The Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was discovered miraculously, and its loss became a true tragedy. According to legend, after a devastating fire in Kazan in 1579, the Virgin Mary appeared to a girl named Matrona. She instructed her to go to the ashes of her burned-down house and find her image there. Indeed, the icon was found, untouched by fire. Monarchs prayed before it. In Kazan, they always visited the Convent of the Mother of God, built for the icon by Ivan the Terrible, to pay their respects. The holy image received lavish gifts: for instance, Catherine II adorned it with a diamond crown. The icon protects the Russian land and faith. Kazan militias brought a copy of the icon to Minin and Pozharsky's army. Peter I also prayed before it on the eve of the Battle of Poltava. The most famous churches dedicated to this icon are located on Red Square in Moscow and Kazan Square in St. Petersburg. The original was stolen. In 1904, the miraculous Kazan Icon was stolen from the Convent of the Mother of God. It is believed that the thief burned it – supposedly, he was only interested in the icon's precious frame.