Only a Miracle Could Save the Astronauts

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleТолько чудо могло спасти космонавтов
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Asliturk, Miriam
5. lemma category Natural and the supernatural > Miracles - Orthodox view on technology and engineering
6. Publication date 12-07-2018
7. lemma work Только чудо могло спасти космонавтов
8. lemma manifestations Русская народная линия информационно-аналитическая служба. Православие Самодержавие Народность.
9. Keywords Icons - Cosmonaut - Russian Orthodoxy - miracles - Outer Space
10. Url Click Here
11. Citations
    1. <p>Только чудо могло спасти космонавтов (2015). Русская народная линия информационно-аналитическая служба. Православие Самодержавие Народность. Retrieved from: <a href="http://ruskline.ru/news_rl/2015/10/12/tolko_chudo_moglo_spasti_kosmonavtov/">http://ruskline.ru/news_rl/2015/10/12/tolko_chudo_moglo_spasti_kosmonavtov/</a> </p>
12. Lemma body

    1. The article is devoted to an icon which travelled to space on board the Soyuz TMA-6 station in 2005. The icon is a copy of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God from Valaam monastery, painted in the 19th century by Alipius. The icon spent over a month in space, circling the Earth sixteen times every day.

       At first it was difficult to get the authorisation to bring the icon into the spaceship because of weight restrictions. Finally, due to the assistance of the twice-hero of the Soviet Union cosmonaut Alexander Pavlovich Aleksandrov and the Vice-President of the Federation of Cosmonautics of Russia Oleg Petrovich Mukhin, the icon was allowed to be taken into space. The flight was blessed by Patriarch Alexy II and the Hegumen of the Valaam Monastery Bishop Pankraty Troitsky. 

       According to the author, several miracles happened during the flight due to the presence of the icon. Firstly, the commander of the international crew Sergei Krikalev, who is also a photographer (and an inventor of 3D photography) managed to take pictures of his home city – St. Petersburg, which is not easy to do from space. Another miracle occurred when a dangerous leakage of oxygen stopped. The author of the article believes the miracle happened because the commander held the icon in his hands and pressed it to his chest.

       After returning from space, the icon was exhibited for a few months at the Museum of Missile Technology and Cosmonautics of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.