Icons of saints and their significance in the Orthodox religion and culture

In Orthodoxy and Catholicism, icons are calledimages of saints and their deeds. Since both these religious directions originate from early Christian churches, the icons of the saints and their significance also came from the depths of the ages. This is not just an image of the saint or his feat in the name of faith, it is a symbol that should help a person understand the spiritual depth and find support in it.

In the Catholic faith, images of saints andover time, martyrs became more artistic, they went away from symbolism, they became more expressive of feelings and emotions. The saints were depicted as ordinary people who could find their way to faith, remained faithful to it to the end.

Orthodox icons and their meaning remainedthe same. They have preserved the ancient traditions of symbolism. Every little thing has its own meaning, even folds on clothes. People never depict torment or suffering, only spiritualized joy as a reward for perseverance and patience: the main virtues in the Orthodox faith. Color, gestures and objects also matter. For example, a hand pressed to the chest means sympathy and empathy. If the hand is raised, then it calls for repentance. Both hands raised up are a request for help and heavenly intercession.

Иконы святых и их значение различны не только по the symbolism of the depicted things and gestures, but also for the practical help that the image of the martyr, the saint or the blessed can provide. Each icon helps in a particular case. For example, the icons of St. Nicholas are probably the most popular in Russia. He is considered the patron saint of sailors, travelers, merchants and children. You can contact him if there is a serious life problem. And recently, the icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker became mandatory for every second driver, even if he is not very religious.

There are ancient icons of saints, and their meaning isthat they are “naked” for centuries, hundreds of thousands of people. This is illustrated by the icon of the Kazan Mother of God - the patroness of our capital and all of Russia. With this image, the Russian army marched on the Borodino field. It is said that in 1941, when German troops came close to Moscow, Stalin allowed to make a procession around the capital with a miraculous way.

There are modern icons of saints, and their significance from the fact that they already belong to a new era has not diminished at all. This primarily concerns the image of the Matron.

Moscow.She was counted among the saints in 1999. But she was honored during her lifetime. Matrona was born at the end of the 19th century in the village of Sebino, in the twenties she moved to Moscow and helped everyone in need here, despite the fact that she herself was blind from birth, and later because of illness of the legs she could not walk. She had the gift of healing and foresight. Blessed died in 1952 and bequeathed that people come to her grave, talk about their troubles, and she will help them. And so it happened, the image of the Matrona of Moscow began to be considered miraculous. She is approached for help by both seriously ill patients and people who have serious life problems.