The Abalatsk Znamenie-sign Icon of the Mother of God

Commemorated on November 27 and July 20

      The Abalatsk Znamenie-sign Icon of the Mother of God was written by a proto-deacon of the Tobol'sk cathedral, Matfei, in honour of Sophia the Wisdom of God, in the fulfilling of a vow by a paralytic peasant Evphymii towards the rebuilding anew at the Abalatsk monastery the church of the Znamenie-Sign of the Mother of God. This church was built in 1637 after the recurrent miraculous appearances of the Znamenie Mother of God, accompanied by Saint Nicholas and the Nun Mary of Egypt, appearing to the pious widow Maria. With the writing of the temple's Znamenie-Sign Icon, the paralytic Evphymii was completely healed. And during the time of the solemn transfer of the icon to the Abalatsk temple many healings occurred.
      In general appearance the Abalatsk Icon is similar with that of the Novgorod Znamenie Icon, but with this distinction, that on the Abalatsk Icon Saint Nicholas and the Nun Mary of Egypt stand before the MostHoly Mother of God. Many a wonderworking copy of the Abalatsk Icon is known of, reverently venerated throughout all Siberia.

 

© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.