Gorodok, Rivne Province, Ukraine, July 30, 2026
Photo: rivne.church.ua
Nuns at the St. Nicholas Convent in Gorodok, part of the Rivne Diocese, have recreated the wonderworking Dubno Icon of the Mother of God, a historic Volyn shrine that has been considered lost for more than a century.
The Dubno icon is regarded as one of Volyn’s best-known sacred images. It was once the family icon of the Orthodox princes of Ostroh, who donated it to the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Dubno, reports the Rivne Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
For centuries, thousands of believers prayed before the icon, which is associated with numerous miracles. It disappeared without a trace in the early 20th century, during the First World War, and its whereabouts remain unknown.
Abbess Mikhaila had long hoped to recreate the historic image. The project began to take shape after she received a book containing an old engraving of the Dubno Icon, which became the principal reference for the reconstruction.
Nuns from the St. George dependency of the Gorodok convent took part in the work. The faces of the Theotokos and the Christ Child were painted by the iconographer Nun Arsenia. The recreated image is distinguished by its delicate facial features and the tender depiction of the Mother of God and Christ.
The icon’s decorative metal-style covering was embroidered by hand by Nun Vinira. The work took more than three months and was completed using pearls, beads and precious stones, giving the icon a ceremonial appearance.
The sisters of the St. Nicholas Convent are continuing to collect historical documents and archival materials connected with the original icon. The materials are expected to support further Church recognition and veneration of the recreated image.
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