The word "icon" in Greek means "image". Sacred images of the Lord, Mother of God, angels, saints, we call icons. There are a lot of different icons, you can read more about them in the article. And in this article we will talk about what icons can be seen in the temple.
Iconostasis
Now we will talk about the church iconostasis. It is worth noting that it is an obligatory and most important element of each temple. The iconostasis consists entirely of icons arranged strictly in tiers, some of them are obligatory, others are not. The number of tiers in each temple is different, but should not be less than three.
Required and optional icons
So, let's talk about the rows of the iconostasis and the obligatory images of the faces of the Lord and the saints. In the 15th-19th centuries. the order of the high iconostasis was formed. Now we will talk about it in more detail.
The Russian iconostasis has 5 rows: local, deesis, festive, forefather.
Also, the Russian iconostasis has 3 doors: central, royal - the Lord himself is depicted on them, the archangels Gabriel and Michael are depicted on the northern and southern ones.
Let's talk in more detail about the rows of the iconostasis.
- In the local row, there must be an icon of the Savior to the right of the royal gates, and the image of the Mother of God with the baby - to the left. Above the Royal Doors there should be an icon of the Last Supper. This row may also contain nominal icons and icons dedicated to the current holiday.
- The Deesis rank is the most important. In the middle is an icon or the Savior on the throne. It depicts saints praying to Christ and Christ himself. The image of John the Baptist is on the right, then the archangel Gabriel and the apostle Paul, and on the left is the icon of the Mother of God, followed by the archangel Michael and the apostle Peter. Large iconostases are complemented by various images of saints or 12 apostles.
- The festive row consists of icons of the twelfth holidays and images of Easter and Holy Weeks. Mandatory icons are the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. In some, but not all churches, this row includes icons of the passion of Christ, the Assurance of Thomas, the Nativity of the Mother of God and the Entry into the Temple, the descent of the Holy Spirit, Theophany.
- Prophetic series. Kings David and Solomon, the prophet Elijah are always depicted here. In the center of the row is the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign. Various saints can also be depicted, their number depends on the size of the iconostasis of the temple.
- The forefathers row is a kind of gallery of forefathers. This row contains icons of the ancestors of Christ - from Adam, Eve and Abel to Moses himself. In the center of the row is the icon of the Fatherland or the Old Testament Trinity, at the choice of the temple.
The iconostasis necessarily ends with a cross or an icon of the Crucifixion. Sometimes on the sides of the cross you can see icons depicting the Mother of God and John the Theologian.
Unique icons
Each temple has its own temple icon, i.e. it depicts the saint in whose honor the temple is named, for example, the icon of Our Lady of Kazan is located in the Kazan Cathedral. And the icon of the Mother of God “Merciful” is the property of the Zachatievsky Monastery.
Every Orthodox should know which icon to turn to for this or that request. You can find out this information by referring to the article.
The article is intended to help a person who has visited an Orthodox Church for the first time.
So we entered the temple. In no way should one be embarrassed by one's incompetence and possibly misunderstandings. You have to learn to feel with your heart, not with your mind. Ignorance of the rites and the language of worship in no way detracts from our participation in it (although, of course, they make it difficult - but this is just a fixable matter). There is a saying in the Church: "You do not understand (what is happening in your soul during worship) - but the demons understand everything (and run)." The impact of conciliar prayer, the grace of the Sacraments and shrines on the depths of our soul is incomparably more important than rational awareness - and more effective on the path of spiritual growth.
Arriving at the temple, first of all, you should find out about the order of services in this parish: when are liturgies served, when are vespers and matins (all-night vigil), when you can order private services (requisitions) - prayers, memorial services. However, you can go to the Church and pray at any time - if it is open. It is customary to put candles - as a symbolic sacrifice to God and an image of our prayer - although this is not at all necessary. Candles are usually purchased in the so-called "candle box" (tray with church goods) and placed on candlesticks. Candles are placed in front of the images (icons) of the Savior, Mother of God, saints. At the same time - once again we remind! - it should always be remembered that the object of prayer and worship is not the substance of the icon, but imprinted on it image(our soul ascending to prototype) .
In the very center of the temple is always located temple icon- an image of the Savior, a saint or a church event to which this church is dedicated (the icon of St. Nicholas, if the Church is St. Nicholas; the icon of the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, if it is a Church of the Nativity, etc.). In front and to the right of the temple icon is always the icon of the Savior, in front and to the left - the Virgin. The rest of the icons, as a rule, are located on the walls and along the walls. Icons lie on special tables. The funeral commemoration is usually performed in the part of the temple where the crucifixion; candles in this case, it is customary to put on a special candlestick, which is called eve. The eastern part of the temple, in which the clergy perform the main part of the service (and, first of all, by the descent of the Holy Spirit, the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ), is called altar. The central part of the temple, where the worshipers are located, is separated from the altar by a special barrier called iconostasis. The iconostasis is the image of the Kingdom of Heaven, the visible embodiment of the Church as "Heaven on Earth".
During the service, it is advisable not to move aimlessly around the temple, so as not to embarrass the worshipers; all the more, you should not talk, except for emergency, especially loudly. For prayerful commemoration, it is customary to submit “commemoration notes” or “commemoration books”, which list the names (without patronymics and surnames) of our loved ones whom we would like to entrust to the conciliar prayer of the Church. Separately, notes “ON HEALTH” (at prayer services) and “ON DEATH” (at memorial services) are submitted. Both of these commemorations are performed at the liturgy, and this commemoration in the Mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ is the most gracious and, therefore, effective. Serve memorial notes (it’s good to write them in advance, but if you don’t know how to do this, they will help you in the Church) should be taken to the “candle box”, while taking one or more prosphora (small specially baked bread; they can be of different sizes, which not significant). Notes and prosphora are left at the candlestick (serving the "candle box") and then taken to the altar by the attendant. There, during the service, small particles are taken out of them, which then, with the words: “Wash, Lord, the sins of those who are remembered here (here) by Thy Honorable Blood, by the prayers of Thy saints,” are immersed in the Blood of Christ. From this moment on, the prosphora themselves are consecrated by the grace of God and become a shrine. After the end of the service, they, like the notes (which can be used at subsequent services), are taken out of the altar and sorted out by the parishioners. It is good to carefully crush the prosphora at home into particles, dry it and consume a little in the morning on an empty stomach, drinking holy water.
And a few more tips. The first - again and again we repeat - do not be afraid of anything and do not be embarrassed. Your ignorance of church rites is not an obstacle in your relationship with God. He Himself sees why and how you came to Him, and undoubtedly accepts your artless prayer. Even if at first you do something “not as it should be”, if you are reprimanded or even scolded, do not be embarrassed, know that this is allowed by the Lord to test your faith and humility: whether you came to God or came to show yourself. From this follows the second: have patience, do not rush the events of spiritual life on the principle of "all or nothing"; everything will come, but only in time… “by your patience save your souls,” said the Lord (Luke 21:19). Third, have confidence in God, in the holy fathers, in the 2,000-year experience of the Church of Christ, which is saving and has already saved millions of souls. Without trust, there is no faith. Do not be tempted by the incomprehensible, unconvincing and, perhaps, even unpleasant - do not judge immediately, entrust the entire judgment to God, but open your heart to what is already close to you, and accept this gift of God into yourself. For the rest, tell yourself: “If I don’t understand this now, then I don’t need it yet.”
And once again I ask: do not let the temptation into yourself - it can be, and most likely, there is a network placed on your soul by the evil one. So, for example, many "novices" are tempted by the incomprehensibility for them Church Slavonic. But why, then, after living several years of church life, the same people, as a rule, become staunch defenders of the preservation of this liturgical language? Yes, because with time something is revealed that is not visible at first sight - the wonderful beauty and spiritual richness of this pure spirit-bearing language created by the Holy Fathers. It is unlikely that there will be a normal person who will stand up for replacing the language of poetry with the language of the office (because it is supposedly more accurate), or the language of the office with the language of the bazaar (because it is “more popular”). Also, the idea of a complete replacement of the holy language of worship with everyday colloquial is perceived by most members of our Church as an unjustified simplification. . And the fact that while you do not understand everything from church prayers - do not grieve; as we have already said, the soul is able to "absorb" the grace of worship and prayer without the full participation of the mind in this (which is why, by the way, it is so important for believing parents to read prayers aloud in front of their babies and bring them to Church for services). And the time will come, show patience and perseverance on the path to God - and everything will fall into place, and wisdom will shine with infinite depth and beauty. Orthodox worship.
And finally, the fourth piece of advice, essentially following from the above: be persistent in achieving your goal on the path to God. Do not give up after the first disappointments and failures. The healing and salvation of the soul is more painstaking work than the healing of the body, and one should not expect only delights and successes on this path. Even “falling a hundred times a day, get up a hundred times,” our saints teach, and it is through these falls that the path to victory leads. “The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force, and those who use force rapture it” (Matt. 11:12) - this is the affirming word of the Savior Himself, and only with an understanding of this can one begin spiritual work.
All of the above does not negate the need to study. For these purposes, there are many benefits, such as: "The first steps in Orthodox church”, an explanation of the liturgy and the all-night vigil, etc.; currently they are quite affordable. At the same time, of course, an indispensable school of Christian life is direct participation in divine services and lively fellowship in the Church. When we begin to understand what is happening at the service at every particular moment, we will feel the incomparable joy of common prayer, the joy of communion with God. Everything is mastered gradually and in due time - there is no need to be afraid of anything, to be embarrassed by your ignorance, everything will fall into place when it should: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you” (Matt. 6, 33).
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Seesection for beginner christians where you will find answers to many questions.
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A simple and precise wording that defines the iconostasis as an element of an Orthodox church should correspond to sufficiently deep ideas about the church in general, about the icon, the spiritual content and history of the iconostasis, about the sacraments and worship of the Orthodox Church. Consequently, the theme of "Iconostasis" can be disclosed only in the system of a thorough historical and cultural education, when all the questions outlined above are consistently and seriously disclosed.
In the context of high-quality school education in the field of history and culture, the topic "Iconostasis" can be devoted to lessons in the section (topic, cycle) "Orthodox Church: internal dispensation." Assuming that it is in such conditions that our reader works, we give universal and necessary material that can be used as a teacher of the world artistic culture and a teacher of art, history religious culture or foundations of Orthodox culture.
In the presence of all these subjects in the curriculum, the teacher of the history of religious culture (or the foundations of Orthodox culture) will reveal the content more deeply in the religious-cognitive aspect. The teacher of the MHK will consider with the students the artistic and aesthetic side on specific examples with consolidation and reliance on the spiritual content and historical part, which will be given by the teacher of the history of religious culture (or the foundations of Orthodox culture). The art teacher will repeat the knowledge already acquired by schoolchildren using the example of different churches, will connect it with local places of worship and will pay more attention to the analysis of artistic and aesthetic impact, the characteristics of styles, the development of Orthodox church art in modern world. If such completeness and quality of culturological education is not provided for in a particular school, then the teacher who is to reveal this topic will have to try to convey the material offered here, relying only on himself.
And the conostasis is one of the most important and obligatory elements of an Orthodox church. The iconostasis is a partition separating the altar from the middle part of the temple, called the nave, and certainly lined with icons. Actually, the last characteristic gave the name "iconostasis", meaning "standing images, or icons" (from the Greek. eikonostasis: icon - image, image + stasis - place of standing).
Feofan Grek, Andrey Rublev, Prokhor from Gorodets and others
Iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. XV-XVII centuries
Row chart: BUT. Local row; B. Pyadnichny row; AT. Deesis rank. Around 1405; G. Festive row. Around 1405; D. Prophetic row; E. Forefather row
The layout of the icons: 1. Hosts; 2. Our Lady on the throne; 3. Annunciation; 4. Christmas; 5. Candlemas; 6. Midlife; 7. Baptism; 8. Transfiguration; 9. Resurrection of Lazarus; 10. Entrance to Jerusalem; 11. The Last Supper; 12. Crucifixion; 13. Position in the coffin; 14. descent into hell; 15. Ascension; 16. Descent of the Holy Spirit; 17. Dormition; 18. Basil the Great; 19. Apostle Peter; 20. Archangel Michael; 21. Mother of God; 22. Christ Almighty;. 23. John the Baptist;. 24. Archangel Gabriel; 25. Apostle Paul; 26. John Chrysostom; 27. Nikola, with marks of miracles; 28. Our Lady of Tikhvin, with hallmarks of miracles; 29. Archangel Uriel. North altar door; 30. Savior with the coming Mother of God and John the Baptist, with the saints in the fields; 31. Frame from the icon "Our Lady of the Don" with the image of righteous wives; 32. pass on the throne; 33. Annunciation of the Mother of God, with the hallmarks of the Akathist. Temple icon; 34. John the Baptist, the Apostle Peter and Alexei Man of God; 35. Archangel Raphael. South altar door; 36. Savior with crouching saints Sergius of Radonezh and Varlaam Khutynsky, with hallmarks of parables; 37. "Four-part" icon. 38–39. Ancestral row of icons; 40–41. Prophetic row of icons; 42–43. A number of minae tablets; 44. Nikola Mozhaisky; 45. Saved the belt; 46. Resurrection of Lazarus.
The iconostasis was not the invention of any responsible person or creative figure, nor was it the result of the willful effort of a ruler or church pastor. The iconostasis has become the bearer of the religious experience of many generations different peoples, their search for the optimal arrangement of a cult building for the realization of the main goal of religion - the restoration of communication with the Creator, interrupted by the fall of the first people, the restoration of communion with God. And therefore, not a single definition of the iconostasis, including the one proposed by us, can include the fullness of the meaning and functions of the iconostasis. They are inseparable from the history of the Orthodox church, dating back to the Old Testament events, church practice (worship, the sacraments of the church), from church art (the meaning and purpose of the icon, its iconography and other features).
The iconostasis was based on three ideas that were born in different time human religious history, the interaction of which gave us what we see today in Orthodox churches and call the iconostasis.
The first, oldest of the fundamental ideas of the iconostasis is associated with the idea of a sacred place, isolated from the usual vain world and accessible only to the initiated. Such premises existed in sacred buildings even in the pre-Christian period in all cultures, among different peoples.
The New Testament temple preserves the traditions of building the Old Testament tabernacle of meeting and revelation, transforming it in the light of the accomplished redemption of mankind by the Savior of the world and the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven. The image of the tabernacle, received at Sinai by the prophet Moses, was the embodiment of the idea of separating a sacred place for the presence of God and human communication with him. The tabernacle (disassembled portable temple) had three main parts: 1) the Holy of Holies; 2) Sanctuary; 3) the court of the tabernacle. The most sacred part of the tabernacle - the Holy of Holies - symbolized the Heavenly God's Kingdom therefore, no one entered the Holy of Holies of the Old Testament temple, except for the high priest, who was allowed to enter there only once a year. The Ark of the Covenant was kept here. The Holy of Holies was closed with a “blind” veil, separating the Kingdom of God from the rest of the world, even from the Sanctuary, in which fragrant resin, incense, was burned every morning and evening on the altar of incense to God. The image and structure of the tabernacle were transferred to a stationary Old Testament temple built in Jerusalem by the son of King David Solomon.
AT In an Orthodox church, the Holy of Holies corresponds to an altar. Before the coming of Christ and the redemption of human sins, no one could enter the Kingdom of Heaven, even the righteous, and therefore the Holy of Holies was closed. With Christianity, a new idea enters the world, the idea of the New Testament - redemption and the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven to all people through the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. So this idea enters into the traditional cult construction of the Old Testament - the openness of the Kingdom of Heaven, which begins already here, on earth, within us.
One of the most important religious and philosophical thoughts is now available to everyone in the image: the Kingdom of God exists, but it was closed in the Old Testament, representing the greatest mystery of God - the mystery divine word and sacrificial love, creating and preserving the world. Only the prophets spoke about it.
According to the Holy Scriptures, during the atonement, after the words of the Savior, who gave up the spirit: “It is finished,” the sun darkened, an earthquake occurred, and the veil in the Jerusalem temple was torn in two. The kingdom of heaven opened, through the sacrificial love of the Savior entered the world. And a person, through faith in Christ, opens the Holy of Holies - his heart - first of all for himself and for the world. In a Christian, as in a temple, there is the Kingdom of Heaven, God dwells, communicates with man and through man with the world. Comparing the purpose of the parts of the Old Testament and New Testament churches, we see how the words of the Gospel were symbolically embodied: "The Kingdom of Heaven has come near."
Four-row tablovy (tablo - shelf) iconostasis of the Church of the Intercession
XVII–XVIII centuries Kizhi
New idea the openness of the former sacral being was to be reflected in the dispensation of the temple, in the relationship between the altar and the nave (of the former Holy of Holies and the Sanctuary). The interaction of two ideas begins - openness and mystery.
The task for the Christian world is not an easy one. The mystery of Divine Creation and salvation has been revealed and at the same time remains a mystery. It opens up for believers in Christ in their religious experience, gradually, through the sacraments of the church, the realization of sins, repentance, testing their love for God and people, and this opening is limitless and uneven for people, the knowledge of God is infinite and depends on the person himself and the providence of God. . And can the sacrament of the Eucharist - the mystery of the sacrifice of God, constantly offered for the world - be performed in front of all people, among whom there may be unbelievers, and only those who are just starting their journey in Christ? But the main thing - where is the measure that can be applied to people who come to the temple? Who can be present, offering prayer with reverent awe, and who can interfere, distract the priest from the most important of all human affairs - prayers, the celebration of the sacrament of the Church?
Of course, only the living God has such a measure. And to establish such a measure according to human consent means to go back, from grace, to the law, and even established by people, to interfere with the liberation of one's heart for God's guidance.
AT In the most ancient Byzantine temples, the altar was not separated. An excerpt from a text written in the 4th century allows us to feel how Christians experienced and perceived the Eucharist in those days: “Fear and trembling seize the priest at this terrible hour for him and for the laity. In his extraordinary quality and in his office, terrifying even to the seraphim, stands the son of the dust of the earth as a redeemer, seized with great fear. The Terrible King, mystically sacrificed and buried, and frightened spectators, trembling with fear of the Lord. The altar signified the Divine Throne, causing a holy shudder, and the Eucharist was held as "a fearful sacrament."
And over time, a veil (katapetasma) began to be used, which was pulled during the performance of the sacrament. Quite early, judging by the description of the church writer of the 4th century. Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, the so-called barrier appeared - a low partition with doors in the middle. Images of such barriers are often found in ancient church paintings, especially in compositions of the Eucharist. Later, icons began to be placed on this low barrier, usually two, to the right and left of the Royal Doors.
This is how the third idea of the iconostasis is included - icons as windows to the spiritual world. Being in the nave of the temple, believers are not just fenced off from the altar, but stand in front of the history of the salvation of mankind and the spiritual world, which every person can look into and enter thanks to the many windows, the role of which is played by icons, images of the iconostasis. Thus, a balance was found between the need to preserve the spirit of reverence during the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist and the possibility of the presence and participation in it of each believer, and at the same time only God knows the measure of the worthiness of their participation.
In this particular form, the iconostasis must have passed from Byzantium to Russia and existed until the 15th century, when icon painting reaches a special flowering and churches begin to fill with many icons, repeating almost the entire wall painting of the temple. The icons on the altar barrier are already placed in several rows, close to each other, and the barrier itself is pushed forward, closing the eastern pillars, the altar and the deacon, or sacristy, the repository of sacred vessels, liturgical vestments, books, wine, prosphora and other items necessary for worship and fulfillment of treb.
AT 15th-16th centuries a Russian type of iconostasis is being formed - a high iconostasis. The Russian iconostasis has the most complex structure and, unlike the Greek one, is characterized by strict horizontal and vertical construction. The iconostasis, according to the accepted Greek-Byzantine tradition, has three doors. The middle doors are called the Royal Doors, because only through them does the priest bring out the chalice (chalice) with the Holy Gifts (under the guise of bread and wine - the Body and Blood of Christ), that is, the Lord himself, the King of Glory, passes through these gates. The Annunciation and the four evangelists are depicted on the Royal Doors.
The other gates, north and south, bear images of archangels or holy deacons (sometimes saints) and are called deacon's because deacons usually pass through them. Priests pass through these gates several times during worship, but the bishop never, since, symbolizing Christ the Savior, he passes through the Royal Doors.
As a sign that after the redemptive sacrifice of Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven was opened for people in the New Testament temple, the altar opens to all highlights divine services. But only those who are officiating or serving in the altar may enter the altar. its time, only in church vestments and only during the service.
The iconostasis of the Church of Dmitry "on the blood"
19th century Uglich
And horses on the iconostasis are arranged in a certain order, in tiers (or ranks, or rows).
The classic Russian high iconostasis looks like this. To the right of the Royal Doors is the icon of the Savior, and to the left - the Mother of God with the baby. A temple icon is placed next to the icon of Christ (it depicts a saint or a sacred event to which the temple is dedicated). This is the local tier.
Above the local row is the deesis (deesis) (from the Greek. d'esis- prayer) a row symbolizing the prayer of the entire Heavenly Church to Christ. The central icon of this row - "The Savior in Strength" - depicts the Savior as the Judge of the whole world (in royal or bishop's vestments on the heavenly throne). Left and right - images of the Mother of God and John the Baptist coming before the Lord in prayer. These images symbolize perfect prayer, since in the Most Holy Theotokos and John the Forerunner, the highest holiness is revealed, which is possible for the human race. On either side of the central images of the Savior, the Mother of God and John the Baptist there are icons of the praying apostles and other saints, therefore this tier is sometimes called the apostolic one.
The third rank is called "holiday" because here, in strict accordance with the plot and compositional canons, the main Orthodox holidays are depicted.
The next, fourth rank is prophetic. It contains icons of the Old Testament righteous - the prophets, through whom the revelation about the incarnation of the Savior and the Mother of God was received. The icon of the Mother of God "The Sign", symbolizing the incarnation of Christ, is located in the center of this row.
The fifth tier of the iconostasis - the forefathers - contains images of the forefathers - the Old Testament patriarchs and the icon of the Holy Trinity in the center.
Directly above the Royal Doors is the icon of the Last Supper. In the center above the upper rank is the Cross (Golgotha) - a symbol of the redemption of mankind and the victory of divine love over death.
Iconostasis of St. Isaac's Cathedral
19th century St. Petersburg
AT Ancient Russia this type of iconostasis was the most common, although the number of tiers could be reduced to one row, with the obligatory image of the Last Supper over the Royal Doors. Under the icons of the lower row, almost above the very floor, in ancient times even images of pagan philosophers and sibyls were placed, since they, although they did not know the true God, sought to know him.
The iconostasis, like the entire altar, is located on an elevated place, which protrudes into the middle part of the temple and is called the salt.
The established rules and established traditions in the construction of Orthodox churches are strictly observed, however, within certain limits, differences (not fundamental) are allowed, due to the characteristics of a particular church, therefore each Orthodox church is unique in its own way both externally and internally.
An Orthodox church may have additional altars that form the aisles of the temple, respectively, each altar has its own iconostasis.
The first thing a person encounters when entering an Orthodox church is the presence of enough a large number sacred images - icons. For Orthodox Christian there is nothing unusual about this. From childhood, we remember how, when we came to church with our parents, grandparents, we received instructions from them: “Take a candle and put it on that candlestick in front of the icon of the Savior.” I remember that sacred awe with which they put this candle, I also remember that childishly naive prayer for dad, mom, grandmother, grandfather and brother and sister. But most of all I remember those kind eyes that looked at us from the icon. They watched with such love that an indescribable joyful feeling appeared in the soul, from which one wanted to jump and jump, not noticing anything around and yell at the top of his voice: “He heard me!”. And, inspired by this joyful feeling, we departed from the icon and stood throughout the service, afraid to move, lest these kind eyes begin to look at us with reproach for not listening to our parents and pampering in the temple. But the timid glance thrown at the icon delighted us again and again. The Savior looked at us with the same kind, loving eyes. And we again rejoiced that we did not upset Him in the slightest by our disobedience.
At that time we did not understand the great Mystery of the Incarnation, we had no idea about Orthodox dogma, we understood little what the priest was talking about in a sermon, not to mention the incomprehensible language spoken and sung in church. But one thing we knew for sure: He loves us! And growing up, we learned that He loves us so much that He was crucified for us on the cross. Crucified for all our sins. The words of the Symbol of Faith became more understandable for us: "For us for the sake of man and for ours for the sake of salvation, who descended from Heaven." But all the same kind eyes looked at us from the icon. And we understood that not just a person is depicted on the icon, but God Himself. For only He can look with love at the one who daily grieves Him with their sins. And, not daring to raise our eyes, we asked to be forgiven for all our sins. But, moving away, they still looked at the icon again and saw with joy all the same loving eyes. And then, sincerely believing, we said to ourselves: “He forgave me ...” Now, from the height of the past years, having gone through many life trials, praying to the Lord in front of His holy icon, we hopefully say to ourselves: “He loves me, He will hear me and forgive sins." Looking back into the past, we are surprised to catch ourselves thinking: “Is it really necessary to live so many years and endure so many sorrows in order to say to ourselves again like a child: “I heard! Loves! Forgive!" And again, a joyful feeling overwhelms us from the fact that again these kind, loving eyes look at us from the icon.
What is an icon? Where does that grace come from, which has such a positive effect on us through these sacred images? Where did the icons in the temples come from? Is it possible to have icons at home and where is it better to put them? What is the right way to treat icons? Is it possible to write and embroider icons ourselves? This list can be continued indefinitely. But in order to understand, it is necessary to first define the icon and plunge into history.
Icon - image
Icon in Greek means "image". The image of the one to whom we resort with prayer. Sacred images have taken place in history since the times Old Testament. According to Scripture, God Himself commanded Moses to build the ark of the covenant and place it in the most important part of the first Old Testament temple - "in the Holy of Holies" (Ex. 25, 10 — 17; 26:33-34). God also commanded Moses to make two golden carved images of cherubs and place them “in the Holy of Holies” on both sides of the lid that covered the ark of the covenant (Ex. 25, 18-22); he ordered to make worn images of cherubim on the church curtain that separated the "Holy of Holies" from the sanctuary (Ex. 26, 31-33), just as now the iconostasis separates the altar from the temple itself; and make the same images of cherubim on those linen blankets that covered not only the top, but also the sides of the tabernacle and served for it instead of walls (Ex. 26, 1-37). It is also known that God Himself commanded Moses to erect a brass serpent in the wilderness (Num. 21:8), and this serpent was the image of our Savior who ascended to the cross (John 3:14-15). Having built the Jerusalem temple, Solomon, in the image of the tabernacle, placed in it, in the very middle of the "Holy of Holies", two images of cherubim made of cypress and gilded, which with one of their wings touched each other, with others they reached opposite sides of the temple (1 Kings. 6:23-28; 2 Chronicles 3:10-13); sculpted and painted cherubim on all the walls of the temple (1 Kings 6:29; 2 Chron. 3:7), and also wove the same images of cherubim on the church curtain (2 Chr. 3:14). And God not only did not condemn Solomon for this, but also expressed His special favor both to the builder of the temple and to the temple itself: “I consecrated this temple, which you built, so that My name could dwell there forever; and my eyes and my heart will be there all the days” (Ex. 9:3).
Icons in the Church
In the New Testament Church, icons also began to be present in churches from the first centuries of Christianity. Church Tradition speaks of the first icon of the Savior - His image not made by hands. Our Lord Jesus Christ deigned to miraculously depict His face on the board, and sent this image not made by hands to the Prince of Edessa Abgar. Since ancient times, this image has been revered by the Church. Also, Church Tradition tells about the icons of the Mother of God, written by the apostle and evangelist Luke. There are written testimonies of the ancients about the use and veneration of holy icons in the first three centuries. So, Tertullian mentions the images of the Savior on church chalices in the form of a good shepherd. The same Tertullian, Menutius Felix and Origen testify how the pagans reproached the Christians for allegedly idolizing the crosses, i.e. revered the sacred image of the cross on which the Lord Savior was crucified. Eusebius says that he saw the icons of the Apostles, Peter and Paul and the Savior Himself, painted in colors, preserved from ancient Christians who converted from paganism. In the catacombs, caves, tombs of the martyrs, where the first Christians retired to pray, sacred images were also found. These images represent, for the most part, the Savior in the form of a Shepherd, who raised his lost sheep; The Most Holy Theotokos in a crown or radiance, holding in her arms the Eternal Child, also in a radiant crown; the twelve Apostles, the Nativity of the Savior and the worship of the Magi to Him, the miraculous feeding of many people with five loaves, the resurrection of Lazarus; from the Old Testament history - Noah's ark with a dove, the sacrifice of Isaac, Moses with a rod and tablets, Jonah, vomited by a whale, Daniel in a ditch, three youths in a cave.
About the presence of icons in the first centuries of Christianity says St. Basil the Great: “I also accept the holy Apostles, Prophets and martyrs, and I call them to intercession before God, and through them, i.e. according to their intercession, God the Lover of mankind will be merciful to me and may he grant me remission of sins. Why do I honor and mark their icons and worship before them, especially because they are betrayed by the holy Apostles and are not forbidden, but are depicted in all our churches. The veneration of holy icons was enshrined in the dogma of icon veneration VII Ecumenical Council, who rejected the heresy of iconoclasm: “Like the image of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross, put in the holy churches of God, on sacred vessels and clothes, on walls and on boards, in houses and on paths, honest and holy icons painted with paints and from fractional stones and from other capable of this, arranged substances, like the icons of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, and the Immaculate Lady of our Holy Mother of God, also honest angels, and all the holy and reverend men. Eliko are often visible through the image on the icons, those who look at them on the ceiling are moved to remember and love their prototypes, and honor them with kisses and reverent worship, not true, according to our faith, worship of God, which befits the one Divine nature, but veneration according to that image, as if the image of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross and the holy Gospel and other shrines with incense and the lighting of candles, honor is given, such a pious custom was among the ancients. For the honor given to the image passes to the archetypal, and the worshiper of the icon worships the being depicted on it. Thus, the teaching of our Holy Fathers is affirmed, this is the tradition of the Catholic Church, from the end to the end of the earth accepting the Gospel.
Icon in the house
So, the veneration of icons is the worship of the prototype. Looking at the icon, we see in it the Savior Himself, the Mother of God or saints. Needless to say, these sacred images should be given the appropriate reverence for the shrine? Arriving at the temple, the Orthodox people light candles and lamps in front of the icons, and kiss the sacred images. During the service, incense is burned in front of the icons - incense. They pray in front of the icons, perform prayer chants, perform prayers with them. religious processions. An appropriate attitude towards icons should be in the home of an Orthodox Christian. It is customary to face east for prayer, Orthodox churches are built with an altar to the east. Therefore, it is desirable to place the icons on the eastern wall of the room. But if it is not possible to orient the icons to the east, then you can place them in any other accessible place. The main thing is that there is a lot of free space in front of the icon, and the whole family can fit in for a common prayer. You can place the icons on a shelf, or, if there are a lot of them, hang them on the wall. Of course, first of all, it is necessary to have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God in the house. If it is possible to place more icons in the house, then the home iconostasis can be supplemented with icons of especially revered saints, nominal icons, i.e. icons of the heavenly patron saints of family members, icons of holidays, etc. The icon of the Savior should be to the right of the one who is coming, and the icon of the Virgin to the left. It is also necessary to remember the principle of hierarchy. For example, the icon of a revered saint cannot be placed higher than the icon of the Trinity, the Savior, the Mother of God and the apostles. It is advisable to crown the home iconostasis with an Orthodox cross.
Icons should be placed in a separate place from other items. Icons look extremely inappropriate in bookcases where books of a secular nature are stored, on shelves next to cosmetics, photographs of loved ones, toys, figurines, or simply are some kind of interior decoration. You can not place posters of pop singers next to the icons, politicians, athletes and other idols of this century. It should not be among the icons and art paintings, even if they are written on biblical subjects. A painting, even if it has a religious content, such as Alexander Ivanov's Appearance to the People or Raphael's Sistine Madonna, is not a canonical icon. Sometimes you have to see among the icons photographs of priests, elders, monks, people of a righteous life. Canonically, this is unacceptable, because a photograph is an image that captures a specific moment in the earthly life of a person, even if later glorified by the church as a saint. And the icon proclaims to us about him, precisely as a saint, in his glorified, transfigured state. Of course, such photographs can be in the home of an Orthodox Christian, but they must be placed separately from the icons.
There is an erroneous opinion that spouses should not hang icons in the bedroom, and if they are, then at night they must be covered with a curtain. It's a delusion. First, no curtain can hide from God. Secondly, marital intimacy in marriage is not a sin. Therefore, you can safely place icons in the bedroom. Moreover, many of our compatriots do not always have the opportunity to place icons in a separate room designed for this. Of course, the icon should be in the dining room or, if the family is having dinner in the kitchen, then there, so that you can pray before eating and thank the Lord after the meal. Icons can be in every room, there is nothing wrong and reprehensible in this. But it is naive to believe that the more icons in the house, the more pious the life of an Orthodox Christian. Quite often, such collecting becomes ordinary collecting, where there is no question of the prayer purpose of the icon, and can have a completely opposite effect on a person’s spiritual life. The main thing is that a prayer is offered before the icons.
It is also a mistake to believe that the icon is a kind of accumulator of God's grace, which can be drawn if necessary. Grace does not act from the icon, but through the icon, and is sent down by the Lord to those who believe in Him. One can endlessly apply himself to a sacred image, while not having faith in the real power of God's life-giving grace, and not get anything from it. And you can apply once miraculous icon with deep faith and hope for the help of the Lord, and receive healing from bodily and mental ailments. It is also necessary to remember that the icon is not a kind of amulet that guarantees the absence of quarrels and problems in the family, as well as some kind of invisible protection from evil spirits and bad people. It is regrettable to see icons in the homes of Orthodox Christians hanging in front of the front door with an unequivocal motivation: “This is to protect them from bad people and from the evil eye.” The icon is not and cannot be such a talisman. In general, amulets are an attribute of pagan and magical cults. In the life of an Orthodox Christian there should be neither paganism nor magicism. But over the entrance, according to tradition, it is customary to hang the icon of the Intercession Holy Mother of God. Although it can be any other icon or cross.
If the icon is dilapidated
Enough frequently asked question asked by parishioners, it happens about what to do if the icon has fallen into disrepair and is not subject to restoration. Of course, an icon always remains an icon, even if it has lost its original appearance. In no case should you just throw away such icons. They must be taken to the temple, where they will be burned in the church oven. If this is not possible, or there is no special oven in the temple, then you can burn the icon yourself, and bury the ashes in a place that will not be defiled later, for example, in a garden under a tree. This can be done with both wooden and paper icons.
Another question that one often hears is the question of what to do with old calendars with icons, whether it is possible to cut out an icon from a calendar and put it next to others. The answer is unequivocal: yes. But first you need to stick such an icon on a solid base and consecrate it in the temple according to the order of consecrating icons. And with old calendars, from which it is impossible to cut out an icon, it is necessary to do the same as with dilapidated icons that cannot be restored, i.e. burn.
Found and donated icons
Often, in conversation with parishioners, one has to hear about a genuine and even panicky fear of found and donated icons. People who are subject to such superstitions begin to look for some kind of mysticism in such icons. It seems to some that the icon was conjured and then presented to bring trouble to the family. Others begin to look for some signs from above in the found icon. The list of questions on this topic is endless. I want to immediately dispel doubts - there is nothing wrong with donated and found icons. There are many legends about the miraculous appearances of various icons of the Mother of God. It goes without saying that someone found these icons during the apparition. Of course, there was a reverent awe before them, and history speaks of this. But these icons were brought to the temple with reverence and, often, with prayer, or temples and chapels were set up at the site of the appearance. So is it worth being afraid of the found icon? Of course not. For peace of mind, the icon can be consecrated in the temple and safely placed in the home iconostasis. You can also do with the donated icon. Do not look for evil where there is none.
Quite often one has to deal with the fact that people bring "unnecessary" icons to the temple and leave them there. Either they will leave it in the candle-room, or on the windowsill in the temple, or they will put it on the pulpit. Motivation for such actions is different. This is the fear of found or donated icons, and the dilapidation of the brought icons, and some kind of incomprehensible reluctance of a person to have this or that icon in the house. Involuntarily, the proverb comes to mind: "On, to You, God, what is worthless to us." It must be remembered that the temple of God is not a warehouse for "unnecessary" icons, especially since an Orthodox Christian cannot have such.
icon painting
Sometimes people with a purely secular art education express a desire to paint icons. Of course, the presence of skills in painting and a certain experience in this matter will be of great help to the future icon painter. But this is by no means limited to the requirements for an icon painter. According to the decision adopted by the local council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1551, the icon painter must be “humble, meek, reverent, not idle-talking, not laughing, not quarrelsome, not envious, not a drunkard, not a robber, not a murderer, especially keep spiritual and bodily purity with all sorts of precautions, ..., to live in fasting, and in prayer, and abstinence with humility, and with great diligence to write the image of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother of God, and the holy prophets, and the apostles, and the holy martyrs, and holy martyrs, and reverend wives and saints, and the venerable fathers in the image and likeness, essentially looking at the image of the ancient painters, and imitating good examples. As can be seen from this definition, the requirements for an icon painter are very high. Therefore, the work of an icon painter has always been highly honored in the Orthodox world.
Ideally, a modern icon painter and those who want to become one should strive for these requirements. But our life is very far from ideal and at the moment there are no such high requirements for icon painters as it was in the 16th century. But, nevertheless, the icon painter must be a man of pious life, a real, and not a nominal member of the Church, diligently observing all the establishments of the Holy Orthodox Church. The same requirements can be presented to a person who wants to embroider icons. It must be remembered that the writing of an icon is not just the writing of some kind of landscape or portrait, but the image of the Lord Himself, His Most Pure Mother and saints. And this requires a huge return of not only bodily, but first of all, spiritual forces. Therefore, the issue of writing icons by one or another person must necessarily be brought to the attention of his confessor, because. about the level spiritual development only he can know. Thus, receiving the blessing of a confessor for painting icons becomes mandatory requirement for a future icon painter.
Summing up, I would like to recall those people, thanks to whom today we have the opportunity to honor these sacred images and pray before them. These are the holy fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council, who restored icon veneration and proclaimed the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Of all the victories over many different heresies, only the victory over iconoclasm and the restoration of icon veneration was proclaimed the Triumph of Orthodoxy. This is what we celebrate every year on the first Sunday of Great Lent. And let the oceans of passions rage around us, let false Christs and false prophets rise in the world, calling for the rejection of holy icons, let sectarian preachers shake the air with their heresy, unsuccessfully seeking excuses for themselves in Holy Scripture. We, glorifying the memory of the holy fathers of the VII Ecumenical Council and triumphing in the Holy Orthodox Faith, we will answer all those who rebel against the holy icons with the words of St. John of Damascus: “Away with you, envious devil! You are jealous that we see the image of our Lord and through it we are sanctified; you envy that we see His saving sufferings, we marvel at His perfection, we contemplate His miracles, we recognize and glorify the power of His Divinity; you envy the honor of the saints, which they are awarded by God; do not want us to look at the images of their glory and become zealots for their courage and faith; you do not tolerate the bodily and spiritual benefits that come from our faith in them. But we don't listen to you, misanthropic demon! Listen, peoples, tribes, tongues, men, wives, youths, elders, youths and babies, holy Christian race! If anyone tells you something other than what the Holy Orthodox Church has received from the apostles, fathers, and councils and has preserved to this day, don’t listen, don’t take advice from the serpent.”
Iconostasis in the church.
The iconostasis of the Smolensk Church of the Novodevichy Convent. 2010.
Iconostasis of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Uglich ( early 18th century). Photo from Wikipedia.Iconostasis- the altar partition separating the altar and the middle part of the temple, from the northern to the southern wall. Consists of icons arranged in tiers. The number of tiers varies from three to five.
In the middle of the lower tier are royal doors. To the right of the Royal Doors is a large icon of the Savior, to the left of them is the icon of the Mother of God with the Child in her arms. On the northern and southern gates are the archangels Gabriel and Michael (sometimes the holy deacons). Deacon doors are located behind the icons of the lower row on both sides. Above the Royal Doors is placed the icon of the Last Supper.
The second tier from the bottom contains icons of the Twelve Feasts. This is the so-called "holiday" series. It can also be called historical: it introduces us to the events of the Gospel story. The first icon here is the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, followed by the Entry into the Temple, the Annunciation, the Nativity of Christ, the Presentation, the Theophany, the Transfiguration, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Dormition. The number of holiday icons may be different.
The third tier is the icons of the Deesis. This entire row symbolizes the prayer of the Church to Christ, which will end at the Last Judgment. In the center of the row, directly above the Royal Doors and the icon of the Last Supper, is the icon of the Savior in Strength. Christ, sitting on a throne with a book, is depicted against a background of a red square with elongated ends (earth), a blue oval (spiritual world) and a red rhombus (invisible world). This image represents Christ as a formidable judge of the entire universe. On the right is the image of John the Baptist, the Baptist of the Lord, on the left is the icon of the Mother of God. It is no coincidence that this is the "Intercessor" - the Mother of God is depicted in full growth looking to the left and with a scroll in her hand. To the right and left of these icons are images of archangels, prophets and the most famous saints, who are the holy Church of Christ.
Fourth row. If the icons of the third row are original illustrations for the New Testament, then the fourth row introduces us to the times of the Old Testament Church. Here the prophets are depicted, announcing the coming: the Messiah and the Virgin, from whom Christ will be born. It is no coincidence that in the center of the row is the icon of the Mother of God "Oranta" ("Sign"), or "Praying", depicting the Most Pure Virgin with her hands raised to heaven in prayer and the Child in her bosom.
The upper, fifth tier is called "forefathers". His icons refer us to the events of even more ancient times. Here are icons of the Old Testament righteous and forefathers - from Adam to Moses (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.). In the center of the row is placed the "Old Testament Trinity".
The top of the iconostasis is crowned with the image of the crucifix.
http://azbyka.ru/dictionary/09/ikonostas...
http://www.ukoha.ru/article/ludi/ikonoctac.htm
home iconostasis .
How to determine a place in an apartment, a country house, where to put the icons correctly? Is it true that icons should only be placed in a corner? How to place the icons in the right place, in a certain sequence? Then you will get a home iconostasis that will not only please the eye, but also protect the house and its inhabitants, maintain spiritual purity in the room, and fill you with a sense of goodness. Creating a home iconostasis can be an act that will bring us closer to God.
Previously, houses were built specifically for the so-called "red corner". He was assigned the farthest corner of the hut, on the eastern side, diagonally from the stove. At the same time, both walls adjacent to the "red corner" were with windows. It turned out that the iconostasis is located in the most illuminated place in the house. Since to the home iconostasis Orthodox Church does not impose too strict requirements, these rules can be deviated from. These are the realities of our life - in modern apartments there is no place for a "red corner". It is enough to follow the simplest rules. If possible, the eastern wall should be chosen for the iconostasis. If you have trouble with this, don't worry. Just find a free and easily accessible place for him where nothing will stop you from praying.
A prerequisite is to have two icons: Savior and Mother of God. Images of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, as the most perfect of earthly people, are necessary for every Orthodox. As for other icons, it is recommended to acquire images of those saints whose names are given to family members.
The iconostasis should be located as far as possible from the TV (in modern life it often replaces the icon for us), VCR, computer, music center and other household appliances. However, here too exceptions are made. For example, in working premises (offices, offices) it is not forbidden to put icons next to computers.If the employee works at home, then the icon placed near the computer serves as confirmation that this technique is used to spread the Good News, that this human-made tool serves as a conductor of God's will.
Home iconostasis can be decorated with fresh flowers. Next to the home iconostasis, there should not be decorative objects of a secular nature - photographs, vases, figurines, paintings, posters, magazine posters, and so on. All this reflects the bodily, material world, such images are momentary and do not correspond to the purpose of sacred icons. Next to the iconostasis, you can hang images of temples, views of the Holy Land, calm landscapes, and so on. It is important that all these species do not contain aggression, do not distract your gaze from the iconostasis and hang at a relative distance from it..
Domostroy ordered to put icons in every room. In the mind of a person, their number should have, as it were, “lowered” the sky into the real world: “Every Christian should in his house, in all rooms, hang the holy images according to their seniority, dressing them beautifully, and put lamps in which they are lit in front of the holy images in candles during prayer, and after the service they are extinguished, closed with a curtain for the sake of cleanliness and from dust, for the sake of strict order and for safety; and they should always be swept over with a clean wing and wiped with a soft sponge, and the room should always be kept clean. The bottom row of such an iconostasis was occupied by icons "local", "bow". In addition to the icons of Christ and the Mother of God, this row was occupied by especially revered images, for example, icons of the namesake saints, blessed icons from parents and relatives, panagia crosses and reliquaries with holy relics, lists of glorified miraculous images; finally, icons of saints - helpers, intercessors and intercessors in certain matters.
It is believed that it is better for icons to stand on a hard surface, and not hang on the wall. Previously, the iconostasis was placed on a special shelf or even in a special cabinet - an icon case - it is sold in all church shops. In front of the icons they hang or put a lamp. It must be lit during prayer, and on Sunday and church holidays it can burn all day.