On 13 October 2019, the feast of St. Michael, the first Metropolitan of Kyiv, and on the eve of the feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, a new icon of the Mother of God “Consolation and Comfort” was brought to the main church of the Diocese of Tashkent, the Holy Dormition Cathedral. Hundreds of parishioners came to greet this image, which was painted on the Holy Mountain of Athos and presented as a gift to the Orthodox faithful of Uzbekistan by representatives of the “Sons of Athos” Brotherhood.
In 2019 the Brotherhood carried this image of the Mother of God in procession to the principal holy monasteries of the Holy Mountain, and in Russia the Brotherhood visited with the icon the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the Varlaam-Khutyn Monastery in Veliky Novgorod, Valaam Monastery, the Tolga Monastery in Yaroslavl, the Protection Monastery in Suzdal, and the holy places of Vladimir.
“The story of bringing this holy image of the Queen of Heaven to Uzbekistan began in 2013, when, with the Brotherhood's participation, a reliquary of the holy right-believing Prince Oleg of Bryansk and the ‘Ktitorissa’ icon of the Most Holy Theotokos were brought as a gift to the Diocese of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan, whose ruling bishop at the time was Bishop Feodosy, noted Alexander Tuzenko, Chairman of the “Sons of Athos” Brotherhood. Then, in conversation with Metropolitan Vikenty, the Brotherhood promised to come to Uzbekistan to strengthen the Orthodox faithful in the faith and to comfort them. From that moment the Brotherhood began preparing for the journey to Uzbekistan, but the path was far from easy and took quite a long time. The funds for painting this icon were collected by everyone together. The icon was completed only at the end of 2018, and on 2 February 2019 the brothers and the icon were already at the celebration of the ‘Consolation and Comfort’ icon of the Mother of God at Vatopedi Monastery on Athos, where the original wonderworking icon is kept.”
After the icon was brought into the cathedral, Metropolitan Vikenty addressed those present with a word of welcome:
“We are grateful to God and to the Most Holy Theotokos, and to the Brotherhood headed by Father Archimandrite Dorotheos, for the mercy they have shown us today. Today we will pray before this holy icon; we will begin to pray and will always pray before it, that the Mother of God may grant us joy and comfort and bless all our works and deeds.
Today we ourselves are eyewitnesses of this historic event, the arrival among us of the ‘Consolation and Comfort’ icon of the Mother of God. From this day begins the history of this icon in our land of Tashkent, in our cathedral.”
Metropolitan Vikenty then celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with the clergy of the cathedral.
