Icon of the Virgin of Vladimir

Description Icon of the Virgin of Vladimir

This icon of the Virgin Vladimir enjoys a very great veneration in the Russian people. Its author is unknown. This gave free rein to the legend attributing this icon of Vladimir to Saint Luke, but no historical document confirms this attribution.
According to some documents, the story of this icon of the Virgin of Vladimir begins with his arrival in Kiev in 1131 from Constantinople. It is a gift from the Patriarch of this city to the Grand Duke of Kiev, Yuri Dolgoruky, founder of Moscow. First placed in a Ukrainian monastery 30 km from Kiev, it was transported by Prince Andrei Bogolioubski, son of the previous, to Vladimir who became the political capital. By this we understand that Vladimir is not the name of the painter but the name of a locality about 200 km west of Moscow. The prince built a cathedral called Our Lady of the Dormition of Vladimir to welcome this religious icon. since then she was called the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir, Vladimirskaya in Russian.
In 1395 she was transported to the Cathedral of the Dormition in Moscow where she remained until 1917. She was the object of great veneration on the part of the Russian people and the tsars especially on the day of their coronation.
On this religious icon we find characteristics specific to Byzantine iconographic art:
- the head of the Blessed Virgin is disproportionate at the level of the skull to signify that she is full of the Holy Spirit. If this disproportion is also found on the icons of saints, it is especially true for Her since according to the word of the Angel Gabriel the day of the Annunciation, she is "full of graces".
- The two stars that we see one on the forehead and one on the left shoulder symbolizes the virginity of Mary. Normally, there is a third on the right shoulder, but this star is invisible since it is hidden by the Child Jesus. These three stars recall the virginity of Mary before, during, and after birth.
The icon of Our Lady of Vladimir is an icon of the type of tenderness because of the cheek against cheek of the Mother of God and the Child Jesus.

All the icons, except formats PRA and PRB, are provided with a hole on the back, so they are easily fixable to a wall. This hole is notched to facilitate its centering. The icons may also be displayed on an easel.

For the format M103B see the easels IKNBZML12 or HCPL1
For the format ML103B see the easel IKNBZML12
For the format G103B see the easel IKNG27
For the format TG103B see the easels RVAGL42 or IKNSTG40
For the format PRB103B see the easel IKNPR74

You will find the easels in the tab or in the category "Accessories"