Our Lady of Kazan: Liberator of Russia

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Kazan has the sad face of the Russian Virgins, with the Baby Jesus held tightly against her chest. The icon is covered by an oklad - a silver or gold carapace - inlaid with precious stones. This Virgin had the reputation of returning sight to the blind, who gave her in return, out of their immense gratitude, high-quality emeralds to decorate her frame. Its history has been known since the day when a large fire destroyed a part of the town of Kazan in 1579. The icon was discovered that year under the debris of a burned house, by a ten year old girl, to whom the Virgin Mary had appeared several times, giving her instructions to search in that particular place. This Madonna and Child came to be venerated as the "Liberator of Russia", and was seen on the standards used during the battles against the Swedes or Napoleon. In 1918, Tsar Nicholas II consecrated his Empire to her as his last political act. He was arrested a few days afterwards and, on Trotsky's order, was executed with all his family. The icon of Kazan disappeared during the horrors of the Russian Revolution. Many thought that it was burned in the great auto-da-fe of icons and holy images of this period. However in 1965, it turned up on sale by a large New York antique dealer, without its oklad and very much damaged. The asking price was $500.000, a fabulous sum for the time. The Soviet government was in on the auction, but the Russians of the Diaspora managed to repurchase it and have it restored. The icon was transferred to Fatima at Domus Pacis, because of the prophecies in favor of Russia. Domus Pacis, an armored, vaulted room in the chapel, was built especially for the icon. John Paul II, to whom it was given at the time of one of his visits, charged his legate, the Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for the Unity of Christians, to give it back to the Russians on August 28, 2004, on the feast day of the Dormition of the Virgin, during a long ceremony in which the rich Orthodox liturgy was used in the imposing framework of the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Kremlin.