home For men Icon of the Mother of God with closed eyes title. What was the Blessed Virgin Mary like? How does the All-Seeing Eye icon help?

Icon of the Mother of God with closed eyes title. What was the Blessed Virgin Mary like? How does the All-Seeing Eye icon help?

Icon of the Mother of God “PROOK AT HUMILITY”

September 16/29 - celebration in honor of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Look at Humility”

History of the icon

The icon of the Mother of God, called “Look at Humility,” was revealed in 1420 in the Bezhanitsky region of the Pskov land, on Lake Kamenny.

The circumstances of the miraculous phenomenon are unknown, but it can be assumed that the holy icon was found to console and encourage the people of Pskov during a period of great disaster during the reign of Vasily II Dmitrievich: the “pestilence” (hunger and epidemic), which then broke out over the Pskov land, and the invasion of the Lithuanian prince Vitovt, who came to conquer the Pskov lands. Then blood began to flow from the right eye of the Mother of God. Thus, the Most Pure Virgin gave a sign to the Pskovites - she grieves for them and is ready to rush to the rescue.

In the Pskov chronicle there are two testimonies about the holy icon. One of them reads: “In the summer of 6934 (1426) behind the old Kolozh, on Lake Kamena, there was a sign: blood flowed from the icon of the Holy Mother of God, on the 16th day of the month Septevria; This sign will show the presence of the filthy Prince Vitovt and the shedding of much Christian blood.” Another, more complete indication of the miraculous sign from the image says: “In the summer of 6934 (1426), the same autumn, there was a sign from the icon of the Holy Mother of God, on Lake Kamena, near Vasily’s courtyard: blood came from the right eye, and the place where it stood was dripping, and blood was flowing along the way, as they carried it from the icon to the ubrus, as they carried the icon of the Most Pure One to Pskov, in the month of September at 16. In memory of the Holy Great Martyr Euphemia.”

From the chronicle it follows that the icon was transported to Pskov and placed in the cathedral church in the name of Life-Giving Trinity. They began to perform religious processions with her and offer fervent prayers for the end of disasters. Through the intercession of the Mother of God, the pestilence stopped.

In memory of this transfer, the celebration of the miraculous icon was established on this day ( September 16/29).

Iconography

Iconographically, the image of the Mother of God “Look at humility” belongs to the type "Hodegetria" ("Guide").

The image type of "Hodegetria" does not correspond to any text Holy Scripture, nor with the akathist to the Mother of God, which gives a certain freedom in deciding the composition of the icon. Therefore, there are options for the image of “Hodegetria”, when the Baby can be on the right or left hand of the Mother of God, depicted in full growth, or sitting on the Mother’s lap, in his hand he can hold a scroll or an attribute of royal power. The appearance of any version of the image could be separated by entire centuries.

The icon “Look at Humility” depicts Holy Mother of God, topped with a crown. In Her right hand is a scepter, and with Her left hand She supports the Divine Infant standing on Her knees. The Infant Christ gently touches Her cheek with his right hand, and with his left hand he holds a small ball - an orb, a symbol of power over the world. This version of the icon probably differs from the prototype of the icon of Latin origin, where the Infant God raised his hand as an orator (rhetor), speaking at trial in defense of all those unfairly accused and suffering. The name of the Icon comes from the words of the Gospel of Luke, “as he looked upon the humility of His servant.” The Savior, holding the Mother of God by the cheek, turns Her face to those praying, as if saying: “Look at the humility of those who turn to You in prayer, who so ask for Your intercession.”

Miracle Lists

Unfortunately, the ancient image of “Look upon humility” has not survived to this day. In the 19th century, in the inventory of the sacristy of the Trinity Cathedral there was no longer any mention of the ancient icon. Since Pskov in the times described was often subject to devastating fires, it can be assumed that the ancient miraculous icon The Mother of God died during one of the natural disasters that befell the cathedral church.

The image of this icon in the Sretensky Church of the Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery was cell icon of the elder Archimandrite John (Peasant). After his repose, this icon was transferred from the elder’s cell to the Sretensky Church.

Currently, the list of icons is located to the right of the altar in Trinity Cathedral of the Pskov Kremlin.

Few other copies of the “Look at Humility” icon are known. One of them, from the end of the 17th century, is located in Kyiv Florovskaya Ascension Convent, and the second one is placed in main temple Kyiv St. Vvedensky Monastery(another mosaic image is displayed on the wall of the temple).

List of the Holy Vvedensky Monastery in Kyiv According to legend, it was written by a certain princess who took the schema under the name of Mary. She not only had the talent of painting, but also carried out ascetic feats invisible to the world, for which the Lord honored her to paint the Face of His Immaculate Mother. Women are not allowed to touch the relics, but this icon painter, with the special permission of the highest clergy, was granted such a right. She painted the icon with a bone from holy relics, dipping it in paints mixed with holy water, saying the Jesus Prayer. After the coup of 1917, the icon was kept in the custody of Archpriest Boris Kvasnitsky. In 1937 he was repressed. Before his arrest, he managed to hand over the icon to his spiritual daughter, the novice of the Vvedensky Monastery, nun Feofania, who kept the shrine for 55 years. When the monastery was dispersed in 1961, nun Feofania and the rest of the mothers moved to the Florovsky Monastery, where for 30 years she kept the holy icon in her cell.

The icon showed its first miracle in the Florovsky Monastery: healing a deaf and dumb girl. While the adults went about their business, the baby was waiting for them in the cell. When they returned, they found the child, sick from birth, speaking and hearing. “Auntie breathed on me”“, - the little girl explained as best she could, nodding at the Most Blessed One.

5 years before her death, the keeper of the icon adopted the schema with the name of Theodora. And 2 years before his death, in 1992, schema-nun Theodora (†1994) donated the icon just opened Vvedensky Monastery. So the Queen of Heaven returned to Her home, bringing with Her into the temple the grace that had rested on Her. The image, installed in a special icon case, attracted numerous believers with its extraordinary beauty.

In 1993 They decided to give the icon, which was kept behind glass, for restoration, as the image had become dim. On August 1, 1993, the glass was removed from the icon. It turned out that the icon remained clear, as it was before, and only the glass covering it became clouded. On it, strictly along the contour, as if with light chalk strokes, the silhouette of the Mother of God and the Child was imprinted. The image on the glass was a negative: the dark places became white, the light face, hands, folds became dark. It is noteworthy that it could not be a print, since the glass did not adhere closely to the image, but was located at a distance from the icon. Everyone who saw the miraculous image on the glass was filled with a feeling of joy.

Nevertheless, there was also mistrust of this miraculous phenomenon and suspicions. They tried to accuse the rector of the temple of fraud and forgery. Experts came to examine the display. Scientists from the Kyiv Center for Nuclear Physics took scrapings of plaque on the glass and carried out Scientific research, trying to find out the composition and nature of this unusual oily coating. After conducting research, Kyiv scientists came to the conclusion that the image on the glass is miraculous, but they couldn’t give scientific explanation the miracle that happened. Nuclear physicists have given their conclusion that the composition of the plaque-imprint on the glass of the icon is of organic nature!

Glass with a wonderful display was installed in the icon case next to the icon. Both from the icon itself and from Its imprint on the glass, numerous healings began to occur.

Holy Vvedensky Monastery

By decree of the Synod of Ukrainian Orthodox Church On November 9 (22), 1995, the icon of the Mother of God “Look at Humility”, residing in the Kiev Holy Vvedensky Monastery, recognized as miraculous.

One of the first confirmations of the miraculous nature of the image was the healing of a young woman who fell ill with hepatitis (jaundice) at a time when she was preparing to become a mother. The doctors who monitored the patient were unanimous in their opinion that the disease would have a detrimental effect on the baby’s health, so they demanded that the pregnancy be immediately terminated. But the young woman, being a believer, was afraid to take upon herself the sin of committing murder in the womb of her own child. For three days she prayed in front of the image of the Virgin Mary, asking for help. Soon repeated tests were done, which showed the absence of the hepatitis virus in the blood, which meant a sudden cessation of the disease. The born girl was completely healthy, and Abbot Damian baptized the baby in the Vvedensky Church.

Evidence of the grace-filled help to people and the healing of the sick, who turned to the Most Holy Theotokos with prayers, are the numerous decorations of the icon.

In front of the icon of the Mother of God “Look at humility,” they pray to the Most Holy Theotokos for the granting of humility and repentance both for themselves and for sinners who do not want to repent and therefore suffer from illnesses and spiritual hardships, for the relief of the afterlife of the deceased, for protection from false and evil teachings . Through the prayers of the Mother of God before Her icon “Look at Humility”, help is given to all the oppressed, persecuted, despairing, weak in faith, the truth is revealed and slander and slander are exposed, the innocent are justified. Through the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, healings occur from cardiovascular diseases, women's diseases. Prayers before the icon also help in solving housing issues.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

Prayer
Oh, Most Holy Lady, Virgin Mother of God, highest Cherub and Most Honest Seraphim, God's chosen Youth! Look from the heights of heaven with Your merciful eye on us, Your unworthy servants, praying with tenderness and tears before Your Most Pure Image; do not deprive us of Your intercession and protection of the Sovereign in this earthly journey, many-sorrowful and many-rebellious. Save us in the destruction and sorrow of those who exist, raise us up from the depths of sin, enlighten our minds, darkened by passions, and heal the ulcers of our souls and bodies. Oh, All-Generous Mother of the Humane-loving Lord! Surprise us with Your rich mercies, strengthen our weak will to do the commandments of Christ, soften our hardened hearts with love for God and our neighbors, grant us heartfelt contrition and true repentance, so that, having been cleansed from the filth of sin, we may be honored with a peaceful Christian death and a good answer to the Last Thing. To the impartial Judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him with His Beginning Father and the Most Holy, Good and Life-Giving Spirit, is due all glory, honor and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Troparion, tone 4
An irresistible wall, your image and source of miracles, just as you bestowed your intercession on the city of Pskov from ancient times, so now, mercifully deliver us from all troubles and sorrows and save our souls, like your loving Mother.

Kontakion, tone 3
Most Immaculate Virgin, you who honor the image of Your face accept grateful gifts, you help the living and the dead, you save our city and country, and you offer prayers before your Son, and you save us all.

Greatness
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, God-chosen Youth, and honor the holy icons of Your wonderful reflection.

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the faithful custodian of the Holy Places of Orthodoxy, informs users of its official website, as well as all those interested in the truth, it liberates “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8, 32): the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, located behind the chapel of the Bounds of Christ in Holy Temple The resurrection “does not open and close the eyes,” as some believers claim. Perhaps the play of light and shadow creates this feeling.

The faithful Orthodox tradition asserts that the Image of the Most Humble Ever-Virgin Most Holy Theotokos protects us and helps us.

Reference:

Church of the Holy Sepulcher - in the chapel of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, before restoration there was the Miraculous Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Sorrowful”. The icon was saved only top part face of the Virgin Mary. The face of the Virgin Mary was barely visible. Her eyes are lowered and hidden under her eyelids. For a long time, the icon was rarely visited, only sometimes Christian Arabs came here and lit candles. Many consolations and miracles came from this icon, but one day the face of the Mother of God suffered from one evil man, who, in a fit of anger, slashed the icon with a knife. After which the image of the Virgin Mary was placed behind bars. A blessed event happened with this icon in 1986, a week before Easter. One policeman, an Arab Muslim, was making his routine rounds of the huge temple. He also looked into this chapel, after which, frightened, he ran to the altar of the Greek Church of the Resurrection, where at that time the service was being held. The policeman began excitedly explaining to the priests and monks that everything around the image of the Mother of God was shining, and the icon itself looked like it was alive, opened its eyes and cried. The priests came there and saw that, indeed, the Face of the Mother of God on the icon had been renewed. Since then, many have seen Her opening her eyes, and some even crying. And indeed, the icon’s face was renewed. The next day, Patriarch Diodorus of Jerusalem and All Palestine served a prayer service near the icon. Many Orthodox Christians came to the icon and asked for blessings on their questions, and it is believed that if the Mother of God opens her eyes, then you receive her blessing... Moreover, the Miraculous Icon was behind bars. Pilgrims, in order to get a better look at the icon, pushed candles behind the bars. And so, in 2006, on Good Friday at 11 o’clock in the morning, a fire broke out here. It was so strong that a special fire truck was called, but the icon of the Mother of God of Sorrows survived. Soon it was removed for restoration.

Icon of the Sorrowful Mother of God after restoration

After restoration, the image of the Mother of God was placed in the Reliquary, this is a room with many relics of the holy saints of God. At the entrance on the left on the wall there is a restored miraculous image Sorrowful Mother of God. Only the upper part of the image has been preserved - the face of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her eyes are lowered and hidden under her eyelids. Now, pilgrims entering the Reliquary to worship, can contemplate the restored face of the Mother of God, stop for a short time and say a short prayer: - “Virgin Mother of God, Hail, Gracious Mary, the Lord is with You, blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior our souls."

Pilgrims:

Getting acquainted with the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, I visited the miraculous icon of the Mother of God named the Sorrowful. The icon resides in the chapel of the Stone Bonds in a place specially designated for it behind a fine chain-link mesh. The image is damaged: only the upper part remains. They said that for some, the Mother of God slightly opens her drooping eyes. No matter how much I peered into the tightly closed eyelids, a miracle did not happen - the thin crescent-shaped lines of the eyelashes did not even flinch.

The small village of Shevchenkovo, which is in the Litinsky district, is known not only in Vinnitsa, but also outside the region. The village thanks its glory to the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is called “Zinovinsky” after the old name of the village.

Painted in the 17th century, this image has since ancient times become famous for its healing from various diseases.

Particularly memorable is the miracle of the healing of the youth Daniel, which took place in 1828. On New Year's morning, a five-year-old boy suddenly suffered from paralysis. After the prayer of his father, the priest of the local church, Archpriest Konstantin Strelbitsky, in front of the miraculous image, the boy received a miraculous healing. After this, Daniel’s father promised the Mother of God that his son’s future life would be completely devoted to serving the Lord.

Many years have passed. In the rank of bishop, Bishop Modest (this is the monastic name Daniel received) arrived at his native village and, as a sign of gratitude to the image, through which he received the help of the Queen of Heaven, he built a huge cathedral - an exact copy cathedral in Zhitomir, and also ordered to paint images of the miraculous Zinovinskaya icon.

In the 30s of the twentieth century, the cathedral was destroyed. All that remained was the bishop's house, which the authorities used at their discretion. The fate of icons long time remained unknown until a local woman revealed to people that she had kept the images in her home for many years. The miracle presented by the Mother of God prompted her to give the icons to the local church, which at that time was located in a small furnished room of a former rural hut. The miracle was so obvious that its fame instantly spread to different parts of Ukraine.

The peculiarity of the Zinovinsky image is that the Mother of God almost has her eyes closed on it. This was also recreated in a copy written with the blessing of Bishop Modest.

But in 2003, a miracle happened - on the original icon the eyes of the Mother of God opened, but on the copy they still remain closed. (You may also be interested in learning about another wonder of the world - the bleeding cross).

Since that time, according to the rector of the local church, Priest Vladimir Kishchuk, many people have received healing from various diseases, in particular cancer, as evidenced by the entries of the pilgrims themselves in a special book. With the blessing of Metropolitan Macarius of Vinnitsa and Mogilev-Podolsk, in 2006, a priest of the Vinnitsa diocese, and currently a teacher at the Kyiv Theological Academy, Priest Oleg Kozhushny, wrote an akathist to the Mother of God of Zinovinskaya. It is read every Sunday after Divine Liturgy and weekly on the night from Wednesday to Thursday.

Moreover, people from the most remote corners of Ukraine come to the night services to work at the all-night vigil and, along with physical labor, bring their prayer requests to the Mother of God along with the words of the akathist: “Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes!”

Residents of the Ukrainian village of Shevchenko do not even dream of going to the Louvre. What is there to guess about the smiles and glances of Mona Lisa, when they have their own mystery - the icon of Our Lady of Zinovinskaya. Four hundred years ago, an unknown genius depicted her with her eyes closed, and already in our century his creation awoke as if from a dream - the eyes of the Virgin Mary opened slightly... And anyone she looks at now is healed.

The MK reporter went to the place of pilgrimage in the Vinnytsia region and also met the eyes of the Ukrainian shrine.

The keeper of the miraculous icon and its copy, Father Vladimir, witnessed how the eyes of the Zinovinskaya Mother of God opened on the original. Photo: Maria Chernitsyna.

They are like two sisters: the Zinovinskaya Mother of God and a copy copied from her hang side by side in the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist in the village of Shevchenko, Vinnytsia region. Only one Mother of God is peacefully dozing, clutching the Baby Jesus to her chest, the second seems to be sad, with her eyelids slightly open...

Here she is, the miraculous, our Mother of God of Zinovinskaya... - Father Vladimir reverently designates the “awakened” shrine with a kiss.

I’m trying to detect traces of modern “rework”, but the icon’s eyes are still in place - where they were from the very beginning. Virgo looks down wearily.

Don’t think that she sharply opened her eyes, - the abbot refutes my doubts, - the eyelids of the Virgin Mary rose a fraction of a millimeter for two years, it would have been impossible to complete this... And there are more than enough witnesses to the miracle.

All-seeing eye

In the village of Shevchenko, the people are extremely healthy, there are almost no drinkers - they have spiritual food for everything. Instead of Zavalinki, grandmothers meet in the church choir, children attend Sunday school. And there is a powerful argument for such a life - a miracle happened right next door. People are afraid: the Mother of God sees everything, you won’t spoil her.

At the beginning of the 17th century, our village was called Zinovintsy, then there was a large cathedral in which they placed a brand new icon of the Mother of God,” Father Vladimir tells the history of the shrine. - And miracles began immediately after painting the image... The servants noticed that at night there was a faint glow in the windows of the temple. They thought that they had forgotten to extinguish the candles, and when they entered the church, it turned out that this glow was coming from the icon, as if from the inside.

Having thus discovered the divine presence, people with their ailments immediately began to flock to the image: at that time, Our Lady of Zinovinskaya healed parishioners without looking.

Rumors of the miracle spread throughout Russia and Ukraine, continues the abbot. - And a copy of the icon was ordered in the 19th century by the grateful guardian Nicholas because the Virgin Mary healed his newborn son: the baby was almost completely paralyzed, the priest applied the baby to the image - and he came to life, and then stood on his feet.

While the copy of the Zinovinskaya icon of the Mother of God mourns, closing its eyes. Photo: Maria Belova.

For many years, the inhabitants of the village passed on legends about the Zinovinskaya Mother of God from mouth to mouth, until the revolution broke out: the Bolsheviks set up a collective farm in the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist, and destroyed the cathedral, throwing all the icons into the trash.

Then the village residents at night, risking their lives, took the images home, says the priest. - And the fastest of all was a certain girl Evdokia, who took away both Zinovinsky Mother of God - both the original and the copy. For eighty years she kept both shrines on her mezzanine. During the years of Soviet power, the people had already forgotten about the miracles that their ancestors honored. Even the neighbors did not know what treasure Evdokia was hiding in her house. It was not for nothing that she lived very secretly and never allowed guests into the house. And only before her death she revealed the secret that she had kept all her life. And then, perhaps, she would not have decided if the Mother of God herself had not advised her.

During the All-Ukrainian procession in 2004, the Virgin Mary in the image suddenly began to look at Evdokia with a noticeable squint. Then the old woman understood the desire of the Mother of God in her own way and, already on her deathbed, returned her to native home- in church.

In the original, eyes were opened and they saw the troubles of the world. Photo: Maria Belova.

“The Mother of God consoled me, and I became her guardian”

In the village of Shevchenko, the young and aspiring priest Vladimir Kishchuk literally blossomed. Although at first it seemed to him that he was wasting his time in the wilderness in vain.

Father Vladimir even turned to his confessor with complaints about life, but he said prophetic words: “Everything will change when the Mother of God consoles you.”

And a few days later, a dilapidated old woman appeared on the threshold of the church: “Evdokia is dying there, calling you to your body...” The village priest was determined to absolve the future deceased of her sins, she suddenly sent him to look at the mezzanine... “I’ve lost my mind,” the priest sighed, fulfilling the will of the dying woman - and almost fell from the stepladder...

I immediately brought both icons to the church, carefully placed them at the altar, and began to pray,” says Father Vladimir. “And then I seemed to feel: I need to bring Seraphim and attach him to the icon.” The one with the slightly open eyes... I repeated the sacrament just a few times... And Seraphim’s condition improved. Now he is 8 years old, he goes to school, studies along with other children, although the doctors did not promise his son even this. The Mother of God really consoled me: this is how I became the custodian of her miraculous icon.

In confession, Evdokia told the holy father that the Virgin Mary did not always “peek” at the world from under her eyelids - before, it was as if she was sleeping. A few months later, the rector of the temple noticed that the shape of the eyes of the image seemed to have become even wider... Elders from the Diocesan Commission on Miracles visited the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist for two years with a ruler - each time they measured how much the Mother of God opened her eyes. And they eventually included it in their register of official religious miracles.

Parishioners told me that during the liturgy, the Mother of God sometimes winks at them with both eyes - like blinking, - says the rector. - I see: people are pointing at her, but I don’t dare to tell the story myself - I’ll start checking whether it’s true, it will turn out that I’ll doubt the Mother of God and my faith. Although sometimes I myself pray in front of the icon and suddenly notice that the cheeks of the Virgin Mary are covered with a barely noticeable blush. That means she notices me too!

The Mother of God saves not only parishioners - she also protects herself. Apparently, she persuaded the local rector to allow him to take the icon to another church for a while, and in the meantime the temple in the village of Shevchenko was set on fire by sectarians. They probably wanted to destroy the ancient shrine - she read their thoughts in advance.

Pilgrims flock to the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist. Photo: Maria Belova.

Throw away the crutch, get on your skis!

The Zinovinskaya Mother of God opened the eyes of the prophetic eyes and, as they say in Ukraine, took a shine to her parishioners: who asks the boss to become kinder to him, who wants to earn money... But believers come with real troubles.

Cancer cannot be treated by medicine, and we have had many cases where the tumor disappeared after turning to the Virgin Mary,” rejoices Father Vladimir Kishchuk. - One woman could no longer even move her hand - neither dress nor comb her hair... And as soon as she made the pilgrimage, her tumor immediately burst through, the pus came out and everything healed. Another woman asked for her husband: the doctors had already given him a death sentence... The parishioner prayed to the Mother of God, and upon returning she immediately noticed an improvement in her husband. They took a picture - and the tumor had resolved! It even happens that hematomas in the brain of victims of car accidents disappear.

Another pilgrim across the entire region barely made it to venerate the Mother of God on crutches - a spinal injury left her relying only on God.

On the way back, the woman simply forgot her crutches in the minibus, and when she realized that she was walking without supports, she fell on her forehead to the ground - she thanked the Lord, and then she came to our church again, hitting the Zinovin icon with her forehead, says the priest. - Then I even took up sports - skiing through the forest.

They also ask the Virgin Mary for maternal happiness - it is not given to everyone easily and simply. For example, one midwife could only be happy for others, but considered herself childless because of problems in the female area.

But after prayer, everything finally worked out well for her! - the priest continues. “Another girl came to us twice to baptize other people’s children, but God did not give her and her husband her own for a long time. So, having learned about the wonderful icon, she appeared before the eyes of the Mother of God... And immediately became pregnant. I mean, in two weeks.

And how many sick children the Zinovinskaya icon has seen - at least close your eyes again.

For the miraculous healing, parishioners bring gifts to the Mother of God. Photo: Maria Belova.

It is believed that the Zinovinskaya icon opens our spiritual eyes...

People who are possessed are also often brought to our church, this is the worst thing,” admits Father Vladimir. - Once a husband brought his wife. She looks like an ordinary woman in a burlap scarf, but when he begins to lead her to the icon, she growls, screams in a man’s bass voice: “Don’t take me to her! She’s burning me!” - and her husband puts her face directly to the icon... And it is clear that the woman is tormented by a demon, does not want to leave... And then she sat down in exhaustion, but with enlightened eyes... This does not happen in front of every icon, but in Zinovinskaya there is clearly a holy spirit present. Once they put a possessed boy on her - he shouted in a brutal voice: “I can’t look - she’s standing there!” She will kill me!” For the first time in my youth, I almost ran away from the temple when I saw something like this. But the elders held me back, convinced me to be stronger in spirit... Today I haven’t seen anything like that.

And on the last Easter, the church service at the Zinovinskaya icon was almost disrupted by a bird choir located on the branches of trees in front of the temple. The winged creatures sang so loudly that people forgot about the service for a few minutes. Then the birds immediately rose into the air and disappeared from view, but the parishioners remained confident in miracles.

From the history of the shrine it is known that the icon was painted by a simple pious village resident. It can be assumed that he was a skilled icon painter, because... the image is executed at a high artistic level. Rare iconography and the closed eyes of the Mother of God indicate that the Zinovinsky image was painted according to God’s special providence. Unfortunately, the legend has not preserved for us the history of the creation of the Kozhukhov icon, except for “After this icon was transferred to the Zinovinsky Church, there were grace-filled healings of various sick people from it.” The miraculous image of the Mother of God was in the altar of the wooden church of St. John the Theologian, built by the residents of Zinovinets in 1758.

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The icon became famous throughout Podolia and beyond its borders after the healing of the youth Daniel, the son of the rector of the Zinovinsky Church, Fr. Konstantin Strelbitsky.
At the age of five, on the morning of New Year, the youth Daniel, by God's permission, received paralysis, as a result of which he suddenly lost his tongue, right hand and legs. After all sorts of means have been used, which did not alleviate the illness at all, the father places his sick son in front of the image of the Mother of God in the altar with the words: “Mother of God, heal my son, if he recovers, I will give him to You to serve.” Then, with the sponge with which the Chalice is wiped after consuming the Holy Gifts, he wiped the face of the Mother of God, and then the face and head of his son. And in the evening of the same day the boy became completely healthy. From that time on, the Most Holy Lady kindled in him an ardent love for Herself, took him under her heavenly protection and always miraculously guided and protected the various paths of his life, raising him from strength to strength... After the miraculous healing, Daniel’s entire life was devoted to God and the Church. At the age of 24, he took monastic vows with the name Modest. He was widely known as a preacher, a teacher who trained many priests, and a church writer. Archbishop Modest (Strelbitsky) until the end of his days kept a list of the miraculous image with him and always carried it with him. After the death of the bishop, this list was transferred to his native village and placed in the newly built cathedral, next to the miraculous image. A temple book has survived to this day, in which the names of the priests serving in Zinovintsy were recorded. It also contains a record of a miraculous image. In a poorly preserved text, one can still read today that the eyes on the face of the Virgin Mary are closed.
The miraculous image continued to remain in the temple until the 30s of the twentieth century. In 1935, the godless authorities decided to destroy the Holy Trinity Cathedral. According to the testimony of old-timers, during the first three days of the destruction of the cathedral, the miraculous icon shone with a wondrous light. As usual, the Bolsheviks confiscated all church valuables from the temple. The expensive chasuble was removed from the icon and, together with other icons, they were dumped in a chapel in the cemetery. Then the village residents at night, risking their lives, took the images home.
For a long time, everyone considered the Zinovinskaya icon to be irretrievably lost. The memory of it was still preserved by pre-revolutionary church publications, but the village itself could no longer be found on the map - it was renamed the village. Shevchenko.
During the years of Soviet power, the people had already forgotten about the miracles that their ancestors honored.

How a priest became the custodian of an icon

In the village of Shevchenko, the young and aspiring priest Vladimir Kishchuk literally blossomed. Although at first it seemed to him that he was wasting his time in the wilderness in vain.

The keeper of the miraculous icon and its copy, Father Vladimir, witnessed how the eyes of the Zinovinskaya Mother of God opened on the original.

When I was sent to the village from Ivano-Frankivsk, a large city, I grumbled,” he says. - Here it was necessary to restore the temple after the collective farm, but I have a sick child with a heart defect. Doctors said that Seraphim would not live to be three years old and would never be able to lead a normal life, because he had several heart attacks in infancy. What kind of medicine is there here, in the Vinnytsia region?..
Father Vladimir even turned to his confessor with complaints about life, but he said prophetic words: “Everything will change when the Mother of God consoles you.”
And a few days later, a dilapidated old woman appeared on the threshold of the church: “Evdokia is dying there, calling you to your body...” The village priest was determined to absolve the future deceased of her sins, she suddenly sent him to look at the mezzanine... “I’ve lost my mind,” the priest sighed, fulfilling the will of the dying woman - and almost fell from the stepladder when he saw the icons there.
As Evdokia told the priest. In ancient times, one of the village women took the miraculous image into her home and used it on the farm as a cellar lid.
Remembering the main shrine of the village, parishioner of the church Evdokia Driychuk begged the woman to give her the icon. So the maiden Evdokia had both Our Lady of Zinovinsk - both the original and the copy. For eighty years until the end of her days, she secretly kept both shrines on her mezzanine.
Even the neighbors did not know what treasure Evdokia was hiding in her house. It was not for nothing that she lived very secretly and never allowed guests into the house. And only before her death she revealed the secret that she had kept all her life. And then, perhaps, she would not have decided if the Mother of God herself had not advised her. Seventy years passed before the Most Holy Theotokos again revealed Her image, creating a new miracle.

During the All-Ukrainian religious procession in 2004, the Virgin Mary in the image suddenly began to look at Evdokia with a noticeable squint. Then the old woman understood the desire of the Mother of God in her own way and, on her deathbed, returned her to her home - to the church. When the icon was transferred to the temple, elderly woman suffering from a serious illness in her legs, she venerated the miraculous image and the next day felt healed. According to the priest’s story, this is not the only healing that has occurred in our time.
“I immediately brought both icons to the church, carefully placed them at the altar, and began to pray,” says Father Vladimir. “And then I seemed to feel: I need to bring Seraphim and attach him to the icon.” The one with the slightly open eyes... I repeated the sacrament just a few times... And Seraphim’s condition improved. Now he is 8 years old, he goes to school, studies along with other children, although the doctors did not promise his son even this. The Mother of God really consoled me: this is how I became the custodian of her miraculous icon.
In confession, Evdokia told the holy father that the Virgin Mary did not always “peek” at the world from under her eyelids - before, it was as if she was sleeping. A few months later, the rector of the temple noticed that the shape of the eyes of the image seemed to have become even wider... Elders from the Diocesan Commission on Miracles visited the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist for two years with a ruler - each time they measured how much the Mother of God opened her eyes. And they eventually included it in their register of official religious miracles.
“Parishioners told me that during the liturgy, the Mother of God sometimes winks at them with both eyes - like blinking,” says the rector. - I see: people are pointing at her, but I don’t dare to tell the story myself - I’ll start checking whether it’s true, it will turn out that I’ll doubt the Mother of God and my faith. Although sometimes I myself pray in front of the icon and suddenly notice that the cheeks of the Virgin Mary are covered with a barely noticeable blush. That means she notices me too!

Miracles and healings from the miraculous icon of Zinovinskaya

The Zinovinskaya icon is known for the miracles that the Mother of God represented through it, starting from the 17th century. This is healing from paralysis, tumors, eye diseases. The icon has a peculiarity - the eyes of the Mother of God in the image are almost completely closed. However, in 2004, after a miraculous event when the icon shone at night, people noticed that the eyes of the Mother of God on the Zinovinskaya icon opened. At the same time, on an exact copy, which was stored in the same village. Shevchenkovo, eyes remained closed.
The Zinovinskaya Mother of God opened the eyes of the prophetic eyes and, as they say in Ukraine, took a shine to her parishioners: who asks the boss to become kinder to him, who wants to earn money... But believers come with real troubles.
“Cancer cannot be treated by medicine, and we have had many cases where the tumor disappeared after turning to the Virgin Mary,” rejoices Father Vladimir Kishchuk. - One woman could no longer even move her hand - neither dress nor comb her hair... And as soon as she made the pilgrimage, her tumor immediately burst through, the pus came out and everything healed. Another woman asked for her husband: the doctors had already given him a death sentence... The parishioner prayed to the Mother of God, and upon returning she immediately noticed an improvement in her husband. They took a picture - and the tumor had resolved! It even happens that hematomas in the brain of victims of car accidents disappear.

Another pilgrim across the entire region barely made it to venerate the Mother of God on crutches - a spinal injury left her relying only on God.
“On the way back, the woman simply forgot her crutches in the minibus, and when she realized that she was walking without supports, she fell on her forehead to the ground - she thanked the Lord, and then she came to our church again, hitting the Zinovin icon with her forehead,” says the priest. - Then I even took up sports - skiing through the forest.
They also ask the Virgin Mary for maternal happiness - it is not given to everyone easily and simply. For example, one midwife could only be happy for others, but considered herself childless because of problems in the female area.
- But after prayer, everything finally worked out well for her! - the priest continues. “Another girl came to us twice to baptize other people’s children, but God did not give her and her husband her own for a long time. So, having learned about the wonderful icon, she appeared before the eyes of the Mother of God... And immediately became pregnant. I mean, in two weeks.

And how many sick children the Zinovinskaya icon has seen - at least close your eyes again.
Pilgrims come to the icon not only from Ukraine, but also from far beyond its borders. For miraculous healings, parishioners bring gifts to the Mother of God.

And they brought children with paralysis and applied them to the image, and with leukemia, and with cerebral palsy - then many parents returned, thanked the icon, which means it helped,” says the priest. “It’s not for nothing that there are so many gold crosses, rings and chains hanging near her - people bring whatever they can as gifts.
It is believed that the Zinovinskaya icon opens our spiritual eyes...
“People who are possessed by demons are also often brought to our church, this is the worst thing,” admits Father Vladimir. - Once a husband brought his wife. She looks like an ordinary woman in a burlap scarf, but when he begins to lead her to the icon, she growls, screams in a man’s bass voice: “Don’t take me to her! She’s burning me!” - and her husband puts her face directly to the icon... And it is clear that the woman is tormented by a demon, does not want to leave... And then she sat down in exhaustion, but with enlightened eyes... This does not happen in front of every icon, but in Zinovinskaya there is clearly a holy spirit present. Once they put a possessed boy on her - he shouted in a brutal voice: “I can’t look - she’s standing there!” She will kill me!” For the first time in my youth, I almost ran away from the temple when I saw something like this. But the elders held me back, convinced me to be stronger in spirit... Today I haven’t seen anything like that.

On the left is the original image of the Zinovinskaya Icon of the Mother of God from 1820. On the right is a copy: after the healing, it was painted in front of the icon at the request of Bishop Modest in the mid-19th century.

Now the miraculous Zinovinskaya Icon of the Mother of God is located in the village. Shevchenko in the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist, built in an old hut standing on the site of a cathedral destroyed by the Bolsheviks. As before in the cathedral, now in the church next to the miraculous image there is a copy of it, which previously belonged to Archbishop Modest. Thanks to the surviving list, we see a truly accomplished miracle: open eyes Our Lady on the miraculous image and closed on the ancient list. One Mother of God is peacefully dozing, clutching the Baby Jesus to her chest, the second seems to be sad, with her eyelids slightly open...

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of the icon of Her ZINOVINSKAYA

O Immaculate Ever-Virgin Mother of God, praise to the Christian world and persistent affirmation of the land of Podolsk! We thank Thee, for Thou hast granted us, unworthy, to be partakers of Thy unspeakable miracles. Open the eyes of our mental hearts, so that it is always possible for us to see the truthful path of Christian life and walk unwaveringly along it. Strengthen our feet, enlighten our feelings with the radiance of Thy grace, direct the will to fulfill the commandments of Christ, fill the mind with repentance and thanksgiving, and make us unrepentant all the days of our life from the mother of Thy child-loving mercies, may we praise, bless and magnify Thee, the Blessed Mother Our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be glory, honor and worship forever. Amen.

Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos in honor of the icon of Her ZINOVINSKAYA

Celebration: Tuesday, after the Feast of the Holy Trinity

Troparion, tone 4

Come, let us bring a holy kiss to the Zinovinsky image of the Most Holy Theotokos and with a contrite heart let us cry out loudly: open, Mother, Thy wondrous eyes and look upon the gathered children, who honestly glorify Thy icon.

Kontakion, tone 8

The revealed cover of all those who mourn and are burdened, let us praise our Most Blessed Queen, who gave birth to the Only Begotten Word more than nature and the word, with the singing of prayers and, falling before Her most pure image, we cry out: look at our sorrowful life, Most Pure One, and ambulance Sent down to us, and ask for eternal salvation for us from Thy Son and God, like a Blessed Mother.

Kontakion 1

Chosen from all generations of the Mother of God and the Queen, who gives salvation to our bodies and souls, we offer thanksgiving singing; But you, who have unspeakable mercy, free us from all troubles, and let us call to You: Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, who opens our spiritual eyes.

Ikos 1

Although You have poured out a healing blessing on Your faithful people, O Most Holy Lady, You have shown Your wonderful icon, called Zinovinskaya, so that all the abundant grace from it, those who receive from it with a grateful heart, will sing to You:

Rejoice, Most Heavenly, Imperishable, Pure.
Rejoice, Thou who didst contain the inconceivable all.
Rejoice, you who gave birth to the King of God of Heaven.
Rejoice, great Holy of Holies.
Rejoice, co-abiding with Your Son and God.
Rejoice, gloriously reigning with Him.

Kontakion 2

Since ancient times, through Your intercession, generously providing the Christian race with enlightenment, healing and grace through Your miraculous icons, You deigned, O Most Pure One, to visit the land of Podolsk and move those in it to sing songs of praise, so that everyone could sing with a grateful heart: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

Seeing a certain servant of God in her house the heavenly light, from your most pure image, the Mother of God, emanating many times, to inform the priest about this, so that your whole-bearing face, which is now visible, may be revealed to the world, we cry out:

Rejoice, God-chosen Youth.
Rejoice, adorned with grace to the Queen of Heaven and earth.
Rejoice, thou who unburntly received the fire of the Divine in the womb.
Rejoice, you who have revived the nature of mortals.
Rejoice, pure words Nourisher.
Rejoice, Life-Receiving Source.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 3

Thy grace, O Lady, rises in the hearts of the faithful, an imperishable light, illuminating the mental eyes of our souls and instructing us to fulfill Christ’s commandments, so that we all sing the song with tenderness: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Your miraculous icon, Mother of God, poured out many different healings, after bringing it into the holy temple, those who were sick in body and soul, found relief in their illnesses, purification in their feelings and humility in their thoughts, crying out loudly to You:

Rejoice, fiery Kupino.
Rejoice, praiseworthy of the ark of God's Covenant.
Rejoice, golden one, in whom is manna from heaven - Christ is preserved.
Rejoice, honest vessel, in which you have found the valuable beads of the Gospel.
Rejoice, untouched land of the Lord, who has grown for us the Class of the Belly.
Rejoice, luminous candlestick of the incessant Light.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 4

As with a crown of light, the Most Pure Mother of God, with Your icon the Church of Christ has been enriched and rejoices over such a spiritual treasure, crying out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Thou didst show Thy deepest mercy, O Lady, when Thou didst suddenly heal Daniel, a little child, from weakness; You have also glorified Your newly-appeared icon with the same glory; before the faithful, let us cry out with emotion: Rejoice, diadem of the Divine glory.
Rejoice, known hope and praise of Christians.
Rejoice, heavenly ladder, ascending from the earth to the Throne of God.
Rejoice, mountain of the Lord, who covered the heavens with virtue.
Rejoice, O inexhaustible treasure of mercy.
Rejoice, O immeasurable depth of love.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 5

Fulfilling the promise made to the Heavenly Lady, the pious parent of the child cried out in gratitude: “Take, O All-Powerful One, my child under Thy protection and be his Surety to the One born of Thee, to whom we ever cry: Alleluia.”

Ikos 5

Living under the cover of the Most Pure Mother, the healed youth developed a fiery love for Her, and, for some time, ascending from strength to strength, with the ineffable mercy of the Lady, the bishop of God quickly became; Working earnestly and unslothfully for Christ, glorifying the Lord and the Theotokos with our life, I cry out:

Rejoice, Virgin Mary, my preaching.
Rejoice, All-Holy Lady of the Faithful.
Rejoice, Son and Word, verbal paradise.
Rejoice, glorious city of the Lord.
Rejoice, wondrous Chariot of God.
Rejoice, abundant beauty of the earth.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 6

They are filled with all kinds of grace, when Thy blessing, O Mother of God, is worthy of acceptance; Likewise, the saint of Christ Modest, jealous of Your glory and having received the deep grace of God, taught all the faithful to glorify God with the song: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Preserving the holy memory of the indescribable miracle of his healing, Saint Modest of Christ wanted to erect the temple of God for the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and the Mother of God in his fatherland, so that all who entered it, having seen the wondrous image of the Most Pure One, would sing before it with a tender heart:

Rejoice, wonderful chamber of God.
Rejoice, O Queen of Heaven and Earth.
Rejoice, Undefiled and Virgin, from the Undesired the New Adam was created.
Rejoice, mystical book, in which God’s Word was written.
Rejoice, honest, holy and God-receiving bed.
Rejoice, O image made divine by the Providence of the Almighty.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 7

One secret human knowledgeable, favored the pious desire of the saint to manifest itself and the magnificent temple in the name of the Most Holy Trinity to be erected soon; We, rejoicing in God’s view of us, cry out: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

The light of salvation from Your most wonderful image, O Theotokos, shone forth to the entire region of Podolsk, when, in a gilded robe, You appeared in the newly consecrated church to the hearts of those praying to Thee and singing in gratitude:

Rejoice, Sweetest Son, Sweetest Mother.
Rejoice, great refuge and praise for the faithful.
Rejoice, prisoner of the garden, where is the tree of life and immortality.
Rejoice, the source imprinted with a stream of indescribable sweetness.
Rejoice, repository of the holy.
Rejoice, Giver of Divine blessings.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 8

Truly, Thy icon, O Lady, has become a treasure unknown to the entire region of Podolsk, since many years of healing flowed from it, Thou taught many to sing to Thy Son and God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

Although we always look at the icon of the Most Pure Healer and offer prayers of gratitude before it, the pious saint commanded that the honorable image of Zinovinsky be created, so that the blessing of God to the Mother may continually be with him.

Rejoice, our hope, protection and joy.
Rejoice, protection from enemy presence.
Rejoice, rise of the fallen.
Rejoice, joy to the discouraged.
Rejoice, O misguided Teacher.
Rejoice, visitation and healing to the sick.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 9

Thou didst illuminate Thy icon with a wondrous light, O Lady, when the temple, in which Thou didst favor Thy image to dwell, was greatly desecrated by the atheists who were fierce. “Hear yourselves, O people,” Your face speaks silently, “Repent and cry out to God: Alleluia.”

Ikos 9

Seeing the sorrow of Your faithful children, when our land was enveloped in spiritual darkness during the times of persecution of the faith of Christ, You deigned, O Lady, to hide Your icon in a pious house, so that the praises of the chin would never be silent before it:

Rejoice, abyss of reason and grace. Rejoice, abyss of inexhaustible light. Rejoice, unfading flower of faith. Rejoice, you who wondrously vegetated Aaron’s rod. Rejoice, golden prayer censer. Rejoice, faithful Representative for the Christian race. Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 10

Sacred words: “As wax melts in the face of fire, so let sinners perish from the face of God, and let righteous women rejoice!” the event is visible, come, faithful ones, let us worship Christ the Savior and His Most Pure Mother, having trampled unbelief and atheism again and again, and, jubilantly, let us sing: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

You showed a new miracle, O Lady, when Your honest face, depicted with a closed gaze, suddenly opened your eyes. We, heeding such a wondrous sign, will offer the Theotokos a sacrifice of praise:

Rejoice, you who gave flesh to the Savior of the world.
Rejoice, you who have revealed the King of those who reign to the world.
Rejoice, you who gave birth to the Physician of human souls.
Rejoice, thou who destroyed the darkness of sin.
Rejoice, thou who has extinguished the flame of polytheism.
Rejoice, you who showed us the path to eternal life.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 11

The day of bright triumph has come, when the innermost aspirations of Thy faithful servants, Ever-Virgin, have been fulfilled: Thy miraculous image has been found and returned to the temple of God with glory, so that all the hope in You, the Mother of God, will fall with faith and cry out with tears: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

“Have mercy on us, Lady, have mercy on us, who are much sick in soul and body,” faithful people, moving by faith in Thy intercession, cry out: no one ever leaves the Mother of God, but always sings in gratitude:

Rejoice, quick release from every enemy of captivity.
Rejoice, all-wonderful reconciliation of people to God.
Rejoice, trampling on soul-destroying filth.
Rejoice, purification and renewal of our hearts.
Rejoice, healing for our suffering flesh.
Rejoice, victorious salvation of our souls.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 12

The grace of God, abundantly poured out on Your Zinovinskaya icon, inexpressibly draws to it all those who thirst from the Lord for relief, healing and salvation for the suffering soul, for everyone receives from it by faith and gratefully cries out for You, O All-Good One: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

With the luminous rays of signs and wonders, Your holy icon, the Mother of God, shines unwaveringly, covering the land of Podolsk from misfortunes and troubles for many years and calling its people to repentance and piety; Therefore we pray to Thee, Queen of Heaven, that we too may be worthy of appearing Thy inscrutable mercies and cry out in praise:

Rejoice, our fortress and affirmation.
Rejoice, protection of the faithful from troubles.
Rejoice, source of our healing.
Rejoice, the beginning of true repentance.
Rejoice, Intercessor of our insight.
Rejoice, Giver of love and humility.
Rejoice, Lady Zinovinskaya, opener of our spiritual eyes.

Kontakion 13

O wonderful and highest of all creatures, Queen Theotokos, truly the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim! Behold, in Your hand we commend our souls burdened with sins: You seek us, You protect us, You comfort us, and with Your fiery prayer open the doors of God’s mercy, for those who cry out for You: Alleluia.

(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)

"Love is patient,

He is merciful,

Love doesn't envy

Love is not exalted

Not proud

Doesn't act outrageously

Doesn't look for his own

Don't get annoyed

Thinks no evil

Doesn't rejoice in lies

And he rejoices in the truth;

Covers everything

Believes everything

Hopes in total

He endures everything.

Love never ends,

Although the prophecies will cease,

And tongues will be silent,

And knowledge will be abolished."

Apostle Paul.
**************
(1 Cor. 13:4-9)

Why am I telling this?

I was eight years old. I loved little children very much even at that age. I dreamed of becoming a teacher, or even better, a kindergarten teacher. kindergarten or manger. When I walked in the yard, I couldn’t pass by a single stroller or a single baby.

They died laughing at me and said:

"You'll make a good nanny!" But my mother didn’t like it at all.

She considered this quality of my character to be the most terrible stupidity. Nevertheless, mothers willingly trusted me to take a walk with their children and easily left me with strollers. The girlfriends teased, but in a kind way. Greedily devouring all the magazines that our family subscribed to, I also devoured the magazine “Family and School,” from the first page to the last. The wrong approach to children that I observed around me greatly upset me. Even then I imagined what it would be like for me when I had my own children. Looking ahead, I can say today that my dreams and intentions have come true. It’s not for nothing that I read all this, that’s what I mean.
My childhood was spent in Maryina Roshcha, in the area of Streletskaya Street.
In our house, in the outer entrance, on the first floor, there lived a little girl, an infant...
I don't know how many months she was. Her dad was walking with a stroller and I saw her wrapped in a red cotton blanket and a white duvet cover. This is what my story will be about.
It was winter. When this dad and his child first appeared in our yard, he could not help but attract special, even close attention. He was a young man of very unusual, bright appearance, he did not look like anyone else.

He had very thick, anthracite-black hair, the collar of his coat was completely hidden behind it, springy curls spilled in spirals over his shoulders. It was so interesting! The bluish-pale expression on his face was a little frightening and at the same time something attractive. One look at this man was enough to remember him for life.
That's what I remember. When he walked along a snowy street, people always turned to look at him. There was even something inexplicably alluring, exciting in his whole figure, in the way he walked, decisively, sweepingly, thinking about something only known to him. The dark silhouette moved and then stopped against the dazzling background white snow, inevitably attracting attention. He was dressed in a long black coat, dark blue dirty trousers wrinkled sloppily on his worn-out shoes, his face was somehow alien, painfully detached. He always went for a walk at about the same time. I couldn’t help but notice this, because all the little children in our yard were “on my register.” I, like a cat guarding a mouse, looked out for such strollers and rushed to ask permission to take a walk with the child. I really regretted that I didn’t have a sister or brother. And when I walked, I imagined that this was my brother or sister.
It's bad to grow up alone.

This man aroused fear in me, mixed with some kind of unconscious, painful, almost painful interest. Having seen him for the first time, I could no longer take my eyes off him. My heart sank. His beauty was simply fabulous, but somehow alarming and unusual. I have already seen such faces in paintings in Tretyakov Gallery, Seems. Trying not to miss the moment when he came out of the entrance with his low light green stroller, I was already “on duty”, standing at a distance, hiding slightly around the corner.

And then daddy with the stroller finally appeared and set off away from the house, towards the Stankolit Palace of Culture. It was considered far away. The path is not short, we had to cross the road several times.

There weren’t that many cars at that time, but still he wasn’t walking alone, and I thought it wasn’t very good to cross the road so many times with a small child, even in a stroller.

I decided to take “patronage” over him; it is clear that he cannot be left alone.

It was right. After some time, his gait became uncertain, he began to stumble, staggering strangely and suddenly turning the stroller in the opposite direction. At that moment I was afraid that he would notice that I was following him. Sometimes she even squatted down and froze in fear, not taking her eyes off him.

But he didn't notice anything. He was drunk.

This is how his walks under my “escort” continued for some time, until my dream finally came true. And my dream was to take his child, the girl Vika, from him and take her to my home. And Vika would become my little sister. What happiness that would be!
The girl’s mother, a thin little blonde with a sweet, soft, always scared face, was very happy when she met me. Everyone already knew me as a nanny girl. They knew that they could leave the stroller with me in the yard and even trust me to take the child in the stroller to the store. Sometimes Vika’s mother, Aunt Lucy, simply asked me to stay in the room while she needed to do laundry in the bathroom or run somewhere. As soon as I appeared, Vika began to crawl out of the crib with joy.

One day, when I went to my pet’s mother to ask to take a walk with the girl, I saw such despair, such defenselessness and doom in her gaze that my whole soul turned upside down. In her eyes, the color of a soft green walnut, one could read pleading, guilt for some unknown reason, and despair. Don't forget this look.

Yes, it was necessary to do something, come up with something, help somehow.
But what could I do for the unrequited Aunt Lucy, Vika’s mother? Taking a girl into your family - that’s what! And Aunt Lucy will feel better, and we will all be happy that we will have another little person in our family. We live in the same house, in different entrances, though, which means Aunt Lucy will be able to come to us come any time.
And then, one day, during one of these walks “under my supervision,” Vicky’s dad suddenly stumbled and spun around in one place, not letting go of the stroller in his hands. He was very drunk, as usual. A fantastically handsome young man with a biblical, fabulous appearance , spun in one place, attracting the attention of passers-by, in a creepy dance with a stroller. The girl, wrapped in a blanket in a white duvet cover, began to cry. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, I was very scared. But she couldn’t run away or leave the child. Suddenly the girl’s father somehow sank and fell softly, quietly, straight into a dense snowdrift. The heavy stroller overturned. I managed to grab the child before the blanket touched the asphalt.

All. My Vika was saved! I rushed with the child in my arms as if Baba Yaga was chasing me. People walking towards me followed me with curious glances.

As I ran, I thought with horror about how he was there, left alone in the snow, how Vicky’s dad would get home. But the child was more important.
I ran home when it was already a blue winter evening outside. Our neighbor Maria Vasilievna, who was essentially my nanny, opened the door for me. Seeing me with a child in a cotton blanket, a bundle not much smaller than my height, she was stunned.

Valechka! What is this? Who is this?! Where did you get this child from?!

Fortunately, the girl had already calmed down and looked at me with curiosity and a lot of fun. She was eight or nine months old, as it turned out later.

Marvasilna! There, her drunken dad fell straight into a snowdrift! I saved her. She will now be ours! She will be my little sister! You have no idea how much I simply adore her! Well, look how lovely she is!

She will now live with us! I love her so much! Her mother, Aunt Lucy, will allow it, she is very, very kind! She will allow it! Do you know how hard life is for her?! She’s generallyooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooplatformsly... He's drunk all the time!

Valechka! Valechka! Ay-ay-ay! What a fool you are, Valechka! Well, okay, okay... Come on, let's unfold it and see, fathers, oh-oh-oh... What a disaster! Oh, what a pretty girl, look at her, look at her, her eyes are so smart and she’s laughing! Gorgeous! She knows you, then?! Yes Yes Yes! How many months is she?
The most amazing thing is that little Vika was really very happy when she recognized me and reached out to hold me in my arms. I was in seventh heaven.
-Marvas is strong! We'll feed her now! I know how to cook semolina porridge, we have cottage cheese and apples. I’ll polish everything now, I’ll do everything. I can do it, I’ve fed her this way many times already!
The girl’s eyes of extraordinary beauty, bright green, framed by thick eyelashes, shone so that it was impossible to part with her even for a second. I realized that in order to go to the kitchen, the child must be placed on the bed. But you can’t leave her alone in the room!

At that moment, I heard my mother enter the apartment, returning from work.

Marvasilna was in our room, she looked guilty and frightened. Marvasilna was not only our roommate, but also our close, almost family member. In general, we lived very friendly, like one family. Lonely, her only son Victor was killed in the war. His photograph hung in her room above the sewing machine. On the sideboard, in her seven-meter-high room, at the top, stood a multi-colored bright clay rooster, and behind the rooster - an icon... So that it would not be visible. They laughed at believers very much back then, it was considered a manifestation of extreme backwardness, to the point of indecency. I don’t have the kindest woman of soul I was hoping. And now she didn’t look after me, the girl went for a walk and came with someone over there. Oh-oh-oh... What to do!
Mom undressed, entered the room and saw an interesting scene.
Her eight-year-old daughter is sitting on the sofa with a baby girl in her arms and playing “magpie-crow” on her palm. The girl laughs loudly and jumps with pleasure.
My mother was a very strong-willed woman. She reacted to everything instantly. But there was a glitch here.
In such cases they say “she was speechless.” This is exactly what happened to my mother. She “sat there” - not knowing what to say and what to ask, afraid to hear an answer that would make things even worse, even creepier.
In a state of shock, with some kind of meek curiosity and at the same time, as if in fear, she stared at me.
Something ingratiating appeared in her face. It was obvious from everything that she couldn’t even formulate a question. She was simply afraid of hearing some terrible answer. At that moment the girl pressed her cheek to me and... kissed me!
I hugged the child and cried.
- Mommy! Her dad is a drunk! He will lose her someday! He walks down the street with her drunk! Anything can happen to her!

Mom didn't say a word. Her face expressed such confusion, such amazement that it was clear from everything that she needed some time to control herself. A very rare case.
I was jubilant. The girl jumped with delight on my lap, I had already decided that this would be my long-awaited sister.
-Mom! Well, why are you looking like that? Aunt Lucy will allow it! How many times has she allowed me to go out with her!
-Which Aunt Lucy?!
-Well, from the first entrance.
-What is the first entrance?! - Mom whispered gently and quietly. An expression of tenderness appeared on her face.
-Well, in our house!
-In our house?! Her mother lives in our house?!
- Well, yes!
A second later my mother was not in the apartment. I just jumped when the door slammed. Everything sank inside me. I cried so bitterly, right out loud.
What a horror! My mom wasn't on my side. Wow, she went after Aunt Lyusya and now my child will be taken away from me.
For some reason, Vika also began to cry, hugging me even tighter with her arms. This girl was already my own.
So we both started crying...
About five minutes later, Aunt Lucy, without a coat, in only a skirt and slip, not even a blouse, pale, with sunken cheeks, darkened red eyes, flew into our apartment.

I didn’t even have time to say my prepared prayers. The mother grabbed the girl, looked at me with a long, long grateful look, somehow impulsively kissed me on the cheek and... the door slammed again. I crawled off the sofa onto the floor, bursting into sobs from desperate grief. My dream didn't come true.

But my walks with Vika continued. There were times when Aunt Lucy even left me at home with the girl for half a day. For me it was holidays.

Never, not once did I notice that Aunt Lucy even in a word, even in a hint, complained about her fate.

It was absolutely clear to me that she loved her husband, the father of her daughter, very much.

We seemed to become related, Vika became attached to me, and I adored her.

The years passed, Vika grew up, and I had less and less free time.

According to rumors, her father hanged himself in a state of delirium tremens. A rare case among Jews.

When I met Vika by chance in the yard, she rushed towards me, arms outstretched and shining with wonderful light green eyes, like her mother’s. Thick and delicate, very curly brown hairs framing a high forehead, a happy face. The whole yard was watching us, smiling and exchanging glances, and I was already embarrassed.

How we loved each other! My friends in the yard watched with fascination and a little envy as she threw herself on my neck, seeing her from afar. How her radiant, warm eyes shone! And my heart sank. After all, it was impossible not to think that I had to be worthy of such an attitude.

I finished school and we moved to another area. Unfortunately, the connection with Vika was severed.

When I try to imagine what color the eyes of the Blessed Virgin Mary were, it seems to me that it is not difficult for me.
I’ve never told this story to anyone, but I just decided now.

And my son told me the other day that if he ever has a daughter, he will name her Vika. I wonder how.