19th century Russian icon

Russian icon of the XIX century.
"Saint Pietro Metropolitan of Moscow".
Tempera and gold leaf on panel.
Measurements: 8,5 x 7,5 cm.

This small icon, with carved frame, represents the Metropolitan Saint Pietro of Moscow, as indicated by the inscription. It is a canonical iconography, front and half-body, holding the closed gospel, in the left hand, and with the right hand raised in symbol of the blessing with two fingers, which can indicate that it can belong to the workshops of the old Muscovite believers.
St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, was born in Volyn. Before the baby was born, his mother had a wonderful dream in which she saw a lamb with a cross. At the age of 12, Pietro took the veil. After a while he founded the Ratsk monastery, of which he later became abbot. In the course of his various monastic duties, Pietro devoted much time to iconography. In 1308, at the request of the prince of Galicia-Volynsk, he left for Constantinople as a candidate for metropolitan. His rival Gerontius saw in a dream the Mother of God who predicted Peter's victory. This was so, but the unrest in Kiev caused St. Pietro to move to Vladimir. From Vladimir, Pietro went to Moscow, imagining, in what was then a small town, the future capital of a great state. St. Pietro also brought to Moscow an image of the Mother of God painted by him, which became the first miraculous icon of Moscow, called Petrovskaya, lost today. St. Pietro laid the foundation for the Cathedral of the Assumption inside the Moscow Kremlin, bequeathing himself to be buried there. He died before the construction of the cathedral was completed, and when it was consecrated his relics had already rested there. Moscow chronicles recorded numerous healings on the relics of St. Pietro. In 1339 he was canonized in Constantinople.