"The indestructible wall" - the intercessor icon

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

Shortly after the baptism of Russia, allegedly by the son of Prince Vladimir Yaroslav, Sophia of Kyiv was built - a temple that for a long time was the main religious building of the young Christian state. The icons of this cathedral are still considered a kind of standard for writing Orthodox cult images. The exact date of the foundation of the temple is unknown.

Historians give only an approximate period - 1017 or 1037. The cathedral has preserved quite a lot of mosaics and frescoes with subjects on a Christian theme.

One of the main shrines of the temple is the "Indestructible Wall" - the icon of the Virgin Oranta. This mosaic picture is made of pieces of sm alt. The icon is located under the very vault, above the main altar in the temple. Orants are called the Blessed Virgins, written without a baby and spreading their arms in a protective gesture. Such icons have always been considered the believing intercessors of mankind before God.

Once upon a time, Byzantine craftsmen were specially summoned from Constantinople to decorate St. Sophia of Kyiv by Prince Yaroslav the Wise from Constantinople.

Therefore, the general style of the frescoes and mosaics of this temple very much resembles the style of decoration of the main cathedral of Orthodox Christians - St. Sophia of Constantinople. "Indestructible Wall" - an icon on which the Mother of God is depicted on a golden background, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. The Blessed Virgin is dressed in a bright blue tunic (the color of the sky) with a red belt and a scarf tied behind it. According to legend, she wipes away the tears of all those who mourn.

The icon of the Theotokos "Indestructible Wall" is named after the ninth song of the prayer Canon to the Blessed Virgin. There is such a phrase: "… Devo, and the wall is indestructible …". There is another explanation for this name. For centuries, Sofia Kyiv was repeatedly destroyed during the raids of the Polovtsians and Pechenegs. And not once did the wall with the image of Oranta suffer. The icon has survived to this day in the form in which it was created by the ancient masters.

An interesting fact is that in Russia it has always been believed that as long as this mosaic is intact, the capital city of Kyiv will also stand.

Icon painters created a huge number of icons based on the Kyiv original Oranta. If desired, you can purchase a similar image today. Today it is believed that the "Indestructible Wall" is an icon that can protect the house from any enemy. Hang it in front of the front door. Any ill-wisher, entering the apartment and seeing the face of the Virgin, will surely forget about his impious intentions and leave the house in embarrassment.

Also knowledgeable people adviseturn to the Mother of God Orante for those who are going to leave their home unattended for a while. The “Indestructible Wall” is an icon that in this case is also hung opposite the door and they pray, looking at it for several days in a row. At the same time, you can say any well-known prayer - “Theotokos”, “Our Father”, etc. Each time after uttering such words, you should ask the Virgin about the safety of the apartment in the absence of the owners.

These are the properties that the Orthodox icon "Indestructible Wall" is endowed with. The photo at the very top of the page is the original Ornata in St. Sophia of Kyiv.