The traditionally painted icon portrays Archangel Michael as Archistrategos – the chief heavenly warrior, who defeats the Antichrist. Winged and crowned, he is shown riding across the sky on a winged red rearing charger, blowing on a trumpet and swinging a censer announcing the Last Judgment. St Michael wears a suit of armour, in his left hand he holds a closed Book of Gospels – a symbol of the fulfilment of the New Testament; his arms are spread wide apart, between them is a rainbow. With the lance in his right hand the Archangel transfixes the satan shown as a grotesque evil creature with a long tail appearing amidst stylized and sinking buildings – a symbol of Babylon. Above the scene, from the top left corner amid cloud scrolls appears Christ Emmanuel.
The calligraphic inscription in Old Slavonic on the kovcheg (outer border or frame) reads: “Saint Archistrategos Michael” (“chief commander” in Greek).
Archangel Michael is described in the Christian tradition as the Captain-General of the Host of Heaven and considered to be the patron of the “militant church”, i.e. all those loyal to God who fight against evil. The Book of Revelation describes a war between the heavenly host led by the Archangel Michael and the satanic host: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him?” (Revelations, 12: 7–9).
In Russia, St.Michael is one of the most venerated saints, a protector of warriors and a patron saint of the Russian Tsars. The feast of St.Michael is celebrated on November 8th.
