This icon was presented to Her Royal Highness Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, wife of Grand Duke Vladimir, who was the son of Tsar Alexander II, brother of Tsar Alexander III, and uncle of Tsar Nicholas II. It depicts the venerable Saint Savva of Storozhev. Savva was a disciple of Saint Sergiy of Radonezh and was considered a great Wonderworker. After his death in 1406 he appeared to many people, sometimes to instruct, sometimes to warn, and sometimes to heal. He wears the Great Skema, sign of his high monastic rank, and delivers a blessing with his right hand. In his left hand he holds a scroll upon which begins, “Brothers the fruits of the spirit are Love and Joy.” The distinctive style of this icon would suggest that it was by the hand or from the workshop of Mikhail Ivanovich Dikarev. Dikarev was born and trained in the icon-painting village of Mstera. He founded an icon-painting workshop in Moscow and is known to have created icons presented to the Royal family. The borders of the icon are overlaid with a gilded silver riza in the Pan Slavic style. It is set in a custom-fitted silk lined case with the retailers’ mark of Faberge. The reverse of the icon displays an engraved silver presentation plaque that reads; “To Her Imperial Highness, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, from the Police force of the District of Zvenigorod. April 10, 1908.” The connection to Zvenigorod, of course, is Saint Savva. The highly stylized and condensed inscription identifies him as “Holy Venerable Savva of Storozhevsk, Wonderworker of Zvenigorod.”
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