“I’m ashamed to admit, but I don’t know at all what, where and why in the church. I am surprised and even envious how some confidently maneuver between all these stands and bedside tables with burning candles, heading to the desired icon, especially when there are a lot of people (sorry, if I call something wrong.) Last year, before Easter itself, I got so goofy that I haven't been to church since.
Photo: Infographics "RG" / Anton Perepletchikov / Maria Gorodova
On the day when I entered the church, everyone moved to the bedspread in the center of the hall to kiss him, and I, not wanting to disturb anyone, skirted the line on the other side, where people were not crowded. I didn’t know that, it turns out, women should not step on this carpet, but they shouted at me as if I had committed some mortal sin. Do not think that I am justifying myself, but I sincerely reach out to faith, help orphans (our college, where I have been teaching mathematics for 35 years, sponsor an orphanage), read religious journalism, pray at home. Not every day works out, but before going to bed I try not to hang out in the computer and not in front of the TV, but with a prayer book. And even if I went to a church where I shouldn't, it was not on purpose, but out of ignorance, so can this not be considered a sin? "
Irina Nikolayevna
Irina Nikolaevna, hello! Nothing terrible happened, but let's start in order. To begin with, it is by no means a journalist, even a very respected newspaper, that forgives sins, but only a priest - in the sacrament of Repentance. Moreover, the priest forgives sins not by his own strength, but by the grace of God. Now about what happened to you in the temple. I suppose you unknowingly entered the pulpit. The carpet has absolutely nothing to do with it, women should not enter the pulpit: most likely it happened on Good Friday, when the Shroud with the image of the Savior lying in the coffin was brought to the center of the church. This icon, made not on wood, but on fabric, was what the faithful sought to venerate on Good Friday before Easter. Have you committed a sin by stepping in the wrong place?
Irina Nikolaevna, I think if you had immediately decided to approach the priest with your fears, you would not have been excommunicated for so long. Everything would be resolved quickly and to mutual joy, so do not waste time at least now. And so that this does not happen in the future, today we have a small educational program. As you have probably already noticed, there is a language of its own to describe what is happening in the Church, and now I mean not Church Slavonic, in which our services are held, but the language that describes the objects and phenomena of the Church. This is also Russian, I would even say, much more Russian than the one that we use in everyday speech. Re-read our classics, there you will find both "porch", and "altar", and "pulpit" - all these words were used by our great-grandfathers. Years of atheism have meant that we are not very literate in a religious sense. And if there is no base, then neither reading theological works, let alone church journalism, will save us from annoying failures. After all, no one undertakes to study higher mathematics without taking a course in arithmetic and algebra. However, everything is fixable, especially since the structure of the temple is logical, there is nothing accidental there, every detail is full of deep symbolism, and it is extremely interesting to understand this.
Three parts of the temple
The Bible tells how God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle, that is, a sanctuary in the form of a tent, where the Lord promised to open himself to Moses. That is, the structure of the temple was determined by God the Father, it was the house of God, and everything inside was according to God's plan. The Tabernacle of Moses consisted of three parts, separated from each other by curtains: the outer part, intended for the people; behind it, the part, which included the priests for the sacrifice, it was called "holy"; and then the third part, the "holy of holies", where the high priests could enter only once a year. The Tabernacle of Moses was a type of the modern temple, which also has three parts. The entrance part, called the vestibule, is what the temple pretends to be. The middle part, the most extensive, is where worshipers are standing. And the third part is the "holy of holies", the altar, separated from the rest of the church by the iconostasis - rows of icons. The altar contains the main place of the entire church - the holy altar, on which the main sacrament of the Church is celebrated - the sacrament of the Eucharist. When a temple is being erected, it is always oriented with the altar to the east, that is, towards Christ. After all, Christ, like the Sun of righteousness, rose from the east.
Why do we go to the temple?
Pray. But not only, you can pray at home, moreover, as theologians say, there is no place on earth where you cannot pray. The sacraments are performed in the church, and first of all the main one is the Eucharist, or Communion. When, under the guise of bread and wine, a believer partakes of (that is, partakes) of the Body and Blood of Christ, this is how the union of believers with the Lord takes place. The sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated by the priesthood on the holy throne.
The main place of the temple
If you've ever watched festive services on TV, you've probably noticed a large table in the center of the altar. This is the holy throne - a quadrangular table made of wood, all fixtures of which - struts, thorns - are also wooden. Four nails are driven into the holy throne already at the time of its consecration. As a symbol of the four nails that the Roman soldiers drove into the Body of Christ when He was crucified. In the cross-beams of the holy throne, there are particles of the relics of the martyrs who suffered for the faith. The same particles of relics are sewn into the antimension - a silk cloth used during the liturgy. The tradition of performing the sacrament on the relics of martyrs dates back to ancient Christian times, when divine services were performed in the catacombs.
Ambon, Soleya, Kliros
The altar is always on an elevation in comparison with the entire temple, and that part of the elevation that is advanced to the people behind the iconostasis is called Solea (from the Greek "elevation"). The salt ends with a round ledge - the pulpit (from the Greek "I ascend"). Both Solea and the pulpit are a continuation of the altar. The fact that the altar does not end with an iconostasis means that for those praying in the church during the service, the same is done as is done in the altar. It is from the pulpit that the priests deliver sermons. Believers approach the pulpit for communion. And along the edges of the Solea there is a special fenced-in place for singers and reciters, called the kliros. The Greek word "clergy", literally meaning "lot, allotment", is used to refer to clergymen, and the kliros is a place for a church choir. Remember Blok's: "The girl sang in the church choir about all the tired in a foreign land ..."?
The woman and the holy of holies
From the girls singing in the kliros, let's move on to women in general, who are not allowed to enter the altar. There are strict rules according to which only nuns can enter there, and after they reach the venerable age. The prohibition is due to the fact that in the physiology of a woman there are periods when she cannot touch shrines. In addition, unbaptized people and those who have been married three times cannot enter the altar. Since the solea and the pulpit are parts of the altar, the prohibition also applies to these parts of the temple.
Iconostasis - the face of the temple
The iconostasis separating the altar from the middle part is a feature of the Orthodox Church. On the one hand, he is a barrier between the main part of the temple and the altar, keeping secret what is happening in the holy of holies. On the other hand, the icons on it set the faithful to prayer. In the center of the iconostasis there are the Royal Doors, so called, because during the service, the Lord the King of Glory invisibly enters them. He enters in the same way as the Lord entered Jerusalem, "coming into free suffering." Usually, an icon of the Last Supper is located above the Royal Doors, because it is in memory of it that the sacrament of the Eucharist is performed in the altar. In addition to the Royal Doors, the altar has the so-called side, or deacon doors, into which deacons enter, ministers who help the priest to perform divine services. The deacons' doors depict either the Archangel Gabriel, or the Archangel Michael, or the first deacons who suffered for the faith. According to the canons of the Russian Orthodox Church, if you look at the iconostasis, facing it, then there will always be an icon of the Virgin on the left, and an icon of the Savior on the right. And further, on the right side, after the icon of the Savior and the southern deacon doors, there should be an icon dedicated to that saint or event in honor of which the temple was consecrated. In the device of the iconostasis, there should always be an icon of the Deisus, or Prayer, usually it begins a row, and there are always icons dedicated to the twelve major holidays, a prophetic row.
In the center of the middle part of the temple there is an icon that changes depending on the day and the event that the Church celebrates.
To be continued
Before leaving home
Protect me, Lord, by the power of the Honest and Life-giving Your Cross and save me from all evil.
Lord, direct my path to goodness.
Lord, bless all my coming and going.
(And overshadow yourself with the sign of the cross.)
Email: 125993, Moscow, st. Pravdy, d. 24, "Rossiyskaya Gazeta", or [email protected]
In an Orthodox church, an iconostasis is an altar partition with several rows of icons, which separates the altar part from the rest of the church space. According to the Orthodox calendar, the iconostasis consists of icons arranged in tiers. The number of tiers ranges from three to five. The classic iconostasis is considered to be a five-tiered iconostasis, in which the plots of the icons and their order have a certain meaning.
The iconostasis can be read both from top to bottom and from bottom to top, but, as the clergy say, it is better to perceive it as a single image. “The iconostasis is perceived as a whole. It is very symbolic as it tells the whole story. The meaning of each row in the iconostasis is determined by the canon, and its content and content depends on the particular church. The entire content of the iconostasis serves as a reminder of the formation of the church, covering all times, and including all the symbolic meanings of individual icons, "- told AiF.ru archpriest, rector of the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky at MGIMO Igor Fomin (father Igor).
Five rows of icons bear the following names: the upper row is forefather, below is the prophetic, festive, deesis and the lowest row is the local one, where the Royal Doors, altar doors, temple and locally revered icons are located. From the middle of the 16th century, as stated in the Orthodox Encyclopedia, the North and South gates were mandatory, but, as a rule, they were arranged only in large temples.
The lowest row of icons in the iconostasis describes the earthly life and exploits of the saints, above are the earthly path of Christ, his sacrifice and the Last Judgment, and above are the prophets and forefathers who meet the righteous.
What do the rows of the iconostasis symbolize?
Local row
The lowest row in the iconostasis is local. Locally revered icons are usually located here, the composition of which depends on the traditions of each temple. However, some of the icons of the local row are fixed by a common tradition and are found in any temple. In the center of the local rite are the Royal Doors, which symbolize the doors of paradise, the symbol of the entrance to the Kingdom of God. To the right of the Royal Doors is the icon of the Savior, to the left is the icon of the Mother of God, from time to time they are replaced by icons of the Lord's and theotokos' feasts. To the right of the icon of the Savior is usually a temple icon, that is, an icon of that holiday or saint in whose honor this temple is consecrated.
Above the Royal Doors is the Last Supper icon and the icons of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and four Evangelists.
Deesis (deisis)
The local number is followed by a deisis (in the translation from Greek - "prayer", in Russian the word was fixed in the form of "deisus"). Here in the center is the icon of the Savior. To the right and to the left of Him, the Mother of God and John the Baptist are depicted. They are followed by archangels, saints, apostles, martyrs, saints, that is, the entire host of saints, represented by all the orders of holiness. The meaning of this series is the prayer of the Church for peace. All the saints in the icons of this row are turned in three-quarters of a turn to Christ and are shown praying to the Savior.
“There is no strict arrangement of the deesis in the temples. As a rule, it is located above the Royal Doors. The iconography of the Deesis is varied and differs in the composition of the saints, the number of figures. The minimum number of icons in the central row of the iconostos is three - this is the Savior, the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist. In this row there can also be icons of saints, apostles, prophets, saints, saints, martyrs. In their order, they are located either to the right or to the left. So the Deesis does not have a strict series. He can be second or third, ”says Father Igor.
Festive row
Festive describes the events of the earthly life of the Savior. In this row there are icons of twelve holidays (12 main church holidays - the Nativity of the Mother of God, the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Exaltation of the Cross, the Nativity of Christ, the Baptism (Epiphany), the Annunciation, the Presentation of the Lord, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Transfiguration of the Lord, Dormition of the Mother of God).
NS rooted series
The prophetic row of the iconostasis is the Old Testament church from Moses to Christ. It consists of images of prophets with unrolled scrolls in their hands. Initially, in the center of the row were images of David and Solomon, later - the Mother of God with the Child.
Forefather row
The top row is called the forefather. This row is located above the prophetic one and is a gallery of the Old Testament forefathers with the corresponding texts on the scrolls. In the center of this row is usually placed the image of the Holy Trinity in the form of three Angels - the appearance of God to Abraham as an Old Testament indication of the Trinity of God and a reminder of the Eternal Council of the Holy Trinity on the salvation of man and the world.
The iconostasis ends with a cross or the icon of the Crucifixion (also in the form of a cross). Sometimes on the sides of the cross are placed icons of the Mother of God, John the Theologian, and sometimes even myrrh-bearing women. The cross (Calvary) over the prophetic row is a symbol of the redemption of mankind.
In many ancient cultures, it was argued that there are portals to other worlds and gates to star systems where "creators" live. From the point of view of worldly wisdom, these legends are just ordinary myths and legends. However, supporters of the unknown revived when claims were found in recently declassified FBI files that our Earth was visited by beings from other dimensions and planets. NASA has announced that the "portals" are actually, apparently, hidden in the Earth's magnetic field.
1. Gate of the Gods
Peru
In 1996, the site was discovered by José Luis Delgado Mamani when he was trying to explore the area of Mount Hai Marka in Peru. The "Gate of the Gods", according to local tribes, was once "a gateway to the land of the gods." Mamani even claims that in a dream he saw a path leading to a doorway made of pink marble, and that he saw a smaller door that was open, and in it was seen "a brilliant blue light emanating from what looked like shimmering tunnel ".
The "Doors of the Gates of the Gods" are actually two doorways in the shape of the letter "T". The larger doorway is seven meters wide and seven meters high, and the smaller one is two meters high. Legends say that the large door was intended for the gods, while some heroic mortals who then lived among the gods could pass through the smaller door. History says that when Spanish explorers arrived in Peru in the 16th century and began plundering the wealth of the Incas, a priest named Amaru Maru fled from his temple with a valuable gold disc - the "Key of the Seven Rays of the Gods."
Amaru Maru found this door and saw that it was guarded by shaman priests. The priest showed them a golden disc, and after the ritual, a smaller doorway was opened for him, beyond which was a tunnel that shone with a blue light. Amaru Maru passed through the doorway, leaving the disc to the shamans, and disappeared from Earth forever, leaving for the land of the gods. Interestingly, the researchers did find small circular indentations in the rock near the right pillar of the smaller doorway, where a disc-shaped object was clearly inserted.
2. Abu Ghurab
Egypt
The Abu Ghrab Temple, which is located near the Abusir pyramids, is considered one of the most ancient buildings on the planet. At the base of Abu Ghrab lies an ancient platform made of alabaster (Egyptian crystal), which supposedly "vibrates in unison with the vibration of the Earth." It can also "open up" to a person who is able to communicate with the higher sacred energies of the Universe. In fact, according to the legends, these are the star gates, and the sacred energies are "Noter" (gods).
Interestingly, the legends about their connections with the Earth and the paths of movement between the world of the gods and our world almost exactly coincide with the legends of the Cherokee - Native Americans. The Cherokee say that "formless thinking creatures" fly on a "wave of sound" from their home in the Pleiades star system to Earth.
3. Ancient stone structure in Lake Michigan
USA
In 2007, while searching for shipwrecks, scientists discovered a stone structure at a depth of 12 meters in Lake Michigan. The structure, which is estimated to be 9,000 years old, is essentially the Michigan equivalent of Stonehenge. The discovery was made by Mark Holley, professor of underwater archeology at Northwestern Michigan University, and his colleague Brian Abbott.
Their particular attention was drawn to the image of a mastodon carved on one of the stones, which is believed to have died out 10,000 years ago.
The location of the site is currently being kept under wraps due to an agreement with local Indian tribes who would like to keep the number of visitors to a minimum. While many traditional scientists are skeptical about the age of the structure, many believe it is the remnants of a "stargate" or wormhole. In this place, the mysterious disappearances of ships and people took place, and it even received the name "Michigan Triangle".
4. Stonehenge
England
One of the most famous stone structures on the planet is also one of the most controversial and debated. Most historians claim that the famous Stonehenge was built about 5,000 years ago, in part from blue stones that were mined from a mine 386 kilometers from the structure. However, geologist Brian John argues that there is no evidence for this claim, and there is no evidence that the alleged quarry even existed at all.
It is said that when the first settlements arose in this area 5,000 years ago, Stonehenge already existed, moreover, fully built, and was an energy portal or stargate. At least one case in recent history may support this seemingly wild theory. In August 1971, a group of hippies disappeared at Stonehenge while trying to tap into the "vibration" of this ancient site.
At about 2 am lightning began to strike over Stonehenge and a severe thunderstorm broke out. A police officer who was on duty near the site, as well as a local farmer, allegedly saw the "blue light" emanating from the stones and heard screams. By the time the policeman reached Stonehenge, all he found was tents and a fire extinguished in the rain.
5. Ancient Sumerian Stargate on the Euphrates River
Iraq
There is a famous Sumerian seal that shows a Sumerian god emerging from the portal of his world on Earth. God appears to be standing on a ladder that starts from the person looking at the seal. On either side of the god, strange shimmering water columns are visible. Other Sumerian artifacts that allegedly prove the existence of a stargate are images of the god Ninurta.
In these images, a modern wristwatch is clearly visible on Ninurta's hand, while he presses with his finger something that looks like a button on the wall of the airlock in which he stands. Some scholars speculate that the stargate was located in the Euphrates River and was buried under the ruins of the Mesopotamian city of Eridu for thousands of years.
6. "Gate of the Sun"
Bolivia
According to many people, the "Gate of the Sun" in Bolivia is the portal to the land of the gods. The city of Tiahuanaco is considered one of the most important places in ancient America, as legends say that the sun god Viracocha appeared in Tiahuanaco and chose this place to create the human race. The gate, carved from a solid block of stone, is believed to be 14,000 years old. The airlock depicts "human beings in rectangular helmets."
This led to the fact that many researchers began to argue that the gate is indeed associated with something astronomical. Despite the fact that the gate is now upright, when it was discovered by European explorers in the mid-1800s, it was in a horizontal position.
7. Stargate Ranmasu Uyana
Sri Lanka
Hidden among the boulders and cave systems of Ranmasu Uyana's Royal Park is a star map or sky map carved into a massive piece of stone wall. The symbols carved into the stone are said to be the code that opens the star gates, allowing whoever opens them to travel from our world to other regions of the universe. There are four stone seats or armchairs directly opposite the star map.
The star diagram is called Sakwala Chakraya, which means "The rotating circle of the Universe". In many ancient Native American legends, stargates or portals were depicted as rotating circles. Similar star maps have also been found in other ancient sites such as Abu Ghrab in Egypt and many other ancient sites in the South American Andes.
8. Abydos
Egypt
One of the oldest cities in Ancient Egypt, Abydos is perhaps one of the most important and interesting places in Egyptology. In particular, in the temple of Seti I, hieroglyphs were found with images of aircraft, such as helicopters, as well as something similar to flying saucers. An interesting story is the story of a woman named Dorothy Idi, who claimed to be the reincarnation of the Egyptian peasant girl Bentreshit, who was the secret mistress of Pharaoh Seti.
Living in the 20th century, Dorothy was able to transcribe many ancient Egyptian texts, and even knew where archaeologists would need to dig to find the remains of the ancient city. She seemed to know exactly where everything was once: for example, the location of secret chambers and ancient gardens, the remains of which have been buried for centuries underground. In 2003, Michael Schratt, an engineer in the US aerospace defense industry, stated that Abydos was at a natural stargate.
9. Göbekli Tepe
Turkey
Considered the oldest stone temple in the world, Göbekli Tepe has several rings of huge stone pillars in the shape of the letter "T", each of which is covered with carvings of animals such as lions and sheep. Two similar pillars are in the middle of these circles, representing something like arches. These arches in circles are called the remains of portals or star gates, which the ancient people living in this place were once allegedly used as portals leading to the "heavenly worlds".
Pillars in the form of the letters "T" are very similar to the "Gate of the Gods" in High Mark in Peru. Interestingly, the Incas also told legends about the connection through the gates in the form of the letter "T" with people from the Pleiades star system. It is believed that the T-shaped pillars at Göbekli Tepe are about 12,000 years old.
10. Sedona whirlwinds and the "Door of the Gods"
USA
Sedona, a small town in Arizona, was once called Navanda by Indian tribes. This city was considered sacred. It is said that the deserted red rocks that surround a small city can create vortices that are capable of transporting people to another world or dimension. Native Americans believed that spirits lived in these rocks.
It is also believed that in the mountains of Arizona there is a "Door of the Gods" - a strange stone arched portal to another time and space. In the 1950s, local gold diggers found it, after which some of them (those who tried to get through the door) allegedly disappeared. One of the gold diggers said that despite the downpour in the area, he saw a bright blue sky behind the arch (moreover, this was the only difference, otherwise the landscape was the same).
He got scared, got on his horse and returned home. Subsequently, he told all the treasure hunters that they would not go through the arch under any circumstances, even if they found it.
Lovers of history and antiquity will definitely like it.
Modern Orthodox education is in a difficult situation of transferring the traditional classical subject of teaching into the context of a new culture at the beginning of the 20th century. I think that any teacher of a school, especially a Sunday school, noted for himself at least once that the system of children's perception of the world has changed a lot in recent years. From books, films and stories of the older generation, we know about how the children listened to the teacher in the lesson, what was the silence in the classroom, how every word of the teacher was remembered. Today our children grow up in a new audiovisual culture and interactive space - the culture of listening is a thing of the past.
It is good and joyful when parents manage to instill in their child a love for the book, for the written word, for being able to imagine in their fantasies what is written in the book.
However, this task is difficult for a teacher: is it possible to correct something that has been instilled for years in 40 minutes a week?
First of all, perhaps, this tendency towards visual perception was reflected in teaching a foreign language - in the transition from an autodidactic method (reading and translating a text) to a communicative one, where the lesson is based on conversation, games, songs, films.
Having some experience of communicative teaching of English to adults, I once asked myself a question: why do we (and I, in the first place) think that children will be interested in our classes, when for 40 minutes we are not telling something, albeit interesting. Why do we organize an adult's lesson in such a way that he does not have to be bored, but we expect a reverent 40-minute silence from the child?
So the need to make Sunday school lessons interesting and creative became apparent.
The iconostasis of an Orthodox church can be shown in a book, you can draw a diagram on a board. And we decided that the best way to learn the structure of the iconostasis is to make it yourself.
So, you will need:
1 sheet of Whatman paper in A3 format (or 2 sheets of A4),
5 bookmarks for books with icons (2 icons of the Savior, 1 icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and icons of two revered saints),
color printer,
felt-tip pens,
glue
scissors.
For the iconostasis, we chose icons from the tabs for several reasons: they are not consecrated, therefore, they can be used in the process of children's creativity, they are made of cardboard, so they can be easily glued to our iconostasis.
1. The story about the iconostasis
The teacher on the blackboard depicts the construction of the iconostasis. The explanation takes place as a dialogue with the students, summarized by the teacher's story.
What is the iconostasis for?
What is the name of the gate in the center of the iconostasis?
Why are they called Royal?
Why is the Cross placed at the base of the iconostasis?
This is followed by a story about the rows of the iconostasis. To simplify the task and limit the amount of material, we decided to limit ourselves to only those ranks that are in the iconostasis of our church: local, festive and deesis.
Local rank: On the Royal Doors, the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos is depicted, sometimes icons of St. Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. To the right of the Royal Doors is the icon of the Savior, to the left - of the Most Holy Theotokos. To the right of the icon of the Savior is an icon of a saint or a holiday in whose honor the temple is consecrated. This means that, having come to the temple, without even knowing its name, we can always find out in whose honor it is consecrated. The story can be preceded by questions, asking the children to remember how the iconostasis is arranged in their church.
The next rows are festive and deesis. The Deesis is located above the local rank, but we made the iconostasis on the model of our church, so at first we had a festive row. We printed the icons for him on a printer. Before sticking on the festive row, we carefully look at which holidays are depicted, what happened on each of the holidays.
Deesis rank. Deesis translated from Greek means prayer. The children themselves explain that this row is called “prayer”, because here the Mother of God and the saints who pray for us stand before the Throne of God.
After repeating the material in the next lesson, let's get down to business.
1. The sheet of whatman paper is bent in half and an incision is made along the fold to the middle, and then a figured incision is the future Royal Doors.
2 ... On the Royal Doors we glue the printed icon of the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos.
3 ... At the very bottom of the iconostasis there are images of the Honest and the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. A separate lesson can be devoted to this - learning how to draw a correct cross. Children draw four crosses with a red felt-tip pen.
4. Local row. We recall on which side of the Royal Doors is the icon of the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos, where the icon of the saint or holiday, whose name the temple bears, is located. We glue the horses in the correct order.
5. Festive row. Children are given a festive series printed on a printer: we look again at the icons, remember which holiday is depicted on which icon and why this holiday is so important.
6. Deesis rank. A large icon of the Savior is glued in the center, on the right and left are printed icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, John the Baptist and angels. Remember the meaning of the word Deesis.
7. The iconostasis is ready ... Children can draw any patterns in the remaining space. Drawing a pattern can be devoted to a separate lesson, in which children can be shown the technique of basic patterns, and then they can be performed on the iconostasis.
Now each student can tell parents in detail about the symbolism of the iconostasis.
Reference: The iconostasis separates the altar from the main premises of the temple, where the worshipers are located, its most sacred part, which symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven, the area of Divine being, the constant presence of Divine grace.
This symbolic Heaven on earth must be separated from the entire temple, for God is completely different from His creation, God is predominantly holy, that is, unmoving, incompatible in the fullness of His Being in the realm of earthly existence.
The sanctity of the altar is emphasized by its elevation above the main level of the temple and by the enclosure of the shrine, which should not dissolve into everyday life. The iconostasis protects the altar from the penetration of unprepared people for the rite.
The ICONOSTASIS not only separates the Divine world from the created world, it is also the image of the Heavenly Church, headed by the Lord Jesus Christ. The iconostasis is turned by icons to the middle part of the temple, where the worshipers are standing. Thus, during the divine service, the assembly of believers is, as it were, placed face to face with the assembly of celestials who are mysteriously present in the images of the iconostasis.
In the center of the iconostasis there is the Royal Doors, located opposite the throne. They are called so because through them comes the King of Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in the Holy Gifts. To the left of the Royal Doors, in the northern part of the iconostasis, opposite the altar - the northern doors for the exit of the clergy during the service; on the right, in the southern part of the iconostasis, there are southern doors for the entrance of the clergy. A curtain is hung from within the Royal Doors, which is opened or closed at certain times of the divine service. The opening of the veil represents the opening of the secret of salvation to people. The opening of the Royal Doors means the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven to Christians.
Iconostases are different. Large iconostases in the Assumption and Archangel Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. In such cathedrals, as a rule, the iconostasis consists of five tiers, or five rows of icons. These tiers are connected into a single whole, which is a manifestation of the heavenly world.
The lower tier, or row, is called local, because it contains a local icon, that is, an icon of a holiday or saint in whose honor the temple is built. In the middle of the local row is the Royal Gates. They are carved and painted. The icons of the four evangelists and the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos are usually painted on the Royal Doors. Standing in front of the Royal Doors, we see to the right of them the icon of the Savior Jesus Christ, to the right - the local icon. Even more to the right, as a rule, is the southern door, on which the icon of the archangel is depicted. There may be other icons to the right of the south door.
To the left of the Royal Doors, as a rule, the icon of the Mother of God is placed, to the left - other icons.
The second row from the bottom can be festive, it contains icons of twelve holidays.
The third row is the Deesis (see “Iconography”). To the right and to the left of Deisus are icons of saints and archangels.
The fourth row is prophetic. It contains icons of the prophets of the Old Testament - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, David, Solomon and others.
The fifth row is the forefather. The forefathers are the patriarchs of the Israelite people, such as Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Noah.
The iconostasis has three doors, or three gates. The middle gates, the largest, are placed in the very middle of the iconostasis and are called the Royal Gates, because the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the King of Glory, invisibly passes through them in the Holy Gifts.
