The Mother of God Eleusa, The Mother of God Fyodorovskaya Eleusa

One of the most well-known images of the Mother of God and Child in the Russian Orthodox Church is the icon of Feodorovskaya Eleusa. Its medieval prototype dates back to the reign of the Rurikid dynasty and, from 13th century, was housed in the monastery of St. Theodore Stratelates in Kostroma on the Volga River. In early 17th century, that icon played a special role. During the period of the “Time of Troubles” ending the crisis of the Russian Empire and the frequent changes of self-proclaimed rulers, a land council appointed Michael Romanov, son of Fyodor Nikitich related to the wife of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible in absentia to the Moscow throne in 1613. According to tradition, Michael's mother blessed her son for the tsarship with an icon of the Feodoric Mother of God. Since then, the painting has become the sanctity of the Romanovs, a new dynasty on the Moscow throne until 1917. One of the most interesting customs is the one introduced in Russia in late 18th century. Princesses of foreign origin, marrying representatives of the ruling Romanov dynasty, were named after their father, Fyodorovna, in honour of Feodorovskaya Eleusa, at the time of their conversion to Orthodox church. The popularity of this image is evidenced by numerous copies widely distributed in Russia, such as the icon exhibited here. The image is highly similar to the equally popular icon of the Mother of God Eleusa of Vladimir, the difference being that the Child always has his knee exposed in the Feodorovskaya icon.   

Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967