The Tsarskosel'sk Znamenie-Sign Icon of the Mother of God –

Commemorated on November 27

The Tsarskosel'sk Znamenie-Sign Icon of the Mother of God – an ancient wonderworking image, was brought by way of a present to tsar Alexei Mikhailovich by one of the Eastern Patriarchs, supposedly by Saint Athanasias of Constantinople. Tsar Peter I transferred the icon together with other sacred items from Moscow to his new capital city. In the year 1747 the Znamensk church was built for the icon at Tsarskoe Selo. Before it were made molieben prayers during the time of national catastrophes, for example, during the time of plague in 1771, and of cholera in 1831. Through the intercession of the Mother of God, the terrible epidemics almost did not touch Tsarskoe Selo. Prayer before the Znamenie-Sign Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, named the Tsarskosel'sk, helped likewise during conflagrations and shipwrecks.
On the icon, Cherubim shade the head of the Mother of God. During the more recent times on the icon is depiction of the Apostle Peter, Saint Zachariah, Alexis the Man of God, and Righteous Saint Elizabeth.