The icon of Saint Leontius of Rostov was painted by an unknown artist about 1677. It was initially in Nikolo-Zaryadskaya church in Murom that had a side altar of Saint Leontius of Rostov. The church was built in 1675-1677 with the money donated by merchant Ivan Smolin. He wanted to build a church ‘for eternal commemoration of his parents’. His father’s name was Leonty, and the icon became his patron icon. A patron icon is an icon depicting a patron saint with the name given to its owner during baptism.
Saint Leontius of Rostov was born in Constantinople in the XI century. He took monastic vows at an early age. Soon he was appointed the bishop of Rostov where he baptized local pagans. Saint Leontius of Rostov became one of the first saints in Rus and the first canonized Rostov bishop. Hagiographic texts contain different descriptions of the death of the Saint: according to one version the bishop was killed by pagans, according to the other one, he died a natural death and was buried in the Church of the Holy Virgin in Rostov built by his predecessor. The relics of the Saint were uncovered in 1160’s. Soon after that, John the bishop of Rostov established a holiday – the feast of Saint Leontius of Rostov. The all-Russian veneration of the Saint started in the XIV–XV centuries.
The centerpiece of the icon is surrounded by twenty-four marginal scenes depicting the life of the Saint. Each scene is accompanied by inscriptions. The subjects of the scenes may be conditionally divided into several main cycles. The first ten marginal scenes are devoted to the life of the Saint before his ordination as a bishop. The eleventh and twelfth scenes talk about ordination as a bishop and the ship voyage to Rostov. Another scene depicts the Saint’s meeting with a pagan.
The next cycle of marginal scenes is devoted to the missionary activity of the Saint: building the church, baptizing adults and children, converting pagans to Christianity. The same cycle may include the death of Saint Leontius. The fourth cycle talks about the miracles that happened when people prayed at the relics of the Saint. These includes the story of multiple healings at Leontius’s sarcophagus after the fire of 1408. The final marginal scene of the icon portrays the healing of a mentally disturbed woman.
Saint Leontius of Rostov was born in Constantinople in the XI century. He took monastic vows at an early age. Soon he was appointed the bishop of Rostov where he baptized local pagans. Saint Leontius of Rostov became one of the first saints in Rus and the first canonized Rostov bishop. Hagiographic texts contain different descriptions of the death of the Saint: according to one version the bishop was killed by pagans, according to the other one, he died a natural death and was buried in the Church of the Holy Virgin in Rostov built by his predecessor. The relics of the Saint were uncovered in 1160’s. Soon after that, John the bishop of Rostov established a holiday – the feast of Saint Leontius of Rostov. The all-Russian veneration of the Saint started in the XIV–XV centuries.
The centerpiece of the icon is surrounded by twenty-four marginal scenes depicting the life of the Saint. Each scene is accompanied by inscriptions. The subjects of the scenes may be conditionally divided into several main cycles. The first ten marginal scenes are devoted to the life of the Saint before his ordination as a bishop. The eleventh and twelfth scenes talk about ordination as a bishop and the ship voyage to Rostov. Another scene depicts the Saint’s meeting with a pagan.
The next cycle of marginal scenes is devoted to the missionary activity of the Saint: building the church, baptizing adults and children, converting pagans to Christianity. The same cycle may include the death of Saint Leontius. The fourth cycle talks about the miracles that happened when people prayed at the relics of the Saint. These includes the story of multiple healings at Leontius’s sarcophagus after the fire of 1408. The final marginal scene of the icon portrays the healing of a mentally disturbed woman.
