Icon of the Theotokos "Champion Leader" [Russian] (12GL2)

Icon of the Theotokos Champion Leader

The glorification of the Mother of God began even before she gave birth to Christ the Savior. She was given glory and honor by the Archangel Gabriel during the Annunciation. She was glorified by the Righteous Elizabeth when they met, who called her the Mother of the Lord and blessed her for her firm faith and the truth announced to her from the Lord by the mouth of the Archangel Gabriel. The Holy Church calls her more honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim. Even the angels bow before her as before the Queen of Heaven. In her person, human nature is exalted above the angels. The Church venerates the Theotokos daily, in every Church service. Among the countless names with which the Church praises the Theotokos is “Champion Leader.” She is called this because she victoriously helped and helps Orthodox Christians in the battle with enemies. The Theotokos was first called “Champion Leader” in the Akathist composed in her honor in the seventh century under Emperor Heraclius, in gratitude for deliverance from enemies who had besieged Constantinople from land and sea. The efforts of the Greek army to repel their foes were in vain until the Theotokos herself became the defender of the Greek capital. Patriarch Sergius carried the icon of the Theotokos and her robe in procession to the seashore. As soon as he plunged her sacred robe into the waters of the sea, a terrible storm arose, dispersing the enemy ships. At the same time, those besieging the city by land were also routed. In this case, the Most Holy Theotokos revealed herself as the victorious Leader, in the fullest sense of the word, and the Church wrote hymns of victory to her, known as the Akathist, beginning with the words: “To Thee, the Champion Leader, we Thy servants dedicate a feast of victory … O Theotokos.” 

Saints also shown are:

Upper right Saints: John of Kronstadt, Seraphim of Vyritsa, Silouan the Athonite, Nina Equal-to-the-Apostles, Makary Metropolitan of Moscow, Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, Seraphim of Sarov, and Tsarevich Demetry Uglichsky

Upper left Saints: Demetry Donskoy, Prince Oleg of Ryazan, Sergius of Radonezh, Alexey Metropolitan of Moscow, Alexander Nevsky, Tsar Nicholas II, George the Great-martyr, and the Tsarevitch Alexey