Vlachernae ( Greek Βλαχέρναι ) is the northwestern suburb of Constantinople , known since the time of Justinian by the Church of the Virgin Mary , where in 910 the famous appearance of the Mother of God to believers took place. In memory of this event, the Orthodox Church in Russia in the XII century established the feast of the Protection of the Holy Virgin .
With the expansion of the city walls in 627 , the district was included in the city. Here was the imperial palace , which since 1081 became the main residence of the monarch. John VI Cantacuzenus was crowned in the palace church. In 1453 , the Turks broke into Constantinople , breaking through the walls of the Blachernae quarter .
The Small Palace has been preserved to this day in a ruined state, and the wax icon of Our Lady of Blachernae (presumably of the 7th century AD ) was taken out of the palace and delivered to Moscow; currently located in the Tretyakov Gallery .