A Few Facts about Icons

To the Orthodox Church, an icon is seen not simply as a work of art, a painting on a board, but a sacred image of a higher, divine reality – a visible reflection of that which is invisible. When people contemplate an icon, they use their “inner vision” to penetrate beyond the superficial representation, seeking spiritual intercourse with the prototype – the saint or venerated figure that is the subject of the icon.

The Russian word icon (икона) was only borrowed from the German word in the nineteenth century. Prior to that, the more accurate translation of the Greek eikon was used: obraz (образ).

In a tradition inherited from Byzantium, many Russian churches and monasteries were built to honor miracle-working icons.

Icons have days devoted to them in the church calendar.

In prerevolutionary Russia, there was a tradition of placing an icon in a corner on the right side of a home (known as the “beautiful corner” – or “red corner,” “red” and “beautiful” being closely related etymologically in Russian), and entering visitors would first bow to the icon, then greet the host.

Tales of miracle-working icons relate how, over the centuries, icons have saved the country from enemies, prevented internecine war, or warned of military threats.

Icons were taken on military campaigns. In advance of battles, services were held before them, and after the battles they were offered prayers of thanksgiving.

Icons were handed down in wills and often were the first item mentioned. Records of this date at least to the fourteenth century, for example in the will of Grand Prince of Moscow Ioann Ioannovich, his son Dmitry Donskoy, and others.

People sought help from icons after fires, epidemics, drought or floods. If their prayers were not answered, then the miracle-working icon would be taken from the church to lead a procession of the cross, followed by a mass.

The art of icon painting led to the development of other forms of art, for instance the building of iconostases stimulated the development of woodcarving. When churches and monasteries were shuttered under the Soviets, many icon painters turned to folk art forms, for example painting matryoshkas and lacquered boxes.