Our Lady of Kazan is a holy icon of the highest stature within the Russian Orthodox Church and is considered a palladium of Russia for centuries until its theft and likely destruction in 1904. The icon represents the Virgin Mary as the protector and patroness of the city of Kazan. It is a close-up variant of the Hodegetria (Directress) style, it is noted mainly for the Child standing, with the Virgin chest length. The Kazan icons are traditionally small, following the original. The Kazan icon was very popular in Russia, especially as a wedding gift, and many copies were made in the design of original. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, two major Kazan Cathedrals are consecrated to Our Lady of Kazan, as are numerous churches throughout the land. Her feast days are July 21 and November 4.
The icon is covered with a gilt silver cover hallmarked with a town mark of Moscow, assayer's mark dated 1877 and maker's mark СГ for a well-known maker Semyon Galkin.
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