The icon depicts the founders of the monastery on the Solovetsky Islands, the Saints Zosimas and Sabbatius. They both lived in the 15th century. It is known about Saint Sabbatius that he was a professed at the monastery of Cyril of White Lake, who lived a goodly life.

Sabbatius was held in reverence by the monks and the monastery’s Father Superior for his special humbleness, but he felt that attention as a burden. For the sake of private devotion and prayer, Sabbatius went to the Valaam Monastery. Then he met a hermit - St. Herman - and decided to go with him to the deserted Solovetsky islands of the White Sea. After Sabbatius' death, another novice, Zosimas, joined Herman in the hermitic skete. He came from the Novgorod dominions in Karelia and took his monastic vows early. Other hermits and disciples arrived to the islands, and Zosimas became one of the founders of the Solovetsky Monastery.

It is said in the Life of Zosimas that the first hegumens appointed by the Novgorod Archbishop couldn’t stand the harsh life on the island and would leave. Then the monks chose Zosimas as hegumen, even though he didn’t want it for himself. Novgorod boyars and local Karelians were dissatisfied with the new monastery founded on Solovki. However, over time, the rights of the monastery to the islands were confirmed in a special document - a letter of grant - by the Archbishop of Novgorod, posadnik (mayor) and other high-ranking representatives of the city.

The icon of SS Zosimas and Sabaatius from the collection of the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve is painted in restrained colors, the dark brown upper vestments of the saints almost merge with the earth as the iconography calls the ground at the bottom of the icon. Deep green and dim ochre of the lower garments distinguish the figures of the saints bowing to the Virgin Mary with the Child. It is the Icon of Our Lady of the Sign, she was the patroness of the Great Novgorod, on whose lands Solovetsky monastery was located. The Virgin Mary and Jesus are painted with nimbs. That is what the circle or oval that surrounds the heads of the Mother of God and the Christ is called in iconography - it symbolizes the godly radiancy. The blue color of fame and unusual form indicate that the icon was painted by a master from the northern regions of Russia. The icon is adorned with wrought silver setting with relief embossing, and the ornament impression print can be seen on the setting. The crowns of the Saints are made using filigree technique – they are made of fine twisted wire, - and their laced quirks are filled with multicolored enamel.

The icon of the Saints Zosimas and Sabbatius was in the central iconostasis of the Yaroslavl Church of the Prophet Elijah. It was in the prayer row: in Yaroslavl iconostases it was traditional that small icons donated by the parish people were placed there.