On April 6, 2018, on Good Friday of Holy Week, vespers was served in the temporary church of the icon of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice” at the Butovo station, at which the Removal of the Holy Shroud was performed - depicting the Savior lying in the tomb. On this day we remember the suffering of the Cross and the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The service was performed by the rector of the temple, Priest Maxim Glukhikh and Deacon Sergius Ong.
Also in the evening, Matins was performed with the rite of burial of the Holy Shroud, combined with a service in honor of the Feast of the Annunciation, which takes place on Holy Saturday!
What is the removal of the Shroud
The term “shroud” appeared in Russian liturgical books at the end of the 16th century. The Shroud is an icon depicting the Savior lying in the tomb. Usually this is a large cloth (piece of fabric) on which the image of the Savior laid in the tomb is written or embroidered. The removal of the Shroud and the Rite of Burial are two of the most important services that take place on Good Friday of Holy Week. Good Friday is the most mournful day in the church calendar for Christians around the world. On this day we remember the suffering of the Cross and the death of Jesus Christ.
Removal of the Shroud
It is performed on Friday afternoon at Vespers on Holy Saturday, at the third hour of Good Friday - at the hour of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross (i.e. the service usually begins at 14.00). The shroud is taken out of the altar and placed in the center of the temple - in the “coffin” - a raised platform decorated with flowers and anointed with incense as a sign of grief over the death of Christ. The Gospel is placed in the middle of the Shroud.
Liturgical features of the burial rite
Matins of Great Saturday with the Rite of Burial is usually served on Friday evening. The shroud in this service is given the role that in other cases the icon of the holiday has.
Matins begins as a funeral service. Funeral troparia are sung and incense is performed. After the singing of the 118th Psalm and the glorification of the Holy Trinity, the temple is illuminated, then the news of the myrrh-bearing women who came to the tomb is proclaimed. This is the first, still quiet, because the Savior is still in the tomb - the good news of the Resurrection of Christ.
During the service, believers make a procession of the cross - they carry the Shroud around the temple and sing “Holy God.” The religious procession is accompanied by the ringing of funeral bells.
At the end of the burial ceremony, the Shroud is brought to the royal doors, and then returned to its place in the middle of the temple so that all the clergy and parishioners can bow to it. There she remains until late evening on Holy Saturday.
Only before Easter Matins, during the Midnight Office, is the Shroud taken to the altar and placed on the throne, where it remains until Easter is celebrated.
Iconography of the Shroud
The Shroud is a plate on which the Savior is depicted lying in the tomb. This icon (the Shroud is considered an icon) has traditional iconography.
In the central part of the composition of the Shroud the icon “Position in the Tomb” is depicted. The entire body or just the body of the buried Christ.
The “Position in the Tomb” icon describes the gospel scene of the burial of the crucified Jesus Christ. The body was taken from the cross and wrapped in a shroud, that is, burial shrouds soaked in incense. Then the Savior was placed in a coffin carved into the rock, and a large stone was rolled at the entrance to the cave.
The shroud is made using different techniques. Most often, velvet fabric is used as a basis. For example, Shrouds of the XV-XVII centuries. were made using the facial sewing technique. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. craftsmen combined gold embroidery or relief applique of fabrics with painting. The face and body of Christ were painted using painting techniques. There were also completely picturesque Shrouds.
Along the perimeter of the Shroud, the text of the troparion of Great Saturday is usually embroidered or written: “The noble Joseph took down Your most pure body from the tree, wrapped it in a clean shroud and covered it with odors (option: fragrant scents) in a new tomb, and laid it.”
Traditions of removing the Shroud
In some churches, after the religious procession, the clergy carrying the Shroud stop at the entrance to the temple and raise the Shroud high.
And the believers following them, one after another, go to the temple under the Shroud. A small liturgical cover is usually placed in the middle of the shroud, along with the Gospel. Sometimes the face of Christ depicted on the Shroud is covered with a shroud - in imitation of the rite of priestly burial, which prescribes covering the face of the clergyman lying in the coffin with air (air is a large quadrangular cover that symbolically depicts the shroud with which the body of Christ was entwined).
On Great or Good Friday a number of services are held. During this time period, the removal of the shroud is initiated. The clergy explained the meaning of this procedure, what time it takes place and how to behave in church.
At the end of the 16th century, the term “shroud” was first noted in Russian liturgical books. Orthodox Christians should be aware that it is related to the icon with the Savior depicted on it lying in the tomb. According to tradition, the shroud is a large cloth, or piece of fabric. It depicts the image of Jesus Christ (embroidered or written).
What time is the removal of the shroud on Good Friday?
Representatives of the church explain to interested citizens that the removal of the shroud, as well as the Rite of Burial, are necessary services. They take place on Good Friday of Holy Week.
The removal of the shroud takes place on the fifth day of the week on the evening of Holy Saturday. Often the service starts at 2 pm. The icon is taken out of the altar and then placed in the center of the church. A kind of elevation is equipped for the shroud, which is decorated with flowers (a sign of grief over the death of Christ). The Gospel may be placed in the middle of the shroud in the church. Matins of Holy Saturday, as well as the Rite of Burial, are held on Good Friday. The Shroud in this time period represents an icon of the event.
How to behave during the removal of the shroud, the significance of the event
During the obligatory service on Good Friday, the shroud is usually taken out of the temple at 14-15 hours. Believers present in the church must know how to behave correctly in order to receive help. Believers present during the procession can pray and also venerate the shroud. Below is the text you can read:
The icon is taken out of the altar at 2 p.m., and 40-50 minutes later from the church (in order to perform a religious procession). After the procession, the icon is sent to the temple. It is believed that applying it to the icon can cure diseases; its miraculous properties have been repeatedly observed. In certain churches, after the procession, the clergy moving the shroud stop at the entrance to it. Believers pass under the cloth one after another.
The meaning of the removal of the shroud is the following - this is the main part of the Good Friday service. The time period from 14 to 15 hours is the approximate time of the death of Jesus Christ. Good Friday represents the day on which he was crucified. During Lent it is the strictest.
The term " shroud"appeared in Russian liturgical books at the end of the 16th century. is an icon depicting the Savior lying in the tomb. Usually this is a large cloth (piece of fabric) on which the image of the Savior laid in the tomb is written or embroidered. Removal and burial Shrouds- This is an important part of the service that takes place on Good Friday of Holy Week. Good Friday is the most mournful day in the church calendar for Christians around the world. On this day we remember the suffering of the Cross and the death of Jesus Christ.
It is performed on the morning of Holy Saturday, that is, on the afternoon of Good Friday. At approximately two or three o'clock in the afternoon, the Shroud is taken out of the altar and placed in the center of the temple - in the "coffin" - on a platform decorated with flowers and anointed with incense as a sign of grief over the death of Christ. The Gospel is placed in the middle of the Shroud.
Liturgical features of the removal of the Shroud
On the eve of the removal of the Shroud, at Matins, which is served on the evening of Maundy Thursday, the Twelve Gospels are heard in churches, telling about the suffering of Christ.
On Good Friday the Divine Liturgy is not served: it is believed that it has already been performed by Christ on the Cross. Instead of the Liturgy, the Royal Hours are celebrated - psalms and Gospels about the passion of Christ are read in the church in front of the Cross.
Matins of Great Saturday is usually served on Friday evening. The shroud in this service is given the role that in other cases the icon of the holiday has.
Matins begins as a funeral service. Funeral troparia are sung and incense is performed. After the singing of the 118th Psalm and the glorification of the Holy Trinity, the temple is illuminated, then the news of the myrrh-bearing women who came to the tomb is proclaimed. This is the first, still quiet, because the Savior is still in the tomb - the good news of the Resurrection of Christ.
During the service, believers make a procession of the cross - they carry the Shroud around the temple and sing “Holy God.” The religious procession is accompanied by the ringing of funeral bells.
At the end of the burial ceremony, the Shroud is brought to the royal doors, and then returned to its place in the middle of the temple so that all the clergy and parishioners can bow to it. There she remains until late evening on Holy Saturday.
Only before Easter Matins, during the Midnight Office, is the Shroud taken to the altar and placed on the throne, where it remains until Easter is celebrated.
Iconography of the removal of the Shroud
The Shroud is a plate on which the Savior is depicted lying in the tomb. This icon (the Shroud is considered an icon) has traditional iconography.
In the central part of the composition of the Shroud the icon “Position in the Tomb” is depicted. The entire body or just the body of the buried Christ.
The “Position in the Tomb” icon describes the gospel scene of the burial of the crucified Jesus Christ. The body was taken from the cross and wrapped in a shroud, that is, burial shrouds soaked in incense. Then the Savior was placed in a coffin carved into the rock, and a large stone was rolled at the entrance to the cave.
The shroud is made using different techniques. Most often, velvet fabric is used as a basis. For example, Shrouds of the XV-XVII centuries. were made using the facial sewing technique. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. craftsmen combined gold embroidery or relief applique of fabrics with painting. The face and body of Christ were painted using painting techniques. There were also completely picturesque Shrouds.
Nowadays you can often see Shrouds made using typographic methods in churches. These are the costs of mass production - handmade is expensive.
Along the perimeter of the Shroud, the text of the troparion of Great Saturday is usually embroidered or written: “The noble Joseph took down Your most pure body from the tree, wrapped it in a clean shroud and covered it with odors (option: fragrant scents) in a new tomb, and laid it.”
Traditions of removing the Shroud
In some churches, after the religious procession, the clergy carrying the Shroud stop at the entrance to the temple and raise the Shroud high. And the believers following them, one after another, go to the temple under the Shroud. A small liturgical cover is usually placed in the middle of the shroud, along with the Gospel. Sometimes the face of Christ depicted on the Shroud is covered with a shroud - in imitation of the rite of priestly burial, which prescribes covering the face of the clergyman lying in the coffin with air (air is a large quadrangular cover that symbolically depicts the shroud with which the body of Christ was entwined).
On the day of great sorrow and sorrow on Good Friday, almost nothing can be done. But the shroud is brought to the center of the temple and every Christian believer must try to be in time for this event or at least come to the church within less than three days and venerate this shrine.
An important part of Good Friday (April 26, 2019) of Lent is remembering this day in the life of Jesus Christ 2019 years ago. On this day he was tortured, condemned to death, a crown of thorns was put on his head and tied to a heavy cross, which he himself carried to Golgotha. There Christ was crucified and died somewhere around three o'clock in the afternoon, modern time. It is at this time that the removal of the shroud on Good Friday takes place in churches all over the world every year.
If we consider the entire Orthodox church calendar, it is impossible to find a more mournful day there. It is Good Friday that is the day when Jesus Christ was crucified; only in the evening he was taken down from the cross, his body was washed and he was buried in a cave. The removal of the shroud occurs precisely as a symbol of the linen in which the body of Christ was wrapped after the cross. This canvas depicts the Savior crucified to his full height.
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Important! Until the shroud is brought to the center of the temple, on this day you should try to observe the strictest fast possible. Until this moment, you cannot even drink water in temples and monasteries. In general, on this day you should try to fast as much as possible, even if you did not observe Lent.
The shroud is located in the center of the temple, where special services take place. Their text recalls the tragic events and everything that Jesus Christ had to experience on this day just over two thousand years ago. Moreover, the Gospel in this part is read both in the morning and during the Great Hours and at the evening service.
Be sure to go to the temple, even if you don’t get to see the exact moment of the removal of the shroud, then pray for forgiveness from the Lord Jesus Christ. On this day, in their prayers, Christian believers also give thanks for the atonement of human sins. And one cannot help but grieve that many centuries ago people had such a dark soul that they did not see the Savior on earth and crucified him. What would happen today if Christ appeared on our streets? How would we behave, would we believe in a miracle?
Matins on Good Friday
The service began on Maundy Thursday and will end on Friday morning. They remember the arrest of Christ in the garden of Jerusalem, death on the cross and burial. Particular attention is paid to all the places where these events took place.
The funeral troparions are read. The Gospel reading is interrupted by stichera and antiphons sung by the choir. They talk about the betrayal of Judas, one of Christ’s disciples - it was he who sold the Savior for money, for some thirty pieces of silver.
Great Royal Clock
This is a mournful and mourning day, so no liturgy is held (the only exception is when the Feast of the Annunciation falls on Good Friday, but in 2018 this holiday falls on Holy Saturday).
Interesting! The same service is read on Christmas Eve before Christmas and on the day of Epiphany. It received the name “royal” back in the days of the Moscow tsars, who were required to participate in these three services throughout the year.
Vespers and removal of the shroud
It is during this service that the shroud is taken out on Good Friday, at what time exactly - about three o'clock in the afternoon. It’s better to come to the temple in advance, at least at two o’clock in the afternoon, if you don’t want to miss this moment.
Shroud of Turin The cycle of Good Friday services ends with the removal of the shroud to the center of the temple. Before lifting her to the throne and leaving her there, the priest and congregation bow to the ground three times. Then the Shroud is consecrated, taken out through the northern gate and placed on a special place called the “coffin”. As a sign of grief, this place is already decorated with flowers and incense. The Gospel is placed in the center on this cloth at the end of the removal ritual.
So the Great Vespers Service is over, and after it, Little Compline is still held, during which they sing about the sorrow of the Mother of God, as well as about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ once again. If you find yourself in the temple at the time of the removal of the shroud in 2018, do not miss the opportunity to venerate it. The Shroud will remain in the temple for three days until the onset of Easter (the procession around the temple on the evening of Holy Saturday), when the Savior has already risen from the tomb and resurrected.
Why is the Shroud so important?
In this material we have already written that the shroud in every temple on this day is the personification of the shroud in which the body of Jesus was laid and wrapped after he was taken down from the cross. That is, the shrouds in churches today are an ordinary modern canvas (most often velvet), but without fail with a full-length image of the crucified Christ.
The priest and his assistants bring out the shroud, holding the cloth by the four corners. Then there is a religious procession, which is accompanied by bells. In some churches, the tradition has been preserved after the religious procession, even before the shroud is brought into the temple and laid in the center, the clergy lift the cloth up and the believers can walk under it.
Shroud of Jesus Christ: Great Supper, removal of the shroud
The Shroud is a linen that was used as a shroud; Jesus Christ was laid and wrapped in it after he was taken down from the cross. Nowadays, the Shroud is usually called the image of Jesus Christ lying in the tomb. It is used to worship parishioners on Good Friday. The shroud remains in the temple for three days until Easter midnight, after which it is brought back to the altar.
Usually the Shroud is made of velvet, its size is approximately human height. During the evening procession around the temple, the Shroud is carried in the hands of clergy or senior parishioners, holding it by the four corners. The religious procession is always accompanied by the ringing of funeral bells.
In some churches, before bringing the Shroud and laying it on a special dais, the clergy, carrying the shrine in their hands, stop in front of the entrance and raise it high above their heads. Thus allowing the believers walking behind to enter the temple under the shrine.
The Holy Shroud has miraculous effects. It is believed that applying to it helps believers recover from many diseases. On Good Friday 2017, people all over the world bow before the Shroud with special reverence. She is a vital symbol of what Jesus did for humanity. According to church interpretations, his heroic torment and death were able to open for us the entrance to paradise, which was closed after the sin of the first people, and also give hope for a meeting with the Lord after death.
Removal of the Shroud. Live broadcast from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. 04/10/2015
Good Friday, also called Great Friday, is the most mournful day of the whole year (in 2017 - April 14). It was on this day that the crucifixion of the Savior of mankind, Jesus Christ, took place. On this day, until the Shroud is taken out of the altar, all Christian believers are forbidden to have fun, as well as eat and wash. After the Shroud is laid in the temple, fasting people are allowed to drink water and bread in small quantities.
What is Good Friday? This is a worship service in a special order. All churches recount the tragic events and passions that the Savior experienced on that day. Priests all over the world read the gospel narratives, which are read three times: at Matins, at the Great Hours, and at Great Vespers.
On Good Friday 2017 (April 14), as in other years, believers around the world pray for the forgiveness of the Lord, thank Jesus for his feat, with which he atoned for the many sins of mankind, and mourn that the human soul can be so dark that once allowed the brightest to die. 
The service on Great Friday is different in that there is no Liturgy. The days on which the great holiday of the Annunciation falls are subject to an exception to this rule. The reading of the Royal Hours is characterized by one feature: the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 9th hours are combined, in each of which the reading of the proverb, the Apostle and the Gospel is carried out. The narratives written by each of the four evangelists are read separately. A similar service is also held on Christmas Eves of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany. It has become customary to call it a royal clock since the time of the Moscow tsars, since their participation in the service was mandatory.
Shroud of Jesus Christ: Great Supper, removal of the shroud
The Shroud is the most important part of the entire divine service performed on the Great Friday of Holy Week.
Great Vespers and the removal of the Shroud on Good Friday take place at 2-3 p.m. This action completes the cycle of services for this day. It is this time that is considered to be the time of the Savior’s death. By this hour the Shroud is taken to the temple. Removal is carried out through the Royal Doors. Before lifting the Shroud from the throne, the clergyman is obliged to bow to the ground three times. Then, in the presence of a deacon with a candle and censer, as well as priests, the Shroud is carried into the temple through the northern gate. A special place on a hill is prepared for her, which may be called a “coffin.” It is decorated with various flowers as a sign of sorrow for Jesus Christ, and the place is also anointed with incense. The Gospel is placed in the center of the Shroud.
After Great Vespers, Little Compline is held. Hymns are sung about the lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as a canon about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. After this, everyone can venerate the Shroud. The shroud lies in the center of the temple for three days (incomplete), thereby reminding believers of the presence of Jesus Christ in the tomb.
At the end of Matins on Holy Saturday, a religious procession is held around the temple. He passes with candles and the Shroud. 