The Orthodox of Russian tradition celebrates the holy day of the Protection in October. In the 11th century, Constantinople was threatened. The people went to a church in which the cloak of the Virgin was preserved. There they prayed for help. When the invading soldiers came near, the church was filled with hymns and prayer. Among the people praying was St. Andrew and his disciple St. Epiphanius. They saw a vision in which the Mother of God was holding her mantle spread over the city as protection. The Ikon of the Protection shows this event clearly as it is especially graphic on the event. The Tropar and Kondak for the day vividly tell the story of the holy day. "We are enlightened by Thy coming, O Mother of God, today we Orthodox people gloriously celebrate while humbly crying as we look at Thy ikon: 'Cover us with Thy cloak and deliver us from every evil as Thou prays to Thy Son, Christ Our God, to save our souls." and "The Virgin, on this day, appears in the Church and, with many saints which we cannot see, She prays for us to God."

On this holy day of the Protection or Intercession of the Mother of God, we pray that She watch over us and protect us from all evil as She asks her Son, Jesus Christ to save our souls. We ask this protection of the Mother of God because she stands before the throne of God having herself already received the heavenly award. Thus, she is ready to beseech her Son that the work of salvation which He came to accomplish be completed in each of us.

The natural instinct of a mother is to see that the work of her children succeeds. The same would be true of Mary since she was chosen and asked to be the Mother of God which she freely accepted. Once she accepted this role as Mother; she became intimately tied to the work of salvation of her Son. So now She stands before Him asking our protection and eventual enjoyment of heaven itself.