Orthodox churches abound with the faces of saints who are capable of providing their divine help to people in difficult situations and in the presence of serious illnesses. Each icon is characterized by some special action that allows you to improve a person’s life in a certain area. In this article, I would like to invite you to understand the meaning of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, as well as in what situations you can pray to it for mercy.

The Miraculous Image of the Savior is one of the original images that imprinted the face of the Lord. The image is very significant among adherents of the Christian religion; it is often put forward in the same place as the cross and crucifix.

If you are an Orthodox person and want to know the real characteristics of this icon, as well as what troubles you can protect yourself with its help, be sure to read on.

How the Miracle Image of Jesus Christ originally appeared

We can find out what the Savior looked like from a large number of different church traditions and legends, but the Bible does not mention a single word about the appearance of Jesus. How then could the image of the one we are talking about now appear?

The history of the creation of the image of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” with all the details was preserved and transmitted by the Roman historian Eusebius (students of Pamphilus, living in Palestine). It should be noted that Eusebius made a very great contribution to history - much of the information from the time of Jesus has been preserved to this day precisely thanks to his efforts.

But how did the Savior Not Made by Hands appear? The glory of the Savior was known far from his place of residence; residents of other cities and even countries often visited him. One day, the king of the city of Edessa (now modern Turkey) sent a herald to him with a message. The letter said that Avgar was exhausted by old age and a serious illness of his legs. made a promise to send one of his disciples to assist the ruler and bring enlightenment to his people with the help of the light of the Holy Gospel. The following incident was recorded and reported by Ephraim the Syrian.

In addition to the messenger, Abgar also sent a painter to Jesus, but he was so blinded by the divine radiance that he was unable to paint a portrait of Christ. Then the Savior decided to present Abgar with a kind of present - a linen (ubrus) with which he wiped his face.

The canvas retained the imprint of the divine face - that is why it was given the name miraculous, that is, one that was created not by human hands, but by divine power (similar to the Shroud of Turin). This was the first image that arose during the life of Jesus. And when the fabric was delivered by ambassadors to Edessa, it immediately turned into a local shrine.

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the Apostle Thaddeus goes to Edessa, healing Abgar and performing other miracles, and also actively converting the local population to become Christians. We learn about these amazing events from another historian - Procopius of Caesarea. And the records of Evagrius (Antioch) tell about the miraculous salvation of the townspeople from an enemy ambush.

Appearance of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands

Historical documents have preserved to this day a description of the divine face, which was kept by King Abgar. The canvas was stretched over a wooden base. It is surprising that the Savior Not Made by Hands is the only image depicting Jesus as a human being, emphasizing his human nature.

And in all other images the Savior is depicted with elements of church paraphernalia or performing certain actions. And in the image of the Savior you can see the appearance of Jesus, and it is not the “vision” of the author, but represents a real image of the Lord.

Most often we see the image of the Savior on the ubrus - the image of the Savior depicted against the background of a towel with folds. Most boards are white. In some cases, the face is depicted against the background of brickwork. And in a number of traditions, the towel is held at the edges by angelic beings floating in the air.

The image is unique in its mirror symmetry, into which only the Savior’s eyes do not fit - they are slightly skewed, which adds more spirituality to the facial expressions of Jesus.

The list of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which is located in the city of Novgorod, is a standard of the ancient incarnation of ideal beauty. In addition to perfect symmetry, great importance is given here to the complete absence of emotions - the sublime purity and peace of mind of the Savior, which seem to charge everyone who turns their gaze to his icon.

What does an image mean in Christianity?

It is difficult to overestimate what the face of the Savior Not Made by Hands means - after all, its amazing appearance in itself represents a fairly significant argument at the time of the struggle against icons. In fact, it is the image that is the main confirmation that the face of the Savior can be depicted and used as a shrine and pray to him for your requests.

The imprint preserved on the canvas represents the main type of iconography, reminiscent of the divine origin of icon painting. This skill initially also had a descriptive function - stories from the Bible began to come to life before the eyes of the first adherents of Christianity. In addition, previously there were practically no books, not even the famous Holy Scripture, which was a great rarity for a long time. Therefore, it is quite logical that believers really wanted to have a visible incarnation of the Savior.

The same fact that only the face of Jesus is depicted on the icon is intended to remind Christians that they can only be saved if they establish a personal relationship with Christ. And if this does not happen, none of the church rituals will be able to let the believer into the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the image, Jesus looks clearly at the audience - as if he is calling everyone who turns their gaze to him to follow Him. The process of contemplating the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands allows us to realize the true meaning of life in Christianity.

What does the icon of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” mean?

The amazing image of the Savior is distinguished by certain characteristics:

• it is the icon described that represents an indispensable element of the icon painters’ training program and their first independent icon;
• This is the only one of the faces of Jesus that has a closed halo. The halo symbolizes the harmony and completeness of the Universe;
• the image is symmetrical. Only Jesus' eyes slant a little to the side to demonstrate a more vivid picture. The symmetry in the image is intended to remind you of the symmetry in everything that was created by the Lord;
• the face of Jesus in the icon does not express the emotions of suffering or pain. On the contrary, it evokes associations with calm, balance and purity, as well as freedom from any emotional experiences. Often the face is associated with the concept of “pure beauty”;
• the icon shows only a portrait of the Savior, only his head, even his shoulders are missing. This feature can be interpreted from different positions, in particular, the head once again places emphasis on the primacy of the spiritual over the physical, plus it acts as a kind of reminder of the importance of the Son of God in church life.

It is noteworthy that the described icon is the only image of the face of Jesus. On all other holy faces one can find the Savior moving or standing at full height.

• if a person is solving a difficult life problem, is in a difficult situation from which it is difficult to find a way out, it is worth turning to the icon of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” for help;
• if faith is lost, the face of the Savior will also help;
• if there are various severe pathologies, it is also worth turning to the face;
• if you have bad, sinful thoughts, by praying at this icon, you can quickly get rid of them;
• praying to the image to actually receive mercy and condescension from the Savior, both for yourself and for your close circle;
• if you suffer from apathy, lack of physical energy, the face of the Savior Not Made by Hands can also solve this problem.

Before you start asking Christ for help from his icon, repent and read the text of the prayer “Our Father.”

In conclusion, I suggest you also watch an informative video about the icon “The Savior Not Made by Hands”:

Osroena became the first state in whose territory Christianity was officially recognized as a religion. It occupied the northeast of present-day Syria. It existed in the period from 137 to 242 AD. It was a small state where the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands was first mentioned. This image is unique and has great significance for Orthodox Christians.

Legend of the icon

There are many legends that tell how the king of Osroene, Avgar, was sick with a terrible disease - black leprosy. This is where the story of the Savior Not Made by Hands begins; one day the king had an unusual dream, in which he was told that nothing could heal him except an icon on which the face of the Savior would be imprinted. After this, an artist from the court was sent to Christ, but he never managed to transfer his image to canvas and make an icon of Jesus Christ because of the divine radiance that emanated from Him.

Then the Savior took water, washed his face with it, and then wiped it with a towel, on which his bright image remained imprinted - the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

Formally, Jesus himself made the icon, but the image is classified as so-called not made by hands, that is, one where the face of the Savior appears by Divine grace and in a miraculous way.

The classic version of the icon is an image of Jesus, which is made on canvas. Along its edges there is a canvas, the upper ends of which are woven into knots. Hence the name of the icon of the Savior on the urbus, that is, on a canvas or scarf.

After King Abgar was healed in a bright image, there were no more mentions of the icon until the year 545. It was that year that Edessa came under blockade by Persian troops. Just at that moment providence came to the aid of people. In one of the naves above the city gates, an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands and its trace were found, imprinted on a ceramic wall in the Keramidion vault. Then, thanks to the miraculous power of the icon, the blockade of the city was lifted.

Until now, the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands helps to get rid of invaders and any encroachments by enemies, and is used in military affairs.

The meaning of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands

This miraculous icon in all types of its execution (an image on canvas, a print on ceramics) is distinguished by its characteristics and has many customs associated with them. The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands is essential for iconography. It is with the painting of this image that icon painters who are just beginning to show themselves in this matter are recommended to begin their individual work.

Considering the description of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, you need to pay attention to the halo surrounding the head of the Savior, which is depicted in the form of a regular closed circle, inside of which there is a cross. Each feature: the hair of Jesus, its main background (on all old canvases the icon painters left the background blank), expresses its essence, gives it a special meaning. According to many, the image, which was created without the use of paints or brushes, is a real photograph of Christ and his face is depicted on it.

Since the arrival of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands from Constantinople, it began to occupy an important role in the world of Orthodoxy. This happened in 1355. Icons of this type existed in Rus' already in the 11th century, but only starting from the second half of the 14th century, everything connected with the “Savior Not Made by Hands” was equated to the level of state cult and spread widely everywhere.

However, there is an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands from the 12th century, which is also called Novgorod, but was created in Moscow in the Assumption Cathedral. This image is two-way. Separately, it should be noted the icon of Simon Ushakov, which was created in the 17th century and the Savior Not Made by Hands is painted here more artistically and less canonically.

Since the 14th century, the construction of temples began, the image was applied to Russian military banners during the most important battles for Rus', such as the Kulikovo and the First World War.

“The Savior Not Made by Hands” is an icon that is of great importance in the Orthodox world. It symbolizes Orthodoxy as a cross and crucifix, and carries the same meaning.

Prayer to the icon

It is believed that it was on this day that Christ put the cloth to his face.

Troparion, tone 2

We worship Your most pure image, O Good One, asking for forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God, by the will of Your flesh you deigned to ascend to the Cross, so that You may deliver Him from the work of the enemy. Thus we cry out to You in gratitude: You have filled all with joy, our Savior, who came to save the world.

Prayer

O Most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, our God!

You, from the ancient times of human nature, washed your face with holy water and wiped it with a rubbish, and you deigned to depict it miraculously on the same fringe and sent it to the Edessa prince Abgar for the healing of his illness.

Behold, now we, Thy sinful servants, possessed by our mental and physical ailments, seek Thy face, O Lord, and with David in the humility of our souls we call: do not turn Thy face away from us, and turn away in anger from Thy servants,

Be our helper, do not reject us and do not abandon us.

O All-Merciful Lord, our Savior!

Imagine for yourself in our souls, so that you may live in holiness and truth,

We will be Your sons and heirs of Your Kingdom,

and so to You, our Most Merciful God,

Photo from the publishing house “Iskusstvo”, Moscow. Reproduced by edition: Lazarev V.N. History of Byzantine painting. M.: Art, 1986.

With. 66¦ 7. Savior Not Made by Hands 1. On the back - Glorification of the Cross

1 Type of the Savior “on the skull”, in contrast to the Savior Not Made by Hands “on the ubrus” (see frescoes on the eastern and western girth arches in the Church of the Savior Nereditsa; V.K. Myasoedov, Frescoes of the Savior Nereditsa, L., 1925, pl. XIX ). For numerous versions of the legend of the Savior Not Made by Hands, see N.V. Pokrovsky. Siysk icon-painting original, vol. 1, St. Petersburg, 1895, pp. 49–52.

Both sides of the icon were painted in Vladimir, perhaps by different masters. The Vladimir painter of the front side with the Savior Not Made by Hands reproduced in his own way a Byzantine, or rather Kiev, model. It is possible that the artist of the Glorification of the Cross on the reverse could have been a Kyivian or Novgorodian who worked in the middle of the 12th century in Vladimir (see arguments in favor of my attribution from N. N. Voronin, in his article “On some reliefs of St. George’s Cathedral in Yuryev Polsky” - “Soviet Archeology”, M., 1962, I, pp. 142–148).

Mid-12th century. Vladimir-Suzdal Rus'.

The head of the Savior is enclosed in a round halo with a crosshair, inscribed in a square of the board. Large round eyes are raised to the left. The high arches of the eyebrows are curved. The forked beard and long drooping mustache are painted with thin dark brown lines over a greenish-gray background. Black-brown hair with a lock on the forehead is decorated with golden lines. The swirl on the olive sankir is dark yellow, soft in tone, with barely noticeable traces of browning. On the lips, eyelids and nose - cinnabar. The halo, background and fields are golden ocher. Halo crosshair - ivory tone, with traces With. 66
With. 67¦ images of precious stones (five at each end). In the upper corners in the background are fragments of the ancient letters IC XC.

Glorification of the cross 2. On the sides of the Calvary brown eight-pointed cross, with a crown of thorns at the crosshairs, are worshiping archangels with instruments of passion. On the left is Michael with a spear in his hand, on the right is Gabriel with a cane. Above are red-winged seraphim with ripids in their hands, dark olive cherubs and personifications of the sun and moon - profile heads in round brands - yellow (inscription: slontse) and red (inscription: moon). The painting is done with energetic strokes in a broad, free manner. The coloring is based on a combination of dark colors (brown and olive), faded (light blue and brownish pink) and bright (red, yellow and white). Swirling over a green sankir with sharp white highlights and a bright blush. The background is white, with black and red lettering. The fields are dark green with patterns in the form of circles, stars and stripes. The few inscriptions do not show the peculiarities of the Novgorod language: “sixkrylatii khrovimi”, “mongotsiti seraphim”.

2 This theme in Byzantine iconography was known as “Nikitirion” (glorification of the victorious cross). (See N.P. Kondakov, Archaeological journey through Syria and Palestine, St. Petersburg, 1904, p. 22 and note 1 and appendix “On ancient Christian compositions on the theme “The Glory of the Cross,” pp. 285–301). The iconographic type goes back to old Syrian sources (V.N. Lazarev, Art of Novgorod, M., 1947, p. 39). Stylistically, the angels are close to the angels in the composition “Ascension” in the Church of the Savior Nereditsa in Novgorod (V.K. Myasoedov, op. cit., Table V, 2).

On the front side is a board with an ark. Pavoloka, gesso, egg tempera. The reverse is without ark and pavolok, with a thin undercoat. The dowels are stuffed at the top and bottom ends. 77 x 71.

On the front side (in the lower left corner) and on the back (at the top edge) there are red wax seals of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral.

It was located in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

Disclosed in the Commission in 1919.

Received from the State Historical Museum in 1930. With. 67
¦

With. 164¦ 5. Savior Not Made by Hands, turnover - Adoration of the Cross

Second half of the 12th century. 77x71. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

From the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. The Novgorod origin of the icon does not raise any doubts. This is also supported by the pronounced Novgorodism in the inscriptions on the reverse side of the icon (replacement of the letter h letter ts), and the similarity of the angels with the angels in the dome and apse of Nereditsa (Myasoedov V.K. Frescoes of the Savior-Nereditsa. With a foreword by N.P. Sychev. L., 1925, tab. IV, VI and XXVIII), and reproduction of the composition of the front side of the icon (and partly its reverse side) in the headpiece of the Novgorod manuscript of 1262 (Lobkovsky Prologue in the Moscow Historical Museum, Khlud. 187, l. 1). As G.I. Vzdornov established, the icon comes from the Novgorod wooden church of St. The image was erected by Vnezd Nezdinich in 1191. The condition is good. The type of the Savior Not Made by Hands exactly follows the Byzantine tradition (see: Grabar A. N. The Savior of Lansky Cathedral, not made by hands. Prague, 1931). “Glorification of the Cross” is already found on a 6th-century silver dish in the Hermitage ( Volbach F. Frühchristliche Kunst. Munich, 1958, Abb. 245, S. 91). On the Moscow icon, the cross is decorated with a crown of thorns, and in the hands of angels there is a spear and a cane. These are symbols of the torment of Christ. The cross rises above the black Adam's Cave. On the sides of the crosshairs are the sun and the moon. At the top are two cherubs and two seraphim with ripids in their hands. For iconography see: Kondakov N. P. Archaeological journey through Syria and Palestine. St. Petersburg, 1904, p. 22, 285–301; Grabar A. Martyrium, II. Paris, 1946, p. 275–290. Whether the icon was double-sided from the very beginning or whether the image on the reverse side was added later is difficult to decide. With. 164
¦

The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands occupies a special place in icon painting, and extensive literature is devoted to it. Tradition says that the icon we know is a hand-made copy of the miraculously found original. According to legend, in 544 AD. two miraculous images of Jesus were found in the gate niche of the wall of the city of Edessa. When the niche was opened, a candle was burning in it and there was a board with a wonderful image, which at the same time turned out to be printed on the ceramic tile covering the niche. Thus, two versions of the image immediately appeared: Mandylion (on the board) and Keramion (on the tile). In 944 Mandylion moved to Constantinople and two decades later Keramion followed the same path. According to the testimony of pilgrims, both relics were kept in receptacles suspended on chains in one of the naves of the Temple of Our Lady of Pharos, the home church of the Emperor /1-4/. This famous church was also the site of other relics of comparable importance. The vessels were never opened and the two relics were never shown, but lists began to emerge and spread throughout the Christian world, gradually taking the form of the iconographic canon we know. After the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the Mandylion supposedly ended up in Paris, where it was kept until 1793 and disappeared during the French Revolution.

There are several versions of the legend about the original origin of Mandylion. The most popular narrative in the Middle Ages is called epistula Avgari in scientific literature and can be found in full in /4, 5/. King Abgar of Edessa, who was suffering from leprosy, sent a letter to Jesus asking him to come and heal him. Jesus responded with a letter that later became widely known as a relic in its own right, but it did not heal Abgar. Then Abgar sent a servant-artist to draw an image of Jesus and bring it with him. The arriving servant found Jesus in Jerusalem and tried to sketch him. Seeing the failure of his attempts, Jesus asked for water. He washed and dried himself with a cloth, on which His face was miraculously imprinted. The servant took the cloth with him and, according to some versions of the story, the Apostle Thaddeus went with him. Passing by the city of Hierapolis, the servant hid the cloth for the night in a pile of tiles. At night a miracle happened and the image of the board was imprinted on one of the tiles. The servant left these tiles in Hierapolis. Thus, a second Keramion appeared - the one from Hierapolis, who also eventually ended up in Constantinople, but was of less importance than the one from Edessa. At the end of the story, the servant returns to Edessa, and Avgar is healed by touching the miraculous towel. Abgar placed the plate in the gate niche for public worship. During times of persecution, the relic was walled up in a niche for safety, and it was forgotten for several centuries.

The history of St. Mandylion is often confused with the history of the plate of Veronica, a separate relic kept in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and belonging to the Western tradition. According to legend, on the day of the crucifixion, St. Veronica gave a towel to Jesus, who was exhausted under the weight of his cross, and he wiped with it his face, which was imprinted on the towel. Some believe that this is the story of the appearance of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, i.e. Mandylion, but it is a completely independent relic, an independent narrative and an independent image, having other typical features. On most iconographic versions of Veronica's plate, Jesus' eyes are closed and his facial features are different than on the Mandylion. His head is crowned with a crown of thorns, which is consistent with the situation of the story. On the Mandylion, the eyes are open, the crown of thorns is missing, and Jesus' hair and beard are wet, which is consistent with the story of Abgar's servant, in which Jesus wipes himself with a towel after washing. The cult of Veronica arose relatively late, around the 12th century. Some famous icons associated with this cult are actually versions of St. Mandylion and are of Byzantine or Slavic origin /6, 7/.

In this essay, I reflect on the amazing charisma of this one-of-a-kind icon, trying to piece together and articulate the various aspects of its symbolic meaning and unravel the mystery of its attractive power.

THE FACE OF THE SAVIOR
The Savior Not Made by Hands is the only icon that depicts Jesus simply as a person, as a person with a face. Other iconic images of Jesus show Him performing some action or contain indications of His attributes. Here He is sitting on the throne (which means He is the King), here He is blessing, here He is holding a book in His hands and pointing to the words written there. The multiplicity of images of Jesus is theologically correct, but can hide the basic truth of Christianity: salvation comes precisely through the person of Jesus, through Jesus as such, and not through some of his individual actions or attributes. According to Christian teaching, the Lord sent us His Son as the only way to salvation. He Himself is the beginning and the end of the path, alpha and omega. He saves us by the very fact of his eternal presence in the world. We follow Him not because of any obligation or reasoning or custom, but because He calls us. We love Him not for anything, but simply for the fact that He exists, i.e. in much the same way as we love, with a love that is not always explicable, the chosen ones or chosen ones of our hearts. It is precisely this attitude towards Jesus, an attitude that is highly personal, that corresponds to the image depicted on St. Mandylion.

This icon powerfully and clearly expresses the very essence of the Christian life - the need for everyone to establish a personal relationship with God through Jesus. From this icon, Jesus looks at us like no other, which is facilitated by exaggeratedly large and slightly slanted eyes. This Jesus does not look at humanity in general, but at a specific viewer and expects an equally personal response. Having met His gaze, it is difficult to hide from the merciless thoughts about yourself and your relationship with Him.

A portrait icon gives a much greater sense of direct contact than an icon with narrative content. If a narrative icon conveys a story, then a portrait icon expresses presence. The portrait icon does not distract attention to clothing, objects or gestures. Jesus is not here blessing or offering verbal formulas of salvation to hide behind. He offers only Himself. He is the Way and Salvation. The rest of the icons are about Him, but here He is Himself.

PHOTO PORTRAIT
St. Mandylion is a one-of-a-kind 'photo portrait' of Jesus. This is actually not a drawing, but a print of a face, a photograph in the literal material sense. Being a stylistically neutral image of a face as such, our icon has something in common with the not very honorable, but absolutely necessary and widespread genre of passport photo in our life. Just like in passport photos, it is the face that is depicted here, and not character or thoughts. This is just a portrait, not a psychological portrait.

An ordinary photographic portrait depicts the person himself, and not the artist’s vision of him. If the artist replaces the original with an image that corresponds to his subjective vision, then a portrait photo captures the original as it physically is. It’s the same with this icon. Jesus here is not interpreted, not transformed, not deified and not comprehended - He is as He is. Let us remember that God in the Bible is repeatedly referred to as “being” and says of himself that He “is that He is.”

SYMMETRY
Among other iconic images, the Savior Not Made by Hands is unique for its symmetry. In most versions, the Face of Jesus is almost completely mirror-symmetrical, with the exception of the slanted eyes, the movement of which gives life to the face and spiritualizes it /8/. This symmetry reflects, in particular, a fundamentally important fact of creation - the mirror symmetry of the human appearance. Many other elements of God's creation (animals, plant elements, molecules, crystals) are also symmetrical. Space, the main arena of creation, itself has a high degree of symmetry. An Orthodox church is also symmetrical, and the Image Not Made by Hands often occupies a place in it on the main plane of symmetry, linking the symmetry of architecture with the asymmetry of icon painting. It is as if he is attaching to the walls a carpet of temple paintings and icons, dynamic in its diversity and colorfulness.

Since, according to the Bible, man is created in the image and likeness of God, it can be assumed that symmetry is one of the attributes of God. The Savior Not Made by Hands thus expresses the symmetry of God, creation, man and the temple space.

GENIUS OF PURE BEAUTY
In the 12th century Novgorod icon from the Tretyakov Gallery shown in the title (this is the oldest Russian icon of the Savior), the Holy Face expresses the late antique ideal of beauty. Symmetry is just one aspect of this ideal. Jesus' facial features do not express pain and suffering. This ideal image is free from passions and emotions. It sees heavenly calm and peace, sublimity and purity. This combination of aesthetic and spiritual, beautiful and Divine, which is also strongly expressed in the icons of the Mother of God, seems to remind us that beauty will save the world...

The type of face of Jesus is close to that which in Hellenistic art is called “heroic” and has common features with late antique images of Zeus/9/. This ideal Face expresses the combination in the single personality of Jesus of two natures - Divine and human and was used in that era and on other icons of Christ.

THE CIRCLE IS CLOSING
The Savior Not Made by Hands is the only icon in which the halo has the shape of a completely closed circle. The circle expresses the perfection and harmony of the world order. The position of the face in the center of the circle expresses the completeness and completeness of Jesus’ act of salvation for humanity and His central role in the universe.

The image of a head in a circle also recalls the head of John the Baptist, who preceded the way of the cross with his suffering, placed on a plate. The image of a head on a round dish also has obvious Eucharistic associations. The round halo containing the face of Jesus is symbolically repeated in the round prosphoras containing His body.

CIRCLE AND SQUARE
On the Novgorod icon, the circle is inscribed in a square. It has been suggested that the geometric nature of this icon creates an image of the paradox of the Incarnation through the idea of ​​squaring the circle, i.e. as a combination of incompatible /10/. The circle and square symbolically represent Heaven and Earth. According to the cosmogony of the ancients, the Earth is a flat square, and the Sky is a sphere along which the Moon, Sun and planets revolve, i.e. world of the Divine. This symbolism can be found in the architecture of any temple: the square or rectangular floor symbolically corresponds to the Earth, and the vault or dome of the ceiling symbolically corresponds to Heaven. Therefore, the combination of a square and a circle is a fundamental archetype that expresses the structure of the Cosmos and has a special meaning in this case, since Christ, having become incarnate, united Heaven and Earth. It is interesting that a circle inscribed in a square (as well as a square inscribed in a circle), as a symbolic representation of the structure of the Universe, is used in the mandala, the main icon of Tibetan Buddhism. The motif of a square inscribed in a circle can also be seen in the icon of the Savior in the design of a crossed halo.

FACE AND CROSS
The cross halo is a canonical element of almost all major types of Jesus icons. From the point of view of a modern viewer, the combination of a head and a cross looks like an element of a crucifixion. In fact, the superposition of a face on a cruciform motif rather reflects the end result of a peculiar competition between images of the cross and the Face of Jesus for the right to serve as the state emblem of the Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine made the cross the main symbol of his power and the imperial standard. Icons of Christ have replaced the cross in state images since the 6th century. The first combination of a cross with an icon of Jesus was, apparently, round images of Jesus attached to military cross-standards in the same way as portraits of the emperor were attached to the same standards /11/. Thus, the combination of Jesus with the cross indicated His authority rather than the role of the Victim /9 (see Chapter 6)/. It is not surprising that an identical cross-shaped halo is present on the icon of Christ the Pantocrator, in which the role of Christ as Ruler is especially clearly emphasized.

The letters depicted in the three crossbars of the cross convey the transcription of the Greek word “o-omega-n”, meaning “existent”, i.e. the so-called heavenly name of God, which is pronounced “he-on”, where “he” is the article.

‘I AM THE DOOR’
The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is often placed above the entrance to a sacred room or space. Let us remember that it was found in a niche above the gates of the city of Edessa. In Russia it was also often placed above the gates of cities or monasteries, as well as in churches above the entrance doors or above the royal doors of the altars. At the same time, the sacredness of the space protected by the icon is emphasized, which is thereby likened to the God-protected city of Edessa /1/.

There is another aspect to this. Emphasizing that the path to God lies only through Him, Jesus calls himself the door, the entrance (John 10:7,9). Since sacred space is associated with the Kingdom of Heaven, by passing under an icon into a temple or altar, we symbolically do what the Gospel invites us to do, i.e. we pass through Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven.

HEAD AND BODY
St. Mandylion is the only icon that shows only the head of Jesus, even without the shoulders. The incorporeality of the face speaks of the primacy of the spirit over the body and gives rise to multiple associations. The head without a body recalls the earthly death of Jesus and creates the image of the Sacrifice, both in the sense of his crucifixion and in the sense of the Eucharistic associations discussed above. The image of one Face corresponds to the Orthodox theology of the icon, according to which the personality is depicted on the icons, and not human nature /12/.

The image of the head also recalls the image of Christ as the Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22,23). If Jesus is the Head of the Church, then believers are its body. The image of the Face continues downward with expanding lines of wet hair. Continuing down into the space of the temple, these lines seem to embrace the believers, who thereby become the Body, expressing the fullness of church existence. On the Novgorod icon, the direction of the hair is emphasized by sharply drawn white lines separating individual strands.

WHAT ST. LOOKED LIKE MANDYLION?
Judging by historical evidence, the Edessa Mandylion was an image on a board stretched over a small board and kept in a closed casket /2/. There was probably a gold frame that left only the face, beard and hair exposed. The Bishop of Samosata, who was tasked with bringing the St. Mandylion from Edessa, had to choose the original from among four contenders. This suggests that already in Edessa, copies were made of the Mandylion, which were also images on a fabric basis stretched on a board. These copies apparently served as the beginning of the tradition of images of the Image Not Made by Hands, since there is no information about the copying of the Mandylion in Constantinople. Since icons in general are usually painted on a fabric base (pavolok) stretched on a board, St. Mandylion is a proto-icon, the prototype of all icons. Of the surviving images, the closest to the original are considered to be several icons of Byzantine origin preserved in Italy, the dating of which is debated. On these icons, the Holy Face has natural dimensions, the facial features are oriental (Syro-Palestinian) /13/.

TABLE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The significance of the Mandylion in Byzantium was comparable to the significance of the Tablets of the Covenant in ancient Israel. The tablets were a central relic of the Old Testament tradition. God himself inscribed on them the commandments, which constituted the main content of the Old Testament. The presence of the Tablets in the Tabernacle and Temple confirmed the authenticity of the Divine origin of the commandments. Since the main thing in the New Testament is Christ himself, the Holy Mandylion is the tablet of the New Testament, its visible God-given image. This motif is clearly heard in the official Byzantine narrative of the history of Mandylion, in which the story of its transfer to Constantinople is consonant with the Biblical account of the transfer of the tablets to Jerusalem by David /14/. Just like the tablets, the Mandylion has never been displayed. Even emperors, when worshiping the Mandylion, kissed the closed casket. As the tablet of the New Testament, the St. Mandylion became the central relic of the Byzantine Empire.

ICON AND RELIC
Byzantine piety strove for a synthesis of icon and relic /15/. Icons often arose as a result of the desire to “multiply” a relic, to consecrate the entire Christian world to it, and not just a small part of the space. The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands reminded not only of the reality of the Savior’s earthly life, but also of the reality and authenticity of Saint Platus himself. The connection with the relic is indicated by the folds of material depicted on many versions of the icon of St. Mandylion. The icons of St. Keramion depict the same face, but the background has the texture of tiles.

However, the direct connection with the relic was not always emphasized. In the icon presented in the title, the Face is depicted on a uniform golden background, symbolizing the Divine Light. In this way, the effect of the presence of Jesus is enhanced, His Divinity and the fact of the Incarnation are emphasized, as well as the fact that the source of salvation is Jesus himself, and not a relic. Wolf /10/ points to the “monumentalization” of the Face, freed from the tissue base, its movement from matter to the sphere of spiritual contemplation. It was also hypothesized that the gold background of the Novgorod icon copies the gold frame of the prototype icon /16/. The Novgorod icon was processional, carried out, which explains its large size (70x80cm). Since the size of the Face is larger than a human face, this image could not claim to be a direct copy of St. Mandylion and served as its symbolic substitute in the services of Holy Week and the feast of the icon on August 16.

Interestingly, the reverse side of the Novgorod Mandylion illustrates the use of icons to “reproduce” relics. It presents a scene of the Adoration of the Cross /17/, containing an image of all the main passionate relics from the Church of Our Lady of Pharos (crown of thorns, sponge, spear, etc. /4/). Since in ancient times the image was considered as a substitute for the depicted, our icon created in the space of the Novgorod temple a kind of equivalent to the Church of Our Lady of Pharos - the main reliquary temple of Byzantium.

INCARNATION AND SANCTIFICATION OF MATTER
The Incarnation is unanimously recognized as the key theme of the Mandylion. Although the appearance of Christ in the material world is the theme of any icon, the story of the miraculous display of the Face of Christ on the board not only confirms with particular clarity the doctrine of the Incarnation, but also creates an image of the continuation of this process after the earthly death of Jesus. Departing from the world, Christ leaves his “imprints” on the souls of believers. Just as St. Mandylion, by the power of the Holy Spirit, passed from board to tile, the same power transfers the image of God from heart to heart. In church iconography, Mandylion and Keramion are sometimes placed at the base of the dome opposite each other, thereby recreating the situation of a miraculous reproduction of the image /1/.

St. Mandylion occupies a special place among both icons and relics. Many relics are ordinary objects that are unique because of their proximity to the Divine (for example, the belt of Our Lady). The mandylion was matter directly changed by purposeful Divine influence and can be considered as a prototype of the transformed materiality of the future century. The reality of the transformation of the Mandylion fabric confirms the real possibility of the deification of man already in this world and foreshadows his transformation in the future, not in the form of a disembodied soul, but as renewed materiality, in which the Image of God will “shine through” human nature in the same way as St. The face shines through the fabric of the Mandylion.

The image of fabric on the icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands has a deeper meaning than just an illustration of the naturalness of St. Plath. The Plata fabric is an image of the material world, already sanctified by the presence of Christ, but still awaiting the coming deification. This is a multi-valued image, reflecting both the potential deification of the matter of our world today (as in the Eucharist), and its future complete deification. The Cloth of Plata also denotes the person himself, in whom Christ has the power to reveal his image. The Eucharistic meaning of the Mandylion is also connected with this circle of images. The image of the Holy Face appearing on the Mandylion is similar to the Body of Christ ontologically existing in the Eucharistic bread. The miraculous image does not illustrate, but complements the sacrament: what is not visible in the Eucharist can be seen in the icon. It is not surprising that St. Mandylion was widely used in the iconographic programs of altars /18,19/.

The question of the nature of the Mandylion, like the paradox of the Incarnation itself, is difficult to rationally comprehend. The mandylion is not an illustration of the Incarnation, but a living example of the incarnation of the Divine into the material. How to understand the holiness of Mandylion? Is only the image itself holy, or is the material also holy? In Byzantium in the 12th century, serious theological debates took place on this topic. The discussion ended with an official statement about the sanctity of only the image, although the practice of venerating this and other relics indicates rather the opposite.

BANNER OF ICON REVERENCE
If the pagans worshiped “Gods made by men” (Acts 19:26), then Christians could contrast this with the Image Not Made by Hands, as a material image made by God. Jesus' creation of his own image was the strongest argument in favor of icon veneration. The icon of the Savior occupies a place of honor in the iconographic programs of Byzantine churches shortly after the victory over iconoclasm.

The tale of Avgar deserves careful reading, as it contains theologically significant ideas related to icon veneration:
(1) Jesus wanted an image of Himself;
(2) He sent His image in His place, thereby confirming the authority to venerate the image as His representative;
(3) He sent the image in response to Abgar's request for healing, which directly confirms the miraculous nature of the icon, as well as the potential healing power of other contact relics.
(4) The previously sent letter does not heal Abgar, which is consistent with the fact that copies of sacred texts, despite the practice of worshiping them, as a rule do not play the role of miraculous relics in the Orthodox tradition.

In the legend of Avgar, the role of the artist is also noteworthy, who turns out to be unable to draw Christ on his own, but brings the customer an image drawn according to the Divine will. This emphasizes that the icon painter is not an artist in the usual sense, but an executor of God’s plan.

A MADE IMAGE IN Rus'
The veneration of the Image Not Made by Hands came to Rus' in the 11th-12th centuries and spread especially widely starting from the second half of the 14th century. In 1355, the newly installed Moscow Metropolitan Alexy brought from Constantinople a list of St. Mandylion, for which a reliquary temple was immediately founded /7/. The veneration of copies of St. Mandylion was introduced as a state cult: churches, monasteries and temple chapels dedicated to the Image Not Made by Hands and receiving the name “Spassky” began to appear throughout the country. Dmitry Donskoy, a student of Metropolitan Alexy, prayed in front of the icon of the Savior after receiving news of Mamai’s attack. The banner with the icon of the Savior accompanied the Russian army on campaigns from the Battle of Kulikovo until the First World War. These banners begin to be called “signs” or “banners”; the word “banner” replaces the Old Russian “flag”. Icons of the Savior are placed on the fortress towers. Just like in Byzantium, the Savior Not Made by Hands becomes a talisman of the city and the country. Images for home use are distributed, as well as miniature images of the Savior, used as amulets /20/. Church buildings in book illustrations and icons begin to be depicted with the icon of the Savior above the entrance as a designation of the Christian church. The Savior becomes one of the central images of Russian Orthodoxy, close in meaning and meaning to the cross and crucifixion.

Perhaps Metropolitan Alexy himself was the initiator of the use of the Immaculate Image in iconostases, which acquired a close to modern appearance precisely in this era /7/. In this regard, a new type of huge icons of the Savior arose with a face size much larger than the natural one. The Holy Face on these icons takes on the features of the Heavenly Jesus, Christ the Judge of the Last Day /21/, which was in tune with the widespread expectations of the near end of the world in that era. This theme was also present in Western Christianity at that time. Dante in the Divine Comedy used the iconography of the Holy Face to describe the sight of the Divine on the Day of Judgment /7/.

The image of the Savior acquired new shades of meaning in the context of the ideas of hesychasm. Images of the Mandylion, especially on large icons, seem to be “charged” with uncreated energy and radiate unearthly power. It is no coincidence that in one of the stories about Mandylion the image itself becomes the source of uncreated Light, similar to Favorsky /14/. A new interpretation of the theme of the transformative Tabor light appears on the icons of Simon Ushakov (17th century), in which the Holy Face itself becomes a source of unearthly radiance /22/.

SERVICE TO AN ICON
The church-wide nature of the worship of St. Mandylion was expressed in the existence of the feast of the icon on August 16, the day the relic was transferred from Edessa to Constantinople. On this day, special biblical readings and stichera are read, expressing theological ideas associated with the icon /12/. The stichera for the holiday conveys the above legend about Avgar. Biblical readings outline the most important stages in the story of the Incarnation. The Old Testament readings remind us of the impossibility of depicting God, who remained invisible, while the Gospel readings contain a key phrase for Mandylion’s theology: “And, turning to the disciples, he said to them especially: blessed are the eyes that have seen what you see!” (Luke 10:23).

There is also a canon for the miraculous image, the authorship of which is attributed to St. Herman of Constantinople /12/.

LITERATURE
/1/ A. M. Lidov. Hierotopy. Spatial icons and paradigm images in Byzantine culture. M., Feoria. 2009. The chapters “Mandylion and Keramion” and “The Holy Face – the Holy Letter – the Holy Gates”, p. 111-162.
/2/ A. M. Lidov. Holy mandylion. History of the relic. In the book “The Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon.” M., 2008, p. 12-39.
/3/ Robert de Clary. Conquest of Constantinople. M., 1986. p. 59-60.
/4/ Relics in Byzantium and Ancient Rus'. Written sources (editor-compiler A.M. Lidov). M., Progress-Tradition, 2006. Part 5. Relics of Constantinople, pp. 167-246. The text of epistula Avgari can be found in Part 7. p. 296-300.
/5/E. Meshcherskaya. Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles. New Testament Apocrypha in Syriac Literature. M., Priscels, 1997. 455 p. See the chapter “Old Russian version of the legend of Avgar according to a 13th century manuscript”,
This version of Epistula Avgari was popular in medieval Russia.
/6/ In Rome there were several ancient images of Christ of Byzantine origin including several copies of St. Mandylion. According to L.M. Evseeva /7/ their images converged and by the 15th century the well-known image of Christ from Veronica’s Platform with long symmetrical strands of hair and a short, slightly forked beard was formed, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_Veronica
This iconographic type also influenced later Russian icons of the Savior. It is also suggested that the name “Veronica” comes from “vera icona” (true image): initially this was the name of the Roman lists of St. Mandylion, then the legend of Veronica arose and the Plat of Veronica itself appeared, the first reliable information about which dates back to 1199.
/7/ L.M.Evseeva. The miraculous image of Christ” by Metropolitan Alexy (1354-1378) in the context of eschatological ideas of the time. In the book “The Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon.” M., 2008, pp. 61-81.
/8/ On many icons of the Savior (including the Novgorod icon in the illustration) one can notice a slight deliberate asymmetry of the face, which, as was shown by N. B. Teteryatnikova, contributes to the “revival” of the icon: the face seems to “turn” towards the viewer looking on the icon at an angle. N. Teteriatnikov. Animated icons on interactive display: the case of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. In the book “Spatial Icons. Performative in Byzantium and Ancient Rus',” ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov, M.: Indrik, 2011, pp. 247-274.
/9/ H. Belting. Likeness and presence. A history of image before the era of art. Ch.11. The Holy Face. The University of Chicago Press, 1992.
/10/ G. Wolf. Holy face and holy feet: preliminary reflections before the Novgorod Mandylion. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2003, 281-290.
/11/Few crosses with portraits of emperors have survived. The earliest example is a 10th century cross with a portrait of Emperor Augustus, kept in the treasury of Aachen Cathedral and used in the coronation ceremonies of the emperors of the Carolingian dynasty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Lothair
/12/ L. I. Uspensky. Theology icons of the Orthodox Church. M., 2008. Ch. 8 “Iconoclastic teaching and the church’s response to it,” p. 87-112.
/13/ See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Holy_Face_-_Genoa.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:39bMandylion.jpg
/14/ The story of the transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands from Edessa to Constantinople. In the book “The Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon.” M., 2008, pp. 415-429. Interestingly, in another Byzantine work, a set of passion relics kept in the Church of Our Lady of Pharos is compared with the Decalogue (ten commandments).
/15/ I. Shalina. The icon “Christ in the tomb” and the miraculous image on the Shroud of Constantinople. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2003, p. 305-336. http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/books/tourin/
/16/ I.A. Sterligova. Precious attire of ancient Russian icons of the 11th-14th centuries. M., 2000, p. 136-138.p.
/17/ Reverse side of the Novgorod Mandylion:
http://all-photo.ru/icon/index.ru.html?big=on&img=28485
/18/Sh. Gerstel. Miraculous Mandylion. The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Byzantine iconographic programs. From the collection “The Miraculous Icon in Byzantium and Ancient Rus',” ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., “Martis”, 1996. pp. 76-89.
http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/books/gerstel.htm.
/19/M. Emanuel. The Savior Not Made by Hands in the iconographic programs of the churches of Mystras. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2003, p. 291-304.
/20/A. V. Ryndin. Reliquary image. The Savior Not Made by Hands in small forms of Russian art XIV-XVI. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2003, p. 569-585.
/21/For an example of such iconography, see
http://www.icon-art.info/masterpiece.php?lng=ru&mst_id=719
/22/ The image of the Savior was the main, programmatic one for Ushakov and was repeated by him many times. Unlike ancient icons, where the Divine light is transmitted in the background and spread across the entire surface of the icon, in Ushakov the “uncreated light” shines through the face itself. Ushakov strove to combine Orthodox principles of icon painting with new technical techniques that would make it possible to convey the Holy Face “light, ruddy, shadowy, shadowy and lifelike.” The new style was approvingly received by most of his contemporaries, but aroused criticism from zealots of antiquity, who called Ushakov’s Savior a “puffy little German.” Many believe that Ushakov’s “light-like” faces convey physical, created rather than uncreated light, and that this style meant the collapse of the Byzantine icon image and its replacement with the aesthetics of Western art, in which the beautiful takes the place of the sublime.

According to the Tradition set forth in the Chetya Menaion, Abgar V Uchama, sick with leprosy, sent his archivist Hannan (Ananias) to Christ with a letter in which he asked Christ to come to Edessa and heal him. Hannan was an artist, and Abgar instructed him, if the Savior could not come, to paint His image and bring it to him.

Hannan found Christ surrounded by a dense crowd; he stood on a stone from which he could see better and tried to portray the Savior. Seeing that Hannan wanted to make His portrait, Christ asked for water, washed himself, wiped His face with a cloth, and His image was imprinted on this cloth. The Savior handed this board to Hannan with the command to take it with a reply letter to the one who sent it. In this letter, Christ refused to go to Edessa himself, saying that he must fulfill what he was sent to do. Upon completion of His work, He promised to send one of His disciples to Abgar.

Having received the portrait, Avgar was healed of his main illness, but his face remained damaged.

After Pentecost, the holy Apostle Thaddeus went to Edessa. Preaching the Good News, he baptized the king and most of the population. Coming out of the baptismal font, Abgar discovered that he was completely healed and gave thanks to the Lord. By order of Avgar, the holy obrus (plate) was glued onto a board of rotting wood, decorated and placed above the city gates instead of the idol that had previously been there. And everyone had to worship the “miraculous” image of Christ, as the new heavenly patron of the city.

However, the grandson of Abgar, having ascended the throne, planned to return the people to the worship of idols and, for this purpose, destroy the Image Not Made by Hands. The Bishop of Edessa, warned in a vision about this plan, ordered to wall up the niche where the Image was located, placing a lit lamp in front of it.

Over time, this place was forgotten.

In 544, during the siege of Edessa by the troops of the Persian king Chozroes, the Bishop of Edessa, Eulalis, was given a revelation about the whereabouts of the Icon Not Made by Hands. Having dismantled the brickwork in the indicated place, the residents saw not only a perfectly preserved image and a lamp that had not gone out for so many years, but also the imprint of the Most Holy Face on the ceramics - a clay board that covered the holy lining.

After a religious procession with the Image Not Made by Hands along the city walls, the Persian army retreated.

A linen cloth with the image of Christ was kept in Edessa for a long time as the most important treasure of the city. During the period of iconoclasm, John of Damascus referred to the Image Not Made by Hands, and in 787, the Seventh Ecumenical Council, citing it as the most important evidence in favor of icon veneration. In 944, the Byzantine emperors Constantine Porphyrogenitus and Roman I bought the Image Not Made by Hands from Edessa. Crowds of people surrounded and brought up the rear of the procession as the Image Miraculous was transferred from the city to the bank of the Euphrates, where galleys awaited the procession to cross the river. Christians began to grumble, refusing to give up the holy Image unless there was a sign from God. And a sign was given to them. Suddenly the galley, onto which the Image Not Made by Hands had already been brought, swam without any action and landed on the opposite shore.

The silent Edessians returned to the city, and the procession with the Icon moved further along the dry route. Throughout the journey to Constantinople, miracles of healing were performed continuously. The monks and saints accompanying the Image Not Made by Hands traveled around the entire capital by sea with a magnificent ceremony and installed the holy Image in the Pharos Church. In honor of this event, on August 16, the church holiday of the Transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands (Ubrus) of the Lord Jesus Christ from Edessa to Constantinople was established.

For exactly 260 years the Image Not Made by Hands was preserved in Constantinople (Constantinople). In 1204, the Crusaders turned their weapons against the Greeks and captured Constantinople. Along with a lot of gold, jewelry and sacred objects, they captured and transported to the ship the Image Not Made by Hands. But, according to the inscrutable fate of the Lord, the Miraculous Image did not remain in their hands. As they sailed across the Sea of ​​Marmara, a terrible storm suddenly arose and the ship quickly sank. The greatest Christian shrine has disappeared. This ends the story of the true Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

There is a legend that the Image Not Made by Hands was transferred around 1362 to Genoa, where it is kept in a monastery in honor of the Apostle Bartholomew. In the Orthodox icon painting tradition there are two main types of images of the Holy Face: “Savior on the Ubrus”, or “Ubrus” and “Savior on the Chrepiya”, or “Chrepiya”.

On icons of the “Spas on the Ubrus” type, the image of the Savior’s face is placed against the background of a cloth, the fabric of which is gathered into folds, and its upper ends are tied with knots. Around the head is a halo, a symbol of holiness. The color of the halo is usually golden. Unlike the haloes of saints, the halo of the Savior has an inscribed cross. This element is found only in the iconography of Jesus Christ. In Byzantine images it was decorated with precious stones. Later, the cross in halos began to be depicted as consisting of nine lines according to the number of nine angelic ranks and three Greek letters were inscribed (I am Jehovah), and on the sides of the halo in the background were placed the abbreviated name of the Savior - IC and HS. Such icons in Byzantium were called “Holy Mandylion” (Άγιον Μανδύλιον from the Greek μανδύας - “ubrus, cloak”).

On icons such as “The Savior on the Chrepiya”, or “Chrepiye”, according to legend, the image of the Savior’s face after the miraculous acquisition of the ubrus was also imprinted on the ceramide tiles with which the Image Not Made by Hands was covered. Such icons in Byzantium were called “Saint Keramidion”. There is no image of the board on them, the background is smooth, and in some cases imitates the texture of tiles or masonry.

The most ancient images were made on a clean background, without any hint of material or tiles. The earliest surviving icon of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” - a Novgorod double-sided image of the 12th century - is located in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Ubrus with folds begins to spread on Russian icons from the 14th century.

Images of the Savior with a wedge-shaped beard (converging to one or two narrow ends) are also known in Byzantine sources, however, only on Russian soil they took shape into a separate iconographic type and received the name “Savior of Wet Brad”.

In the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God in the Kremlin there is one of the revered and rare icons - “The Ardent Eye of Savior”. It was written in 1344 for the old Assumption Cathedral. It depicts the stern face of Christ looking piercingly and sternly at the enemies of Orthodoxy - Rus' during this period was under the yoke of the Tatar-Mongols.

“The Savior Not Made by Hands” is an icon especially revered by Orthodox Christians in Rus'. It has always been present on Russian military flags since the time of the Mamaev Massacre.

A.G. Namerovsky. Sergius of Radonezh blesses Dmitry Donskoy for a feat of arms

Through many of His icons the Lord manifested Himself, revealing wondrous miracles. So, for example, in the village of Spassky, near the city of Tomsk, in 1666, one Tomsk painter, to whom the village residents ordered an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for their chapel, set to work according to all rules. He called on the residents to fast and pray, and on the prepared board he painted the face of the saint of God so that he could work with paints the next day. But the next day, instead of Saint Nicholas, I saw on the board the outlines of the Miraculous Image of Christ the Savior! Twice he restored the features of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, and twice the face of the Savior was miraculously restored on the board. The same thing happened a third time. This is how the icon of the Miraculous Image was written on the board. The rumor about the sign that had taken place spread far beyond Spassky, and pilgrims began to flock here from everywhere. Quite a lot of time had passed; due to dampness and dust, the constantly open icon had become dilapidated and required restoration. Then, on March 13, 1788, the icon painter Daniil Petrov, with the blessing of Abbot Palladius, the abbot of the monastery in Tomsk, began to remove the former face of the Savior from the icon with a knife in order to paint a new one. I already took a full handful of paints from the board, but the holy face of the Savior remained unchanged. Fear fell on everyone who saw this miracle, and since then no one has dared to update the image. In 1930, like most churches, this temple was closed and the icon disappeared.

The miraculous image of Christ the Savior, erected by no one knows who and no one knows when, in the city of Vyatka on the porch (porch in front of the church) of the Ascension Cathedral, became famous for the countless healings that took place before it, mainly from eye diseases. A distinctive feature of the Vyatka Savior Not Made by Hands is the image of angels standing on the sides, whose figures are not fully depicted. Until 1917, the copy of the miraculous Vyatka icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands hung on the inside above the Spassky Gate of the Moscow Kremlin. The icon itself was delivered from Khlynov (Vyatka) and left in the Moscow Novospassky Monastery in 1647. The exact list was sent to Khlynov, and the second one was installed above the gates of the Frolovskaya tower. In honor of the image of the Savior and the fresco of the Savior of Smolensk on the outside, the gate through which the icon was delivered and the tower itself were named Spassky.

Another miraculous image of the Savior Not Made by Hands is located in the Transfiguration Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The icon was painted for Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich by the famous icon painter Simon Ushakov. It was handed over by the queen to her son, Peter I. He always took the icon with him on military campaigns, and he was with it when laying the foundation of St. Petersburg. This icon saved the life of the king more than once. Emperor Alexander III carried a list of this miraculous icon with him. During the crash of the Tsar's train on the Kursk-Kharkov-Azov Railway on October 17, 1888, he emerged from the destroyed carriage along with his entire family unharmed. The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands was also preserved intact, even the glass in the icon case remained intact.

In the collection of the State Museum of Art of Georgia there is an encaustic icon of the 7th century, called the “Anchiskhat Savior”, representing Christ from the chest. Georgian folk tradition identifies this icon with the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands from Edessa.

In the West, the legend of the Savior Not Made by Hands became widespread as the legend of the Payment of Saint Veronica. According to it, the pious Jewish woman Veronica, who accompanied Christ on His way of the cross to Calvary, gave Him a linen handkerchief so that Christ could wipe the blood and sweat from his face. The face of Jesus was imprinted on the handkerchief. The relic, called the “Veronica board”, is kept in the Cathedral of St. Peter's in Rome. Presumably, the name Veronica, when mentioning the Image Not Made by Hands, arose as a distortion of Lat. vera icon (true image). In Western iconography, a distinctive feature of the images of the “Plate of Veronica” is the crown of thorns on the head of the Savior.

According to Christian tradition, the miraculous Image of the Savior Jesus Christ is one of the proofs of the truth of the incarnation in human image of the second person of the Trinity. The ability to capture the image of God, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, is associated with the Incarnation, that is, the birth of Jesus Christ, God the Son, or, as believers usually call Him, the Savior, the Savior. Before His birth, the appearance of icons was unreal - God the Father is invisible and incomprehensible, therefore, incomprehensible. Thus, the first icon painter was God himself, His Son - “the image of His hypostasis” (Heb. 1.3). God acquired a human face, the Word became flesh for the salvation of man.

Troparion, tone 2

We worship Your most pure image, O Good One, asking for forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God: for by the will of Thou didst deign to ascend in the flesh to the cross, that Thou mightest deliver what Thou hast created from the work of the enemy. We also cry out to You with gratitude: You have filled all with joy, our Savior, who came to save the world.

Kontakion, tone 2