Who recreates the holy faces. The faces of holiness in the Orthodox Church

For a person who has recently come to church or is simply looking at it with interest from afar, there are many incomprehensible phenomena and concepts. As an example, a large number of venerated saints - and for some reason one is a monk, and the other is simply a saint, one is a passion-bearer, and the other is a martyr. To distinguish them will help our summary list of the faces of holiness that exist in Orthodoxy.

The veneration of saints has been established in Christianity since ancient times. The original cult extends to the apostles and martyrs, as well as to the Old Testament saints— forefathers and prophets. In the most ancient period, the veneration of the primates of local churches, as saints,— first within the local churches, and then as a general church cult. Historical development also leads to the emergence of other categories of saints, the veneration of which is organically included in the general cult (Fragments from the book "Holiness. Concise Dictionary hagiographic terms. Zhivov V.M. ", furtherfragments from his bookhighlightedin italics).

Apostles (Greek ἀ πόστολος - ambassador, messenger) - these are the closest disciples of Jesus Christ, whom He sent to preach during His earthly life; and after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them, they preached the Christian faith in all countries. There were at first twelve, then Christ chose seventy more.

Two of the apostles, Peter and Paul, are called first-rate, since they worked harder than others in preaching Christ's faith. The four Apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the Evangelist, who wrote the Gospel, are called Evangelicals.

Forefathers (Greek προπάτωρ) - a category of Old Testament saints revered by the Christian Church as executors of the will of God in sacred history before the New Testament era. The forefathers also include the righteous Godfathers Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Mother of God, and the righteous Joseph, the betrothed of the Mother of God.

Prophets (Greek προφήτης) - the category of Old Testament saints, revered by the Christian Church as heralds of the will of God, predicting the coming of Christ. In the Holy Scripture, the Old Testament patriarchs Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses are called prophets. John the Baptist appears as the last of the prophets.

Equal to Apostolic (Greek Ισαπόστολος) - a saint, especially famous for the evangelism of the Gospel and the conversion of nations to the Christian faith. The Church applies this name to Saint Mary Magdalene as a co-worker of the apostles, to the holy emperor Constantine and his mother Helena, to the enlighteners of the Slavs Cyril and Methodius, to the holy prince Vladimir and the great princess Saint Olga, who baptized the Russian land.

Veneration saints in modern form began with the veneration of the martyrs who witnessed the truth of Christianity with their blood; with the end of the persecution, they also began to recognize as saints those who, not having received the martyr's crown, became famous for their labors and piety (primarily hermits and monks).

Today the face of the saints is all the righteous, saints, martyrs, confessors, noble princes, for Christ's sake, holy fools, saints, prophets and apostles, evangelists.

Saint - a saint who attained holiness on the path of hierarchical service by righteous pastorship and a blameless life, by righteous death who fulfilled the Providence of God for the Church in her movement towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Among the especially revered saints are Basil the Great (379), Gregory the Theologian (389), Gregory of Nyssa (c. 394), John Chrysostom (407), and Nicholas the Wonderworker (c. 345). The first Russian saint is St. Leonty, the third bishop of Rostov (c. 1077).

The doctrine of the multiplicity of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (i.e., the diversity of forms of holiness) was formulated at the very beginning of Christian history. The Apostle Paul wrote: “To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; faith to another, by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; to another miracles, another prophecy, another discernment of spirits, another different languages, another interpretation of tongues. Yet one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each separately, as he pleases "(1 Cor. 12.8-11)."

Martyr (Greek μάρτυς - witness) - a person who accepted torment and death for confessing faith in Jesus Christ, having testified to his faith by blood. The first martyr in the highest sense was Jesus Christ Himself, consenting to sacrifice Himself for human sins, who gave the highest evidence of loyalty to the saving mission entrusted to Him by the Father. The first Christian martyr (first martyr) was the archdeacon and apostle Stephen of 70 (c. 33-36).

Great martyr(Greek μεγαλόμαρτυρ) - a martyr who endured especially cruel and prolonged torment and at the same time showed extreme firmness in faith. Singling out the great martyrs from the whole multitude of martyrs venerated by the Church emphasizes the significance of this kind of feat.

The modern calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church includes such names of the great martyr as: George the Victorious (303), Panteleimon the Healer (305), Demetrius of Thessaloniki (c. 306) and the Great Martyr Anastasia the Patterner (c. 304).

Priest (Greek άγιομάρτυς) - holy martyrs who belonged to the sacred order (deacon, priest or episcopal). The martyrs constitute a special face of the saints. Although at the Liturgy they are remembered together with other martyrs, there are services for the holy martyr and the holy martyrs.

Famous hieromartyrs include Ignatius the God-bearer, Bishop of Antioch (107); of the Russian saints - Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1612), Kuksha of the Caves (+ after 1114). In our region, one can single out, in particular, sshmch. Dimitri Apansky (Nerovetsky) (1919).

Rev. (Greek όσιομάρτυς) - a martyr who belongs to the number of monastics. Pmchch. constitute a special face of the saints, since there are corresponding services to them. Among the Russian saints, they include Gregory, PMC. Pechersky, resting in the Near Anthony Caves (1093).

Passionate- the name of Christian martyrs who accepted martyrdom not for the name of Christ, but because of the anger and deceit of people. The main thing in the feat of passion-bearers is good-naturedness and non-resistance to enemies. The holy noble princes Boris and Gleb (1015), the last Russian emperor Nicholas II and members of his family (1918) are Passion Bearers.

Confessors (Greek ὁ μολογητής) - a special face of the saints in Orthodoxy, glorified by the Church for the open expression of their faith during persecution; among the confessors were those Christians who, having endured torture, remained, in contrast to the martyrs, alive. In Ancient Russia, Maxim the Confessor (662) was especially known and revered; in the Cathedral of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky) was glorified as confessors.

With the establishment of Christianity as a state religion, new forms of holiness naturally appear. In this context, the veneration of noble kings and queens arises, and with the development of monasticism - the veneration of saints. According to Christian views, the process of discovering new forms of holiness is inexhaustible and continues to this day.

Unmercenary(Greek άνάργυρος) - a saint, especially famous for his selflessness, refusal of wealth for the sake of his faith. This name is adopted in the Orthodox tradition primarily by Sts. Cosma and Damian, brothers who suffered as martyrs in the second half of the 3rd century.

Faithful (Greek εὐ σεβής) - a ruler (prince, king), famous for his piety, mercy and concern for strengthening the Christian faith and canonized by the Church. For example, the holy Prince Alexander Nevsky (1263) belongs to the faithful.

Blissful (Greek μαχάριος) - in the 19th century. In Russia, this epithet was applied to saints venerated in other Christian confessions, in those cases when their veneration was established before the division of the churches and thus is recognized by the Orthodox Church. Blessed Augustine (430) is glorified in the face. In ancient Russia, the name "blessed" was applied to holy fools, as in the case of St. Basil the Blessed.

Reverend - a person who acquired holiness on the path of monastic asceticism. In Russia, the organizers of monastic life, the founders of lavras and monasteries, such as Anthony (1073) and Theodosius (1074) of the Caves, Sergius of Radonezh (1392), Seraphim of Sarov (1833), are especially honored in Russia.

Anthony the Great (+ 356) and Ephraim the Syrian (+ c. 373-379) were the first saints in the Christian church who were glorified precisely for their monastic deed.

Righteous - a person who has achieved holiness in the world, in the usual conditions of family and social life. Such are in the Old Testament - Noah, Joa; in the New Testament - Joseph the Betrothed, Joachim and Anna; of the Russian saints - John of Kronstadt (1909).

Stylites (Greek στυλίτης) - saints who chose a special deed for themselves - standing on a pillar and concentrating on constant prayer. Venerable St. Simeon (c. 459). Of the Russian ascetics, St. Nikita Pereyaslavsky (1186) and Savva Vishersky (1461).

Miracle worker (Greek θαυματουργός) - an epithet of a number of saints who were especially famous for the gift of miracles, intercessors, who are resorted to in the hope of miraculous healing. Wonderworkers are not a special class of saints, since, in principle, all saints have the gift of working miracles, and witnessed miracles are the main condition for canonization. Among the wonderworkers venerated by the Russian Church, one can note St. Nicholas of Lycia (c. 345) and the Monk Anthony the Roman (1147).

Foolish (glorious mad) - an ascetic who portrays a madman for the sake of rejecting "the wisdom of this world", which "is madness before God" (1 Cor. 3:19). This kind of asceticism is a radical means of destroying pride in oneself. The most famous holy fools were Procopius of Ustyug (1303) and Vasily the Blessed of Moscow (1557).

Sources:

1. Holiness. A short dictionary of hagiographic terms. Zhivov V.M.
2. Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk. Church protocol. - M .: Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2007.

In church literature, in particular, in the lives of saints, images of holiness are often mentioned. These are the categories into which the Orthodox Church assigns saints during glorification and veneration. This typology is based on the features for which the saints became famous during their lifetime. We have prepared a list of faces of holiness, in alphabetical order, and gave examples of the Athonite saints.

Icon of all saints

The apostles (ap., From the Greek “messengers”) are the disciples of Jesus Christ who witnessed His sermons, as they accompanied Him. Initially there were 12 of them, then - 70 more. After the descent of the Holy Spirit on them, they began to preach Christianity throughout the earth. On the Holy Mountain, for example, in honor of one of the 12 apostles - Andrew, the St. Andrew's skete is named.

The Apostles Peter and Paul are called the Apostles for their especially significant role in preaching Christ's faith. On Athos, on July 12, the Panigir Monastery Karakal is celebrated, the main cathedral of which was erected in honor of the holy apostles Peter and Paul.

The four apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the Evangelist, are called Evangelists, since they wrote the Gospel.

Unmercenaries (uninterrupted) - saints who became famous for their selflessness, often, a complete rejection of wealth in the name of faith. Many of them healed the sick for free. For example, the holy Great Martyr Panteleimon was also unmercenary, whose head is kept on Holy Mount Athos in a monastery named after him.

The faithful (blgv.) - monarchs and princes who are canonized for their pious life, deeds to strengthen the church and faith. St. Panteleimon Monastery celebrates a special holiday - the Cathedral of All Holy Russian Sovereigns, on July 28, which includes the holy noble princes and princesses.

Blessed (holy fools) (blzh., Blessed.) - saints who, under the image of the insane, enduring reproaches from others, denounced the vices of people, consoled the desperate, admonished the rulers.

The Great Martyrs (great martyr, vlkmch.) Are saints who died for the faith of Christ after the severe sufferings to which their tormentors subjected them. For example, the aforementioned great martyr Panteleimon.

Confessors (Spanish, Spanish) are martyrs who endured torment, but died peacefully. For example, the Athonite Saint Maximus the Confessor.

Martyrs (mch.) - saints who accepted cruel torture and death for the faith of Christ. For example, St. martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia. For example, the Athonite saints Martyr Constantine Athonite, Martyr Constantine of Rhodes, Martyr George of Athos and others.

The first martyrs were Archdeacon Stephen and Saint Thekla. They are called the first martyrs. On the Holy Mountain, the Konstamonit monastery was consecrated in honor of the Holy First Martyr Stephen.

The inscribed are the confessors to whom the torturers wrote blasphemous words on their faces.

New Martyrs (Novmch., Novomuch.) - martyrs who suffered for Christ relatively recently, during the period of theomachist time. For example, the Athos new martyr Hilarion (Gromov).

The righteous (righteous) - the saints who attained holiness by living in the world, had families. For example, the holy righteous Joachim and Anna. On the Holy Mountain there is an active Skete of St. Anna, named after the mother of the Mother of God - righteous Anna.

It is customary to call the first righteous the ancestors or patriarchs of the human race, such are Adam, Noah, Abraham and others.

Venerable Confessors (Venerable Isp., Venerable) - Confessors who were monks.

The monks (venerable) are the righteous who retired from the vanity of the world and dedicated their lives to God, being in virginity. For example, the reverends: Nil Sorsky, Maxim the Greek, Theophilus the Myrrh-streaming, Evdokim Vatopedi and others.

Monk Martyrs (prmch.) - Monks who suffered for Christ. For example, the Monk Martyrs: Hilarion of Zografsky, Joasaph of Athos, Dionysius of Dochiar and others.

Prophets (prop.) Are saints to whom the Lord revealed the future. They lived before the coming of Christ to earth.

Equal to the Apostles (Equal to the Apostles) are saints who are equated for their labors for the good of the Church, spreading the faith in different countries, with the Apostles. For example, the Equal-to-the-Apostles Cosmas, an Athos saint who was a famous missionary. He preached in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, and the Greek islands.

Saints (svt.) - bishops or bishops who pleased God with their righteous life. For example, the Athonite saints: Niphon II Patriarch of Constantinople, Theophanes Metropolitan of Thessalon, Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalon and others. Ecumenical teachers - teachers of the whole Church are called: Saint Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.

Priests (sschisp.) - confessors who had the rank of priests.

Hieromartyrs (schmch.) - martyrs who suffered for Christ as priests. For example, Hieromartyr Jacob Dochiarskiy (Athos), hierodeacon.

Stylites (pillar) - ascetics who asceticised on the so-called pillar - a tower or a high platform of a rock, where outsiders had no opportunity to get. Part of the relics of the Monk Simeon the Stylite is kept in the St. Panteleimon Monastery.

Passion-bearers (passion.) - those who accepted martyrdom from persecutors on faith.

Miracle workers (miracle workers) - this is the name of the saints who are famous for the gift of working miracles.

In the Orthodox Church, there are various categories, so to speak, which relate to one general concept of the face of holiness. An ordinary person who has just recently come to the Church will be a little incomprehensible why one is a holy martyr, the other is a passion-bearer, etc. Admission to the Face of the Saints occurs during canonization or depending on the labors during his lifetime. An existing consolidated list of holiness can help sort this out.

Christians have venerated their saints since very ancient times. Initially, this cult extended to the apostles and martyrs, the holy Old Testament prophets and forefathers. In the same period, the veneration of the primates of the first local churches as saints took shape, and then a general church cult was formed. Historical development further leads to the formation of other ranks of saints, the veneration of which organically entered the general cult.

Apostles

It all started with the closest disciples of Jesus Christ - the apostles, whom He sent to preach the Christian faith, after the Holy Spirit descended on them. At first there were twelve, but then Jesus chose seventy more. The two apostles Peter and Paul worked harder than others for the faith, and therefore they began to be called the supreme. But the four apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are called Evangelists, since they wrote the Holy Gospel.

Forefathers

The Old Testament faces of the Saints who are revered by the Church as executors of God's will before the New Testament era are called forefathers. These include the parents of the Mother of God, the righteous Gods Joachim and Anna, and the betrothed of the Mother of God, the righteous Joseph.

Prophets

The Old Testament faces of the Saints, who foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and heralds of God's will, are called prophets. These include the Old Testament patriarch Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and John the Baptist - the last prophet.

Equal to the Apostles

The faces of the Saints who converted to the true faith through the evangelization of the Gospel are called Equal to the Apostles. This is how they turn to Mary Magdalene, the holy emperor Constantine and his mother Elena, the Slavic enlighteners Cyril and Methodius, the holy princess Olga, the holy prince Vladimir, who baptized Russia.

Saints

The saints who attained holiness in the episcopal ministry, who adequately carried out the Providence of God in attaining the Kingdom of Heaven, who were glorified by their blameless life and righteous death, are called saints. Among them are Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom and Nicholas the Wonderworker. The first Russian saint was the third bishop of Rostov, St. Leonty (1077).

The Apostle Paul wrote that with the help of the Holy Spirit, another is given a word of wisdom, another word of knowledge, another faith, another miracles, another prophecy, another gifts of healing, another discerning of spirits, another different languages, and another interpretation of tongues, sharing each his own.

Martyrs

In the modern world, the faces of the Saints who shed their blood for the true Christian faith are called martyrs. The first martyr in the highest sense of this word was Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself for human sins. The second martyr of the Christian faith was the apostle of 70, archdeacon Stephen (33-36).

Martyrs

Martyrs who have undergone especially cruel torture and punishment, but have shown firmness in the faith, are called great martyrs. These include George the Victorious, Panteleimon the Healer, Dmitry Thessaloniki and Anastasia the Patterner.

Hieromartyrs

Holy martyrs possessing a holy order are called holy martyrs. Among them are Bishop Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Hermogen, Kuksha of the Caves, Dimitri Apansky (Nerovetsky).

Reverend Martyrs

Martyrs who belong to the number of monastics are called Martyrs, among whom are the Faces of Russian Saints, for example, Gregory of the Caves, who rests in the Near Anthony Caves.

Passion bearers

Christians who were martyred not in the name of the Lord, but because of human malice and deceit, are called passion-bearers. The holy princes Boris and Gleb, as well as the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family, were considered to be Passion-bearers in Russia.

Confessors

Christians who, after torture and torture for the open glorification of faith in Christ during the persecution, remained alive, began to be called confessors. In Russia these were Maxim the Confessor and Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky).

Unmercenaries

A saint who renounced his wealth for the sake of faith was called the unmercenary. And these are, above all, Cosmas and Damian, brothers by blood, who suffered as martyrs in the 3rd century.

The faithful

Princes and kings, glorified for a righteous and pious life, who cared about strengthening faith in Christ, were numbered among the Face of the Holy Faithful. These include Prince Alexander Nevsky and Prince Vladimir of Kiev.

Blessed

Representatives of the holy ascetics who chose a special feat of foolishness - images of external madness in order to achieve internal humility. In the 19th century, Russia began to apply the epithet "blessed" to the saints, a synonym for the word "foolish". Augustine is glorified in the Face of the Blessed Saints. In Ancient Russia there was Basil the Blessed.

Reverends

Christians who attained holiness in monastic asceticism were called saints.

The founders of the laurels and monasteries have this special rank, these are Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves, Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov.

In the Christian church Anthony the Great and Ephraim the Syrian began to be called saints.

The righteous

People who have achieved holiness in their ordinary family and social life are called righteous. In the Old Testament they were Noah and Job, in the New Testament they were Joachim and Anna, Joseph the Betrothed, and among the Russian saints - John of Kronstadt.

Stylites

The saints who have chosen a special feat for themselves - concentration on prayer and standing on a pillar - are called pillars. These include the Monk Simeon, Nikita of Pereyaslavsky and Savva Vishersky.

Miracle workers

The saints who are famous for the gift of working miracles are called miracle workers. The witnessed miracles are the main condition for the canonization of this or that saint.

Among the miracle workers, St. Nicholas of Myra in Lycia and St. Anthony the Roman are especially revered.

Fools

Ascetics who take upon themselves the feat of madness are called holy fools. This kind of asceticism is a radical means of destroying pride in oneself. The most famous holy fools are Procopius Ustyuzhsky and Vasily the Blessed.

Who is numbered among the Saints

Today, all the righteous, saints, confessors, martyrs, noble princes, fools for Christ's sake, prophets, saints, apostles and evagelists have the face of holiness.

And also people numbered among the Saints, who, not having received a martyr's death, became famous for their pious works (hermits and monks). The process of the formation of new forms of holiness is still ongoing.

In any orthodox church there are Faces of Saints. Icons with their images enable a person to focus on divine prayer, which helps him to find complete harmony not only with himself, but also with the outside world.

the face of the saint in the temple

The oldest Russian miraculous ... "Sign" was reputed to be the main shrine of Veliky Novgorod

A picturesque image of God and saints, which is the subject of religious worship in Christianity

A pictorial image of god, saint or saints, image

Image of the face of the saint

Prayer in colors

Orthodox Christians pray for her

Behavior when doing something

An image, a painting, symbolically and in accordance with special canons depicting religious subjects for performing prayers and rituals in front of him

The object of worship of believers in Orthodoxy and Catholicism

The subject of religious worship

A work of painting respected regardless of its artistic value

Sacred pictorial image

Synonym for Image (religious)

Celestial portrait

Portrait by Dionysus

Obrazok

Three-handed woman

Rublev's creation

Hearer of Prayers

Picturesque image of God, saints

Nice portrait of a saint

... "From one tree ... and a shovel" (last)

According to old signs - if she falls, then to the deceased

What word in the "Catholic Encyclopedia" John Damascene explained as "the visible image of the invisible, given to us for the sake of the weakness of our understanding"?

What is Panagia?

What's hanging in the red corner?

Contents of the icon case

Portrait by Dionysius

A dumb listener to prayer

Revered Image

God's picture

The image in the temple

Handwritten shrine

Saint image

... Rublev's "trinity"

The face of a saint in a salary

Image in the cathedral

Image of Christ

Holy picture

Image of a saint

The face of the Mother of God

Holy face

The man-made face of the saint

She is covered with a salary

Religious fold

... "Three-handed" as it is

Religious picture

Dressed in a robe

Portrait of the Trinity

What can be found in the icon case?

Goalkeeper

Portrait of god

Current world

A masterpiece from bogomaz

Painting in the church

Surety

Holy painting for bowing down

Bogomaz painting

Face in the light of the lamp

Bogomaz creation

Image of God

Stands in the shrine

... "Picture" on the analogue

Product from Andrey Rublev

Holy face in a holy picture

Miraculous image

Church type of icon on the monitor

Image above the lamp

What's in the red corner?

Style

Holy painting in church

Portrait of a saint

Holy church face

... "Portrait" with a salary

Painting by Andrey Rublev

Holy church painting

Sacred image of Christ

Image in salary

Image of the Virgin

The image to be prayed for

... "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev

Portrait of the Virgin Mary

A picturesque image of God

Religious portrait

Religious painting

Portrait in the church

The image of the believer

Portrait over a lamp

Church "exhibit"

Portrait by Andrei Rublev

Item in the icon case

The object of worship of believers

... "Portrait" in an icon case

Religious item

A. Rublev's canvas

Object of worship

Painting of Theophanes the Greek

Painting in the glow of the lamp

Image in the icon case

Face with Salary

Holy portrait in the corner of the hut

Airbag in Zhiguli

Portrait of the Prophet Nicholas

... "Picture" behind the lamp

Miraculous ...

Orthodox prayer object

Inserted into the icon case

Image of the Trinity

Rublyov's portrait

Holy picture for beating bows

Picturesque depiction of saints

Image of saints in Russia

A sacred pictorial image, an object of worship for believers

God's picture

... "Picture" behind the lamp

... "Picture" on the analogue

... "Portrait" in an icon case

... "Portrait" with a salary

... "Hearer" of prayers

... "Three-handed" as it is

... "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev

... "from one tree ... and a shovel" (last)

... Rublev's "trinity"

The oldest Russian miraculous ... "The Sign" was reputed to be the main shrine of Veliky Novgorod

J. image, depiction of the face of the Savior, Heavenly Forces or saints. Raise the icon, take it and carry it wherever. Pray to the icon, but be at ease / Kiss the icon in advance, there are father and mother, and there is bread and salt. Icons are not bought, but changed (instead of: do not buy). The icon will fall to the deceased. An icon and a shovel from one tree. trade, icons are, in size: half-sized, small-sized, ten, nine, octameric, leaflets vershok); for work: picturesque, colored, embossed, antique, red, podrizny; semi-breeding, subfoil; by the number of faces: single or retail; womanizer; in quarters (cells); treryadnitsa (three stripes), etc. Icon, referring to the icon. Icon maker, icon maker M. who writes, changes icons (sells them); the icon painter also has a shelf, a policeman for setting icons: an icon case, a kivot. Iconoclast m. -Ritsa a schismatic who does not honor icons. Iconoclastic w. the iconoclastic, hiknobolic sense, to which the Dukhobors and Molokans belong, and in general the so-called spiritual Christians. Iconoclasm Wed actual, condition and belief of the iconoclast, the one who is iconoclastic, rejects the honoring of icons. Iconology w. Greek knowledge or teaching about picturesque and descriptive monuments of antiquity in general; iconography, their description. Icon lover n. an icon-loving person, a reader of ncon. Ikonomaz M. is a bad icon painter; the nickname of the Suzdal people. Iconoccupation Wed icon painting w. writing nkon; icon painting as art; the genus or school of this painting is called poshibom. Small, gold, icon painting, Stroganov style, schools. Icon painting, related to icon painting. Icon painting an institution, a workshop, a rest where icons are painted. Icon painter m. -Sitsa who paints icons. Ikokokloneniya Wed honoring icons. Iconology, reading, the same. Icon reader, fan of I. -nice w. who honor icons or worships them. Iconostasis m. Altered into the iconostasis, barrier, section between the meal and the altar of the church; in the middle of the iconostasis there are royal doors, on the sides there are local images and doors to the north and south. Iconostasis, related to the iconostasis. Iconostasis, iconostasis master, woodcarver and gilder, gilder

What word in the "Catholic Encyclopedia" John Damascene explained as "the visible image of the invisible, given to us for the sake of the weakness of our understanding"

Church holy picture

Church "exhibit"

What's hanging in the red corner

What can be found in the icon case

What's in the red corner

What is Panagia

Dressed in a robe

Stands in an icon case

Portrait by Andrei Rublev

In the church of St. Bartholomew of Armenia (San Bartolomeo degli Armeni - lit. St. Bartolomeo of the Armenians) in Genoa, a thousand-year relic is kept in a gilded silver setting - it is considered the only lifetime portrait of the Savior.

Tradition says that the Face of Christ was imprinted on the Holy Plate, but we are talking about a portrait painted in tempera - paint prepared on the basis of an egg, which they knew how to cook in Ancient egypt, and much later, in Ancient Rome... The portrait is painted on linen - recent studies have allowed it to be dated to the era of the Roman Empire.

Generations of Genoese from century to century passed on the famous legend about the messenger of Abgar, the king of the city of Edessa in Armenia, who brought the Face of Christ to his homeland. (Although, according to "Ashkharatsuyts", Edessa / Urkha was outside Greater Armenia, the Armenian role in the management of the city and region, the Armenian element in the population was very significant. During the era of the Crusades, numerous Armenian soldiers from the local population side by side with the crusaders, including immigrants from Italy, defended the city and the county of Edessa. The fall of Edessa in 1144 led to the Second Crusade. All this was reflected in the Genoese tradition. - Ed.)

The first to write about the Holy Face kept in Edessa was Eusebius of Caesarea (4th century), later about him wrote Movses Khorenatsi (5th century), Evagrius and Saint John of Dainasheno (6th century). Pope Adrian I confirmed to Charlemagne the existence of Saint Flax in Armenia.

Procopius of Caesarea attributes the salvation of the city during the siege of the army of the Persian Shah Khosrov in 544 to the letter of Christ addressed to Abgar, but the chronicler Evagrius already in 593 associates this miracle with the "image created by God" which has not been touched by human hands.

The relic remained in Edessa until 944 - after the victories of the Byzantine commander of Armenian origin, John Kurkuas, the emperor agreed with the city emir to transfer it to Constantinople, transferring 12,000 silver coins and 200 prisoners to the Arabs. The name of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus is often mentioned. He really was nominally emperor since 913, from the age of eight, but in reality until December 944 (and Lik was solemnly brought to the capital in August of that year), the empire was ruled by another monarch, the Armenian Roman Lakapin. Having become the commander of the guard, he immediately gave his daughter Elena to the fourteen-year-old Constantine, became his guardian, and in December 919 ascended the throne without depriving his son-in-law of formal rights. At the end of 944, Emperor Roman I was overthrown and exiled to a monastery as a result of a conspiracy of his sons, and only in the following year, Constantine Porphyrogenitus gained full power.

On August 15, on the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, both emperors-co-rulers, of whom Roman Lacapin had real power, in the Blachernae Church of the Mother of God, in the presence of the entire court, were presented with two relics - the Holy Face on the board and the Image on the ribbon, his imprint. Then both emperors triumphantly cruised the capital with two relics on a ship, as “with the second ark of the Old Testament,” and returned in triumph through the Golden Gate. After the divine service in the church of St. Sophia, the entire court bowed to the face of the imperial throne. Only after that he was transferred to the palace Chapel of the Pharos at the lighthouse, where he found his place "on the right side to the east." The plate with the Face and the Icon on the rim were kept in two golden caskets, suspended in the center of the chapel on thick silver chains. Soon, an annual holiday was established, celebrated on August 16 in honor of the transfer of the relics to Constantinople. According to eyewitnesses, the Face was adorned with a "now visible gold frame" and had the following inscription from King Abgar: "Christ God, who trusts in you will not be unsuccessful." In 1032, Edessa was liberated by the Byzantines, and the correspondence between King Abgar and Christ was also taken to the capital of the empire - it was lost during the Troubles of 1195.

The Holy Face on the board, as the archetype of all subsequent images of Christ, took a special position among the relics of the earthly life of Jesus, kept in the palace chapel. In the very near future, Constantine VII compiled the first description of the relic that has come down to our time. Perhaps that is why her transfer to the capital was most often associated with this emperor. For example, it is believed that on the famous icon from the monastery of St. Catherine on Sinai, King Abgar, who receives the payment with the Face, is endowed with the facial features of Constantine VII.

The image was repeated many times on frescoes and icons. In the Russian Orthodox tradition, he was called the Savior Not Made by Hands, he was also depicted on battle banners and banners. While most icons, as a rule, have a half-figure portrait scheme, the Image Not Made by Hands is depicted according to an abbreviated scheme - the imprint of the Face and hair on the background, symbolizing the boards.

After three centuries of staying in Constantinople, the Holy Face was placed in a precious setting of gold and silver with filigree - ten medallions of the setting illustrate the history of Face before his triumphant arrival in the Byzantine capital. The scenes begin at the top left with the order of the sick Abgar to bring a portrait, and end with the miracle of healing that the relic created in Constantinople.

The images in the medallions correspond to the legend of the Saint Face. Abgar's messenger fails to draw Christ. Christ washes his face in order to capture it later on the board. Having received the message and the image, Abgar is healed. When Lik is put on a column, a pagan idol is thrown down from another column. The fall into idolatry of the great-grandson of Abgar prompts the bishop, at the behest of Christ who appeared to him, to remove the Face from the city gates and brick it in the wall, walled up in a niche for fear of outrage. When the boards are reopened many years later, during the siege of the city by the Persians, it is found that the lamp, lit by the bishop, did not go out, and the Likus left an exact imprint on the brick, or "Image on the russet." In the penultimate picture of the narrative, the bishop exterminates the Persians at the stake, into which he poured the oil exuded by the image.

By the middle of the XIV century, Turkish aggression forced Emperor John V Palaeologus to ask for military assistance from the Republic of Genoa - from here a detachment under the command of Captain Leonardo Montaldo went to Constantinople. It is not entirely clear how the Holy Face was received - as a gift from a Byzantine monarch or compensation demanded for help. In 1362, the relic was transported to Genoa. Montaldo donated other relics to the Cathedral of St. Lawrence, but Lik kept it in the cache of his castle. Only on his deathbed, Montaldo, who had become a Doge by that time, revealed the secret of his existence and presented the church of St. Bartholomew of Armenia.

In 1507, Leek was kidnapped by French troops, but the Genoese ambassadors and bankers at the court of Louis XII were able to agree on its return in a few months. Shortly thereafter, a copy of the Face was installed at the top of the city gate as a shrine designed to protect the city and its inhabitants. The relic itself was enclosed in a beautiful 17th century protective silver case with seven keys entrusted to the most pious people. At the beginning of the next, XVIII century, the case was decorated with precious stones. Only once a year was it opened in the presence of a notary and representatives of the people, and Lik was put on public display.

During the Napoleonic conquests, Lik was hidden in private apartments, as many churches in the city were desecrated.

They began to study the Holy Face a long time ago; one can recall, in particular, A. Kalkanyino (early 17th century). The first truly scientific studies were carried out at the request of the Cardinal of Syria in 1968 by Professor Colette Dufo of the University of Genoa with the technical support of Professor Pico Cellini (Rome) using radiography and tomography.

Under a layer of tempera, linen fabric was found, fixed on a cedar base, the edges of the fabric are clearly visible. Perhaps this is the very linen on which Christ, according to legend, sealed His Face. Over time, retouching was needed to better reveal features that have worn off over time.

Research has made it possible to separate the original facial features from subsequent restorative additions. In addition, Pico Cellini managed to establish a correspondence between the Face of Genoa and the Turin Shroud.

The original cedar base keeps traces of the former decoration around the Face of Christ: it was a row of small pearls, from which holes still remain. During the research, another priceless element was revealed - fragments of ancient Persian (Sassanid era) and Arab (Fatimid era) fabrics. We are talking about the so-called "Brandoms" - "relics through contact", in these fabrics, apparently, and was wrapped Lik. In the 15th century, another priceless fabric was glued in Genoa - Ligurian with the image of pomegranates in silver threads.

To this day, the relic is in the church of St. Bartholomew of Armenia, founded in 1308 by two Basilian monks from Black Mountain ( famous mountain Sev Ler. - Approx. ed.) in Cilician Armenia. Both the Basilian monks (they were also called Bartholomews) and the Armenian colonies in Genoa were closely associated with the cult of St. Bartholomew, there are still six churches dedicated to this Martyr Apostle, one of the two apostles who preached the Faith of Christ in Armenia.

Today it is not so easy to find an old church, closed on both sides by a palace building of the late 19th century. Oddly enough, many modern Genoese do not even imagine the existence of a relic closely related to the history of the city, a relic that in the 15th century was revered on a par with the Holy Shroud. Until the middle of the last century, the Genoese flocked here for the feast of St. Bartholomew of Armenia with the belief that the Holy Face has the power to protect the city from adversity, just as he defended ancient Edessa.

So, in 1307 Martino Di Segarizi and Guglielmo, two Armenian Basilian monks ( We should not be surprised by these by no means Armenian names. Due to the unusualness and difficulty of pronunciation, Armenian names were often altered abroad in the local way. - Approx. ed.) from the Order of St. Basil, who escaped the destruction of their monastery in the Antitavra mountains, reached Genoa and settled on a hill where the Castello region is now located. The banker Oberto Purpureiro, who had possessions in those places, presented them with a plot of land for the construction of a church and a monastery, adding another 100 lire and, according to the testimony of the stele inside the building, asked in exchange for a Mass for his soul.

The construction of the church was impossible without papal permission. Clement V was aware of the situation in Cilician Armenia - in 1306, the embassy of the new Armenian king arrived in Rome. In his letter to the Catholicos and Tsar Levon III (IV) of July 2, 1306, the Pope expresses his solidarity with the Armenian people in the difficult time of their suffering. In 1307, a number of decrees (later canceled) on convergence with the doctrine of Catholicism were adopted at the Sissky Council. In the same year, in his bull of February 20, the Pope authorizes Martin and his companions to build the Church of San Bartolomeo.

The original style was typically Armenian, with a central dome and two side chapels at the front of the building. In 1595 the temple was lengthened by an extension to the apse part of the wide nave.

The building was rebuilt in 1775. From the original structure, now there is an apse part with a dome, in which a lantern was opened at a later time ( we are talking about an architectural term that denotes a raised part of a covering with openings for lighting. - Approx. ed.) and the left chapel in the front. The right one, dedicated to Saint Pantaleo, was destroyed in 1883 during the construction of the palace, which now covers the church from the front and the right side.

On the left side of the nave is the Chapel of Saint Face, erected at the end of the 16th century, with a towering loggia, where the Holy Relic was once exhibited for believers. Behind the loggia there is a marble chapel where the Holy Face is kept.

The rich decoration of the church is mostly associated with the Holy Relic. We can mention the frescoes by Paji (16th century) "Jesus gives Ananias the imprint of his Face" at the entrance, "The Stories of the Saint Face" by Orazio De Ferrari, Paji and Giulio Benzo on the front and right side wall, "Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew" by Lazzaro Tavarone (1596) ). Among the paintings are Paji's Annunciation, The Miracle of the Blind from Jericho by Orazio De Ferrari and the portrait of Blessed Alessandro Sauli by Giacomo Boni (1745). On the main altar there is a magnificent triptych of Turino Vani "Madonna with Saints" and "Stories of Saint Bartholomew" (1415), on the walls of the presbytery - the works of Luke Cambasso "Resurrection" (1559) and "Ascension" (1561), and "Angels" by Domenico Piola. The canvas by A. Cassoni represents the donation of the relic by Doge Montaldo, four canvases by Gregorio de Ferrari - angels with hymns to the glory of Saint Face, written on paper ribbons.

Given the close commercial ties between Genoa and Cilicia, it should come as no surprise that one of the destinations chosen by the monks fleeing the attacks of the Mamelukes was the Ligurian port. Martino Di Segarisi and Guglielmo were not pioneers in this regard.

In the light of recent studies concerning the presence of the Cistercians in Genoa and Liguria, it turns out that the patriarch of Antioch Opizzo Fieschi, who from 1288 to 1292 was the apostolic representative of the Genoese Archdiocese, facilitated the transfer of the Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria del Gubino to Genoa from the vicinity of Antioch on the Black Grief (Sev Ler). Earlier, in 1214 or 1215, this monastery passed to the Cistercian Order with the assistance of the Patriarch of Antioch Peter II, the first abbot of the Cistercian abbey of Santa Maria di Rivalta Scrivia. Perhaps the presence of the Cistercians from Rivalta Scrivia favored the fact that the Armenians settled in Pontecuron, on the former Roman Postum road, midway between Tortona and Voghera. The monks who fled from the invasion of Sultan Baybars found their first refuge in Nicosia in Cyprus, from where they finally moved to the northeastern outskirts of Genoa.

We know about the creation of the Pontecurone hospital only thanks to the 19th century erudite Giacomo Carnevale, who mentions Eustorgio Curione - “a very learned man from the Pontecurone region”. In his will, drawn up by the notary Vescontius on November 8, 1210, he wrote: “... to the venerable priests of St. Peter from the Order of St. Basil, it is imperative to build a shelter in the same area for the sick and for travelers, and each year appoint two believers to serve and run this institution. " The choice of Eustorgio Curione to donate his funds to the Armenian monks could somehow be related to the appointment of Abbot Peter of Rivalta Scrivia by the patriarchy of Antioch and his good relations with the monks from Black Mountain. Perhaps, the granting of trade privileges to the Commune of Genoa by the king of Cilician Armenia Levon I in March 1201 played a role.

However, the first known document, indirectly concerning the monastery of Santa Maria del Giubino in Genoa, dates back only to May 6, 1308, when Archbishop Porchetto Spinola laid the foundation stone of the Church of St. You can trace the links between two nearby parishes - Santa Maria del Gubino, already located in Genoa, and the new one - St. Bartholomew of Armenia.

The interest shown by some family unions of the Dertonense region (gentlemen from Bagnara and Pontecurone), their kinship with Fieschi, Conti Di Lavagna, as well as diplomatic relations between the patriarch of Antioch Opizzo Fieschi (1247-1292) and the Armenian kingdom of Cilicia could have favored the move to Genoa of the monks from Santa Maria di Gubino and San Bartolomeo (Saint Bartholomew). The connections between the donor of the land on which this last monastery was erected, the banker from Genoa Oberto Purpureiro, one of the main representatives of the Bagnar gentlemen - Giovanni, the archdeacon from Genoa, as well as the family ties of Cardinal Luca Fieschi with the royal house of Armenia (the sister of King Hetum II was the wife of Michael X Palaeologus, whose brother was the wife of the cardinal's niece) can make it easier for us to understand what territorial, political and diplomatic network the Armenian diaspora could rely on in the period from 1210 to 1307.

According to the "Catholic Encyclopedia", following Genoa, Armenian monks continued to arrive from Cilicia to Parma, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Milan, united under the name of Bartholomites. They observed the monastery charter of St. Basil (basilican) and served the Armenian liturgy. However, very soon the situation changed - they were already celebrating Catholic Mass, observing the charter of St. Augustine and the customs of the Dominican order, which was recorded in 1356 by the decree of Pope Innocent VI. By the same decree, he approved the unification of the previously independent Armenian monasteries in Italy into one congregation. Boniface IX (1389-1404) granted the Bartholomite congregations the same privileges as the Dominicans, but forbade them to join any other order except the Carthusian. Sixtus IV (1471-1484) decreed that the leaders of the order, previously elected for life, would only be elected for three years. After two centuries of prosperity, the Armenian congregation began to decline - the number of monks declined, many monasteries had to be closed. Pope Innocent X (1644 -1655) demanded that the remaining Bartholomites either join another order, or remove their monastic dignity. In 1650, he dissolved the congregation, transferring its property for other purposes. The Church of St. Bartholomew in Genoa was entrusted to the Barnabite Fathers.

The absence of a common Catholic cult of the Lica stored in Genoa can be explained by the fact that it remained the archetype of the image of Christ in the East of the Christian world, while in the West the archetypal status acquired a different plate. According to legend, the pious woman Veronica gave it to Christ on the Way of the Cross, removing the cloth from her head. The Savior wiped the bloody sweat from His Face with them, having imprinted His features in a crown of thorns. It is believed that the shrine is located in St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican, although according to some versions the original was lost during the sack of Rome in 1527. Known copies of "Veronica" (in Spain - in Alicante and Jaene, in Austria - in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna) bear a clear resemblance to the Saint Face of Genoa, but this fact has not yet been studied in sufficient detail.