According to the Book of Genesis, even before the creation of the visible world, the Lord created angels — disembodied spirits endowed with free will, but initially obedient to the will of God:

Translated from Greek, “angel” (ἄγγελος) means “messenger” — the conductor of Divine revelations.

There are nine orders of angels. Of these, the last three (principalities, angels and archangels) are marked by proximity to the world of people, although only to the chosen ones: prophets and saints have the honor to see them. Archangels belong to the highest angelic order and are the only personified ones. Only Michael and Gabriel are mentioned in the Orthodox Bible.

Archangel Gabriel has an important role in the Old and New Testaments. He appears to the prophets Moses and Daniel, dictating the words of the Book of Genesis and revealing the fate of the chosen people. He is the evangelist of the Nativity of Mary, John the Baptist and, finally, of the Savior himself; he protects the Virgin and visits Joseph the Betrothed, dispelling his doubts and warning him of danger. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Archangel Gabriel is next to the praying Christ, encouraging Him. From him, the myrrh-bearing women learn about the Resurrection of the Savior.

The name Gabriel means “The Power of God” or “The Fortress of God”.

The Blessed Theodoret and St. John of Damascus explain why the angels appear in human form: this is how the human eye can perceive them. The canons of their depiction have developed based on their writings. In the “Guide to Painting Icons” by Viktor Dorimedontovich Fartusov, it is said that the Archangel should be painted “holding in his right hand a lantern with a candle lit inside, and in his left a stone mirror.”

This icon belongs to the Deesis tier. The archangel is depicted in full length, turning to the left (facing Christ). He wears a red dalmatic decorated with precious stones and pearls, and a green himation.

The icon comes from the Nativity Church. In 2016, the restoration of the monument was carried out at the Ilya Glazunov Russian Academy of Painting: old facings were removed, small dents on the gesso and places where the paint had peeled off were strengthened, primer for restoration was applied, the lost paint layers were toned and coated with restoration varnish.