The temple is the center of our spiritual life. The grace of God is especially felt here. When going to church, we need to set ourselves up accordingly and remind ourselves that we are entering a different world, different from the one in which we live every day. Here we appear before our Creator and Savior, here, together with the angels and saints, we offer Him our prayers. Joint prayer in church has great reviving power. When perceived consciously, this grace-filled prayer clears the conscience, pacifies the soul, strengthens faith, and warms love for God in the heart.
The Temple of God differs in appearance from other buildings. Very often it has the shape of a cross at its base, for by the Cross the Savior delivered us from the power of the devil. Often it is arranged in the form of a ship, symbolizing that the Church, like a ship, like Noah’s Ark, leads us across the sea of life to a quiet harbor in the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes at the base there is a circle - a sign of eternity or an octagonal star, symbolizing that the Church, like a guiding star, shines in this world.
The temple building is usually topped with a dome representing the sky. The dome is crowned by a head on which a cross is placed - to the glory of the Head of the Church of Jesus Christ. Often, not one, but several chapters are placed on the temple: two chapters mean two natures (Divine and human) in Jesus Christ, three chapters - the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, five chapters - Jesus Christ and the four evangelists, seven chapters - seven sacraments, seven gifts The Holy Spirit and seven Ecumenical Councils, nine chapters - nine ranks of angels, thirteen chapters - Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles, sometimes more chapters are built.
Above the entrance to the temple, and sometimes next to the temple, a bell tower or belfry is built, that is, a tower on which bells hang, used to call believers to prayer and to announce the most important parts of the service performed in the temple.Despite the variety of forms and architectural styles used in the construction of churches, the internal structure of an Orthodox church always follows a certain canon, which developed in Byzantium around the beginning of the second millennium and has not undergone significant changes.
A traditional Orthodox church is divided into three parts: the altar, the middle part (the temple itself) and the narthex.
In ancient churches, the narthex was the place where catechumens and penitents - those who did not receive communion at the Eucharist - prayed during the service. According to the Charter, some parts of the divine service are supposed to be performed in the narthex, in particular the litiya at the all-night vigil. Memorial services (short funeral services) should also be performed in the vestibule, although in practice they are most often performed in one of the side aisles of the temple.
In many modern churches, the vestibule is either completely absent or completely merges with the central part of the temple. This is due to the fact that the functional significance of the vestibule has long been lost. In the modern Church, catechumens and penitents do not exist as a separate category of believers, and therefore the need for the vestibule as a separate room has disappeared.
The central part of the temple is the place where the laity are present during worship. In ancient times, the liturgy of the catechumens was celebrated in the center of the temple; Sermons were preached there, the bishop read prayers over the catechumens and the faithful, as well as the sick and possessed; there the deacon pronounced the litanies. In fact, it was the central part of the temple that was the place where most of the worship took place; only the Eucharist itself was celebrated in the altar. Subsequently, most church services were moved to the altar, but some parts of the service are still performed in the middle of the temple. At Matins and the All-Night Vigil on Sundays and holidays, in the middle of the church, polyeleos and anointing of the believers with holy oil is performed. The Gospel is also read by the deacon in the middle of the church. During the bishop's service, in the middle of the church, the meeting and vestment of the bishop takes place, as well as the entire initial part of the liturgy up to the small entrance.
In ancient churches, in the middle there was a pulpit (called the pulpit), from which the Holy Scriptures were read and sermons were delivered. Currently, such a pulpit is only available in cathedrals. The bishop stands on it in those cases when the service is performed in the middle of the church. From the same pulpit the deacon reads the Gospel during the liturgy.
As a rule, in the center of the temple on a lectern (stand) lies an icon of the temple saint or the saint or event celebrated on this day. In front of the lectern there is a candlestick (such candlesticks are also placed in front of other icons lying on the lecterns or hanging on the walls). The use of candles in church is one of the oldest customs that has come down to us from the early Christian era. In our time, it has not only a symbolic meaning, but also the meaning of a sacrifice to the temple. The candle that a believer places in front of an icon in a church is not bought in a store or brought from home: it is purchased in the church itself, and the money spent goes to the church treasury.
In a modern church, electric lighting is usually used during services, but some parts of the service should be performed in semi-darkness or even complete darkness. Full lighting is turned on at the most solemn moments: during the polyeleos at the all-night vigil, during the Divine Liturgy. The light in the temple is completely extinguished during the reading of the Six Psalms at Matins; Dim lighting is used during Lenten services.
The main lamp of the temple (chandelier) is called a chandelier. The chandelier in large churches is a chandelier of impressive size with many (from 20 to 100 or even more) candles or light bulbs. It is suspended on a long steel cable from the center of the dome. Smaller chandeliers may be hung in other parts of the temple.
In the monasteries of Holy Mount Athos, where electricity is not used during worship, the ancient customs of lighting candles and lamps at certain moments of the service are preserved. The lamps in front of the icons are lit at the beginning of the service by a specially appointed ecclesiarch monk. Candles in front of icons and candles that serve to illuminate the temple space are lit only at certain moments of the service. Under the dome of the temple there is a chandelier in the shape of a hoop: there are candles on the hoop, which are lit during especially solemn moments of the service with the help of a special torch attached to the end of a long pole. In some cases, a chandelier with candles is swung from side to side, so that the glare from the candles moves around the temple: this movement, along with the ringing of bells and especially solemn melismatic singing, creates a festive mood.
Some believe that the characteristic difference between an Orthodox church and a Catholic or Protestant church is the lack of seats in it. In fact, all ancient liturgical regulations presuppose the presence of seats in the church, since during some parts of the service, according to the regulations, it is necessary to sit. In particular, while sitting, they listened to psalms, readings from the Old Testament and from the Apostle, readings from the works of the Church Fathers, as well as some Christian chants, for example, “sedalny” (the very name of the chant indicates that they listened to it while sitting). Standing was considered obligatory only at the most important moments of the service, for example, when reading the Gospel, during the Eucharistic canon. The liturgical exclamations that have been preserved in modern worship - “Wisdom, forgive”, “Let us become kind, let us become fearful” - were originally precisely the invitation of the deacon to stand up to perform certain prayers after sitting during previous prayers.
The absence of seats in a church is a custom of the Russian Church, but is by no means typical for Greek churches, where, as a rule, benches are provided for everyone who participates in the service.
The walls of the central part of the temple are usually decorated with frescoes or mosaics. In the eastern part of the temple there is an iconostasis that separates the middle part of the temple from the altar. In front of the iconostasis there is a solea - an elevation for the clergy. The central part of the solea, which is usually a semicircular protrusion, is called the pulpit. From here the sermon is preached; Some sacred rites are also performed here, for example, the small and great entrances to the liturgy; The dismissal is pronounced from the pulpit - the final blessing at the end of each service.
In the center of the lower tier of the iconostasis there are doors, in the Russian tradition called the royal doors; in the Greek tradition they are called "holy doors". The origin of the name “Royal Doors” is not entirely clear. Some believe that this name reflects the symbolism of the great entrance, depicting the way of the cross of the Savior, “King of kings” and “Lord of lords”, Who “comes to be sacrificed and given as food to the faithful.” Others believe that the central gate of the altar was called “royal” because kings and emperors entered the altar through them. Indeed, in Russian practice, emperors during the coronation ceremony entered the altar through the royal doors: in the altar they received communion together with the priests, receiving the Body of Christ in their hands and partaking of the Blood of Christ from the chalice (empresses did the same). In Byzantium, the gates leading from the vestibule to the central part of the temple, or the doors through which the emperor entered the temple, were called “royal.”
There are two side doors on the north and south sides of the iconostasis. The liturgical procession always leaves the altar through the northern doors and returns through the royal doors. The deacon also goes out to the solea to pronounce the litany through the northern doors, and returns to the altar through the southern doors.
The altar is the most sacred place of an Orthodox church - a similarity to the Holy of Holies of the ancient Jerusalem Temple. Often the altar is perceived as a kind of closed space “backstage”, where the clergy and altar servers can hide from the eyes of the faithful. This perception fundamentally contradicts the meaning of the altar as a place of the special presence of God. In the altar lives the glory of God that once filled the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple. Everyone at the altar must maintain reverent silence, interrupted only by the reading of prayers or necessary remarks during the service. Conversations on extraneous topics in the altar are unacceptable.
In shape, the throne is a cubic-shaped structure (table) made of stone or wood. In Greek churches, rectangular altars are common, shaped like an oblong table placed parallel to the iconostasis; the upper stone plaque of the throne rests on four pillars-columns; the interior of the throne remains open to the eye. In Russian practice, the horizontal surface of the throne is, as a rule, square in shape and the throne is completely covered with indium - a vestment that matches it in shape. The traditional height of the throne is an arshin and six vershoks (98 cm). In the middle, under the upper board of the altar, a column is placed into which, during the consecration of the temple, the bishop places a particle of the relics of a martyr or saint. This tradition goes back to the ancient Christian custom of celebrating liturgies on the tombs of martyrs.
The space behind the throne, in the eastern part of the altar, is called the high place: the throne of the bishop is located here, on the sides of which there are benches for priests. The bishop's throne, according to the charter, must be in a high place in any church, not just a cathedral. The presence of this throne testifies to the connection between the temple and the bishop: without the blessing of the latter, the priest has no right to perform divine services
tion in the temple.On the left side of the throne, in the southern part of the altar, there is an altar, which in appearance resembles a throne, but is often smaller in size. The altar is intended for the preparatory part of the liturgy - proskomedia. The Holy Gifts are placed on the altar at the end of the liturgy, after
and the deprivation of the laity. According to the tradition of the Russian Church, a seven-branched candlestick is placed on the eastern side of the altar in the altar - a lamp with seven lamps, resembling a Jewish menorah in appearance. There are no seven-branched candlesticks in the Greek Church. The seven-branched candlestick is not mentioned in the rite of consecration of the temple, and it was not the original accessory of the Christian temple, but appeared in Russia in the Synodal era as a reminder of the lamp with seven lamps that stood in the Jerusalem temple (see: Exodus 25, 31-37). The seven-branched candlestick is the only object in the altar that does not perform direct liturgical functions.During non-liturgical times, as well as at some moments of the service, the central entrance to the altar (royal doors) is closed with a curtain called katapetasma. In modern Russian practice, katapetasma is a rectangular canvas extending from the upper edge of the royal doors to the floor. Usually the veil is dark red or corresponds to the color of the holiday, and a four- or eight-pointed cross is embroidered on it. In ancient times, richly embroidered catapetasmas were also used.
,middle temple And porch
ALTAR
The altar is the most important part of the temple and means the Kingdom of Heaven. Christian churches are built with the altar facing east - towards where the sun rises. If there are several altars in the temple, then each of them is consecrated in memory of a special event or saint. All altars in this case, except the main one, are called chapels.
Construction of an Orthodox church
The altar is higher than other parts of the temple. The word "altar" itself means an elevated altar.
The altar is where worship is performed and the holiest place in the entire temple is located - the holy throne, which is made either in the form of stone monoliths about a meter high, or from wood, in the form of a frame with a lid on top. The throne is dressed in two clothes: the lower one - linen, called katasarkiya or srachitsa (symbolically representing the burial shrouds of Jesus Christ - the shroud), entwined with a rope (rope), and the upper one - made of brocade, called indity (indytion), symbolizing the solemn robe of Jesus Christ as King of glory.
THRONE
The Sacrament of Holy Communion is performed on the throne. It is believed that Christ is invisibly present on the throne, and therefore only clergy can touch it. The throne is always relied upon antimens, altar gospel, altar cross , tabernacle
, monstranceAndlamp
. Particles of holy relics are placed into the altar in a special reliquary.
In cathedrals and large churches, a canopy is installed above the throne in the form of a dome with a cross (ciborium), which symbolizes heaven, and the throne itself symbolizes the earth on which Jesus Christ suffered. In the center of the ciborium above the throne a figurine of a dove is placed, which symbolizes the descent of the Holy Spirit.
The place behind the altar near the eastern wall is considered the most holy place, even on the altar, and is specially made a little elevated and called “ A mountain place" A large seven-branched candlestick and a large altar cross are traditionally placed on it.
ALTAR
At the northern wall of the altar behind the iconostasis there is a special table - altar
. The height of the altar is always equal to the height of the throne. On the altar there is a rite of solemn preparation of bread and wine for communion or proskomedia, the first part of the Divine Liturgy, where bread in the form of prosphoras and wine offered for the sacred rite are prepared in a special way for the subsequent sacrament of the Bloodless Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ. On the altar is chalice
(a holy cup into which wine and water are poured, a symbol of the blood of Jesus Christ); paten
(a dish on a stand for the sacrament bread, a symbol of the body of Jesus Christ); star
(two cross-connected arcs installed on the paten so that the cover does not touch the particles of the prosphora; the star is a symbol of the star of Bethlehem); copy
(a sharp stick for removing particles from prosphoras, a symbol of the spear that pierced Christ on the cross); liar
- spoon for communion of believers; sponge for wiping blood vessels. The prepared communion bread is covered with a cover. Small cross-shaped covers are called patrons
, and the biggest one is air
. In parish churches that do not have a special vessel storage facility, sacred liturgical vessels are constantly located on the altar, which are covered with shrouds during non-service times. On altar There must be a lamp, a Cross with a Crucifix.
Places itself at the southern wall of the altar sacristy – room for storing vestments, i.e. liturgical clothes, as well as church vessels and liturgical books.
ROYAL GATES
In ancient Christian churches, the altar was always separated from the rest of the church by a special partition. Behind the altar partition is stored censer
, dikiriy
(double candlestick), trikirium
(three-branched candlestick) and ripids
(metal circles-fans on the handles, which deacons blow over the gifts during their consecration).
After the great schism of the Christian Church (1054), the altar screen was preserved only in the Orthodox Church. Over time, the partition turned into an iconostasis, and its middle, largest doors became the Royal Doors, because through them Jesus Christ Himself, the King of Glory, invisibly enters in the Holy Gifts. Only clergy can pass through the Royal Doors, and only during divine services. Outside of worship and without vestment, enter through Royal Doors Only the bishop has the right to enter and leave the altar.
Inside the altar behind the Royal Doors hangs a special curtain - catapetasma, which during the course of the service opens in whole or in part at the moments of the service established by the charter.
Like the vestments of clergy catapetasma Depending on the day of the year and holiday, it comes in different colors.
The Royal Doors depict the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The icon of the Last Supper is placed above the royal doors.
To the right of the Royal Doors is an icon Savior, left - icon Mother of God. To the right of the icon of the Savior is located south door, and to the left of the icon of the Mother of God - north door. These side doors depict Archangels Michael And Gabriel, or the first deacons Stephen and Philip, or the high priest Aaron and the prophet Moses. I call the northern and southern side doors deacon gates, since deacons most often pass through them.
Next are icons of especially revered saints. The first icon to the right of the icon of the Savior (not counting the southern door) is called temple icon, i.e. it depicts a holiday or saint in whose honor the temple was consecrated.
If the iconostasis consists of several tiers, then the second tier usually contains icons twelve holidays, in third icons of the apostles, in the fourth - icons prophets, at the very top there is always a cross with the image of the crucified Lord Jesus Christ on it.
MIDDLE TEMPLE
Icons are also placed on the walls of the temple in large icon cases, i.e. in special large frames, as well as on lecterns, those. on special high narrow tables with an inclined lid.
Standing in front of icons and lecterns candlesticks, on which believers place candles.
The elevation in front of the iconostasis, on which the altar and iconostasis are located, protrudes forward into the middle part of the temple and is called salty.
The semicircular ledge in front of the Royal Doors in the middle of the solea is called pulpit, i.e. climbing. At the pulpit, the deacon pronounces litanies and reads the Gospel, from here the priest preaches and Holy Communion is administered.
Along the edges of the solea, near the walls of the temple, they arrange choirs for readers and singers.
There are banners near the choirs.
A low table on which stands an image of a crucifix and rows of candlesticks is called eve or eve. Before the eve, funeral services are served - requiem services.
LIGHTS
Lamps occupy a special place among church utensils.
Back in the Byzantine Empire, items of church utensils for lighting churches arose, which are still manufactured today: lamps, horuses, chandeliers, church candlesticks and church chandeliers.
The most ancient lamps are considered to be lamps (or lompadas), the dim light of which illuminated the ancient cave temples of the early Christians.
The lampada is a portable lamp (candlestick), which is carried in front of the priest and deacon during small and large gatherings at the liturgy. Such a lamp is presented to the bishop by a special lamp-bearer (Greek primikirium) upon his entry into the temple.
Even the ancient Greeks, to illuminate temples, hung lamps from wooden or metal hoops or hung them on chains stretched through the temple. The development of this method of hanging a lamp led to the appearance of hanging lamps of more complex shapes: choirs, chandeliers and church chandeliers.
Earlier than chandeliers, church lamps are choros, which occupy an intermediate step in the evolution of church lamps between the lamp and the chandelier.
Khoros looks like a horizontal metal or wooden wheel suspended on chains from the ceiling of the temple. Lamps or candles were attached along the entire circumference of the wheel. Sometimes a hemispherical bowl was installed in the center of the wheel, which also housed a lamp.
Later, choirs evolved into bulky chandeliers, which over time transformed into more elegant chandeliers. However, this chandelier is practically a chandelier, which, like a choir, consists of numerous tiers of concentric rings. In the center of the chandelier there is a characteristic spherical “apple” made of gilded bronze.
Another type of lamps that are used in temples is multi-candle floor candlestick, which often contains many tiers or levels. A standing or skinny candle is also used as a lamp.
One of the main candlesticks installed in the altar is the seven-branched candlestick, which symbolizes the Seven Sacraments of the Church and the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, granted to believers in the name of the feat of Christ, who atoned for their sins at the cost of his life.
This is how it came to us device And decoration Orthodox church.
See also " Types of temple utensils", "
Church vestments", "Types of church vestments ".
The Temple of God differs in appearance from other buildings. Very often the temple of God has the shape of a cross at its base, for by the Cross the Savior delivered us from the power of the devil. Often it is arranged in the form of a ship, symbolizing that the Church, like a ship, like Noah’s Ark, leads us across the sea of life to a quiet harbor in the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes at the base there is a circle - a sign of eternity or an octagonal star, symbolizing that the Church, like a guiding star, shines in this world.
The temple building is usually topped with a dome representing the sky. The dome is crowned by a head on which a cross is placed - to the glory of the Head of the Church of Jesus Christ. Often, not one, but several chapters are placed on the temple: two chapters mean the two natures (Divine and human) in Jesus Christ, three chapters - the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, five chapters - Jesus Christ and the four Evangelists, seven chapters - the seven sacraments and seven Ecumenical Councils, nine chapters - nine ranks of angels, thirteen chapters - Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles, sometimes more chapters are built.
Above the entrance to the temple, and sometimes next to the temple, a bell tower or belfry is built, that is, a tower on which bells hang, used to call believers to prayer and to announce the most important parts of the service performed in the temple.
According to its internal structure, an Orthodox church is divided into three parts: the altar, the middle church and the vestibule. The altar symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven. All the believers stand in the middle part. In the first centuries of Christianity, the catechumens stood in the narthex, who were just preparing for the sacrament of Baptism. Nowadays, people who have sinned grievously are sometimes sent to stand in the vestibule for correction. Also in the narthex you can buy candles, submit notes for remembrance, order a prayer service and memorial service, etc. In front of the entrance to the narthex there is an elevated area called the porch.
Christian churches are built with the altar facing east - in the direction where the sun rises: the Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the invisible Divine light shone for us, we call the “Sun of Truth”, who came “from the heights of the East”.
Each temple is dedicated to God, bearing a name in memory of one or another sacred event or saint of God. If there are several altars in it, then each of them is consecrated in memory of a special holiday or saint. Then all the altars, except the main one, are called chapels.
The most important part of the temple is the altar. The word “altar” itself means “exalted altar.” He usually settles on a hill. Here the clergy perform services and the main shrine is located - the throne on which the Lord Himself is mysteriously present and the sacrament of Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord is performed. The throne is a specially consecrated table, dressed in two clothes: the lower one is made of white linen and the upper one is made of expensive colored fabric. There are sacred objects on the throne; only clergy can touch it.
The place behind the throne at the very eastern wall of the altar is called the mountain (elevated) place; it is usually made elevated.
To the left of the throne, in the northern part of the altar, there is another small table, also decorated on all sides with clothes. This is the altar on which gifts are prepared for the sacrament of Communion.
The altar is separated from the middle church by a special partition, which is lined with icons and is called an iconostasis. It has three gates. The middle ones, the largest, are called the royal doors, because through them the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the King of Glory, invisibly passes in the chalice with the Holy Gifts. No one is allowed to pass through these doors except clergy. The side doors - north and south - are also called deacon doors: most often deacons pass through them.
To the right of the royal doors is an icon of the Savior, to the left - the Mother of God, then - images of especially revered saints, and to the right of the Savior is usually a temple icon: it depicts a holiday or a saint in whose honor the temple was consecrated.
Icons are also placed along the walls of the temple in frames - icon cases, and lie on lecterns - special tables with an inclined lid.
The elevation in front of the iconostasis is called the solea, the middle of which - a semicircular protrusion in front of the royal doors - is called the pulpit. Here the deacon pronounces litanies and reads the Gospel, and the priest preaches from here. On the pulpit, Holy Communion is also given to believers.
Along the edges of the solea, near the walls, choirs are arranged for readers and choirs. Near the choirs, banners or icons on silk cloth are placed, hung on gilded poles and looking like banners. As church banners, they are carried out by believers during religious processions. In cathedrals, as well as for the bishop's service, there is also a bishop's pulpit in the middle of the church, on which the bishops vest and stand at the beginning of the liturgy, during prayers and during some other church services.
The temple includes main (main) and auxiliary premises, the composition of which varies depending on the type of temple and local conditions. The main (main) rooms are, first of all, the altar, the middle part and the vestibule, to which are added the sacristy, sexton, choir, belfry or bell tower, if the bells are placed on the temple. There may be a mortuary and a baptismal room. Auxiliary premises include: an office, a rest room for clergy and clergy, a bakery, warehouses, toilets, technical rooms (ventilation chambers, electrical panels, etc.). Some premises for social and educational purposes may be built into the temple building: a hall for choir practice, a parochial school, etc. But the main (main) premises of the temple constitute the canonical church and must be clearly separated from the auxiliary premises.
2.1. Narthex
The entrance to the church is preceded by a porch - a platform in front of the entrance doors, to which several steps lead. This rise has the meaning of the elevation of the Church above the world “as a Kingdom not of this world.” A porch from a small porch can turn into a vast gallery - a walkway, so common in the 17th century.
The porch in ancient Russian churches was often lowered, since there were no catechumens, and the penitents (who had committed a grave sin and therefore were not allowed to attend the service) stood on the porch. However, later the construction of the vestibule was considered necessary. This is where the candle box is located - a counter for selling candles and ordering required items. Placing a church box in the church itself distracts worshipers and interferes with the service.
The porch also has a liturgical purpose. Here (if conditions exist) memorial services for the deceased are performed, since they are associated with the offering of various products that are not considered decent to bring into the temple. Parts of the evening service are served here, a cleansing prayer is given to the woman after forty days after giving birth; Here are people who consider themselves, for one reason or another, unworthy to enter the temple. The painting of the narthex consists of wall paintings on the themes of the paradise life of pristine people and their expulsion from paradise. There may also be icons here.
In the right wing or in both wings of the porch there is a candle box. In the left wing there is traditionally a staircase leading to the choir and bell tower. An entrance to the ground floor is provided from the vestibule.
An ancient rule prescribes that the vestibule be separated from the middle part of the temple by a wall with three gates, the middle of which are called red. Before the red gates, entering the temple, the Orthodox Greek kings took off their weapons and insignia. These gates are decorated on the outside with descending and tapering arches - “strait is the gate and narrow is the path of believers to (eternal) life,” but this rule is rarely observed today. The forms of the vestibule can be extremely varied.
The porch is also called the refectory. In the first centuries of Christianity, after the liturgy, a meal, the so-called love supper, was arranged from the remains of the brought bread and wine. This custom has been preserved in monasteries, where the monastic refectory is located in the vestibule. A large refectory - a vestibule - was made in northern Russian wooden churches. Community meetings of the entire churchyard were held here, where both the church and secular life of the parish were decided. In modern Western Orthodox churches there are vestibules designed in the form of a refectory - a large room separated by doors, preceding the church. Here parishioners meet for religious conversations and to discuss matters in the parish. A bell tower may rise above the porch.
In general, the options for placing bells at the temple are different. They can be located on free-standing bell towers and belfries. But a much larger number of temples in recent centuries had bells on the temple. Apparently, this is due to ease of use. Bells can be located above the vestibule: in a bell tower, in a closed or open belfry. A tall bell tower is preferable, as the sound travels further and in all directions. Bells can also be located above the middle part of the temple: “temple with ringings” and bells in the false chapters of a multi-domed temple.
2.2. Middle part of the temple
The middle part of the temple is the part that is located between the porch and the altar. Between the middle part and the altar there is an iconostasis. In the first centuries of Christianity, the church was separated from the altar only by a curtain or lattice. Subsequently, a separating wall with icons located on it appeared in the Orthodox church. The iconostasis was finally formed at the beginning of the 16th century. There are three doors in the iconostasis: northern, southern (called Dyakonovsky) - single-leaf and middle - double-leaf. The middle ones are called “royal doors”, since “the king of kings (Jesus Christ) comes” through them in the Holy Gifts during communion, “he will be sworn and given as food to the faithful.”
The iconostasis, like the altar, is located on an elevation in relation to the floor of the main temple. Solea is an elevated place in front of the iconostasis, extending deep into the entire altar. The solea is the second elevation of the temple above ground level after the porch. It includes only the clergy leading the service and selected laity, for example, those taking communion.
The height of the solea varies: from five or even seven steps in a cathedral to one in a small parish or monastery church. If the salt is high, then the clergy experience sufficient inconvenience when carrying out the Holy Gifts, but if it is low, then the service is difficult for parishioners to see.
The part of the solea, protruding in a semicircle towards the center of the temple opposite the royal doors, is called the pulpit. From the pulpit, the deacon reads the Gospel and proclaims litanies, the priest reads sermons. Here the sacrament of communion of believers is performed. The pulpit is a sacred place on the sole.
Opposite the northern and southern gates of the iconostasis there are places for readers and singers - choirs. There are two choirs, since some church hymns are sung alternately by two choirs: first on one choir, then on the other. The choirs are lateral extensions of the solea.
Solea and choirs (except for the pulpit) are usually fenced with bars. Banners and icons on poles are attached to the fences - church banners, symbolizing the victory of Christianity over the pagans, the Church over its enemies.
In cathedrals, the bishop's pulpit is constantly located, and in parish churches only when the bishop arrives. They place it in the center of the temple opposite the pulpit (a raised square platform). A seat - a pulpit - is placed on the bishop's pulpit. On this ambo the bishop vests himself (hence the “cloud” place) and stands at the beginning of the liturgy.
In front of the pulpit, closer to the center of the church, but before the bishop's pulpit, there is always a lectern (Fig. 4). This is a high, sloping table in one direction, on which an icon of a saint or holiday celebrated on a given day is placed.
In the middle part of the temple there is also an image of Golgotha in the form of a large wooden crucifix. If there are no proper conditions in the vestibule, then a table with a kanun is placed near the northern wall of the middle part - a quadrangular table with a cross and a stand for candles. Memorial services for the deceased are held here. In addition to permanent accessories, in the middle part of the temple there may be a baptismal font, a bowl of blessed water, etc.
In the western part of a fairly large temple there are choirs. During ceremonial services, the church choir sings here, and not in the choir. Choirs are often located above the narthex.
The church must have very good acoustics. Carefully thought out geometry of the internal space from an acoustic point of view is very important during worship. In Orthodox worship, polyphonic singing is of great importance. Everyone present at the church service sings. The priest, standing in front of the gates of the iconostasis, says a chant of prayers, and a deacon with a bass trumpet voice stands nearby. The priest and deacon conduct a singing dialogue with the choir located in the choir or choir. Part of the liturgy is announced from behind the closed gates of the wooden resonating iconostasis and the voice then comes from above, reflected from the vault. From time to time, a deacon or priest leads the liturgy from the middle of the church, standing at the sound focal point of the central dome. Parishioners can also pray with singing. The sound impression of an Orthodox church is completely different from the organ music of a Catholic church.
Good acoustics are achieved by the historically established geometry of the temple space and by finding such a height of the church that the singing sound has strength and resonance. The layout of the vaults and domes was determined by the beneficial effects of the sound space (the beneficial effects of the sound chamber). Through holes in the vaults were never made above the altar, choirs and choirs, so that the sound would not be lost.
The middle part of the temple is the actual temple for the parishioner. He is not allowed into the altar. The traditional design of the interior of the church helps the layman to concentrate, understand the service, and become more deeply imbued with faith. The wall paintings of the temple, the icons, together with the very action of the service (the singing of the choir, the reading of the readers, the exclamations of the deacon, the prayers of the priest) constitute a single, integral image of God’s world, asking for the salvation of the entire earthly world.
All the walls of the Orthodox canonical church are covered with paintings (see Fig. 1). The vault represents Heaven and God, the floor is the earthly world. Heaven and earth are not opposed to each other, but with the help of painting they inextricably merge into a single world of worshipers. Options for painting the temple may vary slightly. The approximate order of the images is described below.
In the center of the dome is the image of the Lord Pantocrator (Pantocrator). Below him, along the edge of the dome sphere, are the seraphim, the forces of God. Eight archangels with insignia are written in the dome drum. In the sails under the dome are four evangelists with their symbols. Then along the northern and southern walls, from top to bottom (in rows), saints, saints and martyrs are depicted. The paintings do not reach the floor, leaving space for panels the height of a person. They often depict white towels decorated with ornaments. These panels symbolically equate to the lower rank of saints all living people and, therefore, those who have hope of salvation. Scenes from the history of the New and Old Testaments are also depicted on the northern and southern walls. The space between individual paintings and images of saints is filled with an ornament with images of the plant world, such elements as crosses in a circle and a rhombus, octagonal stars, etc. Images of saints and martyrs, the most revered in a given parish, are painted on the pillars. If, in addition to the central dome, there are other domes in the temple, images of the Cross, the Mother of God, the All-Seeing Eye in a triangle, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove are painted on them.
On the western wall of the middle part of the temple there are paintings calling for faith in God - “The Salvation of Drowning Peter”, “Christ and the Sinner”; above the entrance, red gate, there is a picture of the Last Judgment, as a reminder to those leaving the temple of God’s punishment.
The painting of the iconostasis allows one to understand the entire history of the Church. The arrangement of the icons may vary somewhat, but the general order is maintained (Fig. 5).
Rice. 5. Scheme of a complete five-row iconostasis
The Annunciation and the four evangelists are depicted on the royal doors; on the side doors there is an archangel and one of the deacons appointed by the apostles (usually Archdeacon Stephen). In the first row from the bottom on the sides of the royal doors there are icons: on the right is the image of the Savior, on the left is the Mother of God. Next to the icon of the Savior is the main icon of the temple, the icon of the saint in whose honor the throne was consecrated. In the second row above the royal doors there is an icon of the Last Supper, and on both sides there are images of the twelve most important holidays.
In the third row there are icons of the holy apostles and among them is the “Deesis” (an image of the Lord and the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist praying to him). In the fourth row, in the center, icons of the holy prophets are placed, in the center - an icon of the Mother of God with the Child. The last fifth row consists of images of the patriarchs and in the middle - the Lord of Hosts with the Divine Son. The iconostasis is usually crowned with a cross with a crucifix and the Mother of God and John the Baptist standing on either side.
Thus, the five rows of the complete iconostasis consistently describe the entire history of man’s knowledge of God: from the predictions of the forefathers and prophets (top two rows) to reminders of the life of Christ and the apostles (second and third row from the bottom). The bottom row with local and temple icons faces the present day of the temple. In the center of the iconostasis, from the upper cross to the royal doors and local icons, through all the rows there is an image of Jesus Christ in different forms. This axis clearly records to whom the Christian temple is dedicated and for whom it is intended to glorify (Fig. 6).
The iconostasis can also be incomplete, that is, consisting of a smaller number of rows, depending on the size and style of the temple (Fig. 7). The most common are single-row (Fig. 8) and three-row iconostases (Fig. 9).
Rice. 6. Scheme of the iconostasis
The temple is illuminated by three types of lamps: windows, lamps and candles. The liturgical charter provides for in some cases the lighting of all lamps, in others - almost their complete extinguishing. Thus, when reading the Six Psalms at the all-night vigil, it is necessary to extinguish the candles, except for the candles in the middle of the temple (where the reader stands) and in front of the three icons of the iconostasis: Christ, the Mother of God and the temple icon. But on holidays and at Sunday services, all the lamps are lit. Between services, a gloomy twilight prevails in the temple.
The light in the temple is a symbol of Divine light. The example is the twilight of a Byzantine temple, where “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Therefore, it is preferable to have narrow windows in the temple. Small spots of natural light, sifted through bars of regular or colored glass, are thoughtfully introduced into the interior. There are no large, representative stained glass windows on the windows, unlike Catholic churches. It is recommended to have five windows on each wall.
The two upper ones mean the light of Jesus Christ, cognizable in two hypostases, the three lower ones mean the trinitarian light of the deity.
Rice. 7. Scheme of a small single-row iconostasis
Rice. 8. Single-row iconostasis
In the center of the church, a chandelier descends from the dome - a large lamp with more than twelve candles (electric lamps in the form of candles are now allowed). According to the Church Charter, during Sunday and holiday services, all lamps are lit, including the chandelier, creating an image of God’s light that will shine on the faithful in the Kingdom of Heaven. With its many lights, the chandelier symbolically means the Heavenly Church as a constellation, a collection of people sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, burning with the fire of love for God.
Rice. 9. Three-row iconostasis
From the side domes descend polycadils - lamps from seven to twelve candles. Lamps are lit in front of each icon; for those who are especially revered, several are lit.
The living, moving light of candles is the opposite of dead electric light. Flickering candles increase the mood of mystery of the temple. When electricity spread, at first they tried to ban it in the temple, but now in churches, lamps and chandeliers are usually electric. They are imitated as candles and oil lamps: lamps in the shape of candles, glass lamps in dark red or matte white.
Candles still occupy a special place in the temple. The candles that believers buy in the temple symbolize a person’s voluntary sacrifice to God, this is an expression of obedience to God (the softness of the wax), a testimony of faith, and it is a symbol of a person’s involvement in the Divine light. Candles brought by parishioners are placed in large candlesticks with cells in front of the icons. A large candlestick is always placed in the center of the temple on the eastern side of the lectern. The leaders of the service come out with lit candles.
2.3. Altar
The altar is the most important part of the temple, accessible only to church and clergy (Fig. 10).
The altar is elevated in relation to the floor of the middle part of the temple and is on the same level with the salt, separated from it by the iconostasis. In the altar on the iconostasis behind the royal doors, a long curtain is attached on rings.
In the center of the altar, opposite the royal doors, there is a throne. The throne is the most sacred accessory of the temple; only clergy can touch it. It is as if God himself is invisibly present on it. Here the consecration of the Holy Gifts takes place during communion. The throne is a quadrangular table about one meter high. It is made from wood (usually oak), marble, silver, and gold. It rests on four pillars; during bishop's consecration, sometimes a fifth pillar is made in the middle with an empty space for a box with relics.
Rice. 10. Scheme of the altar and temple salts:
1. Altar:
1.1 – throne; 1.2 – altar; 1.3 – Mountain place; 1.4 – altarpiece; 1.5 – seven-branched candlestick; 1.6 – external Cross; 1.7 – external icon of the Mother of God; 1.8 – lectern; 1.9 – resting place for a clergyman; 1.10 – table for vestments; 1.11 – cabinet (safe) for vessels and liturgical books; 1.12 – exhaust channel for the censer; 1.13 – switch for the temple chandelier, general lighting of the altar and local lighting of the altar; 1.14 – plug socket; 1.15 – washbasin; 1.16 – place for remote candles; 1.17 – clothes hanger
2. Iconostasis:
2.1 – “Royal Doors”; 2.2 – northern deacon doors; 2.3 – southern deacon doors
3. Solea with choirs:
3.1 – pulpit; 3.2 – salt fence; 3.3 – lectern of the regent; 3.4 – local lighting switch; 3.5 – cabinet for liturgical books; 3.6 – icon case; 3.7 – candlestick; 3.8 – place for banners
The throne (Fig. 11) is covered with two clothes (bedspreads).
On it there is an antimension, a cross, a Gospel, a monstrance, and a myrrh. Particular significance is attributed to the antimension, a silk plate with holy relics sewn into it. When the temple is consecrated, the antimension is brought into the church and placed on the altar. It is the presence of the antimension that makes the temple active and the throne sacred.
The throne is the third elevation in the temple after the porch and solea.
He personifies eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. There are two main ideas associated with the throne:
1. About the death of Christ (Holy Sepulcher).
2. About the royal glory of the Almighty (throne of God).
Rice. 11. Throne
A canopy or ciborium is usually installed above the throne, personifying the sky stretched over the earth on which the redemptive feat of Jesus Christ was accomplished. Inside the ciborium, from its middle, a figurine of a dove descends to the throne - a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The ciborium is arranged on four pillars, less often it is suspended from the ceiling. In the ciboria, curtains are made to cover the throne on all sides in the spaces between the pillars.
The place between the altar and the eastern wall of the altar is called the High Place. In cathedrals and in many parish churches, close to the middle of the apse, opposite the throne, they build an elevation on which stands a chair for the bishop as a sign of the throne on which the Pantocrator sits. On the sides of the chair there are benches for the clergy serving the bishop. This may not be the case in parish churches, but this place is always the personification of the Heavenly Throne. They burn incense in the high place, light candles and lamps.
In front of the High Place behind the throne there is a seven-branched candlestick, symbolizing the invisible heavenly light emanating from the throne. On the sides of the seven-branched candlestick it is customary to place on the shafts external icons of the Mother of God (north side) and the Cross with the image of the Crucifixion of Christ (south side).
On the left side of the altar, opposite the northern door, there is the second most important accessory of the altar - the altar (Fig. 12). The altar is a quadrangular table, equal in height to the throne, but smaller in width. He is also covered with clothes. Here prosphoras and liturgies are prepared for their subsequent consecration on the throne. The altar represents the cave and manger where Jesus Christ was born, as well as the heavenly throne where Jesus Christ ascended. Near the altar there is a table for prosphoras and notes for health and repose given by believers.
Rice. 12. Altar
To the right of the throne, near the wall, there is a table on which lie the robes of the clergy, prepared for worship. In front of the altar, to the right of the royal gate, at the southern door of the altar, a chair for the bishop is placed. To the left or right of the altar in the altar there is also a washbasin for washing the hands of the clergy before the liturgy and washing the lips after it.
The altar painting is not canonically permanent. Here is the most common order. Cherubs are painted in the altar vaults. In the upper part of the apse there is an image of the Mother of God “The Sign” or “The Unbreakable Wall” (derived from the painting of Sophia of Kyiv). The middle and central part of the semicircle is the Last Supper (a reminder of the establishment of the rite of Holy Communion) or the image of Christ Pantocrator on the throne (the importance of the throne and the High Place is emphasized as the personification of the heavenly throne of Jesus Christ). To the right of the center are placed on the northern wall images of the Archangel Michael, the Nativity of Jesus Christ (above the altar), then the holy liturgists (John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory the Great), at the end - the image of the prophet David with a harp. To the left of the High Place along the southern wall follow the images of the Archangel Gabriel, the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, images of liturgists or ecumenical teachers, at the end the singers of the New Testament - John of Damascus, Roman the Sweet Singer, etc.
Three windows (signifies the trinitarian light of the Divine);
Two times three windows;
Three and two windows (where two are the two natures of Jesus Christ);
Four windows (four evangelists).
The shape of the altar corresponds to the movement of the priest as he walks around the altar, and is preferably “semicircular or with several sides.” There are altars with a semicircle, square, or octagonal sector in plan.
2.4. Side chapels
A chapel is an additional church (with its own altar) built next to the main church. “The need for chapels arose in connection with the Eastern custom of serving only one liturgy per day on one altar. Additional chapels made it possible to serve twice and thrice.” The presence of chapels makes it possible to perform several services simultaneously and with varying degrees of solemnity. Genetically, the chapel is a separate church adjacent to the main temple. The instructions of the Stoglavy Cathedral (1551) have been preserved: churches that are empty and without clergy should be taken to the main churchyard and turned into chapels at existing churches.
The chapel consists of a middle part and an altar, which should face east. The canon prescribes that each chapel should be marked with a chapter with a cross. In ancient times, there was a mandatory requirement to separate the aisle from the main church by a door, and now the space of the aisle must be sufficiently separated from the space of the main temple. The sacristy and sexton, and other service premises are often made uniform for the entire church.
The church canon prescribed that each altar should have its own cross and, therefore, each altar should be marked with its own head. This rule was not always followed in practice. For example, a three-altar church could be designed as a five-domed cross-domed church.
2.5. Utility rooms of the temple
On both sides of the altar there are two auxiliary rooms: the northern one is the sexton and the southern one is the deaconry. Sometimes they occupy two side apses on the sides of the altar apse, but smaller in size.
The sacristy, or deaconry, is usually a room separate from the altar, where sacred vessels, vestments of the clergy, and liturgical books are kept during non-liturgical times. Along the walls there are deep cabinets with sliding walls. The sacristy and sexton will have sinks for hand washing. In multi-altar churches, as well as when it is necessary to build a very large sacristy, more complex solutions are possible. Thus, in multi-altar churches of the late 19th century, the sacristy and sexton were often located in the wraparound gallery behind the main altar.
The sexton in early Christian times was intended for storing gifts for the benefit of the community and preparing items for the liturgy, since it was here that the altar was located. Subsequently, the altar began to be placed in the altar. Now the sexton serves to prepare clergy and clergy for the service. The sexton is a room for storing and preparing auxiliary means for worship, has a separate exit directly to the street and is connected to the ground floor by a spiral staircase.
Pokoinitskaya - “a chapel for the dead, in which a coffin can be placed and where memorial services can be served. Given the existence of the deceased, the coffin has to be placed in the church only for one funeral liturgy.”
Altar - the most important part of the temple, inaccessible to the laity (Fig. 3.4). A place of sacred rites, the most important of which is the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
Already in Ancient Greece, in places of public meetings there was a special elevation intended for speeches by orators and philosophers. It was called " bima", and this word meant the same as the Latin alta ara – elevated place, elevation. The name given to the most important part of the temple shows that from the very first centuries of Christianity altar was built on a platform elevated in relation to other parts of the temple. Therefore, the altar, as a rule, is placed on a raised platform with one or several steps, each 0.12-0.15 m high.
According to ancient tradition, the altar in Orthodox churches is located on the eastern side and is an apse; it can be built in or attached to the middle part of the temple. In churches with a capacity of up to 300 people, as a rule, there is one altar. In churches of larger capacity, according to design instructions, several altars can be installed in the aisles. If several altars are installed in a temple, each of them is consecrated in memory of a special event or saint. Then all the altars, except the main one, are called chapels or chapels . There are also two-story temples, each floor of which can have several aisles.
Figure 3.4. Altar diagram
The dimensions of the altar and its utility rooms, depending on the functional purpose of the temple and its capacity, are established by the design assignment. The depth of the altar in small, house churches and chapels should be at least 3.0 m, and in other churches at least 4.0 m. At the altars of churches with a capacity of over 300 people, as a rule, utility rooms (sacristies and sacristies) with an area of from 4 to 12 m2. IN sacristy In addition to liturgical clothes, liturgical books, incense, candles, wine and prosphora for the next service and other items necessary for worship and various requirements are stored. Due to the great variety and diversity of things stored in sacristy, it is rarely concentrated in one specific place. Sacred vestments are usually stored in special cabinets, books on shelves, and other items in drawers of tables and bedside tables. Entrances to them are organized from the altar; In this case, the installation of doors is not necessary. As a rule, window openings are installed in the altar, and the central one, oriented to the east, is often replaced by an altarpiece illuminated by an artificial light source. When placing window openings in the upper part of the altar apse, the central window can be located above the altarpiece. Miscellaneous number of windows in the altar symbolizes the following:
Three windows (or two times three: above and below) – uncreated Trinity light of the Divine.
Three at the top and two at the bottom - Trinity light And two natures Lord Jesus Christ.
Four window - Four Gospels.
There should be a square altar in the center of the altar , where the Sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated . The throne is a wooden (sometimes marble or metal) table supported on four “pillars” (i.e. legs, the height of which is 98 centimeters, and with a table top – 1 meter) , around which, as a rule, a circular path should be left with a distance from the throne to the altarpiece (High Place) of at least 0.9 m. It is located opposite Royal Doors(the gate located in the center of the iconostasis) at a distance of at least 1.3 m and is the holiest place of the temple, the place where Christ is truly present in a special way in Holy Gifts. Close to the Throne, on its eastern (far side, when viewed from the temple), is usually placed seven-branched candlestick, representing a lamp divided into seven branches, on which there are seven lamps, lit during worship. These lamps symbolize the seven Churches that John the Theologian saw in Revelation, and the seven Sacraments of the Orthodox Church.
In the north-eastern part of the altar, to the left of the Throne (as seen from the temple), there is an altar against the wall . By external device altar in almost everything it is similar to the Throne (Fig. 3.5). First of all, this applies to sizes altar, which are either the same size as the Throne or slightly smaller. Height altar always equal to the height of the Throne. Name altar This place of the altar was given because the proskomedia, the first part of the Divine Liturgy, is celebrated on it, where bread in the form of prosphoras and wine are prepared in a special way for the celebration of the Sacrament of the Bloodless Sacrifice.
Figure 3.5. Altar
Gorneye
(glory, elevated) place is a place near the central part of the eastern wall of the altar, located directly opposite the Throne, where a chair (throne) for the bishop is built on some elevation, symbolizing Heavenly Throne, on which the Lord is invisibly present, and on its sides, but below, benches or seats for priests are arranged. In ancient times it was called " co-throne».
Behind the High Place in the altars of cathedrals, circular walks can be arranged (Fig. 3.6). 
Entrances to the altar must be organized from the middle part of the temple through the doors and the Royal Doors in the iconostasis, and the installation of thresholds is not allowed. The arrangement of the entrance to the altar directly from the outside is in some cases functionally convenient, but undesirable from the point of view of the symbolism of the altar as an image of Paradise, where only the “faithful” standing in the middle part of the temple can enter.
Figure 3.6. Mountain place
Iconostasis - a special partition with icons standing on it, separating the altar from the middle part of the temple. Already in the catacomb temples of Ancient Rome there were bars separating the space of the altar from the middle part of the temple. Appeared in their place in the process of development of Orthodox temple building iconostasis is an improvement and deepening of this tradition.
1. Local row
2. Festive row
3. Deesis series
4. Prophetic series
5. Forefathers' row
6. Top (Cross or Golgotha)
7. Icon “Last Supper”
8. Icon of the Savior
9. Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary
10. Local icon
11. Icon “Savior in Power” or “Savior on the Throne”
12. Royal Doors
13. Deacon's (northern) gate
14. Deacon's (southern) gate
The bottom row of the iconostasis includes three gates (or doors), which have their own names and functions.
Figure 3.5. Scheme of filling a five-tier iconostasis
Royal Doors- double-leaf, largest gates - are located in the middle of the iconostasis and are called so because through them the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, King of Glory, passes invisibly in the Holy Sacrament. Through Royal Doors no one except clergy, and then only at certain moments of the service, is allowed to enter. Behind Royal Doors, inside the altar, hanging veil(catapetasma), which withdraws and retracts at moments determined by the Charter and generally marks the veil of mystery covering the shrines of God. On Royal Doors icons are depicted Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the four Apostles who wrote the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke And John. Above them is an image of the Last Supper. , which also indicates that behind the Royal Doors in the altar the same thing is happening that happened in the Upper Room of Zion. An icon of the Savior is always placed to the right of the Royal Doors , and to the left of Royal Doors - icon of the Mother of God.
Deacon's (side) gate located:
1. To the right of the icon of the Savior - south door, which depicts either archangel Michael , or Archdeacon Stefan, or the high priest Aaron.
2. To the left of the icon of the Mother of God - north door, which depicts either the Archangel Gabriel , either Deacon Philip (Archdeacon Lawrence) or Prophet Moses.
The side doors are called deacon doors because deacons most often pass through them. To the right of the southern door are icons of especially revered saints. First to the right of image Savior , between it and the image on the southern door there should always be a temple icon, i.e., an icon holiday or saint , in whose honor consecrated temple.
The entire set of icons of the first tier makes up the so-called local row, which is called so because it contains a local icon , that is, an icon of a holiday or saint in whose honor the temple was built.
Figure 3.8. An example of a classic iconostasis
Iconostases are usually arranged in several tiers, i.e. rows, each of which is formed from icons of a certain content:
1. The second tier contains icons of the most important twelve holidays , depicting those sacred events that served to save people (festive series).
2. Third (deesis) a number of icons have as their center the image of Christ Pantocrator , sitting on the throne. On His right hand is depicted the Blessed Virgin Mary, begging Him for the forgiveness of human sins, on the left hand of the Savior is the image of the preacher of repentance John the Baptist . These three icons are called deisis - prayer (colloquial Deesis) On both sides of the deisis – icons of the apostles .
3. In the center of the fourth (prophetic) row of the iconostasis depicts the Mother of God with the Child of God . On both sides of Her are depicted those who foreshadowed Her and the Redeemer born of Her, the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, David, Solomon and others).
4. In the center of the fifth (ancestral) row of the iconostasis, where this row is located, the image of the Lord of Hosts, God the Father, is often placed , on one side of which are placed the images of the forefathers (Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Noah), and on the other - the saints (i.e. saints who, during the years of their earthly service, had the rank of bishop).
5. Always built on the top tier pommel: or Calvary(Cross with Crucifixion as the pinnacle of Divine love for the fallen world), or simply the Cross .
This is a traditional iconostasis device. But there are often others where, for example, the festive series may be higher than deisis, or there may not be any at all.
In addition to the iconostasis, icons are placed on the walls of the temple, in large icon cases, that is, in special large frames, and are also located on lecterns, that is, on special high narrow tables with an inclined surface.
Middle part of the temple,
as its name implies, it is located between the altar and the vestibule. Since the altar is not completely limited by the iconostasis, some of it is “carried out” beyond the altar partition. This part is an elevated platform relative to the level of the rest of the temple and is called salting(Greek elevation in the middle of the temple). width, as a rule, not less than 1.2 m, raised by one or several steps in relation to the floor level of the middle part of the temple. The floor level of the solea must coincide with the floor level of the altar. In such a device salts there is an amazing meaning. The altar does not actually end with the iconostasis, but comes out from under it towards the people: for those praying, during the service the same thing is done as is done in the altar. In churches with a capacity of more than 300 people, the soleya usually has a decorative lattice fence with opening parts opposite the doorways of the iconostasis. The width of each sash must be at least 0.8 m. 
Figure 3.9. Middle part of the temple, interior
Opposite the Royal Doors, the soleia, as a rule, has a protrusion (pulpit) of a multifaceted or semicircular shape with a radius of the upper step of 0.5 - 1.0 m. C pulpit the priest pronounces the most significant words when performing the service, as well as the sermon. Symbolic meanings pulpit the following: the mountain from which Christ preached. On the sides of the solea, as a rule, choirs are arranged to accommodate church choirs. Their width is taken depending on the capacity of the temple, but must be at least 2.0 m. Choirs, as a rule, are separated from the middle part of the temple by icon cases facing the middle part of the temple. If it is impossible to place church choirs on the sole or on the mezzanine, fenced platforms can be arranged for them in the middle part of the temple, as a rule, if there are central pillars - on their eastern side.
Near choirs banners are put up – icons painted on cloth and attached, like altarpieces of the Cross and the Mother of God, to long shafts. Some churches have choirs - a balcony or loggia, usually on the west, less often on the south or north side. In the central part of the temple, at the top point of the dome, a large lamp with many lamps (in the form of candles or in other forms) is suspended on massive chains (in the form of candles or in other forms) - a chandelier, or chandelier. Usually the chandelier is made in the form of one or several stylized rings, and can be richly ornamented, decorated with “tablets” - iconographic images. In the domes of the side aisles, similar lamps of smaller sizes, called polycandiles, are hung. Policandils have from seven (symbolizing the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit) to twelve (symbolizing the 12 apostles) lamps, chandeliers - more than twelve.
In the middle part of the temple it is considered obligatory to have an image of Golgotha , representing a large wooden Cross with the Savior Crucified on it. Usually it is made life-size, that is, the height of a person, and eight-pointed. The lower end of the Cross is fixed on a stand in the form of a stone hill, on which the skull and bones of the progenitor Adam are depicted. On the right side of the Crucified One is placed the image of the Mother of God, fixing Her gaze on Christ, on the left side is the image of John the Theologian or the image of Mary Magdalene . Crucifixion during the days of Great Lent it moves to the middle of the temple.
Behind the vestment place in the western wall of the temple there are double doors , or red gate , leading from the middle part of the temple to the vestibule. They are the main entrance to the church. In addition to the western, red gate, the temple may also have two entrances in the north And southern walls, but this does not always happen.
Narthex - third entrance part of the temple . The vestibules can serve as an entrance vestibule. In climatic regions I, II, III and climatic subregion III, a vestibule should be provided at the main entrance. At additional entrances serving as evacuation entrances, vestibules may not be provided. The width of the vestibules must exceed the width of the doorway by at least 0.15 m on each side, and the depth of the vestibules must exceed the width of the door leaf by at least 0.2 m.
The installation of thresholds with a height of more than 2 cm in the doorways of the vestibules is not allowed for unhindered entry and exit, especially during the Procession of the Cross.
The width of the openings for the main entrances to the temple should be determined depending on its capacity in order to ensure the unhindered exit of people from the temple during the procession. The clear width of the doorway is recommended to be at least 1.2 m, the width of the free passage of internal doors - at least 1.0 m.
External staircases must have a minimum width of 2.2 m, and platforms with a height from ground level of more than 0.45 m, located at the entrances to temples, must have fences no less than 0.9 m high.
Also, the vestibule can be developed with the addition of a refectory section, providing additional accommodation for parishioners. One or more chapels of the temple may be adjacent to the refectory part. Narthex s The width is usually narrower than the western wall of the temple; they are often built into the bell tower if it is adjacent to the temple. Sometimes width porch the same as the width of the western wall.
In the vestibules there should be candle kiosks, if possible isolated from the prayer rooms of the temple (the refectory and the temple itself), places for holding custom services (for example, prayer services, memorial services), as well as utility rooms: staff rooms, cleaning equipment rooms, storerooms, wardrobes for parishioners' outerwear and others in accordance with the design assignment.
If there is a wardrobe for outerwear, the number of hooks is determined by the design assignment, but must be at least 10% of the capacity of the temple. 
Figure 3.10. Layout diagram of the parish church
1 - porch with dressing room; 2 - staircase to the bell tower; 3 - guard's quarters; 4 - Utility room; 5 - a vestibule with a “church box”; 6 - icon shop; 7 - pantry; 8 - baptismal; 9 - changing room; 10 - staff quarters; 11 - confessional (required); 12 - refectory part; 13 - middle part of the temple; 14 - altar; 15 - a bad name; 16 - sacristy; 17 - soleya with pulpit; 18 - choir; 19 - aisle; 20 - chapel altar; 21 - ponamarka with the sacristy; 22 - soleya with pulpit
A bell tower or belfry can be built above the vestibules.
The entrance to the vestibule is provided from an open or covered area - a porch, rising above ground level by at least 0.45 m.
There should be space on the porch for coffin lids and wreaths.
