Chandelier is a central multi-tiered lamp in any Orthodox church, located under the main dome of the cathedral. He is also called the All-Canadian.
origin of name
The origin and meaning of the word "chandelier" goes back to the Greek "polycandylon", which means "many candles". The modern Russian sound of the name, according to famous linguist Maximilian Vasmer, arose from the distorted pronunciation of the Greek source, where the first part was influenced by the word “requiem”, and the second became closer to the word “censer”.
The device and meaning of the chandelier
The shape of the lamp resembles a cone, with its apex facing the ceiling. Each tier of the chandelier has the shape of a circle on which there are lamps or candles. The number of tiers may vary, depending on the height and size of the temple. Since lighting is of particular importance for the church, chandeliers made of bronze or brass are richly decorated with the faces of saints, gilding, ornaments and crystal, which refract and enhance the light of the lamps.
A spherical element called an “apple” is placed in the center of the chandelier, signifying grace and the fruit of heavenly wisdom. The chandelier itself is a symbol of the Heavenly Church, exuding a semblance of the Spiritual glow that awaits believers on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The multi-tiered chandeliers in the temple represent an indication of heavenly order and hierarchy. If we correlate the circles of the lamp with the firmament, then each vertical row will correspond to the level of heaven and the rank of the creatures inhabiting it. If we correlate the levels with the people gathering in the temple, then they will reflect the degrees spiritual perfection parishioners Since the exact number of heavenly ranks is unknown, there is no obligatory indication of the number of tiers of the chandelier - they can be from 3 to 12.
Because the chandelier is the main lamp of the temple, according to church canons, it is lit only during festive and especially significant services. During special moments of the ceremony, to make the moment more solemn, the chandelier is swung so that light shines on the entire crowd of people.
Khoros - an ancient type of chandelier
The architecture of the first Christians did not imply the presence of massive lamps. Under the dome of the building there was a khoros - a round platform with 12 candles inscribed in it, corresponding to the number of apostles. The spread of Christianity and the development of architecture changed appearance khoros, which gradually acquired a modern look.
Khoros is the most ancient form chandelier. Ancient choirs were made of metal or wood, representing a wheel that was suspended horizontally from the ceiling on chains. Lamps were installed around the circumference of the wheel. In some cases, the khoros took the form of a semicircular bowl, where lamps were placed in the recess. Gradually, the shape of the khoros became more complex; they began to be decorated with ornaments, images, biblical characters and scenes.
Today good is a chandelier special type, each tier of which resembles a wheel rim. The number of wheels is limited only by the size of the temple and the imagination of the master. The lamp symbolizes the firmament and the stars on it. Horos can also have a wood structure. In this case, a rod is placed in the center, to which wheels with light bulbs are attached. This structure of the lamp symbolically means the tree of life.
Modern forms of choruses and their extraordinary beauty make an impression and amaze the eye. The fusion of ancient traditions and new technologies allows us to create true masterpieces that combine fine jewelry work and deep philosophical meaning.
Combines several lamps different designs and appointments. The largest chandelier in the temple is the chandelier - the central lamp. It is decorated with crystal, which helps enhance the light of the candles.
For an ordinary parishioner, a church chandelier is nothing more than a chandelier. Before the onset of the 17th century. in Russia, the central chandelier in all churches was called a khoros, which was made of metal or wood and looked like a horizontally oriented wheel with candles or lamps. Choros in the church were suspended under the dome on chains, or attached to the side walls.
Subsequently, the chandelier became a more advanced lamp in the church. It entered church life from the 17th century. Church chandeliers began to be made, among other things, multi-tiered, focusing on individual numbers - three, seven, nine, or twelve. But there is no definite meaning for the number of tiers of a church chandelier, because there is no exact number of ranks of divine celestial beings, whose hierarchy is symbolized by tiered placement.
In a church, the chandelier is suspended under the central dome and, as a rule, has more than twelve lamps. But there are varieties of chandelier (called polycandila). They are located in side chapels or in small parishes and have seven to twelve lamps. Externally, the chandelier resembles a tree, in which brackets with lamps diverge from the central trunk (or rod). At the bottom of the chandelier is crowned a sphere called the golden apple - it seems to grow directly under the branches of the chandelier's base and symbolizes the fruit of heavenly wisdom and grace.
It turns out that the design of the chandelier unites the virtues of all the highest ranks belonging to the angelic army - Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. Each of the church chandeliers is unique in its design and structure. Tiered rings can be decorated, for example, with designs consisting of leaves, flowers and shoots, or with figures of angels and saints. Moreover, each of the structural elements carries within itself sacred meaning and therefore is carried out especially carefully during work. Today, the main materials used in the manufacture of church chandeliers are copper alloys (usually bronze), as well as crystal, ivory, or natural stone.
Production and sale of chandeliers for churches
Chandeliers in churches always play a big role, because they are a source of light. In our workshops today you can order chandeliers of any size, which are sure to become a worthy decoration for a temple or small village church. Experienced craftsmen are ready to make chandeliers from various materials, both according to standard designs and according to sketches drawn by the customer. When creating, we pay great attention to the quality of every detail, so our chandeliers will last a long time, delighting parishioners with their sophisticated appearance and compliance with church canons.In our company you can purchase ready-made church chandeliers created by the most experienced craftsmen. Their production uses traditional casting technologies, which allow us to make chandeliers that can decorate large temples, chapels, and small village churches. We offer customers chandeliers of various sizes, created taking into account the canons and traditions. They are designed for different quantity lamps, different models can organically complement each other. All chandeliers are created based on the best samples that decorate famous churches in our country today.
The temple is the center of our spiritual life. The grace of God is especially felt here. When going to church, we need to set ourselves up accordingly and remind ourselves that we are entering a different world, different from the one in which we live every day. Here we appear before our Creator and Savior, here, together with the angels and saints, we offer Him our prayers. Joint prayer in church has great reviving power. Consciously perceived, this grace prayer cleanses the conscience, pacifies the soul, strengthens faith, warms love for God in the heart.
Temple of God in its own way appearance different from other buildings. Very often it has the shape of a cross at its base, for by the Cross the Savior delivered us from the power of the devil. Often it is arranged in the form of a ship, symbolizing that the Church, like a ship, like Noah’s Ark, leads us across the sea of life to a quiet haven in the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes at the base there is a circle - a sign of eternity or an octagonal star, symbolizing that the Church, like a guiding star, shines in this world.
The temple building is usually topped with a dome representing the sky. The dome is crowned by a head on which a cross is placed - to the glory of the Head of the Church of Jesus Christ. Often, not one, but several chapters are placed on the temple: two chapters mean two natures (Divine and human) in Jesus Christ, three chapters - the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, five chapters - Jesus Christ and the four evangelists, seven chapters - seven sacraments, seven gifts the Holy Spirit and seven Ecumenical Councils, nine chapters - nine ranks of angels, thirteen chapters - Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles, sometimes they build and large quantity chapters
Above the entrance to the temple, and sometimes next to the temple, a bell tower or belfry is built, that is, a tower on which bells hang, used to call believers to prayer and to announce the most important parts of the service performed in the temple.Despite all the variety of forms and architectural styles, used in the construction of churches, the internal structure of an Orthodox church always follows a certain canon, which developed in Byzantium around the beginning of the second millennium and has not undergone significant changes.
A traditional Orthodox church is divided into three parts: the altar, the middle part (the temple itself) and the narthex.
In ancient churches, the narthex was the place where catechumens and penitents - those who did not receive communion at the Eucharist - prayed during the service. According to the Charter, some parts of the divine service are supposed to be performed in the narthex, in particular the litiya at the all-night vigil. Memorial services (short funeral services) should also be performed in the vestibule, although in practice they are most often performed in one of the side aisles of the temple.
In many modern churches, the vestibule is either completely absent or completely merges with the central part of the temple. This is due to the fact that functional value the porch has long been lost. In the modern Church, catechumens and penitents do not exist as a separate category of believers, and therefore the need for the vestibule as a separate room has disappeared.
The central part of the temple is the place where the laity are present during worship. In ancient times, the liturgy of the catechumens was celebrated in the center of the temple; Sermons were preached there, the bishop read prayers over the catechumens and the faithful, as well as the sick and possessed; there the deacon pronounced the litanies. In fact, it was the central part of the temple that was the place where most of the worship took place; only the Eucharist itself was celebrated in the altar. Subsequently, the majority church services was moved to the altar, but some parts of the service are still performed in the middle of the temple. At Matins and All-Night Vigil on Sundays and holidays in the middle of the temple, polyeleos and anointing of believers with holy oil is performed. The Gospel is also read by the deacon in the middle of the church. During the bishop's service, in the middle of the church, the meeting and vestment of the bishop takes place, as well as the entire initial part of the liturgy up to the small entrance.
In ancient churches, in the middle there was a pulpit (called the pulpit), from which the Holy Scriptures were read and sermons were delivered. Currently, such a pulpit is only available in cathedrals. The bishop stands on it in those cases when the service is performed in the middle of the church. From the same pulpit the deacon reads the Gospel during the liturgy.
As a rule, in the center of the temple on a lectern (stand) lies an icon of the temple saint or the saint or event celebrated on this day. In front of the lectern there is a candlestick (such candlesticks are also placed in front of other icons lying on the lecterns or hanging on the walls). The use of candles in church is one of the ancient customs, which has come down to us from the early Christian era. In our time, it has not only a symbolic meaning, but also the meaning of a sacrifice to the temple. The candle that a believer places in front of an icon in a church is not bought in a store or brought from home: it is purchased in the church itself, and the money spent goes to the church treasury.
IN modern church During worship, electric lighting is usually used, but some parts of the service are supposed to be performed in twilight or even complete darkness. Full lighting is turned on at the most solemn moments: during the polyeleos at the all-night vigil, after Divine Liturgy. The light in the temple is completely extinguished during the reading of the Six Psalms at Matins; Dim lighting is used during Lenten services.
The main lamp of the temple (chandelier) is called a chandelier. The chandelier in large churches is a chandelier of impressive size with many (from 20 to 100 or even more) candles or light bulbs. It is suspended on a long steel cable from the center of the dome. Smaller chandeliers may be hung in other parts of the temple.
In the monasteries of Holy Mount Athos, where electricity is not used during worship, the ancient customs of lighting candles and lamps at certain moments of the service are preserved. The lamps in front of the icons are lit at the beginning of the service by a specially appointed ecclesiarch monk. Candles in front of icons and candles that serve to illuminate the temple space are lit only at certain moments of the service. Under the dome of the temple there is a chandelier in the shape of a hoop: there are candles on the hoop, which are lit during especially solemn moments of the service with the help of a special torch attached to the end of a long pole. In some cases, a chandelier with candles is swung from side to side, so that the glare from the candles moves around the temple: this movement, along with the ringing of bells and especially solemn melismatic singing, creates a festive mood.
Some believe that characteristic difference What differentiates an Orthodox church from a Catholic or Protestant one is the lack of seats in it. In fact, all ancient liturgical regulations presuppose the presence of seats in the church, since during some parts of the service, according to the regulations, it is necessary to sit. In particular, while sitting, we listened to psalms, readings from Old Testament and from the Apostle, readings from the works of the Church Fathers, as well as some Christian chants, for example, “sedalny” (the very name of the chant indicates that they listened to it while sitting). Standing was considered obligatory only in the most important points worship, for example during the reading of the Gospel, during the Eucharistic canon. The liturgical exclamations that have been preserved in modern worship - “Wisdom, forgive”, “Let us become kind, let us become fearful” - were originally precisely the invitation of the deacon to stand up to perform certain prayers after sitting during previous prayers.
The absence of seats in a church is a custom of the Russian Church, but is by no means typical for Greek churches, where, as a rule, benches are provided for everyone who participates in the service.
The walls of the central part of the temple are usually decorated with frescoes or mosaics. In the eastern part of the temple there is an iconostasis that separates the middle part of the temple from the altar. In front of the iconostasis there is a solea - an elevation for the clergy. The central part of the solea, which is usually a semicircular protrusion, is called the pulpit. From here the sermon is preached; Some sacred rites are also performed here, for example, the small and great entrances to the liturgy; The dismissal is pronounced from the pulpit - the final blessing at the end of each service.
In the center of the lower tier of the iconostasis there are doors, in the Russian tradition called the royal doors; in the Greek tradition they are called "holy doors". The origin of the name “Royal Doors” is not entirely clear. Some believe that this name reflects the symbolism of the great entrance, depicting way of the cross Savior, “King of kings” and “Lord of lords”, who “comes to be sacrificed and given as food to the faithful.” Others believe that the central gate of the altar was called “royal” because kings and emperors entered the altar through them. Indeed, in Russian practice, emperors during the coronation ceremony entered the altar through the royal doors: in the altar they received communion together with the priests, receiving the Body of Christ in their hands and partaking of the Blood of Christ from the chalice (empresses did the same). In Byzantium, the gates leading from the vestibule to central part temple, or the doors through which the emperor entered the temple.
There are two side doors on the north and south sides of the iconostasis. The liturgical procession always leaves the altar through the northern doors and returns through the royal doors. The deacon also goes out to the solea to pronounce the litany through the northern doors, and returns to the altar through the southern doors.
The altar is the most sacred place Orthodox church - in the likeness of the Holy of Holies of the ancient Jerusalem Temple. Often the altar is perceived as a kind of closed space“behind the scenes”, where clergy and altar servers can hide from the eyes of the faithful. This perception fundamentally contradicts the meaning of the altar as a place of the special presence of God. In the altar lives the glory of God that once filled the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple. Everyone at the altar must maintain reverent silence, interrupted only by the reading of prayers or necessary remarks during the service. Conversations on extraneous topics in the altar are unacceptable.
In shape, the throne is a cubic-shaped structure (table) made of stone or wood. In Greek churches, rectangular altars are common, shaped like an oblong table placed parallel to the iconostasis; the upper stone plaque of the throne rests on four pillars-columns; the interior of the throne remains open to the eye. In Russian practice, the horizontal surface of the throne is, as a rule, square in shape and the throne is completely covered with indium - a vestment that matches it in shape. The traditional height of the throne is an arshin and six vershoks (98 cm). In the middle, under the upper board of the altar, a column is placed into which, during the consecration of the temple, the bishop places a particle of the relics of a martyr or saint. This tradition goes back to the ancient Christian custom of celebrating liturgies on the tombs of martyrs.
The space behind the throne, in the eastern part of the altar, is called the high place: the throne of the bishop is located here, on the sides of which there are benches for priests. The bishop's throne, according to the charter, must be in a high place in any church, not only cathedral. The presence of this throne testifies to the connection between the temple and the bishop: without blessing last priest does not have the right to perform divine services
tion in the temple.By left side of the throne, in the southern part of the altar, there is an altar, which in appearance resembles a throne, but is often smaller in size. The altar is intended for the preparatory part of the liturgy - proskomedia. The Holy Gifts are placed on the altar at the end of the liturgy, after
and the deprivation of the laity. According to the tradition of the Russian Church, a seven-branched candlestick is placed on the eastern side of the altar in the altar - a lamp with seven lamps, resembling a Jewish menorah in appearance. There are no seven-branched candlesticks in the Greek Church. The seven-branched candlestick is not mentioned in the rite of consecration of the temple, and it was not an original accessory Christian temple, and appeared in Russia in the Synodal era as a reminder of the lamp with seven lamps that stood in the Jerusalem Temple (see: Exodus 25, 31-37). The seven-branched candlestick is the only object in the altar that does not perform direct liturgical functions.During non-liturgical times, as well as at some moments of the service, the central entrance to the altar (royal doors) is closed with a curtain called katapetasma. In modern Russian practice, katapetasma is a rectangular canvas extending from the upper edge of the royal doors to the floor. Usually the veil is dark red or corresponds to the color of the holiday, and a four- or eight-pointed cross is embroidered on it. In ancient times, richly embroidered catapetasmas were also used.
Internal structure of the temple.
Despite the variety of forms and architectural styles used in the construction of churches, the internal structure of an Orthodox church always follows a certain canon, which developed between the 4th and 8th centuries and has not undergone significant changes. At the same time, in the works of the Fathers of the Church, in particular Dionysius the Areopagite and Maximus the Confessor, the temple as a building for prayer and worship received theological understanding. This, however, was preceded by a long prehistory, which began in Old Testament times and continued in the era of the early Christian Church (I-III centuries).
Just as the Old Testament tabernacle, and then the Jerusalem temple, built according to the command of God (Ex. 25: 1-40), were divided into three parts: the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary and the courtyard, so the traditional Orthodox temple consists of three parts - the altar, the middle part (the temple itself) and the porch (narthex).
The narthex
The area in front of the entrance to the temple is called porch Sometimes outer porch, and the first part of the temple from the entrance is called porch or in Greek nertex, Sometimes inner porch, vestibule, refectory. Last title comes from the fact that in ancient times, and in some churches even now (usually in monasteries), a meal was served in this part after the service.
In ancient times, the vestibule was intended for catechumens (those preparing for baptism) and penitents (Christians who were doing penance), and its area was almost equal to the middle part of the temple.
In the vestibule of the temple, according to the Typikon, the following should be performed:
1) watch;
2) Lithium for Vespers;
3) Compline;
4) midnight office;
5) memorial service(short funeral service).
In many modern churches, the vestibule is either completely absent or completely merges with the central part of the temple. This is due to the fact that the functional significance of the vestibule has long been lost. In the modern Church, catechumens and penitents do not exist as a separate category of believers, and in practice the services listed above are most often performed in the church, and therefore the need for the vestibule as a separate room has disappeared.
The middle part of the temple.
The middle part is that part of the temple that is located between the vestibule and the altar. This part of the temple in ancient times usually consisted of three compartments (separated by columns or partitions), called naves: the middle nave, which was wider than the others, was intended for clergy, the south - for men, the north - for women.
The accessories of this part of the temple are: salt, pulpit, choir, bishop pulpit, lecterns and candlesticks, chandelier, seats, icons, iconostasis.
Solea. Along the iconostasis from the south to the north there is a raised floor in front of the iconostasis, constituting a continuation of the altar. The Fathers of the Church called this exaltation salty(from Greek [sόlion] - level place, foundation). The Solea serves as a kind of proscenium (the front of the stage) for the Divine service. In ancient times, the steps of the solea served as a seat for subdeacons and readers.
Pulpit(Greek “ascent”) - the middle of the solea in front of the royal doors extended into the temple. From here the deacon proclaims litanies, reads the Gospel, and the priest or generally the preacher speaks instructions to the coming people; Some sacred rites are also performed here, for example, the small and great entrances at the Liturgy, the entrance with the censer at Vespers; the dismissal is pronounced from the pulpit - the final blessing at the end of each service.
In ancient times, the pulpit was installed in the middle of the temple (sometimes it rose several meters, for example, in the Church of Hagia Sophia (537) in Constantinople). It was on the pulpit that the Liturgy of the Catechumens took place, which included the reading of the Holy Scriptures and a sermon. Subsequently, in the West it was replaced by a “pulpit” on the side of the altar, and in the East the central part of the solea began to serve as a pulpit. The only reminders of the old pulpits are now the “cathedras” (bishop pulpit), which are placed in the center of the church during the ministry of the bishop.
The pulpit depicts the mountain, the ship from which the Lord Jesus Christ preached His Divine teaching to the people, and the stone at the Holy Sepulcher which the Angel rolled away and from which he announced to the myrrh-bearers about the resurrection of Christ. Sometimes this pulpit is called deacon's in contrast to the bishop's pulpit.
Bishop's pulpit. During the bishop's service, an elevated place for the bishop is arranged in the middle of the church. It's called bishop's pulpit. In liturgical books the bishop's pulpit is also called: "the place where the bishop robes"(Official of the Great Assumption Cathedral in Moscow). Sometimes the Bishop's pulpit is called "department". On this pulpit, the bishop not only vests himself, but also sometimes performs part of the service (at the Liturgy), sometimes the entire service (prayer service) and prays among the people, like a father with his children.
Choirs. The edges of the solea on the north and south sides are usually intended for readers and singers and are called choirs(Greek [kliros] - part of the land that was given by lot). In many Orthodox churches, two choirs alternately sing during Divine services, which are located on the right and left choirs, respectively. In some cases, an additional choir is built at the level of the second floor in the western part of the temple: in this case, the choir is behind those present, and the clergy are in front. In the "Church Charter" choir sometimes the clergy themselves (priests and clergy) are also called.
Lectern and candlesticks. As a rule, in the center of the temple stands lectern(ancient Greek [analogion] - stand for icons and books) - a high quadrangular table with a sloping top, on which lies an icon of a temple saint or a saint or event celebrated on this day. Stands in front of the lectern candlestick(such candlesticks are also placed in front of other icons lying on lecterns or hanging on the walls). The use of candles in church is one of the oldest customs that has come down to us from the early Christian era. In our time, it has not only a symbolic meaning, but also the meaning of a sacrifice to the temple. The candle that a believer places in front of an icon in a church is not bought in a store or brought from home: it is purchased in the church itself, and the money spent goes to the church treasury.
Chandelier. In a modern church, as a rule, electric lighting is used for Divine services, but some parts of the Divine Service are supposed to be performed in twilight or even complete darkness. Full lighting is turned on at the most solemn moments: during the polyeleos at the all-night vigil, during the Divine Liturgy. The light in the temple is completely extinguished during the reading of the Six Psalms at Matins; Dim lighting is used during Lenten services.
The main lamp (chandelier) of the temple is called chandelier(from the Greek [polycandylon] - multi-candlestick). The chandelier in large churches is a chandelier of impressive size with many (from 20 to 100 or even more) candles or light bulbs. It is suspended on a long steel cable from the center of the dome. Smaller chandeliers may be hung in other parts of the temple. In the Greek Church, in some cases, the central chandelier is swung from side to side, so that the glare from the candles moves around the temple: this movement, along with the ringing of bells and especially solemn melismatic singing, creates a festive mood.
Seats. Some believe that the characteristic difference between an Orthodox church and a Catholic or Protestant church is the lack of seats in it. In fact, all ancient liturgical regulations presuppose the presence of seats in the church, since during some parts of the Divine Service, according to the regulations, it is necessary to sit. In particular, while sitting, they listened to psalms, readings from the Old Testament and from the Apostle, readings from the works of the Church Fathers, as well as some Christian chants, for example, “sedalny” (the very name of the chant indicates that they listened to it while sitting). Standing was considered obligatory only at the most important moments of the Divine service, for example, when reading the Gospel, during the Eucharistic canon. Liturgical exclamations preserved in modern worship - “Wisdom, forgive”, “Let’s become kind, let’s become fearful”, - were originally precisely an invitation to the deacon to stand up to perform certain prayers after sitting during previous prayers. The absence of seats in a church is a custom of the Russian Church, but is by no means typical for Greek churches, where, as a rule, benches are provided for everyone who participates in the Divine service. In some Russian Orthodox churches, however, there are seats located along the walls and intended for elderly and infirm parishioners. However, the custom of sitting down during readings and standing up only at the most important moments of the Divine service is not typical for most churches of the Russian Church. It is preserved only in monasteries, where for the monks along the walls of the temple there are installed stasidia— high wooden chairs with a folding seat and high armrests. In stasidia you can either sit or stand, resting your hands on the armrests and your back on the wall.
Icons. An exceptional place in an Orthodox church is occupied by the icon (Greek [ikon] - “image”, “image”) - a sacred symbolic image of the Lord, Mother of God, apostles, saints, angels, intended to serve us, believers, as one of the most effective means of living and close spiritual communication with those depicted on it.
The icon does not convey the appearance of a holy or sacred event, as classical realistic art does, but its essence. The most important task of the icon is to show, with the help of visible colors, the invisible inner world saint or event. The icon painter shows the nature of the object, allows the viewer to see what a “classical” drawing would hide from him. Therefore, in the name of restoring spiritual meaning, icons are usually somewhat “distorted” visible side reality. An icon conveys reality, firstly, with the help of symbols. For example, nimbus- symbolizes holiness, also indicated by large open eyes; clave(stripe) on the shoulder of Christ, the apostles, angels - symbolizes the messengership; book or scroll- sermon, etc. Secondly, on an icon, events from different times are often combined (combined) into a single whole (within one image). For example, on the icon Dormition of the Virgin Mary in addition to the Assumption itself, the farewell to Mary is usually depicted, and the meeting of the apostles, who were brought on the clouds by angels, and the burial, during which the wicked Authonius tried to overturn the bed of the Mother of God, and Her bodily Ascension, and the appearance to the Apostle Thomas, which occurred on the third day, and sometimes other details of this event. And thirdly, a peculiar feature of church painting is the use of the principle of reverse perspective. Reverse perspective is created by lines and sweeps of buildings and objects diverging into the distance. The focus - the vanishing point of all the lines of the icon space - is not behind the icon, but in front of it, in the temple. And it turns out that we are not looking at the icon, but the icon is looking at us; she is like a window from the world above to the world below. And before us is not a snapshot, but a kind of expanded “drawing” of the object, giving different types on the same plane. To read the icon, knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and Church Tradition is required.
Iconostasis. The middle part of the temple is separated from the altar iconostasis(Greek [iconostasion]; from [icons] – icon, image, image; + [stasis] – a place for standing; i.e. literally “a place for standing icons”) - this is an altar partition (wall) covered (decorated) icons (in a certain order). Initially, such a partition was intended to separate the altar part of the temple from the rest of the room.
From the oldest literary sources that have come down to us, the news about the existence and purpose of altar barriers belongs to Eusebius of Caesarea. This church historian tells us that at the beginning of the 4th century the bishop of the city of Tire “placed the throne in the middle of the altar and separated it with a magnificent carved wooden fence so that the people could not approach it”. The same author, describing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built in 336 by Saint Constantine, Equal to the Apostles, reports that in this temple "semicircle of the apse(meaning the altar space) was surrounded by as many columns as there were apostles". Thus, from the 4th to the 9th centuries, the altar was separated from the rest of the temple by a partition, which was a low (about 1 m) carved parapet, made of marble or wood, or a portico of columns, on the capitals of which rested a wide rectangular beam - an architrave. The architrave usually featured images of Christ and saints. Unlike the iconostasis, which was later in origin, there were no icons in the altar barrier, and the space of the altar remained completely open to the gaze of the believers. The altar barrier often had a U-shaped plan: in addition to the central facade, it had two more side facades. In the middle of the central facade there was an entrance to the altar; it was open, without doors. In the Western Church, the open altar has been preserved to this day.
From the life of a saint. Basil the Great is known to be “I commanded that there should be veils and barriers in the church before the altar”. The curtain was opened during the service and closed afterwards. Typically, the curtains were decorated with woven or embroidered images, both symbolic and iconographic.
Currently veil, in Greek [katapetasma], is located behind the royal doors on the side of the altar. The veil signifies the shroud of secrecy. The opening of the veil symbolically represents the revelation to people of the secret of salvation, something that has been revealed to all people. The closing of the curtain depicts the mystery of the moment, something that only a few have seen, or the incomprehensibility of the mystery of God.
In the 9th century. altar barriers began to be decorated with icons. This custom appeared and became widespread since the VII Ecumenical Council (II Nicaea, 787), which approved the veneration of icons.
Currently, the iconostasis is arranged according to the following model.
In the center of the lower tier of the iconostasis there are three doors. The middle doors of the iconostasis are wide, double-leaf, opposite the holy altar, called "royal doors" or "holy doors", because they are intended for the Lord, through them at the Liturgy (in the form of the Gospel and the Holy Gifts) the King of Glory Jesus Christ passes. They are also called "great", by their size, in comparison with other doors, and by the significance they have during the Divine service. In ancient times they were also called "paradise". Only persons with holy orders enter this gate.
On the royal doors, which remind us here on earth of the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven, icons of the Annunciation are usually placed Holy Mother of God and four evangelists. Because through the Virgin Mary, the Son of God, the Savior, came into our world, and from the evangelists we learned about the Good News, about the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes on the royal doors, instead of the evangelists, Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom are depicted.
The side doors on the left and right sides of the royal gates are called "northern"(left) and "southern"(rights). They are also called "small gate", “side doors of the iconostasis”, “sex door”(left) and "deacon's door"(right), "door of the altar"(leads to the altar) and "deacon's door"(“deaconnik” is a sacristy or a receptacle). Adjectives "deacon's" And "sacristan" can be used in the plural and applied to both gates. On these side doors, holy deacons are usually depicted (Holy Protomartyr Stephen, St. Lawrence, St. Philip, etc.) or holy angels, as messengers of the will of God, or the Old Testament prophets Moses and Aaron. But there is a prudent thief, as well as Old Testament scenes.
An image of the Last Supper is usually placed above the royal doors. By right side From the royal gates there is always an icon of the Savior, on the left - the Mother of God. Next to the icon of the Savior is placed an icon of a saint or holiday in whose honor the temple was consecrated. The rest of the first row is occupied by icons of saints especially revered in the area. The icons of the first row in the iconostasis are usually called "local".
Above the first row of icons in the iconostasis there are several more rows, or tiers.
TO XII century include the appearance of the second tier with the image of the twelve holidays. Sometimes even great ones.
At the same time, the third tier appeared "deisis series"(from Greek [deisis] - “prayer”). In the center of this row there is an icon of the Savior (usually on a throne) to Whom the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist turn their prayerful gazes - this image is actually deisis. Next in this row are the angels, then the apostles, their successors - the saints, and then there may be venerables and other saints. Saint Simeon of Thessalonica says that this series: “means the union of love and unity in Christ of earthly saints with Heavenly ones... In the middle between the holy icons, the Savior is depicted and on either side of Him the Mother of God and the Baptist, angels and apostles, and other saints. This teaches us that Christ is both in Heaven with His saints and with us now. And that He is yet to come.”
At the turn of the 14th-15th centuries in Rus', more were added to the existing ranks "prophetic series", and in the 16th century "ancestral".
So, in the fourth tier there are icons of the holy prophets, and in the middle there is usually an image of the Mother of God with the Child Christ, about whom the prophets mainly proclaimed. Usually this is an image of the Sign of the Mother of God, an adaptation of the prophecy of Isaiah: “Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to make trouble for people that you want to make it difficult for my God? So the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel.”(Isa.7:13-14).
The fifth top row consists of icons of the Old Testament righteous, and in the middle is the Lord of Hosts or the entire Holy Trinity.
The high iconostasis arose in Rus', probably for the first time in Moscow in the Kremlin cathedrals; Feofan the Greek and Andrei Rublev took part in their creation. A fully preserved high iconostasis (5 tier), executed in 1425-27, is located in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (the upper (5th) tier was added to it in the 17th century).
In the 17th century, a row was sometimes placed above the forefather row "passions"(scenes of Christ's suffering). The top of the iconostasis (in the middle) is crowned with a cross, as a sign of the union of the members of the Church with Christ and with each other.
The iconostasis is as if open book— before our eyes is the entire sacred history of the Old and New Testaments. In other words, the iconostasis represents in picturesque images the story of God’s salvation of the human race from sin and death through the incarnation of God the Son Jesus Christ; preparation by the forefathers of His appearance on earth; the predictions of the prophets about Him; earthly life of the Savior; the prayer of the saints to Christ the Judge for people, performed in Heaven outside of historical time.
The iconostasis also testifies with whom we, believers in Christ Jesus, are in spiritual unity, with whom we form one Church of Christ, with whom we participate in Divine services. According to Pavel Florensky: “Heaven from earth, what is above from what is below, the altar from the temple can only be separated by visible witnesses of the invisible world, living symbols of the union of both...”
Altar and its accessories.
The altar is the most sacred place of an Orthodox church - a similarity to the Holy of Holies of the ancient Jerusalem Temple. The altar (as shown by the meaning of the Latin word itself “alta ara” - elevated altar) is built higher than other parts of the temple - one step, two or more. Thus, he becomes visible to those present in the temple. By its elevation, the altar indicates that it marks the upper world, means Heaven, means the place where God is especially present. The altar contains the most important sacred items.
Throne. In the center of the altar, opposite the royal doors, there is a throne for celebrating the Eucharist. The throne (from Greek “throne”; among the Greeks it is called - [meal]) is the most sacred place of the altar. It depicts the Throne of God (Ezek.10:1; Is.6:1-3; Rev.4:2), viewed as the throne of the Lord on earth ( "throne of grace" - Heb.4:16), marks the ark of the covenant (the main shrine of Old Testament Israel and the temple - Ex. 25:10-22), the sarcophagus of the martyr (among the first Christians, the tomb of the martyr served as the throne), and symbolizes the presence with us of the Lord Almighty Himself, Jesus Christ , as the King of Glory, the Head of the Church.
According to the practice of the Russian Church, only clergy can touch the throne; laymen are prohibited from doing this. A layman also cannot be in front of the throne or pass between the throne and the royal doors. Even the candles on the throne are lit only by clergy. In modern Greek practice, however, lay people are not prohibited from touching the throne.
In shape, the throne is a cubic-shaped structure (table) made of stone or wood. In Greek (as well as Catholic) churches, rectangular altars are common, shaped like an oblong table or sarcophagus placed parallel to the iconostasis; the upper stone plaque of the throne rests on four pillars-columns; the interior of the throne remains open to the eye. In Russian practice, the horizontal surface of the throne is, as a rule, square in shape and the throne is completely covered indium- vestments corresponding to it in shape. The traditional height of the throne is an arshin and six vershoks (98 cm). In the middle, under the upper board of the altar, a column is placed into which, during the consecration of the temple, the bishop places a particle of the relics of a martyr or saint. This tradition goes back to the ancient Christian custom of celebrating Liturgies at the tombs of martyrs. Also, the Church in this case is guided by the Revelation of St. John the Theologian, who saw an altar in Heaven and “under the altar the souls of those who were killed for the Word of God and for the testimony which they had”(Rev. 6:9).
Mountain place. The place behind the throne towards the east is called to the heavenly, that is, the highest. Saint John Chrysostom calls him "throne on high". The high place is an elevation, usually arranged several steps above the altar, on which stands the seat (Greek [cathedra]) for the bishop. A seat on a high place for a bishop, carved from tuff, stone or marble, with a back and elbows, was already installed in the catacomb churches and in the first hidden Christian churches. The bishop sits on a high place at certain moments of the Divine service. In the Ancient Church, a newly installed bishop (now only the patriarch) was elevated to the same place. This is where the word comes from "enthronement", in Slavic "re-enthronement" - "table". The bishop's throne, according to the charter, must be in a high place in any church, not just a cathedral. The presence of this throne testifies to the connection between the temple and the bishop: without the latter’s blessing, the priest does not have the right to perform divine services in the temple.
On a high place on both sides of the pulpit there are seats for serving priests. All this taken together is called co-throne, it is intended for the apostles and their successors, i.e. clergy, and is organized in the image of the Kingdom of Heaven described in the book of the Apocalypse of St. John the Theologian: “After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in Heaven... and behold, a Throne stood in Heaven, and on the Throne was One sitting... And around the Throne were twenty-four thrones; and I saw sitting on the thrones twenty-four elders, who were clothed in white robes and had golden crowns on their heads.”(Rev.4:1-4 - these are representatives of the Old Testament and New Testament people of God (12 tribes of Israel and 12 “tribes” of the apostles). The fact that they sit on thrones and wear golden crowns indicates that they have power, but power given to them from Him who sits on the Throne, i.e. from God, since then they take off their crowns and place them before the Throne of God (Revelation 4:10). The bishop and his concelebrants depict the holy apostles and their successors.
Seven-branched candlestick. According to the tradition of the Russian Church, a seven-branched candlestick is placed on the eastern side of the altar in the altar - a lamp with seven lamps, resembling a Jewish menorah in appearance. There are no seven-branched candlesticks in the Greek Church. The seven-branched candlestick is not mentioned in the rite of consecration of the temple, and it was not an original part of the Christian temple, but appeared in Russia in the Synodal era. The seven-branched candlestick is reminiscent of the lamp with seven lamps that stood in the Jerusalem temple (see: Exodus 25, 31-37), and is similar to the Heavenly Lamp described by the prophet. Zechariah (Zechariah 4:2) and St. John (Rev.4:5), and symbolizes the Holy Spirit (Is.11:2-3; Rev.1:4-5; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6)*.
*“And from the throne came lightnings and thunders and voices, and seven lamps of fire burned before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.”(Rev.4:5); “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ...”(Rev.1:4,5); “And write to the angel of the church of Sardis: Thus says He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works...”(Rev. 3:1). Here is an unusual for us indication of the trinity of God. Of course, John, who lived more than two centuries before the I and II Ecumenical Councils, of course, could not yet use the concepts and terminology of the IV century. In addition, John’s language is special, figurative, not constrained by strict theological terminology. That is why his mention of the God of the Trinity is so unusually formulated.
Altar. The second necessary accessory of the altar is the altar, located in the north-eastern part of the altar, on the left side of the altar. The altar is a table, smaller in size than the throne, having the same clothes. The altar is intended for the preparatory part of the Liturgy - proskomedia. Gifts (substance) are prepared on it for the celebration of the Eucharist, that is, bread and wine are prepared here for performing a bloodless sacrifice. The Holy Gifts are also placed on the altar at the end of the Liturgy, after the laity has received communion.
In the Ancient Church, Christians going to church brought bread, wine, oil, wax, etc. with them. - everything necessary for the celebration of the Divine Service (the poorest brought water), from which the best bread and wine were selected for the Eucharist, and other gifts were used in the common meal (agape) and distributed to the needy. All these donations in Greek were called prosphora, i.e. offerings. All offerings were placed on a special table, which later received the name altar. The altar in the ancient temple was located in a special room near the entrance, then in the room to the left of the altar, and in the Middle Ages it was moved to the left side of the altar space. This table was named "altar", because they put donations on him, and also made a bloodless sacrifice. The altar is sometimes called proposal, i.e. the table where the Gifts offered by the faithful for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy are placed.
The numerous light sources in the temple have great liturgical and mysterious significance. They come in three types: windows, lamps and candles. The Liturgical Charter, which is now not strictly observed in relation to lamps, provides for in some cases the lighting of all lamps, in others - only a certain part, in others - the complete extinguishing of almost all lamps and then lighting again.
In the altar behind the throne, lamps or candles (seven-branched candlesticks) are lit in a special lamp; a lamp or candle in a candlestick is placed on the High Place, on the throne, on the altar; lamps can also be lit at individual icons in the altar.
In the middle part of the temple, lamps are usually lit near all icons, and several lamps are lit near especially revered icons; in addition, large candlesticks with cells for many candles are placed so that believers can place the candles they bring to these icons here. A large candlestick is always placed in the center of the temple on the eastern side of the lectern, where the icon of the day lies. A special candlestick with a large candle is brought out at the small entrances during vespers and liturgy, at the great entrance during the liturgy, and also in front of the Gospel when it is brought out at the entrances or for reading. This candle symbolizes the light of Christ's preaching, Christ Himself, as Light from Light, the true Light. The candle in the candlestick, which is used together with the censer during the liturgy, has the same meaning. Presanctified Gifts the priest blesses the people with the words “The Light of Christ enlightens everyone.” Candles in bishop's dikirias and trikirias have special spiritual significance. During the censing of the church in statutory cases, the deacon precedes the priest performing the censing with a special deacon’s candle, which marks the light of the apostolic sermon preceding the acceptance of faith in Christ among the peoples, that is, as if preceding Christ coming to people. Lighted candles are held in the hands of priests in the cases of worship provided for by the Charter. With a special lamp with three candles, the priest blesses the people for Easter services. In the central part of the temple, a large lamp with many lights descends from the dome downwards, lit in appropriate cases - a chandelier or chandelier. From the domes of the side aisles, similar smaller lamps, called polycandiles, descend into the temple. Polikandils have from seven to twelve lamps, chandeliers - more than twelve. Before you consider symbolic meanings individual lamps, let us turn to the main spiritual meanings of light in the temple.
The light in an Orthodox church is primarily an image of heavenly, Divine light. In particular, it signifies Christ as the Light of the world (John 8:12), Light from Light (Creed), the true Light, which enlightens every person coming into the world (John 1:9). This is a special, immaterial, uncreated Trinity light, different in essence from this Divine light from the external, natural, material.
External light was allowed inside the temple as an image of immaterial light. This helps to understand the attitude of the Church to external, natural light. Light in the proper sense for the church consciousness is only the Divine. This determines the nature of the internal lighting of the temple. It was never intended to illuminate the temple premises in the ordinary sense, that is, to make it light. Temple lamps have always had a spiritual and symbolic meaning. They are also lit during the day, during daytime services, when there is enough light from the windows for general illumination. In statutory cases, church lamps during evening and night services can be lit in very small quantities, and when reading the Six Psalms at the all-night vigil, all candles are supposed to be extinguished, except for the candle in the middle of the temple, where the reader stands, in front of the icons of Christ, the Mother of God and the temple in the iconostasis. During holiday and Sunday services, all the lamps are lit according to order, including the upper ones - the chandelier and the chandelier, creating an image of that full light of God that will shine for the faithful in the Kingdom of Heaven and is already contained in the spiritual meaning of the celebrated event.
The symbolic nature of light in the church is also evidenced by the design and composition of burning candles and lamps. In ancient times, wax and oil were offerings of believers to the temple as voluntary sacrifices.
WITH the deepest antiquity in sacred history, the fir tree and olive tree, from the fruits of which it is obtained, turn out to be signs of spiritual truths. The dove released by Noah from the ark brought him a fresh olive leaf (Gen. 8:11), as evidence that the flood had ended, dry land had appeared, that God’s wrath had ceased and was replaced by mercy. Since then, the olive branch has been a symbol of peace between God and people, a symbol of peace and reconciliation in general.
In the New Testament, the imagery of oil and olive is often used by the Savior and the apostles. In the parable of good Samaritan The Lord says that the Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of a man who had suffered from robbers (Luke 10:34). This secretly indicates the saving actions of God in relation to spiritually wounded humanity, onto which the ineffable mercy of God is poured out, giving the Only Begotten Son so that He would wash away the sins of people with His Blood. In the parable of the ten virgins, the Savior speaks of the abundance of oil in the lamps of the wise virgins and the lack of it in the foolish ones. We eat oil here, according to interpretation St. Seraphim Sarovsky, is designated accumulated during life through faithful service to God from pure love to Him the grace of the Holy Spirit of God. Finally, the mountain on which the Savior preached and often visited His disciples and from which He ascended to Heaven is called Olivet: historically because its slopes were planted with gardens olive trees(olives), but spiritually because the name of this mountain means the pinnacle of God’s mercy towards the people, elevating human nature to the heavenly palace of glory and eternal life.
IN Orthodox Church One of the seven sacraments is the sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing, that is, the special consecration of oil with which people are anointed for healing from illnesses. According to the meaning of the sacrament, oil contains in this case the mercy of God towards a sick person, expressed in the remission (forgiveness) of his sins, the grace of the Holy Spirit, cleansing and spiritually regenerating a person, and healing power from physical and mental illnesses.
The candles that believers buy in the temple to place in candlesticks near the icons also have several spiritual meanings: since the candle is bought, it is a sign of a person’s voluntary sacrifice to God and His temple, an expression of a person’s readiness to obey God. A candle also expresses the warmth and flame of a person’s love for the Lord, the Mother of God, an angel or a saint, at whose faces the believer places his candle.
Church lamps are different. Candlesticks of all types, in addition to their practical purpose, symbolize that spiritual height, thanks to which the light of faith shines on everyone in the house, on the whole world. The chandelier, descending from above into the central part of the temple, and the polycandile, located in the side chapels, with their multitude of lights signify the Heavenly Church itself as a meeting, a constellation of people sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, enlightened by the light of faith, burning with the fire of love for God, abiding inseparably together in the light Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, these lamps descend from above into that part of the temple where there is a meeting of the earthly Church, called to spiritually strive upward, to its heavenly brothers. The Heavenly Church illuminates the earthly Church with its light, drives away darkness from it - this is the meaning of the hanging chandeliers and chandeliers.
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