#antiqueicon

[russianicons]

The Russian antique icon of Basil of Caesarea, also known as Saint Basil the Great, dates back to the 18th century. Painted by an anonymous icon painter, it depicts a notable Byzantine bishop from Caesarea Mazaca, a city in Cappadocia. Basil was famous for his care and patronage for the underprivileged and poor. Besides, the saint played a considerable role in the creation and development of communal monasticism in Eastern Christianity.

https://russianicon.com/st-basil-icon-features-and-history/

[russianicons]

Do you know how one of the most famous Andrei Rublev’s icons “The Savior” was found? The story goes that the holy image was spotted in a dilapidated woodshed on the territory of the Assumption Cathedral in Zvenigorod. As you see in the featured picture, the icon has seen better days. It was a miracle that it was discovered by the collector, restorer, and icon painter Gregory Chirikov in 1919. If it weren’t for him, the precious piece of religious art could have been lost forever.

https://russianicon.com/the-saviour-andrei-rublev-s-russian-icon-that-was-almost-lost/

[russianicons]

Guardian angels are the spirits believed to protect and guide particular individuals, groups of people, or even entire nations. In Orthodox Christianity, as well as other Christian denominations, the image of a guardian angel is fairly important. It plays a vital role in Russian iconography in particular. The icon you see in the picture was painted and signed by V. Meshkov in 1904. It depicts an angel holding a sword that has always been an essential attribute of guarding angels. 

[russianicons]

Probably all believers and non-believers have heard of John the Baptist at least once in a lifetime. Some people even call him “the greatest man ever to have lived.” What was so great about him? John the Baptist was a real historical figure and Jesus Christ’s forerunner who prepared people for the coming of the Messiah. “The Baptist” part emerged because he called on his followers to go through a ceremony of baptism. Jesus, as you know, was among the recipients of his rite of baptism.

[russianicons]

The icon of the Virgin Hodegetria that you see in the picture is made with tempera on wood, but it is a riza, also called oklad, that distinguishes it from other images. Such metal covers serve three functions: they protect icons from candles and prevent the darkening of the surface; they direct the focus of a viewer; and, finally, they make icons more valuable because covers are often embellished with semi-precious or precious stones and pearls. The featured antique icon was sold for €2,000 by the Scandinavian auction house Bukowskis. 

[russianicons]

One of the greatest elders and spiritual leaders of the 18th-century, Saint Seraphim of Sarov was a Russian monk and ascetic who lived at the Sarov Monastery in Sarov, Russia. Born Prokhor Moshnin, he was known for his ascetic practices and for counseling in cases of conscience. The beautiful icon of Seraphim of Sarov that you see in the picture was painted after 1903, but the exact date is unknown.

https://russianicon.com/russian-iconography-of-seraphim-of-sarov/

[russianicons]

There are quite a few icons of the Theotokos, from the Feodorovskaya icon of the Mother of God to Our Lady of the Sign. In the picture, you can see one more incredible example of an antique Russian icon depicting the Virgin Mary with Jesus Christ in her hands. According to history, it was painted in the 15th century by an anonymous icon painter from the Novgorod School, the predecessor of the Moscow School. Nowadays, this antique icon is in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

https://russianicon.com/popular-orthodox-images-of-mary-the-mother-of-god/

[russianicons]

The featured icon depicts Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and Saint Anastasia of Sirmium standing together. All three saints are venerated by the Orthodox Church as martyrs. The holy image was painted by an anonymous icon painter in the 17th century in Russia. As of today, it is held in the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum in St. Louis, Missouri.