Icons

Icons are an integral part of Orthodox Christianity. They are stylized images depicting Christ, the Mother of God, holy people, angels, or church holidays.

Iconographic faces do not depict changing human emotions, but divine peace and silence shine from the face of the icon.

An icon is an instrument of prayer: a window into the joyful congregation of saints, into eternity. Icons are not worshiped, but rather reverence is paid to the saints depicted in them. The style of Orthodox church art has remained largely unchanged throughout the ages. The task of the icon painter is not to emphasize his own work, but to continue the ancient tradition through his own hand for the glory of God.

Miraculous icons

Many people have experienced a very special answer to their prayers after praying before a particular icon: for example, they have been healed of their illnesses.

There is no magic involved in venerating an icon, as an icon does not "in itself" perform miracles, but for some reason it is an instrument of God's special grace and therefore an object of devout veneration by believers.

The most famous miracle-working icons of the Valamo Monastery are the Konevitsa Icon of the Mother of God (commemoration date 10.7.), the Valamo Icon of the Mother of God (commemoration date 7.8.) and the Sweetly Kissing Icon of the Mother of God (commemoration date 11.1.) located in the main church.

Trapezium icons

On the end wall of the main hall of the Trapezium is a large icon, in which the founders of the monastery, the holy fathers Sergei and Herman of Valamo, hold the Feodor icon of the Mother of God between them. At the top of the icon is the icon of the Transfiguration of Christ.

The icon, painted in 1914-1915, comes from one of the side monasteries of Valamo, Lake Ladoga, the Smolensk Scythia. Next to it is the Mother of God of the Sign, painted in Valamo, Lake Ladoga. The icons lining the main hall depict more than thirty saints: martyrs, saints and healers. The icons come from Valamo, Lake Ladoga. The icons were painted in Valamo, Lake Ladoga between 1895 and 1914. Young novices were used as models for the female saints. The other icons in this room were also models for members of the brotherhood.

The icon of the Tolga Mother of God is on the kiota in the icon corner of the Imperial Cabinet. The paintings in the cabinet depict the Russian Tsars Peter the Great, Paul I, Alexander I, Nicholas I, Nicholas II, and the heir to the throne Alexei. The room also contains two paintings of the imperial family's visits to Valamo on Lake Ladoga in 1819 and 1858.

The icon corner of the Red Cabinet contains the Valamo icon of the Mother of God, Christ the Almighty, the icon of the Annunciation, the icon of the Mother of God in her deathbed, and an icon depicting the titular saints of the Russian imperial family. In the icon corner of the upper hall, Christ the Almighty and the archangels Michael and Gabriel are placed.