DON icon of Mother of God

In the years of struggle against the Tatar-Mongol invaders the Don Cossacks, who arrived to help Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoi, brought along with them an icon of the Mother of God from the Church of the Annunciation in the town of Sipotin. The holy image was secured to a staff and used as a gonfalon (church banner), On the day of the Battle of Kulikovo it was kept at the Russian camp for boosting the warriors' morale. After the battle, on September 8, 1380, the icon was presented to the Grand Duke, who first installed it in the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin and later translated it to the Cathedral of the Annunciation. The icon was double-sided and had a representation of the Dormition of the Most Holy Virgin on its reverse. In 1591, through heavenly intercession of the Mother of God, whose holy image was at the Russian camp, enemy hordes trying to capture Moscow were scattered. To commemorate the event, the Monastery of the Don Icon of the Mother of God was founded at the spot where the tent with the icon stood. In 1598, Patriarch lov blessed Boris Godunov when he was being crowned tsar with this icon. Feast day: August 19/September 1.