Icon over gates of Kremlin Nikolskaya Tower to be opened and consecrated on Day of People’s Unity
Moscow, October 26, Interfax – On November 4, the Day of People’s Unity restored icon of St. Nicholas of Mozhaysk on the Nikolskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin will be consecrated.
St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation that initiated restoring over gates icons on Kremlin towers told an Interfax-Religion correspondent. Patriarch Kirill blessed the initiative.
The mural on the Nikolskaya Tower dates back to the late 15th – early 16th centuries. During the civil fights in October 1917, the icon of St. Nikolas of Mozhaysk was riddled with shots, but his face escaped unharmed which the Moscow believers considered a miracle.
Restoration of the icon on the Nikolskaya Tower started on July 5 and lasted for about three months.
Earlier restored icon on the Spasskaya Tower was solemnly consecrated by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia in presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the feast of Assumption, August 28.
Certain elements reminding icon cases can be seen on the Kutafya, Troitskaya, Konstantino-Eleninskaya and Borovitskaya Towers.
Most often names of Kremlin towers are connected with icons set on them. Thus, the Spasskaya Tower was named after the icon of the Savior located on it.
Icons on Kremlin towers were deemed lost for a long time, but there were no documents confirming the fact.