The Narva Icon of the MostHoly Mother of God

Commemorated on August 14

The Narva Icon of the MostHoly Mother of God became famous in the year 1558, when the Russian army made their assault on the city of Narva. In one of the houses where earlier Russian merchants had lived, drunken Germans grabbed hold of an icon of the Mother of God that had been left behind. Mocking at the holy thing, they threw it into a fire under a kettle, in which they were brewing beer. Flames shot out from the kettle and engulfed the roof of the house. At this very moment a storm blew up, and the conflagration spread throughout all the city. Taking advantage of the confusion, the Russian army made its assault and took the city. The Wonderworking Icon of the MostHoly Mother of God, and with it an icon of Saint Nicholas, was found amidst the ashes unharmed.