Today, September 8, the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of Godtranslated

On September 8, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, through prayers to which Moscow was saved from the invasion of Khan Tamerlane in the 14th century.

Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Photo by Oleg Varov / Press service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

In 1395, the invincible and merciless Central Asian leader Timur-Tamerlane with a huge army was approaching Moscow. To imagine the horror of the current situation not only for Moscow, but for all of Russia, it is worth remembering that the great conqueror did not lose a single battle in his life, and his army was then, without a doubt, the strongest in the world.

The Moscow principality by that time was weak, just getting on its feet as a tributary of the Tatar Khan Tokhtamysh. Of course, there could be no talk of any real resistance to Tamerlane’s troops. The question was not only about the fate of Moscow, but also about the future of the entire Russian state.

Metropolitan Cyprian sent an embassy to Vladimir for the main shrine of Russia - the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, and the young Prince Vasily I courageously went out with his small army to meet the invincible enemy.

Tamerlane was to...