Of all the Russian Saints, perhaps there is none revered and loved as much as Sergiy of Radonezh. He was born in 1313 in Rostov of devout parents, Kiril and Maira. After the death of his parents, Bartholomew (his baptismal name) became a monk and founded the monastery of the Holy Trinity in the forest of Radonezh. He was made worthy of the gifts of wonderworking. The Mother of God appeared to him a number of times. Princes and Bishops came to him for counsel, and he gave his blessing to Prince Dimitri of the Don, and foretold the victory in Russia’s war against the Tatars. The community he founded flourished in his lifetime and continues to flourish today. After his death in 1392 he appeared a number of times to various people. This icon depicts Sergiy wearing the Great Skema, delivering a blessing and holding a scroll. The scroll is symbolic of his spiritual wisdom. The icon is unique in that it apparently depicts an existing icon of Sergiy that is decorated with a gilded metal cover (riza) and encrusted with jewels. The faint inscriptions above each shoulder identify him as “The Holy Venerable Sergiy, Wonder Worker of Radonezh.” The reverse of the icon displays a hand-written dedicatory inscription that reads, “Blessings from Ekaterina Nikolayevna Nzhelova, maiden name Golovina, to the young boy Sergiy Preobrazhenskiy. September 27, 1894.” This icon was most likely purchased at the Holy Trinity Monastery, and probably depicts a popular icon of Saint Sergiy which is kept there.
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