The entire life of Orthodox Christians passes under the grace-filled Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos. There are several holidays in the church calendar that are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. September 13 is one of such days, it marks the Position of the Venerable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
According to legend, Saint Mary wove a belt from camel hair with her own hands. According to one version, the Most Holy Theotokos, after Her Dormition, appeared to the Apostle Thomas and gave him the belt. As is known from the scriptures, the apostle did not make it in time for the burial of the Mother of God; at that time he was far away in India. To console the faithful disciple of Christ, She, through his prayers, handed over the shrine into his hands.
In the first centuries, the Belt was in Jerusalem, and several centuries later, under Emperor Arcadius (395-408), it was transported to Constantinople and solemnly placed in the Chalcopratian Church, all-night vigils and prayer services on Wednesdays were established there. The only shrine remaining from the earthly life of the Mother of God was placed in an ark and sealed with the golden seal of Emperor Arcadius, indicating the year and exact day of this great event.
The Belt lay sealed in a closed casket for several centuries, until He helped the wife of Emperor Leo the Wise (886-911), Zoya, who had been suffering from an illness for a long time (perhaps it was an obsession). Doctors could not cure her illness with medical remedies.
Zoya, according to a vision, was told that her illness would recede if the Holy Belt of the Mother of God was placed on her. Having learned about this, the patriarch, at the request of the emperor, removed the seal, opened the shrine containing the shrine, and everyone saw that it had not been damaged at all for so many centuries.
With the blessing of the patriarch, the Belt was placed on the sick woman, and the empress was immediately healed of her illness. With gratitude to the Lord and the Mother of God, a prayer service was served, and the healed queen embroidered the Belt that saved her with threads of gold. The shrine was put back into the casket and sealed again.
Thus, the second position of the belt happened. In memory of the miracle that occurred and in honor of the double position, the Feast of the Position of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established.
In the tenth century, the Belt of the Virgin Mary was divided into several particles. Time passed, and three parts of the belt of the Mother of God were discovered in Bulgaria, Georgia (Zugdidi) and Cyprus (Trooditissa Monastery).
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Georgia was accepted into the Russian Empire and, in gratitude to this event, the Georgian Queen Nino presented the shrine to Emperor Alexander I. When the relic arrived from Georgia, the king decorated the casket with precious stones and gave it back to the queen with instructions that she build it in Zugdidi church, which will be the storage place for the belt. The command was fulfilled, and to this day the shrine remains in this place.
The Belt of the Mother of God showed the world a great many miracles; with its help, thousands of people and even entire nations were healed.
Some of the miracles that the Belt of the Virgin Mary showed:
1871
An unusually severe outbreak of cholera occurred in Constantinople, which literally wiped out its inhabitants. When the Belt was brought to the infected city, almost immediately after the arrival of the shrine, the epidemic receded. And people already infected with it were cured. At the same time, a case became known when the placing of the Belt of the Virgin Mary on a young man who had just died from a serious illness helped to resurrect him from the dead.
1894
Getting rid of locusts that devoured crops in the city of Madita (Asia Minor). As soon as the ship with the shrine moored to the shore, the sky darkened with insects, which immediately began to fall into the water. Residents were saved from imminent famine.
1915
There was also a saving of crops in the Greek provinces from a locust invasion. This time flocks of birds arrived and began to eat the pests.
1957
Elders arrived from the island, which is located near Athos, to the Vatopedi monastery and asked the monks to save them from a terrible drought. A religious procession set out from the monastery with the holy Belt. As soon as the shrine appeared on the island, a heavy downpour began.
In the Vatopedi Monastery they sew and consecrate copies of the Belt, which women suffering from infertility wear on their wombs. Probably, the Mother of God hears fervent requests, so God’s grace, with the help of real faith and sincere prayers, descends through the shrine on childless spouses. The monastery houses a huge number of letters from happy people thanking God for the birth of a child.
In 2011, Archimandrite Ephraim, abbot of the Vatopedi monastery, brought an ark with a piece of the Belt of the Virgin Mary to our country. The shrine was put up for veneration in Moscow in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and immediately, from all over the country, pilgrims began to come for veneration. Despite the cold weather, a huge queue formed to worship at the Belt. Later, the ark visited some other Russian cities. During all this time, about three million were able to venerate the Holy Belt, which the Most Pure Virgin Mary held with Her hands. She blessed and helped a great many people, all who turned to Her with faith and hope for help and salvation.
You can venerate particles of the Belt of the Virgin Mary in Russia in the Moscow Church of Elijah the Prophet (2nd Obydensky Lane, 6), in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
GREATNESS
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, God-chosen Youth, and honor Your holy Belt, which sharpens healing to all who flow with faith.
VIDEO
In the Orthodox Church, September 13 according to the new style is celebrated day of position of the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
History of the holiday
Tradition tells that the Most Holy Theotokos, before Her Dormition, gave a belt and robe to two Christian widows from Jerusalem, who were distinguished by great piety. These shrines were preserved with reverence throughout their lives, and then began to be passed on from generation to generation. At the end of the 4th century, the belt of the Mother of God was transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople, where it was preserved in one of the churches consecrated in honor of the Mother of God. This shrine was preserved for several centuries in a special casket, which, however, was not opened. Under the pious Emperor Leo VI the Philosopher, the casket was finally opened, finding the belt in it completely preserved. The reason for the opening of the shrine was an illness that tormented the emperor’s wife Zoya, who received a revelation in a dream that she would receive healing from the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos. When the patriarch placed a great shrine on the suffering woman’s head, she felt healthy. In honor of the discovery of the shrine and the performance of a miracle, the Feast of the Placing of the Venerable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was established.
The further fate of the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the belt was divided into pieces and distributed to many places in the Christian world. One of the large particles is located on Mount Athos, and from it believers receive healing and grace-filled help. When visiting the Holy Mountain, pilgrims often take with them belts consecrated on a piece of the Virgin Mary’s belt. In addition, parts of the belt are located in Cyprus, Georgia, Italy and Russia.
In 2011, a piece of the belt arrived from Athos to Russia and the monks of the Vatopedi Monastery visited many cities, thanks to which believers could worship this shrine.
Miracles performed from the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Much documentary evidence has been preserved of the help that the Most Holy Theotokos provided to those who prayed before Her honorable belt. There is a known case when in Greece in 1827 the plague epidemic stopped after a religious procession with a shrine was carried out. In 1915, through prayers before a piece of belt brought from the Vatopedi monastery, an invasion of locusts that was eating the entire harvest in one of the regions of Greece was stopped. Eyewitnesses said that after the prayer service to the Mother of God, large flocks of birds suddenly flew in and destroyed all the locusts.
Nowadays, miracles and healings are also often performed from the belt. Particularly striking are the cases when incurable cancer patients, having venerated the great shrine, completely recovered.
During the stay in Russia of particles of the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos in 2011, many believers applied their belts and particles of matter to the shrine with a prayer for their sanctification and the granting of grace-filled power to these things, then, while suffering from a serious illness, they wore these belts and received a speedy recovery. There are known cases when barren women, having put on a belt with prayer, consecrated from the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary, were soon granted the blessing of their marital union in the form of a successful pregnancy and easy childbirth, and the children born were considered a gift from the Queen of Heaven.
Apocrypha about the belt of the Virgin Mary
In some Christian Churches there are various traditions and apocryphal tales about the belt of the Virgin Mary. A very widespread legend is that the Most Holy Theotokos, after Her Dormition, appeared to the Apostle Thomas, who did not have time to say goodbye to Her, and as a consolation she left Her belt.
Troparion, tone 8:
Ever-Virgin Mother of God, covering of men,/ the robe and girdle of Thy most pure body,/ Thou hast granted sovereign taxation to Thy city,/ by Thy seedless Nativity, abiding incorruptible,/ for Thy nature is renewed and time is renewed./ In the same way, we pray to Thee to grant peace to Thy city/ and to the souls to our great mercy.
Kontakion, voice 2:
Your God-pleasing womb, Mother of God,/ Your generous, honorable belt/ the power of Your city is unconquerable/ and the treasure of good things is endless,/ the only one who gave birth to the Ever-Virgin.
Magnification:
It is worthy to eat / magnify You, / the Mother of God, / the Most Honest Cherub, / and the Most Glorious / without comparison, the Seraphim.
Prayer:
Blessings to my queen, my hope to the Mother of God, friend of the orphans and strange intercessors, those who grieve with joy, those who are offended by the patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow, help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange. Weigh my offense, resolve it as if by will: for I have no other help except You, no other intercessor, no good comforter, except You, O Mother of God, for you will preserve me and cover me forever and ever. Amen.
The position of the honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Blachernae Church of Constantinople was under the emperor Arcadius (395–408). Before that, the great shrine, entrusted to the Apostle Thomas by the Mother of God herself, after Her Dormition, was successively kept in Jerusalem by pious Christians. Many years later, during the reign of Emperor Leo the Wise (886–911), the Belt of the Mother of God performed a miracle of healing his wife Zoe, who was suffering from an unclean spirit.
Position of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Empress had a vision that she would be healed of her illness when the Belt of the Mother of God was placed on her. The Emperor made a request to the Patriarch. The Patriarch removed the seal and opened the ark in which the shrine was kept: The Belt of the Mother of God turned out to be completely intact, undamaged by time. The Patriarch placed the Belt on the sick empress, and she was immediately freed from her illness. A solemn prayer of thanks to the Most Holy Theotokos was served, and the honorable Belt was put back into the ark and sealed with a seal.
In memory of the miracle that occurred and the double position of the honorable Belt, the holiday of the Position of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established. Particles of the Holy Belt of the Mother of God are found in the Vatopedi Monastery of Athos, in the Trier Monastery and in Georgia.
Prayers
Troparion to the Holy and Most Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary, tone 5
As wealth is not stealthy, / Thy honorable belt, O Ever-blessed One, / and the gift of good things, / The monastery of Vatopedi calls to Thee, / girded with reverence, / flowing to him, / by his power, God true,/ and destroy the fortress of the flattering enemy,// salvation for the faithful Clean.
On August 31/September 13, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Position of the Honorable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Belt of the Mother of God is one of the greatest shrines of Christianity. He is for us Christians the special mercy of the Most Holy Mother of God. Shortly before the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her Belt and Robe were given to two pious Jerusalem women. Before this, the Most Holy Mother of God Herself gave her Belt and Robe to the Apostle Thomas.
Ark with the belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Vatopedi monastery, on Mount Athos
There are different opinions about where this sacred relic was located. According to one version, the belt was moved to Constantinople already under Arcadia (Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, 395-408). He was placed in a wonderful casket and placed in one of the Temples of the Mother of God - the Chalcopratian Church. There is another opinion that the Belt was in another Temple - Blachernae. Whereas in the Blachernae Temple the Robe of the Mother of God was kept. Perhaps the Shrines were transferred from one Temple to another for Divine Services. In this regard, confusion could arise.
For five centuries the Belt was kept untouched; the shrine was not opened with it. But one day, the wife of Emperor Leo VI the Wise, Zoya Carbonopsina, had a revelation that she could get rid of the torment of an unclean spirit if the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was placed on her.
She told her husband about her vision. The emperor asked Patriarch Euthymius to open the ark with the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos. Having opened the shrine with the Belt, everyone was surprised - it lay untouched, undamaged by time, as if it had just been placed there, as if these five centuries had not happened. The belt was sealed with the golden seal of Emperor Arcadius. It indicated the year of the Position of the Belt in Constantinople, and the exact date of this event - August 31.
Then the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos was spread over the emperor’s wife, and she immediately got rid of the torment of the unclean spirit. Euthymius, who placed the Belt of the Most Pure Mother of God over the emperor’s wife Zoe, composed a Word in honor of the holiday of the rediscovery of the Belt. The Emperor and Empress and all those present offered praise to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother. Zoya, in gratitude for getting rid of her illness, embroidered the Belt with gold threads. The Miraculous Belt of the Mother of God was again placed in the shrine, and the Feast of the Position of the Belt became even more solemn.
Zoya Carbonopsina After the fall of Constantinople, the shrine left the city for a while. This happened in 1204, and in 1453 she left the city completely. But she didn't disappear. Parts of this ancient and wonderful Shrine are now kept in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos. And for good reason. Athos is considered the destiny of the Mother of God. Also, parts of the Holy Belt were placed in the Trooditissa monastery in Cyprus. Many healings come from these Shrines. Thus, the belts consecrated on parts of the Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary are distributed to believing women. Many women who could not conceive, thanks to the prayers of the Mother of God, miraculously become mothers. Many diseases are also healed.
The intercession of the Mother of God is always felt as unconditional love, spiritual relief and delight to the heart. Then there is peace in the soul and peace and quiet in the heart, because She, the Mother of God, loves the children of her Son and by His Grace grace and Miracles are sent to us.
Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos August 31/September 13 is also the last day of the church year, which ends with the Great Feast of the Position of the Venerable Belt of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It seems to me that it is not at all accidental that the beginning and end of the year in the Church is associated with the Mother of God. The beginning of the year is celebrated with the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, and this is a kind of sign for us sinners that from now on the Savior will be able to come into the World. Because now there is She. The Lord chose her through many generations of righteous people in order to bring his Son into the world. This She turned out to be so ready to follow the Will of God. The Mother of God was characterized by great humility in earthly life. She, the giver of Light and Eternal Life, was beautiful both externally and internally.
What is an example for all Orthodox girls? The best! And after her Assumption, She does not leave us with her Intercession. She is invisibly with us. So the Feast of the Position of Her Honorable Belt reminds us of those events of distant years and of those miracles that parishioners tell each other about the intercession of She who was able to become worthy to contain the Inconceivable One. Her Belt is a reminder of her earthly Life and the Memory that She is always with us and Ascended to Heaven, but Help from Her comes Immediately.
Troparion and Kontakion to the Holy and Most Honorable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos
Troparion, tone 5
As wealth is not stealable, Thy honorable belt, Ever-blessed, and possessed of good gifts, The Vatopedi Abode calls upon Thee, girded with reverence, we who flow to it, by His divine power, and destroy the fortress of the flattering enemy, salvation to the faithful
Kontakion, tone 6
Thy God-receiving womb of the Mother of God, Thy generous belt of honor, the power of Thy flock is invincible, and the treasure of good things is endless, the only one who gave birth to the Ever-Virgin.
The belt of the Virgin Mary was found under unknown circumstances in the diocese of Zela, near Amasia in Pontus. Around 530, during the reign of Justinian, it was brought to Constantinople and placed in the Chalcopratian church, located west of Hagia Sophia, in the coppersmiths' quarter. On this day, the Chalkopratiya temple celebrated the patronal feast day and the memory of the discovery of two precious relics kept there - the honorable Belt of the Mother of God and the Shroud of Christ.
Many years later (c. 888), the wife of Emperor Leo VI the Wise, Zoe, became seriously ill due to the obsession of an unclean spirit. She saw a dream in which it was revealed to her that she would be healed if the Belt of the Virgin Mary was placed on her. The Emperor immediately ordered to break the seals on the shrine with the relic and was amazed to see the honest Belt, sparkling and clean, as if woven yesterday. Nearby lay a note that named the day the Belt was transferred to Constantinople and told how the emperor himself put it in this shrine and sealed it with his own hand. Emperor Leo reverently venerated the relic and handed it over to the patriarch. He placed the Belt on the empress’s head, and she was immediately healed of her illness. Everyone offered praise to Christ the Savior and His Most Pure Mother. The grateful empress embroidered the Belt with gold threads, and the holy relic was again placed in the shrine.
According to legend, the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen (1187-1196), having defeated Emperor Isaac II Angel (1190), captured the cross with a piece of the honorable Belt embedded in it. This cross was thrown into the river by a certain priest so that it would not be desecrated. The shrine then came to the Serbs and was subsequently transferred by Prince Lazar († 1389) to the Athos monastery of Vatopedi. There she is revered to this day. The holy relic exudes a sweet fragrance, and numerous miracles are performed from it.
The Honorable Belt, touching the Most Pure Womb that bore the Creator, and moistened with drops of milk that nourished Him Who is the Life of the world, is evidence of salvation for all Christians. He seems to be saying that we need to curb all the aspirations of the flesh and imitate the mental and physical purity of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God in order to be worthy to carry Christ in our hearts, Who forever becomes a Child for our sake.
Compiled by Hieromonk Macarius of Simonopetra,
adapted Russian translation - Sretensky Monastery Publishing House
The Feast of the Placing of the Venerable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Chalcopratia Church should be distinguished from the Feast of the Placing of the Venerable Robe, or Maforia, of the Virgin Mary in Blachernae (celebrated on July 2 and October 1).
Data from hagiographic sources are very vague and contradictory. Here we present the version of the “Synaxarion of Constantinople”, confirmed by the “Imperial Minology” (11th century). However, in the same text, as in the “Menology of Basil II,” it is further said that the transfer of the shrine took place under Arkady, the son of Theodosius (395-408). On the other hand, it is known that the construction of the Chalcopratian church was started by Pulcheria, and completed only under Leo I. Perhaps the church was destroyed by an earthquake and then restored by Justin II (565-578), who made a great contribution to this temple and built a chapel for the honest Belts. On April 12, the Synaxarion commemorates another transfer of the honorable Belt - from Zela to Constantinople, but in the text it is attributed to the 9th century. This date is certainly erroneous, since church hymns for this holiday, composed in the 7th century, have been preserved. St. Maximus the Confessor, as well as the homily of St. Herman of Constantinople, dating back to the next century. Some historians believe that at first there was only one holiday in honor of the honorable Belt and Robe, celebrated in Blachernae, and that the current holiday appeared only in the 9th century. Be that as it may, the procession of the cross, which took place every Friday from Blachernae to Chalcopratia, indicates the connection between these two greatest shrines of the Mother of God in Constantinople.