The basis of the subject is a real historical event. In 1169 troops of Suzdal prince Mstislav Andreevich, son of Andrei Bogolyubsky, laid siege to Novgorod but could not take it thanks to a miracle by the Novgorod holy icon «The Sign of Our Lady». The event unfolds on the icon step by step. In the upper register we see Novgorodians praying before the icon «The Sign of Our Lady» in the Church of the Saviour on the commercial side. They then carry it into the Kremlin (Detinets) to the church of Saint Sofia. In the middle register emissaries conduct negotiations and at the same time the military actions commence. The Suzdal warriors shoot arrows at the icon of the «Sign of Our Lady». The icon stands on the tower and shields the Novgorodians, blinding the enemy. In the lower register we see the Novogorod troops leaving the fortress gates led by the saintly warriors Georgy, Boris and Gleb. To the right are the defeated Suzdal troops. The icon "Sign of Our Lady" (Battle between Novgorod and Suzdal) is a bright and characteristic example of Novgorod icon painting in its flourishing period. It embodies powerful spiritual energy. The composition is notable for its clarity, faithfulness of expression and precision of construction. The profoundly original colour range is dominated by vermillion.
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