Icon of the Mother of God of Narva

Commemorated on August 14

The Narva Icon of the Mother of God became famous in 1558 when the Russian army attacked the city of Narva. In one of the houses where Russian merchants had once lived, drunken Germans grabbed an icon of the Mother of God that had been left behind. Mocking it, they threw the icon into a fire under a kettle, in which they were brewing beer. Flames shot out from the kettle and engulfed the roof of the house.

At that moment a storm blew up, and spread the fire throughout the city. Taking advantage of the confusion, the Russian army advanced and took the city. The Wonderworking Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, and an icon of St. Nicholas, were found in the ashes unharmed.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Icon is not identical to that described above