The Kykkos Icon of the Mother of God, also called the "Merciful" one, is kept in one of the monasteries on the island of Cyprus, which was built specifically in honor of the acquisition of this image. For more than 9 centuries, the Mother of God has been hidden under an embroidered veil, and no one dares to look under it.
How the icon ended up in Cyprus
As the legend says, which is also mentioned in the popular science publication "The Most Famous Russian Icons" by V. N. Singaevsky, the Kykkos Mother of God is one of the images written by the Apostle and Evangelist Luke himself. Luke also sent his work to Egypt, where it remained until 980. When the Saracens came and the persecution of Christians began, they tried to transport the shrine by sea to Constantinople, but pirates attacked the ship on the way. Greek sailors rescued the icon and brought it to Constantinople. The image remained there until the 12th century.
The seat of the Kykkos icon changed again when Emperor Alexei I Komnenos ascended the throne. During his reign, Manuel Vutomit was the governor of Cyprus. As Bishop Ambrose of Penza writes in his work “The Miraculous Icons of the Mother of God in Russia,” Manuel once beat a righteous man named Isaiah, who, as it seemed to the governor, treated him with disdain. After that, Vutomit fell seriously ill, and therefore decided to ask forgiveness from the old man who offended him. Isaiah replied to Mauil that he had a vision, according to which the image of the Mother of God was to be sent to Cyprus. Soon Manuel was with Alexei Comnenus. So the shrine ended up on the island and received a new name Kykkos, in accordance with the name of the area. In the Kykkos monastery, hidden by matter, it is kept to this day.
Embroidered bedspread and brass hand
According to the description given in the book by N. A. Ionina "Orthodox Shrines" (published with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia), the skillfully embroidered veil hides the image from the upper left corner to the lower right corner, therefore the face of the Mother of God and the baby sitting with her on hands, it is impossible to see. Hanging from the icon is a copper hand, which a Moor gave the monastery. Once he encroached on a shrine, after which his hand withered. The Moor repented of his deed, asked for forgiveness from the Mother of God and was healed.
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But cases when someone has attempted to kill the Kykkos icon are, in fact, rare. Many did not even dare to touch the fabric under which the Mother of God is hidden. N. A. Ionina argues that at different times neither Patriarch Sylvester of Antioch, nor Patriarch Cosmas of Alexandria, nor Archbishop Philotheus of Cyprus, nor other representatives of the clergy did this.
The will of the emperor and the blindness of the patriarch
Based on materials from the research center of the monastery " En-Kolpion ". A Brief Description of the Holy Monastery of Kykkos”(by Kokkinoftas Kostis and Theocharidis Ioannis), the icon is covered with cloth in accordance with the tradition introduced by Alexei I Komnin. He was imbued with such awe for the shrine that he considered it unnecessary to disturb the Mother of God with at least one superfluous and fleeting glance. And the cover, according to the emperor, aroused greater respect for the image of the Mother of God. The fact is that after Alexei ordered to take the icon to Cyprus, not only the governor Manuel Vutomit recovered, but also the daughter of the ruler himself, who at that time also suffered from a serious illness.
In addition, once an event occurred that only confirmed the correctness of the position chosen by Alexei. According to legend, the Alexandrian patriarch Gerasimus somehow lifted the cover on the Kykkos icon and immediately lost his sight.
Yulia Popova