The word “icon” means a holy image. An icon can be painted on wood or embroidered on cloth. It can be made of pieces of colored glass or stones. It can be carved in wood or stone. Sometimes icons are protected by metal covers, called oklady, and are decorated with precious stones and pearls.

The holy images shown on icons include Jesus, the Mother of God, the angels, and the saints. They are beautifully and lovingly made by artists who sincerely believe in God. Icon artists follow rules that make certain that the traditions and symbolisms live on. That is why images of the Mother of God, for example, have the same expression and the same features, even though different artists created them.

Icons hang in churches and museums. In Old Russia, every home had a special icon corner, where the family icon was placed. They were also placed on city gates and along roads.

People regard icons with deep respect and love. People even think that some icons can cause miracles to happen, so they pray to the icons to cure their sick and troubled loved ones.

In the early days of Christianity, many people didn’t know how to read or write. By looking at the icons, they were reminded of stories from the Bible. They would look at the holy image and recall incidents from the lives of the saints and angels. Sometimes the icon would remind them of a story that the church didn’t approve of. Those kinds of stories were called apocrypha. Other stories, called religious legends, were based on saints’ lives, but were imaginary and not true. At times icons would remind the person looking at them of a folk belief or folktale.

You are going to see some icons and hear some stories about them. You will hear a fairy tale about how St. George slew a dragon and rescued a princess. You will hear how a boy who was a poor student became a good student in the twinkling of an eye. You will hear about a miraculous spring whose waters cured people of their diseases. You will learn about a flower whose owner could see buried treasure. Are you ready to take a journey though the world of Russian icons? If so, let’s go!