It's a wall hung piece, very detailed and colorful byzantine style icon. The icon image is high quality print byzantine style (glossy paper). The icon is made with true iconography colors and it is a copy of a Byzantine icon.
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9x6.5cm / 3.5x2.5in
20x15cm / 7.9x6in
20x27cm / 7.9x10.6in
28x38 cm / 11x15in
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High quality print reproduction.
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Saint Seraphim Rose of Platina
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Hieromonk Seraphim Rose, born Eugene Dennis Rose, was a profound and influential American figure in 20th-century Eastern Orthodox Christianity. He was a co-founder of the St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, California, and a prolific author whose writings continue to shape Orthodox thought worldwide, particularly on topics concerning modernity, the soul, and the end of the world.
Early Life and Intellectual Journey
Eugene Rose was born on August 13, 1934, in San Diego, California, to a typical American Protestant family. From a young age, he displayed a remarkable intelligence and a deep-seated thirst for truth. He graduated from San Diego High School and attended Pomona College, where he studied Chinese philosophy, graduating magna cum laude in 1956.
His intellectual journey was tumultuous. Disillusioned with the perceived hollowness of modern Western society and the Christianity of his upbringing, he rejected his faith and explored a path of nihilism and atheism. His search for meaning led him to study under the renowned Zen philosopher Alan Watts at the American Academy of Asian Studies and later to enter the graduate program in Oriental Languages at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his Master’s degree in 1961.
Conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy
Despite his mastery of ancient and modern Chinese, Eugene did not find spiritual peace in Eastern philosophies. His breakthrough came when he encountered Eastern Orthodox Christianity. He later wrote that when he entered an Orthodox church for the first time in San Francisco, he felt something in his heart that said he had found "home."
He was baptized into the Orthodox faith in 1962 at the Russian Cathedral in San Francisco. Soon after, he became a spiritual child and disciple of the holy Archbishop John Maximovitch (now Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco).
Monastic Life in Platina
Under the guidance of Archbishop John, Eugene began to live a deeply ascetic life. He and a young Russian man, Gleb Podmoshenski (later Father Herman), formed the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood with the vision of establishing a missionary community. Their initial effort included a bookstore in San Francisco.
In 1969, seeking the radical solitude of traditional monasticism, the brotherhood moved to a remote, rugged mountaintop in Platina, California, where they established the St. Herman of Alaska Monastery. Their life there was marked by extreme poverty, manual labor, and intense prayer, living with neither running water nor electricity for many years.
Eugene was tonsured a monk in 1970, receiving the name Seraphim, in honor of Saint Seraphim of Sarov. In 1977, he was ordained a hierodeacon and, shortly thereafter, a hieromonk.
Writings and Impact
From their wilderness monastery, Father Seraphim set up a hand-cranked printing press and poured his extensive learning into creating an enormous body of work to defend the tradition of the ancient Church against what he saw as the apostasy of the modern world.
His primary themes included spiritual vigilance, discernment of modern errors, the necessity of suffering, and the path of the heart.
His key published works include:
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The Orthodox Word: A bimonthly magazine established in 1965 to share the lives of saints and theological teachings.
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Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future: A critique of contemporary spiritual movements, including the New Age and ecumenism.
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The Soul After Death: An exploration of the Orthodox teaching on the journey of the soul after physical death, which sparked some theological controversy.
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Nihilism: The Roots of the Revolution of the Modern Age: Analyzes the modern rejection of absolute truth.
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Genesis, Creation and Early Man: A posthumous compilation defending the traditional, literal interpretation of the Biblical creation account.
Father Seraphim's writings found an immense, covert audience. His works were translated, typed, and distributed secretly in Russia during the communist era through the samizdat network, where he became one of the most beloved and revered spiritual authors of the 20th century, inspiring countless conversions.
Death and Legacy
Father Seraphim Rose "fell asleep in the Lord" on September 2, 1982, at the age of 48, following a brief and unexpected illness. He was buried at the St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina.
His legacy is vast. His books are still in print and translated into many languages. While his strong stances on specific theological and social issues have drawn both fervent admiration and sharp criticism, there is widespread consensus regarding his profound impact. He is venerated as a saint by many Eastern Orthodox Christians across the globe, and in May 2026, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia formally approved the commencement of the process for his canonization.
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