Three Russian Icons

A Saviour Icon of the Moscow School

In a purple tunic interwoven with gold,
Covered with dark blue cloak,
Christ stands, holding in his left hand
The opened book of judgment-
His right hand he bestows a blessing,
Fingers making the Ichthys mudra-
Immense energies in his narrowshouldered frame,
His long face, high brow and small mouth,
Withdrawn into ferocious inner fire,
Staring into every human heart
With severe compassion, excluding none,
So each feels comprehended, him alone.
Such is history,whose meaning only Christ
Can reveal, with a saving hand and smile.


The Saviour in the Deësis of Zvenigorod by Andrei Rublev

Purify the senses, renounce imagination,
Radiate from within like the angels,
Manifesting God’s hidden splendour,
The presence in the icon.
This Christ is more human than anyone,
He has turned, this very moment, to gaze into us,
His luminous face extremely delicate,
Subtle arch of the eyebrows, clear hazel eyes,
So youthful, sweet and good.
Yet absolute.
A man’s hand made this,
Shaping the prayer.


The Yaroslavl Virgin of Tenderness

The delicate longneckedVirgin,
Gazing away into the distance,
Her left hand lightly touching the back of her son’s head,
Her tapering right hand in a gesture of prayer,
Cradles their oval of mutual love;
The Child has an adult’s mien,
His head a circle of perfection,
Snuggled up against his mother, clasping her cheek,
His white robe reflecting light on them both,
As he gazes into her face,
Acknowledging the fullness and wonder of her gift.
So open and loving is she to God,
So wounded in her humanity,
That the God-child cannot but love her in return,
With infinite tenderness for the world,
Entrusting himself to her graces,
As if the true Creator were she.