Legend "”Mother of God” Minsk"

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God is the most valuable relic of the Minsk Holy Spirit Cathedral. According to tradition, the icon of the Mother of God was painted by the holy Apostle Luke. Prince Vladimir brought her to Kiev on the eve of the baptism of Russia. For five hundred years it was kept in the Decimal Church, until in 1482 during the invasion of the Tatars, the temple was plundered. A richly decorated robe was torn from the icon, and it was thrown into the Dnieper itself.

And despite the forces of nature, the marvelous icon floated upstream and on August 13, 1500, in an extraordinary radiance appeared in Minsk on the Svisloch River. Since then, the Mother of God is considered the protector of the city and is depicted on the coat of arms. In honor of the appearance of the icon in Minsk, annual ceremonial service and the Divine Liturgy are held, led by Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk Philaret, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus.