How the Icon of the Appearance of Christ the Savior to Those Praying Was Created

The revered icon of the Appearance of Christ the Savior to Those Praying was painted from eyewitness testimony, with Semyon Bondarenko playing a central role in preserving the memory.

Parishioner Semyon Timofeyevich Bondarenko helped preserve a visible record of the event of 11 September 1946. According to the Diocese of Elista and Kalmykia, he found an icon painter in Stavropol, and provided him with eyewitness accounts.

This resulted in the icon “The Appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to Those Praying in the City of Elista.” On the icon, the Savior is depicted in priestly vestments and with raised hands - as the people present in the temple described Him.

There is a local tradition of worship around the image. The history of the icon became one of the central themes of preparation for the 80th anniversary of the Appearance of Christ the Savior in Elista.

Source: RIA Novosti, Foma magazine