The Orthodox tradition differs from other Christian denominations in its developed and very deep iconography. Not the last role, and perhaps even the first one, is played by the image of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. This is connected both with the popular veneration of this woman, and with the theological attention to her of church doctrine.
Our Lady in iconography
The first images of the Mother of God are known from about the third or fourth century. It is difficult to say exactly, since various researchers dispute the dating of the most ancient known images of Mary. However, in the official doctrine, its status was fixed not earlier than the fifth century. More precisely - in 431 in the city of Ephesus. There, at a meeting of Christian bishops, the title of Mother of God was formally assigned to her. Since then, her iconography has evolved rapidly.
It is important to understand that the icon of Mary, the mother of Christ, does not just depict a holy woman. It represents precisely the spiritual component of the person who has become the mother of God, as Christians believe. Therefore, in the Orthodox tradition, she is always seen in the light of Jesus, the divine messiah.
There are so many differentimages of the Mother of God. Previously, for every city and every monastery, and often just for a significant temple, it was considered good form to have its own unique icon, marked either by miraculous healings or other graces of the Almighty, such as myrrh-streaming. That is why today there is no such day in the calendar that would not be dedicated to at least one icon of Mary. And most often, several such images are revered per day.
One and a half thousand years of development of the tradition developed several basic so-called canonical types of images of the Virgin. One of them is called "Eleusa", which is the subject of this article.
Virgin "Eleusa"
This word can be translated from Greek as "merciful, compassionate, merciful." But in Russia, the term "tenderness" is most often used. It is not a mistranslation, it simply emphasizes other aspects of the spiritual relationship between people and the one whom believers call the Queen of Heaven.
A distinctive feature of this type is the position of the baby in the hands of Mary. The Mother of God "Tenderness" touches her cheek with the cheek of Christ. Thus, the icon embodies the idea of boundless love between God, who has taken on human nature, and people who have ascended to the divine level (who are personified by the figure of the Mother of God).
In the Greek tradition, this iconographic type is also called glycophilus, which literally means "sweet loving". In any case, "tenderness" is a graphic representation of the idea of love, which was revealedin the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is the manifestation of God's mercy. And in folk piety, far from the theological intentions of church painting, the meaning of tenderness began to be associated with the tender relationship between the baby and Mary, which is absent in other types of iconography, where Christ is represented as a king invested with power and might, sitting on the hands of Mary as if on a throne. A striking example of eleusa is the image of Our Lady of Vladimir.
But in addition to the general designation of the iconographic type, "tenderness" is also the name of a particular image. Oddly enough, this icon (like its varieties) belongs to another type of images called Agiosoritissa. Therefore, it is worth saying a few words about him separately.
Virgin "Agiosoritissa"
The name of this type comes from the chapel of the holy shrine (agia soros) in Constantinople. Mary, according to this tradition, is depicted without Christ in a three-quarter turn. Her hands are folded in a prayerful gesture. The gaze can either be raised up or down. Of the icons of this type, there is one especially revered image, called "tenderness". It is difficult to overestimate its significance for the Orthodox, since it is firmly associated with the great shrine - the Diveevsky Monastery and its founder, St. Seraphim of Sarov. And this name of it is probably associated with the special emotional impression that it makes on the person contemplating it. The fact is that this image of "tenderness" is an example of Western painting, that is, unlikeOrthodox canonical iconography, he emphasizes the purely human features in the personality of Mary - a mother, a suffering woman, a praying intercessor, etc.
Serafimo-Diveevo Icon of the Mother of God
The icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" from Diveevo is famous for being the cell icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov, a Russian saint extremely revered in the Orthodox Church. According to church legends, Mary personally appeared to him in a visible image several times. While praying in front of this icon, he died.
Meaning of the Diveevsky image
Because of the great people's love for Seraphim of Sarov and the cult that has developed around him, the Diveevo icon "Tenderness" is a huge historical and cultural value, not to mention its church significance. Today, this image is kept in the patriarchal residence in Moscow and once a year, on the feast of the Praise of the Mother of God, it is exhibited for general worship. The icon of the Mother of God "Tenderness" in its printed copies diverges in huge numbers. In the church world, this is a kind of spiritual trend of the last two decades. There are also many handwritten lists from it, revered in various parts of not only Russia, but also abroad.
