The icon of Our Lady of Kazan, also known as the Black Virgin of Kazan or Black Madonna of Kazan or the Theotokos of Kazan is a holy icon of the highest religious importance for the Russian Orthodox Church.
How Our Lady of Kazan is depicted
The holy icon of Our Lady of Kazan depicts the Theotokos standing beside Jesus Christ, turning her head towards Him tenderly. Jesus Christ is depicted standing and blessing.
The icon of Our Lady, protection for the city of Kazan
According to tradition, Germanus II, Patriarch of Constantinople, offered the holy icon of Our Lady as a gift to the inhabitants of the city of Kazan in the 13th century. With this act gesture, he intended to help the people of Kazan feel the Virgin Mary as support and protection against frequent threats and raids from hostile people.
How and when the icon disappeared
Around 1438 AD, the city of Kazan was captured by the Tatars. At that time, the holy icon of Our Lady mysteriously disappeared. After the conquering of Kazan, around 1579 AD, a fire broke out in the Kremlin of Kazan, causing its complete destruction.
The Muslims of the city interpreted the catastrophic event as a result of the wrath of the Prophet Muhammad. Hostilities soon erupted among the inhabitants, leading to a civil conflict.
Find here: Byzantine Icons with our Lady of Kazan.
The miracle of the icon's discovery
To bring peace and harmony among the inhabitants of the city, the holy icon of Our Lady of Kazan miraculously appeared to a young girl named Matrona. The Theotokos revealed to her the location of the holy icon and the young girl recounted the events to her mother.
Subsequently, they informed the bishop of the city, Saint Guria. Following the command of the Virgin Mary, the Bishop found the icon of Our Lady of Kazan buried three feet deep on July 8, 1579. The icon was transported with reverence and the participation of faithful inhabitants of the city to the Church of Saint Nicholas.
The final disappearance of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan
Since then, the holy icon of Our Lady of Kazan performed countless miracles, starting with the healing of the blind Joseph. However, on November 29, 1904, the holy icon disappeared again mysteriously from the Kazan Monastery of the Theotokos.
Despite the thieves being found with the precious cover of the icon, the actual icon of Our Lady was never recovered. Even the copy of the icon that was placed in Saint Petersburg disappeared in 1917 on its way to Moscow.
Find here: icons with our Lady of Kazan.
The disappearance of the sacred icon is an ominous sign
The theft and disappearance of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan were interpreted by the Russian Church as an ominous sign. On the other hand, the faithful people connected its disappearance with the Revolution of 1905, Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, as well as the October Revolution of 1917.
The copies of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan
There are now over 60 copies of the icon of Our Lady of Kazan and some are considered miraculous. One copy of the icon, with significant artistic value, is preserved at the Russian Monastery of Saint Panteleimon on Mount Athos.
Another copy of the holy icon, dating back to 1730, was acquired in the 1970s from the pilgrimage of Our Lady in the village of Fátima, Portugal. In 1993, it was transferred to the Vatican.
In Greece, copies of the holy icon can be found in the chapel of Saint Xenia of Russia in Mandra, Attica, in the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Kallithea, Attica, and in the Catholic Church of the Holy Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Keratea.
When our Lady of Kazan is celebrated
Michael Feodorovich, the first Tsar of the Romanov dynasty, established two celebrations in honor of the holy icon of the Theotokos of Kazan. The first feast is on July 8th and is associated with the finding of the icon. The second feast is on October 22nd and commemorates the national holiday honoring the liberation of the Russians from the Poles.
To this day, the holy icon of Our Lady of Kazan remains a symbol of peace and protector of all Russians.
Find here: silver pendant with Virgin Mary of Kazan
