Birch icon "Our Lady of Kazan" in Kyoto

The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most revered images of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "Kazan" - as the people lovingly abbreviated the full name of the icon - accompanied the believer from birth to his last breath. Kazan blessed the woman in labor and the baby. It was the Kazan image that was presented to the baptized after the Sacrament of Baptism. And it was customary to hang the Kazan Icon of the Virgin over the baby's crib - to protect against spiritual and physical ailments. Kazan was given to the newlyweds during the wedding: to protect the family. They prayed to the Kazan image of the Mother of God when they asked for healing from diseases, they prayed to the Kazan image for fear of sudden death. She was taken on trips with them.

But the main thing is that the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God saved Russia more than once in a dashing year. That is why, since 1613 in Russia, the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was celebrated in a special way, and from 1649 until the revolution, October 22 in the old style or November 4 in the new, was considered a state holiday. This was how the national love of the image was legitimized. In 2005, Russia celebrated National Unity Day for the first time, and it was timed to coincide with the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.