Orthodox iconostasis: history and structure. How is the iconostasis constructed? Correct placement of the archangels on the iconostasis of the church

Last time we talked about what types of temples there are and about their external architectural features. Today let's talk about how the temple works inside.

Now we have crossed the threshold of the temple, and now let's figure out what the parts of the temple are called.

Immediately at the entrance, by the door, there is porch(narthex in Slavic means "door"). Usually located here candle box, where we can take candles, write notes about health and repose, order a prayer service or memorial service. In some churches, the vestibule is fenced off from the middle part of the temple.

Having passed further, we will find ourselves in Withmiddle part of the temple, it is also called "ship". This part means the earth, all earthly space. Here we stand at the service, pray in front of the icons, and confession is held here in a specially designated place.

In the middle part of the temple, in the center on lectern(table with a beveled lid) is located icon of the day, this could be an image of a saint whose memory is celebrated on this day, or an icon of a holiday. Having entered the church, parishioners usually first go to venerate this icon and light a candle near it.

Between the middle part of the temple and its main part - the altar - there is iconostasis. The icons on it seem to connect our world with the heavenly world.

Iconostasis, translated from Greek, means "stand for icons". In ancient times there were no iconostases, the altar was not separated from the temple space, only sometimes a low grating was installed there to prevent the crowd. Subsequently, especially revered icons with their faces turned towards the worshipers began to be fixed on the grille. This testified that saints also participate in our prayer. Subsequently, the number of icons in the iconostasis began to multiply. In Rus', iconostases with 5 or more rows of icons appearing upward. The traditional Russian iconostasis has 4 or 5 rows.

First row– icons, called “local”, are the main icons of the iconostasis: images Savior And Mother of God, they are always located on the sides of central entrance to the altar (royal doors). There is also an icon depicting the saint (or event) in whose honor the temple was consecrated, as well as icons of especially revered saints.

Second row iconostasis: Deesis rank, that is, saints standing before Christ in reverent prayer.

Third row: (usually) festive, these are the most important holidays of the Orthodox Church.

Fourth row: biblical prophets with scrolls in which their prophecies are written.

Fifth row: Old Testament forefathers, among whom, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses and others.

The iconostasis usually ends with an icon Crucifixions or Cross of the Savior.

The traditional Russian iconostasis amazes with its power and spiritual content. He says that we are not alone in our paths of spiritual life. We have a host of helpers who pray with us and help us achieve salvation.

But a temple can have an iconostasis with fewer rows. Actually, only icons are mandatory Savior And Mother of God(from the first row), and the remaining icons are installed whenever possible.

The iconostasis is located on a certain elevation, on saltier, the center of which in front of the Royal Doors forms a semicircular protrusion called pulpit. This place marks the mountain from which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself preached. And today, from the pulpit, clergy address the people with a sermon, here they recite litanies and read the Gospel. On the pulpit it is taught to believers and Holy Communion.

Now we must say about the main part of the temple - about altar. Word "altar" translated from Latin as "high altar". The altar is located on the eastern side of the temple, since the Savior is in Holy Scripture called Sun of truth(Mal. IV, 2) and East(Zech. III, 8), in church hymns He is called "East of Easts"(the luminary of the feast of the Nativity of Christ).

The chronicle descriptions say that during the construction of the temple, the place of the altar was first outlined, and the longitudinal axis of the temple was drawn, oriented towards the first ray rising sun. Thus, the altar should be oriented towards sunrise, so that people standing in front of the iconostasis would face the east. This is how temples are built today.

The main entrance to the altar in the center is called Royal Doors, because through them the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the King of Glory, invisibly passes in the chalice with the Holy Gifts. To the left and right of the Royal Doors there are so-called deacon's gate(otherwise the northern and southern doors of the iconostasis), deacons most often pass through them.

At special moments of the service, clergy enter and exit through the Royal Doors. In other cases, entry and exit to the altar occurs only through the deacon's gate. Outside of divine services and without full vestment, only the bishop (bishop and above) has the right to enter and exit through the Royal Doors.

Inside the altar behind the Royal Doors there is a special veil(in Greek catapetasma), opened at set moments in the service. It symbolizes the Stone rolled away from the Holy Sepulcher by an Angel, thereby introducing all the people standing in the temple to what is happening in the altar.

Behind the Royal Doors in the altar, on the table called throne, a mystery occurs Eucharist.

Here, to the left of the throne, stands altar- a small table on which food is prepared Gifts for the sacrament of Communion.

Behind the throne in the eastern part of the altar is Mountain place(“gorniy” in Slavic means “exalted”). On the High Place there is usually armchair for the bishop.

This is how the temple is arranged inside. It should also be said that the painting and decoration of temples can be different. Usually in murals there are plots Old and New Testaments.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the temple is a shrine, and one must behave piously and humbly in the temple. It would be a good idea to buy candles and submit notes before the service begins, so as not to talk and, if possible, not walk during the service. Let us remember that we are here as in God's House.

When you enter any Orthodox church, in the foreground you can immediately see the Holy of Holies - the altar, which is an image of the Kingdom of Heaven. His main shrine is located in the altar - a consecrated table called the Throne, on which the priest performs his greatest sacrament, when the transformation of bread into Flesh and wine into the Blood of Christ occurs.

What is an iconostasis?

The altar is separated from the rest of the temple by an iconostasis. When dealing with the question of what an iconostasis is, it should be noted that it is a special separating partition with icons with the faces of saints placed on it. The iconostasis seems to connect the heavenly world with the earthly world. If the altar is the heavenly world, then the iconostasis is the earthly world.

Russian Orthodox iconostasis contains five high rows. The very first row is called the forefathers, it is the topmost, it depicts the forefathers of the Holy Church from the first man Adam to the Old Testament prophet Moses. The image of the “Old Testament Trinity” is always installed in the center of the row.

And the second row is called prophetic, so the prophets who announced the Mother of God and the birth of Jesus Christ are depicted here. In the center is the “Sign” icon.

The third row of the iconostasis is called Deesis and signifies the prayer of the entire Church to Christ. In the very center of it is the icon “Savior in Power,” which depicts Christ seated as the formidable Judge of the entire world he created. To his left is Holy Mother of God, and on the right is John the Baptist.

The fourth festive series tells the events of the New Testament, beginning with the Nativity of the Mother of God Herself.

And the lowest, fifth, row of the iconostasis is called the “local row”, in the center of it are the Royal Doors, above which the icon “ last supper", and on the gates themselves there is an icon of the Annunciation (where it communicates the good news to the Holy Virgin), and on both sides of the gates there is the Mother of God.

You also need to pay attention to the fact that on both sides there are small single-leaf doors, they are called deacon doors. If the temple is small, then this door can only be made on one side.

Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir: photo and description

In general, the style, shape and height of the iconostasis depend on the study of the architecture and history of the temple in which it will be erected. And it must be scaled in accordance with the proportions of the temple itself, which were designed by architects in ancient times. The design of the iconostasis and the composition of the icons in it changed many times.

The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (the photo of which is presented above) has the first iconostasis with fragments that have survived to this day. It dates back to 1408, this is the work of Andrei Rublev and his contemporary monk. Once upon a time, it consisted of high four tiers, among which it was made larger and moved out of the general plan, this showed its special role. The iconostasis in the temple did not cover the dome pillars; thanks to them, it was divided into parts. Subsequently, the Vladimir iconostasis became a model for the iconostases of the Moscow Kremlin Assumption Cathedral (1481) and the Assumption Cathedral in Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery(1497).

History of the cathedral

This cathedral was built under the reign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in the middle of the 12th century, and the most skilled craftsmen from all over the Russian and Romanesque West were invited to Vladimir to complete this work. It was built to store the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God - the patroness of Rus'. It is assumed that it was written during the life of the Mother of God Herself by the Evangelist Luke. Then in 450 she came to Constantinople and stayed there until the 12th century, and then was given as a gift to Yuri Dolgoruky, the father of Andrei Bogolyubsky. Then she saved Russian princely cities from devastation and war many times.

Iconostasis

The question of what an iconostasis is can be continued interesting fact about the very first information about the separation of the altar from the rest of the space in the temple by a curtain or barrier, which dates back to the 4th century. Back then, in Byzantine churches, these altar barriers were very low and were made of a parapet, a stone beam (templon) and columns. A cross was placed in the center, and on the sides of the altar there were icons of Christ and the Mother of God. After a while, icons began to be placed on the templon, or relief images were cut out on it instead. The cross was replaced with an icon of Christ, and then with the Deisis (in another word, Deesis, prayer) - a composition of three icons: in the center is Christ Pantocrator, and the Mother of God is addressed to him with prayer on the left side, and John the Baptist on the right. Sometimes holiday icons or individual icons of saints were added on both sides of the Deisis.

Conclusion

The first ancient Russian churches completely copied Byzantine models. But this was not always possible, because the churches were mostly wooden, and there was no wall painting on them, but the number of icons in the iconostasis increased and the altar barrier grew larger.

The answer to the question of what an iconostasis is must be supplemented by the fact that the high five-tiered iconostasis became widespread in Russia already in the middle of the 17th century, when the local row, holidays, deisis, prophetic and forefathers rows appeared.

Orthodox churches. Small and big. Made of stone and wood. Each with its own architecture and image. How different are the temples inside? And what do they have in common? We tell and show all the most important things: how an Orthodox church works!

What should be in the temple

In short, there is only one mandatory requirement in the way the temple is structured. Or rather, this is not even a requirement, but precisely what the entire temple is erected for: the Throne in the altar on which the Liturgy is celebrated. If there is no throne, then this means...

Everything else that we see and are accustomed to seeing in the temple is either self-evident things, or things that have developed over centuries and become a tradition.

For example, icons in a temple are a given. A temple will not cease to be a temple if there are no icons in it, but it would be strange to invest in the construction of a church and not place icons in it. It’s strange for a Christian to generally avoid icons, so any Orthodox church will have icons. And the more there are, the better: it means there will be more prayerful memory of the saints before the eyes of people.

The same thing - the cross on the temple. Liturgies were served in destroyed churches, in caves, and simply in conditions when Christians were not allowed to preach (for example, during the Muslim yoke). But when there are no prohibitions, it is strange not to proclaim with a cross on the roof of a building that this is a temple, the Holy Spirit is here, the Liturgy is here. That's why there are crosses above all Orthodox churches.

“Traditional” things include what we specifically are accustomed to - in Russian Orthodox Church, - but in other countries the same thing may have completely different forms or be absent altogether. For example, temple architecture. Or the presence of an iconostasis in the form of a “solid wall”. Or candlesticks near icons.

We will definitely talk about the architecture of churches separately, but in this text: about how an Orthodox church is arranged inside.

Altar in the temple and throne

As we have already said, the throne is the only, in fact, obligatory part for the temple, since for the sake of the Throne and around it the temple is built. The consecrated altar itself makes the room a temple. In the place where the Throne is, a person himself should rejoice and tremble - in memory of the boundless Love of God and His earthly path.

In the first centuries of Christianity, tombs containing the relics and remains of saints or martyrs served as altars. Now this tradition has been preserved, but has changed: in the altars of churches there are no coffins, but still the throne must be consecrated by the ruling bishop and have a reliquary with a particle of the relics of some saint. Only in this case can the Liturgy be celebrated on the Throne!

The presence of the Throne implies that there is also an altar - the holy of holies of any temple. According to tradition, only temple servants can enter the altar, or with the blessing of the abbot.

Patriarchal service. photo: patriarchia.ru

Iconostasis in the temple

The iconostasis separates the altar from the rest of the temple. This is not a “rule” or a canon - a temple will not cease to be a temple without an iconostasis, but it is a natural and, probably, the only opportunity to protect the Holy of Holies from worldly everyday vanity and behavior unworthy of the shrine - for example, a tourist in shorts and with a camera, behaving in a -in-laws.

In fact, this is a reasonable tradition that has become “mandatory”.

In fact, the task of the iconostasis is not so much to separate the altar as to serve people as a “window to heaven” and as a prayer aid. So that the parishioners, in the end, do not get distracted and do not pay undue attention to those actions in the altar, which, unlike the Sacraments, do not need to be given attention. For example, the priest explains to the young altar server at what moment to leave the altar with the candles: this is an absolutely “working” moment that will captivate the parishioners in a completely unnecessary way.

Temples without iconostases are found only in exceptional cases - if the temple is just being built or arranged in “camping” (temporary) conditions.

Most often in our Orthodox churches it is a “solid wall” with icons - that is, it completely hides the altar, and you can see “what’s there” only at those moments of the service when the gates are open. Therefore, in large churches or cathedrals, the iconostasis can be as high as multi-storey building: It's majestic and beautiful. Such iconostases are decorated with several rows of icons depicting the apostles, the Savior, the Mother of God...

Iconostasis of the Trinity Church of the Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. Photo: blagoslovenie.su

But in some churches the design is simpler: the iconostasis does not completely hide the altar and behind it you can see both the clergy and the Throne itself. The idea of ​​such iconostases is, on the one hand, to enclose the Holy of Holies, but on the other, not to separate the parishioners of the Great Sacrament: so that the Liturgy is not only intimate and majestic, but also a common action for the entire Community.

There may be several altars in a temple

If the size of the temple allows, then they try to make two or three altars in it, but in principle there can be as many of them as desired (for example, in St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square there are 11 altars and thrones).

Why do you need several altars?

There are two reasons. One is purely canonical. According to the establishment of the Church, during the day only one Liturgy can be served on one altar (and therefore in one altar). On major holidays, the Liturgy in one church can be served twice or even three times (for example, on Easter). For such cases, several altars are designed.

Baptistery, baptistery

Somewhere the baptismal sanctuary is located separately from the temple, but somewhere it is part of it - for example, a small room near the back wall. In the baptismal room, as you can understand, the sacrament of baptism is performed and a large font is located.

In some churches, mothers and children sit in the baptistery during services so that they do not interfere with the course of the service with their crying. This is normal practice.

Kliros, what is this?

The choir in the temple is a place for the choir. Most often it is located on the side in the front part - near the iconostasis on the side. In some churches - at the back wall opposite the iconostasis (for example, on the balcony above).

All choirs have, perhaps, one thing in common: they try to make the singers invisible to the parishioners - so that neither one nor the other is distracted. For example, if the choir in a church is located in front of the iconostasis, it is separated by a partition. And if the choir sings on the balcony near the “back wall”, then it is not visible anyway.

Choir during the patriarchal service. Photo: patriarchia.ru

Candle box in the temple, what is it?

Located either at the entrance or in the back corner. There you can not only pick up candles or send a note, but also get advice about the work of the temple, the time of services, etc.

In some temples candle boxes stop working at the most intimate moments of the services: for example, during the Six Psalms at the evening service, or at the Liturgy during the Eucharistic canon.

But here’s what else you can see in the temple, or what features certain churches may have:

• Every church has a Worship Cross- large image of the crucifixion.
• The altar is most often is located on a slight elevation in relation to the rest of the temple.
• Most icons have candlesticks in front of them. You can light a candle and pray to one or another saint. This is a feature of Russian Orthodox tradition. For example, in churches in Bulgaria, candlesticks are not “tied” to one or another icon, but simply stand against the wall.
• Lectern. High table for ico n - for example, for those that are brought to the center of the temple on the occasion of this or that holiday and the memory of this or that saint.
• Confession also takes place behind the lectern, but - behind the folding one.
• Large chandelier in the temple called a chandelier.
• Benches. The Russian Orthodox tradition treats divine services with all ascetic severity, therefore it is assumed that there should be few benches in the church - and only for the weakest. In some temples there is practically no seating at all.

Read this and other posts in our group at

In the house Orthodox Christian there must be icons. After all, in the house, which is a continuation of the temple, cell prayer sounds. An Orthodox believer who sets up a home iconostasis observes some rules that are not always clear to those who have just begun to live church life. We will try to explain them.

What icons should you have at home?

It's important to remember that

• It is not the number of icons that determines the degree of piety in a person’s life.
• Icons cannot be “collected” and collected like household items.
• We must remember the prayerful purpose of the icon.

Where to place a home iconostasis

Our ancestors chose the most visible place in the house to place icons and called it the “red corner”. Items related to church holidays- an Easter egg, a willow twig from Forgiveness Sunday, a birch twig from the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

Home iconostasis was on the east side. This place was the brightest, since the corner of the house where the icons were located was equipped with two walls with windows. Currently, when arranging a home iconostasis, it is not always possible to place icons on the eastern side of the room. Therefore, you can use any wall in your home.

At the same time, it is important to provide free access to the iconostasis so that during prayer there is no feeling of crampedness or inconvenience.

When choosing a place for a home iconostasis, make sure that

• The icons were not adjacent to household appliances, decorative items,
• With books whose contents contradict Orthodox dogma.
• Images of saints and their photographic portraits should also be placed in another place.

According to a long-standing tradition, the home iconostasis is decorated only with embroidered towels, and next to the icons there may be church candles, lamps and blessed oils.

The lamps are lit during prayer, as well as on Sundays and major church holidays.

There are traditions that must be observed. For example, you need to know how to position icons correctly.

In what order should the icons be placed?

1. Above all the icons there is an Orthodox Cross.
2. The central place in the iconostasis is occupied by the icon of the Savior (half-length image).
3. Above this icon is placed the image of the Holy Trinity.
4. To the right of the icon of the Savior they place an icon of the Mother of God. Most often in the home iconostasis you can see the icon of the Mother of God and.
5. Images of Saints are placed on the sides of the icons of the Savior and the Virgin Mary. You can place them higher.
6. In Russian Orthodoxy, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is especially revered. His icon can be seen in any home iconostasis. Often there are icons of the prophet Elijah, the first church apostles Peter and Paul, the monks Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov, the great martyr George the Victorious, the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon.
7. It is good if the house has images of the Holy Evangelists, St. John the Baptist, Archangels Gabriel and Michael, as well as icons of church holidays.
8. The choice of icons can be individual; patron saints of the family, whose names the household bears, are often placed in the home iconostasis.

The priest will always help you decide on the choice of icons. The main thing is not to turn the home iconostasis into a pointless collection of icons, which are then not addressed in prayer.

Archpriest Andrey Efanov about placing icons in the house

“The cell does not know the rules” - there is a monastic saying. And, although it is not entirely true, there is some truth in it. A Christian arranges his prayer corner in a way that is convenient for him. There are just a few notes that I think are important:

1. Icons should be located where a person is accustomed to pray. But at the same time, it is very good if, when entering the house, there is an image to which you can cross yourself.

2. Do not place icons next to the TV or on the wall behind it. Still, prayer and watching TV is different actions and if there is a separation between the place of prayer and the place of entertainment, good.

3. The central icon should be the icon of Christ. But it is quite acceptable if it is an icon of the Virgin and Child.

4. You should not place icons of saints to whom you do not intend to pray. It is unlikely that a person will keep a portrait in a family album stranger. We do not honor all saints equally. So why place an icon of a saint whom we do not revere, whose life we ​​do not know and to whom we are not going to pray in our prayer corner?

5. It is not good to place photographs of relatives, revered ascetics, or even lifetime portraits of saints next to icons or even together with them. An icon is a window into the otherworldly, spiritual world, but portraits and photographs are not such. Praying in front of lifetime portraits is a wrong spiritual practice.

6. It’s good when there is a lamp in front of the icons. It’s bad when there are a lot of lamps hanging in the house; in addition to the fact that the house is not a temple, the products of burning lamp oil do not improve the microclimate of the home. For the same reason, you should not leave the lamp constantly burning. Or use natural vegetable oil.

7. Icons are not needed for decoration. If you do not plan to pray in front of icons, you should not hang them in your house. It is better to first become a Christian, join a church, and only then hang the icon for regular prayer in front of it.

8. It is not customary to place icons in a bathhouse, bathroom or restroom. They also have no place in a closet, closet or covered courtyard.

9. The icon in itself does not sanctify the place; God sanctifies the Christian’s home with His grace in response to a virtuous life and prayer.

10. An icon is not a talisman. The “Unbreakable Wall” will not save you from thieves, and the “Burning Bush” will not save you from fire simply by the fact that they were hung on the wall. Miracles happen in the life of a Christian, but these are just miracles, a disruption of the usual course of life in response to the deep faith of a Christian. But there are no amulets and amulets in Christianity; Christianity is a living faith and living communication between a person and God and His saints.

Prayers in front of the home iconostasis

Prayer to the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God

O Most Wonderful and Above All Creatures Queen Theotokos, Mother of the Heavenly King Christ our God, Most Pure Hodegetria Mary! Hear us sinners and unworthy at this hour, praying and falling before Your Most Pure Image with tears and tenderly saying: lead us out of the pit of passions, Most Blessed Lady, deliver us from all sorrow and sorrow, protect us from all misfortune and evil slander, and from the unrighteous and fierce slander of the enemy. May you, O Our Blessed Mother, save Your people from all evil and provide and save Your people with every good deed; Do You need other Representatives in troubles and circumstances, and warm Intercessors for us sinners, not imams? Pray, O Most Holy Lady, Thy Son Christ our God, that He will honor us with the Kingdom of Heaven; For this reason, we always glorify Thee, as the Author of our salvation, and extol the holy and magnificent name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, glorified and worshiped God in the Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” Pskov-Pecherskaya

O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Lady! Mother of all those who suffer and have heart problems! Our country and city to the Defender! Pskov-Pechersk monastery beauty and glory! Look upon us, humble, burdened with many sins, aggravated by sorrows and sorrows, and looking with contrition and tears at Your most pure face, in the miraculous icon revealed Preserve this holy monastery from all evil, and entrust the venerable Cornelius with the elders Mark and Jonah to You and all who strive in faith and hope in it. Save this city, and all the people who live faithfully and resort to You, from the invasion of foreigners, from all fear and cowardice, from pestilence and famine, from evil people and all kinds of sorrow. Apply Your mercy to us, as You graciously pressed Your Divine face to the cheek of the Infant God. Warm us with the breath of Your love and never depart from us, neither in this life nor in the future, and hoping for Your all-powerful Motherly help, let us be worthy to comfortably reach eternal life and glorify the Heavenly Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the Trinity of the glorified God, forever and ever. . Amen.

Troparion, tone 4:
Let us all fall, burdened with sins, to the Mother of God with tenderness, kissing Her miraculous icon of Tenderness and crying out with tears: Lady, accept the prayer of Thy unworthy servants and grant to us who ask for Thy great mercy.

Kontakion, tone 6:
There are no imams of other help, no imams of other hope, except for You, Most Pure Virgin. Help us, we rely on You and boast in You, for we are Your servants, let us not be ashamed.

The home of an Orthodox believer is a kind of small Church; a prayer song must be heard in this place. Praises and petitions are performed in front of the images of icons, because they are a means of communication between a person and the Almighty Lord or His faithful and eternal servants. However, Orthodox believers must remember: the appeal refers to the individual, and not to the canvas on which he is depicted.

Installation of an iconostasis in the house

The arrangement of icons in a home iconostasis can be arbitrary, but in the Christian tradition there are some rules.

In past times, every family had a shelf where holy images were displayed. These divine paintings were located in the brightest and most eye-catching place. The shelf for icons was installed in the far corner of the house, in the East. This place was the most illuminated, since the two walls forming it had windows, where a lot of sunlight passed through.

Home iconostasis

An icon is a sacred image, which is separated from everyday realities and never mixes with everyday life, but is intended exclusively for dialogue with the Lord. It is a window from the infinite world, as well as divine revelations in the tones and lines of the icon painter’s brush.

It is naive to assume that a large number of holy images makes the life of an Orthodox believer more pious than it actually is.

About icons:

An unsystematized collection of icons, various reproductions, and church calendars is similar to ordinary collecting, where prayer completely disappears as an end in itself. Here there is a complete distortion of the term “house”, which is a continuation of the monastery.

Modern location of the iconostasis

For a family, this relic is a unifying prayer factor that arises after the forgiveness of all everyday grievances and the achievement of mutual understanding.

• Today's realities of life insist that the church allows you to set up a home iconostasis in a free place. However, orthodox rules recommend placing it on the eastern side. The concept of “east” has an important feature for Orthodoxy. It is written about him in the Book of Genesis, in Bartholomew and Matthew.
• If doors are located in the east of the apartment, it is allowed to use other cardinal directions.
• When choosing a place for a family altar, you need to avoid the proximity of holy images with any household appliances, which are considered a vain product of modernization and do not contribute to spirituality. It is necessary to avoid close proximity of icons and decorative decorations, as well as with books of a non-religious nature.
• For an Orthodox family, the presence of images of the Savior Christ and the Virgin Mary in the home iconostasis is mandatory. The image of the Messiah should always remain central, and all others will be smaller in size. The main icons (Trinity, Christ and the Virgin Mary) are located above the rest, but the Crucifixion is allowed to be placed above them.

How to correctly arrange icons in an apartment

• Decoration for the family iconostasis - fresh flowers. Large icons installed nearby should be framed with towels according to the ancient Christian tradition. It is prohibited to place non-canonical paintings or their reproductions nearby.
• The home iconostasis should be crowned with a cross, and a lamp should be lit during prayerful praise. IN holidays, By church calendar, the candle flame can burn for a whole day.

Important: enough space should be left in front of the iconostasis so that believers do not feel crowded during a family prayer service.

Holy images for the goddess

There must be two holy images in the home iconostasis.

An image of the Son of God, testifying to the incarnation of God and the salvation of the human race. For prayer, a waist cloth is often chosen, on which the Almighty blesses the world with his right hand, and holds the Divine Scripture in his left hand. The Lord appears in these images as the Arbiter of every destiny, a merciful Father who gives the Truth to which the eyes of Orthodox followers are directed. In this regard, icons of the Son of God always occupy the main place on the shelves of the home iconostasis.

The face of the Mother of God, who is a perfect man and revered above the Seraphim and Cherubim. More often, images called “Tenderness” or “Hodegetria” are used.

• The author of the first type, whose lists are extremely common in the Orthodox world, is traditionally considered to be the Apostle Luke. In “Tenderness” there is a magnificent contact between Christ in infancy and the Mother of God, which symbolizes the union of the earthly and the heavenly, the Creator and the best of His creations. The image expresses the Creator’s infinite love for the human race, when God gave the Son to atone for sinfulness. The most common and famous icons of the “Tenderness” type include: Vladimir, “It is Worthy to Eat,” “Recovery of the Dead,” etc.
• “Hodegetria” (“Guide”) is the second common type of face of the Virgin Mary. The image shows true path to God. On the icon this is evidenced by the specific gesture of the right hand of the Mother of God, pointing to the Infant Christ. The most famous faces of “Hodegetria” are: Blachernae, Iveron, Tikhvin, Kazan, etc.

Read about the Mother of God icons for the iconostasis:

In the Orthodox tradition, the image of St. Nicholas the Ugodnik is extremely popular. He always took important place on the shelves of every Christian's iconostasis. St. Nicholas is revered as an eternal servant of God, endowed with special grace.

An Orthodox Christian can place in the shrine the images of the famous prophet Elijah, the Great Martyr George the Victorious, Panteleimon, and the holy evangelist John the Baptist.

Advice! The choice is always individual, and the best assistant in the matter is the priest. They turn to him or another monk for advice.

Iconostasis in the house

Special placement instructions

At home, you are allowed to follow only the basic rules of placement.

• It is necessary to maintain symmetry and systematicity, to think through the compositional structure, which will help to avoid feelings of internal dissatisfaction and the desire to change something. Incorrect arrangement distracts from the prayer service, the essence of which is concentration on petition and praise.
• An Orthodox person is obliged to remember the principle of church hierarchy: locally revered icons cannot be placed above the main ones (Christ the Savior, the Virgin Mary and the Holy Trinity).
• The image of the Messiah must be placed on the right side of the upcoming believer, and the canvas with the face of the Virgin Mary on the left. When selecting an iconostasis, one should focus on the uniformity of artistic execution of the shrines. The Church is not recommended to allow diversity in styles.
• Orthodox people must take holiness very seriously, since it is one of the properties of God himself. This quality is reflected in heavenly saints and material objects. It follows: the veneration of holy governors and iconographies belongs to the same religious order.
• The degree of churching of a family is judged by the reverence that members show to the faces of Christ and the Mother of God. Ancestral icons have always been greatly revered. The newly baptized baby was brought to the shrine, and the priest read prayers praising God. In ancient times, through the icon, parents blessed their children for successful studies, travel to distant lands, and service to society. Before a wedding or after the death of a person, believers also turned to the saints for help.
• If an iconostasis is placed in the house, quarrels, disgusting behavior, scandals in various topics. However, an overly reverent attitude towards shrines should not be transformed into idolatry. We must remember: icons are a divine image, but not the very personality of the Lord or His vicegerents.
• A canvas that has fallen into complete disrepair and cannot be restored cannot be thrown away; it must be treated with due respect and respect as an ancient tablet. Previously, if the colors on an icon were washed off, it was sent down the river. Today, such a rarity is taken to the church, where it is burned in the temple oven.
• If damage to the face occurred due to careless storage, one should confess, since the Church considers such irresponsibility a sin.

Important! Savior, Mother of God, the apostles and saints looking from the canvases belong to eternity. When asking them for intercession through prayer, we - residents of areas of sorrow - need to always remember the Almighty Creator, the call to voluntary repentance, self-improvement and mercy. Through the eyes of saints, the Almighty looks at people and reminds us that we have the opportunity to save our souls.

Orthodox online store Svyatsy.Org - iconostases for the home.

DIY iconostasis

The arrangement of icons in the home iconostasis today is done as the believer wants.

However, there are certain rules that are better to adhere to in order to improve the quality of communication with the Lord and His vicegerents.

Before arrangement, you should study the planned recommendations for installation in the apartment, and then select the desired angle. Today, furniture stores offer a large number of iconostases in their assortment. It is possible to make it to order, taking into account all the features and preferences.

1. For self-made Any materials are suitable.
2. The first step is to make drawings of the cabinet.
3. You should remember the distance between the shelves of the iconostasis, because they can ignite from burning candles.
4. Images of saints are placed at eye level, which facilitates communication.
5. It is allowed to place a table under the shelves where lamps and candles, holy water and Scriptures will be placed.

Important! The home iconostasis is a direct continuation of the altar in the temple - the same prayers are performed here, bringing you closer to the mountain regions. Therefore, images must be kept clean and great respect must be shown to them.

Video on how to place an iconostasis in your home