The museum’s collection presents one of the most common crosses in Siberia in the 18th–19th centuries. According to some written sources, such crosses were used by the Old Believers. However, church documents did not explicitly prohibit Orthodox Christians from wearing such personal symbols of piety even after the schism.

The cross is cast from copper with a small addition of tin, in a special mold. Its surface is covered with patina and small cavities.

Inside a cross with amorphous contours a four-pointed cross is depicted, which, in turn, has an eight-pointed cross depicted inside. The space between the four-pointed cross and the outer edge of the object is filled with floral patterns.

The symbolism of the object is very rich. Under the final of the four-pointed cross there is an inscription in two lines: ЦРЬ (tsar), СЛВЫ (glory). This is how Christ is called — as the Most glorious and the Giver of glory and as the King and ruler over all the glorious. There are also inscriptions in two rows on both horizontal arms, which read as follows: IC ХС СНЪ БЖИ (Jesus Christ, Son of God).

The entire reverse side of the cross is occupied by an inscription in 17 lines, part of the prayer to the Holy Cross,

The source of the prayer is the 67th Psalm. In fact, this is one of the main prayers of a Christian, a symbol of faith.

The sign of the Cross is a symbol of Christ’s victory over hell and death through suffering and death on the cross; it is also an effective saving remedy for the one who makes the sign of the cross with hope in God and faith. Accordingly, the cross on the body in this case acts as a material embodiment of the sign of the cross.

Currently, it is widely believed that such crosses are feminine. However, no church documents contain provisions confirming this point of view. Researchers have proved that crosses of different types were equal in meaning for representatives of both sexes, as all believers are equal before the Lord.