Home Helpful Hints The icon of the Virgin is located to the right of the gate. The icon of the mother of God, called "the all-tsaritsa" ("pantanassa"). Features of the manufacture and design of the Royal Doors

Helpful Hints

The icon of the Virgin is located to the right of the gate. The icon of the mother of God, called "the all-tsaritsa" ("pantanassa"). Features of the manufacture and design of the Royal Doors

In the iconostasis, there are usually three doors (gates) leading to the altar: in the middle of the iconostasis, right in front of the throne - the Royal Doors, to the left of the Royal Doors (in relation to those in front of the iconostasis) - the North Gate, to the right - the South.

The side gates of the iconostasis are called deacon's doors. It is customary to open the Royal Doors only during worship (in Russian worship, only at certain moments). Only clergymen can pass through them, performing the required liturgical actions. Deacon doors can be used at any time for simple (non-symbolic) entry and exit from the altar. Also, if necessary, members of the church clergy (helping the clergy in performing the service) can pass through them.

The plots of the icons in the iconostasis and their order have certain established traditions. The iconographic composition of the iconostasis expresses the content and meaning of the divine services taking place in the temple. However, some of the plots can be replaced or varied, which is caused by the historical development of the iconostasis and the presence of local features. The most common composition of the Russian iconostasis is as follows:

The bottom row (or in other words "rank") - local

It houses the Royal Doors with the image of the Annunciation and the four evangelists on two wings. Sometimes only the Annunciation is depicted (figures of the Archangel Gabriel and the Mother of God in growth). There are full-length images of saints, most often the compilers of the liturgy - John Chrysostom and Basil the Great. The framing of the Royal Doors (pillars and the crowning canopy) can have images of saints, deacons, and on top the icon of the Eucharist - the Communion of the Apostles by Christ. To the right of the Royal Doors is the icon of the Savior, to the left is the icon of the Mother of God, occasionally replaced by icons of the Lord's and Mother of God holidays. To the right of the icon of the Savior is usually a temple icon, that is, the icon of that holiday or saint in whose honor this temple is consecrated.

Lotusalp, GNU 1.2

unknown , Public Domain

There are deacon doors with multi-figure scenes on the plots of the book of Genesis, paradise and scenes with complex dogmatic content. The remaining icons in the local row can be any. This is determined by the desire of the creators of the iconostasis themselves. As a rule, these are locally venerated icons. Because of this, the series is called local.

The second row is the deesis, or deesis rank

(In iconostases later than the middle of the 17th century, as well as in many modern iconostases, instead of the deesis tier, the festive tier of icons, previously always located third, is placed above the local row. This is probably due to the small scale of images on multi-figured feasts, which are less visible at high altitude. However, this displacement violates the semantic sequence of the entire iconostasis.)

unknown , Public Domain

The Deesis tier is the main row of the iconostasis, from which its formation began. The word "deisis" in Greek means "prayer". In the center of the deesis is always the icon of Christ. Most often it is "The Savior in strength" or "The Savior on the throne", in the case of a half-length image - Christ Pantokrator (Almighty). Rarely there are shoulder or even main images. To the right and left are icons of those who are coming and praying to Christ: on the left - the Mother of God, on the right - John the Baptist, then the archangels Michael (left) and Gabriel (right), the apostles Peter and Paul. With a larger number of icons, the composition of the deesis may be different. Either saints, martyrs, saints and any saints pleasing to the customer are depicted, or all 12 apostles are depicted. The edges of the deesis may be flanked by icons of pillars. The saints depicted on the icons of the deesis should be turned three-quarters of a turn towards Christ, so that they are shown praying to the Savior.

Third row - festive

It contains icons of the main events of the Gospel history, that is, the twelfth feasts. The festive row, as a rule, contains icons of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ (“Descent into Hell”). Usually the icon of the Resurrection of Lazarus is included. In a more extended version, icons of the Passion of Christ, the Last Supper (sometimes even the Eucharist, as above the Royal Doors) and icons associated with the Resurrection - “Myrrh-bearing women at the tomb”, “Assurance of Thomas” can be included. The series ends with the icon of the Assumption.

Andrey Rublev and Daniil, Public Domain

Sometimes the feasts of the Nativity of the Mother of God and the Entry into the Temple are absent in the row, leaving more space for the icons of the passions and the Resurrection. Later, the icon "Exaltation of the Cross" began to be included in the row. If there are several aisles in the temple, the festive row in the side iconostases can vary and be reduced. For example, only gospel readings in the weeks after Easter are depicted.

Fourth row - prophetic

It contains icons of the Old Testament prophets with scrolls in their hands, where quotes from their prophecies are written. Not only the authors of prophetic books are depicted here, but also kings David, Solomon, Elijah the prophet and other people associated with the foreshadowing of the birth of Christ. Sometimes in the hands of the prophets, the symbols and attributes of their prophecies that they bring are depicted (for example, Daniel has a stone that independently torn off the mountain as an image of Christ born from the Virgin, Gideon has a dewy fleece, Zechariah has a sickle, Ezekiel has the closed gates of the temple).

unknown , Public Domain

In the center of the row is usually the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign, “enclosing in Her bosom the image of the Son born of Her,” or the Mother of God with the Child on the throne (depending on whether the half-length or full-length images of the prophets). However, there are early examples of prophetic rows without the icon of the Mother of God. The number of prophets depicted may vary depending on the size of the row.

Fifth row - forefather

It contains icons of Old Testament saints, mainly the ancestors of Christ, including the first people - Adam, Eve, Abel. The central icon of the row is "Fatherland" or later the so-called "New Testament Trinity". There are serious objections to the possibility of using these iconographies in Orthodox iconography. In particular, they were categorically forbidden by the Great Moscow Cathedral of 1666-1667. Objections are based on the impossibility of depicting God the Father, which is directly attempted in the image of the Ancient of Days (in ancient times, the Ancient of Days was an image of only Christ, who was coming to be incarnated).

anonimus, Public Domain

Another argument in favor of the rejection of these two icons is the distorted idea of the Trinity in them. That is why in some modern iconostases, the Old Testament Trinity icon, that is, the image of the appearance of three Angels to Abraham, is made the central image of the forefathers. The icon of Andrei Rublev is recognized as the most preferred iconographic version of the Trinity. However, the image of the "Fatherland" and the "New Testament Trinity" became widespread and are still used in icon painting.

Completion

The iconostasis ends with a cross or an icon of the Crucifixion (also in the form of a cross). Sometimes icons of the coming ones are placed on the sides of the cross, as on the usual icon of the Crucifixion: the Mother of God, John the Theologian, and even sometimes the myrrh-bearing women and centurion Longinus.

Additional rows

At the end of the 17th century, iconostases could have the sixth and seventh row of icons:

The Passion of the Apostles is an image of the martyrdom of the 12 apostles.
The Passion of Christ is a detailed account of the entire history of the condemnation and crucifixion of Christ.

These additional rows of icons are not included in the theological program of the classic four- or five-tiered iconostasis. They appeared under the influence of Ukrainian art, where these subjects were very common.

In addition, at the very bottom, at floor level, under the local row, at that time, images of pre-Christian pagan philosophers and sibyls were placed, with quotations from their writings, in which prophecies about Christ were seen. According to the Christian worldview, although they did not know Christ, they strove for the knowledge of the truth and could unconsciously give a prophecy about Christ.

Icon of the Mother of God, called "ALL-Tsaritsa" ("Pantanassa")

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "The Tsaritsa" ("Pantanassa") they pray for healing from cancer, for deliverance from magical spells. The celebration takes place on August 18/31.

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God, called the "All-Tsaritsa" (in Greek - "Pantanassa"), is located on Mount Athos in Greece. She abides in Vatopedi monastery , in the cathedral church of the monastery, to the left of the royal doors. This icon is small. The time of its writing dates back to the 17th century.

Icon of the All-Tsaritsa and the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos

The icon depicts the Blessed Virgin in a scarlet robe, seated on the royal throne. In her arms is the Divine Infant with a scroll in her left hand and blessing with her right hand. With her right hand, the Mother of God points to Her Royal Son, as the Savior of all people. In the background are two angels, who with reverence overshadow the Blessed Virgin with their wings.

This icon belongs to the iconographic type of Panahranta, which in Greek means “The Most Immaculate”, “The Most Pure”. All-merciful - the second name of the icons of the Virgin of this type. A common feature of such icons is that the Mother of God is depicted sitting on a throne with the Christ Child on her knees. The throne symbolizes the royal majesty and glory of the Mother of God, the most perfect of all those born on earth.

In the 20th century, the well-known Athos elder Joseph Hesychast blessed his students with the image of Pantanassa. He also conveyed to his contemporaries the ancient legend about this icon.

One day a strange man approached the icon and began to mumble something indistinctly. At that moment, the face of the Mother of God shone with a wondrous light, and an invisible force threw the young man to the floor. In fear, he ran out of the temple and with tears confessed to the elders that he led a sinful life and practiced witchcraft and magic. So the Most Holy Theotokos showed a miracle from Her image, turned the young man away from wickedness and set him on the path of repentance. The miraculous intervention of the Virgin convinced him to change his life and stay on Athos.

This was the first manifestation of the miraculous power of the icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa”, later it was noticed that the icon has a beneficial effect on patients with various tumors, including malignant ones, as they are called in the modern world. Not many people know that cancer has an ancient history. The name "cancer" comes from the term "carcinoma" introduced by Hippocrates, derived from two Greek words: "crab" and "tumor". Hippocrates called the tumor a carcinoma because it looks like a crab. And for the first time the disease is described in the Egyptian papyrus of about 1600 BC. The papyrus tells of several forms of cancer and states that there is no cure for this disease. Already in the 1st century BC. The Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus proposed to treat cancer at an early stage by removing the tumor, and at later stages - not to treat it at all.

It cannot be said that over the past 2000 years, doctors have made any special progress in the fight against this disease, which affects an increasing number of people every year. Now, as before, this disease is considered incurable, and all cancer patients rely only on a miracle. It must be admitted that there are cases of miraculous healing, many of them, if not all, are associated with fervent prayerful appeal to the Savior and the Mother of God. Therefore, when in the 17th century the miraculous power of the icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa” was discovered in the cure of cancer, accurate lists were made from the icon for other monasteries as well. Gradually, the icon became known throughout the world as a healer of cancer, and to this day the image of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa" has the grace to heal the most terrible of the diseases of modern mankind. The very name of the icon All-Mistress, All-lady- speaks of its special, all-encompassing power. This image of the Mother of God has the most powerful healing principle.

In 1995, the Russians also had the opportunity to bow before the miraculous image in order to turn to the All-Tsaritsa directly before the face of the Mother of God with a request to get rid of many incurable diseases, and first of all, from cancer, which is called the plague of the 20th century, and which does not spare even small children. , neither young nor old.

At the request of the Community of Mercy of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt at the Children's Cancer Center on Kashirskoye Highway, the abbot of the Vatopedi Monastery, Archimandrite Ephraim, gave his blessing to make a list from the Athos miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa”. An exact copy of the icon, painted in compliance with the canon, with prayerful intercessions and solemn services, appeared to the unfortunate children.

And miracles began. The condition of children improved significantly, which could not be explained only by the use of drugs. A few months later, on the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa” began to stream myrrh, several large drops of myrrh appeared on it, and an amazing fragrance filled everything around. On the feast of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, myrrh-streaming was repeated once more. The first miracle performed by the All-Tsaritsa in Russia is the healing of a young man who had suffered from drug addiction for many years. Since then, in front of the icon “The Tsaritsa”, parents have been turning to the Mother of God, praying for their children, who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.

Needless to say, the news of the amazing icon spread throughout Moscow with lightning speed. The miraculous image was transferred to Church of All Saints the former Novo-Alekseevsky Monastery, which is located in Krasnoselsky Lane, near Krasnoselskaya metro station , the image of the “All-Tsaritsa” is regularly brought back to the oncology center to serve prayers.

Church of All Saints in Krasnoye Selo, Krasnoselskaya metro station

To the left of the Royal Doors is the Icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa"

Some time later, a Church Slavonic version of the Akathist to the Mother of God in honor of Her icon "The Tsaritsa" was created, different from the Greek one. Every Sunday at All Saints Church at 4:30 pm (and in case there is a great holiday on Monday - at 15.00) prayers are performed with the reading of an akathist to the Theotokos and the consecration of oil to anoint all those who suffer, and not only from cancer. The chronicle of healings is constantly updated with more and more evidence of miraculous help for those who no longer dreamed of receiving it from earthly doctors. There are stories here about old people and babies, from the perspective of women and men, about cures in the late stages of cancer and about removing suspicions of it, about recovering from deadly diseases and from those that bring a lot of pain, but are not fatal and about many, many other things. Grateful people not only leave their stories in the book, but also bring all kinds of gifts to the shrine.

For example, in 2002, one person suffered a hypertensive crisis. After being discharged, on the advice of his relatives, he went for a brain tomography. The examination showed that after frequent surges in pressure, a tumor formed in the brain. There was only one solution - surgery. Before going to the operation, this man went to the monastery for a blessing, and there his wife ordered a prayer service to the icon "The Tsaritsa" with water blessing. While in the hospital, he constantly prayed to the All-Tsaritsa for recovery and constantly drank holy water, which he took after the prayer service. The hospital made another control examination, which confirmed the healing of a serious illness.

Today this list, which is located in the Church of All Saints in Krasnoye Selo, is no longer the only one in Russia. In 1997, another miraculous copy of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa" appeared in Moscow, which is located in Novospassky Monastery (Moscow, Krestyanskaya Square, 10, Proletarskaya metro station). This list was specially made in the Vatopedi Monastery and brought to Russia. He is revered as miraculous and myrrh-streaming. Here, too, a book is kept, in which all the miracles that come from the shrine are recorded.Prayer songs are performed before him every day, and on Sundays prayers are served with blessing of water.

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa" in the gallery of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Novospassky Monastery

Numerous offerings hanging on the icon testify to the many cases of healings revealed through prayers to the Mother of God at this icon.

The myrrh-streaming icon of the "All-Tsaritsa" is currently in
Bishop's convent (Moscow region, city of Serpukhov). This icon streamed myrrh more than 30 times. 2 cases of healing from cancer are attested. In the monastery, an akathist is read daily before the miraculous image of the Mother of God, during which the names of people suffering from various ailments are commemorated.

"The Tsaritsa" is considered the most "powerful" icon in the world, healing cancer patients. The Mother of God manifests Her inexpressible mercy and gives healing to all who, with faith and love, turn to Her in prayer before Her glorified image.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

Troparion, tone 4
In the joyful image of the honest All-Tsaritsa, / with the warm desire of those who seek Your grace, save, Mistress; / save those who resort to you from circumstances; / protect your flock from every misfortune, / forever crying out to your intercession.

Kontakion, tone 8
Thy newly-appeared icon is coming faithfully with tenderness, we sing to Thee, the All-Tsaritsa, Thy servants; send down healing to Thee by Thy servants now flowing. Yes, we all joyfully call Thee: Rejoice, All-Tsaritsa, healing our ailments with grace.

Prayer one
O All-good, venerable Mother of God, Pantanassa, the All-Tsaritsa! Be worthy and enter under my roof! But like a merciful God, the compassionate Mother, the words of the word, may my soul be healed and my weak body strengthened. Imashi for an invincible power and every word will not fail you, O All-Tsaritsa! You ask for me. You beg for me. May I glorify Your glorious name always, now and forever. A min.

Prayer two
O Most Pure Mother of God, All-Tsaritsa! Hear our many-painful sigh before Thy miraculous icon, transferred from Athos to Russia, look at Thy children, incurable ailments of the afflicted, falling to Thy holy image with faith! Like a krill bird covers its chicks, so are you now, ever-alive being, cover us with your multi-healing omophorion. There, where hope disappears, be an undoubted Hope. There, where fierce sorrows overcome, Patience and Weakness appear. There, even where the darkness of despair dwells in the souls, let the inexpressible light of the Divine shine! Cowardly comfort, strengthen the weak, grant softening and enlightenment to hardened hearts. Heal your sick people, O all-merciful Queen! Bless the mind and hands of those who heal us; let them serve as an instrument of the Almighty Physician Christ our Savior. As if live Thy, who is with us, we pray before Thy icon, O Mistress! Stretch out Your hands, full of healing and healing, Joy to those who mourn, Consolation in sorrow, but having received miraculous help soon, we glorify the Life-Giving and Indivisible Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. A min.

canonarch- one of the faces of the clergy. His duty is to prescribe certain chants. The canonarch must publicly proclaim what will be sung and in what voice; then he proclaims each singing line of the chant, which is repeated after him by the chorus. The voice of the canonarch must be strong, clear, pronunciation distinct, clear. Singing with the canonarch was preserved mainly in monasteries.

Vestments- the name of the clothes in which the clergy are clothed during worship.

Stole(Greek - on the neck) - belonging to the priestly vestments: a long, wide ribbon worn around the neck. Its ends are fastened with buttons and descend to the chest, reaching almost to the ground.

wand- a symbol of spiritual power. The oldest images represent the Savior in the form of a Shepherd (Shepherd) with a staff in his hand. The apostles were also depicted with a rod (staff). In view of the continuity of spiritual authority, the rod passed from the apostles to their successors -

The iconographic composition of the high iconostasis

The cycle of conversations

This material acquaints readers, including parishioners, with the iconostasis of the Holy Intercession Church in the village of Dyachevo.

It should be noted that the iconostasis in the temple was built according to the type of a high Russian iconostasis.

All icons were painted during the construction of the temple by modern icon painters.

iconostasis of the Church of the Intercession in the village of Dyachevo

The iconostasis (cf. Greek εἰκονοστάσιον) is an altar partition, more or less solid, from the northern to the southern walls of the temple, consisting of one or more rows of ordered icons, separating the altar part of the Orthodox church from the rest of the room.

Thus, the 5-tiered iconostasis must be viewed from top to bottom.
1. First, the iconostasis shows the expectation of mankind of the Savior promised by God,
2. then the appearance of Christ into the world and
3. His redemption.

The Deesis "order is the completion of the historical process: it is the image of the Church in its eschatological aspect." Here the saints are shown united with Christ as one body.

If from top to bottom the content of the iconostasis shows the Divine revelation and the economy of the salvation of mankind, then the program of images on the royal doors in the local row shows the path to salvation for every believer. In the Annunciation, Mary agreed to become the Mother of Christ, and in Her the earthly and the heavenly were united. In the same way, the gates themselves connect the temple with the altar - the image of the heavenly world and paradise. Through the evangelists the message of salvation spread to all parts of the world. Finally, in the image of the Eucharist above the royal doors, people's acceptance of Christ and union with Him are shown.

As in the Eucharistic prayer at the liturgy, the deceased Old Testament forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, New Testament apostles, martyrs, confessors, and then all the living and those in the church believers are commemorated in faith, so the iconostasis, as it were, is not closed. It is continued by the Christians gathered in the temple.

It is customary to open the Royal Doors only during worship (in Russian worship, only at certain moments). Only clergymen can pass through them, performing the required liturgical actions. Deacon doors can be used at any time for simple (non-symbolic) entry and exit from the altar. Also, if necessary, members of the church clergy (helping the clergy in performing the service) can pass through them.

To the right of the Royal Doors is the icon of the Savior, to the left is the icon of the Mother of God, occasionally replaced by icons of the Lord's and Mother of God holidays. To the right of the icon of the Savior is usually a temple icon, that is, the icon of that holiday or saint in whose honor this temple is consecrated. In our case, the temple image is the "Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos" .

The archangels Gabriel and Michael are most often depicted on the deacon doors, sometimes the holy archdeacons Stephen and Lawrence, Old Testament prophets or high priests (Moses and Aaron, Melchizedek, Daniel) can be depicted, there is an image of a prudent robber, rarely other saints or saints. In our church, on the north diaconal door, there is a depiction of the holy prophet John the Baptist - the Angel of the Desert. There are deacon doors with multi-figure scenes on the plots of the book of Genesis, paradise and scenes with complex dogmatic content. The remaining icons in the local row can be any. This is determined by the desire of the creators of the iconostasis themselves. As a rule, these are locally venerated icons. Because of this, the series is called local.

(In iconostases later than the middle of the 17th century, as well as in many modern iconostases, instead of the deesis tier, the festive tier of icons, previously always located third, is placed above the local row. This is probably due to the small scale of images on multi-figured feasts, which are less visible at high altitude. We have just that, the second row is the Festive rite and only the third is the Deesis. However, this movement violates the semantic sequence of the entire iconostasis.)

The Deesis tier is the main row of the iconostasis, from which its formation began. The word "deisis" in Greek means "prayer". In the center of the deesis is always the icon of Christ. Most often, this is “The Savior in Strength” or “The Savior on the Throne”, in the case of a half-length image - Christ Pantokrator (Almighty). Rarely there are shoulder or even main images. To the right and left are icons of those who are coming and praying to Christ: on the left - the Mother of God, on the right - John the Baptist, then the archangels Michael (left) and Gabriel (right), the apostles Peter and Paul. With a larger number of icons, the composition of the deesis may be different. Either saints, martyrs, saints and any saints pleasing to the customer are depicted, or all 12 apostles are depicted. The edges of the deesis may be flanked by icons of pillars. The saints depicted on the icons of the deesis should be turned three-quarters of a turn towards Christ, so that they are shown praying to the Savior.

It contains icons of the main events of the Gospel history, that is, the twelfth feasts.

The festive row, as a rule, contains icons of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ (“Descent into Hell”). Usually the icon of the Resurrection of Lazarus is included. In a more extended version, icons of the Passion of Christ, the Last Supper (sometimes even the Eucharist, as above the Royal Doors) and icons associated with the Resurrection - “The Myrrh-Bearing Wives at the Tomb”, “The Assurance of Thomas” can be included. The series ends with the icon of the Assumption. Sometimes the feasts of the Nativity of the Mother of God and the Entry into the Temple are absent in the row, leaving more space for the icons of the passions and the Resurrection. Later, the icon "Exaltation of the Cross" began to be included in the row. If there are several aisles in the temple, the festive row in the side iconostases can vary and be reduced. For example, only gospel readings in the weeks after Easter are depicted.

It contains icons of the Old Testament prophets with scrolls in their hands, where quotes from their prophecies are written.

Not only the authors of prophetic books are depicted here, but also kings David, Solomon, Elijah the prophet and other people associated with the foreshadowing of the birth of Christ. Sometimes in the hands of the prophets are depicted the symbols and attributes of their prophecies they cite (for example, Daniel has a stone that independently torn off the mountain as an image of Christ born of the Virgin, Gideon has a dewy fleece, Zechariah has a sickle, Ezekiel has the closed gates of the temple). In the center of the row is usually the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign, “enclosing in Her bosom the image of the Son born of Her,” or the Mother of God with the Child on the throne (depending on whether the half-length or full-length images of the prophets). However, there are early examples of prophetic rows without the icon of the Mother of God. The number of prophets depicted may vary depending on the size of the row.

It contains icons of the Old Testament saints, mainly the ancestors of Christ, including the first people - Adam, Eve, Abel. The central icon of the row is "Fatherland" or later the so-called "New Testament Trinity".

There are serious objections to the possibility of using these iconographies in Orthodox iconography. In particular, they were categorically forbidden by the Great Moscow Cathedral of 1666-1667. Objections are based on the impossibility of depicting God the Father, which is directly attempted in the image of the Ancient of Days (in ancient times, the Ancient of Days was an image of only Christ, who was coming to be incarnated). Another argument in favor of the rejection of these two icons is the distorted idea of the Trinity in them. That is why in some modern iconostases, the Old Testament Trinity icon, that is, the image of the appearance of three Angels to Abraham, is made the central image of the forefathers. The icon of Andrei Rublev is recognized as the most preferred iconographic version of the Trinity. However, the image of the "Fatherland" and the "New Testament Trinity" became widespread and are still used in icon painting.

How the iconostasis is arranged in an Orthodox church...

How the iconostasis is arranged in an Orthodox church

26.04.2018 2927

One of the most important and most recognizable elements of an Orthodox church is an icon - that very window into the spiritual world, which allows us to better focus on prayer turning to God. In the temple, the icons are combined into a special symphony, which we call the iconostasis.
The iconostasis received its main development precisely in the Russian Orthodox Church, and this was due to the peculiarities of national temple building. The temples of the Eastern (and for us rather southern) patriarchates were mainly built of stone. Their interior decoration from the floor to the domes was painted with frescoes depicting the Lord, the Virgin, saints and various theological and historical subjects.

In Russian churches the situation was different. Stone cathedrals were, so to speak, "piece goods" for cities or large monasteries. Most churches were built of wood and, accordingly, were not painted inside. Therefore, in such churches, instead of frescoes, new icons began to be added to the altar barrier, and from this it grew up several rows.

How did the iconostasis appear?

In the Temple of Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies was separated from the sanctuary by a huge curtain, which was torn in two after the death of the Savior on the cross, as a symbol of the end of the Old Testament and the entry of mankind into the New.

The New Testament Church in the first three centuries of its existence was in the position of being persecuted and was forced to hide in the catacombs. The sacrament of the Eucharist was performed right on the tombs of the martyrs in hastily adapted cubicles (rooms) for the temple, where only their own gathered. Under such conditions, it was neither possible nor especially necessary to fence off the throne from those present.

The first mention of temples specially built for worship and of altar barriers or parapets separating the most sacred part of the temple from its main space date back to the 4th century.

After the legalization of Christianity by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine the Great, a huge number of new believers came to the Church, the level of churching of which was relatively low. Therefore, the throne and the altar needed to be protected from possible disrespect.

The first altar barriers looked either like a low fence, or like a row of columns, which on top was often crowned with a transverse bar - the “architrave”. They were low and did not completely cover the painting of the altar apses, and also gave the worshipers the opportunity to observe what was happening in the altar. A cross was usually placed on top of the architrave.

Bishop Eusebius Pamphilus mentions such barriers in his Church History, who, for example, reported the following about the Church of the Holy Sepulcher: “The semicircle of the apse was surrounded by as many columns as there were apostles.”

Pretty soon, the cross on the architrave was replaced by a row of icons, and images of the Savior (on the right in relation to those who pray) and the Virgin (on the left) began to be placed on the supporting columns on the sides of the royal doors, and after some more time, this row was supplemented with icons of other saints and angels. Thus, the first one- and two-tier iconostases appeared, which were common in the Eastern Churches.

The development of the iconostasis in Russia

The classic multi-tiered iconostasis first appeared and became widespread precisely in the Russian Orthodox Church, so that it was associated with the architectural features of Russian churches, which have already been mentioned above.

The first temples built in Russia copied Byzantine designs. Iconostases in them had 2-3 tiers.

It is not known exactly when exactly they began to grow, but documentary evidence of the appearance of the first four-tiered iconostasis dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. It was installed in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir, which was painted by the Monks Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny. By the end of the century, such iconostases spread everywhere.

In the second half of the 16th century, the fifth row appears in the iconostasis for the first time. In the 17th century, this layout became classic for most Russian churches, and in some of them you can find iconostases in six or even seven rows. Further, the "number of storeys" of the iconostasis stops growing.

The sixth and seventh tiers were usually dedicated to the Passion of Christ and, accordingly, to the passions of the apostles (their martyrdom). These stories came to Russia from Ukraine, where they were quite popular.

Classic five-tiered iconostasis

The five-tiered iconostasis is a classic today. Its lowest tier is called "local". To the right and left of the royal doors, there are always icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, respectively. On the royal doors themselves are the images of the four evangelists and the plot of the Annunciation.

To the right of the icon of the Savior is usually placed the image of the saint or holiday to which the temple in which you are located is dedicated, and to the left of the image of the Virgin - the icon of one of the saints most revered in this area.

Next come the southern (on the right hand of the worshipers) and northern (on the left) doors. They are usually painted with icons of the archangels Michael and Gabriel or the archdeacons Stephen and Lawrence (although other options are possible), and the rest of the local row is filled with several images of saints, also the most revered in this region.

The second tier is called "holiday". Here, the center of the composition is the icon of the Last Supper over the royal gates, to the left and right of which you can see plots of the 12 most significant gospel events from the point of view of the Church: the Ascension, the Meeting, the Nativity of the Virgin, Her Entry into the Temple, the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, the Entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem, the Transfiguration, etc.

The third tier is called "deisis" - from the Greek. "prayer". The central image of this series is the Lord Almighty, depicted in all his power and glory. He sits in golden clothes on the royal throne against the background of a red rhombus (the invisible world), a green oval (the spiritual world) and a red square with elongated edges (the earthly world), which together symbolize the entirety of the universe.

The figures of the prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John (right), the Most Holy Theotokos (left) and other saints are facing the Savior in poses of prayer. The figures of the saints are depicted half-turned to those who are praying to show that during the divine service the saints stand with us before God, are prayerful before him in our needs, for which we ask them.

In the fourth row, the Old Testament prophets are depicted, and in the fifth, the forefathers who lived at the dawn of the emergence of mankind. In the center of the "prophetic" row, the icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" is placed, and in the center of the "forefather" - the icon of the Holy Trinity.

Iconostases in modern churches

The construction of the iconostasis, like other aspects of the internal church life, is regulated by certain traditions. But this does not mean at all that all iconostases are exactly the same. When forming the iconostasis, they try to take into account the general architectural appearance of a particular temple.

If the temple premises were converted from some other building and its ceiling is low and flat, then the iconostasis may well be made two- or even single-tiered. If you want to show the beautiful painting of the altar apses to the faithful, choose an iconostasis in the Byzantine style up to three rows in height. In other cases, they try to install a classic five-tier.

The position and filling of the rows is also not strictly regulated. The "Deisis" row can come after the "local" row and precede the "holiday" row. The central icon in the “festive” tier may not be the “Last Supper”, but the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ”. Instead of a festive row, in some churches you can see icons of the Passion of Christ.

Also, a carved figure of a dove in rays of radiance, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, is often placed above the royal doors, and the upper tier of the iconostasis is crowned with a cross or an image of a crucifix.

Andrey Segeda