This finely painted icon depicts the Three Holy Hierarchs of Orthodox Christianity - Gregory the Theologian (known as Gregory of Nazianzus), Basil the Great (known as Basil of Caesarea), and John Chrysostom. They were highly influential bishops of the early Church who played pivotal roles in shaping Christian theology. In Eastern Christianity, they are also known as the Three Great Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers, while in Roman Catholicism, the three are honored as Doctors of the Church. The three are venerated as saints in Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Anglicanism, and other Christian churches.

Our Lady of Tikhvin (Tikhvinskaya) is one of the most celebrated and beautiful wonderworking icons of the Mother of God. Traditionally, it is said to be one of the icons painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist and is a contemporary of the Mother of God herself. The appearance of the icon is celebrated on June 26. The icon has a long history. During the Soviet oppression of the Orthodox Church, the original Theotokos of Tikhvin icon was brought to the USA for safekeeping. In 2004 it was transferred back to Russia to return to its home village of Tikhvin. In … More

Christ Pantocrator is one of the most common subjects in Russian iconography, and its iconography follows a traditional pattern. In these icons, Christ is depicted as a powerful and majestic figure, with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand holding an open book of the Gospels. The term "Pantocrator" means "Almighty" or "Ruler of All," and the image of Christ in this role conveys his power and authority as the divine judge and ruler of the world. The icon portrays Christ with a stern expression, indicating his righteous judgment and the seriousness of his message. The icon's … More

The Transfiguration is one of Christ's miracles in the Gospels, in which he is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. In Christian teachings, the Transfiguration is a pivotal moment, and the setting on the mountain is presented as the point where human nature meets God: the meeting place for the temporal and the eternal, with Jesus himself as the connecting point, acting as the bridge between heaven and earth. In Orthodox iconography, the Transfiguration is depicted in the rocky landscape. Christ is depicted in the majesty of his divine glory, which is symbolically expressed in the singular whiteness of … More

Saint Constantine (†337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a pivotal role in elevating the status of Christianity in Rome, decriminalizing Christian practice, and ceasing Christian persecution in a period referred to as the Constantinian shift. Constantine is also the originator of the religiopolitical ideology known as Constantinianism, which epitomizes the unity of church and state, as opposed to the separation of church and state. He founded the city of Constantinople and made it the capital of the Empire, which remained so for over a … More

For Eastern Christians, the Holy Feast of Baptism is more important than that of Nativity because it is the great Theophany, a manifestation of Christ's divinity. The iconography of the Baptism is simple and ancient, adhering closely to the Gospels. Christ is depicted at the moment of abasing himself by stepping into the river to be baptized when a voice from the heavens reveals him to be the Son of God. The rocky landscape of the Jordan Valley opens up into a whirlpool. John the Baptist leans over Christ, who dominates the waters and blesses him. With his baptism, Christ … More

Our Lady of Smolensk is the name of an ancient miracle-working icon and one of Russia's most highly venerated icons. According to tradition, after the fall of Constantinople, the original icon painted by St. Luke surfaced in Russia, where it was placed in the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk and therefore referred to as Our Lady of Smolensk. The original icon, dated by art historians to the 11th century, is now believed to have been destroyed by fire during the German occupation of Smolensk in 1941, but a great number of copies were made throughout the century, some of considerable historical … More

The Holy Mandylion icon represents the first image of the Savior miraculously created by Christ himself, not made by human hands. According to the Christian tradition, King Abgar of Edessa wrote to Jesus, asking him to come to cure him of an illness. Instead, one of the seventy disciples, Thaddeus, is said to have come to Edessa, bearing the words and an image of Jesus, by the virtues of which the king was miraculously healed. To create his likeness, Jesus used a face cloth that miraculously bore the image of His face. This image of Christ preserved on the face … More

Saint Seraphim of Sarov (Серафим Саровский) († 1833), is one of the most renowned Russian monks and mystics in the Orthodox Church who was canonized in 1903. He is generally considered the greatest of the 19th century startsy (elders) and, arguably, the first. He is remembered for extending the monastic teachings of contemplation, theoria and self-denial to the layperson, and taught that the purpose of the Christian life was to acquire the Holy Spirit. He was canonized in 1903 in Sarov at the ceremony attended by the Tsar and senior members of the Russian Imperial family. 

The 4-Part Russian icon depicts the Protection of the Mother of God, the severed Head of St. John the Baptist, St. Michael the Archangel and Chief of the Heavenly Host, and the Guardian Angel flanked by two Orthodox military Saints.