The Smolensk icon saved Moscow in 1812

The Smolensk Hodigitria Icon of the Theotokos, or “She who leads the way,” was, according to Church Tradition, painted by the holy Evangelist Luke during the earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos. It allegedly went from Antioch to Jerusalem, then to Constantinople, where it was kept in the Blachernae Church.

In 1046, when the Byzantine emperor, Constantine IX Monomachos (1042-1054), gave his daughter Anna in marriage to Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich, he blessed her on her way with this icon. After the death of Prince Vsevolod the icon went to his son Vladimir Monomachos, who transferred it at the beginning of the 12th century into the Smolensk Cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. From that time, the icon was known as the Smolensk Hodigitria.

Ecclesial tradition attributes victory to her during the siege of the city of Smolensk by the Tatars in 1239. The icon was then transported to the Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow until 1456, before returning later to Smolensk.

However, in Moscow there remained copies of the icon. One was put in the Annunciation Cathedral, and the other was put in the Novodevichi Monastery, the other placed in the tower of the Smolensk fortress wall, later converted into a stone church. The celebration in honor of this wonderworking icon on July 28th was established in the year 1525 in memory of the return of Smolensk to Russia.

The original icon returned to Moscow during the War of 1812 against Napoleon to protect the city. She toured the walls of the White City and the Kremlin with the miraculous icons of Our Lady of Heaven and Our Lady of Vladimir, the day of the Russian victory at Borodino. After the victory the Hodigitria Icon was returned to Smolensk together with its glorified copy.

The holy Hodigitria Icon is one of the chief holy objects of the Russian Orthodox Church. Believers have received and do receive abundant graces from it.

When Moscow was burned, the icon was sent to Yaroslavl and then to Smolensk. It was then at the Dormition Cathedral in Smolensk, and it remained there even when the cathedral was closed in 1929. During the German occupation from 1941 to 1943, the icon disappeared and has never been found since.

The icons of Our Lady of Smolensk show the Madonna with the Child Jesus seated on his mother's left arm. The Madonna makes a sign with her hand towards Jesus, as if to show the way, while her Son blesses with his right hand.

The Marie de Nazareth team