Second half – late 13th century
Tempera on wood
141 x 111

Ilya was a Biblical prophet, one of the most worshipped saints in medieval Russia. He was a strict ascetic who lived in the desert, jealously guarded the true faith. He received for his righteousness eternal life and was carried up to heaven. Ilya the Prophet was revered in medieval Russia as a terror-inspiring commander of the heavenly elements which came down to Earth as lightning and rain, fire and water. In the upper field of the icon we see a seven-figure Deisus Chin with portraits to the waist: the Saviour, Our Lady, John the Baptist, the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, the apostles saints Peter and Paul. The Deisus Chin on this icon is one of the oldest to have preserved from medieval Russia. This is the earliest of all known Russian icons with vignettes from the Life of the Saint, which are situated on the side fields: 1. An angel shows the sleeping Savakh, father of Ilya, a child surrounded by flames and predicts a miraculous birth for the son 2. Savakh tells two Jerusalem priests about the miraculous birth of his son 3. Ilya appeals to God over the punishment of the Israelites by drought 4. Ilya meets the widow of Sarepta 5 Ilya in the house of the widow increases the quantity of bread 6. Ilya raises the widow’s son from the dead 7. Avdy, the emissary of king Ahava, summons Ilya to the king 8. Ilya exposes king Ahava. The lower tier of vignettes has been largely lost and in its place many figures of saints were painted. The combination of vignettes from the Life with the Deisus as seen here is very rare.

at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 58