When a person takes the path of Christian asceticism, new knowledge appears about faith and those subjects that are a necessary setting for the formation and strengthening of faith. They are a necessary component of the life of an Orthodox Christian. One of them is an icon. Over time, the question arises: where should icons be placed in the house?
Over time, the question arises: where should icons be located in the house?
Many new Christians go through a stage of collecting images. I would like to buy many icons at once. This often happens, and the believer, as a rule, does not know where the icons should be in the house. Over time, the understanding comes that it is not a matter of quantity, but of quality.
You can have one image and that will be enough, or you can hang the whole house with icons, but this will not have an impact on spiritual life.
Therefore, before purchasing icons, you need to have an idea of what a home iconostasis is and where the icons should be located in the house.
Unfortunately, the living space does not always have the desired area, then in general there are some difficulties in how to correctly arrange icons in the apartment. And if there is still no understanding and support in the family regarding the topic of faith, then the situation can be completely sad.
According to the church, where the icons should be located in the house, the priest will answer - on the east or eastern wall. But the realities of housing conditions are such that the answer is: in an accessible and free place. This is important, because how to correctly arrange icons at home is an important point, but this is not the main thing.
Icons are not pictures for interior decoration. This is a serious tool for spiritual work.
Icons are not pictures for interior decoration
If, after all, the eastern corner is not filled with furniture, and you can approach it, then use this part of the home. In which corner in the house icons are hung has no meaning for the salvation of the soul, just as in which corner icons are hung in the apartment. But they can help a Christian systematize his spiritual life.
Having decided on the place where the icons should stand in the apartment, you need to understand that they are a means of communication with God, the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints.
The believer must have the opportunity to be alone with the icons in order to complete the prayer rule. Therefore, the question of how to properly hang icons in an apartment is not decisive, but requires understanding from those around you.
The believer should have the opportunity to have privacy with icons
If earlier, the corner in which the icons were located was called red, and it corresponded to the church tradition - the eastern side, then in the conditions of modern construction this is not allowed. Therefore, how to properly place icons in the house is decided by taking into account the convenience of using them.
How to properly place icons in the house is decided by taking into account the ease of using them
Even if you still want to choose strict compliance with church custom, there is often a pipe in the eastern corner, for example. It is hardly worth starting a renovation just for the sake of it being the answer to the question: how to properly hang icons in the house.
There are several recommendations on where to place icons in the house, and what images of saints should not be combined with. It is not allowed to arrange icons as interior decoration items, or to surround them with figurines of a secular nature, paintings, or panels.
Where there should be icons in the house, photographs or posters with images of an entertaining nature or socialites are also unacceptable. Moreover, such a combination can negatively affect the home environment, because such a combination is a confrontation with the spiritual world.
The quantity of icons should turn into quality over time. That is, your favorite icons of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, saints and church holidays will remain in the home iconostasis. The priest can tell you in which corner the icons should hang in the house; at the same time, if the home has not been consecrated, then this must be done.
The number of icons should turn into quality over time
The acquisition of icons is a personal matter and is associated with knowledge of who or what event is depicted on them. For example, the Mother of God image has more than 800 copies, which means the same number of stories of their manifestation. The heart and path of a Christian believer will tell you which images to pray in front of in your home iconostasis.
The priest’s answer, where icons should be located in the house, says that a house or apartment is a home temple, and in the temple there are icons everywhere. For example, if this is a kitchen, then it would be appropriate to place there the Last Supper icon with icons of saints who patronize hospitable prosperity in the house.
Love for icons should not be fanatical
After all, before and after meals, a Christian prays. But love for icons should not be fanatical; Orthodox Christians do not worship icons. An icon is a shrine that helps to maintain constant presence with the Lord.
The conclusion can be drawn as follows: in which corner the icons are hung is not an important question for a modern Christian. It is important to properly communicate with them. Icons are objects inspired by our sincere prayers before them. Therefore, shrines must be kept in order and clean.
Wipe off dust regularly with a dry cloth. Do not allow icons to be damaged; if such an incident occurs, be sure to confess it. If there are dilapidated icons, then they should not be thrown away, just like any spiritual image. Bring such an icon to the priest, he will tell you what to do with it.
Sometimes they use their own wedding icons as these icons, if they correspond to the general style of icons in the house. It is also important that such wedding icons are large enough, and not two to three times smaller than other icons in the home iconostasis.
In the traditions of Russian Orthodoxy, a special veneration of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker has been strengthened, whose icons are found in almost every Orthodox family. Along with the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, the central place in the home of an Orthodox Christian has always been occupied by the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, who is revered as a great righteous man and a special man of prayer before the Lord, as a saint endowed with special grace. Icons of Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov, the most revered saints who shone on Russian soil, have long been placed in home iconostases.
Of the images of martyrs for the faith of Christ, the most common are the icons of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, and the holy great martyr George the Victorious.
If an Orthodox family eats in the kitchen, then an icon is needed there for prayer before and after the meal. It makes the most sense to place an icon of the Savior in the kitchen, since the prayer of thanksgiving after a meal is addressed to Him: “We thank You, Christ our God...”; the “Last Supper” icon is also placed in the kitchen.
When selecting icons, make sure that they are uniform in their artistic manner of execution, try not to allow a variety of styles
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The choice of icons for your home is always individual and here you should listen to the voice of your heart. It happens that the feat of this or that saint sinks very deeply into the soul and encourages you to imitate him in your life. An icon of such a saint can be ordered in our workshop in order to be able to offer prayers to him, ask for help in the work of spiritual growth and everyday troubles. If you find it difficult to choose an icon, don’t worry! Our website has the most complete information in RuNet about choosing an icon; in addition, you can always consult with us by calling or asking a question by email.
The house is a continuation of the temple; in the past, every Orthodox family - both peasant and urban - always had a shelf with icons, or an entire home iconostasis, in the most prominent place of the home. Moreover, the quantity and richness of the decoration of the icons indicated the wealth and position in society of the owner himself. The place where the icons were placed was called differently: front corner, red corner, holy corner, shrine, icon case or ark.
The icon in the apartment is a window to the Kingdom of God. The red corner with icons is the place where the day of an Orthodox Christian begins and ends: morning and evening prayers are read here and therefore everything should be subordinated to one goal - concentrated prayer to God.
When praying, it is customary to stand facing east; Orthodox churches are built with the altar facing east. Therefore, it is advisable to place the icons on the eastern wall of the room. But what to do if the house is oriented so that there are windows or doors in the east? In this case, you can place the icons in any other accessible place, as it is sung in Psalm 112, “from east to west praise the name of the Lord.” The main thing is that there is enough free space in front of the icons, so that the worshipers do not feel crowded when praying together.
Some people arrange a red corner above the bed - this way the cramped space is used more effectively, cabinets and windows do not interfere, and you sleep under the shadow of shrines.
You can place the icons on a special shelf, and if there are a lot of them, hang them on the wall, following a few simple rules. For example, if icons are hung haphazardly, asymmetrically, without a thoughtful composition, then this causes a constant feeling of dissatisfaction with their placement, a desire to change everything, which very often distracts from prayer.
Icons can and should be placed in other rooms. The icon should also be in the kitchen. There must be a holy image in the children's room (for example, an icon of the Guardian Angel or an icon of the Heavenly Patron of the child).
According to tradition, it is customary to hang an icon of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary above the entrance to a house or apartment. Although it could be any other icon or cross.
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In this case, icons must be placed in a place separate from other objects. Icons look extremely inappropriate in bookcases where secular books are stored, on shelves next to cosmetics, photographs of loved ones, toys, and figurines. You should not place posters of pop performers, politicians, athletes and other idols of the current century near icons. There should not be any artistic paintings among the icons, even those painted on biblical subjects. A painting, even if it has a religious content, such as “The Appearance of Christ to the People” by Alexander Ivanov or “The Sistine Madonna” by Raphael, is not a canonical icon.
Sometimes you see photographs of priests, elders, monks, and people of righteous life among the icons. Canonically, this is unacceptable, since a photograph is an image that captures a specific moment in a person’s earthly life, even if he was later glorified by the church as a saint. And the icon tells us about him, precisely as a saint, in his glorified, transfigured state. Of course, such photographs can be in the home of an Orthodox Christian, but they must be placed separately from the icons.
When placing icons in a red corner, the same principles are observed as in a church iconostasis. The main place is occupied by the icon of the Savior. It is often the largest in size. Usually this is the Savior Not Made by Hands or the Savior Almighty. Next to the image of Christ there is an icon of the Virgin and Child. If you stand facing the home iconostasis, then the icon of the Savior should be on your right, and the icon of the Mother of God on your left. These are the main icons, they must be in the red corner. Above these icons you can only place the icon of the Holy Trinity or the icon of the Last Supper.
Below the two main icons or to the side of them you can place personalized icons, i.e. icons of saints whose names are borne by family members, as well as other icons - patrons of professions, saints especially revered by you, etc.
In any case, you should remember the principle of hierarchy. For example, an icon of a saint cannot be placed above the icon of the Trinity, the Savior, the Mother of God and the apostles. It is advisable to crown the home iconostasis with an Orthodox cross.
You should not chase the number of icons in your home iconostasis. “Quality” is more important here - it is better to have only two icons - the Savior and the Mother of God, but painted in such a way that one would really like to pray in front of them. This will bring much more benefit to your soul than if you cover an entire wall with small printed icons that also differ in writing style.
There is a misconception that spouses should not hang icons in the bedroom, and if there are icons, they should be covered with a curtain at night. It's a delusion. Firstly, no curtain can hide from God. Secondly, marital intimacy in marriage is not a sin. Therefore, you can safely place icons in the bedroom. Moreover, many of our compatriots do not always have the opportunity to place icons in a separate room designed for this. Of course, the icon should be in the dining room or kitchen so that you can pray before eating and thank the Lord after the meal. Icons can be in every room, there is nothing bad or reprehensible in this.
But it is naive to believe that the more icons in the house, the more pious the life of an Orthodox Christian. The main thing is that prayer be offered in front of the icons.
It is also a mistake to believe that the icon is a kind of accumulator of God’s grace, which can be drawn from if necessary. Grace acts not from the icon, but through the icon, and is sent by the Lord to those who believe in Him. You can endlessly venerate a sacred image, without having faith in the real power of God’s life-giving grace, and not get anything from it. Or you can venerate the miraculous icon once with deep faith and hope in the Lord’s help, and receive healing from physical and mental illnesses.
It is also necessary to remember that the icon is not some kind of amulet that guarantees the absence of quarrels and problems in the family, as well as some kind of invisible protection from evil spirits and bad people. In general, amulets are attributes of pagan and magical cults. There should be neither paganism nor magic in the life of an Orthodox Christian.
The rules for handling icons given below were prepared by the Department of Restoration of the St. Tikhon’s Theological Institute specifically for everyone on whom the fate of icons depends. These rules contain information not about how to restore them yourself, but about how to live with icons, how to take care of them, how to care for them.
The paint layer and soil on the icons crack and crumble due to sudden changes in temperature and humidity. Normal storage conditions for icons: temperature +17° - +20°, humidity 45% -55%.
1. It is best to keep the icon in a *case* (link to dictionary), since constant changes in temperature and humidity (for example, greasy soot in the kitchen) can soon lead to cracking, peeling and shedding of soil and paint. If it is not possible to place all the icons in icon cases, try to place a lamp or candlestick with a burning candle so that no splashes of oil or wax get on the icon. The resulting plaque on the icon cannot be removed independently.
2. Under no circumstances should you wipe the icon with any substances; you should also not use holy water, holy oil, etc. as a cleaning agent - they penetrate the primer and paint. After this, it will be impossible to strengthen the icon. Do not wash the icon with anything!
3. Do not try to “update” the icon with varnishes, paints, oils, etc. All these actions cause destruction of the icon, often irreversible.
4. You cannot wipe the icon with either a wet or dry cloth. You can remove dust (not often) only if the paint layer does not crumble; It is better to do this with a dry squirrel brush, very soft.
5. You cannot put the icon on a window or hang it under a window. Drafts and cold are extremely dangerous for the health of icons. When ventilating the room, try to avoid sudden changes in temperature and humidity.
6. Do not place the icon near a warm wall, radiator or stove, or table lamp. The flow of warm air dries out the wood, which causes the boards to warp and crack.
7. Avoid long-term exposure of the icon to direct sunlight.
8. You cannot store the icon in a room where there are flight holes of the borer beetle in the walls or furniture. A bug can turn an icon board into dust in 1-2 years.
9. Please do not try to treat the icon yourself, ***try to find a professional restorer***.
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Sometimes there is an opinion that since an icon is a shrine, it will itself be renewed (restored). This happens, but it is always a miracle. You cannot consider yourself worthy of a miracle and demand it from God, while simply neglecting the shrine. There is a church tradition associated with the “Quick to Hear” icon. The Athonite monk was punished for smoking Her face with a burning splinter. In Her mercy, the Holy Virgin first warned him with a voice from the icon not to do this, and when he continued to walk past her with a smoky torch, She denounced him: “How long have you been so carelessly and so shamelessly smoking My image?!” And with these words the monk lost his sight, which was returned to him after repentance. The entire brethren of the monastery learned about this, the icon was duly honored, and subsequently a temple was built in its honor.
The treatment of an icon in need of restoration should be the same as with a sick child: parents will not trust treatment to the first person they meet, but will look for a good doctor, a professional. And none of the lovers of self-medication will cut out their own hernia or insert a lens on their own. An inept action, intervention, or rubbing with any substances or rags can bring the icon to the state of a chronic patient, when it will be impossible to cure it. The work of a restorer is very similar to the art of medicine. The main principle in medicine and restoration is the same: noli nocere (do no harm).
Only a specialist should restore it; under no circumstances should you give in to the desire to “wipe and touch up” something yourself. Restoration workshops often receive icons that have been damaged by such inept and unwise treatment. Such icons - with their faces wiped white - are no different from the icons that suffered from the atheists after the revolution. And it’s even scary to think that the desecrated image is the result of the actions of a Christian
15.10.2014
When an icon appears in a house, people often wonder how to position it correctly. This is not just a picture that can be hung wherever your heart desires. Otherwise, you can simply violate sacred Orthodox traditions. Prayer is a sacrament, and it must adhere to strict canons. Therefore, it is so important to choose the right location for the icon.
The icon is an important element in Orthodoxy
Its main functions include:
narration of the events of Sacred history;
expression of the main principles of Christianity;
the embodiment of conciliarity, the spiritual unity of man and God.
Where to hang an icon in an apartment
According to tradition, icons are hung in the so-called red corner. It contains an iconostasis, a cross, candles, lamps and spiritual literature. The red corner has a specific location in the house; it is located opposite the main entrance. And this has a clear explanation. People crossing the threshold of a home can immediately bow to the images and not wander around the house in search of icons. The space near the iconostasis should be accessible and free, so that not only family members, but also guests can gather around it if desired.
According to custom, the altar is located on the east side. The icons are also placed so that those reading the prayer next to them look to the East. If it is not possible to place the icon in this way in your home, you can hang it in another place. The main thing is that it is spacious and bright, and not a blind, inaccessible corner. By hanging the icon in a sunny place, the room will become even brighter and more festive.
Correct placement of the icon
The icon can either be hung on a simple nail or placed on a special shelf along with others. If there are a large number of icons, a so-called iconostasis is made for them. But icons should not become objects for simple collecting; they have a completely different purpose. And their number, ultimately, may have nothing to do with the piety of the inhabitants of the house.
There is no place for icons on book shelves. They should not be placed among bottles of cosmetics, souvenirs or photographs of friends and relatives. Icons should not hang next to the toilet or interspersed with various paintings and works of art. An icon is not a decorative element or an ordinary beautiful image. It preserves faith and reverence, serves as protection and patronage. Don’t be afraid to place the icon in the bedroom, there is nothing reprehensible or sinful in this, as many may think.
Icon “The Weeping Savior” The image is depicted on a canvas 13 inches wide and 16 inches high (approximately 57.2 cm by 70.4 cm), the image is half-length, the writing style is probably Italian. The image is different in many ways...
Icon of the Mother of God “Eletskaya” Day of celebration - February 6, Art. / February 18 N.S. The appearance of the ancient miraculous Yeletsk Icon of the Mother of God occurred on February 6, 1060, during the reign of the grandson of the Saint...
With the blessing of Bishop Konstantin of Tikhvin
Alekseev Sergey Vladimirovich
In his home, every Christian ... places holy and honorable images written on icons on the walls, arranging a splendid place with all sorts of decorations and lamps, in them and candles before the saints the images are burned in every praise of God ... And those worthy of touching the holy image are pure conscience... And the images of the saints are placed in the same order at the beginning, sacredly reverent, and the essence of the names of the former. In prayers and in vigils, and in prostrations and in all praise of God, always honor them...
Monk Spyridon (Sylvester)
DOMOSTROY
XVI century
The icon painter, completing the icon, inscribes
the name of the One whose Face is revealed on the icon board.
There is a connection between words and images,
name and image - an Icon is born.
Quantity and quality are different categories. It is naive to believe that the more sacred images in the home of an Orthodox Christian, the more pious his life. An unsystematized collection of icons, reproductions, and wall church calendars that occupies a significant part of the living space can often have a completely opposite effect on a person’s spiritual life.
Firstly, thoughtless collecting can turn into empty collecting, where there is no question of the prayerful purpose of the icon.
Secondly (and this is the main thing), in this case there is a distortion of the concept of home as a dwelling, as the material basis of the Orthodox family.
“My house will be called a house of prayer” () - this is about a temple that was created for prayer and the performance of the Sacraments.
The house is a continuation of the temple, nothing more; a home is, first of all, a family hearth; There is prayer in the house, but private prayer; There is a Church in the house, but the Church is small, domestic, family. The principle of hierarchy (that is, the subordination of the lower to the higher), reflecting Heavenly harmony and order, is also present in earthly life. Therefore, it is unacceptable to mix the ontologically different concepts of temple and home.
However, there must be icons in the house. In sufficient quantity, but within reasonable limits.
In the past, every Orthodox family, both peasant and urban, always had a shelf with icons, or an entire home iconostasis, in the most prominent place in their home. The place where the icons were placed was called the front corner, red corner, holy corner, shrine, icon case or ark.
For an Orthodox Christian, an icon is not only an image of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, saints and events from Sacred and Church history. An icon is a sacred image, that is, separated from the realities of everyday life, not mixed with everyday life and intended only for communication with God. Therefore, the main purpose of the icon is prayer. An icon is a window from the heavenly world into our world - the world below; it is a revelation of God in lines and colors.
Thus, an icon is not just a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation, but a shrine; a shrine that unites all family members during joint prayer, for joint prayer is possible only when mutual insults are forgiven and complete unity is achieved between the people standing in front of the icon.
Of course, at the present time, when the place of the icon in the house has been taken by the television - a kind of window into the motley world of human passions, the traditions of joint prayer at home, the meaning of the family icon, and the awareness of one’s family as a small Church have been largely lost.
Therefore, an Orthodox Christian living in a modern city apartment often has questions: what icons should he have in his house? How to place them correctly? Is it possible to use reproductions of icons? What to do with old icons that have fallen into disrepair?
Some of these questions require only a clear answer; answering others, you can do without any strict recommendations.
So where to place the icons?
In a free and accessible place.
The laconicism of such an answer is caused not by the lack of canonical requirements, but by the realities of life.
Of course, it is advisable to place icons on the eastern wall of the room, because the east as a theological concept has a special meaning in Orthodoxy.
And the Lord God planted a paradise in Eden in the east, and placed there the man whom he created ().
Look, Jerusalem, to the east, and look at the joy coming to you from God ().
And the spirit lifted me up and led me to the eastern gate of the house of the Lord, which faces the east ().
...for just as lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man ().
But what to do if the house is oriented so that there are windows or doors in the east? In this case, you can use the southern, northern or western walls of the home.
The main thing is that there is enough free space in front of the icons, so that the worshipers do not feel crowded when praying together. And for books needed during prayer, it is convenient to use a folding portable lectern.
When choosing a place for a home iconostasis, it is necessary to avoid the close proximity of icons to a TV, tape recorder and other household appliances. Technical devices belong to our time, they are momentary, their purpose does not correspond to the purpose of sacred images and, if possible, they should not be combined together.
True, there may be exceptions here. For example, in the editorial departments of Orthodox publishing houses, the proximity of an icon and a computer is quite acceptable. And if the author or employee works from home, then the icon placed near the computer serves as confirmation that this technique is used to spread the Good News, that this human-made instrument serves as a conductor of God’s will.
Icons should not be allowed to be mixed with decorative objects of a secular nature: figurines, panels made of various materials, etc.
It is inappropriate to place an icon on a bookshelf next to books whose contents either have nothing in common with Orthodox truths, or even are contrary to the Christian preaching of love and mercy.
It is completely unacceptable for icons to be adjacent to posters or wall calendars with photographs of the idols of this century - rock musicians, athletes or political figures. This not only reduces the importance of venerating sacred images to an unacceptable level, but also puts holy icons on a par with the idols of the modern world.
An example from the practice of priest Sergius Nikolaev, author of the brochure “Icons in Our House”, shows how such an attitude towards a shrine affects the spiritual state of the family:
“Last year they invited me to serve a prayer service in one house, where, according to the owners, it was “not good.” Despite the fact that the house was consecrated, some kind of oppression was felt in it. Walking around the rooms with holy water, I noticed the room of the young men, the sons of the owner, where an artistically executed poster dedicated to a famous rock band hung on the wall. Moreover, it is known for its satanic orientation.
After the prayer service, over tea, I carefully, knowing about the fanatical devotion of some young people to their idols, tried to explain that “badness” in the house could well come from even such posters, that such images seemed to be trying to resist the shrine. The young man stood up silently and removed the painting in question from the wall. The choice was made right there” (Priest Sergius Nikolaev. Icons in our house. M. 1997, pp. 7-8).
...give to the Lord the glory of His name. Take the gift, go before Him, worship the Lord in the splendor of His shrine () - this is what the Holy Scripture says about the proper attitude towards the shrine dedicated to the Lord.
The home iconostasis can be decorated with fresh flowers, and large, separately hanging icons are often, according to tradition, framed with towels.
This tradition dates back to antiquity and has a theological basis.
According to Tradition, the lifetime image of the Savior miraculously appeared to help a suffering person: Christ, having washed his face, wiped himself with a clean handkerchief (ubrus), on which His Face was displayed, and sent this handkerchief to the leprosy King Abgar of Asia Minor in the city of Edessa. The healed ruler and his subjects accepted Christianity, and the Image Not Made by Hands was nailed to a “non-rotting board” and placed above the city gates.
The day when the Church remembers the transfer of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands from Edessa to Constantinople in 944 (August 29, new style), was previously popularly called the “canvas” or “linen Savior,” and in some places homespun linens and towels were blessed on this holiday.
These towels were decorated with rich embroidery and were intended specifically for the shrine. The icons were also framed with towels, which the owners of the house used during water blessing services and weddings. So, for example, after the water-blessing prayer, when the priest generously sprinkled holy water on the worshipers, people wiped their faces with special towels, which were then placed in the red corner.
After the celebration of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem, branches of willow consecrated in the church are placed near the icons, which, according to tradition, are kept until the next Palm Sunday.
On the Day of the Holy Trinity or Pentecost, it is customary to decorate homes and icons with birch branches, which symbolize the prosperous Church, carrying the grace-filled power of the Holy Spirit.
There should not be paintings or reproductions of paintings between the icons.
A painting, even if it has a religious content, such as “The Appearance of Christ to the People” or “The Sistine Madonna” by Raphael, is not a canonical icon.
What is the difference between an Orthodox icon and a painting?
The painting is an artistic image created by the artist’s creative imagination, which is a unique form of conveying one’s own worldview. The worldview, in turn, depends on objective reasons: the specific historical situation, the political system, the prevailing moral norms and life principles in society.
An icon, as we have already mentioned, is a revelation of God, expressed in the language of lines and colors. A revelation that is given both to the entire Church and to an individual. The worldview of the icon painter is the worldview of the Church. An icon is outside of time, outside of prevailing tastes, it is a symbol of otherness in our world.
The painting is characterized by a clearly expressed individuality of the author, a unique pictorial style, specific composition techniques, and a characteristic color scheme.
The picture should be emotional, since art is a form of cognition and reflection of the surrounding world through feelings; the picture belongs to the spiritual world.
The icon painter’s brush is dispassionate: personal emotions should not take place. In the liturgical life of the Church, the icon, like the manner of reading prayers by the psalmist, is devoid of external emotions. Empathy with spoken words and perception of iconographic symbols occur on a spiritual level.
An icon is a means of communication with God and His saints.
Sometimes among the icons in the red corner you can find photographs or reproductions of photographs of priests, elders, people of righteous, godly life. Is this acceptable? If you strictly follow the canonical requirements, then, of course, no. You should not mix iconographic images of saints and photographic portraits.
The icon tells us about the saint in his glorified, transfigured state, while a photograph, even of a person later glorified as a saint, shows a specific moment in his earthly life, a separate stage of ascent to the higher heights of the spirit.
Such photographs are of course needed in the house, but they should be placed away from the icons.
Previously, along with prayer icons - sacred images, in houses, especially peasant ones, there were also pious images: lithographs of churches, views of the Holy Land, as well as popular prints, which in a naive, but bright, figurative form, told about serious subjects.
Currently, a variety of church wall calendars with reproductions of icons have appeared. They should be treated as a convenient form of printed material for an Orthodox Christian, since such calendars contain the necessary instructions regarding holidays and fasting days.
But at the end of the year, the reproduction itself can be pasted onto a solid base, consecrated in the church according to the rite of blessing the icon, and placed in the home iconostasis.
What icons should I have at home?
It is imperative to have an icon of the Savior and an icon of the Mother of God.
Images of the Lord Jesus Christ as evidence of the Incarnation and Salvation of the human race and the Mother of God as the most perfect of earthly people, worthy of complete deification and revered as the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim (Song of Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos) are necessary for the home where Orthodox Christians live.
Among the images of the Savior, a half-length image of the Lord Almighty is usually chosen for home prayer.
A characteristic feature of this iconographic type is the image of the blessing hand of the Lord and an open or closed book.
The theological meaning of this image is that the Lord appears here as the Provider of the world, as the Arbiter of the destinies of this world, the Giver of truth, to whom people’s gaze is directed with faith and hope. Therefore, images of the Lord Pantocrator or, in Greek, Pantocrator, are always given a significant place in the painting of the temple, and on portable icons, and, of course, in the house.
From the iconography of the Mother of God, icons such as “Tenderness” and “Hodegetria” are most often chosen.
Iconographic type "Tenderness" or, in Greek, Eleusa, goes back, according to legend, to the holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke. It is he who is considered the author of the images, the lists of which subsequently spread throughout the Orthodox world.
A characteristic feature of this iconography is the contact of the faces of the Savior and the Mother of God, which symbolizes the connection of the heavenly and the earthly, the special relationship between the Creator and His creation, expressed by such an endless love of the Creator for people that He gives His Son to be slaughtered in atonement for human sins. Of the icons of the “Tenderness” type, the most common are:
"Hodegetria" translated from Greek means “Guide”. The true path is the path to Christ. On icons like “Hodegetria” this is evidenced by the gesture of the right hand of the Mother of God, which points us to the Infant Christ. Among the miraculous icons of this type, the most famous are:
Of course, if holiday dates for the family are days of honoring any icons of the Savior or the Mother of God, for example, the Image of the Lord Jesus Christ Not Made by Hands or the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign,” then it is good to have these icons in the house, as well as images of saints whose names worn by family members.
For those who have the opportunity to place a larger number of icons in the house, you can supplement your iconostasis with images of revered local saints and, of course, the great saints of the Russian land.
In the traditions of Russian Orthodoxy, a special veneration of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker has been strengthened, whose icons are found in almost every Orthodox family. It should be noted that, along with the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker has always occupied a central place in the home of an Orthodox Christian. Among the people, Saint Nicholas is revered as a saint endowed with special grace. This is largely due to the fact that, according to the church charter, every Thursday of the week, along with the holy apostles, the church offers prayers to St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the miracle worker.
Among the images of the holy prophets of God one can single out Elijah, among the apostles - the supreme ones Peter and Paul.
Of the images of martyrs for the faith of Christ, the most common icons are those of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious, as well as the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon.
For completeness and completeness of the home iconostasis, it is desirable to have images of the holy Evangelists, St. John the Baptist, the archangels Gabriel and Michael and icons of the holidays.
The choice of icons for the home is always individual. And the best assistant here is the priest - the confessor of the family, and it is to him, or any other clergyman, that you should turn to for advice.
Regarding reproductions of icons and color photographs from them, we can say that sometimes it is more reasonable to have a good reproduction than a painted icon, but of poor quality.
The icon painter’s attitude towards his work must be extremely demanding. Just as a priest has no right to perform the liturgy without proper preparation, so an icon painter must approach his service with full responsibility. Unfortunately, both in the past and now you can often find vulgar crafts that have nothing to do with the icon. Therefore, if the image does not evoke a feeling of inner reverence and a sense of contact with the shrine, if it is questionable in its theological content and unprofessional in its execution technique, then it is better to refrain from such an acquisition.
And reproductions of canonical icons, pasted onto a solid base and consecrated in the church, will take their rightful place in the home iconostasis.
A purely practical question often arises:
How to paste a paper reproduction without damaging it?
Here are some useful tips.
If the reproduction is made on thick paper or cardboard, then to glue it to a solid base - a board or multi-layer plywood - it is advisable to use glue that does not contain water and, accordingly, does not deform the paper, for example, Moment glue. If the reproduction is on thin paper, then you can use PVA glue, but in this case the paper should be moistened with water, wait until the water is absorbed and the paper loses its elasticity, and only then apply the glue.
You need to press the reproduction onto the base through a clean sheet of paper so as not to stain the image.
After gluing, the reproduction can be coated with a thin layer of drying oil or varnish, but this should be done with caution, as some varnishes destroy printing inks. It should be taken into account that printing inks tend to fade under the active influence of direct sunlight, therefore, an icon made by your own hands and consecrated in the Church must be protected from their influence.
How to place icons, in what order?
Are there strict statutory requirements for this?
In church - yes. For a home goddess, you can limit yourself to only a few basic rules.
For example, if icons are hung haphazardly, asymmetrically, without a thoughtful composition, then this causes a constant feeling of dissatisfaction with their placement, a desire to change everything, which very often distracts from prayer.
It is also necessary to remember the principle of hierarchy: do not place, for example, an icon of a locally revered saint above the icon of the Holy Trinity, the Savior, the Mother of God, and the apostles.
The icon of the Savior should be to the right of the one ahead, and the Mother of God should be on the left (as in the classical iconostasis).
When selecting icons, make sure that they are uniform in their artistic manner of execution, try not to allow a variety of styles.
What should you do if your family has a particularly revered icon that is passed down by inheritance, but it is not quite canonically painted or has some loss of paint?
If the imperfections of the image do not seriously distort the image of the Lord, the Mother of God or a saint, such an icon can be made the center of a home iconostasis or, if space allows, placed on a lectern under the shrine, because such an image is a shrine for all family members.
One of the indicators of the level of spiritual development of an Orthodox Christian is his attitude towards the shrine.
What should be the attitude towards the shrine?
Holiness as one of the properties of God (Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts! () is reflected both in the saints of God and in physical objects. Therefore, the veneration of holy people, sacred objects and images, as well as one’s own desire for genuine communion with God and transformation are phenomena of the same order .
Be holy before Me, for I am holy, the Lord... ()
By the way family members treat the icon, in front of which their great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers offered prayers to the Lord, one can judge both the degree of churching of people and their piety.
The veneration of the ancestral icon has always been special. After baptism, the baby was brought to the icon and the priest or the owner of the house read prayers. Parents used the icon to bless their children for school, long trips, or public service. When giving consent to the wedding, the parents also blessed the newlyweds with an icon. And a person’s departure from life took place under the images.
The well-known expression “dispersed, at least take away the saints” is evidence of a conscientious attitude towards icons. Quarrels, inappropriate behavior or domestic scandals are unacceptable in front of images of saints.
But an Orthodox Christian’s careful and reverent attitude towards the icon should not develop into unacceptable forms of worship. Correct veneration of sacred images must be cultivated from a very early age. It is always necessary to remember that an icon is an image, sacred, but still only an image. And one should not confuse such concepts as image - the image itself, and the prototype - the one who is depicted.
What can a distorted, non-Orthodox view of the veneration of holy icons lead to?
To the distortion of spiritual life, both of an individual person, and to discord within the Church. An example of this is the heresy of the iconoclasts, which arose in the 7th century.
The reasons for the emergence of this heresy were serious theological disputes about the possibility and legitimacy of depicting the Second Person of the Holy Trinity - God the Word in the flesh. The reason was also the political interests of some Byzantine emperors, who sought an alliance with strong Arab states and tried to abolish the veneration of icons to please Muslims - opponents of holy icons.
But not only that. One of the reasons for the spread of heresy was the extremely ugly, bordering on idolatry, forms of veneration of sacred images that existed in the church life of that time. Not feeling the difference between the image and the prototype, believers often revered not the face depicted on the icon, but the object itself - the board and paints, which was a profanation of icon veneration and was associated with the lowest types of paganism. Undoubtedly, this served as a temptation for many Christians and led to disastrous consequences for their spiritual life.
That is why a tendency arose among the intellectual elite of that time to abandon such forms of veneration of sacred images. Opponents of such icon veneration preferred to abandon it altogether in order to preserve the purity of Orthodoxy and, in their opinion, to “protect,” in their opinion, the ignorant part of Christians from the destruction of paganism.
Of course, such views of opponents of distorted icon veneration were fraught with a serious danger: the very truth of the Incarnation was called into question, since the very existence of the icon is based on the reality of the incarnation of God the Word.
The Fathers of the VII Ecumenical Council, who condemned the heresy of the iconoclasts, taught: “...and to honor them (icons) with kissing and reverent worship, not true, according to our faith, worship of God, which befits the only Divine nature, but veneration in that image, like the image of the Honest and Life-Giving One Honor is given to the Cross and the Holy Gospel and other shrines, with incense and the lighting of candles, as was the pious custom of the ancients. For the honor given to the image passes to the prototype, and the one who worships the icon worships the being depicted on it. Thus, the teaching of our holy fathers is confirmed, this is the tradition of the Catholic Church, who received the Gospel from end to end of the earth” (Book of the Rules of the Holy Apostles, Holy Councils of Ecumenical and Local, and the Holy Fathers. M., 1893, pp. 5-6).
It is advisable to crown a home iconostasis with a cross; crosses are also placed on doorposts.
The cross is a shrine for an Orthodox Christian. This is a symbol of the salvation of all humanity from eternal death. The 73rd Rule of the Council of Trulle, held in 691, testifies to the importance of venerating images of the holy cross: “Since the life-giving cross has shown us salvation, every care must be taken to pay due respect to that by which we are saved from the ancient fall... "(Quoted from: Sandler E. Genesis and theology of the icon. Magazine "Symbol", No. 18, Paris, 1987, p. 27).
During prayer in front of the icons, it is good to light the lamp, and on holidays and Sundays, let it burn throughout the day.
In multi-room city apartments, the iconostasis for common family prayer is usually placed in the larger room, while in others it is necessary to place at least one icon.
If an Orthodox family eats in the kitchen, then an icon is needed there for prayer before and after the meal. It makes the most sense to place an icon of the Savior in the kitchen, since the prayer of thanks after a meal is addressed to Him: “We thank You, Christ our God...”.
And one last thing.
What to do if the icon has fallen into disrepair and cannot be restored?
Such an icon, even if it is not consecrated, in no case should simply be thrown away: a shrine, even if it has lost its original appearance, must always be treated with reverence.
Previously, they dealt with old icons in the following way: until a certain state, the old icon was kept in a shrine behind other icons, and if the paints on the icon were completely erased over time, then it was released with the flow of the river.
Nowadays, of course, this is not worth doing; the dilapidated icon must be taken to the church, where it will be burned in the church oven. If this is not possible, then you should burn the icon yourself and bury the ashes in a place that will not be desecrated: for example, in a cemetery or under a tree in the garden.
We must remember: if damage to an icon occurred due to careless storage, this is a sin that must be confessed.
The faces looking at us from the icons belong to eternity; looking at them, offering them prayer, asking for their intercession, we - residents of the world below - must always remember our Creator and Savior; about His eternal call to repentance, to self-improvement and deification of every human soul.
Through the eyes of His saints, the Lord looks at us from the icons, testifying that everything is possible for a person who walks in His ways.
Application
Scheme of the high iconostasis
1 – Royal Doors (a – “Annunciation”, b, c, d, e – evangelists);
2 – “The Last Supper”; 3 – icon of the Savior; 4 – icon of the Mother of God;
5 – northern gate; 6 – South Gate; 7 – icon of the local row;
8 – temple icon;
I – forefather row; II – prophetic series; III – festive row;
IV – Deesis order.
Iconostasis
If the altar is the part of the temple where the greatest Sacrament of the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is performed, compared with the heavenly world, then the iconostasis, the faces of which look at those praying, is a figurative – in lines and colors – expression of this world. The high iconostasis, which the Byzantine Church did not know, which was finally formed in the Russian Church by the 16th century, served not so much as a visible reflection of the main events of the entire Sacred History, but rather embodied the idea of the unity of two worlds - heavenly and earthly, expressed the desire of man for God, and God for man .
The classic Russian high iconostasis consists of five tiers or rows, or, in other words, ranks.
The first is the ancestral one, located under the cross, at the very top. This is an image of the Old Testament Church, which had not yet received the Law. The forefathers from Adam to Moses are depicted here. In the center of this row is the icon of the “Old Testament Trinity” - a symbol of the eternal advice of the Holy Trinity on the self-sacrifice of God the Word in atonement for the Fall of man. The icon “Hospitality of Abraham” (or “Appearance to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre”), which is also placed in the center of the forefathers’ row, has a different theological meaning - it is an agreement concluded by God with man.
The second row is prophetic. This is the Church, which has already received the Law and through the prophets proclaims the Mother of God, from whom Christ will be incarnate. That is why in the center of this row there is the “Sign” icon, depicting the Mother of God with her hands raised in prayer and with the Child of God in her bosom.
The third - festive - series tells about the events of the New Testament time: from the Nativity of the Virgin Mary to the Exaltation of the Cross.
The fourth, deesis (or otherwise deisis) rite is the prayer of the entire Church to Christ; a prayer that is happening now and which will end at the Last Judgment. In the center is the icon “Savior in Power,” representing Christ as the formidable judge of the entire universe; on the left and right are images of the Most Holy Theotokos, St. John the Baptist, archangels, apostles and saints.
In the next, local row, there are icons of the Savior and the Mother of God (on the sides of the Royal Doors), then on the North and South Gates there are images of archangels or holy deacons. Temple icon - the icon of the holiday or saint in whose honor the temple is consecrated, is always located to the right of the icon of the Savior (for those facing the altar), immediately behind the South Gate. The “Last Supper” icon is placed above the Royal Doors as a symbol of the sacrament of the Eucharist, and on the gates themselves there is the “Annunciation” and images of the holy evangelists. Sometimes icons and creators of the Divine Liturgy are depicted on the Royal Doors.
SATIS
Saint Petersburg
2000
An icon is an image of God or His saints. The images are a reminder of the actual existence of the spiritual world. By honoring them, Orthodox Christians express a proper attitude towards the One who is depicted on them. According to the teachings of Christianity, icons must be treated with reverence and love, as an image of one’s nearest and dearest. Any Orthodox Christian should have various icons in his home.
Icons are intended for prayer, that is, for human communication with God and the saints. Looking at icons, Orthodox Christians should ascend with their minds to God, remembering eternal life. The attitude towards icons is a centuries-old controversial issue among many Christian denominations. For example, the depiction of God and saints is permissible only in Orthodoxy and Catholicism; other Christian denominations prohibit the depiction of God, interpreting it as idolatry.
Icon veneration is not idolatry, since service is performed not to the icon, but to the Saint depicted on it.
In the Orthodox religion, there are special rules according to which it is necessary to pray for personal needs in front of various holy images. Thus, there is a pious tradition of assigning individual properties to each icon. For example, in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” everyone on the way should pray, or in front of the icon of St. Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg they are advised to pray for the well-being of the marriage.
You need to know that such a practice is not obligatory, since any saints depicted on the icons can hear the person praying and help him in his needs. The meaning of icons should not be placed above sincere feelings when performing prayer. If you pray with faith and love in front of any icon, then you can be sure that this prayer will be heard.
All believers need to know exactly what icons should be in the house. An Orthodox Christian should remember that there are also images of saints in the Catholic Church, so icons can only be purchased in Orthodox churches. Here you will find canonical variants that comply with special spelling rules. Often they can be bought in stores, but in this case there is a high probability that you can purchase a Catholic icon that does not correspond to the true canons of Orthodoxy.
It is advisable that icons be present in every room of your home. In the largest and most spacious room, it is necessary to make a main iconostasis, on which all the holy images revered in a given family will be placed.
So, what icons should be in the house? For home prayer, it is necessary to have icons depicting Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the Holy Trinity, the Guardian Angel, named saints and saints especially revered by family members. It is also necessary to have a cross with the image of the crucified Jesus Christ as the main symbol of Christianity. In addition, all household icons must be consecrated in an Orthodox church.
And yet, how to arrange icons in the house? It is advisable that the corner with holy images be located on the eastern side of your home, just like in temples. Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures is called the “Sun of Truth” and also the “East”. As a result, the Orthodox tradition designated the eastern side of the world for the worship of the Lord. This custom originates from the Jewish religion. The tabernacle of Moses had a veil and a purgatory, which were located on the east side. In the famous temple built by King Solomon, the gates of the Lord were in the east.
It is known that Christianity originates from Judaism, therefore, this is where the tradition of the location of the iconostasis comes from. If the situation in the home is such that it is not possible to place the icons in the eastern corner, then you can also place them anywhere else in the room, the main condition being a dignified and respectful environment for the holy image.
Icons in the house should be placed in specially designated places. There should be nothing around or near the corner with the images that could distract from prayer. You cannot keep photographs of relatives, ordinary people and other paintings nearby, even those depicting biblical scenes. Icons should be placed only in a place specially designated for them. In addition, you cannot keep objects or books of immoral content nearby. Icons in the house should be treated with special respect as a sign of personal attitude towards them.
The place where the holy images are located is usually called the “red corner”. Often, special stands for icons are located in the corners of rooms. Such shelves are called icon corners. They can be purchased in church shops, but you can also make such a simple item yourself.
You can also place icons in the upper niches of cabinet furniture, you just need to make sure that there are no foreign objects around: figurines, photo frames or souvenirs. You cannot place icons on the lower shelves, as this will be a definite expression of disrespect for the holiness of the image.
In addition, images can be placed on the walls, and you should definitely know how to hang icons in the house correctly. If they are intended to be placed on the wall, it is necessary that only icons be present on it. No paintings should be placed nearby. In addition, in the room where the icons are located, it is prohibited to hang pictures of immoral content.
The question of what icons should be in the house and how to arrange them should be discussed in more detail. Images of Jesus Christ must be placed on the right, and the Virgin Mary on the left. Many families place wedding images on the main home iconostasis: a pair of icons depicting the Savior and the Mother of God, painted in the same style and having the same size.
Around the main icons you can place images of named saints in whose honor family members were baptized. On the side of the Savior you can place icons of male saints, and on the side of the Mother of God - female ones.
In addition, it is imperative to have an image of the crucifixion in the house. The cross is located above all the icons as a symbol of victory over the enemy of the human race. The image of the crucifixion became the main symbol of the entire Christian world. Even the Protestant faith, known for its opposition to the image of the Lord, does not prohibit the symbolism of the cross. Also, Evangelical Christians and Baptists, who are the most ardent fighters against icon veneration, also have a tradition of using the cross.
It should be mentioned that at all times, special respect was shown to the pectoral cross. It was indeed perceived by many people, and even Christians, as some kind of magical sign. The sign of the cross has always been especially revered by Orthodox Christianity. The Son of God, with his saving death, forever sanctified the cross, turning it from a cruel instrument of execution into the greatest religious symbol. The events of the atonement on the cross became the goal of the Savior’s earthly life and the central theme of the gospel narrative. That is why it is necessary to pay due respect to the cross and place it above all the icons in the house.
Holy images must be in every room. It is advisable that they be placed on separate icon corners, but you can also hang them on the wall. It is mandatory to have icons in the dining room for prayer before and after meals.
There is a pious tradition of placing images near the entrance to the house: above the door or on the wall closest to the entrance. Orthodox Christians must make the sign of the cross and a short prayer before entering and leaving the house. You can also place an image of the veil of the Most Holy Theotokos above the front door, as a sign of the consecration of the home and protection from enemies and evil spirits. Church shops sell icons with corresponding prayers.
In the Orthodox tradition, there is an ancient tradition of a measured icon - an image of the saint in whose honor the newborn baby was baptized. Such images are written to order, they correspond to certain sizes. The height of such an icon should correspond to the height of the newborn child.
Since measured icons are quite large in size, they are usually placed on the walls. Holy images should be placed in the children's room, from an early age teaching the child to prayerfully turn to his saint, ask him for help in business and endeavors, and pray before and after bedtime.
If the question of where to hang the icon in the house has been exhausted, the rules for caring for holy images should be discussed. As a sign of reverence for the holiness of this place, it should be kept clean and tidy. Cleaning the icon corner must be done with prayer and reverence, without being distracted by thoughts on foreign objects. The images should be wiped with a clean cloth specially designed for this purpose and stored separately, in a special place.
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