The Story of the Icon of the Mother of God of Boyany

The icon was painted in 1991 for the iconostasis of one of the local churches in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God, which was being restored after the 30-years-long desolation (since 1961 the building was used as the storage for manure). The first miracle – the appearance of tears on the image – occurred during the Divine service on December 18, 1993. By the end of the service, the tears in the eyes of the Mother of God reached the bottom of the icon. Many miracles that occurred by the work of this icon, including cancer healing, were thoroughly studied by the Synodic committee. On October 4, 1994, the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church chaired by Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and all Ukraine recognized the image as the miraculous one. The icon got the name of Boyany, the place where it revealed its miraculous power. On December 28, 1999, the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church decided to organize a convent near the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God.
 
Nowadays, the icon is kept in its original place. It is painted in oil on a wooden plate (55×77 cm). The type of the image of the Mother of God is Odigitria. Infant Christ sits on the left hand of the Theotokos, while with Her right hand She carries Christ’s foot. The Divine Infant is dressed in a white chiton and an ochroid himation. He gives blessing with his right hand; His left hand lies on the orb. The icon is decorated with a silver cover, which was created in 1994, and with numerous donations of faithful people.
 
Since 1995, the day before its feast day (on September 24), an annual procession, traditionally led by the reigning hierarch, goes from Chernovtsy to Boyany (about 17 km) to venerate the icon. By the year 2003, about 2 million pilgrims have visited this place. The icon is often brought to other churches all over Ukraine so that people can venerate it.  The akathist to the icon was written in 1995 in Romanian language by Fr. Adrian Akostakia. Later, in 1997, it was written in Church Slavonic language by metropolitan Onuphrius (Berezovsky).
 
In 1998, on the 2nd floor of one of the convent’s buildings, a chapel was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of Boyany. On the left wall of the chapel, there is a copy of the miraculous image, painted in oils.
 
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