Miraculous icon “Savior Not Made by Hands. Icon “Savior Not Made by Hands” – what it protects from, what it helps with

Origin

There are two groups of legends about the origin of the relic, which served as the source of iconography, each of which reports its miraculous origin.

Reconstruction of the Constantinople Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands

Eastern version of the legend

The eastern version of the legend about the Image Not Made by Hands can be traced in Syrian sources from the 4th century. The miraculous image of Christ was captured for the king of Edessa (Mesopotamia, modern city of Sanliurfa, Turkey) Abgar V Ukkama after the artist he sent failed to depict Christ: Christ washed his face, wiped it with a cloth (ubrus), on which an imprint remained, and handed it to the artist. Thus, according to legend, the Mandylion became the first icon in history.

Linen cloth with the image of Christ for a long time was kept in Edessa as the most important treasure of the city. During the period of iconoclasm, John of Damascus referred to the Image Not Made by Hands, and in 787 the Seventh Ecumenical Council, citing it as the most important evidence in favor of icon veneration. On August 29, 944, the image was bought from Edessa by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus and solemnly transferred to Constantinople, this day became a church calendar as a general church holiday. The relic was stolen from Constantinople during the sack of the city by participants in the IV Crusade in 1204, after which it was lost (according to legend, the ship carrying the icon was wrecked).

The closest to the original image are considered to be the Mandylion from the Temple of San Silvestro in Capite, now located in the Santa Matilda Chapel of the Vatican, and the Mandylion, kept in the Church of St. Bartholomew in Genoa since 1384. Both icons are painted on canvas, mounted on wooden bases, have the same format (approximately 29x40 cm) and are covered with a flat silver frame, cut along the contours of the head, beard and hair. In addition, the wings of a triptych with the now lost centerpiece from the monastery of St. can testify to the appearance of the original relic. Catherine in Sinai. According to the most daring hypotheses, the “original” Savior Not Made by Hands, sent to Abgar, served as the mediator.

Western version of the legend

Holy Face of Manopello

The Western version of the legend arose from different sources from the 13th to the 15th centuries, most likely among Franciscan monks. According to him, the pious Jewish Veronica, who accompanied Christ on His way of the cross to Calvary, gave Him a linen handkerchief so that Christ could wipe the blood and sweat from his face. The face of Jesus was imprinted on the handkerchief. The relic called " Veronica's board"Kept in the Cathedral of St. Peter's in Rome. Presumably, the name Veronica, when mentioning the Image Not Made by Hands, arose as a distortion of Lat. vera icon (true image). In Western iconography distinctive feature images of the “Plate of Veronica” - a crown of thorns on the head of the Savior.

At one time, the now canceled constellation was named in honor of the “Plate of Veronica”. On the scarf, when held up to the light, you can see the image of the face of Jesus Christ. Attempts to examine the image established that the image was not painted with paint or any known organic materials. IN given time scientists intend to continue research.

At least two “Veronica’s Fees” are known: 1. in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and 2. “The Face from Manopello”, which is also called “Veil of Veronica”, but there is no crown of thorns on it, the drawing is positive, the proportions of the parts of the face are disturbed (the lower eyelid of the left eye is very different from the right, etc. ), which allows us to conclude that this is a list from the “Savior Not Made by Hands” sent to Avgar, and not “Veronica’s Plath”.

Version of the connection between the image and the Shroud of Turin

There are theories connecting the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands with another famous common Christian relic - the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud is a life-size image of Christ on canvas. The plate depicting the face of the Savior, exhibited in Edessa and Constantinople, according to theories, could be a shroud folded several times, thus the original icon could not have been lost during the Crusades, but taken to Europe and found in Turin. In addition, one of the excerpts of the Image Not Made by Hands is “ Savior Not Made by Hands - Don’t cry for Me, Mother» ( Christ in the tomb) researchers elevate the shroud as a historical prototype.

Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Russian Letter

First samples. The beginning of the Russian tradition

Icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands come to Rus', according to some sources, already in the 9th century. The oldest surviving icon of this iconographic type is the Novgorod Savior Not Made by Hands (second half of the 12th century). The following iconographic types of the Miraculous Image can be distinguished: “ Spas on the ubrus" or simply " Ubrus", where the face of Christ is placed on the image of the board (ubrus) light shade And " Spas on the Chrepii" or simply " Chrepie"(in the meaning of "tile", "brick"), " Ceramide" According to legend, the image of Christ appeared on the tiles or bricks that hid the niche with the icon Savior Not Made by Hands. Occasionally, on this type of icon the background is an image of brick or tile masonry, but more often the background is simply given in a darker color (compared to ubrus).

Excuses

The most ancient images were made on a clean background, without any hint of material or tiles. The image of a smooth rectangular or slightly curved veneer as a background is already found on the fresco of the Church of the Savior on Nereditsa (Novgorod) from the end of the 12th century. Ubrus with folds began to spread from the second half of the 13th century, primarily in Byzantine and South Slavic icon painting, on Russian icons - from the 14th century. Since the 15th century, a draped cloth can be held by the upper ends by two angels. In addition, it is known various options icons " Savior Not Made by Hands with deeds", when the image of Christ in the middle of the icon is surrounded by stamps with the history of the image. From the end of the 17th century. in Russian icon painting, under the influence of Catholic painting, images of Christ with a crown of thorns appear on the board, that is, in iconography “ Veronica Plat" Images of the Savior with a wedge-shaped beard (converging to one or two narrow ends) is also known in Byzantine sources, however, only on Russian soil they took shape into a separate iconographic type and received the name “ Spas Mokraya Brada».

In the collection of the State Museum of Art of Georgia there is an encaustic icon from the 7th century called “ Anchiskhatsky Savior", representing Christ from the chest and considered the "original" Edessa icon.

The Christian tradition considers the Miracle Image of Christ as one of the proofs of the truth of the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity in human form, and in a narrower sense - as the most important evidence in favor of icon veneration.

According to tradition, the icon of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” is the first independent image that is entrusted to be painted by an icon painter who has completed an apprenticeship.

Various images of the Savior

Vyatsky Savior Not Made by Hands

The list of the miraculous Vyatka icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands hung from inside over the Spassky Gate of the Moscow Kremlin. The icon itself was delivered from Khlynov (Vyatka) and left in the Moscow Novospassky Monastery in 1647. The exact list was sent to Khlynov, and the second one was installed above the gate of the Frolov Tower. In honor of the image of the Savior and the fresco of the Savior of Smolensk with outside the gate through which the icon was delivered and the tower itself were called Spassky.

A distinctive feature of the Vyatka Savior Not Made by Hands is the image of angels standing on the sides, whose figures are not fully depicted. Angels do not stand on clouds, but seem to float in the air. One can also highlight the unique features of the face of Christ. On a vertically hanging panel of ubrus with wavy folds, a slightly elongated face with a high forehead is depicted frontally. It is inscribed in the plane of the icon board so that the center of the composition becomes large eyes, endowed with great expressiveness. Christ's gaze is directed directly at the viewer, his eyebrows raised high. Lush hair falls in long strands flying to the side, three on the left and on the right. The short beard is divided into two parts. Strands of hair and beard extend beyond the circumference of the halo. The eyes are painted lightly and transparently, their gaze has the attractiveness of a real look. The face of Christ expresses calmness, mercy and meekness.

After 1917, the original icon in the Novospassky Monastery and the list above the Spassky Gate were lost. Nowadays it is kept in the monastery list XIX century, which occupies the place of the original in the iconostasis of the Transfiguration Cathedral. The list left in Vyatka was kept until 1929, after which it was also lost.

In June 2010, with the help of researcher Vyatsky art museum Galina Alekseevna Mokhova established exactly what the miraculous Vyatka icon looked like, after which a new accurate copy of the Savior Not Made by Hands was written and at the end of August sent to Kirov (Vyatka) for installation in the Spassky Cathedral.

Kharkov Spas Not Made by Hands

Main article: Spas Renewed

Historical facts

All-Russian Emperor Alexander III had a copy of the ancient miraculous Vologda Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands with him during the train crash near Borki station. Almost immediately after the miraculous salvation, by decree of the Governing Synod, a special prayer service was compiled and published in honor of the miraculous image of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

Notes

Links

Hegumen Innocent (Erokhin). The miraculous image of the Savior as the basis of icon painting and icon veneration on the website of the Vladivostok diocese
Sharon Gerstel. Miraculous Mandylion. The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Byzantine iconographic programs
Irina Shalina. Icon “Christ in the tomb” and the image not made by hands on the Shroud of Constantinople
Military relics: Banners with the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands

The most ancient Russian icons
Greek (Korsun)	Our Lady of Vladimir Our Lady of Smolensk 1 Savior Golden Robe Peter and Paul Saint George

The miraculous image of the Savior is considered the most valuable and one-of-a-kind icon. This icon is worshiped by Christians all over the world, because the miraculous image is capable of completely changing the life of everyone who sincerely asks for it.

History of the icon

According to legend, the icon appeared with the help of a real miracle. King Abgar of Edessa fell ill with leprosy and wrote a letter to Jesus, asking him to heal him from a terrible disease. Jesus answered the message, but the letter did not heal the king.

The dying monarch sent his servant to Jesus. The man who arrived conveyed his request to the Savior. Jesus listened to the servant, went to a vessel of water, washed his face and wiped his face with a towel, on which His face was miraculously imprinted. The servant took the shrine, took it to Avgar, and he was completely healed just by touching the towel.

Avgar's icon painters copied the face that remained on the canvas, and closed the relic itself in a scroll. Traces of the shrine are lost in Constantinople, where the scroll was transported for safety during the raids.

Description of the icon

The icon “Savior Not Made by Hands” does not depict events; the Savior does not act as an unattainable God. Only His face, only his gaze directed at everyone who approaches the icon.

This image carries main idea and the idea of the Christian faith, reminding everyone that it is through the person of Jesus that a person can come to the truth and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Prayer before this image is like a private conversation with the Savior.

What do they pray to the icon for?

Every Orthodox Christian who prays in front of the icon of the “Savior Not Made by Hands” has the most honest conversation with the Savior about his life and eternal life. It is customary to pray to this image in the most difficult life situations, when despair, despondency or anger do not allow one to live as a Christian.

A prayer to the Savior before this image can help:

in healing a serious illness;
in getting rid of sorrows and sorrows;
in a complete change in life path.

Prayers to the miraculous image of the Savior

“Lord my God, by your mercy my life has been given to me. Lord, will you leave me in my trouble? Cover me, Jesus, and guide me beyond the lines of my misfortune, protect me from new shocks and show me the way to peace and quiet. Forgive me my sins, Lord, and allow me to humbly enter Your Kingdom. Amen".

“Heavenly Savior, Creator and Protector, Shelter and Cover, do not leave me. Heal, Lord, my mental and physical wounds, protect me from pain and troubles, and forgive me my sins, voluntary and involuntary. Amen".

“Lord, by Your mercy I will be cleansed, and I will find Your grace. My God, do not leave me in sorrow and misfortune, bestow your radiance on me and allow me to receive Your blessing. Amen".

This short prayer can give strength and help you make the right decision.

What does the icon look like?

This image of Jesus is the only one where the Savior is depicted in a portrait manner. In this icon, the Lord does not lead, does not point, does not instruct and does not enlighten. He is simply present, remaining alone with everyone who comes to Him.

The Savior is depicted with a direct gaze directed into the eyes of everyone who appears before Him. His hair and beard are depicted wet, conveying the story of the appearance of the miraculous icon.

The day of remembrance and veneration of the icon “Savior Not Made by Hands” is August 29, according to the new style. At this time, prayers to the Savior can change fate and direct life in a different direction. We wish you peace in your soul and faith in God. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

26.05.2017 06:01

Saint Melania is revered by women throughout the Orthodox world. The icon of this saint can protect girls from harm...

The Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands occupies special place in icon painting, and extensive literature is devoted to it. Tradition says that the icon we know is a hand-made copy of the miraculously found original. According to legend, in 544 AD. two miraculous images Jesus was found in a gate niche in the wall of the city of Edessa. When the niche was opened, a candle was burning in it and there was a board with a wonderful image, which at the same time turned out to be printed on ceramic tiles, closing the niche. Thus, two versions of the image immediately appeared: Mandylion (on the board) and Keramion (on the tile). In 944 Mandylion moved to Constantinople and two decades later Keramion followed the same path. According to the testimony of pilgrims, both relics were kept in receptacles suspended on chains in one of the naves of the Temple of Our Lady of Pharos, the home church of the Emperor /1-4/. This famous church was also the site of other relics of comparable importance. The vessels were never opened and the two relics were never shown, but lists began to emerge and spread throughout the Christian world, gradually taking the form of the iconographic canon we know. After the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the Mandylion supposedly ended up in Paris, where it was kept until 1793 and disappeared during the French Revolution.

There are several versions of the legend about the original origin of Mandylion. The most popular narrative in the Middle Ages is called epistula Avgari in scientific literature and can be found in full in /4, 5/. King Abgar of Edessa, who was suffering from leprosy, sent a letter to Jesus asking him to come and heal him. Jesus responded with a letter that later became widely known as a relic in its own right, but it did not heal Abgar. Then Abgar sent a servant-artist to draw an image of Jesus and bring it with him. The arriving servant found Jesus in Jerusalem and tried to sketch him. Seeing the failure of his attempts, Jesus asked for water. He washed and dried himself with a cloth, on which His face was miraculously imprinted. The servant took the cloth with him and, according to some versions of the story, the Apostle Thaddeus went with him. Passing by the city of Hierapolis, the servant hid the cloth for the night in a pile of tiles. At night a miracle happened and the image of the board was imprinted on one of the tiles. The servant left these tiles in Hierapolis. Thus, a second Keramion appeared - the one from Hierapolis, who also eventually ended up in Constantinople, but was of less importance than the one from Edessa. At the end of the story, the servant returns to Edessa, and Avgar is healed by touching the miraculous towel. Abgar placed the plate in the gate niche for public worship. During times of persecution, the relic was walled up in a niche for safety, and it was forgotten for several centuries.

The history of St. Mandylion is often confused with the history of the plate of Veronica, a separate relic kept in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and belonging to the Western tradition. According to legend, on the day of the crucifixion, St. Veronica gave a towel to Jesus, who was exhausted under the weight of his cross, and he wiped with it his face, which was imprinted on the towel. Some believe that this is the story of the appearance of the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, i.e. Mandylion, but it is a completely independent relic, an independent narrative and an independent image, having other typical features. On most iconographic versions of Veronica's plate, Jesus' eyes are closed and his facial features are different than on the Mandylion. His head is crowned with a crown of thorns, which is consistent with the situation of the story. On the Mandylion, the eyes are open, the crown of thorns is missing, Jesus' hair and beard are wet, which is consistent with the story of Abgar's servant, in which Jesus wipes himself with a towel after washing. The cult of Veronica arose relatively late, around the 12th century. Some famous icons associated with this cult are actually versions of St. Mandylion and are of Byzantine or Slavic origin /6, 7/.

In this essay, I reflect on the amazing charisma of this one-of-a-kind icon, trying to piece together and articulate the various aspects of its symbolic meaning and unravel the mystery of its attractive power.

THE FACE OF THE SAVIOR

The Savior Not Made by Hands is the only icon that depicts Jesus simply as a person, as a person with a face. Other iconic images of Jesus show Him performing some action or contain indications of His attributes. Here He is sitting on the throne (which means He is the King), here He is blessing, here He is holding a book in His hands and pointing to the words written there. The multiplicity of images of Jesus is theologically correct, but can hide the basic truth of Christianity: salvation comes precisely through the person of Jesus, through Jesus as such, and not through some of his individual actions or attributes. According to Christian teaching, the Lord sent us His Son as the only way to salvation. He Himself is the beginning and the end of the path, alpha and omega. He saves us by the very fact of his eternal presence in the world. We follow Him not because of any obligation or reasoning or custom, but because He calls us. We love Him not for anything, but simply for the fact that He exists, i.e. in much the same way as we love, with a love that is not always explicable, the chosen ones or chosen ones of our hearts. It is precisely this attitude towards Jesus, an attitude that is highly personal, that corresponds to the image depicted on St. Mandylion.

This icon powerfully and clearly expresses the very essence of the Christian life - the need for everyone to establish a personal relationship with God through Jesus. From this icon, Jesus looks at us like no other, which is facilitated by exaggeratedly large and slightly slanted eyes. This Jesus does not look at humanity in general, but at a specific viewer and expects an equally personal response. Having met His gaze, it is difficult to hide from the merciless thoughts about yourself and your relationship with Him.

A portrait icon gives a much greater sense of direct contact than an icon with narrative content. If a narrative icon conveys a story, then a portrait icon expresses presence. The portrait icon does not distract attention to clothing, objects or gestures. Jesus is not here blessing or offering verbal formulas of salvation to hide behind. He offers only Himself. He is the Way and Salvation. The rest of the icons are about Him, but here He is Himself.

PHOTO PORTRAIT

St. Mandylion is a one-of-a-kind 'photo portrait' of Jesus. This is actually not a drawing, but a print of a face, a photograph in the literal material sense. Being a stylistically neutral image of a face as such, our icon has something in common with the not very honorable, but absolutely necessary and widespread genre of passport photo in our life. Just like in passport photos, it is the face that is depicted here, and not character or thoughts. This is just a portrait, not a psychological portrait.

An ordinary photographic portrait depicts the person himself, and not the artist’s vision of him. If the artist replaces the original with an image that corresponds to his subjective vision, then a portrait photo captures the original as it physically is. It’s the same with this icon. Jesus here is not interpreted, not transformed, not deified and not comprehended - He is as He is. Let us remember that God in the Bible is repeatedly referred to as “being” and says of himself that He “is that He is.”

SYMMETRY

Among other iconic images, the Savior Not Made by Hands is unique for its symmetry. In most versions, the Face of Jesus is almost completely mirror-symmetrical, with the exception of the slanted eyes, the movement of which gives life to the face and spiritualizes it /8/. This symmetry reflects, in particular, a fundamentally important fact of creation - the mirror symmetry of the human appearance. Many other elements of God's creation (animals, plant elements, molecules, crystals) are also symmetrical. Space, the main arena of creation, itself has high degree symmetry. Orthodox Church is also symmetrical, and the Miraculous Image often occupies a place in it on the main plane of symmetry, connecting the symmetry of architecture with the asymmetry of icon painting. It is as if he is attaching to the walls a carpet of temple paintings and icons, dynamic in its diversity and colorfulness.

Since, according to the Bible, man is created in the image and likeness of God, it can be assumed that symmetry is one of the attributes of God. The Savior Not Made by Hands thus expresses the symmetry of God, creation, man and the temple space.

GENIUS OF PURE BEAUTY

On the 12th century Novgorod icon from the Tretyakov Gallery shown in the title (this is the oldest Russian icon of the Savior), the Holy Face expresses the late antique ideal of beauty. Symmetry is just one aspect of this ideal. Jesus' facial features do not express pain and suffering. This perfect image free from passions and emotions. It sees heavenly calm and peace, sublimity and purity. This combination of the aesthetic and the spiritual, the beautiful and the Divine, which is also strongly expressed in the icons of the Mother of God, seems to remind us that beauty will save the world.

The type of face of Jesus is close to that which in Hellenistic art is called “heroic” and has common features with late antique images of Zeus/9/. This ideal Face expresses the combination in the single personality of Jesus of two natures - Divine and human and was used in that era and on other icons of Christ.

THE CIRCLE IS CLOSING

The Savior Not Made by Hands is the only icon in which the halo has the shape of a completely closed circle. The circle expresses the perfection and harmony of the world order. The position of the face in the center of the circle expresses the completeness and completeness of Jesus’ act of salvation for humanity and His central role in the universe.

The image of a head in a circle also recalls the head of John the Baptist placed on a plate, who preceded his suffering way of the cross Jesus. The image of a head on a round dish also has obvious Eucharistic associations. The round halo containing the face of Jesus is symbolically repeated in the round prosphoras containing His body.

CIRCLE AND SQUARE

On the Novgorod icon, the circle is inscribed in a square. It has been suggested that the geometric nature of this icon creates an image of the paradox of the Incarnation through the idea of squaring the circle, i.e. as a combination of incompatible /10/. The circle and square symbolically represent Heaven and Earth. According to the cosmogony of the ancients, the Earth is a flat square, and the Sky is a sphere along which the Moon, Sun and planets revolve, i.e. world of the Divine. This symbolism can be found in the architecture of any temple: the square or rectangular floor symbolically corresponds to the Earth, and the vault or dome of the ceiling symbolically corresponds to Heaven. Therefore, the combination of a square and a circle is a fundamental archetype that expresses the structure of the Cosmos and has in this case special significance, since Christ, having become incarnate, united Heaven and Earth. It is interesting that a circle inscribed in a square (as well as a square inscribed in a circle), as a symbolic representation of the structure of the Universe, is used in the mandala, the main icon of Tibetan Buddhism. The motif of a square inscribed in a circle can also be seen in the icon of the Savior in the design of a crossed halo.

FACE AND CROSS

The cross halo is a canonical element of almost all major types of Jesus icons. From the point of view of a modern viewer, the combination of a head and a cross looks like an element of a crucifixion. In fact, the superposition of a face on a cruciform motif rather reflects the end result of a peculiar competition between images of the cross and the Face of Jesus for the right to serve as the state emblem of the Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine made the cross the main symbol of his power and the imperial standard. Icons of Christ have replaced the cross in state images since the 6th century. The first combination of a cross with an icon of Jesus was, apparently, round images of Jesus attached to military cross-standards in the same way as portraits of the emperor were attached to the same standards /11/. Thus, the combination of Jesus with the cross indicated His authority rather than the role of the Victim /9 (see Chapter 6)/. It is not surprising that an identical cross-shaped halo is present on the icon of Christ the Pantocrator, in which the role of Christ as Ruler is especially clearly emphasized.

The letters depicted in the three crossbars of the cross convey the transcription of the Greek word “o-omega-n”, meaning “existent”, i.e. the so-called heavenly name of God, which is pronounced “he-on”, where “he” is the article.

‘I AM THE DOOR’

The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is often placed above the entrance to a sacred room or space. Let us remember that it was found in a niche above the gates of the city of Edessa. In Russia it was also often placed above the gates of cities or monasteries, as well as in temples above entrance doors or above the royal doors of the altars. At the same time, the sacredness of the space protected by the icon is emphasized, which is thereby likened to the God-protected city of Edessa /1/.

There is another aspect to this. Emphasizing that the path to God is only through Him, Jesus calls himself the door, the entrance (John 10:7,9). Since sacred space is associated with the Kingdom of Heaven, by passing under an icon into a temple or altar, we symbolically do what the Gospel invites us to do, i.e. we pass through Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven.

HEAD AND BODY

St. Mandylion is the only icon that shows only the head of Jesus, even without the shoulders. The incorporeality of the face speaks of the primacy of the spirit over the body and gives rise to multiple associations. The head without a body recalls the earthly death of Jesus and creates the image of the Sacrifice, both in the sense of his crucifixion and in the sense of the Eucharistic associations discussed above. The image of one Face corresponds to the Orthodox theology of the icon, according to which the personality is depicted on the icons, and not human nature /12/.

The image of the head also recalls the image of Christ as the Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22,23). If Jesus is the Head of the Church, then believers are its body. The image of the Face continues downward with expanding lines of wet hair. Continuing down into the space of the temple, these lines seem to embrace the believers, who thereby become the Body, expressing the fullness of church existence. On the Novgorod icon, the direction of the hair is emphasized by sharply drawn white lines separating individual strands.

WHAT ST. LOOKED LIKE MANDYLION?

Judging by historical evidence, the Edessa Mandylion was an image on a board stretched over a small board and kept in a closed casket /2/. There was probably a gold frame that left only the face, beard and hair exposed. The Bishop of Samosata, who was tasked with bringing the St. Mandylion from Edessa, had to choose the original from among four contenders. This suggests that already in Edessa, copies were made of the Mandylion, which were also images on a fabric basis stretched on a board. These copies apparently served as the beginning of the tradition of images of the Image Not Made by Hands, since there is no information about the copying of the Mandylion in Constantinople. Since icons in general are usually painted on a fabric base (pavolok) stretched on a board, St. Mandylion is a proto-icon, the prototype of all icons. Of the surviving images, the closest to the original are considered to be several icons of Byzantine origin preserved in Italy, the dating of which is debated. On these icons, the Holy Face has natural dimensions, the facial features are oriental (Syro-Palestinian) /13/.

TABLE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

The significance of the Mandylion in Byzantium was comparable to the significance of the Tablets of the Covenant in ancient Israel. The tablets were a central relic of the Old Testament tradition. God himself inscribed on them the commandments, which constituted the main content of the Old Testament. The presence of the Tablets in the Tabernacle and Temple confirmed the authenticity of the Divine origin of the commandments. Since the main thing in the New Testament is Christ himself, the Holy Mandylion is the tablet of the New Testament, its visible God-given image. This motif is clearly heard in the official Byzantine narrative of the history of Mandylion, in which the story of its transfer to Constantinople is consonant with the Biblical account of the transfer of the tablets to Jerusalem by David /14/. Just like the tablets, the Mandylion has never been displayed. Even emperors, when worshiping the Mandylion, kissed the closed casket. As the tablet of the New Testament, the St. Mandylion became the central relic of the Byzantine Empire.

ICON AND RELIC

Byzantine piety strove for a synthesis of icon and relic /15/. Icons often arose as a result of the desire to “multiply” a relic, to consecrate the entire Christian world to it, and not just a small part of the space. The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands reminded not only of the reality of the Savior’s earthly life, but also of the reality and authenticity of Saint Platus himself. The connection with the relic is indicated by the folds of material depicted on many versions of the icon of St. Mandylion. The icons of St. Keramion depict the same face, but the background has the texture of tiles.

However, the direct connection with the relic was not always emphasized. In the icon presented in the title, the Face is depicted on a uniform golden background, symbolizing the Divine Light. In this way, the effect of the presence of Jesus is enhanced, His Divinity and the fact of the Incarnation are emphasized, as well as the fact that the source of salvation is Jesus himself, and not a relic. Wolf /10/ points to the “monumentalization” of the Face, freed from the tissue base, its movement from matter to the sphere of spiritual contemplation. It was also hypothesized that the gold background of the Novgorod icon copies the gold frame of the prototype icon /16/. The Novgorod icon was processional, carried out, which explains its large sizes(70x80cm). Since the size of the Face is larger than a human face, this image could not claim to be a direct copy of St. Mandylion and served as its symbolic substitute in divine services Holy Week and the feast of the icon on August 16.

Interestingly, the reverse side of the Novgorod Mandylion precisely illustrates the use of icons to “reproduce” relics. It presents a scene of the Adoration of the Cross /17/, containing an image of all the main passionate relics from the Church of Our Lady of Pharos (crown of thorns, sponge, spear, etc. /4/). Since in ancient times the image was considered as a substitute for the depicted, our icon created in the space of the Novgorod temple a kind of equivalent to the Church of Our Lady of Pharos - the main reliquary temple of Byzantium.

INCARNATION AND SANCTIFICATION OF MATTER

The Incarnation is unanimously recognized as the key theme of the Mandylion. Although the appearance of Christ in the material world is the theme of any icon, the story of the miraculous display of the Face of Christ on the board not only confirms with particular clarity the doctrine of the Incarnation, but also creates an image of the continuation of this process after the earthly death of Jesus. Departing from the world, Christ leaves his “imprints” on the souls of believers. Just as St. Mandylion, by the power of the Holy Spirit, passed from board to tile, the same power transfers the image of God from heart to heart. In church icon painting, Mandylion and Keramion are sometimes placed at the base of the dome opposite each other, thereby recreating the situation of a miraculous reproduction of the image /1/.

St. Mandylion occupies a special place both among icons and among relics. Many relics are ordinary objects, unique because of their proximity to the Divine (for example, the belt of Our Lady). The mandylion was matter directly changed by purposeful Divine influence and can be considered as a prototype of the transformed materiality of the future century. The reality of the transformation of the Mandylion fabric confirms the real possibility of the deification of man already in this world and foreshadows his transformation in the future, not in the form of a disembodied soul, but as renewed materiality, in which the Image of God will “shine through” human nature in the same way as St. .The face shines through the fabric of the Mandylion.

The image of fabric on the icons of the Savior Not Made by Hands has a deeper meaning than just an illustration of the naturalness of St. Plath. The Plata fabric is an image of the material world, already sanctified by the presence of Christ, but still awaiting the coming deification. This is a multi-valued image, reflecting both the potential deification of the matter of our world today (as in the Eucharist), and its future complete deification. The Cloth of Plata also denotes the person himself, in whom Christ has the power to reveal his image. The Eucharistic meaning of the Mandylion is also connected with this circle of images. The image of the Holy Face appearing on the Mandylion is similar to the Body of Christ ontologically existing in the Eucharistic bread. The miraculous image does not illustrate, but complements the sacrament: what is not visible in the Eucharist can be seen in the icon. It is not surprising that St. Mandylion was widely used in the iconographic programs of altars /18,19/.

The question of the nature of the Mandylion, like the paradox of the Incarnation itself, is difficult to rationally comprehend. The mandylion is not an illustration of the Incarnation, but a living example of the incarnation of the Divine into the material. How to understand the holiness of Mandylion? Is only the image itself holy, or is the material also holy? In Byzantium in the 12th century, serious theological debates took place on this topic. The discussion ended with an official statement about the sanctity of only the image, although the practice of venerating this and other relics indicates rather the opposite.

BANNER OF ICON REVERENCE

If the pagans worshiped “Gods made by men” (Acts 19:26), then Christians could contrast this with the Image Not Made by Hands, as a material image made by God. Jesus' creation of his own image was the strongest argument in favor of icon veneration. The icon of the Savior occupies a place of honor in the iconographic programs of Byzantine churches shortly after the victory over iconoclasm.

The tale of Avgar deserves careful reading, as it contains theologically significant ideas related to icon veneration:

(1) Jesus wanted an image of Himself;

(2) He sent His image in His place, thereby confirming the authority to venerate the image as His representative;

(3) He sent the image in response to Abgar's request for healing, which directly confirms the miraculousness of the icon, as well as the potential healing power other contact relics.

(4) The previously sent letter does not heal Abgar, which is consistent with the fact that copies of sacred texts, despite the practice of their worship, as a rule do not play the role of miraculous relics in the Orthodox tradition.

In the legend of Avgar, the role of the artist is also noteworthy, who turns out to be unable to draw Christ on his own, but brings the customer an image drawn according to the Divine will. This emphasizes that the icon painter is not an artist in the usual sense, but an executor of God’s plan.

A MADE IMAGE IN Rus'

The veneration of the Image Not Made by Hands came to Rus' in the 11th-12th centuries and spread especially widely starting from the second half of the 14th century. In 1355, the newly installed Moscow Metropolitan Alexy brought from Constantinople a list of St. Mandylion, for which a reliquary temple was immediately founded /7/. The veneration of copies of St. Mandylion was introduced as a state cult: churches, monasteries and temple chapels dedicated to the Image Not Made by Hands and receiving the name “Spassky” began to appear throughout the country. Dmitry Donskoy, a student of Metropolitan Alexy, prayed in front of the icon of the Savior after receiving news of Mamai’s attack. The banner with the icon of the Savior accompanied the Russian army on campaigns from the Battle of Kulikovo until the First World War. These banners begin to be called “signs” or “banners”; the word “banner” replaces the Old Russian “flag”. Icons of the Savior are placed on the fortress towers. Just like in Byzantium, the Savior Not Made by Hands becomes a talisman of the city and the country. Images are being distributed for home use, as well as miniature images of the Savior, used as amulets /20/. Church buildings in book illustrations and icons they begin to depict with the icon of the Savior above the entrance as a designation of the Christian church. The Savior becomes one of the central images of Russian Orthodoxy, close in meaning and meaning to the cross and crucifixion.

Perhaps Metropolitan Alexy himself was the initiator of the use of the Unruly Image in iconostases, which acquire close to modern look precisely in this era /7/. In this regard, a new type of huge icons of the Savior arose with a face size much larger than the natural one. The Holy Face on these icons takes on the features of the Heavenly Jesus, Christ the Judge of the Last Day /21/, which was in tune with the widespread expectations of the near end of the world in that era. This theme was also present in Western Christianity at that time. Dante in Divine Comedy used the iconography of the Holy Face to describe the sight of the Divine on the Day of Judgment /7/.

The image of the Savior acquired new shades of meaning in the context of the ideas of hesychasm. Images of the Mandylion, especially on large icons, seem to be “charged” with uncreated energy and radiate unearthly power. It is no coincidence that in one of the stories about Mandylion the image itself becomes the source of uncreated Light, similar to Favorsky /14/. New interpretation The theme of the transformative Tabor light appears on the icons of Simon Ushakov (17th century), in which the Holy Face itself becomes a source of unearthly radiance /22/.

SERVICE TO AN ICON

The church-wide nature of the worship of St. Mandylion was expressed in the existence of the feast of the icon on August 16, the day the relic was transferred from Edessa to Constantinople. On this day, special biblical readings and stichera are read, expressing theological ideas associated with the icon /12/. The stichera for the holiday conveys the above legend about Avgar. Bible readings expound the most important stages stories of the Incarnation. The Old Testament readings remind us of the impossibility of depicting God, who remained invisible, while the Gospel readings contain a key phrase for Mandylion’s theology: “And, turning to the disciples, he said to them especially: blessed are the eyes that have seen what you see!” (Luke 10:23).

There is also a canon for the miraculous image, the authorship of which is attributed to St. Herman of Constantinople /12/.

LITERATURE

/1/ A. M. Lidov. Hierotopy. Spatial icons and paradigm images in Byzantine culture. M. Feoria. 2009. The chapters “Mandylion and Keramion” and “The Holy Face - Holy Letter– Holy Gates”, p. 111-162.

/2/ A. M. Lidov. Holy mandylion. History of the relic. In the book “The Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon.” M. 2008, p. 12-39.

/3/ Robert de Clary. Conquest of Constantinople. M. 1986. p. 59-60.

/4/ Relics in Byzantium and Ancient Rus'. Written sources (editor-compiler A.M. Lidov). M. Progress-Tradition, 2006. Part 5. Relics of Constantinople, pp. 167-246. The text of epistula Avgari can be found in Part 7. p. 296-300.

/5/E. Meshcherskaya. Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles. New Testament Apocrypha in Syriac Literature. M. Priscels, 1997. 455 p. See the chapter “Old Russian version of the legend of Avgar according to a 13th century manuscript”,

http://www.gumer.info/bogoslov_Buks/apokrif/Avgar_Russ.php. This version of Epistula Avgari was popular in medieval Russia.

/6/ In Rome there were several ancient images of Christ of Byzantine origin including several copies of St. Mandylion. According to L.M. Evseeva /7/ their images converged and by the 15th century the famous image of Christ from Veronica’s Plaid with long symmetrical strands of hair and a short, slightly forked beard was formed, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_Veronica

This iconographic type also influenced later Russian icons of the Savior. It is also suggested that the name “Veronica” comes from “vera icona” (true image): initially this was the name of the Roman lists of St. Mandylion, then the legend of Veronica arose and the Veronica Plath itself appeared, the first reliable information about which dates back to 1199.

/7/ L.M.Evseeva. The miraculous image of Christ” by Metropolitan Alexy (1354-1378) in the context of eschatological ideas of the time. In the book “The Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon.” M. 2008, pp. 61-81.

/8/ On many icons of the Savior (including the Novgorod icon in the illustration) one can notice a slight intentional asymmetry of the face, which, as was shown by N. B. Teteryatnikova, contributes to the “revival” of the icon: the face seems to “turn” towards the viewer looking on the icon at an angle. N. Teteriatnikov. Animated icons on interactive display: the case of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. In the book “Spatial Icons. Performative in Byzantium and Ancient Rus',” ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov, M. Indrik, 2011, pp. 247-274.

/9/ H. Belting. Likeness and presence. A history of image before the era of art. Ch.11. The Holy Face. The University of Chicago Press, 1992.

/10/ G. Wolf. Holy face and holy feet: preliminary reflections before the Novgorod Mandylion. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. 2003, 281-290.

/11/Few crosses with portraits of emperors have survived. The earliest example is a 10th century cross with a portrait of Emperor Augustus, kept in the treasury of Aachen Cathedral and used in the coronation ceremonies of the emperors of the Carolingian dynasty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Lothair

/12/ L. I. Uspensky. Theology icons Orthodox Church. M. 2008. Ch. 8 “Iconoclastic teaching and the church’s response to it,” p. 87-112.

/13/ See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Holy_Face_-_Genoa.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:39bMandylion.jpg

/14/ The story of the transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands from Edessa to Constantinople. In the book “The Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon.” M. 2008, pp. 415-429. Interestingly, in another Byzantine work, a set of passion relics kept in the Church of Our Lady of Pharos is compared with the Decalogue (ten commandments).

/15/ I. Shalina. The icon “Christ in the tomb” and the miraculous image on the Shroud of Constantinople. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. 2003, p. 305-336. http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/books/tourin/

/16/ I.A. Sterligova. Precious attire of ancient Russian icons of the 11th-14th centuries. M. 2000, p. 136-138.p.

/17/ Reverse side of the Novgorod Mandylion:

http://all-photo.ru/icon/index.ru.html?big=on&img=28485

/18/Sh. Gerstel. Miraculous Mandylion. The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Byzantine iconographic programs. From the collection " Miraculous icon in Byzantium and ancient Rus'", ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. "Martis", 1996. pp. 76-89.

http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/books/gerstel.htm.

/19/M. Emanuel. The Savior Not Made by Hands in the iconographic programs of the churches of Mystras. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. 2003, p. 291-304.

/20/A. V. Ryndin. Reliquary image. The Savior Not Made by Hands in small forms of Russian art XIV-XVI. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M. 2003, p. 569-585.

/21/For an example of such iconography, see

http://www.icon-art.info/masterpiece.php?lng=ru&mst_id=719

/22/ The image of Spas was the main, programmatic one for Ushakov and was repeated by him many times. Unlike ancient icons, where the Divine light is transmitted in the background and spread across the entire surface of the icon, in Ushakov the “uncreated light” shines through the face itself. Ushakov strove to combine Orthodox principles of icon painting with new technical techniques that would make it possible to convey the Holy Face “light, ruddy, shadowy, shadowy and lifelike.” New style was received favorably by the majority of his contemporaries, but provoked criticism from zealots of antiquity, who called Ushakov’s Savior a “puffy little German.” Many believe that Ushakov’s “light-like” faces convey physical, created rather than uncreated light, and that this style meant the collapse of the Byzantine icon image and its replacement with the aesthetics of Western art, in which the beautiful takes the place of the sublime.

http://www.tretyakovgallery.ru/ru/collection/_show/image/_id/2930#

“The Son of Man has not come souls
to destroy men, but to save them” (Luke 9:56)

- the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, miraculously imprinted on the cloth with which Christ wiped his face. According to the Tradition set forth in the Chetya Menaion, Abgar V Uchama, sick with leprosy, sent his archivist Hannan (Ananias) to Christ with a letter in which he asked Christ to come to Edessa and heal him.

Hannan was an artist, and Abgar instructed him that if the Savior could not come, then at least paint His image and bring it to him. Hannan found Christ surrounded by a dense crowd; he stood on a stone from which he could see better and tried to portray the Savior.

Seeing that Hannan wanted to make His portrait, Christ asked for water, washed, wiped His face with a cloth, and His image was imprinted on this cloth. The Savior handed this board to Hannan with the command to take it with a reply letter to the one who sent it.

In this letter, Christ refused to go to Edessa himself, saying that he must fulfill what he was sent to do. Upon completion of His work, He promised to send one of His disciples to Abgar. Having received the portrait, Avgar was healed of his main illness, but his face remained damaged.

After Pentecost, the holy Apostle Thaddeus, one of the 70, went to Edessa, completed the healing of Abgar and converted him to Christianity. Abgar attached the image to the board and placed it in a niche above the city gate, removing the idol that was there.

Day 16/29 August 944 became the most important in the history of the miraculous image of Christ on a board, called in Byzantium “Holy Mandylion” (TO AGION MANDYLION), and in Ancient Rus' “Holy Ubrus”. On this day, a precious relic, on the eve solemnly transferred to Constantinople from the distant Syrian city of Edessa, was placed in the reliquary church of the Grand Palace among other most important shrines of the empire.

From this moment on, the general Christian glorification of the Mandylion begins, which becomes perhaps the main relic of the Byzantine world. In the lists of Constantinople shrines in pilgrimage descriptions, it consistently occupies one of the first places.

UNMADE IMAGE
Troparion, tone 2

We worship Your most pure image, O Good One, / asking forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God: / by the will of Your flesh you deigned to ascend to the Cross, / so that You may deliver Him from the work of the enemy. / Thus we cry out to You in gratitude: / You filled all with joy, O our Savior, / who came to save the world.

Kontakion, tone 2

Thy ineffable and Divine sight of man, / the indescribable Word of the Father, / and the unwritten image, / and the divinely written one is victorious, / leading to Thy unfaithful incarnation, / we honor and kiss him.

Greatness

We magnify You, / Life-giving Christ, / and honor Your most pure face / glorious imagination.

Foreign greatness

We magnify You, / Life-giving Christ, / and honor Your holy image, / by which You saved us / from the work of the enemy.

Word on the Day of the Image of the Lord Not Made by Hands

This day, which we celebrate in honor of our Savior Jesus Christ, who left His face not made by hands on the canvas, encourages us, brothers, to talk about His ineffable love and mercy for the human race.

Being “the radiance of the glory of the Father” (Heb. 1:3) and “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), in whose bosom He dwelt from eternity, He became man and became visible, revealing to all the inexhaustible source of Divine mercy and love .

Constantly surrounded by people, He called everyone to Himself, promising to give peace, healed mental and physical ailments, and attracted everyone to Himself with the inexplicably sweet words of His teaching and the unusually meek appearance of His Divine face.

The hearts of the people of the pagan world who lived before the coming of Christ did not know love, since the whole life of their hearts was exhausted in serving passions and vices destructive to the soul and body.

Even the Jewish people, who were preparing for the coming of the Savior, understood little what the love of God is, so that even the chosen apostles of Christ during the earthly life of the Lord were still not freed from the desire for earthly glory, mutual envy, and lack of faith in relation to their Teacher .

And then He appeared who, for all people who lived on earth, made palpable the quiet breath of Divine love in hearts that were melting from sorrow, shed consolation to souls devoted to the service of vices, made them feel the weight of the burden that this service placed on them, joy and lightness fulfillment of the Divine law. Everyone sought to listen to Him and be healed of their ailments, or simply to open their soul, exhausted from the passions and sorrows of life, to the breath of love that emanated from Him.

How beautiful and blessed was the life of these people, who constantly saw the Savior before them, comforting, healing, edifying and irresistibly drawing to Himself with His love! Truly blessed were their eyes, which saw what they saw, what many prophets and kings desired to see or hear, although they did not see or hear (Luke 10:23-24)!

If human love makes people’s lives so joyful and filled with bliss, then how much more blessed were the people who were in communion with Him Who, calling Himself the Son of Man out of love for the human race, was God Himself, hitherto unknown to the world in all the fullness of His Divinity life and glory!

Hieromartyr Thaddeus (Uspensky)

Akathist to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ not made by hands

Kontakion 1

We worship Your Most Pure Image, O Good One, asking for forgiveness of our sins, O Christ God, by the will of You you deigned to ascend in the flesh to the Cross, so that You may deliver what You have created from the work of the enemy, so we cry out to You with hope: Lord God, my Savior, come to me to the one who bends and heal from my incurable illness.

“Jesus, my Savior,” Abgar, the prince of Edessa humbly prayed, “come to me and heal my incurable illnesses, in which I have suffered for many years.

Imitating him, I, stricken by sinful leprosy, cry out in prayer to my face: My Lord, Lord, have mercy on me according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Lord my Savior, with the dew of Your mercy wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Lord, turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Lord, create a pure heart in me and renew a right spirit in my womb. Lord, do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.

Kontakion 2

Seeing the love and faith of Abgar of Edessa, Lord, You wrote to him: “Blessed are you, Abgar, who has not seen Me, and I will send My disciple who believes in Me and He will heal you and give eternal life to you and those who are with you.” Send, O Lord, Thy mercy to me also who cry: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

The mind does not comprehend the mystery of how the Lord, by applying a veil to His Divine face, depicting His likeness on it, sent it to Abgar, fulfilling his desire. Be filled with this great joy by bowing to the image of Christ. Today we worship Him with reverence, with prayer and faith calling: My Lord, Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim Your praise, My Lord, Lord, restore to me the joy of salvation and strengthen me with the Sovereign Spirit. Lord, I have sinned against You alone and done evil before You, by Your mercy have mercy on me, My Lord, Lord my Savior, look upon the sorrow of my soul and hasten to help me. My Lord, Lord, hear me and deliver me from all sorrows.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

Kontakion 3

Abgar, filled with the power of love and joy, bowed to the Not Made by Hands image of the Savior of the world and, having received healing of his illnesses; crying out in faith, “Christ our God, whoever trusts in You will not be put to shame.” By this teaching we should always trust in the mercies of the Lord and sing to Him: Hallelujah!

Ikos 3

Having love for the fallen human race, You, Christ God, through one of Your disciples, called out to this Ashar from the darkness of sin and enlightened her soul with the light of Your truth. Call me also from the depths of sin, and I will cry out to You with tears:

My Lord, Lord, grant me tears of compunction, and with them I will beg You - cleanse before the end all my sins, Lord, enlighten my soul with the light of Your Divine knowledge, and lead me by Your mercy into Your Kingdom My Lord, Lord, my enlightenment and my Savior , I came running to You, teach me to do Your will. My Lord, Lord my God, enlighten my heart, and drive away the temptation of the evil one from it, and guide me on the path of salvation. My Lord, Lord, do not reject my prayer and hear me, with Your Grace confirm my heart with Your fear. Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

THE SAVIOR NOT MADE BY HANDS, icon, 13th century*

Kontakion 4

The storm of passions and worries of everyday life drowns me, and my heart, overwhelmed by the horror of death, cries out to Ty: Lord, there is no one who helps me on earth, save me, like Abgar of old, and grant me to sing with him: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hearing that the Jews hate You and want to do something evil to You, Lord, Abgar writes: “I pray: come to me and dwell with me.” Imitating that love, and having risen from the depths of my fall, I boldly pray to Thee, O Christ God:

Lord my God, enter into the house of my soul and remain inseparable from me, a sinner. Lord, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever. My Lord, Lord, my soul has cleaved to You, come and fill my heart with joy.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me who is perishing and heal my incurable illnesses.

Kontakion 5

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord - the Jewish children sang of old when they met the Lord in Jerusalem. Today, we, opening the doors of our hearts to the Savior coming to us, call with tenderness: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

You have spoken wonderful words, O Lord, to all who are perishing: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid; believe in God, believe in Me, and inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” I, thinking about my iniquity, I pray to You, O Good One, confirm my heart and enlighten my mind, crying to You: My Lord, Lord, look upon me and enlighten my eyes, so that I will not sleep into death, my Lord, Lord, the guide of Israel from land of Pharaoh, guide me in Your path, that I may walk in Your truth. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, I believe in You, help my unbelief, my Lord, Lord, do not reprove me with Your wrath, and do not depart from me for my iniquities.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

Kontakion 6

Look with my eyes at Your image, Lord, I do not dare, the accursed one, from my evil deeds, but, like a publican, groaning, I cry out to You God, cleanse me, a sinner, from the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and teach me to sing with a pure heart of Your mercy: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Ascension in my sorrow, Thy comforting word, Thou didst say to my Savior: “I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.” For this reason, I, having escaped the darkness of despair, with hope in Your love for mankind, came running to You, praying: My Lord, Lord, take refuge in my time of trouble and sorrow, do not leave me alone, my Lord, Lord, sinless, imputed with the lawless, take me away. from the hands of those who hate me. My Lord, Lord, save me from the desecration of visible and invisible enemies. My Lord, Lord, forgive me and accept me, like the prodigal of old, into Your arms.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

Kontakion 7

Thou hast shown Thy wondrous works, O Lord, in Thy most pure image, and hast given marvelous consolation to all earth-born, teaching them in the sorrowful circumstances of life to resort to Thy mercy and to sing to Thee with love: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

Wearing the temple and the entire body is desecrated, many of the cruel things I have done, I tremble at the terrible Day of Judgment and pray: open the doors of repentance to me, O Giver of Life, and like David I cry to You: My Lord, Lord, hear my prayer, heed my prayer and have mercy on me. Lord my God, Your seventh, give me understanding and my soul will live. Lord my God, my shepherd, I have gone astray, like a lost sheep, seek your servant and save me. My Lord, Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul for those who have sinned against You.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

Kontakion 8

On the terrible day of Your coming, I am terrified, O Christ, and I tremble, for I have many sins, but You, Merciful God, before the end, convert me, singing Tn: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

You were all love for fallen man, O Jesus, and You gave them Your Holy image, clearly saying to all who are in sorrow and sorrow, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” For this reason, the one who is perishing, with boldness I pray to Thee, O Christ, saying:

My Lord, my Lord, my guardian, save me from the enemies who attack me. My Lord, Lord, who lives on high and looks down on the humble, look down on me, a sinner, and be my joy. My Lord, Lord, save me, drowning in the abyss of everyday temptations. My Lord, Lord, let not my heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid in confessing Your name. My Lord, Lord, receive me like a publican, like a Canaanite, have mercy, have mercy on me according to Your mercy.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

Kontakion 9

All pagans, come, with love and reverence let us worship the most pure image of the Savior of the world, who delivered us from the work of the enemy, and cry out in gratitude to Him, the Conqueror of death and hell: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

All struck by sinful leprosy, I am perplexed as to how it is worthy to magnify Thee, O most merciful Master, but with heartfelt faith I confess Thee, the true Son of God, I humbly stand before Thy Holy image, praying: Lord Jesus, my Joy, grant to me that I may rejoice in mercy Yours. Lord, my Most Gracious Savior, save Your servant from unbelief and lawlessness. My Lord, Lord, Unspeakable Mercy, by Your grace consume my anger and my heart. My Lord, Lord, indescribable purity, give me purity of heart and mind. My Lord, Lord, clothe yourself with singing like a robe, sanctify me, darkened by the sorrows of life.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

Kontakion 10

My Lord, Lord, Merciful to my Savior, raise up my soul, weakened by cold deeds, by Your Divine mercy, like the one weakened in ancient times at the sheep’s font, and instruct me in the path of salvation, so that we sing: All-moon.

Ikos 10

Eternal King, Comforter, True Christ, cleanse me from all filth, as you cleansed the ten lepers, and heal me, as you healed the money-loving soul of Zacchaeus the tax collector, so that I may sing to You, saying:

My Lord, Lord, you who have received our ailments and suffered illnesses, heal the diseases of my heart. My Lord, Lord Jesus, my Helper, help me, as my soul faints from this sorrow. My Lord, Lord, who gave eyes to the blind to see, give me an eye that I may see Your meekness and patience. Lord, long-suffering, deliver my soul from the wicked and save me for the sake of Your mercy.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

Kontakion 11

Bringing all-conciliatory singing to You, and praying with a contrite heart, do not despise me, O Most Blessed Master! Turn away Thy face from my sins! But do not turn Your face away from the servant who sings to You: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

O true Light Christ, who enlightens and sanctifies every person coming into the world, look upon me, Thy sinful and indecent servant, and correct my life according to Thy commandments, and sanctify my soul, that I may offer Thee this prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Light of the world, shine Your light on me My Lord, Lord, You are the source of life, grant my soul imperishable life and confirm me in Your commandments. Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Sun of righteousness, with Your righteousness warm my soul and illuminate my mind. My Lord, Lord, You are my mentor, teach me to do Your will and love You with all my heart My Lord, Lord, You have opened the eyes of the blind, open the doors of repentance for me and, as you are generous, cleanse all my sins.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

kontakion 12

By Your omnipotent grace, confirm my heart in faith, hope and love, grant me through repentance and unflagging fulfillment of Your commandments to reach the Kingdom of Heaven, where with the faces of the apostles I will sing: Ti Alleluia.

Ikos 12

You, Good Shepherd, proclaimed to everyone the sorrows and sorrows of those who exist: “My friends, I am going to My Father and your Father to prepare a place for you, but I will come again and take you to Myself, if you keep My commandments.” Hearing this reverently, I dare and, immersed in fierce sorrow, come to You, praying: My Lord, Lord, Merciful to my Savior, save me, who am perishing. My Lord, Lord, drive away from me the clouds of unbelief, evil and enmity, and by Your Good Spirit set me on the path of righteousness. My Lord, Lord, consolation of my soul, comfort me in this present sorrow. Lord my God, for the sake of Your name, revive me and through Your righteousness bring my soul out of sorrow. Lord, Most Mighty King, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.

Lord God, my Savior, come to me, who is perishing, and heal my incurable illnesses.

kontakion 13

Oh, Most Merciful and Most Good Lord God, my Savior, who came into the world to save fallen man, do not disdain me more than all other sinners and do not turn Your face away from me, but look upon the fierce sorrow and sadness of my soul, heal and strengthen me in the Light of truth. and love, let us sing to You: Alleluia!

O my Most Merciful Savior, who came into the world for the salvation of fallen man, seek me as I perish and with Thy grace sanctify my soul, cleanse my body and correct my life, but according to Thy commandment, let me sing to Thee with a pure heart: Alleluia.

O My Most Merciful Savior, look upon Thy servant, I am drowning in the sea of worldly temptations and troubles, and, like Peter of old, drowning, save by Thy grace, sanctify the soul and establish it on the path of Thy commandments, and with a pure heart and lips I cry out to Thee with love: Alleluia , Alleluia, Alleluia

Prayer

Oh, Most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, our God, You are more ancient than Your human nature, having washed off Your face with holy water and wiped it with a rubbish, so You miraculously depicted it on the same cover for Yourself and You deigned to send it to the Prince of Edessa Abgar to heal him from an illness. Behold, now we are Your sinful servants, obsessed with our mental and physical ailments, we seek Your face, O Lord, and with David in the humility of our souls we call, do not turn away Your face, O Lord, from us, and do not turn aside in anger from Your servants, our helper wake up, do not reject us and do not leave us. Oh, All-Merciful Lord, our Savior, depict Yourself in our souls, so that in holiness and truth, living, we will be Your sons and heirs of Your Kingdom, and so we will not cease to glorify You, Our Most Merciful God, together with Your Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit. forever and ever. Amen

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II
Dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the gate temple in the name of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands in the Conception Monastery

* Savior not made by hands, XIII century, Wood, gesso, tempera, Place of creation - Balkans, Place of storage - Sacristy cathedral in Laon. Moved from Edessa to Constantinople in 944, the Mandylion disappeared when the city was captured by the Crusaders in 1204. Being common in the frescoes of the 12th century, this image also appears on icons by the end of the century. This icon is one of earlier versions image. Bishop Jacques Pantaleon de Troyes (later Pope Urban IV, 1261 - 1264) received this icon in 1249 in Rome and gave it to his sister Sibylla, abbess of the Cistercian monastery of Montreux-en-Thieraches in France, where this image was definitely located in 1262. It was then moved in the 17th century, probably in 1658, to the monastery of Montreux-les-Dames, la Nouvelle, near Laon, and received a silver frame in 1679. In 1792, the ark was melted down and the image was sent to the parish church. In 1795, the icon came to the Laon Cathedral and was officially transferred to the cathedral sacristy in 1807.

** The day of August 16, 944 became the most important day in the history of the Miracle Image of Christ on a board, called in Byzantium “Holy Mandylion” (TO AGION MANDYLION), and in Ancient Rus' “Holy Ubrus”. On this day, the precious relic, which the day before had been solemnly transferred to Constantinople from the distant Syrian city of Edessa, was placed in the reliquary church of the Grand Palace among other most important shrines of the empire. From this moment on, the general Christian glorification of the Mandylion begins, which becomes perhaps the main relic of the Byzantine world. In lists of Constantinople shrines and pilgrimage descriptions, it consistently occupies one of the first places.

The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands occupies a special place in icon painting, and extensive literature is devoted to it. Tradition says that the icon we know is a hand-made copy of the miraculously found original. According to legend, in 544 AD. two miraculous images of Jesus were found in the gate niche of the wall of the city of Edessa. When the niche was opened, a candle was burning in it and there was a board with a wonderful image, which at the same time turned out to be printed on the ceramic tile covering the niche. Thus, two versions of the image immediately appeared: Mandylion (on the board) and Keramion (on the tile). In 944 Mandylion moved to Constantinople and two decades later Keramion followed the same path. According to the testimony of pilgrims, both relics were kept in receptacles suspended on chains in one of the naves of the Temple of Our Lady of Pharos, the home church of the Emperor /1-4/. This famous church was also the site of other relics of comparable importance. The vessels were never opened and the two relics were never shown, but lists began to emerge and spread throughout the Christian world, gradually taking the form of the iconographic canon we know. After the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the Mandylion supposedly ended up in Paris, where it was kept until 1793 and disappeared during the French Revolution.

THE FACE OF THE SAVIOR
The Savior Not Made by Hands is the only icon that depicts Jesus simply as a person, as a person with a face. Other iconic images of Jesus show Him performing some action or contain indications of His attributes. Here He is sitting on the throne (which means He is the King), here He is blessing, here He is holding a book in His hands and pointing to the words written there. The multiplicity of images of Jesus is theologically correct, but can hide the basic truth of Christianity: salvation comes precisely through the person of Jesus, through Jesus as such, and not through some of his individual actions or attributes. According to Christian teaching, the Lord sent us His Son as the only way to salvation. He Himself is the beginning and the end of the path, alpha and omega. He saves us by the very fact of his eternal presence in the world. We follow Him not because of any obligation or reasoning or custom, but because He calls us. We love Him not for anything, but simply for the fact that He exists, i.e. in much the same way as we love, with a love that is not always explicable, the chosen ones or chosen ones of our hearts. It is precisely this attitude towards Jesus, an attitude that is highly personal, that corresponds to the image depicted on St. Mandylion.

PHOTO PORTRAIT
St. Mandylion is a one-of-a-kind 'photo portrait' of Jesus. This is actually not a drawing, but a print of a face, a photograph in the literal material sense. Being a stylistically neutral image of a face as such, our icon has something in common with the not very honorable, but absolutely necessary and widespread genre of passport photo in our life. Just like in passport photos, it is the face that is depicted here, and not character or thoughts. This is just a portrait, not a psychological portrait.

SYMMETRY
Among other iconic images, the Savior Not Made by Hands is unique for its symmetry. In most versions, the Face of Jesus is almost completely mirror-symmetrical, with the exception of the slanted eyes, the movement of which gives life to the face and spiritualizes it /8/. This symmetry reflects, in particular, a fundamentally important fact of creation - the mirror symmetry of the human appearance. Many other elements of God's creation (animals, plant elements, molecules, crystals) are also symmetrical. Space, the main arena of creation, itself has a high degree of symmetry. An Orthodox church is also symmetrical, and the Image Not Made by Hands often occupies a place in it on the main plane of symmetry, linking the symmetry of architecture with the asymmetry of icon painting. It is as if he is attaching to the walls a carpet of temple paintings and icons, dynamic in its diversity and colorfulness.

GENIUS OF PURE BEAUTY
On the 12th century Novgorod icon from the Tretyakov Gallery shown in the title (this is the oldest Russian icon of the Savior), the Holy Face expresses the late antique ideal of beauty. Symmetry is just one aspect of this ideal. Jesus' facial features do not express pain and suffering. This ideal image is free from passions and emotions. It sees heavenly calm and peace, sublimity and purity. This combination of aesthetic and spiritual, beautiful and Divine, which is also strongly expressed in the icons of the Mother of God, seems to remind us that beauty will save the world...

THE CIRCLE IS CLOSING
The Savior Not Made by Hands is the only icon in which the halo has the shape of a completely closed circle. The circle expresses the perfection and harmony of the world order. The position of the face in the center of the circle expresses the completeness and completeness of Jesus’ act of salvation for humanity and His central role in the universe.

The image of a head in a circle also recalls the head of John the Baptist placed on a plate, who preceded the way of the cross of Jesus with his suffering. The image of a head on a round dish also has obvious Eucharistic associations. The round halo containing the face of Jesus is symbolically repeated in the round prosphoras containing His body.

CIRCLE AND SQUARE
On the Novgorod icon, the circle is inscribed in a square. It has been suggested that the geometric nature of this icon creates an image of the paradox of the Incarnation through the idea of squaring the circle, i.e. as a combination of incompatible /10/. The circle and square symbolically represent Heaven and Earth. According to the cosmogony of the ancients, the Earth is a flat square, and the Sky is a sphere along which the Moon, Sun and planets revolve, i.e. world of the Divine. This symbolism can be found in the architecture of any temple: the square or rectangular floor symbolically corresponds to the Earth, and the vault or dome of the ceiling symbolically corresponds to Heaven. Therefore, the combination of a square and a circle is a fundamental archetype that expresses the structure of the Cosmos and has a special meaning in this case, since Christ, having become incarnate, united Heaven and Earth. It is interesting that a circle inscribed in a square (as well as a square inscribed in a circle), as a symbolic representation of the structure of the Universe, is used in the mandala, the main icon of Tibetan Buddhism. The motif of a square inscribed in a circle can also be seen in the icon of the Savior in the design of a crossed halo.

FACE AND CROSS
The cross halo is a canonical element of almost all major types of Jesus icons. From the point of view of a modern viewer, the combination of a head and a cross looks like an element of a crucifixion. In fact, the superposition of a face on a cruciform motif rather reflects the end result of a peculiar competition between images of the cross and the Face of Jesus for the right to serve as the state emblem of the Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine made the cross the main symbol of his power and the imperial standard. Icons of Christ have replaced the cross in state images since the 6th century. The first combination of a cross with an icon of Jesus was, apparently, round images of Jesus attached to military cross-standards in the same way as portraits of the emperor were attached to the same standards /11/. Thus, the combination of Jesus with the cross indicated His authority rather than the role of the Victim /9 (see Chapter 6)/. It is not surprising that an identical cross-shaped halo is present on the icon of Christ the Pantocrator, in which the role of Christ as Ruler is especially clearly emphasized.

‘I AM THE DOOR’
The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is often placed above the entrance to a sacred room or space. Let us remember that it was found in a niche above the gates of the city of Edessa. In Russia it was also often placed above the gates of cities or monasteries, as well as in churches above the entrance doors or above the royal doors of the altars. At the same time, the sacredness of the space protected by the icon is emphasized, which is thereby likened to the God-protected city of Edessa /1/.

HEAD AND BODY
St. Mandylion is the only icon that shows only the head of Jesus, even without the shoulders. The incorporeality of the face speaks of the primacy of the spirit over the body and gives rise to multiple associations. The head without a body recalls the earthly death of Jesus and creates the image of the Sacrifice, both in the sense of his crucifixion and in the sense of the Eucharistic associations discussed above. The image of one Face corresponds to the Orthodox theology of the icon, according to which the personality is depicted on the icons, and not human nature /12/.

WHAT ST. LOOKED LIKE MANDYLION?
Judging by historical evidence, the Edessa Mandylion was an image on a board stretched over a small board and kept in a closed casket /2/. There was probably a gold frame that left only the face, beard and hair exposed. The Bishop of Samosata, who was tasked with bringing the St. Mandylion from Edessa, had to choose the original from among four contenders. This suggests that already in Edessa, copies were made of the Mandylion, which were also images on a fabric basis stretched on a board. These copies apparently served as the beginning of the tradition of images of the Image Not Made by Hands, since there is no information about the copying of the Mandylion in Constantinople. Since icons in general are usually painted on a fabric base (pavolok) stretched on a board, St. Mandylion is a proto-icon, the prototype of all icons. Of the surviving images, the closest to the original are considered to be several icons of Byzantine origin preserved in Italy, the dating of which is debated. On these icons, the Holy Face has natural dimensions, the facial features are oriental (Syro-Palestinian) /13/.

TABLE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The significance of the Mandylion in Byzantium was comparable to the significance of the Tablets of the Covenant in ancient Israel. The tablets were a central relic of the Old Testament tradition. God himself inscribed on them the commandments, which constituted the main content of the Old Testament. The presence of the Tablets in the Tabernacle and Temple confirmed the authenticity of the Divine origin of the commandments. Since the main thing in the New Testament is Christ himself, the Holy Mandylion is the tablet of the New Testament, its visible God-given image. This motif is clearly heard in the official Byzantine narrative of the history of Mandylion, in which the story of its transfer to Constantinople is consonant with the Biblical account of the transfer of the tablets to Jerusalem by David /14/. Just like the tablets, the Mandylion has never been displayed. Even emperors, when worshiping the Mandylion, kissed the closed casket. As the tablet of the New Testament, the St. Mandylion became the central relic of the Byzantine Empire.

ICON AND RELIC
Byzantine piety strove for a synthesis of icon and relic /15/. Icons often arose as a result of the desire to “multiply” a relic, to consecrate the entire Christian world to it, and not just a small part of the space. The icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands reminded not only of the reality of the Savior’s earthly life, but also of the reality and authenticity of Saint Platus himself. The connection with the relic is indicated by the folds of material depicted on many versions of the icon of St. Mandylion. The icons of St. Keramion depict the same face, but the background has the texture of tiles.

However, the direct connection with the relic was not always emphasized. In the icon presented in the title, the Face is depicted on a uniform golden background, symbolizing the Divine Light. In this way, the effect of the presence of Jesus is enhanced, His Divinity and the fact of the Incarnation are emphasized, as well as the fact that the source of salvation is Jesus himself, and not a relic. Wolf /10/ points to the “monumentalization” of the Face, freed from the tissue base, its movement from matter to the sphere of spiritual contemplation. It was also hypothesized that the gold background of the Novgorod icon copies the gold frame of the prototype icon /16/. The Novgorod icon was processional, carried out, which explains its large size (70x80cm). Since the size of the Face is larger than a human face, this image could not claim to be a direct copy of St. Mandylion and served as its symbolic substitute in the services of Holy Week and the feast of the icon on August 16.

INCARNATION AND SANCTIFICATION OF MATTER
The Incarnation is unanimously recognized as the key theme of the Mandylion. Although the appearance of Christ in the material world is the theme of any icon, the story of the miraculous display of the Face of Christ on the board not only confirms with particular clarity the doctrine of the Incarnation, but also creates an image of the continuation of this process after the earthly death of Jesus. Departing from the world, Christ leaves his “imprints” on the souls of believers. Just as St. Mandylion, by the power of the Holy Spirit, passed from board to tile, the same power transfers the image of God from heart to heart. In church icon painting, Mandylion and Keramion are sometimes placed at the base of the dome opposite each other, thereby recreating the situation of a miraculous reproduction of the image /1/.

BANNER OF ICON REVERENCE
If the pagans worshiped “Gods made by men” (Acts 19:26), then Christians could contrast this with the Image Not Made by Hands, as a material image made by God. Jesus' creation of his own image was the strongest argument in favor of icon veneration. The icon of the Savior occupies a place of honor in the iconographic programs of Byzantine churches shortly after the victory over iconoclasm.

The tale of Avgar deserves careful reading, as it contains theologically significant ideas related to icon veneration:
(1) Jesus wanted an image of Himself;
(2) He sent His image in His place, thereby confirming the authority to venerate the image as His representative;
(3) He sent the image in response to Abgar's request for healing, which directly confirms the miraculous nature of the icon, as well as the potential healing power of other contact relics.
(4) The previously sent letter does not heal Abgar, which is consistent with the fact that copies of sacred texts, despite the practice of their worship, as a rule do not play the role of miraculous relics in the Orthodox tradition.

A MADE IMAGE IN Rus'
The veneration of the Image Not Made by Hands came to Rus' in the 11th-12th centuries and spread especially widely starting from the second half of the 14th century. In 1355, the newly installed Moscow Metropolitan Alexy brought from Constantinople a list of St. Mandylion, for which a reliquary temple was immediately founded /7/. The veneration of copies of St. Mandylion was introduced as a state cult: churches, monasteries and temple chapels dedicated to the Image Not Made by Hands and receiving the name “Spassky” began to appear throughout the country. Dmitry Donskoy, a student of Metropolitan Alexy, prayed in front of the icon of the Savior after receiving news of Mamai’s attack. The banner with the icon of the Savior accompanied the Russian army on campaigns from the Battle of Kulikovo until the First World War. These banners begin to be called “signs” or “banners”; the word “banner” replaces the Old Russian “flag”. Icons of the Savior are placed on the fortress towers. Just like in Byzantium, the Savior Not Made by Hands becomes a talisman of the city and the country. Images for home use are distributed, as well as miniature images of the Savior, used as amulets /20/. Church buildings in book illustrations and icons begin to be depicted with the icon of the Savior above the entrance as a designation of the Christian church. The Savior becomes one of the central images of Russian Orthodoxy, close in meaning and meaning to the cross and crucifixion.

Perhaps Metropolitan Alexy himself was the initiator of the use of the Immaculate Image in iconostases, which acquired a close to modern appearance precisely in this era /7/. In this regard, a new type of huge icons of the Savior arose with a face size much larger than the natural one. The Holy Face on these icons takes on the features of the Heavenly Jesus, Christ the Judge of the Last Day /21/, which was in tune with the widespread expectations of the near end of the world in that era. This theme was also present in Western Christianity at that time. Dante in the Divine Comedy used the iconography of the Holy Face to describe the sight of the Divine on the Day of Judgment /7/.

The image of the Savior acquired new shades of meaning in the context of the ideas of hesychasm. Images of the Mandylion, especially on large icons, seem to be “charged” with uncreated energy and radiate unearthly power. It is no coincidence that in one of the stories about Mandylion the image itself becomes the source of uncreated Light, similar to Favorsky /14/. A new interpretation of the theme of the transformative Tabor light appears on the icons of Simon Ushakov (17th century), in which the Holy Face itself becomes a source of unearthly radiance /22/.

SERVICE TO AN ICON
The church-wide nature of the worship of St. Mandylion was expressed in the existence of the feast of the icon on August 16, the day the relic was transferred from Edessa to Constantinople. On this day, special biblical readings and stichera are read, expressing theological ideas associated with the icon /12/. The stichera for the holiday conveys the above legend about Avgar. Biblical readings outline the most important stages in the story of the Incarnation. The Old Testament readings remind us of the impossibility of depicting God, who remained invisible, while the Gospel readings contain a key phrase for Mandylion’s theology: “And, turning to the disciples, he said to them especially: blessed are the eyes that have seen what you see!” (Luke 10:23).

There is also a canon for the miraculous image, the authorship of which is attributed to St. Herman of Constantinople /12/.

LITERATURE
/1/ A. M. Lidov. Hierotopy. Spatial icons and paradigm images in Byzantine culture. M., Feoria. 2009. The chapters “Mandylion and Keramion” and “The Holy Face – the Holy Letter – the Holy Gates”, p. 111-162.
/2/ A. M. Lidov. Holy mandylion. History of the relic. In the book “The Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon.” M., 2008, p. 12-39.
/3/ Robert de Clary. Conquest of Constantinople. M., 1986. p. 59-60.
/4/ Relics in Byzantium and Ancient Rus'. Written sources (editor-compiler A.M. Lidov). M., Progress-Tradition, 2006. Part 5. Relics of Constantinople, pp. 167-246. The text of the epistula Avgari can be found in Part 7. p. 296-300.
/5/E. Meshcherskaya. Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles. New Testament Apocrypha in Syriac Literature. M., Priscels, 1997. 455 p. See the chapter “Old Russian version of the legend of Avgar according to a 13th century manuscript”,
This version of Epistula Avgari was popular in medieval Russia.
/6/ In Rome there were several ancient images of Christ of Byzantine origin including several copies of St. Mandylion. According to L.M. Evseeva /7/ their images converged and by the 15th century the famous image of Christ from Veronica’s Plaid with long symmetrical strands of hair and a short, slightly forked beard was formed, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_Veronica
This iconographic type also influenced later Russian icons of the Savior. It is also suggested that the name “Veronica” comes from “vera icona” (true image): initially this was the name of the Roman lists of St. Mandylion, then the legend of Veronica arose and the Veronica Plath itself appeared, the first reliable information about which dates back to 1199.
/7/ L.M.Evseeva. The miraculous image of Christ” by Metropolitan Alexy (1354-1378) in the context of eschatological ideas of the time. In the book “The Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon.” M., 2008, pp. 61-81.
/8/ On many icons of the Savior (including the Novgorod icon in the illustration) one can notice a slight intentional asymmetry of the face, which, as was shown by N. B. Teteryatnikova, contributes to the “revival” of the icon: the face seems to “turn” towards the viewer looking on the icon at an angle. N. Teteriatnikov. Animated icons on interactive display: the case of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. In the book “Spatial Icons. Performative in Byzantium and Ancient Rus',” ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov, M.: Indrik, 2011, pp. 247-274.
/9/ H. Belting. Likeness and presence. A history of image before the era of art. Ch.11. The Holy Face. The University of Chicago Press, 1992.
/10/ G. Wolf. Holy face and holy feet: preliminary reflections before the Novgorod Mandylion. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2003, 281-290.
/11/Few crosses with portraits of emperors have survived. The earliest example is a 10th century cross with a portrait of Emperor Augustus, kept in the treasury of Aachen Cathedral and used in the coronation ceremonies of the emperors of the Carolingian dynasty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Lothair
/12/ L. I. Uspensky. Theology icons of the Orthodox Church. M., 2008. Ch. 8 “Iconoclastic teaching and the church’s response to it,” p. 87-112.
/13/ See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Holy_Face_-_Genoa.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:39bMandylion.jpg
/14/ The story of the transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands from Edessa to Constantinople. In the book “The Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon.” M., 2008, pp. 415-429. Interestingly, in another Byzantine work, a set of passion relics kept in the Church of Our Lady of Pharos is compared with the Decalogue (ten commandments).
/15/ I. Shalina. The icon “Christ in the tomb” and the miraculous image on the Shroud of Constantinople. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2003, p. 305-336. http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/books/tourin/
/16/ I.A. Sterligova. Precious attire of ancient Russian icons of the 11th-14th centuries. M., 2000, p. 136-138.p.
/17/ Reverse side of the Novgorod Mandylion:
http://all-photo.ru/icon/index.ru.html?big=on&img=28485
/18/Sh. Gerstel. Miraculous Mandylion. The image of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Byzantine iconographic programs. From the collection “The Miraculous Icon in Byzantium and Ancient Rus',” ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., “Martis”, 1996. pp. 76-89.
http://nesusvet.narod.ru/ico/books/gerstel.htm.
/19/M. Emanuel. The Savior Not Made by Hands in the iconographic programs of the churches of Mystras. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2003, p. 291-304.
/20/A. V. Ryndin. Reliquary image. The Savior Not Made by Hands in small forms of Russian art XIV-XVI. From the collection “Eastern Christian Relics”, ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2003, p. 569-585.
/21/For an example of such iconography, see
http://www.icon-art.info/masterpiece.php?lng=ru&mst_id=719
/22/ The image of Spas was the main, programmatic one for Ushakov and was repeated by him many times. Unlike ancient icons, where the Divine light is transmitted in the background and spread across the entire surface of the icon, in Ushakov the “uncreated light” shines through the face itself. Ushakov strove to combine Orthodox principles of icon painting with new technical techniques that would make it possible to convey the Holy Face “light, ruddy, shadowy, shadowy and lifelike.” The new style was approvingly received by most of his contemporaries, but aroused criticism from zealots of antiquity, who called Ushakov’s Savior a “puffy little German.” Many believe that Ushakov’s “light-like” faces convey physical, created rather than uncreated light, and that this style meant the collapse of the Byzantine icon image and its replacement with the aesthetics of Western art, in which the beautiful takes the place of the sublime.

Origin

Eastern version of the legend

Western version of the legend

Version of the connection between the image and the Shroud of Turin

Icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Russian Letter

First samples. The beginning of the Russian tradition

Excuses

Various images of the Savior

Vyatsky Savior Not Made by Hands

Kharkov Spas Not Made by Hands

Historical facts

See also

Notes

Links

History of the icon

Description of the icon

What do they pray to the icon for?

Prayers to the miraculous image of the Savior

What does the icon look like?

UNMADE IMAGE Troparion, tone 2

Kontakion, tone 2

Greatness

Foreign greatness

Word on the Day of the Image of the Lord Not Made by Hands

Akathist to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ not made by hands

UNMADE IMAGE
Troparion, tone 2