Glossary · Term

Intercession of the Theotokos

Also known as Pokrov

The Intercession of the Theotokos (Pokrov) is an Eastern Orthodox feast, celebrated on 1 October (14 October in the Gregorian calendar), commemorating a vision of the Virgin Mary spreading her veil over the faithful in the Blachernae church in Constantinople. Though based on a Byzantine story, the feast was established in Rus', traditionally by Andrei Bogolyubsky in the twelfth century, and became one of the most important in Russia.

Intercession of the Theotokos
Image: Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Intercession of the Theotokos. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/intercession-of-the-theotokos
MLA
“Intercession of the Theotokos.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/intercession-of-the-theotokos. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Intercession of the Theotokos.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/intercession-of-the-theotokos.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Intercession of the Theotokos’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/intercession-of-the-theotokos (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻