083-BM Mother of God of Kazan Icon

The Kazan icon of the Mother of God first appeared in 1579 during a devastating fire that engulfed the city of Kazan. A nine-year-old girl named Matrona dreamed of the Mother of God, who instructed her to locate the icon in the ashes, leading to the establishment of a monastery at the site, although the icon itself has since been lost and was stolen during a looting in 1904. In the early 17th century, amidst famine and the "Time of Troubles," Patriarch Hermogenes encouraged unity and resistance against foreign domination, inspiring figures like Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin to gather a militia in Nizhny Novgorod. Accompanied by the Kazan icon, they marched to Moscow, culminating in the storming of the Kremlin on October 22, 1612, which is now commemorated as the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

The icon of the Mother of God of Kazan reflects the artistry of lacquered icons workshop, where we create folding icons, crosses, and various-sized icons.

The creation process begins with preparing wooden boards, which are cut into smaller panels and smoothed into refined oval shapes. These panels are transformed into polished lamellas that are then glued together to form a solid base. After selecting and laminating images stored for this purpose, artisans fit these images to the panels, cutting and verifying their symmetry before applying special glue to secure them. A final polish enhances durability and aesthetics.

Once the icons are fully dried, they undergo a blessing ritual, with a stamp of authenticity from the convent placed on the back. Each lacquered icon, crafted through this meticulous process, serves as thoughtful gift, or as part of your prayer corner.