Abstract

Abstract The image of the Mother of God in Orthodox iconography has got the first place just after the images of Jesus Christ and together with him forms a harmonious entirety. The number of types and variants of the iconography of Our Lady is even higher than the number of icons of the Savior. Although researchers are not fully agreed to the typology of images of the Mother of God, it refers to the archetypes made by the Evangelist Luke and it’s based on the tradition of the Orthodox Church, it can be assumed that there are three key types: Hodegetria, Eleusa and Orans and one contractual – Akathistos. Among them, Hodegetria has a special, privileged place. Icons of this type, came from the Byzantine Empire, but the greatest prosperity achieved in Rus, from where they came to the Polish lands. Nowadays there are many icons of this type in Polish Orthodox churches, among which the most famous are: Bielska, Białostocka, Chełmska, Iviron from Holy Mount of Grabarka, Supraska, Turkowicka, Leśniańska, Lubelska, Hajnowska “Unexpected Joy”, Rybołowska, Sanocka, Jabłeczyńska, Jaworska, Krasnostocka, Kożańska.