Holy Wisdom is a traditional topos in Russian Orthodox iconography. The icon you see in the picture is of “Novgorod type,” meaning that it is attributed to the icon of Holy Wisdom in the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Novgorod (16th century). With time, the composition and symbolism of such icons went into the focus of many iconographers and scholars, which led to the establishment of “Sophiology,” a school of thought known for its controversial notions.














