Hello, dear friends!
I am happy to share our latest work, created by my team and me, for a very special day in the city of Karakol, Kyrgyzstan. Here, on July 9, Orthodox Christians honor the memory of the Miraculous Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. This year, I had the honor of supervising the floral arrangements.
Karakol’s Tikhvin Weeping Icon
For over 130 years, this sacred copy — a gift from Athonite monks to the Issyk-Kul Monastery in the 19th century — has been kept safe on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. The story of Karakol’s Tikhvin Weeping Icon is full of trials and miracles.
During times of persecution, the icon was shot at and nearly destroyed, yet by God’s mercy, it survived. In the 1950s, a fire broke out in the church but stopped miraculously right before the icon — the flames touched only the back of the wooden panel.
A Flower-Bedecked Icon
Every year on July 9, pilgrims from near and far gather at the Holy Trinity Church in Karakol to venerate this Great Relic. For this small town, it is a day unlike any other: streets around the church are closed off, and up to five thousand believers solemnly accompany the flower-bedecked icon of the Mother of God.
A Living Tradition
The tradition of adorning the icon with flowers goes back generations. Long ago, it was a simple wreath woven from wild and garden blooms — our grandmothers braided it by hand with humble thread, fixing each blossom with tender care. Almost every parish family brought their own flowers as an offering. This living tradition still warms hearts today. After the service, people take a single flower home — a symbol of hope and a quiet prayer carried into their daily lives.
Floral design and photography by Petr Anokhin.
