Kozelsk, Kaluga Province, Russia, January 21, 2026
Photo: optina.ru
Russia’s famous Optina Monastery was gifted a miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos from the 18th century recently.
The icon is a copy of the miraculous Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God and is itself wonderworking. It was purchased from a private collection in Kaluga by Nikita Shafranovsky and donated to the monastery, Optina reports.
The original Kaluga icon appeared in 1748 but was lost during the godless Soviet period. Three miracle-working copies currently exist in Kaluga. Expert examination by the Andrei Rublev Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art has confirmed the icon dates to the last third of the 18th century, making it the oldest existing copy.
Photo: optina.ru
The Kaluga Icon holds particular significance in Russian Orthodox tradition. Believers traditionally pray before it for help with alcohol addiction, infertility, and profanity. It’s also associated with protection from disease, having been invoked during outbreaks of plague and cholera in the Kaluga Province.
The Optina Elders historically venerated the icon. St. Ambrose of Optina would request that the Akathist to the Kaluga Icon be read during periods of severe illness.
The newly acquired icon will be placed in the Entrance of the Theotokos Church alongside the relics of Sts. Ambrose and Nektary of Optina. It joins two other significant icons at the monastery: the She Who Ripens the Grain Icon and a copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
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