This icon is accompanied by a document - an examination of the National Research Institute for Expertise and Evaluation of Objects of History and Culture "Ruskulturexpertiza".

This icon is an integral part of the national cultural heritage of the Russian Federation and cannot be exported abroad.

Time and place: Russia, Vladimir villages, mid-19th century.

Size: 32x24.9 cm.

Equipment and materials

Icon: gesso, egg tempera, natural minerals, silver leaf.

Board: linden, two end oak dowels.

The four-part image of the Mother of God was compiled by the icon painter at the request of the customer from icons of the Mother of God of revered selected subjects.

1. “The Vow of the Suffering” is a half-length image of the Mother of God in a crown, in a maforia, with the Baby on her left hand, with her right hand she touches the Baby’s feet. The blessing right hand of the Child is presented at the level of the neck of the Virgin Mary. His left hand clutches a scroll. Before this icon, worshipers take vows.
2. “Our Lady of Three Hands” list (copy) from the miraculous image of John of Damascus. The iconography of the image of the Mother of God “Three-Handed” belongs to the “Hodegetria” type. The Child Christ sits on the right hand of the Virgin Mary. With His right hand He blesses, in His left hand there is a scroll. The lower part of the icon depicts the hand of the Mother of God. The “third hand” of the Mother of God symbolizes the cover and protection that She bestows on those praying. Mary's left hand is raised to her chest in a gesture pointing to the Son. The image of the “Three-Handed Woman” is used to pray for protection from enemies when home or family well-being is threatened, for increased well-being, for healing from illnesses, for the healing of hopelessly ill people, for the health of relatives and friends.
3. “Tenderness of the Most Holy Theotokos” - The Mother of God presses the Child Christ to her cheek. The baby sits on the left hand of the Virgin. His left hand touches the neck of the Virgin Mary, his right hand is lowered down. The right hand of the Mother of God is at the level of Her chest.
4. “Quench my sorrows” - a helper in illness. The Mother of God is depicted holding with her left hand the Infant Christ, who has a scroll unfolded in his hands. The Mother of God placed her right hand on Her head, slightly tilted to the side, as if She was listening to the prayers of all those who turned to Her about sorrows and sorrows. Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “Quench my sorrows” helps to get rid of spiritual sorrow and heart-destroying passions. Another name for the icon, “Quench my illness,” speaks of its great healing power.

The peculiarity of the four-part icon is that it is the patroness of women who pray before Her with requests to the Mother of God for help in the birth and upbringing of children, for their health and well-being; the icon helps mothers and widows.

The artistic features of the image allow us to classify it as a folk icon. This is evidenced by the laconicism of the compositional solutions, the contrasting limited color scheme based on red-brown and black, the tendency towards flatness, the simplification of images of figures and the schematic nature of vestments.

The icon can be classified as a work of handicraft, characteristic of the “common products” of Vladimir villages in the second half of the 19th century. The iconography was based on the most revered Moscow images.

The condition is good, the painting is under the original drying oil. The icon was not subject to restoration or other interventions in the original painting.

This icon is a very characteristic monument of icon painting in Central Rus' in the last quarter of the 19th century, and has collection and museum value.

The unique four-part icon is located on the southern wall of the Annunciation Cathedral, next to the local iconostasis. It is a real theological treatise, revealing the content of liturgical texts using ancient Russian painting.

The icon is divided into four equal parts, each of which has its own name. They should be read from the top left counterclockwise. “And God rest on the seventh day” – upper left, “Come, let us worship the Tripartite Deity” – lower left, “In the carnal tomb” – lower right, “The Only Begotten Son and Word of God” – upper right.
The upper left part illustrates the words: “And God rests on the seventh day,” that is, its iconography tells about the divine creation of the world.

The main idea of ​​all parts of the icon is God's providence for humanity, starting from the creation of the world, to the creation of man, and, through the crucifixion of Christ, to the Resurrection.

Four-part icon. Iconography

The sky is depicted in the upper register; it is separated from the earth by a wavy line. In the central part of the sky, in spheres reminiscent of the spheres of the “Savior in Power” from the Deesis order, there is the Lord of Hosts, reclining on a bed in light robes, on the left is the Mother of God of the Sign, and above is the Holy Spirit.

In the upper left corner of the icon God the Father is depicted, with a cross in the background and the crucified Christ in the background. The Savior is depicted with wings, like a cherub.

On the right it is echoed by the image of Christ in a kind of almond-shaped halo. The father seems to bless his son for his earthly feat.

And in the lower case of the first part, the creation of Adam and Eve, the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise and the murder of Abel by Cain are written on earth.

The lower left part, in which three registers are also distinguished, illustrates the text “Come, let us worship the Tripartite Deity.”

The same division between heaven and earth is present here. The upper register depicts something happening in the sky.

In the middle part - between heaven and earth, we see the coming of the Savior into the world in the scenes of the Annunciation, Nativity and Baptism.

But in the lower part the three-part deity is worshiped “by those who are alive.” We see the faces of saints in prayer: prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints, righteous people. A young woman with a baby in her arms is also written here, and in front of her is a young man in a crown. These images clearly point to Ivan the Terrible and his young wife Anastasia Romanovna with his heir.

In the next part, the master wrote the end of the earthly life of the Savior and the beginning of divine salvation - this is a liturgical song: “In the grave the carnal ones, in hell with the soul like God, in paradise with the thief and with the Father on the throne.”

And indeed, “carnal in the grave”, “in hell with a soul like God” - in the lower register the scene of the “Descent into Hell” is depicted.

On average, the composition “In Paradise with the Thief” is clearly readable; this is the scene “Christ and the Prudent Thief”. In the same register there are people (the righteous) coming out of the cave.

The upper register of the third movement contains the composition “On the Throne”.

Four-part icon. Trinity Image

This image of the New Testament Trinity (“The Altar” - the Father and the Son are shown on the throne at the same time, and between them the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove) first appears in Russian iconography on this icon.

Previously, in Rus' only the Old Testament Trinity was depicted - three angels before Abraham. The New Testament Trinity, as an iconographic type, appears only during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. In general, this entire icon represents a new word in sacred painting.
The last part, located at the top right, illustrates the liturgical hymn “The Only Begotten Son and Word of God.”

In the last part, just like in the first, heaven and earth are shown. In the center of the middle part, on the border of heaven and earth, behind the empty tomb, the deceased Christ is depicted, embraced by the Mother of God. The composition is called “Mourning of the Only Begotten Son”; such iconography has existed in Balkan sacred art since ancient times.

On the left and right, two architectural structures are shown in the upper case. They rise on the rocky peaks of the earth's zone. The structure on the right looks like some kind of antique building, to the left of it is an angel carrying the moon on his head. On the left is a temple, next to it is an angel with the sun. Both the moon and the sun have faces.

The ancient building and the angel with the face of the moon can be interpreted as an Old Testament synagogue; they are likened to the Old Testament. The white three-domed temple and the angel with the face of the sun personify the new church - heavenly and earthly and the New Testament. That is why the face of God Emmanuel in the red halo of “glory” is turned to the church, he points his hand towards it.
The bottom images correspond to the top ones. Under the allegories of the Old Testament, on the right, in the black cave of the underworld, death reigns. It is painted in the form of a bony corpse with a scythe in his hand, riding an apocalyptic beast.

Under the church - a symbol of the New Testament - the victory of Christ over death and hell is shown. In the yawning abyss of hell on the left, Archangel Michael in a red cloak strikes with a spear the fallen “prince of darkness” - Satan (the personification of hell), whose demonic army retreats into the depths of the cave. Here the victory over death and hell and the triumph of the church are depicted: the Archangel defeats death, kills Satan and people emerge from the dark cave, from hell.

On the edge of this cave (above the Archangel) a man in armor sits, crossing his legs. In fact, he does not have a helmet on his head, but a cross-shaped halo. This is an image of Christ - the conqueror of death. This depiction of the Savior caused the greatest protest and indignation. But, nevertheless, the icon was approved.

Four-part icon. Iconography controversy

The appearance of this icon caused heated theological debate. Such images gave rise to denial among highly educated people. They discussed and condemned the very possibility of the appearance of such sacred subjects. Immediately after its writing, the clerk of the embassy order, that is, in modern terms, a major official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Viskovaty wrote a request for the opportunity to discuss such an image at a church council. The church council met and, by the decision of Metropolitan Macarius, approved her iconography.

The “four-part” icon is a detailed theological “treatise on the trinity of the deity” and, at the same time, a brief summary of the main events of the Old and New Testaments, including the Apocalypse, revealed in the language of fine art. The main representatives of the heavenly and earthly hierarchy are depicted here. In different iconography, the Trinity is represented in each part of the icon.

Most likely, Metropolitan Macarius himself participated in the development of the plots of the four-part icon. It was created by Pskov craftsmen in the middle of the 16th century. This icon was one of those that appeared in the Annunciation Cathedral after the fire of 1547. Such an image could only be understood by a few “sophisticated” theologians. Therefore, the icon of the Annunciation Cathedral remained a unique creation of its time. Few lists were made only from individual fragments of this icon.

Moscow's political horizon; at the council of 1667 - on the issue of some images that were rightly rejected by Viskovaty; finally, in the 19th and 20th centuries he was rehabilitated and essentially the basic principles of his iconographic reasoning.”

Quote and photos from the Orthodox forum.
The article was written based on materials from the Kremlin lecture hall and the article “Four-Part Icon”.

In the Orthodox world there are many icons, each of which has a specific meaning and purpose. Many icons are associated with gospel history or holidays.

A four-part icon is not one icon, but four at once, and several scenes can be depicted on the canvas at once. There are many types of four-part icons, but the most common is the icon that you should definitely have in your home - “Motherhood”. It began to be written around the 6th century in Byzantium.

History and description of the icon

In Rus', this icon appeared only in the second half of the 17th century. The discovery took place in the Minsk region. According to legend, the icon was found on a tree, and subsequently a temple dedicated to the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built on that very spot.

This icon is quite rare even by the standards of ordinary icons, not four-part ones. If in Christianity and Orthodoxy in particular there is a conversation about such images, then it is the “Motherhood” icon that comes to mind. It consists of the following icons.

"Baby Leaping". Located at the bottom left in the four-part icon. It shows the Baby Jesus playing with his Mother. He is trying to reach the face of the Virgin Mary.

"Upbringing". This icon depicts Jesus sitting on the left hand of his Mother. Located at the bottom right.

"Mammal". At the top left is this icon of the baby Jesus feeding on his Mother's milk.

"Assisting childbirth." This icon helps women in difficult childbirth. While the child is in the womb, she protects any mother from harm. On the four-part icon it is located at the top right.

These four icons are combined into one to save any mother and her child from harm. Such an icon is usually given as a gift for a wedding or when they find out that a woman has become pregnant. However, it is also presented as a gift to mothers who already have adult children.

There is also a crucifix on the icon. These are mandatory components of such a combined image. The writing style may vary, but everything else is always the same.

What does an icon help with?

As mentioned above, any mother should have at home such a four-part icon as “Motherhood”. It helps with literally everything related to family and children. Prayers for health in front of such an icon help children avoid serious illnesses. The “Living Help” prayer will help you bear a child without complications.

The icon's help is comprehensive. This is a reliable protection for your happiness. It is best to give such an icon for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary or for the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

Date of celebration of the icon

The date of celebration of the icon is January 25. You can give such an icon on this date. This day should be some kind of analogue of Mother's Day for everyone who knows about it. Pray to God for the health of your parents and children on January 25 of every year. Try not to forget this day.

Prayer to the Mother of God before the icon

“Mother Intercessor, appear to us sinners to save our children and our mothers from all evil, for only they can continue our family. Forgive us our sins, voluntary and involuntary, forever and ever. Cover me with your veil, give my children your grace. Give us all the opportunity to touch You, Lady, for each of us is a child before You. Amen".

Read this prayer not only on the day of veneration of the icon, January 25, but every day, remembering the happiness our children give us. May this icon always protect you.

This is the greatest composite image of the Mother of God, which should be in your home along with the Kazan Mother of God. Don’t be too lazy to give the icon to your loved ones or buy it for yourself. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

05.12.2017 05:11

There are many icons in Orthodoxy, and most of them are dedicated to the Mother of God and Jesus Christ, depicted...

A four-part icon consisting of images of the Blessed Virgin Mary (from left to right, top to bottom): “Mammal Nurse”, “Helping Childbirth”, “Baby Leaping”, “Nurses”.

Icon of the Mother of God, called “Mammal”

This ancient icon is one of the best examples of the Byzantine school and has a rich history. It is associated with the name of Saint Sava the Sanctified - the founder of the monastery, once located 18 miles from Jerusalem. Saint Sava departed to the Lord in 532, prophetically bequeathing the icon to a noble pilgrim from Serbia also named Sava. Six centuries later, the monks waited for another Saint Sava - the Archbishop of Serbia. He transferred the “Mammal” to the Hilendar monastery on Mount Athos, to the founding of which he was directly related. In Russia, the “Mammal” is a very rare icon, although in 1860 a copy of it from Mount Athos was sent to the Kursk province and soon acquired miraculous power.
The discovery of another Russian “Mammal” took place in 1650 - it was discovered on a tall tree twenty miles from the city of Minsk. It was on this site that the temple was built in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are many legends about the miraculous power of this icon; it helped in getting rid of various troubles and illnesses, and saved people during the Swedish invasion. The icon is rare and not very common in lists.

Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God “Helping Childbirth”

“Helping Childbirth” (or “Helper in Childbirth”) is the name of a miraculous icon revered in Orthodox Russia. It is unknown when this icon was painted, but since ancient times people have known that there is no better help during difficult childbirth than the help of this miraculous icon. Many miracles are attributed to the “Helping Childbirth” icon. It is believed that the icon helps infertile women, healing them from illness, and helps the birth of a child during a difficult pregnancy. There are many known cases when, after a sincere prayer of a pregnant woman in front of a holy image, the fetus, lying “wrongly” in the womb, turned head down just before the birth and the birth was successful.

Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping Baby”

The Icon of the Mother of God “Leaping of the Child” appeared on November 7, 1795, eighteen versts from Moscow and six and a half versts from the Lyubertsy station of the Moscow-Kazan railway, near the village of Gremyacheva, in the ancient Nikolo-Ugreshsky monastery, founded by Dimitri Donskoy in honor of the victory at Kulikovo field in 1380. The history of the creation of the monastery is connected with the name of the holy noble prince Demetrius Donskoy. During the battle of the holy prince against Kulikovo, 15 versts from Moscow, in the branches of trees, an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker unexpectedly appeared to him. Seeing an image appear out of nowhere, the prince took it as a sign of God’s special blessing and joyfully exclaimed: “This whole sin (warmed) my heart!” - and made a vow in case of victory to create a monastery on this site.

This is how the Ugreshsky monastery appeared on the map of Russia with a cathedral church in honor of St. Nicholas, also nicknamed Nikolo-Ugreshsky, in which the miraculous icon of the Mother of God subsequently appeared, called “Leaping”.

For many years, the icon was one of the symbols of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky monastery (now the city of Dzerzhinsky, Moscow region).

After the revolution, during the destruction of the monastery, the icon disappeared. A list of the miraculous icon from 1814 has survived to this day. Currently, this ancient image is part of the collection of the Moscow State United Museum-Reserve. In the 90s of the 20th century, several copies were made from it, one of which was transferred to the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery and is now in the monastery museum-sacristy.

In the monastery there is another revered image of the “Leaping” icon of the Mother of God.

According to the website of the Nikolo-Ugreshsky monastery http://ugresha.org: “At the beginning of the 21st century, in the Nikolo-Ugreshsky monastery there was a miraculous discovery of another image of the Mother of God “Leaping”. In a providential manner, a group of believers, who wished to remain anonymous, transferred to our monastery a copy of the icon of the Most Pure Virgin, which, although stylistically different from the revealed Ugresh image, belongs to the same iconographic type. With the procession of the cross, the brethren of the monastery and its parishioners solemnly greeted the icon “Leaping of the Child” at the Holy Gates. The image was brought to the Transfiguration Cathedral, where it is kept to this day, rightfully being one of the most revered in the monastery.”

The Ugresh image “Leaping” differs from the most common variants of this image called “Leaping of the Child”. In most compositions of this icon, the Baby Jesus, sitting on the left or right hand of the Mother of God, is depicted as if playing and impulsively reaches out with his hands to the face of His Mother, touching Her chin or cheek, sharply throwing his head back.

Icons with the name “Leaping of the Child” are common in the Balkans and Mount Athos. In Russia, on the day of the celebration of the Ugresh image, the feast of all icons of the Mother of God “Leaping” is traditionally celebrated.
“Leaping” is a Russian icon of ancient writing, painted from a Greek model. In the Byzantine Empire, this image was revered as an ancient miraculous shrine. Icons of the Mother of God of the same name are found in the Moscow Novodevichy Convent and in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos.

Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, called “Education”

This icon is a copy of an ancient Byzantine icon.
The Mother of God is depicted with the Eternal Child sitting on Her left hand. The right hand of Christ is stretched upward to the face of the Most Pure Virgin. Until 1917, the holy image was placed in the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square, but after its destruction it was lost; now there is a copy of the miraculous icon, famous throughout Russia for its miracles. The name of the icon speaks for itself. In front of her, parents pray for their children, asking the Most Holy Theotokos to take them under Her protection, send them reason and fill their hearts with wisdom. Also, a short prayer to this image has survived to this day: “I entrust my child entirely to my Lord Jesus Christ and to Your, Most Pure One, heavenly protection.”