Sv. Nikolai Mirlikiiskii ostanavlivaet nepravuiu kazn'
[St Nikolai Mirlikiiskii (Saint Nicholas,Santa Claus) stops an unjust execution]
Ilya Repin
Russian Visual Arts
(under the umbrella of the University of Exeter, the British Library, or the Humanities Research Institute Online Press, though none of them lead to it)____

The people of Myra were suffering under the burden of heavy taxes. They begged Bishop Nicholas to ask the emperor to relieve them of the high taxes which caused such hardship. Nicholas went to Constantine to plead the cause of his people. The emperor heard Nicholas' pleas and granted a large cut. Nicholas received a written copy of the order. He immediately took the copy and went down to the sea where he threw the parchment out into the water. Soon afterwards it was fished out of the water near Myra and taken to the proper authorities. It was put into immediate effect and taxes were lowered substantially.

St. Nicholas Center