''Theotokos of Port Arthur'' (Our Lady of Port Arthur, also known in Russian as ''Theotokos upon Swords'' and the ''Far Eastern Gatekeeper'') is an

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The mos ...

, representing the

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or '' Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations a ...

(Virgin Mary) with the Mandylion and

God the Father God the Father is a title given to God in Christianity. In mainstream trinity, trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, God the Son Jesus Christ, and the third pers ...

, flanked by two angels. The icon's dimensions (without frame) are approximately 124×77 cm. The icon is associated with the vision of an old veteran sailor, who came to pray in the

Kiev Pechersk Lavra Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra or Kyivo-Pechers’ka Lavra ( uk, Києво-Печерська лавра, translit=Kyievo-Pecherska lavra, russian: Киево-Печерская лавра), also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Ea ...

on December 11, 1903. In his dream, the sailor reportedly saw the Virgin Mary, who warned him about the upcoming

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

. Mary instructed to make an exact depiction of the vision and deliver it to Port Arthur (now

Lüshunkou District Lüshunkou District (also Lyushunkou District; ) is a district of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also formerly called Lüshun City () or literally Lüshun Port (), it was formerly known as both Port Arthur (russian: Порт-Артур, transli ...

) so that the Russians would gain her patronage and protection in the war. Following the onset of the Russo-Japanese War, the devotees donated money for materials needed for making the icon. The image itself was painted free of charge by icon painter Pavel Shtronda in 1904 according to the sailor's vision. The icon, however, was not delivered to Port Arthur in time and the

Siege of Port Arthur The siege of Port Arthur ( ja, 旅順攻囲戦, ''Ryojun Kōisen''; russian: link=no, Оборона Порт-Артура, ''Oborona Port-Artura'', August 1, 1904 – January 2, 1905) was the longest and most violent land battle of the Russ ...

, as well as the war in general, ended with Russian defeat (for this reason the icon is also called the Unachieved Victory). Nonetheless the icon continued to be venerated and six copies were made. The icon was considered lost for more than 90 years. In 1998 Christian

pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...

s from

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, ...

came to

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

and fortuitously saw the icon in an antique shop. Expert examination confirmed its identity and the icon was bought and brought back to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. The original icon can be found now in

in Pokrovsky Church (44 Okeansky Ave.). The feast day of the Theotokos of Port Arthur is 29 August (16 August in the

Old Style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 158 ...

calendar). In 2003 and 2014 the icon, together with another significant

Theotokos Derzhavnaya Our Lady Derzhavnaya ("The Sovereign", "The Reigning Icon") is a Russian icon believed to date from the 18th century. According to Irina Yazykova, the Reigning Icon, "remains one of the most revered both inside Russia and in Russian emigre circles ...

icon, were brought to the Portuguese city of Fátima, where the famous Catholic Fátima Marian apparition occurred in 1917. http://gazetaslovo.com/новости/португалия/item/portugaliya-pravoslavnye-svyatyni-posetili-fatimu.html

References

{{reflist

External links

Story of the Port Arthur Icon of the Theotokos
Eastern Orthodox icons of the Virgin Mary 1904 paintings Russo-Japanese War Angels in art

See also

References

External links