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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 -
Saint princes Boris and Gleb are represented as horsemen looking at each other and seemingly talking. On the icon the saints are endued with typical iconographic attributes: the crosses and swords are replaced with banners (pikes with flags). The icon preserved wrought silver setting. -
Saints Boris and Gleb are represented full-length. -
The saints are represented full-length against the background of the landscape with scenes from their lives. They are facing the Savior, depicted in the quadrant, below which is a little depiction of the Trinity. -
Princes Boris and Gleb, Sts., with scenes from the life of Vladimir, Boris and Gleb
In the center two princes in princely fur-coats and hats are shown praying to the Holy Virgin, depicted above, in a segment of heaven. Despite the lack of a St. Prince Vladimir image in the central part of the Trinity Convent icon, its unique border scenes cycle represents itself the hagiography of Vladimir. Most of the border scenes are dedicated to his choice of faith, the baptism and wedding. One composition shows Svyatopolk the Accursed complotting the assassination of his brothers. Saint Boris and Gleb are shown only in four border scenes dedicated to their death. The hagiographic cycle of the Murom icon is a combination of two different cycles – the traditional hagiography of Boris and Gleb and, a rarer one, dedicated to the Conversion of Rus by Prince Vladimir. -
St. Nicholas is represented in an erect frontal pose, half-length, blessing with his right hand; in his right hand covered with a phelonion and an omophorion he holds a closed gospel book. In the upper margin, in the center, is the Ethimasia (the Prepared Throne). On either side of the Ethimasia are half-length depictions of the healers Cosmas and Damian. On side borders the saints are portrayed full-length, in three rows, by pairs. In the upper part of the icon are princes Boris (left) and Gleb (right). In their right hands they hold martyr’s crosses, in the left hands they hold up the swords in sheaths tangled with a baldric. In the middle of side borders are the martyrs Florus (left) and Laurus (right). In the bottom stand saint martyrs. Eudokia (left) and Domna (?) (right). In the bottom margin are the shoulder-length figures of Sts. Paraskeva (left?) and Photinia (right). -
Boris and Gleb are depicted astride horses, against steep hills with a blossoming bush. They hold banners on long flagpoles. In the right corner of the icon, in a segment of heaven, is the half-length figure of the blessing Savior with a scroll in his left hand. -
In the center of the icon are the full-length figures of the princes, slightly turned to each other, with crosses in the right hands and swords in the left ones. They are dressed in long light-green and dark-green dalmatics with belts. The dalmatics are decorated with stones and pearls. -
Princes Vladimir, Boris and Gleb, with the Life of Boris and Gleb
One of the rare examples of the depictions of Sts. Boris and Gleb representing them together with their father St. Prince Vladimir. The figures of the princes in the central part of the icon are static and representative. In contrast to the princes, the figures on the side borders are shown in motion. Border scenes 17. Prince Vladimir is handing a sword to Boris and sends him to battle with the Pechenegs. 18. The entombment of St. Prince Vladimir who died in his son’s absence 19. Svyatopolk gathers the citizens of Kiev (?) 20. Boris and his servant Georgy Ugrin are praying inside a tent in anticipation of death 21. Georgy Ugrin attempts to protect Prince Boris as the assassins burst into the tent 22. The murder of Prince Boris; his body is being carried to Kiev 23. Svyatopolk sends his servant to Gleb to tell him about his father’s illness 24. Prince Gleb heads for Kiev 25. The assassination of Gleb in a boat 26. Prince Gleb’s body is being placed between two logs 27. The transfer of the relics of Princes Boris and Gleb to Vyshgorod 28. The appearance of Boris and Gleb to monk Martin 29. Yaroslav’s battle with the troops of Svyatoslav the Accursed 30. Sick Prince Mstislav of Chernigov is being carried to the tomb of Boris and Gleb for healing 31. The miraculous healing from the relics of Boris and Gleb 32. The death of Svyatopols the Accursed -
Saint princes Vladimir, Boris and Gleb with scenes from the lives of Boris and Gleb
The centerpiece of the icon surrounded by the narrow ornamental frame shows prince Vladimir with interceding Boris and Gleb. Each of them is depicted in the fur coats covered with the intricate ornament. Vladimir is represented in the prince’s cap. His raised right hand holds the eight-pointed cross. Boris ad Gleb are shown with the uncovered heads and keeping the caps close to their chests with their elbows. The centerpiece is surrounded by sixteen life scenes. -
Boris and Gleb, the sons of the Grand Prince Vladimir, were the first princes to have been canonized by the Orthodox Church; many icons, churches and chapels were dedicated to them. The icon of St. Prince Boris was obviously painted by an unknown iconographer for a Deesis tier of the high iconostasis. This icon was paired to that of the icon of Prince Gleb. Prince Boris is depicted wearing the princely clothes – a long dalmatic and an elegant cloak reminiscent of okhaben’ with long swing-aside sleeves, his head is crowned by a fur-trimmed hat. The saint’s figure is depicted in a three-quarter turn with his arms uplifted in a traditional benedictory gesture. -
Saint princes Vladimir, Boris and Gleb with 21 border scenes
In the centerpiece are shown the depictions of the saint princes Vladimir, Boris and Gleb full-length. The centerpiece is surrounded by 22 scenes from their lives. -
Dormition of the Holy Virgin and saints Vladimir, Boris and Gleb
Two section icon. In the upper part of the icon is depicted the Dormition of the Holy Virgin. The Mother of God is represented lying on the deathbed, the apostles are wailing over Her. Behind the deathbed is the figure of Christ in the glorious halo holding a child in His hands – the symbol of the soul of Our Lady. Apart from the apostles against the two architectural scenes are depicted the four saints: Timothy of Ephesus, Hiertheus of Athens, Jacob of Jerusalem, Dionysius the Areopagite and also the women – the maids of the Mother of God. Before the deathbed is shown archangel Michael severing the hands of the impious Hebrew Aufonius who tried to overthrow the deathbed of Our Lady during the transfer of the body from Jerusalem to Gethsemane for entombment. In the lower part of the icon are represented the frontal figures of the saint prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and his sons – saint princes-martyrs Boris and Gleb. The princes are depicted full-length in the princely clothes holding the swords in their left hands and with the martyr crosses in their right hands. -
On the left is a depiction of Prince Gleb, on the right is an image of Prince Boris.
