The icon from the collection of Yaroslav Museum Reserve was created by a famous artist of the heyday epoch of Yaroslav School of icon painting manner – master Illarion Sevastianov, called Bashka. He painted walls in Assumption and Archangelic Cathedrals of Moscow Kremlin and in many other churches of that epoch. The subtle work, attention to details and the luxury of adornments testify that Sevastianov was familiar with creations of icon painters of Moscow Armoury.

On the icon there is painted the most revered saint in the orthodox world – Nicholas the Wonderworker. The colour gamut is based on matching contrast colours – red and green. This colouring was popular with Yaroslav icon- painters of XVII century. Ochreous accents and gold yellow décor add expressiveness to the image.

Nicholas the Wonderworker is depicted in the central part of the icon against rather cold green background. Dark cherry phaelonion – chasuble of the priest – is decorated with luxuriant vegetable pattern of a goldish hue and made bright with coloured lacquers. On the sides of the saint there are Jesus Christ with a gospel and Our Lady who are seated on thrones with refined ornaments.

The central part of the icon is surrounded by small miniatures – border scenes. They tell about great number of wonders: those, which the saint, according to the legend, worked during his life, and those, which were ascribed to him after his demise. Nicholas the Wonderworker lived in late III – early IV centuries, he was revered for his help to people and even called ‘fast aide’. The miniatures are overflowing with actions, almost all windows are divided into two, three or four parts, each of whom is devoted to a certain event. On one of them, Nicholas donated money for dowries to three poor girls. On the other, he bought from a destitute old man the last possession of him – an expensive carpet – and then returned the thing to the old man’s wife. On the third, he rid wrongly convicted voivodes from execution.

Each of the border scenes is bounded by a clear rectangle. The plots of them have different landscapes, sometimes they are separated by architectural elements. The painter added to the scenes of wonders details of everyday life: depicted children who are reading an ABC book with the saint, a market with fish stands, numerous spectators. The image is magnificently decorated: there are cartouches – adornments in kinds of rolls – on the buildings, the floors are painted, festive tables are rich with carvings, and tablecloths with embroideries.

The icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker was in the iconostasis of Fiodorov Our Lady church in Yaroslavl, which was built in the second half of the XVII century. The gorgeous silver setting, which adorned the icon, has been lost.