The three kings, shepherds, and angels are all surrounding the cave in which Mary and the new-born Christ are resting. The beam of light signifies the presence of the Holy Spirit, Who has entered the Virgin Mary's womb and brought Christ into the world. Joseph is in the left-hand corner, afraid and confused.
The old man speaking to him represents Satan, who is trying to divide Joseph from Mary and the Christ (diablos, I believe, means "that which divides" in Greek). He is desperately trying to convince Joseph that Christ's conception was not immaculate, because he wants Joseph to abandon the Mother and Child.
The figures on the right-hand corner represent the midwives whom Joseph sent for. (I couldn't remember who they stood for, so I looked it up on line at www.orthodoxonline.com/
Notice that the manger and cradle look very much like a tomb and casket--for Christ was "born to die". Because of this, the Christ-child's swaddling clothes are purposefully made to look like burial wrappings.
Finally, the "Jesse Tree" is sprouting near Jesus, fulfilling the ancient prophesy that the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon the roots of Jesse.
Every single Orthodox Christian icon representing the Nativity of Christ is written in this way. The positions of the characters remain the same, as do the colors. The icon is very symbolic, as we've seen, and cannot be changed; and these ancient traditions have been maintained for centuries.
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