At the top of the banner there is the image of the God of Sabaoth, which title means the Lord of Warriors of Israel and the Lord of Hosts of Angels. In the Russian art this image appeared in the 16th century, but at the Great Moscow Convocation of 1666-1667 it was banned: it was considered an attempt to create an unconceivable image of the God the Father, which contradicts the Orthodox faith. However, the ban did not eradicate the God of Sabaoth from the Russian art — icons with it continued to be created and even placed in major cathedrals, such as the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin. One of the later examples of the image of God the Father is the image under the dome of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral restored in 1994-1999.

Before the restoration of the early 2000s, on the reverse side of the banner there was an image of Prince Dmitry of Uglich. He was to ascend the throne after Fyodor I Ioanovich, but died at the age of eight under mysterious circumstances. After the death of the childless Fyodor the dynasty of Rurikovich interrupted, and a long political crisis known as the Time of Troubles in Russia began. At the beginning of the 17th century, the prince was canonized as Dimitry of Uglich and Moscow and all of Russia miracle worker. By the end of the same century in Uglich in his honor there was built the Church of Dimitry on the Blood, where this banner was stored — it was used in processions in the days of the prince’s memory.