Orthodox pectoral crosses with a circle in the center. The meaning of the Orthodox cross

Hello everyone, I decided to start publishing articles about what else, besides coins, is most often found on the mine and what is sometimes more valuable than the treasured round pieces, not counting, of course, gold and silver rings. I’ll start with pectoral crosses, since I think their history and typology will be very interesting for those who dig into the old days.

Types of crosses

A pectoral cross is a cross worn around the neck as a sign of belonging to the Christian church. According to tradition, it is received at baptism. It is believed that the predecessors of the cross-vests were encolpions - miniature chest arks, inside of which particles of the relics of saints or consecrated prosphoras were kept.

The first mentions of crosses worn on the body under clothing are found in documents from the beginning of the 4th century. In Rus', the custom of wearing such jewelry spread with the adoption of Christianity - at the end of the 10th century.

Popular forms of crosses in Orthodoxy

Although there are no written rules regarding what a pectoral cross should look like in Orthodoxy, masters in different times Still, they tried to adhere to certain unspoken canons. On the form and appearance products, in addition to church tradition, were influenced by artistic trends characteristic of a particular era, and the personal preferences of the author. Women's pectoral crosses differed from men's, below the Old Believer female pectoral cross.

Artistic techniques used in the design of products often had regional characteristics. A striking example of this is the Novgorod crosses, reminiscent of the Templar type, complemented by a circle. It is noteworthy that in other ancient Russian lands a similar form is practically not found.

The most common types of body crosses are:

• Immissa - a four-pointed cross with a crossbar located above the middle vertical line. This form is considered one of the oldest, but is currently more common among Catholics.

• The Greek cross or “korsunchik” is a type of four-pointed cross that has equal sides. This form was traditional for Byzantium. It was from there that she migrated to Kievan Rus. During times Russian Empire The Greek cross formed the basis of the insignia.

• The petal cross is another variation of the four-pointed cross, characterized by smooth lines and the absence of corners. Products based on immissa have a leaf-like outline. The symbol with equal sides looks more like a flower. Petal crosses are considered feminine.

• The teardrop-shaped four-pointed cross is a popular shape among Christians of all directions. This type can be recognized by its characteristic elements in the form of droplets located along the edges of the rays. This decor symbolizes drops of Christ's blood.

• The six-pointed Orthodox cross has the same shape as the immissa, but has a crossbar at the bottom. This detail depicts a scale with good on one side and evil on the other.

• The eight-pointed form is the most canonical from the point of view of the Orthodox Church. This cross looks like a six-pointed one, but at the top there is a short crossbar, symbolizing a tablet that read “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Some pieces depict the crucified Christ or a crown of thorns in the center.

Old Russian pectoral crosses

According to archaeological finds on the territory of ancient Russian cities, the first crosses on the body were of the Greek type - four-pointed, with equal rays. Some products have widening or three-lobed termination of branches at the ends, others are decorated with round medallions at the edges. Among the copper cast plastics of the 11th–13th centuries, encolpions are often found. The suffering Savior was depicted on the reliquary crosses, with John the Theologian and the Mother of God on his sides. As a rule, the vertical branches of the products were decorated with images of saints and archangels. In many ways, ancient Russian pectoral crosses were similar to Byzantine ones. But the Slavs often supplemented Christian symbols with pagan ones, for example, they enclosed a cross in a crescent (Moon) or a circle (Sun).

Features of cross-vests of the XIV - XVII centuries

Masters of the 14th–15th centuries who created crosses on body crosses often took monumental crosses, which play a major role in the decoration of famous churches, as a model. The four-pointed shape is replaced by an eight-pointed one. Tin inlaying is becoming a common technique; just like the pre-Mongol invasion, crosses are again decorated with cloisonné enamel and blackened. The iconography of crosses also undergoes changes. “Vest shirts” are increasingly depicting demon fighters. Particularly popular is the image of the Archangel Michael, which adorns the metal, bone and wooden crosses of soldiers.

By the 16th century, a tradition had developed in Rus' of supplementing images on products with letter symbols and texts of prayers.

What pectoral crosses looked like in the era of Peter I - Nicholas II

As Baroque penetrates into Russian art, the shape of pectoral crosses becomes more complex. The lines become more sophisticated and pretentious. The image of the crucified Christ disappears, and a crown of thorns appears on the middle crossbar.

Old Believer pectoral crosses of the 18th–19th centuries are mostly eight-pointed. If there are four-pointed products, then they have an inscribed eight-pointed cross. The “vest shirts” of Old Believers are often decorated with multi-colored enamel and contain a passage of prayer on the reverse side.

Pectoral crosses Nikonian are more diverse and have elements borrowed from the West in their design. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, crosses with a “Catholic” crucifix and the inscription “Save and Preserve” became popular in the Russian Empire.

What do the inscriptions and letters on the cross mean?

That's it for anyone who has any additions, write below in the comments, I will be glad to supplement the article.

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The cross is the most recognizable symbol of Orthodoxy. But any of you have seen many types of crosses. Which one is correct? You will learn about this from our article!

Cross

Varieties of the cross

“The cross of any form is the true cross,” taught the Monk Theodore the Studite back inIX century. And in our time it happens that in churches they refuse to accept notes with four-pointed “Greek” crosses, forcing them to correct them to eight-pointed “Orthodox” ones. Is there one, “correct” cross? We asked the head of the MDA icon painting school, associate professor, abbot LUKU (Golovkova) and leading specialist in staurography, candidate of art history Svetlana Gnutova, to help figure this out.

What was the cross on which Christ was crucified?

« Cross“This is a symbol of the Suffering of Christ, and not only a symbol, but an instrument through which the Lord saved us,” says Hegumen Luka (Golovkov). “Therefore, the Cross is the greatest shrine through which God’s help is accomplished.”

The history of this Christian symbol began with the fact that the holy Queen Helen in 326 found the Cross on which Christ was crucified. However, what exactly he looked like is now unknown. Only two separate crossbars were found, along with a sign and a footstool. There were no grooves or holes on the crossbars, so there is no way to determine how they were attached to each other. “There is an opinion that this cross could have been in the shape of the letter “T,” that is, three-pointed,” says leading specialist in staurography, candidate of art history Svetlana Gnutova. - The Romans at that time had the practice of crucifying people on such crosses, but this does not mean that the Cross of Christ was exactly like that. It could be four-pointed or eight-pointed.”

The debate about the “correct” cross did not arise today. The debate about which cross was correct, eight-pointed or four-pointed, was waged by Orthodox and Old Believers, with the latter calling a simple four-pointed cross “the seal of the Antichrist.” Saint John of Kronstadt spoke in defense of the four-pointed cross, devoting his candidate’s dissertation to this topic (he defended it in 1855 at St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences) “On the Cross of Christ, in denunciation of imaginary Old Believers”: “Who does not know and does not honor the Holy Cross with four ends from the elder and until the boy? And this well-known form of the cross, this most ancient shrine of faith, the seal of all the sacraments, like something new, unknown to our ancestors, appeared yesterday, our imaginary Old Believers suspected, disparaged, trampled underfoot in broad daylight, spewing blasphemies that from the very the beginning of Christianity and has until now served and continues to serve as a source of sanctification and salvation for everyone. Respecting only the eight-pointed or three-part cross, that is, a straight shaft and three diameters on it, arranged in a known way, they call the so-called four-pointed cross, which is the true and most common form of the cross, the seal of the Antichrist and the abomination of desolation!

St. John of Kronstadt explains: “The Byzantine four-pointed cross is actually a Russian cross, since, according to Church Tradition, St. prince equal to the apostles Vladimir brought just such a cross from Korsun, where he was baptized, and was the first to install it on the banks of the Dnieper in Kyiv. A similar four-pointed cross has been preserved in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, carved on the marble plaque of the tomb of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, son of St. Vladimir.” But, defending the four-pointed cross, St. John concludes that both should be venerated equally, since the shape of the cross itself has no fundamental difference for believers. Hegumen Luke: “In the Orthodox Church, its holiness does not depend in any way on the shape of the cross, provided that the Orthodox cross is made and consecrated precisely as a Christian symbol, and not originally made as a sign, for example, of the sun or part of a household ornament or decoration. This is why the rite of consecration of crosses became obligatory in the Russian Church, just like icons. It’s interesting that, for example, in Greece, the consecration of icons and crosses is not necessary, because Christian traditions in society are more stable.”

Why don't we wear the sign of fish?

Until the 4th century, while the persecution of Christians continued, it was impossible to openly make images of the cross (including so that the persecutors would not abuse it), so the first Christians came up with ways to encrypt the cross. That is why the very first Christian symbol was the fish. In Greek, "fish" is Ίχθύς - an acronym for the Greek phrase "Iησοvς Χριστoς Θεov Υιoς Σωτήρ" - "Jesus Christ God's Son the Savior." The image of two fish on either side of a vertical anchor topped with a cross was used as a secret “password” for Christian meetings. “But the fish did not become the same symbol of Christianity as the cross,” explains Abbot Luke, “because the fish is an allegory, an allegory. The Holy Fathers at the Fifth-Sixth Trullo Ecumenical Council of 691-692 directly condemned and prohibited allegories, since this is a kind of “educational” image that only leads to Christ, in contrast to the direct image of Christ himself - our Savior and the Cross of Christ - the symbol of His Passion . Allegories disappeared from the practice of the Orthodox Church for a long time and only ten centuries later they began to re-enter the East under the influence of the Catholic West.”

The first encrypted images of the cross itself were found in Roman catacombs of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Researchers discovered that on the tombs of Christians who suffered for their faith, a palm branch was often painted as a symbol of eternity, a brazier as a symbol of martyrdom (this is the method of execution that was common in the first centuries) and a Christogram - letter abbreviation name Christ - or a monogram consisting of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet Α and Ω - according to the word of the Lord in Revelation to John the Theologian: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 1, 8). Sometimes these symbols were drawn together and arranged in such a way that the image of a cross was guessed in them.

When did the first “legal” cross appear?

To the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles King Constantine (IV), “Christ, the Son of God, appeared in a dream with a sign seen in heaven and commanded, having made a banner similar to this seen in heaven, to use it for protection from the attacks of enemies,” writes church historian Eusebius Pamphilus. “We happened to see this banner with our own eyes.” It had next view: on a long spear covered with gold there was a transverse yard, forming with the spear the sign of a cross, and on it the first two letters of the name Christ, combined together.”

These letters, later called the monogram of Constantine, were worn by the king on his helmet. After the miraculous appearance of St. Constantine ordered images of the cross to be made on the shields of his soldiers and installed three commemorative Orthodox crosses in Constantinople with the gold inscription in Greek “IC.XP.NIKA”, which means “Jesus Christ the Victor”. He installed the first cross with the inscription “Jesus” on the triumphal gates of the city square, the second with the inscription “Christ” on a Roman column, and the third with the inscription “Winner” on a high marble pillar in the city’s bread square. From this began the universal veneration of the Cross of Christ.

“Holy images were everywhere so that, more often visible, they would encourage us to love the Prototype,” explains Abbot Luke. “After all, everything that surrounds us affects us in one way or another, good and bad. A holy reminder of the Lord helps the soul to direct its thoughts and hearts to God.”

From how St. wrote about these times. John Chrysostom: “The cross is everywhere in glory: on houses, in the square, in solitude, on roads, on mountains, on hills, on plains, on the sea, on ship masts, on islands, on couches, on clothes, on weapons, at feasts, on silver and gold vessels, on precious stones, on wall paintings... so everyone vied with each other to admire this amazing gift.”

It is interesting that since the opportunity to legally make images of the cross arose in the Christian world, encrypted inscriptions and Christograms have not disappeared, but have migrated, as an addition, to the crosses themselves. This tradition also came to Russia. Since the 11th century, under the lower oblique crossbar of the eight-pointed crucifixion, which was installed in churches, a symbolic image of the head of Adam, buried, according to legend, on Golgotha, appears. The inscriptions are a brief commentary on the circumstances of the Lord’s crucifixion, the meaning of His death on the cross and are deciphered as follows: “M.L.R.B.” - “the place of execution was quickly crucified”, “G.G.” - “Mount Golgotha”, The letters “K” and “T” mean a copy of a warrior and a cane with a sponge, depicted along the cross. Above the middle crossbar are the inscriptions: “IC” “XC”, and below it: “NIKA” - “Winner”; on the sign or next to it there is the inscription: “SN BZHIY” - “Son of God”, “I.N.Ts.I” - “Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews”; Above the sign is the inscription: “TSR SLVY” - “King of Glory.” "G.A." - “head of Adam”; Moreover, the bones of the hands lying in front of the head are depicted: right on left, as during burial or communion.

Catholic or Orthodox Crucifix?

“The Catholic Crucifixion is often written more naturalistically,” says Svetlana Gnutova. — The Savior is depicted hanging in his arms, the image conveys the martyrdom and death of Christ. In ancient Russian images, Christ is depicted as Risen and Reigning. Christ is depicted in power - as a conqueror, holding and calling the entire Universe into His arms.”

In the 16th century, the Moscow clerk Ivan Mikhailovich Viskovaty even spoke out against crosses, where Christ is depicted on the cross with his palms clenched into a fist, rather than open. “Christ on the cross stretched out his arms to gather us,” explains Abbot Luke, “so that we would strive towards heaven, so that our aspiration would always be towards the heavenly. Therefore, the cross is also a symbol of gathering us together, so that we are one with the Lord!”

Another difference between the Catholic Crucifixion is that Christ is Crucified with three nails, that is, the nails are driven into both hands, and the soles of the feet are put together and nailed with one nail. In the Orthodox Crucifixion, each foot of the Savior is nailed separately with its own nail. Abbot Luke: “This is a fairly ancient tradition. In the 13th century, custom-made icons were painted in Sinai for the Latins, where Christ was already nailed with three nails, and in the 15th century such Crucifixions became the generally accepted Latin norm. However, this is only a tribute to tradition, which we must respect and preserve, but not look for any theological implications here. In the Sinai Monastery, icons of the Lord Crucified with three nails are in the temple and are revered on a par with Orthodox crucifixes.”

Orthodox Cross – Crucified Love

“The iconography of the cross develops like any other iconography. The cross can be decorated with ornaments or stones, but in no way can it become 12-pointed or 16-pointed,” says Svetlana Gnutova. “The variety of forms of the cross in the Christian tradition is the variety of glorification of the Cross, and not changes in its meaning,” explains Abbot Luke. - Hymnographers glorified the Cross with many prayers, just as icon painters glorify the Cross of the Lord in different ways. For example, an image of a tsata appeared in icon painting - a royal or princely pendant in the shape of a crescent; in our country it is usually used on icons of the Mother of God and Christ; it soon appeared on the cross to emphasize its royal significance.

Of course, we need to use crosses that are written in the Orthodox tradition. After all, the Orthodox cross on the chest is not only a help to which we resort in prayers, but also a testimony of our faith. Although, I think we can accept images of crosses of ancient Christian denominations (for example, Copts or Armenians). Catholic crosses, which after the Renaissance became too naturalistic in form, do not coincide with the Orthodox understanding of Christ Crucified as the Victor, but since this is an image of Christ, we should treat them with reverence.”

As St. wrote. John of Kronstadt: “The main thing that should remain in the Cross is Love: “The Cross without love cannot be thought of or imagined: where the cross is, there is love; in church you see crosses everywhere and on everything so that everything reminds you that you are in the temple of Love crucified for us.”

The cross is a very ancient symbol. What did it symbolize before the Savior’s death on the cross? Which cross is considered more correct - Orthodox or Catholic four-pointed (“kryzh”). What is the reason for the image of Jesus Christ on the cross with crossed feet among Catholics and separate feet in the Orthodox tradition.

Hieromonk Adrian (Pashin) answers:

In different religious traditions the cross symbolized different concepts. One of the most common is the meeting of our world with the spiritual world. For the Jewish people, from the moment of Roman rule, the cross, crucifixion was a method of shameful, cruel execution and caused insurmountable fear and horror, but, thanks to Christ the Victor, it became a desired trophy that evokes joyful feelings. Therefore, Saint Hippolytus of Rome, the Apostolic Man, exclaimed: “and the Church has its own trophy over death - this is the Cross of Christ, which it bears on itself,” and Saint Paul, the Apostle of the Languages, wrote in his Epistle: “I wish to boast... only by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).

In the West, the most commonly used now is the four-pointed cross (Fig. 1), which the Old Believers call (for some reason in Polish) “Kryzh Latin” or “Rymski”, which means Roman cross. According to the Gospel, the execution of the cross was spread throughout the Empire by the Romans and, of course, was considered Roman. “And not by the number of trees, not by the number of ends, we venerate the Cross of Christ, but by Christ Himself, whose most holy blood was stained,” says St. Demetrius of Rostov. “And showing miraculous power, any cross does not act by itself, but by the power of Christ crucified on it and by invoking His most holy name.”

Starting from the 3rd century, when similar crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, the entire Orthodox East still uses this form of the cross as equal to all others.

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross (Fig. 2) most closely corresponds to the historically accurate form of the cross on which Christ was already crucified, as testified by Tertullian, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, Saint Justin the Philosopher and others. “And when Christ the Lord carried the cross on His shoulders, then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was no title or foot on it yet. There was no footstool, because Christ had not yet been raised on the cross and the soldiers, not knowing where Christ’s feet would reach, did not attach a footstool, having finished this already on Golgotha” (St. Demetrius of Rostov). Also, there was no title on the cross before the crucifixion of Christ, because, as the Gospel reports, first “they crucified Him” (John 19:18), and then only “Pilate wrote an inscription and put it on the cross” (John 19:19 ). It was first that the soldiers “who crucified Him” divided “His clothes” by lot (Matthew 27:35), and only then “they placed an inscription over His head, signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27: 37).

Images of the Savior’s crucifixion have also been known since ancient times. Until the 9th century inclusive, Christ was depicted on the cross not only alive, resurrected, but also triumphant (Fig. 3), and only in the 10th century did images of the dead Christ appear (Fig. 4).

Since ancient times, crucifixion crosses, both in the East and in the West, had a crossbar to support the feet of the Crucified One, and His legs were depicted as nailed each separately with its own nail (Fig. 3). The image of Christ with crossed feet nailed to a single nail (Fig. 4) first appeared as an innovation in the West in the second half of the 13th century.

From the Orthodox dogma of the Cross (or Atonement) undoubtedly follows the idea that the death of the Lord is the ransom of all, the calling of all peoples. Only the cross, unlike other executions, made it possible for Jesus Christ to die with outstretched hands, calling “all the ends of the earth” (Isa. 45:22).

Therefore, in the tradition of Orthodoxy, it is to depict the Savior Almighty precisely as the already Risen Cross-Bearer, holding and calling into His arms the entire universe and carrying on Himself the New Testament altar - the Cross.

And the traditionally Catholic image of the crucifixion, with Christ hanging in his arms, on the contrary, has the task of showing how it all happened, of depicting the dying suffering and death, and not at all what is essentially the eternal Fruit of the Cross - His triumph.

Orthodoxy invariably teaches that suffering is necessary for all sinners for their humble assimilation of the Fruit of redemption - the Holy Spirit sent by the sinless Redeemer, which, out of pride, Catholics do not understand, who through their sinful sufferings seek participation in the sinless, and therefore redemptive Passion of Christ and thereby fall into the crusader heresy "self-rescue".

Story Orthodox cross dates back many centuries. The types of Orthodox crosses are varied, each of them has its own symbolism. Crosses were intended not only to be worn on the body, but they are also used to crown the domes of churches, and crosses stand along the roads. Objects of art are painted with crosses, they are placed near icons at home, and special crosses are worn by clergy.

Crosses in Orthodoxy

But crosses in Orthodoxy had not only a traditional shape. Many different symbols and forms made up such an object of worship.

Orthodox cross shapes

The cross worn by believers is called a body cross. Priests wear a pectoral cross. They differ not only in size, there are many of their forms, each of which has its own specific meaning.

1) T-shaped cross. As you know, execution by crucifixion was invented by the Romans. However, in the southern and eastern parts of the Roman Empire, a slightly different cross was used for this purpose, namely the “Egyptian” cross, shaped like the letter “T”. This "T" is also found on 3rd-century tombs in the Callis catacombs and on one 2nd-century carnelian. If this letter was found in monograms, it was written in such a way as to protrude above all others, since it was considered not only a symbol, but also a clear image of the cross.

2) Egyptian cross "ankh". This cross was perceived as a key with the help of which the gates to Divine knowledge were opened. The symbol was associated with wisdom, and the circle with which this cross was crowned was associated with the eternal beginning. Thus, the cross combines two symbols - the symbol of life and eternity.

3) Letter cross. The first Christians used letter crosses so that their image would not scare away the pagans who were familiar with them. In addition, at that time, what was important was not so much the artistic side of the depiction of Christian symbols, but rather the convenience of their use.

4) Anchor-shaped cross. Initially, such an image of the cross was discovered by archaeologists in the Solunsk inscription of the 3rd century. The “Christian Symbolism” says that on the slabs in the caves of Pretextatus there were only images of an anchor. The image of an anchor referred to a certain church ship that sent everyone to the “quiet haven of eternal life.” Therefore, the cross-shaped anchor was considered by Christians to be a symbol of eternal existence - the Kingdom of Heaven. Although for Catholics this symbol rather means the strength of earthly affairs.

5) Monogram cross. It represents a monogram of the first letters of Jesus Christ in Greek. Archimandrite Gabriel wrote that the shape of a monogram cross crossed by a vertical line is the cover image of the cross.

6) Cross “shepherd’s staff”. This cross is a so-called Egyptian staff, which crosses the first letter of the name of Christ, which together is the monogram of the savior. At that time, the shape of the Egyptian staff resembled a shepherd's staff, its upper part was bent down.

7) Burgundy cross. This cross also represents the shape of the letter "X" of the Greek alphabet. It also has another name - Andreevsky. The letter "X" from the second century primarily served as the basis for monogamous symbols, because the name of Christ began with it. In addition, there is a legend that the Apostle Andrew was crucified on such a cross. At the beginning of the 18th century, Peter the Great, wishing to express the religious difference between Russia and the West, placed an image of this cross on the state emblem, as well as on the naval flag and his seal.

8) Cross - monogram of Constantine. Constantine's monogram was a combination of the letters "P" and "X". It is believed that it is associated with the word Christ. This cross has such a name, since a similar monogram was often found on the coins of Emperor Constantine.

9) Post-Constantine cross. Monogram of the letters "P" and "T". The Greek letter "P" or "rho" means the first letter in the word "raz" or "king" - symbolizing King Jesus. The letter "T" stands for "His cross." Thus, this monogram serves as a sign of the Cross of Christ.

10) Trident cross. Also a monogram cross. The trident has long symbolized the Kingdom of Heaven. Since the trident was previously used in fishing, the trident monogram of Christ itself meant participation in the Sacrament of Baptism as a catch in the net of the Kingdom of God.

11) Round cross. According to the testimony of Gortius and Martial, Christians cut freshly baked bread in a cross shape. This was done to make it easier to break later. But the symbolic transformation of such a cross came from the east long before Jesus Christ.

Such a cross divided the whole into parts, uniting those who used it. There was such a cross, divided into four parts or six. The circle itself was displayed even before the Nativity of Christ as a symbol of immortality and eternity.

12) Catacomb cross. The name of the cross comes from the fact that it was often found in the catacombs. It was a quadrangular cross with equal parts. This form of the cross and some of its forms are most often used in ancient ornaments that were used to decorate the guises of priests or temples.

11) Patriarchal cross. In the West, the name Lorensky is more common. Already from the middle of the last millennium, such a cross began to be used. It was this form of the cross that was depicted on the seal of the governor of the Byzantine emperor in the city of Korsun. The Museum of Ancient Russian Art named after Andrei Rublev houses just such a copper cross, which belonged to Abraham Rostvom in the 18th century and was cast according to samples of the 11th century.

12) Papal Cross. Most often, this form of cross is used in the bishop's services of the Roman Church of the 14th-15th centuries, and it is because of this that such a cross bears this name.

Types of crosses on church domes

The crosses that are placed on the domes of the church are called overhead crosses. Sometimes you can notice that straight or wavy lines emanate from the center of the upper cross. Symbolically, the lines convey the radiance of the sun. The sun is very important in human life, it is the main source of light and heat, life on our planet is impossible without it. The Savior is sometimes even called the Sun of Truth.

A well-known expression says, “The light of Christ enlightens all.” The image of light is very important for Orthodox Christians, which is why Russian blacksmiths came up with such a symbol in the form of lines emanating from the center.

Small stars can often be seen along these lines. They are symbols of the queen of stars - the Star of Bethlehem. The same one who led the Magi to the birthplace of Jesus Christ. In addition, the star is a symbol of spiritual wisdom and purity. Stars were depicted on the Cross of the Lord so that it would “shine like a star in heaven.”

There is also a trefoil shape of the cross, as well as trefoil endings of its ends. But the branches of the cross were decorated not only with this image of leaves. A huge variety of flowers and heart-shaped leaves could be found. The trefoil can have either a round or pointed shape, or a triangle shape. The triangle and trefoil in Orthodoxy symbolize the Holy Trinity and are often found in temple inscriptions and inscriptions on tombstones.

Trefoil cross

The vine entwining the cross is a prototype of the Living Cross, and it is also a symbol of the Sacrament of Communion. Often depicted with a crescent at the bottom, which symbolizes the cup. Combined together, they remind believers that during Communion the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.

The Holy Spirit is depicted in the form of a dove on the cross. The dove is mentioned in the Old Testament; it returned to Noah's ark with an olive branch to announce peace to people. Ancient Christians depicted the human soul in the form of a dove, resting in peace. The dove, meaning the holy spirit, flew to the Russian lands and landed on the golden domes of churches.

If you take a closer look at the openwork crosses on the domes of churches, you can see doves on many of them. For example, in Novgorod there is a church called the Myrrh-Bearing Women, on its dome you can see a beautiful dove woven “literally from thin air.” But most often the cast figurine of a dove is at the top of the cross. Even in ancient times, crosses with doves were a fairly common occurrence; in Rus' there were even three-dimensional cast figurines of doves with outstretched wings.

Thriving crosses are those that have shoots growing from their base. They symbolize the rebirth of life - the resurrection of the cross from the dead. The Cross of the Lord in Orthodox canon sometimes called the “Life-Giving Garden.” You can also hear how the holy fathers call him “life-giving.” Some crosses are generously dotted with shoots that really resemble flowers in a spring garden. The interweaving of thin stems - an art made by masters - looks alive, and tasteful plant elements complete the incomparable picture.

The cross is also a symbol of the tree of eternal life. The cross is decorated with flowers, shoots from the core or from the lower crossbar, commemorating the leaves that are about to bloom. Very often such a cross crowns a dome.

In Russia it is almost impossible to find crosses with a crown of thorns. And in general, the image of Christ the martyr did not take root here, unlike in the West. Catholics often depict Christ hanging on the cross, with traces of blood and sores. It is customary for us to glorify his inner feat.

Therefore, in the Russian Orthodox tradition, crosses are often crowned with flower crowns. The crown of thorns was placed on the head of the Savior and was considered a healing for the soldiers who wove it. Thus, the crown of thorns becomes the crown of righteousness or the crown of glory.

At the top of the cross, although not often, there is a crown. Many believe that crowns were attached to temples related to holy persons, but this is not so. In fact, the crown was placed on the top of the cross of churches built by royal decree or with money from the royal treasury. Additionally, the Scriptures say that Jesus is the king of kings or lord of lords. Royal power, accordingly, is also from God, which is why the crosses contain a crown on their top. The cross topped with a crown is also sometimes called the Royal Cross or the Cross of the King of Heaven.

Sometimes the cross was depicted as a divine weapon. For example, its ends could have the shape of a spear tip. Also on the cross there could be a blade or its handle as a symbol of a sword. Such details symbolize the monk as a warrior of Christ. However, it can only act as an instrument of peace or salvation.

The most common types of crosses

1) Eight-pointed cross. This cross is the most appropriate historical truth. The cross acquired this shape after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on it. Before the crucifixion, when the Savior carried the cross to Calvary on his shoulders, it had a four-pointed shape. The upper short crossbar, as well as the lower oblique, were made immediately after the crucifixion.

Eight-pointed cross

The lower oblique crossbar is called the footboard, or footstool. It was attached to the cross when it became clear to the soldiers where His feet would reach. The top crossbar was a tablet with an inscription, which was made by order of Pilate. To this day, this form is the most common in Orthodoxy; eight-pointed crosses are found on body crosses, they crown the domes of the church, and they are installed on tombstones.

Eight-pointed crosses were often used as the basis for other crosses, such as awards. During the era of the Russian Empire during the reign of Paul I and before him, under Peter I and Elizabeth Petrovna, there was a practice of rewarding the clergy. Pectoral crosses were used as a reward, which was even formalized by law.

Paul used the Paul Cross for this purpose. It looked like this: on the front side there was an applied image of the Crucifixion. The cross itself was eight-pointed and had a chain, all of which was made of. The cross was issued for a long time - from its approval by Paul in 1797 until the 1917 revolution.

2) The practice of using crosses when awarding awards was used not only to present awards to clergy, but also to soldiers and officers. For example, the very well-known St. George Cross, approved by Catherine, was subsequently used for this purpose. The quadrangular cross is also reliable from a historical point of view.

In the Gospel it is called “His cross.” Such a cross, as has already been said, was carried by the Lord to Golgotha. In Rus' it was called Latin or Roman. The name comes from historical fact that it was the Romans who introduced execution by crucifixion. In the West, such a cross is considered the most accurate and is more common than the eight-pointed one.

3) The “grapevine” cross has been known since ancient times; it was used to decorate the tombstones of Christians, utensils and liturgical books. Nowadays such a cross can often be purchased in a church. It is an eight-pointed cross with a crucifix, surrounded by a branchy vine that sprouts from below and is decorated with full-bodied tassels and leaves with a variety of patterns.

Cross "grapevine"

4) The petal-shaped cross is a subtype of the quadrangular cross. Its ends are made in the form of flower petals. This form is most often used in painting church buildings, decorating liturgical utensils, and in sacramental vestments. Petal crosses are found in the oldest Christian church in Rus' - in the Church of Hagia Sophia, the construction of which dates back to the 9th century. Pectoral crosses in the form of a petal cross are also common.

5) The trefoil cross is most often four-pointed or six-pointed. Its ends have a corresponding trefoil shape. Such a cross could often be found in the coats of arms of many cities of the Russian Empire.

6) Seven-pointed cross. This form of cross is found very often on icons of northern writing. Such messages mainly date back to the 15th century. It can also be found on the domes of Russian churches. Such a cross is a long vertical rod with one upper crossbar and an oblique pedestal.

On a golden pedestal, the clergy before the appearance of Jesus Christ made an atonement sacrifice - this is what it says in the Old Testament. The foot of such a cross is an important and integral element of the Old Testament altar, which symbolizes the redemption of God's anointed one. The foot of the seven-pointed cross contains one of its most sacred qualities. In the sayings of the messenger Isaiah the words of the Almighty are found: “Give praise to the footstool of My feet.”

7) Cross “crown of thorns”. Various peoples who converted to Christianity depicted a cross with a crown of thorns on many objects. On the pages of an ancient Armenian handwritten book, as well as on the 12th century “Glorification of the Cross” icon, which is located in the Tretyakov Gallery, such a cross can now be found on many other elements of art. Teren symbolizes thorn suffering and thorny path which Jesus, the son of God, had to go through. A crown of thorns is often used to cover the head of Jesus when depicting him in paintings or icons.

Cross "crown of thorns"

8) Gallows-shaped cross. This form of the cross is widely used in painting and decorating churches, priestly vestments and liturgical objects. On images, the ecumenical holy teacher John Chrysostom was often decorated with such a cross.

9) Korsun cross. Such a cross was called Greek, or Old Russian. According to church tradition, the cross was installed by Prince Vladimir after returning from Byzantium to the banks of the Dnieper. A similar cross is still kept in Kyiv in the St. Sophia Cathedral, and it is also carved on the tombstone of Prince Yaroslav, which is a marble plaque.

10) Maltese cross. This type of cross is also called the St. George cross. It is a cross of equal shape with widening sides towards the edge. This form of the cross was officially adopted by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, which was formed on the island of Malta and openly fought against Freemasonry.

This order organized the murder of Pavel Petrovich, the Russian Emperor, ruler of the Maltese, and therefore has the appropriate name. Some provinces and cities had such a cross on their coats of arms. The same cross was a form of award for military courage, called the St. George cross and had 4 degrees.

11) Prosphora cross. It is somewhat similar to St. George's, but includes words written in Greek “IC. XP. NIKA" which means "Jesus Christ the Conqueror". They were written in gold on three large crosses in Constantinople. By ancient tradition these words, together with the cross, are printed on the prosphora and mean the ransom of sinners from sinful captivity, and also symbolize the price of our redemption.

12) Wicker cross. Such a cross can have either equal sides or a longer lower side. Weaving came to the Slavs from Byzantium and was widely used in Rus' in ancient times. Most often, images of such crosses are found in Russian and Bulgarian ancient books.

13) Wedge-shaped cress. A widening cross with three field lilies at the end. Such field lilies are called “selnye krins” in Slavic. A cross with field lines from the 11th century Serenstvo can be seen in the book “Russian Copper Casting”. Such crosses were widespread both in Byzantium and later in the 14th-15th centuries in Rus'. They meant the following - “the heavenly Bridegroom, when he descends into the valley, becomes a lily.”

14) Drop-shaped four-pointed cross. The four-pointed cross has small drop-shaped circles at the ends. They symbolize the drops of Jesus' blood that sprinkled the tree of the cross during the crucifixion. The drop-shaped cross was depicted on the first page of the 2nd century Greek Gospel, which is in the State Public Library.

Often found among copper pectoral crosses, which were cast in the first centuries of the second millennium. They symbolize Christ's struggle to the point of blood. And they tell the martyrs that they must fight the enemy to the last.

15) Cross "Golgotha". Since the 11th century, under the lower oblique crossbar of the eight-pointed cross, an image of Adam buried on Golgotha ​​appears. The inscriptions on the Calvary cross mean the following:

• "M. L.R.B. " - "the place of execution was quickly crucified", "G. G." - Mount Golgotha, "G. A." - head of Adamov.
• The letters "K" and "T" stand for a warrior's spear and a cane with a sponge, which is depicted along the cross. Above the middle crossbar: “IC”, “XC” - Jesus Christ. The inscriptions under this crossbar: “NIKA” - Winner; on the title or near it there is an inscription: “SN BZHIY” - Son of God. Sometimes "I. N. Ts. I" - Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews; inscription above the title: “TSR” “SLVY” - King of Glory.

Such a cross is depicted on a funeral shroud, signifying the preservation of the vows given at baptism. The sign of the cross, unlike the image, conveys its spiritual meaning and reflects the real meaning, but is not the cross itself.

16) Gammatic cross. The name of the cross comes from its similarity to the Greek letter “gamma”. This form of cross was often used in Byzantium to decorate Gospels and churches. The cross was embroidered on the vestments of church ministers and depicted on church utensils. The gammamatic cross has a shape similar to the ancient Indian swastika.

For the ancient Indians, such a symbol meant eternal existence or perfect bliss. This symbol is associated with the sun, it became widespread in the ancient culture of the Aryans, Iranians, and is found in Egypt and China. During the era of the spread of Christianity, such a symbol was widely known and revered in many areas of the Roman Empire.

The ancient pagan Slavs also widely used this symbol in their religious attributes. The swastika was depicted on rings and rings, as well as other jewelry. It symbolized fire or the sun. Christian church, which had powerful spiritual potential, was able to rethink and churchize many cultural traditions of antiquity. It is quite possible that the gamma cross has precisely this origin in Orthodox Christianity he entered like a churched swastika.

What kind of pectoral cross can an Orthodox Christian wear?

This question is one of the most frequently asked among believers. Indeed, this is quite an interesting topic, because with such a wide variety of possible species, it is difficult not to get confused. The basic rule to remember: Orthodox Christians wear a cross under their clothes; only priests have the right to wear a cross over their clothes.

Any cross must be consecrated Orthodox priest. It should not contain attributes that are related to other churches and do not apply to the Orthodox.

The most significant attributes are:

• If this is a cross with a crucifix, then there should be not three crosses, but four; both feet of the Savior can be pierced with one nail. Three nails belong to the Catholic tradition, but in the Orthodox there should be four.
• There was another one before hallmark, which is not currently supported. In the Orthodox tradition, the Savior would be depicted alive on the cross; in the Catholic tradition, his body was depicted hanging in his arms.
• A sign of an Orthodox cross is also considered to be an oblique crossbar - the foot of the cross with the right ends up, when looking at the cross in front of it. True, now the Russian Orthodox Church also uses crosses with a horizontal foot, which were previously found only in the West.
• The inscriptions on Orthodox crosses are in Greek or Church Slavonic languages. Sometimes, but rarely, on the tablet above the savior you can find inscriptions in Hebrew, Latin or Greek.
• There are often widespread misconceptions regarding crosses. For example, it is believed that Orthodox Christians should not wear a Latin cross. The Latin cross is a cross without a crucifix or nails. However, this point of view is a delusion; the cross is not called Latin for the reason that it is common among Catholics, because the Latins crucified the Savior on it.
• The emblems and monograms of other churches must be absent from the Orthodox cross.
• Inverted cross. Provided there is no crucifix on it, historically it has always been considered the cross of St. Peter, who, at his request, was crucified head down. This cross belongs to the Orthodox Church, but is now rare. The upper beam is larger than the lower one.

The traditional Russian Orthodox cross is an eight-pointed cross with an inscription on top, an oblique footplate at the bottom, and a six-pointed cross.

Contrary to popular belief, crosses can be given, found and worn; you can not wear a baptismal cross, but simply keep one. It is very important that any of them be consecrated in the church.

Votive Cross

In Rus' there was a custom to erect votive crosses in honor of memorable dates or holidays. Usually such events were associated with the death of a large number of people. It could be fires or famine, or a cold winter. Crosses could also be installed as gratitude for deliverance from any misfortune.

In the city of Mezen in the 18th century, 9 such crosses were installed, when during a very harsh winter, all the inhabitants of the city almost died. In the Novgorod principality, personalized votive crosses were installed. After that, the tradition passed to the northern Russian principalities.

Sometimes certain people would erect a votive cross to mark a specific event. Such crosses often bore the names of the people who created them. For example, in the Arkhangelsk region there is the village of Koinas, where there is a cross called Tatyanin. According to the residents of this village, the cross was installed by a fellow villager who made such a vow. When his wife Tatyana was overcome by illness, he decided to take her to a church that was located far away, since there were no other churches nearby, after which his wife recovered. It was then that this cross appeared.

Worship cross

This is a cross fixed next to the road or near the entrance, intended for making prayer bows. Such worship crosses in Rus' were fixed near the main city gates or at the entrance to the village. At the worship cross they prayed for the protection of the city residents with the help of the miraculous power of the Resurrection Cross. In ancient times, cities were often fenced off on all sides with such worship crosses.

There is an opinion among historians that the first worship cross was installed on the initiative of Princess Olga more than a thousand years ago on the slopes of the Dnieper. In most cases, Orthodox worship crosses were made of wood, but sometimes you could find stone or cast worship crosses. They were decorated with patterns or carvings.

They are characterized by an easterly direction. The base of the worship cross was lined with stones to create its elevation. The hill represented Mount Golgotha, on the top of which Christ was crucified. When installing it, people placed earth brought from the doorstep under the base of the cross.

Now the ancient custom of erecting worship crosses is gaining strength again. In some cities, on the ruins of ancient temples or at the entrance to a populated area, you can see such crosses. They are often placed on hills to commemorate the victims.

The essence of the worship cross is as follows. It is a symbol of gratitude and trust in the Almighty. There is another version of the origin of such crosses: it is assumed that they may be associated with the Tatar yoke. There is a belief that the bravest inhabitants, who hid from raids in the thickets of the forest, returned to the burned village after the end of the danger and erected such a cross as gratitude to the Lord.

There are a great many types of Orthodox crosses. They differ not only in their form and symbolism. There are crosses that serve a specific purpose, for example, baptismal or icon crosses, or crosses that are used, for example, for awards.

In the Old Testament church, consisting mainly of Jews, the crucifixion, as is known, was not used, and executions, according to custom, were carried out in three ways: stoned, burned alive and hanged on a tree. Therefore, “they write about the hanged men: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Deut. 21:23),” explains St. Demetrius of Rostov (Investigation, part 2, chapter 24). The fourth execution - beheading with a sword - was added to them in the era of the Kingdoms.

And execution on the cross was then a pagan Greco-Roman tradition, and Jewish people knew it only a few decades before the birth of Christ, when the Romans crucified their last legitimate king Antigonus. Therefore, in the Old Testament texts there is not and cannot be any semblance of a cross as an instrument of execution: both in terms of name and form; but, on the contrary, there is a lot of evidence there: 1) about human deeds that prophetically prefigured the image of the Lord’s cross, 2) about known objects that mysteriously delineated the power and wood of the cross, and 3) about visions and revelations that prefigured the very suffering of the Lord.

The cross itself, as a terrible instrument of shameful execution, chosen by Satan as the banner of lethality, evoked insurmountable fear and horror, but, thanks to Christ the Victor, it became a desired trophy, evoking joyful feelings. Therefore, Saint Hippolytus of Rome - the Apostolic husband - exclaimed: “and the Church has its trophy over death - this is the Cross of Christ, which it bears on itself,” and Saint Paul - the Apostle of the tongues - wrote in his Epistle: “I wish to boast (...) only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”(Gal. 6:14). “Look how desirable and worthy this terrible and reproachful (shameful - Slavic) sign of the cruelest executions became in ancient times,” testified St. John Chrysostom. And the Apostolic Man - Saint Justin the Philosopher - asserted: “The cross, as the prophet predicted, is the greatest symbol of the power and authority of Christ” (Apology, § 55).

In general, “symbol” is “connection” in Greek, and means either a means that brings about connection, or the discovery of an invisible reality through visible naturalness, or the expressibility of a concept by image.

In the New Testament Church, which arose in Palestine mainly from former Jews, at first the instillation of symbolic images was difficult due to their adherence to their previous traditions, which strictly prohibited images and thereby protected the Old Testament Church from the influence of pagan idolatry. However, as you know, Divine Providence even then gave her many lessons in symbolic and iconographic language. For example: God, forbidding the prophet Ezekiel to speak, commanded him to inscribe on a brick an image of the siege of Jerusalem as “a sign to the children of Israel” (Ezek. 4:3). And it is clear that over time, with the increase in the number of Christians from other nations where images were traditionally allowed, such a one-sided influence of the Jewish element, of course, weakened and gradually disappeared completely.

Already from the first centuries of Christianity, due to the persecution of the followers of the crucified Redeemer, Christians were forced to hide, performing their rituals in secret. And the absence of Christian statehood - the external fence of the Church and the duration of such an oppressed situation were reflected in the development of worship and symbolism.

And to this day, precautionary measures have been preserved in the Church to protect the teaching itself and the shrines from the malicious curiosity of the enemies of Christ. For example, the Iconostasis is a product of the Sacrament of Communion, subject to protective measures; or the deacon’s exclamation: “come out of the little catechumens” between the liturgies of the catechumens and the faithful, undoubtedly reminds us that “we celebrate the Sacrament by closing the doors, and forbid the uninitiated to be with it,” writes Chrysostom (Conversation 24, Matt.).

Let us remember how the famous Roman actor and mime Genesius, by order of Emperor Diocletian in 268, made a mockery of the Sacrament of Baptism in the circus. We see what a miraculous effect the spoken words had on him from the life of the blessed martyr Genesius: having repented, he was baptized and, together with the Christians prepared for public execution, “was the first to be beheaded.” This is far from the only fact of desecration of a shrine - an example of the fact that many of the Christian secrets have become known to the pagans for a long time.

"This world,- according to the words of John the Seer, - all lying in evil"(1 John 5:19), and there is that aggressive environment in which the Church fights for the salvation of people and which forced Christians from the first centuries to use conventional symbolic language: abbreviations, monograms, symbolic images and signs.

This new language It helps the Church to initiate a new convert into the mystery of the Cross gradually, of course, taking into account his spiritual age. After all, the need (as a voluntary condition) for gradualness in the disclosure of dogmas to catechumens preparing to receive baptism is based on the words of the Savior Himself (see Matt. 7:6 and 1 Cor. 3:1). That is why Saint Cyril of Jerusalem divided his sermons into two parts: the first of 18 catechumens, where there is not a word about the Sacraments, and the second of 5 sacraments, explaining to the faithful all the Church Sacraments. In the preface, he convinces the catechumens not to convey what they heard to outsiders: “when you experience the height of what is being taught by experience, then you will learn that the catechumens are not worthy to hear it.” And Saint John Chrysostom wrote: “I would like to speak openly about this, but I am afraid of the uninitiated. For they complicate our conversation, forcing us to speak unclearly and in secretly.”(Conversation 40, 1 Cor.). The same is said by Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus: “We talk about divine mysteries, because of the uninitiated, in secret; after the removal of those who have been worthy of secret teaching, we teach them clearly” (15 questions of Num.).

Thus, pictorial symbols, protecting the verbal formulas of dogmas and sacraments, not only improved the method of expression, but also, being a new sacred language, protected church teaching even more reliably from aggressive profanation. To this day, as the Apostle Paul taught, we “we preach the wisdom of God, secret, hidden”(1 Cor. 2:7).

T-shaped cross "Antonievsky"

In the southern and eastern parts of the Roman Empire, a weapon was used to execute criminals, called since the time of Moses the “Egyptian” cross and resembling the letter “T” in European languages. “The Greek letter T,” wrote Count A. S. Uvarov, “is one of the forms of the cross used for crucifixions” (Christian Symbolism, M., 1908, p. 76)

“The number 300, expressed in Greek through the letter T, has also served since the time of the Apostles to designate the cross,” says the famous liturgist Archimandrite Gabriel. - This Greek letter T is found in the inscription of a 3rd century tomb discovered in the catacombs of St. Callistus. (...) Such an image of the letter T is found on one carnelian engraved in the 2nd century" (Manual of Liturgics, Tver, 1886, p. 344)

Saint Demetrius of Rostov talks about the same thing: “The Greek image, called “Tav”, with which the Angel of the Lord made "mark on the forehead"(Ezek. 9:4) God's people in Jerusalem, to limit the impending murder, Saint Ezekiel saw the prophet in revelation. (...)

If we apply the title of Christ to this image above in this way, we will immediately see the four-pointed cross of Christ. Consequently, Ezekiel saw there the prototype of a four-pointed cross” (Rozysk, M., 1855, book 2, chapter 24, p. 458).

Tertullian states the same thing: “The Greek letter Tav and our Latin T constitute the real form of the cross, which, according to prophecy, will be depicted on our foreheads in the true Jerusalem.”

“If there is a letter T in Christian monograms, then this letter is positioned in such a way as to stand out more clearly in front of all the others, since the T was considered not only a symbol, but even the very image of the cross. An example of such a monogram is on a sarcophagus of the 3rd century” (Gr. Uvarov, p. 81). According to Church Tradition, Saint Anthony the Great wore the Tau cross on his clothes. Or, for example, Saint Zeno, bishop of the city of Verona, placed a T-shaped cross on the roof of the basilica he built in 362.

Cross "Egyptian hieroglyph Ankh"

Jesus Christ - the Conqueror of death - through the mouth of the prophet Solomon announced: “Whoever finds Me has found life”(Prov. 8:35), and upon His incarnation he echoed: "I am seven risen and life"(John 11:25). Already from the first centuries of Christianity, for the symbolic image of the life-giving cross, the Egyptian hieroglyph “anch”, reminiscent of its shape, was used, denoting the concept of “life”.

Letter cross

And other letters (from different languages) below were also used by the early Christians as symbols of the cross. This image of the cross did not scare away the pagans, being familiar to them. “And indeed, as can be seen from the Sinai inscriptions,” reports Count A.S. Uvarov, “the letter was taken as a symbol and as a real image of the cross” (Christian symbolism, part 1, p. 81). In the first centuries of Christianity, what was important, of course, was not the artistic side of the symbolic image, but the convenience of its application to a hidden concept.

Anchor-shaped cross

Initially, this symbol came across to archaeologists on the Thessalonica inscription of the 3rd century, in Rome - in 230, and in Gaul - in 474. And from “Christian Symbolism” we learn that “in the caves of Pretextatus we found slabs without any inscriptions, with only one image of an “anchor”” (Gr. Uvarov, p. 114).

In his Epistle, the Apostle Paul teaches that Christians have the opportunity "take hold of the hope that is set before you"(i.e. Cross), which for the soul is like a safe and strong anchor"(Heb. 6:18-19). This one, according to the Apostle, "anchor", symbolically covering the cross from the reproach of the infidels, and revealing to the faithful its true meaning, as deliverance from the consequences of sin, is our strong hope.

The church ship, figuratively speaking, along the waves of a stormy temporary life, delivers everyone to the quiet harbor of eternal life. Therefore, the “anchor”, being cruciform, became among Christians a symbol of hope for the strongest fruit of the Cross of Christ - the Kingdom of Heaven, although the Greeks and Romans, also using this sign, assimilated to it the meaning of “strength” only of earthly affairs.

Monogram cross “pre-Constantinian”

A well-known specialist in liturgical theology, Archimandrite Gabriel, writes that “in the monogram inscribed on a tombstone (III century) and having the shape of a St. Andrew’s cross, vertically crossed by a line (Fig. 8), there is a cover image of a cross” (Manual, p. 343) .
This monogram was made up of the Greek initial letters of the name of Jesus Christ by crossing them: namely the letter “1” (yot) and the letter “X” (chi).

This monogram is often found in the post-Constantine period; for example, we can see her image in mosaic on the vaults of the Archbishop's Chapel of the late 5th century in Ravenna.

Cross-monogram "shepherd's staff"

Prefiguring Christ the Shepherd, the Lord communicated to the staff of Moses miraculous power(Exodus 4:2-5) as a sign of pastoral authority over the verbal sheep of the Old Testament church, then the staff of Aaron (Exodus 2:8-10). The Divine Father, through the mouth of the prophet Micah, says to the Only Begotten Son: “Feed Your people with Your rod, the sheep of Your inheritance”(Mic. 7:14). “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”(John 10:11), - the beloved Son answers the Heavenly Father.

Count A.S. Uvarov, describing the finds of the catacomb period, reported that: “a clay lamp found in Roman caves shows us very clearly how a curved staff was painted instead of the entire shepherd symbol. On the lower part of this lamp the staff is depicted crossing the letter X, the first letter of the name of Christ, which together forms the monogram of the Savior” (Christ. Symbol. p. 184).

At first, the shape of the Egyptian staff was similar to a shepherd's crook, the upper part of which was bent down. All bishops of Byzantium were awarded the “shepherd’s staff” only from the hands of the emperors, and in the 17th century all Russian patriarchs received their high priest’s staff from the hands of the reigning autocrats.

Cross "Burgundy" or "St. Andrew's"

The Holy Martyr Justin Philosopher, explaining the question of how cruciform symbols became known to the pagans even before the Nativity of Christ, argued: “What Plato says in the Timaeus (...) about the Son of God (...) that God placed Him in the universe like a letter X, he also borrowed from Moses!. For in the Mosaic writings it is related that (...) Moses, by the inspiration and action of God, took brass and made an image of the cross (...) and said to the people: if you look at this image and believe, you will be saved through it (Num. 21:8) ( John 3:14). (...) Plato read this and, not knowing exactly and not realizing that it was the image of a (vertical) cross, but seeing only the figure of the letter X, said that the power closest to the first God was in the universe like the letter X” (Apology 1, § 60).

The letter “X” of the Greek alphabet has already served as the basis for monogram symbols since the 2nd century, and not only because it hid the name of Christ; after all, as you know, “ancient writers find the shape of a cross in the letter X, which is called St. Andrew’s, because, according to legend, the Apostle Andrew ended his life on such a cross,” wrote Archimandrite Gabriel (Manual, p. 345).

Around 1700, God's anointed Peter the Great, wishing to express religious distinction Orthodox Russia from the heretical West, placed the image of St. Andrew's cross on state coat of arms, on your hand seal, on the naval flag, etc. His own explanation states that: “the cross of St. Andrew (accepted) for the sake of the fact that Russia received holy baptism from this Apostle.”

Cross "monogram of Constantine"

To the Holy Equal to the Apostles King Constantine, “Christ the Son of God appeared in a dream with a sign seen in heaven and commanded, having made a banner similar to this seen in heaven, to use it for protection from the attacks of enemies,” says church historian Eusebius Pamphilus in his “Book One of the Life of the Blessed One.” Tsar Constantine" (chapter 29). “We happened to see this banner with our own eyes,” continues Eusebius (chapter 30). - It had the following appearance: on a long spear covered with gold there was a transverse yard, which formed with the spear a sign of the cross (...), and on it a symbol of the saving name: two letters showed the name of Christ (...), from the middle of which the letter “R” came out. The Tsar subsequently had the custom of wearing these letters on his helmet” (chapter 31).

“The combination of (combined) letters known as the monogram of Constantine, composed of the first two letters of the word Christ - “Chi” and “Rho,” writes the liturgist Archimandrite Gabriel, “this Constantine monogram is found on the coins of the Emperor Constantine” (p. 344) .

As you know, this monogram has become quite widespread: it was minted for the first time on the famous bronze coin of Emperor Trajan Decius (249-251) in the Lydian city of Maeonia; was depicted on a vessel of 397; was carved on tombstones of the first five centuries or, for example, depicted in fresco on plaster in the caves of St. Sixtus (Gr. Uvarov, p. 85).

Monogram cross “post-Constantine”

“Sometimes the letter T,” writes Archimandrite Gabriel, “is found in conjunction with the letter P, which can be seen in the tomb of St. Callistus in the epitaph” (p. 344). This monogram is also found on Greek plates found in the city of Megara, and on the tombstones of the cemetery of St. Matthew in the city of Tire.

In words "behold, your King"(John 19:14) Pilate first of all pointed out the noble origin of Jesus from the royal dynasty of David, in contrast to the rootless self-proclaimed tetrarchs, and he expressed this idea in writing "over His head"(Matthew 27:37), which, of course, caused discontent among the power-hungry high priests who stole power over the people of God from the kings. And that is why the Apostles, preaching the Resurrection of the crucified Christ and openly “honoring, as can be seen from the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus as king” (Acts 17:7), suffered strong persecution from the clergy through the deceived people.

The Greek letter "P" (rho) - the first in the word in Latin "Pax", in Roman "Rex", in Russian Tsar - symbolizing King Jesus, is located above the letter "T" (tav), meaning His cross; and together they recall the words from the Apostolic Gospel that all our strength and wisdom is in the Crucified King (1 Cor. 1:23 - 24).

Thus, “and this monogram, according to the interpretation of Saint Justin, served as a sign of the Cross of Christ (...), received such a broad meaning in symbolism only after the first monogram. (...) In Rome (...) became commonly used not before 355, and in Gaul - not before the 5th century" (Gr. Uvarov, p. 77).

Monogram cross “sun-shaped”

Already on coins of the 4th century there is a monogram “I” of Jesus “HR”ist “sun-shaped”, "for the Lord God,- as the Holy Scripture teaches, - there is sun"(Ps. 84:12).

The most famous, “Konstantinovskaya” monogram, “the monogram underwent some changes: another line or letter “I” was added, crossing the monogram across” (Arch. Gabriel, p. 344).

This “sun-shaped” cross symbolizes the fulfillment of the prophecy about the all-enlightening and all-conquering power of the Cross of Christ: “But for you who revere My name, The sun will rise righteousness and healing in His rays,- the prophet Malachi proclaimed by the Holy Spirit, - and you will trample on the wicked; for they will be dust under the soles of your feet.” (4:2-3).

Monogram cross "Trident"

When the Savior passed near the Sea of ​​Galilee, He saw fishermen casting nets into the water, His future disciples. “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”(Matt. 4:19). And later, sitting by the sea, He taught the people with His parables: “The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught fish of all kinds.”(Matt. 13:47). "Having recognized in fishing equipment symbolic meaning“The Kingdom of Heaven,” says “Christian Symbolism,” “we can assume that all formulas related to the same concept were iconically expressed by these common symbols. The same type of projectile should include the trident, which was used to catch fish, as is now used for fishing with hooks” (Gr. Uvarov, 147).

Thus, the trident monogram of Christ has long signified participation in the Sacrament of Baptism, as being caught in the net of the Kingdom of God. For example, on ancient monument The sculptor Eutropius carved an inscription indicating his acceptance of baptism and ending with a trident monogram (Gr. Uvarov, p. 99).

Monogram cross “Konstantinovsky”From church archeology and history it is known that on ancient monuments of writing and architecture there is often a variant of combining the letters “Chi” and “Ro” in the monogram of the holy King Constantine, God’s chosen successor of Christ the Lord on the throne of David.

Only from the 4th century did the constantly depicted cross begin to free itself from the monogram shell, lose its symbolic coloring, approaching its real form, reminiscent of either the letter “I” or the letter “X”.

These changes in the image of the cross occurred due to the emergence of Christian statehood, based on its open veneration and glorification.

Round “freeloading” cross

According to ancient custom, as Horace and Martial testify, Christians cut the baked bread crosswise to make it easier to break. But long before Jesus Christ, this was a symbolic transformation in the East: an incised cross, dividing the whole into parts, unites those who used them, and heals division.

Such round loaves are depicted, for example, on the inscription of Syntrophion, divided into four parts by a cross, and on the tombstone from the cave of St. Luke, divided into six parts by a 3rd century monogram.

In direct connection with the Sacrament of Communion, bread was depicted on chalices, phelonions and other things as a symbol of the Body of Christ, broken for our sins.

The circle itself before the Nativity of Christ was depicted as the still unpersonified idea of ​​immortality and eternity. Now, by faith, we understand that “the Son of God Himself is an endless circle,” according to the words of Saint Clement of Alexandria, “in which all powers converge.”

Catacomb cross, or “sign of victory”

“In the catacombs and in general on ancient monuments, four-pointed crosses are incomparably more common than any other shape,” notes Archimandrite Gabriel. This image of the cross has become especially important for Christians since God Himself showed in the sky the sign of the four-pointed cross” (Manual, p. 345).

The famous historian Eusebius Pamphalus tells in detail how all this happened in his “Book One of the Life of the Blessed King Constantine.”

“Once, at midday, when the sun began to lean towards the west,” said the Tsar, “with my own eyes I saw with my own eyes the sign of the cross made of light and lying in the sun with the inscription “By this way conquer!” This sight filled with horror both himself and the entire army that followed him and continued to contemplate the miracle that had appeared (chapter 28).

It was on the 28th day of October 312, when Constantine and his army marched against Maxentius, who was imprisoned in Rome. This miraculous appearance of the cross in broad daylight was also attested by many modern writers from the words of eyewitnesses.

Particularly important is the testimony of the confessor Artemy before Julian the Apostate, to whom, during interrogation, Artemy said:

“Christ called Constantine from above when he was waging war against Maxentius, showing him at noon the sign of the cross, shining radiantly over the sun and in star-shaped Roman letters predicting victory in the war. Having been there ourselves, we saw His sign and read the letters, and the whole army saw it: there are many witnesses to this in your army, if only you want to ask them” (chapter 29).

“By the power of God, the holy Emperor Constantine won a brilliant victory over the tyrant Maxentius, who committed wicked and villainous acts in Rome” (chapter 39).

Thus, the cross, which was formerly an instrument of shameful execution among the pagans, became under Emperor Constantine the Great a sign of victory - the triumph of Christianity over paganism and the subject of the deepest veneration.

For example, according to the short stories of the Holy Emperor Justinian, such crosses were to be placed on contracts and meant a signature “worthy of all trust” (book 73, chapter 8). The acts (decisions) of the Councils were also sealed with the image of the cross. One of the imperial decrees says: “We command every conciliar act, which is approved by the sign of the Holy Cross of Christ, to be preserved in such a way and to be as it is.”

In general, this form of the cross is most often used in ornaments.

for decorating churches, icons, priestly vestments and other church utensils.

The cross in Rus' is “patriarchal”, or in the West “Lorensky”The fact proving the use of the so-called “patriarchal cross” since the middle of the last millennium is confirmed by numerous data from the field of church archeology. It was this form of the six-pointed cross that was depicted on the seal of the governor of the Byzantine Emperor in the city of Korsun.

The same type of cross was widespread in the West under the name “Lorensky”.
For an example from the Russian tradition, let us point out at least the large copper cross of St. Abraham of Rostov from the 18th century, kept in the Museum of Ancient Russian Art named after Andrei Rublev, cast according to iconographic samples of the 11th century.

Four-pointed cross, or Latin “immissa”

In the textbook “Temple of God and church services"It is reported that "a strong motivation for venerating a direct image of the cross, and not a monogram, was the acquisition of the Honest and Life-giving Cross mother of the holy King Constantine, Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen. As the direct image of the cross spreads, it gradually takes on the form of the Crucifixion” (SP., 1912, p. 46).

In the West, the most commonly used cross today is the “immissa” cross, which schismatics - fans of imaginary antiquity - disparagingly call (for some reason in Polish) “kryzh in Latin” or “rymski”, which means the Roman cross. These detractors of the four-pointed cross and devout admirers of the osmiconex apparently need to be reminded that, according to the Gospel, the death of the cross was spread throughout the Empire by the Romans and, of course, was considered Roman.

And we venerate the Cross of Christ not by the number of trees, not by the number of ends, but by Christ Himself, whose most holy blood was stained with Him,” St. Demetrius of Rostov denounced the schismatic mentality. “And, showing miraculous power, any cross does not act by itself, but by the power of Christ crucified on it and by invoking His most holy name” (Search, book 2, chapter 24).

The “Canon of the Honest Cross”, the creation of St. Gregory of Sinaite, accepted by the Universal Church, glorifies the Divine power of the Cross, containing everything heavenly, earthly and underworld: “The all-honorable Cross, the four-pointed power, the splendor of the Apostle” (canto 1), “Behold the four-pointed Cross, have height, depth and breadth” (song 4).

Starting from the 3rd century, when similar crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, the entire Orthodox East still uses this form of the cross as equal to all others.

Papal crossThis form of the cross was most often used in the episcopal and papal services of the Roman Church in the 13th-15th centuries and therefore received the name “papal cross”.

To the question about the foot, depicted at right angles to the cross, we will answer with the words of St. Demetrius of Rostov, who said: “I kiss the foot of the cross, whether it is askew or not, and the custom of the cross-makers and cross-writers, as not contradictory to the church, I do not dispute, I condescend” (Search, book 2, chapter 24).

Six-pointed cross "Russian Orthodox"The question of the reason for the design of the lower crossbar tilted is quite convincingly explained by the liturgical text of the 9th hour of the service to the Cross of the Lord:“In the midst of two thiefs, Thy Cross was found as a measure of righteousness;. In other words, just as on Golgotha ​​for the two thieves, so in life for every person, the cross serves as a measure, as if as a scale, of his inner state.

To one robber, brought down to hell "the burden of blasphemy", pronounced by him on Christ, he became, as it were, a crossbar of scales, bowing down under this terrible weight; another thief, freed by repentance and the words of the Savior: “Today you will be with me in paradise”(Luke 23:43), the cross ascends into the Kingdom of Heaven.
This form of the cross has been used in Rus' since ancient times: for example, the worship cross, built in 1161 by the Venerable Euphrosyne Princess of Polotsk, was six-pointed.

The six-pointed Orthodox cross, along with others, was used in Russian heraldry: for example, on the coat of arms of the Kherson province, as explained in the “Russian Armorial” (p. 193), a “silver Russian cross” is depicted.

Orthodox osmic-pointed cross

The eight-pointed design most closely corresponds to the historically accurate form of the cross on which Christ was already crucified, as testified by Tertullian, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, Saint Justin the Philosopher and others. “And when Christ the Lord carried the cross on His shoulders, then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was no title or foot on it yet. (...) There was no footstool, because Christ had not yet been raised on the cross and the soldiers, not knowing to what place Christ’s feet would reach, did not attach a footstool, finishing this already on Golgotha,” St. Demetrius of Rostov denounced the schismatics (Investigation, book 2, chapter 24). Also, there was no title on the cross before the crucifixion of Christ, because, as the Gospel reports, first "crucified Him"(John 19:18), and then only “Pilate wrote an inscription and placed(by his order) on the cross"(John 19:19). It was at first that they divided by lot "His garments" warriors, "those who crucified Him"(Matthew 27:35), and only then “They placed an inscription over His head, signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”(Matt. 27:3.7).

So, the four-pointed Cross of Christ, carried to Golgotha, which all who have fallen into the madness of schism call the seal of the Antichrist, is still called “His cross” in the Holy Gospel (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26 , John 19:17), that is, the same as with the tablet and footstool after the crucifixion (John 19:25). In Rus', a cross of this form was used more often than others.

Seven-pointed cross

This form of the cross is quite often found on icons of northern writing, for example, the Pskov school of the 15th century: the image of St. Paraskeva Friday with a life - from the Historical Museum, or the image of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica - from the Russian; or the Moscow school: “The Crucifixion” by Dionysius - from the Tretyakov Gallery, dated 1500.
We see the seven-pointed cross on the domes of Russian churches: let’s take, for example, the wooden Elias Church of 1786 in the village of Vazentsy (Holy Rus', St. Petersburg, 1993, ill. 129), or we can see it above the entrance to the cathedral of the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery, built by Patriarch Nikon .

At one time, theologians hotly discussed the question of what mystical and dogmatic meaning does the foot have as part of the redemptive Cross?

The fact is that the Old Testament priesthood received, so to speak, the opportunity to make sacrifices (as one of the conditions) thanks to "a golden stool attached to a throne"(Par. 9:18), which, as today among us Christians, according to God’s institution, was sanctified through confirmation: “And anoint with it,” said the Lord, “the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, (...) and its stools. And sanctify them, and they will be greatly holy: everything that touches them will be sanctified.”(Ex. 30:26-29).

Thus, the foot of the cross is that part of the New Testament altar that mystically points to the priestly ministry of the Savior of the world, who voluntarily paid with His death for the sins of others: for the Son of God “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree”(1 Pet. 2:24) of the Cross, "by sacrificing Himself"(Heb. 7:27) and thus "having become a High Priest forever"(Heb. 6:20), established in His own person "enduring priesthood"(Heb. 7:24).

This is what is stated in the “Orthodox Confession of the Eastern Patriarchs”: “On the cross He fulfilled the office of a Priest, sacrificing Himself to God and the Father for the redemption of the human race” (M., 1900, p. 38).
But let us not confuse the foot of the Holy Cross, which reveals to us one of its mysterious sides, with the other two feet from the Holy Scriptures. - explains St. Dmitry Rostovsky.

“David says: “Exalt the Lord our God and worship His footstool; Holy It"(Ps. 99:5). And Isaiah on behalf of Christ says: (Isa. 60:13), explains Saint Demetrius of Rostov. There is a stool that is commanded to be worshiped, and there is a stool that is not commanded to be worshiped. God says in Isaiah's prophecy: "heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool"(Isa. 66:1): no one should worship this footstool - the earth, but only God, its Creator. And it is also written in the psalms: “The Lord (Father) said to my Lord (Son), Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.”(Pis. 109:1). And who would want to worship this footstool of God, the enemies of God? What footstool does David command us to worship?” (Wanted, book 2, chapter 24).

The word of God itself answers this question on behalf of the Savior: “and when I am lifted up from the earth”(John 12:32) - “from the footstool of My feet” (Is. 66:1), then “I will glorify My footstool”(Isa. 60:13)- "foot of the altar"(Ex. 30:28) of the New Testament - the Holy Cross, casting down, as we confess, Lord, "Thy enemies are Thy footstool"(Ps. 109:1), and therefore "worship at the foot(Cross) His; Holy It is!”(Ps. 99:5), "a footstool attached to a throne"(2 Chron. 9:18).

Cross "crown of thorns"The image of a cross with a crown of thorns has been used for many centuries among different peoples who have adopted Christianity. But instead of numerous examples from the ancient Greco-Roman tradition, we will give several cases of its application in later times according to the sources that were at hand. A cross with a crown of thorns can be seen on the pages of an ancient Armenian manuscriptbooksthe period of the Cilician kingdom (Matenadaran, M., 1991, p. 100);on the icon“Glorification of the Cross” of the 12th century from the Tretyakov Gallery (V.N. Lazarev, Novgorod Iconography, M., 1976, p. 11); at Staritsky copper castcross- vest of the 14th century; onPokrovets“Golgotha” - the monastic contribution of Tsarina Anastasia Romanova in 1557; on silverdishXVI century (Novodevichy Convent, M., 1968, ill. 37), etc.

God told Adam who sinned that “Cursed is the earth for your sake. She will produce thorns and thistles for you."(Gen. 3:17-18). And the new sinless Adam - Jesus Christ - voluntarily took upon himself the sins of others, and death as their consequence, and the thorny suffering leading to it along a thorny path.

Christ's Apostles Matthew (27:29), Mark (15:17) and John (19:2) tell us that “The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and placed it on His head.”, “and by His stripes we were healed”(Isa. 53:5). From this it is clear why since then the wreath has symbolized victory and reward, starting with the books of the New Testament: "crown of truth"(2 Tim. 4:8), "crown of glory"(1 Pet. 5:4), "crown of life"(James 1:12 and Apoc. 2:10).

Cross "gallows"This form of the cross is very widely used when decorating churches, liturgical objects, hierarchal vestments, and in particular, as we see, the bishop’s omophorions on the icons of the “three ecumenical teachers.”

“If anyone tells you, do you worship the Crucified One? Answer in a bright voice and with a cheerful face: I worship and will not stop worshiping. If he laughs, you will shed tears for him, because he is raging,” teaches us, the ecumenical teacher St. John Chrysostom himself, adorned in images with this cross (Conversation 54, on Matt.).

A cross of any form has unearthly beauty and life-giving power, and everyone who cognizes this Divine wisdom exclaims with the Apostle: "I (…) I want to boast (…) only by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"(Gal. 6:14)!

Cross "grapevine"

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser."(John 15:1). This is what Jesus Christ called himself, the Head of the Church planted by Him, the only source and conductor of spiritual, holy life for all Orthodox believers who are members of His body.

“I am the vine, and you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.”(John 15:5). “These words of the Savior Himself laid the foundation for the symbolism of the grapevine,” wrote Count A. S. Uvarov in his work “Christian Symbolism”; the main meaning of the vine for Christians was in its symbolic connection with the Sacrament of Communion” (pp. 172 - 173).

Petal crossThe variety of forms of the cross has always been recognized by the Church as quite natural. According to the expression of St. Theodore the Studite, “the cross of any form is the true cross.” The “petal” cross is very often found in church fine art, which, for example, we see on the omophorion of St. Gregory the Wonderworker in the 11th century mosaic of the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Kyiv.

“By the variety of sensory signs we are hierarchically elevated to a uniform union with God,” explains the famous teacher of the Church, St. John of Damascus. From the visible to the invisible, from the temporal to eternity - this is the path of a person led by the Church to God through the comprehension of grace-filled symbols. The history of their diversity is inseparable from the history of the salvation of mankind.

Cross “Greek”, or Old Russian “korsunchik”

Traditional for Byzantium and the most frequently and widely used form is the so-called “Greek cross”. This same cross, as is known, is considered to be the oldest “Russian cross”, since, according to the church, Saint Prince Vladimir took from Korsun, where he was baptized, exactly such a cross and installed it on the banks of the Dnieper in Kyiv. A similar four-pointed cross has been preserved to this day in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, carved on the marble plaque of the tomb of Prince Yaroslav, the son of St. Vladimir Equal to the Apostles.

Often, to indicate the universal significance of the Cross of Christ as a microuniverse, the cross is depicted inscribed in a circle, symbolizing cosmologically the celestial sphere.

Domed cross with crescent

It is not surprising that the question about the cross with a crescent is often asked, since the “domes” are located in the most prominent place of the temple. For example, the domes of the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Vologda, built in 1570, are decorated with such crosses.

Typical of the pre-Mongol period, this form of domed cross is often found in the Pskov region, such as on the dome of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the village of Meletovo, erected in 1461.

In general, the symbolism of an Orthodox church is inexplicable from the point of view of aesthetic (and therefore static) perception, but, on the contrary, it is completely open for comprehension precisely in liturgical dynamics, since almost all elements of temple symbolism, in different places of worship, acquire different meanings.

“And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun,- says the Revelation of John the Theologian, - the moon is under her feet"(Apoc. 12:1), and patristic wisdom explains: this moon marks the font in which the Church, baptized into Christ, puts on Him, the Sun of righteousness. The crescent is also the cradle of Bethlehem, which received the Infant Christ; the crescent is the Eucharistic cup in which the Body of Christ is located; the crescent is a church ship, led by the Helmsman Christ; the crescent is also an anchor of hope, the gift of Christ on the cross; the crescent is also the ancient serpent, trampled underfoot by the Cross and placed as the enemy of God under the feet of Christ.

Trefoil cross

In Russia, this form of cross is used more often than others for making altar crosses. But, however, we can see it on state symbols. “A golden Russian trefoil cross standing on a silver overturned crescent,” as reported in the “Russian Armorial Book,” was depicted on the coat of arms of the Tiflis province

The golden “trefoil” (Fig. 39) is also on the coat of arms of the Orenburg province, on the coat of arms of the city of Troitsk in the Penza province, the city of Akhtyrka in the Kharkov province and the city of Spassk in the Tambov province, on the coat of arms of the provincial city of Chernigov, etc.

Cross "Maltese" or "St. George"

Patriarch Jacob prophetically honored the Cross when "I bowed down by faith,- as the Apostle Paul says, - to the top of his staff"(Heb. 11:21), “a rod,” explains Saint John of Damascus, “which served as an image of the cross” (On Holy Icons, 3 f.). That is why today there is a cross above the handle of the bishop’s staff, “for by the cross we,” writes Saint Simeon of Thessaloniki, “are guided and grazed, imprinted, have children, and, having mortified passions, are drawn to Christ” (chapter 80).

In addition to the constant and widespread church use, this form of the cross, for example, was officially adopted by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, which was formed on the island of Malta and openly fought against Freemasonry, which, as you know, organized the murder of the Russian Emperor Pavel Petrovich, the patron saint of the Maltese. This is how the name appeared - “Maltese cross”.

According to Russian heraldry, some cities had golden “Maltese” crosses on their coats of arms, for example: Zolotonosha, Mirgorod and Zenkov of the Poltava province; Pogar, Bonza and Konotop of the Chernigov province; Kovel Volynskaya,

Perm and Elizavetpol provinces and others. Pavlovsk St. Petersburg, Vindava Courland, Belozersk Novgorod provinces,

Perm and Elizavetpol provinces and others.

All who were awarded the crosses of St. George the Victorious of all four degrees were called, as is known, “Knights of St. George.”

Cross "Prosphora-Konstantinovsky"

For the first time, these words in Greek “IC.XP.NIKA”, which means “Jesus Christ the Victor”, were written in gold on three large crosses in Constantinople by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine himself.

“To him who overcomes I will give to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.”(Rev. 3:21), says the Savior, the Conqueror of hell and death.

According to ancient tradition, an image of a cross is printed on the prosphora with the addition of words signifying this victory of Christ on the cross: “IC.ХС.NIKA.” This “prosphora” seal means the ransom of sinners from sinful captivity, or, in other words, the great price of our Redemption.

Old printed "wicker" cross

“This weaving is derived from ancient Christian art,” Professor V.N. Shchepkin authoritatively reports, “where it is known in carvings and mosaics. Byzantine weaving, in turn, passed on to the Slavs, among whom it was especially widespread in ancient times in Glagolitic manuscripts” (Textbook of Russian Paleography, M., 1920, p. 51).

Most often, images of “wicker” crosses are found as decorations in Bulgarian and Russian early printed books.

Four-pointed “drop-shaped” cross

Having sprinkled the tree of the cross, drops of the Blood of Christ forever imparted His power to the cross.

The Greek Gospel of the 2nd century from the State Public Library opens with a sheet depicting a beautiful “drop-shaped” four-pointed cross (Byzantine miniature, M., 1977, pl. 30).

And also, for example, let us recall that among the copper pectoral crosses cast in the first centuries of the second millennium, as is known, “drop-shaped” encolpions are often found (in Greek- “on the chest”).
In the beginning of Christ"drops of blood falling to the ground"(Luke 22:44), became a lesson in the fight against sin even"till blood"(Heb. 12:4); when on the cross from Him“blood and water flowed out”(John 19:34), then they were taught by example to fight evil even to death.

"To him(To the Savior) who loved us and washed us from our sins with his blood"(Apoc. 1:5), who saved us “by the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20), - Glory forever!

Cross "crucifixion"

One of the first images of the crucified Jesus Christ that has come down to us dates back only to the 5th century, on the doors of the Church of St. Sabina in Rome. Since the 5th century, the Savior began to be depicted in a long robe of collobia - as if leaning against a cross. It is this image of Christ that can be seen on early bronze and silver crosses of Byzantine and Syrian origin in the 7th-9th centuries.

The 6th century saint Anastasius Sinaite wrote an apologetic ( in Greek- “defense”) the essay “Against the Akephals” - a heretical sect that denies the union of two natures in Christ. To this work he attached an image of the Savior’s crucifixion as an argument against Monophysitism. He conjures the copyists of his work, along with the text, to hand over inviolably the image attached to it, as, incidentally, we can see on the manuscript of the Vienna Library.

Another, even more ancient of the surviving images of the crucifixion is found on the miniature of the Gospel of Ravbula from the Zagba monastery. This manuscript from 586 belongs to the Florence Library of St. Lawrence.

Until the 9th century inclusive, Christ was depicted on the cross not only alive, resurrected, but also triumphant, and only in the 10th century did images of the dead Christ appear (Fig. 54).

Since ancient times, crucifixion crosses, both in the East and in the West, had a crossbar to support the feet of the Crucified One, and His legs were depicted as nailed each separately with its own nail. The image of Christ with crossed feet nailed to a single nail first appeared as an innovation in the West in the second half of the 13th century.

On the cross-shaped halo of the Savior, the Greek letters UN were necessarily written, meaning “truly Jehovah”, because “God said to Moses: I am who I am.”(Ex. 3:14), thereby revealing His name, expressing the originality, eternity and immutability of the being of God.

From the Orthodox dogma of the Cross (or Atonement) undoubtedly follows the idea that the death of the Lord is the ransom of all, the calling of all peoples. Only the cross, unlike other executions, made it possible for Jesus Christ to die with outstretched hands calling "all the ends of the earth"(Isa. 45:22).

Therefore, in the tradition of Orthodoxy, it is to depict the Savior Almighty precisely as the already Risen Cross-Bearer, holding and calling into His arms the entire universe and carrying on Himself the New Testament altar - the Cross. The prophet Jeremiah spoke about this on behalf of Christ-haters: “Let us put wood into His bread”(11:19), that is, we will place the tree of the cross on the body of Christ, called the bread of heaven (St. Demetrius Rost. cit. cit.).

And the traditionally Catholic image of the crucifixion, with Christ hanging in his arms, on the contrary, has the task of showing how it all happened, of depicting the dying suffering and death, and not at all what is essentially the eternal Fruit of the Cross - His triumph.

Schema cross, or “Golgotha”

The inscriptions and cryptograms on Russian crosses have always been much more diverse than on Greek ones.
Since the 11th century, under the lower oblique crossbar of the eight-pointed cross, a symbolic image of the head of Adam, buried according to legend on Golgotha ​​( in Hebrew- “place of the forehead”), where Christ was crucified. These words of his clarify the tradition that had developed in Rus' by the 16th century of making the following designations near the image of “Golgotha”: “M.L.R.B.” - the place of execution was crucified quickly, “G.G.” - Mount Golgotha, "G.A." - head of Adam; Moreover, the bones of the hands lying in front of the head are depicted: right on left, as during burial or communion.

The letters "K" and "T" stand for the warrior's copy and the cane with a sponge, depicted along the cross.

The following inscriptions are placed above the middle crossbar: “IC” “XC” - the name of Jesus Christ; and under it: “NIKA” - Winner; on the title or near it there is an inscription: “SNЪ” “BZHIY” - Son of God sometimes - but more often not “I.N.C.I” - Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews; the inscription above the title: “TSR” “SLVY” - King of Glory.

Such crosses are supposed to be embroidered on the vestments of the great and angelic schema; three crosses on the paraman and five on the kukula: on the forehead, on the chest, on both shoulders and on the back.

The Calvary cross is also depicted on the funeral shroud, which signifies the preservation of the vows given at baptism, like the white shroud of the newly baptized, signifying cleansing from sin. During the consecration of temples and houses depicted on the four walls of the building.

Unlike the image of the cross, which directly depicts the Crucified Christ Himself, the sign of the cross conveys its spiritual meaning, depicts its real meaning, but does not reveal the Cross itself.

“The cross is the guardian of the entire universe. The Cross is the beauty of the Church, the Cross of kings is the power, the Cross is the affirmation of the faithful, the Cross is the glory of an angel, the Cross is a plague of demons,” affirms the absolute Truth of the luminaries of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross.

The motives for the outrageous desecration and blasphemy of the Holy Cross by conscious cross-haters and crusaders are quite understandable. But when we see Christians drawn into this vile business, it is all the more impossible to remain silent, for - according to the words of St. Basil the Great - “God is betrayed by silence”!

So called " playing cards", available, unfortunately, in many homes, is an instrument of demonic communication, through which a person certainly comes into contact with demons - the enemies of God. All four card “suits” mean nothing more than the cross of Christ along with other sacred objects equally revered by Christians: a spear, a sponge and nails, that is, everything that was the instrument of the suffering and death of the Divine Redeemer.

And out of ignorance, many people, playing the fool, allow themselves to blaspheme the Lord, taking, for example, a card with the image of a “trefoil” cross, that is, the cross of Christ, which is worshiped by half the world, and throwing it carelessly with the words (forgive me, Lord !) “club”, which translated from Yiddish means “bad” or “evil spirits”! Moreover, these daredevils, who are playing with suicide, essentially believe that this cross is “beating” with some lousy “trump six”, not knowing at all that “trump” and “kosher” are written, for example, in Latin, the same.

It would be high time to clarify the true rules of all card games, in which all players are left “in the fool”: they consist in the fact that ritual sacrifices, in Hebrew called by the Talmudists “kosher” (that is, “pure”), supposedly have power over Life-giving Cross!

If you know that playing cards cannot be used for purposes other than the desecration of Christian shrines to the delight of demons, then the role of cards in “fortune telling” - these nasty quests for demonic revelations - will become extremely clear. In this regard, is it necessary to prove that anyone who touches a deck of cards and does not bring sincere repentance in confession for the sins of blasphemy and blasphemy has a guaranteed registration in hell?

So, if “clubs” are the blasphemy of raging gamblers against specially depicted crosses, which they also call “crosses,” then what do “blames,” “worms,” and “diamonds” mean? We will not bother ourselves with translating these curses into Russian, since we do not have a Yiddish textbook; we'd better open it New Testament to shed the Light of God, unbearable for them, on the demonic tribe.

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov in imperative mood edifies: “get acquainted with the spirit of the time, study it, so as to avoid its influence if possible.”

The card suit “blame”, or otherwise “spade”, blasphemes the gospel spade, then As the Lord predicted about His perforation, through the mouth of the prophet Zechariah, that “They will look to Him whom they have pierced”(12:10), this is what happened: "one of the warriors(Longinus) pierced His side with a spear"(John 19:34).

The card suit "hearts" blasphemes the gospel sponge on the cane. As Christ warned about His poisoning, through the mouth of the prophet David, that the warriors “They gave me gall for food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”(Ps. 68:22), and so it came true: “One of them took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, gave Him to drink.”(Matt. 27:48).

The card suit “diamonds” blasphemes the Gospel forged tetrahedral jagged nails with which the hands and feet of the Savior were nailed to the tree of the Cross. As the Lord prophesied about his clove crucifixion, through the mouth of the psalmist David, that"They pierced My hands and My feet"(Ps. 22:17), and so it was fulfilled: Apostle Thomas, who said“Unless I see in His hands the wounds of the nails, and put my finger into the wounds of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”(John 20:25), “I believed because I saw”(John 20:29); and the Apostle Peter, addressing his fellow tribesmen, testified:“Men of Israel!- he said, - Jesus of Nazareth (…) you took it and nailed it(to the cross) hands(Romans) the lawless were killed; but God raised Him up"(Acts 2:22, 24).

The unrepentant thief crucified with Christ, like today's gamblers, blasphemed the sufferings of the Son of God on the cross and, out of inveteracy and unrepentance, went forever to hell; and the prudent thief, setting an example for everyone, repented on the cross and thereby inherited eternal life with God blessing. Therefore, let us firmly remember that for us Christians there can be no other object of hope and hope, no other support in life, no other banner uniting and inspiring us, except the only saving sign of the invincible Cross of the Lord!

Gamma cross

This cross is called “Gammatic” because it consists of the Greek letter “gamma”. Already the first Christians depicted the gammatic cross in the Roman catacombs. In Byzantium, this form was often used to decorate Gospels, church utensils, churches, and was embroidered on the vestments of Byzantine saints. In the 9th century, by order of Empress Theodora, a Gospel was made, decorated with a gold ornament of gammatic crosses.

The gammatic cross is very similar to the ancient Indian swastika sign. The Sanskrit word swastika or su-asti-ka means supreme existence or perfect bliss. This is an ancient solar symbol, that is, associated with the sun, which appeared already in the Upper Paleolithic era, became widespread in the cultures of the Aryans, ancient Iranians, and is found in Egypt and China. Of course, the swastika was known and revered in many areas of the Roman Empire during the era of the spread of Christianity. The ancient pagan Slavs were also familiar with this symbol; Images of the swastika are found on rings, temple rings and other jewelry, as a sign of the sun or fire, notes priest Mikhail Vorobyov. The Christian Church, which has powerful spiritual potential, was able to rethink and churchize many cultural traditions of pagan antiquity: from ancient philosophy to everyday rituals. Perhaps the gammatic cross entered Christian culture as the churched swastika.

And in Rus' the form of this cross has long been used. It is depicted on many church objects of the pre-Mongol period, in the form of a mosaic under the dome of the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kyiv, in the ornament of the doors of Nizhny Novgorod Cathedral. Gamma crosses are embroidered on the phelonion of the Moscow Church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi.