On the south wall of the church there is an icon of St. Seraphim. In his hand he is holding what looks like a type of prayer rope, but one completely different from the kind I’ve normally seen, with two triangles on the bottom. What is this?

Unlike a chotki which has woolen knotted beads, this particular kind of prayer rope is made out of leather with straps, tooled over wooden dowels. Because these resemble “steps” or “rungs,” this type of prayer rope is known as a lestovka, meaning “ladder” in Russian. The two-sided triangular flaps (lapostki) that adorn the bottom symbolize the four gospels. Lestovka are very popular among the Old-Believers.