Mother of God Pokrov

The Most Holy Mother of God Pokrov icon depicts the miracle which happened during the night service in the temple in Blachernae, Constantinople. Andrei Yurodivy, a 'holy fool', saw the Mother of God unfolding her maphorion (veil) over the people gathered in the temple, which is described under S.12821MŁ. The event took place towards the end of Andrei Yurodivy's life but due to the lack of specific calendar data, its dating is speculative. Most Christian writers date it to 910 when Byzantium was at war with Saracens, and the capital was in danger. The miracle started the feast known as the Pokrov of the Most Holy Theotokos; the history of its beginnings has not been clearly determined by researchers. Some believe that the holiday was introduced in Byzantium, from where it moved to Rus along with many Byzantine traditions and influences. Others speculate that its beginnings should be connected with Kiev, with the Blachernae Monastery, located near Pechersk Lavra, during the reign of Vladimir Monomakh in the 10th/11th c. Still others speculate that it was established in Vladimir-Suzdalian Rus during the reign of Andrey Bogolyubsky (the son of Vladimir Monomakh) as thanks for the care of the Mother of God during the campaign against the Volga Bulgars in 1164. The Pokrov of the Most Holy Theotokos feast became a symbol of the special care of the Mother of God over the lands of Rus. The features of this depiction formed in Rus where, in the 13th-14th c., the oldest icons appeared in Suzdal, Pskov, and Veliky Novgorod. There were no Greek icons depicting the Pokrov Theotokos; in the Byzantine manuals - hermeneia - there are not even any directions for painting them. In the two-part composition of the depiction, the central space is occupied by the Mother of God, which can be seen on the presented icon. In addition, the scene was supplemented with specific historical figures, which is described under S.12951MŁ. Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967