Russian icon depicting the Ascension of the Prophet Elijah, Early 20th century

Tempera on panel

Height x width: 45 x 37,5 cm

The subject depicted is the Prophet Elijah, one of the most venerated saints in Russia since the Christianization in the 10th century. The scene presents several episodes from the prophet’s life, drawn from the Old Testament and integrated into a single continuous landscape, in which the elements coexist without separate frames, unlike earlier Byzantine and Russian traditions—likely reflecting the influence of 17th-century Western painting. The narrative unfolds in a counterclockwise direction, beginning at the lower left, where Elijah is shown taking refuge by the banks of the Kerith brook, fed by ravens bringing him two bunches of grapes (1 Kings 17:2–6). At the lower center appears the angel who awakens the sleeping prophet, urging him to eat and set out toward Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:5–7), while on the right Elijah’s story merges with that of Elisha. The latter, having become his disciple, follows the master who, in order to cross the Jordan River, parts its waters with his cloak, just before the Lord takes Elijah up in a chariot of fire drawn by fiery horses, leaving his miraculous mantle to Elisha (2 Kings 2:7–8). Elijah is depicted with long hair and beard, wrapped in a fur mantle and holding the staff of a hermit—features typical of ascetics and prophets. The veneration of the prophet, celebrated for his miracles involving the forces of nature and for his mysterious ascent to heaven, reveals a continuity with the cult of the pagan god Perun, whose worship was formally prohibited by Prince Vladimir (c. 980–1015 AD), yet persisted in popular belief.