The composition illustrates the 148th Psalm, the first verse of which is sung at the liturgy, during the Communion of the clergy (so-called involved): ‘Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights above’. According to the text of the hymn, the image of Jesus Christ is depicted surrounded by heavenly and earthly creatures praising their Creator. The scene also corresponds to the lines of the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, which contains the address of Jesus Christ to the righteous standing at His right hand in the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31-36). The last line of this narrative is written in an open book in the hands of the Savior: ‘Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world’. Such images of the hymnography were especially popular in Russian iconography from the middle of the 16th century.

The full name: ‘Praise the Lord from the heavens’
Time of creation: 1641, under the layer of the 1838
Technique: Fresco, tempera, oil painting
Location: The southern slope of the northwest vault