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Numerous sources of light in the temple are of great liturgical and mysterious significance. They come in three types: windows, lamps and candles. The liturgical Rule, now not exactly observed in relation to the lamps, provides in some cases for the lighting of all the lamps, in others - only a certain part, in the third - the complete extinction of almost all lamps and then lighting again.

In the altar behind the throne, lampadas or candles (seven candlesticks) burn in a special lamp, a lampada or a candle in a candlestick is placed on the High Place, on the throne, on the altar, lampadas can also be lit at individual icons in the altar.

In the middle part of the temple, lamps are usually lit at all icons, and near especially revered icons, several lamps are lit; in addition, large candlesticks with cells for many candles are placed so that believers can put here the candles they bring to these icons. A large candlestick is always placed in the center of the temple on the eastern side of the lectern, where the icon of the day lies. A special candlestick with a large candle is taken out at the small entrances at vespers and liturgy, at the great entrance at the liturgy, and also in front of the Gospel when it is taken out at the entrances or for reading. This candle marks the light of Christ's preaching, Christ Himself, as the Light from the Light, the true Light. A candle in a candlestick has the same meaning, with which, together with a censer at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the priest blesses the people with the words "The Light of Christ enlightens all." Candles in hierarchal dikiriyas and trikiriyas have special spiritual significance. During the censing of the church, in statutory cases, the deacon precedes the censing priest with a special deacon's candle, which marks the light of the apostolic sermon, preceding the acceptance of faith in Christ among the nations, that is, as it were, preceding Christ coming to the people. Lit candles in the hands of the priests are in the cases of worship provided for by the Charter. With a special lamp with three candles, the priest blesses the people at Easter services. In the central part of the temple, a large lamp descends from the dome downwards with many fires, lit in the prescribed cases - a chandelier or a chandelier. From the domes of the side aisles, similar smaller lamps, called polycandyles, descend into the temple. The polikandil has from seven to twelve lamps, the chandelier has more than twelve. Before considering the symbolic meanings of individual lamps, let's turn to the main spiritual meanings of light in the temple.

light in Orthodox church is primarily an image of the heavenly, Divine light. In particular, he marks Christ as the Light of the world (John 8:12), the Light from the Light (the Creed), the true Light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world (John 1:9). This is a special, immaterial, uncreated Trinity light, different in essence of this Divine light from the external, natural, material.

External light was allowed inside the temple as an image of the immaterial light. This helps to understand the relationship of the Church to external, natural light. Light in the proper sense for the church consciousness is only the Divine. This determines the nature of the internal illumination of the temple. It was never appointed to illuminate the premises of the temple and in the ordinary sense, that is, in order to be light. Temple lamps have always had a spiritual and symbolic meaning. They are also lit during the day, during daytime services, when the light from the windows is sufficient for general illumination. In statutory cases, church lamps during evening and night services can be lit in very small quantities, and when reading the Six Psalms on all-night vigil it is necessary to extinguish all candles, except for the candle in the middle of the temple, where the reader stands, in front of the icons of Christ, the Mother of God and the temple in the iconostasis. During festive and Sunday services, all the lamps are lit according to the order, including the upper ones - the chandelier and the polycandilo, creating an image of that full light of God that will shine upon the faithful in the Kingdom of Heaven and is already contained in the spiritual meaning of the celebrated event.

From the deepest antiquity in the sacred history of fir and olive, from the fruits of which it is obtained, they turn out to be signs of spiritual truths. The dove released by Noah from the ark brought him a fresh olive leaf (Gen. 8:11), as evidence that the flood was over, dry land appeared, that God's wrath ceased and was replaced by mercy. Since then, the olive branch has been a symbol of peace between God and people, a symbol of peace and reconciliation in general.

In the New Testament, the images of oil and olive trees are often used by the Savior and the apostles. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Lord says that the Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of a man who had suffered from thieves (Luke 10:34). In this, the salvific actions of God in relation to the spiritually wounded humanity are indicated, on which the inexpressible mercy of God is poured out, giving the Only Begotten Son, so that He would wash away the sins of people with His Blood. In the parable of the ten virgins, the Savior speaks of the abundance of oil in the lampstands of the wise virgins and the lack of it among the foolish. Oil here, according to the interpretation of St. Seraphim of Sarov, denotes the grace of the Holy Spirit of God accumulated over the course of life through faithful service to God out of pure love for Him. Finally, the mountain on which the Savior preached and often visited with His disciples and from which He ascended to Heaven is called Olivet: historically because its slopes were planted with orchards of olive trees (olive trees), and spiritually because the name of this mountain means the pinnacle of mercy to the people of God, who elevates human nature to the heavenly chamber of glory and eternal life.

In the Orthodox Church, one of the seven sacraments is the sacrament of the Unction, that is, a special consecration of oil, with which people are anointed for healing from illnesses. According to the meaning of the sacrament, oil contains in this case the mercy of God to a sick person, expressed in the forgiveness (forgiveness) of his sins, the grace of the Holy Spirit, purifying and spiritually reviving a person, and healing power from bodily and mental illnesses.

Candles that believers buy in the temple to put in candlesticks near icons also have several spiritual meanings: since a candle is bought, it is a sign of a person’s voluntary sacrifice to God and His temple, an expression of a person’s readiness to obey God. The candle also expresses the warmth and flame of a person's love for the Lord, the Mother of God, an angel or a saint, at whose faces the believer places his candle.

Church lamps are different. Candlesticks of all kinds, in addition to their practical purpose, symbolize that spiritual height, thanks to which the light of faith shines on everyone in the house, the whole world. The chandelier, descending from above into the central part of the temple, and the policandilo, located in the side aisles, with their many lights mean the Heavenly Church itself as an assembly, a constellation of people sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, enlightened by the light of faith, burning with the fire of love for God, abiding inseparably together in the light Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, these lamps descend from above into that part of the temple where the assembly of the earthly Church stands, called to spiritually strive upward, towards its heavenly brethren. The Heavenly Church illuminates the Earthly Church with its light, drives away darkness from it - such is the meaning of hanging chandeliers and polycandyles.

The light in an Orthodox church is, first of all, an image of heavenly, Divine light. In particular, he marks Christ as the Light of the world (John 8:12), the Light from the Light (the Creed), the true Light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world (John 1:9). This is a special, immaterial, uncreated Trinity light, different in essence of this Divine light from the external, natural, material.

External light was allowed inside the temple as an image of the immaterial light. This helps to understand the relationship of the Church to external, natural light. Light in the proper sense for the church consciousness is only the Divine. This determines the nature of the internal illumination of the temple. It was never appointed to illuminate the premises of the temple and in the ordinary sense, that is, in order to be light. Temple lamps have always had a spiritual and symbolic meaning. They are also lit during the day, during daytime services, when the light from the windows is sufficient for general illumination. In statutory cases, church lamps during evening and night services can be lit in very small quantities, and when reading the Six Psalms at the all-night vigil, it is supposed to extinguish all candles, except for the candle in the middle of the temple, where the reader stands, in front of the icons of Christ, the Mother of God and the temple in the iconostasis. During festive and Sunday services, all the lamps are lit according to the order, including the upper ones - the chandelier and the polycandilo, creating an image of that full light of God that will shine upon the faithful in the Kingdom of Heaven and is already contained in the spiritual meaning of the celebrated event.

The interior of the temple.

Despite the variety of forms and architectural styles used in the construction of temples, internal organization Orthodox Church always follows a certain canon, which took shape between the 4th and 8th centuries and has not undergone significant changes. At the same time, in the writings of the Fathers of the Church, in particular Dionysius the Areopagite and Maximus the Confessor, the temple as a building for prayer and worship receives theological understanding. This, however, was preceded by a long prehistory, which began in Old Testament times and continued into the era of the early Christian Church (I-III centuries).

Just as the Old Testament tabernacle, and then the Jerusalem temple, built according to the command of God (Ex. 25: 1-40), were divided into three parts: the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary and the courtyard, so the traditional Orthodox church consists of three parts - the altar, the middle part (the temple itself) and the vestibule (narthex).

Porch.

The area in front of the entrance to the temple is called porch Sometimes vestibule external, and the first part of the temple from the entrance is called vestibule or in Greek nertex, Sometimes inner porch, forecourt, refectory. The last name comes from the fact that in ancient times, and in some churches even now (usually in monasteries), a meal was served in this part after the service.

In ancient times, the vestibule was intended for catechumens (preparing for baptism) and penitents (Christians who carried penance), and in its area was almost equal to the middle part of the temple.

In the vestibule of the temple, according to the Typicon, the following should be performed:

1) watch;

2) lithium for vespers;

3) compline;

4) midnight office;

5) memorial service(short memorial service).

In many modern temples, the vestibule is either completely absent, or completely merges with the central part of the temple. This is due to the fact that the functional significance of the vestibule has long been lost. In the modern Church, catechumens and penitents do not exist as a separate category of believers, and in practice the services listed above are most often performed in the temple, and therefore the need for a vestibule as a separate room has also disappeared.

The middle part of the temple.

The middle part of the temple is called, which is located between the vestibule and the altar. This part of the temple in ancient times usually consisted of three sections (separated by columns or partitions), called naves: the middle nave, which was wider than the others, was intended for clergy, the south one - for men, the north one - for women.

The accessories of this part of the temple are: salt, pulpit, kliros, bishop's pulpit, lecterns and candlesticks, chandelier, seats, icons, iconostasis.

Solea. Along the iconostasis from the south to the north there is an elevation of the floor in front of the iconostasis, constituting the continuation of the altar. The Church Fathers called this elevation saline(from the Greek [sόlion] - a level place, foundation). The solea serves as a kind of proscenium (front of the stage) for worship. In ancient times, the salt steps served as a seat for subdeacons and readers.

pulpit(Greek "ascent") - the middle of the salt in front of the royal gates extended into the temple. From here, the deacon proclaims litanies, reads the Gospel, and the priest, or the preacher in general, gives instructions to the coming people; some sacred rites are performed here, for example, the small and great entrances to the Liturgy, the entrance with a censer at Vespers; dismissal is pronounced from the pulpit - the final blessing at the end of each Divine service.

In ancient times, the ambo was installed in the middle of the temple (sometimes it towered several meters, for example, in the church of Hagia Sophia (537) in Constantinople). It was on the ambo that the Liturgy of the catechumens took place, which included the reading of the Holy Scriptures and a sermon. Subsequently, in the West, it was replaced by a "pulpit" on the side of the altar, and in the East, the central part of the salt began to serve as a pulpit. The only reminders of the old ambos are now the "cathedrals" (bishop's pulpit), which are placed in the center of the church during the service of the bishop.

The ambo depicts a mountain, a ship, from which the Lord Jesus Christ preached His Divine teachings to the people, and a stone at the Holy Sepulcher of the Lord, which the Angel rolled off and from which he announced to the myrrh-bearing women about the resurrection of Christ. Sometimes this pulpit is called diaconal in contrast to the bishop's pulpit.

Bishop's pulpit. During the hierarchal service, an elevated place for the bishop is arranged in the middle of the temple. It's called bishop's pulpit. In liturgical books, the bishop's pulpit is also called: "the place where the bishop vests"(Officer of the Great Assumption Cathedral in Moscow). Sometimes the Bishop's pulpit is called "department". On this pulpit, the bishop not only vests, but sometimes performs part of the service (at the Liturgy), sometimes the entire service (prayer service) and prays among the people, like a father with children.

Kliros. The edges of the salt on the northern and southern sides are usually intended for readers and singers and are called kliros(Greek [kliros] - part of the land, which went by lot). In many Orthodox churches, two choirs alternately sing during Divine services, which are located respectively on the right and left kliros. In some cases, an additional kliros is built at the level of the second floor in the western part of the temple: in this case, the choir is behind those present, and the clergy are in front. In "Church Rule" kliros sometimes the clerics themselves are also called (clergy and clergymen).

lectern and candlesticks. As a rule, in the center of the temple stands lectern(Ancient Greek [analogue] - a stand for icons and books) - a high quadrangular table with a sloping top, on which lies the icon of a temple saint or a saint or event celebrated on this day. stands in front of the lectern candlestick(such candlesticks are also placed in front of other icons lying on lecterns or hanging on the walls). The use of candles in the church is one of the oldest customs that has come down to us from the early Christian era. In our time, it has not only a symbolic meaning, but also the meaning of a sacrifice to the temple. The candle that the believer puts in front of the icon in the church is not bought in a store and is not brought from home: it is purchased in the church itself, and the money spent goes to the church cash desk.

Chandelier. In the modern church, Divine services are usually used for electric lighting, but some parts of the Divine Service are supposed to be performed in twilight or even complete darkness. Full illumination is turned on at the most solemn moments: during the polyeleos at the All-Night Vigil, at the Divine Liturgy. The light in the temple is completely extinguished during the reading of the Six Psalms at Matins; muted light is used during Lenten Divine Services.

The main lamp (chandelier) of the temple is called chandelier(from the Greek [polycandylon] - a multi-candlestick). The chandelier in large churches is a chandelier of impressive size with many (from 20 to 100 or even more) candles or light bulbs. It is suspended on a long steel cable to the center of the dome. In other parts of the temple, smaller chandeliers may be hung. In the Greek Church, in some cases, the central chandelier is swayed from side to side, so that the glare from the candles moves around the temple: this movement, along with the ringing of bells and especially solemn melismatic singing, creates a festive mood.

seats. Some believe that the characteristic difference between an Orthodox church and a Catholic or Protestant one is the absence of seats in it. In fact, all the ancient liturgical charters presuppose the presence of seats in the church, since during some parts of the Divine Service, according to the charter, it is supposed to sit. In particular, while sitting, they listened to psalms, readings from the Old Testament and from the Apostle, readings from the works of the Fathers of the Church, as well as some Christian hymns, for example, “sedals” (the very name of the hymn indicates that they listened to it while sitting). Standing was considered obligatory only in the most important points Divine services, for example, during the reading of the Gospel, during the Eucharistic Canon. Liturgical exclamations, preserved in modern worship - "Wisdom, forgive", "Let's become good, let's become with fear", - originally were precisely the invitation of the deacon to stand up to perform certain prayers after sitting during previous prayers. The absence of seats in the temple is a custom of the Russian Church, but is by no means typical of Greek churches, where, as a rule, benches are provided for everyone who participates in Divine services. In some Russian Orthodox churches, however, there are seats located along the walls and intended for the elderly and infirm parishioners. However, the custom of sitting down during readings and getting up only at the most important moments of Divine Services is not typical for most churches of the Russian Church. It is preserved only in monasteries, where monks are installed along the walls of the temple stasidia- high wooden armchairs with folding seat and high armrests. In stasidia, you can both sit and stand, resting your hands on the armrests, and with your back against the wall.

Icons. An exceptional place in an Orthodox church is occupied by an icon (Greek [icon] - “image”, “image”) - a sacred symbolic image of the Lord, the Mother of God, the apostles, saints, angels, intended to serve us, believers, as one of the most valid means of living and close spiritual communication with those who are depicted on it.

The icon conveys not the appearance of a holy or sacred event, as classical realistic art does, but its essence. The most important task of an icon is to show, with the help of visible colors, the invisible inner world of a saint or event. The icon painter shows the nature of the subject, allows the viewer to see what the "classical" drawing would hide from him. Therefore, in the name of restoring the spiritual meaning, the visible side of reality is usually somewhat “distorted” on the icons. The icon conveys reality, firstly, with the help of symbols. For example, nimbus- symbolizes holiness, also indicated by large open eyes; clave(stripe) on the shoulder of Christ, the apostles, angels - symbolizes the mission; book or scroll- sermon, etc. Secondly, on the icon, events of different times often turn out to be united (combined) into a single whole (within one image). For example, on the icon Assumption of the Virgin in addition to the Dormition itself, the farewell to Mary, and the meeting of the apostles, which were brought on the clouds by angels, and the burial, during which the wicked Avfonius tried to overturn the bed of the Mother of God, and Her bodily Ascension, and the appearance to the Apostle Thomas, which occurred on the third day, are usually depicted, and sometimes other details of this event. And, thirdly, a peculiar feature of church painting is the use of the principle of reverse perspective. The reverse perspective is created by lines diverging into the distance and sweeps of buildings and objects. The focus - the vanishing point of all the lines of the icon space - is not behind the icon, but in front of it, in the temple. And it turns out that we are not looking at the icon, but the icon is looking at us; it is, as it were, a window from the heavenly world to the world below. And before us is not an instant "snapshot", but, as it were, a kind of expanded "drawing" of the object, giving different types on the same plane. To read the icon, knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and Church Tradition is required.

Iconostasis. The middle part of the temple is separated from the altar iconostasis(Greek [iconostasis]; from [icons] - icon, image, image; + [stasis] - a place to stand; that is, literally “a place for standing icons”) - this is an altar partition (wall) covered (decorated) icons (in a certain order). Initially, such a partition was intended to separate the altar part of the temple from the rest of the room.

Of the oldest literary sources that have come down to us, the news of the existence and purpose of altar barriers belongs to Eusebius of Caesarea. This church historian informs us that at the beginning of the 4th century, the bishop of the city of Tire “placed the throne in the middle of the altar and separated it with a magnificent wooden carved fence so that the people could not approach it”. The same author, describing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built in 336 by St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine, reports that in this temple "semicircle of the apse(meaning the altar space) was surrounded by as many columns as there were apostles". Thus, from the 4th to the 9th century, the altar was separated from the rest of the temple by a partition, which was a low (about 1 m) carved parapet, made of marble or wood, or a portico of columns, on the capitals of which rests a wide rectangular beam - architrave. The architrave usually featured images of Christ and saints. Unlike the later iconostasis, there were no icons in the altar barrier, and the space of the altar remained completely open to the eyes of the faithful. The altar barrier often had a U-shaped plan: in addition to the central facade, it had two more side facades. In the middle of the central facade was the entrance to the altar; it was open, without doors. IN Western Church the open altar has survived to the present day.

From the life of a saint. Basil the Great is known to “commanded that curtains and barriers be in the church before the altar”. The veil was opened during the service and twitched after. Usually, the curtains were decorated with woven or embroidered images, both symbolic and iconographic.

Currently veil, in Greek [katapetasma], is located behind the royal doors from the side of the altar. The veil marks the veil of mystery. The opening of the veil symbolically depicts the revelation to people of the mystery of salvation, which was revealed to all people. The closing of the veil depicts the mystery of the moment - something that only a few have seen, or - the incomprehensibility of the mystery of God.

In the ninth century altar barriers began to be decorated with icons. This custom appeared and became widespread from the time of the VII Ecumenical Council (II Nicea, 787), which approved icon veneration.

At present, the iconostasis is arranged according to the following pattern.

There are three doors in the center of the lower tier of the iconostasis. The middle doors of the iconostasis are wide, double-leaf, opposite the holy throne, called "royal doors" or "holy doors", because they are intended for the Lord, through them at the Liturgy (in the form of the Gospel and the Holy Gifts) passes the King of glory Jesus Christ. They are also called "great", according to their size, in comparison with other doors, and according to the significance that they have in Divine service. In ancient times they were also called "heavenly". Only those who have a sacred dignity enter these gates.

Icons of the Annunciation are usually placed on the royal doors, which remind us here on earth of the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven. Holy Mother of God and four evangelists. Because through the Virgin Mary, the Son of God, the Savior, came into our world, and from the evangelists we learned about the Good News, about the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes on the royal doors, instead of the evangelists, Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom are depicted.

The side doors on the left and right sides of the royal doors are called "northern"(left) and "southern"(rights). They are also called "small gate", "side doors of the iconostasis", "ponomarskaya door"(left) and "deacon's door"(right), "altar door"(leads to the altar) and "deacon's door"(“diakonnik” is a sacristy or vessel storage). adjectives "deacon" And "ponomarskaya" can be used in the plural and used in relation to both gates. On these side doors are usually depicted holy deacons (St. Protomartyr Stephen, St. Lawrence, St. Philip, etc.) or holy angels, as messengers of the will of God, or the Old Testament prophets Moses and Aaron. But there is a prudent robber, as well as scenes from the Old Testament.

An image of the Last Supper is usually placed above the royal doors. On the right side of the royal doors is always the icon of the Savior, on the left - the Mother of God. Next to the icon of the Savior is an icon of a saint or a holiday in whose honor the temple is consecrated. The rest of the first row is occupied by icons of saints especially revered in the area. The icons of the first row in the iconostasis are usually called "local".

Above the first row of icons in the iconostasis there are several more rows, or tiers.

TO XII century include the appearance of the second tier depicting the Twelfth Feasts. Sometimes even great ones.

At the same time, the third tier appeared. "deisis row"(from the Greek [deisis] - "prayer"). In the center of this row is placed the icon of the Savior (usually on a throne) to whom the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist turn their prayerful eyes - this image is actually deisis. Next in this row are the angels, then the apostles, their successors - the saints, and then there may be reverends and other saints. Saint Simeon of Thessalonica says that this row: “means the union of love and the unity in Christ of earthly saints with heavenly ones ... In the middle between the holy icons, the Savior is depicted and on either side of Him is the Mother of God and the Baptist, angels and apostles, and other saints. This teaches us that Christ is in Heaven with His saints and is with us now. And that He has yet to come.”

At the turn of the 14th-15th centuries in Rus', another rank was added to the existing ranks. "Prophetic Row", and in the 16th century "ancestral".

So, the icons of the holy prophets are placed in the fourth tier, and in the middle is usually the image of the Mother of God with the Infant Christ, about whom, mainly, the prophets proclaimed. Usually this is an image of the Sign of the Mother of God, an arrangement of the prophecy of Isaiah: “Then Isaiah said, Hear now, house of David! Is it not enough for you to trouble people that you want to trouble my God too? So the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call his name Immanuel.(Is. 7:13-14).

The fifth top row consists of icons of the Old Testament righteous, and in the middle is depicted the Lord of Hosts or the entire Holy Trinity.

The high iconostasis arose in Rus', probably for the first time in Moscow in the Kremlin cathedrals; Feofan Grek and Andrei Rublev took part in their creation. A fully preserved high iconostasis (5 tiers), completed in 1425-27, is located in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra (the upper (5th) tier was added to it in the 17th century).

In the 17th century, a row was sometimes placed above the ancestral row "passions"(scenes of the suffering of Christ). The top of the iconostasis (in the middle) is crowned with a cross, as a sign of the union of the members of the Church with Christ and among themselves.

The iconostasis is like an open book - before our eyes the whole sacred history of the Old and New Testaments. In other words, the iconostasis presents in picturesque images the story of God's salvation of the human race from sin and death through the incarnation of God the Son of Jesus Christ; preparation by the forefathers of His appearance on earth; predictions about Him by the prophets; the earthly life of the Savior; the prayer of the saints to Christ the Judge for people, performed in Heaven outside of historical time.

The iconostasis also testifies with whom we, who believe in Christ Jesus, are in spiritual unity, with whom we make up the one Church of Christ, with whom we participate in Divine services. According to Pavel Florensky: “Heaven from the earth, higher from the bottom, the altar from the temple can only be separated by visible witnesses of the invisible world, living symbols of the combination of both…”.

Altar and accessories.

The altar is the most sacred place of the Orthodox church - the likeness of the holy of holies of the ancient Jerusalem temple. The altar (as the meaning of the Latin word "alta ara" itself - an elevated altar) shows - is arranged above other parts of the temple - one step, two or more. Thus, it becomes prominent for those coming to the temple. By its elevation, the altar indicates that it marks the heavenly world, means Heaven, means a place where God is especially present. The most important sacred things are placed in the altar.

Throne. In the center of the altar, opposite the royal doors, there is a throne for the celebration of the Eucharist. The throne (from the Greek. "throne"; among the Greeks it is called - [meal]) is the most sacred place of the altar. It depicts the Throne of God (Ezek.10:1; Is.6:1-3; Rev.4:2), is regarded as the throne of the Lord on earth ( "throne of grace" Heb.4:16), marks the ark of the covenant (the main shrine of the Old Testament Israel and the temple - Exodus 25:10-22), the sarcophagus of the martyr (for the first Christians, the coffin of the martyr served as the throne), and symbolizes the presence with us of the Lord Almighty Himself, Jesus Christ as the King of Glory, the Head of the Church.

According to the practice of the Russian Church, only clergy can touch the throne; laymen are forbidden. A layman also cannot be in front of the throne or pass between the throne and the royal gates. Even the candles on the throne are lit only by the clergy. In contemporary Greek practice, however, laymen are not forbidden from touching the throne.

In form, the throne is a cubic-shaped structure (table) made of stone or wood. In Greek (as well as Catholic) churches, rectangular thrones are common, shaped like an oblong table or sarcophagus, set parallel to the iconostasis; upper stone board the throne rests on four pillars-columns; the interior of the throne remains open to the eye. In Russian practice, the horizontal surface of the throne has, as a rule, a square shape and the throne is completely covered India- a vestment corresponding to him in form. The traditional height of the throne is arshin and six inches (98 cm). In the middle, under the upper board of the throne, a column is placed, in which, during the consecration of the temple, the bishop puts a particle of the relics of a martyr or saint. This tradition goes back to the ancient Christian custom of celebrating Liturgies on the tombs of martyrs. Also, the Church in this case is guided by the Revelation of St. John the Theologian, who saw an altar in Heaven and "Under the altar of the souls of those who were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony they had"(Rev. 6:9).

mountain place. The place behind the throne towards the east is called mountain, that is, the highest. Saint John Chrysostom calls him "high throne". A high place is an elevation, usually arranged several steps above the altar, on which stands the seat (Greek [pulpit]) for the bishop. The seat on the high place for the bishop, carved from tuff, stone or marble, with a back and elbows, was already arranged in the catacomb churches and in the first hidden Christian churches. The bishop sits on a high place at certain moments of the Divine Service. In the Ancient Church, a newly appointed bishop (now only a patriarch) was erected in the same place. This is where the word comes from. "enthronement", in Slavic "enthronement" - "deposition". The throne of the bishop, according to the charter, should be on a high place in any church, not only the cathedral. The presence of this throne testifies to the connection between the temple and the bishop: without the blessing of the latter, the priest does not have the right to celebrate Divine Liturgy in the temple.

On a high place on both sides of the pulpit, seats are arranged for serving priests. All this taken together is called throne, it is intended for the apostles and their successors, i.e. clergy, and is arranged in the image of the Kingdom of Heaven described in the book of the Apocalypse of St. John the Evangelist: “After this, I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in Heaven ... and, behold, a Throne stood in Heaven, and there was One Seated on the Throne ... And around the Throne were twenty-four thrones; and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, who were clothed in white clothes and had golden crowns on their heads.(Rev. 4:1-4 - these are representatives of the Old Testament and New Testament people of God (12 tribes of Israel and 12 “tribes” of the apostles). The fact that they sit on thrones and wear golden crowns indicates that they have power, but power it was given to them from Him who sits on the Throne, i.e. from God, because then they take off their crowns and place them before the Throne of God, Rev. 4:10). The bishop and those serving him depict the holy apostles and their successors.

Semicandlestick. According to the tradition of the Russian Church, a seven-candlestick is placed in the altar on the eastern side of the throne - a lamp with seven lamps, according to appearance reminiscent of the Jewish menorah. There are no menorahs in the Greek Church. The seven-candlestick is not mentioned in the rite of consecration of the temple, and it was not the original accessory of the Christian church, but appeared in Russia in the synodal era. The seven-candlestick recalls the lamp with seven lamps that stood in the Jerusalem temple (see: Exodus 25, 31-37), is a likeness of the Heavenly Lamp described by the prophet. Zechariah (Zech.4:2) and Ap. John (Rev.4:5), and symbolizes the Holy Spirit (Is.11:2-3; Rev.1:4-5; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6)*.

*“And out of the throne came lightning and thunder and voices, and seven lamps of fire burned before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.”(Rev. 4:5); “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ ...”(Rev. 1:4,5); “And write to the angel of the church in Sardis: This is what He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your deeds…”(Rev. 3:1). Here is an indication, unusual for us, of the trinity of God. Of course, John, who lived more than two centuries before the I and II Ecumenical Councils, of course, could not yet use the concepts and terminology of the IV century. In addition, the language of John is special, figurative, not constrained by strict theological terminology. Therefore, the mention of the God of the Trinity is formulated in such an unusual way.

Altar. The second necessary accessory of the altar is the altar, located in the northeastern part of the altar, on the left side of the throne. The altar is a table, smaller in size than the throne, having the same clothes. The altar is intended for the celebration of the preparatory part of the Liturgy - the proskomidia. On it, gifts (material) are prepared for the sacrament of the Eucharist, that is, bread and wine are prepared here for the performance of a bloodless sacrifice. The Holy Gifts are also placed on the altar at the end of the Liturgy, after the communion of the laity.

In the Ancient Church, when going to church, Christians brought bread, wine, oil, wax, etc. with them. - everything necessary for the celebration of Divine service (the poorest brought water), from which the best bread and wine were selected for the Eucharist, and other gifts were used in a common meal (agape) and distributed to those in need. All these donations were called in Greek prosphora, i.e. offerings. All offerings were placed on a special table, which later received the name altar. Altar in ancient temple was in a special room near the entrance, then in the room to the left of the altar, and in the Middle Ages it was moved to the left side of the altar space. This table was named "altar", because donations were piled on it, and they also made a bloodless sacrifice. The altar is sometimes called offer, i.e. a table where the Gifts offered by the faithful for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy are relied upon.

In the middle part of the temple, lamps are usually lit at all icons, and near especially revered icons, several lamps are lit; in addition, large candlesticks with cells for many candles are placed so that believers can put here the candles they bring to these icons. A large candlestick is always placed in the center of the temple on the eastern side of the lectern, where the icon of the day lies. A special candlestick with a large candle is taken out at the small entrances at vespers and liturgy, at the great entrance after the liturgy, and also in front of the Gospel when it is taken out at the entrances or for reading. This candle marks the light of Christ's preaching, Christ Himself, as the Light from the Light, the true Light. A candle in a candlestick has the same meaning, with which, together with a censer at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the priest blesses the people with the words "The Light of Christ enlightens all." Candles in hierarchal dikiriyas and trikiriyas have special spiritual significance. During the censing of the church, in statutory cases, the deacon precedes the censing priest with a special deacon's candle, which marks the light of the apostolic sermon, preceding the acceptance of faith in Christ among the nations, that is, as it were, preceding Christ coming to the people. Lit candles in the hands of the priests are in the cases of worship provided for by the Charter. With a special lamp with three candles, the priest blesses the people at Easter services. In the central part of the temple, a large lamp descends from the dome downwards with many fires, lit in the prescribed cases - a chandelier or a chandelier. From the domes of the side aisles, similar smaller lamps, called polycandyles, descend into the temple. The polikandil has from seven to twelve lamps, the chandelier has more than twelve. Before considering the symbolic meanings of individual lamps, let's turn to the main spiritual meanings of light in the temple.

The light in an Orthodox church is, first of all, an image of heavenly, Divine light. In particular, he marks Christ as the Light of the world (John 8:12), the Light from the Light (the Creed), the true Light, which enlightens every person coming into the world (John 1:9). This is a special, immaterial, uncreated Trinity light, different in essence of this Divine light from the external, natural, material.

Ancient Byzantine-Russian churches had very narrow windows, which created twilight, dusk in the temple even on the brightest day. But it is not darkness, not the total absence of light. This means earthly human life, immersed in the twilight of sin and ignorance, in which, however, the light of faith, the light of God, shines: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5). This dim glow of light in the darkness is very precisely due to the ancient architecture of the temples. The fact that the windows of ancient temples were not only simple conductors of natural, external light, but had immediately, from ancient times, a symbolic meaning, is evidenced by their number and location. As a rule, three or two windows were made in each wall of the temple, which meant in this way the uncreated Trinity light and the light of the Lord Jesus Christ, known in two natures. It is arguable that the level and features of ancient construction technology did not allow the creation of wide windows. But even if we agree with this opinion, then that the technical circumstance is by no means the main, but only a concomitant, external reason for the fact that the windows in the temples were made small: the twilight in the temple is an image of that mental spiritual twilight, the cover that generally surrounds the mysteries of God. The small narrow windows of ancient temples, symbolizing the sources of Divine light, therefore created in the temples such an atmosphere that exactly corresponded to the cited words of the Gospel and correctly reflected the nature of things in the spiritual realm of life.

External light was allowed inside the temple only as an image of immaterial light, and in a very limited amount - this is the most important conclusion from an examination of ancient church architecture. This helps to understand the relationship of the Church to external, natural light. Light in the proper sense for the church consciousness is only the Divine light, the light of Christ, the light of the future life in the Kingdom of God.

This determines the nature of the internal illumination of the temple. It was never appointed to illuminate the premises of the temple and in the ordinary sense, that is, in order to be light. Temple lamps have always had a spiritual and symbolic meaning. They are also lit during the day, during daytime services, when the light from the windows is sufficient for general illumination. In statutory cases, church lamps during evening and night services can be lit in very small quantities, and when reading the Six Psalms at the all-night vigil, it is supposed to extinguish all candles, except for the candle in the middle of the temple, where the reader stands, in front of the icons of Christ, the Mother of God and the temple in the iconostasis. The darkness in the temple becomes very thick. But complete darkness never happens: "The light shines in the darkness." On the other hand, during festive and Sunday services, all lamps are lit according to the order, including the upper chandeliers and polykandila, creating an image of that full light of God that will shine upon the faithful in the Kingdom of Heaven and is already contained in the spiritual meaning of the celebrated event.

Church trebs in Orthodox churches in Jerusalem

Sorokoust about repose

Indestructible Psalter

church note

Prayer for health

Sorokoust about health

Temples and monasteries in which divine services are performed

The symbolic nature of the light in the church is also evidenced by the structure and composition of burning candles and lamps. Wax and oil in ancient times were offerings of believers to the temple as voluntary sacrifices. 15th century liturgist Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, explaining the symbolic meaning of wax, says that pure wax means the purity and innocence of the people who bring it. It is brought as a sign of our repentance in perseverance and readiness to continue to obey God, like the softness and suppleness of wax. Just as wax produced by bees after collecting nectar from many flowers and trees symbolically means an offering to God, as it were, on behalf of the whole creation, so burning wax candle, as the transformation of wax into fire, means deification, the transformation of an earthly person into a new creature by the action of fire and the warmth of Divine love and grace.

Oil, like wax, also means the purity and sincerity of a person in his worship of God. But oil also has its own special meanings. Oil is the oil of the fruits of olive trees, olives. Even in the Old Testament, the Lord commanded Moses that clean oil without sediment should be offered as a sacrifice to God (Exodus 27:20). Testifying to the purity of human relations with God, oil is a sign of God's mercy to people: it softens wounds, healing action favors food.

From the deepest antiquity in the sacred history of fir and olive, from the fruits of which it is obtained, they turn out to be signs of spiritual truths. The dove released by Noah from the ark brought him a fresh olive leaf (Genesis 8:11), as evidence that the flood was over, dry land had appeared, that God's wrath had ceased and was replaced by mercy. Since then, the olive branch has been a symbol of peace between God and people, a symbol of peace and reconciliation in general.

In the New Testament, the images of oil and olive trees are often used by the Savior and the apostles. In the parable of the merciful Samaritan, the Lord says that the Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of a man who had suffered from thieves (Luke 10:34). In this, the salvific actions of God in relation to the spiritually wounded humanity are indicated, on which the inexpressible mercy of God is poured out, giving the Only Begotten Son, so that He would wash away the sins of people with His Blood. In the parable of the ten virgins, the Savior speaks of the abundance of oil in the lampstands of the wise virgins and the lack of it among the foolish. Oil here, according to the interpretation of St. Seraphim of Sarov, denotes the grace of the Holy Spirit of God accumulated over the course of life through faithful service to God out of pure love for Him. Finally, the mountain on which the Savior preached and often visited with His disciples and from which He ascended to Heaven is called Olivet: historically because its slopes were planted with orchards of olive trees (olive trees), and spiritually because the name of this mountain means the pinnacle of mercy to the people of God, who elevates human nature to the heavenly chamber of glory and eternal life.

Candles that believers buy in the temple to put in candlesticks near icons also have several spiritual meanings: since a candle is bought, it is a sign of a person’s voluntary sacrifice to God and His temple, an expression of a person’s readiness to obey God (softness of wax), his desire for deification, transformation into a new creature (candle burning). The candle is also evidence of faith, the involvement of man in the Divine light. The candle expresses the warmth and flame of a person's love for the Lord, the Mother of God, an angel or a saint, at whose faces the believer places his candle.

The burning of wax and oil in church lamps is called upon to denote Divine light, different from the light that is used for simple illumination in the world, for the Church is a Kingdom not of this world (John 17, 14, 16; 18, 36).

Combines several lamps different design and appointments. The largest chandelier in the temple is the chandelier - the central lamp. It is decorated with crystal, which helps to enhance the light of candles.

For an ordinary parishioner, a church chandelier is nothing more than a chandelier. Before the 17th century. in Russia, the central chandelier in all churches was called horos, which was made of metal or wood and looked like a horizontally oriented wheel with candles or lamps. Horoses in the church were hung under the dome on chains, or attached to the side walls.
Subsequently, the chandelier became a more perfect lamp in the church. It has entered church life since the 17th century. Church chandeliers were also made multi-tiered, focusing on individual numbers - three, seven, nine, or twelve. But there is no definite value for the number of tiers of a church chandelier, because there is no exact number of ranks for divine celestial beings, whose hierarchy is symbolized by tiered placement.

In the church, the chandelier is hung under the central dome and, as a rule, has more than twelve lamps. But there are varieties of chandelier (referred to as polycandyla). They are located in the side aisles of the church or in small parishes and have seven to twelve lamps. Outwardly, the chandelier resembles a tree, in which brackets with lamps diverge from the central trunk (or rod). At the bottom, the chandelier is crowned with a sphere called the golden apple - it seems to grow right under the branches of the chandelier's base and symbolizes the fruit of heavenly wisdom and grace.

It turns out that the design of the chandelier combines the virtues of all the highest ranks belonging to the angelic army - Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. Each of the church chandeliers is unique in its design and structure. Tiered rings can be decorated, for example, with ornaments consisting of leaves, flowers and shoots, or with figures of angels and saints. At the same time, each of the structural elements carries a sacred meaning and, therefore, is carried out especially carefully during work. Today, the main material in the manufacture of church chandeliers are copper alloys (usually bronze), as well as crystal, ivory, or natural stone.

Production and sale of chandeliers for the church

Chandeliers in temples are always given a big role, because they are a source of light. In our workshops today you can order chandeliers of any size, which will surely become a worthy decoration of a temple or a small village church. Experienced craftsmen are ready to make chandeliers from various materials, both according to standard projects and according to sketches drawn by the customer. When creating, we will pay great attention to the quality of every detail, so our chandeliers will last a long time, delighting parishioners with their exquisite appearance and compliance with church canons.

In our company you can buy ready-made church chandeliers created by the most experienced craftsmen. In their production, traditional casting technologies are used, which allow us to make chandeliers that can decorate large temples, chapels, small village churches. We offer customers chandeliers of various sizes, created according to the canons and traditions. They are designed for a different number of lamps, different models can organically complement each other. All chandeliers are created on the basis of the best samples that adorn the famous temples of our country today.