The
Virgin of Compassion
[Maci Boskaia Zamilavannie]
Also referred as The Virgin Hodigitria of Jerusalem [Maci Boskaia Erusalimskaia]
1760
Author unknown
Wooden board, egg
tempera, silvered metal, engraving, casting, printing, glass
120 x 69 x 2 cm
The icon is currently in St. Barbara Cathedral(built in 1642-1647) in Pinsk. The history of St. Barbara church is complicated, as that of many churches in Belarus. A monastery of Bernardines was founded first in this place during the rule of Zhyhimont III (1587-1632). In 1705 (1717?) a wooden Roman Catholic Church of Bernardines was added near the monastery. It was built on the funds donated by Chief Military Comander of the Grand Duche of Lithuania - Hetman Mikhail Vishniavecki and his wife Katsiaryna (Dol'skaia). A brick church built in Baroque style replaced the wooden one in 1786.
After Russian occupation the monastery existed until 1832 when it was abolished from state funding. It was converted into Orthodox Christian church of St. Barbara in 1830-ies. This church is functioning untill today and it is a home to The Virgin of Compassion famous icon.
This icon was described by the 3rd expedition of the National Art Museum of the Byelorussian SSR in 1958. There is an engraving on the cladding at the bottom:
"Ia, Tymovej Hyl', s zhenoiu Irynoiu, nadaiu shatu prestoj Bogorodice Bogoiavlenskoj roku (1751)"
which translates as:
"I, Tymovej Hyl', with my wife Iryna, donate the cladding to Virgin Hodigitria in the year of 1751".
