The icon of Our Lady Soothe my Diseases is an example of the iconographic type of Hodigitria or Guide. The first icon of this kind was discovered in the ancient Christian church of Hodigon in Greece. Such icons usually show the Mother of God waist-high, holding the Child Jesus in her arms. 

The iconography of Our Lady Soothe my Diseases took shape in the Old Believers’ settlements in the central and northern Rus’. The sacred image from the collection of the Rybinsk Museum was created at the end of the 18th century by masters from the Old Believers of Romanov-Borisoglebsk, now Tutayev.

The icon of Our Lady Soothe my Diseases is painted on a large panel made of several boards fastened together. The wood was sanded and covered with a thin cloth called pavoloka and with several layers of priming, a mixture of glue and chalk. The icon was painted with tempera paints made from powder pigments and raw eggs. The background is covered with gold leaf, with a thin ornament painted on top to imitate engraving. However, half a century later, the engraved ornaments wore off. In early 19th century, the background and the margins were repainted. The remains of the gilded decor can be seen at the bottom of the icon, under the feet of the Jesus Child.