Ukrainians and the Madonna of Pokrov icon
The icon of Pokrov : Ukraine’s favorite Madonna Our Lady of Protection- The icon of Pokrov Virgin of the Pokrov * said Our Lady of All Protection, the Mother of God Ukraine's national holiday -- celebrated October 14 -- is the feast day of the Pokrov icon. It commemorates an appearance of the Virgin Mary in Constantinople. To understand the love of Ukrainians for the Madonna of Pokrov, we must go back to the 10th century. At that time, whenever the Byzantine Empire (recall that its capital city was Constantinople) was threatened by the Arabs or Slavs, the Virgin Mary appeared with St. John the Baptist and St. John. The Virgin Mary and these two saints appeared to St. Andrew, called Andrew the “Fool in Christ,” in the Church of the Blacherns in Constantinople. This church is an illustrious Marian shrine and a very beautiful church in the city. During the apparition, the Blessed Mother went in tears to the altar, placing her own veil that covered her head over the people to protect a