This icon is a reproduction of an original piece of artwork by "K.Mucha". It represents the biblical scene of the Ascension of Jesus-Christ to Heaven which, according to the Christian doctrine, holds that Jesus bodily ascended to heaven in the presence of his apostles, following his resurrection. The term heaven is generally believed, by practicing Christians, as referring to a physical reunion with God the Father, as opposed to a spiritual transformation and experience of the Divine which is common to the mystical traditions of other world religions. Although the place of the Ascension is never distinctly stated, it would appear from the Acts that it could have been Mount Olivet since after the Ascension the apostles are described as returning to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, within a Sabbath day's journey. Tradition has consecrated this site as the Mount of Ascension and Christian piety has memorialized the event by erecting over the site a basilica. St. Helena built the first memorial, which was destroyed by the Persians in 614, rebuilt in the eighth century, destroyed again, but rebuilt a second time by the crusaders; this the Moslems also destroyed, leaving only the octagonal structure which encloses the stone said to bear the imprint of the feet of Christ, that is now used as an oratory.
