Mary in the Ukrainian Church

Maria in the Ukrainian Church«The name of the *Theotokos*, the Mother of God, contains the whole mystery of the economy of salvation», says Saint John Damascene.A Brief HistoryThe cult of the Mother of God originated in Kievan Rus’, now Ukraine, from the moment when the Grand Prince Saint Vladimir was baptized along with his people, adopting the Christian faith brought from Constantinople. The oldest chronicles of that era describe the filial love and trust in Our Lady manifested by princes, clergy, and the faithful people. For instance, in Kiev, the capital city, there are numerous churches dedicated to the Mother of God. Twenty percent of these churches are dedicated to Our Lady!The devotion persisted even through the darkest centuries of history. The traditional liturgy is Byzantine, predominantly Marian. The faithful address the *Theotokos* with invocations such as:– The Queen of the world – The Mediator – The hope of the despairing – The living ark of God – The glory of all creation – The invincible leader – The refuge of sinnersAs the doctrine of Jesus Christ was proclaimed, the Virgin Mary increasingly took possession of the hearts of Ukrainians. Marian devotion flourished in the courts of princes, among clergy, and among the people.Her SignificanceWe can infer her importance from the still-living tradition in the liturgy, miraculous icons, church architecture, and religious literature. Marian piety spread increasingly among the people, even in subsequent centuries of Ukrainian history, despite facing several negative developments in its evolution.Kievan Rus’ was a vast country, with grand Byzantine churches built by monarchs such as Jaroslav, Danilo, and Volodymyr.In 1240, the Tartars devastated all of Eastern Europe. Kiev was conquered and destroyed, yet it remained the cradle of Marian culture.

Mary in the Liturgical Tradition

Mary in Byzantine-Slavic liturgy holds a central place alongside her Son, Jesus Christ. Mary is invoked and praised in the liturgy, in liturgical canons, in Marian offices (Moleben), in the prayers of the faithful, and in the liturgical year, which has several feasts dedicated to her name. The veneration of the Virgin Mary among the Rus’-Ukraine people was quickly and deeply embraced, with all the privileges and attributes, without the theological controversies that occurred in other regions. The people already sang to the Virgin Mary, invoking her: “It is right to invoke you, blessed Theotokos, all holy, all pure, immaculate and without corruption. We magnify you who are more honorable than the Cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim: You who without corruption gave birth to the Word of God, You, true Mother of God” (liturgy of the Mass, *Dostojno jest*….).The Virgin Mary is hailed as “all holy, all pure, immaculate and without corruption.” Mother of God and Mother of Men. She is honored with the cult of hyperdulia, that is, Mother of the Lord, who is above the Angels and Saints.

The Acatists

The uniqueness of Ukrainian Mariology is found in religious chants called *acatists*, published in the Pecerska Lavra Monastery in 1606 and 1625. They are a collection of Marian chants translated from Greek and adapted to the needs of the Ukrainian Church. The Marian cult already developed in the Byzantine Office fully entered the Kiev Metropolis, in the *Polunoscnyci* (Matins), *Utrennia* (Lauds), where the *Magnificat* verses are sung, *Velycyt dusa moja Hospoda*. During the Intermediate Hour, *troparii* and *kondakies* corresponding to the Virgin are recited. In the *Vecirnia* (Evening Office), the *Ave Maria* and *Pid tvoju mylost* (*Sub tuum praesidium*) are sung.During Lent, certain hymns are sung, as well as in the Completes, the Mother of God is invoked for the forgiveness of sins. There is also a particular canon sung to the Virgin of the Odygytria (She who shows the way).This Slavic office contains all the theological and spiritual richness, the manifestation of Mary’s glory, from which the monk or the faithful enriches his religious spirit and ascends to greater trust and gratitude towards the Mother of God.Beyond the liturgy, there are prayers and religious hymns in honor of the Virgin Mary, developed in Marian worship, composed by men of the Church of different ranks for different occasions.In times of distress, the entire population was entrusted to the protection of the Virgin Mary, as a secure fortress against enemies. In these cases, only God and His Mother could save them from destruction, as a historical source attests, attributing the words to Prince Mstyslav (1125-1139): “It would be better, brother, to rely on God’s help and the prayer of the Holy Mother of God.”Another form of Marian manifestation was religious hymns, composed by poets and singers of the courts of monarchs in honor of the Virgin Mary. Many are known, among them Christmas carols (called Koladky, from the Latin Calendae), sung during Christmas. There are records of these carols in Rus’-Ukraine since the 12th century and they probably came from Roman colonies in Khersones, near the Black Sea. In these Christmas carols, Marian theology is indicated, her place in redemption and in divine economy, according to God’s designs. A particularity is the presentation of the Virgin’s maternal function as a substitute for the functions of pagan goddesses, sung by the peoples living in Rus’-Ukraine before accepting Christianity. Therefore, Christmas carols (Koladky) were a source of meditation for the faithful. For the educated clergy and Ukrainian nobility, they were a spiritual awakening of joy and happiness at the work accomplished by God through the Virgin Mary.

Miraculous Icons in Ukraine

The Miraculous Icons of the Virgin Mary

The first miraculous icon dates back to the 10th century at the Assumption Church, known as *Desiatynna*.A second icon of the Virgin Mary is called *The Praying One*, found in the church of Saint Sophia in Kiev, located in the apse of the *Sancta Sanctorum*, hence the wall is known as *Nerusyma* (indestructible) (11th century).Another icon of the Virgin Mary was named *Odigytria*, meaning “she who shows the way.” Spiritually, Mary is the guide for the Christian people to God. Tradition attributes its painting to the Evangelist Luke. It was donated by Empress Anna to Saint Vladimir. In 1111, it was brought to Smolensk. This icon depicts the Virgin Mary holding Jesus Christ in her arms, with her gaze directed at the viewer. It possesses a majestic character, emphasizing the divinity of the Child particularly.The famous *Pyrotosca* icon, traditionally attributed to the Evangelist Luke, was brought from Constantinople to Kiev in 1131 by a merchant named Pyrotoscca. Prince Mstyslav constructed a church in Vyshhorod, the residence of the princes, where the icon was housed. In 1155, Prince Andrei Boholiubsky, after conquering the city of Kiev, took the icon with him and brought it to Vladimir, where it remained until 1395. In 1514, it was moved to Moscow, currently located in the Troitzka Gallery. Lord Robert Byron, after contemplating it in 1933, wrote: *”This is one of the rare paintings where the religious formula becomes the instrument of human feelings’ manifestation, which is only possible for great art: The mother caresses her child, their cheeks touch, the baby’s fingers caress her neck… In those black eyes and sad little mouth live eternal sorrows and joys, the whole human destiny. Such an image can only fill one’s eyes with tears and one’s soul with peace. I know no other icon of the same artistic level.”*The miraculous icon called *Svinska* was painted by monk Alypij at the Pecerska Lavra. From this image, Prince Romano Bryansky received the grace of regaining his sight. Now located in Rostov, this icon is also known as *Ihor Otelovyc*, as he prayed before it before his death (September 19, 1146). The distinctive feature of this icon is the posture of Mother and Son in a profusion of tenderness. Hence, it is called *Umelenja* (the Tendering). The image of the Virgin is depicted with the Son in her right arm, with a thoughtful face. The Son extends his arms around the neck of his mother and rests his face on hers.The miraculous icon of Polock, also known as *Eufrosina*, was brought from Ephesus (12th century) as a copy of the Evangelist Luke’s work to a women’s monastery founded by Eufrosynia. In 1260, Prince Daniel of Galicia took it to Lviv, where it remained in the Basilian monastery and later was moved to Belz. In 1382, it found its way to Czestochowa. The Nyzhhorod monastery houses a miraculous icon brought around 1092 from Khersones, painted by monk Simeon. Another revered Ukrainian icon, *Zarvanycica*, dates back to the 12th century. The church where the icon was kept was destroyed by fire, but the icon remained unscathed. Popular tradition venerates icons like *Zydacivska* (15th century), *Blacherna*, *Stradecka* (13th century).There are numerous sanctuaries where the Virgin Mary has appeared, such as Kolomyj, whose church was destroyed by the Tatars. Another appearance is recorded in Pocaiv, where Our Lady first appeared on April 17, 1198, and again in 1260. Pocaiv is the center of continuous Marian pilgrimages for both Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholics.

Mary as the Moral Figure of the People

To understand the influence Mary had on the Ukrainian people, it is necessary to relate the theological concept of her motherhood to the Church of Christ. Mary fulfills the function of a maternal participation in the Church, as she did with her Son when he was a child. Men, before God, feel like sons, and therefore need a Mother who intercedes for them, listens to them, and helps them. That is why princes, clergy, monks, and the simple people turned to her, for in her they found the place of God’s wisdom, holiness, chastity, and virtue incarnate in her humanity.Mary is, therefore, the heart of the Church, the triumph over evil, the most chaste and pure, the protector and comforter. The love of the Virgin Mary, not only for her Son but also for the Christian people, was a general conviction among all. Thus, instead of being called the *Queen Lady*, she was frequently referred to by the people as *Mother*. In this maternal cult, the human motherhood developed, enriching the theological concept positively as a good act desired by God. The function of a mother and a faithful wife to her husband, as the Church is faithful to Christ, according to the teaching of Saint Paul to the Ephesians, completes the concept of a mother for the Christians, who can do all through her Son Jesus Christ.Mary’s role in the life of the universal Church, including the Eastern Churches, is further explored in the encyclical *Redemptoris Mater* by John Paul II, which highlights the ecumenical and ecclesial dimension of Marian devotion.Deepen your studies: Explore Mariology, Marian Theology, Marian Apparitions, and a Postgraduate degree in Mariology.