Introduction to the temple; Byzantium; XIV century; Greece. Athos, Hilandar Monastery
Introduction to the Church of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary- one of (from the Slavic " twelve ten"- twelve), that is, the largest, established in remembrance of the fact that the parents of the Virgin solemnly led Her at the age of three to the Jerusalem temple, where she lived until her betrothal to the righteous Joseph. Celebration Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos takes place annually on December 4 (November 21, old style) and has 1 day of fore-feast and 4 days of after-feast.
The first proverb (Ex. XL, 1-5, 9-10, 16, 34-35) tells of the building of the tabernacle by Moses and how the cloud shone over it. The second proverb (1 Kings VII, 51; VIII, 1, 3, 7, 9-11) tells of the solemn transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to the temple arranged by Solomon and how the glory of the Lord filled the temple (both the tabernacle and the temple served as a type of the very Virgin Mary, who was the abode of the Glory of the Father - the Son of God). The third proverb is the same as for the feast (Ezek. XLIII, 47; XLIV, 1-4).
Troparion to the holiday. Church Slavonic text:
For the blessing of b9іz proњbrazhenі, and 3 part of salvation preaching, in the church b9іi ћsnw dv7az kvlsetsz, and 3 xrtA bless everyone. 0y and3 we2 voluntarily vosopіem, gladly watching the builder and 3execution.
Russian text:
Today is a foreshadowing of God's favor and a foreshadowing of the salvation of people. The Virgin openly appears in the temple of God and announces to everyone about Christ. We will loudly proclaim to her: Rejoice, fulfillment of the Creator's providence for us.
Holiday kontakion. Church Slavonic text:
In speech 1staz tsrkvi sp7sova, many-honored devils dv7tsa, hidden treasure of glory b9іz, today enters into the house of the city, to bless together with the gods. y4zhe sing ѓнGli b9іi, tA є4st sen nbcnaz.
Russian text:
The Blessed Virgin - the most pure Church of the Savior and the precious chamber, the sacred repository of the glory of God, today is brought into the house of the Lord and brings with her the grace of the Divine Spirit. Angels of God sing about her: She is a heavenly village.
Entrance to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Folk traditions of the holiday
The day of the feast of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos is marked in the folk tales by a number of special beliefs and customs associated with them. A number of folk song tales have been preserved, which at the same time are laudatory magnifications of the Blessed Virgin who first entered the temple of the Lord. " You are brought to the church, rewarded by the bishop and prefer angels sya,” one of them begins. This beginning - “singing” is followed by a refrain repeated at the very end of the verse: “ Virgins, Her neighbor, will follow Her in the Holy of Holies!" The legend, interrupted by this quatrain, continues: " Zechariah rejoices, prophetically announces, triumphantly rejoicing. The old man extends his hand. He calls the queen, sings sweet voices. Today, the elder will raise the Virgin, let him raise Eve, and destroy the ancient oath. Eve, now rejoice: behold the Virgin, appear today, sit down on the throne. The Holy Spirit overshadows, and the Virgin accepts, for three years she reveals herself to everyone. Cherubim fly in, surround the seraphim, sing the voices of the trisagion. The angel brings food, and Devaya accepts, stretches her hand up"... Another verse glorifying this holiday begins with words about the mountains of Zion, on which God" laid a covenant, from above opened the light of God to us from heaven, watered the heart with jets of words l". In third - are invited to triumph "patriarsi", "all virgins" - to stay awake and "rejoice with the prophets". In the fourth - Foremother Eve has fun. And in all of them one can clearly hear the reverent feeling of the people-songwriter, giving honor and praise to the Mother of God.
This holiday belonged in Russia to women's, "Indian" holidays, like the day of the Intercession of the Virgin, the martyrs Catherine and Barbara, as well as Paraskeva Pyatnitsa.
On the Feast of the Introduction, according to folk traditions (if there was enough snow), sleigh rides began. "Cause time, fun - hour!" - the Russian person says even today, alternating his work and worries with rest. Our ancestors treated the first tobogganing festivities as a special celebration. The “season” was opened by the newlyweds, married by the church.
In the old days, the Feast of the Introduction was the day of the first winter market. Vvedensky fairs began immediately after the end of the morning divine liturgy and were often located on the squares adjacent to the Vvedensky churches. At the fairs, one could buy a variety of goods, have fun from the heart and enjoy the offered treats. It was at the Vvedensky fairs that sledges were sold - single, pair, triple; everyday and festive, decorated with skillful carving or painting, as well as horse harness for winter. In addition, frozen fish was always sold at the Vvedensky fairs, as well as autumn harvests brought from the surrounding villages - dried mushrooms and berries for the lenten table of the townspeople. At festive fairs in winter, peddlers sold pies "hot, hot" and treated everyone to hot sbitn - herbal infusion with honey.
Winter Fair. Boris Kustodiev The Feast of the Introduction has always been associated with the natural cycle of the entry of nature from autumn into winter. According to the weather for this holiday, conclusions were drawn on the state of nature on the days of all subsequent winter holidays: “ In Introduction, frost - all holidays are frosty, and warm - all holidays are warm". In Russia, many proverbs have been formed, with which the signs of this season are associated. In some Russian regions, a thaw often occurred on the Introduction, then they said:
- Vvedensky frosts do not set winter;
- Introduction breaks ice;
- Before the Introduction, if the snow falls, it will melt.
If frosts were already established by this time, then they said:
- The Vvedensky frosts put mittens on the peasant, set the cold, set winter on his mind;
- On the Introduction - thick ice;
- The introduction has come - the winter has brought;
- If a deep winter falls from the Introduction, prepare deep bins - there will be a rich harvest of bread.
Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. Icons
Earliest depictions of the holiday Introduction to the Church of the Virgin on the icons, these are fragments of 12th-century epistylia from the Vatoped monastery and the monastery of the Great Martyr Catherine in Sinai. The center of the composition is a small, fragile figure of the Virgin Mary in the Jerusalem Temple. The high priest, the righteous Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, is bowing down to meet her. of the Mother of God as an animated temple, containing an incapable Deity.
In the late Byzantine period, a change took place in the iconographic scheme: immediately behind the Mother of God are the Jewish virgins and the parents of the Mother of God, the righteous Joachim and Anna. At the top of the composition is a scene of the feeding of the Mother of God by an angel. The Blessed Virgin is represented inside the temple, standing on the steps of the Holy of Holies.
Introduction to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos; XVI century; Greece. Athos 
Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos with scenes from her life 
Icon of the Presentation of the Virgin. XV century. Novgorod 
Icon of the Presentation of the Virgin. 14th century
Temples in honor of the Introduction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Russia
It is believed that the first temple in honor of this holiday was built in Palestine in the 4th century by Queen Helen Equal to the Apostles. The holiday became widespread only from the 9th century. Perhaps this is the reason for the small number of churches consecrated in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.
In the ensemble of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, the pre-schismatic Church of the Presentation, built in 1519 on the site of the old wooden monastery refectory, has been preserved. In the first half of the 19th century, the appearance of the church underwent several changes.
Church of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple in the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery In the middle of the 16th century, between 1544 and 1545, the Church of the Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple was erected in the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery (Vologda Region). In the 19th century The temple has also been rebuilt somewhat.
Vvedensky Church of the Spaso-Prilutsky Dimitriev Monastery In 1547, a single-domed stone church of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos on Podil was built in Sergiev Posad at the expense of the boyar I. Khabarov. The church was rebuilt several times, the modern vaults with a dome were built in 1740. The church was closed in 1928 and partially restored in 1968. Returned to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in 1991.
Church of the Entrance to the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos on Podil. Sergiev Posad The two-pillared five-domed Cathedral of the Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Church in the Vladychny Monastery in Serpukhov was built not earlier than 1597 at the expense of Boris Godunov instead of the stone building of 1362. The porches surrounding the cathedral were completely rebuilt in the 19th century. The cathedral was closed in 1927 and served as a warehouse. In the beginning. In the 2000s, the temple was restored in the forms of the 16th century.
Cathedral of the Entry of the Blessed Virgin into the Temple. Serpukhov At the beginning of the 17th century, churches of the Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos were built in the city of Astrakhan, in the city of Cheboksary and some other cities.
Old Believer Vvedensky churches
In the Old Believers, a number of temples were also consecrated in honor of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple. In the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church: in the Kaluga region, in
The Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos is a patronal feast for the nunneries of Nikolo-Uleiminsky in Russia and the village of Russkaya Slava in Romania.
Nikolo-Uleiminsky Monastery The introduction of the Mother of God is dedicated to Pomor churches in Nizhny Novgorod, the village of Belaya Kalitva in the Rostov Region, the Ulyanovsk community (Latvia) and the (Pushcha) community in Lithuania.
Temple of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin. Bobrishki This is one of the twelve main (twelfth) Orthodox holidays, which is based on a church tradition about how, at the age of three, parents solemnly brought Mary, the future Mother of God, into the Jerusalem temple.
The holiday was established at the dawn of Christianity, and in Orthodoxy it became widespread in the ninth century.
Tradition
The parents of the Virgin Mary, the righteous Joachim and Anna, were childless until old age. Praying for the birth of a child, they made a vow, if a child is born, to dedicate it to God. They had a daughter, who, at the direction of the Angel of God, was given the name Mary, which means in Hebrew "lady, hope."
© photo: Sputnik /
When she was three years old, Joachim and Anna, having gathered relatives and acquaintances, with the singing of sacred songs and lit candles, took their daughter to the Jerusalem temple.
According to the surviving testimonies, the procession from Nazareth to Jerusalem lasted three days with small stops for rest.
Young virgins walked ahead of the procession with lit candles, followed by Joachim and Anna, who led their daughter by the hand, walking between her parents. The procession was closed by relatives and friends.
When the procession reached the Temple in Jerusalem, the priests, led by the High Priest Zechariah, came out singing to meet it. Righteous Anna led her daughter to the very entrance to the Temple in Jerusalem.
A staircase of fifteen high steps led to the temple. Little Mary, as soon as she was put on the first step, quickly overcame the rest of the steps and climbed to the top, where the high priest was waiting for her.
By inspiration from above, he led the Blessed Virgin into the Holy of Holies, where of all the people only once a year the high priest entered with cleansing sacrificial blood, this revealed her special role in the fate of mankind.
Righteous Joachim and Anna, leaving their daughter in the temple, returned home. And Mary remained in the temple until the age of fifteen, after which she was married to an elderly widower, the carpenter Joseph.
The earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos from infancy to ascension to heaven is shrouded in deep mystery. Her life in the Temple in Jerusalem was also sacred.
In Church tradition, information has been preserved that during the stay of the Blessed Virgin in the Temple of Jerusalem, she was brought up in the company of pious virgins, diligently read the Holy Scriptures, did needlework, and constantly prayed.
Celebration
The Holy Church has been holding a solemn feast in connection with the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple of Jerusalem since ancient times, although the time of the establishment of a feast in honor of this event is not known with certainty.
The fact that the holiday was celebrated in the first centuries of Christianity is evidenced by the legends of Palestinian Christians, which say that the holy Empress Helen built a temple in honor of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple.
In the 4th century, St. Gregory of Nyssa mentions this feast, and in the 7th century, sermons on the day of the Entry were delivered by St. Herman and Tarasios, Patriarchs of Constantinople.
In the East, the holiday became widespread already in the XIII century. In the ninth century, George, Metropolitan of Nicomedia, compiled the canon of the feast ("I will open my mouth") and a number of stichera, and in the tenth century Basil Pagariot, archbishop of Caesarea, compiled the second canon of the feast ("Song of Victory"). These stichera and canons are sung by the Church even today.
The day of the Entry into the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the day of the appearance of the chosen by God to the world, the purest of all who lived on earth, who did not have even a shadow of a sinful thought.
essence
The feast of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos is an omen of the Nativity of Christ and God's good will towards the human race.
The Virgin Mary, who gave birth to Christ the Savior, most of all served the salvation of mankind. Nativity and the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos are holidays in which the Old Testament ends and its meaning as a schoolmaster to Christ is revealed.
This holiday, associated with the Old Testament temple, marks the beginning of the replacement of the Old Testament worship with its bloody sacrifices as an annual Jewish tradition of cleansing from sins - the New Testament of the Divine Redeemer, shedding His Blood to atone for the sins of all mankind.
© photo: Sputnik / RIA Novosti
Reproduction of the icon "Crucifixion"
Starting from the festive service at the Introduction, Christmas hymns are heard in the church. Therefore, on this day it is very important to deviate from vain earthly affairs and give one’s strength to prayer, thoughts about the grace-filled mercy of God.
Traditions
On the day of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, a festive divine service is held in all Orthodox churches in the morning. Only hymns of the holiday are sung. Priests are dressed in white and/or blue vestments.
© Sputnik / Alexander Imedashvili
The holiday falls on Advent. It is allowed to eat fish on this day.
In Russia, on the Introduction, it was customary to visit each other. Another sign was associated with this tradition - the one who first visits the house will bring good luck or misfortune.
If a man, then it’s good - the whole year will be happy and joyful, if a woman, then vice versa - the year will pass in misfortune and the owners will be haunted by failures.
And on the tables one could see not only buns and bagels bought at the fair, but also dumplings with berries. Moreover, in one of them, and maybe in two, they always put a coin. Whoever gets it will spend the whole year in joy and happiness.
Signs
People believed that after the Introduction the earth was resting, and therefore, in order not to disturb its peace, they did not dig until the Annunciation (April 7). Otherwise, the harvest will be poor.
Frost on the Introduction said that all winter holidays would be frosty, if on the contrary it was warm, then, accordingly, further celebrations would not be cold.
It was also believed that if snow falls before the holiday itself, then it will not lie for a long time and will soon melt, and the winter itself will not be severe. If this happens after the Introduction, then the snow will last until February.
Material prepared on the basis of open sources
The Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the twelve main (twelfth) Orthodox holidays. It means, first of all, the foreshadowing of Christ's coming through the Mother of God. This day in Her life becomes an omen that the Blessed Virgin will be placed above not only saints, but even Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim.
About the introduction of the Mother of God into the temple, as well as about the history of the childhood of the Blessed Virgin, Holy Scripture says nothing. However, there is an ancient Tradition of the Church, dating back to texts dating back to the 2nd century, where details of Her childhood are reported.
The entrance into the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos took place, according to Church tradition, as follows. . When the Blessed Virgin was three years old, the holy parents decided to fulfill their promise. Gathering relatives and friends, dressing the Blessed Mary in the best clothes, singing sacred songs, with lit candles in her hands, they brought her to the Jerusalem temple, which was the holiest place for God's chosen people.
In hymns for this feast, the Mother of God is called "God's animate kivot", that is, God's ark. What does this mean?
The word "ark" in Scripture has several meanings. The ark of Patriarch Noah was designed to save a chosen pious family in order to continue the human race after the flood. Noah's Ark was a prototype of the Ark of Moses, in which stone tablets with the Ten Commandments were kept (Deut. 10:2), this Ark was the main shrine of the Jewish people - a symbol of the union of God with the people chosen to prepare the incarnation of the Savior of mankind - the Messiah-Christ. Both of these arks were also a prototype of the Mother of God as the purest and most undefiled precious vessel, worthy of incarnating the Son of God; The Mother of God is also called "a god-retaining kivot, an ark gilded with the Spirit."
It was already (fig. left), restored after the Babylonian captivity and inferior in size to the first majestic temple of Solomon. In addition to size, there was another significant difference. After the destruction of the first temple, the prophet Jeremiah, “according to the Divine revelation ... found a dwelling in a cave and brought there a tabernacle and an ark and a censer altar, and blocked the entrance. When later some of those who were accompanying them came to notice the entrance, they could not find it. When Jeremiah found out about this, then, reproaching them, said that this place would remain unknown until God, having mercy, did not gather a host of people ”(2 Mac. 2, 4-7). So, although in the second temple there was no longer the Ark of the Covenant, the main shrine of the Jews, the prophets predicted that this second temple would have greater glory than the first: “Suddenly the Lord, whom you are looking for, and the Angel of the Covenant, whom you are waiting for, will come into his Church” ( Mala 3:1).
The introduction of the Theotokos into the temple became such an event that marked the replacement of the ark of the Old Testament with the "God-accommodating ark" of the New Testament. In the temple, the Mother of God was met by the high priest with many priests. A staircase of fifteen high steps led to the temple. Mary, as soon as she was placed on the first step, strengthened by the power of God, quickly overcame the rest of the steps and ascended to the top. Then the High Priest Zechariah, by inspiration from above, led the Blessed Virgin into the holy of holies, where of all the people only once a year the high priest entered with the cleansing sacrificial blood. All those present in the temple marveled at the extraordinary event. It was both the appearance of the Mother of God to the world and the day of the separation of the God-chosen Virgin from the world, which foretold Her supreme destiny.
Righteous Joachim and Anna, having handed over the Child to the will of the Heavenly Father, returned home. Mary remained to live in the temple until the time of the fulfillment of God's promises about her. The Blessed Virgin remained in the temple, so that where no impurity of the world penetrated, to be preserved from all worldly filth, to live for God alone, to become the purest Temple of the Divine. It was, as it were, the second, spiritual, birth of the Virgin Mary and the beginning of her spiritual feat. In order to become the Mother of the Son of God, She had to freely open Her heart of grace, voluntarily leave the world of sin and death, renounce earthly attachments and voluntarily choose for Herself the path of eternal virginity, alien to the consciousness of the Old Testament mankind, and follow the voice of God with all her heart. Eating in the temple the heavenly bread of constant communion with the Divine, the Most Pure Virgin more and more perceived in herself all the properties of the Divine life. Only the Blessed Virgin, gracious and embracing all the glory of virtues, brought up in the most holy place of the people of God, could become a “God-accommodating temple.”
Thus, Her Entry into the temple is not a simple visit, similar to the entry of other people, but special and unique in its meaning as a foreshadowing of the bodily incarnation of God the Word. The Old Testament temple was to be replaced by the "animated temple" of the Deity, the Old Testament prophecies were to be fulfilled on it. The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos and Her Entry into the Church are, as it were, two successive steps towards the Nativity of Christ.
This holiday, associated with the Old Testament temple, the center of the spiritual life of the then people of God, marks the beginning of the replacement of the Old Testament worship with its bloody sacrifices as an annual Jewish tradition of cleansing from sins by the New Testament of the Divine Redeemer, shedding His Blood to atone for the sins of all mankind.
The theme of the completion of the Old Testament and the cessation of the Old Testament worship and sacrifices is given a significant place in the service of the feast of the Entry into the Temple. First of all, this theme is revealed in the Old Testament and Apostolic readings set for this day according to the Charter. In the first parimia of the holiday, Moses tells about the construction of the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant by Moses and their consecration. The second is dedicated to the consecration of Solomon's temple and the introduction of the Ark of the Covenant into its Holy of Holies. The image of the Ark of the Covenant and the image of its introduction into the Holy of Holies occupies a central place in its significance in both parimiias. These Old Testament readings correspond to the meaning and significance of the holiday, since we see in them a prototype of a great event that is celebrated on the day of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.
But the third parimia is of the greatest importance - the prophecy of the prophet Ezekiel about new temple, containing a direct indication of the birth of the Savior from the Virgin. The idea that the entire Old Testament Divine service was only a shadow and an image of future blessings is revealed with even greater fullness in the Apostle, read at the liturgy (Heb. 9:1-7). The Apostle Paul successively enumerates everything that had to do with the Divine service and the earthly sanctuary of the First Testament: a lamp, a meal with showbread, a golden censer, the Ark of the Covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, a vessel with manna, and Aaron’s flourishing rod, that is, that in which The Church sees the prototype of the Mother of God, By her entry into the Holy of Holies, she marked the imminent completion and abolition of the Old Testament worship.
These thoughts are revealed in many hymns to the holiday. This is especially evident in the Theotokos troparion of the third ode of canon 2, which lists all the Old Testament prototypes that received their fulfillment in the Mother of God: Thee prophets preaching a kivot, Pure, shrines, a golden censer, and a candlestick, and a meal; and we, like the God-holding tabernacle, sing to Thee". And, finally, in the service for the feast, the idea that from the entrance to the Old Testament temple of the animate Kivot (Ark) of the New Testament ends and loses its meaning, the Old Testament Divine service is carried out with all certainty. Such is the great significance of the feast of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Partially used material:
Worship in the Orthodox Church. Part VI. Annual circle of church holidays.
Other twelfth and great feasts of the Mother of God:
September 8/21.
March 25 / April 7.
August 15/28.
October 1/14 -
November 21 / December 4.
More about the Temple
So, the Old Testament temple was an undoubted shrine, revered by the Church. However, the Jewish leaders, who refused to recognize the Messiah - the Son of God, who achieved His execution, thereby refusing to be chosen by God and choosing the devil as their new father (John 8:44), carried away the entire Jewish people (with the exception of a small remnant of it - the first Christians) to serving the new "father" and building the earthly ungodly kingdom of Antichrist. As Christ said about this: “I have come in the name of my Father, and you do not receive me; but if another comes in his name, you will receive him” (John 5:43). For this great sin, the Jews lost the temple, but, according to patristic teaching, they will restore it precisely for their "other" messiah - Moshiach the Antichrist.
The original statement about the restoration of the temple of Solomon for the Antichrist is contained in the letter of the apostle Paul, that "a man of sin, a son of perdition... in the temple of God he will sit as God, posing as God"(2 Thess. 2:3-4).
St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes in his Teachings (XV-15) about these words of the Apostle Paul: "Which temple? In the destroyed temple of Jerusalem, and not where we are now ... If he [the Antichrist] comes to the Jews under the name of Christ, and wants the Jews to worship him; then, in order to deceive them more, he will take special care of the temple, showing them that he, being of the line of David, wants to build a temple built by Solomon..
Bliss. Hippolytus of Rome in his "Sermon on the End of the World, and on the Antichrist, and on the Second Coming..." writes that the Antichrist will imitate Christ in this: “Christ showed his flesh as a temple and restored it on the third day; He will also rebuild the stone temple in Jerusalem.”.
About the restoration of the temple for the Antichrist mentions: “They say that the Jerusalem temple will be restored again and the Antichrist will be accepted by the Jews for Christ, will sit in the temple and will be king over all the earth. Then it will come to the desolation of the world, because he is the abomination of the desolation of the world.
The current "wailing wall" in Jerusalem - the remains of the retaining wall of the second temple, is revered by the Jews as a shrine precisely with prayers to their "father" for the restoration of the temple for the Moshiach king. And every statesman, who considers it his duty to put on a skullcap and join this prayer at the wall, contributes to the approach of the Jewish dream of world domination, led by Antichrist-Moshiach.
See also on the topic of the third temple:
Letter to the editor
Chapter VI-9 from the book "To the Leader of the Third Rome": .
It's also Mother's Day
“From the depths of centuries, the feast of the Entry into the Church of Our Lady of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated in ancient Russia and on the Don as the day of the Cossacks, the day of mothers. Through their efforts, Cossack families were created, the growing Cossacks were brought up in the Cossack spirit, they passed on the Cossack traditions to the younger generation.
When the Cossacks went on campaigns, to the war, the fields were cultivated by the efforts of the Cossack women, the economy was kept. More than once, when the Cossacks were busy with military affairs, the Cossack women repelled the attacks of enemies who tried to take advantage of the absence of soldiers in the villages. But the Cossacks in every skirmish showed their Cossack prowess, defended the villages, repelled attacks and went on the attack themselves, showing that they had Cossack traditions not only in words, but also in deeds, in their blood.
We will bow to our mothers, wives, daughters, sisters - Cossacks. Let us pay due respect to the Cossack women for all the work, kindness and sacrifices they have made over the many centuries of the Cossacks, including the training of the Cossacks in the faith during the 90th anniversary of the godless Red Terror. It is to them that the Cossacks are indebted for standing guard over the Holy Orthodox Faith, conveying love for Cossack and Russian history and Cossack traditions ... "
(From a letter from Ya.L. Mikheev, Ataman of the Great Don Army Abroad)
Discussion: 18 comments
Happy Holidays dear Brothers and Sisters! Happy Holidays, Alexander Sergeevich and Mikhail Viktorovich!
Glory to the Queen of Heaven! Hooray! Holy Mother of God save us!
Queen of Heaven! Most Pure Mother of God, Save Russia!
We tearfully beg you for intercession! And we trust in the mercy of the forgiveness of the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!
A man in a skullcap at the "wailing wall" ORTHODOX president?
The shadow of this president is somehow sinister ..
In the foreshadowing of Christ's coming through the Mother of God, the World received a powerful impetus to move precisely along the spiritual path, it is impossible to measure what an uplifting and purifying influence was exerted on the heart of the people. The path to revealing the way out is almost unknown, extremely laborious and bears fruit only as a result of the successive work of many generations. Its particular difficulty lies in the fact that such a practice is closely connected with the general spiritualization of the personality, with the rise of its moral level, with the purification from all kinds of dregs of the heresy of ecumenism. But the hand of art did not make a single movement with a chisel to let people know that before us is a portrait of a dark dreamer about turning Russians into a bestial brotherhood of idiots, continues his deeply purposeful, satanically reasonable activity, is guided in his efforts by the invisible servants of our eternal Enemy . A necessary stage on the way to the ultimate goal of the Antichrist, and is being developed, with the active help of his forces. And who now slinks at the walls of embassies? Going on about (the new world order); they are rooted in the opposite non-Russian series of universal human ideas, leading up the ladder of ideological and social substitution by the hands of Christians, who have no right to deny Satan and all his deeds 021207. those. the everyday holiday of the Chekist is only "FOR"! a person who is not devoid of satanic greatness, and Article 282 of the UKRF is enough to bring the people into a state of prolonged exhaustion. This force, which called itself a demo commune, will not go away so easily. And it's not so easy - it won't go away either. A state of society is being prepared from which there will be only one short leap to absolute one-man tyranny. It is not intellectualism, but precisely Orthodox spirituality that provides all kinds of highly moral program of action, without which the people cannot be freed from centuries of enslavement by methods of non-violence - by the most ethically pure methods that have been invented so far.
Yes, about the shadow - that's for sure ...
Happy Feast of the Entrance to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, everyone. Also: who knows when, finally, the Anointed of God will come to power? Who will he be, where will he come from? Share any details, who knows.. The world is already almost lined up under the antichrist. Who will resist him? You can't even see the light.
Happy Holidays to you all, dear brothers and sisters! Save you Lord.
We magnify Thee, Blessed Virgin, God-chosen Maiden, and we honor Your entry into the temple of the Lord.
Save us with your veil from the yoke of the Jews.
I once complained to MV that we would need to switch to pre-revolutionary spelling. To which he replied that it was already outdated, and we would leave only peace and peace and without demons instead of demons, where necessary, and discard the rest. And I see, he adheres to his rule. Here is such a linguist-philologist. I remember that Gumilyov, in one of his interviews, answered a question with philological overtones that he was not a philologist. Although Omar Khayama read in the original and even translated very successfully. But MV, of course, we have a larger specialist. Reaper and player on the pipe, one word. I respect him for his historical works, but God - God's, but ...
Your opinion of my spelling intentions is not entirely accurate. See: - at the end of "On the Question of Spelling".
Dear MV!
I read the link you provided. It's exactly what I said in the previous post. In my opinion, you just need to take the rules for 1917. And there is no need to "cleanse" them from anything. Already cleaned up. Besides, philologists are now hardly to be found with the necessary level of moral and historical feeling. But to complete the picture, give the names of the philologists with whom you consulted. You are welcome.
This topic is not for a discussion on spelling problems.
Well, do not invent your spelling. Write either modern or old. And so you are just like the Jews who carried out the reform in 1918 and now sit and laugh at you, their followers in this matter. And they love reformers of any kind, as long as they stay away from the Truth.
Your Majesty. Create your publishing house and your website, where you can use the letters and rules that you like. It will be better than insulting us. I remind you of our forced temporary solution to this problem:
The publishing house "Russian Idea" considers it necessary to rid the Russian language of the unnatural destructive reforms developed by the Masons and forcibly introduced by the Judeo-Bolsheviks after the anti-Russian revolution of 1917. This process of purification requires a special study by philologists. Without waiting for the completion of this work, in consultation with such scientists [in particular, with Professor V.Yu. Troitsky, Doctor of Philology. sciences] publishing house "Russian Idea" considers it necessary to eliminate two obvious distortions in spelling right now:
1. It is necessary to use the letter "i" in the word "world" (universe) and derivatives from it, in order to avoid semantic confusion with the word "peace" (absence of war, peace).
2. Refusal of the prefix "demon" before deaf consonants, which violates the etymology of this prefix and the preposition "without", meaning the absence or deprivation of something. The word "bes" has a different meaning in Russian.
I apologize to you and the publisher for my remark misunderstood as an insult. The fact is that the spelling reform carried out by the Bolsheviks was prepared even before the 1917 coup by professors of philology. And was rejected by the Sovereign. You are just going the same way.
However, stepping on the same rake again is our national Russian feature.
I heard a lot in the church, read in books about the feast of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, but after reading this article I found a lot of new things.
I thank the author of the article and the staff of the site.
Everyone got the theme that Crimea is Ours. That's right, Crimea is Ours. But let's be consistent: we are taking away what belonged to Russia historically, so let's return everything that belonged to the previous owners - houses in the center of Moscow, buildings, mansions ... Double standards again)))
Entry into the Temple of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, fragment; icon of the 15th century from the collection of the Kirillo-Belozersky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve
Feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple ( December 4) is dedicated to a completely non-canonical event: a three-year-old girl entered the Holy of Holies of the temple, where the high priest himself could only go once a year.
The icon of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple reflects both the chronicle of the event of the feast (as it is conveyed by Church Tradition) and its meaning.
In the center of the icon is the three-year-old Virgin Mary, who was brought to the temple by her parents, Joachim and Anna. For a long time they were childless and made a vow: if the Lord gives them parental happiness, then they will consecrate the Child to God.
It was a sacrifice to give away your only, long-awaited child.
The icon shows the fulfillment of the promise: Joachim and Anna bring little Mary to the temple, where the Jerusalem priest meets the family. According to Church Tradition, he was the righteous Zechariah, the future father of John the Baptist, therefore on the icon his head is surrounded by a halo.
Behind the priest is the gate of the Holy of Holies - a special place in the Jerusalem temple, where the main shrines of the Jewish people were kept in the ark.
Even the high priest entered the Holy of Holies only once a year. Being in the Holy of Holies for a Jew meant almost the same thing as seeing God and talking with Him, being as close as possible to God.
But when Mary was brought to the temple, the priest did something that no one had ever done before that day: by special inspiration, he opened the door of the Holy of Holies for a three-year-old girl.
The Holy of Holies is a prototype of the altar of an Orthodox church. In Orthodoxy, the Mother of God, who gave birth to Christ, herself began to be called "an animated temple that contained the incapable God."
In order to meet, to contain God, the Virgin Mary had to prepare herself. So each of us sometimes needs a place where you can stay in silence, come to your senses and remember that in addition to the affairs and concerns of this world, there is something more important.
And it is not for nothing that it is on the feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the temple that the Christmas canon is sung for the first time in the service, reminiscent of - “Christ is born, praise!”
The Holy of Holies is also a prototype of the human heart: only in its last depth can a person meet God.
Titian, Entry of Mary into the Temple, 1534-1538
Prot. Vsevolod Shpiller: “The Mother of God as a child was brought to the temple. And this holiday in the Orthodox Church is celebrated as a holiday of children, not only the purity of virginity, but also the purity of childhood. It is rare for anyone in life to preserve the virginity of the body. But at least we must strive to preserve the child's soul, the purity of the child's soul.
Today's holiday calls us to this. And the Blessed Virgin Mary smiles at us with her amazing, not only ever-virgin, but childlike smile of purity, such childlike clarity! And blessed is he who has managed to preserve this childish purity, clarity and simplicity during his life.
"Be like children!" Today's holiday reminds us of this."
Giotto, Entry of Mary into the Temple, 1305
Entrance to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Modern Greek Icon
Despite her infancy, the Blessed Virgin is dressed in a maforium - the clothes worn by married Palestinian women. This seemingly insignificant detail emphasizes the exceptional, special Holy Virgin in the history of the world.
On the priest's head is a kidar - the headdress of the priesthood of the Jerusalem temple. Attached to the kidar was a golden plaque with the inscription: "Holy to God."
Giovanni Dagliorto; Entry of Mary into the Temple, 17th century
Fresco "Entrance into the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary" from the Kraljevo monastery church in Studenica (Serbia)
Behind Joachim and Anna are depicted Jewish virgins with lit lamps, who accompanied Mary to the temple.
Icon of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos with the prophets of the upcoming saints, 18th century
Entrance to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Fresco of the Protatus Cathedral in Kareia, Athos, 13th century. Icon painter Manuil Panselin
Entrance to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Mosaic. Hora Monastery in Constantinople (Kakhriy Dzhami). Fragment, 14th century
Bassano; The Entry of Mary into the Temple, 1573, sketch
Master of Calzado; Entry of Mary into the Temple, 16th century
Wooden icon of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, 16th century. Arkhangelsk Museum of Fine Arts
Icon of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos with the prophets of the upcoming saints, 18th century
Icon of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos with the prophets of the upcoming saints, 18th century, Greece
Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, 17th century; icon from the collection of the State Historical Museum
The painting "The Introduction of Mary into the Temple" by the French artist Eustache Lesueur 1616-1655. from the collection of the State Hermitage
Brothers of Limburg, Entry of Mary into the Temple, book miniature, 1415
Introduction to the Temple; Giotto, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, 1303
Introduction to the Temple; Hans Holbein, 1493
Sano di Pietro; The Entry of Mary into the Temple, 1450
Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, Novgorod, 14th century From the Trinity Church in the village of Krivoe on the Northern Dvina
Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, Novgorod, 14th century From the Trinity Church in the village of Krivoe on the Northern Dvina. Tablet
Pietro Testa; The Entry of Mary into the Temple, 1642
Introduction of the Mother of God into the temple, with hagiographic scenes. Novgorod, 16th century, State Tretyakov Gallery
Bartolo di Fredi; Introduction of Mary into the temple, 1360
Tintoretto. "Entering Mary into the Temple" 1553-1555 Church of Santa Maria del Orto, Venice
The Entry of the Virgin into the Temple. Modern painting of the Vvedensky Cathedral of Optina Hermitage. As you can see, the composition is divided into three parts - on the left is a procession of virgins with candles, in the center the high priest Zacharias meets the Blessed Virgin in the temple, and on the right she is entrusted to St. Joseph the Betrothed. Photo: Ekaterina Stepanova
Introduction of Mary into the temple; Alfonso Boschi, 17th century
T.A. Neff. The Entry of the Virgin into the Temple. Painting in the niche of the pylon of St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg, 1846-1848
The icon “Wisdom has created a home for itself” is also called the “Kiev Icon of Sophia the Wisdom of God”. Late iconography is based on the text from the book of Proverbs of Solomon, but in it one can also see a special emphasis on the image of the Mother of God as predicted by the prophets “the most pure Temple of the Savior, the precious Chamber and the Virgin” (kontakion of the Entry of the Virgin into the temple)
Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, 17th century; Greece
Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos (detail); Greece, Athos; 16th century
Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, 1320; Byzantium, Athos
Illustrations: Alexander Ivanov
The Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, which belongs to the category of the Twelve in the Orthodox Church, was established in honor of the event of the bringing of the Most Holy Theotokos by Her parents to the Jerusalem Temple for consecration to God.
There is an ancient tradition of the Church about how the parents of the Most Holy Theotokos Joachim and Anna brought the little girl Mary to the temple of God. They didn't have children for a long time. And with their prayers, tears of hope in the Lord, hopes, they receive a blessed gift - a desired child. Joachim and Anna promised God to dedicate this child to Him, to give Him the most valuable thing they had - their child.
When the Blessed Virgin was three years old, the holy parents decided to fulfill their promise. Gathering relatives and friends, dressing the Blessed Mary in the best clothes, with the singing of sacred songs, with lit candles in her hands, they led her to the Jerusalem temple, located three days from Nazareth.
After entering the city and seven days of purification by fasting and prayer, the righteous Joachim and Anna, with all those accompanying them, approached the temple, leading their three-year-old daughter. The priests headed by the High Priest Zechariah came out of the temple to meet them.
The porch leading to the temple consisted of 15 high steps, according to the number of power psalms that the priests and Levites sang on each step at the entrance to the temple. The infant Mary, it seemed, could not herself climb these stairs.
Joachim and Anna put their daughter on the first step, strengthened by the power of God. She quickly overcame the rest of the steps and ascended to the top. Then the high priest, by inspiration from above, led the Blessed Virgin into the Holy of Holies, where of all the people only once a year did the high priest enter with the cleansing sacrificial blood. All those present in the temple marveled at the extraordinary event.
Righteous Joachim and Anna, having handed over the Child to the will of the Heavenly Father, returned home. Blessed Mary remained in the room for virgins, located at the temple. Around the temple, according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures and the historian Josephus, there were many living quarters in which those dedicated to the service of God stayed.
The earthly life of the Most Holy Theotokos from infancy to ascension to heaven is shrouded in deep mystery. Her life in the Temple in Jerusalem was also sacred. “If someone asked me,” said Blessed Jerome, “how the Blessed Virgin spent her youth, I would answer: it is known to God Himself and to the Archangel Gabriel, Her relentless guardian.”
But in Church tradition, information has been preserved that during the stay of the Blessed Virgin in the Temple of Jerusalem, she was brought up in the company of pious virgins, diligently read the Holy Scriptures, was engaged in needlework, 
She constantly prayed and grew in love for God. In memory of the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple of Jerusalem, the Holy Church from ancient times established a solemn feast. Indications of the celebration of the holiday in the first centuries of Christianity are found in the traditions of Palestinian Christians, which say that the holy Empress Helen built a temple in honor of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple.
In the 4th century, St. Gregory of Nyssa mentions this holiday. In the 8th century, sermons on the day of the Entry were delivered by Saints Herman and Tarasius, Patriarchs of Constantinople.
The feast of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos is a foreshadowing of God's good will towards the human race, the preaching of salvation, the promise of Christ's coming.
Located at the very beginning of Advent, the Introduction opens up a Christmas theme: at the festive morning, the irmoi of the first canon of the Nativity of Christ are used as a katavasia, and from that time on, features of the prefeast of Christmas appear in the services of some days of Advent.
Mary entered the house of God
Soul, like an angel, light.
Creator's limitless power
She was led up the stairs.
Leaving the earthly abode,
His gentle parents,
I came so that the Lord Almighty
She had a Son and an Eternal Bridegroom!
I came to build from the fall
A kind of sinful, unfortunate people.
I came to give them salvation
Covering them with His love.
"Come, my dear daughter,
To the one who sent you to me.
Come, dove dragging,
To the One Who gave You a belly!”
Priest introduces the Most Pure
In the Holy of Holies and the Creator
descends with his grace,
Putting a crown on Her head!
PRAYER TO THE MOTHER OF GOD
Mira Intercessor, Mother of All Pets!
I am before You with a prayer:
Poor sinner, dressed in darkness,
You cover with grace! If trials befall me,
Sorrow, loss, enemies -
In a difficult hour of life, in a moment of suffering,
You help me, please!
Y. Zhadovskaya
Prayer before the icon of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos
Oh, Blessed Virgin, Queen of Heaven and earth, previously chosen Bride of God, in recent times who came to the church lawfully to be engaged to the Heavenly Bridegroom! Thou hast left Thy people and Thy father's house, in order to sacrifice to Thee a pure and undefiled God, and was the first to give thee a vow of everlasting virginity. Grant us also to keep ourselves in chastity and purity and in the fear of God all the days of our belly, may we be temples of the Holy Spirit, especially help everyone in imitation of Yours in the cloisters of those who live and betrothed themselves to the service of God in the purity of virginity spend their lives and from youth to carry the yoke of Christ, good and light, keeping one's vows holy. Thou hast spent all the days of Thy youth in the temple of the Lord, away from the temptations of this world, in prayerful vigilance and in all abstinence of the soul and body, help us to repel all the temptations of the enemy from the flesh, the world and the devil that come upon us from youth ours, and overcome them with prayer and fasting. You are in the temple of the Lord with the angels abiding, you were adorned with all the virtues, especially with humility, purity and love, and you were worthily brought up, so that you would be ready to contain the incomprehensible Word of God in your flesh. Grant us, obsessed with pride, intemperance and laziness, put on all spiritual perfection, may each of us, with Your help, prepare the wedding garment of his soul and the oil of goodness, but do not name and do not prepare to appear at the meeting with our Immortal Bridegroom and Your Son , Christ the Savior and our God, but may they accept us with the wise virgins in the abode of paradise, where with all the saints, make us worthy of glorifying and glorifying the all-holy name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and Your merciful intercession always, now and ever, and forever and ever . Amen.
Prayer on the feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos
To whom shall I cry, Lady, to whom shall I resort in my sorrow, if not to Thee, Queen of Heaven? Who will hear my cry and take a sigh, if not You, Immaculate, Hope of Christians and Refuge to us sinners? Who will protect you more in misfortunes? Hear my groaning and incline Your ear to me, the Lady and Mother of my God! Do not despise the one who seeks Your help and do not reject me a sinner, Queen of Heaven! Teach me to do the will of Your Son and grant me the desire to always follow His holy commandments. For my murmuring in illnesses, labors and misfortunes, do not depart from me, but stay the Matter and Patroness of me who is cowardly. My Queen, Benevolent, Intercessor Zealous! With your intercession, cover my sins, protect from visible and invisible enemies, soften the hearts of those who are hostile against me and warm them with Christ's love. Grant me, the weak, Your all-powerful help to overcome my sinful habits, so that, cleansed by repentance and the subsequent virtuous life, in communion with the Holy Church, I would spend the rest of the days of earthly wandering. Appear to me, Hope of all Christians, at the hour of my death and strengthen my faith in the hour of death. Offer up for me, who sin a lot in this life, Your all-powerful prayers after my departure, may the Lord justify me and make me a partaker of His endless joys. Amen.
Orthodox churches consecrated in honor of the feast of the Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos are called Vvedensky.
The material was prepared by Vladlena Dementieva