The ceremonial icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God

It is believed that the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God was painted by the famous evangelist Luke. He presented the icon as a gift to Theophilus of Antioch, supplementing the gift with the text of the Gospel. After some time, the miraculous icon ended up in Byzantium. In Constantinople, the Blachernae Church was built for her, which impresses with its splendor. This church is one of the most significant in the history of Eastern Christians.

In 1383, the Tikhvin icon of the Most Holy Theotokos revealed itself to people in Holy Russia. According to legend, the holy image was carried by angels in their arms. So the icon was transported by air from Byzantium. The fishermen were the first to see the miracle when the icon sailed over Ladoga. As the legend says about the appearance of the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God, believers with a priest went to the riverbank in order to pray to the holy image. For sins, the icon left the Byzantine people, but appeared on the territory of Holy Russia in the Orthodox Church.