St. Ambrose of Optina as an exponent of deep national religious consciousness

The article, basing on the works of priest Pavel Florensky, archpriest Sergey Bulgakov and S. N. Durylin, as well as on the materials from Orthodox iconography history, examines the question of the relationship between the pagan and Christian worldviews, as well as theological motives expressed in the iconography of the image of the Mother of God “The Grower of Crops” (1898). The history of the creation of the icon and the legends associated with it are considered. The author comes to the conclusion that St. Ambrose in artistic form expresses a deep religious motive, rooted in the world of pagan images.