Icon "Troeruchitsa"

The icon shows a half-length image of the Mother of God, in a three-quarter turn to the left, pointing with her left hand to the Infant Christ, who sits on her right arm; below is an image of a third hand, its fingers touching the wrist of her left hand. The Mother of God wears a dark chiton and maphorion with gold borders. Christ is shown full-length, in a three-quarter turn to the right. He wears a dark-colored chiton and a golden himation, blessing with his right hand and holding a scroll in his left. Halos surround the heads of both the Mother of God and Christ. To the left and right of the Mother of God's halo is the Church Slavonic inscription: "Mother of God." To the left of Christ's cruciform halo is the inscription "Jesus Christ." The icon is dark brown, with a wide frame around its perimeter. On the reverse, the panel is reinforced with two horizontal inset battens.

The icon belonged to the pre-war collection of the Sloboda Ukraine Museum named after H. S. Skovoroda. During the Second World War it was evacuated and returned to Kharkiv in 1944.

Legend: in the 8th century, the Byzantine Emperor Leo III the Isaurian led the iconoclast movement and moved against the theologian John of Damascus, who had written three treatises in defense of the veneration of icons. John of Damascus served at the court of the Caliph al-Walid, so Leo III could do nothing to him directly. The Emperor forged a letter purporting to show John offering to help him conquer Damascus. On learning of this, the Caliph ordered John's hand cut off and displayed publicly. After the hand was severed, it was returned to John; his prayer before the icon of the Mother of God brought about healing, and a miracle occurred as the severed hand rejoined and healed. In gratitude, John of Damascus attached a silver ornament in the shape of a hand to the icon. In this way, the icon came to be called "Three-Handed" (Troeruchitsa).