The museum collection features an icon of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica on horseback, who kills with a spear the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Kaloyan on a white horse during the siege of the city of Thessalonica, where Demetrius was born. In the background on the right, at the gate, the Holy Trinity with Christ’s face on a veil is depicted; on the left, behind the clouds, the figure of Jesus Himself can be seen.

The icon of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica is considered one of the most revered images among Christians.

Saint Demetrius was born into the family of the Roman proconsul in the city of Thessalonica, on the territory of modern Greece. At that time, the Roman Empire was ruled by idolaters. They persecuted Christians, among whom were the parents of the future saint. They secretly baptized their son and instructed him in the faith.

After his father’s death, Demetrius was appointed in his place by Emperor Galerius Gaius Valerius Maximian. The pagan ruler ordered the saint to exterminate Christians in the territory entrusted to him. Instead, according to tradition, Demetrius began to openly preach the ideas of Christ and to eradicate pagan customs and idolatry in his hometown. When the emperor found out about this, he immediately arrived in Thessalonica and imprisoned the young proconsul.

At that time, gladiatorial duels were organized in the city, in which the Emperor’s fighter Lyaeus took part. He defeated and killed Christians in the arena. The young man Nestor visited Demetrius in captivity and asked for his blessing to fight with Lyaeus. Nestor won, but was executed as a Christian.

The next day, the emperor, who was unhappy with the death of his soldier, ordered Demetrius to be stabbed with spears. The body of the great martyr was thrown out to be eaten by animals, but local Christians took it away and secretly buried it. During the reign of Constantine the Great, in 324–337, a church was built over the grave of St. Demetrius. 100 years later, during the reconstruction of the temple, the holy relics of the great martyr were found.

This image is an icon of intercession. Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica was believed to be the guardian angel of Dmitry Ilyich Ulyanov, the younger brother of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Dmitry Ilyich was born on August 4, 1874 (August 16, new style). He was baptized in the Vladimir Church on August 15. Dmitry’s godparents were Nikolai Alexandrovich Yazykov, chairman of the Siberian Congress of Magistrates, and Sofia Alexandrovna Lavrova, Dmitry’s maternal aunt, as well as his older sister Anna Ilyinichna Elizarova-Ulyanova.