In the second half of the 19th century, along with hand-painted icons, factories produced inexpensive images of saints, including icons printed on paper. They were often decorated with foil — paper-thin metal sheets. Icons with embellished covers made of foil, as a rule, were kept at home and displayed in the red corner. They were called “podfolezhnitsy” (literally — “under foil”).

In the late 19th century, there were two factories in Mstyora where such icons were produced; one of them belonged to Vasily Semyonovich Krestyaninov. He also founded the “Industrial Institution of Rolled Copper Foil Production”, which employed up to 30 craftsmen. In addition to candlesticks, icon cases and lamps, the factory released holy images decorated with foil, primarily icons of the Mother of God.

The process was rather simple. A printed picture was pasted on the surface of the board, decorated with an embossed riza (icon cover) made of foil and paper flowers. The foil was used to imitate gold and silver. Then the embellished icon was placed into a kiot (a glazed shelf or a case for icons).

The icon “The Mother of God Hodegetria” presented at the exhibition “The Art of Mstyora” was made at Krestyaninov’s factory in the 1910s. A paper picture with the image of the Mother of God and the Infant Jesus Christ on Her left hand is inserted into the center of the icon case. The entire space of the icon, except for the faces and hands of the Mother of God and Christ, is covered with “gold” foil with an embossed pattern. Ray-shaped halos made of “silver” foil are formed above Their heads. Foil is also used to imitate a gilded frame with triangular inserts in the corners. The icon is decorated with paper flowers. The icon case of the classic shape is made in the form of a box with a glass door.

According to church tradition, the first icon of the Hodegetria type was painted by Luke the Evangelist during the earthly life of the Blessed Virgin. This image was kept in Constantinople until the 15th century. In the Constantinople period, the icon received the name Hodegetria (translated from Greek — “She who points the Way”), or Our Lady of the Way. In icons of this type, the Mother of God is depicted with the Baby Jesus in Her arms. He raises His right hand in a blessing gesture, and in His left hand He holds a scroll or a book. The Mother of God points to Jesus.