Fire faith: images of fire on old belief icons

The article is devoted to the images of fire in the Russian Old Believer icon painting of the 18th-19th centuries. The author analyzes the main iconographic scenes where this motif appears – “Seen as Fire” Mother of God, Archangel Michael-Voivode, Synaxis of the Archangel Michael, Sophia the Wisdom of God, the Burning Bush, the Fiery Ascent of the Prophet Elijah and others. The method of depicting fire and flames, as well as the functions of this motif, is considered. The connection of this motive with the Old Believer ideology is established.