…returned to her own house. Luke. 1, 56
Something happened that we could not have imagined at all. On May 6, 1998, Port Arthur icon of Mother of God has come back to Vladivostok. And it is so wondrous for the soul, and the heart silently exults that the Most Blessed Virgin has visited us and has consoled us, covering us with her blessed Cover…
With God’s will this event have occurred on the commemoration day of the heavenly intercessor of Orthodox Vladivostok - the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious (Pobedonosez). We knew that they have left for Jerusalem to get the icon, knew that to take out from Israel the icon of such value is very difficult. But it happened: on May 6th the plane with the icon onboard has landed at the Vladivostok airport.
Such joyous meeting happens to everyone, probably, only once. On that day unfortunately only a few did experience it. (Because of rapidity of events not all could learn about the arrival of the icon.) But those who on May 6th have come to Saint Nicholas Cathedral of Vladivostok have unexpectedly received really a wonderful gift.
Right Reverend Benjamin, bishop of Vladivostok and Seaside, after the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy has declared that the arrival of Port Arthur’s icon is expected at any moment. Having learned about it, the worshippers, who were gathered in the temple, did not hasten to leave. All have remained for service of thanksgiving with blessing of the water. It was difficult to struggle with excitement. While waiting for the reception of the icon they formed a procession from the temple towards it. "Christ is risen from the dead…"- singing of Paschal Troparion could be heard. Paschal church chanting was carried by worshippers outside the fencing of Cathedral’s territory. Religious procession went on the road towards the car in which the icon was carried. Now from the bell tower there was heard pealing of bells, announcing the arrival of the car. One can not express in words the feeling and inner excitement that have seized the worshippers when they have seen the blessed icon for the first time. For an instant all have stood as transfixed.
We have seen the Mother of God, standing with her feet on gulf’s coast on two fallen and broken swords. She was dressed in a dark blue garment. Top cover of brown color. The head cover is also dark blue. Around the head illumines bright light. In her hands, the Virgin holds white cloth with a face of Christ the Savior. From under the cloth cover (ubrus) the multi-colored belt hangs down. Behind the Mother of God there is a sea gulf which on horizon merges with the blue sky. Above the Virgin in clouds on the right there is Archangel Michael with a fiery sword, at the left - Archangel Gabriel with a blossoming branch in hand. Between them Cherubim hold an imperial crown, and above them - two crisscrossing rainbows end in a cross. Still above surrounded by the Heavenly Hosts is seating the Lord of Sabaoth (Savaof), above whom there is a lighted inscription: "There should be one herd and one shepherd". Around the perimeter of the icon on a gold background with enamel script it is written: "Celebration of the Most Holy Theotokos. In blessing and a sign of the Celebration to Christ loving troops of distant Russia from sacred monasteries of Kiev and 10,000 worshippers and friends".
Bishop Benjamin, having venerated the sacred image first, has blessed the religious procession with Port Arthur icon in the lead to turn back to the temple.
Bells did not stop. The pleasure poured from hearts of believers with singing of the Paschal stichira. Religious procession went around the cathedral. On the eastern side of the altar it has stopped. "Let us attend! "- exclamation was heard. Bishop Benjamin read the Gospel: "And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. … (Luke 1:39-56 KJV)".
And each worshipper, who met the icon, has exclaimed in his heart with saint and blessed Elisabeth: "And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (vs. 43)"
Undisguised excitement and joy have poured out in the general singing "Most blessed benefactress Queen "at the further going of religious procession. Having approached to the western side of the temple and having stopped at a church entrance, we have rendered prayerful thanksgiving to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother, asking for God’s Heavenly blessings.
Participants of finding: Archimandrite Innokenty (Tretyakov), the father superior of Holy Pokrov temple of city of Ussuriisk; Hieromonk Sergey (Chashin), the secretary of the Vladivostok Eparchial administration, the father superior of Holy Dormition church of Vladivostok; the nun Barbara (Volgin), abbess of Ussurysky Nativity of Mother of God female monastery; schema-nun Gelasya, resident of Jerusalem Gornensky female monastery; postulate Elena (Chashina), resident of Ussurysky Nativity of Mother of God female monastery.
Hieromonk Sergey (Chashin): In February, 1998 we journeyed on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On the last day of our stay there, on February 17th, five of us gathered once again to descend to the Sepulchre of Christ. Having come to the temple, we spent several hours there. Surprisingly, in those hours the temple was but almost empty and we had an opportunity to pray in quiet. Peacefully, we departed from the cathedral. We went on the Via Dolorosa (way of the Cross of Our Lord). Our souls were at peace. For me this day was especially memorable as on February 17, 1996, I was ordained to the priesthood. On the road to Gethsemane, Father Innokenty suggested to visit one of the antiquarian stores, which abounds in Jerusalem, and we stopped in the first one. We were astonished when looking through Christian relics, we have seen the Port Arthur icon.
The Mother of God looked at us, holding in the open hands the parchment of Christ’s Image (not man made). We have stopped for some time and stood still… Then we started the conversation with the seller (the icon has been put on sale). We did not have any money with us, but having agreed on the price, we have asked not to sell the icon to anybody else.
Archimandrite Innokenty (Tretyakov): Though we have agreed in the shop that we shall buy the icon, but we were afraid, that others can buy it. Therefore we went to the Russian Gornensky female monastery with the request to borrow money for purchase of a sacred image. And they agreed to help. We bought the icon. While we collected the funds in Primorski Krai, the image was stored in Gornensky Monastery, in Father Superior’s residence. We knew that to take out from Israel something valuable and significant is very difficult. But I had the blessing of Right Reverend Veniamin, we also had the support of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate and I went to Jerusalem. I have found out, that the image of the Mother of God came to Jerusalem from Hong Kong, from Russian emigrants. Most likely, it belonged to an Orthodox community that existed there for some time. In Jerusalem the icon stood for four years in the shop till we have found it.
The Sisters of Gornensky Monastery among whom there are art specialists and restorers, do not doubt, that this icon is an original. They are ready to send their conclusion if it will be necessary. Certainly, as we also assumed, there were certain obstacles for receiving the sanction to export the sacred image. But with God’s help, at special guardianship of the abbess of Gornensky Monastery, Mother Superior Georges all was resolved safely. We were helped actively by a consular department of the Russian embassy with Israel.
Hieromonk Sergy (Chashin): When the icon was met in Vladivostok, we have recollected, that in the Gospel there is a story about the travel of the Most Pure Virgin Mary in Gornjuju where She met with Saint Elisabeth. There She has stayed for three months and went back to her house. The icon "Celebration of the Most Pure Virgin" was in Gornensky Monastery which is located on the place where the evangelical meeting of the Virgin and Saint Elisabeth occurred. There the icon stayed about three months and at last arrived in Vladivostok, at the edge of Distant Russia, to the blessing of the city the sacred image was originally produced. By the way, the cathedral is known also as the church in honor of icon of Mother of God "All grieving Joy " (under the name of an annex), constructed in memory of soldiers, perished during the Russo-Japanese war. At last the icon has come back to her home.
Bishop Veniamin of Vladivostok and Seaside: Returning of this icon at present certainly has precognitive value. It is thought, that this is a sign for us in consolation of present and future events. We do not know what lies ahead for the Church. Grief and persecutions often accompany Christian life. But the miraculous finding of the icon of Mother of God testifies to sacred protection of Most Pure Mother of God over Orthodox Christians. This gives us courage and selflessness to carry our own crosses.
Now the icon is temporarily located in Saint Nicolas Cathedral of Vladivostok. Unfortunately, it requires urgent restoration — wood on which the image was written, is partially damaged by a worm and continues to disintegrate. After necessary works on prevention of further damage to the icon it will travel all over Seaside Territory.
One reflects that the icon "Celebration of Most Pure Mother of God " has been connected with a life of Tsar-martyr Nikolai II and his Family, all church glorification of which is supported by our diocese.
Most Holy Mother of God, save us!
Little is known today about copies of Port Arthur icon. We know that in Vladivostok there was a copy, hand-written on a copper board. Another has been made on wood, but it was smaller, than the original. By the way, in the cabinet of the Moscow Archeological Spiritual Academy there is a reduced copy of Port Arthur icon which in general is similar to the found image, but there are also differences. The most important - on this copy there is no donation’s inscription from sacred monasteries in Kiev. It is possible to be convinced of this if one is to look in the magazine of navy fleet "Sea collection" № 2 (1767) for 1994 which is released by publishing house "Red Star". By the way, there is no inscription testifying to the donation on the copies of the icon, which were published last years in Moscow.
Fuller data on the icon was found by the seaside regional specialist. N.G. Miz in studying of "the Vladivostok Eparchial sheets" for 1904-1995, stored in archive of regional library.
And at last, with the blessing of Bishop Veniamin the arrived icon has been measured: height - 124 cm, width — 76 cm. These data correspond to the archival description of the original adjusted for the shrinking of the icon in width (experts-restorers specify such possibility).
We have learned, that earlier in the Vladivostok diocese under Right Reverend Evsevy the feastday of the icon " Celebration of the Most Holy Mother of God" was celebrated on August 16/29, and coincided with the feastday celebration of Christ the Savior Image "not made by hand".There was a troparion written ( 1st tone) in Her honor: "Most Holy Mother of God, blessed in heaven and on earth venerated, rejoice O Bride Unwedded (nenevestnaja)".
Let us think: whether all disasters and the troubles tormenting Russia, had begun, when Russian people have lost spiritual unity, renounced thousand-year relics and precepts of ancestors?
Heart Cries, looking at the tormented, drugged Fatherland, the soul fills with pity and grief, looking at a shame, of the former so-called, Holy Russia. Let us unite under the umbrella of native relics; let us dump a yoke of foreign demons and unbelief, debauchery and pernicious arrogance. Pray, repent of sins, be patient in grief and be courageous in confession of Truth. Listen attentively to a voice of your conscience. That is - a voice of God. Follow its commands. Then the Lord who said: "I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he turns from his wicked ways and he should live" - will pardon and rescue Russia ". (Metropolitan John (Snychev) of St. Petersburg and Ladoga
Hierodeacon INNOKENTY (Yerokhin)
Today the city of Vladivostok triumphs / with it all Distant Russian territories celebrate, / meeting again found Your icon, O Mother of God, / named Port Arthur / in blessing and a sign of celebration / given to God-loving troops of Distant Russia / looking at Her we all cry / Holy Russia / guard the Orthodox Faith / in it is your confirmation!
(Troparion of finding of Port Arthur’s icon, 4th tone)
The Destiny of the icon from May 1905 till February 1998 remains unknown. After many wanderings, carried away by a storm of wars and revolutions, the icon has disappeared. Where did it live for 90 years? How did she end up in Jerusalem and why during four years nobody has paid attention to it? Yes, by God’s will, it waited for pilgrims from native, Distant Russia.
Years of wanderings have not passed for our relic without consequences. The wood was eaten by worm. The bottom part of the icon in several places appears to be a little lost. Therefore Bishop Veniamin of Vladivostok and Seaside has asked for help from restorers of the Trinity-Sergiev Monastery.
On February 9, 1999 in a house church of the Vladivostok eparchial management we escorted our venerated icon, our relic to "treatment" to Moscow. On February 10th she was met in the Trinity-Sergiev Monastery. Works were conducted in restoration workshops of church-archeological cabinet of MDA. And then, in the beginning of 2000 the restored icon has returned to Vladivostok.
In 2002 the Port Arthur icon of Mother of God has been encased in new covering (kiot) of highly artistic quality. It became a gift from administration of Khabarovsk territory, its inhabitants and the national artist of Russia Gennady Dmitrievich Pavlishin to inhabitants of Primorye Territory "in glory of Russian troops, strengthening and prosperity of Russia "as it is told in the donation letter.
The kiot about three meters high and two meters wide is executed by carving walnut wood; it is decorated by semiprecious stones and silver. In its bottom part the mosaic panel from natural minerals of different color is built in. On it there is a view of a bay - the Gold Horn in which the naval ships of Pacific fleet of various historical epoch are anchored. So the author of the kiot - national artist Gennady Pavlishin has represented the tie of Port Arthur icon with history of Russian fleet on Pacific ocean.
The Vladivostok diocese marks the feastday of the icon "Celebration of Most Pure Mother of God" on August 16/29, and it coincides with feastday of Christ the Savior image "not made by hand".
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