Заступница

At the heart of the narrative lies the Vatican copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Kazan’s principal Orthodox sacred relic. The film traces four pivotal strands of Russian history: the liberation of Moscow by the militia of Minin and Pozharsky, the Battle of Poltava, the Patriotic War of 1812, and the Great Patriotic War. Across these eras, the Orthodox inhabitants of Tatarstan turn to their protector, the Kazan Mother of God icon, for aid. It is believed that in 1611 the Kazan militia carried the icon away, and that this act later helped Minin and Pozharsky liberate Moscow from the Poles.