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 the original. Two major Kazan Cathedrals, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, are consecrated to Our Lady of Kazan, as are numerous churches throughout the land. Her feast days are July 21 and November 4.
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and Bishop of Myra (270 - 343), was a historic 4th-century Saint and Greek Bishop of Myra. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolas the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as was common for early Christian saints.
Saint Elijah was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Ahab (9th century BC). According to the Books of Kings, Elijah defended the worship of Yahweh over that of the Phoenician god Baal, he raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and was taken up in a whirlwind. In the Book of Malachi, Elijah's return is prophesied "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord," making him a harbinger of the Messiah. This common depiction of the prophet Elijah riding a flaming chariot across the sky resulted in syncretistic folklore among the Slavs, incorporating pre-Christian motifs in the beliefs and rites regarding him in Slavic culture.
The Great Martyr Saint George is depicted as a mounted soldier striking a dragon beneath his horse with a lance. The scene is titled in Old Slavonic "Saint George the Victorybearer." The oldest icons depicting Saint George as a horseman killing the dragon date to the 12th century. The motif became popular, especially in Georgian and Russian tradition, but it is also found in Greek icons.
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