The icon of Nicholas 2 and his family: the meaning of what they pray for

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

One of the most tragic events in Russian history of the 20th century is the murder of the royal family. According to the Bolsheviks, it was dictated by the so-called. "revolutionary necessity". Emperor Nicholas II, the last representative of the 300-year-old Romanov dynasty, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, his wife, and their children: four daughters aged 17-23 and Tsarevich Alexei, aged 14, who was the heir to the throne, fell victim to the inhuman "revolutionary" logic. People who remained loyal to the tsar and his family to the last were also shot: relatives and some of those close to him.

Sin of murder

The Anointed One of God, his wife and children were brutally murdered, and that sin weighed heavily on all of Russia for many decades. Only in 2000, at the turn of the millennium, the murdered Emperor Nicholas II and his family were canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as royal martyrs. To glorify the new saints, the icon of Nicholas 2 appeared (the photo is presented below), as well asimages dedicated to his royal wife and children.

However, it should be remembered that the perpetuation of the royal victims of the October arbitrariness by icon painters is dictated not only by the desire to glorify them. The appearance of the icon of Nicholas 2 and his family serves as a reminder of the need for repentance of all the people who are guilty of a terrible sin - apostasy from the anointed of God, left together with an innocent wife and children in the hands of ruthless enemies. This sin is further aggravated by the fact that neither the emperor, nor his family, nor any of those close to him during the entire time of their arrest and detention never tried to show any kind of resistance. All of them, with the humble meekness of true Christians, accepted the will of God. This sin still weighs on Russia. And many generations will have to pray for him.

Holy icons as a reminder of the inviolability of the foundations of Orthodoxy

Therefore, it is not surprising that in almost every Orthodox church, as well as at the homes of many believers, you can see the icon of the martyr Nicholas 2 and images dedicated to the canonized members of his family. This is their meaning: to recall the martyrdom of the emperor and his loved ones, accomplished in the name of peace on Russian soil and confirming the inviolability of the foundations of Orthodoxy in the Russian state.

The accomplished historical fact is reflected both in icon painting and in existing prayers and akathists to the royal martyrs. Today, there are many testimonies of miracles that occurred due to prayer requests for protection to the icon of the king. Nicholas 2 and his family. Cases of healing ailments, reunification of families that were on the verge of destruction, myrrh-streaming images of the emperor and his relatives have been recorded.

Icon of Nicholas 2: history of creation

The story of the iconographic perpetuation of the Russian martyr tsar is amazing and looks like a legend. It reflected one of the sad paradoxes of the 20th century. The icon of Nicholas 2, the last Russian emperor, was painted even before his canonization in Russia - on the other side of the ocean, in the USA. In 1997, Russian emigrant Iya Schmit (nee Podmoshenskaya) had a dream in which she saw an icon depicting an emperor - a martyr in grand ducal robes.

A little earlier, a woman had received a small inheritance, and she intended to donate it to some good cause. When she woke up, she already knew what she would do with the money. Iya Shmit turned to the icon painter Pavel Tikhomirov, who lives in California, with a request to paint the icon of Nicholas 2, which she saw in a dream. They began to study the photo of the king, hoping to find a suitable subject and a facial expression similar to that of a woman.

The icon of the long-suffering Russian emperor was painted several years before the martyrs of the royal family were canonized. To the right of the sovereign is Nicholas the Wonderworker, his heavenly patron, and to the left is the righteous Job the Long-suffering. The inscription below says that "this holy icon" was created to glorify the Tsar-Martyr in Russia.

About the fate of the icon

The icon depicting the Russian Tsar is stored todayIya Schmidt's house. The lithographs made from the image, the woman began to sell, so that they would help Russians who are undergoing difficulties abroad. Several lithographs ended up with Iya Dmitrevna's brother, hegumen German, who served in the Ryazan St. Nicholas almshouse. He brought them to Russia. One of them in the St. Nicholas almshouse (Ryazan) was seen by O. I. Belchenko, who became its keeper. And this happened eighty years after the abdication, on March 15, 1997. Since then, on his initiative, the image of the sovereign began to roam the churches of Russia, never staying anywhere for a long time.

One of the miracles associated with the image of the emperor, according to witnesses, is the myrrh-streaming of his icon, which takes place on days of special celebrations or memorable historical events, accompanied by an unusual unearthly fragrance. The image, before which the akathists were read, streamed myrrh for several months. For example, on February 28, 1999, on the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the lithograph was transferred to the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker located in Pyzhi. The icon was received here with special solemnity: a carpet was laid in front of it, all the bells rang, and the parishioners prayed at that time. According to eyewitnesses, the image of the Sovereign that day strongly streamed myrrh.

About miraculous healings

A huge number of facts about miraculous healings from diseases as a result of turning to the icon of Nicholas 2 for help were recorded. Eyewitness stories were passed from mouth to mouth, fame ran ahead of the image itself.

First casemiraculous healing was recorded in the temple of the Life-Giving Trinity (Khokhly). Here, thanks to the icon of the holy Tsar-Martyr, sight was restored to retired colonel A. M. Vytyagov.

It also became known about the miraculous healing of a man whose illness did not allow him to feed his family. No doctors helped. When he began to pray fervently before the icon of Tsar Nicholas II, his he alth returned.

A case was also recorded in Ukraine, when a woman suffering from ascites received relief from pain. Her stomach was so huge that it didn't let her breathe. When the woman began to pray to Tsar Nicholas, her stomach fell down, the pains stopped and the sufferer died calmly and quietly.

On the veneration of the icon

The icon of Tsar Nicholas, who performed miracles of healing and exuded myrrh, was widely known. With a lithographic image of the king, a flight was made around the territory of Russia, as well as the entire globe. The Cosmic Procession around the Earth (2018), prepared on the initiative of the Military Orthodox Mission, was dedicated to the centenary of the murder of the sovereign and his family, as well as their blessed memory. After that, the shrines (lithographs) were transferred to the most significant monasteries and churches associated with the fate of the dynasty: Moscow cloisters, churches of St. Russian abroad. Twice the image of the sovereign visited the Holy Mount Athos.

The day of veneration of the icon of Nicholas II is considered July 17(date of execution of the royal family in the Ipatiev House). On this day, all believers pray for the fate of Russia and beg for forgiveness for the martyrdom of the sovereign and his family.

The reign of Nicholas II can be assessed in different ways, but the height of his moral character has never been in doubt. He is remembered as a wonderful family man, a wonderful husband and father, a pious man and faithful to the commandments of Christ, doing charity work and generously making donations for the construction of temples.

Therefore, the icon of the last Russian Tsar is prayed for patronage and preservation of peace in the family, for the resolution of family problems, for the protection of children and loved ones. The holy emperor is asked to protect from external and internal enemies of the country, from those who are trying to undermine the foundations of Orthodoxy, to strengthen patriotic feelings. Before the myrrh-streaming image of the king, they pray for healing from diseases.

On the iconography of the royal martyrs

It is hardly possible to forget that together with Nicholas II, martyrdom was accepted by his entire family, including innocent children. Therefore, the icon of the royal family is no less popular among Russian believers.

The iconography of the Romanov family is based on authentic photos of the emperor's relatives. The faces of the royal martyrs resemble their photographic portraits. Some masters depict martyrs in the iconographic style. Immortalized on holy images are not only members of the king's family, but also all those who, until the very hour of death, kept themfidelity.

About the icon of the Romanov Martyrs

There are legends about the miracles that happened through prayers to the murdered sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, as well as the innocently tortured Empress Alexandra and children: the royal daughters Maria, Tatyana, Anastasia, Olga and Tsarevich Alexei - there are legends. Until our time, the great intercession of the royal martyrs has not dried up. Turning to them, they pray for their native land, for help and protection.

Days of veneration of the icon "Holy Royal Passion-Bearers" ("Romanov Passion-Bearers") - July 17 (the date of the death of the Tsar's family) and February 7 (the date of the celebration of the Synod of the New Martyrs who suffered for the Christian faith after the October Revolution).

What does the icon help with?

Royal passion-bearers become patrons for all who bear their names. Prayer before the icon of the tsar's family helps to maintain mutual respect between generations, as well as close relations between relatives, educate children in piety, strengthen their loy alty to Orthodox principles and patriotism.