The Royal Gates in the Temple (photo)

Everyone who ever visited an Orthodox church saw the double doors opposite the Throne leading to the altar and symbolizing the gates of Paradise. This is the Royal gates. They are a kind of heritage, preserved from the early Christian times, when the altar was separated from the rest of the temple by two columns, or a low barrier. After the church schism, the barrier was preserved only in some Catholic churches, while in the Orthodox churches it changed to an iconostasis.

Icons on the Gate of Eden

The royal gates in the church are decorated with icons, the selection of which is regulated by the established tradition. Usually these are images of the four evangelists and the scenes of the Annunciation. The symbolic meaning of such a combination is quite obvious: Archangel Michael announces with his gospel that the doors of Paradise are reopened, and the Holy Gospel indicates the path leading to it. However, this is just a tradition, and not a law that requires strict observance.

Sometimes the Royal gates are decorated differently, and if they are low leaves, they often do not have any icons at all. Also, due to the tradition established in Orthodox churches, the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is placed to the left of the royal gates, and on the opposite side - the Savior, followed by the icon of the saint or the feast, in honor of which the temple is consecrated.

Ornaments, placed on the Royal Gates of the side chapels and above them

If the temple is large enough, and besides the main altar has two more chapels, then often the gates of one of them are decorated only with the image of the Annunciation in growth, and the other with the four evangelists. But this is not always possible with the size that some of the tsar's gates of the iconostasis have in the church. Evangelicals in this case can be depicted in the form of symbols. People close to the church know that the symbol of the Evangelist Matthew is the angel, Luke the Taurus, Mark the Lion and John the Eagle.

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

Features of manufacturing and decoration of the Royal Gate

At all times, before the architects involved in their creation, opened up a wide creative possibilities. In addition to appearance, design and design, the result of the work depended to a great extent on what the Royal Doors were made of. Visiting the temples, you can see that they used a variety of materials, such as wood, iron, porcelain, marble and even ordinary stone. Sometimes the preference given to one of them was determined by the author's artistic intention, and sometimes by the availability of one or another material.

The Royal Gate is the entrance to Paradise. Usually they are the most decorated part of the iconostasis. For their design, various types of carving and gilding can be used, the frequent scenes of which are images of grapes and paradise animals. There are also the Royal Gates, executed in the form of the Heavenly City of Jerusalem. In this case, all the icons are placed in ark-temples, crowned with glazes with crosses. There are many design options, but in all cases the gate is located strictly in the middle of the iconostasis, and behind them is the throne, and further away - the mountainous place.

origin of name

They got their name from the fact that, according to the doctrine, during the holy communion through them the Lord of Glory Jesus Christ is invisibly coming out to the laity. However, this name exists only in Russian Orthodoxy, in the Greek churches they are called "Saints". In addition, the name "The Royal Portal" is able and deeply historical roots.

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

Since only the emperor and the head of the community, the bishop, had the privilege of entering through the main entrance, these gates were called "Royal." Only these persons, being the most honorable participants of the prayer, had the right to solemnly pass through them to the building. For all the rest there were side doors. In time, when altars were formed in Orthodox churches, this name passed to the leading double-leaf door.

Formation of the altar in its modern form

As evidenced by the research results, the formation of the altar part of the temples in the form in which it exists now was a very long process. It is known that in the beginning it was separated from the main room only by low partitions, and later by veils called "catapetasms". This name has been preserved to this day.

In certain moments of service, for example, during the consecration of Gifts, veils were closed, although often without them. In general, in documents relating to the first millennium, mention of them is rare, and only much later they became an integral part of the Royal gates, they were decorated with images of the Virgin and various saints.

Funny episode associated with the use of the veil can be found in the life of Basil the Great, who lived in the IV century. It tells that the saint was forced to introduce this attribute, which he had not used before, only because his deacon constantly looked at the women who were present in the temple, which clearly violated the solemnity of the divine service.

Symbolic meaning of the Royal Gates

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

For example, in the Vespers and Vigil Vigil at the moment when the opening of the Royal Gates occurs, the light in the temple lights up, which symbolizes filling it with a heavenly light. Nevertheless, those present at this time make a bow in the waist. The same they do on other services. In addition, in the Orthodox tradition, passing by the Royal Gates, it is accepted to overshadow yourself with the sign of the cross and make a bow. During the whole Easter week - Bright Week - the Royal gates in the temple (photo at the end of the article) do not close, because Jesus Christ through His cross suffering, death and subsequent resurrection opened the doors of Paradise to us.

Some church rules concerning the present theme

According to established rules, entering the imperial gates of the iconostasis in the church is allowed only to clergy and only during worship services. At the usual time they are obliged to use the so-called deacon's doors, located in the northern and southern part of the iconostasis.

When the episcopal service is performed, only the subdeacons or sextons open and close the Royal Gates, but they are not allowed to stand before the Throne, and, entering the altar, they take places on either side of it. The bishop also owns the exclusive right to enter the altar without the clergy out of the services.

Liturgical appointment of the Royal Gates

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

Next time the procession of priests follows through them during the Great Entrance, accompanied by the fulfillment of the Cherubic song. To laypeople who are present in the temple, the Chalice with wine is born - the future blood of Christ. In addition, in the hands of the priest there is a discus (dish), on which is the Lamb - bread, which will be embodied in the Body of Christ.

The most common interpretation of this rite is that the procession symbolizes the bearing of Christ, taken from the cross and the deceased, as well as his position in the grave. The continuation of the Great Entrance is the reading of Eucharistic prayers, after which the Gifts will become the Blood and Body of Christ. To receive the lay people, they are also carried out through the Royal Gates. The meaning of the Eucharist is precisely that the Savior resurrects in the Holy Gifts, and those who partake of them become heirs of Eternal Life.

Stored shrines

There are many cases when the Royal Gate as a shrine was transferred from one temple to another. Especially often this happened during the years of perestroika, when the temples that were destroyed from communists destroyed and secretly preserved by believers were installed in the iconostases of new, newly built churches, or those that were restored after years of desolation.