The Icon of the Mother of God "the Beclouded Mount" (Tuchnaya Gora)
Commemorated on March 24
The Icon of the
Mother of God "the Beclouded Mount" (Tuchnaya Gora): About
250-300 years ago this icon was situated in one of the men's monasteries of
Tver' and was presented by the superiour to Kosma Volchaninov in gratitude for
the fine completion of work in the monastery church. This icon as an holy thing
was passed on from generation to generation, but a certain impious grandson of
Kosma removed it hanging the icon in an attic. His bride endured many insults
from her husband and his relatives. In despair over her marriage she resolved
to end it by suicide in a deserted bath-house. On the way there a monk appeared
to her and said: "Whither goest thou, unhappy one? Return back; go, pray
to the Mother of God of the Beclouded Mountain – and thou wilt live fine and
in peace". The agitated young wife, having returned home, told everything,
not concealing even her interrupted intention. They started to search for the
monk, but they did not find him, and no one besides her had seen him. This took
place on the eve of the feast of the Annunciation to the Most Holy Mother of
God. They immediately found the icon in the attic, cleaned off the dirt and set
it up in the house in a place of veneration. In the evening the parish priest
was invited, who made before the icon the all-night vigil, which from that time
was done annually in the house on this day. For more than 150 years the icon
was situated in the Volchaninov family. Ekatherina, daughter of Vasilii, the
last of the Volchaninov line, entered into marriage with Georgy Ivanovich
Konyaev, taking with her the icon of the Mother of god as a very dear
inheritance. And in the Konyaev house moliebens and all-night vigils were done
on 24 March and 7 November (probably, this was the day of the transfer of the
icon from the monastery to the house of Kosma Volchaninov).
In 1863 near a
cemetery church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God it was decided to
build a chapel in honour of Sainted Tikhon and the Monk Makarii of Kalyazinsk.
The then owner of the icon, Georgy Konyaev (+ 1868, at age 97) wanted to
bestow the health-bearing image of the Mother of God to the church. He turned
to the clergy with a request to build still another chapel for the
wonderworking image of the Mother of God of the "Beclouded Mount".
Along with this he said: "I feel the very best place for it is the temple
of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, since the place on which the church
was built, in olden times was called a Mount, as being the very highest place
in the city. On this Mount in former times the inhabitants in time of flood
took up their possessions and here saved themselves from ruin. Let the Queen of
Heaven – the BeClouded Mountain – rest with your blessing upon this mountain
and let all here buried be veiled with Her mercy". On 15 July 1866 the
icon was transferred into the constructed chapel, which on the following day
was consecrated by the Staritsk bishop Antony.
On the icon the
Most Holy Mother of God is depicted standing on an half-circle elevation – a
mountain; upon Her left arm – the Divine-Infant with blessing right hand. Upon
the head of the Mother of God is a crown, and in Her hand a not-large mountain,
on which are seen above churches with cupolas and crosses.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
