Virgin of Ostrabrama or Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn Icon

 The image of the icon is made using a high-quality polygraphic machine, pasted on a wooden base. The icons are produced at a Monastery by an official icon maker of the Russian Orthodox Church in the village of Sofrino, Russia. Prayer is on the back. Consecrated.

Size:  height -5”

        width – 4”

Note: any glare on pictures is a reflection of light from the plastic wrapping.

 Virgin of Ostrabrama

         Painted sometime between 1620 and 1630 by an unknown artist, the original of this icon was hung above the city gate of Vilnius in Lithuania, as a sign of her protection and patronage of the city. The Lithuanian title for the gate was Auros Vartai, “the gate of dawn,“ or in Polish “Ostrabrama,“ hence the Virgin’s title, meaning literally “Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn.” Similar to the Russian icons titled “Umilenie,” the icon depicts the humanity and prayerfulness of the Holy Virgin. In 1927 the image was ceremonially crowned, as is shown in the icon, and at that time Pope Pius XI gave the icon the title “Mother of Mercy.” Throughout the centuries the people of Vilnius turned to the Virgin of Ostrabrama in prayer for protection from oppressive occupying forces. and invading armies. The icon itself was miraculously protected many times from fires that devastated other parts of Vilnius, and numerous healings and other miracles were granted those who pray to her. Over the centuries the original painting was covered with embossed ornamental silver and gold coverings, as the Eastern Christian custom. The large crescent moon beneath the Virgin is a votive offering, whose origin is unknown.