The composition "Mother of God of Oranta"

Author
Sergey Kazantsev

Data
2005

Size
220х110х50 cm

Material
Concrete, artificial stone

Description

Monument to the inhabitants of the Kursakovo Town and the Krasnozavodsk City, who died in the Second Great Patriotic War.

«The composition "Mother of God of Oranta"– canonized image of the Virgin Mary Oranta. The work was appeared when sculptor was impressed by the visiting Diveyevo Town. Where parishioners of the local church walk around the “Our Lady furrow” on holidays (“Our Lady furrow” was made by the Mother of God) and read 108 times the prayer of The Hail Mary Prayer: «Hail Mary, full of grace. Our Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou amongst women and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen», – recallects sculptor S. Kazantsev about his work.

Sculptor Sergey Kazantsev with his wife visited the Diveevo Town several times. Diveevo Town is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region (55°02'24.1"N 43°14'39.2"E). Admire the beauties of the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery, bow to the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, walk along the “Holy Canal” with prayer. 

The Holy Canal or Our Lady furrow is one of the main sacred place of the monastery. In 1825, the Virgin Mary appeared to the Reverend Seraphim and ordered to establish a community in Diveevo. She showed how to enclose this place with rolling barrage. Fulfilling the instructions of the Queen of Heaven, Seraphim of Sarov began the work himself and ordered the sisters to dig the Furrow along the path, which the Virgin passed. The Furrow was badly damaged in Soviet times, but by 2003 it was restored and believers from all over Russia come here to pray to the Virgin Mary.

Initially Sergey Kazantsev created this composition for his park in 2005. But soon, the administration of the Kursakovo Town decided to have this composition in their Town, where it was opened on May 6, 2006 near the administration of the Yadrominsky rural settlement. And a year later - the administration of the Krasnozavodsk City, where the opening took place on April 27, 2007.

 «April 27 at the entrance to the city of Krasnozavodsk City, like a guiding star, was placed sculpture. The composition is called "The Great Panagia" Our Lady of Oranta ". Sculptor used an artistic image from Andrei Rublev’s XIV century icon… Sergey Sergeevich Kazantsev appealed to this image last year. In his opinion, it's time to turn from the senseless Victory monuments to more humane sensual expression of feelings towards the Motherland, towards the mother. The composition is based on the image of the Mother of God, who is the keeper of the nationhood of the Russia, preservation of the motherland. On the pedestal of the sculpture there are images of Generalissimo Stalin and Commander-in-Chief Zhukov, images of those under whose leadership Russia won in 1945. Как символы мужества в экспозиции памятника установлены львы…», – a passage from the article "In the name of the Motherland" in the newspaper Novoe Zerkalo (May 10, 2007), dedicated to the opening of the monument in Krasnozavodsk City.

 

Publications

1. The newspaper "Istra's News", May 12, 2006
2. The newspaper "Novoe Zerkalo", No. 19 (733), dated May 10, 2007

 Address

1. Russia, Moscow region, Istra district, Kursakovo Town, d.1
2. Russia, Moscow region, Sergievo-Posadskiy rayon, gorod Krasnozavodsk, Teatralnaya ul.
3. Russia, Moscow region, Istra district, Borzye village