This icon, attributed to Saint Luke, is said to have been found hanging in an evergreen tree in the area of Kostroma by Prince Vasiliy Yaroslavich of Kostroma, on August 16, 1239. According to legend, the icon had been in a church dedicated to Holy Theodore Stratilates in Gorodets. When Mongols invaded, the townspeople fled in terror, leaving the icon behind. But in 1239 the inhabitants of Kostroma saw the icon being carried through the streets by a mysterious warrior whom they believed to be Holy Theodore (Feodore - Russian) himself, thus the name “Feodorskya.” In the early 17th century the icon was carried by the deputation which implored young Mikhail Romanov to become Tsar of Russia, and it was used to bless him upon his ascension to the throne. It thus became the patron of the house of Romanov, whose power ended with the abdication and murder of Tsar Nicholas II in 1918. The lower margin is inscribed with a narrative relating to the history of this icon type. It reads: “This Holy Image Is A Copy Of The Wonderworking Image Of The Most Holy Mother Of God Called ‘Of Feodor,’ Which Is In The Town Of Kostroma. The Appearance Of The Icon Is Set In March, On The 14th Day. This Holy Wonderworking Image Appeared To Vasily Georgevich Of Kostroma And Galicia, Son Of The Great Prince Yaroslav Of Vladimir And Grandfather Of The Venerable And Good-Believing And Great Prince Alexander Nevskiy.”
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