The Smolensk Icon protected Moscow during a battle

The Smolensk “Hodegetria” 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 (Mother of God), probably at the request of the prefect of Antioch. From Antioch the holy image was transferred to Jerusalem, then to Constantinople in the Blachernae Church. At the beginning of the 12th century it was transferred into the Smolensk cathedral Church (Russia) in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. From that time, the icon was known as the Smolensk Hodegetria.

In 1398, it was sent to Moscow, to the Annunciation cathedral of the Kremlin, and in 1456, at the request of the inhabitants of Smolensk it was solemnly returned to Smolensk in a church procession. Moscow kept two copies. In 1602 another copy was painted from the wonderworking icon which they placed in the tower of the Smolensk fortress wall over the Dneprovsk Gates, under a specially constructed shelter.

The new copy took on the power of the old image, and when the Russian armies left Smolensk on August 5, 1812, they took a copy of the icon to defend themselves from the enemy forces of Napoleon. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino they carried this icon through the camp, to encourage and inspire the soldiers to be brave.

Thus were these sister-icons preserved, and the Mother of God defended Russia through her icons. After the victory over the enemy forces the icon was returned to Smolensk together with its glorified copy.

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 and in memory of the expulsion of the enemy from Russia. The holy icon of the Hodegetria Mother of God is one of the chief holy objects of the Russian Church. Believers have received and continue to receive from it a abundant graces.

Adapted from Smolensk