While the Cyprus sanctities have been known to Russian pilgrims since the 12th century, the icon of The Mother of God of Cyprus was not an accustomed name in the Christian Orient. This title could refer to different iconographic versions of the Mother of God icons and mean the country of the prototype’s origin. The icon of the Mother of God of Cyprus commonly depicts the Theotokos sitting on a throne with the Divine Infant in Her arms flanked by two angels or a host of angels. Another iconographic version, inscribed “Kiprskaya” (of Cyprus) features the figure of the Theotokos with the Infant Christ in Her arms, which is similar in iconography to the Kykkos icon of the Mother of God.

The prototype of the icon is believed to have manifested itself in 392 AD in the city of Larnaca on the island of Cyprus, at the tomb of the Righteous Lazarus. The icon was housed in Stavrovouni Monastery that had been built on the place of the icon’s discovery. Some time later the icon was placed over the gates of the Church of Panagia Angeloktista. One day a certain Arab was passing by a church and shot an arrow at an icon which struck the Theotokos’s ankle, from which blood began to flow. Overcome with fear, the Arab spurred his horse and rode for home but fell dead before he could get there. The icon was later lost but the church preserved its mosaic copy. In the Cyprus icon the Mother of God is shown sitting on a throne with the Divine Child on Her lap. The Theotokos is surrounded by angels holding palm branches in hands, beneath them are the interceding Sts. Pelagia and Mary.

In another popular iconographic version of the icon the Mother of God is shown seated on a throne, slightly half-faced, with the Divine Child holding a scepter in his hands. The most popular in Russia were various copies of the icon of the Mother of God of Cyprus, famous for their miracles and named after the location of the holy icon. One of the most venerated icon was located in the village of Stromyn – the Stromyn icon of the Mother of God (Noginsky district, the Moscow region). The icon is currently encased in oklad concealing some of its iconographic features. According to a 19th century description, the Mother of God is depicted with a crown on Her head, sitting on a throne; a little above Her, on either side stand two angels in crowns on the heads, holding branches; below, on either side, stand the kneeling holy martyr Antipas and the martyress Photinia. This copy of the Cyprus icon became famous in 1841 after the healing of the virgin Martha. In the church at the village of Stromyn the icon was also commemorated on February 16th – the day of the miraculous healing of the girl. The icon was also commemorated at the Stromyn Church on February 16th – the day of the miraculous healing of the girl.

One more copy of the Cyprus icon – the Nizhny Novgorod icon of the Mother of God – comes from the church of St. John the Baptist on Slobodka. It features the Mother of God with the Infant Christ on a throne; the Mother of God is shown wearing a crown. The Cyprus icon of the Mother of God became famous for many miracles. In 1771, through the prayer to the icon the plague was stopped in Nizhny Novgorod. People were bringing the holy icon to their homes, performed a prayer and got the healings.

The Cyprus icon of the Mother of God is commemorated on May 3 (April 20, O.S.) and on the Orthodoxy Week and the Holy Spirit Week on July 22 (July 9, O.S.).

Zhanna G. Belik,

Ph.D. in Art history, senior research fellow at the Andrei Rublyov Museum, custodian of the tempera painting collection.

Olga E. Savchenko,

research fellow at the Andrei Rublyov Museum.

Bibliography:

1. Антонова В. И., Мнева Н. Е. Каталог древнерусской живописи XIV – начала XVII веков: Опыт историко-художественной классификации. М., 1963.

2. Снессорева С. Земная жизнь Пресвятой Богородицы и описание святых чудотворных ее икон, чтимых Православной Церковью, на основании Священного Писания и церковных преданий, с изображением в тексте праздников и икон Божией Матери. Ярославль, 2000.

3. Поселянин Е. Богоматерь. Полное иллюстрированное описание Ее земной жизни и посвященных Ее имени чудотворных икон. СПб., 1909.

4. Белоброва О. А. Об иконах Богоматерь Кипрская и Богоматерь Киккская в русской культуре XVII – начала XVIII в. // Белоброва О.А. Очерки русской художественной культуры XVI – XX веков. М., 2005. С. 315–323.