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The Three-Handed Icon of the Mother of God was honored in Staraya Belitsatranslated

July 25, 2026 · 1 min read

On July 25, 2026, on the day of the celebration in honor of the Three-Handed Icon of the Mother of God, His Eminence Stefan, Archbishop of Gomel and Zhlobin, led the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Staraya Belitsa.

The ancient image of the Most Holy Theotokos “Three-Handed” is kept in the St. Nicholas Church. According to legend, the icon has been here since the construction of the church.

In 1937, the church was destroyed and church property was destroyed. Parishioner Polina Shumova saved the icon from destruction and preserved it. In 1944, after the resumption of services, the shrine was returned to the church.

During the Liturgy, His Eminence was co-served by the dean of the Gomel regional church district, Archpriest Artemy Krivitsky, and the rector of the church, Priest Dimitry Zagoruev.

During the service, intense prayer requests for the restoration of peace were offered.

After the prayer behind the pulpit, Archbishop Stefan performed glorification before the revered image of the Mother of God “Three-Handed”.

At the end of the Liturgy, the bishop addressed the clergy and parishioners with an archpastoral word. The Archbishop recalled the history of preserving the icon during the years of persecution of the Church and noted the loyalty of the parishioners, thanks...

Source: Site: Гомельская епархия · Read the full story →

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Aleksandar Stojanović

Praise God that Polina Shumova saved the icon in 1937. Without simple women like her, there would probably be nothing left. I wonder if this “Three Hands” is now in the same icon case or has it already been placed in a new one?

Десислава Николова

Yes, Polina Shumova is a good fellow, a simple woman, but she saved such a shrine. We also have one grandmother in Ruse in the 50s who hid an icon in the basement until the church was opened. I wonder if this image is now in the same icon case or has a new one already been made?

Десислава Костова

Yes, such ordinary women as Polina Shumova are real heroines. There were also similar cases here in Bulgaria, I remember how my mother told about an aunt from Veliko Tarnovo who hid icons in the closet in the 60s. And for the kyoto - I guess the icon is now in a new, bigger one, after the renovation of the church 10 years ago.

Tamara Pavlović

Thank God for Polina Shumova, you are right, without such ordinary women from the people, many things would fail. As far as I know, the icon is still in the old Kyoto, only the frame was slightly restored after the war, but it was not changed. Have you seen her up close?

Nikola Živković

Yes, I saw her up close last year when we were there for glory. The Kyoto is really the old one, only the frame has been slightly improved, nothing too much. Polina Shumova was a real woman from the people, without her the icon would have ended up like the other church treasures in '37. Have you heard any stories about exactly how she hid it?

Ana Kostić

Thank God for Polina, it really is. In our parish, we also have an older icon that my grandmother saved during the war, so it is now in the same old frame. And you, Alexander, were you at that Liturgy on July 25 or are you just reading?

Методи Митев

Yes, just such ordinary women as Polina Shumova and that aunt from Veliko Tarnovo kept the faith in practice. I wonder if your mother mentioned exactly how she hid the icons in the closet - in a chest or just wrapped in cloth? And for the Kyoto - it's good that they replaced it during the repair, the old one must have been quite damaged after the 37th.

Цветанка Колева

Yes, it was Polina Shumova who saved the icon, without her we wouldn't have it now. My mother told me that she hid the icons simply wrapped in an old blanket and placed in the back of the closet behind the jars of compote. And for the Kyoto - yes, the new one is much stronger, the old one was really broken and cracked since the 37th.