Holy Elijah

This icon comprises eighteen smaller images that frame a larger picture in the middle. This shows a man dressed in a fur-lined mantle and looking up at a little bird we see on his left. The smaller images represent people and events from the life of the saint. This is the largest icon on the wall (113 x 89 cm).

In Russian folklore, St. Elias was regarded as ruler over the forces of nature, especially thunder and rain, which were extremely important to farmers.

The icon is made of three rough wood panels joined together. Elias is centrally placed, surrounded by eighteen smaller frames. The icon is to be read from top to bottom, starting in the upper left corner, each picture showing a different scene from his life and works. In the right corner, for example, we see Elias dropping his mantle to the ground during his journey to heaven. 

The icon was painted by the Novgorod School, which was one of the most significant schools of icon painting. They developed a very expressive style, an important part of which was the color red, as we see here. The color red could be used in place of traditional gilding both for economic reasons and to stand out as an eye-catcher.