Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Egg

Saint Nicholas of Myra is a pure image of forgiving patron of all, who suffer. With the sincerity of the open heart, faithful believers from across the globe entrust him in their secret confessions, and ask him to bless them with safety and wealth. Around the mysterious figure of Saint Nicholas, a halo of legends was created, one more mysterious than the other. According to one of tales of past, Nicholas, being a young man, went to Alexandria to continue his education and during one of his travels he resurrected a sailor who crashed to death in a storm. According to another legend, Nicholas saw the sufferings of a previously rich, bankrupt man, who could not give in marriage his three daughters without a dowery. Nicholas felt deep empathy towards the inconsolable father, and secretly, year after year he left gold at the old man`s doorstep. As a defender of all suffering from the warrior conflicts, Nicholas was also mentioned more than once in the “Act of the Stratilates,” authored by Simeon Metaphrastes, according to which, the Saint miraculously saved three citizens of the city of Myra, unjustly sentenced to execution, and after them, he saved three Constantinople commanders. As a result, Saint Nicholas became the patron of those, who are in need. His gifts have always been secret and modestly were not exposed publicly. It is a known fact that immediately after the death of Nicholas, his body began to secrete myrrh, and his holy reliquiae, which are resting in the town of Bari, in Italy, became the object of pilgrimage from around the world. The gift souvenir egg is made of genuine wood by a master of the Russian folk craft. This item is a one-of-a-kind piece that was never recreated exactly. The congromeration of the numerous icons, depicting St. Nicholas, is embodied in the collective image of the unique vision of the author. The image is created in bright contrasting colors, highlighting the face of the saint on a golden background, which associates with the greatness of his deeds. The egg is also generously inlaid with the richness of the noble matte light of golden ornament, and covered with several layers of durable varnish.