Prot. Dionysius Dunaevsky. Iveron Icon of the Mother of Godtranslated

The Iveron Icon of the Mother of God... How many tears, hopes and quiet confessions she has seen over the centuries that she stood in the chapel on Red Square!

Ivan Kireyevsky, philosopher and Slavophile, once stopped in front of her - and experienced what thousands experience: a meeting.

“I once stood in the chapel, contemplated the miraculous icon of the Mother of God and reflected on the childlike faith of the people who pray here: some women, sick people, old people stood on their knees, made the sign of the cross and bowed to the ground. I began to understand with unshakable confidence that this was a holy aspiration, and little by little the secret of the miraculous power emanating from the icon began to be revealed to me: yes, in front of me was not just a painted board! Countless people of various ages with deep inner prayer, prayer gained through suffering, were filled with power emanating from the icon and again being reflected from those praying. This was life, this was the meeting place between the Creator and man... And when I thought so, I looked again at the old people, at the women with children prostrating themselves in the dust, and at the holy icon, and then I saw the living power of the Mother of God: She looked with compassion and love at these humble people; and then I knelt down and...