Mother of God "Joy to All Who Grieve"

Date19th century

MediumChromolithograph

Dimensions4 × 3 in. (10.2 × 7.6 cm)

ClassificationsPrintmaking

Credit LineGift of Evelyn LaLanne

Object number2000.2.11

Label TextThe "Joy to all Who Grieve with Coins" icon became popular in 1888 when a lightening bolt, or “heavenly fire” struck a church in the small village of Klochki, located outside Saint Petersburg. The lightning destroyed the church and burned all the icons within it except this particular icon of Mary. In fact, the soot that had previously darkened the icon was cleared away and twelve half-kopeck coins from the nearby donation jar attached themselves to the icon. News of the icon’s miraculous survival spread throughout the country, and in 1890 the icon was reported as healing a young man named Nikolai Grachev. Many devotional pamphlets attempted to explain the meaning of the twelve pennies. One of the most widely accepted was that Mary used the pennies to associate herself with the poorest classes who used them.

For more information about this object and Chapman University's collection of Russian Icons, visit our digital exhibition https://chapmanrussianicons.omeka.net/exhibits/show/thegreaticon/thegreaticon

Status

On view

Location