The Don icon of the Mother of God was brought by the Don Cossacks to Grand Duke Dimitry Ioannovich Donskoy, during the latter’s war with Mamai. The icon was with the army of the prince in the continuation of all military operations.
On the day of the glorious Battle of Kulikovo, in 1380, the image of the Mother of God was brought before the ranks of the soldiers to strengthen the latter in faith and fortitude. Warriors prayed in front of the icon, asking the Theotokos for help in defeating the enemies of the Fatherland. As is known from the history of Russia, in the Battle of Kulikovo, Dmitry Donskoy won with his army. After that, the image of the Virgin was presented by the Cossacks as a gift to the Grand Duke. Dimitry Donskoy transferred the icon to Moscow, placing it in the Assumption Cathedral. Somewhat later, the holy icon was transferred to the Annunciation Cathedral of Moscow. In memory of the victory of the Russian army over the Tatars, the image of the Mother of God was called Don.
In 1591, during the reign of Theodore Ivanovich, the deliverance of Moscow from the Crimean Tatars took place. In memory of this event, the Don Monastery was built in Moscow. The name of the monastery was not chosen by chance, because the king and people especially earnestly prayed to the Theotokos for deliverance from the Crimean Tatars before the icon of the Virgin Mary of Donskoy.
When the Crimean prince Nurydan with his brother Moore Girey approached Moscow and was located near it on the Sparrow Hills, Tsar Theodore prayed for help to the intercessor of Christians, the Blessed Virgin Mary. After that, the faithful made a procession with a holy image in the city and put an icon in the funeral church. Before the battle itself, Tsar Theodore Ivanovich spent the whole night in fervent prayer. With the onset of the day, the Tatars rushed to the Russians, but frightened by an invisible force, fled, leaving many killed and their camp on the battlefield.
A monastery was founded on this place, in gratitude to the Virgin for help. In the monastery itself, the Don Icon of the Virgin was placed.
The feast of the icon of the Mother of God of Don was established on September 1, on the day of the victory of the Russian army over the troops of Nurydan and Mura Girey. Also from that time, the tradition went on to make a procession from the Assumption Cathedral of Moscow to the Donskoy Monastery.
