The device of the Orthodox church - a description and diagram of the interior decoration of the church. Saint Isaac's Cathedral
Many Orthodox churches amaze with the beauty and elegance of decoration, architectural splendor. But in addition to the aesthetic load, the entire construction and design of the temple has a symbolic meaning. You cannot take any building and organize a church in it. Consider the principles by which the device and interior decoration of an Orthodox church is organized and what meaning the design elements carry.
Architectural features of temple buildings
A temple is a consecrated building in which Divine services are served, and believers have the opportunity to take part in the Sacraments. Traditionally, the main entrance to the temple is located in the west - where the sun sets, and the main liturgical part - the altar - is always laid to the east, where the sun rises.
Prince Vladimir Church in Irkutsk
Distinguish christian church from any other buildings it is possible along the characteristic dome (head) with a cross. This is a symbol of the death on the cross of the Savior, who voluntarily ascended the Cross for our redemption. It is no coincidence that the number of heads on each church, namely:
- one dome marks the commandment of the unity of God (I am the Lord your God, and you will have no other gods but Me);
- three domes are erected in honor of the Holy Trinity;
- five domes symbolize Jesus Christ and His four evangelists;
- seven chapters remind believers of the seven main Sacraments of the Holy Church, as well as of the seven ecumenical councils;
- sometimes there are buildings with thirteen heads, which symbolize the Lord and 12 apostles.
About Orthodox churches:
When laying the construction of the temple, one of the following figures can be laid in the foundation:
- the cross (marks the instrument of death of the Lord and the symbol of our salvation);
- rectangle (associated with Noah's ark, as a ship of salvation);
- circle (means the absence of the beginning and end of the Church, which is eternal);
- a star with 8 ends (in remembrance of the Bethlehem star, which indicated the birth of Christ).
Top view of the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Yaroslavl
Symbolically, the building itself corresponds to the ark of the salvation of all mankind. And just as Noah many centuries ago saved his family and all living things on his ark during the Great Flood, so today people go to churches to save their souls.
The main liturgical part of the church, where the altar is located, looks to the east, since the goal of human life is to go from darkness to light, which means from west to east. In addition, in the Bible we see texts in which Christ himself is called the East and the Light of Truth coming from the East. Therefore, it is customary to serve the Liturgy in the altar towards the rising sun.
The interior of the temple
Entering any church, you can see the division into three main zones:
- vestibule;
- main or middle part;
- altar.
The vestibule is the very first part of the building behind the front doors. In ancient times, it was customary that it was in the narthex that sinners and catechumens stood and prayed before repentance - people who were just preparing to accept Baptism and become full members of the Church. There are no such rules in modern churches, and candle stalls are most often located in the porches, where you can buy candles, church literature and submit notes for commemoration.
The vestibule is a small space between the door and the temple.
In the middle part are all those praying during the service. This part of the church is sometimes also called the nave (ship), which again refers us to the image of Noah's ark of salvation. The main elements of the middle part are solea, pulpit, iconostasis and kliros. Let's consider in more detail what it is.
Solea
This is a small step, located in front of the iconostasis. Its purpose is to elevate the priest and all participants in worship so that they can be seen and heard better. In ancient times, when the temples were small and dark, and even crowded with people, it was almost impossible to see and hear the priest behind the crowd. Therefore, they came up with such an elevation.
pulpit
In modern temples, it is part of the salt, most often oval shape, which is located in the middle of the iconostasis right in front of the Royal Doors. On this oval ledge, sermons are delivered by the priest, petitions are read out by the deacon, and the Gospel is read. In the middle and on the side of the pulpit there are steps for climbing to the iconostasis.
The gospel is read from the pulpit and sermons are delivered
Choir
The place where the choir and readers are located. In large churches, most often there are several kliros - upper and lower. The lower kliros are, as a rule, at the end of the salt. On big holidays, several choirs can sing in one temple at once, which are located on different kliros. During regular services, one choir sings from one kliros.
Iconostasis
The most conspicuous part of the interior decoration of the temple. This is a kind of wall with icons that separates the altar from the main part. Initially, iconostases were low, or their function was performed by curtains or small bars. Over time, icons began to be hung on them, and the height of the barriers grew. In modern churches, iconostases can reach the ceiling, and the icons on it are arranged in a special order.
The main and largest gate leading to the altar is called the Royal Doors. They depict the Annunciation Holy Mother of God and icons of all four evangelists. On the right side of the Royal Doors, an icon of Christ is hung, and behind it is the image of the main holiday, in honor of which the temple or this limit was consecrated. On the left side - the icon of the Virgin and one of the most revered saints. It is customary to depict the Archangels on the additional doors to the altar.
The Last Supper is depicted above the Royal Doors, icons of the great twelve feasts are on a par with it. Depending on the height of the iconostasis, there may be more rows of icons depicting the Mother of God, saints, places from the Gospel .. It was they who stood on Calvary during the execution of the Lord on the cross. The same arrangement can be seen on the large crucifix, which is located on the side of the iconostasis.
The main idea of the design of the iconostasis is to represent the Church in all its fullness, with the Lord at the head, with saints and heavenly powers. A person who prays at the iconostasis, as it were, faces everything that is the essence of Christianity from the time of the Lord's earthly life to this day.
About prayer in the temple:
Altar
Finally, the holy of holies of any church, without which the service of the Liturgy is impossible. A church can be consecrated even in a simple building without domes, but it is impossible to imagine any church without an altar. Anyone cannot enter the altar, this is allowed only for clergy, deacons, sextons and individual males with the blessing of the rector of the temple. Women are strictly forbidden to enter the altar at all.
The main part of the altar is the Holy See, which symbolizes the Throne of the Lord God himself. In the physical sense, this is a large heavy table, maybe made of wood or stone. The square shape indicates that the food from this table (namely, the word of God) is served to people all over the Earth, to all four cardinal points. For the consecration of the temple, it is obligatory to lay the holy relics under the Altar.
Important! As in Christianity there is nothing accidental and unimportant, so the decoration of the house of God has a deep symbolic meaning in every detail.
It may seem superfluous to new beginning Christians, such care about details, however, if you delve deeper into the essence of worship, it becomes clear that every thing in the temple has a use. Such an order sets an example for every person: we must live in such a way that both external and internal dispensation lead us to God.
Video about the internal structure of the temple
Despite the fact that all Orthodox churches differ in their size, distinctive features, as well as the types of materials that were used to build them, they all have the same internal structure.
Therefore, wherever an Orthodox church is located, it consists of the same functional parts. Each of the parts of the internal structure of the temple has its own specific, clearly thought out practical purpose. Also, all parts have their own names, taking their origins from the depths of centuries.
In addition, along with the functional purpose, each part in the internal structure of the temple carries an important symbolic meaning, which should be clear to every believer who comes in to pray. In this article, we will look at the main parts of the internal structure of an Orthodox church, and also learn the meaning of some words from church terminology.
At the entrance to the Orthodox Church, we are met by porch- this is a porch or a small open terrace, covered with a roof from above. Above the entrance doors there is always an icon depicting a saint, a certain event or holiday, in honor of which this temple was erected.
An interesting fact is that three doors lead to the temple. And this custom originates from the ancient times of early Christianity, when men and women could not yet enter the temple through the same door. This long tradition in the architectural temples has been preserved to this day.
Parts of the internal structure of the temple.
The internal structure of each Orthodox church is divided into three main parts, each of which carries its own specific functional and semantic load. Among them are the following:
- vestibule;
- the middle part is, in fact, the very premises of the temple, the significance of which is emphasized by the corresponding design;
- altar.
Let us consider in more detail what features are characterized by each of these structural parts and what functional purpose it performs. In the Christian religious tradition, little has changed since ancient times, and therefore we can safely say that Orthodox churches built several centuries ago had the same structure.
The role of the vestibule in the temple.
In ancient times in vestibule there could be those visitors who still had time to accept the Christian religion. They could simply come and look at the service, but they did not have access to the middle of the temple. This was a precautionary measure so that dark, unknown forces would not penetrate into the temple and it would not be defiled. But at the same time, it was necessary to attract people and instruct them on the path of the Christian faith.
It was in the narthex that was previously located font- a special vessel designed for the rite of baptism. And only after the rite of baptism was performed on him, the newly-made Christian could enter the temple in order to attend the service as a full parishioner. After that, he was given access to the middle part of the temple, where he could come up and bow to the icons, as well as listen to the sermon of the priest, an Orthodox priest.
For the baptism of infants, small fonts were used, but for the baptism of adult parishioners, they subsequently began to make quite roomy fonts, which were skillfully decorated with mosaic images on religious themes. And today the fonts in some churches have become real works of art.
Nowadays, the vestibule has largely lost its original purpose, and is an ordinary vestibule through which everyone can get into the middle part of the temple. IN holidays when there are a lot of visitors in the temple, those people who came later than others crowd in the porch, and therefore did not have time to go inside the temple.
Previously, an Orthodox church was conditionally divided into three parts by small wooden bars - partitions, because it was believed that during worship and prayer, men and women could not be together.
Nowadays, the temple is a single, spacious room, the central place in which is occupied by iconostasis. It is an almost solid wall, decorated with many icons of Orthodox saints, which are placed in a clearly defined order.
Salt device.
In front of the iconostasis is salt, which is a part of the temple raised by one step, which is designed to enable believers to better see and hear the service.
The middle part of the salt comes forward and is called pulpit- an Orthodox priest delivers a sermon from him, and a deacon reads the Gospel. This protruding part plays the role of a kind of stage from which the parishioners can better see all the actions of the priest and hear his words.
Also on the salt there are fenced off places called "kliros" - it is there that the choir is located during worship. Kliros located on the right and left sides. This is done because some church hymns must be performed by two choirs at the same time.
Appointment of church lamps.
Also on the salt is a large number of a wide variety of lamps, each of which has its own name and functional purpose. Ordinary candlesticks are placed on the floor, and chandelier hung from the ceiling.
At first glance, the chandelier in its design resembles a very beautiful one, having several tiers, on each of which lighted candles are burning. However, these days they are often replaced with electric light bulbs.
Before the icons are hung lampadas- small lamps filled with oil. When candles burn in them, their flame, oscillating from the slightest movement of air, creates in the temple an atmosphere of unreality and mystery of everything that happens. This feeling is greatly enhanced by the play of light and shadow on the many brilliant details of the iconostasis.
From the point of view of the Christian religion, fire expresses the fiery love of believers for God and specifically for the saint in whose face the candle is placed. That is why it is customary to place candles in front of the image of the saint to whom believers turn with a request for help or assistance in solving life issues.
During the service, the priest uses another lamp, which he carries in his hands and overshadows the faithful with it. It consists of two crossed candles and is called dikirium. When the service is conducted by a priest of a higher rank - a bishop or patriarch, then a lamp with three candles is used - it is called trikirium.
An important part of worship is the rite of using the censer. Since ancient times, special aromatic substances have been burned in the censer. This custom has been preserved to this day in the Orthodox church tradition.
IN censer, which is a small vessel with slots designed for the passage of air, smoldering coals and pieces of aromatic resin are inserted - incense, which has long been used in Orthodox worship. During the service, the priest swings the censer and fumigates the believers, icons and holy gifts with fragrant smoke of incense. Rising clouds of fragrant smoke are a symbol of the holy spirit.
The device of the iconostasis.
The iconostasis is a wall that separates the main building of the temple from the altar. This is one of the most beautiful parts in the interior decoration of an Orthodox church, because the entire wall of the iconostasis is decorated with icons of numerous Christian saints. Each depicts a specific saint or great martyr, and they are all placed in a strict order.
There are three doors in the iconostasis. Two of them are small, and they are on the right and on the left side. And in the center is the main door - the so-called Royal Doors.
The name of this door means that God himself (in the Christian religious tradition he is also called the King) invisibly enters this door during the service. Therefore, the Royal Doors are usually closed. Only priests have the right to pass through them.
Components of the altar.
However, the most important part of every Orthodox church is altar. This is a closed, the last part of the internal structure of the temple, to which access of believers is prohibited. Therefore, only clergy have the right to enter there, who perform certain ritual actions there to conduct a church service in accordance with all the canons of the Christian religion.
The central place in the altar is occupied by the throne, which in fact is an ordinary table. He is covered antimension- a silk scarf, on which the image of the scene of the position of Jesus Christ in the tomb is embroidered by hand. An inscription is also made on the antimension about the date of consecration of this temple. The antimension consecrated by the patriarch is sent to the temple, and only from that time can one perform the rite of worship with it.
The antimension is covered with clothes - at first thin, which is called srachica, and on top of it is another one - indium. India in its own way appearance reminiscent of a tablecloth of expensive brocade, which descends to the floor.
There is a cross on the altar, a Gospel in a richly decorated binding, and a tabernacle - this is a special vessel that is designed to store the consecrated prosphora.
On the left side of the throne, another table is installed, which is called the altar. Sacred vessels are kept on it - chalice and paten. The preparation of holy gifts for worship is also performed on the altar.
Orthodox church. Photo:www.spiritualfragranceinc.com
Temple forms. In ancient times, Orthodox prayer houses were different. They had different forms. Ancient temples had a round and eight-pointed shape. Today, the most common are oblong and cruciform temples.
Temple domes. Each church must have at least one dome. There are temples with three, five, seven and thirteen domes. The dome symbolizes the burning flame of a candle, the flame of prayer and the Christian's desire for God.
Church bells. An Orthodox prayer house should have a bell. Church bells notify the faithful about the beginning of worship, about the most important moments of the church service, and so on.
Cross on the temple. There is a cross on the dome of every church. The cross is quadrangular in shape - it is a traditional cross with one vertical and one horizontal beam. At the bottom of the vertical beam that intersects the horizontal beam, it is longer than the top.
External structure of the church. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
Hexagonal cross - it looks like a quadrangular cross. But on the lower vertical part there is another inclined beam, its left end is raised, and the right one is lowered down. This slanted beam symbolizes the footstool on the Lord's Cross. Eight-pointed cross - it looks like a hexagonal cross, but on the upper vertical beam there is another small tablet placed at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. On the tablet, which is in three languages in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, the following words: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Also, we can see an eight-pointed cross with a crescent at the bottom of the vertical beam. According to church interpretation, the crescent is an anchor, which in the era of early Christianity symbolized the spiritual salvation of man.
Porch. External porch. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
External porch.Above the entrance to God's house, as a rule, there is an icon or wall image of the patron, whose name he bears. In front of the entrance to each church there is an external platform. This site is also called the outer vestibule. The entrance itself in front of the temple is called the porch.
Churchyard. Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in Sochi. Photo:www.fotokto.ru
Churchyard. Each Orthodox prayer house has its own churchyard. On its territory there may be a church cemetery where clergymen, ktitors, famous believers are buried, who brought their contribution to the life and affairs of the temple. In addition, there may be a library, Sunday school, outbuildings, etc. in the courtyard of the church.
Parts of the Orthodox Church. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
Internal structure of the church
Each temple is divided into three parts: the vestibule, the middle part and the altar.
Temple porch. Photo:www.prihod.org.ua
Porch: The first part of the temple is called the inner vestibule. In ancient times, in the first part of the church there were catechumens, that is, those people who were preparing to receive Holy Baptism and those Christians who committed great sins were excommunicated from participation in prayer and taking Holy Communion. The walls of the vestibule are covered with church frescoes and icons.
The middle part of the temple (naos). Photo:www.hram-feodosy.kiev.ua
Middle part of the temple : The middle part of the church is for the faithful. It is also called a naos or a ship. Here they pray during worship, offer prayers to God, light candles, kiss icons, and so on.
Patronal and festive icons in the church. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
In the naos there are lecterns (stands for icons) with icons of the Son of God, the Virgin Mary, the Holy Trinity, saints, etc. Also, in the middle part of the temple there are two lecterns with a throne icon and a festive icon or the so-called icon of the day.
altar icon- this is an icon on which the image of the saint and the event of the holiday are written, whose name this Orthodox house of God bears. Icon of the day- this is an icon depicting a holiday or someone whose memory is celebrated on this day. Usually, the lectern with this image is in the middle of the naos.
Chandelier.www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
And yet, in the middle of the ceiling there is a large hanging candlestick with many candles. It is lit during important moments of worship. This candlestick is called a chandelier. In Bulgarian churches it is called Greek word polyeles. Usually in churches in Bulgaria there are two chandeliers - a large one and a smaller one. For convenience, candles in modern Orthodox churches have been replaced by special electric bulbs. They have the shape of a burning candle flame or the shape of a church cupola.
Eve. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
Eve. In an Orthodox prayer house there is a place where a layman can light a candle and pray for their deceased loved ones. This place is called eve. In Russian churches, the eve is a small delivery with a cross depicting the crucified Jesus with many recesses for candles. In Bulgaria, the church eve rearranges a large vessel resembling a deep diskos filled with fine sand.
Iconostasis in the temple. Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
Iconostasis. The altar and the middle part of the church are separated by an iconostasis. The word “iconostasis” comes from the Greek language and is translated as “picture stand”, which is usually a wooden partition with icons, beautiful carved ornaments, and on top, in the center of the iconostasis, there is a cross with a human skull. The cross on the iconostasis has a double meaning. It really represents the place of death of the Savior and symbolizes the sky.
North and south gates of the iconostasis.Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
Sometimes the iconostasis can only represent a delivery with an icon. For the first nine centuries, the holy of holies in an Orthodox church was never covered, but there was only a low wooden partition with icons. The “lifting” of the image stand began after the 10th century, and over the centuries acquired its present form. This is how the medieval Greek church bishop, well-known Orthodox liturgist and teacher of the Church St. Simeon of Thessalonica interprets the meaning of the iconostasis and its purpose: “From an anthropological point of view, the altar symbolizes the soul, the naos the body, and the iconostasis, in fact, separates two parts of the temple and makes one visible and the other part invisible to the human eye.
Royal doors.Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
From a cosmological point of view, the iconostasis separates heaven and earth, since the temple symbolizes the world. In this sense, the iconostasis is a partition between the visible and invisible world, and the saints on it are mediators to the invisible world, since they are the link between the two worlds.”
The iconostasis has three entrances with doors. Through two small entrances, the clergy and their assistants enter and leave during some moments of the Liturgy, for example, during the performance of the Small and Great Entrances. And the central larger entrance, between the altar and the middle part of the church, is called the Royal Doors. In addition to the Royal Doors, the middle entrance to the iconostasis also has a fabric curtain. Usually it is red. The icons of the iconostasis are identical in all Orthodox churches. On the Royal Doors there is always an icon depicting a scene telling how the Angel informs the Virgin Mary that She has been chosen by God and that she will conceive from the Holy Spirit a child who will become the Savior of the world. On the right side of the iconostasis are the icons of the Son of God and St. John the Baptist, on the other side are the icon of the Virgin Mary with the baby and the image of the one whose name the church is named. For the rest of the icons, there is no exact definition of what images will be there and what position they will occupy on the iconostasis.
Singer, kliros (klyros).Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
Kliros, klylos, tsevnitsa. In front of the iconostasis, on the left and right, there are places where the church choir sings. These places are called kliros or singers. In Russian vernacular, singers are called krylos.
Banners. Usually in Bulgarian churches next to the choirs there are banners. These are special church banners with icons on long wooden poles. They are used during church processions. Banners have been used in the Holy Orthodox Church since the 4th century and symbolize the victory of Christianity over paganism.
Banner. Photo:www.yapokrov.ru
Salt and pulpit. The space raised by one or more steps between the tarns and the altar is called the solea, and its central part in the center in front of the altar is called the pulpit. Here the priests raise prayers, deliver sermons, etc.
Solea. pulpit. Church shop.
Photo:www.nesterov-cerkov.ru
In the Orthodox house of God there is a place for the sale of candles, Orthodox literature, icons, crosses, etc. Also, notes about health and repose are served here, to order to serve any church service. It is located in the vestibule or middle part of the temple. This place is called the church shop.
The end follows.
master of theology
By the beginning of the XIV century. The Byzantine system of church decoration has received significant development. The scheme, somewhat restrained in scale, that took shape immediately after the victory of icon veneration, inevitably had to give way to a more relaxed one. The growth in the scale of icon-painting decoration was largely facilitated by changes both in the architecture of temples and in the technique and material of decor. Byzantine iconography of the middle period was made in the mosaic technique and occupied only certain areas of the interior, and the bottoms of the walls were usually faced with marble. By the XIV century. mosaics almost completely gave way to less costly frescoes. Instead of marble and separate mosaic panels, almost all the internal surfaces of the temples were now covered with plaster and recorded with frescoes. The limited range of themes used in the 10th and 11th centuries expanded - after all, now more voluminous material was required to fill all the internal surfaces of the temple. The revival of the basilica style led to the fact that large wall surfaces appeared in the temples, which had to be recorded. It was not possible to reproduce the hierarchical, sacramental scheme of the Byzantine mosaic of the middle period in such temples. Again, as in pre-iconoclastic times, narrative scenes began to appear.
Temple decor not only expanded in scale, not only included new material, but also experienced considerable influence from the liturgy and its interpretation, as well as from the calendar that ordered the church year. The main themes of previous periods were preserved, but now they were supplemented by a variety of narrative themes; they were used all over the inner surface of the temple, without too much consideration for dividing it into belts, each of which had a special function.
The apse almost invariably bore the image of the Mother of God on its vault. His connection with the liturgy, which was served under him, in the altar, was fully realized. Through Mary, the Word became flesh and appeared into the world, and through the liturgy of the Church, the incarnation and appearances of Christ are given. Below was an image of the communion of the apostles, the earliest example of which, Kiev, dates back to the 11th century. In Hagia Sophia, Christ is depicted in this scene twice, each time on the other side of the throne under the canopy; on one side the apostles receive bread from him, on the other - a cup. This is one of the innovations in iconography, which marks a departure from the strict rules of icon-worshipping theology - after all, not historical event; Christ administers the sacrament to the apostles as a bishop to the people. However, this scene perfectly reflects the teaching set out in the commentaries that the liturgy celebrated on earth is a type of the Last Supper and the heavenly worship, and the bishop is a symbol of Christ. In a word, the communion of the apostles combines historical, liturgical and spiritual reality in one image.
Even lower are the figures of liturgists in the guise of bishops in liturgical robes. The main places, of course, are reserved for St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom, and often St. Gregory the Great, to whom the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is attributed. They may be accompanied by deacons - say, Stefan or Lawrence. Sometimes they face the real throne; sometimes one of them is depicted in the center of the apse wall. Holding liturgical texts in their hands, the holy bishops of the past appear, as it were, as heavenly accomplices of those who stand at the earthly altar.
On the walls separating the altar from the nave, Old Testament prototypes of the Eucharist were often presented, such as those we saw in the church of St. Vitalius in Ravenna: the sacrifice of Abel, mentioned in the prayer of the proskomedia of the liturgy of St. Basil; Melchizedek bringing bread and wine; Abraham sacrificing Isaac; hospitality of Abraham. The latter image has not only a eucharistic, but also a trinitarian meaning: a table around which three angels sit is often depicted as a throne, and on it stands a bowl or dish with a lamb. Participation in the Eucharist brings the worshiper into the center of the Trinity, the very nature of which is sacrificial love.
Liturgical themes appear with particular clarity in the decor of the sacristy. On the half-dome of the apse, St. John the Baptist in accordance with the interpretation of Nicholas of Andides: the rite of proskomedia symbolizes the Incarnation and prophetic predictions about it. The symbolism of passions was very peculiar. Sometimes Christ was depicted as a baby lying on a paten, whose ribs are pierced with a spear (liturgical) by the bishop: this is an illustration of Germanov's interpretation of the proskomedia in the version of Anastasius. Sometimes Christ is shown dead and ready for burial. However, he could be depicted as a baby without any symbolism of passions: then the symbolism of Christmas came to the fore.
Christ the Pantocrator still looked down from the central dome, except, of course, for the basilic churches, where he moved to the next most holy place - the apse half-dome. It has become a tradition to depict the Heavenly Liturgy along the lower edge of the dome or along the perimeter of the drum supporting it. Like the communion of the apostles, from which this scene may have originated, it also does not quite correspond to the theology of icon veneration. It presents the Great Entrance, transformed into heavenly realities: angels-priests and angels-deacons with candles, ripids and sacred vessels process to the holy throne. The great entrance, like a shorthand badge, could designate the entire liturgy, which clearly shows how prominent a place it occupied in the rite itself and in the system of Byzantine liturgical piety. Sometimes this procession moves from one throne - from the altar - to another. Sometimes Christ in episcopal robes is depicted at the throne, waiting for the procession. He can also stand at the altar, seeing off the procession.
On the tops of the walls and temple vaults, as before, there was a circle of great holidays - the main events in the life of Christ. Now other scenes have been added to them - not holidays in the strict sense of the word, but events celebrated on certain days of the church year, for example, Christ in the temple among the teachers or the unbelief of Thomas. In the symbolic interpretation of the liturgy, more and more new details of the earthly life of Christ began to be noted, and the iconography began to reflect more and more events and scenes illustrating the same mystery of the Incarnation.
By the XIV century. other iconographic cycles were added to the decoration of the temples. They were narrative in nature and were not directly related to the main outline of the life of Christ. They were located in different parts of the temple. In the side naves, aisles, vestibules or narthex, the life of the Virgin Mary could be depicted. Her Assumption was usually placed on the western wall of the nave. This cycle partly corresponds to the feasts of the Theotokos and such paraliturgical practices as the Akathist to the Theotokos.
Another cycle of a secondary nature, found in the side aisles, aisles and narthex, and sometimes in the main nave, is the teaching and miracles of Christ. Nicholas Cabasilas, in his interpretation of the Divine Liturgy, emphasizes that this is, first of all, a commemoration of the passions, death and resurrection of Christ, and not his miracles. Sometimes the passions themselves were depicted in detail, regardless of the fact that the celebratory cycle already contains the image of the Crucifixion.
To the images of the saints that still adorned the lower parts of the nave walls in a hierarchical order, cycles were now added depicting the life of an individual saint - perhaps the one to whom this church is dedicated, or the most revered in the area, or even in the church in general.
Starting from the XIV century. in the vestibules, narthex or on the porch, seven Ecumenical Councils began to be depicted. All of them were already memorable events of the calendar, and the Seventh was celebrated on the first Sunday of Great Lent as the Triumph of Orthodoxy - the victory of the Church over all heresies. Their inclusion in the system of temple decoration reflected a dispute with the Church of the West about exactly how many cathedrals should be considered ecumenical, and their position near the entrance emphasized that the Church is the pillar and affirmation of the true faith in the incarnation of Christ, as evidenced by the entire temple.
And another image first appears in the XIV century. - The Last Judgment. This is also connected with the calendar: the penultimate Sunday before Great Lent is marked in it as the Sunday of the Last Judgment. In the liturgy, it is tied to the commemoration of the dead at the proskomedia, and also recalls the prayer "let communion be not for judgment and not for condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body." The image of the Last Judgment was sometimes located in the narthex, sometimes on one of the walls of the chapel used for memorial or funeral services. In Voronet (Romania), it occupies the entire outer surface of the western wall of one of the five painted churches there.
A clearly expressed connection of the extended icon-painting scheme of the XIV century. With church calendar can be observed in the painting of the narthex - on the entire surface of its walls, scenes of the main holidays of each month are often located in the appropriate order.
The iconography of the 14th century, which expanded in volume, included elements of the classical Byzantine scheme of the middle period, also contained rich material of a narrative nature, less closely related to the initial principles of icon painting. Scenes appeared in which historical elements are intertwined with non-historical ones, and invisible realities are presented in symbolic images. This, perhaps, is quite natural in an age when Gregory Palamas defended the hesychasm of the Athonite monks and argued that during the liturgy one can see Christ with the eyes of faith:
This house of God is a true symbol of the Holy Sepulcher... After all, behind the veil is a room where the Body of Christ will be laid, as well as the holy throne. And therefore, the one who jealously approaches the divine mystery and the place where it is located, and persists in this to the end ... will undoubtedly see the Lord with spiritual, I will say more with bodily eyes. Whoever sees in faith the mystical meal and the bread of life that is offered in it, sees the divine Word itself under the external forms, made flesh for us and living in us as in a temple.
