The Virgin Mary, the Monkmartyr Andrew of Crete and the prophet Hosea, Kiev-Pecherski Monastery, Kiev, 1886

the Virgin Mary stands in the centre upon a cloud, flanked by the Monkmartyr Andrew of Crete and the prophet Hosea with the figures of the Emperor and his family in the background, a plaque at the bottom states that this is to celebrate the Saint's Day of the 31st of October, the icon held in a silver frame, the reverse of the icon mounted with a commemorative plaque in Cyrillic: To His Holiness, the Emperor Alexander Alexandrovich III, to commemorate his and his family's miraculous salvation from the greatest danger that awaited him on the railroad on the 17th October 1888, from the Kiev-Pecherski Monastery, signed Platon Metropolitan of Kiev, also with Gatchina Palace label: No. 453 and with further inventory number: G. 19611.

Gatchina Palace

There is craquelure to the paint surface and evidence of paint shrinkage revealing the gilded undercoat. There are areas of paint loss to the painting and enamel loss to the border. There are further scratches to the surface, visible in the photograph, and a small area of restoration to the blue enamel along the left border. The lettering of the plaque at the bottom is very worn. This is a very attractive and rare icon which would benefit from the attention of a professional restorer. It is likely that the frame was a stock frame used by the monastery and for this reason it has an earlier date. We would advise prospective buyers to view.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This icon was presented to Emperor Alexander III from Archbishop Platon and the people of Kiev, commemorating his deliverance from a potentially fatal railroad accident. The Imperial train, travelling at high speed from Sevastopol to Moscow, crashed outside Borki.  None of the Imperial Family were hurt but twenty-two passengers were killed and thirty-five were injured.  The fact that the Imperial Family escaped unscathed was attributed to the Emperor's great strength in preventing the carriage from crushing its occupants.
The iconography is based on that of the Pokrov, with Mary spreading out the veil for protection.