According to the legend, the icon of the Mother of God “Addition of Mind” was painted by an unknown iconographer who allegedly lived during the reign of Patriarch Nikon. This man led a righteous life and read numerous religious books. Ultimately, after long days of studying texts and pondering which of them were true for a religious person, his mind became clouded.

The man decided to pray to the Mother of God to find a solution to the issue that tormented him, and the miracle happened. He beheld the image of the Virgin Mary. The Mother of God returned the man his mind and told him to paint an icon representing his vision exactly. Thus, the icon “Addition of Mind” was created and got its name after the legend telling the story of the unknown iconographer.