This icon most certainly once occupied the central position of the Deisis row of an iconostasis. It depicts Christ enthroned as ruler of the Universe. “I am the Alpha and the Omega says the Lord, Who Is, Who Was and Who Is To Come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). An oval ring filled with six-winged Seraphim encircles the throne upon which Christ sits. While they are usually painted red, in this example the Seraphim are depicted primarily in blue and partially in red. The winged, fiery wheels beneath the feet of Christ are a rank of angels called “Thrones.” On the four points of the star upon which the oval rests, are the symbols of the four Evangelists. Clockwise from the upper left they are, the angel Saint Matthew, the Eagle is Saint Mark, the winged ox is Saint Luke, and the winged lion is Saint John. Christ delivers a blessing with His right hand, while His left hand supports an open book of Gospels displaying Matthew 25:24: “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The bold inscription along the upper border identifies this subject as the “Lord Almighty” (Gospod Vsederzhitel). The dark flesh tones of Christ have two explanations. First they reflect the natural occurring olive complexion found in many Middle Eastern cultures. Secondly it is often the result of copying from an older existing icon, which has darkened with age and thereby often gives the appearance of having much darker flesh tones.
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