Great Martyr Irene of Macedonia. Wooden orthodox icon.
Saint Irene, a Slav by birth, lived in the second half of the 10th century and was the daughter of Licinius, the ruler of the city of Mageddon in Macedonia. Even in her youth, Irene understood the vanity of paganism and believed in Christ. According to tradition, she was baptized by the Apostle Timothy, a disciple of the Apostle Paul. Wanting to devote her life to God, Saint Irene refused to marry.
Getting to know the Christian faith more deeply, Saint Irene began to convince her parents to become Christians. Licinius, Irene's father, at first listened favorably to her words, then became indignant at her, and when she refused to bow to the idols, he threw her at the feet of wild horses. Without touching the martyr, the horses rushed at Licinius and crushed him to death. When, through the prayer of the saint, he was brought back to life, he himself and his entire family believed in Christ, and 3,000 people believed with him.
After this, Saint Irene began to boldly preach Christ among the inhabitants of Macedonia, for which she was repeatedly subjected to humiliation and suffering. By order of the ruler Zedekiah, Saint Irene was thrown into a pit with snakes, then they tried to saw her with a saw, then they tied her to a mill wheel. Irene's torment was accompanied by miraculous signs that attracted many to faith in Christ. Thus, the snakes did not touch the martyr, the saws did not harm her body, the mill wheel did not turn. The torturer Vavodon himself believed in Christ and was baptized. In total, Irene converted more than 10,000 pagans. When the Lord showed Irene the day of her death, she withdrew to a mountain cave near the city of Ephesus, the entrance to which, at her request, was blocked with stones. On the fourth day, her acquaintances returned to the cave and, having opened it, did not find the body of Saint Irene in it. Everyone understood that she was taken by the Lord to Heaven.
The memory of Saint Irene was greatly revered in ancient Byzantium. Several magnificent churches were built in Constantinople in memory of Saint Irene.
The icon is made by printing on a wooden board. Paints are mineral, do not fade with time. The thickness of the board is 2 cm. The board is covered with primer by hand. The image is covered with wax. Each icon has a metal mount on the back side so that you can hang the icon on the wall.
You can buy the icon in three sizes:
- 13 х 9 centimeters (5,1 x 3,5 inches)
- 19 х 13 centimeters (7,5 x 5,1 inches)
- 26 х 18 centimeters (10,2 x 7,1 inches)
Our icons are made by Orthodox craftsmen. You can read more about the technology here.
We hope it will be a good gift for you and your loved ones.
