This miraculous icon is placed above the royal gates of the chapel of St. Nicholas of the skete of Prophet Elijah.
It performed many miracles during the journeys of the monks of this skete to Russia in the 19th century. As was often the case in that era, the monks of the Prophet Elijah's skete undertook journeys to Russia, attempting to cover the exorbitant expenses of constructing the skete buildings and the main temple. They would travel with holy relics and other shrines for veneration by the believers.
The copy of this icon was transferred to Russia. Nowadays, it is located in the Ukrainian city of Odessa.
The Mother of God is depicted with a slight turn of the body to the left, following the "Galaktotrofousa" (the Nursing) iconography type. She holds the Infant Jesus in Her right hand, leaning slightly towards Him. This rarely seen type of icon depicts the moment of nursing the Divine Infant. In the lower part of the icon, in medallions, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and St. John the Baptist are depicted with accompanying inscriptions in Old Slavonic: "Holy Nicholas the Wonderworker, Holy John the Forerunner."
The rich setting of the icon is a true work of art. Between the two saints, there is also an inscription in Old Slavonic: "The Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God the Nursing is located in the Russian skete of St. Prophet Elijah of the Holy Mount Athos". In terms of its stylistic and artistic characteristics, this icon, along with the setting, belongs to the 19th century.
