Wearable symbol of the Christian faith. External features of the Orthodox cross

The robes of the clergy testify to their rank and rank, thus highlighting the bearers of this rank from among worldly people. This corresponds to the concept of the Church as a kingdom not of this world, but for the clergy it is a constant reminder that they must always, in any situation, be worthy of the highest service they have received from God.

There are two types of everyday robes for clergy and monks: cassock And cassock.

Cassock- a long robe reaching to the heels with narrow sleeves and a tightly buttoned collar. It is of two types.

1 . Sewn in at the waist, cut from top to bottom, with a widened bottom. The left lower floor is wrapped inside under the right floor, which, in turn, is fastened on the left side of the neck with special hooks, as well as in the belt.

Priest in non-liturgical vestments

2 . So-called single row, most often sewn in at the waist, but there is also a straight line, cut in the center either from the neck to the chest, or from the neck to the bottom. Single row fastens in the center with the help of a row of buttons going from the middle of the collar to the bottom edge (traditionally - 33 pieces). Cassock - this is an undergarment, the color of which indicates which clergy - black (monastic) or white (parish priesthood) he belongs to. For monastics, it can only be black, while the white clergy, in addition to black, can also have dark blue, and brown, and gray, and white robes. Material for making cassocks cloth, wool, satin, linen, flax, and also silk should serve.

cassock(Greek "that roson" - torn, worn, lintless clothes) - the outer garment of monks and clergymen of all degrees with long, below the palms, wide sleeves, mostly black (for monastics); for the white clergy, in addition to black, dark blue, gray, brown, cream and white are possible. Usually, cassock fastened at the collar and at the waist. Cassocks, like cassocks, they have two main cuts:

1 .Cut the same as in cassocks of the first kind, only the sleeve is longer and widened at the bottom. Exist cassocks of this cut, sewn as demi-season and winter coats, with a turn-down collar trimmed with black velvet or fur.

2. The cassock is straight, split in the middle, buttoned only on the collar and on the chest with straight sleeves equally wide from the base to the end. This cassock Greek pattern.

The materials for the cassocks are the same as for the cassocks, moreover, both of them can be lined. All divine services, except for the Liturgy, must be performed by a priest in a cassock and cassock. In addition, at different moments of different services, other liturgical robes are put on over them. (chasubles), the use of each of which is determined by the Charter. During the Liturgy and in other cases, when the priest must be in full liturgical vestments, the cassock removed and over cassock is put on so-called underdress and other vestments.

General symbolic meaning cassock and cassock - this is an inner renunciation of worldly care and fuss, peace and tranquility of the heart, a sign of spiritual peace. Cassock And cassock - this is an image of the outer clothing that the Lord wore during earthly life. Thus, putting them on, representatives of the clergy and monastics imitate Jesus Christ according to the commandment that he gave to His disciples.

In the Russian Church there were two cuts of cassocks Kyiv And Moscow. Kievsky cut is characterized by the fact that cassock slightly sutured at the waist from the sides, and the back is made straight. Moscow the cut differs in that cassock significantly sutured at the waist and fits snugly to the body from the sides and from the back.

Monastics, in addition to the above robes, wear the so-called mantle(or pale), which is a long, floor-length, sleeveless cape of exclusively black color, fastened only at the collar. This cape symbolizes the extreme detachment of monks from the world.

The daily attire of the clergy also includes headdresses, which are of several types:

1 .Skufya (gr. head cover) - the headdress of clergy and clergy, which is a pointed hat, for clergy - made of velvet. It covers the head up to the eyebrows, and its folds form the sign of the cross.

2 . Kamilavka- a high solid headdress of monks and the white priesthood, made, as a rule, from camel hair. Latest purple kamilavki or skufii are given as a reward and a badge of distinction.

Kamilavka

3 .Cowl (Turk, cap, hat) - is both everyday and liturgical headdress of monastics. It combines into a whole a solid kamilavka in the form of a cylinder expanding upwards and basting in the form of a cylinder of black crepe attached to the top, falling in three tongues: two - on the sides in front; and one on the back. Bishop's cowl similar in shape to a monk. Metropolitans wear cowl white color with a sewn cross, archbishops - black with a sewn cross, bishops - without a cross. Patriarchal hood - hemispherical shape, black or white, with a cross on the pommel, with embroidered images of Seraphim or crosses, one ribbon, wider, descends on the back and two on the chest. In the Russian Church there is a custom to wear black for archbishops and white for metropolitans. hoods diamond crosses.

Patriarchal hood (or kukul)

4 . doll or kukul (lat. cucullus - hood) - the upper vestment of a monk of the great schema, which has the shape of a pointed hood with two long, like a klobuk, strips of black material covering the back and chest. Belonging cockle are images of crosses (decorated with five crosses located on the forehead, on the chest, on both shoulders and on the back), Seraphim and the text of the Trisagion. He wears over a robe.

Moreover, the priests Orthodox Church they necessarily have a cross put on them over vestments, which, depending on the position of its owner in the church hierarchy or his merits, can be of several varieties:

1 . Pectoral cross(or priestly), worn by a priest over a cassock (during off-service time) or a phelonion (in service), is a distinctive (and inalienable) sign of his belonging to the second degree of the priesthood. pectoral cross, worn by a priest is made of silver, an archpriest is made of gold. This cross eight-pointed shape with a relief Crucifix on the front side and the inscription in the upper part: “Where, King, Glory” (“The Lord is the King of Glory”). At the ends of the center bar cross the inscription “IC, XC” (“Jesus Christ”) was made, and under the lower oblique crossbar - “Nika”, which in Greek means the winner. On the other side cross an inscription is made: “Be the image of a true word, life, love, spirit, faith, purity.” It is worn on a silver chain of single elongated rings. How can a priest wear an award? gilded cross. Gold pectoral cross - affiliation of the archpriest.

Pectoral (or priestly) cross

2 . Cross with decorations- a pectoral cross with precious stones, presented to a clergyman as a reward for his special merits.

Cross with decorations

3. Cabinet Cross- originally introduced by the Decree of the Holy Synod of February 24, 1820, the golden cross issued from the Emperor's office to Russian priests serving abroad. Later it was used as a reward for clergy and those who did not leave Russia.

Panagia-reliquary

An exclusively episcopal insignia was panagia, which has several different names. Panagia(encolpion, nadrennik, breastplate, panagir)- a small ark of a rectangular, round or cruciform shape with the image of Jesus Christ or saints. used to be inside panagia particles of consecrated prosphora or the relics of saints were placed. At present, it represents the image of the Mother of God, most often round or oval, with various decorations, without relics. Bishop's cross and panagia are signs of the highest authority in the Church.

Modern Bishop's Panagia

From 1742 panagia began to be given as a reward to the archimandrites of some monasteries. To distinguish a bishop from an archimandrite during divine services, the first had to wear the bishop's cross.

Bishop in liturgical vestments

His Holiness the Patriarch wears two panagia(the second - with the image of the Lord Jesus Christ), the Metropolitan of Kyiv was awarded the same right. In addition, at the request of the Synod, two panagia worn by especially honored bishops, the second is given to them as a reward.

Also during non-liturgical time, bishops wear staves- long wooden canes, mounted with overlays, having thickenings in the upper part of carved bone, fine wood, silver or other metal. Casual staves have more ancient origin than liturgical wands. The liturgical rod appeared much later, because strict canonical rules ordered the clergy not to adorn themselves with expensive clothes and household items. Only at the divine service, where the bishop symbolizes the image of the glory of the Heavenly King, he can replace staff a specially decorated, magnificent rod.

In this way, non-liturgical vestments deacon are cassock and cassock;

priest – cassock, cassock And pectoral cross;

bishop - cassock, cassock, mantle, hood, pectoral cross And panagia.

liturgical vestments

These robes, which have a common name "chasubles", used by the clergy in the course of worship. They fall into three categories: deacon, priest And hierarchical(the robes of clergy who do not belong to the clergy do not fall into these categories). An interesting feature is the fact that each subsequent degree of priesthood has all the liturgical robes of the previous one, plus those robes that belong to their degree. That is, the priest has all the diaconal robes and, moreover, those inherent in his dignity; the bishop has all the priestly robes (except for the phelonion, which is replaced by the sakkos) and, moreover, those assigned to his episcopal rank.

Deacon in liturgical vestments

Priest in liturgical vestments

Some of these garments are symbols of grace gifts, and without them a clergyman cannot perform divine services. liturgical vestments are:

1 . For deacon – cassock, handrails, surplice, orarion;

2 . For priest – cassock, cassock(during the Liturgy instead of cassocks put on underdress), handrails, stole, belt, phelonion, pectoral cross;

3 . For bishop – cassock, cassock(at the Liturgy instead of a cassock - underdress ), handrails, stole, belt, mace, sakkos(instead of sakkos may be phelonion ), omophorion, panagia, cross, miter.

The clergy serve in surplice.

Some divine services the priest can perform without phelonion, and the bishop without sakkos. As a reward, priests are given the right to wear skufii, kamilavki or miter, as well as gaiter, club, cross with decorations.

Surplice- liturgical vestments of clergy and clergy. Differ surplice clergyman, deacon, priest and bishop. The difference between the liturgical robes of the lower rank of clergy - deacons - is that they serve in a cassock, over which they put on surplice. Surplice a deacon (and a clergyman - an altar boy, sexton) is a long robe, consisting, as it were, of two halves, with wide sleeves, with slits from the armpits to the bottom, fastened with buttons. Surplice symbolizes the garment of salvation. Priestly and episcopal surplice are a vestment called a vestment.

Undertaker- liturgical vestments of a priest and a bishop - long to toe silk (rarely from other materials) clothes, waist-length, with narrow sleeves, white or yellow. Bishop's underdress has so-called gammates, or sources - ribbons that tighten the sleeve at the wrist. Gammata symbolize the flow of blood from the perforated hands of the Savior. As already mentioned, underdress replaces the hierarch or priest's cassock during the celebration of the Liturgy.

Undershirt

Handrails- part of the liturgical vestments of the clergy, which are trapezoidal strips of dense matter with the image of a cross on their outer side, sheathed along the edges with a ribbon that has a different than themselves handrails, shade. Other name handrail - armlets, means that this part of the liturgical vestment is fixed on the wrist, on the sleeve of the cassock. Handrail it is pulled together with a cord threaded into metal loops at its lateral edges, and the cord is tightly wrapped around the arm and firmly held on it. Handrails symbolize God's power, strength and wisdom, bestowed on the clergy to perform the Divine Mysteries.

Orar- part of the liturgical vestments of the deacon and subdeacon - a long narrow ribbon worn by them on the left shoulder, with one end descending to the chest, the other to the back. orarion It belongs only to deacons and got its name from the Greek verb “oro”, which means I look, guard, observe. However, in Latin there is a verb that is absolutely identical in spelling (lat. verb " oro"), but having the meaning of "pray". Another meaning of the word orarion - towel, lention (from lat. orarium).

Archdeacon and Protodeacon have double orarion, which is two connected orarii: one is put on similarly to the diaconal one, and the second goes down from the left shoulder to the right thigh, where it joins at the ends.

orarion symbolizes those grace-filled gifts that the deacon receives during ordination. The subdeacon puts on orarion cruciform, as a sign that he does not have the grace of a clergyman. According to St. John Chrysostom orarion symbolizes immaterial angelic wings in accordance with the image of angelic service in the Church, which is personified by the deacons.

Stole(Greek. neck) - an accessory of the liturgical vestments of a priest and a bishop, which is a long ribbon (orarion of a deacon, but, as it were, doubled), covering the neck and descending to the chest with both ends. The front is sewn or fastened with buttons, put on over a undershirt or cassock. Formed from orarion stole meant that the priest acquires a special grace compared to the deacon, giving him the right and duty to be the performer of the Sacraments of the Church. Stole symbolizes the blessed gifts of the priest, received by him in the Sacrament of the Priesthood. That is why when dressed in stole a prayer is read: “Blessed be God, pouring out Your grace on Your priests, like Miro on his head, descending on his brother, Aaron’s brother, descending on his clothes” (see:).

Epitrachelion and handrails

Without stole Priests and bishops do not have the right to perform divine services. Only in extremely difficult circumstances can any long piece of cloth or rope, especially blessed, be used instead.

Belt- a part of the liturgical vestments of a priest and a bishop, worn over the casket and stole, is a dense, 10-15 cm wide, strip of matter with trim in the form of stripes of a different shade along the edges. In the middle belts a cross is sewn on, and at its ends there are long ribbons with which it is fixed at the back, on the lower back. The belt resembles the towel with which the Savior girded himself when washing the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper. Symbolically belt in religious everyday life it always meant strength, strength, power, readiness for service, which is clearly reflected in the prayer read when putting it on: supply me" (see:). It retains the same meaning to this day.

phelonion- the liturgical vestment of a priest, which is a long cape (from the back) to the heels (from the back), which in front only reaches the waist. It has a slit for the head and a raised rigid shoulder, sleeveless. On the phelonion there are four symbolic bands, which mean the Four Gospels, whose ministers and evangelists are bishops and priests. Also, the stripes mean Divine protection, grace, strength and wisdom, bestowed on a clergyman who performs the Sacraments of the Church. On the back at the top phelonion sewn under the shoulder strip as well as on the surplice the sign of the cross, and below under the cross closer to the hem - eight pointed star. Star and cross phelonion mark the union in the Orthodox Church of the grace of the priesthood of the Old (star) and New (cross) Testaments.

There is still short, or small phelonion, covering the body only to the waist (moreover, it is smaller in front than in the back). It is worn during consecration to the clergy and is not used in other divine services.

Felony in the ancient Church were white. Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, gives this explanation of the symbolic meaning phelonion: “The whiteness of this garment means purity, holiness and the radiance of the Glory of God, for there is light and clothe yourself with light, like a robe ... The phelonion is sewn without sleeves in the image of sackcloth, which the Savior was wearing at the time of reproach. This priestly garment covers the entire body, from head to toe, in the image of God's Providence, which supports and preserves us from the beginning. During the sacred service, the phelonion is raised with both hands, and these hands, like wings, mean angelic dignity, and the actions performed by them, the effective force with which the priest performs the Sacrament. The sacred phelonion means the highest and from above given power and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. This garment means both the lordship of the first Higher ranks, and the power of God, all-containing, providential, omnipotent, beneficent, by which the Word descended even to us and through the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection united everything above with the earth.

In the ancient Church, owned by patriarchs and metropolitans phelonion were entirely covered with images of crosses and were called because polystauria (gr.. polycross). Material for tailoring phelonion is gold and silver brocade, as well as materials of other primary colors used in worship.

Gaiter is part of the liturgical vestments of some priests and is a rectangle that is worn on a long ribbon at the hip. Right to wear gaiter given to priests as a reward. Gaiter is regarded as a symbolic image of a spiritual weapon - the word of God. This idea is also expressed in the verses of the psalm, which the priest must read while dressing gaiter“Gird up Your sword on Your thigh, Mighty One, with Your beauty and Your kindness, and nalyats, and succeed, and reign for the sake of truth, and meekness and righteousness, and Your right hand will guide You marvelously, always, now and ever, and forever and ever. " (cm.: ).

Gaiter

Gaiter trimmed around the edges with a sewn strip of matter different from that from which it is sewn itself. In the center gaiter there is always a cross, and its lower edge is usually decorated with a fringe.

Mace- part of the liturgical vestments of a bishop, archimandrite or priest (given to priests as a reward), which is a diamond-shaped cloth, hung at one of the sharp corners and worn on a ribbon at the right thigh.

When, as a reward for diligent service, the right to wear mace receive archpriests, they also wear it with right side, and the legguard in this case moves to the left. For archimandrites, as well as for bishops, mace serves as a necessary accessory to their vestments. Symbolic meaning clubs similar to what the legguard has, that is, both of these items mean the spiritual sword of the word of God (diamond-shaped clubs means Four Gospels).

From what service the clergy perform in this moment depends on what and how many items of liturgical attire they will use. So small priestly vestment, in which all evenings are served, morning services and the requirements, except for the Liturgy, are: epitrachelion, handrails And phelonion.

Full dress used during the service of the Liturgy and in other cases provided for by the Charter. It is made up of: underdress, over which is worn stole, Then cuffs, belt, gaiter And mace(who has them) and also phelonion. Insofar as gaiter And mace are awards to the clergy and are not available to every priest, then they are not among the mandatory items of vestments.

Bishop in liturgical vestments

Bishops have a much wider range of vestments they use. In addition to the items listed above, there are also sakkos, omophorion, miter(although it may be an award to a very deserving priest, but in this case it is not crowned with a cross), bishop's baton And mantle. In the number of items full episcopal vestments three of the above are not included: miter, bishop's baton And mantle. In this way, full episcopal liturgical vestment in accordance with the seven sacraments performed by the bishop, contains seven core subjects: underdress, stole, handrails, belt, club, omophorion and sakkos.

Sakkos(Hebrew sackcloth, sackcloth) - the liturgical vestment of a bishop: long to the toes, spacious clothes with wide sleeves, made of expensive fabric. Sakkos in appearance it resembles a deacon's surplice, with the difference that it is cut completely: along the lower side of the sleeves and along the sides to the floor. It is connected along the cut line by the so-called bells, which replace the buttons of the deacon's surplice, which perform similar functions, but in addition to this they emit melodic sounds at those moments when the bishop moves. over sakkos an omophorion and a panagia with a cross are put on.

Sakkos spiritually means the same as phelonion. This determines the fact that when putting it on there is no special prayer, only the deacon reads while the bishop is vesting: “Thy bishops, Lord, will put on righteousness.” Sakkos, as a rule, are sewn from expensive brocade and decorated with images of crosses.

front half sakkos symbolizes the priesthood of the New Testament, the back - Old Testament. Their connection with bells symbolically signifies the inseparable, but also inseparable succession of this priesthood in Christ. Another symbolic meaning of this connection is the dual nature of the bishop's ministry both to God and to people.

omophorion(Greek. worn on the shoulders) - belonging to the liturgical vestments of the bishop. omophorion Bishop at its ends has two sewn transverse stripes - a sign of a purely renunciation of all vain. The two main symbolic meanings assimilated omophorion the following: the likeness of the bishop to Christ in his care for the salvation of people and the special fullness of Divine grace and power granted to the bishop for this.

Great omophorion

There are two types omophorion:

1 .Great omophorion It is a long wide ribbon with images of crosses. It goes around the neck of the bishop and descends with one end on the chest, and with the other - on his back. Great omophorion the bishop wears from the moment the Liturgy begins until the reading of the Apostle.

2 . Small omophorion It is a wide ribbon with images of crosses, which descends at both ends to the chest and is sewn or fastened with buttons in front.

Worn over sakkos. Symbolically depicts the blessed gifts of the bishop, therefore, without omophorion the bishop cannot perform the priesthood. The bishop conducts all divine services in grand omophorion, except for the Liturgy, which, after the reading of the Apostle, is performed in small omophorion. But small omophorion does not replace epitrachili.

Bishop's baton with sulk

sew omophorions from brocade, silk and other fabrics of different colors accepted in the Church.

Bishop's baton (staff)- this is a symbol of the spiritual archpastoral authority of the bishop over the church people, given by Christ to His disciples, called to preach the word of God. According to the interpretation of Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, “the scepter held by the bishop means the power of the Spirit, the affirmation and shepherding of people, the power to guide those who do not submit to punish and those who are far away to gather to themselves. Therefore, the wand has handles (horns over the wand), like anchors. And over those handles, the Cross of Christ means victory. Bishop's wands, especially metropolitans and patriarchs, it is customary to decorate with precious stones, overlays, inlays. A feature of Russian episcopal rods is sulbk- two scarves, nested one inside the other and fixed at the handle. In Russia, its appearance was determined by severe weather conditions: the lower scarf was supposed to protect the hand from touching the cold metal of the rod, and the upper one - from frost on the street.

Bishop's mantle

Bishop's mantle, unlike the mantle of a simple monk, it is purple (for bishops), blue (for metropolitans) and green (for His Holiness the Patriarch). Besides, episcopal mantle bigger and longer. On its front side, at the shoulders and at the hem are sewn "tablets"– rectangles with trim along the edges and crosses or icons inside the shoulder rectangles. The lower ones may contain the bishop's initials. Tablets on the robes mean that the bishop, governing, must be guided by the commandments of God.

Full Width robes three wide two-color stripes, called sources, or jets. They symbolically depict the teaching itself, as if "flowing" from the Old and New Testaments and the preaching of which is the duty of the bishops, as well as the teaching grace of the bishopric. spiritually mantle repeats some symbolic meanings of the phelonion, sakkos and omophorion, as if “replacing” them, since it is worn when these liturgical vestments (except for the omophorion) are not on the bishop. used episcopal mantle during solemn processions, at the entrance to the temple and at divine services, at the moments determined by the Charter. In general, when putting on liturgical clothes mantle removed.

Miter(Greek bandage worn on the head) - a headdress that is part of the bishop's vestments. It is also among the items of liturgical vestments of archimandrites and those priests who have the right to wear miter given as a reward. It has a pear shape. Usually made of velvet stripes on a rigid frame, decorated with small and medium-sized pearls in the form of floral ornament(as one of the options); in general, decoration options miter so many. On the sides miter four small icons are placed: the Savior, the Mother of God, John the Baptist and any saint or holiday; top part crowned with an icon of the Holy Trinity or Seraphim. Instead of the icon on the top of the bishop's miter a small cross is erected.

The Holy Cross is a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ. Every true believer, at the sight of him, is involuntarily filled with thoughts of the Savior's death throes, which he accepted to deliver us from eternal death, which became the lot of people after the fall of Adam and Eve. The eight-pointed Orthodox cross carries a special spiritual and emotional burden. Even if there is no image of the crucifix on it, it always appears to our inner gaze.

The instrument of death, which has become a symbol of life

The Christian cross is an image of the instrument of execution to which Jesus Christ was subjected by a forced sentence passed by the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. For the first time, this type of killing of criminals appeared among the ancient Phoenicians, and already through their colonists - the Carthaginians came to the Roman Empire, where it became widespread.

In the pre-Christian period, mainly robbers were sentenced to crucifixion, and then the followers of Jesus Christ accepted this martyr's death. This phenomenon was especially frequent during the reign of Emperor Nero. The very death of the Savior made this instrument of shame and suffering a symbol of the victory of good over evil and of light. eternal life above the darkness of hell.

Eight-pointed cross - a symbol of Orthodoxy

The Christian tradition knows many different styles of the cross, from the most common crosshairs of straight lines to very complex geometric structures, complemented by a variety of symbolism. The religious meaning in them is the same, but the external differences are very significant.

In the countries of the eastern Mediterranean, of Eastern Europe, and also in Russia since ancient times, the symbol of the church is the eight-pointed, or, as they often say, the Orthodox cross. In addition, you can hear the expression "the cross of St. Lazarus", this is another name for the eight-pointed Orthodox cross, which will be discussed below. Sometimes an image of the crucified Savior is placed on it.

External features of the Orthodox cross

Its peculiarity lies in the fact that in addition to two horizontal crossbars, of which the lower one is large and the upper one is small, there is also an inclined one, called the foot. It is small in size and is located at the bottom of the vertical segment, symbolizing the crossbar on which the feet of Christ rested.

The direction of its inclination is always the same: if you look from the side of the crucified Christ, then the right end will be higher than the left. There is a certain symbolism in this. According to the words of the Savior the Last Judgment, the righteous will stand on his right hand, and sinners on his left. It is the path of the righteous to the Kingdom of Heaven that is indicated by the right end of the foot raised up, and the left end is turned into the depths of hell.

According to the Gospel, a board was nailed over the head of the Savior, on which was written: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." This inscription was made in three languages ​​- Aramaic, Latin and Greek. It is her symbolizes the upper small crossbar. It can be placed both in the interval between the large crossbar and the upper end of the cross, and at its very top. Such an inscription allows us to reproduce with the greatest certainty appearance instruments of Christ's suffering. That is why the Orthodox cross is eight-pointed.

About the law of the golden section

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross in its classical form is built according to the law. To make it clear what is at stake, let's dwell on this concept in a little more detail. It is commonly understood as a harmonic proportion, one way or another underlying everything that was created by the Creator.

One example is the human body. By simple experience it can be seen that if we divide the size of our height by the distance from the soles to the navel, and then divide the same value by the distance between the navel and the top of the head, then the results will be the same and will be 1.618. The same proportion lies in the size of the phalanges of our fingers. This ratio of values, called the golden ratio, can be found literally at every step: from the structure of a sea shell to the shape of an ordinary garden turnip.

The construction of proportions based on the law of the golden section is widely used in architecture, as well as other areas of art. Taking it into account, many artists manage to achieve maximum harmony in their works. The same regularity was observed by composers who worked in the genre classical music. When writing compositions in the style of rock and jazz, she was abandoned.

The law of construction of the Orthodox cross

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross was also built on the basis of the golden section. The meaning of its ends was explained above, now let's turn to the rules underlying the construction of this main one. They were not established artificially, but poured out of the harmony of life itself and received their mathematical justification.

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross, drawn in full accordance with tradition, always fits into a rectangle, the aspect ratio of which corresponds to the golden section. Simply put, dividing its height by its width, we get 1.618.

The cross of St. Lazarus (as mentioned above, this is another name for the eight-pointed Orthodox cross) in its construction has another feature related to the proportions of our body. It is well known that the width of a person's arms is equal to his height, and a figure with arms spread apart fits perfectly into a square. For this reason, the length of the middle crossbar, corresponding to the span of Christ's arms, is equal to the distance from it to the inclined foot, that is, his height. These simple, at first glance, rules should be taken into account by every person who is faced with the question of how to draw an eight-pointed Orthodox cross.

cross calvary

There is also a special, purely monastic eight-pointed Orthodox cross, the photo of which is presented in the article. It is called the "Cross of Golgotha". This is the inscription of the usual Orthodox cross, which was described above, placed above the symbolic image of Mount Golgotha. It is usually presented in the form of steps, under which bones and a skull are placed. To the left and to the right of the cross can be depicted a cane with a sponge and a spear.

Each of these items has a deep religious meaning. For example, the skull and bones. According to the Holy Tradition, the sacrificial blood of the Savior, shed by him on the cross, fell on the top of Golgotha, seeped into its depths, where the remains of our progenitor Adam rested, and washed away the curse of original sin from them. Thus, the image of the skull and bones emphasizes the connection of the sacrifice of Christ with the crime of Adam and Eve, as well as the New Testament with the Old.

The meaning of the image of the spear on the cross Golgotha

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross on monastic vestments is always accompanied by images of a cane with a sponge and a spear. Those familiar with the text well remember the moment full of drama when one of the Roman soldiers named Longinus pierced the ribs of the Savior with this weapon and blood and water flowed from the wound. This episode has a different interpretation, but the most common of them is contained in the writings of the Christian theologian and philosopher of the 4th century, St. Augustine.

In them, he writes that just as the Lord created his bride Eve from the rib of sleeping Adam, so from the wound in the side of Jesus Christ, inflicted by the spear of a warrior, his bride church was created. The blood and water shed at the same time, according to St. Augustine, symbolize the holy sacraments - the Eucharist, where wine is turned into the blood of the Lord, and Baptism, in which a person entering the bosom of the church is immersed in a font of water. The spear with which the wound was inflicted is one of the main relics of Christianity, and it is believed that it is currently kept in Vienna, in the Hofburg Castle.

The meaning of the image of a cane and a sponge

Equally important are the images of canes and sponges. From the stories of the holy evangelists it is known that the crucified Christ was twice offered a drink. In the first case, it was wine mixed with myrrh, that is, an intoxicating drink that allows you to dull pain and thereby prolong the execution.

The second time, having heard the exclamation “I thirst!” from the cross, they brought him a sponge filled with vinegar and bile. This was, of course, a mockery of the exhausted man and contributed to the approach of the end. In both cases, the executioners used a sponge impaled on a cane, since without it they could not reach the mouth of the crucified Jesus. Despite such a gloomy role assigned to them, these objects, like the spear, are among the main Christian shrines, and their image can be seen next to the Calvary cross.

Symbolic inscriptions on the monastic cross

Those who see the monastic eight-pointed Orthodox cross for the first time often have questions related to the inscriptions inscribed on it. In particular, these are IC and XC at the ends of the middle bar. These letters mean nothing more than the abbreviated name - Jesus Christ. In addition, the image of the cross is accompanied by two inscriptions located under the middle crossbar - the Slavic inscription of the words "Son of God" and the Greek NIKA, which means "winner" in translation.

On the small crossbar, symbolizing, as mentioned above, a tablet with an inscription made by Pontius Pilate, the Slavic abbreviation ІНЦІ is usually written, denoting the words "Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews", and above it - "King of Glory". Near the image of the spear, it became a tradition to write the letter K, and near the cane T. In addition, from about the 16th century, they began to write the letters ML on the left and RB on the right at the base of the cross. They are also an abbreviation, and mean the words "Place of the Execution Crucified Byst."

In addition to the above inscriptions, two letters G should be mentioned, standing to the left and right of the image of Golgotha, and being the initial ones in its name, as well as G and A - the Head of Adam, written on the sides of the skull, and the phrase "King of Glory", crowning the monastic eight-pointed Orthodox cross. The meaning inherent in them is fully consistent with the gospel texts, however, the inscriptions themselves can vary and be replaced by others.

Immortality granted by faith

It is also important to understand why the name of the eight-pointed Orthodox cross is associated with the name of St. Lazarus? The answer to this question can be found in the pages of the Gospel of John, which describes the miracle of his resurrection from the dead, performed by Jesus Christ, on the fourth day after death. The symbolism in this case is quite obvious: just as Lazarus was brought back to life by the faith of his sisters Martha and Mary in the omnipotence of Jesus, so everyone who trusts in the Savior will be delivered from the hands of eternal death.

In the vain earthly life, people are not given to see the Son of God with their own eyes, but they are given his religious symbols. One of them is an eight-pointed Orthodox cross, proportions, general form and the semantic load of which became the topic of this article. He accompanies a believing person throughout his life. From the holy font, where the sacrament of baptism opens the gates of the Church of Christ to him, right up to the gravestone, he is overshadowed by an eight-pointed Orthodox cross.

Pectoral symbol of the Christian faith

The custom of wearing small crosses on the chest, made of a variety of materials, appeared only at the beginning of the 4th century. Despite the fact that the main instrument of the passions of Christ was an object of reverence among all his followers literally from the first years of the establishment of the Christian church on earth, at first it was customary to wear medallions with the image of the Savior around the neck rather than crosses.

There is also evidence that during the period of persecution that took place from the middle of the 1st to the beginning of the 4th century, there were voluntary martyrs who wanted to suffer for Christ and put the image of the cross on their foreheads. By this sign they were recognized, and then betrayed to torment and death. After the establishment of Christianity as the state religion, wearing pectoral crosses became a custom, and in the same period they began to be installed on the roof of temples.

Two types of pectoral crosses in Ancient Russia

In Russia, the symbols of the Christian faith appeared in 988, simultaneously with her baptism. It is curious to note that our ancestors inherited two types from the Byzantines. One of them was customarily worn on the chest, under clothing. Such crosses were called vests.

Along with them, the so-called encolpions appeared - also crosses, but a few bigger size and worn over clothing. They originate from the tradition of wearing shrines with relics, which were decorated with the image of a cross. Over time, encolpions were transformed into priests and metropolitans.

The main symbol of humanism and philanthropy

Over the millennium that has passed since the Dnieper banks were illuminated by the light of Christ's faith, the Orthodox tradition has undergone many changes. Only its religious dogmas and the main elements of symbolism remained unshakable, the main of which is the eight-pointed Orthodox cross.

Gold and silver, copper or made of any other material, it keeps the believer, protecting him from the forces of evil - visible and invisible. Being a reminder of the sacrifice made by Christ to save people, the cross has become a symbol of the highest humanism and love for one's neighbor.

I want to tell you about my own aunt Anna Nikiforovna Anisiforova - perhaps her humble, patient life will serve as an example for someone.

At the end of the 19th century, the pious peasant family of the Anisiforovs lived in the village of Sidelkino, Samara Province. And they had such a misfortune: children were born and almost immediately died. Having lost twelve children, her mother, Irina, fervently prayed that the Lord would send her a son, so that he would grow up healthy and, when he marries, would give birth to her grandchildren ... She vowed that on foot, with one knapsack, she would go to Kyiv to bow to the holy relics, no food supplies, no change of linen. The time has come - she gave birth to the thirteenth child, a son. They called him Nicephorus, he grew up, got married, gave birth to children.
When the grandchildren grew up, Baba Irina bowed to her relatives and went from home on foot to Kyiv-grad. She returned very thin, said that she honestly fulfilled her vow - she reached Kyiv on foot, did not sit on any cart, - and soon died.
Irina's story remained forever in the memory of her granddaughter Anna, and the girl decided to devote her life to serving God.
Anna grew up and became a beautiful girl, with delicate features, she was very humble, she knew all women's work: she sewed, embroidered, and easily and quickly managed around the house. The villagers called her none other than the beautiful Anna. Her rich suitors wooed her, but she refused everyone.
In those years, there was a high mortality rate in the countryside. They buried Anna's mother, the wife of her older brother, two twin brothers. There were father, brother Nikita, younger sister Xenia (my mother) and an old grandfather. Anna ran the household instead of her mother. When her father decided to marry a widow with children, Anna left home. Having visited several monasteries, she stopped at the Diveevo monastery. As a young novice, Anna was settled with a nun (I don’t know her monastic name - it was a secret), also from the village of Sidelkino, in the world of Irina Emelyanova.
Novice Anna baked prosphora and sang in the kliros. Irina, who was of a large build and tall, did hard male work, and, with her blessing, translated the Gospel into the Mordovian language for local Mordvinians.
When the Diveevsky monastery was closed, Irina, who had taken the tonsure, was sent to Siberia, to a maximum security prison, as an "enemy of the people". Anna did not leave Irina and followed her. Having reached the village where there was a prison, she settled in an apartment. In this village, she helped housewives around the house, looked after the sick - free of charge, only to be given food, and everything that was given to her, she shared with Irina. Every day I visited Irina and brought her food.
In prison, Irina's pectoral cross was torn off. She drew a cross on her chest with her fingernail and drew a small cross in the prison cell. In the cell, Irina was alone, only with the Lord, the Mother of God, with the Guardian Angel and with the saints. Anna with food, in potatoes, handed her two small crosses. And Irina kept these two crosses under her tongue in her mouth for many years. At night, one cross was taken out and fitted in the corner of the cell, while the second cross remained under the tongue. So Irina constantly prayed.
The guards constantly watched Irina through the window and knew that she was constantly praying, they fell in love with her, treated her with respect. One day, looking through the window at night, they saw a large luminous cross on the wall. When they entered the cell, the cross disappeared, they searched Irina - they did not find anything. And, apparently, they understood what kind of person they were guarding, they began to treat them softer. The whole prison learned about this case.
In 1932-1933, Irina was released. Irina and Anna went home, to the village of Staroe Eshtebenkino, Kuibyshev Region, where Anna's sister Xenia lived after her marriage.
Everyone in the village knew that nuns had settled with the Ilyins (this was the surname of Ksenia, my mother, after marriage, my father was Fyodor Dmitrievich Ilyin). Anna, too, everyone considered a nun. When they wanted to arrest Anna and Irina, the Ilyins were warned several hours in advance. Grandmother Anisia, Xenia's mother-in-law, gathered a bundle of food and clothes and went to church: Anna and Irina were there at the service. She came to the temple, made her way to the choir and whispered: “Is Anna and Irina here?” - and passes the bundle. Anna and Irina refused the bundle, completely surrendering themselves to God. The church was surrounded by guards. At the end of the service, Anisia runs home, tells the news to the children and family that Anna and Irina are in danger. Everyone prayed that the Lord would save Irina and Anna.
Anna and Irina were almost the last to leave the temple, they passed by the policemen - no one recognized them. We went into the house, quickly assembled dinner and had not yet left the table - a boy comes running, says: “They are coming to you,” and runs away through the backyard.
Irina is taller than Anna - she was hidden on the floor, and Anna, who was smaller, was in the hut where the children slept. And three families lived in the hut: the eldest son Gabriel with his wife Maria and son, the old grandfather Dmitry, his son Fedor with his wife Xenia and son Nestor (I was not yet there, I was born in 1939), Dmitry Anisia's wife and unmarried children - Stepan, Nikolai, Anna and Martha. The older children were fed and sent out for a walk until Anna and Irina arrived. Two-year-old Nestor was sitting in his mother's arms. The policemen came and asked the baby Nestor: “Did you have any guests, aunts?” Annushka's heart skipped a beat, she stuck her head out from under the clothes with which she was covered, put her finger to her lips. Nestor saw how they hid his aunt, slightly raised his eyes, saw a head with a finger on his lips (God only knows what the baby thought), repeats: “No, bye-bye,” and spreads his arms. The policemen left.
Grandma Anisia gathered food and escorted Anna and Irina backyards to the river, beyond the river there was a forest. While making their way to the river, they were discovered - they wanted to take them alive. Irina and Anna ran to the river - and into the water, into the reeds. They were shooting at them. Soon they decided: since they didn’t swim out, it means that we destroyed them anyway, and left. All relatives and fellow villagers thought that Anna and Irina had been killed. When everything calmed down, in the early morning they swam across the river, left the water and went into the forest.
I then asked everyone how they managed to hide. It turns out that they took reed sticks and dived under the water, holding the sticks at one end in their mouths, and the other end of them was above the water, so they breathed.
In 1954, Anna and Irina, when they went for berries in the summer, showed me the place where they then hid in the forest. How many wild strawberries are there in this clearing! They lived in a dugout. An ordinary pit is small, and the ladder has been preserved, and the lid with a handle, on which the earth.
Until 1943, all relatives and my mother considered them dead. Only my grandfather, Anna's father, Nikifor, knew the truth. Grandfather Nikifor bought himself bees and made an apiary in the forest - in order to help Anna and Irina with something - food, clothes. At night they came to him. But even grandfather did not know the exact place where they lived.
In 1943, Irina and Anna left the dungeon and came to the authorities in the district center of Chelno-Vershina (this is approximately 20-25 kilometers from the village of Sidelkino). They said that they wandered around the villages, arrived in their native lands and wanted to live in Sidelkino. They were allowed, but with the condition that they check in every month. And in any weather they went on foot to celebrate. In the 50s, they no longer went to Chelny, but to the village of Sidelkino, but they celebrated every week. They built themselves a hut on the outskirts: a small one, about 3.5 meters wide, and there weren’t even four in length, but with three windows - two in front and one on the side of the wall. They did not give them power to land either for a garden or for a shed.
In 1954, they were allowed to occupy approximately 2.5-3 acres for construction and beds. Having matured and understanding life a little, I asked: “But how did you live?” No pension, no garden, no passport, no job. It seemed to me then that there was no work. “Yes, with God’s help,” they answered. On holidays (on such days secretly) they were brought whatever they could by fellow villagers. On Easter, eggs were brought with bread and pies; on parental days, they were invited to a commemoration. After 1957, the villagers were allowed to celebrate the wake. They gave wax to Anna and Irina - they made candles for people, read the Psalter from the dead ... They lived and ate this.
The villagers loved them, not noticing that they prayed for everyone. Only everyone knew and said: “There, in the village, nuns live (from the house of Anna and Irina, a street went out of the way, and they began to call it the village of Rare Bereza - why, I don’t know, apparently, there were few houses). They have rain on time, and the harvest from the entire region is the best, and their fellow villagers live better than in other villages.
I remember such a case. At that time I was on vacation with them. Auntie is busy at the stove, Irina comes in and says: “Anyuta, trouble threatens neighbor Nikifor.” And he was a fisherman, and a hunter, and a carpenter. My aunt leaves the oven, they stand up to pray, and I go with them. For a long time, as it seemed to me, they prayed, the stove burned out, and in the evening, before dinner, they again began to pray and everyone thanked the Lord and the Mother of God. They said: "Thank God, Nikifor's misfortune has passed." It turned out he almost had a fire. Then they had dinner. They have a simple dinner, they cooked dumplings or boiled potatoes on a fire in the yard, but I didn’t eat with such an appetite with my mom and dad. It seemed that my mother did not know how to cook deliciously.
Anna and Irina lived together for over 60 years. None of the relatives and fellow villagers heard a bad word from their lips. They lived very friendly with everyone and were always cheerful, smiling, they did not complain about anything or anyone. I am a witness to how well they lived together: they did not argue, did not reproach, did not teach anyone much, did not insist on anything. Irina will say something, Anna replies: “Okay, Irisha.” Anna, whatever she says, Irina answers: “Okay, Anyuta, let’s do it.” I was told the lives of the saints.
In humility, Irina still carried such a feat. Anna slept on a trestle bed about 60 centimeters wide, on a bed and on a pillow. Irina was very sorry for her and, since she was stronger and much older than Anna, did not allow her to carry out bodily feats, and she herself slept on a bench about 20 centimeters wide, spread a rug, put a log on her head and covered herself with self-woven sackcloth. I once asked: “Why are you sleeping like that, and firewood under your head?”. And she answers: “And I dry the firewood so that it burns better in the stove, but you don’t tell anyone, even your mother, about this. Suddenly, my mother wants to dry firewood like that and can catch a cold, but I am hardened.
In the forties, I lived with my parents in Uzbekistan, in the city of Kizhduvon, Bukhara region. I was born there in 1939. In 1936, dad, mom and nephew went to Central Asia - the persecution was against those who had "enemies of the people" in their relatives. To save his family, dad traveled to different cities, and in 1941, before the war, he enlisted in Kamchatka. Before they left, Grandpa Nikifor came to the cast-iron ( railway) and cried a lot, saying: “You don’t know what awaits you. There will be a war, and you will not reach the place where you recruited.” - "What are you, tyatya, signed peace with Germany, there will be no war." And he repeats his own: “The war will be very terrible. You will still be on the train to go and find out. But you know, Ksyusha-Ksenia, and you, Fedor, do not be afraid. The train will be stopped, all the men and the teenage boys will be taken away. Your Fedyushka, Nestor's son, and another peasant named Fedor will not be taken to war. From the entire echelon, the train, only three will not be taken away and returned to the train, to the carriage. And the wagons were like freight trains now, and on the bunk beds, on the straw, passengers with basins, buckets. “What are you, aunt, how do you know this?” And he: “Don't ask me how I know. You will live your whole life with Fedor until death - always and everywhere together. Your brother Ivan will be killed in the war. The younger brother Nikita will not visit in any cases. In captivity, and the prisoners will be shot, but Nikita will be unharmed and will return home without a scratch. And all this came true. Uncle Nikita, if not for the wounded comrades who survived, no one would have believed. I was in such troubles - and came home without wounds, without scratches. The Germans forced the soldiers themselves to dig their own grave and shot everyone, Uncle Nikita fell into this hole like a dead man, and crawled out from under the dead at night, remained alive. In captivity, they laid them on a log with their heads, pressed them with a second log, beat them and left them to die - they choked them like that. Again Nikita remained alive.
Everyone wondered how grandfather knew everything. He was the only one who saw Anna and Irina, and the Lord revealed everything to them. Late I realized: Anna and Irina were not easy, blessed, miracles happened through their prayers, but we could not comprehend in time. Anna comes to her mother and says: “Ksenia, our icon of the Savior has been renewed” - and she tells, and her mother seems to have doubts: “Maybe it seemed to you?” Aunt says: "Probably, it seemed." I had this conversation. During the holidays, my mother brings me to my aunt, and the entire icon, except for the arm and the bottom, is lined, decorated with tea foil. I say: “Mom, look, the icon is really glowing.” My mother later told me in private: “My aunt has become old, so something seems to her, she overlaid it, decorated it with gold paper and said that the icon had become different.” I have this icon now.
They traveled to holy places. Then I realized: Anna and Irina had spiritual fathers, they visited them every year. Anna took a secret tonsure, no one guessed. And very few people knew at that time in the village about the secret monks in the world. Once Irina went somewhere alone. When she arrived, my aunt persuaded her to go to bed with us, and I was delighted: “Of course, of course, now you don’t need to dry firewood - it’s summer.” Irina resigned herself: "Okay, Anyuta, let's all lie down on the bed, on the floor." After they prayed. I fell asleep and suddenly woke up for some reason, but did not turn around, I lie quietly and hear the conversation. Irina says: “Father (I don’t remember his name) met me so well and said how the Lord reveals to us, what kind of life, what changes await people.” And she said that there would be no communists. I think: where will they go and why does she call someone father? And she said: "He now lives near Moscow, in Baranovka." I then fell asleep, never returned to this conversation and never asked.
I remember that in the summer my aunt washed everything I had on. There was no shift, and she put her sweater on me and long skirt, and I'm so satisfied, I go to imagine. I liked these clothes. Girls are walking down the street, women from the mowing. One of them named Antonina started laughing when she saw me. And her aunt says to her: “Don’t laugh. Time will pass, and she will follow in my footsteps. They, the youth, fell silent, asked for forgiveness from their aunt and left. People believed that whatever Anna and Irina said would come true. And when I got married in 1962, Antonina remembered Anna’s words: “How is it that Anyuta said that Valentina would be a nun, and now she is getting married?” And how glad I would be if these words of my aunt were fulfilled.
The Lord spared me the Komsomol, brother of the party (with a higher education, he worked as a simple engineer, since he did not join the party). My mother really wanted my husband Vanya and I to be married, and my aunt said, reassured her: “The time will come, and they will get married.” Mom calmed down, waiting for this day. Never from the lips of Anna and Irina did not hear condemning words, especially calling them an atheist.
On July 21, 1969, Anna came to me in the city of Melekess. We talked for a long time. And this is what my beloved aunt told me: “Don't tell anyone. I will die in two weeks. I have many old books. Take the books. And the nickel-plated bed (which was bought in 1958, when Irina fell ill and her aunt told her to sleep on a good bed. Irina resigned herself and agreed - ed.) I will bequeath to my nephew Nestor. She loved all her nephews, and especially Nestor: she often remembered how he had not betrayed her as a baby when she was hiding from the police.
“But how do you know that in two weeks you will die?” I asked. What could she tell me then, a spiritually illiterate young woman? “Yes, I judge by the hands, look what hands have become, and senile spots on the hands.” I reassured her, did not want to believe. She did not argue, did not prove: “All the will of God. But don't tell your mom. Know for yourself what we talked about. I gave her my word, only asked: “How can I remember you and Irina”?
Irina died in September 1958 a peaceful death, she did not complain of pain. I was then a student, I lived in Kuibyshev, I was not at the funeral. For eight months she lay without getting up, lost weight, ate very little, and then stopped eating altogether. She only worried and said: “You, Anyuta, are looking after me, but who will look after you like that”? Aunt answered: “And don’t worry, Irisha, everything is the will of God. My labors will look after me.”
So, my aunt and I are sitting, and I ask how I can commemorate them. He answers: “Irina is the maiden Irina, and me is the maiden Anna. Our names are secret, you'll understand someday." A few days after her departure, I bring my daughters, Olya and Tanya, from the kindergarten, I think about my aunt, and my heart hurts so much ... I thought - she lives alone, old, and no one is nearby. In the evening she wrote a letter to her: “You (called her “you”, as she ordered), aunt, don’t worry, just live. When Vanya arrives from a business trip, from the North, we will take you to live with us, you will live with us. She received this letter, read to her by that neighbor Antonina, who once laughed at me.
And in the morning, exactly two weeks after our conversation with her, she milked the goat (Antonina saw how her aunt strained the milk), went into the hut. And it doesn't come out. It was customary: the hostesses take the cattle outside and wait for the aunt to come. She sent everyone home, and alone saw off the cattle for the village in the field, to the shepherd. And then they are waiting - Anna is not there. Tonya runs, knocks on the door - it's closed. “What are you, Annushka, fell asleep, or what? I saw you sip milk, and then you closed it. Open!" The neighbors gathered, put up the window, went into the hut. And she - feet on the floor, hands and head on the bed. Look, she's dead.
In the same year, Vanya, my husband, arrived from a business trip at the end of October and invited me to get married. I bought wedding rings in Leningrad, and after seven years of our life together we finally got married. I say: “We will be fired from work, children will be removed from the kindergarten.” And he: "Then you and I will go to the North." We left for the Murmansk region, the city of Polyarnye Zori, and for another thirty-three and a half years we lived together married. It was through the prayers of my aunt that the Lord vouchsafed the wedding and saved her from sin in her future life in an unmarried marriage.
During our last conversation I asked: “Aunt, what if I don’t know what to do? Will you advise me?" She said, "I will." And so it went on for many years. I'll ask in a dream - she will tell me. Once I see in a dream: my aunt is sitting on a bench, I’m on the left, she’s on the right, and she says: “Now I’ll tell you, only you shouldn’t tell anyone this.” And I say to her: “Maybe mom?” She clapped her hand on my right knee and said, “No. I won’t tell you anything, in case you ever let it out.” And I woke up. Since then, I rarely see my aunt and do not ask anything.
My spiritual father, Archimandrite Nikodim, who lives in Murmansk, told me: “We are happy with you. We have an intercessor in the next world, what would I do without my intercessor. So he prays for me. And you have a strong intercessor.” “Yes, father, you are right,” she answered, although I had not told him about the aunts before.
Five years ago the Lord vouchsafed me to visit the graves of Irina and Anna. Returning home in 1992 from a trip to holy places, I stopped by Sidelkino and Old Eshtebenkino to bow to the graves of my relatives.
On foot, with the Jesus Prayer, after strokes and a heart attack, I walked 15-20 kilometers to the village of Rare Bereza and to the cemetery. And I don’t know where the graves of Anna and Irina are - the forest has grown, the graves are old. Already in the 50s, Irina in the village of Sidelkino, where she was born, had none of her relatives left, everyone died. And our relatives, who remained in Sidelkin or in Old Eshtebenkin, died, and we, Anna's nephews, went to different cities.
I began to look for old-timers, asking if anyone remembers the nuns who lived here. I found a grandmother who lived in the village for 25 years. I ask her to remember something. Irina died 33 years ago, Anna - 23 years old (in 1982). And she says to me: “I remembered. They buried an ardent communist. They put a star, an iron monument next to the graves of the nuns. They say that during his lifetime he often frightened them, they did not give the nuns land at his request, he told everyone - “enemies of the people”, but they buried them - they had to lie next to the nuns.
We went with this grandmother to look for the grave of a communist. We walked and walked around the cemetery, looking for a yellow monument with a star. The cemetery is old in the forest, overgrown with grass, there are no fences, the mounds are razed to the ground. I stand and for some reason I look up. Granny says: “Look at the ground: maybe what kind of peg is left, then these are graves.” And I see - under the tree, next to the trunk, right from the roots, a cross, and the second one next to it. I run up, read the inscriptions and recognize the graves of my beloved, dear aunts. The crosses are completely preserved, and the inscriptions on the crosses can be seen.
We sat, prayed, remembered, and grandma said: “Hurry, you still have a long way to go if you don’t want to spend the night with us. Night will come quickly, especially in the forest. We have dark nights, and you go through the field, the forest ... ". But glory to God, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, all my holy and blessed aunts - the path was wonderful and easy. It felt like my aunts accompanied me all the way home.

"FATUSHKA, do you have a cherished desire?" - one of the parishioners asked Father Vasily. "I would like to die on Easter to the sound of bells," he replied without hesitation.

The conversation took place in Moscow, in the courtyard of the Optina Monastery. A few years later, three monks were killed in Optina Hermitage on Easter. Among them - hieromonk Vasily, in the world Igor Roslyakov. His earthly life ended at the age of 32.

Spiritual strength

TODAY Igor would be called charismatic. And in the early 80s, friends and acquaintances spoke of him: "man-magnet." Igor drew attention to himself wherever he appeared. Tall, under two meters tall, unusually slender, with thick wheaten hair. From the third grade, the future monk was seriously involved in water polo. He has the title of the best player of the European Championship among youth teams.

After school, Igor entered the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov. He played for the university water polo team, at that time one of the strongest in the USSR.

“We noticed that Igor began to wear a pectoral cross. During the game, he hid it under a water polo cap,” says Oleg Zholobov, adviser to the chairman of the State Duma, a former player on the Moscow State University water polo team. “I ate buckwheat soaked in water and dried fruits during fasting And the loads were big.Someone once reproached him before a serious match: "Igor, you are one of our leading players. What if you don’t have enough strength?” And he replied: “First of all, spiritual strength is important.” By the way, we won that match, because Igor scored the decisive goal.

Changes in Igor's mind began in his second year, when he met Tamara Vladimirovna Chermenskaya, a teacher at Moscow State University, a deeply religious person. He became a frequent visitor to her house, where he met priests who had gone through the camps. Then Igor opened the Bible for the first time and began to go to church.

Igor came to Optina Pustyn at the age of 27. When he was tonsured, he was named Vasily. “Father Vasily was a head taller than us,” recalls one of the brothers. “We came to the monastery young and, out of passion, it happened, we began to condemn, and father Vasily silently left the cell. He never condemned anyone.”

Becoming a monk, Father Vasily brought to God many acquaintances from the "past" life. Even my class teacher Natalya Dmitrievna Simonova: “I remember my first confession and the feeling of embarrassment that I, a teacher, must confess my sins to my student. And suddenly he spoke so simply about this awkwardness that I felt like a little girl standing not even in front of the lectern but before the Heavenly Father, to whom everything can be said.

Father Vasily managed to "get through" to different people. Once, an important couple from the city hall came to the Moscow courtyard of the monastery with a video camera to be baptized. The woman made a beautiful hairstyle and did not want to plunge headlong into the water. The father, who was to be baptized, was embarrassed and asked Father Vasily to replace him. He read such a heartfelt sermon that the woman was moved to tears and forgot to think about her hairstyle.

All the years spent in the monastery, Father Vasily wore the same tarpaulin boots. Even when his mother sent him light boots in the 30-degree heat in the summer, he gave them to some pilgrim. He was also unpretentious in food. The monastic cook of those years recalls: “He used to come late, closer to midnight, and delicately ask: “Is there no soup left?” - “No, Father Vasily. They've already washed the pots." - "Can't you find boiling water?" Bread and boiling water - so he's glad.

The Omen

It seemed that Easter 1993 did not portend trouble. After the festive service, the brethren went to break their fast in the refectory. Father Vasily only sat for a while with everyone at the table. He was to confess in the skete. It was 6 am. Batiushka was heading to the skete when a wild pain pierced his back. Father Vasily fell, and blood gushed on the grass, instantly flooding everything around. They found him a few minutes later. Nearby lay a sword marked "Satan-666". The wounded was taken to the temple to the relics of St. Ambrose. The monk could not speak, but it was clear that he was praying to himself.

Then it became known that before Pascha, Father Vasily told Abbot F. that Elder Ambrose had appeared to him. He took it lightly. Now it became clear: the elder was to strengthen Father Basil in the coming suffering. And he suffered terribly. The agony continued for more than an hour. On the same day, a few minutes before the murder of Father Vasily, two more brothers, the monks Ferapont and Trofim, were killed on the monastery belfry.

Eyewitnesses recall that it was cloudy on the day of the funeral. Despite the middle of April, it was snowing. But when the coffins were taken out of the church, the snow stopped, the sky cleared up, the sun came out. The silence was broken by the singing of birds. "Our sadness dissolves in the belief that after death they are alive," said shiigumen Eli.

Every year, people from different parts of Russia come to Optina to celebrate the anniversary of the murder. Last year, for a decade, the monastery could hardly accommodate everyone.

People pray at the graves of their brothers for their sorrows and receive help. So, at the grave of Father Vasily, the woman got rid of the tumor. “I discovered a tumor. Doctors prescribed a course of treatment, which I conscientiously underwent for a whole year. However, there was no sense in the treatment,” says Lyudmila, a former geologist, now a nun. “Once I came to the grave of Father Vasily, there was no one there. I hugged the cross and for the first time gave vent to tears. And suddenly I felt such pain at the site of the tumor that I even sat down. It seemed as if someone was removing the tumor from me. This went on for about fifteen minutes. And then I felt that I was healed. I tried to avoid temptation I didn’t think about it, but simply rejoiced at the state of lightness and health. But, apparently, the Lord was pleased to witness my healing. Soon I got an ultrasound scan and just to the doctor who found a tumor in me. The doctor was at a loss: where is the tumor "Only a hole remained from it."

A lot of miracles performed on the graves of brothers have accumulated over 11 years. Optina has no doubt that in time they will be canonized as saints.

The killer was soon found. It turned out to be Nikolai Averin, a resident of the nearby regional center. During the investigation, Averin did not hide the fact that he was a Satanist. During a search in his house, a chopped Bible and books on black magic were found.

There was no trial, since Averin was declared insane. The Church-Public Commission demanded an independent psychiatric examination. However, her voice was not heard. The case of the murder of three Optina monks remains a mystery to this day.

P.S. A few years ago, Father Vasily's mother, Anna Mikhailovna, was tonsured. Now she is a nun Vasilisa.

Optina Pustyn - Moscow

Christianity can be understood by deciphering its symbols. From them one can trace both its history and the development of spiritual thought.

The eight-pointed cross is also called the Orthodox cross or the cross of St. Lazarus. The smallest crossbar marks the title, where it was written “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”, the upper end of the cross is the path to the Kingdom of Heaven, which Christ showed.
The seven-pointed cross is a variation of the Orthodox cross, where the title is attached not across the cross, but from above.

2. Ship

The ship is ancient christian symbol, which symbolized the church and each individual believer.
Crosses with a crescent, which can be seen on many churches, just depict such a ship, where the cross is a sail.

3. Calvary cross

The cross-Golgotha ​​is monastic (or schema). It symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ.

Widespread in ancient times, now the Golgotha ​​cross is embroidered only on paraman and analava.

4. Vine

The vine is the gospel image of Christ. This symbol also has its meaning for the Church: its members are branches, and bunches of grapes- a symbol of communion. In the New Testament, the vine is a symbol of Paradise.

5. Ichthys

Ichthys (from ancient Greek - fish) is an ancient monogram of the name of Christ, consisting of the first letters of the words "Jesus Christ God's Son the Savior." Often depicted allegorically - in the form of a fish. Ichthys was also a secret identifying mark among Christians.

6. Dove

The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Also - a symbol of peace, truth and innocence. Often 12 doves symbolize the 12 apostles. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are also often depicted as doves. The dove that brought Noah an olive branch marked the end of the Flood.

7. Lamb

The lamb is an Old Testament symbol of the sacrifice of Christ. Also, the Lamb is a symbol of the Savior himself, this refers believers to the mystery of the Sacrifice on the Cross.

8. Anchor

Anchor is a hidden image of the Cross. It is also a symbol of hope for the future Resurrection. Therefore, the image of an anchor is often found in the burial places of ancient Christians.

9. Christ

Chrisma is the monogram of the name of Christ. The monogram consists of the initial letters X and P, often flanked by the letters α and ω. Chrism was widely spread in apostolic times and was depicted on the military standard of Emperor Constantine the Great.

10. Crown of Thorns

The crown of thorns is a symbol of the suffering of Christ, often depicted on crucifixes.

11. IHS

IHS is another popular monogram for the name of Christ. These are the three letters of the Greek name of Jesus. But with the decline of Greece, other, Latin, monograms with the name of the Savior began to appear, often in combination with a cross.

12. Triangle

The triangle is a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Each of the sides personifies the hypostasis of God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All sides are equal, and together form a single whole.

13. Arrows

Arrows or a beam piercing the heart - an allusion to the saying of St. Augustine in Confessions. Three arrows piercing the heart symbolize the prophecy of Simeon.

14. Skull

The skull or Adam's head is equally a symbol of death and a symbol of victory over it. According to Holy Tradition, the ashes of Adam were on Golgotha ​​when Christ was crucified. The blood of the savior, washing the skull of Adam, symbolically washed all mankind and gave him a chance for salvation.

15. Eagle

The eagle is a symbol of ascension. It is a symbol of the soul that seeks God. Often - a symbol of new life, justice, courage and faith. The eagle also symbolizes the evangelist John.

16. All-seeing eye

The eye of the Lord is a symbol of omniscience, omniscience and wisdom. Usually it is depicted as inscribed in a triangle - a symbol of the Trinity. It can also symbolize hope.

17. Seraphim

Seraphim are angels closest to God. They are six-winged and carry fiery swords, they can have from one to 16 faces. As a symbol, they mean the cleansing fire of the spirit, divine heat and love.

18. Eight-pointed star

The eight-pointed or Bethlehem star is a symbol of the birth of Christ. In different centuries, the number of rays changed, until, finally, it reached eight. It is also called the Virgin Star.

19. Nine-pointed star

The symbol originated around the 5th century AD. The nine rays of the star symbolize the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

20. Bread

Bread is a reference to the biblical episode when five thousand people were satisfied with five loaves. Bread is depicted in the form of ears (sheaves symbolize the meeting of the apostles) or in the form of bread for communion.

21. Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd is a symbolic image of Jesus. The source of this image is the gospel parable, where Christ himself calls himself a shepherd. Christ is depicted as an ancient shepherd, sometimes carrying a lamb (lamb) on his shoulders.
This symbol has deeply penetrated and entrenched itself in Christianity, parishioners are often called flocks, and priests - shepherds.

22. Burning Bush

In the Pentateuch Burning bush is a thorn bush that burns but does not burn. In his image, God appeared to Moses, calling him to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. The burning bush is also a symbol of the Mother of God, who was touched by the Holy Spirit.

23. Leo

The forest is a symbol of vigilance and Resurrection, and one of the symbols of Christ. It is also a symbol of the Evangelist Mark, and is associated with the power and royal dignity of Christ.

24. Taurus

The calf (bull or ox) is the symbol of the Evangelist Luke. Taurus means the sacrificial ministry of the Savior, his Cross sacrifice. Also, the ox is considered a symbol of all martyrs.

25. Angel

The angel symbolizes the human nature of Christ, his earthly incarnation. It is also a symbol of the Evangelist Matthew.