The Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos

The Dormition shows the Theotokos lying on her deathbed, surrounded by the apostles who were miraculously gathered from across the world. Behind her, Christ stands holding a small figure wrapped in white — her soul — in a deliberate reversal of Nativity icons where the mother holds the child.

This icon affirms that death for the righteous is not annihilation but a 'falling asleep' — a passage from earthly life to life with God.