Last Judgment

The central image of Christ the Judge in a halo descending from heavens on the rainbow is located up in the middle of the second register of the composition. He is blessing with his right hand and holds a sword with his left. In the lower part of the icon are the praying figures of the Mother of God and John the Baptist, Adam and Eve falling down before Christ. In the same register are twelve apostles seated on the thrones with open books – by six from each side – and two groups of “fiery” angels standing behind them. In the lower part is the image of the Throne, prepared for the Final Judgment, on which lies Christ’s robe and a closed Gospel book on it. At the foot of the throne stands a vessel filled, according to legend, with Christ’s blood. On either side of the throne are the righteous (right) and the sinners (left) rising to the Judgment.

Last Judgment

A multi-tier and complex composition. Above, in the centre, is the half-figure of God the Father. Inside the circles are the heavenly forces. To the left is Jerusalem (paradise). To the right is Golgotha and the angels rolling up the scroll of heaven and dispersing the darkness away from Christ seated on the throne. Below are Christ, the apostles and angels administering justice. On either side of the throne stand the figures of the Mother of God, John the Baptist, Adam and Eve. Under the depiction of Christ is an altar with an open book containing the record of human deeds. Below the altar is a hand holding the scales. Peoples are moving towards the altar - the righteous and the sinners. Below, to the right, is a depiction of the fiery jaws of hell in which sits Satan with the soul of Judas. Emerging from hell is a snake with the ordeal rings through which the sinners must go. An angel is pushing a sinner to hell. Above hell is the earth giving away the dead. All of them, both the living and the dead, must stand the Justice of Heaven. In the center is a red circle with a depiction of the beasts symbolizing the perished kingdoms: Babylon, Macedonia, Persia, Rome. To the left are the gates of paradise to which the righteous walk and fly. Above the gates, in a circle, is paradise with the Mother of God, angels and John the Baptist therein. Inv. NO . © The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Last Judgment

In the central part of the icon above is represented the Lord of Sabaoth, to the right – the depiction of Jesus Christ being blessed by Sabaoth, between them is the Holy Spirit. In the center below Sabaoth is the figure of Jesus Christ enthroned. At the sides of Christ on the throne are the figures of the Mother of God, John the Precurser, the Apostles, the saints and the angels. To the right the monks and the hermits represented with the wings ascend to them. In the upper left corner is shown the depiction of the Jerusalem above in the center of which are Christ and the Mother of God surrounded by the saints ranked in order of their holiness. In the upper right corner is represented archangel Michael as a leader of the Host. At the same level as the ascent of the monks along the right border is represented the downfall of the fallen angels from the skies.