September 8 — Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: the story of the image, prayer

Every year on September 8, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, one of the most revered images of the Mother of God in Russia. The holiday was established in memory of its bringing to Moscow in 1395 and the liberation of the city from the invasion of Tamerlane. In 2026, the date falls on a Tuesday. Read about the history of the shrine, the meaning of the holiday and powerful prayers in the Izvestia article.

Days of commemoration of the Vladimir Icon of the Virgin

In the church calendar, three days are dedicated to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: June 3, July 6, and September 8. Each of them is associated with a separate stage in the centuries-old history of the shrine and its veneration in Russia.

The September celebration is connected with the events of 1395. On September 8, according to the new style, Muscovites greeted the Vladimir Icon after a multi-day procession from Vladimir. At the same time, Tamerlane's army, which had already invaded Russian lands, suddenly stopped moving and retreated. This was perceived by the Church as the intercession of the Mother of God, and the day became a separate holiday, the name of which reflects its essence — the word "candlemas" means "meeting".

Another celebration falls on July 6th. Initially, the date was associated with the final transfer of the Vladimir Icon to Moscow in 1480. Later, it began to be correlated with the confrontation between Grand Duke Ivan III and Khan Akhmat, which ended with the Great Stand on the Ugra and the departure of the Horde army.

The third day of veneration, June 3— is associated with the events of 1521, when the troops of the Crimean Khan Mahmet Giray approached Moscow, but then retreated.

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Church tradition attributes the origin of the Vladimir icon to apostolic times. According to him, the Virgin and Child of Christ was painted by the Evangelist Luke on the board from the table where the Savior, the Virgin Mary and Joseph the Betrothed ate.

In 1130, the shrine was brought from Constantinople to Russia by Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich, the son of Vladimir Monomakh. The icon was placed in a convent in Vyshgorod near Kiev, where it remained until the middle of the 12th century.

In 1155, Prince Andrey, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, the future Andrei Bogolyubsky, left Kievan land and went to the northeast of Russia, taking the icon with him. At first it was located in the princely residence in Bogolyubov, and after the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir in 1158-1160, it was moved there and became one of the main shrines of the city. It was from Vladimir that the image later got its name.

The icon was taken out to religious processions, and the prince, his retinue, and the inhabitants of the city prayed in front of it. In 1163-1164, the Legend of the Miracles of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God appeared, one of the oldest Russian texts of its kind. In 1164, Andrei Bogolyubsky took the image on a campaign against Volga Bulgaria, and the victory was perceived as a manifestation of the help of the Virgin.

The shrine also went through difficult times for Vladimir. During the great fire of 1185, the Assumption Cathedral was severely damaged, but the icon itself was saved. In 1238, the city was captured by Batu's troops. The cathedral was looted, the precious decorations were removed from the image, but it itself was preserved.

The Day of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God: the mystery of the shrine, which has been revered for centuries

In cultural memory, it has become a symbol of "victory without a battle."

By the end of the 14th century, the political center of the Russian lands gradually moved from Vladimir to Moscow. In the summer of 1395, the troops of Emir Timur, known in Russia as Tamerlane, or Temir-Aksak, invaded the Russian lands, captured and ravaged Yelets and threatened further advance towards Moscow. Grand Duke Vasily I Dmitrievich, the son of Dmitry Donskoy, led his army to the Oka River to meet the enemy there.

However, the situation remained extremely difficult. In this regard, the Prince and Metropolitan Cyprian ordered the transfer of the main Russian shrine from Vladimir to Moscow. On August 28, the icon was taken out of the Assumption Cathedral. The journey took several days. Residents of the towns and villages through which the procession passed came out to meet the procession and prayed in front of the icon.

On September 8, 1395, the shrine was met on Kuchkovo Field near Moscow. Together with Metropolitan Cyprian, the clergy, princes and many townspeople came out to the icon. On the same day, it became known that Tamerlane unexpectedly stopped the offensive and turned his troops back. According to church tradition, he saw in a dream the Blessed Virgin surrounded by heavenly hosts, who told him to leave the Russian lands.

After that, the icon was moved to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, and the Sretensky Monastery later appeared on the site of the historic meeting. In 1480, the shrine was brought back from Vladimir to the capital on the eve of the confrontation between Ivan III and Khan Akhmat.

Where is the Vladimir Icon now?

In the XVI–XVII centuries, the Vladimir icon was perceived as one of the main sacred symbols of the state. Grand dukes and tsars prayed before it, and prayers were performed at the image when the sovereigns ascended the throne. The image itself was repeatedly updated and received precious salaries.

After the revolution, restorers cleaned the ancient painting of later paint and darkened drying oil. It was transferred to the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery, and since 1999 it has been located in a specially equipped kiosk of the church museum of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi.

In the spring of 2026, the shrine was moved from the Tretyakov Gallery to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The Vladimir icon remains a part of the state museum fund and continues to be listed in the collection of the gallery, whose specialists monitor its safety.

Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God — the meaning of the image

The Vladimir icon belongs to the iconographic type of "Tenderness", or "Eleusa". The Mother of God holds the Infant Christ, who presses His cheek to Her face and hugs His Mother. One of the recognizable details of the image is the Baby's left foot turned towards the viewer. The external tenderness of the composition is combined with sorrow. In the appearance of the Virgin, the church tradition sees a premonition of the future sufferings of the Son of God.

The Vladimir icon is two-sided. On its back is an image of the "Prepared Throne" with the Gospel and the instruments of Christ's Passion. Thus, both sides of the shrine are united by the theme of the future sacrifice of Christ.

How does the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God help?

The divine service in honor of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God begins on the evening of September 7, and on the day of the feast, the Divine Liturgy is served. In churches and monasteries where the Vladimir icon is especially revered, prayer services and processions may be added to it.

The history of the veneration of the image is primarily connected with prayers for protection from wars and disasters. Therefore, before the Vladimir Icon, it is traditional to ask for peace, an end to hostility, protection of relatives and the country, and help for people in danger.

The Mother of God is also invoked in difficult personal circumstances: when it is necessary to make a difficult decision, find the strength to survive a loss, maintain mental balance, or reconcile with a loved one. A special place is occupied by requests for strengthening faith, getting rid of despair and the ability not to become embittered during trials.

They pray in front of the St. Vladimir's Icon for the family — for the consent between spouses, the preservation of marriage, the well-being of children, assistance to mothers and a successful birth.

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Orthodox Christians turn to him with prayers, believing in his intercession.

Before the image, they also ask for health and relief from serious illnesses. Church chronicles mention the healing of people with heart disease, visual impairment, and other ailments. At the same time, prayer does not imply a refusal of medical care, an appeal to the Mother of God and treatment by a doctor do not contradict each other.

Finally, people who are faced with injustice, strong resentment or internal discord come to the Vladimir Icon. In such a prayer, the request may be not only for a change in circumstances, but also for the ability to pass the test yourself without hatred, fear, and the desire to respond with evil to evil.

Strong prayers to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

In the Orthodox tradition, there is a special prayer in front of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, as well as a troparion and other liturgical texts. They can be read according to the prayer book.

Prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God:

"Oh, Most Merciful Lady Theotokos, Heavenly Queen, All-powerful Intercessor, our shameless Hope! Thanking You for all the great benefits that have been given to the Russian people from You throughout the generations, we beseech You before Your most pure image: preserve this city (or: all this, or: this holy monastery) and Your upcoming servants and the whole Russian Land from glade, destruction, earth quake, flood, fire, sword, invasions of foreigners and internecine warfare.

Preserve and save, Madam, our Great Lord and Father (name), His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and our Lord (name), His Grace the Bishop (or: archbishop, or: metropolitan) (title), and all His Grace the metropolitans, archbishops and bishops of the Orthodox Church.

Grant them to govern the Russian Church well, and to keep the faithful sheep of Christ unshakable. Remember, O Lady, the entire priestly and monastic order, warm their hearts with zeal for God and strengthen them worthy of their title.

Save, O Lady, and have mercy on all Thy servants, and grant us the way of the earthly career to pass without blemish. Strengthen us in the faith of Christ and in zeal for the Orthodox Church, put into our hearts the spirit of the fear of God, the spirit of piety, the spirit of humility, grant us patience in adversity, abstinence in prosperity, love for our neighbors, forgiveness for the enemy, and prosperity in good deeds.

Deliver us from every temptation and from petrified insensitivity, and on the terrible day of Judgment, through Your intercession, grant us to stand at the right hand of Your Son, Christ our God, to whom befits all glory, honor, and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen to that."

Earlier, Izvestia told what they pray to the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God.