Iconography
The icon of the Mother of God Kazan depicts the Virgin Mary to the shoulders and half
of the standing figure of Christ Emmanuel, wearing his himation. Jesus gives the usual blessing
sign and looks out at the observer.
Mary wears a mantle (Maphorium) on which three stars are
visible. They are the symbol of eternal virginity: she was a Virgin before, during and after giving
birth to Christ.
Right and left of Mary, we see the Greek letters MR and OY which are the first
and the last letters of Mother of God.
Besides the child we can read the letters IC and XC which
mean Jesus Christ. In the halo of Jesus is the sign of the cross with the letters H O N, meaning:
"I AM WHO I AM" (the eternal living being).