On the occasion of the 730th anniversary of the miraculous discovery of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God “of the Sign,” Metropolitan Nicholas of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), has extended heartfelt greetings to participants of an international conference being held in Kursk.

The conference, titled “The Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God ‘of the Sign’ in the History and Culture of the Russian World,” is taking place October 15–16 at Kursk State University and is organized by the Kursk Diocese, the Kursk Root Hermitage, and the university. Scholars, clergy, and faithful from Russia and abroad have gathered to reflect on the icon’s historical, spiritual, and cultural significance.

In his address, Metropolitan Nicholas conveyed warm regards to Metropolitan German of Kursk and Rylsk, the brotherhood of the Kursk Root Hermitage and Znamensky Monastery, and all conference participants. He emphasized the icon’s profound role as a spiritual symbol of unity within the Russian World and as a source of comfort for Orthodox believers living far from their homeland.

“Through this sacred image,” he wrote, “Russian émigrés and their descendants preserve a living connection to their history and the Russian Orthodox Church.” The metropolitan expressed hope that the Kursk Root Icon will continue to inspire and spiritually strengthen the faithful around the world.

The Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most ancient and revered relics of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to tradition, it was discovered in 1295 near the ruins of Kursk by a hunter, who found the icon face down at the base of a tree. A spring of water burst forth from the spot, and a chapel was later built there, eventually becoming the famed Kursk Root Hermitage.

Over the centuries, the icon was credited with miraculous interventions during times of war, plague, and invasion. In the 17th century, it was proclaimed the heavenly protectress of Kursk and its surrounding region. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, the icon left Russia with retreating White Army forces. After passing through Serbia, Germany, and Switzerland, it was brought to the United States in 1951, where it now resides at the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign in New York City.

To this day, the icon remains a powerful symbol of the spiritual continuity and unity of the Russian Orthodox faithful both in Russia and throughout the diaspora. Annual processions and prayer services are held before the icon in Kursk and in Orthodox parishes abroad, reaffirming its enduring legacy.