What is the iconostasis in the Orthodox church?

When you enter any Orthodox church, in the foreground you can immediately see the holy of holies - the altar, which is the image of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the altar is its main shrine - a consecrated table, called the Throne, on which the priest performs his greatest sacrament, when the conversion of bread into Flesh and wine into the Blood of Christ takes place.

What is the iconostasis?

The altar is separated from the rest of the temple by an iconostasis. Understanding the question of what an iconostasis is, it should be noted that it is a special separating partition, with icons placed on it with saints' faces. The iconostasis, as it were, connects the heavenly world with the earthly world. If the altar is a mountainous world, then the iconostasis is an earthly world.

The Russian Orthodox iconostasis contains five high ranks. The very first row is called praeteque, it is the uppermost one, it depicts the forefathers of the Holy Church from the first man Adam to the Old Testament prophet Moses. The image of the "Old Testament Trinity" is always set in the center of the series.

And the second row has the name of the prophetic, therefore here the prophets are portrayed, who announced the Virgin and the birth of Jesus Christ. In the center is the icon "Sign".

Deesis is called the third row of the iconostasis and designates the prayer of the whole Church to Christ. In the center of it is placed the icon "The Savior in the Force," which depicts Christ, seated as a formidable Judge of the world he created. To his left is the Most Holy Theotokos, and to the right is John the Baptist.

In the fourth festive series, the events of the New Testament, dating back to the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, are told.

And the lowest, the fifth, a series of the iconostasis is called the "local row", in the center there are the Royal Gates, above which the "Last Supper" icon necessarily is placed, and on the very gates - the icon "Annunciation" (where the Archangel Gabriel informs the Holy Virgin) , And on both sides of the gate - the icon of the Savior and the Virgin.

Still need to pay attention to the fact that on both sides of the Royal Gates are single-leafed small doors, they are called deacon. If the temple is small, then this door can only be made on one side.

Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir: photo and description

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

The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (photo of which is presented above) has the first iconostasis with fragments preserved up to the present day. It dates back to 1408, this is the work of Andrei Rublev and his contemporary monk Daniil Chernoy. Once upon a time, it consisted of high four tiers, the Deesis rank among which was made larger and moved from the general plan, this showed its special role. The iconostasis in the church did not block the dome pillars, thanks to them it was divided into parts. Later, the iconostasis of Vladimir became a model for the iconostasis of the Moscow Kremlin Assumption Cathedral (1481) and the Assumption Cathedral in the Kirill-Belozersky Monastery (1497).

History of the Cathedral

This cathedral was built under the rule of Prince Andrew Bogolyubsky in the middle of the 12th century, and the most skillful masters from all over the Russian and Roman lands of the West were invited to Vladimir to accomplish this task. It was built to store the icon of Vladimir the Mother of God, the patroness of Russia. It is assumed that this icon was written during the lifetime of the Most Holy Theotokos by the Evangelist Luke. Then in 450 she got to Constantinople and there she stayed until the XII century, and then was donated to Yuri Dolgoruky - Andrei Bogolyubsky's father. Then she many times rescued Russian princely cities from ruin and wars.

Iconostasis

The question of what an iconostasis is, one can continue with an interesting fact about the very first information about the separation of the altar from the rest of the space in the temple by a veil or barrier, which date back to the 4th century. Then even in the Byzantine temples, these altar barriers were quite low and were made of a parapet, a stone beam (templon) and columns. In the center was placed a cross, and on the sides of the altar there were icons of Christ and the Mother of God. After a while, the icon was put on the templon, or in relief, images were cut out on it. The cross was replaced with the icon of Christ, and then - Deisis (in another way, Deesis, prayer) - a composition of three icons: Christ the Almighty in the center, and the Virgin on the left, and John the Baptist on the right. Sometimes on both sides of Deisis were added holiday icons or individual icons of saints.

Conclusion

The first ancient Russian temples completely repeated Byzantine patterns. But not always it was possible, because the temples were mostly wooden, and they did not make a wall painting, but in the iconostasis the number of icons increased and the altar barrier grew.

The answer to the question of what an iconostasis is is to be supplemented by the fact that the high five-tier iconostasis became widespread in Russia already in the middle of the 17th century, when a local series appeared, festivals, deisis, prophetic and prathetic ranks.