Internal structure and decoration of the temple. Types of Russian temples

The temple consists, as a rule, is divided into main parts: the altar with salt, the narthex and the temple itself.

What is a porch?

it is, if quite simply, a porch, i.e. elevated platform in front of the entrance to the church.

What is a porch?

The vestibule may contain shelves with church literature, candles, icons and other church utensils for sale. There may also be parishioners' clothes hangers.

The main part of the temple.

After the vestibule, we find ourselves in the church itself, where the worshipers are standing during the service.

What is the name of the place in front of the iconostasis? What is Solea?

This place is called Solea - an elevation in front of the altar of the temple. Soleia consists of an ambo and a kliros. - Do not step on Solea outside of special occasions (for example: Communion).

What is a pulpit?

- this is a protrusion in the middle of the Solea, extended into the temple. The pulpit is intended for the reading of the Holy Scriptures, sermons and some other sacred rites.

What is a choir?

- this is the place in the temple for clerics (singers)

What is the iconostasis and the royal doors in the temple?

- this is usually a solid wall that separates the altar from the main premises of an Orthodox church and is made up of icons. The Royal Doors are the large central doors of the iconostasis.

What is an altar in a church?

- the most sacred place in the temple, fenced off by the iconostasis from the main part of the temple.

Can women enter the altar?

Women are not allowed to enter the altar, and male parishioners can enter there only on special occasions and with the permission of the priest (for example, during baptism). From the altar there are 3 doors: the Royal Doors (the most important), as well as the north and south doors. No one is allowed to go through the Royal Doors, except for the priest.

What is in the altar of an Orthodox church (church)? ,

In the middle of the altar is Throne, which is used for the preparation of holy gifts (communion). The throne contains the relics of saints, the Gospel and the Cross.
In the northeastern part of the altar, to the left of the throne, if you look to the east, there is a Zh altar... The height of the altar is equal to the height of the throne. The altar is used for the preparation of holy gifts. A table is usually placed near the altar for the position of the prosphora given by the believers, and notes on health and repose on it.
What is a mountainous place? Higher means the main thing. In a high place in the altar of an Orthodox church, a rich chair is installed for high-ranking priests (bishops). The mountainous place is a designation of the mysterious presence of God and his co-workers. Therefore, this place is always given due honor, even if it, as is often the case in parish churches, is not decorated with an elevation with a seat for a bishop.

The temple as a construction of a cult has a special place in any culture. Usually, one way or another, all the main events of people's lives are associated with him - birth, funeral, weddings, baptism, etc. For Russian culture, such significant buildings are temples, their history, significance and role for the country, we will analyze in this article.

The history of the temple as a structure

Ancient cultures and ancient times defined the temple as the home of their deity. Such structures were erected according to the principle of a human home. In it, the main place was occupied by one or another figure of God, there was a separate place for the gifts brought to this deity. The entrance to such a temple for a person was forbidden, it was possible to look at it from the outside and only occasionally look inside to contemplate his divine statue.

On the contrary, in Christianity, the temple was not initially positioned as the House of God, but only as a place for prayer of believers. This idea came from the Old Testament tradition of the "mobile" tabernacle, i.e. a portable building in which the Jews kept the most sacred - the Ark of the Covenant. In addition, the Christian God was thought of as a transcendental Image, standing outside its boundaries.

- how could a house be built for such a God? If the whole world cannot contain Him, then how can a man-made house?

For the first Christians, God lived in the heart of man.
However, over time, Christianity also acquires "state" features, becoming. Then the question of determining the place for universal prayers is raised, i.e. the question of the construction of the temple.
For the first religious buildings, Christians begin to use secular buildings - late antique basilicas. So in the 4-5 centuries. AD the first Christian churches appear. It must be remembered that religious buildings were not erected for these purposes, but only adapted.

Description of the first church of Christians

Ancient basilicas were quite spacious rooms, which, in fact, was required of them. These structures were rectangular structures that had a high central nave (defined as two lights) and two side ones lower. The basilica accordingly houses the symbolism of the Christian society, consisting of:

Of the announced
Faithful
Shepherds

The entire ensemble of the temple unfolds according to the same principle:

Courtyard (atrium)
The room at the entrance (narthex)
Main room (naos)
Holy place (altar, apse)

This location symbolized the sacred movement of the believer towards God, going from the entrance (west) to the altar (east). This trend has been preserved in other types of churches, especially Orthodox.
Thus, the first Christian churches opened to believers not the “statics of veneration” of a pagan deity, but the “dynamics” of movement towards God, expressed in the plasticity of spatial forms.

We can summarize:

The temple in a religiously oriented culture (theocentric) becomes the central structure and the embodiment of its basic ideas of the world outlook. In other words, the temple reproduces some of this culture.

For example, by the type of a residential building and its internal surroundings, the interior, we can imagine a person living in it.

So the temple “personified” those characteristic of Christian culture:

• theological (religious doctrines),
• cosmogonic (origin of the world) representations.

The idea of ​​an Orthodox church and its history

However, it was precisely the “inconsistency” of such ideas of the world outlook in Christian culture with the appearance of the first basilicas that led, among other things, to the further development of the idea of ​​an Orthodox church. (). I must say that this idea has been carefully developed since the 5th century and appears one of the first in the new church doctrines of Christianity.
This "inconsistency" had the following problem. According to the Lord, His throne is heaven, i.e. striving for God, believers turn their gaze upward. This means that the main direction of movement should not be horizontal (as in the basilica), but vertical! In the temples of that time, the roof was flat and seemed to block the sky itself from the view of the believer.
The question of a dome arises, which would symbolize the idea of ​​the heavenly throne of God. The idea of ​​the dome was not completely new then, it was already embodied in the ancient Pantheon of Rome.
In addition, the dualism of the Christian worldview, which divided time and space in the mind of a person into two main parts of the world, could be visually resolved in this way:

Long (earthly)
High (heavenly)

This division was initially hierarchical, i.e. expressed precisely vertically: the main thing is there, and not here - on the ground. That time and space transcends this human age. This axiom expressed the main chronotope of the entire culture of Christianity in the Middle Ages.

Temple of Sophia of Constantinople

He found expression in the first principal religious building of that period - Constantinople Sophia. It was still a basilica, but of a dome type. The temple has a dome of 36 meters in diameter, located at a height of 55 meters, which visually expresses the idea of ​​heaven and the heavenly throne of God.

By the way, this temple remained unique in its typical design of the domed basilica, this was no longer built.

Did you like it? Do not hide your joy from the world - share The internal structure of churches has been determined since ancient times by the goals of Christian worship and special symbolism.

According to the teachings of the Church, the entire visible material world is a symbolic reflection of the invisible, spiritual world.

Temple -there is an image of the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, and, accordingly, it is an image of the palace of the King of Heaven.

Temple -there is also an image of the Universal Church, its basic principles and devices.

Temple symbolism explains to believers the essence of the temple as the beginning of the future Kingdom of Heaven, puts before them image of this kingdom, using visible architectural forms and means of pictorial decoration in order to make the image of the invisible, heavenly, divine accessible to our senses.

Like any building, a Christian temple had to satisfy the purposes for which it was intended and have premises:

• for clergymen who performed divine services,
• for faithful praying, that is, already baptized Christians;
• for the catechumens (i.e. those who are just preparing to be baptized), and those who repent.

A more detailed description of the internal structure of the temples:

The altar is the main part of the temple, intended for the clergy and persons who serve them during the service. The altar is the image of Paradise, the spiritual world, the divine side in the universe, denotes the sky, the dwelling of the Lord Himself.
"Heaven on earth" is another name for the altar.

In view of the especially sacred significance of the altar, it always inspires a mysterious awe, and upon entering it, believers must bow to the ground, and persons of military rank must take off their weapons.

The main items in the altar: The Holy See , altar and mountainous place .

Iconostasis(dotted line) - a partition or wall separating the central part of the temple from the altar, which has several rows of icons.
In Greek and ancient Russian churches there were no high iconostases, the altars were separated from the middle part of the temple by a low lattice and curtain. However, over time, the altar barriers have undergone significant development. The meaning of the process of gradual transformation of the altar grille into a modern iconostasis is that from about the 5th-7th centuries. the altar fence-lattice, which was a symbol of the separation of God and the Divine from everything created, gradually turns into symbol-image of the Heavenly Church, headed by its Founder - the Lord Jesus Christ.
Iconostases began to rise; several tiers or rows of icons appeared in them, each of which has its own meaning.
The middle doors of the iconostasis are called the Royal Doors, and the side doors are called north and south. The iconostasis is turned by its face, icons to the west, to the worshipers, to the middle part of the temple, which bears the name of the church. Altar temples are usually directed to the east, in commemoration of the thought that the Church and the worshipers are directed to the "East from above", that is, to Christ.

The holy images of the iconostasis close the altar from the believers, and this means that a person cannot always communicate with God directly and directly. It pleased God to put between himself and people a host of his chosen and glorified mediators.

The iconostasis is arranged as follows. In its central part, the Royal Doors are located - double-winged, specially decorated doors located opposite the throne. They are called so because through them in the Holy Gifts comes the King of Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, to give the sacrament to people during the entrances with the Gospel and at the great entrance for the liturgy in the offered, but not yet transubstantiated Honest Gifts.

During the divine service in the iconostasis, the Royal (Main, Central) Gates are opened, giving the faithful the opportunity to contemplate the shrine of the altar - the throne and everything that happens in the altar.
During Easter week, all altar doors are constantly open for seven days.
In addition, the Royal Gates, as a rule, are not made solid, but latticed or carved, so that when the curtain of these gates is pulled back, believers can partially see into the altar even at such a sacred moment as the transubstantiation of the Holy Gifts.

Sacristy- storage of sacred vessels, service clothes and service books, incense, candles, wine and prosphora for the next service and other items necessary for worship. If the altar of the temple is small and there are no side-altars, the sacristy is set up in any other convenient place of the temple. At the same time, they still try to arrange storage in the right, southern part of the church, and in the altar by the southern wall they usually put a table on which the vestments prepared for the next service are placed.

Spiritually, the sacristy first of all symbolizes that mysterious heavenly treasury from which various gifts of grace from God flow, which are required for the salvation and spiritual adornment of Christians.

The middle part of the temple, sometimes called the nave (ship), is intended for the prayer of the faithful or persons who have already been baptized, who, upon receiving the divine Grace poured out in the Sacraments, become redeemed, sanctified, partakers of the Kingdom of God. In this part of the temple there are Solea, the pulpit, the kliros and the iconostasis.

It is the middle part that bears the name of the temple itself. This part of the temple, since ancient times called the refectory, since the Eucharist is eaten here, also symbolizes the area of ​​earthly existence, the created, sensual world, the world of people, but already justified, consecrated, deified.

If the divine principle is placed in the altar, then in the middle part of the temple - the beginning of the human, entering into the closest communion with God... And if the altar received the meaning of the upper heaven, "Heaven of Heaven", where only God with heavenly ranks dwells, then the middle part of the temple means a particle of the future renewed world, a new heaven and a new earth in the proper sense, and both of these parts enter into interaction, in which the first enlightens and guides the second. With this attitude, the order of the Universe, violated by sin, is restored.

With such a ratio of the meanings of the parts of the temple, from the very beginning, the altar had to be separated from the middle part, for God is completely different and separated from His creation, and from the very first times of Christianity this separation has been strictly observed. Moreover, it was established by the Savior Himself, who deigned to celebrate the Last Supper not in the living rooms of the house, not together with the owners, but in a special, specially prepared upper room.

The elevation of the altar from antiquity has been preserved to the present day.

Solea- the part of the church raised in front of the iconostasis, as if the continuation of the altar, going beyond the iconostasis. The name comes from the Greek language and means "seat" or elevation. Unlike our time, in antiquity the salt was very narrow.

Pulpit- a semicircular ledge in the middle of the Solea, opposite the royal doors, facing the inside of the temple, to the west. On the throne inside the altar, the greatest sacrament of transforming bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is performed, and on the pulpit or from the pulpit the sacrament of Communion with these Holy Gifts of believers is performed, as well as litanies, the Gospel are read and sermons are delivered. The greatness of the sacrament of Communion also requires the elevation of the place from which the sacrament is given, and likens this place to some extent to the throne inside the altar.

There is an amazing meaning in such an elevation device.
In fact, the Altar does not end with an obstacle - an iconostasis. He comes out from under him and from him to people, making it possible for everyone to understand that everything that happens in the altar is done for the people standing in the temple.

This means that the altar is separated from the worshipers not because they are less than the clergy, who are in themselves the same earthly, like everyone else, worthy to be in the altar, but in order to show people in external images truths about God, heavenly and earthly life and the order of their relationship... The inner throne (in the altar), as it were, passes into the outer throne (on the sole), equalizing everyone before God.

Solea end side seats intended for reciters and singers.
Banners are attached to the kliros, i.e. icons on shafts, called church banners.
The choirs symbolize the singing of angels praising the Glory of God.

The vestibule is the entrance to the temple. In the first centuries of Christianity, the penitents and the catechumens stood here, i.e. persons preparing for Holy Baptism.
In the narthex, as a rule, there is a church box - a place for selling candles, prosphora, crosses, icons and other church items, for registering baptisms and weddings. In the vestibule there are people who have received the appropriate penance (punishment) from the confessor, as well as people who, for one reason or another, consider themselves unworthy at this time to enter the middle part of the church. Therefore, in our days, the porch retains not only its spiritual-symbolic, but also spiritual-practical significance.

The porch
The entrance to the vestibule from the street is usually arranged in the form of a porch.

Porch called the platform in front of the entrance doors of the temple, to which there are several steps.
The porch is the image of the spiritual elevation on which the Church is located in the midst of the surrounding world.

The porch is the first elevation of the temple.
Soleia, where a select few of the laity are reciters and singers, depicting the militant Church and angelic faces, is the second exaltation.
The throne on which the sacrament of the Bloodless Sacrifice is performed in communion with God is the third exaltation.

All three elevations correspond to the three main stages of a person's spiritual path to God:

• the first is the beginning of spiritual life, the very entrance into it;
• second - the feat of warfare against sin for the salvation of the soul in God, lasting the entire life of a Christian;
• the third is eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven in constant communion with God.

Orthodox churches. Small and large. Made of stone and wood. Each has its own architecture and image. How different are the temples inside? And what unites them? We tell and show the most important thing: how an Orthodox church is arranged!

What should be in the temple

In short, there is only one mandatory requirement in the way the temple is arranged. Rather, this is not even a requirement, but precisely what the entire church is erected for: the Altar Table, on which the Liturgy is celebrated. If there is no throne, then it means - this.

Everything else that we see and are accustomed to seeing in the temple is either things taken for granted, or things that have developed over the centuries and have become a tradition.

For example, icons in a temple are a matter of course. A temple will not cease to be a temple if there are no icons in it, but it would be strange to invest in the construction of a church and not place icons in it. It is strange for a Christian to avoid icons in general, so there will be icons in any Orthodox church. And the more there are, the better: it means there will be more prayer memory of the saints before the eyes of people.

The same is the cross on the temple. Liturgies were served both in destroyed churches and in caves, and simply in conditions where Christians could not preach (for example, during the Muslim yoke). But when there are no prohibitions, it is strange not to proclaim with a cross on the roof of the building that this is a temple, here is the Holy Spirit, here is the Liturgy. Therefore, there are crosses over all Orthodox churches.

To things "traditional" can be attributed to what we are used to specifically - in the Russian Orthodox Church - but in other countries the same thing may have completely different forms or be absent altogether. For example, the architecture of the temple. Or the presence of an iconostasis in the form of a "solid wall". Or candlesticks near the icons.

We will definitely tell you about the architecture of churches separately, but in this text: about how an Orthodox church is arranged inside.

Altar in the temple and throne

As we have already said, the throne is the only, in fact, an obligatory part for the temple, since for the sake of the throne and around it the temple is being erected. The consecrated throne itself makes the room a temple. In the place where the Throne is, a person by himself should rejoice and tremble - in the memory of the boundless Love of God and His earthly path.

In the first centuries of Christianity, tombs with the relics and remains of saints or martyrs served as throne. Now this tradition has been preserved, but it has changed: there are not coffins in the altars of churches, but all the same, the throne must be consecrated by the ruling bishop and have a reliquary with a particle of the relics of some saint. Only in this case the Liturgy can be celebrated on the See!

The presence of the Throne implies that there is also an altar - the holy of holies of any temple. According to tradition, only the servants of the temple can enter the altar, or with the blessing of the abbot.

Patriarchal service. photo: patriarchia.ru

Iconostasis in the temple

The iconostasis separates the altar from the rest of the temple. This is not a "rule" and not a canon - a temple will not cease to be a temple without an iconostasis, but it is a natural and, probably, the only way to protect the Holy of Holies from the worldly bustle of everyday life and the behavior of an unworthy shrine - for example, a tourist in shorts and with a camera, behaving along -properties.

In fact, it is a sane tradition that has become "must."

In fact, the task of the iconostasis is not so much to separate the altar as to serve people as a "window to heaven" and prayer help. So that the parishioners in the end do not get distracted and do not give undue attention to those actions in the altar, which, unlike the Sacraments, do not need to be given attention. For example, a priest explains to a young altar boy at what point to leave the altar with candles: this is an absolutely "working" moment that will captivate the parishioners in a completely unnecessary way.

Temples without iconostases are found only in exceptional cases - if the temple is only being built or arranged in "field" (temporary) conditions.

Most often, in our Orthodox churches, it is a "solid wall" with icons - that is, it completely hides the altar, and you can see "what is there" only at those moments of the service when the gates are open. Therefore, in large temples or cathedrals, the iconostasis can be as high as a multi-storey building: it is majestic and beautiful. Such iconostases are decorated with several rows of icons depicting the apostles, the Savior, the Mother of God ...

The iconostasis of the Trinity Church of the Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. Photo: blagoslovenie.su

But in some churches the design is simpler: the iconostasis does not completely hide the altar, and behind it you can see both the clergy and the throne itself. The idea of ​​such iconostases is, on the one hand, to protect the Holy of Holies, but on the other, not to separate the parishioners of the Great Sacrament: so that the Liturgy is not only sacred and majestic, but also a Common action for the entire Community.

There may be multiple altars in a temple

If the size of the temple allows, then they try to make two or three altars in it, but in principle there can be as many of them as you like (for example, in St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square there are 11 altars and Thrones).

Why are multiple altars needed?

There are two reasons. One is purely canonical. According to the establishment of the Church, only one Liturgy can be served on one throne (and therefore in one altar) during the day. On major holidays, the Liturgy in one church can be served twice or even three times (for example, on Easter). For such cases, several altars are designed.

Baptismal, baptistery

Somewhere the baptismal is located separately from the temple, but somewhere it is part of it - for example, a small room at the back wall. In the baptismal, as can be understood, the sacrament of baptism is performed and a large font is placed.

In some churches, mothers with children sit in the baptistery during services so that they do not interfere with the course of the service with their crying. This is normal practice.

Kliros, what is this?

The choir in the temple is the place for the choir. Most often, it is located on the side in the front part - near the iconostasis on the side. In some churches - at the back wall opposite the iconostasis (for example, on the balcony above).

All kliros are united, perhaps, by one thing: they try to make the singers invisible to the parishioners so that neither one nor the other is distracted. For example, if the choir in a church is located in front of the iconostasis, it is separated by a partition. And if the choir sings on the balcony by the "back wall", then it is not visible anyway.

Choir during the patriarchal service. Photo: patriarchia.ru

The candle box in the temple, what is this?

Located either at the entrance or in the back corner. There you can not only take candles or submit a note, but also get advice about the work of the temple, the time of services, etc.

In some churches, candle boxes stop working at the most intimate moments of services: for example, during the Six Psalms at the evening service, or at the Liturgy during the Eucharistic Canon.

But what else can be seen in the temple, or what features certain churches may have:

• In any temple there is a bowing cross- a large image of the crucifixion.
• The altar is most often is located on a small elevation in relation to the rest of the temple.
• There are candlesticks in front of most of the icons. You can put a candle and pray to this or that saint. This is a feature of the Russian Orthodox tradition. For example, in the churches of Bulgaria, candlesticks are not "tied" to this or that icon, but simply stand against the wall.
• Lectern. High table for ico n - for example, for those who are taken to the center of the temple on the occasion of a particular holiday and the memory of a particular saint.
• Confession also takes place behind a lectern, but - behind the folding one.
• Large chandelier in the temple called chandelier.
• Benches. The Russian Orthodox tradition treats divine services with all the ascetic severity, therefore, it is assumed that there should be few benches in the church - and only for the weakest. In some temples, there are practically no seats at all.

Read this and other posts in our group in

Why do believers build temples? Why are there such a large number of them scattered all over the Orthodox Earth? The answer is simple: the goal of everyone is the salvation of the soul, and achieving it is impossible without attending church. She is a sanatorium, where comes from sinful falls, as well as her deification. The structure of the temple, its decoration allow the believer to plunge into the divine atmosphere, to become closer to the Lord. Only a priest who is present in the church can carry out the ceremony of baptism, weddings, and forgiveness of sins. Without services, prayers, a person cannot become a child of God.

Orthodox church

An Orthodox church is a place where they serve God, where there is an opportunity to unite with him through such sacraments as baptism and communion. Believers gather here to perform joint prayer, the power of which everyone knows.

The first Christians had an illegal position, so they did not have their own churches. For prayers, believers gathered in the houses of community leaders, synagogues, and it happened that in the catacombs of Syracuse, Rome, Ephesus. This lasted for three centuries, until Constantine the Great came to power. In 323 he became the full-fledged emperor of the Roman Empire. He made Christianity the state religion. Since then, the active construction of temples began, and later monasteries. It was his mother, Queen Helena of Constantinople, who initiated the erection in Jerusalem.

Since then, the structure of the temple, its interior decoration, architecture have undergone significant changes. In Russia, it was customary to build cross-domed churches, this type is still relevant. Domes, which are crowned with a cross, are an important detail of any temple. Already from afar one can spot the house of God from them. If the domes are decorated with gilding, then under the rays of the sun they burn, symbolizing the fire blazing in the hearts of believers.

Internal organization

The internal structure of the temple necessarily symbolizes closeness to God, endowed with certain symbols, decoration, serves to meet the goals of Christian worship. As the Church teaches, our entire material world is nothing more than a reflection of the spiritual world, invisible to the eye. The temple is the image of the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, respectively, the image of the King of Heaven. The structure of an Orthodox church, its architecture, symbolism enable believers to perceive the temple as the beginning of the Kingdom of Heaven, its image (invisible, distant, divine).

Like any structure, the temple must carry the functions for which it is intended, satisfy the needs and have the following premises:

• For priests who conduct services.
• For all believers present in the church.
• For the repentant and those preparing to be baptized.

Since ancient times, the temple has been divided into three main parts:

• Altar.
• The middle part of the temple.
• Porch.

• Iconostasis.
• Altar.
• Throne.
• Sacristy.
• A mountainous place.
• Ambon.
• Solea.
• Ponomarka.
• Cliros.
• Porch.
• Candle boxes.
• Bell tower.
• Porch.

Altar

Considering the structure of the temple, special attention should be paid to the most important part of the church, intended only for clergymen, as well as for those who serve them during services. The altar contains the images of Paradise, the heavenly abode of the Lord. Denotes a mysterious side in the universe, a part of the sky. Otherwise, the altar is called "heaven on Zele". Everyone knows that after the fall, the Lord closed the Gates to the Kingdom of Heaven for ordinary laity, entry here is only possible. Having a special sacred meaning, the altar always inspires awe in believers. If a believer, helping in the service, putting things in order or lighting candles, comes here, he must bow to the ground. Laymen are prohibited from entering the altar for the simple reason that this place must always be clean, holy, it is here that the Holy Meal is located. In this place, crowds and outrages, which, by their sinful nature, can be tolerated by mere mortals, are not allowed in this place. The place is for the concentration of prayer by the priest.

Iconostasis

Christians experience a sense of awe upon entering an Orthodox church. Its structure and interior decoration, icons with the faces of the Saints exalt the souls of believers, create an atmosphere of peace, awe before our Lord.

Already in the ancient catacomb temples, the altar began to be fenced off from the rest. Then there was already salt, the altar barriers were made in the form of lowered gratings. Much later, the iconostasis appeared, which has the royal and side gates. It serves as a dividing line that divides the middle temple and altar. The iconostasis is arranged as follows.

In the center there are the royal gates - specially decorated doors with two folds, located opposite the throne. Why are they called that? It is believed that through them Jesus Christ himself proceeds to give the sacrament to people. To the left and to the right of the north and south gates are installed, which serve for the entrance and exit of the clergy during the statutory moments of the service. Each of the icons located on the iconostasis has its own special place and meaning, tells about some event from Scripture.

Icons and frescoes

Considering the structure and decoration of an Orthodox church, it should be noted that icons and frescoes are a very important accessory. They depict the Savior, the Mother of God, angels, holy saints from biblical stories. Icons in paints convey to us what is described in words in the Holy Scriptures. Thanks to them, a prayer mood is created in the church. When praying, one must remember that prayer ascends not to the picture, but to the image depicted on it. On the icons, the images are depicted in the form in which they condescended to people, as the chosen ones saw them. Thus, the Trinity is depicted in the form as seen by righteous Abraham. Jesus is depicted in the human form in which he lived among us. It is customary to depict the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, as it appeared during the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River, or in the form of fire, which the apostles saw on the day of Pentecost.

The newly painted icon is necessarily consecrated in the church, sprinkled with holy water. Then she becomes sacred and has the ability to act with the Grace of the Holy Spirit.

The halo around the head means that the face depicted on the icon has the grace of God, is holy.

The middle part of the temple

The interior of an Orthodox church necessarily contains a middle part, sometimes it is called the nave. In this part of the temple there are the pulpit, the solea, the iconostasis and the kliros.

It is this part that is actually called the temple. Since ancient times, this part has been called the refectory, because the Eucharist is eaten here. The middle temple symbolizes earthly existence, the sensual human world, but justified, burnt and already consecrated. If the altar symbolizes the Upper Heaven, then the middle temple is a particle of the renewed human world. These two parts must interact, under the guidance of Heaven, the disturbed order will be restored on Earth.

Porch

The vestibule, which is part of the structure of a Christian church, is its vestibule. In the origins of faith, penitents or those who were preparing for Holy Baptism stayed in it. In the vestibule, most often there is a church box for the sale of prosphora, candles, icons, crosses, for the registration of weddings and baptisms. Those who received penance from the confessor, and all people who, for some reason, consider themselves unworthy to enter the church at the moment, can stand in the vestibule.

External device

The architecture of Orthodox churches is always recognizable, and although its types are different, the external structure of the temple has its main parts.

Absida - a ledge for the altar, attached to the temple, usually has a semicircular shape.

The drum is the upper part that ends with a cross.

Light drum - a drum with cut openings.

The head is a dome crowning the temple with a drum and a cross.

Zakomara - Russian architecture. Semicircular completion of a part of the wall.

The onion is the head of the onion-shaped church.

Porch - a porch raised above ground level (closed or open).

A pilaster is a flat decorative ledge on a wall surface.

Portal - entrance.

The refectory is an extension from the west of the building, serves as a place for sermons and meetings.

Tent - has several sides, covers towers, a temple or a bell tower. Common in the architecture of the 17th century.

Pediment - completes the facade of the building.

An apple is a domed ball with a cross on it.

Tier - decreasing in height of the volume of the entire building.

Types of temples

Orthodox churches have different shapes, they can be:

• In the form of a cross (symbol of the crucifixion).
• In the form of a circle (the personification of eternity).
• In the form of a quadrangle (sign of the Earth).
• In the shape of an octagon (the guiding star of Bethlehem).

Each church is dedicated to some holy, important Christian event. The day of their memory becomes a patronal temple holiday. If there are several side-altars with an altar, then each is named separately. A chapel is a small structure that resembles a temple, but does not have an altar.

At the time, the structure of the Christian temple of Byzantium had a cross-domed type. It combined all the traditions of Eastern temple architecture. Russia took over from Byzantium not only Orthodoxy, but also samples of architecture. While preserving traditions, at the same time Russian churches have much that is peculiar and distinctive.

The device of a Buddhist temple

Many believers are interested in how the temples of Buddha are arranged. We will give a brief information. Everything is also installed according to strict rules. All Buddhists revere the Three Treasures and it is in the temple that they seek refuge for themselves - with the Buddha, his teachings and with the community. The right place is where all the "Three Treasures" are collected, they must be reliably protected from any influence, from outsiders. The temple is a closed area, protected from all sides. Powerful gates are the main requirement in the construction of the temple. Buddhists do not distinguish between a monastery or a temple - for them it is one and the same concept.

Every Buddhist temple has an image of Buddha, it doesn't matter if it is embroidered, painted or sculptured. This image should be placed in the "golden hall", facing to the east. The main figure is huge, all the rest depict scenes from the life of the saint. The temple also has other images - these are all beings revered by Buddhists. The altar in the temple is decorated with figures of famous monks, they are located just below the Buddha.

Visit to a Buddhist temple

Those who want to visit a Buddhist temple must adhere to certain requirements. Legs and shoulders must be covered with opaque clothing. Like other religions, Buddhism believes that disregard for dress is disrespect for faith.

Buddhists consider the feet to be the dirtiest part of the body because they touch the ground. Therefore, when entering the temple, you must take off your shoes. It is believed that this makes the legs cleaner.

It is imperative to know the rule by which believers sit. In no case should the legs point towards the Buddha or any saint, therefore Buddhists prefer to keep neutrality - to sit in the lotus position. You can just bend your legs under you.