In Christianity, the Last Judgment, or the Judgment Day, is the final judgment that God passes on people to separate the “sheep from the goats”, or the righteous from the sinners. Icons depicting the Last Judgment are usually complex in composition because they include many characters and symbolic elements of varying degrees of significance.

This icon also depicts a multi-figure composition, which is divided into four registers. The image of Christ, the Judge who descended from heaven, is in the middle of the second register from the top. Christ is seated on the throne, flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, the intercessors for the human race at the Last Judgment. At the Savior’s feet are the forefathers Adam and Eve, and behind them sit the apostles. Behind the apostles are two groups of angels — guardians of heaven.

In the lower middle register is the image of the Hetoimasia — the throne prepared for the Judgment. Behind it, two angels are standing with Jericho trumpets in their hands. Two groups of people walk towards the throne with a cross. On the left are the righteous, on the right are the sinners who have risen for the judgment. The prophet Moses is depicted in front of the group of sinners. The scales of good deeds are guarded by an angel striking a demon with a spear.

On the lower right, in the dark abyss are half-figures of sinners in white robes. The lower register depicts heaven and hell, the Bosom of Abraham, and Gehenna of Fire. In hell, inside the flames, is Satan with the soul of Judas. From him, a long greenish-black serpent with a red head, representing sin, is rising to Adam’s feet. On the serpent, there can be seen light-colored rings with the names of sins.

On murals, the serpent of hell is very often placed at the heel of Adam, who kneels before Christ. Between heaven and hell, the so-called “Gracious Fornicator” is depicted bound to a pillar.

Icon painters drew images from the Book of Daniel, the Gospel of Matthew, and the Revelation of John the Theologian, from the writings of the Church Fathers and spiritual poetry to depict the Day of Judgment. In Russia, the compositions of the Last Judgment spread very early, soon after Christianization. This can be explained by the fact that depictions of the Last Judgment were an effective means of persuading pagans to convert to the faith of Christ.