When is the Orthodox holiday of the Exaltation. The Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord: the history of the holiday. Some features of worship

Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord - belongs to the twelve holidays. Installed in memory of the finding of the Lord's Cross, which occurred, according to church tradition, in 326 in Jerusalem near Golgotha ​​- the site of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The erection of the Cross of the Lord is the glorification of the Cross of Christ. This is the only twelfth holiday, which is based not only on the events of New Testament times, but also on later ones, from the field of church history. The Nativity of the Mother of God, celebrated six days earlier, is the threshold of the mystery of the incarnation of God on earth, and the Cross announces His future sacrifice. Therefore, the Feast of the Cross also occurs at the beginning of the church year.

The story of finding the Cross

Christianity did not immediately become a world religion. In the first centuries of our era, both the Jewish clergy and, especially, the authorities of the Roman Empire tried to fight it - and Palestine was its integral part. The pagan Roman emperors tried to completely destroy in humanity the memories of the sacred places where our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for people and rose again. Emperor Hadrian (117 - 138) ordered to fill up Calvary and the Holy Sepulcher with earth and erect a temple of the pagan goddess Venus and a statue of Jupiter on an artificial hill. Pagans gathered at this place and performed idol sacrifices. However, after 300 years, by the Providence of God, the great Christian shrines - the Holy Sepulcher and the Life-Giving Cross were rediscovered by Christians and opened for worship.

Constantine the Great - first Christian emperor

This happened during the reign of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles, who, after the victory in 312 over Maxentius, the ruler of the Western part of the Roman Empire, and over Licinius, the ruler of the Eastern part, in 323 became the sole ruler of the vast Roman Empire. In 313, he issued the so-called, according to which the Christian religion was legalized and the persecution of Christians in the Western half of the empire ceased.

The Cross of Constantine is a monogram known as "Chi-Rho" ("chi" and "rho" are the first two letters of the name of Christ in Greek). Legend has it that Emperor Constantine saw this cross in the sky on his way to Rome, and along with the cross he saw the inscription “By this victory.” According to another legend, he saw a cross in a dream the night before the battle and heard a voice: “With this sign you will win”). They say that it was this prediction that converted Constantine to Christianity. And the monogram became the first generally accepted symbol of Christianity - as a sign of victory and salvation.

The Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, who with the help of God won victory over his enemies in three wars, saw God’s sign in the sky - the Cross with the inscription “By this victory” (τούτῳ νίκα).

Ardently desiring to find the Cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine sent his mother, the pious Queen Helen (May 21), to Jerusalem, providing her with a letter to Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem.

Helena started archaeological excavations in Jerusalem, which were necessary because in the 4th century there was practically no one to show either the place of Christ’s crucifixion or the place of His burial. BMost of the first Christians - those who could pass on information from generation to generation about places associated with the earthly life of Christ - were Jews. And the Roman authorities, dissatisfied with the constant uprisings of Jews for independence, expelled them from Palestine in the 2nd century AD. (This, by the way, was the main reason why Jews are now settled all over the world).

Queen Helena had at her disposal written gospel sources, with an accurate description of not only the events in the life of Christ, but also the places in which they took place. For example, Mount Golgotha, on which Christ was crucified, was known to any resident of Jerusalem. Another question is that the city was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. At the time of the Passion of Christ, Golgotha ​​was located outside the city walls of Jerusalem, and by the time of the excavations of Helen it was inside them.

The queen ordered to destroy the pagan temples and idolatrous statues that filled Jerusalem. Looking for the Life-Giving Cross, she questioned Christians and Jews, but for a long time her search remained unsuccessful. Finally, she was pointed to an old Jew named Judas, who said that the Cross was buried where the temple of Venus stood. They destroyed the temple and, after praying, began to dig the ground. Golgotha ​​was excavated almost to the ground, as a result of which the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher was discovered - the place where Christ was buried, as well as several crosses.

In those days, the cross was just an instrument of execution, and Mount Golgotha ​​was the usual place for carrying out death sentences. And how difficult it was for Queen Helena to understand which of the crosses found in the ground was Christ’s.

The Cross of the Lord was identified, firstly, by a sign with the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” and secondly, by its placement on a sick woman, who was instantly healed. In addition, there is a legend that a dead person was resurrected from contact with this Cross - he was carried past for burial. Hence the name - Life-giving Cross.

Elder Judas and other Jews believed in Christ and received holy Baptism. Judas received the name Cyriacus and was subsequently ordained Bishop of Jerusalem. During the reign of Julian the Apostate (361 - 363) he suffered martyrdom for Christ.

When the Cross was found (and then every year on this day), the Primate of the Jerusalem Church raised it, that is, erected it (hence - Erection), turning to all directions of the world in turn, so that all believers could, if not touch the shrine, then at least see it.

In places associated with the earthly life of the Savior, Queen Helena built more than 80 temples.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

By a special decree of Emperor Constantine, a huge, even by today’s standards, and majestic Temple of the Resurrection of Christ, which is more often called Church of the Holy Sepulcher . It included both the cave where Christ was buried and Golgotha. The temple took about 10 years to build - a record time even for our time - and was consecrated on September 13, 335, along with the large Martyrium Basilica and other buildings on the site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Savior. Renewal Day (i.e. consecration, the Greek term enkainia (renewal) usually denotes the consecration of the temple) began to be celebrated annually with great solemnity, and the remembrance of the finding of St. The cross was included in the festive celebration in honor of the Renewal, and was initially of secondary importance.

Establishment of a holiday

At the end of the 4th century. Holiday Renewal was one of the 3 main holidays in the Jerusalem Church, along with Easter and Epiphany. According to a number of researchers, the Feast of Renewal has become a Christian analogue Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles , one of the 3 main holidays of Old Testament worship, especially since the consecration of Solomon’s Temple also occurred during Tabernacles. It lasted 8 days, during which “even the sacrament of Baptism was taught”; Divine Liturgy was celebrated every day; churches were decorated in the same way as on Epiphany and Easter; Many people came to Jerusalem for the holiday, including from distant regions - Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria. On the 2nd day of the Feast of the Renewal of St. The cross was shown to all the people. Thus, the Exaltation was initially established as an additional holiday accompanying the main celebration in honor of the Renewal - similar to the holidays in honor of the Mother of God on the day after the Nativity of Christ or St. John the Baptist the day after the Epiphany.

Since the 6th century. The Exaltation gradually became a more significant holiday than the Feast of Renewal. For example, in the Life of St. Mary of Egypt (VII century), it is said that St. Mary headed to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Exaltation.

Return of the Cross

Subsequently, it was the Exaltation that became the main holiday and became widespread in the East, especially after the victory of Emperor Heraclius over the Persians and the solemn return of St. Cross from captivity in March 631. The Christian shrine, having defeated the Greek army, was captured by the Persian king Khosroes II. It was only recaptured 14 years later, when the Greeks defeated the Persians. The Life-Giving Cross was brought to Jerusalem with great triumph and reverence. He was accompanied by Patriarch Zacharias, who had been a captive of the Persians all these years and was constantly close to the Cross of the Lord. Emperor Heraclius himself wished to carry the great shrine. According to legend, at the gate through which it was necessary to go to Golgotha, the emperor suddenly stopped and, no matter how hard he tried, he could not take a single step. The Holy Patriarch explained to the king that an angel was blocking his path, because the One who carried the Cross to Golgotha ​​to redeem the world from sins completed his Way of the Cross, being humiliated and persecuted. Then Heraclius took off his crown and his royal outfit, dressed in simple clothes and... entered the gate without hindrance.

This event is also associated with the establishment of calendar commemorations of the Cross on March 6 and on the Cross Worship Week of Lent. The holiday of the Renewal of the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection, although preserved in liturgical books until the present time, became a pre-holiday day before the Exaltation. This holiday is also popularly called "By the Resurrection" since it can fall on any day of the week, but it is called (reputed as) "resurrection". There is even a tradition of serving the Easter rite on this day in those churches where this is the patronal holiday.

There are different opinions about the future fate of the Holy Cross. According to some sources, the Life-Giving Cross remained until 1245, i.e. before the seventh crusade, in the form in which it was found under St. Elena. And according to legend, the Cross of the Lord was broken into small parts and carried throughout the world. Of course, most of It is kept to this day in Jerusalem, in a special ark in the altar of the Church of the Resurrection, and belongs to the Greeks.

The rite of raising the Cross

In memory of the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross, the holiday was established strict fast . One of the features of the holiday is rite of raising the Cross . During the festive service, the cross is placed on the throne and then taken to the middle of the temple for worship.

The meaning of the holiday

The Feast of the Exaltation also has the deepest significance in the destinies of the whole world. The Cross is directly related to the second coming of the Savior, for according to the true word of Christ, the Last Judgment will be preceded by the appearance of the sign of the Cross of the Lord, which will appear, as it were, as a “second” Exaltation: “Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”(Matthew 24:30).

Therefore, we, Orthodox Christians, resort to the protection of the Cross of Christ and pray:“Invincible and incomprehensible and the Divine power of the Honest and Life-giving Cross, do not abandon us sinners!”

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

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

God's Law. Saint Helena. Exaltation of the Holy Cross

EXTENSION OF THE CROSS. HOLIDAYS

The film by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk is dedicated to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Bishop will talk about the history of the establishment of the celebration in the Church, about the features of the service on this day, about the theological tradition of veneration of the Cross. Viewers will see how the Feast of the Cross is celebrated in Moscow, in Italian Lucca, and in the ancient Viennese Abbey of Heiligenkreuz. Leopold V in 1188 donated to the monastery the largest part of the Life-Giving Cross, which he received in the Crusades. The Duke was given this cross in Jerusalem, and he gave it to his native Vienna.

Film by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)
Studio "NEOFIT" commissioned by the Grigory Theologian Charitable Foundation 2014

Troparion, tone 1
Save, O Lord, Thy people, / and bless Thy inheritance, / granting victories [to the blessed king]* against the resistance, / and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross.

The words “to the blessed king” are contained in the original text of the troparion, compiled by the Monk Cosmas of Maium in the 8th century. This short chant expresses not only faith in the all-conquering power of the Cross, but also an indication of its sign in the sky, which was seen by King Constantine the Great and his soldiers. In ancient Rus', as in the original text, the general “tsar” was sung without a name, but in the Russian Empire they began to sing “to our pious emperor (name).” This example was then followed by some other Slavic states. In connection with the end of Christian statehood, different approaches to the meaning of the troparion emerged, which caused various changes.

Kontakion, tone 4
Having ascended to the Cross by will, / grant to your namesake new residence / your bounty, O Christ God, / your faithful people rejoiced in your power, / giving us victories as counterparts, / assistance to those who have your weapon of peace, / an invincible victory.

Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

A holiday that the Orthodox Church celebrates on September 27. On this day, believers remember how in 326 the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified was miraculously found in Jerusalem. We will talk about the events, meaning and traditions of the Exaltation of the Cross.

What is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The full name of the holiday is the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. On this day, Orthodox Christians remember two events.

As Holy Tradition says, the Cross was found in 326 in Jerusalem. This happened near Mount Golgotha, where the Savior was crucified.

And the second event is the return of the Life-Giving Cross from Persia, where it was in captivity. In the 7th century, it was returned to Jerusalem by the Greek Emperor Heraclius.

Both events were united by the fact that the Cross was erected in front of the people, that is, raised. At the same time, they turned it to all directions of the world in turn, so that people could bow to it and share with each other the joy of finding a shrine.

The Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is the twelfth holiday. The twelfth holidays are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). The Exaltation of the Cross is the Lord's holiday.

When is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross celebrated?

The Russian Orthodox Church remembers the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 27 according to the new style (September 14 according to the old style).

This holiday has one day of pre-feast and seven days of post-feast. Forefeast - one or several days before a major holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, after-feasts are the same days after the holiday.

The holiday is celebrated on October 4th. The celebration of the holiday is the last day of some important Orthodox holidays, celebrated with a special service, more solemn than on ordinary days of post-feast.

What can you eat on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross?

On this day, Orthodox Christians observe strict fasting. You cannot eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Food can only be seasoned with vegetable oil.

Events of the Exaltation of the Cross

We find a description of the events of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which occurred in the 4th century, in some Christian historians, for example, Eusebius and Theodoret.

In 326, Emperor Constantine the Great decided to find the lost shrine - the Cross of the Lord - at any cost. Together with his mother, Queen Helena, he went on a campaign to the Holy Land.

It was decided to carry out the excavations near Golgotha, since the Jews had a custom of burying the instruments of execution near the place where it was carried out. And, indeed, in the ground they found three crosses, nails and a board that was nailed above the head of the crucified Savior. As Tradition says, a sick man touched one of the crosses and was healed. This is how Emperor Constantine and Queen Helen found out which of the crosses was the one. They bowed to the shrine, and then Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem began to show it to the people. To do this, he stood on a dais and raised (“erected”) the Cross. People worshiped the Cross and prayed: “Lord, have mercy!”

In the 7th century, the memory of the discovery of the Holy Cross was combined with another memory - the return of the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord from Persian captivity.

In 614, the Persian king conquered Jerusalem and plundered it. Among other treasures, he took to Persia the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. The shrine remained with foreigners for fourteen years. Only in 628 did Emperor Heraclius defeat the Persians, make peace with them and return the Cross to Jerusalem.

Historians do not know exactly how the further fate of the shrine developed. Some say that the Cross was in Jerusalem until 1245. Someone who was divided into pieces and carried around the world.

Now part of the Holy Cross rests in a reliquary in the altar of the Greek Temple of the Resurrection in Jerusalem.

History of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

As Tradition says, the Cross of the Lord was found before the holiday of Easter, the Holy Resurrection of Christ. Therefore, the Exaltation of the Cross was first celebrated on the second day of Easter.

In 335, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was consecrated in Jerusalem. This happened on September 13th. In honor of this, the Feast of the Exaltation was moved to September 14 (old style; new style - September 27). The bishops who came to the consecration from all over the Roman Empire told about the new holiday to the entire Christian world.

Worship of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

On the day of the Exaltation of the Cross, it is necessary to celebrate the All-Night Vigil and Liturgy. But now they rarely serve all night long, so the central point is the festive divine service on the eve of the holiday - a vigil.

The Exaltation is the Twelfth Feast of the Lord (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ). Therefore, its service does not connect to any other service. For example, the memory of John Chrysostom is postponed to another day.

It is interesting that during Matins for the Exaltation of the Cross the Gospel is read not in the middle of the church, but in the altar.

The climax of the holiday is when the leading priest or bishop, dressed in purple vestments, carries out the Cross. All those praying in the temple kiss the shrine, and the primate anoints them with holy oil. During the general veneration of the Cross, the troparion is sung: “We worship Your Cross, O Master, and we glorify Your holy resurrection.”

The cross lies on the lectern until October 4 - the day of the Exaltation. At the offering, the priest takes the cross to the altar.

Prayers for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Troparion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories to Orthodox Christians against resistance and preserving Thy life through Thy Cross.

Translation:

Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting victories to the faithful over their enemies and preserving Your people through Your Cross.

Kontakion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Having ascended to the Cross by will, grant Thy bounty to Thy new residence, O Christ our God, Thy faithful people rejoice in Thy power, giving us victories as counterparts, aid to those who have Thy weapon of peace, invincible victory.

Translation:

Ascended to the Cross voluntarily, grant Thy mercy to the new people named after You, O Christ God; Make your faithful people glad with Your power, giving us victories over our enemies, who have from You the weapon of peace, an invincible victory.

The Greatness of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

We magnify You, Life-Giving Christ, and honor Your Holy Cross, through which You saved us from the work of the enemy.

Prayers to the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

First prayer

Be the Honest Cross, guardian of soul and body: in your image, casting down demons, driving away enemies, exercising passions and bestowing reverence, life, and strength, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and the honest prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God. Amen.

Second prayer

O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! In ancient times you were a shameful instrument of execution, but now you are a sign of our salvation, ever revered and glorified! How worthily can I, the unworthy, sing to You and how dare I bend the knees of my heart before my Redeemer, confessing my sins! But the mercy and ineffable love for mankind of the humble Boldness crucified upon you gives me, so that I may open my mouth to glorify You; For this reason I cry to Ti: Rejoice, Cross, the Church of Christ is the beauty and foundation, the whole universe is the affirmation, all Christians are the hope, kings are the power, the faithful are refuge, Angels are glory and praise, demons are fear, destruction and driving away, the wicked and infidels - shame, the righteous - pleasure, the burdened - weakness, the overwhelmed - refuge, the lost - a mentor, those possessed by passions - repentance, the poor - enrichment, the floating - the helmsman, the weak - strength, in battle - victory and conquest, the orphans - faithful protection, widows - intercessor, virgins - protection of chastity, hopeless - hope, sick - a doctor and the dead - resurrection! You, typified by the miraculous rod of Moses, are a life-giving source, watering those thirsty for spiritual life and delighting our sorrows; You are the bed on which the Risen Conqueror of Hell rested royally for three days. For this reason, morning, evening, and noon, I glorify Thee, blessed Tree, and I pray by the will of the One who has been crucified on Thee, may He enlighten and strengthen my mind with Thee, may He open in my heart a source of more perfect love and may all my deeds and paths be overshadowed by Thee May I take out and magnify Him who is Nailed to You, for my sin, the Lord my Savior. Amen.

Icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The most common plot of the icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross developed in Russian icon painting in the 15th-16th centuries. The icon painter depicts a large crowd of people against the backdrop of a single-domed temple. In the center on the pulpit stands the Patriarch with the Cross raised above his head. The deacons support him by the arms. The cross is decorated with plant branches. In the foreground are the saints and everyone who came to worship the shrine. On the right are the figures of Tsar Constantine and Queen Helena.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Sermon on the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Today we worship the cross of the Lord with awe and gratitude. Just like two thousand years ago, the Cross of the Lord remains a temptation for some, and madness for others, but for us, who believe and are saved by the Cross of the Lord, it is power, it is the glory of the Lord.

The Cross of the Lord is trembling: it is an instrument of cruel, painful death. The very horror that grips us when we look at its instrument should teach us the measure of the Lord’s love. The Lord loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son to save the world. And this world, after the incarnation of the Word of God, after the life of Christ on earth, after He proclaimed the Divine teaching in the hearing of all nations, and after He confirmed and proved the preaching of love by death without malice, a death in which no one was mixed. one moment of resistance, revenge, bitterness - after all this our world is no longer the same. His fate does not pass tragically, fearfully and painfully before God’s judgment, because God Himself entered into this fate of the world, because this fate of ours today has bound God and man together.

And the Cross tells us how dear man is to God and how expensive this love is. Love can only be answered with love; love cannot be repaid with anything else.

And now we are faced with a question, a question of conscience for now, which in due time will become a question that the Lord will pose to us at the Last Judgment, when He will stand before us not only in His glory, but will stand before us wounded for our sins. For the Judge who will stand before us is the same Lord who gave His life for each of us. What will we answer? Do we really have to answer the Lord that His death was in vain, that His Cross was not needed, that when we saw how much the Lord loves us, we did not have enough love in return, and we answered Him that we prefer to walk in darkness, that we prefer be guided by our passions, our lusts, that the broad road of the world is more valuable to us than the narrow path of the Lord?.. While we live on earth, we can deceive ourselves that there is still time. But this is not true - time is terribly short. Our life can be cut short in an instant, and then our standing before the judgment of the Lord will begin, then it will be too late. And now there is time: there is time only if we turn every moment of our life into love; only if we turn every moment of life into love for God and love for every person, whether we like him or not, whether he is close to us or not, only then will our soul have time to mature to meet the Lord.

Let's look at the Cross. If someone close to us died for us and because of us, wouldn’t our soul be shaken to its very depths? Wouldn't we change? And so: the Lord has died - will we really remain indifferent? Let us bow to the Cross, but let us bow not only for a moment: let us bow, bow under this Cross, take, to the best of our ability, this Cross on our shoulders, and let us follow Christ, Who gave us an example, as He Himself says, for us to follow Him . And then we will unite with Him in love, then we will come to life by the terrible Cross of the Lord, and then He will not stand before us, condemning us, but saving us and leading us into the endless, triumphant, victorious joy of eternal life. Amen.

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Altufyevo

Temple address: Moscow, Altufevskoe highway, building 147.

The old church was built at the expense of I.I. Velyaminov in 1760-1763, because the previously existing stone church in the name of Sophia and her daughters Vera, Nadezhda and Lyubov, which previously existed on this place, “... and from this dilapidation everything was dispersed...”. The new temple had a bell tower. At the end of the 18th century it was rebuilt.

The temple was closed only for a short time during the Great Patriotic War. Shrines - especially revered icons: a copy of the Kazan image of the Mother of God and the Venerable Macarius of Zheltovodsk (she miraculously appeared at the well of a preserved spring on the border of the villages of Altufyeva, Bibireva and Medvedkova).

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Chisty Vrazhek

Temple address: Moscow. 1st Truzhenikov lane, house 8, building 3.

The temple was founded in 1640 at the beginning of a deep ravine on the left bank of the Moscow River.

It took 18 years to build a stone temple on the site of a wooden one. The main altar was consecrated in 1658.

In 1701, the stone temple was rebuilt for the first time. The composition of the church continued the traditions of townsman construction in the 17th century. The volume of the building may have preserved parts of the walls of the previous brick church, built in 1658, when the territory between Plyushchikha Street and the river was occupied by settlements that belonged to the Rostov bishop's house.

Over the course of two centuries, the temple was constantly rebuilt; it acquired its current appearance in 1894-1895. Most of the parishioners of the temple on what was then the outskirts of the city were domestic servants, artisans, and soldiers. However, representatives of the famous noble families of Musin-Pushkin, Sheremetev, and Dolgoruki also belonged to the parish. On May 25, 1901, A.P. Chekhov got married here.

In 1918, the temple began to be plundered. The authorities removed more than 400 pounds of silver utensils from here.

In the 1920s, Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church more than once. He also served here and was shot in December 1937 at the Butovo training ground.

In 1930, the temple was closed, and the rector, Archpriest Nikolai Saryevsky, was exiled. The dome and bell tower were broken, the almshouse and the clergy house were demolished, and a dormitory was built in the church premises. The wall painting was painted over, and when it began to show through the whitewash, it was knocked down. But 70% of the painting survived. By the end of 2000, after the return of the Church and a long restoration, the building again took on its former architectural appearance.

Vozdvizhenka - street in Moscow

Vozdvizhenka is a street between Mokhovaya and Arbat Gate Square. At the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries, the road to Volokolamsk and Novgorod ran along it. In the middle of the 14th century, Vozdvizhenka was part of the trade road to Smolensk. In the 15th - first half of the 17th centuries, the street was called Orbata (probably from the Arabic “rabad” - suburb).

In 1493, the beginning of the street near the Kremlin wall was cleared for 110 fathoms; in the 16th century, the St. Nicholas Church in Sapozhka (demolished in 1838) and small private courtyards already stood in the cleared place. In 1547 the Holy Cross Monastery was mentioned for the first time. It was he who gave the street a new name. In 1812, the monastery was destroyed by Napoleonic army. In 1814, the monastery was abolished, and its cathedral church was turned into a parish church.

In 1935, Vozdvizhenka was renamed Comintern Street, and in 1946 - Kalinin Street. In 1963-90 it became part of Kalinin Avenue. Now the street has returned its historical name.

Holy Cross Monastery

The Holy Cross Monastery was located in Moscow, in the White City, on Vozdvizhenka Street. The original name was the Monastery of the Exaltation of the Honest Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, which is on the Island. It was built no later than 1547.

During Napoleon's invasion, the monastery was plundered by invaders. In 1814 it was abolished, and the cathedral church was turned into a parish church. The Church of the Exaltation of the Cross was closed after 1929, and in 1934 it was demolished. A Metrostroy mine was built on the site of the church. The priest of this temple, Alexander Sidorov, was arrested in 1931. He died in a concentration camp in Kemi.

Folk traditions of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

In Rus', the holiday of the Exaltation of the Honest Life-Giving Cross of the Lord combined church and folk traditions.

On this day, peasants painted crosses on the doors of their houses and placed small wooden crosses in the mangers of cows and horses. If there was no cross, it was replaced by crossed rowan branches.

September 27 was also called the third Osenin or Stavrov day. It was the final day of Indian summer, the third and last meeting of autumn. “It’s Exaltation in the yard, the last haystack from the field is moving, the last cart is in a hurry to the threshing floor!” “On Vozdvizhenye, the fur coat follows the caftan!” “On Vozdvizhenye the coat and fur coat will move!” “For the Exaltation, he will take off his caftan and put on a fur coat!” “Exaltation - the last cart has moved from the field, and the bird has taken flight!”
The day was fast: “Whoever fasts on the Exaltation will be forgiven seven sins,” “Even if the Exaltation happens on a Sunday, everything will be on it - Friday-Wednesday, Lenten food!”, “Whoever does not fast on the Exaltation - the Cross of Christ - will have seven sins will rise up!
The Feast of the Exaltation was also called "cabbage". “Be smart, woman, about cabbage - the Updating has arrived!”, “It’s the cabbage uplift, it’s time to chop the cabbage!”, “Then chop the cabbage from the Updating!”, “A good man has pies with cabbage on the Updating Day!”, “On Vzdvizhenie, the first lady is cabbage!” They also said: “Neither Vozdvizhenskaya nor Annunciation cabbage is affected by frost!” Young people organized “Capusten evenings”; they lasted two weeks.

Sayings about the Exaltation of the Cross

All sayings and proverbs dedicated to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross are devoted to the theme of the approaching autumn or strict fasting on this day. For example: “Even if the Exaltation falls on Sunday, everything on it is Friday-Wednesday, Lenten food!”, “Whoever does not fast the Exaltation – the Cross of Christ – will be charged with seven sins!”, or: “Be aware, woman, about cabbage “The Exaltation has come!”, “At the Exaltation, the caftan and fur coat moved, and the hat pulled down.”

Signs which are also associated with this holiday, like any other superstitions, have nothing to do with church doctrine and are condemned by the Church.

The holiday dedicated to the Cross of the Savior, on which Christ suffered and died, symbolizes the raising of the Cross from the ground after it was discovered there.

This is one of the 12 main holidays of the church calendar - the date of the celebration remains unchanged from year to year.

After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the pagans, who tried to erase from human memory by all means the memories of this event, covered Calvary and the Holy Sepulcher with earth, and in their place they built a temple and worshiped their idols.

The greatest shrine of Christianity was rediscovered under Constantine the Great (306-337) - 300 years later.

Tells the story of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, why people fast on the holiday and what prayers to read on this day.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The establishment of the holiday of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is associated with the events of the 4th century - it was then that Saint Constantine declared Christianity, previously persecuted by the Roman emperors, to be the state religion of the empire.

Equal to the Apostles Constantine, having ascended the throne, planned to build churches of God at the site of the birth, suffering and resurrection of the Savior and others and to find the Cross on which Christ was crucified.

© AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov

For this purpose, Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen, the mother of the emperor, went to Jerusalem in 326. After a long search, it turned out that an elderly Jew named Judas knew about the location of the Holy Cross.

He said that the shrine, littered with earth and debris, was abandoned in one cave. The landmark was a pagan temple built on this site.

By order of St. Helena, the building was destroyed and a cave was dug up. In it they found three crosses and a tablet with the inscription: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” lying separately from them.

To find out which of the three crosses was the Cross of the Lord, on the advice of Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem, they began to be brought one after another to the seriously ill woman. A miracle happened when the third cross was placed on the woman - she immediately recovered.

Tradition tells that at this time the deceased was being carried past for burial. When the third cross was placed on the deceased, he came to life. This is how they recognized the Cross of the Savior, through which the Lord showed its life-giving power and performed miracles.

So that the many people who had gathered at the place where the Cross of the Lord was found could see the shrine, Patriarch Macarius, together with other clergy, began to raise or erect the Cross high, as they used to say. This is how the name of the holiday came about.

history of the holiday

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the only church holiday that began to be celebrated simultaneously with the event itself dedicated to it. In all Orthodox churches, festive services are held on this day - during the liturgy, the Cross is solemnly carried from the altar to the middle of the church for veneration.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord has one day of pre-celebration (September 26) and seven days of post-celebration. The celebration of the holiday is celebrated on October 4.

Saturday and Sunday (Week) preceding the Feast of the Exaltation are called Saturday and the Week before the Exaltation.

On the day of the holiday, in memory of the Savior's suffering on the cross, a strict fast is established - on this day food with vegetable oil is allowed.

With the day of finding the Cross of the Lord, in the 7th century, the memory of his return from Persian captivity was connected. The Persian king, having conquered and plundered Jerusalem in 614, took, among other treasures, the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.

For fourteen years the shrine remained with foreigners. The Cross of the Lord returned to Jerusalem only in 628, when Emperor Heraclius, having defeated the Persians, made peace with them.

The further fate of the shrine is not known for certain - they say that it was divided into parts and carried all over the world.

Part of the Holy Cross rests to this day in the Greek Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem.

An icon is dedicated to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - sincere prayers in front of it help many to heal.

Prayers to the Holy Cross

First prayer

Be the Honest Cross, guardian of soul and body: in your image, casting down demons, driving away enemies, exercising passions and bestowing reverence, life, and strength, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and the honest prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God. Amen.

Second prayer

O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! In ancient times you were a shameful instrument of execution, but now you are a sign of our salvation, ever revered and glorified! How worthily can I, the unworthy, sing to You and how dare I bend the knees of my heart before my Redeemer, confessing my sins! But the mercy and ineffable love for mankind of the humble Boldness crucified upon you gives me, so that I may open my mouth to glorify You; For this reason I cry to Ti: Rejoice, Cross, the Church of Christ is the beauty and foundation, the whole universe is the affirmation, all Christians are the hope, kings are the power, the faithful are refuge, Angels are glory and praise, demons are fear, destruction and driving away, the wicked and infidels - shame, the righteous - pleasure, the burdened - weakness, the overwhelmed - refuge, the lost - a mentor, those possessed by passions - repentance, the poor - enrichment, the floating - the helmsman, the weak - strength, in battle - victory and conquest, the orphans - faithful protection, widows - intercessor, virgins - protection of chastity, hopeless - hope, sick - a doctor and the dead - resurrection! You, typified by the miraculous rod of Moses, are a life-giving source, watering those thirsty for spiritual life and delighting our sorrows; You are the bed on which the Risen Conqueror of Hell rested royally for three days. For this reason, morning, evening, and noon, I glorify Thee, blessed Tree, and I pray by the will of the One who has been crucified on Thee, may He enlighten and strengthen my mind with Thee, may He open in my heart a source of more perfect love and may all my deeds and paths be overshadowed by Thee May I take out and magnify Him who is Nailed to You, for my sin, the Lord my Savior. Amen.

The material was prepared based on open sources

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is an Orthodox holiday celebrated on September 27, 2018. On this day, believers remember how in 326 they found the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. We talk about the history and traditions of the holiday, whether there is fasting on this day and what not to do for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 2018.

What is the meaning of the holiday of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross?

The Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord: this is the full name of the holiday of September 27th. On this day, the Orthodox Church remembers two events at once, reports the magazine “Thomas”.

According to the Holy Scriptures, in 326, Emperor Constantine and his mother, Queen Helena, went on a campaign to the Holy Land to find a shrine. Not far from Golgotha ​​they found three crosses. According to legend, a sick man touched one of the crosses and recovered. This is how they found the same Cross on which Christ was crucified.

The holiday is called Exaltation because the Cross was raised and shown to people from an elevated place so that everyone could see it and pray.

In the 7th century, the celebration of the Exaltation of the Cross was combined with the memory of another event: in 628, the Cross of the Lord was returned to Jerusalem from Persia.

Now part of the Cross is kept in the altar of the Greek Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. It is not known exactly how the fate of the Christian shrine unfolded.

Exaltation of the Cross 2018: church and folk traditions

On the day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, believers go to a festive service in the temple, try to confess and receive communion.

Church and folk traditions of the holiday of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Rus' mixed.

• On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, peasants painted crosses on the doors of their houses.
• Wooden crosses were placed in the feeders of cows and horses.
• It was believed that September 27 was the last day of Indian summer;
• The young people organized “Kapustin evenings”, and they lasted two weeks;
• The need to observe fasting is reflected in proverbs and sayings: “Even if the Exaltation comes on Sunday, everything on it is Friday-Wednesday, Lenten food!” or “Whoever fasts on the Exaltation will have seven sins forgiven.”

Is there fasting on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross?

Yes, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, a strict fast is established in the Orthodox Church.

What can you eat on September 27, 2018?

On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, fasting people should not eat meat and dairy products, fish and eggs. Food can be seasoned with vegetable oil.

Mikhail Vinokurtsev.

What should you not do on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross 2018?

• You can’t get carried away by all sorts of superstitions. The church considers all signs that are associated with the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross to be superstitions. They have nothing to do with the Orthodox faith.
• You should not think that on Orthodox holidays it is forbidden to work in the garden, sew or clean. This is wrong. It is recommended to devote the holiday to God and communication with loved ones. But if a person needs to work, this is not a sin.
• On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, you cannot use foul language or swear with others.
• The church advises on the Exaltation of the Cross 2018 (as well as on other days) to refrain from conspiracies, occult and magical rituals.
• September 27, 2018 You should not abuse alcohol. On an Orthodox holiday, you need to go to church, pray, take part in church rituals, and not have a riotous holiday.

On September 27, an important holiday for Orthodox Christians will take place - the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. It is necessary to remember this day in order to spend it according to the precepts of the church.

The erection in 2019 is celebrated on September 27. However, this date does not move from year to year in the calendar, unlike some other church festivals.

The Exaltation is one of the twelve holidays celebrated by the church. Their dates do not change. This festival is dedicated to the discovery of perhaps one of the most significant relics for the entire Christian (not only Orthodox, but also Catholic) world: the Cross on which Christ was crucified.

The name of the holiday is explained simply: in the Eastern Orthodox Church there is a tradition on this holiday to bring a cross to the parishioners for a service and ritually install a cross - that is, erect it. Hence the name. This custom is very ancient: it dates back to the 4th century AD.

How to celebrate the Exaltation in 2019

The basic rules remain the same - on such a day you cannot get angry, swear, use foul language or abuse bad habits. It is necessary to be in peace and harmony with loved ones and colleagues. September 27, 2019 falls on a Friday, many will be working, completing the work week; in such a situation, stress, quarrels, disagreements are possible - they need to be extinguished if possible, bring those arguing to a compromise, and look for options that will suit everyone. It’s the same at home—it’s important for all household members to respect their elders, not offend younger ones, and take care of each other.

If possible, it is worth going to a church service to witness the removal of the cross. On this day, churchgoers are prescribed strict fasting - they cannot eat all animal food.

Prayers on this day should also be remembered. You can start with “” - this is the main Christian prayer. You need to read it, tuning in to communicate with God, not casually and not in vain thoughts. Another important prayer for September 27 is “.”

If you want to learn more about the rules and traditions of this day, the editors of the site have prepared a publication for you about. We wish you prosperity and happiness on this important and solemn day. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

26.09.2019 05:56

One of the main church holidays, called the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, has a rich history and many traditions...

On September 27, according to the new style, the church holiday of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is celebrated. The holiday was established in memory of the found Cross...