Icon - Archangel Michael - Wood

Russian Orthodox icon of synaxarion composition, with Archangel Saint Michael as the central figure.

Central figure

Archangel Saint Michael, recognizable by the wings and by holding the Mandylion (the Image not made by human hands), with the face of Christ.

This detail underscores its role as a guardian of orthodoxy, defender of the true faith, and mediator between heaven and the Church.

Side figures

Saints standing on both sides, forming an assembly.

Bishops or hierarchs (with omoforion and crosses on their vestments).

Saints, monks, or martyrs, identifiable by their beard, dark habit, and nimbus.

The exact identification of each saint may vary depending on the workshop; in this type of icons, the aim is not always to individualize but to show the communion of saints around the archangel.

Style and approximate dating

Russian icon, egg tempera technique on panel.

Golden background with decorative punch embossing on the margin.

Linear drawing, elongated figures, sober chromaticism (reds, dark greens, ochres).

18th–19th centuries (estimate), with natural wear, darkening of the varnish, and losses of polychromy consistent with the age.

Spiritual function

This type of icon is not narrative but liturgical and theological: it depicts Saint Michael as the protector of the Church and the guarantor of the revealed truth, surrounded by the celestial Church.