Orthodox tradition differs from other Christian denominations and developed his very deep iconography.Not least, perhaps even as the first, it plays the image of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ.It is connected both with the national worship of the woman, and with theological attention to her church doctrine.
Virgin iconography
first image of Our Lady known about the third or fourth century.Just hard to say because different researchers dispute dating the oldest known image of Mary.However, the official doctrine of her status was recorded until the fifth century.More precisely - in the year 431 in the city of Ephesus.There, at a meeting of Christian bishops formally secured her the title of Mother of God.Since then, its iconography has developed steadily.
It is important to understand that the icon of Mary, the mother of Christ, not only portrays a holy woman.It represents just a spiritual component of personality, became the mother of God as it is believed by Christians.Therefore, in the Orthodox tradition, it is always considered in the light of Jesus, the divine messiah.
There are a lot of different images of the Virgin.Previously, each city and each monastery, and often simply for a large temple was considered good form to have its own unique icon marked a miraculous healings or other favors of the Most High, for example mirotocheniya.That is why today there is no calendar day, which would not have been devoted at least one icon of Mary.And most of such images a day revered by a few.
Fifteen hundred years of tradition have developed a few basic types of so-called canonical image of the Virgin.One of them is called "Eleousa", which is devoted to this article.
Hail Mary "Eleousa»
The word is from the Greek, can be translated as "merciful, compassionate, merciful."But in Russia often use the term "emotion".It is not wrong to transfer, simply accentuates certain aspects of spiritual relationships between people and the one who called the faithful heavenly queen.
distinctive feature of this type of situation is the baby in the hands of Mary.Virgin "Tenderness" touches his cheek against the cheek of Christ.Thus, the icon of artistic means is embodied the idea of boundless love between God assumed human nature, and people, who ascended to the divine stage (and which represents the figure of Our Lady).
In Greek tradition, this iconographic type is also called glikofilusom, which literally means "sweet loving."In any case, "Tenderness" - is a graphical representation of the idea of love, which opened at the sacrifice of the Cross of Jesus Christ.This is the manifestation of God's mercy.In popular piety, far from the theological intentions of religious painting, the sense of emotion became associated with the tender relationship of Mary and baby that is not available on other types of iconography, where Christ is presented as the power and authority vested with the king seated on his hands Mary on the throne.A striking example is Eleusa image of Our Lady of Vladimir.
But apart from the general iconographic type designations, "Tenderness" - it is also the name of a specific image.Oddly enough, this icon (and its variants) relates to a different type of images, called Agiosoritissoy.Therefore, it's worth saying a few words separately.
Virgin "Agiosoritissa»
name of this type comes from the chapel of the holy shrine (Aghia Soros) in Constantinople.Mary, according to this tradition, without Christ is portrayed in three-quarter turn.Her hands are folded in prayer.The look can be either raised up or lowered down.Among the icons of this type, there is one particularly revered image, called "emotion."Its importance for the Orthodox can not be overestimated, as it is strongly associated with the great shrine - Diveevo monastery and its founder, St. Seraphim of Sarov.And his name is probably due to the special emotional impression he makes on contemplating his man.The fact that the image of "emotion" - a sample of art of Western writing, that is, in contrast to the Orthodox canonical iconography, he stressed the purely human qualities in the person of Mary - the mother, suffering woman praying patron and others.
Seraphim-Diveevsky
image of the Virgin Mother of God "Tenderness" of Diveevo famous because behind closed doors was the way St. Seraphim of Sarov - highly revered in the Russian Orthodox Church of St..If you believe the legends of the church, the Maria him personally was the visible image several times.During the prayer before the icon he died.
value Diveevsky image
Due to the huge national love Seraphim of Sarov and folded around the cult Diveevskaya icon "Tenderness" - it is a great historical and cultural value, not to mention its ecclesial significance.Today, this image is stored in the patriarchal residence in Moscow and once a year, on the feast of Our Lady of Praise, exhibited for public worship.Icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" in their printing copies diverge huge numbers.The church world is a kind of spiritual trend of the past two decades.With it also has lots of handwritten lists, revered in various parts of not only Russia, but also abroad.
