22.02.2018
The color of the domes of Orthodox churches has symbolic meaning and spiritual value. The same applies to the wall paintings of temples. This is not only an expression of an artistic idea, but also a connection between the coloring and other designs and the person to whom the building is dedicated. So, what the color of domes depends on and what they are like - you can find out from our article.
The importance of temples in people's lives
Each nationality has its own faith and the necessary buildings - a church, a temple, a mosque. In such buildings a person exalts prayer to the Lord for your sins, repents, prays for loved ones, is in a state of mental peace. Any such building has a vault, which is made of the best materials and has an attractive color.
The meaning of the colors of the domes of temples in any religion has a symbolic definition. We can say that the vault is the main decoration of the temple and its shape resembles a parabola or hemisphere.
The founders of domes were the Romans. They used concrete to build wonderful structures that covered large buildings. The oldest vault is in the Roman Pantheon, built around 128.
The most the first city in Rus' to receive baptism was Kyiv. The ambassadors of Prince Vladimir were amazed by the beauty of the Cathedral of Sophia in Constantinople. This is what served as the basis for Russian architecture in the construction of churches. Masters built churches in Rus' in the traditions of Byzantine architecture with domes.
Dome shapes
In addition to its immediate purpose as an architectural structure, a temple means something more in the Orthodox faith. The temple is a reflection of heaven on earth, man and the ark.
The shape of the dome can be different: oval and bulbous, sailing and umbrella, saucer and tent, the Byzantine-Russian version. And so, the forms:
- The oval vault resembles an egg and originates from the Baroque style.
- The umbrella has elements that go from the center to the base.
- The helmet shape suggests that the church is constantly fighting evil and darkness.
- The most popular shape is bulbous, which means the candle sign is the light of the world.
The bizarre appearance of the vault and coloring testify to the beauty of Heavenly Jerusalem.
In the wall paintings of cathedrals, the following shades are most often used: red, white, green, blue, yellow. Color meaning:
- White coloring is a sign of clarity and transparency, mainly in churches in honor of the Transfiguration and Ascension.
- Red color is intended for the churches of the great martyrs.
- The blue coloring is dedicated to the Cathedrals of the Virgin Mary and signifies chastity and innocence.
- If the temple was erected to honor the monk, then more green is present, as a sign of renewal.
- The yellow color of the sun is to honor the saint.
Russian temple buildings have a peculiarity - they are multi-domed. It is generally accepted that if a church has several domes, then it is of Russian origin. But a distinctive feature of Russian cathedrals is their coloring.
The meaning of the colors of the domes of Orthodox churches
What do the colors of church domes mean in Russia? The color of the vault depends on who the building is dedicated to.
The meaning of the color of the gilded dome is a sign of heavenly glory. Gilded vaults exist only in the Orthodox concession. Gold for Russian Orthodox people is a sign of incorruptibility, immortality, greatness, the idea of ardor and combustion.
The blue vaults, decorated with stars, are dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The decorations are reminiscent of the Star of Bethlehem in honor of the birth of Christ by the Virgin Mary.
Vaults dedicated to the Holy Trinity or some other Saint are painted green. This is also the color of the Holy Spirit. May also be gray or silver in color.
The black color of the domes means that such buildings have monasteries.
The value of the number of domes of the temple
Cathedrals also differ not only in color, but also in the number of vaults. Orthodox cathedrals are built with an odd number of chapters. The number of domes corresponds to the construction of the heavenly church:
- 1 - dome is a sign of God;
- 2 - these are the two natures of an angel and a person;
- 3 is the Holy Trinity;
- 4 - means four cardinal directions;
- 5 - serves as a symbol of Christ and the four evangelists;
- 7 - the sign of the seven sacraments, Ecumenical Councils and virtues;
- 9 are the nine ranks of angels;
- 13 - Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles;
- 25 - means praise to the Virgin Mary;
- 33 is the number of years of Christ's life on earth.
The meaning of the color may not depend on the purpose of the cathedral. Coverage depends more on material resources and climatic conditions than on existing regulations. For example, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Antarctica does not have a green vault. It is made of natural wood, because this material does not rot in extremely low temperatures and has a natural color.
An interesting and surprising fact is that the shape of radar domes and bowls is calculated using the same formulas. It can be assumed that the vault is a catcher of unknown radiation from the Universe. Any spire and dome plays the role of a lightning rod during a thunderstorm.
The Lord is always with you!
Why are the domes of Orthodox churches different colors?
The tradition of domes came to us from the Byzantine Empire. For believers, they are symbols of the heavenly (sphere) and the eternal (circle). In Rus', the most popular color for domes has always been the gold color; besides this, blue, green and even black domes are found in churches.
The color gold in the Orthodox tradition is a symbol of heavenly glory. That is why in our country there were golden domes at the main temples and at the temples dedicated to Christ and the Twelve Feasts. It is natural that the main temple of modern Russia, the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior, has domes of exactly this color. The domes of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God (St. Basil's Cathedral), the main temple of Red Square, were also originally gold.
Gilding of domes is present only in Orthodox traditions; you will not find this in other faiths. For an Orthodox person, gold is primarily a symbol...
The external color of the temple often reflects its dedication - to the Lord, the Mother of God, some saint or holiday. So, for example: Bely - a temple consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration or Ascension of the Lord
Blue - in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Red - dedicated to the martyr(s)
Green - to the Reverend
Yellow - to the saint
However, it should be noted that all this is not a dogma, but only a tradition, not observed everywhere and not always.
Number, shape and color of domes on temples
The number of domes on temples is symbolic:
1 - symbolizes the One God
3 - Holy Trinity
5 - The Savior and the Four Evangelists
7 - seven sacraments of the Church
9 - according to the number of angelic ranks
13 – The Savior and the twelve apostles
33 - according to the number of years of the Savior’s earthly life.
The shape of the dome also has a symbolic meaning.
The helmet-like shape was reminiscent of the army, of the spiritual battle waged by the Church with the forces of evil and darkness. ...
Question:
Why do many temples have domes of different colors? The ones on the edges are the same color (usually blue) and the ones in the middle are gold? What does this symbolize?
Thank you.
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:
The tradition of constructing one or more domes over the main building of the temple came to us from Byzantium. The dome is a symbol of the heavenly (sphere) and eternal (circle).
The golden domes symbolize Divine glory. Therefore, temples dedicated to the Lord's holidays are most often decorated with gold-domed ones. The blue or blue color of the dome symbolically depicts heavenly purity and purity. These domes crown churches dedicated to the Mother of God. The domes of churches dedicated to the Most Holy Life-Giving Trinity are, as a rule, green. Temples consecrated in honor of saints also have green domes.
We must remember that we are talking about tradition, not rules. In reality, the covering of the dome often depends on the financial resources of the parish.
What does the color of the domes of Orthodox churches mean? I saw a wide variety (from gold to blue). Does this make any difference or what kind of paint did you have on hand? The domes of the temples are gold, green, blue, with stars. There is an opinion that the color is determined by the main chapel of the temple - to whom it is dedicated. For example, the Church of the Mother of God should have blue domes, the temples of Christ should have gold domes. What is it really like?
Expert opinion: In general, the color of the dome may not mean anything. Black domes can be “mourning.” Or maybe - just like that, painted with black paint. There are no strict requirements to select paint for the dome depending on the dedication of the church, and in the past, when it was much harder to find paints than it was now, there were none at all. The color of the dome may well change “during the life” of the building. They made a wooden one, planked, over time the plank turned gray and was changed several times. Then they covered it with iron, and the iron was painted with copper, and the dome became green. Then a benefactor came and donated...
The tradition of domes came to us from the Byzantine Empire. For believers, they are symbols of the heavenly (sphere) and the eternal (circle). In Rus', the most popular color for domes has always been the gold color; besides this, there are blue, green and even black domes in churches.
What does the golden color of the domes symbolize?
The gold color in the Orthodox tradition is a symbol of heavenly glory. That is why in our country there were golden domes at the main temples and at the temples dedicated to Christ and the twelve feasts. It is natural that the main temple of modern Russia - the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior - has domes of exactly this color. The domes of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God (St. Basil's Cathedral) - the main temple of Red Square - were also originally gold.
Gilding of domes is present only in Orthodox traditions; you will not find this in other faiths. For an Orthodox person, gold is primarily a symbol of eternity, incorruptibility, royalty and heavenly glory. In this regard...
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What do the domes of Orthodox churches mean?
From early times, the Christian religion was filled with special signs - they were embodied in the architecture of temples. What meaning do believers put into the shape, color and number of domes of the Orthodox Church - we figure it out together with the portal "Culture.RF".
Color: Gold to Black
Gold. The most common color of Orthodox domes represents eternity and heavenly glory. Temples with golden domes were dedicated to Christ and the great church holidays - Christmas, Candlemas, and the Annunciation. Such chapters crown the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Kremlin cathedrals - Assumption, Annunciation, Arkhangelsk.
Today, domes are not lined with gold, but in the past the metal was dissolved in mercury and the resulting amalgam was then applied to a hot copper sheet. The gilding process was very expensive and labor intensive. For example, it took 100 kilograms of gold to cover the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Blue with stars. Temples with such domes are most often dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The blue color symbolizes the purity and purity of the Virgin Mary, and the stars refer to the Star of Bethlehem, which marked the Nativity of Jesus Christ. The Suzdal Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built under Vladimir Monomakh, is crowned with such domes. This was the first stone temple in the Vladimir-Suzdal land.
But there are also cathedrals with blue domes that are not associated with the name of the Virgin Mary. Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg was built in 1838 for the Izmailovsky Regiment of the Imperial Guard. His officers wore blue uniforms, which is why they chose that color for the domes.
Green. This color is considered a sign of the Holy Spirit. Most often it can be found in churches dedicated to the Holy Trinity. One of these buildings is the Church of the Holy Trinity “Kulich and Easter”. The idea to give the temple the shape of traditional Easter dishes belonged to the customer of the construction, Prince Alexander Vyazemsky. At his request, architect Nikolai Lvov built a pyramidal bell tower and a rotunda church with a low green dome.
Similar domes crown churches built in honor of Orthodox saints. For example, the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Yaroslavl is one of the key monuments of the local school of the 17th century.
Silver. This color in Orthodoxy is associated with purity and holiness. Temples dedicated to saints are crowned with silver domes, for example, the Church of St. Nicholas on Lipna near Veliky Novgorod and St. Sophia Cathedral in Vologda. The temple in honor of St. Sophia was erected in 1570 by order of Ivan the Terrible. The Tsar ordered it to be built on the model of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
Black. Domes of this color are rare and decorate monastery churches. Black domes crown the cathedrals of the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent in Moscow, a convent in the Art Nouveau style, designed by Alexei Shchusev. Funds for its construction were donated by Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, the widow of the Moscow Governor-General, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Domes symbolizing monasticism can also be seen on the cathedrals of the Transfiguration Monastery in Murom.
Multicolored domes in the Orthodox tradition remind believers of the beauty of Heavenly Jerusalem. This is what the heads of the Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow look like. Foreign travelers admired the colorful patterns of the domes and compared them with the scales of a pine cone, pineapple and artichoke. The domes acquired this appearance after the fire of 1595 - then the temple was restored and rebuilt.
Shape: not just bulbs
The spherical dome in the Orthodox tradition symbolizes eternity. The Romans began to build temples with similar domes: in the 2nd century they learned to build large-area ceilings without supports. The Roman pantheon built in this way from 128 AD has survived to this day. e. In Russia, spherical domes crown Moscow's Yelokhov Cathedral, the baptismal site of Alexander Pushkin.
The helmet-shaped dome refers to the words of the Apostle Paul: “Put on the whole armor of God...and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”. Such domes are typical of Russian pre-Mongol architecture: they decorate, for example, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and the Church of Peter and Paul in Smolensk.
The onion dome in Orthodox architecture is the embodiment of prayer, the desire for heaven. According to researcher Evgeny Trubetskoy, such a dome on the base of the drum resembles a candle flame. Onion-shaped domes are characteristic of Russian architecture of the 16th–17th centuries. Examples of churches with similar domes are the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Uglich and the churches of the Rostov Kremlin.
A tent, instead of a traditional dome, is interpreted in Christianity as an image of the Virgin Mary or the Light of Heaven. Tent churches were common in the 16th century, although similar churches were built earlier. They were usually built from wood: it was very difficult to replicate the structure of a tent in stone. The most famous example of hipped architecture is the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye. It was built by order of Prince Vasily III in honor of the birth of the long-awaited heir to the throne, the future Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible.
Quantity: from one to thirty-three
One dome reminds believers of the unity of God. Single-domed temples were especially popular in pre-Mongol times. The most famous of them are the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl and St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir. Both temples were built in the 12th century - they survived the devastating Mongol-Tatar invasions and have survived to this day.
The two domes are rare and commemorate the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ. In Moscow, the Church of Cosmas and Damian in Starye Panekh is crowned with two domes. This is one of the oldest churches in the capital: its wooden predecessor was built back in 1468.
The three domes are associated with the Holy Trinity. Three chapters crown the St. George's Cathedral of the Yuryev Monastery - the oldest monastery in Veliky Novgorod. The cathedral was erected in 1130 by order of Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich. The name of the architect is preserved in the chronicle - Peter. It is believed that he also built the St. Nicholas Cathedral and the Church of the Annunciation on Gorodishche
The five domes are a symbol of Jesus Christ and the four evangelists: John, Mark, Luke and Matthew. Five-domed churches are more common in Russia than others. The most famous of them are the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, built in its image.
The seven domes represent for the Orthodox the seven sacraments of the Church, the seven Ecumenical Councils (meetings at which the basic Christian dogmas were adopted) and the seven cardinal Orthodox virtues. Seven-domed cathedrals are not as common as three- or five-domed ones. These include the Ascension Church in Novocherkassk - the main cathedral of the Don Cossacks - and the Holy Cross Cathedral
The tradition of domes came to us from the Byzantine Empire. For believers, they are symbols of the heavenly (sphere) and the eternal (circle). In Rus', the most popular color for domes has always been the gold color; besides this, blue, green and even black domes are found in churches.
What does the golden color of the domes symbolize?
The gold color in the Orthodox tradition is a symbol of heavenly glory. That is why in our country there were golden domes at the main temples and at the temples dedicated to Christ and the Twelve Feasts. It is natural that the main temple of modern Russia - the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior - has domes of exactly this color. The domes of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God (St. Basil's Cathedral) - the main temple of Red Square - were also originally gold.
Gilding of domes is present only in Orthodox traditions; you will not find this in other faiths. For an Orthodox person, gold is primarily a symbol of eternity, incorruptibility, royalty and heavenly glory. In this regard, we can recall that one of the three gifts brought by the wise men to the baby Jesus, along with frankincense and myrrh, was gold.
What do the blue domes symbolize?
The blue domes with stars indicate that the temple is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Blue or blue color symbolizes heavenly purity and innocence, and the stars are reminiscent of the Star of Bethlehem, which announced the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mary.
Which temples have green domes?
Green domes crown churches dedicated to the Holy Trinity, because green in the Orthodox tradition is the color of the Holy Spirit. Also, green domes may indicate that the church is dedicated to some saint. In addition, the domes of the temple dedicated to the saint may also be gray or silver.
In which churches can you find black domes?
Black domes are present on monasteries. This is the color of monasticism. They can be seen, for example, at the famous Intercession Monastery, where the relics of the Holy Blessed Matrona of Moscow rest, and where thousands of pilgrims flock daily.
What does the number of domes on the temple mean?
Not only the color, but also the number of domes on the temple has a certain symbolism. So, one dome symbolizes the One God, three - the Holy Trinity.
The five domes represent the Savior and the four evangelists. The seven domes speak of the seven sacraments of the Church (baptism, confirmation, communion, repentance, priesthood, wedding and unction).
It is easy to find an Orthodox church in any city by the shape of the dome and its color. Interestingly, there are light and decorative drums, and domes located on a decorative base are called domes.
Domes and their number
The head of the church is usually called the covering of the dome located on the so-called drum. The number of chapters above the temple is also not a random number.
33-domed church in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the Ust-Medveditsky Monastery, Volgograd region
The number, symbolism and colors of the domes - the dedication of the temple to God, the Holy Trinity, the Mother of God or one of the saints or martyrs.
- one dome is a symbol of the One Supreme Creator;
- three - Holy Trinity;
- five chapters symbolize the Savior and the apostles close to Him;
- seven domes above the temple - a symbol of the seven church Sacraments;
- nine ranks of Angels - seven chapters;
- Jesus and the 12 apostles are a prototype of the thirteen-domed temple.
The specific shape of the domes of Orthodox churches
Historians do not have a common opinion regarding the appearance in Rus' of temples with a spherical top and an elongated top. The keeled top resembles an ancient Russian helmet and is similar to the buildings of Byzantine architects.
Historical drawings show that church buildings in pre-Mongol Rus' were covered with vaulted domes, which were borrowed from Byzantium. Such chapters were met in Kyiv, Chernigov, Smolensk.
The helmet-shaped shape of the dome was reminiscent of the spiritual battle waged by the Church against the forces of evil
The Vladimir-Suzdal region was rich in helmet-shaped heads of churches in the 14th-16th centuries, then they began to appear in the principalities of Moscow and Tver, and then throughout Rus'.
From the middle of the 16th century, Russian churches began to be covered with onion domes. It is difficult for a simple Christian who does not have deep architectural knowledge to see the difference between these heights at first glance.
Bulbous heads differ from helmet-shaped ones only in the ratio of the diameters of the dome and drum.
For the former, the diameters of the drums are smaller than the diameter of the dome, and for the helmet-shaped ones, it’s the opposite. The height of the bulbous top is equal to its diameter, and the helmet-like heads are wider than they are high.
The sphere-like shape of the temple covering, borrowed from Byzantium, stretched over time, transforming into the likeness of a helmet - a symbol of protection and onion domes reminiscent of the shape of fire or candles.
Onion heads of the temple - a symbol of a candle flame
How to determine its dedication by the color of a dome
Orthodox architects agree that the sphere of the head of the temple is a prototype of heaven, therefore not only the shape of the top is important, but also its color:
- The heads of churches dedicated to Jesus and the 12 great Orthodox holidays are covered with gold, a symbol of the glory of the Lord. Such a covering in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The wise men brought three gifts as a gift to the newborn Jesus, incense, myrrh and gold, a symbol of eternity, reign and glory.
- Silver domes mean that this building has a patron in the form of a saint; buildings in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord and His Ascension are famous for their white coverings.
- Blue coverings with yellow stars are reminiscent of the birth of Jesus on Christmas night; churches of the Blessed Virgin Mary are easily recognizable by the blue color of their domes, a symbol of purity and the Immaculate Conception.
- The color of eternal life is green - dedication to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity.
- It is rare to find churches with red covering, a symbol of blood and martyrdom, the holy martyr is the guardian of such a church.
- The bright colors and intricate shapes decorating St. Basil's Cathedral symbolize the Heavenly Jerusalem.
- In monasteries, it is customary to paint the chapters black; an example is the Pokrovsky Monastery, custodian of the relics of the Holy Matronushka of Moscow.
Symbolism of Orthodox dome crosses
