Icon of the Mother of God “Sign” Kursk-Korennaya
On the Kursk or Root Miraculous Icon, the Mother of God is depicted standing in a prayerful position with raised children and with the Most Holy Child in her womb.. Icons with such an image of the Mother of God among the Greeks were called deisus. (prayers), and we call Znamensky, from the word – "a sign" or miracle. For the first time, the Theotokos Icon in Novgorod was named Znamenskaya from the miracle it committed in 1169 year. Many miracles, committed by the Most Holy Theotokos through the Kursk Icon, also served as the basis for the name of its Znamenskaya.
Board, which depicts the Mother of God, is a small square in length and width over 3 and 1/2 cream, inserted into the same form of a wooden salary. It contains images: top view icons – The Lord of Hosts with His Coming From the Bowels of His Saint. Spirit, and on the sides of it – prophets, with scrolls in hand and corresponding sayings from their writings. The faces of all the prophets are turned to the image of the Mother of God and the eternal Child.
King and Prophet Solomon is depicted on the right side of the icon holding in his right hand a scroll with a saying: "wisdom builds a house for itself". Behind him are the prophets in descending order.: Daniel, in the left hand of which is a scroll with a saying: "az videh gora kamennaya", Jeremiah with a scroll in his left hand, on which is written: "they are coming, Glagoliet Lord…” And others. Elijah with a scroll in both hands, on which saying – "I was jealous of God".
On the left side of the icon, in the same descending order, depicted: king and prophet David with a scroll in his left hand and a saying on it: "resurrect. God. into your rest", the prophet Moses with a scroll in both hands and an inscription: “I saw the bush of fire”; the prophet Isaiah with a scroll in his right hand and a saying – "behold the Virgin in the womb will receive"; judge Gideon with a scroll in his left hand, on which it is written – "Drop down like rain on a fleece".
A row of prophetic faces on the icon below is enclosed by the image of the prophet Habakkuk, with an inscription on a scroll in both his hands – "God will come from the south". Since the icon of the Sign depicts the greatest event in the world - the Incarnation of the Son of God (Emmanuel in the womb of the Mother of God), predicted by the above-mentioned prophets, therefore they are depicted on it with scrolls and messianic sayings.
All images on the icon are bordered by a precious pearl robe and a pearl salary.. The fields of this salary, free from images, are covered with velvet, with golden flowers embroidered on it and small stains of herbs. The richness of the decorations on the icon is increased by multi-colored stones, giving it great artistic beauty and rare splendor.
The history of finding the icon of the Mother of God “Sign” Kursk-Korennaya