Nicholas the Wonderworker

The icon depicts a half-length figure of Saint Nicholas in a benedictory position, wearing full bishop’s toggery, with Gospel in his hand. He is surrounded by selected saints in the upper and side borders of the icon. In the upper part is a half-length apostle row, with the Archangels Michael and Gabriel at the head, who stand on both sides of the prepared throne. On the side borders, in pairs, from top downward are the Figures of the saints Basil the Great and George the Theologian, John the Chrysostom and Hipatius of Gangra, Cyrill and Athanasius of Alexandria and saint princes, passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, the Martyrs George and St. Demetrius of Solun, Florus and Laurus. The saints’ row is tailed by half-figures of the healers Cosmas and Damian in the lower parts of the icon

Cyril and Athanasius of Alexandria and Leontius, the bishop of Rostov, Sts.

The icon represents three saint bishops: St. Cyril of Alexandria to the left, St. Athanasius of Alexandria in the center, and St. Leontius of Rostov to the right. They are depicted full-length, frontally, in almost the same poses, holding the gospels they press to the chest with the left hand. The gestures of right hands are varied. Cyrill and Leontius are blessing, while Athanasius touches the code as if trying to draw attention of the other saint to it. This gesture emphasizes the importance of a symbolic meaning of the Gospel – one of the saints’ main missions is setting the flock in the right way.