The "Conversing" ("Besedna") Icon of the Mother of God

Commemorated on August 14

The "Conversing" ("Besedna") Icon of the Mother of God is so named since it depicts the Mother of God and Saint Nicholas of Myra conversing with the sacristan Georgii. This event occurred soon after the appearance of the Tikhvinsk Icon of the MostHoly Mother of God, in 1383, when the MostHoly Mother of God Herself commanded sacristan Georgii to say, that they should place a wooden rather than metal cross over the newly-constructed temple in Her honour at Tikhvin. On the place of this vision was built a chapel in honour of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. The chapel burned several times (the first time was in 1390 simultaneously with the church, in which was housed the Tikhvinsk Icon of the MostHoly Mother of God). In 1515 a wooden church was built and a monastery founded in honour of this holy icon.