LUHANSK'S HOLY DEFENDER: THE VIRGIN AND ELDER

Within the confines of the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Luhansk, an extraordinary icon of the Mother of God, painted in 1992, beckons the faithful and curious alike. As one approaches this awe-inspiring masterpiece, the Holy Virgin’s full stature comes into view, her arms crossed in a gesture reminiscent of the “Tenderness” icon, each detail filled with profound symbolic meaning. Every Wednesday, before the Divine Liturgy, the entire clergy gathers at the centre of the church to serve an Akathist to the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos before this revered icon. However, it is during three days in June, from the 13th to the 15th, that the icon’s commemoration reaches its mystical zenith.

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