Description

DESCRIPTION: The icon is mounted on wood (11 x 14) with light mauve, brown, taupe and white marbled background. The photostefano (halo) and clothing are hand-gilded in gold, accented with metal strands and filigree pieces. The border is accented with filigree pieces and metal strands  The original was hand-painted by Gerontissa Theophano.

BACKGROUND: Saint Luke the Surgeon, also known as Luke of Simferopol, was a Russian surgeon, bishop, and spiritual writer who lived from 1877 to 1961. Born Valentin Felixovich Voyno-Yasenetsky in Crimea, he attended medical school at Kiev University.  A pioneer in surgery, he performed difficult operations on the stomach, kidneys, bile duct, heart, and brain. He was the head physician at the military hospital in Crescentnarsk. In 1921, the Saint was ordained a priest and became the Bishop of Tashkent in 1923. He was outspoken about Orthodoxy and was exiled and tortured many times by the Soviets. In 1946, he was awarded the Stalin Prize in medicine and became the Archbishop of Simferopol and the Crimea. He was known for his exceptional medical skills and was appointed as the chief surgeon to treat injured soldiers during World War II. He is commemorated on June 11th.