Icon of the Mother of God, called "ALL-Tsaritsa" ("Pantanassa")

Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "The Tsaritsa" ("Pantanassa") they pray for healing from cancer, for deliverance from magical spells. The celebration takes place on August 18/31.

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God, called the "All-Tsaritsa" (in Greek - "Pantanassa"), is located on Mount Athos in Greece. She abides in Vatopedi monastery , in the cathedral church of the monastery, to the left of the royal doors. This icon is small. The time of its writing dates back to the 17th century.

Icon of the All-Tsaritsa and the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos

The icon depicts the Blessed Virgin in a scarlet robe, seated on the royal throne. In her arms is the Divine Infant with a scroll in her left hand and blessing with her right hand. With her right hand, the Mother of God points to Her Royal Son, as the Savior of all people. In the background are two angels, who with reverence overshadow the Blessed Virgin with their wings.

This icon belongs to the iconographic type of Panahranta, which in Greek means “The Most Immaculate”, “The Most Pure”. All-merciful - the second name of the icons of the Virgin of this type. A common feature of such icons is that the Mother of God is depicted sitting on a throne with the Christ Child on her knees. The throne symbolizes the royal majesty and glory of the Mother of God, the most perfect of all those born on earth.

In the 20th century, the well-known Athos elder Joseph Hesychast blessed his students with the image of Pantanassa. He also conveyed to his contemporaries the ancient legend about this icon.

One day a strange man approached the icon and began to mumble something indistinctly. At that moment, the face of the Mother of God shone with a wondrous light, and an invisible force threw the young man to the floor. In fear, he ran out of the temple and with tears confessed to the elders that he led a sinful life and practiced witchcraft and magic. So the Most Holy Theotokos showed a miracle from Her image, turned the young man away from wickedness and set him on the path of repentance. The miraculous intervention of the Virgin convinced him to change his life and stay on Athos.

This was the first manifestation of the miraculous power of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa", later they began to notice that the icon has a beneficial effect on patients with various tumors, including malignant ones, as they are called in the modern world. Not many people know that cancer has an ancient history. The name "cancer" comes from the term "carcinoma" introduced by Hippocrates, derived from two Greek words: "crab" and "tumor". Hippocrates called the tumor a carcinoma because it looks like a crab. And for the first time the disease is described in the Egyptian papyrus of about 1600 BC. The papyrus tells of several forms of cancer and states that there is no cure for this disease. Already in the 1st century BC. The Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus proposed to treat cancer at an early stage by removing the tumor, and at later stages - not to treat it at all.

It cannot be said that over the past 2000 years, doctors have made any special progress in the fight against this disease, which affects an increasing number of people every year. Now, as before, this disease is considered incurable, and all cancer patients rely only on a miracle. It must be admitted that there are cases of miraculous healing, many of them, if not all, are associated with fervent prayerful appeal to the Savior and the Mother of God. Therefore, when in the 17th century the miraculous power of the icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa” was discovered in the cure of cancer, exact lists were made from the icon for other monasteries as well. Gradually, the icon became known throughout the world as a healer of cancer, and to this day the image of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa" has the grace to heal the most terrible of the diseases of modern mankind. The very name of the icon All-Mistress, All-lady- speaks of its special, all-encompassing power. This image of the Mother of God has the most powerful healing principle.

In 1995, the Russians also had the opportunity to bow before the miraculous image in order to turn to the All-Tsaritsa directly before the face of the Mother of God with a request to get rid of many incurable diseases, and first of all, from cancer, which is called the plague of the 20th century, and which does not spare even small children. , neither young nor old.

At the request of the Community of Mercy of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt at the Children's Cancer Center on Kashirskoye Highway, the abbot of the Vatopedi Monastery, Archimandrite Ephraim, gave his blessing to make a list from the Athos miraculous icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa”. An exact copy of the icon, painted in compliance with the canon, with prayerful intercessions and solemn services, appeared to the unfortunate children.

And miracles began. The condition of children improved significantly, which could not be explained only by the use of drugs. A few months later, on the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa” began to stream myrrh, several large drops of myrrh appeared on it, and an amazing fragrance filled everything around. On the feast of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, myrrh-streaming was repeated once more. The first miracle performed by the All-Tsaritsa in Russia is the healing of a young man who had suffered from drug addiction for many years. Since then, in front of the icon “The Tsaritsa”, parents have been turning to the Mother of God, praying for their children, who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.

Needless to say, the news of the amazing icon spread throughout Moscow with lightning speed. The miraculous image was transferred to Church of All Saints the former Novo-Alekseevsky Monastery, which is located in Krasnoselsky Lane, near Krasnoselskaya metro station , the image of the "All-Tsaritsa" is regularly brought back to the oncology center for prayer services.

Church of All Saints in Krasnoye Selo, Krasnoselskaya metro station

To the left of the Royal Doors is the Icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa"

Some time later, a Church Slavonic version of the akathist to the Mother of God in honor of Her icon "The Tsaritsa" was created, different from the Greek one. Every Sunday at All Saints Church at 4:30 pm (and in case there is a great holiday on Monday - at 15.00) prayers are performed with the reading of an akathist to the Theotokos and the consecration of oil to anoint all those who suffer, and not only from cancer. The chronicle of healings is constantly updated with more and more evidence of miraculous help for those who no longer dreamed of receiving it from earthly doctors. There are stories here about old people and babies, from the perspective of women and men, about cures in the late stages of cancer and about removing suspicions of it, about recovering from deadly diseases and from those that bring a lot of pain, but are not fatal and about many, many other things. Grateful people not only leave their stories in the book, but also bring all kinds of gifts to the shrine.

For example, in 2002, one person suffered a hypertensive crisis. After being discharged, on the advice of his relatives, he went for a brain tomography. The examination showed that after frequent surges in pressure, a tumor formed in the brain. There was only one solution - surgery. Before going to the operation, this man went to the monastery for a blessing, and there his wife ordered a prayer service to the icon "The Tsaritsa" with water blessing. While in the hospital, he constantly prayed to the All-Tsaritsa for recovery and constantly drank holy water, which he took after the prayer service. The hospital made another control examination, which confirmed the healing of a serious illness.

Today this list, which is located in the Church of All Saints in Krasnoye Selo, is no longer the only one in Russia. In 1997, another miraculous copy of the icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa" appeared in Moscow, which is located in Novospassky Monastery (Moscow, Krestyanskaya Square, 10, Proletarskaya metro station). This list was specially made in the Vatopedi Monastery and brought to Russia. He is revered as miraculous and myrrh-streaming. Here, too, a book is kept, in which all the miracles that come from the shrine are recorded.Prayer songs are performed before him every day, and on Sundays prayers are served with blessing of water.

The miraculous icon of the Mother of God "The Tsaritsa" in the gallery of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Novospassky Monastery

Numerous offerings hanging on the icon testify to the many cases of healings revealed through prayers to the Mother of God at this icon.

The myrrh-streaming icon of the "All-Tsaritsa" is currently in
Bishop's convent (Moscow region, city of Serpukhov). This icon streamed myrrh more than 30 times. 2 cases of healing from cancer are attested. In the monastery, an akathist is read daily before the miraculous image of the Mother of God, during which the names of people suffering from various ailments are commemorated.

"The Tsaritsa" is considered the most "powerful" icon in the world, healing cancer patients. The Mother of God manifests Her inexpressible mercy and gives healing to all who, with faith and love, turn to Her in prayer before Her glorified image.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

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

Troparion, tone 4
In the joyful image of the honest All-Tsaritsa, / with the warm desire of those who seek Your grace, save, Mistress; / save those who resort to you from circumstances; / protect your flock from every misfortune, / forever crying out to your intercession.

Kontakion, tone 8
Thy newly-appeared icon is coming faithfully with tenderness, we sing to Thee, the All-Tsaritsa, Thy servants; send down healing to Thee by Thy servants now flowing. Yes, we all joyfully call Thee: Rejoice, All-Tsaritsa, healing our ailments with grace.

Prayer one
O All-good, venerable Mother of God, Pantanassa, the All-Tsaritsa! Be worthy and enter under my roof! But like a merciful God, the compassionate Mother, word of mouth, may my soul be healed and my weak body strengthened. Imashi for an invincible power and every word will not fail you, O All-Tsaritsa! You ask for me. You beg for me. May I glorify Your glorious name always, now and forever. A min.

Prayer two
O Most Pure Mother of God, All-Tsaritsa! Hear our many-painful sigh before Thy miraculous icon, transferred from the Athos inheritance to Russia, look at Thy children, incurable ailments of those suffering, falling to Thy holy image with faith! Like a krill bird covers its chicks, so are you now, ever-alive being, cover us with your multi-healing omophorion. There, where hope disappears, be an undoubted Hope. There, where fierce sorrows overcome, Patience and Weakness appear. There, even where the darkness of despair dwells in the souls, let the inexpressible light of the Divine shine! Cowardly comfort, strengthen the weak, grant softening and enlightenment to hardened hearts. Heal your sick people, O all-merciful Queen! Bless the mind and hands of those who heal us; let them serve as an instrument of the Almighty Physician Christ our Savior. As if live Thy, who is with us, we pray before Thy icon, O Mistress! Stretch out Your hands, full of healing and healing, Joy to those who mourn, Consolation in sorrow, but having received miraculous help soon, we glorify the Life-Giving and Indivisible Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. A min.

The iconostasis of the temple

Iconostasis -it's specialthe partition that separates the altar from the middle part of the temple stretches from the northern to the southern wall. This partition is often lined with icons in several tiers (rows, belts).

In the first, lower row, to the right of the Royal Doors, the image of the Savior is placed, to the right - the temple icon. To the left of the Royal Doors - the icon of the Mother of God, then - the icon of the most revered saint. If there are more than one row, then the icons of the Twelve Feasts are in the second tier, the icons of the apostles are in the third belt, the icons of the prophets are in the fourth, and the icons of the holy patriarchs are in the fifth . Between the second and third belts there is a deesis, or rather, a deisis (prayer). This is an icon depicting Jesus Christ in royal or bishop's vestments with the Mother of God and John the Baptist coming in a prayer position. In the old days, the entire iconostasis was called the Deesis. Between the third and fourth tiers is the icon of Mother of God, the Pre-eternal Child. But the cross is always placed at the very top. On the sides of the cross are images of the Mother of God and John the Theologian.

Full iconostasis consists of five belts, but there were iconostases even in seven rows. Of course, full iconostases are more often found in cathedrals, and in parish and monastery churches they consist of four, three, two, or even one belt.

Icons are also placed on the walls of the temple, in large icon cases (special large frames), on lecterns (high narrow tables with an inclined surface).

The holy images of the iconostasis, which cover the altar from the faithful, mean that people cannot always communicate with God directly and directly.

Liturgy is celebrated in the altar. It is then that we remember what the Savior did for our salvation. However, the beginning of our salvation lies in the Annunciation.

The iconostasis has three doors (gates): northern doors, royal gates, southern doors.

1) royal doors - The biggest. They are located in the middle of the iconostasis. They bear their name because the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the King of Glory, passes through them invisibly in the Holy Gifts. Only priests can pass through this gate. The Royal Doors are holy, because they are the entrance to the Holy of Holies - to the altar. The Royal Doors are, as it were, the beginning of the altar, which is why they depict the beginning of our salvation - the Annunciation. The holy evangelists told us about everything that the Savior did for us, therefore it was their icons that adorned the Royal Doors. Their opening signifies the promised opening of the Heavenly Kingdom to believers. The closing of the Royal Doors symbolizes the deprivation of people of heavenly paradise because of their fall into sin. During the liturgy after the great entrance, which marks the procession of Christ the Savior to the feat of the cross. The closing of the Royal Doors means the position of Christ in the tomb, and the closing of the veil (kapetasma) is a stone that was rolled to the tomb. Then, while singing the Creed, where the Resurrection of Christ is confessed, the veil opens, which symbolizes the stone rolled away by the angel from the Holy Sepulcher, and not only that. But also the fact that faith opens the way to salvation. Icons are depicted on them: the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and the four evangelists (the apostles who wrote the Gospel): Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And above the gates is placed the icon of the Last Vespers.

2) Northern gate. Through them, the clergy can enter the altar, and in special cases, the laity. Icons of angels are painted on them, usually the Archangel Gabriel, but sometimes holy deacons. Through these doors the deacons enter and exit, who represent angelic ministry. An icon of one of the seven deacons appointed by the apostles can also be written on them: Stephen, Parmen, Nikonor, Lawrence and others.

3) South gate. Through them, the clergy can enter the altar, and in special cases, the laity. Icons of angels are written on them, usually - Archangel Michael, but sometimes - holy deacons.

4) Deacon doors are located behind the icons of the bottom row on both sides. It is through them that deacons most often pass.

5) Capetasma - a curtain of red or blue color from the side of the altar at the Royal Doors. During worship, it can open and close. Capetasma denotes the veil of mystery with which the shrines of God are covered. Thus, when it is opened during worship, it means that the mystery of salvation has been revealed to people. But not only because of this it hangs over the gates. In the Jerusalem Temple, a curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the sanctuary. In addition, the Royal Doors are usually open, which means that the laity can see sacred rites that they should not see. To prevent this from happening, the veil serves. In modern churches, it moves from right to left and vice versa. And in ancient churches, it went down from top to bottom. and that's why it was called mountain door, and the gates themselves were called valley or lower.

6) Cross with the image of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified on it .

Why are churches, especially in the iconostasis, decorated with icons, as well as sacred paintings?

Here is the answer to this question, which consists of several parts:

1) the temple is, as it were, Heaven on earth, and God in Heaven is surrounded by His holy angels;

2) a temple is a place of prayers to God and saints, and it is customary to pray in front of icons;

3) the temple is a school of faith, piety, and we learn not only through words, but also through the help of images.

The best spiritual decoration of the temple is sacred images (life-giving cross and icons) and relics (incorruptible bodies of saints).

The ornament of the iconostasis is permeated with symbols. Born fantasies of eternal Eden. Behind each painting or carving is a poetic image of the Bible. The tabla and columns of the iconostasis are decorated with images of cedar and palm branches, vines. This is no accident. Previously, there was such a representation of the Garden of Eden - a garden in which grapes and beautiful palm trees grow.

As it has now become clear, the iconostasis represents the entire history of our salvation, as well as all the saints to whom we pray.

Such an iconostasis in our Michael - Archangel Church:

And this is the iconostasis of the Trinity-Gleden Monastery:

The iconostasis in the temple of Seraphim of Sarov, Naberezhnye Chelny Trinity-Gledensky monastery

Iconostasis in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior 19th century, Moscow

Traditional Russian iconostasis of five rows

Everyone who has ever been to an Orthodox church has seen opposite the Throne, leading to the altar and symbolizing the gates of Paradise. This is the Royal Gate. They are a kind of legacy that has been preserved from early Christian times, when the altar was separated from the rest of the temple by two columns, or a low barrier. After the barrier was preserved only in some of the Orthodox, it, having changed, turned into an iconostasis.

Icons on the gates of Paradise

The royal doors in the temple are decorated with icons, the selection of which is regulated by an established tradition. Usually these are images of the four evangelists and the scene of the Annunciation. The symbolic meaning of this combination is quite obvious - Archangel Michael announces with his Gospel that the doors of Paradise are open again, and the Holy Gospel indicates the path leading to it. However, this is just a tradition, not a law requiring strict observance.

Sometimes the Royal Doors are decorated in a different way, and if they are low doors, they often do not have any icons at all. Also, due to the tradition that has developed in Orthodox churches, an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is placed to the left of the royal doors, and the Savior is placed on the opposite side, followed by an icon of a saint or holiday in whose honor the temple is consecrated.

Decorations placed on the Royal Doors of the side aisles and above them

If the temple is large enough, and in addition to the main altar, it has two more aisles, then often the gates of one of them are decorated only with the image of the Annunciation in growth, and the other with four evangelists. But this does not always allow the size that certain royal doors of the iconostasis in the church have. Evangelists in this case can be depicted as symbols. People close to the church know that Matthew is an angel, Luke is a calf, Mark is a lion and John is an eagle.

Church tradition also defines the images located above the Royal Doors. In most cases, this is the scene of the Last Supper, but often there is also the Communion of the Apostles with Jesus Christ, which is called the Eucharist, as well as the Old Testament or New Testament Trinity, decorating the Royal Doors. Photos of these design options can be seen in this article.

Features of the manufacture and design of the Royal Doors

At all times, the architects involved in their creation have opened up wide creative possibilities. In addition to the appearance, design and decoration, the result of the work largely depended on what the Royal Doors were made of. When visiting temples, one can see that a wide variety of materials were used for their manufacture, such as wood, iron, porcelain, marble, and even ordinary stone. Sometimes the preference given to one of them was determined by the artistic intent of the author, and sometimes by the availability of one or another material.

The Royal Doors are the entrance to Paradise. Usually they are the most decorated part of the iconostasis. For their design, various and gilding can be used, the frequent plots of which are images of grapes and paradise animals. There are also Royal Doors, made in the form of the Heavenly City of Jerusalem. In this case, all icons are placed in shrines-temples topped with cupolas with crosses. There are many design options, but in all cases the gates are located strictly in the middle of the iconostasis, and behind them is the throne, and even further - the mountainous place.

origin of name

They got their name from the fact that, according to the dogma, during Holy Communion it is through them that the King of Glory Jesus Christ invisibly comes out to the laity. However, this name exists only in Russian Orthodoxy, while in the Greek churches they are called "Saints". In addition, the name "Royal Doors" can also have deep historical roots.

In the IV century, when Christianity became the state religion and came out of the underground, by order of the emperors, services in Roman cities were transferred from private houses to basilicas, which were the largest public buildings. They usually housed courts and trading exchanges.

Since only the emperor and the head of the community, the bishop, had the privilege to enter through the main entrance, these gates were called "Royal". Only these persons, being the most honored participants in the prayer service, had the right to solemnly proceed through them into the room. For everyone else, there were side doors. Over time, when altars were formed in Orthodox churches, this name passed to the leading one in them.

The formation of the altar in its modern form

According to the results of research, the formation of the altar part of the temples in the form in which it exists now was a very long process. It is known that at first it was separated from the main room only by low partitions, and later by curtains called "katapetasma". This name has remained with them to this day.

At certain moments of the service, for example, during the consecration of the Gifts, the veils were closed, although they were often dispensed with without them. In general, in documents dating back to the first millennium, mentions of them are quite rare, and only much later they became an integral part of the Royal Doors, they began to be decorated with images of the Virgin and various saints.

A funny episode connected with the use of the veil can be found in the life of Basil the Great, who lived in the 4th century. It says that the saint was forced to introduce this attribute, which he had not used before, only because his deacon constantly looked at the women present in the temple, which clearly violated the solemnity of the service.

The symbolic meaning of the Royal Doors

But the Royal Doors in the church, the photos of which are presented in the article, are not an ordinary element of the interior layout. Since the altar behind them symbolizes Paradise, their semantic load lies in the fact that they represent the entrance to it. In Orthodox worship, this meaning is fully reflected.

For example, at Vespers and All-Night Vigil, at the moment when the Royal Doors are opened, a light is lit in the temple, which symbolizes its filling with heavenly light. All those present at this time bow to the waist. They do the same for other services. In addition, in the Orthodox tradition, passing by the Royal Doors, it is customary to overshadow oneself and bow. Throughout the entire Easter week - Bright Week - the Royal Doors in the temple (photo at the end of the article) do not close, since Jesus Christ, with his suffering on the cross, death and subsequent resurrection, opened the doors of Paradise to us.

Some ecclesiastical rules concerning this topic

According to the established rules, only clergymen are allowed to enter the royal doors of the iconostasis in the church, and only during divine services. At the usual time, they are obliged to use the so-called deacon's doors, located in the northern and southern parts of the iconostasis.

When a bishop's service is performed, only subdeacons or sextons open and close the Royal Doors, but they are not allowed to stand in front of the Throne, and, having entered the altar, they take places on either side of it. The bishop also has the exclusive right outside of worship to enter the altar part unclothed.

Liturgical Purpose of the Royal Doors

During the liturgy, the Royal Doors play a very important role. Suffice it to mention the Small Entrance, when the Gospel taken from the Throne is brought in through the Deacon's Gate, and carried back to the altar through the Royal Gate. This action has a deep dogmatic meaning. On the one hand, it symbolizes the Incarnation, as a result of which the world found the Savior, and on the other hand, the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus Christ.

The next time a procession of priests follows through them during the Great Entrance, accompanied by the performance of the Cherubic Hymn. The laity present in the temple is given a Cup of wine - the future blood of Christ. In addition, in the hands of the priest is a diskos (dish) on which is the Lamb - the bread that will be incarnated into the Body of Christ.

The most common interpretation of this rite is that the procession symbolizes the carrying of Christ, who was taken down from the cross and died, as well as his position in the tomb. The continuation of the Great Entrance is the reading of the Eucharistic Prayers, after which the Gifts will become the Blood and Body of Christ. For the communion of the laity, they are also taken out through the Royal Doors. The meaning of the Eucharist lies precisely in the fact that the Savior is resurrected in the Holy Gifts, and those who partake of them become heirs of Eternal Life.

Saved Shrines

There are many cases when the Royal Doors as a shrine were transferred from one temple to another. This happened especially often during the years of perestroika, when they were taken out of churches destroyed by the communists and secretly preserved by believers, they were installed in the iconostases of new, recently rebuilt churches, or those that had been restored after many years of desolation.

How the iconostasis is arranged in an Orthodox church...

How the iconostasis is arranged in an Orthodox church

26.04.2018 2927

One of the most important and most recognizable elements of an Orthodox church is an icon - that very window into the spiritual world, which allows us to better focus on prayer turning to God. In the temple, the icons are combined into a special symphony, which we call the iconostasis.
The iconostasis received its main development precisely in the Russian Orthodox Church, and this was due to the peculiarities of national temple building. The temples of the Eastern (and for us rather southern) patriarchates were mainly built of stone. Their interior decoration from the floor to the domes was painted with frescoes depicting the Lord, the Virgin, saints and various theological and historical subjects.

In Russian churches the situation was different. Stone cathedrals were, so to speak, "piece goods" for cities or large monasteries. Most churches were built of wood and, accordingly, were not painted inside. Therefore, in such churches, instead of frescoes, new icons began to be added to the altar barrier, and from this it grew up several rows.

How did the iconostasis appear?

In the Jerusalem Temple, the Holy of Holies was separated from the sanctuary by a huge veil, which was torn in two after the death of the Savior on the Cross, as a symbol of the end of the Old Testament and the entry of mankind into the New.

The New Testament Church in the first three centuries of its existence was in the position of being persecuted and was forced to hide in the catacombs. The sacrament of the Eucharist was performed right on the tombs of the martyrs in cubicles (rooms) hastily adapted for the temple, where only their own gathered. Under such conditions, it was neither possible nor especially necessary to fence off the throne from those present.

The first mention of temples specially built for worship and of altar barriers or parapets separating the most sacred part of the temple from its main space date back to the 4th century.

After the legalization of Christianity by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine the Great, a huge number of new believers came to the Church, the level of churching of which was relatively low. Therefore, the throne and the altar needed to be protected from possible disrespect.

The first altar barriers looked either like a low fence, or like a row of columns, which on top was often crowned with a transverse bar - the “architrave”. They were low and did not completely cover the painting of the altar apses, and also gave the worshipers the opportunity to observe what was happening in the altar. A cross was usually placed on top of the architrave.

Bishop Eusebius Pamphilus mentions such barriers in his Church History, who, for example, reported the following about the Church of the Holy Sepulcher: “The semicircle of the apse was surrounded by as many columns as there were apostles.”

Pretty soon, the cross on the architrave was replaced by a row of icons, and the images of the Savior (on the right in relation to those who pray) and the Virgin (on the left) began to be placed on the supporting columns on the sides of the royal doors, and after some more time, this row was supplemented with icons of other saints and angels. Thus, the first one- and two-tier iconostases appeared, which were common in the Eastern Churches.

The development of the iconostasis in Russia

The classic multi-tiered iconostasis first appeared and became widespread precisely in the Russian Orthodox Church, so that it was associated with the architectural features of Russian churches, which have already been mentioned above.

The first temples built in Rus' copied Byzantine designs. Iconostases in them had 2-3 tiers.

It is not known exactly when exactly they began to grow, but documentary evidence of the appearance of the first four-tiered iconostasis dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. It was installed in the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir, which was painted by the Monks Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny. By the end of the century, such iconostases spread everywhere.

In the second half of the 16th century, the fifth row appears in the iconostasis for the first time. In the 17th century, this layout became classic for most Russian churches, and in some of them you can find iconostases in six or even seven rows. Further, the "number of storeys" of the iconostasis stops growing.

The sixth and seventh tiers were usually dedicated to the Passion of Christ and, accordingly, to the passions of the apostles (their martyrdom). These stories came to Russia from Ukraine, where they were quite popular.

Classic five-tiered iconostasis

The five-tiered iconostasis is a classic today. Its lowest tier is called "local". To the right and left of the royal doors, there are always icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, respectively. On the royal doors themselves are the images of the four evangelists and the plot of the Annunciation.

To the right of the icon of the Savior is usually placed the image of the saint or holiday to which the temple in which you are located is dedicated, and to the left of the image of the Virgin - the icon of one of the saints most revered in this area.

Next come the southern (on the right hand of the worshipers) and northern (on the left) doors. They are usually painted with icons of the archangels Michael and Gabriel or the archdeacons Stephen and Lawrence (although other options are possible), and the rest of the local row is filled with several images of saints, also the most revered in this region.

The second tier is called "holiday". Here, the center of the composition is the icon of the Last Supper above the royal gates, to the left and right of which you can see plots of the 12 most significant gospel events from the point of view of the Church: the Ascension, the Meeting, the Nativity of the Virgin, Her Entry into the Temple, the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, the Entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem, the Transfiguration, etc.

The third tier is called "deisis" - from the Greek. "prayer". The central image of this series is the Lord Almighty, depicted in all his power and glory. He sits in golden clothes on the royal throne against the background of a red rhombus (the invisible world), a green oval (the spiritual world) and a red square with elongated edges (the earthly world), which together symbolize the entirety of the universe.

The figures of the prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John (right), the Most Holy Theotokos (left) and other saints are facing the Savior in poses of prayer. The figures of the saints are depicted half-turned to those who are praying, to show that during the divine service the saints stand with us before God, are prayerful before him in our needs, for which we ask them.

In the fourth row, the Old Testament prophets are depicted, and in the fifth, the forefathers who lived at the dawn of the emergence of mankind. In the center of the "prophetic" row, the icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" is placed, and in the center of the "forefather" - the icon of the Holy Trinity.

Iconostases in modern churches

The construction of the iconostasis, like other aspects of the internal church life, is regulated by certain traditions. But this does not mean at all that all iconostases are exactly the same. When forming the iconostasis, they try to take into account the general architectural appearance of a particular temple.

If the temple premises were converted from some other building and its ceiling is low and flat, then the iconostasis may well be made two- or even single-tiered. If you want to show the beautiful painting of the altar apses to the faithful, choose an iconostasis in the Byzantine style up to three rows in height. In other cases, they try to install a classic five-tier.

The position and filling of the rows is also not strictly regulated. The "Deisis" row can come after the "local" row and precede the "holiday" one. The central icon in the “festive” tier may not be the “Last Supper”, but the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ”. Instead of a festive row, in some churches you can see icons of the Passion of Christ.

Also, a carved figure of a dove in rays of radiance, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, is often placed above the royal doors, and the upper tier of the iconostasis is crowned with a cross or an image of a crucifix.

Andrey Segeda

To the right of the Royal Doors is the icon of the Savior, where He is depicted with a Book and a blessing gesture. On the left is an icon of the Mother of God (as a rule, with the Infant Jesus in her arms). Christ and the Mother of God meet us at the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven and lead us to salvation throughout our lives. The Lord said of Himself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me" (); “I am the door to the sheep” (). The Mother of God is called Hodegetria, which means "guide" (usually an iconographic version of the Mother of God Hodegetria is placed here).

The icon next to the image of the Savior (to the right in relation to the upcoming ones) depicts a saint or a holiday, after which this temple is named. If you entered an unfamiliar temple, just look at the second icon to the right of the Royal Doors to determine which temple you are in - in the Nikolsky Church there will be an image of St. Nicholas of Myra, in Trinity - the icon of the Holy Trinity, in the Assumption - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the church of Cosmas and Damian - the image of Sts. unmercenaries, etc.

In addition to the Royal Doors, in the bottom row there are also southern and northern doors (also called diaconal, because it is the deacon who, in the process of worship, uses them more often than others). As a rule, they are much smaller and lead to the side parts of the altar - the altar, where the Proskomidia is performed, and the deacon's or sacristy, where the priest dresses before the liturgy and where the vestments and utensils are stored. Deacon doors are usually depicted either as archangels, symbolizing the angelic ministry of the clergy, or as the first martyrs, Archdeacons Stephen and Lawrence, who set a true example of serving the Lord.

From the inside of the Royal Doors is hung (Greek καταπέτασμα - catapetasma), which is opened or closed at certain moments of worship.

The royal doors open only during the service and only at certain moments of it. During the Bright (Easter) week, they do not close for a whole week as a sign that Jesus Christ opened the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven for us.

The Royal Doors are opened during the Liturgy:

- for the Small Entrance with the Gospel, which marks the appearance of the Lord to preach the Gospel, and after reading the Gospel they close;

- for the Great Entrance, at which the Holy Gifts are transferred from the altar to the throne, then they are closed, which means the descent of the Savior into hell;

- at the presentation of the Holy Gifts for the communion of the people, which depicts the appearance of the Lord to His disciples after the resurrection, the ascension to heaven and the opening of the kingdom of heaven.

Only clergy are allowed to pass through the royal gates.