Help translating slavonic and understanding of icon setting

[All4Christ]

Hi everyone...I received an icon of the Theotokos as a gift...it is beautiful but I do not know the translation of the Slavonic and am not sure of the meaning of the setting, as it is an icon of the Theotokos without Christ. Could you assist me with this? I am including some snapshots of the icon.

 

[gzt]

It is this icon: Protection of the Mother of God - OrthodoxWiki

 

[All4Christ]

It is this icon: Protection of the Mother of God - OrthodoxWiki

Thanks!

 

[All4Christ]

For anyone else who doesn't know the meaning of the icon, here is an excerpt from the link provided.

The feast day celebrates the appearance of the Mother of God at Blachernae (Vlaherna) in the tenth century. At the end of St. Andrei (Andrew of Constantinople) Yurodivyi's life, he, with his disciple St. Epiphanius, and a group of people, saw the Mother of God, St. John the Baptist, and several other saintsand angels during a vigil in the Church of Blachernae, nearby the city gates. The Blachernae Palace church was where several of her relics were kept. The relics were her robe, veil, and part of her belt that had been transferred from Palestine during the fifth century.

The Theotokos approached the center of the church, knelt down and remained in prayer for a long time. Her face was drowned in tears. Then she took her veil (cerement) off and spread it over the people as a sign of protection. During the time, the people in the city were threatened by a barbarian invasion. After the appearance of the Mother of God, the danger was averted and the city was spared from bloodshed and suffering.

 

[ArmyMatt]

on a sidenote, if you can make it, there is an amazing woman's monastery dedicated to Holy Protection in White Haven, PA

 

[gzt]

And by the way, the text says "Image of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos" and the top two are the usual "Mother of God" inscriptions. The first word is "Image" and the rest is the title of the icon. Recognizing that can help pick out titles of icons in the future!

 

[All4Christ]

on a sidenote, if you can make it, there is an amazing woman's monastery dedicated to Holy Protection in White Haven, PA

I'd love to do that! Do you know if they are willing to have a group of women from a parish come to visit?

I've never been to a women's monastery, though I did go on a pilgrimage to St. Tikhon's with some others from my parish. Amazing experience!

 

[All4Christ]

And by the way, the text says "Image of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos" and the top two are the usual "Mother of God" inscriptions. The first word is "Image" and the rest is the title of the icon. Recognizing that can help pick out titles of icons in the future!

Thank you! I'll have to memorize that for the future I have the initials memorized, but not a lot of Slavonic as a whole, unless it is in a hymn...in which case I normally see the transliteration.

 

[All4Christ]

While we are on the subject of icons and translations...could you help with this one as well? There is a good amount of Slavonic on it...and i am completely lost with it. Except for the initials of the Theotokos and Christ, that is!

I'm guessing that the one on the top right is St. Xenia, based on writings on my St. Xenia icon..,

 

[All4Christ]

I was just searching and found a similar icon of the Mother of God, Joy of all Sorrows...would that be this icon? Is that what the top says?

I still can't read the rest of it though...the sources I found don't translate the text.

 

[gzt]

Yes, it says on the left "Image of Most Holy Theotokos [All]"... and the right says "Joy of [All - this word was on the left] who Sorrow of Petersburg" - I think is what the last bit is. The rest of the stuff is not the limited vocabulary of icon inscriptions that I am familiar with, so I will have ot defer to actual Russian-speakers, but they are probably the typical inscriptions for the Joy of All Who Sorrow icon.

I see St Alexander Nevsky, St Benjamin Metropolitan of [P-something], St John of Kronstadt (it looks like), something illegible, St Seraphim Metropolitan of the same city as above, and St Xenia.

 

[Trying_to_be_Orthodox]

@gzt

Yep.
+
image-1491968532.jpg:
We have no other help, we have no other hope,
Apart from thee, O sovereign Lady.
Come to our help. We hope in thee
And in thee we glory.
Let us not be confounded,
For we are thy servants.

1830148237.jpg:
left - apparel is for naked
right - healing/curing is for sick

 

[All4Christ]

Thank you both!! I'm glad to finally know what the icon says

 

[gzt]

Those saints are probably St Seraphim (Chichagov) and St Benjamin (Kazansky), both new martyrs under the Bolshevik Yoke from St Petersburg (Metropolitans of it, even), which makes sense and goes with the theme.

 

[All4Christ]

Those saints are probably St Seraphim (Chichagov) and St Benjamin (Kazansky), both new martyrs under the Bolshevik Yoke from St Petersburg (Metropolitans of it, even), which makes sense and goes with the theme.

Great, thanks! I'll look up their stories to find out more, as I'm not very familiar with them. I really appreciate your help!!