Components of the church. Orthodox church. List of used literature

Orthodox church is divided into three parts: vestibule, actually temple(middle) and altar.

In the porch earlier there were those who were preparing for baptism and penitents temporarily excommunicated from Communion. The vestibules in the monastery churches were also often used as refectories.

Myself temple was intended directly for the prayer of the faithful, that is, baptized and not under penance Christians.

Altar- a place of sacred rites, the most important of which is the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

Altar

Word altar, which denotes the most important place of the temple, inaccessible to the laity, has a long history. Already in Ancient Greece in places of public meetings there was a special elevation intended for speeches by orators, philosophers, sentencing by judges, and announcement of royal decrees. It was called " bima", and this word meant the same as the Latin alta ara- high place, elevation. The name assigned to the most important part of the temple shows that from the very first centuries of Christianity altar was built on a platform elevated in relation to other parts of the temple. And symbolically, this means that the place denoted by the word "altar" has an extremely high spiritual significance. In a Christian temple, this is the place of the special residence of the King of Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ. Altars in Orthodox churches, according to ancient tradition, are arranged on the eastern side. The altar room is apse, as if attached to the eastern wall of the temple. Sometimes it happens that the altar in the temple is not on the east side, this is due to various reasons, mostly historical.

Although Orthodox churches are built with the altar to the east, in the direction where the sun rises, worship turns out not to the created astronomical principle, but to Christ Himself, Who in church prayers such names as "The Sun of Truth", "East from above", "East is His name" are assimilated. If several altars are arranged in the temple, each of them is consecrated in memory of a special event or saint. Then all the altars, except the main one, are called attached or aisles. There are also two-storey temples, on each floor of which there can be several aisles.

IN the altar are Throne, on which Sacrament of the Eucharist And altar, on which the preparation of bread and wine for this Sacraments (proskomedia). Behind located Higher place. In addition, the accessory of the altar is vessel storage And sacristy, where before and after the Liturgy are sacred vessels, used to commit Sacraments And liturgical vestments of the clergy. Titles And altar quite late, therefore, in liturgical books, in accordance with ancient tradition altar called offer, A also bears the name Meals, since the Body and Blood of Christ are on it and from it are taught to the clergy and believers.

is a wooden (sometimes marble or metal) table, approved on four "pillars" (i.e., legs, the height of which is 98 centimeters, and with a tabletop - 1 meter). It is located opposite royal doors (the gate located in the center of the iconostasis) and is the holiest place of the temple, the place where Christ is really present in a special way in Holy Gifts.

Essential accessories are the following sacred objects:

Catasarca(Greek priplotie) - a specially consecrated white underwear, this word translated into Slavic means srachitsa (undershirt). She covers the entire Throne to the ground, which symbolizes the Shroud, in which the body of Christ was wrapped when He was placed in the Tomb.

Verviers- a rope about 40 meters long, which girdles the Throne during the consecration of the temple. Depending on who consecrates the temple, the form of girdling the Throne is different: if the bishop - rope forms crosses on all four sides; if the temple is consecrated with the blessing of the bishop by the priest - rope forms, as it were, a belt in the upper part of the Throne. Symbolizes rope the fetters by which the Savior was bound, and the Divine power that holds the whole universe together.

India(literally, translated from Greek outer, elegant clothes) - symbolizes the attire of the royal Glory of Christ the Savior as the Son of God, which was inherent in him even before the Creation of the world. This Heavenly Glory was not obvious to the people around the Incarnate God. Only the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor reveals to His closest disciples the essence of this royal Glory.

Initially the Throne is covered and srachica, And India during the consecration of the temple. Moreover, the bishop consecrating the temple, before covering the throne India dressed in white clothes srachitsu), symbolizing the funeral Shroud, in which the body of the Savior was wrapped at His burial. When the throne is covered indium, then the funeral clothes are removed from the bishop, and he appears in the splendor of the bishop's vestments, depicting the clothes of the Heavenly King.

During the consecration of the Throne, only clergy have the right to be present in the altar. At the same time, all objects that can be transferred from place to place are removed from the altar: icons, vessels, censers, chairs. The fact of the removal of what is subject to movement and change emphasizes that the immovably affirmed Throne is a sign of the Indestructible God, from Whom everything receives its being. Therefore, after the immovable Throne is consecrated, all the removed sacred objects and things are again brought into the altar.

If the temple is consecrated by a bishop, then under for a special column strengthens box with relics holy martyrs, which are transferred from another temple with special solemnity. This transfer takes place as a sign of the successive transfer of the grace of God from the one that existed before to the newly opened church. The throne before covering it asshole And India at the junctions pillars(legs) with a top board called meal, poured wax painter- a molten mixture of wax, mastic, crushed powder of marble, myrrh, aloe and incense.

Wooden Thrones sometimes have side walls decorated salaries from images of sacred events and inscriptions. In that case, yourself salaries as if replacing srachitsu and India. But with all types of device, the Throne retains its quadrangular shape and its symbolic meanings.

The holiness of the Throne is such that only bishops, priests and deacons are allowed to touch it and the objects on it. The clergy are allowed to cross the space from the Royal Doors of the altar to the Throne only as far as liturgical necessity. At those moments of worship, when there is no such need, the Throne is bypassed from the east side, past Mountainous place. The throne is to the temple what the Church is to the world. It symbolizes itself at different moments of the service and Christ the Savior, and the Holy Sepulcher, and the Throne of the Holy Trinity. Such ambiguity of sacred objects in the altar is determined by the multiplicity of events bible history in which the manifestation of God's omnipresence is natural and permanent.

On the Holy See, in addition to the srachica, invisible under the upper indium, there are several sacred objects: antimension, gospel, one or more altar crosses, tabernacle And shroud, covering all objects on the Throne when services are not performed.

Antimins(Greek anti" - instead of and mission"- a table, that is, instead of a throne) is a quadrangular cloth made of silk or linen matter depicting the position in the Tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to this, on antimince the instruments of Christ's execution are depicted, and in the corners are the four evangelists with their symbols - a calf, a lion, a man and an eagle. On the board by the bishop who consecrated him, in without fail an inscription is placed indicating where, for which church and by whom it was consecrated. Below is the signature of the bishop.

IN antimension wrapped sponge for collecting small particles of the Holy Gifts and particles taken out of prosphora. After the communion of the laity, with an anti-mince sponge, all those particles from the prosphora that have been on it since the beginning of the Liturgy are cleaned from the paten into the Chalice. This sponge is constantly in the antimension.

It is also used to wipe the hands and lips of the clergy after Communion. She is an image drunk with vinegar sponges, which the Roman soldiers brought on a spear to the lips of the Savior Crucified on the Cross. Into the middle antimension, closer to its upper edge, flooded wax painter relics in a bag. are anointed with Holy Chrism and are an obligatory and integral part of the Throne, without which it is impossible to serve the Liturgy and perform the Sacrament of the Conversion of Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.

If during Divine Liturgy start a fire or something disaster will not allow to finish the service in the temple, the priest, according to the Charter, must bring the Holy Gifts along with antimension, deploy it in a convenient place and be sure to complete the sacred rite on it. This is the indication of the Rule, as well as the consecration antimension simultaneously with the Throne equalizes their value.

The Need for a Duplication of the Throne antimension arose during the years of severe persecution, when priests, moving from place to place, secretly celebrated the Eucharist in the houses that served as temples for the first Christians. When did Christianity in the Roman Empire become state religion The Church did not abandon the established practice. Another reason for this duplication was the presence in the dioceses of remote churches, which the bishop, for one reason or another, could not consecrate personally. And since, according to the canons, only he could do this, they got out of the situation as follows: the bishop signed and consecrated antimension and sent it to the temple, and the consecration of the building was carried out by a local priest of a small rank. In addition, the Byzantine emperors and military leaders had with them priests who performed the Sacrament of the Eucharist for them on military campaigns. antimince.

In the course of the Liturgy, it unfolds only at strictly defined moments, while the rest of the time it is in a folded state in a special board, which is called iliton.

Iliton(Greek wrapper, bandage) - a silk or linen board without images and inscriptions, in which the antimension is wrapped at all times, except for the Liturgy of the faithful, when it is opened to perform the Sacrament of the Conversion of Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Iliton is the image of that head funeral bandage ( sir), which was seen by the apostles Peter and John in the Tomb of Christ after His Resurrection (see: In. 20; 7).

Altar Gospel symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ, since in the gospel words He Himself is mysteriously present by His grace. Gospel put on top of the antimension in the middle of the Throne. This shows all believers the constant presence of the Risen Christ in the most important and sacred part of the temple. from ancient times it was decorated with gold or silver with gilding overlays or the same salaries. On overlays And salaries on the front side, four evangelists were depicted in the corners, and in the middle was depicted either the Crucifixion of Christ with the coming ones (that is, with those standing at the Cross), or the image of Christ the Almighty on the throne. In the 18th-19th centuries, on the frames of the altar Gospels, they began to depict the image of the Resurrection of Christ. On the reverse side of the Gospels, either the Crucifixion, or the Cross, or the Most Holy Trinity, or the Mother of God are depicted.

Altar Cross together with the antimension and the Gospel, it is the third obligatory accessory of the Holy See and also has liturgical use: with it, during the dismissal of the Liturgy, the believing people are overshadowed; water is consecrated to them at the Epiphany and during water-blessing prayers; after the dismissal, believers venerate him. According to the faith of the Church, the very thing that he depicts is mysteriously present in the image. Image of the Cross so deep that everything contained in the words of the Gospel is present in it in a special way. When performing all the Sacraments of the Church and many rites, there must be the Gospel and Cross with crucifixion.

Several are usually placed on the Throne gospel And Krestov. In addition to those that are used in the course of worship, on the Throne, as in a particularly holy place, there are small, or required gospels And Crosses. They are used when making Sacraments of Baptism, Consecration of the Sick, Weddings, Confessions, that is, as necessary, they are taken away from the Throne and again placed on it.

In addition to the antimension, the Gospel and the Cross, which are an integral part of the Throne, it contains tabernacle, designed to store the Holy Gifts.

Tabernacle- a special vessel, usually made of non-oxidizing, gilded metal, looking like a temple or chapel, with a small tomb. Inside tabernacles in a special drawer the particles of the Body of Christ, soaked in His Blood, prepared for long-term storage, are placed. These particles are used for communion at home of seriously ill and dying people. Symbolically tabernacle depicts the Tomb of Christ, in which His Body, or the Church, rested, as constantly nourishing the Orthodox with the Body and Blood of the Lord.

Monstrance- a small ark, arranged most often in the form of a chapel with a door and a cross at the top. Inside monstrances are:

1. Box for the position of the particles of the Body saturated with the Blood of Christ.

2. ladle (small bowl).

3. Liar (silver spoon used for Communion).

4. Sometimes there is vessel for wine.

Pyramids serve to transfer the Holy Gifts and communion of sick and dying people. The fact that inside monstrances there are particles of the Body and Blood of Christ determined the way these vessels were worn by the priests. They are worn exclusively on the chest in special bags with a ribbon worn around the neck. themselves monstrances are usually made with ears on the sides for a ribbon or cord.

Vessel with Holy Peace(a fragrant composition of many substances: oil, aloe, myrrh, rose oil, crushed marble, etc.) is also often found on the main Throne. Only if the temple has several aisles, monstrances and vessels with peace they usually rely on one of the side Thrones. Traditionally Holy Peace is prepared and consecrated by the Patriarch once every few years and is used to perform the Sacrament of Chrismation, as well as to consecrate the antimensions and Thrones of churches. In ancient times in Byzantium and Russia Holy Peace they also anointed Orthodox sovereigns to the kingdom.

In addition, on the Throne under the Cross must be lip wipes priest and edge of the chalice after Communion. In some large temples, the so-called canopy, or ciborium. Symbolically, it means the sky spread over the earth, on which the Redeeming Feat of Christ the Savior took place. The throne represents the earthly realm of being, and ciborium - realm of heavenly existence. Inside canopy from its center to the Throne, as it were, a figure of a dove descends, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In ancient times, sometimes spare gifts (that is, specially prepared for the communion of the sick and for other occasions) were placed in this figurine for storage. canopy usually strengthened on four pillars less often - hung from the ceiling of the altar. Because in kivoriyam curtains were arranged covering the Throne from all sides, then functionally they were close to modern shroud - cover, with which all sacred objects on the Throne are covered at the end of divine services. In ancient times, in those temples that did not have canopy, this shroud it was like replacing it. The veil signifies the veil of mystery, which most of the time hides from the eyes of the uninitiated the actions and secrets of God's Wisdom.

Sometimes the Throne is surrounded on all sides by steps (from one to three), symbolizing its spiritual height.

Altar

In the northeastern part of the altar, to the left of the Throne (when viewed from the temple), against the wall is altar. By external device altar in almost everything it is similar to the Throne (this does not apply to sacred objects placed on it). First of all, it refers to the size altar, which are either the same as the size of the Throne or somewhat smaller. Height altar always equal to the height of the Throne. All those clothes that are present on the Throne are also on altar: srachica, indiya, bedspread. Name altar this place of the altar was received from the fact that the proskomidia, the first part of the Divine Liturgy, is performed on it, where bread in the form of prosphora and wine are prepared in a special way for the performance of the Sacrament of the Bloodless Sacrifice.

In parish churches, where there is no vessel storage, on altar there are constantly liturgical sacred vessels covered with shrouds. On altar a lampada and a Cross with a Crucifix are necessarily placed, sometimes they are combined in one item. In temples where there are several aisles(i.e. temples attached to the main temple and constituting a single whole with it) there are, according to their number, several Thrones and altars.

is less important than the Throne, therefore, during the consecration of the temple, unlike the Throne, it is only sprinkled with holy water. However, since proskomedia is performed on it and there are sacred vessels, altar is a sacred place, which is not allowed to touch anyone except the clergy. The order of incense at the altar is as follows: first to the Throne, then to the High Place, and only after that the altar. But when on altar there are bread and wine prepared on the proskomedia for the subsequent sacred service, then after the incense of the Throne is incensed altar, then Highland. Near altar usually a table is set up for prosphora served by believers, and notes for remembrance of health and repose.

many symbolic meanings are assimilated, and each of the subsequent ones “replaces” the previous one at a certain moment of the service. So on proskomedia altar symbolizes the cave and the manger where the newborn Christ was. But since already in His Nativity the Lord was preparing for suffering on the Cross, then altar also marks Golgotha, the place of the Savior's feat on the cross. And when, at the end of the Liturgy, the Holy Gifts are transferred from the Throne to altar, then it acquires the meaning of the Heavenly Throne, where the Lord Jesus Christ ascended after His Resurrection. Polysemy in symbolism is one of the interesting phenomena of the totality of spiritual meanings of the same sacred object.

mountain place

Gornee (glory, sublime) place- this is a place near the central part of the eastern wall of the altar, located directly opposite the Throne, where an armchair (throne) for the bishop is being built on a certain elevation, symbolizing Heavenly Throne, on which the Lord is invisibly present, and on its sides, but below, benches or seats for priests are arranged. In ancient times it was called throne».

When, during hierarchical services, the bishop sits on the throne, and the clergy serving him are located respectively on the sides (this happens, in particular, when reading the Apostle at the Liturgy), then in these cases the bishop represents Christ the Almighty, and the clergy represent the apostles. at all times is a designation of the mysterious presence of the Heavenly King of Glory.

Most parish churches not decorated with an elevation and there is no seat for the bishop. In such cases, only a high candlestick with a lamp is usually placed there, which the bishop, when consecrating the temple, must light with his own hand and hoist it on Mountainous place. During worship, a lamp and (or) a candle should burn on this candlestick. Except for bishops and priests, no one, not even deacons, has the right to sit on the benches. Mountainous place. Priests who burn incense during worship must incense , all those present in the altar, passing through it, must bow, making the sign of the cross.

Close to the Throne, from its eastern side (the far side as viewed from the temple) is usually placed menorah, which is a lamp divided into seven branches, on which there are seven lamps lit during worship. These lamps symbolize the seven Churches that John the Theologian saw in Revelation, and the seven Sacraments Orthodox Church.

To the right of the Throne is vessel storage, where they are kept during off-duty hours sacred vessels(i.e. Chalice, paten, asterisk, etc.) and sacristy(or in other words - deacon), which contains clergy vestments. To the right of the Throne, for the convenience of the clergy, there is a table on which the vestments prepared for worship rely. Generally, in sacristy in addition to liturgical clothes are stored liturgical books, incense, candles, wine and prosphora for the next service and other items necessary for worship and various needs. Due to the great variety and diversity of things stored in sacristy, it is rarely concentrated in one particular place. Sacred vestments are usually stored in special cupboards, books on shelves, and other items in drawers of tables and nightstands.

From the northern and southern sides of the Throne at menorah, it is customary to set remote icon Mother of God (on the north side) and Cross with the image of the Crucifixion of Christ(the so-called altarpiece - from the south) on long shafts. Wash basin for washing the hands and lips of the clergy before and after the Liturgy, and place for censer and coal can be located both in the northern and southern parts of the altar. In front of the Throne, to the right of the Royal Doors at the southern door of the altar, in cathedral churches it is customary to put bishop chair.

Miscellaneous number of windows on the altar symbolizes the following:

1. Three windows (or two times three: top and bottom) - uncreated Trinity Light of the Divine.

2. Three top and two at the bottom - trinity light And two natures Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Four window - Four Gospels.

Iconostasis

- a special partition, with icons standing on it, separating the altar from the middle part of the temple. Already in the catacomb temples ancient rome there were lattices separating the space of the altar from the middle part of the temple. Appeared in their place in the process of development of Orthodox church building iconostasis is an improvement and deepening of this tradition.

Components iconostasis icons mysteriously contain the presence of the one whom they depict, and this presence is the closer, more fertile and stronger, the more the icon corresponds to the church canon. The iconographic church canon (that is, certain rules for writing icons) is as immutable and eternal as the canon of sacred liturgical objects and books. Orthodox icon must have two required attributes: halo - a golden radiance in the form of a circle above the saint's head, which depicts his Divine Glory; in addition, the icon must have inscription with the name of the saint, which is ecclesiastical evidence of the correspondence of the image (icon) to the prototype (the most holy).

In the corresponding prayers and petitions, where all the saints are commemorated, as well as in the actions of worship, the Holy Church reflected the communion of people standing in the temple with those who are in heaven and pray with them. The presence of the faces of the Heavenly Church has been expressed since ancient times both in icons and in the ancient frescoes of the temple. All that was missing was such an external image, which would manifest in a clear, visible way, the invisible, spiritual patronage of the Heavenly Church, her mediation in the salvation of those living on earth. The iconostasis has become such a harmonious combination of symbols-images.

1. Local row

2. Festive row

3. Deesis row

4. Prophetic series

5. Ancestor row

6. Top (Cross or Golgotha)

7. Icon "The Last Supper"

8. Icon of the Savior

9. Icon Holy Mother of God

10. Local Icon

11. Icon "Savior in Power" or "Savior on the Throne"

12. Royal Doors

13. Deacon's (northern) gates

14. Deacon's (southern) gates

The bottom row of the iconostasis has three gates (or doors), which have their own names and functions.

royal doors- double-wing, the largest gates - are located in the middle of the iconostasis and are called so, because through them the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, King of Glory passes invisibly in the Holy Gifts. Through royal doors no one except the clergy, and then only at certain moments of worship, is not allowed to pass. Behind royal doors, inside the altar, hanging veil(catapetasma), which is pulled back and pulled back at the moments determined by the Rule and marks in general the veil of mystery that covers the shrines of God. On royal doors icons are depicted Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the four Apostles who wrote the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke And John. Above them is an image Last Supper, which also indicates that the same thing happens in the altar behind the Royal Doors that happened in the Zion room. An icon is always placed to the right of the Royal Doors. Savior and to the left of Royal Doors - icon Mother of God.

Deacon's (side) gates located:

1. To the right of the icon of the Savior - south door, which depicts either archangel Michael, or Archdeacon Stefan, or high priest Aaron.

2. To the left of the icon of the Mother of God - north door, which depicts either archangel Gabriel, or Deacon Philip (Archdeacon Lavrentiy), or prophet Moses.

The side doors are called deacon's because deacons most often pass through them. To the right of the southern door are placed icons of particularly revered saints. First to the right of image of the Savior between it and the image on the south door should always be temple icon, i.e. icon Togo holiday or saint, in whose honor consecrated temple.

The whole set of icons of the first tier makes up the so-called local row, which is called so because it has local icon, that is, an icon of a holiday or a saint in whose honor the temple was built.

Iconostases are usually arranged in several tiers, i.e. rows, each of which is formed from icons of a certain content:

1. The icons of the most important twelfth holidays, depicting those sacred events that served to save people (holiday row).

2. Third (deesis) a row of icons has an image as its center Christ Almighty, seated on the throne. By right hand from Him is depicted Holy Virgin Maria, praying to Him for the forgiveness of human sins, left hand from the Savior - the image of a preacher of repentance John the Baptist. These three icons are called deisis- prayer (colloquial deesis) on both sides of deesis - icons apostles.

3. In the center of the fourth (prophetic) row of the iconostasis is depicted Mother of God with the Divine Infant. On either side of Her are depicted those who foreshadowed Her and the Redeemer born from Her. Old Testament prophets(Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, David, Solomon and others).

4. In the center of the fifth (ancestral) row of the iconostasis, where this row is, an image is often placed Lord of Hosts, God the Father, on one side of which images are placed forefathers(Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Noah), and on the other - saints(i.e., saints who, during the years of their earthly ministry, had the episcopal rank).

5. On the topmost tier is always built pommel: or Calvary(The Cross with the Crucifixion as the pinnacle of Divine love for the fallen world), or simply Cross.

This is a traditional iconostasis device. But there are often others, where, for example, the festive row may be higher than the deisis, or it may not be at all.

Icons are also placed outside the iconostasis - along the walls of the temple - in icon cases, i.e. in special, usually glazed frames, and are also located on analogues, i.e. on high narrow tables with an inclined surface.

Middle part of the temple

Middle part of the temple marks the created world. First of all, this is the Heavenly, angelic world, as well as the region of heavenly existence, where all the righteous who have departed there from earthly life also reside.

Middle part of the temple as its name implies, it is located between the altar and the vestibule. Since the altar is not completely limited by the iconostasis, some of it is “carried out” outside the altar partition. This part is a platform elevated in relation to the level of the rest of the temple and is called salt(Greek elevation in the middle of the temple). This elevation may have one or more steps. In such a device salts has an amazing meaning. The altar does not actually end with the iconostasis, but emerges from under it to the people, making it possible to understand the obvious: for the worshipers standing in the church, during the service, the same thing happens that happens in the altar.

Semicircular ledge in the center salts called pulpit(gr. ascend). WITH pulpit believers partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, from there the priest pronounces the most significant words during the service, as well as the sermon. Symbolic meanings pulpit the following: the mountain from which Christ preached; Bethlehem cave, where he was born; the stone from which the angel announced to the women about the Resurrection of Christ. Along the edges of the salt, specially fenced places are arranged for singers and readers, called kliros. This word comes from the name of the singer-priests " kliroshans", that is, singers from among the clergy, clergy(Greek. lot, put on). Near kliros are put banners - icons painted on cloth and attached, like altarpieces of the Cross and the Mother of God, to long shafts. They are used during religious processions. Some temples have choirs- a balcony or loggia, usually on the western side, less often on the south or north side.

In the central part of the temple, at the top of the dome, a large lamp with many lamps (in the form of candles or in other form) is suspended on massive chains - chandelier, or panicked. Usually chandelier it is made in the form of one or several stylized rings, it can be richly ornamented, decorated with “tablets” - icon-painting images. In the domes of the side aisles, similar smaller lamps are suspended, called polycandyls.Policandyla have from seven (symbolize the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit) to twelve (symbolize the 12 apostles) lamps, chandelier - over twelve.

In addition, stylized lamps are often attached to the walls of the temple, playing an auxiliary role. Initially, the liturgical Rule provided for in some cases the lighting of all the lamps, in others - only a certain part, in the third - the complete extinction of almost all lamps. At present, these instructions of the Charter are not observed so strictly, but, nevertheless, the change in lighting at different moments of different services is obvious to those present in the temple.

An integral part of all parts of the temple are also lamps, which are lit at most of the icons in the temple. Modern temple lampadas are like suspended, and floor(in this case, they are combined with candlesticks, on which believers light candles - their small sacrifice to God).

Belonging to the middle part of the temple in cathedrals is a platform for the bishop, which is an elevated square platform and is called bishop's pulpit, cloudy place or locker. There the bishop dresses, performs some parts of the divine services. Symbolically, this place depicts the presence of the Son of God in the flesh among people. In parish churches bishop's pulpit taken to the center of the temple as needed, that is, at the time when the service in it is performed by the bishop.

Behind cloudy place in the western wall of the temple are arranged double doors, or red gate, leading from the middle part of the temple to the narthex. They are the main entrance to the church. In addition to the western, red gates, the temple may have more two entrances to the north And southern walls, but this is not always the case. Together with the western gate, these side doors make up the number three, symbolizing the Holy Trinity, introducing us into the Kingdom of Heaven, the image of which is the temple.

In the middle part of the temple it is considered obligatory to have image of Calvary, which is a large wooden Cross with the Savior crucified on it. Usually it is made life-size, that is, the height of a person, and eight-pointed with an inscription on the upper short crossbar "I H Ts I" ("Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"). The lower end of the Cross is fixed on a stand in the form of a rock slide, on which the skull and bones of the progenitor Adam are depicted. On the right side of the Crucified is placed image of the Mother of God who fixed her eyes on Christ, on the left side - image of John the Evangelist or image of Mary Magdalene. crucifixion during the days of Great Lent, it moves to the middle of the temple for a purely reminder to people of the sufferings of the Cross of the Son of God, which He endured for us.

In addition, in the middle part of the temple, usually near the northern wall, a table with eve (canon)- a quadrangular marble or metal board with many candle holders and a small Crucifix. Panikhidas for the dead are served next to it.

polysemantic Greek word "canon" means in this case an object of a certain shape and size.

Another accessory of the middle part of the temple is lectern, although it is not an obligatory sacramental subject. a high tetrahedral table (stand), ending with a beveled board, on which one or more transverse rails are fixed, necessary to ensure that the icons placed on it, the Gospel or the Apostle do not slide off the inclined plane. used during the Sacrament of Confession, when performing the Sacrament of the Wedding, the young are circled by the priest three times around lectern with the Gospel and the Cross lying on it, it is also used for many other services and rites. analogues covered with cloth analogues(veils), the color of which is the same as that of the clothes of the clergy on this holiday.

Icon-paintings in the altar and temple

The temple and its paintings are like a book that you need to be able to read. The temple is the junction of the heavenly and earthly Church, hence the division of its parts into the upper (“heaven”) and lower (“earth”), which together make up the cosmos ( Greek. decorated). According to many murals of ancient temples that have come down to us, it is possible to outline the canonical ideas of the Church in the area of ​​the compositional arrangement of murals and icons in the temple, starting from the altar. One of the possible canonically acceptable variants of compositions is the following.

In the upper vaults of the altar are depicted Cherubim. At the top of the altar apse is placed an image Our Lady of the Sign or "Unbreakable Wall". In the middle part of the central semicircle of the altar behind the High Place, it is customary to place image of the Eucharist- Christ giving Communion holy apostles, or image Christ Almighty, seated on the throne. To the left of this image, when viewed from the temple, images are placed on the northern wall of the altar. Archangel Michael, Christmas(above the altar), the saints who made up the order of the Liturgy (John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory Dvoeslov), prophet David with a harp. To the right of the High Place along the southern wall are placed images Archangel Gabriel, Crucifixion of Christ, universal teachers, John of Damascus, Roman the Melodist etc. This is how the altar apse is painted with small variants.

The painting of the temple is "read" from its highest point, where in the center of the dome Jesus Christ shown as Pantokrator (Almighty). In his left hand he holds a book, in his right hand he blesses the universe. On the hemispherical sails surrounding Him are depicted four evangelists: the evangelist is depicted in the northeast sail John the Evangelist with an eagle; in the southwest sail - evangelist Bow with a calf; in the northwest sail - evangelist Mark with a lion; in the southeast sail - evangelist Matthew with a being in the form of a man. Under Him, along the lower edge of the sphere of the dome, there are images Seraphim. Below, in the drum of the dome - eight archangels, who are usually depicted with signs expressing the features of their personality and service. For the archangel Michael, for example, it is a fiery sword, for Gabriel it is a branch of paradise, for Uriel it is fire.

Then, along the northern and southern walls, from top to bottom, rows of images follow apostles from among the seventy, later called to the ministry, and saints, saints And martyrs. Wall paintings usually begin at a height of 1.5–2 meters from the floor. Below the border of the sacred images, there remain panels decorated with ornaments and having a dual purpose. Firstly, they prevent the frescoes from being erased when there is a large gathering of people. Secondly, the panels, as it were, leave a place in the lower row of the temple building for people, since they carry the image of God in themselves, although obscured by sin, being in this sense also images, icons.

The northern and southern walls are filled with images of the events of the sacred history of the Old and New Testaments, Ecumenical Councils, the lives of the saints - up to the history of the state and the area. In the 11th-12th centuries, a mandatory scheme of the main Christian holidays, the series of events of which is revealed in the images, starting from the southeastern wall in a clockwise direction. These plots are as follows: Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, Nativity of Christ, Meeting of the Lord, Baptism of the Lord, Resurrection of Lazarus, Transfiguration of the Lord, Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Crucifixion, Descent into Hell, Ascension of the Lord, Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles (Pentecost) , Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. An Orthodox church can be called an encyclopedia. Each temple contains the entire history of mankind, from the fall of Adam and Eve to the events closest to us in time.

The western wall is usually painted with images Doomsday and above it, if space permits, an image is placed six-day creation of the world. The spaces between individual icon-painting compositions are filled with ornaments, where they are mainly used images of the plant world, as well as elements such as crosses in a circle, rhombus and other geometric shapes, octagonal stars.

In addition to the central dome, the temple may have several more domes in which images are placed. Cross, Mother of God, All-Seeing Eye in a triangle, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Usually the number of domes on a temple building corresponds to the number of temple aisles under one roof. In this case, a dome is built over the middle part of each of these aisles. But this dependence is not unconditional.

porch Andporch

Name "porch"(pretend, attach, attach) was given to the third part of the temple for the reason that at a certain historical moment, two-part ancient temples in Russia became additional attach third part. Another name for this part of the temple is meal, because in her days of great church holidays or commemoration of the dead, dinners were arranged for the poor. custom to construct vestibules became in Rus', with rare exceptions, universal. The theme of the murals vestibule - the life of the forefathers Adam and Eve, their expulsion from paradise. vestibules the width is usually narrower than the western wall of the temple, often built into the bell tower, if it adjoins the temple closely. Sometimes width vestibule the same as the width of the western wall.

You can get into the porch from the street through porch- platform in front entrance doors surrounded on three sides by steps. Porch symbolizes the spiritual elevation on which the Church stands in the midst of the surrounding world, as a Kingdom not of this world.

External and internal structure of the temple

Temple of God in its own way appearance different from other buildings. For the most part, the temple at its base is arranged in the form of a cross. This means that it is dedicated to the Lord crucified for us on the cross and that by the cross the Lord Jesus Christ delivered us from the power of the devil. Often the temple is arranged in the form of an oblong ship, which means that the Church, like a ship, in the image noah's ark saves us from the raging sea of ​​life and leads us to a quiet, reliable harbor in the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes the temple building is arranged in the form of a circle: this reminds us of the eternity of the Church of Christ; it can also be arranged in the form of an octagon, like a star, which means that the Church, like a guiding star, shines in this world.

The building of the temple usually ends at the top dome, representing the sky. The dome crowns chapter, on which a cross is placed - to the glory of the Head of the Church, 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 - three Persons of the Holy Trinity, five chapters - Jesus Christ and four evangelists, seven chapters - seven sacraments and seven Ecumenical Councils, nine chapters - nine orders of angels, thirteen chapters - Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles; sometimes more chapters are built.

Orthodox churches are built with an altar to the east - towards the light, where the sun rises: the Lord Jesus Christ is for us the "East", from Him the eternal Divine Light shone to us.

Each temple is dedicated to God, bearing a name in memory of one or another sacred event or saint of God, for example, Trinity Church, Transfiguration, Nikolaevsky, etc. If several altars are arranged in the temple, each of them is consecrated in memory of a special event or saint. Then all the altars, except for the main one, are called side altars, or aisles(an extension to the main temple, which has its own altar and a special throne in it).

Above the entrance to the temple, and sometimes next to the temple is built Bell tower, or belfry, that is, a tower on which bells hang, used to call the faithful to prayer and to announce the most important parts of the service performed in the temple.

An Orthodox church (on the model of an Old Testament church that had a courtyard, a sanctuary and a holy place - of saints) is divided into three parts according to its internal structure: an altar, a middle church and a vestibule.

narthex called the western part of the temple, where the main entrance is located. It corresponds to the courtyard of the Old Testament temple, where all the people prayed. Previously, the vestibule was intended for persons who did not have the right to enter the temple. Here stood the catechumens, who, preparing to become Christians, had not yet been granted the sacrament of baptism; and those who seriously sinned and apostatized from the Church, sent to stand in the porch for correction. Currently, candles and prosphora are sold in the porch. Sometimes in the vestibule there are people who have received the appropriate penance (punishment) from the confessor, as well as people who, for one reason or another, consider themselves unworthy at this time to enter the middle part of the temple. Therefore, even today the vestibule retains its spiritual and practical significance.

The common name for this part is a meal, since in ancient times treats for the poor were arranged in it on the occasion of a holiday or commemoration of the dead. In Byzantium, this part was also called narfiks - a place for the punished.

Now the porch has a liturgical purpose. In it, litias are performed at great vespers and requiems for the dead.

The entrance to the narthex from the street is usually arranged in the form porches- platforms in front of the entrance doors of the temple, to which several steps lead. The porch has a very definite meaning, since it is an image of that spiritual elevation on which the Church stands among the surrounding world.

In the narthex there are images of the prophets who foreshadowed the incarnation of Christ, the Old Testament events that were types of His coming. An image is placed on the western wall of the narthex Doomsday so that those who leave the church may carry with them the thought of the inevitable end and reflect on their sins.

Middle part of the temple where worshipers stand corresponds to the sanctuary of the Old Testament temple. No one had the right to enter the sanctuary of the Old Testament temple, except for the priests. All believing Christians stand in our church, because now the Kingdom of God is not closed to anyone.

Here are images of the incarnated Christ the Savior in the arms of the Mother of God, the Holy Trinity, saints and Angels. In the dome rises Christ the Almighty, the Head of the Church, with the Gospel open in words: Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28). Under the dome, in the four corners, called "sails", the evangelists are depicted, spreading the teachings of Christ throughout the world.

In this part of the church, the Eucharist is celebrated. It symbolizes the area of ​​earthly existence, the world of people, but already justified, sanctified. Interpretations agree that, unlike the altar, which marks the area of ​​God's existence, the middle part of the temple is a semblance of the created world.

Altar This is the most sacred part of the temple. As the holy - the saints in the Old Testament temple meant, so now the altar means the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Old Testament, only the high priest could enter the holy - the saints, and even then once a year and only with the blood of a cleansing sacrifice. After all, the Kingdom of Heaven after the fall was closed to man. The high priest was a type of Christ, and this action of his signified to people that the time would come when Christ, through the shedding of His blood, suffering on the cross, would open the Kingdom of Heaven for all. That is why, when Christ died on the cross, the veil in the temple, which covered the holy - the saints, was torn in two: from that moment Christ opened the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven for all who come to Him with faith.

In the altar, in the deepening of the vault, is the image of the Mother of God, Who through the incarnation is inseparable from the Redemptive Sacrifice. Above the altar, where the Holy Gifts are prepared, there are icons: “The Crucifixion”, “The Entombment” or “Descent from the Cross”.

The sanctity of this place is so great that in ancient times the entrance to the altar was strictly forbidden to any of the laity, both women and men. An exception was sometimes made only for deaconesses, and later for nuns in convents where they could enter the altar to clean and light the lamps. Subsequently, with a special bishop or priestly blessing, subdeacons, readers, as well as the so-called altar servers from reverent husbands or nuns, whose duties include cleaning the altar, lighting lamps, preparing a censer, etc., were allowed to enter the altar.

In the center of the altar is throne- a specially consecrated quadrangular table, decorated with two clothes: the lower one is white, made of linen, and the upper one is made of more expensive matter, on which the sacrament of communion is performed.

The holy throne of an Orthodox church symbolizes the immaterial Throne Holy Trinity God, the Creator and Provider of all things. The four sides of the throne correspond to the four cardinal points, the four seasons, the four periods of the day (morning, afternoon, evening, night), the four degrees of the earthly existence ( inanimate nature, flora, fauna, human race).

The throne also signifies Christ. In this case, the quadrangular shape of the throne means the Four Gospels, containing the entirety of the Savior's teachings, and the fact that all four cardinal points, all people, are called to communion with God in the Holy Mysteries.

The Holy Altar also marks the tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ, in which His body rested until the moment of resurrection, as well as the Lord Himself, who lies in the tomb.

On the holy altar are: an antimension, the Gospel, one or more altar crosses, a tabernacle, a veil (translucent fabric) covering all objects on the altar in the intervals between services, and a monstrance.

Antimins- boards with sewn-in particles of the relics of Christian saints and the inscription of the bishop. The antimension is a necessary accessory for the celebration of the full liturgy. It is consecrated by a special order only by a bishop. Usually it is quadrangular, made of silk or linen. On modern antimensions, the position in the tomb of Jesus Christ after being taken down from the cross and the four evangelists are depicted. On the antimension there is always a sponge for collecting small particles of the Body of Christ into the bowl, as well as for wiping the hands and lips of the clergy after Communion. Liturgy cannot be served without an antimension. For safety, the antimension is wrapped in another silk cloth - iliton.

On top of the folded antimension, it certainly relies on the throne Gospel, called the altar, in order to testify in a visible way to everyone about the constant presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the most important part of the temple. With this gospel they make entrances to the liturgy, at some vespers they take it out to the middle of the temple for reading or worshiping it, in certain cases it is read on the throne or in the temple, they cross the throne with it at the beginning and at the end of the liturgy.

Since the Bloodless Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ is performed on the throne, next to the Gospel, a cross with the image of the crucified Lord is certainly placed on the throne.

In addition to the antimension, the Gospel, the Cross, which are an integral part of the throne, there is tabernacle,- a special vessel, usually arranged in the form of a temple or chapel, with a small tomb. Inside this vessel in the tomb or in a special box in the lower part, particles of the Body of Christ prepared in a special way for long-term storage, soaked in His Blood, are placed. These particles are used for the communion of the faithful at the liturgy of the presanctified gifts and the sick.

On the thrones it is also customary to believe and monstrances- small arks, most often arranged in the form of a chapel with a door and a cross at the top. Inside the monstrance there is a box for the position of the particles of the Body with the Blood of Christ, a small bowl, a spoon (a small spoon for communion), and sometimes a vessel for wine. The monstrances serve to transfer the Holy Gifts to the homes of sick and dying people for communion.

Over time, the altar became more and more fenced off from the rest of the temple. In the catacomb temples, salts and altar barriers in the form of low bars already existed. Then arose iconostasis with royal and side doors, which serves as a kind of dividing line that separates the altar from the rest of the temple.

The iconostasis is arranged as follows. In its central part are placed royal doors- double-leaf, specially decorated doors located opposite the throne. They are called so because the King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, comes through them in the Holy Gifts to give communion to people, as well as during entrances with the Gospel and at the great entrance for the liturgy in the offered, but not yet offered, Holy Gifts.

To the left of the royal doors, northern single-leaf doors are arranged for the exits of the clergy at the statutory moments of worship. To the right of the royal doors, in the southern part of the iconostasis, there are southern single-leaf doors for the statutory entrances of the clergy to the altar, when they are not made through the royal doors. From the inside of the royal doors, from the side of the altar, a curtain is hung from top to bottom. It twitches and twitches at statutory moments and marks itself in general as a veil of mystery covering the shrines of God.

On the royal doors is usually placed the image of the Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary about the upcoming birth of the Savior of the world, as well as the images of the four evangelists, who announced this coming of the Son of God in the flesh to all mankind. This advent, being the beginning, the main event of our salvation, truly opened to people the hitherto closed doors of heavenly life, the Kingdom of God.

To the right of the royal doors is placed the image of Christ the Savior, and immediately after it is the image of that holy or sacred event in whose name this temple or chapel was consecrated. To the left of the royal doors is the image of the Mother of God. Thus, it is shown to all those present in the temple that the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven is opened to people by the Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother.

Further, behind the icons of the Mother of God and the temple feast, on both sides of the royal doors are placed icons of the most revered saints or sacred events in a given parish. On the side, northern and southern doors of the altar, as a rule, the archdeacons Stephen and Lavrenty (the first martyrs) or the Archangels Michael and Gabriel are depicted. Above the royal doors is placed the image of the Last Supper as the beginning and foundation Church of Christ with its most important sacrament. This image also indicates that behind the royal doors in the altar the same thing is happening that happened at the Last Supper, and that through the royal doors the fruits of this sacrament will be carried out - the Body and Blood of Christ for the communion of believers.

To the right and left of this icon of the image of the Last Supper, in the second (festive) row of the iconostasis, there are icons of the most important Christian holidays, that is, those sacred events that served to save people.

The next, third row of icons (the so-called deisis) has as its center the image of Christ the Almighty, seated on a throne in royal attire, coming to judge the living and the dead. On the right hand of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary is depicted, praying to Him for the forgiveness of human sins, on the left hand of the Savior - the image of the preacher of repentance, John the Baptist, in the same prayer position. These three icons are called deisis (from the Greek "deisis" - prayer). On the sides of the Mother of God and John the Baptist are the images of the apostles, turned to Christ in prayer.

In the center of the fourth row (the so-called prophetic) of the iconostasis, the Mother of God is depicted with the Divine Infant in Her bosom or on her knees. On either side of Her are the Old Testament prophets who foreshadowed Her and the Redeemer born from Her.

In the fifth row of the iconostasis (the so-called forefathers; the fifth row is optional and may be absent), images of the forefathers are placed on one side, and saints on the other. The top row in the person of the Old Testament patriarchs with the corresponding texts on the scrolls represents the Old Testament Church from Adam to Moses. In the center of this row is placed the image of the Holy Trinity, or "Fatherland" (one of the iconographic variants of the image of the Holy Trinity).

The iconostasis is certainly crowned with a cross or a cross with the Crucifixion as the pinnacle of Divine love for the fallen world, which gave the Son of God as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

Behind the throne is menorah, that is, a candlestick with seven lamps, and behind it - an altarpiece cross. The place behind the throne at the easternmost wall of the altar is called mountain(high) place, it is usually made sublime.

On the sides of the seven-candlestick, on the north and south sides of the throne, it is customary to place on the poles a portable icon of the Mother of God (on the north side) and a cross with the image of the Crucifixion of Christ (on the south). To the right or left of the throne is placed a washbasin for washing the hands of the clergy before the liturgy and washing the mouth after it, and a place where the censer is lit.

altar a table covered with sacred garments is called, on which proskomidia is performed, that is, bread and wine are prepared for the celebration of the sacrament of communion (the Eucharist). He stands in the northeast corner of the altar. On it are sacred vessels: bowl(chalice), into which church wine is poured; paten- a small round dish on a stand with the image of the Infant Jesus lying in a manger. Bread (Lamb - the cut middle part of the prosphora) is placed on the diskos for consecration at the liturgy, as well as particles taken from other prosphora; asterisk, consisting of two, cross-connected, curved metal arcs; it is supplied on a diskos so that the cover does not touch the particles taken out of the prosphora; a spear with which the Lamb is cut out of the prosphora and particles are taken out of the prosphora; liar(spoon) for the communion of believers; sponge for wiping vessels.

IN ancient church there was no altar on the altar. He settled in a special room, in ancient Russian churches - in the northern aisle, connected to the altar by a small door. Such aisles on both sides of the altar to the east were ordered to be arranged by the Apostolic Decrees: the northern aisle - for the offering (altar), the southern one - for the vessel storage (sacristy). Later, for convenience, the altar was moved to the altar, and in the aisles, most often they began to arrange temples, that is, they set up and consecrated thrones in honor of sacred events and saints. Thus, many ancient temples began to have not one, but two or three thrones, to combine two and three special temples.

In parish churches that do not have a special vessel storage, liturgical sacred vessels are constantly on the altar, covered with shrouds during off-duty hours. On the altar, a lamp is necessarily placed, there is a cross with the Crucifixion.

The altar marks the cave where the manger was, that is, the place of the Nativity of Christ, as well as Golgotha, the place of the Savior's feat on the cross. In addition, when the Holy Gifts at the end of the Liturgy are transferred from the throne to the altar, it acquires the meaning of the heavenly Throne, where the Lord Jesus Christ ascended and sat at the right hand of God the Father.

Near the altar, a table is usually placed for placing on it the prosphora filed by believers, and notes on health and repose.

The altar also contains censers, used for burning incense (incense). Burning was established in the Old Testament Church by God Himself.

Burning incense before the holy throne and icons expresses our reverence and reverence for them. Censing addressed to those who pray expresses the wish that their prayer be fervent and reverent and easily ascend to Heaven, like censer smoke, and that the grace of God overshadow the believers as much as censer smoke surrounds them. Believers respond to incense with a bow.

The altar also contains dikyrium And trikirium, used by the bishop to bless the people, and ripids.

On the right side of the altar is arranged sacristy. This is the name of the room where the vestments are kept, that is, the sacred clothes used in worship, as well as church vessels and books, according to which worship is performed.

The elevation on which the altar and the iconostasis stand protrudes significantly forward, into the middle part of the temple, and is called salt.

The middle of the salt, the elevation in front of the royal gates, is called pulpit, i.e., ascent. On the ambo, the deacon pronounces the litany on behalf of the worshipers ( prayer requests) and reads the Gospel. On the pulpit, the faithful are also given Holy Communion.

Along the edges of the salt, near the walls of the temple, they arrange kliros for reciters and singers.

Near the kliros banners- images of the Face of the Savior or the Most Holy Theotokos on matter or metal, attached to long shafts. They are worn during religious processions as church banners.

The temple also has eve- a low table on which stands the image of the Crucifixion and a stand for candles. Panikhidas are served before the eve, i.e. funeral services.

Before the icons and lecterns stand candlesticks, on which believers place candles.

In the middle of the temple, above on the ceiling, hangs chandelier, i.e. a large candlestick with many candles. The chandelier is lit at the solemn moments of worship.

An important accessory of the Orthodox Church are icons And frescoes with images of the Savior, Angels, saints of God and biblical stories. Icons testify about God, the works of His mercy, about the heavenly world. They convey in colors what the Holy Scripture describes in words, create a prayerful mood in the temple. When praying before an icon, we must remember that we are not praying to the substance from which it is made, but to the Lord, the Mother of God or the saint who are depicted on it.

The most ancient places of Christian prayer, the catacombs, have preserved to this day the sacred images of those times. These images are more symbolic than modern icons. Nevertheless, the idea is the same: to remind of God. Among such ancient images, mention should be made of a lamb - a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered for people; the lion is a symbol of His power; fish - in its Greek name "ichthys" contains the initials of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; the anchor is a sign of Christian hope; a dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, etc. There are also more complex compositions in the catacombs illustrating biblical events and gospel parables: Noah in the ark, the adoration of the Magi, the resurrection of Lazarus and others. Over the centuries these early christian symbols and the compositions became more artistic and varied.

On the icons God is depicted in those images in which He appeared to people. So, for example, the Most Holy Trinity is depicted as three wandering angels sitting at a table. In this form, the Lord appeared to the righteous Abraham. On other icons, each of the Persons of the Holy Trinity has its own symbolic outline. God the Father is in the form of an old man, because He appeared to the prophets Isaiah and Daniel in this way. Jesus Christ is depicted in a human form, as He was when He came down to earth and became a man: a baby in the arms of the Virgin Mary or teaching the people and performing miracles, being transformed, suffering on the cross, lying in a tomb, resurrected or ascended.

God the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove (as He revealed Himself during the Baptism of the Savior in the Jordan) or in the form of fiery tongues (as He descended in a visible way on the holy apostles on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ).

The newly painted icon must certainly be consecrated in the temple and sprinkled with holy water. After that, it becomes a sacred object through which the grace of the Holy Spirit works invisibly. A lot is known miraculous icons from which healings are performed.

Radiance is depicted on the icons around the head of the Savior and the saints - nimbus. It symbolizes the grace of God, which is in the one who is drawn with a halo.

The placement of holy images reflects in harmonious continuity the dogmas of Orthodoxy: the inseparability and consubstantiality of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation and the Redemptive Sacrifice of Christ.

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The "Reference book of an Orthodox person" contains the most complete information of a reference nature on the most important topics for every Christian: the organization of the temple, Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, Divine Liturgy and Sacraments of the Orthodox Church, annual cycle Orthodox holidays and posts, etc.

The first part of the Directory - "Orthodox Church" - tells about the external and internal structure of the temple and everything that belongs to the temple building. The book contains many illustrations and a detailed index.

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From the publisher

The encyclopedic reference book "The New Tablet", compiled in the 19th century by the Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas Veniamin, withstood, despite the materialism and skepticism inherent in the era, 17 editions. The reason for such an incredible popularity of the collection was the fact that it contained a huge reference material about temple buildings, their external and internal structure, utensils, sacred objects and images, the ranks of public and private services performed in the Orthodox Church.

Unfortunately, the archaism of the language of the "New Table", the oversaturation of the collection with an explanation of the symbolic meanings of the objects described, makes this unique book very difficult for the perception of a modern Christian. And the need for the information that she gave is even higher at the moment than in the century before last. Therefore, our Publishing House is making an attempt to continue the tradition started by the New Tablet.

In "Handbook of the Orthodox Man" " we have collected the most complete reference information on the above topics, adapting it for the understanding of modern Christians. We have prepared the first part of the book - "The Orthodox Church" - which is distinguished by the completeness of the reference material given in it. It contains information about the external and internal structure of Orthodox churches and everything that is their integral part. Another feature of the book is the abundance of illustrations that clearly represent those sacred objects, the description of which is given in it.

The internal structure of the reference book is characterized by the fact that the beginning of an article devoted to a particular sacred subject is highlighted in bold, which makes it easy to find it in the text.

At the same time, the text is not divided into separate parts, but constitutes an indivisible whole, united within large sections by the internal logic of the narrative.

The book also contains a detailed subject index, allowing the reader to easily find the term of interest to them.

To compile the first part, several sources were used, but the "Desk Book of the Clergyman" was taken as the basis, the accuracy of the descriptions of which is beyond doubt. Experience shows that even parishioners of Orthodox churches who have been churched for a long time have a distorted idea about some sacred objects or do not have it at all. The book aims to fill these gaps. In addition, it can become a reference for those who have just come to an Orthodox church and do not know anything about it.

The Publishing House plans to work on the following parts of the guide:

1 . Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition.

2 . Iconography (without special and applied information).

3 . Worship of the Orthodox Church.

4 . Sacraments of the Orthodox Church.

5 . Annual cycle of holidays and Orthodox fasts.

6 . General information on dogmatic and moral theology and other topics.

The purpose of the collection is to collect in it reference material about the Orthodox Church of a public nature. The book will help believers make up for the lack of knowledge about the most important components of the life of an Orthodox person that exists now.

Why do believers build temples? Why are such a large number of them scattered throughout the Orthodox Earth? The answer is simple: the goal of everyone is the salvation of the soul, and achieving it is impossible without visiting the church. She is a hospital where the soul is healed from sinful falls, as well as its deification. The device of the temple, its decoration allow the believer to plunge into the divine atmosphere, to become closer to the Lord. Only a priest who is present in the temple can conduct the ceremony of baptism, wedding, forgive sins. Without services, prayers, a person cannot become a child of God.

Orthodox church

An Orthodox church is a place where God is served, where it is possible to unite with Him through such sacraments as baptism and communion. Believers gather here to make a joint prayer, the power of which everyone knows.

The first Christians had an illegal position, so they did not have their own temples. For prayers, believers gathered in the houses of the leaders of the communities, synagogues, and it happened that in the catacombs of Syracuse, Rome, Ephesus. This lasted for three centuries, until Constantine the Great came to power. In 323, he became full emperor of the Roman Empire. He made Christianity the state religion. Since then, the active construction of temples, and later monasteries, began. It was his mother - Empress Helen of Constantinople - who was the initiator of the erection in Jerusalem.

Since then, the structure of the temple, its interior decoration, architecture have undergone significant changes. In Rus', it was customary to build cross-domed churches, this type is still relevant. An important detail of any temple are domes, which are crowned with a cross. Already from afar, you can notice the house of God from them. If the domes are decorated with gilding, then under the rays of the sun they blaze, symbolizing the fire burning in the believing hearts.

Internal organization

The internal structure of the temple necessarily symbolizes closeness to God, is endowed with certain symbols, decoration, and serves to satisfy the goals of Christian worship. As the Church teaches, our entire material world is nothing but a reflection of the spiritual world, invisible to the eye. The temple is an image of the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, respectively, of the image of the King of Heaven. The device of an Orthodox church, its architecture, symbolism enable believers to perceive the church as the beginning of the Kingdom of Heaven, its image (invisible, distant, divine).

Like any building, the temple must carry the functions for which it is intended, meet the needs and have the following premises:

• For clergy who conduct services.
• For all believers present in the church.
• For penitents and those who are preparing to be baptized.

Since ancient times, the temple is divided into three main parts:

• Altar.
• The middle part of the temple.
• Porch.

• Iconostasis.
• Altar.
• Throne.
• Sacristy.
• Mountain place.
• pulpit.
• Solea.
• Ponomark.
• Kliros.
• Papers.
• Candle boxes.
• Bell tower.
• Porch.

Altar

Considering the structure of the temple, special attention should be paid to the most important part of the church, intended only for the clergy, as well as for those persons who serve them during worship. The altar contains images of Paradise, the heavenly dwelling of the Lord. Denotes a mysterious side in the universe, part of the sky. Otherwise, the altar is called "heaven on Zele". Everyone knows that after the fall the Lord closed the Gates to the Kingdom of Heaven for ordinary laity, entry here is possible only. Having a special sacred meaning, the altar always inspires awe in believers. If a believer helping in the service, putting things in order or lighting candles, comes here, he must make a prostration. Laymen are forbidden to enter the altar for the simple reason that this place must always be clean, holy, it is here that the Holy Meal is located. Crowds and excesses are not allowed in this place, which, due to their sinful nature, mere mortals can allow. The place is for the concentration of prayer by the priest.

Iconostasis

Christians feel a sense of reverence when they enter an Orthodox church. Its structure and interior decoration, icons with the faces of Saints exalt the souls of believers, create an atmosphere of peace, awe before our Lord.

Already in the ancient catacomb temples, the altar began to be fenced off from the rest. Soleia already existed then, the altar barriers were made in the form of lowered bars. Much later, an iconostasis arose, which has royal and side gates. It serves as a dividing line that separates the middle temple and the altar. The iconostasis is arranged as follows.

In the center are the royal gates - specially decorated doors with two wings, located opposite the throne. Why are they called that? It is believed that Jesus Christ himself comes through them to give communion to people. To the left and to the right of the north and south gates are installed, which serve for the entrance and exit of the clergy at the statutory moments of worship. Each of the icons located on the iconostasis has its own special place and meaning, tells about some event from Scripture.

Icons and frescoes

Considering the structure and decoration of an Orthodox church, it should be noted that icons and frescoes are a very important accessory. They depict the Savior, the Mother of God, angels, saints from biblical scenes. Icons in colors convey to us what is described by words in Holy Scripture. Thanks to them, a prayerful mood is created in the temple. When praying, you need to remember that the prayer does not ascend to the picture, but to the image depicted on it. On the icons, the images are depicted in the form in which they condescended to the people, as the chosen ones saw them. So, the Trinity is depicted in the form in which he saw her righteous Abraham. Jesus is depicted in the human form in which he lived among us. It is customary to depict the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, as it appeared during the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River, or in the form of fire, which the apostles saw on the day of Pentecost.

A newly painted icon is necessarily consecrated in the temple, sprinkled with holy water. Then it becomes sacred and has the ability to act with the Grace of the Holy Spirit.

A halo around the head means that the face depicted on the icon has the grace of God, is holy.

Middle part of the temple

The internal structure of an Orthodox church necessarily contains a middle part, sometimes it is called a nave. In this part of the temple there are pulpit, solea, iconostasis and kliros.

It is this part that is actually called the temple. Since ancient times, this part has been called the refectory, because the Eucharist is eaten here. The middle temple symbolizes earthly existence, the sensual human world, but justified, burned and already consecrated. If the altar symbolizes the Upper Heaven, then the middle temple is a particle of the renewed human world. These two parts must interact; under the guidance of Heaven, the disturbed order will be restored on Earth.

vestibule

The porch included in the device Christian temple, is its forerunner. Penitent persons or those who were preparing for Holy Baptism stopped in it at the origins of faith. In the vestibule, most often there is a church box for selling prosphora, candles, icons, crosses, for registering weddings and baptisms. Those who have received penance from the spiritual father can stand in the porch, and all people who, for some reason, consider themselves unworthy to enter the temple at the moment.

External device

The architecture of Orthodox churches is always recognizable, and although its types are different, the external structure of the temple has its main parts.

Apse - a ledge for the altar, attached to the temple, usually has a semicircular shape.

Drum - the upper part, which ends with a cross.

Light drum - a drum with slotted openings.

The head is a dome crowning the temple with a drum and a cross.

Zakomara - Russian architecture. Semi-circular completion of a part of the wall.

The onion is the head of an onion-shaped church.

The porch is a porch elevated above ground level (closed or open type).

Pilaster - a flat decorative protrusion on the surface of the wall.

Portal - entrance.

Refectory - an extension from the west of the building, serves as a place for sermons and meetings.

Tent - has several faces, covers towers, a temple or a bell tower. Distributed in architecture XVII century.

Pediment - completes the facade of the building.

An apple is a domed ball on which a cross is mounted.

Tier - a decrease in height of the volume of the entire building.

Types of temples

Orthodox churches have a different shape, they can be:

• In the form of a cross (symbol of the crucifixion).
• In the form of a circle (the personification of eternity).
• In the form of a quadrangle (sign of the Earth).
• In the form of an octagon (the guiding Star of Bethlehem).

Each church is dedicated to some holy, important Christian event. The day of their memory becomes a patronal temple holiday. If there are several aisles with an altar, then each is called separately. A chapel is a small structure that resembles a temple but does not have an altar.

At the time, the device of the Christian temple of Byzantium had a cross-domed type. It combined all the traditions of Eastern temple architecture. Rus' adopted from Byzantium not only Orthodoxy, but also examples of architecture. While preserving traditions, Russian churches have a lot of originality and originality.

Buddhist temple arrangement

Many believers are interested in how the temples of the Buddha are arranged. Let's give brief information. Everything is also installed according to strict rules. All Buddhists revere the "Three Treasures" and it is in the temple that they seek refuge for themselves - from the Buddha, his teachings and from the community. The right place is where all the "Three Treasures" are collected, they must be reliably protected from any influence, from strangers. The temple is a closed territory, protected from all sides. Powerful gates are the main requirement in the construction of the temple. Buddhists do not distinguish between a monastery and a temple - for them it is one and the same concept.

Every Buddhist temple has an image of the Buddha, whether embroidered, painted or sculpture. This image should be placed in the "golden hall", facing east. The main figure is huge, all the rest depict scenes from the life of the saint. The temple has other images - these are all creatures revered by Buddhists. The altar in the temple is decorated with figures of famous monks, they are located just below the Buddha.

Visiting a Buddhist temple

Those who want to visit a Buddhist temple must adhere to certain requirements. Legs, shoulders must be covered with opaque clothing. Like other religions, Buddhism believes that not keeping up appearances in clothes is a disrespect for the faith.

Buddhist feet are considered the dirtiest part of the body because they are in contact with the ground. Therefore, when entering the temple, you must take off your shoes. It is believed that this way the legs become cleaner.

Be sure to know the rule by which believers sit down. In no case should the legs point towards the Buddha or any saint, so Buddhists prefer to remain neutral - to sit in the lotus position. You can simply bend your legs under you.

Orthodox church. Photo:www.spiritualfragranceinc.com

Temple forms. In ancient times, Orthodox prayer houses were different. They had different forms. Ancient temples had a round and eight-pointed shape. Today, the most common are oblong and cruciform temples.

Temple domes. Each church must have at least one dome. There are temples with three, five, seven and thirteen domes. The dome symbolizes the burning flame of a candle, the flame of prayer and the Christian's desire for God.

Church bells. An Orthodox house for prayer should have a bell. Church bells notify the faithful of the beginning of worship, of the most important points church service and so on.

Cross on the temple. There is a cross on the dome of every church. The cross is quadrangular in shape - it is a traditional cross with one vertical and one horizontal beam. At the bottom of the vertical beam that intersects the horizontal beam, it is longer than the top.

External structure of the church. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

Hexagonal cross - it looks like a quadrangular cross. But on the lower vertical part there is another inclined beam, its left end is raised, and the right one is lowered down. This slanted beam symbolizes the footstool on the Lord's Cross. Eight-pointed cross - it looks like a hexagonal cross, but on the upper vertical beam there is another small tablet placed at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. On the tablet, which is in three languages ​​in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, the following words: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Also, we can see an eight-pointed cross with a crescent at the bottom of the vertical beam. According to church interpretation the crescent is an anchor, which in the era of early Christianity symbolized the spiritual salvation of man.

Porch. External porch. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

External porch.Above the entrance to God's house, as a rule, there is an icon or wall image of the patron, whose name he bears. In front of the entrance to each church there is an external platform. This site is also called the outer vestibule. The entrance itself in front of the temple is called the porch.

Churchyard. Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in Sochi. Photo:www.fotokto.ru

Churchyard. Each Orthodox prayer house has its own churchyard. On its territory there may be a church cemetery where clergymen, ktitors, famous believers are buried, who brought their contribution to the life and affairs of the temple. In addition, there may be a library, Sunday school, outbuildings, etc. in the courtyard of the church.

Parts of the Orthodox Church. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

Internal structure of the church

Each temple is divided into three parts: the vestibule, the middle part and the altar.

Temple porch. Photo:www.prihod.org.ua

Porch: The first part of the temple is called the inner vestibule. In ancient times, in the first part of the church there were catechumens, that is, those people who were preparing to receive Holy Baptism and those Christians who committed great sins were excommunicated from participation in prayer and taking Holy Communion. The walls of the vestibule are covered with church frescoes and icons.

The middle part of the temple (naos). Photo:www.hram-feodosy.kiev.ua

Middle part of the temple : The middle part of the church is for the faithful. It is also called a naos or a ship. Here they pray during worship, offer prayers to God, light candles, kiss icons, and so on.

Patronal and festive icons in the church. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

In the naos there are lecterns (stands for icons) with icons of the Son of God, the Virgin Mary, the Holy Trinity, saints, etc. Also, in the middle part of the temple there are two lecterns with a throne icon and a festive icon or the so-called icon of the day.

altar icon- this is an icon on which the image of the saint and the event of the holiday are written, whose name this Orthodox house of God bears. Icon of the day- this is an icon depicting a holiday or someone whose memory is celebrated on this day. Usually, the lectern with this image is in the middle of the naos.

Chandelier.www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

And yet, in the middle of the ceiling there is a large hanging candlestick with many candles. It is lit during important moments of worship. This candlestick is called a chandelier. In Bulgarian churches, it is called the Greek word for polyeles. Usually in churches in Bulgaria there are two chandeliers - a large one and a smaller one. For convenience, candles in modern Orthodox churches have been replaced by special electric bulbs. They have the shape of a burning candle flame or the shape of a church cupola.

Eve. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

Eve. In an Orthodox prayer house there is a place where a layman can light a candle and pray for their deceased loved ones. This place is called eve. In Russian churches, the eve is a small delivery with a cross depicting the crucified Jesus with many recesses for candles. In Bulgaria, the church eve rearranges a large vessel resembling a deep diskos filled with fine sand.

Iconostasis in the temple. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

Iconostasis. The altar and the middle part of the church are separated by an iconostasis. The word "iconostasis" comes from Greek and is translated as “picture stand”, which is usually a wooden partition with icons, beautiful carved ornaments, and on top, in the center of the iconostasis, there is a cross with a human skull. The cross on the iconostasis has a double meaning. It really represents the place of death of the Savior and symbolizes the sky.

North and south gates of the iconostasis.Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

Sometimes the iconostasis can only represent a delivery with an icon. For the first nine centuries, the holy of holies in an Orthodox church was never covered, but there was only a low wooden partition with icons. The “lifting” of the image stand began after the 10th century, and over the centuries acquired its present form. This is how the medieval Greek church bishop, well-known Orthodox liturgist and teacher of the Church St. Simeon of Thessalonica interprets the meaning of the iconostasis and its purpose: “From an anthropological point of view, the altar symbolizes the soul, the naos the body, and the iconostasis, in fact, separates two parts of the temple and makes one visible and the other part invisible to the human eye.

Royal doors.Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

From a cosmological point of view, the iconostasis separates heaven and earth, since the temple symbolizes the world. In this sense, the iconostasis is a partition between the visible and invisible world, and the saints on it are mediators to the invisible world, since they are the link between the two worlds.”

The iconostasis has three entrances with doors. Through two small entrances, the clergy and their assistants enter and leave during some moments of the Liturgy, for example, during the performance of the Small and Great Entrances. And the central larger entrance, between the altar and the middle part of the church, is called the Royal Doors. In addition to the Royal Doors, the middle entrance to the iconostasis also has a fabric curtain. Usually it is red. The icons of the iconostasis are identical in all Orthodox churches. On the Royal Doors there is always an icon depicting a scene telling how the Angel informs the Virgin Mary that She has been chosen by God and that she will conceive from the Holy Spirit a child who will become the Savior of the world. On the right side of the iconostasis are the icons of the Son of God and St. John the Baptist, on the other side are the icon of the Virgin Mary with the baby and the image of the one whose name the church is named. For the rest of the icons, there is no exact definition of what images will be there and what position they will occupy on the iconostasis.

Singer, kliros (klyros).Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

Kliros, klylos, tsevnitsa. In front of the iconostasis, on the left and right, there are places where the church choir sings. These places are called kliros or singers. In Russian vernacular, singers are called krylos.

Banners. Usually in Bulgarian churches next to the choirs there are banners. These are special church banners with icons on long wooden poles. They are used during church processions. Banners have been used in the Holy Orthodox Church since the 4th century and symbolize the victory of Christianity over paganism.

Banner. Photo:www.yapokrov.ru

Salt and pulpit. The space raised by one or more steps between the tarns and the altar is called the solea, and its central part in the center in front of the altar is called the pulpit. Here the priests raise prayers, deliver sermons, etc.

Solea. pulpit. Church shop.

Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru

In the Orthodox house of God there is a place for the sale of candles, Orthodox literature, icons, crosses, etc. Also, notes about health and repose are served here, to order to serve any church service. It is located in the vestibule or middle part of the temple. This place is called the church shop.

The end follows.

master of theology