What is an icon?

Having come to the Orthodox Christian church, people put burning candles in front of the icons and pray to God. They pray not as an icon as an idol, but as a deity whose symbolic icon is the icon. Russian religious philosophers defined the icon as a window that helps the believer during prayer to look into the higher, "high" world.

The word "icon" is of Greek origin and means "image", "image" in translation. Icons as picturesque images of gods and saints are not common in all religions, but only in Orthodoxy, Catholic Christianity and Buddhism. In the Christian religion, the icons depict Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the saints by a religion from Byzantium. In those days, icons were supposed to be painted on wooden primed boards with tempera paints; the top layer was covered with drying oil. Outstanding icon painters of Ancient Russia (Andrei Rublev, Dionysius, Theophanes the Greek) created icons that were not only a religious shrine, but also masterpieces of painting. Some of these icons have survived to the present day. The image created by the icon painter is not the Holy Icon. In order for it to become such, an Orthodox priest or bishop must consecrate the newly created image by reading special prayers and sprinkling with holy water. Believers are convinced that miracles are possible when praying to some icons (such icons are called miraculous). Coming to the temple, believing Christians put lighted candles in front of the icons and turn their prayers to Jesus Christ, Our Lady or to the saint, whose image is imprinted on the icon. Often people pray in front of the icon of that saint whose name they bear. If there is no image of this saint in the temple, you can put a candle and pray in front of the icon of "All Saints".