Celebration of the miracle icon of the Mother of God in Vladimir
In 1480, the wicked Ahmat, the Khan of the Great Horde, came with a large army to the river Ugra to start a war with the great prince John Vasilievich. Moscow was threatened with a siege.
Archbishop of Rostov, died in 1515), fought against the Tatars at the Ugra River; both saints earnestly begged the great prince to fight bravely against the pagans to defend the Orthodox faith.
But with particular courage and directness, the great prince, the Rostov Saint Vassinian, urged him not to make peace with Akhmat, as some charming people advised him, but to go out courageously to meet the "godless language of the Agaryans", jealous of his great-grandfather Dmitry, "in the face of the rational wolf of Mamay".
Finally, the representation of the Most Holy Mother of God performed a marvelous miracle, fear attacked the Tatars, and they, fearing each other, fled, not being chased by anyone.
In 1509 in captivity.] and returned to Moscow with his entire army, all the people were filled with great joy, praising God and the Most Holy Mother of God for the glorious deliverance ["Let not the frivolous boast of their fear of weapons, - said Russian chroniclers about this miracle, - no, not weapons, not human wisdom, but the Lord himself saved Russia now".].
Since that time, a new holiday was established in the city of Moscow in honor of the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, called Vladimir, so on this day, June 23, a procession is made in glory and thanks to the Savior of the whole world, Christ, our God, and His Pure Mother.
Today the most glorious city of Moscow is brightly beautified, as the sunrise received the Lady, your miraculous icon, to which now we come, and we pray to you, we call to you: O glorious Lady of the Mother of God! Pray through you, incarnate Christ our God, that he may save this city, and all the cities and Christian countries from all the enemies, and save our souls, as merciful.
To the gathered voivodeship victorious, as rid of evil by the coming of Your honest image, Our Lady, we lightly celebrate the feast of Your meeting, and usually we call You: rejoice, bride unknown.
This day commemorates the martyrs Eustochius, Gaius, Urvanus and others who were martyred under Maximian in Ancyra in the early 4th century.
The fourth voice, the throbbing.
Tropar, voice 4: Today the most glorious city of Moscow is being beautified, as the sun has taken the sunlight of the Lord, your marvelous icon, to which we now approach, and pray to you: O most glorious Lord of the Mother Goddess, pray to you, incarnate Christ our God, to deliver this city, and all the cities and lands of Christianity from all the lies of the enemy, and to save our souls, as mercy.
The condac, voice eight.
Kondack, voice 8: The chosen warrior is victorious, as she has been delivered from evil by the coming of Your honest image, Our Lady, we make a celebration of Your encounter bright, and usually call You: rejoice, bride unmarried. ______________________________________ 1 On this day (23 June) in Moscow a solemn crusade from the Cathedral of the Assumption to the Srecenic Monastery with the miraculous Vladimir icon is performed.
The first such crusade, on the occasion of the establishment, is on 26 August, in memory of the liberation of Russia from Tamerlane's invasion in 1395; terrified by the terrible phenomenon of the Virgin Mary, Tamerlane left Russia on the same day and hour when the kneeling Muscovites met the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary brought from Vladimir to Moscow by order of Grand Duke Vasiliy Dmitrievich, in battle with an enemy who was more concerned with the power of God than with his weapons.
5 The Metropolitan wrote a council letter to the great prince in the camp at Ugra, urging him to take a courageous stand against the Christian-hating enemy. But with particular courage and frankness he warned the great prince hierarch Rostovsky Vassian not to make peace with Ahmat, as he was advised by "some charming men", but to go out boldly to meet the "godless language of the Agarians", jealous of his ancestor Dmitry, "in the face of the wise wolf Mamaia". 6 The great prince from 1498; the mind. in 1509 in captivity.