Icons- a multitude of icons! Pastel, baby blue & dusty pink flowers borders of flowers – joyful!

I lit a candle by the Virgin Mary & Baby Jesus – for all of us – intercession.  The icon was trimmed with ornate silver and delicate, fragile silver filigree.  The balance of Orthodox crosses on each wall – the exterior walls with blue on the right and silver on the left.

Looking upwards and up, the height dizzingly- higher and higher, I see azure blue at a narrow top with gold metalic stars bursting within the blue.  There is blue-blue ceiling elongated and narrow windows beneath the tip-top, letting in light, a diffused light from the narrow and long windows at the top of the domed ceiling.  The windows and light framed in cheery off-white, yellow beneath are Orthodox Crosses in the aisles and then underneath is the magnificent dome – sunbursts.  Energy!

Sunbursts – sun-rays – licking out, not too bold.  I do not see the scary Saints on the dome; like the ones from my childhood, who stared down at me – as a child, I looked up and saw harsh, stern saints – dour.

This has none of that – It’s powerful and beautiful.  The church is darker than outside; the windows at the top-sunshine- surrounding dome..sunshine. Windows on the ground level are stained glass & so the lihgt is diffused.  It’s more of a warm, golden glow.

Around the room at corners & borders are the floweres – pale pink- yellow and blue & vines – detailed, intricate vines dancing up the wall or border or corner – connecting the designs; allowing me to see the cohesiveness of the artist and the family, who built this in honor of their son, who died too soon.

Plain, wood floors and clean.  Few seats in the Russian Churches – benches around each of the two columns.  In front of the alter – incons on the stands – candles!  The doors – framed with gold- a rough, dark gold- rubbed antique look.

Virgin Mary is above the Alter – St. Nicholas is to her right.  Angels and seraphim surround her- also sweet, joyful and angles and small clouds-frames the edges.

I’m breathless.