Ukraine marks the 235th anniversary of the Armenian Icon of the Mother of God

As tradition dictates, Ukraine marks the Day of the Armenian Icon of the Mother of God of Kamianets-Podilskyi every year on June 27. The icon has been venerated by believers of all three Christian rites in Kamianets-Podilskyi—Armenians, Ukrainians and Poles.

AnalitikaUA.net reported the development.

“A thread connecting centuries and nations” is how renowned Ukrainian scholar Iryna Hayuk described the Armenian Icon of the Mother of God of Kamianets-Podilskyi.

“This icon, perhaps more than any other artefact—with the possible exception of the Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lviv—embodies the history of Armenians on the territory of Ukraine,” Hayuk said.

The icon, which was brought from Crimea to Kamianets-Podilskyi and adorned at the request of the Armenian community of Venice, travelled across much of Europe after the city was captured by the Ottomans in the 17th century before returning to Ukraine following its liberation.

However, the miraculous icon had to wait many years for the restoration of the Armenian Chapel of St. Stephen. Only on June 27, 1791, was it solemnly consecrated and transferred to the restored church, on the day when the Armenian Archbishop of Lviv proclaimed a major feast.

The icon was revered by believers of all Christian communities in the city—Armenian Catholics, Orthodox Ukrainians and Catholic Poles—who sought its intercession for comfort and protection.

In 1920, however, when the Bolsheviks looted the church, the icon disappeared and was considered lost for nearly a century until it was discovered in 2006 at the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts in Kyiv.

“After its authenticity was confirmed through a thorough attribution process, a solemn presentation of the icon took place at the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts on June 27, 2012,” Iryna Hayuk said.