Church of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God in Marushkino
The church of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God in Marushkino is located at 8 possession, Privolnaya Street. In 1622, when the Persian Shah Abbas conquered Georgia, many Christian shrines were exported to Persia and sold to Russian merchants. Among them was a Georgian icon of the Mother of God, decorated with silver and gold. It was acquired by the merchant Stefan, who reverently preserved the shrine. At the same time, the Yaroslavl merchant Georgy Lytkin, who was connected with Stefan`s business affairs, received a revelation in a dream about the acquired icon and an order to transfer it to the Montenegrin monastery of the Arkhangelsk diocese, founded in 1603. When Stefan returned to his homeland in 1629 and showed the icon to Lytkin, he remembered his vision and took the shrine to the Montenegrin monastery. (later renamed Krasnogorsk). It was there that the icon became famous for numerous miracles. In 1654, during the pestilence epidemic, the icon was brought to Moscow, and many who prayed in front of it escaped the deadly disease. Today, the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God is located in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Nikitniki in Moscow. Numerous copies of this icon are kept in various churches, including the Church of St. Martin the Confessor in Moscow, the Theotokos Monastery of Raifa in the Kazan diocese, as well as in the church in honour of the Georgian Icon in St. Petersburg, which was destroyed in 1935. This indicates a deep reverence for the shrine. In 1658, with the blessing of Patriarch Nikon, an annual celebration was established in honour of the Georgian icon. The service for this holiday was composed in 1698 by Feodor Polikarpov, the caretaker of the Moscow Printing House. The Georgian icon belongs to the type of Odigitria (Guidebook), which emphasizes the role of the Virgin as a mentor on the way to God. In the icon, the Virgin Mary holds the baby Jesus on her left arm and points at Him with Her right hand. The Christ child holds a scroll in his left hand and blesses with his right. The head of the Virgin is bowed to her Son, which symbolizes humility and love. This image reminds believers of the need to keep God in their hearts, strive for Him and fulfill His commandments.
Address: Marushkino village, Privolnaya street, 8
