, and saves, and grows to the full growth of the love of the Lord.
Glory to God for this, glory to the Mother of the Lord for this love of Her. Amen.
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. Sermon on the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
The righteous parents of the Ever-Virgin grieved for a long time about their infertility, long and fervently prayed to the Lord for the resolution of infertility, which was considered a punishment from God for sins; they did much alms in order to bow to the mercy of the All-Merciful, and endured insults from their fellow tribesmen, and in this grief and unceasing prayer and beneficence they were gradually purified in spirit and inflamed more and more with love and devotion to God and thus were prepared by the Providence of God for the blessed birth of the Most Blessed Blessedness , chosen from all generations to the Mother of the incarnate Word.
In a close and sorrowful way, the Lord leads to the glory and bliss of His chosen ones, for the Mother of God herself, according to the flesh, was predicted by Simeon that weapons would pass through Her soul and She would experience grievous sorrows in her soul during the suffering life of Her Son, so that many people's hearts would open up ( Luke 2: 34-35). So mournful and narrow is the path of all God's chosen ones, for the world and the ruler of the world, that is, the enemy of God and men, extremely oppresses the people of God; and the Lord Himself allows them to walk the narrow path, since He helps them to strive to God and to place their trust in Him alone.
But let us look from sorrow to joy. What joy does the Nativity of the Mother of God give us? Let us explain in more detail the church song, which explains the reasons for the festive joy. Through the Nativity of the Ever-Virgin, through Her only-begotten Son and God, the cursed and rejected mankind was reconciled with God, immeasurably offended by their sins, for Christ became the Mediator of reconciliation (Rom. 5: 10-11), freed from curse and eternal death, was awarded the blessing of the Heavenly Father; it has united and merged with the Divine nature; raised into its first property by this dissolution, in the words of the church song; a previously rejected person was rewarded with adoption by the Heavenly Father, received the promise of a glorious resurrection and eternal life in heaven along with the angels.
All this has been accomplished and is being accomplished by the Son of God incarnate from the Most Pure Virgin from the Holy Spirit and by the intercession of His Most Pure Mother. How honored and exalted is humanity through the holy Virgin Mother of God, for She was worthy of renewal and adoption by God; And She Herself was rewarded by Her immeasurable humility and the greatest purity and holiness to be the Mother of the God-man! She is always the most powerful Intercessor and Representative of the Christian clan before Her Son and God! She is our unashamed Hope; She removes from us the clouds of God's righteous anger, opens up to us the ancient paradise with Her mighty intercession; She upholds the thrones of kings and keeps them unshakable forever. She saved and is saving Russia a thousand times from the beginning to the present; She exalted her, glorified her, confirmed and affirms her; She is the guarantor of sinners for salvation. To Her Christians turn their countless prayers, petitions, praises, praise and thanksgiving; She has performed and is performing in the Church countless miracles, beneficial in all parts of the world.
Let us all lightly celebrate the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, adorning ourselves with all sorts of Christian virtues. Amen.
House of Joachim and Anna
The House of Joachim and Anna is one of the Christian landmarks of Jerusalem. As Church Tradition says, the Virgin Mary was born in the house of her parents - the righteous Joachim and Anna. It was located in the northeastern part of Jerusalem, now it is the territory of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, near the Lion Gate.
Orthodox and Catholics are still arguing about where exactly the house stood, and they built a monastery and a basilica at a distance of 70 meters from each other. The Orthodox monastery of St. Anna is a place of pilgrimage for many Christians around the world. On the first floor of the monastery there is a church in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God, and under the building of the monastery there is an ancient cave. It is believed that this cave is part of the house of Joachim and Anna.
Church in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vladykin
Church in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vladykino- the spiritual center of the Moscow region Otradnoye. Address: Altufevskoe highway, building 4.
Vladykino is one of the most ancient villages near Moscow. The first owner of the village was the noble Prince Daniel of Moscow, the son of St. Alexander Nevsky and a direct descendant of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and Princess Olga. In 1322, the village was granted to the patrimony of the thousand Protasiy Velyaminov, who arrived to serve the Moscow prince. From his name the village got its first name - Velyaminovo.
Three centuries later, in 1619, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich granted Velyaminovo to Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky, but soon the village passed to Prince Ivan Ivanovich Shuisky. It was under him that a village church was built here in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos (instead of a dilapidated church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker).
After 1653, His Holiness Patriarch Nikon made the village his fiefdom and gave it a new name - Vladykino. In Vladykino, a patriarchal traveling palace and another temple are being built in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.
The first stone church in Vladykino was built in 1770. The bell tower was erected by Count K. G. Razumovsky, the owner of the neighboring village of Petrovskoye. By the middle of the 19th century, the stone church was badly dilapidated. In 1854, on the site of the old one, a new, this time three-altar, temple was built with the side-chapels of the Archangel Michael and the Archangel Gabriel. The main altar in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos was consecrated by Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna.
During the Soviet years, the church was not closed, even during the most severe persecutions against the Church. During the Great Patriotic War, not a single shell hit him, although the Germans were very close. In the 70s, there were attempts to demolish the temple during the construction of an overpass at the beginning of the Altufevskoe highway, but the parishioners were able to defend it.
