The Christian Holy Martyr John the Warrior was the heavenly patron of Grand Duke John (Rus. Ioann) Konstantinovich Romanov. Among the exhibits of the Museum Napolnaya School in the Town of Alapaevsk, there is also an akathist dedicated to this Saint. John the Warrior is one of the most revered patron saints: in the Orthodox tradition, people pray to him for support in troubles.

During the persecution of Christians in the VI century, John served in the army of the Roman Emperor and in the line of duty was forced to oppress the faithful. However, he only pretended to be fiercely persecuting them. In fact, John secretly sympathized with Christians and helped them escape from death: he informed the believers about attacks, visited prisoners in dungeons, and helped them flee. It was not only Christians who the mercy of John the Warrior was for: he strived to support the poor and the week he encountered.

The displayed image was cut out of a multipart icon of the XIX century, and the saw cut destroyed a fragment of the owner’s inscription. In iconography, John is usually depicted in the garb of a warrior: he wears a knitted vest, trousers, and scale armor. Numerous icons of the Saint traditionally include his three attributes: The cross that signifies the faith that he kept despite so many trials. The spear representing the power that God gave to John in order to fight irreligion and sin. The shield that symbolizes the divine protection from all misfortunes.

The icon exhibited at the Museum is a rare image of the Saint: here it is only the cross that John holds in his hand – a spiritual, not material, weapon.